Coming Attraction: NEW Erasure album, 'Tomorrow's World'

Have I ever mentioned my love for this band? Well, I've enjoyed them since their freshmen days waaay back in the 1980s. And they've never gone stale since, somehow managing to crank out album after album of fun, quality pop music throughout the years. In fact, they're one of my "sure thing" bands. You know, the sort of band that is so consistently good that you'll buy a new album sight unseen and sound unheard. Because you just KNOW it's gonna be that good!

Enter 'Tomorrow's World', Erasure's 14th studio album. Actually, it's not available until sometime in early October, 2011. Some sources I've read have said the U.S. release date is October 4th, while others say October 10th. Either way, it's right around the corner and I can't wait!

Happy Music: 'One Life Stand' by Hot Chip

This fun and quirky electropop band, Hot Chip, seemed
(to me, anyway) to totally come out of nowhere and hit me
like a train! They've actually been together since 2000, and just released their fourth album as of Feb. 1st, 2010. So, obviously, they didn't "come out of nowhere"... The problem was that I hadn't been paying any attention during that time. But I certainly was the other night, when I saw the music video for, 'One Life Stand', the first single off of their new album!

I instantly liked it because I'm a big fan of the whole electronic/pop/dance genre of music, and it has a real catchy beat from the very start. But as the song and the video played on, I liked it even more! I think it's great what the lyrics are saying, especially in the chorus:


"I only wanna be your one life stand
Tell me do you stand by your whole man?"


It wasn't only the groovy beats and lyrics, though. I think what really put a smile on my face was seeing how much fun those guys clearly had making the video. They're just goofin' around, being totally silly. Serving it all up with a deadpan delivery. Basically acting much the same way I'd imagine me and my own friends acting if we made a music video. I guess that some might watch it and think they're all just trying too hard to be wacky, but I was cracking up the whole time! I got the feeling they were all very comfortable and just genuinely being themselves. Did I mention that three of the five of them were old school mates? There's comfort level, right there. Plus, look at them. They must all share the same zip code... in Dorksville! But I truly do mean that in the best possible way because I think they're all totally rockin' that whole "geek chic" thing! Also, isn't it nice any time we see people in the entertainment industry that aren't cookie-cutter-perfect-looking or don't have what many consider to be an ideal body shape?!

Anyway, Roel Wouters, the director, devised a unique concept for the video shoot. He wanted to create an experimental environment in which the band were left alone to explore and develop their own music video. With the rest of the crew closed off from the set, the band became director, cameraman and even choreographer to create a promo that is nothing but "Hot Chip". The band had a minimal set-up to play with of just one fixed camera, one handycam and their instruments. A silver sphere was also suspended in the middle of the room giving the band further creative scope to experiment with different perspectives. The constant revolutions of the band, the sphere and the cameras moving around each other all work to create a surreal and almost trippy experience for the viewer. These visual elements together with the experimental nature of the video and the band's spontaneous input, combine to give the track's hypnotic rhythm a perfect visualization.


In other words, it's way cool! Enjoy...






~Hot Chip photo via Google Images~
~All 'One Life Stand' music video information, including director Roel Wouters, via CreativeBoom~