triosk

i've been looking forward to the day i start a blog posting with that one word
the name of the sydney 3 piece band that has taken me in with their glorious noise
i first saw them 3 years ago at the wangaratta jazz festival
and have been to every performance i can get to since then
which amounts to a total of 6 shows that i can recall
in that time they have recorded and travelled overseas extensively
tonight they generously shared their billing with a local duo called simpatico
andrew robson on alto saxophone and paul cutlan on tenor sax and bass clarinet
they were very, very good, plugging their new cd, improvising with ease, and telling us all about it
it's a full house and more tonight complete with the mob imported from the basement
the ones that want to spend the performance telling their friends how good this band is
or something else equally as important judging by the enthusiasm of the conversation
that continued on even with triosk on stage and into the first tune
lucky me had snagged a seat at the front of house directly in front of master drummer laurence pikes
so with head leaning forward i could very successfully block out the ambient crowd noise
which obviously did not bother the band as they wound into their show
slightly to my left stood the upright bass and it's master ben waples
and further to the left was seated supreme noise maker and keyboardist adrian klumpes
it took all of about 10 seconds of the first piece to realise things had changed again
and we have gone up another notch in the intensity and skill barometer
this outfit was never lacking in self-belief or self-confidence
but it's rare to witness a performance where there is no on-stage eye contact
except for the rapport in between songs where the band inadvertently demonstrate their comradarie
otherwise there is a complete confidence in each other and therefore the option to submit completely to the music
laurence pikes is an unbelievably talented drummer/percussionist
the first tune started out with quite gentle yet rapid playing using very light drumsticks (think chopsticks)
ended up with an almost heavy rock style attention to the drums in his kit
and had every conceivable noise in-between and a few other tricks
including man removes jacket and casts it off while retaining the beat perfectly
or better still man removes cymbal laying on top of snare drum in the same manner
thus mid-flight completely changing the sound coming from that instrument
adrian klumpes has changed from a pianist with the added job of knob twiddler
to an on-stage engineer with access to various noise-making devices
one of which is a grand piano and another an electric piano
in most tunes he had at least 3 different devices adding exceptional noises to the mix
one being a small microphone in a cable that he used to add and distort his voice
my non-expert impression was that all his machines were analogue and relatively vintage
so this is far removed from any computer-based noise-noodling
in the middle of the stage ben waples seems very content to lay down the beat
no need for any flourishes or impressive soloing when surrounded by these 2 musical geniuses
his upright bass provides the unique triosk bottom end
in one tune he repeat played a note as low as you could go
and amplified very cleverly using the stage itself to provide a deep rich beat
he is a man very much in awe of his instrument and in this tune in particular
was able to play the riff then look on with great respect as the notes resonated
it was a mesmerising set of tunes they played with great focus and intensity
laurence very sincerely thanked the audience for coming out to see them
and then left us to retrieve jaws from floors
this band can do anything and will go anywhere
watch this space
triosk

newtown, sydney, australia, world, universe

the centre of my universe for some number of years now
but i sense a change is a-coming in the form of some long overdue travel
it has been about 4 months since my last significant travel experience
seems i have been hibernating over winter in a fine old part of the world
and now that the days are warming and elongating the itch has also returned
needs to be scratched or at least subdued with a bit of a wander
coming up next week to celebrate the start of spring
or actually more likely to escape the madness of the big apec-uliar gathering
there's 21 of the best the world can come up with meeting in sydney town
to talk, and backslap, and handshake, and embrace, and pose, and well...party
but there's hope they will actually make some significant progress on those party-pooping issues like
climate change, poverty, disease, species extinction, deforestation, useless and illegal wars, corruption, refugees, etc
but my prediction will be the most talked about outcome of this get together
will be the success of the massive security operation to keep the delegates safe
from all those left-wing, tree-hugging, tofu-munching, trouble-making protestors
the plan for me is to observe from a distance as i head north to wet and wild queensland
tonight as is often the case i was out on king street in newtown and decided prior to departure
i should be like a tourist in my own back yard and see the place through such eyes
having seen a bit of the world my feeling is that newtown is a fine example of how the world should and could be
for there is amazing diversity in all things human and all beautifully balanced
most days i walk up and down the main strip of king street between city and enmore roads
and in that one kilometre or so are many fine shops and restaurants including
the green palace thai vegetarian with a bainmarie of mouth-watering dishes on offer
the north indian diner with it's always consistently good curries
the happy chef with a staggering array of chinese dishes - try the salt and pepper fish
lucky's pizzeria with it's genuine old-world italian decor, food and service
macro new to town and offering a fine selection of organic foods and ingredients
so music, fish music and hum music which between them have a vast array of cds and dvds on offer
better read than dead has all the new books that the many second-hand bookshops would not have yet
the dendy theatre has 4 cinemas offering the latest left of centre films
the vanguard offers great live music having just won nsw entertainment venue of the year
there's the marlborough hotel, the newtown hotel, the coopers arms for liquid refreshment
there are banks, atms, a post office, hardware shops, a medical centre, a gym
and clothing shops, health food shops, jewellers, and quite a few doors
leading to upstairs shops that only adults are invited into
there's a police station of which i have intimate first-hand knowledge
and all these places staffed by friendly, happy people (yes even the police station)
significantly they are mainly owner-operator businesses - hardly a chain store in sight
i'm told the golden arches came to town but had to leave due to lack of customers
the thing i love most about newtown is the people you encounter on any given night or day
sydney university is the northern neighbour of king street
so you would always expect to see many young people of varying ethnic backgrounds
then mix in the strong gay and lesbian sub-culture that exists here
and the street people, beggars and buskers that always politely welcome a coin or 2
there are older people who presumably have lived most of their lives here
and any number of backpackers and tourists armed with their lonely planet guides
weekend nights sees the lads in their cars and the girls in their party buses
but there is never any violence, aggression, intimidation, thuggery
or single-eyed, alcohol-fuelled, sport-based or other in-your-face nationalism
and you are welcome to have a protest, gather signatures, hand out brochures, support a cause
i get the feeling this place knew about and had embraced tolerance and understanding
well before there was a want or need to invent the m-c term to define it
ah newtown - i'm gonna miss you when i'm gone

born sandy devotional

back in june of this year i attended a couple of events as part of the sydney film festival
one was to see a preview of the new david lynch film titled inland empire
a 3-hour epic of art-meets-film unlike anything i have ever seen
the other event i attended with some near and dear friends from the 80's
was the official premier of the documentary about the album born sandy devotional by the triffids
one of a series of 4 films from sbs about classic australian albums - with more to come
since that night i have been eagerly anticipating the release on dvd of the film
and tonight was the night it finally showed up in the local cd/dvd store
i loved this album back in the 80's and upon infrequent playing since then
over the last year or so with a new re-mastered version released on cd
i have rekindled the relationship but probably with even more vigour
as it sounds so good, so contemporary, so timeless, so significant
so music (a shameless plug for the shop where i bought the dvd)
opening scene is the band playing at the big 1987 australian made concert
with tongue firmly planted in cheek david mccomb declares the dilemna they faced
of making up the set list because of the hits they had enjoyed in australia
before launching straight into wide open road the one song that came closest to a hit
then cutting to comments from the likes of paul kelly and steve kilbey
in the first of many raves about the song and the album it is from
we go back in time to the late seventies and to perth where the band started
and it occurs to me that the sound of the band then
is very closely related to the early flying nun bands coming out of nz
before long the band is in a van and heading across the nullabor plain
to try their luck in the eastern states and laying the foundation for this album
the band soon relocates to europe where they cracked it big time
1985 being declared the year of the triffids by influential music magazine nme
and that was before this classic album was recorded or released
there's some great historical footage of australian bands living in london in the 80's
and some funny stories about the recording of the album in london
but what works best in this film is the fading in and out of various album tracks
there are snippets of all the songs on the album
volume used to great effect at times to highlight particular riffs, sounds or lyrics
and some fine interpretations and explanations of the lyrics from kelly and kilbey and others
in a not very often seen example of peer appreciation and respect
fellow band members also all speak eloquently and fondly about their 10 years together
and there is a very definite sadness coming from them when speaking about their friend
david mccomb had some very serious health issues leading to a heart transplant
that kept him going for a few years before ironically rejection set it
leading to his premature death in 1999
tender is the night from the album and sung by jill birt seems so prophetic
i knew him as a gentle young man
i cannot say for certain
the reasons for his decline
we watched him fade before our very eyes
and years before his time...
and years before his time
vale david mccomb
this is a fine testament to his legacy

music of the world n o p q r

on the downhill run with this little exercise
transcribing 50 rhythms of the world from songlines magazine july/august 2006 edition
tending to the tedious typing the text
but at the same time learning more about the diversity of the music in our world
songlines ran a competition in conjunction with the article to answer a simple question
and go in the draw for a prize of every cd mentioned in the article
now that would have been a shortcut to getting hold of all the music they have mentioned
as it seems some/most of the cd's they mention are just no longer available
at the end of this exercise i shall provide a link to all those albums

nongak (korea)

nongak is the energetic drum-led farmers music of korea
which is linked to shamanic ceremonies and traditionally played at celebrations and harvest
it's been transformed into an exhilarating performance art by kim duk soo
the four percussion instruments involved are -
the changgo (hourglass drum) puk (barrel drum) and a small and large gong
while playing the musicians do acrobatic dancing and spin ribbons on their hats

songlines recommends drums and voices of korea by samul nori
esne notes the deliberate reference to simply korea and not the politically divided country

polska (sweden)

not to be confused with polka - a fast duple-beat dance from bohemia
the polska is a slow lop-sided waltz from sweden
which can be tricky for newcomers to get their feet around
rather than accenting the first beat as in a waltz
the polska accents beats one and three
once you've fallen under it's spell it's quirky magic
is powerful both in concert and on the dance floor

songlines recommends sluring by frifot
esne notes this seems more a dance than music lesson but we'll go with it

raqs sharki (middle east)

literally eastern dance but better known as belly dance
raqs sharki uses a whole range of rhythms from around the middle east
as a backdrop to the sensuous flowing movements of the performers
the mood of the dance is wholly dictated by these beats
from the most basic maqsoum rhythm with it's immediately recognisable pattern
dum-tak tak-dum tak
to the rolling and subtle turkish chiftitelli or the quixotic 7/8 laz
make no mistake - despite worthy attempts to rehabilitate it as a cosy alternative to pilates
belly dancing is meant to stir the loins

songlines recommends the rough guide to bellydance by various artists
esne notes now this is a very well known music style / dance

interesting mix of styles in these 3 - asian, scandinavian, middle east
it's been a while since the last visit to a lebanese restaurant for some fine food
and the pleasure of seeing a classy belly-dancer at work - always good value
better rectify that...

the battle of mexico city

rage against the machine in all their glory
i confess i am a metal fan from way back
my very first memory of the love of music being zed leppelin and peep durple
from a heavy-metal loving, long-haired, motor-cycle riding, rifle-toting (bunnies) youth from way back
thankfully things have moved on a bit from there though i haven't ruled out a return to m-cycles
and also there is something lurking in there that needs the h m fix on occassion
totally sated by cranking up this dvd from time to time
they are not only a seriously good metal band but they have a sound political outlook and stance
this dvd is a live concert in mexico city in 2000 prior to the breakup of the group (now reformed)
there's not too much that can be said about the courage of this outfit and their social awareness
get this typical mid-concert quote from lead singer zack de la rocha (thanks to wikipedia) -

A good friend of ours once said that if the same laws were applied to U.S. presidents as were applied to the Nazis after World War II every single one of them, every last rich white one of them from Harry Truman on, would have been hung to death and shot—and this current administration is no exception. They should be hung, and tried, and shot. As any war criminal should be. But the challenges that we face, they go way beyond administrations, way beyond elections, way beyond every four years of pulling levers, way beyond that. Because this whole rotten system has become so vicious and cruel that in order to sustain itself, it needs to destroy entire countries and profit from their reconstruction in order to survive—and that's not a system that changes every four years, it's a system that we have to break down, generation after generation after generation after generation after generation…Wake up.^{[RATM wikipedia]}

but returning to the concert in mexico sees the band launch into a couple of full-on numbers
and then break to an explanation of the problems facing the zapatista's in mexico
a revolutionary outfit fighting to maintain basic living standards
in light of their government hooking up with nafta which guarantees the lands of the indigineous people
to the highest bidder and hence sees a huge displacement of people from their homes
this sets the scene for the rest of the concert
full-on rap-metal music played supremely confidently and with a very angry singer up front
the crowd loves then and you can't help but think this is the best kind of american foreign policy
a bunch of americans actually in sympathy with their need for basic rights
zack de la rocha prowls around the stage screaming into his microphone and whipping up the crowd
guitarist tom morello has his baseball cap lowered over his head and also leaps about
while concentrating on pulling the most incredible sounds from his guitar
bassist and drummer provide a totally solid rhythm that never misses a beat
one of those bands where you just look and wonder how 4 of them can create such an amazing racket
during another break between songs zack does another voiceover describing people power at work
during the wto meetings in seattle in 1999 despite police violence against the protesters
and the same at the 2000 meeting of the imf in washington dc
ok tempting to say this is all a bit dated now but the same regimes are still at it
and in this year of 2007 rage against the machine have reformed so we can expect some more enlightenment
the highlight of the set for me and it seems the crowd is the song that launched them
killing in the name of.....
complete with the huge singalong chorus of f..k you i won't do what you tell me (repeat, repeat, repeat)
which of course sees the crowd work themselves into a total band-adulating frenzy
mind you i'm not complaining much either as it is such a contagious song and lyric
i'll never forgive david letterman for his snide remarks when introducing them on his show
back in the days when they were in the grasp of corporate record companies
but maybe these days they have wised up and doing their own thing
rage against the machine
great name, great band, great dvd
repeat play mandatory

random tunes part 9

i know this is complete indulgence but i like it so this is going to continue
until i get bored with this little game of calculated chance (possible)
or i give up this whole blog thing completely (unlikely)
or i run out of tunes to randomly play (impossible)
so as seems to be the case lately it is sunday evening and time to roll the mice
nuwerun by aurelio martinez
all the way from berlize in south america on a label called stonetree records
the style of music is called garifuna and according to wiki has been proclaimed by unesco as
one of the masterpieces of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity
this track would be a fine example with up-tempo, acoustic instruments
and a smokey, funky, dirty sax sound sitting very nicely in-between the fine vocals
lonely night by richard hawley
well i'm goin' away now baby it's going to be alright i just can't stand another lonely night
goin' away now baby, going to take my shoes, going to walk off these lonely blues
this man has a voice that pricks up ears whenever it is heard
and he can write a beautiful song and play a nice acoustic guitar also
the production does not let him down either - lovely stuff
ya fama by toumani diabate's symmetric orchestra
kora player from mali the centre of west african music
there's no doubt he decided to add the o word to the title of this album for good reason
for every track has a multitude of instruments mixed in
this one features stabbing brass sounds, female voice harmonies, and various percussion
and gets along at an infectiously cracking pace inspiring some serious get-down dancing no doubt
visions 4 by triosk
i rate these lads very, very highly - 3 piece new noise outfit from sydney - forget the j word
upright/electric bass, drums/percussion, piano/noise machine - no vocals thank-you very much
they have a very acute sense of melody and repeat rhythms and definitely a case of the sum of.....is greater than....
this tune kicks along very solidly and as is typical with triosk like nothing else i have ever heard
friday night sees a rare appearance of this globe-trotting outfit in sydney - woo-hoo
m.a.t.h. by gotan project
this is one out of the bag for this very smooth, very groovey, very eclectic outfit
someone seemingly has convinced them that you gotta have rap on your album to be contemporary
it's actually an interesting exercise in taking their hybrid french/argentinian style
and going further in the mix-it-up style by taking on a full-blown rap artist
complete with the usual profanities and high-speed vocals - i can cope with this just fine
without visible sign by jan garbarek
from his album from a few years back titled in praise of dreams
norwegian based saxophonist held in high regard and recording on the ecm label
there's something about the warmth of violins taking centre stage on a recording
then allowing in this case a tenor saxophone to fill in the gaps
a lovely, gentle, long album track that needs no more than that which it is
zanzibar by taj mahal
what a great segue into this track from another well respected musician
also an instrumental track with bluesy electric guitar working with simple drums
the feel of the tune in obvious deference to the title and thus having an african groove
probably something him and his trio knocked out in one take at a soundcheck
but his one take would still be better than just about everything else around
cowboy dreams by prefab sprout
always happy to hear this band for they are masters at their pop-based music
hugely underrated as is the case with way too many musicians these days
i've heard and enjoyed many albums from them and they are all very good
this track is very typical of their tongue-in-cheek singalong style
always with the best production, crisp vocals and nostalgic sound
lonely stretch by the triffids
born sandy devotional will go down as a major australian album from last century
it was great then it is brilliant now with re-mastering and the music is ageing beautifully
this starts out with strummed, edgey guitar and echo-laiden electronica
then mr mccomb's voice lands and delivers a song as big as the country it comes from (whoa)
look out now....i'll be so good for yooooooouuuuuuuuuuu
nothing that harms by the laughing clowns
oops sorry ed a not so gentle reminder of some other superb 80's australian music
and another case of that which improves with re-mastering and ageing
one day this band will be given the praise it is due
i just hope that in light of the s-aints revival he is just warning up for the real deal
this tune typically is totally unique and gets better and better with each listening

damn - all over for another week - 10 more not-so-random tunes
methinks there is a pattern emerging here so need to add some more randomness
better haul out that list of just gotta haves and do some shopping

the home song stories

the story of an immigrant lady from hong kong and her 2 children
told by the youngest child a boy named tom and framed at start and finish by tom as an adult
who in fact is tony ayers the director who is presenting this film as an autobiography
i may have missed it but i presume the film's title relates to the mother's career as a nightclub singer
throughout the film tom is a young pre-teenage boy devoid of emotional contact
his mother rose is self-obsessed and unable to give much but demand plenty
sister may has her own struggles as a girl growing into a woman in a fairly bleak background
you can imagine the absolute clash of cultures that exists
when an immigrant chinese family lands in the middle of suburban australia in the 1970's
though the focus of the film really is on the family's own problems
and not any imposed on them by their surroundings and people they encounter
rose brought her family to melbourne because she met and subsequently married an australian sailor
and the family starts out living with bill and his mother and this provides their one anchor point
for most of the film we are on the move as rose stumbles from one disaster to another
dragging her children along from bad to worse accomodation arrangements
as a parallel to this we see rose attempting suicide on more than one occassion
leaving her children to survive as best they can in their relatively hostile environment
luckily there are a couple of heroes in bill and later boyfriend joe who both do their best to provide
all in all it's a fairly uncomfortable journey they and we are on
there's not much happiness or joy in this film
for even the failsafe of family love is stretched and tested to the limit
i particularly felt for the boy who really just yearned for just one friend inside or outside the family
i'm sure any woman watching this film would feel the same way for his older sister
who likewise really just needed someone who could help steer her through her puberty
maybe mothers would similarly relate to rose and all the problems she had to face
so in that sense the film has a lot to offer as various reference points are available
i must admit at various times throughout the film i sat watching
thinking we're going round in circles here as the point was hammered home
fairly repetitively and i sense mainly to fill the story out to feature film length
the director tries to mix it up with some strange and almost annoying dream sequences
and there are some quite well presented flashbacks to the mother country
the film eventually finds it's way to it's inevitable conclusion
i really tried to like this film and in a way i did out of respect for the story
it is quite a bleak film and almost depressing in it's honesty and likely reality
most interesting though is the respective careers that may and tom take on
not wanting to spoil the ending for anyone
but the most touching scene in the whole film
is the last one

wanderlust

a fine 6 piece band that i have had the pleasure of seeing a few times in recent years
they get my vote on the name alone but they also feature australia's premier brass duo
miroslav (mike) bukovsky on trumpet and flugglehorn and leader slash composer
james greening on trombone and his usual role of comic relief duties
and joined by jeremy sawkins on guitar once again playing with fabia hevia on drums
steve arie is on double bass and the outfit is complete with alister spence on piano
mr spence opens proceedings with a long rambling solo piano piece
that sees the other members of the band join in quite stealthily
you can sense the excitement on stage as they very quickly figure out tonight is going to be special
there's nods and glances and eye-twinkling to confirm the feeling down in the pit that all is good
i'm particularly excited to hear jeremy sawkins making noises on his guitar
that very definitely point to a keen interest in the style of pat metheny
when he gets into guitar synthesiser and lets rip with some amazing soloing
jeremy i suspect given half the chance would do the same but plays with and for the material
flugglehorn or trumpet and trombone in the hands of these 2 experts make for a fine sound
when they take the spotlight it's a pleasure to see and hear the result of their many years of playing together
the rhythm section seems to be up for the task and mr spence adds his piano flourishes with ease
so in the first tune they are up and running in grand style and out in their own part of the musical world
parked very nicely in the territory between a tight brass based jazz outfit
and a much fuller miles davis / gil evans style big band collaboration
we are definitely witnessing a performance born of composition, rehearsal and repeat performances
but when we venture from that things go somewhat awry
bass player, drummer and guitarist were handed the reins at one point in the long opening number
seems they either forgot the lines or the fall back on improvisation fell flat
for this section of music was downright bad - a jam session better left in private
the effect was palpable on stage with the 3 other members of the group almost reeling in disbelief
and left to pick up the pieces and get the music back on track
it was quite a strange sensation to go from bliss to bland in one tune
but it would be unwise to underestimate these guys and they hauled it back
another tune had a beat and feel that had me churning through the musical memory banks
for it was so reminiscent of something and then i came up with brian eno
the groove was quite closely aligned to some of his work on my secret life in the bush of ghosts
so this is fine by me and great to see them back in control and enjoying their time on stage
after the mid performance break jeremy guitarist opened proceedings with a long solo
again with reference to pat metheny but displaying his own virtuosity and earning a big round of applause
the second set i think was made up of one tune with various movements
allowing all 6 musicians to take the spotlight at times
the most memorable being james greening providing an excellent demonstration of control
working with fabian hevia playing a single note on the bass drum
and james challenging with who can play the quietest but still sustain a note
he really is a master of the trombone and always a pleasure to watch and hear
all in all a night of fine musical entertainment
wanderlust
great name

time is (briefly) on my side

excuse me while i go into ramble mode
but it seems appropriate given my current set of circumstances
late at night with the senses appropriately satisfied
for tonight i ate my favourite food of the moment - vegetarian thai
i also consumed some of my favourite wine of the moment - an italian red costing all of $8 a bottle
i have watched on the big screen one of my all-time favourite performers pat metheny and group
which has also very much satisfied my aural senses
taking a moment here it's a dvd of a 1995 concert from japan of the we live here album
of which i am sure i will rave about in more detail at some later date
but it's a beauty and never, ever fails to impress for they are masters in music
i've been watching the clock as usual as the night has progressed
wishing i could slow it down or better still stop it completely just for an hour or 2
but that is just nonsense for how would you measure the hour or 2 if the clock is stopped
anyway i am sure i am not alone in the wish to have control over this simple thing
paradoxically the more we want that the less we seem to have it for
life speeds up
take a bow steven kilbey and his fine band with that revelation from about 25 years ago
but tonight i kind of sensed a means to achieve this
as it happened for an hour or 2 i actually managed to shut the world out
no tv (no such beast in my place)
no internet (lack of interest)
no phone calls (rare but on the comeback from extinction)
no sms messages (never reply to 'em)
no skype stuff (well an early one from a near and dear friend)
no emails screaming out for a reply (not that i noticed)
no guilt trips about what i should be doing (innocent of all charges)
no need for an early night (well)
no other person in my vicinity (living alone can have it's benefits)
no outside distractions (the volume control takes care of that)
no excessive lighting (the projector providing the necessaries)
and then...
a contented tummy
a slightly fuzzy head
and some music if the form of a concert dvd
and the world is a much better place
easy to say i know but it very much seems less is more
easy to say also as a consumer
when on demand i can satisfy if not stimulate the senses
the real test of course will be the time spent with no electricity
i had this happen a month or 2 back when a large part of the city shutdown on a sunday afternoon
it was most disconcerting as i only had a few hours charge on the mp3 player
and no food at hand
and no books awaiting attention
and no wine needing to be devoured
and no petrol in the car
i must admit i was very relieved when the elixir of life was back on the air
for a few hours without it meant that time went by very, very slowly
i have a feeling that was just a forerunner
and it won't be long before we are all complaining that life slows down
next time the gods of power decide to take a lunch break
oh i read tonight that the rolling bones may finally be calling it quits this weekend
yay this is good news time to move over and let someone else have a go
or actually quite a few could move into that slot
and share some of the bigger bucks this outfit sucks out
now all together.....
tiiiiimeeeeeee is on my side, yes it is, yes it is
yeah, tiiiimeeeeeeee is on my side
no it's not - see ya

live in paris

the title of a live concert dvd of the one and only cesaria evora
recorded at the zenith in paris on saturday april 28th 2001
i've watched this one many times but after seeing her name up in lights
well at least in a previous blog listing in reference to a style of music called morna
i decided it was time to re-visit an old favourite
morna originates from her home country of cape verde
and is an intersection of african, brazilian and fado (portuguese) music
i was previously blissfully unaware of the naming of the style
but anything that represents a combination of the aforementioned styles can only be good
cesaria comes on stage to rapturous applause that just keeps going
she has a huge smile on her 60-year old face, is beautifully attired and in bare feet
hence her nickname the barefoot diva
the first tune sets the style for the night with a highly polished band in support
piano seems to be a feature with various other acoustic instruments
she sings in her native cape verde creole language which sounds very french
the band immediately comfortable having presumably performed the tunes many times
but no bored looks here - lots of smiles, body-swaying and foot-tapping going on
savane is the second tune and a personal favourite
it's a gorgeous, melodic song with a quite melancholic sound to it
it features a very handsome man on acoustic guitar up front who seems to love this song also
he seems to be the musical director for the group and probably not unintentionally
takes up residence at the front of the stage providing a focus of attention for the ladies in the house
cesaria herself is fairly static on stage but obviously enjoying the love from the audience
there's a constant slide show at work projecting images to the rear of the stage
it's hard to pin down the style of the music but the almost old-time piano dominates
and is augmented by a beautifully clear and strong voice from the lady herself
in the slower numbers it is very easy to pick up on the fado influence
and when the band cranks up again the brazilian influence comes through very clearly
for example on sangue de beirona which features a clarinet played at high speed
there's been some thought put into the visuals for this dvd
with occassional cuts to pre-recorded segments of cesaria in various locations
so along with the on-stage slides and the multitude of musicians there is always something going on
the voice of course is always there but you get the impression she just does not want constant attention
but in the end it is a great ensemble performance
and it is lapped up by the large crowd
a concert par excellence

music of the world m part 2

songlines magazine reckon there are 50 distinctive or maybe noteworthy music styles in the world
according to their own expert writers and reviewers at least
i suspect there are many more but i'm a relative novice so i'm going with them
in previous blog postings i have transcribed 24 from the article in their july/august 2006 edition
so now about half-way with this very interesting exercise

mbalax (senegal)

throbbing, syncopated cross-rhythms played by traditional sabar drums
in an eloquently chattering dialogue with electric guitars, blaring saxophones and full-blooded wolof vocals
it can only be mbalax the dominant sound of modern senegal
pioneered by the incomparable youssou n'dour
that has become one of the rhythmic glories in the rich patchwork of pan-african music

songlines recommends lii by youssou n'dour
esne notes that this particular recording was made for his senegalese fans so is pure mbalax

merengue (dominican republic)

the national dance music of the dominican republic, merengue moves to a driving 2/4 rhythm
originally acoustic and rural and involving guitars, accordians and percussion
and marimbula (box thumb piano), bubbling tambora drum and sharply slashed metal guiro (scraper)
it was adapted for 50's society bands by the dictator-president trujillo
and subsequently influenced by rock and salsa by johnny ventura and wilfrido vargas

songlines recommends el decreto de by kinito mendez
esne notes lack of knowledge on whereabouts etc of the country let alone the music

morna (cape verde)

sitting several hundred miles off the coast of west africa
the cape verde islands' unique geographical location has fostered a rich set of hybrid rhythms
combining african and brazilian elements with strong hints of portuguese fado
most famous of all is morna - a slow, blues-like minor key shuffle that is both poetry and dance
and the soundtrack to the nation's soul

songlines recommends miss perfumado by cesaria evora
esne notes cesaria evora is well loved but never knew her style was labelled morna

a perfect excuse to dig out the concert dvd of cesaria evora live in paris
it's been a while so it will be interesting to watch it again in light of the comments above

aman iman (water is life)

the third and latest album from sahara desert touareg (nomad) band tinariwen
i will go on about gigs i have seen in my time but these guys at womadelaide in 2004 was a standout
there is nothing so satisfying as parking yourself in front of a large stage with a large crowd
having no idea about the act that is about to perform and then being totally transfixed by the show
even better it was an outdoor show on a warm and slightly breezy night in the botanic gardens
maybe similar to conditions they are used to but whatever it was a very memorable show
chant-based, rhythmical, bluesy, rock-infused, call-and-response, trance-inducing groove music
the performers dressed in beautiful flowing traditional touareg clothing head to foot
and at least 5 of them with stunning, shiny electric guitars strapped on and played expertly
luckily for all there they performed another set the next night and same again as the sun set
i got hold of their second album shortly thereafter and have played and displayed it to death
they have been snapped up by a major european label and toured the world since
the new album came out a few months ago and now i feel it is time to do the in-depth analysis
with thanks to the band i have transcribed the notes for each track from the liner notes
cler achel (i spent the day)
this is a song about wandering, about displacement and about the exile of the touareg people
following the terrible droughts of the mid 1970's and 1980's
since these catastrophic events, homesickness and longing
have become the most potent emotions in modern touareg music
a strong bass line, electric guitars, hand-clapping and voice - the unmistakable sound
mano dayak
a homage to mano dayak the great touareg freedom fighter and leader from niger
who was killed in a plane crash in 1995
dayak also made his name as the writer of several important books on touareg culture and politics
and as a guide of the great thiery sabine during the annual paris-dakar rally
this one features multiple acoustic guitars and a strong beat accompanied with hand-clapping
matadjem yinmixan (why all this hate between you)
a message to the touareg people urging them to stop perpetuating tribal and factional rivalries
and to seek unity in order to better face the challenges of the modern world
starts out sounding like keef richards mucking around on his gee-tar then settles into a very nice groove
ahimana (oh my soul)
this is a song with a traditional rhythm, sound and a medley of different traditional lyrics
usually sung by women, overlaid with japonais' own improvisations that give the whole a contemporary twist
japonais is one of the most respected poets in the southern sahara
he starts by reading a letter to his mother back home, which tells of the grinding difficulties of life in exile
later in the song, japonais reverts to tradition and and sings from a young woman's perspective
could be a blues track from the deep south of the u s but for the giveaway vocals
soixante trois (sixty three)
this is one of the first songs which ibrahim wrote in the 1980's with the help of inteyeden
a friend and fellow founder member of tinariwen who died of a strange illness in 1994
the song is about the rebellion of 1963 in which a group of touaregs from the adrar des iforas in northeastern mali
rose up spontaneously against the young independent state - the revolt was brutally suppressed by the malian army
and this suppression created a climate of antagonism and resentment which lead directly to the second rebellion in 1980
a quite slow gentle bluesy number with single guitar and bass/drum backing
toumast (the people)
1994 was a time of trouble and disunity amongst the touareg
the rebel movement had split into conflicting factions after the peace accords of 1991
some groups wanted peace, others wanted to continue fighting
in this song, which was written in 1994, adbullah calls for unity and togtherness
trademark tinariwen sound again with the emphasis on vocal harmonising and a standout guitar riff
imidiwan winakalin (friends of my country)
this is a song written in exile about the pain of separation from family and loved ones
great beat inspiring a clap-along to the excellent out-front guitar work
awa didjen (that which has happened)
a call to awareness and awakening in which japonais mentions some of the problems
that plague the touareg people including lack of water
and ignorance of their own language tamashek
one of the best songs on the album - out and out blues-rock-chant-dirge-thing
ikyadarh dim (i look at you)
no liner notes on this one - probably because it's a bit of an album filler
acoustic guitar and very close up vocals and slight backing vocals
works very nicely actually with a meditative hand-clap in there also
tamatant tilay (death is here)
this is a song written by hassan one of the founder members of tinariwen in 1983
he urges his touareg brothers to keep up the fight without fearing death
one of the more up tempo tracks with a great beat, riff and dirty guitar sound
assouf (longing)
assouf is a particularly hard word to translate - it can mean loneliness, longing or nostalgia
but also a specific feeling or mood associated with vast uninhabited spaces where spirits dwell and with exile too
a touareg once summed up assouf as meaning everything which lies out there in the darkness beyond the warmth of the campfire
this is a song written by ibrahim in the 1980's expressing the longing and homesickness of exile
the standout tune on the album - full on wah-wah blues guitar, ultra-rhythmical bass, clapping and multiple voices harmonising
izarharh tenere (i lived in the desert)
a hymn to the beauty and mystery of the desert
a beautiful album closer featuring acoustic guitars, electric backing and excellent production

move over bob marley, etc we have a new iconic musician in leader of tinariwen ibrahim ag alhabib
a great album that can be held on repeat, continuous, shuffle play for days on end

random tunes part 8

sunday evening in syd-er-ney town and it's bucketing down outside
which has to be a good thing if not a good excuse to stay indoors
so some random music (in the literal sense) is in order (or not)
though a bit tentative about this process as the iriver has not seen anything new for a while
so chances are the shuffle feature will throw up more of the same
but we shall find out - shuffling now.....
lumen by inga liljestrom
this one an epic 11 minute piece from her album entitled quiet music for quiet people
inga's music is at a place that i particularly like - stringed instruments meets noise meets almost spoken vocals
this one features beautifully played violins, double bass, her voice out front and random noises
the thing about this lady is that she delivers it live as well having seen her twice recently
i suspect she is going to make a big name for herself internationally if not already
gagging order by radiohead
acoustic guitar is picked and strummed for quite a long introduction
before the voice of thom yorke arrives and delivers a nice little tune of voice and guitar
this is from an album of b-sides, etc called com lag put together for the japanese market
seems odd that such outstanding tracks like this one weren't considered good enough for a real album
but that just demonstrates how they are way out front in terms of output and originality
bad dreams by m ward
taken from an older album from the man titled end of amnesia
there's a definite theme occurring tonight of long, slow, gentle numbers - suits the weather
in fact this one is very similar in style to inga's tune above
electric guitar played sparingly, some strange noises, spoken/sung vocals and great production
he has a favourite technique of harmonising with his own voice used very effectively here
appalatia by the church
funny thing about this band is that you think there are a few tracks that you could take or leave
this being one i previously had in the leave category
from their 17th studio album put out in 2003 and featuring peter koppes as vocalist
it's a fairly standard tune but tonight under the microscope and listening critically
uncovers some nice production work and exposure of their oft willingness to experiment aurally
let's be still by yo la tengo
there is a definite theme running through tonight's supposed random tunes
this one is another epic track checking in at 10 minutes and 27 seconds
and like inga and m ward previously features traditional intruments and noises
baffled trumpet and piano feature with intentionally non-sensical vocals
from their summer sun album and with a real cruisey summer night feel to it
funeral chant by not drowning, waving
this is weird - another epic track - and more traditional instruments and noises
but weird in this case is good - this is the superb closing track from their wonderful tabaran album
recently re-released in a newly re-mastered form so sounding very clear and clean
as the name suggests tradional papua new guinea voice/sticks recorded in chant mode
and mixed in with david bridie's gentle piano and some well balanced noddling noises
breach by willard grant conspiracy
you gotta laugh - a 9 minute track and the slowest on the album so a perfect tune for tonight's session
this is one of those tunes you sometimes hear and you feel like you have known it for ages
from their latest album called let it roll which is full of excellent tunes from the south of america
violins mixed in with acoustic guitars, piano and it sounds like a lap steel guitar
robert fisher out front leaning into the microphone and telling another story
how come by leroy young
this is one colourful dude from berlize in south america
led a very hard life - drugs, prison, suicide attempts, etc before discovering poetry
fused that with music to become a so-called dub-poet and has put out one album to date
how come when you need pills you can't get none
how come when you need police there are none around
how come you struggle to rise up and you are easily brought down
how come most teenagers are prisoners
how come there are so many single parent mothers
how come there's no respect for law and order
how come there are so many questions and just a few answers
cursed sleep by bonnie prince billy
singer/songwriter/guitarist from kentucky u s of a otherwise known as will oldham
don't know much else about him or his music but another case of tired of reading rave reviews
bought the latest album and dumped it into the iriver - i think this is the first track i have heard
very pleasant actually with strings, acoustic and electric well mixed in with his voice
looking forward to hearing more of the album with potential to be a high rotation one
criminal by gotan project
from their latest album titled lunatico and sounding as usual like no other
their signature sound of the bandoneon out front sharing the limelight with a piano
and in keeping with the theme of tonights tunes session some other noises in the mix
sirens, voices over megaphones, etc to invoke presumably the title of this track
i don't think it's the best tune on the album but in their case that is not a bad thing

enough already - another 10 tracks of random tunes
...and it's till raining

to the people of iraq

i may be infringing some copyright law here
or worse still some new sedition law
but when i saw this one during the week i knew it had to be highlighted
michael leunig is a master cartoonist
and has a very decent sense of decency
better still he has no qualms at pointing his finger
at those that are responsible for injustices in our society
and therefore our current pm often incurs the wrath of leunig
no better example than the one above
where 2 grave injustices are very cleverly dealt with in 1 simple cartoon
i can't get the image to be any bigger in my blog posting
so if you are having trouble reading the words -

to the people of iraq
dear people
we have done a lot to bring civilisation to your culture
but our patience is wearing thin
we invaded your country
crippled your society
slaughtered your sons and daughters
traumatised your people
displaced them from their lands
and plundered their resources
but you refuse to co-operate
and get your act together
what's wrong with you people!
last warning -
get a life or go to hell
oh yes
could you do another copy of that
and address it -
to the aboriginal people of australia

brilliantly incisive and sadly accurate

the markings of a man

this week sees the 50th birthday of at least 2 men i am aware of
a certain pc person who spends a large part of his time in canberra
and another less prominent person but of much more personal significance
in a tv interview the pc chap mentioned that the big day to him presented an opportunity
to assess what had been achieved in life to that point and what else remained to be achieved (wink, wink)
this got me thinking about this milestone and preparing a list of the likely attributes of a truely successful man
and so the 25 reasons for a man to be successful part 1 -
- he will give and receive love, honour and respect with his life partner
- he will tend for his parents and ensure that their needs are met
- he will treat his siblings as his best friends and enjoy their company to the maximum
- he will form friendships in quality not quantity and retain those friendships throughout his life
- he will understand and teach that all people should be considered and treated equally
- he will seek to improve himself in education, skills and qualifications
- he will likewise support his partner in their quest for the same self-improvement
- he will maintain a keen and knowledgeable interest in the arts
- he will remain well-informed at all times in regards to politics and current affairs
- he will choose health, friendship and happiness over wealth, material trappings and ego-tripping
- he will bring children into the world and see the commitment through
- he will work hard and regularly but not excessively and never in preference to family time
- he will teach his children to always be questioning, always be polite and always be happy
- he will constantly encourage his children to search out whatever it may be that interests them
- he will then teach, coach, or attend at whatever those interests may lead to
- he will treat his life partnership as one of equals and share in all domestic duties
- he will provide food and then prepare and present food to his family and guests
- he will provide shelter both financially and physically
- he will seek out and support his friends in times of trouble
- he will use his years of experience to advise quietly and wisely
- he will never raise his voice or hands in anger
- he will always be well groomed, dressed and presented
- he will not understand the meaning of complaint, selfishness or jealousy
- he will provide the best company possible at any occassion
- he will always have a smile on his face and a laugh in his voice
and so to my very good and very best friend i say thanks for your ongoing inspiration in all the above
...happy 50th birthday gary brown

masters of war

here's something a bit different
a song's lyrics published in entirety with a link to the tune
i got hold of a 3 cd compilation of music on a german labelled called glitterhouse
an excellent set of music mostly american in nature but otherwise seemingly unique
there's a track in there by an american band called timesbold doing a song called masters of war
first time i heard the song i liked it and it has been on high rotation in my pc's jukebox ever since
i've never been a big bob dylan fan but his latest album modern times has won me over
so i started digging a bit deeper and got hold of the recent biographical dvd titled no direction home
you can imagine my surprise to hear and see bob doing a version of the song i had got to know very well
but of course in fact bob wrote the song way back (1963) presumably in reference to the vietnam war
though my take on it was a contemporary band having a go at america's leaders regarding the iraq war
which just goes to prove many things not the least being the timelessness of bob dylan's music
timesbold have a download link on their site for our listening pleasure
click on this link to the timesbold site and then follow the link to sounds
and the lyrics are presented herein....

come masters of war
you that build all the guns
you that build the death planes
you that build all the bombs
you that hide behind walls
you that hide behind desks
i just want you to know
i can see through your masks

you that have never done nothin'
but build to destroy
and you play with my world
like it's your little toy
you put a gun in my hands
and you'd hide from my eyes
and you'd turn and run farther
when the fast bullets fly

like a judas of old
you would lie and deceive
a world war can be won
you want me to believe
but i see through your eyes
and i see through your brain
like i see through the water
that runs down my drain

and you'd fasten all the triggers
for the others to fire
then you sit back and watch
while the death count gets higher
and you'd hide in your mansions
while young people's blood
flows out of their bodies
and is buried in mud

and you've thrown the worst fears
that can ever be hurled
the fear to bring children
into this world
and for threatening my babies
unborn and unnamed
you ain't worth the blood
that runs in your veins

how much do i know
to talk out of turn
you might say that i'm young
you might say i'm unlearned
but there's one thing i know
though i'm younger than you
even jesus would never
forgive what you do

let me ask you one question
is your money that good
will it buy you forgiveness
do you think that it could
i think you will find
when your death takes its toll
all the money that you made
will never buy back your soul

and i hope that you die
and your death will come soon
i will follow your casket
by the pale afternoon
and i'll watch while you're lowered
down to your deathbed
and i'll stand over your grave
'til i'm sure that you're dead

music of the world k l m

struggling to keep on top of this one but it's a worthwhile exercise
if only to provide a reference point for future encounters with some otherwise unknown world music style
there's a lot of them out there and this little project unearths 50 of them
as rated by songlines magazine july/august edition 2006

karsilama (turkey)

the karsilama isn't the best known dance in turkey but it's one of the most seductive
it comes from trakya the small european part of the country
and is a staple of the gypsy musicians who dominate the wedding scene in the region
although described as a 9/8 rhythm it's essentially a lop-sided 2/4

songlines recommends the road to kesan by selim sesler
esne notes 9/8? 2/4? no idea about this one but it's now on the list to listen out for

kwaito (south africa)

after apartheid south africa needed to find a fresh sound
that reflected both its new optimism and the return to the international fold
of the newly liberated rainbow nation
that sound was kwaito a uniquely south african hybrid of local beats
and such imported forms as hip-hop, house and techno

songlines recommends kwaito: south african hip-hop by various artists
esne notes hybrid - a word i use a lot in describing much of the music i listen to so need to check this out

makossa (cameroon)

it started life as rhythm in a hand-clapping game among school kids in cameroon
then in 1972 manu dibango adapted it added a dash of american-style funk and turned it into 'soul makossa'
the track was picked up by a new york radio station and the makossa phenomenon was born
once there were 9 different versions of the track in the billboard chart
and the makossa beat has even been credited with launching the 70's disco boom
michael jackson later copied the rhythm on his album thriller

songlines recommends the very best of by manu dibango
esne notes an amazing story from hand-clapping kids to the world's biggest selling artist

marrabenta (mozambique)

the sweetly rolling rhythms of marrabenta may not sound particularly insurrectionary
but during mozambique's war of liberation
the colonial portuguese authorities moved ruthlessly to stamp it out
believing music was a medium of revolution
they failed of course and since independence marrabenta has defied years of civil war
to become an all-singing all-dancing emblem of national identity
combining an affinity with other tropical rhythms such as salsa and calypso
with distinctive elements of island tradition

songlines recommends soul marrabenta by mabulu
esne notes anything that embodies africa, music and revolution has to be good

4 more styles demanding further investigation - 3 of them african - can only be good
makossa sounds particularly interesting and no doubt something once heard again will be very recognisable
more m's to do next time...

world drifts in

the title of a live concert dvd featuring calexico at the barbican in london
they are one of those bands that a lot of people have heard of but not many people know about
which was certainly the case for me up until earlier this year when i saw them live at the basement in sydney
it was an unforgettable show - at least 7 band members on a tiny stage playing to a full monday night house
i bought this dvd as a momento of the night and occassionally haul it out and reminisce - as tonight
except the more i watch this particular concert the more i realise how i only saw a glimpse of what this outfit is capable of
there may not be many groups with a more apt name
for calexico present music that seems west coast american influenced by their southern neighbours
no doubt mexifornia was also considered as a band name but i think they got it right
the band is centered around singer/guitarist/songwriter joey burns
though wikipedia informs me that drummer john convertino is his partner in the group and certainly seems central to all that goes on
the core group is augmented by steel guitar, double bass, brass and vibraphone
these boys obviously love their music and perform with all due seriousness and conviction
alt.country is the official tag slash genre but that is taking the easy way out
it's almost undefinable music which is what probably makes them unique
every song has a structure, depth and feel of it's own and usually features some standout instrument
steel guitar, piano-accordian, vibraphone, airline guitar, trumpet, voicebox all feature at various times
they seem very comfortable on the large stage at the barbican with a very receptive audience
there's a song called not even stevie nicks which leaves me wondering what they have against her
with a head like a vulture and a heart full of hornets
after 6 or 7 songs things are rolling along quite nicely then we enter a complete new phase
fellow tucson arizona residents mariachi luz de luna are brought on stage
this is a large ensemble of violin, acoustic guitar and trumpet players in mexican clothing and sombrero hats
that lift an already very impressive concert to a new level both aurally and visually
this is quite complex music played very confidently with each musician adding their special part
the title track world drifts in is performed particularly well with brass, strings, and vocals all meshing beautifully
and then we go up yet another level with the introduction of french chanteuse francioz breut
whose voice sits brilliantly in the mix with the band and laterly added string/brass/guitar section
this is a real meeting of music cultures with the most unlikely combination
hick like country-twang lyrics/voice with tijuana-brass style instrumental backing and a sensuous french female voice on vocal backup
it works together beautifully and even more so on a slower number titled si tu disais
this is a totally original band with total confidence in their material
not wanting to go overboard here but at times the 20 or so musicians on stage
could be a well drilled orchestra for they are so in control and tuned in to each other
there's no end to the combinations of instruments that feature in the various tunes
but there's nothing like massed acoustic guitars, brass and strings
ok rave stops here
world drifts in
calexico
superb

inside paris

now that is a film title that will drag 'em in
like me for example though having now seen the film it really should have been titled
inside an apartment
or
inside a bedroom
because apart from a few non-subtle shots of the scene river and the eyeful tower it could have been anywhere
according to the various reviews i previously read it was typical french film-making
which i presume means as long as the dialogue is conducted in french and there are subtitles then anything goes
i spent the first part of the film trying to figure out where i had seen the central character paul before
it then occurred to me when once again he got his gear off and very reminiscent of a similar scene in russian dolls
an excellent french ensemble film from a few years back where his character also had relationship problems
though in this case it has gone a bit further and seems to have triggered a nasty brain-snap
and so we have paul holed up in his father's small apartment
we have been lead there by a series of scenes in the french countryside
that explain the breakup and the emotional turmoil paul is suffering
father tries to provide as best he can with food but no emotional support/understanding
and his brother jonathan seems to suggest the best way over the problem is to get laid as much as possible
and proceeds to lead by example with random and frequent rendezvous in the city of love
fact of the matter is that younger brother still needs big brothers approval
big brother knows this but would really rather be left in peace to have his emotional meltdown
suicide is never far away as it is contemplated, attempted or possibly also a catalyst for paul's state
it transpires that their younger sister did the deed when she was only 17
there are various visitors to the apartment including the brothers' mother
who looks so young it seems almost unlikely that she could be their mum but we'll go with it
she is almost as detached from emotion as her ex-husband and only stays briefly
and departs in the usual manner apparantly with younger bro exclaiming
i've never known mother to leave any way except by slamming the door
so now we know paul is emotionally destitute and affected by his sister's suicide
which may explain the scene where he and his ex sing a sad song to each other over the telephone
now i'm no fan of film musicals so this is a bit hard to take but sits ok in the quirky mix of this film
the big climax of the film is based around the 2 brothers apparantly accepting each other as they are
reminiscing about happier childhood days with the re-reading of a favorite children's book
then the film just stops without much other resolution almost like the director got a bit bored with the whole thing
kind of like the audience i suspect judging by the mumbling and giggling around me
and my numbness at the end as i watched the credits roll
sort of a 'what the' feeling - was that all about?
conclusion - and at the risk of stating the obvious
i suspect the film's title is a metaphor for inside a head
inside paris
no rave required

guess who didn't win the new york sandcastle building competition...

take this any way you like - i got a good laugh out of it
sent to me by a friend who tries valiantly to keep some humour in my intray
here's to the lighter side of life...

kristen cornwall

sucked in i was - the dual attraction of 2 ladies of significance
kristen cornwall singer based in belgium and thereby implied of international repute
sandy evans on saxophone and clarinet who for me can do no wrong
every outfit she plays in of which there are many is better for her presence
no exception for tonight's performance
unfortunately tonight was a fairly average show so quite easy for sandy to shine
a case of a fine bunch of musicians and singer let down by the material
kristen started out appearing to be very nervous
displayed a very bad case of stage fright or something
that led to fluffed lines, forgotten lines and many not very good lines
she seemed to have not too much confidence in the material
which was a fairly balanced mix of her own compositions and covers
songs made famous by the likes of billy holiday, kurt elling, charles mingus, joni mitchell and alan parsons
yup - he of the alan parsons project fame introduced by kristen from the 80's
but my memory tells me more likely of the mid to late 70's
before punk came along and justifiably blew his music out of the water
it hasn't aged well judging by tonight's performance of a tune called older and wiser
'fraid not kristen - a shocker of a song and one best left in the vaults
maybe i'm being too harsh but i did try to like it - seriously - but it was a relief when it was over
while i'm at it she hauled out a few of her own lurve songs that were also as cringe-worthy
maybe it was my mood or something but structurally, lyrically, sonically, honestly they were very average at best
but all is not lost in tonights proceedings as at least 2 things were noticed and enjoyed
at one point all musicians left the stage for kristen to do a solo number
introduced as a number with the lyrics based on a slightly modified henry lawson poem
kristen tells us she has a new toy to play with and use in this tune
she sings through the first verse and then for the chorus sings into another microphone
that feeds the lines into some kind of loop machine
so that for the second verse kristen then has her own voice as accompaniment
she repeats this process 2 more times
so that by the end of the tune there are 4 of kristen's voices to be heard
all singing different lines, words and melodies but nicely harmonising
very impressive it was and she seemed very comfortable with the equipment
using her feet to control the gizmo that was doing all the trickery whilst singing
second thing that was most enjoyable with tonight's performance was rock-out mode
when the full band was working together unhindered to create a nicely organised racket
jeremy sawkins on guitar (left-handed) didn't miss a note all evening and played extra well when loud
fabian hevia on drums and percussion ditto and at his best when allowed to be inventive
kristen's hubbie christophe devisscher on double bass doing a fine job
but not in the same class as some of the exceptional local bass players seen there lately
and our favourite sandy evans doing everything and more on sax and clarinet
sandy also seemed to provide moral support for kristen and unusually spoke a few times between songs
a couple of times during the evening i felt that the band was actually under-rehearsed and lost their way
so all in all it was a rather underwhelming night at the sound lounge
i have a feeling i may have gone overboard in my expectations
better take a break for a few weeks i suspect
but there's some good shows coming up after that
good luck kristen
over

sicko

the latest film from outspoken writer, director and producer michael moore
i'd seen the shorts, read the reviews, got the jist of it and placed it firmly on the maybe list
my impression was that this time his subject was way too specifically american
being the american health system come industry come debacle come disgrace
seemed kind of irrelevant to me in the land of oz where it's a lot better
but i had not forgotten an interview with michael moore by david stratton in cannes earlier this year
where m m said the film had relevance in australia if only to know what this country should not embrace
and knowing the wishes of our government and their love of all things america i heeded his words
tonight i scanned the list of films on and this came up the best option and on in walking distance also
the opening scenes introduce a few people who have had unfortunate mishaps requiring medical treatment
and the callous way in which the american health system shuts out such people with no medical insurance
but our narrator tells us the film is not about the 50 million or so americans with no insurance
the film apparantly is about the 200 million who do have such insurance
he then sets out to demonstrate how the insurance companies go about denying people what they should be entitled to
he pulls no punches explaining and demonstrating how they squirm their way out of coughing up
they have whole departments and investigators employed to do just that
and bonus schemes in place to encourage it
there's a bit of recent history that ties the current situation to one conversation in the oval office involving richard nixon
it's all kind of depressing stuff but then we're off travelling across the border into canada
with a young lady with cervical cancer who has been told by the system she's too young to have cervical cancer (yup)
seems they have a universal health system in place there that is free for everyone
m m has his acting skills on display also when he feigns surprise at learning this
and a bit of comedy starts creeping in when he talks to an elder gentleman who has had a major operation for free
seems tommy douglas the father of their system is more popular than fellow canadians wayne kretsky and celine dion
then we're off to england where m m almost genuinely seems overwhelmed by the national health system in place there
for me it was a relief to be out of america and he used his time in england to great effect
introduced people from all walks of life looking very happy and proud of their nhs
including very effectively a doctor on a modest government income very satisfied with his lifestyle
then we're across the channel and into france and the same deal there - free health care for their citizens
and more than that - education, child-care, and a government funded home laundry service
we see m m squeezing into a small nissan with a doctor making house calls
and in attendance at a dinner party with some ex-pat americans
talking about and almost embarrassed by the level and quality of free services in their new country
by now i'm very much enjoying the film as he has cleverly used the goodness of people to get his point across
then we're back in america and the tone of the film drops again with some more depresssing facts and figures
and the big climax of the film is introduced with some 9-11 workers from ground zero with various respiratory and mental health problems
lots of lip service is provided to these heroes but not much else particularly health care
he charters some boats and we head off to guantanomo bay to get the free treatment the same prsioners there receive
it's a very typical michael moore setup and one i was expecting and not that fussed about
but then that passes fairly quickly and instead we are on the streets in havana
and again finding out how the government in cuba provides free health services for the people
there are some genuinely touching moments here as our heroes are treated
and then honoured by their fellow rescue workers in a city fire station
this film is nearly 2 hours long but it didn't seem like it
i was actually very much taken in by it
if nothing else it shows the common goodness of the common people
but there is a lot more (boom boom)
it really is a nicely balanced film that educates and entertains
subversive film-making from the main man
glad i got to see it

random tunes part 7

seems thursday night has become random tunes time
fire up the iriver, select tunes, select random and then play 10 tunes
see what comes out and listen, get all nostalgic and/or take a close listen
at whatever tune the device decides needs my attention for a few minutes
i think i have about 90 discs loaded into the player totalling just over 1,000 tunes
there's capacity for about 5,000 so need to get onto loading in some more cd's
but i'm being a bit pedantic about that and only putting in ones i really enjoy
just so my only little private radio station only plays the very best (according to me)
i surrender by david sylvian
seriously good start to tonights proceedings
this one the opening track from his 1999 album dead bees on a cake
a long, slow, laconic number featuring exquisite wah-wah guitar noises
sounds also like a full orchestra at his disposal and very nicely mixed in
this man is one of my all-time favourites and one of only a few such artists i'm yet to see live
i see he has returned to the live scene and currently is performing throughout europe - damn
iskeche romani by mustafa kandirali
sometimes i believe you have go to take a punt on an album without much to go on
heard one track from this elder turkish gypsy clarinetist and shelled out top dollar on an import cd
it's a superb album full of what i would call middle eastern soul music
this one sounds like what you would get if you handed traditional turkish instruments to a speed metal band
in it's correct hands it's fast and furious and oozing with authenticity
love of my life by richard hawley
this ex guitarist with uk band pulp embarked on a solo career a number of years ago
i can understand why as he can write a beautiful song, has a great voice and an ear for melody
the album that this one is from is the total package - late night final - every home should have one
seriously - i have played the album to all age groups and everyone asks who it is
this is a really slow, laid-back, stripped back song with echoey production - very nice
black mirror by the arcade fire
canadian outfit taking the music world by storm - performed at glastonbury this year
it would be churlish to suggest (again) echoes of the bunnymen but it's the voice you see
though go past that and there's a brilliant willingness to go way past traditional pop-rock sounds
i believe they are a fairly large combo anyway but this tune seems to have that and more
sounds like the string and percussion section of a full orchestra mixed in here
they are going to be around and revered for a long time i suspect
bahriye ciftetellsi by mustafa kandirali
now the chances of 2 tracks off the same album appearing in one session are about 1 in 100
but i'm going to go with even though i seriously suspect my random play feature
the striking thing with this track is the production
every note of every instrument can be clearly heard
and it's not a bad tune either - shows off his clarinet virtuosity very well
lazyboat by triosk
local sydney based 3 piece 'jazz' outfit that i believe have the right balance
between serious musicianship and serious noise noodling stuff
some say the necks and i say ok but completely unintentional
this track would be about as close as they get sonically to that outfit
but then lawrence pikes fast and subtle percussion playing stamps triosk all over it
taken from their third and latest album headlight serenades
how little we need to be happy by david sylvian
and he demonstrates this by pushing this song out with minimal instrumentation
someone is thrashing around on an acoustic guitar - presumably the man himself
this is from his minimal instrument album from 2003 titled blemish
i think he put it out to test the dedication of his audience
it takes a long time to get into it but i perservered and now it's staple stuff
i just don't know why he's not regarded as per eno, bowie, byrne, etc
though i suspect he has never been forgiven for being seen as part of the 80's new romantic scene
catfish blues by taj mahal
disclaimer - me not a blues affecianado at all but when it comes like this i can well get into it
the album this one is from is a superb afro-blues album with zanzibar based musicians
had the total pleasure of seeing taj mahal and his 3 piece band at the basement earlier this year
walked out with a smile a mile wide on my face - it was a rare musical treat
this track is the classic blues number with the east african feel and great production
forever my friend by ray lamontagne
taken from his first album trouble
i'm not sure about this chap - i like him but i have a fear he may fade away
his first album is good, the second one better, the third will be defining
this tune reminds me of james taylor of the 70's - same style and lyrics
which of course is not a bad thing especially considering some of his other tunes
as with this one he sticks very closely to acoustic guitar, strings, drums, bass - nice
i should have known better by yo la tengo
from the most interesting titled album of last year - i am not afraid of you and will beat your ass
for those kiwis in the audience be assured that 80's flying nun music had an influence internationally
exhibit a - this tune is everything you hear in the clean, the bats, the chills, etc, etc
exhibit b - they had david kilgour (clean) on stage at the metro earlier this year in a clear-cut case of mutual admiration
this trio are from deep, dark, contemporary new york and specialise in every tune being absolutely different to every other

that's it folk(s) - 10 more random tunes
much-o fun-o
til next time...

freedom next time

is the latest book by australian john pilger
i haven't read it yet but i will be doing so as soon as i can get my hands on it
tonight as i try to most evenings i tuned into the internet based show democracy now
hosted by amy goodman the woman i admire most above all others
amy is a lady of enormous integrity, intelligence and courage
she is unstoppable in her drive to expose the truth and present the facts
and always with no apparant personal opinion or bias
this i suspect is because she credits her audience with the intelligence to figure it out
now of course these days the show can be relentlessly depressing
for there is not much good news in the world today
but she loves a good story, a good story-teller and downright truth and honesty
from time to time the hour long show will be dedicated to one interview or one speech
a very memorable guest from some time ago was a very politically active harry belafonte
tonight's show featured a speech given by john pilger at a socialism conference in america recently
the title of the speech as with his latest book is freedom next time
i must admit i sat listening to the speech and was floored by the clarity of what he had to say
this is one very articulate, intelligent, brave and concerned citizen of the world
he has spent his life as an author, film and documentary maker and journalist
this particular speech was about journalism, war by journalism, propaganda and silence
it started out with a historical perspective on the way journalism has developed
he makes a blistering attack on the concept of professional (read corporate) journalism
and his fellow australian rupert murdoch gets a less than flattering mention
he now lives in england and obviously has had a lot of exposure to the bbc which also cops a lashing
amy gets a look in occassionally during what would be tv ad breaks
she loves this kind of stuff and has a smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye
before cutting to some very cool and appropriate music while the tv ads roll
it seems john pilger spent some number of years in vietnam and cambodia
and obviously has a first-hand take on what occurred on the ground there
he tells us this as a background to the reference to some american war films
including a funny story about a 1968 film showing of the green berets starring john wayne
he is not a fan of this actor and in a showing of this film in america's deep south
was chased by a bunch of rednecks after daring to laugh out loud at the ridiculousness of the film
he goes on to talk about a documentary (one of many) he made called year zero
about america's contribution to the rise of pol pot in cambodia
seems the film has never been shown in america the land of the free and free speech
as you would expect he is also not a fan of the current president of the u s of a
but he sees no difference in the likes of blair, brown and clinton
for he believes they have all played their part in american imperialism
in another ad break amy tells us that his latest documentary titled war on democracy
is yet to be picked up by a distributor in the u s
john pilger then proceeds to very clearly talk about and define liberalism and democracy
before then laying down some more very sobering facts and figures
of america's participation in war-mongering, regime change/support and outright genocide
the point of his talk being the complete denial and silence of journalists
he scarily points out the restart of the cold-war under the banner of 'reliable weapons replacement'
specifically to blur the distinction between conventional and nuclear weapons
so what is the answer?
he sees no hope in the democrat alternative and their drivel (as he puts it)
he strongly believes real and subversive information is the most potent power of all
and he has a very strong optimism in the growing public awareness
that has to be propelled forward by real and honest reporting
it's a great speech
i watched it through twice
check it out at democracy now