To viciado nessa música!

Neon Neon – I Lust U

- Als het de komende weken nog eens boven de 20 graden wordt mét de bijhorende overvloedige zonneschijn, laat dit dan aub de soundtrack zijn. Ondergetekende ’s tenen vriezen nu al af maar deze 4 Basken brengen met dit nummer (en dat geldt voor de hele EP, getiteld ‘Ayrton Senna EP’ -we verzinnen het niet-) een laattijdige opwelling van dansbaarheid met heerlijke samenzang ondersteund door muziek die het midden houdt tussen pop & disco. Te vergelijken met de zogenaamde balearic disco van Air France, maar dan dansbaarder. Een zeer vage omschrijving natuurlijk, dus luistert u vooral zelf:

Delorean – Deli:

- Echt niet om gedaan: vorig jaar maakte Neon Neon (samenwerking van Super Furry Animals-zanger Gruff Rhys en Boom Bip) een heerlijk synthpopalbum in de traditie van de beste New Order. Meer nog, ze schreven een conceptalbum over het turbulente (lees: drank, drugs, vrouwen) leven van niemand minder dan John Delorean, ook wel gekend als de ontwikkelaar van de Delorean DMC12, waarschijnlijk beter bekend als “dienen zotten auto uit Back To The Future” (zie foto)

Geen idee waar die mannen van Delorean nu juist hun naam vandaan haalden maar Neon Neon verdient toch wel even de aandacht aangezien de toekomst van dit gelegenheidsproject zeer onzeker is, zo wist Gruff Rhys zelf te vertellen recentelijk in een interview met de BBC. Even de definitie van perfecte synthpop in een clipje van 3min.44:

Neon Neon – I Told her on Alderaan:

- ‘Soulvol’ is meestal een adjectief dat te pas en te onpas uit de mond komt van juryleden van een of andere zangwedstrijd waarin een kandidaat net een willekeurige Motown klassieker heeft gebracht zonder zich al te veel belachelijk te maken. Voor dit nummer hangen wij graag eens het jurylid uit: soulvol, boeiend van begin tot einde, met een heerlijke ingetogen big band-achtige feel (zoek de contradictie) in de eerste 3 minuten om dan de elektronische toer op te gaan. En als wij de foto’s goed bekeken hebben zit er maar 1 zwart-achtige meneer tussen: extra schouderklopje dus voor de funkyness die desalniettemin aanwezig is!

Electric Wire Hustle – They Don’t Want:

- In de reeks muzikale Belgen die populairder zijn in Australië dan hier bij ons -een betrekkelijk korte reeks overigens- stellen wij u voor Wouter De Backer: geboren in Brugge maar opgegroeid in Australië en daar ook ook behoorlijk succesvol. Zo stond een ander nummer van zijn band (Heart’s a Mess) op nummer 77 in de Triple J Hottest of all time, zo wat te vergelijken met de Tijdloze hier in België, maar dan in Australië dus. Wij verkiezen echter deze doorleefde versie met De Backer achter de drums. Denk Jamie Lidell van op Multiply en Jim maar dan met Belgische roots, we mogen toch een heel klein beetje chauvinistisch zijn, ook al is het een beetje zoals de Fransen die Jacques Brel als hun landgenoot beschouwen omdat hij in het Frans zong, of zoiets:

Gotye – Learnalilgivinanlovin

- En als afsluiter een van de allermooiste covers aller tijden, getekend Elliott Smith:

Elliott Smith – Waterloo Sunset (The Kinks cover):

Text courtesy of FITTED Hawaii.

Please come down to Neon Neon this Saturday @ SOHO in support of our brother Kenny and his recent diagnosis with Leukemia. Hawaii Bone Marrow Donor Registry will also have a booth set up the same night inside of SoHo, between 7 – 9PM. If you haven’t, please take a couple minutes to sign up; its absolutely free! We’re humbly asking for everyone’s help in the search for a bone marrow match and transplant. Below is a personal message from Kenny himself along with more info on how you can help out:

“My name is Kenneth Brimer and I’ve been diagnosed with Chronic Lymphotic Leukemia. The doctor says that I have a good chance to be elected to have stem cell transplant. You can’t believe how unexpected this is, at my age (36). I have it in me to get over this…. but it seems like the fight is only half the battle. I need the fight of other people along with mine to kick this.” “Thank you for all of the help.” – Kenneth Brimer

I ventured into the smoke-filled Cardiff studio where Super Furry Animals were recording Dark Days/Light Years to peruse the treasured objects of my teenage favourite Gruff Rhys. Suitably odd stuff it is too.

Starting a blog isn’t easy. there is a lot of ridicule (mostly from JJ but still). More and more people seem to find out about it (yes i mean you Ben Healy) which is cool but it just perpetually makes me slightly worried I am going to get sued. Also you sometimes think… damn this is so lame that I have a blog– but then you realize that Twitter is out there which is even lamer. So fuck it.

Can’t Shake Your Love- The Knocks
Deadbeat Summer- Neon Indian
Grip Your Body- B.O.B
Deli- Delorean
Think Good Thoughts- Drake
My Sweet Baby- B.O.B.
I Want You To Know- Dinosaur Jr.
Billionaires- Your Twenties
I Told Her On Alderaan- Neon Neon
Trick or Treat- Neon Neon

Ever had an aspiration to write a script or adapt something close to your heart, only to have it kiboshed after scouting imdb? Alright, just me then. I always wanted to script a take on ‘Requiem For A Dream’ and put Justin Pierce in the lead role. Sadly that’s a vision that was doubly quashed. Twisted versions of the American dream gone asunder are always in my ‘dream project’ list and none come better than the downfall of John DeLorean.

I’ll admit, I’m blinkered by my decision to drop his (presumably, deeply, deeply unobjective) autobiography from my reading list, instead getting my DeLorean knowledge from the largely anti-John, and ultra-detailed, ‘DeLorean’ by Ivan Fallon and James Srodes. It’s a tale of such bombast, so bogged down in politics and hurt feelings, that objectivity went out the window. But what a fucking story.

Celebrity investors like Sammy Davis Jr. and Johny Carson, chin implants by top plastic surgeons, hired goonery, a Troubled Northern Ireland, yayo deals…it’s a morality tale of some magnitude, yet John never really gets his come-uppance, but then nor does he get the respect he deserves for such a series of ballsy moves and investor approaches.

Like Icarus he flew a little too close to the sun and got his wings scorched, but by crying FBI entrapment, he just about avoids hitting the sea – free to hatch more madcap plans. I would’ve made like ‘Cocaine Cowboys’ and commissioned a Jan Hammer score for those final years. But guess what? There’s three projects in development right now. One year it was volcanos, the next it was CGI animal cartoons…2011 could be the summer of motorcar moguls gone wrong – who could forget the non-success of Coppola’s ‘Tucker – The Man and His Dream’ in 1988? But with James Toback and Brett Ratner at work on motion pictures, and a new documentary on the pop cultural significance of the DMC-12 on the cards, he’s back in the spotlight.

It took a Furry Animal and former Anticon member to give John the perfect soundtrack on the Neon Neon ‘Stainless Style’ album last year, deserving of rock-opera status, but it’s easy to forget that the DMC-12 was flaw-riddled junk. The insistence on golf club boot room and a defiantly uncommercial brushed steel finish gets props over here, but the rest? Meh. The Aston Martin Bulldog concept car worked the gullwing doors with greater slickness.

I’m hoping that the film includes John’s ill-fated DMC2 watch project too. Stainless steel again and powered by a titanium lithium capacitor each watch was set to come with a certificate to allow you to buy the next DMC car design. They were pretty damned expensive too and there’s a great blog entry on it at Watchismo. I’ll admit it – I’d really like one.

As with any ambitious, yet utterly doomed project, DeLorean had a documentary team on hand to capture his rise and subsequent fall, including the legendary D.A. Pennebaker (‘Don’t Look Back’, ‘Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars’, ‘Cracked Actor’) for the 1981 feature ‘DeLorean’, but 2004’s ‘Car Crash – The DeLorean Story’ is better, transmitted in the UK in 2004, a year before John passed away, and utilising some footage from the pre-arrest fly-on-the-boardroom-wall creation.

Best of all, get yourself to http://www.delorean.com to stock up on DeLorean parts by the ton. There’s more here than any doomed DeLorean dealer franchaise-holder ever had. Steering columns, body kits, nuts, bolts…everything is on sale here. There’s even replica badges, apparel and manuals. A serious labour-of-love…and if you can’t find what you want there, go check http://www.deloreanone.com.

O Super Furry Animals já voltou com album novo mas o Neon Neon é tão legal. E eu só vim dá mais atenção pro projetinho do Gruff Rhys[vocalista do Super] em 2009. Fazer o quê?

Neon Neon – I lust you
Neon Neon MySpace

Os videos do projeto são sensacionais!!! E ao vivo só no carão…

Rod Thomas was one of  the SXSW Artists that we featured in a popolio pop quiz here and sxsw show pic-olio here.  Last month he announced a name change from Rod Thomas to Bright Light Bright Light.

Get a taste of the BLBL sound with “A New Word To Say” before reading our 10Q interview with the Artist Formerly Known as Rod Thomas about his new status quo.

* * *

1. So, why the change of name from Rod Thomas to Bright Light Bright Light? The last year or so I’ve been working hard on my production skills and live set and it’s much more layered and textured, with some shimmering synth parts weaving between more organic sounds.  I DJ and remix a lot, too, so the name change reflects the more rounded nature I guess. 

I think if you have a “firstname” “surname” identity, people often presume you’re an acoustic act, which is not what I am.  Also having a pseudonym means you can have a bit more fun, too, with the detachment from your own personal life I think.

2.  Does this mean we have to refer to you as the Artist Formerly Known as Rod Thomas? YES.   (haha, no not at all!)

3. Is this partly because there’s already a Rob Thomas out there? For publishers/labels I suppose yes.  Especially stateside.  Everyone was aware of him in the UK, but in the US he’s a multi-million selling artist, so that’s a bit of a problem.  That’s not the reason for it, but it sidesteps it.

4. Since the name is a Gremlins reference, what other 80s movies do you love and why? I absolutely love Mannequin, Gremlins 1 & 2, Splash, The Breakfast Club, Back To The Future … God there are SO MANY amazingly nostalgic/well-soundtracked films from the 80s!  Such an era for an equal number of duds and TOTAL classics.

5. And if the reference is lost on folks is that okay?  Yeah of course.  It just came into my head straight away.   It’s not DELIBERATELY a reference of Gremlins as in that I wanted to connect my music to it, so there’s no requirement for people to notice it.

6. Does this mean there will be an 80s vibe to your [new] work? For certain songs maybe.  Like I worked on “A New Word To Say” and “Disco Moment” with Boom Bip who’s famed for 80s project Neon Neon, so there’s obviously some 80s references.  But, it spans 90s references.  There are some real campfire folk influences in the album and some disco/Motown strands weaved in, too.  But, I guess, yes, there are 80s vibes in terms of strong melodies/big beats.

7. Sonically, how is Bright Light Bright Light different from Rod Thomas?  In other ways?  I don’t think Bright Light Bright Light is intended as a severing point, but it’s definitely less soft than Rod Thomas, mainly for the reasons above. 

It allows me to be seen less as a vulnerable man on his own with his songs and more as a body of music, I guess.  A collection of sounds and ideas.  I guess “he’s” shinier, more intertextual, maybe more experimental.  Even though Rod Thomas was doing that, just nobody really paid attention

8. Are there any remnants of Rod Thomas left?  Some people liked him and his sound.  He did have fans, you know.  Yes, a lot is left.  The live set incorporated a lot of Bright Light Bright Light. The name stems from the sounds I create live.  Plus material-wise, I still use “Your Love Is A Tease,” “You Get Goodbyes,” and “Debris” from the Rod Thomas catalogue.   I’m glad he had fans, I’ll let him know!

9. Well, the level of success of name changes in the music industry is debatable.  Please share your thoughts on the following –

 • Prince to The Artist/The Artist Formerly Known as Prince/that Symbol and back to Prince again Kind of ridiculous, but also very interesting.  The idea of not having a recognisable name is really something quite bizarre, but intriguing.  Especially as it suggests hearing the music without attributing it to a personalit while also suggesting a personality so large it doesn’t require a specific name.

• Puff Daddy to P. Diddy to Diddy Totally pointless.

10. What shiny and new things (couldn’t resist) can fans look forward to in the future? The future brings lots of exciting stuff.  I worked with Boom Bip on two tracks I’m so very happy with and I worked with a guy called Andy Chatterley (KanYe West/Pussycat Dolls/Underworld/Unkle) on a track.  I’ve been re-working the live set for a band and have 2 weeks in New York at the end of July/beginning of August.  I’ll be writing with my friend James Yuill, and gigging a lot as well as releasing the first bit of BLBL material, too.  So, very busy, but hopefully very fun!

If experiencing Richard Curtis’ latest Brit flick ‘The Boat That Rocked’ inspires raging desires to somehow straddle the boundaries of time and space in order to return to the loose morals and free love of the 1960s, Super Furry Animals are the sort of band to evoke similar fantasy come 2050. ‘Dark Days/Light Years’ sees Gruff Rhys return to his day job following his brief stint with Californian producer, musician and all-round delightful chap Boom Bip (aka Bryan Hollon) under the shimmering aurora of Neon Neon, picking up a Mercury Award nomination in the process. Rhys’ Midas touch is undeniable but the carat count is highest however whilst he finds himself nestled amongst the euphoric psychedelia of his slightly crazed, fuzzy animals. Or bearded Welshmen. Whichever makes more sense…

Each of these twelve tracks are absolutely barking but all up the right tree. Following the addition of lap steel and saxophones to the “banned instrument directive of the SFA board” Rhys and his super mushroom-filled magicians have reverted back to the swirling strings and gargantuan guitar riffs that brought us the likes of ‘(Drawing) Rings Around the World’, ‘Golden Retriever’ and ‘Hermann Loves Pauline’ at a time when Damon and Liam wrestled with egos and each other. From the futuristic funk of ‘Crazy Naked Girls’ to the hymnal sunshine anthem ‘Cardiff in the Sun’, SFA carry no preconceptions and make no mistake, ‘they don’t give a f*ck about anybody else’. The simplistic harmonies of ‘Mt’ could give Fleet Foxes a run for their ecclesiastical charm and then some as scuffed-up guitars and dirty bass bumps thunder along like a freight train down a tube line.

If Curtis’ pirate radio ship got you flicking through those old records for a dash of Motown (‘Where Do You Wanna Go?’) or a quick fix of mangled, chewed up recordings (‘Inconvenience’), the uplifting ode to the human body with its nods to Vegemite amongst others, ‘Helium Hearts’ establishes SFA as a truly unique prospect and bridges the vinyl and digital banks of the musical stream. It’s worth shelling out for Rhys’ records just to fully digest his lyrical genial tendencies; blissfully idealistic whilst remaining endlessly creative, Dark Days/Light Years may prove to be this year’s essential release.

Super Furry Animals- Mt
Super Furry Animals- Helium Hearts
Super Furry Animals- Cardiff in the Sun

Get fuzzed up

**As originally published in AU #45 – May 2008**

Właściwie jakiekolwiek komentarze są zbędne, bo przecież Super Furry Animals to jest TEN właśnie zespół. Gdyby chcieli, dwoma taktami, połową zwrotki, zmieniliby wodę w wino, a Mandarynę nauczyliby śpiewać. Na szczęście nie chcą i nie trwonią czasu, by realizować dyskusyjne pomysły blogerów i z regularnością przesyłają światu wielkie jak łapa Pudziana rozprozakowane muzyczne pozdrowienia, antidotum na wszelkie kryzysy, światowe, narodowe, osobiste. Zapytaj Gruffa Rysa (dla niewtajemniczonych: wokalista i gitarzysta omawianego a tej notce projektu), on odpowie, w jaki sposób powinny być finansowane partie polityczne i wyliczy w przeciągu trzech sekund silnię z 567854. Nawet gdy płyty SFA lądują w okolicach zastanawiającej średniej (jako miernik bierzemy pod uwagę pełną dyskografię), to i tak dla większości jest to Mount Everest.

Love Kraft (rocznik 2005) Hey Venus! (rocznik 2007) pewnie nie będą dojrzewać jak wino, a za parę lat nie okaże się, że jednak przestrzeliliśmy w ocenach. Zmęczenie materiału? Być może, dość powiedzieć, że to tylko i wyłącznie porządne płyty, wskazujące, że nawet najdoskonalsza formuła może się wyczerpać. W tamtym roku koledze Rhysowi zdarzył się jednak projekt Neon Neon, którego sukces udowodnił, że we właściwych rękach eklektyzm jest najbardziej potężną z broni, pod naporem której słuchacze padają kolejno jak muchy odurzone słodkim zapachem dżemu truskawkowego. Pozdrawiam jednocześnie moją serdeczną przyjaciółkę, która przyrównała poniżej przedstawione nagranie do twórczości <światła gasną, słychać werble, grzmot> Modern Talking, co spowodowało, że przez chwilę się z przyjaciółką nie lubiliśmy. Bo dla mnie to kwintesencja popu, proszę Państwa.

Schemat zastosowany przy Neon Neon powtarza się również na Dark Days/Light Years. Wymyśl sobie jakikolwiek chwyt i z pewnością go na tym krążku odnajdziesz. OK, to przesada, ale biegłość i muzyczną erudycję tego walijskiego projektu można oznakować tylko i wyłącznie plombą „wybitne”. W opartym na de facto jednym motywie open’erze Crazy Naked Girl zmieścili funkową pogoń, hard-rockowe pasaże, kanonadę rytmu. I nawet ani przez chwilę nie mamy wątpliwości, że to nie jest na serio. A później jest już – generalnie – coraz lepiej. Mt to kolejny żart, tym razem ulokowany na brudnych plażach Brighton. Helium Hearts będzie szalało na majowej plejliście BBC Radio 1 (Inaugural Trams – obowiązkowa pozycja przy nauczaniu przedszkolnym języka niemieckiego - już radzi sobie na niej całkiem nieźle). Najmocniejszym punktem krążka jest bez wątpienia The Very Best of Neil Diamond, gdzie sitar toczy nierówną walkę z voocoderem, w innych okolicznościach przyrody mógłby stać się klasykiem dla tańczących inaczej. Na razie zajmuje miejsce na podium w tegorocznym wyścigu po laur najlepszego niesinglowego nagrania AD 2009 (u red. Błaszczyka jest podobnie). Generalnie, z Dark Days/Light Years słońce wali po oczach, bo też o radość i zabawę tu przede wszystkim chodzi, a przez chwilę Walia zamienia się miejscami z Kalifornią. Pojawiają się również momenty nienaturalnej jak na warunki dyktowane przez SFA zadumy, rekompensowanej czystą, niezmąconą niczym pasją (closer Pric). Bo choć SFA operują dobrze znanymi już składnikami i bez specjalnych ceregieli korzystają z ukształtowanego na przestrzeni ostatnich pięćdziesięciu lat dorobku muzyki popularnej, to bezpretensjonalnością przełamują ukartowane schematy.

Dan: Earlier, in our February Checkout post, I mentioned that I had added TV on the Radio’s Return to Cookie Mountain to my collection, and that generally, I was a fan of it. I even claimed ‘Wolf Like Me’ was one of my favourite tracks of the month. But what I didn’t say was how much time I spent listening to Dear Science. Having bought it in January, it was not eligible for discussion in a post about new additions in February, and so I left it. But I can’t not talk about it any longer. I was disappointed by 2008’s musical offerings, as most albums seemed to be rubbish (Supergrass’ Diamond Hoo Ha being notably bad) or average at best. There were a few exceptions, including Laura Marling’s debut, Alas, I Cannot Swim; and Neon Neon’s bizarre concept album about John DeLorean, Stainless Style. Both those albums are brilliant, and shared my choice of best album of the year. Until Dear Science got its first play.

The CD front cover

From the first second of the first song, you can tell the album has an intense power. It starts with more energy than most other albums can muster in their highest crescendos, and it only increases from there. With ‘Halfway Home’, the album’s opening track, a sense of potential works as the undercurrent to an already raucous beat. You expect it to burst into a manic chorus at any time, but instead it keeps going and going, until right at the end it explodes into a marvellous combination of all the sounds you’ve just heard. It’s truly incredible to hear, and you’re only 5 and a half minutes in.

‘Crying’ follows in the same suit, exuding an angry air of political defiance while keeping itself restrained for the most part, before unleashing an attack of music towards the end. Before you can breathe, ‘Dancing Choose’ chants an angry “He’s a what? He’s a what? he’s a newspaper man!’, and goes on to describe the life of a Patrick Bateman character. The music calms down a little for ‘The Stork And The Owl’, but the lyrics and vocals all still emit a terrific sense of furious despair. This continues through the album, exploding through ‘Golden Age’, and then sliding across the second half of the album before attacking ex-President Bush on the penultimate track for his lack of morals and terrible decisions. The last song, ‘Lover’s Day’ is still full of anger, but shifts the focus from politics to sex, which brings a reconciliatory climax to the record in every sense.

The vocals are perfectly matched for the lyrics, with inflections and emphasis placed perfectly for every word, thought and meaning. It all synchronises perfectly with the music as well. And it’s this that really pushes the album forward from intelligent insight into psychological, musical greatness. The music on every track seems to be the aural equivalent of the subconscious thought processes surrounding the big, thematic ideas described in the lyrics. The talent and skill here is almost off the chart. It’s easy to see why David Bowie’s been championing them for so long. On some of the tracks here, it’s almost as if you’re listening to a group of Bowies. Inventive and innovative, the style of music has a grandeur and it sounds like it really shouldn’t work, but it does, and it excels because of it.

The tracklisting, as seen on the back of the CD case

It’s hard to pick out any tracks as being the best, as they all sound different from the one that preceded it. The fact that it still flows and works relies on the style and enthusiasm TV On The Radio inject into every second of the album. Nevertheless, I shall put forward ‘Golden Age’ as a standout track, as it was the one that made me buy the album in the first place. It’s accessible and a good indicator of the kind of music to be found on the rest of the album. Unfortunately, I can’t find a video that works in the UK, so all I can offer is this link to their website, where you listen to a stream of it, along with ‘Dancing Choose’, their second single, and another great track.

Another awe inspiring song is ‘Family Tree’, which is a softer interlude in the middle of the album. The subject matter and vocals go hand in hand as they do with every track on Dear Science, but this one always makes my spine shiver. The problem I have here is that every time I point at a track and say “That’s amazing”, I instantly feel as if I’m being harsh on the rest of the album, because they’re all just as great.

And as if the quality of the music wasn’t enough reason to go and buy the album, they’ve designed some of the best looking sleevenotes I’ve seen in ages. On one side, all the lyrics are written out as a letter to “Dear Science,” and on the reverse, the credits are hand-written. I know that doesn’t sound very impressive, but it looks like an old letter someone found in stashed in some archives from a hundred years ago, with smudged writing, stains, fake tears and an aged-colour to it. The typewriter font helps the illusion as well. Overall, it probably isn’t as astounding as I think it is, but it’s the uniqueness and attention to detail that makes me love it so much. It’s another victory for albums as a physical musical package over the transient download versions of most albums in this lazy, digital age. I have uploaded photos of the front and the back of the inlay for you, but be warned: they’re massive images, so make sure you’ve got some decent bandwidth behind you first.

So, if you’re one of the few that hasn’t bought this album after the plethora of positive reviews and highlights on end-of-year lists that appear everywhere, I heartily recommend you go and do so. It’s only £5 in HMV or on Amazon [UK links], and the album works so marvellously as a whole that any individual tracks I can give you will barely scrape the surface of Dear Science’s ingenuity and brilliance. Nevertheless, if you’re still not convinced, here’s one final argument.

]]> http://talfred.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/new-music-march-09/ Fri, 13 Mar 2009 10:28:13 +0000 Alfred http://talfred.wordpress.com/2009/03/13/new-music-march-09/

I just fell in love with the music of Bat for Lashes (mypsace: http://www.myspace.com/batforlashes). Natasha Khan is so gifted and she also has an experimental edge to her music. Her new album is called Two Suns and is released april 6. Daniel is the latest single.

Read an interview with Natasha Khan here

And another one here

Lately I’ve mostly been listening to music while driving taxi (I work as a taxi driver). I just discovered a new favourite record; Big Star’s Third / Sister Lovers. I’ve had it for a while, but haven’t paid much attention to it before now. There’s so many really good songs on that record, my favourite is Blue Moon (not the same as the Elvis song). I had previously heard that song as a cover by 4ad band His name is alive, but didn’t know until now it was written by Alex Chilton.

I’ve been listening to a lot of new norwegian music the last few months. I think the last couple of record’s I’ve bought has been by norwegian bands. There are some good new records out there. The record by I Was a King (released jan/feb 09) got some great reviews, I’ve been listening to it but I’m not all that impressed.. some of the songs are very good but others are just mediocre. Their best song Norman Bleik is very good indiepop music. Anne Lise Frøkedal sings in I Was a King, but her main band is Harry’s Gym, their new record is well worth a listen, it’s more synth-oriented and atmospheric, but it’s got some good songs and ideas.

Last year’s best norwegian record was IMHO Medea by Rockettothesky. The band is mostly Jenny Hval with some musicians helping her out. The record is experimental and atmospheric, and can sometimes sound a little bit like The Knife, but the sound is more organic and the compositions seems a little more developed than the swedes.

Interview with Jenny Hval on norwegian tv talking about her song Grizzly Man

This video is a live tv-performance with Neon Neon:

I’ve been listening to Neon Neons only record Stainless Style a lot lately. It’s a great sounding record with lots of synths, but some songs are guitarbased too, and there’s even some hip-hop there as well. It’s a side project by Super Furry Animals frontman Gruf Rhys and producer Boom Bip. The record is a concept album based on the life of “playboy” car designer John DeLorean. It’s a great record!

I also would like to recomend the norwegian hardcore band Rumble in Rhodos and their record Intentions from last year. Check it out on myspace.

I went to Paradise in Kensal Rise last night and was shocked with the amount of people who did front of cctv cameras. Even when you tell the cretins there is a camera above their heads, they still do it nonetheless and were quickly booted out. Drinks were pricey, but if you go to the shop next door you can buy a big bag of ice, plastic cups, coke and spirits. We had a mini street party and all was good until a car full of girls laughed at our pikey ways. Fuck them, I bet they went to a shitty club and spent the night wondering what would have happened if they partied with us.

I’ve got neon neon on heavy rotation at the moment. They are good like twice as nice ice. Click here to check em out. Oldish, but nice, ya.

The second of my two podcasts for February now. This is just a collection of what I’ve been listening to and enjoying over the past month, apart from the Choice Music people. Most of it has been blogged about, some of it hasn’t.

Enjoy

Tracklist

1. Dan Deacon – Snookered
2. Neon Neon – I Told Her on Alderaan
3. Bat For Lashes – Glass
4. Upcdowncleftcrightcabc+start – McDoomish
5. NewVillager – Rich Doors
6. Bell X1 – The Curtains are Twitchin’
7. Antony & The Johnsons – The Cripple and the Starfish
8. The Flaming Lips – Anything You Say Now I Believe You
9. Ash - Lose Control
10. Little Boots – Stuck on Repeat
11. David Bowie – Heroes

Listen Here:

Dowload Here:

Clemsounds – Podcast No. 2 Feb 2009.mp3

I went to see Vicky Cristina Barcelona the other day. And watched No Country For Old Men last week. And now I want to make a movie.

Lately I’ve been listening to the new Prodigy album and have discovered the joys of Neon Neon. Oh and Florence and the Machine. So now I want to record a post-rock, avant-garde, synth-fuelled album too.

I’m all abuzz with wanting to be creative yet I can’t come up with any inspiration to write a post other than this one before your disbelieving eyes.

So what hope have I of outdoing the Coen Brothers, Woody Allen or even Gruff Rhys?

It’s gotten so bad I was going to write a post about Bouli, the fucking cartoon snowman from the early 90’s. Yes him of the “fear sneachta beag, hata ar a ceann” fame.

*Light bulb over head type moment*

Wait a minute.

Maybe I could do a live action, movie version of Bouli? The snowy lad with the red nose could definitely get it on with Penelope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson while being chased by an ageing sheriff around the dusty plains of Texas.

To the strains of NaRocRocian pan-pipe interpretations of Neon Neon and the Prodigy you say? Why not.

“Sex, drugs and snowy balls”. That’s the tagline right there.

Bouli, The Movie... Coming Soon!

I think I may have a hit on my hands here people.

Anyone got Javier Bardem’s number?

E conforme o prometido, aqui está o segundo volume da compilação para todas as pessoas que dizem que ouvem sempre o mesmo porque “não têm tempo para mais”. Conforme dito no primeiro volume, todas as músicas têm no máximo 150 segundos – tempo suficiente para ouvir uma coisa sem ficar com grande vontade de ir atrás do skip, e pronto para ir para o modo shuffle do leitor de mp3. A edição do meio é composta por…

• Another Sunny Day – Anorak City
• BIG A little a – Manshake
• Bill Drummond – Queen of the South
• Bon Iver – Team
• Brian Reitzell and Roger J. Manning Jr – On The Subway
• Catatonia – My Selfish Gene
• David Bowie – What In The World
• Elastica – Connection
• Franz Ferdinand – Turn It On
• Jaga Jazzist – Press Play
• Magnetic Fields – Meaningless
• Neon Neon – Neon Theme
• Primal Scream – Miss Lucifer
• Ringo Deathstarr - Starrsha
• Slowdive – Here She Comes
• The Art of Noise – Beatback
• The Clash – White Riot
• The Knife – Na Na Na
• The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Hey Paul
• The Sound – Physical World
• Wire – On Returning

Daqui a uns dias, vou colocar o post do terceiro e último volume. Até lá, vejam onde podem obter esta na lista de mixtapes publicitadas neste tasco.

We’ve finally got hold of the full version of Danger’s reMix of Empire Of The Sun’s ‘Walking On A Dream’. We previewed it here, and it doesn’t fail to deliver in Danger’s retro synth stylee.

♫ Empire Of The Sun – Walking On A Dream (Danger’s Racing Club Mix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

The single, out now , also includes a reMix by Neon Neon.

♫ Empire Of The Sun – Walking On A Dream (Neon Neon Mix) (zShare) (MediaFire)

Go check it out.

Empire Of The Sun @ Beatport

Empire Of The Sun @ Amazon

3 videos que acompañan a NEON NEON en sus conciertos, el primero
una recopilación de trozos de películas e imágenes de la actriz Raquel Wells,
el tema se llama Raquel. El segundo esta dedicado también en exclusiva al
clásico coche Delorean  y el tema se llama Dream Cars, muy bueno también.
El tercero es una mezcla igual de buena de maquinas, y escenas sexuales.
Lo mejor sería verlos acompañados de la música en directo.

]]> http://enomagazine.wordpress.com/2009/01/28/7th-november-neon-neon-the-sage-gateshead/ Wed, 28 Jan 2009 19:54:52 +0000 enomagazine http://enomagazine.wordpress.com/2009/01/28/7th-november-neon-neon-the-sage-gateshead/

Photo by David Fawcett

An audience was left on a high, after experiencing a revival of 80s style electro pop. Neon Neon performed a selection of uplifting tunes from their debut album entitled “Stainless Style”. The Sage, Gateshead provided an ideal, intimate venue; large enough to accommodate a capacity crowd. A large projection screen hung over the stage, providing visual imagery that ideally captured the mood of each song.
Neon Neon’s concept album reflects the turbulent life of car designer and playboy John Delorean. The DMC-12 sports car that featured in the “Back to the Future” films was one of Delorean’s most well known creations.
For the first few songs, the audience seemed to be fairly aloof, but it wasn’t long before they perked up. Gruff Rhys; lead singer and former front man for “Super Furry Animals”, asked the technical crew to kill the lights, while the group performed a deep rooted, electro percussive version of “Raquel”. The song focuses on an alleged affair that John Delorean had with actress, Raquel Welch. A montage of clips, accompanied the song, showing the striking actress at her best.
Har Mar Superstar bounded around the stage, stoking up the crowd with the rapid fire lyrics of “Trick for treat”. One of the biggest highlights of the evening was when he successfully managed to sing while standing on his head. Cate Le Bon backed up the vocals throughout the show, coming to the forefront with a notable performance of “I Lust U”. Har Mar Superstar returned to the stage several times, joined by Yo Majesty’s Spank Rock; who introduced a firm combination of electro pop, mixed with dirty rap.
Elements of the gig presented a sense of Delorean’s lifestyle; making reference to his love of women, cars and his competitive nature.
Neon Neon’s ability to deliver a high quality sound almost appeared to be effortless, as they skilfully performed track after track. The night ended with a spectacular performance of ‘Stainless Style’ which left the crowd gagging for more.

Rok 2008 był dziwnym rokiem. W pierwszej chwili nie potrafiłem sobie przypomnieć żadnej topowej płyty, która by mną solidnie trząchnęła, przybiła do podłogi i skazała na dożywocie. Podobnie singlowo – nie pamiętałem, by cokolwiek latało na ripicie 24/7. Dopiero po chwili przeglądania last.fm i iTunes przypomniałem sobie że to, o i to, i to w sumie też. Ej, ale to było zajebiste. Dobra, kochanie, ścisz na chwilę telewizor. In my mind I’m breeding butterflies, broken dreams, and alibis that’s fiiiiiiiiiiiine. Ej, a to? Kiiiiiiiiiim and Jeeeeesssie! “KURWA WEŹ SOBIE SŁUCHAWKI!” Dobra. W każdym razie, jednak trochę tego było.

Najpierw płytowo. W kwestii świat – trzecie miejsce ex aequo zajmują weteran Maxio Tundra i debiutant Juvelen. Wiadomym było, że skoro Jacobs wydaje nową płytę po raz pierwszy od lat sześciu, to szumu narobi więcej niż szynszyl na białym podczas orgietki z paniami szynszylami. I stało się, zgarnął brąz w kategorii płyta roku i złoto singlowe, ale o tym za chwilę. Juvelen zachwycił mnie już w zeszłym roku swoją epką, a, że długogrająco wydał się dopiero w tym to chętnie wcisnę go na podium. Chudy chłopak jest, to się koło Tundry zmieści. Nagrał naście najbardziej jacksonowych kawałków since Beck’s “Debra” i miecie.

Drugie miejsce dla tych, którzy są w szczytowym momencie swojej kariery i mieli nagrać płytę roku, a, że nie nagrali, to są na drugim. TV on the Radio i “Dear Science”. Płyta bardzo dobra, momentami genialna, ogólnie wysoki poziom wpytowości utrzymany. Drugie miejsce z żalu, że nie jest lepsza. Że nie nagrali swojego “Revolver”. A mogli.

Pierwsze miejsce, ladies and gentleman – M83, Saturdays = Youth. Płyta wakacji, płyta roku and so on. Najczęściej odsłuchiwany przeze mnie album miesięcy letnich, a że miesiące letnie są najfajniejsze, to zasłużenie na pierwszym miejscu.

3. Max Tundra – Parallax Error Beheads You / Juvelen – 1
2. TV on the Radio – Dear Science
1. M83 – Saturdays = Youth

Longplay, a sprawa polska. Niczego topowego w tym roku nie było, więc nagrody zostały przyznane za albumy przyzwoite. Bez zbędnego rozwodzenia się i długich pożegnań. Trzecie miejsce – Cool Kids of Death z “Afterparty”. Przede wszystkim za udany comeback po słabej trzeciej płycie, słuszną zmianę stylu i ogólnie niezłe kawałki. Cała alternatywna Polska chodzi i nuci “Nagle Zapomnieć Wszystko”. Fajnie.

Miejsce drugie – O.S.T.R. To Ostry, prawda? Prawda.

Złoto zgarnia Afro Kolektyw. Rzutem na taśmę, poza tym zapunktowali, bo się na koncert niedawno wybrałem i mnie Afro po bucie pomiział. “:*” Mężczyźni są odrażająco brudni i źli.

3. Cool Kids of Death – Afterparty
2. OSTR – Ja Tu Tylko Sprzątam
1. Afro Kolektyw – Połącz Kropki

Pozostając jeszcze na chwilę przy płytach – najgorszy album roku. Subiektywnie, bo pewnie było w tym roku dużo gorszych, ale te mnie zdecydowanie najbardziej wkurwiały.

Świat – “Viva la Vida“. No sory. Coldplay zafundował flaki z olejem, a w radiu lecą nonkurwastop. Na te smyki reaguję agresją, pianą z pyska i wydzieliną z nosa. Zgińcie.

Polska – “Out of Tune“. PRZECIĘTNIACTWO. Nie, Ałtofsi nie są zajebiści. Eryczek nie jest cool. Mam nadzieję, że to ich ostatnia płyta, bo niestety nie są “Killer Pop Machine”. A fanów mają nawet bardziej denerwujących niż Coma, a to sztuka.

Tym miłym akcentem kończymy sprawę płyt, a przechodzimy do singli.

Najniższy stopień podium w kategorii “Świat” dla Neon Neon. Bezczelnie eightiesowy singiel zjadł mi pół wiosny, a i teraz chętnie do niego wracam. Poza tym to tribute dla pierwszej ofiary Gwiazdy Śmierci, więc od razu miał plusa. Told her on Alderaaaaaan….

Drugie miejsce, niespodziewanie i totalnie z zaskoczenia. Eee? Ta pizda z MTV? Tajest, ta pizda z MTV. Mówcie co chcecie, ale kawałek nuci się sam, każdy go zna, a Rihanna to fajna sucz. “Disturbia” zaskoczyła mnie gdzieś w barze i zjadła mnie na śniadanie bambambirambam. Do tego tłuściutki bicik i nośny refren, czego chcieć więcej.

Miejsce pierwsze wspomniane już wcześniej, Max Tundra i jego absolutnie genialne “Which Song”. Wydawałoby się, że takie połączenie melodii i połamanego rytmu jest absolutnie nie-możliwe/wykonalne/prawdopodobne/etc. Ale Tundra potrafi, nagrywa i funduje niejako bonusowo tekst równie zabawny i bezpretensjonalny jak u Russian Futursits. Zdecydowane zwycięstwo, Jacobs cieszył się już na kilkanaście metrów przed metą, rekord świata pobity bez wysiłku.

3. Neon Neon – I Told Her on Alderaan
2. Rihanna – Disturbia
1. Max Tundra – Which Song

W kwestii polskiej, mamy co następuje. Brązowy medal zawisł na szyi, zawistne spojrzenie kieruje się na wyższe stopnie podium, ale niestety, nie dało się. OSTR i “1980″, zaraz chyba połamie skrzypce na głowie zwycięzcy. W swoich pierwszych Jordanach chciał latać ku niebu, ale nie tym razem.

Drugie miejsce, ale chłopak jak dąb, więc i tak ma się wrażenie, że stoi wyżej od złotego medalisty. Afro, a zaraz za nim cały zespół i “Chcę umrzeć zagłaskany na śmierć.” Bóg Ojciec, Syn Boży, Duch Święty i AfroJax. Ehe. No i Wiraszko z Maciejewskim na ficzeringu.

Złoty medalista może być tylko jeden – “Brał Cię w Aucie”. No bo sory, ale czy była w tym roku popularniejsza piosenka, którą nuciłby KAŻDY? Genialny pastiż, świetny background lat dziewięćdziesiątych i Franek Kimono. Do tego refren catchy jak jasna cholera. Ja wysiadam, moje dziecko będzie znało ten kawałek z radia.

3. OSTR – 1980
2. Afro Kolektyw – Chcę Umrzeć Zagłaskany Na Śmierć
1. Sokół, Pono i Franek Kimono – Brał Cię w Aucie

Najgorszy singiel roku. Drażliwa kategoria, zaraz wyrzucę radio za okno. Szybka piłka, bo nie bardzo chce mi się już pisać. Świat – dowolny singiel z nowego Coldplaya. Nie wiem ile ich było, wszystkie brzmią tak samo i tak samo denerwują. Polska – Video i Ania Wyszkoni – “Soft”. No kurwa. Hej hej. Zresztą cały zespół Video i jego “Wciągasz jak wideo gra” czy “Weź nie pierdol bejbe” to temat na felieton o zdecydowanie negatywnym wydźwięku. Boże, widzisz i nie grzmisz.

Eventy. W tym roku obrodziło nam koncertami w naszym kraju, ale skupmy się na najważniejszych. Najlepszym wydarzeniem roku był zdecydowanie OFF Festival. Za Of Montreal, czy Mogwai byłem w stanie zapłacić dużo więcej, a Rojek zafundował mi oba za cenę jednodniowego biletu. Brawo. A pomyśleć, że jeszcze dwa lata temu śmiałem się, kiedy takie zespoły pojawiały się w ankietach “Kogo Rojek ściągnie na OFFa.” Zwracam honor.

Największe rozczarowanie – Heineken “Wyzysk” Open’er Festival, Heineken “Zbieramy śmieci” Open’er Festival, Heineken “To już było” Open’er Festival. Ceny biletów poszły w górę, a organizatorzy nie ściągnęli żadnego wymiatacza. Kogoś na poziomie Bjork, Beastie Boys czy Sonic Youth sprzed dwóch lat. Zamiast tego pozbierano wykonawców, którzy występowali już w naszym kraju i to wcale nie tak dawno. Wszyscy, Roisin, Editors, Jay-Z, Badu, Cocrosie, Goldfrapp, Massive Attack, Interpol są nieźli, nawet bardzo dobrzy, ale, cholera, TO JUŻ BYŁO. A nie było gwiazd. Że o tym nieśmiesznym żarcie z Sex Pistols nie wspomnę. A wystarczyło ściągnąć Modestów. Albo Radiohead.

Media:
Max Tundra – Which Song – http://hypem.com/track/728166/Max+Tundra-Which+Song
Juvelen – Don’t Mess – http://hypem.com/track/661079/Juvelen-Don%27t+mess
TV on the Radio – Golden Age – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCcEg0tok8o
M83 – Kim and Jessie – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9yvItZAjfY
Cool Kids of Death – Nagle Zapomnieć Wszystko – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQcOh8Iu8ao
OSTR – 1980 – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWeHH5uG_u8
Afro Kolektyw – Chciałbym Umrzeć Zagłaskany Na Śmierć – http://www.wrzuta.pl/audio/tjPf82nSwk/01-afro_kolektyw-chcialbym_umrzec_zaglaskany_na_smierc__seksualna_czekolada_ii___feat._muchy_-d2t
Neon Neon – Told Her On Alderaan – http://hypem.com/track/682188/Neon+Neon-I+Told+Her+On+Alderaan
Rihanna – Disturbia – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6zdhHLvT7k