There is a complex formula of musicality, humor, geekiness and spunk that - when properly computed - results in that which is Ludo. On their major label debut, You’re Awful, I Love You, Ludo throws listeners twelve tracks of powerful pop goodness that they’ll be humming along to long after the disc stops spinning.

Kicking things off is “Love Me Dead”, a live staple that’s been around for years. Ambitious, theatrical, and hook-filled, the song not only sets the tone for the album but for the band as well. Neither disappoint. Competing for attention are thundering drums and pulsing guitar of “Drunken Lament”, the adventure and choir-strong vocals of “Lake Pontchartrain”, and the dance-able rock of “Such As It Ends”. Not to be pigeonholed, the band also successfully takes on more intimate fare in “Streetlights” and “Topeka”.

Ludo is at their best, however, when taking a darker turn. The hurricane-force chorus of “Please” could move mountains, and its instrumentals the most hardened heart. Tight and driving, they perfectly echo the longing of the lyrics. “The Horror of Our Love” has incredibly dark lyrics surrounding obsessive, murderous love while offering one of the most beautiful musical releases at the song’s chorus. Calm and ethereal, it produces an opposite physical effect - the listener is left breathless while something tugs at them from deep within.

You’re Awful, I Love You drops 2/26/08.
Get fake facts and more at www.ludorock.com.

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As a bonus, I was able to see Ludo perform several songs from You’re Awful, I Love You at their show at The Majestic in Madison, WI on January 25, 2008.

Standout tracks from the material included “Drunken Lament” with its tight drums and “Lake Pontchartrain” which is even fuller and more energetic live. “Go-Getter Greg” worked well, sounding a bit like Fountains of Wayne if they had unresolved anger issues. “Please” was epic, though not quite as nuanced as the album version. And of course there was “Love Me Dead”, but its success was no surprise as the dichotomous lyrics beg for a sing-along.

There was a good mix of songs from the band’s self-titled LP and their rock opera Broken Bride. “Good Will Hunting By Myself” never fails to entertain, “Hum Along” served as a big payoff for most of the crowd, and the Broken Bride material still sounds fresh with “Save Our City” continuing to be a crowd favorite and one of Ludo’s best live songs.

SET LIST
Broken Bride
Drunken Lament
Go-Getter Greg
Please
Saturday Night Thunderbolt
Lake Pontchartrain
In Space
Save Our City
Girls On Trampolines
Roxy
Scream, Scream, Scream
Air-Conditioned Love
The Lamb and the Dragon
Topeka
Hum Along
Love Me Dead
Good Will Hunting By Myself
Epic [Faith No More cover]

There have been rumblings about a New Kids on the Block reunion, and it looks like it might actually be happening. Their official website (which existed up to this point for God knows what reason) has put up a promotional video that heavily hints that a tour is forthcoming.

As a six-year-old I was a fan to the point of obsession, but was far too young to see them in concert (at least in the opinion of my parents). An NKOTB reunion would allow for some long-overdue wish fulfillment. It would also allow for some highly-deserved mocking.

I can’t wait.

Last year a couple of friends told me they were going to see Vampire Weekend. When I asked what sort of music it was, they told me it was “indie/Afro/ska” and I thought they were just being smart-asses (as that is their nature). Turns out they were being serious and the combination works to a surprisingly wonderful effect on the band’s self-titled debut LP.

Overall, Vampire Weekend’s songs have a feel similar to world-music influenced acts of the 80s. “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” takes on the famous Congo beat and several of the tracks have an island feel about them.

Lead track “Mansard Roof” is swirling and bursting with energy, but manages to stay smooth despite the boppy, syncopated drums. The pretty “I Stand Corrected” bubbles under the surface, never bursting forth but leaving the listener satisfied all the same. Strings and/or harpsichord define the sound of tracks like “The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance”, “Walcott”, and “M79″, but sound fresh even though such instruments have been in use for hundreds of years.

Current single “A-Punk” has a punchy bass line and brings to mind The Clash, which is somewhat ironic considering the differences between the bands’ backgrounds and lyrical content. Vampire Weekend’s lyrics tend to focus on such subjects as Louis Vitton, Benneton, wearing sweaters, and being oh-so-over the Cape. It’s hard to tell if the gentlemen that comprise Vampire Weekend are giving a humored wink-and-nod to their upbringing or are full-out embracing it. With lines like “your collegiate grief has left you dowdy in sweatshirts/absolute horror” one wants to lean toward the former, but the band’s sound and image conjure the definition of 80s wealth and privilege. Regardless, the album is a fun romp and gives a nice touch of sunshine to these gray winter days.

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Vampire Weekend drops 1/29/08.
For more, check out their website.

The Honorary Title have made a video for their song “Stuck at Sea”. It’s a mix of the hippest episode of Sesame Street ever and a mêlée of letter violence.

I get several people who come to this site daily under the search “jose gonzalez + heartbreaks” and “heartbreaks + the knife”. Though the song (called “Heartbeats” by the way - not “Heartbreaks”) has been out for several years, here’s the skinny.

The original version of the song is by The Knife, a Swedish duo. It was released in 2002, and re-released in 2004. Here is the video:

In 2003, fellow Swede Jose Gonzalez covered it on his album Veneer. The song was later used in a surprisingly lovely ad for Bravia TVs, and the album was released in US in 2006. Here is the ad:

Hopefully that has cleared things up for some of you, and alerted those not in-the-know to this excellent song.

“Close to Me” is one of my favorite songs by The Cure. You can’t help but clap along blithely despite the depressing lyrics. My favorite cover of it is from The Get Up Kids’ Eudora, but it’s essentially the same thing only faster.

Anticon’s WHY? have done something quite a bit different with it. Slow and deliberate with vocals that reflect the pain and uncertainty of the lyrics, it proves to be a rather captivating take on the song.

Wondering what some of their original material sounds like? Check out “The Hollows” from their upcoming release Alopecia.

Well dears, at the end of this week I’ll be taking down the original M|H site, found at http://mixtapesandheartbreaks.blogspot.com .

It served me well, and by now people who had that bookmarked should have made it over to this site. So, if for some reason you have a weird attachment to the original, this is your last chance to check it out.

Every now and again, the music channels on cable play videos. Here are two that caught my eye/ear in this rarest of occasions.

Editors - An End Has A Start

Vampire Weekend - A Punk