I haven’t listened to the full album yet but plan to after this post is written. Of course I came to hear of her via KCRW, the absolute best radio station in the country and one of the best in the world for new music.

You can listen to her in-studio performance on KCRW here. One of the best I’ve heard in a while. She talks about her collaboration with Peter Gabriel, who saw a show of hers and asked her to collaborate. Toward the end, she does a cover of an Arcade Fire song that’s beautiful.

One track that’s called out during Jason Bentley‘s interview with Ane is the stunning “Worship”, which is sung with another Swedish artist, José González. The video for “Worship” is directed by Ane’s long-time collaborator Magnus Renfors. The video is definitely odd but captivating. It’s the second chapter of a short film based on the music from her album. Here’s what Magnus has to saw about his direction of the video:

“Ane’s music is like a great ocean housed under the roof of a great old theater, where pictures are hung from the threads of the music shooting out, so it really does the job itself. That said, the images require a certain height at a substantively dramatic level, otherwise the music, sometimes so sublime and skin tingling, can rush over the head of the visual aspects. Ane and I have done stuff together since 2003 and already on the last album we talked about doing something bigger, more coherent, and this time it was really the one. ”

“ONE”, as the film is called, is a poetic tapestry incorporating various threads interwoven on several levels, integrating and complimenting Ane’s delicately composed branches between hope, rage and grief.

A heavy period of post-production is now rolling with the other chapters before the film is fully released in the fall.

The film is produced by Hobby Film Stockholm in cooperation with, among others, Riviera Post Production and Ljud & Bildmedia, with the theatre giant Ivar Wiklander appearing as the main character.

 

Ane also collaborates with Swedish artist First Aid Kit on the track “Do You Remember?”. You can here this track and the complete album on Spotify.

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The 90′s techno group Orbital are back after an 8-year hiatus (at least since there last album called The Blue Album). Wonky is mostly classic orbital, although the title track featuring Lady Leshurr breaks from their typical mold a bit. The three best tracks on the album are captured perfectly with videos. They are “Never”, “New France” (featuring Zola Jesus), and “Wonky” (featuring Lady Leshurr). As expected, Wonky debuted at No. 22 on the UK chart, where they have their biggest following.

Never

New France

Wonky

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I was happy to see the NY Times had it front and center, as well as The Huffington Post splashing with a big ‘I do’.

Surprisingly, the Washington Post barely mentions it.

Then there’s MSNBC, which has a screenshot of the ABC television interview as does The Guardian, The Daily Beast, and NPR. The article on the NPR site goes to a blank page, which had me wondering…

Finally, gay media site The Advocate had obviously done there big announcement earlier and are now into the analysis of the story.

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I heard this track on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic today and couldn’t stop thinking about it since. I finally figured out what it reminds me of vocally – “Video Killed The Radio Star”, one of the first videos ever on MTV. Progressive dance music producer deadmau5 added British vocalist Chris James to this once-instrumental track and created a warm and fuzzy aural addiction, based on the 1950′s Ray Bradbury story the Veldt. Enjoy.

Every night they rock us to sleep, digital family. Is it real or is it a dream, can you believe in machines? Outside the beating sun, can you hear the screams? We never leave. Look at us now. So in love with the way we are.

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Newest SNL cast member Kate McKinnon channeled Chelsea Handler‘s Swedish doppelgänger Helga in a skit resembling Chelsea’s show called Helga Lately. Done mostly in faux Swedish, the humor was based mostly on mannerisms and the few naughty English words thrown in. Check out the names of Helga’s comedian friends:

And later a Swedish Eli Manning appeared.

Here’s the clip

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I tried desperately to get tickets for one of Apple’s NYC performances, but wasn’t able to in the end. Based on the buzz from recent performances at SXSW and elsewhere we’ve got a great album to look forward to in June.

Here are some tweets about Fiona and her website…

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The Reunion Show was the most produced it’s ever been since the show started 4 years ago but with that production came a rather stiff and scripted beginning. It seemed as though the first 3 queens interviewed were told exactly what to say and when to say it.

It wasn’t until the top 3 (Phi Phi O’hara, Sharon Needles, and Chad Michaels) came out that things started to get interesting. Phi Phi finally got a much deserved lashing, which I would have preferred to go on an extra 5 minutes. It seemed as though those who didn’t like her (most), felt even more strongly after watching the show at home.

Ru apparently made the decision to hold the announcement of the winner until the reunion because last year’s Raja’s winning was leaked (supposedly midway through the season). I get the reason for doing this but if you’re going to wait to announce the winner, why not do a live reunion? Sharon apparently agreed and said so much in her interview with EW:

I was a little disappointed in the producers’ decision not to do it live because I’m a firm believer in documenting the truth.

I don’t fault Ru Paul for not doing a live show. I’m sure it came down to production budgets. Even though the show has done a lot for logo, I guess it hasn’t reach that level yet. Instead, they filmed 3 endings, one with each of the queens winning. Although Sharon’s reaction was great and I loved the “Happy Halloween” answer to Ru Paul’s asking her if she had anything to say, I would have much preferred a real reaction.

I would have loved to have documented how ugly I would have become in the fit of emotion with that crown.

All in all though, it was a great reunion and fun to see the queens all together. I just wish we had known the winner was going to be announced at the reunion rather than finding out at the end of the Season 4 Finale. Here are my thoughts on that.

Read the entire EW interview with Sharon Needles where she discusses the design of her gown, her thoughts on Phi Phi and Phi Phi bashing, what she really thinks of Willam and her elimination, Latrice’s comment about her, her regret(s) about the season and what cause she’d like to pursue.

Read the EW Interview

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It took me a bit of time to get into this album, but once I did I found it an addictive pleasure. John Caramanica of the NY Times certainly thinks highly of the album.

Saying “Mixed Emotions” is among the best albums of the first decade of the 21st century is an insult only if you look at the calendar.

See John Caramanica’s review of their show at the Bowery Ballroom.

Perhaps my favorite of the Caribbean-rhythm tracks are “Yes Way” and “All of Me”. On “Green Grass” their indie side comes out and they almost sound like The National on this track.

Watch the video for “All of Me”:

Listen to Mixed Emotions on Spotify:

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• Tanlines Are Back With a New Single: All of Me MP3 Download(blogs.kcrw.com)

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• Tanlines: Mixed Emotions (Review) (popmatters.com)

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This was one of many cute dachshunds at the 2012 Dachshund Fiesta, which I finally managed to get to after many years of forgetting the date or just missing it. Wired-haired, soft-wired-haired, long-haired, smooth, dapple, standard, any mini. Every color, size, hair type was present. Romeo was a bit overwhelmed at first but he eventually seemed to get into it, especially when the crowd sang the Dach Song.

Here’s the video I took of people singing it:

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After watching last week’s Season 4 “Finale” of Ru Pauls Drag Race, I had to ask myself the question “Should the reality competition we love so much be called Ruse Pauls Drag Race instead?

There’s a fine line between a twist and to tease and play with a loyal audience to the point of irritation. Season 3 had Shangela coming back for a second time and Carmen Carerra being brought back for one episode because she was a favorite of the judges. We repeated the ‘bring back’ this season with the fishy Kenya Michaels, which was a fun and reasonable surprise. Then there was the ousting of Willam for reasons that will not be revealed until the reunion. This is where the fun turned into irritation.

Seeing Phi Phi in the top 3 was a mistake. It feels like the bitch was being kept around because she ‘made for good television’. This argument only works for so long. The number of negative comments about Phi Phi will do more harm to her in the end than the few additional fans she’ll gain by being on for a few extra weeks.

But getting to the end of the Season 4 Finale, watching all of them lipsync, and then being told that we have to wait another week to find out the winner because it was “too close” for Ru to call? Give me a break!

Ru, let’s face it. This time YOU F$&@(K UP! And you better get it together for the finale.

@TomandLorenzo retweeted me on this!

It’s funny. RT @johnvaskoIs it RUSE Pauls Drag Race? Season Finale Debacle @tomandlorenzo youtu.be/0EqBalamZSc

— Tom + Lorenzo (@tomandlorenzo) April 27, 2012

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