It seems like I just talked about Sigur Ros on the blog, but that was way back in November when they released their live/unreleased stuff sort of album. I just can't talk enough about how much I love this band. This week they are putting out the brand new full length album full of all brand new songs. The album is called Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust. For those of you that do not speak Icelandic or Hopelandic, this translates into "With A Buzz In Our Ears We Play Endlessly." As you can imagine, the new album is fantastic. After all, it is a new Sigur Ros album. How can it not be great? But it is a bit of a departure from what we have come to expect from these guys. While still managing to very much be a Sigur Ros album, it comes off as being a bit more of a pop record I think, but in a Sigur Ros kind of way. Don't worry, it is still weird. The opening song and single is "Gobbledigook." The song includes a lot of hand claps, and I am a big fan of the hand claps. It is a nice way to start the album, but it really gets me with the second song. This is the kind of Sigur Ros song that I fall in love with. I have no idea what they are signing about but it just doesn't matter. It is like some huge classical anthem that you just fall in love with. It speaks to you without the words. I don't even really think of the vocalist as a singer. His voice is just another instrument in the band. The song has a lot going on. It sounds like a full orchestra and a choir of young Icelandic singers, and it's all brought together by Jonsi's beautiful voice. It is that voice that first made me fall in love with the great Sigur Ros, and it is that voice that keeps me a loyal member of the Sigur Ros fan army. His voice is like the most beautiful instrument in the world. I know I sort of sound like a cult member, but they really are that good.

I have been really obsessed with Antony & the Johnsons since I moved to Los Angeles. I'm not really sure why. I did first listen to him when I initially moved to Los Angeles in 2001, so maybe I have him attached to Los Angeles in my mind. I was immediately in love with him. He was like a stretched out version of Marc Almond-- a bit more intense and not as flamboyant. I guess he had a different kind of flamboyance. He's also incredibly interesting and completely engaging. I wanted to know more about this man. My love for him grew after I eventually moved back to San Francisco. After recently finding myself living back in L.A. once again, I inevitably began listening to all his albums. I listened to them over and over again as I unpacked and rearranged my new apartment. I even broke out a live bootleg album that a friend of mine had made for me. I normally stay away from the live albums-- I would rather physically be there at a live show-- but I even became obsessed with this live album and soon had all his comments to the crowd memorized as if they were part of the album. So of course I was excited to find out that Antony would be featured on a new album coming out this year. Hercules & Love Affair just released their self titled album in the U.K. on DFA Records. You might have to wait a couple months for a domestic release, but in the meantime it is more than worth the import price for this amazing new debut album. You will find Antony on the vocals for four of the ten songs. He also sings some back up on an additional song.