my year in music

2011 already here, I’ll try to summarise the musical parts of my life last year (which, in fact, is quite a substantial bit).

Yeeees, this was originally intended to be posted before 2011, but other things came in my way, like moving to Paris.

M.I.A. – /\/\ /\ Y /\

This album recieved mixed reviews from critics. Some hailed it to such wonderful heights, some considered it to be rubbish. I landed in the previous camp. At first, I found it distant and hard to put down in any box, later, I fell completely in love with it. I read an article somewhere where M.I.A. somehow described it like being some kind of electro punk for the digital age. I completely agree. ‘Meds and Feds’, all I need to say. It is t h e electro punk song this year. ‘XXXO’ has been a staple in my playlists, ‘Steppin’ Up’ came creeping and then conquered my mind. Noice pop, Sleigh Bells, in all due respect, but this year, M.I.A. took it. You just can’t compete.

Lady Gaga – The Fame Monster/The Fame/The Monster Ball Tour

You might call her superficial, you might call her commercial, you might call her unoriginal, but I won’t agree. True that her music is appealing to enormous masses and that it’s sometimes bubbly electro pop with no apparent soul, but she’s so much more. The girl has talent, I doubt anyone will speak against that. In addition, she has showed courage in the fight for LGBT rights and so, so much more. I think she’s so much more than just an artist. Oh, and by the way, she owned this year. And 2009.

Robyn – Body Talk

This year, I think Robyn has showed us all that she is one of those artists who just continue to deliver those wonderful tunes, album after album. Three albums in one year, not just one. I hope that she now gets the big big breakthrough she really deserves. And I just don’t know what to write more cause she’s just so cool.

The Concretes – WYWH

The Concretes, my youth love. Well, they might not be Diana Ross or the Chosen Ones anymore, but my favourite ‘Didion’ from 2007’s ‘Hey Trouble’ sure got a continuation. ‘WYWH’, which is the name of their new album is something like disco music for people who are too cool to dance (or too lazy). The perfect lounge music for practically any occasion. Now, musically, there’s nothing groundbreaking with this album, but it’s just that they are soo cool. So incredibly cool.

Oni Ayhun/Fever Ray

The Dreijers are my biggest single musical inspiration. I don’t need to say more than that.

iamamiwhoami

Interesting concept, good music, fantastic videos. I like it.

I think I’m done now. And no, I’m not going to namedrop a bunch of other random hip artists just to seem cool. That’s just pathetic. Sometimes I listen to Spice Girls, there you have it.

Love

my year in music.

really, i could summarise this year in music by the letters k a r i n d r e i j e r. however, i shall not be that simplistic. to be fair, there is a whole lot of other acts i have been listening to this year. i will mention them here below.

this is the year when i discovered pnau. (thanks lukas)

this is the year when i realised that lady gaga is more than a commercial product (which she isn’t at all, really. thank you for re-inventing pop btw, it was very needed.)

this is the year when i became thankful for that victoria bergsman went to pakistan. (taken by trees)

this is the year when i realised that nothing ever probably will be as good as the 80s in music.

this is the year when i got spotify.

this is the year when i re-discovered kent.

this is the year when air france caught my heart.

i could go on and on.

love.

air france, http://www.myspace.com/theairfrance

arvika!

I figured I ought to talk a bit about arvika. This marvellous, fantastic, superlative-drenchable festival in the midst of the Swedish forests. Really, what a splendid lineup. Fever Ray, Depeche Mode, Röyksopp, Welle:Erdball, Jenny Wilson and loads of others. I’m a bit mad at myself though for missing Little Boots and Adrian Lux. On the whole, though, I shan’t be too bothered with my effort. The thing is that whatever you do at any festival, there is no way, and I do put emphasis on the ‘no’, you can hide away from the partying. We came to a big grass field. We left a dumpster behind us. Well, I suppose it was 22.000 people’s way of saying ‘Fuck nature’. It surely wasn’t my intention, I swear.

Anyhow. I was at the front of almost all of the concerts I went to. Röyksopp was frantic, Fever Ray as well. It was actually truly fantastic to see Karin Dreijer live, something I have never done before. The company was also great, lovely people all of them. Thus, a week later, considerably poorer and a lot more fulfilled I came back home. Well, that which, supposedly, is home.

Fever Ray

YES, it’s summer, I don’t care about the pose.