Jamesinbrasil's Underrated Albums Number One

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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]

Once upon a time, Mercury Rev were good...

In many ways I am quite a dull man. I do not partake of the alcohol, the nicotine, the meat and the drugs. However, that doesn't mean that I want my artists holding back in a similar style. I would be particularly disappointed to discover that Josh Homme didn't indulge himself in all four, for example. Sometimes the absence of a vice, normally drugs, can remove the essential ingredient of what made a band interesting in the first place. The best example of this that I know is Mercury Rev. Originally they were a mess of smack addled freaks who made two genius albums of psychedelic pop. Then they kicked out the most messed up member, singer David Baker, cleaned up and became increasingly dull over the years. Now while I understand why for personal reasons they wanted to clean up (they wanted to live rather than die, which is fair enough I suppose) but part of me wishes they pick up the phone to give Baker a ring, and pick up the needle to go back to the days when they were actually good. Is that wrong?

Mercury Rev - Chasing A Bee

Mercury Rev - Bronx Cheer

As this is unlikely to happen, I have to comfort myself by listening to those two old albums, and to their closest contemporary musical equivalent, Animal Collective, whose Panda Bear released the very fine Person Pitch album a couple of months ago:

Panda Bear - Comfy In Nauticaa

Where the songs are passionate...

The bunting has been prepared, the elephants are on standby and the carnival has been brought forward several months. Yes, today is my first anniversary in Brazil. I could write a very long and detailed feature about my recollections and experiences, but I can't be bothered. So instead here is a flippant list of things I miss about the United Kingdom:

Cheddar cheese
Reading the Guardian on a Saturday while listening to Jonathan Ross on Radio 2.
Cricket
Sky Sports News
Being indoors when it's raining
Second hand record shops
Decent crisps (I'd kill a man for some prawn cocktail)
Gigs
Parsnips

And here's a list of things that I am particularly enjoying in Brazil:

Caqui
It being hot, but not too hot, all the time
The architecture in Brasília
Teaching
6 (so far) different types of banana
Having greatly increased mooching opportunities
Knowing that I am learning a language (although not the painfully slow process of learning itself)
Knowing that, not too far from here, monkeys roam free



Secondly, here's a special blog about the song known by most people as Brazil. It is actually called Aquarela do Brasil (Watercolour Of Brazil) and is considered to be one of Brazil's most patriotic traditional songs. Written by Ary Barroso in 1939, it has been covered by numerous people as you can see below. It's an extremely catchy tune, and has a yearning quality, as if the singer is trapped on the other side of the world, away from his beloved (or adopted) homeland, dreaming of returning to "old Brazil". I'm sure this is something I will identify with in the future, but then so can anyone who is homesick or longing to return to a place they love, whether it's Brazil, Bahrain or Bolton.

The imagery of the song is very evocative without being too specific, mentioning the "amber moon", the twilight and the sun. We know this place is paradise, but we are not sure why. If we want to know we will have to go there for ourselves, and discover it's secrets (which could take a lifetime, it's the fifth biggest country in the world!). I think the images in this song have probably contributed to the stereotypical image of Brazil around the world (by 1945 Brazil had been performed more than two million times on U.S. radio and TV), an image that most countries would die for: hot weather, carnival, beaches, football and beautiful people.



Brazil
(English lyrics by S.K. “Bob” Russell)

Brazil
The Brazil that I knew
Where I wandered with you
Lives in my imagination.

Where the songs are passionate,
And a smile has flash in it,
And a kiss has art in it,
For you put your heart in it,
And so I dream of old Brazil

Where hearts were entertaining June,
We stood beneath an amber moon
And softly murmured “someday soon”
We kissed and clung together,
Then tomorrow was another day
The morning found me miles away
With still a million things to say

Now when twilight dims the sky above,
Recalling thrills of our love,
There’s one thing I’m certain of;
Return I will
To old Brazil.

Here are some very fine Brazilian versions:

Gal Costa - Aquarela do Brasil

Catano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Joao Gilberto - Aquarela do Brasil

Elis Regina - Aquarela do Brasil

Tom Jobim - Aquarela do Brasil

The song was used extensively by Terry Gilliam in his film Brazil. Almost the entire film is accompanied by various versions of the song (which is the only reference to Brazil in the whole film), including this one by Kate Bush:

Kate Bush - Brazil

Two more versions:

Django Reindhardt - Brazil

Pink Martini - Brazil

In 1975, the Ritchie Family had a hit with a disco version:

The Ritchie Family - Brazil

In recent years, it has been covered by some better artists (better than the Richie Family you scoff!):

Cornelius - Brazil

Beirut - Brazil

Arcade Fire - Brazil

Of course they all pale in comparison with this masterpiece:

The Vengaboys - To Brazil

For more information go here.

The good tracks from a half good, half bad album that you've never get around to listening to otherwise part one

Hey there's a new tribute album to Joni Mitchell out, and it features such luminaries as Sarah McLachlan, Annie Lennox, and yes, James Taylor. I can feel your excitement through my keyboard. But hold on, before you go back to youtube to look for clips of monkeys fighting, the album also contains these fine artists:

Sufjan Stevens - Free Man In Paris

Bjork - The Boho Dance

Caetano Veloso - Dreamland

Elvis Costello - Edith & The Kingpin

Prince - A Case Of You


Jamesinbrasil - wading through the Lennox to give you the Stevens.

Pitchbjork

The new Bjork album Volta is out tomorrow, and where I'm from, this is a reason for much celebration. She is the closest thing we have to a bona fide genius, every album is fascinating and brilliant. She becomes more interesting as she gets older as she continues to experiment while retaining her pop core. The new album Volta, sees her working with fine roster of artists, from Antony to Konono No. 1. The most interesting collaborations are with Timbaland and Brian Chippendale of Lightning Bolt. The idea of Bjork singing over a Lightning Bolt track is possibly the coolest idea I can imagine, and she's only gone and done it on the track Declare Independence. The second coolest thing I can think of is for her to sing over one of Timbaland's sickest beats, and she's only gone and done that too, on the single Earth Intruders and on Innocence. Just listen to the beats on this track, they are beyond ridiculous:

Bjork - Innocence

And as a bonus here's a remix of Earth Intruders by your favourite B-more booty bass electro hip hop crew (a hotly contested title for many of you, I know) Spank Rock:

Bjork - Earth Intruders (Spank Rock remix)

Apple Records

What's the worst thing about Oasis? Where does one begin? For me, their worst crime was a lack of ambition. There is nothing wrong with being obsessed with another band, particularly when that band are as good as the Beatles. But to focus in on only one aspect of their songwriting and ignore everything else was just lazy and lame-o. The thing that made the Beatles so good was the fact that they pushed themselves, which gave us Tomorrow Never Knows, I Am The Walrus, Glass Onion et al. Oasis couldn't be bothered with all that risky business, they are happy to generate third rate pastiches of Rubber Soul b-sides until they die.

The Beatles influence has taken many varied forms over the last 40 odd years, from Ozzy taking Helter Skelter to it's logical conclusion, to ELO's shiny sky blue pop. The latest album to follow this well trodden path is by Apples In Stereo. Although they have been around since the early 90's I have only just heard them for the first time, and the album, New Magnetic Wonder, is everything I want from Beatles inspired album, with a healthy dose of The Beach Boys, Velvet Underground, Todd Rundgren and yes, ELO, on the way. Its the kind of music that makes me strut around my flat, singing along with all those winning melodies and catchy hooks. In short, it's a great (power) pop record.

Apples In Stereo - Can You Feel It?

Apples In Stereo - Energy

Yacht Rock

I really should have talked about The Blow on here before, as their album Paper Television was one of my favourites of last year. They are a mish mash of electronics, girl groups, hip hop, doo wop, and no wave vocals, colliding to create pop music, pure and simple. Heartfelt, sing along, sincere, fun pop music, which, in case you haven't worked it out yet, is all I want not just from music, but from life. They should be massive, but the world doesn't work that way, does it?

The Blow - Pile Of Gold

The fella from The Blow, Jona Bechtolt (the other member of the band is Khaela Maricich) is a solo artist under the moniker, and appears to be something of a internet renaissance man. Check out his wikipedia page for his impressive resume, and this fascinating and probably fictional account. I am mainly familiar with his remixes, but this solo track sounds promising (and doesn't it sound like Miss You by the Rolling Stones?):

Y.A.C.H.T. - See A Penny, Pick It Up

The Blow - Hock It (Y.A.C.H.T. Remix)

Fear Of Music

Sorry I haven't posted in the last couple of weeks. I'd love to tell you that I've working 24/7 and haven't had time, but that would be a lie. The truth is that I have been distracted by the combined forces of Pro Evolution Soccer, Grand Theft Auto, and seasons 3 and currently 4 of 24. Oh and we keep getting power cuts (there's nothing like a power cut to remind you how important electricity is. What am I supposed to do, read a book?) And I have been suffering from a general lack of inspiration, enthusiasm or whatever you wanna call it. Doing a blog, can, at times, be a nuisance, so it's bound to happen every now and again. Anyway, I'm back now, so here's part three of the great Talking Heads giveaway.

Fear Of Music was the third Talking Heads album, and the second produced by Brian Eno. It has two of their finest songs. Life During Wartime, features a typical David Byrne lyric, half about the practicalities of everyday living in that environment, and half about well, nothing really. I Zimbra, their full on afro-funk Fela Kuti homage, with nonsense lyrics and possibly the finest groove ever captured on a Talking Heads record. The extra tracks here include an alternative take on Life During Wartime, which has had a screeching guitar solo added to the song, and a different version of Cities (listen to the opening lyric about London, which seems entirely wrong and still brilliant to me):

Cities [Alternate Version]

Dancing For Money [Unfinished Outtake]

Mind [Alternate Version]

Life During Wartime [Alternate Version]



Checking back I realised that the post for the previous album More Songs About Buildings And Food didn't allow you to download and keep the mp3's. If anybody wants, I will go back and repost them so you can have them. Just let me know in the comments.

EDIT: I have added the aforementioned tracks to the original post. Click here.