RIP Donna Summer.  We’ll never have that recipe again.

Bloom is such an apt title for the latest Beach House album.  It’s all the group’s done since their first self-titled album and all they seem to continue doing, even when that seems impossible.

Beach House’s last album, Teen Dream, was so perfect; by upping their tempos just a bit and brightening their organ-and-guitar sound ever the slightest, they moved into an entire new realm.  Tempos were still slower than most modern indie pop, but there was a calming feeling to their songs.  With Bloom, the gorups seems to have gotten stronger still.  Every song bursts from small melody into sky-scraping grandeur, enveloping the listener in a wave of sound.  Victoria Legrand’s low voice wraps through all these songs beautifully, somehow adding just the right touch of motion to the lyrics.  The musicianship has never been better; tracks like “New Year” and “Wishes” sparkle just as brightly as lead tracks “Myth” and “Lazuli”.  I don’t know how the band can top this album, but then again, two years ago I didn’t think Teen Dream could be topped either.  Something tells me they’ll continue to surprise us.

[rating: 4.5/5 stars]

It’s been quite a ride, you guys. We’re finally through all 42 entries in this year’s Eurovision contest – and not a minute too soon, since the official contest starts next week. I pulled the oldest easily recognized clip I could find, in this case “Nel blu dipinto di blu” (better known by most as “Volare”). Here’s what the Big 6 (the countries already through to the finals) are bringing this year, and what Dan Robertson and I had to say about it:

United Kingdom

The Discussion:

BS: it’s England

BS: The UK!

DR: Poor Humperdinck got upstaged by the Russian Grandmas on oldest performer

BS: Engelbert Humperdinck is the most British name I’ve heard since Benedict Cumberbatch

BS: or Prunella Scales

DR: SO British

BS: I’m going to be saying this a lot with these final 6, but I really like the simplicity of this song

BS: staging in the final needs to be similar.  Engelbert.  Guitarist.  Lights.

DR: Also very Eurovision love message as well

BS: key change.  drink.

DR: *chug* I have to say that for an 80ish year old man I am surprised how well he can sing

BS: Yeah.  If he hits the notes I think this has big potential.

DR: Indeed

France

The Discussion:

BS: France!

BS: Land of Wine and Cheese

DR: Croisant!

BS: and weird army guys

BS: in a factory?

DR: Whisting soldier factory

BS: overseen by some lady in a bathing suit and a vest

BS: (that’s how you know she’s fancy)

DR: WHy is the foreman in her under garments

BS: so many OSHA violations

BS: MAKE YOUR OWN UNIFORMS

DR: So fashion soldiers. SOrry

BS: maybe this is the factory where Lady Gaga’s outfits are made

DR: My god, that makes such sense

DR: Capes are fashionable

DR: FLASHY CAPES

BS: everyone into the pink gas!

DR: Oh just perfume

BS: The song is okay.

DR: Enjoyable, but nothing special

BS: the video’s mostly just confusing me

DR: Yeah

Italy

The Discussion:

BS: Italy!

BS: Saxophone!

DR: OUT OF LOVE MAAM

DR:  Try the next store

BS: Who used up all the love?

BS: the least you could do is buy some more if you emptied it.

DR: I think it was the Boom Boom Booms

BS: Already I like this more than last year’s smooth jazz entry

DR: Agreed has much more energy and Euro potential

BS: I’m getting Nadia G vibes from this one.

DR: You would, but yes I do agree such vibes exist here

BS: Unlike last year, I would be completely fine with this one doing well in the finals

DR: Like you said last year Jazz does not belong in the Eurovision FInals. This does.

Azerbaijan

The Discussion:

BS: Come to Beautiful Azerbaijan!

DR: Enjoyable song, enjoyable voice and fun song. Plus for everyone

DR: Didn’t Don Mclean tell us when the music died?

BS: maybe it’s celebrated on a different day in Azerbaijan

BS: you know, like Father’s Day

DR: Or Rememberance Day

BS: lady that ain’t snow.  It’s insulation.  Stop breathin’ that in!

DR: Aesbestos Storm!

BS: and stop wandering around this half-finished housing project!

BS: This feels very much in the vein of Norway’s entry from when they hosted

DR: Oh NO Yevin left the saw on, watch your hands

BS: “Here is a perfectly lovely song.  We don’t want to host next year”

DR: Yeah, feels like the safe entry.

DR: Insurance against hosting again

BS: reminding you that they won last year, but that’s it.

DR: Hey remember when we won last year, please don’t make us do this next year

Spain

You will need to click here to see the video, because Spain is dumb and disabled embedding. Clearly a winning move.

The Discussion:

BS: Spain!

DR: SPAIN!

BS: Land of Chorizo!

DR: Sausage-fest?

DR: Sorry

BS: Slow-motion dance

DR: Twirl girl

DR: Yeah acrobatics

BS: also her dress appears to be falling apart

BS: it is barely held together by that chain around her neck

DR: That dress is actually nothing but leather thongs

BS: “Hi, Pastora?  What if we just filmed the video for the song backstage at Spanish Dancing With The Stars?”

DR: “Okay, sounds good” CUT PRINT FILM

BS: “Fine, but can I wear a weird feather dress?”

DR: CONFETTI

BS: FEATHERFETTI

BS: I’M THROWING WATER ON YOU

DR: All your fetti!

DR: Fetti Warehouse

BS: song was bleh

BS: standard ballad

Germany

The Discussion:

BS: Germany

BS: will they be the wurst?

BS: nope, I will be, for making that joke!

DR: Yes , Yes you are

BS: I feel like this is the song that plays in the movie after the protagonists have that argument that temporarily breaks them up but before he wins her back

DR: Yup!

BS: and I like this song

BS: I’m just not sure I see it winning Eurovision

DR: No, high placing, but not winning, but we all know who you are pulling for

BS: yes, yes.

DR: Sorry, I am sure they probably will win.

BS: Problem with the singer: he either needs more or less beard

BS: where it is it just looks like me after a few days of not shaving

BS: which is Not The Best Look

As a fun exercise, Dan and I ranked these ones since they’re already through to the finale.  Here’s how that shook out:

BS: okay, let’s rank these guys.

BS: Here’s what I’m thinking:

DR: k

DR: SPAIN ON BOTTOM!

BS: Italy UK Germany France Azerbaijan Spain

BS: SPAIN ON BOTTOM INDEED

BS: I feel like France has good “weird performance” chances

BS: like when they sent Sebastien Tellier years ago

DR: I would agree except I would switch around The top two. However, I see why you rank that way and why most of Eurovision would agree with you.

BS: I almost switched around the top 2 myself

And for a bonus conversation:

BS: if [San Marino] wins it all, I will purchase and then eat a hat.

DR: Make sure it is mostly fruit so as to not kill yourself

BS: “How did Ben die?”

BS: “he ate a straw hat after a bet for Eurovision”

DR: He choked on the ribbon.

And that’s it for Eurovision 2012, everybody (at least until the actual shows).

There’s remixing a song, there’s reinterpreting a song, and then there’s full-on deconstructing a song.  That’s what Daniel Lopatin (alias Oneohtrix Point Never) has done with his take on the classic “I Only Have Eyes for You” for artist Don Aitken’s Song 1 project.  Every syllable separated, surrounding by atmospheric synths, the song pulled apart to its bones and reconstructed in a fascinating and almost sacred way.  This one begs to be heard in headphones – give it your time.

Sometimes in the course of writing your weekly Eurovision writeup, you realize one of the songs you had to do an in-class exercise on in Spanish class years ago was actually a Eurovision song.  Will any of today’s entries have that longevity?  We may never know (although let’s be honest – probably not).  Here’s the final 6 entries for the second semifinal:

Turkey

The Discussion:

BS: so, whether I like Turkey’s song or not, they always seem to get through

DR: This is true

BS: this is a nice way of saying I don’t like their song this year

BS: mostly because of the singer

DR: Also why Sailor/seaman theme?

BS: I was just about to mention the overt nautical theme

DR: Also how is he goign to make her fly on a ship that sails?

DR: NA NOO NA NOO NA NOO?

BS: nani nani nani nani na

DR: It is the lost Robins child

BS: I would throw this guy overboard

BS: good use of traditional instrumentation

BS: bad use of overly whiny nasal singer

DR: Accurate statement

BS: this man has never met an cloak he didn’t like

DR: I say Eurovision has had enough this year and Na na na NO this will not go on.

The Decision: NOT GOING THROUGH

Estonia

The Discussion:

DR: ESTONIA

BS: yep

DR: Oh boy another Ballad

BS: I’m actually ready for one after Turkey and Georgia

DR: Even a rare male one at that

BS: he is really picky about the temperature in the studio

BS: and now he’s thirsty

DR: Very simple song

BS: I like this understated approach

DR: I like it just a simple song, sung in native lyrics, with passion and sincerity after two completely terrible songs

BS: as do I

BS: the juries will eat this one up

DR: Key change, TAKE A DRINK

BS: possibly enough to get it through regardless of the televote

DR: Not much to say here, except he will probably make it.

The Decision: GOING THROUGH

Slovakia

The Discussion:

BS: Slovakia

DR: Wait this is not that one song!

DR: RAAAAAAAAAAAAA

BS: YOU JUST DONT UNDERSTAND MOM

BS: I NEED A TATTOO

DR: I totally recorded this in my attic

DR: Watch my indie movie about faceless men

BS: why are they showing us the behind the scenes of the music video shoot?

DR: Quite possibly

BS: okay, so I like the chorus, but the verses are too screamy for me

DR: It at least has energy even if it’s energy feels uneven

BS: right, but I’m not sure I want to see it in the final

DR: Agreed, but the drought of real energetic song could give this one a pass

BS: I think this one might be at the mercy of the televote

BS: if they like it it could get through, but if it doesn’t get the votes I don’t think the juries will respond enough to it

DR: That is probably exactly how it will go down

The Decision: NOT GOING THROUGH

Norway

The Discussion:

DR: NORWAY

BS: WUB WUB WUB

DR: Also totally not that guy from Sweden Last Year

DR: Even though it looks almost like him

BS: I’m really liking this one

DR: Eh, Feels like typical pretty guy sings pop song

BS: it’s better than Saade last year

BS: and there’s no broken glass this time around

DR: Agreed, but still feels in the same vein

BS: it’s clubbier than some of the other uptempo songs this round, which could work in its favor

DR: Also the girls like them some pretty men

BS: yep.

BS: which is why Belarus also has a decent chance

The Decision: GOING THROUGH

Bosnia & Herzegovina

The Discussion:

BS: B&H

DR: Another ballad, sigh

BS: playing my piano in a factory that makes sparks

BS: so far not feeling this one.

DR: That baby mule is kind of cute though

DR: Sorry, the song itself is kind of plain, but not in a good way

BS: yep

BS: WHEN IS THE TRAIN GETTING HERE?

DR: Traditional Flute interlude

BS: I don’t even…what?

DR: So All that for the Bosnia Blues Brother to mount a treble Cleff on the top of the tower.

DR: His mission from dog?

The Decision: NOT GOING THROUGH

Lithuania

The Discussion:

BS: “love is blind” or “this is a literal interpretation of the song”

DR: Oh I get it the gimmick is you are BLIND!

DR: But not actually, just a blindfold.

DR: No artistic drive anymore to put out your own eyes for a song, yeeesh.

BS: but how will he enjoy the disco if he is blind?

DR: I miss kazoos and sequined hot pants.

BS: as do I

BS: I feel like this song would have sold like the eurovision equivalent of hotcakes about a decade ago

BS: or even further away

BS: it just feels sort of 90s

DR: I was about to say this was the wrong decade

BS: even the video quality

The Decision: NOT GOING THROUGH

After three weeks of covering these songs, you may have forgotten who we think is going through for this semifinal.  Here those selections are again: Serbia, Netherlands, Belarus, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Estonia, Norway, and Sweden.

Next week’s our final week of pre-show coverage as we look at the entries that have already made the final.  See you then!

I remember Metric’s 2009 album, Fantasies, coming into our college radio station and getting a lot of play, but it was never something that ended up a lot on the shows I was running. Listening to their new single, “Youth Without Youth”, I may have to go back to that album, as this track is fantastic. Synthy in all the right ways, with tinges of recent Muse tracks (if Muse were female-fronted), its driving beat is sure to get you through any Monday.

I’m so excited about this new Twin Shadow track, you guys. Seriously. I’ve been sitting on it all week waiting to share it with you all. True, at first when I read on twitter that I could hear Five Seconds off of the new Twin Shadow album I was all “that’s a horrible gimmick. 4AD should be ashamed”. Then I realized the track was called Five Seconds and everything was okay again.

Twin Shadow’s first album Forget is really good, but there was a bit of a disconnect between the sound on the album and the muscular nature of Twin Shadow’s live performances. This was a bit of a side effect of George Lewis Jr. recording the album essentially alone vs. having a full backing band, but it seems like he took the energy and muscle of those live performances and really channeled into this next set of recordings. “Five Seconds” buzzes with new wave energy and if the rest of Confess (out July 10) is even half as good as this I’m excited.

Also? For an email address, you get the MP3 of the song. Do it!

Alunageorge – Just A Touch by TriAngleRecords
Indie music tends to delight in finding something that’s gone out of style, refashioning it in its own image, and mining it for interesting results (at least until the mainstream gets a hold of it again.  Then it’s back to square one.)  A big sound that’s had a resurgence on the indie side of things in recent years has been 90s RnB, specifically late-90s RnB – the kind with weird touches from Timbaland and The Neptunes.  Dirty Projectors plundered Aaliyah’s sound on their smash single “Stillness is the Move” a few years back, and AlunaGeorge are now turning to some of the same sounds in their own work.  You Know You Like It is a brief but complete statement of intent from the group – here’s what we’re going for, here’s what we sound like, all in under 15 minutes (it _is_ an EP, after all).

Since I’ve already covered how much I like the album’s title track elsewhere on the site, let’s focus on the other two tracks for a minute.  ”Just a Touch” feels like the most “mainstream” sounding track on the EP – I could easily see it fitting into an urban radio station’s playlist without any issue.  ”Put Up Your Hands”, the record’s ode to a lover who just doesn’t get that she’s not that into you stop emailing her seriously it’s pathetic, is slower but has the same impact as the tracks that come before it.  The success all these songs get is from the true collaboration between its creators – Aluna’s vocals mesh perfectly with George’s production tricks to create something greater than their respective parts.  Check this one out if you can – it’s a promise of greatness that we’ll hopefully see more of soon.

[rating: 4/5 stars]

Ding-a-dong, everybody! It’s already the fifth week of our Eurovision coverage and it’s time to look at the next six entrants of the second semi-final before they perform in 3 weeks. Let’s go!

Ukraine

The Discussion:

DR: Ukraine

DR: ALso not the Beauty and the Beast song

BS: ukraine, as usual, sending some lady and scantily clad men

BS: I liked this song better when it was called “When Love Takes Over”

DR: yep, but after Ukraine it feels like an oasis of pop energy in a ballad desert

BS: it might get through based on following Portugal alone

BS: GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEST

DR: WUB WUBWUBW

BS: DUBSTEP BREAKDOWN YALL

DR: Is okay Still why are the back up singers wearing muscle suits

BS: not that I expect too much from Eurovision songs, content-wise, but this song is essentially “Welcome to my home.”

BS: Everyone cheer to the song at SPORTING EVENT

DR: Wait does this mean I am FINALLY invited to the after party?

The Decision: GOING THROUGH

Bulgaria

The Discussion:

BS: I’m pretty sure the bodice of her dress is heart-shaped on purpose

DR: Dance y’all

Yeah, but that theme is so last year.

DR: Also BIM-esque EARINGS

BS: I like that this year’s theme (Light your fire!) is essentially a call for pyrotechnics

BS: I like this one.  It’s got a nice beat and it’s all about love.

BS: Eurovision is sort of all about love, at its core

BS: love and tacky, tacky outfits

DR: Yeah, but there is such a thing as abusing your pyrotechnic privileges.

DR: I spelled that all wrong

BS: Bulgaria, using leftover independence day sparklers

The Decision: GOING THROUGH

Slovenia

The Discussion:

BS: we’ve all forgotten to take the shower pouf off of our heads before

BS: or: royal wedding hats are still a thing

DR: Silly backup singer, you are not a present

DR: The Downton Slovenia backup singers?

BS: Dowager Countess would _not_ approve of that headgear

DR: Audience, stop ineptly trying to do the wave.

BS: why doesn’t the main singer have an even more elaborate headpiece

BS: it’s like putting the bridesmaids in white dresses

DR: So gauche

DR: Man this is a boring wedding

BS: I like to think there’s a sign that says [WAVE AND SWAY]

DR: Along with an armed guard

BS: that goes without saying

BS: I think this one could squeak through

DR: Yeah a solid bubble piece

The Decision: GOING THROUGH

Croatia

The Discussion:

BS: fabric softener commercial

BS: WHEN FABRIC ACCIDENTS HAPPEN

DR: I was thinking Cologne commercial

DR: The scent of ambition, the allure, the mystique, the intrigue: Nebo by Nina.

BS: Nebo: gets your whites whiter

DR: Seriously though WHAT ARE YOU SELLING NINA!

BS: swaths of fabric kill dozens every day

DR: In bungee related accidents and cello imapaling

BS: her voice feels weirdly low for me

DR: It is.

DR: At least for Eurovision

BS: this one’s sort of growing on me

DR: I want to see how they will bring it to stage

BS: but they need to bring the fabric with them

DR: And pyrotechnics

The Decision: GOING THROUGH

Sweden

The Discussion:

BS: I really hope she remembers to return Rue McClanahan’s bedjacket

BS: seriously, though.  Winner.  Right here.

BS: right now.

DR: No, now is the song going to the finals that will place high, but lose to bloc voting

DR: Not much to say hear other than AWESOME SONG!

BS: I’m interested to see how this gets staged in Baku

BS: I think this one can even overcome the usual bloc voting

BS: if it’s on enough countries’ lists in high positions…

DR: You said the same thing about Haba Haba  last year and it did not even make it to the finals.

BS: you shut your mouth

BS: I was a child then

BS: I didn’t know any better

The Decision: GOING THROUGH

Georgia

The Discussion:

DR: You’re not Heath Ledger.

DR: DANCE CURTAINS

BS: I can’t make words to describe how I feel about this

BS: I’m trying

BS: but all that’s coming out is NO

BS: NO NO NO NO NO NO

DR: It is like the Georgian Barry Gibbs?

DR: Also why is a-shirts with a jacket a thing?

BS: he is not a joker, a rocker, a whatever else he’s called himself

DR: Not with those gloves

BS: also: a sharpie is not eye makeup

DR: Oh great now I have to get that water line fixed asshole, you could have just used the shower.

BS: put that permanent marker down

BS: maybe Joker is just a term for members of the Jokhadze family

BS: in which case his statement is factual

The Decision: NOT GOING THROUGH

We’re back next week with the rest of the second semi-final.  Until then…

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