Dieselboy

Glad to hear it!

FETCHER.

Brilliant journal so far dieselboy, good write ups. I'll watch the videos later though.

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Dieselboy

Thx Kayleigh. Glad you think so.

Yeah, I think it's kinda impossible to watch all the video's on this site. Users here are just linking them constantly, and if you did watch them all you'd never get to listen to any of your own music probably.

Makes me feel bad when I skip video's in other peoples journals cause of this, but I really don't expect people to watch all the ones I post either. I've sorta been trying to put little hints or guides/markers as to what would be the best part of certain vids to check out though. Or which might be the best single video to click in a certain post. Even if people just read and don't click anything though, it's all good I suppose.

Dieselboy

For my next review I'll be discussing my favorite album of 2009. I wish now that I'd started this journal sooner, as I wanted to. Now, instead of it being the cool thing to do, it's just going to be "so last week", but oh well. I've seen this album mentioned here and there on the boards, but never seen it get a proper review, so I guess it's up to me.

Dieselboys Best Album of 2009 - La Roux (Self-Titled)

Some quick artist info:
La Roux is a duo of Eleanor (Elly) Jackson and Ben Langmaid. Elly being the "face" of the outfit, and Langmaid being more behind the scenes and secretive. The groups chosen name, La Roux, is quite interesting in itself. It is french for "Red-haired one", but is the male version of that term. This fits Elly well enough, as she keeps her sexual preferences well hidden. Indeed, she even seems to enjoy the confusion and talks about how well it fits her, as she sees herself being androgynous. In some of her videos she is beautiful, while in others she is quite handsome looking (is that the best way to say it?).
All this is interesting, but don't be worried that it might be some kind of distraction from the music quality, cause this is some great music. Very 80's synth-pop inspired, but sounding very fresh at the same time. Her vocals are quite unique and I've heard plenty of complaints about how they're too high pitched or ruin the music and such. I got used to them quickly enough after giving them a chance and really love them now, so maybe something to keep in mind if you aren't feeling her singing at first. On to the album:





When you first press play you're greeted with a bouncy and fun synth line that is interupted abruptly when Elly starts singing. As stated earlier, her voice is not conventional, and I still find it a bit jarring even to this day when I start this disc up.
Once you're over that though, this track is pretty great, with some nice sing-a-long ooooohhhhh's throughout and a bridge at 3:10 that is really very beautiful. It only lasts a few seconds and then you're jarred out of it again as it quickly ends and the singing resumes. This was the second single released for the album. I think In For the Kill is a fairly decent opener.





Following the opener is a song called Tigerlily. Interesting, as it really doesn't sound quite like the rest of the album and could be described as a bit more agressive sounding. One interview with Elly I saw, she picked this one as her favorite tune on the album as she reasoned, "It the least 'white' sounding track on there." Another good bridge in this track as the music stops and we here a very creepy sounding man talking about stalking a lover. His voice sounds very similar to Vincent Price in MJ's Thriller. Definitely a note-worthy song.





The third song on the album, Quicksand, is my personal favorite and was also it's first single. The synth line in the chorus is truly amazing and at 1:30 yet ANOTHER amazing bridge...probably the best on the cd. It's obvious if you listen, why this one was the one picked to represent the album first.





Towards the middle of the disc is another highlight called I'm Not Your Toy.
The intro to this song is pretty tight, and never fails to perk me up and get me excited for the rest of the track. It's just one of those intro's that's just so identifiable. It starts with a nice little melody of an mellow instrument that I can't identify, sounding nothing like anything previously heard on the disc. Then at about the 15 second mark the music completely stops and there's a catchy little drum breakdown, and then the music all starts again. It really just has to be heard.
I'm just going on about the first few seconds here, as if the rest of the song isn't great...well it is. This would probably get my Top Chorus of 2009 honors if I was lame enough to make such a list. It's almost embarrassing how much time that part has been stuck in my head since this CD released.

(Check out the first 20 seconds if nothing else.)

I'll stop with those four, because I don't want to make this review too bulky and discourage people from checking it out. That's just the singles though. Other tunes on this are just as quality. Songs like Colourless Colour and Cover My Eyes are favorites as well, and are right up there in consideration for my second best song. Believe me when I say that I rarely skip songs on this disc and I play it through even to the last, Growing Pains, which is just another amazing tune among so many.

In the end, I feel like many people will pass this disc by because of the pop label and maybe the cover which is a shame. Its worth checking out if you're a fan of any of these; the 80's, synth-pop, catchy vocals, or even just great chorus's.

1. In For The Kill
2. Tigerlily
3. Quicksand
4. Bulletproof
5. Colourless Colour
6. I'm Not Your Toy
7. Cover My Eyes
9. Fascination
10. Reflections Are Protection
11. Armour Love
12. Growing Pains

FETCHER.

Nah I was on my iPod, sorry I didn't elaborate!

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NumberNineDream

Needed to add, that what adds to her androgyny is that "La" which is the female pronoun... before the masculine adjective.

Didn't find her vocals unconventional, maybe cause I never got to understand what is considered truly "conventional". So anyway, I didn't get jarred or jolted by her vocals, I kinda enjoyed In for the kill but I much preferred Tigerlily, that I think I'll consider as my favourite of the four. As for the other two, I pretty much agree with what you said in your description.
...they've got great videos all around by the by.

Really good write up from the beginning till the end. I somehow needed a beginner's guide to La Roux, and I think this journal entry has successfully introduced me to them. I'll maybe download the album later today, to enjoy in its fullest.

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Dieselboy

Yeah, true. What you said about the "La" part of their name makes sense. Feel a bit dumb for not realizing that.

About the bolded part...I think unconventional mighta been the wrong word now. I don't think it means what I think it means. I'm too lazy to look through a dictionary and find a better choice now though.
I am a little surprised you didn't mind her vocals off the bat. Usually that's the first thing people will talk about when she's brought up or this CD is put on, in my experience. That's cool though.

Hope you enjoy the rest if you do check it out.

NumberNineDream

I did notice in the youtube discussion that people are all bout the "weird" voice, and then I noticed that I'm actually reading youtube discussions. I just feel that a band sound should be recognizable, and not common to all others, and that's what La Roux achieved.

Though I think your use of the word "unconventional" was in its place, I don't think you need to go through a dictionary or a thesaurus to check for a better word.

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Dieselboy

Ah jeez...I'm personally a sucker for reading Youtube comments. They're like a train-wreck. You don't wanna look cause you know it's gonna be horrible, but I'm just drawn to them every time I watch videos. Usually I just get all enraged by how stupid people can be, but sometimes, rarely I'll see a small piece of useful info or something so completely off the wall and hilarious. Here's a good example:


To which someone replied, "Wow, this song is like crushing up a Super Nintendo cartridge and snorting it."

I donno...I liked it. ><





Anyways, enough of that. Since I'm not making a real entry today I'm just gonna link two songs that have been completely engraved in my brain as of late. One people will probably recognize, and another that you might not.



First the unknown. A song called Permission by Veronica feat. Mumzy Stranger. I've heard this on DJ Nihal's - The Best of Asian and Desi Beats show quite a few times. A filthy but beautiful electronica/R&B song.
I've listened to this tune so many times and realized I would do anything for this girl...her voice...I donno...just so silky and hot. When she sings, "I gotta let you know, that I love you so." I just melt.
This song actually hasn't been officially released yet I'm pretty sure. This is the best video I could find, and it actually has Nihal blabbing a bit over the first few seconds. Definitely still worth a click though.





The second song is just as good, but not new or even close to it. Featuring one of the best beats and catchiest chorus's ever, but the real reason to check this out is the incredibly ghetto music video.
I can't even decide what the most ridiculous part of this video is. Those crazy camaflouge safari outfits? The synchronized dancing? The computer generated graphics that look like they were made by the first computer ever built?
Still, the song is amazing.

Dieselboy

I mentioned DJ Nihal's - The Best of Asian and Desi Beats show with my last entry. I've decided to continue in that direction and review another artist and album introduced by him, which I've ended up buying.










In 2009, Midival Punditz, released their third full length album. With it, Delhi-based producers Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj, have an eclectic album with many eastern styles (and a few western as well) fused together. I was trying to think of a decent description for this disc last night as I listened again. I came up with this: "Infected Mushroom if you dropped the goa and mixed in some indie. Then you sprinkled it with a bit of pop." Confusing right?
I should probably refer to Wiki in this case, which explains, "MIDIval Punditz is an Indian fusion group whose style revolves mostly around bhangra, jungle, electronica, and North Indian classical music." It then goes on to list the many traditional and newer instruments the Punditz use. Thanks Wiki!

Anyway, this is one of my favorite albums of the past year easily, and I feel like that fact owes much to the variety on display here, as well as the opening/closing songs. I'll try to showcase highlights and diversity with a few videos:








The first song as this album starts, Electric Universe, is definitely a keeper and also a good indication if you would enjoy the rest.
The first few seconds are nothing more than a traditional instrument that I cannot name, but it sounds just beautiful. From there a soft acoustic guitar enters, followed by a warm bass-line. I interpret this first minute of beauty as "waking up" or being born into the album.
The song continues and vocals are introduced with a vocorder (but not in a bad way). The singing goes on and he begins to repeat in a soft voice, "Turn on the lights, turn on your mind. You've gotta keep me alive, keep me alive, keep me alive." The bridge starts at 3:25 and is a soft piano melody backed by the instrument you heard at the start. All these things work together to sound so warm and welcoming. One of the best album openers I've personally heard.







Following that fine start, the Punditz change the tone a bit for the following track. Tonic sounds far darker and more brooding, and even though it rolls along slowly, it sounds very sinister.
It features a woman singing/wailing in what I must assume to be Hindi, sounding like what you'd hear in a movie soundtrack when it changes scenes and shows the Taj Mahal or something. Following that, in what is pretty much the bridge of the song, is a guy rapping in half English and half Hindi again. He actually rhymes suprisingly well, considering that English is probably his second language...like REALLY well. The last line he says here, "In my gulley Rupees beat the dollar." rhymes with the previous line that was spoken in Hindi and is a highlight of the song for me. This whole tune just sounds like revenge to me:

Unfortunately, the only vid I could find of this song is live with bad sound quality, and doesn't represent the album version very well. Oh well.

Then there's Atomizer. This is the song Nihal played on his show for about a month straight, which convinced me to check out and eventually buy this fine disc. Starting with a catchy guitar riff and drum machine beat, it moves into the chorus which sounds like something off of Eiffel 65's Europop album. Vocoder singing and the Eiffel effects. This is just a straight up dance tune. Makes you wanna boogy.

(The only vid I could find for this is a remix that doesn't represent the album version very well, so I chose not to add it here. Sorry...if you want to hear this properly just ask. 0_0)

The fourth, and final song I want to discuss in regards to this album is called Sun Mere Sanam. Meaning Listen My Beloved, this is a slow and traditional sounding ballad. There's nothing dancey or aggressive about this tune at all. Just a very beautiful composition of Indian instruments with an electronic twinge and great vocals. It's all about love here:

(I can't think of many music fans that would not enjoy this song in its entirety.)

I think the descriptions for those four songs do a decent job of showing off the versatility this outfit has. Even if youtube failed me a couple times, I think what I wrote about each is spot on, and hopefully enticing. This is a very strong album and even though there are 2 songs on here that I would classify as just a bit higher than filler, I never fail to enjoy listening to it in entirety.

Finally, I do want to give special mention to the albums closing song. It is a shorter acoustic version of the opener. The songs tempo is much much slower and has a slow piano melody mixed in instead of the electronic beats. The lyrics are the same, but sound much sadder and slower. This time when he sings, "Gotta keep me alive...gotta keep me alive..." It sounds much different, almost as if the album is dying...and then does as the music stops. This is how I picture it in my head anyway. Great, great way to close this album out.

For fans of Electronica, Indian, and just great music. Just ask if you want to give it a listen.

Complete Track List