.Electrelane : Singles, B-sides and Live (Too Pure).
This review is a tribute... in loving memory of Electrelane.

I grabbed the cd looking for THE electrelane track, or at least te one which was THE one. The one at that time, at least for me. It was there, naturally throwing the cd to your heart, run thru yr veins. B side of first single, number 2. Come On. Flashback 6 years ago.  Sometimes it is good to stop -or at least to quit racing with the present, as if the future was threatening to jump directly to the past pool. Sometimes it feels good to collect and recollect. This album is a piece of our memories connected to Electrelane, through the albums, through the years, through the performances. Our life, these past 6 years. Where it found us and where it took us. It is a present from them to us. An Electrelane mixtape by Electrelane- Peel Sessions, an Albini version, the singles you never found,the  lost ones, others almost forgot, there they are.  Recaptured. The atmosphere is of course not as homogeneitically narrative as on the albums. The films are melting together, overlapping, crossing, parting their own way, changing kaleidoscope. These are stories of the stories. The performing and reinventing of the stories. How it happened in real real time -live, life. Electrelane colourful, playful (Long Dark, More Than This), seriously enthralling, serious, deep, always authentic. The record is tempting and inviting to go back in time, to listen to the recorded version as a mirror to the live takes, lose yourself in them again, over and over, retell the stories. Faithfully. Excitingly. From analog to digital, where the cracks of your repetitive listennings have disapeared but lie deep in your ear-heart (Thank you Thurston Moore for that image of hypersensual truth). Blood rushing, ready to fall from "Those Pockets are People" into "the Partisan". Furious and desperate -what other choice? Electrelane even managed to remind me why I listened to "I'm on Fire" when I was fourteen but had until now troubles finding rational explanations. Reassuring to see that good songs can be liberated from their fathers' poor performance. But more than this is, Singles, B-Sides and rarities, is also a proof of Electrelane's expertise in (irrenverent) tribute to pop culture and their unlimited talent.   Some people just don't manage to tell stories, get lost in details to cover the truth, break sharp angles smooth.They don't: the Electrelane tales are heart and soul. Art and soul. Tale tell art.
Next tome, due this Spring (single, "To the East" on the 12th and album, No Shouts, no Call in April) and magical mystery tour with Arcade Fire soon anchoring in a city near you....

.Romanteek : Yellow (Fantasteek records).
What could you expect more than beautifully broke hearts, hypersensitive tenderness and endlessly failing passion from romantics? The Romanteek are of course all this.... and so much more! The only musical genre I can think of as introductionary description would be soulpunkblues... If this didn’t help, I would suggest that you abandon yourself to true audio pleasure, you control freak!  Ok, here s more, I ll try my best to express these goosebumps and pumping heart in black on white. The 8 tracks album is totally and perfectly handmade: red sprayed on yellow. Stencils, a minibookletzine inside. Inspired and inspiring. Round bass and Nina Simone powerful warmth floating lightly up (and down) a stipped drum spine.... and so dark desperate deep: "I won’t play cool, cause maybe I am hurt inside. Love me, why don’t u? .... love me, but you don't". The first two tracks take a dive into one way love, dead end, no backing. "Sister Mister" turns more political but still naturally personal (" 'cause I can't say that it s ok, 'cause it s not, /Women are being disrespected / the truth don t go away"), performed with calm burning soul. Back to violent crush, crash desire on "Take a Chance" and the bass as ever so bloody funky, laying here and there on a piano. The utterly self-empowering "Blind to me" is more electro-rap style and makes the connection with Scream Club visible...or rather audio-obvious. Le Matt and Ruby Valentine both sing on "Booty Magic": an ode to ass shaking. One word: HOT.  The Black n Blues "Peggy Lee" remains a mystery (pardon my ignorance): a cover? a tribute. All explanations welcome. "Don't Mess" is an anthem of resistance and existence, power to the people (yes, that means you too). Far from any kind of remote clichés, the Romanteek talk about feelings naked. The ultimate catharsis, Romanteek leave you clean, or rather.... serene and comforted; though hungry for more, very hungry.
www.romanteek.com