° Beach House – “Norway” ° by Chief
° Beach House – “Norway” °
° Beach House, Live @ The Black Cat ° by Danger
So I’m completely obsessed with Beach House (this is not news), so naturally when I heard they’d be playing The Black Cat here in DC, I immediately bought tickets for myself and my equally obsessed roommate. After looking forward to it for months, yesterday it was here at last. We walked in and the place was packed (it was a sold out show) and the air was thick with Victoria Legrand’s voice. After listening to their records for so long, I had lost sight of the fact that there were real people responsible for these sounds, and the whole scene came off as immensely surreal. Their performance was very true to their recordings, but more amazing because it was happening in front of my eyes. That voice, that voice, so hypnotically sublime that at times it felt as if I were in a trance. For writing such heavy songs, I was surprised at how humorous Legrand’s banter with the audience was, midway through stating, “Thanks for coming, even those people back there who aren’t sure what show they’re at. No, this isn’t Ike and Tina Turner, it’s Beach House.” Wow, I already lusted after her voice, but now I just want to BE her. As they performed surrounded by sparkly diamond-shaped pinata-esque stage decorations, it was almost as if we were inside a dream of the band’s creation. It was a performance without flaws, one that left me an even bigger fan of the duo, a thing I didn’t even know was possible.
° Danger Loves You ° by Danger
It’s that time of year again, Valentine’s Day, the holiday that divides us all. A year ago today I made a mix for my friends to celebrate the joys of friend love (and beautiful music of course), and I’m at it again, only now I have a lot more people to share this with. So make the most of today, and never fear, regardless of whether or not you’re in a relationship, always remember, Danger Loves You. Download the mix here.
Track Listing
1 “Always Love U” – Theophilus London
2 “Make You Mine” – Breakbot
3 “Always Like This” – Bombay Bicycle Club
4 “Lover of Mine” – Beach House
5 “Love Me Girl” – Yeasayer
6 “One Life Stand” – Hot Chip
7 “July Flame” – Laura Veirs
8 “Odessa” – Caribou
9 “I Want A House” – Twin Sister
10 “In The Bedroom” – Xylos
11 “Billie Holiday” – Warpaint
12 “Time For Us All To Love” – Bullion
13 “Let Go” – jj
14 “So Light Is Her Football (Breakbot Remix)” – Air
15 “Stars” – The xx
° Beach House, “Teen Dream” ° by Danger
I am obsessed with Beach House, and I’m okay with that. I have been waiting for this day for a while, ever since I heard whispers about Teen Dream in the fall. I had remarkably high expectations about this album, but it was so hyped that I initially became wary. Then I heard “Norway” and “10 Mile Stereo”, I felt comfortable and relieved that they wouldn’t be letting me down, but I just grew all the more anxious. Well it’s out, I’ve heard it, I love it (you could have seen that one coming), and here’s why. Devotion was an album that didn’t hit me all at once, it took repeated listens to really wrap mind around it. Teen Dream is noticeably more upbeat, yet still haunting, hypnotic, but definitely loveable. There is a new version of “Used to Be”, which does have its charms, but I still prefer the single version. After already being familiar with a few tracks, one of the hardest initial hits was “Silver Soul”. It was as if I was caught in a relentless wave of sound. Rarely is there a silent moment with Beach House, sounds are constantly blossoming and evolving, repetitively building to that epic release. As of right now, “Lover of Mine” is the track I am most addicted to, love at first listen. This entire album has such a cohesive sound, and is worth listening to for the quality of Legrand’s vocals alone. I could go on and on, but the truth is you’ll just have to listen and decide for yourself.
Beach House – Silver Soul
Beach House – Lover of Mine
