Saturday, September 30, 2006

Morning Act.14-Ain't no Sunshine


29/9/2006 06.45π.μ
Playlist
2.The Blues Band - Ain't no Sunshine
3.The Emotions - Ain't no Sunshine
4.Syndicate of Soul & Dr.John - Ain't no Sunshine
5.Bobby Blue Band - Ain't no Sunshine
6.Al Green - Ain't no Sunshine
7.Mama Lion - Ain't no Sunshine
8.Patti Page - Ain't no Sunshine
9.Eva Cassidy - Ain't no Sunshine
10.Lighthouse Family - Ain't no Sunshine
11.Otis Redding - Ain't no Sunshine
12.Rockmelons - Ain't no Sunshine

Do i look different ?




Antony & The Johnsons - Twilight

Twilight
I fall in the Harbor
Twilight
I fall in the hills
But here in the city
That never sleeps
I can fall
Through one's fingers

When the swan
Flies to heaven
Soaring through
The utmost fear
There's a feeling
That lingers in the afterwards
Will you ever return
Will you ever return
Will you ever return

Twilight
Twilight
Twilight

Twilight
I sit at all tables
With my candles
And angels besides
And I shall wait forever
As the day turns to night
Swallowed in the shadows that glow
Swallowed in the shadows that glow
Swallowed in the shadows that glow

When I sought out a light
And I knew darkness swallowed
I beseech, come to me
All alone, come to me

Twilight

Wake me up gently ...




Fϋr Elise
Song of Joy

Friday, September 29, 2006

Sweet Dreams Baby !!
















Do you really want your baby listening to Pixies or Metallica or even Tool ? Hell, yes! Instead of distorted guitars and thunderous drums, this record company use instruments like mellotron, glockenspiel and chimes and transforms timeless rock songs into beautiful instrumental lullabies.


(www.babyrockrecords.com)


Morning Act.13-Love is All


28/09/2006 06.55 π.μ


Playlist

1.Angela McLuskey - Love is stronger than death

2.Pulse - Last night i dreamt that somebody loved me

3.Bloc Party - This Modern Love

4.Faultline feat.Chris Martin - Your Love means everything (partII)

5.Radiohead - True Love waits

6.Sufjan Stevens - The One i Love (REM Cover)

7.Death Cab for Cutie - All is full of Love

8.Six by Seven - I.O.U Love

9.The Rapture - Love is all

10.Stone Roses - Love Spread

11.Swans - Love will tear us apart (acoustic version)

12.Cat Power - Sea of Love

13.The Mamas & The Papas - Dedicated to the one i Love

Thursday, September 28, 2006

How you feel ?




Novak-Rapunzel

Isn't it marvelous that we have been given the gift of seeing and hearing?
Of course, seeing gives us a wonderful picture of the world around us, but I wonder how many of you think about hearing as giving us wonderful soundpictures...
For, sounds are really tone colours that give us a picture of what we hear.We have all enjoyed show-and-tell at school.
But, how many of you haveplayed the exciting game of hear-and-tell ? We will now hear sounds. Can you tell us what they are?
And, who or what, ismaking them?
Lets try...
First, close your eyes, and when you hear each sound, try to guess what it is...
Either say what it is, or, if you are alone, just think about it...

Island breezes, and your travel-shop teases,
And all you want is a raise, yeah,
For all of the sunshine,Better make you be mine,Forever and no more,
All you do is play guitar and the melody for me, melody, melodies...

You're .. My .. Life.

And you don't even boast of your extra-fine life or your flash ship upholstery, All I can recollect - 'You better wear your best white dress

'Your .. Whole .. Life ..

where is my mind??

Le Pop !


Holden - Madrid

The world of Holden is full of references. First of all the band name obviously points at Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye hero.
Holden sounds a bit like Francoise Hardy back in the sixties,brilliant, very sexy and soothing !!

so french...


Sweet fresh young french female singer, songwriter, composer, arranger and producer - and all this in the age of 24 (!). In fact, she's a daughter of sound engineer - from where her love to making music.

What concerns the music itself - it is mellow 'trip-pop' with nice vocals, sometimes whispered, sometimes sung. Also all her video clips are so artistic...

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

for goodnight...

Monsieur Sebastien Tellier


An acoustic session of all his repertoire was recorded together with pianist Simon Dalmais.The result is an amazing album, intimate and essential. His songs are exempt of any arrangements except for piano & guitar, and appear to be a collection of classics, in the tradition of the most gifted singers / songwriters. Exactly in the original spirit of Tellier’s mythical sessions in the newly opened and allready cult parisian club/cabaret Le Baron.As a bonus for this recording with french producer Alf (Air, Phoenix, etc..), and for the first time, Sebastien Tellier recorded two covers of rare french songs, and a totally new and exclusive song.


Sebastien Tellier - Bye Bye
Sebastien Tellier - La Ritournelle

I'm your man



Famous Blue Raincoat

It's four in the morning, the end of December
I'm writing you now just to see if you're better
New York is cold, but I like where I'm living
There's music on Clinton Street all through the evening.
I hear that you're building your little house deep in the desert
You're living for nothing now, I hope you're keeping some kind of record.
Yes, and Jane came by with a lock of your hair
She said that you gave it to her
That night that you planned to go clear
Did you ever go clear?
Ah, the last time we saw you you looked so much older
Your famous blue raincoat was torn at the shoulder
You'd been to the station to meet every train
And you came home without Lili Marlene
And you treated my woman to a flake of your life
And when she came back she was nobody's wife.
Well I see you there with the rose in your teeth
One more thin gypsy thief
Well I see Jane's awake --
She sends her regards.
And what can I tell you my brother, my killer
What can I possibly say?
I guess that I miss you, I guess I forgive you
I'm glad you stood in my way.
If you ever come by here, for Jane or for me
Your enemy is sleeping, and his woman is free.
Yes, and thanks, for the trouble you took from her eyes
I thought it was there for good so I never tried.
And Jane came by with a lock of your hair
She said that you gave it to her
That night that you planned to go clear
-- Sincerely, L. Cohen

De Novo Dahl



De novo - a Latin phrase which roughly translates into “the new.”

Roald Dahl - a British short story author, best known for his stories, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach, which proved that children’s literature could be both intelligent and entertaining.

Put those two together and you’ve got a band which strive to be “the new Dahl;” only this time, one that brings wonder and magic to music instead of literature.

“It’s just that creative way that [Roald Dahl] writes and just the endless imagination that he has,” De Novo Dahl’s vocalist Serai Zaffiro said of the band’s namesake. “We wanted to have that within our name.” And in the few years since the band’s birth, it looks like they’ve achieved all that and more.

Formed in Nashville in 2001, De Novo Dahl got their start thanks to an unlikely source: Jessica Simpson. One of the friends of their manager at the time got the males in De Novo Dahl jobs as Jessica’s roadies for a “tour of mall parking lots” across America. This dirty job netted the boys enough cash to pay for a tour bus and enough gas to travel the nation–this time in support of music worth hearing.


This past weekend De Novo Dahl wrapped up recording for their second full length album, a process which has included a cellist, DJ and an assortment of other instruments new to the band. While they aren’t sure as to a release date yet (”it’ll be out sometime at the end of this year,” Keith said), the album will undoubtedly contain more of what De Novo Dahl’s fans have come to expect: brilliantly smart pop songs that would certainly make their namesake proud.


De Novo Dahl - Market Place
De Novo Dahl - Subject of the Kill


Monday, September 25, 2006

And the winner is..

The Nominees for the Canada's first monetary prize for a full length album based solely on artistic merit, without regard to genre or record sales is...

1.Broken Social Scene - ''Broken Social Scene''
2.Cadence Weapon - ''Breaking Kayfabe''
3.The Deadly Snakes - ''Porcella''
4.Final Fantasy - ''He Poos Clouds''
5.Sarah Harmer - ''I'am a Mountain''
6.K'Naan - ''The Dusty Foot Philosopher''
7.Malajube - ''Trompe l'oeil''
8.Metric - ''Live it out''
9.The New Pornographers - ''Twin Cinema''
10.Wolf Parade - ''Apologies to the Queen Mary''

And the Winner for the 2006 Polaris Prize is......Final Fantasy - He Poos Clouds !









Sunday, September 24, 2006

Love me...



David Bowie - Wild is the Wind

Love me, love me, love me, say you do
Let me fly away with you
For my love is like the wind, and wild is the wind
Wild is the wind
Give me more than one caress, satisfy this hungriness
Let the wind blow through your heart
For wild is the wind, wild is the wind

You touch me,
I hear the sound of mandolins
You kiss me
With your kiss my life begins
You're spring to me, all things to me
Don't you know, you're life itself!

Like the leaf clings to the tree,
Oh, my darling, cling to me
For we're like creatures of the wind, and wild is the wind
Wild is the wind



Like the leaf clings to the tree,
Oh, my darling, cling to me
For we're like creatures in the wind, and wild is the wind
Wild is the wind



Next Radiohead ? Maybe...


North Carolina natives Cities have been hard at work since the release of their self-titled debut in 2005. Along with a new album coming in the next few months, they've enlisted the help of some friends and fans on a remix album, appropriately titled Variations. On this release, songs from their debut have gotten the switch-over by the likes of Ladytron, Fog, Daedelus, and others, including one fan-made remix.

Cities has been hailed as some sort of "great hope" for American Rock, and Jane Magazine even went so far as to say "It does my American heart proud... if you dig epic sounds like early-Radiohead, Interpol, and Sunny Day Real Estate, you'd best check them out."

Even if you haven't heard their debut, you'd be foolish not to check out the songs below:

Cities - Capitol (free the robots remix)
Cities - A Theme (Mike Westbrook remix)




Something for the Sunday Hangover...




Marita-I Primi Minuti (I say a little prayer)

Jenny Luna - Non mi pentir (Walk on by)

Gainni Morandi - Il mondo nei tuoi occhi



Saturday, September 23, 2006

Lupe Fiasco ...



Lupe Fiasco - Kick Push





Paris, Je t'aime !

...







Brendan Perry - Medusa

When all you have left are your memories
And diamonds and pearls for company
I'll be sailing to St. Lucia on the ocean breeze
With the moon and my scars for company

In your bedroom you keep an iron cage
Where a blackbird sings her freedom song
For you know the true value of keeping slaves
They sing the saddest of songs

Medusa you robbed me of my youth
Abandoned me on the tropic of solitude
Seducer of the shipwrecked and forlorn
You told me to undress
Then crowned my head with thorns

Medusa you robbed me of my youth
Abandoned me on the tropic of solitude
Seducer of the shipwrecked and forlorn
You told me to get dressed
Then turned my heart to stone

Friday, September 22, 2006

Do you feel a little warm ?


If you're prone to forgetting birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays, not to fear! A flawless memory can be yours at the price of engulfing your finger in waves of sheer pain. Using special "Hot Spot" technology, the Remember Ring heats up to 120 degrees for 10 seconds every hour, starting 24 hours before the date that is inscribed on the interior surface.

The Perfect Present !

If someone says "nothing" the next time you ask what they want on their special day, they better be prepared for a chintzy plastic sphere full of air. This technically qualifies as something, but you can still impishly rub your hands together in anticipation of handing this clever gift over to its humble recipient

Shhh...

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Morning Act.12

21/9/2006 06.42π.μ

Playlist
1.Morrissey - Never played Symphonies

2. New York Dolls - Vietnamese Baby


3. Jobriath - Morning Star Ship

4.The Decemberists - Leslie Anne marine

5.Rosie Thomas - Gradually

6.Iron&Wine - Fever Dream

7.Casiotone for the Painfull Alone-Roberta C

8.My Bloody Valentine - Soon

9.Pixies - Debaser

10.This Mortal Coil - You & Your Sister

11.Gus Gus - Barry

12.Lush - Hypocrite

Coming soon...

dream with me...



<Alice Smith - Dream

Who Remember Silvia Night ??

Porn Music for the Masses




MartiniBomb - The Love God

Nick Chapman - Take me now

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Morning Act.11




20/9/2006 07.00π.μ

Playlist

1.The American Analog Set - Choir Vandals
2.Piano Magic - You can never get lost when you've nowhere to go
3.Okkervil Rivers - My bad days
4.Richmond Fontaine - The Janitor
5.Lambchop - Nothing but a blur from a bullet train
6.Bardo Pond - Take what you need
7.Laura Viers - Tiger tattoo
8.Richard Hawley - Something is
9.Damien Jurado - I can't get over you
10.William Shatner - Together
11.Hanne Hukkelberg - Cast Anchor
12.Finn - X+Variables

Dub from New Zealand ?



Fat Freddys Drop
is a dub/funk/soul group from New Zealand and their ''Based on the true story'' is an album to be stoned to. It has a nice relaxing vibe and is a case of the little guy taking over. This was released without marketing and on an independent label and became the third highest selling cd of 2005 in New Zealand.

Dallas' soulful, melodic voice is a perfect combination to the wonderful instrumental of brass, guitar and keys. Key tracks are "This Room" "Wandering Eye" "Hope" and "Flashback"





Monday, September 18, 2006

Helios !



Without knowing it, I've spent quite a extensive amount of time listening to the intensely melodic music written by Keith Kenniff. A man of many aliases, Kenniff composed the incredibly beautiful album Corduroy Road, under the name Goldmund. That record dominated my late night listening last year. Now comes his second release, Eingya, as Helios and it's just as stunning.

Is this man capable of writing anything that is not gorgeous? The tracks on Eingya are delicate blends of shuddering, hollow rhythms and warm acoustic guitars. One is pushed to the background and encased in layers of melancholy, giving Eingya a sense of forelorn space. The other is gentle and inviting, calming drawing close with intimate advances. Kenniff's guitar playing is a vividly human presence in a cold atmosphere. Each song is tastefully embroidered with accompaniments from pianos, strings and ghost-like samples.

<The Toy Garden

Coming Soon...



I suppose we found the winner for the Best Actor for the next Golden Globe & Oscar Awards !

The Peculiar Memories of Thomas Penman


Usually a good book is described as "can't put it down." I had to put this one down many times, first to laugh uncontrollably (much to the consternation my neighbors, and my office mate) and second because I just didn't want to get to the end and it be over. Most coming-of-age novels written by men make me feel that men and women really are from different planets--this one made me wonder if perhaps we are the same species after all. But mostly, there are sentences in here that are worth reading and rereading just for the satisfaction of the sentence itself, the way the words hang together and twist to the end.

Simply the best and funniest and most original novel I've read in a long while. You're gonna fall in love with Bruce Robinson's characters in this novel, even the ones who are lousy. It's so full of fun and sadness and situations like you've never come across before, and which you're going to love reading about.

What I need to do is begin a re-reading, and now!

(http://www.protoporia.gr/protoporia/product.asp?sku=99946&mscssid=9BTQP855RTT89JPKW1C0M0E58TEND5QD)

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Forget Franz or Monkeys ..The Fratellis is here !


With its postcard cover, you might expect the contents of The Fratellis' debut album to take you back to the end-of-the-pier world of vaudeville. But the infectious riffs of this guitar-led Scottish outfit are very much in the here and now, and it's no surprise that radio stations and live audiences in the UK and Glasgow have caught a dose of Fratelli fever.
Already heralded by some sections as the best new band in Britain the three non-brothers have certainly had a stellar rise since playing their first gig in a Glaswegian bar in 2005: witness their recent earsplitting main stage appearance at the Reading Festival. But their roots remain in the sing-a-long tunes that have already been download successes: ''Creepin Up the Backstairs'' was an impressive debut single, but it has since been eclipsed by the raucous ''Henrietta'' and as for their recent ''Chelsea Dagger'', it's simply impossible not to smile and sing along.


Chelsea Dagger

Whistle of the Choir

Golden..music

I’m really surprised no one is talking about Goldenboy. Front man Shon Sullivan was dubbed “golden boy” by Elliott Smith on a European tour and it stuck.

The majority of the ''Underneath the radio'' actually sounds more like tracks that would have fit into the Lost in Translation soundtrack as opposed to the Smith comparisons that always seem to get made. The duo creates lush melodies that seem so effortless, much like the best music Neil Finn and the Smiths made us all dance to in years past. From the Neil Finn-esque intro on the Moz influenced vocals on ''Motorbike'' to the sugar sweet melody of ''Perfect One'', this record brings a light almost optimistic outlook to the world of melancholy music.

As the gentle piano ballad ''Underneath the Radio'' closes the album, you listen to Shon reminisce as the tour van hurdles forward. You can’t help but look back to your own past, knowing you are still pushing forward. I’m not sure I can think of a better description of Goldenboy’s musical style.

Saturday, September 16, 2006

Coming soon...

Listen !!

With a brand new deal through his Warner-distributed Blacksmith imprint, New York rapper Talib Kweli is ready to drop his fourth solo album. Although, Ear Drum is a top contender for the "least googleable album title," the lead single, "Listen," a great jazzy hip hop gem !!



Talib Kweli - Listen (dirty version)

Morning act.10

15/9/2006 06.54π.μ
Playlist
1.Film - Grauzone
2. Laika - Uneasy
3. David Sylvian & Ruichi Sakamoto - Bambo House
4. Lamb - Lusty
5. My Bloody Valentine - Feed me with your kiss
6. Spacemen 3 - Honey
7. Yo La Tengo - Autumn Sweater
8. Ed Harcourt - Whirlwind in D minor
9. Radiohead - How to dissapear completely
10.Joy Division - Athmosphere
11.Current 93 & Pantaleimon - The Magical bird in the Magical Woods
12.Tiger Lillies - On the Mountaintops

The Mars Volta - "Amputechture''


This is the first of the iconoclastic L.A. band's three albums that doesn't tell a unified story, though given their surreal approach, we might not know that if they hadn't told us. It doesn't really matter too much, because it's best to treat the lyrics as one impressionistic element of the work rather than text to be parsed.

Singer Cedric Bixler Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez have set themselves up as popularity-be-damned visionaries, pursuing their muse into a resurgent blend of progressive rock and jazz fusion.

Their independence — and their virtuosity — has brought them their own kind of popularity, and "Amputechture" will disappoint only those fans who were hoping to see them head into deep space. It mainly restates their agenda, in impressive fashion.

The punishing nature of the fusion furiosity is relieved by more soothing vocal sections. There's something of the oracle in Bixler's steely, high-pitched voice. He can make you care about even the most frag-mented fever-dream imagery, as Rodriguez-Lopez, with help from the Red Hot Chili Peppers' guitarist John Frusciante, leads the band once again into parts unknown.

Take a peek from the song ''Meccamputechture''

Coming soon...

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Morning act.9

14/9/2006 07.02 π.μ

Playlist
1.M83 - In the cold im standing
2. Cocteau Twins - Cherry Coloured Funk
3. Pia Fraus - How much can you love
4.Diamanda Galas - Gloomy Sunday
5. Cabaret Voltaire - Silent Command
6. Scritti Politti - Sweetest Girl
7.Robert Wyatt - Shipbuilding
8. Young Marble Giants - Radio Silents
9. Turin Brakes - Long Distance
10. Frou Frou - Breathe in
11. Interpol - Obstacle 2
12.Anthony & The Johnsons - Twilight

Bee Gees or Scissor Sisters ?

Scissor Sister's new album ''Ta-Dah'' will be released about 26/9



Heartless Bastards


This isn't a blues album.

Yes, it's on Fat Possum, the home of Cedell Davis, Hasil Adkins, and R.L. Burnside.

Yes, Erika Wennerstrom sings the blues.

Yes, the guitar yelps.

Yet this isn't a blues album.


Instead, Heartless Bastards' LP is a triumph in reality. It's frustration on 2-inch tape; irony-free, without effect, and absolutely true. Wennerstrom's 5-year-old Cincinnati trio believes in basics. Her belting voice pierces stage lights and smoke to smack you across the kisser. Last year's Bastard debut, Stairs and Elevators, was only a glimpse into what this 27-year-old volcano can do. S&E tiptoed around the eruption, but All This Time throws caution to the wind. "Into the Open" kicks Time off with a teasing, girly refrain, only to match the piano melody with Wennerstrom's guttural purity and drummer Kevin Vaughn's rat-a-tat. "Searching for the Ghost" is more Cat Power than Angela Strehli, Wennerstrom seductive and powerful in her fortitude. The title track matches wits with "I Swallowed a Dragonfly," both trading pop with riff. By the opening strum of closer "Came a Long Way," Wennerstrom becomes the spotlight, a beacon of rock stardom. Her lyrics flow uncomplicated, her voice bounces off the walls, but Erika Wennerstrom is a diva without the gown. She's true, proud, and sad.


Hell, this is a blues album.

Coming soon...

Morning act.8

13-09-2006 06.55π.μ

Playlist

1. Belle & Sebastian - The Fox in the Snow

2. Dacota Suite - The Colour of water

3. Tindersticks - Blood

4. Mazzy Star - Five String Serenade

5. Elvis Costello - Shipbuilding

6. Handsome Family - Weightless again

7. Bob Dylan - Shelter from the Storm

8. David Bowie - An occasional dream

9. Friends of Dean Martinez - When you're gone

10. Ultra Vivid Scene - When you're ready

11.Lali Puna - 40 Days

12.Isan - Celia's dream

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Alice in Wonderland !

Alice Russell is simply one of the most exceptionnaly talented soul vocalists to emerge in this new century.




A view of death..


When is a love story not a love story?

When two lovers are found dead in the dunes. Jim Crace's Being Dead is a magnificent tale told in an unconventional way. Instead of telling the story of Joseph and Felice starting with how they met, got married, had kids, grew old and so on, Crace starts with their demise. From there, the narrative develops in many different directions. Most disturbingly, perhaps, is how their bodies decay on the beach after their murder. He also tells the story of how they met years earlier, not far from where there bodies lie. Another story works backwards, very slowly, on the day they met their demise. And finally, there is the story of their daughter, as she slowly discovers what has happened to her parents.

These four intertwined narratives reveal much about Joseph and Felice, perhaps more than would the traditional "love story." Being Dead is inventive, creative, and a pleasure to read, but it is definitely not for the faint of heart. The description of the bodies' decay is very graphic and some would find it disturbing. The gruesome scenes are not gratuitous and I found the descriptions to be so well done, so elegantly crafted, that they're almost a pleasure to read. If you think you have the stomach for some rough descriptions,

I highly recommend this novel.


(http://www.oxy.gr/shop/details.cfm?ID=151)

Smokey !


A man based on a plan, a plan based on a man. Devendra Banhart has announced some of the details on his upcoming album Smokey, which will be recorded this fall. He's also having a film made, mostly about the making of the album.

First: the album. He's going to record in California, with the recording of the tracks being done on on a boat and the rest being done (mixing, presumably?) on terra firma. He's also planning on doing some work in Rio De Janeiro. Devendra will be working with Producer Noah Georgeson in California and possibly Arto Lindsey on the Rio De Janiero side. He's looking to feature a number of people on the album, and some of the names he's named include Vashti Bunyan, Linda Perhacs, Cybelle, Hecuba, and Bert Jansch.

The sound is being described as meloncholic drone bummer, equatorial pop, and breezy. Devendra says it's been an up and down year and the songs on the album will reflect that, based on when the songs were written.

The film have the same name, Smokey. It will be about the recording of the album and his home life (because everybody has to see how he's livin'). This is how he described the film "It's a one or so hour collection of tours, the writing and recording of the album and images that make up Devendra's home and life, it will have sound but be mostly scored."


By: Spacelab Research Staff

Coming soon...

? and the Mysterians --(A Forgotten band)--




Saginaw, Michigan, 1962... an out-of-work bass player sits at home, watching a three year old Japanese sci-fi movie on television. It's about invaders who try to take over Earth after their own planet has been destroyed. The title of the movie is "The Mysterians". And thus a band was born in the mind of Larry Borjas.

Bobby Balderrama, and a drummer, Robert Marinez. Together they started playing at teen clubs around central Michigan. Eventually, they added a fourth member, organist Franklin Rodriguez. One night, while appearing at the Mount Holly Ski Lodge, the band was approached by a stranger who said he wanted to become their manager. They agreed and later found out that he could sing so well that they made him their lead vocalist

It was said that not even the members of the band new his real name or anything about his past. He never removed his sun-glasses and was known only by the pseudonym, "?" (Question Mark). He even tried to give the other members a secret initial such as Y, X and other letters. The boys were grateful, but decided to keep their own names.

When the Vietnam war escalated, bassist Larry Borjas was drafted and drummer Robert Marinez enlisted. They were replaced by Frank Lugo and Eddie Serrato. Soon after, Question Mark revealed that he had written a poem, entitled "Too Many Teardrops". He invited the group to set his words to music and they did so. Eddie, however wasn't happy with the title and suggested they call it "69 Tears".

"We can't use that" said another band member. "If we call it that, it will never get played on the radio." Another suggested that they turn the numbers around and call it "96 Tears". All the Mysterians thought that was a good idea.

November 1999, ? & the Mysterians released their first studio album in 33 years. All the original members returned for the recording of "More Action", a double CD that features new material like the raw, rockin' "It's Not Easy" and "I'll Be Back," alongside cover tracks of Bobby Darin's "Beachcomber" and the Stones' "Satisfaction." The band also rehashes "96 Tears" and includes a Spanish version of the track - a natural, considering the band's Mexican heritage. On "More Action", ? & the Mysterians don't miss a beat, integrating the signature organ treble of "96 Tears" into each track. Collectors will covet the inclusion of "Are You for Real?" and "I'll Be Back," the band's first studio recordings ever. This CD could easily be mistaken for a '60s-era follow-up to the 96 Tears album, though it fits in easily with the work of current garage revivalists.

In 2003, the band toured the United States and recorded enough new, original material for a new album, set to be released in 2004.

? and the Mysterians are truly one of the greatest 'garage bands' in rock and roll history.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Morning act.7

11/09/2006 06.48π.μ

Playlist

1. Velvet Underground - Sunday morning
2. Tindersticks - Dicks Slow Song
3. Brendan Perry - Medusa
4. Death in June - Hollows of divotion
5. Leonard Cohen - Famous blue raincoat
6. The Legendary Pink Dots - Belladona
7. Lambchop - Life's little tragedy
8. Psychic TV - The Orchids
9. Current 93 - The Blood Bells Chime
10. Red House Painters - Medicine Bottle
11. David Sylvian - Orpheus
12. Low - Sea

Monday, September 11, 2006

Hidden Gem

Well for ninjatune that is. pop levi doesn't deal with cut up beats and turntables, nor does he do the jazz licks (well not on this record). instead he pays homage both stylistically and with his song titles to old fashioned 60s psychedelic pop music. but first a little background to this wonderful 20 minute ep.

Pop levi, (english born, los angeles based) apparently used to be part of ladytron, as well as doing the mad jazz fusion stuff with super numeri (hence the ninjatune connection), so now that he has all that non-radio friendly stuff out of his multi-talented system, he has saved his proper pop songs for this debut ep which is being released on its own ninjatune imprint, counter records
Opening with blue honey, the sound is pure psychedelia. backwards instruments, treated vocals, hand claps, layers and layers of beautiful weirdness, if you remember xtc doing their dukes of stratosphere experiment, then this ep will bring as many smiles as their records did. with a production throwback to all things beatles, donovan, with dashes of the melodic side to hendrix (a style called) crying chic, is perfect with the meticulously layered acoustic pop music making for a radio friendly track par excellence.
We can but hope, in the meantime we have a very lovely ep to spin on a regular basis prior to the album, 'the return to form black magick party', being released in 2007 sometime.


This is the Super-rare promotional video for Pop Levi's UK Single Version of 'Blue Honey'.
Featuring Levi's legendary backing group The Emergencies.
Directed by Jackie Passmore


Waiting for..7

So one of my all time favorite artists, Beck, has been working on a new album. The Information is due in stores October 3. This much anticipated new album is a mix of indie alt, hip-hop, and other random sounds. If any other person tried to meld these sounds into some sort of fusion it, would fail completely. But that's the genius of Beck

Waiting for..6

Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain is the fourth album by Sparklehorse. It is due to be released on 25 September 2006.

Although it is Sparklehorse's first studio album in five years, approximately 25 minutes of the 55 minute long record have been previously released in some form. "Ghost in the Sky" was originally released on the Japanese pressing of It's A Wonderful Life. "Shade and Honey" was sung by the actor Allesandro Nivola in the 2002 film Laurel Canyon, and Nivola's version is also found on the soundtrack. "Morning Hollow" was previously found as the hidden bonus track on 'It's A Wonderful Life'. The track "Dreamt for Lightyears in the Belly of a Mountain" was originally released in 2001 under the title "Maxine" on both the LP version of It's a Wonderful Life as well as on the Gold Day EP. "Ghost in the Sky", "Don't Take My Sunshine Away" and "Knives of Summertime" will be released as singles in the weeks leading up to the release of the album.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Waiting for..5

My Morning Jacket, are set to release a new double live album with a companion DVD of the live show this fall. The CD will be released September 26th and the DVD, separately, on October 31st. It is entitled Okonokos, and the film will also be screened at select U.S. movie theaters.

The live concert was created with the aid of the trailblazing lighting designer Marc Brickman (well-known for his work with Pink Floyd), and filmed by director Sam Erickson. The album was mixed by Michael Brauer (Bob Dylan, Coldplay) and mastered by Bob Ludwig. The concert film was done in 5.1 surround sound.

Take a peek from the trailer from the forthcoming dvd release...

Waiting for..4

The Blow is Jona Bechtolt and Khaela Maricich. The two have been working together as The Blow since 2004 when they recorded a limited edition EP called “Poor Aim: Love Songs”. It quickly became clear that the results of their combined forces flexed with a muscle that had a range far beyond the limited edition market. United by a shared affection for the sparkling production styles of mainstream radio, and both raised with deep roots in the DIY scenes of the Pacific Northwest, the duo makes fractured pop chart toppers to seduce all manner of hearts out of their cases, onto the floor. Jona's percussive savvy bumps and trips under Khaela's intimate, insistent vocals.

No-wave and glitch-hop, club anthems and doo-wop, all party together in the architecture created by The Blow's sound.

Their new album, Paper Television, will be released on September 18th from the Tomlab records...

more at...http://www.myspace.com/theblowus

Waiting for..3

A triumphant return to form, this bold, eclectic 80-minute long album is the pinnacle of YO LA TENGO's 20-year career. From 11- minute long guitar jams to gorgeous ballads to winsome horn-drenched pop songs, this album is all over the map - in a very good way.

A look back over the last two decades of indie rock and pop history - epitomized in the (intentionally misspelled) epic "The Story Of Yo La Tango" - I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass features the talents of longtime Nashville producer Roger Moutenot, violinist Dave Mansfield of Dylan's Rolling Thunder Review, and the jacket artistry of Gary Panter (Raw, Jimbo). (toneVENDOR.com)

Xiu Xiu - Boy Soprano



The first clip from the forthcoming album ''Air Force''

Saturday, September 09, 2006

Waiting for..2


Magnolia Electric Co.’s new album Fading Trails will be the soundtrack for late night reading.

Fading Trails is beauty in sadness, the melancholy tone of the music couldn't change even if Molina were singing about rainbows and puppies. The majority of songs incorporate multiple instruments to one extent or another, but a few tunes are bleak solos made up of Molina's detached vocals and either a piano or an acoustic guitar. Fading Trails is a much more quiet and reserved album than either Trials & Errors or What Comes After the Blues and at times lacks the intrigue of the two previous releases, but it's definitely not an album to overlook. What the cathartic Fading Trails might lack in foot-tapping motivation, it makes up for in passion and honesty and is highly recommended for those who like to dig a little deeper for albums that get better each time they are played. (All Music)

Waiting for..1

The Air Force is an upcoming Xiu Xiu album to be released on September 15th and is produced by Greg Saunier of Deerhoof.

The album's name was picked so that Google-generated ads would bring up advertisements paid for by the US Armed Forces and therefore waste the warmonger's money on Xiu Xiu fans who are intelligent and well versed in global politics, capitalism, and empire. It was chosen to be released as close as possible to September 11 as a remembrance of the New York tragedies and the 1973 horrendous overthrow of the democratically elected Allende in Chile. The image of Jesus references Salvador Allende and his two tear filled eyes represent the Twin Towers of New York. Much of Xiu Xiu's symbolism is derived by radical leftist politics and rigorous visual theory along the lines of Barthes, Deleuze, Guatarri, and Foucault. This album contains Xiu Xiu's first instrumental, "Saint Pedro Glue Stick," an assemblage of bird calls and Japanese koto. Another first, Caralee McElroy sings her first song on a full length. The song "Wig Master" uses lyrics that were originally intended for a Vincent Gallo film that was scheduled to be released in 2007. When Stewart found out Gallo was a Republican he refused to work with him.

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Collage

Criterion Masterpieces.8


Fritz Lang's highly influential career as a film director began in post World War I Germany, where he was a leading figure in the German Expressionist film movement, and ended in the United States in 1953 with the production of The Big Heat, a film noir classic. Perhaps his greatest film, M (Germany, 1931) forms an historical bridge between expressionism and film noir. Like the former it uses strange and disturbing compositions of light and dark in order to symbolize the inner workings of the human mind; like the latter it more realistically sets its story in a modern urban setting and blends in sociological issues along with the psychological and moral ones.

M was the first psychological thriller of the cinema. Based on the real crimes of the "Monster of Dusseldorf" Peter Kurten who was put the death the year this film was released.
According to crime historians Kurten is one of the most evil, depraved and disgusting criminals of all time. The character played by Peter Lorre, Hans Beckert was portrayed as a more sympathetic person. One of the details about this film that makes it unique even among todays thrillers is that the movie is more about the actions and reactions made by society rather than delving into the lifestyle of the serial killer like "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer".
In pure cinematic ingenuity Lang smoothly cuts back and forth between the police and the criminal underground as they both strive for the same ultimate goal, find the killer. One of the many thrilling things about this film is as an audience member you are on edge about Beckert killing another child as well as wanting to know if it will be the police who capture Beckert or the criminal underground, plus what will either side do once they capture him. Another part of Lang's brilliant film-making is that he does not make it mellow dramatic.
This was still the beginning of the sound era and many film makers through out the world thought that there should never be silence on the screen. Showing how far ahead he was of his time he took the opportunity to go without music and simply let the streets and crowds play as the soundtrack.
This film is one of a kind and not only should every film fanatic own this film but anyone who is a fan of the art form.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Criterion Masterpieces.7

After seeing this movie for the first time - I remember – it was a feeling of being undressed and very sad. And yet it one of the two greatest movies I have ever seen. It tears your perspective on society apart, it shows you the highs and mostly lows of the sad broken people you see one the street everyday.

In some sense we are all Johnny, the seeker who is always running away, and if you are even the least human you have felt the feelings or acted like most of the characters.The discussion between Johnny and the nightwatch(Brian), is in my humble opinion one of the greatest pieces of dialogs in a movie script.

Mike Leigh has a special talent for telling the life story of a supporting character in 2-4 simple frames, like the young girl at the café(and if you rent Secrets & Lies, you will love the sequence with the former owner of Maurice's shop).

David Thewlis performance as Johnny is just frightening, it should be the benchmark for acting for his generation. But it is a great display from all – would love to know what Leigh does, to get that kind of performance. The ending is both logical and utterly sad, but it is true to the characters and the story.

Go Rent it now….

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Criterion Masterpieces.6


Faces. The ones we put on for loved ones, for business associates, for friends, to impress, to hide ourselves behind, the ugly ones, maybe the real ones.
The actors in Faces are exploring their characters from the inside out using improvised type methods (but writer/director Cassavetes created and adhered to real scripts prior to filming).
Faces is a raw experimental film where actors are allowed to be both natural and ...well method actors. Some moments work so well, you wonder why these heights aren't regularly strived for... but then some moments don't work at all and you realize, this is film-making without a net. It's risky, it's not pretty, and it's messy - - For the performers particularly
It's a masterpiece, though like many of J.C.'s film difficult to watch. You might be annoyed, bored, bothered, and/or disgusted by the film. At the end you might not quite understand what it all was about.

But, you'll remember it