Daily Randomness

A look at what's happening right now:

"National Anthem", the latest track off Lana Del Rey's album Born To Die, just leaked online [link].

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Zooey Deschanel files for divorce from Ben Gibbard -- and she has no balance on her three credit cards [link]!

10 Favourite Albums of 2011

Here we are again. Before 2011 comes to a close, I'd like to present 10 of my favourite albums this year. As an added bonus, skip to the end for my favourite EP. Happy New Year everyone!



10. Wild Flag - Wild Flag

Here's one record that psyched me up before its release because of the pedigree of the band members. Bringing together Sleater-Kinney's Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss, Helium's Mary Timony and the Minders' Rebecca Cole, Wild Flag is the eponymous release from the prominent indie-punk rockers. "Romance" kicks things off with swagger and exuberance that embodies the entire record, but my personal favourite has to be "Electric Band", with its lazy, heady sound that harks back to a bygone era.


Download:
Wild Flag - Romance [MP3]



9. Washed Out - Within and Without

Elegant yet subtle, Within and Without's sensual and refined sound is an evolution from Ernest Greene's earlier material. "Eyes Be Closed" is the lead single and one of the album's stand-out tracks. Soft, gauzy synths are glazed over with a hazy feel, and the beats are crisp and clear. "Amor Fati", or Latin for "Love of Fate", sounds blissfully sweet (read the full review here).

Download:
Washed Out - Amor Fati
Washed Out - Eyes Be Closed



8. Radiohead - The King of Limbs

At 37 minutes long, Radiohead's eighth studio album is their shortest record to date. When it comes to dishing out an exquisite record, Radiohead knows that brevity is the order of the day. Savour the tunes like fine wine: Soak up the smells. Take a sip here and a swig there, and you'll be duly rewarded in the end.








7. Marissa Nadler - Marissa Nadler

After being dropped from her record label, folk singer Marissa Nadler turned to Kickstarter, a fan-driven platform, to fund her fifth album. This fuelled arguably her best and most frank LP to date. Lead single "Baby, I Will Leave You In The Morning" is a pleading song about forgiveness, but my top pick is "Puppet Master", a quiet composition about lost love.

Download:
Marissa Nadler - Baby, I Will Leave You in the Morning
Marissa Nadler - In Your Lair, Bear



6. Katy B - On A Mission

Nominated for this year's Mercury Prize, On A Mission is a solid record that combines elements of dubstep, dance and pop. The album bursts to life from the get go. Katy B's (Kathleen Brien) vocals are deliciously sensual. I was smitten with songs like "Witches Brew", "Go Away", "Broken Record" and the witty "Easy Please Me". Moreover, midway through the album closer "Hard To Get", Katy acknowledges those who have supported her on her musical journey. Kudos to a truly grounded star-in-the-making.


Download:
Katy B - Broken Record



5. Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials

Florence Welch has been on a roll since the release of her brilliant debut Lungs and she just keeps getting better at her game. Her sophomore effort Ceremonials is a pompous and grandiose affair, captivating and spellbinding, lyrically and vocally stunning.

Download:
Florence + The Machine - What The Water Gave Me





4. Thievery Corporation - Culture of Fear

Culture of Fear, Thievery Corporation's sixth studio album, is one of the most underrated records of the year. Sure, the electronic DJ duo continue to take on their socio-political stances, but like they say: If it ain't broken, why fix it?

Download:
Thievery Corporation - Culture of Fear







3. Metronomy - The English Riviera

Metronomy blew me away with The English Riveria, the most laid-back and fun record I've heard all year. Shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, it's chock-a-block with shimmery tunes that wouldn't sound out of place on mainstream radio. Lead singer Joe Mount's falsetto is intriguing and charming, and he's backed by brilliant musicians like bassist Gbenga Adelekan and former Lightspeed Champion drummer Anna Prior. It's interesting to see where this band will go next.





2. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes

Lykke Li has come a long way since her Youth Novel days. Wounded Rhymes, her second album, is a work of art. It's defiant, darkly hypnotic, yet deeply passionate, you just get sucked into the swirling vortex. There's a whole lot of emotions going on, but you have to give it to the lady (and producer Bjorn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John fame) for pulling it all together into one neat, minimalist package. Certainly one of the best Swedish exports yet.

Download:
Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers
Lykke Li - Jerome



1. Feist - Metals

The fourth studio album from Canadian chanteuse Leslie Feist tops my list. It's pretty much the most cohesive and perfect record I've heard this year. Recorded in Big Sur, California, Feist smartly eschews lavish production for a cool, melancholic soundtrack that somehow becomes warm, comfort food for the soul. Sublime.

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...and my favourite EP:

Florrie - Experiments EP

Florrie (Florence Arnold) is one hell of a beautiful and talented woman. She's a singer-songwriter, drummer and model. And she's really in it for the music, given that she has adopted the grassroots strategy with her tunes, choosing instead to self-release her EPs instead of signing on to a record label. Experiments EP, her second after the excellent Introduction EP (you can download the latter for free off her website), is a thumping, synth-pop packed record that's fun, catchy and energetic.





Honourable Mentions:
Laura Marling - A Creature I Don't Know
Gillian Welch - The Harrow & The Harvest
Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi
Austra - Feel It Break
Cults - Cults
Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Daily Randomness

Video roundup for the week:

Florence + The Machine: "No Light, No Light"



"No Light, No Light" is easily one of the best tracks on Florence Welch's second album, Ceremonials. Now it has this stunning, epic and haunting video to boot. I get the chills just watching it.

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Feist: "How Come You Never Go There"



Leslie Feist gets hair extensions and steps into the forest in this oddly enchanting video for "How Come You Never Go There", the first single taken off her fourth studio album, Metals.

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CSS: "City Grrrl" ft. Ssion



Taken off La Liberación, "City Grrrl" sees Lovefoxxx prancing round town and going through a dizzying array of outfits.

Little Boots: "Shake"

Sorry for the intermittent updates as I've been overworking myself lately, but I absolutely had to share this new song from Little Boots. Produced by James Ford of Simian Mobile Disco fame, "Shake" is the lead single from Victoria Hesketh's as-yet-untitled new album. This booming, thumping house-pop number sure is a great contender for anthem of the year. We ain't seeing any sophomore slump here.

Daily Randomness

A look at what's happening right now:

Interesting finds in the inbox.



Here's one that's bound to make your heart ache.

Canadian singer-songwriter Drew Smith's "Love Teeth" is a story of love and loss. The animated video, a gorgeous accompaniment to the song, was created by one of his former ESL students. His new album The Secret Languages will be released in 2012. Definitely one to look out for.

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Mancunians City Reign are releasing their EP Numbers For Street Names on November 21. The lead single "Making Plans" has a whole lot of old video footage and a sweet, grungy sound.

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The kids finally have an official video to their name! "Drum In Your Chest", from mysterious London boy-girl duo BIGKids is wacky yet addictive.

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There's something about Christine Leakey's sound that reminds me of 1920s Shanghai. She will be releasing Tapping Trees in a Trinket Box of Treasure in January 2012, an album that took 14 years in the making.

Years ago, the self-taught guitarist suffered an injury that left her unable to play and put a spanner in the works. Despite the unfortunate incident, she managed to bounce back. Here's "Lovely", a song with a snazzy old vibe.

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Hailing from Romania, The Mono Jacks are a four-piece band whose sound brings to mind Interpol, Editors and The White Lies. "Woman" is the first single off their forthcoming record Fortunes, which is out in December.

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Snow & Voices “Maybe Finland” from Lauri Kranz on Vimeo.

Snow & Voices also have a new video for "Maybe Finland". Director Shannyn Sossamon talks about her inspiration below:

I love Lauri’s voice. When she asked me to make the video for Maybe Finland, I was happy to do it. Ravi Dhar, a friend and cameraman, had been wanting to have fun with slow motion on his Canon - which was actually perfect for Lauri’s voice and the songs atmosphere. We made it one late night at Ravi's house where Lauri was a trooper, having to dance for hours and hours without a clear end in sight. Here it is. Enjoy the video!

2012 Singapore St. Jerome's Laneway Festival

Mark your calendars for February 12, kids!

Yeah that's right, Laneway Festival is returning to Singapore. It's happening at Fort Canning again, and we have 14 acts this time, running the gamut from rock to folk to pop and shoegaze.

Here's the full line-up:

Anna Calvi
Austra
Cults
Feist
Girls
Laura Marling
M83
The Drums
The Horrors
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Toro Y Moi
Twin Shadow
Wu Lyf
Yuck

Public sales start on November 28. Tickets are at $135. For more information, head on over to the official site.

Downloads:
Austra - Lose It
Feist - So Sorry
Girls - Laura
The Drums - Days
Twin Shadow - Slow [Removed]
Wu Lyf - We Bros
Yuck - Get Away

Daily Randomness

Let's go back in time:

Lykke Li: "I Follow Rivers"



Is it love, lust or infatuation? Lykke Li goes on a relentless pursuit of a man in this video, running in her bare feet through the snow while the dark tune looms in the background. Amazing song, kick-ass video. I love the part where she shoots an icy, cold glare at the viewer.

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Feist: "1234"



Here's the song that sold a million iPods and brought Leslie Feist to the rest of the world.

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OK Go: "White Knuckles"



I really dig the music videos from OK Go, and here's one where I pretty much like the song as well.

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Foster The People: "Pumped Up Kicks"



Here's my guilty pleasure. 'Nuff said.