STRICTLY GLOBAL

It's gross, cold, and wet outside.  I'm drinking coffee and somewhere in the distance I hear the new Pearl Jam and the new Flaming Lips being blasted simultaneously.  Where am I? Early 90's Seattle?  Nah, I'm rockin' a cup of folgers alongside the Lips' latest Embryonic. Meanwhile, the east coast is completely disgusting outside which is just gonna ruin moving day for me, ugh!!!  So, Scotland's Twin Atlantic, to answer your question, "What is Light? Where is Laughter?", I just don't know.  But I'll watch your video anyway, smiley.  In fact, there will be plenty of weather distractions on this week's episode, including an artist spotlight on Cuba/Canada's Alex Cuba, and much more.

Like brand new Múm for starters, cause there's nothing like experimental electronic glitchness to score a gloomy day.  (Well, doom metal and shoegaze are some top competitors in that category!)  Anyway, Múm, (pronounced moom), from Iceland, have been together since 1997, and they've recently released their 6th studio album Sing Along to Songs You Don't Know.  Don't you hate going to a show and getting stuck either behind: {a} the tallest person in the room (sorry that was me ;P), {b} the drunkest person in the room that you have to keep at bay with your fist, {c} the person who is recording the entire show on their iphone therefore blocking your view with cheap recording technology, and {d} the person who is shouting along to lyrics, even though the band just announced they just wrote that song five minutes before the set and wants to test it out on the audience.  Yeah, I hate that too, and while I'm at it, can people like just not text on their cellphones when out at a movie, geeeees.

Back to global matters, this week we got a ditty from Siberian songstress Irene Nelson.  Now this chick used to be the lead singer of one of Russia's hugest pop acts, Reflex.  Getting to that point of her musical career was totally triumphant when it comes to where she was before.  Check this out.  Irene grew up in a poor little village in Siberia, and was totally pursuant on a musical education.  She couldn't afford a piano, so she drew a keyboard on piece of paper and practiced that way!  After graduating, she joined a jazz band and toured with them, which is how Reflex discovered her.  So, anyway, she eventually broke away from the band and secluded herself in the mountains of United Arab Emirates, meditating amongst the lack of electricity and running water.  She makes her U.S. debut this month, with an album that has yet to be named,  but we got her video premiere up this week.  Holler.

Lastly, my absolute fave video of the hour comes from the Los Angeles based noise rock band HEALTH.  It is insanely awesome.  These guys used to play gigs for free, which drew in crowds, obviously, and eventually lead to clubs begging them to play.  Later down the road, they would open up for Nine Inch Nails!  And they collaborated with Canada's Crystal Castles (love them), back in 2007 to create the track "Crimewaves" which got them major noteriety abroad, a la #9 on the UK indie singles chart.  This summer they played all across the U.S. among noise fests, including one here in DC where they opened for krautrock legends Faust.  I'm still kicking myself for not going to that, but hey, I was sick.  And besides, I might have gotten stuck behind {a},{b},{c}, or {d}.