Saturday, April 25

From back in the day

I used to fucking love this song. Woke up today with it in my head for some reason; hadn't heard it for a long long time. Now I realise some of it is the same chords as Back For Good by Take That.

Wednesday, April 22

Goochee Bandunna goochee goochee bandunna

A surreal video and song with clearly no inkling of a global recession from Soulja Boy.
Yet, if I were to hear this in a club - and God willing I do some day - I will absolutely dance to it. Unbelievable shit/genius.
Makes me feel old and detached. Goocheeeeeee bandunna power

Tuesday, April 21

There was blood


Having spooked the bejesus out of myself by watching Let The Right One In recently, it has taken me a few days to get back to a normal, uneventful, solid night's sleep. Even Amityville II: The Spookening (or something) seemed scary, having subjected my human eyes to a Swedish vampire film with one of the most intense and ominously quiet atmospheres I've ever experienced in a film.
I think it deserves a post of its own to be honest, which I will do soon, but for the moment I will bang up a couple of tracks that helped bring me back down from Planet Creepington.
Both are Damien Shingleton remixes of Jonathan Fisher tracks from his 2006 (I think) album Desiderata. Great chilled out remixes of atmospheric electronica. Head over to Hippocamp to find the rest of this album and a heap of electronica stuff all free and legal.

Hebden Bridge in November(Damien Shingleton remix) - Jonathan Fisher

Everything (Damien Shingleton Remix) - Jonathan Fisher

Monday, April 13

Come have a smell


Magik Markers release their new album, Balf Quarry, in May on the esteemed Drag City label.
Now, I won't pretend to know a shit load about this duo of Pete Nolan and Elisa Ambrogio but their album and homemade CD-R releases are well into the double figures at this stage, they've played with Sonic Youth and, as Tim Westwood might say on Twitter (follow him, it's worth it), this shit is box fresh (ahem).
The album plays beautifully into that woozy, bad trip vibe that has gotten under my skin the last while, also breaking into thumping rock-outs every so often.
It sounds, at times, a little like Jefferson Airplane and Sonic Youth fed through a cheap amp with the band having just been subjected to some serious Timothy Leary psychedelic tomfoolery under the guise of 'science'.
The guitars and percussion are interchangeably menacing, chugging, farting, feedbacking and idiosyncratically wahwahing all over the place while singer/guitarist Elisa Ambrogio is well able to keep up with the PJ Harveys and Nick Caves of this seedy, murky world, sporadically chucking in some gloopy electronica effects and piano to complement her vocals.
In spite of the raggedy all-over-the-placeness of Balf Quarry, there is an immediacy to this album which will most likely alienate their fanbase, who are probably now screaming out for a less 'clean' sound than this and an effort more akin to the band's earlier stuff whilst preparing to berate me for only jumping on the Magik Markers train now. Well fuck it, this is great AND they're playing Primavera on the ATP stage. Should be just dandy.



Here's two tracks from the album to have a listen to.

Magik Markers - 7/23

Magik Markers - Jerks

Sunday, April 12

Wow


Animal Collective - My Girls from Rob Chesnutt on Vimeo.

Not much point me posting this here as you probably already saw it on Nialler's blog but it's just too good to not re-post. So many ideas overflowing in this video for Animal Collective's My Girls by Rob Chestnutt - it has a cracking hodge podge of imagery that, off the top of my head, reminds me of Apocalypse Now and Mike Figgis's Timecode. Excellent stuff.

Tuesday, April 7

Plonky Tonk Man #1

With the host of groovy foodie blogs out there, why take a few wine suggestions thrown in your direction (from a questionable source) to complement that palate?
Willkommen bis the inaugural 'Plonky Tonk Man' post. Possibly to become 'There Will Be Plonk' or 'Daniel Plainview's Slosh Factory' - I haven't decided yet.
Have a go at a title if you feel like it.
I like booze and in recent years, thanks to the cheapening prices of vino and the fact that my good lady has, in her distant past, worked as a dazzlingly knowledgeable wine sommelier, I have developed a decent taste as to what's good and what's not. Anyone could do this, given time, but this could prove to be a lot of fun.
For all of us, of course.
And for my first recommendation: The Catena Malbec 2006



Now, I could bang on in the most verbose manner about this wine, and may do so for future installments, but suffice it to say this is a crimson red that smells overwhelmingly of berries and currants and yet is as light on the taste buds as an bulimic starlet who's just barfed up her tuna salad sandwich.
It doesn't need, necessarily, to be imbibed with food and will serve perfectly well as an evening wind-down tipple or as an 'I'm treating myself to a good wine tonight before I go out because I work bloody hard and I want to get pissed up but stay classy' drink too.
A deceptively lighter red for the usually more robust, jammy Malbecs.

Or as Wine Spectator put it:
Enticing, with lots of mocha, fruitcake, raspberry and boysenberry flavors stretched over a lengthy, fleshy finish. A delicious, fruit-driven version. Drink now through 2010.

Thank you, Wine Spectator.

This wine is at the more expensive end of the market, at around 17 or 18 quid, and you will have to head somewhere like The Corkscrew, near Nearys pub off Grafton Street, or that tiny wine store in Ringsend. In general it can be educational and informative to go into the independent wine stores and ask them about different varieties of wines, regions, grapes and years, tell them what you like/don't like and get them to recommend wines and let you taste them.
Tescos won't do that for you, now will they?
Then again, the wine shops don't have microwaveable lasagnes or milk.
It's a careful global-shopping balancing act.

Do yourself a favour and snap up this Malbec or I'll send Wine Spectator around to do your fookin' legs in.

Sunday, April 5

PRIMAVERA - holy shit

Neil Young · My Bloody Valentine · Sonic Youth · Aphex Twin · Bloc Party · Jarvis Cocker · Yo La Tengo · The Jayhawks · Spiritualized · Michael Nyman · Throwing Muses · Saint Etienne · The Jesus Lizard · Ghostface Killah · The New Year · Phoenix · Shellac · Joe Henry · Art Brut · A Certain Ratio · Liars · Squarepusher · Herman Dune · The Vaselines · Spectrum · Deerhunter · Sunn O))) performing "The Grimmerobe Demos" · Black Lips · The Horrors · Andrew Bird · The Bad Plus · Jay Reatard · Gang Gang Dance · Kimya Dawson · Lightning Bolt · Magnolia Electric Co. · Oneida · Th' Faith Healers · DJ /rupture · Ariel Pink Haunted Graffiti · Jason Lytle from Grandaddy · The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart · Dj Yoda · El-P · Simian Mobile Disco · Michael Mayer · Dan Deacon Ensemble · Jeremy Jay · A-Trak · Rhythm & Sound (Mark Ernestus) feat. Tikiman · Jesu · The Mae Shi · Alela Diane · Shearwater · Kitty, Daisy & Lewis · The Drones · Bat For Lashes · The Soft Pack · Damien Jurado · Fucked Up · Chad VanGaalen · The Bats · Tokyo Sex Destruction featuring Gregg Foreman · Crystal Stilts · Reigning Sound · Dälek · Marnie Stern · Dead Meadow · Vivian Girls · Ponytail · Ebony Bones · Wooden Shjips · Zu · Crystal Antlers · The Bug · Bowerbirds · Joe Crepúsculo y Los Destructores · Wavves · The Tallest Man On Earth · Tachenko · Agent Ribbons · Women · Uffie · John Maus · Magik Markers · The Extraordinaires · Stanley Brinks featuring Freschard & Ish Marquez · Angelo Spencer · Karl Blau · Plants & Animals · Extra Life · Mahjongg · Muletrain · Andy Votel · The Secret Society · Carsick Cars · Tim Burgess (The Charlatans) · La Bien Querida · The Intelligence · Sleepy Sun · Maika Makovski · Half Foot Outside · Zombie Zombie · Veracruz · The Right Ons · Los Punsetes · Klaus & Kinski · The Lions Constellation · Duchess Says · Mujeres · Elvira · Lemonade · Girls · The Disciplines · Dj Mehdi · Skatebård · Extraperlo · King Automatic · Cuzo · Alondra Bentley · PAL · Sedaiós · Hola A Todo El Mundo · Brian Hunt · Rosvita · QA'A · Meneo · Oniric · Centella · Bélmez · Wio Leokadio · Joan Colomo · Chris "The Judge" Arthur dj · Merienda Cena · Gúdar · Daniel Devine (WaKS records) · Dr. Kiko

I know, I know. It's a lazy post but holy shit right?

Wednesday, April 1

G for G20


Great photo from the G20 protest today. Courtesy of The Guardian.

Post no Bill



Winter weather is not my soul
But the biding for spring...

Why’s everybody looking at me
Like there’s something fundamentally wrong
Like I’m a southern bird
That stayed north too long

Winter exposes the nest
Then I’m gone

Bonnie Vid Billy - just to brighten the day