JOHN MCCAIN:
McCain, his campaign, and his operatives have decided to go on a full blast assault on Barack Obama based on his associations with Bill Ayers, Tony Rezko, and to a lesser degree, Jeremiah Wright. The harshly negative tone borders on shrill at times. While Hillary Clinton and her campaign tried to make an issue out of it during the primaries, there was no silver bullet there to sink Obama's candidacy. Unless some enterprising reporter uncovers a previously undiscovered damning smoking gun, odds are the guilt by association attacks won't have any impact during the general election either.

The Muslim Manchurian Candidate rumors are beginning to circulate again, and a sheriff at a Palin event in Florida dropped the H-bomb, a comment the McCain campaign called "inappropriate."

Political operatives and TV pundits say that people are turned off by negative campaigning, but the reality is it works. The risk for the person who goes negative (in this case, McCain) is that in going negative, you risk driving up your own negatives in addition to the other guy's. A political murder-suicide, if you will.

The point of doing this is not for McCain to win an election, but for Barack Obama to lose it. McCain has been losing since the financial crisis hit, and he is running out of time to change both the media narrative or political momentum in his favor before voters go to the polls. By focusing the narrative of the last day or so on blistering attacks on Barack Obama, McCain has all but guaranteed he will go there during the debate tonight if Tom Brokaw does not.

Looking back at the first debate, McCain got the Al Gore 2000 treatment from the media and the talking heads afterward, when almost everyone pointed out his inability (or refusal, depending on your perspective) to look Barack Obama in the eye when answering a question, even at the encouragement of Jim Lehrer. McCain's advisors would be guilty of political malpractice if they did not point this out to him and correct it before the debate tonight.

He also needs to avoid any major gaffes, or repeating any of the exaggerated or false lines of attack which have already been well documented and debunked by the press (i.e. the sex ed for kindergarteners ad). If McCain goes there, do not be surprised if Tom Brokaw, if not Barack Obama himself, calls him out on it.

McCain prefers the townhall format, which of course means the Obama campaign is raising expectations of him before the debate.

BARACK OBAMA:
Obama has been in the driver's seat for the better part of two weeks and continues to build on his momentum in state and national polls. He already held his own in the first debate, which thematically was focused on John McCain's strong subject.

Obama was clearly prepared for a negative barrage in the home stretch, since he launched a website attacking McCain for his role in the Keating 5 scandal at the same time McCain began hinting of his own negative attacks earlier this week. It wouldn't be a classic October Surprise for anyone who knows McCain's history, and the candidate himself has written about it in his own books. But this has more relevance to the current situations than Obama's dealings with Ayers, Rezko, and Wright because 1) it was part of the biggest banking and financial crisis of its day, which Obama can then try and tie into what is happening right now; and 2) it involves McCain's behavior and judgment as a U.S. Senator.

Like McCain, Obama needs to avoid making any gaffes in the debate which can be exploited by his opponent. Obama has been very cool in the sense that he doesn't get rattled or angry during a debate, a benefit of the long hard slog that was the Democratic primary earlier this year. If he can get under McCain's skin, that might create an unfavorable impression with voters at the debate and watching on TV, as well as the network pundits and talking heads.

As in the first debate, he doesn't have to do or say anything risky except hold his own. The momentum and the political climate are working to his advantage right now. Given that the top concern on most voters' minds right now is the economy, that automatically puts Obama at an advantage because polls show that voters prefer him to McCain on dealing with the economy, and the economy will be the focus of a lot of the questions. Because he is leading, a draw in this debate essentially amounts to the same as an outright Obama win.

One thing that both candidates need to be careful about, and it is something beyond either of their control, is the audience. Slate's John Dickerson has this article on the perils of the town hall format and how it hurt George H.W. Bush during the 1992 campaign. It may be in the substance or tone or body language of their response to the question, but the nature of the town hall format offers plenty of opportunities for candidates to shoot themselves in the foot.

Separately, this Politico article points out the pressure the McCain campaign is under to defend Virginia, which has voted Republican in every presidential election since 1964. But it also looks at the national map as a whole, and how the unfriendly dynamics of the race are forcing the McCain campaign to adjust in the final stretch:

Beyond the financial implications of that approach, the GOP ticket is confronting new demands on its time. The McCain campaign would prefer to have the Arizona senator and Alaska governor campaign together, but they are now being forced to protect more states so they may have to spend more time apart.

It's a akin to a campaign version of whack-a-mole, where finite time and money is being spread across the landscape to defend against sudden and unexpected Democratic surges on GOP turf.

Not good omens for the GOP with less than a month to go before the election.

TV On The Radio - Dear Science (2008)

A kaleidoscopic whirl of punk funk, updated, remodeled and polished up aplenty for 2008. TV On The Radio are the Talking Heads du jour. Too intelligent surely for mainstream success, the vitality and drive of this latest offering ensure that it's visceral funk and bizarre harmonies will be monopolising my attention for weeks to come. Fabulous record and a timely assertion of some old fashioned values, musicianship and technique in a hypermodern stylee.

Yes, that David Byrne.

He put together an amazing sound installation entitled "Playing the Building".  Basically he attached devices to the metal beams, pillars, water pipes and heating pipes of an old building in order to create sounds.

"The devices do not produce sound themselves, but they cause the building elements to vibrate, resonate and oscillate so that the building itself becomes a very large musical instrument."

Pretty fascinating.

David actually received a degree in design so he knows what he's doing unlike a lot of folks. You should definitely check out his other work.  I dig his PowerPoint project.  Who would have thought of that?!

For more:
http://www.davidbyrne.com/art/

Track Listing:
(Nothing But) Flowers
And She Was
Once In A Lifetime
God's Child
The Great Intoxication
Un Di Felice
The Revolution
Sax and Violins
This must Be the Place
What A Day That Was
Like Humans Do
U.B. Jesus
Life During Wartime
Lazy
I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Ausencia
The Accident
Road To Nowhere

David Byrne - Live at Union Chapel is available at Amazon for $17.99. To Order click here
Amazon Product Pages contain a lot of other details on this product as Customer Reviews, Sales Ranking, Special Offers, Alternate products that customers are going for and much more.Want to read these details? click here

Want to get some other Format / Binding / Version? You can search for them from here

Other Products of Interest

• Stop Making Sense
• David Byrne: Live From Austin Texas
• Ile Aiye (The House of Life) - A Film by David Byrne
• True Stories
• Knee Plays

ich habe gerade der musikempfehlung von text&blog folgend ein wenig in youtube gestöbert. und ich habe dabei wieder einmal ein chor gefunden, den ich allen empfehlen kann. dieses mal nicht nur ein ohrenschmaus für die punks und rocker_innen und natürlich alle chorliebhaber_innen unter euch, sondern auch etwas fürs auge.

am 02.10.2008 startete der film "young@heart" in den deutschen kinos. stephen walker begleitet den chor mit dem durchschittsalter von 75 jahren auf einer sechswöchigen tour.

filmkritiken gibt es bereits bei filmstarts und bei jowood blockt(t). neben der interpretation wahrhaft großer punk- und rockhymnen begeistert mein web2.0 herz der laufende youtube video contest zum film.

für hintergrundinformationen zum chor bieten sich ein besuch bei myspace und der homepage zum film an. aber nun auf die ohren, augen und herzen AUF und die drei folgenden videos anschalten (ich habe euch unter den videos noch einen link zum original eingearbeitet):

• the coldplay zum original

• the ramones zum original

• talking heads zum original

As far as I'm concerned, if McCain (now, bear in mind I'm also a Vietnam vet and come from a military background) and Impalin' get into power, I really kind of want to live somewhere else.  Bush's reputed philosophy just sort of evaporated.  Thankfully.  Impalin' was saying we need to use nuclear weapons as a deterrent during the debate and mentioned North Korea specifically.  China has problems with North Korea.  McCain is 72 and apparently not in the best of health.  The idea of Impalin' being president really scares me.

--Glenn

P.S.  Today's a fair amount of pain again, partially weather related.  The real news on the net about security is going to sound a bit repetitive.  Keep stuff patched.  I do have one post to make, though, come to think of it...

To był ważny zespół. Bez niego nie byłoby rocka alternatywnego i bylibyśmy skazani na Guns'n'Roses i TSA. David Byrne pokazał, że wokalista rockowy nie musi być napalonym jełopem. Był być może pierwszym nerdem, który się wybił. Pięć piosenek, od których najlepiej zacząć poznawanie zespołu:

Psycho Killer: Ich pierwszy hit, choć jeszcze tylko undergroundowy. Podmiotem lirycznym jest tytułowy psychopata. Drażnią go ludzie i to bardzo. Z tekstem może się identyfikować każdy porządny obywatel.

I Zimbra: Zespół znany jest m.in. dzięki nietypowym tekstom. Po tym, jak jeden krytyk napisał, że na ich pierwszej płycie znalazły się "piosenki o budynkach i jedzeniu", drugą płytę nazwali More Songs About Buildings and Food. Na trzeciej płycie, fantastycznej Fear of Music, tematy piosenek stanowią ich tytuły i są to, po kolei: umysł, papier, miasta, życie podczas wojny, wspomnienia, powietrze, niebo, zwierzęta, gitara elektryczna, narkotyki. O niczym natomiast nie mówiła pierwsza ścieżka na albumie, czyli I Zimbra, z tekstem w jakimś pseudo-afrykańskim języku. Warto zwrócić uwagę na warstwę rytmiczną utworu, która też jest afrykańska (ale już nie pseudo).

Once in a Lifetime: Czwarty album Talking Heads Remain in Light to zupełnie szaleństwo. Zespół skoncentrował się na rytmie, zapominając o melodii, w miarę spójnych tekstach, zmianach akordów, jednym słowem, o piosenkach. Wyjątkiem było Once in a Lifetime, gdzie David Byrne wciela się w rolę kaznodziei głoszącego prawdę o posiadaniu dużego samochodu, pięknego domu i pięknej żony.

Burning Down the House: Tytułowe "spalanie domu" to część słownictwa funkowca George'a Clintona z zespołu Parliament (obok "statku-matki" i "da bomb"). Chodzi po prostu o to, żeby dobrze bawić się na koncercie. O co chodzi w tekście tej piosenki, nie wiadomo. Wątpię też, żeby wiedzieli to Tom Jones i szwedzki zespół The Cardigans, kiedy parę lat temu wspólnymi siłami nagrali własną wersję.

And yes, it has bribes for various house members that voted no on the first version. The thing is, it's got enough extra stuff tacked on it that people who voted yes the first time may vote no on it.

Especially the $120 billion in tax cuts. Of course, IIRC, they're voting on it today. Hopefully these words won't be accompanied by that smiling George Bush[1], smiling as the plan to rip off the nation goes through.

In any case, I'm going to continue on my Talking Heads jag. They just seem to represent what I'm thinking really well right now. (And when you're thinking like David Byrne, you know you're in trouble.)

Blind - Talking Heads

As usual for the talking heads, the lyrics are important. And seem very relevant these days.

Torn all apart
All in the name of democracy
He's hurt
He's dying
Claimed he was a terrorist
Claimed to avert a catastrophe
Someone should'a told him
That the buck stops here
No one ever said
That he was involved with thieves

Money - The Beatles

And what did Bush-appointed Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson want again?

I personally liked reading a quote from a Treasury spokeswoman on how they got the figure "$700 billion":

"It's not based on any particular data point. We just wanted to choose a really large number."[2]

Yes, they would, wouldn't they?

And, you know, Paulson used to be CEO for Goldman Sachs. You know, a competitor of Merrill Lynch and Lehman Bros. Should he even be touching this?

I don't know; too many things niggling at me on this, and I'm feeling a bit scattered. And some part of me feels a small, twisted satisfaction in watching it all burn, though I probably shouldn't.

It is a good thing I'd moved almost all my financial investments[3] over to rock solid things that don't provide much return over the last couple of months, though.

And UPS stock, but they haven't been hit that bad...

[1] I've read too much Bloom Country, all right?

[2] Emphasis mine.

[3] Such as they are. It isn't much, but it's been building up for a few years.

Why is he the only one willing to skewer these rag-a-tronic bull crap machines? And with their own words, no less.

These are the bands I managed to catch: Jakob Dylan, Gogol Bordello, David Byrne, Alejandro Escovedo, Erykah Badu, Beck, Gillian Welch, Neko Case, the Raconteurs, Tegan and Sara, Band of Horses, and the Foo Fighters.

BECK and his band were amazing! I was actually hanging out back stage before he went on and was able to catch him. I have never seen anyone with their game face on like this before. He was so intense and focused. He started the show with his hit “Loser” and then went into songs from his most recent album Modern Guilt. The highlight of the show was when all the musicians stepped away from their instruments and got a hold of electronic midi controllers and began to make music using only those electronics. So cool. He made me melt when he went on to perform the song “Lost Cause”. This is one of the best concerts I have ever been to!

The RACONTEURS simply just ROCK!! So good. I enjoyed the whole show and couldn’t take my eyes off of them. All the musicians blew me away…but the drummer Patrick Keeler was amazing!! I was so honored to meet him after the show in the artist lounge. The band impressed me with such great musicianship without stepping too far out of the song or taking too many solos.

GILLIAN WELCH was probably the most dynamic act I saw. She performed with David Rawlings. They were the only group I saw without a full band and managed to sound so full. Her lyrics came through at all times. The highlight of this show was when she invited a friend to come up and sing a song acapella. I have seen and met Gillian before. She went to Berklee before my time, but would perform every year at spring break in Nashville for Berklee students. They put on a great show and left the crowd wanting more.

JAKOB DYLAN AND THE GOLD MOUNTAIN REBELS made me want to run out and get their new album. I love Jakob Dylan’s voice. Great songwriting. I was way to shy to talk to him back stage in the artist lounge, but after a couple of beers I was able to go talk to his bass player who is located in Austin.

DAVID BYRNE was a blast. (Another artist I was to shy/not drunk enough to talk to) His band was great and his energy was bouncing all over the stage. His dancers made me keep on dancing. Great songs, and he is great at taking them to a whole new level.

GOGOL BORDELLO was a pleasant surprise. A friend had played me a track of theirs before the show and I really didn't think I'd like them but....SHIT ....they blew me away!! So so good! I am a new fan and would really love to see them again.

Now with the festival behind me, I am back to working on my next album inspired and charged!

Also this week I got news that my song "It's My Birthday" will be featured in the upcoming Paramont DVD release NASH BRIDGES!

Visit these sites to read up more on me and what's new:
OFFICIAL WHITE WIDOW SITE
WHITE WIDOW MYSPACE

Albums I am Obsessing Over:
Beck - Modern Guilt
Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator)
Lindsey Buckingham - Gift of Screws

Has Senator Obama's success, and the poor performance of the Republican Ticket led these guys to fighting each other!

In the meantime, I've decided to play two of my favorite Talking Heads songs, which are quite relevant under the circumstances. I'm rather surprised I haven't played them yet, actually:

Don't Worry about the Government - Talking Heads

This song always reminded me of Bush, for some reason. It's beautifully sarcastic, if you want to interpret it that way, anyways. And, yes, you may be interested in the lyrics.

(And, yes, Sean, the line "I'm from the government. Trust me." is what triggered this post.)

The Big Country - Talking Heads

And this song, recorded in 1979, two years later, is sort of the opposite, but on the same lines.

I wouldn't live there if you paid me.
I wouldn't live like that, no siree!
I wouldn't do the things the way those people do.
I wouldn't live there if you paid me to.

I've felt like that occassionally. The whole lyrics are here.

It stands to figure that the music that was created for the 50,000 years before I existed deserves more attention than what has been put on wax since the year of our lord 1984.  I mean, even a great band like Talking Heads hit their creative peak by 1983 with Speaking in Tongues, so I figured the arbitrary, unofficial policy that governed my music consumption was firm but fair.

Sure, I was a big Sublime fan in middle school, went through a solid rap phase in high school and painstakingly assembled playlists filled with one hit wonders from the 80s and 90s during college; but even during these flights of fancy, when I was looking for a new fix, I thought I would be better served by digging into T.Rex's canon than by picking up the new Snow Patrol album.

And even with all the "indie" groups out there signing to imprints of major labels and getting increasingly more publicity, I was able to safely keep my distance.  During my early 20s, a time when I figure I was most succeptable to take Spin magazine's reviews seriously, I (luckily?) worked with a kid that served as a perfectly bizarro litmus test for this type of stuff.  His life seemed to revolve around the oh-yeah-well-my-favorite-band-doesn't-even-exist-yet pissing contests that I assume pass for "hello" in the annals of tight-jeaned, aviator wearing hipsters.  So I knew if I just avoided anything that he ever mentioned I would probably be alright.

But for whatever reason, I have been opening up at bit in recent months.  In addition to catching incredible local musicians for little or no cover on an weekly basis, I have also made a semi-regular habit of paying real money (or at least making time in my schedule) to check out nationally touring bands that I had heard of but not actually heard.

As little as a year ago, even as I was living in the mecca of indie rock that is the Twin Cities, this type of shit was unheard of.  And it may not seem like much to you, but forking over some skrilla to see an "up-and-coming band" without being intimately familiar with their material is a big step in the life of a judgmental musical curmudgeon such as myself.

The returns so far have been great.  In February I caught a North Mississippi All Stars show at Tipitina's that turned into a virtuoso jam marathon lasting into the wee hours of the morning.  And at the beginning of the summer I went to a Vampire Weekend show on Tulane's campus that was surprisingly engaging and gave me a good excuse to catch some outdoor heaters.

But these were child's play compared to my adventure last night.  As I was sitting at home watching the thrilling White Sox/Twins tiebreaker while listening to The Best Show on WFMU, I received a call inviting me to a concert that would surely test the mettle of my recent musical awakening.

The band was Okkervil River and the venue was Republic.  To understand the gravity of such an event, let me share a two key facts would have made the old me's skin crawl:

1. The first few results from a Google search for "Okkervil River" are a string of articles from Pitchfork Media, a website that has a reputation for fawning over bands more obscure than Peter Gammon's preseason baseball picks-to-click
2. Republic is a newish club in New Orlean's swanky Warehouse District that is notorious for serving overpriced domestic bottles and being an unapologetic scenester's paradise

But - because I am a new man and The Republic is a only a few blocks from my apartment - I shot on over, bought a $12 ticket at the door, bellied up to the bar for $4 High Lifes, and rocked out to Austin, TX's most popular new band.  And you know what?  It was great.

I am not about to trash the extended Purple Chick deluxe remasters of The Beatles full discography that are filling my hard drive to make room for Matador Records' entire catalog just yet, but I am finally comfortable admitting that the music made in the last 24 years and counting might not all be garbage.

So, she slams Amanda Peet.

I think this important conflict will only be settled if Jenny and Amanda work out there differences, while wearing bikinis, by wrestling in a vat of hot oil. They are both scientists, right, and that's how we normally work out these kind of analytical inconsistencies. Right?

You're also interesting in Summer Bailey. There's also a Summer Bailey who does porno, I'm guessing they aren't the same Summer Bailey.

You've also developed a sudden interest in the Alternative Minimum Tax out there on the Internets. You people must be rich, if you're paying that. It's just for rich people, right?

And Lou Dobbs on the Bailout. Good for you. Making you Internets are getting smarter. Lou Dobbs has a much better idea what he's talking about than most of the Talking Heads out there.

Also, you pipples are apparently very interested in the Senate version of the bailout bill. It's not that complicated. First, you bend over. Second, you grab the ankles. Third, the government takes your money and gives it to their big leftist friends running Wall Street. Done and done.

And you want to know about The Hampton Coliseum. Why? Phish again. Jeeze, you Phish-heads out there. A lot of you are, apparently. They broke up, what, four years ago? Some bands don't do a tour or come out with an album for five or six years. Settle down, people.

So, are you people doing the Googlification out there for the latest Quinnipiac Poll because you're all about reading how Obama is ahead in the polls, or just because you like saying the word Quinnipiac?

A sudden interest in Robert Kardashian because of what exactly? Whatever, Internets. Whatever.

Hewlett Packard is buying LeftHand Networks. They are rumored to be in talks with one Ned Flanders to buy The Leftorium at the Springfield Mall. Because it would make about as much sense.

I think you Womens out there must be the ones searching for Yummie Tummie. Watching the Oprah again?

 Laters, Internets.

Firmato
Prendimi se ci riesci Siggnor Lusk

Psycho Killer qu'est-ce que c'est?, cantavano alla fine degli anni Settanta i Talking Heads.

Ricorre in questi giorni il 120° anniversario della catena di omicidi che sconvolse il quartiere malfamato londinese di Whitechapel. Omidici a seguito dei quali nacque il mito di Jack The Ripper considerato (a torto) il primo omicida seriale della storia contemporanea.

Lo psicopatico - ha scritto una volta J.G. Ballard - non passa mai di moda. Certamente basta leggere le cronache di casa nostra o guardare i plastici di villette di montagna trasmessi da alcuni programmi in TV, fa vendere bene.

La particolare ferocia con la quale il maniaco di Whitechapel infierì sulle cinque vittime a lui ufficialmente attribuite (ma ve ne furono almeno altre sei uccise con modalità analoghe) fu il primo di una serie di fattori che accesero l’interesse del pubblico popolare.

La sua inafferrabilità fu un altro elemento che contribuì a creare attorno alla sua figura un alone di mistero. La polizia non fu in infatti grado di raccogliere alcun elemento per risalire all’identità dell’assassino. Solo per un momento i sospetti parvero indirizzarsi su John Pizerk, un macellaio ebreo (capro espiatorio perfetto) che, dopo aver rischiato il linciaggio, venne ben presto scagionato.

Di fronte all'impotenza delle autorità, il caricaturista John Tenniel pubblicò sul Punch del settembre del 1888, una vignetta che ritraeva un poliziotto inglese, bendato, mentre si muoveva a tentoni, attorniato da loschi figuri sghignazzanti.

Il mito nacque però definitivamente quando furono rese note tre lettere autografe del mostro. Due vennero spedite alla Central News Agency e una, contenente resti umani, fu indirizzata "dall'Inferno" ad uno degli investigatori che lavoravano al caso, George Lusk. Sin dalla prima missiva, l’omicida si firmò con un nome semplice ma (anzi forse per questo) straordinariamente evocativo: Jack the Ripper (Jack lo Squartatore, secondo l'imprecisa traduzione della stampa italiana dell'epoca).

Lo stile ed i contenuti delle lettere (gli errori di ortografia e di grammatica parevano fatti apposta per irridere e sviare gli investigatori) accreditarono l’idea che l’assassino di Whitechapel non fosse affatto uno dei tanti delinquenti che popolavano le strade malfamate della città, ma piuttosto una persona colta, probabilmente appartenente all’alta società.

La miscela di questi e di altri fattori inserirono stabilmente nell’immaginario collettivo la figura di Jack lo Squartatore, che divenne una sorta di “Barbablù” moderno, l’impersonificazione stessa della violenza.  Con lui, il maniaco omicida, grazie alla stampa popolare, si radicò definitivamente nell'immaginario collettivo.

]]> http://thedemocats.wordpress.com/?p=25 Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:57:23 +0000 bucks1414 http://thedemocats.pl.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/rockers-against-mccain/ As of Sept. 28, 2998, I have declared a campaign against John McCain's unauthorized use of copyrighted songs at his campaign stops. Among the professional musicians who have directly granted me permission to use their names in opposition to this practice are: IAN HUNTER, TALKING HEADS, THE MINUS 5, SYD STRAW, BRAVE COMBO, SALIM NOURALLAH, KID GINSENG, TOM TOM CLUB, AMY RIGBY, WRECKLESS ERIC, ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO and others. I am naming the campaign ROCK AND ROLL VS. JOHN MACCAIN. McCain is being sued by Jackson Browne, and has received cease and desist letters from Heart, John Mellencamp, Van Halen, and others. He is clearly violating federal copyright law when he plays these songs without permission. Stay tuned for further details.

See MiMi Soya at Staines

Oct 2 2008      7:30P The Hobgoblin (18+)     Staines

MiMi Soya

Formed in the British summer of 2006 MiMi Soya have risen fast in their short career. Now the pop punk quartet from sunny Brighton aim to bring their addictive melodies, innocent lyrics and beastly guitar riffs to the world.

After the initial EP self release which included the anthemic lead track “Crazy” and the visionary salsa pop song “A Memoir”, they then recruited their current front woman Hero at the start of 2007 and started creating brand new stadium
crowd pleasers. Since playing shows constantly they’re bringing their intense, passionate, killer live shows to a town near you. With crowd participation and band energy second to none, it’s visual ecstasy for their fans.

Now signed to LAB Records with Crown management (Sugababes, Good Shoes, Get Cape,Wear Cape. Fly) in tow, expect incredible things. MiMi Soya are hot, you’d be crazy not to check out their mixed gender, punk-driven singalong anthems!

Hero - Vocals
Chris - Guitars/Vocals
Mike - Bass/Vocals
Joe - Drums/Nudity

http://www.myspace.com/mimisoya

You can purchase the new MiMi Soya EP Here >>>

The Four Penny Knee Trembler [Single]
~ Mimi Soya (Artist)

Price:     £3.99

2.

Catch some Contemporary Jazz - at Ascot

Nicolas Meier Band 5 October 2008      1:00P Jagz Ascot, with Roast

Swiss guitarist Nicolas Meier is one of the rising stars of a vibrant British jazz scene, his trademark sound a mixture of Methenyesque jazz and spicy Turkish and world music rhythms. Already well known in Europe, where his Meier Group have
toured extensively and shared the bill with such illustrious names as Elvin Jones, Brad Meldau, Trilok Gurtu and Bill Evans. Meier and his band recently won the enormously prestigious Grand Prize Of The Jury and 1st Prize Jazz Guitar at Jazz
a Juan Revelations 2006 a competition for the finest new jazz musicians and bands in Europe run by the legendary Jazz A Juan Festival.

But he is becoming increasingly well known in his adopted country as well where his Meier group features brilliant Israeli world-bebop saxophonist Gilad Atzmon, bassist Tom Mason and drummer Laurence Lowe who all contributed to his hugely well received Naim label debut ‘Orient’ .

As well as leading his own band, Meier has worked with the likes of Harry Beckett, Dave O'Higgins, John Etheridge, Gilad Aztmon, Renato D'Aielo and Deidre Cartwright. He has recently recorded "Guidance" featuring Vivaldi's 4 Seasons with a guitar orchestra (acoustic, electric & synth guitars) for American Classical label Centaur and until last year was in the nu-metal, techno, industrial band Avoidance Of Doubt, with whom he recorded some Indie label ‘EPs. He also recently formed
nu-metal-industrialists Seven. He cites influences as diverse as John McLaughlin,P at Metheny, Paco De Lucia, Al Di Meola, Chick Corea and Erkan Ogur.

Sunday, 5th October
Show will start at 1pm to 3.30pm
Ticket cost: £6.00
Special -entrance and roast £12

Jagz Ascot 01344 878100

3.

Get Midi Midis at Staines

Oct 5 2008      8:00P MIDIMIDIS + MORE @ The Hobgoblin, Staines

Post punk / Electro / Thrash

'Displaying an infectious enthusiasm for life, due to their independently motivated work ethic and energetic albeit shambolic lifestyles, MidiMidis loaded up with no memory card being removed. Spawning from an element of confusion and a longing for a bold incorporation of interesting and innovative influences, MidiMids represent a creative surge of creativity orchestrated by two brothers-in-law. Two brothers who enjoy spending far too much time drinking beer and experimenting with retro midi sounds on their old dusty unreliable laptops, GameBoys, GameGears and scuzzy broken guitars.

From an early age, the two have embraced everything from Gary Numan, AC/DC, Howard Jones and Bahuaus, to Nirvana, The Velvet Underground, and Television. MidiMidis create their minimalist fuzzy-buzzy 8-bit music by meticulously weaving the harsh feedback-heavy guitars of Sonic Youth together with the sharp angular work of Talking Heads, Kraftwerk and Human League.

Whether pondering over forgotten thoughts, the ubiquitous subject of relationship breakdowns or pining after a bottle of wine, lead singer Marcus manages to somehow circumvent the bile bitterness that many a songwriter would fall for. He treats these and other dark subjects with a bohemian carelessness and humorous irreverence only to the back drop of feedback laced angular guitars and electro bass and midi bleeps.

http://www.myspace.com/midimidis 

4.

Play with Spectrum 7 - at Staines

Spectrum 7 Oct 5 2008      8:00P Hobgoblin w/ The midi midi’s     Staines,

Its Rock Time!

In early 2006 two friends Sean Shreeve (Bass) and Jon Hardless (Guitar) began their early careers like most musicians; crafting songs in their bedrooms. Soon the ideals and conventions of a traditional rock band set-up were wearing thin with
the duo and they began to look for new and innovative ways to bring their vision of the way bands should sound to a future generation of listeners. Shreeve and Hardless immediately got to work crafting unconventional musical structures and
electronic beats on their Playstation while layering lyrics, guitar and bass riffs over the top. Although the band was still in a very premature form the duo managed to convince vocalist Jason Mirchandani to come onboard and after scrapping
their Playstation in favour of a laptop the group began hoaning their unique sound. Spectrum 7 were born!

Link:

http://www.myspace.com/spectrum7

5.

Check Get Set Radio at Staines

Oct 2 2008     8:00P Hobgoblin w/Stay Away From Paris     Staines

Pop Punk / Rock

Will - Vocals/Guitar ; Steve - Guitar/Vocals

Ruby - Bass; Jonas -Drums

Get Your Tickets for Beck Theatre, Hayes

The Beck Theatre
Grange Road
Hayes
Middlesex
UB3 2UE

-Visit AdPontes-Staines Regularly for Staines Arts-

I won't be on the air the following two weekends, but tune in on October 18 for an all new edition of Left of the Dial!

Here's what you heard this morning:
Wilco - "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" (from A Ghost is Born)
The Cure - "Freakshow" (from 4:13 Dream)
Husker Du - "Flip Your Wig" (from Flip Your Wig)
Death Cab for Cutie - "Cath..." (from Narrow Stairs)

The Replacements - "Left of the Dial" (from Tim)
The Hold Steady - "Sequestered in Memphis" (from Stay Positive)
Jenny Lewis - "See Fernando" (from Acid Tongue)
Teenage Fanclub - "Radio" (from Thirteen)
Okkervil River - "Singer Songwriter" (from The Stand-Ins)
The Gutter Twins - "Down the Line" (from Adorata EP)
The National - "Fake Empire (Live)" (from The Virginia EP)
The Black Kids - "Hurricane Jane" (from Partie Traumatic)
Los Campesinos! - "My Year In Lists" (from Hold on Now, Youngster...)
My Bloody Valentine - "When You Sleep" (from Loveless)
Talking Heads - "Thank You for Sending Me an Angel" (from Stop Making Sense)
Dinosaur Jr - "Almost Ready" (from Beyond)
Pavement - "Father to a Sister of Thought" (from Wowee Zowee)
TV on the Radio - "Crying" (from Dear Science)

When the autumn rains come I start to notice how badly my apartment is built.  It was thrown up some time in the fifties like so many other Brooklyn buildings, and there’s nothing in it that works the way it should.  A few weeks ago the bathroom ceiling came down from the pressure of a water leak above, and the walls start to feel like paper as the days get colder.  I don’t spend much time thinking about moving, though, probably because I know those sorts of thoughts only draw attention to the fact that I don’t have enough money to find a better place.  But I also feel at home in my little railroad apartment – more at home, in fact, than I think I’ve ever felt before.  And when I stop to ask myself why that is, the only explanation I can come up with is that for the first time in my life, I’m not trying to get away from any place to get to another.  Maybe it’s a question of getting older, but I also think it’s a question of getting lighter too: I notice with every year how what I need comes to me when I don’t go chasing after it.  Where is there to go to find contentment, after all?  Certainly not outside Brooklyn.

This thought makes me think about what it means to be a songwriter, and why anyone would want to make new songs.  I mean, doesn’t the world have enough songs already?  It occurs to me, though, that songs are like little houses: you take the raw materials of time and notes and words and you try to make an enclosure in which love can grow and be protected in them, if only for three or four minutes.  In other words, I don’t think of writing songs any more as trying to put my stamp of originality on the history of music.  It’s a much simpler issue.  I have these feelings, these ideas, these patterns in my mind, and they need to be protected from the hostile elements in the world.  So build a refuge for them.  The refuge ultimately might not be that original, but it doesn’t have to be to fulfill its emotional and spiritual function.

It also occurs to me that home is also ultimately a metaphor for the balance we strike between letting things in and keeping things out.  I don’t want burglars and wild animals in my home, of course, but I do want new friends and new experiences and new types of growth to take root there, so I have to nurture this balance carefully in my life.  And songwriting is no different: I don’t want to be stuck in the same old creative patterns and I don’t want to ever stop learning and trying new things, but I’m also at the point in my life when I’m not that interested in letting every kind of musical perspective or criticism in either – there’s something inside me that I’m trying to get the bottom of, and I can’t let too much from the outside cloud that search.  What I want, in other words, is not a destination out there somewhere, but a deeper understanding of what I already have.  Just like the lyrics for one of my favorite Talking Heads songs: “Home, it’s where I want to be, but I guess I’m already there.”

Tam Lin is a NYC-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist whose music has been compared to that of Jeff Buckley, Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake, and David Byrne. You can hear him at http://www.tamlinmusic.com and http://www.myspace.com/tamlinmusic

Went to NYC two weekends ago to see Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings for free at Central Park Summer Stage. It was my second time seeing them, and they were as amazing as they were the last time. All of these were taken with a Pentax k1000, 50mm f/2. It was my first experience working without a light meter (the battery died and I haven't yet replaced it); since some of the frames were a bit overexposed, I used Photoshop for adjusting levels and curves. All shots are Tri-X.

I guess not everyone was having a great time...

I like the smiley-face in the top puddle...

rockin' in the free world...

In the cab on the way back to Penn Station... my favorite of the roll.

Hope you all have great weeks!