February 2011
England
The National
♫ The National
“The National are a Brooklyn based indie-rock band, originally from Ohio. The band is led by lead vocalist Matt Berninger, flanked by two pairs of brothers; Aaron & Bryce Dessner, and Bryan & Scott Devendorf. They raced into the mainstream after touring with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and releasing their most recent universally acclaimed album “Boxer”. The National will excite you, and console you at the best and worst of times. They have always been their own people, and their own band - an authenticity that resonates in their music.” [via]
◐ … the above song is called “England” from the album “High Violet” … but the whole album is perfection to me right now … listening to it from beginning to end just did my soul some gooooooooooooooood.
So Light Is Her Footfall
Air
♫ Air
“Air is a music duo from Versailles, France, consisting of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel. From the name Air is derived the backronym Amour, Imagination, Rêve which translates to Love, Imagination, Dream.
Air’s music is often referred to as electronica; their form of electronic music was influenced by the synthesizer sounds of the 1970s such as Jean Michel Jarre, Vangelis and Francis Lai. Other influences include psychedelic rock pioneers Pink Floyd; film composer Ennio Morricone; krautrockers Tangerine Dream; early pioneers of the eurodance electronica subgenre Space; Jean-Jacques Perrey (although there are some echoes of dance music styles in the production); French crooner Serge Gainsbourg (Histoire de Melody Nelson, for example); and soft rock duo The Carpenters (Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft, for example).
Air use many of their studio instruments (like Moog synthesizers, the Korg MS-20, Wurlitzer and Vocoder) live on stage, where their ability to improvise is more clearly highlighted. The band performs the well-known tracks from the albums live as extended or altered versions. Air often works together, both in the studio and live on stage, with artists like Beth Hirsch (Moon Safari), Françoise Hardy (“Jeanne”), Jean-Jacques Perrey (“Cosmic Bird”), Gordon Tracks (“Playground Love” and “Easy Going Woman” - Gordon Tracks is a pseudonym of the French singer Thomas Mars from Phoenix), Beck (10 000 Hz Legend), on the 2004 tour with Dave Palmer and on the 2007 tour with drummer Earl Harvin, Vincent Taurelle and Steve Jones.” [via]
