Bite the Lightening and Tell me How it Tastes

It’s been quite a while since Arctic Monkeys have released new material, but their latest single, “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair,” seems to be only the tip of the iceberg for the brilliance of what’s to come with their forthcoming album, Suck It and See, which is due out in late spring. It’s a lot more hard rock than their previous material, and features a magnetically dark guitar line that I very much appreciate. The song kind of sounds like the band channeled a bit of both Zeppelin and The Strokes, and being a huge fan of both it goes without saying that I am quite impressed. I can’t wait to hear the new album and see them play this summer at their show at The Palladium (which by the way Los Angelites if you will be in town you must attend). Listen to the new track here:

Arctic Monkeys: “Don’t Sit Down ‘Cause I’ve Moved Your Chair”

England's Best Voice Since Florence Welch

There has been a lot of hype recently circulating around the name Ellie Goulding, but I hadn’t taken the time until recently to sit down and see what all the fuss was about. After hearing songs like “Guns and Horses,” “Animal,” and “Lights,” I only wish I had started listening to her sooner. This girl is absolutely amazing, and has that incredible combination of both effortlessly beautiful vocals and an uninhibited manner of using her voice, something I respect a lot about Florence & The Machine. Goulding has managed to channel electronic/ dance music, pop, jazz, and rock into her music in a completely coherent way, making her music refreshingly original and so catchy. Her debut album, Lights, was released in the US on March 8th, and I’m putting my money on this girl blowing up just as rapidly stateside as Flo did a year ago. In the more immediate future, I can almost guarantee her set at Coachella will place her as one of the best of the festival. Listen to a couple of the tracks from the album below and see for yourself!

Ellie Goulding- “Animal”

Ellie Goulding- “Guns and Horses”

You Can Blow What's Left of My Right Mind

Blood Pressures was released yesterday, and for those of you who aren't familiar with The Kills or my infatuation with them, this is a really big deal. I was sent a copy of the album a little over a week ago so it's newness novelty has worn off a bit for me, but I wanted to wait until the release day to talk about it so that you, the reader, will hopefully BUY it and not download it off of mediafire. I obviously had high hopes for this album, being that both Jaimie Hince and Alison Mosshart have had some time since the release of Midnight Boom in 2008 to get their creative flow back and make this record the best yet. However, I have to say I am quite surprised at the overall feel and versatility of this album's sound; I half expected, since Alison has been the frontwoman for The Dead Weather for the past couple of years, that it would be more dark than it actually is. To my great surprise, songs like "Nail In My Coffin," "Future Starts Slow," and "Baby Says" have both the quintessential Kills edge and a significant focus on melody, something you can't really say about most of their previous work. Maybe it's the fact that they are now ten years older than they were when Keep on Your Mean Side came out, but it's refreshing to me that they've been able to find this in their music and experiment with different genres and styles of writing. Not to say that there aren't a fair share of pretty badass songs; I think I would have been disappointed without the likes of "DNA," "You Don't Own The Road," "Satellite," and "Damned if She Do." Overall, I am so unbelievably impressed with their work, and absolutely can't wait to see them perform live again. If you don't buy Blood Pressures, you will be sorely missing out on what is sure to be one of the top 5 (at least) records of the year. No pressure, though (pun!). Faceculture did a fantastically in-depth interview with my favorite duo, watch part 1 below!

Let the Motherf*cker Burn

Yacht has a new single, bitches. It sounds nothing like their old stuff, which to be honest is a good thing in my mind. Not that I wasn't into I Believe In You. Your Magic Is Real., but I think "Dystopia" shows tremendous progress on their part. The Portland-based duo of Clare Evans and Jona Bechtolt has always been known for their interesting (to say the least) electronic experimentation, but I think this track shows that they have become much more sophisticated in their ability to produce really intricate and textured electronic music. Their sound is definitely evolving, and evolving for the better. I for one cannot wait for their new album to drop; listen to "Dystopia" below and see for yourself!

I'm In Love I'm In Love I'M IN LOVE

...with Oh Land's new self-titled album; oh my god is this shit extraordinary. Danish singer Nanna Oland Fabricius, aka Oh Land, has been at it for a while now, but this album has absolutely placed her at the top of my favorites. Both playful in its experimental instrumentation and wholly representative of what is good about modern-day indie music, this record places somewhere in between Glasser and Ladyhawke with a dash of Fever Ray.... which, if you don't know my taste in music, is a very high compliment in my book. Her most famous song off the album, "Son of a Gun", who's accompanying video has rightfully gone viral on youtube since being posted in October, is, to say the least, extremely catchy and creative. I personally would put "White Nights" and "Human" on the same level as "Son of a Gun"; they have a similar vibe and yet are both quite original, and will undoubtedly be stuck in my head for weeks. "Helicopter" is somewhat mellow compared to the other aforementioned songs, but it is calmingly beautiful and just so well done. Ugh I cannot say enough about this girl, this album is a must-buy. I was absolutely heartbroken to find out she is playing in LA at the Music Box DAYS after I leave, but here's hoping she will play more live shows over summer. Watch the visually stunning video for "Son of a Gun" below, and trust me when I say you will not regret buying this record.

You Are My Native Speaker

I went to see Baths play at the Troubadour a week or so ago, and as much as I was impressed with him I was absolutely blown away by Braids' live show. The foursome from Canada has been on a very lengthy tour with Baths in the US/ Canada since early February, LA being their last stop. I had never heard of the group before seeing them play, but I was so absolutely impressed with their incredible vocal effects, harmonies, and amazing production technique that I went home and immediately bought the record after the show, and have been listening to it non-stop since. Songs like "Native Speaker" and "Glass Deers" are such a brain-envelopingly amazing combination of trippy and serene that they make you want to lie down in the middle of a forest and never leave. If you don't yet have their debut album, Native Speaker, yet, you're sorely missing out. Listen to "Glass Deers" below:

Love Out Of Lust For Lykke

I should have written this post two or so weeks ago when Lykke Li released her sophomore album, Wounded Rhymes, but to say I have fallen madly in love with every single track on this record is an understatement. I have been a Lykke fan from the beginning, who initially drew me in with tracks like "I'm Good, I'm Gone", "Complaint Department", and "Dance, Dance Dance" and with her unbelievable theatrical live performances. But I have to say, although I truly loved a lot of the songs off of Youth Novels, she has come quite a long way musically since her earlier days. The creative drum beats and dynamic melodies of "I Follow Rivers" and "Youth Knows No Pain" are what make these two songs absolute stand-outs for me, however I am almost equally obsessed with songs like "Rich Kids Blues" and "Love Out Of Lust", and of course with the hilariously abrasive "Get Some". I really can't say enough about this album, her work on this record really makes it hard to believe she's only 24 years old. And seeing as her live shows are probably my favorite part about her, I absolutely cannot wait to see her this summer at the Wiltern in LA. And for you New Yorkers, it was just announced today that she will be playing at Central Park Summerstage in August! I highly recommend buying Wounded Rhymes in full, it's definitely going to be on everyone's top albums of 2011 lists. And if you get the chance, see her live. It is truly a worthwhile experience. Listen to the album HERE.

The Queen of Soul is Back with a Vengeance

At long last, Adele's sophomore album, 21, was released today. Not that I would expect anything less from this girl, but I actually haven't been able to speak to anyone for about an hour now; the entire album has completely blown my mind and I can do nothing but sit, mouth agape, and marvel at the absolute prodigy that is Ms. Adkins. I can't help but feel incredibly inadequate as I listen to track after track of the most incredible new music around... how many people my age can say that they have recorded two of the most vocally and lyrically sophisticated albums of our generation, won two grammys, and have stolen the hearts of music lovers around the world all before the rest of us have graduated college?!? To say that people like this come around once in a lifetime is the understatement of the year, and I'm so happy for her that she has come this far. It's hard to believe that the girl I met after playing her first show in Los Angeles in 2008, stricken with fear and completely skeptical as to whether or not she would ever have a fanbase in the US, sold out almost every single date on her upcoming US tour in under a day. Once again though, I am not surprised at all. After listening to 21 in full about 3 times today, it has become clear to me that Adele is much more than a girl with unbelievable raw talent; she has become an absolutely brilliant songwriter as well, one whose growing confidence and way with words beyond her years is highlighted in every single song on this album. "Rolling In The Deep" still remains one of my favorites; the melody obviously shows off her vocal talent quite well, but moreover the power of the kick drum and beautiful backup vocals add a complexity and catchiness that I think set it on a whole new level from her older material. "Set Fire To The Rain" and "Rumour Has It" share that same undeniable confidence and are tracks that I foresee becoming absolute hits, and on the other end of the spectrum, the more mellow "Turning Tables" and "Someone Like You" are just so beyond beautiful I can't really say much other than how speechless I am. In other words, FUCK YEAH ADELE. You never cease to amaze me.

Check out "Set Fire To The Rain" here:

Adele- "Set Fire To The Rain"

Synthpop's Newest Powerhouse

When I first heard MNDR sing with Mark Ronson & The Business Intl on his summer single, "Bang Bang Bang", I knew Amanda Warner and her partner Pete Wade were a duo set to take the electronic music world by storm. A failed attempt at seeing them perform over the summer (their show at Echoplex in Silverlake was cancelled) only made me more determined to hear more of what they had been working on apart from Ronson, which led me to listen to E.P.E., MNDR's first EP. They have only officially released about 6 songs to date, but their music has made a huge impression on me. "Caligula" is one of those songs you can listen to 10 times over and not get sick of it, and songs like "Fade To Black" and "Cut Me Out" strike me as instant hits. As of now I'm just waiting for them to really take off, not that they haven't already done incredibly well for not having an LP out (they are currently on a mostly sold-out tour with Chromeo and have been all over Pitchfork the past month or so). If you haven't listened to MNDR's music, do yourself a favor and download their music off of iTunes, especially "Cut Me Out" and "Caligula". Listen to "Cute Me Out" below and see for yourself:

MNDR: "Cut Me Out"

The Kills- "Satellite" Music Video

It seems fitting that my 100th post would be about The Kills.... Domino quite literally JUST posted the video for their newest singe "Satellite", a song that I have annoyingly brought up many times, but whatever. I'm excited, so sue me. I couldn't have more accurately described it than did the people who posted the video, who narrate: "Alison and Jamie hop into a vintage Rolls Royce and embark upon a road trip headed towards the faded, washed out glamour of the English coast. Vehicle collisions, dual personalities, and even a spot of fish and chips feature in this subtly disorientating, noir clip." Even if you aren't as obsessed as I admittedly am, it's worth giving it a watch; their videos are always aesthetically sound, and I think this video in particular gives fans a window into their incredible chemistry.