Thursday 6 November 2008

Phil Lesh & Friends - Nokia Theatre NY

Phil Lesh - Nokia Theatre November 1st 2008

The Phil Lesh & Friends marathon continues.
You can download the shows here.

Presidents of the USA

Jim White & John Doe coming to Australia

Jim White and John Doe will be performing together at the Golden Plains festival in March. Sideshow please.

Cool

Wednesday 5 November 2008


President Elect



"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

"It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

"It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

"It's the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

"It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

"I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he's fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

"I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

"I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation's next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

"To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics, you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

"But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to: It belongs to you.

"I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington, it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

"It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and 10 dollars and 20 dollars to this cause.

"It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organised, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

"I know you didn't do this just to win an election and I know you didn't do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime, two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.

"Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor's bills, or save enough for college.

"There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you we as a people will get there.

"There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree.

"And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it's been done in America for 221 years; block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

"What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek, it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

"So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other.

"Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers in this country. We rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

"Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House; a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity.

"Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.

"As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, 'We are not enemies but friends, though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.' And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your president too.

"And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.

"To those who would tear this world down we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright, tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

"For that is the true genius of America -- that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

"This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing -- Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

"She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons because she was a woman and because of the colour of her skin.

"And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America; the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

"At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

"When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

"When the bombs fell on our harbour and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

"She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that 'We shall overcome.' Yes we can.

"A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

"America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves: If our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

"This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time — to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

"Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America."

Can We Do It?

America - We Applaud You!

Image and video hosting by TinyPic
Just saw James Carville on CNN.
Must watch 'The War Room' again.

On the BBC website

'The BBC's Kevin Connolly, in Chicago: The crowd that has been gathering all day around Grant Park was finally allowed in around an hour ago. They arrived cheering and screaming and racing across the fenced off area of grass in front of the open air stage in a good natured competition to get the best places. As they did so they offered a clue as to Obama's methods - he brought politics to the rock festival generation, and they rewarded him by bringing rock festival style energy to his campaign.'

Campaign logos 1960 - 2008

Fascinating history of US presidential campaign logos here.

Huge turnout as America votes

Full Story here.



Homer tries to vote for Obama.

The Hopeful Hearts Club Band

Yma Sumac 1922 - 2008


Full story here.

US voters queue before dawn to elect president

More at 'The Guardian' here.

Happy Birthday Ryan Adams




Ryan performing 'Fix It' on Letterman last week.

Gunpowder Treason & Plot



'Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, t’was his intent
To blow up King and Parliament.
Three-score barrels of powder below
To prove old England’s overthrow;
By God’s providence he was catch’d
With a dark lantern and burning match.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, let the bells ring.
Holloa boys, holloa boys, God save the King!'

Until the nineteenth century there was a special Church of England service for this commemoration in the Book of Common Prayer. Guy Fawkes Day became a public holiday in 1606 when it was proclaimed by an Act of Parliament. In commemoration of the Gunpowder Plot on this day in 1605, when Guy Fawkes and his comrades tried to blow up King James I and the whole English Parliament, English people still burn a 'guy' in effigy.

More here.

Tuesday 4 November 2008

Rachid Taha - 'Barra Barra'


Just heard this (one of my favourite songs) advertising 'Far Cry 2' on TV - well weird!
Available on previous compilation mix here.

The Curtain Finally Falls

Full story at Politico here.

Phil Lesh & Friends - 'Frankenstein' 31st October 2008 Nokia Theatre NY

Obama's Grandmother Dies Before Election


Sen. Barack Obama cries while speaking about his grandmother during a rally at University of North Carolina on Monday.
Full story here and here.

James 'Blood' Ulmer - Are You Glad To Be In America?

'Are You Glad To Be In America?' by James 'Blood' Ulmer here.
The former sideman for Ornette Coleman and proponent of 'harmolodics' will be coming to Australia for the ATP Festival at Mount Buller in January. Details here.

Your Choice America



I have had my say.
Now go and have yours.

Australian Poll Finds Bush Made World Less Safe

(cartoon by Steve Bell)

A majority of Australians believe the world is less safe due to the eight years United States President George W Bush has spent in the White House.

Though Americans are the ones heading to the polls on Tuesday to vote for a new US president, Australians are excited by the prospect of change at the top in Washington.

A survey by UMR Research, which polled 1,000 people online, found 60 per cent believed the past eight years of US foreign policy had made the world less safe.

Another 18 per cent thought it made no difference, while nine per cent believed the world was safer.

The Bush years have also seen Australians' opinion of the US deteriorate, with 64 per cent saying their opinion of America was worse because of the time Bush had spent in office.

The UMR study mirrored other Australian polls showing overwhelming support for Democratic candidate Barack Obama.

It found 72 per cent of Australians preferred Obama over his Republican rival John McCain. In contrast, only nine per cent favoured McCain as the next US president.

Another Australian study on the US election, by Essential Research, showed that 68 per cent of people thought the Bush presidency had been bad for the world.

Six per cent believed he'd been good for the world, and 11 per cent thought his presidency had made no difference.

Nearly half of the 1,000-plus respondents thought an Obama presidency would be better for Australia, with 48 per cent choosing the Illinois senator against seven per cent backing McCain.

Australia's chief representative in Washington, ambassador Dennis Richardson, has met, and is impressed, by both candidates.

"They're both tremendously impressive people," he told Fairfax Radio Network.

"They've got incredible life stories. They've got the intellectual depth and the toughness you'd expect in someone running for office."

And both, Mr Richardson says, are familiar with Australia.

"Senator Obama, when he was a young kid living in Indonesia, he used to travel between Indonesia and Hawaii, where his grandparents were, via Sydney," he said.

"So he's actually got a sense of the place.

"Senator McCain has a long involvement with Australia. His father was head of the US Pacific command and his parents used to go to Australia quite regularly."

While most attention is fixed on who will be the next US president, the political argy-bargy is focusing on a conversation between Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Mr Bush about the global financial crisis.

Details of the conversation, which canvassed the use of a G20 meeting to discuss the global turmoil, were leaked to a national newspaper.

The newspaper report suggested that Mr Bush had asked Mr Rudd: "What's the G20?", a claim denied by both Mr Rudd and the Bush administration.

Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull again called on the government to come clean about how details of the conversation were leaked to the media.

And he moved to blunt an attack by Mr Rudd over comments by former prime minister John Howard last year that an Obama win would be a victory for terrorists.

"For the record, I firmly believe that the next president of the United States, whether it is Senator Obama or Senator McCain, will be resolute and robust in dealing with the threat to free societies posed by terrorism," Mr Turnbull said.

Mr Rudd earlier called on Mr Turnbull to apologise for coalition attacks on Obama.

"It is extraordinary that one side of politics could make such extraordinarily partisan remarks," he told reporters.

(The Age - Nov 3)

Talking of assholes - a preview of 'The Howard Years' (to be shown on ABC on November 17)

THE GREAT ORATOR by Steve Bell

GW BUSH MEMORIAL LIBRARY by Steve Bell

Simon Schama VS 'blowhard'

'War is peace.
Freedom is slavery.
Ignorance is strength.'


George Orwell
1984

Monday 3 November 2008

Happy Birthday to you...


For one of my sons who turns 22 today over in Amsterdam.
Here is Paul Kelly with 'How To Make Gravy', 'Every Fucking City' & 'To Her Door' (and I bet you still remember every word to that song!)
Happy Birthday from us all...

Every month Paul Kelly has been releasing solo acoustic versions of all his songs from A - Z as downloads. If you haven't done so already then sign up here now.

Justiciers Masques* prank call Sarah Palin



*Masked Avengers - Radio Station CKOI Montreal

Sunday 2 November 2008

Coldcut VS TV Sheriff - 'Revolution '08'

Quintessential


Bob Quine 1942 - 2004

"Someday Quine will be recognized for the pivotal figure that he is on his instrument — he is the first guitarist to take the breakthroughs of early Lou Reed and James Williamson and work through them to a new, individual vocabulary, driven into odd places by obsessive attention to
'On The Corner' - era Miles Davis ."
(Lester Bangs)

Ikue Mori, Robert Quine & Marc Ribot - El Dorado
Jody Harris & Robert Quine - Flagpole Jitters
Robert Quine & Fred Maher - Village
Robert Quine - Film Music 9 (unreleased)
You can get them all here.

Robert Quine's favourite piece of music 'He Loved Him Madly' by Miles Davis here.

Recent article on Robert Quine's death by James Marshall and more music here.
Richard Hell on Robert Quine here.

Bob Quine - guitar


Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend


Lou Reed - Waves of Fear


Richard Hell & the Voidoids - Blank Generation

Obama by Lance Wyman

Lance Wyman was the designer behind the branding of the Mexico 68 Olympics.

Studs Terkel - RIP (CURIOSITY DID NOT KILL THIS CAT!)

Studs Terkel
May 16, 1912 - October 31, 2008.
Obituary - 'The Guardian'.
Tribute page at the 'Chicago Tribune' (includes Videos)

Saturday 1 November 2008

Scritti Politti - The Sweetest Girl


This will get you 'The Sweetest Girl' by Scritti Politti.
Note that this is the (best) version from the NME C-81 cassette.

Girlz With Gunz # 4