FLORENCE + THE MACHINE - LUNGS
NOISETTES - WILD YOUNG HEARTS
I also have a thing for black girls fronting rock bands; they bring a dimension and edge that you don't often find in the genre. Front-woman (and bassist!) Shingai Shoniwa has a raspy growl of a voice, a unique and sultry vibe. The Noisettes were, well, noisier on their first album What's The Time Mr. Wolf?. Over time, Shoniwa's voice matured, and the group found a more consistent, smoother sound on their follow-up, Wild Young Hearts. The lead single "Don't Upset the Rhythm (Go Baby Go)" was a huge hit in the UK; it's rock disguised as dance music, and builds to a grinding howl. From the album's haunting opener, "Sometimes," to the finale burner "Cheap Kicks," Shoniwa torches through one wonderful cut after another. "Atticus" is a stunning ballad, while "Never Forget You" is a rollicking break-up tune. And the title track? Unstoppable. This is an album you jump around to alone in your room. Also, Shoniwa does a brilliant cover of The Killer's "When You Were Young."
BAT FOR LASHES - TWO SUNS
Natasha Khan has the voice of an angel... or maybe a ghost. Both of her albums (Fur and Gold came first) were nominated for the Mercury Award, UK's biggest honor for indie artists. Two Suns is a haunting, mystical, and etherial dream of a journey. Two Suns was conceived as an album, and should not be picked apart, but the video for "Daniel" (written about the boy from... Karate Kid?) is beautiful and frightening. "Moon and Moon" is pure poetry, "Pearl's Dream" (Pearl is Natasha's alter ego on stage; think Sasha Fierce for the indie set!) bangs around in your head, and "Siren Song" is one of my favorite tracks of all time - it's a stunning, transportive song that reaches into your soul and grabs something deep. Maybe all this sounds insane, but Khan writes music that feels like falling through space. It's powerful, mesmerizing stuff. She also has an obsession with wolves, which is pretty cool.
Florence Welch has the most incredible voice I have ever heard live, full of raw power and emotion; her live vocals add a boil beneath her songs that could never be captured on a record. She also made a rock concert out of an indie-soul-folk album, and returns to Terminal 5 in New York on November 1st & 2nd. On Lungs, Florence is a soulful faerie queen leading you through her magical forest; listen to her music, and that crazy description will make perfect sense. Her songs make your heart sit in your throat and your brain feel drunk: the overwhelming build of "Dog Days Are Over,"the medieval power of "Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)," the primal rage in "Howl," the sweep of "Between Two Lungs," the overwhelming passion of "Cosmic Love," the pure joy in "You've Got the Love." Her track "Heavy In Your Arms" is also featured on exclusively on the Eclipse soundtrack, and the deluxe version of Lungs features some killer bonus tracks. Sorry if I'm flooding you with links; every song this woman touches is pure breathtaking gold. My words could never do her justice. This is my favorite album from the past year, hands down.
I also have a thing for black girls fronting rock bands; they bring a dimension and edge that you don't often find in the genre. Front-woman (and bassist!) Shingai Shoniwa has a raspy growl of a voice, a unique and sultry vibe. The Noisettes were, well, noisier on their first album What's The Time Mr. Wolf?. Over time, Shoniwa's voice matured, and the group found a more consistent, smoother sound on their follow-up, Wild Young Hearts. The lead single "Don't Upset the Rhythm (Go Baby Go)" was a huge hit in the UK; it's rock disguised as dance music, and builds to a grinding howl. From the album's haunting opener, "Sometimes," to the finale burner "Cheap Kicks," Shoniwa torches through one wonderful cut after another. "Atticus" is a stunning ballad, while "Never Forget You" is a rollicking break-up tune. And the title track? Unstoppable. This is an album you jump around to alone in your room. Also, Shoniwa does a brilliant cover of The Killer's "When You Were Young."
BAT FOR LASHES - TWO SUNS
Natasha Khan has the voice of an angel... or maybe a ghost. Both of her albums (Fur and Gold came first) were nominated for the Mercury Award, UK's biggest honor for indie artists. Two Suns is a haunting, mystical, and etherial dream of a journey. Two Suns was conceived as an album, and should not be picked apart, but the video for "Daniel" (written about the boy from... Karate Kid?) is beautiful and frightening. "Moon and Moon" is pure poetry, "Pearl's Dream" (Pearl is Natasha's alter ego on stage; think Sasha Fierce for the indie set!) bangs around in your head, and "Siren Song" is one of my favorite tracks of all time - it's a stunning, transportive song that reaches into your soul and grabs something deep. Maybe all this sounds insane, but Khan writes music that feels like falling through space. It's powerful, mesmerizing stuff. She also has an obsession with wolves, which is pretty cool.
These are all phenomenal.
ReplyDeletethree very similar album covers
ReplyDelete