Searching the roots of ambient or so called world music you can't ignore Brian Eno and David Byrne. While Eno worked mostly as a producer and Byrne was still a member of Talking Heads they got some time to make a record which was quite ahead of the times in 1981. In this time ist was very ambitious and had the usual listening habits put to the test. Listening to this music 30 years later I recognize a lot of ingredients I hear in nowadays Trance and Ambition music. So let's raise the glass to yesterday's heroes which was always one step ahead.
Today is a Catholic holiday and we do not operate in southern Germany. Therefore I give a little gem of African music to you all. I don't know much about Bongos Ikwue than that they are are a band from Nigeria. It is a pity that we listen to some music from the African continent. The local musicians are trying hard to make good and challenging music.I grabbed this tune a few month ago and I play it often for finishing the day. Not really blues, not jazzy or pop. Just a good song to enjoy.
Stumbled yesterday into the blog of Nick Heyward, where he posted his holiday top 10. I took his number one to publish, because it was one of my late 90s favorites. Gregg Alexander is an American singer/songwriter who got famous with the song 'You get what you give' and following his record 'Maybe you got brainwashed too'. Later he stopped making records for producing acts like Ronan Keating. Let's describe this song with the words of Mr. Heyward: It’s like Todd Rundgren on a quadruple espresso.
Broken Records are a six-piece indie folk band from Edinburgh, Scotland, which formed in December 2006. Their first release was a single 'If the news make you sad, don't watch' it. Originally formed as a three-piece folk band they added after a few gigs three more members to complete their sound with bass, drums, cello and trumpet. It's a real great tune, worth listen more times than on shuffle. Nice lyrics also.
Go watch the TV Tell me what you see All these bleedin' wounds And rising seas They dont mean much to me From the couch here I plead apathy
And politicians They dont speak for me A wreck's a wreck At least that's what i see And your faith you keep Is it dark now? It's waiting for me. So stop the bad dreams, Stop the headaches And leave a little light When you say It's alright Like when you say its alright Well i guess it is
And she says, "I know your doubts But know this world brought you to me So just be satisfied So just be satisfied Until the morning comes Just lie here in my arms"
Go watch the TV Tell me what you see Any hope and love, any realized dreams? Thats what i want to see No more pain no tears, no more grief
So stop the bad dreams, stop the headaches, And leave a little light Like when you say it's alright Like when you say it's alright
So sing to me I love it when You sing to me I love it when You sing to me I love it when You sing to me I love it when You sing Broken Record - If the news make you sad
A few week ago Luca answered some random thoughts over at TVV. He's steady follower of our blogs and a brilliant writer but of many reasons not willing to start a blog on his own. On his shuffle appeared Paolo Conte with Max, a song I love for many years. Luca wondered why most Blogger ignore Italian Music.
I can't speak for all people from other countries but in the 80s Italian pop music was very successful in Germany. And when I say pop music I mean pop music. If you was invited to some parties someone suddenly stopped the music to switch onto Drupi, Al Bano & Romina Power and all that stuff. Those who still listen to Steppenwolf and those who had their ears open for new sounds could not identify with this songs. Not only that they don't understand the language (if we were interested in this, we could have asked one of the Italians who are also present), most of them called it a female music and denied womens expertise in quality music.
Not that I will call myself an expert in Italian music, there some artists I really like and listen to from time to time. Of course Adriano Celentano - maybe the most popular Italian singer. Many will know him from his 80s trash movies or from songs like 'Azzurro'. But less people know that he is a critical person against the government. So he used his popularity to stand up together with Roberto Benghini against Berlusconi in a TV show at the prime time. This letter of apology to Berlusconi is impossible in Germany. He also denounced inflation, rising gasoline prices and corrupt politicians in 'Svalutation' (in the mid 70s).
Another one I prefer is Paolo Conte. Not knowing the meaning of his words he comes to me in a sentimental mood - mostly late at night and we share a glass of red wine and listen to his songs about love, desire and restlessness.
Another one I listen to is Lucio Dalla, died last year on stage by an heart attack. One of his most famous songs, Caruso (1986), a tribute to the opera singer Enrico Caruso, has been covered by numerous singers. The versions of Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli sold many million copies worldwide. But I prefer this one.
Questo deve bastare per ora. Vi auguro un buon tempo
Way back in the late 70s a lot of German musicians tried also to go other ways than playing mainstream, progress rock or jazz thing. Influenced by British and American punk and New Wave some of them have managed to combine these influences with their understanding of music. Some of them got well know in Germany riding the wave on the so called New German Wave others will be remembered by some insiders and never got more than local heroes.
One of them is Jürgen Zeltinger (called 'de plaat' what meas 'the bald'). He formed a band with Jaki Liebezeit (former drummer by CAN) and Arno Steffen (guitar, often hired for studio recordings or as a tour guitarist) to play some classic rock and also some standards. They played their first gig round carnival 1979 in a small club where they taped this concert for their first record. A guy in my local record store recommended me this record an I was astonished of this guys. I recognized, that they had really fun playing this concert. Probably the most unusual was that they started singing a classical German folk song that turned at the end into a punk version.
Then they played 'Müngersdorfer Stadion' - the German version of the Ramones Rockaway Beach, sung in typical Cologne dialect so the rest of the nation had problems to understand. At least they covered Lou Reed and his 'Walk on the wild side' - also translated into their dialect. While Lou Reed has taken on transsexuality a a them, Zeltinger sings about an old prostitute who waits in vain for the whole evening to a suitor. Saw him live a couple of years later and had real fun on his show.
I'm still impressed about today post from TVV telling us about the story behind one of his favorite records. Rarely have I read such a personal and touching lines in a blog. This was the occasion to look in my collection of songs that suit for me in a similar way to the heart. One of them is from the very underrated musician and producer Richard Hawley. He released more than seven records during the last 12 years - most of them critical praise them, leading many big names such as Coldplay, Radiohead and R.E.M. to enthuse about Hawley's work. Hope, that someday he will get the success he should have.
... for all the congratulations and the best wishes to my birthday. I'm glad and proud to be in your community. Also thanks to the inspirations you all gave me the last years. May you all stay well and happy for a long long time ...
Congratulations to his 54th birthday. I like him from the first recordings with The Smiths till his latest works. Less singers can express their feelings with their voices like he can. That's one of the reasons I will ever like him - the other is, that he is exactly on the day as old as I am. Morrissey - This is not your country
Over bank holiday I had time to watch the movie once again. I'm not the biggest fan of Bob Dylan but grew up with his songs. His political songs and their meaning to a lot of people are necessary for a generation before mine. Dylan wrote a couple of love songs I agree to and listen still sometimes.
I'm Not There is a 2007 biographical musical film directed by Todd Haynes, inspired by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Six actors depict different facets of Dylan's life and public persona: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, and Ben Whishaw. At the start of the film, a caption reads: "Inspired by the music and the many lives of Bob Dylan". Besides song credits, this is the only time Dylan's name appears in the film. The film tells its story using non-traditional narrative techniques, intercutting the storylines of the six different Dylan-inspired characters.
For me it is more a description of the time as classical bio-pic of Dylan. I always like to watch the session with Ritchie Havens on the porch also the band opening their guitar cases on Newport Folk Festival an putting out machine guns.
Yes it is true - I'm leaving to Sri Lanka again; starting end of this month for three weeks (of course after CL final, where I'll support Dortmund). It's horrible, how we are treated by the weather. Now is nearly end of May and we can count the days we could sit outside in the beergarden only on one hand. And the last days the weather changed daily: Friday - cloudy and some rain; Saturday: Sunny and warm - right for BBC; Sunday: rain all day; Monday: cloudy, cold and windy. I will not complain because I know other parts of Europe it is even more worse.
That's one reason, why I go to Sri Lanka again. The others are seeing C. again and see how our projects are developed. Think it will be a good balance between recreation and forcing our projects. I know that one of the family members made a driving license for a TukTuk and now it should be realized that we check out a vehicle to start them business running.
Todays track is from my favorite Stevie Wonder album 'Innervisions'.
Glad that working week is over and there are three days in a row not going to my office. Made myself an easy and relaxed evening with a drink by my side and music to listen to. Found so many songs I've never heard for a long time. One of them songs is from the New Age Steppers a collective of musicians which varied over time. The overriding sound was a heavy and chaotic dub, with an underpinning bass guitar, and substantial use of samples. It was released on the On-U Sound label which was famous for their dub sounds.
Among the known personnel of the New Age Steppers were Bim Sherman, George Oban, Ari Up (of The Slits), Steve Beresford, Mark Stewart (of The Pop Group and later Mark Stewart and the Mafia), and a young Neneh Cherry, also associated at the time with Rip Rig + Panic. Bruce Smith and Keith Levene have also made contributions to the collective.
So let's start the weekend with a little dub reggae.
Enjoy
Long Fin Killie was a Scottish experimental rock/post-rock band and nearly famous in the mid 90s. They published a few albums and EP's, got a lot of good critics but less airplay on the radio (except John Peel of course). The band's sound, though diverse, was influenced by the likes of dream pop mainstays A R Kane, Cocteau Twins, and Slowdive, 1970s German krautrock groups like Can, and labelmates Moonshake, Pram and Laika. Mark E. Smith of The Fall contributed "guest rants" to the song "The Heads of Dead Surfers," which appeared in 1995 on the EP of the same name, as well as on Houdini. Found this CD in my archive last evening, listened to it and was to lazy to rip it. Therefore you get the collaboration with Mark E. Smith.
My brother in law and good mate Ed leaves tomorrow for two weeks vacation to Hamburg and then to Norway. Will meet him and his wife later to wish them a great journey and a real good time. Think we'll drink one or two beer to say good bye. Since I know that he's much on Lily Allen this will be another way to start his vacation.
Last days I was in the mood for some slow tunes, weather they came from. I found on my hard drive a few songs from a Swedish singer, Karin Elisabeth Dreijer Andersson, who released her solo debut as Fever Ray in 2009. Her music is deep and dangerous and sometimes it makes me thrill. She also collaborated with the Swedish art rock band Röyksopp and composed the soundtrack to Dirty Diaries, a collection of feminist pornographic short films (which I haven't seen yet).
Today's track is from Burial's second album 'Untrue'. Influenced by early drum 'n' bass it has a groove of it's own. I think it is not the worst start in a new day.
It might be the best song about losing your friends on AIDS. I remembered this while I watched a documentary about HIV infection from the start a long time ago and the nowadays possibilities to heal or at least to alleviate the effects of the disease. It's from Lou Reed's 1989 album New York, where he has written down his anger about his hometown and the land of the free.
There's a down town fairy singing out "Proud Mary" As she cruises Christopher Street And some Southern Queen is acting loud and mean Where the docks and the Badlands meet
This Halloween is something to be sure Especially to be here without you
There's a Greta Garbo and an Alfred Hitchcock And some black Jamaican stud There's five Cinderellas and some leather drags I almost fell into my mug
There's a Crawford, Davis and a tacky Cary Grant And some Homeboys lookin' for trouble down here from the Bronx
But there ain't no Hairy and no Virgin Mary You won't hear those voices again And Johnny Rio and Rotten Rita You'll never see those faces again
This Halloween is something to be sure Especially to be here without you
There's the Born Again Losers and the Lavender Boozers And some crack team from Washington Heights The boys from Avenue B and the girls from Avenue D A Tinkerbell in tights
This celebration somehow gets me down Especially when I see you're not around
There's no Peter Pedantic saying things romantic In Latin, Greek or Spic There's no Three bananas or Brandy Alexander dishing all their tricks
It's a different feeling that I have today Especially when I know you've gone away
There's a girl from Soho with a teeshirt saying "I Blow" She's with the "jive five 2 plus 3" And the girls for pay dates are giving cut rates Or else doing it for free
The past keeps knock, knock, knocking on my door And I don't want to hear it anymore
No consolations please for feelin' funky I got to get my head above my knees But it makes me mad and mad makes me sad And then I start to freeze
In the back of my mind I was afraid it might be true In the back of my mind I was afraid that they meant you
The Halloween Parade At the Halloween parade At the Halloween parade See you next year, at the Halloween parade
As announced I went to the concert last Friday. Two hours in another world with good songs and fantastic voices. If you ever get a chance: go and try out The Rapparees - it will be worth (even if you're not in Irish Folk like me).
Some of the Blogs that I follow regularly featured some weired music, based on the sounds of the late 60s and transfered into nowadays club music. Most of the songs featured there hits my taste and I listened to them often. While I listened to this songs I remembered a band I saw a couple of years ago. It's a band, located in Stuttgart area and founded by a well known musician in the local scene. Teflon Fonfara's Asian Stars play exactly that kind of club music I tried to describe. I saw them live on our annual music night in our town.
This music night became famous over the years as the biggest in Southern Germany. Started more than ten years ago, as a local musician tried to start a project he knew from France. He asked some local bands to play at some pubs for free and the owner of the pubs donate some money for social projects. I was there when it started and it was spectacular. Hopping from pub to pub to listen to different kind of music, mostly played semi-accustic. It lasted for two more years and the main idea died and was replaced by a commercial event. Nevertheless it is a great event for our town and the bands stand in a row to play on this event.
Back to the main story: As C. and I were out that night in 2011 we heard from a small alley the sound of The Asian Stars and went up to there. More than the sound we were surprised about that what we saw. An old guitar player playing chords to some beats added with didgeridoo and sitar. We stood there for the rest of their gig and saw them later playing in a club. Here's a video from this time.
Tonight me and my mate Ed will go for a live gig in our town. The club is located in the center of our town. The location lies 20 meters below the old city walls and it is very small. If there are 80 people inside it is full - more of 100 it is crowded. But it has his own little charm and the artist who played there recommend it as a fantastic location because you were so close to the audience. All musicians are surprised when they travel down the long corridor to the stage. Once the singer of The Dickies said playing there was like playing in a grave.
The club Bastion was founded in the late 60s as a result of the German student revolution. The ideas were to built a forum for political, cultural and literary activities. It is maybe one of the few clubs in this way that still exists in this way.
I don't know much about the band that appears tonight. It is announced as Irish music in tradition of The Pogues and Tail and Feathers, played in a rough and ready style. So we want to see what we will get.
Today is a public holiday in Germany as well in some other European countries. Feast of Ascension
is also known as Ascension Thursday, Holy Thursday or Ascension Day, commemorates the bodily Ascension of Jesus into heaven.
In Germany we celebrate this day as Father's Day. It has developed from the celebration of fathers in the United States in the early 20th century to complement Mother's Day in celebrating fatherhood and male parenting. It established in Germany at the end of the 19th century mainly in the Berlin area. Originally, the young men should be introduced into the customs and traditions of men that day.
That's why the adult men started to a men trip with the younger ones. Of course it ended mostly when they all are hammered and walk home in wavy lines. Nowadays the young ones start their celebration on their own. They meet mostly early in the morning and packing a handcart full of beer and pull the wagon through the countryside. In the last years the handcarts were getting bigger because the kids put a sound system on it also. So where ever you are at the countryside, you can hear them young folks music even if you don't see them.
I don't celebrate Father's Day this way for ages, but it is a good opportunity to meet some guys downtown to talk to them while having a couples of drinks.
One of my favorite bands of all time are The Mekons. I followed their career from the late 70s until nowadays. Seen them live for maybe six or seven times during the years. They are one of the only bands that play some concerts in my region constantly. Last time I introduced them to my brother in law Ed and he was so happy that I did. At least I couldn't stop him to wait until the band came out after the gig. He was so glad to speak to someone who's able to talk with him in his mother language. That's the reason why I had to wait until he finished talking to the band. There is nothing worse than waiting for someone who cannot stop talking and drinking while I have to wait and stopped drinking because I had to drive. But it was really fun to watch The Mekons live again.
It's a classic from Velvet Underground. Many tried and many failed. For me it is the ultimate version of this song. Played by some Americans in country style. The whole record from the Cowboy Junkies is amazing. Recorded in a old church where they could fill the space. Give them a chance and listen.
Back in the working life again, after a sunny day. Hope spring turns to the end and we can watch out for summer. Todays track is from Pantha du Prince. That's what I found on Wikipedia:
Hendrik Weber, better known as Pantha du Prince, Panthel and Glühen 4 is a German electronic music producer and DJ affiliated with Hamburg's Dial music label and British label Rough Trade. Weber's style as Pantha du Prince evolved from the harder end of the house music spectrum and minimal techno to something the artist himself describes as 'Sonic House', incorporating acoustic elements, electronically altered field recordings, and shoegazing references.
This track is from his third record 'Black Noice'. It is a very relaxed tune and fits right to listening later at night with a good drink by your side.
Currently I'm in the mood for some rockabilly. While browsing in my records and my hard drive I always noticed the name of Link Wray. His style of guitar playing has influenced so many musicians from different stylistic direction significantly.
Building on the overdriven, distorted electric guitar sound of early electric blues records, his 1958 instrumental hit "Rumble" by Link Wray and his Ray Men introduced "the power chord, the major modus operandi of modern rock guitarists, making possible punk and heavy rock. The stalking, menacing sound of "Rumble" (and its title) led to a ban on several radio stations, on the grounds that it glorified juvenile delinquency. Nevertheless it became a huge hit, not only in the United States, but also the United Kingdom, where it has been cited as an influence on The Kinks, The Who, and Jimmy Page among others.
The reason, why he's in instrumentals is, that Wray served in the US Army during the Korean War, and contracted tuberculosis, which laid him up in a hospital for a year. His stay concluded with the removal of a lung, which doctors predicted would mean he would never be able to sing again.
This video is a good example for his attitude to Rock 'n' Roll
Way back in 1983 this song was on heavy rotation in all the clubs and pubs I used to go. It was the first release of Alien Sex Fiend a band became known in the gothic scene for its psychobilly, dark electronic, industrial sound, heavy samples and loops and manic vocals. They released several records and singles but they never reached that hypnotic sound on this level again. It's amazing how I chosen this song for today. Inspired by the regular Friday post from Bagging Area I thought that I should post a song that sounds like rockabilly.
Kid Creole and the Coconuts was an American musical group created and led by August Darnell. Its music incorporates a variety of styles and influences, in particular "American and Latin American, South American, Caribbean, Trinidadian, Calloway" and conceptually inspired by the big band era. The Coconuts are a glamorous trio of female backing vocalists whose lineup has changed throughout the years. This year was all that punks, teds, rockers and headbangers interact in that group (maybe only because of the female backing vocalist).
Inspired by Cab Calloway and the Hollywood films of the 30s and 40s, the Kid fills out his colorful zoot suits with style and grace, dancing onstage with his inimitable, relentless and self-proclaimed cool. Many of the regular DJ's from our pub joined for their concert and I remember that it was wonderful. Perfect in music and choreography on stage.
It is sure
now
that in the Champions League final will play two German teams. Nowadays Bayern München is probably the best team in Europe - but my heart is still beating for the underdogs. So I would like to see Dortmund win in Wembley.
Here's a song from Ed Kuepper, born in Germany and grew up in Australia. He was a member of the Saints, a punk band with a small hit with 'I'm stranded'. Later on he joined to the Laughing Clowns an released a few records on his own name. I like him for playing his guitar in his very own style.
Enjoy and finish your working week without problems
Welcome to May Day 2013. The May Day and the associated non-working day is mainly celebrated in the UK and Germany. In rural regions of Germany, especially the Harz Mountains, Walpurgisnacht celebrations of pagan origin are traditionally held on the night before May Day, including bonfires and the wrapping of a Maibaum (maypole). Young people use this opportunity to party, while the day itself is used by many families to get some fresh air.
In the Rhineland, May 1 is also celebrated by the delivery of a maypole, a tree covered in streamers to the house of a girl the night before. The tree is typically from a love interest, though a tree wrapped only in white streamers is a sign of dislike. Females usually place roses or rice in form of a heart at the house of their beloved one. It is common to stick the heart to a window or place it in front of the doormat. On leap years, it is the responsibility of the females to place the maypole. All the action is usually done secretly and it is an individual's choice whether to give a hint of their identity or stay anonymous. May Day was not established as a public holiday until 1933.
As Labour Day, many political parties and unions host activities related to work and employment. It's also featured as the International Workers Day. In my younger days we started the evening before May Day standing aside the bonfire and made our plans to what party we should go. Mostly came home early in the morning. But it was natural that we went to the socialist party rally on May Day. These rallies were completed with some musicians playing critical songs. A few years later, in England, a musician with exactly that style of music has become very popular - one of my all time favorites: Billy Bragg
There was a big tradition in singer/songwriter in Germany. Established in the early 60s and influenced by Bob Dylan, Pete Seegar, Woody Guthrie, Joan Baez and many more political singer like Franz Josef Degenhardt, Hanns Dieter Hüsch, Dieter Süverkrüpp and others met once a year to a festival on Burg Waldeck. I did't agree to all what they said and sung but there was one voice that I enjoy even nowadays. Hannes Wader has a deep and smooth voice and there is one song I love by its words - Heute hier - morgen dort. This are the words in English:
Here today, gone tomorrow, I'm hardly there, I must go, I've never complained about it.
Did it even chosen to never counted the years, never asked about yesterday and tomorrow. Sometimes I dream hard and then I think, it would be time to stay and have to do something quite different. Thus passes year after year and it's long been clear to me, that nothing remains that nothing is as it was. That one hardly missed me, forget it after days, if I'm already back elsewhere, interfere and do not care. Remains perhaps my face but the one 'or other in mind Sometimes I dream hard ... One asks me why I'm so, I remain silent, because the answer to it is difficult for me. After all, what is new is old and what was still yesterday already today 'or tomorrow is no longer true.
Some time ago, a television station has the pictures of football coaches dismissed shown and highlighted with this song - and that makes sense too. In this video the songs starts classic as we know it and turns into a past-punk version like it is the style of the Toten Hosen.
Spent the evening with my mate Ed watching the half final of the Champions League. Dortmund has reached the final and I hope they inflict a significant defeat Bayern Munich in the final. Ok let me dream for a few weeks. I take another Brugal for BVB and listen to the god of Re-mixes.
