I have taken almost a full year off apparently from my Other Blog (this one) which is focused on brands and other experiences (like music) that I love. It seems that there was just too much going on this year to keep it up. But not a week went by when I didn't think about posting which caused me to think about the brands I really care for. Time to get it out there.
One Band I Cannot Live Without
I discovered Beast a little while ago and cannot live without them. They remind me of a cross between Unkle and The White Stripes (the latter only because they have such a big sound and only two people in the band). Betty Bonifassi and Jean-Phi Goncalves are Beast. They seem to be Canadian. They are definitely awesome!
Both have their own accomplishments. Betty and Jean-Phi make smart, big sounds with a gritty undertone. Songs like Devil and Mr. Hurricane satisfy the dark side.
Here is the publicist-written version of who they are (they should try writing this themselves):
Beast is an experimental union between the powerful and sensual voice of Beatrice Bonifassi and the dirty, in your face, beats of composer and drummer Jean-Phi Goncalves, both as Betty and Jean-Phi. After having wonderfully performed on the 2004 Oscar Winner Sound Track – The Triplettes de Belleville – Betty has joined since then her voice and her songwriter skills to Dj Champion to create, once again, a major impact on the local, national and international music industry. Betty’s uniquely textured voice charmed and inspired Jean-Phi, leader of Montreal’s new sensation band, Plaster. For his part, Jean-Phi has made eclecticism his own speciality. Lead drummer and original electro-jazz composer, he has taken part to many projects. From Lauryn Hill (Fugees) to Jean-Pierre Ferland (Jaune 2005), Ariane Moffat (albums/shows), Pierre Lapointe (La forêt des mal-aimés), Daniel Bélanger, to name a few, Jean-Phi has always known how to strongly impress with his own musical touch and is a sought after remixer and producer in this part of the world.
The GlobeandMail did a decent article and the professional critic descibed their sound:
Beast's music moves with the recombinant energy of a fast-moving virus, through a wide but coherent variety of styles. Blues, funk and old-time gospel all make an appearance, along with big-booted guitar melodies that recall the soundtracks of Ennio Morricone, and sweetly sinister constructions like those in the film music of Danny Elfman (to name two of Beast's favourite composers). Goncalves's production claims a big aural space, with fat bass-lines often grinding far below a recurrent high vocal sound (sometimes synthetic, sometimes real) that could stand for the promise of hope in a bleak situation, or the mockery of remote angels.
“It's very organic and electronic at the same time,” says Goncalves. However synthetic his instrumental choices, they're always grounded by Bonifassi's powerful, earthy singing.
They are touring Canada now and will be at SXSW. I am a dedicated fan and hope they cpome to 9:30 Club.
Being a faithful member of the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds lifelong fan club, I was notified via email last week of the new 'album' available in the UK. The single and video had been out for a few weeks. Dig Lazarus Dig - the single - is terrific: fast, organ-grinding, chant-like. The video is a chuckle as most of Nick's vids can be (check out Bring It On froma few years ago for some high-powered booty camp - awesome)
But now the album is here. Usually it takes me a few listens to really get a new Nick album. Inevitably I feel a bit guilty at first as if I am starting to fall out of love or something. then a few listens later it clicks in and I slide comfortably back into pure fandom.
Here we have 10 new songs. I am listening to it for the first time and, excuse me but i must raise my voice a bit, THE MUSIC POURS INTO ME LIKE SOME MAGICAL SUSTENANCE AND I FEEL IT FOR THE FIRST TIME - GREATNESS!. From "Midnight Man" to "More News From Nowhere" to the title track we are talking deep and dense, bass driven, organ-energized, Nick-rap. I am very surprised that I like it all so much the first time. Perhaps, I have been waiting for so long that any morsel is a relief. But i don't think so. Nick Cave is about my age. And he is one of the best writers, storytellers, performers of all time. Am I gushing? A little. But I believe he is one of those great talents - hugely productive from the movie soundtracks, scripts and side projects like Grinderman.
Here's a little sampling of Nick's writing.
From "Midnight Man:"
"Wolves have carried your babies away,
oh, your kids drip from their teeth.
The nights are long and the day
is bitter cold beyond belief.
You spread yourself like a penitent
upon the mad vibrating sand,
and through your teeth
arrange to meet your midnight man."
From "I Call Upon The Author To Explain:"
"Well, I go guruing down the street
And young people gather round my feet
And they ask me things – but I don’t know where to start
They ignite the powder-trail straight to my father’s heart
And, yeah, once again
I call upon the author to explain
Who is this great burdensome slavering dog-thing
That mediocres my every thought?
I feel like a vacuum cleaner – a complete sucker!
It’s fucked up and he is a fucker
But what an enormous and encyclopaedic brain!
I call upon the author to explain "
If you have never listened or owned a Nick Cave album, start here. You won't be disappointed.
I did a decent amount of traveling this year. Not too many car rentals, though. early in the year, I "bought" the Hertz Gold member club not even sure what the benefit might be beyond less time in lines.
So, we were on our way to New Mexico this Thanksgiving when I realized I forgot to rent a car. This came to me as teh plane landed in Albequerque. I have the whole family in tow and they can be a cranky bunch at this time in a trip. I called Hertz as the plane taxied towards the terminal - certain that there would be no cars available - holiday and all. I started to come to peace with actually renting from a company called Thrifty or Dollar.
I gave the Hertz person my Gold Number. They hooked me up with a car immediately - pretty much the car of my choice. When I got to the counter (30 minutes later?) they were super nice and had everything waiting. I chose another car which was no problem.
Short story: it may be silly that I pay an annual fee to be treated like a valued customer. But I am treated that way and I really like it.
I know Hertz doesn't have the cheapest rates. I don't travel via a car rental all the time. When I do, hertz is so worth it.
I am totally in love with the band Unkle. Very heavy, dark, dense stuff. And I feel like I really "discovered" them. Like they aren't that popular but I know I am just kidding myself. They are probably huge in Europe. At their heart is James Lavelle - an extremely talented guy who has been making music in London for a decade. You can see a recent interview here. The first Unkle album featured DJ Shadow. Now we are on the third album - War Stories - which is more rock than the previous ones. Lots of guest artists on this one including Ian Astbury from the Cult. One of the best rock shows I ever went to was in the Felt Forum in NYC with The Cult. We stood in front of the sound board where Rick Rubin presided. Anyhow, Unkle is so wonderful. You can get more here at a blog dedicated to them.
Rarely do I find myself really captured by comedy. Most of the comedic movie stars from Hollywood just don't do anything for me. That's why I am completely surprised that I am a HUGE fan of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. First there was Shaun of the Dead then Hot Fuzz which just came out on DVD and is a huge hit with the family.
As they say, "Brilliant". The both of them - the moves and the actor/writers. Sure, they carry on a long tradition of comedic partners across many countries (I think of Dudley Moore and Peter Cook in Bedazzled). But they are really contemporary - comedy for the Grand Theft Auto-set. They are comedic nerds. There humanity is right there on their sleeve along with the stains from wiping their beer-brimmed mouths.
Both films show how "losers" prevail - not by winning the spoils of the "small-dicks" as the Drive By Truckers call them - but by staying alive to play another videogame or play the peacemaker in small town, England.
I am not sure I want to think too hard and analyze why I like them so much. that kind of goes against the unwritten code of their simplistic nerdism. Let's just say they make me laugh out loud and Nick (my son) and I both really get "it."
Whereas Konk had a clear African drumming thing driving the party forward, there is a current band out of Australia, The Cat Empire (their MySpace page here), that has an equally rhythmic force but borrowing from ska and strangely some New orleans influences. Even with these differences, I still thought of Konk when I heard them. I was shocked when I saw their video performance on Late Night which only showed 4 band members. I could have sworn that they were another band with an impossibly high number of band members. Their band pix show 6, so I am guessing some couldn't make the US TV show date. There sound is quite dense and energetic. If you sample them, start with the song Sly.
They are touring in the US this summer and I am just guessing here but I think they will be tremendous live.
As I was saying, back in 1984, Richard Edson led a band called Konk that was a tremendous good time. So many people up on stage you know they couldn't make a lot of dough. They would play around the city including Danceteria. (Thanks for the Internet, there is this great resource for old Danceteria flyers). Here's a Jon Pareles review from 1982:
"Konk, a septet with three horns and a rhythm section, is primarily an instrumental band. Their songs mix and match rhythms, with a little salsa, a little Motown, and a lot of James Brown funk, topped by dissonant horns."
(he actually goes on to critique them but I am leaving that part out).
Living on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the 80's, I used to see folks like John Lurie and Richard Edson around. Before Jim Jarmusch cast both of them in Stranger Than Paradise, he had the band-with-too-many-members-to-possibly-make-money: Konk. But the movies dragged him away from that and he has been in 81 movies since then. Now he is the "star" of ads for Traveler's Insurance. I love these ads mostly because of Richard. He has this wonderfully trippy quality that feels so real. I realize he is an accomplished actor and may just be good at doing this role. But something about it reminded me of the Richard I used to see on the street or on stage and made me almost...wistful.
I am a fan because I love his style. Yes, he's got a distinctive face. But there is a mix of the character actor's humility and a glint which reveals that he is a lot smarter and charismatic than others he has played against.
He should be the lead (and he has been in many films). I would love to see him team up with Darren Aronofsky (Requiem for a Dream) and do something darkly optimistic.
But back to the band, Konk. Total drumming, driving rhythm, lots of dancing, horns, celebration. Man, what a good sound.....
Traveling through London, I splurged on these shoes. I am certain they are not as special in the marketplace as I would like to think. They were a bit pricey. But then I tried them on. They are snug but make my feet feel great. My feet are vain. In the US, I need a size 13 which always make my feet feel self-conscious. I need to keep them happy. I am lucky that I can choose to do this by buying shoes. Short story: they are handmade Italian shoes from a company called MOMA shoes.
I have Googled them and cannot find a manufacturer site. Yet they are for sale. Stock up. I will try fo rthe sake of my feet's sel-esteem.
Back to fanblogging. (Okay, I also hit London between Barcelona and home but enough is enough already). The best part of stopping off in London was picking up the UK release of the Grinderman CD. It's still not here in the US nor do I think it's on iTunes yet.
As you might guess, this is an unqualified "must-have." Grinderman is Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Martyn Casey, and Jim Sclavunos. Sound familiar? Of course, it's more than half of the Bad Seeds. The sound is dense and driving. Nick actually plays guitar. The boys are having fun and it's a bit dirty, messy and LOUD. This band is a side-project that I owuldn't be surprised to learn gains some Bad Seeds-like legs. They play the All Tomorrows Parties Festival on April 27. I must figure out some reason to be in London....
With songs like No Pussy Blues and Love Bomb, it's that bridge between Birthday Party and the Bad Seeds (I know Nick disavows the Party but the raw sound of Grinderman and the playful lyrics bring me back a little).
This band and collection of songs (almost called it an "album" - geezerland almost speaks) is a story of re-invention and creativity. Nick wrote the Proposition within the past couple of years. He put out Abbatoir Blues. And now Grinderman.
It's fresh, it's creative, it sounds really good very, very loud.
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tyty said:
[this is good]Which kind of woman do you want to be?Do u have these ten secret weapons?IT bag: yves saint laurent,christian louboutin... read more
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phil higgins said:
does anybody know where stocks moma in the uk or how you can order through the internet read more
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