Since her explosion onto the American pop charts in 1997 with “Show Me Love”, when she was 18 years old, Robyn has graduated from the school of hard-knocks. Her 2005 comeback album, Robyn, featured songs filled with strife and swelling egoism — the songbook of a girl who’s not going to take it anymore. Her new album, Body Talk Pt. 1 (of what she promises will be a three-part series) is no different. Though these tracks are composed of pulsing, straight-forward dance beats, the lyrics reflect an endless string of heartbreak, boredom, and violent confidence. In the video for “Dancing on My Own”, Robyn proudly presents her biceps like a champion fighter before the ring. While she admits, in the opening track, that her drinking, smoking, PMS, mother, and shoes are killing her, she also posits, “Don’t fucking tell me what to do”. Then, as if the posturing had become exhaustive, she finishes the album with a ballad, “Hang With Me” (whatever you do, “don’t fall recklessly, headlessly in love” with her), and a sweet traditional Swedish folksong, “Jag Vet En Dejlig Rosa”, that shows off her vocal prowess.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

After the jump, check out the video for “Dancing on My Own”. Buy this at iTunes.

 Charlotte Gainsbourg was nervous. She had never toured before, and no one knew what to expect as she took to the stage last weekend, at what must have been the most crowded concert to date at the Hiro Ballroom. But as the show went on, Gainsbourg’s confidence grew, aided by cheers coming from the crowd, in both French and English. On IRM, Gainsbourg’s new album written and produced by Beck, her ethereal voice wafts and wanes over eerie melodies reminiscent of Beck’s own Sea Change. It’s no surprise then that Gainsbourg’s sold-out appearances at Manhattan’s Hiro Ballroom and Brooklyn’s Bell House drew such attention. She’s one of the most interesting artists working today — giving a heart-stopping performance in Lars von Trier’s film Antichrist and creating one of the most beautiful albums released in the last year. And to top it all off, she is simply one of the nicest, most gracious people we have ever interviewed.

Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel have been making music together since they were in grade school. They meet everyday to play, whether they have specific ideas in mind or not. Eventually, out of these daily improvisations, an album is born. Maintaining this sort of routine for over a decade takes an incredible amount of commitment. Asked if their relationship resembled a marriage, Godin responds, “For me, the idea of a marriage is someone who doesn’t piss you off. The world is cruel enough. When you come home, you need some support. Our producers tell us these stories about bands that hate each other and I say, ‘Why do you do this?’ You have to want to be together.”
     So Godin and Dunckel’s marriage may solely be a musical one, but it’s an incredibly successful partnership. Love 2, the most recent fruit of their labor, sounds like a record from two musicians who have hit their stride — they know what works, and this go-round they’ve found inspiration in the sense of security that love and acceptance can provide. “Love shouldn’t be a problem,” Godin says. “Yes, but lack of love is always a problem,” Dunckel continues. “The songs on this record are about aching for love. We just want to say, ‘Love me.’” And that’s not an impossible request.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Air – Do the Joy