Tag: The Knocks

“Midnight City” Acoustic Audience Sing-Along with The Knocks

Last night, The Knocks had some technical difficulties in the middle of their set last night during PopScene at the Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco. While the audience waited, Mr. JPatt (half of the Knocks) played an acoustic version of their cover of M83’s “Midnight City.” He said that since Mandy Lee (the singer in their cover) wasn’t with them, the audience would have to sing.

No one knew the words, but everyone knew the boops.

A couple people behind my friend and me were convinced the first line was “waiting in a car.”

Chiddy Bang’s Remix of “Under the Sheets” by Ellie Goulding

As my older followers (those who followed me since back when I was MusicStarved) know, I LOVE ELLIE GOULDING.

I also love anything by and remixed by Chiddy Bang.

Well, this song brings both together. Chiddy Bang is just such an awesome duo like The Knocks in that both take awesome songs and make them even cooler by adding their personal touch. In this case, Chiddy Bang took most of “Under the Sheets” and then added in their own vocals.

Two of my favorite lines:

“And if you look at me, I bet I have you starry eyed” and “I make her give me one on the cheek and she ain’t over me yet, so I put her under the sheets.”

Yeah… Don’t hate me, but this totally deserves what is coming next….

#SWAG

hahahaha

Happy listening!

Charli XCX’s “Nuclear Seasons”

I found out about Charli XCX completely by accident because of a mistake made by the Knocks/Popshop Radio.

I was listening to the Popshop Radio 12 mix by The Knocks and thought “Man, this really sounds like Feist if she went all electro” at the end. I went over to the Popshop site to see the track listing on the mix and at the very end, I saw “Nuclear Seasons” by Charli XCX.

Googled Charli XCX and found out her site offers that exact song as a free download. “SCORE!” I exclaimed in my head (because I already exclaim too many things out loud in front of other people – not that it mattered at that moment because I was alone at the time). Anyway, I plug in my info and download the song. Click the play triangle on iTunes and am surprised to realize it sounds nothing at all like the Feist-sound-a-like I heard earlier. In fact, Charli XCX sounds like Marina and the Diamonds but with more 80s-inspired, Madonna twinkly synths and boom-boom-ahhhhhs. I can’t remember exactly which 80s band/singer’s darker notes this reminds me of, but I’ll post that in when I do remember.

Maybe I was going about it the wrong way? the darker synths weren’t a female 80s pop star’s style but more Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence”? DEFINITELY! It feels/sounds right.

ANYWAY…

Is this a NEW new wave? Neo-new wave? neu new wave? Awwwww… Just looked it up: I can’t patent “neu wave” or “Neu new wave” because 1) there’s a company called Neu Wave. I think it’s for acne medication, 2) there’s a band called “Neu!” (The exclamation is actually in their name. I don’t know if I’m excited about them just yet. I’ll have to listen to them first.), and 3) I’m pretty sure I’ve heard people talk about “new new wave” before or so. Damn

Newtro? as in New+retro? Neutro? Neutron. hahahaha

Look, if Hipster Runoff can coin “Chillwave,” why can’t I coin some sort of term for this style? Watch, Hipster Runoff probably already has.

ANYWAY…….

I haven’t listened to any other Charli XCX songs yet, but I’m excited to because I really like her sound – as convolutedly as I’ve described it.

Happy listening!

P.S. This also technically gets filed as “Music to Bone to” because I would TOTALLY have sex to this song. So sensual with its 80s retro stylings.

“Sister Wife” by Alex Winston

The first thing I have to write is that I keep thinking that I have a friend named Alex Winston. Then I remember that I don’t. :/

Anyway, before I research her beyond the little blurb on Neon Gold Records‘ blog, I want to give my initial response to her song “Sister Wife.”

Alex Winston’s voice made me think of Ke$ha. I don’t mean that in a bad way either. (I know that Ke$ha doesn’t necessarily have the best reputation in the music world, and even less so in the indie music world.) It’s just that Alex Winston’s voice has that high-pitched, staccato sound that also gives her a 1999-2001 European electro, semi-trip hop (but not low and breathy enough) feel. Essentially, when I don’t think of Ke$ha, I think of various European singers such as Sia.

Like Ellie Goulding, Alex Winston has that electropop + an occasional acoustic guitar riff style.

“Sister Wife” is an airy electropop-based ballad toward Winston’s competitor for an object of affection. The heavy use of bass and floor tom beats is balanced out by the cloud of tinkering piano notes combined with stronger chord loops, the barely audible guitar riff repetition, and Winston’s high-pitched voice.

Going beyond my “First Listen” notes, here’s a few bits about her from her Wikipedia page :

Apparently, despite the very European feel of her song and voice, she’s actually from Michigan. Also, she’s working with the Knocks, a pretty big name production team that, when not making their own songs such as “Make It Better,” does tons of remixes!

I can’t wait to see her perform at SXSW this year!

Take a listen here: http://www.myspace.com/AlexWinston