Feist's New Album, "Intuition" Video

It's always nice to see really talented artists get the attention they deserve. Leslie Feist, the Canadian songstress who began by lending her vocals for Broken Social Scene and Kings of Convenience before launching her solo career, certainly has no shortage of exposure right now, with her own iTunes commercial.

The Reminder, Feist's third album (most people don't know about her debut, "Monarch (Lay Your Jeweled Head Down)" released in 1999) is her strongest yet, and has rightly proven to be the most successful. Contributing to this success is its impeccable production, which along with her talent for songwriting, composing, and singing, has made an album of top-notch indie-folk-pop songs that vary considerably but never cease to please.

Whereas Let it Die showed hints of genius, her weaker songs suggested that she was still trying to find her comfort zone. The Reminder is an album full of confidence, in which Leslie (again) bares her soul, but does so in a way that suggests she's moved on, in more ways than one perhaps. Her new songs are beautiful; some are very catchy ("My Moon My Man", "1234"), others are very chill ("The Park"), but they're all spot-on lyrically and melodically.

One thing that I've noticed about the ablum is its perfect song arrangement. Being one whose favorite hobby is to make mix cds, I must say that the order of songs on this album is absolutely perfect, and makes listening to it enjoyable as a whole. It starts out exactly how it should and ends exactly how it should; in the journey from an apology in the first track through the many feelings one feels in and out of love to a realization of oneself, you don't want to miss a beat. All the emotions are here, and all her talents are on display.

Intuition is my favorite track on the album, because it is the most heartfelt and it is the song in which Feist's voice shines through the best. I didn't even know she played guitar on this song, which is amazing, until I saw this video. It's only she and her guitar, recorded live. Seeing her perform it adds so much to it. I can't wait to see her live in Chicago come November. (She recently added some North American tour dates, check out her official site for info).

Favorite Song #3: "Moving Pictures, Silent Films" by Great Lake Swimmers

Great Lake Swimmers is a Canadian indie-folk band fronted by Tony Dekker that is similar in sound to Red House Painters, Nick Drake, and Iron & Wine. Therefore, if you're unfamiliar with these bands, GLS plays mostly soft, lyrical, essentially bare music that embodies the understanding that you don't need many instruments and heavy production to create poignant, heartfelt music.

Their self-titled 2003 debut consists of ten guitar-vocal duets, with the exception of two songs that utilize drums. I read once that the entire album was recorded in an abandoned grain silo with minimal equipment. That's apparent in the echo and especially the ambient noises-such as the crickets and other insects which can be heard throughout this song and the rest of the album-which add an atmospheric and relaxing effect to the music. It's a perfect album for the night, since that seems to be its original auditory and emotional home.

The songs are mostly sad, slow ballads, so obviously you have to be in the right mood to really enjoy this stuff. I love sad music, but if you hate it, you might want to stay away.

This track, the first on the album, is probably one of the happier-sounding songs on the whole album (although its subject matter, may be the most depressing). The guitar line on this song is the prettiest sounding of the ten, and the slight piano accompaniment adds a great deal of melodic depth. But Dekker's voice is best displayed on this track, blending perfectly with the melody and expressed earnestly.

Perhaps the reason why this is one of my favorite songs is because 1. I never get sick of it, listening to it over and over again; and 2. I can never quite determine exactly what this song is about. Dekker has said that it's simply a song about hibernation, but it's impossible to accept that as its meaning simply because of how emotional this song feels. I've heard countless interpretations, but I'll leave it up to you.

Moving Pictures Silent Films.mp3

Here are the lyrics:

Oh wake me please when this is over
Oh when the ice is melted away
And the hunger returns
I will be the same, but older
And maybe twice the bear
That I thought I was

Where have you been,
And what have you done?
I've been under the ground
Eating prayers from this old book I found
Under the ground
Saving it up, and spending it all
On moving pictures
Silent films
Moving pictures
Silent films

Or is this the dream I've been saving?
Oh where the heart beats slower and slower
To almost nothing
Almost nothing
Almost nothing

I took it for love
Or at least something beautiful
Out there in the spotlight
But I turned around suddenly,
Turned around squinting
And saw
That it was headlights
And then the truth, the truth was unbearable
Oh, and imminent
Bearing down on these two shadow animals

Caught painting a dotted line
Caught painting a dotted line
Caught painting a dotted line

Where have you been?
And what have you done?
I've been under the ground
Eating in prayers from this old book I found
Under the ground
Saving it up
And spending it all
On moving pictures
Silent films
Moving pictures
Silent films

Amy Winehouse

I was going to review AW's Back to Black, but I don't have much more to say than Pitchfork; they capture the album's essence almost perfectly, and interestingly enough, compare her to the lovely Miss Allen. It's a good review, so check it out if you're curious. Oh, I should add, I hated "Rehab" when I heard it, and gave the album a chance anyway. I'm really glad I did, because the rest of the album is much better, especially my favorite track "You Know I'm No Good" and tracks 3-8. Its jazzy-pop feel is ideal for parties and get togethers that require a little movement and funk.

The Onion Blasts Pitchfork

This is hilarious, especially since I love Pitchfork. It kinda puts things into perspective; read it and you'll know what I mean.

Pitchfork Gives Music 6.8

CHICAGO—According to the review, the popular medium that predates the written word shows promise but nonetheless "leaves the listener wanting more."

"Alright, Still" ...by Lily Allen

By now I'm sure you've heard of this wit of a Brit. So this review is late on two accounts: it's the perfect summer album. But better late than never.

I was introduced to Lily Allen by her "Smile" single and video which made me chuckle a little, and of course ogle at this adorable vixen. But she's got much more than a cute countenance: the hype around her is actually well-founded, for a change.

Allen has composed (well, I'm not sure how much of that she did, but anyway) a pretty brilliant pop record. She infuses pop, R&B, and hip hop, creating an album that is both fun to listen to and perpetually fresh--i.e. it doesn't get old. Maybe that's because of the variety on the album; I played it start to finish countless times over the summer, because I like each track a lot, and they're all so damn catchy.

LDN is my favorite track, a satirical take on the pleasantries of Allen's hometown of London...which simultaneously shows off Allen's talent for rhyming and coming up with uplifting pop hooks and choruses. In fact, a lot of this album comes across as rather ironic, in its sordid subject matter but pleasant backing melodies.

The subject matter of this album is somewhat bitter, mostly disappointed and angry (i.e. downright mean), and occasionally regretful, centering mostly on failed relationships with inadequate men, and also people who aren't as good as Lily. She's got a big, cocky, forward personality, but she's cute, smart, and talented. And she doesn't give a shit what anyone thinks. You love her or you hate her, apparently, taking into account the attention she's garnered from the media.


But it's gotta be impossible to hate her music. Sure, she continuously comes up with increasingly creative ways to deny and denigrate men, but her wit is so sharp you can't help but appreciate it, or at least laugh and sing along. Her music is so fresh and addicting that it appeals to people who like all sorts of music, which is why, if you haven't already, you should give her a listen.

Try out LDN, Everything's Just Wonderful, and Littlest Things streamed at her official website or her myspace page.

Bloc Party's "A Weekend in the City"

Have you ever listened to a song or an album in which the lyrics seemed to define your life perfectly at that moment? This album is that for me right now.

This British foursome had to follow up on a huge debut success. Silent Alarm broke genre barriers, strengthened the argument that European, specifically British-born music is better than American music, and opened discussion about Bloc Party's potential as the next great rock band. Their first album was innovative, smart, catchy pop-rock that was as fresh as it was influenced.

The second album has a lot of the same elements as their first, but it has a distinctly different sound overall. Kele, the lead singer, has said that in this album they tried to capture the various happenings and feelings of the city, which they've accomplished pretty well (if the music doesn't make you feel like you're in the business of a city, read the lyrics). But in general, the album is much darker in subject, a little less varied in sound, but pretty damn good in its completed composition (they do have a new producer...).

The album kicks off with the beat-driven "Song for Clay," which starts soft and ends in a cacophony. It gets the album off to a good start, and serves as an adequate transition from their last album; I like playing this song when starting a night out. "Hunting for Witches" incorporates mixed up radio and noise samples, along with a repetitive and loud chorus, which gets annoying quickly; this seems to be one of the emptiest tracks on the album. "Waiting For The 7:18" has some pretty touching lyrics about looking back, characterized by chimes, a cool drum beat, and full choruses, but bores me a little simply because the songs at this point have all begun slow/soft and eneded fast/loud.

"The Prayer," their first UK single, is one of the fastest songs on the album. It is reminiscent of "Banquet," with a less melodic verse structure, but with a sweeping chorus that almost saves the song from its less-than-genius verses and almost cringe-worthy bridges.

The fifth track, "Uniform," made me think of Coldplay's X&Y. Here's why: after a few listens of Coldplay's third release, I began to realize that all the songs on the album followed a formula, which goes like this: start slow, build up to a fast/loud/emotional middle, and end slow. I call it the X&Y formula (how clever!). It made me lose a lot of respect for Coldplay, although I have to admit it does work in some songs awfully well, such as "Fix You." But here, "Uniform" follows that pattern, which makes it so predictable! And Bloc Party were never predictable. I still kind of like the song though, so they're not all that bad at it.

Finally, Kele allows his vocals to shine through on the sixth track, "On," which, although the lyrics are less-than-enchanting, the music complements the vocals very well, and sounds more like the Bloc Party most people really seemed to like. Still not one of their stronger tracks, though.

"Where is Home?" is another disappointing track, and everytime I listen to this album now, I skip over it, simply because of the first minute or so. Kele's voice is distorted to a higher...screech almost, with ghoulish croonings hauntingly voiced in the background; clearly a mood is trying to be evoked in this song, but I don't care--it's not fun to listen to. Granted the chorus is kind of cool (this is Bloc Party), but the rest, and the "guitar solo" at the end ruins it.

The last four tracks of this album are why I would ever rate this album moderately high; I love the last four tracks. Despite my somewhat dismal reviews of the preceding tracks, here's the thing about this album: it's much better when listened to front to back than it is when listened to in bits and pieces. It's as if the album follows the day, with the first track representing the morning and the last representing the night. The first track looks back on his life and wonders what if, and if given another chance, what he'd do over...then he's waiting for the bus and asserting his "unstoppable" will, after which he eventually comes down and looks back again, then perhaps makes a conclusion about his life, or at least becomes honest with himself about it.

"Kreuzberg" is where he makes a decision:

"I have decided at 25
That something must change..."

And ruminates over his meaningless social interactions and the loneliness that results:

"After sex the bitter taste
Been fooled again, the search continues
Concerned mothers of the west,
Teach your sons, how to truly love."

For me, this is my favorite type of Bloc Party's music, the "Blue Light," "This Modern Love," and "So Here We Are" Bloc Party--the softer, more melodic, lyric-based stuff. This is where their strengths really shine, in my opinion. Kele really sounds like he's figuring it out in this song, and we begin to feel a shift in the music's mood.

"I Still Remember" is an extension of this mood, lyrically at least. The words focus on regrets about a lost love, but the tempo and the instrumentation are paradoxically upbeat; perhaps, despite the regrets, there lies an optimism.

"Sunday" offers a promise to love her in the morning, after all the shit's that happened. Yeah, there are a lot of things going on that suck, and we've definitely made some mistakes, but when we're together everything can be okay. That's basically the message; the song is very layered, with a good melody under Kele's vocals. After the last, and most important verse,

When I'm with you, I am calm
A pearl in your oyster
Head on my chest a silent smile
A private kind of happiness
You see giant proclamations
Are all very well
But our love is louder than words

The guitar cranks up out of nothing, creating quite the moment and really driving home the passion of his love.

"SRXT" is my favorite song on the album. Although the subject is the most morose of all the tracks--he's basically talking about killing himself the whole time, or at least the death of a phase of his life--it presents the best moment on the entire album.

I've always debated with myself whether the best music is made up of almost transcendent moments that take your breath away, or just really good consistency (that's harder to explain). For example, I love the song "Ants Marching" by DMB, but there isn't really a particular moment that takes hold of me, I just love the whole song, and become energetic and happy when I listen to it. But there's a certain pluck of the guitar in "Untitled #4" that gets me every time, and this song has a similar moment.

The whole song builds up to it; he's talking about how he was telling his friend how he's drowning in his sorrows, recounting memories and the reasons why he's sad and discouraged. Then the band stops, and at 3:01, up comes the guitar into an explosion of the band's full power....

Suddenly, the rest of the album makes sense.