15-17 may

Photo: Hand out

Had a great couple of nights. Bill Childish rocked the house.

Night number one was a Q and A session about art, Knut Hamsun and Dostoevsky among other things. Then he read selected poetry from "The man witht he gallows eyes"

Then Billy Childish & The Chatham Singers took the stage and played a bunch of blues and spirituals to a midsized but appreciative crowd. Night two Billy Childish & The Musicians of the British Empire rock a packed and wild crowd at Mono. (Same lineup as day one....and some of the same songs - played much louder) Two fantastic nights. Today he displayed his art at gallery Barabara Hansen. About 15 pictures, mostly large and on wood. Nice paintings, but too much for my wallet though.

I quite like this one. 2000 pounds, available on the website listed below.
Today is Norways constitution day celebration...I missed most of it. Too tired/hung over from the last two nights of fun. I'm gonna go to bed.

Billy Childish (X3!)

Wild Billy Childish is coming to town. I'm exited.
Two concerts and one gallery show.
Billy Childish & The Chatham Singers play at Mono on the 15th
He also plays with his other band The Musicians of the British Empire on the 16th, also at Mono.
He will be displaying his art at gallery Barbara Hansen (Schweigaardsgt. 33) in Oslo on the 17th.
His music has been described as “Like someone is torturing The Kinks in some dark basement”.
I like the Kinks, and I like dark basements, what's not to love?

He's been doing his thing for 30+ years and put out hundreds of records.
I've been a fan for years but I can't ever remember him coming to Seattle, or Oslo (while I've been here). So put on your dancing shoes, it's time to dance like your mommy and daddy used to....that's if your parents where garage punks in the 70s...mine weren't.

Not alot of legal mp3's out there. All I could find was a low bitrate version (sorry) of an old Thee Headcoats song: Alone

Go see em play instead, or buy a record.

Info: www.damagedgoods.co.uk/billychildish/

ART: http://www.theaquariumonline.co.uk/Shop/Items.aspx?a=5

www.billychildish.com/

BTS A'OK

Built To Spill played to an overcrowded Rockefeller in Oslo last night. Lots of old hits and a few new ones. BTS have never been the most exciting live band, but they always deliver the goods. This show reminded me of the old days...
I remember seeing them for the first time in the summer of 1995... The dateless wonder that I was, I decided to go see them with a friend at the Sailors Union of the Pacific, a shitty short lived "club" in Seattle instead of going to prom. My friends who did go to prom, had a hotel room right down the street so we got loaded and headed to the show, almost not getting in because we were underage and intoxicated. Opening the show was this band I'd never heard of with a lead singer who I remember seemed kinda shy and looked a little strange. The band was called Heatmiser, the man was Elliott Smith. I bought a Heatmiser tape (anyone remember cassette tapes?) and "There is nothing wrong with love" cd. That cd is still one of my favorites, and probably my favorite Built To Spill record. I remember annoying my friends with playing "car" over and over again in the hotel room afterwards. The new Built To Spill record hasn't gotten all that great reviews, but I like what I've heard. Dough can still write some catchy tunes.

You can sample a new track (while you play hoops against Dough Martsch) here: http://www.builttospill.com/jams/

From "There is nothing wrong with love": Cleo

Black Pix

So the Black Lips show was fun. I felt a couple of songs were missing from the set (ie. Fad) and there was no encore, but all in all a good night. No nudity or silliness (I don't think they were drunk enough) There were a lot more people there this time...(I wonder where they all were last time...?)
Some pix/video:

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Built To Spill play tonight. Happy weekend people!

Cheveu

From France we have Cheveu. Elektro art punk stuff. Brilliant.

Don't know much about them, but they are from Paris.

On the FAQ page it reads:

"Why such a stupid name?
It's a porno anagramm.

We have heard about a guy called "cheveu" at the university.

The guitarist is bold."

I think they mean "bald"....or maybe not.

Here are a few tracks from their website:

(right click save)

El Tortuga

Carrey

Superhero

Jacob's Fight

Band webpages: http://cheveunet.free.fr

www.myspace.com/cheveu

BUY! www.s-srecords.com/

Black Lips

Black Lips are coming back to Oslo. Last time they threw glass and pissed on stage. (what else is new). Anyway, they are playing at a different club this time (shocker!).
Needless to say, but I'm saying it anyway, they are a blast. I've seen alot of drunken bands, but Black Lips are #1. They can still play after several bottles of whiskey, alot of beer and god knows what else. Check out this video for the song "Fad". This may be my favorite video ever. Hot chicks dancing, blood, cactus mikestand.....whats not to love?


You can download a good quality version of the video here: www.bomp.com/blacklips.html
They are touring to support their new Live in Tijuana record out on Vice Records.
A sample here: Not A problem

Black Lips play the 10th of May at Blå.

The Rain It Raineth

"the rain it raineth on the just,
and also on the unjust fella.
but more upon the just because
the unjust steals the just's umbrella.

the justly man is thus condemned,
attrition and a life of constant rain.
the unjust man is not disturbed
for one man's loss another's natural gain.

Oh woe, oh woe is he,
Oh woe, oh woe is he, oh woe

the justly man will thus erode
and unjust men the world will overrun
there'll be no more of charity
and rainclouds shall pile up across the sun

Oh woe, oh woe is he,
Oh woe, oh woe is he, oh woe."

Dog Faced Hermans - The Rain It Raineth mp3: http://snipurl.com/1jfxs

The Chinese Stars

The Chinese Stars are a band from Rhode Island formed from the ashes of Arab on Radar and Six Finger Satellite. I blame Six Finger Satellite for destroying part of my hearing at the Sub Pop Lame Fest in Seattle over a decade ago (Thanks!). I never got to see Arab on Radar, but caught The Chinese Stars at the Summerslam festival in Germany a few years back. (More on that festival another day)
They just put out a new record. This track is called "cold cold cold". From the record Listen To Your Left Brain, released on 31G Records/Skingraft.

Mp3s: www.skingraftrecords.com/mp3/LP_MP3/TCS_ColdColdCold.mp3

As a bonus (because I love you so much) here is "sick machine" from Turbo Mattress which was just reissued on Skingraft. (not as a throwing star shaped cd this time, but worth picking up) www.skingraftrecords.com/mp3/LP_MP3/chinesestars_sick.MP3

Here they are in all their glory at The Summerslam Festival in 2004:




band info:

www.myspace.com/chinesestars
www.chinesestars.com

!!!pix!!!

So I think I promised some pictures from the Chk Chk Chk show...they looked better when we were drunk. Anyway, it was in a big gymnasium....strange place for a show. Studio from Sweden played some 90's style British techno and Matt & Kim played annoying pop music.

OK, so we were a little too far away..... No encore. I understand they don't do encores? I think it left most people wanting more. Lots more shows coming up including a legendary English wild man. Stay tuned! (or not)

show

So I was wrong. The wannabe frenchies are great. Malajube rocked the house. !!! photos on Monday.

Saw a documentary on TV today.....corporations are patenting the human Genome. Thats fucked up. Maybe someday we will all look like this:

Here is a Dipers track about Voltron: I'm So Spun

Malajube

So, I was gonna post some pictures from the short, but great Chk Chk Chk show, but I haven't gotten them yet. So instead here is a song by Malajube who's playing this Friday at Garage. http://www.malajube.com/mp3/malajube_montreal-40.mp3
There is something in the water in Montreal. I really don't like those wannabe frenchies, but they sure make good music up there. Arcade Fire suck in comparison to some of the other stuff coming out of Montreal. (More music from there some other day)
Go here to check em out: www.malajube.com
www.myspace.com/malajube

I'm gonna try to post more often and be a bit more coherent. More trash, noise and less winy pop....for a bit at least.

Pow Pow Pow!!!

Ok, it's time for !!! (Chk Chk Chk, Pow Pow Pow etc)

April 20th here in Oslo. Gonna be fun.

This footage is from a great DVD called Michigan Fest 2002.

Buy it a Bifcola Media. http://www.bifocalmedia.com/

Highly recommended.

Vaz, Hot Snakes, !!! Sweep The Leg Johnny, Death Cab For Cutie, The Dismemberment Plan, Arab On Radar, Oxes, Ted Leo, and a ton of other great stuff. Became a fan of a few bands through this dvd.

Speaking of interesting DVDs....www.40bands80minutes.com/

Someone buy me this.

Latvian Porcupine

Well, it's been a good weekend....
Brakes were energetic and tight. Not a lot of people at the show, but it was packed with new and old hits. I received a pineapple for my drunken enthusiasm. Fun had by all. I left the pineapple outside my neighbors door just to fuck with them when they opened their door the next morning. They will probably wonder about that one for a while.
The next day (still a little drunk) I got on the plane to Riga Latvia. It was a work sponsored trip. Basically just an excuse to party. Wanted to search out some Latvian rock music, but all I found was bad Russian metal and techno. I only had two days and I was in no shape to look very hard unfortunately. Being in the rich part of town was a musical wasteland anyhow.

Todays song is not "Porcupine or Pineapple" (which is a Brakes song from the newish album The Beatific Visions, hence the giveaway/price I got), but a track by The Ex (who else), besides I can't think of anything to post right now, and I don't have any good Latvian music (someone please recommend some)

This is not a normal Ex track but a collaboration with Belgian cartoonists Kamagurka & Herr Seele.

Just found it on the wonderful WFMU blog:

http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2007/04/this_song_is_in.html

Brakes Brakes Brakes Live! Live! Live!

It's concert time again kids. This thursday it's a fun band from England called Brakes who are on a short Scandihoovian tour. Seen them the last two times in town. They seem to like to go bowling before shows here.

http://audio.sxsw.com/2006/mp3/Brakes-Ring_a_Ding_Ding.mp3

The 2nd song is dedicated to that asshole who constantly talks during shows...you know who you are. No one cares about how drunk you got last night, or that you got problems with your girl/boyfriend. Shut yer trap! Go outside and talk. I paid to see the band/person play, not listen to you drone on about your credit card problems, your dog having stomach issues or how much money you are making. It's rude as hell to the people around you, and especially too the poor guy with an acoustic guitar pouring his heart out on stage....(It still bugs me to this day listening to Elliott Smith live recordings)

www.brakesbrakesbrakes.com/media/2004-09-21/aud/brakes2004-09-21t02aud.mp3

Lyrics:

'Hi How are you?', What do you do?', 'What do you listen to?''Where do you go?'
'Are you with them or are you with us?', 'How do you dress?,' 'Who are your
friends?' 'Wont you shut the fuck up, I'm a just tryin' to watch the band'.

Couldn't have said it better myself....

Buy: www.brakesbrakesbrakes.com/

Someone buy me this:
http://www.backstreet-merch.com/bands/brks/product.asp?item=brks06

Picture from Spin.com, mp3s from brakes website and sxsw.com (thanks...?)

The Screamers - Vertigo

Some old Screamers footage.
Tomata du Plenty has got alot of energy.
I on the other hand do not, so that's it.
They never released a record. A dvd is available though.

Purchase DVD here: www.targetvideo.blogspot.com/

Click title for info on band.

The Intelligence - Dating Cops

New video from The Intelligence.
The Intelligence is a great seattle band on
In The Red Records. (a huge post on them at
a later date.) In the mean time, watch this....or not, whatever.
More info here: www.myspace.com/theworldisadrag

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Oh, The Melvins were fun. Enjoyed Big Business more though. (No segway bikes though) Cool to see both bands play together. (2 drumsets) They played some new and some old Melvins stuff. The show was good, but I've seen better.
Speaking of old Northwest bands, just heard Steel Wool (empty records) are planning on laying down vocals for the record they "finished" some years ago that never came out. Steel Wool were probably my favorite Seattle band in the 90's. Maybe there will be a post on them someday too....
Melvins: www.themelvins.net/ and .com
Big Business: www.myspace.com/bigbigbusiness
Steel Wool: www.myspace.com/thesteelwools

Ok, I promise no more old seattle band posts in a while...

The Rebel

The Rebel is Ben Wallers from London based The Country Teasers. His solo stuff is even more warped then The Country Teasers. To call him a cross between Mark E. Smith from The Fall, William S. Burroughs and maybe Tom Waits doesn't really do him justice. Anyway, just give it a listen. For more info go here: www.therebel.co.uk/

If you don't understand sarcasm you might want to avoid this one....

The Rebel - Why Must I Pay: www.hookorcrookrecords.com/mp3/06%20The%20Rebel%20-%20Why%20Must%20I%20Pay-.mp3

The Rebel - My Mums Handwritten Label:
http://audio.sxsw.com/2006/mp3/The_Rebel-My_Mums_Handwritten_Label.mp3

As a bonus here are The Country Teasers:
Golden Apples

The Ex

The Ex are from Amsterdam. Just saw them in a few Norwegian cities. As great as ever. Go here for info/sounds:

www.myspace.com/theexnl
www.theex.nl

The band has been around for 28 years. Oh, did I mention they are the greatest live band ever?

I shot this somewhere in Europe summer 2004

Hello

This is post #1 of a blog I may or may not write alot in. Thought I would have the original idea of writing about music. Mp3s galore. Legal ones. Myspazz and youtube links, pluss pictures, videos and reviews from shows. Maybe two people will read this. That's ok.