This is one for new Lost At E Minor subscribers. The latest Syd Matters record – Someday We Will Forsee Obstacles - is a remarkably assured second album from a French group that was hyped beyond belief after their 2003 debut – A Whisper And A Sigh. That album sold 30,000 copies in France alone and this release, a sparkling collection of atmospheric indie-pop, should really push frontman Syd Matter’s name into the bigger overseas markets. As the Stylus website says: ‘Whatever genres he’s peddling, Matters is an unsparing romantic, often infusing his placid string-plucking with whispers of hope and encouragement. The album title nails things down pretty well, its innocent optimism tempered by the implication that obstacles exist in the present, and they are in fact not being foreseen’. And who are we to disagree.
Meanwhile, the Nouvelle Vague album – Bande A Part – follows on from their self-titled debut which shifted over 200,000 copies and presented them as a ‘cover band’ capable of reshaping any song – regardless of genre. So it is with this new release which recasts everything from Visage’s Fade To Grey to Blondie’s Heart Of Glass in distinctly jazzy overtones. Thanks to Shock, we have a double album pack featuring these new releases to giveaway to four new Lost At E Minor subscribers that sign up to receive the weekly newsletter this week and leave a comment under this posting.
Also by ZOLTON
Maths explains the origin of superhero characters
I love the colours and simple reasoning in this clever series by Scottish illustrator Matt Cowen, which uses basic maths equations to explain how certain pop culture icons came to be. Read more
Star Wars Uncut: a fully crowdsourced version of Episode IV
The project of creative technologist, Casey Pugh, this full length version of the George Lucas masterpiece was created from multiple 15 second segments recreated from the original movie and submitted by thousands of Star Wars fans, which were then spliced together by editor Aaron Valdez to form the final product. Genius, as both a commentary on contemporary pop culture trends (there are references to LEGO, stop motion, memes and the like) and on the power of tapping your audience for quality material.
Filmmaker creates LEGO stop motion to propose to girlfriend
Now, this is one for the ages: back in 2010, Atlanta film-maker Walter Thompson created a jaw-dropping LEGO stop motion to propose to Nealey Dozier, his girlfriend of four years. The video took 22 hours of shooting and some 2,600 pictures to splice together, a small sacrifice to pay for years of happiness together. Right? Right! Oh, and she said yes. Bonus.
YOU'RE SAYING (29)
Justin said | 23 August, 2006
Hey Zolton,
I’m loving this site man – it’s great!
Nice work.
I’m a researcher at a Uni in Qld and am really diggin the way Aussie artists are getting good exposure for their work OS.
I used to work with Jeremy in Sydney and through those guys got to know teh boys at DIK. A cool bunch man.
Anyway – I’ve subscribed to yer newsletter and look forward to keeping track of lostateminor. (Can you tell me the story behind your name?)
Props.
btw: I’d lurve a copy of the new Nouvelle Vague album – got any left?
Cheers bro
-jb-
cybele malinowski said | 23 August, 2006
Too Drunk to Fuck.
never have i heard such a deliciously superb cover
Paddy said | 23 August, 2006
Mais oui, naturellement je want a copy. J’aim toutes les things francaise…le vin…le fromage, les hairy armpits et especiallement le musique. Vive la france!
Zac said | 23 August, 2006
And for those who don’t speak native French, Paddy said:
“Yes, naturally I want copy has. I aim all things French… wine… the cheese, the hairy armpits and especiallement music. Live France!”.
thanks Babelfish! (http://babelfish.altavista.com/)
cat said | 31 August, 2006
favorite all time cover song:
the get up kids doing “close to me”, originally by the cure.
a close second is iron & wine doing “such great heights”, originally by the postal service.
Francis said | 31 August, 2006
Schneider TM’s cover of The Smith’s ‘There is a light that will never go out.’
mmmmmm yeh…it comes with a finely roasted recommendation.
Francisco said | 31 August, 2006
Hi!
I would like very much to have a Nouvelle Vague CD ad my favorite cover is Joy Division’s «Dead Souls» by Nine Inch Nails, from «the crow» sondtrack.
jess said | 31 August, 2006
best alltime cover has to be Nina simone “ne me quitte pas”…originally a Jacques Brel song.
Close second is M covering “close to me”. Songs that get right in under your skin. Would love to expand reconnaissance of covers with the nouvelle vague album!
alastair said | 31 August, 2006
“here comes the sun” by nina simone.
never has a beatles song been so completely reshaped into something entirely new and fresh. Nina throws her whole diaphram, throat and larynx into this track and turns it into a haunting and gut wrenching ode to life. the hairs on my neck stand up every time i hear it.
steve said | 31 August, 2006
“Take me out” Scissor Sisters,
Take an already great track by Franz Ferdinand and then hit it lounge style. Falsetto, and piano, its cool and smooth, chilling at a 1/4 after 5.
Christina said | 31 August, 2006
Manu Chao – Bella Ciao
Originally an Italian partisan song of the World War II – totally funked up and sung in Manu’s native spanish
Ian M. said | 31 August, 2006
gee theres so many cover versions i like…
one that hits the heart strings is Missy Higgins version of ‘Stuff and Nonsense’
Temi said | 31 August, 2006
George Michaels “Faith” getting covered by Limp Bizkit was pretty cool. Though the ultimate cover song is “Easy” from Faith No More (origninally a Lionel Richie song). Beat that!
Harm Ellens said | 31 August, 2006
* Blue Oyster Cult’s hillbilly version of New Order’s Love’s Vigilante (which in itself is one of history’s most unlikely anti-war songs)
* On the ant-war theme, Elvis Costello’s recording of Robert Wyatt’s Diving for Pearls (Elvis wrote the song himself but only recorded it after he heard it sung)
Jono said | 31 August, 2006
Fave cover? That’s a tough call. I’m gonna have to call Louis Armstrong’s ‘We have all the time in the World’ covered by Fun Loving Criminals. I think Huey really does the Big Man’s track justice.
Now if Texting is a crime in these repressed, conservative times then so must bribery, so I’ll join you in your underhanded criminal activities by sending you a big fat text if you send me a double album. You can text away till your quivering fingers are happy once more.
Cheers and yes Vive La France !
mel said | 31 August, 2006
Clare Bowditch’s ‘Fall at Your Feet’ keeping Crowded House Alive!!
Yessss…
Penny said | 31 August, 2006
How could I go past Dinosaur Jr’s Just Like Heaven. Had it recorded on both sides of a cassette so I could play it every morning before school, over and over, without having to hit rewind!
Penny said | 31 August, 2006
How could I go past Dinosaur Jr’s Just Like Heaven, oringially by The Cure of course. Had it recorded on both sides of a cassette so I could play it every morning before school, over and over, without having to hit rewind!
Ngaio said | 31 August, 2006
Frente’s – Bizarre Love Triangle.
Most beautiful cover song ever,
And also the Johnny Cash cover of Nine Inch Nails Hurt. Superb.
NGaio
Paddy said | 31 August, 2006
Jimmy Eat World covered ‘Firestarter’ by The Prodigy for a Warchild Charity album a few years back. They’ve reworked it into a slow, brooding, menacing beast of a song, totally unrecognisable from the original. It’s quite beautiful.
Paul said | 31 August, 2006
Hmmmm, out of all the covers that are out there in the world, I personally believe that one of the better ones that I have heard of late would be “Bridges and Balloons” performed by the Decemberists, but of course originally sung by Joanna Newsom. Yes, that’s my favourite. Also, though not my favourite, Death Cab for Cutie’s version of the Smiths’ “This Charming Man” is great because Ben Gibbard gets alot of the lyrics completely wrong and ends up singing something about “this charming car”. It’s almost comforting that such an artist with pedigree can have faults.
Cheers,
Paul Gallagher.
Paul said | 31 August, 2006
Actually, I just realised that I don’t actually meet the outlandish (kidding!) requirements to enter this competition, but hey, you’ve got my two cents anyway!
Paul.
Yiorgos said | 31 August, 2006
Best cover ever… the one that comes to head now is Floyd’s “Have a Cigar” by Primus
Mohammed A. Fahmy said | 1 September, 2006
Although I seriously despise Limp Bizkit, I am going to have to admit that I enjoyed his cover of George Michael’s FAITH tremendously.
Second place would have to be Oasis’ take on The Beatles’ I Am the Walrus.
Hope that isn’t cheating *cough*
Reitx said | 1 September, 2006
Leonard Cohen’s “Hallellujah” by Jeff Buckley. And of course Faith No More with L.Ritchie’s “Easy”, mentioned above. And the Pixies covering Cohen’s “I can’t Forget”
Joel said | 1 September, 2006
Favorite all time cover:
Johnny Cash doing NIN’s Hurt
Zolton said | 9 September, 2006
hey, thanks to all who entered this give away. the winners of this cd pack o’ goodness are: justin, paddy, jono and cat. congrats to all! please email me with your postal details. there’s another cd give away running next week. and a ripper at that … zolton
your mom. said | 24 February, 2008
google translate is so much better than babel fish. babel fish doesnt translate properly therefore a lot is wrong. I would know because I speak both english and french and I can notice mistakes such as Zac’s post. so thats why Im saying google translate is better. spread the word!
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Kate said | 23 August, 2006
Love the version of Heart of Glass – very cool.