Day Seventeen, Day Seventeen, all over the town… yes, it’s Blur’s little-heard Christmas Single, from the days when you’d never heard of them but I had and so am therefore ‘best’.

Aún no se sabe a ciencia cierta si la reunión de Blur continuará, si grabarán un disco, o todo quedó en unos pocos shows este verano, pero gracias a Dylan Southern y Will Lovelace, el año que viene vamos a poder disfrutar de este documental.

Como vieron, los dos directores tuvieron acceso a ensayos, entrevistas backstage y seguramente el material será de lujo. Mientras esperan puede revisar la Página oficial de la banda y ver el trailer en resolución gigante.

Nicht alle. Aber Ed O’Brien, der Gitarrist von Radiohead, sagt: “Meine Generation wuchs auf mit der Ansicht, man müsse für Musik bezahlen. Aber jede Generation hat da ihre eigene Methode. Filesharing ist sowas wie ein Kassettensampler, den du von den Platten deines Kumpels aufnimmst. Du hörst was, das dir besonders gefällt, und kaufst die Scheibe. Oder gehst aufs Konzert. Wir erleben gerade eine völlige Veränderung der Denkmuster”.

Dave Rowntree, der Schlagzeuger von Blur, fügt hinzu: “Die Tatsache, dass Filesharing nicht aufhört, und so populär bleibt, ist eigentlich ungeheuer positiv für die Musikindustrie. Tatsächlich ist Musik so populär, dass die Leute sogar das Gesetz brechen, um sie zu bekommen”.

Nick Mason, Schlagzeuger bei Pink Floyd, meint: “Das letzte, was wir wollen, wäre ein Krieg gegen unsere Fans. Filesharing bedeutet für uns eine neue Generation von Fans”.

Die Musiker in der Featured Artists Coalition (FAC) sind sich einig, dass Filesharing ihre Musik an die Internetgeneration heranbringt, die nicht mit dem Radio aufgewachsen ist. Sondern mit dem Computer.

Meine Forderung: Rettet die Musik! Legalisiert Filesharing. Filesharing ist das neue Radio.

(via telegraph) (pic fac)

]]> http://misplacedswag.wordpress.com/2009/07/06/i-guess-were-the-official-fred-perry-sponsors/ Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:35:45 +0000 Sachin http://misplacedswag.wordpress.com/2009/07/06/i-guess-were-the-official-fred-perry-sponsors/

Last November, when Damon Albarn announced that he and Graham Coxon had patched up their differences and were re-forming Blur in its classic arrangement, I was filled with apprehension. The last few years have been packed with members of the old guard re-forming for one final hurrah, and with mixed results. Led Zeppelin’s one-off benefit concert at the O2 suggested that while there was still more than enough vigour in the band, the practicalities of a real, lasting reunion were beyond them. When Richard Ashcroft welcomed Nick McCabe back into The Verve, I expected thrilling sonic fireworks on a par with their best work – instead, I was left sorely disappointed by the meandering, fleeting Forth.

The prospect of Blur re-uniting was a beguiling prospect. In the intervening years since their disbandment, Albarn had circumnavigated the globe with open ears and busy hands, documenting his travels and learnings through multiple musical projects, from the paranoid cartoon hip-hop of Gorillaz, to the lilting, mystical and beautiful Chinese-opera-cum-musical of Monkey: Journey To The West. Coxon, meanwhile, had become increasingly basic and spartan in his musical exploits, releasing a series of good, but not staggeringly so, solo albums, taking in a breadth of influences, but never really showing off the accidental beauty of his guitar-work that previous Blur albums had featured. Alex James, he of champagne bottle, mirror and razor blade, had fled to the countryside, there to busy himself running a farm and making cheese, and writing all about it in a variety of publications. Finally, there was Dave Rowntree: always the quiet one, now the budding politician. It was only in the wave of press interviews given in the weeks leading up to Hyde Park that we were to discover just how busy he had been, with the astute drummer revealing a law degree, solicitor’s training, social work, political activism.

Somehow, from this myriad divergent post-Blur activities, these four pop icons of the nineties were supposed to roll back the years and wind up as a rock band, putting aside their respective priorities for a few months of historic gigs, and the appetising prospect of something more. I was slightly troubled, I must confess, all the more so because in my lengthy study of Blur’s œuvre, nothing had once suggested to me that their varied sonic palette would actually translate to a particularly energetic live performance. Still, I was among the first to commit to their cause, dutifully buying a ticket to their Friday night show in Hyde Park, London.

Hyde Park, Friday lunchtime. The parched field is already filling up; the wafting odours of burger meat, vinegar and hot dogs are already permeating the air; the stage, clumsily bathed in a tangle of lights, electrical cabling and amplifiers. On one side of the central pavilion is draped a map of Greater London; on the other, one of Great Britain. In the latter stages of their career, Blur may have embraced all manner of American and African influences (as borne out in today’s choice of support acts), but here, today, it is clear that the mood is very British, very suburban, very much rooted in the music-hall stomp of Modern Life Is Rubbish and Parklife. Gangs of the Colchester massif quaff plastic bottles of beer; young people are few and far between.

Before Blur make their long-awaited entrance, we are treated to four hours of wondrous, diverse music, beginning with the cheeky racket of Deerhoof, perennial cult concerns over in the States. Initially, the crowd react ambivalently, unsure of what to make of a sound that is part math rock, part raucous indie, and certainly not fleshed out by discernible lyrics. It is only when frontwoman Satomi Matsuzaki begins her wild flailing and dancing, and revels in interacting with other band-members, props and instruments, that the crowd respond with good-natured applause and cheers.

Next up is current chart-merchant Florence And The Machine. Florence Welch looks undeniably stunning in rather floaty, ethnic garb, and her voice is suitably melodramatic and moody, like a more affected, less precious Natasha Khan. The music too bears some resemblance to that of Bat For Lashes, though more sparkly and poppy. Most of the crowd identify her key singles and enact a mass sing-along; I, through my rejection of mainstream radio, remain reasonably unconvinced and oblivious of her fame and hype.

Then, real excitement greets the entrance of Amadou & Mariam, their live reputation cemented by numerous festival appearances. They are predictably charming, and their music creates quite a stir, combining elements of traditional Malian music with circular blasts of funk and the tense friction of the blues. In the crowd, a party is brewing. We love Amadou’s sonorous voice and his inimitable stage persona; we can’t help but be won over by Mariam’s effortless cool; and the couple’s backing band is pretty talented too. Songs new and old sound fresh and immediate, and the guitar solos are pretty spectacular.

Finally, Vampire Weekend, touching down in the UK solely for this performance, deliver a well-paced set, interspersing most of their debut album with a couple of new songs (one of which is really too high-pitched to be the sing-along that Ezra Koenig desires; the other is slightly marred by an over-zealous, bottle-throwing crowd) and old favourite Boston. Musically, they’re inch-perfect; personality-wise, there’s something amiss – but when the frantic riff of A-Punk kicks in, nobody really cares.

Then, at exactly quarter past eight, the crowd goes relatively ape-shit as the pomp and circumstance of The Debt Collector blares over the sound system, and on stroll all four members of Blur, re-united at last. Albarn and Rowntree favour the Andy Murray-baiting Fred Perry polo shirt look; James appears to have walked out of the gutter; as ever, Coxon exudes an understated geeky cool. Almost immediately, with only a few words of introduction, the band breaks into a soaring rendition of debut single She’s So High. From there on, there is very little let-up, as the band deliver spirited and impassioned hit after hit. Alex James’ bass benefits from a good mix on the PA, showing off just how fluid and quick-witted his playing has always been, especially on tracks like Tracy Jacks and Badhead. Coxon’s guitar-work, meanwhile, is blistering, and makes all 55,000 adoring fans realise at once what has been missing from British music during the last ten years. On Girls And Boys, he unleashes a torrent of flange; on There’s No Other Way, he alternates between the bluesy melody and a crazed wash of feedback and distortion.

By the time the seventh song, Beetlebum, stammers in on a jerky rhythm of guitar stabs, it is clear that, far from sounding flat, tied down to backing tracks, or trying to educate the crowd with a selection of arty album tracks, Blur seem newly re-invigorated, more energetic and meaningful than before, and perfectly content to roll out the hits, be they emotionally leering (as in the case of Country House, still as ridiculous as ever) or reflective (like Coxon’s still-charming Coffee & TV). Each song is delivered with real feeling and maximum crowd reaction: in the case of Tender, the gospel-tinged and emotionally raw anthem is transformed into a slightly ironic terrace-chant, as 55,000 people celebrate the tragedy of lyrics like “Oh my baby, oh my baby; Oh why, oh why?” and “Come on, come on, come on; get through it!” So many of Blur’s greatest songs are nostalgic and heartfelt in a rather doomed and miserable way, but tonight, it would appear that we are just as happy to revel in unbearable sadness as we are to sing for hedonistic youths on holiday in Greece.

There are a few surprise inclusions too – Trimm Trabb is as squalling and experimental as ever, and collapses in extraordinary style amidst a trademark Coxon guitar meltdown; Oily Water starts out as a slightly baggy-influenced pop song but builds into a wall of shoegaze, all shimmering guitars and wailing backing vocals. After the main set concludes with the breathtaking, heart-wrenching This Is A Low (still my favourite song of the Britpop époque), the band kickstart the first encore with the dual assault of Popscene and Advert, both coming off successfully as breakneck punk numbers. Perhaps thankfully, the crowd having already battered each other to oblivion during Parklife and Sunday Sunday, Song 2 is appreciated mainly aurally, despite the band’s most famous two minutes and two seconds of alt-rock swagger being played in characteristically violent, cock-sure style.

A final encore showcases all three sides of the band: first, underground fan favourite Death Of A Party chugs along in chilling, carnival-esque art rock fashion. Then, basking in the warm summer night of London, an extended version of For Tomorrow is supplemented by a brass trio and a gospel quartet (both groups flit on and off the stage throughout the evening, adding texture and emotion to many of the band’s songs) that depicts perfectly the way in which so much of the band’s raison d’être is rooted in a Kinks-ian vision of British idyll. Finally, the stately and suitably tragic The Universal finishes off a wonderful and emotional evening on a cascade of strings, brass, fretboard fireworks and those dread-future lyrics, hinting at a doomed utopia.

Throughout the gig, Albarn’s banter with the crowd sums up perfectly the mood of the band and their music. By turns witty, emotional and anecdotal, I’m sure his words are lost on at least half of the crowd. But in those gem-like nuggets of conversation, he reveals his love of the city, his fears about the future, and his essential attachment to this brilliant band who, among many things, provided the template of the perfect pop song throughout much of my youth. There is no doubt that there are live bands who employ more trickery; who create more of a visual spectacle; or who engage the audience in an enveloping fug of sonic experimentation – indeed, I have witnessed many such gigs. However, for a truly historic gig that released the inner punk spirit in thousands of thirty-somethings, and touched the hearts of many thousands more, Blur did not need all these gimmicks of their contemporaries. Throughout their career they have written an arsenal of great songs, and at many times these have been fashioned into extraordinary albums, but here, on stage, it is the ubiquity of them – in a similar way to the hits of Michael Jackson – that wins us over. Here are the songs that have documented life in the nineties, brought to life before our eyes, in another decade, but still just as relevant, and just as fantastic. To echo the sentiments of Damon Albarn, I thank every music industry mind who hassled and cajoled and teased Albarn and Coxon into giving into their better interests, and re-forming one of the great songwriting partnerships in British history. It was a blast.

Hitting my teens in the early nineties meant I was fully part of the britpop generation. The  soundtrack to most of my youth was covered by ultimate britpop boys, Blur (among others such as Oasis, Suede, Elastica, Pulp and all the other amazing bands at the time, there are far, far too many to mention).

So naturally when Lucy and I heard that Blur were playing for a couple of nights only in Hyde Park, we had a bit of a ‘ ‘F’ it, let’s just go’, moment whilst in front of the computer on Tuesday night.

And go we did. Last night. And the atmosphere was immense. 55,000 happy people, the sun shining, cold beer in our hands and all our favourite Blur songs to sing along to. I had forgotten just how many great hits, lyrics and styles these guys actually had.

The ever talented Damon Albarn was full of energy and genuine excitement to be there which was infectious. Seeing Graham Coxon perform live was just breathtaking = I was captivated, I need say no more. Alex James and Dave Rowntree – we are not worthy. The performance and set-list was absolute perfection.

It was the highlight of the summer so far for me, it gave me a real bug for more of the same, in fact I haven’t stopped grinning since I left.

Those of you who are going tonight, I am insanely jealous. Sing along to Tender for me, go on, belt it out like you mean it.

Business Directory for Brighton, East Sussex

Alex Richardson interviews Dave Rowntree, 16th September 1995.

A haze of frenzied internet scrambles and disjointed voyages into the unknown have shrouded Blur’s reunion plans of the summer thus far and the first of several secret London shows proved to be no exception. As students at London’s prestigious Goldsmiths College, the mere concept of social networking via a futuristic phenomenon that would be named the World Wide Web seemed unrealistic enough. That the same four unlikely lads would be broadcasting clandestine clues as to secret shows across the capital decades later would surely have seemed impossible. Yet around 10:42, Graham Coxon’s Twitter page gave the game away, rallying the troops to Brixton Academy for eighteen minutes later. A mad dash over the river, through the market and into the unnervingly miniscule queue ensued and fifteen minutes later, wrists were endowed with shining green/ gold dust wristbands emblazoned with the band’s now iconic freeform font. All that was left to do was wait. And wait… and wait. Until eventually, bang on five phones and electronic inboxes alike were bombarded with conclusive info as to the wheres and then the whens; Rough Trade East, on stage at 7pm sharp, no arrivals before half six for fear of jeopardising the whole shebang.

With tickets to the reformed quartet’s club shows in the run-in to colossal headlining festival slots and two sold out nights in the capital’s oxygenated heart of Hyde Park harder to come by than disposable barbeques in nigh on every London supermarket, a glimpse of hope came in a flash of green. Journeying across a drizzly, musty cityscape did nothing to dampen anticipation and impatience shot mercury out from bodily gauges. Bounding onstage a matter of minutes late, pandemonium and sheer disbelief sprung across the bemused mass of two-hundred odd devotees yet within minutes of She’s So High, any remaining emotions turn to beaming ear-to-ear grins from one claustrophobic wall to another, mirrored on the faces of the chiselled jaw of the endlessly posing Alex James and sweat-drenched youthful demeanour of Albarn. Having tried their collective hands and limbs at everything from cheese farming to Chinese operas and politics, a digging out of the roots that cemented Blur as the quintessentially cheeky Brit upstarts was always on the cards. Tonight, Rough Trade is transformed into the best garage gig never to entail smashed windscreens as involuntary feedback rasps through the murky humidity of an Amazonian rainforest. The Albarn sneer seen in full throttle for the first time in almost a decade proved its worth, as he, microphone lead in tow, veered dangerously close to a menacingly manic mob. The Arabian twang of Out of Time translated sonically to otherworldly treasures whilst Girls & Boys, complete with Alex James scaling the pillars preventing the ceiling from collapsing down upon us, served up the sort of sublime slab of disco stardust Klaxons would have to travel further than the near future for. The understated Gospel stomp of Tender juxtaposed with the visceral, obnoxious wails of Song 2 did everything to ramify precisely why Albarn, Coxon, James and Rowntree perfectly fill that gaping hole in the British music industry, without the sheer arrogance and destruction of the Gallagher brothers, nor the milk and cookies approach of the likes of Coldplay and The Script. Invigorating, inspiring and utterly unmissable, the reunion never sounded so victorious.

A very disturbing story involving artistic freedom has emerged in the UK, pitting some of Britain’s top musical talents against the far-right British National Party (BNP). The Featured Artists’ Coalition and Musicians’ Union have sent a letter to The Times of London calling for legal rights over the sale and reproduction of their music. Among those who have signed the letter are Blur’s Dave Rowntree, Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason, and Billy Bragg (pictured above in a photo by Wombat). The BNP has been  selling music to raise election funds, and many of the artists whose music is being sold for this purpose are livid and are seeking legal recourse.

The artists’ letter to The Times of London reads in part:

“We would, on behalf of our joint membership of over 31,000 members, like to have our opposition to the BNP’s politics and morals formally noted.

“In the lead up to the European elections, it has come to our attention that the BNP is selling compilation CDs through its website in order to raise funds for campaigning. Many of the musicians featured on these . . . have no legal right to object to their music being used in this way.”

Even 91-year-old Dame Vera Lyne, best known for her World War II-era song “The White Cliffs of Dover,” has locked horns with the BNP, threatening legal action against them earlier this year when it came to her attention that the BNP’s commercial partner, Excalibur, was selling her music to raise funds.

Under current UK law, musicians have no legal recourse to stop their music from being sold once it is sold by a wholesaler to a particular retailer.

Nigel McCune of the Musicians’ Union told The Times of London:

“There is nothing as it stands to stop the BNP from acting in this way and there is nothing that the performers can do to prevent it. If a moral right came in you would then be able to test how far you could stretch it.

“Billy Bragg, for example, could find his track New England for sale on a BNP website raising money for something that he has spent his entire musical life campaigning against. We would like to think that there should be a framework in this country sufficient to prevent something like that happening.”

In a statement to The Times of London, a BNP spokesman said:

“They’ve already made there (sic) money haven’t they? Once that music’s gone through a distributor. They’re politicizing themselves to a high degree by doing this and we wouldn’t really be concerned by that. It’s up to us what we sell – we’re not changing.

“There’s no suggestion through this that artists support the BNP or otherwise. They’re barking up the wrong tree to be honest.”

To read the full article on The Times of London’s Web site, click here.

Best of luck to The Featured Artists’ Coalition and the Musicians’ Union in their fight against the BNP. It is appalling that an artist’s music can be sold against their will to support an organization like the BNP.

Blur and Oasis on one page, say it ain’t so!

Following a request on the forum I looked out this rather good boot of Blur, live at the Reading Festival in 1998. Great quality 192kbps mp3s for you all to enjoy, and don’t forget that you can make your own requests on the forum.

MP3 Download – [HERE]

Track Listing:

1. Bugman
2. Jubilee
3. B.L.U.R.E.M.I.
4. Advert
5. Popscene
6. For Tomorrow
7. No Distance Left To Run
8. Beetlebum
9. The Universal
10. Girls And Boys
11. There’s No Other Way
12. Parklife
13. Song 2

Dave Rowntree’s studies to become a solicitor are a running joke, with The Independent last week printing a story saying that he told them he would be prioritising his law exams over Blur’s upcoming tour. Despite this being a fabrication, it’s obvious Rowntree is very serious about his studies, and thinks that to pursue a career in politics one has to have a professional qualification, no matter who you are. Is this not something to respect rather than laugh at?

Yes, his career in politics to date has been disastrous, losing two by-elections for Labour, one in the Church Street ward in London – a Labour stronghold since its creation in the 60s. And no doubt his motivation is somewhat dubious, in that his passion for politics seems entirely catalysed by a disabilitating mid-life crisis. But surely making the effort to become qualified is better than spouting ill-informed political rhetoric, like fellow bandmate Damon Albarn?

[NOTE: This post is a test for new content, so please excuse it's random appearance during our break]

This isn’t news; it’s more of a fact.

They’ve changed a bit though haven’t they? Look at it: Alex James was on a reality TV show based on conducting an orchestra. Yeah alright, Drum and Bass legend Goldie was on it as well – but that’s no excuse. We are talking drum and bass here. Goldie would go on the archers if he thought he could promote that shit. These fellows have settled down now: Alex James is making cheese, on a farm. He can fly planes. He’s got a wife. Damon Albarn has been hanging out with the older cooler kids in The Good, The Bad and The Queen, painting with gorillas. Graham Coxon has been wearing berets and making music with the modfather Paul Weller.
Fuck, the drummers in politics now. And you want me spending 40 quid to see this? I feel like what we need here is some band counselling. C’mon guys; where’s the coke? Where’s our gay scandals? Why isn’t Liam Gallagher flashing his knob at you in Tescos?

Un buen repaso a la actualidad musical en este ‘breves’ que ya hemos convertido en oficial y una buena manera de resumir aquellas noticias interesantes pero cortas (no nos gusta sacar 10 post al día). Hoy tenemos con nosotros el pique Flaming Lips Vs Arcade Fire que ya esta durando lo suficiente como para que empiece a ser ‘importante’. Neil Young y Love Of Lesbian nos desvelan detalles de sus nuevos discos, Blur, que se han reunido este año puede que se queden huérfanos de batería y por último la gran ganadora de los oscar, Slumdog Millionairie entra en la lista de ventas española con su banda sonora. Adelante.

Flaming Lips Vs Arcade Fire

Wayne Coyne, cantante de The Flaming Lips se ha quedado a gusto después de sus declaraciones en Rolling Stone, donde pone a parir literalmente a los integrantes de Arcade Fire. Arcade Fire por su parte ha sacado un comunicado en su web para defenderse. Como niños.. Esto es lo que ha dicho Wayne:

“Por un lado soy su fan, pero por el otro realmente estoy cansado de su pomposidad. Tocamos algunos conciertos con ellos y realmente tratan a la gente como basura. Luego descubrí que no sólo tratan a su equipo como basura, sino también a su audiencia. De hecho tratan a cualquiera que esté a su alrededor como basura…

…La gente trata al grupo como si fuera la cosa más grande que haya existido y ellos se lo creen. Tienen buenas canciones, pero son unos idiotas, así que al diablo con ellos. Yo he convivido con grupos. He convivido con The Edge de U2 y es la persona más dulce del mundo. Conocí a Justin Timberlake cuando era joven y era bastante normal y amable. Todo el mundo puede y debe ser amable y la gente que tiene privilegios, dinero y atención debería entenderlo. Sino, entonces al diablo con ellos” Vía: Cuchara sonica

Neil Young

El nuevo álbum de Neil Young saldrá a la venta el próximo 7 de Abril. El álbum ha sido grabado este 2008 y llevará como título Fork In The road. Los asistentes al Primavera Sound tendremos la suerte de disfrutar de sus canciones en directo. Todo un lujo. Tracklist todo seguido.

“When Worlds Collide”
“Fuel Line”
“Just Singing a Song”
“Johnny Magic”
“Cough Up the Bucks”
“Get Behind the Wheel”
“Off the Road”
“Hit the Road”
“Light a Candle”
“Fork in the Road”

Love Of Lesbian

Su sexto disco de estudio llevará como título 1999 y saldrá a la venta el 24 de Marzo (ya mismo). El álbum es la historia de una pareja y para ello han ayudado a la música con las imágenes del librito del CD. Será como una ‘mini película’ bastante interesante si tenemos en cuenta que en su myspace han colgado 3 canciones como adelanto que son realmente buenas. En el disco han colaborado artistas como The New Raemon o Sidonie. Esperamos con ansias este disco del que dejo el tracklist todo seguido.

“Allí donde solíamos gritar”.
“Club de fans John Boy”
“Las malas lenguas”
“Algunas plantas”
“Cuestiones de familia”
“Electroplasta”
“Segundo asalto”
“Incendios de nieve”
“1999″
“Te hiero mucho (historia del amante guisante)”
“Cuando diga ya”
“Miau”
“La mirada de la gente que conspira”
“2009. Voy a romper las ventanas”. bat

Blur

Dave Rowntree, batería de Blur podría abandonar la formación una vez concluya la gira de reunión que van a empezar este verano. En principio Dave ha declarado que quiere centrarse en su carrera como abogado. Yo no se que pensar, ¿alguien realmente prefiere ser abogado a ser una estrella del rock a nivel mundial? en ninguna de las dos cosas se cobra mal, pero realmente no tiene nada que ver una cosa con la otra…el tiempo dira. Vía: NME

Slumdog Millionairie

Gran triunfadora en los oscar, sin ninguna duda, una gran película que recomiendo a todo el mundo. Su banda sonora fue galardonada con un oscar y eso se ha hecho notar en España. La verdad es que vale mucho la pena y tiene grandes canciones como por ejemplo Paper Planes de M.I.A. La banda sonora ha entrado en el número 17, que no esta nada mal. Vía: AltaFidelidad

I’ve decided to go through my old collections of CDs.
I feel like making a review for this album.
Can’t believe its been 14 years since I’ve been a big BLUR fan.
I did see them live in 2003 at Montreal’s Metropolis (about 10 years too late).
This is way before Gorillaz made a big splash globally in the music scene.
Happy to hear that all the original members are back for 2009. Blur fans should be excited for this reunion.
It was Parklife that got me loving the whole Britpop music scene.
Besides listening to the whole top 40 stuff back in my teenage days.
Still haven’t gotten tired of listening to this album.

Still this album help made BLUR become a household name in the UK.
In case you are living under a rock, the members are Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James, Dave Rowntree.
Also started the big Britpop movement which probably lasted until 1997.

Parklife in my opinion is the quintessential Britpop album.
Surprising that the album charted in the #1 spot but didn’t achieve #1 singles but had two Top 10 hits which were Girls and Boys and Parklife.

This album is so typically British with tracks like Parklife (Love Phil Daniels doing the narration of the song and makes me want to have a British accent), Bank Holiday and London Loves.
Fun and crazy tracks of Girls & Boys, Tracy Jacks and Jubilee.
Slow moody trippy sounds of Far Out and This Is A Low.
To The End has that “C’est ne sais quoi” French tragic ballady song (Find the one with Francoise Hardy and that is very French).

Damon’s vocals just makes is so amazing to hear a British singer sing British life.

Parklife is a classic Britpop album and never grows old.

Best tracks:

• Girls & Boys 
• End Of A Century 
• Parklife 
• To The End 
• This Is A Low

A new organisation, the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), has been set up to promote artists’ rights within the mainstream music industry, and ultimately hopes to distribute revenues from their work.

Directors include Blur’s Dave Rowntree, Kate Nash and Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien, Soul II Soul’s Jazzie B, Billy Bragg and hip-hop MC Master Shortie. Members of Coldplay and Robbie Williams are expected to attend the organisation’s first meeting in London. Other artists expected at the meeting include Annie Lennox, The Guillemots, Badly Drawn Boy, The Feeling and The Futureheads.

“By making ourselves heard and arguing for what’s fair, we can help reshape the industry,” Rowntree said. He added that musicians should be able to take advantage of the technological changes which have swept through the music industry and weakened the position of record companies.

‘Musicians as a group do tend to grumble about what’s happening in the industry – well, here’s an opportunity to do something about it rather than grumble about it,’ he said. ‘The doomsayers are saying that the music industry is over and the digital revolution has killed everything and we’re all out of jobs. We’re saying the digital revolution presents some incredible opportunities and has transformed the relationship the artists have with their fans.’

He added: ‘There are a lot of big issues at the moment – the Government’s Digital Britain green paper, copyright extension and so on. It’s no accident that this body is being set up now. It’s absolutely vital that our interests are represented when decisions are made.’

The FAC’s website can be seen here:
http://www.featuredartistscoalition.com

The website says this:
The Featured Artists’ Coalition campaigns for the protection of performers’ and musicians’ rights. We want all artists to have more control of their music and a much fairer share of the profits it generates in the digital age. We speak with one voice to help artists strike a new bargain with record companies, digital distributors and others, and are campaigning for specific changes.

It will be interesting to see what the specific changes turn out to be. Is there any point negotiating with record company dinosaurs? Perhaps the dinosaurs should be allowed to die out and a new musical ecology could evolve.

UPDATE: Just heard this meeting has been called off because of the heavy snow in London. If I hear news that it gets rescheduled, I will post again.

NOTICIA APARECIDA HACE ALGUNAS HORAS EN EL SITE DEL NME

BLUR SPEAK: ‘We are reuniting for Hyde Park gig’ – Exclusive

Blur are reforming to play live next year, NME can exclusively reveal.

The full line-up – Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree – will play their first gigs together since guitarist Coxon quit the band in 2002.

Speaking only to NME in a world exclusive joint interview, Albarn and Coxon explained that they had put their differences behind them and were looking forward to playing live in 2009.

“It just felt it was right again,” declared Albarn of Blur’s return. “It somehow feels like there’s something for us to do again, we’re not completely useless or pointless, we’ve got a reason to exist.”

Coxon agreed, explaining the band were “making public what’s been going on a little bit privately. For the benefit of the fans and those interested we can say that something’s on the cards”.

What is on the cards is a headlining show in Hyde Park, London on Friday, July 3.

After months of speculation, the Britpop classics will reunite next summer for their first performance since 2000.

It ended in acrimony, with the guitarist branding the singer an “egomaniac”. But after months of speculation, Blur have confirmed that they will be reuniting for a massive gig in London’s Hyde Park next summer.

Unlike many a recent rock reunion, the reformed Blur of 2009 will actually consist of the original members: Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree. It will be their first performance together since the Royal Festival Hall in 2000.  “It just felt right again,” Albarn told NME.com. “There’s something for us to do again, we’re not completely useless or pointless, we’ve got a reason to exist.”

After recording seven studio albums and notching up two No 1 singles, the group have been on indefinite hiatus since 2003 following the release of their critically acclaimed seventh album Think Tank. Since the band’s split, Albarn has found success on various projects including animated pop group Gorillaz, supergroup the Good, the Bad & the Queen, the Africa Express series, and the opera Monkey: Journey to the West. Guitarist Coxon has found modest success as a solo artist, bassist James reinvented himself as a cheese-maker, while drummer Dave Rowntree tried unsuccessfully to become a Labour councillor in Westminster.

Albarn had previously started rumours of a reunion after telling Radio 1 last month: “It’s very possible I’ll go back to Blur, it really is very possible … it’s fantastic to get my old friend back.” However, this is the first time the band have confirmed that they are reforming.

Although many fans hope Blur will play next year’s Glastonbury festival, nothing is confirmed as yet. Albarn told NME.com, however, that there would be more shows “in other parts of the country”.

The London Hyde Park concert will take place on Friday July 3 2009. Tickets will go on sale from 9am Friday December 12 2008 at www.livenation.co.uk. Tickets are £45, limited to six per person, and subject to a booking fee.

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A já anunciada volta do Blur dá caras de que será total diferente de ‘Song 2′ ou ‘Girls And Boys’ – duas canções que significaram money, success, fame, glamour para os seus compositores, produtores, e agregados.

A princípio ‘You’re so great’ indica alguma coisa meio ‘Coffee and TV’. Contudo, engana-se quem pensar que ‘é isso mesmo, não tem o que esperar visto a previsibilidade dos britishs’.

Previsibilidade é o tipo de substantivo que David Albarn literalmente não integra em seu dicionário, muito menos em seus projetos. Gorillaz, Monkey: Journey To The West, The Good, The Bad and The Queen.

Já experimentação, ao contrário, é premissa. E o Blur pode experimentar o tipo de sonoridade que desejar, não vai deixar de ser Blur nem tocando um ‘tiquinho de carimbó’.

_ressalva: em tempo, por mais que Albarn demonstre a sua excelência, Blur também é Graham Coxon, Alex James e Dave Rowntree.

]]> http://meteo.wordpress.com/2008/11/25/blur-reunion-2009-1elf/ Tue, 25 Nov 2008 16:27:08 +0000 meteo http://meteo.wordpress.com/2008/11/25/blur-reunion-2009-1elf/

OK, wie sage ich das, ohne zu viele Herzinfarkte zu verursachen. Das Gerücht einer Reunion von Blur gab es in den letzten Jahren in jedem zweiten Artikel, in dem der Name Albarn oder Coxon vorkam – in jedem anderen wurde es dann wieder dementiert. Allein in den letzten zwölf Monaten, würde ich subjektiv behaupten, kochte so etwas dreimal hoch. Zuletzt trafen sich Albarn, Coxon und James bei der Premiere von Monkey in London aufeinander, außerdem verbreitete das amerikanische Spin-Magazin die Nachricht eines gemeinsamen Essens und das Albarn-Zitat “It’s very possible I’ll go back to Blur, it really is very possible.” Und heute nun vermeldet der Neueste Meldungen Exaggerator (der NME) “Blur are certainly going to rehearse and see if we’re into it” als Albarn’sche Aussage im Rahmen einer einmaligen Monkey-Aufführung für das BBC Radio 2.

Blur on the cover of NME, 17th June 1995. Photo by Steve Double.

Tracey hacks at low resolution

I miss Blur.

Oh, don’t get me wrong; I totally dig Damon Albarn’s efforts with Gorillaz, The Good, The Bad, and the Queen, and those little solo things he occasionally does, and Graham Coxon is a pretty decent solo artist (check out Happiness In Magazines).

But I miss the musical unit of Albarn, Coxon, bassist Alex James, and drummer Dave Rowntree.  I really do.

Out of boredom (and a desire to stop listening to Scarlett Johansson’s album), I’ve been blazing through choice cuts of their seven-album discography.  The Great Escape’s “Country House” reminded me of the nastiest war of British popular music history where “Country House” went head-to-head on the charts with Oasis’ “Roll With It” in 1995.  Think Tank’s “Crazy Beat” reminded me of that crazy Levi jeans commercial where some guy was fighting a pair of jeans.  And did you know that Leisure’s “She’s So High” was the soundtrack of a date over ice cream and pizza in 2003?  Memories, man!

A part of me would love to see these boys reunite and create great music again.  But, there’s also a part of me that knows that Albarn’s erratic personality, as well as Coxon being content with his solo career and James totally in love with cheese, will prevent such a thing.  Hey, maybe Dave Rowntree will save the day?  I bet he wants to go back to the skins after his time with British politics are over.  Well, at least that’s what I think.

She\’s So High – Blur

Attention, choc de titans. Sur le ring mesdames et messieurs, deux nouvelles formations de Damon Albarn et Graham Coxon, ex-Blur (j’espère ne pas avoir à utiliser l’expression bien longtemps ). Et pour pimenter le duel, ils ont sû particulièrement bien s’entourer…

The Good, the Bad & the Queen

. Des légendes, rien de moins, c’est ce que Damon Albarn, après s’être investi dans Gorillaz, a réuni pour un album au titre inspiré du western culte Le Bon, la Brute et le Truand. Paul Simonon, charismatique bassiste des Clash, qui n’a rien perdu de sa fougue des années punk. Tony Allen, batteur mythique du groupe phare de l’afrobeat, Fela Kuti. Et Simon Tong n’est pas un débutant non plus, puisqu’il a joué au sein de The Verve.

. La musique a ce je-ne-sais-quoi caractéristique de la musique de Damon, qui fait qu’on peut acheter chacune de ses productions les yeux fermés, et pourtant, vous n’avez rien entendu de pareil. Personnellement, je préfère GBQ à Gorillaz… La présence plus marquée de la voix envoûtante de Damon y étant sans doute pour quelque chose.

Surtout, ne cherchez pas à savoir qui est le bon, la brute et la reine. En revanche, il y a du Morricone dans les morceaux instrumentaux :

Back in the day :

. Et en live? Je les ai vus deux fois, j’ai regardé toutes les vidéos possibles et imaginables… Et je ne m’en lasse pas. Si vous avez la chance d’entendre jouer l’orchestre de Tony Allen en première partie, c’est du soleil changé en musique. La toile de fond, peinte par Paul Simonon, les éclairages, les couvre-chefs de l’ensemble des musiciens, la gestuelle de Paul Simonon, absolument fascinant… Tout contribue à créer une ambiance indescriptible, faite de classe et de mystère. Ne me parlez pas de conflits d’ego. Il règne entre eux une complicité évidente.
Le moment de grâce de chaque live, à mon goût… Le féérique Behind the sun :

Graham Coxon & Paul Weller

. Il ne s’embête pas, le père Graham… Paul Weller, de The Jam, rien que ça! Alors bien sûr, ils ne sont que deux… Mais ils valent leur pesant de cacahuètes, non?

. This old town sonne typiquement Coxon.

Mais c’est avec Black River que le duo atteint des sommets musicaux…
Fermez les yeux, vous êtes sur le dos d’un oiseau immense qui survole des paysages magnifiques. C’est un petit bout de printemps, c’est aussi bon que du Costello.

. En live? Malheureusement, je n’ai jamais vu les deux compères en concert. Il y a comme un goût d’improvisation à ce duo. Comme s’ils s’étaient dit “tiens, et si on bossait ensemble? On improvisera après!”. Et c’est peut-être ce qui fait le charme de la paire. Mais les 3 titres qu’ils nous proposent sont si brillants qu’il serait vraiment, vraiment dommage de ne pas envisager un album et une tournée, au moins. A condition, bien entendu, que cela ne retarde pas le retour de Blur… (du côté de Damon, je ne m’inquiète pas, ce mec est un hyperactif!)

VERDICT?

L’entreprise Weller/Coxon est un peu trop inachevée pour faire le poids face à Damon, définitivement mon Idole Absolu, et Môssieur Simonon, dont je suis littéralement folle. Avantage GBQ. Reste que Black River est un petit bijou qui a rejoint les indispensables de mon MP3.
Et vous, qui a vos faveurs?

PS : et pendant ce temps-là… Dave Rowntree s’est lancé dans la politique. Mais on ne se débarrasse pas comme ça de ses antécédents de batteur…

Alex James, grand amateur de fromage devant l’éternel, a tout naturellement acheté une ferme, a toujours un brushing de folie et a écrit une autobiographie qui prouve qu’il n’a rien perdu de son sens de l’humour.