150 years

Today Italy celebrates 150 years of unity.
I however think Italians don't have that much to celebrate these days.
And if you happened to read about Italy politics, you'd agree with me and with a good half of italian citizens.
A-ny-way...
Since I'm Italian and I didn't display a national flag on my window, I want to celebrate somehow.
Is there anything fancier than a 90s video and anything more proper than an italian one?

Viva l'Italia!


(for the record: in 1997 my band opened for them. I stored the event poster somewhere. In case you don't believe it...)

Mao - Satelliti (1997)

The "if I were an astronaut about to launch etc..." list

Nick Hornby, in "High fidelity", showed us the delightful art of compiling lists.
It's more satisfying than what you may think, unless your mind can't go further than a dull "my favourite 10 albums" list.
Along the years I happened to come across intriguing lists like "songs to be heard at my funeral", classics like "songs to shag to" (or "ALBUMS to shag to", in case you were that type) or weird inventories like "most useless member of a band" (uh... if I don't get wrong, I read it on the Melody Maker, and the "winner" was awkward skinny allucinated-eyed Bez of the Happy Mondays. Actually, his role was to play maracas and dance. Although maracas were not hearable and he danced like "a man who needs the bathroom trying to start a fight at a bus stop"*).
Anyway, talking about oddness, here's my "songs I'd listen to if I were an astronaut in the Space Shuttle two minutes before countdown starts" list.
Imagine yourself, sitting stiff and tensed in a Space Shuttle about to lunch, alone in your spacesuit, breathing like Darth Vader, halfway between the warm confidence of your beloved ones, the noise and confusion of your earthly life, and the cold, astonishing silence of the great beyond.
What would it be your soundtrack?
That's my choice:
#5
Foo Fighters - Next year (1999**)
Widely predictable.

#4
Blur - Far out (1994)
Ground control for the Major Damon...

#3
R. Kelly - I believe I ca... no, joking.

#3
Nine Inch Nails - A warm place (1994)
Because I'll need an instrumental

#2
Mansun - Wide Open Space (1996)

(I suggest you to have a listen to the acoustic version here)

#1
Spiritualized - Ladies and gentlemen, we are floating in space (1997)
Anything to add?


*: by David Pollock in independent.co.uk. Full excellent review here.
**: ok, the single was released in 2000; but I received the album as a Christmas present, in 1999.

So-called alternative sister

Yesterday* my sister turned 31.
But she still is a 14 years old girl to me, at a time when she was mad about Pearl Jam, Blur and so-called 90s alternative music.
I supposed it's so common for older brothers to see their younger sisters like... they were eternally framed in their teenage years; and I presume I'd feel the same even if she turned 40, or got married or spawned noisy creatures called "nephews".
But I arrogantly think my case is even more serious, and that's because so many memories of my "90s in music" are closely related to her: all those records we listened to together, all those VHS tapes as mementos of all the music videos and TV programmes we watched together, all those gigs of unknown local bands we went to...
We shared happy and unforgettable moments like that festival in 1999 (where Courney Love ordered the security staff to get rid of the "fan" who throwed a bottle on stage during Hole' set, and where Butch Vig had been only a spit's throw from me), as well as dreary ones, like the day Kurt Cobain egoistically resolved he would leave us orphans.
So many things changed since then (and how changed we are...).
(The words "The End" on the screen, melancholic violins, end credits.
This oh-so-personal post is finally over)

Yesterday* I went to my parents' house to celebrate her birthday altogether, and I secretly took a picture (see above) of two records from her collection.
The one on the left is a (rare?) 10inch vinyl copy of Juliana Hatfield's "My sister" I bought ages ago in London and gave to her as a present (one of my favourite song ever, for the record). I thought it couldn't miss from this post.
The CD on the left is 1996 "This world and body" by british band Marion. I remember she loved that album so much.
Pretty nice song indeed.
"Our" song. Sort of.

(*: the 6th)

Marion - Sleep (1995)

...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)

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.

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)

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)