Music for the Last Day of Spring!

Since June 1st denotes the official first day of summer, I thought I would leave you guys with 3 distinct spring releases to enjoy on the last day of the season. This year has far surpassed almost every other in my lifetime in terms of great new music, spring in particular. So I think it's important that we take a step back and celebrate the artists that have contributed thus far to a fantastic 2011! Here goes:

1) Noah and the Whale- Last Night on Earth

Now, obviously the British folk-rock duo has made quite an impression on the majority of indie music lovers in the past few years. But since seeing them perform at Coachella in 2009, I have seen an immense progression in their ability to produce interesting and diverse music that appeals to almost everyone, something that was solidified for me when I saw them at The El Rey in LA this past Tuesday. "Wild Thing", "Tonight's The Kind of Night", and "Give it All Back" show off their ability to experiment with different genres and sounds and really show off their musical ability. Plus I have to see they have moved beyond the incredibly depressing era of First Days of Spring, not that this album doesn't retain some of that quintessential NATW self-loathing and misanthropy but at least I can listen to this album in full without crying. Listen to the aforementioned tracks below:

NATW: "Wild Thing"
NATW: "Give it All Back"
NATW: "Tonight's The Kind of Night"


2) Beth Ditto- Beth Ditto EP

Honestly, not much to say except DAMN can this woman sing. The Gossip lead singer has released some solo work in the past, but I absolutely love how well she has pulled off experimenting with a heavy electronic/ synthpop sound... kind of has early Madonna/ Janet Jackson vibes or something. But honestly, the girl can do anything. My respect for her has really grown and hope she continues producing solo stuff as well as music with Gossip. Listen to the EP preview below, and for the love of god just buy it if you like it. It's 4 fucking dollars and worth every penny.

Beth Ditto EP Preview


3) Friendly Fires- Pala

Not much has changed with this group since their first self-titled LP, released in 2008, and in my eyes that is definitely not a bad thing. The album is inimitably theirs, and they are just as amazing and catchy as they were when I fell in love with "Paris" at 16. The two things that really stand out to me on this album are the production quality and variation of tempo and beats; though their music is quite distinct, they are also brilliant at taking their style and creating such a sophisticated array of tracks, it's impossible as an electronic music lover not to love them (well, I guess that's arguable, but someone would really have to make a solid case to convince me otherwise). Hopefully I will get to see them next week in LA, but if not I look forward to seeing and hearing more from them in the future. Check out "Helpless" and "Blue Cassette" below:

Friendly Fires: "Blue Cassette"
Friendly Fires: "Helpless"

Yelle @ The Music Box in LA, 5/21/11

It's been a week since I saw Yelle perform at The Music Box with French Horn Rebellion, just enough time to process the glory that was Julie Budet in a whirlwind of safari-themed outfits, dancing to green-red-blue lights flashing to the beat of the two giant drums on either side of the stage. French Horn Rebellion had some trouble at the start with their set, the awkwardness of a computer malfunction that led to some hilarious impromptu french horn solo-ing to the likes of Bach, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky. I wouldn't say that I was taken with their music, as they kind of proved to be somewhat average electronic musicians as soon as they fixed their equipment, playing mostly pre-produced music that all sounded the same. However, I will give them props for their ability to fight through technical difficulties and engage the crowd. Yelle, however, killed it. She always puts on the best shows, and from the looks of her Coachella set I had pretty high hopes for seeing Ms. Budet for the second time at this venue. She opened with S'etient le Soleil, on of my favorite tracks off of the new album, Safari Disco Club. I've always admired her ability to captivate an audience who, as a whole, probably doesn't have a fucking clue what she's singing about. Funny, too, because she's one of the most adorable artists out there and yet a large amount of her lyrics are quite dirty, something I also find quite hilarious and endearing as I watch the 16-year-old fans around me pretend to sing along. But I digress. The show was spectacular, a perfect combination of old and new as she danced around to tracks like "Ce jeu", "Amour du sol", and "Je veux te voir" off of 2009's Pop-Up, as well as new masterpieces like "Unillusion" and "Safari Disco Club". Regardless of your level of fluency in Francais, it's undeniable that Yelle has got something going for her that transcends cultural and language boundaries. I highly recommend buying Safari Disco Club if you haven't already, and listening to the absolutley FANTASTIC remix of Safari Disco Club included on the iTunes deluxe edition.

Trifecta of Tranquility

So the 3 artists I'm about to discuss will most definitely not be anything most of you haven't heard about already, but I would be remiss if I didn't talk about the amazing new music from Explosions in the Sky, Fleet Foxes, and Bon Iver. Both Take Care, Take Care, Take Care by Explosions in the Sky and Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes have been out for weeks now, and have been absolutely the sources of comfort in my world of chaos and end of the year stress. Explosions in the Sky do an absolutely amazing job at arranging incredibly long pieces, and yet manage to create enough texture and sophistication in each song that you are completely unaware you have been listening to the same track for over seven minutes. We all knew they were talented, as exhibited in their previous albums and on the Friday Night Lights soundtrack. But my god, is this album amazing. "Human Qualities", "Be Comfortable, Creature", and "Last Known Surroundings" are my favorites off of the album... if you are at all in need of some relaxation or decompressing, these should be your go-to's. And as for Fleet Foxes... where do I even begin. The melodies and instrumentation on songs like "Bedouin Dress", "Lorelai", "Grown Ocean", and "Battery Kinzie" effortlessly combine what is good about modern-day folk rock and what should always be loved about down-to-the-roots folk music. These guys kill me, every musician writing this type of music (or any acoustic music, for that matter) could and should learn a lot from them. And finally, I know I stand among millions who are saying this right now, BUT I CANNOT WAIT FOR BON IVER'S NEW ALBUM. It drops early June, and they have already announced the first leg of their upcoming international tour. Sadly it does not yet have a stop in good old LA, but fingers crossed that that will change very soon. They posted "Calgary", one of the tracks of their forthcoming self-titled album, on Youtube a couple of days ago; it is so breathtakingly beautiful I didn't quite know what to do with myself the first time I heard it. Needless to say, the summer music scene is off to a pretty solid start. Listen to "Human Qualities", "Battery Kinzie", and "Calgary" below: