We Are Us is: Silvio Pasqualini (voice/bass/guitars) and Maddalena Zavatta (voice/guitars) and they are from Rimini, Italy.
And This Is You is their first record; it contains only three songs, an intriguing taste of what might be waiting in the wings.
These are two which got my attention:
First there is You, which is a bouncy punk confection:
And then at the end there is Call Me, wherein they switch gears drift towards shoe-gaze:
This is the video for Teenage Frankenstein, by Alice Cooper, the grand-daddy of shock-rock.
It originally appeared on Constrictor (1986), though I came to it via Prince of Darkness (1989), the compilation record he put out in 1989 for, I’m guessing, all of the new fans like me that he acquired when Trash (1989) blew up.
Also, I totally just fell down a YouTube hole just now while looking for this video, and while we’re on the subject of Trash, man I had forgotten how much I really loved House of Fire. Poison was so good, too, I still listen to that one frequently. But if you just want a quick overview of his back catalog, Prince of Darkness works pretty well; my other super-creepy favorite from that one was Roses on White Lace.
Anyway, back to Teenage Frankenstein, which I am sharing because it is great and has an immensely satisfying chorus to shout along to, especially if you are fourteen and feel really awkward. And it’s still fun when you are way older than fourteen, too.
It’s a simple yet sublime pleasure, and just thinking about it can make you feel a little calmer, a little more content. Imagine: You bring out one of the good rocks glasses (or your favorite mug or a special occasion tea cup) and pour a couple fingers of amber liquid (or something dark and strong or just some whole milk). You drop the needle on the jazz platter (or pull up a blues album on your mp3 player or dig out that mixtape from college). Ensconcing yourself in the coziest seat in the house, you crack the spine on a classic (or find your place in that sci-fi paperback or pull up a biography on your e-book reader). And then, you go away for a while. Ah, bliss.
In this series, some of NTSIB’s friends share beloved albums, books and drinks to recommend or inspire.
I first wrote about Chris Clarke back in August; I liked him then (and now) because his songs capture the feeling of wandering through a party, bouncing between conversations and the dance floor and the secret smokers nook on the roof.
This is his latest video, for Beads, from his most recent release, the handpicked. It is about exactly what it says on the tin: beads. Specifically bead necklaces. In addition to Clarke, it features BEATS ME singing the hook, and is really awesome and funky and I love it.
http://youtu.be/CHEUxd4cp0o
And now here is Mr. Clarke to tell us about a favorite book, record and drink:
A Good Read
I could go easy and say Khalil Gibran The Prophet, or Paulo Coehlo The Alchemist or Herman Hesse Siddhartha, but I’ll go with the next best thing . . . which is better to me in some ways. This good book would be the Tao of Wu by RZA.
I recommend it to people who enjoy all that and more. It has eye-opening philosophies and mind-blowing quotes which draw from wisdoms across the world from different times. In only a few pages you may get a Chinese mythological tale with a moral, a quote from an American industrial innovator from the 20th century… as well as jewels from holy books, chess strategies and discussion of artistic methods etc. The book got tons of information from a multitude of sources most intelligent people haven’t looked at. So off the top it’s brain food.
THEN, you also get all kinds of action. Ghetto project stories involving crime and danger and other fascinating elements that lock you in like these new shows people stay home to watch. The best thing is that these stories are shared only as lessons. As exciting as they are, they’re only revealed if they are part of an equation he wants to demonstrate for you to grasp. There is no gratuitous violence in the book. No hip hop celebrity gossip just to make noise. There is also tons of hip hop nostalgia which reads so lovely. His presence during the formative years and him recounting the vibes he felt and activities he participated in is soul food to a true head in this culture.
The thing though that inspires me the most is the passages about his determination to manifest his visions. He paints a picture well of himself channeling his energies to create and orchestrate his biggest gift to the world, The Wu Tang Clan. Anyone determined to form a powerhouse could benefit from his words. He is truly an enlightened man. All that and bits about his personal life make it that much more personal and actual. I fondly remember reading portions of this book on the deck of a boat during a storm at night! I also bought a copy for a friend and plan to do that again.
A Good Listen
The Nonce, World Ultimate. I recently tweeted “Nothing tops this album in terms of creative rap that u are automatically a G for even knowing about it”
I’m not big on comparisons but they’re like a West Coast Digable Planets but with more emphasis on rhyme styles. They weren’t on that bohemian vibe but musically they definitely had some earthy dare i say acid jazzy shit, but its from south central and it was hard! The beats ALL knock. Rick Rubin signed them if that helps you to want to hear what I’m saying…
Water with lemon in it. get your alkaline up!
Because Halloween is a week away and that means it is time to listen to this song again:
Letters to Fiesta are: Anna Louisa Etherington (vocals, synth), Tom Brydon (guitar), Andy Fletcher (bass) and Dan Houghton (drums) and they are from Manchester, England.
This is the video for Vampires, the second song from their debut EP Aphorism.
And I want you, dear reader, to stop what you are doing and watch it immediately because 1) the song is lovely and haunting and 2) the animation and storytelling by S. Mushin, who created the video footage, are at the top of the list of the most achingly beautiful visual art I have seen this year.
If you like the tune, be sure to stop by their bandcamp next week and check out the rest of the record.
Lu Flur is Jude HarpStar (electro acoustic harp + backing vocals) and Zahné (lead vocalist + acoustic guitar), and they are from Johannesburg, South Africa. They came together as a band on a rooftop in Melville, Johannesburg in the spring of 2012, and Floriology, released this past September, is their debut EP.
Their goals include making beautiful and distinctive music and changing the way people think about the harp in contemporary music. I can only speak for myself, but: mission accomplished, ladies.
There are five songs on the EP. They are all lovely; the two below are my favorites.
Future Tides is the first song on the EP, and it sets the tone. Zahné’s magnificent voice is front and center, reverberating through the delicate, shimmering castle of sound built by HarpStar.
Transluscent is the third song; it starts with an angry fuzzy riff that is the harp, not a guitar, which halfway through shifts and becomes like a soothing rain, and then at the end the angry fuzzy harp resurfaces, to duet with the soothing rain. It is marvelous.
Hearts Like Ours is the first single from In Rolling Waves, the latest from The Naked and Famous. It’s pretty, and I like it, and it is just what I needed this week.
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome once more to my virtual garage. Tonight we’re going to visit with Lord & the Liar, aka PaweÅ‚ Swiernalis, of PoznaÅ„, Poland.
He’s got an interesting vibe going: kind of jazzy, and also kind of creepy. You can listen to the whole record (somewhat choppily) on his YouTube page, but here are some highlights:
First: Prophet’s Fate, which starts with the following tantalizing line: You can find us making magic / near the flower shop / We are open for new stories / from closed doors, and then combines minimal drums and accordion to powerful, menacing effect.
Tales from East End Blvd is the latest from Husky Burnette, and it is awesome. If you like good stories and sweet dirty rockin’ blues, you need to add this to your collection right now.
Here are two of my favorite tracks:
Beat & Low Down, because if this song doesn’t make you want to either dance or commit indiscretions or both, I don’t know what will:
Raccoon Fighter is: Sean Gavigan (vocals, guitar), Zac Ciancaglini (drums), and Gabe Wilhelm (bass), of Brooklyn, and ZIL is their debut record.
It is an extended burst of urgent, aggressive bluesy-surfy noise, and it is glorious. This is music for the true definition of adventure, i.e. “bad idea going to end in bruises.”
Here are some of my favorite tracks:
Santa Tereza combines surfy hooks and a little bit of hypnotic drone:
Street Urchins will meet all of your crazy-in-love, put-the-pedal-down-and-drive-to-the-sea road trip needs:
Pyramid Scheme to Heaven, where the drums slow down to a menacing thud-thud and become a dark heart amid droning, distorted guitars:
New Yorkers and people coming to town for CMJ: They’re playing a bunch of shows in the next two weeks, including an album release party this Friday, Oct. 4, at Cake Shop, the O+ Festival on Oct. 12 in Kingston, NY and CMJ showscases at the Rock Shop on 10/15 and the Delancey on 10/18. Go and check them out, it will be fun.
