So it’s James Lavelle here, and the previous album called »War Stories«, and we’re galored with a huge list of features (Josh Homme, Chris Goss, Gavin Clark, Joel Cadbury, James Petralli etc.). So far the approach and mixes got much to do with Coldplay or Sigur Ros meets new-wave-in-pop-charts. Is it all a bit amporph…

Chet? Did you really had to go when you did? It was a Friday 13th (of course), May 1988. I will never forget it, I had seen you the week before with Philip and Riccardo in Paris (Oliver and Micheline were there too). »In Chicago« is an unreleased studio recording, but I think this appelation…

What is it? Kraftwerk curates Robert Smith featuring Crazy Frog?  God is this lead singer unbarable! We’re already two minutes and half into this track (»Olio«), and it only sounds like an intro to nowhere. Some electronic sonar pulse tries to push it a bit now before that obnoxious cold wave falsetto starts again to…

Great digipack with large pictures of Peruvian traditional life and rituals. I’m not too sure where it links (if it ever does, but I don’t need it either so all is fine up to now), but whatever. Energetic Rock in some style I cannot quite detail nor refine for you here (sorry). The guitars, being…

We want the fuckin‘ sure, yes: IN! Man, when rappers get so melodic, melancholic, a touch of bigo Barry W., still the sharpness of the street, the funkyness of the words that roll for good in one’s mouths into one’s brain and body. That’s the real deal, that’s the real kiff, the goodie riff. Here Stormey is…

As you all know by now, I’m barely alphabetized (un). The first clues I click to here is the word »Chicago« (Not the Band), then wandering through the credits it seems like this is a new album plus some reissues from a previous 2004  EP of  the same. Great, let’s hear It! Tight post-indie rock…

When we come down to it the question might as well be: what’s possibly left of jazz guitar in 2008? – A tradition, some contemporaneity, a goal, something else? Wolfgang Shalk is an Austrian in America (or from Graz to New York, via a long CV of must do, learn and play, in »Jazz-if-ya-expecta-ta-getta-somewha- toda«)….

Ein »Pro-Bama move your ass and your vote will follow«-Soundtrack? Was ist das? Ein Foonkystrudel? Mit Erykah Badu und Honig – ich wei&szlig es wirklich nicht. Vielleicht Greatful Dead trifft George Clinton? Oder besser: Prince (the man known as) trifft Snoop Dogg mit Carlos Santana (und Antonio Banderas an der Cow-bell)? Ich will damit nicht…

Everything shows here it must be Rap R&B orientated. First track’s got even a »Same & Dave covered by the artist known as Prince«“ touch, although the intro seems to last the whole song, and you never get started so that the second time that little push-play piano part starts to remind you of Sir…

I can’t stand white people shaved heads giving themselves a style, like on this cover. I never could actually so nothing new. What do we get here again? A pretty Fender Rhodes melody opens a total bublegum 80’s dull pop, and the vocals hit the song straight away. The good point is it’s so straightforward…

I guess I’m facing a very distinctive production with all sorts of clues and signs on the cover if you know what it is already. To me it’s blindness so far. A cowboy has been drawn, it seems having to do with »the road«, country side and USA but then what? – Just heard some…

An artwork drawing you mind to an halt, somewhere in between David Lynch, some video games and a little manga touch, all on digipack (by Eric Perez). I really like the label’s »resonnance« actually, ohmresistance is a good name. Opening it I see some names I can recognize too: Bill Laswell, Robert Musso, Submerged ……

Frankly, from watching the »menu« I’m a little scared already. The album is made as a series of medleys through historical and famous vocal groups (Abba, Andrews Sisters, Jon Hendricks, Comedian Harmonists, Manhattan Transfer, The Supremes etc. …) and there you go. What can I say much about such a production, by all means it’s…

Tarwater is a band I often confuse with other bands having names in the same area of letters and soundings I guess. A soundtrack, some grooves and audio pictures. Somewhere between 80’s ideas of musical ensembles and productions plus a little old tech electronics. Still it gets pretty skin shortly after its start. I don’t…

The reason I decided to listen to this new Jane Monheit album is this one: In general when you know who she is, know the frame and label it released on, know the musicians and overall concept, you can only come up with a 99 % a priori (not at all cause it?s bad, it…

A bit hard for me to »frame«. With Jazzhaus I thought of a first orientation, then once I played it I faced another one. The cover shows a rather rocking intense woman with an electric (godin) guitar (and a Stevie Ray Vaughn/Hendrix leather strap). The info says she does backing vocals for Patrica Kaas, and…

They look really sweet on their album (digipacked). Truely dedicated, honestly involved and slightly thurstonmoorish. Coming from Piemont, the Italian Alps and as indicated on the notes »recorded in mystic locations of the Western Alps«. The two guys seem a hair older while she seems not even out of her teens but gives a beautiful…

It opens with a taste of some japanese neo realist movie soundtrack pre »Hiroshima Mon Amour« or post »Germany Year Zero« (depending on distribution in the origins) and follows with a little too many loops, shakuachis, harps and other »Geisha-Girl« arrangements. It ain’t as special and accurate as George Delerue, nor as transformed as Sakamoto,…

And another record we get. I immediately notice the feature of Dick Rivers on the last track and this absolutely wakes me up. It says to have some gipsy, balkan and klezmer tones, but it sounds rather Irish Pub influenced to me (Irish Pubs are everywhere in the world, like McDonalds though). It’s only when…

Zwicker seems Swiss, electro, pop or dance (or the other way around, however). On the tracklisting, like in most of these electro productions, you find a list of features (mostly vocals usually), and »cheers mate«. I really like the pseudo: Heidi Happy (when Schlager took my dreams away?). As for the rest of the content…

The sheet says he is an important producer of avantgarde electronics in Poland. It?s of course, or as one would have expected, pretty churchy religious sounding, but all very seriously written and recorded. To be honest it?s very Penderecki in it?s core I find. Music to raise towards »the unique« and »un-named«, very holy-gothic but…

Do you also think ECM should only get released during colder months of the year? In summer I really have no guts for these spaces, slow motions and other magic Celtic tales. Expect here it isn?t Celtic at all but Oriental. Again what can I say: It?s beautiful music, very well played, recorded, produced and…

Is it an obvious parody of the famous Don Cherry cover album picture in some Tibetan dressings sitting in the middle? Nice music though, a little low-pop, neo-folk, electro and roots. Songs without really the vocalist in front, music without a too strong focus but rather a little pathways to route you. A bit of…

# 17 – Moins je suis ce que je suis,
plus leur gentillesse a prise – c’est en dire la valeur !

# 11 – Qu’on m’apporte mon Van Houten
ou je commets un chocolat !

Friedrich Nietzsche  (Inédits in « Mort parce que Bête » – Le Parc Editions)

» deutsche Version

Hypotheses : Le Jazz-Rock contre La crise. Mais laquelle de crise, au juste ? Celle des Pouvoirs d’Achats ( multiples ), Celles des Individus, des groupes, des communautés, ou même celle des cultes ?

We want the fuckin sure yes: IN! Man, when rappers get so melodic, melancholic, a touch of bigo Barry W., still the sharpness of the street, he funkiness of the words that roll for good in one\’s mouths into one’s brain and body. That’s the real deal, that\’s the real riff, the goodie riff. Stormey…

So it’s James Lavelle here, and the previous albums called »War Stories«, and we’re galored with a huge list of features (Josh Homme, Chris Gross, Gavin Clark, Joel Cadbury, James Petralli, etc.). So far the approach and mixes got much to do with Coldplay or Sigur Ros meets New-Wave-in-Pop-Charts. Is it all a bit amporph…

When we come down to it the question might as well be: What’s possibly left of Jazz Guitar today in 2008? – A tradition, some contemporaneity, a goal, something else? – Wolfgang Shalk is an Austrian in America (or from Graz to New-York, via a long CV of must do, learn and play, in »Jazz-if-ya-expecta-ta-getta-somewha-…

What is it? Kraftwerk curates Robert Smith featuring Crazy Frog?God is this lead singer unbearable! We\’re already two minutes and half into this track (»Olio«), and it only sounds like an intro to nowhere. Some electronic sonar pulse tries to push it a bit now before that obnoxious cold wave falsetto starts again to yell…

Great Digipack with large Pictures of Peruvian traditional life and rituals. I\’m not too sure where it links (if it ever does, but I don’t need it either so all is fine up to now), but whatever. Energetic Rock in some style I cannot quite detail nor refine for you here (sorry). The guitars, being…