Lykke Li - Get Some - Remix by Beck

There is not much I can add to the overall reviews of this Swedish lioness' eclectic sound. She is currently the darling of the music blogosphere.

Once dubbed "a new breed of Nordic pop sirens" alongside Annie & Robyn, Lykke has since ditched the cutesy pop vibe and embraced a groove that is so voracious and sexy there is no doubt who is queen of the jungle now.

Her latest release Wounded Rhymes is a runaway hit and in heavy rotation everywhere, but it's this remix of Get Some by Beck that got my attention.

I'm a sucker for funky, bass-driven beats. Add Beck's loud guitar riffs, the just right distortions of Li's vocals, the Bollywood loop and this song makes me want to get some.

I have nothing against music that screams Nordic pop siren. I danced away the '70's listening to ABBA and Oh Land is one of my new favorite things. But the fact that Lykke has deliberately shunned this title is a very good thing.

Like a shotgun...you gon' get some...

Yacht Pop

Secrets from DEDE on Vimeo.

 “We call it yacht pop,” says 28-year-old Dede Reynolds of Brooklyn duo Dede. Specifically, “it’s music for your yacht circa 1967 in the south of France.” 

I call it one of my new favorite things.

I'm not sure what I like more - her breathy Portishead/Air meets Nancy Sinatra sound, the Andy Warhol-inspired imagery or her saucy Brigitte Bardot-esque style?

Oh, it doesn't matter - there are lots of reasons I love all things '60's. One of those reasons is spelled - D.E.D.E.

OK, I have the soundtrack. Now, how do I hook up that yacht?

Pocket Cash

Including many never-seen-before photos and intimate moments, this is a must-have for all Cash fans - and I certainly include myself in that group.

Growing up in the South in the 60's, The Man in Black was in heavy rotation at our house. If there's a soundtrack to my childhood, it would include songs like - I Walk the Line, Burning Ring of Fire, Jackson and One Piece at a Time just to name a few.

But childhood music memories in and of themselves do not warrant a lifelong appreciation. What does is Johnny Cash's ability to redefine crossover and longevity. In my opinion, he did blues, folk, gospel and rockabilly just as well, if not better, than he did country. And his later work, MUCH later in fact, is spellbinding.

The American Recordings series co-created with producer Rick Rubin is some of the most well-played music in our house. I especially like American IV: The Man Comes Around.

Mixing Cash originals with unlikely covers by Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails and the one here by Simon & Garfunkel, was a formula that not only worked but pretty much made his sound as current as it ever was - no small feat considering The Man in Black was pushing 80.

Now if I close my eyes, I can hear Johnny in our living room a long, long time ago as he kicks off his iconic TV show - "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash."

Look At What The Light Did Now

It - the documentary chronicling the making of Feist's Grammy nominated album "The Reminder", has me under a spell and seriously intrigued with this approach to the "rockumentary".

Mesmerizing visuals including Clea Minaker's shadow puppet projections and swirling points of color are the perfect backdrop to her enchanting vocals. Feist describes it best when she says her objective on stage is to "make visible what is audible".

Buy the DVD/CD set and you get some serious "extras" including short films for "The Water" and "Departures", music videos and rare duets.

Now. Let's talk about how Feist got my attention in the first place. A track on "Let It Die" titled Inside and Out (it's attached here and yes, it's a Bee Gee's song) literally stopped me in my tracks.

Love the slow, sexy, bass-heavy jam. If you lean more towards "unplugged" - try this version on "Open Season". I'm crazy for it too - just depends on my mood - dancin' or chillin'.

It Might Get Loud(er)

Good. I hope so. It's the only way to listen to these guys.

This all-star guitar triumvirate that is Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), the Edge (U2) and Jack White (The White Stripes, the Raconteurs, the Dead Weather) come together to riff in my all-time favorite (thus far anyway) rock documentary.

It's not a new release and I've mentioned it here before in a post about The White Stripes but I believe it's worthy of its own post.

I found it spellbinding - both in the individual differences of each musician and in the continuity that exists between them. Some of my favorite scenes involve Jimmy Page at Headley Grange where many notable songs from Led Zeppelin IV were recorded. Page is the epitome of cool.

But it's equally thrilling to watch Jack White build a guitar from random scraps and write his first solo single - Fly Farm Blues within a mere 10 minutes of filming.

OK, you get the idea. I'm passionate about this film and probably won't shut up until I convince you to watch it.

Just don't forget to let me know your favorite thing(s) about it - I'm confident you'll have a few.