a blog of found things: words, art, photography, disappointment & hope
Well, the Leo Zero tracks are coming thick and fast this week. But then his debut album came out this week and it’s a belter. So here it is, well a couple of the standout tracks from it. It’s a Friday night after all. Ready? Let’s go…
Grab it and the exclusive promo disc from Rough Trade here
Bowie. Moonage Daydream. Brilliantly remixed. What more could you want? Essential.
So this week saw the release of Lana Del Rey’s debut album. The haters continue to hate but frankly it’s a brilliant album. And here’s the bonkers video for the title song Born to Die. It’s ludicrously brilliant and very kitsch. But I think that might be the point. Buy the album – she’s definitely earned the moniker of a “Gangster Nancy Sinatra”. It’s a decadent slice of pop.
Buy it from amazon here
Jasmine Van den Bogaerde, known as Birdy, had a top 20 hit earlier this year with a wonderful cover version of Bon Iver’s Skinny Love. Last week she released her debut album and it’s absolutely gorgeous. All but one of the tracks are, like her earlier single, cover versions. It’s an exquisite set; her voice is incredibly evocative and, whilst it’s an overworn cliché (but there really is no other word to describe it better) deeply haunting.
There are two versions of the album (of course) and I really think you should seek out the deluxe edition. Because it has this string-drenched track of wonder that makes the extra effort in finding it well worth it. Go buy it, it’s beautiful music.
Goodness – it’s been ages since I last posted. No excuse other than that it’s been so very busy. So busy that my head has been a bit of a whirlwind of late and in the evenings I’ve been coming home and making starfish shapes on the sofa until it’s time to haul myself into sleep.
But not this evening. For today, Inni arrived. As some of you will know, Inni is the latest release from Sigur Rós. I blogged about it a month or so back. It’s their first live album and second live film (although the first film, Heima featured live footage with a few talking heads here and there). Inni, on the other hand, is a full on concert film. But one that is unlike any other – it is, quite simply, magnificent. The director, Vincent Morisset, has created an intensely personal experience by removing almost all sense of place and any awareness of the crowd from the film. And the result is utterly breathtaking, indeed I’ve sat here with an almost ridiculous sense of wonder. Music and images combine to create an extraordinarily emotional experience.
Apparently ‘Inni’ means ‘inside’ and, as you see and hear this mesmerising film, you understand why they’ve named it so because it really is as though you are being drawn into the music itself.
Ah – I could wax lyrical all night. You just need to watch it (preferably on a big screen and very loudly). Here’s a taste of what to expect…
Can you believe it’s nearly winter. How time flies by. So, whilst we’re on the cusp of ever darker and colder evenings it seemed fitting to revisit one of my favourite winter albums, which is called (rather fittingly) Wintermusik. It’s by the contemporary composer Nils Frahm. The songs were originally a Christmas present for friends but it was then put out in a limited edition on CD. It’s a beautiful record – uplifting, yet with a tinge of sorrow. And it’s perfect for a Sunday evening as the dark creeps in and the temperature drops. Here is one of the 3 tracks. It is well worth finding a copy if you can – there are 5 copies left on amazon at the time of writing this, which you can find by clicking: here
Frahm has also just released a new album called Felt, which The Hype Machine is streaming in its entirety. It ‘s much more minimalistic than Wintermusik but there are some lovely moments. I can’t seem to embed the stream here but you can find it by clicking:
The Hype Machine – Nils Frahm: Felt
The Guardian is running a brilliant column in their music section. Each week one of their writers picks their favourite album and this week’s choice is particularly good.
Journalist, Andy Capper has chosen The Magical World of the Strands by Michael Head and the Strands. It’s a great record and I couldn’t do it any more justice than he does in his brilliant write-up, which you can read by clicking here
So, why am I blogging about it here? Well, because the CD of the album is long out of print and two of the key tracks (especially Something Like You, which Capper talks about so poignantly in the column) deserve to be heard (right now!) So here they are. Hope you enjoy them.
memoryhouse 