Cold Beat

[shadowplay]

I know the Jaguar018 is in on the Cold Beat but perhaps we can open this discussion to the floor. They have a new mini elpee out of early Eurythmics covers on the very fine Dark Entries called 'A Simple Reflection' but it's going to be a while before there's the whole thing streaming to post so perhaps we'll concentrate on Invitation to Chaos, Into the AIr and Over Me.

To me they are like a Cold Wave French Canadian Blondie, not that they are Canadian or that like Blondie really but they aren't quite European and not very USA so I'm sticking with it. They're very approachable and not at all angsty and loosely speaking are blend of post punk, minimal wave and woozy neon 80's pop ripe for that end credits prom scene all cut with a tiny angostura bitters dash of twitchy New Wave.

Cold Beat - Into The Air

This has Spirals which is such a beautiful heart rending and perfect track to push up your jacket sleeves and show your honey your finest danse moves to.

Cold Beat - Chaos By Invitation I just played this a couple of times in a row today. Starts off with a Modern Life is Automatic whoosh wink before ushering in that end prom scene glow, lets the light pour out, lights up their Wire, wanders into minimal wave and flicks their Blondie bangs before fading to dreaming black.

Their other records are good but these two are enough to be going on with.

D

[scottT]

I know the Jaguar018 is in on the Cold Beat but perhaps we can open this discussion to the floor.

I've been spending the last hour sampling this and there is not a thing not to like about it. Blondie absolutely and (Eurythmics obviously) and I even hear a little Siouxsie Belladonna on happy pills, or as you say, minus the angst and the track you linked to in particular, 62 Moons (a standout) made me think of Over You but maybe I'm just always looking for a way to fit in my beloved post Eno Roxy Music.

Anyway, I think they are more that the sum of their parts, and if you like those parts--1980s---it's hard to see how anyone wouldn't love this.

Oh, and real bass and guitars, too!

[Jaguar018]

Shadowplay is correct. I am on board. This is a great band. Love her voice. It is her own, and it has the perfect mix of all the little bits that I appreciate.

I saw them supporting their "Chaos By Invitation," album and the sound at the venue of The Comet (the now infamous Pizzagate restaurant) in DC was garbage that night as one of the monitors had a blown speaker. Kind of a bummer. but I'm still glad I went. I talked to them a little. Hanna Lew is old school. I think she was ready to go drink some beer, liquor, and/or do some drugs then crash on the floor at a house party after the show. [Alas, it would have been hard to pull off a kegger at my house with a sleeping wife and two kids present].

[shadowplay]

Oh, and real bass and guitars, too!

Less on Chaos By Invitation which I prefer as an album but I like their other records too.

I had a notion that they were quite popular but I'm looking wrong on that score if the replies are anything to go on.

Hanna Lew is old school. I think she was ready to go drink some beer, liquor, and/or do some drugs then crash on the floor at a house party after the show. [Alas, it would have been hard to pull off a kegger at my house with a sleeping wife and two kids present].

We'd have had her back to to the Cursed House of Shadowplay (maybe not right now with the adoption SW watching us but any other time ), I'm somewhat comforted that she was ready to rumble and not some clean living twelve stepper.

Having said I like Chaos more I've got Into the Air on and totally bopping to Cracks as I type, I love it's no wave goes B52 disco attitude.

D

[Arthon]

To me they are like a Cold Wave French Canadian Blondie, not that they are Canadian or that like Blondie really but they aren't quite European and not very USA so I'm sticking with it. They're very approachable and not at all angsty and loosely speaking are blend of post punk, minimal wave and woozy neon 80's pop ripe for that end credits prom scene all cut with a tiny angostura bitters dash of twitchy New Wave.

D

As a French Canadian... wtf?!

[shadowplay]

Has a French Canadian... wtf?!

Meant as a compliment 100%.

D

[Arthon]

Has a French Canadian... wtf?!

Meant as a compliment 100%.

D

No offense, I understood what you were saying after 2-3 reads

[shadowplay]

Love the new elpee Mother that's out on new home DFA.

Singles

Prism

Flat Earth

D

[Jaguar018]

Yes! Sorry if this sounds like a two-man band, but this is good stuff.

[DeathJag]

I like this band, it appeals to my poppy side. La Sera and Grass Widow come to mind, as do the Sundays! Great band. The digital drums are ok, I prefer real instruments for that style.

[mediocreplayer]

Never heard of Cold Beat before Jaguar mentioned them in the other long thread. I started listening to Mother and the first two tracks blew my mind. I listened to the whole thing and liked it a lot though a bit towards the end it got a bit same-y, but maybe because I was working on something and not 100% dedicated to listening.

Speaking of same-y, I can't get enough of La Roux's new album where every outlet mentions this as a criticism (and as I was playing it last night during dinner my wife was like "have we been listening to the same song for the past 30 minutes?". Not sure why that is not bothering me at all. I don't want to crash the Cold Beat thread but if there are recommendations for more music like this recent La Roux album (80s synth pop with a dash of funk/disco guitars) I am all ears.

[shadowplay]

I like this band, it appeals to my poppy side. La Sera and Grass Widow come to mind, as do the Sundays! Great band. The digital drums are ok, I prefer real instruments for that style.

Hannah also sang in Grass Widow.

D

[DeathJag]

I like this band, it appeals to my poppy side. La Sera and Grass Widow come to mind, as do the Sundays! Great band. The digital drums are ok, I prefer real instruments for that style.

Hannah also sang in Grass Widow.

D

! Well there you go! I must have amazing ears.

[FrankRay]

You know, if this was 1963 and I had the chance to go see the Stones orBeatles, and instead banged on how great Humphrey Littleton's reimagining of Louis Armstrong was, that would be less anachronostic than these retro-heads.
It's like the musical equivalent of Stranger Things. Possibly less fun, at that. Certainly less knowing.
I really love the Eurythmics' first album, and their cover of I'm Never Gonna Cry Again is exactly as expected; fetishising analog synths and drum machines in an utterly soulless more-or-less identical retread, without the purity, clarity or cold-hearted european sexuality of the original.
Bah humbug.

[budda12ax7]

I like the synth on these songs.