Posted 2/14/12
Posted 2/14/12
Posted 2/14/12
Posted 2/14/12
Posted 2/14/12
Posted 11/11/09 3:34 pm ET by Chris Ryan in Celebrity, Music, Videos

MGMT: You go for the lush, electronic-but-organic instrumentation and bouncy beats, but you stay for the insanely catchy melodies.
Jams like "Kids" and "Electric Feel" have a timeless quality to them; they're just examples of rock solid songwriting. And it's this basic, elemental quality that comes across in this version of MGMT's mega-jam, "Kids," by British band The Kooks. It reminds a lot of the version "Electric Feel" cover that Katy Perry did a while back; with voice, guitar and a little bit of keys for embellishment.
+Â Listen to The Kooks' cover of MGMT's "Kids" here (as well as their covers of Peter, Bjorn and John and Gnarls Barkley), and check out the MGMT's "Kids" video, for the sake of comparison, below.

San Diego five-piece Lights On just wrapped up a mini tour in Brooklyn -- their first visit as a group -- and just released the five-song EP, Waiting For The Heart To Beat. And if you ONLY have time for one track, it'd be "John and Anne," which is easily download-able with a little power of positive Googling (or just follow that link to Lights On's MySpace). With lyrics "Dear John," I figure the track would be breakup-centric, but "John and Anne" is more a plea for salvation.
Lights On's sound: You could almost compare them to The Stars; the package comes off quite retro, with dulled vocals that evocative of a grainy recording. There's also a little of The Raveonettes in there, but way toned down -- like someone grabbed the clanky-electronic-cacophony dial and turned it to medium-low. And there's a little of that Peter, Bjorn, And John a-haunting in there too. My only issue: HOW can I keep straight Lights, Hit The Lights, Francis And The Lights, and Lights On? Thankfully I have room -- and now love -- enough for all.
Don't think you know who Peter Bjorn and John are? Think again. You've heard this Swedish indie rock band's song "Young Folks" (also known as "The Whistle Song," not to be confused with the "Whisper Song" by Ying Yang Twins) everywhere. Oh, yes you have. It's been featured in commercials for AT&T, Pontiac, Levi's and Budweiser and played on shows like Grey's Anatomy and How I Met Your Mother. Plus, Kanye West uses the beat on his mixtape Can't Tell Me Nothing. Marc Jacobs even used "Young Folks" and "Let's Call It Off" to send his models down the runway in his Spring/Summer 2007 show in 2006. As did Zac Posen, Pringle, Chaiken and Chanel that same year. Now that's a fashion faux pas!
Anyway, there you go … now you know exactly what we're talking about! Admit it, once you hear the tune, you're humming (or, actually, whistling) it all day long! And that, dear friends, is exactly why PBJ is nominated for Best New Artist at the VMAs. They're infectious! See for yourself…
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Posted 2/14/12
Posted 2/14/12
Posted 2/14/12