Animal Collective

My friend Jon records really interesting Cd's for me. I don't like all of them, for example I had to get used to "Sung Tongs" from Animal Collective. It was too psychotic for me, really weird urban mushroom folk music, although I was attracted to it in some strange sense. Last year he gave me the solo album "Person Pitch" by AC band member Panda Bear. I absolutely love it, Brian Wilson-like hypnotic drony golden pop music with beautiful loops and a fair deal of healthy weirdness. I like the rawness of the album, the material is not 100% developed but that has its charm. This made me ready for "Merriweather Post Pavilion" the new AC album which I bought on Itunes last week. The songs are much more developed and worked out compared with Panda Bear's album. It has a distinctive sixties feel although the music is also contemporary, a bit like Beatles and Brian Wilson with samplers instead of guitars. The songs are melancholic but make me happy too, darkness with a golden shiny line, it is still weird but accessible.

I had a similair experience with Stereolab, another band that Jon introduced me too. I was very irritated with the repetitiveness but at a certain moment it hit me and I started loving it. Funny how some music is great from the beginning and other stuff has to grow on you.

Animal Collective

Hip-Hop in China

New York Times Clip about Underground Hip-Hop in CHina

http://www.myspace.com/rhymebot

The Open Rights Group

This is about Europe...but the same discussion has been going on in the States..very important!! Hope this is not too much off topic Jim...

U2 & Negativland

Last night I saw U2 playing for Obama. Next to me on the couch was a friend who is a big fan. For me U2 was also pretty important when I was a teenager. My first 12" was "Sunday Bloody Sunday". Although I have always been slightly irritated by Bono's Jesus wannabee behavior their music did mean a lot to me, especially the Joshua Tree album. Recently someone was telling me how U2 is now supporting arts in Ireland. There is also a darker side to U2 when it comes to art (this is old news, but hey, this is a blog, not the New York Times). Island Records tried to sue the hell out of Negativeland when they made their U2 track. Here is one of the Negativeland members with their story:

http://blogfiles.wfmu.org/LB/0511/Negativland_5.mp3


It should be said mabey to be fair that it was Island and not U2 itself who did the sueing, but hey, they could have stopped it if they really wanted to. Negativeland are now my heroes, not Bono and his mates.

RIP: a remix manifesto

"RIP: a remix manifesto" is a very interesting film from Brett Gaylor, hope I can see it soon:

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=9oar9glUCL0

It is a documentary about Girl Talk, a "Mash up" artist (not a DJ) and about the changing copyright situation. The film itself is mash up; made out of contributions of many different people. Mash up, remix, sample, cut, copy and paste: its all fair game as far as I am concerned. Creativity cannot be limited by the ridiculous pressures, regulations and lobby's from the music industry mafia, who is not interested in music, art or beauty but in only in money. There was no problem when everyone had to buy their LP collection again on CD...the music industry should adapt or die.

New Year wishes

Following up on Jim's theme of last years disappointments here is something else: my wishlist for 2009, what bands / artists would I like to see releasing a brilliant album:

- Battles; one of my favs at the moment
http://www.myspace.com/battlestheband

- Panda Bear, crazy frontman of schizo band animal collective
http://www.myspace.com/rippityrippity

- D'Angelo; I guess that will never happen..if only, my favorite R&B artist

- Dr Who Dat - Since I got the album Beat Journey from my sister I was hooked, very creative instrumental hiphop

http://www.boomkat.com/artist.cfm?a=11296



- Portishead; because I was digging their last album

Best concert of 2008: Sigur Ros, Heineken Music Hall Amsterdam, November 17 2008