#NewMusicSunday: Black Sun by Death Cab for Cutie

There is whiskey in the water
And there is death upon the vine
And there is grace within forgiveness
But it's so hard for me to find

How could something so fair
Be so cruel
When this black sun revolved
Around you
How could something so fair
Be so cruel
When this black sun revolved
Around you

#NewMusicSunday: associating a lazy Sunday to that that great feeling of discovering a new song. That's what this hashtag wants to be about. A song with lyrics that stick in your head. A song that brings with it a mood. A song that can connect some inner dots of a particular feeling. I find the band has a great name and they have a new album out on 31 March 2015, of which Black Sun is the first single. 

A Glass Music Hall is looking for a new home

A Glass Music Hall in the Beurs van Berlage building in Amsterdam will be given away for free or destroyed. The centrally located building needs more conference space and therefore took the decision to dismantle the structure that was built 25 years ago and that was used a rehearsal space by the Dutch Philarmonic Orchestra.

Animal Collective live @ Paradiso, Amsterdam 17/5/2011

Spectacural visual fields were constructed, jointly progressing with sound, vocals used as an instrument and light guiding the intake of this empowering experience.

We were left begging for more: watching another band will never be the same again, as the visual part is so strong you wonder why it has played a relatively minor role in the presentation of music so far.

Having sound and music presented in such a way really helps to focus your attention on trying to decode such an abstract body of work. This isn't just music, it's art.

I really enjoyed it.

P.S. I made some videos but the quality of the sound it's so bad I feel a bit sorry to upload it, but it's just to give you an idea.







If you are new to Animal Collective maybe start with My Girls (2009)

Rainy Sunday Afternoon

A video to watch over and over again to grasp its complexity and beauty. This version has English intertitles to follow Yo Yo Mundi's lyrics in Italian.

sexmob live @ Bimhuis

Bimhuis is an incredible venue, with 180 degrees view over Amsterdam. Sexmob are touring Europe with their experimental repertoire of Jazz and breathtaking notes nicely played to an attentive audience

Animal Collective

Merriweather Post Pavillion, Animal Collective's new album released this January is a great "watery" listen. I especially enjoy My Girls.

It's a musical

I saw this band live and they are good, I like their artwork on their website and merchandise and sound original, the drummer plays a xylophone on the side of his drumkit and lead vocalist plays keyboards, their sound is quite refreshing. You can listen to their songs on their www.myspace.com/itsamusicalberlin and judge for yourself. They are extensively touring Europe right now.

A top jazz evening

Paolo Tomelleri and his sextet played a wonderful set of old Jazz tunes at Alessandria's Conservatory courtyard on the 28th of August. A top track was "Manteca" one of the first experiments on mixing jazz with Cuban music.

Hometown Glory

New voices needed for the festive period. Well, among the ones I manage to discover through the web I recommend Jack Penate and Adele. They are both from London and they are probably friends. Have a look at Jack's and Adele's myspace to hear some of their music. I really like the song Hometown Glory. The piano intro and her voice are really touching. There are various versions of the song around. Here is a stripped down guitar only version played in a library. What more do you want for Christmas?

Office Escapism

Office workers from the world unite and lipdub!
As escaping the workaholic culture is becoming more and more difficult, here is a creative way to join forces with your bosses for a joyous day at the office.


Lip Dub - Flagpole Sitta by Harvey Danger from amandalynferri on Vimeo.

Reckoner

Here is a stripped down version of one of my favourite tracks from In Rainbows.



Also here is an interview to the band

Radiohead

A 15 seconds ad on Radiohead's new album In Rainbows



I like the album, I bought it a month ago from their website and I especially enjoy 15 Steps, Reckoner and Jigsaw Falling into Place. I am now thinking of going to see them live. Last time I saw them was in Benicassim, Spain in 2002. What a festival.

The Wombats - Let's Dance to Joy Division

Brand new video from The Wombats. They are on 14th Floor Records, I must check out the label's roster I think they also have a Spanish act that sent me an invitation through Myspace. This is a low key video, I like their name written on the wall and its energy.

Watch and Listen to Wilco

Once you get a chance to discover a great group and start listening to it with due attention the ability we now have to visualize the work is something I am really grateful for. I have been listening to Wilco's Sky Blue Sky and immediately fell in love with the great guitar solos on Impossible Germany one of the high points of this 2007 release. Do take some time to see this 8 minute long video with the band in studio playing the track and the lead singer shedding some light on the lyrics.

This is London singin'

Free singing on a bus in London: it makes great community building. A recipe to export in every city. It seems that July is a great month for cities to get 'musical'.

Modern World

I was once impressed by the very many interesting videos I could discover thanks to music videos channels. It is now up to the web letting me discover nice music promos, and at times it is a music video that gives you the chance to find out about an artist you have never heard of. Wolf Parade are signed to SubPop Records, a label which is very much aware on how to break new acts and has a good space on the Revver video service which pays users to upload their videos, and yes quality is rewarded.

Bart beats the White Stripes

I wonder what Michel Gondry, author of the original clip for the White Stripes thinks of this great moment of popular culture.

Radiodread

This is a great album, I've been listening to it throughout the day. Funny nowadays how you find out about new music. I knew Easy Stars-All Stars for their previous The Dub Side of the Moon, then last night checking out ExtraTorino which is a newsletter and blog that talks about what's happening in Torino I've noticed a post talking about the New York band presenting their latest CD at local venue Hiroshima Mon Amour. This blog is in Italian but there is also an English website here. Well in case you plan to visit Torino this is a good place to start from.

Video Killed the Musician

Here is an interesting radio program from BBC 4 talking about how MTV came about 25 years ago. It looks into the reasons of its global success and the current tide of slow decline due to the rise of video over the internet. The interesting point made is that nowadays tons of emerging bands and solo artists have access to a potentially global audience thanks to things such as MySpace and YouTube. Think about OK!GO or the recently discovered artists thanks to the Internet. Well my example is France's Barth, I didn't see any videos on MTV but discovered him through MySpace, and like him other artists. If you are curious check him out here

For the BBC 4 radio program go to www.bbc.co.uk/radio
1. Open BBC Radio Player
2. Browse Radio 4
3. Look for Video Killed the Musician

Lee 'Scratch' Perry

I went to see him live with his band The Upsetters. They played last night in a festival in Northern Italy. Great stuff. The bass player and the drummer were top of the world. He's eccentric in his music as well as his clothing. Barefoot (socks on though) he did his little moves at the age of 71, but as he counts it, that makes 7 + 1 so he is 8 years old really.