Sasha's Involver record released back in 2004 was one of the early reasons i got interested in dance music, with its eclectic palette of sounds that took me on a listening journey of sorts. the release of the second volume in the series was recently announced to be in early September. having attended the Global Underground Involver 2 Preview Party at WMC this year, i've definitely been anticipating hearing more of the music from that night in detail. my first taste since is now available for listening on Sasha's Facebook Page, featuring samples of his remixes of M83's "Couleurs" and Ladytron's "Destroy Everything You Touch". the M83 track doesn't really do it for me, because I don't think Sasha's remix really adds anything to the original, but the Ladytron track is a real gem. not having heard the original, i don't have much basis for comparison, except to say that it's a damn fine piece of production from what i have heard of it. it's the one track from the Preview Party that i distinctly remember, and it definitely got a strong response from the crowd at Mynt Lounge that night.

read more about Involver 2 in an interview i did with Sasha & John Digweed for Progressive-Sounds back in April during the early stage of their US Spring Tour which kicked off during WMC.

this link for now

or possibly this one

Συνεχίζω μουσικά με τους Ladytron

by Junot Díaz

New York : Riverhead Books, 2007

p.72

“But that’s not what I wanted to tell you. It’s about that crazy feeling that started this whole mess, the bruja feeling that comes singing out of my bones, that takes hold of me the way blood seizes cotton. The feeling that tells me that everything in my life is about to change. It’s come back. Just the other day I woke up from all these dreams and it was there, pulsing inside of me. I imagine this is what it feels like to have a child in you. At first I was scared because I thought it was telling me to run away again, but every time I looked around our house, every time I saw my abuela, the feeling got stronger so I knew this was something different.”

In generale mi sento come una diciotenne che non sa cosa fare delle propria vita studentesca. Anzi quando avevo 18 anni avevo già chiaro cosa fare, nessun dubbio sulla mia istruzione post-superiori. Ora invece è dura, specializzarmi si ma in cosa? Prendere una doppia specializzazione? Suicidio. Si ma dove? A chi domandare, a che santo votarsi per avere qualche informazione dettagliata? Invii un'email in segreteria a cui chiedi informazioni su un corso e quello ti risponde inviandoti la brochure del master. Lo leggo. 6 mila euro in rata unica o in 3 comode (!) rate. Beh mi vendo un rene penso, mannòòòò io avevo chiesto dei corsi specialistici!! Cazzo. E ti vai ad informare anche sulle borse di studio, c'è chi vuole solo l'ISEE e chi invece pretende di farti un check-up completo con tanto di colloquio, presentazione curriculum, book, attestazione reddito e un relazione del 'perchè ci si considera meritevoli della borsa di studio'. Ma ho chiesto un prestito o una borsa di studio? Magari sono io che devo passare dei soldi alla commissione per avere dei soldi. Ma quant'è piccolo il mondo, anzi tangente. Cena dal cinese, ramen. Cena dal giapponese, onigiri. Vita casalinga, per di più è stata vita casalinga.
Fortunatamente sono finite le puntate di Naruto, a settembre credo che cominci lo Shippuden, speriamo che facciano un lavoro migliore i doppiatori perchè il doppiaggio delle ultime puntate è stato proprio osceno. Si perdono proprio tutti gli aspetti tragicomici dell'anime facendo risultare le relazioni che intercorrono tra i personaggi alquanto banalotte e la personalità di questi piatta. In sostituzione stanno trasmettendo One piece a cui mi sto via via appassionando, Sanji rientra di diritto tra i miei personaggi di anime preferiti. Vorrei recuperare qualche episodio in originale prima o poi, e ora che mi ricordo devo ancora comprare il primo numero del manga di Gintama e a proposito, ma quando ricominciano gli episodi?!?! E' dura distrarsi senza la faccia a pesce lesso di Gin. Odio l'estate.

Quella che si appresta è una vera e propria settimana di fuoco con ben 3 avvenimenti degni di nota (che sarebbero 6 ma facciamo 3) . Non dico niente, preferisco vuotare il sacco a cose fatte quindi sarò costretta (ma proprio a malincuore eh) ad assentarmi anche quest'altra settimana che comunque per la maggior parte sarà casalinga.

cioè Casalingo

To download, click on the link, and on the resultant page scroll down just a bit until you can click on the orange Download Now button. Scroll down on that next page until you see "Your download should begin shortly. If it does not, try Download file now." It never begins without me clicking on that link. Have fun!

American Music Club ~ All Lost Souls Welcome You to San Francisco
Band of Horses ~ No One's Gonna Love You
Basia Bulat ~ In the Night
Benji Hughes ~ So Well
Benji Hughes ~ You Stood Me Up
Benji Hughes ~ Why Do These Parties Always End Up the Same Way?
Benji Hughes ~ The Mummy
Benji Hughes ~ I Went with Some Friends to See the Flaming Lips
Bodies of Water ~ I Guess I’ll Forget The Sound, I Guess, I Guess
Bowerbirds ~ In Our Talons
Brazos ~ Mary Jo
Dirty on Purpose ~ Mind Blindness
Dr. Dog ~ The Ark
Dr. Dog ~ The Old Days
Fleet Foxes ~ White Water Hymnal
Howlin’ Rain ~ Dancers at the End of Time
Iron & Wine ~ Innocent Bones
James Hunter ~ Jacqueline
Jens Lekman ~ The Opposite Of Hallelujah
Jens Lekman ~ Friday Night At The Drive-In Bingo
Jim White ~ Crash into the Sun
Kaki King ~ Two O’Clock
Ladytron ~ Black Cat
Lykke Li ~ Dance Dance Dance
Man Man ~ Top Drawer
Mates of State ~ My Only Offer
Mike Doughty ~ 27 Jennifers
Mike Doughty ~ I Just Want the Girl in the Blue Dress
Morning Benders ~ Crosseyed
Mudhoney ~ I'm Now
Mudhoney ~ In 'n' Out of Grace
My Brightest Diamond ~ Inside a Boy
My Morning Jacket ~ Evil Urges
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds ~ Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Nina Simone ~ Revolution
No Age ~ Eraser
Oxford Collapse ~ The Birthday Wars
Port O'Brien ~ I Woke Up Today
Ra Ra Riot ~ Dying Is Fine
Saul Williams ~ Sunday Bloody Sunday
Saul Williams ~ World on Wheels
Science for Girls ~ Northern Lights
She & Him ~ Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?
Shearwater ~ Leviathan, Bound
Shearwater ~ Rooks
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin ~ Think I Wanna Die
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks ~ Baltimore
The Acorn ~ Crooked Legs
The Acorn ~ The Flood, Pt 1
The Breeders ~ Bang On
The Dandy Warhols ~ The World The People Together (Come On)
The Dodos ~ Fools
The Dodos ~ Jodi
The Dutchess & the Duke ~ Reservoir Park
The Mountain Goats ~ Sax Rohmer #1
The Republic Tigers ~ Buildings and Mountains
The Whigs ~ Right Hand on my Heart
Tilly and the Wall ~ The Freest Man
Tilly and the Wall ~ Cacophony
Tokyo Police Club ~ In A Cave
What Made Milwaukee Famous ~ Resistance Street
White Hinterland ~ Dreaming of the Plum Trees
Wolf Parade ~ Call It a Ritual
Wolf Parade ~ Language City

If you own a copyright and would like your mistakenly posted song to be removed, or if one of the links is not working, please contact Stella Splice.

Several things happened this week.

Let me just pause to say that the more time I spend alone, the more I enjoy spending time alone. This may mean either or both that I'm naturally reclusive and/or that I like myself more than I used to. I'm going to go with the latter because it makes me feel good. I find myself making up stories in my head, speaking as though I would to a really close friend. It's really very nice, and I can't believe I never realized how much enjoyment I got out if it. (Well that just makes me sound like a schitzo, doesn't it?).

People I don't know seem to feel the need to divulge life secrets to me. Sure, I've only been stopped for directions six or seven times since I got here, but yesterday morning it was pouring rain on my way to work and I was standing the intersection of Sherbrooke and Aylmer with an umbrella above my head, shielding my new leather purse like it was my baby -- er, scratch that, like it was a new leather purse. I probably wouldn't shield a baby, if we're being honest here. Anyway, the man standing across from me was miserably hanging his head and letting the rain get into his glasses and just not caring a bit, so I asked him if he was okay. That's all, just "are you okay?"

And I swear to you, he looked up at me for a second and said, "my wife left me this morning."

So it took me a second to realize he wasn't going to follow up with "...to get some eggs and milk," or anything, and he seemed to expect me to say something more than the requisite "I'm so sorry!" (which, of course, I said the minute I realized she'd left him, left him. As opposed to leaving him). In an unsurprising display of my ineptitude for dealing with awkwardness, I said, "Is she coming back?" and was instantly mortified that that had escaped my mouth. I am such an inconsiderate bitch when I'm caught off guard, seriously. But he sort of glazed over and said, "I don't know. I hope so." To which I wanted to reply, "GO GET HER, MAN! NOTTING-HILL STYLE!" But didn't want to add insult to injury. A good choice, in retrospect.

From July 3rd to the 13th, there are sidewalk sales everywhere. I learned that in the mall, "sidewalk sale" just means that the cheap things are put on a table somewhere, and they're not that cheap, either. I've also learned that despite making a decent hourly wage here, I spend it quickly. And not on fun things, sadly. More like milk, eggs, stamps...that sort of thing.

Speaking of stamps, I got my first letter today, from the lovely Adriane! And I was infinitely grateful to her.

Last Monday I went to my first salsa lesson at Club 6/49, where I'm also going this Sunday night to watch the So You Think You Can Dance? - Montreal competition. Salsa consisted of an hour-and-a-half class after a $1.50 donation at the door. Women and men lined up across from each other and learned basic steps, and then partnered up and practiced as the men were forced to rotate 'round the circle like wind-up monkeys. I was hit on by a couple of creepy middle-aged men, one of whom is from Cuba and has apparently been dancing since he had feet (that's what he said. Not the "since I could walk" that most people would use, but "since I had feet"). Jorge says I have potential. By which he probably means the potential to hook up with him, since he is, as I said, a rather creepy, tall Cuban man whose voice sounds like that of an evil count. Too bad I'm not into that kind of thing. So that was salsa. Why I was the youngest person at a beginners' salsa lesson is beyond me, but I suppose old people, too, are entitled to dance lessons and fun and that sort of frivolity. I'll be returning next Monday because, creepy men aside, it was actually great fun to learn.

On Wednesday I went to the Ladytron concert at La Metropolis, and it was AMAZING. I was surprised because I'm not a huge fan of electro-pop and I've only heard a couple of their songs, but I loved it. Datarock opened for them, which was less amazing, but still okay. Datarock kind of skirts the border between really hoppin' rock (and I mean hoppin' in the literal sense, since all they do is hop up and down in a style we South-Asian folk like to call "bhangra") and noise pollution. The first single off their new CD is excellent, though. And then of course, Ladytron was a trippy, wonderful experience that had my whole body vibrating and feeling oddly liberated. I'm a big fan.

On Thursday I was way exhausted at work, so I ducked out early and stopped at the library on my way home. I love the library. It's connected to the Berri UQAM metro station, the only station in Montreal where all of the various lines meet in a hub of chaos and missed connections, with people frantically shoving old ladies out of the way to get to the next destination, running down escalators in herds and taking unkindly to any disturbance. Oh, and the central bus station is attached to the metro station, so that makes it all the more insane. But you enter the double doors of the library and oh -- peace. Calm. And I can breathe again, I kid you not. I take deep breaths and my heart is infinitely happier, just thinking of the books I have on hold and the very concept of borrowing books to read. And I love seeing people sitting in the aisles, sifting through titles and smiling. I love the aura of the library, and the smell of the books, and the five floors -- FIVE floors! -- available to me. So many unread books, a life can't even contain them all. I love the simple process of searching a book in the online catalogue, and then the feeling in my chest as I near the author's name, closer and closer, my eyes darting around the area where the book should be until finally they land on it, little gem in a cluster of rocks, waiting to be slipped out from amongst friends. God. The library is the highlight of my week, anywhere in the world. If I have books, I'm fine. I'm at home.

So I found a cheap threading place close to work. It's shady, of course. Why are they always shady? You walk in and they lead you into a dimly lit back room, where you lie on a plastic-covered hospital cot wondering whether you're in the right place or whether they'll actually remove the hair from your eyebrows before they cut you up and feed you to the homeless in the back alley. I, personally, would like to go out clean and hairless. Furthermore, threading is the oddest thing: a piece of thread, normally associated with pleasant sewing sounds and moms and, ok, maybe Indonesian children in sweat shops, ripping the hair out of you. It's like how eye drops give you diarrhea. Sort of. Well, in the sense that they have a better use...nevermind.

Way too much walking in this city. We went clubbing last night, a place called Fou-Foun's that had a giant spider above it and was filled with young people. I couldn't really feel my feet after the thirty-minute walk there, but it's all in the name of fun. Ha.

Since I started taking the bus to and from work, I get off, immediately sanitize my hands, and rush home to take my vitamins. Paranoid? No. Because you have not seen the people with whom I ride. You have not witnessed the woman whose fungus-infested toenails grate across the back of the seat in front of her as she sits, legs open, crotch easily accessible to her gnarled fingers. You have not stood next to the Germ Man, who babbles every morning to the person nearest him and coughs an average of three times per sentence, never closing his mouth, so that you want to tap him on the shoulder and explain that, see, in bio class, they taught you that the proper way to cough is into your sleeve, so that the germs travel at 128 mph into the fabric instead of onto the poor girl next to you. You have not witnessed the Dandruff Guy, who pulls his iPod ear phones out and shakes his head only to cover everyone around him with -- and this is disgusting -- flakes of his scalp.

I hope your sympathies are with me.

We walked in with our jeans hanging off our ass and tight shirts only to find data rock jumping around on stage. The drinks were way over priced so we watched A bunch of high school kids in front of us   jumping along with the music. Data rock was okay but their show was kind of long so they had to keep reminding people of Ladytron by telling us they were playing. Everytime they mentioned Ladytron the crowd would get enthusiastic because we all thought it was datarock's last song. denada.

Ladytron finally came on after a long set of d.j. songs and waiting in the dim light with a bunch of people dressed up in either goth clothes or short dresses. I started to feel out of place. The two girl singers in the group looked like they had taken the H train to get there. Their eyes were all dim and the expressions were lifeless. we figured heroin, who knows if anyone else thought so. They played a good set, but we couldn't really hear their voices too well over the booming electronica that fuzzed out the speakers.

Dave and I cut out a couple songs early. Jess took her friend to the subway station so he could get home and my partner in crime was off finding water ice or something. We sat on the stoop waiting and watching as a crowd of sixteen year olds (most likely) stumbled out the doors ass drunk. They fell over each other and had to sit down on the curb to wait for a cab. Probably the most adventurous night they've ever had. who knows....

Aí vai o set list completo da Rock Da House. Foram mais de duas horas de set, assim entraram coisas que não estavam previstas e improvisações. Acho que o ápice ficou entre o Ricardo Villalobos e a Macaca Jeca...Se joga! kikiki


1. Fischerspooner - Fucker (4:53)
2. Ladytron - Destroy Everything You Touch (Playgroup Vocal Edit) (5:23)
3. Crystal Castles - Vanished (4:02)
4. A Number Of Names - Sharevari (Instrumental) (6:17)
5. Free Blood - Royal Family (ACTH Remix) (6:20)
6. Lightspeed Champion - Galaxy Of Lost (Bo$$ in Drama Remix) (4:22)
7. Madonna - Everybody (Masi & Mello 2005 Remix) (7:23)
8. Computer Club - Bizarre Love Triangle/(4:44)
9. Underworld - Ring Road (Fake Blood Remix) (4:38)
10. Liquid - Sweet Harmony (Mike Mago's Bmore Action Edit) (3:52)
11. Ricardo Villalobos - Enfants (Olin Fix) (9:08)
12. Alphabeat - 10,000 Nights (Plimsouls Remix)(5:03)
13. Kylie Minogue - In My Arms (Spitzer Remix) (5:03)
14. Michael Jackson - Bad (Mowgli is Bad Remix) (5:43)
15. Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake and Timbaland (Remix: Bob Sinclair) - 4 Minutes (Bob Sinclar Space Funk Remix) (5:38)
16. Black Eyed Peas - My Humps (Clark Able Bootleg) (6:11)
17. Big Moves - Never Lose Sight (Royal Rumble Remix) (4:00)
18. Ashlee Simpson - Outta My Head (DJ Barletta Remix) (5:39)
19. Boy 8-Bit - Fogbank (Jack Beats Remix) (5:16)
20. Beastie Boys - Intergalactic (Jizm & Man Eat DJ Jackin Remix)(5:02)
21. Headman - Running Into Time (Autokratz Rmx) (5:38)
22. D.I.M. - Is You (Cocotaxi Carioca Remix) (4:05)
23. AudiosyncratiK vs Midfield Gen - Disco Sirens - Edit (3:07)

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

Rave reviews? Check. Hype? Check. Buzz even before the album was out? Check. But boy oh boy, Vampire Weekend is surely one of the best albums of the year as the compilation of tracks prove to be a solid combination of musical bliss. My personal favourite track of this critically-acclaimed album is M-79, but in all honesty, all the songs are great listens with Walcott and Campus also proving heavyweights in their own respect. Vampire Weekend's music is zangy and larger than life, but the only downside is that the album time is really short, leaving you wanting more after every swift listen.

She & Him - Volume One

Fun fact number one: the lovely voice behind the vocals is none other than Zooey Deschanel, the actress of The Happening fame. She & Him is a combo comprising of the sweet Deschanel and M. Ward, and boy, this combo is totally smashing hot. While this album might not be a mega hit, I can listen to the melodiously voice of Deschanel for hours as she somehow reminds me of a stripped down version of Feist and A Fine Frenzy with a tinge of 80's diva vibe sound. M. Ward has done a wonderful job of getting the best out of Deschanel to craft a stupendously retro-sounding record with the stand-outs being Sentimental Heart and Why Do You Let Me Stay Here.

The Kooks - Konk

What can I say which has not already been said about The Kooks? They are just phenomenal, the epitome of British rock. Their 2006 debut album Inside In, Outside In received rave reviews, and much was expected of the quartet, and they have duly delivered with what I actually perceive to be a better effort than their earlier concoction. Always Where I Need To Be, the leading single, was given a lot of air time on MTV earlier in the year, but Shine On, Mr. Maker, and Do You Want To are examples of inch perfect rock and roll music.

The Do - A Mouthful

This album comes off as unorthodox, unique, and a little bit weird, but I still absolutely adore this effort by The Do, who comprise of only Dan Levy and Olivia Merilahti. Their sound is not confined by any genre as there is a little of everything on this record with my favourite pop song of the year so far Stay (Just A Little Bit More) leading the way. Ranging from soulful ballads to folk rock in a flash, The Do are a duo of musical revolutionaries as they courageously take you on a high-pitched bonanza of never-before heard sound which will leave you dazed after every listen. Heck, they even threw in a French song!

Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us

What can be sweeter than a husband-wife musician combo? The band comprising of Jason Hammell and Kori Gardner, active since 1997, is new to me, so I am still slugging it out with their earlier albums, so I cannot compare their previous efforts, but Re-Arrange Us, on its own, is a mammoth album of epic proportions as their combined vocals are nothing short of awesome. Mates of State remind me of another boy-girl harmonies band, one of my favourite bands Tilly and The Wall who themselves will have a new album out later in the year, but I cannot help feeling that the sound of Mates of State is more in your face if you know what I mean. Either way, a great listen with The Re-Arranger as the leading single with others such as Help Help notable mentions as well.

Other 2008 albums on my iPod since the start of the year:

The Ting Tings - We Started Nothing
Must Listen: Great DJ

Jamie Lidell - Jim
Must Listen: Another Day

Los Campesinos! - Hold On, Youngster...
Must Listen: Death to Los Campesinos!

Ladytron - Velocifero
Must Listen: Black Car

Mystery Jets - Twenty One
Must Listen: Young Love

One Night Only - Started a Fire
Must Listen: You and Me

Charlotte Sometimes - Waves and the Both of Us
Must Listen: How Could I Just Kill A Man

Hopefully, the second half of 2008 will provide even more scintillating on the music front as the first six months of this year has been anything but good music deprived.

There were fireworks down at Old Port as part of the fireworks festival that's been going on for the last few days. The fireworks are set to music and countries compete to see whose orchestration and presentation is most pleasing. Garlic Bread Guy and I headed down to meet some friends at Old Port; unfortunately, we walked about an hour until we reached the base of the fireworks (just in time for the finale) and then realized that our friends were far closer to home than we were. So we threw ourselves into vats of chicken corn soup and general tsao's chicken in Chinatown.

Today I bought my tickets for the Ladytron concert on Wednesday! WOOOO! Also exciting: Spain won the Euro Cup! MORE WOOOO! I love soccer fans. They're insane, streaking down the streets, waving their shirts and screaming "Ole! Ole!" and stumbling over things in their drunken ecstasy.

Everything is absurdly expensive here, in case I haven't mentioned it enough times. Droves of jazz-fest tourists are shuffling down Cote Ste. Catherine, sucked into sales that aren't really sales at all, ooh-ing and aah-ing over street vendors' jewelry and clogging up major traffic arteries as they peer over each other to see robot mimes on milk crates and men jiggling a couple of spoons together. It's appealing, if kitsch.

I'd like to take a second to thank everyone who's kept in touch with me while I'm here. It's my lifeline to security and familiarity, and it's much-needed in a new city.

In less sentimental news, I've managed to start holding full conversations in French without premeditation. That's a feat.

I've been reading a local paper called "Mirror," and I've decided to post a sampling of the more amusing things I read:

There's a queer-themed dance fundraiser called "Faggity-Ass Fridays." It promotes a secure, respectful environment for the queer community to receive sex education whilst partying their asses off.

And, on the open city bulletin:

Club Anonymous: Support for women who are alone. Info: ppfwy@yahoo.com

Co-Dependent Social Group: If you are a co-dependent wanting to meet other people who are co-dependent for mutual support and to make new friends, email us at whybelonely@hotmail.com (I swear I'm not making these up).

Fathers 4 Justice Montreal West: A support group for fathers who are feeling abandoned, betrayed and persecuted by the system. You are not alone. We can help and we will listen. (What's amusing and slightly disturbing is that the mere existence of this group means there's at least a tiny market for it).

Quebec Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Foundation

Recovering Couples Anonymous (RCA): 12-step program that teaches you how to have a committed, intimate relationship.

Women Who Dare: Rejoice and celebrate the female body. It's all about open-minded and independent women who dare to express and explore their passionate side. The Passion Club will include book reviews, attending workshops, the latest craze in sex toys, guest sexuality speakers and more.

Tall Club of Montreal: Social club for men (+6'2") and women (+5'10") of above-average height. Meet for diverse activities throughout Montreal and the region.

The Sidewalk Chalk Art Brigade: Sidewalk chalk art as art education and self expression. An intergenerational project open to all.

Rustic Branch Building Courses: Rather than sending your branches to the dump, learn how to recycle them by creating chairs, bird baths, side tables and living fences.

Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous: 12-step groups for those wishing to stop living out a pattern of sex and love addiction. Includes Sexual Anorexia and (Re)Building Partnerships. (Why is everything always in 12 steps?)

The Prisoner Correspondence Project: Seeking penpals to correspond with queer and trans prisoners for friendship and support.

A sampling, if you will.

         Há quase um ano e meio, nenhuma outra banda consegue tirar a Ladytron do topo da minha lista de grupos preferidos. Com o seu novo álbum, Velocifero, a turma de Liverpool sentou no trono de vez.

        Na primeira vista, Ladytron parece mais uma banda moderninha que dá muita importância para o visual. Contudo, deixado os pré-conceitos de lado, o que se ouve é boa música guiada pelos vocais diabolicamente doces da búlgara Mira Aroyo e da escocesa Helen Marnie. Também formam o grupo: os ingleses Reuben Wu, descendente de chineses, e Daniel Hunt - que é fã de Zé do Caixão e namora uma brasileira.

          O álbum Velocifero, o quarto da carreira dos andróides da Ladytron, traz um som ainda mais emblemático. Qualquer tentativa de caracterizá-lo parece ingênua - as canções passeiam do pop inocente até o gótico-punk-futurista. Tudo isso com direito a letras com mensagens pesadas e contemporâneas. Escute a cativante canção Versus e entenda o que estou falando.

Assista ao clipe da canção Ghosts

Comment passer sous le silence le retour de Bran Van 3000 à Montréal... Un spectable gratuit, extérieur, mardi le 1er juillet à 21h30 sur la Scène General Motors, à ne pas manquer !

Il me reste encore à fouiller le site du festival pour découvrir quelques artistes, mais pour l'instant voici une liste de soirées potentiellement intéressantes. Donc, parmis mes recommandations notez :

• Vive la fête (France) (26 juin) ***
• Misteur Valaire (28 juin, Club Soda) ****
• Coral Egan (28 et 29 juin, Théâtre du Nouveau Monde)
• We are Wolves (29 juin, Métropolis) ****
• Public Enemy (30 juin, Métropolis)
• Ladytron et Datarock (2 juillet, Métropolis) *****
• Artist of the Year (2juillet, Club Soda) ****

Pour de plus amples infos consulter le site du festival : http://www.montrealjazzfest.com/

Vous pouvez également parcourir le blogue pour certains articles sur les groupes ci-haut.

• Misteur Valaire : http://lesplatines.wordpress.com/2008/03/13/misteur-valaire-de-lelectro-qqch/ 
• Datarock : http://lesplatines.wordpress.com/2008/04/15/datarock-directement-de-norvege/

Eve

It’s stifling hot in L.A., gas prices are surpassing $5/gallon, and the L.A. Film Festival is going on down the block in Westwood Village. This can only mean one thing: Summer is here!

In honor of this wonderful, extreme season, I’ve put together my annual summer music mix (I actually make several of these, to help pass the time in my new hour-plus commute). This year’s mix—comprised entirely of songs released within the last several months—is heavily electronic, 80s-nostalgic, more happy than morose, and a guaranteed good time.

Thanks to iTunes (and I promise they are not paying me to say this), you can locate and download these songs ala carte, with ridiculous ease. Hooray digital capitalism! Anyway, here’s the playlist. My soundtrack to the summer of ’08.

Coldplay, “Strawberry Swing” – Arguably the best overall song on Coldplay’s new album, this track—with its cheery rhythms and sunny guitar riffs—waxes nostalgic about blue skies, swings, and young love.

The Radio Dept., “Freddie and the Trojan Horse” – Sweden’s new-wave shoegazer outfit presents the perfect summer song from their wonderful new EP. It’s sweet like a popsicle.

Mates of State, “Help Help” – This bouncy, synth-bass-heavy pop gem from the husband/wife duo known as Mates of State is the best song off of their recent album, Re-arrange Us. You’ll love it, I promise.

Weezer, “The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived” – This song is a goofy good time. Borrowing a melody from a familiar Shaker hymn, Rivers Cuomo throws down a rock-opera of a pop song that features about a dozen kitschy mutations of its catchy chorus. Lots of fun.

M83, “Graveyard Girl” – If you haven’t heard the new album from French electronica geniuses M83, I highly recommend you check it out. The new single, “Graveyard Girl,” is a blissful shoegazer anthem with a hilarious video (see below).

Sigur Ros, “Festival” – My favorite song off their new album, this 9-minute opus builds from nothing to a grandiose climax that will doubtless shake the rafters in concert. Truly breathtaking.

The Notwist, “Good Lies” – The first track off this German electronic band’s new album is perfectly joyful, even in it’s solemnity.

Cut / Copy, “Hearts on Fire” – Listen to this song and you’d think you were listening to New Order or something else from the dancefloor 80s. But no, this is 2008 music from Australia. And it’s super cool.

Vampire Weekend, “Mansard Roof” – The Afro-pop hipsters from NYC may be a little overrated, but their bouncy tunes, like “Mansard Roof,” are absolutely perfect for summer. Check out the summery vid:

Wolf Parade, “California Dreamer” – What’s a summer mix without a song about California? This new Wolf Parade song (from their just-released, At Mount Zoomer) is an epic anthem that alternates between delicate balladry and headstrong rock energy.

The National, “You’ve Done it Again, Virginia” – Every summer mix needs a few somber entries, and The National is always good for that. This new song from their recent Virginia EP features more luxuriant Sufjan piano and their usual "Gatsby with a cocktail" tragic elegance.

Cat Power, “Ramblin’ (Wo)Man” – This song from her recent Jukebox album is a sweetly feminine riff on Hank Williams’ song, “Ramblin’ Man.” A jazzy, sexy song for humid summer nights.

Ladytron, “Ghosts” – Britain’s favorite electro-goth-pop band’s new album, Velocifero, is fantastic. And this song is the first breezily haunting single. See below for the trippy video:

Matt Wertz, “5:19” – This first single from Matt’s upcoming album, Under Summer Sun (to be released in August) is a lovely acoustic number with hyper-melodic hooks, perfect for summer love and heartbreak.

Fleet Foxes, “Ragged Wood” – One of the best discoveries of 2008, Seattle’s Fleet Foxes offer Beach Boys-esque harmonies with Appalachian and Irish traditional ancestry. It’s gorgeous, and the formidable “Ragged Wood” is a perfectly sweet/somber track to sample.

Nine Inch Nails, “Discipline” – For something edgier, try this fantastic new single from NIN’s The Slip—the album Trent Reznor gave away for free online this spring.

Death Cab for Cutie, “I Will Possess Your Heart” – This 8 minute song is slow to build and mostly instrumental, but there is something quite dreamy about it. Its travelogue video is a perfect accompaniment to those of us traveling abroad this summer:

I love these smooth Brits who were once a duo, now a trio and soon to be a quadruplet. Fujiya & Miyagi: the more the merrier. According to Filter, a fourth member will soon be added.  The timing couldn't be more perfect as their album tour supporting their sophomore release, The "Lightbulbs" off Deaf, Dumb and Blind Communications will be released on Sept. 16th.

Just like Ladytron, electronic beats fused with live instruments can make for a solid live performance. Hopefully The Kills will one day get a real drummer as well. Like I said before their drum machine works but there is just so much more pleasure derived from a live drummer.

Currently touring Europe, the boys will be heading towards the US sometime near their album release date. Check out their old track "Collarbone." It's the goods and also the score Chris Haslam skates to in the Nintendo Wii "Skate it" teaser.

[audio=http://www.musicwebtown.com/mzsandrab/playlists/184346/1592759.mp3]

Sure, every hipster worth their salt knows this band, especially if they were awake for the six months that all hipsters suddenly decided synthpop was the flavor to savor. Thanks for that, jerks.

I have a feeling Miss Harker will enjoy this.

Y no es que la tipa en cuestión sea un coco, pero tampoco se trataba de subirla al olimpo de las mujeres más bellas del rock. Yo respondí que la rockera más morbosa de la actualidad era mi adorada Juliette Lewis. Que no me cansaba de ver sus vídeos en Youtube y que sus discos no son maravillas, que no descubren nada nuevo en el rock, pero se escuchan bien y me entretienen más que trabajos de oportunistas como Arcade Fire, Maximo Park, Kaiser Chiefs o los Libertines/Babyshambles del subnormal de Pete Doherty.

Luego mencionó a una tal Sharin Foo, de The Raveonettes. No le repliqué. Había escuchado el disco, pero no había visto foto alguna de la tal Sharin. Sólo puedo decir de ella: bien, aceptable. A continuación Amanda Palmer de The Dresden Dolls, Mira Aroyo de Ladytron y Meg White, la tetuda mitad de los White Stripes, hermanísima del genio Jack White.

Salvo con esta última (como podéis comprobar en esta foto, por dos razones obvias), no pude meter baza, no las había visto. Y me parecía una locura la conversación. Entonces empezó la polémica, y pasamos del rock actual a cualquier rockera de la historia. A cada nombre que iba sugiriendo, yo le espetaba otro en la cara.

A Shirley Manson (de Garbage) le esperaba otra pelirroja más perturbadora, Poison Ivy de The Cramps. Cuando mencionó a Nina Persson de los suecos Cardigans, yo le lancé el nombre de la rubia más famosa del punk neoyorkino, Debbie Harry de Blondie. Kate Jackson de The Long Blondes fue la siguiente, a lo que respondí con Joan Jett. Siguió extrambóticamente con Beth Gibbons de Portishead y Kathleen Hanna líder de Le Tigre y antes de Bikini Kill. Mi contraataque fue Gwen Stefani de No Doubt, y la diosa de los 80 Lita Ford, Cherie Currie o cualquiera del resto de las Runaways.

Está claro que mi amigo es un salido. Propuso a Donita Sparks, Siouxsie, PJ Harvey, Courtney Love (¡¡¡¿Courtney Love?!!! Por favoooor!!!!), Sheryl Crow, Christina Rosenvinge, Kim Deal (ex-Pixies, ahora The Breeders), una tal Gwenna de un grupillo llamado The Pipettes…

Me abrumó con un montón de nombres más, de los que ahora sólo recuerdo los que he puesto aquí. Por mi parte surgieron otros tantos, aunque sólo me dio la razón en dos de ellos: Wendy James (de Transvision Vamp) y Grace Slick (de Jefferson Airplane). Entiendo que para gustos están los colores, y la verdad desconocía esta faceta de depravado de mi amigo (¡¡¡¿Courtney Love?!!!, ¡¡¡¿Christina Rosenvinge?!!!), pero me alegra que nos pusiéramos de acuerdo en esos dos nombres. Y que además los pusiéramos en lo más alto de la lista.

Tras media hora de discusión sobre los atributos (no sólo musicales) de cada una, comenzamos a discutir sobre quién debía ser la primera. ¿Grace o Wendy? ¿Wendy o Grace? Lo dejamos en tablas. Esa discusión eran palabras mayores.

So the Music in the sun website has gone live, along with the usual MySpace plus Facebook fan and event pages. A few of the acts have caught my eye, and at just £9.50 for a two-day advance ticket, it seems good value.

However, it is frustrating that the line-up doesn't specify when many of the bands are actually playing over the weekend. The arena performers seem to be better mapped out, but being more of an indie fan, it would be helpful to have a proper running order for the main stage on each day, too. Perhaps nearer the time this information will be made available.

It is good to see some local acts represented on bill. Here are some of the performers I will be looking out for:

Kings Have Long Arms
Described by Wikipedia as 'rocktronica', this Sheffield-based act has been around for a few years and collaborated with several well-known musicians including Phil Oakey (the Human League), Mira (Ladytron), Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce (former Smiths), Denise Johnson (A Certain Ratio) and Ray Dorset (Mungo Jerry). The excellent single Big umbrella (featuring Candie Payne) was released at the beginning of the year:

Tiny Dancers
Another Sheffield-based group, this indie-country-rock band signed to Parlophone in 2006 and last summer released their debut album, Free school milk. Their singles have had some airplay and entered the top 40 but they are yet to have a major breakthrough hit. This is the catchy and upbeat I will wait for you:

Levi Roots
If you watch Dragon's Den, the you will know about Levi Roots' (real name Keith) appearance in the last series of the show, where he was awarded money to produce Reggae Reggae Sauce. By the looks of things, he was a musician prior to this so he should definitely be considered more than just a novelty at Music in the sun. And if his performance successfully captures any of the charm and charisma that came across on television then we should be in for a treat. This is Reggae reggae sauce (the song) on Dragon's Den:

Artery
If you listened to the recent BBC Radio 2 documentary in which Jarvis Cocker took listeners on a tour of Sheffield (still available to listen to here) then you would have heard 70s/80s post-punk band Artery being mentioned, as the former Pulp frontman was a big fan. Although they didn't have any big hits, the band are seen as one of the big influential Sheffield bands from the time and reformed in 2007. This is John Peel's favourite song, and by far their most well-known track, Into the garden:

The Artery and Tiny Dancers MySpace pages say that they are each playing on 2 August, so hedge your bets it will be the Saturday for those two bands.

Buen Finde, el verano es muy corto, aprovechadlo!

Ladytron’s latest strike Velocifero is their best so far: 53 minutes and not one weak track. The opening ‘Black Cat’ appears to merge three distinct Dario Argento soundtracks into one: a gothic keyboard motif reminiscent of Profondo Rosso, the mechanic 80s beat of Tenebrae, and the stomach-punching synth drum accents of Suspiria. Wow.

‘Ghosts’ is essentially an electro glam rock shuffle. That concept isn't new, but where Goldfrapp were trying, Ladytron do it effortlessly and emerge with a much more natural sense of melody.

‘I'm Not Scared’ features more of Helen Marnie's ethereal vocal melodies and is the standout track of the album. Ladytron’s vocal lines being idiosyncratic as they are, I'm often under the impression the band have invented and patented their own scales.

While on earlier efforts Mira Aroyo's harshly spoken vocals exuded the charm of a communist border guard from a 1980s Stallone movie, she utilizes her native Bulgarian in a way that makes the language sound genuinely sexy on the sublime 'Kletva'. Imagine smoothly coming down from speed on an early summer morning, laying in a park with friends you’ve spent a night out with. You might have a few cans and a few lines left, and there’s a sexual undercurrent to your interaction. 'Kletva' is the sonic equivalent of that atmosphere. Strangely enough, it’s actually the cover of an old Bulgarian children’s TV tune.

I’m not sure if Ladytron’s boys Daniel and Reben should be allowed to ever sing again, as happens on 'Versus', but this is a minor complaint considering the album’s overall gorgeousness.

From 2001's innocent 604 through the soft-focus lensed Light and Magic (2002) and the rock-tinted Witching Hour (2005), Ladytron's journey has been one from self-consciously naive quirkiness and melancholy-lite towards more intensely bleak scenarios. Velocifero peaks as their darkest album thus far, a quality further carved out by a harsher and harder production. Parallels could be drawn to Depeche Mode's gradual transformation from new wave synth popsters to industrial and rock flavoured gloom merchants in the 80s - a band whose outlook was not a million light years away from Ladytron's.

At the beginning of the decade, the NME granted Ladytron their 15 minutes of exposure. Maybe that was the problem. Ladytron's slick, detached image seemed to signify style over content, especially in contrast to the simultaneously bourgeoning ‘new rock revolution' - a random selection of garage punk Johnny-come-latelies and "scruffy" indie rock combos hailed as the real thing by the NME. While Miss Kittenesque ditties such as ‘Seventeen’ found some resonance with the electroclash crowd, it went largely unnoticed that Ladytron were capable of writing classic songs such as ‘Blue Jeans‘, an understated tune that would have made The Velvet Underground and Nico proud. Ladytron didn’t achieve more than a solid cult following.

But given the quality of their subsequent efforts, and especially with Velocifero being yet another improvement in the songwriting department, there really is no reason why Ladytron shouldn't be one of the biggest acts in the world.

ZZ

Ladytron - Velocifero. This album really grabbed me from the get-go. It has more of an aural punch than Witching Hour did, and is a little more staccato. I think that this was a great direction for them to move in—it complements their style really well. I love the Bulgarian vocalist. She provides a stark counterpoint to the English girl's also-excellent but more sugary style.

Lanterna - Highways & Lanterna - Sands. These seem to be ambient music with a little more to them. There is a sense of travel, of moving through landscapes, of seeing the horizon move, of seeing the sun rise and set and travel overhead. You can feel the warmth of the light and the cool of the shadows in this music.

Yeasayer - All Hours Cymbals. This is a really cool album. I love Sunrise. The album has a very world music feel to it. I can almost imagine them in a small caravan traveling across a desert, or in a Moroccan-style coastal town.

Electric President - Sleep Well. I love this guy's work, all of it. This album has a creepy feeling to it. It talks about dreams and nightmares, and the subject matter is very well reflected in the sonic aspect. They do excellent musical builds and bridges

Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust. I love Sigur Rós, and seeing them live was a great experience. This album... it's definitely beautiful. It's more stripped down and concise than their earlier work. I don't yet know whether I like it as much as their earlier stuff, although I have faith that I will.

Ellen Allien - Sool. This is a fucking interesting album. It's extremely minimalist and much more inaccessible than Thrills. I enjoy what it does. It feels like music made by machinery.