selection December 2008
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MUSIC selection
January 2009

Video: Life performance @ Kanal 21 Bielefeld by the rock-reggae group Rhaatid who have released the new record "Rhaatid" (label MKZWO-RECORDS) on 23 Jan 2009. Rhaatid is a Jamaican word (patois) meaning something like “exceptional”, “hot”, “sensational”. The four musicians are from Jamaica, Germany and Kasachstan.

On the video you can hear Rough House (aka Keith Powell Jr.) singing. The Jamaican born Rough House has collaborated with artists such as Toots, Jimmy Cliff, Ken Booth, President Brown, Culture Knox and Garnett Silk.

In Germany - his second home - he worked as a bass player for “Die Fantastischen Vier”, “Samy Deluxe”, “Max Herre” and “Gentleman” and others. His debut album “My Intention” (2007 released in Jamaica) features artists like Patrice, Gentleman, Jamaica Papa Curvin and Shocking Murray.

They are on tour: 30.01.2009 CH-tbc (D-FLAME supported by RHAATID), 06.02.2009 D-Pforzheim - Kupferdächle, 28.03.2009 D-Essen - Grend, 04.04.2009 D-Krefeld - Kulturrampe
Check out details, where to order... mkzwo-records.com.

Video: 'Hustler' by Simian Mobile Disco;the video is directed by Saam Farahmand whose new video for Alexander McQueen premiered recently in Milan (fashionoffice.org/collections/2009/puma1-2009.htm).

The English dance production and remix team Simian Mobile Disco is on tour through January in Australia, in February they will play in UK, Germany, in March in Canada, US, Mexico ... http://www.last.fm/music/Simian+Mobile+Disco/+events

Video: 'Eye For an Eye' by the British formation UNKLE (2003).
The trip-hop/downtempo/electronic formation 'UNKLE' was founded by British producer and mo’wax Records head James Lavelle. For his latest release (End Titles…Stories For Film, July 2008) he collaborated with Pablo Clements (member of the Psychonauts).

On UNKLE’s debut album 'Psyence Fiction' (1998) you will find a variety of guests including Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Mike D (Beastie Boys), Badly Drawn Boy and Richard Ashcroft (The Verve).

For 'Never, Never, Land' (2003) Lavelle collaborated with Richard File. On the album the artists Ian Brown (The Stone Roses), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Robert Del Naja (Massive Attack), Mani (The Stone Roses, Primal Scream) and others are featured. Check out tracks, videos, more information last.fm/music/UNKLE.

Video: Musician Cary Brothers in his first 2009 video-blog about the new record (as of yet untitled) which he will showcase live on 3 March at Le Poisson Rouge in New York and on 5 March at The Troubadour in Los Angeles.

In this video you can hear the recording of the new song "Ghost Town". He is singing live the covered track of Ryan Adams' "Come Pick Me Up"!

In 2004, Cary Brothers' song ‘Blue Eyes’ was selected by writer/producer Zach Braff (Scrubs, The Last Kiss) for the soundtrack of his film 'Garden State'. The soundtrack album won a Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album and propelled 'Blue Eyes' to the top of the iTunes Folk Chart.

On the debut album ‘Who You Are’ (released 2008) Cary Brothers arranged acoustic strumming and spacey, delayed electric guitars for "... songs are pop, but not built-for-radio pop songs,” Brothers explains. “I like melodies that grow, songs that have more than one meaning. Radio songs have the big hook at the beginning, then they hammer that into your head for the next three minutes, instead of letting the song grow slowly, organically.”

In 2008, Cary Brothers ‘Ride’ was remixed by DJ/producer Tiësto and the track became a European dance floor hit. On the Cary Brothers blog he writes about his experiences with DJ Tiësto: "I was over in London last month and played with him at the 02 Arena in front of 10,000 people, and it was surreal! I knew very little about dance culture, but based on the emails I've been getting, cool music fans are cool music fans no matter what the genre." carybrothers.blogspot.com

Video: The Joy Division track 'Love will tear us apart" in a new interpretation by the French group Nouvelle Vague; singer on this video is Mélanie Pain. Nouvelle Vague was founded by the musicians Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux. Since 2004 they are performing world wide with two female guest singers: on this video you can see beneath Mélanie Pain French singer and songwriter Phoebe Killdeer who has released her new album 'Weather's coming...' with The Short Straws in 2008 fashionoffice.org/culture/2008/killdeer6-2008.htm

Nouvelle Vague's female singers for the tour 2009 are Marianne Elise and Nadeah. You can listen their new interpretations of New Wave and Punk classics by Dead Kennedys ('Too drunk to fuck'), The Smiths, Joy Division ('Love will tear us apart''), The Clash ('Guns of Brixton'), Public Image Ltd. ('This is not a love song'), Depeche Mode ... on 30 Jan Dortmund/Germany, 31 Jan Vienna/Austria, 1 Feb Budapest/Hungary, 4 Feb Guimarães/Portugal ... followed by Istanbul/Turkey, to name only a few. Tour dates, tracks, videos last.fm/music/Nouvelle+Vague

Video: "4 ton mantis" by Amon Tobin (NinjaTune/Outside), video by Shanx Productions.

Brazilian, now in Montreal living Amon Tobin (named himself after a Stephen King novel) makes his electronic jazz/bossa-nova/jungle music with a harmonica and sampler.

The Ninja Tune musician's track 'Always' (2008) was used for the soundtrack of '21' (great movie with costumes by Luca Mosca who worked as a couture designer for the Italian fashion houses Romeo Gigli and Callaghan fashionoffice.org/film/2008/213-2008.htm).

Amon Tobin is on tour: 30 + 31 Jan in San Francisco. Check out details last.fm/music/Amon+Tobin/.

Video: "Le Café" by Oldelaf & Monsieur D from the album "L'album de la maturité" (released 3 May 2006).

The humorous group for French chansons, Oldelaf et Monsieur D., is on tour in France. You can hear the mélange of slam and pop on 23 Jan at La Glacerie, 30 Jan Beauvais, 17 Feb Amiens, 14 March Lyon, 21 March Orsay. Details, videos ... on the bands website www.legrosours.com.

Video: The humorous, folk-like "Resistance Song" by Jill Sobule, still an underground artist who is known to play for fans across the United States in personal settings. The cabaret-like 'Resistance Song' is about a waitress who dreams of being in the French resistance.

“Jill Sobule can claim her place among the stellar New York singer-songwriters of the last decade. Topical, funny and more than a little poignant...grown-up music for an adolescent age.” Jon Pareles, pop music critic from the 'New York Times'.

The US singer/writer (born 1961) - she became successful for the then-controversial song 'I Kissed a Girl' and for 'Supermodel' from the soundtrack of the hit 1995 film Clueless - sings satirical about sexuality, depression, war ...

You can hear Jill Sobule on 13 + 14 Jan in London. Check out details, tracks ... last.fm/music/Jill+Sobule/.

Video: "I Know Kung Fu" by the UK (Glasgow, Scotland) disco-house/punk band Shitdisco from the debut album 'Kingdom of Fear' (released in 2007 on Fierce Panda Records).

In 2003 they met while studying at the Glasgow School of Art. The band members are Joel Stone (Bass, Guitar, Vocals), Joe Reeves (Bass, Guitar, Vocals), Jan Lee (Bass, Keyboards, Backing Vocals - Jan Lee has left the band in 2008 to concentrate on his career as an illustrator), Darren Cullen (Drums).

The band is known for organising and playing free parties and raves on streets, abandoned railway tunnels, club toilets... Shitdisco is on tour: 17 Jan Portugal, 24 Jan Japan, 27 February United Kingdom ... Check out details, videos, tracks ... last.fm/music/Shitdisco.

Video: "Halo" by the UK electronic band (since 1980) Depeche Mode who derived their name from the title of a French fashion magazine which means as much as "Fashion Telegram"; the video is part of the documentary "One Night In Paris" (2002, available on DVD) directed by Anton Corbijn, filmed at the Palais Omnisport in Paris during the 2001 Exciter Tour.

Pop- and lifestyle photographer Anton Corbijn (born 1955, Netherlands) worked for Elle, Rolling Stone, Harpers Bazaar, W,... His videos such as about Nirvana "Heart Shaped Box", Metallica "Hero of the Day" and Depeche Mode (with whom he collaborates since 1986) are legendary. Anton Corbijn's work is strongly influenced by the music of Joy Division. "There's a lot about records that you cannot feel from a CD. I know that's an era that's gone, but for a lot of people my age, it was a very important thing. How a record slips out. The crackle when it plays. It's lovely, very alive. CDs are not alive. ..." Anton Corbijn, source imdb.com/name/nm0179221/bio

By the end of this year Depeche Mode are finalizing their new album. "Next year will be a very busy one; once we complete the final mixing of the album, it’ll be mastered and prepared for release. Our recording sessions have been unfolding smoothly and productively - in fact, we have a few extra tracks that won’t appear on the album but we’ll update you with more info on that soon," Depeche Mode. On 27 December Depeche Mode is playing in Wrocław, Poland. Check out the dates for the "Tour of The Universe 2009" (Israel, Greece, Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia ...) depechemode.com

Video: "Just Got To Be" from the album "Magic Potion" (2006) by The Black Keys, directed by Peter Zavadil / Taillight TV.

The Black Keys are singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney. One of their trademarks is that they refuse to use big-name studios, and do most recording, producing, and mixing themselves.

You can hear their music such as ‘Set You Free’ on the soundtrack of the movie "School of Rock" (2003), ‘Girl is on My Mind’ in a Sony Ericsson advertising (2006), ‘The Desperate Man’ in a Victoria’s Secret commercial (2006) featuring Heidi Klum, their song “Your Touch” was used in a Lee jeans commercial (2007) ...
On 1st April 2008 the two musicians released their new album "Attack & Release".

In December and January (29 Dec Fremantie, 30 Dec Melbourne, 5 Jan Brisbane, ...) you can visit their concerts in Australia. On 29 Jan The Black Keys begin their US tour in Detroit, followed by Philadelphia, New York, ... Check out tracks, more videos, tour dates last.fm/music/The+Black+Keys

Video: "Downtown" by Peaches (aka Merril Nisker, born 1968 in Toronto, now living in Berlin) from the album "Impeach My Bush". Peaches composes, sings, plays the instruments, programs the sampler and produces the records by herself.

You can hear her songs in movies such as "Mean Girls", "Lost in Translation", "Jackass: Number Two" ... and her (guest-)voice in the song “Oh My God” by Pink (album "Try This" last.fm/music/Pink/Try+This).

The punk-feminist artist's songs are about - what else! - sexuality, especially the distinction between male and female, such as in the video above.

She identifies herself as a sexual being "... although she rejects the sanitised portrayal of women in popular music". Read more about her view on male and female, listen tracks, details about her tour (5 Jan in Munich/Germany; 23 Jan Paris/France) on last.fm/music/Peaches.

Video: "Morning Hero" by the alternative psychedelic band Izabo from their debut album "The Fun Makers" (released in 2003 in Israel); realised by Julien Rocher and Thomas Leonard.

The first tracks of the new album 'Superlight' (will be released in 2009) are out now. In August 2008 Izabo presented some tracks of 'Superlight' on their tour through Europe as a preview. It will be available in France on 2nd March 2009 (ROY Music roymusic.com/distribution EMI).

The funk-disco with orientalique touch comes from three men and one woman: Ran Shem Tov (Vocals & Guitar), Jonathan Levy (Bass & Backing Vocals), Nir Mantsur (Drums & Backing Vocals), and Shiri Hadar (Keyboards & Backing Vocals).

Izabo is on tour in Israel: 19 Dec Tel-Aviv, 27 Dec Kfar Sava. For 2009 a concert is scheduled in Paris (2 April). Check out tracks, details on myspace.com/izaboband.

Video: "Another World" by Antony and the Johnsons (out since Oct 2008); directed by Colin Whitaker, dance by Lola Naisse, backdrop by Nick Mauss. In “Another World” the singer express his despair in the face of a vanishing landscape.

This is the first track of the new album "The Crying Light" (will be released in early 2009). In the new work Antony reflects upon the momentous changes that we are facing, within each of our private worlds as well as collectively, and how we are summoning the courage to start moving through them antonyandthejohnsons.com.