TiC Tunes: La Roux
Ever heard of La Roux? If you haven't, I think it's high time you do, because I have a feeling we'll be hearing and seeing a lot of them in the coming years. La Roux is a British electropop duo made up of the artiste Elly Jackson, and writer-producer Ben Langmaid. But since Elly Jackson takes up all the limelight and recording time, La Roux is often perceived as a solo act.
La Roux first cropped up in late 2008, with the release of Quicksand. Like their first single, much of La Roux's debut album can be referred to as a purist of '80s synth pop.
When I first heard the album, I immediately felt time warped into Sixteen Candles, bopping along with a giganormous perm. While this might seem like an incredibly niche sound at this day and age, critics are closely keeping watch on La Roux to be a bona fide global phenomenon.
Like Jackson's ability to defy gravity in hair sculpting, seems to me that La Roux will soon change conventions in pop music, going beyond electropop contemporaries through raw confessional songwriting and completely purist '80s aesthetics.
Off the charts, I find it amazing that while Jackson's style completely emulates the '80s she warbles, her version somehow comes across as something completely unconventional. Here's Madonna and Kylie, the female pop idols you're likely to envision in relation to the '80s.
Jackson's style, however, takes the masculine route, ala New Kids on The Block, Duran Duran and A Flock of Seagulls.
However, her style perception and translation is somehow loosely distorted into something completely feminine, something I find incredibly interesting!
What's even more amazing is that La Roux's music is a completely reflection of Jackson's style, in the sense that it's a complete paradox that's appealed by the masses, despite being very individualistically niche. Both combine the sophistication of visual glamour with raw sonic complications.
While I could go on and on about how fascinated I am with Elly Jackson, I'll instead cut to the chase, and let you know that TiC is giving away 10 of La Roux's debut album. :)
All you have to do is get creative, answer this question, and hope it's one of our favourite 10:
If you could christen Elly Jackson's hairdo, what would you name it?
Would you call it the Jackson Fly? Squished-To-The-Side? What?! Tell us!
Send your answer along with your full name, IC and mobile numbers to contest@tonguechic.com, with "La Roux" as the subject.
OR
You could also comment your answer on the post below. Just make sure the email field is filled with a valid address so we can contact you afterward!
Deadline: 6pm Sunday 6th September 2009
[Photo Credits: lil chain saw, pretty much amazing, contact music, monda moda, ants in my trance, power bastard, there must be something, sugar scape, last fm, boston, grufman]
