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Hercules and Love Affair - Classique #2

Yup, this is another Hercules and Love Affair post, deal with it. By now if you haven’t gotten around buying their album, shame on you because it’s really good. If you don’t buy it, we’ll be forced to hunt you down and torture you with hours of bad music. I’ll admit though, at first I downloaded it to test the album out, but once I gave it a full listen I quickly bought it. Some albums you just have to buy. I actually came across Hercules and Love Affair when they were first posted on dailycrack, since then, they have been on repeat. The group music ranges from dance-pop, to house and disco, and often listening to them just makes you want to dance, regardless of where you are (trust me, I know). One of my favorite tracks from Hercules and Love Affair is Classique #2, a bonus track from their U.S. release self-titled debut album. The beat is deeply infectious and Kim Foxman’s vocals makes the track all the more engaging. Enjoy :)

- moises

A Fine Frenzy - Burrowed Time

A Fine Frenzy, real name Alison Sudol, is a pop/alternative music artist originating from Seattle. A came across Sudol’s music when I saw her video for Almost Lover, which can be found here. Funny thing is, it took me a while to watch the video because whenever I saw it I would immediately change the channel. During that time, Vh1 had her as music artist of the week, so I guess I was just simply tired of them showcasing her so much. When I finally had the patience to actually listen to her sing, I was surprised to find that I liked it and shortly after bought her album.

A Fine Frenzy isn’t the best of singers, but she does get the job done, even hitting a few high notes on a couple of tracks on her album. What really makes her stand out is her lyrical content. Her lyrics are often like four minute stories, clever and engaging. Sometimes it’s surprising that she is even able to make such lyrics into a song because of their poetic and literary content.

One of my favorite songs by A Fine Frenzy is Burrowed Time, coming off her debut album One Cell In The Sea. The song has Alice singing about living life and taking risks instead of doing what you’re supposed to do and “waiting to die,” as Alice puts it on the track.

Thick as thieves the last of leaves
In the winter sun
Holding fast this freezing branch
Is home to us

Step, step right over the line
And onto borrowed time
When it’s life, not waiting to die
Waiting to divide to divide

Counting stars and passing cars
On the interstate
The end is near I feel it dear,
But I am not afraid

Step, step right over the line
And onto borrowed time
When it’s life, not waiting to die
Waiting to divide to divide

But you say you’re getting tired
You’re tired and so am I
When you follow from behind

Step, step right over the line
And onto borrowed time
When it’s life, not waiting to die
Waiting to divide to divide

But you say you’re getting tired
You’re tired and so am I
When you follow from behind

- moises

Missy Higgins - Wrong Girl

Missy Higgins is a pop/folk singer-songwriter coming from the dusty outbacks of Australia. I came across her when Amazon.com recommended I listen to her. A little side info on Missy Higgins: she’s bisexual. Not that it matters or anything, but it’s always fun knowing little tid-bits about music artists, especially if they’re the type to keep their personal lives to themselves. If you listen to the track Secret on her second album, it’s actually about a woman. I saw Missy Higgins live not too long ago and it was a nice performance. She comes off as a really nice person, down-to-earth and funny.

One my favorite songs by Missy Higgins is Wrong Girl, coming off her second album, On A Clear Night. The song has Missy singing about being broken up by someone she loves and having a hard time accepting it.

So the floodgates open but nothing comes out
I’m feeling no relief in my head, just doubt
But my heart keeps telling me ‘hold your ground
You’ll never learn a thing if you bail out now’

And I’m lonely again tonight
I can feel it like a knot in my side
They keep saying this is part of the ride
But I’m not getting stronger

Yet hold me against the light
And do you see any bullet inside?
Wouldn’t find one if you magnified
Because you’ve got the wrong girl

Had my fingers around the back of your chair
You’d never miss a thing but you missed me there
And I just kept thinking ‘Am I prepared
To pull it out from under your trusting stare?’

Now the house is quiet as a hollow head
And I’m walking round bumping into things you said
This has not been as easy as I thought it would
I’d be cooling down the fire if I thought I could

But I’m lonely again tonight
I can feel it like a knot in my side
They keep saying this is part of the ride
But I’m not getting stronger

Yet hold me against the light
And do you see any bullet inside?
Wouldn’t find one if you magnified
Because you’ve got the wrong girl

- moises

Kylie Minogue - Come Into My World

Kylie Minogue is an Australian Pop singer-songwriter and occasional actress. I came across her when her single Can’t Get You Out of My Head invaded the U.S. back in 2002. I immediately took a liking to her, mostly because she offered catchy pop songs that wasn’t too light, but not too heavy at the same time. For some reason I consider her one of my “guilty pleasures.” Maybe her girlish voice has something to do with it, or her music, but she is not someone I would blast on my headphones on the L train heading to school ;) Certain music artists tend to do that to some people and I really don’t know why.

One of my favorite songs by Kylie is Come Into My World, off her eighth studio album, Fever. The song is a catchy pop tune that has Kylie singing about simply wanting to be loved by her lover. Personally, I think the song has sexual undertones to it, particularly because of Kylie’s repetition of the word “come” and the suggestive way she sings sometimes on the track. Perhaps I am listening too hard and jumping to conclusions, but I really suspect I’m not very far off from the truth. Anyway, judge for yourself and enjoy ;) By the way, if you’re interested, the video for the song can be found here, which I highly recommend seeing because of the special effects.

Come, come, come into my world
Won’t you lift me up, up, high upon your love

Take these arms that were made for lovin’
And this heart that will beat for two
Take these eyes that were meant for watching over you
And I’ve been such a long time waiting
For someone I can call my own
I’ve been chasing the life I’m dreaming
Now I’m home

I need your love
Like night needs morning

Come, come, come into my world
Won’t you lift me up, up, high upon your love

Na na na na

Take these lips that were made for kissing
And this heart that will see you through
And these hands that were made to touch and
feel you

So free your love
Hear me I’m calling

Oh won’t you
Come, come, come into my world
Won’t you lift me up, up, high upon your love

I need your love
Like night needs morning

Oh won’t you
Come, come, come into my world
Won’t you lift me up, up, high upon your love

- moises

Lewis & Clarke - Dead and Gone

I’ve been deeply into folk music lately, but the soothing kind that calms everything inside of you. Rhapsody describes this kind of music as “Baroque Pop.” I’ve never heard of it before, so when I looked it up, on Wikipedia of course ;) it was described as “a style of pop music originated in the mid 1960s that brought elements of classical music into the writing and recording of rock ‘n’ roll songs. Much of the instrumentation of baroque pop is more akin to that of the Classical period, chronologically defined as the period of European music from 1750 to 1820 (after Baroque music and before Romantic music) and stylistically defined by balanced phrases, clarity and beauty, using similar instrumentation to modern orchestras.”

I really love how gentle and unalarming it sounds and I’ve been searching for similar sounding music lately. In case you’re wondering, my song of choice comes from Lewis & Clarke. According to their website: Lewis & Clarke is the nom de plume of Lou Rogai and collaborators. The moniker has been described as metaphor for journey on many levels; musical, spiritual, and physical … The most recent musical styling of Lewis & Clarke can be described as new-folk, avant chamber folk, or neo-baroque. Enjoy.

- moises

Bat For Lashes - Siren Song

A few days ago I had the pleasure of seeing Bat For Lashes perform live, which is the inspiration behind this post. The band, lead by England born Natasha Khan, did not disappoint. It was actually my second time seeing her, but the performance I saw seemed novel, better than the first one I attended, perhaps because Natasha had time to really fit into her role as a music artist. The show seemed almost magical, not only because of Natasha’s songs, which often have themes of magic, dreams, and love, but also because the stage was filled with lights, dolls, religious ornaments, and a rug with wolves displayed on it. Nastasha danced, joked around with the crowd a bit, and played all of her fan-favorite songs including variations to a few.

During the performance, one of the songs she sang was Siren Song, coming off her second album, Two Suns. She got quite emotional when she sang it, to a point where I thought she was going to cry, but she didn’t. It was quite touching and I wonder what the song means to her. I’m not entirely sure what the song is about, especially since the lyrics aren’t available, but it seems to have more a less to do with loving someone and trying to move on from a past that isn’t something to be proud of. Enjoy.

- moises

Placebo - Sleeping With Ghosts

Placebo is an alternative rock band originating from England, consisting of three members. I don’t entirely remember how I came across them, but I’ve been listening to them for a while now. I’ve tried to recommend them to a few people, but none, so far, has taken up a liking to the band. This is due mostly because of Brian Molko’s voice, lead vocalist for Placebo, which has a noticeable feminine sound to it. I suppose people are turned off by it, but personally, I find it deeply appealing and a nice reprieve from all the masculine sounding male singers pervasive in rock and in the music industry in general.

Placebo has built up a reputation for writing great lyrics along with creating deeply engaging sounds to go along with their words. I highly recommend purchasing their latest album, Meds, which I think is the band at their best.  Currently, they have completed their sixth studio album, entitled Battle For The Sun, which should come out in early June.

One of my favorite songs by Placebo is Sleeping with Ghosts, coming off their fourth studio album of the same name. The song seems to be about a relationship falling apart because of forces out of the couple’s control. Despite this, Brian sings over and over again, “Soulmate dry your eyes/ Cause soulmates never die,” revealing to the listener that the couple is entirely not without hope. Enjoy.

The sea’s evaporating
Though it comes as no surprise
These clouds we’re seeing
They’re explosions in the sky
It seems it’s written
But we can’t read between the lines

Hush
It’s okay
Dry your eyes
Dry your eyes
Soulmate dry your eyes
Dry your eyes
Soulmate dry your eyes
Cause soulmates never die

This one world vision
Turns us in to compromise
What good’s religion
When it’s each other we despise
Damn the government
Damn their killing
Damn their lies

Hush
It’s okay
Dry your eyes
Dry your eyes
Soulmate dry your eyes
Dry your eyes
Soulmate dry your eyes
Cause soulmates never die

Soulmates never die
Never die
Soulmates never die
Never die…
Soulmates never die
Soulmates never die
Soulmates never die
Soulmates never die

- moises