Sundaze (37)

Hello, another Sundaze coming up, at the center of attention, a prolific musician/producer, Bill Laswell, whose diverse output includes some great ambient works aswell. Under the pseudonym Divination he released Light In Extension with 2 tracks added to the solo Divination, Ambient Dub albums vol 1 & 2 of the year before. Extended forays into the spaciest, most psychedelic regions of ambient music, marked by the hypnotic drone of the subterranean basses.

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Bill Laswell (Feb12, 1955 in Salem, Illinois) , he ranks among the most prolific of musicians, being involved in hundreds of recordings with many musicians from all over the world. Laswell's music draws upon many different genres, most notably funk, various world music, jazz, dub and ambient styles. He has also played or produced music from the noisier end of the rock spectrum, like hardcore punk and metal.

Though starting out as a guitar player, he soon switched to bass. Laswell got his earliest professional experience as a bassist with funk groups in and around Detroit, Michigan as well as Ann Arbor. He often would see shows in Detroit that put together acts such as Iggy and the Stooges (he would work with Pop througout his career starting in the mid ‘80s), MC5 and Funkadelic (many of whose members are part of his stable of musicians). Seeing these differing styles of music in his frequent trips to Detroit, as well as being rooted in the African-American music that he grew up immersed in have clearly had an influence on Laswell’s music. His exposure to jazz - John Coltrane, Albert Ayler and particularly Miles Davis’ electric experiments have also clearly had an impact on his thinking. Laswell’s refusal to pigeon-hole himself, his music, or even the people he works with is arguably his greatest asset as a musician and producer.

In the late 1970’s Laswell made the move to New York city, immersing himself in the thriving New york scene. He moved into famed producer Giorgio Gomelsky’s loft and became part of a group of musicians that would eventually become the first (and only even remotely consistant) incarnation of Material. Aside from Laswell’s first known recording on one side of a Michael Blaise and the Cheaters 7” called Scoring Power in 1978, Laswell and Material became the backing bank for Daevid Allen and New York Gong, appearing on some recordings and embarking on a small tour. Material, primarily consisting of Laswell, keyboardist Michael Beinhorn and drummer Fred Maher, also cut a number of 12” releases for Red Records and others. They were usually supplimented by guitarists, notably either Cliff Cultreri and occasionally Robert Quine. Living in the East Village also put Laswell at the center of a group of musicians both up and coming such as John Zorn and established, such as Fred Frith and Brian Eno. His persistance in asking Eno to work with him paid off in the form of contributions to Eno and David Byrne’s seminal album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts as well as Eno’s own On Land. Brian Eno also contributed a song to the Material album, One Down.

Within a few years of moving to New York, Laswell soon founded a recording studio with producer/engineer Martin Bisi (of later indie rock renown) and hooked up with Jean Karakos and his fledgling label Celluloid Records. Under the Material moniker (now also a production unit consisting of Laswell and Beinhorn – Maher being long gone - and by 1984 consisting solely of Laswell) Laswell became sort of the de facto house producer for Celluloid until the sale of the label in the later ‘80s. During this fruitful time in the early to mid 80s, Laswell was able to record some of his Material excusions (which ran the gambit from proto-jazz/funk to pop and R&B, as well as projects such as Massacre, with Fred Frith and Fred Maher.

His association with Celluloid allowed some of his first forays into this so-called ‘collision music’, and forays into world music. Recordings with The Golden Palominos and production on albums by Shango, Toure Kunda and Fela Kuti all appeard on the label. Celluloid also released a slew of 12” devoted to Hip-Hip, becoming a pre-cursor to the popularity the form enjoyed starting in the mid 80s. Fab 5 Freddy, Phase II and Afrika Bambaataa all appeared on the label. Criminally forgotten, Laswell also put together the very successful 12” World Destruction which paired PiL’s John Lydon with Afrika Bambaataa – years before the Run DMC/Aerosmith collaboration broke down the rock/hip-hop barrier. 1982 also saw Laswell’s solo debut, Baselines...to be continued


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Divination - Light In Extension 1 & 2 (94 ^ 253mb)

Bill Laswell uses the pseudonym Divination for some of his more psychotic endeavors in experimental ambience -- with the emphasis on the "mental." . Light In Extension, Vol. 1 features Laswell with Liu Sola, Jeff Bova, Nicky Skopelitis, Buckethead, and Robert Musso. They have created some outrageous and cutting-edge soundscapes. Using atmospheres, experimental sounds, dub rhythms, and ska backbeats, they have ventured into unknown territory. 

For Light In Extension, Vol. 2, the changed Divination lineup is Bill Laswell, Jah Wobble, Mick Harris, and Jeff Bova. Laswell manages again to construct this unearthly soundscape of deep atmospheres full of gray washes and dark minimalism.  



Divination - Light In Extension Vol. 1 ( ^ 92mb)

1 - Divination One (3:44)
2 - Seven Heavens (12:18)
3 - Errata (4:24)
4 - Delta (5:58)
5 - Tian Zhen (4:22)
6 - Agrippa (6:53)
7 - Godspeed (8:20)

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Divination - Light In Extension Vol. 1,2 ( ^ 64mb)

8 - Ain Soph Aour (5:48)
9 - Najm-Al-Din (9:06)

1 - Dead Slow (4:05)
2 - Baraka (15:08)

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Divination - Light In Extension Vol. 2 ( ^ 097mb)

3 - Silent Fields (4:05)
4 - Evil Eye (14:28)
5 - Dream Light (9:59)
6 - Journeys (13:31)
7 - The Last Words Of Hassan I Sabbath (10:29)

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All downloads are in * ogg-7 (224k) or ^ ogg-9(320k), artwork is included , if in need get the nifty ogg encoder/decoder here !

Rhotation (37) Into BPM

Hello, Rhotation 37, how time flees..Into BPM , is about Darren Emerson today, his Psychotrance mix album showed not only great skills but self assuredness aswell, enough to extend the feel of it into Underworlds next releases, when he left in 2000 at the height of the DJ culture, he spon his way into the Ibiza nightlife, becoming one of it's biggest assets.

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Darren Emerson mix Psychotrance 2 (94, 72min ^ 155mb)

Darren Emerson (born 30 April 1971, in Hornchurch, England), he began mixing Hip-Hop records at the age of 14, and by 16 was DJing regularly at local venues. He began to explore House Music and quickly acquired a reputation as one of the top British DJs, and demand for his services saw him playing at top clubs such as The Milk Bar, Limelights, and Venus. Along the way Darren garnered several accolades such as "DJ of the Month" in The Face magazine, and also i-D magazine.

In 1990, Martin Prudence, brother-in-law of Rick Smith, introduced him and Karl Hyde invited him to become the third member of techno band Underworld. 1993's dubnobasswithmyheadman was their commercial breakthrough onto the then burgeoning British electronica scene. In 1994 he was asked to compile and mix the second instalment of the well recieved Psychotrance 1, Darren didn't blink and layed down not only an excellent set but layed out the groundworks of Underworlds next releases. "Born Slippy .NUXX", which became a huge hit following its inclusion on the soundtrack to the movie, Trainspotting. Originally not included on their second album, 1996's Second Toughest in the Infants. Where Underworld continue to explore the fringes of dub, dance, and techno, creating a seamless, eclectic fusion of various dance genres. Emerson also emerged as a much sought-after remix talent, with remixes for such diverse acts as The Chemical Brothers, and Björk.

Darren parted ways with Underworld in 2000 and then concentrated more on his solo career as a DJ and remixer, and also a label owner. "Global Underground: Uruguay" (2000) and "Global Underground: Singapore" (2001) soon followed on the Global Underground label, with "Episode 1" on his new Underwater label following in 2002. He continued to release tracks by himself and new artists on the Underwater records label and eventually gained its own night at super club Pacha, Ibiza alongside fellow DJ Erick Morillo, to hold a joint Underwater/Subliminal Records night. During its second summer at Pacha, his Underwater Records night won 'House Event' of the summer at the DJ Magazine awards. After its success, Darren Emerson decided to host its own full night at Pacha, Ibiza which became an extremely popular night on the island.

Over the past few years, Emerson has been busy touring the world whilst preparing for his own solo debut album. Rarely playing in the UK apart from his bi-monthly resident slot at London club The End, he still finds time to release an annual Underwater Records compilation every summer. Since 2004, Emerson has been dating British TV presenter, Kate Thornton. They are currently engaged and have one son, born in last month May 2008.



01 - T World - Anthem (5:52)
02 - Norma G. - Son Of Norma (9:09)
03 - Josh Wink - Liquid Summer (5:43)
04 - Advent, The - Level X (6:10)
05 - Gyrate - Touchdown (7:41)
06 - F.E.O.S. vs. M/S/O - Music Was Sent (4:54)
07 - Stefan Robbers - Mask EP (4:28)
08 - Nüw Idol - Z I M (9:29)
09 - Soundscape - Darkside (2:09)
10 - Manuel And Clive - Recognised (4:49)
11 - Dave Angel - Artech (4:27)
12 - Acid Jesus - Move My Body (7:12)

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Underworld - Second Toughest In The Infants (96 ^ 194mb)

When at first you don't succeed...Hyde and Smith began their musical partnership with the Kraftwerk and reggae-inspired sounds of while studying together at Cardiff Art College. In 1983 they recorded two albums for CBS Records with a proto-electroclash new romantic band whose name was a graphic squiggle, which (this being a relatively unknown band and many years before Prince became "Love Symbol") was soon given a pronunciation, Freur...doot doot .Freur disbanded in 1986. In 1987 members of Freur created the band Underworld and tried a more guitar-orientated funky electropop sound "Underneath the Radar"and Change the Weather.After a break (to concentrate on, among other things, art/design project Tomato), Hyde and Smith recruited Essex DJ Darren Emerson, and after several minor releases and remixes as Lemon Interupt and Steppin' Razor readopted the Underworld moniker.

The trio's first full-length, Dubnobasswithmyheadman, was released in 1993 to rave reviews and is still considered a landmark piece of work today. It spawned several hit singles ("Dark & Long", "Cowgirl", "Dirty Epic") and was followed a couple years later by the "Born Slippy" single and their second album, Second Toughest In The Infants (1996). The unusual name of the album as released derives from a comment made by Smith's six-year old nephew Simon Prosser when asked on his progress at school. Both the single and the album showed Underworld maturing as a trio, mixing elements of techno, house, drum and bass and pop music to spectacular effect.

Underworld's well-praised remixography also continued to grow, including artists such as Björk, Saint Etienne, Simply Red, Massive Attack and Leftfield. After licensing a remix of "Born Slippy" for the 1996 cult classic film Trainspotting, Underworld gained instant worldwide fame and found themselves touring furiously, presenting their renowned, high-energy live act worldwide. Their fame continued to run high through the release of Beaucoup Fish (1999) and Everything, Everything (2000), after which time Emerson left the group to concentrate on his DJ career.

The duo continued on, releasing the album A Hundred Days Off in 2002 and an anthology release, 1992–2002 in 2003. From 2004–2006, they took a break from the traditional album/tour cycle, and focused on soundtrack work and online digital EP releases as part of The RiverRun Project.In late 2005 they released two compilations of new songs with accompanying photographs on Underworld Live, Lovely Broken Thing and Pizza for Eggs. These were only released online, june 2006, they released their third instalment, I'm a Big Sister, and I'm a Girl, and I'm a Princess, and This Is My Horse. July 2006, they released a special retrospective mix, called The Misterons Mix, which is comprised of tracks from the three previous Riverrun releases.

Underworld added DJ Darren Price to their live lineup during this period. In 2006, Underworld and Gabriel Yared composed the music score to Anthony Minghella's film Breaking and Entering. Underworld 's latest album, Oblivion with Bells, was released on October 16th, 2007. Underworld have been experimenting and selling recordings of their live performance at the venue, 15 minutes after the show had finished, the first time they did this was a 3xCD set called Live in Tokyo in 2005. A full world tour has been announced to support the new studio album, illness prevented the planned kick off time but they've been catching up in 2008, with their tour dates in the United States, Europe, and Japan. This summer they'll be doing a number of festivals around the globe-see their mypage.

In addition to their music, Hyde and Smith are also founding members of a graphic design company, Tomato, which has done high-profile work for clients around the world as well as providing art for all of Underworld's releases. Hyde, along with John Warwicker of Tomato, has published two typographic journals as Underworld Print: Mmm... Skyscraper, I Love You (1994) and In The Belly Of Saint Paul (2003). Underworld Print began publishing the monthly Book of Jam in October 2007, which focuses on a different theme in each issue.



Underworld - Second Toughest In The Infants (96 ^ 99mb)

01 - Juanita (16:36)
------ Kiteless
-------To Dream Of Love
02 - Banstyle/Sappys Curry (15:22)
03 - Confusion The Waitress (6:47)
04 - Rowla (6:31)

Underworld - Second Toughest In The Infants 2 (^ 94mb)

05 - Pearls Girl (9:36)
06 - Air Towel (7:37)
07 - Blueski (2:55)
08 - Stagger (7:37)
-- Xs
09 - Born Slippy (NUXX) (11:40)




Underworld - Pearls Girl EP ( 96 ^ 99mb)

01 - Pearl's Girl (Short) (3:50)
02 - Oich Oich (8:31)
03 - Cherry Pie (8:21)
04 - Pearl's Girl (Carp Dreams... Koi) (10:05)
05 - Mosaic (5:00)
06 - Deep Arch (8:24)

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All downloads are in * ogg-7 (224k) or ^ ogg-9(320k), artwork is included , if in need get the nifty ogg encoder/decoder here !

Dems Capitulate to GOP/Bush on FISA/Telecom Amnesty/Immunization? + Tayari on New NEA Report

Happy Juneteenth!

>>>

The Democrats in Congress are on the verge of what could be one of their best electoral triumphs in decades; nearly every poll out shows that they will increase their margins in the House, perhaps by double digits, and will gain anywhere from 2-6 seats in the Senate. In fact, they could gain as many as 9 Senate seats and pass the 60-vote margin that they've allowed the minority GOP to wield as a weapon of control. They enter this upcoming election facing one of the widely acknowledged worst, most unpopular, least trusted presidents in recent US history, a man whose rhetoric, though still dangerous, is so ineffectual--save on the warmongering calls against Iran--that he might as well not open his mouth ever again until he leaves office.

And yet, these Democrats, particularly in the House, have repeatedly found ways to give this deeply loathed president and his party what they want, again and again. On issues surrounding the Iraq War and civil liberties, they have been abominable.

Really and repeatedly abominable.

The newest abomination is the "bipartisan," "compromise," FISA-gutting, telecom amnesty bill, which the Democrats have decided must not only provide the White House and GOP with everything they want in terms of the freedom to spy without a warrant on Americans, but also a giveaway to the telecom industry in the form of grandfathered amnesty; although several lawsuits are now underway to see if the telecoms broke the law (since they are alleged to have been spying on Americans since early 2001, months before 9/11), and although the US had a perfectly workable FISA law that could, with some minor changes, have been updated to make it as effective as possible, the Bush administration decided it must have this horrible draconian new law, in effect protecting itself and the telecoms from possible crimes they committed, and the Democratic leadership in both the House, led by Majority Whip Steny Hoyer, and the Senate, led by West Virginia's Jay Rockefeller, are doing their damnedest to make it pass.

In fact, when the GOP controlled Congress, they couldn't get this telecom amnesty debacle through. And yet now that Democrats control both houses, it's almost law.

How bad have the violations been that this bill is trying to wipe away? From Glenn Greenwald:

As Judge [Vaughn] Walker [a Republican appointee and the chief judge of the Northern District of California] ruled, the alleged actions by the telecoms "violate the constitutional rights clearly established" by prior Supreme Court rulings and "no reasonable entity in [the telecoms'] position could have believed [the spying program] was legal." Beyond that, the telecoms -- by allowing the Bush administration to spy on their customers with no warrants -- knowingly violated at least four separate federal statutes (.pdf).

This is the bill that Senator Chris Dodd repeatedly threatened to filibuster when he was still a candidate for president.

And Steny Hoyer has stonewalled and dissimulated about it. Repeatedly. WHY?

Barack Obama has said that he strongly opposes this law. He has not yet spoken out about this new House-led effort. Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold says that the bill was not a "compromise" but a "capitulation" to the White House. In Eric Lichtblau's New York Times article, the GOP are already gloating about how they rolled the Democrats on behalf of Bush. Again.

So what can you do?

You can visit this site, Blue America PAC vs. Retroactive Immunity, for more information on this horrible bill, and to donate money for a targeted campaign to oppose several of its most heinous Democratic enablers. So far, the PAC has collected over $200,000 from 4,000 donors. You can write, call or fax your Congressperson or Senator, demanding that she not support this bill, which will be put up for a vote tomorrow.

A coalition calling itself "Strange Bedfellows" has drawn people from across the political and ideological spectrum. They are concerned with yet another serious threat to civil liberties, and the possible legislation of behavior that drew strong rebukes after it reached some of its worst abuses under the Nixon administration. You can visit the site at:




And you can call Senator Obama's campaign, at (866) 675-2008 [Dial 6, then 0, on the menu], and demand that he take action to prevent its passage, since he is on record claiming that he opposed it. Or you can contact his office directly, if you're an Illinois resident. From his Senate webpage: Phone: (202) 224-2854 / Fax: (202) 228-4260 / Email

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Tayari has posted on the NEA's recent comprehensive report on artists in the workplace. It's worth checking out. Three of her bullet points:

The percentage of female, black, Hispanic and Asian artists is bigger among younger ones. Among artists under 35, writers are the only group in which 80 percent or more are non-Hispanic white. I wonder why it is that all other areas of art are becoming more diverse, but not writing? I would think that writing would really lend itself to inclusion since the start up costs are so low. A question worth thinking about is whether this means times are good or hard for writers of color. On the one hand being so darn rare makes us attractive, or at least it does, theoretically. But on the other hand, the scarcity suggests steep challenges.

The “Artists in the Workforce” report, prepared by Sunil Iyengar, the endowment’s director of research and analysis, identified 185,000 writers.... That's a lot of people.

Overall, the median income that artists reported in 2005 was $34,800 — $42,000 for men and $27,300 for women. That's just depressing. No comment needed.

Into The Groove (36)

Hello Its Into The Rare Groove today, at least that what these Urban Classics were called at the time of their re-discovery...rare grooves . It wasn't just rappers looking, the soul/funk and jazzdance DJ's were looking out for these too, so inevatably compilations hit the market.. And these Urban Classics 1 & 2 certainly got noticed...

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Whether it’s sampled as breakbeats, mixed into DJ sets, resold as baby boomer nostalgia or treasured as a holy grail of crate-digging connoisseurs, vintage soul and funk has journeyed from of-the-moment sounds into the realm of timeless for several generations of music lovers. From singles to compilations to samples back to compilations, the sound of the original recordings is creating ever-louder echoes of the echo.

Soul and funk of the ’60s and ’70s had an incalculable influence on American and global popular music. Unlike rock, America’s other great post-war musical phenomenon, soul music came from specifically Afro-American cultural experiences. Its impulses included gospel and jazz, increasing rhythmic sophistication and a broader instrumental palette. Its national successes (James Brown, Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, Isaac Hayes) expanded the artistic and commercial dreams of these soul purveyors, but for the huge majority, soul music was a regional industry: recorded by local artists, pressed on 45s, distributed through “mom & pop” stores and played almost exclusively in regional radio markets. With no national distribution or support, many recordings disappeared not long after their initial release; almost as soon as the “golden age of soul” came to an end these recordings were valued by collectors and aficionados, whose dedication helped keep the music alive.

Funk and soul came from a singles world, found new life in cut-up snippets and extended compilations, and now through the digital download. Yet this confirms the ongoing relevance of the DJ. There will always be a demand for musical concierges; it takes a dedicated individual to navigate the sheer number of musical choices available today. The role of the DJ has moved beyond crate-digging and into the role of contextualiser.
 

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VA - Urban Classics 1 & 2 (87, 88, 101min ^ 241mb)

Urban Classics, the first of three volumes, is a fine snapshot of the sound of London. Side one is all James Brown rarities (at the time) and featured tracks that were barely a decade old like “Blow Your Head” and “Don’t Tell It,” which became much less obscure after being sampled in “Public Enemy #1” and “Poetry” by Boogie Down Productions. Side two was a mix of stepping soul, jazzy grooves and ballads including Roy Ayers’ “Everybody Loves the Sunshine”: still Camden Town’s unofficial anthem after 30 years. This compilation at the time was a soundtrack to a hip, culturally aware lifestyle. That called for a part 2 and one year later Urban Classics 2 saw the light. Another great set of undeniable classics from the funk and soul vaults, this time compiled by Norman Cook. The purists & collectors will probably disagree with such sought after gems as these being released as a compilation, but hey, why should they keep all these funkysheeeeeet classics to themselves ?.



VA - Urban Classics 1,2 -1 (^ 94mb)

01 - The Macks - Cross The Tracks (3:22)
02 - Jackson Sisters - I Believe In Miracles (3:00)
03 - Bobby Byrd - I Know You Got Soul (3:09)
04 - James town - Don't Tell It (3:59)
05 - Fred Wesley & The JB's - Blow Your Head (4:46)
06 - Fred Wesley - House Party (3:56)
07 - Greg Diamond Bionic Boogie - Hot Butterfly (5:24)
08 - Johnny Bristol - Hang On In There, Baby (3:56)
09 - Roy Ayers Ubiquity - Everybody Loves The Sunshine (4:01)
10 - La Toya Jackson - Camp Kuchi Kaia (3:35)

VA - Urban Classics 1,2 -2 (^ 55mb)

11 - Gloria Gaynor - This Love Affair (4:18)
12 - Johnny Bristol - Memories Don't Leave Like People Do (3:56)
13 - The JB's - The Grunt (2:51)



14 - James Brown - She's The One (3:02)
15 - Timmy Thomas - You're The Song I've Always Wanted To Sing (3:19)
16 - The Wild Magnolias - (Somebody Got) Soul, Soul Soul (6:16)

VA - Urban Classics 1,2 -3 (^ 91mb)

17 - The J.B.'s - Pass The Peas (3:15)
18 - Kool & The Gang - Funky Stuff (5:08)
19 - Foster Sylvers - Misdemeanor (2:23)
20 - Bobby Bird - Never Get Enough (3:16)
21 - Lyn Collins - Mr. Big Stuff (4:01)
22 - The Mob - I Dig Everything About You (2:31)
23 - Roy Ayers - Brother Green (5:41)
24 - Sweet Charles - Yes, It's You (3:13)
25 - Gregg Diamond - Cream (Always Rises To The Top) (4:35)
26 - James Brown - Papa Don't Make No Mess (4:30)


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All downloads are in * ogg-7 (224k) or ^ ogg-9(320k), artwork is included , if in need get the nifty ogg encoder/decoder here !

My Birthday

Today's the day! (And the cake is delicious.)

Alphabet Soup (J)

Hello, Alphabet Soup serves up J today and first up representing the seventies are Jethro Tull, who broke through internationally with their epic Thick As A Brick. Even after more than three decades it's kept its shine, its stream-of-consciousness lyrics embedded in classical structures and the use of an array of instruments.....Secondly , Jane's Addiction, the album that contains their breakthrough (MTV) hits, Ritual De Lo Habitual, too much for Peter Farrell, who dissolved the band after the promotour....Junior Boys were already split before they got their first record deal, after years of trying to esteblish a foothold..They supplied some MP3 music to a site and from there their name grew. Since they've released two acclaimed albums, you'll find the 2004 debut here...

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Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick ( 72 ^ 99mb)

The Anderson's band moved to the London area in search of more bookings, basing themselves in nearby Luton. Left by some bandmembers, Anderson and bassist Glenn Cornick joined forces with blues guitarist Mick Abrahams and his friend, drummer Clive Bunker. At first, the new band had trouble getting repeat bookings and they took to changing their name frequently to continue playing the London club circuit. Band names were often supplied by their booking agents' staff, one of whom, a history enthusiast, eventually christened them Jethro Tull after the 18th-century agriculturist who invented the seed drill. This name stuck simply by virtue of the fact that they were using it the first time a club manager (namely, John Gee of the Marquee Club, London) liked their show enough to invite them to return. They were signed to the blossoming Ellis-Wright agency, and became the third band managed by the soon-to-be Chrysalis empire.

By the time Jethro Tull released Thick As A Brick they already had released 4 albums in 3 years, with commercial success, the last of those, Aqualong had recieved much praise and showed the bands music was still developping, as it stretched the band's wings further from the blues of the first three albums, it was still basically mainstream rock. Jethro Tull took it upon themselves to write a real concept album, after Aqualong was considered to be something of a concept album..much to the surprise of the writer Ian Anderson. With Thick As A Brick the lyrics are built around a poem written by a fictitious boy, "Gerald Bostock" a.k.a. "Little Milton" (Ian Anderson himself). The album only featured one song, an epic masterpiece, lasting over 43 minutes. The epic is notable for its numerous time signature and tempo changes, as well as a large number of themes throughout the piece, resembling a typical classical symphony in this regard, rather than a typical rock song. This, set to stream-of-consciousness lyrics dense with imagery. Released in 1972, Thick As A Brick was Tull's first true prog rock offering, four years after the release of their first album. A dazzling tour de force, at once playful, profound, and challenging, without being overwhelming. The band was rewarded with great revieews and excellent sales (no 1 US album) and settled the name of Jethro Tull........35 years later...

In September 2007, Jethro Tull released CD/DVD Live At Montreux 2003. The concert was recorded on the July 4, 2003 . In addition to another busy tour schedule in 2007, Jethro Tull are also in the studio recording some new material for a new CD which is expected to be released in the summer of 2008. If it is released it will be the band's first proper new album in eight years. Some of the new songs were performed live during the recent UK acoustic tour, and 2007 Fall tour



01 - Thick As A Brick pt 1 (22:42)
02 - Thick As A Brick pt 2 (21:05)

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Jane's Addiction - Ritual De Lo Habitual ( 90 ^ 99mb)

Jane's Addiction formed out of the ashes of frontman Perry Farrell's previous band, Psi-com. In the summer of 1985, Farrell was searching for a new bass player for the faltering Psi-com when he was introduced to Eric Avery. Farrell and Avery bonded, even though Avery never did become a full-fledged member of Farrell's disintegrating group.Later, Eric's sister introduced the duo to Stephen Perkins, whom she was dating at the time Perkins in turn suggested that his friend Dave Navarro might be a suitable guitar player for the new band, dubbed "Jane's Addiction" in honor of Farrell's housemate, Jane Bainter, who was heavily addicted to drugs.

The band became a sensation on the Los Angeles club scene, primarily headlining at Scream. They soon gained interest from a variety of record labels. Most of their catalogue was written then (86-87). While they had decided to sign with Warner Bros. Records, the band insisted on releasing their debut on an independent record label first. The first record, Jane's Addiction, was a live recording with heavy overdubs released on Triple X Records. Their major label debut Nothing's Shocking was released in 1988. The album was certified Gold and got them nominated for a Grammy Award .

With the market awakened to them the breakthrough came with the release of Ritual de lo Habitual in 1990. The singles "Stop!" and "Been Caught Stealing" topped the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and the video for the latter song won the first MTV Video Music Award for Best Alternative Video. The album is roughly broken into two parts. Tracks 1-5 consist of unrelated funk-metal style songs. Tracks 6-9, as a whole are in memorium of singer Perry Farrell's deceased friend known as Xiola Bleu, who died of a heroin-overdose in 1987 at the age of 19. The album itself was weaker than it's extremely vibrant predecessor, something that must have knawed at the band and created uncertainty as to where to go, they were not supposed to follow the commercial pressures but then why not ? Well after the the first Lollapalooza festival tour Farrell had organised it became clear that it was to be the band's farewell tour.

The original cover for this album initiated some controversy from conservative record stores and political action groups. They tried to pressure Warner Brothers Records into changing the artwork, but the band would not allow it. Instead, a compromise was met that allowed production of this version as well as the Amendment version which contained an alternate cover for those who found this cover offensive .

01 - Stop! (4:14)
02 - No One's Leaving (3:01)
03 - Ain't No Right (3:34)
04 - Obvious (5:55)
05 - Been Caught Stealing (3:34)
06 - Three Days (10:48)
07 - Then She Did... (8:18)
08 - Of Course (7:02)
09 - Classic Girl (5:07)

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Junior Boys - Last Exit ( 04 ^ 99mb)

Originally a duo of Jeremy Greenspan and Johnny Dark, Junior Boys created a sound that would reconcile their influences. Years of collaboration followed and a demo was produced, but after many rejections and near-misses, they were resigned to being bedroom beat constructors. Soon after, Johnny Dark left the band to pursue other interests. Eventually KIN Records heard their demo at the end of 2002 and commissioned more work from remaining member Greenspan. Hooking up with his engineer, Matt Didemus, he began again, writing more material . The first release Birthday/Last Exit came in October 2003 — a four-track EP with a remix by Fennesz which brought them near-unanimous acclaim. Their debut album, Last Exit (recorded at the end of 2003 by Greenspan and Didemus in Hamilton), was released September 21, 2004 on KIN Records. A reissue in the US on Domino featured the Manitoba mix of Birthday, a Fennesz mix of the same track, and a new track. By that time the Junior Boys buzz has spread across the web, it's distinct retrospective eighties feel got the album great reviews. 

As of 2006, Junior Boys have reappeared with new releases. "Max", a new original song, was released on the compilation See You on the Moon! . Their second full-length album, So This Is Goodbye, was released in August 2006 on Domino Records. Working within comparatively streamlined song structures, the rhythmic capriciousness that so strongly informed their debut all but erased, the absence of those slippery rhythm tracks puts the focus even more squarely on Greenspan, who delivered with a record full of elegant melodies.And like the debut album, Last Exit, So this is goodbye, got excellent reviews

2007 saw the Junior Boys embarking on a North American tour, and then headed to Europe for numerous festivals, continuing into the summer. The remix EP The Dead Horse EP was released in April containing remixes of tracks from So This Is Goodbye. 



01 - More Than Real (6:39)
02 - Bellona (5:38)
03 - High Come Down (4:29)
04 - Last Exit (6:35)
05 - Neon Rider (2:08)
06 - Birthday (4:16)
07 - Under The Sun (7:02)
08 - Three Words (5:46)
09 - Teach Me How To Fight (5:31)
10 - When I'm Not Around (5:22)

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All downloads are in * ogg-7 (224k) or ^ ogg-9(320k), artwork is included , if in need get the nifty ogg encoder/decoder here !

Celtics Win + Willie Randolph Fired + Black French Love Obama

The Boston Celtics have won the NBA Championship in a blowout, 131-92, taking the series 4 games to 2. It's the franchise's 17th championship, and first in 22 years. Coached by Doc Rivers and led by longtime veteran Paul Pierce, the series MVP, and new acquisitions Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, they outplayed and successfully defended the Los Angeles Lakers, whose overhyped star Kobe Bryant faltered at the end of the game's last two quarters.

The victorious team

MVP Paul Pierce, whose teammates made up for his weakest championship game

Kevin Garnett, one of the key people behind the Celtics' victory

The stats say it all.

Congratulations to the Celtics!

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And now for one of the hugest debacles of the baseball season: the New York Mets' firing of manager Willie Randolph.

What I wrote to Bernie and others was basically a summary of what everyone else has said, but I'll reprint it (with one change) anyways:

Really classy move, Mets. In the middle of the night, after sending the poor man out to California! Is it Randolph's fault that so many of his key players are aging and injured, or that the ones who're on the field are underplaying? Are the Mets that far out of first place? No. Do they have that poor of a record? No. Did he assemble all these overpaid has-beens (including Carlos Delgado, who is gorgeous but has the mobility of a grain silo)?

Bring back Willie and FIRE OMAR MINAYA!

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On a different note, I posted Michael Kimmelman's New York Times article to the CC list:
"For Blacks in France, Obama's Rise Is Reason to Rejoice, and Hope." (Is it in the Arts section because Kimmelman's a well-known art critic?). Here's a snippet:

A new black consciousness is emerging in France, lately hastened by, of all things, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president of the United States. An article in Le Monde a few days ago described how Mr. Obama is “stirring up high hopes” among blacks here. Even seeing the word “noir” (“black”) in a French newspaper was an occasion for surprise until recently.

Meanwhile, this past weekend, 60 cars were burned and some 50 young people scuffled with police and firemen, injuring several of them, in a poor minority suburb of Vitry-le-François, in the Marne region of northeast France.

Americans, who have debated race relations since the dawn of the Republic, may find it hard to grasp the degree to which race, like religion, remains a taboo topic in France. While Mr. Obama talks about running a campaign transcending race, an increasing number of French blacks are pushing for, in effect, the reverse.

(Even the failed Socialist presidential candidate, Segolène Royal, is a fan; she even attended one of his speeches in Boston.) The excitement and enthusiasm goes far beyond France....