Tomorrow, the 82nd Academy Awards ceremony will take place in Hollywood. This annual shindig is a huge marketing tool for the film industry and is a chance for members of the Academy to tell each other how great they all are. In the US, the large number of independent and low-budget films that have been nominated for Best Picture over the last few years has also led to a drop in TV viewers (and advertising revenue). I would argue that a deterioration in the quality of films coming out of Hollywood over the last few years may be the actual [...]
So, with Valentine's Day coming up it's a good time to post some love songs! I can't say I really care all that much about Valentine's Day but show me a person who doesn't like a good love song. There are probably millions of songs about love, but I've picked out a few of my favorites for this V-Day weekend and I'm not gonna lie, you will probably find some of them super cheesy. I get that...but love is cheesy and I love love...so maybe try to see past the cheese and think about the person/people/things/whatever you love. [...]
80. Jay Reatard Blood Visions For all those folks that have been screaming "punk is dead" for two decades I'd like to present Jay Reatard to show you that punk is most definitely not dead. Now his tunes may not be wholly punk in nature, there's a bit of metal and even some pop mixed in there, but his attitude and his approach to songwriting is most definitely punk. Two and three minute long songs spit out in the blink of an eye with hard charging guitars to go along with them. Yeah, punk's not [...]
sometimes, the least religious interpretations of religion teach us the most about what faith means. the traditional christian hymn "amazing grace" has an amazing backstory of its own, written by the 18th century slave trader john newton whose life turned around after several near death experiences. newton's expression of amazement, however, finds little resonance with the disenchanted world today that shrugs its shoulders at any form of institutionalized religion. it is in this regard that cat power 's revision of the hymn does some work in restoring the meaning of amazing grace as not some abstract theological concept, but [...]
The third consecutive female artist on my favourite albums from the start of the 21st century is Cat Power and her album, The Greatest (2006). Cat Power is the stage name of the Georgia state-born vocalist Chan Marshall. I first came across her when I heard her stripped-down take on (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones. I checked out the album that contains that track, The Covers Record (2000), and was quite satisfied by her equally sparse versions of songs by acts like The Velvet Underground and Bob Dylan. I didn't come across her again [...]
The news that U2 are to headline the Glastonbury Festival seems to have been greeted with a mixed reaction. Some disparaging, some encouraging. Personally I couldn't care less because once again, I'm not going. That said, if I was going, I wouldn't especially be bitching about U2 because Glastonbury is so big, with so many alternative stages, that the chances of me ending up infront of Bono and his massive ego are slim to none existant. I'm pretty sure that it would be nigh on impossible not to find another far more [...]
(click image to enlarge) Last September The Knitting Factory hosted a birthday celebration for the Fender Jazzmaster with performances by Tom Verlaine, Nels Cline, J Mascis and Lee Ranaldo & Thurston Moore. Of the Ranaldo/Moore performance the Fender website says: "When their fingers proved unsuitable for achieving the next level of dissonance, the musicians used tuning forks [...]
A look at what's happening right now: As mentioned earlier , both Cat Power and Andrew Bird are coming to Singapore in January 2010. Tickets to both events will be available on the 12th of November. Cat Power 13 Jan 2010, Wed, 9pm Esplanade Concert Hall $40, $60, $80 Andrew Bird 26 Jan 2010, Tue, 7.30pm Esplanade Concert Hall $40, $60 [...]
Welcome to part one of GIMME TINNITUS' Best Songs Of The Aughts where we look back on the best songs of 2000-2004. Back when all the "best of the decade" whoopla started earlier this year (with Pitchfork's Best Of ), I began thinking about the songs I would have blogged about had I actually been blogging (or let's say posting about music on an angelfire page) way back in 2000. I sifted through many tracks to come up with this list, and I hope it helps you reconnect with some tracks you may have forgotten [...]
© Steve Gullick © Cameron Wittig Hallelujah! American singer-songwriters Cat Power (née Chan Marshall) and Andrew Bird will be performing next year in Singapore on January 13 and 26 respectively as part of the Esplanade's Mosaic Series. Download: Cat Power - Metal Heart [buy Jukebox ] Andrew Bird - Oh No [buy Noble Beast ]
On this day five years ago, John Peel was getting ready to present another episode of his radio show. Unfortunately, it would be his last as a heart attack would take his life a few weeks later while on a working holiday in Peru. He had been best known as a disc jockey and champion of the musical underdog on BBC radio. His Peel Sessions gave many bands their first chance of airplay and a load of them went on to have successful careers in the music business. Sadly, I never got to hear his shows as it was not [...]
The third consecutive female artist on my favourite albums from the start of the 21st century is Cat Power and her album, The Greatest (2006). Cat Power is the stage name of the Georgia state-born vocalist Chan Marshall. I first came across her when I heard her stripped-down take on (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones. I checked out the album that contains that track, The Covers Record (2000), and was quite satisfied by her equally sparse versions of songs by acts like The Velvet Underground and Bob Dylan. I didn't come across her again [...]
Not only has another year caught up on us, but so has another decade. It feels like only yesterday that I was partying like it was 1999 and getting ready to ring in the new milennium. 2009's not even over yet, but already a number of magazines and web sites have published their Best Album of the Decade lists. The 150th edition of Uncut magazine has 150 albums from the 00s while Pitchfork has gone for 200. My own list is less comprehensive as it contains just a dozen of my favourite albums for the last [...]
80. Jay Reatard Blood Visions For all those folks that have been screaming "punk is dead" for two decades I'd like to present Jay Reatard to show you that punk is most definitely not dead. Now his tunes may not be wholly punk in nature, there's a bit of metal and even some pop mixed in there, but his attitude and his approach to songwriting is most definitely punk. Two and three minute long songs spit out in the blink of an eye with hard charging guitars to go along with them. Yeah, punk's not [...]
250 years ago, Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000-year lease at £45 a year to rent St James's Gate brewery in Dublin. Tomorrow, September 24th, has been designated as Arthur's Day and will feature celebrations all around the world. Unsurprisingly, the biggest party will take place in Dublin as dozens of bands will converge on Ireland's capital city to raise a toast to Arthur. The day begins at 17:59 with an invite-only concert at St James's Gate itself featuring Tom Jones, Kasabian and Estelle. Four Dublin venues (Vicar St, the Academy, Tripod and Whelan's) will put on gigs that [...]
Talk about deconstructing a song. Here Cat Power takes the raw, urgent and primal simplicity of The White Stripes and strips it back even further. Where once Jack and Meg bashed out ‘Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground’ as a noisy blast of garage punk, here it is presented as a barely there, simply strummed heart breaking ode. It oozes melancholy. Seems soaked in sadness. You can just about make out the remnants of the melody but really it’s been almost completely re-imagined. Like almost every cover Cat Power records. It’s an [...]
So Glastonbury, Glade, Secret Garden, Melt, the various technovals are all passing us by. Seems like a few lil gems in the LTT collection have also passed. Below are a couple dub tracks that got something special and bring dub up a gear. Then we got a couple mixes. Both full of fruity ones. Tomb Crew rework some classic in their and Tayo does what he does best and pleases all. Enjoy! Cat Power - Baby Doll (Kid Simple Dubstep mix) Sticky K - Weirdo [...]
For the past few years it has seemed like Matador Records and the 4th of July went hand in hand, with Matador artists normally taking over the wonderful, free River to River show celebrating our Nation's birth. This year instead of one of the brilliant members of the Matador stable we're being given Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band which while exciting and fun is far removed from the usual Matador excitement. Still, this being the 20th anniversary of Matador Records we thought now we would be a good time to look back at the very best records the [...]
Image From Here I want to be free Free from these chains of life Free from the bondage that surrounds me Free from anxiety, fear and depression Free to live my life in peace Free from the worries of the world Free from all that is bad Free to enjoy all that is good Free to see things as they really are Free to experience true love Free to experience happiness and joy [...]
It's not a big surprise when a Cat Power cover song hits the web, they are pretty much her bread-and-butter, man. She usually does a pretty good job of reinterpreting other artists songs, but for her reimagining of Oasis' classic "Wonderwall" I have to give the win to Ryan Adams. MP3: Cat Power - Wonderwall (Oasis Cover)
A Town Full of Losers
YoungCreature
Pop Tarts Suck Toasted
i'm waking up to...
to die by your side
Cats Are Grey
I Know That I'm Right
GIMME TINNITUS
Love That Tune!
Songs in Space
Bona Fide Darling
Watch Kurt Vile Play Letterman
Todd Edwards Essential Mix
