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Here at URB, we a disproportionate amount of time talking about Saint Etienne, that loveable indie-pop trio from England who mastered the twee thing a good decade before the homespun indie aesthetic became the norm for the like of groups like Arcade Fire and Sufjan Stevens. We’re probably a bit worried that these innovators, while secure in their status in England, my end up falling through the memory cracks here in America. That would be tragic because, frankly, they’re one of my favorite bands ever. Thank goodness their catalog has been getting the reissue treatment lately—including their 1998 class Good Humor. …MORE
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The Hundred In The Hands are a Brooklyn-based two-piece who are spending the summer in London, basically blowing up the UK and Europe in the process. They’re signed to Warp records, which is really all you need to know—but just for the sake of due diligence, they sound like a brilliant slice of mature electro-pop, not terribly distant from the best of Saint Etienne (which is about the highest praise I can give a group with a female singer.) Check out their video for the song “Pigeons” to hear what I’m so excited about.
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Ahh, beautiful France. Cymarshall Law recently rocked a stage in Saint-Étienne, a city which is primarily known for its devotion to operas and arms manufacturing. The emcee has remained a fan of hip hop, and his set zeroes in on the fact that hip hop fans abroad have followed his music. This video provides an exclusive on-stage look at Cymarshall’s performance, and a peek at why fans overseas have become increasingly receptive to the New Jersey native.
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INTERVIEWER: “People see Rock and Roll as youth culture, and when youth culture becomes monopolized by big business, what is the youth to do — do you have any idea?”
YOUTH ON THE STREET: “I think we should destroy the bogus capitalist process that is destroying youth culture.”
Sounds nice, but of course, history and human nature have proven that, even though Big Biz is fucked up, even in a world without the profit motive to blame, you’d still have to destroy the cult of personality, and the (unintentionally ironic) tyranny of the herdspeak created by rebelling, identity-seeking youth, in addition to the inherent fetishism of fame which can bring out the worst in us and, as has been said, makes a man take things over, and which can eff up even the best-laid plans of artist. But I digress…In any case, thus begins the latest from Radio Department which you can download for free… …MORE
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