martes, 25 de enero de 2011
domingo, 23 de enero de 2011
miércoles, 19 de enero de 2011
Anna Calvi, Anna Calvi (2011)
Anna Calvi is the sound of a buzzing, pink neon sign on a sultry summers night, flickering outside your open window and casting candy-hued lines across your prone, murdered corpse. It’s the sounds of screeching tyres making a break for it through a blackened lane. The rumble of a tryst in an old lift, in an empty hotel. It’s the sounds of sex and death, perhaps happening simultaneously.
Miss Calvi is more than the sum of her parts. Her eerie guitar work is reminiscent of Buckley at his most lachrymose, Josh Pearson in full flow or even Will Sergeant. She can even belt it out like Ian McCulloch or Juanita Stien while she’s at it, although the facile comparison is always going to be PJ Harvey, (aided by the album being co-produced with Polly crony Rob Ellis), as she’s female, and has a guitar, does some singing. Nick Cave fancies her, taking her on the road on the latest Grinderman tour, and no doubt he sees some of himself in her nascent abilities. But it took Nick, and Polly, years, and much remoulding, to become as fully formed as this.
All this she crams in and more, Fado, Piaf, Ravel, Barber, and she can sound like many things at once, while constantly sounding like herself, and throughout it all there’s the tantalising promise of more to come. One hopes that she can harness the kind of mutability that’s served Polly Jean so well over the years, but for now allow this record to lure you down some rain streaked alley way and leave you in a pool of your own claret, mumbling at the beauty of it all. Oh sweet death, the seductress!
01. Rider To The Sea (2:47)
02. No More Words (3:53)
03. Desire (3:55)
04. Suzanne & I (4:11)
05. First We Kiss (3:09)
06. The Devil (4:43)
07. Blackout (4:05)
08. I'll Be Your Man (3:15)
09. Morning Light (4:13)
10. Love Won't Be Leaving (5:36)
martes, 18 de enero de 2011
Lovage, Music To Make Love To Your Old Lady By (2001)
Lovage is the name Nathaniel Merriweather, aka Dan the Automator, gave to the group he formed for his 2001 album Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By. He was assisted by a variety of other performers, including Mike Patton (of Faith No More and Fantomas), Kid Koala, Damon Albarn (of Blur), Prince Paul, Jennifer Charles (of Elysian Fields), and others. Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By was their first release.
Another art-hop incarnation from eccentric beat magician Dan "The Automator" Nakamura; the Automator's groundbreaking work appeared previously on such projects as Dr. Octagon's Dr. Octagonecologyst, Handsome Boy Modeling School, Deltron 3030, and the Gorillaz's self-titled album. For this affair, Nakamura returns as sonic paramour Nathaniel Merriweather (previously materializing as this character on the superb Handsome Boy joint) on a brooding but often darkly humorous journey through the dark side of the love life. The label 75Ark's given definition for lovage is "an herb that is said to be a benefit for relieving abdominal pains due to gastrointestinal gas...also touted to reduce flatulence when consumed as a tea." This satirical bent on the album at first seems to be a gentle mock on the quiet storm genre that over-romanticizes and almost trivializes the act of lovemaking. However, as Nakamura's ostensibly sensual beats begin to invade the listener's mind-frame, the music renders a feeling more of the painful nausea of a bad trip or a love hangover. While Nakamura is quite possibly one of the most accomplished beat processors in the realm of art hip-hop/electronica, his strict-composer approach on this project is occasionally inaccessible and at times unlistenable. Adding to the confusion is the erratic Neanderthal stylings of former Faith No More frontman Mike Patton and the sultry but often irritating vocals of Jennifer Charles (Elysian Fields). This duo represents the bulk of lyrical montage presented here and the results are often quite nightmarish sonically. Guest appearances from Afrikka Bambaata, Charmelle Carmel (Maseo of De la Soul), Chest Rockwell (Prince Paul), Damien Thorn VII of Deltron fame (Damon Albarn of Blur), and minimalist DJ Kid Koala lavish the project with texture and splotches of black humor. In the end, the Automator seems to have proposed something a bit too far flung to be enjoyable: exposing the act of love as a carnal and alienating endeavor. Too artsy and too much of a bitter herb to swallow. (http://www.allmusic.com/album/music-to-make-love-to-your-old-lady-by-r562438/review)
1 Ladies Love Chest Rockwell 1:19
2 Pit Stop (Take Me Home) 3:56
3 Anger Management 4:17
4 Everyone Has a Summer 4:16
5 To Catch a Thief 3:17
6 Lies and Alibis 3:16
7 Herbs, Good Hygiene and Socks 1:55
8 Book of the Month 4:28
9 Lifeboat 4:45
10 Strangers on a Train 4:36
11 Lovage (Love That Lovage, Baby) 1:04
12 Sex (I'm A) 6:19
13 Koala's Lament 3:53
14 Tea Time With Maseo 1:38
15 Stroker Ace 4:29
16 Archie and Veronica 6:05
Jennifer Charles: Vocals
Mike Patton: Vocals
Dan the Automator: Producer, Mixing
Kid Koala: Guest Appearance
Astacio The Nudist: Guitar
Daniel Spills: Keyboards
Afrika Bambaataa: Guest Appearance
Kid Krupa: Turntables
jueves, 13 de enero de 2011
Lou Donaldson, Good Gracious! (1963)
Good Gracious may be Lou Donaldson's record, but guitarist Grant Green and organist John Patton steal the show. Working with a tight, soulful groove laid down by drummer Ben Dixon, the guitarist and organist trade hot lines that often steal the thunder from Donaldson, who nevertheless turns in a robust, tuneful performance. Donaldson's tone is richer and fuller than it is on many of his early '60s records, and he really connects with the laid-back R&B grooves and soul-jazz vamps on Good Gracious, turning in melodic, memorable solos. However, Grant and Patton take the songs even further with their intense solos and fills; Patton, in particular, sounds on fire even when the tempo is mellow. Good Gracious still falls prey to some of the lazy tempos that pop up on most Lou Donaldson records, but it remains one of his finest soul-jazz sessions.
01 Bad John
02 The Holy Ghost
03 Cherry
04 Caracas
05 Good Gracious
06 Don't Worry 'Bout Me
Lou Donaldson: alto saxophone
Grant Green: Guitar
John Patton: Organ
Ben Dixon: Drums
miércoles, 12 de enero de 2011
Zach Hill, Face Tat (2010)
Whenever some avant-garde musician talks of wanting to make ‘pop’ music it always sounds like the polar opposite to what pop really is, even with the most elastic definition of an already nebulous genre. So when Zach Hill, the absurdly talented drummer with cult noiseniks Hellaand about three dozen other collaborative groups, drops the P-word in conjunction with guests such as No Age, Prefuse 73 and Devendra Banhart, it’s blindingly obvious this is going to be some off-kilter shit. And true to form ‘Face Tat’ is a relentless and abrasive outing through sounds and rhythms Ke$ha couldn’t mime over if she had the cast of Cheers shoved up her arse (which, let’s face it, she probably does).
It’s worth stating, though, that Hill clearly doesn’t, y’know, think any of this is going to be used on Glee any time soon. He’s more interested in the transportative rather than anything direct: ‘Second Life’, incorporating Banhart’s woozy couplets, is a lysergic ode to weirdness that sounds like the noises that accompany the end of a particularly visual mushroom trip, while ‘Gross Sales’ is a man-machine duel between Prefuse 73’s electronic and Hill’s organic percussion that slips into the hypnotic with alarming ease. Whatever Hill set out to do – ‘be weird’ would be our guess at his modus operandi – he’s conjured up some delightfully strange textures that sound charmingly lo-fi and homemade and uniquely futuristic at the same time.
The most obvious touchstone for the majority of the album, though, is Lightning Bolt. ‘The Sacto Smile’ is a pure animal frenzy of percussion and screeched, cut-up vocals that kind of sound like a malfunctioning robot shouting “I think I’m a fucking robot!” over and over, while ‘House Of Hits’ eases up the throttle in terms of pace but retains the essential weirdness and kinetic fury of Hill’s octo-limbed drumming. But considering the bass bounce of ‘The Primitives Talk’ and ‘Total Recall’’s punk thrash it’s clear the drummer’s keen to do more than bludgeon.
Trouble is, it’s just so much to take in that much of what makes 'Face Tat’ impressive gets lost in the whirlwind – it’s like getting mugged by a gang of rowdy ideas. There are enough shifts in mood (if we’re talking in emoticons ‘Jackers’ is a bit :s while ‘Green Bricks’ is pure XD) to keep things the right side of ‘difficult’ but the lack of discernible structure means just when a killer chorus could drop and elevate the whole thing into the realms of genius the direction change is so jarring it can be frustrating. Moral of the story: don’t listen to this while operating heavy machinery or people will die.
Rob Parker (http://www.nme.com/reviews/zach-hill/11771)
1. Memo To The Man
2. The Primitives Talk
3. Ex-Ravers
4. The Sacto Smile
5. Green Bricks
6. House Of Hits
7. Jackers
8. Burner In The Video
9. Dizzy From The Twins
10. Gross Sales
11. Total Recall
12. Face Tat
13. Second Life
Carson McWhirter
Devendra Banhart
Nick Reinhart
Zach Hill
info & buy |
Vato Negro, Bumpers (2008)
1. Brothers Gonna Work It Out 07:24
2. Pardon Granted 00:36
3. Sidestepper 15:40
4. Loss of Interest 00:47
5. Snow Shoe Impact 06:40
6. Crowd Control 00:42
7. Under The Vatican 08:43
8. Eight Year Old Idea 00:55
9. Hydroxanator 06:21
10. Plagiarism x 10 00:35
11. Saturated Elf Man 03:21
12. '73 LTD 00:47
13. Lack Of Focus 04:39
14. Lumbar Puncture 00:52
15. Wankershim 01:26
16. Humble Offerings 02:35
17. Catamaran Blues 00:42
Vato Negro: Juan Alderete, Deantoni Parks & Omar Rodriguez Lopez
info & buy |
sábado, 8 de enero de 2011
Wynton Marsalis Feat. Paco De Lucia, Vitoria Suite (with Jazz at Lincoln Center Orch.) (2010)
Wynton Marsalis, one of the most respected living jazz musicians, returns with a new large scale work, recorded with his longtime collaborators Jazz At Lincoln Center, with a guest appearance from flamenco legend Paco De Lucia. Inspired by travels in Spain, and recorded in Vitoria, Vitoria Suite is a 12-part work, the structure inspired by the 12 measures of the blues. Marsalis uses the impulse of the blues as a foundation to jointly explore the music of two worlds and two cultures: the jazz and blues of North America and the indigenous Basque music and Flamenco of Spain.
cd1
01 big-12 - gran doce 08:34
02 smooth in the night - suave en la noche 05:07
03 jason and jasone - jason y jasone 07:28
04 bulera el portaln 08:39
05 blood cry - la llamada de la sangre 05:34
06 iaki's decision - la decisin de iaki 11:15
cd2
01 tree of freedom - el rbol de la libertad 10:31
askatasunaren zuhaitza
02 deep blue (from the foam) - profundo lamento 10:39
(desde la espuma)
03 this land and the ocean - esta tierra y el mar 08:06
04 dato street fiesta - fiesta en la calle dato 07:28
05 basque song - cancin vasca - euskal abestia 04:42
06 menditzorrotza swing - menditzorrotza swing 06:36
Annie Leibovitz, Una Vida a Través de la Cámara, Barbara Leibovitz (2006)
Annie Leibovitz está considerada como una de las fotógrafas más influyentes de este siglo. Es la responsable de algunas de las imágenes más representativas de los últimos treinta años recogidas en publicaciones tan prestigiosas como la revista Rolling Stone, Vogue o Vanity Fair. Dirigido por su hermana menor, el documental hace un recorrido por la vida profesional y personal de Leibovitz. En él se revela la intimidad personal de la fotógrafa a través de sus imágenes como las tomadas a su compañera sentimental, la fallecida escritora y activista política, Susan Sontag.
Documental
EE.UU. - 2006- 83'
Director: Barbara Leibovitz.
Producción: Avalon
También la Lluvia, Icíar Bollaín (2011)
Sebastián y Costa, ambos en la treintena, se han propuesto hacer una película sobre uno de los más grandes personajes de la historia, Cristóbal Colón. Mientras que Sebastián, que es el director, quiere desmitificar al personaje presentándolo como un hombre ambicioso que se dedica a la búsqueda de oro, al tráfico de esclavos y a la explotación de los indígenas; a Costa sólo le importa ajustar la película al modesto presupuesto del que disponen, si es preciso rodando en Bolivia, uno de los países más baratos y con mayor población indígena de Hispanoamérica. Finalmente, deciden rodar en la ciudad de Cochamba y alrededores, donde la privatización y venta del agua a una multinacional está sembrando el descontento entre la población. La película avanza con dificultad mientras la violencia crece de día en día hasta que toda la ciudad explota en la tristemente famosa Guerra Boliviana del Agua (ocurrida en abril del año 2000). Quinientos años después del descubrimiento de América, palos y piedras se enfrentan de nuevo al acero y la pólvora de un ejército moderno. Solo que esta vez no luchan por el oro, sino por el más simple de los elementos vitales: el agua. Pasado y presente, ficción y realidad, se mezclan y toman forma a través de las decisiones y del enfrentamiento entre dos hombres jóvenes cuyas conciencias les guiarán hasta donde nunca hubieran imaginado. (FILMAFFINITY)
Director:
Icíar Bollaín
Guionista:
Paul Laverty (guionista)
Fecha de Estreno:
5 enero 2011 (España)
Género:
Historia
Reparto:
Gael García Bernal ... Sebastián
Luis Tosar ... Costa
Karra Elejalde ... Antón / Cristóbal Colón
Raúl Arévalo ... Juan / Antonio de Montesinos
Cassandra Ciangherotti ... Maria
Carlos Santos ... Alberto / Bartolomé de las Casas
Carlos Aduviri ... Daniel / Hatuey
Dani Currás
info |
Fred Frith, Eye To Ear 3 (2010)
Fred Frith continues to be one of the most important composer/performers of his generation—a groundbreaking, genre busting musical master whose work ranges from improvisation to rock, classical, folk and more. The third volume of his film soundtrack music is his most diverse and accomplished work to date, and includes studio work from the past six years. Features some of the greatest musicians in the Bay Area music scene.
1–11. Troja Suite
1. Love Parade
2. The Wedding
3. Crossing the Bosporus
4. Inside Outside
5. The Wedding (Catwalk Remix)
6. The Prisoners Confined
7. The Prisoners Released
8. Escape of Our Heroes
9. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (for Ennio Morricone)
10. Redemption (for Edward Artemiev)
11. Drei Gegen Troja
12–16. Water Music
12. Water Music 1
13. Water Music 2
14. Water Music 3
15. Water Music 4
16. Water Music 5
Wu Fei: Gu Zheng
Fred Frith: Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Home-made Instruments
Heather Heise: Piano, Melodica
Carla Kihlstedt: Violin, Nyckelharpa
Tilman MÜller: Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Sheela Bringi: Bansuri
Ada Gosling: Violin
Gino Robair: Percussion
Bernd Settelmeyer: Percussion, Waterphon
info |
viernes, 7 de enero de 2011
Vampyr, Carl Theodor Dreyer (1932)
Uno de los temas que llegó a ser de frondosa recurrencia dentro del cine de terror es el tema del vampiro. Bien sea de forma explícita como dejan constancia las decenas de películas sobre Drácula, hasta implícitas como en la monumental Persona de Bergman. Así como en literatura, el vampiro ha sido trabajado profusamente en el cine. Entre los filmes de culto sobre el tema vampírico destaca por su rareza Vampyr de Dreyer (1931) Una película interesante con una propuesta cinematográfica que nos devuelve a las fantasmagóricas películas del expresionismo alemán. Vampyr pretende plantear un juego que nos lleva por los vericuetos del onirismo y a veces del surrealismo.
Una película que nació como un propuesta comercial terminó siendo un fracaso absoluto, al igual que su predecesora, Juana de Arco. Sin embargo, deja un dulce sabor sanguíneo en el paladar de quienes sentimos una inclinación hacia el vampirismo, tanto literario como cinematográfico. Dreyer construye su historia desde las narraciones de Sheridan Le Fanu con un certero golpe de expresionismo germánico.
Las copias que se conservan no permiten disfrutar la interesante puesta en escena, en tal sentido, nos imaginamos el filme en su versión original desde las referencias históricas. Por cierto, resulta interesante saber que la película se estrena el mismo año que se estrena la popular Drácula de Browning, así como la genial versión al español de Melford. Vampyr no está a la altura de estas películas, y probablemente tampoco lo esté del Nosferatu de Murnau filmada nueve años antes, pero lo que sí hay dejar claro, es que resulta ser una película fascinante y perturbadora. Un clásico dentro del cine vampírico y una referencia obligatoria de los orígenes del cine de terror universal.
Directed by
Carl Theodor Dreyer (as Carl Th. Dreyer)
Writing credits
Sheridan Le Fanu (based on a book by) (as J. Sheridan Le Fanu)
Christen Jul (screenplay) and
Carl Theodor Dreyer (screenplay) (as Carl Th. Dreyer)
Cast
Julian West ... Allan Grey
Maurice Schutz ... Der Schlossherr (Lord of the Manor)
Rena Mandel ... Gisèle
Sybille Schmitz ... Léone
Jan Hieronimko ... Der Dorfartz - Village Doctor
Henriette Gérard ... Die alte Frau von Friedhof - The Woman from the Cemetery (as Henriette Gérard)
Albert Bras ... Der alte Diener - Old Servant
N. Babanini ... Seine Frau (His Wife)
Jane Mora ... Die Krankenschwester / Nurse
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Georges Boidin ... Limping Man
Produced by
Carl Theodor Dreyer .... producer (uncredited)
Julian West .... producer (uncredited)
Original Music by
Wolfgang Zeller
Cinematography by
Rudolph Maté
Louis Née (uncredited)
Film Editing by
Tonka Taldy (uncredited)
Art Direction by
Hermann Warm
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Preben Birch .... assistant director (uncredited)
Ralph Holm .... assistant director (uncredited)
Eliane Tayar .... assistant director (uncredited)
Art Department
César Silvagni .... set designer (uncredited)
Sound Department
Hans Bittman .... sound recordist (as Dr. Hans Bittman)
Paul Falkenberg .... sound editor
Special Effects by
Henri Armand .... special effects (uncredited)
Other crew
Paul Falkenberg .... dialogue director
Jorgen S. Jorgensen .... presenter (uncredited)
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