94. REMEMBER ...

94.

Remember, this is meant to be a serious novel.

{Diane Schoemperlen, How To Write A Serious Novel About Love}

93. YOUNG MICHELIN "ELLE M'OUBLIERA"

i thought it was about time for some 80s-tinged French pop, here's Elle M'Oubliera from Nandax-based twee-pop trio Young Michelin off their wonderful "Young Michelin" 7" EP (2010).

Elle M'Oubliera is an irresistibly catchy, brooding twee anthem for crestfallen young lovers. Young Michelin's infectious blend of French indie pop is steeped in the warm, blissed-out, tragic-romantic twee-pop sounds of cult 80s-90s UK indie record label Sarah Records. bon appétit!


MP3: Elle M'Oubliera

i'd highly recommend getting yourself a copy of the "Young Michelin" 7" EP, it is still currently available from Bulle Sonore Records, you can listen to the entire EP on bandcamp!

check out Young Michelin here: myspace | lastfm | youngmichelin

93. HIS ...

93.

His face was massive, noble, majestic, and at this
period he protected his eyes behind green glasses, 

out of a desire to astound.

{Maurice Nadeau, The History of Surrealism}

92. COLLEEN GREEN "DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY"

here's an awesomely fuzzed-out, super catchy track i stumbled upon recently Dance The Night Away, from Oakland-based bedroom punk/psych pop artist Colleen Green off her new "Green One" EP (2011).

Dance The Night Away in a smoke filled room with sweaty bodies grinding et an angsty, growling guitar riff screeching away to epic effect, Green's vocals echo across the room with a coolness et detachment, her fuzzed-out, reverb-laden vocals swirl around the dreamy atmosphere, Green takes pleasure emphatically intoning with a punkish snarl "Oh, yeah!" during the refrain, backed up with energetic hand claps.


MP3: Dance The Night Away

if you like what you hear then you should definitely grab a copy of the feisty "Green One" EP, it's currently available on 7" from Hardly Art, otherwise it is available digitally from itunes.

you can head over to Colleen Green's bandcamp page to hear some older tracks et covers ...

check out Colleen Green here: myspace | lastfm | hardlyart | happybirfdayjeff

HAND MOVIE (1966)

 {1966, 6mins, 16mm, b&w, USA}

Hand Movie (1966) was American dancer/choreographer/filmmaker et writer Yvonne Rainer's first foray into filmmaking, it came into being as the result of her confinement to a hospital bed when she was seriously ill et recovering from major surgery. Hand Movie is an extraordinary et unique experimental dance film, it presented a way for Rainer to perform when her body was incapable. the film consists simply of two continuous medium close-up shots of Rainer's disembodied right hand, held upright, presumably against the blank wall of her hospital room.

Rainer proceeds to move her individual fingers independently, her middle finger acting as a soloist of sorts, flexing/contracting/bending them up/down, rotating her arm to reveal the palm, her fingers rub/twitch/flick/contort/slide et criss-cross underneath et over-the-top of each other, then open out. Rainer constantly changes the angle/position of her hand, rotating her wrist to reveal palm-up/palm-down, side/profile, presenting the audioviewer with different viewpoints et perspectives of her wrist/hand/thumb/fingers exploring variations of movements et gestures.

it is quite remarkable how supple et flexible Rainer's fingers are et the amount of control she demonstrates over them, Hand Movie is a deceptively simple performance, yet it is only when you attempt it yourself that you can appreciate the skill et practice it must have taken to choreograph et perform. the film can be read as an exploration or demonstration of the hand's mechanics.

"How to use the performer as a medium rather than persona?
Is a 'ballet mechanique' the only solution?" {Yvonne Rainer}

Rainer creatively used Hand Movie as a way to continue et extend the minimalist/functional choreography she had firmly established with works like the seminal Trio A (1966), where she was reducing dance to the bare essentials, focusing on simple, repetitive, everyday movements, giving them new significance et possibilities. in many ways Hand Movie perfectly represents et illustrates Rainer's ideas of demystifying dance et rejecting any form of persona or narrative which she formulated/declared in her "No Manifesto" in 1965.

the film is completely silent, that is, without any room ambience or musical accompaniment, this allows the audioviewer to focus completely on Rainer's mesmerizing et beautiful hand/finger movements/gestures et variations.

No Manifesto (1965)

No to spectacle.
No to virtuosity.
No to transformations and magic and make-believe.
No to the glamour and transcendency of the star image.
No to the heroic.
No to the anti-heroic.
No to trash imagery.
No to involvement of performer or spectator.
No to style.
No to camp.
No to seduction of spectator by the wiles of the performer.
No to eccentricity.
No to moving or being moved.

Hand Movie was photographed by fellow dancer William Davis. it is in fact made up of two takes, or precisely two complete rolls of 16mm film that last approximately 3 minutes each. the film/performance does not have an end proper, that is, it does not resolve, which adheres to Rainer's manifesto, instead she consciously includes the film burning-out to a white screen as the camera negative runs out. like everyday life we gets a sense that Rainer's hand performance will be repeated endlessly with subtle variations over time.

you can watch Hand Movie below:

92. TODAY ...

92.

Today a fresh clean morning.

{Adrienne Rich, The Evil Eye}

91. CONNAN MOCKASIN "IT'S CHOADE MY DEAR"

i've been totally neglecting antipodean music lately, but i must admit i am finding it rather uninspiring of late {i am keen to be proven otherwise!}, so i found myself revisiting Connan Mockasin's brilliant debut album the other day, et since it has just/finally been released in Europe, i thought it would be apt to post his sublime psych pop track It's Choade My Dear for those who haven't had the pleasure/experience, it is from "Please Turn Me Into The Snat" (2010) / "Forever Dolphin Love" (2011).

It's Choade My Dear is a deliciously languid et spacey, psyched-out track, a warped et disorienting off-kilter guitar melody shimmers et ripples away woozily before Hosford's unique, androgynous et infantile vocals drift in, captivating us, his voice, strangely hypnotic, like a soothsayer, we hang on to his every word, as if he is revealing some cryptic, transcendental secret about the universe, or perhaps reminding us of some wondrous et fantastic childhood mystery we have long forgotten. Choade is spaced-out psych pop at its very finest!


MP3: It's Choade My Dear

et here is the tripped-out, lemony music video for It's Choade My Dear directed by Sam Handley.



et here is the new music video for the epic track Forever Dolphin Love directed by Daniel Brereton.



if you don't have it already the "Please Turn Me Into The Snat" is still available digitally online from itunes/nz, otherwise it would be worth grabbing hold of the European release "Forever Dolphin Love", which contains several live tracks et the classic single Sneaky Dog Friend, it is out on now on Phantasy Sounds et is available digitally online from itunes.

check out Conan Mockasin here: myspace | facebook | lastfm

91. THEY ...

91.

They were, in effect, the last major human community

on Earth untouched and unaffected by the wider world.

{Michael King, The Penguin History of New Zealand}

90. BEDROOM "CANÇÓ DE L'ALBA"

here's another fantastic Spanish pop gem {sung in Catalan}, Cançó de l'Alba from Barcelona-based indie folk/pop minimalists Bedroom off their album "El Fum Blanc" (2011).

Cançó de l'Alba is a haunting et magical track tinged with melancholy, it's like being lost at sea, drifting aimlessly with the currents, floating on your back, gazing up at the changing sky, the gliding birds, letting the undulating waves gently move your body up et down, a strangely soothing, rocking sensation, long buried memories come flooding back, tears begin to run down your face ... Cançó de l'Alba is a deeply moving et resonant listening experience, one to be savored! enjoy!


MP3: Cançó de l'Alba

it is becoming very clear that Spanish surrealism is alive et well, perhaps not so much in cinema, but there are an increasing number of remarkable ultra-hip, surrealistic music videos coming out of Spain of late {La Bien Querida's Hoy, El Guincho's Bombay to name two exceptional clips, both by the awesome production company CANADA}. so do yourself a favour et check out the stunning music video for Cançó de l'Alba directed by Ramón Ayala {Compañía Volcánica}, the video is an interesting mix/influence of Magritte, Godard, Tarkovsky, Jarmusch, Arcimboldo, Bas Jan Ader et of course Bunuel! enjoy!

Cançó de l'alba - BEDROOM

the "El Fum Blanc" album is available from Foehn Records on cd or lp! et it is available digitally online at itunes ...

you can find Bedroom here: myspace | bandcamp | lastfm

90. OUTSIDE ...

90.

Outside my studio door, in my garden, 

is a tree that has always been a symbol of 

facing life, and in many ways is a dancer.

{Martha Graham, I Am A Dancer}

89. RINGO DEATHSTARR "SO HIGH"

here's a blissed-out, indie pop track i discovered recently, So High from Austin-based noise-pop/shoegaze revelers Ringo Deathstarr off their new album "Colour Trip" (2011).

So High is a euphoric, MBV-tinged, indie pop anthem, fluttering, shimmery synths awaken us from early morning slumber, a jingly-jangly acoustic guitar strums away, swaying from side-to-side, while a fuzzy, reverb-laden electric guitar drones away, add to the mix psyched-out, fluffy, saccharine girl/boy vocals that float atop puffy white clouds the shape of butterflies, if you can resist singing along to the super catchy refrain then you are surely a robot et in danger of self-destructing!

this is one track that certainly begs the phrase short et sweet! So High will leave you on cloud nine with a stupid grin on your face!


MP3: So High

et here is the latest blazing, dreamy, shoegaze-laden single from the album:

MP3: Two Girls

et here is a hazy, blissed-out track from the album "Sparkler" (2009).

 

MP3: Summertime

check out the psyched-out, 80s effects-laden music video for So High directed by Cassandra Lee Hamilton.

RINGO DEATHSTARR - SO HIGH

et here is the gothed-out, trashy, sexploitation "home video" for Two Girls by Alex Gehring, Kathleen Carmichael, Maggie Martine, Emma Blauer, and Agadsa.

the "Colour Trip" album is available digitally from itunes or cd from Club AC30, who will also be releasing the album on vinyl on April 25th, pre-orders will be shipped April 18th!

you can find Ringo Deathstarr here: lastfm | facebook

89. I ...

89.

"I don't know who's up there and I don't care."

{Dylan Thomas, Under Milk Wood}

88. TEEPEE "I TOLD YOU SO"

next up is an uber-catchy, jangly, 80s-stained track I Told You So, from Miami-based noise-pop experimentalist Teepee {Eric Lopez-Zareno} off his brilliant self-released debut album "Morals" (2011).

"I told you so / I told you so / I told you so

Don't stand under that / Don't stand under that / Don't stand under that tree"

I Told You So is a delirious, minimal wave-tinged, guitar-pop anthem, i have to admit i was won over as soon as i heard the infectious, warm bassline et raw, jangly guitar riff, which instantly evoked fond memories of classic Flying Nun artists, like The Clean {Point That Thing Somewhere Else}, et when Lopez-Zareno's fuzzed-out, reverb-laden vocals kick-in, with his absurd, witty, mantric lyrics i was hooked. one can't help but think of David Kilgour, especially when Lopez-Zareno croons away on the bridge, leading up to his bitter resolve: "Don't lean on me when you need a / body to cry on / I told you so / I told you / many times."

there are times when i am truly thankful for digital music, this is one of them, if this was a 7" or cassette single it would be completely worn out et stretched to s#*t! I Told You So is a ridiculously catchy track that lingers in your head for days, i am constantly finding myself randomly repeating the lines: "Don't touch Mary / She's got a disease" in inappropriate places, a cheeky grin transforms on my face when i realise what i'm saying. it's lucky i don't know any one named Mary or it might prove rather awkward ... enjoy!


MP3: I Told You So

i would strongly recommend heading over to the Teepee bandcamp et checking out his remarkable debut album, "Morals" it is available digitally, et currently free, the deluxe edition no less! there is also a limited edition 12" ebony black vinyl version available from Senzei Records, very tempting!

you can check out Teepee here: myspace | teepeesounds | lastfm | bandcamp

88. UNDER ...

88.

Under this mask, another mask.

{Claude Cahun}