TEN SONGS

Beefhearts and Monkeys

2008-09-30T18:24:00.005+02:00

Hi there

I'll be updating this post on Captain Beefheart any day now, but as I told you in the last one, we're quite busy getting a good connection up and running at the new, improved Ten Songs Mansion...

In the meantime, just check the Ten Songs archives to your right, for a good read on a wide variety of musical subjects! That's right: sell it baby.

Bye,
Rick.

Intermission

2008-09-26T10:46:00.005+02:00

Well, I'm a bit behind schedule for my 'ten songs a month' concept - due to our moving to a place where the internet is not yet connected - so I'm gonna cheat a little and just post this lovely, weird (anti-)commercial clip for Captain Beefheart (more about him in the next post):

Rocking all over the World (4) - Nigeria

2008-09-24T14:05:00.011+02:00

fela anikulapo kuti

This time, it's Fela Kuti's turn in Ten Songs' African Tour. Born in Abeokuta, Nigeria in 1938, Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti can be accounted for the invention of Afrobeat, one of the most interesting genres around; no wonder, then, that HMV voted him #46 in the list of 100 most influential musicians of the twentieth century. I'll try to give a concise summary of Kuti's life and times here, but this guy has a hectic history to say the least.

Strange, but I'm beginning to see a pattern here: it seems that most of the African musicians I like, went off to Europe at a young age to study music, and thus combined various musical points of view. With Kuti, this is also the case: at age 20, being the brother of two well-known physicians, he was sent to London to study medicine, but Fela swiftly discovered his talents lied elsewhere and enlisted in the famed Trinity Music College. Here, he founded his first band, Koola Lobitos, playing a mix of American jazz, funk and African Highlife - the latter originally being a Ghanese horns/guitar driven genre, that soon became popular throughout the West-African region.

In 1963, Kuti returned to Nigeria and reformed the band, meanwhile studying as a radio producer for national radio. A big change in his political, musical and religious views came about in 1969, when he and his band left for the States. Here, he discovered the Black Panther Party, which led him to changing the band's name to Nigeria 70. However, Immigration Services were tipped off that the group didn't have any working permits, so Kuti et al hurried to L.A. to record some tracks and went back to Nigeria.

And that's when the real trouble began. He changed the band name to Africa '70, and his own middle name to Anikulapo ('he who carries death in his pouch') - claiming Ransome was a slave name - and formed a commune called the Kalakuta Republic, which he declared independent of the Nigerian state. Of course, this didn't go well with the government, and the place was regularly raided by the military. True story: at one point, police tried to arrest him on a cannabis charge, but Kuti ate the joint. The officers then arrested him and waited 'till he had to go to the bathroom so they could investigate his feces - but once again, Kuti got smart and offered them another inmate's number two, and he was released.

As his music became more and more political (and more popular), so the raids on the Republic grew increasingly fierce. When his hit record 'Zombie' was released in 1977, it was clear that the 'zombies' in the title were a metaphor for the soldiers who hassled him and his people on a regular basis. As a retaliation, the government sent 1000 soldiers to burn down the commune, ruining his musical equipment and recordings, and his mother was killed by throwing her out the window. Kuti later on recorded two tracks, 'Coffin for Head of State' and 'Unknown Soldier', in reaction to the 'official inquiry' stating that the commune was destroyed by one unknown soldier. Soon after, Kuti tried to run for president himself, but his candidature was refused.

In 1978, he married 27 women (mostly members of Africa '70) at a Kalakuta memorial, and played two concerts in Accra which resulted in riots, causing him to be banned from Ghana. During the eighties and early nineties, Kuti released records on a regular basis, earning him world-wide respect and recognition.

Despite all of the setbacks in his life, Fela Anikulapo Kuti kept on fighting against military corruption and governmental injustice until his AIDS-related death in 1997. His legacy is honored by his firstborn son, Femi Kuti, who is touring the world up to this day.

MP3: Fela Kuti and Africa '70 - Zombie

MP3: Fela Kuti and Roy Ayers - Africa

Rocking all over the World (3) - Ethiopia

2008-09-21T20:08:00.006+02:00

artwork W-1020

...And for this one, we're going to Ethiopia. Born in Jimma in 1943, Mulatu Astatke (also spelled Astatqé) is one of the most productive multi-musicians this much troubled country has brought forth: even now, at the age of 65, he's still touring and teaching young people his craft. As also was the case with Manu Dibango in the previous post, Astatke mixed a lot of western styles with his indigenous musical style; that's why he's now known as the godfather of Ethio-Jazz.

At a young age, in his teens, Astatke left for London to study music at the Lindisfarne College. Influenced by Miles Davis, John Coltrane and especially organist Jimmy Smith, he then moved on to the States, where he became the first African student at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Here, he quickly learned to play - to name just a few - piano, organ, vibraphone and percussion. He then returned to Ethiopia, where he threw in his learnings with the traditional, uniquely pentatonic local music.

And again, there are some parallels with Dibango: whereas their music is fundamentally different, Astatke's relaxed, instrumental, psychedelic jam-like sound once again reminds us of Booker T. and the MG's, but then like they've hooked up with Duke Ellington in the middle of an African desert. No surprise here, since Astatke has played with him in the early seventies and, after Ellington's death in '74, on several occasions with his backing band. Posted here is 'Yegelle Tezeta', from volume 4 in the excellent 'Ethiopiques' series; this compilation album was entirely dedicated to Astatke and is a real must-have. This laid-back yet funky track was also featured on the soundtrack of Jim Jarmusch' 'Broken Flowers', also including three other tracks of his.

In the next post, we're heading for Nigeria, to honor the late, great Fela Kuti, so do stop by for that one!

MP3: Mulatu Astatke - Yegelle Tezeta

Rocking all over the World (2) - Cameroon

2008-09-20T22:53:00.009+02:00

manu dibango. photo: unknown

...And this time, we're heading for Africa. Not much true-form rock'n'roll on this continent, but they have done a lot of interesting rhythm-driven stuff in the soul-funk genre, so let's talk about that. In this post and the following ones, we'll be having pit-stops in Cameroon, Ethiopia and Nigeria.

First up: Manu Dibango. This saxophonist spent the first fifteen years of his life in Cameroon, and only started to play music when he moved to France in 1949. Surprisingly, his first love for music didn't come from Africa either, but from the Duke Ellington tracks he heard in Paris. Fueled by Ellington's playing, Dibango's initial shot at composing was on a piano, but soon he realised it wasn't his thing and, inspired by American blues albums, skipped to saxophone. In 1954, only 21 at the time, Dibango moved to Brussels, where he also learned to play the vibraphone. His musical style began to take shape here, yet he moved back to Cameroon in the early sixties.

And this didn't go down well: as he was the offspring of a mixed couple (his father was from Yabassi, his mother from Douala), he was considered an outcast by both sides. That's probably why he moved back to France in 1965. At this stage, Dibango became a globetrotter without a motherland, with Paris at the epicentre of his travels. First he started out as a bandleader for Nino Ferrer, but it didn't take long before he started jamming with his own group. Although their live sets were like an early version of crossover-afrofunk, their first releases were less inspired variations on soul and New Orleans r'n'b: pretty much rip-offs of Booker T. and The Meters. Finally, in 1972, he found his true form with the now classic 'Soul Makossa' track, in which he mixed his African roots with all the jazzy, soulful and bluesy tunes he'd been hearing in the West - and sure enough it made for an explosive cocktail.

Posted here is that legendary track, as well as a reggae/disco version of it from Dibango's 1979 'Gone Clear' album. In the next post, we're stopping by in Ethiopia to pay Mulatu Astatke a visit, so stay tuned!

MP3: Manu Dibango - Soul Makossa

MP3: Manu Dibango - Reggae Makossa

Rocking all over the World (1) - Asia

2008-09-15T14:28:00.020+02:00

artwork 7SN028

After last week's city special on Radio Pink Flamingo - it'll be up for download any day now - , let's take the 'world trip' concept a bit more literally. For some time now, I've been wanting to compile an RPF featuring rock'n'roll bands from not so evident origins. I'm still trying to complete the list so it'll fill an hour - please do leave a comment if you have a suggestion - but at the moment I've already discovered a couple of priceless tracks from India, Japan and Cambodia (kudos to Evil Fons on that last one).

First up: Ted Lyons and his Cubs - at least, that's what it says on their drumkit in the hilarious clip shown below. I couldn't find much info on this band, except for this baseball playing person, but their fabulous 'Jaan Pahechan Ho' (Hindi for 'we should get to know eachother') was featured in 'Gumnaam' ('lost one'), in 1965 the very first Indian suspense thriller. In fact, its storyline was stolen from Agatha Christie's 'Ten Little Indians', its theme song's a blatant rip-off of Henry Mancini's 'Charade' theme, and save for one stunning dance sequence, the entire movie may be disregarded. Credited for the film's music is a duo called Shankar Jaikishan, so I suppose they're the ones responsible for this genius track. It's also in the opening sequence of 'Ghost World', an excellent adaptation of Daniel Clowes' comic featuring Steve Buscemi and a teenage Scarlett Johansson. Whatever, just enjoy this one:

Next: the 5.6.7.8's. Again, there's a movie connection: this Tokyo all-girl garage trio has been rocking it since 1986, but it wasn't until they did three tracks in 'Kill Bill Vol.1' that they got some international recognition - come to think of it: those Indian dancers sure look a lot like the Crazy 88. Mostly playing covers of 50's and 60's American bands, this bunch manages to give it their own distinctive sound by injecting loads of fuzz, fun and flimsy English. Posted here, though, is the completely wordless 'Woo Hoo', a brilliant cover of the Rock-A-Teens who recorded it in '59 - here's a video collage of the original. Also, as you could tell by that sticker on the cover above, it was a big hit in the US thanks to a Carling commercial.

And finally: Ros Sereysothea. It's not a happy story, this one: in the early seventies, an American tourist named Paul Wheeler bought some cassettes at a market in Cambodia. No playlists were included, but the recordings were from various indigenous musicians playing psychedelic rock music, inspired by western bands. Not much later, in 1975, the Khmer Rouge took power in the country, and it's safe to say that most, if not all, of the people on these tapes were murdered. Thankfully, their music made it through, as the Parallel World label released the excellent 'Cambodian Rocks' compilation in '96.

MP3: Shankar Jaikishan - Jaan Pahechan Ho

MP3: The 5.6.7.8's - Woo Hoo

MP3: Ros Sereysothea - Chnam oun Dop-Pram Muy

Legends and Rockets

2008-09-13T21:07:00.010+02:00

jesser (left) with thee andrews surfers. photo: rick brands

According to the poster, today was to be the last day of the Music Mania clearout sale, but due to the good response and excellent new supplies by Charlie and Lorin, it's likely we'll stay open 'till the end of the year. New opening hours and other updates will appear in this post as soon as we've made our minds up, so keep an eye on this one. *** UPDATE: The opening hours will stay the same as before: from 11.30 am 'till 6.30 pm, only now it'll be open from Wednesday 'till Saturday. *** In other news: as visual artist JesseRobot is planning a big exhibition at the Artifex later this year, his mother and acclaimed photographer Malou Swinnen is having a photoshoot tonight, on which he will base some of his paintings. But this JesseR dude is also quite the active bongo player under the Señor J. moniker, in bands like the Secret Fez Society, Jerboa and the recently split-up Fifty Foot Combo. So let's have a closer look on these, shall we?

In Secret Fez Society, Roosen was accompanied by two other FFC members, Rodrigo Fuentealba and fellow graphic artist Matto Le D., as well as Isolde Lasoen (Daan, Saint-Marteau, the Whodads) on drums. This loungey bossa nova jazz act, clearly tapping into the Henry Mancini-vein, only released one 10" EP via the 'To the Nines' label, so it's a pity I can't post an mp3 here - but we still have some copies lying around at the Mania, so feel free to stop by and buy one!

In 2007, after twelve years of rocking the world with their unique Monstrophonic Sound, Fifty Foot Combo called it quits. I had the opportunity of seeing this great r'n'r/surf/exotica act live several times, and they sure knew how to blow me away with their tight chemistry, high volume and go go dancing specials - a Dutch review of mine for Belpop can be read here. A nice track off their 2000 'Strike!' LP, 'The Legend Of Hanau Eepe', starts off with a flaming bongo roll by JesseR, to be blown to bits by screeching guitars and bombing drums later on. The mp3 is at the end of this post, so listen for yourselves. Most of the final FFC line-up (drummer Bart Rosseau, guitarist Steven Gillis and bassist Jenz DW) is still occasionally touring as Thee Andrews Surfers Deluxe, with guest appearances by Señor J., The Stiffs frontman Staf Derie and others. So if their name's on the line-up someplace near you, be sure to check it out!

And finally: Jerboa. Quite the different genre compared to the aforementioned acts, this project by 'Flemish DJ Shadow' Frederik Dejongh leans more toward turntablism and electronics. Well, this was definitely the case on 'Music for My Instruments', his excellent debut LP, but on 2007 follow-up 'Rockit Fuel' it became more of a group effort, played live by a four-piece band and a whole bunch of guest-vocalists. At the moment, Jerb is working on record #3, and expectations are quite high-strung after the critically and commercially well-received last one. Let's hope it'll sound somewhat like the last song on 'Rockit Fuel', the eponymous intrumental posted here, because it's a killer track if I've ever heard one. Enjoy!

MP3: Fifty Foot Combo - The Legend Of Hanau Eepe

MP3: Jerboa - Rockit Fuel

Sailors and Cities on the Radio

2008-09-09T11:00:00.010+02:00

artwork CID131 on island. photo: anders petersen

After the summer hiatus and some funky mix shows, Radio Pink Flamingo is back in full effect! And next Saturday from 6 'till 7 pm CET, on 105.3 Urgent.fm, we already have a special treat for you: DJ Divine and yours truly put their heads together and came up with an RPF City Special. Basically, it's a journey around the world in 58 minutes, stopping by at every genre conceivable, as long as it's linked to the name of a city. Of course, some inevitable classics are on the list ('New York, New York', 'Viva Las Vegas', 'Waterloo'), but this one's also packed with quite some lesser-known gems by the likes of The Clash, Siouxsie and the Banshees, David Bowie and Leonard Cohen.

However, since this show is linked to the marine theme they've got going at the Pink Flamingo's bar, we also needed one true sailor song - ànd with a city in the title. We finally found it on Tom Waits' outstanding 1985 'Rain Dogs' album: a raunchy, dangerous track called 'Singapore'. The typically distorted guitar has Marc Ribot written all over it, as he hoisted the axe on most of the album - except for three songs, where none other than Keith Richards jumped in. The overall sound of 'Rain Dogs' is also very atypical for the mid-eighties, since synths, drum machines or samples are nowhere to be heard. Waits himself on the subject:

'If I want a sound, I usually feel better if I've chased it and killed it, skinned it and cooked it. Most things you can get with a button nowadays. So if I was trying for a certain drum sound, my engineer would say: "Oh, for Christ's sake, why are we wasting our time? Let's just hit this little cup with a stick here, sample something (take a drum sound from another record) and make it bigger in the mix, don't worry about it." I'd say, "No, I would rather go in the bathroom and hit the door with a piece of two-by-four very hard".'

And much respect for that decision, because these songs still sound crispy fresh today. Posted here is 'Singapore', as well as another great track off the 'Rain Dogs' album called 'Fockey Full of Bourbon'. Enjoy, and be sure to tune in next Saturday: 105.3 FM if you're in Ghent, or via the worldwide streaming. As always, you can check the playlists on groovekit.be!

MP3: Tom Waits - Singapore

MP3: Tom Waits - Jockey Full of Bourbon

Battling Babies, Made Out of Mice

2008-09-07T13:10:00.012+02:00

julie christmas (pic: seldon hunt)

The weather round here is what an Indian Summer in Belgium is bound to be, so we're in dire need of some gloomy melodies, to correspond with that dreary mess outside. And as dark tunes go, few can top the two bands fronted by Julie Christmas. In Battle Of Mice, featuring members of the equally excellent Red Sparowes, this Brooklyn-based singer successfully combines eerie, hushed nursery rhymes with sudden nerve-crushing screams and epic walls of guitars and drums. Two years ago, Neurot Recordings released their debut album 'A Day Of Nights', on which Christmas et al knocked me off my feet with a mere seven tracks. Built around a fascinating fable involving a chained, bloody-beaked dog reminiscent of Cerberus and more grim, Grimm-ish faerie tale nudges, it's one of those rare concept albums that actually manage to pull you completely into their own, hermetic universe.

Made Out of Babies, Christmas' other, older band with ex-boyfriend Brendan Tobin on guitars, recently unleashed their third LP called 'The Ruiner' upon the world. Their first release via The End Records, a NY label that also harbours some other Ten Songs faves like Nadja (drone-metal) and Enemy of the Sun (doom-core), it's once again a big step forward from their previous albums. Here, Christmas takes a more in-your-face approach, backed by a furious noise rock/metal combo. As you can tell, it's pretty heavy stuff, or, as they fittingly put it in their bio, 'devastating'.

It's quite a surprise, then, that this same dreaded vixen plans to release a solo-album in 2009 under the 'The Bad Wife' moniker, including a cover by none other than fellow Belgian chansonnier Jacques Brel. On her MySpace, you can listen to a 55-second snippet of 'If You Go Away', a translation by Rod McKuen of Brel's classic tearjerker 'Ne Me Quitte Pas'. She's in good company on this one, since a.o. Frank Sinatra, Shirley Bassey, Scott Walker and Dusty Springfield tried their hand on it before her. And quite frankly, Christmas' version sounds promising to say the least. For a heartbreaking live rendition of the original by Brel himself, check YouTube.

Posted here are 'The Lamb and The Labrador', the opening track of Battle of Mice' debut album, as well as 'Cooker', an electrifying new track off Made Out of Babies' 'The Ruiner'. Enjoy breaking your neck to these puppies!

MP3: Battle of Mice - The Lamb and The Labrador

MP3: Made Out of Babies - Cooker

Wizards, Stones, Grids and Lakes

2008-09-04T20:23:00.015+02:00

bibendum concurs

One of the new psych-oriented gems on heavy rotation at the Music Mania is called Beyond the Wizards Sleeve. This duo, consisting of Mixmag's '06 dj of the year Erol Alkan and The Grid founding member Richard Norris, picks up where great sixties/early seventies bands like the Who, the Kinks and all of those Nuggets bands left off, and injects their guitar groove with some envigorating modern-day synths and cut-and-paste magic. On 'Ark 1', recently released by Rough Trade, BTWS compiled most of the tracks featured on a series of 12" maxi's recorded over the last two years - well, when I say 'tracks', I mean re-edits mostly. It's definitely one to hear - especially on vinyl, so there's a tip for ya.

Another spectrum of these guys' studio genius can be heard via their remixing abilities: thus far, Alkan and Norris have done some wonderful things with tracks by such diverse acts as Chemical Brothers, Findlay Brown, Midlake and Simian Mobile Disco. I'm not sure this thing will boom in the same way The Grid did back in the early nineties, or how Alkan is now a superstar DJ - it's a bit too underground and revival-ish for that, not to mention the copyright consequences - but it's still a great idea, exquisitely executed.

Posted here are two tracks off the Ark 1 album: 'Percy Power', which is basically a guide to treating your plants nicely, and 'Light Years (Spring)', a reworking of '2000 Light Years from Home', one of my favorite Rolling Stones tracks. Furthermore, a great remix of Midlake's 'Roscoe' is at your disposal, and for old time's sake, the Grid's 'Swamp Thing' off their '94 'Evolver' album. I remember watching the video at night on MTV when I was 13, and sure enough it freaked me out.

MP3: Beyond the Wizards Sleeve - Percy Power

MP3: Beyond the Wizards Sleeve - Light Years (Spring)

MP3: Midlake - Roscoe (Beyond the Wizards Sleeve RMX)

MP3: The Grid - Swamp Thing

P.S.: be sure to check out the great 'Part of the Weekend Never Dies' documentary about fellow Ghent residents Soulwax: Alkan has some funny things to say about them.

Priests and Casanovas

2008-08-31T12:02:00.007+02:00

neil hannon

I've been wanting to write about The Divine Comedy for quite some time now, yet never followed through for some reason. Well, there's no direct occasion for posting a blog about Neil Hannon and his mates right now (except for their sheer greatness), but it's been two years since 'Victory for the Comic Muse', their latest album, hit stores - so we're bound to hear about some new stuff any day now.

Since he founded the band in 1989, only constant TDC member Hannon stumbled upon more than his fair share of highs and lows. For instance, the Irishman's debut album 'Fanfare for the Comic Muse' relentlessly bombed upon its initial release in 1990. These days, this heavily REM-influenced curiosum is regarded by fans as an interesting musical coming-of-age, with Hannon only being twenty years old at the time. Some equally unsuccessful EPs followed, until finally in '93 the first favoring reviews entered the picture for the 'Liberation' LP. No wonder considering their Dante-esque moniker, the album was packed with literary references such as Anton Chekhov (in 'Three Sisters'), F. Scott Fitzgerald (in 'Bernice Bobs Her Hair') and William Wordsworth (in 'Lucy', basically a combination of three of his poems). Yet still, maybe quite unsurprisingly, the larger audience that this kind of music deserved remained unreachable.

That was about to change, when in 1996 'Casanova' became their first hit record, reaching #48 in the British billboards. Since then, all TDC albums made the charts, 1999's 'Fin de Siècle' even reaching the #9 position. Meanwhile, Hannon made the theme music for the excellent BBC series 'Father Ted'; for a funny Eurovision-spoof he wrote called 'My Lovely Horse', check YouTube. The series only made it to three seasons, since main actor Dermot Morgan suddenly died in 1998. Still, those episodes we have belong to some of the funniest British comedy ever.

Posted here are 'Ignorance Is Bliss', the first track off the debut album, as well as their first hit single 'Something for the Weekend' off the 'Casanova' album, and 'Songs of Love', of which the Father Ted theme song is a reworking. Enjoy!

MP3: The Divine Comedy - Ignorance Is Bliss

MP3: The Divine Comedy - Something for the Weekend

MP3: The Divine Comedy - Songs of Love

Lightbulbs and Dishwashers

2008-08-27T19:06:00.006+02:00

artwork FTH061

Seems I'm struck with a serious case of gastro-enteritis, so let's - uhm - squeeze this one out inbetween visits to the lavatory. Fujiya and Miyagi from Brighton, UK - and not from Japan: they got the names from a brand of record player and the Karate Kid character - will release their third album called 'Lightbulbs' on the first of September, and since it's the follow-up to 2006's excellent 'Transparent Things', the stakes are pretty high. Starting out as a duo in 2000, this neo-kraut/electro outfit now climb the stage as a four-headed, full-grown band, so that's already quite promising. A year ago, I saw them as a threesome and even then it was a great show. Be sure to check 'em out on tour, as they're visiting just about every town in the world on their massive tour - it's all on MySpace.

Already some songs got leaked onto the internet, such as 'Knickerbocker', the first single that's equipped with a colorful video by Wade Shotter, and the more laidback, melancholic 'Dishwasher' - my favorite for now. I posted it here, together with 'Ankle Injuries' off the last album, so you can compare 'em. And there's also a great dominoes-styled video to go with that track.

So if you'll excuse me, I have to run off to the toilet now.

MP3: Fujiya & Miyagi - Ankle Injuries

MP3: Fujiya & Miyagi - Dishwasher

Actors Disliking Definite Articles

2008-08-24T14:23:00.029+02:00

pic: madelien waegemans

Quite some time has passed since the Ten Songs headlight was aimed on a local band - a quiet season on the Belgian polders can be accounted for that - so here goes. Arquettes, an excellent Ghent-based outfit (caution: it's not THE Arquettes - articles annoy them for some reason) caught my attention some years ago, when I was working at a record label. Although they were still stuck in the demo stage back then, their potential was clearly audible for everyone who stumbled upon it. This mixture of harmonic vocals, strapping shoegazer guitars and an impeccable knack for catchy synths made for a sound not easily conceived nor copied. Whilst listening to their songs, one might consider it easy to conjure up such pop-sensitive compositions, but I guess that's exactly the secret of pop: to keep it deceptively 'simple'. Oh, and the lyrics aren't too shabby either.

Last year, Koen Wijnant and company enjoyed an appearance on the Wablief Stage at Pukkelpop, Belgium's leading alternative festival. This year I skipped the whole thing for the first time since 1995, since I'm fed up with the herds of smelly, annoying people roaming the place. However, I was at their last year's gig and it was pretty brilliant, as they managed to mask a guitar malfunction by improvising a spun-out kraut jam, and this ruse corresponded surprisingly well with their original sound. I took some pictures back then with a lousy pocket camera, but seem to have mislayed them in some now-erased folder. But the far superior pics by Wannabes' Madelien Waegemans of their Gentse Feesten-gig at Charlatan (see also above) will do fine.

'It's a Relief', the mp3 featured here, is a pretty old track of theirs: in fact, it was their very first official single. An okay video by Eva Cools - just a pity about the cliché-riddled 'storyline' - goes with it, also featuring my missus (look closely at 1:17 - it's not the ersatz-Betty Page). I myself got killed on the cutting-room floor, as did the band itself: the 'Arquettes' featured here are in fact members of budding acts like Tokota, Het Zesde Metaal and the aforementioned Kapitan Korsakov. No big reason there: they just didn't feel like acting.

MP3: Arquettes - It's a Relief

Ghosts and Happenings

2008-08-21T21:02:00.014+02:00

artwork sire6093 by peter saville, factory records' main designer

It's been a couple of grey, lackluster days round here - with all the recoveries from birthday drinks, preparations for photo exhibitions and whatnot - , so just a quick one. After turning 27 last Wednesday (a tricky age in rock 'n' roll - knock on wood), I got to thumb some more through Lorin's second-hand LPs at the Mania to pick one out, and came up with a classic gem: Brian Eno and David Byrne's 'My Life in the Bush of Ghosts'. Once again the title is a literary reference, to a 1954 novel by Nigerian author Amos Tutuola about a little boy trapped in the ghost world - and this record, I bet, made an equally alienating impression upon its initial release. Funny thing is, this album's exactly as old as me - recorded while on tour with Talking Heads in '79-'80, yet published in 1981 - , and come November the twosome will finally release their follow-up, 'Everything that Happens will Happen Today'. Judging from 'Strange Overtones', the mp3 you get mailed if you subscribe to their newsletter, it'll be a more conventional trip this time around - with Byrne on vocals in a clear verse-chorus-verse structure - but with these guys, you can never be too sure.

Today, 'Bush' still stands as one of the most innovative albums in pop history. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the feel and sound of it hasn't dated one bit over all these years: the seemingly illogical combination of 'objet trouvé'-ish percussion (cardboard boxes, frying pans) and recordings of exorcists, Arabic singers and radio dj's, topped off with a generous portion of funk, opened the doors to genres like ambient, trance and crossover electronics. No wonder, since the recording process took place in no less than five different studios, pretty much unheard of in those days.

Posted here are 'Strange Overtones' off the new album, as well as 'America is Waiting', 'Bush''s opening track, on which they also had some help of legendary dub bassist Bill Laswell. 'Everything that Happens will Happen Today' can already be pre-ordered here - in the form of mp3, cd or deluxe pack.

MP3: David Byrne and Brian Eno - Strange Overtones

MP3: Brian Eno and David Byrne - America is Waiting

Music for One Apartment and Six Drummers

2008-08-18T12:30:00.009+02:00

Just a great video:

More info on imdb.com.

Pass the JB's!

2008-08-15T20:20:00.006+02:00

artwork the jb's' 'food for thought' lp

It's been a while, so here's another post from the funky side of life - after all, it is summer. Rummaging through some of the second-hand vinyl at Music Mania, I stumbled upon one grrreat album by The JB's, called 'Pass the Peas'. On the net, there's not much to be found about this record - it's not even listed on Discogs - , yet from what I've gathered it's basically a German re-pressing of 'Food for Thought', the JB's' 1972 debut album. Well, as you could've already told from the band name, these guys were responsible for the grooves on some of James Brown's best tracks, and on this album he stops by for two rapping skits. However, that's not the only illustrious guest here, since some other names popping up include Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker and William 'Bootsy' Collins - yeah, most of you funkateers will know him from George Clinton's Parliament/Funkadelic projects, but this stuff was from before that era (only 21 years old at the time) and it's quite interesting to see his development. In fact, most of the original JB's ended up in Clinton's posse - good thing then, that they didn't give up the funk.

Posted here are 'Theme from King Heroin', a mellow, oft-sampled track that has quite the effect the title promises, as well as the album's title and opening track, one funky classic if there's ever been one, with a major role for the JB Horns section. Enjoy!

MP3: The JB's - Theme from King Heroin

MP3: The JB's - Pass the Peas

Heeeeeeere's Grace!

2008-08-12T14:28:00.005+02:00

grace jones with divine at her thirtieth birthday party, 1978, le farfalle nyc

Three months ago she turned 60, but you wouldn't say it when looking at her: the marvellous Grace Jones. From where I'm sitting, this Jamaican-born singer, 007 vixen, Warhol muse and former model hasn't changed a bit since this coked-up photo's been taken, although she's doubled in age by now. And as 'Hurricane', her tenth full-album, will hit stores come October, let's hope that's the beginning of a revival in her career - be it a pretty late one.

And the first bits off the new record that made it onto the net sound nothing short of excellent. Seems la Jones, always one to notice a good idea (see her great cover versions of, amongst others, 'Nightclubbing' and the aforementioned 'Warm Leatherette'), has been keeping her mind and ears open lately, because the creepy drones and trippy beats on first single 'Corporate Cannibal' work together like an amalgam of 'Hater', off the dubstep-ish 'The World Is Gone' album by the aforementioned Various, and Massive Attack's 'Black Milk' off the modern classic 'Mezzanine' (which is, to my surprise, already ten years old by now - guess I'm getting old). Combine those brooding influences with Jones' threatening timbre and some screeching guitars, and what you get is one evil motherfucker of a song. And of course, it doesn't hurt to have a great video by Nick Hooker to go with it.

Another leaked track's called 'This Is Life', and on this one you can more clearly retrace Jones' Jamaican roots, as it's a nice little dubby ditty; no surprises here since the almighty dub/reggae producers Sly and Robbie are in on the game. Other illustrious guests on 'Hurricane' include Brian Eno, Tricky, drumming legend Tony Allen and long-time Jones songwriting companion Bruce Woolley. Well: I, for one, can hardly wait!

MP3: Grace Jones - Corporate Cannibal

MP3: Grace Jones - This Is Life

Sex with Cheese while Burning Dollars

2008-08-09T10:56:00.008+02:00

artwork VCA-80005-2

After a hiatus of three weeks, due to the airwave-disrupting havoc we all know as the Gentse Feesten, Radio Pink Flamingo will be back at your disposal tonight (6 'till 7 pm CET, on 105.3 Urgent.fm). One of the newest swingin' acts you're sure to move your ass to during one of the coming episodes, is King Khan and the Shrines. This Canadian/Indian/Berliner soul rock combo, fronted by charismatic Kukamonga cult leader Arish 'King' Khan, sure know their classics: listening to the recently released 'The Supreme Genius of King Khan and the Shrines' (on Vice Records, which Khan used to write for too), you can almost literally smell the funky breath of various immortally cool acts like The Zombies, James Brown & the JB's and the aforementioned Otis Redding. All of that, ànd some funny, self-deprecating lyrics to top it off - which, of course, is nice.

And if the music still isn't enough to turn you over to the Khan side, then some of his lifestyle tips are sure to succeed: for instance, while on tour, Khan regularly incites the audience members into each burning one dollar, which subsequently turns into hundreds of bucks being publically squandered - great KLF-like stuff. Or, outside of his touring bus, he enjoys dressing up as a hobo and goes lying around on the streets of whatever town he happens to be in. As the King puts it:

"That's the secret of the whole Kukamonga Death Cult: I dress up like a homeless person wherever I tour, because it's anti-sexual. When I tour, I'm neither homosexual or heterosexual - I'm hobo-sexual. So that basically opens yourself up to anything at all - you could have sex with a piece of cheese and it would be totally natural."

Um, yeah, OK...

Anyway, just give 'Torture' a listen, the immensely exciting opening track off the album, and judge for thyselves!

MP3: King Khan and the Shrines - Torture

Spirits in the Cathedral

2008-08-06T19:57:00.009+02:00

artwork of the original 'spirit' release on acuarela discos

Pretty weird I haven't mentioned this band before, 'cause I've been a big fan of theirs for some time: Apse. This Cape Cod sextet derived their name from the cone-shaped part behind an altar, and that's pretty smart considering their long, spun-out soundscapes of songs perfectly befit that spiritual, spooky mood you might get in an abandoned temple. After releasing some pretty okay EPs - which nevertheless didn't capture the band's full potential - they finally found their true form in 2006, when 'Spirit', their debut LP, hit stores. On this record, a wide spectrum of influences can be heard (such gods as My Bloody Valentine, Slint and - erm - The God Machine come to mind), but above all it was finally proven that this bunch sure knew how to compose some thrilling, mezmerizing, original tracks. Apparently the guys of the ATP festival agreed, since they recently re-released this magnificent album on their own label, so at last it can boast in the amount of attention it truly deserves.

Naturally, this is one act you don't want to miss live, so when they visited Pukkelpop last year (at the unholy hour of 2 o' clock in the afternoon), we witnessed one of the best concerts of the year. Some months later, they shared a remarkable bill at the Muziek-O-Droom with the aforementioned Creature with the Atom Brain and Vandal X: although it was a larger set this time around, it didn't quite move me in the same way. Afterwards, I got to talk to singer Robert Toher - mostly to apologize for my talking during the intro of 'Shade of the Moor', which he countered mid-song with a well-meant 'will you shut the fuck up, please' - and he also had noticed it wasn't exactly their best gig yet, since the band had been touring quite a long time and was completely jet-lagged. Still, a half-assed concert of these guys sounds far better than most of the others' full-on attempts, so that's a tip for ya.

MP3: Apse - Shade of the Moor

P.S.: To check out their touring log and some of their videos, be sure to check Apse's blog!

Pets and Fruits

2008-08-03T13:51:00.009+02:00

artwork BYOP's last LP, 'Get Awkward'

Sad news: Be Your Own Pet, one of the few truly exciting punk rock bands around these days, have decided to call it quits. According to a blog post on their MySpace last Friday, the Nashville foursome fronted by stage animal Jemina Pearl will play one more tour throughout the UK before laying down the axe. So, four years of memories, five EPs and two full-albums is all we have left of this great act? Well, I guess we should be grateful for that alone. As the band puts it:

"To all of our fans,
We are sad to bring you the news that our upcoming shows in the UK (dates below) are going to be our last as a band. We thank you for all your love and support these past few years - its been a blast but the time has come for the 4 of us to go our separate ways."

Expected is that the members will continue to play music in other bands, such as guitarist Jonas and drummer John's Turbo Fruits project - which is also pretty okay to say the least, yet misses some of Pearl's rock'n'roll charm to make for a worthy substitute. Posted here is BYOP's 'Bunk Trunk Skunk' track off their eponymous '06 debut LP: if I'm not mistaken, this 93 second hurricane was the first song I heard of 'em, and naturally it blew me away. To give you a hint regarding which way it'll go from here, I also included a Turbo Fruits mp3 off their '07 nameless debut called 'Pockets full of Thistles', including some jolly good whistling. Enjoy!

BYOP's last tour dates:
22 August: Reading Festival - Reading
23 August: Leeds Festival - West Yorkshire
25 August: Carling Academy 2 - Liverpool
26 August: Dingwalls - London

MP3: Be Your Own Pet - Bunk Trunk Skunk

MP3: Turbo Fruits - Pockets full of Thistles

Goons, Moons and Balloons

2008-07-30T11:40:00.008+02:00

artwork IPC-086

Another great record from the new batch Music Mania recently added to the shelves, is 'Licker's Last Leg', Goon Moon's first full-album on Mike Patton's fab Ipecac label. Whereas their first release, 2005's mini-LP 'I Got A Brand New Egg Layin' Machine', still sounded a bit too chaotic - even to my standards - , on this one Chris Goss (from Masters Of Reality, who'll also release a new album any day now) and Jeordie White (aka Twiggy Ramirez of Marilyn Manson) sure nailed it. This collection of songs remains an amalgam of eclectic influences, yet on the whole it manages to sound like nothing else I've heard before. Of course, considering Goss and Desert Sessions/QOTSA mainstay Dave Catching's in on the game, that's bound to leave a stamp, but hey: I've heard of worse company.

One of their most straight-forward tracks is called 'Balloon': in the class of decadent r'n'r ballroom trashers, it's right up there inbetween Mark Lanegan's 'Sideways in Reverse' and Primal Scream's 'Rocks' (btw: they also released another bombshell album - more about that later). Suffice to say it's pretty weird that on the record, this track's followed by 'The Golden Ball', a nine minute plus collage of sunny sing-along folk (yes, from Marilyn Manson's guitarist), psychedelic drones, ambient soundscapes, and I'm probably forgetting a few. Anyhow: highly recommended!

MP3: Goon Moon - Balloon

MP3: Goon Moon - The Golden Ball

Creatures, Grooms and Sexmachines!

2008-07-27T20:09:00.007+02:00

creature with the atom brain. pic: hannelore knuts

Time to head back to the home front: to Ghent, Limburg and Antwerp more precisely. That's where some of my favorite Belgian bands originate from, such as Sexmachines, the aforementioned Creature with the Atom Brain and Mauro and the Grooms. The common denominator between these very different styles of rock bands is Jan Wygers (far left on pic), a great bassist who's mostly overlooked playing in the background, yet fills an important role in these specific bands' sounds.

And these three acts make for a nice overview of the past decade in Belgian rock. Founded in '98, Sexmachines were one of the first bands to be signed to indie label Kinky Star. The threesome, also featuring Danny Mommens (Vive La Fête, ex-dEUS) and Luc Waegeman (Needle and the Pain Reaction, ex-Starfighter), even scored a minor hit with their now-classic party track 'On Stage'. But that's not all the guys did: posted here is a lesser-known song called 'Fool', off a digital 'Rare Tracks' EP I've put online when I worked at the KS office. It's one of their best: starting out a bit more downtempo, this instrumental soon turns into a rocky ride with a major part for Wygers' rolling basslines.

Another Belgian hero I guess most of you know, or have at least heard about, is Mauro Pawlowski. Around the same time Sexmachines started out, his Evil Superstars released their second and last album, 'Boogie Children-R-Us', before disbanding way too soon. Pawlowski went on to making music for Polish puppeteering acts and soundtracks for underground movies for a while, before returning in 2001 with a solo album called 'Songs from a Bad Hat'. Though obviously more pop-minded than his usual out-there shenanigans with the Superstars, the album was still very rock'n'roll - ànd very good indeed. This was where Wygers entered the picture, playing bass on the entire album. Pawlowski took him along for Mauro and the Grooms, his new project also featuring guitarist Steven Janssens (The Whodads, The Mudgang, The Stiffs) and drummer Herman Houbrechts (Dead Man Ray, ex-Nemo). In 2004, after releasing some singles and EPs, their debut full-length called 'Black Europa' hit stores. Posted here is my fave track off the album, 'Fear Life', again a track thriving on a shiny, dark bassline by Wygers. Later this year you can expect some new output by these guys: to stay updated, and for info on Pawlowski's countless other projects, go to mauroworld.net.

Last but not least: Creature with the Atom Brain. What started out as a home project by Millionaires and allround music freaks Aldo Struyf (also from Mark Lanegan Band) and Dave Schroyen (also from Vandal X, ex-Evil Superstars), soon turned into a full-grown band, with Wygers and Michiel Van Cleuvenbergen filling in the blanks. Posted here is the last track off their first EP, 'The Snake', called 'My Flag'. It's one of the very early CWTAB songs: for a more band-orientated sound, be sure to check out their excellent full-length 'I Am The Golden Gate Bridge'. Some other interesting links: click here for my Belpop-review of their first two EPs (in Dutch, though), and here for a great video for 'My Flag', featuring Dave Schroyen eating some goo he found on the street; sweet!

MP3: Sexmachines - Fool

MP3: Mauro and the Grooms - Fear Life

MP3: Creature with the Atom Brain - My Flag

Crazy Femmes, Violent Daddies

2008-07-25T12:49:00.006+02:00

cover art, blue vinyl 12"

Since it's been a long day involving record stores and photoshoots for the Zoot girls, just a quick one about an interesting musical phenomenon: cross-covering. Basically, it's when two separate bands play eachother's songs and add a typical, personal ring to it. The Beatles and the Stones did it, as did David Bowie and Iggy Pop, but the nicest, more recent example comes from Gnarls Barkley and Violent Femmes. On their 2006 debut album 'St. Elsewhere', Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse covered the Femmes' 'Gone Daddy Gone' track off their eponymous - and classic - 1982 debut, and with great success, since it was to be their second single, filling the shoes of the - even then already legendary - 'Crazy' track. The new version was a bit more up-tempo, yet still stayed pretty close to the original, recycling much, if not all, of the song's structure.

As it suits men of a more mature age, Gordon Gano and his mates took just about two years before returning the favour by covering Gnarls' 'Crazy', renaming it 'Violent and Crazy' and releasing it in a fancy vinyl version in blue. Now, this version applies quite the opposite treatment to the source material; the Femmes turned the jumpy, floorfilling track into a mariachi-styled ballad, maybe even more befitting the wry, alienating lyrics. But hey: be sure to listen and judge for yourselves!

MP3: Violent Femmes - Gone Daddy Gone

MP3: Gnarls Barkley - Gone Daddy Gone

MP3: Violent Femmes - Violent and Crazy

MP3: Gnarls Barkley - Crazy

P.S.: For Gnarls Barkley's 'Gone Daddy Gone' video, involving some funky fluorescent fleas, click here. Maybe it will inspire you into making your own video for 'Violent and Crazy', which they're looking for here.

Skweee!

2008-07-23T14:36:00.007+02:00

Just a short one today, since I'm already late for work at the Music Mania - by the way: during the Gentse Feesten, we're open every day from 2 'till 7 pm; the focus lies mainly on vinyl, but later this week some old new cd's will be placed in the racks for ridiculously low prices. Mostly rock and metal, but pretty much every genre's in there.

Fed up with looking back in the history of electro? Well, time to look forward then, and to Sweden, because lately there's been quite the electro revival over there. They call it Skweee, and the leading label's Flogsta Danshall. Recently they released their second 'Museum of Future Sound' compilation, featuring most of their acts. Judging from this sample, I think it's a scene to keep a close look on in the future - just a tip.

Featured here are two mp3s by some of the leading acts on Flogsta: Rigas Den Andre and the Wizards of DOS (you got to give them some credit for that great name alone). Enjoy, and if you're near Ghent tonight: see you at the Roerkuip!

MP3: Rigas Den Andre - Rather Be Dead

MP3: Wizards of DOS - A Paba

Big Black German Models

2008-07-21T18:11:00.012+02:00

artwork 31C 064-85444

Well, since Telenet is giving us a hard time back at the Ten Songs Mansion - again - , I'm hijacking Ramona's laptop for another post in the electro vein. After covering King Giorgio's influence, let's go even further back in time to the instigators of the genre: Kraftwerk. The name alone says enough, as it's German for power station, considering these four Düsseldorfians were nothing short of the driving force behind the whole electronic revolution during the mid to late seventies. But the guys were at it way before that: Kraftwerk originally was founded in 1970 by Florian Schneider and Ralf Hütter, who shortly thereafter started their legendary Kling Klang studio - which reminds me: that's also the name of a great British band on Mogwai's Rock Action label, more about them later. In an early incarnation, members of the aforementioned Neu! played with them, but pretty soon Fritz Hilpert and Henning Schmitz filled in the blanks and the foursome found their true form.

Posted here is 'Das Model', a later (1978) track most of you know in the English version of the 'The Man-Machine' LP, but I just like this one better. In fact, the whole album appeared in an English and German version ('Die Mensch-Maschine'), also including classics like 'Die Roboter' and 'Metropolis'; it stands as their best work.

artwork B000LZF1SU

Apparently Steve Albini agreed, since in '87 he covered the track with Big Black on their second and last album: the quintessential 'Songs About Fucking'. Sounds like quite another track in this version with all the post-hardcore noise going on, but it's great in its own class.

And oh: for a funny Kraftwerk-spoof by Bill Bailey and his mates, click here!

MP3: Kraftwerk - Das Model

MP3: Big Black - The Model

Obey Giorgio!

2008-07-16T21:40:00.004+02:00

Next Wednesday I'm dj'ing at Roerkuip during the Gentse Feesten. As this wonderful bar is owned by one of the Mascotte people, I think I'll give my usual eclectic turntabling a rest and head for the straight, early electro stuff. So, for the next couple of posts, let's focus on that genre.

Of course, one cannot say electro (nor italo, nor any modern music since the seventies) without mentioning Giorgio Moroder. This Urtijëi-born producer, manager, director and designer is mostly known for providing major acts like Blondie, Donna Summer and Janet Jackson with their own distinctive sound, but that's not all. For instance, he's responsible for some of the best-known movie songs and soundtracks around: his own work includes scores for Cat People, Scarface and Midnight Express, as well as producing the godawful 'Flashdance - What a Feeling' for Irene Cara and Top Gun's 'Take My Breath Away' for Berlin - which were both nevertheless honored with an Oscar. Well, that's not even the tip of the tip of the iceberg from what this productive genius has brought forth thusfar, so you can find a more complete discography here - and even on that site they're still working to get all of his work listed. Also a fun tip: on YouTube, there's a great promotional clip about the G-Man.

Posted here, besides Mascotte's smashing 'Backspace' track off their free 'Victorian Noir' LP, are two favorites to which Moroder 'contributed' (it's a too small word, I know): the inevitable as it is immortal 'I Feel Love' by Queen of Disco Donna Summer (who also recently released another horrible record, but let's forget about that) and, from the American Gigolo soundtrack, 'Call Me' by - who else - Blondie. Enjoy, and be sure to stop by next week!

MP3: Mascotte - Backspace

MP3: Donna Summer - I Feel Love

MP3: Blondie - Call Me

Gloomy Angst and Blue Heads

2008-07-14T12:31:00.009+02:00

cover art angst ep by anna

This morning, I woke up as the mailman passed by with a package of ANGST. In case you presume I made some shady enemies last weekend: I'm talking about this local rock band's eponymous EP, which the guitarist Meulie was so kind to mail me. As I said in the review for their demo, these guys sure know how to assemble a good rock track, and their first official effort is once again a big step forward. Those four new tracks on the record even truly overshadow the older ones: not to say that they're bad now, but the band sure feels a lot tighter, more focused. Well, if your influences include gods like Joy Division, Pink Floyd and Sonic Youth, you really can't do much wrong in my book.

One of my faves off the album would have to be 'Blue Head Red Eyes'. Clocking off at just over two minutes, it's quite amazing what the guys managed to pack in there: duelling melodic guitars kinda reminiscent of SY, great vocals (which used to be a bit of a problem but sound fine now) and some tight, tribal drumming to top the whole thing off. Also a tip: go check these guys out live when you've got the occasion, during the legendary Gentse Feesten for instance, which take off next Saturday!

MP3: ANGST - Blue Head Red Eyes

...and The Huskies came in from the Cold.

2008-07-09T10:12:00.006+02:00

photo: sarah de grauwe

Good news everybody! After a hiatus of three years, it seems rock/wave/punk combo The Huskies are back at it. Well, for the moment we don't have a rehearsal space nor recorded proof of our obvious genius, but at least we have a myspace page up and running since yesterday - as all of you know: that's half the work these days, right? First off, let me fill you in on some changes: the bass player got the boot and I'm filling in for him; never having even touched the instrument, let's just see how that goes down. Of course, the rest of the gang's still around: on drums it's Ruben Breuls (ex-Bronco Billy, left on the pic), on guitar and vocals Arno Lant (known from his artwork and several punk bands, center) and yours truly on bass and vocals, apparently. Furthermore, we intend to give the sound a more rhythmic approach - as in "no-wavey", not as in "jamming 'till our heads fall off without any idea of what a song actually sounds like". In true DIY-spirit (and because we're poor as fuck), we're in the running to win a PA system via Belgium's evil music magazine overlord Humo, so vote for us here, here, and here (just click on the 5-button and there ya go). We'll be happy to return the favor: you can check the resulting chaos in some watering hole with lousy acoustics near you some time soon.

Well, since we don't have any mp3s to put here, I'll indulge you with some tracks we liked to cover in the old days, usually playing'em twice as fast and stretching'em 'till they were thrice as long:

MP3: Neil Young & Pearl Jam - Downtown

MP3: The Stooges - I wanna Be your Dog

Smashing Gutters and Kinky Campbells

2008-07-07T11:14:00.006+02:00

artwork B0013XVBQU

As promised before, here's a post about 'Sunday at Devil Dirt', Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan's sophomore album. No surprises here, as it simply sounds like the continuator of 'Ballad of the Broken Seas': Hazlewood/Sinatra-styled americana tracks, stripped to the bare essentials. Still, as on their first joint effort, the record's jam-packed with great songs, my personal favorite being 'Come On Over (Turn Me On)', a truly sweaty, sultry track, reminiscent of their Hank Williams-cover 'Ramblin' Man' off the first album. Furthermore, you can check out a beautiful, 'banned' video for that one over here.

Another Lanegan-linked twosome is The Gutter Twins. This time, it's him teaming up with former Afghan Whig, now Twilight Singer Greg Dulli. On their debut album, 'Saturnalia' (named after a Roman feast on which the slaves and masters traded places), some good songs can be found, but still it doesn't really satisfy me all the way - as if the sum of the contents comes up as less. Still, 'Idle Hands' is one evil motherfucker of a track, and once again it comes with a kick-ass video, involving all kinds of stuff getting blown to bits. Which is nice.

MP3: Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Come On Over (Turn Me On)

MP3: The Gutter Twins - Idle Hands

Cover Cocktail

2008-07-03T22:05:00.007+02:00

artwork 858 049 FPY

Next Saturday, Radio Pink Flamingo will entertain you with another one of their specials, this time concerning cover cuts of several poppy songs. With a little help from DJ Divine, I managed to serve up a nice mix of well-known tunes you probably didn't know were covers, and some hilarious salsa/jazz/easy listening adaptations of evergreens, so be sure to tune in at 6pm CET, either via urgent.fm streaming, or, if you're in Ghent, 105.3 FM on the antique airwaves. As always, the podcast is available via pinkflamingos.be. A nice extra to the show: groovekit will handle the mic on this one!

As you can tell from the playlist below, the show is mainly based on alternate versions of pop and rock anthems but, in my opinion, the best track in it was originally a jazzy little ditty: 'Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood'. The song has an interesting history: Horace Ott wrote a blueprint of it while in a temporary falling-out with Gloria Caldwell, his then-girlfriend and later-to-be wife. To complete the track, he asked Bennie Benjamin and Saul Marcus, two friends of his in the songwriting business, to file off the edges, but as he and the two were signed to different unions (BMI and ASCAP), the law prohibited Ott from using his own name. Thus, instead, Gloria Caldwell was credited.

'Misunderstood' has been played by over a dozen bands, but I'll focus on four very different versions which are all good in their own way. The first recording of the track was by jazz diva Nina Simone in 1964, on the album of the same name. Although released as a single, it never came to be a hit, and I can't say why: it's a great piece of work, perfectly befitting Simone's troubled, against-the-grain way of life.

Still, one year after, The Animals turned the whole song around and scored their biggest hit, changing a sweet, slow yet sturdy ballad into a rocking popgun. And it might surprise you now, but on his '69 debut album, Joe Cocker included my favorite version of the track: enforced by a funky, jazzy yet rocking backing band, the rusty crooner truly gives his heart and soul on this one.

In '77, flamenco-disco combo Santa Esmeralda released a horrific radio edit of the track which also hit the top regions of the international charts, but I'll spare you that one and put the original ten minute plus version up here as mp3, which is actually quite good - well, as good as crappy disco floorfillers go, I guess.

The playlist:

Blondie – Hangin on the Telephone
Big Daddy – Like a Virgin
Be My Guest – Highway to Hell
Richard Cheese – Loser
Stevie Wonder – We Can Work It Out
Animals – Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
Soft Cell – Tainted Love
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan – Ramblin’ Man
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Susie Q
Ike & Tina Turner – Proud Mary
The Rolling Stones – Shake Your Hips
Charo and the Salsoul Orchestra – Let’s Spend the Night Together
Señor Coconut y su Conjunto – Radioactivity
Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse – Valerie
They Might Be Giants – Istanbul (not Constantinople)
Elvis Presley – Always on my Mind
David Bowie – Wild is the Wind

MP3: Nina Simone - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

MP3: The Animals - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

MP3: Joe Cocker - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

MP3: Santa Esmeralda - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

Electro Boys and Tubeway Armies

2008-06-29T16:38:00.005+02:00

the moon

For some time now, I've been a massive fan of the completely out-there BBC show The Mighty Boosh. For those of you who don't know it, here's the storyline. Of course, Belgian TV broadcasting's still in the Stone Age comedy-wise and since it's on Three, we're forced to watch it on tiny YouTube-screens at crappy quality - but hey, it's still funny as hell. And now it's gonna be even funnier, as Vince Noir and Howard Moon take it on the road with their very own festival, July fifth in Kent. Alongside a bunch of top-notch comedy acts (the amazing Frankie Boyle, Ross Noble and the cast itself of course), there are also quite some great bands to behold: the Kills (again), the Charlatans, Gary Numan, Robots in Disguise (who've also been in the show once), as well as dj-sets by Peaches and Jarvis Cocker. So that sounds promising; let's hope they make it into a tour throughout the European mainland, US and the rest of the world.

Posted here is one of the tracks taken from the show, mostly very succeeded parodies of particular genres like electro, rock and so on, as well as an original by Gary Numan - so you can check for similarities. And while I'm at it, I'll let Jarvis tell you a spooky story by A.M. Burrage, for he's a really good storyteller.

MP3: The Mighty Boosh - Electro Boy, Electro Girl

MP3: Gary Numan w/ Tubeway Army - Down in the Park

MP3: Jarvis Cocker - Playmates

P.S.: Since I have some trouble with my file server, the mp3 links for my previous posts are temporarily off-line. I'll try to put them back on when I can, but it'll be one hell of a chore...

The Return of the Son of Music Mania, part III

2008-06-25T10:04:00.009+02:00

Starting tomorrow at eleven thirty a.m., the Music Mania office in Ghent is once again open for business. Feel free to stop by from Thursday 'till Saturday, as you can expect quite a lot of new and second-hand records from Charlies vaults at regular prices, as well as some budget-priced leftovers from the three stores' massive archive.

One of the new acts Jan and I are enjoying at the moment, is Fleet Foxes, so be sure to check that one out when stopping by. I know: everyone in the blogosphere and beyond is talking about this Seattle quintet, but for once I'll have to agree with the hype. It's just that, from what I've heard off their eponymous debut album thusfar, they make for a great mix of clear harmonics, bluesy undercurrents and moody, mystical atmospherics that's quite hard not to like. Furthermore, the cover is taken from a painting by one of my fave Flemish Primitives, Pieter Bruegel the Elder - it's always a plus when an album's a work of art in more than one manner - who, legend has it, grew up around the same place I did. Here's the original painting, which depicts a myriad of proverbs (click to enlarge):

For a listing of all the figures of speech in the painting - again, in Dutch -, click here. The mp3 featured here, 'Mykonos', is one we've been listening to a lot while renovating the Mania a bit (yes, you're in for some changes...), as it is the opening track on this month's Uncut compilation, 'Long Time Gone'. It also includes other great acts like Phosphorescent, American Music Club and Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, so that's another tip for ya!

MP3: Fleet Foxes - Mykonos

Black! (2)

2008-06-24T10:19:00.007+02:00

brightblack morning light (photo: thomas campbell)

After a bit of digging into the Ten Songs vault, I managed to come up with some more recent Black-named bands I forgot to mention in the previous post. Quite an eclectic post this time around (featuring garage rock'n'roll, chill-out hippie blues and 1981-styled electro-disco), but hey, I guess you're used to that by now.

First up, from Atlanta, Georgia: Black Lips. Next week, this r'n'r foursome will release the 'Bad Kids' single off 'Good Bad, Not Evil', their fifth studio album on Vice Records. The record's title's derived from a Shangri-Las track called 'Walk Right Up to Him (Give Him a Great Big Kiss)', and that's not all it shares with the early sixties. The songs are jam-packed with teeniebopping swinging goodness - almost makes you want to slide 'Grease' into the VCR and do some Danny Zuko-impressions - almost. Thankfully, Black Lips also know how to use a distortion pedal, to give the whole thing a nice, rough edge. Next Saturday, you can see the guys live on the John Peel Stage at Glastonbury, where they belong. Also, as a tribute to the recently deceased (and aforementioned) Bo Diddley, they played an excellent version of his 'Mona', backed by The Raconteurs: check it out here.

Next up: Brightblack Morning Light. This New-Mexican band, which is actually more of a collective, revolves around core members Rachael Hughes and Nathan Shineywater, and their latest, nameless album (from '06 on Matador) featured illustrious guests like Paz Lenchantin and Will Oldham. The record mainly worked around bluesy, rootsy guitar arrangements reminiscent of Ry Cooder's playing, yet managed to keep it interesting by well-placed rhythm changes and some horns every now and then. It's a long wait for some new tracks of theirs, but fingers crossed.

And last but not least: Black Leotard Front. Again, it's not really a band, more like a supergroup of sorts. BLF features a line-up which reads as an all-star team of the DFA back catalogue: Delia Gonzalez, Gavin Russom (from, well, themselves), James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) and artist Christian Holstad. 'Casual Friday', the track posted here, is a fifteen-minute disco stomper which keeps you going 'till the end, thanks to the funny lyrics (in German, French and English, about a surprise visit wearing nothing but an overcoat) and slick production (by Murphy, of course). Enjoy!

MP3: Black Lips - Bad Kids

MP3: Brightblack Morning Light - Star Blanket River Child

MP3: Black Leotard Front - Casual Friday

Black!

2008-06-18T12:08:00.005+02:00

black mountain

As Pingwim recently told me, there are quite a few cool bands around these days whose names include the word 'black'. I myself had noticed the same thing just a week before while looking at my iTunes listing, so I figured it would be a nice topic for a blog post. Maybe Johnny Nice Painter won't agree, but these bands come from a wonderful tradition: Black Sabbath, Big Black, the Black Crowes, just to name a few.

So, starting off with a favorite, it's Black Mountain with 'Angels', one of the more down-tempo tracks off their latest 'In the Future' album. Nice thing about this track, is that a fan made a great video for it, using only footage from Wim Wenders' '87 masterpiece 'Der Himmel über Berlin' (Wings of Desire). For me, it's like a marriage made in heaven.

Which seamlessly brings us to the next band: The Black Angels. Three years ago, these Texans' debut album 'Passover' blew me off my feet, with all its droning, psychedelic, rocking tunes and clear anti-war message (with a little bit of balls, for once). 'Directions to See a Ghost', their second album, hit stores last week, and from what I've heard thusfar it won't be a letdown. Just listen to 'You in Color', an Indian/Velvets styled rock anthem with a serious 70's touch to it.

Talking of colors, here's Black Moth Super Rainbow, who I bet can see a whole lot of them. Also into the whole psych thing - but combined with electronics - this quintet featuring members of Tobacco, Iffernaut and Power Pill Fist recently released the out-there 'Dandelion Gum' LP, a great record for Sunday afternoon 'shroom trippin' in a forest near you. Or something.

One of my fave artists ever would have to be Don 'Captain Beefheart' Van Vliet, so when I heard The Black Keys covered his 'I'm Glad' track, I was - uhm - glad. With the Black Angels as warm-up band, I saw this bluesy twosome a year ago at the Handelsbeurs, and as I came for the Angels, I was pretty miffed when they were only allowed to play some thirty-ish minutes. Still, I stuck around for some of the Keys' tracks, and have to say it just wasn't my thing, I guess. But this track I do like, maybe because it kept pretty close to the original, sultry version.

Another great Beefheart-cover, come to think of it, was 'Dropout Boogie' by The Kills. The first time they played the AB in Brussels, in 2003 during the 'No Wow' tour, they played it as an encore and it totally kicked ass. 'Hey dude', you might think, 'where's the Black?' Well, after a long search for a recording of their version, I finally found it in the Music Mania, on an early EP called 'Black Rooster'. So there ya go. About the Mania: probably, we'll be open during the weekends of July and August, but we'll keep you posted!

MP3: Black Mountain - Angels

MP3: The Black Angels - You in Color

MP3: Black Moth Super Rainbow - Sun Lips

MP3: The Black Keys - I'm Glad (Captain Beefheart-cover)

MP3: The Kills - Dropout Boogie (Captain Beefheart-cover, from the Black Rooster EP)

A Brief History of No Wave (2)

2008-06-16T10:27:00.008+02:00

the '96 glenn branca Songs '77-'79 compilation

As promised in the previous No Wave-post, here's a look at the SoHo-bands of the late seventies era. It might seem a bit ludicrous for such a short-lived genre, pretty much limited to one city, to have two different gangs or styles, and quite frankly: it didn't, really. The Lower East Side and SoHo (South of Houston Street) bands all had their own distinctive sound, and the only thing dividing them was some difference in mentality. As Glenn Branca (Theoretical Girls, the Static) put it:

'There was almost a war between the two sides. The East Village bands saw us as Johnny-Come-Latelys, but it simply was not true. We were just coming more from the art world side than the Velvet Underground/druggie side of things. Not that we didn't do drugs, but it wasn't part of our aesthetic.'

The bands even played in a lot of the same hangouts around NY, such as Max's Kansas City, CBGB's and the Kitchen, often sharing line-ups. From the SoHo side of town, the Theoretical Girls and Gynecologists were the main bands, after which followed a myriad of side projects by the same people (Ut, the Static and the well-known multiple guitar projects by Branca - which also featured Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore). Since the Gynecologists never got around to recording, it's a pity we have no idea what they sounded like today, so I've included an MP3 by Ut, the all-girl band which were something like their continuators. Funny thing about the name: in a dictionary they found out this word meant 'do'; they thought it was from the verb 'to do' but actually, it was the musical note. So, even more spot-on.

At least regarding the ideal of not doing anything twice, this gang had the same mentality as the Lunch-crew, and within a span of 4 years, there wasn't one band left standing. Thankfully, by then a new generation had arisen, with great bands like ESG (for your information: Emerald, Sapphire, Gold), Liquid Liquid, Swans and - of course - Sonic Youth.

MP3: Theoretical Girls - You Got Me

MP3: Ut - Fire in Philly

Best of 2008 (so far)

2008-06-14T14:50:00.007+02:00

al green (photo: unknown)

From last Monday 'till yesterday, the Pink Flamingo's bar was closed for a highly needed paint and dust job. To 'commemorate' the occasion, this week I compiled a Radio Pink Flamingo featuring only new songs, i.e. from the last six months or so - kinda like a 'best of '08' in the pop/soul/funk/disco genres up 'till now (it's still a loungey affair so no sludgecore, no wave, postrock or weird electro this time around. Well, not a lot of it anyway...) Of course, a couple of them were already mentioned here - just check the archive - but one of the records I was really looking forward to this year, ever since Groovekit introduced me to him (via the amazing L.O.V.E. compilation), was 'Lay it Down' by Al 'the Reverend' Green. And it truly was worth the wait: backed with the Roots' ?uestlove's crisp production, a nice entourage of guests (Corinne Bailey Rae, John Legend, Anthony Hamilton) and a couple of the finest soulful tracks, this 62 year old soul king manages to sound as fresh and young as he did in the seventies. In fact, it was a real task to pick just one song off the album, since they're all really catchy, so for the show I chose 'What More do you Want from Me', a sultry, sexy yet very loveable track, and below you can check out the record's eponymous opening track, featuring Anthony Hamilton on backing vocals.

The playlist:

The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of the Understatement
Jamie Lidell – Another Day
Al Green – What More Do You Want From Me
Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan – Come On Over (Turn Me On)
The Raconteurs – Old Enough
Barry Adamson – Shadow of Death Hotel
The B-52s – Love in the Year 3000
Vampire Weekend – A-Punk
Ratatat – Mirando
Gnarls Barkley – Run
Duffy – Mercy
MGMT - Electric Feel
Plant Life – Lovetoy
Infadels – Free Things for Poor People
Roisin Murphy – Movie Star
Scarlett Johansson – I don’t wanna Grow up

To be on the safe side of the 'pop police': I don't really like that last track, but since everyone wants to know how she sounds, I felt kinda obligated... So, you know the drill: tune in to Urgent.fm (105.3 FM in Ghent or worldwide streaming), tonight at 6pm CET, if you know what's good for you. And another thing: Groovekit told me the Melting Pot episode of this week's gonna be an extremely funky one, so be sure to stick around for that one too!

MP3: Al Green - Lay it Down (feat. Anthony Hamilton)

A Brief History of No Wave

2008-06-12T11:31:00.009+02:00

suicide, the godfathers of no wave

Since Jan from Music Mania (pretty soon more news about that) lent me some books on No Wave and Post-punk, I got hooked on late seventies music even more vehemently than before. In this first post on the subject, let's talk about the former genre, which first arose in '77, around the time some adventurous girl called Lydia Koch made it to the Big Apple. It didn't take long before she became known under her nom de plume Lydia Lunch, since in the group of artists and musicians she lived with, she was the one responsible for finding (or stealing) the food. She soon found a soulmate in frantic sax player James Siegfried (or White, or Chance), with whom she started an early incarnation of Teenage Jesus and the Jerks called Scabs. After a while, Lunch felt that Chance was going in another direction, so they split amicably. He then later on fronted the equally wonderful Contortions, and the 'disco-wave' ensemble James White and the Blacks.

Both Teenage Jesus and Contortions, together with fellow bands Mars and DNA, were featured on 'No New York', a compilation Brian Eno produced in '78. For this effort, many believe him to be the originator of the genre, but as it happens, he was just in the right place at the right time. Some of the bands on the record didn't even like what Eno did to their sound - not that it mattered much to them: within three years after the album's release (on a pressing of a mere 500 copies), all of them were disbanded. Maybe that's where the true charm of No Wave lies: the refusal of anything career-like or 'been there, done that' - much more 'punk' than punk's ever been, if you ask me.

Now, when I say No Wave first came about in '77, I'm lying a little bit, because one act was doing that weird, provocative shit way before that. The year was 1971, the names were Alan Vega and Martin Rev, the band was Suicide. Obviously eons ahead of their time, Rev's aggressive, repetitive synth antics and Vega's grunts, howls and provocative stage presence (often, he got beaten up, spat at or both, with him all the while muttering 'thank you, thank you') were something people weren't quite ready for. Even in the punk era, people had trouble with this hard-to-pin-down band, so of course, they were like gods to the No Wave gang.

This post focused on the Lower East Side bands. In the next post, I'll fill you in on the Soho bands, such as Theoretical Girls and Gynecologists. For more info, be sure to check out Black Dog's awesome 'No Wave' publication by Marc Masters!

MP3: Suicide - Ghost Rider

MP3: Teenage Jesus and the Jerks - Red Alert

MP3: The Contortions - Dish it Out

MP3: DNA - Not Moving

Young Rockers Anonymous

2008-06-09T12:43:00.006+02:00

photo: rick brands

Not so long ago, about a year or so, I was running this teen music project in Ghent called JonGeduld. The whole idea was to give young musicians (under 18) the opportunity to play a concert and record some songs in a professional studio, to get things started for them. It were fun times, as I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of youngsters still interested in stuff like rock'n'roll, punk and singing-songwriting. Many of those acts have already made some amazing progress by now: to name a few, some of them got pretty high in the local talent hunt contests (Roadburg, Pretty Disturbed) and some got to record an official release (ByNoMeans, Uberdope). The guy from Simple Brain even got on stage with Devendra Banhart at Pukkelpop.

But let's focus on another band I got to know back then: Nebrovski. Recently, this rock foursome recorded their eponymous debut EP, and the guys were so kind to send me a copy (always nice to get some mail these days). Quite frankly, I like it. The four tracks on the record sure do rock - well, it's clear they listened a whole lot to bands like QOTSA, Nirvana and Sonic Youth, but hey: as influences go, I've heard a lot worse. My fave song off the album is opening track 'Without a Name': a catchy chorus, some cool guitars and tight percussion, that's all you need. Click here to order the EP, or go see them live:

July 11 - 8pm - Schoeftzakkenrock - Arendonk
July 12 - 10pm - Troubadourfestival (with a.o. Killbots) - Peer
August 2 - 7pm - Schansrock 2008 - Kinrooi

MP3: Nebrovski - Without a Name

Angels, Voodoo, Devils and Pie

2008-06-06T11:58:00.007+02:00

original artwork 724384849924 (virgin)

Looks like Ten Songs is demon-tripping or something, since here's another post about all that out-there occult stuff - well, in a way. Let's talk about Michael Eugene Archer, better known as D'Angelo, and his sophomore 2000 album 'Voodoo' in particular. Yes, it's been eight years since that fantastic r'n'b bombshell hit stores, and since then we haven't heard that much of this R'n'B Jesus anymore. But thankfully, it seems that's about to change, since on June 24 a compilation called 'The Best So Far...' will be released (always a sign that the record company's getting anxious), and there's a buzz going around saying D'Angelo's hooking up with r'n'b/hip hop kings Common and Q-Tip for 'James River', his third record. However, we'll have to wait until Fall to check this album out.

So, what took him so long? Well, when he wasn't in trouble with the law (drugs, DUI and so on), Archer was looking after Michael Jr., the nine year old son he has with fellow soul superstar Angie Stone. Furthermore, this talented singer, guitarist, pianist and producer has been a regular guest on a series of soundtracks (like Get on the Bus, Belly and Scream 2), as well as on some milestone genre albums by 'Miss' Lauryn Hill ('Nothing Even Matters' from 'The Miseducation of ...') and Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre ('Imagine' from the 'Blue Carpet Treatment' LP). Still, it's been a long wait for some solo stuff.

Most people will know D'Angelo from 'Untitled (How Does It Feel)', his biggest hit single off the 'Voodoo' album - which was in fact a tribute to Prince, of which he's obviously a great fan - and the accompanying 'infamous' video. But the song I chose is nearer the bone, regarding Archer's struggle with narcotics: a funky, evil jam called 'Devil's Pie'. I first heard the song on MTV in the middle of the night, in a steaming live version featuring a backing band of, like, eleven people or so. But since that recording's nowhere to be found, you'll have to go with the original!

MP3: D'Angelo - Devil's Pie

Vampires and Gremlins

2008-06-03T11:48:00.011+02:00

original artwork Pink Dust #72109

Rejoice, rejoice, for two of the greatest rock acts decided to team up: Mogwai and Roky Erickson. The former 13th Floor Elevators frontman will lend his lyrical talent to 'Devil Rides', a track on the soccer-loving Scots' new 'Batcat' EP. At first, one would say it's a strange combination - a Glaswegian post-rock noise band and a Texan psych-rock pioneer - but they've got more in common than one might think. For instance: when playing live, both like it hard, rough and slowly working up to a climactic explosion. A more obvious connection is found in their shared fascination for fictitious beings - as you could already tell from the EP's title.

Erickson has written quite some wonderful songs inspired by B-horror movies, such as 'Creature with the Atom Brain' (which is also a great Belgian rock band), 'I Walked with a Zombie', 'Two Headed Dog' and 'Night of the Vampire'. The latter, of which the mp3 is featured below, was the opening track on his '86 album 'Gremlins have Pictures', and as it happens, 'mogwai' (or magwai) is both the Cantonese word for 'devil' or 'evil spirit', as the original term for gremlins in the '84 Joe Dante film of the same name. And, from Mogwai's side, they've recorded tracks like 'Mogwai fear Satan', 'Hunted by a Freak' and, my favorite, 'Glasgow Mega Snake'. So there ya go.

The Mogwai mp3 featured here, 'My Father my King', is a twenty-minute plus psych-rocker that kinda reminds me of the early 13th Floor Elevators stuff, like 'Rollercoaster' and 'Kingdom of Heaven'. At first, it was an ever-changing jam they only played live, but when legendary producer Steve Albini offered to record it in 2001, they finally released it as a single (well, practically an EP really). For both tracks, headphones are well advised!

Mogwai - My Father My King

Roky Erickson - Night of the Vampire

Let's go Back in Time, way Back... (Final)

2008-05-30T21:05:00.012+02:00

original artwork of the single

...Well, not so very far back in fact, just twenty years. In 1988, there wasn't a lot of good stuff going on music-wise, but for Radio Pink Flamingo, I managed to narrow it down to fourteen classics, which makes for one hour of fun nostalgia radio. During the year, some tragic things occured: Echo & the Bunnymen called it quits (yet reunited two years after), as did Big Black, The Damned and Heaven 17. In december '88, my favorite man in black (sorry Johnny) Roy Orbison died of a heart attack, but still he had managed to team up with the Traveling Wilburys (George Harrison, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Jeff Lynne), and record a solo album. And yeah, some good things were happening too: the Pixies finally got some attention for their '87 'Come on Pilgrim' album, Morrissey embarked on a solo career, and in Belgium, a new electro phenomenon came to life, called 'New Beat'. Well, in the UK they called it 'Agreppo', which stands for agressive pop, but really: this variation of Electronic Body Music (EBM) was just a lot of fun.

And that's mostly thanks to the Confetti's. With 'The Sound of C', this manufactured band had its first hit in '88. To start with, the song and the group were part of a marketing ploy by producers Serge Ramaekers and Dominique Sas, as to raise interest for a discotheque in Brasschaat, Antwerp, called 'Confetti's'. The band's singer, Peter 'Mister X.' Renkens, was in fact a bartender at this place, who wasn't able to hold a tune if he wanted to. Yet, through a number of smart commercial schemes (like recording the video at the Meir in Antwerp during rush hour), the song turned out to be a big hit.

Faced with this success, the band went on publishing more singles, which were mere rip-offs from 'The Sound of C', with titles like 'The House of C', 'C in China' and 'C Day'. Still, these too were extremely successful, so the band managed to stick around 'till 1991, which was long after the whole New Beat fad was over and done with.

So, be sure to tune in to Radio Pink Flamingo at 6pm CET, 105.3 FM (in Ghent) or via the Urgent.fm streaming (worldwide), for these and other nice '88 tunes! Podcasts are available, as always, via pinkflamingos.be, and the playlists can be found at Groovekit's site.

MP3: Confetti's - The Sound of C

Sea Kings, Dukes and Kinky Maniacs

2008-05-27T11:52:00.009+02:00

photo: sophie barnett

Well, it's time for reminiscing, since the very, very, very last days of Music Mania are upon us, and for me personally: since I've been helping the guys out over the last half year. Also, around these days I'm at the beginning of my fifth year in Ghent, so I'll turn around and take a look at the amount of debris I've left behind so far.

One of those marvelous disasters has been my time at the Kinky Star record label, and particularly the radio show DJ Kiezel and I produced for them at Urgent.fm for two and a half years. Back in those days, one Friday a month was reserved for buying new cd's for the Club at the Mania, and one of those was 'Cuts Across the Land' by The Duke Spirit. This UK quintet, led by platinum blonde singer Liela Moss, knew exactly how to blow our minds: by playing rude, offensive yet sexy rock'n'roll, inspired by Route 66 as well as European art. So, we played them lots of times at the show - which, by the way, is still going strong up to this day, every Wednesday from 8 to 10 CET at 105.3FM.

Now, just about a year after I quit the show, The Duke Spirit are back with 'Neptune', their second full-length. And quite probably, it will be one of the last records ever sold at the Mania record store, since Karel put the LP in the window last week. Maybe it's my refusal to get all melancholic, but frankly I think it's an even better record than their debut album. So: do us, yourself and the band a favor and get your ass over to the Music Mania, this Friday or Saturday!

MP3: The Duke Spirit - Hello to the Floor (from Cuts Across the Land)

MP3: The Duke Spirit - Lassoo (from Neptune)

Bloody Steaks

2008-05-23T11:07:00.006+02:00

photo: rick brands

Back in september '07, I had the honor of reviewing a cosy little festival in Wevelgem called Lavapop (for you Dutch-speaking people: read the article here). Headliners were post-rockers par excellence Tomàn and the aforementioned Amenra (their new cd is finally in stores, by the way), but one of the freshest revelations on the playlist would have to have been Steak Number Eight. Heavily influenced - in a good way - by acts like Neurosis and the Neurot back catalogue in its entirety, this young quartet rocked the park in a manner you would forget it was just four o'clock in the afternoon. Sadly, yet, they also dealt with some technical problems. Afterwards, I caught guitarist/singer Brent in a terrible mood about it, but some peptalk from his mom and Mich (from Hitch) got him back up and running. Be it as it may, even back then anyone could see this band had a bright future ahead of them.

And indeed: just eight months afterwards, this gang of juveniles (14-15 years of age) have managed to build a strong fanbase, win Humo's Rock Rally and Westtalent, ànd release a great debut lp called 'When the Candle Dies Out...'. From this record, I've chosen a somewhat atypical song, tucked inbetween all the screamo/trash/post-metal: a bit more Tool-minded, with a nice 3/4 rhythm. Enjoy!

MP3: Steak Number Eight - Blood on Our Hands

Made in Taiwan, But it ain't Plastic

2008-05-21T21:26:00.005+02:00

photo: tom verbruggen

As I'm suffering from an incredibly frustrating slow line here, another short one:

An older favorite of mine (just about a year ago I discovered them), yet one I haven't gotten around writing about is Made in Taiwan. Hailing from Limburg, Belgium, around the same place I myself was raised, this rocking quintet (or sext-, sept-, oct- or nonet) play some beautiful pop tunes with a razorsharp edge. Last year, I saw them live in several bars at the legendary Gentse Feesten, and was pleasantly surprised by their performance on stage, as well as by the well-placed hooks and vocals stunts during one of their songs. Their influences include acts like Broken Social Scene and early Dinosaur Jr. and hearing this piece of work, those illustrious names aren't even that far-fetched. This track, 'A Boat', later turned up on the soundtrack of 'De Laatste Zomer': not a great film, but still a pretty accurate depiction of young life round these parts, and a nice thing to put on your resume of course.

And fuck Telenet.

MP3: Made in Taiwan - A Boat

Let's go Back in Time, way Back... (3)

2008-05-17T00:48:00.012+02:00

... to 1978, our final temporal loophole - at least for now, since the Radio Pink Flamingo team is considering an '88 special as we speak. But let's not get ahead of things and just enjoy this Saturday's playlist, including the disco, funk, rock and postpunk tunes that made life worthwhile in those depressing times, so people could later on spawn some ignorant, atheist, disillusioned offspring that would feel right at home in the eighties.

And what a bucket of audio-bugger they would've been dipped in if it wasn't for Stiff Records. This hive of London degenerates led by Jake Riviera began releasing records (in the purest sense of the word) in '76, but it wasn't until '78 that they started to get things rolling. After all: if it ain't stiff, it ain't worth a fuck. One unlikely hit act after the other came about that year: Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Ian Dury and so on, but a focus on the latter is well deserved. This polio-riddled cynic and lyrical genius was barely able to stand up on his own for longer than fifteen minutes, yet the recordings of his live shows, as Kilburn and the High Roads and later on with his funked-up backing band The Blockheads, were nothing less than revelatory to me. Their first hit, appropriately called 'Hit Me with your Rhythm Stick', was recorded November '78, but didn't reach the charts 'till January the next year. Still, it's proudly represented in tonight's episode, along with all the aforementioned Stiff acts - and then some. That's all I'm willing to feed you, so go check it out for yourselves, tonight at 6pm CET (105.3 FM or via Urgent.fm). Afterwards, you are well advised to stick around for Melting Pot, where Tfonque will bring you some of the best soul and funk.

And kill all hippies, because they spread diseases.

MP3: Ian Dury and the Blockheads - Hit Me with your Rhythm Stick

The Return of the Son of Music Mania, part II

2008-05-15T23:34:00.021+02:00

original artwork UA 6709

As Jan, Lord of the Mania, embarked on the conquest of Andalucia in a blazing hispanic fortnight's time, the sell-out rampage at Ghent headquarters was brought to a temporary pitstop. But never fear, dear brothers, for now the inevitable triumphant return is upon thee! As of tomorrow, The Record Store Formerly Known As Music Mania (TRSFKAMM) will once again rise in full ornate, armored with shitloads of heavy metal, hard rock, alternative, hip hop and electronica targeted at thee with sharpened, budget-priced arrowpoints...

So let's get in the mood by reviving a band Don Juan just recently introduced me to, assisted by the pretty awesome Heavy Psych Man blog: Thunder and Roses. As you will see, it's hard to come up with a band link (just their Last.fm page), since they only released one LP, 'King of the Black Sunrise' (1969). Still, their influence is not to be underestimated. Whilst listening to the album, it's plain to hear this power trio were swiftly surfing upon the Jimi Hendrix/Cream wave, but nevertheless managed to add another, freaky, outerworldish feel to their sound, making it unmistakably their own. Apparently, a guy named Kurdt Kobain also realized this, since he enjoyed playing the opening track 'White Lace and Strange' with two other guys back in '87.

MP3: Thunder and Roses - White Lace and Strange

MP3: Nirvana - White Lace and Strange

Let's go Back in Time, way Back... (2)

2008-05-10T13:30:00.003+02:00

otis redding at his 'big o' ranch. photo by zelma redding, his widow

...to 1968, because that's the time capsule we're digging up on Radio Pink Flamingo tonight (6-7pm CET on urgent.fm). Former Gainsbartender Hans excavated a fabulous selection of pop, rock, psychedelic and soul gems including evergreens by the Supremes, the Kinks, Julie Driscoll and Otis Redding. Unfortunately, the latter didn't live to experience that '68 magic, as on the tenth of December '67, his plane crashed into Lake Monona, killing him and three members of his legendary backup band, the Bar-Kays. Afterwards, he was buried at his private ranch in Macon, Georgia, close to his beloved wife and four children. Only 26 at the time, he had left a remarkable stamp on twentieth-century music history.

And what a flying start did he take. After an early fling with Atco Records and a collection of soul ballads, 'Otis Blue', his second album on Volt Records, still sounds as fresh and envigorating as it did on its initial release in 1965. His self-written now-classic tracks like 'I've Been Loving You Too Long' and 'Respect' formed a perfect combo with covers of the then recently deceased Sam Cooke (of which he was rightly seen as the continuator) and the Stones' 'Satisfaction' (of which he had not even heard the original when recording). Still, on that fateful winter's night, it all came to a halt way, way too soon.

Yet, we have a beautiful souvenir of his latest change of course, because just three days before the accident, Redding recorded the unusually peaceful, mellow 'Sitting on the Dock of the Bay'. It was to become his biggest hit, reaching #1 in January '68.

MP3: Otis Redding - Sitting on the Dock of the Bay

Dirty Beatniks in Padded Cells

2008-05-09T08:43:00.013+02:00

photo: unknown

Just about eight years ago, in my earliest days of dj'ing, I discovered this electro LP at a friend's place. It was 'Feedback' by Dirty Beatniks, released via the Wall of Sound label, and for me it pretty much opened the door to the world of great electronic/dance music. Of course I knew the sounds of AFX, Underworld, Prodigy, Orbital and so on, but this belonged to a different order altogether: danceable yet lyrical, serious yet funny. And for once, the cheesy disco elements didn't even bother me; probably because they were mixed to the background, and covered up with funky basslines and the brilliant raps of Mau (ex-Earthling, now Télépopmusik).

Well, as it turned out it was to be their last album, and afterwards I lost track of what the guys were up to, until I just recently discovered DB's Neil Higgins is also active in the Padded Cell project, together with ex-Bronx Dog Richard Sen. I've been listening a lot to them over the last two years without knowing this, ever since the awesome DC Recordings released the 'Death before Distemper' label sampler on which they were featured. As it happens, Padded Cell will release a new album called 'Night must Fall' on May 19, and if you sign up to the DC mailing list, you can already get a free song off the album. And it's not a bad idea to do so, because every month or so they'll mail you some rare or new mp3's, and you stay updated on some of the best music around (The Emperor Machine, The Oscillation, Kelpe, Depth Charge and so on).

MP3: Dirty Beatniks - Whores Freaks Saints and Angels

MP3: Padded Cell - Faces of the Forest

Loud Louder Loudest

2008-05-07T12:28:00.009+02:00

Just a short post today, since I'm dealing with a bad LAN-connection at my girlfriend's new apartment. Normally, it will be taken care of any day now, so you can expect my usual blablabla-average to soar once more over the coming weeks - be forewarned.

Now officially the loudest band in NY - and far beyond those state borders -, A Place to Bury Strangers pulled it off once again. While putting their latest single 'To Fix the Gash in your Head' onto 10" vinyl, the red noise levels (sounds that go beyond the normal volume level) on the master tape caused the record presser to explode. Makes sense, because not so long ago the band was touring with the legendary Jesus and Mary Chain, also notorious for their outbursts of amorphous, loud blows to the eardrums. So, instead of being released yesterday, we'll have to wait until May 12 to get that sweet, noisy, shoegazey stuff onto our turntables. Still, check the mp3 while you're waiting.

MP3: A Place to Bury Strangers - To Fix the Gash in your Head

Beetles and Icons

2008-05-05T11:22:00.014+02:00

photo: joel didriksen

The warm-blooded, harmonic soundscapes of Gregor Samsa, a band hailing from NY, DC, Chicago, Richmond and Boston, are something of a revelation to me. As you could tell from that town listing, going cross-country doesn't seem the ideal way to work on a record, but since 'Rest' will be available May 13, I guess they pulled it off. This septet, revolving around original members and newlyweds Champ and Nikki, has been around in varying line-ups since 2000, and apparently they thought of a way of writing and recording songs via e-mail. Of course, it's been done before: for 'Ballad of the Broken Seas', Mark Lanegan (US) and Isobel Campbell (UK) even went transatlantic - a new album of theirs coming up, more about that later - but to get it arranged with seven people is quite a feat. No wonder it took them eight months to put it all together.

As many of you may know, the band name originates from a brilliant short story by Franz Kafka, called 'The Metamorphosis'. In this absurdly gripping tale, a man wakes to discover he's transformed into a giant beetle. As if that wasn't weird enough, his first concern is how he's supposed to get to work. I won't spoil the rest of the storyline for those who haven't read it yet, so just some clues: chairs and apples.

Posted here is a wonderful eight-minute track off the new album, called 'Jeroen van Aken'. Again, it's a reference to the world of arts, since this happens to be both the birth name of Hieronymus Bosch, the crazy 15th century painter of demonic and religious icons, ànd a contemporary graphic artist, who specializes in painting iconographic images onto everyday wooden objects. As you can see from this picture, he's clearly inspired by the Russian iconic style:

'desire' by jeroen van aken

And here, of course, you can see the marvelous 'Last Judgement' by Bosch (click to enlarge):

Quite appropriate, with lyrics such as 'it seems the devil's got a grip on me'. Next Thursday, May 8, Gregor Samsa will be playing at the STUK in Leuven. Apparently there's something in the tap water over there, since tonight you can also go to the aforementioned Johnny Berlin in the same town, for their pre-album release party at the Rumba. I, for one, cannot attend since I'm in the middle of moving to another apartment, but don't let that stop you guys!

MP3: Gregor Samsa - Jeroen van Aken

Let's go Back in Time, way Back...

2008-04-30T10:44:00.015+02:00

artwork of the '97 bear family compilation

...to 1958, to be precise. The following three weeks, Radio Pink Flamingo (every Saturday, 6 pm on Urgent.fm) will be taking a quantum leap through the decades. First up is '58 (because of the Brussels World's Fair of course), then '68 gets some special attention (because of the whole French 'revolutionary' stuff in May) and we're ending with '78 (because of... well, it was just a fun musical year). To be honest, '88 and '98 weren't really that interesting, so let's leave it at that, shall we?

So, what was happening in '58 music-wise? Elvis was out of the running for a while, as he enlisted with the US army. Nevertheless, he managed to score a #1 hit single with 'Don't'. November '57, Jerry Lee Lewis released the evergreen 'Great Balls of Fire', which went up to #2 in the Billboard list - not that it did him any good, since in '58 he got blacklisted when the media found out he married his 13 year old cousin. Subsequently, several tours got cancelled and his songs were banned from British and American radio. 'The Killer' never truly recovered from this blow, as it was only the first in a long line of personal and professional disasters. Another living legend, Chuck Berry, extended his list of timeless classics by releasing both 'Johnny B. Goode' and 'Sweet Little Sixteen'. Yet, a year later he also got in trouble with an underaged girl - this time a 14 year old Apache waitress - leading him to serve five years in prison. Guess it was the hip thing to do back then.

On the female side of the pop spectrum, Connie Francis was the bee's knees - which can be seen as quite a surprise, since early rock'n'roll was strikingly devoid of women artists. Still, she reached #4 with 'Who's Sorry Now', a song she borrowed from the '46 Marx Brothers movie 'A Night in Casablanca'.

And of course, there are dozens of other top tracks to choose from, but I decided to go with a weird little novelty: Sheb Wooley's 'Purple People Eater', which held the #1 position for 6 weeks. You might remember the guy from his acting days in 'Rawhide', 'High Noon' and 'Giant', but this truly is from a different order. I'm not going to spoil it by letting you in on the storyline, just give it a listen and check the funny lyrics here!

MP3: Sheb Wooley - The Purple People Eater

Deceased Photographers and Single Things

2008-04-27T21:01:00.008+02:00

photo: mauro pawlowski

I've had a couple of busy days, and some troubled nights involving hangovers, overpayed dealers and low inspiration. But back to business: in the 'Belgian Pride' section, let's talk about Dead Man Ray. This band, featuring members of dEUS, Volt and Gore Slut, is officially still on hold right now, but since 'Cago', their last record, dates back from 2002, I'm doubting if they'll ever get back to it. Furthermore, lead singer/guitarist Daan Stuyven is having quite some success solo - which is not really my cup of tea, but whatever.

Anyhow, this last record 'Cago' - short for Chicago, where it was recorded - is one I just recently picked up, and it still sounds fresh today. Produced by living legend Steve Albini - who made it exceptionally mellow this time - and released via Cityslang (Black Mountain, Lambchop, To Rococo Rot and so on), it was their most ambitious rock album to date. And yes, from opening track (and first single) 'Landslide' up to the moody 'Losing the Lost', they beautifully combined the poppy tones of debut album 'Berchem' with the against-the-grain escapades of follow-up 'Trap'. My favorite is the epic, tragic 'A Single Thing', in fact not a very singular song: starting off like a Tindersticks-type ballad, it suddenly gets ripped apart by an amazing wall of feedbacking guitars, to get back to some pretty, melodic pieces towards the end. So, enjoy, and let's hope they'll once again get their act together.

MP3: Dead Man Ray - A Single Thing

Maniacs and Management

2008-04-25T09:33:00.015+02:00

photo: unknown

Good news, folks! As of today, about a year after its shutdown, Music Mania will once again be selling new vinyl. Many thanks to Karel of Charlies Records, who made a lovely selection of rocking, poppy and other fresh acts. One of these already got hyped just about everywhere in the blogosphere, but only now I got to give it an extensive listen: MGMT. This Brooklyn duo (pronounced 'management') recently released 'Oracular Spectacular', one of the nicest eclectic albums I've heard in a while. Some songs sound like The Knife teamed up with Rick James (remember, the 'Super Freak' dude), others combine the warped pop sensibilities of Supersystem and Roxy Music. And sure, there's lots of seventies/eighties vibes going on, nevertheless it succeeds in sounding both timeless ànd modern. More namedropping? Marc Bolan dancing the fandango with the flutist of Men At Work. Pink Floyd battling Beach Boys in outer space. Something like that.

Be sure to go to their website, one of the weirdest I've ever come across. And while you're at it, you can also check out their 3-D video for 'Time to Pretend', the marvellous opening track of the LP. For the little ones, there's some fun 'how to' stuff too: here you can fabricate your own 3-D glasses. So grab those scissors, and start cutting!

MP3: MGMT - Time to Pretend

A Queen in a Fight Club Waits to Go West

2008-04-21T21:04:00.011+02:00

original cover art by liam lynch

It's a three-in-one post today, at least according to my standards. That implies there's a lot to be told, but thank God it's all connected in some way. So let's begin...

After watching Fight Club for the first time, back in '99, I was deeply impressed by David Fincher's imagery and the overall brilliant acting. But what truly knocked me off my feet was the insane storyline. - For those who haven't seen the movie yet: I'm not gonna spill anything about the 'big twist'. My sister spoiled it for me back then, and I still begrudge her for it. Kinda. - Turns out it was based on a novel by some guy called Chuck Palahniuk. In the following years, I spent quite some time reading all of his books, hurdled up in bed after yet another night of heavy drinking, snorting and/or brawling. In my opinion, most of them were simply genius (like Lullaby, Choke, Survivor and Invisible Monsters) and some were duds (Rant, Haunted), but they all managed to touch a nerve - in either a good or bad way. Looking back, Fight Club wasn't even that good a book, but definitely most suitable for a film adaptation. A good second-placer would be 'Choke', and as it happens that movie will hit theatres August 28, starring the wonderful Sam Rockwell.

So, eight years later I got my hands on the 7" single for Queens of the Stone Age's '3's & 7's/Sick Sick Sick' (European version) in Vinylla, some obscure little record store. The bonus track was called 'Goin' Out West', and in a weird way it sounded very familiar. And rightly so: it was used during the first bar scene in Fight Club, in the original Tom Waits (him again) version from his brilliant 'Bone Machine' album. To be clear: most of the track's sound was kept intact, except for some more fuzz on the guitars and obviously less grit on the vocals. But listen for yourselves:

MP3: Tom Waits - Goin' Out West

MP3: Queens of the Stone Age - Goin' Out West

And oh yeah: in case you're wondering how to pronounce that writer's last name, here's a funny explanation.

Parades in the Temple of the Damned

2008-04-20T11:31:00.008+02:00

photo: rick brands

It's been a couple of hectic days, that's why I haven't been following my regular schedule. But normally, I'll be able to squeeze out my usual ten posts, starting off with sludge-meisters Drums Are For Parades. This Ghent-based threesome play rock music the way it's supposed to be played: dirty, fast and loud. Over the last month, I've seen the guys twice (both times at Charlatan), and they blew me away like nothing had in quite a long time. Some references? Well, Unsane is one name that comes to mind. Like with those scummy fuckers, you just can't believe that this much noise is produced while only the three of them are up there. Black Cobra, some other favorites of mine, would also serve as a good pointer - with the more metal-inspired bass riffs and all.

Recently, DAFP have released 'Sacrificial Artificial Darkness in the Temple of the Damned', their first EP (without a label, which is probably why I'm searching my ass off for it). From what I've heard of it on the net thusfar, they have managed to successfully transfer their on stage energy onto a crisp-sounding recording. So that's something to look forward to - especially with the nice artwork for it:

Posted here is 'Keep', a song of which I'm not sure whether it's on the EP or not - check'em out on Last.fm for more - but it was my first introduction to them, and it really kicks ass. So enjoy!

MP3: Drums Are For Parades - Keep

It's Black Monk Time!

2008-04-16T10:07:00.011+02:00

courtesy photo

Which group of people is more likely to invent avant-garde punk rock: four snobbish NY art students on dope, or five (seemingly) decent GIs stationed in Germany? Well, the latter. Most people see The Velvet Underground as the igniters of the whole experimental guitar thing - and yes, they rocked - but in 1964 The Monks were way ahead of them. In those early days, 'The Five Torquays' as they were called mostly played Chuck Berry covers, but it didn't take long before they started to try out new, more exciting stuff. In '65, their legendary 'Black Monk Time' record was released, and suffice to say the world wasn't ready for this: an amplified banjo instead of guitars, spooky organ drones in the background and heavy tribal drumming all over the place. To top it off, you had the crazed whines and yells of Gary Burger, covering subjects like Vietnam, paranoia and plain old dadaistic nonsense. After their shows, audiences were mostly left confused - even up to the point that Burger almost got strangled by some guy who suspected him of blasphemy.

Or, as you can see in the picture, maybe it was their appearance that did the trick: tonsures shaved on their heads, dressed in black suits or cassocks, and nooses for neckties. Weird. Furthermore, they had the habit of playing sets of more than eight hours straight, all the while looking freaked out and scary. Whatever the reason: something like this had never been seen or heard before.

These days the band has an enormous cult following, and rightly so: if people like Mark E. Smith, Jon Spencer, Alan Vega and Jochen Irmler mention you as a large source of inspiration, you must be doing something right.

original artwork 'bad habits' LP

In the seventies there was another band of the same name, and although their music wasn't exactly similar, they're also worth checking out. These Monks, with former members of Strawbs, were four English 'punk rockers' - in fact, the band was supposed to be a parody on punk, but not everybody was in on the joke. Their debut album 'Bad Habits' ('79) strangely came to be one of the best punk albums I know of, and I guess that's because it's so damn funny - some song titles: 'Nice Legs Shame About Her Face', 'Johnny B. Rotten', and hey, just look at that cover art. The Monks recorded two albums before disbanding in '81; 'Suspended Animation', the second LP, was only released in Canada, where they were extremely successful for some reason. In the meantime, they did make some equally hilarious 30's based ragtime stuff under the moniker High Society, but those recordings are pretty hard to get by. So, I hope these two songs will keep you guys satisfied - or better yet: go buy their albums.

MP3: The Monks (60's) - We Do Wie Du

MP3: The Monks (70's) - Drugs In My Pocket

P.S.: last week's Radio Pink Flamingo was another one compiled by yours truly, this time a bit more rock-oriented. Click here to download the podcast, and go to Groovekit for the playlist: The Monks (60's) were also in there.

Another Dead Hero: Klaus Dinger

2008-04-13T13:56:00.009+02:00

photo: ann weitz

It's pretty old news by now, but still I thought it should be mentioned here: Klaus Dinger is dead. Most of you German seventies underground-lovin' freaks will need no further explaining, but for the rest of you: here's a short overview of his career.

On March 21 2008, just three days before his sixty-third birthday, Klaus Dinger died of a heart attack. To avoid exagerrated press coverage, his family didn't publically acknowledge his passing until after his burial, on April first. Dinger was mostly famed for his revolutionary drumming style as a member of first-generation krautrock twosome Neu!, founded by him and Michael Rother in '71. Later on, as more and more bands looked at the duo as a source of inspiration, this repetitive 4/4 type of percussion came to be known as Motorik. On their first three albums, respectively Neu!, Neu! 2 and Neu! '75, they were assisted by producer Konrad Plank, who already had a history of working with acts like Marlene Dietrich, the aforementioned CAN and Kraftwerk. As a matter of fact, both Rother and Dinger were founding members of that legendary electro outfit, before they called it quits and revolutionized rock music on their own.

After the band split up in '75, Rother went on playing as a solo artist, whereas Dinger formed La Dusseldorf with fellow drummer Hans Lampe. Also, he released quite some solo stuff under various names, such as La! Neu?, Die Engel des Herm and, my favorite, Hippie Punks. However, Neu! reformed for a brief period in '85, which resulted in Neu! 4, a more synth-driven new wave-ish album that wasn't available 'till '96.

Posted here are 'Hallogallo' off the first record, a nine-minute hypnotic rocker with some Indian influences, as well as the more compact 'Super' off the second album. Actually, it's a rehashed version of the song, since they didn't have enough budget to complete the record, so they decided to put some remixes on the B-side. Still, I like this version the most, so viel Spaß!!

MP3: Neu! - Hallogallo

MP3: Neu! - Super

Find What You Love And Let It Kill You

2008-04-10T11:26:00.013+02:00

photo: unknown

Not to get too patriotic, but if there's one young, upcoming rock band Belgium can be proud of these days, it's Johnny Berlin. Two years ago, they released 'I am Johnny Berlin', a great seven-track EP, on which they managed to combine the rock sound of Interpol and The Smiths with the eighties synth-pop antics of, say, Duran Duran and Kajagoogoo. I know: on paper it seems bloody awful, but it works like a charm. On May 5, 'Find What You Love And Let It Kill You', their first full-length album, will be available in stores, and already you can listen to two new songs on their myspace. And while you're at it, be sure to check out their cover version of Sufjan Stevens' 'John Wayne Gacy Jr.'; since the original is just about the loveliest song I know (even though it's about a serial killer), I shuddered to think of what they might do to my baby. But, once again, they pulled it off brilliantly.

Posted here is one of my favorite tracks off the first EP, 'Upper Middle Class (Whores)', as well as 'Bender Parts', a new song which needs some time to really get under my skin. Still, I have to admit it's getting me worked up about the LP. And having seen the guys perform on several occasions, I can assure you it'll definitely be worth the while.

Johnny Berlin live:
Apr 14 - 6am - Alma 1 - Leuven
May 3 - 8pm - Rock Berchem
May 5 - 10pm - Album Release - Rumba - Leuven
May 10 - 9.30pm - Zoutrock - Zoutleeuw
Jun 7 - 9pm - Album Release - L'escalier - Liège
Jul 26 - 3am - Gentse Feesten - Kinky Star - Ghent
Sep 20 - 8pm - ChiRock - Noorderwijk

MP3: Johnny Berlin - Upper Middle Class (Whores)

MP3: Johnny Berlin - Bender Parts

Thirds and Threads

2008-04-06T12:34:00.012+02:00

photo: unknown

It's been a while since I've written about new music, so this time I'll fill you in on 'Third', the upcoming Portishead album. Officially, it will be released in three weeks time, but you can already pre-order online and quite some tracks are up for download; as always, The Hype Machine can help you with that.

After a hiatus of ten years, since their last output was the '98 Roseland NYC Live album, fans were getting pretty anxious about 'Third'. However, from what I've heard thusfar, there was no reason to panic. Naturally, the combination of Geoff Barrow's electronics, Beth Gibbons' sultry voice and Adrian Utley's typical brand of guitar screeches remains very recognizable, but to say this album will be more of the same, would be erroneous. Songs like 'Machine Gun', the first single off the record, and 'We Carry On' predict a heavier, more beat-driven Portishead. My personal favorite would have to be 'Threads' though, the last song on 'Third' - a six-minute slow burner which, near the end of the track, gloriously explodes against a wall of noise, guitars and high-pitched screams. Nothing left but a monotonous low tone sounding off every three seconds, kind of reminiscent of Iggy Pop's 'Mass Production'. Heavy, indeed.

Also posted here, is a cover of Gainsbourg's 'Un Jour comme un Autre (Requiem for Anna)', which is on the aforementioned 'Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited' compilation. Last week, Hans from the recently shut down cocktail joint Gainsbar used it in his Radio Pink Flamingo 'Gainsbourg Special'. You can download the podcast via pinkflamingos.be. For the playlist, be sure to visit Groovekit.

MP3: Portishead - Threads

MP3: Portishead - Requiem for Anna

Nick Cave, and his Effect on a Seven-year-old

2008-04-05T02:20:00.014+02:00

photo: anton corbijn

As you've probably noticed, I'm not one to talk much about me - but for once, I hope you'll join me on a personal trip.

In a way, I owe my life to Nick Cave. Quite frankly, I wasn't born in Disneyland, but as time has proved, none of my demons kept up with Cave's holy fire (that sentence deserves a chuckle at least). In my childhood home, his records were the ones which, for as far as I can remember, kept me away from giving in to the easy, juvenile delinquent way of life. Later on I nevertheless folllowed that road purely for experience's sake, but I'm pretty sure Nick would agree with the 'try before you judge' ideology. Anyway: back to the matter at hand...

As it turned out, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds got to be the first on-stage show I ever saw: aged seven, at Torhout '89, this madman seizing everyone's attention scared me shitless, dressed in a black and white tuxedo, crashing upon the stage on his knees, squealing like a pig that just noticed the pliers that would take his manhood away. Sitting on my dad's shoulders, surrounded by, say, twenty thousand stoners, it could also have been the crowd that freaked me out, me being a little spoiled autistic sociopath. So naturally, I cursed him for taking me there.

Two years later, my father died in a bizarre drowning accident after a bitter near-divorce, and one of the last memories I have from him is from that concert. Strange how things turn out. Anyhow, these two songs - just some of the favorites from the records I've inherited - are actually co-written by Anita Lane, Cave's teenhood girlfriend. The way I see it, there's way too much to say about Cave - be sure to read his book 'And The Ass Saw The Angel', for instance - so do your own thing.

MP3: The Birthday Party - Dead Joe

MP3: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Stranger than Kindness

Camusic

2008-03-31T18:53:00.008+02:00

photo: henri cartier-bresson

There are some fascinating facts about the short life of Albert Camus. That he was the second youngest recipient of a Nobel Prize for Literature, for example, after Rudyard Kipling. Or that he had a hard time growing up in Algeria, since his father had died in the First World War, his mother was half-deaf and he himself got struck by tubercolosis. Or that he, during the Second World War, was an editor of the anti-German newspaper 'Combat', with 'Beauchard' as his nom de guerre. Most people know him, though, because of his alleged likeness in philosophy to Jean-Paul Sartre; the corny joke 'Camus can do, but Sartre is smartre' even made it to a Simpsons episode. Though the two were friends, Camus never understood this comparison, seeing himself as an absurdist and anti-nihilist:

“No, I am not an existentialist. Sartre and I are always surprised to see our names linked.”

At the time of his death in a car crash in 1960, when he was only 46 years old, three of his novels were published, along with twelve works of non-fiction and six plays. This might seem as not that big a heritage, but his influence can be heard and seen all around, even up to this day. Acts as diverse as Gentle Giant, Joanna Newsom, Suede and the aforementioned Magnetic Fields all found inspiration for songs in Camus' writing, and post-punkers The Fall even stole their band name from the novel of the same title. But the most well-known musical adaptation is definitely by The Cure, whose first single was clearly based on one of my favorite novels, 'The Stranger'.

Posted here is 'Blindness' by The Fall - a hypnotic, freaky track in an alternate take that's not been released until recently - and, of course, the immortal 'Killing an Arab' by The Cure. Enjoy!

MP3: The Fall - Blindness (alternate take)

MP3: The Cure - Killing an Arab

RIP Music Mania

2008-03-28T08:10:00.040+01:00

photo: rick brands

As we speak, it's one of the last days the legendary Music Mania record store will be open for business. After that, you can still stop by Ghent headquarters for some ridiculously low-priced gems this Saturday, and we're planning to hold one ultimate 'all-you-can-carry' fest around the Pentecostal holiday - more about that on Groovekit later. --- UPDATE: Like any good monster, Music Mania simply refuses to die: you can still come over to the Bagattenstraat in the weekends of April, as there's still a lot of nice stuff to get rid of --- You can check out some photos I took during the clearout sales on Photobucket. Right now, I'll endulge you with a band Music Mania head honcho - aren't we the alliterating ones - Jan van Regenmortel introduced me to: Blue Öyster Cult.

This NY rock band started out around the same time as the Mania did, but didn't settle upon its name until 1971. Before that, BÖC was commonly known under a myriad of monikers - of which Soft White Underbelly is my favorite, since it was the expression Churchill used to ridicule Italy's position in WWII. The final title was a quotation of poet/manager/producer Sandy Pearlman, who not only founded the group (without ever actually being part of it), but is also responsible for quite a lot of their lyrics. Apparently, this 'blue oyster cult' is a group of aliens who come together to secretly guide Earth's history. Pearlman was the one who described the BÖC sound as 'heavy metal' - probably taking the line from William S. Burroughs' 1962 novel 'The Soft Machine' - thereby inventing a genre (although this is subject to much debate). Their well-known 'cross of questioning' logo, designed by Bill Gawlick for the first record, is in fact the alchemical symbol for lead, as well as the sign of Chronos, the Greek god of time.

Furthermore, they came up with one of the most recognizable metal features: the umlaut - as in: Motörhead, Mötley Crüe, Queensrÿche and so on. It was probably added by Allen Lentzier, the original keyboard player, but could very well originate from Richard Meltzer, also a provider of BÖC lyrics and one of the earliest rock critics. Up to this day the band is still touring, with two original members in the line-up: singer Eric Bloom and guitarist Buck Dharma.

Well, at first I thought about posting an obscure, B-side-ish little ditty (in true Music Mania tradition), but what better way to say goodbye than with '(Don't Fear) The Reaper' from their '76 album 'Agents of Fortune'. And as it turns out, the Pentecost is in origin a Jewish holiday, to celebrate the acceptance of the Ten Commandments ànd the reapings of the year. So there ya go: full circle.

MP3: Blue Öyster Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper

Oh Children of the Future...

2008-03-25T11:22:00.013+01:00

photo: mark seliger

Since it's Pulp's thirtieth anniversary, I decided to do a little post in their honor. In '78, the band was first named 'Arabacus Pulp', after a tradeable commodity the then 15 year old Jarvis Cocker heard about in economics class, but a year later it was shortened to Pulp. From then on, the line-up frequently changed - more than twenty people have played in the band - with only Jarvis as a constant member. Although they never officially split up, their last output dates back from 2002 when they issued a best of with one new track. Up to this day, Cocker remains sceptical about reforming the band, as he also received quite some critical acclaim for his solo output and collaborations (with the likes of Charlotte Gainsbourg, Richard X, Nancy Sinatra and, uhm, Harry Potter) - but let's keep our fingers crossed. His dry commentary on the subject: 'There have been no deaths that I know of.'

On the B-side of 'Lipgloss', the second single off their breakthrough '94 album 'His 'n' Hers', a little-known psychedelic track was featured under the name 'Deep Fried in Kelvin'. Personally, I consider this to be Pulp at their finest: a ten-minute jam built on a massive guitar riff, some 70's style funky drumming, and last but not least, Cocker's out-there lyrical genius. Here's a taste:

'A woman on the fourteenth floor noticed that the ceiling was bulging as if under a great weight. When the council investigated they discovered that the man in the flat above had transported a large quantity of soil into his living-room, in which several plants he had stolen from a local park were growing. When questioned, the man said all he wanted was a garden.'

Well, that's just beautiful.

MP3: Pulp - Deep Fried in Kelvin

Thursdays are not Funny

2008-03-20T13:10:00.017+01:00

photo: rick brands

As I considered it high time for another one of my 'weird' posts, here goes: welcome to the wondrous world of Zilke. To say the least, this Belgian trio is hard to pin down on a musical - or theatrical - commonplace genre. But let's try it anyway: whereas Wim Deliveyne (Sic, Needle and the Pain Reaction) provides the electro/rock tunes via laptop, keyboards and guitar, singer Eric Kempeneers sets off some surrealistic rants in Dutch about grandma's cooking, mystic mascara and corny friends. To top this off, Paul Cassiers (Sic, Orange Pecco) makes it even a bit stranger using kitchen appliances and children's toys as musical instruments. Yes, a heartfelt 'WTF?' would be quite in place here, if it weren't for the fact that this mess of a band produces some very nice tunes. While listening to them, the experimental antics of bands like Einstürzende Neubauten and Grandaddy come to mind - and that ain't a bad thing.

Posted here is 'Donderdag' - in my humble opinion their best song yet - which recounts those dreary grey Thursdays, when you're in absolutely no mood to step out of your front door, into the drizzling rain and up to some people who probably feel the same way about it. Nice thing about this track, is that it opens with a spoken word in German by Silke, a Berlin acquaintance of Cassiers who also inspired the band's name. So, check it out while I sit here, trying to motivate myself into going to work!

MP3: Zilke - Donderdag

April 16, you can see Zilke live at the Fatima, a very quaint bar in the centre of Ghent with its own record label - more about that later.

Dwarves and Tampons in Switzerland

2008-03-17T10:59:00.042+01:00

original 7" artwork VS18912

Last week, yours truly enjoyed the honour of assembling his very own Radio Pink Flamingo episode. Clueless regarding where to begin, I decided to make an all-female special. Bouncy, funky and bluesy tunes galore - you can find the playlist and download link (82Mb) at the end of this post - but let's take a closer look now on two girl punk faves of mine.

First up: X-Ray Spex. This London quintet, with Poly Styrene (vocals) and Lora Logic (saxophone) mixing in the estrogen, jumped the stage mid '76 and managed to build a groundbreaking musical career in barely three years. Especially the use of saxophone and the atypical, shrill voice of Styrene were what set this combo apart from the other - countless - UK punk bands emerging those days. Even Johnny Rotten, somewhat the genre's leading authority and notorious for hating just about everything, couldn't help but be impressed by the Spex' effortless originality. From the documentary 'The Punk Years':

"Them, they came out with a sound and attitude and a whole energy - it was just not relating to anything around it - superb."

Sadly, toward the end of '79 Styrene (born Marian Joan Elliott) decided to leave the band in order to join a Hare Krishna commune, shortly thereafter followed by Lora Logic (aka Susan Whitby). With the two leading ladies missing, the rest of the band had no choice but to call it quits. Not to say they didn't leave their mark on chick rock history, because meanwhile some worthy 'epigons' arose from Zurich, Switzerland.

And those listened to the name Kleenex - however: at least at first, until they had it changed to LiLiPUT. Turns out back then, Kleenex was a brand name owned by Kimberly-Clark - mostly used for tampons - and the company didn't like this kind of attention one bit. Thank God Jonathan Swift, author of 'Gulliver's Travels', was long gone and buried. Most likely taking the idea from the Spex, this all-girls foursome also weaved a saxophone through their groovy no wave pattern, but not without having an own, distinct face to go with it. Most of their songs, which they sang in English, German and French, have truly passed the test of time; that's probably why the Kill Rock Stars label issued a 2-disc compilation of theirs in 2001.

Featured here are two very nice B-sides off these bands' singles, which are mostly - unjustly - overlooked, and also to make sure you guys 'n' gals check out the podcast for some more of them!

MP3: X-Ray Spex - I Am A Cliché

MP3: LiLiPUT - Split

MP3: Radio Pink Flamingo 08-03-08 - Female Special

The playlist:
Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox – Wonder Woman
Betty Davis – Anti Love Song
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – The Dap Dip
Lydia Lunch – Spooky
ESG - Moody (Spaced Out)
Liliput – Outburst
X-Ray Spex – Oh Bondage Up Yours
The Raveonettes – You Want The Candy
Smith – Baby It’s You
Chicken Shack feat. Christine McVie – I’d Rather Go Blind
The Concretes – Miss You
Bat For Lashes – What’s A Girl To Do?
Grace Jones – Warm Leatherette
Ellen Allien & Apparat – Way Out
Feist – My Moon My Man (Boys Noize Classic Remix)
Donna Summers – I Feel Love

Various: Dissimilar in Nature or Form

2008-03-15T11:39:00.014+01:00

drawing by david bray aka bonesy, various' sleeve designer

Although dubstep is a genre with quite some limitations, a couple of acts effectively coloured outside the lines and did some really interesting stuff with the 'heavy bass/sparse rhythm' blueprint. Of course, these include the well-known unknown Burial and, one of my favorites, Loefah - but what I'm really looking forward to is the new output of Various. On their 2006 full-length debut 'The World is Gone', Adam Philips and Ian Carter combined not so obvious genres like folk, rock, triphop, oriental and dub - and got away with it too. Though the boom I expected this album to create (it was released via the major XL label) never came through, it's still featured in my album top ten of that blessed musical year.

Since then, a lot has changed for this producers duo. Late last year they left XL for eclectic indie label Fire Records, releasing maxi-singles in ridiculously low quantities. Furthermore, they returned to their original setup of remixing tracks for other bands - such as Thom Yorke and Adele. But now for the good news. This year we can expect no less than two new LP's: a collaboration with Irish poet Gerry Mitchell and a 'regular' Various record. In the meantime, you can quench your thirst on two appetizers: the first one is a folky preview from the Mitchell record, the other one is a nice rework of 'The World is Gone''s instrumental title track, this time with vocals by Cat Power. Enjoy!

MP3: Various w/Gerry Mitchell - Risen

MP3: Various w/Cat Power - 13

Also, you can see Various perform 'Hater' at Pukkelpop '07 - where the singer was flirting with my missus while I went for some beers, but let's forget about that shall we - via YouTube. Warning: crappy quality!

Snowmobiles and Raccoons

2008-03-10T17:16:00.020+01:00

artwork !!!'s single 'Take Ecstasy with Me / Get Up'

Personally, I tend to stay away from the stuff as often as possible - being weird and wired as I am - but ecstasy sure has been an inspirational drug over the years. Of course, the whole rave scene wouldn't have existed without its effects of euphoria and connectedness, but there are also some less obvious love drug fans around. For example, NY lo-fi rockers The Magnetic Fields aren't exactly your typical happy-go-lucky bunch of Ibiza geezers, but still they wrote quite a moving ballad called 'Take Ecstasy with Me'. This track was the closer on their '94 album 'Holiday' - and rightly so, because the music truly has that chilled-out, ten in the morning afterparty feel about it, not to mention the trippy, melancholic lyrics:

'You had a black snowmobile
we drove out under the northern lights
a vodka bottle gave you those raccoon eyes
we got beat up just for holding hands'

Eleven years later, trademark party animals !!! (pronounced Chk Chk Chk) covered the track, and made it a seven minute psychedelic stomper which nevertheless kept surprisingly close to the original: even the washboard rhythm and some of the melodies are faithfully adapted. Reworking the track clearly altered the band's method of songwriting, and those changes are part of what made their latest LP 'Myth Takes' such an enjoyable listen. !!!'s Nic Offer on the subject:

'When we covered that Magnetic Fields song it taught us how simple it can be to write a song. All the best music is made while discovering how to do something new. We were used to writing nine-minute songs, but playing something so simple made us rethink our songwriting.'

MP3: The Magnetic Fields - Take Ecstasy with Me

MP3: !!! - Take Ecstasy with Me

So, this post came just a little too late for the weekend, but let's hope these two will keep you going 'till Friday night. Party on!

Speakers on the Outside of our Spacecraft

2008-03-07T09:40:00.020+01:00

photo: rick brands

If one were to make a list of the most original, obstinate rock bands around, COEM should reside in the top region. For over a decade, this Belgian foursome has been influenced by what they consider good music, no matter what happened to be hip on that moment, or what anyone told them. Up 'till now, this tactic has resulted in four good to excellent albums - of which 2004's 'Happiness Etc.' is my favorite - and gigs with giants like The The, Muse and Mark Lanegan. On March 23, their new album will be released on indie label Kinky Star, under the name 'We've Got Speakers on the Outside of our Spacecraft'. Strange title, you say? It's taken from 'Straight No Chaser', a selection of conversations filmmaker Jim Jarmusch had with Tom Waits about music, space travel and operating on a flamingo. Here's the passage:

'You know what I'd like to do, I'd like to go into space with a band, have speakers on the outside of our spacecraft, see if we can communicate. Choose a really strange band, develop our own space program where we're gonna actually go up, because right now the only people who are allowed to go up there, y'know, the way they pick them is just like I guess I'm sure the way they picked explorers.'

Yeah. Strange indeed.

On COEM's myspace, you can already listen to 'In Dream We Make Different Plan', a new song off the forthcoming album, about things not going as foreseen - and how that's okay. Under the moniker boyShouting, the band's singer Marc Wetzels releases his solo stuff: at the moment he's working on a project called 'boyShouting and the shareholders of his thoughts'. The idea is to sell 100 days to 100 people, writing and recording one song each day. Well, judging from the furious rock track posted here, let's hope that'll work out as planned. You can order a song via Marc; just specify a date and he'll check if it's taken.

MP3: COEM - In Dream We Make Different Plan

MP3: boyShouting - yesnomaybetheirresponsibility

Also, you can see BoyShouting perform the new album's title track on YouTube, which happens to be my first - incredibly clumsy - endeavor into filming. It will get better. I promise.

Ah, Memories...(1)

2008-03-04T12:10:00.017+01:00

legend of zelda start screen

Maybe it's because of the whole "child of the eighties, teen of the nineties" thing, but this pixely image sure rekindles fond memories. At home, my sister and I only had the Atari 2600 (which back then already was like the dinosaur of gaming), but every now and then we'd visit our cousin's place, where we would spent hours on end trying to slay Ganon, Bowser and other not-so-friendly entities on his NES. Like millions of others, we were listening to Kōji Kondō's music without realising, and even now his game tunes sound fresh and inventive - which was a necessity if you had to play those difficult levels time and again.

Kondō, a classically trained composer from the age of seventeen, was hired by Nintendo in 1983 to provide music for their upcoming Famicom system (outside of Japan known as Nintendo Entertainment System). Limited to four monophonic channels, it's safe to say that this proved to be quite a challenge for Kondō, who was a multi-instrumentalist and had never been interested in games. However, he turned out to be one of the longest working video game composers, still arranging tunes for the Wii-games up to this day.

His unmistakable style came from a wide spectrum of influences, ranging from mariachi and jazz (like in the Super Mario Bros. series) to larger-than-life rock and classical music (in most of the RPG's). For instance, his 'Legend of Zelda' theme was obviously based on Deep Purple's 'April', and he also used one of Ritchie Blackmore's solos throughout the game's levels. At the end of this post, I've put up a marvellous orchestral version of the theme, which makes the resemblance even clearer.

Another band following in Kondō's footsteps, is Brooklyn duo The Deprecation Guild. The interesting thing about these 'two boys and a Famicom', is that they combine the 'wall of noise'-guitars of the shoegaze genre with electronic bleeps and glitches based on Kondō's original tunes. 'In Her Gentle Jaws', from their debut of the same name, is an impressive instrumental track that also brings Link's epic journey to mind. Zelda meets Slowdive? Can't be bad.

The entire 'In Her Gentle Jaws' album can be downloaded for free on inhergentlejaws.com.

MP3: Koji Kondo - The Legend of Zelda Theme

MP3: Deep Purple - April

MP3: The Deprecation Guild - In Her Gentle Jaws

Sophomores and Tailspins

2008-02-25T14:32:00.016+01:00

photo: rick brands

Okay: the blog is called TEN songs, but what's in a name? I guess you guys won't mind one more - and anyhow, this I couldn't let pass: The Sophomore Jinx. --- UPDATE: I deleted one post, so that makes ten. --- Although this Ghent-based indie band, led by Sven Van Rossen, has had quite some hardship in its short history, none of it can be heard in their melodic alt.rock compositions. About a year ago things were looking bad for Van Rossen, since half his band had quit in favor of other projects (like Made In Taiwan and the aforementioned Kapitan Korsakov). After a long search for replacements, meanwhile playing as his acoustic alias Tailspin Tommy, he finally emerged in an equally great line-up, with members of ES and Kasper filling the gaps.

The two songs posted here are, simply put, terrific. Many a grey winter's day I've passed roaming the streets with these iPod companions on repeat, soothing my ears and restless soul (awww...). But seriously: that's how these beautiful, desolate tracks are best used to their full potential - just a little piece of advice.

MP3: The Sophomore Jinx - What Everything's Made Of

MP3: Tailspin Tommy - Coins in the Sand

Next Saturday, March 1, you can see Tailspin Tommy live at the This Ain't Sodapop festival in Meerbeke.

Join The Car Crash Set

2008-02-24T14:43:00.027+01:00

cover of the '75 paperback (art: chris foss)

An early single from Mute Records was featured in the previous post, so I thought it would be nice to take a look at how this fantastic label came to be. It all started in 1978, when film editor Daniel Miller was looking for a deal to publish his single 'T.V.O.D / Warm Leatherette' under the moniker The Normal. Recorded in his living room, using little more than a Korg synth and a Revox tape machine, the two songs were quite ahead of their time, so he decided to release them himself. The B-side of what was now MUTE1 soon turned into an underground hit, strongly influencing the emerging post-punk/electronics scene.

This track was clearly based on a book by one of my favorite authors, J.G. Ballard, named 'Crash' - and what a great job Miller did with it. The throbbing, mechanical (yet strangely sexy) beats and monotonous, repetitive lyrics perfectly capture the alienating tone of this 'scandalous' novel, of which the storyline basically revolves around the thrill of having sex with Liz Taylor in a head-on collision. The book, originally published in 1973 by Jonathan Cape, was reprinted a number of times, but with one constant factor: the truly horrendous artwork. The only layout Ballard was kind of satisfied with is featured above, but it still looks like bad taste to me.

Mute, with Miller residing as Executive Chairman up to this day, revolutionized alternative music by introducing acts like Fad Gadget, Depeche Mode and Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds to a wide audience, while the song that started it all continues to live up to its cult status. Two covers of the track are, I think, really worth listening to: the well-known 1980 version by Grace Jones of course, and a more recent rework by Chicks on Speed. Enjoy!

MP3: The Normal - Warm Leatherette

MP3: Grace Jones - Warm Leatherette

MP3: Chicks on Speed w/ DJ Hell - Warm Leatherette

Zoot Women and Cosmic Playboys

2008-02-21T21:38:00.039+01:00

original 7" artwork MUTE19

Fasten your seatbelts and start the countdown, because this Saturday we're heading for deep space. Liv Tracy of Zoot Costumiers, the finest clothing shop in Ghent, has put together an episode of Radio Pink Flamingo pulsating with alien space-age vibes. Of course you can expect some classic sci-fi themes, but there's also a myriad of little-known songs just waiting to be discovered. Two of these I particularly like, so here's a small preview.

The funny thing about these songs is that, although their storylines are similar, there's no indication to them being connected in any way. The first one, 'Kees Van Mars', is a jazzy little ditty from 1969 by Dutch actress/singer Rosita Bloom. - Ms. Tracy just recently informed me that it's actually a cover of Barbra Streisand's 'Marty The Martian' (1968), so I'll include that mp3 too. - It's about a girl that's daydreaming in a springy meadow, when suddenly nearby a spaceship lands. Out comes an eleven-armed alien - which startles her at first, but then this extra-terrestrial turns out to be quite charming. Problem is: he can't keep his many hands to himself. Yet, eventually the girl caves in and joins him on his spacecraft, 'hand in hand in hand in hand...'

The other track, Die Doraus & Die Marinas' electro-pop tune 'Fred Vom Jupiter' (1981), also concerns an interstellar lover - only this time he doesn't get off that easily. When he runs out of fuel he's forced to land on our planet, but he seems to have a strange effect on Earth women: they all fall in love with him instantly. Naturally, this doesn't go well with the men, who urge him to leave at once. The girls are left in tears, but Fred promises to return one day.

Like-minded yet totally different tracks, these alone should be enough reason for you to check out the radio show, Saturday at 6pm CET. How? If you're in Ghent, switch your radio to Urgent.fm on 105.3 or go to www.urgent.fm for worldwide streaming (and beyond). Just choose your preferred format and it's lift-off! Missed an episode? There's also a podcast of the show available: it's all explained on groovekit.be.

MP3: Rosita Bloom - Kees Van Mars

MP3: Barbra Streisand - Marty The Martian (live)

MP3: Die Doraus & Die Marinas - Fred Vom Jupiter

A Cobra Snake For A Necktie

2008-02-17T12:49:00.034+01:00

photo: unknown

At the end of the year, rockabilly legend Bo Diddley (aka 'The Originator', real name: Ellas McDaniel) will turn 80, and that's plenty cause for celebration. ***UPDATE: Today, June 2 2008, McDaniel died of heart failure at his home in Archer, Fla., near Gainesville. Rest in peace, bro.*** Not only did he influence just about everybody in modern music - the term 'Bo Diddley' is practically a genre in its own right -, he may be honoured for quite some other achievements. For example, he had the trademark rectangular Gretsch-guitar named after him, and was one of the first American musicians to include women in his backing band. At his first TV appearance, in 1955 on the Ed Sullivan Show, he was asked to sing Tennessee Ernie Ford's corny classic 'Sixteen Tons', but played his #1 hit 'Bo Diddley' instead - subsequently being banned from the programme for life. The man himself on the subject:

I did two songs and he got mad. Ed Sullivan said that I was one of the first colored boys to ever double-cross him. Said that I wouldn't last six months...

Well, proved him wrong.

There are a couple of theories regarding the origin of McDaniel's artistic alias. According to one, it's derived from the expression 'he ain't bo diddley', meaning 'he's nothing'. However, it could also very well be a bastardization of 'diddley bow', a one-snared musical instrument often played by black blues musicians such as Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and Son House. Strangely, Bo Diddley never used it, since his fingers are too big to play any kind of slide instrument.

'Who Do You Love', featured on Diddley's eponymous '58 debut LP, is what I consider to be his finest moment: the jumpy agitated rhythm section, speedy guitar picking and funny-as-hell lyrics make for one truly indestructible R&B track. Still, many have tried: artists as diverse as Patti Smith, The Woolies and Golden Earring have covered it, and not all with an equal amount of respect - or talent, for that matter. Nevertheless, the innovative versions by The Doors and the recently reformed Jesus And Mary Chain are something else. Especially the latter is a tad curious, exploring the underlaying threat of the original in a fuzzed-out shoegaze style.

MP3: Bo Diddley - Who Do You Love

MP3: The Doors - Who Do You Love (live)

MP3: The Jesus And Mary Chain - Who Do You Love

Ritual of Ra

2008-02-15T12:02:00.031+01:00

photo: rick brands

Without a doubt one of my favorite bands, Amenra will be releasing their new album 'Mass IIII' (they should really brush up on their Roman numerals, though) on Hypertension Records this summer. I've had the occasion of watching this sludgecore quintet live several times, and each of those performances came close to a religious experience. Maybe this had something to do with the inspired locations (chapels, parks, abandoned warehouses), their use of iconography or the amazing visuals of Tine Guns, but above all it must have been their overpowering sound that did the trick. I even bought the t-shirt, which I actually wear too.

Amenra live:

2.02.08 Burnside, Deventer NL

3.14.08 4ecluses, Dunkerque F

3.15.08 Le Klub, Paris F

3.16.08 Mondo Bizarro, Rennes F

3.29.08 LVC, Leiden NL

4.05.08 Théâtre Le Poche, Béthune F

5.02.08 - 5.12.08 US Tour - check site for more info

Already there's a little appetizer available: 'Razoreater', a new song from the forthcoming album, can be partially heard on myspace. It's also featured on a split 7", with the equally wonderful guys of Hitch, that was released on Vlas Vegas Records last month. The song posted here, 'The Pain It Is Shapeless', comes from their excellent 2006 LP 'Mass III'.

MP3: Amenra - The Pain It Is Shapeless

Muzak and Dolphins

2008-02-14T13:05:00.015+01:00

pic: united states army

Something got me wondering about the word Muzak, so I looked it up. Turns out its origins date back to 1922, when general George Owen Squier (photo) patented a system that distributes and transmits the sound of phonograph records to workplaces. Research showed that background music, with high and low tones flattened out, heightened productivity substantially. At first, the system was known as 'wired radio', but Squier (pronounced 'square') liked the way Kodak was a made-up brand name, so in 1934 he combined the 'mus' of music with the 'ak' of Kodak - the household name 'muzak' was born. Though mentioned in Webster's Online Dictionary, up to this day it is a registered trademark of Muzak Holdings LLC.

Apparently, this Squier fellow was quite the productive one: he also invented the multiplexing communication system, and bought the first airplanes for the American army off the Wright brothers in 1909. After his death of pneumonia, later in 1934, a US Navy troopship and a class of transport ships were named in his honor.

On a different note: It's a Fine Day to Fuck My Dolphin. This Belgian duo, featuring Boris Zeebroek (The Hong Kong Dong) and Bert Delapierre (ex-St!cker, November), is pretty good at something they call 'neo-soul'. Actually, one would say it sounds more like 'space-crooner', as if Tindersticks took a time-warp to the eighties and abducted Duran Duran's producer. Before you think I've gone completely loopy, here's the muzak connection: their song 'Tumblin'' can be heard on Flemish TV-programme 'Humo's Top 20' as background music. But muzak it isn't.

MP3: It's a Fine Day to Fuck My Dolphin - Tumblin'

Death, Disco, Labour, Swans

2008-02-12T13:38:00.010+01:00

original 12" artwork

The story behind Public Image Ltd.'s 'Death Disco' is a peculiar one. John Lydon wrote it about his mother's cancer-related descent towards death, which can be clearly heard in the extremely personal, howled lyrics: "never realise / silence in your eyes / never really know / 'till it's gone away". The single's artwork depicts Lydon watching his mother.

Furthermore, the arrangements on the track are nothing short of strange: ex-Clash guitarist Keith Levene chose to level out his noisy feedback-driven style with a melody of Tchaikovsky's 'Swan Lake' - under which name the song can also be found on 'Metal Box'. Meanwhile, Jah Wobble goes all-out with his trademark dub-funk basslines, draped over the relentlessly repetitive percussion of then newbie drummer David Humphrey. If something like this were recorded by lesser gods, it would naturally sound like a jumbled mess - but here the result stands as one of the first post-punk classics ever.

Two years later, in '81, Belgian anarcho-absurdists Arbeid Adelt! (Labour Makes Noble!) recorded a song of the same name, although it's not a cover. However, it is inspired by another PiL track called 'Fodderstompf': on the record sleeve it was hard to make out which was which, so they went with 'Death Disco'. The band, with Luc Van Acker (Shrieckback, Revolting Cocks), Willy Willy (The Scabs), Dani Klein (Vaya Con Dios) and Marcel Vanthilt (of later MTV fame) in different line-ups, disbanded in '92 but reformed for a one-time concert in 2007. You can see them perform the song on that gig via YouTube.

MP3: Public Image Ltd. - Death Disco

MP3: Public Image Ltd. - Fodderstompf

MP3: Arbeid Adelt! - Death Disco

This Is Your Captain Screaming

2008-02-11T12:01:00.010+01:00

photo: rick brands

Another Ghent-based entry, but if you know a bit about the music scene round here, I'm sure you'll understand - and if you don't: you know what to do.

What began in 2005 as a solo project by Pieter-Paul Devos, soon turned into the electric whirlwind we now know as Kapitan Korsakov. Backed by drummer Jonas Van Den Bossche (ex-The Alibi) and bass player Pieter Van Mullem (Rye Jehu), this fearsome threesome produces some of the noisiest tunes around, like their influential heroes (Wipers, Dicks and Blood Brothers alike) did before them. Of course, this is bound to result in an astonishing live performance, to which the pile of broken equipment they've conjured up is a blatant testimony.

Kapitan Korsakov live:

Mar 15 2008 8.00pm
Clues Deinze

May 10 2008 8.00pm
Café De Rots Antwerp

In for some psychology, by the way? 'Korsakov's Syndrome: organic disorder in which the brain fails to cope with new information, though distant memory is preserved. It is usually due to chronic alcoholism.' Says it all.

MP3: Kapitan Korsakov - Sheep Dip

Marketing pitch: there's a DVD of the band coming soon, featuring their gig at the Charlatan some time ago, and a very funny video by Jonas Baeckeland for the song 'Sylvie'. Order via their blog.

Gainsborrowed

2008-02-10T11:37:00.008+01:00

polaroids: the kills

One of the highly anticipated releases of the year arrives pretty early: 'Midnight Boom', US/UK duo The Kills' third album, will be released on March 18, and already you can find some promising teasers on the net.

The first two singles, 'URA Fever' and 'Cheap and Cheerful', come with roughly edited videos and are up for remix, all of which can be found on midnightboom.com. The songs make for a somewhat eclectic preview of the album: whereas 'Fever' fits more or less amongst the grittier, downtempo bluesrock tracks of 'Keep On Your Mean Side', 'Cheerful' represents a new, more party oriented Kills we haven't heard except on 'No Wow''s 'The Good Ones'.

Since they're both nice songs, I decided not to choose between them and put up something else, linking two great pairs. On the 2006 compilation 'Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited', VV and Hotel applied their magic to Serge and Jane's 'La Chanson de Slogan', renaming it 'I call it Art'. And indeed: VV's sultry vocals work much better on this track than Birkin's somewhat - excusez le mot - whiny sighs on the original. Art? Yes.

MP3: Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin - La Chanson De Slogan

MP3: The Kills - I call it Art