Katy Perry The woman who managed to give attention-starved, bi-curious, and inept sorority girls an anthem (and make it a number one single for god-knows-how-many weeks straight [or not straight, tee hee!]) has covered one of my most beloved indie-dance anthems and... it's actually pretty damned cool. Download: ELECTRIC FEEL (MGMT COVER) - Katy Perry Speaking of "Electric Feel," here's a remix by the electric wonder boys, Justice: Download: ELECTRIC FEEL [...]
![This feels so unnatural; Peter Gabriel, too. [New Song]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1268846_lg.jpg)
Vampire Weekend seems to be the mainstream indie-pop band of the year. Their self-titled debut was hailed by critics and indie fans alike (in one of the only times they have really agreed). Why the love surrounding this band? Because their mix of baroque, indie-pop, rock, and African beats are delectable. Not to mention their hilarious assertions about English grammar. Here's their track from the upcoming flick, Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist . The song is called "Ottoman." It makes a short lyric from one of their previous songs, "Cape Cod Wassa Wassa", a part of [...]
![The Killers - Human [New Single]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1262897_lg.jpg)
A vintage picture of The Killers The Killers have released their first single from their upcoming album, Day & Age . This single brings the band back to a more synth-heavy style that was prominent in their fantastic debut, Hot Fuss . It is no secret that I am a big fan of these guys, but that's only because of the exceptional quality of their work. Download: HUMAN -The Killers Though "Human" is littered with synth, it does not sound like a [...]
![Maybe we should "bow in the presence of greatness…" [Kanye West?]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1258871_lg.jpg)
Love Lockdown Single Cover Though the buzz around this track is massive, I'm going to give it my own twist: No, not really. I'm with the consensus. "Love Lockdown" is amazing. Kanye West is a genius for not rapping and using vast amounts of auto tune in a track that, although it has buckets of delicious West production, seems really stripped down. It is also currently number 1 on iTunes after only a day of release. Driven by a haunting - and damned catchy!- melody, "Lockdown" is gold. It's a song about [...]
T.I.'s "Whatever You Like" Single Cover If you watched this year's VMA's then you heard two of the singles T.I. has previewed for his upcoming and giant new album, Paper Trail . If you haven't, let me tell you about them: T.I. had never grabbed my attention; I lumped him into the sub-par, thug-lite, category that most modern rappers fall into. That was until I heard "Whatever You Like." Download: WHATEVER YOU LIKE - T.I. You've probably heard [...]
Jenny Lewis Jenny Lewis' newest album, "Acid Tongue" is simply genius. [And so is her viral marketing featuring Ben Gibbard .] Each song on the album is pure gold. Of course, we've come to expect that from Ms. Lewis, through her last solo outing and her fantastic band, Rilo Kiley. My favorite at the moment is her new single "Acid Tongue"; the song has brilliant lyrics. Really - read [...]
Usher This year Usher released one of the most truly ridiculous songs I have heard in ages. The song features our hero (yes hero: this man moves fucking mountains ) meeting an exquisite woman in a club. Usher feels he must bed her, so to speak. Immediately. In this club. [In this club.] And that, my friends, is how a chart-topping club anthem is made. (With the help of some incredibly good producers who punch it up to sound fantastic, of course.) [...]
![What's up with this Santogold chick? [Lights Out]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1246176_lg.jpg)
Santogold I've heard her deemed the new M.I.A. (though that was during M.I.A.'s short-lived retirement), she has an indie sensibility and some weird vocal antics (that do bring to mind the Srilankan artist), but Santogold is much more melodic than M.I.A. Her newest single "Lights Out" sounds almost like a remix of a twee pop band by the hard electronic edge that is Justice : it's electronic but catchy and, unlike most of M.I.A.'s songs, singable. It's a fun track about... well, [...]
The Gaslight Anthem Some bands produce a sense of longing, of a sort of nostalgia: "an unexplainable exigency from within." Do you know what I mean? The Gaslight Anthem evokes that sense of longing in me. This song especially. It's loud, it's haunting, it's edgy: it's rock and it is beautiful. Give it a listen: THE '59 SOUND - The Gaslight Anthem Please leave a comment with your response to the [...]
The time has come. Every year in late December everyone tries to encompass the best or worst of things within it. This categorization may be a futile attempt to find cohesion in the last twelve months... Or not. I'm going to go with 'not' and make a list of my own. And, in the sake of being gimmicky, I'm only picking seven in each category. (Keep in mind that it was really hard to do.) Remember to click on the links for the mp3's. Here it goes: [...]
Let's be late on the bandwagon: Britney Spears ' new album, Blackout , - as much it should strain me to say this - is pretty amazing. You read that right. Yes, Britney Spears. Her -> The woman who causes media frenzies every week is back. And this time it's not only about extreme hair styles, boyfriends/husbands, or pregnancies galore. It's about music, too. That's right, that coked-out girl on the cover of every issue [...]
There are some artists that just keep jumping out at you, even when you're not looking for them. Each time they come to you it's a welcome and enjoyable experience, but for some reason you only keep listening to the one song you have without looking for more. Sia (Furler) was, for me, one of those artists. [...]
iPods across the nation are filled with the victor of this year's hip-hop war (no bullets this time, folks: just music). 50 Cent vs. Kanye West. If somehow you've missed both MTV's Video Music Awards (gasp) and this month's Rolling Stone cover [shown above], don't sweat it: I can remedy your ignorance of pop culture. And, let's face it, hip-hop is now pop culture. That's lesson one. On Tuesday, September 11th, 2007 Kanye West graduated and 50 Cent showed the world that he was not Fifty, but Curtis. The two [...]
![Hope[ful/less]: Tales of Western Modernity](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1246182_lg.jpg)
Once again I present a new mix, as promised. This mix had a more interesting process of concoction than the last. At first it was simply a mix of songs I had either acquired recently or had decided I wanted to spread around to my friends but as it formed I noticed a pattern. The songs either bubbled over with hope or were as hopeless as can be about our generation. The most important track, the one that made me come to the realization, is "Nobody Would Riot for Less" by Bright Eyes, but more on that one [...]
There are not many female artists who speak English as a first language (insert promotion for Shakira here) whose artistry as a musician I'm completely infatuated with. Regina Spektor is at the top of that short list. Spektor is an artist that delivers for every mood. She owns both loopy, experimental tracks and simply beautiful love songs that are hard to not sing along to. An astounding songwriter in her own right, Spektor is also accomplished as both a formidable pianist and a phenomenal vocalist. Don't believe me? Take a listen: [...]
Bloc Party is not a band I've given an adequate chance. Yes, I own their debut, Silent Alarm but I never found it exceptionally appealing. Don't get me wrong, I think their music, which is a cool mix of indie and brit pop/rock, is fun and interesting, but for some reason I never really felt a serious want to listen to their music. I had heard that their sophomore effort, A Weekend In the City was a notable achievement, but for whatever reason, my fancy wasn't really ever tickled. Until now. The [...]
"Take A look at my girlfriend, she's the only one I've got. Not much of a girlfriend, I never seem to get a lot." This is the opening line of "Breakfast in America" by Supertramp. The song was a hit on the airwaves in 1979 but written about 12 years earlier by singer Roger Hodgson. Calling it an "innocent song", Hodgson admits to the lack of depth in the song, simply chalking it up to the fact that he wrote it when he [...]
Siulelbon's Media Blog
Azealia Banks - '1991' [Listen]
Metric Debuts Album via Synthetica Hide+Seek, Tickets On Sale Now For Fall Tour
