MORE THAN THE MUSIC POST: Introducing Ms Mr

At first Ms Mr appear to be yet another Brooklyn hipster band, making good music but not really making waves outside of the indie scene. They certainly have all the hallmarks of a hip alt band – a tumblr site full of quirky pictures and stop-motion graphics (and nothing else); promo videos made purely with recycled, post-modern, pop-culture clips of old horror films, musicals and adverts; and a sense of mystery, including a lack of photos, names or other personal information on the band’s members avail online or otherwise.

Ms Mr are not simply another alt-indie band however. These guys will not be staying on the low-down. For Ms Mr are surprisingly… commercial. They are in fact possibly the first truly commercial alternative band to have emerged from the Brooklyn chillwave/glitch-pop/gloom rock scene. They have even signed to Sony in the US – that is how likely success for this band is.

This is are still making good music however; it is interesting, subtle, layered and curious. Instrumentally the music focuses on the more accessible, pop side of glitch, but it has interesting timbres and intelligent composition, which is always lovely to hear. It is the vocals, however, supplied by Ms, that will really sell this band to wider audience. Ms has a high calibre vocal style that has been compared to the likes of Adele and Florence Welsh respectfully. Hers is a voice that is commercial and accessible, but not so much that musical integrity is compromised. The collective result of Ms’ vocals and Mr’s music is a kind of trip-hop and glitch inspired gloom pop, which will surely be popular with fans of Florence + the Machine, Lana Del Rey and Ellie Goulding.

Ms Mr have been active for around a year, and currently have three tracks available online, including their first official single Hurricane. They are lined up to support Marina and the Diamonds in the US next month on her Lonely Hearts Club tour. They also had a couple of UK dates scheduled for this month, but they have unfortunately been cancelled due to illness. We can only hope they approach our shores for the first time soon.

See this at MTTM at: http://www.morethanthemusic.co.uk/the-next-best-thing/introducing-ms/

THE GIRLS ARE POST (Single Review): tUnE-yArDs - 'Lady'

tUnE-yArDs feat.  Angélique Kidjo, ?uestlove and Akua Naru, ‘Lady’, Knitting Factory Records

Part of the (RED) Rush to Zero AIDS campaign, ‘Lady’ is the new effort from tUnE-yArDs, designed to raise funds and awareness for an AIDS free generation by 2015. The single, which sees tUnE-yArDs’ Merrill Garbus combine her efforts with Angélique Kidjo, ?uestlove and Akua Naru, is one of ten ways the Red Hot Organisation and (RED) charities are spreading AIDS awareness over June 2012.
‘Lady’ is a reworking of an original track by renowned afrobeat artist Fela Kuti. The new track attempts to recontextualises Kuti’s original song; as Garbus, (who also produced this new release) states:  “I wanted to reclaim ‘Lady’ for women in the world today, particularly African women, who will have an important role in ending the AIDS epidemic there.”

This new version of ‘Lady’ was recorded live in two takes, with minimal use of overdubs. The track has the same energy and flavour of typical tUnE-yArDs fare, and has far more pep and urgency than the original Kuti version. The track remains true to its roots, however, maintaining a mellow vibe with laidback high-life rhythms. The vocals to this track are the ultimate focus for the listener, however. Garbus’ robust voice takes a back seat, instead making way for the feisty, alluring vocals of Angelique Kidjo, and the dauntless and artful rapping of Akua Naru. Combined with backing vocals from Garbus, this single offers some interesting and enjoyable vocal harmonies.

‘Lady’ is available to download from i-tunes now, with all the proceeds going to the Rush to Zero initiative. The track will also be available on the charity album (RED) Hot + Fela, also on Knitting Factory Records, which is set for release later in the year.

See this at TGA at: http://www.thegirlsare.com/2012/06/13/review-tune-yards-5/

THE GIRLS ARE POST: Monarchy Themed Playlist

Popular music is not traditionally monarchy friendly. Lyrical or contextual content related to pomp and circumstance, the royal family, jubilees and the like are not a common occurrence in pop and rock, unless of course your name is Gary Barlow. The reason for this is arguably because all forms of popular music are effectively rooted in disenfranchisement and escapism, from rock and roll, to hip-hop to punk or R&B. Origins such as these do not really go hand-in-hand with the hyper-privileged lifestyle that the Queen, the monarchy and the jubilee represent.

So how exactly should a monarchy themed mixtape be approached? An obvious way to tackle the theme would be to focus on a punk inspired playlist, with tunes circling around anti-monarchy sentiments, ala 1977 and the Silver Jubilee. But this of course has already been done, and mostly by men at that (while punk certainly had feminist undertones, the key players, especially in 1977, were all-male acts).

Instead, therefore, the girls are have chosen to focus our Monarchy themed mixtape around idyllic, metaphorical concepts linked to aspects of the monarchy – of crowns, diamonds, knights and ladies and princesses. Such abstractions are figuratively employed throughout music to symbolise all types love and idealism – ways us commoners can feel like royalty – special and priceless. Whether you are a ‘Dancing Queen’ or your partner’s knight in shinning armour, we can all feel like royalty when the mood takes us.

the girls are | Monarchy (Spotify)

1. Regina Spector – ‘Lady’
2. Fucked Up – ‘Queen of Hearts’
3. ABBA – ‘Dancing Queen’
4. Lady Lazarus – ‘Took in My Diamond Heart’
5. Au Revoir Simone – ‘Knight of Wands’
6. Ida Maria – ‘Queen of the World’
7. Bat For Lashes – ‘Seal Jubilee’
8. Marina and the Diamonds – ‘Shampain’
9. Princess Chelsea – ‘Machines of Loving Grace’
10. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – ‘Dragon Queen’

See this at TGA at: http://www.thegirlsare.com/2012/06/10/mixtape-monarchy/