Un CD : «  Déclaration d’indépendence », Kings of Convenience.

Je les écoute en boucle sur myspace depuis ce matin, Kings of Convenience  est une petite douceur dans un monde de brutes, une caresse sur la peau, une brise légère sous le cagnard, un tylenol pour les lendemains de brosse, bref une mélodie qui fait du bien !

Les amateurs de folk, musique mélancolique vont fondre pour ce groupe norvégien, dont le chanteur Erlend Øye, à la voix suave et délicieuse;  fonda par la suite le projet solo «  The whitest boy alive ». Ils ont aussi collaboré avec Feist et Röyksopp

Le Cd est sorti depuis déjà octobre 2009. A découvrir sans plus tarder !

Exposition : John Waterhouse au musée des Beaux Arts de Montréal.

Soif d’univers enchanteresque ? Envie de se laisser séduire par les nymphes et déesses de la mythologie grecque ? Désir d’observer le corps des femmes dans des univers bucoliques ?

Rendez-vous au musée des Beaux Arts avec l’exposition de John William Waterhouse «  Le jardin des sortilèges »,  active  jusqu’au 7 février 2010.

Ce peintre anglais appartenant au courant du « préraphaélisme » , adopte le souci du détail pour traduire la réalité; contrairement, par exemple, aux impressionnistes qui transmettent leurs sensations fugaces. Douceur des coussins en velours, solidité du marbre, brouillard de l’étang; l’artiste nous fait sentir les matières et atmosphères de ses tableaux. De plus l’homme a un faible pour la représentation de la gente féminine, les formes sont délicieuses, la peau blanchâtre. Les représentations de Circé, Psyché, Morphée saisissent par leurs regards arrogants, évasifs, séducteurs.

Le tableau le plus célèbre du peintre s’intitule « The lady of Shalott », jeune femme qui meurt de chagrin parceque son amour n’est pas payé de retour par Lancelot.

Mon intérêt diminua pour certaines pièces aux couleurs fades, façonnées d’un esprit anglais froid et de sujets conventionnels. Cependant, le souci du détail jumelé à l’univers féminin mythologique présente les femmes sous un aspect plaisant. Elles s’élèvent par leur majestuosité, ingéniosité et sensualité.

Voici un petit clin d’œil à la reine Circé qui possède plus d’un tour dans sa baguette magique !

« Quand Ulysse et ses compagnons, …,  se laissent attirer jusqu’au palais par une voix harmonieuse. La magicienne les accueille et leur offre un cycéon, breuvage composé de gruau d’orge, de miel et de lait caillé. Dès qu’ils ont bu, elle les transforme d’un coup de baguette en pourceaux. … »

Un livre : Le guide Debeur 2010

Envie de partager un moment de complicité avec votre douce moitié ce soir ? Et si vous l’emmeniez au resto ? Oui mais quel resto ? La réponse est dans le guide Debeur 2010. Thierry Debeur, d’origine belge et installé depuis longue date au Québec, a pour mission de chercher les perles rares gastronomiques du Québec. Il parcourt ainsi la région pour donner des étoiles aux meilleures tables et offrir une suggestion de restaurants pour tous les goûts et budgets. Ce grand connaisseur à la fine truffe, possède également une grande expertise pour déceler les bonnes bouteilles. Il partage ses sélections dans le guide des vins Debeur.

Voici une vidéo sur le lancement 2009 du guide au restaurant Hélène de Champlain à Montréal.

Año de Publicación: 2009
Nacionalidad: Noruega
Discográfica: EMI/Astralwerks
Producción: Davide Bertolini, Robert Jønnum & Kings Of Convenience

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Lista de temas:

01 24-25

02 Mrs. Cold

03 Me in You

04 Boat Behind

05 Rule My World

06 My Ship Isn’t Pretty

07 Renegade

08 Power of Not Knowing

09 Peacetime Resistance

10 Freedom and its Owner

11 Riot on an Empty Street

12 Second to Numb

13 Scars on Land

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“I’d Rather Dance With You” del álbum “Riot On An Empty Street”

dear tommy,

right now i’m listening to coldplay, michael buble, and kings of convenience. the song ‘i’d rather dance with you’ is the sweetest thing ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9r9sQ6PHOM

the music video is just too sweet. they have a recent album out, called ‘declaration of dependence’. need. to. buy. that. album.

how’s LA? it’s great, actually. i thought it was going to be hellish because of all sorts of SAT pressure, but it’s manageable. thank god. i haven’t been shopping because i’m saving all that for black friday.

what is black friday, exactly? the only time i was ever close to that notion was when i was watching Chuck. Chuck, the TV show, not that guy from Gossip Girl (yeah, i don’t really watch Gossip Girl..even though i think Blair is really pretty and all.). there was this one episode about black friday and people were lining outside the store in the  morning to buy stuff. i know it’s like some one day shopping chance, but is it that big?

sorry, totally not american here. haha.

but i talked my mom into having a nice thanksgiving dinner. for the first time in my life i will be able to see a whole turkey well cooked on my dinner table. i’m really excited. i think i’m just going to stick around for five hours while the turkey is gradually being roasted in the oven. mmm. food brings joy to us all.

another nice music video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAME8GDRTfI

ahh, great songs, great songs. being home is great because the internet doesn’t go off at 11 pm (boarding school blocks internet. ugh. i kinda want to stay home and not go to the costly distant oblivious boarding school…i don’t even know why i chose to go there.

no,i think my staying in home would just cause more disagreements in the family because i never, never agree with my parents. i’ve been too americanized, they say. i think i have only adapted to survive. to not be the one who’s always made fun of. to not be the last one to everything, to not be the one who always gets the short end of the stick. darwin ftw.

love,

watermummy

Ah, America. We must celebrate our coming into being this week! We do that by stuffing ourselves!! Too cool! All other countries, just ignore the following, and move on the the reviews. But for you Americans, remember to thank yourself for being so cool and welcoming my awesome reviews pretty much every week. I know how much you readers sit in wait for my next post. Oh boy, you say to yourselves, what amazing releases we he hip us to next? Well, you all just need to calm down. I want to THANK YOU for caring, and reading, and occasionally commenting. It rocks! See ya soon!

Jay Farrar and Benjamin Gibbard – One Fast Move Or I’m Gone: Jack Kerouac’s Big Sur – *** – Sorry to all the smarties out there, but I am not too familiar with Jack Kerouac, I mean I know who he is, just haven’t read any of his stuff. But, lucky for me, I don’t care about lyrics that much anyways. And the music on this is solid. Very California sounding, whatever that means.

Kings of Convenience – Declaration of Dependence – ***1/2 – Great to hear these guys again, and glad to see they’ve still got it. This is classic Kings of Convenience, heartfelt songs, the almost whispered vocal delivery, and the unique but compelling melodies. Great!

The Spinto Band – Slim & Slender EP – *** – Almost too short to even call an EP, these 4 songs show that the band has more in store for us. Also includes a great cover of Brazil, which is always a good addition in my book.

Weezer – Raditude – *** – Not sure what to say about this. I think there are some great moments when they are just being themselves. But when they start adding rap elements, Indian music, whatnot, I just feel uncomfortable. And perhaps they have oversimplified, but at the same time, I don’t need complicated elements to enjoy something. I just think the enjoyment won’t last as long as previous albums.

Dashboard Confessional – Alter The Ending – *** – Solid effort from this band. I think they are less focused now on the message of their songs, and are more focused on the musicality of it all. Some songs go on a bit too long, but there are some definite bright moments in this album.

Ah, America. We must celebrate our coming into being this week! We do that by stuffing ourselves!! Too cool! All other countries, just ignore the following, and move on the the reviews. But for you Americans, remember to thank yourself for being so cool and welcoming my awesome reviews pretty much every week. I know how much you readers sit in wait for my next post. Oh boy, you say to yourselves, what amazing releases we he hip us to next? Well, you all just need to calm down. I want to THANK YOU for caring, and reading, and occasionally commenting. It rocks! See ya soon!

Jay Farrar and Benjamin Gibbard – One Fast Move Or I’m Gone: Jack Kerouac’s Big Sur – *** – Sorry to all the smarties out there, but I am not too familiar with Jack Kerouac, I mean I know who he is, just haven’t read any of his stuff. But, lucky for me, I don’t care about lyrics that much anyways. And the music on this is solid. Very California sounding, whatever that means.

Kings of Convenience – Declaration of Dependence – ***1/2 – Great to hear these guys again, and glad to see they’ve still got it. This is classic Kings of Convenience, heartfelt songs, the almost whispered vocal delivery, and the unique but compelling melodies. Great!

The Spinto Band – Slim & Slender EP – *** – Almost too short to even call an EP, these 4 songs show that the band has more in store for us. Also includes a great cover of Brazil, which is always a good addition in my book.

Weezer – Raditude – *** – Not sure what to say about this. I think there are some great moments when they are just being themselves. But when they start adding rap elements, Indian music, whatnot, I just feel uncomfortable. And perhaps they have oversimplified, but at the same time, I don’t need complicated elements to enjoy something. I just think the enjoyment won’t last as long as previous albums.

Dashboard Confessional – Alter The Ending – *** – Solid effort from this band. I think they are less focused now on the message of their songs, and are more focused on the musicality of it all. Some songs go on a bit too long, but there are some definite bright moments in this album.

CD sales in the US saw a decrease in 14% in the year 2008. The drop was largely due to “Internet piracy and competition from other forms of entertainment, namely video game” (Music News Net, 2009)

Despite the decrease in CD sales, digital music sales reaped a 32% increase (65.8 millions units) in 2008.

Welcome to the world of music.

What was once only for Aristocrats and church-goes has become something that is so common in our everyday life. Switch on the television, you hear a band’s music video playing on MTV. Step into the shopping mall, it will be hard to find a store that does not play music in it. Take a look at an average teenager’s bag, you would very likely be able to find an iPod or MP3 inside.

The music industry has come a long way. From vinyl to cassette tapes to compact discs (CDs), the digital form seems to be the way to go.

Just check out the number of music streaming sites out there! (and I don’t think that’s all of them!)
However, even as more people purchase digital albums/singles on online music stores like the iTunes store, I believe that there are still people out there who still prefer purchasing the physical album.

“Sigh, if albums cease to exist. Then what about album photos and signatures. Digital media revolution is unpredictable.” -@kellinachin

“maybe its just me, but i’d prefer to have a physical album.. its like a little collection i suppose? =/ #nct” -@leejii
(@kellinachin & @leejii are avid K-pop fans. )

I suppose consumers who like a particular music personality would prefer having a physical album because it contains lyrics and photos of the singer/band. It also serves as a medium where artistes sign on during fan meetings. They are able to collect these albums and I suppose each new album comes as a surprise to these with fans when it’s packaged differently/ the album includes hidden tracks.

Personally, I do not particularly like any music personality. I like singers or bands, because I like their songs. I admire them because they make, in my opinion, good music. (Some of my favourites are Rachael Yamagata and Kings of Convenience!) Hence it doesn’t really affect me much whether I purchase a physical or digital album. To me, I just want to get my music easily at an affordable cost. With the popularity and convenience of MP3s, I transfer songs from the CDs into my iPod and CDs that I’ve bought in the past have become white elephants at home; they are left on my shelf and collect dust.

This brings to my next point- Piracy.

A funny comic about the Internet & Piracy

I’m sure nobody who is tech-savvy can ever deny that they’ve been a pirate before.

No, I don’t mean that pirate!
Let’s face it. Piracy will never be gone. Even with affordable music up for purchase, many would still prefer to get free things. In fact, there has been debate on whether the easy access of digital music leads to more piracy. But I beg to differ.

There was an increasing trend of US teens purchasing music online, from 20% in 2004 to 36% in 2006. Peer-to-peer network (where people share music illegally) dropped 8%.

For me, I wouldn’t mind buying music online if its available to me easily at an affordable price (Oh, iTunes, why aren’t you available in Singapore? I want to be able to get music singles instead of buying one whole album!☹ ) Most artistes create music not only for passion, but for a livelihood. I seriously wouldn’t mind paying for good music, to honour the effort & talent of these artistes. Piracy is as bad as shoplifting, it IS stealing! (even though it’s done on cyberspace) Moreover, paying for music means I won’t need to risk for the fear of getting caught. I don’t have to feel guilty. If digital music is easily available, I believe that there will be people like me with the same mindset; switching from sharing music illegally to purchasing digital music.

Artistes must know how to ride on this digital music wave for their benefit. One example would be Radiohead. In 2007, the band their 7th album, In Rainbows as a digital download. Anyone could order the album and pay any amount that they wanted to.

Guess what happened?

“Upon its retail release, In Rainbows entered the UK Album Chart and the U.S. Billboard 200 at number one; by October 2008, it had sold more than three million copies worldwide in both digital and physical formats. The album earned widespread critical acclaim, and was ranked as one of the best albums of 2007 by several publications. In 2009, the record won two Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Special Limited Edition Package.”
(extracted from Wikipedia: In Rainbows)

I really admire this approach that the band was willing to take. At the risk of profits, I feel that Radiohead really gave fans the credibility and trust that they’re not out there just to earn fan’s money, but to really produce music that consumers love.

What would the future of music be like? Will CDs die in a couple of years’ time? Will Piracy be more rampant, or would it be less common? I do not know, but one thing I know is that: the demand for music will always be there. No matter what- CDs, digital music or illegal downloads, music will not, and will never die.

This weekend’s entertainment is a two-parter: I found the site lecargo.org today, whose YouTube channel features nearly 200 intimate recording sessions like the Kings of Convenience video above. It’s one of the better songs from their most recent album, Declaration of Dependence, which I’ve been too busy/lazy to review lately.

Anche voi avrete forse decretato il successo di Humanoid dei Tokio Hotel ed amate la loro «Automatic». Questa canzone potrebbe essere una delle protagoniste del meglio di 50 Songs su una tv musicale. Dalle quattro del pomeriggio di oggi, sabato ventuno novembre, si potrebbe sentire e vedere anche «Anyway» di Duck Sauce («Ad ogni modo»),  «Tik Tok» di Kesha, «Mrs Cold» dei Kings of Convenience («Signora Freddo»), «Baby By Me» di 50 Cent con Ne-Yo («Ragazza da me»), «Kings and Queens» dei 30 Seconds To Mars e «Feelings Gone» dei Basement Jaxx (rispettivamente «Re e regine» e «Sentimenti andati»).

Magari avete anche voglia di votarle più sotto per il mio blog, proponendo anche nuove canzoni. Ma, se vi piace la musica da discoteca, fate pure vedendo su questa emittente tre ore di notte disco dopo le dieci e mezza. Ed ancora a proposito di 50 Cent, sarà protagonista nella notte di sabato di un concerto dal vivo in tv dall’una, seguito mezz’ora dopo da tali The Streets.

13.11.09 Stefano D’Orazio, oramai ex dei Pooh, e gli Stadio di Gaetano Curreri a Niente di personale di una tv nazionale stasera, venerdì tredici novembre, dopo le nove… Per un voto per loro, ma soltanto per il mio blog, vedere sotto, aggiungendo magari brani. Sappiate anche che ci sarà Henry «Fonzie» Winkler, l’ex del telefilm Happy Days, a I migliori anni. Dopo Peppino Di Capri e la sigla del cartone animato Heidi.

01.11.09 Mi chiedo come mai piacciano a qualcuno, al di là dell’apparenza scenica…  I Tokio Hotel al World Stage di una televisione musicale dalla mezzanotte fra domenica uno novembre e lunedì due. Buona visione e, se volete votarli nella mia “statistica”, fatelo pure, aggiungendo loro titoli di canzoni. Riferimenti più in là nel testo.

30.09.09 Mercoledì trenta settembre abbastanza musicale… O no? Ad X Factor – alle 21.05 su Raidue – i Tokio Hotel… Ancora in Italia, dunque? Altri appuntamenti di questo programma anche alle 20.10 su Rai4. Su All Music Loves Italy alle dieci di sera e Night Rmx alle undici. Sull’altra principale tv musicale un concerto speciale a Malta alle 23.05. Sulla radiovisione di Rtl dalle nove di sera il concerto di Assago, provincia di Milano, dei Pooh.

- – -

Su All Music musica dal vivo con i cosiddetti Estelle (chi sono?) dalle 21 e sull’altra principale emittente musicale il Day di alcune settimane fa alla stessa ora. Su Radiodue Moby Dick si occupa anche di Joe Strummer e dei Clash dalle 21. Fra le altre radio, la radiovisione di Rtl, Radio Fantastica, Radio cuore, Radio Italia, Radio Margherita, Radiotre ed Rds.

Alle undici di sera Night Rmx su All Music e sull’altro canale che trasmette musica ci sono i videoclip di Brand:New all’una di notte, Into the Music dalle due ed Insomnia dalle tre. Alcune ore dopo il nuovo giorno significherà Ludwig van Beethoven e quella che dovrebbe essere la sua Sonata n. 3 (Sat2000, alle 10.05). Che dire del solito X Factor (Raidue, 1.20 e 6.25 di mercoledì)? Forse no è da perdere – per i «sorcini» di Renato Zero, lo Speciale Zerofobia di Rai Storia alle 9.23 di mercoledì…

16.10.08 Incontro sabato prossimo con l’artista Nedko Solakov allo Spazio Oberdan di viale Vittorio Veneto 2 a Milano. Ingresso libero fino ad esaurimento posti ed inizio previsto alle 11. Continua, intanto, fino a domenica il corso europeo per curatori d’arte contemporanea nel cui ambito l’incontro è promosso.

Domani lo scrittore Francesco Recami partecipa alla trasmissione tv «Uno Mattina» di Rai Uno. Sabato alle 18 un altro autore, Corrado Guerzoni, presenta al palazzo della Provincia di Crema, in via Matteotti, il libro «Aldo Moro». 

A Venezia si avvia a conclusione la  Biennale musica, il festival di musica contemporanea. Spicca il concerto di sabato alle 15 in piazza San Marco di Luca Francesconi (Fresco: 5 orchestre a fiati in movimento) e poi al Teatro alle Tese e al Teatro alle Vergini, all’Arsenale c’è EXIT_01 Party Sintomatico dalle 19.

- Quale di questi monumenti italiani vi piace di più? (Vota)

- Località turistiche straniere (Vota)

- La musica. Quale il vostro brano preferito? (Vota)

Un browser europeo – Opera – e Mozilla o il sistema operativo di Apple

- Crema al cacao con nocciole ed anacardi, cioccolato fondente con nocciole o gianduia con nocciole intere oppure al latte con nocciole e nocciole intere

Spreadthesign, dizionario e linguaggio dei segni. Commissione europea – Istruzione e formazione

16 ottobre ‘08 – aggiornato 21 novembre ‘09

calogeromira.wordpress.com - e-mail

Risparmio energetico (forse)?

Over the past year or so, I’ve divided my time between my work, my friends and listening to acoustic pop duo Kings of Convenience. Their intricately intertwined acoustic arpeggios and haunting baritone harmonies have given me goosebumps (hopefully it’s not something more serious) since the very first time I heard them just over a year ago. Songs like “I’d rather dance with you” and “Misread” (both off of the 2004 “Riot on an Empty Street”) became a mainstay on my personal sountrack. So you can imagine my joy upon hearing that the Norwegian pair had just released their new album “Declaration of Dependence”

Ok, so a bit of background. Kings of Convenience are not for everyone, fans of metal, hard rock and women who are nursing or pregnant should consult a doctor before listening to KoC. These guys are quiet… like really quiet. Hell, their first album was called “Quiet is the New Loud”, and you know what? That’s the only album that makes noticeable use of percussion. Most of what you could conceivably call percussion in either their 2004 “Riot on an Empty Street” or the new “Declaration of Dependence” comes from string smacks distributed throughout the swirling guitar arpeggios. The band consists of Norwegian Guitarist/Singers Erlend Øye (also of Whitest Boy Alive) and Eirik Glambek Bøe. You’ll notice that both of these musicians have that awesome O with the slash through it, which leads me to believe that all of Norway is f***ing awesome. One last bit of background, though they are more popular in Europe, they will forever be overshadowed as the second most popular band in America whose name starts with “Kings of” (falling just shy of their Leon-esque rivals).

Ok, so lets get to this new album shall we?

First thing I notice is that this album has taken a less poppy turn than their previous “Riot”. On that album they really took off with popular songs like “I’d Rather Dance With You” and “Know How” which were very up-tempo and had catchy melodies. It appears as though this new album will be more of a return to their early work on “Quiet is the New Loud”. Immediately it is evident that they’ve still got it. The album opens with “24-25″ a slow acoustic ballad which showcases their fundamental style: simple, straightforward guitar and vocals. Their voices spend most of their time twisting around each other like smoke rising from a newly extinguished candle. This is consistent with their previous work, but is nonetheless beautiful in a slow lilting sort of way.

The album then moves into slightly more uptempo selections such as their first single off the album “Mrs. Cold”. This single serves to change the mood from the slow, lilting “25-24″ to a more playful one, starting off with the words “Hey baby”. From here the album only gets better and better. I’ve become personally attached to songs like “Me in You”, “Rule My World” and the albums second single “Boat Behind” (seen here live) which resorts back to the use of violin in support of their bouncing guitar and fluctuating vocals. “Rule My World” doesn’t seem like it should stand out in any way. Sure its kind of catchy, and the musicianship is clearly present, but it’s not a track you would expect to stick out from the rest. Well let me tell you, that song has been stuck in my head all day long, which normally annoy me, but this song is seriously good. The thing I absoutely love about this album is that even when they use chords, they’re not the same overused bland space filling power chords you hear in most music nowadays. Each chord could be listened to on its own, on repeat, and still not be boring.

Overall, this is the kind of album that you want to listen to as background noise, but the complexity of the chords and harmonies won’t let you. You almost have to pay attention to fully understand the songs. In their previous work, they wrote easily accessible songs that were both catchy and slightly more complex than the rest of the pack, but on this album they aim for a richness not seen in the pop songs of “Riot on an Empty Street” and succeed. My only complaint is that I kinda like a straight pop song every now and again, and this album doesn’t seem to have one. Overall I give it an A-. If it had had a “I’d Rather Dance With You”-esque single it would have gotten an A hands down.

In their own words “I can’t stop listenin’ to the sound of two soft voices twisted in perfection, from the reels of this record that I found.” (from the song ‘Misread’ found on “Riot on an Empty Street”)

Listen to their myspace!

Alguien recomendó hace poco a esta gente, y les he dado una oportunidad (gracias).

Y esta canción me encanta, y esta chica también.

Eine entspannte Sendung, genau das richtige nach einer langen Partynacht. Folk meets Jazz, entspannte Klänge die erholsam sind.
Die Kings Of Convenience haben ein sehr schönes Album veröffentlicht. “Declaration Of Dependence” ist ihr Drittes und meine Platte des Monats!
4Hero haben anstatt eines konventionellen Remix-Albums einen anderen Weg gewählt: Sie haben ihre Stücke von befreundeten Künstlern neu einspielen / interpretieren lassen. Ein gelungenes Projekt.
Das italienische Label Deja Vu veröffentlicht schon seit einiger Zeit qualitativ guten Jazz, höchste Zeit also für ein kleines Label-Porträt in dieser Sendung.
Viel Spaß beim Anhören!

Playlist | 15.11.2009 (Wdh. 20.11.2009)

Interpret / Titel / Label (Format)

1.Stunde

Lord Newborn & The Magic Skulls / A Phase Shifter I’m Going Through / Ubiqiquity (CD-R-track: Lord Newborn & The Magic Skulls)
Tommy Guerrero / La Califas Perdido / Galaxia (LP-track: Return Of The Bastard)
Tommy Guerrero / I Would Go With You / Galaxia (LP-track: Return Of The Bastard)
Kings Of Convenience / The Beat Of A Drum / Ellet (7″)
Kings Of Convenience / Mrs. Cold / Source (LP-track: Declaration Of Dependence)
Kings Of Convenience / Me In You / Source (LP-track: Declaration Of Dependence)
Kings Of Convenience / Renegade / Source (LP-track: Declaration Of Dependence)
Re:Jazz / Star Chaser / Raw Canvas (LP-track: V/A – 4Hero presents Extensions)
Sonar Kollektiv Orchester / Universal Love / Raw Canvas (LP-track: V/A – 4Hero presents Extensions)
Andre Zimma vs. Ye:Solar feat. Oezlem / Cosmic Tree / Raw Canvas (LP-track: V/A – 4Hero presents Extensions)
Stefania Rava / A Time For Love / Deja Vu (LP-track: Send In The Clowns)
Train Up / In The Name Of Love / Deja Vu (LP-track: Looking At The Sea)
Roberto Tarenzi Trio / One Day I’ll Fly Away / Deja Vu (LP-track: One Day I’ll Fly Away)

2.Stunde

Gianni Basso & Irio De Paula / Blue Bossa / Deja Vu (LP-track: Recado Bossa Nova)
Quintetto Basso Valdambrini / Eighty One / Deja Vu (LP-track: Stella By Starlight)
Jazzlife Sextet / Soft Tick / Deja Vu (LP-track: Tall Stories)
Nicola Conte and his Group / Paper Clouds (Uptempo Version) / Schema (10″-EP-track: Sketches Of Samba)
Milano Jazz Dance Combo / Changes (feat. Colonel Red) / Record Kicks (LP-track: Milano Jazz Dance Combo)
The Hi-Fly Orchestra / Soul Bossa Nova / Tramp (7″)
Cesar’s Salad / Afrolypso / Perfect Toy (CD-track: The Latin Beat)
Mongo Santamaria / In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida / Atlantic (LP-track: Feelin’ Alright)
Pete Terrace / You’re Looking Good / A/S records (LP-track: Kinbg Of The Boogaloo)
Mongo Santamaria / Hitchcock Railway / Columbia (LP-track: Stone Soul)
Willie Bobo / Call Me / Verve (LP-track: Feelin’ So Good)
Cal Tjader / Tanya / Verve (LP-track: Soul Sauce)

1.Stunde

2.Stunde

It’s just that seeing-things-from-a-distance kind of week. Increasing the distance with some people, but not with bad intention, just a that’s-how-it-worked-out kind of thing. An am-I-making-any-sense kind of thing? No. I know some things are mistakes, but I feel like they are mistakes that need to be made. Getting-it-out-of-my-system kind of thing. And this is a being-as-vague-as-possible kind of entry.

But it certainly is a listen to Kings of Convenience on repeat kind of week.

PERFECT FOR:

driving, background music at work, background music at home, hanging out with (chill) friends, actively listening

PUT ON A MIX CD WITH:

Fleet Foxes, The Script, John Mayer

I have to go ahead a throw a huge THANK YOU!! to meredith who posted on my Fleet Foxes review and recommended I listen to KOC. I google’d them this morning, previewed one track, and then proceeded to purchase “Declaration of Dependence” and “Riot on an Empty Street” and have not stopped listening since.

They are Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe from Norway. They have topped the charts in Norway, had some presence on the UK Charts, were Top 10 and up in Italy, and barely got anywhere in the US (which is why I have lost faith in this country’s ability to realize what talent is).

I feel like KOC paint this gorgeous musical picture with every song they sing, the guitar, the transient violin and piano parts, act as the autumn leaves, trees, and the ground, and when their voices come in they are both the sun and the breeze. I know this may sound really weird reading it at first, but please just try to imagine it. Their harmonies are impeccable, beautifully blended, and full of heart. “Riot on an Empty Street” seems to be the more upbeat of the two albums I purchased today.

Their timing is nothing short of perfect. I feel like I may be over hyping these guys, but they are truly one of a kind- and if you give them a chance, you will see for yourself. They may sound like a lot of different bands out there, but they have won me over as a loyal listener.

I love this type of music because I can put it on almost anywhere (except the gym…. maybe for stretching) and they just become the soundtrack of the moment. Whether or not you can actively listen to their lyrics, the mood and ambiance they create with their sound is enough to keep it on…..repeat.

What do they sound like? Okay.. I’d say a modern Simon and Garfunkel, or a more monotonous (in a good way!) Fleet Foxes.

Fabulous*

I’d Rather Dance With You, Definitely.

Par où commencer. Peut-être par la file d’attente interminable, ou la bière goulument avalée ou peut-être bien, tout simplement, par le commencement, My Ship isn’t Pretty. Pas de première partie ce soir, ou du moins une auto-première-partie auto-assurée par les Kings Of Convenience en personne. J’aime énormément ce groupe et c’est avec une certaine quiétude que je me suis rendu au Bataclan, car  qu’importe la tenure du concert cela aurait été difficile de me décevoir. Nos deux grands gaillards s’installent tranquillement. La première chose qui marque est l’authenticité des voix ; on aurait presque pu mettre le disque, la qualité du son, de ces voix est identiques. Je dis presque car ce n’est pas du tout la même chose ; on peut d’ailleurs se demander comment des chansons aux aspects parfois simplistes peuvent elles être aussi belles et complexes. L’auto-première partie passe bien vite ; déjà 30 min d’écouler. Durant lesquelles 24-25, Singing Softly To Me ou encore l’incontournable Mrs Cold resplendiront aux yeux ébahis du public. Une petite équipe se forme, composé d’un brillant violoniste et  un contrebassiste. Tout deux sauront toujours où se placer sans gêner ou disparaitre. De vrais pro quoi. Erlend Oye fera un peu son clown, racontera quelque blagues qui agrémenteront toujours d’humour ces quelques mélodies folk. Mrs Cold achève donc cette première partie du concert. 20 min de pause.

Ils sont de retour tout souriant avec Until You Understand. Le Set s’intensifie de chanson en chanson. Cependant, c’est sur Rule My World que je comprendrais réellement ce qu’implique un concert des Kings Of Convenience. Une chanson que j’ai écouté quelques fois, sans plus, sympathique mais rien d’innovant, se transforme en une chose presque indescriptible ; si énorme, si majestueux qu’on ne sait presque plus où se mettre. Un frisson me traverse lorsque qu’Erik commence les chœurs, puis ce violon, de quoi vous en faire chialer. C’est si beau que je n’arrive même pas croire que je suis là. Merde, j’avais presque oublié pourquoi j’allais à des concerts.On enchaine directement avec le tube Boat Behind. Je me suis dis qu’il fallait peut être arrêter de sourire maintenant, mes joues me lance mais rien à faire, c’est plus fort que moi. Ce fut magistral, du grand art…que peut on dire de mieux? Toxic Girl me refroidis légèrement mais en suivera une chansons sur Justin Timberlake tout à fait remarquable (voire ABSOLUMENT LA VIDEO!). Puis, vient, finalement, l’inébranlable “I’d Rather Dance With You“. Erlend danse, nous le suivons avec ardeur. Chantons tous….”…getting into the swing, getting into the swing…..“. Voilà, que le set ce termine. L’hécatombe : il n’y a plus de douce musique pour guider nos pensées. La foule s’exclame et réclame un rappel.Heureusement, un rappel est prévu, ils reviennent donc assez vite avec Know-How puis…d’un coup d’un SEUL!  FEIST en personne vient assurer sa partie. Énorme surprise donc! Je ne rêve alors plus qu’une chose : Build Up. Et c’est Build Up qui suit…Aussi beau et unique que je l’aurais cru. La partie vocale de Feist est tout simplement incroyable, une telle voix est presque surréaliste. C’est avec cette touche féminine que les Kings Of Convenience finiront ce concert.

Je ne sais pas trop quoi vous dire d’autre. Les gens qui pensent que c’est de la musique d’ascenseur ne se rendent pas vraiment compte à quel point cette musique est unique et magique. On regrettera seulement Weight Of My Words et Gold In The Air Of Summer.C’est essentiel de comprendre que les Kings of Convenience c’est avant tout deux personnages extrêmement sympathique avec lesquelles ont passe un moment musical unique, presque intime. Ce concert c’est comme un secret entre eux et nous. Ce fut juste inoubliable. Merci.

Setlist :

My Ship Isn’t Pretty
24-25
Me In You
Cayman Islands
Love Is No Big Truth
I Don’t Know What I Can Save You From
Singing Softly To Me
Stay Out Of Trouble
Mrs Cold
[Break]
Until You Understand
Homesick
Renegade
Misread
Rule My World
Boat Behind
Toxic Girl
What If Justin Timberlake?
I’d Rather Dance With You
[Rappel]
Know How ft. Feist
The Build Up ft. Feist

Singing Softly To Me

Mrs Cold

Rule My World

Boat Behind

What If Justin Timberlake

I’d Rather Dance With You

Build Up

Merci aux personnes qui ont pensé à filmer, vous faites bien chiez pendant les concerts mais qu’est-ce qu’on vous aime au fond…

Pix : Le Hiboo

Procrastination has made its match in my dear friend, Doranne’s killer stare.. So here I am finally penning (typing) down my very very first entry!

As I patiently await with bated breath for all the awesome gigs that are coming to our shores (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cat Power, The Killers!, Muse, Kings of Convenience, and Andrew Bird), I have been very vigilant to to ensure I am going to be at all the abovementioned.

As I steadily prepare for  my musical odyssey, from “Maps” to “Greatest”, I stop at Muse and ponder over the playlist. With my mood (very discouraged at the moment) dictating my choice, I decide that “Invincible” is beckoning to me.. to recoil and recall the sensory (orgasmic) experience my angel of music, Matt Bellamy, gave us back in 2007.

For all who has read this and dismiss it as ramblings of a crazed fan, you are absolutely right.

To Yun who witnessed with me the awesomeness that is Matt Bellamy, as I listen to “Invincible”, I can still remember how we screamed along to Matt’s beautiful and haunting vocals.

And for all of you, who just like me, is feeling very discouraged lately, let us all youtube “Invincible” to consult Matt for some advice…

Tonight we can truly say, together we’re invincible.

p.s. Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Catpower concert tix are currently selling out fast on Sistic, Muse concert tix out on 16 Nov 09, and The Killers concert tix on 23 Nov 09

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Cat Power

Muse

The Killers

Kings of Convenience

Andrew Bird

And this is exactly how I am feeling about these exciting gigs!!!

Signing out,
Fiong