Just a few days ago I saw a video about Nadia, a new music duo, who were practicing this Acoutic Version Cover of Kara’s Mister.

The female vocalist is Myung In Hee from THE THE.

The guy is called Hwang Hyun.

As for today it has finally been released

Released date : 24th Nov. 2009

I have to say that this cover version is somehow much better to me. I like her voice

A nova banda da SM Entertainment, Nadia, acaba de lançar seu primeiro mini-álbum, nomeado Twinkling Boy!

Nadia é composta por dois membros, Hwan Hyun e Myung In Hee. O nome da dupla vem da animação “Nadia” e expressa sua imagem simples, mas feminina juntamente com uma atmosfera misteriosa através de seu single.

Aqui vão algumas informações sobre os dois membros: Hwan Hyun em um mestre em matéria de compor clássicos e ele era o único homem produzindo RoomMate. No passado, ele já trabalhou com SNSD, Natsun, J e Seon Yeon. Myung In Hee é a voz feminina do grupo, exatamente como era quando fazia parte do grupo de rock moderno THE THE com Park Hye Kyung  e Han Hee Jung. Ela participou de trilhas sonoras originais [OST] de dramas como Lovers in Paris e Spot Light, além de ter experiência em concertos no Japão.

~Nadia – Twinkling Boy~

~Nadia – Rewind~

CREDITS: maestro-J @ allkpop + Nazakawa Sadako @ YouTube + XxtenerifexX @ YouTube

NÃO RETIRAR SEM OS DEVIDOS CRÉDITOS!

SM Entertainment acabou de lançar, no seu canal do YouTube, o seu novo projeto de banda: Nadia.

Não foi revelado muita coisa, exceto que o nome do rapaz é Hwang Hyun e a vocalista feminina é Myung In Hee do THE THE. Os ouvintes declararam admirar bastante a voz da moça, apesar do cover de Mister do KARA não ter agradado muito.

O mini-álbum com sete faixa será lançado dia 18 de Novembro e sua faixa-título é chamada Twinkling Boy.

Baseado no artigo de johnnydorama @ allkpop | Escrito por Nazakawa Sadako @ WordPress | Vídeo concedido por sment @ YouTube

NÃO RETIRAR SEM OS DEVIDOS CRÉDITOS!

A voz dela é realmente muito boa. Estava na hora de aparecer algo além de pop chiclete nas gravadoras de hoje.

… in which “cool” is defined as any music enjoyed by self-confessed music-fascist, Scar.

It’s probably going to contain guitars and sad men with messy hair and scruffy jeans.  Disclaimer: this is purely a style choice, not a gender-political one.  Scar is and always has been very cheerful about having a vagina.

When it’s not suicidally morbid, or even rather emo, it tends to be grunge, surfer punk and in some cases, things like Metallica and Nine Inch Nails.  Mostly, however, it tends to be stuff like Nick Cave, Mark Lanegan or a bunch of foppish looking young brits with floppy fringes.  Scar has never quite managed to shake off the nineties.

Scar is not a complete gender traitor, in fact she is sometimes known to sing tonelessly along with Tori Amos, PJ Harvey, Ani Difranco and the like.  Yup, there’s a pattern there too.

In order to fake some kind of cool factor, Scar hangs out at spinner.com and stereogum.com and downloads obscure music by bands with whimsical names.  The ones she keeps are generally the ones that remind her of nineties bands.  Her inverted snobbery is a prominent factor in her musical choices and if she admits to enjoying something mainstream, the admission is always prefaced by the muttered words, “Don’t tell anyone, but …”

Despite all of this, her favourite band since the mid-eighties has been R.E.M. and she reacts to 21st century descriptions of them as “grandad rock” with sincere distress.  She is also the only known lesbian on earth with a crush on Kurt Cobain.

SHINee, FT Triple, Baek Ji Young, Kim Tae Woo (feat. Lyn), K Will, Beast, Brown Eyed Girls, Memory, Hwan Hee, See Ya, One Two (feat. Jewelry’s Seo In Young), Lyn, HAM, U-Kiss, IU, THe ThE, A-Force, SHUI-I, Woo Yi Kyung, Yoo Seung Chan, 2PM

………………………………………………………………..

Full Show

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=C9TZ3PZ1

………………………………………………………………..

Cut

091113 KBS Music Bank_A-FORCE_Debut stage – Wonder Woman

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201473_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/?ommmmuktntn

091113 KBS Music Bank_SHU-I – Please help me

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201475_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/?mzngifzzxii

091113 KBS Music Bank_Woo Yi Kyung – Look at me

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201471_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?nkany1liwgz

091113 KBS Music Bank_2PM_Music Bank Countdown

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201476_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?n1zclwzzywm

091113 KBS Music Bank_HAM – T.T Dance

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201477_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?0nkt0o2momm

091113 KBS Music Bank_IU_Comeback stage – Marshmallow

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201479_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/?zvbmzy2c2zw

091113 KBS Music Bank_U-Kiss – Man Man Ha Ni

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201480_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?jnovjm1myjy

091113 KBS Music Bank_Lyn – True story

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201481_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?m2y2zznziht

091113 KBS Music Bank_FT Triple – Love letter

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201482_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?j2v2nmmhtkc

091113 KBS Music Bank_Seeya – His voice

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201483_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?jdje5zyyttz

091113 KBS Music Bank_Hwanhee – Because I missed your heart

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201484_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ik2ieorowi3

091113 KBS Music Bank_One Two ft Seo In Young – Bad girl 2

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201485_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/?didk5dtmmmt

091113 KBS Music Bank_Brown Eyed Girls – Sign

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201486_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?cwzm3yhizjo

091113 KBS Music Bank_December – Love is so {IRIS OST}

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201487_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?3cyjjjmyyny

091113 KBS Music Bank_BEAST – Bad Girl

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201490_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ztotnmfgmyy

091113 KBS Music Bank_Kwill – Miss, Miss and Miss

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201491_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ecwzzjadjjf

091113 KBS Music Bank_2PM_Comeback stage – Intro + Heartbeat

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201492_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?gtltymxk1zi

091113 KBS Music Bank_Kim Tae Woo ft Lyn – When I say Hey, you say Yeah

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201493_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ahzinwwjtmm

091113 KBS Music Bank_Beak Ji Young_Special stage – Don’t forget {IRIS OST}

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201494_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?midvzzgmkw5

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201495_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?yq0jeeiyjqu

091113 KBS Music Bank_Kchart+Ending

Cap : http://c.uploadanh.com/upload/1/609/0.4201613_5434_1.jpg

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?rycurkyjvdd

Credit : 360Kpop.com

Link back to our blog if you’re taking out ^.^

[HQ] Music Bank (2009-11-13).avi [937.7 MB]
Comeback: 2PM | SHINee, FT Triple, Brown Eyed Girls, Baek Ji Young, Kim Tae Woo ft. Lyn, Hwan Hee, See Ya, K Will, Beast, December, Memory, One Two ft. Seo In Young (Jewelry), Lyn, HAM, U-Kiss, IU, THe ThE, A-Force, SHUI-I, Woo Yi Kyung, Yoo Seung Chan

Some cuts available

http://down.clubbox.co.kr/shewshewbox/55dd22 *still uploading*

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DZ66SYR8

Do NOT take these cuts out. Thanks!
(Cashews’ GOLDEN Rule)
—
2PM – Countdown, Intro, Heartbeat on Music Bank (2009-11-13) [cashewmania].avi [79.0 MB]

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=YPPWX3BZ

Baek Ji Young – Don’t Forget (IRIS Ost) on Music Bank (2009-11-13) [cashewmania].avi [46.2 MB]

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3XRSWG73

BEAST – Bad Girl on Music Bank (2009-11-13) [cashewmania].avi [42.9 MB]

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=4GE22WO9

FT Triple – Love Letter on Music Bank (2009-11-13) [cashewmania].avi [39.8 MB]

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DHTKHNBS

Hwanhee – Because I Missed Your Heart on Music Bank (2009-11-13) [cashewmania].avi [42.1 MB]

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=9C11MWT9

K.Will – Miss, Miss & Miss on Music Bank (2009-11-13) [cashewmania].avi [40.7 MB]

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MMZOJI0W

One Two – Bad Woman 2 ft. Seo In Young (Jewelry) on Music Bank (2009-11-13) [cashewmania].avi [43.1 MB]

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=943I1BCI

SeeYa – His Voice on Music Bank (2009-11-13) [cashewmania].avi [38.9 MB]

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=BF6H43F0

SHINee – Ring Ding Dong on Music Bank (2009-11-13) [cashewmania].avi [46.2 MB]

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=3VCMWPX8

SS501 – Mutizen (no show, just a phone call) on Music Bank (2009-11-13) [cashewmania].avi [17.5 MB]

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=7XID1JGW

Thanks a bunch, Angelica & Joyce
Please comment if downloading^^

Note: More cuts coming up!

LINKS CAN BE FOUND HERE

Song list:
2PM – Intro & Heartbeat
A-FORCE – Wonder Woman
Baek Ji Young – Don’t Forget Me
BEAST – Bad Girl
Brown Eyed Girls – SIGN
December – Love Is So…
FT Triple – Love Letter
IU – Marshmallow
HAM – T.T Dance
HwanHee – Because I Missed Your Heart
K.Will – Miss, Miss and Miss
Kim Tae Woo feat. Lyn – When I Say Yah! You Say Yes!
Lyn – True Story
Memory – Luv
OneTwo feat. Seo In Young – Bad Girl 2
SeeYa – His Voice
SHINee – Ring Ding Dong
SHU-I – Please Help Me
THe ThE – It’s hot
U-Kiss – Man Man Ha Ni
Yoo Seung Chan – Romantic Comedy
Woo Yi Kyung – Look Only At Me

Este António Sérgio que não volta a fazer rádio foi tão importante para a minha geração como o outro António Sérgio, que escrevia livros, o foi para a sua.

Sei que isto para muitos será uma heresia. Mas quem o seguiu, desde os tempos da Rotação na RR, gravando programas inteiros nas velhas k7’s, única forma de ouvir a música que só ele passava em Portugal, e quem entenda que a música para nós ocupou o espaço dos ensaios, a comparação pode ser parva mas faz sentido.

António Sérgio abriu uma estrada de Lisboa a Londres e a Nova York que não existia, uma estrada com ligação directa às ruas de má fama, desviada de outros caminhos com passadeiras, os das todo poderosas editoras que moldavam o consumo da música moderna à maneira do negócio e da tacanhez, repetindo infindáveis Baby I Love You. Trazia canções que nos falavam de jovens urbanos chateados com o mundo, e era isso que nós também queríamos ter o direito a ser. Há uma revolução escondida nessas esquinas, obrigado por nos teres trazido decibéis dela.

Resta-me a consolação de saber que quando chegar ao inferno ele já lá estará a passar música. Pobre Diabo, a sua vida nunca vai ser a mesma.

Soltas:

• Martin Rev – Whisper (excerto);
• The The – Perfect 12”;
• The Creatures – Miss the Girl;
• Passions – Skin Deep 12”;
• Art of Noise – Beat Box (excerto);
• Theatre of Hate – Do You Believe In the West World;
• Virgin Prunes – Baby Turns Blue;
• Beatnigs – Television (The Drug of the Nation);
• World Domination Enterprises – Jah Jah Call You;
• Big Audio Dynamite – Much Worse 12”;
• XTC – Nearly Africa;
• Butthole Surfers – John E Smoke;
• The Fall – Strychnine;
• Dead Kennedys – Kill the Poor;
• Shriekback – This Big Hush.

O conhecimento da música que fez este Endrominus foi obra do António Sérgio. Muitos dos seus achados deixámo-los por descobrir. Mas, é o que importa, ficou-nos o olfacto. Em grande parte a ele o devemos.

Texto e sua leitura – João José Cardoso (originariamente no Aventar)

Voz e selecção – Pedro Lemos

1h01m33s – 56Mb

Download Endrominus 065

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Guess what?! IT’S THURSDAY! You made it past Hump Day! It’s almost the weekend!

The weekend makes me happy. And in the spirit of being so happy, I’m sharing with you guys two of my favorite things…

Favorite Thing One: Empire Records.

If you haven’t seen this movie, get thee to a video store. STAT. It may very well be my favorite movie of all time. It’s about the staff of an independent CD store, that is in danger of being taken over by a corporate music company. And there’s lots of great music in the movie, and the characters are absolutely unforgettable.

Voila, my favorite scene…

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The fella in the black turtleneck is Lucas. When I was little, I used to dance EXACTLY like Lucas. And not because I had terrible dancing skillz - I was awesome, of course – but just because I thought Lucas was the SHIZZ. I wanted to be like Lucas when I grew up. I specifically remember my mom asking me to stop dancing in public places.

Also, Ethan Embry in this movie is brilliant. I heart his face so bad!

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Oh, and Johnny Whitworth is in this movie. Which means that you get to watch this the entire 2 hours:

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Swooooooon

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This weekend I’m getting the Empire Records Special Edition DVD. With deleted scenes!!! Be still my heart!

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Favorite Thing Two: Magical Spicy Pinto Beans.

It is now Thursday, and I made these beans Monday night. I’ve eaten them for lunch both Tuesday and Wednesday, and I swear… they just keep getting tastier. Perhaps I shall now refer to them as “the magic beans.” Would that be weird?

I used bacon from our frozen bacon collection (we have over 10 packs of frozen bacon in the freezer – you know, JUST IN CASE.) The combination of the bacon and tomatoes and jalapeno is to. die. for. It’s smoky and spicy and almost sweet all at the same time. These are excellent served over rice – it’s filling, but it won’t send you into a Food Coma. And it’s peasant food (read: super freaking cheap food). So, I implore you to get to a grocery store, buy some beans, and make this immediately! You won’t regret it. <space>

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Frijoles a la Charra

Adapted from the Homesick Texan

Printable Recipe

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Ingredients:
1 pound (2 cups) dried pinto beans
1/4 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup diced onion
1/4 cup jalapeno juice (from canned jalapenos)
1/4 pound salt pork
4 slices of bacon, chopped into 1 inch pieces
2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes, or 1 14-oz can of diced
3 jalapenos, chopped
2 chipotles in adobo, chopped
1 cup of chopped cilantro, plus additional for garnish

Soaking the Beans:
Fill a large bowl with room temperature water. Sort through the beans to ensure there are no pebbles in the beans. Put the pebble-free beans into the bowl. The water should cover the beans by at least an inch. Add more water if necessary. Soak for at least 8 hours, or overnight.

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Can we say pork products?

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Cooking the Beans:
Drain the water from the beans. Put the beans into a large stockpot. Cover with 7 cups of fresh water. Add the garlic, onion, jalapeno juice, and salt pork to the pot. Bring to boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 1 hour. Test the beans for doneness as the 1 hour mark approaches. The beans are done cooking when they are tender and no longer grainy. Remove salt pork and discard. Strain beans and onions from cooking liquid; reserve cooking liquid for later use.

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Making the Charra Sauce:
Saute the bacon in a large stockpot over medium heat until crispy. Add the tomatoes, jalapenos, chipotles in adobo, and cilantro to pot. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Let bacon mixture cool, add 1 cup of bacon cooking water and puree in a food processor. Return puree to saucepan and add in the cooked beans. Add 1 additional cup of cooking liquid and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve beans over rice. Garnish with additional cilantro if preferred. Makes 8 servings.

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Now Playing in the Kitchenette: The The / This Is the Day – Best. Song. Ever.

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“Och jag satt i ett hörn och drack öl med en vän och jag såg bara smuts och jag kväljdes av rök”

01. The Mighty Wah! – The story of the blues, part 1
02. The Sound – The hand of love
03. Loop – Breathe into me
04. Robyn Hitchcock – The man who invented himself
05. Julian Cope – Trampolene
06. The The – Uncertain smile
07. Scarlet – Shine
08. Harvest ministers – Grey matters
09. The Jesus & Mary Chain – Head on
10. It’s immaterial – Hang on, sleepy town
11. New order – Sub-culture

Album “Soul Mining” (1983) dowodzonego przez Matta Johnsona zespołu The The, to jedna z najlepszych płyt lat 80. i klasyka antythatcheryzmu w brytyjskiej muzyce lat 80. Nieco zapomniany zespół przeżywał niedawno w Stanach pewien renesans popularności, mimo, że zawsze większą publicznością cieszyli się na Wyspach, a i tam nigdy nie byli Beatlesami. Stało się to za sprawą wykorzystania piosenki “This is the Day”, właśnie z “Soul Mining”, do reklamy orzeszków M&M’s. Zresztą niejedna niezależna kapela zyskała poklask właśnie dzięki reklamie (casus “Bohemian Like You” Dandy Warhols czy “Bruises” Chairlift). Poniżej rewelacyjne “This is the Day” z oryginalnym (fatalnym) teledyskiem:

Sukcesem artystycznym The The  była także płyta “Mind Bomb” z 1989 roku, na której znalazł się  utwór “Kingdom of Rain” z gościnnym udziałem Sinead O’Connor:

The The i jesień to połączenie idealne.

by: Adam Kruk 2009

Matt Johnson sang ovenstående ord på den smukke Bluer Than Midnight fra The The’s fremragende Dusk-album. Ikke at dette indlæg på ret mange andre måder skal handle om The The, men når nu jeg lige huggede ordene til min titel, så ville jeg da også benytte lejligheden til at slå et slag for den sang. Hermed gjort.

Nænej, dette indlæg skal handle om spøgelser – inspireret af den forestående Halloween, som allerede her i skolernes efterårsferie bliver fejret i blandt andet Tivoli. Netop Tivoli besøgte jeg i går med et stk. søster og et stk. nevø, men i virvaret af hekse og mere eller mindre uhyggelige græskarmænd, oplevede jeg desværre ingen spøgelser. Så de skal tages under behandling her. Og dog, for det er ikke så meget spøgelserne i sig selv, jeg vil præsentere, men rettere musik med en spøgelsesagtig stemning. Musik der er kold og vindblæst, gerne lidt snigende – måske tilsat en lille dosis uhygge. Herunder følger anbefalinger af tre plader, der alle har en stilfærdigt intens og let knugende stemning, og måske lugter lidt af tåge, dis og mosebryg.

Den første anbefaling er Jessica Bailiffs selvbetitlede tredie album (2002). Jessica Bailiff er en smuk, mørkhåret kvinde med en sært distanceret stemme, der sjældent hæver sig over hviske-stadiet, og ofte kun lige kan fornemmes over de diskret spillede instrumenter. Den akustiske guitar er ganske fremtrædende her (i hvert fald i forhold til hendes tidligere udgivelser, der var mere stemnings- og effektprægede), og den bliver bakket op af fløjter, kobjælder, klaver, sitar og (hvad der lyder som en ustemt) violin, men som i virkeligheden er et noget bizart instrument kaldet en violin-uke. Dette er meget tydeligt i de to første sange, og specielt det andet nummer – ‘Hour of the Traces’ – bæres næsten udelukkende af dette instrument. Kombineret med hendes noget uortodokse hviskende sangstil og indlagte feedbackdroner bliver det en temmelig hypnotisk omgang, der sniger sig afsted og velsagtens kan bruges som sovemusik. Om det ligefrem egner sig til det formål, vil jeg dog lade den enkelte vurdere, for jeg kunne forestille mig at den spøgende stemning, der huserer her og lægger sig som en tåget dyne over lytteren, vil kunne fremprovokere nogle let utrygge drømme.

Lyt her til åbningsnummeret Swallowed – en af de mere konventionelle sange på pladen.

Jessica Bailiff har i eget navn fire fuldlængde-udgivelser på samvittigheden, og efter min mening er den selvbetitlede her den stærkeste. Hun kan også høres i andre sammenhænge, for eksempel i selskab med Flying Saucer Attacks David Pearce under navnet Clear Horizon. Deres hidtil eneste album, der bare hedder Clear Horizon (2003), indeholder flere af Bailiffs spøgelsessange og kan snildt anbefales til mørke og disede oktoberdage.

Det andet album jeg vil anbefale her er The Rivulets – Debridement (2003). The Rivulets er et projekt bygget op om singer/songwriter Nathan Amundson, der ind imellem får hjælp af sine nærmeste musikalske venner, som blandt andet består af ovennævnte Jessica Bailiff og slowcore-genrens ’superstjerner’ Low. Den dunkle tone bliver slået an allerede på a-cappella-introen ‘An Evil’, med ordene there’s an evil in this room, og så kan man ellers begynde at kigge sig paranoidt over skuldrene, eller lytte efter eventuelle dæmoners åndedræt. Stemningen er hele vejen igennem pladen temmelig trykkende, og instrumenteringen består ofte kun af en akustisk guitar, Amundsons lyse, hviskende drengestemme, og reallyde; på pladens måske bedste sang ‘Cutter’ kan man for eksempel høre knirkende gulve og døre, den ultra-creepy ‘Bridges’ indledes af lyden af trin på en trappe, og man har fornemmelsen af, at hvert et åndedræt, hvert et knirk fra gulvet er instrumenter på lige fod med guitaren. Det er særdeles minimalistisk, og til tider ret uhyggeligt. Det er en sært dragende plade, men bestemt ikke en sove-venlig en af slagsen, omend lydniveauet og tempoet indbyder til slumren.

Lyt til ‘Cutter’ og andre numre på The Rivulets’ MySpace.

Det sidste album i denne omgang kommer fra Grouper og hedder Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill (2008). Det siger sig selv, at en plade med den titel (og det cover, for pokker da!) må besidde en eller anden form for uhygge, og det gør den bestemt også. Grouper er pseudonym for sangerinden Liz Harris, der synger sine vanskeligt dechiffrerbare ord, sovset ind i afdæmpet og drømmende guitarfeedback, mens hendes vokal sendes i ekkoer rundt i ørerne på lytteren. Sangtitlerne er fulde af naturfænomener, såsom ‘Heavy Water/I’d Rather Be Sleeping’, ‘Travelling Through a Sea’, ‘Fishing Bird (Empty Gutted in the Evening Breeze)’, ‘Wind and Snow’ og ‘Tidal Wave’, foruden albumtitlen (og bandnavnet såmænd – Grouper er en fiskeart), og det virker bestemt også som om, det er musik der bærer præg af vejr og vind. På ‘Stuck’ lyder Harris nærmest som en faretruende sirene, der hidkalder de intetanende sømænd fra havets bund, og på havets bund lyder hun næsten også som om hun er på ‘When We Fall’. Det er en spændende plade, er jeg så småt ved at opdage, selv om jeg ikke var overbevist de første par gange jeg lyttede til den.

Lyt til Heavy Water/I’d Rather Be Sleeping.

Du kan blive hjemsøgt af Grouper og Liz Harris’ spøgelsessange, når hun kommer til København den 27. oktober. Det foregår på Loppen.

As the saying goes: if you smile the whole world smiles with you. A genuine, infectious smile and/or laughter can make a bad date turn good, seal a business deal and make friends wherever you go. So, it was my job this week to put a smile on everyone’s face with an absolute abundance of songs about SMILING AND LAUGHING. What better way to open the show than with David Bowie’s attempt at a novelty song - THE LAUGHING GNOME - released as a single in 1967. I’m not sure that he was laughing all the way to the bank with that release, but hey, I got a kick out of it.

Now I’ve discovered that not all songs about smiling and laughing are cheerful at all, which kind of threw me as I was hoping to enjoy a fully upbeat show this week.  But those renegade R&B singers, in particular, are prone to turning any song into a lover’s lament, but what can you do!  It was up to Sly & The Family Stone to deliver a very funky pop tune with YOU CAUGHT ME SMILIN’ to get the show moving in the right direction.

Winners of the prize for silliest band name ever has to be The The. Luckily, they are a very good band. We played what was probably their most successful track, UNCERTAIN SMILE, from the 1983 Soul Mining album. Jools Holland, in his role as session muso, played piano on the original recording. Here they are, without Jools, unfortunately, performing live.

It was inevitable that the 60’s soul singers would bring the sad clown into the mix. Mary Wells sang about her LAUGHING BOY and  Smokey Robinson and the Miracles reminded us of the paradox that is the TEARS OF A CLOWN, written, by the way, by Stevie Wonder. We needed to jump a couple of generations to entertain both sides of the love coin. Matchbox 20’s Rob Thomas is madly in love with a particular girl, particularly WHEN SHE SMILES but that little vixen Lily Allen finds a bit of revenge on an ex-lover is all she needs to make her SMILE. The video made me smile, I know that much. Take a look:

Next it was Nat King Cole with IF YOU CAN’T SMILE AND SAY YES, recorded in 1946, which explains all the references to nylons and the like. The beautiful voice of Alison Krauss followed with her cover of WHEN YOU SAY NOTHING AT ALL. Krauss was already a veteran bluegrass fidler and vocalist at age 23 when the recording won the 1995 CMA award for “Single of the Year”. Take a look:

More R&B songs followed and, as expected,  smiling was a struggle: The Undisputed Truth were Motown hitmaker Norman Whitfield’s favourite band and their track, SMILING FACES SOMETIMES,repossessed from the Temptations, was their only chart success. Wendy Rene’s song AFTER LAUGHTER (Comes Tears) was recorded on the Stax label in 1964. In 1967 Wendy was scheduled to fly with Otis Redding to what would have been her last live performance. She changed her mind at the last minute, wanting to stay home with her family. The plane crashed and Redding and six others perished. Thankfully Wendy is alive and well and resides today in Tennessee where she runs a publishing company.

Thank goodness for reggae! Max Romeo and The Upsetters (great name) cheered us up with SMILE OUT A STYLE.  And you can always rely on the Jazz singers for inspiration. Astrud Gilberto does a stunning version of THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE that had to be included (Thanks Quentin for the suggestion).

I also love Regina Spektor and her song that questions God’s sense of humour – LAUGHING WITH - is beautiful. It’s from her latest album ‘Far’. Here’s the official clip:

Even more sad songs about smiling and laughing: Teddy Pendergrass’ has a problem with his ego. He reckons that THE WHOLE TOWN IS LAUGHING AT ME; Dusty Springfield is pining for  JUST ONE SMILE and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, milking the sad clown story for all its worth, gave us the much covered THE TRACKS OF MY TEARS. Happily, Bowling For Soup have got a completely different outlook on life. As their song SHUT UP AND SMILE states, all they need is love and beer. 

Happy to include three musical icons: Van Morrison with JACKIE WILSON SAID, Bob Dylan with IT TAKES A LOT TO LAUGH, IT TAKES A TRAIN TO CRY and Neil Young with THE OLD LAUGHING LADY.

We closed the show with Michael Jackson’s rendition of the classic ballad, SMILE. The song was originally used as an instrumental theme in the soundtrack for the 1936 film Modern Times and was written by comic genius Charlie Chaplin. Here’s a great video clip of Chaplin’s work with MJ singing SMILE over. Two of the best all-round entertainers the world has known:

Thanks to Quentin, Kira & Des for their help with the playlist this week. Remember, whatever happens: keep on smiling!

Here’s the complete playlist:

The Laughing Gnome - David Bowie

You Caught Me Smiling - Sly & The Family Stone

Uncertain Smile  - The The

Laughing Boy - Mary Wells

The Tears Of A Clown - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

When She Smiles - Matchbox 20

Smile - Lily Allen

If You Can’t Smile and Say Yes - Nat King Cole

The Smile On Your Face - Allison Krauss

We Laugh Indoors - Death Cab For Cutie

Smile Out A Style - Max Romeo & The Upsetters

After Laughter (Comes Tears) - Wendy Rene

Smiling Faces Sometimes - The Undisputed Truth

Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me) - Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel

The Shadow Of Your Smile - Astrud Gilberto

Sara Smile - Hall & Oates

Laughing With - Regina Spektor

The Whole Town Is Laughing At Me - Teddy Pendergrass

The Tracks Of My Tears - Smokey Robinson & the Miracles 

Just One Smile - Dusty Springfield 

Shut Up and Smile - Bowling for Soup

Die Laughing - Therapy?

The Old Laughing Lady - Neil Young

It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry - Bob Dylan

Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile) - Van Morrison

Fooled By A Smile - Swing Out Sister

Smile Like You Mean It - The Killers

Smile At Me  - Rocksteady

Smile - Michael Jackson

No, that’s not a typo in the title. A brilliantly talented collection of musicians, The The’s music is as unique as their name. Matt Johnson formed his band in 1979, made up of Johnson on vocals and guitar, Keith Laws on synths and backing tapes, and Peter Fenton-Jones on guitar and violin. The The finally picked up drummer Triash (Peter Ashworth) a year later to round out the line-up.

As with many super-talented bands, The The went through several personnel changes throughout the 80’s until it was just Matt Johnson all on his own. As The The, Johnson released the LPs “Soul Mining” and “Infected,” by picking up session musicians as needed for studio and live performances.

The The finally gained traction again in 1988, infused with the likes of ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, ex-Nick Lowe bassist James Eller, and ex-ABC drummer David Palmer. This line-up created and released the 1989 LP “Mind Bomb” which enjoyed great success on the UK charts.

The The has enjoyed a bit of a current popularity resurgence via the use of their song “This Is The Day” in advertising for M&Ms. Matt Johnson, with the help of a revolving cast of musicians, continued to record and play live performances through 2002. An LP called “The End Of The Day” was announced for release in 2007, but according to Wikipedia remains unreleased to this day. Let’s hope that collection sees the light of day. Matt Johnson was a true creative genius that drove the 80’s music scene to its limits. Today’s lagging, dull, and downright sleep-inducing music industry could use a solid artistic shot in the arm via Matt Johnson.

 “Kingdom Of Rain” via YouTube user sophia11:

“Armageddon Days Are Here (Again) (live)” via YouTube user gktalbo:

“Uncertain Smile (12”)” via YouTube user supermandisco:

 Purchase The The music here.

80’s Discography

Burning Blue Soul (Matt Johnson) (1981)

Soul Mining (1983)

Infected (1986)

Mind Bomb
(1989)

I am such an 80s baby, and I have zero shame.

The 80s were a fantastic time for music (haters to the left!), paving the way for artistic expression on multiple levels, and bringing the awesome that is the synth to the forefront.  From classic hair band tunes to drunkenly dance to, to the great driving electronic beats that Kanye West now clubs frequently, the 80s gave it all to us.  Without Depeche Mode, where would artists like, say, The Tea Party be?  Without Madonna, Lady Gaga would not necessarily be so readily embraced.  It was a time of innovation, rebellion and celebration.

A long weekend away from a job I’ve grown to hate awaits me, and a new burning to seek freedom rises within.  I think of my favourite film, the one that gave birth to this blog’s name, and the beauty in its ending:  a group of confused and troubled slackers with big dreams, reveling in a victory against corporate America through the power of music.  This song plays over the scene, and will forever conjure those images for me.  It’s a song I thrive on when I need a pick me up – and tonight is one of those nights.

For those fed up and needing that curst of courage to find a solution, this one’s for you.  Thank you, 80s music, for that right mix of lyrical ass-kick and cheerful melody.

Day Twenty-One:  This Is The Day – The The

The The – “The Whisperers”

Good God there are some bands I crave sometimes and The The is one of them. Can anyone compare to Matt Johnson?  Why yes. After listening to the latest Thom Yorke 12 “, I was suddenly struck by the comparisons. Just listen to this track, ‘The Whisperer“,  from The The’s Naked Self 2000 album (their final studio album) and tell me if you don’t hear a little Thom Yorke wailing in there.

It makes sense though.  The UK band who formed in the late 70’s rose to prominence in the late 80s/early 90s with the release of Soul Mining (1983) and Dusk (1992), were quite the underground sensation. They even recruited ex-Smith’s band member Johnny Marr for a stint. So if you’re not hip to the sound, be sure and check it out. A wise man once said, ‘true happiness this way lies’.

John Martin Maher cambió su nombre por el de Johnny Marr para no ser confundido con el baterista de los Buzzcocks, John Maher. Eso fue en 1982, cuando iniciaba su prematura carrera musical para convertirse en de uno de los mejores guitarristas de la historia y, sin duda, la mejor guitarra de jangle pop de la actualidad.

Y a fecha de hoy, el mancuniano sigue dando la batalla creyéndose a pies juntillas todo el ingenuo decálogo de la música indie. Esa fe que todavía mantiene Marr es la misma que le hizo poner punto y final al mejor grupo de los 80; The Smiths. Básicamente Marr se negó a seguir los devaneos musicales de Morrissey por Cilla Black.

Cualquiera que hubiese formado pareja artística con un icono como Morrissey, formando un binomio equiparado al de Lennon/McCartney o Page/Plant, se hubiese dedicado a vivir de las rentas con tan sólo 24 años, la edad de Marr cuando salió de los Smiths.

En cambio, el de Manchester siguió su camino con una honestidad intachable sin dejarse seducir por los cantos de sirenas de las multinacionales que hubieran dilapidado su prestigio. Johnny cogió su Rickenbacker y siguió apostando por esa música que está por encima del negocio, apuntándose (no pocas veces) a proyectos perdedores.

The Smiths

The Smiths no sólo son las letras incisivas de Mozz, también simboliza la valentía de Marr al devolver el protagonismo de la guitarra en una época en la que los sintetizadores dominaban las listas de éxitos.

“Jeane”

The The

Matt Johnson estuvo muy rápido y, tras la separación de los Smiths, fue el primero en llamar a Marr para ofrecerle un sitio en su banda. La diferencia que el de Manchester imprimió en el sonido del combo de Johnson fue enorme, en lugar del rancio sonido bailongo pop, Marr llenó las canciones de arpegios pegadizos.

“The Beaten Generation”

Electronic

Que nadie es perfecto lo demostró Marr incluyéndose en Electronic, un proyecto de esos que ahora llaman supergroups, es decir; bandas formadas por integrantes ya famosos. De Bernard Sumner que transformó Joy Division en New Order se podía esperar… pero de él… ¡Error!

“Get the Message”

The Healers

Con Johnny Marr al frente de la banda y reclutando al hijo de Ringo Star de baterista grabó un disco que pasó con más pena que gloria.

 ”The Last Ride”

Modest Mouse

Con ellos inició una modalidad que luego repetiría, la de apuntarse a una banda ya creada. Grabó un álbum y esta vez sí obtuvo el éxito deseado, obteniendo por primera vez en su carrera un número 1 en EE.UU.

“Float On”

The Cribs

Acaban de publicar “Ignore the Ignorant”, con Marr como miembro estrella y, pese a que los fans de siempre de la banda culpan al guitarrista de haber quitado dureza al sonido, la crítica musical respalda el trabajo.

“Cheat On Me”

Infected was the second CD I ever bought (yeah, yeah, after The Joshua Tree – I wasn’t exclusively furrow-browed agit-pop) and a jolly listen it is too. Matt Johnson was always pretty straight-faced, but by The The’s second album proper, he wasn’t merely serious – he was grave. ‘Sweet Bird Of Truth’ tackles the dying panic of an American pilot plunging into the Gulf of Arabia, swearing that he’s only done his duty, that he’s never believed in God, but might God be so kind as to lend a hand anyway? It’s bitter, nihilistic and one of many kicks in the teeth Infected dishes out to the good ol’ US of A. I think Leona Lewis covers it on her new album.

But it’s also a sterling tune, dramatic and punchy, almost demanding an uncomfortable sing-song. Junior dances like a drunk to it, rolling her eyes, flailing her limbs – rather like Johnson himself in that bankrupting feature-length video accompanying the album. Insane pop-political statements, eh? Weren’t the 80s great?

Ee ay ee ay – adios!

Here are some images I shot for British group The The. The shot of the singer is Matt Johnson, the other one is former Smiths guitarist Johny Marr who toured and recorded with The The after the breakup of The Smiths.

Here’s the latest batch of Music Musings and Miscellany’s unapologetically subjective selection of the twentieth century’s best 1000 singles. Much delayed – apologies for that. Anyway, getting on with the Ps..

CLARENCE CARTER – Patches / Say It One More Time (Atlantic 2748 1970)
I wrote about this weepie here.

BAD BRAINS – Pay to Cum / Stay Close to Me (Bad Brains 1 1980)
Probably the most ferocious band of all of hardcore’s first wave. They probably had more to be pissed off about than the usual white suburban mall-brats. They also knew their instruments, but that didn’t stop them making an unholy racket.

STEELY DAN – Peg / I Got the News (ABC 12320 1977)
There’s probably nothing more snooze-inducing than tasteful, well-played, glossily produced pop-jazz. Steely Dan have always made records that tick all those boxes, but have a bit of bite to them. “Peg” has an unforgettable horn riff (if you don’t know it, you may know De La Soul’s “Eye Know” which samples freely from the track) and a great chorus, with Michael McDonald (a man with a great voice who always seems to make lousy records) contributing some superb backing vocals.

IMPRESSIONS – People Get Ready / I’ve Been Trying (ABC 10622 1965)
Effortless, timeless Gospel-soul that gives even die-hard heathens like me the goose bumps.

VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR – People You Were Going To / Firebrand (Polydor 56758 1968)
Van Der Graaf Generator had already split up when recording began on what was to be a Peter Hammill solo album – the Aerosol Grey Machine. Gradually they clumped back together, like a planet from spinning debris. “People You Were Going To” is kinda half way between the familiar Van Der Graaf sound and pastoral psychedelic pop. They would get denser, intenser and louder as time wore on, but this song is more than just curious juvenilia.

THE THE – Perfect / The Nature of Virtue (Epic 3119 1983)
Soul Mining was Matt Johnson’s second album, but the first under the resuscitated The The moniker. It took the lush, buoyant synth-pop of the day, and turned it into something darker and more introspective. “Perfect” was only added to cassette versions of the LP at the time, but it fitted seamlessly with the record’s mood. Musically sunny and rich, and on the surface optimistic, it had a dark heart of despair. It fitted the times when a primary coloured optimism glossed over a steel grey underbelly of trepidation.

NEW ORDER – The Perfect Kiss / Perfect Pit (Factory 123 1985)
It’s strange that “Blue Monday” remains New Order’s best selling single ever, when it was essentially a rhythm track and a fairly basic synth melody. It was no more than a prototype for much more fully realised and melodic tracks to come like “The Perfect Kiss”, but they never quite captured the world’s imagination in the same way.

JOHN BARRY – The Persuaders / The Girl With the Sun in Her Hair (Columbia 7569 1972)
DUANE EDDY – Peter Gunne Theme / Along the Navajo Trail (Jamie 1168 1960)
I must have been only eight or nine at the time, but The Persuaders was my favourite TV show bar none. It was the supercool repartee between Tony Curtis and Roger Moore, the exotic south of France locations and the brilliant cars that did it for me. Oh, and the title sequence where resumés of the pair’s rags-to-riches and riches-to-riches stories are played out in the form of newspaper clippings to the accompaniment of John Barry’s faultless theme tune. It had the mysterious air of a spy movie soundtrack played out on synthetic bass and what sounded like a harpsichord and was totally unlike any piece of music I’d ever heard in my short life. It remains my favourite TV theme ever. I wasn’t born when Peter Gunne was on our screens and have never seen an episode to this day. But what a dramatic theme tune! A dirty, rolling guitar riff full of menacing bass is overlaid by the alarmed squawks of the saxophone. It’s got film-noir written all over it.

ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN – Pictures On My Wall / Read It in Books (Zoo 4 1979)
This comes from the time when Echo the drum machine had its five minutes of fame before it was cruelly booted out in favour of the human Pete de Freitas. I’ve always preferred the Bunnymen’s stuff from the period where they had that raw post-punk rush to them, before production values were of too much concern.

THE IMPOSTER (ELVIS COSTELLO) – Pills and Soap / same (Imp 1 1983)
26th November 1981. Two and a half years into the Conservative regime, Britain was in chaos. A summer of some of the most serious social unrest in the twentieth century had burned itself out, but unemployment was climbing towards three million and inflation was 20+%. It was one of the most unpopular governments in British history. Meanwhile the Labour Party, rather than capitalizing on the woes of its rival, was engaged in a suicidal civil war. The results of the Crosby by-election were a political earthquake. In one of their erstwhile safest UK seats, the Tories were kicked out. Labour lost its deposit, and the SDP candidate Shirley Williams gained almost half the total vote. It seemed like politics were about to move into completely uncharted waters. Then General Galtieri stuck his oar in.
9th June 1983. Thatcher’s landslide victory would change the face of Britain forever. Where the radical right in the Tory party had largely been kept on a leash since 1979, the country was now about to see its entire fabric ripped apart in the name of Friedmanite monetarism, a doctrine of greed and sanctioned corruption dressed up as economics. For just that week, “Pills and Soap” was available in shops before being swiftly deleted. It was a fearful, downbeat and defeated dirge of a song that lamented the final passing of a nation’s values of community in favour of an imported culture of rapacious greed, rampant consumerism and selfish individualism. Everything that’s happened over the last eighteen months is a consequence of that philosophy, one shamefully continued by the so-called ‘people’s party’.

CHILLS – Pink Frost / Purple Girl (Flying Nun 2 1982)
New Zealand’s finest pop group with their finest three minutes. “Pink Frost” is a chilling tale of a man who appears to have killed his girlfriend whilst in a somnambulant state. “I thought I was dreaming, so I didn’t heed her screaming”. It’s a horrible scenario. No details are sketched – it’s up to the listener to draw his or her own conclusions. It does seem that Martyn Phillips’ protagonist is more concerned about what will happen to him than what he’s done to her, though.

JONNY L – Piper / Common Origin (XL 74 1997)
To get those last two pieces of downright misery out of our systems, what better than John Lisner’s Tonka-tough “Piper”, the tune that filtered two-step drum and bass into its minimalist conclusion. The rhythm has a jackhammer ferocity, coupled with little else other than a wispy echo and the short, disembodied female interjections of the track title every now and then. This is truly hardcore stuff, stripped down to its most primal elements. And yet once heard, never forgotten – a masterpiece of economical music making.

More soon

Da mein E-Mail Accunt sich weigert den Song zu senden, wegen zu gross und so… empfehle ich das einfach mal allen, nicht nur meinem Weibsvolk!

The The- Uncertain Smile

Geniesst es laut, s´ist ein wahrer Ohrenschmaus!

106!8 kriegt sowas leider nicht in sein Archiv. Jaul!

DON´T PANIC

New Order - Low Life (1985)

am dat din nou peste minunatia asta de piesa si nu m-am putut abtine sa o postez, chiar daca poate o stiti deja.

New Order – Love Vigilantes

cu un mesaj oarecum similar si in aceeasi nota politica va recomand cu caldura si

The The – Sweet Bird of Truth

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