Friday, February 15, 2008
Subway to Sally!
If I'd had my wits about me, I'd have advertised this in advance to anyone with access to German television: the glorious insanity of the Bundesvision Song Contest! This selects the German entry for Eurovision, but it's abundantly clear that the Germans have long since abandoned any interest in that contest - they certainly don't vote for songs on the basis that they stand a cat in hell's chance of winning. Anyone who remembers 'Guido Loves You', by Guido and the Orthopaedic Stockings, from 1999 will see what I mean.
No, what matters in Bundesvision is regionalism. The competition is organised around the different Lander, each of which selects its own local heroes, and it's a fascinating insight into regional taste (or lack thereof): grunge from Bremen, goth (with accompanying ballet) from Sachsen-Anhalt, soul-hip-hop-Spice Girls from Nordrhein-Westphalen, piss-poor rap-funk from Leipzig, and a Mittelalterrock-Folk-Metal-Truppe from Brandenburg singing an epic about (I think) noble Germanic seafarers returning to Kiel. Yes, they won.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAtEMy1chB0&feature=related
Wouldn't 'Song For Europe' be so much more fun if it pitted, say, Portishead against Dizzee Rascal against some goths from Leeds, all for the honour of the region, rather than the current desperate attempt at combining vague credibility with a chance of winning?
No, what matters in Bundesvision is regionalism. The competition is organised around the different Lander, each of which selects its own local heroes, and it's a fascinating insight into regional taste (or lack thereof): grunge from Bremen, goth (with accompanying ballet) from Sachsen-Anhalt, soul-hip-hop-Spice Girls from Nordrhein-Westphalen, piss-poor rap-funk from Leipzig, and a Mittelalterrock-Folk-Metal-Truppe from Brandenburg singing an epic about (I think) noble Germanic seafarers returning to Kiel. Yes, they won.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAtEMy1chB0&feature=related
Wouldn't 'Song For Europe' be so much more fun if it pitted, say, Portishead against Dizzee Rascal against some goths from Leeds, all for the honour of the region, rather than the current desperate attempt at combining vague credibility with a chance of winning?
Persuasion
I've just recommended Richard Thompson's 'Sweet Talker' soundtrack over on RR and now I can't get 'Persuasion' out of my head...so here's RT with his little lad Teddy.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
That age old Valentines story
It's that old, old tale;
Boy sees girl waiting for the bus.
Boy hopes the bus doesn't show so he can continue to admire girl.
Boy is so in love he loses his place in the book.
Boy sits behind girl on the bus.
Girl gets off the same stop as boy.
Boy asks girl out.
Girl says 'No' to Boy.
Boy never forgets girl.
Boy writes song in the vain hope that the girl may hear it one day, and remember him.
This is that song:
File under: "lost classic"...
Name that Sample
Another installment of the highly anticipated "name that sample segment."
Here's Paris Tokyo, Lupe Fiasco...
Here's San Juan Sunset by Eumir Deodato...
Here's Paris Tokyo, Lupe Fiasco...
Here's San Juan Sunset by Eumir Deodato...
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Downloading Video with Firefox
I was just reading some of Stephen Fry's back issues in the Technology section, specifically re. Firefox, There's a blog attached and both he and some readers have interesting ideas re. downloading from youtube etc. Worth reading.
In the jingle-jangle morning
Me'n'Bob set out for work this morning, and I wondered whether the bit of foam I'd found in the cupboard would cushion the camera against the engine noise. Seems to work!
Iron & Wine
Let's see if we can embed the great Iron & Wine gig @ the Amsterdam Paradiso here, from fabchannel.com:
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Laura Marling update!
I finally got the Laura Marling album! Lovely stuff, and a critique may be forthcoming after I've properly digested it - it's the first "new" album I've bought this year! Well, when I say "bought" - really it was a Valentines gift from Mrs McF, as we had V-day yesterday (we had afternoon tea and bought 5 cushions, 4 tables, 3 plates, and a teapot.)
Here's another of Laura's videos, this time for "Ghosts"
If any 'Spillers want some sampling mp3s, lots can be found via the good old Hype Machine as per usual.
Laura isn't free single of the week on itunes anymore, but she has been replaced by the equally wonderful Sons and Daughters!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
new linkety link
I just added a link for the website Fabulist to the sidebar over on the left. It has a lot of music videos, including RR favs Laura Marling and those preppy guys that sing about Cape Cod, as well as this...
If only it was called Thou Shalt Always 'Spill...
If only it was called Thou Shalt Always 'Spill...
Some songs with sex
Here's The Bonny Black Hare by Fairport Convention, Hokey Pokey by Richard Thompson, and Red Headed Woman by Brooooce...all these songs have sex in them.
In the Mood for Love?
Just staying with the subject of sexy music for the moment, I've just watched the two Wong Kar Wai movies, In the Mood for Love and 2046 which are both incredibly sensual. The first is full of repressed longing and the second a rather sad but very sexual search for real love. I saw Wong Kar Wai out for an early morning stroll in Cannes. No minders, no entourage. Just out for an early morning constitutional along the shore in his black leather jacket. Which I thought was cool. The soundtracks are an eclectic mixture of opera and music from the 60s. Thought I'd share two very very sexy pieces of music from the two soundtracks with you: the theme from In the mood for love and Siboney by Connie Francis. Anyone like his movies? 
You're gonna have to step over my dead body before you walk out that door
this song is called "no wow", and is one of my favourite kills songs.
Another twist on Marvin...
Marvin Gaye & Gare du Nord - You're my medicine
...you might recognize a well-known song in this one....
BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS LIVE AT THE ROXY, 1976.
Back in May '76 I noticed a tiny item on the inner pages of the LA Times, Bob Marley and the Wailers were to play a gig at the Roxy in Hollywood on the Saturday followed by a show at Pauley Pavilion at UCLA on the Tuesday. I imediately called the Roxy, "Sorry this is a closed event, not open to the public" was the sorrowful news. Damn!
That afternoon I met my friend Ron and told him my tale of woe, "Hey no problem, you should speak with so and so, she's married to the guy who owns the Roxy, she used to be my room mate, I'll give her a call" About 5 minutes later my phone rang, it was she, calling from Spokane; "Hi, Ron tells me you want to see the Marley concert, how many tickets do you need?" Oh God, I almost fell off the chair, "Could I get two" I tentatively asked, "No problem, I'll have them put your name at the will-call window for all-access, and would you like tickets for Pauley as well? This was too much, "I'd love it you could do it" "No problem she said, "You'll have two on the guest list there with all access". I don't remember what I spluttered at that point, I was probably just babbling inanities.
The big day arrived, I drove to Hollywood and parked right across the street from the Roxy, there was a huge crowd totally blocking the sidewalk and access to the box office. In those days I carried my camera gear everywhere, a bag with at least a couple of Nikons and several lenses etc. When I finally got to the will-call window it was exactly as she'd said it would be, two all access passes, but when I got to the entrance a guy who looked like a professional football player said "No Cameras or recorders period, no exceptions" I showed him my passes, "Did you hear what I said, No Cameras!" Damn, now I had to go back through the crowd to the parking lot and stow my gear and when I returned the crowd was so big that I thought I might never reach that door again, but I finally did and when I entered there was space at a table about 10 ft from the stage. It's a small club and it was packed; I immediately saw why it was a closed event, everybody who was anybody in the music business in LA was there, I saw Lennon, Dylan, CSN, Joni, the entire audience were music personalities!
The lights went down and the band started playing behind closed curtains and this went on for several minutes with the crowd getting more excited and noisy by the minute: Tony G, Bob's local man in LA did the intro's, " Well Rastafari, peace and love in the South, I and I would like to introduce, direct from Trenchtown Jamaica, what we call the Rastaman Vibration, Bob Marley and the Wailing Wailers" and with that the band switched into Trenchtown Rock and it was underway! The crowd went nuts, the Wailers had never played so well. An amazing concert, definitely the best I was ever at and the bonus was being back stage in the dressing room afterwards!
At some point shortly thereafter Junior Marvin gave me a board check cassette of the show, I treasured it and played it constantly, every year on air I did a BMW special and it was always included. I had dozens of board tapes from lots of the live shows but that one was exceptional. And then in 2003, twentyseven years after the event Tuff Gong/Island records released it on CD, actually a double "Bob Marley & the Wailers Live at the Roxy.
The most amazing part of the concert was the encore, the Wailers came back on stage and did a 30 minute set that was unbelievable, they and Bob played Get up, Stand up, No more Trouble and War in a manner never heard before or since, they were transported. It was spectacular, here it is, it's a 24 minute cut, I suggest that you just hit play and turn the volume all the way up.
That afternoon I met my friend Ron and told him my tale of woe, "Hey no problem, you should speak with so and so, she's married to the guy who owns the Roxy, she used to be my room mate, I'll give her a call" About 5 minutes later my phone rang, it was she, calling from Spokane; "Hi, Ron tells me you want to see the Marley concert, how many tickets do you need?" Oh God, I almost fell off the chair, "Could I get two" I tentatively asked, "No problem, I'll have them put your name at the will-call window for all-access, and would you like tickets for Pauley as well? This was too much, "I'd love it you could do it" "No problem she said, "You'll have two on the guest list there with all access". I don't remember what I spluttered at that point, I was probably just babbling inanities.
The big day arrived, I drove to Hollywood and parked right across the street from the Roxy, there was a huge crowd totally blocking the sidewalk and access to the box office. In those days I carried my camera gear everywhere, a bag with at least a couple of Nikons and several lenses etc. When I finally got to the will-call window it was exactly as she'd said it would be, two all access passes, but when I got to the entrance a guy who looked like a professional football player said "No Cameras or recorders period, no exceptions" I showed him my passes, "Did you hear what I said, No Cameras!" Damn, now I had to go back through the crowd to the parking lot and stow my gear and when I returned the crowd was so big that I thought I might never reach that door again, but I finally did and when I entered there was space at a table about 10 ft from the stage. It's a small club and it was packed; I immediately saw why it was a closed event, everybody who was anybody in the music business in LA was there, I saw Lennon, Dylan, CSN, Joni, the entire audience were music personalities!
The lights went down and the band started playing behind closed curtains and this went on for several minutes with the crowd getting more excited and noisy by the minute: Tony G, Bob's local man in LA did the intro's, " Well Rastafari, peace and love in the South, I and I would like to introduce, direct from Trenchtown Jamaica, what we call the Rastaman Vibration, Bob Marley and the Wailing Wailers" and with that the band switched into Trenchtown Rock and it was underway! The crowd went nuts, the Wailers had never played so well. An amazing concert, definitely the best I was ever at and the bonus was being back stage in the dressing room afterwards!
At some point shortly thereafter Junior Marvin gave me a board check cassette of the show, I treasured it and played it constantly, every year on air I did a BMW special and it was always included. I had dozens of board tapes from lots of the live shows but that one was exceptional. And then in 2003, twentyseven years after the event Tuff Gong/Island records released it on CD, actually a double "Bob Marley & the Wailers Live at the Roxy.
The most amazing part of the concert was the encore, the Wailers came back on stage and did a 30 minute set that was unbelievable, they and Bob played Get up, Stand up, No more Trouble and War in a manner never heard before or since, they were transported. It was spectacular, here it is, it's a 24 minute cut, I suggest that you just hit play and turn the volume all the way up.
So if Marvin is too obvious, here's a twist ...
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Dorian had a bit of a plea in this week's header to not just give him clichéed Marvin Gaye nominations. What was the first thing I gave him??
[Sigh!] - Me & Our Guru ain't getting along too well at the moment!
So here's the song most likely to get me back on the blog before Monday's cut-off: it's still Marvin, but with a rock head on.
I know Blimpy loves this, but what about the rest of you?
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Deezer Virgin's First Time
Not quite sure how my maiden voyage on the good ship Deezer will fare. Sadly, the Martina and Grace Jones tracks I tried to add to the playlist won't play. Anyway, here goes:
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