Fascinating

Happy Hogmanay

One of the best New Years celebrations I was ever at was in Edinburgh Scotland, thanks Big Davey and Margaret. My favorite way usually entails a few frosty brews. So let's see how it has been celebrated in different spots and in different years.

The Alexander Brothers

Pure Magic......makes you proud to be a Scotsman, recorded TV app 2007

Jimmy Hendrix and the Band of Gypsys [1969/1970]

Hogmanay at Fatsams [2000/2001]

Longest Strip the Willow in the World

Strip the Willow is probably the most popular of Scottish dance tunes on account of its highly physical nature. Participants get a chance to fling partners across the floor. Here Edinburgh's Lord Provost, Lesley Hinds joins Edinburgh's Hogmanay revellers as they dance in George Street, Edinburgh at the Night Afore Fiesta.

And of course it is already 2012 in Australia, and a few other places. So I wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year. Happy Hogmanay!!!!

Sydney Harbor 2012.

2008/2009
2009/2010
2010/2011

Skint & Demoralised

I was searching for a theme today, and I came across this group from the UK. They fit into the theme, but more importantly they are a talented group. Their tightly written lyrics are some of the best I've heard in a while.
Skint & Demoralised are a UK lyric-based alternative indie/pop act, fronted by 22-year-old Matt Abbott from Wakefield, West Yorkshire and produced by MiNI dOG from Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
The band is made up of:
Matt Abbott (lyrics/vocals)
MiNI dOG (songwriting/production)
Sam Greenwood (rhythm guitar)
Matt Slee (bass guitar)
Luke Arabskyj (lead guitar)
Paul Wilson (drums)

Keep an ear open for them, they could well be comers in 2012.

Hogmanay Heroes

Official video for Skint & Demoralised track 'Hogmanay Heroes' from their 2nd album 'This Sporting Life'.
Video compiled and edited by Matt Abbott. Original concept and initial help from Andy Little (b-side).
Track written by Abbott/Gledhill. Produced and mixed by MiNI dOG. Recorded at 6x7 Studios, Sheffield. All content under exclusive license to Heist Or Hit Records.

Fireworks

Demo video for Skint & Demoralised demo track 'Fireworks' from their 2nd album 'This Sporting Life'.
Compiled by Matt Abbott, featuring photos from 'L'Appartement' and 'Amelie'.

43 Degrees

Official video for Skint & Demoralised track '43 Degrees' from their 2nd album 'This Sporting Life'.
Video directed, filmed and edited by Andy Little (b-side). Starring Freya Sheldon. Produced, co-directed and assisted by Matt Abbott.
Track written by Abbott/Gledhill. Produced and mixed by MiNI dOG. Recorded at 6x7 Studios, Sheffield. All content under exclusive license to Heist Or Hit Records.

So having sampled those three tracks, check out the rest of the album.

Clairy Browne & the Bangin' Rackettes

Clairy Browne & the Bangin' Rackettes what a great name for a great band. Sounds like the 50's and 60's combined with the 21st century. A little bit of everything.
They are from the land down under, Melbourne to be exact.

Clairy Browne & the Bangin' Rackettes are:
Clairy Baby Browne - Leading Lady
Ruby Jones, Camilla McKewen, Loretta Miller- Bangin' Rackettes
Gabriel Strangio - Keys
Jules Pascoe - Bass
Peter Bee - guitar
Darcy McNulty - Sax
Nick Martyn - drums

Clairy Browne and the Bangin’ Rackettes bring back the sounds of hard hitting Northern Soul, jump blues, doo-wop, ska and gospel straight out of East Harlem via a backyard operation in Melbourne.

This nine piece band fronted by leading lady Clairy Browne and her harmonizing girl group– the Bangin’ Rackettes have come a long way from their debut performance at a juke joint in Melbourne in late 2009. ...... more info

Baby Caught the Bus

Love Letter

The opening track from the debut LP "Baby Caught The Bus."

get a feel of a live appearance at the Toff in Town

She Plays Up To You

Performing 'She Plays Up To You' at the Vanguard in Sydney, Clairy Browne and the Bangin' Rackettes blew the crowd away! Clairy's infamous tale of Stephanie was, as usual, amazing to watch.

Check out the album here.

Aunt Martha

Aunt Martha are a Wilmot NH based indie folk trio, originally from New York City they took the long hike up to New Hampshire in 2010. The New England air certainly has influenced them and their new album, Norway, ME, is evidence of that. It is a beautifully melodic and evocative album. Make sure to check it out.
Aunt Martha are, in no particular order.... Tim Noyes, Brian Kim, Todd Brehm, Garrett Leahy, Eddie Byun.

This is the amazing first track on this terrific album.
Starter

This next track, although not on the album Norway, ME the video was filmed in Norway, ME. It is from their EP Bloodshot.
2016

Tim Noyes (of Aunt Martha) set off for Norway Maine, with a lap top, microphone, and guitar to spend 4 days recording and mixing a new album. This video is a brief look at how and why the record was made, and features snippets of 4 brand new Aunt Martha songs.
Worth A Visit Worth A LifeTime

The four songs featured are:
1 - Tompkins Sq.
2 - Blue Buildings
3 - Dark Deeds
4 - Yellow Dress (#2)

For their biography they say:

We are Aunt Martha, band of men. We hustle north, south, east and west playing our instruments for beautiful people who listen to us. We've been known to sleep in the van, on floors, and occasionally in beds. We are friends 95% of the time, and enemies 5% of the time. Thanks for checking us out, we love you so, so much. - Aunt Martha (band of men)

Mind Bending

A big hand to swordsman3003 who created this mashup of the trailer for Bambi and the music from Inception which is nothing short of magnificent. What a match, they were made for each other.

swordsman3003 is also the master of understatement when he said

"I spent 30 seconds making this. I did not change the trailer or the song is any way, they seem to match up."

Bravo!

Top 25 of 2011 all in one sitting

Here we go again, we did it last year and also in 2009. So we have to do it again in 2011. As always courtesy of the great DJ Earworm.

And of course you can get the MP3 download right here.

Here are your hits for the year.

Adele – Rolling In The Deep
Adele – Someone Like You
Black Eyed Peas – Just Can’t Get Enough
Bruno Mars – Grenade
Bruno Mars – The Lazy Song
Britney Spears – Till The World Ends
Cee Lo Green – F* You
Enrique Iglesias – Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You)
Foster the People – Pumped Up Kicks
Jennifer Lopez – On The Floor
Jeremih feat. 50 cent – Down On Me
Katy Perry – Firework
Katy Perry – E.T.
Katy Perry – Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)
Lady Gaga – Born This Way
LMFAO – Party Rock Anthem
LMFAO – Sexy and I Know It
Lupe Fiasco – The Show Goes On
Maroon 5 – Moves Like Jagger
Nicki Minaj – Super Bass
OneRepublic – Good Life
Pink – Raise Your Glass
Pitbull – Give Me Everything
Rihanna – S&M
Rihanna – We Found Love

Haun's Mill

This is not a piece about Haun's Mill in Missouri, this is a new musical group. New to me at least, but welcome.
And like so many other talented artists, they hail from Austin Texas.

A captivating group in the current roots movement, Haun's Mill combines folk, spaghetti western, and classic country into a sound distinctly their own. Their live performances are coupled with period movie projections, resulting in a powerful presentation of sights and sounds. Once described as haunted saloon music, Haun's Mill has found a home in Austin's quirky environment since moving there in late 2010. Since their relocation, the five piece band holds residency at the swanky 1920's themed East Side Showroom and has played local clubs and festivals including Swan Dive, Continental Club, Art Outside, Pecan Street Festival, Parish, Club DeVille and Momo's.

So Haun's Mill are a band who you could just as easily expect to see playing in the camp on Hell on Wheels, or in a current day festival. A definite welcome addition to the alt-country circle.
A strong sense of Americana and even American Gothic. Just love their current take on that old timey music. Look out for them they could be taking the country by storm any time now. Talent will out.

Nobody Followed

Haun's Mill performing their original song, "Nobody Followed" from the 2011 Utah Arts Festival in Salt Lake City, UT.

New York City

Great Depression Era video from indie folk standouts, Haun's Mill. Directed by Thomas Desimone, cinematography by Dennis Jackson, edited by Eliza Wren. For a free download from Haun's Mill click here.

Blind Draw

Music Video for Haun's Mill's song, Blind Draw.
Video created by: Eliza Wren

Fitzcarraldo

A Haun's Mill song and video based on Werner Herzog's classic, "Fitzcarraldo".

I'm Not In Love

So this morning I'm cruising the web and come across a video of "the making of" I'm Not in Love by 10cc. Since I was a huge fan of both 10cc and later Godley and Creme I had to watch it. And that's when I realized there had been many covers, and many different styles of covering this great song. So I had to go there. Check them out.
I save the best for last, the making of video is at the bottom of this pile.

10cc (maybe the original video?)

Petula Clark

Olive

I like this mashup, kinda cool.
Radiohead Vs Tori Amos - Codex Not In Love [Mashup]

Queen Latifah

The Pretenders

10cc - Live in Japan 1993

10cc performing "I'm Not In Love" on 24th March, 1993 at Kawasaki Club Citta in Japan.
Graham Gouldman : vocals, guitar
Eric Stewart : vocals, guitar
Lol Creme : guitar, keyboards
Kevin Godley : drums, percussion

Will to Power

Dee Dee Sharp

Orleya

Fun Lovin' Criminals

Lazlo Bane

10cc - the making of

10cc are an English art rock band who achieved their greatest commercial success in the 1970s. The band initially consisted of four musicians -- Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley, and Lol Creme -- who had written and recorded together for some three years, before assuming the "10cc" name in 1972.
For the most part, 10cc featured two strong songwriting teams, one 'commercial' and one 'artistic', but both teams injected sharp wit into lyrically dextrous and musically varied songs. Stewart and Gouldman were predominantly pop-song-writers, who created most of the band's accessible songs. By way of contrast, Godley and Creme were the predominantly experimental half of 10cc, featuring an Art School sensibility and cinematic inspired writing. Every member was a multi-instrumentalist, singer, writer and producer. Most of the band's albums were recorded at their own Strawberry Studios (North) in Stockport and Strawberry Studios (South) in Dorking, with most of those engineered by Stewart.

Gotta have the lyrics of course so you can sing along.

Writer: STEWART, ERIC/GOULDMAN, GRAHAM

I'm not in love
So don't forget it
It's just a silly phase I'm going through
And just because
I call you up
Don't get me wrong, don't think you've got it made
I'm not in love, no no, it's because..

I like to see you
But then again
That doesn't mean you mean that much to me
So if I call you
Don't make a fuss
Don't tell your friends about the two of us
I'm not in love, no no, it's because..

I keep your picture
Upon the wall
It hides a nasty stain that's lying there
So don't you ask me
To give it back
I know you know it doesn't mean that much to me
I'm not in love, no no, it's because..

Ooh you'll wait a long time for me
Ooh you'll wait a long time
Ooh you'll wait a long time for me
Ooh you'll wait a long time

I'm not in love
So don't forget it
It's just a silly phase I'm going through
And just because I call you up
Don't get me wrong, don't think you've got it made
I'm not in love
I'm not in love

Happy Particles

Happy Particles hail from Glasgow, Scotland and they are:
Gordon Farquhar - drums, percussion
Al Doherty - guitar, bass
Steven Kane - guitar, vocals, laptop, piano, glockenspiel
Graeme Ronald - bass
Ricky Egan - guitar
James Swinburne - rhodes piano, saxophone

Not sure if they are shoegaze or slow-core melodists, but they have been compared to Sigur Ros which is high praise indeed. They have just released their new album "Under Sleeping Waves". Check it out.

Aerials

Track one from the album "Under Sleeping Waves"

Empty Circle

Track eight from the album "Under Sleeping Waves"

Going back a couple of years to a gig in Glasgow, their first.
Empty Circle

'Empty Circle' from first ever Happy Particles gig - Nice N' Sleazy, Glasgow on 19th of September '09

You can check out the album right here.

The Great Buddha of Kamakura

The Great Buddha from Kamakura (Daibutsu) represents the Amida Buddha (in Japanese Amida Nyorai), the Buddha of the Infinite Light, the main Deity of the Buddhist Sect Jodo (Pure Land).

Actually, Buddha is not a name, but a honorific term, like the Christian Mesia. Buddha comes from Sanskrit and it is the past participle of the verb Buddh, meaning “to awaken” or “to know", translated in English as “one who has awakened to the truth".

In Japanese it is also referred as Butsu, hence Daibutsu (written ?? or ??), from ? Dai, meaning Great and ? or ? Butsu (the On reading), meaning Buddha. More images after a break...

In the Mahayana tradition there are many Buddha. The Historical Buddha (the Prince Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism) is one of them and the statues of the various Buddha share common attributes. The Amida Buddha is not Siddhartha Gautama, it is a monk named Dharmakara, who become a Buddha and lived in very old times (or in another realm…). Amida Buddha is usually represented wearing simple monk clothes and the Kamakura Daibutsu is no exception.

The hair is represented in small spiral curls (Rahotsu in Japanese). This is an allusion to a legend about Prince Siddhartha, who at one moment pulled his hair together into a top knot and cut it. After the cut, the hair spiraled into fine curls and he never needed to cut its hair again.

The statue of Amida Buddha must always have 656 curls.

On the top of the head we can see Ushnisha (Nikkei in Japanese), a bump on top of the head symbolizing the fact that Buddha is all-knowing and also symbolizing a fully developed top chakra.

At the front base of the Nikkei we can see a circular object, the Nikkeishu (Nikkei Jewel), which “radiates the light of wisdom":

Also, on the forehead, we can see Urna (Byakugo in Japanese), symbolic the representation of the third eye, emitting rays of light and symbolizing that Buddha is all-seeing. Usually, on Buddha statues the third eye is represented from a crystal or a gem. On the Kamakura Great Buddha, Byakugo is made of pure silver, weighing 13.5 kilograms.

The elongated ears symbolize that Buddha is all-hearing…

The hands are represented in the position of Mida no Join (Meditation Mudra), a Japanese specific position, used exclusively for Amida Buddha.

I will return tomorrow with a more down-to-earth look at this statue…

The Great Buddha of Kamakura

2011 Favorites

Listening to music everybody does a top ten or twenty or fifty of something. So why be different, here's my top ten albums for 2011.

1 - Ane Brun - It All Starts With One

This album has hardly left my music player since it came out back in September.
From "These Days" to "Undertow" on the first CD and then "Dirty Windshield" to "Alfonsina Y El Mar" on the second disc, there is not a bad track on the double album. I cannot recommend this one too highly. One of the most beautiful voices of the year.

2 - Adele - 21

Of course this has to be on everyones list, just the most spectacular seller of the year. Toward the end of the year I also got the DVD "Live at the Royal Albert Hall". This is the must see concert video of the year, many people were upset to miss her concert tour when she had to cancel because of the throat problems. I say to them get a hold of the Albert Hall concert and you'll be doubly gutted. Just amazing.

3 - Abbe May - Design Desire

Back in June the wonderful Abbe May released her tremendous album "Design Desire", and cemented her grasp of the blues singing ladies of this world. You have to hear this, it will kick your butt.

4 - David Lynch - Crazy Clown Time

In November I was surprised to hear this album by David Lynch, I had heard the single "Good Day Today" late in 2010 and figured it to be a one-off. But then came the album, and it's been on the Winamp player, and on a CD in my car for lots of plays.

5 - Matt Stevens - Live in Blackpool

One of my favorite of the current crop of guitar players is Matt Stevens, and when he brought out this live album from a Blackpool concert of his, I was blown away. If you haven't heard it, why?

6 - DeVotchKa - 100 Lovers

This was one of my most anticipated albums of the year. After all we had waited since 2008's "A Mad and Faithful Telling" for a new release from DeVotchKa. Needless to say we were not disappointed. As with all their albums a gem worth waiting for.

7 - Chrysta Bell - This Train

Chrysta Bell was new to me, I was attracted by the beautiful photo on the album cover and intrigued by the fact that David Lynch was so involved in the album. Production, writing, mixing and playing on the album. All in all a wonderfully fulfilling album for the listener.

8 - Nicole Atkins - Mondo Amore

My first introduction to "Mondo Amore" was the video for "Vultures" and at that point I was hooked. Just had to get the album. Am I glad I did.

9 - The Puppini Sisters - Hollywood

The Puppini Sisters have been around for a few years, I was late to finding them. But really glad i did, they have the persona of three Bette Midlers. Very very entertaining and really talented.

10 - The Dø - Both Ways Open Jaws

This is another wonderful album, 2011 has been a good year for albums. Plus they have a live version of the same album which makes it doubly good. I'm thinking that The Dø could be one of the breakout artists of 2012.

What the heck!!!
11 - Marilyn Carino - Little Genius

Who say's a top ten can only contain ten albums. I couldn't do a best of the year and leave out this gem from Marilyn Carino. You want jazz, she got it. You want trip hop, she got it. You want electronic, she got it. She's got it all with some to spare.
Check out the album.

I recommend you check out these albums, you can hear some of the tracks by clicking on the headings.

Ndidi O

Ndidi Onukwulu is a Canadian singer originally from Burns Lake, British Columbia. Although her style is often classified as jazz and blues, Onukwulu combines several musical genres in her songs including surf music, electric blues, gospel, and country. Onukwulu, whose father, jazz player Ezeadi Onukwulu, is from Nigeria, also integrates Malagasy and Nigerian music into her performances to create a unique and eclectic sound.

Be prepared for a beautiful voice. Something to soothe you. Something to wake you up. Ndidi O will lead you into a new world of sultry beautiful melodies.

On The Metro

Voir toutes les vidéos du Live
Ndidi O interprète On The Metro pour Le Live, l'émission musicale du Figaro

Oh did I mention she has this great new album out? Check it out.