The Nightfly

Fictionist: Blue-Eyed Universe + The Well-Made Shadow

2011-02-26T22:36:00.000-08:00

Provo, Utah quintet Fictionist will hopefully find themselves on the cover of Rolling Stone in August. The band gets my vote in the current RS reader contest: gorgeous vocals and guitars, bold arrangements and excellent live performances.

www.facebook.com/fictionistnoise

www.fictionist.com

_________________________________________

March UPDATE:

8 bands/solo artists were eliminated; 8 bands/solo artists remain:

Fictionist made it to the next round in the Rolling Stone contest!
__________________________________________

April UPDATE:

4 bands/solo artists were eliminated; 4 bands/solo artists remain:

Fictionist made it to the next round in the Rolling Stone contest!

The current voting round closes May 13 and the results will be revealed on May 18.
__________________________________________

May UPDATE:

I was 99 % sure Fictionist would advance to the final round, but alas they did not. They were hands-down the best band among the contestants, but as we all know it's not just about talent these days, it's about social media, especially about having the most Facebook buddies. Grrrrr!

Canadian rockers The Sheepdogs and L.A. based singer/songwriter Lelia Broussard advanced. (how a Canadian band is eligible for this contest is not quite clear - no offense to my Canadian readers!)

While The Sheepdogs' 1960s/70s style blues-rock material is certainly solid and the band is very competent there is not anything about their sound that truly makes your ears perk up. Fictionist on the other hand offer both Pink Floyd influenced gems as well as straight up delicious rock tunes all of which showcase the superb musicianship of all five members.

(Lelia Broussard does have some catchy songs, but is more of a straight up pop singer and was in my opinion somewhat ill-suited for this "Rock and Roll Star" contest from the beginning.)

Hopefully Fictionist will be able to land a record contract thanks to the buzz generated from the contest, thereby gaining legions of new fans.

________________________________________

Ahead:

- Final voting round runs May 18-July.

- The two finalists will play the four-day Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival which is held June 9-12 on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee.

- The contest winner will be announced on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on August 2 and will make their live television debut that night.

- The winner will be on the cover of Rolling Stone on August 18 and will land an Atlantic Records contract.
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Turboweekend: Into The Pavement

2011-02-23T19:32:00.000-08:00

Turboweekend asked fans and friends to contribute clips for the band's new "Into The Pavement" video and premiered the creative collaborative efforts this week.

"Into The Pavement" is one of five stellar tracks on the recently released EP "Bound" which can be downloaded for free:

www.facebook.com/turboweekend?sk=app_7146470109

The Copenhagen trio is currently recording their third album.

You can read my interview from last November with lead vocalist Silas Bjerregaard here:

www.latenightdj.blogspot.com/2010/11/interview-with-turboweekend.html

Into The Pavement from Turboweekend on Vimeo.

The Tallest Man On Earth: It Will Follow The Rain

2011-02-22T20:47:00.000-08:00

Johannes Nyholm created this Gentle Giant/Elephant Man video for Swedish singer-songwriter Kristian Matsson aka The Tallest Man On Earth in 2007.

A 12-city The Tallest Man On Earth European spring tour [second half of May + June 1] will be bookended by an April 16 Coachella show and a June 30 Roskilde gig.

www.facebook.com/thetallestmanonearthofficial

www.myspace.com/thetallestmanonearth

Johannes Nyholm: Baby Trashes Bar In Las Palmas

2011-02-20T05:14:00.000-08:00

Swedish artist and film maker Johannes Nyholm (born 1974) created the beautiful puppetry music video "Twice" for Little Dragon, and has also made videos for The Soundtrack of Our Lives, The Tallest Man On Earth, The Knife, Jenny Wilson, The Hellacopters, etc.

His 13:30 min. short entitled "Las Palmas" (a favorite Canary Islands vacation spot among Scandinavians) will premiere in May. The very funny trailer "Baby Trashes Bar in Las Palmas" has gone viral with more than 3 million hits so far on YouTube.

The music used is "Låt in H-moll" [song in H minor] by Bjorn Olsson from the 2005 album "The Lobster".

www.johannesnyholm.se

www.bjornolssonmusic.com/music3.html

I should probably add a disclaimer on behalf of the director: No toddler was harmed in the making of this film.

Our Broken Garden: Seven Wild Horses

2011-02-17T19:37:00.000-08:00

Danish band Our Broken Garden is on UK label Bella Union, founded in 1997 by Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde of Cocteau Twins fame.

www.ourbrokengarden.com

www.facebook.com/ourbrokengarden

Alcoholic Faith Mission: My Eyes To See

2011-02-14T19:40:00.000-08:00

Danish band Alcoholic Faith Mission's new EP "Running With Insanity" drops on February 21.

March will be a busy month for the very sober sextet: they have three dates in Canada, two gigs in NYC and will be doing several shows at SXSW in Austin, Texas.

www.alcoholicfaithmission.com/

www.facebook.com/alcoholicfaithmission

James Blake: Limit To Your Love + The Wilhelm Scream

2011-02-10T21:27:00.000-08:00

The buzz has been building for a while now around London based experimental electronic composer/soulful singer James Blake and deservedly so. With his minimalist approach he confirms that less is indeed often more.

His haunting cover of Feist's "Limit To Your Love" as well as the mysterious "The Wilhelm Scream" are as intriguing as the man himself and the strange videos perfectly compliment the songs.

A self-titled debut 11 track album was released February 7.

www.jamesblakemusic.com

www.facebook.com/jamesblakemusic?ref=ts

Tina Dico: Sacre Coeur

2011-02-07T22:13:00.000-08:00

Danish singer/songwriter Tina Dico (aka Tina Dickow) is well-known for having co-written, performed, and toured with Zero 7, and like fellow Zero 7 collaborators Mozez and Sia, she has had a solo career both before and after that period.

NOTE: Tina Dico is close to wrapping up her US tour - she will be at the Troubadour in West Hollywood Wednesday February 9. (The remaining February/March gigs are in Europe.)

www.tinadico.com/tour

www.facebook.com/tinadico

Watching her riding a bicycle around Paris made me want to include a link to Mikael Colville-Andersen's fab English language Cycle Chic blog which has spawned numerous Cycle Chic blogs around the world. The cycle chic motto: Style over speed, all year round.

www.copenhagencyclechic.com

www.copenhagencyclechic.com/2007/06/cycle-chic-origins.html

P.S. I've lived in Southern California for a long time, but thanks to growing up in Copenhagen, Denmark with its great bicycle culture I still choose to ride a bike (Electra 3-gear) around Long Beach - it's better for me and it's better for the environment. Yay!

Amanda Jenssen: Borderline + Happyland + Numb

2011-02-04T18:44:00.000-08:00

A top selling artist in her native Sweden, Amanda Jenssen also has a growing fan base in Germany and other European countries. Her debut "Killing My Darlings" was released in 2008. A second album "Happyland" from 2010 was recorded in Stockholm but was mixed in NYC by producer/mixer Brian Spurber who has worked with Patti Smith, Moby, Julian Casablancas of The Strokes and others.

Inspired by artists such as Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Cab Calloway, Edith Piaf and Nina Simone, Amanda Jenssen terms the track "Borderline" 'gangster jazz', and the video for "Happyland" vividly illustrates the concept.

Fellow Swedish artists Lykke Li and Robyn have a loyal following outside Scandinavia; Amanda Jenssen's exceptional voice, outside-the-box tracks, and quirky videos should likewise attract many new fans.

www.amandajenssenmusic.com/se-en/home

G. Love & Special Sauce: Fixin' To Die

2011-02-03T17:16:00.000-08:00

G. Love & Special Sauce will be dropping a new album entitled "Fixin' To Die" in the US and Canada on February 22 on Jack Johnson's Brushfire Records. It was produced by Scott and Seth Avett aka The Avett Brothers.

www.philadelphonic.com/fixintodie

www.facebook.com/glovespecialsauce

www.theavettbrothers.com/us/home

For those of you in the Long Beach, CA area: before kicking off a big March/April US tour, G. Love will perform an acoustic show at local indie record store Fingerprints on Tuesday Feb. 22 at the new downtown LB location @ 4th & Linden.

Social Distortion: Cold Feelings

2011-02-01T19:44:00.000-08:00

Great parts of the US are being hit by yet another blizzard. Brrrr. Sitting here in Long Beach in mostly sunny Southern California, I felt a mix of relief and guilt looking at the hard core winter photos in the news today. So to those of you out there (in the US and elsewhere) who are dealing with snow, ice and sleet, here's a high energy song that will hopefully - despite the "Cold Feelings" title - warm you up.

Orange County, California punk rock band Social Distortion was formed in 1978; singer/lead guitarist Mike Ness is the only original member left. "Cold Feelings" is from their 1992 "Somewhere Between Heaven And Hell" album.

www.socialdistortion.com

www.mikeness.com

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Blogs

2011-01-31T20:39:00.000-08:00

Not dressed to impress.

Confession time: I rarely read other music blogs, but I am fast becoming a fashion blog addict.

In my opinion the most interesting ones cover (primarily) men's fashion/style and are published by men. Some of the bloggers prefer staying behind the camera, photographing pro models or aiming their lens at stylish people on the street, others also step in front of the camera and show their dapper day/night outfits, thereby practicing what they preach. My favorites, in random order:

www.swagger360.blogspot.com
Karl-Edwin Guerre is based in New York City.

www.streetetiquette.com
Joshua Kissi and Travis Gumbs are also based in NYC.

www.jakandjil.com
Tommy Ton is from Toronto but spends most of his time on road covering all the major fashion shows.

The exhuberant video featuring male models on and off the runway at the recent shows in Milan and Paris was directed by Paris based photographer/film maker Justin Wu and made in collaboration with Tommy Ton.

Song: "Bohemian Like You" by The Dandy Warhols.

www.jwuphoto.com/Justin_Wu_Photography/Justin_Wu_Photography.html

Photo credit: 1958 GQ Magazine archive shot from their 2007 "Regrets" slideshow.

Carleen Anderson: Nervous Breakdown + Let It Last + Maybe I'm Amazed + Woman In Me

2011-01-29T12:35:00.000-08:00

Singer/songwriter/keyboardist Carleen Anderson was born and raised in the US, but relocated to the UK in 1990, the same year she joined acid jazz band The Young Disciples on lead vocals and keys. She sang backing vocals on Paul Weller's first solo album in 1992 and has recorded with him several times since. In 1999/2000 she toured and sang lead with The Brand New Heavies, and has also recorded and/or performed with Bryan Ferry, Jocelyn Brown, Omar, Lewis Taylor, Johnny Cash, Chrissie Hynde, Paul McCartney, Guru, Dr. John and Nigel Kennedy. Over the years she has released several solo projects, and will be revisiting her 1990's catalogue at Ronnie Scott's in London this weekend - wish I could be there for that!

On November 14, 2010 Carleen posted some wise words on her website - it's one of the best statements on life/songwriting/performing I've come across:

"It has been a difficult, challenging year. Although writing music is a refuge I am certainly grateful for, it brings the weight of painful revelations up from the depths of repression, with all the scars and circumstance that accompanies it. I have learned though, however impossible the situation, there is a song to sing, and therein stays a merciful blessing."

Other interesting facts about Carleen:

- Her mother is Vicki Anderson, best known for singing in the James Brown Revue.
- Her step-father was Bobby Byrd, original founder of The Famous Flames.
- Her Godfather was James Brown.
- She studied classical music and jazz at USC in Los Angeles in the early 1980s.
- She is the head of the vocal music department at the Brighton (UK) Institute for Modern Music.

http://www.carleenanderson.net/

www.myspace.com/carleenanderson

www.facebook.com/pages/Carleen-Anderson-Official-Artist-Page/177571747414

The beautiful, simple but highly effective videos accompany four as-good-as-new songs from her solo projects in the 1990s - all of them showcase her stellar and very versatile voice.

"Nervous Breakdown" and "Let It Last": both from 1994.
"Maybe I'm Amazed" and "Woman In Me": both from 1998.

2 Movie Clips: Before Sunrise + The Graduate

2011-01-28T04:48:00.000-08:00

Two movies I never get tired of watching:

"Before Sunrise" (1995), set in Vienna, directed by Richard Linklater, starring Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke. Original, intelligent, talky, insanely romantic, and makes great use of the locations.

[NOTE: Linklater's 2004 sequel "Before Sunset", set in Paris, is just as good and also stars Delpy and Hawke.]

"The Graduate" (1967) directed by Mike Nichols, starring Dustin Hoffman, Katharine Ross and Anne Bancroft with Simon & Garfunkel's perfect soundtrack is a classic that will never be topped. Ever.

James Vincent McMorrow: This Old Dark Machine + If I Had A Boat + Follow You Down To The Red Oak Tree

2011-01-25T15:25:00.000-08:00

As I listened to Irish singer/songwriter James Vincent McMorrow's tracks from his beautiful debut full-length album "In the Early Morning" I was instantly reminded of two other sublime vocalists/singer/songwriters: Mozez (formerly of Zero 7) and Jeff Buckley - I hear the same soulful, effortless quality in the voice as well as haunting songs with strong melodies/lyrics.

"Early In The Morning" was released today in the US on Vagrant. In March McMorrow will be performing at SXSW in Austin, Texas and at Canadian Music Fest in Toronto in between February/March shows in the UK and a few in Paris - hopefully he'll do a US tour later in the year.

www.jamesvmcmorrow.com

www.facebook.com/jamesvincentmcmorrow

Joan As Police Woman: The Magic

2011-01-23T21:19:00.000-08:00

Joan As Police Woman aka Joan Wasser has a new album out entitled "The Deep Field".

The video for the stellar track "The Magic" is one of the strangest I've seen so far - but the good kind of strange!

NOTE: Wasser, now 40, and Jeff Buckley were in a long term relationship from 1994 until his death in 1997, and she was interviewed by author David Browne for his excellent 2001 Jeff Buckley/Tim Buckley biography "Dream Brother".

www.joanaspolicewoman.com

www.myspace.com/joanaspolicewoman

www.facebook.com/joanaspolicewoman

The Rumour Said Fire: Sentimentally Falling

2011-01-21T18:33:00.000-08:00

The sound and vibe of the gorgeous track "Sentimentally Falling" from Danish folk-rock band The Rumour Said Fire is sure to take you on a back-to-the-future wild ride from Copenhagen anno 2011 to Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles circa late 1960s-early 1970s when former and future members of the The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young were hanging out with Joni Mitchell.

www.myspace.com/therumoursaidfire

www.facebook.com/pages/The-Rumour-Said-Fire/27089158111

Nabiha: Midnight Blues + Sneaking Out The Backdoor + Deep Sleep

2011-01-21T17:50:00.000-08:00

21 year-old Nabiha Bensouda was born and raised in Denmark, but also has family roots in Gambia, Mali and Morocco. Growing up, she listened to her mother's Malian lullabies as well as to rock, pop, reggae, soul, R&B, electronica, and disco.

Nabiha's debut album "Cracks" was released in Denmark in 2010 - she co-wrote all of the songs on the album together with London-based Swedish producer/writer Carl Ryden who also produced the album.

Her very strong, classic soul voice is put to highly effective use on tracks that can easily compete with songs by similar artists in the US and the UK and even outshine them.

The catchy hit single "Deep Sleep" has a fun, colorful video to go with it, but my favorite track is "Midnight Blues" with its perfect background vocals "Love, sweet love" accompanying the chorus. A close second favorite is the super funky, poppin' "Sneaking Out the Back Door".

Here's hoping some more music videos are in the works - they would greatly aid in getting the word out on Nabiha's natural and immense, international caliber talent.

www.myspace.com/nabihamusic

www.facebook.com/nabihamusic

ALO: Roses & Clover

2011-01-21T16:51:00.000-08:00

Just got an email from the hardworking staff at still-going-strong indie record store Fingerprints who are in the challenging process of moving from their longtime location in Belmont Shore to a much larger space on 4th @ Linden in downtown LB (formerly the Lyon art store which has moved across the street)

Opening date should be just around February 1 and they already have several in-store performances lined up: Brooklyn based art/performance collective Men on Thursday Feb. 3 at 7 pm, LB singer/songwriter Korey Dane's CD release party happens on Saturday Feb. 5 at 7 pm, ALO aka Animal Liberation Orchestra has an acoustic show on Saturday Feb. 12, and G. Love will do an acoustic show on Tuesday February 22.

UPDATE, February 1:
Fingerprints is now open for business at their new location: 420 East 4th Street @ Linden.

Please take note of Fingerprints' policy for most in-store shows:

"We are opening the guest list, with qualifying pre-order, starting now. If there's still space available when we're closer, we'll open the list first come, first served. If you'd like to pre-order over the phone, please call us at 562.433.4996".

ALO's 2007 track "Roses and Clover" still smells fresh today - take a whiff below.

www.facebook.com/animalliberationorchestra

http://www.alomusic.com/

Sebastian Lind: Wait And See

2011-01-21T15:45:00.000-08:00

On the track "Wait and See", Danish singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Sebastian Lind's gorgeous voice soars above valleys, mountains and rivers of pop/rock/electronica, beckoning listeners to join him on a thrilling scenic flight of sound. In the video he takes us even further: into outer space. I'm feeling very dizzy and very happy right now.

NOTE. If anyone should be so lucky as to find themselves in Denmark on Friday March 18 at 7 pm, Sebastian Lind has a show at the world famous Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk north of Copenhagen - the museum and the gardens (with sculptures by Henry Moore among others) both offer breathtaking views across the Øresund to Sweden.

www.louisiana.dk/dk/Service+Menu+Right/English

www.myspace.com/sebastianlind

www.facebook.com/sebastianlindmusik

Coco Moon: There's A Change

2011-01-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

Danish band Coco Moon from Jutland's largest city Århus released both an EP as well as a full-length self-titled debut album in 2010 on Easy Tiger/Playground.

Lead vocalist Nana Odderskær's distinct, confident voice coupled with the band's goody bag of sounds are a delicious combo - go ahead and sample their buffet of bouncy pop-rock morsels; I just did. Mmmm.

www.myspace.com/cocomoon

www.facebook.com/facecoco

To the readers of The Nightfly, including bands/artists!

2011-01-20T15:34:00.000-08:00

Johnny Ramone and me hanging at Hollywood Forever in Los Angeles

I started The Nightfly music blog on February 27, 2008, almost three years ago, as a hobby and labor of love. It's a one-woman operation and still (by choice) 100 % advertisement free. Due to other obligations (full-time work) I was not able to blog much that first year or for most of 2009. But in late 2009 I decided to pick up where I had left off and have been happily blogging ever since, doing interviews with Mozez (formerly of Zero 7), Avi of Avi Buffalo, Yukimi of Little Dragon, Yaw, Turboweekend, and more.

I have a policy of never posting mp3 song files, in part to avoid potential legal trouble. However, a year ago I began posting music videos. This fantastic film-meets-music art form is seeing a much-welcomed rebirth and there is thus a wealth of excellent videos on the web, from do-it-yourself projects to big production numbers.

Music videos are a highly effective tool for a band/artist to get the word out about their music, and although many of them do indeed have videos on the web for fans to enjoy and for the media to use - including music bloggers such as myself - I am often surprised at how many of them do not have music videos available. Some of the best videos I've come across were clearly made on a shoe-string budget but are no less effective; thus, cost is not necessarily a prohibiting factor in making a good music video.

So: to the bands/artists out there - get a few friends together and put a cool, fun, crazy, weird, sexy, gorgeous, or whatever-you-feel-like-doing music video together and upload it to your website, MySpace or Facebook profile, YouTube, Vimeo, etc. Be creative, have fun with it and - don't say I didn't warn ya - be careful about using copyrighted footage; the legal hazzle is not worth it.

I never checked my blog stats until this week - been too busy blogging I guess. Turns out The Nightfly has quite a few readers. The Blogger company provides me with excellent and very interesting stats: 'now, day, week, month, all-time, most read posts, audience, traffic sources, most used browsers, operating systems', etc. It's very helpful for a blogger, but most of all it was very gratifying to discover that I have readers all over the world!

My readers are naturally primarily in the US and I also have a solid following in Denmark (a shout out to my pre-California hometown of Copenhagen!), but The Nightfly also has many readers in Canada, the UK, Australia, Germany and Holland as well as Italy, Portugal, Brazil, Sweden, Spain, France, Turkey, Israel, Poland, Japan, China, Russia, Malaysia, Argentina, Costa Rica, Romania, South Africa, Peru, Ecuador, India, Norway, Ireland, New Zealand, Indonesia, Serbia, Belgium, Hungary, Singapore, Georgia, Korea, Malta, Switzerland, the Philippines, the Czech Republic, Taiwan, Belgium, Greece, Finland, Chile, Mexico, Bulgaria, Tunisia, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Panama, Austria, Iran, Lebanon ...and counting.

I am blown away, honored and thrilled - it means a lot to me to know that music lovers out there in cyberspace are reading my music blog.

I named my blog after Donald Fagen's timeless 1982 album 'The Nightfly" - on the cover is a late night DJ, a turn table, and a clock on the wall. I always really dug that photo, minus the cigarette, hmm. (Click below to read my first blog about Fagen's album: www.latenightdj.blogspot.com/2008/02/nightfly_27.html)

NOTE: 'The nightfly' URL unfortunately was not available on Blogger when I started my blog - instead I picked the 'Late night dj'. URL This makes it a little more challenging in terms of search engines. Nevertheless, evidently folks still manage to find my blog on the web.]

A life-long radio fan, from Day One I wanted to emulate the concept of a DJ 'spinning records in the wee hours' with a very eclectic, non-snobbish, high caliber, minimalist look, positive vibe, ad free music blog with which I could reach out to people by way of great music. I love the idea of someone linking to my blog somewhere on the web and possibly discovering an artist/band they've never heard of before. When this happens I feel I've done a good job. And hey, if it helps keep people sane in a sometimes crazy world, I also view it as my modest but vital contribution to world peace.

Music is our most important invention - a wonderous "thing" that brings people together, provides comfort and release for both the listener and for the artist. Musicians often experience what is termed "flow" which is when someone is "in the zone" and loses all sense of time and place. It may occur while at home writing songs, in the studio recording, or on stage; being a singer/songwriter myself, I can personally testify to this - it's mysterious and very trippy; no drugs whatsoever are required.

When performers put their heart and soul into a show and are 100 % "present", audiences will likewise experience "flow" - it's a beautiful thing to witness and to be part of, and my favorite live concerts over the years have been those where both the musicians and the audience are "in the zone".

Although The Nightfly is of course virtual, it is my hope that the reader experiences a degree of "flow" when for example watching a music video or reading an interview. Obviously, no amount of blog reading can ever replace going to a live show or listening to a record, and it's not meant to - my blogging is instead meant to whet the reader's appetite, get him/her excited about a song, an album, a band, an artist and then - hopefully - send everyone running to their local record store (or to the web for a legal download) or out on the town to see a concert.

So go see a show, buy some music, and send links to your friends whenever you come across info on the web about an interesting artist/band, including right here on my blog.

Thank you for reading - keep "tuning in" to The Nightfly!

Peace & Love,
SJZ aka The Nightfly
Long Beach/Los Angeles, California

I'll let Neil Young take it from here. His song says it all with the simple but brilliant lines:

Hey, hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
My my, hey hey
Rock and roll is here to stay

The Late Great Fitzcarraldos: In A House

2011-01-20T14:51:00.000-08:00

Decidedly low-tech but very charming do-it-yourself video featuring 2/3 of Danish trio The Late Great Fitzcarraldos which has a debut album coming out in April.

www.myspace.com/thelategreatfitzcarraldos

www.facebook.com/pages/The-Late-Great-Fitzcarraldos/118166694867098

NOTE: I'm pretty sure the band name was inspired by the Klaus Kinski character in Werner Herzog's 1982 film "Fitzcarraldo", but don't quote me on it.

Fallulah: Bridges + I Lay My Head

2011-01-18T15:03:00.000-08:00

Maria Apetri aka Fallulah (born 1985) is a Danish-Romanian singer/musician/songwriter with a solid following in Denmark and a growing one in other European countries. She has been compared to Florence + The Machine, but Kate Bush and one-of-a-kind British singer Adam Ant who had several hits in the 1980s also come to mind in terms of vocal style and sound.

Her late Romanian father was a Balkan choreographer and her Danish mother was a dancer - as a child Maria joined them on tours in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Her videos and live performances draw on her dance experience and further cement the obvious comparison to Florence and to Kate Bush; Fallulah however brings her personal flavor to the sounds/performances that came before, and her Romanian background is one that has served her well in forging a voice/image that is different from most contemporary Danish recording artists.

Last time Denmark witnessed the soaring of an exotic bird was when vocalist Annisette of experimental band Savage Rose exploded onto the Danish rock scene in the late 1960s, but Fallulah is not the only one: a growing number of Danes of mixed parentage/bi-cultural backgrounds are recording, performing, attracting fans and being signed in Denmark [one is hip hop artist Negesh Ali - see previous blog post].

(NOTE: Annisette, now 62 years old, and Savage Rose are still very active in Denmark. She lived in Los Angeles off and on in for a number of years with musician husband/band mate and Savage Rose founder Thomas Koppel who died very suddenly in 2006 at age 61 from a heart attack while sitting at the piano during a vacation in Puerto Rico]

At age 21, Maria studied dance in New York City, but returned to Copenhagen to focus on music. In 2009 Sony Denmark signed Maria, now using her stage name Fallulah, and her first single "I Lay My Head" was released in August of that year. It was followed by her debut full-length album "The Black Cat Neighborhood" from which "Give Us A Little Love and "Bridges" were released as singles - both songs received heavy air play on Danish radio.

On January 14, 2011 Fallulah was awarded the coveted Danish radio P3 [channel 3] Award at a major event in Copenhagen. The award comes with a sum equivalent to about US $18.000 and she has stated in an interview with Danish magazine http://www.gaffa.dk/ that the award money will go towards putting her own studio together just outside of Copenhagen.

She has performed several years in a row at Europe's largest and oldest music festival, the one-weekend late June/early July Roskilde Festival west of Copenhagen, and will most likely return.

www.myspace.com/mymusicbank

www.facebook.com/pages/Fallulah/159211420756903

www.fallulah.com/

Negash Ali: We Get By + Feel The Heat

2011-01-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

The best hip hop artist to come out of Denmark, the gifted Negash Ali has the chops to make a name for himself outside Scandinavia, and the release of his 2009 debut album "Asmarino" in the US through La Jolla, California based Raw Poetix Records in 2010 will hopefully help to make that happen in 2011. His 2009 album was partly recorded in California - he is currently recording his second album.

[following edited bio taken from www.allscandinavian.com]:

Negash Ali first surfaced from the underground as part of Danish hip hop supergroup Majors along with DJs Noize and Static and MCs J-Spliff and Nat Ill on their eponymous 2008 release. Talent almost never denies itself, and building on his contribution to Majors, Ali cemented his status as one of the bigger artists out there with his 2009 solo debut "Asmarino". [The term 'Asmarino' refers to a person born in the Eritrean capital Asmera.]

At an early age Negash Ali fell in love with hip hop and original soul. Born in 1990 shortly after his mother came to Denmark after fleeing Eritrea towards the end of the country’s conflict with Ethiopia, his life has been shaped by the challenges an African (or any) refugee faces in new and very different surroundings. These challenges as well as his family are recurring themes in the personal and always strong lyrics, along with more common reflections of a young man like restlessness and being sick of school. His solid flow and characteristic voice add another big, personal plus to his debut album.

[End of bio]

The outstanding track "We Get By" and its accompanying excellent video are all too rare positive and insightful contributions to the often volatile discussion and media coverage of the immigrant/refugee experience in Negash Ali's adopted home country of Denmark. It is also a song/video that many immigrants and/or refugees outside of Denmark - including the US - will no doubt relate to and a powerful example of what hip hop artists can do in terms of bringing an important message to their own back yard and to the world in general.

The second track "Feel The Heat", with its thumping beat, memorable guitar riffs and keyboard chords features Copenhagen hip hop band The Gypsies and proves that Negash Ali can throw down in the kitchen with the best hip hop chefs out there.

www.facebook.com/negashali

www.myspace.com/negashali

Anna Calvi: Joan Of Arc

2011-01-15T12:24:00.000-08:00

The eagerly anticipated self-titled debut album from new 28 year-old British singer/guitarist Anna Calvi will be released Monday.

I chose this video because it focuses on her considerable talent as a guitarist - her haunting cover of Leonard Cohen's "Joan of Arc" sounds like Jeff Buckley scoring a David Lynch film.

A primarily European three-month long tour kicked off yesterday, but she has several shows in NYC March 8-10 and will also be at the SXSW conference in Austin, Texas March 14-19.

www.annacalvi.com

www.myspace.com/annacalvi

www.facebook.com/annacalvi

NNDC: Mouthful Of Diamonds + Phantogram: Mouthful of Diamonds

2011-01-13T17:37:00.000-08:00

I first discovered Niels Nielsen (now aka NNDC) of Sweden back in 2009. He has a new video out with a great cover of Saratoga Springs, New York based duo Phantogram's track "Mouthful of Diamonds".

Here is the link to my post from October of 2009:

www.latenightdj.blogspot.com/2009/10/niels-nielsen-swede-with-danish-name.html

www.nielsnielsen.net/

www.nielsnielsen.bandcamp.com/

And here's the original by Phantogram:

www.myspace.com/phantogram

Mozez: Venus Rise

2011-01-05T15:47:00.000-08:00

Mozez' 2005 track "Venus Rise" + a kaleidoscope of colors = a sublime natural high and a great way to start off the new year.

Teena Marie Featuring Faith Evans: Can't Last A Day

2010-12-27T05:41:00.000-08:00

Teena Marie aka Lady T has passed away much too soon at age 54.

A gifted vocalist as well as songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist for thirty years, she stayed active until the end. She would occasionally do shows with her daughter Alia Rose who turned 19 only one day before finding her mother unresponsive in Teena Marie's home in Pasadena on Sunday December 26.

Teena Marie had returned to recording and performing full-time in 2009 after taking a long sabbatical to raise Alia Rose, now a budding talented singer in her own right who uses the name Rose Le Beau.

A frequent collaborator as well as an off/on romantic partner and friend of Rick James (1948-2004), she grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood in West L.A. and once stated that she felt like "a black singer with white skin".

Below is the fab duet with Faith Evans "Can't Last A Day" from Teena Marie's 2009 album "Congo Square", a track that clearly demonstrates just how influential she was and continues to be on younger generations of R&B/funk/soul artists regardless of their race.

Mary C. Brockert: March 5, 1956 - December 26, 2010
R.I.P.

Gene Kelly: Singing In The Rain

2010-12-20T10:19:00.001-08:00

We're having the rainstorm-of-the-decade here in the L.A. area......so it seems fitting to post this classic segment from one of the very best Hollywood musicals of all time, MGM's "Singing In The Rain" from 1952.

Wham: Last Christmas

2010-12-14T20:57:00.000-08:00

Super cheesy Christmas music video. Yum - more cheese, please!!

The Beatles: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

2010-12-08T06:38:00.000-08:00

John Lennon:

"I'm not claiming divinity. I've never claimed purity of soul. I've never claimed to have the answers to life. I only put out songs and answer questions as honestly as I can. But I still believe in peace, love and understanding."

Collapse Under The Empire: Captured Moments

2010-12-06T02:58:00.000-08:00

Chris Burda and Matthew Jason got together in 2007 to create and record their instrumental music under the name of Collapse Under The Empire. The band released an EP entitled "Paintball" in 2008, followed by their debut digital album, "System-Breakdown" in the spring of 2009. For their second album "Find A Place To Be Safe" the band was signed to indie label Sister Jack in Germany (the duo is based in Hamburg).

[bio from UK music magazine Shakenstir @ www.shakenstir.co.uk]

www.myspace.com/collapseempire

NOTE: I posted two Collapse Under The Empire videos in January:

www.latenightdj.blogspot.com/2010/01/collapse-under-empire-find-place-to-be.html

www.latenightdj.blogspot.com/2010/01/collapse-under-empire-far-to-past.html

Collapse Under The Empire "Captured Moments"

Collapse Under The Empire Myspace Music Videos

Collapse Under The Empire: The Sirens Song

2010-12-06T02:49:00.000-08:00

www.myspace.com/collapseempire

Collapse Under The Empire - The Sirens Sound

Collapse Under The Empire Myspace Music Videos

Collapse Under The Empire: Grade Separation

2010-12-06T02:33:00.000-08:00

www.myspace.com/collapseempire

Grade Separation

Collapse Under The Empire Myspace Music Videos

Interview with Turboweekend

2010-11-23T12:24:00.000-08:00

Left to right: Silas Bjerregaard (vocals), Martin Petersen (drums), Morten Køie (bass).

Copenhagen trio Turboweekend's second album "Ghost Of A Chance" from 2009 lifted the band from underground prospects to major venue headliners in their native Denmark; the hit single "Trouble Is" especially garnered a lot of international attention with the aid of remixes by Tiësto and Joker.

In June, 2010 they signed with London based Supervision Management and thereby joined a roster that includes acts such as Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, and Crystal Castles.

October saw the band nominated as Best Danish Act for the MTV Europe Awards 2010.

On November 10, 2010 they released the free downloadable 5-track EP "Bound" featuring Casper Clausen of Efterklang, Ty Bulmer of New Young Pony Club and Coco Malaika of Quadron and are encouraging fans to remix songs, redesign artwork and record their own music videos as an attempt to ”shake the bag” before the next album.

Silas, Martin and Morten grew up together in the small town of Fredensborg [25 miles north of Copenhagen] and formed their first band together in 1996. Some wild years later in 2006 they formed Turboweekend as a playground project, and only four years later the playground has become full-time work in the most rewarding sense of the word.

The band is currently writing material for their third album and preparing a European spring tour beginning March 2011.

[bio courtesy of Turboweekend website]

http://www.turboweekend.com/

www.facebook.com/turboweekend

(where you can download the stellar new 5-track EP "Bound" for free)

www.myspace.com/turboweekend

Q & A with Silas Bjerregaard, lead vocalist of Turboweekend

The Nightfly: How did you come up with the very cool and memorable band name and does your friendship date back to before you formed Turboweekend?
Silas: We have known each other just about forever. Morten and Martin met in Kindergarten in 1988 and I joined the class in 4th grade in 1992. We formed our first band in 1996 playing mostly grunge inspired rock. I played guitar, and we had a couple of other guys from class in the band also. As we grew up the band evolved, slowly taking in wider inspirations from jazz, funk and electronic music. The personnel shifted over the years as well, and at one point we were eight people on stage with horns, Rhodes piano and backing singers. The name had also changed by now and we were a bit of a high school sensation, booking our own gigs around the country. About two years after high school the band broke up and we worked on various other projects. I had a solo project, Morten and Martin did some stuff together, and Morten and I also had a little project. One night in 2005 we talked about how we missed making music just for fun and how well the three of us worked together. We decided to go down to the rehearsal space and fool around and Turboweekend was born, more or less. Back when we formed the band in 2006 we had a much more narrow musical agenda. It was about two things: having fun, and challenging ourselves and the club scene by mixing the ever-present house/tech vibes with some more rough rock sounds, much inspired at the time by bands like Does It Offend You Yeah and The Rapture. We wanted a name that very clearly represented this narrow party agenda, and which furthermore would not have to be explained in either Danish or English. Martin came up with Turboweekend (spelled in one word as it would be in Danish), and we went for that. Now four years later the name might not be fully representative of the full flavor of the band and might even scare off some people who might actually like the music for itself, but we’re stuck with it in a love/hate relationship. It may not be very subtle, but it has a kind no-bullshit charm.

The Nightfly: Mew, The Raveonettes, Anders Trentemøller, Carpark North, Kashmir, Quadron, Efterklang, Turboweekend and more: things are not so rotten in the State of Denmark after all as evidenced by the high quality and variety of music coming from this corner of the world at the start of the 21st century. In your opinion, is there a specific reason why such an abundance of stellar music is being created at this time in Danish music history?
Silas: The acts you mentioned are spread out over a good deal of years, Kashmir being the oldest from 1996 I believe, and Quadron the youngest with only one album out. But I do see a growing Danish presence on the international scene, and would like to add names like Choir Of Young Believers, Volbeat, Oh No Ono, and the young Tree Fight For Sunlight. Denmark has always compared itself to Sweden musically and Sweden always seems to have had better game than Denmark, at least when it comes to hyping their music outside their own country. It’s very evident when you compare the large amount of Swedish music on Danish radio with the almost non-existing amount of Danish music on Swedish radio. It’s been like that for many, many years, since ABBA and maybe even before that, and we’ve been very jealous, but I think Danish musicians are finally getting bored with this comparison to the brother land and starting to make something for themselves. We are not Sweden. We have an identity of our own. And one succes story encourages another. I think there is a new confidence among Danish musicians, and more international focus, knowledge and contacts being accumulated. It all adds up.

The Nightfly: In your Facebook bio you take a refreshing tongue-in-cheek approach and call yourself “a synth pop/disco rock-whatever trio”. Do you find music categories to be limiting and even frustrating or should such labels simply be viewed as a necessary part of any ambitious band’s/artist’s marketing tool box when trying to reach an audience?
Silas: In all the years we’ve played music we’ve always had a hard time defining our style in terms of genre, perhaps because the music has always contained elements from so many different types of music that we don’t know which parts to emphasize and which to neglect, or perhaps because we always feel we are headed someplace new and feel claustrophobic when we have to describe ourselves in certain terms. So genre labels can definitely feel limiting which is why we mostly avoid it or joke about it. But genre is so integrated in the way most people talk about music and in the way music is distributed, promoted and sold (both in the form of recordings and in the form of live music), so you have to work with it in one way or the other. Lately we’ve started calling ourselves interpreters of pop music which probably reflects our desire to be popular, but completely on our own terms.

The Nightfly: The band formed in 2006 and your debut album “Night Shift” was released in 2007. Your second album “Ghost of a Chance” came out in 2009 and has resulted in stellar reviews, awards as well as new legions of new fans. Do you feel any pressure now that you are in the process of writing and recording your third album?
Silas: We only feel pressure from ourselves to evolve as a band and make an even better album than the last. We’ve learned a lot from the first two albums and want to apply those lessons to the songwriting and to the production of the third album. On the creative side it always feels like you have to invent the wheel all over again, but that’s just the stone you have to lift if you want to find something new underneath. We’ve just released an EP called “Bound” with a couple of featured guest singers and a cover song of Talking Heads. The EP has functioned as a kind of free space for us to experiment with some new ideas without thinking about the expectations for a "new album." A self illusion maybe, but it has worked for us. We’ve fooled around and we’re now 100% focused on writing the best third album that we can.

The Nightfly: The band has been touring Denmark all summer and Turboweekend was one of the main attractions at Northern Europe’s largest music festival at Roskilde west of Copenhagen in July. Is the festival setting your favorite type of venue and do you think the tragic events at the Love Parade techno festival in Duisburg, Germany this past July might change how performers view such large events?
Silas: Calling us one of the main attractions at Roskilde is at your own risk. We played at the same time as Muse and had a more than full tent, so we’re not complaining. Festival shows can be great, especially a festival like Roskilde where people are open to new music and are just set on having a great time even though they may never have heard the band before. The uninhibited atmosphere is a very big part of a festival like Roskilde, and when the chaos takes over and people get seriously hurt like in Duisburg or at the Pearl Jam show at the 2000 Roskilde Festival, it’s extra tragic because the contrast with the whole concept of love and celebration is so great. It must necessarily have consequences for the security and has had so at the Roskilde Festival. Of course it’s a shame that you’re not allowed to stage dive anymore, but I understand festival organizers' concern completely, and we’re not going to let a reasonable precautionary measure like that affect our love for the stage and for the music.

The Nightfly: The band is on the Danish label Mermaid which is now partly owned by Sony Music. Is there still a significant advantage to being on a major label in this day and age or can a band/artist make the same kind of headway on a small indie label and/or by using social media like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc.?
Silas: This is not an easily answered question. I think the perfect label is characterized by things like skill, experience, dedication, trust and financial resources. The problem is that these elements often do not follow each other, and the cliché is that the major label will have the financial resources and the experience, but will lack the long term dedication and/or will not trust the artist creatively. Contrast that with the indie label which will be very dedicated, but will lack the finances to push the product properly and perhaps also lack the experience and network. While this is true in many instances there are of course also exceptions to the rule with A-list artists on major labels or exceptionally skilled indie labels managing to promote a product on a very limited budget.

The Nightfly: Music videos are enjoying a much welcomed renaissance and your videos are some of the most exciting and original on the web today. Are the videos as important an element of Turboweekend as the records or do you consider them more along the lines of fun side projects?
Silas: We definitely consider our music videos as secondary to the songs and the albums. The concepts for videos are always thought up after the albums are completed. But having said that, we know the power of images in opening the imagination which is why we make videos in the first place. A good video can open the music to new listeners in a very fast and strong way.

The Nightfly: Not only does Turboweekend have a stellar rhythm section, but the group also boasts a superb lead vocalist; an essential part of creating a sound that will make a band stand out in today’s competitive market. Who are your biggest influences in terms of singers and how many years have you been singing?
Silas: I usually say that I’ve been singing since I was born, but my first solo was probably at the school Christmas show in first grade where we played a group of homeless orphans trying to organize a Christmas party. When I was younger I tended to get fascinated by the technical perfectionists like Whitney Houston, George Michael or D’Angelo, but I’ve come to treasure storytelling and personality over technical skill. Not that Whitney and George aren’t great storytellers, but the focus on storytelling has allowed me to also appreciate great performers like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Iggy Pop and Nick Cave. Sometimes of course a certain emotional phrase will in fact require very healthy technique, but I don’t want to hear the technique; I want to hear the emotion, the story and the personality.

The Nightfly: You have worked with other Danish bands: this year you remixed Efterklang’s track “Full Moon” and Efterklang in turn remixed your track “Sweet Jezebel”. Does Copenhagen have a close knit collaborative music scene in general?
Silas: There are a bunch of highly collaborative scenes like the Yoyooyoy collective and the scene around Choir Of Young Believers and Chimes and Bells, but we’ve never really been a part of any of these. We’ve had a lot of people do remixes over the years, but we’ve only done a few actual collaborations. The remix swap with Efterklang came pretty naturally as Rasmus of Efterklang is good friends with Morten (and the rest of us like him too). We did a track with Steffen Brandt because our booking agency worked with him. When thinking of collaborations for the EP, Casper Clausen’s [Efterklang] name came up pretty fast, and Coco Malaika from Quadron is also a friend. Apart from that I've done a couple of co-writes with acts in Danish. I think that collaborations are a good creative break.

The Nightfly: Some of your tracks have been remixed by DJs/producers Tiesto and Joker and the band has played techno festivals. Do you find that techno fans are generally more willing to embrace rock than the other way around?
Silas: Not really.

The Nightfly: Your lyrics are fairly dark, but are set against drum beats and bass lines so bouncy that the listener ends up dancing instead of hiding under the covers. Where does the inspiration for your lyrics come from?
Silas: It’s funny - I have a lot of music that I love, but which somehow never manages to affect my lyrics directly. The Pixies and Bob Dylan are good examples of acts which have meant a lot to me during different periods, but which haven’t colored my own production directly. I could never write lyrics or songs like either of those. On the other hand I find that Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young have had a much more direct influence on my writing style. Not necessarily the themes, but the kind of structure of the songs. I also like picking up the odd sentence from movies and books and placing them in a new context.

The Nightfly: From writers Hans Christian Andersen, Karen Blixen (aka Isak Dinsesen) and Peter Høeg to film makers Carl Dreyer, Lars von Trier, Thomas Vinterberg, Danes have a talent for combining tragedy and comedy to great effect. Do you feel any kinship to any of these fellow Danish artists and would Turboweekend be the same band if the three of you had grown up in another country?
Silas: Who knows...

The Nightfly: Who do you bring along for your live shows and have you considered adding more permanent band members?
Silas: We usually always bring our own sound engineer Peter Lehman to ensure that our efforts on stage are conveyed to the audience in the best possible way on the PA system available. Bad sound has ruined or deflated many otherwise good shows, so this is not a place you want to cut back. Since January 2009 we’ve had Anders Stig Møller playing synth and singing backing vocals. This has taken the live show to a whole different level, partly because I am now free to jump around on stage and act crazy, partly because Anders has a natural flair for solving technical problems which means that the setup is now much more advanced than before. For the past year or so, we’ve also had our own light engineer on the big domestic shows. It all adds to the tightness and overall impression of the show. On big shows we also bring a roadie to help set up and take down the gear and drive the van. Not when we’re flying to a gig of course, only when we’re driving.

The Nightfly: You have a growing and loyal fan base in Europe. You have played a few shows in America, but are there definite plans to make a big splash on US market or are the band and the label focused on Europe?
Silas: Definitely focused on Europe at the moment. But we’re coming to SXSW [South by Southwest Music and Media Conference in Austin, Texas] in March, and who knows what can happen.

The Nightfly: Does everybody in the band contribute to the music and lyrics?
Silas: I write the lyrics and everybody contributes to the music.

The Nightfly: Last November I interviewed Yukimi Nagano from one of my favorite bands, Little Dragon of Gothenburg, Sweden. You have mentioned Little Dragon’s 2009 album “Machine Dreams” as a favorite – what was it specifically about this album that caught your ear?
Silas: Yukimi’s voice is of course wonderful and magical, but also, the album has some good melodies and atmosphere around it. “Feather” was the first song that caught our ear.

The Nightfly: Do you have a tentative release date and title for the third Turboweekend album and are you exploring a different musical territory with these new recordings?
Silas: No set release date yet. We are in the middle of writing songs and generally don’t know where we are going till we get there.

The Nightfly: Danes and Swedes are both friendly neighbors and arch rivals. Does Turboweekend secretly long to kick some serious Swedish butt by becoming a bigger act than ABBA?
Silas: We are quite realistic when comparing ourselves to ABBA. They were a mainstream act with easily understandable disco pop songs about love and dance and music, hailing from a nation with a very strong musical tradition and network. Turboweekend is in comparison a niche act with ambitions not only to please, but also to provoke or confuse a little bit. On top of this we come from a city with very few internationally recognized musical acts, and as a result a fairly sporadic and weak international network. As I mentioned earlier however, this last bit is changing. We dream of taking Turboweekend as far as we can go careerwise, without compromising our musical vision.

Glasser: Home

2010-11-23T11:41:00.000-08:00

I wish Glasser aka Cameron Miserow would make a great video to go with what is surely one of the best tracks of 2010.

www.myspace.com/glasssser

Rasmus Seebach: Den Jeg Er (Who I Am)

2010-11-21T17:46:00.000-08:00

A loving tribute by Danish singer/songwriter Rasmus Seebach (b. 1980) to his late father Tommy Seebach (1949-2003) a popular recording artist and performer for decades in Denmark, this powerful song touches upon themes such as family, forgiveness and finding your own path in life. Like Julian Lennon and Jeff Buckley, Rasmus Seebach bears an uncanny physical and vocal resemblance to his father and must be commended for finding the courage to step into the limelight rather than run from it.

Although the very moving lyrics are in Danish, a language understood by relatively few people, the music and soulful vocals will hopefully speak to anyone who appreciates a great song when they hear it.

Rasmus Seebach's voice reminds me of Caleb Followill of Kings Of Leon who in turn reminds me of Peter Gabriel. And speaking of Gabriel: there are echoes of West African music in this particular arrangement of Seebach's song, primarily in the Manu Katche style drums, but also in the Yassou N'Dour flavored backing vocals that pop up now and then.

VIDEO: Rasmus Seebach performed this arrangement of his song with DR Underholdings Orkestret (the Danish National Chamber Orchestra) in Copenhagen, Denmark on December 27 of last year for the Year in Review show.

Legal Disclaimer: the English song title (Who I am) is my "unauthorized" translation and only intended as a suggestion.

http://www.rasmusseebach.dk/

www.myspace.com/rasmusseebach

Jeff Buckley: So Real & Last Goodbye

2010-11-17T18:29:00.000-08:00

Jeff Buckley (1966-1997) would have turned 44 today.

Glee: Teenage Dream

2010-11-09T23:42:00.000-08:00

Fantastic version of the Katy Perry hit with Glee guest star Darren Criss on lead vocals. Pop perfection.

www.fox.com/glee

www.hulu.com/glee

Quadron: Baby Be Mine

2010-11-05T21:57:00.000-07:00

Beautiful, slowed down, stripped down cover of Rod Temperton's song from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" album with lovey dovey but sweet lyrics that, when sung by great vocalists like M.J. and Coco Malaika, sound like pure poetry.

[1st Verse]
I Don't Need No Dreams When I'm By Your Side
Every Moment Takes Me To Paradise
Darlin', Let Me Hold You
Warm You In My Arms And Melt Your Fears Away
Show You All The Magic That A Perfect Love Can
Make
I Need You Night And Day

[Chorus (1)]
So Baby, Be Mine (Baby You Gotta Be Mine)
And Girl I'll Give You All I Got To Give
So Baby, Be My Girl (All The Time)
And We Can Share This Ecstasy
As Long As We Believe In Love

[2nd Verse]
I Won't Give You Reason To Change Your Mind
(I Guess It's Still You Thrill Me, Baby, Be Mine)
You Are All The Future That I Desire
Girl, I Need To Hold You
Share My Feelings In The Heat Of Love's Embrace
Show You All The Passion Burning In My Heart
Today
It's Never Gonna Fade

[Chorus (2)]
So Baby, Be Mine (Baby You Gotta Be Mine)
And Girl I'll Give You All I Got To Give
So Baby, Be My Girl (All The Time)
You're Everything This World Could Be
The Reason That I Live

[Bridge]
Won't You Stay With Me Until The Mornin' Sun
I Promise You Now That The Dawn Will Be Different
Lady Can't You See That Heaven's Just Begun
It's Livin' Here Inside Our Hearts

[3rd Verse]
There'll Be No More Mountains For Us To Climb
(I Can't Be Still You Thrill Me, Baby, Be Mine)
This Will Be A Love Lasting For All Time
Girl You Got To Hold Me
We Can Touch The Sky And Light The Darkest Day
Hold Me, Only You And I Can Make Sweet Love This Way
There's No More I Can Say

[Chorus]
So Baby, Be Mine (Baby You Gotta Be Mine)
And Girl I'll Give You All I Got To Give
So Baby, Be My Girl (All The Time)
You're Everything This World Could Be
The Reason That I Live

[Chorus]
Baby Be My Girl
And Girl I'll Give You All I Got To Give
So Baby, Be Mine, Baby, Be Mine
You're Everything This World Could Be To Me

[Chorus]
C'mon, Girl, C'mon Girl
So Baby, Be Mine
You're Everything This World Could Be To Me

Coco Malaika (appearing 17 seconds into the video) is the gifted vocalist in Danish soul duo Quadron - here she's hanging out with friends on a summer day in my original hometown of Copenhagen, Denmark.

At the end of the video: Michael Jackson rehearsing his "Thriller" video in 1983 plus an ABC 20/20 interview snippet from early 1980.

www.myspace.com/quadronquadron

Jeff Buckley: Forget Her

2010-10-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

Lovely Jeff in lovely Paris.

Zola Jesus: Sea Talk

2010-10-23T20:19:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/zolajesus

Zola Jesus: Night

2010-10-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/zolajesus

Zola Jesus: Clay Bodies

2010-10-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/zolajesus

John Legend & The Roots Featuring Melanie Fiona and Common: Wake Up Everybody

2010-10-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/johnlegend

www.myspace.com/theroots

www.myspace.com/melaniefiona

www.myspace.com/common

Murder: Apple Juice

2010-10-11T02:43:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/murderdk

Agnes Obel: Riverside

2010-10-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/obelmusic

Dead Can Dance: The Carnival Is Over

2010-10-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/deadcandance

The Jim Jones Revue: Elemental

2010-09-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/thejimjonesrevue

Dylan LeBlanc: Emma Hartley

2010-09-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/dylanstunesmusic

The Seabellies: Trans Ending

2010-09-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/theseabellies

Avi Buffalo: What's In It For

2010-09-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/avibuffalo

In case you missed it last year - here's my interview with Avi:

http://http//latenightdj.blogspot.com/2009/10/q-with-avigdor-zahner-isenberg-of-avi.html

The Drums: Down By The Water

2010-09-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/thedrumsforever

Hurts: Wonderful Life

2010-09-21T11:04:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/ithurts

Florence + The Machine: Heavy In Your Arms

2010-09-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/florenceandthemachine

Florence + The Machine: Cosmic Love

2010-09-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/florenceandthemachine

Brandon Flowers: Crossfire

2010-09-13T22:34:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's Charlize Theron kicking Ninja butt to save Brandon Flowers, former lead singer of The Killers.

Edwyn Collins: A Girl Like You

2010-09-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/wwwmyspacecomedwyncollins

Cazz: Mirrors

2010-09-13T00:39:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/cazzmusic

Mystery Jets: Dreaming Of Another World

2010-09-12T23:56:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/mysteryjets

John Butler Trio: Revolution

2010-09-12T23:37:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/johnbutlertrio

The Black Keys: Too Afraid To Love You

2010-09-08T00:21:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/theblackkeys

Recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Alabama.

Kashmir: Pursuit of Misery

2010-09-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

Danish band Kashmir recently sent out an invite from Copenhagen to their fans asking them to contribute to the video for the track "Pursuit of Misery" and received an overwhelming response in the form of clips recorded on cell phone cameras and video cameras in different locations around the world.

www.myspace.com/kashmiryeah

Parades: Loserspeak In New Tongue

2010-09-02T17:01:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/parades

Parades - Loserspeak In New Tongue from Parades on Vimeo.

Ernest Ellis: Loveless

2010-09-02T16:46:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/ernestellis

Michael Paynter: Love The Fall

2010-09-02T14:24:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/michaelpaynter

Michael Paynter - 'Love The Fall' (Official Video)

Michael Paynter MySpace Music Videos

The Bedroom Philosopher: The Happiest Boy

2010-09-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/thebedroomphilosopher

The Bamboos: You Ain't No Good

2010-09-02T13:15:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/thebamboos

Big Scary: Autumn

2010-08-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/bigscaryband

The Temper Trap: Science of Fear

2010-08-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/thetempertrap

Science of Fear video

The Temper Trap MySpace Music Videos

The Temper Trap: Love Lost

2010-08-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/thetempertrap

The Temper Trap: Sweet Disposition

2010-08-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/thetempertrap

The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition

The Temper Trap MySpace Music Videos

The Boat People: Tell Someone Who Cares

2010-08-20T20:21:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/theboatpeople

The Boat People: Soporific

2010-08-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/theboatpeople

M83: America

2010-08-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/m83

Cherry Ghost: Kissing Strangers

2010-08-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/cherryghostband

Cherry Ghost: People Help The People

2010-08-09T18:55:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/cherryghostband

Cherry Ghost: Diamond In The Grind

2010-08-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/cherryghostband

Cherry Ghost: Mathematics

2010-08-09T16:07:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/cherryghostband

Little Red: Witchdoctor

2010-08-02T10:07:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/littleredmusic

Witchdoctor - Little Red

Little Red MySpace Music Videos

Little Red: Rock It

2010-08-02T10:02:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/littleredmusic

Rock It - Little Red OFFICIAL VIDEO

Little Red MySpace Video

Little Red: Waiting

2010-08-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/littleredmusic

Little Red - Waiting

Little Red MySpace Music Videos

Nosaj Thing: Aquarium

2010-07-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/nosajthing

Trentemøller: Miss You

2010-07-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

I'm posting Anders Trentemøller's beautiful piece "Miss You" in memory of the young people who died in a stampede as they were trying to enter/exit the Love Parade techno festival in Duisburg, Germany yesterday July 24. [NOTE: the tally as of Wednesday July 28 has been updated to 21 fatalities].

Ten years ago nine young men died at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark during a Pearl Jam concert as crowds surged towards the stage. The band later referenced the tragedy in their song "Love Boat Captain".

In August of 1969 in upstate New York, the original Woodstock festival took place over the course of three days. From Wikipedia:
"Although the festival was remarkably peaceful given the number of people and the conditions involved, there were two recorded fatalities: one from what was believed to be a heroin overdose and another caused in an accident when a tractor ran over an attendee sleeping in a nearby hayfield."

The Presets: If I Know You

2010-07-22T00:51:00.000-07:00

This is one of the finest music videos ever made and in my Top 5.

In 2009 Australian duo The Presets chose French director Eva Husson to direct a video for the sublime track "If I Know You" from their album "Apocalypso". Husson studied at the Sorbonne in Paris before graduating from the American Film Institute (AFI) in Los Angeles. In addition to some excellent short films, she has directed several music videos incl. "Kim & Jessie" for M83 as well as her own first feature entitled "Tiny Dancer" (2006).

www.myspace.com/thepresets

www.myspace.com/kinetikeva (Eva Husson)

Joni Mitchell: Song For Sharon

2010-07-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

Joni Mitchell: California

2010-07-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

Rickie Lee Jones: Last Chance Texaco

2010-07-16T09:59:00.000-07:00

Fleetwood Mac: Dreams

2010-07-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

Tom Petty: Free Fallin'

2010-07-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

Robbie Robertson & The Red Road Ensemble: Ghost Dance

2010-07-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

Robbie Robertson Featuring Peter Gabriel: Fallen Angel

2010-07-16T09:09:00.001-07:00

Bruce Springsteen: American Skin (41 Shots)

2010-07-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

Tom Jones: What Good Am I

2010-07-12T00:25:00.000-07:00

The album is not dead after all - Tom Jones proves it with his collection of timeless songs, "Praise & Blame" which will be released on July 26. (the single "Burning Hell" was released on June 7)

A great vocalist + great musicians + a great producer oddly do not always result in a great work of art, but in this case everything fell into place and a spine chiller and soul shaker of a record has seen the light of day, one that recalls American icons Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley as well as Irish U2 and Canadian Neil Young at their very best. It's black blues, it's white country, it's gospel and it's roots music - not separate, but equal, each musical thread part of a fabric so strong it will never tear.

Tom Jones, the Welsh son of a coal miner was born to sing this material. The recordings that made him famous and his version of Prince "Kiss" are not too shabby either, but he is now 70 and he sounds like a man who has wrestled with demons for decades and is still fighting them. Married for fifty years to Linda but as famous for his womanizing as his music, he is no angel, but then I doubt an angel could sing a song like John Lee Hooker's "Burning Hell" the way Tom Jones sings it on "Praise & Shame".

The following is taken from his MySpace page:

Tom Jones returns with a remarkable new album ‘Praise and Blame’, a collection of songs that examines choice and responsibility via a musical journey through the traditional spiritual repertoire.

This landmark album comes in the legendary singer’s 70th year, a glowing achievement in what has been a ground-breaking, unpredictable roller-coaster of a 45-year career. The songs are taken from repertoire that includes American traditional, gospel and country, seeing Tom going back to his roots and creating a truly evocative musical work, aided and abetted by producer/musician Ethan Johns [Ryan Adams, Ray LaMontagne, Kings of Leon, etc.].

Tom says of ‘Praise & Blame’: “It’s food for thought, it’s real, it’s natural, and in that sense it’s truly me.”

http://www.tomjones.com/

WhoMadeWho: Shake Your Boat

2010-07-11T23:16:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/whomadewhomusic

Interview with Yaw

2010-07-04T01:00:00.000-07:00

In April I posted the following blog when first discovering Yaw:

I'm not in the habit of posting music videos that are not music videos, that is to say that they have no moving images but merely consist of one image or a slide show uploaded to YouTube by fans of the artist/band. However, where there are rules, there are exceptions and an exception must be made in this case.

Last night I was listening online to the archived edition of Coco and Robin of Danish duo Quadron's April 20 guest DJ set on KCRW, Santa Monica with host Anthony Valadez who has a weekly midnight to 3 am show. Coco and Robin picked some favorite tracks and just after Michael Jackson's "Got To Be There", another song came on.

My ears perked up just from hearing the instrumental intro which - thanks to the sound of a lone trumpet - reminded me of Jerry Goldsmith's gorgeous soundtrack for the film "L.A. Confidential". And there were trembling strings, an angelic chorus of soulful Sam Cooke style backing vocals and sweet Isley Brothers guitar sounds before the sublime vocals kicked in - a man's voice, but with a Nina Simone timbre to it. I thought: when was this recorded - decades ago or this year? I was puzzled, intrigued, eyes wide open, ears and heart taking in every perfect note and word in this gut wrenching love song.

Today, after learning from KCRW's track list that the vocalist is Chicago based singer Yaw, I Googled the name and found his MySpace Music profile. Turns out British DJ and champion of great new music Gilles Peterson released the CD "Brownswood Bubblers 3" on his label Brownswood Recordings in 2008 - it featured various artists, including Yaw and his track "Where Will You Be".

Flawless.

Listen for yourself.

Bio by Yaw taken from his MySpace page:

www.myspace.com/yawsmusic

I know there is a piece of me that is connected in some way to the past. Oftentimes, after I've created what I create - and I've had an chance to listen - I see myself as being intrinsically connected on a subliminal level to my ancestors.

I can't get away from the fact that I am from Africa and Blackness. It's in me, like my bones and my heart are in me. It's a part of me that I don't have to create necessarily, it just is.

Everything that created me is still with me and every time I sing or speak or communicate, those words are the manifestation of it.

Sankofa! Connectivity. Synergy.

My music comes from this place - a truly unforced thing.

My tongue is African.

We don't get the luxury of choice of this heart-versus-that-heart, or whathaveyou; the musical part of me is so connected to nature, the world and Africa that when it comes out, it's a huge organic occurrence.

And that's the only way I can really function. I can't live in a world where cookies are cut and products are created; I will die. I must live in a natural, non-artificial environment.

100% juice to do what I do - no high fructose corn syrup because I am 100% juice.

That's my word. Here are a few words that have been said about me:

Yaw has performed on both the theatrical stage and musical stage. He has had the privilege to work with Ntozake Shange and Paul Carter Harrison and various roles including Walter Lee "A Raisin in the Sun" to Uncle Morty in "Awake and Sing." On the musical stage, he has shared the stage with the likes of Floetry, Jaguar Wright, Kindred, and Amel Larrieux. Additionally, he has backed up Eric Roberson and Liz Fields in concert. The world appears to be opening up for the young singer, who has been likened to Al Green and Bilal. His prayer is that God continues to supply him with the words and sounds to affect on a larger scale.

Q & A with Yaw

The Nightfly: What is the story behind the name Yaw?
Yaw: Both of my parents were born in Ghana. It is a traditional practice in the Akan culture to name your child after the day on which they were born. I was born on a Thursday; hence the name "Yaw". It isn't just my stage name, it is my given name, typed on my discolored and slightly tattered, birth certificate.

The Nightfly: You are based in Chicago – is this also where you grew up?
Yaw: Yes, Chicago is my place of birth and where I was raised; in the land of the Daleys [Chicago political dynasty], with fufu [a staple food of West and Central Africa] in my mouth.

The Nightfly: How old were you when you first started doing music?
Yaw: Music it seemed was like my fingernails or my hair - part and parcel of me, it was always present. I believe I began to take it more seriously, more professionally about eight years ago.

The Nightfly: You seem to have an equal love for soul and hip hop - did you discover both at the same time?
Yaw: My discovery of soul came first. There were a lot of different musicians represented in the many records that my dad had when I was growing up. Soul to me was heard when I listened to Freddie Mercury, A. B. Crentsil, Chicago, Hall & Oates and Osibisa. I was turned on to R. Kelly when he first came out; he was immediately replaced by Donny Hathaway when I was a freshman in high school -his record, "Giving Up" changed my life. Hip hop hopped into my world when Nas first hit the scene. Still, then, I hadn't fully accepted her, but when Wu Tang appeared, I was all ears, and then mind and then heart. They both are necessary parts of my life.

The Nightfly: You write on your MySpace page: “I see myself as being intrinsically connected on a subliminal level to my [African] ancestors”. Has this consciousness given you the desire to visit the continent of Africa and maybe even do shows there?
Yaw: The last time I was in Africa was in the year 2000. I went with my dad back home to Ghana. Such a beautiful experience! No shows there yet, but that is definitely a great desire of mine.

The Nightfly: How did Gilles Peterson come to hear your music?
Yaw: Ron Trent, super-producer and DJ shared it with Gilles and Gilles shared it with the world. I have a relationship with Ron Trent through a hip hop project that he is the producer of called jMb or justMybRother. Myself and an amazing MC by the name of Phenom will come out with an EP titled "Open Rehearsal" this month.

The Nightfly: Is there a “master plan” in terms of your career or do you believe in things happening more organically, for example by word-of-mouth and through the web?
Yaw: Things have been happening organically for the most part. The people who I have come acquainted with over the years, the venues, the resources, have all availed themselves as I've availed my soul. They have all helped to push me to where I am now. That, and my own natural ability and efforts. I would say moreover, there is a direction, a "master plan" if you will. I definitely hope to have more exposure and more performances in the overseas market. I want to work with more artists that have a greater level of exposure than I. And of course, I want to be invited to the Grammys and maybe an Oscar celebration or two before everything is said and done. In general the plan is to always be moving in a progressive fashion, always onward and upward. The team is becoming stronger every day.

The Nightfly: Do you prefer songwriting, recording, or performing live?
Yaw: I prefer performing - if there's only one to pick. The exchange of energy with the audience is my addiction. I do enjoy the other two immensely as well.

The Nightfly: You have a young daughter named Marli. How old is she and is she showing any particular interest in music at this point?
Yaw: Marli is six, with seven around the corner in August. She is definitely an artist. She has a sponge for a mind - it doesn't take long for her to know the choruses to songs; the verses are like candy for her. I think she will be a Renaissance woman, with her focus however on painting or sketching; she's quite a phenomenal kid. She makes love easy.

The Nightfly: Which song has had a big influence on you?
Yaw: "Giving Up" by Donny Hathaway definitely reverberates with me on many levels of my being.

The Nightfly: Do you primarily write your own material or do you seek out co-writers in Chicago and elsewhere?
Yaw: I primarily write my own material, but the musicians that I work with are awesome creators. They have made material that is undeniably beautiful. Material that I couldn't help but add my two cents to.

The Nightfly: In your opinion, is it true that American soul music – classic and new – is more appreciated and even revered outside the US, notably in England?
Yaw: Very generically, yes. I think many artists will contend that there is a very different energy present overseas. And it is an energy of appreciation and adoration and respect and love; oft times on a level greater than experienced at home. It seems natural though. There are things in my home that I pass by without a second thought. Those same things may be fascinating for a guest to my home. In England and other countries that maintain this wonderful love and respect for soul music, we are new and strange and beautiful and fascinating. In our homeland, we are breathing and manufacturing the same music of our forefathers - it doesn't have the same exoticism and excitement as it does in foreign lands.

The Nightfly: Talk about the flawless soul track “Where Will You Be”.
Yaw: Thank you for saying that it is "flawless", but I actually know it to be flawed. It is funny to say, but the recording took place in Khari Lemuel's (the mastermind behind the music) bedroom. All the horns and strings were recorded one by one on a creaky wooden floor - you can hear this in the recording. At one point, as we recorded the vocals, we opened the windows 'cause it was too hot and I don't believe we closed it. But that didn't matter at all to us. The music reminded me of a smoky jazz cafe which I believe influenced my vocals. I closed my eyes and talked about this woman...and the rest is history.

The Nightfly: Do you plan to record a full album of so-called “old school” soul in the vein of “Where Will You Be”?
Yaw: I don't know. What comes out, comes out. The term "old school" sounds like a gimmick. The music that is created is a by product of the times and my experiences; so in it is an essential organic appeal that is immune to certain categories it may be placed in. I definitely have an affinity for "old soul" and I believe it informs my tones, my melodies, etc., but in this moment, how I express myself and my music will only conform to this very moment - ideally!

The Nightfly: You have performed on the theatrical stage as well as the musical stage – have there been times when you have felt torn between the two?
Yaw: I respect both spaces equally and I try not to mix them. For example, I am not fond of musicals. It is an aesthetic that I respect but don't quite have the mind or heart for. Often when I am acting, I have found it hard to also perform as a musician and vice versa. I don't believe that I am torn between the two forms of expression. I accept their invitations into my life as they come. No love triangle here; but perhaps Big Love.

The Nightfly: On “Where Will You Be” your voice has a distinct Nina Simone like quality. [Wikipedia: “Simone had an “unusually low range which varied between the alto and tenor ranges and occasionally even reached baritone lows”.] Are you a fan?
Yaw: Nina Simone, I believe, single-handedly influenced my style, my approach and my movements where music is concerned. There is a funny story that goes with this: the first time I heard Nina's voice I was physically unnerved, weird; I didn't like her voice at all. I think that was a psychological repression of self though - I can't even believe that this was one of my truths once upon a time. Now, Nina is the monarch of my universe. It appears that she has effectively thrown her spirit and mind into the atmosphere and I stand, mouth agape, beneath an azure sky, waiting for her to drop into my mouth, like a child playing in a summer rain.

The Nightfly: Which recording artist - past or present - would you like to work with if you could pick anyone?
Yaw: I think me and Shuggie Otis could make magic!

The Nightfly: You have been compared to Bilal and Al Green. Do you find it frustrating to be compared with other artists or do you simply take such statements as great compliments?
Yaw: I am aware of the human inclination to categorize for the purpose of comprehension. We place things in boxes, firmly bounded, so that we can understand its parameters and thus - supposedly - create a summation of the thing. Artists are in no way removed from this process. I accept it. Bilal and Al Green are fine artists. I love them. It makes sense and I am honored to be compared to them. I have shuddered when I've heard other comparisons, but alas, I have also played the game. Such is life.

The Nightfly: You appear in the Chicago segment of the 2008 VH1 Soul series “Soul Cities” hosted by music critic/author Nelson George – how did this come about?
Yaw: Ron Trent was also featured on the show. During that moment in time, we were working together very heavily and he turned the producers on to my music.

The Nightfly: On the Titanic, the eight-member band kept playing on deck until the bitter end in an effort to keep passengers calm as the ship was sinking. Is the primary role of musicians/performers/songwriters to entertain and comfort audiences and listeners or do artists have a responsibility to push for change in the world through music? (many artists have managed to do both).
Yaw: The primary role, I believe for us all, let alone artists, is to be honest with ourselves and the world. We can only do this if we, as Russell Simmons says, "Do you" or "Do us". I had a conversation with my drummer and he said that, "music is the most important resource on the planet next to water." I believe this. On my "Doing me" journey, because this revelation reverberates with me, it is my duty to use the music to uplift and effect change and push positive vibrations with the gift that I have been given. Some of us don't have this calling or are not affected by what is happening in our streets and in our schools. For them, their view is different; their heart is patterned from another mold. And that is fine. There is always a villain when there is a hero. And there will always be passerbys, unaware of the struggle between the two. Roles need to be filled. My role here is to share my gift with the hope that it will inspire the masses to also share and give and care.

Big thanks to Yaw!

Blue Nile: Stay Close

2010-07-03T01:32:00.000-07:00

I Got You On Tape: Doctor Watching

2010-07-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

www.myspace.com/igotyouontape

I Got You On Tape: Ace In The Hole

2010-07-02T15:47:00.000-07:00