Perfume Genius x Take Away Show

Perfume Genius hits up the Take Away Show. Haven't heard the new album all the way though yet but I can sense Mike Hadreas is getting more confident as a musician. Case in point:

Perfume Genius - Lookout, Lookout (music video)

Perfume Genius - Helpless (Neil Young Cover)

Perfume Genius - Dreem

A new Perfume Genius stunner performed live on Q TV.

Perfume Genius - Your Drum

I sort of feel that if you aren't moved by Mike Hadreas's work you might be dead inside. Click play to check your emotional pulse.

Perfume Genius Live Session

Mike Hadreas doing his thang.

Perfume Genius - Learning

Well, my most anticipated album of 2010 is finally here. I've spoke of my love of Perfume Genius before and I hope a lot of people embrace this music. It's been a long time coming for this record (for me), but what's great is that for the people that get this record cold they are getting a debut album that wreaks of maturity and sure footing. It's like if Cat Power had begun her career with You Are Free. I sincerely believe that somewhere in the world there is going to be some kid who kind of likes music and they are going to hear this album and suddenly realize that music is even more powerful than they had first thought. This is a rare example of an artist who is at once extremely vulnerable but somehow wears that vulnerability like a bulletproof vest- there's strength in it. Not enough words to describe how lovely this work is. This is where words fail and only music can speak. It's human emotions that we still don't have words for - but the melodies cut through straight to the heart and speak to us in a far more pressing language. Really, if you can hear this album and not one single song moves you in a way you haven't been moved in a long time, either a) you're not listening b) you're already dead.

This is a stream of the whole album. It will only be up for five days.
Perfume Genius - Learning by TurnstileMusic

This is where you can buy the CD/LP/download. And seriously: buy this record.

A fun game with Perfume Genius

Instructions:

Step 1: Listen to the song.

Step 2: Now hit play on multiple windows at the same time. Try and make the vocals go off beat. No matter when you hit play they always seem to just layer one another. You can get it to go off beat, but it's tricky. Yes, the handclaps can get wonky, but the vocals tend to stay pretty much smooth. Also, it sounds really great when you play multiple versions at once because the synths and the vocals sound BIG!

Perfume Genius - Mr. Peterson

About two years ago I was perusing Xiu Xiu's myspace and came across Perfume Genius on their top friends list. I listened to his music and was utterly blown away. I've been waiting for him to have a proper physical release and now it's finally arrived. Chalk this up to another brilliant step by the ever brilliant Transparent records who seem to have an ear to the ground like few other labels out there right now.

Perfume Genius is the music of Mike Hadreas who like Morrissey has the ability to kill you with so few lines. I'm not a big lyrics guy, but some people can just hit you where it counts. Take these lines from Mr. Peterson, a song about a relationship between a high school student and his teacher: "He made me a tape of Joy division/ He told me there was a part of him missing/ When I was sixteen/ he jumped off a building". So simple, but it cuts you right to the bone.

The Mr. Peterson 7" is out now via transparent and can be purchased from Pure Groove.