2 weeks ago, Florence and The Machine and The xx played at the Esplanade Theatre. It was fantastic to enjoy a double bill by two critically-lauded British acts, though I suspected that, judging from the cheers, a greater portion of the audience was there to see the latter. Having enjoyed their albums in recent times, I was elated that for the price of a single ticket, I could savour the beauty of both bands. Talk about killing two birds with one stone.
They were, however, as different as chalk and cheese. The xx kicked off the show with nary a shout or an attempt to engage the audience, but they immediately swept their devotees up in a vortex of sound.
When you see The xx play, you must know that they sound exactly as they do on record, the same understated chic and the same coolness amplified. The booming speakers send shivers running down your spine and they give you goosebumps, but of the good kind. That night, the trio played most of the songs in their repertoire. Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft let their music speak for itself, and Jamie Smith -- one hand on the synthesizers, the other on drums -- constantly worked his magic throughout their short set, sending their fans into overdrive. These youngsters, clad in black, were so dedicated to their craft. Before the end of their set, Oliver urged the crowd to keep an eye out for Florence and The Machine. They obliged.
For Florence's set, the stage was decked with drums, keyboards, and most ostensibly a harp. The orchestration was lush, though at certain times the sound was a let down: I couldn't hear Florence Welch enunciate her words distinctly. Nonetheless, Florence bantered endlessly with the audience. She got the concertgoers to clap, sing, dance and jump, among other things. She even borrowed a Polaroid camera from an audience member to take snapshots of the event. The 23 year old was deeply entranced several times and fan-girly in others, and it was rather amusing to watch. Florence and The Machine put on an emotional and enthralling show. At one point, the sold-out crowd even stood up to give her a standing ovation, which she and her band graciously acknowledged.
No Merriweather Post Pavilion, Bitte Orca nor Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix here. Just 10 albums that were on constant rotation in 2009 (and check out the end for my favourite EP). Not necessarily critics' picks. Enjoy.
Transmitter Failure is by no means the perfect pop record, but it is certainly one of the better ones that I have heard in a while. Jenny Owen Youngs preserves much of her lyrical wit and emotional depth on her sophomore album, but she amps up and delivers more delectable and accessible tunes that touch people at an emotional level and gets them to boogie at the same time. Download: Jenny Owen Youngs - Led to the Sea [MP3]
Like Youngs, Alison Sudol also upped the tempo from her debut to create a chirpier and feistier follow-up. Upbeat harmonies and arrangements are audible here, but Bomb in a Birdcage still retains some of that poignancy and fragility that Sudol is known for.
Hands is a collection of dance-floor friendly electropop hits like the oft-heard "New in Town" and "Remedy". "Mathematics" is particularly memorable for its lyrics, since matters of the heart are broken down into mathematical formulas and equations. Some occasional misses but on the whole a delightful record for dancing to. Kudos to the talented Ms. Hesketh for writing and playing her own material.
With Humbug, Alex Turner and his friends threw the headiness of their previous records out the door. Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme helped them churn out a set of wryly dark rock anthems, which grows on you after repeated listens.
Cambridge, Massachusetts natives Passion Pit crafted this catchy indie dance-pop album. Manners sounds extremely coherent and solid when you listen to the entire album in one sitting.
Swedish group Miike Snow consists of Andrew Wyatt and producers Chris Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg (aka Bloodshy & Avant, co-writers of Britney Spears' "Toxic"). With this type of pedigree, you would think their self-titled debut is loaded with commercial pop. However, nothing here is shrouded in excessive gloss. Injecting a dollop of Scandinavian twee-ness into the mix, this makes for a highly engaging indie-electro pop record indeed.
Fantasies was not one of those LPs that I loved right from the start because I was accustomed to their older material. However, after a couple of plays, I was sold. It is consistently good from start to end. Lead singer Emily Haines' debonair personality and vocals shine through in most of the tracks, especially singles "Help I'm Alive" and "Gimme Sympathy".
The London quartet's (now trio) self-titled eponymous album is probably one of the best debuts of 2009. xx is minimalist chic, chill music. The underrated instrumental opener "Intro" sucked me in when I first heard the album, and I knew I had to have more. Best to listen to when alone: this is contemplative stuff.
Florence Welch makes it all look so effortless. Lungs, the stunning debut from the London songstress and her band, features Welch's powerful voice and a medley of quirky yet intriguing songs.
Download: Florence and The Machine - You've Got The Love
Though the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have moved away from their original garage rock sound and embraced electro rock, It's Blitz! still lives up to its hype, buoyed by the collective talents of frontwoman Karen O, guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase. Synthesizers make this album extremely energetic and appealing. Not to mention the album cover is pretty kick-ass too.
Fans of Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago will love this follow-up EP. Justin Vernon is the same tortured soul here, deeply introspective, but the 4th and last track on the album, "Woods", surprises everyone with the presence of the vocoder.
Fans of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs know they are in for an exceedingly good time whenever they attend one of the trio's gigs. Their maiden concert in Singapore last Tuesday was no exception. The Esplanade Concert Hall morphed into a giant party where people let their hair down and danced with wild abandon.
Karen O, possibly the most charismatic and prolific frontwoman of any rock band today, tore the house down. The sold-out crowd worshipped her like a goddess, lapping up all her antics -- swallowing the microphone, spewing water, doing her spitfire act -- eagerly. Axe man Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase played their instruments with finesse. The three of them, as different as chalk and cheese, worked magically well together.
The band preferred to let their music speak for itself. From the get-go, they raced through the catalogue of songs from their studio albums and EPs, with O peppering her speeches with the occasional "Singapore!" and "I wanna see some clapping!" There was barely any time to breathe.
Giant eyeball balloons floated into the crowd midway during "Zero".
"Cheated Hearts" saw Karen O happily sharing her microphone with the first row of adoring fans, who cooed the refrain 'whoo-ooo-ooo-ooh' joyously.
The acoustic version of "Maps" was the show stealer of the night. When she sang "Wait / They don't love you like I love you", the hearts in the crowd melted.
Setlist: 1. Runaway 2. Phenomena 3. Pin 4. Black Tongue 5. Dull Life 6. Zero 7. Miles Away 8. Heads Will Roll 9. Skeletons 10. Hysteric 11. Gold Lion 12. Cheated Hearts 13. Y Control
Encore: 14. Maps (Acoustic) 15. Turn Into 16. Date With The Night
Here is a list of 25 songs (arranged in alphabetical order) that I was infatuated with in 2009. The rule was that I could not pick songs from the same artist or album twice, and it was a really tough call at times. Nonetheless, making this list was a rewarding process.
Anyway it's Christmas Day today, so happy holidays to all of you! I will be back soon with my list of favourite albums.
1. A Fine Frenzy - "Elements"
"Elements" picks up where One Cell in the Sea left off. In my opinion, this introspective number is the clear standout on Alison Sudol's sophomore effort. A booming bass first sets the tone, and Sudol comes on and weaves her tale of melancholy and heartbreak. The song builds into a crescendo, slowly but surely, and around the 1:50 mark when you are awash with emotion, the floodgates finally give way.
Previously I couldn't comprehend the immense appeal of Animal Collective's "My Girls". And then the unthinkable happened. One fine day, I finally got the song, and it sounded pretty mesmerising indeed! That said, while I will probably never understand the allure of Merriweather Post Pavilion, or the rest of AC's material for that matter, "What Would I Want? Sky" stole my heart. Perhaps it is one of their more accessible songs -- less confounding, more comprehensible, just genuinely delicious indie-pop.
4. Arctic Monkeys - "Crying Lightning"
Alex Turner is as much of a wordsmith as he is a purveyor of relationships, and he displays his mettle on "Crying Lightning", one of the Humbug's most bold tracks with rocking guitars and a wickedly dark theme.
5. Bat for Lashes - "Daniel"
"Daniel" is, at once, both melodic and atmospheric. Coupled with Natasha Khan's lyrical prowess, the song literally engulfs you in its sheer beauty.
6. Bon Iver - "Blood Bank"
Never have I heard anyone sing about the blood bank in such a fascinating manner.
Tracyanne Campbell and her brethren have crafted an undeniably catchy pop number.
8. Dirty Projectors - "Stillness Is The Move"
While the rest of Bitte Orca was just meh for me, "Stillness Is The Move" was a real grower. Combining elements of R&B and African music, the song sounded oddly familiar yet refreshing and unique at the same time.
11. Florence and The Machine - "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)"
Florence Welch shows us why her album is aptly titled Lungs -- this lass has the chops to carry this amazing folk pop song with finesse. When the chorus rolls in, you let loose and do a little shindig.
"Cable TV" is delivered in a lo-fi, straightforward manner layered over with handclaps and beats. Interestingly, the end result tantalizes your palate.
Lady Gaga exploded into mainstream consciousness this year with her peculiar outfits and some irresistibly addictive songs. "Paparazzi" was one of those tasty and cheeky morsels she dished out. I thought the music video looked like a scene out of some super sleuth movie. If Gaga wanted to announce her arrival with this, well, no doubt the superstar of the new decade has arrived.
15. Little Boots - "Remedy"
In "Remedy", Little Boots aka Victoria Hesketh chirps: "Dancin' is my remedy, remedy, oh", making it hard to resist the urge to get up and boogie. Hesketh is a talented electropop musician in her own right and can give Lady Gaga a run for her money.
16. Metric - "Gimme Sympathy"
Metric has always straddled the fine line between indie and mainstream. "Gimme Sympathy" continues in the same vein, appealing to listeners between both ends of the spectrum. It's intriguing to hear Emily Haines namedrop the Beatles and the Rolling Stones in this song.
17. Miike Snow - "Silvia"
"Animal" seeped into cyberspace earlier this year, but "Silvia" was the one that grabbed my attention. Perhaps I have a thing for tales of love and lost, and "Silvia" pretty much encapsulates these feelings. The song starts off slow and gears up with synths into a full-blown electropop number.
18. Neko Case - "People Got A Lotta Nerve"
Indie songstress Neko Case wowed everybody with "People Got A Lotta Nerve". This immensely likable number mixes melodic pop with alt-country, and its rousing chorus makes for the perfect sing-along song.
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix was arguably the breakout album for Parisian rockers Phoenix in 2009. Lead single "1901" was an exuberant, poppy number that impressed common listeners and music critics alike.
Even though Kanye West rained on her parade, there was no stopping Taylor Swift and her runaway hit "You Belong With Me". This infectious pop song is tightly produced without being overly cheesy or childish like some baloney you hear on mainstream radio today.
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Word's out: St Jerome's Laneway Festival will not be coming to Singapore next year. However, thanks to Chugg Entertainment, you can still catch headliners Florence and The Machine and Echo & the Bunnymen in action.
Along with The xx, Flo performs February 7 at the Esplanade. The Bunnymen's show is on February 9. Additional details will be released soon.
Imogen Heap will be in town on March 29 for a one night only show at the Esplanade. Tickets are at $68, $88, $108, $128 and $148. Limited student tickets at $48 are also available.
While everyone's busy doling out their best-of 2009 lists, BBC has just revealed a teaser for the forthcoming year -- the longlist for BBC's Sound of 2010. The annual poll showcases 15 of the supposedly hottest musical acts each year. Cherry-picked by 165 UK-based tastemakers, these 15 acts are set to make waves in 2010. And by that I mean they are going to sell more records than their counterparts.
It is great to see Ellie Goulding and Marina and the Diamonds make the cut since I've heard so much from them this year. As expected, Owl City is on it but I'm not a fan of his (read: cheesy lyrics). There's Gold Panda and Two Door Cinema Club though I'm not really acquainted with their music as of yet. Guess I will be hearing a lot more from them in '10.
BBC Sound of 2010 longlist [link] Daisy Dares You Delphic Devlin The Drums Everything Everything Giggs Gold Panda Ellie Goulding Hurts Joy Orbison Marina and the Diamonds Owl City Rox Stornoway Two Door Cinema Club
