jamesinseoul

Albums of the year 2009

2010-01-04T17:00:00.002+09:00

As tradition dictates, it's that time of year when we make a list of our favourite cultural artefacts from the past year, and list them in an order of merit. So this is my list, a top five followed by a random selection of albums that I dug, and will continue to dig.

1. The Very Best - The Warm Heart of Africa

The Very Best (Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit) with Ezra Koenig "Warm Heart of Africa" LIVE in NYC from 'Sup Magazine on Vimeo.

2. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

3. Dan Deacon - Bromst

Dan Deacon - Paddling Ghost from Natalie van den Dungen on Vimeo.

4. Major Lazer - Guns Don't Kill People, Lazers Do

Major Lazer "Pon De Floor" ft. Vybz Kartel and Afro Jack
by DowntownMusic

5. YACHT - See Mystery Lights

YACHT - Psychic City (Voodoo City) from Jona Bechtolt on Vimeo.

Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
The xx - xx
Mos Def - The Ecstatic
Karen O & The Kids - Where The Wild Things Are
Fever Ray - Fever Ray
Yonlu - A Society In Which No Tear is Shed Is Inconceivably Mediocre
Telepathe - Dance Mother
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
Dinosaur Jr - The Farm
Sonic Youth - The Eternal
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
Fanfarlo - Reservoir
Micachu & The Shapes - Jewellery
The Horrors - Primary Colours
Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
The Juan Maclean - The Future Will Come
Bat For Lashes - Two Suns

Tea and Coffee by Laurie

2009-10-08T21:11:00.004+09:00

This weeks discoveries...

An unknown gem from the Phil Spector box set. Could have so easily fitted onto Pet Sounds:

We are still allowed to listen to Phil Spector records, aren't we?

Listening to the glorious best of Giorgio Moroder, I discovered a song with its own credits. What a wonderful thing, and a terrific record:

Asian Weirdness

2009-09-20T12:12:00.007+09:00

I was discussing the almost total absence of interesting Korean music with a colleague the other day, and he mentioned a bar he used to go to which had an amazing collection of 60's and 70's western rock. Apparently there were some people clued in with Dylan, Zeppelin, the Byrds et al but during the dictatorship period this all got locked down, and culturally it seems to me that they are yet to recover (although the cinema is excellent, so work that one out). Bang on cue, I read out about the new album Pysch Funk 101 (buy it here), a collection of 60's and 70's freakery from around the world, including Kim Sun's 'The Man Who Must Leave":

Sorry Korea, I may have underestimated you.

Of course, we expect weirdness from the Japanese, and this is a terrific example:

Out now on DFA

Free mp3's:

Yura Yura Teikoku, “Sweet Surrender (Remix)” (via 20JFG)

The song in my head...

2009-09-02T19:13:00.002+09:00

All summer long, the songs that have have really lodged in my cheesebox haven't even been by musicians. I have written on here before about my love of the comedy song, and the best exponents nowadays for my money are Adam & Joe. Their Quantum of Solace themes, first broadcast last year and recently made available for download on their blog, are so catchy and superior to the actual theme that I think they've taken up about half of my vacant brain space in the last year.

Sontum Of Quolace - Joe Cornish

Quantum Of Solace - Adam Buxton

And not so catchy, but utterly brilliant, is Adam's drum n bass song about Ratatouille:

Ratatouille - Adam Buxton

Wonderful stuff. Best of all, they're now back on the radio, so more songs are coming our way. Huzzah.

The song in my head...

2009-07-22T20:29:00.005+09:00

Hello. I'm back. Having a job can really take up a lot of your time, can't it? So here's a new idea (to go with the new colour scheme). I'm going to post up whatever random song has entered my mind. It's a new series, and part of my plan to make this blog less considered and more random. Here's the first one.

I was at the world's largest indoor theme park the other day, queueing for 'the Pharaohs Fury' when four elderly Korean men, dressed in red trousers and stripey waistcoats, Dixieland style, came round the corner and performed a showtune on miniaturised brass instruments. I then imagined to myself what request I could make to stump and bemuse them. My first thought was play a Beatles song (obvious I know) and bang, quick as a flash they launch into this:

and it hasn't left my mind since.

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Twenty One

2009-05-20T00:00:00.000+09:00

Every week I post a song, for no reason other than it's fabulous. It may be old or new, obscure or over-exposed. No explanation, no fancy spiel, just solid gold popular music. Oh, and it's a secret, so you'll just have to trust me.

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Twenty One

Boredoms vs Lindstrom

2009-05-16T00:00:00.001+09:00

It should be easy nowadays to turn the Japanese psycho drum kings the Boredoms into dance music, after all their music is about as danceable and groove based as experimental ever gets. On recent Japanese only release Super Roots 10 (hunt it down, it's out there), they get a make over from DJ Lindstrom, who does a great job of transforming them into space disco. Unlikely I know, but it really works.

Boredoms - Ant 10 (Remix By DJ Lindstrom)

Underrated: Electroclash

2009-05-09T00:00:00.000+09:00

It's hard not to look back on the Electroclash scene of 2001 and 2002 without thinking about the people who liked it: preening, pretentious adrogonoids with angular hair, dayglo clothes and ambiguous incomes. Nathan Barley meets, well, no one really. People it's very difficult to like. Except, aren't all youth movements inherently irritating if you're on the outside? Just think of the scorn that must have been poured on the New Romantics in the early 80's, only later for them to be clutched to the nations bosom (admittedly after a little toning down on the eyeliner). Secondly, is this image even accurate? I used to go to Electroclash clubs all the time, and neither me nor my mates ever daubed ourselves in rediculously overpriced clothes that were designed to look like binliners covered in crisp packets, and I don't remember seeing that many people who did. The unfortunate result of this is that we forget the music, as if it was an after thought or a soundtrack to a fashion show of fools. By doing this we are overlooking some of the best and most influential dance music of the last 10 years.

It's easy to forget how much electroclash changed everything in dance music. As Kiran Sande explains in his recent Fact magazine article:

"It reconciled electronic and rock sensibilities, but with a sense of cabaret glamour a million miles away from the lager-fuelled indie-dance frippery of The Chemical Brothers. It was, more than anything, performance art – naturally attracting androgynous, stage-hungry figureheads like Fischerspooner and Peaches. In the UK electroclash restored character, confrontation and individuality to the rave after almost a decade of shallow “Cheers, nice one” camaraderie."

The main result of this sea change in attitude was that dance music became fun again. It had songs, ones you could sing along with while you danced (Sunglasses at Night, Deceptacon, Seventeen) as well as bangers (Silver Screen Shower Scene, Fuck The Pain Away, La La Land). This influence hasn't gone away, and dance music has been much more playful, experimental and extrovert ever since. Electroclash acted as a catalyst that begat Erol Alkan, Justice, Crookers, Hot Chip, and for better or worse, made Lady Gaga possible.

Mostly though, it gave us some cracking tunes. Here are some of my favourites, and for more see the Fact magazine top 20, it's a pretty good selection.

Felix Da Housecat - Silver Screen Shower Scene

Black Strobe - Me and Madonna

Green Velvet - La La Land

Tiga - Hot In Herre

Le Tigre - Deceptacon (DFA Remix)

Felix da Housecat - What Does It Feel Like (Royksopp Remix)

Soulwax - No Fun / Push It

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Twenty

2009-05-06T00:00:00.000+09:00

Sounds I'd like to hear more of in popular music...the donkey.

2009-05-02T21:08:00.000+09:00

There's something particularly abrasive and atonal about a donkeys bray, and therefore it seems like the most unlikely sound that you'd ever hear in a pop song. That's why I want to hear it more often. If you know any others, be sure to let me know.

Scott Walker - Jolson and Jones

Extra points to Scott Walker for the lyric "I'll punch a donkey in the streets of Galway" and managing to make a donkey sound so utterly terrifying.

Kate Bush - Get Out Of My House

It may be a human impression, but that just makes me like it more.

Beck - Jackass

The song where most of us began our donkey odyssey.

Random thoughts while listening to lots of stuff...

2009-04-25T17:38:00.004+09:00

Seems to me like there's a ton of new albums around at the moment, and good ones too, ones that deserve attention. I can't give them the track by track treatment, but here are some abbreviated random thoughts...

Tiga - Ciao!
Mr Tiga knows his way around a pop song, and has been churning quality electro pop since the electroclash days of yore. The new album contains some corkers, Mind Dimension being a stand out. I'm also keen on any song that has the lyric "What's that sound? I like that sound. I love that sound. It's the sound of my shoes" as the song Shoes does. Who needs poetry? Not me guv.

Super Furry Animals - Dark Days/Light Years. I love band, really love them. They've never let me down, never become too self indulgent or worse, lazy. So I hope this is album is awesome.

It's rockin', folky, glam, groovy, poppy, German, and Arabic. There are songs that sound like early 80's Bowie, and Trevor Horn productions. This mish mash works, because it's the Super Furries, and that's what they sound like. It's why I love them.

There's also a song called The Very Best Of Neil Diamond. Say no more.

St. Vincent - Actor.
Like an indie Goldfrapp (that's a compliment, by the way) this album swaggers and veers in different directions, often catching you off guard with unexpected aural twists of heaviness and it's discomforting atmosphere. Coupled with her confident, intimate vocals, it's an odd and enjoyable experience.

PJ Harvey and John Parish - A Woman A Man Walked By.
There I am thinking "great a new PJ Harvey album, I know what I'm getting, and I know I'm going to like it." This thought is only half right, because I have stupidly forgotten that none of her albums have ever sounded like their predeccesor, or any of her previous albums, and that isn't a just a new PJ Harvey album, but it's a new PJ Harvey and John Parish album, and his involvement should not be underestimated. This album doesn't have much relation to her previous, most fragile album, the piano led White Chalk (with the exception of The Soldiers) or indeed to the poppy Stories From The City, the rough around the edges Uh Huh Her or the sleekness of To Bring You My Love. If anything, it's closest at times to the raw visceral Rid Of Me, but then you get a slower, rather lovely song like Passionless Pointless. Parish's music is at times bluesier and at times more soulful that you associate with Harvey. I like the directions he has forced her into, and I hope this album won't be as neglected as their previous album.

Graham Coxon - The Spinning Top.
The prospect of a new Graham Coxon album is more appealing to me then the Blur reformation, not because I'm naturally contrary (that's unrelated) but because I really liked his last solo album, and I hated britpop, even if Blur were the brightest diamonds in that particular morass of mediocrity. On his new one, he's toned down the chippier power pop of the previous album, Happiness In Magazines, and replaced with a more pastoral folky English sound. It works pretty well, although the shadows of Nick Drake, Davey Graham, Bert Jansch et al loom pretty large. It's ironic really, as Coxon always seemed the least Brit influenced member of Blur, and this album will probably receive no benefit at all from the forthcoming reunion, buried beneath an avalanche of questions about how they're all getting along. Shame really...

A very cool marketing ploy...

2009-04-24T12:39:00.001+09:00

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Nineteen

2009-04-20T00:00:00.001+09:00

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Eighteen

2009-04-13T00:00:00.000+09:00

Mor3 Prince 4 U

2009-04-08T21:28:00.006+09:00

So, as u probably know, Prince has rel3ased his latest triple opus, and even though he is a g3nius of such magnitude that he should be given a castle in every nation as his own, the right to any first born child and that his fin3st creation is only equalled in human achievement by the wheel, fire and confectionery custard, I, like most people gr33t the idea of a new triple album with considerably less than 3nthusiasm. However, after some prompting by my go to guy 4 all things Prince, I gave it a go. Firstly, 1 of the albums isn't actually by him, but rath3r by a new protégée, Bria Valente, which meant I could leave that 1 until whenev3r. Secondly, the albums that are actually by him are pretty good. Not spectacular, but much b3tt3r than I expected, and there are a few tracks that really stand out. U should list3n to the song below, it's great. Then start building him a castl3.

Prince - Dance 4 Me (alternate link)

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Seventeen

2009-04-06T00:00:00.000+09:00

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Sixteen

2009-03-30T00:00:00.000+09:00

Underrated: De La Soul Is Dead

2009-03-25T20:34:00.005+09:00

When I started writing about underrated bands and albums last year, I really should have started here. In my opinion, this is the most underrated album in all popular music. It's big claim, and I'm sticking to it. I recall reading an article in Q a few years ago about the biggest mistakes in music, or something like that, and there at number one was De La Soul Is Dead, proof if proof be need be that everything printed in Q is wrong.

A little background. In 1989, De La Soul released Three Feet High and Rising, a record that changed rap music, and therefore popular music, for ever. It contained a unique mixture of goofy humour, anti-violence and hip-pop hits that crossed over to the mainstream in a way that few rap acts had managed at that time. It's main influence, however, was the phenomenal music, created entirely through sampling (hat's off to Prince Paul's production) that showed how using other peoples music could be just as creative as picking up your own instrument. They were hugely successful.

So how did they follow that? Two years later they released De La Soul Is Dead, and with the new album they rejected the image that had been partly foistered on them as the hippies of hip hop (the cover was a strong assertion that their flower power phase was over, as was the title). The other common assumption is that the music and lyrics took a much darker turn. This process of deliberately alienating their pop fans worked, and the album was nowhere near as successful as 3 Feet High.

But I never bought these arguments, and have never understood why the album has been so widely derided. Sure the album has darker moments (My Brother's A Basehead, Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa), but compared to most albums, it's a comedy fest. One track is based around an argument in a Burger King (Bitties In The BK Lounge), and there are scores of ridiculous samples and silly voices scattered throughout. Most incredibly, this may be one of the few hip hop albums where the comedy skits are actually funny (also true of the first De La album).

There are some irresistible pop hits too. Let, Let Me In, Pass The Plugs and Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey) are as good as anything on 3 Feet High. The best song, however, is A Rolling Skating Jam Named Saturdays, as good a party jam as I've ever heard. The production is fabulous, built around a smorgasbord of samples:

I Got My Mind Made Up" by Instant Funk
"Ebony Jam" by Tower of Power
"Good Times" by Chic
"Evil Vibrations" by The Mighty Riders
"Saturday in the Park" by Chicago
"Grease" by Frankie Valli
"Light My Fire" by Young-Holt Unlimited

And the amazing disco / piano breakdown in the middle? Oh, it's something else...

It's the kind of song that should be a classic, instead of something that people might remember as a minor hit from the early nineties. In fact, this could be said for the whole album. I think this is one of the greatest albums ever made, and the fact that it's so under-appreciated and often derided gets my goat. So get the album, and help me restore it to it's rightful place in the pantheon, not just of rap, but of pop music.

De La Soul - A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturday's

De La Soul - New Music - More Music Videos

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Fifteen

2009-03-23T00:00:00.000+09:00

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Fourteen

2009-03-16T00:00:00.000+09:00

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Thirteen

2009-03-09T00:00:00.000+09:00

Random Thoughts While Listening To Yeah Yeah Yeah's - It's Blitz

2009-03-08T00:00:00.002+09:00

Firstly, let me apologise for the lack of proper blogging around here recently, I've been rather busy. But I'll be back in the saddle in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, here are some random thoughts I managed to squeeze in...

Pre-amble: I've talked on this blog before of my appreciation for the Yeah Yeah Yeah's. I've always been really impressed by them, and the unique pop madness that they manage to pull off. But just like Franz Ferdinand they have reached third album time, when the people who used to ape their every move are now all blase, and they've got to pull something out the bag to keep people interested. I'll think they'll manage it, but we'll see

Track 1 (Zero): It begins with pretty dynamic synths, drum machines and Karen emoting away over the top. In fact it sounds like the entire thing was created synthetically, apart from the singing of course. This is not necessarily a bad thing, it's just that Nick Zinner's an amazing guitarist so he won't be wasted. I suppose Johnny Greenwood on keyboards didn't make Kid A a bad record, so...

Track 2 (Heads Will Roll): It sounds like an early 90's rave record at the beginning. This too is a splendid thing. Oh, this is pretty groovy, sounds a bit like DFA remix from 2005, which can only be good. A little more guitar in there , but none of the whirlwind that Zinner offer creates. This is very dancey, and rather fine.

Track 3 (Soft Shock): There's more of Karen's proper singing on this track. I like her voice a lot, she's got a great rock voice, expressive, individual and identifiably her own. Much like her wardrobe.

By the way, don't expect much lyrical focus in this. Unless I'm forced to, lyrics are not what I find particularly interesting. Music lives in my hips, not my brain.

Track 4 (Skeletons): She's crooning again, over an Autobahn era Kraftwerk electronic pulse. Then there's some drumstick action like Adam & The Ants, and some almost bagpipey action (I HATE BAGPIPES, but this is okay). They've got to make a video for this on a clifftop somewhere, November Rain style. I'd be dead impressed if they did.

Track 5 (Dull Life): So this is probably closer to what people expect from the YYY's, i.e. it's more indie. Still, they do this sort of thing really well. Really really well.

Track 6 (Shame and Fortune): Kanye would like this beat. Not sure he could do much with that thick guitar hook though, but he's a cool guy, so he'd probably dig it. Much like I dig that terrific cover. More eggs in rock, says I.

I have a feeling that this album is a grower. I like it, but it hasn't blown me away yet. There hasn't been a Maps or Date With The Night yet. There's still time though.

Track 7 (Runaway): Oooh, that's a nice piano sound, could be time for a ballad. This is rather lovely, and features some great shimmering guitar from Nick Zinner. I'll say it again, the man's a brilliant guiatrist, God knows how he makes those sounds.

Track 8 (Dragon Queen): Kudos for the title, anything that sounds like a C64 game sounds good to me. There is a element of 80's pop to this album, but don't be deceived, it's only a touch. Maybe it's all those synths, although this chorus is pretty breathy (an 80's sound, if ever there was one).

Track 9 (Hysteric): This track is pretty unremarkable. I mean, I like it, but it's probably the weakest so far. So next month it'll be my favourite.

Track 10 (Little Shadow): Church organs? Acoustic guitars. Check out the Arcade Fire over there. For about 5 seconds. It's end the album with an epic ballad time. The YYY's are different from other 'indie bands' (I felt dirty just typing it), in that despite their occasional forays into noisiness, especially live, they have a real pop sensibility. The album is crafted, with just the right balance of styles to keep everyone happy. Apart from the hipsters, but they're never happy.

Post-amble: It's definitely a grower. On first listen, although I liked it, it's a little underwhelming. But I'm going to give it time, and I would urge you to do the same. Unless you're a hipster, of course.

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Twelve

2009-03-02T00:00:00.000+09:00

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Eleven

2009-02-23T00:00:00.000+09:00

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Ten

2009-02-16T00:00:00.000+09:00

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Nine

2009-02-09T00:00:00.000+09:00

The Return Of Solid Gold Popular Music

2009-02-02T00:00:00.000+09:00

Byrning The Candle At Both Ends...

2009-01-29T00:00:00.001+09:00

I said to myself that there should be less David Byrne / Talking Heads stuff on this blog, but then he keeps releasing really good new stuff in obscure places and I feel a responsibility to provide a conduit for it. Okay, it's not as if he's really unknown and needs the help, but I can't help it. Blame him not me.

First up, is a duet with Brazilian genius Tom Zé on his new album Estudando A Bossa. Unfortunately this album is only available in Brazil, so you can either buy it on eBay, or steal it off the Internet:

Tom Zé -Outra Insensatez, Poe!

Secondly is his participation in the N.A.S.A. album. It's not too surprising to find him on the album, as it does feature half of the people who have ever released a record. In the world. This track also features Chuck D, Ras Congo, Seu Jorge, Z-Trip, the Outhere Brothers, John Lennon, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Miles Davis, Chaka Demus and the Everton football squad of 1984.

N.A.S.A - Money

Download more from here.

Thirdly, he's on backing vocals on a new track by the Dirty Projectors. It's on the new Red Hot Aids charity album, which I would obviously beseech you to buy. But here's a taster:

Dirty Projectors and David Byrne - Knotty Pine

Random Thoughts While Listening To Franz Ferdinand - Tonight Franz Ferdinand

2009-01-26T00:00:00.005+09:00

Preamble - So around the time of Britpop it was decided, in a board room somewhere, that indie music was to become the new pop, and in the last decade or so, the distinction between guitar bands and popular bands ceased to exist. And, as it has seemed to me that British indie rock has been god awful since that day, I have subsequently looked to the other side of the Atlantic to provide me with my guitar based pleasures. There have been a few, well, very few exceptions to this rule, most notably for me are Super Furry Animals and Franz Ferdinand (who are the last really good English indie band? Discuss). The former weld indie pop sensibities with 60's psychedelia, folk, electronica and anything else that happens to be lying around. Franz Ferdinand are a different proposition. Their early stuff was thought of as part of the whole new post punk movement, but unlike their peers Bloc Party and the Futureheads, they had the ability to combine this aesthetic with the dynamic of 70's pop-rock, your Bowies, Bolans and Ferrys. Seeing them live was more akin to witnessing Ziggy Stardust (without the wardrobe) then Gang Of Four, undoubtedly, because while they used some of the latter's sonic effects, it was the formers swagger and bravado that made them so captivating.

So I'm very interested in this new album, because by the third album the hipsters have decided that you are no good no matter what you record, and the public are seemingly losing interest in British rock, and who can blame them when the best that could be mustered was Razorlight. But I get the feeling that Franz Ferdinand are not too worried about clinging on to past glories, and more concerned with making a great record. I hope they have.

Track 1 - The single, Ulysses, kicks things off. It's got a really nice synth sound, and lalala singalong chorus, so it was a good choice of first single I think. You know it's them instantly too, they have developed their own sound which of course means that eventually they will have to reinvent themselves. Or split up.

Track 2, Turn It On, has another of my favourite things in pop music, distant group backing vocals. Listen to it and see what I mean. More nice synths and a yeah yeah yeah chorus.

Track 3, No You Girls, remember folks, that this is a pop record, so don't go digging around here for lyrical depths and references to Can, it's all about waving your hands, guitar solos, and singing along. Don't be deceived by their sharp suits and skinny ties, their Guardian columns, and definitely by their age. This is a terrific glam rock stompathong.

Track 4, Send Him Away, is slower and vocally reminds me of the Mama's and Papa's for some reason. There's some excellent production here too.

Track 5, Twilight Omens, is a bit spooky, and a million miles away from the bland indie pop that dribbles out of the rest of the British isles on a regular basis. Is that a banjo I can hear?

Track 6, Bite Hard, begins as a ballad. Just Alex and a piano. Then, bang, here comes the pop. When that decision to make indie the new pop was made, this is what they should have insisted upon. Dynamic, sexy, catchy and fun, inspired by David Bowie, as great a pop star as ever existed.

Track 7, What She Came For. The production on this album is superb. It's crisp and tough. The quality of the drumming, the character of Alex's voice, the guitar hooks, and the synth squeals are emphasised and add to the songs, which were pretty good to begin with.

Track 8, Live Alone. I guess some people will criticise this album for being samey, and it's true to say that there isn't much variety from one track to another. However, this has to be a minor complaint, when you consider how good the songs are. This is one of the weaker songs thus far, and still I can imagine myself singing along at a gig like someone half my age.

Track 9, Can't Stop The Feeling, shows the influence of dance music on the album. It has a bizarre hook straight from some kind of crunky Turkish electro (anyone wishing to capitalise on this new genre should feel free), and a killer bassline, straight from the disco. God I love a killer bassline, they get me every time.

Track 10, Lucid Dreams, stands out because it's nearly 8 minutes long, breaking their 3 minute rule (the next longest track is 3:52). He just mentioned Istanbul, so maybe I was right about that Turkish influence. So far, this track is another indie pop winner, over a pretty juddering electro background. It's a fine combination, and I'm keen to see where it's going to keep going after the 3:52 mark.

This is just 100% electro now. Very Justice. No vocals at all, this is pretty admirable stuff. Actually reminds me of when the Super Furry's The Man Dont' Give... collapses into a techno frenzy. As an electro fan, I'm very impressed, but I'm not sure what the rockists will make of it. The criticism of repetition can no longer be leveled, that's for sure.

Track 11, Dream Again, calms us down after our rave nation exploits, a bit like when the Flaming Lips put one of those lovely instrumentals in the middle of their albums, but more pop. It even has a theremin in it. It's a bit like Susan's House by the Eels.

Track 12, Katherine Kiss Me, is the first acoustic lead track and the albums closer. A tale of romance in a sordid environment, it's a fine song and shows that Franz Ferdinand know how to write a pop song, in all it's various guises.

Post-amble. I think this album is very, very good, possibly their best. You're going to hear these tracks around, and when you do, be grateful that you are listening to something which is so much fun, instead of all that mediocrity that pervades our lives. Hat's off, says I.

Franz Ferdinand - Ulysses (Beyond The Wizards Sleeve Remix)

Buy it here.

Random Thoughts While Listening To Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

2009-01-12T00:00:00.001+09:00

Prelude: There's been a buzz around this new Animal Collective album for a while now, and I have to say I am expecting big things from it. I thought their last two releases were very fine, and they have been improving year on year. Here goes:

Track one - Mmm, dense and spooky. In comes a lighter melody. It reminds me immediately of old Mercury Rev, as they always do. This is a very good thing. Great, loud drumming and distant spacey vocals is always a winner.

Track two follows straight on from track one without any audible spaces, I hope the whole album does that. There are lots of vocal tracks here, all singing different things, just like the end of by the Beach Boys. It creates that wonderful effect of feeling underwater, and of being surrounded by the sound. Sorry if that sounds a bit new age, but it's true.

Animal Collective - My Girls

Track three - As, primarily, a fan of popular music it's thrilling when a band as experimental as Animal Collective marry their amazing sonics to pop songs. It's what they are doing here. Layers of sound and dense and loud drums are coupled with hooks and harmonies. This is exciting me.

Track four is See You On The Other Side era Mercury Rev, but with a singalong chorus. It's backed with a driving electronic pulse. Damn, this is funky, and could make me dance about like an old hippy, all arms swirling and bendy legged. What a beautiful sight that would be.

Track five begins like an amazing pinball machine. This is the first slow-jam, and it's real pretty, with multilayered distorted strummy guitars and echoey vocals.

Track six. I'd love to hear someone to a cover of this. Underneath all of these layers is a really pretty song, possibly quite romantic by the sounds of it. The chorus is particularly lovely. These were not adjectives I was expecting to use.

Track seven. So you may have noticed some recurring themes here. Density, multi layered vocals, distortion, catchy melodies, loud drums, early to mid period Mercury Rev. These themes are repeated throughout the album (thus far), but that shouldn't be taken as a negative thing, that's the Animal Collective SoundTM and I love it.

Track eight has got a popping sound in it that is identical to the new message noise in Yahoo messenger. I'd like to think that this is some sort of elaborate ruse to wind up anyone listening on a computer. It worked on me.

This repetition I mentioned before means that this is one of those 'proper' albums that need to be listened to all the way through, from beginning to end, without any interruption if you want the full experience. That said, I'm just going to make a cup of tea.

Track nine. Ahhh, that's better. I've just realised that that popping noise was, in actual fact, Facebook messenger and I am silly. Sorry. This is the track with the strongest vocals, which have impressed me throughout. Characterful and unique.

Track ten. I was lucky enough to see Animal Collective in 2003. It was just Avey Tare and Panda Bear, at their first ever UK show, and just a pair of acoustic guitars. They were amazing as you can see below:

Track eleven. I feel fortunate to have watched them grow from that to now. They have advanced their sound with every record, twisting, adding new dimensions, never standing still, constantly challenging themselves and their audience. This final track is magnificent, continuing the feeling that this is a very satisfying sonic experience, just like our parents listening to Kraftwerk's Autobahn echo around their living room. Play it out and play it loud. Fantastic.

Buy here.

This is not my best best of the year list

2009-01-07T15:55:00.003+09:00

Two things that are customary at this time of year: new years resolutions and best of lists. For me these two things are colliding this year. My resolution is to listen to less music, and listen to it more often. Because it is ridiculously easy to acquire new music, I seem to have been on a one man mission to listen to every new release by any band or artist who has even the remotest chance of being interesting, and while in theory it sounds great, what has happened in practice is that I never listen to an album more than once. I also never get to listen to any old music. It's become frankly stupid, and needs to stop.

Subsequently, how can I list my albums of the year? I haven't had time to develop a relationship with any of them, to fall in love or become tired of them. But I do know these things:

1) albums by TV on the Radio, Laura Marling, Santogold, HEALTH, Adem, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Buraka Som Sistema, Beyond The Wizards Sleeve and The Very Best will be listened to again and deserve more attention than I have given them thus far.

2) the Portishead album is my favourite record of the year, and the best comeback since this one.

3) DFA have had an amazing year, and that's without any big releases from LCD Soundsystem.

Hercules and Love Affair:

Holy Ghost:

The Juan Maclean:

Yacht:

Still Going:

4) Anything remixed by Crookers, Fake Blood, Sinden, Herve, Boy 8 Bit, Diplo, Pilooski, Ricardo Villalobos and DJ Donna Summer has got me dancing this year. Well, by dancing I mean, wiggling in my chair, I mean it's not as if I actually go out clubbing or anything...

5) Single of the year:

6) Next year I'm going to have to do a much better round up than this.

So happy new year to you, and thanks for your continuing readership and support. This year, remember, less is more.

Dance music for people who don't like dance music

2008-12-15T12:05:00.000+09:00

Elvis Presley - Crawfish (Pilooski Re-edit)

Is it even really dance music? I'm not sure, but the idea definitely comes from dance culture, and it is pretty funky, so, I reckon so. And it's no Junkie XL, that's for sure.

Find out more about the always excellent Pilooski here.

Random Thought While Listening To Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy

2008-12-02T11:33:00.005+09:00

Preamble: I was never the biggest Guns n' Roses fan, although I did spend a very memorable scout camp sitting on a ledge on a rock face listening to G n' R Lies on a walkman with two little speakers attached when I was about 12. It was a a formative experience in my musical education, a memory which I genuinely cherish, although I can't say I've listened to that album since. But I have listened to Appetite For Destruction, which I didn't care for at the time (I was not a rocker as a child), but in later years have come to appreciate as one of the greatest rock albums of all time. So I approach Chinese Democracy with fear and a bemused anticipation. I fully expect it to be rubbish, like everyone else, but maybe this means it will pleasantly surprise me. Okay, here goes...

Track one doesn't begin with a bang, but with a whimper. Sound effects, one of which is possibly the sound of Rober Plant screaming 200 feet away. Here come the guitars, could be Nine Inch Nails, or more likely, one of their numerous copyists. The chorus has a strange multilayed vocal which sounds like Axl is duetting with a helium voiced version of himself. Or a woman. According to the lyrics, all the Chinese have to rule their nation, is an iron fist. Sounds like quite a lot to me. Axl is only offering time to counter this, so I'm betting on the Chinese.

Track two continues with the nu-metal sound, which means that the album doesn't sound outdated and like it was written 14 years ago. But it also means that it sounds rubbish. Guns N' Roses classics are so good because they tapped into the classic rock tradition, and stand with all those seventies classics. This sound will date real fast.

Track three. Well at least he is singing properly now. There is no doubt that Axl Rose has one of the great rock voices, until it goes into a sub-Soundgarden (Audioslave, then) chorus and he's doing the speaking/singing thing that will probably ruin this album. But when he actually sings, he's up there with Ozzy.

Track four is a piano led ballad with great singing, sorry screeeeaming. I hope it's like November Rain, rubbish but brilliant. This is definitely old school, even the title, Street Of Dreams is like an Kevin Costner movie. Big guitar solo there, although not a particularly good one. Lighters aloft everyone. Well, I prefer this to the nu-metal, which isn't saying much.

Track five begins all ethnicy, then those horrible synthy strings they use on every Bond movie theme nowadays. This is bizarre, it has a drum machine background, like the Thievery Corporation gone rock. That is a very, very bad thing.

Track six starts with a choir, which is always troubling, but a damn sight better than the last track. The guitars on this album are very pedestrian, chugging out the same old riffs, while poor old Axl is belting out over the top, without much support. Unless he doesn't want them to distract from him, of course.

God this track going on, 6 minutes according to my Itunes, but 20 minutes according to my brain.

Track seven, Catcher In The Rye, is not very interesting. Sorry.

Actually, I've changed my mind. it's quite catchy, I like the 'la la la' chorus.

Track eight. Oh dear, it's gone Audioslave again. But, I have to say it again, Axl's singing is magnificent. It's rare these days to here someone singing in such an unadorned, powerful way, and subsequently raises these otherwise pretty mediocre songs to a new level. Unfortunately, that level is fairly mediocre.

Track nine, Riad N' The Bedouins (nice title!) is a straightforward head down rocker with lyrics about "sweet salvation", which is the kind of lyric I want him singing. It does it's job okay.

Track ten, ballad time, but not particularly interesting, so I think it's time to talk about the cover. Considering this album has been fourteen years in the making, I don't think the cover could possibly be more underwhelming. This album is supposed to be the great rock album of our times, at least in Axl Rose's mind, and the cover expresses this to the world with a picture of a rusty bike and a giant basket. I think it's one of the strangest covers I've ever seen, not because it's stupid or tacky, but because it's so boring. I like to picture Axl Rose flicking through a book of photos, seeing this one, and having a Eureka moment "Yes, that sums everything I'm trying to say with this album. The bike, the basket, the rusty pipe, the wall, the traffic diverter sign thingy. Lets add some graffiti to the wall, so people know we are still rebellious. Perfect!"

Track eleven. The thing that is bugging me about this album is the production. Vocals, no problem. Songs, not bad, but I don't think there's a Paradise City anywhere to be found. But the production? It's too clean, too digital and there's too much sound, too many parts. This kitchen sink style coupled with all the synthasized elements make it sound, musically at least, pretty souless. But rock musicians have been making that mistake for nearly thirty years, and they don't seem to show any sign of learning.

Track twelve, Madagascar, is the theme song from the new motion picture Madagascar 2, and features the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, and David Schwimmer. It is the song of the story of the sequel to 2005's "Madagascar", in which New York Zoo animals, Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo, still stranded on Madagascar, start to leave the island. All of a sudden, they land in the wilderness of Africa, where Alex meets the rest of his family, but has trouble communicating with them after spending so much time at the Central Park Zoo.

Track thirteen, This I Love, seems like full on power ballad time. I wonder if the big crushing guitars will come in anytime, or if this is real, soul baring stuff.

There's a solo at the end, which is pretty average, but otherwise this real classic G n' R, November Rain style balladeering. It seems that this is probably the track that ends being closest to the sound we really want from the band. Funny that, it being a ballad and all.

Track fourteen, the album closer and classily named Prostitute, begins with another godforsaken drum machine. However, not everyone agrees. Here is my favourite comment from a Guns N' Roses forum:

"It is another classical type of song. I love classical music because it has class. It truly is fire and ice."

Fire and ice, people. I can't argue with that.

Listen to tracks here

Buy here

Random thoughts while listening to Kanye West - 808's and Heartbreaks

2008-11-28T11:24:00.006+09:00

Preamble: I am curious about this album, as I like Kanye's previous efforts, particularly the Daft Punk sampling Stronger. He seems to me to becoming more interesting with each album, pushing the mainstream in different directions in the way that we used to associate with Timbaland and the Neptunes. From what I've heard of this album already, it seems like this is the one that pushes even further away from traditional hip hip and more into electro pop. Let's see.

Track One - Beep. Vocoder. Synth strings. As eclectic as rap music can be, there's nothing 'urban' about this track. A minimal ballad with longing vocals, it's quite a unique sound I think, a little '80's but with none of the melodrama that suggests. I am intrigued.

Track two - Oh, some rapping. But only a little. It's a similar feel to the first track, but punchier and more dynamic. And it's a sad song, called Welcome To Heartbreak, but sad in a way that only rappers can manage by mentioning sports cars and first class flights.

Track three - From heartbreak to Heartless. It's all about some evil woman, or whatever. Musically, it's following the same template of slow beats and synthy strings. I hope he mixes it up a bit, or this album could be very samey.

Track four - Well, this is that different, but it's a stronger track, and it features some going 'huh' over and over which is always welcome. This track is Amazing, which might be over doing it a bit, but this is the first track where this 80's electro pop style really works. Excellent production.

Track five - the single, Love Lockdown. I saw him do this on Letterman, and it was pretty impressive:

It's got fantastic drums, a lovely deep bass pulsing away, and his vocodered vocals are really strong. Very impressed.

Track six could have produced by Justice, it's pretty similar to D.A.N.C.E if you ask me. This is a good thing by the way, and Kanye hasn't been shy about Ed Bangers influence on him before. This album is so pop, and so far away from the swaggering aggression that that most people associate with rap music. I think that's pretty refreshing myself, but I guess the time was right, as European house music has been incorporated into rap and r'n'b in the last year in a way I'd never thought I'd see. If he'd released this even two years ago, he'd have been laughed out of the town.

Track seven is bizarrely called Robocop. There are so many synthy strings in this song that it couldn't be Kanye's attempt for that coverted Christmas number one spot. And I swear I just heard a few bells. It's a nail on! But it is actually very good, something that could so easily be cheesy is pulled through because of his brilliant production and comittment to make it sound awesome.

Track eight is a bit of a come down after the last three tracks. Not that I'm saying it's bad, it's just got back to that earlier slower template.

Track nine is called Bad News. Is this the most depressed album by a major artist since Dylan's Blood On The Tracks? (In case there are any Americans reading, that was a joke. And in case there are any Americans reading, so was that. And this.)

Track ten - I am wondering if there are any vocals in the album that haven't been vocodered. As the answer is probably no, I'm going to add this album to my ever growing list of records that could not have existed without Daft Punk. If they hadn't rescued it from the horrors of Cher, then it would have dissapeared for ever. They also invented robots, cake, space and oxygen, in case you wondering.

Track eleven is probably the first sad ballad that I could do without on this album. It's not a bad track in isolation, just there have probably been enough of them up to this point. But it is the album closer, so I suppose it works quite well in that respect.

In conclusion, it's a difficult album to get your head around right away, but I think that's because it seems like an album of odd comparisons. To see a rapper singing, being emotionally vulnerable, and doing it over that music is pretty strange. It works because of the sheer force of his convictions, the kind of self confidence that rappers share with heavyweight boxers, the kind that means that failure is not an option. Sure it can be irritating sometimes, and I don't want friends like that, but without it this album wouldn't work, an accusation that I don't think can be made.

Buy it here.

Random thoughts while listening to Buraka Som Sistema - Black Diamond

2008-11-20T00:00:00.001+09:00

Track One begins with a lovely big squelchy noise at the beginning of the album. Nice way to begin, a bit like the THX thing at the beginning of a movie, when it catches you off guard and you think "Wow, that's cool". This is a great, hyperactive intro and probably an indication of things to come.

Track 2 - Sound Of Kuduro is one of the songs of the year. It features M.I.A among others. It's huge, people, watch the fantastic video below and you'll see what I mean:

I'm singing along "One drop, two drop.."

Track 3 - Kuduro originates from Angola, a Portuguese speaking colony like Brazil (although Buraka Som Sistema are from Lisbon) so my mediocre ability in that language means that I know that this song is called "Here For You" and that the lyrics are not that important. But if you want to know, I think the MC is saying something about being from Brazil, but being in Europe and missing her homeland, something like that. It's a great rhythm she's rhyming over, proberly not the last time I'll say that.

Track 4 begins with a quote about the quality of Angolan diamonds, which will probably make my comments about the lyrics look a bit wrong.

The kuduro rhythm is not just fast, it is propulsive and doesn't let up. It makes for great club music, and I like great club music more at home nowadays, cause I'm lazy. DJ Shadow is playing in Seoul in a couple of days, and sure I like him, but I just can't be bothered to go. And clubbing alone is a bit weird anyway.

Track 5 has got some nice housey synth noises over the crazy rhythm and African chorus. It's a bit like this if it wasn't rubbish.

This album isn't letting up. I wonder if this track, which is pretty much an instrumental, is going to be the slow one. If so, this album will speed by at 130bpm.

Track 6 starts slow, all broken and brooding IDM style r'n'b beats. But somethings coming I can feel it...rave sounds...here it comes...afro rave anyone? I can see the strobes.

Track 7 is back to the more traditional kuduro sound, tight snare drum beats, catchy singalong chorus. This album is really up my street, as I don't have a very refined for palette, I mean I like acoustic troubadours and sensitive souls, but I can't resist a vomit inducing bassline. I'm the same with detective stories, get me every time.

Phew a little breather, acoustic music being played on a distant radio which comes to the fore as...

Track 8 begins. And the rhythm kicks in. I love the way this record combines modern club beats with more traditional African sounds. The previous sentence was pretty horrible, but it's true and they do it without heavyhandedness at all. I believe that this is a record that people in Luanda would dig this record as much as people in Shoreditch. Of course, I have no way of knowing this, but I feel it.

Track 9 is called New Africas Pt 1. There's a statement of intent if ever there was one. Oh, that's spooky, a narrator says "you are in London but it feels like Luanda or Lisbon." See, told you so.

Track 10 continues on, New Africas Pt 2. It's gone a bit darker, scary sounds abound. The beat kicks in, and it's heavy, as are the synths and spoken vocals.

Track 11 features my favourite use of a gun reloading since this. This is the most hip hop track on the album, it has the slow menace of...ahhh, I can't think of anyone. Maybe it's unique, or I'm lame-o.

Track 12 is the final track, so will it be out with a bang or something slower? It's a slower grime influenced and moody ending. It features Manchester's Virus Syndicate, so ends with a little English flavour.

And that's the end.

In conclusion, this is a very good record that tails off slightly in the last third, as it heads into darker territory. It's understandable though, as this kind of relentless party music is difficult to sustain over the course of a whole album, and they want to show off their musical chops. It's just that I love relentless party music, so I would have wouldn't have minded. Highly recommended, nonetheless.

Buy it here, and download the free mixtape here.

Dance Lazarus Dance!

2008-11-17T00:00:00.000+09:00

There's something so incongruous about the idea of remixing Nick Cave. When I think of him, I think of many things, but the dancefloor ain't one of them, which is why the (fairly) recent versions by Midfield General and Adam Freeland among others amuse me so. Given the primal and lascivious nature of the song, taking it to the dancefloor makes a kind of sense, at least to me.

Grinderman - No Pussy Blues (Midfield General Remix)

(info here)

Ridiculous

2008-11-13T13:50:00.001+09:00

Sometimes you just have to love a song because it's ridiculous. Let me qualify that, by ridiculous I mean that it makes you grin, and go 'woah, that's ridiculous'. For me, it's normally some huge electro anthem, with a giant sub-bass that makes my spine shatter into thousands of loads of tiny pieces, my stomach vibrate, and my eyes explode, followed a really low down and nasty breakdown where all I can see is a strobe and arms in the air, and all I can hear is whooping, despite the fact that it's ten to two on a Tuesday afternoon, and I'm sitting in front of the computer with my slippers on and a nice mug of tea besides me (green, the tea not the mug, since you ask).

Alan Braxe - Addicted:

Sounds I'd Like To Hear More Of In Popular Music: Mouth Trumpet

2008-11-08T18:27:00.000+09:00

I can't get enough of the mouth trumpet (and other brass), which is a bit of luck, as I hardly ever hear it anywhere. But here are two examples that I have heard in the last couple of months.

Robert Wyatt - Muddy Mouse (c) - Muddy Mouth

I think I like it because it's reassuringly rubbish sounding, no one is ever going to be described as the Miles Davis of mouth brass. It's something any of us could do, with five minutes practice, without all that bothersome skill and technique. I am particularly keen on Robert Wyatt's track, as he can actually play the trumpet, but must have decided that what this track needed was, in fact, a more rubbishy sounding version. I applaud you, Mr Wyatt, and encourage other musicians to follow your lead.

If you can think of other tracks with mouth trumpet, or have suggestions for other noises that we need more of in popular music, please leave them in the comments. Thanks, I'm off to try and find Vincent Hinds back catalogue.

Robots are cool

2008-10-29T00:00:00.001+09:00

If you had asked me, before I left Brazil, why did I want to come to South Korea, I probably would have made some silly statement about robots, and then answered more seriously about the fascinating culture, excellent standard of living etc. But really, it was all about the robots. So when Bruna asked me if I wanted to go to a robot expo, I was only too happy to go.

The exhibition mainly consisted of big industrial robots that I left me clueless as to their function, toys that were relentlessly manhandled by toddlers, and service robots meant to clean your home. Their were also competitions where kids had to build their own robots and enter competitions to complete puzzles, win football matches, and navigate mazes. There was also a fascination with dancing robots, and you can see a couple of low res videos of that below.

Laura Barrett - Robot Ponies

Alexander Robotnick - Dance Boy Dance

My Robot Friend and Antony - One More Try

Two days in Samcheok

2008-10-21T12:28:00.002+09:00

Being the diplomats husband is a not something that has made much of a difference to me so far (apart from the fact that I live Korea, something I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have done otherwise). When we lived in Brasília, Bruna came home from the office at 7.30, and that was that, she could have been working in any office, the fact that she was in international affairs was neither here nor there for me. However, when you come abroad, it all changes. We've only been here less than three weeks, and we've already had invitations to functions, dinners, expos, and festivals. Now I'm really feeling the effect of her job on my social life, which is lucky as I don't have one of my own, or a professional one either when you come to think of it. Last week we were invited away to Samcheok, a town in the north-west of the country, for an international festival of traditional costumes. It was a surreal, unique, and downright funny experience, which I'll try to explain with words and pictures.

Arriving in Samchoek, we were puzzled by the hundreds of squid that were hanging up to dry all around town. Dried seafood is a popular, and probably gross, snack here:

The festival was the opening act for the SAFEM expo, an opportunity for fire safety experts around the world to gather and discuss fire and emergency equipment. It was never explained where the costumes of the world fitted into this, but there you go. The idea was that the various diplomatic representatives would do a little catwalk wearing their national costume, then return wearing the Korean traditional hanbok, the Korean version. Fortunately, Brazil does not have a traditional costume, so Bruna could only participate in the second part. I offered to wear my football shirt and havaianas, but it didn't seem appropriate, and I left my beefeater costume in England, so I sat it out. What we weren't told was that this performance would happen on a stage in front of about 1500 people, which made me all the more pleased I passed up the opportunity:

Bruna did a sterling job of wearing the hanbok, which she got to keep (handy for fancy dress parties one day, no doubt):

Other entertainment included Thai dancers:

and a Brazilian samba troop, which was pretty funny, as sequinned bikini clad girls with feathers on their head are not an everyday sight on the streets of Korea:

Other entertainment included a quartet of modern classical performers, but they were so horrible I didn't think they deserved to be photographed. Two words: classical techno. I still shiver when I think about it. They were also some traditional Korean drumming, which was great. There's something about five people banging great big drums that appeals to my primordial inner tribesman, probably explains my love of the Boredoms:

The evenings festivities finished with some K-pop, and it was awesome. Suddenly there were hundreds of screaming fans (the only previous sign of their existence was when the samba boys started gyrating), and three K-pop acts. The first two I can't name, but they were a pretty generic boy band, followed by a pretty dull crooner:

But they were followed by Korea's new pop sensation, the Wonder Girls. Now, in general, I'm not a big fan of highly polished girl groups, but their new single "Nobody" is one of the catchiest songs I've heard in years. Listen, if you dare, because that chorus will be swimming around your head all day:

I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up being nicked by Girls Aloud, it's a guaranteed hit.

The next day was no less odd. We were shepherded back to the expo to participate in the opening ceremony, which was attended by the usual gathering of officials, local dignitaries, business types, the military:

and men dressed as the Mask:

and Inspector Gadget, clowns, Russian carnival girls, and a rubbish Batman:

There was a large military presence at the event, which always unsettles a yellow bellied liberal like me:

Interestingly, due to national service in Korea, most of the soldiers were in their late teens or early twenties, and many of them were actually American or British with Korean passports who had to come back to motherland to keep them. There was none of the uptight, non-expressive Colonel buzzcut manner about them, it was just like chatting to an normal American teenager. They also seemed to enjoy manning the target practice area, in which anyone could tool up and take out a few targets. For some reason, this area was particularly popular with middle aged Korean woman:

and kids loved the tanks:

Then a helicopter put out an imaginary fire:

and we left.

One thing that surprised us was the total chaos of the event. If you had asked me name Korean characteristics before we left, I would have named characteristics like politeness, organisation, and efficiency. Well, the total lack of structure to these events left me feeling like I was still in South America, where disorder is the natural way. Our guide, the professor, was very nice and enthusiastic, but with his broken English, habit of saying "no" at random points in the middle of sentences, and refusal to tell us just what we were doing next, left us in a bewildered and amused haze until we returned to Seoul, with a hanbok and fruit basket as reward. It was great, and I can't wait for next year.

Postscript: a week later, Bruna received a box of dried fish as a thank you for coming gift.

I only live in countries with cool flags...

2008-10-10T11:28:00.000+09:00

Note: this entry replaces the post 'Welcome To Seoul', which was deleted by the Google cowards, as a result of the efforts of the hopelessly out of touch and drowning RIAA.

Welcome to the all new Jamesinseoul. If you are a regular, I hope you like the new colour scheme, and if you are new around here, then welcome. Things won't be changing too much around here, I'll still be talking about music I like, but now the cultural focus will be on all things East Asian instead of Latin, obviously. I hope you like it, please get involved by leaving comments below and by joining my facebook group. Thanks.

Underrated: Jim O'Rouke

2008-09-25T12:00:00.001+09:00

Jim O'Rourke is probably best known for his production work for the likes of Joanna Newsom and Wilco and his four year membership of Sonic Youth, but he has also released loads of other stuff, and is an established film maker. He has recorded three solo albums on Drag City (all named after Nicholas Roeg movies, film fans), the second of which, Eureka (1998), is really excellent.

The stand out track, Women Of the World, is one of my favourite songs. Originally written by Scottish humourist Ivor Cutler, it's surprisingly lovely for someone so associated with avant-garde music. It's built around the simple refrain "Women of the world, take over, cos if you don't the world will come to an end, and it won't take long", a sentiment I entirely agree with. The song is embellished with piano, cello, violin, viola, organ, steel guitar, synth, bells, and backwards sound effects but it never feels cluttered. Instead it builds, with the lyric and music delivered with more gusto, until it becomes a hypnotic, raga like and quite wonderful.

The album also features some of the wrongest artwork I have seen, even wronger than this. The cover above is wrong enough, but I can't find the included poster by Ma Sekiguchi anywhere to show you. Suffice to say it's a naked man admiring Bruce Lee in the sky, with nunchucks and a red bicycle in front of him. It's worth buying just for that.

Jim O'Rourke - Prelude To 110 Or 220 / Women Of The World

Buy this album, and his new album from here.

On the market

2008-09-23T23:27:00.003+09:00

Mercardo Municipal in Sao Paulo is a very large, lively, pricy food market. If Ilived there, I'd go all the time. Unfortunately, at the moment, I don't live anywhere. But soon...

I include this because it's so appropriate to the subject, but also because it's a great example of how wrong geniuses can go. Prepare yourself.

The Beach Boys - Market Place

Apples In Stereo

2008-09-04T12:00:00.003+09:00

It's always a relief when supposed legends don't let you down. I had heard the name Silver Apples around, and they were on my mental checklist of artist I need to investigate (a list so long and demanding on my brain space that it stops me from retaining any useful information). So when I finally got around to listening to them, I was delighted to hear that they were worth the wait. They were formed in New York in the late 60's, but they sound more like Germans from the early seventies, with synths, nervy vocals and motorik beats, all Neu and early Kraftwerk. But they were there before, totally out of time and place, like an American BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Their influence on a range of artists, mosty noticeably Portishead, is obvious.

Silver Apples - Oscillations And they still exist, performing and recording, and remixing the kids:

Simian Mobile Disco - Scott 28 (Silver Apples Remix)

Buy Silver Apples records here

Seoul to Seoul

2008-09-01T12:00:00.003+09:00

Note to downloaders: I'm out of bandwidth, so hold on until the 8th September, when it's reset.

jamesinbrasil is celebrating it's second birthday today, and I'd like to thank you for stopping by and reading, listening and commenting. It's appreciated. So now is a good time to announce that there will be some major changes going on around here soon, as I am leaving Brazil for pastures new. That's right, jamesinbrasil is dead, love live...

...jamesinseoul!

I'm off to South Korea for a year, so I will obviously change my focus towards east Asian life, and music, which will be a challenge, as I know nothing about that. But I will dig around, fear not.

Reflections on my time in Brazil will follow, but for now, let's get this pun out of the way, shall we?

Sebadoh - Soul and Fire
Thurston Moore - Ono Soul
David Bowie - Soul Love
Cee-lo Green - Soul Machine
James Brown - Soul Power
Eric B & Rakim - I Know You Got Soul
Todd Rundgren - Soul Brother
AC/DC - Soul Stripper
Blues Explosion - Soul Typecast
Eels - Souljacker Pt. 1
Joy Division - Heart and Soul
KLF - Elvis On The Radio, Steel Guitar In My Soul
Dexy's Midnight Runner's - Until I Believe In My Soul
Tim Buckley - Grief In My Soul
XTC - The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul
Armand Van Helden - I Want Your Soul (Crookers Crunk Remix)
Ghostface Killah - Soul Controller
Betty Bibbs - Pounds Of Soul
Run D.M.C. - Soul To Rock and Roll
Beck - Soul Suckin' Jerk
Desmond Dekker - Rudy Got Soul

Photo taken from here.

Underrated: Nôze

2008-08-28T12:00:00.001+09:00

I had never heard of Nôze, until I heard this podcast. It's a live performance from this years Mutek festival, and I was really impressed with their techno meets Tom Waits meets Ricardo Villalobos meets oompah sound. Yes, it's unique, but it works, trust me.

Nôze - Love Affair (from the album How To Dance, 2006)

Listen to their new album right here:

And buy it here.

The 28th of August is the day of bankers, volunteers and poultry farming.

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Seven

2008-08-25T12:00:00.001+09:00

The feel good hit of the Autumn

2008-08-24T12:00:00.000+09:00

"Hi James, this is Y.A.C.H.T. We have decided to release a new song called Summer Song, and make it exactly for your listening pleasure. It has a catchy, repetitive vocal hook, funky bass line, male/female vocals, and is eminently danceable. All your fave things. Not only that, we are going to release it on DFA, your favourite label!"

"Thanks!"

NYC

2008-08-22T12:00:00.002+09:00

I know some people think it's lost it's magic, but to me, New York still feels like one of the most amazing places in the world. Maybe it's because I am so in love with the music that has come from the city, I can't help but think that it's the greatest city there is. Trying to choose the songs to put on this blog was impossible, but I managed. Here is my New York selection:

Public Enemy - Welcome To The Terrordome

Television - Friction

ESG - Erase You

Metro Area - Orange Alert

James Chance & The Contortions - Design To Kill

Drop The Lime - I Love NY

The John Spencer Blues Explosion - Sweat

Mantronix - King Of The Beats (Original 12" Version)

Sonic Youth - Kissability (Live in Vienna, March 29, 1989) (that's them above, honest)

Suicide - Cheree

Yeah Yeah Yeah's - Y Control

Beastie Boys - So What'cha Want

Blondie - Rip Her To Shreds (Live)

BDP - My Philosophy (Original 12" Version)

Santogold vs Diplo - Guns Of Brooklyn

Juan Maclean - Give Me Every Little Thing

Chic - Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah , Yowsah )

Naked

2008-08-19T12:00:00.000+09:00

So here we are, after only 20 months, at the final Talking Heads album. Now, I know it's obvious that I'm going to say this album is underrated, but I'm gonna anyway, cause it's true. I know it's not as good as the early ones, but honestly people, be fair. That hardly makes it bad does it?

Talking Heads - Sax And Violins

August 19th is international photography day.

Fortaleza

2008-08-15T12:00:00.000+09:00

Fortaleza is beach city in the north east of Brazil. It has lovely beaches, hot weather, buggies and great shrimp, which enough for me.

TV On The Radio - Staring At The Sun (Diplo Remix)
Velvet Underground - Who Loves The Sun
Wire - Sand In My Joints

Photos taken by me, Bruna, and my Dad.

15th of August is the day of computing and single people.

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Six

2008-08-11T12:00:00.002+09:00

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Five

2008-08-04T12:00:00.002+09:00

True Stories

2008-07-18T12:00:00.000+09:00

"I'm 6'3", and maintain a very consistent panda bear shape." - Louis Fyne

True Stories, apart from being a splendid album, is also an even better film. Directed by David Byrne and released in 1986, it profiles a small Texas town called Virgil and the collection of oddballs who live there. It doesn't have a story as such, it just drifts along towards the town's Celebration of Special-ness, a pageant where the towns folk perform various acts of varying quality.

Byrne appears as the nameless narrator, introducing us to the characters, but never really intruding on their lives, apart from when he goes to dinner with the happily married couple who haven't spoken for 15 years. The closest we get to a narrative is through Louis Fyne (played by the always excellent John Goodman), and his quest for marriage. We also meet 'the cute woman', the preacher, the woman who doesn't leave her bed, the voodoo practicioner, and 'the lying woman'. These characters were inspired by stories that Byrne read in the National Enquirer, and other tabloids.

But despite, a fairly shallow level of characterisation, they don't feel like characatures or freaks, but rather they are likable misfits, with a story that needs telling. They are people too, godammit...

And of course, there are the songs, which are tremendous, and are, with the exception of Wild Wild Life, performed by the cast. Not all of the cast versions are available yet, but below you can find two of them.

Talking Heads - Papa Legba (Pops Staples Vocal Version)

Talking Heads - Radio Head (Tito Larriva Vocal Version)

Talking Heads - Wild Wild Life (Extended Mix)

And according to Roger Ebert's review here, there are 50 sets of twins in this movie. If that's not a reason to watch the film, then I don't know what is.

Buy them the cd and dvd here.

July 18th is the the day of the troubadour.

Creationism

2008-07-10T12:00:00.000+09:00

Ah, the quandry of Creation records.

I have only just noticed that Alan McGee had been blogging for the Guardian, and the thought that passed through my mind was something along the lines of "What's the rampant self-publicist on about nowadays?" His blogs are only marginally insightful, and for the most part, rather pointless. I would imagine that this impression I have of him (and I don't think I'm alone) comes from three things: his cocky demeanour, that to be fair seems to be part of the whole svengali role that he inhabits (see Malcolm McClaren, Tony Wilson, Simon Napier Bell, et al), the fact that he discovered of Oasis and him having been the manager of The Libertines (the most overrated British band since Oasis).

For me, it was Oasis that killed Creation Records, not the massive overspend on My Bloody Valentines Loveless. After signing them, he only signed one more decent band (admittedly the fantastic Super Furry Animals). The money from Oasis could have been used to grow the label by enriching it with a diverse roster of signings, as has happened with Domino and the money from the Franz / Monkeys windfall, and to a lesser extent by Rough Trade with Arcade Fire.

Maybe Oasis made him lazy. If you can sit around surrounded pots of cash, then swan off to Downing Street, you are less likely to be found the next night trawling dingy Camden nightspots looking for the next big thing. Maybe too much success made the arrogance that is in part necessary, spiral out of control. Its amazing how he lost his ability to spot a good band (Heavy Stereo?!), especially when you consider the quality of his earlier signings for Creation.

And that's why I don't like to think about McGee as mouthy Britpop entrepreneur (even if it's true), but instead as the man who brought me some of my favourite music of the late 80's and early 90's. The albums released in that era make Creation one of the greatest record labels in the story of popular music, and that's not hyperbole. They released Screamadelica, Bandwagonesque, Loveless, Copper Blue, Fuzzy Logic, and Giant Steps. That's got to put Creation up there in the pantheon, surely?

Primal Scream - Don't Fight It, Feel It (from the album Screamadelica)

Teenage Fanclub - The Concept (from the album Bandwagonesque)

My Bloody Valentine - Soon (from the album Loveless)

Sugar - Hoover Dam (from the album Copper Blue)

Super Furry Animals - If You Don't Want Me To Destroy You (from the album Fuzzy Logic)

Boo Radleys - Lazurus (from the album Giant Steps)

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Four

2008-07-06T12:00:00.003+09:00

Takes 'n' Takes

2008-07-02T12:00:00.001+09:00

On our recent trip to London, Bruna and I were lucky enough to squeeze in Adem's concert at the lovely Union Chapel. It was a happy coincidence as he is a mutual favourite of ours. Suffice to say, he was excellent in his natural setting, acoustically that is, as were we, not as religious folks but as puritans, enjoying the smoke, alcohol and div free environment.

Adem's latest album, Takes, is composed of twelve covers of his favourite songs from 1991 to 2001. It is tremendous collection, with just the right balance of old favourites (Bjork's Unravel), forgotten gems (The Breeder's Invisible Man), the obscure (Pinback's Loro), the uncool (lisa Germano's Slide) and the surprising (Aphex Twin's To Cure A Weakling Child + Boy/Girl Song). This last song is the standout, a fantastic and catchy rendition. Singalong-a-Aphex, who'd of thought it, eh?

Adem - To Cure A Weakling Child + Boy/Girl Song

The album never feels forced, you can tell that he chose these songs because he loves them, not because he wants to show off his record collection. There is nothing remotely hipster about it, which makes it fun for the rest of us.

And here, as an accompaniment, are the originals:

01 Bedside Table - Bedhead - 7” single 1992 (+the end of the day (beheaded1996))

02 Oh My Lover - PJ Harvey - Dry 1992

03 Slide - Lisa Germano - Slide 1998

04 Loro - Pinback - Pinback 1998

05 Hotellounge - dEUS - Worst Case Scenario 1994

06 To Cure A Weakling Child
Boy/Girl Song - Aphex Twin - Richard D James 1996

07 Tears Are In Your Eyes - Yo La Tengo - And Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out 2000

08 Starla - Smashing Pumpkins - I am one 7” b-side 1992. (+Window Paine from Gish 1991)

09 Gamera - Tortoise - Gamera 12” 1995

10 Unravel - Björk - Homogenic 1997

11 Invisible Man - The Breeders - Last Splash 1993

12 Laser Beam - Low - Things We Lost In The Fire 2001

July 2nd is the day of firemen and hospitals

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Three

2008-06-29T12:00:00.003+09:00

June 29th is the day of fisherman and telephone operators

Jamesinbrasil's Underrated Albums Number Two: The Entire Recorded Output Of Rocket From The Crypt

2008-06-25T12:00:00.001+09:00

I've never been a musician as I don't have the stones to stand in front of a room of strangers and entertain them. But my passion, and I hope my knowledge, of pop music is deep, profound and an essential part of my being. I trust my ears, they have never let me down, which leads to me believe I could be a great svengali, if you are prepared to ignore the admittedly rather central point that they often have more charisma than their charges.

So when I consider the kind of band I would construct, in order to destroy all other pop music through their sheer brilliance, I like to think of them in terms of other bands. A kind of hybrid recipe, if you will. I want power of James Brown and the Famous Flames, I want the catchiness of Abba, the soul of Otis Redding, the oddness of Screaming Jay Hawkins, the humour of Devo, the punk energy of Little Richard and the authority of Public Enemy. Oh, and the brass of Sly and The Family Stone, because I love brass in rock 'n roll.

There are problems with this plan of mine, mainly the fact that it is impossible to be that good, (and anyway, if it were achieved, surely all other artists in all genres would cease to create as it would become obvious that their endeavours were wasted in the face of this new phenomena.) Secondly, someone has already tried it, and they were called Rocket From The Crypt.

The band was formed in San Diego in 1990, and they recorded several fantastic albums of pure rock n roll music, filtered through decades of soul, funk, glam, punk and hardcore. They took all these influences and melded them to some of the most immaculate pop songs of the nineties. You may even remember them for their number twelve UK hit On A Rope, which gave them the opportunity to perform on Top of the Pops.

Of course in a fair and just world the song would have reached number one, and be played at weddings and funerals across the world ad infinitum. Why we don't live in this world has yet to be explained to me yet.

There were many other reasons to love RFTC, aside from the music (as if that's not enough):

1) They wore matching clothes. All the best bands wear uniform. See Devo, the Beach Boys, Talking Heads, Daft Punk, the White Stripes, Kraftwerk etc.

2) They had a roadie who used to come on stage and dance and sing backing vocals. He also wore the uniform.

3) If you tattooed yourself with their logo, you were allowed free entry to shows for life.

4) At Glastonbury, they parted the crowd and persuaded the schmucks to make a huge mud slide.

5) They breathed fire.

6) They had aliases (Speedo, Petey X, ND, Apollo 9, Atom, JC 2000), which is always cool.

But the main reasons, for me, to love RFTC were the incredible live shows and obviously the songs. I guess I was lucky to have been a teenager at a time when bands like this could get on the cover of the NME and been seen performing live on prime time BBC. But this shouldn't be about nostalgia, as even though they split up two years ago, their music is as fresh as it ever was. This is an important band, and should be valued as such. Spread the word and enjoy the punk heat blast.

Maybelline

Hippy Dippy Do

My Arrow's Aim

On A Rope

Lipstick

Ghost Shark

Too Many Balls

French Guy

Proper biography here.

Buy their albums, including R.I.P. the CD / DVD of the final show, here

Solid Gold Popular Music Number Two

2008-06-22T12:00:00.003+09:00

Nudity and a musical building

2008-06-20T12:00:00.002+09:00

You know I feel duty bound to report the latest activities of David Byrne, because they are always interesting, whether it's singing on trance songs or writing pop - operas about Imelda Marcos. So here are the two sides of Mr. Byrne in two videos I saw this week.

Firstly, he does guest vocals on the new Fatboy Slim project, the Brighton Port Authority. You can say what you want about Norman Cook, but you can't deny he knows his way around a pop tune, so the combination of the two of them, with Dizzee Rascal, is pretty irresistable. Nice cheeky video too.

Secondly, he has turned a building in New York into a giant musical instrument. Well, musical is debatable, but it seems pretty cool to me.

The 20th June is the day of resellers

Little Creatures

2008-06-18T12:00:00.000+09:00

How can any album with Road To Nowhere and And She Was on it be so underappreciated?

And She Was (Early Version)

Road To Nowhere (Early Version)

Television Man (Extended Mix)

June 18th is the day of the chemists and Japanese immigrants

Solid Gold Popular Music

2008-06-14T12:00:00.003+09:00

Here's a new feature at jamesinbrasil. Every week I will post a song, for no reason other than it's fabulous. It may be old or new, obscure or over-exposed. No explanation, no fancy spiel, just solid gold popular music. Oh, and it's a secret, so you'll just have to trust me.

Solid Gold Popular Music Number One

June 14th is solstice

Your 16 year old daughter is dating a man of 38? Oh dear."

2008-06-10T23:05:00.004+09:00

June 10th is the day of pastors, artillery, the Portuguese language

Head to head

2008-06-09T08:25:00.001+09:00

Radiohead covering Portishead? Yes, please.

Radiohead - The Rip

Hey!

2008-06-05T12:01:00.003+09:00

I haven't had many musical epiphanies in my life (who has?), but one I clearly remember happened about 8 years ago. I was channel hopping in bed, trying to wake up, when I turned onto VH1 classics. They were showing Bo Diddley's Bo Diddley, a grainy performance from sixties TV. Something about it made me sit bolt upright in my bed, utterly captivated by the video. The primal backbeat, the egotastic simplicity of the lyric, Bo's shuffling dance, the bee-hived female backing vocals (which I'm always a sucker for), the screaming, white teenagers and sheer force of the song all compressed into a two minute alarm clock. I can't help but be jealous of everyone involved, existing at a time when music felt truly revolutionary, not just sonically, but socially.

Thanks to the joys of the modern world, I can now share this video with you. I hope you feel ten percent of the joy that I feel when I watch it:

June 5th is environment day

Easily Fooled

2008-05-04T10:00:00.000+09:00

Today, I can't help but think of London, my former home, and feel deeply worried...

Pavement - Easily Fooled (live; Wireless JJJ Radio, Australia, July 7, 1994)
Taken from Wowee Zowee: Sordid Sentinels Edition

Hearing Double & JCB Soundsystem - London, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down
Taken from http://lcdremixed.com/

May 3rd is world freedom of the press day and day of the rural people.

The Brazilian Obsessions 3: The Lord

2008-04-14T09:38:00.003+09:00

The other day I was waiting for the bus when one drove by with the message "Nos vamos com O Senhor" (We go with God) on the front. Now this isn't entirely surprising in this country (home of the world's largest Catholic community), but it was on the electronic display where you would expect to see the destination. And I understand that Catholicism requires a leap of faith, but surely even the most ardent god-botherer would flinch at this. Do you trust the Lord to take you home, or do you wait for the next one? Guess what I did.

Man alive, do Brazilians love to get their Jesus on. And when you come from a largely secular country as I do, it can be a little disorienting to see such obvious shows of faith. 90% of the people I see reading in public are reading the Bible. It is very common to see people wearing t-shirts proclaiming their faith and devotion to the almighty. I also find it a little embarrassing, in my own English way, to see such a public display of emotion. Surely this is a private thing, to be respected, but kept to yourself? They parade it in the same way that I used to show off my taste in US indie bands when I sixteen: put it on your chest.

I guess this says more about me then it does about them, after all, why should they be ashamed and hide it away all anglo-saxon style? It's not exactly the Brazilian way. But just so you get an idea of how I feel, see below:

Now do you know what I mean?

The Gutter Twins - God's Children (from the album Saturnalia)

The Flaming Lips - God Walks Among Us (from the album 1984 - 1990 (A Collection Of Songs Representing An Enthusiasm For Recording . . . By Amateurs))

The Future - Future Religion (from the album The Golden Hour of the Future)

April 13th is the day of the office boys and the young.

Speaking In Tongues

2008-03-23T13:00:00.000+09:00

I kinda forgot about my Talking Heads round up, so let's bring it back and finish it off, starting here...

My favourite period of Talking Heads is the Stop Making Sense era. Not only is that my favourite of their albums, it's also one of the best films of all time. I must have seen it 12 times at least. So I guess it makes sense that the album recorded at that time is my favourite of all their studio albums. It's often overlooked, although for good reasons. It isn't produced by Brian Eno, it doesn't have Psycho Killer or Once In Lifetime on it and it was recorded in the eighties when everyone thinks of them as the quintessential New York seventies group. However it possesses possibly the finest opening quartet of songs in all of rock (Burning Down The House, Making Flippy Floppy, Girlfriend Is Better, Slippery People) and the finest song David Byrne ever wrote (This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)). It a perfectly realised balance between pop, punk, funk and afrobeat, one which neither they or anyone else has bettered.

Two Note Swivel (unfinished outtake)

Burning Down the House (alternate version)

The 23rd of March is the day of the meteorologists.

Best Of The Blogs: 02/08

2008-03-08T08:00:00.002+09:00

Here are my favourite tracks from February's blog pillage:

Sebastien Tellier's new album, Sexuality, is a splendid collection of breathy French housey pop, with production by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk. It's not as full on as you would expect from that association, referencing more Daft Punk's love of 70's AM rock, as previously heard on Digital Love. It sounds like the kind of music that fellow Frenches Air and Phoenix attempted (and failed, in my humble opinion) to capture. Here's my favourite track, Divine, which reminds of a The The hit from the eighties which I can't remember the name of.

Sebastien Tellier - Divine

Amazingly, I have just read that this song will be representing France in the Eurovision song contest! Who's representing Britain, Four Tet?

I kept reading about this White Williams chap, and from this track, I will definitely need to know more:

White Williams - New Violence

Free Blood features John Pugh, a former !!!-ster, and that's all I needed to know to investigate any further. They do not disappoint, as the video below shows:

Free Blood - Royal Family (ACTH Remix)

Here's a track I shuffled across. I grabbed it a few of months ago, and should have put it up here before. I don't know anything about Findlay Brown, but the remix is by Beyond The Wizards Sleeve, who are Erol Alkan and Richard Norris, formerly of the Grid. This is the remix for people who don't like remixes, as BTWS gives the two DJ's the opportunity to showcase their love of psychedelia, Nuggets style garage rock, soundtracks and other oddities. It's one of the best remixes of the last year, and unlike anything else around. It also really reminds of something, but I can't figure out what. Any suggestions would be welcome.

Findlay Brown - Losing The Will To Survive (Beyond The Wizards Sleeve Remix)

Finally, a real classic:

Gloria Jones - Tainted Love

And in other news, DFA records is the best. But they also don't like mp3 blogs very much, so you can go elsewhere to acquire the ace new LCD Soundsystem track, the tremendous new Juan Maclean single Happy House, and the fine new Hercules and Love Affair album.

These mp3's were (probably) snaffled from these fine blogs - Redthreat / Bibabidi / I Predict A Riot / Pinglewood

For those of you who are Facebook inclined, I have set up a group for you to join if you wish. I'm not exactly sure why, possibly it's just to mention the group sleeveface, which is genius and provided me with astonishing image above.

March 7th is the day of the Marines, and of global prayer.

Eno

2008-03-01T13:00:00.001+09:00

There used to be a really good second hand vinyl shop in Ruislip, north west London, called Sellanby (do you see what they did there?) that I frequented often, as it had loads of classic records for really good prices. I distinctly remember returning home from one successful trip with three records, Devo's Are We Not Men? We Are Devo, David Bowie's Heroes and Talking Heads Fear Of Music. It was only when I was pouring over the sleeves that I realised that the all three of these records were produced by Brian Eno. In my early to mid-twenties, when I really did my homework and discovered the music that I love the most, he was always there, at every turn. Glam rock, check, punk rock, check, new wave, check, experimental music, check, krautrock, check...

The thing with writing about Brian Eno is that it's really daunting. His discography is so vast and all-encompassing, it's impossible to know where to begin. Do I talk about his rock albums, ambient works, Roxy Music albums (they were never the same after he left), production, or even his installations, motivational speeches, journalism, political roles or 'oblique strategies.'

I think it's best to leave all that aside, and let you investigate for yourself, if you haven't already. Suffice it to say, I know that my taste in music would be much poorer if it wasn't for him.

Brian Eno - Seven Deadly Finns (non album, single release, 1974)

Buy Brian Eno Music

March 1st is the national day of ecological tourism

The Brazilian Obsessions 2: Boring Place Names

2008-02-24T07:41:00.004+09:00

Sâo Paulo, Rio De Janeiro, Salvador...they sound so exotic and tropical to us non-Brazilians. But as soon as you have a basic grasp of the Portuguese language, then you realise that actually these names are really mundane and boring. So here's my guide to boring Brazilian place names:

Sâo Paulo - St. Paul
Rio De Janeiro - January River
Salvador - Saviour
Santos - Saints
Recife - Reef
Belo Horizonte - Nice horizon
Rio Preto - Black river
Rio Branco - White river
Ouro Preto - Black gold
Natal - Christmas
Fortaleza - Fort
Porto Alegre - Happy port
Campo Grande - Big field
Boa Vista - Good view
Sâo José Do Rio Preto - St. Jose of the black river
Brasília - Britain-chester

So what do we learn from this? Well not a lot, obviously. Just because January River is such a tedious name doesn't stop Rio from being lovely. I suppose it does show us that the Portuguese settlers were very unimaginative folks, and that, despite it's faults, Woodingdean is a very exotically named place to have grown up.

LCD Soundsystem - Yr City's A Sucker

Kid Creole and The Coconuts - Going Places

February 23rd is the national day for members of the Rotary Association.

Help The Aged: Tom Zé

2008-02-17T02:00:00.002+09:00

Tom Zé comes onto the stage dressed as a record player. On his arm he has an oversized stylus, and various wires are sprouting from his back and shoulders. There is a 12" disc pressed up against his belly. Looking at a 72 year old man dressed as a record player filled me with a joy I have rarely experienced, This is mainly because I haven't looked at many men dressed as record players in my life, especially septuagenarian ones, but I also haven't looked at many geniuses either, and here I am, killing two birds with one stone.

"I don't make art, I make spoken and sung journalism."

Tom Zé is more famous in Brazil then he should be. He is too old, his music is too odd and he doesn't sound like this. But everyone has heard of him, and I even saw him giving a guide to tai chi on breakfast tv.

"I discovered at a young age that I was horrible composer, a horrible instrumentalist, and a horrible singer."

Tom Zé first released a record in 1968 at the age of 32. He was a key player in the tropicalia movement of the late sixties, but kept a distance from the group as he was ten years older then them. He eventually slipped into obscurity, and was rediscovered by David Byrne (it's that man again), who released a best of on Luaka Bop. Here is his seminal, victorious performance at Tropicalia's defining moment, 1968's Festival da Cançao:

Tom Zé is funny. Live, he tells jokes, some of which even I can understand. He talks frankly about himself, sex and politics, and praises the young people of Brasília, as they can live in amongst all this corruption and remain dignified and decent. One of my favourite songs when I saw him live was all about himself. In the first verse tells us that his cd's are very reasonably priced, that we should buy them as they are very good, and that he doesn't understand why he isn't more popular. In the second, he adopts the critics voice to say "who the hell does this Tom Zé think he is? He's too old, he's no good etc." Meanwhile, his band sing a chorus of his name, repeated for comedy effect.

Tom Zé is the best example that I can think of an artist who has remained vital, challenging and interesting into his later years.

"Songs are inside of me, like pearls resting in oysters"

Tom Zé is (cliché alert) a true original, not in the way that some people are because they wear brightly coloured clothes, but because you know his brain is wired in a different way to other people. He makes these sounds because in his head he hears poetry and truth, and if it sounds disorienting and odd to you, well, that's your problem. He reminds me of Bjork (or should that be the other way round?), as he successfully marries experimental sounds with pop, in his case the Brazilian genres of forro, pagode and samba with electronics, odd lyrics and humour. He also has a eye for the visual (e.g dressing as a record player), and the importance of 'performing' on stage, as opposed to merely 'appearing'. He is uniquely Brazilian, but is completely out of place in the popular culture of the country.

Tom Zé was going to manage a petrol station when he met David Byrne.

Tom Ze - Perisseia (released in 2000, at the age of 64)
Tom Ze - Gene (released in 1998, at the age of 62)
Tom Ze - Dor é Dor (released in 1972, sampled by Amerie in 2006)

Buy Tom Ze music

Thanks to Stephen for the musical suggestions.

February 16th is the day of the reporters.

The Brazilian Obsessions 1: Public Holidays and Commemorative Days

2008-02-08T10:41:00.001+09:00

The first in an occasional series of not entirely serious reflections on Brazilian life as seen through the eyes of an outsider.

There are around 20 public holidays a year in Brazil, which is about three to four weeks off a year, (if it falls on a weekend, it isn't moved). Sounds great doesn't it? The only problem is that I am in one of those jobs where if I don't work, I don't get paid, so they can be a bit of a pain to me as I am always having to reschedule everything to fit in.

But more interesting than this are the commemorative days which generally celebrate saints and professions. Today is the day of the printers and 15th of October is teachers day, for example. Fair enough you think, but some of these days are mental, for example, 9th of June is the day of the doormen, tennis players and people who make prosthetic limbs. 5th of October is the day of the trees. I am not making this up.

I'm not sure what we citizens of Brazil are supposed to do on these days. Maybe we should just lean back and reflect on all the good work that the trees do for us, and consider a life without prosthetic limbs. Makes you think doesn't it?

Below is a new-ish Devo song, which I have included here because of the titles vague connection to the subject:
Devo - Watch Us Work It

What do you think?

The image above comes from here. Have a look, it's really good, honest.

Help the Aged: Wyatt Riot

2008-01-14T05:32:00.000+09:00

Robert Wyatt released a new album last year, and I wanted use him as an example of a musician who has continued to stay interesting and essential despite the ageing process. His new album, Comicopera, is a beautiful, dreamy jazz influenced experimental, but still pop, work, and I would highly recommend you get it. Tremendous stuff.

Robert Wyatt - A.W.O.L

Albums Of The Year 2007

2008-01-07T00:30:00.000+09:00

So here it is, the gospel according to Jamesinbrasil. After a year of painstaking research, which has led to a list not that dissimilar to other blogs and publications, these are my favourite records of the year:

1) LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver
2) MIA - Kala
3) Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
4) Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position
5) Battles - Mirrored

And in my usual, "here's everything I thought was any good and in no particular order" way are the rest:

Modeselektor - Happy Birthday
Justice - †
DJ Medhi - Lucky Boy
Bjork - Volta
PJ Harvey - White Chalk
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Devandra Banhart - Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Mountain
Feist - The Reminder
White Stripes - Icky Thump
Yoko Ono - Yes I'm A Witch
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Robert Wyatt - Comicopera
Boyz Noize - Oi Oi Oi
Daft Punk - Alive 2007
Simian Mobile Disco - Attack Decay Sustain Release
Tinariwen - Aman Inam: Water is Life
Grinderman - Grinderman
Dizzee Rascal - Maths and English
Burial - Untrue
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
Dirty Projectors - Rise Above
Liars - Liars
Fiery Furnaces - Widow City
Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
Ricardo Villalobos - Fabric 36
Marnie Stern - In Advance of the Broken Arm
Dan Deacon - Spiderman of the Rings
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
!!! - Myth Takes
CocoRosie - The Adventures of Ghosthorse & Stillborn
Supermayer - Save The World
Horrors - Strange House
V/a - Brasil 70
Bonde Do Role - With Lasers
Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
Bangers & Cash - EP
Digitalism - Idealism
Thurston Moore - Trees Outside The Academy
Field - From Here We Go Sublime
Dinosaur Jr - Beyond
Deerhunter - Cyptograms
Grizzly Bear - Friend EP
LCD Soundsystem - Fabric 36
Okkervil River - The Stage Names
Menomena - Friend and Foe
Hot Chip - DJ Kicks
Shellac - Excellent Italian Greyhound
Lupe Fiasco - Cool
Wu Tang Clan - 8 Diagrams
Roisin Murphy - Overpowered
Italians Do It Better
Om - Pilgrimage
Patrick Watson - Close To Paradise
Ghostface - The Big Doe Rehab
Alela Diane - The Pirate's Gospel
Miracle Fortress - Five Roses
Holy Fuck - Holy Fuck
Matthew Dear - Asa Breed
Ruarri Joseph - Tales of Grime & Grit
Von Sudenfed - Tromatic Reflexxions
Akron/Family - Love Is Simple
Chromatics - Night Drive
V/a - What's Happening In Pernambuco?

There's 63 albums there, so it must have been a fantastic year. Those top 5 are all superb albums, brimming with originality and tremendous songs, which is what it's all about really. So what do you think I missed? And what were your favourites? Comment away...

Christmas in Brazil 2007: Natal in Natal

2008-01-02T06:30:00.000+09:00

This year we spent Christmas in the north east of Brazil, in the city of Natal. Coincidentally, natal is also the Portuguese word for Christmas. How apt. The city itself is quite pleasant, but the main attractions are the beaches, which are breathtaking (and I'm not a beach person). It's hot all the time, but there is also a constant breeze, so it feels like you are carrying an air conditioning unit around with you. Perfect, in other words.

Below are a collection of photos, taken by myself and Bruna, with explanations where required.

Bruna on the balcony, 24/12/07:

I discovered this TV show which has live games of Proevo, with commentary. And they say Brazilians are obsessed with football. Natal, 24/12/07:

Forte dos Reis Magos, 24/12/07:

The worlds biggest cashew tree (over 7000 square metres), Pirangi Do Norte, 24/12/07:

My feet in the wet sand, Barra do Cunhaú, 25/12/07:

Digging for crabs, Barra do Cunhaú, 25/12/07:

Barra do Cunhaú, 25/12/07:

Barra do Cunhaú, 25/12/07:

Barra do Cunhaú, 25/12/07:

Barra do Cunhaú, 25/12/07:

My delicious Christmas dinner (fish in tomato and coconut milk sauce, farofa, rice). Barra do Cunhaú, 25/12/07:

Feet, Baía Formosa, 26/12/07:

Me attempting, and failing, to remove some sand from my face. Baía Formosa, 26/12/07:

Baía Formosa, 26/12/07:

The amazing Coca Cola lagoon. The water is filtered through trees to give it an identical colour to Coke. Baía Formosa, 26/12/07:

The border of Rio Grande do Norte and Paraiba states, Praia Sagi, 26/12/07:

The locals, Baía Formosa, 26/12/07:

Baía Formosa, 26/12/07:

Baía Formosa, 26/12/07:

Buggies are key to Natal, they are huge part of the tourist industry. We took a 120 km trip north of Natal, which was incredible. Here, buggies have to take rafts to cross the river. Genipabu, 28/12/07:

Along this part of the coast, there are huge sand dunes, reminiscent of the Sahara. Genipabu, 28/12/07:

And in the middle of this desert, there is an oasis, where people are plunged into the water below. Then they are pulled up the dune by this bizarre piece of machinery, seemingly made from old car parts. Genipabu, 28/12/07:

Sandy cliffs, Pipa, 29/12/07:

Happy new year.

Merry Christmas from Brasil

2007-12-23T07:07:00.000+09:00

Hello folks and a feliz natal to you from sunny old Brazil. You remember that last year I posted an almost ridiculous amount of Christmas music. Well this year, I'll just give you one song, a new and very ramshackle Sufjan Stevens number, which I pilfered from here.

Sufjan Stevens - We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Have a splendid time, thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you next year.

Help The Aged

2007-12-19T11:14:00.000+09:00

A few weeks I posted some new David Byrne collaborations, and David N commented that he was a good example of that strange cultural phenomenon that makes the young the most artistic and creative. Why is it that so many artists in many different arts become less vital, less exciting once they reach thirty? What happens to their brains? Do they become comfortable because of money? Do their expectations change? Are they tired of constantly challenging themselves? Does this make them lazy? So many questions.

I do feel that in the last few years the music industry has become less obsessed with youth, but only because they have realised that the grey consumer has disposable income and is a lot less likely to download illegally. It doesn't mean that 40, 50 somethings have become more creative, just that there is money to be made. I do think there are some exceptions though, and Byrne is one of them. I have loved his last two albums, and while they are obviously not as good as his early material with Talking Heads, that doesn't mean they are not tremendous. I will be writing about some of these exceptions in forthcoming posts, and would welcome your own nominations. To get the ball rolling: Tom Waits, Bjork, Caetano Veloso. What say you?

David Byrne - The Great Intoxication (live) (From the new album, Live From Austin TX)

This is the news...

2007-12-01T04:00:00.000+09:00

As you may have noticed, I have spruced things up a bit round here. I hope you like it.

So I finally relented and joined a gym. We all give in at some point. But the time had truly come, I wasn't getting any exercise and I needed to shape up, because as some of you will know, once you pass that milestone of 30 things start to hurt more for no apparent reason. Twice a week I have punished myself in a room full of bizarre contraptions (I'm sure they have a rack). So after two weeks, what I have gained? Well, I look the same and I feel the same. The first time I went, I thought I was going to die. Now, I just think I'm going to have a heart attack. So as you can see, there is some progress. It's obviously too early to get any real benefits from it, and I'm sure in three months time I will be some kind of awesome muscular man-machine. But at the moment all I have gained is the knowledge that I don't just have a dodgy back, but I also have a dodgy knee and shoulder too.

I went to see LCD Soundsystem a couple of weeks ago. If you don't know, I love LCD more than I love pao de queijo, and that's a lot. So obviously they were awesome, and they did all of my favourite songs, including future classics Someone Great and All My Friends, epic 12 minute freak outs Us Vs Them and Yeah, and the lighters aloft finale of New York I Love You. I was particularly interested to see how they would go down in Brasília, as this type of band never comes here, and the turn out was pretty respectable, although the venue was ridiculously oversized. This town is the richest in Brazil, and social appearances are very important. You have to look good all the time (particularly if you are a woman) and you cannot ever show any semblance of poverty. People can be judgemental, and being seen in the right place is very important. The fact that an LCD gig would somehow become a place for these peacocks to strut both amused and scared me. There's nothing worse at a gig then finding yourself in dance mode in a room full of statuesque posers. What actually happened was that all the people with good taste in Brasília congregated at the front and cut loose, and the posers, in the main, stood around at the back.

Thanks to the size of the venue, there was plenty of space, so when I say cut loose, I mean really shake it, not get all squashed and shake your head. And I have to say, I really went for it, as I haven't danced for a year since Daft Punk. It really reminded me of the sheer pleasure of dancing to music you love, it's a real primal thing, difficult to verbalise. So I won't, but if you like dancing, you'll know what I mean. And if you haven't done it in a while, go on, draw the curtains and shake it.

My current gig frenzy continues with Tom Zé on Sunday (three in just over a month!), I'll let you know how that was next week.

South American Fun

2007-11-11T10:15:00.000+09:00

I should be in an absolutely foul mood, as right now, this minute, I should be in São Paulo watching Devo in concert. Arrangements were made, and a flight was booked. Or so we thought, until the next day, when we discovered that in fact the reservation had 'gone' and the price had doubled. And much as I would love to see Devo in concert, I can't justify spending a weeks wage on going to see them.

So instead of weeping to Whip It as I should be right now, I am sitting at home writing this, and I am feeling just fine. That's because yesterday I found out that the mighty LCD Soundsystem are coming to Brasília next Saturday. This city, for all it's strengths (it's clean, safe, and easy to get around) has a live music scene comparable to a Saharan backwater. You would hope for better from the capital city of the fifth biggest country in the world. The only non-Brazilian acts to play here in the last year have been the Black Eyed Peas, Madeline Peyroux, New Order and Dionne Warwick, which explains why LCD's appearance seems so miraculous and unlikely. So I have been saved from an evening of moodiness by Mr Murphy and a very kindly promoter, who I need to befriend urgently.

When it comes to the cultural spoils, São Paulo gets all the good stuff. That's why we went there two weeks ago to go to the Tim festival. This is an annual music festival in three cities in Brazil, sponsored by a mobile company (alas not a very nice man called Tim). It was an outdoor event, with a capacity of 3700, thus making it the largest event I have attended since the Reading Festival in 1996. They have really improved the sound quality of these things nowadays haven't they? I remember at Reading how the slightest gust of wind would send the sound off swirling around the site. There were no such problems here and the speakers were about an eighth of the size.

The first band on were Spank Rock. I am always slightly worried about hip hop shows, as 90% of them are absolute rubbish. Bad sound, no effort to make a performance and cliché upon cliché ("Throw your hands in the air! etc") are recurring issues for me. Fortunately, Spank Rock understood their role as the 'party stater'. They came out leaping, and despite the fact that it was still light when they began, they succeeded in getting everyone in the mood. Their music is lyrically pretty stupid (they have just released a tribute EP to 2 Live Crew), but as a fan of hip hop I have developed the ability to turn off that part of brain and just focus on the beats and the bass. And as the pre-eminent B-more troupe, the bass was big, and loud, and guttural. Lovely stuff. They also had live drummers, and two turntable operators, and stage diving, and it was all fun, and a perfect way to start.

Next were Hot Chip, who like Spank Rock before them, were playing to an audience who, in the majority, had no idea who they were. And they too coped with this admirably, kicking off with new tune Shake A Fist, and then playing all your favourites with a fair smattering of new songs. The new stuff sounded great, as did the old. They are one of the best British bands around, and one of my favourite of the last few years, because they have a precise understanding of how to write a great pop tune. They can take all of their disparate influences, like LCD, and turn them into something of their own. There is a unique pleasure that comes from watching a band that can simultaneously remind you of the Human League and Robert Wyatt.

The headliner (for us at least) was Bjork. As I stated before, I think she's a genius, and this show proved it. She has reached that stage in her career where she has a big enough back catalogue to perform random singles and album tracks, and you feel like you have just seen a greatest hits set. It's only afterwards that you realise the songs she didn't play. So we were treated to Army of Me, Hunter, the Pleasure is All Mine, Joga, Hyperballad, the Anchor Song, and my favourite, Pagan Poetry. I really enjoy watching a performer who has been doing this for a while, because they really understand how a show must work, with the rhythm of the setlist, the importance of the visuals, the balance between old songs and new etc. Despite her eccenticities (and really, aren't we tired off discussing how 'crazy' Bjork is? Don't all of our favourite artists have an idiosyncratic streak, and isn't that part of why we like them?), it's obvious to me that she sees her job as a pop singer, and therefore she has to entertain you, both with spectacle (lasers, costumes, lights, flags) and with sound (the combination of songs, a ten piece, all female, Icelandic brass group), and she does a brilliant job of it.

I also have to mention the two musical instruments she has on stage, the JazzMutant Lemur multi-touch interface, which looks like someone is playing a graph, and the now infamous ReacTable, which is controlled by blocks of plastic on a glowing blue table. I don't know how they work, but the sound awesome:

I mentioned here that the line up was perfect for Bruna and I as it kindly put the three bands that we wanted to see at the beginning, and the ones we didn't at the end, so we could leave nice and early (well, 11pm). So I can't report on Juliette and the Licks, Arctic Monkeys and the Killers as we weren't interested, and neither are you, probably. Now roll on LCD...

Jamesinbrasil's Underrated Albums Number One

2007-10-05T05:30:00.000+09:00

I have been enjoying the new album by Simian Mobile Disco, part of this years triumvirate of great electro house records, alongside Justice and Digitalism, but it really made me want to dig out the vinyl of their previous incarnation, Simian. They were a different proposition, dreamy electronic pop, especially on their first album, Chemistry Is What We Are. I remembered this as great record, and sorely under-appreciated at the time. After much trawling around the internet, and even an attempt to purchase the physical CD on my last visit to England, I managed to locate the album, and it almost lives up to my expectations. It's less a great record, more a good record with great moments. Its definitely worth tracking down, and definitely better than its deleted status suggests.

Simian - One Dimension

Byrning Down The House

2007-09-24T01:00:00.000+09:00

Somehow I ended up on the email list for Positiva records, something I am not entirely happy about, as you can imagine. So I was reading my latest batch of Paul Van Dyk news, when I caught sight of the words 'feat. David Byrne'. This caused an obvious cartoon style double take, and then an equally obvious pursuit of said track. A collaboration between the coolest man ever and the trance meister himself? It's gotta be heard right?

Paul Van Dyk - Fall With Me (feat. David Byrne)

So when you have a partnership between my favourite person in the world, and one of my least favourites, in terms of quality, I suppose you expect to get something in the middle. Which is where I would put this. Van Dyk raises his game and comes up with something, well, okay, and for Byrne, well, it's no Life During Wartime. But an average David Byrne song, sung by David Byrne, is better than 98% of music in the world, and God I love his voice, he really could sing anything and I'd be interested. Like trance, for example.

He also has a new collaboration with Baby Elephant, who are Prince Paul (a man who likes a collaboration also as much as Byrne himself) and Bernie Worrell, the legendary Funkadelic and Talking Heads percussionist. This track completes the Stop Making Sense reunion by also featuring vocals by Nona Hendryx, one of the vocalists on that tour. It has a real George Clinton feel about it, especially the intro, and as always, Byrnes vocals are great:

Baby Elephant - How Does The Brain Wave? (feat David Byrne)

Get it while it's hot!

2007-09-17T02:25:00.001+09:00

Here's the new Hot Chip song:

Hot Chip - Shake A Fist

It's predictably great, and features a nice Todd Rundgren sample halfway through (those Chip boys really know their way around James heaven, don't they?):

Todd Rundgren - Intro

Feliz Aniversário Jamesinbrasil

2007-09-07T06:20:00.000+09:00

Did you realise that this blog is now one year old? And more to the point, can you believe it survived this long? So to all of my regular readers (a big hello to both of you), thanks for stopping by, downloading and commenting, it's all very much appreciated.

My regular readers (a big hello to both of you) will remember my over-excitable, slightly evangelical review of the Daft Punk gig that I went to in Sao Paulo last October. Well we have got tickets to the same festival again this year, and the line up couldn't be any more perfect. First up are Spank Rock, my favourite hip hop crew right now. Then it's Hot Chip, whose last album I still listen to like a new release, i.e. all the bleeding time. Then it's Bjork, who is, as I said before, a genius, and I haven't seen since 1995. Then there are three more acts (Juliette & The Licks, Arctic Monkeys, and The Killers) who I don't care about. This means we can go home early, which is great because, as my dad would say, I'm getting a bit of the old boy about me. A full match report will follow in due course.

This also gives me an opportunity to post two new Hot Chip remixes of Kraftwerk (a marriage made in James heaven):

Kraftwerk - Aerodynamik (Hot Chip's Intelligent Design Mix)

Kraftwerk - La Forme (Hot Chip's King Of The Mountains Mix)

World Music

2007-08-02T08:31:00.000+09:00

I just 'acquired' the new MIA album and I felt obliged to tell you how fantastic it is. It seems like she's been on some kind of tour, visting the ghettos of the world, picking up sounds as she travels. A little bit of Sri Lanka here, some African rap here, some Jamaican elements here, and even some Australian Aboriginal beats. And it doesn't feel like plundering, but rather, representing and sharing with us the lives and creativity of the under-represented. There is something thrilling about hearing rapper Afrikan Boy reciting the line "You think it's tough now? Come to Africa." Maybe I'm getting a bit carried away, but it's just so unique and exciting I can't help it. It's also a great party record, as you would expect.

I was also impressed to hear that the opening lyrics of the first track are nicked from Jonathan Richman's Roadrunner, an unlikely but tremendous reference, and any excuse to listen to Roadrunner again must be welcomed.

M.I.A. - Bamboo Banger

Jonathan Richman - Roadrunner

She Was A Big Freak

2007-07-30T01:00:00.000+09:00

Yesterday I had a feeling I haven't had in a while, one that I believed that I had buried deep inside me, but one that clearly remains integral to my being. Walking past a second hand book store, I saw a big pile of vinyl, just waiting to be thumbed. And although I don't have a record player, and my precious collection is 5345.8 miles away, I still felt that urge. After a nice lunch, we returned to find the book store closed for the day. Grrrr. So my impulse remains unfulfilled.

It did set my mind to thinking about some of the great charity shop finds that I was lucky enough to lay my grubby mitts on. There was the time I found an original Kraftwerk Autobahn, albums by Fela Kuti, Prince and The Fall, a Blue Monday 12", and the Muppet Movie soundtrack in a Sue Ryder on Wembley High Road. Wherever you are Peter Mohammad (his name was written in tiny letters on the labels) I salute your eclectic taste. And the time I found a load of late '80's hip hop albums in a Cancer Research shop in Ruislip. The elderly lady behind the counter told me that her friend had just dropped off some of her sons old things, stuff that she didn't think he wanted any more. Those two words "didn't think" induced a feeling a guilt and solidarity as I remembered how my Mum had given away my Star Wars figures when I was a teenager, because she assumed I no longer wanted them. She was wrong. This feeling of solidarity lasted about 3 seconds, before it was swiftly replaced by euphoria.

One of my greatest finds wasn't even vinyl, nor was it in a charity shop. It was a dirty CD, in a Cash Converters somewhere in north west London. In amongst the many free-with-a-magazine CD's, promo CD singles, and free-with-a-magazine software CD-R's, I noticed this:

I had no idea who Betty Davis was, but there was something about the cover that attracted me. Maybe it was her amazing silver boots or maybe it was the gigantic and extremely impressive 'fro, whatever it was, it was enough for me to look at the back. There I found the song titles which were really the clincher:

Your Man My Man (mp3)
If I'm In Luck I Might Get Picked Up
Anti Love Song
Steppin In Her I. Miller Shoes
Game Is My Middle Name

There was something different about these titles, the whole thing seemed exotic, so I took a punt. And luckily I was right about this one. Betty Davis took funk deeper and nastier than anyone else as ever managed, more than George, Sly or even James. She made it really nasty, as if to listen to her music meant you had to be prepared to get into those grooves, role your sleeves up and get working. The album is phenomenal, and was followed by the equally fine, They Say I'm Different, from which this track comes:

Betty Davis - He was A Big Freak

She released three albums in all, but none of them sold, so she disappeared. I didn't even know if she was still alive, until I found her first radio interview in 30 years. You can listen to her talk about her amazing life which includes a marriage to Miles Davis, a 'friendship' with Jimi Hendrix, a modelling career, and being a DJ.

And please go buy the recently reissued first two albums here.

Electroma

2007-07-18T06:05:00.000+09:00

Anyone who has read this blog more than once will know that I have a slight obsession with Daft Punk, and I am finding that this obsession is growing despite the fact they haven't released a record for more than two years. Not to say they haven't been busy, there is the huge Kanye West single Stronger, the everlasting tour, and their new movie, Electroma. I was going to write all about said movie, which I watched a couple of weeks ago, but then the Guardian wrote this and the Observer Music Monthly wrote this, thus saying everything I wanted to say but with like proper words and that. So instead I'll simply say that it's a very strange, dialogue-free, grotesque, possibly pretentious, beautifully shot, very slow and bizarre movie with no music by Daft Punk in it. Suffice to say, your mum probably won't like it. I did, and I would encourage anyone who doesn't mind watching films where not a lot happens to see it.

It does have some very fine music in it, Eno standing out in particular, along with this beauty:

Todd Rundgren - International Feel

Remain In Light

2007-07-07T10:40:00.000+09:00

Here in the great Talking Heads giveaway, we have reached what is generally regarded as their finest hour, Remain In Light. It's hard to argue with this opinion, as the album contains Once In A Lifetime, everybody's favourite Talking Heads song. The enormity of this song tends to overshadow the fantastic album tracks, such as Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On), Crosseyed and Painless, and The Great Curve. If you don't have it, you need it. Real bad. Right now.

Talking Heads - Fela's Riff [unfinished outtake]

Talking Heads - Unison [unfinished outtake]

Talking Heads - Double Groove [unfinished outtake]

Talking Heads - Right Start [unfinished outtake]