"Simple, honest, easy, yet stylish, and it's impossible not to love Zooey" 

-www.mellonzine.com-

M. Ward & Zooey Deschanel as She & Him

Sebuah album yang menyenangkan untuk disimak, telah dihasilkan oleh She & Him, bertajuk Volume One. Setelah sebelumnya saya tak awas dengan She & Him dan langsung tertarik pada deretan tracklist mereka karena ada lagu I Should Have Known Better, -ya mereka meng-kover lagu Beatles itu-. Jadilah saya langsung suka dengan cover version I Should Have Known Better ini, yang membawa suasana bersantai di pantai meminum es kelapa muda langsung dari buahnya dengan hujaman hangat sinar matahari. Hahaha… Bergantian lagu demi lagu lainnya mulai merasuki telinga dan hati saya, dengan musik yang sederhana, mudah tapi tidak sekedarnya walau tidak dengan cara yang spektakuler.

She & Him, -ternyata- adalah Zooey Deschanel dan M. Ward. Tidak pernah mendengar nama-nama ini? Ha… Zooey Deschanel, adalah seorang aktris, pemain film, Almost Famous, Yes Man, The Happening, dia hadir disana. Dan, ya dia bermusik dengan M. Ward yang ditemui dalam sebuah set film yang dibintangi Deschanel (The Go-Getter) dengan bendera She & Him. Sedikit sejarah, Deschanel sebenarnya sudah menulis banyak lagu yang dia rekam sendiri di rumah, namun tidak pernah cukup percaya diri untuk diperdengarkan pada orang lain. Ketika diperdengarkan pada Ward, justru rekaman-rekaman Deschanel inilah yang menjadi pondasi lagu-lagu She &; Him. Kesederhanaan lagu-lagu Deschanel –dengan karakter vokalnya yang sebenarnya tidak terlalu istimewa namun terdengar begitu jujur- diramu Ward dengan manis, menjadikannya easy listening, dengan sound yang mudah namun tidak menjadikan lagu-lagunya dangkal.

Kehadiran Zooey Deschanel dalam She & Him tentu menjadi titik perhatian tersendiri. Yeah, Deschanel cukup menjadi public figure di barat sana. Foto-fotonya banyak terpampang di majalah remaja, dia juga cukup aktif main di film Hollywood, dan dia juga bertunangan dengan vokalis dari Death Cab For Cutie,  Ben Gibbard. Dan leganya dia tidak memainkan music yang cheapy seperti Paris Hilton punya atau BBB dari Melly Goeslaw punya. Masih satu level diatas Scarlett Johansson punya album. Hahhaa.. Scarlett Johansson punya I Don’t Wanna Grow Up-nya The Ramones di albumnya, Deschanel punya I Should Have Known Better-nya The Beatles di She & Him, dan I Should Have Known Better ini masih much better than I Don’t Wanna Grow Up itu. Yeahahaha…

Telisik sedikit di album Volume One, lagu-lagu favorit saya adalah, This is Not A Test, I Thought I Saw Your Face Today, I Was Made For You, I Should Have Known Better dan Sweet Darlin’. Volume One dikemas secara musical dalam konsep yang utuh, music yang minimalis, sederhana dan mudah. Ketukan sederhana, genjrengan gitar yang santai dan backing vocal choir di beberapa bagian yang menjadi daya tarik tersendiri. Dengan esensinya yang berada di karakter penulisan lagu yang khas. Sederhana, polos, mudah namun memiliki gaya. M. Ward nampaknya tidak pernah bermaksud membuat musik yang berat untuk dicerna, ataupun eksplorasi sound dan instrumen yang terlalu detil dan rumit. Rasanya She & Him meramu musik yang asyik dan mudah untuk dinikmati dan didengarkan. An easy folk-ballads-pop album. Recommended for sure!
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It's impossible not to love Zooey, isn't it? :)

A really enjoyable album to watch, had been produced by She & Him, titled Volume One. As i'm not really aware of She & Him before, i directly attracted with the tracklist they had offered in the album because I Should Have Known Better  -yep, they made a cover version of those Beatles song- is there. Suddenly i love that cover version, bring me a pleasant atmospheric, leisure at a beach, drinks coconut water and a warm sun-tanning. Hahaha... Slowly, each other songs start to hit my ear by turns, with a simple music, easy but not as it goes by instead it's not in a spectacular way.

She & Him, are Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward. Never heard those names? Ha... Zooey Deschanel, is an actress, played in movies, Almost Famous, Yes Man, The Happening, she present at those movies. And yes, yet she's on her musical career now with M. Ward -met at a movie set starred by Deschanel (The Go-Getter)-, in a band called She & Him. A bit history, Deschanel actually wrote her own songs and recorded in a home-made demo, but never exposed these on public before M. Ward. And those demos instead had been the foundation of She & Him music crafting. Simplicity of Deschanel songs -with her vocal character whose not so special but feels really honest- met by Ward sweet composition, made this really easy listening, with a easy-light sound but didn't made this shallow in musical content.

Deschanel present in She & Him surely bring some attraction point. Yeah, Deschanel is a public figure far there on the west side of the globe. Her photos printed much on a teen magazines, she played in numbers of movies, Hollywood, and she engaged to Ben Gibbard -Death Cab For Cutie vocalist-. But, fortunately she's not playing cheapy music like Paris Hilton had or BBB's of Melly Goeslaw had. Yet, still a level over Scarlett Johansson had an album. Hahaha.. Scarlett Johansson had I Don’t Wanna Grow Up of The Ramones in her album, Deschanel had I Should Have Known Better of The Beatles with She & Him, and this I Should Have Known Better still much better than those I Don’t Wanna Grow Up. Yeahahaha…

A bit sneaky on the album, Volume One, i pick some of the songs as my favorites as This is Not A Test, I Thought I Saw Your Face Today, I Was Made For You, I Should Have Known Better and Sweet Darlin’. Volume One was musically packed on a whole solid package, minimalist music, simple yet easy, and it's impossible not to love Zooey. Simple beat, leisure guitar jangling and backing vocal choiring at some parts become its own attractiveness. With its essential point on their unique characterized song-crafting spell. Simple, honest, easy, yet stylish. M. Ward seems never meant to made a heavy music to be consumed, nor detailed, complex, far exploration on sound and instrument section. It just felt likes She & Him produced a really loveable and easy music to be listened. An easy folk-ballads-pop album. Recommended for sure!
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She & Him
Genre: Pop, Folk, Ballads
Based in: US
Label: Merge Records
Year: 2008
Rate: 8.5/10
MySpace








Download digital booklet for this album, click here (lyrics, credits, and artwork)---click readmore for full story and more videos & infos---


Tracklist

01. Sentimental Heart
02. Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?
03. This Is Not A Test
04. Change Is Hard
05. I Thought I Saw Your Face Today
06. Take It Back
07. I Was Made For You
08. You Really Got A Hold On Me
09. Black Hole
10. Got Me
11. I Should Have Known Better
12. Sweet Darlin'
13. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

This is how you couldn't not love Zooey :)

*Written by: Jay
*Translated by: Jay

"A fine milestone, that is marked a musical maturity in a band. Comfort in their musical way. This is how they stand. Camera Obscura"

Camera Obscura
Genre: Indie Pop
Based in: Scotland
Label: 4AD Records
Year: 2009
Rate: 8.5/10
MySpace







Hwaaaaa… Camera Obscura new album is just spilled out! Dengan judul My Maudlin Career, dan bocoran di interview sebelumnya kalau mereka bekerjasama dengan produser handal kali ini, seperti apa kira-kira album baru ini?

Masih indie pop crunchy! Hahaha… Sedikit kesan pertama mungkin, mereka membuat musiknya terdengar lebih megah sekarang. Dengan nuansa bebunyian yang berasal dari keyboard (sebagian menjadi pondasi utama lagunya) dan brass section membuat lagu-lagu mereka terdengar lebih kaya. Versi lebih kaya dari Let’s Get Out Of This Country. Dibuka dengan French Navy membuat nuansa menjadi bersemangat, sejalan dengan antusiasme fans Camera Obscura yang begitu menunggu album baru ini keluar. Lagu kedua, Other Town and Cities, uniknya terdengar begitu mirip dengan Country Mile. Terdengar terseret-seret dengan efek delay dan minimalisnya. Intro yang dipimpin oleh brass section di Honey in The Sun akan kembali membuatmu bersemangat dan ingin mendengarnya lagi! Beat yang mantap, dibalut brass yang efektif dan vocal latar di bagian refrain membuatnya catchable.

Pada album ini Camera Obscura terasa lebih memikirkan sound dan part seperti apa yang ingin dimasukkan pada musik mereka. Tergarap lebih detail mungkin. My Maudlin Career adalah Camera Obscura yang masih tetap ada dikoridor bermusik mereka yang selama ini sudah kita kenal. Tidak terlalu banyak hal baru bisa ditemukan disini, khususnya pada area musical mereka. Bahkan ada satu lagu yang tadi saya sebutkan mirip dengan lagu di album sebelumnya. Mungkin ada maksud dibalik itu, atau mungkin juga ini adalah sebuah limit dalam mencipta. Who knows, then…

Overall this is still a fine indie pop album, from this Scottish band. A fine milestone, that is marked a musical maturity in a band. Comfort in their musical way. This is how they stand. Camera Obscura.
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Wowwww… Camera Obscura new album is just spilled out! Titled My Maudlin Career, and some info that they had shared in the previous interview (wayyy yeeaaaarrrsssss agooo :P), that they will work with great producer, so how is this record?

Still a crunchy indie pop! Hahaha… a bit first impression, they made a more glorious and fancy music then before. With some sounds from the keyboard (being the basic for most songs in the album) and the brass filling really enriched their songs. The more enriched version of Let’s Get Out of This Country. Opened with French Navy who will made you spirited with the punchy hook beat, in-line with the enthusiasm of Camera Obscura fans of this album. Next song, Other Town and Cities, uniquely seems pretty identical with Country Mile from Let’s Get Out of This Country. Slowly dragged down with its delay effect and with minimalist approach. Brass section’s intro on Honey in The Sun will surely make you on the mood again and addicted to it! Firm beat, with an effective brass section and backing vocal on refrain made this really catchable.

On this album, Camera Obscura seems consider more about what sounds and what parts to be inserted in their songs and music. It might be worked in more details. My Maudlin Career is Camera Obscura who is still in their very own musical track, as we usually known. There are not much a new invention can be found here, especially in their musical area. Even there are a song that I thought really identical with ones in their previous album. They might had a meaning on that, or might be this is one of their limitation on creation. Who knows, then..

Overall this is still a fine indie pop album, from this Scottish band. A fine milestone, that is marked a musical maturity in a band. Comfort in their musical way. This is how they stand. Camera Obscura.


Tracklist
1. French Navy
2. The Sweetest Thing
3. You Told A Lie
4. Away With Murder
5. Swans
6. James
7. Careless Love
8. My Maudlin Career
9. Forests And Sands
10. Other Towns And Cities
11. Honey In The Sun

*Review by: Jay
*Translated by: Jay

"Alex: yr zeeroooo!

Miles: a little bit techno, isn't it?

Miles: hahahaha

Alex: yeah"

Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Genre: Indie Rock
Based in: New York, US
Label: DGC/Interscope
Year: 2009
Rate: 8/10
MySpace







Yeah Yeah Yeahs is throwing their newest shit right on your horny face! So, we steal conversation of two indie-rock-obsessed teenage, who roughly talked about their first impression about the shit, called It's Blitz

Alex: udah denger yang baru?
Alex: Y!Y!Y!
Miles: apa?
Miles: oh baru donlod kemarin
Miles: hahaha
Alex: yr zeeroooo!
Miles: agak2 techno gimanaa gitu
Miles: hahahaha
Alex: yeah
Alex: cool right?
Miles: cool
Miles: hahaha
Miles: jadi banyak pake synth gak sih ini?
Alex: yeah ha ha ha
Alex: but it's different,
Alex: better that Show Your Bones
Alex: i can tell you that much
Alex: ^^
Miles: tapi emang beda sih...
Miles: heuheuheu
Miles: btw, kenapa kok bilang ini better than show your bones?
Alex: i dunno, show your bones is boring
Alex: tapi necessary transition sih
Alex: kalo Fever to Tell langsung It's Blitz terlalu mendadak sih...
Miles: i love turn into, gold lion.
Alex: ha ha ha
Alex: juma Gold Lion doang yang suka gw
Miles: wah kalo it's blitz sama fever to tell ya beda banget
Alex: yeah
Miles: aksi panggungnya bakal berubah gak ya? hehehe
Alex: tahu deh
Alex: ada video live do youtube gak ya?
Miles: wah belum sempet search
Miles: tadinya kirain YYY's kalo album baru bakal indie rock yg agak tenang, agak ballads. lha native korean rock project si Karen O kayak gitu. hahahhaa
Alex: yeah me too man
Alex: udah dengerin Morissey baru?
Miles: belummmmm


Okay, they talked about this shit about this short, so we ended up here, macho! Kisses on your chin!
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Yeah Yeah Yeahs is throwing their newest shit right on your horny face! So, we steal conversation of two indie-rock-obsessed teenage, who roughly talked about their first impression about the shit, called It's Blitz

Alex: Have you listened the brand new?
Alex: Y!Y!Y!
Miles: what?
Miles: have just downloaded it yesterday
Miles: hahaha
Alex: yr zeeroooo!
Miles: a little bit techno, isn't it?
Miles: hahahaha
Alex: yeah
Alex: cool right?
Miles: cool
Miles: hahaha
Miles: much more using synth, isn't it? ---click readmore for full story---
Alex: yeah ha ha ha
Alex: but it's different,
Alex: better than Show Your Bones
Alex: i can tell you that much
Alex: ^^
Miles: uh-huh it's different, really
Miles: heuheuheu
Miles: by the way, why do you call this better than Show Your Bones?
Alex: i dunno, Show Your Bones is boring
Alex: But, necessary a transition
Alex: If it's Fever to Tell then directly to It's Blitz, it's just too sudden.. too much changes
Miles: i love Turn Into, Gold Lion.
Alex: ha ha ha
Alex: I only love Gold Lion
Miles: Hey It's Blitz and Fever to Tell is much too different!
Alex: yeah
Miles: How about their stage act? are they gonna change their style?
Alex: dunno
Alex: any youtube live-video?
Miles: hmmm, not yet search for it
Miles: I thought if YYY's throw its new album it's gonna be a calm indie rock, a bit ballads. Refer to Native Korean Rock, Karen O project is much less like that. hahaha
Alex: yeah me too man
Alex: Hey, have you listened to Morrissey new album?
Miles: not yet

Okay, they talked about this shit about this short, so we ended up here, macho! Kisses on your chin!

Tracklist
01. Zero
02. Heads Will Roll
03. Soft Shock
04. Skeletons
05. Dull Life
06. Shame and Fortune
07. Runaway
08. Dragon Queen
09. Hysteric
10. Little Shadow

*Words by: Jay
*Chat by: Alex & Miles :P

Mellon the fuckin zine is fuckin dead! So fuck you! Ha-ha.. What a dead! Yeah we're dead, i mean i'm dead, no grave, no funeral, no cry baby, it's just disappear like a fart. Stinks then gone. This isn't the grave, folks. You don't have to wear black suit here, just wear your black-metal shirt as usual, and masturbate in ignorance.


*Resurrection is always an option in a horror scene. give it a sequel or more! Gravedigger are you there?

-DEAD-

*words by: Jay