CAROLYN
              (overly cheerful)
          No, no, that's quite all right, dear.
          Your father and I were just discussing
          his day at work.
              (to Lester)
          Why don't you tell our daughter about it,
          honey?

Jane stares at both her parents, apprehensive. Lester looks
at Carolyn darkly, then flashes a "you-asked-for-it" grin.

                    LESTER
          Janie, today I quit my job. And then I
          told my boss to fuck himself, and then I
          blackmailed him for almost sixty thousand
          dollars. Pass the asparagus.

                    CAROLYN
          Your father seems to think this kind of
          behavior is something to be proud of.

                    LESTER
          And your mother seems to prefer I go
          through life like a fucking prisoner
          while she keeps my dick in a mason jar
          under the sink.

- American Beauty, 1999

“Lucky Love in Time of Down Economy”

01. Ronderlin - Three Times
The Great Investigation (Tomt Recordings, 2007)
02. The Velvet Underground – What Goes On
The Velvet Underground (1969)
03. The Savage Resurrection – Every little song
Savage Resurrection (Mod Lang, 1968)
04. John Fahey – St. Louis Blues (wiki)
The Legend of Blind Joe Death (Takoma, 1996)
05. Angie Heaton & The Gentle Tamers – Lucky In Love (web)
The Rumor Mill (Parasol, 2007)
06. The 1900s – When I Say Go (bf)
Cold & Kind (Parasol, 2007)
07. Mono in VCF – Escape City Scrapers (web)
Album 1 (Mono in VCF, 2007)

note : Second part in a series. This list has a completely retro feeling, giving that melancholic tone. Perfect to describe down economy right? And I am turning into dowdy social critic rather quickly with this series. War, love, money, everything that goes down the drain. Perfect set up for bluesy texture. The new groups aren’t that bad either, tho’ to be honest I haven’t really scanned thoroughly for edgier work. Anyway, comment away. I need idea for next in this series. - sq

see also: AC no.53, Cries From the Midnight Circus
image: [1, 2, 3] , porcelaine

“When I was young, I was extremely scared of dying. But now I think it a very, very wise arrangement. It’s like a light that is extinguished. Not very much to make a fuss about.”

– Ingmar Bergman (14.7.1918 – 30.7.2007)

Here I’m quoting Ingmar’s words again. This time I’m going to say: No, I’m so afraid of it.

It has been around me. From the death of Ingmar Berman, Michelangelo Antonioni, Wen Xing Yu (a famous and beloved local actor here), Max Roach, good friend’s uncle, and so on. And I just got to know that one of my good friends from high school who used to sat behind me, Tian, a really sweet girl, has left us 10 days ago… Cruely before I could wipe away the tears, I was told a guy who was also from high school has gone as well – while trying to stop a fight.

For a moment I don’t know what is going on, I’m kind of lost and confused. How ridiculous this summer is. All of this sudden disappearence is so unbearable. Like fallen stars, their fell on me one by one. The weight makes me scared. I couldn’t stop crying at night. Tian’s death, I have to say, finally made me realise completely what people mean by ‘cherish’. I haven’t been in contact with her for quite a while. Now I looked back on those sweet words that she wrote to me when we graduated more than 3 years ago, in the small booklet where she wrote: “Saisai, will you remember me? I will think of you, and remeber you, really!” Certainly. I do. I miss you, Tian.

Yet c’est la vie. And I don’t want it to sound too heavy and depressing. People coming and leaving, no matter how and when, who wouldn’t at the end – even if it’s not death. Life goes on, and everything will be ok.

May they all rest in peace.

1. Ingmars Zemzaris – Averte Faciem Tuam
(Miserere / 1996)
2. Erik Friedlander – The Wind Groans
(Maldolor / 2003 / Brassland)
3. Voice of the Seven Woods – The Journey
(The Journey / 2007 / self released)
4. The Blithe Sons – Morning at Night
(The Amazed Map / 2007)
5. Ryuichi Sakamoto – Dream
(Lack of Love / 2000)
6. Harold Budd – As Long As I Can Hold My Breath
(Avalon Sutre / 2000 / Samadhi Sound)

photo credit to longarmhair

Sister Nancy – Bam Bam
(one, two… / 1982)
M.I.A. – paper planes
(Kala / 2007)
The Clash - straight to hell
(Combat Rock / 1982)
Federico Aubele – ante tus ojos
(Gran Hotel Buenos Aires / 2003)
One Self – bluebird
(children of possibility / 2005)
Siobhan Donaghy – ghosts
(Ghosts / 2007)

Terribly sorry for the absence, been caught in between friends’ birthdays (also, 40-something birthday mom) and many school projects. I do have two bigger playlists getting prepared but in the meanwhile I’ll be leaving you with some cheap thrills that I’ve had on constant repeat this week; The playlist opens up with classic dancehall riddim courtesy of Sly & Robbie and Sister Nancy’s lovely gibberish and continues with “paper planes” by M.I.A. which might just be one of the most addictive songs I have heard this year, a nursery rhyme with a gunfire clatter chorus that relies heavily on a sample taken from “straight to hell” from The Clash. We then move on towards a chilled gem from argentinian Federico Aubele‘s classic “gran hotel buenos aires”, an album definitely recommended for likes of Gotan Project.
Moving on to afterwards we get a california groove with the brilliant afterglow chill of “blue bird” by One Self, Dj Vadim’s hip hop moniker and close up with another of my favorite songs of the year, “Ghosts” by Siobhan Donaghy, an ethereal cut with a trippy beat formula throwback from 93 and Siobhan’s voice backmasked so it represents pure senseless beauty.

Hope you enjoy, I know it’s a short selection but I promise I’ll take some time to post later this week.

Image: Steven Harrington.

[image: members of Atman]

Atman (often Theatre of Sound Atman) was founded in 1975 in Cracow (PL) by Marek Styczynski and Jacek Zadora, from 1982 it was basiclly a trio: Styczynski, Marek Leszczynski & Piotr Kolecki but many musicians, dancers were invited to perform together with group. Atman was not only a band but a kind of alternative movement with their own label – FLY Music, workshops and festival Music in Landscape. Their sound is defined by using traditional, sometimes exotic, instruments, many flutes, different small percussions, violin, mandolin, cimbalom, didgeridoo, acoustic guitars and vocals also. Apart from obvious “ethnic” attitude Atman also didn’t forget about spontaneity of improvisation.

This compostion is from “Tradition” album, but I have it from “Ovoo” cd released by Naturtonmusik. This one is great because it contains three earlier albums: “Soundreams”, “Personal forest” and abovementioned.

Atman – The talking meadow (story) (Tradition, FLY Music, 1996)

Atman split up in 1998, Piotr Kolecki and Marek Leszczynski founded Pathman with Michal Nowak (on clarinet) and Dominik Czwartek (on drums). After some time Wojt3k Kucharczyk (electronics, editing) joined the group. Traditional instruments still play important role in this music but electronic manipulations are equally important. (some info in English: here )
Pathman – Glin (…poza…, Mik.musik!, 2002)

Third member of Atman, Marek Styczynski, started Projekt Karpaty Magiczne (Magic Carpathians Project) with vocalist Anna Nacher. Same story here, but, from album to album, electronic sounds became even more important than instruments, resulting in some psychedelic-noise-ambient with ethnic feeling.
Karpaty Magiczne – Thalassa (Denega, Galeria Stary Dom, 2001)

Kapela ze Wsi Warszawa (Warsaw Village Band) is a sextet, existing from 1997. They have nice website in English, so for further information see there. I’ll only say that band use old polish melodies, saved by ethnologists, but they play it in their own arrangements, with a lot of energey and power.
Kapela ze wsi Warszawa – Maydow (Wiosna ludu, Orange World, 2002)

Last one in folk section – Sarakina, now quartet, inspired by Balkans’ folklore, adding something like a “jazz touch” – but not making it softer, easier in any way. This piece was recorded in trio: accordion, clarinet, double bass. Also website in English.
Sarakina – Makedonsko (Sarakina – Grekow.Mlejnek.Mlejnek, 2001)

A lot could be told about Mordy but instead I’ll suggest reading history written by the band. I chose first track from their best (imo) album “Antrology” (= anthology + anthropology). This music is mixture of many things, styles, maybe the closest comparisons will be Salvatore and Him (not this one, but this).
Mordy – 3 vibrafonistow (Antrology, Tone Industria, 2004)

Scianka second record “Dni Wiatru” (Days of wind) was important for polish music, many journalists (but also “normal” people) think highly of it and put it on their top-lists. It was even better because group fullfilled expectations that listeners have after their debut. There they were playing post-punk/guitar-noise with some experiments. On second album they drifted into area of psychedelia/avantgarde, they were still using guitars but also concrete sounds, samples and post-production. They chose to create atmosphere, long, slowly changing compositions or rather dense soundscapes.
Scianka – Dni wiatru (Dni wiatru, Sissy, 2001)

Last but not least, most guitar-oriented music in this post. Starzy Singers, rock/post-punk outfit from Warsaw, their songs are sometimes noisy but always highly enjoyable, there should be some radio station playing stuff like that.
Starzy Singers – Piekna Acha Bela (Takie jest c’est la vie, Lado ABC, 2005)

Max Roach (1924-2007)
One of the most important jazz drummer in history of jazz

R.I.P

.

“Small list, a tribute to Max Roach”

01. Four Tet – Thirtysixtwentyfive (36m25s, 85 MB)
Thirtysixtwentyfive EP (Output, 1998)
02. The Max Roach Trio – Three-Four Vs. Six-Eight Four-Four Ways
The Max Roach Trio, Featuring the Legendary Hasaan/Drums Unlimited (Collectables, 1964)
03. Venetian Snares – Nutimik
Pink + Green (Sublight Records, 2007)
04. Neotropic - Sideshow Man
Mr. Brubaker’s Strawberry Alarm Clock (Ntone, 1998)
05. Duke Ellington/Charlie Mingus/Max Roach – Very Special
Money Jungle (Blue Note Records, 1962)
06. Egberto Gismonti – Agua & Vinho
Alma (ECM, 1996)
07. Max Roach – Tears For Johannesburg
We Insist (Freedom Now Suite) (Candid Records, 1960)
08. Photek - Smoke Rings
Modus Operandi (1997)
09. Bach/Busoni – Nun komm’ der Heiden Heiland (BWV 659)
Simpson, Andrew L. (web page, 2001)

Note: This is a full two hour list I build to remember Max Roach. He is one of the percussionist who was actively in the scene when Be-bop evolved out of the post war swing era. He contributed a lot to innovative approach to rhythm performance and composition. Darcy has an elaborate write up and also his blog list.

see also: wiki
image: ym

Youtube: Max Roach performed with Elvin Jones and Art Blakey.