The London Book of the Dead

The Real Tuesday Weld, a.k.a. British singer-songwriter and audio provocateur Stephen Coates has charmed critics and audiences alike by wedding the suggestive hiss of vintage vinyl and ancient radio transmissions to the latest samples, loops and glitchy beats, creating a signature sound he calls "antique beat". London Book of the Dead may be a startlingly morose title, and it's true that the album's lyrical concerns drift dreamily between such weighty topics as death, religious faith, honesty, drugs, and disease. But even when the going gets dark and introspective, there's an element of whimsy that is never far from the surface. "Last Words" is possibly the most accessible track. This catchy "electro-pop" tune is now being used extensively in the highly anticipated film Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist.