First of, I hope you like the fresh new spring look here at djeddieo.com (if you just read your email alerts, you should check out the site).
British Sea Power
I don’t know where I first read of British Sea Power, but whatever I read impressed me enough to download half a dozen songs. For the most part, they aim for that “epic” sound: effect-pedals on, amps at eleven, vocals bellowing to be heard over soaring guitars….you know the type. As it turns out, I like the song that’s an exception, “Living Is So Easy”, which has a lounge-lizard-like swagger not unlike Louis XIV. Over much restrained instrumentation (more gentle, more synth-y), vocalist Yan channels a bit of Bryan Ferry, but not too seriously, while teaching us something about consumerism and priorities (sample lyric: “LVMH in the HLM”…that got me googlin’.) Maybe Bryan Ferry with a buzz on…yeah, that’s it: Ray Davies! Anyway, give a listen and you tell me. Video’s witty as well….
Death Valley Sleepers
More shoe-gaze, this time from Denmark, from Death Valley Sleepers, which is only one person, Tobias Winberg. It was no stroke of genius on my part when I identified Jesus and Mary Chain as an influence. I wish I could remember which blogger it was that DID exhibit genius with something like “Jesus and Mary Chain and The Raveonettes go back in time and jam with Velvet Underground” (how my doin’ Matt, with the comps??) Anyway, everything I’ve heard from him/them is fab, and much of it is rippable around the web. My fave track is “Left Me High”:
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