Ceci N'est Pas un Blog

The Just Joans and the wonderful world of wee POP!

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:52:00 +0000

Petite and pleasingly-packaged pieces of pure indie-pop perfection! The Just Joans are just about the most Glaswegian thing that I have ever heard. They sing in broad Scotch accents, make reference to 'the local', 'the telly' and the general humdrum of life. But strewn amongst the lyrics about Tesco's and Asda are mentions of Murakami and 60s Woody Allen box sets. And there's some recorder! This has a 'made it in my bedroom' feel and is super lo-fi...but I make no mistake in using the word...

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The Morning Benders - The Bedroom Covers

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 22:46:00 +0000

I'm just stopping by with a quick post to clue anyone in who doesn't already know about The Morning Benders' The Bedroom Covers. Just like it says on the tin (or the album front at least), this is indeed cover versions of well known songs that were all recorded at their home. It was released over at their blog yesterday and already seems to be proving rather popular. And the songs that they have covered are corkers: 1. Crying - Roy Orbison2. Mother and Child Reunion - Paul Simon3. Why Don't...

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Mercury Music Prize shortlist announced

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:37:00 +0000

The nominees for this year's Mercury Music Prize have just been announced. And it goes like this: Adele 19 British Sea Power Do You Like Rock Music?Burial UntrueElbow The Seldom Seen KidEstelle ShineLaura Marling Alas, I Cannot SwimNeon Neon Stainless StylePortico Quartet Knee Deep In The North SeaRachel Unthank The BairnsRadiohead In RainbowsRobert Plant & Alison Krauss Raising SandThe Last Shadow Puppets The Age Of The Understatement As ever, the winner will be announced on the night...

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More goodness from the YouTube Screening Room: 'Sebastian's Voodoo' and 'Ryan'

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:24:00 +0000

Sebastian's Voodoo A creepy looking, but beautifully animated and ultimately sweet, short. Voodoo - Screamin' Jay Hawkins Voodoo Village - Tony Joe White Hoodoo Voodoo - Billy Bragg and Wilco Voodoo Spell - Cuatro Caminos Ryan "Four decades ago, filmmaker Ryan Larkin produced some of the most influential animations of his generation. Years later, plagued by alcoholism and drug abuse, he was destitute on the streets of Toronto. In this haunting film, his friend and fellow animator, Chris...

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New from CSS...

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:01:00 +0000

CSS are back with their latest (second) album, Donkey, which was released yesterday. It's good, but I have to say that it has, to date, left me feeling a little underwhelmed/unmoved. It is fine, it is well-produced, but it is, well, forgettable. They are just not as bratty this time around, and it seems that it was this very brattishness that worked so well for them. Part of the appeal with their debut album was the slightly ropey English and sense of naivety, even when they were singing about...

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Face off with Facebook - getting the message across

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:35:00 +0000

This rocks my socks. Teresa Valdez Klein of teresacentric.com was so pissed off with the number of targeted weight loss ads on Facebook that she decided to do something about it. Shelling out $5.00 per day to place her own advertisement, she came up with the above. When clicked, viewers are taken to the Love Your Body Day website.Holly Combe referred to it as 'subvertising', which I think is a great term!It warms my cockles, it really does. What a positive message! And somebody that is actually...

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Songs of the Fifty States: Bonus Tracks - Travelling Around

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:35:00 +0000

This really is the last 'Songs of the Fifty States' post - finishing off with a few songs that encompass many states at once, some of them all 50. The 50 States Song - Sufjan Stevens (you see, that's why Sufjan - pronounced soof-yan FYI - Stevens has not appeared before in this list...there is method to my madness!) Delaware - Perry Como (you'd think that I might have chosen this one for the state of Delaware, but it's so much better here...a fun one) I've Been Everywhere - Hank Snow (Johnny...

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Songs of the Fifty States: Alabama to Georgia

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:56:00 +0000

I haven't forgotten... Alabama - Neil Young Kicking off the list is a demanding job, but Alabama does us proud with lots of songs to choose between (go here for another two...or at least two different versions of the same song). Neil Young takes us in his very capable hands to start proceedings. Lynard Skynard and Sweet Home Alabama were never really seriously entertained. North to Alaska - Johnny Horton Alaska was another state that I tackled over at Star Maker Machine - so head...

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Feist on Sesame Street!

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:59:00 +0000

Leslie Feist...check.Monsters...check.Bucket loads of cuteness...check!That is indeed Feist singing her hit 1234 on Sesame Street, with modified lyrics for the kiddies. I, personally, don't think that I have ever enjoyed "counting to four" quite so much!

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Vive La France!

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 12:16:00 +0000

As today is Bastille Day, I thought that I would put together a compilation of songs in French (by artists of several nationalities). This task proved more arduous than I initially anticipated, as I simply did not realise quite how many French songs I had in my music library! Therefore, the difficulty came not in finding suitable tracks, but in whittling down their sheer volume! I decided to enforce a 'female singers only' rule (oh, how I love those French ladies!), in order to cut the numbers...

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THIS is how to write a PR e-mail! Introducing Jon and Roy...

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 12:04:00 +0000

"We came upon your site while perusing the blogosphere and found you had posted some Matt Costa. We're fans of his and wanted to send you music of our own. We're an independent acoustic roots band from Victoria BC, Canada, named 'Jon and Roy' and thought our music might also be up your alley. I'll spare you the hype speech because you must get lots of new music in daily, but I'll leave some links below and a download of the album, as well as a few quick tracks for a quick sample… Quick facts:...

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It's Not Over 'Til the Fat Girls Sing

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:11:00 +0000

Warning: May contain spoilers! I watched the film Fat Girls for the first time a couple of days ago...a film I have wanted to see ever since I first read about it being in production (over a year ago). And, whilst not all its scenes are entirely successful, or necessary for driving the 'plot' forward, I rather enjoyed it as a whole. The story is centred around a high school student named Rodney (Ash Christian who, aged 20, also wrote, directed and co-produced Fat Girls), who thinks of...

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Songs of the Fifty States: Hawaii to Maryland

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:37:00 +0000

Everybody Does it in Hawaii - Jimmie Rodgers The first artist that comes to mind here is probably Elvis Presley, right? Or the Hawaii Five-O theme tune (did you know that Dweezil Zappa has recorded the latter?)? Or maybe even Brian Wilson? Well how about something a little off the beaten track for the youngest of the 50 states (which became the 50th state on August 21st, 1959)? Also worth a mention is John Prine's Let's Talk Dirty in Hawaiian. And The Strokes' Hawaii Aloha is also pretty...

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Songs of the Fifty States: Massachusetts to New Jersey

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:40:00 +0000

Massachusetts - The Bee Gees This post of my Songs of the Fifty States series qualifies as the least 'countrified', starting right from the top with The Bee Gees and a song that showcases their knack for songwriting pre- squeaking, squawking disco era (1967 to be precise, and their first UK Number 1). Perhaps here I have succumbed and posted the most patent Massachusetts-related track, but it's a goodie and, to be honest, I didn't really bother searching much further here! The only other track...

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Free Music: Lounge On the Farm 2008 'Ear Candy' Mixtape

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:42:00 +0000

The Lounge on the Farm festival takes place next weekend (11th, 12th and 13th July) in Kent and, to warm people up and get them in the spirit, they've issued a free-to-download 15 track sampler, featuring some of the artists that will be appearing. And it's a scorcher! It even features a recent favourite of mine, Norwich's Sargasso Trio.To download the album, head across here (where you will be asked to enter your e-mail address so that they can send you a download link) and to read more about...

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Short Film - The Big Empty

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:22:00 +0000

I have just stumbled across this short film over at YouTube and I simply had to share it. I would recommend watching in full screen mode (click the little square within a square at the bottom right), as it is over 20 minutes long!This is certainly not the usual YouTube 'talking into a webcam' fodder...in fact, both George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh were executive producers. The title refers to a girl, Alice (Selma Blair), who has nothing inside of her. She presents at the doctor's with an...

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Songs of the Fifty States: New Mexico to South Carolina

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:56:00 +0000

New Mexico - K.C. Groves Here's one about The Land of Enchantment, the 47th US state. "Who is K.C. Groves?", I hear you ask. She is one quarter of Uncle Earl...a bloomin' excellent band. Also considered: Jah Wobble's New Mexico Dub. But I decided that, whilst I rather like Jah Wobble, it really does seem to have very little to do with New Mexico, given that there are no words...and it most definitely is not country music. Perhaps it is intended to 'evoke the spirit of New Mexico' or some such...

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Songs of the Fifty States: South Dakota to Wyoming

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 21:02:00 +0000

Over at Star Maker Machine this week we've been tackling state songs; songs, that is, about each of the 50 states of the good ole US of A, as opposed to official state songs. In addition to the posts I made over there, I decided that it would be a good idea to run my own list of all the states...this was perhaps a mistake, because I have just spent about four days scouring my music library, finding songs, making very difficult decisions about what to include and what to cull, and generally...

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Haruki Murakami - Dance Dance Dance

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 08:07:00 +0000

"High class call girls billed to Mastercard. A psychic thirteen-year-old drop-out with a passion for Talking Heads. A hunky matinee idol doomed to play dentists and teachers. A one-armed beach-combing poet, an uptight hotel clerk and one very bemused narrator caught in the web of advanced capitalist mayhem. Combine this offbeat cast of characters with Murakami's idiosyncratic prose and out comes Dance Dance Dance. It is an assault on the senses, part murder mystery, part metaphysical...

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Big Brother 9 - Kathreya - "I look like a potato"!

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 03:53:00 +0000

It doesn't matter that Big Brother 9 is only three weeks in...this is for sure the series highlight! I felt like a lunatic guffawing on my own as I watched it...and again just now when I found it on YouTube. Kathreya to win!P.s. Sorry to lower the tone with such low-brow fodder but, well, it's "hirarious"!Here are a few mp3s that might appease you: Big Brother - Stevie Wonder House of Fun - Madness Wicked Game - Chris Isaac You and I are a Gang of Losers - The Dears

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SUPER-exciting news from the Throwing Muses camp!

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:11:00 +0000

There isn't much to tell just yet, but word is out from Kristin Hersh that there will be a new Throwing Muses album in the new year - their first since 2003. Kristin had the following to say with the posting of her most recent song, Moan, over at CASH Music: "Moan" brought to life a fistful of Throwing Muses songs. I honestly didn't think I would ever write another Throwing Muses song. For some reason, I assumed my guitars were only capable of bringing about convenient music. Of course, music...

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Not talked about nearly enough: Ted Hawkins

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 03:08:00 +0000

Do you remember the first time you heard Jimmy Cliff's voice on Many Rivers To Cross or Sam Cooke on Touch the Hem of His Garment? Do you remember how it stopped you in your tracks, made you sit up and listen and, ultimately, blew you away? Ted Hawkins' voice has the same effect on me, but he is talked about and cited amazingly infrequently. I feel, therefore, that it is my duty to write about him, and perhaps even introduce his music to some new ears. Busker, con, wanderer. Ted Hawkins was...

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Jay Brannan - some preview tracks from his upcoming album 'goddamned'

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:44:00 +0000

I have to admit that I have never heard of Jay Brannan before today. I receive a fair few PR e-mails each day and, to be brutally honest, most of it is dross, or at the very least badly targeted (how often have you seen me write about hip hop on this site??). This one, however, caught my eye...or rather my ear. Here is what the e-mail had to say:"Jay has never released an album in the traditional sense, but has sold out shows in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Toronto, Tel Aviv and...

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The weekly round-up from over at Star Maker Machine - Footwear

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 04:15:00 +0000

My posts this week: - Slip In Mules - Sugar Pie DeSanto (this one went down espcially well)- Red Shoes (The Angels Wanna Wear My) - Elvis Costello (plus a lovely cover by Hem) - In These Shoes? - Kirsty MacColl - Red shoes edition - featuring Chris Rea, Tom Waits, Sawyer Brown, Elton John, Kate Bush, Throwing Muses and David Bowie - Big Shoes - Jill Sobule - Boots or Hearts - The Tragically Hip and - Walk A Mile - Holly Golightly (get more Holly Golightly in this live music review) This week...

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Live Music Review: Holly Golightly and The Brokeoffs, Newcastle Cluny, 17/06/08

noreply@blogger.com (Divinyl) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 18:30:00 +0000

This is the third time that I have seen Holly Golightly live and, as always, she was excellent. Unfortunately, after a late start (in fact, we waited so long for things to kick off that Weary Blues From Waiting came around twice on the background CD...but there are no complaints from me about that!), there were still only about 35 people there to see the spectacle; this was a shame, but it did lend a certain intimacy to the gig – an atmosphere that may well have been different with a larger...

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