DELTRON 3O3O RECOMMENDED: ceo – ‘White Magic’
What do past TRAffIK featured artists The Radio Dept, Miike Snow alll have in common? They, along with Robyn, The Shout Out Louds, Lykke Li, The Tallest Man on Earth, and El Perro Del Mar are all Swedes. Should we start breaking ground for a new wing of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame over there? I suppose I’m jumping the gun a tad but you have to admit their music scene has grown by leaps and bounds. Before 2000, when The Hives broke into the states with “Hate to Say I Told You So“, the Swedes were best known for….well let me just provide this chart.
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Rank Swedish acts Sold Genre Years active
1. ABBA ———-300 million + ——- Pop —————- 1972–1982
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2. Roxette ———-70 million + ——- Pop rock ———– 1986–present
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3. Ace of Base —- 50 million + ——- Eurodance ——— 1990–present
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4. Europe ———- 20 million + ——– Glam rock ———–1979–1992; 1999; 2003–present
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5. The Cardigans –15 million + ——–Alternative rock –1992–present
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Not exactly a murderer’s row of artists. What is most impressive is that Europe was able to sell 20 million albums off of one (kick ass) song. That has to be some kind of one hit wonder record.
Now that you have Sweden’s most prolific artists fresh in your mind it is much easier to appreciate the Swedish music landscape for what it is now. Artists like The Hives, Peter Bjorn and John, The Knife, and The Sounds laid ground work for the Swedish invasion that we are currently reveling in. “Swedish Invasion” sounds too played. Let’s call it “The Stockholm Syndrome”. Soon to be added to my favorites from Sweden list, which currently consists of Miike Snow and the Radio Dept, is ceo. I find the stylistic choice of leaving the letters in ceo all lowercase off putting and the fact that his website is a black hole of info* is a bit annoying…but the album makes up for all of that. For a short form (28 mins) album it manages to hit a few different sounds. It is a combination of M83 styled instrumentals (“All Around”) Miike Snow-esque sleek romps of synthy pop driven jams (“Come With Me”) and Sigur Ros lush soaring strings and emotion (“Den Blomstertid Nu Kommer”). I just threw out M83, Miike Snow, and Sigur Ros?! WOW.
I don’t think I need to say more. Do I?
Highlights: “Come With Me,” “Illuminata,” “No Mercy”
Black hole of info* – As far as info goes, this is what is available on his website:
“CEO arises in 1981 and 1891. in 3064 and tomorrow. after ibrahimovic and before nectanebo II. before the dark ages and after spring break. before time was, ceo is.ceo arises in miami, hell, holzschlag, the andes, sparta, chianti and wall street. in the antennae galaxies, kungsm ssan, flushing meadows and the mariana trench. before space was, ceo is.you may call me sophia, yukio, fanta, eric, kiki and krishna. and wii and whitney.ceo is the photosynthesis and an aria, it is silence and virginity lost in a gang bang.ceo is a bird in space and ceo is the space in a bird.ceo is saliva, patr n, november rain and panic. it is a relief, a citrine and it is broken dreams.ceo is the harlot, the prince the snake and the shaman. in a spyker c8 laviolette. and on a mirage.ceo is raspberries and chlamydia, it is the shadow and it is a clapping game.ceo is auroras and charlotte casiraghi. it is laser beams and a home by the ocean.ceo is a lost love and rihanna’s voice. it is hibernation,the spectacle, and every breath you take. ceo is platinum and it is valium, it is a quasar and it is a lie. ceo is a breech forest and a slamdunk. ceo is the ashanti and ceo is seinfeld. it is eucalyptus, neon and a smile. ceo is a war zone and a sanctuary. it is dukkha, dilla and the body of light. ceo is cashmere, sweat, zooxanthellae and a stiletto. it is implosion technology and it is the match point. ceo is you and you are me and i am ceo. in eternity.”
DELTRON 3030 RECOMMENDED: ARCADE FIRE – ‘THE SUBURBS’
Your Friday just got that much better. Arcade Fire’s new album has leaked!
With their previous two albums Win Butler and Co. set the bar pretty damn high for their third album, “The Suburbs”. “Funeral” and “Neon Bible” were truly amazing albums that will always hold a special place in my iPod’s heart. “Funeral” was an absolute musical epiphany for me, and I used to melt off hangovers at Santa Monica beach set to the sound of “Neon Bible’s” church organs. I found no irony in the fact that the track that housed those ominous organs was titled “Intervention.” I’ve been talking up “The Suburbs” all summer. It is that one tent pole blockbuster that all the other drops have been leading up to. Knowing that I’ve already had an unhealthy amount of anticipation and set unfair expectations on this album–I tried to dial it down a bit…but The BBC just exasperated the situation this week with their pre-release quote. Speaking about “The Suburbs” the BBC said
“…It is their most thrillingly engrossing chapter yet; a complex, captivating work that, several cycles down the line, retains the magic and mystery of that first tentative encounter. You could call it their ‘OK Computer’. But it’s arguably better than that.”
Wow. Better than “OK Computer.” No pressure there. It’s stupid to even compare it to that. I’m not against comparisons by any means. I tend to compare stuff all of the time, but Radiohead’s “OK Computer” is far more different in tone and style than this (from what I can tell as I give it it’s first full listen). I’m up to track five and I’m already loving it. The frantic energy of the strings on “Empty Room” caught me off guard in the best way possible, especially after the “Free Fallin’ ” slow groove of the Petty-esque “Modern Man.” It’s certainly too early to tell if it will match or top “OK Computer”…but it sounds like classic Arcade Fire so far.
Highlights: “In the Month of May,” “Modern Man,” “Empty Room,” “Half Light I”
Read More from the BBC review here
Note: Arcade Fire will be live streaming their concert on 08/05 @ MSG with “very special guests.” My guesses: David Bowie..and Mark Messier. Check out the trailer here.
DELTRON 3030′S MID-YEAR TOP TEN ALBUM LIST…
We’re a little more than half way through 2010 and it’s safe to say it has been a pretty incredible year for album releases so far. As you know, I love making lists so I decided to put out a quick top ten list of my favorite albums so far. If you haven’t made sweet ear love to these albums DO IT NOW!
10.) Janelle Monae – “The ArchAndroid”
An amazing ambitious debut of genre jumping tracks
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9.) Delorean - “Subiza”
They shimmer and dance on your soul like a pool’s magical healing waters on a hungover summer day. Dive in and let the warm glow fix what ails you
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8.) Tame Impala – “Innerspeaker”
The Lennon-esque vocals are married to trippy psychedelic guitars and drums that definitely time warp the listener back to an era when people dropped acid like it was their job
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7.) Titus Andronicus – “The Monitor”
The Civil War spun as an analogy for suburban doom and gloom by a bunch of disenfranchised post punk rockers from New Jersey
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6.) Jonsi – “Go”
Jonsi’s ethereal voice will brighten any sky and push the clouds out of your mind and leave you in a warm happy place. This album is like Zoloft for your ears.
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5.) The Radio Dept – “Clinging To A Scheme”
Delicate textures and melodies wash over the tracks in a waves of emotion that are enhanced by the lost love crooning vocals
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4.) Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – “Before Today”
They shift gears from new pop leanings (“Round and Round”) to low fi chill-waves (“L’estat”), 80’s sweet cheese (“Can’t Hear My Eyes”) to drugged out fuzz attacks (“Butt-House Blondies”). …and I’m a sucker for all of it.
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3.) Gorillaz – “Plastic Beach”
I love this album. I love it because of what it is. I love it because of what it isn’t. I’ll be honest though, I didn’t love it right away. In a way that’s the beauty of it The different soundscapes, the variety of guests, and the “newness” of it all combine to create a sound that welcomes you to revisit the world over and over again.
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2.) Phantogram – “Eyelid Movies”
Two unassuming Up-State New Yorkers throwing down sexy vocals and psychedelic melodies on top of hop hop beats. A pretty simple formula…but there’s so many more layers to their sound. Fifteen seconds into the lead track and I knew I’d be a huge fan.
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1.) LCD Soundsystem – “This Is Happening”
As the lead track “Dance Yourself Clean” started up with its slight downer vibes I wondered where the LCD party was. I was sure I was destined to sing “LCD I Love You, but you’re bringing me down”. Then at the 3:08 mark the drums kicked in, shaking off the bad mojo with them, and I haven’t looked back since. If “This is All Happening” is truly his last album it is one epic swan song. This album is is full of amazing tracks. I’m only on my second spin of it but I feel confident in saying this might very well might be your soundtrack to the summer. I want to say so much more but my mind is swimming in the beats and layers. This album has altered my ability to think straight.
LCD, it’s a helluva drug.
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WHAT I’M LISTENING TO: DELTRON 3030′S JULY SOUNDTRACK
DELTRON 3030′S July “WHAT I’M LISTENING TO” SOUNDTRACK to ease you back into the work week after the long holiday weekend!
DELTRON 3030 RECOMMENDED: Wavves- King of the Beach
Last year was a whirlwind year for Nathan Williams, a.k.a Wavves.
He released a homemade LP full of frantic fuzz that was critically praised for its energy and originality, highlighted by the lo-fi ode to suburban loserdom, “No Hope Kids.”
He had an epic meltdown in Barcelona which resulted in his drummer pouring a beer on Nate’s head mid-set and quitting the band all while the Spanish crowd pelted him with bottles.
He got into a war of words with the Black Lips who accurately stated “I’ve heard stories from others that he’s like a real dick. And just like a baby, thought he was really cool.” Of course this quote led to a fight between “The Lips” and Wavves…in of all places Williamsburg. Classic Jets vs Sharks shit right there.
All of this was to be expected. He was a mere 22 years old and given the keys to the hipster kingdom. What did you people expect. Not helping matters was he looked like the raven-haired twin of Joey from the Real World Cancun, a supreme ass clown of epic proportions. Some people just give off a vibe that makes you want to punch them. In Nate’s defense, if people ran around documenting the kind of shenanigans I was getting into at 22 I’m sure I’d be stamped with a similar “dickhole” label.
Exactly one year after the Barcelona incident, Wavves is ready to outgrow that label and release his new album, “King of the Beach.” From the looks of it he seems all grown-up. Musically speaking that is. I’m sure he’s still an unbearable jerk-off, but people will be more willing to let him slide now. (more…)
DELTRON 3030 RECOMMENDED: KELE – THE BOXER
Today, we have the highly anticipated solo album from the lead singer of one of my favorite bands. No, I’m not referring to Ed Kowalczyk’s recently leaked solo LP. I’m talking about Bloc Party’s Kele. I have loved Bloc Party ever since Silent Alarm and the equally awesome Silent Alarm Remixed LP. Sure, I felt like a sucker paying for an album of remixes but it was 2005. Those were simpler times. Plus those albums rocked so hard. “Helicopter” and “Banquet” were “rock out with your cocks” out mix cd staples.
Since those albums, Bloc Party has hung their hat on the recurring themes of failed relationships and breakups…mostly because their lead singer, Kele, suffered from an agonizing breakup from his long time boyfriend. Yep, he likes men. Whenever I tell anyone this they seem shocked. ..even though the album “A Weekend In the City” is full of man on man love clues.
“Rock out with your cocks out” indeed.
As the band has gone on, they’ve left their original sound of a straight (musically speaking) guitar rock and leaned towards a more electronica sound. Take a look at their first single “Mercury” from 2008’s “Intimacy”. Poor guitarist Russel Lissack wasn’t given much room to shred at all. After watching this, it seemed inevitable that the band was going to take a break. Sure enough a week later they officially called for a hiatus. Since then the only Bloc Party output has been the “Intimacy” remix CD, which failed to capture the magic of the “Silent Alarm” remix LP, and a single, “One More Chance” that was left off “Intimacy” but definitely shouldn’t have been. Besides being a pretty solid track, “One More Chance” offered up a clue to where Kele’s head was. Dance halls. It was definitely a different direction for the band.
I found myself torn with the announcement of Kele’s solo album after this. Could I handle a disc full of Bloc-ish tracks that weren’t actually Bloc Party but a bastardized dance version? Furthermore, what if it got big? Would that spell the end of any thoughts of ending the “hiatus”? Perhaps I shouldn’t tell you guys about this album. By pushing this album on you I’m a walking talking self-fulfilling prophecy!
As much as I hate to aid Kele in distancing himself from Bloc Party for fear of them never returning from their Kele imposed hiatus I can’t help but champion this album. My fears of losing Bloc Party were quelled by the fact that the heart and soul of Bloc Party is still very much alive on this album. One track makes me feel this way. One track brings me back to those days of “This Modern Love.” That track is “Everything You Wanted.” It feels like classic Bloc. Mind you this is “This Modern Love” sung by a guy who is still mourning a huge personal break-up and now it is compounded by the breakup of his band…oh and it is devoid of buzzing guitars. Um…so maybe it’s not Bloc Party…but it’s close. You just have to trade in the occasional guitars (Unholy Thoughts) for handclaps and synths.
What you should really take from this is that the band was going on hiatus no matter what…so to get a quasi-Bloc Party sounding LP is a blessing. It is found money. Remember The Strokes’ hiatus gave birth to f o u r great LPS and TV on The Radio’s hiatus gave birth to one (soon to be two) great LPs.
I guess if I’ve learned anything it’s to embrace breakups. Lets try and go Bloc free for a little longer.
Highlights: Everything You Wanted, Unholy Thoughts, The Other Side, The New Rules, Rise
Go see Kele August 10th @ The Troubadour (tickets) …where he is sure to play some Bloc tracks.
Bonus: Download the remix of “One More Chance” here