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Words by: Tk Kayembe | Images by: Dave Vann

Symbiosis Gathering 2009 :: 09.18.09 – 09.20.09 :: Camp Mather :: Groveland, CA

Symbiosis 2009

Yosemite, CA hosted the fourth annual Symbiosis Gathering. This year’s event was nestled in Camp Mather bordering the breathtaking Yosemite National Park. The lineup was overwhelming, the site was heavenly and the art installations were unbelievably imaginative; most seeming to be peculiar hallucinations. It was a celestial experience, and like most festivals, to fully comprehend its beauty you would have had to be there; to properly do it justice would take multiple pages and numerous pictures. So, that being said, here are a few highlights from the weekend.

Friday Top 3

1. Flying Lotus – Steve Ellison, aka Flying Lotus, along with his Brainfeeder label mates, seems to be running laps around the hip-hoptronic side of the scene. Fly-Lo’s beats are ingeniously crafted, emphasizing luring offbeat drum samples often tied together with foreign percussion atop jazzy tear-jerking piano, el-p, synth and bass sections. Over the course of his set, genuine bliss was plastered upon his face as he passionately pushed through “Melt” and “Roberta Flack,” dropping plenty of other beat junkie favorites from his collection. Watching the raw emotion he exudes while delicately mixing tracks in and out, fervently tugging at your heartstrings, you realize his music is truly a special gift to this world.

Bassnectar :: Symbiosis 2009

2. Mimosa – Friday night was unadulterated crunk-hop mayhem. Per usual, Tigran Mimosa’s set was a multicolored mob scene of freely flowing bodies. Onstage, he had a hoard of dancers, a ring of supporters, who ensured the intensity onstage matched the insanity of the crowd. He seamlessly cycled through originals and appeased the crowd’s hip-hop guilty pleasures with hyphy remixes of “I’m In Love With A Stripper,” amongst others. With queasy, throbbing bass dressed down with 909 claps, Mimosa’s soul penetrating sub-kick hits deep enough to shake your clothes off.

3. Anahata Sound – Anahata Pace rocked her Friday mid-afternoon Forest Stage set, coaxing the audience closer and closer towards the front of the stage as her performance took flight. Singing, dancing and sequencing throughout the set, the adorably quirky Anahata proudly maintained the attention of all while progressing through original arrangements. Her voice harbors a whispery calm as peaceful and gentle as a resting infant on a warm afternoon. When addressing her assemblage, she legitimately connects, offering humorous small talk as if we were all old friends catching up. Adorned in a fur cap, lens-less glasses and rose blush dotted cheeks, Anahata’s sound was like a big loving bear hug, squeezing us all.

Saturday Top 3

1. CocoRosie – The dreadfully curious, bizarrely eccentric CocoRosie unambiguously stole the spotlight Saturday afternoon. During the twosome’s set, the stage was a diverse mess of various instruments. An assortment of children’s toys, memorable from my early childhood – bells, shakers, etc. – were efficiently laid out upon a table for a face-painted Bianca (Coco) to meddle with. A few yards away, her sister and musical counterpart, Sierra (Rosie) was stationed beside her harp. Joining them onstage was bassist Josh Werner, human beatbox extraordinaire Spleen, along with a pianist who kept one hand on the keys and the other on a MIDI-keyboard. The quirkiness of “Japan” and haunting melodies of “K-Hole,” “Beautiful Boyz” and Kevin Lyttle cover “Turn Me On” sent chills down my spine, remaining with me for hours after the show was over.

ANA SIA Sunrise Set :: Symbiosis 2009

2. Beats Antique – David Satori and Tommy Cappel of Beats Antique pulled out all the stops on their original handcrafted tilt-a-whirl sound at Symbiosis. Their stellar set stood out amongst others, the stage a busily moving spectacle as Tommy bustled back and forth between live drums and his laptop while David juggled guitar and fiddle lines standing in front of his Mac. Zoe Jakes, an improvisational belly dancer (also part of the Beats Antique troop) contributed her visual magic from the side of the stage. Other highlights included the boys dropping brand new tracks off their latest album, an impromptu duet with LYNX, and the masked dance troops bursting out onstage at the end of the set.

3. !Armageddon Prevention Team – A fun Symbiosis discovery I fell upon, the !Armageddon Prevention Team is a squad of top-notch DJ/producers/performers including (but not limited to) iLL Gates and Chris Sia. During their SG set, the artist collective completely filled up the main stage. The perfect nighttime music, !APT dropped dubby originals and smart remixes, ending their set with a clever mashup featuring an instrumental version of John Lennon’s “Imagine” pasted atop The Temptations’ “Ball of Confusion.”

Sunday Top 3

1. Crying Over Porcelain For No Reason

This may have been my favorite set of the entire weekend. OOAH and edIT of The Glitch Mob combined both of their solo downtempo projects for an exceptionally rare, intimate ante meridiem set. In addition to running the usual Ableton/laptop/MIDI-controller setup, the boys alternated between a heaping Rhodes keyboard as well as Gibson and PRS guitars. OOAH’s of Porcelain, a lot like edIT’s COPFNR, is dominated by tranquil piano chords, smooth harmonizing guitar licks, glitch-y backing drums, and minimal but sexy accompanying vocal samples. Both projects faultlessly capture the true feel of downtempo and are so emotional it can bring a tear to your eye. For nearly two hours the boys went back and forth, trading tracks. The hypnotized crowd fluttered about like untied balloons released into the air as the pair performed “Ants,” “Ashtray,” “You Are the Sun” and other heart-wrenching selections from Crying Over Pros For No Reason, essentially draining the entire album before walking off stage.

The Glitch Mob :: Symbiosis 2009

2. Random Rab – The perfect way to start the day, Rab’s lulling tunes pushed the sun up higher into the sky faster than the words out of a coked-out auctioneer’s mouth. His set was deep and intensely seductive, and the enraptured crowd resembled a hulking pendulum swinging back and forth. I’ve never felt such a strong connection with Rab’s music as I had that morning. It was enchanting and drew me in as I enjoyed it thoroughly while fighting off the morning cold with a piping hot mocha.

3. Mala – From packed clubs in Brixton, England to the forests of Yosemite, Mala, one half of the Digital Mystikz, brought originally produced dubstep to the ears of many on Sunday morn. The veteran vinylist, needing nothing more than two Technics turntables, a mixer, and an armful of records, quickly had the air thick with dub breaks. His infectious bass had the early morning crowd twirling about like post-apocalyptic zombies feeding solely on the sound being choked out of the speakers. Quite a sight to see.

Conclusion

All things considered, Symbiosis Gathering was a monumental weekend – an all-inclusive sensory overload freakfest. I still can’t get over the astonishing lineup, plump with the best electronic artists currently touring. It sincerely made catching every set feel like an impossible feat. The Naked Lake will serve as a fond memory: every morning and afternoon the docks were packed with lovely, birthday suited people. A fascinatingly quaint Tea Temple in the vendor’s village sold assorted aged teas and had an adjoined walkthrough shrine with artifacts ranging from Nepalese monkey skulls to Virgin Mary statuettes. On the opposite side of the road lay a Zen Garden. A bit further down the way rested the bust of an enormous unicorn, made from metal scraps, marking the fork in the road between the stages. The people, the atmosphere, the music were all magnificent. The Symbiosis experience is something to be treasured. My only hope is that next year’s festivities will be at the same spot or another place as peaceful and inspiring as Yosemite was.

Acabo de escuchar el disco debut de The XX este cuarteto ingles integrado por Oliver, Romy, Baria, Jamie que nos sorprendió este año,  y favoritos de algunos blog de música bastantes populares; previamente había escuchado en algunas estaciones de radio dos de sus canciones Crystalised y Basic Space ambas me gustaron mucho y había postergado prestarle una oreja a su disco homónimo, tiene once canciones y mantiene un estilo bajo en cuanto a nivel de sonido es decir que las canciones son tranquilas poco ruidosas pero muy buenas, bien ejecutadas medio sexosas y con una muy buena dicción de idioma cosa que siempre se agradece.

Si visitan su MySpace podrán leer que reconocen a grupos como Pixies y Coco Roisie, y The Kills como influencia y se nota.

En conclusión me quedé muy contento y satisfecho con el disco de The XX esperemos sigan asi de buenos al pasar de los años.

Esta sigue sientdo mi favorita del disco:

The XX - Crystalised :

si les gusta busquen más de ellos y esten al pendiente.

Alarma. E 7.30 dimineata. Ma scurg la propriu din pat. Mi-e in continuare somn. Sunt ofticata usor ca n-am apucat sa-mi termin visul. Imi amintesc ce nasoala eram pe vremuri diminetile. Ce inseamna sa te schimbi. Se mai duc si obiceiurile urate. Sau poate era mediul de vina. Trec peste gand si ma uit in oglinda. Pisicile sunt langa mine, pe buda. Gustul pastei de dinti ma izbeste in plic. La fel si apa termala. Radio. Ma uit in alta oglinda. Si zambesc. Tipul de la radio ma face mereu sa rad dimineata. Deja ma bucur ca sunt treaza. Ma imbrac. Hranesc pisicile. Imi iau vitamina. Incerc sa-l trezesc pe Nick. Un succes temporar. Ies pe usa/intru la metrou. E 8.40. Muzica in urechi. Azi incep cu o nota simpatica. Morcheeba. Sunt in continuare vesela. Imi amintesc de cartea mea cu spioni industriali. Spionaj de business. Mai citesc 2 capitole. Ocolesc pe jos parcul in loc sa ma urc in bus. E fain. E aer. E si zgomot de masini. Scanez cartela, intru la birou. E 9.20. Mail-uri. Compun. Citesc. Telefoane. Un meeting intern. E 14.30. O mancare delicioasa ca surpriza la pranz. Salam crud, mozzarela preparata ciudat de bine, masline visinii, un pic de muraturi in stil italian si o combinatie dulce-iute. Rosii proaspete. Ziua e inca buna cu mine. Mancam si ne spunem CENTO anni ca italianii. E  18. Clipesc. Mai compun 2 mail-uri. E deja 19. Taxi. Sala. Aerobic. Transpir. Ma lupt cu muschii mei. Ma fortez. Rezist. Din ce in ce mai bine si mai mult. Slabesc. E 20.30. Cumpar un rose ca sa beau in cada. Vorbesc cu doi prieteni pe net. Ii ajut sa-si gaseasca melodie pt nunta. Se opresc la Macy Gray. Macy is good for the soul. Si ea si altii. E 23.10. Scriu pe blog. Ascult Coco Rosie. Cam pisicite ar zice unii. Mie imi plac pt ca sunt ciudate. O pisica isi face patul pe burta mea. Imi adulmec parfumul post-baie. Imi place. E 12 noaptea. Ma opresc din scris ca sa citesc ceva pt munca. Aseara am adormit citind despre Auschwitz. Azi nu stiu inca cum o sa adorm. Stiu insa ca imi plac zilele mele ca oricare altele. Cotidianul e simpatic si ziua si noaptea.

Sa fiti veseli!

Deea

They paint some fake mustaches on and do some heroin.

Whoa. The Do Lab is there. El Circo is there. Bassnectar is there. Shit… CASPA is there. You’d best cop a ticket now if you know whats good for you, sucka! Shpongle?!?!! Amon Tobin!?!! Flying Lotus?!? Whaaaaaat!!!!?! This is the real future of music right here.

Symbiosis Gathering is not your average festival; these days even one-night outdoor events are calling themselves ‘festivals’ when everybody knows it is nothing more than a corporate event where most of the attendees are there to party, and not much more.

Symbiosis is different. With a focus on environmental consciousness and ecological sustainability, this celebration has a deep respect for our natural world as well as the community it sustains. Besides green living, Symbiosis is very much about transformational learning experiences and the aesthetics of co-creation, from visual arts to performance, rituals and dance.

And then there is the music. Not only does Symbiosis Gathering provide a meaningful backdrop to showcase our beloved West Coast artists and their evolving future sound, but we also create a welcoming environment for musicians, bands, DJs and producers from all over the world. From dubstep legends and jam band rockers to abstract beat scientists and street bass pioneers, there will be many old favorites to dance to as well as plenty of new discoveries to make.

Just to name a few: Les Claypool, Coco Rosie, Amon Tobin, Bassnectar, Freeland Live Band, Caspa, Flying Lotus, Glitch Mob, N-Type, Pretty Lights, Beats Antique, Bluetech, an-ten-nae, Heyoka, Lipp Service, Mimosa, Of Porcelain, Vibesquad, Welder, Babylon System and over a hundred more. Check out the entire lineup here.

Visual arts are also a major focus of Symbiosis, and you will find large-scale art installations, body art, a graffiti mural, a full-size art gallery space and live painting and workshops from many talented creators including Alex and Alyson Grey. Performing artists will also roam the venue and inject the community with the wild, the weird, and the wonder-inspiring. Come and join in the fun!

Transformational learning and integrated education is also central to the Symbiosis philosophy, and there will be workshops, playshops, discussions and presentations on a wide variety of subjects from esoteric philosophy and embodied movement to sacred geometry and composting alchemy. Our “Wellness Oasis” has a variety of resources to rejuvenate your body, nurture your spirit, and expand your mind with reiki, acupuncture, tai chi, Capoeira, juggling and much more.

And more! We have organic food vendors, sustainable arts and craft merchants in the tribal market, a kids’ area, guided nature walks, eco-arting, a lake for splash wars and water wings, and dishwashing stations to help you make this a no trash, carry-in, carry-out event.

Join us at historic Camp Mather on the edge of California’s treasured Yosemite National Park; the beautiful outdoor location is a gracious player and its natural splendor will inspire all who encounter it. It is with great respect that we will dance upon this land.

Ah, the time-honored tradition of the mixtape…  A way to share a little part of yourself with a new friend or potential love-interest, a personalized icebreaker, a little note written with the music of others…  this is what I have for you today and what I hope to give you at least once a month!

For this month’s mixtape I found myself thinking about the impending chilly weather that comes with Autumn.  I absolutely love this time of year!  The crispness that sets in and brings back all of my beloved cardigans and layering pieces from the depths of the out of season closet… mmm!  So, I picked a few alt. folk tracks that more or less fit this transitional mood for me.

Mixtape:  September 2009 Folky Mix

In Our Talons – Bowerbirds

Japan – Coco Rosie

Sharkey’s Day – Laurie Anderson

I Love You – Andrew Jackson Jihad

Never Relaxed – Daniel Johnston

Dirty Dishes – Deer Tick

Sing Out – Ghost Mice

Peach, Plum, Pear – Joanna Newsom

I hope you enjoy this mix!  And in the spirit of getting to know each other, what are some of your favorite songs, bands, genres, etc?

Symbiosis Gathering is not your average festival; these days even one-night outdoor events are calling themselves ‘festivals’ when everybody knows it is nothing more than a corporate event where most of the attendees are there to party, and not much more.

Symbiosis is different. With a focus on environmental consciousness and ecological sustainability, this celebration has a deep respect for our natural world as well as the community it sustains. Besides green living, Symbiosis is very much about transformational learning experiences and the aesthetics of co-creation, from visual arts to performance, rituals and dance.

And then there is the music. Not only does Symbiosis Gathering provide a meaningful backdrop to showcase our beloved West Coast artists and their evolving future sound, but we also create a welcoming environment for musicians, bands, DJs and producers from all over the world. From dubstep legends and jam band rockers to abstract beat scientists and street bass pioneers, there will be many old favorites to dance to as well as plenty of new discoveries to make.

Just to name drop a few: Les Claypool, Coco Rosie, Amon Tobin, Bassnectar, Freeland Live Band, Caspa, Flying Lotus, Glitch Mob, N-Type, Pretty Lights, Beats Antique, Bluetech, an-ten-nae, Heyoka, Lipp Service, Mimosa, Of Porcelain, Vibesquad, Welder, Babylon System and over a hundred more. Check out the entire lineup here.

Visual arts are also a major focus of Symbiosis, and you will find large-scale art installations, body art, a graffiti mural, a full-size art gallery space and live painting and workshops from many talented creators including Alex and Alyson Grey. Performing artists will also roam the venue and inject the community with the wild, the weird, and the wonder-inspiring. Come and join in the fun!

Transformational learning and integrated education is also central to the Symbiosis philosophy, and there will be workshops, playshops, discussions and presentations on a wide variety of subjects from esoteric philosophy and embodied movement to sacred geometry and composting alchemy. Our “Wellness Oasis” has a variety of resources to rejuvenate your body, nurture your spirit, and expand your mind with reiki, acupuncture, tai chi, Capoeira, juggling and much more.

And more! We have organic food vendors, sustainable arts and craft merchants in the tribal market, a kids’ area, guided nature walks, eco-arting, a lake for splash wars and water wings, and dishwashing stations to help you make this a no trash, carry-in, carry-out event.

Join us at historic Camp Mather on the edge of California’s treasured Yosemite National Park; the beautiful outdoor location is a gracious player and its natural splendor will inspire all who encounter it. It is with great respect that we will dance upon this land.

Please click here for more information and to buy tickets.

Photos from Symbiosis Gathering website.

My angel told me not to fear
Love is free and everywhere
Listen to that special part
It will save us, it’s the heart

God has a voice, he speaks through me
God has a voice, she speaks through me

Crystal light in every creature
Crystal light in every creature
Everyone has love to give

***

The Alien’s Daily smile today was as wide as my bathtub sea, stretching to infinity. Make my eyes shine wide to give some room on God’s little dance floor to the Coco Rosie  sisters, Bianca Leilani “Coco” and Sierra Rose “Rosie” Casady.  

The singing sister girls finally tour the US, beginning in NYC on September 2nd. Where Bjork only began is where these girls begin. I will definitely try to invade their auras when they come, for I had a master shopping list for when I came to just visit the Earth for a few hundred years which included:          

• Find real Native Americans who grew up on the Peyote religion and were proper Earth Goddess missionaries
• Be a fashion groupie and get free clothes from brands like Prada, Escada and Kenzo
• Hook up with heroic freak-men folk like Devendra Banhart and Antony Hegarty.

I instead by mistake, as you well know, ended up in the body of one Chelsea Nicole.  

YOU!…Coco Rosie!  You will forever make an alien stuck in the body of a stripper named Chelsea Nicole… smile-a-wave-the-freak-flag-high-as-you-strip-it-proudly-off-your-body-smile.

(here are 3 pretty vids to make your day)

God has a Voice and She Speaks To Me!  I so love my girls!

TOUR SCHEDULE

2-Sep New York, NY Highline Ballroom
3-Sep Washington, DC Black Cat
5-Sep Boston, MA Paradise
6-Sep Quebec, PQ Le Circle
7-Sep Montreal, PQ Le National
9-Sep Toronto, ONT Lee’s Palace
10-Sep Detroit, MI Crofoot
11-Sep Chicago, IL Logan Square Auditorium
15-Sep Seattle, WA King’s Cat
16-Sep Vancouver, BC Red Room
17-Sep Portland, OR Alladin
19-Sep Yosemite, CA Symbiosis
21-Sep Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theatre

CocoRosie – specjalistki od muzyki nieznośnej – powracają z trzecim już w swojej karierze albumem. “The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn” to przedsięwzięcie z pomysłem – książeczka składająca się z 11 w miarę upływu czasu coraz bardziej mrocznych i demonicznych kompozycji – ale również przedsięwzięcie dziwne z mieszaniną inspiracji, gatunków i użytych środków.
Są chyba dwa wyznaczniki muzycznych poczynań sióstr Casady tworzących ten niecodzienny duet. Po pierwsze: eksperyment. I to nie tylko przeprowadzany na muzyce, ale być może przede wszystkim na słuchaczach. Po drugie: konsternacja, w jaką wprawia każda kolejna produkcja CocoRosie. Stwierdzenie, że ma się obraz ich albumu po jednym przesłuchaniu, jest dosyć ryzykowne, zwłaszcza w przypadku ostatniej propozycji duetu. Ocenianie muzyki CocoRosie jest o tyle karkołomnym zadaniem, że nie wiadomo, według jakiej skali należałoby ją oceniać i jakimi kategoriami warto byłoby się posłużyć. Postanowiłem więc rozpatrywać “The Adventures…” bardziej pod kątem eksperymentu, spełnienia zachcianek samych autorek niż jako kolejną płytę do zrecenzowania, zaś panie Casady traktować raczej jako zjawisko niż pełnoprawne artystki.

Zawartość tego, co tym razem zaprezentowały siostry, jest mieszaniną w zasadzie wszystkiego, nie wyłączając najbardziej wykluczających się elementów. Mamy tu niemal hip-hopowe melorecytacje, śpiew operowy, beatbox, szepty do ucha i radosne podśpiewywanie zestawione z elektronicznymi podkładami, dźwiękami pozytywek, dzwonków rowerowych, fortepianem i wieloma innymi instrumentami tudzież zgrzytami czy piskami. To wszystko wygodnie było nazwać po prostu folkiem, choć osobiście wolę określenie freak-folk. Może właśnie dzięki takiej gamie i rozpiętości materiału, wielu ochrzciło trzecią płytę CocoRosie mianem najlepszej. Czy tak jest w rzeczywistości? Z pewnością zawiera ona jedne z najlepszych piosenek duetu: zbieżne stylistycznie i z wyraźnym beatem: “Werewolf”, “Promise” czy radosny “Rainbowarriors”. Wszystkie ze sporym potencjałem. Jednak obok takich jaśniejszych momentów funkcjonują wręcz odstraszające pozycje z “Japan” na czele. Właśnie za ich sprawą możemy mówić o niestrawności całego materiału. Przebrnięcie przez płytę od A do Z jest zadaniem ponad moje siły. Także same wokale kolejny raz nie są w stanie mnie przekonać. Nie mam na myśli tego, że barwy sióstr Casady mnie irytują, raczej zwyczajnie nużą…

Niewykluczone, że gdyby E. A. Poe miał poczytać dzieciom na dobranoc, to osiągnąłby efekt podobny do dziewczyn z CocoRosie. Atmosfera płyty sprawia wrażenia żywcem wyjętej z domu dla lalek, którym pourywano głowy. Panie śpiewają chociażby: “The warm kittens close to the earth/ underground bodies stir with no sound” czy “Everyone wants to go to Iraq/ but once they go, they don’t come back”, tworząc płytę-makabreskę. Jednak i w tym ciekawym, groteskowym chwycie siostry Casady nie znają umiaru.

Jest jedna rzecz, która zdaje się bronić ten trzeci już wybryk duetu. To, co zauważyłem dzięki “The Adventures…”, to fakt, że muzyka CocoRosie dobrze koresponduje z innymi przejawami sztuki. Zupełnie inaczej odbierałem “Rainbowarriors” przed i po zobaczeniu teledysku M. Gondry’ego. Może w tym właśnie tkwi klucz do zrozumienia czy nawet polubienia sióstr Casady. Zachęca to z pewnością do pojawienia się na ich nadchodzących koncertach, na których z pewnością rozbudowują tę całą otoczkę wokół swoich piosenek.

Nie powiem, lubię płyty, do których trzeba się stopniowo przekonywać, docierać do ich piękna, ale nie takie, których pierwsze przesłuchania wspominam jako bolesne doświadczenia. A w przypadku styczności z muzyką CocoRosie niezmiennie dominuje właśnie takie uczucie. Nie załamuję jednak rąk, bo nowa płyta stanowi dosyć konkretny zwrot w stronę lepszego. Może za parę płyt dziewczyny, a wraz z nimi ich muzyka, dojrzeją. Na chwilę obecną “The Adventures..” nie polecałbym jednak nikomu spoza grona zagorzałych wielbicieli ich twórczości.

Rafał Maćkowski (el.greco)

Już przy początkowych dźwiękach pierwszego utworu na debiutanckim krążku Coco Rosie, pomyślałam, że to może być dla mnie ciężkie kilkadziesiąt minut. A ponieważ jedno przesłuchanie albumu nie daje wystarczającego pojęcia do napisania rzetelnej recenzji – z uporem masochistki, znęcałam się nad sobą w ten sposób kilka razy. I co mogę po tych intensywnych przeżyciach napisać? „O matko!”.
Oto dwie panie siadają przed sprzętem do generowania elektronicznych dźwięków, gitarze, flecie, dobywają własnych strun głosowych i zaczynają grać. Hmm. No właśnie – czy aby na pewno? Jakkolwiek przytłumiony i nieśmiały wokal do nie tyle niewielkiej, co minimalistycznej wręcz ilości nut akompaniamentu, w przypadku Stiny Nordenstam potrafi mnie urzec, tak przy Coco Rosie może jedynie doprowadzić do szału. Bo – skoro już przy porównaniach jestem – Stina prezentuje nam piękne (co bynajmniej nie jest jednoznaczne z „chwytliwe”) melodie, a jej utwory mimo podobnego stylu, mają osobne konstrukcje, co sprawia, że albumy pani Nordenstam są jak najbardziej zróżnicowane. Siostry z Francji natomiast stworzyły album przesiąknięty nudą, monotonią i nieudolnymi próbami urozmaicenia kawałków bez konceptu, drażniącymi szumami, atonalnym, irytującym wokalem i paroma innymi „przeszkadzajkami”. Z pewnością jest awangardowo, ale sama awangarda płyty dobrą nie uczyni. Mam wrażenie, że gdyby dziewczyny odpuściły sobie dogrywanie dodatkowych partii śpiewu (jak np. w „By Your Side”, który brzmi nieźle, do momentu wejścia właśnie kolejnego wokalu) albo używały więcej elektroniki zamiast gitary (niektóre utwory z akompaniamentem akustyka jak „Jesus Loves Me” są po prostu straszne) mogło być naprawdę dobrze. Niestety otrzymaliśmy 11-częsciowy, jęczący zestaw.

Gdy przychodzi czas na podsumowania, mogę napisać tylko, że bardzo się zawiodłam na tym krążku. Touch and Go Records z pewnościa tym albumem pochwalić się nie może, ale na szczęście nagrywają tam jeszcze inni artyści…

Kaśka Paluch

azi va fi o zi buna. am luat pe mine tricoul cu always carefree si o sa ma simt bine. ce conteaza ca am treaba. ce conteaza ca probleme. o sa ma simt bine. azi va fi o zi buna. am in geanta cutia cu bomboane mentolate cu o mare oaie rosie pe ea. nu-i vreo cutie de good luck. e de la nick. si e cute. cute things make me happy. mi-am uitat pestele – clama acasa, pe chiuveta din baia mare. mi-e dor de el un pic. pentru ca e peste. si pentru ca e unic. si pentru ca e un peste strain. e ungur. dar lucrurile sunt in control. am cerceii gargaritza in urechi si m-am asortat cu geanta ros-albastra cu fata visatoare cu gatul lung pe ea. restul zilei se anunta promitatoare, chiar daca de curand am rupt brosa-oaie-fosforescenta si chiar daca nu-mi gasesc bombonele pentru PEZ-ul cu cap de caprioara. imi pierd timpul zgaindu-ma la cele trei broaste de pe birou. candva in stanga lor statea cei trei purcelusi din poveste. sigur ii stiti. buni sfatuitori la bine si la greu. aproape la fel de buni ca si albina cantatoare pe care o avem acasa si pe care am agatat-o intr-o seara la terasa din cartier. ea tine locul broastei deprimate. pe broasca a rapit-o muku – cainele mic – cand a fugit la constanta, la babaci. nu-mi pare rau ca stiu ca sunt in tandreturi si e mai bine asa. Seara vine mai repede vinerea. Mai ales cand e a “good friday”. Scriu de good fridays si imi amintesc de cantecul Coco Rosie cu numele asta. Ele canta la lucruri mici. Zgomotne mici si mici miresme in zi. Toata ziua. Mici sunt si pisicile noastre. Uneori si mai mici suntem noi. Imi iau clestele cu balenuta la bretea si plec la scurt metraje. Filme mici. Va dorescu un weekend mic (nu scurt) si lucruri adorabile impresurate-n el. Daca aveti curaj sa si cantati “o vioara mica” – jos palaria! Intre timp, Michael canta in difuzoarele mici ale vecinilor mei piese mici care imi amintesc de vremea cand eram mici.

Sa fiti veseli! Sa fiti mici!

03.06.    20.30h    Kampnagel

You have to check out this beautiful Sistaz. Coco Rosie are so especially talented, so creativ in what they do. Never think in borders, just do there thang that is definetly something you should not miss..!!

Here an example of there music, which is not to explain in wordz, you have to hear it.. (Check out the guy to the left. He is responsible for the background music by doin’ beatbox!!)

Feel Good

Music

Ive had  massively rough past few weeks, and the only thing that gets me through times like these are feel good music. Here is a little sample of my feel good music that helps out.

Enjoy Ladies and Gents

La Vie En Rose- Louis Armstrong

By Your Side- Coco Rosie

Something About Us- Daft Punk

Another Again- John Legend

Haitian Love Songs- Coco Rosie

And just for shits and giggles

California Love- Tupac and Dre

—-> Download Friday Feel 28

1. CocoRosie – “By Your Side”
2. *Animal Collective – “In the City That Reads”
3. CAN – “Oh Yeah”
4. Gala Drop – “Crystals”
5. Bullion – “Time For Us All To Love”

*collaborative track from Arto Lindsay – Invoke

good friday, eh?

if this song doesn’t make you want to toss back a bottle of
whiskey
i don’t know what does.

have a good friday
party people

CocoRosie has been my most loved band in the last 2 years. I may have my fleeting affairs with other genres, artists, beats and rhythms, but those girls just keep giving me sparks of re-discovery and amazement that comes with the rich texture of their music, astounding lyrics and artwork. Their music is broadly characterised at Psycho Folk, which is a part of the new wave folk featuring artists such as Joanna Newsom and Devendra Banhart. Ranging from more mellow romantic songs to trip-hop, CocoRosie uses a range of musical instruments as well as toys and other under-popular instruments.

The band consists of two sisters, Sierra and Bianca Casady, who use their childhood names of Coco and Rosie as their band signatures. The sisters were separated for a good part of their lives and share an interesting and dramatic background, which you can read about in a 7 page interview at the NYT the girls took part in in 2006. If you want to explore further, there is a video interview at Whitecanvas as well. So far I’ve enjoyed all their albums; every one of them is different, but I believe that their live performance at Olympia Paris 2007 is the most at heart experience of CocoRosie you can get. The girls experiment with just about everything on stage, from the opera voice of Sierra, animal- and toy-generated sounds to the eclectic style of costumes and make-up they come up with every time they perform.