Final Fantasy

Do you know that feeling when you want to stay up late and search for live videos on YouTube instead of going to bed? I certainly do.

And I've had a lot of it lately, with Final Fantasy. The band, not the game series (obviously). Calling it a band might also not be 100 % correct - Final Fantasy is basically the solo project of Owen Pallett, a violinist and singer from Toronto, Canada. He's one of those people who you realise has, in the background, been participating to tons of good music. He has toured with Arcade Fire, played with Patrick Wolf and Beirut, and done orchestral arrangements for Last Shadow Puppets (that last bit of information making me particularly happy as I've always thought the strings were the best part of that record). But what I like the most is probably what he has done under the Final Fantasy label. As Final Fantasy Owen has released two albums and three EPs - and his third album "Heartland" has been on the way since 2007, so I'm hoping for it to come out this year.

It amazes me how much he can do with just his voice and violin (and occasionally a bit of piano and drumming). Actually I think you could see his voice as an equivalent of his music - on the surface airy and light but underneath something more is hidden. As well as colourful and peculiar lyrics (often with Dungeons & Dragons references, apparently) and song titles (not a lot of bands have songs called things like "He Poos Clouds", "I'm Afraid Of Japan" and "This Lamb Sells Condos"), great cover versions are a speciality. He can make both Mariah Carey and Celine Dion listenable and has taken Bloc Party's "This Modern Love" to a completely different level. Oh, and he's done covers of Joanna Newsom and Björk too (and they aren't bad).

From what I've heard (and seen on YouTube) his live shows are quite a thing to behold. One man, his violin and his loop pedal(s). The latter making it possible for him to sample the different parts of a song in the moment, then loop them and play the other parts over it. And while he does this, there's often the most charming light show in the background, made live with an overhead projector. Definitely something I'd love to see.

Links

Music videos
This Lamb Sells Condos (one of the coolest DIY-like videos I've seen): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1kL568eg1w

This Is The Dream Of Win And Regine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8PZ8-cpWc4

He Poos Clouds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pQl7kye_d8

Covers
This Modern Love (originally by Bloc Party): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFXJKp-NgR8

Fantasy (originally by Mariah Carey): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O_yyEA72HE

Peach Plum Pear (originally by Joanna Newsom): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Txou6ctnYBs

Live videos
Song Song Song (featuring more shadow visuals): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO_T3bXiI30

Your Light Is Spent (from a La Blogotheque show): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBf10Zs0vhw