Category: Techno Pop

CLARISSE PICO - MODERN CHRISTMAS NIGHT

12/17/2015

I downloaded this one a while ago and didn't think about it much further. But, as I was going through my downloads recently, it stuck out as a really nice Christmas Techno Pop instrumental. Made me feel kinda Christmassy, which means I probably should have shared it with you earlier.

"Modern Christmas Night" is composed and performed by Clarisse Pico, who bills herself (on Soundcloud, at least) as 1122Music. She's a young German artist whose music is generally more Club/Dance oriented. Her single "I Need You" appears to have brought some visibility to her talents. I've never been a Club guy (and you really don't want to see me dance), but she got the mood just perfect on "Modern Christmas Night". It's very sweet and sentimental (in a Techno Pop kind of way). Some of her other tracks on Soundcloud are pretty compelling in their own right (even for a non-Club non-dancer like me). You can download "Modern Christmas Night" free at Soundcloud. And keep up on the latest from Clarisse via Facebook or her web site.

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IZZY OLAORE - NOEL (Acoustic Holiday Mix)

12/12/2015

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I'm truly happy to see Nigerian music breaking through in this country. It's kind of neat. Of course, I've always enjoyed listening to Christmas music from far away places. It's something I used to long for as a kid. I'd be reading Billboard magazine, looking at the international charts at Christmas, and wondering why I couldn't listen to those songs.

Anyway, pardon the momentary reverie. Izzy Olaore was born in Nigeria, but was raised in the U.S. Then he moved back to Nigeria for a bit. And, for the moment, he seems to have settled in Nashville. How cool would it be to hear Nigerian Country music? Well, that's not what Izzy does. If anything, he brings in more of a Gospel flavor, though there's also a clear R&B/Hip Hop influence to "Noel".

Izzy has a three song "Holiday Collection"--all three tunes free--up on Soundcloud. There's the regular mix of "Noel" and a third song, "Let's Go", which is more of a Club thing and doesn't strike me as all that holiday oriented. But the acoustic mix of "Noel" is the thing I liked here. Maybe I'm just getting too old (ain't no maybe about it, dude), but the other tracks are just too busy and loud for my head. The acoustic version of "Noel" appeals to me as a much more heartfelt and personal expression of the season. I ain't nobody special, but I'd be interested in hearing more from that guy. The bombastic, loud, Electro Funk Izzy...not so much. Just sayin'.

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VARIOUS - A NOTROCK HOLIDAY COMPILATION, VOLUME 7

12/7/2015

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1. Hides A Well - Decorations
2. Sally - Christmas Isn't Over
3. Young Legs - First Day
4. Borrasca - Snowed In
5. Please Exist - Bleed Christmas Dry
6. We Have Ghosts - I Wish it was Christmas Today
7. Zack Frank - Winter Weekend
8. Nicole Grogan - Christmas Present
9. Deja Gravy - Yule
10. Joe Egan - I'll Be Home For Christmas
11. straight creep. - All I Want For Christmas Is A New Cellphone
12. John Fisher & Molly Farrell - Black Christmas
13. Murph - Memory Lights
14. We Use To Love - 12-31-????
15. The McCarthyists - Merry Christmas, or Hanukkah, or Whatever You Like to Call It
16. Tabitha Booth (feat. Jesse Hardy) - Winter Blues
17. Joe Egan - Play Your Flute For Grandma
18. Ezra Lowry - True North
19. Awjita - Linus & Lucy
20. Eric K - It's Time To Go

NotRock is a New Jersey DIY label and this their SEVENTH holiday compilation. They just put out the call--to anyone, really, and artists submit their Christmas songs. Hey, its DIY; that's how its done. So you get a little bit of almost everything, here--from Indie Folk to Punk. Twenty songs is a bit much for me to digest this time of year (I don't even want to think about the other six volumes), and there's actually plenty, here, that doesn't work for my head. There are a bunch I really kinda like. And there are TWO tracks from this collection I am in love with.

One of my two faves is the one represented in video (it does kind of bug me that Bandcamp comp players will just keep going, not stopping after the one song you want to feature; there must be a way to fix that, but I haven't figured it out yet). Awjita proves nothing less than the genius of Vince Guaraldi, as his "Linus & Lucy" sounds absolutely brilliant in this Psych Jazz cover. In general terms, it reminds me of the great jamming bands of the late 60s (Greatful Dead were the kings of it, but everyone was doing the free form thing at the time). Awjita, here, does remind me of a specific band, but I can't put my finger on it. Anyway Free Form Psych Jazz is about as different as you're going to find anywhere. And I like different.

My other fave is Nicole Grogan's "Christmas Present", a Lo-Fi Indie tune with a cool melody, some great guitar work, wonderful lyrics, and miles and miles of attitude. And, from that, you might think I was describing some raucous Metal or something. But, no, the song's genius is in its laid back self assurance. It reminds me a lot of the early days of Indie on the Internets, when some very talented people were making beautiful sounds that, at the same time, were simple, low tech and Lo-Fi.

Some others (the ones I "really kinda like") are Sally's Indie Pop "Christmas Isn't Over", Borrasca's "Snowed In" (also Indie Pop), "All I Want For Christmas Is A New Cellphone" (Pop Punk from straight creep), the atmospheric Alt Rock/Pop Punk New Year's tune from We Used To Love ("12-31-????"), Tabitha Booth's "Winter Blues" (still working out how to categorize that one--sort of a Bluesy Dream Pop...or maybe Shoegaze...or maybe all of the above), the Indie Folk of Zach Frank's "Winter Weekend", and Joe Egan's Alt Jazz/Ambient Electronica "Play Your Flute For Grandma". So that's not bad. I liked half of it. You might find yourself drawn to some of the others. But the two that (IMO) make venturing to Bandcamp for the free download are the tracks from Awjita and Nicole Grogan.

There were hard copy CDs of "A NotRock Holiday Compilation, Volume 7", but they were for the artists and the release show. If any are left over, I'd assume they'll turn up at NotRock's online shop where it looks like they still have copies of the first three at stupid low prices ($3 for a 22 song CD? C'mon, that's like stealing). The download versions are all loaded at Bandcamp and "name-your-price".

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lulu & MIKENEKO HOMELESS - THIS CHRISTMAS LOVELY DAY

11/30/2015

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This is the type of thing I like finding on the 'Nets. As I've said numerous times, I've always been fascinated by Christmas music from other countries.

For some, this is going to be too Pop, for others not Pop enough. But it's basically your standard J-Pop style--soulful Bubblegum, really--but leaning a tad toward Indie Pop. I don't know a thing about lulu, but Mikeneko Homeless are a Techno Dance outfit from Tokyo. Every so often, they'll write a tune requiring a more romantic vibe and they'll team up with one young vocalist or another, usually an unknown. Such was the case when Mikeneko Homeless handed the keys to the kingdom to lulu for "Watermelon" earlier this year. The song was immensely popular and the band brought lulu back in the handle vocals for their Christmas record, "This Christmas Lovely Day".

"This Christmas Lovely Day" is essentially about a long distance relationship. It seems the two can only get together on Christmas Eve. Well, in a relationship like that, it's hard to completely enjoy the moment because every thought is accompanied by the certain knowledge that the object of your affection is leaving again. In fact, the pair just got together and they're already walking to the train station where he'll leave her again. That bastard! And she doesn't want to say anything (like, you know, "don't leave") because she doesn't want to upset him (apparently they've fought about work getting in the way of the relationship before). It's cold, so she slips her hand in her pocket and...dang if there isn't a ring. That bastard!

I'm a little lost on how the whole thing ended. It sounds like he gets on the train and he's looking for her on the platform when a hand grabs his arm from behind...and its her, surprising him; she's on the train and going with him (for a day, at least). But it isn't all that clear to me. It's all in Japanese, of course, and I barely speak English. Here's their translation:
Waving from platform, my hand drawn by you
I’m taken in your arms before I realise it
you smiling at my face surprising on a bumpy train
as we knew before the story started, tomorrow is an accidental holiday

And here's the Google translation:
Waving from home I dragged a hand
Imperceptibly in your arm
surprised laugh to see my face on the train swaying
as I knew from the beginning, tomorrow accidentally holiday

Anyway, lulu and Mikeneko Homeless are on Maltine Records, an Internet label, and, for the moment, they have the entire "This Christmas Lovely Day" EP--which includes "Watermelon", numerous remixes, and more--available as a free download (just hit the button that says "download" on the right hand side). I'm partial to the Hercelot Remix, myself, which is more of a club mix. How long it remains free, I couldn't tell you, but its up there now. Everybody needs some J-Pop in their collection and, as its free, this one is as good a place to start as any.

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CLARISSE PICO - MODERN CHRISTMAS NIGHT

IZZY OLAORE - NOEL (Acoustic Holiday Mix)

VARIOUS - A NOTROCK HOLIDAY COMPILATION, VOLUME 7

lulu & MIKENEKO HOMELESS - THIS CHRISTMAS LOVELY DAY

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