Catch 22
Some third-wave ska Alone in A Crowd when ska was real, and real damn good.
First actually full length album with the new band line up
this golds from 2000
Lights
Canadian singer/songwriter Valerie Poxleitner is Lights and she’s already won a Juno Award thanks to her soft, soothing brand of dream pop. Now, with the U.S. release of her debut LP, she hopes to take her brand of spacey pop to American audiences.
Managed by Jian Ghomeshi, the guy who “annoyed” Billy Bob Thornton, Lights is a marvellous performer. Her minimalistic style, played through a wall of synthesizers and keyboards, is charismatic and instantly listenable. Vocally, Lights is reminiscent of Vanessa Carlton with elastic, chillingly subtle edges mixed tenderly with the ability to crank out a few big notes.
While some electro-pop singers stumble with pretentious arrangements and hazy self-indulgence, Lights is simple, cute and intelligent. She is the epitome of the D.I.Y. musician, piecing songs together in the backs of vans or playing with a keytar during live shows to add some adorable mobility.
Lights is the type of performer that could easily be dismissed as a magnet for the headband-wearing teen girl set, but that would be a mistake. While there’s a certain pillowy-softness to every word that she sings, Lights is the consummate performer and is sharp as a tack.
The Listening showcases this through its 13 tracks, illustrating how simple, sweet-sounding tunes can go a long way in producing genuine emotions. Even with a healthy dose of vocal effects, Lights proves herself to be a surprisingly good singer, too, and this helps out a great deal in making the record something well worth noticing.
“Saviour” boots things off with a nice nod to New Wave and a whole lot of swirling keyboard effects. She handles the vocals well, delivering a cool offbeat tempo to the verses before releasing it all for the chorus.
“Drive My Soul” is a winner with its U2-esque anthemic quality, while “Pretend” is an absolutely charming piece about what it would be like to start our lives over again and what it would be like to feel like a kid again.
“Ice” allows Lights to sneak in an endearing reference to a certain early 90s rapper, demonstrating that there’s a little bit of subtle cheek to the Canadian synth-pop princess.
The Listening is a pleasing piece of work. It is endlessly sweet and comforting, making the most out of Lights’ gentle vocals and creative but simple song construction.
Lights is certainly a Canadian star on the rise, piling up accolades for her live performances (which include stellar covers of songs like Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”), her individual style and her delightful, humble demeanour. She’s an energizing presence in a pop world that seems to turn on posturing and insolence rather than substance and lovability.
Album: The Listening
Genre： Indie / Pop / New Wave
MySpace：http://www.myspace.com/lights
- Tracklist -
1.Saviour
2.Drive My Soul
3.River
4.The Listening
5.Ice
6.Pretend
7.The Last Thing On Your Mind
8.Second Go
9.February Air
10.Face Up
11.Lions!
12.Quiet
13.Pretend
Read More
Lights
There’s something special about solo female singer, Valerie Poxleitner from Toronto, Canada who goes under the name ‘Lights’, who currently has a self-titled EP available on Doghouse Records. But what it is that something special? Is it her sweet angelic voice complimenting her harmonic electro pop music? which she created in her bedroom. Well simply the answer is yes.
Lights is something I would not usually listen to but this EP grabbed me and made me feel good. With songs like ‘Ice’ and ‘Drive Me Soul’ being 1980′s new wave-influenced sensations with Lights showcasing her superb vocals.
‘February Air’ is well-written and is reminiscent of Imogen Heap and Bjork and shows that Lights is an innocent and emotional person. ‘White’ is bouncy song with Lights’ high-pitched vocals being layered on top of a guitar-driven chorus. ‘I Owe You One’ is a sweet electro ballad and the EP closes with ‘The Last Thing On Your Mind’ being a synth-heavy track filled with Lights’ positive lyrics.
Overall ‘Lights’ fantastically showcases an independent pop female singer, who has the songs, vocal talent and looks to succeed. This collection of 8 songs will make you feel good and forget about your troubles. The only downfall of the EP is that at times, she reminds you of cheesy euro-pop.
Review By Alter The Press
Artist: Lights
Album: Lights EP [2008]
Genre: Indie / Pop / New Wave
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/lightsnoise
-Track List-
1. Ice
2. Drive My Soul
3. February Air
4. White
5. I Owe You One
6. The Last Thing On Your Mind
LIGHTS + JACK BRENNAN WARPED TOUR ORLANDO – 2009
Sexy Aint It
Cash Cash
I remember when I was in eighth grade, a teacher once told my class about how trends worked in cycles. This was at a time when everyone wore baggy pants with chains hooked to their wallets, and he demonstrated his point by showing a picture of someone from the twenties wearing something similar to what everyone was wearing in my school. And this seems to be true of trends in music, like Cash Cash’s full-length debut off Universal Republic, Take it to the Floor.
The album, while recycling the four songs from their self-titled EP released last October, has eight new songs full of sugary hooks, sing-along choruses, and sexual-innuendo galore thanks to frontman Jean-Paul Makhlouf. Along with poppy instrumentation, following the less-is-more ideal, via Makhlouf, his brother Alex on keyboards, Sam Frisch on bass, and drummer Anthony Villacari. The understandably noticeable parts come from Alex Makhlouf’s synth hits in songs like “Your Love” and “Sugar Rush.” The parts stand out enough to pull your attention away from his brother’s singing, but not so much as to make you ignore them.
Songs with the most single potential are “Party in Your Bedroom,” which is no surprise seeing as it was also a huge song off of their EP, and “Your Love.” These songs utilize what a lot of radio friendly bands are using today. Giving a nod to bands like Panic at the Disco, back when they still used the exclamation point in their name and didn’t invade their parents’ Beatles collections, and the Arrival. Cash Cash use plenty of digital instruments and vocal hooks that you’ll find yourself singing hours after you’ve finished listening to the record.
This band is a classic case of the recycled trends discussion. For those old enough to remember, this band brings to mind groups like Aha, Corey Hart (via “I Wear My Sunglasses at Night”), and Germany’s Kraftwerk if they had more of a pop sensibility. And while a lot of contemporary rock and pop artists are doing similar work, certainly none are making songs as memorable and epic as these tunes.
The negative aspects of this record, while they are few and basically a matter of taste. The things I found discouraging about their EP remain the same on the full-length: there just seems to be too many artificial instruments played on the record. Or, maybe, it’s just too much of it sounds like it’s played through a synth or a computer. On the flip side of the argument, the one song on the record that sounds like they’re all playing their own instruments, “Concerta,” just doesn’t fit. Where every song gives a retro, eighties vibe, this song sounds more like a song written by Jesse Lacey and Martin Johnson. It’s a catchy, attention-grabbing, emo-influenced tune, however it just doesn’t sound like it belongs on the record because of how it lacks a digital influence.
Regardless of the tiny problems, this is an outstanding debut LP from a young, talented group of Garden Staters. For those who are looking for a new band that writes big hits, or for those nostalgic for the days when it was cool to wear your sunglasses at night, this band will deliver, without disappointment, exactly what you’re looking for.
Review By AbsolutePunk.Net
Artist: Cash Cash
Album: Discography [2009ish]
Genre: Electronica / Pop / New Wave
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/cashcash
-Tracklist-
01) Breakout
02) Sugar Rush
03) Party in Your Bedroom
04) Cash Cash
05) Can’t Stop Looking
06) Electric Hearts
07) Interlude
08) Concerta
09) Two Days Old
10) Your Love
11) Radio
12) Dynamite
And Also For You ‘Fans’
Try EP: CASH CASH – SELF-TITLED