Music Report

To conclude this frigid January, The Report begins with an international bent.

An excellent source of up and coming bands are the big EA Sports releases. Being el deporte de la gente, FIFA 08 includes music from around the globe. Mexican Institute of Sound (MIS) come to us from south of the border, and they bring with them mucho sabor. MIS has an eclectic catalog with influences that stretch far beyond mariachi into Colombian cumbia, Cuban chacha, Jamiaican dub, and good old fashioned electronica.
If nothing else, listening to MIS is bound to attract women who really know how to move. From the other side of the pond, we get the mellower Europop stylings of the French band Babamars.
http://www.myspace.com/mexicaninstituteofsound
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=61742352

Victoria Bergsmann is the heavenly voice on Peter, Bjorn, and John’s “Young Folks” but that’s just a side gig for her. She has been singing with Stockholm’s The Concretes, who had a breakthrough hit with “Say Something New” when it appeared in an ad for Targét, for almost ten years now. Her solo project is called Taken By Trees. The debut album is called “Open Field” with a very nice single in “Lost and Found.” Taken’s website lists a tourdate in NYC at the Zipper Theater (37th St b/w 8th and 9th Ave) on February 22nd. Gregg may recognize the Zipper Theater from its biweekly Joy Behar performances.
http://www.theconcretes.com/
http://www.takenbytrees.com/music/

This past Tuesday saw the release of the debut album by Vampire Weekend. I’ll describe it in a single word: jumpin’. The four New Yorkers of VW create a sound that often reminds of Strokes-y Garage Rock but would feel right at home in Brighton or Manchester, UK as well. Vampire Weekend played the Bowery Ballroom Tuesday and Wednesday nights to sold out audiences (which is usually a good indication that band is solid). The record is value-priced at $7.99 on Amazon and $8.99 at Targét.
http://www.myspace.com/vampireweekend

Along with Wine & Dine, the current wave of digitally distributed cooking shows includes Dinner with the Band. From Austin, Texas-based multimedia shop Super!Alright!, the show is primarily fueled by snarky comments from band members. Chef Sam Mason chaperones and allots time for lives performances during preparation. Music Report favorites Tokyo Police Club and El-P have already appeared.
http://onnetworks.com/videos/dinner-with-the-band

To close, here’s the beautifully idyllic Bob Dylan video starring Scarlett Johansson for his song “When the Deal Goes Down” from the 2006 album Modern Times
http://us.video.aol.com/player/launcher?ar=us_en_video_748x541_full&mode=0&pmmsid=1701958