Sunday 27 April 2008

Shenanigans


Sorry for the delays again. I am currently snowed under with Uni work so that is taking a bit of priority at the moment. However, I've been reading some awesome stuff for my hippy project, such as Mick Farren's 'Give the Anarchist a Cigarette' book, which is insightful, witty and really rather honest I think. Also I have re-read 'White Bicycles', Joe Boyd's book, mainly for the sections on the UFO nightclub, which is obviously featuring heavily in the London section of my project.
I do have some new music though, which will get reviewed and ranted about soon enough. Yeasayer, Amon Duul II and A Tribe Called Quest will all get talked about, and also some Guru Guru and probably a review of this evening's Sebadoh gig at Concorde2 in Brighton, if I get round to it.
A Tribe Called Quest are really rocking major deck time at the moment, particularly 'Low End Theory' but also 'Midnight Marauders'. I am also loving the song 'Monkey Puzzle' by the Brian Jonestown Massacre, off the 'Take It From the Man' album.

Currently Listening to the Pebbles compilations, volume 3

Sam

Wednesday 16 April 2008

A Tentative List of Things to Do in Paradise

Today I found the most amazing book. So good I had to post about it on here, even though it's a book and not musical. It's from 1969, and is called 'Counter Culture' and is a series of essays edited by Joseph Berke. The reason it's so amazing is the lay out and stuff though, and all the weird things in it. Anarchic hippy revolutionary style stuff. Brilliant. I thought I would put something from it up on here, and have chosen 'A Tentative List of Things to Do in Paradise' by Tuli Kupferberg, including spelling mistakes.

1. Fuck
2. Don't Fuck
3. Sing
4. Do nothing
5. Read
6. Play with yourself
7. Feed the hungry
8. Play Frisbee
9. Meditate
10. Bake apple strudel (with Cinnamon, not too much sugar)
11. Have a baby
12. Play with children
13. Teach something someone wants to know
14. Learn to play guitar (or the Moog Synthesiser)
15. Discover a cure for cancer
16. Work for immortality
17. Travel
18. Stay at home
19. Write a poem
20. Write a book
21. Plant beans
22. Go live in the desert and meditate
23. Take drugs
24. Invent a new sexual position
25. Invent a new drug
26. Just play a record
27. Perform a play
28. Kiss someone
29. Touch someone else
30. Walk across England
31. Bicycle through Germany
32. Call up yr mother
33. Watch (good) TV
34. Invent a sensory stimulating device as important as TV
35. Go to a good movie
36. Make a good movie
37. Think up new things to do
38. Paint
39. Paint yr house
40. Paint yr body
41. Paint yr lover's body
42. Walk along the sea-shore
43. Sail a boat to Cape Cod
44. Learn to play the piano
45. Invent a machine to translate sounds into a book in ten minutes (with 10,302 choices of binding)
46. Stare at yr beautiful body
47. Pet a dog (or cat)
48. Go home
49. Visit a friend
50. Help someone who needs help
51. Look at the sky
52. Dance
53. Dance till you drop
54. Drink wine
55. Visit the moon
56. Desire me
57. Make suggestions to other people of things to do
58. Tell jokes
59. Sing in a chorus
60. Pet yourself (you feel good)
61. Tale off all yr clothes
62. Make beautiful new clothes
63. Make beautiful pottery: cups for beautiful wines
64. Climb a mountain (because y're there): don't hurt yrself!
65. Build a new musical instrument
66. Think about God
67. Think about the meaning of the universe - & then
68. Laugh
69. Sleep sometime
70. Dream if you like
71. Go away (& com back if you like)
72. Have an adventure (don't know where y're going)(get lost in a strange city)
73. Visit China at last
74. Eat dinner in the BBC cafeteria
75. Don't care what you do
76. Sit in the park under a tree
77. Sit in a tree
78. Confide in someone
79. Tell someone how beautiful they are
80. Play with fire
81. Play with ice
82. Touch your toes; that feels good
83. Touch her toes
84. Suck on a titty
85. Wrestle for fun (not to win)
86. Run
87. Jump up & down
88. Smile
89. Sit in the sun
90. Listen to the wind thru the leaves of the sycamore tree
91. Come walk with me
92. Play the fiddle while drink cider, others dance
93. Build a house with yr own hands
94. Take a bath
95. Knit a scarf in incredible wools
96. Design & manufacture radios
97. Talk to me
98. Talk to him
99. Talk to her
100. Talk to yourself
101. Make love...we are all lovers

How about that?

Currently listening to 'Blue Afternoon' by Tim Buckley

Sam

Tuesday 15 April 2008

Bjork live at Hammersmith Apollo 14/04/2008


Ladies holding brass instruments and flags attached to their heads, dressed top to toe in neon clothing, march on stage to the thumping drums of ‘Earth Intruders’ whilst 10 foot flames fire up behind them. This marks the start of one of the most spectacular audio and visual experiences any person can wish to observe. The tiny Bjork follows her marching brass band, dressed in the most ridiculous piece of headgear ever, consisting of lots of mini pompoms attached randomly together. Google it. She somehow pulls it off though, in the inimical way that only she can, in front off a crowd of devoted fans. As the opening number ends, and Bjork eases the tribal drums into the more spacious ‘Hunter’, the momentum is not lost. Bjork dances round the stage like a pixie, throwing her whole body left and right and shaking to the offbeat drums. Toumani Diabate joined Bjork for a spellbinding rendition of ‘Hope’ and Antony Hegarty (of the Johnsons fame) shared the stage for ‘Dull Flame of Desire’, which the crowd can’t quite believe. It’s her 1996 hit ‘Army of Me’ though, that really tears the roof down. Heavy drums, bass, synths and an overload of lasers turn the crowd into a pit of frenzied dancers. By the time Bjork ends the show with the simply superb ‘Hyperballad’, which sees the crowd singing the first verse louder than she can, so she just leaves it to them before promptly turning the last half of the song into a rave, and the equally relentless but just as beautiful ‘Pluto’, the crowd are in total awe of the tiny Icelandic lady. After a long break of constant cheering, Bjork returns with her Wonderbrass (honestly) and plays the beautiful ‘Anchor Song’ before closing the night with the frenetic ‘Declare Independence’, which she sings with just as much commitment as ever before, despite the huge amount of trouble the song has landed her in recently. Masses of golden confetti falls from the ceiling, making the Apollo seem more like a golden snow globe, which all adds to the spectacle. The man next to me sums up the whole evening perfectly as we turn to leave, just simply saying that that was “out of this world”. Bjork is an absolute must-see.

The computer still isn't working properly, so I am listening to the same three as before. Though just had some Drive Like Jehu on Last.fm which was fun.

Sam

Sunday 13 April 2008

Computer Crash

My computer external hardrive has died, so all my ripped music is not listenable at the moment. My CD's are all at home so I can't even listen to them. So I am just listening to my records at the moment, which is nice, but still doesn't make up for the loss of music! Anyway, for this reason there shan't be much going on here at the moment in terms of music reviews. I also can't do MP3 uploads at the moment either.

I am seing Bjork tomorrow night at Hammersmith Apollo which I will do a review for so that should be posted up here before Wednesday I would say, so look out for that.

Currently, all I seem to be putting on my deck is Talk Talk's 'Spirit Of Eden' (fucking incredible), Slint's 'Spiderland' (we all know how good that is) and Lou's 'Coney Island Baby', which is severely underrated. 'Kicks' is such a tune. I am also able to listen to stuff online, and have been jamming my ears with 'Rez' by Underworld which is a beautiful techno style track. They've also just been added to the Bestival line-up, which should be fun.

Thanks for sticking with it

Sam

Tuesday 8 April 2008

Playlist - 02/04/2008

Hello. Sorry for the delay in putting this playlist up. But it's pretty good, even if I am not listening to it constantly at the moment, which is why it's still going up.

1. Take Me Ta Mars - The Flaming Lips
2. Burning of the Midnight Lamp - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
3. Some Candy Talking - The Jesus and Mary Chain
4. Run Run Run - The Velvet Underground
5. Kowalski - Primal Scream
6. Age of Consent - New Order
7. Any Day Now - Elbow
8. It's a Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl - Faust
9. Grandma's Hands - Bill Withers
10. Home is Where the Hatred Is - Gil Scott-Heron
11. Concrete Jungle - The Specials
12. Money - Easy Star All-Stars
13. Bad Da - Gregory Isaacs
14. Station Underground News - Lee 'Scratch' Perry and the Upsetters
15. Sleep the Clock Around - Belle and Sebastian
16. Ohm Sweet Ohm - Kraftwerk
17. Fur Immer (Forever) - Neu!
18. Down Down Down - Tom Waits
19. Fannin' Street - Leadbelly
20. Rollin' and Tumblin' - Elmore James

There we go. 'Fur Immer (Forever)' was included as a little tribute to the late great Klaus Dinger, the greatest motorik drummer ever. I know the link is to 'Hallogallo', but it's such a cool video that I had to pick it. Just the record being spun. Anyway, blogging will begin in earnest tomorrow again. As I said, Black Keys, Bjork and stuff coming up.

Currently listening to 'Real Cool Time' by The Stooges

Sam

Monday 7 April 2008

Massive Delay

Apologies for the massive delay in posting. I have been really busy for some reason. Anyway, some new stuff. Black Keys album review soon as possible, Bjork live review coming on Tuesday or Wednesday next week, and a blog about Glastonbury very soon. Stick with it. Also, immediately I am unhappy with my Desert Island Discs. No 'Karma Police' for a start. Mental. It's something for you to disregard anyway.

Currently listening to 'Papa Was a Rolling Stone' by the Temptations

Sam