July '13 Video Box

1. P!nk feat. Lily Allen - True Love



2. Austra - Painful Like



3. Capital Children's Choir - Untrust Us (Crystal Castles cover)



4. Franz Ferdinand - Love Illumination



Pick of the month:

5. Franz Ferdinand - Right Action

April ´13 Video Box

1. Crystal Castles - Affection



2. Crystal Fighters - You & I



3. Muse - Panic Station



4. Sébastien Tellier & Caroline Polachek - In The Crew Of Tea Time



5. Youth Lagoon - Mute



6. James Blake - Overgrown



7. Shelf Nunny - I Feel So Good About Myself



8. Iron and Wine - Joy



Video of April:

Biggi Hilmars - Fool's Mate

January ´13 Music Box

As I was scrolling through songs that I liked, all I can say is that January was busy! I noticed that there were many songs that I already had forgotten, not in a bad way though- new ones just kept coming in! Anyways here are the tunes, which deserve attention.

1. Pinback - Proceed To Memory

Make sure to watch the video, it's mint.




2. Santigold - Girls

It's quite funny that Finnish band PMMP has a song called Tytöt (=Girls) and a similar video concept. Click here to see it.




3. Telekinesis - Ghosts And Creatures




4. Widowspeak - Thick As Thieves




5. Widowspeak - Locusts




6. Kali Ma - Great Lake (Demo)




7. Baroness - March To The Sea

Tour footage before the bus accident.




8. Gerry & The Pacemakers - You'll Never Walk Alone

Finally a video for this song.




9. French Films - When People Like You Filled The Heavens




10. The Strokes - One Way Trigger




11. fun. - Sight Of The Sun

Probably the band's best song.




12. Crystal Castles - Sad Eyes




13. Shelf Nunny Ft. Briana Kranich - Cause I Had The Time

My favorite of the month, featuring his fiancé. Check out the cool video too.






What were your favorite songs of January? Leave a comment below or on Facebook or tweet to me @InJallusWords

Top 10 Albums of 2012

I knew it wouldn't be easy to find full albums for you to stream. Legal ones so to speak. But thanks to Bandcamp and musicians' better awareness of music streaming, I'm glad to be able to let you hear these great albums. Though, there are a couple, which you need to stream from fan-made playlists. That's not bad. Bad is when a band uploads all the songs, but don't put them in order.

For me a best album is something, which works as an entity. Not all songs have to be out of this world, but they're linked to each other to comprise a masterpiece. The albums chosen below do just that.


10. Chairlift - Something




9. Crystal Castles - III




8. fun. - Some Nights




7. Team Me - To The Treetops!




6. Reptar - Body Faucet




5. Oberhofer - Time Capsules II

Click here to listen.


4. Grimes - Visions




3. Polica - Give You The Ghost




2. Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra - Theatre Is Evil





1. Baroness - Yellow & Green




What were your favorite albums of 2012?

Top 10 Videos of 2012

Normally, I don't have the patience to watch too many music videos, so it was a bit hard to come up with this list. Even harder than my top albums, which is coming tomorrow. However, I was stunned by these videos, which are great in many different ways. Have a look and let me know your favorite 2012 clips! Enjoy.

10. Crystal Castles - Plague

This is made by a fan, which the band liked so much they decided to make it their official video. The footage is from 1981 movie Possession and it's quite distressing.

9. Willis Earl Beal - Evening's Kiss

It's not uncommon for musicians to direct their own videos, but to draw one?

8. Polica - Amongster

Close up footage of animals always does the trick.




7. P!nk - Blow Me (One Last Kiss)

The red used within the black and white is just intriguing.




6. Chairlift - Met Before

This is an interactive video, in which you can choose the path with your arrow keys. There are many twists and endings. In my story the singer died from bee stings. Click here to try yourself.

5. M.I.A. - Bad Girls

This can easily provoke many, but what if this time we'd all just admire the bad-assness of it.




4. The Shins - Simple Song

Never has a story been told this well in a music video. It's highly entertaining and the twist will shock you.




3. Dominant Legs - Make Time For The Boy

I finally had watched Twin Peaks about half a year earlier before this video premiered.


Dominant Legs - "Make Time For The Boy" from stereogum on Vimeo.

2. Grimes - Oblivion

A tight budget results into a tight schedule results into this.




1. Explosions In The Sky - Postcard From 1952

Last year Anna Calvi's Suzanne and I became my all time favorite video. Never ever would I have thought that another video could beat it, let along in the following year. Despite this being 7 minutes long, I had it on repeat for many days. No doubt that this time the video will remain as my all time favorite.



Postcard From 1952 from Explosions in the Sky on Vimeo.


Tomorrow the top albums are up! Remember to let me know your favorite 2012 videos!

October's Music Box

October has been a month of many many releases, of which some aren't that good actually. Well at least at the moment those particular tunes haven't grown on me yet or the videos are just bad, but as they're coming from bands that I adore(d), they need to be included here.

Bloc Party - Kettling

Probably the best song of their latest album, though the video doesn't impress that much, but I get why they did it if I understood the lyrics correctly.




Feed Me & Crystal Fighters - Love Is All I Got

Crystal Fighters are a pretty decent British band, a great live band as well. I've also been in one of their music videos, unfortunately though not in this super hero London party clip.



The xx - Chained

Indie wonder kids are back. Some think the song and video are boring, but naah at least it's beautifully shot. Slow motion always does the trick.



Bon Iver - Beth/Rest

This could be probably the awful song and awful video. But the tune is actually quite good when you get into it despite the 80s love movie vibe. The video on the other hand..UGH. Just stick with the music Justin...



Franco and the Dreadnought - Platt Fields

There's nothing wrong with promoting the artist I work with, especially when Platt Fields is my favorite tune from him, and everything for a good cause.



M83 - Steve McQueen

I was surprisedd M83 released a new video from his album released a year ago. But yeah it's only been a year and Rihanna for example released like almost every track from her albums. Steve McQueen is a great great song.



Paul Banks - Young Again

It's always a joy to hear Paul's voice and the video is so sympathetic!



fun. - Carry On

Completely fell in love with the band at their Helsinki gig and this is the song they started the show with. Inspiring lyrics!



Crystal Castles - Affection

I end this month's music list with a last minute addition. I end it with the best of the month. All you CC fans were probably like *?* when you heard this, no doubt it sounds like electro r n b, so not them, but still so amazing, which is them.




Which were your favorite songs and videos of the month?

Friday Feature: Kali Ma

If Crystal Castles' music sounds like Nintendo, then Kali Ma's music is blessed by God of Nintendo itself. Somehow I imagine the making of the music being Kali Ma aka Cody Miller having all his friends in his Pennsylvanian flat playing the most retro Nintendo games from numerous consoles and Game Boys, and basically him just pressing the red button on his recorder. Wish it was so, but the truth is that Miller used some old synths, computers and stuff like that. You know the dull modern mainstream way.

Luckily the outcome isn't boring at all. I mean, who would've thought that music can sound good almost base-free? Miller himself does state that he started Kali Ma, because he was so frustrated of producers battling out in who drops the heaviest base. 

I urge you to listen to the latest EP, I bet it will make you dance and wish that it was played in your local indie club. Plus it's free! Though I recommend you have a look at the limited edition CD version and some other goodies here, they're pretty rad.  

thanks to wasfuersohr for recommending.

September´s Music Box

For a moment I was worried that September wouldn´t have anything to offer us, but towards the end things exploded. Here are my favorites of the month.

1. Crystal Castles - Plague

The video is made by a fan, which the band liked so much that they decided to make it official. It´s taken from an 80´s movie, and the scenes are quite creepy.



2. Crystal Castles - Wrath of God

Two days later after Plague´s video was released the crazy Canadians released another song



3. No Doubt - Push and Shove

It´s not their best song, neither video, but it´s still No Doubt.



4. Amanda Palmer - The Killing Type

It´s simple, catchy and she´s got good face expressions.



5. The Kills - Wild Charms

The band finally got their own YouTube channel and they celebrated it by releasing the shortest song of their latest album.



6. Muse - Madness

In this song you can really hear how good Matt´s voice is.



What were your favorite songs/videos of September?

August's Music Box

Let's first start with a very big mistake I did for July's Music Box; crazy Canadians Crystal Castles' new song was forgotten. It's also one of those tunes, which I've anticipated for a very long time, and it doesn't disappoint a bit. Download it for free.

Crystal Castles - Plague



Polica - Dark Star

One of the best new bands of 2012 has released their fourth video, which contains some awkward dancing. But in a good way.



Paul Banks - The Base

The first single from Interpol's front man Paul Banks' second album, download it for free. Always a pleasure to hear "the" voice.



Lower Dens - Candy

A lot of fun randomness with a get-together with your work mates?



Grimes - Genesis

Speaking of randomness, check out Grimes and her posse.



Chairlift - I Belong In Your Arms (Japanese version)

Chairlift recently released their sophomore album in Japan, so here's a Japanese version for one of the songs karaoke- style.



No Doubt - Push and Shove

Name one person, who isn't happy that No Doubt are back?! Here's another song from their new album out in a few weeks. Bass player Tony calls Push and Shove to be No Doubt's Bohemian Rhapsody, don't expect too much though. (Couldn't find a version without the Ryan Seacrest interruption).



Ellie Goulding - Anything Could Happen

Last but not least; the best pop song of the year?




What were your favorite songs of August?

Princess Chelsea - The Cigarette Duet

I've been receiving a lot of good music on my Facebook page, thank you for that, keep on sharing!

I promised to blog about the ones I really liked; earlier I featured French Films, and now I want to present you this song from Kiwi Princess Chelsea.

The Cigarette Duet starts with a fairy tale melody, and that vibe continues throughout the song. As soon as the singing starts, you get captivated by the 'dialogue' between the couple.

The atmosphere on the video is the complete opposite. It has this stifled 70s setting in it, and not too many shots (I even thought that it was a one shot video). Though this concept suits the song extremely well, and you must watch it until the very end. You'll learn an interesting fact, which also adds a whole new dimension to the story.



A thank you for sharing this song with me goes to my German friend George, who I met in The Netherlands. I'll always remember our Crystal Castles gig in Belgium and when we had to stay the night at the cold train station. Hope you're doing well in Hong Kong and happy birthday again!

Crystal Fighters

Last spring my friend kept telling me to check out this one band, she saw at a festival. Time and time again she reminded me to give them a chance. And time and time again I felt uncomfortable hearing the name of the band; Crystal Fighters.

Yes, Crystal Castles. Um I meant Fighters.

Why the hell do I hear of a band, whose name is half the same as the band which I've just learn to consider sacred?! But why the hell do I consider myself to be open to new music, but resent a band just by its name?

You little hipster hater hypocrite, change that thinking of yours quickly now.

Luckily cleaning my room always takes many hours, so there was time to have a few albums playing in the background. Now and then it might happen that one album gets on repeat. The now and then moment was then.

Seriously I don't think there's another band in the world, which can combine all the genres I love into one. Well ok, it's not right to say it that way, since I listen to all kinds of bands from Abba to Slipknot. But what I meant is that when listening to Crystal Fighter's debut album Star of Love, I heard everything from drum n' base to pop and electro to rock. I'm not going to use the word indie now, just to avoid the 'indie is not a genre' people's mumble.

They even make their vibe of Spanish music and instruments, which I'm not a huge fan of, sound delicious with everything else. But let's have a look now at the short version of my Crystal Fighters/Star of Love listening debut:

1. Hm I didn't expect them to play this type of music.
2. Oh maan this is one of those songs you can not only sing by yourself, but also with a huge crowd!
3. WTF was this the album or did I have a random playlist on?

Then comes the Wikipedia part put into my own words:

Crystal Fighters are a British electronic band with Spanish influences. One of the band members found an unfinished opera script from her reclusive grandfather's house. That's where the band got its name and were heavily inspired by the wild and deranged spirit of the writings.

Themes in the album include 'the unfathomable mystery of the universe, the turbulent journey towards being at peace with death, the triumph of love, and the omnipotence of the sun'. Star Of Love is actually a backronym for SOL, the Spanish word for 'sun'.

When you've researched enough of the band, you look for gigs anywhere near you. If you're lucky enough to find one, you ask your friend to buy you a ticket, since you still don't have a credit card.

Then you do the latter of number 2 of my listening debut thoughts listed earlier.

It's maybe easier to understand those thoughts by checking out these videos.







Half a year later you find yourself writing about them and still wondering how was the name Crystal Fighters able to disturb you so much that you almost missed out on a gem. And how the band member on the right in the picture reminds you of a Harry Potter villain.