Tuesday, December 31, 2002
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 Musique concrete
Logoplasm have just posted their latest offering "miscomprendere il nome che dai al silenzio" for general consumption. Based on an original sound source by Kar which was then subjected to "concrete filtering | transmission through matter | digital layering and electroacoustic improvisation between June and December 2002". Haven't had a chance to listen to it myself yet, so if you have let us know what you think... |
| [posted in Bow :: London at 10:48] |
Monday, December 30, 2002
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This year’s thing…
As a service to our loyal readers we bring you this year's Festive Fifty from the John Peel Show.
And for those of you who don’t recognise any of the names or wonder why young people are making such a racket downstairs we suggest a visit to the Cats Caravan Festive Fifty Archive where you can relive your youth through the combined technology of a C90 tape and Real Player 8 and above.
1 Saloon Girls are the New Boys
2 Cinerama Quick Before It Melts
3 Miss Black America Talk Hard
4 Nina Nastasia Ugly Face
5 Antihero Rolling Stones T-shirt
6 M.A.S.S. Hey Gravity
7 Laura Cantrell Too Late for Tonight
8 Pinhole So Over You
9 Marc Smith vs Safe 'n' Sound Identify the Beat 10 Ballboy All the Records on the Radio are S%$**
11 Miss Black America Miss Black America
12 Yeah Yeah Yeahs Bangs
13 Cinerama Careless
14 Half Man Half Biscuit The Light at the End of the Tunnel (is the Light of an Oncoming Train)
15 The White Stripes Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground
16 Low In The Drugs
17 Asa-Chang & Junray Hana
18 Low Canada
19 Coin Op Democracies
20 Belle & Sebastian You Don't Send Me
21 The Datsuns In Love
22 The Fall Susan vs Youth Club
23 Jeffrey Lewis Chelsea Hotel Oral Sex Song
24 Ballboy Where Do the Nights of Sleep Go To When They Do Not Come To Me?
25 Cornershop Staging the Plaguing of the Raised Platform
26 Saloon Have You Seen The Light?
27 The White Stripes Fell In Love With A Girl
28 The Cranebuilders Your Song
29 The Delgados Mr Bluesky
30 Bearsuit Drinkink
31 Ladytron Seventeen
32 Boom Bip and Dose One Mannequin Hand Trapdoor Reminder
33 The Von Bondies It Came From Japan
34 Wire 99.9
35 mclusky Alan is a Cowboy Killer
36 Low That's How You Sing Amazing Grace
37 Antihero You Got Nothing
38 Half Man Half Biscuit Breaking News
39 Cinerama Catgirl Tights
40 mclusky To Hell With Good Intentions
41 Burning Love Jumpsuit Cheerleader
42 Interpol Obstacle 1
43 Melys So Good
44 The Delgados Coming in from the Cold
45 Miss Black America Infinite Chinese Box
46 80s Matchbox B-Line Disaster Celebrate Your Mother
47 The D4 Get Loose
48 Müm Green Grass of Tunnel
49 The Aphrodisiacs This is a Campaign
50 The Dawn Parade The Hole in my Heart
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| [posted in Lancashire :: UK at 21:37] |
New Year Nostalgia
If the approaching new year has bought on a fit of nostalgia try heading over to Pathe News, where amongst the 3500 hours of old newsreel footage are a few gems on rock 'n' roll including 'an informative look at the increasingly respectable juke box and its complex production' from 1958 and footage of Bill Haley and the Comets at the Revolution Club, London from 1968. Although you have to pay for high quality clips low resolution, watermarked clips are available for download for free. |
| [posted in Bow :: London at 10:57] |
Sunday, December 29, 2002
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Joe Strummer 1952-2002
I’d travelled the world with The Clash long before I travelled the world with The Clash as my soundtrack. Joe Strummer and The Clash could never be called parochial. From New York to Berlin, Angola to Brixton there was a bass line and an invective for you.
It’s the prerogative of all generations to believe that those who follow them know ‘jack shit’ but listening back to Sandinista! – a glorious mess of a record – late last year I was still blown away by its ambition and horizons. Compared with the narrow focus of contemporary musical genres – do you want drum’n’bass or intelligent drum’n’bass? – The Clash were a glorious Jackson Pollock canvas. Truthfully it shouldn’t have worked and maybe it didn’t. Any group of white kids trying it now would be laughed out of existence. Not many listening to The Clash’s and Junior Murvin’s respective takes on Police and Thieves would opt for the former over the latter but through sheer force of will Strummer did make it work.
Although there is part of me that is saddened that they didn’t reform – I would love to have seen them just once – there is another part of me that is pleased that they never did. The Clash were of their time. They weren’t just music they were naïve politics, cold war paranoia and unbridled enthusiasm. They were white kids finding reggae, rap and funk. They were a blizzard of slogans and poses. At the centre of all of this was a working class hero from a public school with a diplomat for a father. They were preposterous but mostly they were magnificent. Hell Joe, I’m going to miss you!
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| [posted in Lancashire :: UK at 12:49] |
Thursday, December 26, 2002
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Shield not Shadow
The nice people at slapart have been busy posting new mp3s for the world's listening pleasure, amongst which is a 24 minute mix from DJ Shield who apparently "does for experimental/electronic/improv underground what DJ Shadow did for old funk 45s and old school hip hop". Judge for yourself here... |
| [posted in Bow :: London at 17:48] |
Monday, December 23, 2002
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Revolution Rock
Maybe Joe Strummer's death will encourage a re-evaluation of how far popular music - and the music press - has retreated from the radical agenda that spawned such movements as Rock against Racism and the Anti-Nazi League in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Here is a bit of history for those who need it.The ice age is coming, the sun is zooming in
Engines stop running and the wheat is growing thin
A nuclear error, but I have no fear
London is drowning-and I live by the river
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| [posted in Bow :: London at 12:38] |
Sunday, December 22, 2002
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Bizarro Christmas Album of 2002
Tacky but true. Here is our find for mind bogglingly silly Christmas album of the year A Froggy Christmas
The blurb says, A Froggy Christmas is a selection of Christmas favorites performed in various musical styles from traditional to Hip-Hop using digitally recorded, real live, honest to goodness, frog and wildlife sounds....It's TOADally awesome!
Who says we don't keep you up to date with all the latest in music world developments.
...and while we're at it here's the lyrics to a selection of tasty Christmas songs to liven up that family lunch or dinner. Our favourite is I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus... which goes something like this.
I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus
Underneath the mistletoe last night.
She didn't see me creep
down the stairs to have a peep;
She thought that I was tucked
up in my bedroom fast asleep.
Then, I saw Mommy tickle Santa Claus
Underneath his beard so snowy white;
Oh, what a laugh it would have been
If Daddy had only seen
Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night. |
| [posted in Bondi :: Sydney at 03:59] |
Flying High
The latest wunderband appear to be yet another Aussie act.
This time it's Melbourne boys Jet. Some say they rock, others not. The NME already likes them, Stateside A&R boys love them and it looks as the hype has already started with a rumour that they won't sign for less than $2 million.
This apostle heard a radio blast but hasn't got hold of the EP yet so can't give a final thumbs up or thumbs down... all we'll say is that we reckon Cheap Trick may have influenced them. |
| [posted in Bondi :: Sydney at 03:52] |
Friday, December 20, 2002
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Glass music
Those looking to escape from the festive din and yearning for a bit of ambient urban tranquillity need look no further than here - where j.frede has posted an unedited MP3 of himself playing wine glasses in his kitchen with the windows open and the sounds of Los Angeles lingering (his word, not mine) in the background. Nice. |
| [posted in Bow :: London at 09:05] |
Thursday, December 19, 2002
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Adding insult to injury?
Tuesday saw a very odd gig from electronic terrorists Add N to (X) at The Garage. Alarm bells began to ring as soon as it became apparent that Ann Shelton, a key third of the trio, was no longer part of the group – and presumably the split wasn’t particularly amicably from the (half-intelligible) comments made about her at the end of the gig. The band opted in her place to augment their trademark analog synth sound with bass and guitar and ended up creating a bit of a wall of noise, punctuated by the odd moment of vintage theremin and synthesiser torturing. This was reasonably enjoyable but nothing like the Add N to (X) we have come to love. This may have been the reason for the apparent bad feeling in some sections of the crowd (or perhaps those individuals were there to see the dire support act Chrome Hoof). All could be explained by the rant at the end of the set about this being the band’s last ever gig and how they were quitting the music business. If so, it was not the most fitting of live epitaphs.
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| [posted in Angel :: London at 13:47] |
Saw point
On Monday the Scala in London played host to the somnambulant beauty of Black Heart Procession. After the heavy but uninspiring antics of Part Chimp and a humorous turn by sub-Suicide synth act El Guapo (complete with accordion solos), their majestic - sometimes sombre - offerings were a delight to this Apostle’s ear. Full marks to any band prepared to elevate the humble saw to its perhaps rightful place in the pantheon of rock instruments – its undulating tones, prominently featured in several songs, were oddly reminiscent of a theremin and strangely affecting.
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| [posted in Angel :: London at 13:45] |
Just the job?
Fancy a change from the cold and damp of the Northern Hemisphere? Like to try your hand a spot of teaching in warmer climes? If so the University of Western Sydney has two vacant positions within the School of Contemporary Arts that could be just the thing if your qualifications are up to scratch. |
| [posted in Bow :: London at 13:29] |
Wednesday, December 18, 2002
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Who's in the house?
Brian Jones is in the house! - leastways he was. Yup, that's right - anyone out there with a spare £325k can get themselves a slice of pop history in the shape of his old pad in Belgravia. No mention of a swimming pool in the details... |
| [posted in Bow :: London at 12:53] |
Monday, December 16, 2002
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Rough Trade Shops Top 20 albums For 2002
Here at the apostles we have relied on Rough Trade, Talbot Road, for their taste and knowledge for over 20 years so we are only too happy to let you know all their top tips for the past year. We do warn you that they do love their alt country
1 James Yorkston Moving up Country
2 the Polyphonic Spree The beginning stages of…
3 breeders tk
4 queens of the stone age songs for the deaf
5 the streets original pirate material
6 beth gibbons and rustin' man out of season
7 tom waits blood money
8 the boggs we are the boggs we are
9 boom bip seed to sun
10 wilco yankee hotel foxtrot
11 lambchop is a woman
12= the bees sunshine hit me
12= beth orton daybreaker
14 badly drawn boy about a boy - soundtrack
15= the be good tanyas blue horse
15= pretty girls make graves good health
15= tom waits alice
15= ben kweller sha sha
19= akufen my way
19= barry adamson the king of nothing hill
Rough Trade Shops 5 Compilations of 2002
1= rough trade shops - electronic 01
1= rough trade shops - rock n roll 1
3 the best bootlegs in the world ever
4 never mind the bootlegs
5 20 years of dischord
A little self promotion here.. but as usual theyre forgiven as they are all pretty good.. more bootleg comps please.. the like of us o'seas types can never get hold of the ltd 28 copies of that bastard pop Eddie Cochran meets Ms Dynamite.
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| [posted in Bondi :: Sydney at 08:41] |
Sunday, December 15, 2002
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Mary Hansen
Amongst the coverage of the death of Stereolab's Mary Hansen this Guardian obituary captures the breadth of her passions and achievements very well. |
| [posted in Bow :: London at 21:18] |
Saturday, December 14, 2002
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Where ever I lay my hat
As part of our ongoing mission to bring our readers news of the ongoing pop careers of those for whom the spotlight is but a distant memory we are able to report that anyone *lucky* enough to have been travelling between Helsinki and Stockholm on Wednesday and Thursday this week would have been treated to the sight of Paul Young wowing the assembled crowd of pissed lorry drivers and geriatric cabaret fans. Sadly this apostle was a day early and had to settle for the delights of 'troubadour' Peter Nordlund, houseband The Good Timers and the Hot Cakes Show Dance Company. |
| [posted in Bow :: London at 12:45] |
Friday, December 13, 2002
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Real cool time
Last weekend saw a plethora of interesting gigs in London. First up, on Saturday afternoon The Threnody Ensemble headlined a free concert at the tiny Notting Hill Arts Club. With acoustic guitars, cellos, clarinet and keyboards these guys play long classically-influenced pieces - the precise, angular guitar parts complementing the legato clarinet and cello lines. Their CD “Timbre Hollow” (released on All Tomorrow’s Parties records in the UK) might just be your cup of tea if you are looking for melodic but challenging chamber rock (and who isn’t?).
Later that evening, a rare live appearance from the mighty Billy Mahonie, the UK’s best kept secret, at The Buffalo Bar in Islington. At the opposite end of the spectrum from the gentle sounds of The Threnody Ensemble, they play heavy, complex instrumentals. After changes in the line-up their trademark 2 bass/ 1 electric guitar combination has been replaced with the more traditional 2 guitars/1bass but any fears that this might dilute their sound were quickly scotched once set opener “Fishing With A Man For A Shark” switched from its slow build-up into coruscating heavy riffage. Old favourites like “Dusseldorf” rubbed shoulders with excellent new material, the set closer in particular being a glorious aural assault. Check out their “What Becomes Before” CD on Southern records if you fancy a treat.
The weekend ended with a jaunt along to the sold-out Asheton, Asheton, Mascis & Watt gig at the Mean Fiddler on Charing Cross Road. Not to be taken too seriously this was nevertheless a fun romp through all your favourite Stooges classics with some neat guitar work from J Mascis (ex Dinosaur Jr) and Mike Watt (Minutemen, Firehose) handling vocal duties. Not quite Iggy but it’s rare to see an audience enjoying themselves quite so much at a (semi) reunion gig.
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| [posted in Angel :: London at 17:49] |
Thursday, December 12, 2002
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Libertines - Are They This good
NW England apostle has supplied us with an end of year listing for faves. I think he's already forgotten the praises he sang about The Coral.
You English...so fickle..
He says, "I reckon I'll limit myself to ..."
Best New Act The Libertines
Best CD The Libertines
Best Strokes Tribute Band The Libertines |
| [posted in Bondi :: Sydney at 23:55] |
Brian Wilson - Pet Sounds Tour - Sydney
OK so his voice is a little ropey and he couldn't quite hit all the notes but otherwise what a treat for all of us who want to hear the real Beach Boys/ Brian Wilson sound and the State Theatre Crowd certainly wanted to.
A night of hit after hit without excess nostalgia. First up we get the Brian Wilson mixed set highlighting 35 years of songcraft including a beautifully rendered version of In My Room, a mind boggling rendition of Heroes & Villains which received a standing ovation from the whole house and finished up with a favourite of this apostle's Do It Again. Throw in a few surf songs and a couple of later tracks and you have a set that would satisfy most performers and audiences.
But no... a short break and we then get Pet Sounds performed in its entirety .... Wouldn't it Be Nice . Yes it was very nice. God Only Knows was introduced as ..... "Paul McCartney told me this was his favourite song,.. I hope you like it and the instrumentals he told us were instruments only, no voices...listen carefully ... I think you'll like this one"
The set was then wrapped up by a bunch of "Rock'n'Roll" numbers as he refers to them with Wilson actually standing up and playing Bass to Barbara Ann, a revelation at this stage of the set as he'd sat at his keyboard all evening and not played a note. As it's Christmas we get Saint Nick and we finish up with a very pertinent Love & Mercy.
We'd be amiss not to mention Wilson's great hand actions throughout the songs, in Sloop John B he salutes as though he were the captain of a ship, he impersonates a chandelier over his head and there's a great deal of hand quivering throughout Good Vibrations.
Brain Wilson most certainly wasn't made for those times or these times but here at the apostles we're just happy he was made. Here's a man who can bring utter joy through humility and until you hear him sing it, even if a little off key, you just don't realise how much love there is in his music. As he said last night, " Here's a song, if you listen carefully you may even hear angels"
By the way what was the guy with the Plasmatics t-shirt doing there?
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| [posted in Bondi :: Sydney at 22:59] |
Yeah Yeah Yeah's Live at the Annandale / Sydney
This apostle can't get enough of this band and the live experience if somewhat ragged at stages is full of exuberance, youth and is what rock'n' roll is supposed to be all about.
Before I get too excited, Scots apostle who followed me to the gig wasn't convinced and reckoned that they're only a poor man's Siouxsie & the Banshees. I suggested he stop being so negative and enjoy them for what they are.. some banshees most certainly but also a liberal dash of the blues of the Birthday Party, John Spencer and the White Stripes and adding to the mix Karen O's vocals, presence, stage antics, dribbling champagne (looked like sparkling wine to me) and water on her tongue was a popular one.
This apostle reckons this band will be big, lots of girls and boys in the audience with designs on Karen who pleases them all, telling them how much she loves Sydney and that she'll be hanging around town for little longer. Maybe we'll be lucky and get another gig.
This is also a band that have already begun to discover nightime sydney paying tribute to the Judgement Bar. If Francis Bacon had lived in Sydney this would have been his local.
See this band whilst they're young, don't wait till they've trailed the US circuit 3 or 4 times. Attitude, songs and enjoyment... get it now.
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| [posted in Bondi :: Sydney at 02:25] |
Tuesday, December 10, 2002
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New York Renaissance Continues ?
First it was the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and now Rough Trade and a slew of mags tell us that the new band of the moment from the city that never sleeps are 3 piece The Rogers Sisters . We're told its early B52's, early Talking Heads and Devo mixed with a bit of Psych 60's vibe and Barratt era Floyd lyrics.
Oh... please let it be so. In the southern hemisphere this apostle hasn't heard them yet... but more than ever we'd love to end the year with a band that sounds that cool. The album's called purely evil and I'll invest.
Hoping I'm not disapointed.... |
| [posted in Bondi :: Sydney at 08:15] |
Monday, December 09, 2002
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12 Apostles Guide to Christmas
Here at the 12 we get very excited at the onset of Christmas as we love to celebrate the birth of our dear friend and mentor. How can we forget the man who in the end led us to deaths as unpleasant as his.
Christmas is a time for us to sit back and relax to some soothing sounds.
We suggest Liberace's Christmas a classic of the genre.
Perry Como's Christmas Album. No self respecting ironic post modernist household should be without this title.
All you generation X, Jedi Warriors will be pleased to learn that the Star Wars Christmas album exists, obviously somebody thought it was a good idea.
Finally, the saddest thing we've heard taped into a sydney department store , near santa's grotto is Mr Lennon wailing, Merry Xmas War is Over. Sorry John but nothing could be further from the truth.
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| [posted in Bondi :: Sydney at 08:42] |
Saturday, December 07, 2002
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King of Pop Trivia
Wacko may not be able to sell records anymore but did you know that two separate tv shows in Australia about the state of his face, as reported previously on the 12, have featured in the top 20 rated tv shows this year.
Thanks to our friends at Skruff whose wonderful newsletter alerted us to this great game. Jacko drops babies from hotel window and Hitler has to catch them link to the game |
| [posted in Bondi :: Sydney at 04:47] |
Hong Kong Garden
This apostle has just made a short trip to Hong Kong, and has rediscovered the pop wasteland that it is.
Apart from the endless clubs catering to conventions and playing global lounge there’s little to satiate the music lover in Hong Kong.
The only positive we can report is that the HMV in Central does have the best selection we’ve found yet of Serge Gainsbourg cd’s in one spot..are there a generation of young Cantonese men out there who secretly desire to be bourgeois french nightclub singers?
Overheard in one shop was a great canto-pop version of "If I Were a Hammer" and other Simon & Garfunkel greats.
The only forthcoming gig is Air Supply…. Help !!
Digital Dresses up as Analogue
Verbatim have created Digital Vinyl CD-R’s resembling singles or 45’s as some people like to call them. They hold 700mb of MP3 files . Fantastic… but can you flip them over and hear that track that never made it onto the album.
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| [posted in Bondi :: Sydney at 04:06] |
Sunday, December 01, 2002
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Cut it out
Given the current highly entertaining and admirable vogue for Burroughsesque audio cut-ups and general no-fi beatmixing an essential tool could well turn out to be Yo-Gen vocal remover (a free trial of which can be downloaded from here). Enjoy. |
| [posted in Bow :: London at 22:44] |
