Time to dance off all the weight we gained yesterday. The late, great James Brown is here to show us how. Hat-tip to The Barman for this top find.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Creeple People on YouTube
My childhood next-door neighbor and original comrade in rock and roll fandom, George Galvas, had a band in the 90s called the Creeple People. You can't find much evidence of this band's existence anywhere, but they were a good, snarly garage-punk outfit with a lot of quality material from George's pen. I did stumble across this video somebody did that combines their version of the surf tune "Mr. Moto" with some wave-riding footage. Too bad there's not something more representative of them out there, but here it is:
Monday, November 23, 2009
If you want to be trite, be trite
Since I'm always trying to check out cultural touchstones from the past I may have missed, we put Harold And Maude on our Netflix queue. Well, after watching it for the first time, then reading all the glowing reviews on the IMDB, I am baffled that so many people think it's the greatest movie ever. What are all you people smoking?
The concept is cute, and the story is a nice reversal of the usual older-man-younger-woman cliche, but the execution? Not one character in this exercise in self-serious silliness resembles an actual human being, Harold's flighty straw-mother being the worst example. The script is riddled with loose ends where some action would lead to big trouble in the real world, and then we cut to the next scene like nothing happened. (Call me humorless, but while stealing a cop's motorcycle for a joyride might be a fun adolescent fantasy, the movie treats it as just another quirky day for lovable old Maude and we never hear about it again, which is asking a lot from the viewer in terms of suspension of disbelief.)
Ruth Gordon did a good job of making her character believable as someone a moody young man could fall for, despite what she was given to work with. Bud Cort came off more like a baby-faced Norman Bates than the poor, misunderstood, sensitive little rich boy he was supposed to be. Everybody else was a cardboard character set up for us to sneer at. The ending was a forced ironic cop-out. By the time it was all over, I was starting to really detest Cat Stevens. So that's the movie my high school friends were all talking about? Whatever, maaan.
The concept is cute, and the story is a nice reversal of the usual older-man-younger-woman cliche, but the execution? Not one character in this exercise in self-serious silliness resembles an actual human being, Harold's flighty straw-mother being the worst example. The script is riddled with loose ends where some action would lead to big trouble in the real world, and then we cut to the next scene like nothing happened. (Call me humorless, but while stealing a cop's motorcycle for a joyride might be a fun adolescent fantasy, the movie treats it as just another quirky day for lovable old Maude and we never hear about it again, which is asking a lot from the viewer in terms of suspension of disbelief.)
Ruth Gordon did a good job of making her character believable as someone a moody young man could fall for, despite what she was given to work with. Bud Cort came off more like a baby-faced Norman Bates than the poor, misunderstood, sensitive little rich boy he was supposed to be. Everybody else was a cardboard character set up for us to sneer at. The ending was a forced ironic cop-out. By the time it was all over, I was starting to really detest Cat Stevens. So that's the movie my high school friends were all talking about? Whatever, maaan.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
Spin around and fly, fly, fly
Our friends Junko and Mark of Cyclub know how to put on a party. Here is the video invitation for the incredible event they hosted last Saturday, Amid all the fun ambient video collage, you can hear their insanely catchy theme song, "Cyclub Cafe". This is a band/art project full of heart, imagination and international social consciousness. Pay attention.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Faces blur in the flash
Just because the mood strikes us...
The Content Providers' first and last shows at the Hotel Utah in San Francisco, featuring two completely different lineups, sounds, and attitudes. Such is life.
"Are You A Good Witch Or A Bad Witch?" in 2003 (I'm not really balding; it's just an optical illusion):
"Soft Shoulder" in 2008 (note: I am coming down with the flu here and my voice isn't at its best, so Davis steps in with some strong country harmonies):
The Content Providers' first and last shows at the Hotel Utah in San Francisco, featuring two completely different lineups, sounds, and attitudes. Such is life.
"Are You A Good Witch Or A Bad Witch?" in 2003 (I'm not really balding; it's just an optical illusion):
"Soft Shoulder" in 2008 (note: I am coming down with the flu here and my voice isn't at its best, so Davis steps in with some strong country harmonies):
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Our new ad for Ear Candle Productions will be in the next Big Takeover Music Mag! Thank you Jack Rabid for reminding us to get one in!
You see it large and sooner here!
There are benefits to visiting our Blog!
EAR CANDLE PRODUCTIONS BTO AD Fall 2009
Note: It's a big file, but it's gorgeous. We're so stoked to have nine-going-on-ten albums.
There are benefits to visiting our Blog!
EAR CANDLE PRODUCTIONS BTO AD Fall 2009
Note: It's a big file, but it's gorgeous. We're so stoked to have nine-going-on-ten albums.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Ear Candle Radio's Top 20: October 2009
Ex-Slits guitarist Viv Albertine, who was so impressive at the Part Time Punks show at the Mezzanine a month back, vaults to the top position with a track from her limited edition four-song EP. Close behind are our own Experimental Bunnies with a long, hypnotic jam from the Biology And Physics album, and A.J. In Evolution, who actually contacted our station asking for airplay, and won us over with a flamenco-flavored instrumental. Yoko Ono, with some help from Sean, gives us a potent dose of anti-nuclear thrash-punk while Tom Lehrer serenades us with a bit of vintage satire.
Porter Wagoner's tragic ballad of the poor man in the rubber room continues to resonate with our listeners. MC5's classic "what's going on in this world?? I can't handle it!!!" rave up follows, then LaVern Baker calls on the ultimate super-mensch, Jim Dandy, and East Coast Middle-East-jazz-rock-fusioneers Consider The Source lay some sensuous grooves on your ears.
Ex-Smog mastermind Bill Callahan instructs us to put away childish things, the late Willy DeVille cautions the youth not to make the mistakes he did (in a song that the Content Providers also covered on What Is Truth?), young SF band Festizio admonish their superficial peers, Ana Da Silva and the Raincoats take us on a surreal journey, John Cale serenades medieval Spain, and the Rutles rock out in a Rat Keller style.
Johnny Cash appears with the angry pro-Native American story-song that was banned from country radio in the '60s, the Mekons and Fairport Convention represent two threads of UK folk-rock, the Buzzcocks get stuck in a mental feedback loop, and Robert Wyatt holds the #20 spot with an instrumental tribute to multicultural London.
Keep tuning in! We are putting together a new playlist soon.
1. Viv Albertine - If Love - 4 Track EP
2. The Experimental Bunnies - Our Just Rewards Are Right Around The Corner - Biology And Physics
3. A.J. In Evolution (Aka A.J. Fritscher) - A Trip In Barcelona - A Work In Progress
4. Yoko Ono/IMA - Warzone - Rising
5. Tom Lehrer - Pollution - That Was The Year That Was
6. Porter Wagoner - The Rubber Room - The Rubber Room
7. MC5 - Over And Over - The Big Bang! Best Of The MC5
8. LaVern Baker - Jim Dandy - Soul on Fire: The Best of LaVern Baker
9. Consider The Source - Patterns - Esperanto
10. Bill Callahan - Faith/Void - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
11. Mink DeVille - Slow Drain - Le Chat Bleu
12. Festizio - Every Now And Again - Festizio
13. The Raincoats - Balloon - Moving
14. John Cale - Andalucia - Paris 1919
15. The Rutles - Blue Suede Schubert - The Rutles
16. Johnny Cash - The Ballad Of Ira Hayes - The Essential 3.0 Johnny Cash
17. The Mekons - Perfect Mirror - Natural
18. Fairport Convention - Genesis Hall - Unhalfbricking
19. The Buzzcocks - Hollow Inside - A Different Kind Of Tension
20. Robert Wyatt - On The Town Square - Comicopera
Porter Wagoner's tragic ballad of the poor man in the rubber room continues to resonate with our listeners. MC5's classic "what's going on in this world?? I can't handle it!!!" rave up follows, then LaVern Baker calls on the ultimate super-mensch, Jim Dandy, and East Coast Middle-East-jazz-rock-fusioneers Consider The Source lay some sensuous grooves on your ears.
Ex-Smog mastermind Bill Callahan instructs us to put away childish things, the late Willy DeVille cautions the youth not to make the mistakes he did (in a song that the Content Providers also covered on What Is Truth?), young SF band Festizio admonish their superficial peers, Ana Da Silva and the Raincoats take us on a surreal journey, John Cale serenades medieval Spain, and the Rutles rock out in a Rat Keller style.
Johnny Cash appears with the angry pro-Native American story-song that was banned from country radio in the '60s, the Mekons and Fairport Convention represent two threads of UK folk-rock, the Buzzcocks get stuck in a mental feedback loop, and Robert Wyatt holds the #20 spot with an instrumental tribute to multicultural London.
Keep tuning in! We are putting together a new playlist soon.
1. Viv Albertine - If Love - 4 Track EP
2. The Experimental Bunnies - Our Just Rewards Are Right Around The Corner - Biology And Physics
3. A.J. In Evolution (Aka A.J. Fritscher) - A Trip In Barcelona - A Work In Progress
4. Yoko Ono/IMA - Warzone - Rising
5. Tom Lehrer - Pollution - That Was The Year That Was
6. Porter Wagoner - The Rubber Room - The Rubber Room
7. MC5 - Over And Over - The Big Bang! Best Of The MC5
8. LaVern Baker - Jim Dandy - Soul on Fire: The Best of LaVern Baker
9. Consider The Source - Patterns - Esperanto
10. Bill Callahan - Faith/Void - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
11. Mink DeVille - Slow Drain - Le Chat Bleu
12. Festizio - Every Now And Again - Festizio
13. The Raincoats - Balloon - Moving
14. John Cale - Andalucia - Paris 1919
15. The Rutles - Blue Suede Schubert - The Rutles
16. Johnny Cash - The Ballad Of Ira Hayes - The Essential 3.0 Johnny Cash
17. The Mekons - Perfect Mirror - Natural
18. Fairport Convention - Genesis Hall - Unhalfbricking
19. The Buzzcocks - Hollow Inside - A Different Kind Of Tension
20. Robert Wyatt - On The Town Square - Comicopera
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