Loreen: Euphoria + My Heart Is Refusing Me + Idol 2004 performances

The 2012 Eurovision Song Contest was held May 26 in Baku, Azerbaijan. It is a huge TV event in Europe, but one which US audiences are virtually unfamiliar with. ABBA kick started their career in 1974 when they won with "Waterloo", and French-Canadian superstar Celine represented France long before she became famous. (most countries now choose to participate with a song in English, not in their native language, which has sparked some debate over the years.)

Last night, Sweden won with the song "Euphoria", performed by singer/songwriter/producer Loreen. Born Lorine Talhaoui in Stockholm in 1983 to Maroccan parents, she placed fourth in the first season of the Swedish version of the American Idol talent show, performing as Loren Talhaoui, and singing mostly R&B songs, including an impressive cover of Stevie Wonder's "I Wish" (skip to 15:55 in the third video below). A single was released in 2005, followed by a career in Swedish television as a producer/director. A new single co-written by Loreen entitled "My Heart Is Refusing Me" became a hit in Sweden after her performance in the 2011 Swedish qualification rounds of the Eurovison Song Contest despite her not winning.

It is interesting to see how much Loreen has grown and matured as a performer since 2004: she has clearly found her own voice and style which is paramount for an artist wishing to stand out, and has gone from a 20 year-old eager-to-please, somewhat shy, yet bubbly, costume/hair style chameleon to a 28 year-old confident woman performing barefoot, her hair and gown flowing.

Note on the dancer in "Euphoria": Dallas born Ausben Jordan has recently relocated to Sweden from New York City. Also a singer and songwriter, he has danced with Snoop Dogg, Madonna, MC Lyte, and more.


www.facebook.com/LoreenTalhaoui

www.loreen.se/index.html

Drake feat. Rihanna: Take Care + Woodkid: Iron

Two stellar songs brought to powerful visual life by way of stunning, seamless videos directed by French director, graphic designer, and singer-songwriter Yoann Lemoine who goes by the name Woodkid when recording his own music.

Born in 1983, he splits his time between Paris and New York City, and has directed videos for Katy Perry (Teenage Dream), Lana Del Rey (Blue Jeans, Born To Die), Moby (Mistake), Mystery Jets (Dreaming of Another World), The Shoes (Wastin' Time), and more. Lemoine has also done commercials, informercials, and shorts.

www.yoannlemoine.com

www.facebook.com/pages/Woodkid/57436954848


 

Wake Me For Coffee: Dogville

It's only May, but I already have a favorite album for 2012:  'The Mulder Ties' by Danish band Wake Me For Coffee, a collection of songs so insanely beautiful and brilliant, it's almost obscene.

Now a quintet, WMFC was originally a solo project started by bona fide grown up wunderkind Thorbjørn Nyander Poulsen whose resume reads like that of a renaissance man for the 21st century: musician, singer, producer, maker of musical instruments, toys and effect devices, Gameboy music expert, technology hacker, circuit bender, medialogist, former employee at Harvestworks Digital Media Arts Center in NYC, philanthropist.

Here is what he writes about the album, released on May 8:

"The title, 'The Mulder Ties', is inspired by X-Files character Fox Mulder’s colorful neck ties. Thus the album reminisce Mulder’s unstoppable course towards unexplainable phenomena on the verge of the rational, the arbitrary and the supernatural. All eleven songs are individual atypical pop art collages. The musical style is explorative, like a curious child crawling in a cellar or attic surrounded by tucked away LPs, boxes of electronics, photo slides and cross country skis. I call it Rhythm 'n Cruise. Besides being explorative and exciting, the music is characterized by that David Duchovny sarcasm and coolness as well. I make my own electronic instruments and effects by hacking and repurposing technology. That's where many of the sounds originate from."

You can listen to the full album by clicking on the Bandcamp and FB links.

www.wakemeforcoffee.bandcamp.com/album/the-mulder-ties

www.facebook.com/wakemeforcoffee

www.wakemeforcoffee.com

The hysterical 'Dogville' music video was recorded by Signe Høi Jensen & Thorbjørn Nyander Poulsen and edited by Thorbjørn Nyander Poulsen.

Mads Bjørn: Gold + White Trees + New Sailor

In November 2009, Danish multi-instrumentalist/singer-songwriter Mads Bjørn began recording material for his debut album in a summer cottage on the windswept west coast of Jutland, Denmark, resulting in the 11 highly layered, gorgeous tracks that make up 'Monolith", released in January 2012.

 www.facebook.com/pages/Mads-Bj%C3%B8rn/44811799937

www.madsbjorn.com

NOTE: The kalaidoscope like video for 'New Sailor' is composed of vintage footage from Copenhagen, circa 1930-40s.

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Marybell Katastrophy: Somewhere Behind Your Lips

Danish band Marybell Katastrophy of Århus, Jutland released two 5-song EPs in 2007 and in 2008, respectively. A 15-song debut album 'The More' followed in November 2008 in Denmark, and throughout Europe and Asia in September 2009. A second full-length album 'Amygdala' dropped on April 4, 2012.

"Somewhere Behind My Lips" is the unofficial title track since it revolves around the amygdala - a small area in the brain's frontal lope. A small almond shaped unit that deals with fear and defense reactions, it can be activated by smell, taste and other senses.

Members are: Marie Højlund, vocals, guitar. Emil Thomsen, keys, vocals. Jakob Schweppenhäuser, beats. Q, drums.

The video was created by artist Olaf Zhiga who also does the visuals for the band's high energy live shows.

Besides their native Denmark, incl. a gig at the Roskilde Festival in 2007, the quartet has toured Germany, France, Norway, England, Italy and Ireland.

http://da-dk.facebook.com/marybellkatastrophy

http://marybell.dk/

Rumpistol: I'm Not Listening

"On April 13, 2012 Danish electronic artist Rumpistol aka Jens B. Christiansen released his fourth and most ambitious album yet , 'Floating', a collaboration with Los Angeles based Danish expatriate, vocalist Red Baron that further explores the post dub-step vocal territories opened up on last year's 'Talk To You' EP. With tighter song structures, intimate lyrics and the Baron's ecstatic vocal projections, the two create a parallel world in which the domestic breakdowns of wintry Copenhagen are filtered through surreal sun-bleached Californian dreams, resulting in a robotic and hypnagogic hybrid of soul."

The info is taken from the excellent artist bio by Berlin-based label Project: Mooncircle. Italics are mine. Being from Copenhagen, Denmark and a longtime resident of the L.A. area, the highlighted words above naturally sturck a chord with me.

Note 1: Red Baron aka Tobias Buch-Andersen also sings in the Danish band The Late Great Fitzcarraldos.

Note 2: 'rum' means "room" in Danish.

The video was directed by Thomas Jorsal & Michael Bojesen and features actor Andreas Pietras.

www.facebook.com/rumpistol

www.soundcloud.com/rumpistol

Robert Glasper Experiment featuring Lalah Hathaway: Cherish The Day

One of my all time favorite Sade tracks is given a fresh jazz/hip hop/R&B treatment by New York producer/bandleader Robert Glasper and features flawless vocals by Lalah Hathaway, daughter of the late great Donny Hathaway.

The band's album 'Black Radio' was released on February 28, and includes tracks that feature Bilal, Erykah Badu, Meshell Ndegeocello, Musiq Soulchild, and others. The Experiment are Glasper on piano and Fender Rhodes, Casey Benjamin on vocoder and saxophone, Derrick Hodge on electric bass, and Chris Dave on drums.

NOTE: I very rarely post fan videos uploaded to YouTube that are made up of photos, but I had to make an exception in this case due to the outstanding quality of the track. What a shame there is no official music video for this brilliant cover of an already brilliant song. 

www.robertglasper.com

www.facebook.com/robertglasper


www.lalahhathaway.com



  


Sade's version from 1992: