L.E.S. Artistes

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“L.E.S. Artistes”
“L.E.S. Artistes” cover
UK cover
Single by Santogold
from the album Santogold
A-side Creator
Released Flag of the United States March 25, 2008
Flag of the United Kingdom May 5, 2008
Genre Indie rock
Length 3:43 (original)[1]
3:24 (album version)[2]
Label Downtown Records (US)
Atlantic Records (UK)
Writer(s) Santi White
Producer Jonnie "Most" Davis[3]
Santogold singles chronology
"Creator"
(2008)		 "L.E.S. Artistes"
(2008)
Alternate covers
U.S. digital download cover
U.S. digital download cover

"L.E.S. Artistes" is the debut single by American artist Santogold, and along with "Creator", the first to be taken from her self-titled debut Santogold (see 2008 in music).

Contents

[edit] Background

"L.E.S. Artistes" was written after Santi White moved to New York City. The song "is playing on the fact that everyone tries to make things fancy and it's really pretentious" and "about being accosted by the New York scene and the scenesters and hipsters, who are really not artists and are just pretending to be. They're all about just being seen."[4] Contrary to popular belief, the title stands for New York's Lower East Side. "It's not a French thing," White stated in an interview with PopJustice.[4]

[edit] Release and reception

The single's first commercial release was via the US iTunes Store on March 25, 2008, as a joint single with "Creator". It was released as the b-side to "Creator" through a limited edition 12" vinyl in January 2008,[5] before receiving a full release on May 5.[6] The XXXChange remix was also released.[7] "L.E.S. Artistes" was featured as iTunes' Discovery Download for the week of April 28.[8] The song has received heavy radio play in the UK and is currently on Radio 1's B List, and in Philadelphia the song has also received ecstatic play on Maximum Shine's themed radio show "Music Fo' Grown Fo'ks" at WKDU.

Rolling Stone said that the track sounds like a "Cars/Strokes mash-up" and that "the lyrics blast pretentious downtowners, but the taut guitars epitomize New York hipness."[9] Drowned in Sound noted that the song is "a slow-burning gem of palm-muted guitar chords."[10] The Denver Post praised the "understated, Police-style guitars that drive" the song, calling them "almost hypnotic, especially with White's intoxicating mezzo-soprano yelping along."[11]

[edit] Music video

The music video, directed by Nima Nourizadeh, is a homage to the film The Holy Mountain.[12] Rolling Stone placed the music video at number four on their bi-weekly Hot List. The video received attention after it was praised by Kanye West on his blog.[13][14]

The video starts with Santogold in a forest, singing on top of a black horse, while two similar looking women in sunglasses stand at her side, often making awkward movements. The forest scene ends up with a light snow, following to a scene on a seemingly peaceful street/block. Santogold releases her black horse. People are simultaneously dying, but the gruesome things are replaced with various items: green hot dogs instead of intestines, paint instead of blood, being shot with paintballs rather than bullets. Santogold comes walking down the streets, without dying herself. The video ends with Santogold atop her black horse with her eyes closed.

[edit] Track listing

  • U.S. digital download[15]
  1. Creator – 3:32
  2. L.E.S. Artistes – 3:43
  • UK CD single[16] (ATUK078CD)
  1. L.E.S. Artistes – 3:24
  2. L.E.S. Artistes (Video) – 3:24
  • UK 7" vinyl[17] (ATUK078)
  1. L.E.S. Artistes – 3:24
  2. Your Voice – 4:00

[edit] Chart positions

"L.E.S. Artistes" entered the UK Singles Chart at number fifty-one on 4 May 2008.[18] The single rose to number thirty-seven and then a week later climbed to its peak of twenty-seven.[19]

Chart (2008) Peak
Position
UK Singles Chart 27[19]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Creator / L.E.S. Artistes - Single. iTunes Store (2008-03-25). Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
  2. ^ Santogold. Amazon.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-22.
  3. ^ Santogold. Discogs. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
  4. ^ a b Peter Robinson (2008-05-13). Santogold discusses Ashlee Simpson, Mark Ronson and her current illness. PopJustice. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
  5. ^ Creator [Single]. Amazon.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
  6. ^ Santogold To Re-Release LES Artistes Single. AngryApe.com (2008-04-10). Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
  7. ^ L.E.S. Artistes [XXXchange Remix]. Billboard.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-22.
  8. ^ L.E.S. Artistes - Discovery Download. iTunes Store (2008-04-29). Retrieved on 2008-04-30.
  9. ^ Brian Hiatt (2007-11-14). Artist to Watch: Santogold. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2008-04-22.
  10. ^ Alex Denney. Santogold: Creator/L.E.S. Artistes. Drowned in Sound. Retrieved on 2008-04-22.
  11. ^ Richard Baca (2008-04-26). If Madonna notta for you, try these chanteuses. The Denver Post. MediaNews Group. Retrieved on 2008-04-27.
  12. ^ Ben Barna (2008-04-09). Santogold vs. Jodorowsky!. BlackBook Magazine. Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
  13. ^ Kanye West (2008-03-06). OK, This May Be The Best Thing Ever!. KanyeUniversityCity.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
  14. ^ Caroline Sullivan (2008-05-09). Santogold. The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved on 2008-05-13.
  15. ^ Creator / L.E.S. Artistes - Single. iTunes Store (2008-03-25). Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
  16. ^ L.E.S. Artistes. HMV Group plc. HMV. Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
  17. ^ L.E.S. Artistes. HMV Group plc. HMV. Retrieved on 2008-04-13.
  18. ^ L.E.S. Artistes. aCharts.us. Retrieved on 2008-05-12.
  19. ^ a b L.E.S. Artistes. ChartStats.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.

[edit] External links

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Santogold
Studio albums
Santogold (2008)
Singles
"Creator"  · "L.E.S. Artistes"
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