Gigi – The Old Graveyard (Karl Blau)

words: Jamie Milton

It’s called an “experiment”. Well, it sure doesn’t sound like one. Gigi is the project of Nick Krgovich, whose aim is to forge an album that makes old-skool pop – quick-fire recording, reverb plates, the authentic stuff. The result is something of a potential trend-setter: on evidence of the Karl Blau featuring ‘The Old Graveyard‘, pop should soon be returning to these winning ways.

“It may be hard to believe, but I’m as happy as can be, in love with no-one and no-one in love with me” – simple lyrics, a basic, whistle-blowing tune and a one-step recording technique.  The results are mighty impressive in this progressive, memorable song.

‘Maintenant‘, the project, also features Owen Pallett and Mirah.
mp3: The Old Graveyard [alt]

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Pretty sure this is going to be the final part, people. I looked carefully at the list so far and decided we needed a few more additions just to wrap it all up. Enjoy all the songs we’ve raved about and suggest some more if we’ve clearly missed out an absolute belter!

list: pt.1 pt.2 pt.3 pt.4
Abe Vigoda – Dead City/ Waste Wilderness
Cut Copy – Lights & Music
The Dodos- Ashley
Elbow – Lonliness of a Tower Crane Driver
Elle Milano – Juliette’s Dead
Erykah Badu – Twinkle
Foals – Red Socks Pugie
Friendly Fires – Paris
Frightened Rabbit – My Backwards Walk
Johnny Foreigner – Salt Pepper & Spinderella
Kings of Leon – Crawl
Lil’ Wayne – A Milli
Los Campesinos! – My Year In Lists
Lykke Li – I’m Good I’m Gone
Maps + Atlases – Artichokes
Metronomy – My Heart Rate Rapid
MGMT – Kids
Outputmessage – Rise
Santogold – Creator
White Lies – Unfinished Business
——————————————————————————————-

Bon Iver – Skinny Love (For Emma, Forever Ago)
This remarkable one-ninth off one of the albums of the year first stole our hearts entirely with an unstoppable, tear-jerking performance on Jools Holland. Since then it emerged as ‘For Emma’s…’ highlight, the song that always tugged at your heartstrings and helped you realise that everything in life was really quite great…
PLAY: Bon Iver – Skinny Love
[Buy 'For Emma Forever Ago']

Death Cab For Cutie – I Will Possess Your Heart (Narrow Stairs)
This has emerged as many publication’s song of the year and had that not occurred, this might’ve passed us by. We loved this effort when it first emerged in its eight-minutes-plus form. For it to require your attention for the whole gloomy period was an audacious move but to have it pulled off was some feat. The highlight on a patchy album that’s could be claimed as fantastic simply on merit of this song.

Hot Chip – Wrestlers (Made In The Dark)
The underdog on the record; ‘Wrestlers’ was just as infectious as any of the other, more up-tempo numbers that were more well dressed for the charts. “It’s me versus you in love” quells Alexis Taylor who, judging by his solo album, was the brain behind this gem. Calming you down after the relentless ‘Hold On’, it’s a refreshing highlight on an underrated album.
PLAY: Hot Chip – Wrestlers
[Buy 'Made In The Dark']

Passion Pit – Sleepyhead (Chunk of Change)
Expect to see their name mentioned even more so in next year’s end of year lists. Passion Pit have been singled out as the one “alternative” act to secure certain success within the first half of 2009. Their Black-Kids-esque sound has much more to give than their counterparts and the warm, rich, divine ‘Sleepyhead’ proves just that. It fuses everything that’s great about pop at the moment into something accessible and enjoyable for any of us.
PLAY: Passion Pit – Sleepyhead
[Buy 'Chunk of Change']

Vampire Weekend – A-Punk (Vampire Weekend)
An early delight from 2008, ‘A-Punk’ became the song that was sung loudest during every VW concert from the moment the self-titled debut was upon us. Way ahead of the others in terms of likeability and pop factor, it aims to get the feet moving and the heart soothing (oh my, excuse that…) and it does nothing but that, if you catch my drift…

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NEW TO US: Antony and the Johnsons -Shake That Devil
words: Jamie Milton

I suppose it’s not like we’ve been totally deprived of Antony Hegarty’s spooky, soothing tones for ages. Hercules & Love Affair treated us with their invite towards him on their debut album and we got to see him in an entirely different light. Turns out he can also work his way through a couple of newly-entered genres through his very own pieces.

‘Shake That Devil’ is set to make the blogosphere (a word we’ve become keen on using, recently) stumble under its own feet. One fifth of a newly unveiled EP, ‘Another World’, iguessimfloating tells us it’s the stand-out track on the EP. Commencing with Hegarty’s voice and Hegarty’s voice only, unearthly sounds begin to enter before a clasping drum beat turns the whole affair into some sort of jazz love-fest and Hegarty is perfect for the role.

Tracklisting for ‘Another World’, released October 7th:

1. “Another World”
2. “Crackagen”
3. “Shake That Devil”
4. “Sing For Me”
5. “Hope Mountain”

Pre- order the EP

[PLAY: Antony & The Johnsons - Shake That Devil] YSI MP3

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