Saturday, February 07, 2009

Salty

My latest FTOTZ mix:



tracks
01 - Rafter - Salt
02 - Britney Spears - If U Seek Amy
03 - Harpers Bizarre - I Love You, Alice B. Toklas
04 - Sheena Easton - Swear
05 - Mount Sims - Love's Revenge
06 - Annie Sprinkle - Deep Inside Your Cosmic Body Erotic
07 - Erykah Badu - The Cell
08 - Lucinda Williams - If Wishes Were Horses
09 - Stack - Poison Ivy
10 - Montefiori Cocktail - Pornello 70 ft. Maria Cristina Camillo
11 - Millie Jackson - Here You Come Again
12 - Cliff Ferre - Joe's Joint
13 - Nat Dove & The Devils - Joy
14 - Robert Byrne - Aquarius
15 - Maiysha - Over My Head
16 - Ike & Tina Turner - Son Of A Preacher Man
17 - Farrah Fawcett - You
18 - Tata Vega - Come On And Try My Love
19 - Me'shell Ndegeocello - Michelle Johnson
20 - The Osmonds - Crazy Horses
21 - The Isley Brothers - The Highways Of My Life
22 - The New Generation - Digger
23 - The Muffs - Kids In America

notes
"Salt" appears on Rafter's 2008 EP Sweaty Magic.

"If U Seek Amy" is from Britney Spears' 2008 release Circus.

Harpers Bizarre's "I Love You, Alice B. Toklas" was compiled on The Synthetic Side of Psychedelia.

"Swear" is from Sheena Easton's 1984 album A Private Heaven.

Mount Sims' "Love's Revenge" can be heard on his 2008 release Happily Ever After.

"Deep Inside Your Cosmic Body Erotic" by Annie Sprinkle is from an audio erotica collection from 2000 (in 3D Audio!) known as Cyborgasm.

"The Cell" can be heard on Erykah Badu's 2008 release New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War.

Lucinda Williams' "If Wishes Were Horses" appears on 2008's Little Honey.

Stack's version of the classic "Poison Ivy" is from their 1969 album Above All.

"Pornello 70 ft. Maria Cristina Camillo" by Montefiori Cocktail is on their 2007 release 4 Orchestra.

Millie Jackson covered the Dolly Parton hit "Here You Come Again" on her 1978 album Get It Out'cha System.

"Joe's Joint" by Cliff Ferre was compiled on If It Ain't A Hit, I'll Eat My...Baby-The Dirtiest Of Them Dirty Blues.

The Nat Dove & The Devils tune "Joy" can be heard on the 1977 Petey Wheatstraw soundtrack.

Robert Byrne's "Aquarius" appears on the moog Hair cover album Electric Hair.

Maiysha's Over My Head" is from her 2008 release This Much Is True.

Ike & Tina Turner cover "Son Of A Preacher Man " on their 1971 recording Live In Paris.

The breathy seventies Farrah Fawcett curiosity "You" was posted on some long-forgotten website. If anyone knows more about it please email me.

"Come On And Try My Love" is from Tata Vega's 1979 album Try My Love.

Me'shell Ndegeocello's "Michelle Johnson" appears on her 2007 album The World Has Made Me The Man Of My Dreams.

"Crazy Horses" by The Osmonds is collected on their 2003 Ultimate Collection.

The Isley Brothers' "The Highways Of My Life" can be heard on their 1973 album 3 + 3.

The New Generation's "Digger" appears on We Can Fly Vol. 3 - Psychedelic Obscurities.

The Muffs' cover of the Kim Wilde classic "Kids In America" appeared on the 1995 Clueless soundtrack.

Download Salty

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Listening to: Blue Angel - Maybe He'll Know

Friday, January 02, 2009

Cannibal Soup

My FTOTZ mix for the Nov/Dec round went out unfashionably late this time. Sorry, mixee!



01 - Grace Jones - Corporate Cannibal
02 - Benny Sings - We'll Make Lovesongs
03 - Yma Sumac - Remember
04 - The Soft Pink Truth - Gender Studies
05 - Paul Giovanni - Willow's Song
06 - Jobriath - Take Me I'm Yours
07 - Janelle Monáe - Sincerely, Jane
08 - Lucia Pamela - Flip Flop Fly
09 - Nikka Costa - Loving You
10 - Bessie Smith - Cemetery Blues
11 - Rafter - Sassy
12 - Haywood Jablomi - Bottoms Up
13 - Jack Costanzo - Don't Squeeze The Peaches
14 - B.J. Snowden - America
15 - 4hero - Golden Age of Life
16 - White Noise - Your Hidden Dreams
17 - Groove Armada - The Girls Say
18 - Light Crust Doughboys - Pussy, Pussy, Pussy
19 - Inner Dialogue - Yesterday The Dog
20 - Salem Al Fakir - It's True

Download Cannibal Soup


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Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Love Bites

My FTOTZ mix for October:



tracks
01 - Janelle Monáe - Violet Stars Happy Hunting!
02 - Aretha Franklin - Mary Don't You Weep
03 - Sinéad O'Connor - Dagger Through The Heart
04 - Lightnin' Rod - Four Bitches Is What I Got
05 - Nina Simone - Be My Husband
06 - Tag One Stereo - Thus Spake Zarathustra
07 - unknown - The Girl Next Door [from "The Diary of a Horny Housewife"]
08 - The Chemical Brothers - Hoops
09 - George Benson - Nature Boy
10 - Lewis Taylor - You Make Me Wanna
11 - Joe Tex - Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)
12 - Metronomy - A Thing For Me
13 - Labelle - All Girl Band
14 - Esquivel - Brazil
15 - Sunny & the Sunliners - Get Down
16 - Balkan Beat Box - Sunday Arak
17 - Jill Scott - My Love
18 - Ruth Wallis - Hawaiian Lei Song

notes
No theme this month but since I started working on this in October I couldn't resist a Halloween-ish cover, which I stole from Hot Blood's "Disco Dracula" album. If there was a hell I'm sure I'd be going there for putting gospel and porn on the same mix.

We open with Janelle Monáe's "Violet Stars Happy Hunting!" from her excellent EP Metropolis, Suite I: The Chase.

Aretha Franklin's "Mary Don't You Weep" can be heard on her landmark 1972 gospel album Amazing Grace.

"Dagger Through The Heart" is covered by Sinéad O'Connor on the 2003 tribute Just Because I'm A Woman: The Songs of Dolly Parton.

Rap pioneer Lightnin' Rod's "Four Bitches Is What I Got" can be found on his 1973 release Hustler's Convention.

Nina Simone's "Be My Husband" is from her 1965 album Pastel Blues.

The funky version of "Thus Spake Zarathrustra" appeared on the album Instrumental Spectrum released by Tag One Stereo. I found it on Grooves of Delight.

"The Girl Next Door [from 'The Diary of a Horny Housewife']" is a bit of jazz-backed audio porn from Deep Note-Music of 1970's Adult Cinema

The Chemical Brothers' "Hoops" appeared on what I consider their last great album, 2002's Come With Us. This is still probably my favorite track from that album even though I've been hearing it on some car commercial lately.

George Benson's version of the Eden Ahbez classic "Nature Boy" is on his 1976 album In Flight.

"You Make Me Wanna" appeared on Lewis Taylor's 2000 release Lewis II.

Joe Tex's feminist anthem "Ain't Gonna Bump No More ( With No Big Fat Woman)" appeared on his 1997 album Bumps & Bruises.

Metronomy's "A Thing For Me" can be found on his 2008 release Nights Out.

"All Girl Band" by Labelle can be found on their 1974 album Nightbirds.

With all its sound effects and stereo tricks, Esquivel's "Brazil" has so much going on I can hardly keep track. I do love the part where you can hear him mix a cocktail. From his 1960 masterpiece See It In Sound.

Sunny & the Sunliners' "Get Down" is from Hard Texas Funk 1968-1975.

"Sunday Arak" is by Balkan Beat Box and can be heard on their 2005 self-titled debut.

"My Love" is by Philadelphia neosoul poet Jill Scott and appears on her 2007 release The Real Thing: Words and Sounds, Vol. 3.

Ruth Wallis was known for her oft-banned comedy albums full of double-entendre laden songs a bit too raw for the 1950's. Her "Hawaiian Lei Song" was included on 1988's Boobs - Ruth Wallis' Greatest Hits.

Download "Love Bites"

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Listening to: Myrna Braza - Gett Off

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Janelle Monáe

Once in a great while an artist grabs my attention so much that I can't stop listening to or talking about them. Lately it's Janelle Monáe, who I first heard about in this profile piece. I can't get enough of her concept EP Metropolis, Suite I: The Chase. It's based on the trials and travails of android girl Cindi Mayweather, who is on the run and scheduled for disassembly after an illicit affair with a human. Part one of a planned four part epic, Metropolis showcases Monáe's blend of rock, soul, and hip-hop, a style that recalls her associates in Outkast but taken to the next level with her killer vocals and theatrical storytelling.

Check out some Janelle:

Many Moons video


Violet Stars Happy Hunting (record store performance)


Sincerely Jane (live)


Violet Stars Happy Hunting
(TV performance)




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Listening to: Janelle Monáe - Violet Stars Happy Hunting (Cyber Hop Mix)

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Garden Of Earthly Delights

My September FTOTZ mix:



Cover art was stolen from the brilliant artist SHAG.

tracks
01 - XTC - Garden Of Earthly Delights
02 - The Dresden Dolls - Lonesome Organist Rapes Page Turner
03 - The 5th Dimension - Orange Air
04 - Josie Cotton - License to Dance
05 - Arthur Brown - I Put A Spell On You
06 - The Puppini Sisters - Walk Like An Egyptian
07 - Herbie Hancock - Honey From The Jar
08 - Sophie Tucker - Red Hot Mama
09 - Iceberg Slim - Broadway Sam
10 - July - Jolly Mary
11 - Boy George - She Was Never He
12 - Janelle Monáe - Many Moons
13 - Scrugg - Lavender Popcorn
14 - Cassandra Wilson - Last Train To Clarksville
15 - The Turtles - You Don't Have to Walk in The Rain
16 - Donnie - The Daily News
17 - Black Lips - Everybody Loves a Cocksucker
18 - Gavin Friday - The Slider
19 - The Grip Weeds - Telescope
20 - Brazilian Girls - Nouveau Americain

notes
No theme on this multi-genre mix but a higher concentration than usual of psych rock and sixties influences. For instance, it opens with XTC's "Garden of Earthly Delights," a bit of Brit-pop psychedelia from their 1989 album Oranges & Lemons.

The Dresden Dolls coined the term 'Brechtian punk cabaret' (for fear of being labeled something that would include the word gothic) to describe their take on piano pop. "Lonesome Organist Rapes Page Turner" is a highlight of their 2008 release, No, Virginia.

I can't get enough of the smooth soul-pop stylings of The 5th Dimension, especially when they dip their toes into sunny psychedelia. Peep the lyrics to "Orange Air," from their Jimmy Webb-penned album The Magic Garden.

If I had to explain eighties new wave pop to someone who had never heard it, Josie Cotton's "License to Dance," from her 1984 album From The Hip, epitomizes the sound for me.

"I Put A Spell On You" is one of those songs I like well enough to have collected a folder full of covers (29 and counting). This version is from Arthur Brown's 1968 psych rock classic The Crazy World of Arthur Brown.

I used to love The Bangles, then they released the hellishly overplayed "Walk Like An Egyptian" and I got over them. I never thought anyone could make me like this song but damned if The Puppini Sisters didn't make it catchy, and not in a way that makes me want to jam screwdrivers through my eardrums. Here they are performing it live. From their 2007 album The Rise & Fall of Ruby Woo.

Herbie Hancock's "Honey From the Jar" is a sticky-sweet serving of vocoder funk that would not sound out of place on a Funkadelic album. Appeared on his 1979 release Feets, Don't Fail Me Now.

"Red Hot Mama" is by Sophie Tucker, delightfully bawdy star of vaudeville, Broadway and film. Tucker "was billed as The Last of the Red Hot Mamas, as her hearty sexual appetite was a frequent subject of her songs, unusual for female performers of the era (wiki)." You can hear the song on Last of the Red Hot Mamas.

"Broadway Sam" pairs a jazz-funk instrumental with a great spoken word tale by Iceberg Slim, the famed pimp, writer and forefather of rap. From his seminal 1976 album Reflections.

July's "Jolly Mary" is probably the only psychedelic sea shanty I know. Odd and engaging. From their 1968 album July, another psych rock classic.

"She Was Never He" is a great but unknown Boy George tune with lovely vocal harmonies and flamenco guitar. From his little-heard 1999 album Unrecoupable One Man Bandit, Vol. 1.

Janelle Monáe's music blends rock, hip-hop, soul and cabaret into a theatrical melange I haven't quite heard before. She's great live too. "Many Moons" can be found on her debut EP Metropolis, Suite I: The Chase.

"Lavender Popcorn" is by the British psych rock band Scrugg. The song was compiled on Paisley Pop - Pye Psych (& Other Colours), 1966-1969.

I love a cover that takes a familiar song in an unexpected direction, as exemplified by Cassandra Wilson's cool jazz take on the Monkees hit "Last Train to Clarksville." From her 1995 release New Moon Daughter.

"You Don't Have to Walk In The Rain" by sixties pop group The Turtles, is easily as fine and memorable a tune as their best known hit, "Happy Together." Found on Solid Zinc: The Turtles Anthology.

"The Daily News" is the title track from soul singer Donnie's second album. If you like good soul music with socially conscious lyrics in the manner of Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, you should check this guy out. He's amazing.

What can I say about a song title like "Everybody Loves A Cocksucker"? This dissonant, slurry psych-out from Atlanta garage punks Black Lips still manages a melody catchy enough to sing along to, when you can make out the words. From their 2003 debut Black Lips!

Former Virgin Prune Gavin Friday released a great glam-cabaret-pop album in 1996 called Shag Tobacco that remains one of my favorites from the era. If you liked "The Slider "you should go buy it- not a bad tune on there.

The Grip Weeds are psych pop revivalists who have been around since 1994, although I only recently discovered them. "Telescope" is on their 2004 album Giant On The Beach.

Brazilian Girls are an eclectic electronic group featuring the sultry multilingual vocals of Sabina Sciubba. "Nouveau Americain" is from their latest release, New York City.


Download "Garden Of Earthly Delights"


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Listening to: Janelle Monáe - Violet Stars Happy Hunting!


Thursday, September 11, 2008

Fabulous Stains DVD review


From Home Theater Forum:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THE FABULOUS STAINS - DVD Review

The cult classic "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FABULOUS STAINS" received only a limited initial theatrical release and has been seen only on television and occasionally at film festivals since it was made in 1981. The movie has never been released on home video or DVD. Yet this little-seen film about a trio of misfit teenage girls (including a young Diane Lane and Laura Dern) who start a punk band went on to inspire a generation of female rockers like Bikini Kill, L7, and Courtney Love. Jon Bon Jovi, St Ettienne and The Ramones are also huge fans of the film.

Rhino Entertainment are reviving this lost cult classic with the DVD release of LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FABULOUS STAINS on September 16th.

Directed by Lou Adler (Up In Smoke, Rocky Horror Picture Show), the film stars Oscar nominee Diane Lane (Unfaithful, The Perfect Storm) and Laura Dern (Jurassic Park, Wild At Heart) as members of The Stains, along with Steve Jones and Paul Cook of The Sex Pistols, Clash bassist Paul Simonon, Fee Waybill of the Tubes, Black Randy from Black Randy and The Metrosquad, plus Ray Winstone (Beowulf, Sexy Beast) and Christine Lahti (Running On Empty).

Surly and sexy in one of her earliest starring roles, Diane Lane is the archetype riot grrl. Recently orphaned and struggling in a poverty stricken existance she forms a punk rock group with her sister and cousin. Sporting a memorable skunk hairdo, sheer see-through top, high-stiletto heels and fishnets, she sings songs like "I'm A Waste of Time," verbally assaults the audience and leads her legion of adoring female fans in the chant, "We don't put out!". Before long "The Stains" are becoming media darlings because of their image rather than any actual talent. However, the music industry being what it is, has some rather shocking surprises for the fledgling band.

This is a really wonderful film. The music, the camera work, the performances, the rags-to-riches/riches-to-rags story. It is all very entertaining and engrossing. It also says so so much about the music industry and fame... including the way that almost everyone uses and manipulates everything for their advantage only to be manipulated themselves and then destroyed by the very thing that made them.

Diane Lane totally owns the film and really imbues her character of Corrinne "3rd Degree" Burns with both a biting wit, a certain sympathy, and yet a tough bitchy quality. It is a very VERY memorable performance. Ray Winstone (with a very thick cockney accent) is superb also. These two also really look the part on stage. Diane Lane was to play a rocker in "Streets Of Fire" a few years after this too. Laura Dern is superb in support and Fee Waybill steals every scene he is in.

Filled with great rock and roll, it's no surprise that much of the film's underground following consists of musicians. Bikini Kill drummer Tobi Vail has said: "It is the most realistic and profound film I have ever seen." While not everyone will appreciate this time capsule of a movie, everyone should at least see it once. It is an important movie that somehow predicted much of how the music industry was to become. It was slightly passe when it came out (due to re-editing and re-shooting the film was delayed and plagued with behind-the-scenes problems) but it is now quite refreshing and doesn't seem dated. A time-capsule of a film that is definitely worth a look.

Film: 4/5

The FABULOUS STAINS DVD features the film restored from original vault elements and the picture quality on this 1.85:1 anamorphic enhanced DVD is pretty good. Considering the age of the film and the fact that it has been lost in some vault somewhere for almost 30 years it actually looks excellent. Nobody is gonna mistake this for a "Transformers" blu-ray but it is BY FAR the BEST this film has ever looked. Anyone used to $40 bootlegs on Ebay will be blown away! The picture is sharp, colorful, and clearly defined. There is some nice film grain but it isn't overly grainy. The low-ish budget and film stock is still apparent but some scenes really do look wonderful (even for SD). There are the odd instances of film debris (a few white speckles here and there) and there were one or two instances of pixellization (in a few scene transitions) but you have to really be on the look out for them. All in all this is a very nice DVD presentation from Rhino.

Picture: 3.5/5

The sound on this DVD is the real star of the show. The film has been completely remastered in 5.1 and wow, that music does sound good. There is a punch to the bass and a lively quality that blows away all those TV screenings and bootleg DVD's. The concert footage especially is very dynamic and nice. The dialogue is clear and centre focussed and well integrated into the mix. Overall, this is a very very impressive remaster.

Sound: 4/5

The extras on the DVD are all quite good but there are also some notable things missing. First there is the menu screens with the music from the film over some footage playing the background. Menu options are "Play Movie", "Scene Selections", "Set-Up" and "Special Features".

Under the extras you will find an informative brand new audio commentary with Lou Adler. Adler is quite quiet and unassuming. He also admits to watching and enjoying the movie. Sadly, for us... that means he goes quiet too often and we have patches of silence where he doesn't say much. He is quite informative when he does talk but the commentary is a bit dry. I guess sproradically informative is the best way to sum this one up.

The second commentary makes up for the first. Stars Diane Lane and Laura Dern sit-down together for this track and it is very entertaining and even downright hilarious in parts. While probably not as informative as Lou Adler's track the girls have an absolute ball revisiting this film. They joke and laugh, giggle and tell stories and anecdotes about the production and the films troubled shoot. Both Lane and Dern also show that they are very into their music too. Lane for instance mentions several bands and musical references throughout from The Ramones and The Go-Go's to Flock Of Seagulls and The Thompson Twins. There is also some funny moments where Diane Lane does some spot-on impressions of Ray Winstone! An entertaining and lively listen.

There is a cool photo-gallery with about 50 photos from the production. These are either promotional shots or behind-the-scenes shots taken during the shoot. Most of these I have never seen anywhere else. Even if you are an ardent fan of this film there will be many here that you too haven't seen before.

There is also an attractively produced and informative booklet inside the DVD case too.

While the commentaries are good (the Lane and Dern being great!) and the photo gallery is superb, there are still some things that didn't make the package sadly. The wonderful "Making Of" documentary (available here: index and here: YouTube - Making of 'Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains' Part 1 ) is sadly not included (apparently a rights issue). It is available on this DVD however: Amazon.com: The Rainbow Man/John 3:16: Diane Lane, Laura Dern, Ray Winstone, Paul Cook, Paul Simonon, Marin Kanter, Lou Adler, Nancy Dowd, Fee Waybill, Caroline Coon, Jake Fogelnest, Debbie Rochon, Rollen Stewart, Sarah Jacobson, Sam Green (II): Movi ).

Also, the films theatrical trailer is not included although you can view the Rhino version of the trailer here: Amazon.com: Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains: Diane Lane, Ray Winstone, Laura Dern, Peter Donat, Barry Ford, Christine Lahti, John Lehne, Cynthia Sikes, Brent Spiner, Fee Waybill, Janet Wright, Marin Kanter, Debbie Rochon, Paul Simonon, Vinc and here: YouTube - Ladies & Gentelmen, The Fabulous Stains Trailer ).

If these two things were on this Rhino disc that would have made it pretty much perfect but sadly they are not. What we have is very good though so hey, we'll just have to live with it. That being said, to have any extras on this film is something to be applauded. Well done Rhino.

Extras features: 3/5

Overall, to own this lost cult classic on DVD is a miracle and to have it atlast in such good quality is even more impressive. The picture is fine, the sound is amazing, and the extras (while not completely all encompassing) are also excellent. The Diane Lane and Laura Dern commentary is especially entertaining and funny. A recommended purchase!

Total: 4/5


Norris

Friday, August 15, 2008

How to remain ageless

Ernest Borgnine discovered the Fountain of Youth.




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Listening to: Yma Sumac - Goomba Boomba