TOP OF THE HOT - An alternative to the rain.

Tired of this never-ending winter ?

Of opening your curtains on morning, being afraid to discover (AGAIN) pouring rain, snow, drizzle, icy wind ?

Of this parade of sweaters, ear muffs, fur coats and umbrellas on the street ?

Dreaming of enjoying a cocktail poolside, running around half-naked in a corn field, lying down for hours on the beach slowly waiting for sunburns ?

As we still have more than 100 days to wait before Official summer, I offer a small Top 10 of songs & videos who will give you a glimpse of summer, and eventually cheer you up !

As it's too easy to use the classical "Summertime, Sunny, In the Summertime & Co" & considering the fact that I am not a fan of the "Top Summer Hits 98", this top is a bit different, and will make you discover or re-discover some good and quite recent amazing songs, and/or maybe discovering French acts, as France is well represented in the top !

Enjoy !

ALTERNATIVE TOP 10 SUMMER VIDEOS

1. Roudoudou : Peace and tranquility to earth (Tout L’Univers- Listener’s Digest, 1999)

2. Sebastien Tellier – Roche (Sexuality, 2008)

3. Fool's Gold - Surprise Hotel (Eponym LP, 2009)

4. M83 - We own the sky (Saturdays = Youth LP, 2009)

5. Telepopmusik – Breathe (Genetic World, 2001)

6. Jamiroquai - Seven Days of Sunny June (Dynamite, 2005)

(Better quality, embedding disabled : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUlxg5tDHsU )

7. Lexicon - Junk Food (Junk Food EP, 2008)

8. Naive New Beaters : Just Another Day (Wallace, 2009)

9. The Rural Alberta Advantage - In the Summertime (Hometowns LP, Self-released 2008)

10. Yeasayer - Wait For The Summer (All Hours Cymbals LP, 2007) – (This is not an official Yeasayer video)

Special thank to Guillaume for helping me browsing the Internet during the dark hours of the night, looking for the best videos !

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Soap&Skin

"Soap and skin are two substances which react on each other in different ways"

Thats how Anja Plaschg, 19 years old, is explaining her choice of calling Soap&Skin her musical solo project. And I wouldn't have find a better way to describe what effects her music has on me.

Anja Plaschg would be part of the music "freaks" that we sometimes find on our musical way.

Born in 1990, she grew up in a small village called Gnas in south east Styria, where her parents had a farm. (If you're like me & don't have a clue of where it is - its in the middle of nowhere in Austria)

Early musician, she started to play piano at the age of 6, violin studies at 14, along with developing some interests in electronic music. She did a couple attempts of studies in graphic design and fine arts, but finally dropped out to focus on her music.

Her first EP was released in 2008, quickly followed in 2009 by a second one, "Marche Funèbre". Her first album, called "Lovetune for Vacuum" (Couch Records/Pias Recording), was also released in 2009.

To say that Anja Plaschg's little world is strange would be an euphemism. Everything about her and her music will attract and make you feel uncomfortable at the same time. Whether it will be the visual ambiance of her clip, her gauzy skin and disturbing beauty, her fragile -sometimes whining - voice, so pure and clear in the same time, ...

She may remind you of Fever Ray/The Knife singer Karin Andersson in some ways (her weird silence receiving an Austrian Amadeus Award seems indeed familiar) or Björk, but she is for sure unique.

Soap&Skin is a Love it or Hate it artist - but I doubt her world will let anyone indifferent. Describing her music, one of my friend said something which I fully agreed on : it has its wonderful power of letting you see all the beauty and sadness of this world.

To understand this, I shall advise you to listen to the track "Inter View feat. Heartmill", which - in my opinion - reflects this feeling perfectly...

Soap&Skin - Thanatos - "Ages of delirium/Curse of my oblivion"

Artist Website : http://www.soapandskin.com/

Myspace : http://www.myspace.com/soapandskin

Facebook fan page : http://www.facebook.com/soapandskin

Antonio Lulić - Becomes Unstoppable EP

Good Afternoon London !

On this wonderful sunny day, I wanted to share here of my musical 'coup de coeur' & discovery of the past week

One of the marvellous thing about London is that you would never find yourself in need of a gig. Live music is omnipresent, and imagining how many concerts take place at the same time each night gives me vertigo...

Among all, I decided tuesday night to go to the "Shift & Shuffle acoustic nights", promoted by Tabarnak, London-based music promoters who does a wonderful job bringing together many unsigned electroacoustic/pop/folk indie-ish acts.

Taking place in the belowzero bar off Regent Street, the acoustic night could be called everything but a cold atmosphere :

Well sat in large leather sofas, I'm looking at the small stage a meter away from me : a couple of spots and cables on the floor, a mic, a guitar waiting impatiently, nothing pretentious really.

And there it come : A young-black-hair-black beard guy, looking a bit surly with his Wolverine-like face, enter the stage, take the guitar and begin his first song.

From the first note, I'm instantly in love. With his deep and profound voice, Antonio Lulić sing about his life wishes in 'Sobering Up', and how he fell in love with an unknown girl in 'The Sound of the girl next door, singing'. (Girl which I , eventually, already hate)

As I listen to Antonio's voice, which remind me a bit of Eddie Vedder, the room around me became blurry, and I'm completely transported in his world.

The only thing I can think of is how come this guy is not more known already, and how lucky I am to see him live in such a small place, as I am truly convinced that we're gonna hear about him a lot in the near future.

Back home, I browse the internet for more infos, and I discover, that, not only Antonio is talented on stage, but he also is the one to congratulate for the recording of his EP, 'Becomes Unstoppable', and the design of his website.

Originally from North England, Antonio Lulić is one of this 21st century artist, who understood that - with the music industry being where it is a the moment - no one can help you better than yourself promoting your own music.

He's been playing around the UK and everywhere he could these past years, and - to believe his website - has the firm intention to continue to do so.

And that's all I can wish for really, that more and more people discover the world and sound of Antonio Lulić, and that he continues making wonderful music to please our ears !

Official Artist Website for videos & gigs to come : http://www.antoniolulic.com/

Myspace : http://www.myspace.com/antoniolulic

Listen to the EP for FREE on Spotify (you need to have Spotify installed) :

http://open.spotify.com/album/63VVH2TV5myjDy0l7Jh2Ts

Buy it on iTunes :

http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/becomes-unstoppable/id344952567

Music promoters of the Shift & Shuffle Acoustic Nights :

http://tabarnak.co.uk/

Chiddy Bang - Who wants to grow up anyway ?

Chiddy Bang is a Philly based duo comprised of Chiddy and Xaphoon Jones (DJ/producer). Even if Hip Hop is not what I'll say my first genre, I found this band really interesting and I predict them a great success. They're doing what I'll call a 'fresh' hip hop, including elements of electronic music here and there, which suits perfectly to their tracks.

Their remix of MGMT hit "Kids" is way more than a simple remix. They managed to appropriate the song, and transform it totally to make what I think is a whole new hit.

Plus , thanks to them, listening to part of "Kids" doesn't sound like a torture anymore.

Opposite of Adults (MGMT "Kids" remix)

Myspace : http://www.myspace.com/chiddybang

=> I'll recommend especially 'Because'

Their first EP, "Opposites of Adult" will be out on February 22 , and you can already pre-ordered in on iTunes.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we proudly present a picturesque score of passing fantasy. For your pleasure, at one."

Good Morning UK, and welcome to Brick Lane Chronicles !

This blog's aim is to share what I discover while I'm in London, (not so) far away from lovely Paris where I come from, and to which I may also talk once in a while.

Posts will be about music mostly as it's my forte, my passion and my studies, but hopefully I'll try to include cinema, fashion, literature, visual arts, photography etc as I appreciate all kind of arts.

As I am a new Londoner, this blog will also talk about places in London that I discovered, appreciate and would like to share, whether it'll be places, venues, pubs, clubs, restaurants, museums, parks, ...

Last "section" of it will be about cultural events : concerts, art exhibitions

I hope you'll enjoy !

Géraldine