Video: Charlotte Gainsbourg f. Beck, “Heaven Can Wait”
In a way, the waify offspring of Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin is a perfect match for the vagabond scientologist Beck, and this video shows why: they can have lazing-around Boho slumber parties where they muse about philosophy, art and making love while cuddling; or they can meet odd new people doing extraordinary things, like holding a WWII bomb graffiti’d with the word “Nachos.” Hey man, we wanna play shirtless guitar when our parents are arguing, too. However, we have to draw the line at doing our make-up with a life-sized dino-man in the bathroom. It’s just too intimate. (via Spinner)
Charlotte Gainsbourg, “IRM” (produced by Beck) MP3
- story Matthew Schnipper
- photo Karim Sadli (F41)
Sounding as much like it was produced by Beck as it was produced by a horse in one of those weird dream sequences in The Science of Sleep, “IRM,” the first track from Charlotte Gainsbourg’s newest record. She’s clearly open to influence and collaboration, as this is drastically different than the fog her 5:55 lived in with the help of Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker. Gainsbourg is much more lively here, singing against doorbells and lunch-bucket drums. The studio probably had a bunch of crystals, cassette copies of the “Sex Laws” single, orange Febreeze and a bunch of loose fabric made by Hermes that they draped on all the microphones. It sounds that way—rock and roll loser legend Scientologist with a great hat and handmade acoustic guitars and marimbas meets famous-in-France maybe sorta kinda rich lady with a voice like a lush and European tiny wind tunnel. They recorded this in California and it’s rich with that good West Coast endo and mountain views. Giving it maybe two days until Kanye puts the track up on his blog.
Download: Charlotte Gainsbourg, “IRM” (email sign up required)
Video: Beck, “Gamma Ray”
- story THE FADER
We were pretty unexcited by Beck’s decision to dump FADER contributor Mario Hugo’s cover designs (see all of his cover concepts on his site), but this video is a little more visually encouraging than the eventual Modern Guilt album art so we’ll give him another chance. Not to mention that the actual music on Modern Guilt is pretty great, especially considering we put this dude on the cover with D’Angelo nearly ten years ago. Maybe we’ll put them both on the cover again now that D is back in the studio with Raphael Saadiq and John Motherfucking Mayer. Or maybe we’ll put a kitten on the cover. Stay tuned!
Video: Beck, Modern Guilt Preview
- story THE FADER
Okay so Beck doesn’t get older. He’s looked the same forever. Instead of aging, Beck just changes musical styles, which is actually part of the fun of Beck. Every time a new album comes out it’s like, What’s he going to do this time? According to this video preview of Beck’s upcoming album Modern Guilt, Beck is making one of those everything albums where he doesn’t stick to one thing. At least that means it won’t be all sad like Sea Change! Sad music is for suckers. Just kidding, that album is actually good and deserves some revisiting.
Audio: Beck, “Chemtrails”
- story THE FADER
In FADER #3, we sat Beck and D’Angelo in the same room to talk about their music, and at one point Beck, in reference to his songs becoming old to him through repetition said, “I don’t think of it like that. I’m beyond bored with it. It’s like my arm. Are you bored of your arm? You use it every day. That’s the eternal struggle, though, is trying to keep it fresh, come up with new shit. People always wanna hear the old shit—that’s always gonna be the case. The shit you’re inspired by, it’s never going to strike a chord until you’re over it.” Which is funny, because in 2000, pre-free everything, that might’ve been true, but now, we’ll be beyond bored of this song before Beck has even hit the first chord at his first show for the new album. And when he does play “Chemtrails” it will actually feel like our arms. To begin the process, you can listen to the song, co-produced with Danger Mouse, over on Beck.com.
