tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7110455501617022812024-03-18T23:56:38.124-07:00BANANASPAM!BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.comBlogger190125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-71819181738773995182009-10-05T14:03:00.000-07:002009-10-05T14:04:28.509-07:00Broadcast and The Focus Group!<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OqINetENovg&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OqINetENovg&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-77434744512782929902009-09-28T13:35:00.000-07:002009-09-28T13:45:00.371-07:00Caribou Vibration Ensemble Live at ATP-NY on WFMU 9/13/09<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://thecatskillchronicle.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/2cariboumeetlips.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 640px; height: 475px;" src="http://thecatskillchronicle.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/2cariboumeetlips.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />WFMU had much of this legendary lineup broadcast in real time. But we just discovered this great live set from Caribou's expanded super bonanza 14-piece live ensemble with Marshall Allen (Sun Ra), Kieran<b></b> Hebden (Fourtet), Koushik and more including a choir, four drummers and a big fantastic mess of sound!<br /><object width="300" height="310"><param name="movie" value="http://freemusicarchive.org/swf/playlistplayer.swf"><param name="flashvars" value="playlist=http://freemusicarchive.org/services/playlists/embed/album/4331.xml"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://freemusicarchive.org/swf/playlistplayer.swf" flashvars="playlist=http://freemusicarchive.org/services/playlists/embed/album/4331.xml" allowscriptaccess="never" width="300" height="310"></embed></object>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-62002616829354629312009-06-24T08:46:00.000-07:002009-12-20T21:12:42.115-08:00Shellac At Great American Music Hall June 18th<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SkJciuBaNrI/AAAAAAAAAd4/W33OHGtZ5Uk/s1600-h/Shellac+Plane.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SkJciuBaNrI/AAAAAAAAAd4/W33OHGtZ5Uk/s320/Shellac+Plane.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5350941058808821426" /></a>Last week I stood in the same room as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Albini">Steve Albini</a> for the first time since July 24th 1987. That was at one of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLr5EXyoQCE">Big Black’s</a> last shows, and it was tremendous, life changing even. You can read about it <a href="http://bananaspam.blogspot.com/2008/09/big-black-hammersmith-clarendon-july.html">here</a> and <a href="http://bananaspam.blogspot.com/2008/09/big-black-hammersmith-clarendon-july_12.html">here</a>. It’s hard not to think of that when you’re standing in a room eight thousand miles away from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammersmith">Hammersmith</a>, London and twenty-two years on. The thought holds some gravity shall we say. Last night I walked into the <a href="http://www.musichallsf.com/">Great American Music Hall</a> in San Francisco to see Albini's current band <a href="http://www.myspace.com/shellacband">Shellac</a> as support act<a href="http://www.arcwelderband.com/"> Arcwelder</a> was finishing its second to last song. I wish now that I had arrived earlier, as this outfit was kicking some ass.<br /><br />Shellac came onstage not long after that and booted a fair amount of posterior itself. The stage set-up was a no frills affair, as befits Albini’s view of, and approach to, music: there were no colored lights, and the drummer, <a href="http://www.ink19.com/issues/april2003/interviews/toddTrainer.html">Todd Trainer</a>, had a sparse kit just slightly in front of Albini and bass player, <a href="http://www.chicagomasteringservice.com/biobob.html">Bob Weston</a>. Just as an aside it’s pretty impressive to watch three guys who were all on <a href="http://bananaspam.blogspot.com/2008/09/wailing-ultimate.html">Homestead’s Wailing Ultimate</a> compilation, Albini was in Big Black, who contributed the electric “Il Duce,” Trainer was a member of <a href="http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=breaking_circus">Breaking Circus</a>, whose excellent “Song Of The South” was featured and Weston was bass player with <a href="http://www.myspace.com/volcanosuns">Volcano Suns</a>, and their “White Elephant” features one of the catchiest choruses on the album as well as the most abrasive and exhilarating guitar line.<br /><br />So you got some serious staff for a serious night. And a serious night it was, Albini with his guitar strapped around his waste — as it was on that night in ’87 — Trainer alternating between pummeling the drums in a primal way to holding down tricky and involving grooves that would befit a jazz drummer, and Weston playing sparse but thick and deep bass lines. Albini didn’t say a lot but Weston was a hoot, telling off color jokes (my favorite was “What’s the difference between a hard-on and a corvette?” “I don’t have a corvette.”) and fielding questions from the crowd between songs. But that’s not to say that the night was frivolous all round, hardly, not with Albini at the controls. Shellac are not a light option, their subject matter is heavy, as are their sounds and all this is set on top of awkward time signatures, which might have some saying, “oh that’s so <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Math_rock">Math rock</a>,” but hey, let’s just stick to the way the band describes themselves, “a minimalist rock trio.”<br /><br />Minimal indeed, and though minimalism in the electronic world has become so glaringly tedious, in the world of rock, with musicians who can play and have performed for decades it takes on a whole new meaning entirely. Shellac proved this in spades last Thursday night with songs like “Crow” from their debut <a href="http://tinyurl.com/mpcowj">At Action Park</a>, and “The End Of Radio” from 2007’s <a href="http://tinyurl.com/nouswt">Excellent Italian Greyhound</a>. The crowd were there to see Shellac and to bask in the presence of legends, legends who still speak to them, and don’t patronize and who carry an angst that seems to be missing everywhere.<br /><br />At the end of the night I approached the stage as Steve Albini was putting away his aluminum guitar (a <a href="http://www.travisbeanguitars.com/index.php">Travis Bean</a> guitar might I annoyingly add) and said “This is the first time I’ve seen you on a stage in 22 years.” He walked over and said “Oh yeah, where was that?” “At the Clarendon in London in ’87.” There was a look of genuine amazement on his face, he was gobsmacked as the English might say, and then he said, “That’s a long time ago,” and shook my hand. I’m not in the habit of talking to performers — let them perform and enjoy — but that night so long ago is pivotal in my life and it was important to mention it to the guy who drove a lot of the power in that room that night. And it was great to see that he hadn’t lost his edge — nor had his bandmates — merely honed it into a new and vital form. Great gig!<br /><br />Orr<br /><br /><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/1/2/2249558/04%20Crow.mp3">Shellac - Crow mp3</a>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-34632287173299534072009-06-19T20:11:00.000-07:002009-06-19T20:43:04.667-07:00My New Favorite Band From SF = Girls<object width="400" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lcqwfFKagH4&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lcqwfFKagH4&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br /><br />Our peeps in London turned us on to this band a while ago. Why do the best bands from the states consistently fare better abroad than on their own turf? In this case, that may not be entirely fair to say since they haven't even released their official debut. Time will tell. This is definitely a band to watch. <span><br /><br />Though this tune has been floating around the web since '08, the official debut single 'Hellhole Ratrace' will be released on July 13, 2009 via Turnstile Music/ Fantasytrashcan (UK) | True Panther Sounds (US). Lovely tune and lovely video. Happy Saturday!<br /><br />-Simon Bananaspam<br /></span><span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/FantasytrashcanTV">Watch video in HD!</a><br /><a href="http://gvsbchris.com/hellholeratrace.mp3"><span style="font-style: italic;">Girls</span> Hellhole Ratrace - MP3</a><br /></span>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-49968797607960872682009-06-15T11:37:00.000-07:002009-06-15T12:56:36.639-07:00Richie Panic and Eric Sharp present Green Velvet at Mezzanine, Saturday the 20th of June<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SjanZWRkGHI/AAAAAAAAAdg/51h1IWVrrlA/s1600-h/flyer_ris_gv_w_sd2-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SjanZWRkGHI/AAAAAAAAAdg/51h1IWVrrlA/s320/flyer_ris_gv_w_sd2-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347645661466859634" /></a>If you are into deep house, techno or banging electro then you will know who <a href="http://www.green-velvet.com/">Green Velvet</a>, aka Cajmere aka <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Velvet">Curtis Jones</a>, is. I’m not going to give you a detailed history, but since the early ‘90s this dude has put out some quality tunes and, like Felix Da Housecat (another Chicago feline), shows that all this electronic dance music, from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgjuFSxVO-M">Adonis</a> to <a href="http://twitter.com/justicesoitfete">Justice</a>, owes something to that mid-western city’s sense of effortless, musical cool.<br /><br />This coming Saturday, the 20th, of June, <a href="http://sanfrancisco.going.com/event-607471;Green_Velvet_Designer_Drugs_Mezzanine">Green Velvet is gracing the stage of Mezzanine in San Franbloodydisco</a>. Two well spoken, polite and thoughtful young men by the names of <a href="http://www.richiepanic.com/">Richie Panic</a> and <a href="http://rockitsciencesf.com/">Eric Sharp</a> are putting on the show, primarily for Richie’s birthday (Like he doesn’t get enough attention already. Where was my shagging birthday party? I had to take a reduced rate bus tour of SF. Excitement!). Anyways, these prolific gentlemen, who grace the turntables of every worthwhile partay in the city these days, have also roped in <a href="http://www.myspace.com/designerdrugsclubmusic">Designer Drugs</a> from NY — East coast electro types who are well worth watching out for, and a fave with the kids, or so I’m told — and local producer and deck tech<a href="http://www.djandrewphelan.com/"> Andrew Phelan</a>.<br /><br />You’ll be feelin’ this show I would wager given the staggering aspect of the line up and after the show you might end up staggering around the <a href="http://www.theendup.com/">End Up</a>, with your ears ringings, head nodding and heart ablaze. Such is the effect that Eric Sharp and Richie Panic have on everyone who hears them, sees them, smells them or senses their auras. I would say the night will be a delightful amalgam of banging tunes, shweaty kids and joyous behaviours. In fact, I’d guarantee it, like that beardy fucker from the <a href="http://tinyurl.com/lz3n3e">Men's Wearhouse</a> commercials. Get yer ass down there on Saturday and none of your f@#!in guff. And I’m off to mix the original version of Dajae’s “You Got Me Up” into the Underground Goodies Mix, then flip a copy over, extend the percussion break, mix back in after the break, phase it out to the near the end before mixing into “The Percolator,” and “La La Land” on a third deck. You’re all like, “F@!% you Orr, you old bollocks.”<br /><br />Orr<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/2/28/1786754/03%20Red%20Light.mp3">Green Velvet - Red Light</a><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-8896022471519609852009-06-12T11:50:00.000-07:002009-06-12T20:48:53.820-07:00Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve Remix Package<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SjKwKjJF07I/AAAAAAAAAdI/JUaZLuKK0Bs/s1600-h/BeyondtheWizardsSleeve-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 284px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SjKwKjJF07I/AAAAAAAAAdI/JUaZLuKK0Bs/s320/BeyondtheWizardsSleeve-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5346529402920752050" /></a>I’ve kinda slept on this one, but better late than never. <a href="http://tinyurl.com/djraek">Re-animations Vol. 1</a> is a collection of remixes by <a href="http://www.myspace.com/beyondthewizardssleeve">Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve</a>, the collaborative project comprised of ex-<a href="http://www.endclub.com/node/3111">Trash</a> dj <a href="http://www.erolalkan.co.uk/">Erol Alkan</a> — a remixer in his own right — and <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Richard+Norris">Richard Norris</a>, psychedelic rock aficionado, ex-label manager of the now defunct, cult, psyche reissue label <a href="http://www.discogs.com/label/Bam+Caruso+Records">Bam Caruso</a> label and a founding member of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/gridmusic">The Grid</a> with ex-Soft Cell keyboard player Dave Ball. Norris was also a member of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_The_Tab/Tekno_Acid_Beat">Jack The Tab</a> with Genesis P Orridge, Ball and the Psychic TV crowd, and it is here that he may have honed his taste for fusing the mental with the transcendental.<br /><br /><div>Beyond The Wizard’s Sleeve once again brings Norris to another point where psychedelia meets dance music, but unlike the acid house inflection of Jack The Tab or the prog house elevation of The Grid, Beyond The Wizard’s sleeve also features sly and subtle folk-psyche touches. In other hands the disparate elements of house, electro, space disco, psyche and folk might fall apart in a disastrous fashion but Norris is an old hand at eclecticism and Alkan is a newer but equally capable craftsman of this nebulous art-form.<br /><br />And a blah blah blah, “but what is the music like?" I hear you feverishly intone. My humble opinion would opt for the words, top notch. I had already acquired wax discs (not <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33z88acZ-Dg">brass disks</a> mind you) of the BTWS remix of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/traceythorn">Tracy Thorn’s</a> “Raise The Roof” — a little nugget that sits tight in and around <a href="http://www.danielebaldelli.com/movie.asp">Baldelli</a> classics and ze like — and the monstrously wicked remix of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/findlaybrown">Findlay Brown’s</a> “Losing The Will To Survive,” as perfect a fusion of British folk-rock and NY style garage you’re ever likely to hear, think <a href="http://www.theincrediblestringband.com/wwwroot/index.htm">The Incredible String Band</a> meets <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Mood+II+Swing">Mood II Swing</a> – Mood II String? But nothing could prepare me for the excellentyness of their remixes of<br />Franz Ferdinand’s “Ulysses,” a track that will inspire a Joycean epiphany on the dancefloor and <a href="http://www.lateofthepier.com/">Late Of The Pier’s</a> “The Bears Are Coming,” a chaotic, funky little disco percussion work out with chants of “acid rain” and a number of squidgy noises. Vary nice says moi.<br /><br />And that is not all, at all, at all. There are eight more gorgeousful things to feast your shell like ears on, including a grand and trippy re-hauling of Peter, Bjorn and John’s “Young Folks,” the just grand re-tooling of <a href="http://midlake.net/blog/">Midlake’s</a> “Roscoe,” which my friend Derek tells me reminds him of Journey’s “Who’s Crying Now,” a not unfounded assertion might I add, and an exquisite re-modelling of “Happiness” By Goldfrapp.There are more radical re-jigglings (I ran out of re words btw**) of the Chemical Brothers, Simian Mobile Disco and Badly Drawn Boy, and for twelve measely bucks you’re getting a damnable good deal and a half, so none of yer skinflinty whining. Get out of the house, office, garage, prison even, and get this awesomecore CD. Hokay!!<br /><br />Orr</div><div><br /></div><div>**Means "by the way" btw.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/2/28/1786754/02%20Ulysses%20%5BBeyond%20The%20Wizards%20Sleeve%20Re-Animation%5D.mp3">Franz Ferdinand - Ulysses (Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve Re-Animation)</a><br /><br /><br /></div>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-69694426594949561902009-06-09T10:48:00.001-07:002009-06-09T11:01:21.815-07:00The Field @ Mezzanine, SF - June 6, 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/Si6hvzqXXCI/AAAAAAAAAdA/Y489RLpJ9zY/s1600-h/the-field.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/Si6hvzqXXCI/AAAAAAAAAdA/Y489RLpJ9zY/s320/the-field.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345387650429180962" /></a><a href="http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?837">Axel Willner</a> likes to tamper with the fabric of time. This is precisely why he holds my interest over many of his peers in the crowded world of minimal techno. <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Field%2C+The">The Field</a> have expanded their live band to a trio including bass guitar. Previous tours displayed a fairly accurate reproduction of his recorded work, likely due to the restrictions of performing heavily sequenced, loop based tracks solo. The two extra bodies on stage enable a more dynamic performance sonically and visually. Axel himself seemed more free to stretch and tweak his familiar chord sequences into shapes that stimulated the crowd's heads and bodies. The space that exists somewhere between head and body music is the place where The Field shine brightly. <div><br /></div><div>The crowd seemed unsure whether to trip out and be enveloped or to dance, but that said, this may not be true for other stops on the tour where crowds are more naturally enthusiastic. I'd love to see this band evolve into a multi-media experience, strong visuals and quadrophonic big club sound could be the next step forward. The new tracks sounded amazing in <a href="http://www.mezzaninesf.com/calendar.asp">Mezzanine</a>, and showed more acoustic timbres to balance with his debut's synthetic sonic palette. It's always pure joy to spot his <a href="http://www.cocteautwins.com/">Cocteau Twins</a> and <a href="http://www.katebush.com/">Kate Bush</a> samples tweaked far enough out of context to mysteriously suggest old tunes resurrected in bright and shiny new ways. <div><br /></div><div>Simon Bananaspam <a href="http://64.71.55.130/the_field_I%20Have%20The%20Moon,%20You%20Have%20The%20Internet.mp3"><b></b></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div><div><b><a href="http://64.71.55.130/the_field_I%20Have%20The%20Moon,%20You%20Have%20The%20Internet.mp3">The Field</a></b><a href="http://64.71.55.130/the_field_I%20Have%20The%20Moon,%20You%20Have%20The%20Internet.mp3"> - </a><a class="ymp-btn-page-play ymp-media-b9d8dc4c7d337d69a348c867ad166557" href="http://64.71.55.130/the_field_I%20Have%20The%20Moon,%20You%20Have%20The%20Internet.mp3"><i>I Have The Moon, You Have The Internet</i></a></div></div></div>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-37610680473662583502009-06-08T11:43:00.000-07:002009-06-08T15:27:32.202-07:00Bodycode's "What Did You Say" EP on Spectral Sound<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/Si1gSjqZlUI/AAAAAAAAAcw/zHPGLeSus54/s1600-h/SPC-71_300.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/Si1gSjqZlUI/AAAAAAAAAcw/zHPGLeSus54/s320/SPC-71_300.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345034204685636930" /></a>Here we have yet another kick ass single from <a href="http://ghostly.com/artists#Spectral">Spectral Sound</a>, Ghostly International’s leftfield house and techno label. This time the pressure comes from South African born, Berlin based, producer Alan Abrahams, aka Bodycode. There are three tracks on his “What Did You Say’ EP, the title track, an acidic paean to an estranged lover, complete with doomy Germanic femaile spoken vocal, that comes across like a minimalist <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcYU-rdCaXE">Lidell Townsell</a> colliding with Yazoo’s “Situation.” Next up is a dub mix of the track “Imitation Lover” from Abrahams’ second album, Immune. “Imitation Dub” sounds like early ‘90s Todd Terry mixed with <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Mood+II+Swing">Mood II Swing</a> and <a href="http://www.residentadvisor.net/dj-page.aspx?id=821">Konrad Black</a>, skippy, garage inflected tech with a dark soul. <div><br /></div><div>Closing out the record is a wicked mix from <a href="http://www.residentadvisor.net/dj-page.aspx?id=945">Baby Ford</a>, the UK acid house visionary and techno maven, who rolls out a mid-tempo thing that’s full of shimmering, dubby effects, and hefty bass. It just grooves along at about 112 bpms, and is great for building up or coming down. Check this rekkid out, it dropped on June 1 and it’s v. nice. </div><div><br /></div><div>Orr</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/2/28/1786754/02%20Imitation%20Dub%20%28320%29.mp3">Bodycode - Imitation Dub</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-39319223292616875862009-06-04T10:00:00.000-07:002009-06-15T10:55:56.027-07:00God Help The Girl<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SigKHYP4PsI/AAAAAAAAAco/25CyMZ64e6Y/s1600-h/3507941787_1fb9cb88ab.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SigKHYP4PsI/AAAAAAAAAco/25CyMZ64e6Y/s320/3507941787_1fb9cb88ab.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343532079759507138" /></a>Scotland has produced its fair share of what could be called twee music. From <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bluebells">The Bluebells</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_Camera">Aztec Camera</a>, to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1O3aoBhgXY">Altered Images </a>and the uncrowned kings of twee, Orange Juice. Is there something in the Scottish psyche that makes the nation predisposed to creating dainty music? However, the likes of Glasvegas, Simple Minds, Big Country, <a href="http://www.theskids.com/">The Skids</a> or <a href="http://www.sahbofficial.co.uk/">Sensational Alex Harvey Band</a> certainly didn’t fall into that bracket, but over twenty years later it rears its head again.<br /><br />This time around it’s in the shape of <a href="http://www.belleandsebastian.com/">Belle and Sebastian</a> (are they not quite twee themselves though? ) frontman Stuart Murdoch’s <a href="http://www.godhelpthegirl.com/">God Help The Girl</a>, a 14-track opus featuring multiple singers, two of which <a href="http://www.myspace.com/stewpotstuart">Murdoch</a> brought in by staging a competition on <a href="http://www.imeem.com/">iMeem</a>. The competition had four hundred entries and from these Murdoch brought <a href="http://tinyurl.com/p5q9jo">Brittany Stallings</a> and <a href="http://tinyurl.com/pyp5f5">Dina Bankole</a> to Glasgow in February of 2008. Other more established artists came on board too, including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Hannon">Neil Hannon from the Divine Comed</a>y and Aysa of the Seattle teen trio <a href="http://www.smoosh.com/">Smoosh</a>.<br /><br />Murdoch also added Catherine Ireton, a friend of a friend who had just moved to Glasgow from Limerick, Ireland. In all nine singers joined the fold of the Belle and Sebastien core, and elements were also recorded in London with a 45 piece orchestra. An ambitious project indeed, but the end result is quite beautiful, if not a little twee. The songs will be used in a musical that’s due to be filmed in 2010.<br /><br />The fourteen-track album seems to detail the trials of a young woman living in a city of today, while the music harks back to Burt Bacharach, Sandy Shaw, Petula Clark, ‘60s girl groups, ‘80s indie pop and classic pop records in general. This may seem like an unwieldy amalgam, but Murdoch and gang pull it off, crafting a delightful listening experience that will have you pulling out your 45s of “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhHfcLwEzp0">Anyone Who Had A Heart</a>,” “Son Of A Preacher Man,” “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJso1Df5BQQ">William</a>,” and “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuOVTDShZs0">Simply Thrilled Honey</a>.” Creative nostalgia and post modern musical devices never sounded so sumptuous and warm. It drops on the 23rd of this month, so have a wee listen when it does.<br /><br />Orr<br /><br /><a href="http://godhelpthegirl.com/audio/come_monday_night.mp3">Click For mp3</a>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-52141805203447352072009-06-02T12:18:00.000-07:002009-06-04T09:55:04.765-07:00Omar Souleyman and Group Doueh Need To Visit San Francisco!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SiV_qmE4QeI/AAAAAAAAAcc/RWSJLQ9DOtw/s1600-h/SF031.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 318px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SiV_qmE4QeI/AAAAAAAAAcc/RWSJLQ9DOtw/s320/SF031.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342816902697206242" /></a>The always excellent <a href="http://www.sublimefrequencies.com">Sublime Frequencies</a> are teasing us americans with reports of a recent UK tour, featuring the incredible <span style="font-style:italic;">Group Doueh</span> who spin saharan electric guitar based road music and a recent Bananaspam discovery, the unparalleled <span style="font-style:italic;">Omar Souleyman</span>, who specializes in a bizarre and psychedelic brew of Syrian party music with hyper phased keyboard leads juxtaposed with more introspective emotional Arabic folk music. Here's to hoping the righteous Sublime Frequencies will bring the tour to the United States!!<br /><br />Simon Bananaspam<br /><br />Check out the video for "Leh Jani" by Omar Souleyman:<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pgRUHIeaKOk&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pgRUHIeaKOk&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/6/2/2464133/omar%20souleyman%20-%2001%20-%20leh%20jani.mp3">Click For mp3</a>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-286852019615140012009-05-27T09:25:00.000-07:002009-05-27T16:21:21.036-07:00Animal Collective @ The Fox Theater, Oakland - May 26, 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/Sh197fM2CQI/AAAAAAAAAcU/GLzNi7vsEmw/s1600-h/146724merriweather_0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/Sh197fM2CQI/AAAAAAAAAcU/GLzNi7vsEmw/s320/146724merriweather_0.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340563194072402178" border="0" /></a><a href="http://thefoxoakland.com/">The Fox Theater</a> itself was a considerable star last night. Absolutely gorgeous venue which combines aspects of other grandiose bay area palaces like the <a href="http://www.paramounttheatre.com/">Paramount Theater</a> with an Islamic and Moorish inspired grandeur all it's own that doesn't stick to any architectural traditions, but otherworldly. Such an amazing space to experience music. However, the jury is still out regarding the sound. Was it AC's penchant for dsp caverns of mud and disorientation? Or perhaps the acoustics aren't fully optimized? The venue has only been reopened for a few months, stay tuned.<br /><br />The buzz in the air for <a href="http://www.myanimalhome.net/">Animal Collective</a> was considerable during the opener <a href="http://www.myspace.com/grouperrepuorg">Grouper's</a> set. She seems very early on in her musical journey. Her ambient, lo-fi with layers of looped vocals and guitar melodies is pleasant enough, but has light years to go before feeling right for a support slot like this one. For the time being, Grouper would be better suited to support slots for very small clubs or instore performances like the one we caught at <a href="http://www.aquariusrecords.org/">Aquarius Records</a> last month. Digital distortion is rarely if ever pleasant. Is it possible that a new generation of audio dilettantes may not hear the difference?<br /><br />When a white orb was lowered above the stage, it was nearly show time for the veterans. Animal Collective's current stage setup is more spare than ever. Gone are the dual strummed guitars and acid howling through digitech processors punctuated by floor tom freakouts. Tonight the three current animals are manning samplers, mixers and keyboards on white draped tables with lights projected on them. Occasionally <a href="http://www.myspace.com/rippityrippity">Panda Bear</a> would remind us of what a fantastic drummer he is while Avey Tare's manic energy would keep the crowd focused on the massive sounds on offer. The whole visual scene with the venue's glowing eyed idols on either side of the stage and the Floyd'esque projections on the floating orb made for a stunning psychedelic environment.<br /><br />Ghost rave pop is the main order of the evening. Eight albums and years of improvising on stage have fine tuned the AC vibrations to an acute window of ecstasy. There was an enormous sense of community amongst at least 1/4 of the audience. The remainder of the audience weren't sure exactly why they were there, but this speaks to the power of the media approval and recommendation matrix. Puzzled faces were preparing to "say they were there." Fair enough, we have all been enriched. Everyone wins in this musical village.<br /><br />This band is now clearly in the major leagues, despite their devoted relationship to their more outre tendencies and refusal to engage on a direct pop star-to-fan level like others at their stage in the game. It's refreshing to see a band sticking to their roots and remaining true to their grain. The new songs are also sounding good and perhaps another progressive direction is in the works. The beauty of AC is in their live reinterpretation of their back catalog and the works in progress feel of new and developing tunes. Animal Collective perform tonight in Big Sur at the Henry Miller Library and we are tempted to go and do it all over again!<br /><br />The "Summertime Clothes" single is due out on June 22 in the U.K. and July 7 in the U.S.<br /><a href="http://www.dominorecordco.us/usa/news/19-05-09/animal-collective-announce-new-single-summertime-clothes--free-damfunk-remix-download/">Domino is currently giving away the Dam Funk remix of "Summertime Clothes." Check it!</a><br /><br />Simon Bananaspam<br /><br /><a href="http://pmatunes.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/animal-collective-bleed.mp3">Click for mp3 - "Bleed" (Live)</a>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-76946634586482357642009-05-21T12:16:00.000-07:002009-06-15T10:59:24.461-07:00Moderat album is very niiice!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/ShWuTnjgahI/AAAAAAAAAcM/JqRKszlwkpk/s1600-h/BPC200_Cover.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 264px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/ShWuTnjgahI/AAAAAAAAAcM/JqRKszlwkpk/s320/BPC200_Cover.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338364585376246290" /></a>The nice people at <a href="http://www.bpitchcontrol.de/">BPitch Control</a> sent me the <a href="http://www.myspace.com/moderat">Moderat</a> record a week or so ago and given that <a href="http://www.modeselektor.com/">Modeselektor</a> is involved I noticed that it has been garnering significant love and column inches. I fired it on my i-pod and gave it a listen <a href="http://www.victorianlondon.org/words/criminal.htm">t’other day</a> while trekking down to a shopping mall in <a href="http://www.dalycity.org/">Daly City</a> to get my (late) taxes sorted out. This record, long stretches of freeway and multi lane thoroughfares like <a href="http://www.parkingcarma.com/images/Site/4c070dc4-d35b-dc11-8064-0013723eb578.JPG">John Daly Boulevard</a> are really suited to each other for reasons that become blatantly evident when you shove it in yer lug holes. Urban sprawl, exhaust fumes, low muggy skies, dank underpasses and an alienated (resident alienated) mindset provide the perfect backdrop to the glorious noise.<br /><br />What can I say that hasn’t already been said? Not a lot to be honesht, but let me throw in my two cents worth by stating that this outfit’s fluid and seamless fusion of techno, dubstep, indie rock, ragamuffin, psychedelia and any number of other genres is pretty bloody inspiring. I would anticipate that some young and receptive ears (and some old ones too, perchance) will give this a listen and then young and receptive legs will walk out the door and go buy an old synth at a pawn shop, download some cracked software and go at it.<br /><br />It’s also refreshing to listen to a record and not be able to pin down exactly what genre it is. Thank Christ for that, and I wish there were more records like this from which you could grab a banging tune or three and just fire them in the mix. Genres bore the knickers off me, and when you consider that styles of music like house, hip-hop and techno were borne out of eclectic dj cultures then it seems like a betrayal that they have been distilled down to these very recognizable and defined categories. Anyway, these German cats avoid that high school fixation by taking your head through variations of beat, tempo, mood and texture, before turfing you out on the other end of the record with your tail between your legs and your head up your arse (or further up if it was already lodged there).<br /><br />There’s no need to tell half of you savvy fuckers to go and get this, as you already have it, but thanks for bearing with me (as opposed to baring with me, which even I wouldn’t advise you to do). By the way it was recorded at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hansa_Tonstudio">Hansa Studios</a> in Berlin, where <a href="http://www.superseventies.com/spbowie2.html">Bowie recorded Heroes</a> and <a href="http://www.u2tour.de/travelguide/guides/en/Hansa_Studios.html">U2 crafted Achtung Baby</a>. So there’s some analog recording bidness going on with this here record here, and Bay Area producer and tech maven <a href="http://www.musork.com/">Kit Clayton</a> (that rhymes nicely huh?) provided the programming of a reverb algorithm designed especially for the recording of the album. So now all you SF (and environs) types can get all proud, self-congratulatory 'n' shit.<br /><br />Furthermore Les Grandes Marches is ridiculous and the whole, entire record is a keeper and a way forward. Listen to it after The Field's new album and hate yourself for not being of Teutonic stock. I’m Scottish of Irish decent so there’s a fair chance of some Viking blood in my veins. That’s Teutonic enough for me to don a helmet with horns on it, fire on this rekkid and lep about the room like a mad thing, in a nice, sensible sorta way mind you. Get this record it’s fucking bang…ggging!<br /><br />Orr<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/2/28/1786754/10%20Les%20Grandes%20Marches.mp3">Click For mp3</a><br /><br /></div>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-21121301357023960392009-05-19T11:10:00.000-07:002009-05-19T11:57:30.003-07:00Who wouldn't go to see Wooden Shjips?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/ShL63w2t62I/AAAAAAAAAb8/Wn0ZaN_ghMA/s1600-h/wooden-shjips-c-thumb.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 207px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/ShL63w2t62I/AAAAAAAAAb8/Wn0ZaN_ghMA/s320/wooden-shjips-c-thumb.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337604344301611874" /></a>I went to see <a href="http://www.myspace.com/woodenshjips">Wooden Shjips</a> again on Friday night, this time at <a href="http://www.theeparkside.com/">Thee Parkside</a>, a killer venue in my humble opinion. There were two other bands playing, but I only checked out the <a href="http://www.woodenshjips.com/">Shjips</a>, I arrived just before they played and bounced after they finished their last song. I’ve been a fan since about the fall of 2007 when I heard their self-title debut and after their sterling contribution to the Mojo magazine Syd Barret tribute, <a href="http://tinyurl.com/qv7nzv">In Search of Syd: 15 Mind-Bending Freakouts</a>. Their debut really made an impression with it’s measured, krautrock and psychedelia infused groovers. I covered the record in my <a href="http://tinyurl.com/olmjxz">nitewise column in October of 2007</a>, but unfortunately didn’t get a chance to see them until they played at the <a href="http://tinyurl.com/cydgtr">Eagle Tavern in January</a> of this year. I didn’t have my ear close enough to the underground of the live rock scene in the city, but thankfully now I do.<br /><br />Friday’s performance at Thee Parkside was stand out as per usual with the bass player, Dusty, laying down hypnotic, minimal but super funky (am I the only one who wants to dance at Wooden Shjips shows?) grooves as the guitar player, Ripley, intones softly but menacingly while his guitar creates a tower of sound. They played a selection from the first album and the most recent one, Dos, and finished their all too short set with “We Ask You To Ride.” I want to see this band on a bill with one other band and on a savagely large sound system with retina blistering visuals. Wooden Shjips is easily one of the best outfits— if not the best — in San Francisco right about now. No contest. Keep eyes and ears peeled for more. And they're off <a href="http://www.woodenshjips.com/tour.html">to Europe this month</a> to bless that continent with their tripped out grooviness. Those lucky European bastards would get so see them more than us, they would, wouldn't they?<br /><br />Orr<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/2/28/1786754/02%20For%20So%20Long%201.mp3">Click For mp3</a><br /><br /></div>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-69106428147303055222009-05-15T10:10:00.000-07:002009-05-16T10:53:07.887-07:00Jarvis Cocker's Rocker!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/Sg25CyQXPBI/AAAAAAAAAb0/scYldQQftEE/s1600-h/Jarvis+Cocker+-+Further+Complications.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/Sg25CyQXPBI/AAAAAAAAAb0/scYldQQftEE/s320/Jarvis+Cocker+-+Further+Complications.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336124591005187090" /></a>What happens when you put <a href="http://www.myspace.com/jarvspace">Jarvis Cocker</a>, his band and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Albini">Steve Albini</a> in a studio in Chicago? Simple, you get Jarvis’s upcoming album, Further Complications, which will be released stateside on May 18th, and then you get rather, somewhat and possibly, hella <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g186591-c2351/Ireland:Irish.Slang.html">delira and excira</a> (as they say in Dublin, or <a href="http://www.iol.ie/~sob/sraid/">Baile A Cliath</a> if you’re a Gaelic speaker). Whereas some of Cocker’s work has been quite slick sounding while still carrying his British working class view of life quite successfully, this one is a much rawer affair, in fact Jarvis is pretty much rocking out on this one.<br /><br />The first single from the record, “Angela” is a kick ass affair about a young lady who might work in the sex industry that rolls in on a rippling vein of fuzzed out guitar, slapped out drums and lyrics like “and she’s nearly 23, making four fifty an hour, complimentary shower, they call her Angela,” “I feel the sap rising tonitie,” and other un-parental musings. “Caucasian Blues” is a frantic rocker about being a typical white dude, who is “hung like a white man,” and has “no sense of rhythm.” .” The title track absofuckinglutely rules and it contains the line, “I need an addiction, I need an affliction to cultivate a personality.” Nuff said.<br /><br />These two tunes set the tone for the entire record, and of course you get a couple of slower numbers in which Jarvis gets to stretch out and flex his proletarian ennui in a more deliberate and paced manner. “Hold Still” is the first of these and it contains the kicker line, “we’re cosmic dust, but you’re everything to me,” which could be perhaps tongue in cheek. Cocker goes on to say that he feels “Like a single parent at the fair,” and once again he’s taking us back to the silent desperation of working class Britain, a realm that he is truly familiar with.<br /><br />“Leftovers” is another slower number, a love song with an opening line “I met her in the museum of paleontology, and I’ll make no bones about it,” it’s hard not to laugh out loud, except that he goes on to detail his love for this person who shares his fascination for dinosaurs, and he tells her he will “fall upon your neck just like a vampire, just like a vampire who faints at the sight of blood.” Anyway, it’s Jarvis so you’re gonna get staggering lyrics that’ll make you laugh, think and maybe even cry. “Pilchard” is a fast, mostly instrumental Krautrock inflected work out which will just divine for frugging around the kitchen to after you’ve a had a chip <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chip_butty">butty</a> or two.<br /><br />Proceedings close with the raw disco of “You’re In My Eyes (Discosong)” which opens with what sounds like a looping Philly disco sample, low in the mix with Jarvis talking over it about lurve. Barry White, god rest him, would be proud, likewise <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamble_and_Huff">Gamble and Huff</a>, and <a href="http://coronationstreet.wikia.com/wiki/Stan_Ogden">Stan and Hilda</a>. There’s no point in trying to wax cleverer than Jarvis, this is a top album and that’s that.<br /><br />Orr<br /><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/1/2/2249558/Angela.mp3">Click For mp3</a></div>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-33882128886066906592009-05-12T11:02:00.000-07:002009-05-12T11:33:07.071-07:00Nah'feel's remix of "She's Electric" by Nightwaves<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/Sgm-Mp2MnnI/AAAAAAAAAbk/FwboWARXD7c/s1600-h/Picture2-1.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 173px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/Sgm-Mp2MnnI/AAAAAAAAAbk/FwboWARXD7c/s320/Picture2-1.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335004358197943922" /></a>Russell Gaskins, aka Nah'feel, is the true definition of a music industry worker: he works bloody hard and he works it. I met him at the peak of the SF house scene in ’96 and we immediately hit it off because of our passion for music and philosophical attitude towards its creation and propagation. And though he was working in the hip-hop field and was a rapper and beat maker, he had an appreciation for beats of any kind. An introduction to the deeper, abstract house of <a href="http://www.omid16b.com/">Omid Nourizadeh (16B)</a>, <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/House+Of+909">House of 909</a> and <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Don+Carlos">Don Carlos</a> made him keen to craft his own beats in that vein, and his early experiments were pretty damned good. In fact, an airing of one his first tracks in the sadly missed bricks and mortar version of <a href="http://www.primalrecords.com/store/home.php">Primal Records</a> in Berkeley got more than a few kids in there kinda weasely to figure out what this new toon was.<br /><br />Russell headed down to LA in ’97 to work for the <a href="http://www.vibe.com/">Vibe</a>/<a href="http://www.spin.com/">Spin</a> ad department and from there on to Arista’s A&R dept before settling at <a href="http://www.us.chrysalismusic.co.uk/index.cfm">Chrysalis Music Publishing</a>. He still makes beats, works on production for some big name hip-hop and r&b artists and in his spare time dons the guise of Nah’feel in order to bust out house inflected breakbeat numbers or add that flavor to tracks like “She’s Electric” by Los Angelean electro groovers <a href="http://www.myspace.com/nightwavesmusic">Nightwaves</a> (check out the original too, it’s a sexy doozy). Mr. Gaskins’ remake, though birthed in the image of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/larryheardakamrfingers">Larry Heard</a> and <a href="http://www.45king.com/">The 45 King</a>, is a key contender for Balearic jam of the moment. And though the hot avenues of LA may be far from the balmy streets of Ibiza Town, the vibe sits just right.<br /><br /><div>Russell mellows the whole thing out, keeping the tempo at 110 bpm, adding a little rock guitar and just a pinch of jazziness. The outcome is languid but sensational, you can work the morning mood with this one, warm up with it, or shove it between the Stone Roses and Sheer Taft for optimum Balearia. You don’t need to have a beard, be from Norway or craft smooved out eurodisco to be Balearic, you can dwell down in LA, not care about that genre at all, and just make great music for listening and dancing to. Russell Gaskins does that. <a href="http://www.humanearmusic.com/artists/nite-jewel">Nite Jewel</a>, Nightwaves and Nah’feel, all the ‘Ns” add up to nice down in Los Angeles, and right now that city seems like a better bet than Promoterville, I mean San Francisco. There’s more where this little nugget came from, believe you me.<br /><br />Orr</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/1/2/2249558/01%20She%27s%20Electric%20%28nah%27feel%20remix%29%201.mp3">Click for mp3</a><br /><br /></div>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-88396645370346533652009-05-08T09:27:00.000-07:002009-05-08T10:55:36.263-07:00The Field - Yesterday and Today.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SgRgP4a8erI/AAAAAAAAAbc/kv9TdnZpk9c/s1600-h/up-3field.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 266px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SgRgP4a8erI/AAAAAAAAAbc/kv9TdnZpk9c/s320/up-3field.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333493684673215154" /></a>If you’re in need of a strong fix of floaty, ethereal techno that possesses nuances of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoegazing">shoegaze rock</a> and <a href="http://www.last.fm/tag/krautrock">Krautrock</a>, you need look no further than the music of one <a href="http://tinyurl.com/qjkdsm">Axel Willner</a>, the Swedish producer more commonly known as <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thefieldsthlm">The Field</a>. His next album, “Yesterday and Today,” which will be released on May 19th by German label <a href="http://www.kompakt.fm/">Kompakt</a>, is an extended exercise in atmospheric electrolove, punctuated with rushing strings, live bass, all manner of electronic whooshing and clicking, and dizzying heights of lush, repetitive groove and melody.<br /><br />There are only six tracks on the record, and clocking in at just over an hour, each track takes you on a long, cerebral run that combines the minimalist template of German techno and fuses it with an otherworldly sense of texture and melody derived from a respect for bands like <a href="http://www.creation-records.com/slowdive/">Slowdive</a> and <a href="http://www.mybloodyvalentine.co.uk/">My Bloody Valentine</a>. But this is just not another motorik work out by, or for, bespectacled bedroom dwellers. Willner throws elements of rock and funk into the heady mix, their corners sticking out through the slick veneer that covers his beautiful machine music, conspiring with clicks and whirrs to tumble the carefully balanced, fragile, yet muscular creation into a primordial ooze of messy glitch.<br /><br />Each track is a marathon session of electronic finesse, which will sound excellent in the head and triumphant on select dance floors. For proof of this check out the title track and the one which follows it, “The More That I Do.” At around eight minutes and ten minutes respectively each track suspends you, and time, in a drifting and driving state of ethereal emergency (if such a thing exists). The latter track will really work the dancefloor too, taking it, and the dancers, to new heights, carrying both on a carefully wrought sonic platform where My Bloody Valentine collides head on with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Pierre">DJ Pierre</a> at his <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX2KyZvPRT4">Wild Pitch</a> finest and <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Wolfgang+Voigt">Wolfgang Voigt’s</a> all absorbing micro-worlds.<br /><br />To crown all this afferent glory Willner includes a cover version of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykxwwQxzKE4">“Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime,”</a> the 1980 hit by British synth pop group, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Korgis">The Korgis</a>. However, he doesn’t feature vocals in the chorus and only intones the first verse, the chorus being an instrumental section which kinda leaves you hanging. However, given that the song has been rendered by <a href="http://www.glasvegas.net/us/splash?cmdr=ip2country/detected">Glasvegas</a>, Erasure, <a href="http://theacf.com/dreamac/">The Dream Academy</a> and Army Of Lovers amongst others, this is not such a band thing and Willner’s take on it is beautiful, as is the entire album. Yesterday and Today, a magnificent listening companion and an extra-terrestrial dance partner.<br /><br />Orr<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/1/2/2249558/02%20Everybodys%20Got%20To%20Learn%20Sometime.mp3">Click For mp3</a><br /><br /></div>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-72214653488245010032009-05-06T17:39:00.000-07:002009-05-07T07:58:51.279-07:00The Lost World/Dengue Fever @ The Castro Theatre - 5/5/09<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SgIuimSBelI/AAAAAAAAAbU/KvxobvR-tUI/s1600-h/dengue+fever_bw02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SgIuimSBelI/AAAAAAAAAbU/KvxobvR-tUI/s320/dengue+fever_bw02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332876080686660178" border="0" /></a>For this year's <a href="http://www.sffs.org/sf-intl-film-festival.aspx">San Francisco International Film Festival</a>, the annual silent film accompanied by live music pairs <a href="http://fest09.sffs.org/films/film_details.php?id=53">The Lost World</a> with LA's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dengue_Fever_(band)">Dengue Fever</a>. This tradition is reminiscent of the <a href="http://www.barbican.org.uk/">Barbican Centre</a> London's excellent silent film and live music series that has featured <a href="http://www.lambchop.net/">Lambchop</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Delgados">The Delgados</a> and others in the past.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lost_World_(1925_film)">Harry Hoyt </a>directed The Lost World, aided by the pioneering stop motion animation work by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0639891/">Willis O'Brien</a>, only better known for his work on King Kong. This is Hoyt's journey back to a jurassic wonderland, aiming to satisfy man's fixation with the ancient prehistoric creatures that roamed our planet. This particular print has had vivid color tinting to bring the monochromatic masterpiece into a modernized otherworldly space.<br /><br />This otherworldy visual accompaniment suits the evolved 2009 version of Dengue Fever. Dengue Fever have always been an entertaining party band that brings the 60's psych, garage and surf vibes. This ambitious pairing has inspired them to instrumental and vocal heights that shows a band with tremendous scope and understanding of textural nuance. Instead of visually fixating on the beauty of Cambodian queen, Chhom Nimol we are watching sequences of humorous human trivialities juxtaposed with dinosaurs roaming the earth and culminating with an amazing climax of a Brontosaurus invading London! <div><br /></div><div>The band is squarely in the ethnofuturepast sound world with colors that remind one of<a href="http://www.jonhassell.com/"> Jon Hassell's</a> treated flute and trumpet melodies from <a href="http://www.jonhassell.com/dream.html">"Dream Theory in Malaya"</a>, only to crash back down to a late 60's Cambodian space lounge with garagey <a href="http://pow-wowcentral.com/Farfisa/farfisa1.html">Farfisa</a> and snaky guitar lines. Dengue Fever could be aiming for the next chapter of ethnoforgery, or ethnofuturism, pioneered by one of our favorite labels, <a href="http://www.sublimefrequencies.com/">Sublime Frequencies</a>. We'll definitely keep an eye on this band and see if this challenging live score will influence their future works. Props to SFIFF for this inspired program that won't leave the memory for some time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Simon Bananaspam<br /><br /><a href="http://www.midheaven.com/fi/audio/Hold_My_Hips.mp3">Click For mp3</a><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-35624870155603809832009-05-06T13:27:00.000-07:002009-05-06T15:10:41.940-07:00The Emperor Mack Sheen Rekkid Is Not Half Bad, Squire.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SgH5bmbYRbI/AAAAAAAAAbM/NQmhURc0pos/s1600-h/dcr92.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 317px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SgH5bmbYRbI/AAAAAAAAAbM/NQmhURc0pos/s320/dcr92.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332817686350546354" /></a>I know it’s been a whole bloody week since I set finger to keyboard in order to craft another captivating shlice of opinionated bollocks. Sorry for keeping you hanging bananafans. Sometimes the problem is inspiration and other times it’s superfluous matters like money, work, stress and cagey building owners. No need to elaborate, believe me.<br /><br />Luckily Space Beyond The Egg, the upcoming LP by <a href="http://www.myspace.com/emperormachine">The Emperor Machine</a>, which drops on June 1st, arrived in my email and I’m getting my shell like ears around it right about now. Two tracks in and I’m already hooked. Future single, “Kananana” is really doing the bidness if you ask my humbly opinionated ass. Tough drums are linked up to clicky guitar work, a simple but effective bass groove and some very lushly lovely analog synths, which convey the all important Cosmic -— or <a href="http://preview.tinyurl.com/c2wptr">Kosmiche</a> even — transcendence that one should expect from all E Mack Sheen tunes.<br /><br />Needless to say they deliver it in track after track, including the <a href="http://preview.tinyurl.com/cry26f">"What’s In The Box”</a> single, which dropped in the fall of last year and is included on this here record here for your listening and undulating plaisir, mais oui! “Snatch Shot” is a chewy slice of bumpy, whooshy electro funk that will have you <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5hD2Cn7d3w">bouncing your body to the box</a> in the wee hours of the morning timez, and though most of the record is instrumental, allowing you drift off on a cloud of pleasantly and gorgeousfully wonderful melodic reveries (ooh er, shouldn’t be allowed), the song “What You Want” has vocals that advise one to do what one wants. A splendid thought indeed! Proceedings close with “Not None,” a chunky basslined little item with soft percussion, dramatic stings and echoing synths. It finishes things up nicely<br /><br />Do I be liking this here record? I sure does, and that does be all from me.<br /><br />Orr<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/1/2/2249558/06%20You%20Clapper.mp3">Click For mp3</a><br /><br /></div>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-59104182138576722092009-04-29T10:51:00.000-07:002009-04-29T11:55:39.786-07:00The Ruts.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SfiglBT5uUI/AAAAAAAAAa8/ygpglRf0dFQ/s1600-h/ruts-the-crack-front.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 314px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SfiglBT5uUI/AAAAAAAAAa8/ygpglRf0dFQ/s320/ruts-the-crack-front.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330186716860496194" /></a>In 1979 things were starting to get a little tense in the UK. In May of that year <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Thatcher">Margaret Thatcher</a> was elected Prime Minister, heralding the start of a conservative era that lead to the mess we’re in right now. Were there other factors? Of course, but when you deregulate and privatize everything and leave the functioning of society at its most important points to private interests, the financial being one of those, then you end up with a big, greedy balls up, which is where we’re at currently.<br /><br />In 1979 the punk era was winding down, segueing into what followed it, new wave. However, one British band, which kept the flag flying for punk, was <a href="http://www.myspace.com/therutsofficialpage">The Ruts</a>. Most of us on that side of the pond became aware of them when their rousing single <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LAcEWMAqEM">“Babylon’s Burning”</a> crashed into the UK charts in the summer of ’79, eventually settling at number 7 in June of that year. It was raw and fast, but melodic, the sound built from a fascination with reggae, metal, straight up ‘70s rock and the music of their punk and new wave peers.<br /><br />The band was comprised of Malcolm Owen on vocals, Paul Fox on guitar, John "Segs" Jennings on bass and Dave Ruffy on drums. Owen was a magnificent front man, kinetic and full of righteous rage, as reflected in the fact that The Ruts started out as part of an anti-racist collective in West London called People Unite. They had a deep respect for the West Indian community and featured a prominent reggae sound in their music.<br /><br />The next single that really made me sit up and take notice was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1LMtQ8t6hQ">“Staring At The Rudeboys,”</a> a frantic ditty about an altercation with some racist skinheads, which was released in the spring of 1980. Then in July Owen died of a heroin overdose, a surprise to some given the anti-heroin stance of the song “H-Eyes,” the b-side of their first single “In A Rut.” The band became Ruts D.C., from the Italian Da Capo, meaning from the beginning and explored reggae and dub more.<br /><br />However, in their first two years with Owen at the helm they crafted incredible, rousing singles, and the classic album The Crack (cover featured above), with its memorable cover. The single “West One (Shine On Me)” was released in August 1980, an obvious tribute to Owens. I heard it on a compilation album called <a href="http://www.discogs.com/Various-Cash-Cows/release/1100138">Cash Cows</a>, a Virgin Records release that featured some of their best artists. However the record was pulled due to a legal wrangle over a track by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Professionals_(band)">The Professionals</a>, a band that featured <a href="http://www.cookandjones.co.uk/">Paul Cook and Steve Jones</a> of The Sex Pistols. A store in Derry called Quaver — where <a href="http://www.theundertones.com/__/Home.html">The Undertones</a> began their careet — was handing them out for free over Christmas 1980, and my mom got one for me. There are some top tunes on that record, including <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy6U_4MdlUY">“Dirty Blue Gene” by Captain Beefheart</a>, but “West One” was my favorite.<br /><br />In 2007 <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj6Q0f01xcA">Henry Rollins, standing in for Owens</a>, at a London benefit gig for Paul Fox, who was battling lung cancer, announced to the crowd that “West One (Shine On Me)” was easily one of the best songs ever written about being lonely in the big city. Some will arguer otherwise, but it is definitely the most rousing, Enjoy it and check out The Ruts a little deeper if you haven’t already.<br /><br />Orr <div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/1/2/2249558/17%20West%20One%20%28Shine%20on%20Me%29.mp3">Click For mp3</a><br /><br /></div>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-8855815385741234742009-04-28T08:00:00.000-07:002009-04-28T09:15:02.415-07:00Higamos Hogamos, Infinty Plus One<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SfZVkZunzFI/AAAAAAAAAa0/HHjMxBFwbiI/s1600-h/DCR102_12cm+copy.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 316px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SfZVkZunzFI/AAAAAAAAAa0/HHjMxBFwbiI/s320/DCR102_12cm+copy.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329541292909644882" /></a>I am becoming ever such a little bit fatigued by the current glut of Kraut rock inflected material that is being released from the indie rock and dance music world. It’s not that Kraut rock is bad music, far from it, it just seems a bit too trendy at the moment to channel the likes of <a href="http://www.enotes.com/contemporary-musicians/faust-biography">Faust</a>, <a href="http://www.krautrock.com/">Neu</a>!, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_D%C3%BCsseldorf">La Dusseldorf</a> et al. However, when it is done well does this really matter? To be honest: probably not.<br /><br />So with that in mind I am listening to a new offering from the reputed UK dance music label, <a href="http://www.dcrecordings.com/">DC Recordings</a>, which is home to <a href="http://www.myspace.com/paddedcelldc">Padded Cell</a>, <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Emperor+Machine,+The">The Emperor Machine</a> and <a href="http://www.kelpe.co.uk/">Kelpe</a> among others. The British imprint’s latest release is from an outfit called <a href="http://www.myspace.com/higamoshogamos">Higamos Hogamos</a>, which is comprised of Toby Jenkins and Steve Webster, a duo also known as <a href="http://tinyurl.com/dyogxl">Fort Lauderdale</a>.<br /><br />Their new EP is a four-track vinyl item and a six track download release. The record features the tune “Infinity Plus One,” which appears in its original form and in remixed form by The Emperor Machine, who provide two mixes on the wax plus an extra redoodle that appears on the digital version only. “The Creeper” is given a remodeling by <a href="http://tinyurl.com/com476">Muscleheads </a> while Higamos Hogamos's previous single “Major Blitzkrieg” is bent out of shape by 22 Inch Wife.<br /><br /><div>All in all, if you like spacey, <a href="http://www.danielebaldelli.com/movie.asp">Cosmic</a> or <a href="http://kosmische.blogspot.com/">Kosmische</a> accented material, which can emotionally resonate with you while motionless and horizontal or while in motion and vertical, then you will probably like this. Hokay! The tracks are cool, with the Emperor Machine mixes getting me most interested while the original mix of “Infinity Plus One,” with its opening line, which states “Across my sky blue heart your indelible jet trail,” gets my other vote. It’s a nice record, go and do be getting’ it.<div><br /></div><div>Orr</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/1/2/2249558/03%20Infinity%20Plus%20One%20%28The%20Emperor%20Machine%20Extended%20Version%29.mp3">Click For mp3</a></div><div><br /></div></div>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-85727271569981663992009-04-22T09:49:00.000-07:002009-04-22T10:28:12.938-07:00It's Grand But Not Douchey.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/Se9NieuXqbI/AAAAAAAAAas/1DBB9i1I_eY/s1600-h/g_lp_grandduchy_09.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/Se9NieuXqbI/AAAAAAAAAas/1DBB9i1I_eY/s320/g_lp_grandduchy_09.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327562138961029554" /></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Francis">Black Francis</a>, Frank Black or Charles Michael Kitteridge Thompson IV, and his missus , <a href="http://tinyurl.com/de9g87">Violet Clark, or Violet Clark Thompson</a>, have just done a new LP. The collabo is called <a href="http://tinyurl.com/d274mj">Grand Duchy</a>, and that doesn’t sound kinda like douchey, nor does the album itself. In fact, it’s a rather subtle likkle surprise if the truth be known, and the truth should always be known, should it not? What do you get when you take classic <a href="http://www.pixiesmusic.com/">Pixies</a> inclinations and fuse them with just a smidgen of synth pop and new wavey gorgeousfulness, and then have yer old lady channel a bit of <a href="http://tinyurl.com/d9ph9q">Kim Deal</a> while remaining thoroughly individual and vocally involving?<br /><br />You don’t know! Jeepers! You get Grand Duchy for cryin’ out loud. The album is called Petits Fours and it’s on the <a href="http://www.cookingvinyl.com/">Cookin' Vinyl</a> label. The first single, “Lovesick,”sounds like the Pixies colliding with <a href="http://tinyurl.com/6hh838">“Jumpin’ Jack Flash,”</a> then it doesn’t, and it forces you to wrap your flakey head around some bloody chewy lyrics and the cutely menacing (how that?) vocal delivery of the not so shrinking Violet. The chuckly bit with him asking “What are you wearing?” and Violet girlishly answering “I Don’t Know” is so bloody addictive and funny that it just sets the tune out as a stone hard classic. The stonesy guitar riff is bloody excellent too!<br /><br />Plus we need more rock albums with synthy bits and women shpeakin in shexy French accentsh (Or Sean Connery accentsh even). Check the song “Fort Wayne” for that: top tune, great lyrics, completely fun and hooky, hooky hooky. Do I really need to dissect every track, ‘cos I hate to, but let’s just say “Black Suit” rules on high, from the dense drums and bass intro (nice bassline) to the overall spooky but energetic feel of it. Black Francis channels some weird, grating anger and it’s ever so welcome.<br /><br />Am I blowing too much smoke up this album's ass, or maybe I’m just blowing too much smoke, or just blowing too much. Take it to the gutter, sher why not as they say in the old country. Francis you do look divine btw. And I forgot about “Seeing Stars,” a special, little slow number that comes over all coy and folksy/rocky before the bass slinks down and the pair ‘o’ them throw in some glacial synth work while Violet intones “I’m guess I’m seeing stars again,” in a way that you want to hear over and over, except that they only do it for a short while and you want it to never end and you'll remember it and cherish it forever and a day. Yer knowurramean?<br /><br />This album is fucking great, just go and get it and stop reading this shite. All right?<br /><br />Orr<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/1/2/2249558/02%20Lovesick.mp3">Click For mp3</a><br /><br /></div>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-44312225691242427902009-04-21T11:18:00.000-07:002009-04-21T11:38:05.427-07:00Van der Graaf Generator - Darkness (1970)<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WDmhP6YiN6s&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WDmhP6YiN6s&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Here's your daily dose of prog. (thanks G.M.) Taken from 1970 German Television footage. See also two mp3's from a 1967/1968 demo tape from the more elementary and slightly more straight forward earlier incarnation of VDGG. Folky melodies hinting at the darkness to come. Happy Tuesday!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk/mp3/firebrand.mp3">Van der Graaf Generator - Firebrand</a> (the master tape is audibly shrampled but gives way after the intro)<br /><a href="http://www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk/mp3/sunshine.mp3">Van der Graaf Generator - Sunshine</a><br /><br />-Simon BananaspamBananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-84734988412655721472009-04-20T13:38:00.000-07:002009-04-20T19:27:09.673-07:00J Dilla, Slum Village and Fantastic Stuff.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SezmXljRGdI/AAAAAAAAAak/rCW5DuzWypo/s1600-h/slum2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 288px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SezmXljRGdI/AAAAAAAAAak/rCW5DuzWypo/s320/slum2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326885752163867090" /></a>I can’t really add anything to what has already been written about the sadly missed hip-hop producer <a href="http://www.stonesthrow.com/jdilla">Jay Dee (aka J Dilla)</a>, but it’s hard to forget the first time you ever heard a Jay Dee track. I remember hearing <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/Slum+Village">Slum Village</a> back in late ’99 or early 2000. Their material had already been circulating since ’96 or ’97, when their<a href="http://tinyurl.com/djqufm"> Fantastic Vol 1</a> record dropped on indie label Donut Boy Records. It soon became extremely hard to find and was finally given a re-release in 2005. In late '99 there was much excitement about the upcoming US release of their follow-up album, Fantastic Vol. 2, on the <a href="http://www.discogs.com/label/Good+Vibe+Recordings">Good Vibe Recordings</a> label out of Los Angeles. It had already dropped on the British imprint <a href="http://www.discogs.com/label/Wordplay+Records">Wordplay Records</a> in 1998, creating a serious buzz. <br /><br />By this time Jay Dee’s impact on hip-hop was fully realized, due to his work with some of the genre's finest, including <a href="http://tinyurl.com/dz7nbl">A Tribe Called Quest</a>, <a href="http://tinyurl.com/caw4r8">The Pharcyde</a> and <a href="http://tinyurl.com/clklh2">Busta Rhymes</a>. In early 2000 the hype surrounding the imminent release of the second installment of Fantastic was palpable and <a href="http://www.discogs.com/Slum-Village-Tracks-Instrumentals/release/766122">bootlegs were already circulating</a>. I scooped two of them and they both contained a track called “Players,” which just blew me away with its languid groove and atmospheric feel. All the spacey funk of Dilla’s grooves was coupled with some very distinctive flow from rappers Baatin, and T3.<br /><br />The bootlegs were merely a warm up to the killer package that Good Vibe put together for the release of Fantastic Vol.2. I bought it on <a href="http://tinyurl.com/d6kl8p">triple vinyl</a> and CD and gave both a good old twirl. Tunes like “Players,” “Climax (Girl Shit),” “Back and Forth” and “What It’s All About” were in heavy rotation at my apartment, work and on the decks when I would play hip-hop out. Around the same time Detroit rapper <a href="http://www.myspace.com/phatkatakaronniecash">Phat Kat</a> released his <a href="http://tinyurl.com/c6pltw">“Dedication To The Suckers” EP</a> on the <a href="http://www.discogs.com/label/House+Shoes+Recordings">House Shoes Recordings</a> label, featuring the track "Don't Nobody Care About Us," which had another devastating beat by Jay Dee, and featured the prolific Detroit music impresario <a href="http://www.twilight76.com/">Brian Gillespie</a> in the executive producer’s chair — a man who we can thank also for bringing us <a href="http://tinyurl.com/c6ncmz">Detroit Grand Pubahs</a>.<br /><br />So the point is that Slum Village’s Fantastic Vol. 2 made a really big impression on me and still does when I pull it out for a re-twirl. If you see it around on CD, or if you are so lucky to find on wax, scoop it on sight. It’s proof of how good hip-hop can be when it’s not a corporate controlled monster, and a valuable testament to the sonic genius of <a href="http://tinyurl.com/bqrazx">Jay Dee</a>. It sounds good in the heat as well, and it’s hot as bejaysus today.<br /><br />Orr<br /><br /><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/1/2/2249558/Players.mp3"></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="http://www.fileden.com/files/2009/1/2/2249558/Players.mp3" style="text-decoration: none;">Click For mp3</a></span><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.seeqpod.com/search/?plid=18e47fd5f2">Click For Playlist </a></div>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-82940952180039411392009-04-19T06:20:00.000-07:002009-04-19T06:20:00.367-07:00Keith - La Ritournelle<span></span><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/u-cHSAnU68g&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/u-cHSAnU68g&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />Another <a href="http://luckynumbermusic.com/">Lucky Number Music</a> artist, <a href="http://www.keiththeband.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Keith</span></a> from Manchester tackles Sebastien Tellier's classic, "La Ritournelle" for <span><a href="http://www.recordstoreday.com/Home">Record Store Day</a> - April 18th 2009.<br /><br /><a href="http://tunesdaily.com/ftp/Nova_Tunes-Sebastien_Tellier_-_La_Ritournelle_mp3">Sebastien Tellier - La Ritournelle - mp3</a><br /><a href="http://www.seeqpod.com/search/?plid=5abf3e14db"><br />Sebastient Tellier - La Ritournelle (Mr. Dan's Magic Wand Mix and various remixes) - playlist</a><br /><br /></span>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-711045550161702281.post-11257981251487825662009-04-18T13:40:00.000-07:002009-04-18T14:14:22.390-07:00Sébastien Tellier live in San Francisco<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SepA59P-ihI/AAAAAAAAAac/3qGToerLc6g/s1600-h/Tellier2_(c)Laurent_Bochet.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3O8KR_gEAAM/SepA59P-ihI/AAAAAAAAAac/3qGToerLc6g/s320/Tellier2_(c)Laurent_Bochet.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326140873757329938" /></a><a href="http://www.sebastientellier.com/">Sébastien Tellier</a> came to San Francisco in the last couple of days and he played <a href="http://www.theindependentsf.com/">The Independent</a> last night. I actually ran into him on the street on Thursday afternoon on the way to gym, he was walking up around Polk and Post with his friend Francois, so I had to stop them on the street and confirm that it was he. Indeed it was and it was only then that I remembered what my buddy Dax had been telling me for over a month, “Sebastien Tellier” coming to town in April and we need to get tickets ‘cos it will be awesome!”<br /><br />And awesome it was. Tellier’s set was inspiring, uplifting, hilarious and accomplished all at once. It was an organic experience, with the singer coming on stage with two keyboard players and a drummer, seeming a little stiff and unprepared before launching into “Kilometer.” The organic aspect was that, of course, as the show went on Tellier and the band became looser, more daring and more musically involving.<br /><br />By the time he had seated himself at an electric piano and started hammering out <a href="http://tinyurl.com/5pgdg8">“La Ritournelle,”</a> some five or six songs later, he was drenched in sweat, had polished off a bottle of wine or two, and was in fine form. Leading up to this he had knocked out a selection from his most recent long player, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/cggmoj">Sexuality</a></span>, carried out a guitar solo in the crowd and pulled some seriously understated but highly effective poses.<br /><br />The show culminated with him lying on the piano crooning to the crowd, which was by this time in the palm of his Gallic hand, before finishing with an encore of “Roche,” the first track on <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Sexuality</span>. It was very captivating performance by an extremely unique artist, Long may he perform, put microphones against his crotch, wear very hot pleather jackets and write excellent music.<br /><br />Orr<div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.box.net/shared/5m0oq4akn3">Click For mp3</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.seeqpod.com/search/?plid=81a9884c38">Click For Playlist</a></div>BananaSpamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14791105200995983527noreply@blogger.com2