Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Booking now for Glastonbury
I thought with the controversy over the selection of Jay-Z to headline Glastonbury, RR and its spillers (Spleaders Recommend?) - being the chairty-minded sorts that we are - ought to help the old farmer with his musical harvest and suggest a band or two.
I'll nominate Gaslight Anthem'cause they are in the Glastonbury traditional of being guitar-based, because they are a terrific band with good songs, and because they'd rock the place.
I'll nominate Gaslight Anthem'cause they are in the Glastonbury traditional of being guitar-based, because they are a terrific band with good songs, and because they'd rock the place.
To hypenate or not to hyphenate? Hmm...what shall we do dear?
Of course, I know I should have posted this earlier to coincide with the marriage theme, but you know...whatevah.
Anyway, in order to celebrate 1000 posts and share a jolly moment with the RR regulars, here's a timely reminder to look before you leap. Oh yes.
Anyway, in order to celebrate 1000 posts and share a jolly moment with the RR regulars, here's a timely reminder to look before you leap. Oh yes.
Fab song from fab, fab, fab new album
I'm sure there's lots of you out there who for years have been wondering ''I wonder how great Springsteen would be if Joe Strummer was in the E Street Band.'' Well it probably would sound something like this: The Backseat from Gaslight Anthem's terrific (and I mean terrific) new album The 59 Sound.
Monday, September 29, 2008
*fingers crossed
Over on the mothership, amber81 said "The Mechanical Man" by Bent Bolt and the Nuts is extremely rare but GENIUS, so I thought I'd have my first second third fourth FIFTH go at attaching an MP3.
Cibelle nicked my sons drum.
so these Cibelle songs could have been in....trains
duets
madness
covers
Cibelle & Seu Jorge
Cibelle vs. Koçani Orkestar
(The Real) Tuesday Weld Feat. David Piper And Cibelle
Blimpy stop distracting me, one day I might need some sleep!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Shake Your Maracas
REMOVED
I got this off Kanye West's blog, and I think it's hilarious. Wall-E, put that Oscar acceptance speech back in your breast pocket.
Warning: May not be suitable for children
I got this off Kanye West's blog, and I think it's hilarious. Wall-E, put that Oscar acceptance speech back in your breast pocket.
Warning: May not be suitable for children
For the last time, HAL, my name's not Dave!
.
Initially all sorts of individual lyrics sprang to mind – Louis Bertignac’s broken coffee maker in Ces Idées-là, eh fp?! But as the list expanded and expanded, it fast became too big to consider ‘Spilling, even when it includes such favourites as Shack’s Time Machine, HMHB’s Dukla Prague Away Kit, and Natural Life’s Strange World (“Weird piece of machinery, built for making holes in me, oo-ooh … shotgun”). So in a typically contrary U-turn, I then tried self-imposing a Dorian-tight set of parameters, namely if the whole song isn’t actually ABOUT the machine, it ain’t comin’ in! […so I can bin Drive-By Truckers’ The Day John Henry Died, can I DsD? – Ed.]
Obviously I could exclude songs others have beaten me to, but I offer my ‘Spilldonds to the likes of BFB’s Song Against Robots, and – naturally – Tackhead’s Fix The Machine.
But then I started arguing with myself about whether any given tune was a good-enough fit. Ugh.
So eventually, I just thought … “Oh sod it, just pick some songs I like that may not have been thought of over on RR and post ‘em here.
That's Black Sabbath's Iron Man above - I'll be gobsmacked if that HASN'T been mentioned over yonder.
But now here's some much less threatening (and almost certainly WA-A-A-AY off-topic) machinery:
Fun Lovin' Criminals - Minibar Blues
Montrose - Space Station No.5
Morcheeba - Tape Loop
Cocteau Twins - The Spangle Maker
Codeine - Cigarette Machine
iLiKETRAiNS - SWiNGBRiDGE
And this last one is my quizzer for the week: a point each for artist and title, two bonus points for the vocalist:
R...eally? W...ell I never!
I'm unlikely to get much opportunity to post/comment this week, so have a good'un everyone, and let's see if I can get Snadfrod drunk enough on Thursday night to let me photograph his beard - sorry - The Beard in all its glory!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Did you know that a Steenbeck is a machine?
John Henry
John Henry
John Henry
John Henry
Ring ring RIng Ha Ha Hey--De La Soul
Flutey Ring ring ring remix
Paranoid Android--Easy Star All Stars
Fitter Happier--Easy Star All Stars
The Way You Move--Big Boi
Synthesizer--Outkast ft. George Clinton
Synthetic Substitution--Melvin Bliss
22nd Century--Nina Simone
Daydreaming--Lupe Fiasco
My ever-expanding 'Spill list continues...
All Pete Rock...(all the time)
Tru Master
The Best Secret
#1 Soul Brother (My pick as best for this subject)
Don't Be Mad
And Jean Redpath...
Tae the Weavers
Self-winding
The child, hanging from his father's hands, now saw again the bright star Sirius. It seemed to fly onwards, keeping pace beside them through the distant sky. As before, the child found its light a comfort. His good-luck coin clinked against his drum, and now he felt luckier than ever before. "Maybe we shan't always be helpless, Papa," he said. "Maybe we'll be self-winding someday."
"Maybe," said his father.
The Mouse and His Child by Russell Hoban is one of my favourite books, and every time I recommend it to someone I feel a teeny bit jealous, because they'll be reading it for the first time, and I can't ever experience that again. Anyone else feel like that about a book?
The Jute Mill Song, by June Tabor
Somebody Bring Me a Flower, I'm a Robot, by Kev Russell
Jackie's Train, by Mary Gauthier
My name's really - 'Ellier' - a night at the Ososphere
All this talk of machines and robots sent me down to road to check out our local electronic music festival - The Ososphere - last night. The main reason for the outing was to see Sébastien Tellier play his set. Ejay will remember that I was outraged when France announced that Tellier would represent them at Eurovision. "You can't do that! He's GOOD!!" I raged. Indeed, Tellier has been critically successful since 2001 and his album 'Sexuality', released this year, was a collaboration with Daft Punk's Guy-Manuel de Homem Christo. I needn't have worried, though. His song, 'Divine', finished 18th out of 25 songs with "quarente-sept points".His music has developed from using traditional instruments to pure and unapologetic synth-pop. This is the big brother of Air and a close cousin of Daft Punk. However, he is not averse to sitting down at the baby grand and giving us a burst of the orchestral and melancholic 'la Ritornelle' which was one of his earliest successes in 2004. Moving from some very competent guitar work, he played through the sensual synth swathes of 'Sexuality' which dominated my MP3 player on the beaches of Arcachon this summer. If you listen to 'Roche' you'll hear why...
Découvrez Sébastien Tellier!
Physically, Tellier is one big contradiction. He is, as my dear father would put it, "built like a brick shit house". Frequent comparisons with rugby player Sébastien Chabal are entirely merited. The look is resolutely hirsute with an unkempt beard and straggly locks covering most of his face. And an outsized pair of 80s shades just to cover up the rest for good measure. What is he hiding? And yet the masculine shagginess is offset by a breathy, almost feminine vocal style and a bright puce V-necked pullover. I'm talking serious pink here. At one point he whipped off the shades and I got a glimpse of the beauty beneath. Under those layers, I suspect, lies a seriously handsome face and I actually think that someone should play him with a couple of excellent bottles of Bordeaux and shave the whole lot off. I'd willingly contribute a smart sweater. Not a 'Cosby sweater'. Or lend him my E2-E4 black T-shirt which is the coolest item in my wardrobe.
But he wouldn't be Sébastien Tellier then, would he?
Friday, September 26, 2008
Happy 1000 everyone!!!
Blimpy's Top Five Bits From The 'Spill Archives:
9 months, 1000 posts, 7853 comments, 4000 individual readers per month, here's some of the things i liked:
1. Nilpferd's history of dondling, just fab! I still like to read it from time to time. There's a link on the sidebar, if you've never read it. Someone call the dictionary folks!!
2. From the post. "Well, this is a bit of alright....."
Nice place you've got here, Blimpy. Love what you've done with the colours etc. I dont have much to add now other than this, i'm drunk and i'm listening to Tindersticks.
I apologise for the quality of this postage in advance
fourfoot
3. From the post "Never Gonna Happen"
mr dna said...
Readers recommend: songs about soil
4. Abahachi's podcast, which I have listened to many times. DO ANOTHER ONE!! PLEASE!
5. Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The best slightly leftfield pop gem of the year (s...":
ha \you don't even no how 2 do a torrents -u r stupid loosers!
6. actually, i didn't really have time to go through all the 1000 posts to find my fave bits, so this post doesn't really do justice to things. maybe you guys can weigh in with your best bits - like the time the blog turned green, or maybe the duck obsession from April, or the ongoing monster development, or the run-in with websherrif, or the fab quizzles, or maybe the fact that everyone here is funny and interesting and just plain lovely.
Friends, thank you for making The 'Spill what it is, it means a lot to me.
Here's to the next 1000 posts!!! Cheers! hic....
We're Computerizing and We Just Don't Need You Anymore
The Girl with the pre-fabricated heart- The Real Tuesday Weld and CibelleDJ Format-Rap Machine
Homelife-Fruit Machine
Electric President-Good morning hypocrite
TV on the Radio- Satellite
UNKLE- Persons & Machinery
BT & The Roots- Tao of the Machine
Saul Williams- Gunshots by Computer
Burial- Ghost Hardware
American Anolog Set- We're Computerizing and We Just Don't Need You Anymore
Out of control-alt-delete
And for the non-robots list…
Mogwai have a mellow moment, Jim Noir's computer is – you suspect – a bit like his relationships, The Shortwave Set aren't dedicating track three to the Guardian techies, Princess Superstar has a machine that can make her into anything she wants to be (perhaps) and, to close, The Shortwave Set (again) bring us an artificial sun.
Chips with everything
First, Aphex Twin make Mescalinum United sound like a factory floor.
At 2, Soulwax help Daft Punk's robots to rock.
At 3, who did you say you were?
At 4, it's gonna get violent.
At 5, a heartbroken robot takes solace in alcohol and long solitary walks.
Manual Overdrive
Some machines with a human heart:
1] Not the Scooter remix, not the Lee Perry track of the same name, just the 'toon theme. Thanks to Penny for rescuing this from the vaults in the nick of time.
2] Anna Lockwood - Breathing Machine. Nebuliser soul.
3] Slim Gaillard - Cement Mixer. Any takers for a debate as to whether Slim Gaillard is the most genial presence in the history of popular music? Whatever, he gets my vout.
4] Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Multi-Horn Medley: Satin Doll/Lover. Not one for this week's theme but, short of a one-man band and without a plug involved, this has got to be one of the great musical contraptions. Not just the three-horn set-up, including instruments which didn't exist until their sound was dreamt up by Kirk, but the wind turbine of circular breathing that was the man himself.
5] "It was a dodgy Transformer again and again...a dodgy Transformer that cost £3.10."
This Is NOT An Automated Response ...
.
I just wanted to post this tonight for three reasons:
1. It fits this week's RR, from which I shall continue to be absent as both my machines and my blood pressure still hate it.
2. It's a response / thank you for the Mogwai vs. Fuck Buttons tune. This should appeal to those who liked that.
3. Because the song title says it all to my neighbour, whose son has called this evening to say that his dad is in Intensive Care at Straub Hospital in Honolulu, following a heart attack and subsequent emergency bypass operation on what was supposed to be the last day of his holiday.
HANG IN THERE, COLIN !
:o(
Matthew Ryan - Emergency Room Machines Say "BREATHE!"
I just wanted to post this tonight for three reasons:
1. It fits this week's RR, from which I shall continue to be absent as both my machines and my blood pressure still hate it.
2. It's a response / thank you for the Mogwai vs. Fuck Buttons tune. This should appeal to those who liked that.
3. Because the song title says it all to my neighbour, whose son has called this evening to say that his dad is in Intensive Care at Straub Hospital in Honolulu, following a heart attack and subsequent emergency bypass operation on what was supposed to be the last day of his holiday.
HANG IN THERE, COLIN !
:o(
Matthew Ryan - Emergency Room Machines Say "BREATHE!"
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Papa Sanes Sing Song Session
Derek Griffiths- Bod
Kira Whiley- caterpillar caterpillar
Saint Etienne- Excitation
Four Tet-Princess Watermelon Go GO Ninja Dinosaur
Crackpot- Tippy tippy Toe
David Byrne- Tiny Apocalypse
The Barcelona Pavilion- Tidy up
Jim Noir- I'm Me I'm Your
Kimya Dawson/They Might be Giants- bedx5
The Jazz Butcher- Mind Like A Playgroup
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
A couple of hard to find marriage songs
Here are a couple of hard to find marriage related songs. Thanks to the patience of Blimpey, I now seem able to post here finally. Whether I have done the Podbean thing right and all that, well, we'll see once I clic
Kids Prefer Video Games
Kids these days seem to prefer video games to music. Enter The Advantage, a Calforinia band that do covers of tunes from Nintendo Entertainment System games. They have a couple of albums, self titled & Elf Titled & here's a couple of tracks:Gremlins - Level 2
Metroid - Kraid's Lair
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Y'know... for kids.
I read something very heart warming today. Without wishing to turn this into an Elbow-centric blog, I think that this should be pointed out. Elbow want to make an album of children's music as they reckon there is very little decent music for kids. I, for one, applaud them.This notion has been buzzing round my head for a few days and the thought was stoked, not least, by the discussion of childhood car songs over on the MamaShip (Ralph McTell and Nerys Hughes at the Alphabet Zoo for me...).
You see, I've reached a point in my life which I'm sure must come to us all. When we are in the car - indeed sometimes at home as well - Mini Frod now feels quite free to ask that we listen to 'my songs' at any and all times as opposed to, say, 'daddy's songs'. So this has meant a large recent exposure amongst the 'Frods to a handful of those kind of kids CDs to which Elbow are reacting. And, by and large, they are absolutely right. It's cack. Almost all of it.
And yet...
Every now and then one of the tunes seems to stand out. It's been, well, produced. Properly and all that. Some of the songs are startling for the amount of balls they spout. Some are just a badly programmed Casio and a profoundly over-enthused voice. Some, terror of all terrors, actually involve groups of freakishly disinterested children singing.
But one of our CDs is worth it all for this tune, which I'd never heard before. Heavy heavy drums. Avant-garde lyrics. A neat shuffling synth and a damn fine tune. I give you, Peter Perkins.
31 Peter Perkins.mp3
So does anyone else have any experience of great/awful kids music? And would you have chosen Elbow to produce a kids album above, say, The Flaming Lips or Babyshambles? Or, indeed, Fuck Buttons?
Any thoughts?
Oh, just to remind you who Elbow are, here's Snooks (Progress Report), whose name at least sounds like a bizarre nursery rhyme...
04 Snooks (progress report).mp3
Note the similar drums....
When I Say Wife...
You all know how much I love Jonathan Richman so naturally I'm not going to pass up this opportunity to give my hero a little bit more exposure.
Jonathan has been recording his wonderful music for well over 30 years now - the first Modern Lovers album was released in 1976 but most of the tracks had been recorded four or five years earlier - so it's actually closer to 40 years. In that time, his songs have covered a huge variety of themes, ranging from homages to his his heroes (Vincent Van Gogh, Harpo Marx, Walter Johnson) to songs extolling the virtues of his favourite places (Give Paris One More Chance, New England, Bermuda, Nineteen In Naples): from children's songs (Hey There Little Insect, I'm A Little Dinosaur, Ice Cream Man) to songs celebrating the joys of life (The Morning Of Our Lives, Fly Into The Mystery, That Summer Feeling). This is what makes it so easy to recommend Jonathan Richman over on the mothership - it's relatively rare to have a theme which Jonathan hasn't covered at some time or other (revenge was a recent exception).
But the theme that occurs most frequently in Jonathan's work is that of domestic relationships - whether things are going well for him or not, it seems like there's nothing Jojo likes more than to bare his soul and share his thoughts, troubles and joys with the world. So here's just a small selection from the Jonathan Richman canon covering the whole gamut of relationships from start to finish. I've tried to be clever and create some sort of narrative which may or may not have worked...
Big Band Tuesday
I love the way Donald keeps sidetracking the band in this clip..
Kicked off by Ejaydee and Steenbeck's discussion about Pete Rock, I looked up the sample he used for T.R.O.Y., which was a sixties recording by saxophonist Tom Scott.
Scott also played some very nice Saxello on a 7/4 version of "Freedom Jazz Dance" by the Don Ellis big band.
The second piece is "Ahunk Ahunk", by the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis big band, another innovative, late sixties-early seventies big band also sampled by Pete Rock.
player removed
Monday, September 22, 2008
Mogwai Vs. Fuck Buttons
As requested from me pals, here's Mogwai's remix of Fuck Buttons' track "Colours Move".
The two bands are touring together just now, and this is from the split record you can get at the gigs. The other track is a Fuck Buttons remix of "Mogwai Fear Satan".
I would like to add at this juncture, that I named one of my cats after Mogwai, and once saw them play to about 12 people "back in the day".
Unrelated quiz: anyone recognise the frame I took from a certain movie?
If you like the mp3 - buy their stuff!!
Postcards from tiny islands.
Afternoon all. Somewhere in the chat following FP's historical playlist, I mentioned that I live near a natural phenomenon know as the Skelligs. I also promised, vaguely, that if I was to make it out to them before we move, then I would put up pictures for all to see.
Well that promise, friends, is about to be honoured.
Being as we move in a week, I have suddenly had to start carpe-diem-ing all over the place. The other day, for example, the weather was brilliant so I climbed the mountain that I have been meaning to climb for 18 months (a mountain with a Stations of the Cross on it, so I got me some credit there...). Then yesterday the weather was, incredibly, very fine once more so I phoned up the boat people and they said that yes, they were going to the Skelligs today. Result! Fine weather, you see, does not always equate to good sea, and landing at the rocks is not easy at all. Not at all...
Anyway, after a 45 minute boat trip we arrived at the two Skelligs - Little and Great - which form one of the most arresting and fascinating natural attractions I have ever seen. The little one is not habitable and is, essentially, a massive bird sanctuary. The big one - Skellig Michael - is habitable, just, and was settled by some crazy-ass monks if the 6th century. St Fionan is believed to have founded the monastery which was active right through Viking invasions and terrible seas up til the 15th century. The monastery was then finally disbanded, but the rock remained a pilgrimage site up until 1820.
In 1820 it was decided to use the rock for a lighthouse. Two were built on the island and were manned right up until 1986 when the computers finally took over. By that point the rock had become a UNESCO World Heritage site and is guarded by an army of archaeologists and historians who live there for two weeks at a time and, in good weather, welcome a limited number of tourists to the island each day.
It's a 700-step, 230m climb top the top, but boy is it ever worth it. Let me just re-iterate that everything on these pictures is balanced on a tiny, jagged rock 16k out into the Atlantic. Madness.
And, as a treat, whilst you peruse my postcards from tiny islands, have a listen to this song from the excellent Walkmen's new album You and Me. It's called, somewhat appropriately, Postcards from Tiny Islands. Who knew?
06 postcards from tiny islands.mp3
Well that promise, friends, is about to be honoured.
Being as we move in a week, I have suddenly had to start carpe-diem-ing all over the place. The other day, for example, the weather was brilliant so I climbed the mountain that I have been meaning to climb for 18 months (a mountain with a Stations of the Cross on it, so I got me some credit there...). Then yesterday the weather was, incredibly, very fine once more so I phoned up the boat people and they said that yes, they were going to the Skelligs today. Result! Fine weather, you see, does not always equate to good sea, and landing at the rocks is not easy at all. Not at all...
Anyway, after a 45 minute boat trip we arrived at the two Skelligs - Little and Great - which form one of the most arresting and fascinating natural attractions I have ever seen. The little one is not habitable and is, essentially, a massive bird sanctuary. The big one - Skellig Michael - is habitable, just, and was settled by some crazy-ass monks if the 6th century. St Fionan is believed to have founded the monastery which was active right through Viking invasions and terrible seas up til the 15th century. The monastery was then finally disbanded, but the rock remained a pilgrimage site up until 1820.
In 1820 it was decided to use the rock for a lighthouse. Two were built on the island and were manned right up until 1986 when the computers finally took over. By that point the rock had become a UNESCO World Heritage site and is guarded by an army of archaeologists and historians who live there for two weeks at a time and, in good weather, welcome a limited number of tourists to the island each day.
It's a 700-step, 230m climb top the top, but boy is it ever worth it. Let me just re-iterate that everything on these pictures is balanced on a tiny, jagged rock 16k out into the Atlantic. Madness.
And, as a treat, whilst you peruse my postcards from tiny islands, have a listen to this song from the excellent Walkmen's new album You and Me. It's called, somewhat appropriately, Postcards from Tiny Islands. Who knew?
06 postcards from tiny islands.mp3
Little Skellig. The world's second largest Gannet colony. Yes. Those are birds. Thousands of them.
The view from Little Skellig toward Great Skellig, or Mick as we know him. The loomer.
The larger island is marked by various bits of precarious natural sculpture. This is the view back to bird-poo rock.
The mysterious 'Frod enjoys the view toward the ancient cross, beehive huts, chapel, tombstones and little Skellig. You can just make out my beard.
The road back to the boat. Someone built that. Madness.
Oh and we totally got to see dolphins on the way back. That was a goood trip.
Finally, as a bonus, here's The Blue Route, another brilliant track off the brilliant Walkmen's brilliant album You and Me.
11 the blue route.mp3
Sunday, September 21, 2008
A Guilty Pleasure
I was just listening to Johnny Walker on Radio 2 while making some onion bhajis for tonight's curry and he played this.
I have to say that I love this song, even though it is a bit of a guilty pleasure.
It is a wonderful piece of pure pop, the structure is great and it has those aspirational but empty words that just work.
Oh yeah and it has a really ace, if far too short, guitar break, the kind of thing I'd love to play on stage in my dreams. I can just imagine stepping forward, stomping on the pedal and giving it some.
Speaking of great guitar breaks, this song has one of the best, I'd definitely love to play this on stage.
I have to say that I love this song, even though it is a bit of a guilty pleasure.
It is a wonderful piece of pure pop, the structure is great and it has those aspirational but empty words that just work.
Oh yeah and it has a really ace, if far too short, guitar break, the kind of thing I'd love to play on stage in my dreams. I can just imagine stepping forward, stomping on the pedal and giving it some.
Speaking of great guitar breaks, this song has one of the best, I'd definitely love to play this on stage.
Grandma said. .you should have married Fred instead.
Pelle Carlberg
Zelwer
Jens Lekman
Zelwer
Buscemi vs. Koçani Orkestar
Euros Child
Client
The Death Set
Our Way to fall is still the best together track.. thanks steenb... still can't work RR.. not sulking , got IE, Chrome, firefox and Safari working on it.. but not at the same time as designing so sorry if it doubles up.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Uxoriousness
Sorry about this. The simple fact is that I regard you lot as my nearest equivalent to mates I'd meet down the pub and have drunken arguments with about music/literature/politics/philosophy/life/etc. Which means, I'm afraid, that occasionally you get the drunken maudlin ramblings instead...
Mrs Abahachi has gone to stay with her mother for the weekend. It's okay, it's all pre-arranged to visit family, check on health of elderly relatives and visit offspring at university en route, rather than any sort of dramatic storming out, but I can't deny that it's a bit of a relief this time. As I think I mentioned at some point, she's in the process of setting up in business for the first time, dealing with bank managers, local planning authorities, unhelpful delivery companies and the like, and is finding it all incredibly stressful. My function in all of this appears to be a convenient person to shout or cry at, with occasional writing of cheques.
But I didn't come here to moan about my wife. Much. On the contrary, a bit of reflection, a couple of beers and some of last year's sloe gin seem to be leading me to a re-run of the end of When Harry Met Sally, a film I had successfully avoided before marriage and can now count on seeing at least twice a year. I love the way she watches the same few films again and again but skips all the bits she doesn't like, even though it also drives me up the wall (yes, I do indeed find myself trying to defend Richard Curtis' artistic vision). I love the way that, whenever we drive into a town, she makes sure all the car doors are locked, just in case we're ambushed by a bunch of feral urban teenagers. I love the way that she somehow persuades all four cats that they want to sleep on my side of the bed every night.
Inspired by Darcey's Dad's post earlier, I've been thinking about what our playlist might look like; similar issues as regards only loosely compatible musical tastes. I have continuing problems on the IT front, so can't post any music at the moment...
Captain and Tenille Love Will Keep Us Together. And not just because gremlinthingummy would hate it... Her era rather than mine - yup, I'm a toyboy - and a truly glorious bit of throwaway pop.
kd lang Constant Craving. Nothing to do with the lyrics, just the only album I owned when we first got together that she could bear to listen to.
Suzanne Vega Undertow. And this was one of hers, a gem amidst the Barbara Dixon. To be honest I'm not sure she's listened to the words very closely.
The Rembrandts I'll Be There For You. We first met when Friends was just arriving in the UK, and, annoying though this undoubtedly became, I would still maintain that it's a good, cheery song with a nice sentiment. And it was on the first mix tape I produced for her - otherwise an unmitigated disaster...
La Belle Epoque Black Is Black. One of her favourites, and I'll happily go for this sort of classy disco.
Gloria Gaynor I Will Survive. My disco number, largely for some specific connotations relating to an amateur production of a version of Sophocles' Ajax. One of my finest hours, I think; I may relate the anecdote some time. Alas, poor Ajax. For I have lost all my vim...
Joe Jackson It's Different For Girls. Another one for her; the woman has some taste, I'll grant you.
Buzzcocks Ever Fallen In Love.... Actually I might not be allowed this one; for me it sums up everything about the way we got together, but it went down like a lead balloon on the mix tape. Though not quite as badly as Me and Mrs Jones.
Shania Twain That Don't Impress Me Much. Yes, it really should be one of the soppy ones like You're Still The One, but this is so much more fun, and has the added bonus of annoying my stepson in an entertaining manner. Don't get me wrong, we have a really good relationship (these days, anyway), but it is rather hilarious the way he takes this song utterly personally. Ditto No Scrubs.
Charles Mingus Celia. Because I am going to insist on having at least one jazz track, and the more I listen to this the more it seems like a brilliant portrait of a marriage and of marriage in general: ups, downs, fast bits, slow bits, harmonies and dischords...
Okay, if someone will buy me another drink I'll shut up now.
Mrs Abahachi has gone to stay with her mother for the weekend. It's okay, it's all pre-arranged to visit family, check on health of elderly relatives and visit offspring at university en route, rather than any sort of dramatic storming out, but I can't deny that it's a bit of a relief this time. As I think I mentioned at some point, she's in the process of setting up in business for the first time, dealing with bank managers, local planning authorities, unhelpful delivery companies and the like, and is finding it all incredibly stressful. My function in all of this appears to be a convenient person to shout or cry at, with occasional writing of cheques.
But I didn't come here to moan about my wife. Much. On the contrary, a bit of reflection, a couple of beers and some of last year's sloe gin seem to be leading me to a re-run of the end of When Harry Met Sally, a film I had successfully avoided before marriage and can now count on seeing at least twice a year. I love the way she watches the same few films again and again but skips all the bits she doesn't like, even though it also drives me up the wall (yes, I do indeed find myself trying to defend Richard Curtis' artistic vision). I love the way that, whenever we drive into a town, she makes sure all the car doors are locked, just in case we're ambushed by a bunch of feral urban teenagers. I love the way that she somehow persuades all four cats that they want to sleep on my side of the bed every night.
Inspired by Darcey's Dad's post earlier, I've been thinking about what our playlist might look like; similar issues as regards only loosely compatible musical tastes. I have continuing problems on the IT front, so can't post any music at the moment...
Captain and Tenille Love Will Keep Us Together. And not just because gremlinthingummy would hate it... Her era rather than mine - yup, I'm a toyboy - and a truly glorious bit of throwaway pop.
kd lang Constant Craving. Nothing to do with the lyrics, just the only album I owned when we first got together that she could bear to listen to.
Suzanne Vega Undertow. And this was one of hers, a gem amidst the Barbara Dixon. To be honest I'm not sure she's listened to the words very closely.
The Rembrandts I'll Be There For You. We first met when Friends was just arriving in the UK, and, annoying though this undoubtedly became, I would still maintain that it's a good, cheery song with a nice sentiment. And it was on the first mix tape I produced for her - otherwise an unmitigated disaster...
La Belle Epoque Black Is Black. One of her favourites, and I'll happily go for this sort of classy disco.
Gloria Gaynor I Will Survive. My disco number, largely for some specific connotations relating to an amateur production of a version of Sophocles' Ajax. One of my finest hours, I think; I may relate the anecdote some time. Alas, poor Ajax. For I have lost all my vim...
Joe Jackson It's Different For Girls. Another one for her; the woman has some taste, I'll grant you.
Buzzcocks Ever Fallen In Love.... Actually I might not be allowed this one; for me it sums up everything about the way we got together, but it went down like a lead balloon on the mix tape. Though not quite as badly as Me and Mrs Jones.
Shania Twain That Don't Impress Me Much. Yes, it really should be one of the soppy ones like You're Still The One, but this is so much more fun, and has the added bonus of annoying my stepson in an entertaining manner. Don't get me wrong, we have a really good relationship (these days, anyway), but it is rather hilarious the way he takes this song utterly personally. Ditto No Scrubs.
Charles Mingus Celia. Because I am going to insist on having at least one jazz track, and the more I listen to this the more it seems like a brilliant portrait of a marriage and of marriage in general: ups, downs, fast bits, slow bits, harmonies and dischords...
Okay, if someone will buy me another drink I'll shut up now.
Gotye
A recent discovery I want to share with you all, from Belgium, via Australia: Wouter Debacker, artist name: Gotye, I love this animated clip, enjoy....
P.S. there is a lot more Gotye to enjoy on YouTube....
P.S. there is a lot more Gotye to enjoy on YouTube....
Friday, September 19, 2008
Relationship contemplations (pt 1)
Whilst sitting in my metaphorical single bed in the guest room, wondering if I'm ever going back to the marital double in the master suite, I started to put together my list of nominations. But then I stopped ...
One of the strangely liberating things about my self-imposed exile from RR is a feeling of release from any subject parameters our guru imposes. This became apparent when I looked for this week's DBT song. My initial thought was that given we've had My Sweet Annette, it has to be Marry Me as the one sitting squarely inside the subject boundaries. But then I realised that - as of now - there ARE NO subject boundaries! Wherever my train of thought goes, or whatever the topic title triggers in my mental fave song jukebox, I can simply go for it. Consequently Marry Me gets dumped, and the wonderfully heart-warming 18 Wheels Of Love roll in instead.
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Update/Edit - It's Sunday night, and I've FINALLY got most of the mp3 files attached to the titles, and given ToffeeBoy's comment about Blue Nile, I've added Family Life to the list:
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In the "I'm gonna marry you" slot:
On the "I'm the luckiest man alive" cloud:
In the "Why do I stay?" rut:
On the edge of the abyss:
Sinead O'Connor - The Last Day Of Our Acquaintance
Saying "I told you so" unconvincingly from the sadsack corner of the bar is:
Grabbing the second chance of happiness are:
Battling through difficult circumstances is:
Ignoring the withering looks from former fairweather friends:
Living happily ever after are:
And realising that there is no "forever" is:
Natalie Merchant - My Beloved Wife
Sorry if this is all a bit schmaltzy, but as a very happily-married man whose wife has a much more MOR musical taste than mine, I suppose this is an inevitable consequence of the topic.
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I'm now FAR too knackered to correct the errors in this post, let alone think of any more songs.
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Trouble at t'mill
LA MALMARIÉE
C’est le maître du moulin qui marie sa fille.
Il la marie à un vieillard plaisant,
Hélas, la pauvre fille n’a encore que 15 ans.
Quand ce fut le matin jour, elle s’en va chez son père,
Hélas mon père, vous avez bien grand tort,
De me donner un mari, la nuit le jour il dort.
Pardonne ma fille, pardonne, pardonne à la vieillesse,
Il a beaucoup d’argent, tu seras sa maîtresse,
Hélas mon père, au diable son argent,
Moi j’aimerais mieux un homme à mon contentement.
1 La Malmariee, by the Cock and Bull Band. "This miller, he married his daughter off to a ridiculous old man. Pity the poor girl - she's only 15 years old. Well, the day after, she comes back to see her dad. "You know what, Dad?" she says. "You've only given me a husband who SLEPT all night long. What's that about?" "Oh, sorry about the old bloke, my daughter. He's got loads of money and you'll have the spending of it!" "That's not good enough, dad - to hell with the money, I'd rather have a chap who'll satisfy me, know what I mean?"
2 The Trees They Do Grow High, by Martin Carthy. Opposite thing! (Though the young husband does know what to do with it, apparently.)
3 I Always Cry at Weddings, by the In and Outlaws. Total cheat. This is my son's band, and he wrote the song.
4 Madonna's Wedding, by Richard Thompson. Bit of a stretch with some of those rhymes, RT.
La Malmariee, plus a couple of tunes
The Trees They Do Grow High
I Always Cry at Weddings
Madonna's Wedding
Marriage Songs
Mos Def--U R The One
CYHSY__Emily Jean Stock
Bob Willis & HTPB--Take me Back To Tulsa
The Carter Family--Single Girl Married Girl
Talib Kweli--Joy
Talib Kweli--Tallk to You
Pete Rock and CL Smooth--Lot's of Lovin
The Specials--Stupid Marriage
Citizen Cope--Son's Gonna Rise
Decemberists--Clementine
Jackie Mittoo--Rock Steady Wedding
Cee Lo Green--All Day Love Affair
Jean Redpath--College Boy
Our Way to Fall
Bands that never let you down
This was alluded to in the "Worst Albums" thread.
Are there any bands/artists that you like that which you can always rely on to release albums you like or have never left you feeling disappointed by what you have bought?
I can only think of one;
King Crimson - I like everything they do, yes, I have favourites but I don't own anything by them that I actively dislike.
Are there any bands/artists that you like that which you can always rely on to release albums you like or have never left you feeling disappointed by what you have bought?
I can only think of one;
King Crimson - I like everything they do, yes, I have favourites but I don't own anything by them that I actively dislike.
You May Now Dondle The Bride
Today, I'm working with a guy whose wife walked up the aisle to the theme from The Persuaders, which is a very good choice.
Anyway, here's some more wedding songs. Hope you enjoy (at least) some of them.
Anyway, here's some more wedding songs. Hope you enjoy (at least) some of them.
You Made Your Bed....
When Will We Be Married?
Buried Bones
Lucky Man
Settling Song
Mine Is In Yours
Jacob's Pillow
Blueberry Hill
My Moon, My Man
Good Woman
A Marriage Made In Heaven
Fools Like Us
We Have All The Time in the World
Ok 'Spillers, & before FP beats me to it, what songs were played at your weddings?
'Spill Monster in progress
I've destroyed some vinyl and some tapes and some cds.. this is the start of a 'spill monster.. I begin things on a thursday night while catching up on music. RR keeps me going while I try to avoid all the addiction I used to have... faffing .. that's what it's called.Did we get 'No Children' before
Good theme this week... can't play, as I can't work at the same time.
Songs from the films 'Black Cat/white Cat' or 'Underground' fit.
Monster is just waving goodbye, must try harder.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Mystery Track Time!
In order not to wipe out my bondwidth, and not to get shouted at by the "authorities", I present to you a new and mysterious song (one I've been intrigued to hear ever since it was first m00ted7
Do you like my cunning visual clue?
Anyways, thoughts on the track in the comments, please!
Au Revoir À RR ... *sniff*
DsD waits for the Revenge Songs RR to refresh ...
In spite of not posting much, I DID actually keep reading the GU Music blog last week.
Amongst several fighting much harder at the front line than me - Chris7572 deserves a medal; I bloody well will seek out webcorewebcore IRL and buy that man a drink; and Fuel & Cauliflower nailed the issues in a couple of comments.
But ...
I've spent the last couple of years using RR as a refuge; an oasis of calm if you like. Regardless of how bad my day may have been, the good humour and stellar journey of music discovery has ALWAYS left me feeling better.
Until last week.
I cannot tell you how irrationally stressful it has been trying to load / wait / expand / wait / squint / scroll / wait while my scroller decides whether it is playing or not / deal with the delayed response to typing / crash&burn trying to deal with youtube on the side / rescue my cursor from wherever CtrlF has chucked it, etc etc etc .
Well I'm sorry, but ENOUGH!
As Captain Oates famously said: "I am just going outside and may be some time". Unlike Cpt.O I have a destination refuge in mind - I'm staying here, friends, but I am ABSOLUTELY NOT going back to RR until the tech issues are fixed. I appreciate there are elements of the GU team trying to help, and yes we were told it may take some weeks to iron out the kinks, so I am not burning any bridges ... yet. They fix it, I'm back happy. They don't fix it, I stay gone.
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I need to explain.In spite of not posting much, I DID actually keep reading the GU Music blog last week.
Amongst several fighting much harder at the front line than me - Chris7572 deserves a medal; I bloody well will seek out webcorewebcore IRL and buy that man a drink; and Fuel & Cauliflower nailed the issues in a couple of comments.
But ...
I've spent the last couple of years using RR as a refuge; an oasis of calm if you like. Regardless of how bad my day may have been, the good humour and stellar journey of music discovery has ALWAYS left me feeling better.
Until last week.
I cannot tell you how irrationally stressful it has been trying to load / wait / expand / wait / squint / scroll / wait while my scroller decides whether it is playing or not / deal with the delayed response to typing / crash&burn trying to deal with youtube on the side / rescue my cursor from wherever CtrlF has chucked it, etc etc etc .
Well I'm sorry, but ENOUGH!
As Captain Oates famously said: "I am just going outside and may be some time". Unlike Cpt.O I have a destination refuge in mind - I'm staying here, friends, but I am ABSOLUTELY NOT going back to RR until the tech issues are fixed. I appreciate there are elements of the GU team trying to help, and yes we were told it may take some weeks to iron out the kinks, so I am not burning any bridges ... yet. They fix it, I'm back happy. They don't fix it, I stay gone.
In spite of your kind words (Ed & Claire in particular), the truth is no-one is going to be worse off for my absence. Now if RockingMitch stays gone, THAT'S a loss.
I'll contribute to the nominations, but on The 'Spill. If any of you like what you hear, by all means take 'em with you when you dive into the cyber-quicksand over yonder.
At least it means I can go to bed before 2am on a Friday morning !
;o)
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DsD
x
I'll contribute to the nominations, but on The 'Spill. If any of you like what you hear, by all means take 'em with you when you dive into the cyber-quicksand over yonder.
At least it means I can go to bed before 2am on a Friday morning !
;o)
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'
'
DsD
x
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