It’s cold, and it’s been raining outside on and off since last night.  All the songs on this mix have something to do with oceans, or water, or rivers.  Or something.  *shrug*

1. Camera Obscura – French Navy
2. Martha Wainwright – Niger River
3. Blitzen Trapper – Lady on the Water
4. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Underwater (You and Me)

Esta semana tenemos un round up cargadito de noticias. U2, Spoon, y más novedades de Glastonbury.

U2 y Muse en Glastonbury

La banda que una vez supo ser la más grande del mundo (ahora están un poco achanchados, podría decirse) trae novedades. No de un nuevo disco (aunque no me extrañaría que esté en trámite, esa información ya no la puedo dar) sino de una participación en el festival de música más grande (a su medida) de toda Europa.

Vamos a los bifes: U2 va a ser el plato fuerte de Glastonbury en 2010. Esto es noticia no sólo porque se trata de U2, una de las bandas más grandes del ¿universo?, sino que también será la primera vez que la banda de Bono y The Edge toquen en el festival.

Además de U2, otra banda que se rumorea que estará headlining el show es Muse. Si bien no hay nada confirmado, existen una serie de indicios que llevan a pensar que el grupo estaría presente.

En primer lugar, Muse no tiene fechas agendadas para la época del festival. Además, el bajista de la banda, Chris, afirmó que en el próximo no sólo harían recitales propios sino también participarían de festivales. Y por último, el presentador televisivo Jonathan Ross (que tuvo como invitados al trío en su programa) twitteó anoche que Matt Bellamy le había comentado que “probablemente” se estarían presentando en Glastonbury.

Nombres con los que compartirán el escenario: los geniales Pavement, Vampire Weekend (que para ese momento ya tendrán nuevo disco) y Robert Plant.

Heligoland, en febrero

Segunda novedad de la semana: está listo el nuevo álbum de Massive Attack y ya podemos escuchar algunos de los temas. Los muchachos de Bristol tienen nuevo disco, titulado Heligoland, que sale el año que viene, el nueve de febrero para ser más exactos. Será el quinto álbum de estudio que saquen en su carrera y la continuación de 100th window de 2003 (se tomaron unas largas vacaciones).

El trip hop sombrío del dúo conformado por Daddy G y Mushroom también cuenta con participaciones de amigos de la talla de Damon Albarn (quien podría dejarse de joder un ratito y sacar algo interesante con Blur; digo, no, ya que se juntaron y todo).

El primer tema del disco, que ya había sido lanzado con el EP Splitting the atom, cuenta con la participación de Tunde Adebimpe (TV on the radio) y lo pueden escuchar como un tester de lo que se viene.

Nuevo disco de Arcade Fire el año que viene!

Lo confirmó su discográfica, Mercury Records. La banda canadiense ya está en el estudio (en la ciudad de Nueva York) grabando el sucesor de Neon Bible.

Por el momento, escuchemos Wake Up, de su disco Funeral.

Merry Christmas, WTF

Debo admitir que las canciones navideñas no son mis favoritas pero hay excepciones: River, hecha por Travis, y el disco que sacó este año el amigo Bob Dylan, entre otros; y ahora se agrega a la colección The Blizzard, versionada por los escoceses de Camera Obscura. En esta oportunidad, la triste voz de Tracyann Campbell y las suaves melodías de sus compañeros de banda se meten con este tema de Jim Reeves del año 1964. Sale este 7 de diciembre en versión single acompañado de otro gran tema de su último disco, Swans. Pero, para los impacientes o para los que no tengan ganas de comprarlo (no recomendamos la descarga ilegal… as if!):

Otras novedades musicales

The Ting Tings, que la pegaron bien pegada el año pasado con su primer disco We Started Nothing, ya están trabajando en su segundo disco, y con un invitado especial. El rapero Jay-Z, que además de sacar su propia música, tiene una discográfica (Roc Nation) y produce a otros artistas a través de la misma.

The Daily Star informa que el dúo británico ya firmó contrato con Roc Nation y, aparentemente, el jefe está muy interesado en el desarrollo de la banda. No sabemos si su colaboración va a ser por vías de la producción (más probable) o a través de un tema (esperemos que NO), pero definitivamente va a ser bueno para la exposición de la banda, y para demostrar al mundo que son más que un éxito pasajero. Veremos.

Para aquellos que adoren el electropop obsceno, hay un nuevo álbum de La Roux en camino, pero viene lento. La pelirroja andrógina y el productor invisible se pondrán a trabajar durante estas navidades en los temas que compondrán su próximo disco, el sucesor al homónimo La Roux de este año. Las novedades: la idea es incluir instrumentos más tradicionales, pero sin perder la vibra electropop ochentosa que los caracteriza. Elly Jackson, cantante y compositora de la banda, hizo las aclaraciones correspondientes. “A menos que nos arreglemos para escribir un disco completo en dos semanas, no creo que haya un segundo disco en un tiempo”. A esperar se ha dicho.

Spoon, banda de indie de Texas, ya anunció la fecha de salida de su próximo disco. Transference, así se llama, estará disponible a partir del 19 de enero. Written in reverse será el primer single del disco, y sale este martes.

Eso es todo por este round up!

1.Okkervil river- Listening to Otis Redding at home During Christmas

Listening to Ottis Redding at home during Christmas

2.Fleet Foxes- White Winter Hymnal

White winter hymnal

3.Beck Winter- Lady

Winter Lady

4.Neko Case Christmas card from a hooker in Minneapolis (Tom Waits Cover)

Christmas card from a hooker in Minneapolis

5.Emmy and the Great and Lightspeed Champion- Christmas in Prison

Christmas in prison

6.Jack white- Christmas time is almost over

Christmas Time is almost over

7.Au Revoir Simone- Fallen Snow

Fallen Snow

8.Belle and Sebastian- Fox in the snow

Fox in the snow

9.Sufjan Stevens- That was the worst christmas ever

That was the worst Christmas Ever

10.Camera Obscura- Happy New Year

Happy new year

11.Band Of Horse-The End’s not near

The ends not near

Walking to the Barrowlands in the daytime is somehow harder for me than at night. I don’t recognise these streets when the sun is, if not out, at least buried behind a mountain of rain clouds, and as such am slightly derailed on my way to this interview on an absolutely miserable day.

Rain is soaking through my hood and I’m pretty tired after walking from the West End, but it’s all okay because I’ve got my headphones, simultaneously functioning as ear muffs and pumping the strains of Camera Obscura’s Honey in the Sun into my head. Tracyanne Campbell’s pop choruses are so utterly steeped in dejected elation that, no matter how wet your socks are, it is impossible for the corners of your mouth to turn any way but up, and it makes this detour fly by.

As keyboardist Carey Lander suits up in the restroom adjoining on to this dressing room, Campbell is quiet, arranging chairs and exchanging a couple of shy smiles, halted by a tightening of her features. Two minutes of near silence and awkward small talk as we wait, and I’m starting to feel like I’ve pulled her out of class.

This atmosphere does, thankfully, melt away when Lander joins us, and Campbell becomes visibly more comfortable in conversation. As this year has seen them go from strength to strength with the release of My Maudlin Career, I’m interested to hear the highlights of the last eight months.

“We went back to Mexico again which was pretty cool”, Campbell begins, Lander agreeing: “That was probably our most enjoyable gig of the year because the Mexican crowds are just amazing. Playing here last time was pretty special.” Here, of course, being the venerable Barrowland Ballroom, a venue which Campbell recently listed as her favourite to play. “It’s a legendary venue, I’ve been here many times to see bands and I’ve had a great time. It is about aspiring to play in the venue that everybody says is the best in the city, it’s still a little bit surreal.” Lander adds to this: “It’s the place you think you’ll never play.” They have no ambitions to occupy the SECC, however, wryly figuring “I don’t think we’re anthemic enough to carry off a stadium,” and I have to agree, the breed of intimate anthem they play would be lost in that cave.

Like any high-profile band of the moment, an album leak was inevitable when they were preparing it for release in February. Guitarist Kenny pointed out on the band’s Twitter feed an interesting hypocrisy shortly afterwards, stating that the people who deride Iggy Pop for lending his image to sell car insurance are most likely the same people who will be downloading his music illegally. Discussing some of the implications of this, I ask Campbell what she thinks of the justification file-sharers who consider themselves musically-conscious give, questioning how much money gets through to the band after the label have claimed all the profit. On this topic Campbell is suddenly animated.

“Even less money gets through to the band if you download the record illegally. I think people should think about it before they actually say it, they should do some research. I think a lot of people justify themselves and say ‘oh well, Iggy Pop did this so I’m just going to steal his records’, or ‘they don’t get much anyway, what does it matter to them?’ It’s not even so much about the money, it’s the arrogance of people to dismiss the group and the effort that the group have made, and the record label, and the people that work with the band, and the people who design the cover — all of it. It’s a lot of hard work from a lot of people, and it’s a special thing.”

Lander considers more the premature availability: “I think it was more painful because it leaked before it came out, it takes away from your big release date. Generally I can understand that there is a certain amount of music sharing and streaming…” Campbell interjects: “Yeah, before it comes out, and people have the cheek to…” Here Lander finishes her thought with a weary laugh, “…moan about the quality of the stolen downloads.” Campbell is, it seems, thoroughly unimpressed, and rightly too. “I mean honestly…” she pauses, eyes darting to find the words, “the cheek!”

With the release of My Maudlin Career, one piece of information that came up time and time again in their press releases and interviews was the fact that they were now, finally, a full-time band, having supplemented their careers thus far through more traditional realms of employment. What is peculiar about this is that many bands as big as Camera Obscura, and a couple bigger, have yet to achieve the luxury of quitting their day jobs.

Tracyanne accepts that their situation is not half as exemplary as the public might be led to believe: “I don’t think there are a lot of people very tuned in to the reality of the situation.” Lander, meanwhile, suggests that: “It’s because you’re fed the main record label bands, who are obviously thrown a lot of money straight away and get to quit their jobs and be big pop stars, but there are so many bands struggling on the periphery.”

Campbell gives a very considered proposal that, to be honest, I had been far too cynical to consider up until this point. ”Nobody wants to burst any young music lover’s bubble. You don’t want to be the one telling them, ‘actually it’s hard, maybe you make more money than me.’ I don’t want to do that because there does have to be some kind of perception that it’s all great and magical”.

What is remarkable about Campbell’s song writing is that it marries what can often be quite bleak, confessional lyrics to such infectiously sing-a-long melodies, that results, predictably enough, in crowds joining in at gigs. I ask if Campbell finds it a little surreal to have people singing along to her heartache, as such.

“I don’t really think about that when people are singing it, I think it’s just people having a good time and singing a pop song. I don’t take it for granted, I think it’s really special when people sing along, but I don’t think this is about me and my lyrics.” Is this technique of combining lyrical sadness with musical beauty a kind of therapy, a reclaiming of hope? “I think that’s just the way they come out, but that makes sense, that you turn something that’s a negative into a positive. As much as some people may disagree, I think I’m very much into that.” Lander affirms this — “cashing in your maudlin career” — with a laugh. I’m curious as to whether this title was a joke, as I would never consider them a miserable band.

“It is to a certain extent, we’re having a bit of a laugh with it. You have to take everything with a pinch of salt, and it’s not that we’re not serious about what we do, we are, but it’s not all doom and gloom, we don’t want people to get sad listening to the songs.”

As one of Glasgow’s most successful exports, I found it strange that in past interviews, Campbell has been painted as having a reticence to talk about the city’s music scene. A sharp intake of breath, and I wonder if I’ve finally stepped on that egg shell with my last question.

“Well I don’t actually think that’s true but anyway…I think the thing is we’re not really reluctant to talk about the Glasgow music scene, but back in the day when we were starting to get interviews about the band, why did people not ask us about us? Why did they assume we are influenced or only ever listen to certain bands from Glasgow? I mean, we are influenced in that there are a lot of decent bands from Glasgow, and it’s something of a breeding ground for groups, and we’re part of that. At one point it was inspiring to think we could do the same as bands like Teenage Fan club or The Belles.”

Lander is eager to point out that they do feel pride for their role as a Glasgow band.  “I think we are really proud to be part of it, but the idea that all Scottish bands are only interested in Teenage Fan club and The Pastels and stuff … that would be really awful, no good new bands would come out if they only ever listened to other Glasgow bands. It would just be a bit too crazy and scary.” Campbell nods: “That’s the kind of thing I object to.” “Inbreeding?” Lander offers. Campbell concurs “Yes! Incest,” laughing as she continues.

“I think for a long time we felt that we were some fake band that nobody could take seriously, so we felt like it was an honour. We are part of that, and we accept it, and we’ve proved to ourselves, to a certain extent, that a lot of them are our contemporaries now.”

As this evening’s homecoming gig attests, they haven’t merely proved it to themselves, they’ve effortlessly convinced us all.

É realmente uma bela terrinha… Não posso negar!

Mas o que gostaria de contemplar esta noite não é bem a terra do Tio Patinhas… ARG! Essa foi podre, mas podem levantar as mãos pro céu já que eu desisti de fazer stand-up comedy.

Enfim, o post é sobre bandas que, como diria uma amiga minha, afagam o coração, pelo menos o meu. Tipos: Franz Ferdinand, Belle & Sebastian, Camera Obscura e etc. Aliás, nem sei porque coloquei Belle & Sebatian aqui já que sempre acreditei que ela era canadense (pelo menos sempre me soou canadense).

Tá, não vou falar bem sobre essas bandas, mas sobre a última que anda colocando um risinho bonito no canto de minha boca. Camera Obscura. Eis a dita banda.

É nóis! Pode contar, tamu tudo aqui!

Não nego que uma de minhas maiores influências no mundo da música é minha amiga Seu Superego (ela é menina sim…). Essa pessoinha não faz parte do mundinho fabuloso da música, ainda, mas é expert em boa, vale salientar a palavra boa, música; ou melhor, é expert em músicas que venham a me agradar. E há alguns dias/meses ela me falou sobre uma banda cujo nome me soou familiar. Enfim, era tão familiar que eu já tinha visto um clipe e tudo.

O fato é que eu gostei, e gostei buuuuuuuuuuito (by Dani)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

E realmente o som do Camera Obscura me soou muito, mas muito familiar mesmo. Me lembrou algo tipo Belle & Sebastian…
Até que joguei no Google e encontrei a seguinte informação na Wikipédia: a vocalista era namorada do vocalista do Belle & Sebastian…

EeEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeEEEEEEEEEeeEEE

Voilà!

Tipo que não cheguei a lugar algum com isso, mas, como diria um outro amigo meu, se você não ouviu Camera Obscura, ouva!!!!

Eu agarantxiu!

A sample of a still image.

Do you ever wonder why people just love to capture every moments of their life with cameras? Well, I do.

They even upload their images all over the World Wide Web. My friends in a particular social networking site for example, are kind of “obsessive” uploading different albums with events and there are like hundreds of pictures in it. Though sometimes, it’s kind of funny that even “drinking coffee” has its own album.

Pictures or still photographs for an enthusiast’s term, reveals a lot of stories. The truth of the matter is still depends on how the photographer and the people who look at give meaning to it.

Right now, I am fascinated taking pictures with still images. Personally, I like my subjects to be motionless, for the fact that still images are good start for people who begin photography as a hobby.

I am using a Sony DSC-N2 digital camera with 10 mega-pixels and Carl-Zeiss lens. A good camera indeed and touch screen feature is really a bonus. High end cameras like this can even fake a DSLR camera shots. It is for the reason that it provides high quality image. In my own term – Crispy! Another good thing is that digital cameras with high mega-pixels are way cheaper than DSLR cameras.

Everything now comes in handy. In the past, people use the camera obscura or a dark chamber box. It is the first camera that looks something like a big box that has a tent-like fabric. Now that makes me thank my era enough. Everything is portable, convenient and user-friendly.

Every moment is precious; we can’t afford to lose the chance of not capturing every single event of our life. But for me, the reason why I just love to capture every moment is because pictures capture the feelings and it will always remain the same way. It won’t change even if the people in it do.

I’ve been reading lots of good bloggers who write about the tech and marketing  aspects of augmented reality and other virtual experiences. What’s not so well covered is a focus on how these new tools and modes of communication and collaboration will affect our culture and our arts. Here are some of the topics I’d like to cover:

* who are the artists and what are they doing with these new technologies?

* what is particular to the experience of art that you cannot touch?

renaissance artist inside a camera obscura

* how does collaboration with technologists influence the artistic process?

* what are the cultural implications of these changes?

* what technologies are accessible to artists?

* what are the relationships and overlaps between game projects and art projects?

* what independent scenes (non-academic, non-corporate) are happening?

* what do all the po-mos (the art establishment) have to say?

* what academic programs are available?

This is a broad scope so there’ll be lots to explore and I hope this will be a good resource for artists.

The camera obscura is a great historical analogy. The technology of optics changed how artists could represent the world and forever changed the “language of art”.

Looking at the picture I wonder, how did it feel to the artist to be inside the box, tracing a dim image upside-down, instead of being outside looking at the “real world”? These days, like in every age, we question what it even means to be “real”.

Well…I’m back!  Sorry about all the time off (not really sorry), but I’ve been settling in to a new house and a new routine and all that, so that’s my excuse.  Oh, also I was in Florida for a week sitting by a pool and drinking a lot and going on airboat tours in the Everglades, so, that’s my other excuse.  I feel a little bad for sticking Eric with writing so much, but also he knows more than I do, so you guys were really getting a good deal.

Let me inform you that while Garr & I were in Florida, all we had to listen to was the radio, and the only station we could agree on was a Fort Meyers/Miami station that played top-40/rap.  DJ Scrappy’s monologues about Kim Kardashian’s “fine ass” and his compassion for domestic violence victims (probably singularly fueled by Rihanna’s suffering) were just too outrageous to pass up.  Since then I’ve also made up a story in my head about Lady Gaga really being brilliant and her whole image being completely satirical and mocking of the very industry that pushes her music and the very people who love it.  Unfortunately, I don’t think this is the case.  Also, I was dragged to New Moon by my friend because it was his birthday and I like him more than I hate Twilight, and the only thing that got me through it other than laughing at all the melodramatic teenage vampires and werewolves was the soundtrack, which included tracks from Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear, St. Vincent, and Thom Yorke.

Perhaps the most redeeming thing I’ve done in the last few weeks musically (getting married trumps everything) happened on Saturday night, when I went to a Camera Obscura show here in good ole Hampton Roads, where the area tagline should be, “where no one good ever comes to play.”  Except they did the other night, which was cool, because Papercuts and Camera Obscura were both (duh) incredible and it had been way too long since I’d been to a good show.  The venue was kind of strange, though–it was an actual theatre.  There wasn’t really room to get up and stand up front or to get up and dance around, and so everyone pretty much just sat there and swayed, other than some little kids who were dancing up in one of the boxes.  My sister and I eventually gave in and tried to get to the front and dance…whatever.  I’ll go back to the Attucks Theatre if they keep bringing in good people.  ANYWAY, off topic, I had only ever listened to My Maudlin Career so I went to the library and stocked up on older C.O. albums and have enough to keep me busy for a bit, anyway.

The opener, Papercuts, is definitely worth mentioning to you guys.  They’ve been around for awhile, but I’m a latebloomer and had never heard of them.  Their most recent album, You Can Have What You Want, came out in March of this year.  They have a very full, layered sound, with a lot of wonderful synth that creates that sort of ethereal musical fog we all know and love.  Jason Quever’s voice makes Ben Gibbard jealous, I think, because he achieves melancholic preciousness without whining.  Just kidding, I like Ben’s voice, but I like Jason’s better.  Anyway, apparently while I was sitting on my butt before Camera Obscura came onstage, my sister and husband went to get drinks and had a mini-conversation with Jason outside by the merch. table.  So, great job me for missing a prime opportunity to ask any questions at all to post on the blog.  From what I can gather, Jason likes playing music and says that either us coming to see Papercuts play or him playing in Papercuts is better than being bored (it was one or the other, I can’t remember what they said).  It’s okay, talking to people in bands scares me anyway.  You can check out their myspace page here.  Their older albums are clearly worth checking out as well, I especially like Can’t Go Back.  Moody music makes my life on rainy days like today.

And finally, for those of you in the States, happy Thanksgiving!  And wherever you are, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend of love and peace and appreciation for all the good things in your lives  and in the world.  And the bad stuff too, I guess…to quote Frank in Little Miss Sunshine, talking about Marcel Proust: “Total loser. Never had a real job. Unrequited love affairs. Gay. Spent 20 years writing a book almost no one reads. But he’s also probably the greatest writer since Shakespeare. Anyway, he gets down to the end of his life, and he looks back and decides that all those years he suffered, those were the best years of his life, ’cause they made him who he was. All those years he was happy? You know, total waste. Didn’t learn a thing.”  So…happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Mine and Anthony’s last meeting ended in us pondering whether light is the key to our project; I think it’s certainly a strong element of the direction my explorations are taking. Light and History.

I am working from the premise that time and light are one and the same thing and by interrupting or manipulating the straightforward path light takes to reach me (the beholder) I am metaphysically connecting with the past – it’s not the most scientific theory; it holds no water in the physics department and certainly needs some work in the way I’m wording it all but I like this theory and I feel like it’s working. (Going with my feelings about my explorations is part of remaining engaged with the metaphysical theme of our project).

So – before I try out some of my more ambitious ideas involving nasty chemicals and hugely time-consuming hand telecineing – I have made a few pinhole cameras as a simple way of interrupting light on its course to the beholder.

I decided to start making based on the few principles I remember about camera obscuras without looking up the best methods of going about it. This way I become discoverer and scientist (as well as irritated struggler) of optical instruments. After much tungsten and daylight testing with different sized apertures I have come to the conclusion that there are all sorts of ways to view these upside-down worlds and each one is as exciting as the other.

More tests and hopefully photos of the projections to follow…

“I wanted to control it / But love, I couldn’t hold it“

Quite possibly the best song and video of the year. Utterly brilliant. Inescapably infectious. Totally Grade A songwriting.

My Maudlin Career, Camera Obscura’s fourth studio album was released second quarter of the year but I’ve only managed to give it a listen over the weekend. At ang ganda ganda ganda as in.

It only looks ill-advised to place French Navy, the album’s tightest cut, as the first song, as it somewhow dwarfs the subsequent tracks.

French Navy – I can’t play the video without watching it for a minimum of five times in a row.

—

Three reasons why this video is completely priceless;

1. Emmanuelle Chriqui

2. You could actually hear Joey Fatone singing here

3. Lance bass kissing Chriqui…

Tomorrow I have this epic date to see Camera Obscura. I cannot wait!

I have been out of range of the internet at a time when I should have been blogging my head off about an issue very important to me.

The rage against the FEI and its apparent apathy toward the practice of Rollkur* has admirably been taken up by the folks at Dressage Disgrace. In Head Movements Affect Breathing and Drooling, they show exactly how Rollkur negatively affects just one system of the horse.

Another blog that has taken up the cause with care and consideration is camera obscura. Please take a few minutes to read what Billie has had to say over the past weeks. She is quite eloquent.

If you haven’t already, please visit the petition site and sign your name to ban Rollkur at FEI competitions. Click here to ban Rollkur and add your name to the thousands of people who genuinely CARE about the welfare of horses and wish for it to be considered above all thoughts of performance and glory. Hyperflexion is not beautiful.

A line or two in your own blog posts to include the petition link would also garner more signatures. Kick the door, please.

Just Say NO to Rollkur

*the Wikipedia definition of Rollkur was clearly written by someone wishing to present both sides of the debate. There ARE no benefits to the horse in Rollkur. The benefits of Rollkur accrue exclusively to the rider and trainer.

Things going on that we find interesting for the next week.  Next Thursday and Friday are up for grabs, since most people will be digesting and shopping.

Friday, November 20th

NYU takes over KGB for something called “Coming of Age on the Page”.   Jonathan Liebson, Karol Nielsen, and Erik Rhey read.

Saturday, November 21st

Mike Edison, some wine in the afternoon, some blues.  The guy has fun everywhere he goes.  Sort of a no-brainer.  3pm at Le Du’s Wines, 600 Washington Street by Morton St. in the W. Village.

Sunday, November 22nd.

Tim Burton’s art retrospective at MoMa opens Nov. 22. Access to the exhibit is through a black and white cave.

Camera Obscura and Papercuts play Music Hall of Williamsburg. Devandra Banhart plays Town Hall, and Dirty Projectors are at Bowery Ballroom.   This is one of those nights where everybody can say “this is why we pay so much to live in New York City.”

Monday, November 23rd

Dick Cavett talks to Stuart Hample about his comic strip, Dread & Superficiality: Woody Allen as Comic Strip at The Strand, 7pm, free.

Tuesday, November 24th

Sonic Youth play the Music Hall of Williamsburg. I think this means nothing else should be going on within five miles.

Well, except Chris Leo doing his lyrics vs. poetry thing at Lolita Bar.

Wednesday, November 25th

If you aren’t leaving New York for Thanksgiving, you can go on a scavenger hunt all through Gowanus, Park Slope, and Carroll Gardens.  You might find a baby. It all starts off at The Bell House.

Thursday, November 26th

Be thankful.

Got something you want us to list? info@vol1brooklyn.com send it by Thursday morning for it to on the list.

… and it adds up to the sweetest thing.

Not to mention the fact that this video is absolutely wonderful. Attending  a costume do at a country house as Simon & Garfunkel, and meeting friends there dressed as the cover art from Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors?!  Someone please invite me to these parties!

Das kann man in den Technischen Sammlungen Dresden erleben. Da waren wir heute, um Camera Obscura bla mal in der Praxis zu erleben. Hab ich ja nicht vor nem Monat schon, und ich war auch nicht schon dreimal dort und hab alle Experimentieretagen ausgetestet… nicht doch… aber heute war ich in der Blawerkstatt und hab n mega Lochbild-Kamera-Foto von Häusern gemacht, die da drumrum standen! Ich fand’s ja witzig… langsam wird das mein drittes Zuhause dahinten… beim Pohlandplatz. War auf alle Fälle witzig, wer sich mal obig linkes Bild anschauen will, sollte mal ins Camera Obscura-Räumchen gehen… und für alle, die keinen Führer haben: da gibt’s ne Klappe… aufklappen (haha… is ja quasi die Funktion ner Klappe!), dann wird’s richtig scharf! Aber im Dunkeln ja sowieso… hahaha… uuuunglablich witzig heut wieder.

Nehmt’s mir nicht übel, ich hab bis vorhin Kunstgeschichte gemacht… Find ich ja schön, weil das Fach am meisten mit meinem Kunst-LK-Unterricht zu tun hat, an den ich mich ja nur zu gern zurück erinnere… aber… ich hätte eher anfangen sollen, dann wär das auch was ordentliches geworden. Ich hoffe einfach, es reicht. Wat soll’s… gute Nacht!

Morgen fahr ich heheim!!

1. Billy Field – You weren’t in love with me
2. Camera Obscura – Destitution
3. Department S – Is Vic there?
4. Fantastic Something – The night we flew out of the window
5. Gregory Gray – Books to read twice
6. Herbie Armstrong – Do You
7. Le Change – Back seat of my car
8. Nevada – In the Bleak Midwinter
9. Phillip Goodhand-Tait – Everyday
10. Robert Wyatt – I’m a Believer
11. Rouen – Ordinary Life
12. Rouen – Young for Today
13. Scarlet Party – 101 Dam-Nations
14. Southern Comfort – Return to Frog City
15. Still Life – Away from this Town
16. Stockholm Monsters – National Pastime
17. The Farmers Boys – In the Country
18. The Records – Starry Eyes
19. Tonight – Drummer Man
20. Villa de Ville – Everything Counts

Obscure Seventies songsmith on Elton's label gets welcome revival

 

Phillip Goodhand-Tait

Goodhand-Tait is his real surname, although at school and into the mid 1960s, he was known as Phil Tait. His mother taught piano and his father was an active trades unionist. In 1957 the family moved south to Guildford where Goodhand-Tait attended Pewley school. Before long, he was singing in beat groups several nights every week under names such as Phill Tone and the Vibrants. In 1961, they renamed themselves Phill and the Stormsville Shakers, a group formed with Paul Demers on drums, Ivor Shackleton playing guitar, and Kirk Riddle on bass. “Stormsville” was the title of a 1960 Johnny and the Hurricanes album and ‘Shakers’ was meant to indicate the frantic nature of their performances.

In 1964 the Shakers played the Ricky-Tick club circuit, and backed Memphis Slim. He toured in the early 1960s as Phillip Goodhand-Tait and the Stormsville Shakers (his backing band from Guildford) supporting the likes of Larry Williams.

He wrote songs for Larry Williams; Roger Daltrey (“Oceans Away” – on the album ‘Ride a Rock Horse’ - and “Parade” and “Leon” – both on the ’One of the Boys’ album); Gene Pitney (“You Are” and “Oceans Away”); Zoot Money (“No One But You”) and Love Affair (“Bringing on Back the Good Times”, “A Day Without Love” and “Baby I Know”).

By 1971, he had branched out, and wrote the score for the film, Universal Soldier. In 1976 he played the harmonium on Chris de Burgh’s LP Spanish Train and other stories.

This track is of course a cover of the famous Buddy Holly song slowed down to make an emotive piano-based ballad and featured on the 1971 DJM (Elton John’s label who was a big supporter) album ‘I think I’ll write a song’.

It soundtracked many a teenage romance.

Fantastic Something

Fantastic Something were a UK based duo made up of two Greek born brothers, who had a hit in the early 80s called “If she doesn’t smile”. They disappeared after just two releases. The other one ‘If she doesn’t smile’ I also own – special requests will be treated sympathetically. They were on the great Cherry Red label. A glorious sound.

Camera Obscura

In the early Eighties there were a number of bands like Eyeless in Gaza, White Door  and Thomas Leer around who produced atmospheric synth music. Camera Obscura released this single and then fled – nowadays there is an excellent Glaswegian India band with the same name. The layer of soil thickens above the grave of the original and lamented Camera Obscura.

Department S

The late, great Vaughan Toulouse lent his vocals to this and many other great songs. The three remaining members of the band regrouped a year or so back to record a cover of Alvin Stardust’s ‘My Coo cachoo’

However, this song and their other great song ‘Going Left Right’ will never be bettered.

Rouen 

Rouen hailed from  the town of Bewdley in Worcestshire in the 1980s and signed to Virgin.
They realeased one album and a few singles, getting a listed on Radio 1 for one single – ‘Young for a Day’.

The band comprised of Nick Cox Keyboards with Nick Allsop, J Johnson, Mark Roslanowski and Nick Sellars.

Two tracks are recalled for duty here – ‘Young for a Day was the minor hit – ‘Ordinary Life’ is completely impossible to find anywhere else – so fill your boots.

Scarlet Party

Scarlet Party was formed in Essex in the early 1980s. The founder members were, singer/songwriters Graham Dye and brother Steven Dye, with drummer Sean Heaphy

They began to perform at many top venues, to a well established following, and had already recorded an album of original material, and were signed to a major record company, when joined by fourth member, Mark Gilmour, brother of Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, on lead guitar.

The debut single, ‘101 Dam-Nations’ was released on EMI’s famous Parlaphone label, on 16 October 1982, along-side a special re-release of Love Me Do, celebrating The Beatles’ 20th anniversary at EMI. This helped to get Scarlet Party noticed, and with the voice of Graham Dye, uncannily resembling that of John Lennon, a television, radio, and magazine, publicity campaign, helped to reinforce the connection. The single was enthusiastically received (Kate Bush described it as her favourite), and reached number 44 in theUK Singles Chart. The follow-up single “Eyes of Ice”, was released in February 1983, on ice-clear vinyl, which was a request from the band, and all art-work for the sleeve was created by Graham Dye, using coloured pencils. EMI then decided not to release the completed album, which was to be called ‘Scarlet Skies’.

‘Scarlet Skies’, was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in 1981-82, but has never been officially released. The linked songs explore themes of war, love, and alienation, in styles reminiscent of both the mini pop operas of The Who, and the progressive concept albums of Pink Floyd.

The band recorded more original songs written by the Dye brothers, as a four piece, until the departure of Mark Gilmour at the end of 1983, and then, once again, as a three piece, also working on other projects, including a musical cartoon adventure based on the band, none of which were taken on by EMI.

Scarlet Party continued performing live shows, joined briefly by new member Micky Portman on bass, and recorded several more tracks at Abbey Road Studios. However, the band now feeling disheartened, and disappointed in EMI, decided to call it a day at the end of 1985.

Graham Dye went on to work as lead vocalist, on several albums by The Alan Parsons Project, and more recently, a new version of ‘101 Dam-Nations’ was made, featuring Graham and Steven Dye, together with Phil Collins  playing the drums. The brothers requested the help of Alan Parsons to produce the recording, which is not yet available. A shame.

Gregory Gray

Scottish-born singer/songwriter Gregory Gray released three fine albums of quirky, danceable pop from 1986 to 1995. However, his story goes back further than that and involves both a brief involvement with a second-string group of Northern Irish bubblegum popsters and a name change to disassociate himself from that chapter in his past. Gregory Gray was born Paul Lerwill in the village of Coleraine, Northern Ireland, on May 20, 1959. Lerwill picked up the guitar as a teenager and at the age of 19, he joined Rosetta Stone, a bubblegummy pop group led by Ian Mitchell, formerly of the Bay City Rollers. Known as “Flash” during his stint in Rosetta Stone, Lerwill stayed with the group until 1982, long past their brief notoriety amongst the pre-pubescent crowd. Following that, Lerwill changed his name to Gregory Gray to disassociate himself from his sugary past and formed an obscure group, called Perfect Crime, who were in more of a Waterboys-meets-U2 vein. He was a friend of Bono from the much more popular U2.

Finally signing a solo deal with CBS in 1986, Gray released his first album, Think of Swans, later that year. An artsy, often obscure record that maintains the Waterboys influence from his Perfect Crime days, Think of Swans was a complete commercial stiff and Gray was dropped after its release. After woodshedding for several years, Gray signed with Atco Records and released his much poppier second album, Strong at Broken Places, in 1991. That album was produced by Gray’s friend Davitt Sigerson, who later became the president of EMI Records. Sigerson signed Gray to EMI in 1995 and released the Stephen Hague-produced Euroflake in Silverlake, a Pet Shop Boys-like album of quirky electro-pop. Unfortunately, it followed his previous two albums into commercial oblivion and Gray gave up on his solo career, moving from Northern Ireland to New York in the late ’90s and forming an Underworld-like dance rock group, Mary Cigarettes.

Nevada

Their version of ‘Gustav Holtz/Christina Rosetti’s ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ is possibly my favourite Christmas song of all. 

Nevada was a short-lived group led by Michael Dunford and Annie Haslam from Renaissance. Following their Azure d’Or tour in Israel and the departure of Terence Sullivan and John Tout from the band, Annie Haslam and Mick Dunford formed Nevada as an alternative he believed could grow alongside Renaissance. The group did some demos and had one appearance on a TV show in the UK.

Nevada released just two singles during the period between Renaissance’s Azure d’Or and Camera Camera albums. Peter Gosling, who played with Renaissance for their final two albums performed with Nevada and co-wrote three of the four songs released. The first single, “In The Bleak Midwinter” / “Pictures In The Fire” (Polydor UK POSP 203) was released in 1980 and charted in the UK in early 1983. The second single “You Know I Like It” / “Once In A Lifetime” (Polydor UK POSP 229) was released in 1981 and never hit the charts.

These four songs, quite different from the those of the Renaissance albums released before and after, reflect an exploration of the artists in alternative music ranging from the English ballad “In The Bleak Midwinter” to the popular sound of “Pictures In The Fire” and “You Know I Like It” to the contemporary sound of “Once In A Lifetime” which one can hear seeds of sounds incorporated into Renaissance’s last two albums. Annie Haslam’s stunning wide range vocals are featured in the first three songs and she sings backup in the fourth. Michael Dunford has confirmed that the lead vocal track on the very different “Once In A Lifetime” was performed by Peter Gosling. These rare singles were pressed only in small quantities and should be part of any serious Renaissance fan’s collection. Used copies can occasionally be found.

I remember as a teacher in the Winter of 1981 scouring the second hand record shops of Brighton to acquire all the old favourite Christmas songs to compile into an all time best Christmas album on C90. I then duplicated 100 at the University language centre and proceeded to pay for my indigent Christmas with the proceeds of a hunderd two quids gathered in from the students in my care. This was pre ’That’s what I call Christmas’ days – so this probably represented a bargain.

Southern Comfort

These were the band that made up the others behind Iain Matthews in Matthews Southern Comfort, famous for their version of Joni Mitchell’s ‘Woodstock’ in 1970. After Iain left to go solo the band carried on and had a very minor hit with ‘I sure like your smile’. On the B side of this was this track – ‘Return to Frog City’ from the Harvest album ‘Frog City’ with a great slide guitar erformance from the legendary Gordon Huntley who sadly died in 1985. I played this into the ground in 1971 which may explain its white blitz sound.

The Records

Living as I did in Southend in the Seventies, it was an exciting time to be a music fan. Will Birch was at the centre of the scene as drummer with Eddie and the Hot Rods which he had quit to form The Records with fellow Essex man John Wicks. The Records were far more impressive in potential than fellow bands such as the Kursaal Flyers and even Dr Feelgood – they had pure pop class. By fans of the genre, they are considered one of the most seminal British power pop acts of all time. They are often referred to as The British Big Star. They are best remembered for the hit single and cult favourite included here: ’Starry Eyes’. In the 70s and 80s, the only constant members of The Records were John Wicks, Will Birch and Phil Brown. Today, former members of The Records record and perform as solo artists. Lead singer John Wicks tours in his group John Wicks And The Records, while guitarist Jude Cole continues to record and perform as a solo artist.

Although the original version of UK rock group The Records disbanded in the 1980s, their music continues to be a major attraction in the world of rock and roll. Their hit single ‘Starry Eyes’ is still played on classic rock and college rock radio stations throughout the continents.

John Wicks currently works as a producer/songwriter and has formed a new all-star lineup known as John Wicks And The Records. Wicks performs classic songs from his days with The Records, which he co-founded with drummer/songwriter Will Birch in the 1970s. At a John Wicks And The Records concert, expect to hear classic songs from his years in The Records in addition to all-new material.

John Wicks And The Records continue to play sold out shows around the world, having performed with the likes of Guided By Voices, Dramarama and the Electric Prunes among others. Although they played CBGBs in the past, it seemed only fitting when John Wicks And The Records chose to perform as part of the CBGBs farewell concert series when the legendary rock and punk venue prepared to permanently close it’s doors in 2006.

Guitarist/singer, Jude Cole, was the only American to play in The Records. Today, Jude Cole produces numerous artists and co-owns Ironworks Studios with actor Kiefer Sutherland. Hailing from London, England, The Records performed with such acts as Elvis Costello, The Cars, The Jam with Paul Weller, Robert Palmer and Joe Jackson. The Records formed at the height of rock and roll in the 1970s and recorded three major label albums for Virgin Records. They released several singles including Starry Eyes, Teenarama and Hearts In Her Eyes. Albums included “Shades In Bed,” “Crashes,” “Music On Both Sides,” “Paying For The Summer Of Love” and “A Sunny Afternoon In Waterloo.”

The songs of John Wicks/Will Birch have been covered by artists such as Mary Chapin Carpenter, Michael Monroe from Hanoi Rocks, Blackpool Lights, Too Much Joy, The Methadones and British beat group The Searchers.

The Farmers Boys

The Farmer’s Boys were from Norwich. They formed in the early 1980s and were briefly called “Bang Goes My Stereo” before changing their name to The Farmer’s Boys. The band’s first single, “I Think I Need Help”, was release in April 1982 with a few more releases in the same year. In January 1983 “More than a Dream” was reissued as their first single for EMI. Several more singles including this Shadows cover and two albums were released before the band split in 1985.

Baz and Mark went on to form The Avons in 1985. Mark later joined The Nivens, Stan formed Dr Fondle and Frog joined The Higsons and played keyboards on a Julian Cope tour in the late eighties. Original guitarist Andy left early on to join Serious Drinking. In 2000, Baz, Mark & Stan got back together as The Great Outdoors.

These songs have been rescued from the very depths of Stannard’s Library, converted digitally from their original vinyl state and lovingly brought to your attention. Some of these artists will never record again and have not been washed up on the beach of any long forgotten compilation. I humbly offer them here for your edification and delight. You may never see their like again.

http://rapidshare.com/files/308992682/Roy_s_Library_5.zip

I’m Alessia.
I have way better musical taste than Becca. No Lie. Which is why I’m here: to save her readers from the doom her musical influences would bring.
I’m pretty much saving your life. Anyway, most of the stuff I post will probably be of bands you’ve never heard of, but you must, must check them out!

So, for my first post, here’s a playlist of what I’m listening to right now and about the songs. Click on the links to get to the artists’ Myspaces where you can liten to a bunch of their music.

Fit 4 U- The Young Knives: Definitely upbeat rock from a nice indie band… with a British accent. Yum. It’s from their Superabundance album which has got one of my other favorite songs by them, Up All Night. They’re both the types of songs you can’t help but sing along with… in British accents. I’m not even going to deny it.

Young Folks- Peter Bjorn and John: This song is catchy from the start, the whistling tune will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day. Peter Morén’s entrancing, slightly accented voice is accompanied by Victoria Bergsman’s beautiful falsetto. Their duet is fucking amazing. The lyrics are beautiful; you can’t help but listen, understand, and relate. Love, love, love, love. I know it came out in 2006, but I’m still infatuated.

Very Busy People- The Limousines: A nice electric beat, reminds me a lot of MGMT all the way to the vocals. It’s actually a pretty funny song, talking about the downfall of humanity due to our laziness. “We’ll end up numb from playing video games and we’ll get sick of having sex.”

Ludlow St.- Julian Casablancas: Okay, I’m pretty biased here. I’m infatuated with Julian Casablancas, all of his work with one of my favorite bands ever, The Strokes, and now his new solo album, Phrazes for the Young. One of my favorites off of the album is Ludlow St. with Casablancas’s smooth as sandpaper, unique voice especially apparent on this track. It talks about the lack of urban identity in cities these days, particularly Casablancas’s home, NYC, where Ludlow St is. Phrazes for the Young definitely covers a broad spectrum of genres and mixtures, but if you’re looking for more Folk/Rock listen to Ludlow St. or Out of the Blue. I’m definitely going to be talking more about this album another time. Because Julian Casablancas is the sex. No Lie.

French Navy- Camera Obscura: I love this song, it’s romantic enough to warm the depths of my cynical heart. It’s got a cute story, one portrayed perfectly by the lead singer’s voice. I listen to this song on repeat… then sing it… and annoy Becca. It’s awesome.

So, please, please, please check out those songs! And hopefully I’ll be back, unless Becca decides she hated this.

ACE OUT.

I loooove hula hooping! I also loooove music! Combine these 2 and there you’ll have my reason to wake up and get moving around. Hula hooping makes me dig through my collection and listen to songs I had other wise forgotten about through the years.  So, If anyone is looking for ideas, check these out. Feel free to share your faves with me as well… I’m always looking for new jams!

1. Divine by Sebastien Tellier
2. Blood from a Stone by Hanne Hukkelberg
3. What the World Is Wating For by Stone Roses
4. World Clique by Deee-Lite
5. Digital Love by Daft Punk
6. French Navy by Camera Obscura
7. Back That Thang Up by Juvenile
8. Divine Hammer by Breeders
9. Earth Intruders by Bjork
10. Freakshow by Cure
11. Do It To It by Fannypack
12. I’m Good, I’m Gone by Lykke Li
13. Around the World (intro, rumba) by Senor Coconut & His Orchestra
14. Saturdays by Cut Copy
15. No Pussy Blues by Grinderman
16. Room to Breathe by Hangar 18
17. Margaya by The Fender Four
18. Close Your Eyes by Ian McCulloch
19. The Dream Machine by Sukia
20. Everything’s Fine by Adorable
21. Inclined to Vomit by Adult.
22. Egg Man by Beastie Boys
23. En Particulier by Blonde Redhead
24. Strange Fruit by Catherine Wheel
25. Beef Jerky by Cibo Matto