New Music Monday #12

Got Milk?

End of the World

by Ingrid Michaelson

Album: Human Again (2012)

When I think of singer/songwriters that should be a million times more famous than they are, Ingrid Michalson is always one of the first names to enter my mind. She can write a song designed to emotionally destroy you better than practically all of her contemporaries and, in case you haven't figured it out yet, we love us some good old fashioned soul-destroying ballads around here. Think of Michaelson's previous slow-jams (they're really not slow-jams) like 'Keep Breathing,' 'Winter Song' and 'The Chain.' Now forget them, just for a second, and embrace how much better 'End of the World' is. "When the sun runs out and there's no one to save you, Will you go to our favourite place and try to say goodbye." Yeah, I'm a sucker for a song like this. When it's written and performed as well as Ingrid Michaelson does it, I don't even feel a little bit guilty. So shut your face about it. Yeah.

Matt Bond gives 'End of the World' four Lady Gaga's out of five... 

 

Every Time We Fight

by The Milk

Ok, admittedly (and anyone who bothers reading anything I write will have figured out) I’m a fan of soul and rock and (old school) r’n’b and music inspired by sounds of the past. Although this four piece from Essex have been doing their thing ‘quietly’ for a little while now, it’s this song that’s really made me stop and listen properly, and yes, The Milk are now my latest love of music that clearly takes a big helping of influence from the 60s, but definitely with a modern spin. They don’t sound old, they just sound good. ‘Every Time We Fight’ is fantastic, it starts strong (please tell me that’s a cowbell I hear?!?!), the lyrics are totally soul which means depressing and awesome all at once, the band members are kind of cute in an English rock way, two of them are brothers (I love family bands!), the clip is perfectly dreary and they’re named after my favourite beverage, no wait, what? I think I love them. More milk please!

Jo Michelmore's love of dairy gives 'Every Time We Fight' five Eddie Vedder's out of five...

 

Operator's Dream

by Icons Of Andria

Sci-Fi Ambient Cinematic Dreampop. Thankfully, it's Icons Of Andria themselves that have given a name to the genre they intend to explore on their upcoming concept album. "Who are these IconsOfAndria?" you ask? If you're familiar with the music of The Year Zero and Familiar Trees, you'll know the unique voices creating magic on the track 'Operator's Dream' to be Rodney Sellars and Fabiola Sanchez. If you're not familiar with the two aforementioned groups, you're still going to notice those amazing vocals. Sanchez's voice certainly lives up to the dreamy promise of 'Dreampop.' Hers is the type of voice you could listen to forever and never get sick of it; inviting and mesmerising. Sellars' music, mixed by Sanchez's Familar Trees bandmate Ken Negrete, provides a rich, welcoming background. The words 'ambient' and 'cinematic' indeed ring true. It's the 'Sci-Fi' aspect that initially left me a bit lost. Heading over to their Facebook page (go on, 'like' them!) provided some clarity in the form of a backstory for each song they've released. The story for 'Operator's Dream' creates some classic Sci-Fi imagery to accompany the song. Post-apocalyptic worlds, spaceships, a boy and his robot... this is great material. I want to read a full novel while listening to a whole Icons Of Andria album. If it's a proper novel you'd probably have to listen to the album a couple of (hundred) times, but I'm ok with that. Listen to the music and you'd be ok with it too. I'm looking forward to hearing more from Icons Of Andria. It's exciting (and rare) to see a concept like this and if songs like 'Operator's Dream' are anything to go by, I think they'll pull it off spectacularly.

Matt Bond gives 'Operator's Dream' four Shirley Manson's out of five...      

 

She's So Mean

by Matchbox Twenty

Oh, no... I don't like this at all. Just wanted to make sure you didn't think we had gone soft on our reviews since we were overwhelmingly positive about everything this week. Still, it's a little bit cute that Rob Thomas wrote a song for Ke$ha. "She's got a wicked sense of humour, Can't believe what she says, She drinks Bacardi in the morning till it goes to her head." I'm pretty sure she drinks Jack Daniel's. You could have at least tried to remember what the lady drinks. Welcome back Matchbox Twenty. Now, go away again.

Matt Bond gives 'She's So Mean' one Chad Kroeger out of five...  

 

NEW MUSIC VIDEO OF THE WEEK

 

Don't Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas)

by Regina Spektor

Album: What We Saw From the Cheap Seats (2012)

You know what this clip is? It's grand pianos and broken vases and solo Jenga and lamp shade face and toy caterpillars and hiding under tables and sunglasses and floating in hallways and seven hands and the cutest song and plates of jelly and Polaroids and toast face and tiny flaming trumpeters and clocks and fish and Minnie Mouse and artificial grass and I don’t speak French and I don’t care and paper bags and vinyl and noisy neighbours and dancing under sheets with lights and when did Regina get so incredibly beautiful and I love Paris in the rain and too cute, way too cute and….and...and you know what else? This clip makes me want to be Regina Spektor for just a day. Love. It.

Jo Michelmore gives the 'Don't Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas)' video four Shirley Manson's out of five...