Tape Recorder

Tape Recorder took some time off and spent quality time in NYC attending the first night of Madonna´s Sticky & Sweet concert in Madison Square Garden last Monday.

The show was the queen of pop´s professional playground or her party as she called it. It differed from the last two tours in the focus - this time the focus was clearly Madonna herself. The dancers were in much smaller roles than before and there were quite many occasions when Madonna was alone on stage. She was also much more talkative than before and made one of her now famous Sarah Palin rants (Guess, who´s not invited to my party? Sarah Fuckin’ Palin).

My favourite was Devil Wouldn´t Recognize You. Madonna sang it on top of a piano wearing an amazing gothic cape, surrounded by cylinder shaped light shower. The number started with a strange, beautiful 3D backdrop video and Here Comes the Rain Again, the classic Eurythmics track. Another favorite of mine was She´s Not Me, Madonna on the altar of narcissism where her dancers were dressed like her, wearing classic Madonna outfits. The number was very interesting, you´re not sure if she fights herself or her copycats.

I also enjoyed the rather straightforward choreography (for a Madonna show) especially in Give It 2 Me. And the mash-ups were great, Into the Groove + Toop Toop by Cassius, Like Prayer + Feels Like Home (Meck ft Dino). Overall the concert was an amazing experience, perhaps not her biggest production, but highly entertaining.

If Madonna was “Wow” yesterday, Hercules & Love Affair were “Now”. Their disco is small scale, but very modern day and right at the moment. Tape Recorder saw Hercules & Love Affair yesterday in Helsinki and found them much more interesting live than on record. The personality and all the nuances of their music came across on stage. There was no need for guest vocalist Antony Hegarty, when singers Nomi and Kim Ann Foxman took the stage and showed what disco and house looks like now.

Hercules & Love Affair are responsible for one of the best singles this year - Blind. Listen to Blind sung by Antony Hegarty below:

Just two days before Madonna´s Sticky & Sweet, the biggest tour of her career, opens in Cardiff. Here´s press release from Icon (source allaboutmadonna.com):

Madonna, currently putting the finishing touches to her fabulous new Sticky & Sweet Show in Cardiff, is readying herself and the 250 travelling personnel for the opening night this Saturday at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

Hot on the diamante shaped heels of her phenomenally successful ‘Hard Candy’ disc, ‘Sticky & Sweet’ promises two pulsating hours of non stop hits in a show that features 16 dancers, a 12 piece band, more than 8 costume changes for the lady herself and £l million of Swarovski crystals.

The audience is taken on a rock driven dancetastic journey that’s broken into four sections:

Pimp
A mashed up homage to 1920’s deco and modern day gangsta pimp. Madonna makes a grand entrance dressed by Givenchy.

Old School
Madonna tips her hat to her early 80’s downtown New York City dance roots with flashes of Keith Haring and the dance culture vibe of the time including the birth of rap.

Gypsy
A VIP trip to La Isla Bonita infused by the spirit of Romanian folk music and dance. A tour de force.

Rave
Far eastern influences emerge all sparkly and sporty.

‘Sticky & Sweet’ kicks off this Saturday August 23rd at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium. The tour hits London’s Wembley Stadium September 11th.

I saw Yeasayer play live last night and liked them a lot. The band remained very into their music, passionate about it and at the same time they were really warm. Their music is art, it´s been described “psychedelic folk” or something, but to me it reflected the cultural diversity of the band and Brooklyn, New York, where Yeasayer comes from. Yeasayer mixes up great, sometimes dark melodies and world rhythms. 2080 by Yeasayer is a gorgeous track and perhaps best example of their music.

Download 2080 by Yeasayer for free here.

Just saw MGMT play live yesterday. Liked them, they´re very young and fresh and have a lot to look for. They ended the gig with Kids, great and solid song that combines electro and psychedelic rock. I also love their lyrics, Electric Feel is a love song according to MGMT. Here´s Justice remix of Electric Feel and this time the French have replaced romance with metal.

Saw the Broken Social Scene perform last night on their "Impregnate the Skies" tour. They played for over 2 hours and the lineup was mostly seven people. The athmosphere was intimate and relaxed, they chatted a lot and did some improvising. BSS is a great live band, you can really enjoy their skillful set, even if you are not a musician or that into progressive indie rock. Wish they would wash their hair though!