Tag: Lauren Mayberry

“Blank Space” + “Lungs” – Taylor Swift X CHVRCHES

Redditor dizzykiwi3 discovered that Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” fits almost beat-to-beat with “Lungs” by CHVRCHES.

Although, this isn’t the first time someone thought that a Taylor Swift / CHVRCHES breakup would make an amazing mashup.

Note: BoxSpeaker is not dizzykiwi3 – just saw dizzykiwi3’s post on Reddit.

[SHOW/SONG ALERT:] “Lost at Sea” by TAXES (Bottom of the Hill TONIGHT)

San Francisco-based TAXES premiered their new track “Lost at Sea” through Breakup Records this morning.

A mix of light electronic notes with a 2004-esque indie rock, they are San Francisco’s answer to Glasgow’s Blue Sky Archives (you know, Lauren Mayberry’s pre-CHVRCHES Pinback-esque project). The male and female harmonies balance each other the same way that the faster, more intense post-bridge portions counter the softer, mellower verses.

While intricately pieced together and instrumentally and lyrically dense, “Lost at Sea” counterintuitively projects an earlier time in indie music – when Pinback and STARS orchestrations reigned supreme, weaving subtle synths into mostly guitar/drums/bass-type tracks.

Catch them at their Bottom of the Hill single release in San Francisco tonight!

[INTERVIEW]: CHVRCHES at Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach

I got to hang out with Lauren Mayberry, Martin Doherty, and Iain Cook from CHVRCHES before their show at Solana Beach’s Belly Up Tavern! They even remembered me from their show at Bristol!

Listen to us as we chat about music styles, social media, UK versus US, touring with Passion Pit, and ladies night in San Diego’s Hillcrest.

I’ll update this later to include a transcript.

Main Point: According to Martin, “CHVRCHES will not do EDM.”

P.S. Correction: Everything But the Girl did NOT “basically start trip hop,” but they did release really great trip hop and trip-hop-influenced albums after they decided to shift styles away from jazzy tracks.

CHVRCHES Releases North American Tour Dates Part 2

This morning electropop indiecuties CHVRCHES released their dates for their second North American Tour! Tickets go on sale this Friday!

North American Tour – May/June 2013

5/27 — George, WA — Sasquatch Music Festival
5/28 — Portland, OR — Wonder Ballroom
5/29 — San Francisco, CA — Rickshaw Stop
6/1 — Los Angeles, CA — Troubadour
6/2 — Solana Beach, CA — Belly Up Tavern
6/5 — Austin, TX — The Mohawk
6/6 — Dallas, TX — Granada Theater
6/7 — Lawrence, KS — The Granada Theatre
6/8 — Minneapolis, MN — Fine Line Music Cafe
6/10 — Chicago, IL — Lincoln Hall
6/12 — Toronto, ON — The Hoxton
6/15 — Montreal, QC — Le National
6/16 — Boston, MA — Paradise
6/17 — New York, NY — Webster Hall
6/21 — Washington, DC — Black Cat
6/22 — Dover, DE — Firefly Music Festival
6/23 — Philadelphia, PA — Union Transfer

[VIDEO:] “Recover” by CHVRCHES

Today, CHVRCHES released a video for their latest single “Recover.”

The new video is a mostly CGI exploration of a futuristic post-apocalyptic world. Black cubes floating around in an otherwise empty, dead former metropolis.

You see the band on black-and-white screens for just a few seconds – portraying the last remnants of humanity.

To be honest, as shown by this CHVRCHES binge, I wouldn’t mind if this were the last song on the planet.

“I Would Die 4 V” by Prince (Covered by CHVRCHES)

I have to start this off by stating that I have some reservations about songs that are about self-sacrifice for love, specifically ones about dying for someone. I get a little cynical but most of all, I get a little paranoid/scared about a theoretical someone who states they would die for me, kill themselves over me, etc.

(I am pretty sure these feelings are caused by Bruno Mars’s song “Grenade” because it seems so bitter – claiming that the object of his affections – of his self-sacrifices – is the most terrible person ever and here’s Bruno Mars martyring himself, saying he’s the best boyfriend in the world because he would have put his life on the line for that woman that he now hates, so that’s why she shouldn’t have done all those terrible things she supposedly did. Just chill out, man. Also – I’m pretty sure that Bruno Mars was just trying to be like Prince, but… As usual, I digress.)

Anyway, Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U” is an exception to this rule. Because, well, IT’S FUCKING PRINCE.

And this, by the transitive property of equality also means that the CHVRCHES cover (stylized in CHVRCHES style as “I Would Die 4 V”) is also an exception to the rule. Lauren Mayberry‘s higher-pitched vocals combined with her Scottish accent bring a younger, more innocent take on this classic 80s love song.

Also – Not gonna lie, another reason this song (and this cover in particular) is an exception to this rule is that I have a huge celeb crush on the singer, Lauren Mayberry. 😀

 

UPDATE – June 2013 – A new video was placed into this blog post because the original YouTube video with a recorded version of the cover was taken down.