Beck y sus amiguetes Devendra Banhart, MGMT y Andrew Stockdale de Wolfmother, participan de la segunda entrega de Record Club, proyectó que inició el músico norteamericano en 2008. La idea: versionar temas de grandes bandas, con colaboraciones de otros músicos (de ahí la presencia de estos invitados de lujo), todo sólo en un día. De estas sesiones relámpago se filmaron videos, y audio.

La primera entrega tuvo a su cargo las versiones de Velvet Underground and Nico. Salió normal. Ahora, con Songs of Leonard Cohen, segundo experimento del Record Club, realmente dieron en el clavo.

El disco ya está disponible para su descarga y se pueden ver los videos de los covers en la página de Beck, y, por supuesto, en YouTube, madre de todo lo audiovisual. Y es más: la primera entrega del tercer encuentro de Record Club (Beck más nombres como Wilco y Feist reversionando el disco de Spike Spencer, Oar) salió el 12 de este mes.

Les dejo entonces un temazo, tanto hecho por Leonard Cohen como por su heredero Beck. A ver cuál les gusta más.

meet theresa andersson. she may look like your average swedish/new orleans indie darling, but in fact, she is a one-woman atomic whirlwind; and she is probably blowing your favorite quirky singer with bangs straight out of the musical water. backup band? what backup band? theresa loops her violin, tuned-down guitar (read: bass), half-filled pop bottles, dulcimers and her own sultry voice into a fantastic musical kaleidoscope that will immediately kick your cold-weather blues. think: grittier feist, or thao and the get down stay down if the band caught swine flu. when theresa is not single-handedly entertaining the masses, she can be found recording in her kitchen, collaborating with norwegian artists on obscure swedish islands, or hand-stitching her own album covers. take that, too-cute indie singer-songwriters in vintage tweed dresses. 

The appeal of Florence and the Machine is something of an anomaly to me because, though I think there’s something about the band’s recently released album, Lungs that is really irritating, I can’t stop listening to it. I guess, in the historic sense of the genre, that makes it an exemplary pop record.

There’s really nothing that’s all too new here but it’s infectious just the same. Florence and the Machine deals in genre tropes, seemingly written by folks with a music major’s knowledge of perfect pop song structure and aiming at creating tunes that just won’t leave your head [listen to Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) for the most striking example of this effect]. Just the same, frontwoman, Florence Welch has a strong, captivating voice that is, at times, extremely reminiscent of The Cranberries’ Dolores O’Riordan, and her lyrics are probably the single most interesting aspect of the album. Essentially, Florence and the Machine bridges straightforward pastiche with a still novel approach that can’t easily be called derivative (does that make sense?). The group has created an interesting album but one that ultimately sounds like everything else but is still, for some reason, a lively and exciting experience. For example, moments like the bass drum heartbeat and false stop/start of Cosmic Love sure aren’t original, but they are pretty fun regardless.

Between Two Lungs brings a TV On the Radio inspired Feist to mind, combining handclap rhythms and a whimsical vocal performance that seems to keep the potential for advertisement placement firmly in mind. I’m Not Calling You a Liar is a hypnotic blend of harp plucking and multi-layered vocal tracks, using that old cardiac bass thumping yet again.  Blinding and it’s application of combined pizzicato and swelling string layers makes for a catchy song. The pounding toms and sparse piano chords of Howl give away to sugary-sweet synth strings and, ultimately, create one of the album’s most memorable tracks.

That’s about it. No superlatives or praise necessary. This isn’t that kind of album. Lungs simply serves its seemingly utilitarian purpose; playing through its tracks, entertaining listeners and not busying itself with inspiring any major emotional response.

I can’t recommend Florence and the Machine’s Lungs to everyone but I’m sure this album will emerge as the guilty pleasure of many a listener throughout the year (unless the group is still “indie enough” to make it acceptable listening). It’s worth a listen and is probably an album that will stand in posterity as a breakthrough success for a band with legs enough to carry a lengthy career.

— Reid

Yesterday evening I was watching Live at the rehearsal Studio and I was reminded as to why I love Canadian starlet, Leslie Feist. Her soulful voice is a throw-back to lost times, which pays homage to many great voices of the 40s and 50s, like Edith Piaf. While she embraces the past, Feist effortlessly storms into the future as she incorporates electronic sounds into her music for our modern musings, which is why her tunes might have become an instrument of remixery by many masters’ of the art, like Diplo, Boys Noize, LifeLike, Van She Tech and fellow Canadian electro pop duo, Chromeo.

Feist – My Moon, My Man
Feist – 1234 (Vanshe Tech Rmx)
Feist – I Feel it All (Diplo Rmx)

First, Rolling Stone recently did a nice job of compiling 40 different clips of musicians performing on Sesame Street across its 40-year history. I flipped through pretty fast, but caught at least a few I really liked: Stevie’s ‘Superstition’ , Paul Simon’s ‘Me and Julio’ , Tito Puente, and Feist…

Second, there’s this:

Much like the age old questions, “chicken or the egg?”, and “pirates or ninjas?”, Science Fiction vs. Fantasy is one of those unanswerable questions of life. But, while I can see the appeal of the first two questions, I have to wonder why we bother to ask this third question in the first place. I believe Fantasy and Science Fiction are two sides of the same coin, different only in the trappings, not in the actual spirit of pure imagination which I believe goes into both. Furthermore, the line between these two genre’s is blurry at best. Let me explain.

First, a couple of definitions, as gleaned from our friend of the Information Age, Wikipedia.

“Fantasy is a genre that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting” from the Fantasy Page.

Science Fiction – “It differs from fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically-established or scientifically-postulated laws of nature (though some elements in a story might still be pure imaginative speculation)” from the Science Fiction Page.

I like to think of Science Fiction and Fantasy as two ends of a spectrum. At either end you have the extremes, Asimov at the SF end, and Tolkien at the Fantasy end. In the middle, the exact distinction becomes less clear, with authors such as Anne McCaffrey and Raymond Feist. McCaffrey’s Pern books are a brilliant example of this blurriness. At the beginning of that series (within the timeline), the books are almost pure SF, with space travel to other planets, genetic science and computer technology. Yet as Pern progresses, they become Fantasy novels, with quests, dragons, and in a strange sense magic, or at least communication with what are essentially large animals.

Another prime example of this fuzziness between the genres is actually Robert A. Heinlein. The book that I am thinking of specifically is called The Glory Road, and is one of my favorite works of Heinlein’s. However, I could not consider this book to fit neatly into either Category alone. While there is space travel, or rather travel between dimensions, and technology, there is also a sword-wielding hero, dragons, and in some sense magic. Now, I also think that Heinlein deliberately was blurring the line, as several times one of the characters explains her technology to the less technological Earth-man as “magic”. And indeed, it sounds like magic. But it is also equally clear that to her this ‘magic’ is as simple and straightforward as computer technology is to us.

I feel that I also must touch on the sub-genres of Urban Fantasy, and Steampunk/Cyberpunk and the many variations thereof. Steampunk and Cyberpunk are both technologically driven, though the aesthetic is rather different, yet Steampunk is considered a sub-genre of Fantasy, rather than Science Fiction. Urban Fantasy is another odd example, combining as it does themes such as elves, magic, dragons, vampires, werewolves, and modern day technology. One might almost dub these three sub-genres “Science Fantasy”, for they clearly combine the magic or semi-magical elements of Fantasy, with rational scientific explanations for many parts of the story.

Though I can by  no means claim to be the first to have these thoughts (or else why would the Bookstores shelve the two genres together?), I do think they are important considerations for an aspiring author. I think the question should not so much be “Science Fiction or Fantasy” as it should be a question of weaving your story clearly within the framework of the world or worlds you create.

Thought for the Day: “One man’s magic is another man’s engineering. Supernatural is a null word.” Robert A. Heinlein

Currently Reading: Village Life in Ancient Egypt: Laundry Lists and Love Songs ~ A.G. McDowell

I’m not capable of listening to music I love without playing it for other people.  Rather than forcing you to ride with me in my Escort with the busted out sound system or taking up your lunch break with homemade mixtapes, I thought I’d just leave the songs I love the most each weekend here for you to soak up at your leisure.  Here’s the first installment.  Be sure to stay tuned through the end, since this set ends with my FAVORITE SONG OF THE YEAR.

1.  Brand Nubian – “Step To The Rear”

Grand Puba is a monster.  A monster, friends.

2.  Black Sheep – “Similak Child”

We’re keeping it Native for the first chunk of this post.  Like a lot of whiteboys, ATCQ was my first hip hop obsession, which later spilled over into the entire Native Tongues clique.  I figured it might be a safe place to start for people who say they like every kind of music except from rap and country.  Things might get a little rougher later.

3.  Poor Righteous Teachers – “Word Is Bond”

More “conscious” rap from New Jersey’s finest.  Check that 808.

4.  K.M.D. – “Humrush”

A little Daisy Age DOOM.

5.  Bill Evans – “Theme From Spartacus”

Bill Evans is one of the two pianists on the jazz album that nearly everyone has, Miles Davis’s “Kind of Blue.”  He’s also my favorite pianist, and this is from “Conversations With Myself,” where he overdubs take after take, yielding the cascading sound you hear here.  It works on the entire album, but this one grabbed me from the first time I heard it.

6.  Gonzales – “Gogol”

Gonzales is Chilly Gonzales, who is apparently a rapper, though I’ve never heard him do that.  He plays piano on both of Leslie Feist’s albums.  His playing and compositional style reminds me of Vince Guaraldi (the guy from the Peanuts cartoons).

7.  Feist – “Limit To Your Love”

Speaking of Leslie Feist.  This is what a great record sounds like after the hype has left it alone.  See also: Fleet Foxes, Vampire Weekend, The Strokes, The Police, et al.

8.  Benjy Ferree – “Private Honeymoon”

Such a weird, lovely song.

9.  David Amram – “Theme From Manchurian Candidate (Jazz Version)”

Keeping the weird and lovely thing going.  This is from the Sinatra version of the movie.  Oddly, the only way you can get this now is if you buy a package album with the music from the Denzel Washington version of the movie, which is all bland “suspense strings.”  I don’t know why they’d choose to cast the modern recording in such an unflattering light.

10.  Dusty Springfield – “No Easy Way Down”

Sigh.

11.  O.V. Wright – “I’m Going Home (To Live With God)

From O.V.’s years with the Hi Records band – the same one you can hear on every Al Green and Ann Peebles record.

12.  Aretha Franklin – “You’re All I Need To Get By”

This is my favorite Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell song, written by Ashford and Simpson.  Tammi sung it in a wheelchair because a brain tumor had immobilized her.  Marvin loved Tammi and Tammi loved Marvin.  I’m convinced of it.  But, obviously, this is Aretha’s version of it.  It’s irritating to me how she tries to cram in the R.E.S.P.E.C.T. reference, but I love the way she sings and plays it.

13.  Jamie Lidell – “Another Day”

Jamie Lidell is my modern-day hero.  I wasn’t sure it was possible to make soul music nowadays without sounding derivative and unoriginal, but Jamie proves that you can always find new space to express yourself within an existing idiom.  Innovation is great, but it’s not the only valid form of self-expression.

14.  Wale ft. Bun B – “Mirrors”

From Wale’s underwhelming but occasionally great full length album.  Bun B is a legend, and he just gobbles up poor Wale here.  I thought of this one because Jamie Lidell and Mark Ronson (the producer) seem to be among a handful of white English folks who’ve been listening to a lot of Motown and Atlantic records lately.

15.  G-Side – “So Wonderful”

There’s gonna be more of this Southern stuff later on.  The beats on this (free!) album are absolutely unlike anything else I’m hearing in hip-hop right now, and G-Side are passionate rappers who don’t just rap about rapping (I’m looking at you, Royce).

16.  Robyn/Royksopp – “The Girl and the Robot”

Royksopp don’t deserve Robyn.  Robyn is, hands-down, the best melody writer/pop lyricist going right now.  I would throw down a few bucks just to hear what she sings in the shower each morning.  Don’t get me wrong, Royksopp have created a sturdy ladder for her to climb, but I’ve heard the rest of their album, and they don’t reach heights anything like this anywhere else on it.  Robyn could take over the world and her sheer soul power would remain intact, which I honestly can’t say about anyone else right now.  Even Kelly Clarkson, who appears to be bulletproof.

Every time a 0 is involved with the turning year, people tend to go crazy over “the best _____ of the decade”. Lists come out about music and movies and tv shows and whatever. Well, I decided to do that. Because I’m a dork. What I ended up doing is a list of things for every year since the year 2000. I will talk about some of them and leave links to others that I think are fantastical and that I belive you (whoever you are) might enjoy. So. Here we go. Expect to see some bands that repeat, and some that you know I like, if you like me:

2000
Does anyone remember how fantastically catchy ‘Bohemian Like You’ was? The silly video with the karaoke-thing, etcetera? There was a lot of decent music coming out around this time, and I remember being consistently barraged by good albums. This wouldn’t continue through the rest of the decade. Californication would be the last time I would enjoy RHCP as a band.

Dandy Warhols (song – Bohemian Like You); Red Hot Chili Peppers (album – Californication); Smashing Pumpkins/Foo Fighters/A Perfect Circle(show – Summersault – Winnipeg Stadium); Nine Inch Nails (video – Into the Void)

2001
In 2001 I succumbed to sexy pop for a favorite song. Seriously. That song is awesome. Frusciante’s album was magical, and I think my video of the year is really the only choice.

Kylie Minogue (song – Can’t get you out of my head); John Frusciante (album – To Record only Water for Ten Days); Tragically Hip (show – Winnipeg Arena); Fatboy Slim (video – Weapon of Choice)

2002
Dave Grohl makes the list twice as a drummer in this year, and probably would have taken the album too, but from out of nowhere came what would change my mind about Canadian music in that I ended up following almost every project that Broken Social Scene had outside of it’s main band after hearing the album and seeing them live.

Queens Of The Stone Age (song – Go With the Flow); Broken Social Scene (album – You Forgot it in people); Broken Social Scene – (show – Pyramid Cabaret); Tenacious D (video – Tribute)

2003
I remember the moment I fell in love with Sit down Stand up. It was on the eve of the album coming out, and Radiohead played a live show that was broadcasted to Silver City theatres in Canada. When that song reached the crescendo into the fast ‘raindrops’ part, I was almost on the edge of my seat. Which I could also say about the Metric show. They were second on a bill of three that featured Hot Hot Heat as the main act, and were still relatively new, but downright sexy and exciting to watch. I’ve since seen them six more times.

Radiohead (song – Sit Down, Stand Up); Mars Volta (album – De-Loused in the Comatorium); Metric (show – Pyramid Cabaret); Buck 65 (video – Wicked and Weird)

2004
The second time a John Frusciante album makes my favorite albums. This album is widely regarded as his most ‘mainstream’ and is a fantastic, great-amazing thing, just like the Bowie concert, which was the last concert I ever saw at the ol’ Winnipeg arena.

Secret Machines (song – Nowhere Again); John Frusciante (album – Shadows Collide with People); David Bowie (show – Winnipeg Arena); DFA 1979 (video – Black History Month)

2005
I’ll never forget how many phone calls I got when Nine Inch Nails annouced that they’d be coming here. It was the first time I was going to see them, after being a fan since 1994. My phone rang off the hook, and for one song during that show, so did my emotions. I kinda quietly, completely lost it, and felt like a dummy. Ha! By the way, that Esthero video’s freakin’ hot, and I agree with every sentiment in it.

Sufjan Stevens (song – Come On! Feel the Illinoise!); Fantomas (album – Suspended Animation); Nine Inch Nails (show – MTS Centre) Esthero (video – We R in Need of a Musical Revolution)

2006
I saw Wintersleep by myself in front of about 30 people, and skipped work to get there. When I talked to the singer about this, he dedicated a song to me. How nice. As far as Nausea goes, I don’t know what it is about that song, but something in it drives me nuts. It’s way too good and it doesn’t even realize it.

Beck (song – Nausea); Regina Spektor (album – Begin To Hope); Wintersleep (show – The Collective); Eagles of Death Metal (video – Boy’s Bad News)

2007
National Anthem of Nowhere has become my most listened to track on last.fm, and I think the Wintersleep album has since become one of my most listened to albums. They will both continue to rise in numbers. If I did a song by song and album by album breakdown, these two would make somewhere within the top three. And it’s pretty cool that I got to see Mike Patton in any of his 34i83902439024 bands, but Peeping Tom blew me away.

Apostle of Hustle (song – National Anthem of nowhere); Wintersleep (album – Welcome to the Night Sky); Peeping Tom (show – Trocadero); Feist (video – 1234)

2008
God, In Rainbows is great. And Secret Machines live, that’s something so completely underrated, I don’t even know how to describe it to you. The power that they have to get an audience going, is a sight to behold and yet there were so few people there that I was kind of disappointed in the turnout. Oh, and yes, I realize that Feist gets the video 2 years running for the same album, but they’re both great videos.

Kaki King (song – Montreal); Radiohead (album – In Rainbows); Secret Machines (show – Pyramid); Feist (video – I feel it all)

2009
I know, it hasn’t been that long, but Them Crooked Vultures was exactly the album I wanted it to be. So there.  And as far as Spookey’s song goes, this is the second time I’ve talked about it in my blog. Previously appeared in my “songs you won’t see in Guitar Hero or Rock band“, and it’s just something to behold. Metric’s video was perfect, it was the video that I wanted them to have. Something sweet and cute instead of overtly dorky like all of their other videos. As far as Leonard Cohen’s concert goes, I hadn’t been a huge fan beforehand, but was introduced, and BECAME a large fan because of how amazing that concert was. Everything he did was perfect. The singing, the sounds, the engagement with the audience was fantastic. Top five concerts in my life, that one.

Spookey Ruben (song – Mechanical Royalty); Them Crooked Vultures (album – Them Crooked Vultures); Leonard Cohen (show – MTS Centre); Metric (video – Gimme Sympathy)

Canteen’s Bands Undone got its groove on with the dance duo Bonjay on November 19th.
The duo consist of Alanna Stuart and Pho.
It wasn’t an acoustic set, more like a laid back acapella with funky dance beats.
Amazed with Alanna’s vocal abilities when she sang without a mic.
The duo has just released their first EP called Gimme Gimme which is an amazing song.
Forgot the name of the first song.
The second song Alanna sang some parts of Feist’s Honey Honey which I didn’t know until she mentioned it.
While the third song it was Gimme Gimme and it was amazing to hear it in a intimate atmosphere.
The people who were in attendance were having a great time just listening to their music while sitting and bopping away.
The duo really like this idea and had a great time doing this.
But not used to playing with the lights on.
The duo was really nice and hoping more people will come out and see them play.
Seeing big things will happen for them in 2010.

Here is a interview with the band with apt613 and I asking them whatever stuff we can ask them

HELLOTHERE.

So been listening to a lot of heavy, dubby, grimey stuff recently, and still not bored yet. Most recently, I’ve realised how good DZ is at producing, whether its his own tracks or his remixes. They’ve been popping up everywhere. C’mon, he even managed to make Major Lazer’s worst track sound half-decent! Anyway, his style is a rumbly dubstep bass with clattering percussion and occasional waving synths, so what’s not to like? If you haven’t injected this stuff into your ears yet then watch out, you might eject something else…

I put the sickest mixes up, none of his own productions though, you can find them for yourself if you like him. Heads up though: look out for his track with Excision. That’s all I’m saying…

“Wu-Tang” (DZ Remix) – Wu-Tang Clan ft. U-God & Method Man (zshare)

“My Moon, My Man” (DZ Remix) – Feist & Boys Noize (zshare)

“Hold The Line” (DZ Remix) - Major Lazer (zshare)

“Businessman” (DZ Remix) - Crookers (zshare)

“You Keep Me Hangin’ On” (DZ Remix) – The Supremes (zshare)

Heyho, Science People!

Glad but sad to know that i’m already 24 years old now. I already in a mature-age (even not yet to be a women-then, who cares? I’m not ;p). When i was 14, i really wanna havemyself to be 24 years old. I didnt know why. Maybe trapped in the mid of school madness routinity was really so bored eventhough i was quite a good student. I was think, it looks so cool to be a worker, i mean a magazine editor (oh… this is so really my dream, Science People). Hahaha… but now? I wanna turn my life back to 10 years ago. When there’s no a ‘big bag’ in my back. Forget about ‘if i could turn back the time’ now. Its only wasting my time even its so excited to be talked.

Yesterday, 17 November 2009 was my birthday. But for this moment, i didnt feel any special things in my heart. Almost more than 200 notifications at my facebook account, some at twitter, sms, YM, BBM, email and some calls to say happy birthday. I really appriciated those things, guys! Thank you… But, i really sorry to feel ‘unspecial’ for that things. Even, I prefered to come home early (after working) than my previous birthday.

Maybe i was in PMS. Maybe i still had a scar of sadness inside that slowly but sure, whether i recognise it or not, it still present. Maybe i didnt know anything about my life now. Oh its so really suck. Shit!

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” – Albert Einstein.

You wont believe, guys… the quote is my status at fb now! I feel so ironic now. In one side, i have to be strong and keep my life as well when i feel broke inside.

Oia, when i was arrive at home last nite, i found something. The Wijaya Kusuma flower was blossom at that nite. At least, i found a hope. My Allah SWT give the bless for me. Amin.

— skip my pathetic birthday story – now – we go to another world of mine —

Its so really funny to be me. Really. When i feel dropped, dumped, broke, sad, mad, or another down-tempered or rollercoaster emotions that need some maturity i feel… i always have another world to go. Its a world where i feel convince to be myself. I agree with Opung Sigmund Freud, thats an Ego.

My Ego is my another world. I feel free to do anything.

As a scorpion, lived in 2 ecosystem was so really excited. It doesnt mean that you do “habis manis sepah dibuang”; you leaved out your real world and go out to another world just to feel fun. No… its a big no!

Theres no “Leave” word, actually. Since its only a temporary. For my ‘pathetic condition’ is for defensive.

————————–        So scorpio, what is my ego now? —————————-

Here we are… i made some my scorpio-ego-list. I need to write it down since i have to cheer-up my self whenever needed. Its also for make sure that i can handle all of the things are happened with me…

-          Hi my ideal job! How are you now? Ooooh forget about job now. The only thing i have to do now is my-own-self-project. I dont care about my sleephours. I just care about my writing project, fashion DIY project or another self-project. Its all indsign!

-          Hi my weights! For almost 2 years, i felt so fat. 44 Kg was so really big mistake for sure. But now, i dont care. C’mon to do culinary trip!

-          Hi maturity! This is so really a big topic in every season. But who care? Problem is always a problem. Maturity is never restless. Tired. So, chin up to be a young one now.

=====  Saving my money for future? Its needed but the happiness for temporary situation is also needed, guys! At 2009, i’m not going to any concerts at all! Crazy… for the sake of my wallet, of my time, of every barrier. Phoenix, Playground, Java Jazz, Soulnation, Jak Int’l Blues Festival, etc… I wont do the same things. 2010, i have to watch some music concerts.

===== And who cares about ‘minyak telon’ anyway? Me care! Yeaaah… people around me always said.. “how old are you now, dear Indah? And you still using a ‘minyak telon’ ?” SO WHAT? Am i asking you some money to live my life? Hell-o!

===== And who cares about my bad habit? Belated-wake up in the morning, eat some snack at my bed, being lazy at weekend, or else… heeeeeiiiii… this is my life!

===== And who cares about “relationship status”? i dont care. Now singing Beyonce song’s : “i’m a single lady, put your hands up!” Just believe, the time will be coming.

(Big Grin)

Believe me, its not too much. Its so really fun to do.

———————————–    and my ego wishes ————————————

-          I hope, there’s a parfume or cologne with ‘minyak telo n’ scent.

-          I hope strawberry milk has a powder versions.

-          I hope a blueberrycheese cake, firefloss bread and tuna bread always present whenever i need ‘em to boost my mood.

(those things so really what i want, honestly)

-          I hope, i have my OWN laptop.

-          I hope my favorite musicians come to Indonesia. Helloow Feist, Regina Spektor, India Arie, John Mayer, Newton Faulkner, The Virgins (not Virgin, indonesia version), Arctic Monkey, Oasis, Blur, U2, oh my God, to much to mention…

-          I Hope a very rock n roll, smart, multi-talented, stylish, religious and responsible man.

-          I hope for an europe tour!

-          I hope my novel become a best – seller and influence so many people to act something in their life.

-          I hope my momma will understand me for the rest of my life.

-          I hope for everysingle-project of mine is goal!

-          For the hope of my hope, You always beside me, Ya Allah SWT.

I know , its like a junk text for you. But for me now, its some kind a therapy for my ‘uncertainty-mood’. Maybe you can try it, at least for your own happiness sake!

Thank you for reading, Science People!

Appreciate it a lot.

Kemang, 18 November 2009.

Juana Molina

I’ve been ignoring this blog lately, but it appears it’s still getting views and today someone was kind enough to send me a song via Sound Cloud!!! Therefore, the least I could do is write a little blurb about the musician and give you all a listen.

~*~

The musician is female singer/songwriter Juana Molina from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Before recieving this song I knew nothing about her, but looking into it she has an interesting and impressive past.

As a child her family fled Argentina following a Military coup , and lived in exile in Paris. While growing up she was surrounded by music and her father taught her guitar by the age of 5.

Juana Molina started her career in television as a comedian in Argentina. She was part of a comedy show and also stared in her own spanish sketch comedy show, which she remains prominent in Latin America for. Her music career started in 1996 when she recorded her first album, Rara (Translated to ‘Weird [she]‘), and since has come out with several albums. Her albums could be considered a mix of ambient, folk, and electronic, and  she alternates between singing in English, Spanish and even French.

Juana Molina writes, mixes and performs her songs on her own, has been compared to Bjork and has played along side big names such as Feist. The song I was  provided is off her second album, Segundo (Translated to ‘Second’), which was named Best World Music Album in 2003.

Download the song El Desconfiado. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Todo ano um filme independente rouba os holofotes. Aconteceu com Pequena Miss Sunshine, aconteceu com Juno. São aquelas pequenas joias que não contam necessariamente com os atores mais famosos do mundo, mas que tem uma história adorável para todos os públicos – e, de quebra, uma trilha sonora bem legal! Esse é o caso de (500) Dias Com Ela, que não é nem tão independente assim (20th Century Fox não é nenhuma produtora/distribuidora de fundo de quintal, né?), mas tem lá seus ares e conta com a mais nova queridinha dos amantes de indie: Zooey Deschanel (ela é o ‘She’ do She & Him – aparentemente a sra. Ben Gibbard gosta de pronomes, já que no título brasileiro, Zooey também é o ‘ela’ do título).

Detalhes linguísticos à parte, quem faz o par com Zooey é Joseph Gordon-Levitt, que muitos da minha geração conhecem como o Tommy de 3rd Rock From The Sun, série com John Lithgow que o Sony reprisou. Hoje Joseph está crescido e é considerado um dos jovens atores mais promissores. Para completar o elenco, temos Clark Gregg, que dirigiu Choke e faz o ex-marido de The New Adventures of Old Christine, série da Warner. Digamos, então, que não estamos lidando com um bando de desconhecidos.

Não que isso importasse. A espinha dorsal do filme é a história, que não é de amor. Logo no início do filme, somos avisados de que não se trata do que se imagina, e sim de uma história sobre o amor. Há uma grande diferença, acredite. Tanto que nos vemos dentro de um conto às avessas: o rapaz é romântico, a moça não se apega. Mas, nessa história-que-não-é-de-amor, há momentos adoráveis, singelos, românticos, que não te deixam opção a não ser torcer pelo final feliz. Para que o casal tão improvável seja feliz para sempre.

Para saber se isso de fato acontece, você terá de conferir o filme. A questão que fica é: a história é bonitinha, os atores também, mas vale a pena ou é apenas hype? Será que o filme é tão bom quanto todo mundo diz?

Eu diria que sim. Não é todo filme que toca Regina Spektor, The Smiths, Doves, Spoon, The Clash, Wolfmother e Feist. E não é todo filme de amor sobre o amor que te prende até o final simplesmente porque se importa com aqueles personagens e quer saber o que acontece com eles – aliás, a maioria dos filmes do gênero é previsível. Um filme que te faz contemplar duas possibilidades distintas, sem conseguir prever o final, é uma raridade. Só isso faz valer o ingresso.

Eu precisei de 24 horas e de um empurrãozinho da Isabela Boscov, da Veja, para definir que indicações esse filme levaria. Fiquei matutando a crítica dela, em especial a parte em que diz que 500 Dias com Ela é o antirromance, algo completamente diferente do que estamos acostumados a ver.

E é verdade. Eu sou viciada em romances e comédias românticas e, embora admita o valor de Closer e Amantes, saí desgostosa do cinema por achar esses filmes reais demais. Eu não quero sofrimento; quero vibrar com o casal, rir, chorar e sair do cinema achando que o mundo é mesmo um conto de fadas (não julguem! cada um se ilude da forma que quiser!).

500 Dias com Ela tem um pouco desses dois mundos, mas pende mais para a realidade.  Ainda assim, é impossível não se apaixonar pela história e personagens que o novato Marc Webb construiu – da pequena e madura Rachel Hansen (Just because she likes the same bizzaro crap you do doesn’t mean she’s your soul mate), do melhor amigo Paul (Robin is better than the girl of my dreams. She’s real), do Narrador (Most days of the year are unremarkable. They begin, and they end, with no lasting memories made in between. Most days have no impact on the course of a life. May 23rd was a Wednesday), da honestidade polêmica de Summer (I woke up one morning and I just knew… what I was never sure of with you) e Tom, principalmente Tom.

O romântico, descolado e certinho Tom que diz It’s love, it’s not Santa Claus, que sabe de cor o que mais gosta em Rachel (I love her smile. I love her hair. I love her knees. I love how she licks her lips before she talks. I love her heart-shaped birthmark on her neck. I love it when she sleeps), que dança maravilhosamente bem de tanta felicidade

e depois, como todos nós, leva um doloroso tombo (You don’t want to be named as someone’s boyfriend and now your someone’s wife?).  

Te dou uma dica? Corre pro cinema!

 PS1: Marc Webb ainda acertou em cheio na trilha sonora, que vai de U2 a Carla Bruni, passando por She & Him, banda da Zooey Deschanel, a Summer.

PS2: Confira várias faixas no Blip.

PS3: E eu não consigo não olhar para o Joseph Gordon-Levitt e sentir falta do 3rd Rock from the Sun.

Wilco’s much-anticipated contribution to Beck’s Record Club is now available. The project, available through Beck’s site, which had previously included covers of The Velvet Underground & Nico and Songs of Leonard Cohen by Beck and special guest artists, now turns its attention to 1969’s Oar, the sole solo release from the late Skip Spence, Jefferson Airplane’s original drummer and a member of Moby Grape. First up is the album’s opening track, “Little Hands,” with Wilco, Leslie Feist, and Jamie Lidell performing.

Beck continues his Record Club project. If you’re not familiar with the project, this is how it works: Beck rounds up a revolving cast of guests to cover an entire album’s worth of songs in a day. The results are then posted in weekly installments on Beck’s website.

So what are the latest entries? Mr. Beck is teaming up with respectively Wilco, Feist and Jamie Lidell. He’s going to cover the 1969 ‘cult fave’ ‘Oar’ by onetime Moby Grapye/Jefferson Airplane member turned acid casualty Skip Spence.

Sitting in on drums was James Gadson(who has drummed with Bill Withers0n, while Spencer Tweedy(son of), pitched in on drums as well.

The two previous entries in the Record Club were a cover of ‘The Velvet Underground & Nico’(with producer Nigel Godrich and actor Giovannie Ribisi) and ‘Songs of Leonard Cohen’(with MGMT and Devendra Banhart).

Enjoy ‘Little Hands’ (with Wilco, Feist and Jamie Lidell) below!

Without further ado, head over to Beck’s ‘Record Club’ for some real heavenly jukebox vibes and see Beck and Tweedy and Feist and Jamie Lidell doing a killer cover of Skip Spence’s ‘Little Hands’. Then go listen to ‘Oar’. Hallelujah.

Jeff Tweedy joins Beck's record club

In Beck’s words – Record Club is an informal meeting of various musicians to record an album in a day. The album chosen to be reinterpreted is used as a framework. Nothing is rehearsed or arranged ahead of time. A track is put up here once a week. As you will hear, some of the songs are rough renditions, often first takes that document what happened over the course of a day as opposed to a polished rendering. There is no intention to ‘add to’ the original work or attempt to recreate the power of the original recording. Only to play music and document what happens. And those who aren’t familiar with the albums in question will hopefully look for the songs in their definitive versions.

Beberapa waktu yang lalu saya sempat menulis The Language of The Season di blog saya yang lain (http://indahpratiwiputri.wordpress.com/). Puisi itu menceritakan sedikit cerita tentang perubahan pikiran saya terhadap hujan. Dulu, saya tidak terlalu menyukai hujan. Pemikiran saya terlalu sempit untuk mengartikan indahnya hujan.

Macet, becek, basah, kotor, lumpur, susah kemana – kemana, dingin, penyakitan dan seribu satu alasan negatif lainnya.

Sekarang? Beda lagi ceritanya. Semua permasalahan diatas minimal bisa saya nikmati. Gerutu, muka cemberut, kesel sampai cacian sudah berhenti menjadi efek samping!

Yang ada akhirnya, senyum dan khayalan tingkat tinggi.

No, its not about the negative fantasy but the good one.

Nari – nari ditengah hujan ala Ally Mcbeal sambil ditemenin lagu Feist atau Regina Spektor bersama sahabat dan “special one” adalah salah satu khayalan saya.

 We do some crazy things, the-hoola-hoola-dance and laughing together, taking our self-photograph then running freely. We do in an extraordinary time and place. We celebrate nothing but happiness.Then, we discover something in between that is the unforgettable moment in our life ever.

Serukan sepertinya? Mengingat usia saya sekarang bukan hitungan jari lagi, mandi hujan adalah hal yang cukup susah dilakukan. Apalagi jika dihimpit kegiatan rutinitas, terdesak waktu dan tempat yang menjadikan hal tersebut : Tidak Mungkin Dilakukan.

Thanks to Rumi yang suka mencuci otak saya dengan pernyataan bahwa dia sangat menyukai hujan dan punya seribu rasa senang dengan adanya hujan. Diam – diam, kalimat – kalimatnya mengabrasi rasa suka saya dengan musim semi.

Diam – diam saya mulai menyukai panggilan “the rainbow” dari seseorang kurang lebih 5 tahun silam. Wew… definisi panggilan itu dulu tak pernah saya gubris. Sekarang, bersyukur pernah dipanggil itu karena setelah hujan pasti akan ada pelangi.

Tapi rasa syukur terbesar saya tentunya adalah pada Allah SWT. Kuasanya hebat. Tahukah Science People bahwa berdoa ketika hujan adalah satu dari sekian doa yang besar kemungkinannya dijabah oleh Allah SWT?

Oia, sedikit tambahan… Rasulullah Shallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam mengajarkan kita untuk membaca doa :

“Allaahumma shayyiban naafi’an” (HR. Al-Bukhari)
yang artinya : “Ya Allah, turunkanlah hujan yang bermanfaat (untuk manusia, tanaman dan binatang)”

High five for dancing in the rain, Science People!!

Kemang, 13 November 2009 (sambil dengerin Feist – We’re All in The Dance)

Oia, welcome to the world baby Gemma (a first daughter from qky and dhani)…wohooo… i cant really wait to see you, love… wait for aunty come ya… smooches!

Can I write in paragraph form anymore? I don’t know. I seem to be spending my paragraph-writing abilities over on my WEGO Health blog where some recently released women’s health news has me pretty irate. I have a shit-ton of research to read, decipher, summarize and rant about now that the WHO has released its first ever women’s health report. Did you know that HIV/AIDS is the number one killer of women aged 5 to 44 (globally)? Do you know how angry this makes me? *seethes* I won’t get into it here, I’m going to save my public health wrath for WEGO.

This weekend I get to see my doppelgänger (with TheMister) and I’m really excited. She and her man are having a taco-based dinner party (who wouldn’t want to go to that!!?!) and I haven’t seen her since the beginning of September. It’s about time. We’re working on plans for a girly sleepover in the future, too, since I’ll be sitting on Ewokmama’s boy Jack on Sunday and not game for staying up too late on Saturday night.

My ankylosing spondylitis has been pretty bad for the past few days – for the first time in ages. For the first time since Spring this year, actually. It’s annoying since I went about five months without daily pain. It’s clearly a weather-related condition with me. I am an old man in a young lady’s body. I’m able to take some of my diclofenac when things get too bad, but I have to be careful about drinking while taking that stuff. Thankfully there are a couple of people who love me enough to randomly rub my back/neck/hips to relieve some of the muscle tension due to the joint pain.

Uhm, I managed three paragraphs before I got stuck. Yay me!

*Gatekeeper ~ Feist

1974: Johnny Cash — or Johnny Trash as he’s called by Oscar — sings “Nasty Dan”

1978: Michael Jackson guest stars in a Sesame Street Christmas special

2007:James Blunt turns “You’re Beautiful” into “My Triangle”

2008: Feist sings “1, 2, 3, 4″ about counting monsters walking ‘cross the floor and chickens just back from the shore

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Alison pode ter conseguido sua quota de atenção com seu debut em 2007, One Cell in The Sea, mas boa parte do encantamento inicial foi drenado pelas críticas à pretensão do trabalho da moça e por fim esquecido, numa suposta confirmação de que a era das rockers que teve seu apogeu em meados dos anos 90, já chegou ao fim e esse formato não tem mais espaço dentro da música sem que algo realmente estonteante seja apresentado. E fato é que apesar de fofinho, o cd da moça foi muito mais ou menos para tanta atenção: letras mais ou menos, arranjos mais ou menos, voz mais ou menos… tirando o ear candy que fechava o álbum, Borrowed Time, havia pouco ali que salvasse o álbum dos bocejos. E fique imaginando se a garota, que vendia seu piano numa tentativa de mostrar sua influência da banda Radiohead (mas se muito conseguia proximidade de um Coldplay circa A Rush Of Blood to the Head), tivesse esticado naquela fórmula, mais ligada ao violão e ao vocal que à truques que hoje já são lugar comum (vejam a inundação de sucessos piano-based dessa década e entenderão do que falo).

E foi com felicidade que comecei a ouvir Bomb In a Birdcage, já que não precisei de 30 segundos para notar que a coisa agora seria diferente. Ao invés de pintar uma imagem maior do que era capaz de sustentar, What I Woudn’t Do segue no caminho confortável que tornou a trilha de Juno um sucesso comercial: composição leve, abre o cd com a faixa mais simples já composta pela moça, segurada por um violão e a voz da moça ligeiramente narrativa, com um sutil trabalho de cordas fake-folkeando a coisa, mimicando truques do lo-fi. Se a descrição parece clichê/negativa, bem, a faixa uptempo é na verdade um trabalho mais convidativo em teoria do que parece.

E esse é sem dúvida alguma o maior trunfo da ruiva nesse álbum. Em pouco mais de 42 minutos de duração divididos em 11 faixas, Bomb In a Birdcage na teoria é apenas mais um álbum de uma cantora pouco distinguível, repleto de composições simples, com ares retrôs, atrelada a um violão/guitarra/piano e nada de original. Na prática, é um triunfo do uptempo nessa nova geração de herdeiras do rock dos 00’s, com faixas muito bem marcadas, vocais cristalinos, letras elegantes, refrões empolgantes e uma boa dose de preciosismo. What I Woudn’t Do traz ambas as descrições acima bem claras, e por sua característica mais enérgica, introduz New Heights, outra faixa carregada pelo piano do catálogo da moça, de forma diferente das baladinhas do seu álbum de estréia. Aqui, New Heights vem grandiosa de verdade, e o vocal da moça cede espaço aos instrumentos para que as marcações da faixa jamais soem empedradas, com mudanças constantes nos intrumentais sutis da faixa deixando-a viva até seu último segundo.

E esse encadeamento vitorioso é uma das virtudes de Bomb In a Birdcage. Cada faixa é uma preciosidade por si só, mas os encadeamentos costuram perfeitamente os diversos climas desenvolvidos dentro do álbum. E quando notamos que a primeira faixa lenta do álbum, Swan Song, está a apenas uma faixa de distância da enérgica Blow Away, palmas tem que ser concedidas pela transição suave executada pela faixa Happier, uma deliciosa composição onde piano e violão complementam a voz da moça e backing vocals complementam os intrumentais e a coisa vai ganhando camadas interessantes mesmo com seu tempo ligeiramente reduzido. E se a segunda metade do álbum apresenta composições mais opulentes, as transições que levaram até lá são sempre gentis e a composição dessa vez vem afiada, fazendo com que cada faixa funcione como escapismo mental puro e simples (mesmo a grandiosa Stood Up com seu orquestral opulente sobrevive à pretensão, sendo colocada devagar em nossas orelhas, o que torna a experiência mais palatável) ou como pequeno exercício analítico devido aos instrumentais intrincados (Novamente New Heights aqui, galera), já que mesmo que na verdade não haja nada de cair o queixo a execução é inteligente e mantém as faixas vivas e interessantes.

Alison num primeiro momento tinha o piano como maior aliado e bebia de Sigur Rós. Aqui seu maior aliado é a banda que a acompanha e seu cardápio tem débito alto à cantoras como Feist e Cat Power. Bomb In A Birdcage pode não ser único, pode não ser um stand out, mas como álbum é uma coletânea de pequenas gemas costuradas de forma inteligente trazendo sempre um prazer novo a cada audição, sem com isso ter que prender quem o escuta à conceitos externos ou idéias chamativas. Consegue isso sendo apenas um atestado de que boa música por si só já basta.

Nota: 8

Bomb In a Birdcage (senha: minte)