Every now and then, I drive just to get away

This a repost of a rough version of the post because the one I made disappeared...just like that. Not cool, blogger.com! This was the second to last edit, so there may still be some slight typo's or grammatical errors, I don't feel like correcting them for the second time around, so you'll have to bear with me.

Dance/Elektro

Katy B - Lights on

Katy B is - or so I'm told - the comtemporary queen of commercial dubstep-influenced music. Really digged the "Katy on a mission"-single and the collaboration with Magnetic Man, and here comes the second single. Ms. Dynamite is kind of annoying here, and Katy only barely pulls off a Beyonce-style vocal in the second verse, but all in all, another good track, even though the version I hear on the radio seems to have the little bit of punch that this youtube version is lacking. Lyrically, this is the English counterpart of "Nein Mann". Funny thing is, they try to make a glamourous video with lots of flashy lights, but we see Katy mostly in oversized sweaters and simple tank tops. Oh, and for someone from a dubstep origin, I expected her dance moves to be a lot better, I must say.

Robyn - Call your girlfriend

Yet another excellent elektro-pop track by Robyn, she's clearly on a roll with her string of Body Talk Ep's and albums. Although I was a little disappointed when I saw she performed with a voice track running in the background on Jimmy Kimmel.

Poolside - Do you believe?

Nice and superchill track based solely around a piano-riff. Could just as well have been a Chilly Gonzales track.

Morning Parade - Under the stars

I've heard some people say this is a promising band and this song has a nice build-up. Unfortunately, this is all very untrue. The structure of this track is just a mess, the elektro parts of this track have been done a lot better by Animal Collective and Delphic, and to make matters even worse, the singer sounds a lot like the one from Linkin Park on certain song parts. Skiiiip.

Miami Horror - Sometimes

And now for the New Order adepts of the week, Miami Horror. Decent enough track, the video has a distinct Lost-feel.

UK

Arctic Monkeys - Don't sit down 'cause I've moved your chair

On their previous album "Humbug", we got to know the slower, heavier side (reminds me of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club a little) of the Arctic Monkeys, and looks like they're trying to develop that side even more on the new album. To me, it sounds a little generic and boring, and lyrically, Alex Turner seems a little lost here too. "Do the macarena in the devils lair" is a disappointing line from the man that once poignantly described contemporary British youth culture. And besides, Mauro is the only person I know that can pull that style of nonsensical lyrics off.

Miles Kane - Rearrange

Incidentally, the other member of Last Shadow Puppets is also back and recently released his first solo single (without his - now defunct?- band The Rascals). Definitely closer to Last Shadow Puppets than Alex Turners latest endeavours. Not the kind of stuff that has me running to the music/iTunes store, but this is well orchestrated pop, perfect radio material. Oh, and Miles, I just got off the phone with Sir Paul McCartney, and he wants his sixties haircut back, sorry matey!

Adele - Set fire to the rain

So I wasn't too found of Adele's first single of her "21"-album. I like this one better. I read somewhere that she's a good and loose performer so I checked out her performance in the Jools Holland show, I found her to be a little too static.

Everything Everything - Schoolin'

And now for something completely different, how about some prog-rock people? A modest hype in the UK, but I doubt this is material continental Europe is going to fall for. Really rhythmic with some slight African influences, I guess you could make a Talking Heads reference? Summarizing: if you decide to check this out, chances are you will be horrible annoyed by this track, but I can guarantee it won't bore you.

Cat's Eyes - Face in the crowd

Faris Badwan from The Horrors pairing up with a female opera singer to make girl group influenced record (well, an EP to be exact). That's interesting to say the least. Luckily, it's not one aria after another on the debut single, Badwan sings most of the verse and Rachel Zeffira sings the chorus, the tempo of the latter being the main appeal of this song. Fans of The Raveonettes should normally dig this. The director of this video might just be a big fan of the "Bohemian Rhapsody"-video.

The Vaccines - If you wanna

Yet again, the new single by The Vaccines fails to really deliver a surprise, but it's a poppy up-tempo track and the singers voice is a lot less annoying on this one so I can dig this. The video is a simple performance video.

Belgium

Hooverphonic - Anger never dies

This is Hooverphonic in full "James Bond soundtrack"-mode, pretty much what they are best at. A lot of strings, a functional rhythm section and some subtle, well dosed guitar licks, and a track that fits the new vocalist better than the previous one. Most played track on Italian radio this week, and in fact, most video comments seem to be in Italian. The video featured Noemi Wolfs performing in a club (gentleman or sailors, I can't really tell), dancing away, alternating between Japanese martial arts stances (I definitely see the cranebird at some point) and Vanessa Chinitor "Like the wind"-esque moves.

SX - Black video

Already featured this song in the previous post, but they played an excellent live version at the radio studio so here they are again. Also caught their live set in Roeselare a couple weeks back, but that was mildly disappointing, to be honest. Couple of good ideas, but not enough to fill a half-hour set, and the soundmix was also sub-optimal. Check the live version of Black Video here.

Amatorski - Soldier

I can be really short here, the Portishead "Three"-album influence here is inevitable. Good thing they are evolving into new areas, but you really can't top Portishead - Machine gun when it comes to eerieness.

Hong Kong Dong - Lesbians are a boy's best friend

(First of all, let me warn you now that the video below contains some (albeit non-vulgar, I might add) display of body parts that are usually kept (and hidden from sight) in a brassière and should therefor be watched in a discrete non-working environment.) Hong Kong Dong is a Ghent-based band with Sarah Yu and Boris Zeebroek (siblings and comedian Kamagurka's human progeny) sharing vocal duties, although you will be hearing mainly Boris on this one. This is arty(-farty), alternative rock, and does a good job at sounding different. This is sexy and catchy, and stands out because of the high-pitched falsetto vocals. Boris is sporting white shoes and ditto pants, and a bright pink shirt and ditto bathrobe. In a Belgian music video environment where the only way to look pimp is to wear a costume (Triggerfinger, Customs and Hooverphonic spring to mind) or be a hipster (hello Bent from Das Pop), we've reached a whole new level of super-pimp right here. Good stuff.

Hong Kong Dong - Lesbians are a boy's best friend from lallali on Vimeo.

Hessian - Sang-froid

My homies in Hessian made a video for a song of their debut EP. Get ready to be blown away, video's really well done as well. Heavily metal-influenced hardcore (don't expect any mosh parts), the guitar sound brings Entombed to mind.

Other

Foo Fighters - White Limo

Well, Dave and his mates (teaming up with Pat Smear from Nirvana and The Germs fame) released yet another seemingly mediocre record, but at least this advance single was lots of fun. Big thumbs up for the nineties performance video parody and the Andrew WK headbanging moves.

Jonathan Jeremiah - Happiness

Hearing the song on the radio, I expected a Barry White-shaped Afro-American, but turns out Jonathan Jeremiah is bearded,slim Caucasian. Nice little track, not too much more I can say about this. For fans of: Ray Lamontagne.

Crystal Fighters - At home

Crystal Fighters is Spanish-English band. They use some traditional Basque instruments and elements, but luckily, they don't sound too folky. This track has a distinct eighties feel, and truthfully, when I first heard it, I really heard Asian influences.

Lykke Li - I follow rivers

This is a really simple song, but the playful production with the fun bongo sounds make it a fun song nevertheless. The same playfulness Lykke Li seems to have lost a little, judging from her Jools performance. Stale and boring, nothing like the Pukkelpop performance a couple years back when she actually moved around on stage and did Vampire Weekend-covers.

Foster the people - Pumped up kicks

This is a strong candidate for the "summer hit 2011"-award. Still not that sure if the song is really about shooting kids, but this laid-back track is hard to resist and the chorus is likely to be lodged in your skull for several days to come.

Smith Westerns - Weekend

In every interview I've read with this band, the interviewer tends to focus on the young age of the band members. They're the American counterpart of Freaky Age, so to speak. If you're having Hanson flashbacks right about now, don't worry, it's not that bad. This is a supermelodic, dreamy track with a lot of "ooh ooh" backing vocals, a lot of good influences and an fairly obvious Beach Boys-reference in the short intro. "Do you think it's normal/to go through life oh so formal?"

Best Coast - When the sun don't shine

I shot a couple of videos at the nearby Best Coast concert a couple of weeks ago. They don't have the best live reputation, but the set left little to be desired. No shortage of "oooh-oooh-oooh"-type vocals to say the least. Bobb Bruno (on the right) was wearing a shirt by some obscure black metal band. That guy rules. Check the video below and you can easily find the other ones I also uploaded.

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Heart in your heartbreak

The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart is back with their second full length album called 'Beyond'. "Heart in your heartbreak" is another fresh, poppy track that does not disappoint for a second. In the video, the band is wearing whigs and helping out in a music instrument store.

Random nineties

Sugar Ray - Mean machine

Sugar Ray's first couple of singles were pretty cool, but then the band chose a commercial pathway and things got less interesting. This song still sounds as awesome as it did 15 years ago, I just love the attitude. The singer is going for the Bobby "Twin Peaks" Briggs look, the bass player is going for the Scott "red hair phase" Weiland look, the guitarists moves are just plain awesome and there's also a bulldog in there.

LOL

Rebecca Black - Friday

Closing off with the LOL song of recent times, you probably saw this video already.. Plenty of laughs in both the lyrics and the awkward dance moves-department, although I must say I kind of enjoy the particular language accent."Gi'in down on Friday!"

I thought that pain and truth were things that really mattered

International

Beth Ditto - I wrote the book

As you may have heard, Beth Ditto from Gossip recorded a solo EP with the help from Simian Mobile Disco. First single has an interesting theme, and sounds like a more electronic, slowed down en toned down version of the Gossip. The video is stylish in black and white, apple cheeks!

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The Strokes - Under cover of darkness

In one way or another, the media always treat a new The Strokes single like we're back in the year 2001 and The Strokes are still the next best thing in rock, whereas in real life, following the lackluster succes of their Room on fire album (their best), the big masses have long moved on to other bands and genres. So turns out, The Strokes aren't going to save rock and roll, but this up-tempo single is their most infectuous track in a long time.

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Noah And The Whale - L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.

The verse from this band's new track undeniably has a melody and rhythm similar to this or this. And the melody in the "and you're going your own way"-line is also something I recognize from something.

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Glasvegas - Euphoria, take my hand

The new Glasvegas album is entitled "EUPHORIC /// HEARTBREAK \\\" with the slashes and backslashes symbolizing the emotional rise and fall of a love crush. Man, that's real deep. Wasn't all too convinced of their debut album, on the new album, the vocals seem to get even more productional emphasis, not really my liking. The Scottish accent also seems to have increased, rendering the lyrics even more non-intelligible. Also, the guitars on this track have a slight bagpipe feel, which has been done better in the past (see Big Country below) . This video looks quite expensive, unfortunately, we don't get a good peek at the new percussionist.

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The Raveonettes - Recharge & Revolt

Their new track isn't really exciting. There, I've said it. It's long, it drags on, nothing much happens. This being said, I'll probably end up buying their new album anway, because I'm a fanboy like that. The video makes it painfully clear why Sune Rose tends to wear his sunglasses. I'm estimating he's at 0.8 Robert Smith on the scale of facial puffiness.

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Dance

Chilly Gonzales - You can dance

Straight males and females of the lesbian persuasion should have no problem whatsoever keeping their focus on this video. I like the disco touch and the overall simplicity of this track a lot.

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Nero - me and you

Looks like Nero used to be a Streets of Rage and Out Run fan. S to the Ega.

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Chase And Status - blind faith

Another comtemporary dance track by drum and bass heroes Chase and Status. I like both vocalists.

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Gyptian - Hold ya

You'd think that to accompany this emotional, heartfelt reggae track, they'd stray from the standard reggae music video concept. But you thought wrong, this is buttgrinding to every imagineable nearby surface once again. Shame.

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Biffy Cliro - Folding Stars

This track dates from a while back, but I saw it on the new Xite music video channel, and boy, does this track sound a lot like Foo Fighters "The Colour and the shape"-era or what? Even the frontman's beard reminisces of the late nineties Dave Grohl.

Compatriots

SX - Black video

Spectacularly good and atmospheric track by a new band from Kortrijk. Very promising stuff. The video features a nerdglasses-adorned blonde girl with freckles, which just so happens to be the singer. In other words, you have no excuse not to check this out.

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Intergalactic Lovers - Delay

I already mentioned Intergalactic Lovers a couple of blog posts back with their debut single. A lot has happened for the Aalst-based band since then apparently, they signed to a major record label, and return with a new single, which sounds bigger and more mature (even though I appreciated the naivety in their earlier work). It took me a couple of listens to get used to the rock sound meets jazzy vocals formula, but the chorus definitely sticks. Not sure if this is special enough to break through internationally. The music video seems to have been delayed (get it?), until the international release, I'm guessing?

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Marble Sounds - Sky high

Nice, fragile track from the dude that used to be in Plastic Operator .

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Mastercab - Strange

I used to think this band (featuring a radio station producer on vocals) was just a hobby project, but this single reveals their ambitions lie beyond that. As ambitious as the cleavage in this video?

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Teddiedrum - Miami

It took some time, but we finally have a (slightly less funky) Belgian response to Chromeo . The lazy phrasing of the vocals kind of reminds me of Balthazar. Excellent moustaches too. Good stuff.

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Das Pop - The game

Packaging your new album with a magazine for an interesting fee, that's nothing we haven't seen before. But Das Pop found a new edge to that concept, by selecting horrendously ugly cover art for the pre-release. I guess people that like the discount won't mind too much, but it's definitely not an album you'll put in a prominent physical position in your cd collection, I'm guessing. Usually, the waiting period for a new Das Pop album is quite extensive, but this time around, seems like things moved pretty fast, even though the album was recorded/mixed/mastered pretty much everywhere (being able to record your album in exotic locations is pretty much what separates the little fish from the big boys in the Belgian music industry). Song itself isn't bad, and does sound a little different than we're used to.

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Lady Linn & Her Magnificent Seven - Cry Baby

So apparently, Lady Linn wants to conquer the French market now? Professional track (Lien masters the whole sixties American accent and song buildup, the song does lack a bit of a punch and excitement however, don't you think?), professional (and leggy!) video. Lien rocks a pro asymmetrical haircut (kinda makes her look Joke Devinck -> bonus points) and a light purple blouse that seems to be just a teensy bit too tight.

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The Bony King Of Nowhere - Eleonore

Like this track, but I probably couldn't bear listening to a 20 minutes (live or record) of this however. Nice job on the Boudewijn De Groot haircut, man. #irony

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Random eighties

Prefab Sprout - King of rock 'n' roll

A track that regretfully didn't come to mind when I was feverishly making eighties compilations (I did get Cars and Girls by the same band though) a while back. Came across this music video while flipping through some channels and I got the kind of goosebups you get when you hear a track you used to know again for the first in 15 years. I have literally watched/listened to this a hundred times in the last weeks. Flawless track (the guitar licks!, the question-response mechanics of the verse melody!, the speedup in the chorus!, the la-la-la-la backing vocals!, the utterly nonsensical chorus lyrics!) and a completely silly video to top it off. "Now my rhythm ain't so hot/but it's the only thing I've got/all the pretty birds have flown/now I'm dancing on my own/I'm the king of rock and roll/completely". See for yourself if you can resist the blue-eyed, spectacled ginger singer!

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Big Country - In a big country

I know, trying to make guitars sound like bagpipes is a scary prospect, and brings nightmarish folkrock-visions like The Levellers to mind, but this track actually succeeds in making it sound cool. Of course, eighties Top of the Pops videos are always cool. Check out the haircuts and pants in this one. I think this track also contains my favourite pronounciation ever of the word 'Desert'. Kinda sounds like "Deeeeseeeeuuueueurt". The bass player is really feeling it, too.

how can someone so young sing words so sad?

Random stuff

A new year, a new BBC's Sound of 20xx list. The list has become a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy, because it only features artists that are releasing singles or albums in the first couple of months of the new year. Still, we can check out a couple of artists, now can't we?

Jessie J - Do it like a dude

Jessie J won, but I'm not feeling her style at all.

The Vaccines - Post break-up sex

The Vaccines came in third. They sound like The Strokes with some girl group influences. Not really fond of the way theee siiingeeeeer prooolooongs hiiiis voooweeeeels while singing. Really, this is nothing new, I'm missing something.

Anna Calvi - Jezebel

Anna Calvi didn't make the top 5, but I like the bravado she displays. Looks like she's a solid live performer as well. Getting rave reviews everywhere, keep an eye out for this.

Ozark Henry - In the air tonight

I'm not going to say bad things about the new Ozark Henry single, it builds up nicely, and the lyrics are luckily less obvious than the horribly boring "this one's for you/this one's for me"-line from the previous single from the Hvelreki album. The reason why I'm including this track, is because of the uncanny resemblance between the opening melody of this track, and the opening melody of Melee. Not saying this is plagiarism or anything, but still...

Sherman - I'm on your side

Sticking with Belgian artists that like to live abroad for a while, I featured the Sherman single before, but now the official video is out (HD, so full screen is an option). Steven is looking good in this one (no homo), and the same can definitely be said about the female protagonist. Simple idea, executed well. GG.

Eliza Doolittle - Skinny genes

Eliza Doolittle has great legs. Or at least, she seems to think she does, since she's wearing hotpants seemingly everywhere she goes/shows up. I find the image she likes to present of herself highly confusing: her music has a distinct bubblegum pop-vibe that can appeal to the younger folks, on the other hand, the outfits sometimes seem to target a more adult audience. Check out the sleeziest purple halter top you'll see in a video this year (and the resulting sideb00b) in this video. I like the wordplay in the title though.

Cold War Kids - Louder than ever

Music critics overall lament the more poppy direction in which Cold War Kids are heading on their new album, however, I like the new single. It's catchy.

Agnes Obel - Riverside

Think Duyster. Something in the realm between Emiliana Torrini and Hanne Hukkelberg. Danish.

Kidda - Strong together

Nothing too special about this one, but it does have the "cheer you up" (if you were thinking about the pin up club right about now, that's your perverted mind, not mine!) quality.

Do not want

A lot of singles seem to hit the radio waves these days that are just bland and don't bring anything fresh in terms of lyrics or melodies. I'd urge you to stay away from the ones listed below. Either the music selectors @ stubru are slacking, or maybe the prospect of turning thirty in a couple of months is making me jaded, I don't know.

Fenech Soler - Demons

Band is called Fenech Soler. Pretty much says it all.

Neon Trees - Animal

This track by Neon Trees has an annoying chorus, and I feel I have to warn you about a band called The Plea (can't find a youtube link for this one), a new four-piece from Ireland that seem to think that there is not enough U2 to go around.

The Smiths special

I recently rediscovered the The Smiths...Best I & II compilations we got lying around here, and whereas previous attempts to really get into all the tracks had failed, this time, thanks to the World Of Warcraft "albums on endless repeat because I'm too lazy to alt-tab out and switch cd's and really, I hadn't noticed this was the fifth consecutive time the same album was playing anyway"-marathon-playing-session-haze, I'm finally hooked. I read somewhere that some people find the track selection of this double "best of" album to be random and ill-picked, I myself can live with it. Maybe the problem is that The Smiths had so many good tracks even 2 albums doesn't suffice to include them all.

So first of all, I strongly urge you to check out this (or any for that matter) The Smiths "best of" album you can get your hands on. Really, this is elementary and über-influential listening material, right up there with Pornography and Disintegration by The Cure and Unknown Pleasures and Closer by Joy Division.

I also want to share some The Smiths facts that I was unfamiliar with before:

• I guess I only knew the poppy side of the Smiths before, but actually they started out with some post punk influences, which you can hear on their earlier tracks. Usually the lyrics by the Mozzer and the guitar work by Marr get the most praise, but there's actually some pretty good basslines going on as well in the earlier days, when the bass player wasn't doing too much drugs and stuff.


• As far as music videos go, there's not that much going on, I'm afraid. Most videos start with white letters on a black background stating the song in question, and then the rest of the video usually comprises of a The Smiths performance, with the Moz performing open-shirted (which tends to get pretty boring, probably even for the male chest enthusiasts out there), usually donning some flowers of some kind. Notable exception however would be the video for Stop me if you think that you've heard this one before.


• Anachronisms. Morissey seems to like to include some deliberate anachronisms into his lyrics. "As Anthony said to Cleopatra, as he opened a crate of ale" from "Some girls are bigger than others", to "And now I know how Joan of Arc felt/As the flames rose to her roman nose/and her Walkman started to melt" from "Bigmouth strikes again". There's probably more where that came from, but these are the only ones I found.

I also checked out some tracks that didn't make the best of (mostly the ones with the most interesting sounding titles, because that's how I roll), here's a rundown of some I liked:

Barbarism begins at home

A prime example of a track that's more funky than I used to accredit The Smiths for. Lyrically, a not so distant cousin of "The Headmaster Ritual". Corporal punishment was one of young Morissey's most pressing issues apparently. Musically, reminded me a little of the next three tracks.

Meat is Murder

Definitely a factor that contributes to the popularity of The Smiths within the hardcore scene to a greater or lesser extent is the fact that Morissey is a long-term vegetarian, and he explains why in the title track of their second album. The least you can say of this live rendition is that it's heartfelt.

Pretty girls make graves

Eerie guitar riff on this one. There used to be a band that went by the name of this track.

Cemetary Gates

Remarkably (given the title), this song has a light, poppy feel that reminds me of The Sundays. The intro to this track and the one to Sheila, take a bow seem to be identical.

Still ill

This probably is my favourite track on the compilation of the ones I didn't know already. Has the early post-punk vibe, and some great lines among those lyrics as well.

Girlfriend in a coma

Yet, this will probably be my all-time favourite track. Great intro, great contrast between music and lyrics, and I just love the ambiguity in the lyrics. And very concise as well.

Some girls are bigger than others

Morissey always had a great knack for picking epic song titles, but as far as I'm concerned, this one has to take the cake. Might just be the most intelligently phrased insult ever. Excellent guitar riff, lyrics are pretty poor overall on this one except for the splendid title. Oh, and there's nothing wrong with your audio system. The fade-in and fade-out in the intro are fully intentional.