One of the best nights I have had in a long time started with a band concert by Little Dragon at Il Motore, followed by a Berlin club DJ set by Cassy at Salon Daome. Both acts blew me away, which is a rare and unexpected treat.
Japanese-Swedish lead singer Yukimi Nagano had amazing energy onstage – she shook a tambourine with a fervor while dancing around like a hypnotic temptress from outer space. The rest of the band was amazingly talented as well — Erik Bodin (drums), Fredrik Källgren Wallin (bass), and Håkan Wirenstrand (keyboards), all held their own as masters of their instrument, but it is definitely her electrifying stage presence and voice that are the glue that holds this ensemble together.
Cassy, by stark contrast, barely moved while she DJ’d, but made up for it by playing pure vinyl, perfectly mixed blending the best in underground electronic music from the late 9o’s to present day.
Back on the acoustic side of things on the home front, Grizzly Bear has been rocking my headphones and bedroom speakers lately with their moody improvisational grooves.
Carla Bruni, the First Lady of France, is another recent discovery of mine with her sultry slightly husky voice and suggestive lyrics en francais. Carla, je t’aime.