Monarchy by Monarchy

If you by any one in a zillion chance happen to be in Mars (yes, the planet) right now don’t forget to tune into your radio because you might managed to catch a glimpse of Monarchy up coming album that is going to launch in January 2011. If you must know, Monarchy is the first ever band that beamed their songs into space by performing live. Monarchy is a debut self-titled album by a mysterious duo from London. 

After their successful remixes of songs from Lady Gaga, Ellie Golding, Marina and The Diamonds etc. Monarchy had successfully established themselves as a promising pop band. The rhythms produced by them is futuristic, catchy and dreamy.  Their is no doubt that they are going to be a hit especially for the clubbing scene once their album launched. Their synthpop tune is very impressive. It is almost like every beats had been calculated with laser-cut precision. 

The first track of the song Black, The Colour of the Heart is very spacey. The pulsing beats at the beginning almost feel like drifting into the vast vacuum. The second track, The Phoenix Alive is a very upbeat track and with a very impressive macro music video. Definitely a tune for club. The third track Love Get Out Of The Way, is another upbeat track that have an equally impressive music video with great dancers.Gold In The Fire is very good too. Floating Cars, might perhaps the standout track in this album. The pulsing beats, the dreamy notes, the catchy lyric and the trailing vocals. Perfecto! The last track, however is my personal favorite, Travelling by Ambulance. A very catchy tune with big lyric Craving human touch, You’re the saddest curse. or Don’t want to be all alone, You can put me on life support. I have been listening to it over and over again.

This album can be quite addictive.

01. Black, The Colour Of My Heart (4:30)
02. The Phoenix Alive (4:44)
03. Love Get Out Of My Way (3:20)
04. Maybe I%27m Crazy (4:49)
05. You Don%27t Want To Dance With Me (3:27)
06. Around The Sun (1:38)
07. We Were Young (4:18)
08. Floating Cars (4:41)
09. Gold In The Fire (4:33)
10. Call (4:55)
11. Travelling By Ambulance (4:16)

 

 

Monarchy by Monarchy

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Lights by Ellie Goulding

At first when I listen to this album, Lights by Ellie Goulding. I thought ‘hey, this is really good!’ No wonder she won the BBC Sound of 2010. The whole album sounded ‘fresh’ as it is really hard to find this kind of genres at Malaysia airwaves. Folktronica, a combination of folk and electronica, synthpop (La Roux) and electronica. But…



I don’t know why. But, the more I listen to it the more I think maybe she was over hyped. No doubt there were a couple of good songs in the album with decent lyrics. Yet, the album did not grow on me over the time. I can’t really feel, how she want to make us feel for the songs. Is quite vague. Sometimes, I thought I was listening to La Roux as La Roux also belongs to the same genre. But, it seems like La Roux managed to pull it off and she was just almost somewhere reaching there.

I don’t exactly know how should I comment or feel about the mixing of folks and electronica because I do think that it is a bad idea. But base on this album well, at least it turn out to be decent enough. Still I prefer to give it more time.

No doubt the album gives me a brand new experience while listening to it as like I said before this kind of genres were not very popular in Malaysia except a few or two. And some of the songs in the album were quite catchy and worth listen to like Guns and Horses, Starry Eyed, This Love (will be your downfall) and Under The Sheets. But, I guess this is an album I probably will get over with. It fail to ‘grab’ me.
Well, at least this song was good. Released on 22 Feb 2010. Album 1 March 2010.

Lights by Ellie Goulding

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La Roux

I not really sure whether La Roux is popular in Malaysia or not. Most probably some may ask who is that person?

Well, here are some info about La Roux. Actually La Roux is an English electropop duo made up of singer Eleanor Jackson and synth player, co-writer and co producer Ben Langmaid. La Roux actually means ‘the red-haired-one’.

They 1st debuted their album 29 June 2009 self-titled, La Roux. In the album there were a total of 12 songs in it. They mostly focus in the electropop and wonkypop in this album with some influence of synthpop.

What is wonkypop some might asked? Well, have you ever heard of Mika? That’s how wonkypop sounds like. Wonky comes from British English word which means wrong, unsteady or awry.

Then what is synthpop? Synthpop is how The Killers sounds like. The famous hits by The Killers, “Mr.Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me” were both influence by synthpop and it was an international hits back in 2004.

Anyway back to La Roux, personally I don’t really like the 1st single, “Quicksand”. I prefer 2nd single better, “In for the Kill”. I like “Bulletproof” and “I’m Not Your Toy” too. Of course La Roux made a huge impression as her 2nd single currently is the 3rd biggest-selling single of 2009 in UK.

Like the lyric very much:

We can fight our desires
Oooh but when we start making fires
We get ever so hot
Oooh whether we like it or not
They say we can love who we trust
Oooh but what is love without lust?
Two hearts with accurate devotions
Oooh but what are feelings without emotions?

The whole album actually act like a full dosage of 80s sounds. It brings back the sound of the late 70s and 80s. Is like you travel back into time where you are in a disco wearing boot cut jeans and dance while the rainbow coloured lighting shower the whole disco-pub. With the infamous dance style, the point-to-the sky then the floor using your right hand while your left hand hold on to your waist.

So classy isn’t it. Haha…. I can’t imagine myself doing that gesture :P

La Roux

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