Sky-high and sculpted

If you find men dancing in heels enthralling, then you’ve definitely come to the right place! And even if you don’t, definitely give these two videos a chance. I came across the first video while I was scrolling through my Tumblr dashboard a few months ago, and I found it so entertaining that I watched a whole bunch of the poster’s videos, plus a couple more. I’ll say this right now, these two videos may look crazy, and they definitely are, but they’re good crazy and they’re so incredibly captivating, I really urge you to give them a try and if you don’t like the first one, or you find yourself uninterested, don’t feel like you have to keep watching, but if you do enjoy the first one, then you’ll definitely like the second one.

This first one is a music video for JbDubs’ original song, I Hate My Job. Just some quick info, James Whiteside (JbDubs) is a pop/dance artist and he is also a Principle dancer with the Boston Ballet (yay, Boston!). The style of this video and their dancing is very similar to Beyoncé’s Single Ladies video, and while I love Beyoncé to death, and I think her music videos are amazing, I was honestly blown away by the dancing in JbDub’s. While the song is catchy, the most fascinating part, to me, are the dancers’ legs. I hate to admit it, but they have nicer legs than I do! They have incredible thigh and calf muscles, they’re insanely flexible, and the fact that they dance the whole time in heels, is just so fascinating, I dare you to watch this and not be floored.

The second video is a music video for a song called Love by Kazaky. Kazaky (aka The Boys in Heels) is a Ukrainian dance group made up of all men and, obviously, they’re known for dancing in heels. I enjoy this song almost as much as the first one, although I don’t think it’s quite as catchy, but the dancing in this one is much more mesmerizing. It’s a bit like watching Madonna’s Vogue music video, but with all men dancing in sky-high stilettos. Their bodies are sculpted so perfectly (and check out their cheekbones!), it’s actually kind of scary, and of course, like the other video, their moves are astounding, on top of their stilettos, which are considerably more impressive than JbDubs’. It also has a bit of a Lady Gaga feel to it, with their crazy costumes, but give them a chance! Even if you don’t like the music, you have to admit that their moves and bodies are jaw-dropping.

I’m hoping that you all gave these two videos a chance because my mind is blown every time I watch them, and while I find them more dance oriented than music oriented, the music is still pretty interesting if you like hip-hop/pop/European house music, haha.

I feel like I have to go to FitRec now…

Enjoy,

Emily

Fact: French pop band Yelle forces your hips to sway.

Yelle makes my life. Unconventionally-named band members Yelle, GrandMarnier, and Tepr make up the popular French band and consistently create incredible pop music that skews dance and electro. It’s virtually impossible to listen to their music without swaying your hips and flailing every single one of your limbs. Their beats are irresistible.

My skills in the French language are considerably lacking, which allows me to ignore the actual lyrical content and focus on how hardcore I’m dancing. Previous online research has led to the discovery that Yelle’s lyrics are RIDICULOUSLY dirty and provocative…I have no issues with that.

After the release of their 2007 debut Pop Up, the band fell off the radar for a bit. Their widespread popularity throughout Europe was accompanied by a notable following in America, but it faded as several years passed with no new music. FINALLY they’ve released their second album, Safari Disco Club, and it lives up to everything I could have hoped for. Here’s the double-music video they released last month for the album’s first two tracks, “Safari Disco Club” and “Que veux-tu.” It’s highly amusing and beautiful and colorful and amazing.

 

Yelle plays Royale Boston on April 29th, which I’m ridiculously excited for. Can’t wait to dance hardcore to the sounds of Yelle with the rest of Boston!

MNDR & Natalia Kills: The New Faces of Electropop?

I have a soft spot in my heart for electropop. Give me a danceable beat and I’m set, most of the time. So, whenever I come across an up-and-coming band that satisfies my craving for techno-tinged, danceable, synth-heavy, electropop, I always spread the word.

First up, New York duo MNDR (pronounce “mandar”). You may have heard Amanda Warner’s Santigold-esque vocals on Mark Ronson’s summer single, “Bang Bang Bang,” but MNDR’s original material is sure to blow up within the year.

A personal favorite of mine is “Cut Me Out,” which is currently making the rounds in the blogosphere.

MNDR opens for Chromeo at the House of Blues this Thursday, so y’all know.

Next up is Natalia Kills, an ambitious 24-year old British artist who puts her own spin on pop music.

Perhaps the best of her songs is “Mirrors,” which she turned into an ultra-cinenatic music video that she directed herself.

Natali Kills opens for Robyn (my favorite artist of all time. OF ALL TIME!) at the House of Blues this Friday.

- Josh