Morrissey: Back to the bench where your clothes were stolen

Proclaiming disdain, loneliness and frustration, Morrissey stood center stage for his fans at the Mann Center in Philadelphia. Monday night's weather was a chilly 66 degrees, perfect for telling tales; the crowd huddled together and listened intently, often times singing along, and, at times, trying to steal the spotlight.

Opening with "The Queen is Dead," a song which gave his now defunct band, The Smiths, a legendary title. I, at times, tried desperately to envision Johnny Marr on the guitar, and hoping both he and Morrissey would not spur over differences on stage. But we are past that. Morrissey was talkative and humorous and attempted to intertwine political references into each song he sang - often times changing words in his songs to make a statement ("I've been dreaming of a time when Americans are sick to death of Republicans"). Much to the delight of the crowd, he spoke to us. He gave us a reason to listen. He grabbed the hands of lucky front rowers and threw his shirt into the audience several times, watching fans dive head first in hopes of catching even a thread. It was intimate in the oddest of ways. Intimate, idiosyncratic and ultimately beautiful.

His voice has changed little over the years. Even in the short, audibly fuzzy video clips captured on my mobile, a mere stranger would recognize the voice; inherently English, husky and eccentric.

Never obsequious, Morrissey handed his microphone over to a few audience members and let them have their say. "God bless you always," said one. Morrissey quipped back with a sarcastic, "Always?"

Of course always. He's Morrissey for heaven's sake!

As every crowd has its die-hard fans, it also has its share of "marauders," as well. Five or six people jumped up onto the stage, only to be whisked away by burly security guards, sans one woman who was able to make it onto the stage, and hug the illustrious performer.

As the show drew to a close, he encored with "The Last of the International Playboys."

"Well, it's better than Pink Floyd," he said, alluding to his use of the infamous encore. His backing band began to play - all in brown polos - all obviously deliriously happy to be not only performing, but sharing the same air space with the man.

As was the crowd.



Alas, through all of this, a strange conundrum came into play by the name of Kristeenyoung. I absolutely did not understand why Morrissey or WHOMEVER chose them as the opening act for Morrissey actually chose them. To be frank, I thought they sucked. The girl's voice was bad enough to break glass, and the music absolutely did not stand up. I could think of a hundred other acts in which his tour manager could have utilized. In the end, I suppose it's all about business : or, somebody is playing hide the salami with one of the members of KY (KY, crap that makes sense) and felt obliged to book them with Morrissey.

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Blue wonder power milk.

The Belgium based group Hooverphonic, with their pop-edged, ethereal trip-hop, ooze slicks of electronica, rock and funk. Having had received their sophomore effort, "Blue Wonder Power Milk," I listened to it in its entirety. "This Strange Effect" had surely acclimated itself to my playlist a long time ago. I'm not sure if, in this song, Geike Arnaert's saccharine yet beautiful vocals drew me in, or if it was the guitar work that borderlined sounding like a background soundtrack to a country western stand-off; this juxtaposed against singing violins. Arnaerts vocals are reminiscent of another favourite of mine: Nicola Hitchcock, formerly of the trip-hop group Mandalay.

Some may remember "2wicky," a single off of "A New Sterephonic Sound Spectacular." This song was used in the hit movie, "I Know What You Did Last Summer." It seems a bit misplaced, though - a sophisticated trip-hop group's hit interspersed with scenes from such a puerile movie. One will probably recognize, "Renaissance Affaire" as well - a drum 'n' bass infused track.

Either way, "Blue Wonder Power Milk" is a true testament to Hooverphonic's overwhelming ability in understanding what it means to mix genres, sounds and expertise. Most songs are delicate, salted with hints of unrefinement. "Lung" is a hardhitting departure from this. With big sounds, and an even bigger beat, it certainly does not allow the listener to sit still.

Pulchritudinous it may be, "Blue Wonder Power Milk" makes a clear, yet unobtrusive statement that they are much more than your typical trip-hop group. Although you may find their work amongst the likes of Morcheeba, Portishead, Single Gun Theory and Massive Attack, Hooverphonic has remained quiet yet confident in tackling preconceived notions.

"Eden," a song remade by the magnificent Sarah Brightman, and later remixed by Enigma, is a sensuous, heart-breakingly beautiful serenade ("Did you ever think of me as your best friend...did you ever think of me as your enemy?").

On a side note - getting back to Nicola Hitchcock, her song, "You Will Feel Like This" is perhaps one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. Whilst she was in Mandalay, songs such as "Like Her" and "Enough Love" were powerful, yet ephemeral odes to the significance of female vocalists in trip-hop today. I will perhaps always compare Geike Anaert's voice to Hitchcock's, even if the latter's is a bit more soulful and esoteric.

If you enjoy the sounds of trip-hop, soft pop/rock and electronica...hell, if you like music, be sure to make Hooverphonic's "Blue Wonder Power Milk" a part of your collection.

The Knife : A cracked smile and a silent shout.

It often becomes difficult to tell whether Olof and Karin Dreijer, a brother and sister line-up, truly hail from their hometown of Stockholm, Sweden or if they holidayed off a warm, lush coast, fertile with the sweltering sounds of calypso and steel drums. Just as the weather makes for long, sensuous dips in the water, without warning, an arctic blow comes sweeping in. That artic blow just happens to be brought upon by a plethora of synthesizers. With it, blowing away the portents of those used to the straight-forward, club-thumping sounds of IDM.

A delectable hybridization of eclectic, electronic, even bordering on the tropical, The Knife unabashedly takes their listeners on a musical odyssey.

We trust The Knife implicitly on this odyssey, however. We trust their novice brand of electronica simply because it sounds so good. It's smooth, arousing, danceable and crosses the line of 'quirky' without looking back for a second. "Silent Shout" has undeniably become a staple in the intelligent listener's CD collection, as well as the indie listener looking for unbelieveable sounds and beats.

"Heartbeats," an immensely catchy song off of "Deep Cuts," was redone by another Swede - famed folk/indie singer-songwriter Jose Gonzalez. This was, perhaps, the first, true glimpse of The Knife.

Going where not many an indie act has gone before, The Knife won six Grammis; or, the Swedish version of the Grammys. A tour in 2006 proved an even more monumental feat, as they had never performed before. Many a time, hiding behind masks, both Dreijers host their own masquerade ball of sorts each time they step on stage.

"Silent Shout" is a remarkable ode to The Knife's capabilities. "Marble House," a single off of this gem, is heartbreakingly beautiful in, frankly, the oddest of ways. Off kilter and lyrically strange ("Now where's your shoulder? What is its name? What's your scent? Say it again - if it goes faster can you still follow me? It must be safe when it's on TV"), this pseudo-love song makes for an incredible piece of music. Their lyrics are never completely opaque; rather alarming, yet ingenious.