Take Off Your Cool – OutKast (2003)
OutKast is an american group of hip-hop coming from Atlanta, Georgia. They get known by the originality of their musical style, composed of a mixture of funk, electro, rock, soul, jazz and crunk.
It is one of the most rewarded group of hip-hop of all time with six Grammy Awards. Their double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below is one of three albums of hip-hop to be certified diamond.
This double album released in 2003 is actually composed of two solo albums. The song My Favorite Things is on Andre 3000’s album: The Love Below.
This track, far away from commercial successes as The Way you Move and Hey Ya!, is a sad ballad sung by André 3000 in duo with Norah Jones.
“Baby, take off your cool
I wanna see you, I wanna see you
Baby, don’t be so cool
I wanna see you, I wanna see you.”
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OutKast Official Website
OutKast Official Myspace
Buy Speakerboxxx/The Love Below on Amazon.com
Flowery Noontide – Espers (2004)
In 2002, Greg Weeks, Brooke Sietinsons and Meg Baird form this folk band Espers, from Philadelphia. They are quickly joined by Otto Hauser, Helena Espvall and Chris Smith.
They are inspired by both recent folk bands such as Six Organs of Admittance, and British Folk bands of the end of the 60’s. Indeed, several members of Espers have participated in Nick Castro and Vashti Bunyan albums when they returned under the spotlights.
The Flowery Noontide track, which is extracted from their very first album, released in 2004 at Locust Music, represents perfectly their Psych Folk songs’ atmosphere with flute sounds and Indian instruments that come with a sublime voice.
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Espers Official Website
Espers Official Myspace
Buy Espers on Amazon.com
Six Days – DJ Shadow (1996)
Josh Davis was born on 1 January 1973 in Hayward, California. He is best known, as a precursor of sampling, DJ, producer and musician under the name DJ Shadow.
He starts very early to work with samples. This allows him to get quickly discovered by the director of a radio in San Francisco (KMEL). There, he make several remixes which reach the ears of James Lavelle, then boss of the label Mo’Wax.
He works under the tutelage of Mo’Wax to produce several maxis which let discover the sound which will become his trademark, involving rock, soul, jazz, funk samples, and scratches, covering a deep and powerful rhythm.
In 1996, he releases his first album Endtroducing. The composition of the album, based solely on samples made him join the Guinness Book of Records. This album will probably remain one of his major works.
Then, in conjunction with his solo projects, he works on collective projects such as U.N.K.L.E. in 1998, on which you can hear Thom Yorke or Richard Ashcroft of The Verve and Mike D of the Beastie Boys. You can also see him participating in projects with Cut Chemist, DJ Krush, Massive Attack, DJ Q-Bert…
The track Six Days is extracted from the album The Private Press that was released in June 2002. To make the clip of the song DJ Shadow asked Wong Kar-Wai, who no longer needs to be introduced. The expressionist atmosphere of the clip perfectly fits this great song full of spleen.
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DJ Shadow Official Website
DJ Shadow Official Myspace
Six Days by Wong Kar-Wai Live on Youtube
Further information on Wikipedia [en]
Buy The Private Press on Amazon.com
Von – Sigur Rós (1997)
Jón Þór Birgisson, Georg Hólm and Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson form the group Sigur Rós in January 1994, the day of the birth of Jónsi’s sister: Sigurrós, which means Victory Rose.
They are quickly gaining in popularity at local level which allows them to produce an album with the icelandic label Bad Taste. This album, entitled Von introduces their post-rock, ambient sound.
In 1999, with the release of their second album Ágætis byrjun, they export their music and are particularly welcomed by international critics, especially in the United Kingdom.
Two significant elements of that group’s sound are the falsetto of Jónsi and his special way of playing the electric guitar with a cello bow which produces an aerial and fluid sound. He took this technique from Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin guitarist, who used to play Dazed and Confused live this way.
It is also interesting to note that when they are playing live, they are frequently joined by the classical fourtet Amiina which brings another dimension to their music.
The track Von, which is on the album of the same name, is not sung in icelandic, but in vonlenska. An imaginary language, composed entirely of syllables without meaning. The group defines it as “a form of vocal gibberish that fits with music“.
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Sigur Rós Official Website
Sigur Rós Official Fansite
Sigur Rós Official Myspace
Sigur Rós Von Live on Youtube
Further information on Wikipedia [en]
Buy Von on Amazon.com
Fiore de la Citta – Seu Jorge (2005)
Seu Jorge, born Jorge Mário da Silva on June 8, 1970; is a brasilian musician, composer and singer. He grew up in a favela of the city of Belford Roxo near Rio de Janeiro.
He is universally regarded as the rebirth of Brazilian samba-pop influenced both by Jorge Ben Jor, Gilberto Gil as well as Milton Nascimento.
The album Cru, from which is extracted this track, was published in 2005. Unlike his songs with samba-pop sounds, this one let us meet a softer, more intimate, Seu Jorge.
“Nel mio cuore los guardo del mio amore fa
Una grazzia che é nata dal tuo modo di amare
Un sorriso nel’ochi, un álito di fiore
E le labbre bagnate di cello, con sapore di vino
Nel deserto umano, núvola di sogno su di me
Nel tuo corpo io voglio viaggiare e perder me
Dopo vado a explorare i luoghi che incontreró
Il tuo profumo guidando il mio toco
Come un dotto
Le mie mani con te mescolate sono ballerine
In questo tuo mondo pieno
Che adesso posso avere.”
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Seu Jorge Official Website
Seu Jorge Official Myspace
Buy Cru on Amazon.com
