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Saturday, November 17, 2012

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed and Something Blue: November 2012

Something Old:


Steve Reich "Octet"

I have this on vinyl and love it, although I do have to be in a certain mindset to listen to this. This recording is from 1979. Around 1983, Reich re-scored this for more instruments and called it Eight Lines, as it was obviously no longer an Octet! Someone has put together a Jackson pollack slide show to accompany Reich's octet. As I love both artists, this works for me, I hope it does for you also!

Steve Reich "Octet"



Matt and Kim: "Daylight"

Matt and Kim  are from Brooklyn and on an independent record label called Fader label. They are not polished throwaway pop, but rough indie jewels. Kim looks like the kind of fun person you would want to have as a friend. Over the years I keep coming back to this track and this clip. The tune is boppy and the clip is fun and cool. Say no more!

Matt and Kim: "Daylight"



Something New:

The Xx: 'Tides'

The Xx have a new Album out called Coexist. I love the minimal approach with this album. More stripped back then the previous one and while they already had a bare sound, with this album the instruments and voices have even more room to breathe and be.
Great stuff!

The Xx 'Tides'



Father John Misty: "Nancy from now on"

Father John Misty used to be the drummer for brilliant group 'Fleet Foxes". He had been recording under his own name of  J Tillman for yonks and is now calling himself Father John Misty! His new album is called 'Fear Fun'. I do love side A of this album and am letting side B grow on me. Obviously I am talking Vinyl! On side A of the Lp is a track called 'Nancy from now on'. I am definitely loving the opening line to this track "Pour me another drink and punch me in the face, you can call me Nancy".

Father John Misty: "Nancy from now on"


Something Borrowed:

De La Soul: 'Eye Know'

Rap/hip hop is often criticised for sampling other artists and just "ripping them off and not being original"...Which I have always thought to be a very odd way of looking at what is being done. Why people didn't see it as borrowing or playing with ideas and reinterpreting/ representing them, I'll never know. Anyway, back in 1989 De la Soul, released what is widely considered to be a 'game changer' of an album called '3ft high and raising'. This album still sounds fresh and here is a track from it!

De La Soul: 'Eye Know'

According to trusty wikipedia, the 'borrowed' samples on this track are:
  • "Get Out of My Life, Woman" by Lee Dorsey
  • "Sing a Simple Song" by Sly & the Family Stone
  • "(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding
  • "Make This Young Lady Mine" by The Mad Lads
  • "Peg" by Steely Dan


Something Blue:


INXS- "Don't Change"


The very recent offical end of INXs has left me feeling blue. While Michael Hutchence died way back in 1997 the band still played on. I won't go into what they tried, the replacement singers etc... At the time I recall thinking, why?, but good on them for giving it a red hot go!

Ten years before Michael died, INXS released their album 'Kick'. At the time, I brought it on cassette played it to death! It was an album that help define my teenage years, alongside Bruce Springsteen's 'Born in the USA', The Beastie Boy's 'Licensed to ill', Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' and George Michael's 'Faith'... ahh youth and days spent dreaming of a better life as I gazed out of the bedroom window, or lay in the backyard looking up at the clouds and singing along to what ever was on the cassette player.

More recently, Double D (D and Dani) and I were driving around the Kinglake, and Yarra valley area taking photos and playing INXS tracks really loud (as well as tracks by the pet shop boys, but we have already talked about a big puffy cloud of pet shop boys!). It was cool. As a tribute to the official end of INXS, I am going to post D (the older one) and my favourite INXS song- 'Don't change'. I know that I have previously posted this track... but you know I just have to do it again, because it makes perfect sense and even when you are feeling blue this track still manages to take you somewhere special!

p.s. I still want to date the keyboard player! Sensibly attired men will get me everytime! Or should that read as 'you had me at sensibly attired'?

INXS- "Don't Change"

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