Glenn Kotche

What can I say about this guy? If you have heard Wilco or seen them live you will know how good he is. Here is 'Mobile parts 1 - 3' from his solo album of the same name. As a bonus there is also a version of 'Spiders (Kidsmoke)' by Wilco recorded live at 'The Palace' here in Melbourne on the 26th of March this year.
Glenn has also worked with the Kronos Quartet and details of their collaboration can be found here.
Here is an article by Glenn Kotche on Steve Reich's 'Clapping Music'

Spiritualized

Spiritualized will be playing at the Hi-Fi Bar on January 8, 2009.

2009 Laneway Festival lineup

Bit disappointed with this line up though hopefully Four Tet will be doing a sideshow.

John Cleese says "Michael Palin no longer the funniest Palin."

The Grateful Dead / Lille Fairgrounds - France / 13th May 1972

You can get 'Trucking' - 'Drums' - 'The Other One' - 'He's Gone' (SBD) from the gig here.

More photos and other info can be found here.

Bruce Springsteen said...

"Hello Philly,

I am glad to be here today for this voter registration drive and for Barack Obama, the next president of the United States.

I've spent 35 years writing about America, its people, and the meaning of the American Promise. The Promise that was handed down to us, right here in this city from our founding fathers, with one instruction: Do your best to make these things real: opportunity, equality, social and economic justice, a fair shake for all of our citizens, the American idea, as a positive influence, around the world for a more just and peaceful existence. These are the things that give our lives hope, shape, and meaning. They are the ties that bind us together and give us faith in our contract with one another.

I've spent most of my creative life measuring the distance between that American promise and American reality. For many Americans, who are today losing their jobs, their homes, seeing their retirement funds disappear, who have no healthcare, or who have been abandoned in our inner cities, the distance between that promise and that reality has never been greater or more painful.

I believe Senator Obama has taken the measure of that distance in his own life and in his work. I believe he understands, in his heart, the cost of that distance, in blood and suffering, in the lives of everyday Americans. I believe as president, he would work to restore that promise to so many of our fellow citizens who have justifiably lost faith in its meaning. After the disastrous administration of the past 8 years, we need someone to lead us in an American reclamation project. In my job, I travel the world, and occasionally play big stadiums, just like Senator Obama. I've continued to find, wherever I go, America remains a repository of people's hopes, possibilities, and desires, and that despite the terrible erosion to our standing around the world, accomplished by our recent administration, we remain, for many, a house of dreams. One thousand George Bushes and one thousand Dick Cheneys will never be able to tear that house down.

They will, however, be leaving office, dropping the national tragedies of Katrina, Iraq, and our financial crisis in our laps. Our sacred house of dreams has been abused, looted, and left in a terrible state of disrepair. It needs care; it needs saving, it needs defending against those who would sell it down the river for power or a quick buck. It needs strong arms, hearts, and minds. It needs someone with Senator Obama's understanding, temperateness, deliberativeness, maturity, compassion, toughness, and faith, to help us rebuild our house once again. But most importantly, it needs us. You and me. To build that house with the generosity that is at the heart of the American spirit. A house that is truer and big enough to contain the hopes and dreams of all of our fellow citizens. That is where our future lies. We will rise or fall as a people by our ability to accomplish this task. Now I don't know about you, but I want that dream back, I want my America back, I want my country back.

So now is the time to stand with Barack Obama and Joe Biden, roll up our sleeves, and come on up for the rising."

(October 4)

John Martyn

Photograph by Mark McNulty.

One man, one guitar, an echoplex and some fx.
Sounds like nothing and nobody else.
If you haven't heard John Martyn before get this.
Two tracks recorded live in Milan in 1979 ('I'd Rather Be The Devil' & 'Small Hours') with the added bonus of his version of Portishead's 'Glory Box.
Absolutely superb.
There is a 'New York Times' review here of his gig last week in NY and below is footage of Danny Thompson and him performing 'Solid Air' - a song that was written about Nick Drake.

Tweedy & Obama

Jeff Tweedy says

"I think that there are a lot of reasons to be involved with this campaign. It almost feels to me like a last chance to start getting things right and to start putting things on the right path towards having not only a country that reminds me of the one I feel like I grew up in, but having a country that reminds me of the one that I felt like we used to aspire to when I was growing up. This is the first time in my life that a politician has really re-awoken that spirit in people."

(Jeff Tweedy)

Poster by Morning Breath.

How I wish I was going to this

MOM (R.I.P.)

I'm Voting for Obama...

...because Sarah Palin shot my mom!

Captain Beefheart

Photographs by Anton Corbijn.

This will get you the audio and video for 'Ice Cream For Crow'.

Flip flop...

Mahler, toupee and gun in the 70's.

POTSDAM, Germany (AP) — A founder member of a left-wing terrorist group turned neo-Nazi went on trial in Germany Wednesday accused of publishing documents on the Internet denying the Holocaust.

Horst Mahler, a founding member of the Red Army Faction in 1970, is accused of regularly posting documents online between 2001 and 2004.

Denial of the Nazi Holocaust is a crime in Germany. Mahler has been charged with incitement and faces up to five years in prison if convicted.

The Potsdam state court trial is the latest case against the 72-year-old attorney, who was sentenced to 11 months in prison in July last year for giving the stiff-armed Nazi salute when he reported to prison after a conviction in a separate case.

In addition to several neo-Nazi related convictions, a court in Mainz in 2003 found Mahler guilty of condoning a crime for saying the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States were justified and fined him several thousand euros (dollars).

He was also convicted in the mid-1970s for RAF related activities — including several bank robberies and for helping notorious terrorist Andreas Baader, another founding member of the group, to escape from jail.

He was sentenced to 14 years in prison but was released in 1980 after he made several public statements condemning terrorism and Red Army Faction methods.

Mahler then joined the far-right National Democratic Party, from 2000 to 2003, and acted as its attorney. The Potsdam trial is expected to last until at least mid-November.

Liar liar pants on fire...

Liar Liar, Pants on Fire: John McCain Lies 270% More than Obama According to Political Fact Checkers.

Senator John McCain may be trying to sell himself as a "maverick" and a "straight talker" who will tell the truth no matter the consequences, but independent, non-partisan watchdog groups aren't buying it.

In the last two weeks, the McCain campaign, through advertisements, television appearances, and surrogates have changed their tone and language by calling into question Senator Barack Obama's character. The McCain campaign is attempting to cast a shadow on Obama's honesty. They have called Obama a "liar," stating that he simply "isn't honest," and that many of Senator Obama's statements have been debunked by fact checking organizations.

While there is some truth that fact checking organizations have found that Senator Obama has made claims that are false, the McCain campaign is entering dangerous territory, as they are allowing a conversation to begin on how often Senator McCain lies. As it stands, an analysis of non-partisan fact checking organization reports show that statements by Barack Obama are more likely to be true versus statements by John McCain.

PolitiFact, a non-partisan organization ran by the St. Petersburg Times and the Congressional Quarterly tracks major claims and comments made by candidates at campaign events, in advertisements, during debates, and in other forms of media. Since August 1, 2008, PolitiFact has researched and made findings on 42 statements by Barack Obama and 45 statements by John McCain.

PolitiFact rates statements as True, Mostly True, Half True, Barely True, False, or PANTS ON FIRE. Out of the 45 major claims made by John McCain since August 1, 2008, they have found that only 19 have been True, Mostly True, or even Half True; leaving 26 statements to be Barely True, False, or Pants on Fire. On the contrary, they found that out of the 42 major claims made by Barack Obama, 33 have been True, Mostly True, or Half True, and only 9 have been Barely True, False, or Pants on Fire.

The figures above indicate that while Senator Obama typically makes false statements one out of every five times (21.4%), Senator McCain makes false statements almost three out of every five times (57.8%). This means that John McCain is more likely to make a claim that would be considered a "LIE" about 270% more often than Senator Obama.

What is even more troubling, is that when the statements are tracked from the beginning of the presidential campaign, Senator McCain was also 600% more likely to make a "PANTS ON FIRE" claim, which is the worse kind of lie, one that ignores any truth or fact altogether.

The McCain campaign ends most of their ads by asking a question, "Is Barack Obama Ready to Lead?" and they answer by simply stating..."NO!" The better question should be "Is John McCain Ready to Start Being Honest?" While only John McCain can answer that question, one thing seems to be convincing based on the evidence, John McCain would rather lose his integrity than lose an election.

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-108848