Monday, May 29, 2006

Movieville
The Film Festival is due to announce this years lineup any day now, cross your fingers for this gem making an appearance...


NEW YORK DOLL...
"Mild-mannered, 55-year-old Arthur Kane endures Los Angeles’ bewildering public transportation system each day to and from his job at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saint’s Family History Center library. Though a tad frayed-at-the-edges Arthur is neatly dressed in a suit and tie. Thirty years later, and a lifetime removed from his former alter ego, “Killer Kane,” the one time statuesque bassist of 70s gender-bending, glam rock pioneers, The New York Dolls, Arthur blends effortlessly into his current environment, despite the fact that he’s speaking to a camera crew who tags along with him on his daily routine..." Link to info, trailer, etc.


RIP Desmond Dekker -the first reggae star to hit big on the international scene, with his hit The Israelites, back in 1969. His self-penned debut single hit number one in Jamaica, back in 1963.

Friday, May 26, 2006

Give it up for...
Prince, who turned up as a guest on the American Idol final that screened in the US last night. Franklin Ave noted that as he exited, ".. he earned even more of my undying respect by completely dissing Ryan Seacrest. (Seacrest came over to shake Prince's hand - but Prince turned and exited the stage before the host had a chance. Love it!) "
Video over here (or search youtube). Other guests included Al Jarreau and Meatloaf. Can't win em all.

Speaking of youtube, check out Chaka Khan playing drums back in 1976. Funky drummer.

The Clash - US tv debut, 1980. London Calling... and live in Tokyo , 1982, same song, but with Japanese subtitles. Paul Simenon is unfeasibly cool.

The 50 Worst Things Ever to Happen to Music
, from Blender mag.

and EW's 25 Best Music Websites. Ignore the Mariah Carey pic, it's just there to test you.

ADDED: via PopCandy... "And finally, since I'll be squeezing babies in Tennessee this weekend, I can't make it to the opening of the Andy Warhol Museum's exhibit about the New York art scene. However, I can read this interview with Richard Hell and pretend I'm there."
... and Suicide -Ghost Rider, live in 1978.

Tuesday, May 23, 2006



Random notes

- Vinyl may outlast CDs... story from Seattle Times

- A profile of Warp Records and its founder, Steve Beckett. (Japan Times)

The B-Side visits legendary soul producer Willie Mitchell at Royal Studios in Memphis. Check the pics.

ADDED MP3 blogger drops Mojos 50 Greatest British Tracks Ever... listen in...

Friday, May 19, 2006

BaseFM -all the way live, this sunday
"Base FM in association with New Zealand Music Month are broadcasting live ALL DAY (roughly 9am - 6pm) this Sunday 21st May, from Conch Records, 115 Ponsonby Road. There will be music, DJs, loads of giveaways and general celebration of everything good about music in New Zealand. Happy times ensue. Records, prizes, DJs."

DJ set times are listed below so you can peep your favourite spinner.
SET TIME/DJ

9am - 945am Scott Towers and Julian

945 - 1030am SP23

1030 - 1115am DLT & DT

1115am - 1200pm Slave

1200 - 1245pm Manuel Bundy

1245 - 130pm Dan Paine

130 - 215pm Damon

215 - 300pm Finn

300 - 345pm Submariner

345 - end Sandy Bay




... and now you have a reason to leave the house. Righto.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Here comes the shadow
Heard yesterday that DJ Shadow was coming our way, and today Pitchfork serves up his tour dates, including...
28 07 - Auckland, New Zealand - St. James
29 07 - Wellington, New Zealand - Townhall

snip...

"... The album doesn't have a release date or tracklist yet, but we do know that it will feature guest spots from Q-Tip, David Banner, Keak Da Sneak, and Turf Talk (the latter pair appear on the single "3 Freaks"). We also know a little bit about what the album's going to sound like, thanks to Shadow's post yesterday:

"There's been a lot of speculation as to the vibe of the new album. Some have predicted that the whole album is in the hyphy vein like "3 Freaks". To those people I say: RELAX YOUR BACK, YOU'VE ONLY HEARD ONE SONG. The album is very diverse, and reflects the fact that I don't fit comfortably in any one genre. My critics see that as a problem, but I don't...it's simply the way things are. I've never really fit into any one clique. That's why the album is called The Outsider. "In some ways it's a risky record. It's going to turn some people off. And I think I'll lose some fans. On the other hand, I know I'll gain some new ones. That's a fair trade in my mind. Besides I can't see playing it safe at this point in my life.

"There's songs with samples and songs with no samples. There's very dark stuff and very light stuff. Fast and slow. Simple and complicated. And there's songs on this album that I think blow away almost anything else I've ever done, so...we'll see. I think song for song it's the best album I've ever made. One thing's for sure...it's going to make it very difficult for people to imitate my sound."

MTV to launch in NZ
No word on when, but if you want a job there, go to Seek.co.nz, they are advertising for an On Air Promotions Producer and On Air Promotions Assistant. Is TVNZ involved, or is it on Sky?
ADDED just heard via an acquaintance that it's not TVNZ.
ADDED Russell Brown has the details. Launches August 19 on Sky.

They just can't let it be
via pop candy, headline writers get over-excited....

"Today's news of Paul McCartney's separation from wife Heather Mills has rocked the world ... of headline writers. Here's a glance at some of the Beatle-icious puns that have surfaced around the globe:

- "Hello, Goodbye to McCartney's Marriage"

- "All You Need Is Love? Seems Unlikely, Sir Paul"

- "We Can't Work It Out"

- "Can't Buy Love"

- "McCartney-Heather Say Bye Bye Love" (Uh, do they know that's an Everly Brothers song?)

- "Sir Paul McCartney: A Man on the Run"

- "When I Get Older ... Paul McCartney in Marriage Split"

And just when I thought the most obvious reference hadn't seeped its way into the papers, I saw the lead from London's Daily Mirror: "Someone call Sgt. Pepper -- Paul McCartney looks on the verge of rejoining the Lonely Hearts Club band."

Monday, May 15, 2006

Ring The Alarm playlist, BaseFM, Saturday May 13
Jablonski – Soul makossa
Toots and the Maytals – Bam bam
Mulatu Atkake – Yegelle tezeta
Freddie McGregor – Rastaman camp version
Maceo and the Macks – Cross the tracks
Sound dimension – Soulful strut
Rodney Hunter – Vampire
Noiseshaper – Only redeemer
Oneself – Hollow human beings
Martin Brew – Sand steppin
Salmonella Dub – Problems (Son sine remix)
Candido – Thousand finger man
Turbulence - Stay focus
Jackie Mittoo – Hot tamale
Recloose – Mana’s bounce
International observer – Cellphone dub
Prince Charles and the City Beat band – Cash (cash money)
Butta – Okwa wa se
Chico Hamilton – El toro (Mark de Clive Lowe remix)
Tiombe Lockhart – You need me
Bounty Killer, Swizz, Freddy Mckay – Bounty is a treasure
Derrick Laro, Trinity – Don’t stop til you get enough
Yellowman – Badness
Onelung - Cinema 90
Shantel - Bucovina (Haaksman and Haaksman remix)
Little tempo – Jemima
Sister Nancy – Big beat bam remix
Beat conductor – Hottest dub

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Pressing questions of our time
One. Why is it that every time Shayne Carter appears in a press photo in a suit and tie, he looks like an undertaker? Evidence - latest issue of Real Groove. While you're having a lookee at that, check the funny ad for Kiwi Shoe Polish in the middle of the Shayne Carter interview. The dates are so far off the mark - did no-one at the ad agency check them? Not heard of Google?
Two. Teresa Gattung and her funny ol' take on customer relations. What's that about, aye? She says bend over, the customer obliges. Oh, got it.
Three. Are you smarter than your local MP? Take Judith Tizard's annual NZ Music Month Quiz for MPs and find out, download it from here.
Ring The Alarm playlist, BaseFM, Saturday May 6
Three generations walking - Midnight bustling
Mark Ronson and Alex Greenwald - Just
George McCrae - I got lifted (Mishchief brew re-edit)
Horace Andy - Fever
Nosliw - Alarm
Barrington Levy - Many changes in life
Scrappy - Off the lead
Damian Marley - Move
A Certain Ratio - Shack up
David Walters - Mesy bon dye (Lightning Head remix)
Slim Smith - Conversation
Quantic Soul Orchestra - Pushin on
Skatalies - Coconut rock
Beat Conductor - Hottest dub
Ojays vs Wu-tang - DJ BC mashup
Kora - Burning
Fat Freddie's Drop - Ernie (52 weeks in the album charts and counting!)
Harry Toddler - Simmer down
Les McCann - Hey Leroy
Mackay - Take me over
Freddie Cruger - Simply fresh
Tiger Ranks - Party wit me
Sly n Robbie - Softcore surge (Ashley Beedle remix)
Cornerstone Roots - Forward the sax
Barrington Carey - Love U forever (Boxsaga vocal mix)
Candi Staton - Many moods of love
Rose Royce - Sunrise

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Kiwi FM - back from the grave?
If you haven't read Dubber's excellent post on the latest development with the low-rating Kiwi FM, read it now. Beat the spin...

"Seven years ago, the idea for a nationwide, commercial-free Youth Radio Network in New Zealand was first proposed. It became a hotly debated topic in both broadcasting circles and at a level of public policy. It was considered such a potential vote-winner, every major political party was claiming it as their own.

Today, Steve Maharey, the most public-radio-friendly Broadcasting Minister in decades, killed it. And Brent Impey - the man whose local instance of the global CanWest media empire makes Clear Channel look like the good guys - can rub his hands together with sinister glee.

Maharey has given free major metropolitan FM frequencies to CanWest in order that they will continue to play exclusively NZ music - despite the fact that New Zealand music has been mainstreamed on every other radio station in the country and the 20% voluntary target has been reached (and, in many cases, exceeded)."

"... Happy New Zealand Music Month, Brent Impey. Not only have you ghetto-ised local music, you've managed to be given assets to a value in excess of $20m, you've completely decimated commercial radio's biggest perceived threat, dealt a huge blow to public broadcasting and had your way with the country's Broadcasting Minister in an historic fashion.

Happy NZ Music Month, NZ music industry - this is not a reprieve, this is a set-back.

Happy NZ Music Month, Steve Maharey. this was the plan all along. You have been screwed.

Happy NZ Music Month, Brendan Smyth. Back to the drawing board."

Monday, May 01, 2006

Props.
Congratulations ot my main man Trevor Reekie on winning Best NZ Produced Music Programme - Best Music Feature at the NZ Radio Awards on Saturday night. Nice one. Now, hit em up for raise, quick!

"Winner: The Times Are A Changing - Trevor Reekie, National Radio

Special Commendations: - He Ara Puoro "A Pathway of Song" - Roger Smith & Gareth Watkins, Concert FM - Enzology "The Story of Split Enz" - Jeremy Ansell, National Radio/RNZ"
Ring The Alarm playlist, BaseFM, April 29
Lloyd Charmers – Look-ka-py py
Meters – Cissy strut
King Tubby – Slow motion dub
Marlon Stewart – Dem girls (Emo remix)
Lowman – Pharrel vs Hutch
Fat Freddy's Drop – Flashback (Jazzanova mashed bag remix)
Nuffwish – Loaded chalice
Jstar – Bye bye barb
Breakestra - The getting to it
Boozoo Bajou – Blast
Jackie Mittoo – Hot milk
Oneself – Bluebird
All natural and Lone Catalysts – Renaissance
Upper Hutt Posse – Stormy weather
Nas – Get down
Salmonella Dub - Platetechtonics (Groove corp remix)
Open Souls – They don't even know
Grant Phabo feat Lone Ranger, Carlton Livingston – Message to you Rudy
Wiseguys – Oh la la
Temptations – Zoom
Revolutionaries – Skanking
Nightmares on wax – The sweetest
Tye Tribbet – Mighty long way
Dusty Springfield - Spooky
Barrington Levy – Collie weed version
Scrappy – Off the lead
Turbulence – Stay focus

Chip Matthews (Open Souls, Che fu and the Krates) does the show after me on Basefm, it's called the Saturday Spot. This week he decided to do a country special, after getting a good response to dropping some Neil Young songs in previous shows. As I was driving off from Ponsonby, he was playing Johnnie Cash, then The Devil Went Down To Georgia. Chip, you are a mad crazy musical anarchist, and I gotta give you maximum respect for that. Country on a hiphop station - nice one!

Ring The Alarm playlist, BaseFM, April 22
Specials – Message to you Rudy
Skatalites – Phoenix city
Wild Magnolias – Battlefield (Joe Claussell remix)
The Meters – Soul machine
Katchafire – Collie herb man (Sola Rosa remix)
Jackie Mittoo – Get up and get it
Roots combination – Spoony Bill
Leela James – Good time
Ghostface Killah - Cherchez la ghost
Radio city feat Bajka – The hop
Breakestra – The getting to it
Alton Ellis - It's a shame
Big Youth/Congos – Feed a nation
Open Souls - Falling in
Zaguzar -Welcome to England
Dam native feat Che Fu – The son
Hugh Masekela – When
Little Sister – Stanga
Rhythm and sound – Let jah love come (Sweet substance remix)
Pointer sisters – Yes we can can (RIP June Pointer)
Coldcut feat Roots Manuva - True skool
Nostalgia 77 – Seven nation army
KRS One – Bo bo bo
Grant Phabo feat Lone Ranger, Carlton Livingston – Message to you Rudy