Listen: Feist - "Pleasure"

Earlier this week Canadian singer/songwriter Feist announced her follow up to 2011's Metals in arguably the most understated way possible. The announcement wasn't accompanied with any taste of what was in store just a sort of vague intimation of what she had been up to and confirmation that the rumors that new music would be coming this year with a definite date of next month. Yesterday, much like the lead up to Metals, Feist released a series of teaser videos (albeit this time of classic films) featuring a snippet of the yet to be announced single and finally we get to hear more than a 5 second snippet of the chorus.

Described as planting a seed of brightness by its title "Pleasure" and its eponymous album finds Feist is a considerably different emotional state than many of the break up pop that made up Metals. "Pleasure" is a bit of a slow burn: starting from completely silence and getting more and more rambunctious as it builds to the cacophony of its climatic finale. Much like her initial announcement where Feist described the two sides of pleasure: mild and fleeting or deeply felt and lasting, she toys with both sides in the single. "Get what I want and still it's a mysterious thing that I want" Feist coos initially after nearly a minute of build up. "I, and you are the same and either fiction or dreaming we know enough to admit" and just like that she sets up the chorus and the rest of the song, describing similarities and commingling feelings and the escapism that togetherness brings. It's simultaneous romantic and also deflating. Feist does a surprising amount very swiftly. After constructing an evolving song with a patient building block like cadence, she basically knocks it all down like dominoes while giving only the briefest of hints at what's coming. "We became our needs" Feist sings and then quickly moves on and then suddenly things surge up and the chorus is all that's left; overpowering in its intensity: "It's my pleasure, it's your pleasure" warps solely into "It's my pleasure" as Feist and her guitar take center stage and stomps and claps rise up to meet chants of "Pleasure! Pleasure!". It's certainly a way to make an entrance and the lead track from her upcoming album sure does a heck of a lot towards making me even more excited for the rest of the album. Luckily for us the release of Pleasure is but a month and some change away.



Feist's fifth studio album Pleasure is out April 28th on Polydor.

Feist - "Black Tongue" (Mastodon Cover)

This year there's been a bunch of let's say questionable collaborations happening that seemed to occur without rhyme or reason. They've all been more or less hit or miss (mostly miss) but one of the most unexpected ones to roll out between Canadian indie songstress Feist and Atlanta, Georgia metalheads Mastodon is actually excellent. I can't say surprisingly because Feist has a way of imbuing everything she touches with a kind of special awesomeness but there seemed to be so much that could've gone wrong with this and yet, it's utterly perfect.

For their split 7" to be released on Record Store Day (that's this Saturday!), the two decided to take a crack at each other's songs. Mastodon took "A Commotion" from Feist's latest release Metals which makes sense as it's kind of the noisiest, most angry track in Feist's repetoire and Feist took on "Black Tongue", the opening track from Mastodon's most recent release The Hunter. The results are pretty spectacular - namely Feist's portion. Turns out Feist utterly thrives in darker, heavier settings. She doesn't go full metal opting instead for some sort of middle ground that plays to her punky roots while also emphasizing exactly what you love about her: She's ridiculous adaptable - settling for sultry instead of ethereal with her higher notes having just the right amount of wail. It's a surprising enough turn that it makes me hope she lounges around in darker sounds a little longer. Here's to hoping.

Get a taste of Feist's contribution to the 'Feistodon' split 7" - out in just two days!



(via Listen Before You Buy)

Watch: Feist - "The Bad in Each Other"

Despite the fact that me and Leslie Feist are currently one-sided fighting about her ticket prices and how expensive they are, girl makes a good video. Considering the cinematic scope of some of the tracks on Metals (namely "Undiscovered First" and "A Commotion") the direction of her latest video for "The Bad in Each Other" isn't all that surprising. The video unfolds like a much better version of ensemble movies like Valentine's Day or New Year's Ever, with a series of vignettes based in Mexico. There's no real explanation or resolution and yet, Feist and director Martin De Thurah manage to tapdance all over your heartstrings. When the first scene is of a man burying his dead dog, you don't really stand a chance.

Watch Feist's video for "The Bad in Each Other":

Feist - "How Come You Never Go There" video

There should probably be some sort of rule against having any sort of expectations when it comes to Feist. Regardless of what you think about her new album Metals, "How Come You Never Go There" is one of its best tracks. And when she was doing album teaser videos I thought I had a fairly good idea what the video was going to be about. Wrong. That charming gentleman who danced his way into my heart in the teaser? Gone. Instead, Feist dons her longest, scruffiest wig and embarks on a forest adventure. There she spins and twirls - but in the Feist-y way where she's not actually putting much effort into it and the wind and trees bend to her will. Yup. Feist goes into the forest and gets in touch with her inner Earth mother. Expectations shattered.

Watch the video for Feist first single and video off Metals, "How Come You Never Go There":

Feist - Metals (2011)

One of the perks of being a good singer/songwriter is you’re allowed an almost limitless opportunity to display raw, vulnerable moments without fear of judgment and yet Feist has taken the emotional high road time and time again. After about a four year break, Leslie Feist is back with a brand new batch of tunes. While she has lent her talents to numerous friend’s albums and projects and produced her own documentary, Metals marks Feist’s return to full length album releases and attempt to reclaim her place amongst the smart, able songwriters that were once her peers.

Enlisting the aid of frequent collaborators Chilly Gonzales and Mocky, Metals’ greatest strengths are in the production and arrangements. These tools are really what make several of the tracks sparkle; the dreamy atmosphere of “Caught a Long Wind”, the blustering cacophony of “A Commotion”, the assaulting background vocals of “Undiscovered First”. These moments are essentially what make the songs. Feist vocals are beautiful but there’s a bit of a disconnect. Though the album never comes off as a weeping pitying affair or even like a true break up album, there’s hints of foul-play and conflict that might have benefitted if Metals were a bit more confessional.

It’s obvious that Metals is a richly layered album that has much to offer in multiple listens but it really falters lyrically. Feist has always utilized nature imagery in her songs but on Metals you’re practically inundated by it. Sure there are little moments like the sardonic wit of “Comfort Me” where Feist croons “When you comfort me, it doesn’t bring me comfort actually” but for the most part, the lyrics don’t really register or resonate. They’re just kind of there alongside some absolutely amazing melodies and spectacular music moments. Metals is accessible but not particularly innovative. So while it’s perfectly enjoyable to listen to, it doesn’t quite pay off the four years Feist’s spent building up to it. But if it’s between this or another four years of waiting, we’ll take what we can get.

Feist offers up additional album teaser

Yesterday, Feist offered up the latest of her album teasers, this time #9. The good thing about the album teasers is each contains part of a new song from her upcoming album Metals. The bad thing is each contains part of a new song from her upcoming album. Nothing makes you want an album more than being able to hear what's going to be on it. Or something to that effect. With #9, Feist teases with full-bodied female group vocals and more visuals of her enjoying herself in Big Sur, California. Add in some awkward white girl dancing from Feist herself and you have what's arguably the most enjoyable teaser she's released thus far.

Also of note is that previously viewed teaser #7 is now locked. Perhaps for a future reveal after the official release/announcement of the second single. Whatever the case, you can view the teasers as well as pre-order the album at Feist's official website here.

Get pumped for Metals with #9:

Feist posts more teasers, reveals new track

While Feist continues with her series of occasionally enigmatic teaser trailers for new album Metals, today she finally offered up her first full song preview in the form of "How Come You Never Go There". Initially premiered on KBCO at 9:40 this morning, for all you late sleepers (like me), there is hope. Feist has posted the track to her Soundcloud for continued listening enjoyment.

Many thanks to Listen Before You Buy for actually getting up to catch the radio show and getting a radio rip and letting everyone know about the Soundcloud.


And here's a little catch up with Feist trailers:
#7


#5

#4

Teaser #8 will be revealed on Monday 8/15. So stayed tuned.

Here's the official album version of "How Come You Never Go There":
How Come You Never Go There by Feist

Feist reveals some album details

After releasing the first of 12 teaser videos last week, Feist is finally opening up about her plans. On October 4th, Feist will be releasing Metals- four years after her last album The Reminder.


Feist has also release another teaser video. The third one.



(via P4K)

Feist teases new album

Proving that album teasers are all the rage right now, one more album teaser (one of a series of about 12) has popped up. However, this one seems arguably more important than all the rest. It's the album teaser from Feist. Since announcing her temporary break from music and then putting out a documentary, Feist has been pretty mum about anything vaguely resembling new music. And then today gifted the internet-possessing world with a strange mysterious video showing random scenes in nature with some superimposed over the inside of a house (or studio, maybe?) accompanied with some rather ominous drum-heavy music. Watch the first of 12 teasers: