discovery via technology: The Naked & Famous
I was going through the notes on my iphone, which is my favorite way to record any song title I see, or album info I might happen across, in an effort to record all the music I find outside of the internet, as that’s much easier to save.
To be honest, this is oftentimes a “fire and forget” process; I will see a music video going, see the artist and song title, write it in notes and then completely lose said memory. Not only of where/when I may have typed such artist info, but also what the music sounded like. So a few days ago, I was perusing my notes list and I happened upon this one:
Let’s forget about Yusek, as that track is a bit throwaway. However, The Naked & Famous and their record titled “Passive Me, Aggressive You”, is providence. I have no idea where I heard them, I didn’t remember what they sounded like but whichever way I did hear them, I am quite happy that I did. Though you can not procure this record by traditional means (i.e. iTunes, Beatport, etc.), they are located on bandcamp* @ http://tnaf.bandcamp.com/album/passive-me-aggressive-you
Now, why would you concern yourself with such things? It’s just another band that hasn’t caught a lucky break, maybe they aren’t big for a reason? Well, then I’ll tell you: This band represents an evolutionary leap in the electropop style that has been pioneered by many voices, but brought to the forefront most recently by two noteworthy groups: MGMT & Passion Pit.
As you may recall, MGMT’s second record lacked the beautiful grit and depth of their first effort and much of the textural distortion was absent, along with, well everything that made the prior record so brilliant. To say it never made it into my itunes is sad, but that I only listened to each track using Quicklook in OS X is about as harsh a critique as I can give. Passion Pit is still touring off of their first project “Manners”, but their in between releases have been rather noteworthy, for example, look up their cover of “Tonight, Tonight” by the godfathers, The infinitely wonderful Smashing Pumpkins (see what I did there?). Of course there are other, profound voices in this format of organized sound, La Roux being the queen of all things retro, has not only taken this style to a new and wonderfully entertaining place, but also, by way of many remixes being released, brought many artists to the forefront, especially in the dubstep realm of sound. But I digress, I wanted to keep this simple, suggesting that, in this realm of organized sound, there stands an empty throne as to who is the leader of this wonderful brand of music.
Electropop is my 1980’s childhood wrapped up into music, using the keyboards of the time, sometimes mixed with heavy guitars, the too big to be believed reverb and, ideally, the dual, male/femal vocalist style, a la Human League & The Thompson Twins. There always seems to be, with this epic format of songwriting, a push towards over the top lyrics, sometimes silly, sometimes exactly what you need as a listener. The final feature is a refining of the artist’s sound down to a pure form using the studio as the “nth” band member (nth? remember algebra folks?).
And our friends, The Naked And Famous, embody all of these lovely requirements, especially the dual vocalist outfit, a penchant for brilliantly catchy hooks and infinitely singable lyrics, especially the opus, a nod to Human League’s “Don’t You Want Me?” with “Girls Like You”, the closer and a truly wonderful end. They are however, not simple pop songwriters; they have a depth of skill that is brought to bear on the opener, “All of This” has a razor sharp hook, a nice creative break on the lyrics that give it a lovely edge and a devious tone. This is an album of Muse-like drum sets, huge gritty guitars like our good friend Mr. Reznor is known for. But all the songs have this brilliant bit of lyrical creativity, “Young Blood”, “Punching In A Dream”, “Geek in Sheep’s Clothing”… Don’t you want to listen already? Like a well written menu, you’re hungry for the record by simply seeing the album art and track listing. Lastly, the production is absolutely perfect, flawless and penetrating in it’s emphasis on what the artist wants you to hear. The songs hand you the lovely detail and melody on a silver platter, not having to sift through the stereo space to find the good stuff, it’s all right in front of you.
Therefore, I heartily recommend this lovely record and if you know me personally you may also ask nicely for me to provide it.
I do hope you enjoy this album as much as I have… only having owned it for a short while.
keep listening.
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*If you are unfamiliar with Bandcamp, it’s a very open source way to get your music out, if songwriting is your particular cup of tea. Further, most artists are offered in FLAC or any other format you like with no extra fees… which is how every music procuring site should be. By the way, bandcamp happily accepts paypal accounts.
