"...A Song That Became The World..."

Iggy and Cat Power talk about new albums...Beck does version of "Corrina, Corrina"...Fiona Apple shares "Every Single Night"...St. Vincent shares 7" songs...What listening to Bjork is like...

Well, I got a long one today folks. There's a lot to talk about, so let's jump right into it. Iggy Pop is coming out with a new album, titled Apres, and it's scheduled to come out on May 9th. Iggy described the album as being an album of covers, most of them French, taken from artists Edith Piaf and Serge Gainsbourg. So, be on the lookout for that. Cat Power also announced, via Twitter, that she was finished with her new record and that it is going to be titled Sun. Though, no release date has been announced, so keep your eyes and ears open for that one.

Also, Beck did a cover of the famous, "Corrina, Corrina," which has been covered by many artists since it's 1928 inception. The track was done for a music compilation, put together by Christy Turlington Burns, for Every Mother Counts, which battles unsafe conditions for mothers around the world. You can hear the track and read more about Every Mother Counts at Pitchfork.

Well...this one has been a long-time coming for most. Fiona Apple has shared the first "album-version" track from her new record, The Idler Wheel.... The track, titled "Every Single Night," is pretty good. Her vocals are in top shape, and it has her signature jazzy style, and well...it's an addition to what makes Apple a great singer/songwriter. You can hear the track below:



Now, it's no surprising news that many artists came out with new music, via 7" or album reissues for Record Store Day, and it would be wrong to assume that St. Vincent is any different. Annie Clark graced audiences with the Krokodil 7", which features tracks, "Krokodil" and "Grot." Both tracks threw me for a loop. I know that St. Vincent has the ability and affinity for going extremely heavy on the guitar, and basically thrashing her metal ditties around, but these tracks just show that she's not just another cutesy singer/songwriter, but she actually has some bold darkness to her. You can hear both tracks below:

Krokodil



Grot



LISTENING: Well, this year's Record Store Day proved to be a great shopping endeavor. Always one who loves to spend money on records/cd's, I felt I did great on my budget. Well, not as great as I wanted, but I still feel like I came out on top. I didn't splurge as much as I wanted, but I bought Manifesto by Roxy Music (My first Roxy Music album, which I still haven't gotten into quite yet), a 7" with Willie Nelson and Brenda Lee singing "You're Gonna Love Yourself (In The Morning)," and Biophilia by Bjork.

Now, let me say that I respect Bjork. She's talented, creative, and fucking weird. But, I've never been a huge fan of her music because I just don't understand it. I bought Vespertine when I was in high school, listened to the whole album once, and gave it to a friend because I couldn't quite get it. I just didn't understand what the big deal was with her, but as I heard her music in passing over the years, I've come to understand that she not only has one of the biggest followings, but she's truly innovative in her stylistic changes and her visual representations. Having said that, my mind didn't completely start opening up to Bjork until Volta came out, and maybe that was only because of the Timbaland-produced songs.

But, Biophilia is a whole other monster. Take for instance that listening to Bjork is like being taken to another world, whether that be the forests of Iceland, the plains of Africa, or inside Bjork's computer-twinged psyche, the audience is always an active participant in these adventures. With Biophilia, Bjork takes us to space. I've listened to the whole record twice, and it's interesting to say the least. It has touches of her signature electronic tendencies, but it also has some wickedly vibrant moments, thanks to a choir that Bjork recruited for back-up vocals. My favorite track is "Cosmogony" which tells how the universe came to be, and I also like "Virus," which is a twisted love song between well...a virus and its host. In conclusion, I feel that I understand Bjork better. I feel as though you can't listen to her expecting some clap-hand beats, some bobbing head moments...it's not exactly road-trip material. You just have to listen, take it all in, and let Bjork show you her world, no matter how trippy or peculiar. You can hear "Cosmogony" below:



That's all. PEACE.