Music Mashup
November is a fabulous month because the Halloween vibe is still in the air and the big fireworks parties aren’t too far away! So without further ado here’s my monthly instalment of musical excitement with reviews of Regina Specktor, Major Lazer and Sebastien Tellier.
Story Highlights
- What To Buy
- Regina Specktor
- This Month’s Top Download
What To Buy
Major Lazer ‐ Guns Don’t Kill People, Lazers Do: Now I tend to favour the sound of the UK underground but a recent collaboration between Philadelphian DJ Diplo and DJ Switch ‐ under the auspice of Major Lazer peaked my interest. It’s even been touted as: “a futuristic take on bashment!” Diplo is probably best known in the UK for his remix work and was kick started into the musical limelight with the mix tape ‐ Piracy Funds Terrorism, a collaboration with M.I.A, back in 2004. DJ Switch on the other hand is best known for popularising my old favourite, Fidget House and has remixed far too many tracks to be listed here!
As for their collaborative album ‐ Guns Don’t Kill People, Lazers Do, it’s filled to the brim with filthy bass lines and lyrics bellowed out in thick Jamaican by the crème de la crème of the bashment scene, including Vybz Kartel, Mr Vegas, Busy Signal and T.O.K. It comes as no surprise then that the album was recorded at Tuff Gong studios ‐ Bob Marley’s original home. If you fancy bringing summer to your front room then look no further.
Regina Specktor at the Hammersmith Apollo
You’ve probably heard Regina Specktor on the radio and dismissed her as yet another self consciously kooky, trying‐to‐be‐original‐but‐not songstress and in some respects she is distinctly average. However just like Bat for Lashes she seems to be able to enrapture devoted fans! Regina’s allure is this. She uses her voice to sound like she’s singing to only you, sitting in a corner of your bedroom with just a piano. Listen to tracks Machine or Man of a Thousand Faces and you’ll see what I mean. One of my favourite songs by good old Regina remains Come Into My World, which showcases her unique voice and quirky lyrics. The Soviet born, US based songstress will be touring the UK in December and performing at the Hammersmith Apollo on December 4, 2009.
This Month’s Top Download
If you download one song this month let it be this ‐ La Ritournelle by Sebastien Tellier. Every now and again you hear a snippet of a tune that sounds really good and then when you finally hear it in its entirety, you are blown away. Well this is that song. La Ritournelle is a beautiful love song brought to your beautiful ears by Parisian ‐ Sebastien Tellier. It also features Tony Allen of Fel A Kuti fame. I leave you with a taster: “Forever journeys on golden avenues, I drift in your eyes since I love you.” Content sigh.
‐ Michelle Mangal
