POP-QUIZ

And once again while CMJ and after more than 8 years people are still wondering about the future of music business regarding concerts, downloads, record sales,piracy, etc...
I'm kind of tired of the subject but here's a question related to it.
-What was unusual about Bowie's September 1996 release "Telling Lies"?

Well, it was the first -ever downloadable single by a major artist

SILENT MOVIES

After more than two years of searching for theaters or festivals that would play silent movies with live accompaniment, I gave up my search, but just like everything else in life, things come to you when they're supposed to, and last week, while waiting for the bus, I saw the sign of a silent film screening with live organ accompaniment.
The screening was last night at the "Landmark Lowe's Jersey Theater" in New Jersey. They played the 1920's classic "The Mark of Zorro" and the live organist was Chris Elliott.
Of course I couldn't miss it, so I went there.
From the moment I stepped in the theater I knew it was going to be a time travel experience; The theater is old and elegant, with beautiful golden decorations and enormous lamps and nice little white lights that decorate the balconies, and although the theater is not very well maintained,you forget about those details because the atmosphere carries the weight of time, so even when you look in the mirror or the EXIT signs, you just travel to the beginning of the XXth Century.
As soon as you step into the screening room you see a giant screen with red velvet curtains that surround the white spotlight which only target is the microphone that comes out from the stage's wooden floor.
I sat down after getting my $1 pop corn and the music started playing, it was the Californian organist Chris Elliott popping out from the hole where the 1920's "Wonder Morton Theater pipe organ" keyboard is kept.
He played some Charlie Chaplin classic songs which on the organ sounded big and emotional.
After that the movie began.
The organ playing of Chris Elliott was impeccable, with enormous contrasts in dynamics orchestration, and tempos. His playing was so perfect that after 20 minutes you forget that it's a live performance, because the sync between the image and the audio is perfect!
The only thing that reminds you about the live performance is the stereo sound that the organ creates, because its 1799 pipes are distributed on both sides of the theater.
The only thing that I can say is that if you get the chance to ever watch a silent movie with live accompaniment, you should do it, because it's a real time travel experience and they don't write movie scores like those anymore,plus, they don't even make instruments like those organs any more, there are only 5 of those in the U.S, so it's completely worth it (not that it's expensive, the ticket was only $10).
Anyway, there will be another screening with live organ on Oct 23 at 8:20 p.m, it will be the horror movie "Nosteratu" and the ticket is only $8. The address to the the theater is 54 Journal square, Jersey city, NJ.

LOVE SPECTACLE

I just got my hands on a copy of "Love Spectacle," a CD by Peter Litvin that I've been waiting for about six months.
I'm probably biased because I've been close to the process and waiting for it to be ready for so long that the first listen is going to sound perfect, and right now, as I listen to "wonders of the world" (track 10 of the 12 songs that Litvin delivers,) my only thought is how refreshing the music is.
After a year of listening to the Brooklyn "boom," some metal and electro-dance,pop, and of course, always listening to the radio, I finally hear something that stays in my brain without my head wanting to kick it out of there, but instead, inviting the songs to stay.
How refreshing is that?
When was the last time you actually felt that?
Well, I won't review "love Spectacle" because I have endless things to say about it, so I'm better listening to it.
Here's my favorite song: "Too much" although I wouldn't say this specific song is the x-ray of "love Spectacle."

If you want to check out other songs here's "Photograph"

I should've probably uploaded "Roller Coaster" which according to Litvin, has elements of every song that appears in the record, but I like other songs best (although it's hard to pick.)
If you still want more, click on the title of this post or go to the iTunes store.

LOW

David Bowie's camping in my ears and I love it.
I remember my fixation with the movie "Labyrinth" when I was about nine. In this movie David Bowie plays Jareth the Gobling King, and as much as I truly suffered with the story, I remember my fascination for everything in it;the dark light, J. Connelli's bright eyes, Bowie's crystal ball, but above all, I was mesmerized by Bowie's character. No matter how evil he was, I was fascinated by him, and I wished he were meaner, because the meaner he was, the more intriguing he turned, and the more I liked him.
Anyway, I grew up and stopped thinking about the Gobling King, and then, I was into music, so he reappeared in my life, but as every band or musician in my life, he's there, but in a CD case or a hard drive. And as usual, I need to go back to the good ones, the real ones, and now, all I can listen to is "Low," the first of the "Berlin Trilogy" (1977), recorded in collaboration with Brian Eno, a record that's even more fascinating that the Gobbling King. This is a record where the bells come out of the speakers and ding by your side while a guitar sets the labyrinth lines, and meanwhile, your heart tunes up with the beat of the songs, specially in "weeping wall".
The textures that appear in "Low" are placed in such a way that the only word I find to describe them is perfect, just as perfect as the Gobling king's evilness. Because it recreates that same fascination I felt when I was nine years old; a true fantasy world that only great musicianship can achieve and deliver in reality.

MORE ABOUT MUSIC CRITICISM

I can't help to spend my time thinking about music criticism. How "important" and well delivered is what X journalist is saying about something? How much I agree or disagree with his ideas?
While I'm not thinking about music journalism, I'm either listening to music, reading music books, or reading books about music journalism. But it turns even worse when I find a passage like the one I ran into today in "Killling yourself to live" by Chuck Klosterman:
"Right now, most Rock journalism is just mild criticism with Q&A attached; nobody learns anything (usually) and nothing new is created (ever)." I agree.
But, what am I doing about it?...
Nothing, because (and I'll have to quote Klosterman again), the truth is that popular culture works when "you allow yourself to be convinced you're sharing a reality that doesn't exist."

COLOMBIAN BAD TASTE GOING MAINSTREAM

I usually try to keep my mouth shut when I listen to really bad music, but this time I have to let it out or I'll explode.
I just got the press release for a so-called Colombian "singer, artist", Juana Posse,and this is just the typical example of what happens in developing countries (although, giving it a second thought I guess it applies to all countries): good-looking people, with the right contacts, and some patient producer behind, think they're real musicians and end up showing the face for the "arts".
This really pisses me of because the truth is that this is tasteless, talentless, brainless people that just want fame and money doing something easy, and this is just what's happening all the time.
And the worst thing is that they sell her as a Cumbia artist, and Colombian Cumbia is a beautiful rhythm that Juana Posse is using to succeed with her mediocre fusion.
I'm sure her "single" plays all day in commercial radio stations in Colombia (of course I wonder how much payola they payed), but that's not the important thing here, what really bothers me, is that normal people end up thinking they actually like this music, and therefore they start asking for musical products that follow that line, and that is exactly the problem. How can we get rid of this mediocrity?
I'm not saying that commercial music is bad, because I love it, but it has to have quality and most important GOOD TASTE.
Here is Juana Posse's "single", which has stolen elements from every single hit since 1990

ROCK CRITICS: IT'S ALL REFURBISHED

When I started studying Music I hated critics, despite the fact that Robert Schumann had his own publication (Journal) where he even "launched" Chopin, and I love Schumann and Chopin. Anyway,after studying classical piano I studied Journalism and thought music criticism wasn't as simple as it seemed, and today, after some years of reflecting about Music and Journalism I found this recommendation by Lester Bangs, which by the way,everyone is following except me. I guess is the only time I can thank I'm late:
"The only thing left to to mention before you embark on your career as a rock critic is that talent has absolutely nothing to do with it, so don't worry if you don't know how to write. Don't even worry if you can't put a simple declarative sentence together. Don't worry if you can only sign your name with an X. Anybody can do this shit; all it takes is a high level of unconsciousness and some ability to sling bullshit around. Also, the bullshit is ready-made; you don't even have to think it up, all you have to do is invest in a slingshot. All the word-type you need has already been written anyway. It's in old issues of Shakin' Street, Rolling Stone, Creem and all the rest; just sit around reading and re-reading the damn things all day and pretty soon you'll have whole paragraphs of old record reviews memorized, which is not only a good way to impress people at parties and girls you're trying to pick up with your erudition, but allows you to plagiarize at will...It's the same shit all over. Just stir and arrange it every once in a while."
Quote from Shakin Street, by Lester Bangs

MUSIC AND TORTURE

I got this video and want to share it with you.
It's about interrogations using high volume music. Although I've heard that they use music for torture, the truth is that I wasn't sure if it was true or simply a myth. Here's a testimony.
"Filmed inside Cambridge University's anechoic chamber (designed to create total silence) and featuring former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Ruhal Ahmed, this short by Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin is a reflection on Ahmed's experiences whilst in detention (particularly how he was interrogated using high-volume music) and about the use of human sound on the body"

HENRY ROLLINS

Last night I went to see Henry Rollins at Iriving Plaza talk about life, politics, sex, tolerance, traveling, music, LIFE...
it's hard to say something about someone that touches so many aspects of life in such a deep level and in such natural way.
I've read some of his books, I've heard some of his music (which by the way I don't like,) and I've heard him speak.
No one is as visceral as he is. The way he express his thoughts and experiences, and how he loves himself and makes fun of himself is just admirable.
One of the best experiences so far this year, I hope there were more people like him in the world.
He's the kind of person that will inspire you and make you think and reflect not only about your life, but he will open your eyes (and ears) and remind you that no matter what's going on in your life you can´t forget the world around you. He'll simply make you want to wear life out and be a nerd.
I want to have a friend like him.
He's the reason I'm posting again.
Thanks Henry

THE DEAD WEATHER: A HYENA PACK HUNT

The Dead Weather held every breath of the audience last Friday.
The band that was born thanks to a jam session between Alison Mosshart (The Kills), guitar player Dean Fertita (Queens of the Stone Age), bassist Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs and The Greenhornes) and vocalist, guitarist and drummer, Jack White (The White Stripes y The Raconteurs), performed at it's best.
Aside from their exquisite music, their energy was tight and strong, not to say aggressive. Their perfect domain of climax and their movements and strenght on stage reminded me of the way hyenas hunt.
They moved as a pack, playing every note at it's best, which made their blues-punk high energy rock sound tight and ensembeled where no one is more important than the other, creating a pack that turned the audience into their defenseless prey.

That said here are some pictures and videos.
Enjoy