Thursday, February 19, 2009

Diduntdidunts


Mark Ronson's collaboration with Saigon on "Diduntdidunt," is amazing for both its hilarity and overall goodness. The beat is typical Ronson - old school feel with yummy, new school beats. The lyrics are genius, as Saigon walks the listener through the tales of his encounter with various "diduntdidunts." Saigon warns, "I'll knock out your teeth, you'll be literally bumpin' your gums." Clap along, nod along, snap along - I can promise that as long as you're listening to "Didundtdidunt," everything feels right.

Diduntdidunt - Mark Ronson Feat. Saigon -

Below is a picture of what I imagine to be a diduntdidunt


Lookin' sharp.

Arr..

What exactly does a pirate's heart sound like? If Québécois up-and-comer Coeur de Pirate is any indication, warm summer days and an endless sunrise. Though she sings in french, no prior knowledge of the language is required to connect with her bubbly pop that sounds a bit like if you took Lily Allen, put her together with Feist, then fast-forwarded to give them a fun chipmunk voice. And I mean that in the best way. "Comme Des Enfants" recalls Edith Piaf with its stripped-down arrangement and beautiful melody. "Ensemble" is a bouncy single that makes you want to spend the afternoon skipping. In short, Coeur de Pirate is worth a listen...and then a hundred more .

Comme des enfants - Coeur de Pirate - mp3
Ensemble - Coeur de Pirate - mp3
C'était Salement Romantique - Coeur de Pirate- video

Chester French...on the mouth.

Chester French are just a couple of Harvard grads who decided to start a pop band. Typical stuff. This preppy duo counts Pharell Williams as a fan, who recently signed them to his Star Trak label. Their music was featured on Entourage, but something tells me these kids have got bigger things up their argyle sleeves than singing backup for Vinny Chase. "She Loves Everybody" is pop-rock at its sleaziest. "The Jimmy Choos" is the catchiest Monkees-esque thr-oh!-back since "That Thing You Do." Who doesn't like their rock n' roll with a popped collar?



She Loves Everybody - Chester French

The Jimmy Choos - Chester French


yum.

Re-seeing Stars


I'd like to talk about an oldie but greatie from the perpetually fantastic Stars. This Québécois group needs no introduction, but I will say their incredible music makes me all fuzzy inside every time I hear it. Though their 2004 release, Set Yourself On Fire, is my favorite Stars album, my favorite song of theirs, "Take Me to the Riot," comes off their 2007 release In Our Bedroom After the War. It's a stunning, anti-apathy call to arms for passion, lust, and all things holy. Well, maybe not, but it's damn good, and that's good enough for me.

Take me to the Riot - Stars

We're Germanotta for Gaga



My guilty pleasure du jour comes from a personal favorite, Lady Gaga. She's the raunchiest thing to hit the mainstream pop scene since Christina Aguilera's dirrty assless chaps, and I'm loving every minute of it. As a fellow New York Private School Alumna, I've got nothing but love for a girl who successfuly transitions from a uniform of a plaid skirt and white polo to a sequined leotard in the middle of winter. Though her single "Just Dance" put her on the map, her album The Fame is one of the best to come out this year. She writes her own material and though as impressive as it is rare in the mainstream pop world, the material itself is impossibly catchy, not to mention crazy danceable. Her new single, "LoveGame," on which Gaga claims proudly, "I want to take a ride on your disco stick," should be enough to make any shot go down smoother, and her new video for the song is pretty bangin', too. "Starstruck" and "Paparazzi" are two tracks guaranteed to enhance any drunken hookup, while "Christmas Tree," in which the always-classy Gaga pleads a lucky sir to "light me up, put me on top, let's fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la," is one of the more inventive takes on a christmas classick. With lyrics like those, Lady Gaga, you have an open invitation to my party (enticing, I know).
LoveGame - Lady Gaga

Starstruck - Lady Gaga

Paparazzi - Lady Gaga

Christmas Tree - Lady Gaga -

Eat Cleastwood?


Cleast Eatwood is the best thing I've heard this year. I'm starting to think that Scandinavia is the future of alt. pop music, because everything I've heard that's worthwhile in the past few months has come from those tall, golden-haired beauties. This swedish group is no exception. They combine vocals and melodies as smooth as lullabies to the backbone of a beat as likely to make you clap your hands as any Lil' Wayne track. Their myspace page features their incredible Imogen Heap-meets-Sufjan Stevens cover of MGMT's "Electric Feel," however, the real gem of this group is their song "Rabbit Hole," which makes you want to smoke a joint and dance at the same time. Almost as good is their infectious Radiohead-esque "Sad Machine," which beckons, "come, come, come make a habit out of me." With music this good, it's impossible not to.

Rabbit Hole - Cleast Eatwood

Sad Machine - Cleast Eatwood