Sun Araw

Geneva Hits

In Orbit

I'm starting to get pretty excited about music again. Sun Araw is one of the guys who is really doing some interesting stuff at the moment. Wire recently did a bit on him and he is putting out some high quality, expensive ($16) tapes. But even though the exchange rate is still rubbish it's worth investing in them. He's like Wavves except not overrated and actually fresh. Check him out at Myspazzz or on the No Fun website, yeah that's right he runs with the No Fun crew as well just to make you hate/love him even more.

Horse Steppin' video

You'll stay plastered!

William Buckley vs Gore Vidal

In America this is very famous footage from the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago, which was the scene of mass violence and is recognised as a watershed moment in US history (and inspired work from authors such as the late Norman Mailer - more from him later.)

Willian Buckley is kind of like David Frost, Jeremy Paxman, Andrew Marr and David Dimbleby rolled into one and forged in a bright blue conservative furnace. As you can see from the footage above he does not mind telling it straight and does not hold back regardless of who he is talking to.


Vs Chomsky

Fair enough, Chomsky is not the most charasmatic bloke in the world. Any man who has theorised for as long as he has is bound to be a little bit wooden but Buckley comes across like a funny Nicky Campbell in this clip and single handedly makes me think perhaps all conservatives aren't completely boring.


Vs Mailer

The full interview is here, check it out if you've got a spare hour to chuck about. It's captivating and sustaining stuff which I highly recommend and lays out the merits of conservatism in simple and surprisingly attractive terms.


Vs Rev Jesse Jackson

I loooooovvvveeeee Jesse Jackson. When he cried when Obama was elected I blubbed along as well. But talk about getting destroyed by someone. Buckley's delivery is so drawn out with his well-spoken drawl that when his insults do come you almost miss them.

For more on the late William Buckley, there is a great obit on the Times' website and a weird interview with Huey Newton, who looks and sounds as if he has been awake for a fortnight and then hit with a cattle prod about five seconds before being sent out on set.

RZA

Protect Ya Neck


C.R.E.A.M


Ice Cream

RZA is big time. I'm off to see him in Leeds next week and one of my mates just sent me one of the best mixes I've heard in a while. It contains a lot of the samples he used to craft some of the best hip-hop tracks ever. Enjoy,

Slayer

Angel of Death


Raining Blood

Not sure whether these are genius or rank.

Get your trolleys down

Ghosthunting with the Happy Mondays

It does not get better than this. Bez's rousing call to arms, Shaun Ryder falling over like an alcoholic and Gaz shouting his head off and trying to start a fight with a ghost. Lord.

Steve Reich

Steve Reich

Philip Glass, Terry Riley and Steve Reich. The Holy Trinity. If you've ever picked up Wire chances are you'll have read theses names, alongside those of Ornette Coleman and Scott Walker on a regular basis. You'll battle through the bizarre and weird marginal noise bands that make music by eating their relatives curtains and recording it through their cosmic microphones - but those four or five names will give you some hope that you're actually getting somewhere in the world of contemporary music.

Anyway, here is a South Bank series on Mr Reich. His music is actually worth the column inches that Wire and other decent music magazines/publications give him. It's Gonna Rain is noted here as a forerunner to loop based contemporary music - but that is half the story. Listening to this and then hearing Coldcut, Squarepusher, Eric B and Rakim or Ricardo Villalobos shows how Reich discovered a technique which has become a main stay in almost every genre of dance music.

Anything he does is worth a listen - I've just got a cassette of his 'Six Pianos' piece alongside Terry Riley's 'in C', as performed by Piano Circus. It's mega - if you want a copy send me an email and a 90 minute tape.


Part one


Part two


Part three


Part four


Part five


Part six

Oh Kate!

Running up that hill feat David Gilmour



Rocket Man on Wogan



Wuthering Heights

Talking Heads

Born under punches (and the heat goes on)



Cities



Psycho Killer

Talking Heads are possibly the best band ever. There I've said it. I've got it off my chest. The last six months I've gorged on everything they recorded and couldn't be more ready to sing their praises. Yes Byrne is crazy and wears suits that are too big for him but who cares?

Ha!

Ratatat mother f!

Ratatat - Shempi

Ratatat are running things at the minute. I can't get shempi out of my cheesebox at all. Crossing the road, shempi comes into my head. Reading the newspaper shempi pops in. Eating a pot noodle - SHEMPI RIFF! The video is massive and you can download the mega Zongamin remix here as well via Fader and Have fun club. Boom - let it ruin your life.