_Summer Camp – Ghost Train

Last month we introduced you to Summer Camp, an anonymous girl experimental group. Since then they have added more songs on their myspace, including “Ghost Train”.

“Ghost Train” starts out as a more softer song than “I Only Have Eyes For You”.A mysterious, airie voice starts off the song, and a short conversation is made between a guy and a girl which then moves towards its first verse. You can hear a mordern indie version of a 50′s girl pop band in this.

Summer Camp – “Ghost Train”

_The Sounds – Beatbox (Music Video)

The Sounds have released a new music video to “Beatbox”, which is off of their album ‘Crossing The Rubicon’.

The video starts off with a creepy, foggy-like noise that crescendos while showing you a sign that welcomes you to some park called ‘Concha State Park Beatbox Forest’ (WTF?!). Then it snaps into scenes that look like something from some sort of Twilight movie and it snaps to Maya turning around wearing her Adidas hoodie (nice product placement) and running away from some sort of animal. The tribe then runs into the edge of a cliip where Maya falls off and lands into the water. She is then singing the track underwater while the rest of the band are still on land, playing their instruments.

This video really doesn’t make any sense.

_Beach House – Norway

Now I have never been to Norway, but if the country was is dreamy as the song of the same name from Beach House, then I’m there come spring break. This track is a preview for the duo’s third album, Teen Dream, which is also the first album on the band’s new label, Sub Pop.

“Norway” encompasses all the trademark characteristics found in a typical Beach House song: heavenly vocals from Victoria Legrand, electronic drums, and little guitar riffs from Alex Scally. The difference between this sound and the band’s previous album, Devotion, is they kick up the BPM a little bit. Adding more of a pop drive, as opposed to the floating atmosphere many of their previous songs had. This change could propel the band in making Teen Dream the Veckatimest of 2010.

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_Album Review: Lady Gaga – The Fame Monster

Lady Gaga -

The Fame Monster

[Released November 23rd via Interscope]

Lady Gaga’s sophomore effort reads like a true project. The Fame Monster delves even deeper in theme both sonically and conceptually than its predecessor, and the translation is even brassier and bossier pop deftness. Lyrically, the new tracks may lack in catchiness where The Fame did not, but after several spins this is sure to catch on at another level.

It’s a sound that is so unmistakably “Gaga,” and at that, a sound that has come to full fruition with a more conscious recognition of who, as an artist, she really is. Where, in the past, she needed to rely on sunglasses, spectacle, and superficial content in her lyrics to stake a claim, this new approach seems a much more liberating expression of what it really is that she’s trying to do. Her constant push to raise the bar is evident and triumphantly executed.

It’s not a bad thing that the album is such an obviously influenced piece of work (for those who are keyed in well enough to catch the references). While other pop production rides the wave of cyclic change, this album guides it. Her influences are unabashed and a futuristic restyling of what would otherwise be considered retro, and some of the instrumentation, themes and chords are hard to mistake. There’s classic 90’s dance (the birth of electro pop), Ace of Base, written all over “Alejandro,” a track that received early buzz when it leaked on the internet along with “Dance in the Dark.” (more…)

_The Big Pink Covers “Sweet Dreams” by Beyonce

I’m pretty sure I haven’t posted anything on The Big Pink before, but here is my chance to.

The Big Pink covered Beyonce’s “Sweet Dreams” at BBC 1 Radio recently, and it was definitely unexpected for us fans. They’re known for their more louder music and they settled down quite a bit for this cover.

However, as good as this is, there was no climax at all to the song. The song seems to keep on building up, and we expected a part of the song where it would explode, but instead the whole song was just one-tone, as beautiful as the song was.

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_Animal Collective – Graze

Animal Collective has yet again released another single off their up and coming EP Fall Be Kind. This one is called “Graze“. In this track you notice Animal Collective not deviating too far from their experimental roots.

The song starts slow, with echoeing vocals playfully chattering back and forth, accompanied by a soft string section and the inconsistant clatter of something that sounds like wooden sticks. Dave Portner or Avey Tare’s voice reaches quite an intensity, which is uncharacteristic of his usual harmonization. The song works great as an introduction because at the last minute or so it breaks down into an epic wood flute solo, to sort of amp up the energy and add in some melody to the otherwise vocally charged track.

The depth and focus of just the two tracks i’ve heard so far gives a clear indication that this will be a very experimental album, based mostly off sounds and noises versus melody and tempo. It will be interesting to see how it fares against their earlier work. Look for the EP to be released November 23rd over the internet and by physical copy December 14th.

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_Vampire Weekend – Cousins (Music Video)

Vampire Weekend have released the first music video to “Cousins” from their upcoming ‘Horchata’ CD which is coming out early in January.

I now understand where they got the single cover from, and the concept of this video is quite witty and brilliant. Vampire Weekend always finds something that entertains all audiences, and I’m definitely loving what they’re doing so far as to the new record.

_Jay Reatard’s Band A New Addition To Wavves

Last month it was reported from Jay Reatard’s twitter that his band quit on him, and he got mad and shared his thoughts on his Twitter.

Turns out that the band has moved on and joined Wavves, as they played their first show together rocking out to some tunes.

I know a lot of people don’t love Wavves, so why join in with them? You’ll just create more hate. (From what I see it as)