IM // UR | Love Is A Wave

We swear this isn't an ironic listening. We love Beyoncé and 4. OK, we might unironically skip straight to track 5, 'Party', produced by Kanye West and with rap by Andre3000, because we ain't no stay-home-mums that need all those ballads about being broken hearted and finding the right person. But, after that, the album turns into a beautiful compilation of classic r'n'b, soul and a bit of sweat-inducing booty tracks - not too many though - that sound surprisingly courageous considering the actual state of pop music. And for that, we bow down and hail Queen B. P.S. Get the deluxe version, for those extra couple of amazing tracks.

WE // R \\ WEARING

The name of this label has been interpreted in many ways; from 'bass-seekey' to 'base-ike', but the correct way describes exactly what this label is about: BASIC. Bassike delivers easily breezily cut staples with an interesting little twist that keeps them from being your run of the mill. For those that live in climates like that of Australia (where Bassike hails from) or Brazil, you'll know how easy it is to make fashion faux pas when the weather gets hot and the prospect of wearing anything but a bathing suit becomes slightly unappealing; Bassike is all and everything you need.

WE // R \\ WATCHING

Before watching HBO's Game of Thrones, I assumed the series would tend a bit more towards the blood-dripping Danish movie Valhalla Rising rather than fairy-tale stories a lá 'Lord of the Rings'; and for that I didn't really like the series at the beginning. But slowly, I found myself submitting to tales of bad kings, midget juggernauts, savage warriors and... dragons. And that happened probably because there aren't exactly good guys and bad guys here, like there are in Tolkien stories - and that is, of course, a simplification of his work. Another reason I relented to this series is because of the intriguing political backstage element that leads to the ever-happening dance of thrones. Oh, and did I mention the gratuitous nekkid-ness?

WE // R \\ GOING

Of the slew of new spots having opened up in Sydney in the last six months, The Norfolk on Cleveland St in Surry Hills has been one fated with success. Owned by some of the same kids that have brought The Flinders back to life (and currently, it's incredibly quick onset of 'The Norms'), you'll undoubtedly find The Norfolk rammed with all kinds, vying for a bite, a beer and a spot in the garden out back. The aim of the game is to cultivate Aussie pub culture at it's best; and it's doing a pretty decent job so far - if only you could get a table!

WE // R \\ READING

Super Sad True Love Story is the third book from the writer of the best selling Absurdistan, Gary Shteyngart. Incidentally, I read him name dropped in Flavorpill's Ultimate Hipster Reading list and in the same sentence as James Franco (they're buds, apaprently) just before I finished his latest offering. Don't let any of that put you off, or take away any of the sad scary brilliance of Super Sad True Love Story; written from the perspective of one 39 year old Lenny Abramov, son of Russian immigrants and in love with the impossibly cute and cruel Eunice Park. A satire that cuts to the bone, Super Sad True Love Story is exactly it's title. And it's good.

Love Is A Wave

Friday // July 03, 2009 at 11:52 // filed under Music

2009 is one of the best years for the music in ages. Honestly, sometimes, as someone wrote on Twitter, I listen to new bands hoping that I won't like them, so it's one less band to have under the radar. But this is not happening as much as I'd like this year. 'One of the best new bands of the year' is currently a regular line on this blog - shit, am I really complaining about hearing good music? Well, my point, if I ever had one, is that sometimes there is so much going on that we miss some good releases. In the next posts, I will try to update all the amazing songs from amazing bands that we've failed to previously mention here. Here we go...

We all have weird wishes now and then. Today, I woke up three hours after I went to bed, still drunk from last night's party and I all I could think of was that I needed to listen to Crystal Stilts debut album, the amazing Alight Of Night - dark and dirty garage pop to make your brain reverberate with desire. No need to point that these Jesus and Mary Chain lovers are from Brooklyn, New York, because the truth about good bands lately is: who isn't?

And although Alight of Night got a re-release, this album is from 2008 - as any good best of '08 list could prove that - the band released a new single this year, the great 'Love Is a Wave'. If the opening bass line doesn't hook you in, you'll fall in love with it fast, as the whole song hits the end after two minutes and one second. But I'm pretty sure that by then, the combination of the shiny '80s guitars, the '60s keyboards and the heavily produced '70s vocals will have done the job already.

Flash Content

Crystal Stilts - Love Is A Wave [mp3]

And as the band is influenced by all these bits of the last decades, you shouldn't be surprised to know that the video for 'Love Is a Wave' is an edit of cool videos from those decades - from naïve black and white clips featuring animals, to the psychedelic dances in colorful scenarios.

Crystal Stilts - Love Is A Wave

The single, that was released in the end of May, features the song 'Sugar Baby' as the b-side. 'Sugar Baby' sounds like The Doors making music for all the dancing polka dot girls around the world. It has a simple sing-along lyric and an instrumental that's predictably good - just how pop music is supposed to be.

Flash Content

Crystal Stilts - Sugar Baby [mp3]

POSTED BY RAPHAEL CAFFARENA

TAGS: Crystal Stilts // LINKS: Crystal Stilts