“The End of the World Is Bigger Than Love” is one of a handful of new songs Jens Lekman played during his brief, beautiful west coast tour last year and like “New Directions” before it, it’s received a gorgeous string-laden studio treatment. Without an attached album or even single announcement, Jens is simply letting this one run wild into the world, a world whose collapse would be bigger than love. Guy needs to see 2012 (or not). Trade your e-mail to hear it:
Lekman explains it all, charisma rolling off his back in endless Swedish sheets, on his website.
Another summer, another season without a new Jens Lekman album — but, thank God, Rawkblog’s favorite foreign romantic has a new mix for us. “A Summer In 3/4 Time” starts with his waltz-time remix of Au Revoir Simone’s originally 4/4 “Shadows” (which I posted yesterday; synergy!) and launches into a half-hour of one, two, three bliss. A fine sequel to last summer’s “The Summer Never Ends,” which featured a snippet of soon-to-be classic “New Directions.” May Jens Lekman never end.
“I hope you’re coming with me,” the women of Au Revoir Simone sing on “Shadows,” a sentiment turned bittersweet, almost fearful, in the hands of Jens Lekman’s string-laden remix. It’s a lush, widescreen production from the so-silent Swede, who dials down his recent dance sensibilities in favor of accentuating “Shadows’” sorrow. Gorgeous. Don’t leave us yet, Jens!
Au Revoir Simone – “Shadows” (Jens Lekman remix):mp3
(Au Revoir Simone’s remix LP, Night Light, is out now)
Just one tour date, actually: Jens Lekman, The Empty Bottle, Chicago, Ill. New Year’s Eve, 2009. I’ll be on a boat (don’t you ever forget!) but man, I know exactly where I’d be if I wasn’t. New album in 2010, Jens?
It’s time to sip on the sweet nectar of DJ Jens’ summer jamz. While dude’s taste is immaculate, the best bit of this 30-minute set is the preview of a studio version of Jens’ “New Directions,” a track he’s been playing live that’s no less energetic here. Word is he’ll have a new album out in 2010 — this should help us pass the hours in between.
Jens Lekman – “The Summer Never Ends”:mp3 (left-click)
As I hinted at in my review of Destroyer’s recent Echoplex gig, bands without a new album to promote tend to be looser, more relaxed — more fun. Not that Jens Lekman doesn’t always bring the Swede-pop party, but even by his standards, this show seemed special. The joyful musician revealed three new tracks, all worthy contenders of LP4: “New Directions,” an upbeat “song about Google maps” he also played when I saw him at the Henry Fonda Theater in 2008; “The End of the World Is Bigger Than Love,” a Field Mice-like strummer that recalled his folkier early work; and “An Argument With Myself,” the funniest of the bunch, a Paul Simonesque lyrical traffic jam sans Simon’s tragic yuppiedom. For the rest of the set he turned mostly toward 2007′s Night Falls On Kortedala, and the more I see Jens — this was my third time — the more it’s obvious he wants to make people dance. For most sad-hearted, sharp-tongued singer-songwriters, this would be the worst move possible, but for Lekman, all his new directions are worth following.
Jens Lekman at the Henry Fonda Theater / photo by David Greenwald
And so much more. It’s going to be an intense week of show-going and decision-making in Los Angeles; I’ve got Jens Lekman at the Echo tonight and Harlem Shakes with Passion Pit at the Echoplex on Friday with Thursday still up for grabs (Jens again, St. Vincent or an early bedtime, depending on my constitution). My recs after the jump — who are you seeing? Read the rest of this entry »
I love that “indie rockers talking about weird snack foods” is the P4k equivalent of “Hollywood star talks about how she’s OK being single in her 30s.”
Daniel M’Mburugu is probably the hardest motherfucker to ever step foot in the rural farmlands of Kenya. On June 22nd, this 73 year-old grandfather was out in his farmland minding his own business when all of a sudden this gigantor leopard jumped out from some tall grass and mauled the fuck out of him. The beast let out an earth-shaking howl and pinned M’Mburugu to the ground, scratching the shit out of his chest with its back claws and trying to bite his face off with its gleaming fangs. M’Mburugu tried to free up hispanga (Swahili for “big ass machete”) so that he could take a good swipe at the creature that was slowly killing him, but then all of a sudden JESUS CHRIST sent a messenger pigeon down to him with a note that read:
Dear Daniel,
Fuck the machete. Just rip this motherfucker’s tongue out.
Love, God
So Daniel M’Mburugu dropped his machete and shoved his hand into the leopards mouth. The leopard chomped down on his hand, be he totally didn’t even give a fuck. He just pulled the fucking leopard’s tongue out of its head, causing it to die and get totally pwned by a 73 year-old dude. After he was done wrecking the leopard’s shit, he told his neighbor to go get him some salt just so that he could rub it into his wounds, pound his chest like Tarzan and prove to everyone that he was the baddest motherfucker in town. Awesome.
