Classic Album Spotlight :: Lali Puna - Scary World Theory

Boy does time fly! Doesn't seem that long ago when I was really into this German band known as Lali Puna on Morr Music. In 2001 they released their lo-fi masterpiece 'Scary World Theory'. They had already released the excellent Tridecoder a year prior, but it wasn't until Scary that they really hit their peak. A beautiful melancholic electro-pop record! The album garnered many rave reviews as well as endorsements from big artists such as Radiohead who were praising this record/band around the time of Kid A's release.

Lali Puna consists of Valerie Trebeljahr and members of Notwist/Console. Around the early part of the new millenium Morr Music was releasing some of the best music on the planet with bands on their roster such as Lali Puna, Ms. John Soda, Notwist and many others.

Valerie's voice in particular really brings the songs on Scary World Thoery together. She has a calm soothing voice unlike any singer out there. Sometimes singing in different languages the whole record can be played from top to bottom with not a bad one in the bunch. The music has tons of beautiful glitches, sounds and pop hooks that stay in your head for days on end. Extremely well produced! I can't remember how many times I listened to this album as well as Figurine's classic 'The Heartfelt' circa 2001. To this day I still enjoy listening to Scary World Theory, particularly as the night sets in. It's a perfect late night record that doesn't get old or boring, even with repeated listenings.

Highly Recommended!!! If you enjoy this I also recommend you grab Tridecoder. Almost as good of a record and definitely worth owning.

It's hard to choose, but here are a few of my favorites from this amazing album....

MP3: Contratempo (YSI)

MP3: Don't Think (YSI)

MP3: Come on Home (YSI)

Here's the video for Middle Curse the second track off of the record.

Indie Pop MIX TAPE

Just saw some of Chris's pictures from Japan and all I can say is wow! Pretty amazing place... Can't believe Chris actually came back. Here's a couple pics I'm stealing from him. Shhhh don't tell... Pretty amazing huh. He has over 1000! Lucky bastard! I told him to post some of the best ones on here so you guys can check them out as well. Let's keep our finger's crossed..

Anyways last week I did a Dance Mixtape so this week I'm doing an Indie Pop Mixtape for you guys. I don't get to play out too much Indie Pop anymore. It's all about the dance stuff nowadays, but I still love the jangly guitars and mellower stuff when I'm home and in the car.

Here's some cool tracks I've gotten recently, including new My Morning Jacket, Cinderpop, We Are Scientists, Electric President, Soundpool and more! Lots of cool stuff here, I'm sure there'll be something that'll tickle your fancy.

Enjoy and have a great week-end!

MP3: Cinnamon Winter - Cinderpop (YSI)

MP3: Two Halves - My Morning Jacket (YSI)

MP3: London Bridges - This is Ivy League (YSI)

MP3: After Hours - We Are Scientists (YSI)

MP3: Better Things - South (YSI)

MP3: The Divides of March - Soundpool (YSI)

MP3: Monsters - Electric President (YSI)

Feeling Spiritualized?

Been awhile since we've heard from Spiritualized and their main man Jason Pierce. The wait's almost over as they're set to release their New Album 'Song in A & E' on May the 27th. I managed to listen to about 5 tracks so far, including the First Single 'Soul on Fire'. They're mostly of the downtempo variety, but that's kinda what they do best and what their fans love about them. I've never been the biggest fan, but I know many are and I still appreciate their music and Jason's voice and vision. I'm sure this one will be a welcome return to form for this great band who in 1997 had NME's top album of the year with their classic 'Ladies and Gentleman We Are Floating in Space'.

They've always had very cool minimal artwork and this one continues that tradition...

P.S. This post is dedicated to my APT partner Josh who's a huge fan and has been telling me for weeks how I've been sitting on this one. There you go...

MP3: Soul on Fire (YSI)
MP3: Baby I'm Just a Fool (YSI)

Here's one of my Favorite Classic Tracks from Spiritualized. 'Do It All Over Again' off of 2001's 'Let It Come Down'. Another great album they had that I had forgotten about.

MP3: Do It All Over Again (YSI)

Here's a BBC interview with Jason talking about a medical warehouse with stuff they used for their new video 'Soul on Fire'.

Here's the finished product. You can see were they incorporated the medical gear. The video came out great!

Quiet in the Village

Quiet Village have just released their amazing debut album 'Silent Movie' (out now on Itunes and May 13th as hard copies) and just like the name implies it's like a soundtrack to an amazing movie that hasn't happened yet. Like other bands like The Avalanches who they remind me of, they mix and match a lot of different elements and samples to form an amazing piece of art. Mostly instrumental you can put this album on and let yourself be transported away to another place and time, from India to a secluded island beach. It's exactly the type of music that lets your mind float away and enjoy the beauty that music can bring. Sure to be a Classic! Highly recommended!!

Here's a couple of my favorites so far....

MP3: Free Rider (YSI)
MP3: Broken Promises (YSI)

Classic Album Spotlight::Mercury Rev - Deserter's Songs

In 1998 Mercury Rev released Deserter's Songs, their most accomplished album and a true modern classic! An amazing work of art filled with fairy tale imagery, gorgeous melodies, strings, lyrics, artwork all wrapped up in 12 beautiful songs. Before this album there were glimpses of Mercury Rev's genius, but it wasn't until Deserter's Songs that they really hit their stride and mass pop stardom.

I first found out about this album in 1999 as I was reading NME's top albums of 1998 and this was sitting pretty as NME's #1 Album of 1998. A pretty amazing achievement for an experimental band who previously was known for being too experimental and loud. I read they got shut out from Lolapalooza one year for being too loud. That from a tour that would routinely feature Industrial Acts like Ministry.

Once I bought this album I instantly feel in love with it and them. Unlike their previous efforts this album was almost all ballads. Beautiful strings, bowed saws, melodies and choruses all as if from a dream or coming directly from heaven itself. For awhile Mercury Rev and the Flaming Lips with which they share some history were two of my favorites.

Deserter's Songs was engineered by Dave Fridmann. One of the most gifted engineers on the planet and who is also a member of the band. He was instrumental in putting this amazing album together. He's also been responsible for engineering many other classic albums like the Flaming Lips 'The Soft Bulletin' which came out the following year and won many accolades for the Lips as well.

I revisited Deserter's Songs the other day and it's still an amazing piece of work. I love listening to this album at night, it's just a perfect time for music like this. There are so many amazing tracks on this it's hard to choose which ones to put on here. The whole album as a whole is the way to go. You have to listen to it all in one listen to fully appreciate it's brilliance.

The single 'Goddess on a Highway' is probably one of the dancier tracks on here. It has those amazing lyrics in the chorus that proclaim 'when I see your eyes arrive, they explode like two bugs on glass'. Who would ever think to write something like that? But it's perfect, a great track to jam out to in the car and I did so on many occasions.

The Funny Bird which is the track right after Goddess is equally as impressive. The moment around the middle of the song when it almost fully stops and then the drums kick back in ever so gradually and with amazing restraint is specatacular! Still gives me chills.

Then there's plenty others like Tonite it Shows when he's very nostalgic and recalls 'the way you looked, the way we were, the way we met, the way I lit your cigarette' just beautiful stuff.

Holes, Endlessly, Opus 40 all amazing songs as well from a band at their absolute prime and who were able to record it for all of us to enjoy for many years to come.

Gotta thank Mercury Rev for this amazing work of art that reminds me why I love music so. It can take you away from life's problems even for a little while and transports you to another place. The way a great movie can as well. An escape from reality even if just for a short while.

'Bands, those funny little plans that never work out quite right', indeed...

MP3: Goddess on a Hiway (YSI)

MP3: The Funny Bird (YSI)

MP3: Tonite it Shows (YSI)

Here's their amazing video for Opus 40 directed by Anton Corbijn of Depeche Mode/U2/Control fame...

Under Electric Light

A cool artist who recently contacted us is Under Electric Light. This is a one man band consisting of Danny Provencher from Montreal, Quebec. I love that word, Quebec... Nice ring to it. Anyways this guy does some killer down-tempo pop music all by his lonesome. He sent me two tracks 'Night Out' from his Blue EP and 'Wintertime' from his appropriately named album 'After the Blue' and they're both killer! Great late-night fare, especially while smoking some special cigarettes and unwinding at the pad :) Highly recommended for fans of bands like Radio Dept., Notwist, Death Cab for Cutie, etc which he lists as influences. Keep up the great work Danny! We're listening...

MP3: Wintertime (YSI)

MP3: Night Out (YSI)