Archive for November 2009
Lykke Li: Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow (Shirelles cover)
Lykke Li first burst out onto the music scene with your hit single, “I’m Good, I’m Gone” a track off of her debut album Youth Novels (2008). She joined other famous blond Swedes such as Robyn and Jens Lekman by gaining popularity for her unique style. There is an endearing sound to her vocals where they may deceivingly come off small but instead echo very large with her inflections of soul. To add to her success, her song, “Possibility” was recently included on the New Moon soundtrack.
Today, she offered a free promo cover of “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King and made most popular by The Shirelles. The song, itself, ranks at #125 in Rolling Stone’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and Lykke Li strips it down to the bare minimum in this recording by using only vocals and piano.
Take a listen below, grab the mp3 as well as the one for “Possibility,” and watch the live video over here where they also have another link for others who want to download.
The Big Pink: Sweet Dreams (Beyonce cover)
Everyone had high expectations for British duo, The Big Pink, and for good reasons, too. Their lead single off of September’s A Brief History of Love, “Dominos,” is catchy as you can get without stripping indie rock credibility and before that their hard-to-pin down sound was already creating enough buzz. Listeners of The Big Pink can hear bits of Jesus and Mary Chain as well as synth-pop and electro remnants.
Although spread out among various genres, the duo has always had a theme of romanticism and this may have lead to their cover of Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams.” It’s funny how Solange covered Dirty Projectors (who are on Domino records) and now the “Dominos” band is covering another Knowles song.
Check their haunting rendition out below (thanks to Stereogum), take a listen to the original and then grab the “Dominos” mp3 if you don’t already have it.
Hot Chip: Sexual Healing (Marvin Gaye cover)
Hot Chip was one of the breakout electronic groups in 2004 with thier album, Coming On Strong, but they had been around long before that with remixes and EPs. They’ve recently announced that they will be releasing their fourth studio album, One Life Stand, and it’s supposedly a wild blend of everything from soul music to modern R&B to house and more.
I came across their cover of Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing” a couple of weeks ago and I still love it. It maintains Gaye’s cool soul vibe but also echos a trippy electronic sound with vocals that sound like they’re buffering during playback.
Take a listen to it below, grab the mp3, and make sure to check out their new album once it’s officially released on February 8th, 2010.
Sia: You’ve Changed
Sia doesn’t have a huge range nor a voice which she belts with often, but that’s fine by me because her vocals always have this edge that just make you feel whatever she is feeling. A great example of this is Colour the Small One‘s (2004), “Breathe Me,” a song that will be my favorite Sia song until the end of time.
Today, the Australian singer shared a new track titled “You’ve Changed” with her Twitter followers and it’s great! As much as I love her breathy ballads, this track is surely to be popular on the dance floor. There’s a variety of layers to the music and her voice tops it all off so perfectly. The word on the street is that her new album will be released sometime in 2010.
Take a listen below. Of course, I’ve got the mp3 for you, too!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix)
Even after they changed their sound to suit dance-anthem lovers, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are still going strong with their latest album, It’s Blitz!
Lately, it also seems like every time I am waiting for a show to start, the venue plays this “Heads Will Roll” remix by A-Trak (who is also known for being Kanye West’s DJ and brother of Chromeo‘s Dave 1). The last time I recall hearing it was when I attended the Crystal Castles and Neon Indian show sponsored by Kia.
Although none of YYY’s recent stuff compares to their first album, Fever to Tell (which they’ll be playing in its entirety at ATP overseas), this remix is pretty rad. Take a listen and grab the mp3 below!
Atlas Sound Music Video: Quick Canal featuring Laetitia Sadier
Atlas Sound‘s second album, Logos, is not a disappointment. Even after a rough sketch of it was accidentally leaked (thanks to his public folder on MediaFire), Bradford Cox’s sophomore album as a solo artist still shines.
Although the first single was “Walkabout” ft. Animal Collective‘s Noah Lennox, a video was made for “Quick Canal” instead. Watching the video makes me feel a bit like I’m in the twilight zone. Atlas Sound uses a lot of samples and the images I’m looking at are also random samples. That makes sense. However, if you sit still, the video can easily grab then pull you through this strange two-dimensional world as the images slowly scroll from side to side and the music almost gives off an echo. You see mostly images from the 60s and hear Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier on vocals.
Check it out after the jump!
Charlotte Gainsbourg Music Video: Heaven Can Wait featuring Beck
Charlotte Gainsbourg is an amazing woman. She is not only a great actress (People may refer to Antichrist but I adore her in The Science of Sleep), but she is also a very legitimate songwriter. Of course, this shouldn’t be a surprise if you know her father is.
Gainsbourg will be releasing a new album titled IRM which is produced by Beck. The one-man-show duets with her on this track and also stars in this video for “Heaven Can Wait.” The song is a bit slow-tempo but nonetheless catchy. What’s most captivating are the images they combine for this quirky story. There is a man with a half-beard. There’s a shot of a skateboard with hamburgers in place of wheels and there is also a man with pancakes for a head. There’s a number of absurdities, but the concept perfectly matches the sound of their unusual duet.
Check it out below!
Those Darlins: Red Light Love
The first time I had ever seen Nashville-based band, Those Darlins, I was definitely not ready for them. I had initially gone to Silverlake Lounge to see Australian band, The Grates, and had no idea what the headlining “darlins” would sound like. I assumed they would be a tame country group based on their hometown.
Instead, I was completely taken aback as these three ladies cussed, made dirty jokes, spilled their beer, knocked equipment over and more. When their set was finally done, the stage was just soaked in booze. It’s not just about the stage presence either. Their sound is a garage, punk, country and rock and roll hybrid that is incredibly hard not to get caught up in.
Hence, I am seeing them again tonight. Originally scheduled to open for The King Khan & BBQ Show at the Troubadour, they are now on the bill for 10:30 at Silverlake Lounge. Why? Because – surprise, surprise – King Khan and their manager are a no show again. Although it would have been amazing to see Those Darlins work the Troubadour stage, the small intimate stage at Silverlake Lounge is exciting to even think about again.
Want a little taste of these naughty rock gals? Download their track, “Red Light Love,” and watch the footage someone actually got from that first night I saw them below. It’s pretty wild. Don’t let their darlin image fool you.
Avi Buffalo: What’s In It For
If you’ve ever read any of my articles on BeatCrave, you would know that I’ve been a fan of Long Beach-based band, Avi Buffalo for a while now. They’ve just recently graduated from high school (one of them is still enrolled), yet they’ve accomplished so much at such a young age. Lead vocalist and guitarist, Avi, has been trained by some of the greatest in the area and is basically a prodigy. The band, itself, has already played numerous festivals such as Monolith and FYF. To top it all off, they were very recently signed to Sup Pop Records.
Tonight, they will be playing a free show at Mountain Bar in Los Angeles’ Chinatown along with Spider Problem and Kill Kill Kill as part of the lineup for Vice’s party with Etnie Sneakers. If you rsvp, you not only get in for free but you get complimentary Colt 45 and a pair of sneakers! (Of course, there is a limited supply.) I’m not going to lie. It sounded really enticing but I’ve already made plans to go see Those Darlins over at Silverlake Lounge. However, if you decide to go the show is from 10pm – 2am.
If you’ve also been living under a rock for the past year or so, please do yourself a favor and download their song, “What’s In It For,” or just take a listen after the jump! You can also read an interview I’ve done with Avi for BeatCrave here.
Beach House: Norway
Baltimore, Maryland-based duo, Beach House, has always been a favorite in the indie music realm. They may not like the phrase “dream pop” to describe their sound, but with Victoria Legrand’s divine vocals make it difficult for their songs to come off anything but dreamy. (Have you heard her sing with Grizzly Bear?)
Their upcoming album, Teen Dream, will be released January 26 in 2010 and according to their new family, Sub Pop, the album is “without a question, more expansive and moving than anything they have shared before.” If they’re saying it’s possibly a step up from their latest album, Devotion, that statement is already impressive in itself.
Hear a sneak peek of the album by grabbing their song, “Norway,” after the jump!
