Girlfriend

I'm in love with your girlfriend

Earlier a friend and I entered into a brief discussion about our ideal modern music landscape. We agreed that today there is a decidedly lacking middle ground between 'blog-buzzed' type tracks, deep cuts, and pounding, stadium-sized EDM. What we need more of is some indie dance - that genre that first developed in the mid 2000's in which traditional instruments and synthesizers lived in symbiotic harmony, and songs were vocally driven yet punchy and well-produced. But I'm not too worried, as though output of this type is less than the past, the indie dance flame is still stoked by such labels as Australia's Future Classic, NYC's Neon Gold, and France's Kitsuné (AKA my favorites).

A band currently carrying the proverbial torch is London's Citizens! They're a five-piece with nary a computer in sight, yet their songs get the girls [me] dancing. Think early Franz Ferdinand - their album was produced by Alex Kapranos after all - with some Elefant (anyone remember them?). A month ago I had the opportunity to see them live, and while I went into the show with no expectations, I came out with that post-show euphoria brought on only by a band that's got it all: charisma, energy, and good old talent.

Grab two singles (one remix) so good they may cause spontaneous dancing fits, and then be sure to buy Citizens!' debut album here.

Girlfriend - Citizens!


True Romance (Gildas Remix) - Citizens!

So Destroyed (Mark McGuire Remix)

I'm not much into Prince Rama. Essentially they sound like every other overhyped psychedelic chillwave beachfuzz band: their vocals and musicianship aren't strong enough to stand alone, so they fill in the cracks with a heaping scoop of impenetrable reverb, all the while promoting a public image that pits them as "unorthodox" or "enigmatic." They irk me in the way Lady Gaga irks me, in that it seems that they try to be weird solely for the sake of being weird. The thing is, at the end of the day it just looks like they're trying too hard. Ok Prince Rama, so your parents moved you to a Hare Krishna commune when you were in high school…do we really need to hear about it in every interview? I think we get it - the rest of us have daddy issues too.

But enough about that. I shouldn't give them too much grief seeing as I've been playing one of their songs on repeat all day. It's not exactly a cut off their album -rather Mark McGuire swooped in to save the day. Mark McGuire is quite the super[music]man - every bit of musicianship and integrity the Larson sisters lack McGuire embodies tenfold. He's put his magic touch to their single So Destroyed, in which they channeled some sort of post-apocalyptic post-punk band (which I guess would actually make them post-post-punk and thus of the most elite genre the universe has ever seen), by adding swirling synths and a deep-space bass to take the song to cosmic, truly far-out heights.

Emeralds, the excellent band for which McGuire plays guitar, put out an album in early November. The holidays are coming: buy it now.

Delta

You know that age-old idea that when it comes to the arts - music, paintings, dance - the French do it better? Well it's mostly true. Take C2C, for example. Hailing from Nantes with a rap and jazz-influenced electro background, when it comes to DJ collectives they've upped the ante in nearly every category:

1. They're not just DJ's, they're turntablists. That means that unlike your all too common Serato 'DJ's, they don't just have turntables for show, they actually use them as instruments.

2. They aren't your typical DJ duo, but rather a foursome: Talent, squared.

3. They're the best at what they do: they won the DMC world championship (the ultimate prize for anyone interested in scratching) four years in a row.

Still not convinced? Have a listen to Delta, the first single off their debut album Tetra, which was released in December after 15 years in the making. And if that still doesn't get you going (or you just want more), check out this video of their live DJing set, and realize why anyone DJing with a computer isn't going to cut it anymore.

Delta - C2C



BONUS:
Happy (feat. Derek Martin) - C2C

Radio

Because you heard it on the radio, doesn't make it beautiful.

Have you ever thought that your feelings would best be expressed in a monologue from the made-for-TV movie Sybil, starring a young miss Sally Field as a woman with multiple personality disorder?

Yeah me neither. But I have often felt that my feelings would best be expressed in song. You know which scenario I've always wished I had a song for? When old people ask what type of music I listen to, and when I subsequently tell them, why I don't like top-40 type tunes. Well, old people, this holiday season (during which we are bound to have such an exchange) I have an answer for you, and it would be best expressed in the song Radio from would-be pop darlings, Mansions On The Moon. With their flawless choruses and expert hooks, this band has all the necessary criteria for pop superstardom. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if one day they too were in the Top 40, but until that day comes, Radio will serve as somewhat of an indie anthem; harkening to early M83 and a synthesizer-backed Rogue Wave.
parfait.

Mansions On The Moon just announced they'll be playing a show in Chicago at Bottom Lounge on December 13. Follow our Twitter or Facebook (or both!) for more information as we get it.

Radio - Mansions On The Moon

Sun

Marlon Geller

A lot of my blogging compatriots seem to be jumping the gun a bit and already compiling their Year-End 'Best' lists, which is the blogging equivalent of putting up Christmas decorations before Halloween. Meh.
That said, I totally already know what my number one album of 2012 is. This was not a very hard decision considering I've only listened to about three full albums this entire year. But after hearing Two Door Cinema Club's Beacon, I didn't feel the need to look further. No, it's not the most creative album to come out this year. Nor is it the most intricate. Nor is it the most talked-about. But it makes me happy. Like, sing-along-every-time-at-full-volume happy. And since no other song, album, or commercial jingle has elicited that type of response this year, it's won 2012 by default. (And by being really, really awesome.)

Today, Kitsune released the eponymous Sun EP featuring the second single off the album as well as a host of remixes by who's-who type producers. The brilliant original - arguably the happiest song on the album - gets the rave treatment from France's Fred Falke, resulting in the type of track that makes you reminisce about your pill-popping days. Or your pill-popping last weekend.

Stream both versions below, then buy the EP here, and LL's Best Album of 2012 here.

Sun - Two Door Cinema Club

Sweater Weather

It's too cold for you here and now
So let me hold both your hands in the holes of my sweater.


Jennilee Marigomen

After four years of Southern living, I recently moved back to Chicago to pursue funemployment. While it all sounded great in theory (ok in practice its not so bad either), I forgot one critical detail. It is freezing here. I mean soul-crushingly cold. And this is only the beginning: it gets much, much worse. While there will soon come a time when I only listen to music containing steel drums in hopes of trying to remember what warmth and happiness feels like, right now I'm trying to embrace the climate and tell myself that all the best outfits are layered. Enter: The Neighbourhood. Though you may be thrown off by the UK-styled moniker via an extra 'u', the band actually hails from California, a place that will never understand the icy throttle of -20 degree wind chill. Nonetheless, they've written a pretty convincing - and outrageously catchy - song about Sweater Weather. No, its not an entire song about my weekend forecast. Rather, they've capitalized on it for flirting purposes. After all, "You cold? Here, put your hands in my sweater" is more or less the ultimate cuffing season pick up line. Hey, works on me every time.

Grab the song below, and then purchase August's I'm Sorry EP.

Sweater Weather - The Neighbourhood

Clair de Lune

I could wax fanatic on the genius of Flight Facilities until I exceeded my bandwidth, but if you've ever heard their music (and you had better), there's really nothing more I need say that you don't already know.

At the end of the summer the boys announced they had signed with New York's illustrious Glassnote Records, joining the likes of Phoenix, Mumford & Sons, and Childish Gambino. Their first single with the label, Clair de Lune was released last week, followed by the music video earlier today. The song marks somewhat of a sonic departure for the duo, known for their hooky disco-pop, and sees them trading in funky bass and big choruses for swirling synths and ethereal vocals. But don't let that deter you. The seven-minute single (with no radio edit in sight) is a grower. It's one such a song that sneakily embeds itself into your subconscious - one you catch yourself singing without even thinking, at which point you have to immediately rush to your computer to find. The accompanying video, also clocking in at 7+ minutes, is a beautifully shot little story. Complete with - you guessed it - a 'pensively driving through a valley' montage.

Stream the single and video below, then buy it on iTunes.

Think/Feel

I feel too little and think too much.


Nishe

I have a horrible habit: I tend to over-think.
Sound familiar? While I'm no expert, I'd venture to say its a near-universal plight of our current generation. How can over-thinking be avoided what with the countless streams of news and visuals and useless [as well as useful] information being thrown at us from all directions, at all times, by the click of a mouse or the push of a button? It seems that in the modern age we're expected to be at 110%, one hundred and ten percent of the time. And if taking a minute to decompress has become a luxury now, think about how much therapy our children are going to need in 30 years. But I digress.

The thing about over-thinking is, often it can jar your conscious to a screeching halt - like when you have so many windows open that eventually the rainbow wheel of doom appears and everything freezes up: your mac can't take it anymore. This happened to me in regards to LOOSE L!PS. I revamped a bit (can you tell?), got lazy, got busy, and suddenly it had been so long since I posted that instead of just picking up I froze; stuck wringing my proverbial hands worrying that I was too far behind and thus irrelevant. But then I remembered that not only am I my own editor, I'm my own webmaster. And seeing as I don't make any money from this venture, what the hell.

Moral of this story: Lets all get out of our own heads and take a minute to mull on some Beat Connection instead.

Think/Feel - Beat Connection


[Update] Sometimes I think I may be music-psychic. Hours after this post was up, the official music video (unexpectedly) dropped. Check it out: