August 14

Happy Birthday to Mogwai drummer Martin Bulloch. Bulloch and his mates started Mogwai (a cantonese word for "demon" - or a cute and fuzzy monster, depending on what decade you grew up in...) in the 90's, and the band's sound was first placed in the 'shoegazing' section of the record store, back when there was such a thing. These days, they're called 'post-rock' by critics, which does nothing for the imagination. I prefer the term 'cinematic', which is the way I also describe Sigur Ros and Explosions in the Sky: bands that create soundscapes, usually of the slow-blooming variety, that give a feeling over any particular story or chant.
So here's a few Mogwai tracks to choose from:




(This fanvid for "The Sun Smells Too Loud" chops up a music video for The Tommy Seebach Band's "Apache")

August 12

Today's the birthday of the mindbending Del the Funky Homosapien, an undercelebrated artist if ever there was. His rapping demonstrates that hip-hop as an art form has not yet reached its potential (no matter how much radio music sounds like the same old...)
Here's an example which you're familiar with, if you played a lot of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3:


He got in the game as a lyricist, writing for his cousin's group Da Lench Mob (his cousin, being Ice Cube.) In 1991, even as Dr Dre's "The Chronic" was setting the standard for hip-hop production for the next 20 years, Del's debut album "I Wish My Brother George Was Here" was charting an alternate course for hip-hop. Throughout the 90's, his audience was finding him, even as he was distancing himself from the hip-hop industry that came to be. He would eventually help start an artistic collective, the Hieroglyphs, that would be home for his music.

In 2000, he co-created Deltron 3030, a sci-fi rap opera collaboration with producer Dan the Automator.


The album featured many other artists, including British singer Damon Albarn for one track. Albarn was so inspired by the experience, he invited Del onboard to help shape the sound of his next project, the Gorillaz:

To date, it's still Del's most high-profile gig.

In 2010, he's very much the Internet-friendly independent artist; his latest album is available, among other formats, for free download off his site (for a while, anyway.)
Meanwhile, here's the song I'll be singing all day, an Arsenio Hall performance of a song he did for the Judgement Night with alt-rockers Dinosaur Jr. Here's "Missing Link":

July 31

One of the trickiest things to achieve in the music business is a musical identity. It's twice the challenge for a DJ, who plys his trade by, essentially, repurposing other people's sounds. Norman Cook managed that trick, although it certainly took a while - and a lot of aliases.
Born in Brighton, UK, he was putting together block parties in his teens when he helped a friend out of a pinch, replacing the bassist for his friend's band on the eve of their national tour. That's how he became the bassist for the Housemartins.

The Housemartins sounded a lot like the Smiths, but less angsty. That was good enough to get them on the charts a few times before they called it a day in 1988.

After the Housemartins, he returned to the turntables. By 1989, Norman Cook had a top 30 hit, "Blame it on the Bassline." The guest rapper on the track, MC Wildski, joined Cook's next band, Beats International; their number 1 track, "Dub Be Good to Me", was a hit mashup before there was a mashup trend. In 1994, Freak Power was Cook's foray into acid jazz. In 1995, he whipped up a house album under the name "Pizzaman".


All these projects led him to a sound that he began releasing under the name Fatboy Slim. In 1997, he had enough Fatboy Slim songs for a proper album, Better Living Through Chemistry. Fatboy Slim is his most successful alias; see how many of these songs you recognize:


In 2009, he released "I Think We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat," under the name of Brighton Port Authority - essentially, a Fat Boy Slim duets album. Each of the album's tracks features different collaborator, such as Dizzee Rascal, DJ Danger Mouse, and Iggy Pop.

This video features the "Hitchcock cameo moment" that Cook normally fits into every Fat Boy Slim video.

For his latest album, he delivered Fat Boy Slim's first concept album: 'Here Lies Love', featuring David Byrne, tells the story of former Philippines First Lady Imelda Marcos and her personal assistant. Meanwhile, Fatboy Slim the deejay continues to play for arena-level crowds across the globe...

July 8

I just feel like listening to some tunes today. Happy Birthday to Jamie Cook, guitarist for the Arctic Monkeys. Apparently, he's the tastemaker for the band, too; he's the indie aficionado that introduced the band to their post-Strokes sound.
Here's the video for a between-album release, "Leave Before the Lights Come On". It stars Paddy Consadine(Hot Fuzz) and Kate Ashfield (Shaun of the Dead).


Today's entry's a little light(their first album came out in 2006), so here's another video, with a clown brawl:

June 28

Now that the Karate Kid has been successfully re-invented for another generation, it's a good time to remember Pat Morita. After all, it was his Oscar-nominated performance that elevated a teen movie into a signpost for a decade, and cemented his title as the most popular Japanese-American actor in history.
He managed quite a few firsts in his career. Morita was the Arnold that ran Arnold's on "Happy Days". He became the first Asian-American sitcom lead in "Mr T and Tina"; the cancellation of that show and "Blansky's Beauties" would make him one of the few actors to lose two shows in one season. In the wake of "Karate Kid", he got his own cop show, "Ohara":

Yup, that's Catherine Kenner,from "Being John Malkovich", as a junior detective. "Ohara", the first drama with an Asian-American lead, didn't do much better in the ratings; it lasted two seasons.
Morita's enthnicity was a double-edged sword, but he used it adeptly through the decades. He played at least as many roles in his native California drawl as he did laying on his Migayi-think accent. He was just as comfortable lampooning his iconic sensai character as he was reprising or ripping it off. Whether he was earning an Emmy nod (for the Kirk Douglas TV-movie Amos) or starring in a buddy cop movie with Jay Leno:

[Take THAT, Prince Humperdink!]
Morita schooled us all. Happy Birthday, Sensai...

June 21

I can't help but post up about Marcella Levy, a.k.a. Marcy Levy, a.k.a Marcella Detroit... She's got a fistful of reason to write about her.
Marcella Levy was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1952.
Her first songwriting credit is shared with the other writers of "Hungry", which was a hit for Paul Revere and the Raiders in 1966. Her singing and her songwriting skills in the early 70's were good enough to get her in Bob Seger's band and out of Detroit. She played with several bands throughout the 70's in touring and session musician capacity: she wrote several songs for Eric Clapton, including "Lay Down Sally". She even recorded a duet with Robin Gibb, which almost cracked the top 40:


Now, here's someone I didn't expect to write about again: she was introduced to Siobhan Fahey, fresh out of Bananarama and recruiting people for her solo album. They began writing songs together, and their partnership turned her solo project, Shakespeare's Sister, into a duo.


The partnership lasted two albums, before Fahey called it quits. Marcella managed to get one solo album in the charts from the fallout.



By the mid-2K's, she had left the synth-pop sound (and the Marcella Detriot name)behind her. Today, she performs blues numbers with her own band, releases them on her own label, and writes songs for others. She was also a finalist on a British reality show, Popstar to Operastar. Who knows what she's going to do with her next decade?

May 30

I'm in the mood for some brit-pop, so let's give a nod to Tim Burgess, lead singer of The Charlatans. They've been together since the 90's started, a product of the Mad-chester scene.

Why have the Charlatans not make a bigger splash across the pond? In the first place, they had a 60's psychedelic band with the same name that forced the band to slap "UK" on all their North American releases. Another point of contention was their first keyboardist, Rob Collins. At their height of their buzz, he was arrested for driving a getaway car from a convenience store robbery; a few years later, he died in a DUI.
Then there's the fact that Tim moved to LA in the 2K's and released a solo album. But they recorded together again in 2004, and keep on keepin' on. He's got his fingers in a lot of pies: he's sang for the Chemical Brothers several times, is part of the Britpop supergroup The Chavs, appeared on Joaquin Phoenix's upcoming rap album, and DJs at spots across the globe. In fact, between his producing credits and concert programming/curating, he's become quite the tastemaker.

2010 should be a banner year for the Charlatans, between a new album and the 20th anniversary of their first. They've thrown country, ska, psychedelia, and electronic sounds in their previous releases; interesting to see where Tim and his mates' next album takes us... maybe even the US. Meanwhile, here's the biggest splash they've made in the US so far, and the song that made me a fan...

May 22

A Quickie: John Vanderslice, San Francisco transplant, is becoming an indie rock star far too quietly. Playing in MK Ultra in the 90's, he started the Tiny Telephone recording studio that has hosted acts like Beulah, Mountain Goats, Death Cab for Cutie, and Spoon. In the 2K's, he started his solo recordings, and has been a critical darling since.
Here's a song of John's that wouldn't leave me alone:

May 19

Is Australian David Helfgott a geniune savant, or does he just play piano better than we'd expect him to?
Helfgott is known for his piano playing, along with his psychological burden. As a youth, he showed genius potential in his musicianship, but by the time he was awarded scholarships to international music conservatories, he was also battling mental illness. By his 30's, he was institutionalized.
Eventually, he found the coping mechanisms that allowed him to return to society. He got a job playing piano at a wine bar in Perth, and from that ignominious perch, began dazzling everyone that could hear with his music again.

It's the kind of story that the movies love to tell (and the movie based on his life, Shine, would be nominated for 8 Academy Awards.) But there are music critics who feel he's been too mythologized by the movies; that beyond his on-stage tics and behaviors, his piano playing is only slightly better than ordinary. So are crowds gathering to listen to a genius? Or just to cheer on a man who they wouldn't expect to play piano at all? Is he being appreciated or exploited?
Undeniably, his story has brought to light the challenges of dealing with mental illness and trying to find a place in the world. In 1999, he played piano on the Silverchair track, "Emotion Sickness".

May 10

I can see why We Are Scientists (featuring Chris Cain and Keith Murray) aren't bigger in the US; they've busy in the UK. In 2005, I became enamored with their "With Love and Squalor" album, and anticipated their conquering of the world; despite a bushel of videos directed by The Lonely Island:

-it didn't happen.

Their sound's a pefect fit with fans of Block Party and Arctic Monkeys, so they've been making their name across the pond, with six singles in England to their one in the US. They also finished filming the first season of "Steve Wants His Money," a comedy mini-show for MTV UK.
Right now, they're releasing singles for their next album, Barbara, that comes out in June. No sign of them making a big push in the US; guess they'll remain a Continental secret this year...


BTW, listen to the lyrics before you read them...

May 6

The hits keep coming on the Birthday Blog; today's celebrant is Tony Scalzo, from alt-rockers Fastball. They're an Austin, TX band that hit the radio lottery with the
1998 smash "The Way," a song about an elderly couple cruising into the sunset; inexplicably, it was a top ten hit all over the world that summer. While they never duplicated that success, they made a few more splashes on the charts, and still play today, mostly around Austin.
"The Way" reminds me of my cruising days, when I had the car, the gas money, the stamina, and the legal documentation to just drive nowhere at all, for no reason at all; some of the best times of my life...

April 27

So, why isn't James LeGros a bigger star in the universe? He's got a leading man chin and indie taste in scripts; why isn't he on the shortlist for any of these superhero movies that get greenlit every week?
Is it the name (pronounced Le-Grow)? Has he been too convincing in his burnout roles (Point Break and Drugstore Cowboy)? Has he done too much TV? (Ally McBeal, Mercy) Is he too outside Hollywood? (He's happily married, and commutes from somewhere in Wyoming) Has he done too many independent films? (My New Gun, The Myth of Fingerprints) Does he look too much like Brad Pitt? (he did beat Pitt for the lead role in Phantasm II; plus, you must see Living in Oblivion) Does James Marsden look too much like him? (C'mon, look at the guy...)

Anyway, here's a fanvid, set to Muse's "Time is Running Out", for the LeGros-starring vehicle, "Scotland, PA." Since the video encapsulates the film from beginning to end, the polite thing to do is warn about SPOILERS. Then again, mentioning that it's a remake of Shakespeare's MacBeth would also be a SPOILER:

April 26

I bought the first solo album by ex-Replacements drummer Chris Mars. I bought it used at a resale shop, which was the only way I bought CDs back in '93. I remember how great that album was, before I even knew how great the Replacements were. "Horseshoes and Handgrenades" was one of the albums that made me a alt-rock lover, and a fan of musical underdogs.

Time has crept on, and it only convinces me further that Chris Mars was, at the least, the George Harrison of the 'Mats. After the Replacements broke up, he recorded three more solo albums, before finding more fulfillment from visual arts. He painted his first album cover, and started painting for other bands, along with exhibitions in traditional venues. Besides his lithos and oils, he's interpreted his grotesquely cute creations in sculpture and film. Here's a YouTube clip of one of his animated shorts; you can find a better copy on chrismarspublishing.com:

April 11

There are one-hit wonders, and then there are artists like Cerys Matthews. She was the lead singer in 90's band Catatonia, which almost made the jump across the pond with songs like "Mulder and Scully" and "Road Rage". But while they made their mark in the UK over the course of three albums, they never charted in the US. The band broke up in 2001, and Cerys went through her alt-country phase, moving to Nashville for a few years. But she's back in the UK now, and returning to the style and sound that was all her own.
Here's some vintage Catatonia, from their third album. Matter of fact, it's a catchy song whose only crime is it sounds too much like its older brothers and sisters. Here's a visit to "Londonium":

April 10

I'm a little off schedule, due to a hectic weekend. But I'd feel like playing Dashboard Confessional's "Hands Down" anyway (thanks for being born, Chris Carraba!)

Here's one critic's review, when he ranked it the best alternative song of 2003:
"The song starts like the mind coaching itself through a first date, whispering the things it can't say. The drums rumble like a motorcycle, the guitars jangle like they're supposed to. Then you get to the bridge, and it slows down, and you're enjoying this break as the words exult while you wait for the chorus to return, but instead the song keeps roaring and building; it's not slowing down, it's raising up, it's tearing down walls, it's exploding like fireworks all over the place, it's shifting tectonic plates, someone's turned on the lights all over the universe, shooting stars become as plentiful as bumblebees, herds of humpback whales are soaring out of the water in majestic arcs overhead, Jesus is giving you a hive-five, the Bills have won the Super Bowl, the Bills have won the Super Bowl - all because you are here and she wants you to be here..."
Man, that writer was a genius...

April 6

Today is for Goggi. Georg Holm, Sigur Ros bassist, is an iconoclast in an idiosyncratic band. He's the most comfortable with the English language, since he lived in England for a brief time. He's one of the few Icelanders with a family last name (most Icelanders wear some variation of "Son of My Father" and "Daughter of That Dude") He catches trout with his bare teeth. He's been a part of Sigur Ros since the beginning (the only other bandmember that can claim that title is lead vocalist Jonsi 'Son-of-Birgi'.)
Since the band announced their extended break in 2010, this is as much Sigur
Ros as we can get for a while...

March 23

I'm writing about Kevin Paul Godfrey, a.k.a. Epic Soundtracks, the British drummer who co-founded the Swell Maps with his brother, Nikki Sudden, in the late 70's. The Swell Maps first made waves in the wake of the Punk revolution, but their reputation is built more on who came after: Wire, Sonic Youth, lo-fi... Heck, before yesterday, I would have thought "Heard About Seymour" was an Artic Monkeys cover:

The Swell Maps rocked until 1980; Epic continued recording solo and collaborative stuff until he died in his sleep in 1997. His brother (who himself passed away in 2006) maintains that Epic died from a broken heart.
He was getting props from 90's alt-rock cogniscenti when his first solo album came out (he got assists from guys from Dinosaur Jr, The Lemonheads, Sonic Youth, The Waterboys...) But I haven't found any clips of his songs online. So here's another Swell Maps track for ya:

March 18

Today's post is for Miki Berenyi, vocalist for 90's shoegazer band Lush. Listening to Lush takes me back to college, trying to learn computer programming, and sneaking off to the local radio station to play records until dawn. Lush made for a great soundtrack at 3AM, when you're the only human awake and you feel like a spacewalk.
The band lasted until 1998; Miki found a new career in publishing. Even with an online campaign encouraging her to return to the mic, she's voiced contentment for her lot in life. At least we have the songs...

March 1

Today, I'm glad I'm not a podcast, because today, I say "Happy Birthday" to Dafydd Ieuan, drummer for Super Furry Animals, a band that you do not want to play Scrabble with. I know it's probably said like it's spelled, but it's still intimidating to look at for me.
And I apologize for not showing a video that atually has the band in it, but this video's too irresistible for me:

January 30

Today's the birthday of Mark Eitzel, singer for American Music Club. Today's also a day I'm snowed in, so here's a clip to go with their song "Western Sky". Don't know why this makes me feel as comfy as tomato soup and grilled cheese, but it does...