Crosby & Nash- Traction In The Rain

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Crosby and Nash have a real bond here, they're best friends. I think that being in a band should be about being with your friends, your best friends. Sometimes this doesn't really work out and they become just working relationships, you talk to the person in the office but you wouldn't jump a train for them.

"Nash has been a foundation in my life. A good example and a good friend, he loved me through some very tough stuff. He was a rock for me while I was addicted to junk; every time I disappointed him or let him down he stayed my friend. "
David Crosby



This video is from a performance David and Graham did for the BBC, all of it is on youtube but this song "Traction in the Rain" from David Crosby's first solo album the rubbishly titled "...If I Could Only Remember My Name" is beautiful and a particular highlight of the performances. Graham seems astounded by the song and Crosby's talent, he's in love with the man and to see that in a music performance is quite special.

Introducing: Fontän

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I know little of Fontän than they're from Gothernburg, Sweden. A delight to accidently stumble upon they have a little Can about them, they're a bit Electronic Psych Prog, with a guitar that travels like the good bit in a road movie where they're leading a chase in the desert.
They did a mix for Metronomy which makes them sound like 70s Krautrock, this is a great thing.

Fontan- Early Morning
Metronomy- A Thing For Me (Fontan Remix)

You Say "Peaceful". I Say "Waiting to Pounce"

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There is a fancy dress costume shop on my street, I walk by this most pointless of shops (make a costume dullard) daily. So I'm greeted with their window display which is updated/refreshed for the changing of the seasons. For Halloween you could be some bint from the Hellraiser movies who has her chest exposed, but overly exposed to reveal pathetic latex gore.
Christmas you could be a snowman or that thing off Nightmare Before Christmas. The only holiday I can think coming up is easter, or valentines day but I choose to wear a poncho made of tissues of my own emotional juices.
Whatever the ocassion they're plotting, between Superwoman and Lara Croft stands a jolly, fat, gold, bald man with dangly earlobes... it's Buddha Bu-to-tha-mother-fucking-ddha. Fuck the fact you're redundant, your girlfriend is now with your employed friend (he may work at Tesco but he's bringing home some reduced bacon- he works till finish on monday), and that romantic hot air balloon ride is going to be quite the suicidal temptation.
What do you do? Sell the balloon ride for the knock down price of £85 and you go up to Escapade in Chalk Farm Road and you treat yourself, and you say to the attendant, "give me the shinniest, goldest, baldest, dangly earlobest and jolliest Buddha costume my precious money can buy. Because if I don't... if I don't... then I'll forever remain a pathetic piece of a man".

As a final thought...
I think Escapade are quite lucky and shit that Buddhist's are peaceful and stuff. Cos like if you 'ad like that elephant man with all the arms, like there'd be a right farking uproar mate, probably bomb the place or some shit, mate they're fucking sick and not sick like polio or like "sick trainers", like mentally.

I'll put some music up tomorrow. You like that? Yes. Would you like a pink wafer? Wouldn't we all! kids are fucking starving, got a fucking recession going on and all you can think about is pink wafers.

Just In Case You'd Forgotten How Ace Sebastien Tellier Is...

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I've decided to remind you so. Sexuality Was for me one of the most definitive albums of 2008 and a constant in my archaic 3-disk-changer stereo all year. He provided one of the televisual highlights of the year also in his incredible performance at last years Eurovision Song Contest.




The Thrills- Not For All the Love In The World (Seb Tellier Remix)
Principles of Geometry- A Mountain for President
Tellier & Oizo & Sebastian- Itea
Sebastien Tellier- Divine (Midnight Juggernauts Remix)

Phoenix are great but...Modern Day Nazi Propaganda is Jonas Brothers on Youtube

Tweet Those talentless cunts have 52 million and rising hits for their new video. I watched it and I'm mearly a spectre on their hit count. They have a little skit at the beginning, which is the most humourless thing I may have witnessed in my life.

Their new tune has a kind of 0.5% Phoenix thing going on. They (phoenix) make perfecto pop, and are quite possibly the best band around at the moment (if that can even be determined?).

They have recently revealed that the new album is gonna be called "Wolfgang Amadeus"! Baby that is setting yourself up! Possibly the most arrogant album title I've ever heard, will the follow up to this be called "Elvis"? Or will they release art work entitle "Picasso"? I like the arrogance of it and there is a sneaky little preview of what to expect here www.wearephoenix.com. It's but a wee lick of the tip but it's got me excited.




Phoenix- Twenty One One Zero

Introducing; Zola Jesus

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Zola Jesus has been plunked in the "No Wave" box, although I like the bands (No Age, Wavves, Crystal Stilts etc) in the box I hate the label proverbiably Dyno'd at the front. Zola Jesus can sonically align themselves alongside the wonderful U.S. Girls. The songs wrap you up in a lo-fi blanket and have a haunting beauty that makes me wish Nika the voice and brains of Zola Jesus was joining me in the blanket.
Enjoy the MP3's below especially the Jefferson Airplane cover which is fantastic.

Zola Jesus- The Way
Zola Jesus- Rester
Zola Jesus (feat Dead Luke)- Somebody to Love

Zola Jesus @ Myspace

Man, that Commodore 64 Had Some Banging Tunes

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And here is something for those who find holding a C64 and monitor on the tube a little inconvenient.

Kavinsky- Testarossa Autodrive

What? It's been 2009 for nearly a fortnight and I haven't blogged? So that was a coma?

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I know many of you (what's that 3? Hello, Matt Burton) have been eating your nails down to the cuticles to find out what I thought was decent in '08?
I think as a bloggers rule I'm late on having the right to a best of '08 list, but a loop hole suggests I may be able to be a bit nostalgic like a T4 presenter from 2002 recalls how things were never the same when things went from sand blasted bootcut jeans to today's skinny ankle fuckers.

So in brief I thought these were excellent albums in 2008:

Earth- The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull
M83- Saturdays= Youth
Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve- Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve Ark
Dungen- 4
Dennis Wilson- Pacific Ocean Blue (technically released over 30 years ago, but it finally got the re-release and re-evaluation it deserved in 2008, so it counts for me)

2009 feels good to me, I'm working on a couple of mixes which I hope will make up (aside from the now redundant for 11 months Xmas Mix) for a lack of new mixes. I've got a mountain of music still to get through and as wealthy in free time as I am, I can still never manage to cram in enough time for everything.

For now I will leave you with a few tunes for your considerations. And the promise of more regular posting (thought that'd put a smile on your face Matthew).

School of Seven Bells- Wired For Light

The Emperor Machine- Roller Daddy

The Mahavishnu Orchestra with John McLaughlin- Awakening