New JJ - "All White Everything"

The new single "All White Everything" the first taste of JJ's V (8/19) - their first album since 2010's no.3 - is a plaintive, wistful, piano-based ballad that finds the Swedish duo Elin Kastlander and Joakim Benon sounding clean and fresh, yet ultimately unable to recapture the songwriting and power of any composition off of their debut and high-water mark no.2. (See similar wistful summer ballad "Are You Still in Vallda" below the new song).

Keep Shelly in Athens: "Recollection"

Recalling the nostalgic elements of our dearly departed Air France with the "magic hour" haze of JJ - Keep Shelly in Athens' new track "Recollection" announces the return of the Athens duo, and the announcement of their new album At Home 9/17 on Cascine.

New JJ: "Beautiful Life"

[mp3] JJ: "Beautiful Life" 

It just would not be Spring or Summer without JJ. Here's a new track from her 7" she's releasing May 8. Someone get me a refreshing beverage and a beach.

Keep Shelly in Athens Peel Back Mystery

[mp3] Keep Shelly in Athens: "DIY"

It seems with each successive track, tour date, and news announcement the shroud of mystery that has long surrounded Keep Shelly in Athens is peeled back bit by bit. Following the seemingly same trajectory of like minded artist JJ, KSIA have grown past being just nameless, photo-less musicians from across the Atlantic. For months, they let their excellent gauzy pop-minded electronic compositions speak for the band. But now, they are developing into a “real” group, complete with a 12” release, US tour dates and photos. Long the personal baby band of Gorilla vs. Bear, the blog’s label Forest Family has paid it forward by putting out their upcoming album Our Own Dream, due Nov 8. We wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if a larger indie label picked up this talented Grecian duo for a larger release in 2012. For now, enjoy the new single "DIY" above, and catch them on their first US tour. Dates after the jump.

New Track: "We Can't Stop" - JJ feat. Ne-Yo

jj Unveils Two New Tracks

[MP3] jj - "No One Can Touch Us Tonight"

[MP3] jj - "Ice"

We are admittly a bit late on posting these, but we wanted to have them! Two new tracks have surfaced from Sweden's own, jj via their independant label Sincerly Yours. "No One Can Touch Us Tonight" and "Ice" are a clear return to form, reinforcing all the positive song elements that made us fawn over jj n° 2 back in 2009. A departure from jj's most recent mixtape, Kills which was heavy on the hip-hop samples, she circles back around to her roots...these tracks call for Summer; "Ice" is your late night jam, while "No One Can Touch Us Tonight" is your roof-party jam. We are happy about these.

New Video: jj "You Know"

[MP3] jj - "Let Them"

Sweden's at times formidable jj, has become of the biggest question mark acts of 2009 to present ebbing and flowing between the known and unknown. Since naming her debut full-length, jj n° 2 my number one record of 2009, she released a very under-whelming follow up, jj nº 3 , had a near meltdown performance at SXSW and ultimate fell out of the blogger eye. At one point, jj's creative hip-hop infused, angelic-pop, tropical-electro song constructions had the press world by the Big Time. Perhaps that time has come again. Since recently releasing her new track, Let Them" -- a mash up of T.I. and Lil' Wayne -- available above, jj teamed up with the good folks at Sincerely Yours, to film her newest video for "You Know" available HERE. What does this mean for jj's 2011?  You tell us. 

Tweet

JJ Releases New Track from jj nº 3 - "Let Go"

JJ - "Let Go"

What is a JJ? What does a JJ look like? Is anybody listening to me? Managing to stay completely out of the lime light while at the same time, full immersed in it, JJ has become a symbol of "jaunty optimism" and debonair-like, summer-tinged, musical charm. jj nº 2 slowly made its way to the blogs, then our iPods and soon enough, emerged as the best record of 2009 (this coming from me, Vince.) What does this JJ have in-store for us in 2010? jj nº 3 which drops on March 9 via Secretly Canadian, the first track released above, "Let Go" and a smash tour to-boot. For the sake of my co-editors, I will not speak on the XX (whom JJ shares a bill with on most tour dates,) but will say that a JJ/Delorean concert for this blogger, would be better than Passion Pit on Ecstasy -- count it.

Check out full tour dates for March and April with the XX and Delorean (select dates.)

03/22/10 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon
03/23/10 Birmingham, AL - Bottletree
03/24/10 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
03/25/10 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
03/28/10 Washington, DC - Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
03/29/10 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church Sanctuary
03/30/10 Brooklyn, NY - Knitting Factory*
03/31/10 New York, NY - Webster Hall
04/02/10 Boston, MA - Paradise
04/03/10 Montreal, QC - Le National
04/04/10 Toronto, ONT - Phoenix Theatre
04/05/10 Columbus, OH - Wexner Center
04/06/10 Bloomington, IN - Buskirk Chumley Theater
04/08/10 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
04/09/10 Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theatre
04/12/10 Bellingham, WA - The Nightlight Lounge
04/13/10 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
04/14/10 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
04/16/10 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
04/17/10 Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex**
*no The xx
**(w/Delorean)

Merry Christmas to All From JJ

[mp3] JJ "Ectasty"

Yesterday, we got word from Secretly Canadian that JJ, who made Vince's #1 record of the year and my #4 record of the year in jj nº 2, has signed to the venerable indie for their new record jj nº 3 which will come out March 9th in conjunction with Scandinavian label Sincerely Yours, who released the previous record. On a funny personal side note, several days ago an Other Music employee and I were lamenting the lack of JJ vinyl in the store. We wondered aloud why a US label wouldn't just pick up the band to give their music a proper stateside release. Well anonymous, cute, saleswoman, here's our answer. (#missedconnection?) Merry Christmas to all, from JJ. See their first US tour dates with the XX after the jump.

3/22 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon
3/23 Birmingham, AL - Bottletree
3/24 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
3/25 Carrboro, NC - Cats Cradle
3/28 Washington, DC - Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
3/29 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church Sanctuary
3/30 Brooklyn, NY - Knitting Factory
3/31 New York, NY - Webster Hall
4/02 Boston, MA - Paradise
4/03 Montreal, QC - Le National
4/04 Toronto, ON - Lees Palace
4/05 Columbus, OH - Wexner Center
4/06 Bloomington, IN - Buskirk-Chumley Theater
4/08 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall
4/09 Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
4/12 Bellingham, WA - The Nightlight Lounge
4/13 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
4/14 Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
4/16 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill