SOUNDTRACK: DARK WAS THE NIGHT: This Disc (2009).

This compilation was released to benefit the Red Hot organization, who raises money to fight AIDS.  I’ve gotten about a half dozen or so of their compilations over the years (and was surprised to see that they have released about 2o of them!).

This collection is a two disc set of contemporary cutting edge indie rock bands.  And, when it came out it was definitely billed as a who’s who of cool.  The first disc is more or less an acoustic/folky collection of songs.  While that’s not entirely true, the discs are more or less broken down that way.  The artists include David Byrne & The Dirty Projectors, Jose Gonzales, Feist (on two tracks), Bon Iver, The National (a band I don’t know but whose song I love) and Iron & Wine.

Probably the coolest song of the disc (although not my favorite) is Kronos Quartet’s take on Blind Willie Johnson’s “Dark was the Night.”  For years, Kronos has been interpreting rock and other genre songs to fit into their string quartet style.  And this song sounds amazing.  I’ve no idea what they’re doing, but they turn their standard quartet instruments: violin, cello, etc into really cool blues sounding strings (even a slide guitar at one point).  It’s really amazing.  As I said it’s not my favorite track, but it sounds great.

The Decembersists contribute a 7 minute song (that I believe is new as I don’t recognize it).  It’s very good, but it seems like the kind of song that normally would have had a lot of effects/orchestration on it.  And this is an acoustic rendition, so it sounds more sparse than I would think.  It’s still very good though.

Finally, the disc ends with the weirdest track, an 11 minute freak out by Sufjan Stevens.  Every time you think it’s going to end, it morphs into a new instrument which continues the track.  It works well as a soundscape, although it’s a bit tedious in comparison to the rest of the disc which is largely concise acoustic gems.

Disc one is a great collection of tracks, and the overall style works well together.  It’s a very worthy collection of songs and it’s for a good cause.

[READ: December 18, 2009] Love as a Foreign Language 1

This graphic novel is the kind of great romance story that I’ve come to expect from Oni.  It is clever, it is funny, it plays games with pop culture and, of course, the writing and art are fantastic.

Joel is a Canadian living in Korea teaching English to native Koreans.  The book opens with the 4 H’s of culture shock: The honeymoon (you love the place), the horror (you hate the place), the humor (you accept the place and its flaws) and the home (you see yourself living there).  Joel is clearly in the horror stage.  He hates everything about Korea, especially the food. Joel has a few months left on his contract but he wants to get out of it and just go home.

He is sick of eating take out, he is sick of eating the red (spicy) things in every meal, and he is sick of standing out (he is blond and about 6 foot tall, easy half a head taller than most of the Koreans).  He also speaks virtually no Korean, so he imagines that everyone is talking about him (a glossary in the end of the book explains what everyone is really saying around him).

But if he leaves early, he loses a lot of money as well as airfare home.  To complicate matters, the owners have asked him to stay on for another year because they are so busy.

There are a few other teachers at the school as well, of course. There’s a loud Korean-American (this is his first time to Korea) who just wants to go out and party, there is a very helpful British woman (still in the honeymoon phase) and of course, there are the owners of the school: Mrs Park, Miss Park and Mrs Park (no relation).

He has finally made up his mind to leave early, when a new secretary is hired.  She is a beautiful woman named Hana.  Joel met Hana once before and he has been awkward and tongue-tied every time they are together.  He knows (or is told) that he has pretty much no chance with her (no Korean family would let their daughter go with a Westerner), but he is smitten nonetheless.

And, it seems, she is quite fond of him, as well.  What’s a young Canadian to do?  Wait for Volume Two, evidently, because Volume One ends on a great cliffhanger.

The story line in this book is fantastic.  Joel is likable, despite his grousing, and the other characters round out his experience well.  But it’s the art that really sells the book. The lines are thin and very detailed, the drawings and backgrounds are gorgeous.  The expressions are breathtaking.  Most of our encounters with Hana show just how shy she is, and they are stunning.  And Joel himself is given amazing breadth of emotions.  Even the cockroach that lives in Joel’s apartment is rendered wonderfully (I especially enjoy that the cockroach is given a “love heart” even when Joel tries to flush it down the toilet).

There’s also the wonderful introduction of Let’s Go the “learning English” TV show for kids.  It is wonderfully surreal (and made even more surreal when Joel dreams about the show) as the children chant a phrase of the day, like “big eyes!” (from red riding hood).  Many of the background characters speak Korean, with Korean characters.  So you get an idea at least of what the language looks like, even if you have no idea what they are saying (there is a translation guide in the back).

I’m really excited to finish the story, all the plot points are in place to make this a very satisfying conclusion.

Jose Gonzales – Heartbeats

I struggled to do this I have to confess. It was a real killer to get it down to size.  So much to leave out.  My long list was 71 songs.  Anyway, here it is (if you can read it)…

But I persevered and ended up with this.  My absolute favourite songs of the noughties.  Again, I will send you a copy if you want it.

What surprised me when I finally got it down to size was how few female singer songwriters made it to the final list.

i really love this track. Lyrics after the video.

Don’t you know that I’ll be around to guide you
Through your weakest moments to leave them behind you
Returning nightmares only shadows
We’ll cast some light and you’ll be alright
We’ll cast some light and you’ll be alright for now

Crosses all over, heavy on your shoulders
The sirens inside you waiting to step forward
Disturbing silence darkens you sight
We’ll cast some light and you’ll be alright
We’ll cast some light and you’ll be alright for now

Crosses all over the boulevard
Crosses all over the boulevard
Crosses all over the boulevard
Crosses all over the boulevard

The streets outside your window overflooded
People staring, they know you’ve been broken
Repeatedly reminded by the looks on their faces
Ignore them tonight and you’ll be alright
We’ll cast some light and you’ll be alright

Now Listening To: Zero 7 – Crosses (feat. Jose Gonzales)

I think I technically missed October’s Summary, so here’s a BIG November Summary to make up for it.

..November..

Books Read: Eek. I read one book this month. Haha. A Voice in the Wind – Francine Rivers. I also read Maddison, Shop and Harpars Bazaar though.

Clothes Bought: I bought two pairs of new jeans, faded denim and black skinnies. A faded demin high wasted skirt. A lovely detailed orange top. Thanks Emily for that voucher. I also bought a cute little floral dress from Target for Brie and Luke’s wedding. I might have maybe bought one or two other things – oops.

Consumed Music: I downloaded the new Michael Buble album this month. It’s basically what you can expect from Mr Buble – smooth sultry classic jazzy songs with a few originals. I would really love to see him live even though he’s a bit of a dodgy kinda guy. Also my favourite song of the month which I downloaded the other week – Heartbeats by Jose Gonzales – it’s so so amazing. I listen to it on repeat all the time.

Birthdays: Eden’s 1st birthday party. Which was just a delightful afternoon on Clear Mountain. She’s the cutest baby around. Kristen wasn’t born in November but her 21st party was held in Novemeber which was fun. I think the 21st birthdays are finally finishing up for the year though. My wallet can’t handle many more. It’s also Aj’s 22nd birthday in November. Happy Birthday for Tuesday Aj!

Films Watched: The Twilight Saga – New Moon. I kinda liked it. Although my opinion of it is hard to define. It was awkward and good all at the same time. The highlight was definitely how so many Team Edward’s got converted to Team Jacob, all because of some abs. What was even funnier if that grown women seem to forget that Taylor Lautner is like 16 or something. Everyone should check out Cheaper by the Dozen 2, when Taylor is like 12. It’s hilarious and you’ll probably never find Jacob Black good looking afterwards.

Lessons Learned:

TV Shows love to theme the names of their episodes.

Every Friends episode name starts with ‘The One With’ or the ‘The One Where’  like ‘The One Where Ross and Rachel Take a Break’

Every Scrubs episode starts with ‘My’ like ‘My Inconvenient Truth’

Every One Tree Hill Episode is a Song Title like ‘Crash Into You’

Every Smallville Episode is simply one word like ‘Hidden’ or ‘Splinter’

Every O.C episode starts with a ‘The’ like ‘The Swells’ or ‘The Dearly Beloved’

All of the Gilmore Girls episodes are so clever but not so much themed.

Other Highlights:

This month I felt fairly cultured. Went to QPAC twice in the one week. Once to see my delightful younger sister perform at her annual dance concert. She’s fairly amazing and born to perform. Not a performance photo. But a hot photo all the same.

I also went to the Sound of Music Sing A Long. Who knew something like this could be so so much fun? I thought the tickets were pretty overpriced considering they were just going to play the Sound of Music on a big screen at The Lyric with the words scrolling along the bottom. But they really made you feel like you got your money’s worth. Firstly, almost everyone dressed up which added to the whole experience. So so many nuns! Then on each of our seats was a little bag with random things inside. Each thing was for one of the ‘Big 5 moments’ or maybe it was 6 but I can’t remember. So we received a little swatch of material resembling some curtain, a party popper, flash cards, an invitation and a little plastic piece of edelweiss. (So maybe it was 5). The best bit of all was that we were all meant to pop our poppers simultaneously when Maria and the Captain kiss for the very first time. It was pretty magical. For some reason, if you’re allowed to sing along in a theatre, you’re allowed to yell out random things throughout the rest of the show as well. To start off with it was funny, and then it just got more rude and less funny after intermission drinks. Haha. Mental note to, well, other people – if you are one of those people who hates people talking through the movie, never go to a sing along.

Antonio Carlos Jobim, Jose Gonzales, The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Juana Molina and Baaba Maal were among the artists heard on today’s edition of Global Beat on KFAI. The show is available as an MP3 stream for two weeks at the KFAI site and playlists as always are posted there and here, after the break.

photo crop from a Monkey Business still found on auction at eBay.

Brownout – Olvidalo
album: Aguilas & Cobras; label: Six Degrees

Ed Motta – A Charada
album: Aystelum; label: Trama

Earth & Stone with Phillip Fraser – You’ll Come Running
album: Back To Africa; label: Different

Havana Cultura Band – Pa’ Gozar
album: Havana Cultura Band; label: Brownswood

Thomas Mapfumo – Nyamutamba Nemombe
album: Spirits To Bite Our Ears; label: DBK

Mayra Andrade – Konsiensia
album: Storia Storia; label: RCA Victor

The Itals – Me Waan Justice
album: Give Me Power; label: Nighthawk

Peter Herbolzeimer – Babo
album: Wide Open; label: MPS

Jose Gonzales – Slow Moves
album: Veneer; label: Mute

Baaba Maal & Mansour Seck – Sehilam
album: Djam Leeli; label: Palm

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – Sankofa
album: Hypnotic Brass Ensemble; label: Honest Jons

Kylie Auldist – One Goodbye
album: Made Of Stone; label: Tru Thoughts

Burnier & Cartier – Parte Capital
album: Burnier & Cartier; label: RCA

Puerto Plata – Casita de Campo
album: Casita de Campo; label: iASO

Ja-Man All Stars – Nuclear Bomb
album: In The Dub Zone; label: Blood & Fire

John & Beverly Martyn – Auntie Aviator
album: The Road to Ruin; label: Warner Bros

Juana Molina – Rio Seco
album: Son; label: Domino

Antonio Carlos Jobim – Stone Flower
album: Stone Flower; label: CTI

Sara Tavares – So d’Imagina
album: Xinti; label: Four Quarters

Bronx River Parkway – Song For Ray
album: San Sebastian 152; label: Truth & Soul

Shawn Lee & Clutchy Hopkins – 70 MPH Isn’t Fast Enough To Get Out Of Nebraska
album: Fascinating Fingers; label: Ubiquity

The Viceroys – Ya Ho
album: Inna de Yard; label: Inna de Yard

Buika – No Habla Nadie en el Mundo
album: Niña del Fuego; label: DRO Atlantic

Willie Colon – Calle Luna Calle Sol
album: The Player; label: Fania

Alan Parker & John Cameron – Afro Metropolis
album: Afro Rock; label: KPM

Milton Nascimento – Gira, Girou
album: Milton Nascimento; label: Codil Ritmos

Bebel Gilberto – Cancao de Amor
album: All In One; label: Verve

Cornell Campbell – Hear Mi Now Star
album: 10″; label: Jamaican Recordings

come un mago, ho creato delle cose.
ho creato delle situazioni. alcune positive altre negative.
e posso dire di essere soddisfatto di molte delle mie creazioni.
non tutte, ma molte cose le ho fatte bene.

come prendere l’argilla e modellarlo.
ma una cosa più sottile, fatta di parole e sensazioni. e tante immagini.

un processo continuo di reinterpretazione di sé stessi e della propria vita, delle persone che ci circondano.
quello che molti definiscono “poser”, essere falsi, non avere una personalità, ma visto sotto un’ottica diversa.
avere una personalità precisa, definita, ma in continua evoluzione. in crescita, come deve essere.
perchè la crescita, interiore e di conseguenza esteriore, è parte integrante del “vivere”. e abbiamo tutti i diritti di mettere mano alla nostra crescita e crearci, giorno dopo giorno.

ho cambiato atteggiamenti e situazioni, ambienti e persone. aggiunto persone, più precisamente.
e ne sono soddisfatto.

mi chiedo solo perchè le persone ritengano futile questo percorso e si fossilizzino in se stessi, disprezzando chi percorre percorsi diversi. purtroppo la mia critica arriva a poco, scontrandosi con il mio modo egoista di analizzare il percorso di coloro che a volte ritengo più deboli.

ma è un punto che in fondo non voglio cambiare, non per ora, non mi sarebbe utile. 

As the leaves change colour, so does our music habits. The summery electro-pop gets pushed aside to make room for some belly warming indie/folk, more in keeping with the weather and our increasingly reflective moods.

To commemorate this magical change in scenery, I’ve whipped up an Autumn 2009 mixtape; The Leaves Fell, Like I Did For You. Listen, download and enjoy xo

The Animators – The Sun
Clatter Clatter – Just To Say
This And The Sea – M.M.M.M.
Bombadil - Honeymoon
Volcano Choir – Island, Is
The Octopus Project - Wet Gold
The Feelies – The Boy With The Perpetual Nervousness
Violent Femmes - Prove My Love
The Voluntary Butler Scheme - Trading Things In
José González – Down The Line
City & Colour – Sensible Heart
The Jealous Girlfriends – Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want (Smiths Cover)
Land Of Talk – May You Never
Mike Dunn & The Kings Of New England – Princeton

Mixed with love by Nat 3-D, October 2009 (66.6 mb)
MP3 ♫ The Leaves Fell, Like I Did For You
(right click > save/download link target)

Daha önce Lykke Li ve El Perro Del Mar’ın San Francisco sokaklarındaki performansını müzik defterine koymuştum. Ama blogotheque ekibini çok da araştırmamıştım. Ama bugün sitelerinde girdiğimde ve birkaç röportajlarını okuduğumda aslında ne kadar mükemmel bir proje olduğunu fark ettim..

Paris’te yaşayan bu guerilla ekip, müzik ve filmi sokaklarda, değişik mekanlarda bir araya getiriyorlar. Take Away Shows adı altında çektikleri bu canlı performansların özelliği farklı mekanlarda, spontane olmaları. Seçtikleri isimler de, çektikleri mekanlar da çok etkileyici! Bir asansörün içinde Arcade Fire, bir gitar dükkanının içinde Eric Truffaz, Teksas sokaklarında bir kamyonetin arkasında Jose Gonzales, nehrin ortasında bir teknede French Cowboys, kocaman bir mutfakta Efterklang, hareket halindeki bir minibüsün içinde Vampire Weekend, tuvalette Grizzly Bear veya süpermarkette Bowerbirds performansı izlemeyi kim istemez?

Fikir ortaya şöyle çıkmış.. Proje sahipleri Moon ve Chryde, Arcade Fire’ın Paris’teki konserinde sahneden inip herkesle birlikte sokağa çıkmasından ve performansını sokakta sergilemesinden çok etkilenmişler. “Aslında hepimizin müzikten istediği bu” diye düşünüp, Blogotheque’i, 2006 yılında kurmuşlar. 

“La blogotheque presente un concert a emporter” ibaresiyle açılıyor tüm video’lar. Ve her videonun çekim hikayesini okuyabiliyorsunuz site üzerinden..

Take away show’ların birkaçından bahsedeyim…

Yo La Tengo - Sokaklarda çocuklar eşliğinde With a girl like You, tek kelimeyle muhteşem bir performans (ekip de onları best of the best olarak ifade ediyor)

Eric Truffaz - Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner’ parçasının performansını bir gitar dükkanının içinde gerçekleştiriyor.

My Brightest Diamond - büyüleyici bir performans; ormanda ağaçların arasında yalnızda ksilofon eşliğinde bir Disappear performansı veya New York’ta suyun ortasında L’Hymne A L’Amour seslendirişi izlemeye değer.

Sebastian Tellier - Şahane! Belfort’ta gece nehirde bir iskelede, ateşlerin arasında eğlenceli bir performans.

Animal Collective - Alışveriş arabaları ve kukalarla Animal Collective’e yakışır bir performans.

Patrick Watson - Ekibiyle birlikte cadde üzerinde bir camekanın içinde veya metroda veya gece sokaklarda etkileyici performanslarını sergiliyor.

Architecture in Helsinki - gümbür gümbür bir şov. Heart it Races’ı apartman pencerelerinden sokağa bağırarak seslendiriyorlar. Sadece biraz daha iyi çekilebilirdi sanki..

Fleet Foxes - Armonilerini en güzel yankıyı veren Grand Palais’de sergiliyorlar.

Jose Gonzales - Teksas sokaklarında, hareket halindeki bir kamyonetin arkasında Hints’i seslendiriyor

Sigur Ros - La Closerie des Lilas’nın içinde Vid Spilum Endalaust performansı çok keyifli.

French Cowboys - ‘A Sall Away Show’ bu kez.. Nehrin ortasında bir teknede çok keyifli bir performans.

Vampire Weekend - Otoparkta Kids Don’t Stand A Chance performansı veya hareket halindeki bir minibüsün içinde Mansard Roof seslendirişler çok keyifli.

Beirut - Paris sokaklarında kalabalık orkestrasıyla kur dolu performansı çok güzel.

Arcade Fire - Bir asansörün içinde Neon Bible seslendiriyor. Mutlaka izlenmeli.

Efterklang - Grafitilerle dolu duvarların arasında, merdivenlerde Mirador performansı veya Bottom of the Hill mutfağında Echo Wave performansı çok güzel.

Lykke Li ve El Perro Del Mar - San Francisco sokaklarında After Laughter, Dance Dance Dance ve Somebodys Baby düetlerini yapıyorlar.

Grizzly Bear – Küçücük bir tuvalette Shift’i seslendiriyor veya Paris sokaklarında yürüyen bir a capella korosu olarak The Knife’ı söylüyorlar.

Tom Jones – Otel odasında We Got Love, If We Should Ever Leave You, Green Green Grass of Home parçalarını seslendiriyor.

Bloc Party – Bar kapısının önünde This Modern Love’ın akustik performansını sergiliyor.

Stephen Malkmus - Kapanmış bir barın içinde, ters çevrilmiş sandalyelerin arasında We Can’t Help You seslendiriyor.

St Vincent – Çatı katı bir odada yatağın içerisinde Marry Me parçasını seslendiriyor.

Xiu Xiu – şişeler, kutular ve bilimum aparatlarla değişik bir Improvisation performansı gerçekleştiriyor.

Bu yazdıkların sanırım sitede bulunan performansların sadece 4′te biri.. Diğerlerini bizzat vatanında görmek üzere buraya tıklayın..

Favori videolarımı eklemek istiyorum ama liste çok uzar. O yüzden sadece birkaçını aşağıda ekliyorum, izlemenizi şiddetle öneriyorum. Yakında dvd de basarlar herhalde.. Basarlarsa her müzik severin koleksiyonuna gireceğinden eminim! Peki ben Blogotheque olsam kimi nerede çekmek isterdim acaba? Bunu bir düşüneyim…….. 

Utanför fönstret roar sig motordriven ungdom med att slita sina däck mot den regnblöta asfalten. Här inne vid datorn är de obligatoriska höstljusen tända och teet har precis hunnit svalna så till den grad att man inte bränner sig längre. På ett sätt vill jag hur gärna som helst att telefonen ska vibrera och skrämma vettet ur mig, men samtidigt känns det som att det kanske är bra om den inte gör det. Logiken brister, som alltid dessa sena mörka kvällar och det är därför jag älskar hösten så. Det behövs inte speciellt mycket logik, utan det handlar mer om att ta hand om sig själv, hålla sig undan rusket och göra det bästa utav situationen. Som att dricka te, lyssna på José González och bara vänta in småtimmarna genom att skriva dessa rader och några trettio till på ett annat håll.

Det är en dag i morgon också.

Swine flu! Haven’t been able to work. To top it all up, my idea for a cocktail article was rejected by an ignorant editor. It would have been a page turner. Me, my best friend, the lead singer of HIM Ville Valo and the Swedish artist José Gonzales at my place, add the cocktail guru Victor Über to teach how to make gorgeous cocktails, a photographer, and a party! Guess what the editor said? ‘I don’t have a format for that in my mag’. WTH??? Who cares about formats?! Not my fans, one thing I know for sure.

Went for a doctor. Considering my occupancy, he told me to keep to moderate alcohol consumption even when ill, although not advicable to anyone below the heavy drinker line, whom, frankly, I don’t know any. (At least we’re not pot heads. Drinking is legal, and if it’s legal it cannot hurt). Cutting a decade long habit cold turkey would be simply dangerous. But told the doctor, I do need to mix some vitamins into my alcohol.

So, the story goes, it all turned into something productive: I learnt to mix my own drinks. Finally. Which places me one step closer to my dream, running my own cocktail bar! And now I have a winner concept too: health cocktail bar! Maybe alongside a spa.

Here are my tips for healhty cocktails you can do at home now.

1. Agave syrup caipirinhas. Juice of one lime per drink for vitamin C, a tablespoon of healhty Agave Syrup, ice and a generous gulp of energising yet relaxing cachaça.
2. Ginger syrup. Ginger cures anything. Make your own delicious cocktail syrup by melting sugar together with water and sliced ginger in a pot with low heat, cooking for a half an hour. Let cool and store in your fridge. Try with gin, pineapple juice and a dash of ginger ale.
3. Cinnamon syrup. Melt brown sugar together with water and a cinnamon cane in a pot on low heat. Let cool and store in your fridge. Mix in vodka, apple juice and a dash of soda.

It’s good for you!

Details? At the stage I’m in? Ha ha ha ha ha.

Join us for an Evening of  Guitar and Voice

July 25th, 7pm, Mobu Dance Studio, 1605 Church Street, San Francisco, $8

Part of the “Blah Blah Woof Woof Concert Series”

Purchase tickets here:

https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/72465

Chiara and Brian Performing Chiara’s Piece, “Masquerade”

Brian and Chiara Performing Brian’s Piece, “Flame Flower”

Download these Songs Here

BRIAN GORE

Brian has emerged in the past decade as a leading figure in the world of acoustic guitar. His emotive, expressive style combines influences from folk, jazz and classical music. Acoustic Guitar Magazine says, “Gore’s finely crafted poetic ’songs without words’ take the listener on a spellbinding, emotional ride. He has great facility as a player, but it’s the depth and range of moods his pieces evoke that makes his music such a pleasure.” Brian is the founder of International Guitar Night (IGN/USA), a grouping of some of the most creative acoustic guitarists worldwide. www.myspace.com/guitaristbriangore.

F

Chiara Angelicola

“Her vibrant, soulful wail at times recalls the romance of Billie Holiday or the sideways grin of Macy Gray, while challenging young contemporaries like Adele and Duffy. — Nate Seltenrich, East Bay Express Passive-aggression can be an art form in its own right. But used in conjunction with more accepted forms of artistry like songwriting and performance, it can reveal humanity as it is – beautiful imperfection. As singer, songwriter and performer, Chiara Angelicola may be guilty of such crimes. Her advocacy for all that is simple and honest is coupled with an innate ability to deliver soul-drenched vocals. Nestled in a folk/soul backdrop, Angelicola’s vocal styling demands a category of its own. www.myspace.com/chiaramusic

Y es que los distintos spot que forman su campaña publicitaria se han colado en nuestros corazones. Esta vez, presentamos “Bouncy Balls”, un anuncio de gran riqueza visual y auditiva.

Esta vez, el tema elegido para ambientar las imágenes del anuncio es Heartbeats de José Gonzales. Maravillosa melodía que emociona y pone el bello de punta al acompañar la tromba de bolas de colores que se precipitan por las empinadas calles de la ciudad de San Francisco.

Sin trucos, sin efectos especiales… solamente un puñado de imaginación y muchas pelotas de colores hicieron posible la realización de este anuncio.

A continuación incluimos el spot en cuestión y un “cómo se hizo”

Sony Bravia

Behind the scenes

(Importerat från Oh Mary Saint Mary på Metrobloggen)

Ja, som alla musiknördar förstår är det alltså dags för artikelserien där MarySaintMary väljer sina favoritcovers! Jag har försökt att välja versioner av låtar som gjorts till egna, och undviker dem som följer originalet alltför mycket (det finns gott om bra sådana också, till exempel The Presidents of the United States of Americas version av Plastic Bertrands Ca Plane Pour Moi, men de kommer inte med på topplistan).

På plats nummer 10 hamnar alltså José González akustiska version av electropopduon The Knifes Heartbeats. Det här är ett typexempel på en cover som folk tror är originalet. Men The Knifes version kom först, 2004, dock blev låten uppmärksammad när José covrade den 2006. Då gjordes även den här fantastiskt underbara videon, med färgade studsbollar som studsar ner för San Fransiscos gator. (Det är visserligen en reklamfilm, men den är så fin att den är förlåten.)

Och här är originalet med The Knife, även det riktigt bra!

José González har gjort en hel del andra bra covers, själv och med bandet Junip, exempelvis Teardrop (Massive Attack), The Ghost of Tom Joad (Bruce Springsteen), Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division) och Hand on Your Heart (Kylie Minogue).

Dessutom finns en cool version av Heartbeats där Josés version spelas i ena högtalaren och The Knifes i andra.

An oldie but a goldie – a gem that is difficult to surpass.

Exactly why does colour matter?

• Jose Gonzales – Veneer
• Sony BRAVIA 40″ Full HD 1080p LCD TV

Covers, fler covers och nu ännu fler covers! Öm.. ja!

Originalet av svenska The Knife

Alternativa versionen av svensken (med argentinska föräldrar) José Gonzáles, här i en reklam för en viss TV-tillverkare som börjar på S och slutar på ony, där hans låt var med.

Jag jobbar hela veckan. Och redan nu på tisdagen känner jag hur det ökar på irritationsmätaren i skallen. Jag blev ganska förbannad på Canal+ och svenska fotbollförbundet för att man inte spelade matchen mellan Öis och Brommapojkarna i dag. Inte så att jag skulle bli lite förundrad över att jag läst schemat fel eller så, utan nej, i stället blev jag tvärsur över att matchen spelas i morgon. Jag som hade sett fram emot lite rödblå nykomlingskross.

Ja, att Öis skulle förlora – igen – alltså. Nu får jag alltså vänta till i morgon innan jag får mig lite after work-underhållning.

Trött och blek satt jag på bussen och blev nostalgiskt glad över att The Kooks låt om den brightonska stranden Seaside, spelades precis efter José Gonzáles How Low. De båda har speciella kopplingar för mig. Och Genius-funktionen överträffar sig själv. Igen.

United krossade Arsenal i kväll, precis som väntat. Stackars Fletcher, som jag tidigare tyckt vara en urusel fotbollsspelare (dock inte längre), som drog på sig en oerhört tuff utvisning när han tacklade van Persie Fabregas. På den efterföljande straffen kunde van Persie slå in bollen. Straffen som för övrigt är fullständigt horribelt utdömd. Fletcher är klart och tydligt på bollen först, tillräckligt mycket för att chansen är borta för van Persie, innan han träffar arsenalspelaren. En fenomenal tackling, och Manchester United borde göra allt de kan för att häva avstängningen. Fletcher kan inte få missa finalen.

Jose Gonzales dürften die meisten wohl aus der Serie “Dr. House” kennen, dort werden seine Songs rauf und runter gespielt. Sein grösster Erfolg bisher ist wohl das The Knives Cover “Heartbeats“

Bis heute sind 2 Alben und mehrere EPs erschienen, ich wollte einfach mal die Gelegenheit nutzen ein wenig mehr auf seine Musik aufmerksam zu machen. Aus diesem Grund hier der Song “Down the line”

This isn’t really about the video, but more about the song, which I happen to discover while listening to The Designers Mixtape an awesome website where around 100 designers have put up mixtapes of music they listen to while working.

I think the cover of Heartbeats by Jose Gonzales is actually more famous than the original by The Knife. But both versions are great in their own kind

Exams almost over ! Then things will start picking up around here…
Edit: aha !!! I knew I recognised the voice from somewhere, the singer for The Knife is also the singer for Fever Ray (of whom I posted a video a while ago). I love moments like this