"I would describe our music as dance electro-pop (...) played by a rock band."
Check out a brief clip of Dragonette perform at London's famed Abbey Road studios. The footage includes an interview as well, which is fun to watch. If you want to get the entire set, you can download it for free on Napster UK. I'm not sure how many people really use that, but if you do, you are you in luck. After meeting Martina recently and now seeing her again, I must say that I'm getting a really strong Gwen Stefani-type vibe from here. Look out for my exclusive interview with Dragonette on Arjanwrites.com next week.
Kanye West spent lots of cash on his video for "Stronger," a track taken from his upcoming new album "Graduation." The rapper's investment has resulted in something that confidently raises the bar in video cinematography. "Stronger" is pure eye candy with a strong visual aesthetic that includes bold Asian lettering, fluorescent Tokyo street imagery and futuristic, Akira video game-style action scenes that totally fit the hard-pounding rhythms and synthetic qualities of the song.
West teamed with acclaimed director Hype Williams to put the video together. Williams, who is known for his "visual bravado and vivid imagination," has become one of the leading creative forces who has given a visual edge to today's global hip hop culture. Hype started out as a graffiti artist in New York City with the dream of becoming the next Keith Haring. After a brief stint in graphic design, Williams started directing music videos in the early '90 most notably for people like Missy Elliott and Busta Rhymes.
Kanye's futuristic concept for "Stronger" fits perfectly with Williams' knack for outlandish set designs, constantly moving camera angles and saturated color palettes that are intensified with advanced digital editing techniques. His distinct style and perfect blend of sound, rhythm and visualization creates a vibrant hyper reality, which is clearly demonstrated in this new video.
Moving around like an enemy of the state action figure gone mental, West sports some protective gear with those striking, semi-shade sunglasses that were designed by Jeremy Scott.
"Stronger" includes a sample of Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger" from their "Discovery" album. The song itself is okay and West's rhymes are mediocre at best. Lyrcis like, "You know how long i've been on ya? Since Prince was on Apollonia. Since OJ had isotoners" are nothing genial. But West is not only a cocky egomaniac, he is also a very shrewd business man who understands that visual style is as important as aural substance in today's media age. And Hype Williams is the perfect person to deliver on that vision.
(Also, check out the speedy Mano remix of "Stronger" here.)
Frequently, I write about artists that are influenced by the sounds of the '80s. Laurie Anderson's 1982 album "Big Science" is considered by many one of the albums that lead the way for the synth-oriented sounds of that era. Interestingly, if you listen to Anderson's music it is hard to put a timestamp on it. It could be 2 weeks old, 10 years old or 3 years early. Her work is truly timeless.
Nonesuch Records will be re-releasing Anderson's "Big Sciene" in July to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this ground-breaking record.
Laurie Anderson is regarded as an avant-garde performance artist who is mostly known for her multimedia presentations that enable her to express herself as a visual artist, poet, composer, photographer and instrumentalist at the same time.
In the early '80s, she became a familiar figure at Lower Manhattan's hip and happening visual arts scene that also included people like David Byrne and Philip Glass. "Big Sciene" is generally considered her debut album. It appeared in 1982 and is a selection of tracks from her "United States Live" project, a legendary seven hour performance piece that includes her commentary on the social and political anxiety she perceived in the United States at the time. "Big Science" includes the 8-minute epic "O Superman," which became a top ten hit in the UK, and "Let X=X," a poetic, synth masterpiece.
The re-mastered version of "Big Science" includes the classic video for "O Superman" and the original B-side track "Walk The Dog." This is some pretty amazing stuff.
Watch Mika perform his new single "Big Girl" at Centerstage last weekend. Note the two "big girls" that join him on stage in their skimpy, blue tutus. Review of the show coming up soon.
(I shot this video with my trusted little Canon. The visual turned out very nice, but the sound is a bit distorted so make sure to turn your volume low.
Rufus Wainwright is featured on this week's The Henry Rollins Show, an "uncut and uncensored" late night talk show on the artsy IFC Channel. The singer performs "Going On A Town" and also sits down for an interview. Wainwright talks about his experiences recording his new album in Berlin, being a policital activist, the moral reponsibility of the media and the title of his new record "Release The Stars." It is always fun to watch Rufus and his signature frowns. You gotta love him.
Watch Dragonette at Abbey Road Studios (clip) 
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