1. "Relator" - Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson
There was a time when celebrities were expected to be masters of all the arts and not just a select few. Movie stars of old were dancers, singers, actors and even writers. It should come as no surprise then that many modern day actors are quite capable singers and musicians. Pete Yorn is a well established musician in his own right, and Johansson certainly has some singing chops. This track is from their combined 2009 album Break Up, an album told through the perspective of a man and woman in a rocky relationship.
2. "Love Letter To Japan" - The Bird & The Bee
Consisting of members Irana George (the bird) and Greg Kurston (the bee), The Bird and The Bee came to be when George was working on a solo album with producer Kurston. The 2 got along swimmingly and decided to make an electro album together. That was 2006 and they are currently on their 3rd album with no signs of slowing.
3. "Steak For Chicken" - The Moldy Peaches
The Moldy Peaches were the brainchild of Adam Green. His unique brand of anti-folk, and quirky lyrics attracted a small following in his college years. Kimya Dawson was one of the contributors when he eventually took it to new heights and the two were collectively known as The Moldy Peaches. Their deadpan and honest vocal stylings demanded your attention whether you were a fan of it or not. They broke up in 2004, but enjoyed a short lived resurgence in 2007 when their songs were prominently featured in the film Juno.
4. "You Don't Know What Love Is" - The White Stripes
Probably one of the most famous man/woman duos at the moment. Jack and Meg White were once an item, in fact it was Jack who took Meg's last name of White. There are many songs that I could have chosen from, "You Don't Know What Love Is" from 2007's Icky Thump has always been a stand out favourite of mine however. Great guitar licks, honest lyrics and an actual interesting and fitting drumbeat, also some key backing vocals from Meg, make this one worthy.
5. "Hideaway" - The Weepies
It was one of those late night youtube scanning sessions of mindlessly clicking on one suggested video after another when I stumbled upon The Weepies. Husband and wife duo Steve & Deb from Cambridge, Massachusetts, have crafted a lovely version of heartfelt folk. What i've noticed about them though, as I do own one of their albums, is one song can sound completely different from the next. I love when bands have that ability and are brave enough to step out of their comfort zones. Other songs to check out "World Spins Madly On", "All Good Things" and "Can't Go Back Now".
6. "Heartbeats" - The Knife
Siblings Olof and Karin Dreijer from Sweden are also known as electro-clash duo The Knife. They have drawn comparisons to Daft Punk because of the nature of their music and their knack for wearing masks during concerts and in public. Critically and publicly acclaimed alike, The Knife took a break while Karin worked on her side project Fever Ray in 2010. Though they have announced a new Knife album will be released in 2012. Joy!
7. "Superstar" - The Carpenters
Another brother/sister duo. Though I don't know much about them I felt it would be a disservice had I not included The Carpenters. The classic story of burning out before fading away, The Carpenters shot to super stardom in the 60's and 70's. Enjoying success over a multitude of albums. In early 1983 Karen Carpenter died at the young age of 32, due to an ongoing battle with anorexia. Richard Carpenter has since kept his sister's legacy alive through producing some of their unreleased recordings.
8. "Rill Rill" - Sleigh Bells
The Electro scene seems to have it's share of duos, maybe because of the lack of multiple instruments needed to create the music, also a woman with a great voice can accompany a sexy beat perfectly. Here we have Brooklyn's Sleigh Bells. The pair met in a classic New York scenario: Derek Miller was waiting tables in a diner, making money for his DJing passion when he overheard Alexis Krauss and her mother talking about her singing career. Derek mentioned he needed a vocalist for his latest project and the rest is history...
9. "Dead Sound" - The Raveonettes
Denmark's Raveonettes actually started their journey with more members, and released 2 albums with four members on one and five on another. Through one circumstance or another members started dropping off leaving only Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo. Funny that I prefer their songs as a duo over their full band efforts.
10. "Here Comes The Rain Again" - The Eurythmics
Had to do it. Had to include the music world's most famous male/female duo. The Eurythmics. It's a formula for success when you put two free spirits in a room and get them to record an album., and when one of those people is the musical master Dave Stewart and the other is the textbook definition of a singer and stage presence in Annie Lennox. It's one for the ages. Any song by The Eurythmics could have been included here, they're consistently good.
Thats it for this time! Christmas is coming! Send me your list ideas!!!
JZ
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