I like London in the rain

04.20.08

This may sound really cheesy, but I just got caught in a rain storm in Islington, umbrella-less and dashing through puddles to the bus-stop with the new M83 album blaring in my headphones. Still a five minute walk away, I realized the rain wouldn't kill me, so I slowed down, turned the music up, and had one of those ecstatic moments when you've surrendered to your surroundings, and you realize how absolutely gorgeous a song can sound in the rain. Especially the ethereal and atmopshere-drenched "Kim & Jessie," off M83's latest and greatest Saturdays=Youth. Every critic that's been fawing over this gem (and comparing it to John Hughes' movies) is dead right. It captures the intensity of Molly Ringwald + Andrew McCarthy kissing in the rain just about as well as OMD. It is brilliant.

But now I've found myself in a conundrum, having just purchased tickets to see Sebastien Tellier + Lykke Li on the same night M83 are playing London. What is a girl to do?

That said, now is one of those rare times when the world is saturated with amazing music, and for that I am VERY thankful.

As a huge fan of lists, I'll spend the rest of this diary listing my favorite new artists and/or old artists with new albums.

Sheila

++SHEILA B's FAVORITE NEW ARTISTS or OLD ARTISTS WITH NEW ALBUMS++

1. M83
See above.
Essential tracks: "Kim & Jessie" and "Up!"

2. Santogold
Philly's former A&R girl-cum-afropunk-cum-brilliant pop songwriter is now her own artist. Though MIA comparisons are unavoidable, Santi's got much more pop.
Essential tracks: "LES Artistes" and "Shove It Switch Remix"

3. Sebastien Tellier
France is quite furious that "Divine" has been selected as France's entry for Eurovision, as its lyrics are partly in English. Quelle horreur!
Essential track: "Divine"

4. Ladyhawke
I love anything and everything Stevie Nicks, and the similarities between LadyHawke and the Fleetwood Mac queen are uncanny--though Ladyhawke sounds much more like the lead singer of the Motels--remember them? Ladyhawke was the highlight of my weekend at the Camden Crawl (along with Sam Sparro's performance of "Black & Gold") She's better live than on record, but hopefully some A&R exec will take notice and make the necessary changes.
Essential track: "Manipulating Woman"

5. Gabriella Cilmi
16-year-old Australian brunette with old-school jazz pipes and songs drenched in pop hooks.
Essential tracks: "Sweet About Me" and "Save The Lies"

6. Lykke Li
Sweden's current indie "It" girl
Essential track: "I'm Good I'm Gone"

7. Lily Allen
She just recently posted a couple new tracks on her MySpace, of which "I Don't Know" is mighty mighty fantastic.
Essential track: "I Don't Know"

8. Walter Meego
There were only five people watching Walter Meego perform when I saw him play at SXSW, but his time will surely come. I think you'll agree he's one to watch.
Essential track: "Forever"

Posted by Sheila at 03:35 PM

Divine

04.14.08

Flu'd-in, I shacked up with today's Guardian only to exacerbate my fragile condition by carefully reading a full page ad on the oil apocalypse--a popular theory that the world's oil reserve has peaked, and that "civilization, as we know it, is coming to an end soon." Meaning no airplanes, cars, trains, supermarkets. Friggin' terrifying! Should you too desire to feel that everything you're working towards is pointless, may I refer you to this site: www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net. The predicted date is December 21st 2012, so before that I must break at least two of my artists (#1 records in both the UK and the US) and then prepare mine + my family's move to Barbados--where I will live happily ever after.

In the meantime, I've been obsessed with the Whip album, "Killa" by a new US R&B girl group called Cherish, the kid genius in the Jonas Brothers (don't know his name, but I saw their debut London gig last week, and this kid had the best voice, and played guitar, drums, and piano, brilliantly), Sebastian Tellier's "Divine" (so Beach Boys, so French--watch the video above, so good!), and Mae West (who reminds me of what's really important).

I've been reading a lot today, and here are a few of my favorite quotes:

"It is said that the moment your artistic meanderings leave the street and relate to room service you'll end up writing a different song from the one the public chooses to whistle. You may get a final run from the penthouse, but the street has a beat of its own."
--Andrew Loog Oldham (of course)

"It's not the men in my life, it's the life in my men."
--Mae West

To a young actor: How tall are you without your horse? Six foot, seven inches! Never mind the six feet. Let's talk about the seven inches!
--Mae West

Isn't she divine?

Sheila

Posted by Sheila at 03:54 PM