Here is yet another post dedicated to listing my current music intrigues. You will see some new faces and some familiar ones from past posts, however, every song and artist I list here is worth at least one listen. Consider it a lesson in opening your musical taste buds… if your ears could taste.
Note: They are in no special order.
Panic! At the Disco – The Ballad of Mona Lisa
Even though Panic! At the Disco lost three of its original members, lead singer Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith managed to pull together a new album. The first single, “The Ballad of Mona Lisa” retains some of the charm for which the band is typically known (a so-called Baroque Pop sound) and plenty of new and rejuvenating traits as well. It’s nice to see the new music video features the same Steampunk and Victorian garb as their previous stuff.
Clare Maguire – Ain’t Nobody
Clare Maguire’s voice commands you to listen. Her dense, rich tonal quality is nothing short of beautiful and powerful. Her melodies and clever lyrics will get stuck in your head for hours. This song is especially haunting.
Fenech-Soler – Stop and Stare
Fenech-Soler’s hard-hitting keyboard synths and drums will get your feet tapping. I found their video for “Stop and Stare” really interesting. I feel like it gives more meaning to the song. See for yourself.
Florrie – Give Me Your Love
Florrie has real potential. She is a singer/songwriter and drummer. Her songs are uptempo, fun, and memorable. She has a gift for rhythm and melody. The changes in this song are subtle but they give it just enough edge to keep the momentum going. I also seriously love the conversion from the B&W footage of the band off-stage to the color footage on-stage.
Temposhark – Bye Bye Baby
Playing on the current fascination with the morbid and the vampiric we get a truly unique video by Temposhark, a British electronirock band. I hear traces of Duran Duran throughout this piece. Their look in this video is very Robert Smith. Ah! The Cure did have an impact on modern music. How refreshing?
Marina and the Diamonds – Shampain
Marina Diamandis amuses me for several reasons. Her music is both sincere and satirical. How she manages to mix the two is beyond me but it works. It works really well. The sound is fun and bouncy but the messages are often wrought with tongue-in-cheek sarcasm. The video for her new wave single, “Shampain” references Michael Jackson’s thriller but adds its own unique spin. I would expect nothing less from Marina.
The Knife – Pass This On
This Swedish duo is a tough one to explain. Their music is both mainstream worthy and experimental. They’re very mellow in interviews but their work is politically charged. The video for their song “Pass This On” carries all of these traits as well. It invites the viewer to drop preconceived attitudes for the sake of enjoying the craft. It features Rickard Engfors, a famous Swedish female impersonator (drag artist), lip-syncing the vocals instead of the lead singer Karin Dreijer Andersson. Olaf Dreijer, Karin’s brother, and the duo’s other creative force/synthesizer dances with Rickard in the video.
I hope you enjoyed.
Yours Truly,
Matty C.
