Sorry for neglecting Tricks of late, I just started at the LSE and things have been a bit hectic! I'm still rambling on about music though, but this time on Pulse, the LSE student radio. You can listen to my show, Pet Sounds, Tuesdays 2-4pm here, or for a week after on demand online. I'm also writing reviews for Pulse, so keep an eye out for that too!
Quite possibly one of the most shocking videos I've seen in a long long time, Matt and Kim's Lessons Learned is a truly original piece of work. It won the MTV Breakthrough Video Award at the VMAs this year, beating off some pretty serious competition from the likes of Major Lazer and Bat for Lashes. Yet, while it's undoubtedly a breathtaking video, after watching it, I literally couldn't remember the song it was promoting - surely that's a sign of a terrible video?
Perhaps that's because whenever I think of Matt and Kim, their song Daylight springs to mind. Above is the video for it - quite a bit less controversial I think you'll agree. The tune's been kicking around for a while now - I first heard it in January of this year, then it popped up in a Bacardi commercial (thanks Ashley!), and now I keep it hearing it on the soundtrack for Fifa '10, my flatmate's new obsession. It's lovely - all jangly keyboards, yelping vocals, with a bit of a hip-hop vibe to the drumbeat. It's also available for download as a lovely freebie on their record label Greensounds. I get the impression that it's a case of "lightning doesn't strike twice" with this song - I don't think Matt and Kim have anything else as good as this up their sleeves - and all the incessant promoting is a little tiring. But the song itself is great, and that's what matters.
Local Natives are officially the next big thing. Compared by some to Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire and Fleet Foxes with good reason, they combine the interesting African drum rhythms of Vampire Weekend, the folky harmonies of Fleet Foxes and the overarching heart-aching melodies of Arcade Fire to powerful and infectious effect. Airplanes, the first song I heard by Local Natives, didn't immediately blow me away I have to admit; it sounded too much like a dozen other indie bands. But the plaintive refrain of the chorus (I love it all/So much I call/I want you back) stayed with me, and when I heard Sun Hands, a slightly darker, more percussive track, I knew that Local Natives were ones to watch. The five guys are clearly intelligent and passionate about what they do - you can see evidence of this in their blog - but you also get the impression that this is a band driven to achieve success and recognition, especially after checking out their slick myspace. This isn't necessarily a bad thing because the songs are worthy of success and recognition, but get ready for them to be name-checked a thousand times in the next year!
Local Natives are currently on the NME Radar tour along with Golden Silvers, Marina & the Diamonds and Yes Giantess - a pretty stellar line up! Debut album, Gorilla Manor is released on the 2nd November.
Check out their awesome cover of Simon & Garfunkel's Cecilia below:
