The Whitest Boy Alive//Burning

Once, I played this song for Sean and Jon (the fraternal jazz-inclined rhythm section of my band) and asked them what they thought the name of the band was.
Sean thought for a second and then replied, "We're Really White."
"Close!" I said.

Racial stereotyping aside, Sean answered this way because The Whitest Boy Alive is really "white," in that they play things that could be funk in a really uptight staccato way. The band obviously understands this because they chose a particularly self-deprecating name.

The group started as a Berlin electronic outfit but has since become one comprised of all live instruments. There's also a familiar and much-loved face handling guitar and vox duties. That guy really keeps busy, huh?

This song is insanely catchy and good.

On another note, burning is also what I'm going to be if the bill in the NJ State Senate to legalize gay marriage fails. People think it will. Please direct your rage here.



Burning.mp3

So many people telling me one way.
So many people telling me to stay.
Never had time to have my mind made up,
Caught in a motion that I don't wanna stop.

Royksopp//Poor Leno

Continuing on a stream-of-consciousness journey from yesterday's post (and related to this one and this one, as well), here's Royksopp with my favorite Royksopp song, Poor Leno.

I don't usually love this kind of electronic music, but I do really enjoy a lot of Royksopp and I LOVE this video. The poor Leno is captured and put in a zoo, where he is ogled all day by curious humans. He dreams of returning to his homeland, the frozen tundra, relegated to etching pictures of the peaks on his cell wall with a spoon. By the end, his mate shows up, theoretically to spring him free. Everything about the way this animation looks (and works with) the song is perfect.

Also, this video once led to a decision to dress Squashington (a cat) up as a Leno for Halloween, prompting Ryan to say, "but we neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed a Leno suit." Where does one acquire a Leno suit?

As for the band, Royksopp's particular brand of housey electronica fits into a movement known as Bergen Wave. Don't believe me? See for yourself.

Fun fact: Royksopp is the Norwegian word for puffball mushroom.



Poor Leno.mp3

I think I am officially ready to visit Norway now.

Kings of Convenience//Leaning Against the Wall, I Don't Know... (Remix)

Apologies for my absence yesterday. A string of haphazard occurrences and silly mistakes left me unable to post. Don't worry; I'm back on my feet now.

I know I'm not the only one who had severe trouble getting out of bed this morning. The facebook status updates of my friends told many similar stories. The sky was gray and the rain was falling in that peaceful pitter-pat that speaks loudly and emphatically to our primitive instinctual sides; "stay in bed because you're warm and it sucks out here and there's nothing you can get done when it's like this." A. and I definitely had a super rough time getting up. There was a lot of hitting snooze, resetting the alarm, hitting snooze again.

I decided to put the Kings of Convenience on and get back into bed. Nothing could have been more perfect waking-up music. A. commented that it sounded like Gossamer. Brilliant.

KofC is a Norwegian acoustic duo of Erlend Øye (who, in addition to being part of Royksopp, The Whitest Boy Alive and James Figurine, also released an awesome electronic solo album a few years back) and Eirik Glambek Bøe. Their songs are beautiful, quiet, somber affairs, reminiscent of Nick Drake, Simon and Garfunkel and the softer Belle and Sebastian tunes. I discovered them (through friends) freshman year in college and they served as the perfect soundtrack to dour/hungover Michigan sad times.

Also, the only thing I ever learned from Disney World's Epcot Center is that Norwegian people are the hottest in the world.

Here are two songs (to get you back for yesterday), the first from their initial studio effort, Quiet is the New Loud, the second from their remix album that I used as a soundtrack to walk around and around a cruise-ship for a week in the early summer of 2002 (another story entirely), Versus.



Leaning Against the Wall.mp3

I Don't Know What I Can Save You From.mp3

I asked you to come over,
and within half an hour,
you were at my door.
I had never really known you,
but I realized that the one you were before
had changed into somebody for whom
I wouldn't mind to put the kettle on.

Erlend Øye//Athlete

I bought this Erlend Øye album used from an Oxfam in North London. The sad lyrics and electronic groove was perfect for my London day-to-day existence, comprised solely of solo melancholy wandering and all-night queer dance parties.

You might know the Norwegian Øye from his work as one half of the saddest band ever, Kings of Convenience…or from one of his other projects, which include The Whitest Boy Alive, Röyksopp and James Figurine.

On his 2003 solo album, Unrest, he traveled the world working with the most esteemed international techno/electronic/dance producers to create an collection of hits. Here is one of my favorites from this glorious selection of tracks.



Athlete.mp3

Take ecstasy and dance around the room for me.