Interview with Pete Wiggs of Saint Etienne

Bob Stanley, Sarah Cracknell, Pete Wiggs - Photo Credit: Elaine Constantine

  Hello Pete!  I’m absolutely delighted to have this opportunity to ask you a few questions about your spectacularly poptastic recent album Music and Words by Saint Etienne that has been out on Heavenly since May.  It’s a concept album and the ultimate fan love letter to pop music, where you hit the highlights of the soundtrack of … [Read more...]

Chains of Love – Strange Grey Days

Chains of Love - Strange Grey Days

Vancouver-based Chains of Love released this 7-song debut this past spring on Manimal Vinyl and it’s a nouveau-retro winner that delivers a  fresh, but faithful take on the old school musical stylings of the 60s and 70s, mixing vibrant 60s Girl Group harmonies and Wall of Sound dynamics with 70s organ psychedelia and more modern, sharply angular … [Read more...]

Saint Etienne – “I’ve Got Your Music” video

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British nouveau-retro electronic-pop trio Saint Etienne is back after a 7-year hiatus with its 8th studio album, the descriptively bland, but aptly titled Words and Music by Saint Etienne.  Released in May on Heavenly Records, this concept album of melodic dance-pop and fleet disco beats contains lyrics that read like pages from an ultimate pop … [Read more...]

Lana Del Rey – “National Anthem” video

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Lana Del Rey’s love affair with America, money, and true love (possibly not in that particular order) continues with her song “National Anthem”.  The video, directed by Anthony Mandler, opens with a reenactment of Marilyn Monroe’s breathily sung, celebratory “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” tribute to John F. Kennedy, with Lana onstage … [Read more...]

Short Takes on 1 Album and 2 EPs

Tycho - Dive

Tycho – Dive Ghostly International http://www.tychomusic.com/ Dive was released on Ghostly International this past autumn and it’s the second album from Tycho, AKA Scott Hansen, a San Francisco-based graphic designer (with some assist on guitar and bass from Zac Brown, Matt McCord, and Dusty Brown).  After a teeth-grinding, … [Read more...]

Lana Del Rey – Born To Die

Lana Del Rey - Born To Die

Current media sensation Lana Del Rey just released her fatalistically-titled album Born To Die at the end of January and she’s riding high on a lively worldwide wave of hype and backlash, with her album debuting at #2 on the U.S. Billboard chart and at #1 on the U.K., Irish, and French charts. Contrary to the reactionary rumors found online, … [Read more...]

Lana Del Rey – “Video Games” video

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Now-ubiquitous YouTube sensation Lana Del Rey, who hasn’t even released a debut album yet, is shooting to fame based on the strength of the video for her song “Video Games”.  The self-made video, which has over 6 million-and-counting views on YouTube, features lots of close-ups of Lana intercut with California-centric found footage and faded … [Read more...]