2011. BEST FOR GUESTS. 13 ruslan bekurov

Ruslan is from Russia. He's the editor of a magazine, he has a personal website where he writes and interviews people involved with art, has two books published ('That's Me Who Killed A DJ' and 'Spare Planet') and is the man getting drunk and writing songs about love, recording vocals in airports throughout Europe under the alias She'll Be Eating Her Nails When I'm Famous.
He released a single on Holiday Records containing 'Stay (or go away)', a song filled with heartache and interpreted with a rarely seen sorrow...
Timeless indiepop with witty and insightful lyrics.

bandcamp

SONGS/VIDEOS
1. POMPLAMOOSE BUST YOUR KNEE CAPS

Yes, I know that Pomplamoose is a California indie duo of Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn. But actually that's the only thing I know about them – too lazy to read the texts on their official website.  But this song drove me mad – a kind of strange but in the same time simple (in a good way) cocktail of Scott Walker, early Cardigans, The Divine Comedy and (maybe) Beck in his melancholic period. Noticed that I prefer to watch them more than just to listen to their songs. Even if their videos seem to be quite ordinary, I’m able to watch Nataly Dawn for hours. The way she plays for the camera with her Scarlett Johansson face… Mmm, sorry, dudes, but she’s number one for me this year… 

2. TWO WOUNDED BIRDS ALL WE WANNA DO

To be honest, always used to be very skeptic about this band. It doesn’t mean that it’s bad but there are too much bands like them today. Everything is the same – beach, black sun-glasses, girl as a bass player, hipster hair cut… But this video changed my stupid mind. Fresh, dynamic, simple melody and the coolest thing – it’s short. And I always liked short songs and long drinks. Found this video somewhere on Facebook and use to watch every morning. Just to realize that life is as bad as we think. We just have to know the things we wanna do… 

3. MOTORAMA EMPTY BED
I’m the biggest fan of Motorama. Not because they’re Russians and I’m proud of them. No, I just like their songs and aesthetics. It was the last summer day when I went to their gig in St. Petersburg. And they played like it was the VERY last summer day in their life. For me they are the only true “romantics” in today’s indie scene. With good sense of humor and “charismatic monotony”. Just watch this video – it’s totally impossible not to love them. They are amazingly boring, you know…

4. SOMETIMES ALWAYS BE TRUE
Know nothing about this band. Found their page on MySpace. It turns out that it’s a kind of one-man-gang from Indonesia. Really strange but cool in the same time. But I adore the song and the video. It shows a kind of sad happiness of youth, I guess. And if  last year had a big trend to try to follow the Beach Boys style, this guy is the closest to do that. I always liked sad hedonists…

5. GORILLAZ ON MELANCHOLY HILL (BBC RADIO1 LIVE LOUNGE)
Yes, I know it’s a 2010 year release. But I think it’s gonna be my favorite song for the next 10 years. Seriously, sure that this version of On Melancholy Hill is the best song for the last 20 years (sorry Oasis, Nirvana etc.). Always thought that Damon Albarn is the coolest composer of the late 20^th/beginning of 21^st centuries. Just watch this video – you’ll cry after few seconds. And starting at 1'31'' you’re able to watch Damon’s tears. I’m not kidding…