Band of the Day (11.03.09): M83

Who?

M83 is the project of Anthony Gonzalez, a French musician who has dabbled in everything from shoegaze to electronica to, more recently, dream pop. While the ambient sounds of his first few albums were beautiful to put on during a lazy day, Gonzalez's latest album, Saturdays = Youth, contains a batch of well-written pop songs you can listen to any time.

And I Care Because?

- He made the ultimate John Hughes tribute. While Saturdays = Youth came out a year before the Breakfast Club creator died, he has always claimed that the album was created to soundtrack a nonexistent John Hughes movie. To Gonazalez, no one understood teenage life better than Hughes, and listening to that album will make you mourn the death of his inspiration.

- The rest of his catalogue has something for everyone. While the latest M83 album is the poppiest to date, many of his albums have their own share of incredible, straightforward songs. Of course, if you're more into breathtaking experimental music, there's plenty of that to be had as well.

- He's not trying to be popular. While Saturdays = Youth his most successful album to date, Gonazalez is not content to simply cater to his audience. It was an album he wanted to make, and whether the next record is ambient or pop-oriented, you can bet it was a personal choice.

Stream Saturdays = Youth below, buy his albums, and watch a music video for the song "Graveyard Girl."