Sufjan Stevens Gives Us A Lego Movie For Christmas

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Obviously it's far too early for a Christmas movie. In my book it's far too early for a Christmas anything until mid-December and even then I really only mean overeating. I'll make an exception for two things however - lego, and *mince pies, which I'll happily eat on a rainy day in July.

Sufjan apparently couldn't even wait for it to get cold to share this random and bizarre Christmas video - probably because it's made of lego, and what could be more exciting than a video made of lego?? Unless he actually is Santa's helper and this is a behind the scenes video. Which I would believe of Sufjan - have you seen his website?

 

*For the non-English people who may read this, we don't actually eat pies made of mince as a dessert at Christmas. 

Débruit - "Mega Wagna" Video + Debut Album "From The Horizon"

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Débruit and Rainbow Monkey strike again! Finding an artistic collaborator who is equally as creative and original in their chosen medium as you are in yours (without huge sums of money being involved) must be incredibly exciting. It certainly is for the rest of us at least.

I must admit I was secretly hoping Débruit's new album "From The Horizon" would be stuffed full of the kind of obvious instant party classics he has made previously, "Nigerian What?" and "I'm Goin' Wit' You ft. Om'Mas Keith and Jamie Woon" being personal favourites. His choice of often quite random African samples reminded me of Timbaland's (incredible) Indian music sample phase, which I didn't get enough of before it was over. Luckily Débruit spent three years making something far more interesting than my rather limited initial hopes. The album is a genuinely fascinating journey through a futuristic exotic electronic landscape, filled with pothole-jerking bass and mosquito synths. It reminds me of the hustle of my Nigerian home town Warri, where we might not always have electricity but we still have iPhones...

Purchase: Débruit "From The Horizon"

Connect: @dEbruit

Video: Big K.R.I.T. "4evaNaDay"

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Will I ever tire of Big K.R.I.T's car references? Probably not, even though the 4Eva N A Day mixtape referenced riding clean and being country over a thousand times (*perhaps a vague approximation on my part). I just don't care, because he is one the best things to happen to rap music in years, despite the hype emanating from those who prefer fashion and drug references he tends to avoid.

I find this video particularly interesting because the video for Boobie Miles was, for want of a better term, dry, and I Got This pretty unconvincing. K.R.I.T. doesn't sit comfortably in any current camp of music artistically, or at least not without the Dungeon Family putting forth much of note despite Big Boi's support. If anyone was capable of music of Stankonia or Soulfood quality for 2012 it's this guy. (No pressure). Sometimes it feels as though he is trying to cover all bases, or at least that's what I told myself about much of the "Last King 2 (God's Machine)" mixtape, but with this video hints at an ability to create his own lane [insert hilarious car refs here]. If you still haven't checked this guy out, please download the Return Of 4Eva as a warm up to his debut album "Live From The Underground", which comes out on 5th June 2012.

Buy tickets for Big K.R.I.T. live at XOYO, London 23rd August 2012

Sigur Rós "Ekki múkk" Video

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I imagine one of the best things about being in Sigur Rós is putting out videos full of hidden pixie messages humans can't actually see but spend hours looking at, totally captivated despite themselves. They have a new album coming out in May called Valtari, and I look forward to squeaking along, pretending I understand what they're talking ab0ut.

Niki & The Dove "Tomorrow" & "The Fox" Video / MP3

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The current funneling of the very best of the 80s (Kate Bush, The Bangles, Fleetwood Mac etc) through the world of alternative pop music by the likes of Niki and The Dove, Gotye, Toro y Moi & co seems to be churning out the musical equivalent of anti-depressants. Without the worrying side effects. The Fox is a particular favourite in my house (ie: enforced listening). After a few weeks of making up my own utterly ridiculous words I looked up the lyrics to this song online, and its up beat power-punch crunchiness made even less sense, if it really is about insomnia.

Download Niki & The Dove "The Fox" here. Happy times.