Joanna does Beyoncé (quite brilliantly)

I'm not going to say anything. Just watch this - the description says it is what 'SHOULD have happened'. Indeed.

Album leaks and the right listening conditions

I had a lovely experience today. I've mentioned the new Final Fantasy - or well, Owen Pallett (the FF moniker has died) - album 'Heartland' multiple times even though I had never had the chance to listen to it. I've known just about every single song on it in one version or another though and it has made my anticipation for the real record huge. During the last few weeks I've been telling myself multiple times 'GOSH, I CANNOT WAIT ANY LONGER. LEAK FOR GOODNESS' SAKE!'. It's weird, because I don't really like the idea of albums leaking on the internet early and being downloaded illegally all over the world. But I'd just become so impatient - and today, quite unexpectedly, the leak actually happened. And since I have waited for this record for so long and been wanting it, I couldn't help myself. I had to listen to it. I've already paid for my vinyl pre-order and the faster shipping. That's how excited I've been for this album.
Therefore I decided that I also wanted to listen to it for the first time under the perfect conditions. And luckily the conditions seemed quite right - the Christmas holiday began today, outside my window a snow storm was raging beautifully, covering the neighborhood with a layer of white. Suddenly the otherwise boring view from my windowsill had turned into the perfect place for enjoying the winter wonderland unfolding itself outside. I turned the lights off and decided to sit on my bed, underneath my duvet for the niceness and warmth. Then I found my big, dearly beloved Sennheiser headphones and lit three candles. At last I pressed 'play'. It was like going on a mindblowing adventure, from beginning to end - strangely it felt right for the first three tracks to sit on my bed, then on my piano bench right in front of the window for the next four, then on the floor for the eighth (while staring out the window from the little spot underneath the electric piano) and then leaning against my bed while staring into the ceiling for the last tracks. Listening to this album for the first time was like a journey through wild, amazing stories and landscapes. It made me think of dragons, witches and the fantasy books I used to love when I was younger, making for a fascination like few I have felt when listening to an album for the first time. The atmosphere is always important when you listen to music - and listening to the chaos of 'The Great Elsewhere' while staring at three candles of which the two had fluttered, waving flames and the third had a stagnant, calm one somehow just feels more fitting and enchanting than anything. Also, I don't think there's anything more perfect to look at while listening to songs like 'Oh Heartland, Up Yours!' and 'Lewis Takes Off His Shirt' than tiny, white snowflakes being thrown around.
I wrote about winter albums a few days ago and if I had heard 'Heartland' back then it would definitely be a contender. To me it is a masterpiece of a record, a beast of beauty filled with unexpected elements and flaws that make it something truly special. I am definitely not disappointed... I cannot wait for my vinyl now.

My winter albums

The winter has really arrived in Denmark now. It's minus degrees outside, there's beautiful white snow on the ground (which is a bit of a miracle at this time of year, actually) and only few days left before everyone gets to tear up presents from family members and friends. I'm the kind of person who always gets depressed, tired and annoyed during the winter - but there are a few things that are able to keep the winter depression at a considerable distance. One of these this is snow - often it's the constant darkness of the winter that saddens me. But when there's a lovely layer of white on everything, it somehow makes the little amount of light much lighter, so while the temperature may drop, my mood usually rises.
Another important factor when it comes to keeping the winter depression away is the music I listen to. Over these last few years I've found out what music suits the short days and the long nights the best.

Arcade Fire - 'Funeral'

My slight Arcade Fire obsession actually started at about the same time as the one where I began writing this blog. But since doing a write-up on them in January, things have happened and throughout the winter in the beginning of 2009, 'Funeral' was my soundtrack most of the time. There's such a warmth in Arcade Fire's music, especially on this album, and it aptly features lyrics surrounding winter themes. I mean, there probably isn't any time more appropriate for listening to 'Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)''s lyrics about digging a tunnel through the snow get through a loved one's window than on a cold morning with snow covering your own neighborhood. I've already re-discovered this album today and it just never gets old. It could possibly be my winter album this year as well, just because it is so damn fantastic.


Regina Spektor - 'Begin To Hope'

I discovered Regina's music back in December 2006. I remember it quite clearly because back then it was like some kind of musical revelation for me - and because I remember buying this album, which quite amazingly had found its way to my local record shop, in exchange of an unwanted Christmas gift. It's been quite a while since I listened to this album because with the musical standards I've set for what I want to listen to, this somehow isn't as great now as I though it was back then. And, well, because I've realised that all Regina's previous albums were much better. but when I went for a walk in the snow today I gave it a new chance because of the way it seemed fitting with the weather. And as the sounds of 'Après Moi', my favourite track from the album back in the day, found its way into my hidden-underneath-a-woolen-hat ears, it took me back to those previous winter days three years ago. They were good, and you know, Regina's good people.

Fleet Foxes - 'Fleet Foxes'

I have yet to decide what my winter album of 2009/2010 is but I have a feeling this might be at least one of them. I didn't really get into Fleet Foxes last year like everyone else - I got into The Dodos instead - and boy, was that a mistake. Because this folksy group's debut album is certainly very, very lovely. It features winter themes in some places as well, but while 'Funeral' is fitting for the snowy days, 'Fleet Foxes' has been my soundtrack during the cold, rainy days we experience oh-so-often here in Denmark.

The Hidden Cameras - 'Origion:Orphan'

Another contender, though I haven't listened to it enough yet. This album doesn't sound particularly winter-like or anything but I got my hands on it last week and it has stayed with me as one of those 'interesting, need to listen more to that' experiences. The reason why I mention this one is that I've been trying to get into The Hidden Cameras for a while and this might be the record that does the trick. It feels like one of those weird albums where you feel you just need to listen to it a bit more and then it might eventually become a new favourite. I'm intrigued and I'll probably discover it through the winter, so we'll see.

Track of the day #9

I'm feeling old today. But I'm also feeling quite young and childish. Let me tell you why; today I've been listening to lots of contemporary classical music, ambient and post-rock while I've also been reading Moomin stories. A while ago I borrowed 'The Big Moomin Book' from the library and once in a while it's really nice to just sit down, read and enjoy the philosophical, naïve and characteristic universe these stories and characters represent. I've realised what I want to do when I get old. I want to live in a Moomin house. A big, blue house with lots of floors and things to explore, right in the middle of some beautiful forest. Also, I want to write children's books, fantasize about the small and the big things in life and listen to lots of calm, quiet and haunting music in the late hours. I want to listen to Nico Muhly and this track which I have had on repeat for a while today.

An analogue romance

For my birthday this year I received a gramophone and though I was immensely excited about it when I got it, I didn't have any speakers to connect it to, meaning that it has been standing on a shelf for months without being used. Yet, today, I finally got it working! the speakers I'm using are a not-that-fantastic-but-okay pair of iPod speakers. This means I finally got to listen the vinyl records I have had lying around for a while. My collection includes a couple of free 7"s (from my time as an NME reader), a couple I bought in a secondhand shop yesterday (one features Beethoven's 8th symphony in F major - and both sound really scratchy - my mom reckons they're from the '40s) and an old, old copy of The Beatles' Revolver (inherited from my grandmom - and for some reason tucked in the sleeve for Sgt. Pepper). The best experience I had with the gramophone today, though, was when I decided to give the Benoît Pioulard 7" vinyl I got as part of a bundle earlier this year a listen. I haven't had a chance to listen to it before - and as it turns out, both tracks are really, really nice. I can't share them with you since I don't think they're online anywhere (but you can buy the vinyl here: http://www.pioulard.com/lee.htm), but both tracks are truly worth it. Both songs may be covers ('Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat', originally by Ink Spots and 'Sundown, Sundown' originally by Lee Hazlewood) without me having known the originals, so I'm not going to compare. But they just sound so fitting, so calming - like most of Benoît Pioulard's stuff does. Both songs are perfect soundtracks for staring at the turntable while that little, black record turns round and round and round. So romantic.

Track of the day #8

There's a trend in music nowadays. I'm talking about the one where an artist is releasing a new album soon and as promotion gives away a free track to promote it. The latest in the row to do so is Sigur Rós' singer Jónsi, who's giving away the track 'Boy Lilikoi' from his upcoming solo album 'Go'. Today that song has been my soundtrack - December is here, Christmas is near. And I think that's what this song sounds like. Pretty white snow falling, Christmas lights shining bright in the night and happiness trying to be achieved though it's cold and dark outside. I'll have to face it; there's no way I can avoid the winter - so I might as well try to enjoy it. And it's songs like this that help me do so.

A special gig

I'm a bit late with this, I know, but sometimes the time for writing just isn't there. But I have to write about it - I really do. Last Wednesday my family and I went to Hamburg to the gig of my parents' dreams - and yes, that would indeed be Paul McCartney. I was as excited as I mostly am before any gig but it wasn't until the day after the actual gig I really realised how special it was. It wasn't the way I prefer gigs - I think the venue held about 17.000 people, I felt like I was the youngest person there and it wasn't a gig where I was guarantied to know all the songs played. Also the atmosphere was quite strange before the gig as it was announced to begin at 8PM but didn't start before 9:15PM. There was booing and jokes about why the gig hadn't started yet and judging by all the stories I had heard about how the atmosphere at a gig like this was supposed to be fantastic I was getting a bit worried. Yet, when the stylish old man and his slightly younger band finally entered the stage, many of my worries were blown away. It was a show - a two and a half hour long show - and it was majestic and big. It lived up to my expectations - but not in a bad way. The visual part of the show worked really well - the stage had a new theme for each track and though some worked better than others I overall really enjoyed them and found them quite fitting. Especially the shock of the fireworks during 'Live And Let Die' - I'm quite scared of fireworks and though it sounded like a bomb exploded somewhere each time a new blast began after the 'so live and let dieee...' part I just couldn't help but laugh and enjoy it. It was loud and majestic and slightly ridiculous - but in the best possible way. I mostly don't like singalongs either - but you know, these are the Beatles tunes. Everybody knows the lyrics (though many of them I've only learned recently) and I'd like to meet the person who could contain him/herself during these songs at the closest you can get to a Beatles gig nowadays. So I grabbed my parents and sang along as you're supposed to. It's all love, you know. It's okay to show how much you love the music sometimes. It was slightly surreal though - also since I've never really been to this type of gig before - and I've only recently realised that I've seen one of the two remaining Beatles live. That's big. That night was special - simply because of the person playing - and I'm really, really happy to have been there. Because it was a truly fantastic gig. Macca is a charmer and though lots of the show was probably planned in detail, it never seemed fake or awkward. It was just plain entertaining, musical and lovely. Also, that night I realised what my favourite Beatles tune is. Blackbird. So simple, yet so amazingly beautiful.

December 1

When I was little I used to get a little present every day during the 24 days of Christmas. I don't do that any longer and I kind of miss it - I was excited to wake up every single day and find out what my parents (or 'the house elf') had given me on this particular day. Quite unexpectedly today turned out to be a bit like the childhood ones. In the mail today I found a package from my favourite Danish music magazine Soundvenue and I expected it to be a bill or something since I haven't been asked to pay for the next three months as a subscriber yet. But when I opened the package it turned out to be a CD I'd won in a competition on their website. Quite a lovely little surprise since I had no idea I had won it.


The other 'gift' came from my favourite orchestral experimentalist (as Pitchfork has labelled him now) Owen Pallett aka Final Fantasy. The album version of 'Lewis Takes Action' was released today as a free download and it sounds really brilliant. I didn't think it was possible for me to become more excited for 'Heartland' yet somehow I am now. Above is a live performance of another new album track from a Tunnelvision session released on Pitchfork recently. Now I just need to decide whether I want the album on CD or vinyl.