Mika's vivid, aptly named debut album, Life in Cartoon Motion, borrows and builds on the glittery, glamorous, and not-so-secretly sentimental musical territory carved out by Elton John and Freddie Mercury, or more recently, Rufus Wainwright and the Scissor Sisters. Fortunately, his name-dropping, shape-shifting pop is usually good, and genuine, enough to come across as eloquent homage rather than blatant thievery or a tired rehash. Mika's singles are his most charming moments, especially the instant sunshine of "Grace Kelly," which crams tap-dancing rhythms, filmic dialogue, Elton's pianos, Freddie's vocal harmonies, and Brian May's guitars into just over three minutes. "Relax (Take It Easy)" is in the same vein of hypnotic, danceable melancholy as the Scissor Sisters' reworking of "Comfortably Numb," albeit less showy, while "Billy Brown"'s brass arrangement, flowing melody, and soft-shoe rhythms give it the feel of an unusually witty show tune about pre-life crises and living in the closet. As Life in Cartoon Motion unfolds, it reveals more of Mika's musical identity, both for better and worse. His classical piano training gives the album an appealing fluidity, especially on "Any Other World," and lilting, Afro-pop-inspired guitars and harmonies pop up here and there, most effectively on "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)." However, while Life in Cartoon Motion has lots of enthusiasm and creativity, it doesn't have a lot of nuance. On songs like "Lollipop" and "Love Today," Mika straddles the line between adorable and annoying. And as the overly long, overwrought "Erase" shows, he also doesn't have quite the masterful touch with gentler songs that his influences possess. As admirable as Life in Cartoon Motion's eclecticism is, it could use more focus -- something that songs like the jaunty breakup song "Stuck in the Middle" and angry rocker "Ring Ring" suggest Mika is developing. While more restraint could've taken the album from good to great, its Technicolor, everything-at-once, borderline overdone feel makes it a fitting portrait of Mika as a young artist.
A little video from one of the most entertaining, fun gigs I've been to at a small venue in a while, on Mika's second night at Birmingham's Carling Academy. The 23rd November 2007.The sell out crowd loved every minute, and everyone left feeling all warm & happy. A really fun gig!
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Mika is my favorite artist of the moment, and My Interpretation is my favorite song of the moment of his. It's too bad there aren't more new artists with his voice and songwriting ability.
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Oh man,this stuff is totally yummy! You have to love MIKA, who is like what would happen if Adam Ant had a love child with Freddie Mercury.I am currently loving "Grace Kelly" but the anthem "Big Girls Are Beautiful" makes me want to totally jam out with my ham out.
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Listen... and if you want a "live perform"... go to wwww.infoconcert.com/radiomog.comMore about this songShare
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I don't think I've ever loved another CD so much. Or in as short of an amount of time. Or as thoroughly. From Grace Kelly, which is just pure pop fun at its best, to Any Other World, that song has the best instrumental backups, ever. And even the vocals on Erase, it just sucks me in! The 14 song CD is only $7.99 USD on iTunes, best I ever spent on there. And you get the acoustic version of Grac...
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MIKA – LIFE IN CARTOON MOTION (2007)Oh don’t us Brits just love our camp Disco Pop stars ? For decades a long line of ambiguous icons have dominated the charts, and even international artists such as Scissor Sisters have been welcomed to our shores whilst remaining pretty unknown in their homeland. Their debut album sold almost 3 million copies in the U.K, 300,000 in the States, even though it
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you must listen to this song. this man cracks me up immensely.i think it will be GREAT driving music this weekend. =) have a great one!
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I had to put this up before I left for work. I had to put SOMETHING up before Ieft for work.I was watching videos yesterday morning and this funny-looking guy comes on the screen arguing with a little girl at a piano. I sit and watch while the song starts. WOW! This guy is amazing. Cabaret pop is back with full force in this one lanky dude.Apparently his name is Mika and he's from Beirut. Long ...
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I just heard this for the first time on Indie 103.1 here in L.A., and was all WTF etc. I'm busy at work (for reals), so below is the video, a live TV performance and part of a press release... It's not for all tastes - his voice might be a bit too Freddie even for me, and that's saying something - but I do hope to be hearing plenty more from this guy.Mika's first single "Grace Kelly" has topped...
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Emerging pop artist - and we mean that last word on so many levels - has just opened an exhibition of his own colorful paintings. The paintings don MIka's debut album, Life In Cartoon Motion."The one thing I said I wanted was to be able to eat the walls, and that's exactly how I feel," Mika told the BBC. "When I write songs, I draw sketches to go with them." The exhibition shows through July 14...
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MIKA – LIFE IN CARTOON MOTION (2007)Oh don’t us Brits just love our camp Disco Pop stars ? For decades a long line of ambiguous icons have dominated the charts, and even international artists such as Scissor Sisters have been welcomed to our shores whilst remaining pretty unknown in their homeland. Their debut album sold almost 3 million copies in the U.K, 300,000 in the States, even though it
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Since my last road trip went so well (Yay Ben!) I am already planning my next excursion.My good friends, the Glama family, recently moved to Atlanta. They know I have taken several road trips to the ATL to see shows and immediately told me, "You will have to find a concert to go to so you can come visit." My answer, of course, was "I've already started looking."Voila! Mika is going to be in ...
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I just heard this for the first time on Indie 103.1 here in L.A., and was all WTF etc. I'm busy at work (for reals), so below is the video, a live TV performance and part of a press release... It's not for all tastes - his voice might be a bit too Freddie even for me, and that's saying something - but I do hope to be hearing plenty more from this guy.Mika's first single "Grace Kelly" has topped...
More >
Oh man,this stuff is totally yummy! You have to love MIKA, who is like what would happen if Adam Ant had a love child with Freddie Mercury.I am currently loving "Grace Kelly" but the anthem "Big Girls Are Beautiful" makes me want to totally jam out with my ham out.
More >
I had to put this up before I left for work. I had to put SOMETHING up before Ieft for work.I was watching videos yesterday morning and this funny-looking guy comes on the screen arguing with a little girl at a piano. I sit and watch while the song starts. WOW! This guy is amazing. Cabaret pop is back with full force in this one lanky dude.Apparently his name is Mika and he's from Beirut. Long ...
More >
Mika is my favorite artist of the moment, and My Interpretation is my favorite song of the moment of his. It's too bad there aren't more new artists with his voice and songwriting ability.
More >
Mika's new album came out and I am psyched...anyway.I hate applying for passports, it is so infuriating, because you need an identification card, which I didn't have, then you need a birth certificate, which my mom lost and 2 passport pictures, I didn't have any of that so Monday, I first went to Walgreens to get the pictures then I had to go all the way out to Clayton which is 20 miles from th...
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Before Freshman year, I looked forward to English class, but now my soul crumbles at the thought of entering that god forsaken classroom. And now, we have to do a newspaper on the topic of Romeo and Juliet using one of the main points of the play and another page for a human interest page. You might think to yourself, "hey that sounds like a lot of fun"...yeah, I thought that too. But my teache...
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Okay, so I went driving today, I was absolutely terrified when I thought that a car passing by might come into the same parking lot as me, and then I went across the street to drive in the cemetery and I almost rammed into three headstones and nearly fell off the hill from the turn about four times, I am going to start having a panic attack when I get out onto the main road. And then I went and...
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you must listen to this song. this man cracks me up immensely.i think it will be GREAT driving music this weekend. =) have a great one!
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This is going to save Africa how?
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A little video from one of the most entertaining, fun gigs I've been to at a small venue in a while, on Mika's second night at Birmingham's Carling Academy. The 23rd November 2007.The sell out crowd loved every minute, and everyone left feeling all warm & happy. A really fun gig!
More >
SO Happy! Can FINALLY relax... and DANCE around my house like a madwoman! This is my current favorite song for silly dancing in my pajamas. Enjoy!
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 "Life in Cartoon Motion")
