Introducing...Defend Moscow

I didn't mean for this to turn into a music-only blog. I have a mind to write about the first few weeks back at UChicago as well as a bit about Chelsea and possibly the Buffalo Bills Simulation Football League. However, for now it's another brief music post.

A few days ago, I was reading Popjustice's Twitter and they were doing another thrilling installment of the "in the post" feature. Basically, since Popjustice is a popular and influential music blog, they get sent all kinds of stuff for free by artists who are hoping for some publicity. "In the post" is a series of tweets (aka Twitter posts) that simply details what they received in that day's mail. In that installment of "in the post" they received a CD from Defend Moscow and mentioned that they were quite good, so I took a peak at their Myspace.

First, please note the amazing logo. Secondly, the music itself is really good. The single is "Manifesto," which is about Leon Trotsky, if I remember correctly. It's a nice solid uptempo number. In fact, everything that Defend Moscow do is uptempo, and they tend to all share the common theme of wistfully recalling what might have been. It's happy music about being sad, not to put too fine a point on it. Sample "Manifesto" lyric:

Everything was right
Now everything is wrong
And I will never hope for more.

Next up is "Die Tonight," which doesn't sound as if it will be very jubilant lyrically. And it isn't. Sample "Die Tonight" lyric:

We know we're going to die tonight
And the darkness overrides the light
Well we know were going to die
Say goodbye
Don't even try
Because no one's getting out alive

Then we have "You Just Walked Away." It's a song about loving and needing someone and then seeing them walk away as if it meant nothing. Given recent circumstances, I find this a poignant bit of pop. Chorus of "You Just Walked Away":

And you just walked away
And left me on my own again
You just walked away
And left me here with this pain

The last song on their Myspace is "Sign of Life". Not surprisingly, it's a song about looking for meaning for life. First verse of "Sign of Life":

All I needed was a little emotion
All I needed was a sign of live
All I wanted was an indication
That it's not real

So there you have it. Defend Moscow makes mid/uptempo electropop that sounds very polished and cool and deals with themes of heartbreak and regret. They're like the Ting Tings chilled out, intellectual sibling. Here's the band's bio in case you want to know more (this is stolen from their facebook, so of course it's all fluff):

Managed by the mastermind behind The Wombats, Defend Moscow are destined for great things.

Comprised of musicians from London, Bergen and Paris, the quintet are armed with a manifesto to spread their brand of indie-electro across the globe.

Formed via a chance meeting between childhood friends Jon Beck (vocals) and Dave Fawbert (guitar/synths/programming), and Norwegian siren Sofie Storaas (vocals) in Bergen, Norway a year ago, they bonded over a shared love of classic and contemporary electro, pop and indie, and Russian vodka.

Completed by drummer Adam Pickering and bassist Rick Elmos, they immediately set to work writing tracks recalling the finest moments of New Order, Human League, Pet Shop Boys and contemporaries such as New Young Pony Club and Chromeo.

An extensive touring schedule is planned for the new year, along with their debut single, Manifesto – a dancefloor-destroying statement of intent with lyrics referencing the darkest moments of the cold war to be released in January, Defend Moscow are all set to lead an electro-pop revolution.

Finally, here's a clip of them playing "You Just Walked" away supporting Team Waterpolo at 93 Feet East on Brick Lane in London from October 28, 2008: