Out of the sixteen tracks, one has gained the title of “mel will obsess over you for so long she’ll forget all about any other song for weeks“. And here it is : We Used To Wait.

I used to write,
I used to write letters I used to sign my name
I used to sleep at night
Before the flashing lights settled deep in my brain

But by the time we met
By the time we met the times had already changed

So I never wrote a letter
I never took my true heart I never wrote it down
So when the lights cut out
I was lost standing in the wilderness downtown

Now our lives are changing fast
Now our lives are changing fast
Hope that something pure can last
Hope that something pure can last

It seems strange
How we used to wait for letters to arrive
But what’s stranger still
Is how something so small can keep you alive

We used to wait
We used to waste hours just walking around
We used to wait
All those wasted lives in the wilderness downtown

oooo we used to wait
oooo we used to wait
oooo we used to wait
Sometimes it never came
(oooo we used to wait)
Sometimes it never came
(oooo we used to wait)
Still moving through the pain
(oooooo)

I’m gonna write a letter to my true love
I’m gonna sign my name
Like a patient on a table
I wanna walk again gonna move through the pain

Now our lives are changing fast
Now our lives are changing fast
Hope that something pure can last
Hope that something pure can last

oooo we used to wait
oooo we used to wait
oooo we used to wait
Sometimes it never came
(oooo we used to wait)
Sometimes it never came
(oooo we used to wait)
Still moving through the pain
(oooooo) anekatips

we used to wait (x3)

We used to wait for it
We used to wait for it
Now we’re screaming sing the chorus again
We used to wait for it
We used to wait for it
Now we’re screaming sing the chorus again

I used to wait for it
I used to wait for it
Hear my voice screaming sing the chorus again

Wait for it (x3)

The Two are a French acoustic duo who make good use of their voices and the acoustic guitar. Their stripped down sound is touching and refreshing in these times of overlaying madness.

Here’s their first single : I Wanna Be With You Again [iTunes]

To listen to more songs and keep up with the latest news, head over to their myspace, be a fan on facebook or follow them on Twitter.

David and Ada at l’Aéronef, Lille, France on May 15, 2010

Here are Kim’s words regarding the album. If you need more information, check her website. If you like what you hear, share the link around.

This is a preview track for my upcoming album, “The Impossible Girl.” The song is called “Impossible Girl #4.”

The recording of the album is being funded by a successful pre-order campaign.

I reached my halfway mark of $10,000 on March 7th, 2010. I need a total of $20,000 to complete the album.

To pre-order: www.theimpossiblegirl.com

Pre-orders start as low as $5, while $20 will get you an advance, limited edition, signed copy.

I’m working with producer, Sean Slade (Radiohead, Dresden Dolls,) and engineer Benny Grotto (Mad Oak Studios.) The sooner I get my funding, the sooner the album comes out.
We are currently working on 20 tracks! The styles are as diverse as my songs have ever been: pretty, strange, playful, sad, dark, haunting, jaunty, and more.

I cannot wait to set this album free.

Be part of the art: www.theimpossiblegirl.com

Producer: Sean Slade
Engineer: Benny Grotto
Musicians: Kim Boekbinder, Jeremy Curtis, Michael Lewis, Ian Kennedy, Sean Slade

Photo Credit: Lauren Goldberg / FairytaleVegas.com

For the first Song of the Day of 2010, let me introduce you to Kayla Oberlin and her wonderful ukulele accompanying on a sweet story-telling surrounding the news of Amanda Palmer’s death simply entitled WKAP (Who Killed Amanda Palmer? is Amanda Palmer’s latest release).

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I haven’t been curious enough to try and decifer the bridge part yet, mysteries are good too.

Visit Kayla Oberlin on myspace.

> albums :

- Brandi Carlile – Give Up The Ghost : It may not have impressed me as much as the previous ones on first listen but it’s a very enjoyable album.
Looking Out :

- Tegan and Sara – Sainthood : Their sound evolves again by adding even more keys to the catchy base. The result is surprising at first and soon becomes addictive.
The Cure :

- Zoe Boekbinder – Artichoke Perfume : First full-length release and a damn good one! A cd to listen to when in need of a boost of positive energy.
Inexorably :

- The XX – XX : They act like they don’t know what they’re doing but their minimalistic sound fills a void many big productions couldn’t even dare to cover. It’s cozy and soothing.
Crystalised :

- Rachael Cantu – Far And Wide : Pop folk at its best, sometimes unbeat, sometimes intimate. Rachael’s got a voice and stories you like to come back to. Again and again.
Your Hips Are Bad :

- Pamela Hute – Turtle Tales From Overseas : When I first heard Don’t Help Me, I knew I couldn’t forget the name of the band and would have to keep an eye out for their full length. This self-released Ghost album is full of dirty riffs on subtle drum patterns, topped with Pam’s voice both fragile and powerful.
Don’t Help Me :

- Metric – Fantasies : Less of a concept album, more of a collection of songs to paint your morose life with bright colors. It’s definitely Metric, a good drum and bass base, an omnipresent guitar and Emily’s voice and keyboards. Nothing more, nothing less.
Gold Guns Girls :

- MEN - MEN EP : A 3 song EP with infectuous beats and loops, lovely melodies and lyrics to sing along to. Can’t wait for the full-length!
Simultaneously :

- Kaki King – Mexican Teenagers EP : When Kaki King grabs her electric guitar and gets a back band, the result is an instrumental rock EP that is hauntingly good. The melodies are genius so the lack of vocal comes as no shock.
Lintoria :

- Imogen Heap – Ellipse : The waiting time since her last album was so long I was scared to be disappointed once the new one was released. Let’s just say I wasn’t. Imogen Heap is a genius and no song on Ellipse is weak, they all are a different form of awesome.
Aha! :

- Gossip - Music For Men : THE album that made them so famous I’ll never see them live again because they only play stadiums now. I have to say it’s quite brilliant, the production is flawless and the replay value is very high.
Men In Love :

- The Alphabet – Scarlet Starlet : New songs plus reworked old favorites from the time they were still Pretty Balanced. They still have that little something that let them stand out from the rest.
Prosthetic Face :

- BionicBabies – Naked Bears EP : An acoustic take on 4 of their songs, including a new one. I loved them as an electric band and I still love them unplugged.
Best Side (acoustic) :

- Char2d2 - Small Vampires EP : A 6 pop song EP produced by Tegan Quin that is so lovely you can’t resist it.
You Are A Small Vampire :

I could go on and on but I have to draw a line somewhere. Let’s just name a few more : Emilie Simon’s The Big Machine, Butterfly Boucher’s Scary Fragile, Bat For Lashes‘ Two Suns, Dance Yourself To Death’s Ready For Love, Andrew Bird’s Noble Beast and Florence and the Machine’s Lungs…

> movies :

I haven’t seen too many movies this year but I liked most of them.

- (500) Days of Summer : non-linear story-telling, two great actors and a story you can easily relate to. Add the best soundtrack ever and you’ve got my movie of the year.

- Coraline : A dark and twisted tale that came with great visuals and no idle time.

- The Boat That Rocked : Every music lover should see this movie just for the soundtrack. Plus it’s really fun.

> concerts :

- Florence and the Machine – Aéronef, Lille, France [Les Inrocks festival] : As I said right after the gig, Florence gets the Performer of the Year award. Intense, honest, mind-blowing, fun, moving, it was an amazing experience.

- Tegan and Sara – AB, Brussels, Belgium : Seeing the Quin twins is always a pleasure and I was curious to see how they would transcribe the complex overlaying that occurs on Sainthood live. Let’s just say it works very well. The in-between songs banter is still hilarious, Tegan messing up the beginning of Living Room and laughing about it, stripped down versions of older songs and the energy they give on the new ones make them one of my favourite bands to see live. Fourth time but certainly not the last.

- Emiliana Torrini – AB, Brussels, Belgium : First gig of 2009 to support her latest release, Me And Armini. She was cute and shy while her songs were lovely, moving and she was having a real good time that was contagious. We even got Jungle Drums twice! Lifesaver

- Gossip - Main Square Festival, Arras, France : My personal headliner of that day, it doesn’t matter they played at 4pm for a short hour, they set the festival on fire! Beth walking through a crowd of 13,000, Hannah singing along to Love Long Distance, Chris and Brace slaying on bass and guitar, it was just perfect despite the sunburn.

> games :

- Big Bang Mini on DS : A twist on the shoot them up concept. Fireworks and a trip around the world, a stylus-based gameplay and an awesome soundtrack.

- Aqua Globs on iPhone : This is one of the first games I bought, at first it was a cute one level line-drawing game that now is a 6 level package, each one bringing a special glob that force you to adapt your strategy. [full version - Lite]

- Compression on iPhone : Warning : This puzzle game is addictive! Get rid of the hallow blocks using the falling pair of blocks to create lines before the room shrinks too much. The slide and tap anywhere on the screen gameplay adds to the originality. [not the brag but I'm currently #1 worldwide ^^] [full version]

- Silent Swords on iPhone : Stealth games are rare on the platform. Oniric Games made the perfect one. Find a way to reach the exit door of each level by slashing guards, hiding in the shadow or using barrels to hide in plain sight. A good mix of puzzle, platforming and action. [full version]

> other stuff :

I somehow got involved as an iPhone game reviewer on a French website and that opened a door to other awesome things. For this all, I have thank one person : Zaz, this one goes out to you! Hope the collaboration lives on in 2010! ^^

A week ago A few months** ago, I received Zoe Boekbinder’s solo album, Artichoke Perfume in a wonderfully decorated envelop, which is usual in the Vermillion Lies world. After admiring the lovely (signed and personalized!) poster  that came with the album, I popped the CD in my stereo, sat down and let the music fill the void of my room.

From the first acoustic guitar chord and brass band notes of Paralizing, I knew I was in for a nice adventure. Then comes in Zoe’s instantly recognizable voice and her first words : “When you go you don’t look back“. They may sound like a warning but they’re an invitation to enter her world, its imagery and atmosphere; quite an experience.

While Paralizing ends in a whole wurlitzer and harmonies glory, Wooden Spoon goes back to simple a guitar/voice/piano combo that’s joined by playful percussions to render an almost bluesy feeling later down the road. The Adventures of Turtle & Seahorse is filled with handclaps, wurlitzer, trumpet and a good love story, sad though. Funeral may not sound as a positive song but the poppy chorus proves otherwise “just because I’m dead doesn’t mean that I can’t love“.

December follows up in overlaying voices over guitar before Chocolat Chips will have you tap your foot to the beat that will keep up on Inexorably, another love song that you’ll spell and clap along to in no time. Typewriter calms down the atmosphere and people familiar with Zoe will recognize this song as it was on her Shoestrings EP though this is a reworked version that fits perfectly on the album. Brasses welcome you to Skeletons and it’s syncoped drum pattern that’s so jazzy it fills up the room with greatness before eclipsing before Going Home and Mean, sweet guitar-voice tunes that put Zoe’s voice back right in the spotlight for the best.

Artichoke Perfume is a wonderful versatile album that can be classified as pop, folk, jazz and all of the above at the same time. Overall, it’s very positive and filled with love and contagious positive energy. Definitely an CD to check out for gloomy days and the rest of the year, too.

Inexorably :

Skeletons :

Going Home :

Visit Zoe Boekbinder on her official website.

Buy Artichoke Perfume on CD Baby (they’re super friendly and ship worldwide!).

**This review was started in September but due to lack of time was just finished on December 30.

Enjoy the cozy acoustic guitar, keys, harp and voice combo :

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Props to The Music Slut for providing the song in the first place. You should visit them, they have a wicked taste in music!

Please welcome BionicBabies‘ video for Don’t Think off Are Bears.

It’s obvious the band had fun filming it and it’s contagious. While I really like the song, what stands out for me is the bass. But that’s what I already pointed out in my album review back in the day.

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BionicBabies just released a new unplugged EP entitled Naked Bears and you can order it here or here.

Visit the band on myspace or become a fan on Facebook.

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I once met Marie at a Dresden Dolls concert. She was actually on stage during the Je Ne Veux Pas Travailler cover, simply being there, smoking. After the gig, she turned into a living statue near the merch table, memorable.

After that, I found out about Katzenjammer Kabarett, about the fact that they’re French and that Marie is actually the singer in the band. She also has some solo material and The Simplest Song In The World is part of that.

Musical saw, acoustic guitar and harmonies, what else do you really need? ♥

Visit Marie, Darling on myspace for more wonderful songs and links to other projects she’s involved in.

If someone faints next to you, please don’t try to get them back up while they’re still unconscious. Instead, give them some space so they can breathe, call for help and keep an eye on them. When they regain consciousness, have them sit down, give them some water and try to get them out for some fresh air. If they remain unconscious, roll them on their side in recovery position. If you don’t know how to do this, again, ask for help. Thanks for them.

The initial bill for Les Inrocks festival was : La Roux, Florence and the Machine, Passion Pit, Boy Crisis, Lissy Trullie.

The bands that showed up were : Two Door Cinema Club, Lissy Trullie, Florence and the Machine and Passion Pit. So it was disappointing not to see La Roux but apparently she cancelled the whole French tour for health issue so : Get well soon!

Two Door Cinema Club [myspace] were the surprise act as they were called in the day before the show to play in front of a small crowd of people who didn’t know them for the most part. The guys are bouncy and the music is full of energy so it was a good start for the evening.

Lissy Trullie [myspace] came up second and after the high energy opener, it felt a bit calm even though they still play very good pop-rock, they just don’t bounce around for half an hour. I was eager to see LT live for the first time, I wasn’t sure what to expect since there’s only been an eight song EP out but they clearly had everything under control and were having fun playing for us. The crowd was a bit shy at first but everyone was liking the music. The bass was actually really loud but that gave the whole melodies a good edge since they rely a lot on it. They played one new song that only made the wait till the full release a little harder to bare. A setlist ending with Boy Boy was a non surprise but it was a sweet cherry on a tasty cake.

Then came the time for Florence and the Machine [myspace] to take the stage. Flowers everywhere, a backdrop matching the album cover, bird cages, a harp, keys, percussions and the usual guitar/bass/drums combo were part of the scenery. Flo entered like a fairy here to welcome us to her world and everyone was in awe right from the very first notes of Between Two Lungs.  45 minutes were way too short. At some point, Flo asked everyone to jump. Once, twice, a third time… until the whole audience was in for her crazy plan. It was : “now that you know what to do, you will do it as I say “Go” and don’t stop”. “Go” came, 2000 people jumped as one and that was amazingly fun (and crazy knowing l’Aéronef is on the second floor of a building that may not have been made to undergo such treatment). Each member of the band ended up with a broad smile on their face plus everything was filmed! So watch out for it, whenever it gets released. After showing off she can hold a note for more than 30 seconds (or was it a minute? either way it was impressive) and coming to the conclusion of the show with Rabbit Heart, Flo clearly won the non-yet-existing thealmightyoracle.info Best Performer of The Year award. I’ll definitely see Florence and the Machine live again whenever I get the chance, and you should plan on doing so too.

Passion Pit [myspace] was last and while I didn’t know them that well, they were very good. Their electro-pop combo is very addictive and makes you want to dance around. And we did dance, just as much as we jumped with Florence and the Machine. Good times!