A Teardrop Explodes

The Simpsons vs Star Trek

2006-08-31T15:35:00.000+03:00

The Simpsons theme meets Captain Kirk.

Performed with Rhodes piano, Theremin and funnel.

Tune of the day!

FROG BOMB!!!

2006-08-30T17:43:00.000+03:00

It was about time!
A new era for digital music has started. No kidding.
Ok, just in the States & Canada and from December onwards But still!
Just check out http://www.spiralfrog.com and read yesterday's Press Release for all the very important info.

"The Lost" - not just "Lost"

2006-08-25T13:58:00.000+03:00

Talking about Julian Cope on the previous post, I remembered that I had on my mind to tell you about the movie "The Lost", which will be featured on this year's Athens International Film Festival (20 Sept. - 1 Oct.).

The connection between this american indie flick and Julian is that the amazing soundtrack features music by the great Brain Donor, Julian's "metal" band. Except Brain Donor, while watching the movie, expect original music by Temistoclis H. Rutili (former of Red Red Meat, now on Califone), and songs by The Black Eyed Snakes (Side project of Low's Alan Sparhawk), The Black Heart Procession, Out Hud, The Ponys, Boris and Oblivians among many others.

"The Lost" is directed by Chris Silvertson who was co-director and co-writer of the cult horror flick "All Cheerleaders Die". Based on the novel by Jack Ketchum (an excerpt from the novel recently appeared in "The Outlaw Bible of American Literature" alongside excerpts from other writers such as William Burroughs, Hunter S Thompson, Jack Kerouac and Henry Miller), "The Lost" is a psychoviolent, raw, funny and nailbiting (a bit) low budget film which might be one of the highlights of the Festival this year.

From the O.S.T. listen to:
Temistoclis H. Rutili - Dreamless.mp3

Death Folk Society

2006-08-25T10:22:00.000+03:00

Last Friday, the excellent Guardian published a very interesting, as always, essay by non other than the Arch-Drude himself, Julian Cope.

As he is regularly doing on Head Heritage, Julian praises his favourite acts from the underground worldwide scene and he points that "Across the world, underground scenes are using the shell of heavy metal - the volume, the grinding riffs, the imagery, the nomenclature - to test rock'n'roll perceptions and explore boundaries, all the while shamelessly subsuming other vastly different musical styles into their own work".

Julian knows his shit and he is by far one of the best music writers around, so read on!

... and ofcourse listen:

Wolfmangler - Dirge.mp3
Cadaverous Condition - There is no death and there are no dead.mp3
Sangre Cavallum - A Canção Da Pedra.mp3

PS. I don't include samples from Six Organs Of Admittance, SunnO))), Comets On Fire & Acid Mothers Temple as I SUPPOSE that you know them alright. If not... well... educate yourself!

Smack Mussolini?

2006-08-25T09:56:00.000+03:00

Ah right! Crack Hitler is the name...

Post-holiday anticipation!

2006-08-23T13:15:00.000+03:00

Too many things to do, too many ideas, too many plans...

Even if 1% out of all those little creatures that are running around my brain gets out of it into reality alive, yes, I'll be as happy as I was during my holidays.

By the way, DON'T download this song:
Weird Al - Don't download this song.mp3

22 years after "Eat it" (remember that hilarious scene-by-scene parody of Michael Jackson's "Beat It"?) Weird Al Yankovic releases a new album next month and this is the lead single dedicated to all of us, the mp3 generation. (Ok, now pretend that you care a bit).

And in case, you were not around in the '80s, here is "Eat it":

The Prize is Right

2006-07-19T18:38:00.000+03:00

Last year was Antony, this year who will get the cash?

The Mercury Prize 2006 nominations were announced yesterday and... what else can I say, this is the Shortlist:

Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Arctic Monkeys - Dancing Shoes.mp3

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the Broken Seas
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - Ramblin Man.mp3

Editors - The Back Room
Editors – Lights.mp3

Guillemots - Through the Windowpane
Guillemots - Made up love song #43.mp3

Richard Hawley - Coles Corner
Richard Hawley - Hotel Room.mp3

Hot Chip - The Warning
Hot Chip - And I Was A Boy From School.mp3

Muse - Black Holes and Revelations
Muse - Map Of The Problematique.mp3

Zoe Rahman - Melting Pot
(Haven't heard it yet...)

Lou Rhodes - Beloved One
(Haven't heard it yet...)

Scritti Politti - White Bread, Black Beer
Scritti Politti - Snow In Sun.mp3

Sway - This Is My Demo
Sway - Products.mp3

Thom Yorke - The Eraser
Thom Yorke - The Eraser.mp3

Who I want to get the cash and the prize? I could say Guillemots, Richard Hawley or Isobel & Mark.
On who I could put my €€€ on? Arctic Monkeys...

The winner will be announced on Tuesday, September 5. Place your bets here.

New Damaged Lambchop

2006-07-19T12:23:00.000+03:00

Something like 6 years ago to this day, I was at Royal Festival Hall in London and I saw for the first time live Lambchop with the company of a full strings session performing the masterpiece that is "Nixon". Before that landmark album, there was something with this weird alt-country collective from Nashville that I really liked, but since that that album and this show they have become one of my favourite ever bands. And yes, I still consider Kurt Wagner a genius of his generation of songwriters.

On the 14th of August, Lambchop will release their new album "Damaged", our new yearly fix of lambchop- related material, and since this blog will be on holidays then, well, here we go:

Read:
- the very informative press release by the City Slang people
- a very good preview in greek in MiC
- an excellent 5 stars review from last Sunday's Observer Music Monthly

Download:
Lambchop - Crackers.mp3
Lambchop - Beers Before The Barbican.mp3
Lambchop - The Rise and Fall of the Letter P.mp3

Pre-order a limited edition of "Damaged"with a Bonus CD here.

Warning!

2006-07-18T14:41:00.000+03:00

Nektarios (VM) didn't pay attention to my early warnings, and so it is...

Suku will indeed be performing today at Vinyl Microstore.

Suku - Apokentrosi.mp3
Suku - Inside yr gun.mp3
Suku - o souidos.mp3

Dimitraki pes aleuri, o Druidis se gureuei

Princess Diana

2006-07-14T17:12:00.000+03:00

Princess Diana Krall

If the previous night we had the King, last night at the Herodium Theatre in Athens we had the Princess!

And although:
- I was extremely tired...
- I was feeling really sleepy...
- I was sitting maybe in the worst sits in the theatre with really bad acoustic...
- And foremost, I was sad for the -one more, hope to be last - misunderstanding with my dearest...

I can assure you that the soon-to-be-mother Diana Krall, with her magnificent backing trio, was perfect!

From Nat King Cole to Ella Fitzerald, from songs of her past recordings to brand new tracks from her forthcoming album, and ofcourse to songs that her husband Elvis Costello has penned, Diana Krall proved why she is considered the best female jazz piano-vocalist at the moment.

Out Hud Out Of Here

2006-07-13T16:35:00.000+03:00

According to today's Pitchfork's report, the NY's Out Hud is no more....

After 2 albums, various singles and split EPs, the band called it a day, to focus on !!!, and sophomore solo efforts.

So let's pay our respect to the band who released one of my favourite album's of the previous year (Buy it here) by dancing to their electro-punk-cello beats.

The King

2006-07-13T10:15:00.000+03:00

The King Solomon Burke

Still under his command, like noble servants of his majesty, after yesterday's evening amazing and truly moving live show in Athens. No words to describe it... If you missed it, you should shoot yourself right about NOW!

From the songs that Tom Waits, Van Morrison & Bob Dylan penned for his 2002 comeback, to some of his old legendary songs like "Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" and "Cry to Me" to mesmerising classics immortalised by Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Chuck Berry and Ray Charles or gospel and country standards.

And all of this with the energy of a 20 years old guy, despite the fact that he didn't move a bit from his throne throughout his performance...

P.S. My man Barry Humbert was so much inspired from The King's show that he made a Cool Fat People list! I am not sure... Should I ask him to include my Drudiness in his list?

Syd Barrett R.I.P.

2006-07-12T10:13:00.000+03:00

Syd Barrett

1946 - 2006

I was never a Pink Floyd fan. To be honest with you I pretty much want to punch in the face most of the Pink Floyd fans... don't ask me why, just BECAUSE.

However, one of the reasons might be that I always felt that this band really died when Syd Barrett went completely out of his head and disappeared from the the public eye to stay with his mum in a village somewhere near Cambridge. He was the real thing, the british equivalent of Brian Wilson, the first real LSD casualty, the man who in just one album with the Floyds, the masterpiece that is "The Piper At The Gates of Dawn" (the only Pink Floyd album I own, I am proud to tell ya), he remained a shining light in the history of music. Syd was pop, Syd was melody, he wasn't the pretentious soul-less cash-in that were Pink floyd after he quit the band. Anyway....

Well, I suppose that I can let the Arch-Drude to tell it like it is, Syd was one of his heroes anyway...

SYD

It is with great distress and sadness that I learned the news of Syd Barrett's death. Although only 60 years old, to put an age on someone as timeless and mythical as Syd is like dating the Pyramids or Stonehenge - I'm sure if we'd learned that he was 10,000 years old, no one would have been particularly shocked. He had not contributed anything artistically to the public domain since the very early '70s, but somehow knowing that he was still there somewhere in Cambridge, albeit in a supposedly vegetative state, was in some way reassuring. That his body and his soul must now be consigned to the Underworld makes all of us several psychic megatonnes lighter tonight.

When I was given my first Barrett album by my then-girlfriend Jane Smith in 1973, Syd was already lamented as a probable casualty of the '60s. At that point, 36 months since his last release, we'd all hoped for some sort of artistic rebirth, however reduced that statement may have been. It's difficult now in the early 21st Century to explain just how divided were the opposing pro-Barrett and pro-Pink Floyd camps. We can gain some solace from Roky Erikson's return to public appearances, but not much - as Syd has quit this planet far too young.

I refuse to sign off with any dubious lyrical conceit, because I'm crying too much. Syd: thanks for staying as long as you did.

JULIAN

Read the excellent Guardian Obituary here.
Many interesting web links and youtube links here.
Buy the true Syd's masterpiece here.

And download some samples of his genius:
Pink Floyd - Apples & Oranges.mp3
Pink Floyd - Arnold Layne.mp3
Pink Floyd - Astronomy Domine.mp3
Pink Floyd - Bike.mp3

-Break-

2006-07-11T15:33:00.000+03:00

It is one of those days... extremely busy in the office, totally stressed, capable of starting a fight with anybody for any stupid reason, without my usual sense of humour.

Is it really worth it? Dunno... but it was my decision to stick with my current "situation" for the past three years, so I can't really say a word.

Today, I should have been getting ready to go to the Rockwave Festival by now. Instead, I don't really fucking care. I can't be bothered. I prefer to go home, cook some pasta or something, watch a dvd, while finishing my bottle of gin and sleep early. Am I getting old and more conventional? Or am I getting more snobby and picky? Still, I don't know...

Don't pay any attention, I am just mumbling to avoid finishing a really BORING financial analysis...

Ah yes, the only thing (except a certain thought, that is) that relaxes me a bit and making me keep going is some good brand new musicThat's the point of good music isn't? to relax you & keep you going?

Guillemots - Little Bear.mp3
Triosk - Vision IV.mp3
The Donkeys - Come On Virginia.mp3
Final Fantasy - The Lamb Sells Condos.mp3
Beirut - Postcards From Italy.mp3

In Amon we trust!

2006-07-10T13:44:00.000+03:00

Amon Tobin - Precursor

Watch one of the sickest and funniest videos ever from the great Amon Tobin, surely the best act from the Synch Festival, that took place last weekend in Laurio, Athens. Besides Amon Tobin and a few other notable exceptions, especially Animal Collective, this year's Synch Festival was a real disappointment, unfortunately...

After last year's success, a real step forward for our scene, this year's awkward line up didn't attract many punters, and justified I may add... This time we can't blame the people who preferred not to go to the fest, but the Synch people who decided to stay on a low budget regarding the International artists and preferred to host instead many Greek artists, more than the previous years. "Artists" who didn't have anything to do with the Synch atmosphere or others without any artistic merit, just because they have connections of any (managerial) kind with the festival and hype without a reason.

Anyway, I am so disappointed that I can't be bothered to download the photos off my camera....

"Mais pourquois?" x3

2006-07-10T12:07:00.000+03:00

What do you mean "Mais Pourquois?" you frog sportcaster?

Because HE IS ZINEDINE ZIDANE, that's why!

Because the true greats don't like Happy Endings. Those are for the cocksucking Peles of the world.

A bientot ZiZou!

Zidane y va marquer!.mp3

Bored...

2006-07-07T11:38:00.000+03:00

... not in general, just with the old plain template of the blog.

I think it's much better now, don't you agree?

Getting ready for Synch Festival... I managed to destroy the zipper of my bag, while in the office. Damn...

A colleague of mine, came today in the office, with a diy t-shirt with the photo of his new born baby yawning on it. I am not sure if this is cute or somehow pathetic... whatever...

Jarvis vs Cunts

2006-07-06T15:50:00.000+03:00

Ah, the world of technology! Just some years ago, we had to wait for radio stations to recieve promo cds from the record companies in order to listen a brand new track from our favourite major artists. Nowadays, it is just the artist, a computer and a MySpace page.

Latest example, our dear old chap Jarvis Cocker, who just a couple of days ago, he managed to upload his personal MySpace webpage, where he left a note and... his first solo effort! (Well, to be honest, I am pretty sure that this is just another marketing trick from the record label, but anyway...)

The song is called "Cunts are still running the world", and yes as you may understand Jarvis is pissed off with the rullers of the world... Crossed my fingers, I hope he won't turn to a Bono!

This is supposed to be his first song out of his upcoming, some months later, first solo album since the demise (?) of Pulp.

Download:

Jarvis Cocker - Cunts Are Still Running The World.mp3

Re-III

2006-07-06T11:26:00.000+03:00

As for the next 3 days I'll be synch-ronised with the 3rd Synch Festival, and I do not know the state I will be on Monday morning, let me just provide you with an advance warning:

On Monday the 1oth, in all faithfull (online) record stores there will be available to order in an all new edition, the album that is regarded as one of the cornerstones of US indie rock. Yes, we are talking about "III", the seminal album of Sebadoh which was originally released back in 1991.

Domino Records are doing again what they have been doing for the past year on the early Pavement album catalogue, now on this Sebadoh's great album, which is re-mastering and re-releasing the album, with an extra CD with rare & unreleased tracks from the same recording era and with additional liner notes & photos.
The first disc of the release is the original album with all 23 tracks, remastered ofcourse, and it is an amalgamation of US indie rock sounds. The album is epitomised by the different musical directions of the three members of the band, with Lou Barlow being attracted by the folky acoustic sound, Eric Gaffney being more of the noise maker, and Jason Loewenstein trying to balance the other two.

The second disc offers a variety of interesting gems recorded at the same era, even the same recording sessions, with "III". Especially the opening track of the total 18, "Gimme Indie Rock", which was released as a 7", is a certain little masterpiece, a funny little indie rock history lesson by Lou Barlow, namechecking bands like The Stooges, Pussy Galore, Husker Du, Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth.

Download:
From Disc 1: Sebadoh - The Freed Pig.mp3
From Disc 2: Sebadoh - Gimme Indie Rock.mp3

And preorder from here. It's such a shame not to own this indie masterpiece, trust TheDrude.

A Piano, a Rose and a Creature

2006-07-05T11:14:00.000+03:00

Antony & The Johnsons - The Guests (Leonard Cohen cover - live).mp3

Due to public demand: Back on the music track

2006-07-05T10:03:00.000+03:00

With the World Cup almost over, I suppose that it is time to get back on the music track...

All this footbal frenzy has kept us away from the piles of cds and mp3 that have remained unlistened all this time. So, it is about time to get back to them and embrace them, listen what they have to offer for our pleasure, and yes, stop listening to laddy sport radio on the way and back to/from the office, and grab again our precious iPod!

By the way, my thanx to all the good people from various indie US labels and promotional agencies who have appreciated this blog and have provided me with a bunch of interesting albums, most of them, not available in Europe.

However, for starter, let me celebrate the 950th download (and counting) from this noble blog of the luvely Lily Allen's songs with a clever little cover by the new urban pop UK princess of the Kaiser Chiefs' "Oh My God"!

Lily Allen - Oh My God (Kaiser Chiefs cover).mp3

By the way, the debut album is a nice little summer gem, don't hesitate to pre-order it! Proper release date 17/7/2006.

Talking about Lily Allen & World Cup in the same post... you may read her views on England's poor performance and recent defeat from the Portuguese on her latest post on her myspace blog
And something you can't say is that she knows shit about football, as she is Keith Allen's little daughter.

Boban αντίο...

2006-06-29T10:14:00.000+03:00

Ξεκουράζεται...

1963 - 2006

Όπως δάκρυσα όταν τον έβλεπα να φεύγει ουρλιάζοντας από το γήπεδο...

Όπως δάκρυσα όταν τον είδα στο αεροδρόμιο σε καροτσάκι όταν επέστρεφε από τις επεμβάσεις στην Αγγλία...
Όπως δάκρυσα όταν τον πρωτοείδα να μπαίνει στο κλειστό με το καροτσάκι κλαίγοντας...
έτσι δάκρυσα και σήμερα που έμαθα για τον θανατό του...

Τι να πω άλλο...

Απλά... αντίο Boban, ξεκουράσου

Dribblendrink ρε!

2006-06-05T09:37:00.000+03:00

This is an out of office autoreply:

Ευχαριστούμε που επισκεφθήκατε την παρούσα μπλογκοσελίδα.

Θα θέλαμε να σας ενημερώσουμε ότι ο TheDrude δεν θα βρίσκεται εδώ έως και τις 10 Ιουλίου, την επαύριο της ημέρας που ο μικρός μάγος Riquelme θα σηκώσει την κούπα και ο πρόεδρος της Ποδοσφαιρικής Ομοσπονδίας της Αργεντινής θα δηλώνει με χαμόγελο "Prime Minister of Greece" Γκαγκάτση: "Είμαστε ενθουσιασμένοι! Φυσικά η Ομοσπονδία θα τηρήσει τις υποσχέσεις της όσον αφορά το πριμ κατάκτησης του Παγκοσμίου Κυπέλλου! Οι 25 της αποστολής θα μοιραστούν μεταξύ τους 150 κιλά κόκας!"

Ο TheDrude όμως θα βρίσκεται καθημερινά σχεδόν στο νέο μπλόγκι που στήθηκε ειδικά για τον (δημοσιο)γραφικό σχολιασμό του Παγκοσμίου Κυπέλλου της Γερμανίας μαζί με άλλους εκλεκτούς μπλόγκερς, όπως οι Jean Meets Tonic, JesusTittyFuckingChrist, Old Boy, Averel, Abnornal Entity, Averel, Schottkey, Hobgoblin, Ciudadano Europeo, Dilated και Motorcycle Boy.
Μεγάλες στιγμές ποδοσφαιρικού καυλαντίσματος λοιπόν μας περιμένουν!

http://www.dribblendrink.blogspot.com

The Time Is Now!!!

2006-05-31T10:39:00.000+03:00

At LAST!!!!

THE END OF MPEOPANIONIOS F.C.!!!
GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE YOU FUCKING FAT FUCK!!!!

A NEW BEGINNING STARTS OFFICIALLY TODAY AT 18:00!!!

WELCOME BACK PANIONIOS, WELCOME BACK PRIDE!!!

... and now, the sports...

Go crappy camera go!

2006-05-30T11:14:00.000+03:00

Me and my crappy little camera in just some of the highlights of our UK adventure.

Chalet Nr. 1 and our neighborhood for the three nights

The Arcade Area on Friday evening

The great Nick Saloman of the Bevis Frond. British psychedelic evenings

The magnificent collective of the Broken Social Scene

The noisy mr. Mascis of the Dinosaur Jr.

Saturday morning in the windy beach of Camber Sands

The wonderful Radar Bros

The Black Heart Procession - best band of the weekend? I think so...

Eleanor put her whites back on... The great Fiery Furnaces rocked!

A great ATP moment! Watching (ok just snippets of ) the Eurovision Song Contest in Chalet Nr.1

Late night tripping with Joanna Newsom

Outside the Queen Vic very late on a drunken Saturday night - after a fire alarm evacuation

Sunday afternnoon with one of the most surprising great shows of the weekend. The Decemberists with full waving Watford FC. colours

Clinic and their patients

Black Keys voodoo magic!

The New Pornographers!!! 'nuff said! (even without Neko...)

The epitomy of underground US indie rock, The Shins! Late Sunday night - last band on the bill

The reformed Os Mutantes (without Rita though) at the Barbican on Monday night

Tuesday afternoon the Guillemots live at Oxford Circus HMV. The best new UK band? You bet!

A blast from the past

2006-05-26T10:40:00.000+03:00

Ok, that was weird! Early in the morning I received a phone call from this guy that I know from my secondary school. He is the only one from back then that I have been in touch from these early school days, and that is just because I bumped into him again while I was in the army...

To my surprise, he announced to me that along with another girl, they have tracked down almost everyone from our class, I repeat "from our secondary school (!!!)" and they have arranged a reunion meeting tomorrow, Saturday evening at my hood's Goody's (!!!) for fuck's sake!

Now, tell me, what's wrong with these guys?
Am I the only one who thinks that there are absolutely losers with no life at all?
And also, am I a complete and utter sad fucker, as I am considering of going just to see if this certain girl, my childhood's wet dream who always denied my affection back then, has turned into an ugly cow with a miserable life?

I hope you still have the tape compilations I have been giving you bitch!

Hot Return...

2006-05-25T11:40:00.000+03:00

Well, yes, despite all the rumours for the contrary, TheDrude has returned back to his homebase... and he is sweating like a motherfucker!

Sorry for my french amigos, but after spending a whole week in the cold, windy and rainy England, coming back in the hot and suffocating Athens is quite shocking.

Also, extremely shocking were the 102 new and unread e-mails in the office.... I've read half of them already, and it seems that I have something like 8 deadlines for today and tomorrow. What the heck is wrong with these guys anyway?

Logging off...

coming back tomorrow (?) with highlights from All Tomorrow's Parties (Chalet Nr 1 kicked it in large proportions), Os Mutantes (decent return but a bit kitchy), Guillemots (the best new band in england?), DVD Shopping in London (The Mighty Boosh is indeed MIGHTY!)

But anyway, I can add some cinnamon in my coffee now that I am back, so I am not complaining (a lot).

Your 2nd Last Chance!

2006-05-17T11:33:00.000+03:00

The Gospel according to The Tourette Twins:

"IT IS BEYOND OUR CONTROL
Back by popular demand...that being a few drunk people we came across the other day and our reflection in the mirror...although that could be the same thing...we'll get back to you on that.
So here we are again. All geared up and ready to fight them on all fronts. We shall wait for you...as usual behind the bleachers.
Motherfucker it's on! Look out for the flyer heading towards your battle scarred hands real soon.
Hosted as always by the slightly agitated Tourette Twins."

Ahhhhh! May the Gods of puke bless those childs!

TheDrude will not be able to attend the ritual, as he is flying tomorrow for the UK for a week of great music (All Tomorrow's Parties, Os Mutantes, Guillemots and others) but my spirit will be there with the Tourette Twins.

Also an early warning: Watch out for the greatest World Cup Blog ever to surface in the blogosphere. An all-star team of bloggers promise only the best! More info VERY soon!

Oh great Shaman, serve me a Southern!

2006-05-12T17:18:00.000+03:00

I was watching a documentary yesterday evening about ancient pagans, druids, great shamans and witches. In one point the dude who was presenting the thing said that all of these wise ones used to believe that Alcohol was magical and that they were using it for therapeutic reasons.

I admit that I suffer. I am an ill, sicko, son-of-a-gun, with a ruined liver since I was 21, so send me to a shaman sanatorium!

You all, grab your drinks and come to join me!

We'll celebrate the Sun, the Moon, and the Holy Grape all day and all night! We'll dance, we'll fuck, we'll shit our pants, and well... we'll drink, what else?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And now something completely different as a weekend farewell:

Gnarls Barkley vs Prince - Crazy Times.mp3

Let's fuck up a song #3

2006-05-11T12:48:00.001+03:00

Yeah I know... When I started this feature way back when I relaunched this blog, I promised to keep it updated every other week. Now, let's see, it is something like 70 days since the last, only the 2nd "let's fuck up a song" feature. Well, that's typical me, unfortunately...

The Kooks - Crazy (Gnarls Barkley).mp3

The song of the year? Yes according to many. The fact is that around the web there are already countless of good and bad covers of this great single of Gnarls Barkley. This is one of the good that I have downloaded recently, by the The Kooks from Brighton, UK. It is stripped version with acoustic guitars and vocals that underline the melody of the song. Very decent new band, worth checking their debut album, "Inside In/Inside Out", released earlier this year.

Band of Horses - Chained & Bound (Otis Redding).mp3

This is one of the bands that me & Barry Humbert are looking really forward to check them out live next week at the ATP festival. The Band of Horses in this case do a great live cover of the classic Otis Redding song.

Jose Gonzalez - Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division).mp3

Yes, it may be too obvious for Jose Gonzalez to cover Joy Division, but the great Swede had done such wonderful job on this one that I just have to share it with whoever may care.

Warren Zevon - What's new Pussycat (Tom Jones).mp3
(UPDATE: Corrected YouSendIt link!)

On the other hand this is not such an obvious choise for a cover by the late and always great Warren Zevon (top image). A live reading of the Bucharach/David standard way back from 1988. Is it just me that founds it really moving & oddly funny in the Warren Zevon way?

Richard Anthony - Toi L'Ami (Beatles).mp3
(UPDATE: Corrected YouSendIt link!)

This is just upon request from a good friend who listened to it when I played it in the 1st May party at Kinky. This "All My Loving" cover was sung in French by this great '60s pop crooner, born in Egypt in 1938, Richard Anthony. The guitar solo that kicks in at 00:59 and lasts just 12", is heaven on earth!

+ Extras:

Nouvelle Vague - Blue Monday (New Order).mp3
Nouvelle Vague - Heart of Glass (Blondie).mp3

Two tracks from the upcoming new Nouvelle Vague album.
They can become irritating, I know, but what the heck!

Let's start getting Synched

2006-05-10T10:36:00.000+03:00

Click here for the full line-up per day.

I haven't decided yet if this is the best or the worst Synch Festival line-up yet...

Anyway, we'll be there in any case... Room 312, here we come! :-)

Grant McLennan R.I.P.

2006-05-08T14:45:00.000+03:00

Grant McLennan

1958 - 2006

R.I.P.

During the weekend, I didn't even turn on my pc at home, so I didn't have the chance to read about the tragic sudden death of Grant McLennan, singer & songwriter of the great The Go-Betweens.

According to the announcement on the official Go-Betweens website, Grant died in his sleep at his home in Brisbane, Australia, last Saturday, May the 6th.

The news are just terrible and his loss is considered as very sad especially because Grant along with the reformed Go-Betweens were in the middle of maybe their most mature and important period of their career. All their albums, after their reform back in 2000 were just excellent, with their latest release "Oceans Apart" to be their greatest effort and one of my favorites of the previous year.

Grant McLennan, except from his prolific work with The Go-Betweens, has released also four solo albums (I own none of them unfortunately), and he has been considered as a great influence to artists as diverse as Belle & Sebastian & Beck.

Read here the announcement of the tragic death and an obituary.

The songs below are some of my favourite Go-Betweens songs that Grant penned during their long-lasting career + a cover of a Bruce Springsteen song that appeared in a special tribute compilation to the Boss of the Uncut magazine, back in mid-2003.

The Go-Betweens - Cattle & Cane.mp3

The Go-Betweens - Lee Remick.mp3

The Go-Betweens - Streets of Your Town (live).mp3

The Go-Betweens - The House That Jack Kerouac Built.mp3

Grant McLennan - If I Should Fall Behind.mp3

The best gig so far this year...

2006-05-05T18:59:00.000+03:00

Four Tet & Steve Reid @ House of Art, Athens, 04/05/06
In awe...

Clues to avoid me:

2006-05-05T18:33:00.000+03:00

If you don't want to see me in the next few days, don't go to the following good shits:

Friday 5/5

Astron Cinema 23:00

Saturday 6/5

shhhh... it's a secret!

Sunday 7/5

Mikrokosmos Cinema 22:30

Monday 8/5

Marissa Nadler & Jana Hunter @ Small Music Theatre

Tuesday 9/5 & Wednesday 10/5

BURNT Festival @ Small Music Theatre

http://www.burntproductions.blogspot.com

Let's Be Pricks # 5: Lily Allen

2006-05-04T17:52:00.000+03:00

For the past few days, the mp3 blog world has been buzzing with one name (well, and a surname, dah!). Lily Allen is the girl, and she is a 21 years old lass from north London. And yes, this summer she is going to become HUGE, I bet my prick on a chopper!

Ok, some of the early-created hype from the British press is a bit irritating but nevermind. I mean, like, check this piece in last week's Observer's Music Monthly. There's no way I could believe that they "discovered" her on MySpace when, her father is a well known british celebrity, this cocky comedian-writer, member of this music joke called Fat Les and chum of New Order, Keith Allen? Oi! Observer dudes! We are not stupid you know…

However, let's forget a bit her rich celebrity daddy and focus on Lily. Who is superb. And clever. And cheeky. And kinda sexy may I add, in the way that I could let her blow me (another macho quote from yours truly).

She has the wit of a Mike Skinner, the poppy ladyness of an Annie and she is about to take Lady Sovereign's crown as UK's urban princess. And we'll obey her while we are dancing. You'll do it as well, as long as you let on the side your "fuck hype" attitude and if you leave your rock'n'roll outfit in the laundry for a while. 'Cause Lily Allen is pop as fuck. And calypso. And ska. And funny.

She has just released her first single (and future summer anthem, especially for her Londoners peers, I add) called "LDN" on Regal/Parlophone/EMI, only on limited edition 7", while just recently she has been finishing her debut album in New York, which is supposed to be released early July.

As for now, read her MySpace Blog which is just hilarious (check the incident with the guy from Babyshambles), and download 4 out of the 9 tracks that have been around and I've downloaded in the past few days: The leading single "LDN", the next one "Smile", a funny little one about her brother "Alfie" and the demo for "Knock 'Em Out".

Lily Allen - LDN.mp3
Lily Allen - Smile.mp3
Lily Allen - Alfie.mp3
Lily Allen - Knock'em Out (Demo).mp3

The Aftermath...

2006-05-02T19:47:00.000+03:00

7 Dead
25 Injured
69 on Rehab
(according to the statistics offered by Jean Meets Tonic and checked by TheDrude)

... and just to show off that we are not just drunk cunt punks, allow me to add that the new Indian restaurant of the town "Red Indian" is just SUPERB (we just HAD to check it out)...

and Clientele are one of the most honest bands that have visited Athens during the past few years (more on that soon - hopefully)

More decent blogging tomorrow... I feel smashed now. 10 hours of music and drinking yesterday and a fucked busy day in the office today just knocked me out.

PS. Junky Nurse dear... please let us be prepared before posting things like that the next time!

Primal Country!

2006-04-28T14:11:00.000+03:00

It is important to know that your old friends, the people you grew up with are still kicking it, although now they are "40 year old Scottish fuck-ups", that is according to Andrew Innes on an excellent piece on last week's Observer Music Monthly, which I strongly advise you to read.

Well, our old chaps Primal Scream will be officially back in track on the 22nd of May with their brand new single "Country Girl" which will be followed by the full album "Riot City Blues". According to the rumours, as it hasn't leaked yet, the album sounds as a good welcome return to the more pure rock sound of "Give Up But Don't Give Up". To me, that's good news especially after the mediocre "Evil Heat" of 2002.

To add to the anticipation for the new album, according to reports "Riot City Blues" will feature guests like Alison Mosshart (The Kills), Warren Ellis (Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds) and Echo and the Bunnyman guitarist Will Sergeant. Woo hoo!

For the past 2 days I've listening constantly to the new single and I have to report that it's a classic already. "Country Girl" is a straight country punk rock tune, with a killer solo mandolin that brings to mind "Maggie May", and with Bobbie G on a fully euphoric nerve, singing to his country girl "…Better go back to your mama, she will take care of ya!" Oh yeah!

Love it, love it, love it!

Preorder the album… I have this sense that the Primal Scream, once again, will provide the perfect soundtrack of another summer.

And download:
Primal Scream - Country Girl.mp3

… I think I will jam it between Marah and Dolly Parton on Monday at Kinky ;-)

UPDATE: And the video is great too! Especially Bobby's suit!!! And ofcourse the Country Girl herself! Go Girl!

We know who robbed this guy though...

2006-04-27T18:06:00.000+03:00

Although I support Barca and I am glad that they got through to the CL Final, I can understand why mr. Jean Meets Tonic sent me an sms right after the match to inform me that he threw a portion of fries to the tv... without the plate of course.

Who wants to rob Mick Jagger?

2006-04-27T17:49:00.000+03:00

Someone wants to rob Mick Jagger!!!
From the Guardian

Damn man!

2006-04-26T11:01:00.000+03:00

Ok, when you turn one of the worst (major) goalkeepers of the era to a hero, you deserve to be eliminated!
Riquelme, I love you, I respect you, you are one of our little gods from Argentina BUT don't dare to shoot a penalty in the World Cup!!!

Back in the office, back in action

2006-04-25T16:04:00.000+03:00

Ok, let me just say that it is my first day in the office after a whole week off and to my own surprise it was not such a fucked up return as i was expecting it to be, especially after 4 days in the sun, sleeping, eating, sleeping, eating and so on...

First of all, an associate from Crete had the bright idea to send me as an Easter gift 3 litres of Raki!!! It is 4 o'clock now and i am officially drunk! hooray to the Cretans then!

Then, I spent something like 2 hours reading posts from all around the greekblogosphere regarding the blog-party last Wednesday... To be honest, I am not very social when it comes to annoying conversations like:

"Hello!!!"

"...hmmm hello?"

"who are you?"

"Who am I?"

"What is your blog? I am ... (a blog that I haven't ever read and probably i don't want to find out)"

"Well, I am TheDrude, you don't know me...."

".... help me a bit..."

"I write mainly in english about music and shit..."

"...." (and then he/she runs off to someone else)

Anyway, it was fun for everybody I suppose, although it is a bit scary to read somewhere that "when Vague Tourist came off the dj booth, a clone of him started playing the music". Shit man, a clone of V.T.??? I don't think that even V.T. wants to have one....

More interesting news from the battlefront:

- Against all odds, Jesus has risen from the grave!!! yes he did it again! By the way, Jesus, Satan, Allah, Buddha, Hare Krishna and others are celebrated in this wonderful, at least, team feature from all the guys at mic.gr! Do not miss it! (Yours truly would have participated in the feature but I just totally forgot all about it! Sorry Babi!!!)

- The great Band of Horses have been added to the final line up of this year's second weekend of All Tomorrow's Parties (19-21st of May) and TheDrude is so much excited! Junky Nurse is excited too, Barry Hambert will be excited when he finds it out I am sure, Family Battle Snake and DirtyMamma (i suppose) will be excited as well, so all this year's ATP crew is happy as drunk Irishman. Hell, yeah!

You don't know the Band of Horses?? Shame on you! Go on, download the anthem below, and then preorder the album "Everything all the time":

Band Of Horses - Funeral.mp3

- This weekend we are looking forward for The Clientele show at Small Music Theatre on Saturday (read past post). The promoters of the Jennifer Lopez show decided that it will be very harmful for their ticket sales to compete with the great Clientele, so they postponed it for the 17th of May. It seems for them that the Champions League Final is not much of a competition for J.Lo compared to the Clientele.

- Check out http://www.synch.gr/ for the first announcement of the line up of this year's Synch Festival.

- It is also confirmed that the gig of year will indeed happen! Antony & The Johnsons live in Athens on the 2nd of July. Bless you DjDrink!

-Watch out for the next Tourette Twins assault! Coming to a shithole near you! You've been warned!

- And ofcourse, watch out for our 1st May Party at Kinky! If you bring a communist flag, or a poster of Lenin, Stalin or any other of the rest of crew including Aleka, TheDrude will buy you a drink.

And now for something completely different:

- Liverpool F.C. will be at the F.A. Cup Final vs West Ham. Ok, we would have preferred last year's trophy again this year, but what the heck...
In the video below watch the famous Liverpool fans singing The Beatles' "She Loves You" in Anfield back in 1964/65 season... No words to describe it...

Full Attack! Formation 5 - 1 - 5

2006-04-18T14:33:00.000+03:00

No dear, it is not the latest bright idea for formation by coach Alefantos for pure offensive football.

It's something else altogether...

5 Songs for the 1st Athens Blogger Party tomorrow evening

Vitalic - Rock 01.mp3
Dr. Alban - No Coke.mp3
KLF - 3 A.M. Eternal.mp3
Teenage Fanclub - Like A Virgin.mp3
Chemical Brothers vs Franz Ferdinand - Hey Villain Boy.mp3

1 Song for a Happy Easter to everyone!

Julian Cope - Easter Everywhere.mp3

5 Songs for another Kinky party yet to come

- this time with a labour friendly flavor -

The Black Keys - Work Me.mp3
Jose Gonzales & Zero 7 - Futures.mp3
Gnarls Barkley - The Boogie Monster.mp3
Athlete - Tourist (Roots Manuva Remix).mp3
Maritime - Parade of Punk Rock T-shirts.mp3

Urgent Announcement!

2006-04-14T16:53:00.000+03:00

Today

@ Bar KINKΥ

(Avramiotoy - behind Athinas 12)

TheDrude

Quentin

"I thought what I'd do was, I'd pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes"

2006-04-14T11:51:00.000+03:00

It's been a really "animated" week as you may understand.

Not only I did spend the first three days of the week stuck in the athens.animfest 06 watching great short films, all the Wallace & Gromit flicks including the excellent seminar by Merlin Crossingham, the amazing "Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed" by Lotte Reininger and others, but I also finished watching all 26 episodes of the best tv anime series ever.

Ok, when it comes to anime, the Japanese cartoons for those who don't know, I am total sucker. You see, I am part of this generation who grew up watching like a maniac classic now anime tv series like Capamarou Ninja Boy or the great Robotech. And I may have not been able to find Capamarou on DVD yet, but I'll tell you that some months ago I watched again after so many years the full Robotech Macross Saga on DVD and believe me it was a strange revelatory and sentimental moment. It was like rerunning on my memory bits and pieces of my childhood...

Let's get back again on "the best tv anime series ever" I was talking about earlier on....

Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex

Some months ago, I watched for the second time the original feature film "Ghost In The Shell" released on1995 and created by the great Masamune Shirow. After a search on the net I found out that the whole tv series inspired by that movie and broadcasted in Japan between late 2002 to mid 2003 has just been released on Region 2 DVD.

The 26 episodes (almost 30' running time each one of them) are released on 7 seperate DVDs or all together in a Premium Box Set. They were produced by the best Anime studio of the recent years, Production I.G., and have been directed by Kenji Kamiyama.

The greatness of this anime is not only on the animations and the plot which takes place in a fictional city of Japan called "Niihama-shi" in the year 2030, and tells the story of a special operations task-force called Public Security Section 9, or simply "Section 9".

The real greatness lies in all the details of this futuristic universe and the underlying social, ecomomical and techonological issues that are being addressed in all episodes in every detail. Furthermore, the references, either political or cultural, are totally there to be discovered. J.D. Salinger, Philip K. Dick, William Gibson, Jean-Luc Godard, Karl Marx, Stanley Kubrick, George Orwell are just some of the influences and references of this anime that you will come across while watching it.

It is just a masterpiece, I'm telling you so...
And don't forget the music! An Amazing soundtrack created by Yoko Kanno, the best by far, iconic and legendary now anime composer. Especially the theme song "Inner Universe" is distinctive of the atmosphere and the Stand Alone universe. The lyrics are sung by the Russian vocalist Origa featuring boy soprano Benedict Delmaestro and similar to other peculiar works of Yoko Kanno the lyrics are a mixture of English, Russian, Italian and Latin language.

Download:
Origo - Inner Universe.mp3

Wikipedia, as always, has great articles (but with a lot of spoilers!) here.
Buy the 7 DVD Box set from here.

Now, I am only waiting for the 2nd series Box Set to be released...

No Music. Just Animation with music

2006-04-12T16:43:00.000+03:00

Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed

2006-04-11T12:22:00.000+03:00

A film by Lotte Reininger
Germany 1923-1926, Spielfilm

Still under its spell since yesterday evening....

The athens.animfest 06 continues today & tomorrow

Raining Pleasure, Closer, Film @ Kerameikos

2006-04-11T10:10:00.000+03:00

Friday night in Athens...

All that ofcourse before the Last Chance For Action party of the amazing Tourette Twins at Closer! we left a part of our devil self right there...

I'm with blogger: The Party!

2006-04-09T23:24:00.000+03:00

The 1st Athens Blogger Party is coming to get ya!

Wednesday, April 19

Club Barrio - Kerameikou 53

TheDrude will be there

Vague Tourist, the man with the masterplan, has all the info you may need.

+ The iblog team created the above poster

Gilmore Youth

2006-04-07T11:57:00.000+03:00

The Greek Division of the Gilmore Girls Appreciation Society is extremely excited after reading the following news story on Billboard.com:

"Sonic Youth principals Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon, plus their daughter Coco on shakers, will appear on the season finale of the WB drama "Gilmore Girls" to perform an acoustic version of the new song "What a Waste." The show, of which the Moore/Gordon family is a professed fan, will be taped tomorrow (April 7) in Los Angeles and will air May 9."

Right On!

What the hell a 10 years old boy listens to???

2006-04-06T19:11:00.000+03:00

Yesterday afternoon a colleague of mine in the office asked my help in order to find on the internet and order a t-shirt for her god-child. Yes, we were talking about a music T-shirt, that's why she turned to me. You see, even in my corporate job environment I am well-known as a music freak (this is what happens if you turn up at work on "casual Fridays" – american bullshits, you know – wearing an MC5 or a Pavement t-shirt).

Well, the kid is 10 years old next week, and the question of the day was "what the hell a 10 years old boy listens to nowadays???". God only knows…

We started surfing on various t-shirt webstores:
http://www.oneposter.com
http://www.tshirtgrill.com
http://www.djtees.com
http://www.shocktees.com

And ofcourse we ended up with nothing. We had no idea…

Maybe Eminem? "Oh no, I am not buying an Eminem t-shirt to the kid! This guy swears a lot!" Yes dear, as if the kid understands what he is talking about…

I had a better idea! Buy him a Yellow Submarine Beatles T-shirt and a Beatles CD as well. Education time! "Oh my… How will he pull girls wearing a Beatles t-shirt??? The other kids will think he is gay!!!" Lesson learned then: If I turn up to a schoolyard wearing my Beatles t-shirt, the kids will think I am gay. I can't imagine what they will think if I wear my old "This is Hardcore" Pulp t-shirt….

We tried to call his mother. She didn't have a clue! "I think he listens to this white rapper…" YOU SEE, I told you!!! "But lately he listens to some rock music!" Ok, now I am happy! Let's buy him a Ramones t-shirt!!! "Ramones? Who???" Not WHO! The Ramones! "Whatever… Fuck it, I'll ask him!" Doh… clever idea!

Telephone conversation:
- Oh hi Andrea!
- Hi…
- I am trying to solve a crossword (A WHAT???) and there is question where you can help me…
- Me?
- Yes… Tell me some music groups and singers you like!
- Eh...
- Come on!
- I like Eminem…
- Except Eminem!
- And Going Through…
- …Something else?
- Yes! Green Day & Maroon 5!!!
- Thank you dear, kisses!!!
- Bye…

Green Day then … it might have been much worse! So this is what my colleague eventually ordered! It's not so bad, isn't?

Ok, this is what a 10 years old boy listens to in the year 2006.

Later yesterday evening I read the tragic news of the death of the great Gene Pitney.

And I remembered…

When I was 10 years old, stuck on the MTV as always, for a while I got totally obsessed with this awesome Gene Pitney & Marc Almond duet:

I found the song again, lost forgotten in my collection and yes it still sounds great.
Marc Almond & Gene Pitney - Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart.mp3

So, farewell Gene Pitney and may you Rest In Peace. I can't imagne what kind of trio you, Nikki, and Buck will make but I bet it would be something really interesting nevertheless.

Read an obituary here.

Buy a cheap and comprehensive compilation here.

Last Chance For Action!

2006-04-05T16:15:00.000+03:00

http://lastchanceforaction.blogspot.com

In Acid Folk We Trust!

2006-04-04T17:25:00.000+03:00

http://www.current93athens.gr/

1 & 2 June 2006
Dimitris Horn Theatre

CURRENT 93

David M. Tibet * William Breeze * Ben Chasny * John Contreras * Baby Dee * Maja Elliott * Simon Finn * Matt Sweeney * Joolie Wood

Six Organs of Admittance
Simon Finn
Baby Dee
Maja Elliott

Xenis Emputae Travelling Band (18/4)

Baby Dee (1/5)

In Gowan Ring (5-6/5)

Marissa Nadler (8/5)

Jana Hunter (8/5)

Just a taste:

Current 93 - Judas as Black Moth.mp3

Baby Dee - Lilacs.mp3

Marissa Nadler - Turquoise.mp3

Jana Hunter - Farm CA.mp3

Who said we don't like sequels?

2006-04-03T10:47:00.000+03:00

Let's Be Pricks #4 : Guillemots

2006-03-31T14:16:00.000+03:00

Let me just tell you that I hadn't listen anything from this amazingly good band, until recently when eyepod uploaded Guillemots' awesome "Trains To Brazil". This mindblowing track was like the epitomy of how an upbeat dancy and clever alternative pop song should be. It is like listening Ted Leo & The Pharmacists jamming with the Arcade Fire. It is THAT good. And just listen to the horn section man!

Having downloaded by now almost 2 (!) hours of music by the Guillemots, including their two deleted singles, and their b-sides, radio sessions, live tracks, demos and some tracks from their forthcoming debut album, I am able to shout out loud that GUILLEMOTS IS THE BAND OF 2006!

Guillemots come from London, they currently record for a small but great indie label Fantastic Plastic Records, and needless to say, the mp3 blog-world is counting days for the release of their debut album (sometime late spring). Their lead singer-keyboardist Fyfe Dangerfield is like a chameleon, reinventing himself in every song. No, I am wrong here. It is the whole band that reinvents itself in every single song.

Guillemots are such great musicians that they can sound as poppy as you may want, but also as experimental jazzy as you wouldn't expect them to be. They have the ability to sound anthemic but in the same time they can become a lounge piano band. But they can mix everything up by fucking up their pop tunes by using home appliances or random noises, ringing telephones or children voices.

At the moment, Guillemots are touring the U.K, with all the shows being sold out. They will be touring again the UK in May, so if you lucky enough, catch them live, to be one of those pricks who will brag at the end of the year "oh yeah, Guillemots, I saw them live before the release of their debut album, before the NME cover, before the 9.something Pitchfork review" and all the other shit we say, we the pricks.

Last week, the very good Drowned In Sound hosted a radio/podcast show of the Guillemots, it is half an hour long, and it includes an interview with the band, some stunning live performances – listen especially the solo version of the new single "We're Here" – and other interesting stuff.

Download the whole DiS Guillemots show here

Further Downloads:

Guillemots - Trains To Brazil.mp3
Guillemots - Go Away.mp3
Guillemots - Made Up Love Song #43.mp3
Guillemots - Who Left The Lights Off Baby.mp3

As we wait for their debut album, you may buy their new single "We're Here".
Also, and I strongly recommend it, buy "From The Cliffs", an EP released only in Ireland, which includes 8 tracks compiled from their now deleted last year's singles + the video for "Made Up Love Song #43".

Rocking Beijing

2006-03-30T18:01:00.000+03:00

The Chinese edition of the Rolling Stone is shut after one issue

I am sure the comrades know better!

MiC Party

2006-03-30T10:19:00.000+03:00

Although, I can't make it to Thessaloniki today myself, I am sure it will be a fun party. So if it happens that you are up there, do not miss it!

Ανάουνσμενττττττττ

2006-03-29T17:18:00.000+03:00

It's 1983 all over again!

2006-03-29T10:24:00.000+03:00

I was driving around Peiraias the other day and my eyes spotted a really bad poster on a wall... I started laughing instantly... Nervously... Nooooooo! It can't be!!! It's a lie!

But, nope! I checked it through an old friend of mine, a massive cult & '80s fan, and he confirmed.

Forget Depeche Mode & Simple Minds and the rest... The real 80s shit is here:

The king of Italo-dance

GAZEBO

DJ Soulis (he is the man)

"live" @ Disco Boom Boom

Friday, 31st March

Oh my... it's so funny that it hurts!

I am currently looking for the poster, it's hilarious, but in the meantime download the promo spot that is being aired on the cult pirate radio station Free FM. Thank you Mike @ FreeFM for the mp3.

Rest in Peace Nikki..

2006-03-28T10:40:00.000+03:00

Nikki Sudden was a very good man.

He had his fair deal of personal problems, but he was a real r'n'r survivor, a british eccentric dealing with the fact that he had the talent to become a rock superstar but for his own reasons he managed to kick the bucket many years ago.

The news of his passing were very much unexpected and kind of shocking for me, who have met him several times here in Greece. My fondest memory of Nikki is from November 2004, when he came down to Athens from Thessaloniki, where he was performing the previous night, just to see and play a couple of songs with his old friend, the great Chuck Prophet who was appearing for two nights in the Small Music Theatre (two excellent gigs, you may hung yourself for not being there).

During the soundcheck, Nikki & Chuck, who had something like 10 years to see each other, just kicked it like two great r'n'r they were, and they played with two acoustic guitars for about 40' just for themselves (and the lucky me) , talking, drinking & smoking. The auras of two great honest musicians had become one. During the encore of Chuck's set, Nikki went onstage smiling, they covered a couple of Stones songs and an old blues standard. But the real magic, I am telling you, was there, earlier on the soundcheck...

Remember Nikki Sudden (July 19, 1956 - March 26, 2006)

Swell Maps - International Rescue.mp3
Nikki Sudden - Midget Submarines.mp3
Nikki Sudden - Vertical Slum.mp3

For a very good obituary read here.

My regrets to Dimitris Douranos, the biggest fan of Nikki Sudden in the world, who has created and has been maintaining for the past few years Nikki Sudden's official website.

Ok... That's hilarious!

2006-03-28T09:56:00.000+03:00

This time, with this .gif, the Pitchfork dudes scored really high in my jokeometer!

Buck Owens: Tired of Livin'

2006-03-27T10:59:00.000+03:00

Last Friday night, Buck Owens did exactly the same thing that he has been doing for the past 10 years. He arrived early at his famous Bakersfield club restaurant "Crystal Palace", he had his favorite meal - chicken fried steak dinner - he performed live for his logtime fans with his band "The Buckaroos" and then he drived back home. There, around 4:30 a.m. he died while sleeping, probably due to a heart attack. I suppose that he was tired of livin', so he decided to leave and meet Johnny Cash & his long-time collaborator Don Rich with the best possible way...

Buck Owens is a legend and a country pioneer by default. Since the 1950s he released more than 50 albums, he charted 21 No.1 Country Singles but more importantly he modernised the traditional honky tonk sound, along with his old good friend Merle Haggard, and he introduced to the country establishment to a new sound, which was turned to a whole new country genre, the revolutionaly Bakersfield Sound.

He was among the first who realised the power of Rock'n'Roll and so by using mainly Fender Telecasters, he electrified the traditional country tunes, to the horror of the Nashville traditionalists. His recordings were partly Hank Williams and partly Chuck Berry, and he was soon regarded as a hardcore honky tonker, an outlaw musician, who dared to disregard all the traditional formulas and standards.

He was the major influence to the sound of Gram Parsons and Dwight Yoakam, he discovered a young Loretta Lynn, and he set the stage for alt.country and country rock as we know them today.

Furthermore, contrary to other self-destructive country musicians, Buck Owens was one of the greatest music businessmen. Since 1965 he had formed Buck Owens Enterprises, which during the next decades it included a management agency, record labels, recording studios, several radio stations around the States, clubs, restaurants and various TV shows, where Buck was acting as a host as well.

His influence was not significant only among country artists. Various pop/rock artists were very big fans too, like the Beatles who covered "Act Naturally" on their 1965 "Help!" album.

Discover Buck Owens, even now.
A good beginner's start is this one.

Downloads:

Buck Owens - Tired of Livin.mp3
Buck Owens - Act Naturally.mp3
Buck Owens - Under Your Spell Again.mp3

Fruto Warning

2006-03-24T11:12:00.000+02:00

Downloads @ Frutoblog

Update: CANCELLED

Be afraid...

2006-03-23T16:01:00.000+02:00

Be VERY afraid....

I quote from http://www.demetrioskatis.com/ :
(please , for your own good, open with caution & get the children away from the screen)

THE MOST EPIC MELODIC HARD ROCK BAND COMING BACK SOON

http://www.exoristoi.com/

ΚΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΑΝΩ ΜΙΑ ΕΥΧΗΗΗΗΗΗΗΗΗΗΗΗ!!!!!!!!!!

Oh god... help us all...

The Chap live @ Small Music Theatre

2006-03-23T10:37:00.000+02:00

The Chap
Live @ Small Music Theatre, Athens
19.03.2006

Λίγο πριν αρχίσει το δεύτερο encore, ακούστηκε μία φωνή
να λέει, αστειευόμενη φυσικά: "Μα για τέτοια πράγματα σε στείλαμε στην Αγγλία ρε Πάνο;;;" Ε, μα γι' αυτά και για άλλα ακόμα καλύτερα αποφάσισε να εγκατασταθεί μόνιμα στην βρετανική πρωτεύουσα πριν από κάποια χρόνια ο Πάνος Γκίκας. Το get the story told στα πολύ γρήγορα, ο Πάνος αποτελούσε ένα από τα ιδρυτικά μέλη των Raining Pleasure, αλλά μόλις στο πρώτο album πήρε την μεγάλη απόφαση και έφυγε για να εγκατασταθεί στην Αγγλία. Σπουδές στο London College of Music πάνω στην κινηματογραφική μουσική, διδακτορική διατριβή πάνω στη σύνθεση, δύο εξαιρετικά albums με τους The Chap που, ειδικά το δεύτερο αποθεώθηκε από το "δύσκολο" Wire, περιοδείες σε όλη την Ευρώπη, πρόσφατη εμφάνιση στο Μέγαρο Μουσικής Αθηνών ως συνθέτης, και ένας γάμος με την γλυκιά Claire Hope, μέλος επίσης των The Chap.

Η πορεία του κάθε ανθρώπου είναι αλληλένδετη με τις προσωπικές του αποφάσεις, μακριά από εμάς οι μοιρολατρικές εικασίες, και εκ του αποτελέσματος των αποφάσεων και την έως τώρα πορεία του, ας μου επιτρέψετε να κρίνω τον Πάνο Γκίκα, ως έναν σοφό άνθρωπο. Διότι, αν καθόταν στα καθ' ημάς, τι θα έκανε; Το πολύ πολύ να ήταν ακόμα στους Raining Pleasure και να είναι υποχρεωμένος να δικαιολογείται στους αναμάρτητους επικριτές του για ποιο λόγο εμφανίστηκε στο Fame Story. Ή θα τον έπαιρνε η μπάλα του "δήθεν" πειραματισμού και "τέχνης" και θα αναλωνόταν σε cd-r που θα πάσχιζαν να περάσουν από χέρι σε χέρι. Ή στην καλύτερη, γι'αυτόν, περίπτωση να θεωρούταν καινοτόμος για τα ελληνικά δεδομένα, όταν θα αναπαρήγαγε τον ήχο του ψυχροπολεμικού Βερολίνου σε συνδυασμό με arty-farty θεατρινισμούς, έχοντας την υποστήριξη μέσων που κάνουν την τρίχα-τριχιά, για να το πούμε "λαικά", για διάφορους λόγους, που δεν είναι της παρούσης.

Ευτυχώς λοιπόν μας έφυγε στα ξένα για τα καλά ο Πάνος, διότι εάν δεν το είχε πράξει, τότε δεν θα ήμασταν τόσο τυχεροί ώστε να απολαύσουμε μία από τις καλύτερες και ειλικρινέστερες ζωντανές εμφανίσεις που έχουμε δει στην χώρα μας τα τελευταία χρόνια και το πιο σημαντικό απ' όλα με απόλυτα σύγχρονο ήχο. Η ενέργεια που βγάζουν οι τέσσερις Chap πάνω στη σκηνή είναι απίστευτη. Η ικανότητά τους να γεμίζουν τον χώρο με πολλαπλά όργανα και ήχους, ακροβατώντας μεταξύ καλώς εννοούμενου πειραματισμού και ποπ μελωδιών, με τρόπο τέτοιο που μόνο πραγματικά καλοί μουσικοί μπορούν, είναι χαρακτηριστική.

Τίποτα δεν είναι τυχαίο και οι The Chap το γνωρίζουν. Στη σκηνή δεν αφήνουν τίποτα να πέσει κάτω, λειτουργούν σαν μία καλοκουρδισμένη μηχανή, συνομιλούν μουσικά με ακρίβεια ελβετικού ρολογιού και κινούνται στον χώρο σαν πολύπειρη θεατρική ομάδα. Αφήνουν στην άκρη τον στουντιακό τους εαυτό που ξεκάθαρα τους αδικεί διότι κανένα στούντιο και καμία κονσόλα δεν δύναται να συλλάβει την ενέργεια τους πάνω στη σκηνή, δεν κατορθώνει να αποτυπώσει τα χαμογελά τους και την παρεϊστικη διάθεση σοβαρών όμως μουσικών.

Το κατάμεστο και τα δύο βράδια, ευτυχώς, Μικρό Μουσικό Θέατρο ένιωσε τους The Chap ως μία πραγματικά σπουδαία μπάντα και ως τέτοια πρέπει να κρίνεται. Και όχι βέβαια ως "την μπάντα του Γκίκα, που ήταν στους Pleasure". Ως ήχο, άποψη, ενέργεια, ικανότητα, φρέσκιες ιδέες και ιδιαίτερο χιούμορ, οι The Chap απέδειξαν μπροστά στα μάτια μας ότι στέκονται στα ίσα και πάνω από τους σπουδαίους και αγαπημένους The Fiery Furnaces.

Και αν θέλω να ευχηθώ κάτι, μην σου πω να προβλέψω, εάν όλα πάνε καλά και με μία αλλαγή δισκογραφικής εταιρίας, διότι για να λέμε και την αλήθεια η Lo Recordings είναι μικρών δυνατοτήτων, οι The Chap θα ανέβουν εκεί που ανήκουν, στη μουσική Premier League, πολύ σύντομα.

(Δημοσιεύθηκε στο MiC στις 23.03.06)

Geometry of Good News

2006-03-22T19:27:00.000+02:00

I wasn't supposed to upload another post today, but I just got some excellent good news that made me really excited, although it is 20:00 and I am still in the office...

The Clientele will be playing live at the Small Music Theatre in Athens on Saturday, the 29th of April.

If it happens and you don't know this great London based trio, let me just say that if you are into indie pop with emotion, wit, cleverness and a little bit twee, yes, The Clientele is a great treat for you. If also you have a tender side which loves to read lyrics as poems and short stories, well, Alisdair Maclean, the frontman of The Clientele, is your buddy.

Mid last year, they released their latest album "Strange Geometry" on Pointy Records and to listen an album so much in love with the psychedelic pop nights of the 1960s and the country rock of the 1970s makes you wanna hug these guys.

From "Strange Geometry" download:

The Clientele - Since K Got Over Me.mp3
The Clientele - My Own Face Inside The Trees.mp3
The Clientele - E.M.P.T.Y..mp3

And also buy the album to be prepared for the gig.

My Wet Warning

2006-03-22T16:56:00.000+02:00

My Wet Calvin

Live @ Small Music Theatre, Athens

Friday, March 24

DVDiary

2006-03-22T14:45:00.000+02:00

When it comes to quality films, If I know someone who I can 100% trust, Barry Humbert is the man.
And this is his new and very much welcomed blog (in Greek), DVDiary (or how someone can watch 5-6 films in the row, a fucking DVDmarathon, and still wanting more!)

P.S. In case you haven't watched the BBC series "The Office", for your own good, do so! Simply the best British Comedy series since "Father Ted" and "I'm Alan Partridge"

Notes...

2006-03-20T12:52:00.000+02:00

Before starting the week in a proper Drudical way, let's make some quick notes from the weekend...

If Κόρε.Ύδρο. had a better singer and if they were singing in English, after their first ever show in Athens on Friday, I would have flaged them as one of my 2-3 favourite greek bands ever. But, that's just my opinion...
Zioutos laptop vs Sunny : 1 - 0 . To say it in the most polite way... one of the most "unlucky" live performances at Gagarin - it was so bad, that you were feeling sorry for her. Edit: Just like Anna Vissi in a way (I had to add this comment as I realised that this blog is one of the last few that doesn't include at least one mention on bloody Eurovision)
TheDrude @ Athens Fashion Week. So many free drinks, so many women, so little time. Congratulations to the guy who was djing at Loukia's show. Pixies, Captain Beefheart, The Jesus & The Mary Chain, Lush, Primal Scream just some of his picks. Forget the designer's clothes, let's dance on the catwalk babe.
Armani, you promised me some photos. You know. I will be waiting patiently.
If I was writing here or elsewhere my opinion on a certain very much hyped greek "band" - a hype created by a certain media and certain people - you might probably accuse me for not being unbiased. So, I let Barry Humbert here to tell some simple truths. Right on mate!
You missed The Chap @ Small Music Theatre??? Are you serious??? You missed one of the best gigs of the year, you fool! More on that one soon...
It's official: the funniest song of the year is "Je t'aime... moi non plus" as covered by Cat Power & Karen Elson. Download it here, courtesy of EyePod
What is it possible to say to a friend, who djs in a mainstream downtown bar on a Sunday evening, when he mixes that awful "Ska Ska Ska Sou sou"song with "Enola Gay" and the theme from the Benny Hill Show? I know, just, "hey mate, buy me another drink please..."
Lkroky21 admits here that the first album he bought was Europe's "Final Countdown". I bet that the guys from Chap share the same guilty pleasure (if you didn't miss their gigs, you know how i ended up to this conclusion). By the way, mine, should be "Smurf's Party" but i have to check out the release dates on my dusty record collection first...
And a great treat... Watch Julian Cope and his new band performing live "Sunspots" at London's Koko last month. And, YES, i totally regret for not catching a flight for the show

Useless facts

2006-03-16T16:26:00.000+02:00

Because I failed yesterday to find some time for my dear blog (I am a busy bee myself) and I believe I've disappointed you all, I have decided to share with you the following facts about yours truly:

When I was a kid I wanted to be Indiana Jones. Later I realised that if I was to study archeology, i would most probably end up teacher in a high school. HELL NO!
I give myself some 6 more months before I give up my currect job, my friends, everything and become a Pagan Druid (that was a joke, ok?)
Some years ago, I shaved my head. I looked like shit.
I hate having to go and buy clothes and shoes. 98% of them in the stores are not of my taste, 1.5% are not available on my size, so I am always looking for that 0.5%. And I am not of the patient type of guys.
I have a cat. An old wild cat. Her name is Lucky. She is lucky that I haven't murdered her yet.
I realised that I am getting old, when my 21 y.o. sister told me something like: "You can't go to that club! What are you going to do there? It is full of young people!"
I have met my all-time favourite artist, I have travelled around Greece with him for a week or so, I have played with his daughters in his garden and I consider him now a good friend. Only for that, I think I am a lucky man
I drink my Southern Comfort ONLY with one ice cube. My good friend Barry Humbert never orders a Southern for me. He feels so embarrassed to ask for such a drink! If you are not, please buy me a drink the next time you see me, and i'll love you forever
... and if you want me to love you forever, in the next few days I'll be checking live our best greek-speaking band Κορε.Ύδρο. and the excellent The Chap. (Visit both bands' websites for lots of free downloads and support them! Buy their albums preferably on their gigs.)

Thank you for listening

The Blooks & The Books

2006-03-14T16:31:00.000+02:00

Last week, The 2006 Lulu Blooker Prize Short-list was announced and yes, our dear favourite Belle De Jour is among the nominees for best non-fiction blook for "Belle De Jour: Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl"!

So, until the announcement of the winners on April the 6th, let's cross our fingers for Belle!

In case you are wondering, The Lulu Blooker Prize is the world's first literary prize devoted to "blooks": books based on blogs or websites. Things change eh?

Talking about Blooks and Books...

With quite a great delay I got my hand on the latest release by The Books, "Lost and Safe", released last year by the Cologne-based Tomlab label. Compared to their previous two major releases, the new one is by far the deepest of them all. Acoustic strings, electronics, voices, samples all are mixed on a strange & unique blend. The two NewYorkers have managed to create a unique trip, more "listener friendly" and closer to the sound of 00's indietronica in a way. Ofcourse, on the other hand, compared to their previous efforts, "Lost and Safe" sounds more conventional and less experimental, but still, this album is quite an achievement.

Download:

The Books - Be Good To Them Always.mp3
The Books - It Never Changes To Stop.mp3
The Books - Twelve Fold Chain.mp3

... and buy from Tomlab

Midlake Monday

2006-03-13T19:08:00.000+02:00

Quickpost today....

Busy as hell in the office. Sometimes I wish things like computers, telephones, numbers and, fuck it, civilisation weren't ever invented and we were just some few happy monkeys monkeying around in the trees of the mighty jungle. Oh, whatever...

BUT, I am a happy monkey as I've spend the whole weekend, and almost all day today, while working, listening to the best track of the year so far.

With no further ado, courtesy of the lovely guys at Bella Union from the to-be-released-in-June new album "The Trials of Van Occupanther", here are the sons of Denton, TX, Midlake with "Roscoe"...

Midlake - Roscoe.mp3

More Bella Union treasures soon...

It's all your Fall(t)

2006-03-10T14:49:00.000+02:00

The mighty Fall are visiting Athens, Greece today, and Thessaloniki tomorrow, for two more of these shows that you never know how they will end.

The last time they were here, some good 4 years before, the legendary Mark E. Smith was there, walking in & out of the stage all the time, swearing, trying to talk and sing without any success, and ofcourse he was full of his "fuck off you cunts" attitude while he was leaving the stage suddenly, about an hour after the start of the show.
And yes, I loved it! This is who Mark E. Smith is. This is how a modern punk working-class genius poet wants to behave and that's what he's been doing for all these years. If you were even to consider enjoying a proper and conventional from Mark E. Smith, well, it's all your fault. And that's what I wrote reviewing this show (and ofcourse, i got all the shit from numerous readers who "wanted their money back", as ridiculous as this sounds).

Mark E. Smith is back today and expect the unexpected. If the show ends "properly", well, I will be disappointed and i will bring back my memories from one of his shows in a small shithole club in the english Midlands, where he managed in just 35 minutes to have a fight with his then guitarist and throw the mic stand to the head of a member of the crowd because he was swearing at him... Punk rock man!

Also, if you haven't read it, here is an amazing article by Dave Simpson on the Guardian, reporting his long quest to track down everyone who has been a member of The Fall. Remarkable achievement, especially if you consider that Smith is firing musicians from his band faster than Ronaldinhio is passing the ball to Messi.

Also, for further reading, do not miss this article on MiC.gr, which included The Fall's Top-20 best songs, although it is focused in the classic first period of the band, until 1985.

To accompany this post, I wanted to put a lot of thought on choosing my 2 or 3 favourite songs ever of The Fall. I couldn't do it. So I decided to end up with my favourite track from their '00s period, "Two Librans" from "The Unutterable" and also the best track from their latest - still excellent - album "Fall Heads Roll", released on Sanctuary Records.

The Fall - Two Librans.mp3
The Fall - Pacifying Joint.mp3

You can buy "Fall Heads Roll" and other The Fall albums here.

Unfortunately...

2006-03-09T13:08:00.000+02:00

... we had the loser again on our side.
And I mean Fowler...

But we don't care! We nicked it, last year :-)

Hug Your Wolfmother

2006-03-08T18:31:00.000+02:00

At last, the debut eponymous album from the great Aussies Wolfmother is set to be released in Europe on April 24th. And what an album this is!

If you haven't heard before the great trio from Sydney, well, let's just say that they are the greatest gift to psychedelic hard rock since... well, I can't remember, I wasn't even born back then. Neither were the three time travellers from down under, by the way.

My first encounter with this great band was at Arthur Festival in Los Angeles in September. These three young guys did one hell of a show in the hot and windy hill of Los Feliz, and needless to say they blew me away! And believe me, i may not be into 70's hairy music, but the Wolfmother dudes are all so unbelievable good on stage and on record, you can hardly believe that they are a bunch of 20-something year olds. Just after their show, I purchased their, now deleted, GREAT 4-track debut EP, which they recorded alone themselves just to have somehing to hand out as a promo cd to record companies. They were finally signed on the best well-known Australian indie label Modular Records and soon they recorded and released in Australia their debut album, which stormed into the Australian charts.

Down-under, they are now huge...
Even the annual reader's poll of the Australian edition of Rolling Stone was stormed by Wolfmother in almost all categories:
Top 10 Albums - #1 "Wolfmother"
Top 10 Singles - #1 "Mind's Eye" & #9 "Woman"
Artist Of The Year - #2
Best Band - #1
Best Tour - #2
Best Album Cover - #1
Best Hard Rock/Metal Band - #1
Best Rock Artist - #1
Best New Artist - #1
Best Dressed - #3 Andrew Stockdale
Year's Biggest Hype - #1
Best Video - #2 "Mind's Eye"

Well, did you say something?

Wolfmother have just finished touring the UK and in even better news their amazing debut will be at last going to be released in Europe as well, as I said above, on the April 24th.

Download:

Wolfmother - White Unicorn.mp3
Wolfmother - Pyramid.mp3
Wolfmother - Where Eagles Have Been.mp3

And you can buy now from here or preorder the european release from here

Let's be Pricks #3 : Great Lakes Myth Society

2006-03-07T17:06:00.000+02:00

Did you think that only Sufjan Stevens released an album about the State of Michigan during the past few years? Oh, you're so wrong my friend! You see, there are some other guys who did almost the same thing, from a different perspective though, and who in mid-2005 they released their excellent debut album in the new independent label Stop, Pop & Roll (great name, right?).

Great label name for a band with an even better name: The Great Lakes Myth Society, is a 5-piece band, which we can trace in their hometown of Ann Arbor, there, at the foot of Lake Erie, one the Great Lakes of Michigan. All their songs are influenced, to say the least, by the natural surroundings of the Michigan's lakes, the past of their homestate, and the stories of its people.

Listening to all the 15 songs of their debut eponymous album is like spending 15 days in the Great Lakes:
From gorhic dark tales to sunny morning pop songs, and from rough celtic-influenced folk songs to sweet '60s melodies, the Society is changing moods and sound to suit the moment.

The excellence of their craft lies in the fact the group has three different singers/songwriters and multi-instrumentalist with a great musical background and different musical directions and
charismas. These guys are so capable and talented that very easily they can tranform themselves to the Pogues, to the Camper Van Beethoven, to the Handsome Family, to the Beach Boys and the Willard Grant Conspiracy, even to the Manic Street Preachers, from one song to the next!

You may say that this is really bad, as they may fail to have a distinctive unique sound, but i just can say that if I had discovered this album earlier in 2005, it would have ended up surely in my Best of the Year list...

Download:
Great Lakes Myth Society - Across The Bridge.mp3
Great Lakes Myth Society - Big Jim Hawkins.mp3
Great Lakes Myth Society - Love Story.mp3
Great Lakes Myth Society - Isabella County, 1992.mp3

And, don't forget, buy!

Enjoy!

2006-03-04T21:29:00.000+02:00

Enjoy the empier city

Enjoy the day off

Enjoy your friends

Enjoy good music

Enjoy the Oscars

Enjoy drinking

Enjoy all the little good things that make up for a better living

Enjoy our little party on Monday

I know I will, and I enjoy it already

It's Kabuki make up time all over again!

2006-03-03T10:59:00.000+02:00

If goth-rock brechtian cabaret style is your thing, then next month with the release of the very anticipated new album by the Dresden Dolls you will be able to draw a smile on your face. The dramatic duo with the lovely shocking appeal and the extreme theatricals have by now created a distinctive sound and they have gained a fanbase from all over the spectacle of the indie scene.

Regardless the success of the new album, called "Yes Virginia", we have to congratulate Amanda Palmer & Brian Viglione for having some of the best titles and theme songs ever! How can you fail or being ignored with songs like "My Alcoholic Friends", "Sex Changes", "First Orgasm" and "Me & The Minibar" just to name a few?Well, while waiting for the release of "Yes Virginia", here are 3 new excellent songs that will appear on the album, as recorded and broadcasted last month on BBC Radio 2.

The Dresden Dolls - My Alcoholic Friends (live).mp3
The Dresden Dolls - Sex Changes (live).mp3
The Dresden Dolls - Sing (live).mp3

Let's fuck up a song #2

2006-03-01T16:52:00.000+02:00

When I was in high school I used to rock. With a band I mean. On stage. Not the prettiest of sights, may I add, as, truth to be told, I was pretty much awful. Maybe the most useless and untalented guitarist ever plugged to an amp. Yes that was me.

The point is that with this band we used to do only covers. We were seriously fucking up songs. I mean SERIOUSLY! If Mick & Keith had heard our covers of "Paint It Black" and "Jumping Jack Flash" they would have killed themselves. If Pete & Roger were so unlucky to pop into us covering live in my high school's gym "My Generation", yes, they wouldn't have even consider touring again.

We knew we were really bad, we knew that people were thrasing us, but still... we didn't really care! We were 16 year olds playing the music of artists we did love!

And so do the five bands below (although they are doing it amazingly well):

The Meat Purveyors - Madonna Trilogy (Madonna).mp3

The Meat Purveyors (see pic) hail from Austin, Texas, they record at the excellent Bloodshot Records and they serve the bluegrass tradition. One of their often habits is recording obscure covers by pop/rock bands and artists, from ABBA to Ratt. Yes, Ratt. Here, at their best, they cover three Ms Ciccone songs in one (Like A Virgin, Lucky Star / Burning Up). Sweet.

The Brakes - Jackson (Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash).mp3

The "supergroup" from Brighton, with the assistance of Duke Spirit's Leila Moss had the "balls" to cover on last year's debut album, Johnny Cash's classic tune. I just remembered it last week, while listening again the "Walk The Line OST" from where I included here Joaquin & Reece's version of "Jackson". I was comparing Reece Witherspoon to Leila Moss's version of June Carter Cash, and I ended up prefering Reece. I got scared with myself.

Animal Collective - On A Plain (Nirvana).mp3

Last week as well, I included Rogue Wave's version of this classic Nirvana song, and I remembered this totally fucked up and weird version from Animal Collective. These kids are not alright. Hopefully, they will be vising Athens, this summer.

Arcade Fire - Age Of Consent (New Order).mp3

A great band of the 00's covering live a great band of the '80s. If I was in the crowd, I would have jumped on stage and kissed every single Arcade dude.

Calexico - Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division).mp3

While I was in LA in September, I went into some Starbucks in Los Feliz, and I found out they were selling exclusively a compilation called "Sweetheart 2005", which included great artists like Rufus, Neko Case, Jim White and others, covering classic love songs from the past. Ok, you can blame the Starbucks coffee chain for many things, but this compilation is just great. Calexico's choise and way of reinterpretation is typical of the compilation's splendid mood.

Get your Klinex and Party on Monday

2006-02-28T12:21:00.000+02:00

Ένα Kinky πάρτι για την Καθαρή Δευτέρα.

Άπό τις 17:00 έως....

Χαρταετοί, λαγάνες, και νηστίσιμα ποτά

Kind Kind Musicians

2006-02-27T18:17:00.000+02:00

Guys,

Let me introduce you to our new friend Paulo and his blog .

I just quote his words:

My name is Paulo, and here are stories I have politely stolen. They are nice. They're from music folk I like, and so mostly obscure-ish, but mostly great too. Actually, I wouldn't want a story from someone I didn't like. Anyhow, if you want them in order you'll need to read from the bottom upwards. Please note, as there are millions of members of the Polyphonic Spree, so too are there millions of stories from the various members, hurrah.

Ah! Bless him!

Well, check out St.Thomas's story (not again Thomas!) and Sufjan Stevens's great one, just Sufjantastic! (as Paulo puts it)

The "story" you see posted here is the one of Claudio Gonson of the Magnetic Fields, as a reply to a kind request from Paulo to Stephin Merritt for a story from him... It seems that he is a bit of a cunt, i suppose...

Well, forget about Stephin now and focus on one special treat from a great live performance by Sufjan, recorded live in the Bluebird Theatre in Denver, just last July:

Sufjan Stevens - Chicago (live).mp3

Punk: History

2006-02-26T20:04:00.000+02:00

Just one of the best articles-studies on Punk that I have ever read.

Especially in the Greek media.

http://www.mic.gr/team.asp?id=28880

Me & my spacesuit

2006-02-25T22:37:00.000+02:00

Today I woke up with a big smile on my face.

I was walking on the streets of the city going to a party. It was carnival-time, as it is now, and I was wearing a costume of a spaceman.

But not a fake one! It was an original space suit, like one those that the NASA dudes are wearing when they pop to the moon for a walk! And god, it was heavy!
I was struggling...
The weight especially of the gravity boots and the oxygen supply was tremendous.
I was sweating inside the spacesuit like a motherfucker, and everybody around me in the streets were laughing at me.
It was so embarrasing... I wished I would die right there!

Suddenly, the Earth got seriously fucked.
In a second, there wasn't any gravity! Not even oxygen!
Eveybody around me, all these shitheads that were laughing earlier on, were choking to death, their faces were exploding, and their bodies were getting vanished out in the deep space!

And I was there, with my great white space suit, the only living creature, looking at them, and laughing! Laughing out as loud as I could! "Oh Yeah! Take that, you morons! Now, what do you have to say about my space suit, you little shits!"

Ok, with a dream like this, and especially with that great feeling of morning happiness that followed it, I certainly need therapy, don't you think?

Let's be Pricks #2 : Deadboy & the Elephantmen

2006-02-24T14:33:00.000+02:00

Well kids, yesterday I was talking to ya all about this great new band which is supporting these days The Fiery Furnaces on their US tour. With no further ado, i am obliged to take my hat off to the best signing of the legendary Fat Possum Records, after Bob Log III, the Deadboy & the Elephantmen.

Apart from the fact that their band-name kicks some serious asses, and we do appreciate bands with kick-ass names, the boy-girl duo from Houma, Lousiana have released in the States their debut album "We are night sky" which, to say the least, is awesome. (note: in Europe, the album is gonna be released in two weeks time)

A cynic and always suspicious music nerd may say: "Hey man, what the hell! They are just copying The White Stripes!" But I say: "Silly boy! Just, listen to these guys and shut the fuck up!"

Yes, the boy, Dax Riggs is on guitar and vocals, as Jack, and the girl, Tessie Brunet is on drums, as Meg, but Deadboy & the Elephantmen do know how to offer their own brand of roots-influenced music with a twist. Half of the tracks off their debut album are drunky folk hymns on a total fixation with death, and the other half are some of the edgier dirty blues rockouts and garage-rock frenzies. It is as if the soul of all the Delta bluesmen have joined these two guys on a resurrection of the traditional values through the voice and the looks of the youth.

Listen to the two tracks below, realise how great band they are, and what an essential album they have released and... buy, buy, buy!

Deadboy & the Elephantmen - What The Stars Have Eaten.mp3

Deadboy & the Elephantmen - Ancient Man.mp3

Oh, bless their deads!

Bitter Tea Served!

2006-02-23T16:56:00.000+02:00

Eleanor & Matt Friedberger, the wonderful The Fiery Furnaces, are busy little fellows.
After "Rehearsing My Choir", an album which I think I am the only one who still listens for some fucked-up reason (ok, I love that line by grandma Olga Sarantos "I had other loves before my husband, other sweethearts, Tom Kitsos for instance, and another I won't name"), The Fiery Furnaces return with another new album, called "Bitter Tea".

"Bitter Tea" is going to be released on April 10, 2006, on Rough Trade Records as usual in Europe but not in the US. The great Fat Possum Records from Mississippi will serve to our American friends the Bitter Tea, as a one-off, as The Fiery Furnaces will return to the UK label for any other future release. Meanwhile, though, Matt is going to release, according to rumours, not only, but two solo albums during the Summer. Ok, I get it now, he wants to do a Ryan Adams on us...

Well, "Bitter Tea" is an orthodox little gem, as orthodox those weirdos siblings can be, following the steps of the "Blueberry Boat" and those of the great "E.P.". We could say that the guys at the Rough Trade US HQ would have much preferred to have this album on their hands and not the fucked-up concept extravaganza that was "Rehearsing My Choir".

To say that, I don't mean that grandma Olga is absent. The grandma is still around but this time with backward vocals on "Oh Sweet Woods", but still the fact that this time the duo uses proper drums is a kind of a big step forward conventionality. Whatever...

Well, according to a Matt's quote on the Rolling Stone "Bitter Tea is a very girly record: bouncy and full of candy-colored sounds". I kind of understand that, as most of the vocals duties are handled by Eleanor, and there a lot of bleeps and blops, but hey, I like it too!
Here are two nice little sips of "Bitter Tea" for you, until you buy the full album.

The Fiery Furnaces - Black-Hearted Boy.mp3

The Fiery Furnaces - Bitter Tea.mp3

Meanwhile, those days before coming to Europe for this year's All Tomorrow's Parties, where i'll be there with various other fellow bloggers, The Fiery Furnaces tour the States along with one another GREAT new band, for which I am gonna tell you tomorrow... if I recover after tonight's massive festive dinner (Pork chops, burgers and sausages... be scared! I am coming your way!)

La Revancha del Barca

2006-02-23T10:38:00.000+02:00

Holly Shit!

2006-02-22T13:19:00.000+02:00

Holly Golightly

@ Underworld, Athens

Friday, May 26

God bless her and the guy who brings her here.

Until then...

Holly Golightly - On The Fire.mp3

Holly Golightly - Through Sun and Wine.mp3

Let's fuck up a song #1

2006-02-21T16:28:00.000+02:00

Fact. There are not many musicians who know the craft of recording a great cover. Most of them end up recording the original song note by note, which is just boring!
However, some others, know the trick! They turn the songs' insides out and they make the original their own. They even fuck it up completely, but yes, that's why we love them.

Those are the good fellas that we are gonna celebrate here in a weekly, hopefully, edition, following yesterday's cover of The Bohemian Rhapsody by The Flaming Lips.

Joaquin Phoenix & Reece Witherspoon - Jackson (Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash).mp3
Ok, they are not Johnny & June but Joaquin & Reece are doing such an awesome effort not only in the "Walk The Line" movie, which is great, but even in the recordings, so, much respect to them. However, T-Bone Burnett's sound and production is the key word for everything.

Dresden Dolls - Noone Knows (Q.O.T.S.A.).mp3
The Dresden Dolls' take on Queens of The Stone Age semi-classic was a standard on their last European Tour. This recording was made on the 22.6.2005 in Paris.

Ben Gibbard - The Saddest Story Ever Told (Magnetic Fields).mp3
Infront of a radio audience, Ben Gibbard of the Death Cab For Cutie/Postal Service tries a solo acoustic cover of the Magnetic Fields song. Nice & simple one, but donot expect much - as you didn't expect much from the last Death Cab album...

Joanna Newsom - Angel (Jimi Hendrix).mp3
Ah... Joanna! With her harp she brings to another higher level Jimi Hendrix classic. It is live recording, not with the best sound quality possible, but worth listening just for her magic touch.

Rogue Wave - On A Plain (Nirvana).mp3
The wonderful Rogue Wave from California in, yes, Nirvana's classic, live on a US radio show. Not much to say, just enjoy a really underrated band.

Next week, some more picks (hopefully)...

When Sean met Damien in Mexico

2006-02-20T17:16:00.000+02:00

Read in yesterday's Observer an (another) excellent article by the great Sean O'Hagan about him meeting Damien Hirst on the eve of his new exhibition, named "The Death of God" in Mexico City.

And talking about god...
I have a question...
How is it going to work, me an atheist, as a, soon-to-be, godfather???

I have to talk with the kid's parents soon i suppose...

At War with the Lips

2006-02-20T15:08:00.000+02:00

I can't complain. For the time I spent on military service, i mean. It was funny, relaxed and so surreal that sometimes I thought I was the leading actor to an army-related comedy B-movie. But I regret for only one thing: The fact that I missed the only, until now, show of The Flaming Lips in my hometown. Oh well...

Oklahoma's finest psych-indie superstars return officially on April 4th, with the follow-up to "Yoshimi..." and already, scattered all the over the internet, are all 12 songs of the "At War With The Mystics". Now, before you start getting all anxious and get jiggy with Kazaa etc., let me just tell you that the decline that followed the release of "The Soft Bulletin" continues.... according to my noble opinion ofcourse.

All this over-production, the too-many sounds and styles in one album and their choice to avoid the "straightforward" and go for the "complex" have ruined my Lips. Ok, I understand that n-o-b-o-d-y can control what's goin'on on Wayne Coyne's head, but sometimes I get the feeling that this is "too much". But considering Lips' fanbase, and the success of "Yoshimi...", it is just me who feels that way...

Mp3 Samples
The Flaming Lips - The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song.mp3
The Flaming Lips - It Overtakes Me/The Stars Are So Big, I Am So Small... Do I Stand a Chance?.mp3
The Flaming Lips - Goin' On.mp3

+ one older cover (just because we had an arguement about Queen on Friday night)
The Flaming Lips - Bohemian Rhapsody.mp3

Let's be Pricks #1 : The Diggs

2006-02-17T17:40:00.000+02:00

Q: Why are we always trying to find new bands and tag them as our favourite?
A: Because we are music nerds and pricks, that's why.

We like to brag to our other music nerds friends. We enjoy spitting band names that nobody else has ever heard before. We love to be the first who have championed a new band! Yes we do, come on, admit it. I admit it. The other day, at one of our regular bars, a guy came up to me and he asked me what I've been listening to for the past few weeks. I could have said things like, dunno, some old indie stuff I discovered, Fiona Apple, New Pornographers, Johnny Cash (because of the "Walk The Line" movie")… But no! I went on and named some bands that I was sure he couldn't have known. Yes, I am such a prick. And 99% of you reading these lines, you are not less pricks than I am. So let's be pricks together, shall we?

The Diggs

Well, The Diggs are my favourite new band at the moment. 'Nuff said.

Ok, I'll give you some more clues. They are a trio, with the classic guitar-bass-drums line up. And they hail from Brooklyn, NY. Now, I can hear you saying: "Oh no, not another 'The…' band from New York!" But, I can tell you one thing: These guys deserve our attention. Especially, from all of us who grew up music-wise in the '90s.

Yes, The Diggs are like us. They grew up listening to the Sonic Youth, Radiohead, My Bloody Valentine, Sugar. College Indie Rock and Brit Pop was their everyday soundtrack. And now, it is their sound.

"It's just like you say / Your Blood is in my veins", Tim Lannen croons, as an emotional car-crash before embarking to a stunning atmospheric guitar frenzy. Be aware! You'll fell in The Diggsr trap and I am not sure you want that. You'll think it is 1995 all over again, oh yes. You'll turn the lights out, your eyes will focus on the little red "On" light of your stereo, you'll start swinging your head around to the guitar riffs, your feet will hit the floor to the drum beat, and you'll feel a pain in your heart. Do you remember teenage angst? I don't mean the band or the song. I mean your own teenage angst. Yeap, it is coming back. Enjoy it, as long you can remember it, because we are not growing up no more my dear, we are just growing old...

Their debut EP "Orange" and their GREAT debut album "Commute" is out now on a little NY label Sugarspun Records. Below, you'll find just three mp3s from this album. But do yourself a favor and spend $10+ postage on CD Baby and buy it.

Oh you are such a prick! I'll buy you a drink the next time we meet!

Mp3 Samples
The Diggs - Trouble Everyday.mp3
The Diggs - It's Just Like You Say.mp3

The Diggs - Stagg.mp3

CWBY LOVE

2006-02-16T12:31:00.000+02:00

It is well known that Willie Nelson smokes pot. A lot. Even Johnny Knoxville, during the shooting of "The Dukes of Hazzard" flick, where Nelson honoured the part of Uncle Jesse (see pic) was shocked with how much pot this 80-something year old living legend was smoking. And he also still likes to defy and provoke the Nashville's & Austin's Country establishment, which is always something worth doing.

Last year, he even released a reggae-country album. Ok, it was an awful album - not recommended even to my worst enemy - but he is Willie Nelson so he can do whatever he wants and we can still forgive him.

Well, just last Tuesday, on Valentine's Day of course, he managed to top all of that by releasing only on iTunes a cover of a 1981 song by an infamous NY outsider called Ned Sublette.

The title of the song? "Cowboys are frequently secretly (fond of each other)" and, guess what, it is about gay cowboys. According to Willie's words on the Austin Globe it was the movie "Brokeback Mountain" that made it easier for the song to come out. About the much hyped Ang Lee's flick itself, that opens today in Greece, Willie said: "It was a beautifully made movie. Ang Lee is a great director and you know the guys didn't turn me on. I saw a couple of sheep that turned me on". He is my man, alright!

Well, not much more to say, than go and download the song!:

Willie Nelson - Cowboys are frequently secretly (fond of each other).mp3

Also, you may download a small clip off the famous Howard Stern's Radio Show, when he first aired the new Willie's song, and... well... laugh:

Willie Nelson's song on Howard Stern's Show.mp3

By the way... I don't get the fuzz about "Brokeback Mountain" being the first gay cowboy flick, when Andy Warhol did it back in 1969 with "Lonesome Cowboys"! Anyway...

Pre_Synch event: Liars + 2L8 live

2006-02-15T14:23:00.000+02:00

Liars
+ 2L8
Live @ Gagarin 205
10 Φεβρουάριου 2006

Παρασκευή, εννέα το βράδυ και πρόσφατος φίλος εκ Νέας Υόρκης ορμώμενος ρωτάει: “Πόσο μεγάλο είναι αυτό το Gagarin, Ηλία; Θα χωρέσουμε;”. “Αφελέστατε φίλε μου! Μα που νομίζεις ότι βρίσκεσαι;” θέλω να καγχάσω, αλλά δεν το κάνω για να μην του υπενθυμίσω για άλλη μία φορά ότι κακώς ήρθε στα πάτρια εδάφη...

Μία ώρα αργότερα και η άνεση στον χώρο, μας φέρνει να συζητάμε με τον Mr.Synch έχοντας ως θέμα, τι άλλο, το επερχόμενο τρίτο φεστιβάλ στο Λαύριο τον Ιούλιο. Με χαρά μαθαίνουμε και σας ενημερώνουμε ότι όλα βαίνουν καλώς, πάλι καλά να λες, και ως bonus μας εκμυστηρεύεται και τα πρώτα σίγουρα κλεισμένα ονόματα. Off the record όλα, λυπάμαι...

Κατά τα άλλα, ο Κώστας Βοζίκης φοράει το καπέλο του 2L8, παίρνει το δοξάρι και αρχίζει να γρατζουνάει την κιθάρα του, μόνος πάνω στην σκηνή, εκτεθειμένος στα αδηφάγα μάτια του εστέτ και πάντα καχύποπτου προς ανήσυχους συμπατριώτες του, αθηναϊκού κοινού. Δυστυχώς, η μοναξιά δεν αποδίδει, και παρά τις φιλότιμες προσπάθειες της πεταλιέρας, ο φωτεινός πίνακας δείχνει σύντομα 2L8 – Κοινό : 0-1. Και οι γνώστες-προπονητές του gin&tonic ωρύονται: “Πού είναι η μπάντα; οέο;”. Κρίμα γιατί μία τέτοια εμφάνιση δεν αποδίδει στο ταμείο της Poeta Negra.

Από την άλλη, η εμφάνιση του Angus Andrew αρχικά απογοητεύει! Μα ούτε μία φουστίτσα; Ένα ταγεράκι; Μόνο ο Julian Gross πίσω κρατάει τα προσχήματα και φοράει ένα ωραιότατο κορμάκι. Βέβαια, είναι θέμα στιγμών για το ψηλόλιγνο τέκνο της Νεοϋορκέζικης arty αντεργκραουντίλας το να βγάλει το σακάκι, να αφήσει το παντελόνι να πέσει στα πόδια του και να μεταμορφωθεί στον πάνκυ σαμάνο που είναι.

Στο νέο επερχόμενο δισκάκι τους, οι Liars διαλαλούν ότι “Drum’s Not Dead” και φυσικά δεν είναι, αφού τα κρουστά και ο ρυθμός τους είναι πλέον η κινητήρια δύναμη του ήχου τους. Αν οι συνθήκες μάλιστα ήταν πιο ζεστές, ίσως και τόσο όσο στον φούρνο του Synch το καλοκαίρι, θα μπορούσες να την ακολουθήσεις και να χορεύεις σχεδόν ασταμάτητα. Τουλάχιστον να παρασυρθείς και μπεις στο trip που σου προσφέρουν απλόχερα. Ακόμα όμως και αν το παίζεις δύσκολος και κάθεσαι ακίνητος και στρυφνός με το ποτό στο χέρι, υπάρχει και αυτός ο χαρισματικός, αδιαμφισβήτητα, performer που δεν σε αφήνει να αγιάσεις. Kαι είναι αυτός λοιπόν με το παιχνιδιάρικα σατανικό χαμόγελό του, που κάνει ακόμα και το πιο κρύο τυπικό live, να γίνει το ένοχο μυστικό που ενώνει 300 νοματαίους που βρέθηκαν κάτω από την ίδια στέγη στην Λιοσίων για μία ώρα και κάτι ψιλά.

Οι ένορκοι βέβαια δυστυχώς είναι σε δύσκολη θέση αφού καλούνται να αποφανθούν αν οι Liars είναι πραγματικά μία γνήσια δύναμη που παίζει με τα όρια των καλών τεχνών και της performance art ή απλά μας δουλεύουν κανονικά, κάνοντας την πλάκα τους περισσότερο, και γελώντας από μέσα τους που αυτό που κάνουν έχει την όποια ανταπόκριση. Όπως, για παράδειγμα, το ότι βρίσκουμε απόλυτα διασκεδαστική την στιγμή που ο Angus σηκώνει την ρόμπα του για να μας δείξει το βρακί του – τύπου άσπρου μινέρβα παρακαλώ δεσποινίδες.

Παρακαλούνται λοιπόν οι κύριοι ένορκοι να προσέλθουν στην αίθουσα και να μας ανακοινώσουν την ετυμηγορία τους. Όποτε θέλουν. Δεν βιαζόμαστε. Ως τότε, χαμογελάμε ένοχα.

Links
http://www.liarsliarsliars.com
http://www.2l8.gr

(Δημοσιεύτηκε στο MiC στις 14.2.2006)

Ah! The Liars! Great guys weren't they? They are taking the piss out of everything and that's one of the reasons we like them. Just check the "uncensored" cover of their latest EP, which was released via Mute, last Monday.

Go buy it, even though you'll end up with a censored version of the cover... The title track is packed with repetitive drums, weirdness and more repetitive drums and more weirdness.

The Liars - It Fit When I Was A Kid.mp3

Listen it until the new album "Drum's Not Dead" comes out...

Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat

2006-02-15T13:27:00.000+02:00

Όταν αρκετούς μήνες πριν διέρρευσε σε blogs αρχικά και μουσικά websites αργότερα ότι η Jenny Lewis άφηνε στην άκρη τους Rilo Kiley για να ηχογραφήσει το πρώτο της σόλο album και μάλιστα πατώντας στα χνάρια της white soul της Dusty οι απανταχού yupsters, και δεν βγάζω την ουρά μου απ’ έξω, αρχίσαμε την αντίστροφη μέτρηση. Τι κι αν μας την βγήκε από την γωνία η Chan Marshall με το απροσδόκητο “The Greatest”, η κουκλίτσα Jenny, επισήμως και Miss Indie Rock Hottie 2005 σύμφωνα με εγκυρότατη μπλογκοψηφοφορία στο σεβάσμιο Stereogum, μονοπώλησε το ενδιαφέρον.

Τα τραγούδια άρχισαν να διαρρέουν στα απανταχού mp3 blogs, οι promo-φωτογραφίες της κοκκινομάλλας 28χρονης δεσποινίδος, και πρώην child movie-star, κόσμησαν ουκ ολίγες σελίδες, ενώ και τα δύο σε συνδυασμό λειτούργησαν ως βοηθήματα για πολλαπλές εκσπερματώσεις ευαίσθητων κολεγιόπαιδων. Ωραίες στιγμές για να θυμόμαστε!

Όταν βέβαια όμως έρχεται τώρα στα χέρια μου το δισκάκι της Jenny Lewis, ταυτόχρονα με αυτό της Cat Power, οι συγκρίσεις μοιάζουν να είναι αναπόφευκτες. Όμως με μεγαλειώδη ντρίμπλα που μαγεύει την εξέδρα ξεφεύγω και αφήνω την Chan Marshall να συνεχίζει απτόητη την δεδομένη αξιοθαύμαστη πορεία της και γλυκοκοιτάζω την Jenny που στέκεται ανάμεσα στις δίδυμες αδερφές Watson.

Ποιες είναι αυτές οι δίδυμες όμως; Μα ίσως αυτές που κάνουν το “Rabbit Fur Coat” το μικρό διαμαντάκι που είναι, χωρίς να παραβλέπουμε και να μειώνουμε στο ελάχιστο φυσικά την Jenny. Οι gospel τραγουδίστριες από το Kentucky αφήνουν την σφραγίδα τους στο δισκάκι από το a capella εισαγωγικό “Run Devil Run” και ξεδιπλώνονται όμορφα και ωραία με χαρακτηριστική άνεση δίπλα στην γλυκιά αλλά, ας είμαστε και σοβαροί, περιορισμένων δυνατοτήτων φωνή της Lewis για τα δεδομένα του εγχειρήματος.

Ξεχάσαμε ποιο είναι το εγχείρημα; Μα είπαμε, να αφήσει στην άκρη το indie γλυκό της βασίλειο στο Los Angeles και να μεταφερθεί στο Memphis της Dusty. Στην πορεία, σαν καλή κοπέλα κάνει βέβαια μία στάση και στο Nashville και φοράει το καπέλο της Lucinda και συνεχίζει με τις δίδυμες από το Kentucky αγκαλιά. Pedal-steel, σκουπάκια και ακουστικές κιθάρες, αρμονίες και μελωδίες, όλα στην υπηρεσία της Lewis για να μεταφέρει τις μικρές της ιστορίες αγάπης, πονεμένες και μοναχικές, γεμάτες αναπάντητα ερωτηματικά, αλλά ποτέ καταθλιπτικές και σκοτεινές.

Το “Rabbit Fur Coat” καταλήγει να είναι μία Bittersweet Symphony, θα λέγαμε, με σολίστ και πρωταγωνίστρια μία κοπέλα από την καρδιά της indie δισκογραφίας που μεγαλώνει και μαθαίνει ακούγοντας τις μεγάλες του παρελθόντος, και μαέστρο, για να μην ξεχνιόμαστε, τον Mike Moggis.

Όλα αυτά κάτω από το άγρυπνο βλέμμα των τριών σπουδαίων σωματοφυλάκων της, M. Ward, Ben Gibbard και Conor Oberst. Το γεγονός βέβαια ότι οι τρεις τους συνοδεύουν την Jenny Lewis, στην μοναδική διασκευή του album, το “Handle With Care”, ως άλλοι Traveling Wilbury της γενιάς μας, δεν (;) το παρεξηγούμε διότι πιάνουμε την ειρωνεία και το indie in-joke της παρέας.

Παρ’ όλα αυτά, εάν ο Μπάμπης βαθμολόγησε μόνο με 7.5 το “The Greatest”, παραπάνω δεν μπορώ να βάλω...

7.5

MP3 Sample
Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins - You Are What You Love

To σπίτι της Jenny Lewis
http://www.jennylewis.com

Κυκλοφορεί από την Team Love / Hitch Hyke

(Δημοσιεύτηκε στο MiC στις 10.2.2006)

The end is the beginning...

2006-02-14T18:04:00.000+02:00

This blog has been dead for approximately 4 months...

Now, for a no reason at all, maybe just to piss me off, when I am so bored to update it (it will happen, I know...) it has resurrected!

But not, as a regular blog... No, no, no!

It is an mp3 blog now!
(hey look at me kids, I am soooo trendy!)

Surprised? You wouldn't, if you knew me!
(For those that you know me... well, you can see the point!)

Before we start, just a slight warning from ya all non-greek friends... This blog will accomodate from now on also all the articles that will be published in the music e-zine MiC, articles that are written in Greek. If I had the time, I could possibly consider to translate them in english and pubish them here for you, but hell no, I am such a busy yupster, so forget it! All the other posts will be in english.

Well, kids let's start with a special bootleg treat...

The Arch-Drude would definately hate this bootleg mix, i am not sure about the Daft Punksters, but it is such a stupid guilty pleasure!

Julian Cope vs Daft Punk - World Shut Your Revolution

Well kids... wish this blog luck and strength!

This universe...

2005-11-18T14:34:00.000+02:00

... will self-destruct approximately NOW!!!

KA-BOOOOOOM!!!!!!!