Track of the Day: Orouni - "In the Service of Beauty" (Music Video)

I hate post-Grammy Monday. Mostly, because everyone seems to be atwitter about the awards the day after. Who won, who lost, what happened, who played. This post-ceremony echo chamber is infinitely more galling to me than the actual, always forgettable awards. And perhaps this year the malaise is setting in that much harder, because blogs are getting in on the act in record numbers. This is a news flash to any new or up-and-coming blogger that is working on their big Grammy column today: DON'T DO IT. Mainstream music is for mainstream outlets. Do the world a favor and find a new band, a new track, a forgotten release today. For the love of God, don't write about how bummed you are that Daft Punk didn't wear Star Wars helmets. If your'e a blogger, you're an indie journalist. Go act like one. And as for you big blogs/indie sites that are devoting a bunch of time to the Grammy's? SHAME ON YOU.

Okay, rant over, and in the spirit of what I just set out, let me introduce you to Orouni, who I would have missed if (Please) Don't Blame Mexico and Mina Tindle weren't raving about this video on their faceyspace pages last week. And there's good reason to. "In the Service of Beauty" sounds and looks just like it is -- a glorious visual and orchestral rendering. There's something schmaltzy in the instrumentation. I use that word in the most respectful way, because like Lambchop's OH (ohio) (or the aforementioned (Please) Don't Blame Mexico), Orouni seems to be digging at the heart of a particular genre, exploding and repacking it in intriguing ways. The band describes the song and their new record, Grand Tour (out Feb 24 on Sauvage Records) as a travelogue with the 12 songs on the album responding to a different destination from China to Chile, Lebanon to Berlin. The record also pays homage to Elephant 6, the seminal Athens-based collective/label, by drawing in key figures from the French indie pop scene to help record the album. Listen and watch the lush "In the Service of Beauty" below: