Ever since I discovered Wild Beasts just by sifting through new releases I’ve swirled around this band quite casually. I’ve always been highly amused by their quirkiness and cheek, but not for a minute did I expect them to strike an emotional chord with me. ‘Smother’ came from out of nowhere and did just that. I hate surprises, but this is an exception. Upon hearing about this new record I was slightly worried about the slow-paced nature of the songs but I reckoned they deserve a chance, so I gave it a whirl. Turns out I was the one who had to deserve to listen to this. This is all I’ve dared to put into words.

‘Lion’s Share‘ lifts off with a palpitating bassloop and a splash of tinkling ivory. Any frail, unsuspecting pianopop-loving creature like me would be easily fooled into believing this is to be a regular popsong with a creeping build-up and an epic climax. How we got fooled! As such an unsuspecting creature I got caught and dragged into the glowering, rumbling silence that is Smother. A silence that took time to adjust to, but quickly turned into something I never thought I would need.

The songs take you through the joys of life, the bad days and the end of things. Putting it more simply: sex, regret and death. Or in other words: everything that’s always on everyone’s mind. Yeah, you go ahead and deny it. Sex has most definitely been on the minds of all those journalists listening to this record. You can’t blame them, it’s crawling all over the melodies, the hooks, and obviously the lyrics. Now this isn’t new territory for the band, rather their unique selling point. On Two Dancers, their second album, while I thought I was only imagining things, it turned out I wasn’t imagining anything. They were actually singing about gentle fucks and dancing cocks.

Their lust for lust hasn’t weakened, instead it grew into this uncompromising longing that’s difficult to compare to anything else in music. Well, LL Cool J eat your heart out is what I say. Did the sexual innuendo sound oddly cute on the first two records, thinking of ‘She Purred, While I Grrred‘ for example, on ‘Smother’ with a song like ‘Plaything‘ it’s bordering on creepy. Or terribly sexy, whatever floats your boat. I’m constantly hovering between the two.

What drew me closer however were songs like ‘Deeper‘ and ‘Invisible‘. Tom Fleming’s the leading man here, which is no coincidence. As phenomenal as I believe Thorpe’s voice to be, (and yes, an acquired taste for many I guess) it’s Fleming’s embracing vocals that put my feet back on the ground. His voice adds such fragility to the words he’s written and they are the ones that put Thorpe’s into perspective for me. They do both seem to wander towards a deeper understanding of themselves and the human condition as personal and as unpretentious as possible. As ‘End Come Too Soon‘ draws to a sparkling, still slightly restrained close I was left, old sap that I am, moved and humbled.

As young and exceedingly talented as all four of them are, I tend to ponder the future for these chaps. But right now I wish for this record to, preferably literally, ‘surround me like a warm bath’, and let the future wait for its turn. Having relished in oldie goldie music for ages I want to enjoy whatever good music gets put out there, as a 20-something by 20-somethings. Once we reach that age where we’ll be feeling the end breathing down our necks, let us rejoice the golden days, have a pint, a good chat, and find solace in music. ‘Will you by any chance..’ ‘Yes I will’.

P.S. One pressing piece of advice before I let you watch the video below: if you ever catch them live take caution if you feel the urge to sing a long. You’ll look like a knobhead squeeking ‘Hatch me! Hatch me!’. Trust me.

P.S.P.S. Oh hold on, care for a proper gig recording featuring the new stuff? I highly recommend 3voor12′s video of their London Calling gig in Amsterdam’s Paradiso on May 21st.

‘Reach A Bit Further’ (acoustic)

Some day in February I received a job offer, which had been in the making for one and a half years, but I honestly didn’t expect I’d actually get it. I had to decide quickly, so I went over all the pros and cons and told myself to go. The offer was to become a Dutch listings writer for a media company residing in West London called Red Bee Media (see an introductory video here). It’s a position for which I’ve applied in 2009, and ended up not getting it. In the meantime I changed jobs, or rather: I went from employment to unemployment to self-employment and became a photographer. A dream I’ve been chasing for years. Just when I settled in nicely working several wonderful jobs and living comfortably in the centre of my hometown Leeuwarden I received an email. So why did I go?

It really wasn’t as difficult as it might appear to be. Having been born in Leeuwarden I knew I’d leave one day to try and find new roots somewhere else. For years I’ve traveled to metropolises and there’s always been a desire to be part of it. I’ve never lived anywhere else, I’ve never studied anywhere else, gap years and sabbaticals were never an option. So nothing could reasonably keep me from going to London.

The preparations were terribly stressful. Not knowing where I’d end up and leaving everything behind nearly got to me. But I knew it was the right choice to make so I kept on packing and pulling plugs. I left on a quiet Monday, took a nearly deserted ferry and arrived in London late in the evening. The first few weeks I spent in several hostels across town, which wasn’t always a fun experience as some of you might have noticed. Reading my frustrated tweets for days on end must’ve been so annoying. Apologies for that!

I was lucky enough to find a wonderful share house, eh, excuse me, share cottage, in a comfortably quiet area of London called Barnes (it has its own wiki page, check it out). I’ve been living here for a month now and life is good. A day at a time, trying to keep up with everything happening at work (next time you’ll watch the UPC descriptions on your tv you’ll think of me) and everywhere else. A big plus of course are the copious amounts of gigs to attend, I’ve got tickets lined up for The Music, The Jayhawks, Wild Beasts and Tori Amos. That and time spent with friends in London and the anticipation of hanging out with family and friends from home in this fabulous city is what keeps me going. Watch this space!

Special Problems is one of those creative collaborations out there that knows no boundaries if it comes to creating imaginary videos. Campbell Hooper and Joel Kefali are the brains behind Special Problems. They create both live action and animation videos and do not shy away from blending both crafts together into one video, like they did with the Flying Lotus video I stumbled upon. I selected a couple of my favourite videos by this duo, and guess what.. the songs aren’t bad either.

Flying Lotus – MmmHmm

The Naked And Famous – Young Blood

Zowie – Broken Machine

Jonathan Boulet – A Community Service Announcement

Wolfmother – New Moon Rising

Tame Impala – Half Full Glass Of Wine

Kids of 88 – Downtown

Brooke Fraser – Something In The Water

Jenn Grant – Honeymoon Punch (Jan 7th)

Nicolas Jaar – Space Is Only Noise (Feb 14th)

Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean (Jan 25th)

Little Comets – In Search Of Elusive Little Comets (Jan 31st)

Cut Copy – Zonoscope (Feb 8th)

Mittens – Urban Outfitters, shawl – H&M, bracelet – Anthropologie, peace sign earrings – Urban Outfitters, watch – Urban Outfitters, perfume bottles – IKEA, ring – Urban Outfitters, fabric watch – Urban Outfitters, cardigan – H&M, gold necklace – H&M, fabric necklace – Anthropologie, glass bowl – IKEA, lana shoes – American Apparel, red dress – Anthropologie

I tried to make a list of songs that stuck with me through the 00s and did a quick count of how many of those I’ve heard live on a stage. 19 out of 40. I’m a lucky bitch, is what I am. This list is outrageous and lacks any sense of prejudice, shame and intelligence. But it’s mine, and maybe there’s that one person out there right now who’s squeaking with delight at the sight of so many fine tunes and memories. Wishful thinking, I know.

I thought of a dozen more things to say, but the following 40 songs are doing the talking for me. If you care to give one or two songs a listen, I’ve done the legwork for you: playlists on Spotify and Youtube. Spotify might suck terribly (local files and such), if it does I’d advice to go look up the song anywhere else. Some are most definitely worth the search. Some of the lyric lines will direct you to a live video included in the Youtube playlist. Oh and the gigdates link to a Last.fm event page.

‘I’m applauded, then forgotten‘
1. New Order – Crystal

Summercase Barcelona – July 15th 2006

‘Yeah I think that I might break‘
2. Sia – Breathe Me

Vredenburg – May 17th 2010

‘Time takes too much time‘
3. Moloko – The Time Is Now

‘I don’t know you, and I don’t want to‘
4. Keane – Your Eyes Open

Melkweg – July 8th 2004

5. Yann Tiersen – La Valse d’Amélie

‘Are your eyes showing off for mine?‘
6. Editors – Bones

Lowlands – August 21st 2005

‘You gave away what you never really had’
7. The Cardigans – Please Sister

Summercase Barcelona – July 15th 2006

‘You, the only sense the world has ever made‘
8. Elbow – Switching Off

‘So darkness I became‘
9.  Florence + The Machine – Cosmic Love

Paradiso – October 8th 2009

‘Feeling special cause she’s so alone‘
10. a-ha – Mary Ellen Makes The Moment Count

HMH – October 8th 2002

‘Like a motorcade lost in tickertape’
11. The Delays – You And Me

‘I’m gonna break you down and see what you’re worth‘
12. Rufus Wainwright – Dinner At Eight

HMH – March 23rd 2005

‘I’ve gotta tell you what a state I’m in’
13. Coldplay – Warning Sign

‘We could make it better sometime‘
14. Robyn – With Every Heartbeat (ft. Kleerup)

‘Change has been released’
15. Jack Peñate – Everything Is New

Paradiso – November 20th 2009

‘Welcome in, welcome in, shame about the weather’
16.  Travis – My Eyes

Melkweg – June 5th 2007

‘Through a train window, flickering like a film frame’
17. Turin Brakes – Asleep With The Fireflies

Forum London – October 11th 2007

‘Who knows who wrote that song of summer, that blackbirds sing at dusk?’
18. Kate Bush – Sunset

‘Oh my my, a solar system that fits in your eye, microcosm’
19. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Parallel Universe

‘Fingers crossed, my time is coming now’
20. Lykke Li – Time Flies

‘Is this is far as you can take me?’
21. Röyksopp – This Must Be It

Lowlands – August 18th 2005

‘Oh I’m scared of the middle place, between light and nowhere‘
22.  Anthony & The Johnsons – Hope There’s Someone

‘Why don’t you play the game?’
23. Daft Punk – Digital Love

Summercase Barcelona – July 14th 2006

‘Well, I see you as you take your pride, my lioness’
24. Interpol – Pace Is The Trick

Lowlands – August 18th 2007

‘I couldn’t hold you close, I couldn’t, I couldn’t become you‘
25. Lou Reed – Ecstasy

Concertgebouw Amsterdam -April 19th  2005

‘I’m sure that you’ll mean, the world to me’
26. Depeche Mode – Hole To Feed

‘With friends like these, well who needs politicians‘
27. David Ford – State Of The Union

‘And you would find me, even in death‘
28. Tori Amos – I Can’t See New York

HMH – June 3rd 2007

‘Oh, there ain’t no love, no Montagues or Capulets‘
29. Arctic Monkeys – I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor

‘Carved from the tongue of this romancer‘
30. Wild Beasts – The Devil’s Crayon

Paradiso – November 20th 2009

‘I have guided my bones through some voltage‘
31. Bjork – Earth Intruders

‘Disintegrate tonight, swallow everything‘
32. Joseph Arthur  – Can’t Exist

‘Foes that wanna make sure my casket’s closed’
33.  Jay-Z – 99 Problems

‘When simply being was easy’
34. Anna Ternheim – No, I Don’t Remember

‘Thinking about writing it down seems pretentious’
35. Sondre Lerche – Stupid Memory

Melkweg Kleine Zaal – May 29th 2007

‘It’s hard to face the truth, when you think you’re dying‘
36. The Gossip – Standing In The Way Of Control

‘A lonely spell to conjure you, but conjure hell is all I do‘
37. Bat For Lashes – Sleep Alone

‘Spring may call you have it all‘
38. Novastar – When The Lights Go Down On The Broken Hearted

‘And I hope it rains, you’re the perfect lullaby‘
39. Beyoncé – Sweet Dreams

‘But sometimes, I’m finding it hard to choose, let’s talk about it‘
40. Feeder – Pushing The Senses

Paradiso – May 22nd 2006

In short, what they try to achieve in a very cool way is to interact with their audience and find alternative revenues. We’ve seen other (Dutch) bands trying new things and allowing fans to come closer and be a part of party, but JP are stepping it up and pulled out the full range of possibilities. Let’s hope they can prove the entire music industry wrong and manage to make money on their own and from new products solely focussing on the fans and music lovers in general. Their level of creativity and ambition won’t stand in their way to make it big, that’s for sure.

From their Twitterfeed:
We are now 62 bandmembers! That’s great, wonder if we could make a symphony or a choir or just make 5 soccerteams including coaches… 

Become a bandmember!
http://www.lesystem.nl

Bracelet with creme enamel and coral beads by jeanmc

Vintage Mod 60s Hinged Bangle Bracelet Pedre Watch by jenniesjunque

Bird Hair Pins by veryvintage

Vintage 70s Scarf Art Deco Style Scarf in Pink Blue and Black by catwalkcreative
Pink and gold beaded necklace by jeanmc

Silver and gold brooch and earring set by jeanmc

Burnt Umber Spectator Shoes by urbanlotusboutique

Faux Fur White Long Sleeve Jacket by ChicVintageWear

Pearl and Goldtone Cuff Links by whimsicalvintage

1950′s Crown Trifari Goldtone Brooch by whimsicalvintage

1970′s Colorful Lucite Bead Necklace by whimsicalvintage

Grand Avenue – Place To Fall

When I saw this band supporting Saybia a few years ago they made quite an impression. I’d even go further in saying that they outplayed the main attraction. There’s no way denying that these four Danes are mighty musicians and a joy to watch playing. Their determination to make it big is pretty darn obvious from their songs and their performances. It’s admirable. I’ve enjoyed most of their last album and doing the same with this one. The songs on ‘Place To Fall’ are funkier than ever, and a little rougher.
I do however have a nagging issue with this band’s sound. After these two records it’s become obvious that there’s certain continuity to their style and they seem determined to stick with it. What I’m missing is a certain kind of depth and low-fi quality, the production is so smooth that there’s no space for a rougher edge. A rougher edge would fit them like a glove and might be the last part of the puzzle to get them running full speed.
The chorusses especially seem to lack just a little bit of spark, transparency, flow, or whatever you want to call it. It’s like they forgot to press record on that last but defining layer. A hint of synth, or piano, or backing vocals. Maybe I’m asking too much, but I do sense that these guys have got potential but haven’t yet gotten to the end of the road. Which might explain why they haven’t had a defining hit so far. A shame really, but who knows, maybe this time..!

A favourite: ‘These Days’

Andy Bull – We’re Too Young

Is this young lad on the verge of hitting the charts? Probably! Every single song sounds like it’s ready for radio. Very play-, colour- and bashful. Just what we need, right? Probably! First characteristic you’ll notice is his high pitch, nasal voice that’s unlike anyone else’s. I’m absolutely certain that he’ll both have purists scratching the walls and have teenagers do the twist and jive. When it feels right it just does, ya know? And he’s definitely got himself some catchy tunes! But there’s obviously plenty room to grow. The lyrics, the music, the vocals, it’s all so fresh and void of life experience. Too young? Nope, this is fairly age appropriate.

A favourite: ‘Young Man’

Sondre Lerche – Heartbeat Radio

Mr. Lerche stole my heart when I saw him on tv, during an award ceremony, wearing an A-ha tee, ready to hand an award to the band printed on that same tee. He seemed genuinly thrilled and nervous. What a doll. The boy has grown up and with his latest release seems to have shed his rock ‘n roll tendencies from the last record, ‘Phantom Punch’. Its pace has been turned down a couple of notches. What hasn’t changed are the witty lyrics, the 60s vibe you get from the songs in general and the boyish charm to his voice. And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! It feels like home, it’s comforting and puts a little smirk on my face every now and then. Go see him live if you get a change, you won’t regret it! He got everyone up and dancing last time I saw him. Go Norge!

A favourite: ‘Heartbeat Radio’

Rodrigo y Gabriela – 11:11

An honorable mention for the awesome Rodrigo Y Gabriela! I saw this duo at Lowlands once and enjoyed myself immensely. Their style would normally not find its way to my playlist, but they’re darn good at what they do and it seems so effortless.  “Gabriela? Yes Rodrigo? Want to play some music? Sure thing Rodrigo”. Close your eyes and you’re in Mexico dancing holes in your shoes.

Trailer for ‘A Single Man’
You know those ads for designer clothes and perfumes, those that look so very stylishly theatrical? Well this is a movie trailer that looks like an ad that looks theatrical! No wonder really, considering that the movie is directed by Tom Ford, of all people.

Liu Bolin – ‘Transparency’ artist
I found this amazing artist’s pictures through V1kram‘s blog. Yes, it’s painted!

Sondre Lerche – pictures by Isabell N. Wedin
Sondre kindly mentioned photographer Isabell N. Wedin on Twitter in regard to the new pictures used for his latest recording, ‘Heartbeat Radio’. I’m planning a little review later on.

Etsy shop: Elizabeth Wren Vintage
Ever since I started watching Mad Men and long before that show even started I developed an uncontrollable desire for 60s items. In those days there was such an incredible mix of quality products and pure, pure kitsch. But both very easy on the eye! Elizabeth Wren dug up some interesting vintage items.