Friday 4 February 2011

Arcade Fire 'not good people'

A director who made Arcade Fire's 2008 documentary has launched a scathing attack on the band, insisting the rockers are "not good people" and branding their managers "disgusting" and "awful".
Filmmaker Vincent Moon spent time with the Canadian group, fronted by Win Butler, while working on their behind-the-scenes movie Miroir Noir, which documented the making of their 2007 album Neon Bible and a tour, and he has now spoken out about his experiences on set.
Moon has criticized the musicians and the way they conduct their business, and he reserves particularly harsh words for the band's representatives.
He tells Eye Weekly, "They're not good people, that's it. And I don't mean the whole band - I mean the leaders of the band and their management.
"What I hate about the band now is that people call them an indie band and they're not an indie band, they are a mainstream band... The way they deal with their business is really disgusting for me. The way they deal with things is awful.
"Their management are awful, awful people, and I know what I'm talking about. I have some really terrible stories with them."
@'Toronto Sun'

19 Year Old Teenager Makes Homemade Solar Death Ray

eric jacqmain, solar death ray, homemade solar ray, solar ray, solar death ray, diy, do it yourself, teenager makes solar death ray, solar ray, green design, eco design

Concentrated solar power has the potential to generate immense amounts of energy — but it can also be amazingly destructive. American student Eric Jacqmain has assembled over 5,800 mirrors into his own parabolic ‘solar Death Ray’, which can reportedly melt through metal and concrete.

@'Inhabitat'

Manic Street Preachers - Miners' Institute, Blackwood, Wales, 27th January 2011

Excellent digital radio broadcast made when the Manic Street Preachers returned to perform in their home town of Blackwood, Wales for the first time in over 25 years. The set includes songs from 2010's "Postcards From a Young Man" album as well as songs from throughout their career.

01 Motorcycle Emptiness
02 Your Love Alone is Not Enough
03 Slash 'n' Burn
04 (It's Not War) Just the End of Love
05 Suicide Alley
06 My Little Empire
07 Faster
08 You Stole the Sun From My Heart
09 Postcards From a Young Man
10 If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
11 You Love Us
12 Some Kind of Nothingness
13 Motown Junk
14 A Design For Life
15 Suicide is Painless
16 Enola Alone
17 Masses Against the Classes
Download
@'Big Box of Tapes'

Maria Schneider RIP

How a Remote Town in Romania Has Become Cybercrime Central

Uncool Britannia: how British culture turned Tory

Conroy Not Fooling Anyone On An Open Internet

Quietus Mix 10: Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite

@'The Quietus'

Faust - Something Dirty (Albumstream)

1. Tell the Bitch to Go Home
2. Herbststimmung
3. Thoughts of the Dead
4. Lost the Signal
5. Je Bouffe
6. Whet
7. Invisible Mending
8. Dampfauslass I
9. Dampfauslass II
10. Pythagoras
11. Save the Last One
12. La Sole Dorée

The saga continues on 2011's Something Dirty, the fourth offering from the Jean-Hervé Péron and Zappi Diermaier version of Faust. (The other group using the name contains original member Hans Joachim Irmler.) As is typical of this unit, there are lineup changes. 2009's C'es Com ... Com ... Compliqué -- recorded in 2007 -- contained Amaury Cambuzat (a member since 1999) who left shortly thereafter. This new lineup features guitarist James Johnston, founder of the brutish British blues-rockers Gallon Drunk, and the English painter, filmmaker, author, and musician Geraldine Swayne on keyboards. Following the footsteps of C'es Com ... Com ... Compliqué, Something Dirty underscores Faust's reputation as a never-say-die band of avant-rock provocateurs. The sounds are basic, often repetitive, anchored by Diermaier's primitive, tribalistic drumming (heavy with tom-toms and kick drums), and Péron's single- and double-note bassing in the rhythm section; Johnston and Swayne are left to color the sound texturally with everything from noise and feedback to full-on chordal riffs to open, ringing drones: check the opener "Tell the Bitch to Go Home" (with a bassline straight from Joy Division's "Shadowplay") and the title track for ample evidence. Things get more abstract on the beautiful, haunted "Herbstimmung," with shimmering racket and distorted slide guitar. They move toward pure art terrorism on the tense, skeletal ambience that decorates the poetry of Péron and Swayne on "Thoughts of the Dead," and the subdued, elegiac darkness in the set's longest number "Lost the Signal," sung airily by Swayne: comparisons to the Velvet Underground with Nico are inevitable. The two-part "Dampfauslass," feels utterly improvised but its atmospherics are tempered by the raucous, primitive rock on "Pythagoras." The album closes with "La Sole Dorée." It commences as a sparsely decorated ballad but gains in tempo, density, and intensity with Swayne doing her best Patti Smith spoken word on the lyric. It shifts into high gear becoming a primal tidal wave of hypnotic rockist squall and stops suddenly, leaving the listener in stunned silence. Something Dirty is a powerful recording; let's hope this version of Faust remains together awhile: their collective focus is sharp and their execution nearly flawless even at their most delightfully excessive. (Thom Jurek - allmusic; 4/5)

ALBUMSTREAM

Thursday 3 February 2011

H.P. Lovecraft - Fear of the Unknown (Documentary)

The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is Fear of the Unknown.
“H.P. Lovecraft was the forefather of modern horror fiction having inspired such writers as Stephen King, Robert Bloch and Neil Gaiman. The influence of his Cthulhu mythos can be seen in film (Re-animator, Hellboy, and Alien), games (The Call of Cthulhu role playing enterprise), music (Metallica, Iron Maiden) and pop culture in general.
But what led an Old World, xenophobic gentleman to create one of literature’s most far-reaching mythologies? What attracts even the minds of the 21st century to these stories of unspeakable abominations and cosmic gods?

LOVECRAFT: FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN is a chronicle of the life, work and mind that created these weird tales as told by many of today’s luminaries of dark fantasy including John Carpenter (The Thing), Guillermo Del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth), Neil Gaiman (Coraline), Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator), Caitlin Kiernan (“Daughter of Hounds”) and Peter Straub (“Ghost Story”).”

Watch more free documentaries

direct link for the entire film

via

Cairo’s Band of Geeks Survives Tahrir Square Assault

With Eyes Red from Rage

blakehounshell Blake Hounshell

NileTV ticker: "Obama hails Mubarak's speech to the nation... Obama praises Egypt's youth and army... EU praises Mubarak...

Julian Assange and the journalism defence

Bodies being dragged away. #Egypt #Jan25 why is the US still supporting Mubarak!?!
Via

wikileaks WikiLeaks

Huge WikiLeaks rally in Melbourne Fri, 6pm, Fed Square. Be there! http://is.gd/HkX5s2

Translation: Youth of Egypt, beware rumors and listen to the sound of reason – Egypt is above all so preserve it

Translation: The Armed Forces asks Egypt’s honest and loyal men to confront the traitors and criminals and protect our people and honor and our precious Egypt

Pro-Mubarak text messages from Egypt; who sent them?

ioerror Jacob Appelbaum

Dear America - Heavy machine gun fire in Egypt! Call White House Press Office now and demand change from Obama! 202-456-1414

DavidCornDC David Corn

How can USG maintain any relationship with Mubarak regime after this? Tremendous implications re Camp David and Mideast peace. #Egypt #jan25

#25jan #egypt

حد افراد القوات المسلحة يبكي امام احد المتظاهرين بعد ان هاجمهم بلطجية مبارك لما جاء الشاب وقبل قدميه ليحميهم من البلطجية ولكنه بكى لعدم تمكنه من حمايتهم ونزل على اقدام المتظاهر وقبلها #Jan25

GregMitch Greg Mitchell

Well, until just now, I'd never seen on live TV a human hit with a molotov cocktail and set on fire.

Via

bencnn benwedeman

Report from CNN's Tommy Evans says #Tahrir Sq. is full of wounded. #Egypt #Jan25

No additivies

#jan25 #egypt

REUTERSFLASH ReutersBreakingNews

Pesident Hsni Mubarak supporters open fire at demonstrators in Cairo's Tahrir square, seven wounded - witness

Via

Noam Chomsky: “This is the Most Remarkable Regional Uprising that I Can Remember”

@'Democracy Now'

End of the White Stripes

It's the news we thought was coming but had hoped not to hear. On his official band website today Jack White announced that the White Stripes have "officially ended and will make no further new recordings or perform live". Given how prolific White has been with other artists, it seems of late that he has preferred to record as one quarter of The Dead Weather, working with Wanda Jackson or team up with Danger Mouse rather than record with Meg.

White was keen to point out that the reasons are not "artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any health issues". They want instead not to dilute the product but "preserve what is beautiful and special about the band and have it stay that way". Third Man Records will continue to put out live recordings from their online subscription service The Vault.
It remains to be seen what happens next. One suspects Meg won't speak out about her time in the band - perhaps she may revisit her role as a Marc Jacobs model. As for White, we still can't wait to hear what he's working on next - maybe the Jay-Z recordings will finally see the light of day? Because there is a man who knows all about coming back from retirement...
@'GQ'

Richard Thompson - Tiny Desk Concert 2/1/11

Set List
"The Money Shuffle"
"Stumble On"
"Demons In Her Dancing Shoes"

Richard Thompson is the creative force at the heart of some of my all-time favorite records. I loved his electric-guitar playing on Fairport Convention's 1969 classic Unhalfbricking — it's a treasure of an album. But it was his solo record Henry the Human Fly and later his partnership with Linda Thompson when he shined brightest. His powerfully sad and expressive songwriting and fierce guitar playing are what hooked me. His music had the drone of Scottish music and the electricity of Neil Young.
Thompson recently released his 20th solo album, Dream Attic, which he recorded before an audience — a bold thing to do. You can hear me mention that to a packed office in this Tiny Desk Concert. When I mentioned how brave it was to do such a thing, Thompson quipped back, "And this isn't brave?" Thompson's music is infused with that sort of shrewd, hard-biting wit. You can hear it in "The Money Shuffle," here dedicated "to our good friends on Wall Street:"
"I love kittens and little babies," he sings. "Can't you see that's the guy I am / And your money is so safe with me / You never met such an honest man."
Whether he's dispensing an honest take on politics or on love, Thompson's heartfelt voice and that guitar have made him a vital artist with a songwriting future to go with his treasure trove of music from his past.
(Bob Boilen - npr)

AUDIO DOWNLOAD

Floating Points - Future Soul from Sun Ra to Madlib

Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points has been shaking the electronic music world for two years now, through a string of releases on his own label Eglo as well as Planet Mu and R2, and remixes for the likes of Shawn Lee, Sébastien Tellier, Bonobo, Basement Jaxx or Four Tet... His smooth, dusty, soulful House sound, his techno-disco-boogie bubblism are rather Detroit-flavoured, while his samples are craftily cut into heavy bumping crunch-beats, paying respect to the lineage from Sun Ra to Madlib and onwards. He's still a twentysomething, but has already stepped out of the DJ action, recording and mixing his full Floating Points Ensemble 16-piece group at the legendary Abbey Road Studios for the Ninja Tune XX twentieth anniversary celebration. This is future soul at the edge of modern British music!

Tracklisting :
01. Bei & Shawn Lee - Make Me Stronger (feat. Georgia Anne Muldrow) (Floating Points Remix)
(from 'Beauty & The Beats' 10 inch, 2009 / Ubiquity)
02. Floating Points Ensemble - Post Suite
(from 'Post Suite' 10 inch, 2011 / Ninja Tune)
03. Floating Points - For You
(from 'For You' 7 inch, 2009 / Eglo)
04. Floating Points - Love Me Like This (Nonsense Dub)
(from 'Love Me Like This' 12 inch, 2009 / R2)
05. Floating Points - People's Potential
(from 'People's Potential' single, 2010 / Eglo)
06. Floating Points - Esthian III
(from 'Mary Anne Hobbs presents Wild Angels' compilation, 2009 / Planet Mu)
07. Floating Points - Vacuum Boogie
(from 'Vacuum EP' single, 2009 / Eglo)
08. Four Tet - Sing (Floating Points Remix)
(from 'Sing' 12 inch, 2010 / Domino)
09. Floating Points - K & G Beat
(from 'J & W Beat' 12 inch, 2009 / Planet Mu)

DOWNLOAD

Oasis - There and Then (1995)

01 - Program Start 02 - Swamp Song 03 - Acquiesce 04 - Supersonic 05 - Hello 06 - Some Might Say 07 - Roll With It 08 - Morning Glory 09 - Round Are Way 10 - Cigarettes & Alcohol 11 - Champagne Supernova

12 - Cast No Shadow 13 - Wonderwall 14 - The Masterplan 15 - Don't Look Back In Anger 16 - Live Forever 17 - I Am The Walrus 18 - Cum On Feel The Noize

Oasis played its first London concert in November 1993 at a modest club, the Powerhaus. In late 1995, the group returned to the capital, performing two nights at Earls Court before 60,000 fans. Intercut with interviews and featuring 17 tracks -- primarily from Definitely Maybe and (What's the Story) Morning Glory? -- There and Then compiles footage from those 1995 shows, as well as performances taped in 1996 at one of Oasis' two huge concerts at Maine Road in Manchester. The latter were particularly significant, marking Oasis' triumphant homecoming after relentless touring (including five visits to America in just over a year). The Maine Road performances of "Acquiesce" and massive sing-alongs like "Some Might Say" give viewers a vivid sense of the historical moment when Oasis was at the height of its powers and had conquered the music world. The Earls Court material is no less compelling, from Noel Gallagher's solo acoustic rendering of "Morning Glory" to the full-band version of "Champagne Supernova." "If you want a circus, go to the circus. I can't jump about when I'm trying to sing songs," Liam Gallagher once said in response to criticism of Oasis' low-key stage presence. But a curious paradox foregrounded by this video is the band's ability to be electrifying while apparently doing very little. Still, the Earls Court section includes some brilliant showmanship. Despite the Gallaghers' claims to being bigger than the Beatles, they share the stage with that group -- in a manner of speaking at least -- as they're joined by legendary Fab Four imitators the Bootleg Beatles (in Sgt. Pepper regalia) for a rousing rendition of "I Am the Walrus." There and Then captures Oasis in all its swaggering, anthemic glory, living up to the hype and justifying every ounce of the band's storied arrogance. (Wilson Neate - allmusic)