Entertainment, Music, What we're listening to
Making an unprecedented second “What we’re listening to” appearance are The Drums, with this very low-key video for new single “Best Friend”, out on 29 March. The Brooklyn band are so hot right now that they sold out their London date at Heaven in just a day (at least that’s what it said on the press release). Hype aside, the tunes are consistently good, a little Smiths, a little Beach Boys, and the videos always a masterclass in fey. This one is either the acme of cool, or H from Steps’ long-lost Red Coats audition video. You decide.
March 17th, 2010
Music, What we're listening to
OK Go are already the kings of the viral video thanks to their 2006 promo for “Here It Goes Again”, which put the fun into treadmills (and the concept into a subsequent Berocca ad). They’ve upped the stakes yet further with their latest, for “This Too Shall Pass”, a staggering feat of homespun engineering that calls to mind a certain Honda ad, which in turn called to mind a certain work by Swiss artists Fischli & Weiss. Ah well, no such thing as a new idea. At least it’s a good one.
March 15th, 2010
Grizzly Bear, purveyors of ethereal, experimental and thoroughly excellent indie-pop and stars of our music portfolio in February are currently playing a selection of UK dates. Most of them have been sold out forever, but our spies tell us there are a few seats available at Warwick Arts Centre on Friday. If you haven’t already got tickets — or don’t happen to be in Coventry — here’s a chance to feel involved via this extended interview with multi-instrumentalist/producer Chris Taylor [far left] and vocalist/guitarist Daniel Rossen [far right]. And don’t worry, they’ll be back. (more…)
March 10th, 2010
Music, What we're listening to
When we shot and interviewed Vampire Weekend for our February issue, we couldn’t help but think that Ezra Koenig had something of the Roger Federers about him — charming, neat and with a dashing head of ever-clean hair. He’s done nothing to dissuade us with this tennis-themed video for “Giving Up The Gun”, the second single from superb recent album Contra, which also boasts some wry cameos from RZA, Jake Gyllenhaal and a Jonas boy of some description (Jim? Joe? Jeffrey? Whatever).
March 3rd, 2010
We were alerted to the existence of Swedish popstar Erik Hassle by a breathless young music blogger, who guaranteed he was going to be this year’s “big thing”. The jury’s still out — and when we play his album in the office it’s met with both cheers and complaints of bleeding eardrums — but one thing you can’t dispute is his look, half-Eraserhead, half-Morten Harket, a fact also appreciated by fashion designer-on-the-up, Martyn Bal. (more…)
February 24th, 2010
We always treat a new Shakira video with mild interest (particularly after her bizarre caged pelvic thrusts for “She-Wolf”), but we were more surprised than usual by the news that the skimpily clad Colombian had recruited none other than Spanish former number-one tennis player Rafael Nadal to romp alongside her in the promo for “Gypsy”, see clip below. (more…)
February 19th, 2010
Entertainment, Music, Travel, What we're listening to
A crystal clear sea, a slowly shimmering sunset with palm trees gently slowly swaying in the 30 degree heat. To top that a DJ legend on the decks easing you into a Saturday night. A common enough occurrence nowadays the holiday island Koh Samui. (more…)
February 19th, 2010
Music, What we're listening to
We love “O Maybe I”, the second single by vaunted Dalston five-piece Chapel Club. We love the melancholic, slightly passive sentiment of its chorus. We love its languidly distorted guitars. We love lead singer Lewis Bowman’s majestic polo neck and the way he looks a bit like Vincent Cassel crossed with Marc Almond. (more…)
February 18th, 2010
