2008年11月28日 星期五

News & Vidoes grabs

Kanye West went on Letterman and a bunch of other appearances
The Killers loves feather jackets on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Q magazine's 2008 Top 50 album lists, so it's this time of the year again!
◎ Oh, and here's Blender's Top 33 list. Well,no comment on that.
◎ A reminder for people who had yet to purchase the Simple Life ticket, you can still pre-order it here or simply show up on December 6.

2008年11月26日 星期三

白碟四十周年


四十年前(1968)的十一月, The Beatles發行了被俗稱為白碟(The White Album)的同名專輯. 在經紀人布萊恩(Brian Epstien)死後,白碟是Beatles團員首次擁有全權掌握的作品. 如果要扯到保羅(Paul McCartney)在這段時間在Beatles工作上的控制,又會是另一個很長的故事; 所以現在暫且不提Beatles業務上的問題,白碟在音樂上的成就, 長達九十分鐘的雙碟內容就足以說明之. 生長於數位時代的我們可別忘了,1968年還是在使用唱盤的年代,兩張唱盤所組成的一張專輯,價錢當然也是要比一片裝來的貴,如果不是Beatles,唱片公司哪裡敢冒這種專輯可能落得乏人問津的風險. Beatles已經沒有在巡迴演出,多了一層神秘感所推出的白碟當然大賣,但隨之也出現了很多陰謀論(其中最知名的當然就是保羅已經死掉的傳聞,據說將白碟的"Revolution 9" 倒轉過來會聽到"Turn me on , dead man"的隱藏訊息).
再一次,我因我的年齡而感到羞愧與懊悔.初聽白碟的我只是個九零年代的十來歲小鬼,除了讚嘆之外也不懂錄音過程細節之奧秘,哪裡知道在白碟錄音過程中不但同時使用了Abbey Road錄音室的全部三間錄音室,製作人George Martin還要趕場同時幫團員們各自的作品錄音呢!白碟也許是以Beatles的名義發行,但專輯事實上是收錄了團員們各自獨立的作品,作者有歌曲的主控權,其它人只是每首歌的伴奏; 最明顯的例子就是保羅對"Back In The U.S.S.R."的各項樂器聲音有自己的標準和形象,錄到最後林哥(Ringo Starr)不爽走人,保羅只好自己將鼓給錄好.還有被視為喬治(George Harrison)最佳代表作的"While My Guitar Gently Weeps"裡的動人吉他獨奏其實是他的好友艾力克克萊普頓(Eric Clapton)所彈奏.而約翰(John Lennon)在錄音時總是有小野洋子(Yoko Ono)在背景當背後靈,不時還會在vocal中參一腳,讓其他團員不太能適應.
錄音的過程不見得如外人所想那樣團員彼此不斷鉤心鬥角,從許多demo中可以聽出他們一起jam時的笑鬧,還有對細節的討論琢磨. 白碟還有好多值得玩味的軼事, 在聽到"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da",還有約翰玩mono玩到停不了的"Revolution 9"時總是讓我會心一笑. 多麼希望我也有機會在四十年前的此時抱著剛發行的白碟坐在家中唯一的唱機前,專注的盯著歌詞就這樣聽上一整天! NPR也特地為白碟四十周年錄製了節目,裡面談到許多白碟錄音的趣事,讓人有回到68年的感覺呢!

Abbey Road Studio,攝於2008年9月

2008年11月23日 星期日

This Week's Tunes



Oh No Forest Fires
The War On Geometry
MP3: It's Not Fun And Games Until Someone Loses







Eulogies
Tempted To Do Nothing EP
MP3: Two Can Play (featuring Nikki Monninger from Silversun Pickups)







The Kindness Kind
The Kindness Kind
MP3: Beautiful Souls







Phil and the Osophers
Toward Conquering The Invisible North
MP3: High Art







We Landed On The Moon!
These Little Wars
MP3: Re: Your Letter







Little Joy
Little Joy
MP3: Keep Me In Mind




Praying for a real winter.
Cheers!

2008年11月21日 星期五

News & Vidoes grabs

◎ 33 is considered old to Chris Martin, thus Coldplay should breakup before being too old.
◎ Watch Radiohead catch some Weird Fishes
Beach House - Used To Be
◎ I also like Day & Age, but not so much to say it's the greatest Killers album.
The Fireman launch their official website and MySpace page

2008年11月19日 星期三

News & Vidoes grabs

◎ First listen!! The new record of Paul McCartney as The Fireman via NPR music!!
Glasvegas - Please Come Back Home
Coldplay got Lost with Jay-Z
◎ So, the legendary 14 minutes Beatles song was real!

2008年11月15日 星期六

This Week's Tunes




Beerjacket
MP3: Drum







Land Of Talk
Some Are Lakes
MP3: Death By Fire







Yves Klein Blue
Draw Attention To Themselves
MP3: Polka







Creaky Boards
Brooklyn Is Love
MP3: Brooklyn







Gramercy Arms Gramercy Arms
MP3: Looking At The Sun








The Postmarks
By The Numbers
MP3: 11:59






Aaron Thomas
Follow The Elephants
MP3: Aw C'mon







Now, Now Every Children
Cars
MP3: Not One, But Two

2008年11月13日 星期四

News & Vidoes grabs


◎ Thrilled to see not one, but three Jack White at the same time in the Raconteurs video Old Enough.
Deerhoof -Basket Ball Get Your Groove Back
◎ "A Crippling Blow," another new Killers song!
Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers of all time list, for my own interest: John Lennon at #5, Bob Dylan#7, Paul McCartney #11.
Matt Helders of the Arctic Monkeys told The Guardian that they might finish recording this month! Can't wait to see them back on tour together again(especially to see that Alex Turner could also dress casually).

2008年11月10日 星期一

2008年11月6日 星期四

News & Vidoes grabs


◎ See how Thom Yorke, Mark Ronson and Death Cab have to say about President Obama.
Jenny Lewis and Elvis Costello performed live on Letterman.
The Killers was Human again on Jools Holland.
Deerhoof - Offend Maggie
Crystal Castle's Alice Glass top NME's Cool List , Alex Turner up from 6 to 4 with white shirt and little black tie.
Kings of Leon - Use Somebody

Sigur Rós - Við spilum endalaust

This Week's Tunes



The Happy Hollows
Imaginary EP
MP3: Tambourine








Kathleen Edwards

Back To Me
MP3: In State






Illinois
The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe
MP3: Hang On







Escape Act
Loosely Based On Fiction
MP3: Everyone Got Shot







Tracy Shedd
Cigarettes & Smoke Machines
MP3: Whatever It Takes







Paramore
Twilight OST
MP3: Decode

2008年11月5日 星期三

Oasis - I'm Outta Time

The second single from the magnificent album!

Change



I hope this could be a real change in not just America, but also the world. I'm delighted to have witnessed this historical moment. It's been a long journey and an exciting one.

Arctic Monkeys live DVD released a few days ago, those of whom received the box set were all quite pleased. I'm still waiting for my copy(darn,why am I not in England!). Before Alex Turner end his affair with Miles Kane, this is the most we could get from the Monkeys!

Still Take You Home (at The Apollo taken from their new live dvd)


cheers!

2008年11月1日 星期六

News & Vidoes grabs

Beirut is set to release 2 new EPs March Of The Zapotec/Holland in Feburary
The Last Shadow Puppets was standing next to Conan
Beatles confirm release of Rock Band!
◎ Watch Ryan Adams and the Cardinals performed live on Letterman
Psapp - Monster Song
Foals - Olympic Airways
Bloc Party - Talons