Heads up ya’ll. Our new covers album is out and ready to make sweet sonic love to your brain! Download All The Clocks Around The Town Had Died FREE at KillerPOP Records. Features songs from The Velvet Underground, The Vaselines, Jesus and Mary Chain, and Animal Collective.

Stay tuned for our first full-length album coming out later this year or early next year!

R: Estaba cantado que terminaríamos por hacer algo así… Teniendo en cuenta que music4girls se define a sí mismo como un blog que viene a plasmar las conversación (idas de la olla) de Raül y Estela, tarde o temprano debíamos dedicar una de esas conversaciones en torno a uno de los temas que más nos apasionan: ¡las listas ajenas! Así que, ni cortos ni perezosos, dedicamos el cuerpo central de nuestro última sección radiofónica en el No són hores (que se puede escuchar en Onda Cero) a sopesar dos de las listas patrias de lo mejor de la década que más nos han gustado: la de la Rockdelux y la de Playground. Pero eso no es todo: también tenemos la última locura de Lynch y los Beatles, la no-reunión de la Velvet y agendas de The Horrors, Imelda May y… ¡Mayer Hawthorne!

RCA Records

The Strokes—Is This It

Julian Casablancas has said that he learned how to “sing cool” from Lou Reed. There is definitely a ton of that New York, Velvet Underground-style swagger to the music of The Strokes, but never was it more immediate and more purposeful than on their debut. Let’s face it—sometimes it takes years or a few albums to achieve your ultimate moment, but sometimes it happens right away, without even really planning on it. Sure, The Strokes had a ton of money and rich-kid notoriety to push them even further into the limelight, but that just made it even more surprising to most of the music world (who wanted to hate them so) when they turned out to actually have some great songs. The singles from this album (the initial breakthrough “Last Night”, “Hard To Explain”, and “Someday”) don’t really ever get old, and a couple of the songs (like “The Modern Age”) are even better than those. It’s just really good, really straightforward-yet-clever rock music that manages to evoke extremely catchy melodies without any sense of cheesiness whatsoever. If this is it, there should be no complaints—it’s fun, it’s hard-hitting, it’s timeless. (Note: This album has already been named Album of the Decade by NME, which is tough to comprehend, since the decade isn’t over yet. It seems they assumed it impossible that another record would make such an impact in a month’s time, which is understandable).

Nonesuch Records

Wilco—Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

This was the last Wilco album to feature multi-instrumentalist and sound-tweaker Jay Bennett, who died in early 2009 while in the beginning stages of a royalty battle with his ex-group. Not coincidentally, it is also the last Wilco album to feel like a truly original, classic piece of work. Granted, the band’s 2009 offering Wilco (The Album) is the closest they have come to this since Bennett’s departure, but it still lacks that other-worldliness that Bennett’s experimentalism gave Wilco. On Yankee, the disorientating sound collages that make up “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart” or the creturesque wah-moog that lurks through “War on War” are some of the more memorable examples of this. Bennett’s sonic genius was one of the main factors that drove Wilco from its original alt-country upbringings into the territory we know them to tread in today, and though the peak of this era is actually 1999’s Summerteeth, Yankee was the album that had the tunes and the mythology to match (the fact that the band’s original label refused to put it out, and after finding a label, it ended up being one of the biggest records of the year). Thus, it will be the album for which they are most remembered.

Capitol Records

Radiohead—Amnesiac

This is the best Radiohead album. It may be arguable, since the band has gone through so many shifts in style over their career, therefore varying the opinions of the fan base as to which era best represents the band. Even Thom Yorke dismisses Pablo Honey and has said it “doesn’t even feel like us when I hear it”. Most long-time fans would probably opt for The Bends, since it captures the band in that early middle-ground between rock band and experimentalists. OK Computer, which might be their most widely admired album, captures that late middle-ground. Kid A was a surprise to the music world—it was adored by critics and accepted by most fans, though it did alienate some of the band’s older audience. Kid A acted as the initial shock to the system so reaction would not be as muddled when Amnesiac hit. While Kid A is made up of more traditionally arranged songs, Amnesiac acts as kind of an album-length side two of Abbey Road—everything runs together to make up one big song, or at least one big idea. It begs to be listened to all the way through, and once the listener warms up to the idea, it’s surprisingly easy to do. Plus, “Pyramid Song” is one of the most beautiful things ever recorded. For those who were hoping for Rainbows, no apologies here—that album has great songs, but as a cohesive work, Amnesiac trumps it.

Ainda sobre jornalismo, dois livros da série “compras inacreditavelmente baratas na Amazon”. O primeiro, de Calvin Tomkins, é Off The Wall – A Portrait of Robert Rauschenberg, ótimo livro sobre a vida do artista norte-americano. É uma biografia de tom jornalístico, fluída e objetiva, mas repleta de mergulhos importantes. O primeiro capítulo, por exemplo, é basicamente uma reportagem sobre o prêmio conquistado por Rauschenberg na Bienal de Veneza em 1964. Está tudo ali, as vaias para o espetáculo do power-trio Rauschenberg, John Cage e Merce Cunningham, as festas de Leo Castelli e a confusão em torno da premiação.

O mais interessante é que o livro também procura contextualizar as grandes figuras que trocaram idéias (e algo mais) com Rauschenberg, como Wilhelm de Kooning, Jasper Johns e o próprio John Cage. Ali descobri que a famosa composição 4′33, mais conhecida como “silêncio”, foi feita imediatamente após o músico conhecer as pinturas em branco de Rauschenberg. O livro também põe em foco um período emblemático da arte norte-americana, o momento de transição entre dois fortes estouros, o Expressionismo Abstrato e a Pop-Art.

O outro livro, esse uma pechincha absurda (atualmente há exemplares por menos de 5 dólares), é um item obrigatório para quem gosta de música e jornalismo. All Yesterday’s Parties: The Velvet Underground in Print – 1966-1971. Organizado por Clinton Heylin, o livro apresenta mais de quarenta reportagens sobre a banda nova-iorquina. Tem de tudo, desde textos de fanzines até matérias publicadas em grandes jornais. A última,  sobre o final da banda, é assinada por ninguém menos que Lester Bangs.

Curioso ver a primeira reportagem sobre o Velvet Underground, publicada em janeiro de 1966 no New York Times e intitulada Andy Warhol and His Gang Meet The Psychiatrist. A banda ainda era coadjuvante do Explosing Plastic Inevitable de Warhol, naquela ocasião aterrorizando um congresso de psiquiatras com Gerard Malanga e Edie Sedgwick no palco sob projeções e o caos sonoro do Velvet. Quem também esteve lá foi Jonas Mekas, que registrou alguns momentos de apresentação e inseriu trechos em seus filmes sobre Andy Warhol. Definitivamente um momento histórico.

Well Iowa city, I have about three Radioloveless shows left before I leave the KRUI airways for good. Two shows will consist of my favorite tracks to hear, thus the title of my post. If you listen to the show, I’m sure you’ve heard most of them. Either way, the next two shows will be filled with my favorites. The last show will be my Christmas show, which is always a fun show to do.

I’ll be moving back east next year, after living and DJing in Iowa city for the past 6. I love it here, and I love KRUI even more. Listen in at 89.7 fm or online here. Here’s the show

1. R.E.M.’s Fables of Reconstruction (1985), Driver 8
2. Sebadoh, Bakesale (1994, oh and the naked baby on the cover is Lou Barlow), Skull
(It’s my favorite track from Sebadoh along with lots of other kids my age, thank you Lou for bringing this into my life.)

3. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, Pig Lib (2003), Vanessa from Queens
(Steve defines cool, even if I can’t figure out what he’s singing about)
4. Teenage Fanclub, Bandwagonesque (1991), Star Sign
(This just sounds like the 90s to me, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and little.)
5. The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground, Pale Blue Eyes
(Uhm, who doesn’t like this song?)
6. Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002), I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
This is my favorite Wilco album, I keep coming back.
7. Wire, Pink Flag (1977), 1 2 X U
8. Yo La Tengo, President Yo La Tengo (1989), Barnaby Hardly Working
9. Catherine Wheel, Ferment (1992), Black Metallic
10. Black Tambourine, Complete Recordings, Pack You Up
This track is so short and cool, it just makes me want to go out and be their groupie if they were still around.
11. The Dandy Warhols, Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia (1999), Sleep
I can’t help it, I love this album.
12. Big Star, #1 Record (1972), Thirteen
Rolling stone said it was “one of the most beautiful songs about Adolescence.”
13. The Breeders, Pod (1990), When I was a Painter
14. Pavement, Crooked Rain Crooked Rain (1994), Silence Kit (awesome request for Sutcliffe Catering Song but was having issues with my CD.)
15. Built to Spill, Perfect From Now On (1997), I would Hurt a Fly
16. Cat Power, What would the Community Think (1996), Bathysphere
17. The Church, Starfish (1988), Under the Milky Way
18. Cocteau Twins, Head Over Heels (1983), When Mama was a Moth

19. My Bloody Valentine, Loveless (1991), When you Sleep
Pitchfork quoted Loveless as the best album of the 90’s, I might have to agree.
20. The Clash, The Clash (1977), Janie Jones
21. Sleater-Kinney, One Beat (2002), Combat Rock
22. Depeche Mode, Violator (1990), Blue Dress
23. The Cure, Seventeen Seconds (1980), A Forest
24. Archers of Loaf, White Trash Heroes (1998), Dead Red Eyes
25. Guided By Voices, Alien Lanes (1995), My Valuable Hunting Knife
26. Meat Puppets, Meat Puppets II (1984), New Gods

Spotify

Sunday Morning är den första låten på The Velvet Undergrounds debutalbum, The Velvet Underground & Nico. Albumet släpptes 1967 och är producerat av Andy Warhol som förstås även har målat bananen. The Velvet Underground, och sångaren Lou Reed, finns det anledning att återkomma till i framtiden!
….Jag valde inte låten för att den är den bästa, utan för att den passade dagen så bra, men jag hoppas verkligen att vår söndagsmorgon blir lite mer färgglad än i videon!
….Kanske ska man rentav börja dagen med en banan?
.
Länkar till andra bloggar om: The Velvet Underground, Andy Warhol, musik, underhållning, rock,

In the late-’70s and early-’80s, following hot on the trails of punk rock, a new musical movement developed on both coasts of the Atlantic. The artists and bands associated with it shunned punk’s noise for a more layered, introverted songwriting and instrumentality. The movement brought with it synthesizers, Krautrock influences, as well as a more complex and experimental approach to music-making. In doing so, they set the wheels in motion for the eventual surge in ’80s and ’90s alternative rock. History has labeled this movement post-punk.

So what’s the very best of post-punk? 20 Watts’ CHRIS PARKER has the answer in our seventh 20 installment. Watch for new 20s each Thursday, only on 20 Watts, and check out our previous 20s below!

Es curioso muchas veces, que en diferentes ámbitos de la cultura, ya sea música, pintura o escultura, muchas de las obras son llevadas al ostracismo por sus contemporáneos, y rescatadas por generaciones posteriores, catapultándolas a la categoría de obras maestras.

Uno de estos ejemplos es el primer disco de The Velvet Underground, que con el paso del tiempo, se ha llegado a considerar uno de los discos más influyentes en la historia, compitiendo con el encumbrado Sergeant Pepper de The Beatles.

En una época donde la revolución hippie, cargaba de positivismo sus letras, Lou Reed (guitarra), John Cale (bajo y viola), Maureen Tucker (batería) y Sterling Morrison (guitarra), componentes de The Velvet Underground, aterrizaron con sonidos estridentes y letras sobre drogas, prostitución o sadomasoquismo entre otras cosas.

Un claro ejemplo de ello, es Heroin, que os dejo subtitulada, para entender mejor, las letras tan arriesgadas para la época. Siempre que oigo esta canción me viene a la memoria el libro Yonqui de William Burroughs, que os recomiendo para quien no lo haya leído.

Los inicios de la banda,  se remontan a un pequeño local neoyorquino, y quizás nunca hubieran pasado de aquí, si no hubiera sido por el gran paso que supuso el apadrinamiento de la banda por parte del artista Andy Warhol.

Con la imposición de la díscola modelo Nico por parte de Andy Warhol, la cual por cierto, nunca fue bien recibida por el grupo, grabaron su primer disco. En la célebre portada del disco se deja bien claro las reticencias a la incorporación, ya que reza en el mismo The Velvet Undergroung & Nico. La portada del mismo, casi más conocida que la música que alberga, fue obra de Andy Warhol, y en ella se puede ver un plátano para pelar.

Lo curioso, es que la banda pensaba que la producción y diseño de la portada por parte de Andy Warhol iba a suponer una publicidad increíble para el disco, aunque luego las listas de ventas se encargaron de demostrarles lo contrario.

En el disco podemos encontrar canciones cantadas por Nico, que contrastan en tono de voz y melodías con las cantadas por Lou Reed. Aqui os dejo Femme Fatale (subtitulado el video) cantada por Nico.

Dejamos para otras entradas el resto de la carrera de The Velvet Underground, ya que la historia de la música considera que fue este primer disco el más influyente de su corta carrera musical.

Formed in St. Louis and now based in New York, The Radical Sons consists of four young guys who play self-described “dumb rock ‘n roll.”  The guitarist, Nick Risler, also called it “grungy” in today’s interview.  Having toured this summer with three other bands, the Sons hit up major East Coast cities while driving in an extra large 1970s van sans air conditioning.  Staying with friends and sometimes sleeping in the van, the guys exposed people to their music, which Risler said is inspired by Dinosaur Junior and the Velvet Underground.

Together for two years now, the Sons are: singer/guitarist Ben Goldstein, 20; drummer Pat Shields, 18; guitarist Nick Risler, 20; and a yet-to-be-determined bassist.  The founding members, Ben, Pat and Nick were buddies in St. Louis who would skateboard around what they called “the loop” and were obsessed with epic NYC band, The Strokes.  The New York transplants are playing two shows this weekend on the Lower East Side (check out their MySpace for more info).

Dear all

I am writing to you as friends, fellow gig-goers and all-round musical confidantes…

For some reason on the train home this evening I decided for some reason to start a little project to sate my ongoing need for all things musical, list-like and overall pedantic.

Please could I ask each of you to e-mail me with five of your favourite songs (noting the artist) – one from each of the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s.  It doesn’t have to be the favourite from each decade (always hard to choose that) but try and choose something in the top 5/top 10 region.  Do not worry about particular genres etc. and neither be afraid of guilty pleasures/obscure choices etc., but do select those which are genuine favourites.

Grateful if you would reply just to me rather than ‘to all’, to save stuffing up inboxes etc (unless, Ashley and Parky, you feel the need to make clear to everyone how lame an exercise this sounds – that is permitted).

Many thanks in advance…if anything is unclear please let me know.

Ben

_________________________________________________________________

Ben,

This has taken some time.

Before we get to my list, I need to explain some of my thought processes as I approached this.  In compiling this list, I’ve had to develop a complicated mental algorithm which factors the amount of overexposure a song/artist has received given the time since release, and either dampen or enhance their rating based on my feelings for the song/artist in light of said overexposure.  I am not in a position to be able to express this formula in a mathematical way, because I’m not clever enough, but I can tell you that the above process is the reason why you will find no Beatles or Stone Roses in this list, yet you will find some Rolling Stones, and some Radiohead.

Secondly, you’ll notice I’ve included 3 songs from each decade, with my 1^st choice highlighted in bold.  This is because I felt that including two notable mentions in each category would help to shed some extra light on aforementioned mental processes, and frankly, asking someone to choose just one song from each decade requires that he/she think of lots, so having done the work, I’m presenting my results like this whether you like it or not.

Thirdly, owing to the lack of perspective afforded by time my system malfunctioned when we hit the 00s and I was only able to provide 1 favourite, but seeing as I’ve changed the parameters of this task from providing one track per decade to 3, I’m quite at liberty to change them back.  What I’ve done instead is list some albums/artists that I’m listening to now, which I anticipate might from part of any top 3 from the 00s given a 10 year gap or so.

Finally, I realised whilst doing this that my entire list, and therefore what I look for in music, and by extension life, all hinges on Teenage Riot by Sonic Youth.

60s

I Wanna be Your Dog – The Stooges

Sunday Morning – The Velvet Underground

Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones

70s

The Great Gig in the Sky – Pink Floyd

The Model – Kraftwerk

Lola – The Kinks

80s

Teenage Riot – Sonic Youth

Once in a lifetime – Talking Heads

William it Was Really Nothing – The Smiths

90s

Babies – Pulp

Paranoid Android – Radiohead

About a Girl – Nirvana

00s

Hotel Yorba – The White Stripes

Spotify doesn’t have any Pink Floyd, otherwise all the above and a couple of cheeky suggestions for the 00s can be found here:

http://open.spotify.com/user/jimmylemas/playlist/4RkateuDm9ad8I4uVMNBzR

James

Songs Sung for the Afterlife by fcMusicMixes

Halloween is coming soon. This is not a mix to cuddle to, nor is it something to chill out to. It is not heavy industrial and it doesn’t contain any songs related a monster mash or purple people eaters. In fact, most people will probably hate it. This is my Halloween score. If you like dark moods, depression, death, medication, broken hearts or disturbed people etc., well…you should like this. Halloween introduces itself to a  dramatic production here. It’s kind of a cross between my Midnight and Mellow mixes (check my music genres drop down menu). I promise you probably will not like it. But what the hey, it’s my show after all and it is kind of relaxing. Now go and listen to it in a dark room and scribble on the walls.

Click here or the album art to download (or do it via SoundCloud above to have the mp3 version, though you will lose the chapters option).

This is an M4A file that when played through iTunes, is capable of forwarding to the next chapter (song). Look for the ‘Chapters’ tab at the top of the player when playing. These files will play in all iPods. You may also convert it to a single mp3 file within iTunes by going to the ‘Advanced’ tab at the top of the player and selecting ‘Create MP3 Version.’ You may also subscribe to this blog by clicking on the ‘Entries RSS’ and using an aggregator (feed reader, such as Google Reader) to get notifications sent to you whenever a new post is made.

Its the Halloween show this Wednesday from 8 to 10 pm on Radioloveless at KRUI 89.7fm or listen online here.

1. Suicide, The Second Album (1980) + The First Rehearsal Tapes (rereleased 1998), Creature Feature

2. R.E.M., Dead Letter Office (1987), Burning Hell
3. The Clash, Combat Rock (1982), Straight to Hell
4. Fugazi, 13 Songs (1989), Burning
5. The Misfits, Collection II (1995), Halloween II
6. The Misfits, Collection (1986), Night of the Living Dead
7. Archers of Loaf, Vee Vee (1995), Death in the Park
8. Siouxsie and the Banshees, JuJu (1981), Halloween
9. Joy Division, Still (1981), Dead Souls
10. Beat Happening, Black Candy (1989), Gravedigger Blues
11. The Velvet Underground, Peel Slowly and See (Box Set), The Gift
It’s found originally on White Light/White Heat (1968). The lyrics are written by Lou Reed and recited by John Cale, and the track is mixed in such a way that a short story can be heard in the left speaker while a rock instrumental is heard on the right. Also, the story is creepy as hell and perfect for Halloween.
12. Guided by Voices, Under the Bushes Under the Stars (1996 on Matador), Cut-Out Witch
13. Blue Oyster Cult, Agents of Fortune (1976), (Don’t Fear) The Reaper
14. The Cure, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me (1987), Tortue
15. Bauhaus, Bela Lugosi’s Dead-single (1979), Bela Lugosi’s Dead
16. Echo and the Bunnymen, Ocean Rain (1984), The Killing Moon

17. Concrete Blonde, Bloodletting (1990), Bloodletting (The Vampire Song)
18. This Mortal Coil, Filigree and Shadow (1986), The Horizon Bleeds and Sucks its Thumb

19. The Murder City Devils, Empty Bottles Broken Hearts (1998), Cradle to the Grave
20. The Birthday Party, Junkyard (1982), Release the Bats
21. Tom Waits, Blue Valentine (1978), Wistlin’ Past the Graveyard

22. The Germs, M.I.A. The Complete Germs (1993), Lexicon Devil
The 7″ of Lexicon Devil was originally released in 1978.
23. Pixies, Come on Pilgrim (1987 off of 4AD), Ed is Dead
24. Sonic Youth, Evol (1986), Expressway to Yr. Skull
25. David Bowie, Scary Monsters (1980), Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)

A trip without the LSD.

Twinkly enough to banish hangovers.

1995:

Peel Slowly and See (5 CD)

Art Direction and Package Design:  Smay Vision ( Specer Drate, Jutla Salawetz & Sylvia Reed.

Photography:  Hugo, Mario Anninanilli, Ron Campisi, Nat Firkelstein, Donald Greenhaus/Retna, Lisa Law, Billy Name, Dustin Pittman, Stephen Share,  Susan Cooper Archives, Gerald Melanga Archives,  Sterling Morrison Archives,  Polygram Archives

From Rizzoli Publications.

Looks pretty good and as with almost everything these days, there’s a deluxe limited edition.

See more at Creative Review.

Del álbum The Velvet Underground and Nico (Verve Records, 1967)

Robin Maconie en el prólogo a su libro “La música como concepto” (Acantilado, 2007) dice, en una sencilla pero certera definición, que la música resume el arte y la experiencia de escuchar y comunicar por medio del sonido. Y, cuando es buena -la música-, esta comunicación alcanza niveles impensables para otros medios de comunicación. Porque podemos llegar a experimentar sensaciones o a sentir emociones que no son nuestras como si lo fueran. Es decir, podemos empatizar con el mensaje a un nivel mucho mayor que con la simple palabra.

Nunca he probado la heroína, y en principio no me apetece hacerlo (habida cuenta de los riesgos que conlleva). Sin embargo, Lou Reed y los suyos logran con una grabación de hace más de 40 años que comprenda lo que debe pasar por la mente de un heroinómano (él mismo) cuando se mete un chute. Cuando esto sucede puedo comprender que los puritanos hayan tratado desde siempre de limitar el arte musical y poético, dada su capacidad de hacer sentir cosas “pecaminosas”.

El chute al que asistimos en “Heroin” pasó relativamente desapercibido en su época. Si pensamos que la música de más éxito venía de la costa Oeste, del movimiento hippie, las comunas y el sexo libre, de la psicodelia por la que todos los grupos pasaban, y sobre todo que las drogas de moda eran las psicotrópicas, es lógico que unos neoyorkinos vestidos de negro y con sobrias gafas de sol que hablan de heroína, de la ciudad y de perversiones sexuales no conectase con la juventud del 67. Sin embargo, se estaban sentando las bases de una música que dominaría la escena musical una década más tarde, con la llegada del Post-punk, la New Wave y, por supuesto, el Noise rock y la No wave neoyorkina.

Pero centrémonos en la música que nos ocupa. A la guitarra, el bajo y la batería tradicionales del pop se adhiere la viola eléctrica de John Cale, músico curtido en la escena vanguardista que ya había trabajado con autores como el minimalista La Monte Young o las performances de Fluxus. La apertura mental que esto supone permite desarrollar el nuevo pop que nacía con este disco, y que se nota también en aspectos formales como la falta de estribillo o los cambios de tempo.

La música está conectada íntimamente con el texto. Y digo conectada, no condicionada, porque la realza y la carga de nuevos significados. El texto nos relata, como ya he dicho, un chute de heroína en primera persona. Y los sonidos y el ritmo de la narración aceleran o se ralentizan dependiendo de las sensaciones que el protagonista va sintiendo. La importante dosis de improvisación y de caos de muchos momentos cobra sentido y nos conecta aún más con ese personaje y sus emociones.

Mucho más tendré que hablar de este disco, para mi una de las piedras de toque del rock y el pop a partir de los 70. De momento me dejo en el tintero toda la historia de Andy Warhol, el diseño (polémica incluida) de la portada y su “producción”, porque lo importante no es lo “modernito” que resultó entonces, sino lo francamente moderno que resulta hoy.

After about twenty minutes into the film parts of the audience started to walk out. Either the camera work had got to them or it was clear to them that the Velvets weren’t about to break into a chorus of Sweet Jane. What did these people expect from an Andy Warhol film? Hadn’t they heard The Velvet Underground playing Sister Ray? People continued to walk out throughout the film. I was chilled in the front row with TC, tranced out with the droning electric guitars that seemed to have more in common with the dust and scratches on the film than the black and white images of Nico or Lou Reed.

The Velvet Underground and Nico: a Symphony of Sound was filmed at the Factory in January 1966. Even though music video clips had not been invented yet this 67min film features many of what have now become clichés of music videos, including the use of rapid zooming and panning in time with the music. Even the plot for a music video is remarkably familiar: band is playing live and the cops turn up. One NYC police officer suddenly appears in shot, smiles at the camera and turns the music down. The band plays for a bit more – “that’s still too loud” says a voice off camera. The cops talk to Andy and Gerard Malanga, his studio assistant, And the band packs up.

Eventually the camera runs out of film, end of film. Although the camera remains in a fixed position throughout the film and there is only one shot. It appears that Andy, or who ever was behind the camera (because Andy is in front of the camera at the end), was endlessly playing with the camera rather than doing what Andy Warhol was famous for a static shot with no pans or zooms. If only they had done a fixed shot the film would have been a lot better.

The Velvet Underground and Nico: a Symphony of Sound was part of a series of films by Andy Warhol showing at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). I went with my old friend TC who played guitar in a garage band with me. We are both fans of the Velvets; we used to play cover versions of Sweet Jane and Venus in Furs. Later I played in a Velvet Underground cover band, Edie Sedgwick’s Overdose with Ron Rude. Although, we were both fans of the Velvets, neither TC nor myself had seen the film nor heard the music. This was a rare screening of the film. Except for footage from their revival tour I have never before seen The Velvet Underground playing. I have seen a few still images from this film but never the moving picture.

Although I had never heard the “symphony of sound” before the music was not unfamiliar. It was not unlike Sister Ray but without any vocals and an hour long – something like the performances that the Velvets would later do in the afternoons of Andy Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable. Mo Tucker’s ever steady drumming was holding the droning sound of guitars and electric viola together. At one stage John Cage appeared to play some amplified long steel springs with a table knife but it was difficult to see what he was doing as the camera was mostly on Nico (tambourine) or her 3-year old son, Ari (maraca).

Harshly beautiful, warped but glorious

Yo la Tengo has a new album out called Popular Songs. I featured a track on last weeks show. I sat down this last week and listened to the album and there are some truly beautiful unique tracks on it. I’m going to feature a couple of the tracks tonight from the album on Radioloveless. I love their sweet lyrics along with their complex juxtaposition of sound in a handful of the tracks.

Here’s the set for tonight, listen in from 8 to 10 pm on KRUI 89.7 fm or online here.

1. Sunny Day Real Estate, Rising Tide (2000), Faces in Disguise

2. Yo La Tengo, Popular Songs (2009), Here to Fall
3. Animal Collective, Strawberry Jam (2007), For Reverend Green
4. Joy Division, Unknown Pleasures (1979), I Remember Nothing

5. Colin Newman (of the band Wire), A-Z (1980), Around You
6. The Names, Swimming + Singles (1982), Discovery
7. The Wake, Here Comes Everybody (1985), O Pamela
8. R.E.M., Dead Letter Office (1987), Wolves Lower
This album contains rarities and B-sides including 3 velvet underground covers. (This was also a great request by this Hottie.)
9. Catherine Wheel, Ferment (1992), Texture
10. Department S, Sub-Stance (2003), Is Vic There? (The track was originally released in 1981)
11. Josef K, Entomology (1981), It’s Kinda Funny

12. Blonde Redhead, Misery Is A Butterfly (2004), Misery Is A Butterfly
13. Pinback, Some Voices (2000), Some Voices
14. Kinski, Alpine Static (2005 off of Sub Pop), Hot Stenographer

15. The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Strung Out in Heaven (There seventh full length album released in 1998), Let’s Pretend its Summer

16. Built To Spill, There’s Nothing Wrong With Love (1994), Distopian Dream Girl
17. The Dandy Warhols, Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia (2000), Cool Scene
18. Frank Black Francis, Frank Black Francis (2004), Velouria
19. Guided by Voices, Bee Thousand (1994), The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory
20. The Dream Syndicate, Out of the Grey (1986), Cinnamon Girl

21. The Velvet Underground, VU (recorded 1969 released 1985), Foggy Notion
22. Talking Heads, Talking Heads: 77 (1977), Happy Day
23. Slowdive, Morningrise-EP (Morningrise is the third single released by Slowdive in 1991), She Calls
24. My Bloody Valentine, Isn’t Anything (1988), No More Sorry

1. the pixies – doolittle

with the pixies concert coming up (next march) i wanted to be all ready for everything they throw at me and seeing as they have announced that they will be playing the entire doolittle album to celebrate its 20th anniversary then by giving this a good listen i should be well on my way. i was never the biggest pixies fan knowing only a handful of tracks including ‘alec eiffel’ ‘gouge away’ and ‘where is my mind?’ but since listening to them here and there for over the last two years my appreciation for them has grown hugely and without a doubt doolittle is their best album so words cant express how much im looking forward to this concert.

2. the mint chicks – screens

i was always a big fan of the mint chicks from the time they started by owning their early eps (octagon, octagon, octagon. and anti tiger) but as ive aged and the band has progressed i found myself slowly listening to them less and less which is why it took me so long to get my hands on their latest album screens and i have to say that this album has blown me away, its great, they havent changed one bit, oh well maybe got a little more poppy but nothing too drastic. all im saying is if youve ever heard a track by the mint chicks from any one of their albums and liked it you will love this album. check it out.

3. metronomy! – nights out

with their concert being last week, the one that i dont remember too much from, ive been playing their album nights out over and over to see if any track triggers some memories, sadly im having no luck. although this isnt a bad thing as im still loving the album which is rare for me, usually when i rape an album i dont touch it again for months sometimes years. if your still not sure of metronomy! just listen to the tracks ‘heartbreaker’ ‘radio ladio’ and ‘back on the motorway’ a few more times and that should do the trick.

4. the velvet underground – the velvet underground & nico

a classic and probably one the best names for a band EVER (yep capitals)! i realise that these albums arnt on the “new kids on the block” rack in the music store but im not always going to be listening to the new stuff. its always good to go back and listen to older bands once in awhile and thats what i did this year with the velvet underground. they are amazing! in my opinion one of the best american bands for their generation (because lets face it in that era the british were killin it). this is the type of music you can just listen to and drift off because thats just what they were doing while writing the songs. gold! my favourite tracks include ‘all tomorrows parties’, ‘im waiting for the man’, ‘heroin’ and ‘venus in furs’.

…rowan

german born christa päffgen but better known as nico was a model, actress, singer-songwriter and warhol superstar. singer in the velvet underground and and member of warhol’s factory along with her experimental films like chelsea girls launched her to super stardom in the sixties. her song these days is my number one all time favorite song from her album chelsea girls. also if you haven’t listened to the velvet underground go listen now because you won’t regret it.