Victor Smolski

Victor Dmitrievich Smolski (Belarusian: Віктар Смольскі, Russian: Виктор Дмитриевич Смольский) (born January 2, 1969, in Minsk, Belarus) is a Belarusian musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist. He is a constant member of the German heavy metal band Rage.
Son of professor Dmitry Smolski, a symphonic music composer. Victor was six years old when he began studying the piano, cello and later guitar. Smolski was awarded diplomas on playing rock and jazz guitar as well as on composing and arranging music. His first professional work was playing with the famous Belarusian folk band Pesniary when he was 14 years old.
In 1988 he founded the band Inspector and they toured over Germany for the first time. Frank Bornemann was very interested in the band and offered a contract to Inspector. Due to some visa, problems the tour became complicated, but even then Inspector played many shows in Germany. In 1993 they released their CD, Russian Prayer. [Wikipedia]

Here he is playing a guitar solo.


Because all live concert don't get captured on video, sometimes we have to resort to a fan made video (which is not necessarily a bad thing) when we want to feature a great piece of music.
This is a classic J.S.Bach song played on guitar by Victor Smolski(one of the best guitarist in the world!) and accompanied by the Belarussian Symphony Orchestra.. Very powerful and amazing song! [OneLightBurning]


Just to understand the depth of this guys talent, check out a guitar workshop in a Prague music shop KYTARY.CZ


I have been listening to his solo album The Heretic, this has to be heard.

Anya Marina - Move You

Here is another young lady who's talent is new to me.
But I'm thinking she needs a longer listen.
Move You, the new single by Anya Marina, taken from the album Slow and Steady Seduction: Phase II.



Wikipedia says: Anya Marina is a singer-songwriter and radio disc jockey based in San Diego, Calif. Her music has been featured on the ABC television drama Grey's Anatomy (and its second soundtrack) and on shows such as MTV's The Real World. Anya deejays on KBZT (FM94/9) in San Diego from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Monday through Saturday.

Gipsy Kings

This was the first tune I ever heard by The Gipsy Kings, and it just blew me away.
I've been collecting their albums ever since. I was lucky enough to snag 8th row in the front seats for their concert in San Jose a few years ago. Man what a night that was.
Bamboleo


I also like where the Kings team up with Alabina to perform this track.
Ya Habibi Yalla


One of my other favorites is their version of Hotel California. I first heard it in The Big Lebowski which came out in 1998, but apparently they had been performing it in concerts since 1990 at least. I remember almost forgetting the plot of the movie when it came on, I was so sure it was the Gipsy Kings I just almost wanted the action to stop so I could listen to it. The Big Lebowski version is here [Embedding disabled by request].
Hotel California


The Gipsy Kings are:
Nicolas Reyes: lead vocals, guitar
Paul Reyes: backup vocals, guitar
Canut Reyes: backup vocals, guitar
Patchai Reyes: backup vocals, guitar
Andre Reyes: backup vocals, guitar
Diego Baliardo: guitar
Paco Baliardo: guitar
Tonino Baliardo: lead guitar

Riders on the Storm

While there are some videos of live performances or this song by The Doors, they all feature other singers. For me there is only one singer for The Doors.
Jim we miss you.

Mothers and Grandmothers

Today I thought we would have a nice bit of homeyness, is there such a word.
Everybody has a mother and a grandmother, they may have never met them, but they have them. Well her's a couple to relate to.
First up Mom, when you listen to this I'm sure much of it will resonate. Either your mother said it to you, or if you are a mother you said it to your kids.
The Mom Song

Thanks to my friend from the Greek Isles for the tip.

Now let's get to Grandma. This has to be one of the funniest of Ellen's bits.
Got to love Gladys, and I'm sure i know at least three identical to Gladys.
I love Jesus but I drink a little

Thanks to my friend in Seattle for this tip.

Neil Young - Fork In The Road

Neal Young has a new message for us all about the bailout.
Complete with an air guitar plugged into his Apple.
A sneak preview from the forthcoming album.
Video by created by Shakey Pictures © 2009.



As always Neil is totally on the ball.

N.A.S.A. The Spirit of Apollo Trailer

N.A.S.A is an ongoing creative collaboration between two lifelong music aficionados, Squeak E. Clean ad DJ Zegon, and their friends, friends of friends and musical heroes. While N.A.S.A. stands for North America/South America and contains a number of superstar artists from both coasts of the US, it is about as far from a tension-building geographical showdown as a record can get. Rather, their Anti debut The Spirit of Apollo was born with the righteous goal of bringing people together through music and art, and that is exactly what masterminds Sam Spiegel (Squeak E. Clean) and Ze Gonzales (DJ Zegon) have done. Brazilian funk provides the roots of the songs and binds them together into a cohesive whole, but from there, the imagination behind The Spirit of Apollo ranges far and wide. Unexpected collaborations abound on the eighteen track release. Tom Waits growls over Kool Keith, Karen O taunts while Ol' Dirty Bastard gives shout-outs to Wu Tang and N.A.S.A from the grave, and David Byrne, Chuck D and others expound on the evils of "Money." In spite of the range of performers, the pairings seem organic, inspired and make perfect sense on the first listen, never coming off as ironic or impulsive.
N.A.S.A.'s debut record SPIRIT OF APOLLO in stores 2-17-2009. [source]
This looks really interesting, any thing with Tom Waits is gonna be great.




Thanks Jiglet

Talking about Tom Waits (with Kool Keith)

De gale nordmennene

Base Jumping with a wingsuit. Not content to ski of the highest point and then parachute down, someone invented wingsuits so they could fly down. And then because that was just open air and became boring the Norwegians had to ramp it up a notch and skim the rocks, cliffs and roads. This is really cool.


wingsuit base jumping from Ali on Vimeo.

There are two tunes featured in this video clip:
1) Violence by Contact and 2) Under Man by Diz Organ & Sackcloth Fashion
btw: "De gale nordmennene" means "Those crazy Norwegians" as well as I can remember, I lived in Norway for nearly four years and as well as being a beautiful country it is generally acknowledged they are crazy (but in a good way).

Extreme Lighthouse

So you want to be a lighthouse keeper, like in the song? Well before you put in your applications check out these lighthouses.
Then think about this, they were built between 1867 and 1887! And I doubt the sea calmed down during that period just to make life easier. This comes in the "how the hell did they do it" folder. Everybody raves about nature, you have to don't you. But those Victorians were certainly some keen builders. And whoever built these has to go down in the annals of extreme builders.
Anybody know what the piece of music is? It is interesting.


Ar Men ("the rock" in Breton) is a lighthouse at one end of the Chaussée de l'Île de Sein, at the west end of Brittany. It shares its name with the rock on which it was erected between 1867 and 1881.
Ar Men is one of the best known lighthouses because of its isolated situation and the considerable difficulties its construction has presented, and the danger in evacuating its personnel. In the small world of lighthouses in the sea, notably Kéréon, La Vieille or La Jument, this one is without doubt the most mythical one. Considered as one of the most challenging workplaces by the community of lighthouse keepers, it has been named "The Hell of Hells"......

Phare de la Vieille (Vieille lighthouse) is a lighthouse in the département of Finistère on the northwest coast of France. Built between 1882 and 1887 on the rock known as la Gorlebella (Breton for "the farthest rock"), it illuminates and improves the safety of the strait Raz de Sein, across from the companion lighthouse Tourelle de la Plate. It is found in the commune of Plogoff and belongs to the state of France.
The so-called "hell" of this lighthouse is due to its remote position in rough seas. Furthermore, it has a rich past: between the first feasibility studies and its first lighting, nearly ten years were necessary. In 1995 it became the second to last French lighthouse to be automated, a process delayed due to the lighthouse keepers on the site refusing in protest to carry out the task.

[A Welsh View]

Crushed Ice

Here's a new sport to me. Crushed Ice!! And of course it is sponsored by Red Bull as so many other extreme sports are.
Do you think one has to drink a bucket of Red Bull to even consider participating in these extreme sports?
Of course there is controversy about the name of the event in Quebec, not sure if they want it changed to French, just because they want everything to be French or just to get rid of the Red Bull tag (good idea). You know if the commercialization of sport meant that we the fans could save money I would be all for it. But when it still costs $60 to $80 for average seats at a football game, plus $9 for a beer you have to ask what the sponsorship or naming after a company does for you and me.
Gets off soapbox!
Anyway back to Crushed Ice, it could easily become crushed heads or crushed nuts. This is crazy. If you want to see in detail how extreme this course is click here.
Get a bunch of guys (or girls) dressed like NHL players complete with skates and send them down a slalom course (or an extreme bob-sled course) with hazards and dramatic vertical drops. Ohh and send them all at once, not one at a time. Wow!
Rumor has it that it was invented in Stockholm in 2000, those crazy Swedes. Gotta love 'em.
Red Bull Crashed Ice 2009 sped into Quebec City as 64 male – and for the first time ever – 16 female daredevils careened to the bottom of a thrilling and chilling urban ice track.
Some other facts to think about. A crowd of 90,000+ in temperatures of -33C. The winner this year was Miikka Jouhkamainen,from Finland.

Here is one of the 2009 semi-finals, complete with French Canadian commentary.


And here is the final


Here is the 2008 Red Bull Crashed Ice Final from Quebec - done as a music video.

Her Morning Elegance - Oren Lavie

This is a really unique piece. Very well done, check it out.

Oren Lavie (born 1976 in Tel Aviv) is a singer, songwriter, playwright and theatre director.
Oren Lavie spent his youth in Israel. In 1997 his play "Sticks and Wheels" and his production of it were awarded the main prizes at the "Acco Festival of Alternative Israeli Theatre". The production played in Tel Aviv during 1998. In that year he went to London to study theatre directing at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). After his graduation two of his plays were produced in various London theatres. They already contained several songs written and composed by him.
In 2001 Oren Lavie moved to New York where he tried to make a living by means of various jobs and where he focused on writing songs. When they had piled up he went to Berlin (2003) and started to do recordings, working as his own producer. His first album, "The Opposite Side of the Sea", was completed in 2006; it was released in Europe January and February 2007.
Oren Lavie's musical 'predecessors' are - as stated by himself - Tom Waits, Jacques Brel and Leonard Cohen. At the core of his melody-oriented compositions there is always the piano or the guitar with his singing, enriched by string arrangements (cello solo, quartet, chamber orchestra) and various, mainly non-electronical instruments added occasionally, giving each of the songs a unique style and color.
[Wikipedia]

Blue Öyster Cult - Don't Fear the Reaper

Don't fear the Reaper first appeared back in 1976 I think.
It was the main reason I bought the album and discovered the rest of their music. You can listen to the original version here on LastFM.
For me at the time it was a very esoteric rock song, with no particular connotations.





Check out a live version of the song here.


Then Stephen King published The Stand in 1978. At the time I was reading pretty much everything Stephen King put out, and I thought that The Stand was his best. A TV miniseries based on The Stand and scripted by King himself was released in 1994.
But even before that, while reading the book. It was I believe the first chapter that was headed up with:

And it was clear she couldn't go on!
The door was opened and the wind appeared
The candles blew then disappeared
The curtains flew then he appeared,
Said don't be afraid
Come on Mary...
And she ran to him...
And they started to fly....
She had taken his hand...
Come on Mary;
Don't fear the Reaper!

Blue Öyster Cult

From there on in, all the time I was reading the book this song kept creeping back into my mind.

Opening sequence to The Stand.


And so it was indelibly written in my mind, the concept of The Stand and Don't fear the Reaper. They belonged together.

Until Christopher Walken took the song into his hands, and the rest as they say is history. Ask me what I think of when I listen to this song nowadays?

More Cowbell


On a final note, I gave up reading Stephen King after, or during, Cujo. Somehow he got lost along the way, or I did.

Ida Corr vs Fedde Le Grande - Let Me Think About It

Ida Corr (born March 14th, 1977 in Århus) is a Danish singer, songwriter and music producer.
In 2004 Corr collaborated with house producer Morten Trust on "I Put My Faith in You," a moderately popular dance hit on MoHo Records. She rose to fame in her native Denmark in 2005 with the release of her debut album 'Streetdiva' and in 2006 with her follow up album 'Robosoul'. After creating a special song as part of the Live Earth set of international music concerts, her popularity began to spread outside of her homeland. The song, entitled 'Mirror 07-07-07', was played at exactly seven minutes past the seventh hour of the seventh day of the seventh month of 2007. In 2007 she received exposure in the Netherlands due to her work with Dutch DJ Fedde le Grand, and her most recent self-written single, remixed by Fedde le Grand, 'Let Me Think About It' spread to wider Europe quickly. It is the best-selling single outside Denmark from a Danish singer since the Danish bands Aqua and Infernal. In 2008 Ida released the compilation album "One" in Scandinavia. The single 'Let Me Think About It' continued its success and reached Nr. 1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay. "One" was released in the United States on August 26, 2008 as the first release on the new founded label "Ministry of Sound US". [Wikipedia]

Fedde le Grand (born 7 September 1977) is a Dutch house DJ and producer whose single "Put Your Hands Up For Detroit" (UK/AUS) / "Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit" (Europe, excluding UK) hit number one on the UK's singles and the top 5 in the Dutch singles chart, and five weeks in the Spanish dance chart.
Le Grand is also one of the innovators of the concept Sneakerz (2004). He created a formula; different venues with three areas throughout the Netherlands, all with their own sound, and a chance given to upcoming talent performing together with famous DJs. Sneakerz started off at ‘De Rechter’ in Eindhoven and it has grown into one of the most popular clubbing nights all over the Netherlands (‘Panama’ Amsterdam, ‘T Paard van Troje’ The Hague, Sneakerz@the Beach in Scheveningen and Bloomingdale).
Besides DJing and organising club nights, Fedde le Grand has been producing since 2001. In 2004 he teamed up with Funkerman and Raf. They started Flamingo Recordings, an independent record label that releases their tracks without any compromises. This label has allowed them to keep their underground identity and release fresh tracks sooner than most other labels. They have established themselves in the international label scene with releases licensed to partners such as Defected, Ministry of Sound and CR2 Records. [Wikipedia]

So what happens when they meet?



Do I see a trend for today?

Alex Gaudino - Destination Calabria

Drum and Trumpet featured here by Alex Gaudino.
Alessandro (Alex) Fortunato Gaudino is an Italian DJ who was born in Salerno, Italy, who generally fits into the genre of Italo.
Gaudino has at the start of 2007 released the single Destination Calabria. The mashup contains the catchy saxophone sound from the 2003 track Calabria, originally made by Danish DJ Rune RK, also known as Artificial Funk; the vocals from Crystal Waters' 2004 track, Destination Unknown.
Alex Gaudino is also known as a member in the trio Lil' Love.
He confirmed in an interview for Fresh 40 in the United Kingdom that his new album called "My Destination" will be released later in 2008. [Wikipedia]

Speechless

I have of course heard, and heard of Drum and Bass rave music, but this is a new genre to me. Church drum and bass rave. Feel the gospel.

Blue Suede Shoes

Elvis Presley performing his first audition for the movies.
This is I believe a fairly rare color version, since most auditions were in black and white back in those days. As were three out of four of his first (and best) movies.

You Found Me - The Fray

The Fray, one of my recent years favorite groups. Here is their new song from the upcoming album.
They are performing it live at Cities 97 Studio C, this was on January 8th.
The official videos have,as ever, the embedding prohibited tag. What is with that?

Barbershop Quartet

Barbershop quartet's consist of four singers, hence the title Quartet.
Unless of course just one person and some video trickery can replace them.
daniscool99 is such a performer, he is a 20 year old guy from Saskatchewan, Canada who currently lives in Toronto. He is attending Humber College and is a voice major in music. He loves singing barbershop and jazz, and playing the piano. And also loves recording tunes and multitracking as well.


I'm guessing singing all four parts is a bit harder than singing one part.

According to Wikipedia: Barbershop vocal harmony, as codified during the barbershop revival era (1940s-present), is a style of a cappella, or unaccompanied vocal music characterized by consonant four-part chords for every melody note in a predominantly homophonic texture. Each of the four parts has its own role: generally, the lead sings the melody, the tenor harmonizes above the melody, the bass sings the lowest harmonizing notes, and the baritone completes the chord, usually below the lead. The melody is not usually sung by the tenor or bass, except for an infrequent note or two to avoid awkward voice leading, in tags or codas, or when some appropriate embellishment can be created. Occasional brief passages may be sung by fewer than four voice parts.

Washington to Obama

See the transition before your very own eyes.
This is a really cool video where all the Presidents morph into the next one, to the tune of Ravel's Bolero.



Kudos to poldivideo for the video.

George Washington
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
James Monroe
John Quincy Adams
Andrew Jackson
Martin Van Buren
William Henry Harrison
John Tyler
James Knox Polk
Zachary Taylor
Millard Fillmore
Franklin Pierce
James Buchanan
Abraham Lincoln
Andrew Johnson
Ulysses S. Grant
Rutherford B. Hayes
James Garfield
Chester Arthur
Grover Cleveland
Benjamin Harrison
Grover Cleveland
William McKinley
Theodore Roosevelt
William Howard Taft
Woodrow Wilson
Warren Harding
Calvin Coolidge
Herbert Hoover
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Harry S Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy
Lyndon Johnson
Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
James Carter
Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
William J. Clinton
George W. Bush
Barack H. Obama

Michael Cárdenas

Michael Cárdenas is a new friend from LastFM. Mike is an American singer-songwriter in the acoustic tradition of Leonard Cohen, Elliott Smith and Nick Drake. The Springs Demo released in 2007 contains 16 demo songs and 5 covers. The 2008 sophomore full length recording yeai is a song by song analysis of the world’s major religions. His voice is one that has truly impressed me, it is really haunting.
I really like his sound.
Now this is not much of a video, unless you like still life. But forget that, listen to the track. This guy has to be the next big thing.
I think this may be the Giuseppe Verdi piece for the opera Macbeth, or then I could be wrong. The words sound like they belong to that.
Witches Chorus


Now here is another song, not sure if that is Michael in the video. But again the video is irrelevant. It is all in the song.
Illness

Cascada

Cascada is a German Eurotrance group most famous for their hit singles "Everytime We Touch" (which won them a World Music Award in 2007) and "What Hurts the Most". They have so far sold an estimated 4 million copies of their two albums worldwide. Cascada consists of singer Natalie Horler, and producers DJ Manian and Yanou.
[Wikipedia]

A nice breezy beaty young lady to sing us out for the evening.
Listening to the 10 versions of Faded (various remixes) can be hypnotic.
But I like it.

Faded


Video Mega-mix

The official Cascada Video Megamix, created by the guys at Promo Only.
Featured Tracks:
1/ Everytime We Touch
2/ Never Ending Dream
3/ Truly Madly Deeply
4/ What Hurts The Most
5/ What Do You Want From Me

Little Boots

Many are tipping this young lady to be the breakthrough artist of 2009.
Based on the evidence here, I won't be arguing against that statement.
She can sing, that is for sure, nice voice.
Little Boots (Victoria Hesketh) is either from London or Blackpool, and she likes a good cup of tea.
Not sure whether to class her sound as Brit-pop, Euro-pop, disco or dance.
There is a ring of the eighties in it, but that may well be the synth.

Meddle - on Later with Jools Holland


Mathematics - performed at Club NME at In The City in Manchester.


What Is Love (Haddaway) - performed in her bedroom with her tenori-on

Inauguration makes news

As one would expect, there was a little inauguration that happened in Washington yesterday that has caught the front page of practically every newspaper in the world. If you want to see them all click this link.

Not being biased I think the San Francisco Chronicle had one of the best photos this morning.
What do you think?

Of course if collecting the newspaper isn't permanent enough for you you could try this plate for $7,500.

Amália Rodrigues

I don't know why, I have no Portuguese blood in me as far as I know, but I really like Portuguese Fado music. And Amália Rodrigues is truly a legend, from what I have read.

She truly has the most haunting, beautiful voice.
So expressive, so really sad, in a word awesome.
For those who have never experienced her voice, prepare for chills.
Listen to her through the years.
She is forever missed.



Povo que lavas no rio (1961)


Solidao (1969)


Com que voz (1970)


Naufragio (1985)?


Amália da Piedade Rebordão Rodrigues, (July 23, 1920 – October 6, 1999) was a Portuguese singer and actress. Born in Lisbon, official documents give her date of birth as July 23, but Rodrigues always said her birthday was July 1, 1920. She was born in the rua Martim Vaz (Martim Vaz Street), freguesia of Pena, Lisbon. Her father was a trumpet player and cobbler from Fundão who returned there when Amália was just over a year old, leaving her to live in Lisbon with her maternal grandmother in a deeply Catholic environment until she was 14, when her parents returned to the capital and she moved back in with them.
She was known as the "Rainha do Fado" ("Queen of Fado") and was most influential in popularizing the fado worldwide. She was unquestionably the most important figure in the genre’s development, by virtue of an innate interpretive talent carefully nurtured throughout a 40-year recording and stage career. Rodrigues' performances and choice of repertoire pushed Fado’s boundaries and helped redefine it and reconfigure it for her and subsequent generations. In effect, Rodrigues wrote the rulebook on what fado could be and on how a female singer—or Fadista—should perform it, to the extent that she remains an unsurpassable model and an unending source of repertoire for all those who came afterwards. Rodrigues also remains the sole truly international star to have ever come out of Portugal, with an extensive international career between the 1950s and the 1970s, although in an era where such efforts were not as easily quantified as today. Other well-known international fado artists such as Madredeus, Dulce Pontes and Mariza have come close, however.
[Wikipedia]

Recently I featured a truly great young Fado singer, and also check out a Roy Orbison song sang in the Fado style.

Yaki-Da

This is another group that passed me by. I guess I was snoozing again.
Yaki-Da were a Swedish pop group consisting of singers Marie Knutsen and Linda Schönberg. They were put together by Ace of Base band member and producer Jonas "Joker" Berggren. Berggren produced their entire first album and wrote all but two of the songs appearing on it.
They released their first album, Pride, in 1995 and the album's lead single, "I Saw You Dancing" reached number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 11 on the Billboard Dance Charts. They were somewhat more successful in Europe and Asia.
Their second album, A Small Step For Love, was released in 1998. It featured no collaborations with Jonas Berggren. The album spawned one single, entitled "I Believe". The song and album saw a very limited release in Europe and Korea. A music video, shot inside of a Korean airport (but featuring Chinese characters), was released for "I Believe".
One of the songs Jonas Berggren wrote and produced for Pride, "Show Me Love", was re-recorded by Berggren's own band, Ace of Base, for their 2002 album, Da Capo. [Wikipedia]
I guess they have been and gone, oh well, pleasant sound while it lasted.

I saw you dancing


Then I believe they changed their name to Y-D.


I'm guessing they changed because the Welsh tracked them down, or maybe they finally worked out it means "cheers" or "very good" in Welsh. Not being Welsh I cannot be sure, it was a phrase I heard a lot back in the UK. And we used it ourselves when we were making out to be Welsh, not very often. I think I remember Peter Sellers or Spike Milligan doing a spoof on Yaki Da being some sort of Welsh martial art. And of course the Goodies compared it to Ecky Thump, the Yorkshire martial art involving black puddings.

Alela Diane

Here is another talent that is new to me. She has been around for a couple of years, since her first CD was released in 2006. Another American talent who is better known in Europe.

Alela Diane Menig (b. April 20, 1983, Nevada City, California, USA) is an American singer and songwriter, who is associated with the psych folk and New Weird America musical genres.
She grew up singing with her musician parents and performing in the school choir. She taught herself guitar, and began writing songs which blend tense, trance-like arpeggios with warm vocals and meditative lyrics about family and nature. Her first recordings were self-released in 2003 as Forest Parade. Her first solo public appearances were at the invitation of fellow Nevada City native Joanna Newsom. She also did a stint in the Nevada City slow grass band Black Bear before continuing with her solo pursuits. [Wikipedia]

"White As Diamonds" is taken from the forthcoming album "To Be Still" (16th Feb), the follow-up to Alela Dianes critically-acclaimed 2006 debut The Pirates Gospel which brought the Nevada City, CA-reared musician a passionate following across the Globe especially in europe where Alela has a huge fan base.

White As Diamonds


In case you missed the earlier release you can hear the title sng from it here.
The Pirate's Gospel

The Wrestler - Bruce Springsteen

I was so happy when both Bruce and Mickey won their Golden Globes. I liked both of their speeches. I especially liked the bit that Bruce was so thrilled to be up against Clint Eastwood. How often would that happen?
Looking forward to seeing the movie, seen many of the clips, read all the reviews. I've been a Mickey Rourke fans since Pope of Greenwich Village days. I saw a bit of that last night on one of the cable networks, boy he looked so young.
Anyhow this is thaKing0fKings tribute to the movie and the song. Great song.

Lady GaGa

Joanne Stefani Germanotta (born March 20, 1986), best known by her stage name Lady GaGa, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Born in Yonkers, New York, to an Italian family, GaGa is known for work in the electronica genre. She has been influenced by rockers such as David Bowie and Queen as well as '80s dance-pop such as Madonna and Michael Jackson. She grew up in Manhattan, where she attended private school at Convent of the Sacred Heart and later studied at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. At age 20, she began working for Interscope Records as a songwriter, penning songs for pop acts such as the Pussycat Dolls.
In 2008, GaGa released her debut album, The Fame, which she explained was "about how anyone can feel famous". To date, the album spawned the hit singles "Just Dance" and "Poker Face". Both singles topped the Canadian Hot 100 as well as the ARIA Singles Chart. She has been nominated for a Grammy Award. [Wikipedia]

If you like electronica or dance music you will surely like these two cuts. Personally I find her music attractive, and I like the fact that she performs her songs live. No taped voice overs that I can see.


Just Dance - Official video


Poker Face performed live at The Crib, San Francisco

John Otway and the Big Band - We Rock

John is alive and well and rocking in Putney at the Half Moon.
For those who missed the Putney gig on Saturday (01-17-2009), like me.
Great version.

Ayoe Angelica - Dr. Jekyll

Ayoe Angelica is a Danish-Ethiopian female jazz/soul singer, age 20.
Look out for her new album, I'm Amazed. You will be.

Ayoe Angelica
Director: Niels Kjær Olsen (www.kjaerolsen.com) & Michel Winckler-Krog
Cinematographer: Adam Jandrup
Set Design: Martin Skovbjerg & Maria Grieg
Gaffer: Allan Køldal
Makeup: Ulla Glud
Executive Producer: Mads B. B. Krog

Dueling Banjos

The first appearance of this tune was in the movie Deliverance. Apart from this tune that was one hell of an intense movie. If you have never seen it, rent it. You will thank me for the tip.
Anyway back to the music.

The Original from the 1972 Movie Deliverance. Billy Redden was the banjo kid aged 16 at the time, and Ronny Cox on guitar. Although it's doubtful either of them were playing their instruments.


Bela Fleck vs Bela Fleck (on a Mac)


Banjo Hall of Famer, Tim Allan, plays BOTH tenor banjo and guitar, while including his audience, to perform Dueling Banjos- from his "In Concert" DVD.


Mountain Rhythm clowns around a bit with "Dueling Banjos" - 'til Robert runs away with it!


And last, but certainly by no means least Bill Bailey performs a Bollywood version of Dueling Banjos.

Indian band from London: Bollywood Pandits.
Musical Director/Composer; Kiran Thakrar
Choral arrangement and Hindi lyrics: Anuradha Shukla
Singers: Anuradha Shukla
Kaushik Khajuria
Praful Ladwa
Bimal Pandit
Ami Joshi
Keyboards and harmonium Kiran Thakrar
Sarod Soumik Datta
Tabla Mitel Purohit
Bass guitar Paresh Jethwa
Drums Vikas Sakedcha
Percussion Ghamshyam Makwana

Emmylou Harris

This one will take you back a while, or if you only know her with silver hair it will take you aback. Emmylou sings the Townes Van Zandt song from 1977 OGWT.
The Hot Band line-up is Albert Lee (lead guitar) Rodney Crowell (guitar / vocals) Glen D Hardin (piano) Hank DeVito (Steel) Emory Gordy (bass) John Ware (Drums).
Man they had some awesome music on The Old Grey Whistle test.

Pancho and Lefty


And here she is in 2007, again on the BBC.

For No One

Lost in a bus

I don't know why, but this struck me as cool.



Here is the rehearsal, they needed the curb to complete the illusion, in this one the height is not right, or the angle needs more tilt.

Fleetwood Bac

Today I am featuring another tribute act. I am guessing you know who they are covering from their name.
Fleetwood Bac are the original best Fleetwood Mac Tribute Band. Endorsed by Mick Fleetwood himself, and raved about by Peter Green’s biographer, Fleetwood Bac are the only tribute band to authentically replicate the classic Stevie Nicks/Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie/John McVie /Mick Fleetwood “Rumours” line-up.
These two clips are again filmed and uploaded by my friend djspl51bw, and for this I thank him again. It was filmed at The Wharf in Tavistock on 3rd october 2008.
This band truly covers Fleetwood Mac from back in what many consider their heyday.
Back in the dim distance days of my youth, well my 30's, I had a brush with Fleetwood Mac, sort of. I wnet out on a double date with Christine Perfect of Chicken Shack fame, later to become Christine McVie. She wasn't my date, my first wife wouldn't have liked that, she was with Mats a friend of mine from Stockholm.
The four of us had a nice meal in a restaurant somewhere in the Rochester area and then went on to a club. It was a very pleasant evening.
Enough of that bs, lets get to the music. Again back to Fleetwood Bac, just enjoy their amazing sound.
First up: I'm so afraid


And now the classic: Rhiannon


Still in the mood for some more tribute acts? Check out Lez Zeppelin or Dread Zeppelin, although I personally believe Dread Zeppelin pretty much stand on their own nowadays.

Skinny Molly - Sweet Home Alabama

Now here is a nice find. Skinny Molly featuring former Lynyrd Skynyrd guitar player Mike Estes playing Sweet Home Alabama at the Tavistock Wharf, which is in southern England. From one South to another.
You can't beat this kind of down home blues / rock music.
Thanks to my friend djspl51bw for filming it and loading it up to share with us all. Rock on.

Star Wars Trilogy Paraphrased

Stumbled into this via Fazed, very funny.

The premise is that you ask a female friend to tell the story of the Star Wars Trilogy, the first three movies, the best ones.

But, here's the catch, she has never seen them in their entirety.

So here based on partial viewings caught on TV is the Star Wars Trilogy according to Amanda.

Hilarious.


Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn't seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.

Frank Turner

Frank Turner (born 28 December, 1981) is a Bahraini-born English folk musician.
He lived out part of his childhood in Winchester before moving to London. He was educated on a scholarship at Eton College, and studied History at the London School of Economics . Since the demise of his former hardcore punk/post hardcore band Million Dead he has pursued a solo career in folk music. He has toured the UK extensively, and has completed several tours of the USA and Central and Eastern Europe. [Wikipedia]


Now here is another new name to me, introduced by a friend at LastFM.
Frank Turner, singer, songwriter and his songs are about real life.
Real life as it is lived, no moon and June here. The real McCoy.
Give him a listen. If you want to listen to the recorded track try this.

Live at the Oran Mor, Glasgow. Thursday 23rd October 2008.
Substitute


Performing The Ballad Of Me And My Friends at the Battersea Barge on June 3 2006


And from that same performance Casanova Lament.

The Final Week

This has to be one of Jon Stewart's funniest pieces.
What will he do when his biggest foil is gone?

I guess he will have to settle on being happy, like the rest of the world.

Just over 4 days to go, can't come soon enough.
Do you realize, we can never get those eight years back?

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Six Days Seven Nights

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Serena Ryder

Serena Ryder (born 8 December 1983 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian singer/songwriter and guitarist who grew up in Millbrook, Ontario, Canada. Her best-known albums include Unlikely Emergency and If Your Memory Serves You Well.

Ranging musically between folk, roots, country, and adult contemporary, Ryder possesses a three-octave range. She attended the Integrated Arts Program at Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational Institute in Peterborough, and took music lessons from Terry Finn at Finn's House of Music. As a teenager, she performed solo as well as with many bands from the Peterborough area, including Christian band Thousand Foot Krutch and Jive recording artist Three Days Grace. [Wikipedia]

A very talented young lady, a talent to be appreciated.

Here is Serena's great take on the song from Hair, Good Morning Sunshine. Now this song takes one back a bit, and it was written about 20 years before she was born.


And anybody who can cover a Leonard Cohen as well as this is AOK in my book.
Listen here to Sisters of Mercy.


btw: Leonard will be in New York soon, so the long awaited USA tour looks like it is on.