Terrific documentary from 1980 on the roots of reggae. Director Howard Johnson interviews some of the seminal figures in the pioneering of ska, rock steady, toasting, sound systems and reggae. Deep Roots Music - Revival/Ranking contains some rarely seen archival footage of the early Jamaican music scene. This IS deep. Truly informed and informative with some great great music. With cinematography by the masterful Roger Deakins. Close to three hours of non-stop ranking!
Featuring: The Skatalites, Toots and The Maytals, Prince Buster, Lee Perry, Bob Marley, The Mighty Diamonds, U Roy and many more.
Duke Ellington stars in this fascinating short promotional film that explains the tricky and complex process by which the legendary jazz pianist and band leader made records back in the 1930s.
Bonus: 3 landmark tracks from Duke Ellington & His Orchestra, after the jump…
It would be silly of me to introduce Divorce to a brand new audience, I feel, without also pointing people in the direction of the other relatively new Glasgow band that absolutely slays (in a punk fashion) - Ultimate Thrush. Being the day that’s in it, this can act as another special dedication to Kate and Harry. Perhaps this is a suitable soundtrack to the conjugal rituals that will take place in Buckingham Palace tonight?
Ultimate Thrush come from the same Glasgow School Of Art-influenced noise/d.i.y. nexus as Divorce, but have a very different approach. Comprising just one guitarist, one drummer and a lead screamer, they too make one hell of a racket but this time sound like a more math-rock take on the better bits of the Jesus Lizard. It should be noted that the drummer and guitarist are brothers, and are both incredibly good and incredibly tight.
Another band who have a dedicated mosh-pit following, Ultimate Thrush usually take to the stage dressed only in white sheets, and have been known to crucify their fans for the benefit of spectacle. Their stated aim on forming was to piss people off, but this backfired majorly as they are now one of the most popular live acts in the city. They have toured the UK and released a split tape with Divorce on Milk/Winning Sperm Party, and their debut 10 track EP on Winning Sperm Party is one of the best rock releases I have heard in the last 5 years. If you like punk/noise/thrash/Black Flag/Melvins/Sonic Youth I really can’t recommend it highly enough. As a taster, check out these two rehearsal clips:
You can listen to and download (for free) the debut Ultimate Thrush EP from Winning Sperm Party. If you want to hear more, I guess you could go to their MySpace.
What a beautiful day. The sun us shining, birds are singing in the trees, flags are fluttering in the breeze. It is, indeed, a nice day for a white wedding. And down in old London town, ancient rites of passage are being replayed as we, the British Nation, stand as one in mind, body and spirit to salute the dawning of a new era, the start of a new chapter in how we the common people are governed over by ancient power elites.
As the future king takes his bride-to-very-shortly-be up the aisle, I too would like to do my small (but perhaps significant) part in helping write this page of history. Tonight I shall be dressing as a priest and singing “Gett Off” at a gypsy wedding reception in Salford, but until then I will turning the volume up, banging my head, and revelling in the girl-powered noise glory of Glasgow’s Divorce.
Inspired to form at a gig by modern noise legends Aids Wolf, Divorce launched in 2008 with a core ratio of four girls to one boy, and a run of chaotic but highly energised gigs around the city. The mosh-pits they inspire are instantaneous and legendary, with as many women being thrashed about as men. The group released their first (self-titled) 10” single on the Optimo label in 2009, to considerable acclaim, and have gone on to release split singles with Comanechi and Ultimate Thrush. A full album was recorded and mixed for release in 2010, but was put on indefinite hold after the departure of the singer Sinéad and guitarist Hillary.
While this may seem like a career-ender for anyone less committed, Divorce have taken it in their stride, moved on and hired a new singer called Jennifer. There have been some new demos floating around on the net of this new line up (that sound great) and having seen Divorce mark II play I can confirm that they have lost none of their energy and connection with the crowd. Now, if only they can get their fingers out and finish another album, then we’d really have an excuse for the country to take a day off work, get blind drunk, and beat up anybody perceived to be even slightly different.
This may be the best Dylan cover I’ve heard. Barely singing an intelligible word in English, this song and dance man from Japan manages to capture something purely Dylanesque. It’s in the intonation, the stretching of vowels and the aural equivalent of a sneer that transcends borders. The video demonstrates that you don’t have to speak English to sing a Dylan song. You just need to speak Dylan.
Here’s a rare video of Little Richard performing “It Ain’t What You Do” on American Bandstand on March 6, 1965 with his back-up band The Crown Jewels. Jimi Hendrix was a member of The Crown Jewels in ‘65 and there’s some debate as to whether or not Hendrix appears in this American Bandstand performance.
Is that Hendrix in a Royal Guardsman uniform at the 1:29 point in this clip? No one seems to know. I think it is. You may not. But the one thing I think we can all agree upon is that Little Richard is wearin’ a bitchin’ wig in this video.
Sound is out of synch but this thing is still amazing.
Kim Gordon talks to Style.com about her label X-Girl, shopping in New York and working with Chloe Sevigny.
Y’know, sometimes he does speak the truth. From the NME:
In an interview broadcast on BBC 5live this morning (April 27), the singer said he won’t be watching the wedding, which is set to be seen by a global audience of two billion people.
“Why would I watch the wedding? Why would I watch it?” Morrissey said. “I couldn’t take any of that seriously. I don’t think the so-called royal family speak for England now and I don’t think England needs them. I do seriously believe that they are benefit scroungers and nothing else. I don’t believe they serve any purpose whatsoever.”
Fresh from the Particularly Dangerous Situation in Atlanta comes this beautiful and haunting field recording made by mad genius composer/sound designer Richard Devine. I only wish this went on for at least a half hour more !
Recording of Tornado Sirens in the distance tonight in Atlanta GA. The sounds of the strong winds and rain can be heard moving through the trees creating for a eerie atmosphere. Short recording made with the Neumann RSM-191 A/S and Sound Devices 702 Digital Recorder at 24-bit 96khz. Recorded at Midnight April 27th 2011.
This seems like a nice way to end a Wednesday. Enjoy.
From DJ Oscar: “Here are 25 tracks in little over 30 minutes, celebrating those wonderful small pieces of sound and music that piece together the much loved Boards of Canada albums and early tapes.”
