Friday, February 25, 2011

...and all of a sudden it's February 1991

I was searching material for a post about the so-called Madchester scene; in my intentions it would take three sub-posts at least, in order to define, to discuss, to... explain (to myself, first) its role in the decade this blog is about.
It's such hard mission, and my English doesn't assist me the way I need it to. So many cool things to say, yet so few adjectives to convey the message.
Anyway...
While idly drifting from site to site, I stumbled upon a date, no... two dates.
The Charlatans released "Over rising", one of their most legendary singles, on the 25th of February 1991. The year after, on the 24th of February, they published my favourite single of theirs, "Weirdo".
You realize time is not on your side anymore when the songs of your life are twenty years old.

The Charlatans - Over rising (1991)


The Charlatans - Weirdo (1992)

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

throwing muses et. al.

there are three ladies that go together in the american indie musical landscape of the 90s; kristin hersh, tanya donelly and kim deal. all of them also go together with my favorite label, 4AD.

the first of them, kristin hersh, formed throwing muses in the early 80s (in her early teens). in the line-up were her stepsister, the second of the ladies, tanya donelly. they were signed by 4AD in '86. in '91 their 4th and pure fantastic album the real ramona was released, after which tanya donelly left the band. by then donelly had already started a side project with kim deal (of pixies) called the breeders. later that year, 1991, she also formed belly, one of my absolute favorite bands. more about them in a later post.

a few year later kristin hersh also started to release solo albums, something she's continued to do. she also formed 50 foot wave in 2003.

here's throwing muses "not too soon" off of the real ramona. love it!



also, here's "bright yellow gun" from album university from '95. (no real video)



also, "your ghost" from hersh's first solo album hips and makers. interesting note: michael stipe sings backgrund vocals here.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Oh, my lover!

The first time we met was in 1992, and it was true love at first sight.
And we've never parted since then.
I can say I somehow grew with her. I couldn't imagine my 90s (and my 00s) without her fierce glance and her ruby lips (and her smile often turning into a grin); I loved and still love the way she looks so real whether she shouts out her power and majesty in a fake leopard-skin coat or she drags you in the darkest corners of her heart with a shivering falsetto, dressed like a contemporary Emily Bronte.
She is PJ Harvey, and today, 14th of February, her new album "Let England shake" is out.
If this blog survives, I'm going to write much more about her; so, for now, to salute her new work, celebrate Valentine's Day (do we really need it? No, of course) and give a hint of what took place yesterday here in Italy , here's "Mansize".

I'm coming up man-sized
skinned alive

I want to fit

I've got to get

man-sized

I'm heading on

handsome

Got my leather boots on


PJ Harvey - Mansize (1993)

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Oops! I gigged again

It's been more than a year since the last time I grabbed a guitar.
I thought I wouldn't fall into temptations again, but... it happened.
Last week, in a rehearsal room.
And.. uh! I wasn't alone.
So I think I can state that I play again in (a sort of) a band, somehow.
We're only in two, so far. Me on bass and voice and a friend of mine on guitar.
A third member is going to join us soon. A real bass player. So I'll switch to rhythm guitar.
And by the end of the month we would succeed in dragging a drummer, too.
This is the nth time I try to make music again. But this time it's different!! Promise!

While checking amps, microphones and volumes, we wanted to put our sense of rhythm to the test.
I'm not a big fan of so called "math rock" (like "Don Caballero", for instance); even if I was, I wouldn't be able to play anything "mathematic".
The most complicated thing that came to my mind was "Vasoline", by the Stone Temple Pilots.
Yes, it's not tortuous at all, on a rhythmic level, and.. yes, I'm a very poor guitar player (yet excellent songwriter, oh yes yes yes!).
But that song is marvellous.
(Original video here, and here)

Stone Temple Pilots - Vasoline (1994)