"Tonight" ~Lykke Li

A wise man once said "Elegance is simplicity".  Or maybe it was a woman, and maybe it was "Simplicity is elegance".  Or I could be making this up.  At any rate, this song by Lykke Li is beautiful, and the simplicity of it only serves to enhance and emphasize the beauty.  Especially in this one-take acoustic video:

Here's the album version, if you like:

"Watch my back so I'll make sure

You're right behind me as before

Yesterday the night before tomorrow..."

11-19-12 - "Everybody But Me" ~ Lykke Li

Yet another artist that came into my spheres thanks to mi hermano.  Fantastic little ditty about being antisocial and just a bit awkward at parties... or maybe it's a metaphor...?  At any rate, this Swede just might rival another one we've discussed previously on this blog...

There are several versions floating around the intarwebs, but here's the first one I heard, which is a little bit stripped down compared to the second version:

"I get the creeps from all the people in here
I cannot breathe, it's too crowded in here
don't look at me, I don't wanna be seen

touched, heard, bothered..."

2-16-12 - "Little Talks" ~ Of Monsters And Men

Heard this tune on WYEP en route out of Pittsburgh to WV for work this morning.  It's quite good; has a little bit of an Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros vibe (specifically the song "Home", with the female/male vocal tradeoff, and the female leads have some similar qualities...), and some solid lyrics.

The six-member outfit blends accordion and trumpet with acoustic guitars and keys, for a sound that's not quite unique (there's nothing new under the sun, after all) but quite enjoyable, and distinctive from the majority of stuff that's out there these days.

Oh yeah, and they're Icelandic... how about that?

Here's a live performance captured by Seattle's KEXP radio:

And  here's the recorded version (vevo link):

 "Little Talks" ~ Of Monsters And Men 

"There's an old voice in my head that's holding me back..."

"Well, tell her that I miss our little talks..."

1-26-11 - "1901" ~ Phoenix

Thanks to a jukebox, here's a track straight from Versailles.  I'd definitely heard this song before, but didn't know the band name (and no, I don't have a smart phone with the Shazam app... IDing random songs heard whilst out and about is pretty much the only thing I feel like would make the ridiculously expensive data plans worthwhile.)  


The French band Phoenix bring some punch with this indie-power-rock-pop offering; give it a whirl and see where it takes ya:

"Past and present, they don't matter

now the future's sorted out

watch, you're moving in elliptical pattern…"

1-23-12 - "We Get On" ~ Kate Nash

I'm actually fairly surprised I didn't post any Kate Nash last year.  But wrongs were made to be righted, or so they say... or maybe I just made that up.  Anyway, here's a ludicrously catchy Brit-piano-pop tune about that crush that you just can't work up the nerve to tell how you feel...


(be forewarned, whilst Nash is quite good at the pop genre, with both fun and mellow tunes, love songs and breakup songs, she also peppers her lyrics with words that some might find unladylike, or just plain crude.  But she's so darn cute about it!)

"I conducted a plan to bump into you most accidentally

but I was walking along and I bumped into you much more heavily

than I'd originally planned…"

12-15-11 - "By Your Hand" ~ Los Campesinos!

Indie pop from Wales, but not Welsh (at least according to Wikipedia...)  I guess stranger things have happened in this world.  Wherever they're from, they caught my ear, and lo and behold, now they have a chance to catch yours.


This track is a bit darker than you might think from the music.  Catchy and engaging synth and upbeat major chords won't have you thinking about your untimely demise, but that's the subject matter which belies the mood of the melody.  The accompanying video has some nostalgic moments with toys from our collective youth, but contrasts these images with some twisted and morbid scenes, a juxtaposition which is quite unsettling:

"By your hand is the only end I foresee..."

12-05-11 - "Spider's Web" ~ Katie Melua

This one may require your thinking cap; the lyrics are weighty.  Or, you can just enjoy the somber melody over arpeggiated guitar and piano - it's quite lovely musically.


Katie Melua was born in Soviet Georgia, lived through the collapse of the Soviet Union, and immigrated to the UK at a young age in the aftermath of the Georgian Civil War in 1993.  Can't say as my childhood was quite that interesting, although we did move from Pennsylvania to Virginia when I was 6.  Like I said, not quite the same as experiencing a communist government and a civil war by 9 years old...


Melua has gone on to be one of the most popular recording artists in Europe, and songs like this show you why.  The subject matter is controversial, and at first listen you may find yourself questioning the message of the first verse, but Melua brings it together if you continue listening.  Hate begets more hate, as has been evidenced in countless situations throughout history.  It takes someone rising above the hatred to bring about a change in attitude, for love also begets love.  


Racism is pretty clear-cut in most cases, but in today's world there are a lot of gray areas on other moral, political, and personal issues - or at least there are a lot of things we convince ourselves are gray areas.  I don't want to get political, but I'm sure you know what I mean.


The ultimate message of the song is hopeful - yes, sometimes the difference between right and wrong is a hair, and sometimes it's difficult to know what is the correct path, but if we each seek to do right by each other, we can do our part to make the world a better place.  In so doing, we can better enjoy the "million colours" - both the literal, visual ones and the beauty of music.

"The piano keys are black and white

but they sound like a million colours in your mind..."

11-28-11 - "Modern Drift" ~ Efterklang

So due to a combination of a busy holiday with family and a lack of a reliable internet connection, I skipped a few days of posting.  I bet you were outside your minds waiting for someone to tell you what songs to which you should listen.  Or more likely, you didn't miss it at all, but now you're ready for some more.  Good Lord willing, and the creek don't rise*, I'll try to work in a few bonus posts to make it up to you.


Here's a somewhat trippy tune from a Danish band.  The intentional "accidental" dissonant chords of the falsetto piano over several sets of lower notes on the keys create an unsettling, yet soothing sensation.  The song seems to deal with that feeling of lacking direction that so many of the youthful generation experience these days, and with a relationship struggling to stay afloat through these rudderless times; however, the band apparently doesn't like people posting the lyrics online so it's hard to be sure that everything is being heard correctly...


(WARNING: music video has some PG-13 imagery; kind of like "Bohemian Like You".  If you have sensitive eyes, use the second "video", which is just the music, or the third, which is live in Montreal.  Several other decent concert videos out there, also...

"When the morning dies
and I come to you
with a broken lie
that I made for you..."
_________________________


* - one of my favorite sayings, complete with some interesting history.  Also a line from a Johnny Cash song, which I might get around to posting one day... oh wait I'm already looking for bonus/makeup posts so here it is, YAY!