silence is a rhythm too

Sunday 8/24
Thanks to my mate Shifty for the heads up - the link to the Kraftwerk mp3 is now working. Two bonehead days in a row - must be the stinky, funky heat outside getting to my brain.

This week sees the release of Radio 4's new EP Electrify on new label Astralwerks. It features remixes by The DFA, The Faint and Playgroup, and a new version of Dance To The Underground. Sounds pretty tasty! Also out on Astralwerks this week is the Terry Hall & Mushtaq album The Hour Of Two Lights. If you didn't already know, Terry used to be the singer in The Specials and Fun Boy Three, and Mushtaq was part of Fun-Da-Mental - the album has been licensed from UK label Honest Jon's. Click on the link and listen to a few tunes...they sounded pretty cool to me.


Saturday 8/23
A boring day at silence is a rhythm too today, that left me little time to get anything together. I did change the link below from "Julio" to the correct "Enrique" - as always, thanks to Paul for his proofing efforts. What a bonehead I can be. I guess I'm just more comfortable with his Dad - I lived in Latin America in the mid to late '70's, and he was absolutely huge, so I heard a lot of his music long before his big hit (in the UK) Begin The Beguine or his duet with Willie Nelson. I wouldn't say I like the music, but his name just rolls off my tongue a lot easier. And Enrique is just yuck.

Tomorrow night is An evening with silence is a rhythm too at The Chatterbox - voted best bar in the Twin Cities in 2003 by the readers of The City Pages. Come on down and have a drink or some food while I rock the joint.


Friday 8/22
Enrique Iglesias had his mole removed. Ha ha ha - Jimmy Fallon's mockery of him on last year's VMAs must have hit too hard...

British rockers Placebo are one of those bands that I don't really know a lot about, and am not sure if I really like. They are going to be re-releasing their album Sleeping With Ghosts in the UK, and the added bonus - there always is one! - is a disc of cover tunes...here are the tracks;

Kate Bush - 'Running Up That Hill'

The Pixies - 'Where Is My Mind?'

The Smiths - 'Bigmouth Strikes Again'

Robert Palmer - 'Johnny and Mary'

T-Rex - '20th Century Boy'

Serge Gainsbourg - 'The Ballad of Melody Nelson'

Big Star - 'Holocaust'

Depeche Mode - 'I Feel You'

Boney M - 'Daddy Cool'

Sinead O'Connor- 'Jackie'

Based on the facts that some of those are some of my personal faves, I have to admit that I'm very interested in hearing this stuff - just to hear that Robert Palmer track alone!


Thursday 8/21
A few weeks ago I wrote a bit about Soulwax - their bitchin' DJ Shadow remix - and I wondered if they were ever going to get around to recording a new album. Well, the Dewaele brothers are on the cover of August's Jockey Slut, with an accompanying interview inside. Most of it is related to their 2 Many DJs alter egos, but they do mention that they are in the studios now, recording with British studio master Flood. Dude knows how to make a record sound good, the band rocks, and I can't wait to hear it!

Joe Strummer's last solo album is out next month, and one of the tracks on it is his version of the classic Bob Marley tune Redemption Song. According to producer Rick Rubin there is another version, recorded as a duet with Johnny Cash. This version is likely to appear on a Cash boxset that is being put together. A great song and a couple of great singers - I look forward to hearing it!

But first let me get all tanked up on some Pimp Juice. Yes, rapper Nelly apparently has entered the popular drink market (following the lead of Ice-T and Russell Simmons). What a freaking hysterical name for an energy drink - it's bright green, has herb du jour guarana in it, and mixes very well with vodka. Get your pimp on...


Wednesday 8/20
New mp3s today... two tracks from the most excellent Steve Burns disc (to help you see that it is as cool as I've made it out to be!) - feel the geeky love. Kraftwerk's Aero Dynamik is from their brand spanking new LP, and sounds like, well, Kraftwerk. Finally, King Of The Wild Frontier brings us the pretty sick cover of the Bee Gees chestnut Night Fever. It took me a couple of listens to get it, but now all I can say is it's fab! No vocals, just bad '80's synth funk that's oh-so-good.


Tuesday 8/19
Last May I commented on Scott Weiland's latest arrest. He's been sentenced to 3 years probation. Let's hope he can keep his shit together. Also from Billboard is this item about the recording sessions for the new Weezer album, slated for release next year sometime. Apparently Rivers is digging deep and getting more personal than ever. Look for a DVD from the band in December, and an expanded reissue of their debut, "The Blue Album".


Monday 8/18
Tomorrow is a big day for new releases, with new albums from Guided By Voices, Dandy Warhols, Kraftwerk, Spearhead, Neil Young, Papas Fritas and The Neptunes / Star Trak compilation Clones. As always, happy shopping - I know it will be for me!

Spiritualized are touring the US through October and November. No Twin Citites date is on the list . Boo. Speaking of rock 'n' roll tours, last week's blackouts had a big effect on a whole bunch of shows, including Steely Dan, Radiohead, and the Kiss / Aerosmith tour. Another intersting story today is that Kate Moss is pole dancing in the new White Stripes video. I suppose she needs to make some dough somehow...


Saturday 8/16
As regular readers will know, I have a three and a half year old daughter. As a result, I've been exposed to more kinds of kid's programming than you can shake a stick at. One of her favorite shows is Blues Clues. Up until last summer, the host of the show was STEVE BURNS, a liikeable-but-definitely-dorky dude. Sure, it's only acting, but he was a total goon. Anyway, last summer he left Blue's Clues "to go to college", and his younger brother Joe took over as the new "total goon on the block". Here's what really happened to Steve...he heard a copy of The Soft Bulletin and took off on a mission to meet The Flaming Lips. He apparently just showed up and said something along the lines of "I wanna hang with you guys", and now a year later we have an album called Songs For Dustmites, aided and abetted by whiz producer David Fridmann and multi talented instrumentalist Steven Drozd from the Lips. I've played it twice and have to say that I really like it. It's very much influenced by the whole scene of bands that his co-horts are part of, especially the Lips circa Soft Bulletin. There are some pretty rocking tunes (where Steve plays guitar - not bad either), some nice mellow ballads and a fair amount of electronic experimentation. His voice makes the transition from cheesy kids stuff to a more grown up sound very well, and ultimately I'm impressed. His dorky demeanor somehow makes the music more endearing. My daughter has already spent a couple of hours staring at Steve's mug on the cover, and I think she's going to like the music too. Look for him on tour with the Starlight Mints this month.


Friday 8/15
Mark your calendars (if you live in the Twin Cities area) - HOT HOT HEAT are coming to town October 2 at The Quest nightclub, with French Kicks. I'm there!

Blender magazine has made a list of the top 50 worst rock 'n' roll stars. Some of those making the list include The Doors, David Bowie's Tin Machine, Rick Wakeman, Kenny G, Michael Bolton (duh),Celine Dion, Spin Doctors and Mike + The Mechanics. And the number one slot goes to... The Insane Clown Posse. Sounds like a no brainer to me.


Thursday 8/14
Today's goofy music thread courtesy of I Love Music is this one...Coldplay or Yoplait?.

Damon Albarn solo album? Apparently he recorded it on a 4 track while touring the US in July, and says it's very lo-fi, non-commercial, and "American sounding". He says it may never get a release - he should put it out himself on his own Honest Jon's Records.

I am so completely geeked up by the Let's Active reissue that I absolutely must give you a bonus mp3 from it today...Every Word Means No is an insanely catchy and rocking tune. You'll be singing along in no time!


Wednesday 8/13
Kish Kash is the name of the Basement Jaxx album due in late October on Astralwerks. These guys make dance music fun, and the list of guest vocalists on this new one has me pretty excited - Siouxsie Sioux, Dizzee Rascal, Meshell Ndegeocello and JC Chasez (!). Can't wait to hear the Siouxsie track!

Also good news is the return of Greg Dulli's Twilight Singers, with a new album out in October called Blackberry Belle.

The US version of the UK music award The Mercury Prize is the Shortlist Award. Now in it's 3rd year, this year's nominees are in, and a bunch of my faves are nominated...Interpol, Blur, The Libertines and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are among the nominees, along with Radiohead, Mars Volta, Turin Brakes, The Coral, and The Streets. The list totals 86 right now, and will be whittled down to 10.

New mp3s today...Super Furry Animals' track is a electro-rock mash up, and a big tune. The Junior Senior is one of the more "disco" tracks on their album -cheesy, trashy good fun. The Earlimart flat out rocks, and so does the Let's Active -albeit in a more downtempo way. Enjoy!

Welcome back to Paul, formerly The Rub, now with a new and improved format and a new name - God's Audio/Visual Aid .


Tuesday 8/12
One of the great underated bands of the early '80's indie rock scene is also one of my faves from that era. I'm talking about LET'S ACTIVE, and the genius behind them, Mitch Easter. Best known for producing REM, he and his band put out three great albums and one six track EP. Psychedelic, trippy pop that has a weird edge to it is what it is, and Mitch's guitar playing on it is fab. The band's early output is more light hearted sounding - you can hear some definite similarities to REM- and they get progressively harder rocking - the last album Every Dog Has It's Day. I've got all of the stuff on vinyl, and have been wondering if any of it would be reissued, so imagine my glee when I discovered that the EP and first album (Cypress / Afoot) had been packaged together with two bonus cuts, and that it was released today. I was at the record store at 11:30 this morning to ensure I got a copy - what a geek, eh?. What an absolute joy to hear this stuff again. Songs like Every Word Means No, Crows On A Phone Line and Blue Line sound tracked a big part of my mid to late '80's, and the disc sounds great - tho' it could have been pressed a little louder! Here's hoping that they follow this with the absolutely essential Big Plans For Everybody - one of the great lost albums of the late '80's. And I ain't kidding ya'.

I've been having fun checking out a couple of culture jamming websites today, the Evolution Control Committee and their friends in Negativland. Some hysterically funny stuff, ripping both politics and popular music. Hours of good clean subversive fun.


Monday 8/11
I'm a big fan of the !!! single that came out this year, so I was psyched to see that the band are going into the studio to record their debut new album. Due in early 2004, they are hoping to get Trevor Jackson involved as a collaborator. Now that sounds like a good idea to me.

One of the best ways to kill time on the internet is the most excellent original Mini Putt game. Well, now there is a Mini Putt 2. Beware - it's addictive, and if you are at work you will never get any work done....


Sunday 8/10
I updated New Releases and The Classics today...

On Friday afternoon I made my first ever trip to Hymie's Basement, a used vinyl store that is a local institution. I've lived here since 1986, and I work about three blocks away from there, and pass it every day, so why I've never gone in is a bit of a mystery. Suffice it to say that it is a goldmine for crate diggers! They had a huge selection of jazz, rock and every thing in between. Me and my mate were in there for about 30 or 40 minutes and easily could have spent another hour or two browsing - except that it was a hot day, and the place gets toasty warm and has that musty funk to it, so we split. I spent $29 on some serious '80's stuff (see The Hitlist on the sidebar - also this week's Top Ten is inspired by the shooping trip) and was informed that since I spent over $20 I could pick 5 free albums from the dollar bin. What a deal! My freebies....

The Housemartins : London 0, Hull 4

Kid Creole & The Coconuts : Doppelganger

China Crisis : Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms

Split Enz : Waiata

Party Party soundtrack

And what makes me even happier is that teverything is in good shape. Biggest scores for me are the M album featuring fab hit Pop Muzik, the Bow Wow Wow album and the self titled LP from 70's disco sensations Odyssey, featuring the extra cool track Native New Yorker. Mmmmm, vinyl.

JUNIOR SENIOR continue to entertain me with their trashy-but-catchy take on new wave-disco-blues-garage rock-soul-techno-cheese. The record is only about a half an hour long, so it definitely won't overstay it's welcome. I know that I'll be playing a couple of tracks from it at my evening with silence is a rhythm too tonight at The Chatterbox for sure.


Friday 8/8
The latest Astralwerks e-mail update has a blurb about THe Human League tour, and published this setlist from their recent NYC shows...

Being Boiled
Sound of the Crowd
Do or Die
All I Ever Wanted
The Lebanon
Open Your Heart
(Keep Feeling) Fascination
One Man In My Heart (Susanne vocal)
Heart Like a Wheel
Love Action (I Believe in Love)
Seconds
Human
The Things That Dreams Are Made Of
Tell Me When
"Don't You Want Me?

What a freaking huge list of songs. Makes me sick that I can't see it for myself!!

I've known for a while that Massive Attack and The Dandy Warhols were doing a bit of collaboration. 3D remixed tracks for the Dandy's Godless EP a couple of years ago. Now it would appear that a full length album is in the works. I haven't heard any of the stuff they've done together so far, but I'm pretty sure I'd like it, and look forward to it's release (altho' it's not going to be out for probably a year or so).

This week's cheap disc purchase (courtesy of Target - $7.99!) is the album D-d-don't Don't Stop The Beat from JUNIOR SENIOR. This duo from Scandanavia has one mission: to make you shake your booty and laugh while you're doing it. Amid the cheap keyboards and drum machines there's some big guitar riffing and lots of talk of partys and chasing after girls (Junior) and boys (Senior). The spirit of the early B-52's is alive and well here, with the spiky riffs and wackiness. There are a few disco flavored tunes, but on the whole it's a pretty rocking affair. This is throwaway pop, and I'm sure by the end of next week I'll be over it, but for now I'm totally loving it!

Some more exciting news from NinjaTune Records..."Well this is a turn up for the books - Sesame Street is releasing a record with Ninja Tune! Just in time to celebrate the 35th anniversary of their very first show in the US, Sesame Street & Ninja Tune have teamed up to release a super rare Larry Levan remix of Cookie Monster's 'C is For Cookie' and the previously unavailable and much loved 'Pinball Number Count' by The Pointer Sisters. The first 1000 copies will be on Cookie Monster blue vinyl. Release Date? Sooooooon". My daughter is going to love this one!


Thursday 8/7
A couple of BIG tour are coming through the Twin Cities next month, starting with THE DANDY WARHOLS making an appearance at First Avenue on Tuesday September 4th. I've been caning their new album, and I've seen these guys a couple of times already, so I'm ready. It's going to be interesting to see what the new album's tunes sound like in the live arena. I imagine that it's going to be more rockin' for sure. The other show is Tuesday September 30 at the 7th Street Entry, and features headliners The Kills with opening act The Fever. Yeah, baby! That's one kick ass rock show.


Wednesday 8/6
HERE is a link to an interesting interview with LUKE VIBERT. The man has a record coming out this fall on Warp Records. I love the quirky freakiness of this guys music, and he makes for an interesting read.

The NME reports today that Krist Novoselic has given up on the music biz and is jumping into the realm of politics. Apparently he's frustrated with the biz and can't relate. Maybe if he released a record that people really wanted to hear it wouldn't be so hard! :-)

A couple more new mp3s today...Diana Ross' Upside Down is a killer tune from the deluxe edition reissue of Diana. Kenna's track is one of my faves from his strange new album, a catchy number with a bumping Neptunes beat.


Tuesday (Part 2) 8/5
Two words for you today...CAFE TACUBA. These guys have always been a blip on the edge of my personaI music radar screen that I never bothered to investigate. I recently read a good review of their new album Cuatro Caminos, and last week when I had had it in my hands (but put it back on the shelf) I noticed the cover blurb calling it a rock en espaņol Kid A. This piqued my interest, so on the lunch break shopping run today I picked it up. I promptly stuck it on the disc player at work, and from track one I was sold. This is a indie rock gem (the only thing Latin about it is the singing in Spanish), a mix of whimsy, catchy songs, and an occasional moody ballad. I found it instantly appealing. It features some production from studio whiz Dave Fridmann, who puts his usual lush touch on proceedings and reveals another rock band unafraid to play with electronics. As for influences, I hear Radiohead in some of the slower songs, as well The Flaming Lips, Simian. some XTC, and a little post-punk. I'm going to try and put up a tasty little sample for you this week...


Tuesday 8/5
Alright, two new mp3s up today...The Dandy Warhols track is a song co-written by Evan Dando, and is surely going to be a single. A nice catchy midtempo track with a dreamy chorus. The Sleepy Jackson track is my current fave track from their great record, nuff said.

New releases today from The Libertines (an EP), Killing Joke, Junior Senior, & The Neptunes Star Traks compilation. On the reissue tip, the first and third Duran Duran albums are out today too. Woo-hoo! Happy shopping....


Monday 8/4
Superfreaky soul sister MACY GRAY has a new record out called The Trouble With Being Myself. I love Macy, mostly because of just how straight up she is about everything she sings about - I mean, look at the album title! This record is more instantly appealing to me than the last, filled with her usual blend of gritty '60's & '70's soul and r'n'b with all of the cool modern production and studio trickery. The songs veer from expressions of joy to the deeply personal, and there is the usual "I'm going to kill you" track, the wacky ska flavored My Fondest Childhood Memories. It just wouldn't be a proper Macy record if it didn't have the death threat track. The album was recorded with several members of Beck's band helping out, and the man himself helps out on the funky It Ain't The Money - also featuring a Pharoah Monche rap. Very entertaining stuff.

Re: my last post about The Sleepy Jackson - I can't believe I forgot to mention George Harrison and David Bowie in the "reminds me of" list!

Grrrr....still no new mp3s. Stay tuned for further developments.


Saturday 8/2
I've been listening to THE SLEEPY JACKSON album Lovers a whole bunch this week, and I love it. It's a rock album that's indie, country, psychedelic, '70's soft rock with a bit of punk thrown in. While playing it yesterday I started writing down some of the other bands it reminded me of - The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, Luna, Robyn Hitchcock, Wilco, The Flaming Lips, The Jayhawks and The Church were just a few that came to mind. Sounds like it might be a little to much to handle, but it works. With songs as good as Rains Fall For Wind I'm going to be playing a lot of this record!

The Diana Ross double disc reissue of Diana is fab, as you'd expect. You get 2 versions of the album, the original and a never before released Chic mix , and the second disc is rare 12" versions and other stuff, a lot of it previously unreleased. Some killer disco that crossed over to the pop world, this is Chic at some of their creative best.

A couple other records I'm grooving to...PANJABI MC's Beware has really grown on me. The tracks he rhymes on are OK, but the ones that stick to the mother tongue are the killers. Some of the melodies are unbelievably catchy, and the vocals in Hindi or whatever it is are beautiful. A tight set of bumping bhangra. MADLIB's romp through the Blue Note back catalog Shades Of Blue is another disc that has come on strong after repeated listening. It's remixes and remakes of tunes by the likes of Horace Silver, Donald Byrd, Bobby Hutcherson, and Wayne Shorter, and Madlib is an ace at the abstract hip-hop and jazz thing. Fat beats and funky riffs all over the place.

My local finally had a reasonably priced import copy of Welcome To the Monkey House, the new album by THE DANDY WARHOLS . This record's US release has been pushed back to September now, so I just couldn't wait any longer. Having Duran Duran keys player Nick Rhodes produce is a match made in heaven for me. I love the record, all shiny and synthy. The songs definitely sound like the Dandys, and are as catchy as ever, but the production is ultra slick, with a few tracks actually grooving in almost guitar free way. Special guests include Nile Rodgers and Simon le Bon, and also in on production is Tony Visconti Now having said all of that, I'll just add this little disclaimer; I love it when this band rocks, always have, always will, and there's not a lot of that going on on this record. I think this experiment at turning into a mix of themselves, Duran Duran & The Cars is fun for one album, but ultimately a return to a more rocking sound would be a good thing. They sure seem like they're having fun though, and so am I!