George Orwell - "1984"

Still impressive as ever. The parts of The Book were a bit boring, but Orwell was a political analist, so it's to be understood

Silly enough, I didn't remember the ending correctly. Always get confused with Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World"

Dresden Dolls - "Sing"

After reading a wonderful review of the reunion of the Dresden Dolls by by Neil Gaiman (http://blog.amandapalmer.net/post/1498306391/neil-gaiman-reviews-the-dresden-dolls-halloween-gig-for) listening to "Sing" again... shivers.

Sing for the bartender sing for the janitor sing
Sing for the cameras sing for the animals sing
Sing for the children shooting the children sing
Sing for the teachers who told you that you couldn't sing
Just sing

[...]

Sing cause its obvious sing for the astronauts sing
Sing for the president sing for the terrorists sing
Sing for the soccer team sing for the janjuweed sing
Sing for the kid with the phone who refuses to sing
Just sing

Life is no cabaret
We're inviting you anyway

You motherfuckers you'll sing someday...
You motherfuckers you'll sing someday...
You motherfuckers you'll sing someday...

Charles Bukowski - "the end of an era" (from: "Come on in!")

...

he had a
real
soul
and the usual
real
needs.

CocoRosie - "Smokey Taboo"

Never considered myself a fan of CocoRosie, but this strange floriental (floating oriental) song is haunting and nice.

Novastar - "Tunnelvision" (2007)

What is it that this song makes me think of? Some sad, lingering sound, yet with tempo.

Nice.

Paul Auster - "New York Trilogy"

Wrote so many notes during reading I'm not sure what to write here.

Blown away. Meta-writing to the max, superbe!

It keeps you wondering and wondering even more, changing thoughts and ideas all the time.

What a genius.

(I know, I'm not writing anything useful down. I'll see what I can do later on)

Charles Bukowski - "Come On In! new poems"

These poems are part of an archive of unpublished work that Charles Bukowski left to be published after his death.

Still love his deadpan voice.

Makes me wonder what it is like to write (poetry) on a typewriter.

It makes me starting to see the poetry in spilled salt, in the strong gusts of winds that whip the unfamiliar rain around, in everything.

... that their
morning eagerness
means that
they retired early
and thus wasted the
preceding
night

Pauline Cornelisse - "Taal is zeg maar echt mijn ding"

Aardig om te lezen, zeker als verpozing of uitstel van nare, drukke zaken.

Het is voornamelijk een opsomming van waarnemingen. Sommigen beter dan anderen. Gaat nooit dieper, da's jammer.

Doet je even stilstaan bij je eigen taalgebruik en rare zinnetjes.

Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)

Cult rockopera, starring Anthony Head (and Paris Hilton, eew!)

Amusing enough, though not overly drunkenly fun... it becomes better in the end.

And they, the fact that Paris Hilton allowed her face to fall off on stage is a definite plus.

Sunshine (2007)

Directed by Danny Boyle, music by Underworld

The sun is dying. Mankind has sent their last hope, "Icarus 2" to the sun, with an immense nuclear payload to restart it.

A psychological thriller, having to choose between crewmembers when not enough oxygen is left, guild, and deep desires.

One of the most chilling moments was the whispered "What do you see? What do you see?!" of the shrink to the captain, prior before his death after fixing some of the panels.

The "sudden" appearance of the crazy guy seemed a bit of a deus ex machina (well, the other way around I guess), but I did not care too much.

The "snaps" of near-insane crewmembers when a flashlight flashes over the camera, prior to entering "Icarus I" was wonderful.

Impressive eye-candy.

Theatrum Chemicum - "Preghiera Al Grande Archiletto Dell Universe" (Verso La Luce)

farewell ...

Roddy Doyle - "Blood"

from "Stories", an anthology by Al Sarrantonio and Neil Gaiman

Lovely small story about a man craving to bite necks. The 4-word adagium of the book, "...and then what happened?", applies pretty well.

My Brightest Diamond - "Inside a Boy"

strange clip, fascinating.
Music pretty good.
( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB-FLxglSOA&feature=related )
(don't watch "be my husband".. that's sad. like, not--funny sad)

Coffee: Sulawesi Kalossi

The strongest of the three bought in London.

Great coffee, no strong aftertaste. No specific strong flavours.

Errol Morris - "The Fog Of War (The 11 lessons of Robert McNamara)"

RobertMcNamara to Fidel Castro (1992)

lesson 1: emphasize with your enemy

lesson 2: rationality will not save us

Robert McNamara

"I have three questions for you
1. Did you know the missiles were there?
2. Would you have recommended Kruschev to use them?
3. What would have happened to Cuba?"

Fidel Castro answered: 

"1. yes
2. I not only would, I did recommend using them
3. Cuba would have been destroyed."

lesson 3: there's more beyond one self.

lesson 4: maximize efficiency

about the nuclear bombing of Tokyo:

interviewer: you knew this was going to happen?
Robert McNamara: well I was part of a mechanism that recommended it

lesson 5: proportionality should be an issue in war

(Errol Morris certainly has his own style. Keep wondering about the many cuts in the middle of sentences though. Sometimes it seems a strange kind of MTV clip, switching every couple of seconds, while the gracious sentences keep rolling on.

lesson 6: get the data

lesson 7: belief and seeing are both often wrong

Errol Morris (is it him?) is sometimes heard, and he's very very eager, angry almost. Far from the objective journalist.

lesson 8: be prepared to reexamine your reasonings

lesson 9: in order to do good, you may have to engage in evil

Definitely do not agree with him. He's sometimes too quicksilver about the moral highground. "When I was secretary of state, Agent Orange was used. After the war, some said this was a toxic chemical. But let's look at the law for a moment. We don't have a clear law stating which chemicals are illegal. I would never allow the use of an illegal chemical. Did I sanction its use? I cannot remember."

Quite intriguing though.

lesson 10: never say never

McNamara: never answer the question that's been asked. Answer the question you wish had been asked.

lesson 11: you can't change human nature

"The fog of war means, it's so complex it's beyond the human mind to comprehend. Our judgement, our understanding, are not adequate. And we kill people."

And again Philip Glass did the score.

Duffy - "Endlessly"

Can't help to shake off the memory of Olivia Newton-John in Grease, the way she sings, the lyrics.. violins and a slightly high-pitched voice as if she had a whiff of helium.

update

Actually, it's not bad. It's good backgroundmusic, which means it's not interesting enough to really listen to.

update

and "lovestruck" is 95% Kylie M.

House-roll

better make this a separate overwhelming grabbing-all post

• Werde:Erdball - "Lass mich ein Komputer sein" (!)
• Antiloop - "In My Mind" (!)
• Zombie Nation - "Kernkraft 400" (!!)
• Darude - "Feel The Beat"
• Werde:Erdball - "Sternenkind"
• PPK - "Resurrection" (!)
• PPK - "Reload" (resurrection sequel) (mneuh)
• Grauzone - "Ich möchte ein Eisbär sein" (-)

Zombie Nation - "Kernkraft 400"

Am I mistaken, or am I on a house-roll?

Antiloop - "In My Mind"

90's techno-house (not too hard)

beautiful when coding in a silent world at 7am

Welle:Erdball - "Lass uns ein Computer sein"

Komm nun zu mir und schalt mich an.
Drück meine Tasten sanft und dann,
lad mein Programm in dich herein
so können wir vollkommen sein.

Wir werden monoton und kühl.
Es gibt kein Schmerz und kein Gefühl.
Wir speichern alles in uns ein,
und würden auch unsterblich sein.

Dass ist ein Zustand der sich lohnt
von allem Menschlichem verschont.
Jetzt ist es endlich an der Zeit,
die Technik steht für uns bereit.

Jetzt sind wir ganz weit weg von hier
zu einer Einheit schmelzen wir.
Die ganze Welt ist viel zu klein,
so lass uns ein Computer sein.

Wir würden bald die Welt regiern
und jeden Sinn für Zeit verliern.
Ich wär ewig mit dir allin,
komm lass uns ein Computer sein.

lass uns ein Computer sein.

Jetzt sind wir ganz weit weg von hier
zu einer Einheit schmelzen wir.
Die ganze Welt ist viel zu klein,
so lass uns ein Computer sein.

Jetzt sind wir ganz weit weg von hier
zu einer Einheit schmelzen wir.
Die ganze Welt ist viel zu klein,
so lass uns ein Computer sein.

Progamm geladen
der Start erfolgt jetzt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFCL_yHmSjk

Emilina Torrini - "Thinking Out Loud"

...

Like the leaves at my feet
He is a victim of gravity
The unbearable colour of things
Gets him down

And as his raincoat covers me
We know it was never raining

Sorry it was me
Was I thinking out loud
Sorry it was me
Was I thinking out loud
Sorry it was me
Was I thinking out loud
Sorry it was me
Was I thinking out loud

Like strings in a fan
The shoelaces aren't done
The solitude reflection of his fate
Gets him down

And as the shadow covers me
I thought he was only sleeping

Sorry it was me
Was I thinking out loud
Sorry it was me
Was I thinking out loud
Sorry it was me
Was I thinking out loud
Sorry it was me
Was I thinking out loud

His clothes on the floor
Underwear silverlined
The smell of lavender and tar
Brings me down

If the telephone should ring
God knows it could never be him

...

Emiliana Torrini - "If you go away"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrj3YPTCbtA

One of the most haunting versions I've heard so far.

Juan Gabriel Vásquez over Joseph Conrad

In ‘De geheime geschiedenis van Costaguano’, uw tweede roman, speelt de Pools-Britse schrijver Joseph Conrad een grote rol.

,,Ja, zijn invloed strekt zich uit over alles wat ik schrijf. Van hem heb ik geleerd wat je in een roman allemaal kan. Een romanschrijver moet de duistere plekken opzoeken, in de wereld, maar ook in de mensheid, en daar vervolgens zo nauwgezet mogelijk verslag van doen.’’

[...]

„Zeker, maar er is wel een verschil met de positie van de schrijver hier [Europa] en in Zuid-Amerika. Schrijvers worden daar nog altijd gezien als mensen die ertoe doen. Misschien is dat lang niet altijd terecht, maar belangrijk is dat de woorden van schrijvers en intellectuelen daar nog serieus worden genomen. Ze maken mensen kwaad, men vreest ze. Vargas Llosa heeft onlangs nog Hugo Chavez uitgedaagd met hem te debatteren. Chavez ging die uitdaging niet aan. Hij durfde niet.’’

Een geschiedenis die zichzelf als de enige ware ziet, baart dictaturen.

[NRC, 2010-11-27]

Swans - "Why Are We Alive"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbuiZdzRfqo

Tragic, slow-buildup. Pretty nice, but will a whole album not become boring?

update: definitely has its Current 93 ish moments.

Greg Bear - "Darwin's Radio" and "Darwin's Children"

Amusing enough, but read both books very fast.

Wisława Szymborska - De brieven van de doden

De brieven van de doden lezen we als hulpeloze goden,
goden niettemin - omdat wij van later datum zijn.
Wij weten welk geld niet werd teruggegeven.
Met wie de weduwen overhaast in het huwelijk traden.
Arme doden, blind geslagen doden,
steeds bedrogen, falend, stuntelig in hun zorgzaamheid.
We zien het gegrijns en de tekens achter hun rug.
En onze oren horen het geristel van verscheurde testamenten.
Komisch zitten ze voor ons, als op beboterde broodjes,
of rennen als bezeten om hun afgewaaide hoed te vangen.
Hun slechte smaak, Napoleon, elektriciteit en stoom,
hun dodelijke kuren voor geneeslijke ziekten,
hun dwaze Apocalyps naar Johannes,
hun valse paradijs op aarde naa Jean-Jacques...
Zwijgend observeren we hun pionnnen op het schaakbord,
zij het dat ze nu drie velden verder staan.
Al wat zij voorzagen, is heel anders uitgevallen,
of een beetje anders en dus ook heel anders.
De vurigsten van hen zien ons vol vertrouwen in de ogen:
uit hun berekeningen bleek dat ze daarin de volmaaktheid zouden schouwen.
(vertaald door Gerard Rasch)

Wisława Szymborska - Het getal pi

Het getal pi is bewonderenswaardig
drie komma een vier een.
Alle verdere cijfers zijn ook begincijfers,
vijf negen twee omdat het nooit eindigt.
Het laat zich zes vijf drie vijf niet vangen in één blik,
noch acht negen door enige berekening,
of zeven negen door enige verbeelding,
en zelfs drie twee drie acht niet door de lach of vergelijking
vier zes met wat ook maar
twee zes vier dri ter wereld.
De grootste slang op aarde houdt na ruim tien meter op.
Sprookjesslangen doen hetzelfde, al wachten ze wat langer.
De rij van cijfers die samen het getal pi vormen
laat zich niet stuiten door de rand van het papier,
kan verder gaan over de tafel, door de lucht,
over muur, blad, vogelnest, wolken, recht omhoog,
dwars door ' s hemels opgezwollen bodemloosheid.
Ach, de staart van een komeet, wat is die kort, een muizenstaartje!
Wat nietig de straal van een ster die zich in elke ruimte kromt!
Terwijl hier twee drie vijftien driehonderd negentienmijn telefoonnummer jouw maat overhemd
het jaar negentienhonderddrieënzeventig zes hoog
het aantal inwoners vijfenzestig cent
heupmaat twee vingers charade en code
waarin zing o nachtegaal, zich toch en vlieg,maar ook verzoeke de rust te bewaren liggen besloten,
en hemel en aarde zullen vergaan,
maar niet het getal pi, nee, pi zeker niet,
pi heeft nog altijd een niet onaardige vijf,
niet de eerste de beste acht,
zeker niet de minste zeven,
waarmee het de bloedeloze eeuwigheid aanspoort, ja, aanspoortom maar voort te duren.
(vertaald door Gerard Rasch)

Noord Nederlands Toneel speelt "Alice In Wonderland"

stadsschouwburg Amsterdam, 2010

Bijzonder. Overweldigend. Rauw. Explosief. Diepgravend.

En aan het einde is het hele decor ingestort, en zo hoort het ook.

Fantastisch. Zou het zo opnieuw willen zien. Alice in Wonderland, de droom is een nachtmerrie. De nachtmerrie onze samenleving. Elementen van de Friedzl-horrorstory.

En Ko van den Bosch' onnavolgbare teksten, woordjongleren...

De Rokende Rups

Ze willen ons verzuipen hier, Alice.
Het zijn de vreemdelingen.
Ze stoken de kacheltjes op,
zodat de ijsberen smelten.
En als de ijsberen gesmolten zijn,
gaan ze de Polen kappen,
omdat ze allemaal zwart werken
en er steeds meer nacht wordt aangemaakt.
De regenwouden zorgen voor nog meer water.
Alice, je ziet toch wat er gebeurt?
Het water stijg en wij zakken weg.
Ze staan te pissen tegen onze dijken
en stelen het zand van onze stranden weg.
En de tijd met haar gaten in haar hand
probeert dat zand wel aan te vullen,
maar voordat we hebben kunnen lezen
wat ze aan de zijkant van het zand van de tijd heeft gegraveerd
Is het nou God is onthutst?, of
God is goedgemutst,
is het al onder onze poten vandaan gejat.
Het zand wandelt weg
en het land gaat hardhollend achteruit.
De hHartenkoningin probeert de gaten
te dichten maar het rijmt niet meer.
En daarom moet ze steeds grovere 
stijlmiddelen gebruiken.
Ik zou graag een volkslief zingen,
maar de medeklinkers zijn gestolen
en het Babelstamelen is begonnen.

The Yes Men (documentary)

Modern Robin Hoods, being invited as representatives of the WTO, do exactly that: tell honestly exactly what the WTO is about.

"Remote worker", a golden harnass with fallus-shaped TV, in order to check and correct your teleworkers.

"Recycle your food" together with a fake McDonalds representative. The students who were present at this talk were the only ones who got angry, who shooted at them.

The other people from organizations listened politely, believing every word.

Wonderful documentary

Maserati - "Pyramid of the sun"

postrock, instrumental

pretty nice, particularly as background music in a noisy work-environment (greenbytes & blade, anyone?)

Johnny Cash - "Further Up The Road"

Where the road is dark and the seed is sowed
Where the gun is cocked and the bullet's cold
Where the miles are marked in the blood and gold
I'll meet you further on up the road

Got on my dead man's suit and my smilin' skull ring
My lucky graveyard boots and a song to sing
I got a song to sing, it keeps me out of the cold
And I'll meet you further on up the road.

Further on up the road
Further on up the road
Where the way is dark and the night is cold
One sunny mornin' we'll rise I know
And I'll meet you further on up the road.

Now I been out in the desert, just doin' my time
Searchin' through the dust, lookin' for a sign
If there's a light up ahead, well brother I don't know
But I got this fever burnin' in my soul

Further on up the road
Further on up the road
Further on up the road
Further on up the road

One sunny mornin' we'll rise I know
And I'll meet you further on up the road
One sunny mornin' we'll rise I know
And I'll meet you further on up the road.

Katie Melua - "Blame It On The Moon"

Now that it's gone too far to call for a halt,
I'll blame it on the moon
'Cause it's not my fault;
I didn't think that this would happen so soon
So I'll blame it on the moon.

Gonna blame it on the moon,
Didn't want to fall in love again so soon.

I was fine, feeling strong,
Didn't want to fall in love with anyone.

thinking of M, M, P, D, M, all the letters march by

Ricky Lee Jones - "It Hurts"

But it hurts to be here
It hurts to be here
It hurts to be here

[...]

But Monday I forget
Wednesday I just don't get
Thursday I remember and
Sunday I cry

quite fitting while browsing sad pictures of someone who stepped (unknowingly?) beyond the light.

La Illusion - Nicaragua

Beautiful black beans, looking like the ones from Viêt Nàm, almost scenting just as wonderful.

No bitter aftertaste at all. Good body, not intensily rich.

The Tunes - "Pududu!" (2010)

Dutch, swinging, bit like Mika, less glamorous

AIT! - "La Libera Democratia Societa Moderna"

Italian, Romanticismo Oltranzista (2007, Punch)

dark, swinging

(X-Rated 2010-10-03, 3rd hour)

Legendary Pink Dots - "Leap Of Faith" ("Seconds late for the Brighton line" (2010))

as legendary as they always were

Olivia Pedroli - "The Day" ("The Den" 2010)

Sad, melancholy.

Beautiful

Known before as "lolo" I think it said.

Giant Sand - "proVISIONS" (2008)

Is this the same Giant Sand as the one from which I recently listened to their latest album (such a horrible sentence. I'm gonna let it stay here to remind myself to write better)

This album is dark, think Mark Lanegan, dark alternative pop?

Jewel - "Who Will Save Your Soul"

wow, strong flashback to... studentyears, must be it.

Think Alex gave me a copy of her album.

Daniel Norgren - "Horrifying Death Eating Blood Spider"

Swedish, blues, roots, singer-songwriter

Raw, slightly crazy.

• Blind - Hey, I recognize this one
• Mean Old Devil Got On It - very Tom Waits, but that's probably because of that twingy guitar sound

Giant Sand - "Blurry Blue Mountain" (2010)

"relaxed, Americana, howe gelb, alt-country"

Sounds cool!

• Chunk of Coal - Leonard Cohen-ish, slow guitar
• Monk's Mountain - surf guitar-effect, cool, swinging
• Ride the Rail - rowhiiiiide!
• Lucky Star Love - a weird duet. not exactly beautiful, but kind of funny
• No Tellin' - slow, late-night
• Time Flies - bar-song, 4am, whiskey
• Better Man Than Me - grungy, bit Nick Cave-ish

Coffee: Monsoon Maz Abaar

(bought in London)

bit sweet.
bit shallow body, or did I prepare it too light?
perhaps more nutty than chocolate-y?
(oh wait, I didn't write chocolate-y)
no strong aftertaste at all.

Warpaint - "The Fool" (2010)

A bit of a guess, since after just listening to "Tamaryn" I wasn't sure I was in the mood for more "folk".

It turns out that "desert rock" is nothing like "shoegazing" though.

Evocative voice.

• Lissie's Heart Murmur: fast-paced, intense, rather nice.

Liked most songs, though none overly special

Tamaryn - "The Waves" (2010)

"folk, shoegazing" said the luisterpaal description.

Continuous long-stretched songs, immense soundwaves with voices that go on and on and on, becoming - for me - tiresome after a while.

Must admit I've skipped through songs after the 4th one. Working now, and it is too distracting.

Going Postal

Mini-series, basically 1 big film, split in two 90-minutes parts.

Enjoyable. Well done. A bit of a feel-good film.

But as with every Pratchett-film, I'm having a slight sense of discomfort. It is not *my* Pratchett... and I hope it never will.

Don't want no LoTR effect.

System Of A Down - "Radio / Video"

La lie lie lie lie lie lie,
Hey man! Look at me rockin' out,
I'm on the radiooooooo,
Hey man! Look at me rockin' out,
I'm on the videooooooo,
Hey man! Look at me rockin' out,
I'm on the radiooooooo,
Hey man! Look at me rockin' out,
I'm on the videooooooo,

Evil Dead 2

"Screen on the Green", London. Wonderful 1-screen cinema.

Halloween. Beer. Friends. Beer.

"You're goin' down. Chainsaw."

"Groovy."

"That's right... who's laughing now... who's laughing *now*?"

"Workshed."

Angus & Julia Stone - (various)

just got this from P, but tags indicate I've listened to them before?
sing-a-songwriter-ish... nice.

Entheogenic - "Entheogenic" (2002)

Goa-trance, again. Much more lounge than "Younger Brother". Some parlando samples. Many flutes.

Younger Brother - "A Flock Of Bleeps" (2010)

Found by following links from Shulman and Shpongle. More technical, also Goa influences.

What do these people have with song-names? "Even Dwarves Start Small"

• The Receptive - dreamy, french lyrics

Charlie Parker - "Bird Up - the Charlie Parker Remix Project"

"Night in Tunesia" : weird, chaotic, jittery like Tom Waits

"Bird up" is the name of the album. Freaky

Devotchkia - "How It Ends"

slow-long, building up, orchestral, melancholic voice

There is no escape,

From the slave-catchers' songs.
For all of the loved ones gone.
Forever's not so long.
And in your soul,
They poked a million holes.
But you never lettem show.
C'mon it's time to go.

And
You
Already know.
Yeah, you already know
How this will end.

An Pierlé - "Hinterland" (2010)

• Where Did It Come From: Tori Amos-ish. Good

The rest (from what I've heard) nice. Not impressive. Should listen to the last few songs though.

the Bees - "Every Step's A Yes"

oldfashioned, close-harmony

Shulman - "Soundscapes And Modern Tales"

ufo-talk

ambient

not-quite killernames: "Avant Garden" and "Fromage"

• elements: repeating monotonous chorus, zen-beat & flute
• Aion: klik-plop, good! strange trumpet

Shulman - "In Search Of A Meaningful Moment" (2003)

half of the Shpongle duo.

Very goa / trance, this album. Ok enough, but didn't grab me as Shpongle did.

A Clockwork Orange (1971) OST

still fabulous!!!!

Tracy Bonham - "You Don't Know Me" (Down Here)

From the same album as "Something To Give"

haunting, on the edge of hysterical..

Mark Lanegan & Isobel Campbell - "Bombed"

soft, sad, musical

The beauty of 4-letter words, neon

http://vimeo.com/10437744

De Dijk & Solomon Burke - "Hold On Tight" (2010)

• Good for nothing: doesn't really work for me. prefer the original. That's curious, because that means that the words and their meaning sound different in another language, enough to make such a difference: usually this is the other way around: better in English than in Dutch
• Perfect Song: melancholy. nice
• No One: jazzy, ok

Homer Simpson - quote

"Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals... except the weasel." - Homer Simpson

Shpongle - (various)

In the category of Ratatat, the Residents, Spy-Fi, and that catchy group, starting with a letter near the I-L..., we present "Shpongle"

Great to play, if only for its name!

Goa-trance-ish.

Divine Moments of Truth: breakbeat ish

Electroplasm - Goa, electro

Shpongolese Spoken Here - click, plop plop plop!

Ineffable Mysteries - catchy with Goa/Indian voice-pitching

Invisible Man In A Fluorescent Suit - moves from orchestral score to fastpaced catch-me tune

No Turn Un-Stoned - female voice, velvety, LushFM-ish, slow beat

Levitation Nation - south-American, party

Nothing Lasts ... - more ambient, though not really ambient vaguely ambient?

Shnitzled in the Negev - good! fantasy-world, orchestral, stammering beats and piano like Linking Park's "session"

The Stamen of the Shamen - brazil, groovy

Mentalism - dreamy electronic blips

Molecular Superstructure - very goa, vocoder, flute going slightly mental

Tron (1982)

Had to see it because of the upcoming Tron 2.0 (which looks spiffy, to say the least).

Enjoyed it tremendously. True enough, the cult status helped, but the film still manages to create its very own mood. 

Loved the "bit" humor: how to have fun with something that just says "yes" and "no". Timing, boys and girls, it's all about timing.

De Dijk & Solomon Burke

Solomon Burke died, 2010.

• Made an album with De Dijk
• "My Rose Saved From the Street"

Songs sound interesting, not overwhelming.

• 
  

Kiss The Anus Of A Black Cat - "Hewers Of Wood And Drawers Of Water"

• Flemisch
• dark, slow, guitar
• hypnotic
• folk-influences
• "Argonaut and Magneto" : sounded familiar and very good

Yann Tiersen - "Dust Lane"

• "Dust Lane" : "mac-voice" as used by Radiohead, soundscape
• "Chapter 19" : parlando, Tiersen's typical minimalistic pianola-sounds
• "Ashes" : overwhelming, building up, chorus, impressive
• "Till The End" : 1st part is repetitive (in a slightly boring way), but it is followed by a lovely build-up
• "Fuck Me" : if this was called, "baise moi", at least it would have *sounded* slightly Amélie-ish. That was probably the reason to give it this name.

definitely 'harder', not the friendly Amélie sound. But it has accordeons and is beautifully musical.

Stephen Fry - "The Life of a Manic Depressant"

touching and wonderful document about people with the bipolar syndrome. He is a wonderful interviewer, who doesn't shun showing his own emotions.

"would you press a button that would erase your syndrome completely?" Only one would. The rest love their manic moments too much. 

Lithium: "I don't want to be part of the lithium generation." Symptoms come back and *worse* after taking lithium compared to the symptoms before lithium was used. Wow.

"Eat, Drink, Man, Woman"

Father, a masterchef, and his three daughters live through the difficulty of life and love against the background of lovely food.

How hungry can you get from watching a film!? What "Chocolat" did for bonbons, does this film for Asian cooking. Drooling images.

"Man On Wire"

Impressive documentary of a french guy insisting to rope-walk between the two WTC towers. Part heist, part psychological profile. Impressive.

"The Boat That Rocked"

Radio-pirates!

Lovely doc/mockumentary about radio-pirates on a boat in the North Sea, defying the government and its cold bans on everything inappropriate.

Great music, 1967's 1968's, wonderful characters, lively story.

The deleted scenes (45 min or so!) are almost just as much fun as the film.

Sam Cook - "Summertime"

bit "haunty" as the Doctor rightfully said

Hard Candy

Grim film with Ellen Page as a 14 yo taking revenge on a pedophile.

Explicit use of strong colours and repeating camera movements. Particularly the visual effect was interesting in the beginning, but it began to slightly wear off after a while.

There was a sudden change in colorisation (enough to make me wonder whether my TV was doing something weird) but it was probably meant to emphasize the change in mood. Should not be necessary.

Was a bit doubtful how believable his suicide in the end (persuaded by her, since his crimes would come out) was, but it was ok.

Interesting.

Metal Gear Solid Soundtrack - "The Best Is Yet To Come"

Oldie but goodie...

hack.SIGN

A boy finds himself in "the World", an online (immersive VR-like) game, unable to log out, and not sure how he ended up there.

Strange, but pretty nice.

E.M. Forster - "A Passage To India"

Interesting, and some wonderful paragraphs, but had to force myself more to read it than I would've preferred.

Inception (2010)

Impressive!

Long film, didn't feel like it. Keeps an impressive pace. The "heist" part is amusing, oesn't get boring at all.

Long discussions about the last shot (the totem, circling forever on the table). They're still not finished, and of course there's an NDA, so hush hush for now.

Let's say I found some errors / inconsistencies within the film, but they didn't downgrade my opinion at all. Impressive storytelling.

Kula Shaker - "Peter Pan R.I.P."

Violins, britpop-ish, slightly sad, 

Toy Story 3 (3D)

Pixar short: "Day and Night"

brilliant! A 3D adventure with essentially two 2D figures!

short, funny, sad... marvellous

Toy Story 3

Liked it!

way ahead of 2 and 1 concerning graphics of course

but story-wise, even more so: this was a "true" Pixar film: funny, passionate, sad, scary almost

the "near-death" scene is definitely impressive, very very much so

Raymond E. Feist - "Magician

2nd book of the Riftwar saga.

Bought because of the long trip home from San Diego.

Not bad. Not particularly good. Better than the first, I'd say, but still superficial, and the "Game" that sounded so promising, has hardly been touched and might not be that interesting at all.

[actually, I haven't finished it, and small chance I will anytime soon. Tag as finished to get rid of it.]

Daniel Mason - "A Far Country"

As poetic as "The Pianotuner"

There's not many quotes I wrote down. If I would have done so, half the book would be printed here.

When she thought of him now, she realized she couldn't remember his entire face, only fragments of it. He is ceasing to be, she thought, but then later she wondered: Maybe I am getting closer, to that place where a person breaks into pieces - a walk, a laugh, a smell, the strength in an arm. Isaias used to say this when they told stories of grandparents or aunts who were gone. Think, he said, of people you know, You don't know their faces, You know bits of them, their movement, their voice, The closer you are, the more broken they become.

Used this book while writing. Reading a few pages and then writing. It helped a lot to eliminate so many useless words, empty sentences.

Lange Frans & Sef Thissen - "Het zwaard van Damocles"

Een tragisch oud jaren-60 begin gemixt met een rustige rap van Lange Frans. Hedendaagse dystopie in de stijl van "Vluchten kan niet meer".
Heeft wel wat, maar even belangrijk was het volgende stuk tekst
en aan de rand van het ravijn
blijft heel de wereld dansen
tot er geen morgen meer zal zijn
en de muziek verstomt
Vooral die 2e zin: blijft heel de wereld dansen. Niet staan. Niet hangen. Maar dansen. Op de één of andere manier is die zin zo raak, zo juist, zo perfect. Wow.

Met dank aan de immer fantastische Def P. voor het draaien hiervan.

Toy Story 2 (1999)

Same year as the Matrix. Things have changed.

Visually, absolutely better. More puns, both visually and in storyline.

Story-wise amusing enough. Not special.

Watched this and the first so I can see 3D number 3 this afternoon.

Toy Story (1995)

The classic.

Have I seen it? Perhaps.

Amusing enough, though its relevance for animation exceeds the story-telling. This is not (yet) as brilliantly Pixar as Pixar will become, imho.

Gregory David Page - "Ocean of dreams"

"I wrote this song for my neighbour, who lives in a house without running water, who chainsmokes cigarettes and drinks Budweiser."

That sums it up pretty well.

Nice song.

Ilanois - "Chase the Sundown With Me"

Dutch band, heard on KinkFM.

Catchy song, bit old-fashioned guitarsound to it, wonderful minor chords

update

Alas, the other two songs are of the common whiny-singer-songwriter-as-band type

Timber Timbre - "Until The Night Is Over"

Canadian blues/folk singer.

It's catchy if you start with dark audio and the words "there's a house in New Orleans..."

There is a house in New Orleans
Where you woke from a coma and they bit your cheek
And they cleaned you out when you went to sleep

Oh, I just wanna change your mind
I just wanna change your mind
And it might become right away
It might become till the day I'm done

And I saw it as the house caught fire
And I saw it when the thief got brave
It's like a night, night, crawler, crawlin' out in the yard
And it's comin' over me in waves

But you're haunted by the morning sun
You keep digging till the night is over

I ain't no doctor, babe
I ain't no doctor, son
But I'll cool your fever till the doctor comes
It's a miracle, babe, but it ain't no fun

I just wanna change your mind
I just wanna change your mind
It might become right away
It might become till the day I'm done

And I saw it as the house caught fire
And I saw it when the thief got brave
It's like a night, night, crawler, crawlin' out in the yard
And it's comin' over me in waves

But it's not here now
It's the chance of it I hate
It's a hundred thousand miles off
Comin' closer everyday

update

it's a nice song, but wasn't very impressed by the other songs I found on myspace. Quite peculiar voice, it must be said

Death In Vegas - "Dirge"

trippy.

Could easily be added to "siren's lament" Qollections, though the backing is harder than most songs in that category.

William Gibson - "Burning Chrome"

Collection of shorts, ending with "Burning Chrome".

I'd have to reread it to properly write about it here, but it is absolutely amazing. Every single story.

Giardini Di Mirò - "Il Fuoco"

heard 4 songs on X-Rated: "X", "XX", "XXX" and "XXXX"

Post-rock, they say it's called. Beautiful soundscapes with violins.

Emmylou Harris - "All My Tears"

When I go don`t cry for me
In my fathers arms I`ll be
The wounds this world left on my soul
Will all be healed and I`ll be whole

[...]

It don`t matter where you bury me
I`ll be home and I`ll be free
It don`t matter where I lay
All my tears be washed away

Chuck Palahniuk - "Lullaby"

Small and intriguing book, in which the existence of a "culling song", a song to be read (sung) to dying elders, soldiers, young infants when no food was around, to give them peace, of mind, body and life.

Main character Streator and Helen Hoover Boyle become a dark Bonnie & Clyde, intent on destroying the book, yet wishing for more. He couldn't stop.

Loved the story, and the characters. He repeats a lot, it made me think of "Slaughterhouse 5" (poo-tee-weet?)

Kurt Vonnegut - "Welcome to the Monkey House"

Collection of stories, among which the short with the same title.

Almost every single one is amazing. Whether it's sci-fi, magic realism or realistic, within a few pages he creates a gripping world and characters that get you by the balls.

Jim Jarmusch - "Derailed"

Definitely different in style from "Down By Law" and "Dead Man". In style, I definitely liked those more. More special, estranged.

Perhaps not the right film to watch right now... then again, happy end and all that.

Never been a big fan of Jennifer Aston, prejudice due to "Friends" and all that, but she wasn't bad.

American cities... how scared should I be. Scared whiteboy...

Jim Jarmusch - "Down By Law"

Tom Waits, Roberto... (that Italian guy)

Wonderful film. To see and be seen many many times more.

Already commented on openingstrack. Not much music, rest of the film. Not much needed.

Julia Copus - "The Back Seat of My Mother's Car"

We left before I had time
to comfort you, to tell you that we nearly touched
hands in that vacuous half-dark. I wanted
to stem the burning waters running over me like tiny
rivers down my face and legs, but at the same time I was reaching out
for the slit in the window where the sky streamed in,
cold as ether, and I could see your fat mole-fingers grasping
the dusty August air. I pressed my face to the glass;
I was calling to you - Daddy! - as we screeched away into
the distance, my own hand tingling like an amputation.
You were mouthing something I still remember, the noiseless words
piercing me like that catgut shriek that flew up, furious as a sunset
pouring itself out across the sky. The ensuing silence
was the one clear thing I could decipher -
the roar of the engine drowning your voice,
with the cool slick glass between us.

With the cool slick glass between us,
the roar of the engine drowning, your voice
was the one clear thing I could decipher -
pouring itself out across the sky, the ensuing silence
piercing me like that catgut shriek that flew up, furious as a sunset.
You were mouthing something: I still remember the noiseless words,
the distance, my own hand tingling like an amputation.
I was calling to you, Daddy, as we screeched away into
the dusty August air. I pressed my face to the glass,
cold as ether, and I could see your fat mole-fingers grasping
for the slit in the window where the sky streamed in
rivers down my face and legs, but at the same time I was reaching out
to stem the burning waters running over me like tiny
hands in that vacuous half-dark. I wanted
to comfort you, to tell you that we nearly touched.
We left before I had time.

Ezra Pound - "Altaforte"

LOQUITUR: En Bertrans de Born.
Dante Alighieri put this man in hell for that he was a stirrer up of strife.
Eccovi!
Judge ye!
Have I dug him up again?
The scene is at his castle, Altaforte. "Papiols" is his jongleur. "The Leopard," the device of Richard Coeur de Lion.

I

Damn it all! all this our South stinks peace.
You whoreson dog, Papiols, come! Let's to music!
I have no life save when the swords clash.
But ah! when I see the standards gold, vair, purple, opposing
And the broad fields beneath them turn crimson,
Then howls my heart nigh mad with rejoicing.

II

In hot summer have I great rejoicing
When the tempests kill the earth's foul peace,
And the lightnings from black heav'n flash crimson,
And the fierce thunders roar me their music
And the winds shriek through the clouds mad, opposing,
And through all the riven skies God's swords clash.

III

Hell grant soon we hear again the swords clash!
And the shrill neighs of destriers in battle rejoicing,
Spiked breast to spiked breast opposing!
Better one hour's stour than a year's peace
With fat boards, bawds, wine and frail music!
Bah! there's no wine like the blood's crimson!

IV

And I love to see the sun rise blood-crimson.
And I watch his spears through the dark clash
And it fills all my heart with rejoicing
And pries wide my mouth with fast music
When I see him so scorn and defy peace,
His lone might 'gainst all darkness opposing.

V

The man who fears war and squats opposing
My words for stour, hath no blood of crimson
But is fit only to rot in womanish peace
Far from where worth's won and the swords clash
For the death of such sluts I go rejoicing;
Yea, I fill all the air with my music.

VI

Papiols, Papiols, to the music!
There's no sound like to swords swords opposing,
No cry like the battle's rejoicing
When our elbows and swords drip the crimson
And our charges 'gainst "The Leopard's" rush clash.
May God damn for ever all who cry "Peace!"

VII

And let the music of the swords make them crimson!
Hell grant soon we hear again the swords clash!
Hell blot black for always the thought "Peace!" 

Kona Pacphee - "IVF"

I come home early, feel the pale house close
around me as the pressure of my blood
knocks at my temples, feel it clench me in
its cramping grasp, the fierceness of its quiet
sanctioning the small and listless hope
that I might find it mercifully empty.

Dazed, I turn the taps to fill the empty
tub, and draw the bathroom door to close
behind me. I lie unmoving, feel all hope
leaching from between my legs as blood
tinges the water, staining it the quiet
shade of a winter evening drifting in

on sunset. Again, no shoot of life sprouts in
this crumbling womb that wrings itself to empty
out the painfully-planted seeds. The quiet
doctors, tomorrow, will check their notes and close
the file, wait for the hormones in my blood
to augur further chances, more false hope.

My husband holds to patience, I to hope,
and yet our clockworks are unwinding. In
the stillness of the house, we hear our blood
pumped by hearts that gall themselves, grow empty:
once, this silence, shared, could draw us close
that now forebodes us with a desperate quiet.

I hear him at the door, but I lay quiet,
as if, by saying nothing, I may hope
the somehow his unknowingness may close
a door on all the darkness we've let in:
the nursery that's seven years too empty;
the old, unyielding stains of menstrual blood.

Perhaps I wish the petitioning of my blood
for motherhood might falter and fall quiet,
perhaps I wish that we might choose to empty
our lives of disappointment, and of hope,
but wishes founder - we go on living in
the shadow of the cliffs now looming close:

the blood that's thick with traitorous clots of hope;
the quiet knack we've lost, of giving in;

the empty room whose door we cannot close.

(sestina)

Les Miserables

Listening to almost the whole damn beautiful thing.

Gin. Orange-juice.

A., waar ben je? Gin hoort niet alleen gedronken te worden.

Tom Waits - "Jockey Full of Bourbon"

Openingstrack of Jim Jarmusch' "Down By Law"

Amazing. Seems somehow a contemporary of True Blood's opening sequence with Jace Everett - "Bad Things"

Edna Million in a drop dead suit
Dutch pink on a downtown train
Two dollar pistol but the gun won't shoot
I'm in the corner in the pouring rain
16 men on a deadman's chest
And I've been drinking from a broken cup
2 pairs of pants and a mohair vest
I'm full of bourbon; I can't stand up.
Chorus:
Hey little bird, fly away home
Your house is on the fire; your children all alone
Hey little bird, fly away home
Your house is on the fire; your children all alone
Schiffer broke a bottle on Morgan's head
And I've been stepping on the devil's tail

Across the stripes of a full moon's head
Through the bars of a Cuban jail
Bloody fingers on a purple knife
A flamingo drinking from a coctail glass
I'm on the lawn with somebody else's wife
Come admire the view from up on top of the mast
Chorus
Yellow sheets in a Hong Kong bed
Stazybo horn and a Slingerland ride
To the carnival is what she said
A hundred dollars makes it dark inside

Sunsofa - "Weepin' Willow"

Happy swinging like Room Eleven.

From Sittard.

Skunk Anansie - "My Ugly Boy"

Sounds pretty good, oldfashioned Skunk Anansie style

Amanda Palmer - "I Want You, But I Don't Need You"

(the original is by Momus, but I prefer the Amanda Palmer version.

I like you, and I'd like you to like me to like you
But I don't need you
Don't need you to want me to like you
Because if you didn't like me
I would still like you, you see
La la la
La la la

I lick you, I like you to like me to lick you
But I don't need you
Don't need you to like me to lick you
If your pleasure turned into pain
I would still lick for my personal gain
La la la
La la la

I fuck you, and I love you to love me to fuck you
But I don't fucking need you
Don't need you to need me to fuck you
If you need me to need you to fuck
That fucks everything up
La la la
La la la

I want you, and I want you to want me to want you
But I don't need you
Don't need you to need me to need you
That's just me
So take me or leave me
But please don't need me
Don't need me to need you to need me
Cos we're here one minute, the next we're dead
So love me and leave me
But try not to need me
Enough said
I want you, but I don't need you

La la la
La la la

I love you, and I love how you love how I love you
But I don't need you
Don't need you to love me to love you
If your love changed into hate
Would my love have been a mistake?
La la la
La la la

So I'm gonna leave you, and I'd like you to leave me to leave you
But lover believe me, it isn't because I don't need you (you know I don't need you)
All I wanted was to be wanted
But you're drowning me deep in your need to be needed
La la la
La la la la la la la la la

I want you, and I want you to want me to want you
But I don't need you
Don't need you to need me to need you
That's just me
So take me or leave me
But please don't need me
Don't need me to need you to need me
Cos we're here one minute, the next we're dead
So love me and leave me
But try not to need me
Enough said
I want you, but I don't need you

The Cure - "Love Song"

All married, all marrying. Yet...

ZZ Top - "Tush"

Yeah!

Françoise Hardy - "Message Personnel"

Au bout du téléphone, il y a votre voix
Et il y a des mots que je ne dirai pas
Tous ces mots qui font peur quand ils ne font pas rire
Qui sont dans trop de films, de chansons et de livres
Je voudrais vous les dire et je voudrais les vivre
Je ne le ferai pas, je veux, je ne peux pas
Je suis seule à crever, et je sais où vous êtes
J'arrive, attendez-moi, nous allons nous connaître
Préparez votre temps, pour vous j'ai tout le mien
Je voudrais arriver, je reste, je me déteste
Je n'arriverai pas, je veux, je ne peux pas
Je devrais vous parler, je devrais arriver ou je devrais dormir
J'ai peur que tu sois sourd, j'ai peur que tu sois lâche
J'ai peur d'être indiscrète
Je ne peux pas vous dire que je t'aime peut-être

Mais si tu crois un jour que tu m'aimes
Ne crois pas que tes souvenirs me gênent
Et cours, cours jusqu'à perdre haleine, viens me retrouver
Si tu crois un jour que tu m'aimes et si ce jour-là tu as de la peine
À trouver où tous ces chemins te mènent, viens me retrouver

Si le dégoût de la vie vient en toi
Si la paresse de la vie s'installe en toi, pense à moi, pense à moi

Mais si tu crois un jour que tu m'aimes
Ne le considère pas comme un problème
Et cours, cours jusqu'à perdre haleine, viens me retrouver
Si tu crois un jour que tu m'aimes, n'attends pas un jour, pas une semaine
Car tu ne sais pas où la vie t'emmène, viens me retrouver

Si le dégoût de la vie vient en toi
Si la paresse de la vie s'installe en toi, pense à moi, pense à moi

Mais si tu...

Mortuary

Bad horror!

Amusing enough, but only once.

Hanif Kureishi - "Intimacy"

Impressive novelle of the doubts and choices of a middle-aged man on the last night before he leaves his wife and their children.

Much to learn from his writing.

Audible sorting algorithm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8g-iYGHpEA

don't smoke while listening

Terry Pratchett - "The Carpet People"

A story written by young 19-20 yo Pratchett, co-authored by his 20 years older self.

What is "old" and "new" is, for me, impossible to say. It is definitely a Pratchett, original, wonderful storytelling, and gripping. Not as full of humour as his other books, then again, that might be me.

tiny people, living, fighting, and doing everything civilisation has invented (like lying and torture) in the Carpet, the All, the Everything...Story written by young Pratchett, edited by old Pratchett.Funny, inventive, typically Pratchett-style. Makes you wonder how much of that style has been edited in by the old Pratchett, and how of it used to be there in the original.

Admiral Radley - "I Heart California"

interesting mix of songs; singersong-writer, melancholy, rock

• I Left U Cuz I Luft U : softly rocking back and forth
• I'm All Fucked On Beer: yeah!
• Sunburn Kids

Maybeshewill - "Not For Want Of Trying"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1nrtRLhvuQ

(and where is that guy from, again? Which film??)

Building soundscape of guitars and drums, intermingled with filmquotes.

(film: "Network", 1976)

krill.minima - "nautica"

minimalistic soundscapes, more melodious than your run-off-the-mill clicks'n'plops

Four Tet - "Angel Echoes"

Latest single of Four Tet.. repeating cut-off female voice, slow triphopbeat. Nice.

Sarah Blasko - "As Day Follows Night"

Scandinavian.

Song "Over and Over" : happy, catchy, girlie. 

Pidgeons - "Here we go magic"

Canadian band?

High, wavery voice, soundscapes

Landfill - "The Sky Is Clear"

sad, strange, curious effects, Placebo-ish.

Belgian band.

Gerrit Kouwenaar - "toen wij nog jong waren"

Toen wij nog jong waren en de wereld nog oud was
en wij in een ver land op hoge bergen stonden
en in het dal diep beneden een lange roerloze
roestige trein zagen, onbestaanbaar alleen

in het oog van een hevige leegte, riep jij
terwijl je de hemel een kushand toewierp
ik ben een reisgids kinderen
leer mij lezen

en 's avonds op het plein onder kwijnende palmen
waren er wijn en olijven en een ritselend zwijgen
uit klagende kelen en het donker was week
op het scherp van de snede, en jij
jij kocht het ondraaglijke lot van een blinde
en riep het oor drinkt

nu is het dus later, een avond na jaren, de dood
stille trein is vertrokken, de tijd van het lot
is verstreken, je reisgids ligt open

onder eendere oudere bomen drink ik
de hese stem van je woorden, hoor ik je stilte -

------------------------------------------------
'een glas om te breken', 1998.

Thom Gunn - "On The Move" (excerpt)

(excerpt)

[...]

It is part solution, after all.
One is not necessarily discord
On Earth; or damned because, half animal,
One lacks direct instinct, because one wakes
Afloat on movement that divides and breaks.
One joins the movement in a valueless world,
Crossing it, till, both hurler and the hurled,
One moves as well, always toward, toward.

A minute holds them, who have come to go:
The self-denied, astride the created will.
They burst away; the towns they travel through
Are home for neither birds nor holiness,
For birds and saints complete their purposes.
At worse, one is in motion; and at best,
Reaching no absolute, in which to rest,
One is always nearer by not keeping still.

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - "Hawk"

New album. As slow as one, familiar with their older work, would expect.

• "Come Undone" : violins, dusky
• "Get Behind Me" : swinging
• "Hawk" : uptempo, no singing
• "Sunrise" : slow, estranged

Not bad, but not particularly good either.

Eels - "Tomorrow Morning"

new album.

Typically Eels.

• looking up: catchy, fast
• that's not her way: melodious
• mystery of life: weird, "nananana..."

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - "Ain't Gonna Rain Anymore"

album "Let Love In"

At his best.

David Peace - "Occupied City" (part 2 of the Tokyo Trilogy)

"What once seemed a lost child now found is but wild grasses on a lonely tomb, their dull blades nodding in sign over the wastes of this river, the wastes of this city, in sorrow, nothing else remains. Only sorrow, nothing else remains -"

12 "ghost-stories".

Perhaps a bit easier to read because I knew "how" to read him: fast, not caring much if you miss a word or two, since it's almost subconscious writing. Some stories were easier to read than others.

A difficult book though. A difficult writer.

Michael Crichton - "Timeline"

Adventure of a timetravelling history-professor in 14th century France.

Amusing enough, not particularly special. Was recommended in the context of that Dutch book (something with "parrot"??) about the guy who meets Jesus and basically takes on the role of Judas.

Shigeru Umebayashi - "House Of Flying Daggers" (OST)

xciting score.

• "Farewell 2"
• "No Way Out" - ends with abundance of slow adrenaline
• "Mei and Leo" - reminded me of "Ase's Tod" in Peer Gynth

Rage Against The Machine - "Rage Against The Machine"

• bombtrack: burn, burn, you're gonna burn!
• settle for nothing: slow
• bullet to the head: they say jump, you ask how high
• wake up!

Slayer - "South Of Heaven"

Not very familiar with them, so just searched for some albums.

Amusing enough, but I can't say I'm overwhelmed.

Prodigy - "The Big Gundown"

boingggg, powerrr!

Will this become the 3rd 8mm option?

J.B. Meijers & the Disciplines - 2Meter Live

Zeeuw, ook producer.

"musician's-musician"

Vorig jaar 1e solo-album.

Rockt. Lekker. Niet helder, maar rauw.

Low Anthem - 2Meter Sessie @ KinkFM

Listening to the very musical and slow Low Anthem 2 Meter Sessie on KinkFM (few weeks ago). 

It's nice and quiet, not irritating, but it doesn't really resonate.

Lavalu - "I Want More"

Saw her (/them) yesterday at the Parade, in the bar at the left end of the field.

Jazzy, swinging, Bjork-voice, power.

Particularly "I Want More" was amazing.

Playing 15th of October in the Sugar Factory. Should go.

Rubik's Cube

can *always* be solved in 20 steps...

http://www.cube20.org/

But actually, I'm listening to Harrie Jekkers and drinking the last white wine

Pauline Cornelisse - Zomergasten

goede chemie.

swearwords: in English, transitional sexual words are swearwords. Intransitional words are no swear words.

Lookup: Steven Pinker. See above.

Eddie Izzard: comedian, very good

David Sedaris: schrijft voor the New Yorker, en radioshow "This American Life". Erg goed over persoonlijke momenten.

Hella Haasse - VPRO marathon interview

Bedeesd, maar oprecht en voortkomend in haar opvattingen.

Een mooie dame, zo te horen, volstrekt niet arrogant, maar tegelijkertijd bewust van haar eigen kunnen en plaats.

Veel over Indonesië.

"Woud der Verwachting" vindt ze nog steeds een echt mooi boek. "Maar ik lees het ook alsof het door een ander geschreven is. Het is ook zo lang geleden. Er zijn elke keer passages waarbij me de tranen in de ogen springen."

Tool - "10.000 Days"

Awfully good when it's a grey day in a grey, confused mind

Karen Elson - "The Ghost Who Walks"

Got the album, it's nice. Mazzy Star and Shivaree, with a hint of Nick Cave come to mind.

• The Ghost Who Walks:  storywise a bit like "Where the wild roses grow" 
• Pretty Babies: Swinging, Shivaree
• Lunasa: a soft sing-a-long
• 100 years from now: a waltz, happy & sad
• Stolen Roses: Irish, accordeon

Svarabhaktivocaal

Een svarabhaktivocaal is een uh-klank die in de spreektaal tussen twee medeklinkers wordt ingevoegd om de uitspraak te vergemakkelijken. Het gaat om de klank die wordt gehoord in [melluk] (melk) en [arrum] (arm).

Deze stomme e, in vaktaal wel sjwa genoemd, kan niet overal worden ingevoegd. Het invoegen van een svarabhaktivocaal is alleen mogelijk in lettergrepen die eindigen op twee medeklinkers waarvan de eerste de l of de r is; de tweede mag geen t- of s-klank zijn: [werruk], [dorrup], [halluf], [hellup], maar [hals] (niet [hallus]), [held] (niet [hellud]), [milt] (niet [millut]). Uit die laatste voorbeelden blijkt dat het dus niet om de spelling, maar om de uitspraak van het woord gaat.

http://www.onzetaal.nl/advies/svarabhakti.php

Hugo Claus - "Dichter"

Herfst. Hoor. Geknetter. Hoor je dat zwaar geratel?
Het nadert in onze kleren, in onze haren.
Luizen van geluid. Wat is dit melaats geprevel?
Kind, het zijn de dichters buiten die klappertanden.

Hoe dichter de dichters bij hun sterven geraken
Des te grimmiger kermen zij naar de sterren.
In de ochtendmist waarin hun beelden smelten
Bevriezen de dichters in een herkenbaar colbert.

Hoor hoe koortsig zij hun naderend vergaan verklaren
Want hun laatste gereutel moet doorzichtig zijn,
Hun weduwen van lezers doen snikken.

‘O, ons ego was te duister!’ klagen zij.
‘Dat vroeg de tijd, polyinterpretabel als wij!’
En kijk, zij kruipen uit de windsels van hun ziel,
De mond vol kroket en gebed om genade
Voor hun prostaat, hun plagiaat.

Ei op sterven na ontdekken de dichters plots
De bedarende mirakels van goden, aforismen,
Aspirines, tederheden. Voor het eerst kan hun lief
Iets van haar lief met haar lippen lezen.

En voordat de dichters, loze winterappels
Daar de plukkers als ondermaats versmaad
Uiteindelijk ook vallen in november
Willen zij voor eeuwig voor de buren verstaanbaar
Vallen. In melkboerentaal, als ooft natuurlijk beurs.

Zij blijven bitter luisteren naar het gefrommel
Van de krant die hun naam verkeerd blijft spellen
En zij vullen hun kruiswoordraadsels in
Vol anekdotes, angst en struikelende liefdes.

Maar te laat, te doof worden de dichters gewaar
Dat wat duister en bot was in hun verzen
Niet lichter wordt door sleet, door de duur,
Maar dat het blijft bederven. Ondoorgrondelijk
Blijven hun huis, hun woord, de evenaar, het azuur.
Hun stuurse donkerte blijft gemeen als geld
En als de dood zo vluchtig.

‘Maar apropos, jij zelf? Ja, jij! Vereerde jij ook niet
De splitsing, de gisting eerder dan het monument?
Zocht jij ook niet in elk motet een epitaaf?
Wrong jij niet een embleem uit elk letsel?
Vond jij je geblutste ik niet in elk bord zwezerik?’

– ‘Jawel. Nog overeind droom ik van het letterlijke.
Zeker. Tot het einde toe die muizenissen, rozen,
Paradijzen, radijzen, voze gelijkenissen. Met
Tot op dit papier deze lijken van letters.’

Adieu schrijven de dichters een leven lang
En vergrijzend als lavendel in november
Blijven zij, gangreen en grap en raadsel,
Erbarmelijk bedelend om mededogen,
Zoals ik voor de sleet op mijn oren en ogen
Die jou beminden, beminnen.

Karen Elson - "The Ghost Who Walks"

"stolen roses", heard on 2Meter.

Folk, accordeon, singer-songwriter. Nice. Should look her up.

"Married to Jack White".. huh. Well well.

Rod Usher - "Asms v. Isms"

Stand up for iconoclasm, orgasm, phantasm,
Down with fascism, nihilism, gism,
It's better to leap a chasm
Than confront a schism

An asm is asmuch
As an ism isminimal
Heroism's exceptional
Philistinism's criminal

True, prisms are pure
Spasms are a shudder
And Ismalia may be as inviting as Asmara
But most isms are ripe for criticism:
Introverted, Selfish, Mean
Whereas asms come acronymbly across as:
Able, Soft, Mindful

Marxasm might have made it
Capitalasm has more onomatopoeia
Catholicasm is almost credible against
Narcissism, egoism, that anachronism onanism

Put it this way:
If you were dying
Would you want a transfusion
For plisma or plasma?

Anonymous - "The Exile Of Erin"

O! farewell, my country - my kindred - my lover;
Each morning and evening is sacred to you,
While I toil the long day, without shelter or cover,
And fell the tall gums, the black-butted and blue.
Full often I think of and talk of thee, Erin -
Thy heath-covered mountains are fresh in my view,
Thy glens, lakes, and rivers, Loch-Con and Kilkerran,
While chained to the soil on the Plains of Emu.

The ironbark, wattle, and gum-trees extending
Their shades, under which rests the shy kangaroo,
May be felled by the bless'd who have hope o'ver them bending,
To cheer their rude toil, though far exiled from you.
But, alas! without hope, peace, or honour to grace me,
Each feeling was crushed in the bud as it grew,
Whilst 'never' is stamped on the chains that embrace me,
And endless my thrall on the Plains of Emu.

Hard, hard was my fate, far from thee to be driven,
Unstained, unconvicted, as sure was my due;
I loved to dispense of the freedom of Heaven,
But force gained the day, and I suffer for you.
For this land enver broke what by promise was plighted,
Deep treason, this tongue to my country ne'er knew,
No base-earned coin in my coffer e'er lighted,
Yet enchained I remain on the Plains of Emu.

Dear mother, thy love from my bosom shall never
Depart, but shall flourish untainted and true;
Nor grieve that the base in their malice should ever
Upbraid thee, and none to give malice her due.
Spare, spare her the tear, and no charge lay upon her,
And weep not, my Norah, her griefs to renew,
But cherish her age till night closes on her,
And think of the swain who still thinks but of you.

But your names shall still live, though like writing in water,
When confined to the notes of the tame cockatoo,
Each wattle-scrub echo repeats to the other
Your names, and each breeze hears me sighing anew,
For dumb be my tongue, may my heart cease her motion,
If the Isle I forget where my first breath I drew!
Each affection is warmed with sincerest devotion,
For the tie is unbroken on the Plains of Emu.

'M', 1829

C.J. Dennis - "The Traveller"

As I rode in to Burrumbeet,
I met a man with funny feet;
And, when I paused to ask him why
His feet were strange, he rolled his eye
And said the rain would spoil the wheat;
So I rode on to Burrumbeet.


As I rode in to Beetaloo,
I met a man whose nose was blue;
And when I asked him how he got
A nose like that, he answered, "What
Do bullocks mean when they say 'Moo'?"
So I rode on to Beetaloo.


As I rode in to Ballarat,
I met a man who wore no hat;
And, when I said he might take cold,
He cried, "The hills are quite as old
As yonder plains, but not so flat."
So I rode on to Ballarat.


As I rode in to Gundagai,
I met a man and passed him by
Without a nod, without a word.
He turned, and said he'd never heard
Or seen a man so wise as I.
But I rode on to Gundagai.


As I rode homeward, full of doubt,
I met a stranger riding out:
A foolish man he seemed to me;
But, "Nay, I am yourself," said he,
"Just as you were when you rode out."
So I rode homeward, free of doubt.

VPRO - zomergasten - Maarten van 't Hart

"Vestdijk is geen kluizenaar, maar men kan zeggen dat de hoeveelheid werkelijkheid die hij tot zich toelaat, gerantsoenneerd is."
[ Avro - "Literaire Ontmoetingen", 1964 ]

Leonard Bernstein legt Hector Berlioz' "Symphonique Fantastique" fantastisch uit, citerend uit de notities van de "psychedelic" ("without using substances, his opium was his genius") composer.

Tomasa Albinoni - "Adagio in G Minor"

This is the one. Beautiful, slow, sad.

Tom Jones - "Praise And Blame"

His new album, all gospel and the such.

It's pretty rocking, in a' oldfashioned '60s way.

nice enough.

Radiohead - "A Wolf At The Door" (Hail To The Thief, 2003)

Beautiful. Raging lyrics, dragging you through the music, through a mind as foreign as the planets.

Love the album and this song is even a notch above the rest.

Must read this and the other lyrics more closely. As usual, they are closely connected.

Anonymous - "The Overlander"

(from "the new Oxford Book of Australian Verse")

There's a trade you all know well,
It's bringing cattle over.
On every track, to the Gulf and back,
Men know the Queensland drover.

chorus:
Pass the billy round, my boys!
Don't let the pint-pot stand there!
For tonight we drink the health
Of every overlander.

I come from the northern plains
Where the girls and grass are scanty;
Where the creeks run dry or ten foot high
And it's either drought or plenty.

There are men from every land,
From Spain and France and Flanders;
They're a well-mixed pack, both white and black,
The Queensland overlanders.

When we've earned a spree in town
We live like pigs in clover;
And the whole year's cheque pours down the neck
Of many a Queensland drover.

As I pass along the roads,
The children raise my dander
Crying 'Mother dear, take in the clothes,
Here comes an overlander!'

Now I'm bound for home once more,
On a prad that's quite a goer;
I can find a job with a crawling mob
On the banks of the Maranoa.

Tricky - "Something In The Way" (Blowback)

Never knew that Tricky did this cover. Vocals sound much like Crash Test Dummy's singer Brad Roberts, looping, almost incomprehensible "yeah"s make this an evocative sound.

Welt am Draht

Slow. Good images but a bit too much repetition.

Then again, this is a 70's film, and films were different then, particularly their pace. Is it my usual difficulty with old material, understanding the importance it had in its day, but finding it difficult to enjoy just as much today, several decennia later?

The acting was rather "dead", almost no emotion, yet this might have been done intentionally. The only character which shows real feelings, is the protagonist, and it is precisely this which causes him trouble.

Tomaso Albinoni - "Adagio"

Wellknown, beautiful funeral music.

Almost cliche, yet still shiveringly beautiful.

The Illusionist

Latest film, following a script by Tati, about an illusionist and a smalltown cleaning girl, by the maker (Sylvian something) of "The triplets of Belleville".

Wonderful moments, wonderful characters, situations and action. Loved it immensily and don't feel like criticising at all...

(what are you still doing here...)

but there were illogical steps in the story-telling and the characters, which unfortunately were too large to simply ignore.

Good film, nice music, wonderful mood, but story-wise not very fulfilling.

But, loved it.

Nordwand

Impressive film about 2 Germans who try to climb the North-side of the Eifer mountain, the "last test of the Alps" (not test, but anyway). Based on a true story.

Powerful. Simple characters, not deep but very true, very clear and likeable, and you want them to survive. No cheap Hollywood tricks (perhaps the part where the girl climbs up to her lover, dying at the end of a rope that was too short) but even that is believable enough that "it's true, even if it didn't happen."

Belleruchi

Albums "Turntable Soul Music" from 2007 and "The Express"

Triphop, jazz. Very Morcheeba-ish. nice.

David Peace - "Tokyo Year Zero"

(first book of his Tokyo Trilogy)

Really had to get used to his writing style.

Lots of repetition, and I mean lots. Words within sentences, sentences within paragraphs, paragraphs within chapters. Is this his style, or typically Japanese, or a mix?

Continuously mixing normal thoughts and actions with his (repeating) thoughts and feelings. It takes some getting used to.

Started to read faster nearer the end. At a certain moment though, it seemed I got slowly sucked into the story; was this the result of the increase in speed, or rather the story itself which picked up pace?

Got the 2nd book of the trilogy as well (the third is not out yet, I think) and will give it a try...

Martis Ros (en Hugo Camps) - VPRO Marathon Interview

Hij giebelt, hij giechelt tot het bijna irriteert. Maar zo vol plezier, zo oprecht dat ik het hem een minuut later alweer vergeven heb. Wat Hugo Camps ervan vindt, weet ik nog niet helemaal.

Boeken zijn alles. Boeken is het leven. Boeken herinneren is herinneren waar je ze las. Op de heide, terwijl het regende, onder een halfbakken paraplu, wachtend op een verpleegster uit Zonneschild (ik was meer verliefd op haar dan zij op mij).

"De uitgever is altijd een beetje hoerig. Ja, je hoort me goed. Hoerig."

Henry Bireau, een man die zo dik was dat hij bijna 3 stoelen nodig had om op te zitten. Een beruchte roddel- en riooljournalist uit Parijs. Fout in de oorlog (stukken tegen de Engelsen.) Onbeschrijfelijk mooi boek over de laatste week van Robespierre.

Tomas Mann: de Toverberg. Dat beschrijft "het leven".

Na een gloedvolle lofzang van Martin Ros op de Surinaamse vrouw, haar zelfstandigheid, haar levensvreugde en kracht, merkt Hugo Camps droog op; "zullen we het libido weer even in het geestelijke trekken?"

Er wordt gepraat over Simon Vestdijk, waar Martin Ros een groot bewonderaar van is; "het ja en nee tegelijk zeggen in één zin, de beeldspraak. De combinatie van ratio en passie, dat kent men tegenwoordig niet meer. Jongeren kunnen dat niet lezen, die roepen na een paar bladzijdes; wat wíl die man? Terwijl in de Vestdijk Kring waar ik in zit, daar zitten allemaal dames van 40 en 50 in. Je weet wel, met zo'n boodschappenkarretje. Die hebben ook geen erudiete opleiding genoten, en die kunnen hem ook lezen!"

Hugo Claus wordt aangehaald, zijn opmerking dat hij veel banger is voor de ontschrijving dan de ontlezing. Martin Ros stemt volmondig in.

Zingt het Haïtiaanse volkslied (gebaseerd op de Marseleisse). De eerste en enige gelukte slaven- (neger-)opstand.

Raymond E. Feist - "Magician: Apprentice" (1st volume of the Riftwar Saga)

Fantasy. World with humans, elves, dwarves. Moredhil (evil elves). Main character: Pug, orphan, now Magician's apprentice (gee!) and his friend Tomas.

Men arrive, strange men on a strange ship. Only to fight. Parallel worlds. Invasion of the evil, strong men.

Ends with a strange fight: evil men attacking in the night, falling back every morning, seemingly without sense. Then suddenly they fall back..

And only then, at the very last pages, the hint of a larger story (a Game, politics, in the parallel world of which we know yet nothing) takes shape.

Not bad, but, particularly in the beginning, very very predictable. Written okayish, but I kept thinking and comparing with Robin Hobb, at not in favour of Feist.

Might read the next volumes, but only when I want something easy to read.

E.M. Forster - "A Room With A View"

A classic, and one I loved.

The introduction gave a very useful backgroundstory, the end of the Victorian era, the 10-year Eduardian era, followed by the Georgian era. How British people used to travel, their thoughts, their differences, their walled-off classes (an British acquaintance emphasized again how strong the notion of classes and their differences are imbedded in the British people's mind)

In the first part, Lucy travels through Italy (the 'classic British tourist route'), accompagnied by her elderly niece. Meets dramatic boy (and father), George, who refuses to behave "as he should".

Part 2, back at their house, betrothed to Cecile, an abominable narcistic guy, she meets George again, and of course it takes quite a time for her to realise she loves him (as the introduction states: while the reader may shout: listen to your heart!, this is not how she can behave, she struggles to loosen herself from the strict (mental) heritage)

Beautiful sentences, and often Forster seemed to violate the "show, don't tell" rule. Yet without writing down any boring paragraph, each page was a delight to turn over. Hów did he do that?? Must read "Aspects of the Novel" again (and finish it, this time)

Loved it!

Kultur Shock (at EXIT festival)

Gipsy, balkan, hardrock! Kultur Shock is one big party!

Gustave Flaubert - "Madame Bovary"

Eén van de vele klassiekers die ik nooit gelezen heb.

De tragische titelheldin, dromend van passie en ware liefde, herkent haar eigen gevoelens en liefde niet in de eenvoudige beknellende omgeving van het leven van de plattelandsdoktersvrouw.

"Maar hoe meer Emma zich haar liefde bewust werd, hoe meer zij die terugdrong, om te voorkomen dat zij aan de dag trad en om haar te verkleinen. [...] Wat haar weerhield waren zonder twijfel traagheid en angst, misschien ook preutsheid. Zij meende dat zij haar liefde te ver had weggeduwd, dat het telaat was, dat alles was verloren. Dan was de trots, de vreugde te kunnen zeggen 'Ik ben deugdzaam' en zichzelf in de spiegel te kunnen bekijken terwijl zij een berustende houding aannam, een geringe troost voor het offer dat zij meende te brengen."

"Het woord is als een gebarsten koperen ketel, waaruit wij wijsjes toveren waarop de beren dansen, terwijl we de sterren hadden willen vertederen."

Aardig, maar voor mij lijdt het aan een probleem van andere klassiekers: ik "zie" het bijzondere er wel aan af, maar ik voel het niet. Dit boek las goed door, maar er zaten geen, voor mij, briljante beschrijvingen, adembenemende passages of vervoerende momenten in.

Moderat (live @ EXIT festival)

Seen at the very impressive Dance Arena. Started as a project of Modeselektor and Apparat.

Great dance act! Must search for this.

Natalie Merchant - "The Blind Man and the Elephant" (Leave your Sleep)

Happy, Middle Eastern influences. Swinging.

John Grant - "Queen of Denmark"

wow! not the lyrics you expect from such an orchestral singer-songwriter song!

I wanted to change the world
But I could not even change my underwear
And when the shit got really really out of hand
I had it all the way up to my hairline
Which keeps receding like my self-confidence
As if I ever had any of that stuff anyway
I hope I didn't destroy your celebration
Or your Bar Mitzvah, birthday party or your Christmas
You put me in this cage and threw away the key
It was this 'us and them' shit that did me in
You tell me that my life is based upon a lie
I casually mention that I pissed in your coffee
I hope you know that all I want from you is sex
To be with someone that looks smashing in athletic wear
And if your haircut isn't right you'll be dismissed
Get your walking papers and you can leave now

Don't know what to want from this world
I really don't know what to want from this world
I don't know what it is you wouldn't want from me
You have no right to want anything from me at all
Why don't you take it out on somebody else?
Why don't you tell somebody else that they're selfish?
Weepy coward and pathetic ...

Who's gonna be the one to save me from myself?
You'd better bring a stun gun and perhaps a crowbar
You'd better pack a lunch and get up really early
And you should probably get down on your knees and pray
It's really fun to look embarrassed all the time
Like you could never cut the mustard with the big boys
I really don't know who the fuck you think you are
Can I please see your license and your registration?

Don't know what to want from this world
I really don't know what to want from this world
I don't know what it is you wouldn't want from me
You have no right to want anything from me at all
Why don't you take it out on somebody else?
Why don't you tell somebody else that they're selfish?
Weepy coward and pathetic ...

So Jesus hasn't come in here to pick you up
You'll still be sitting here ten years from now
You're just a sucker but we'll see who gets the last laugh
Who knows, maybe you'll be the next queen of Denmark

Gormenghast (BBC series)

The crazy words of Peake you hear only through the weird Doctor's twisting sentences.

But all in all, they did a good job (Stephen Fry!), capturing the spirit of the books in a mere 4 hours.

Still, I hate to say, it doesn't do the words of Mervyn Peake justice. Read the books! Particularly the first 2...

Arid - 2 meter sessie

Belgian band. Melancholy voice, more Buckley than Freddie Mercury.

Nice!

The song "broken dancer" reminds me of what... Buckley? The Shins? Just like "Seven-Odd Years" (both titles are guesses)

Kula Shaker - "R.I.P. Peter Pan"

Liked it. Bit melancholy, violins.

According to the DJ ("oooh!") it was more like their older work, but Kula Shaker is one of those bands that I just know by name...

Later, "Winter's Call"... orchestral, good.

Edgar Allan Poe - "The Pit and the Pendulum" (Tales of Mystery and Imagination)

Finally I read one of his masterpieces!

And it is good. 14 pages describing basically 4 horror-scenarios, folding into each other like an accordeon. It is impressive, to describe so minutiously every sensation and thought of hope and horror.

The end, well, a happy end. Not a Poe end! Would it have been better if he would have heard his saviours rush in at the moment when he started falling into the Pit? Or is that my doomed mind.

Considering the immense tortures they make him go through, it seems a bit like an easy ending. To make him suffer while they know they will be held captive soon, a final horror to bestow upon him, seems more fitting to me.

Kees Stip (alias Trijntje Fop) - "Op een spreeuw"

Een rupsenzamelende spreeuw
vloog door het keelgat van een leeuw.
'Ik hoop', zo sprak het beest benauwd,
'dat deze leeuw van rupsen houdt.'

Leert, kinders, dit van deze spreeuw:
Humor is lachen in een leeuw.

Edgar Allan Poe - "The Facts In The Case Of M. Valdemar" (Tales of Mystery and Imagination)

Short story in which a dying man is hypnotised ("mesmerized") in order to keep death away.

A mere ten pages long, it describes the effect of mesmerizing him and how his hypnosis keeps the rotting of his body and the departure of his spirit at bay.

I noticed I had to focus on the words to truly feel the atmosphere. That said, sitting outside on a warm sunny balcony with Turkish background music is perhaps not the right environment for reading Poe...

Orbital - "The Gun Is Good"

Just out. Nice!

Neil Gaiman - "Harlequin Valentine" & I Monster - "Neveroddoreven"

Reading "Harlequin Valentine" (from the "Fragile Things" collection) while listening to I Monster's "Neverroddoreven" (starting with "Heaven") is a wonderful combination and quite helps to get into writing mode.

Monsters Of Folk - "Monsters Of Folk"

Most of the songs I don't feel like listening to, but "Man Named Truth" is still a strong song.

Arcana - "Dark Age Of Reason" (1996)

Can't say I remember why I looked this up. Must've been X-Rated.

Wait, got an entry on the 12th of April: "dark synth". Rather minimalistic.

Slow beats, high fairylike voices.

Title-track is a slow minimal soundscape, with, indeed, dark synths and echo's of voices.

Not bad. Not overwhelming either. Good during writing?

Crash Test Dummies - "I Don't Care That You Don't Mind" (2001)

It's nice, slow and soft. But perhaps not too good as background-music; it becomes much of the same.

Better while playing a game of Go or when enjoying the last glass of the bottle.

But, nice songs. Definitely not same-same.

"Put Me In A Corner Of Your Min" (huh?) - trumpets and waawaa-guitar.

"Shoot Em Up Shoot Em Down" - low, bluegrass-ish

Broken Bells - "Broken Bells"

Is it the singer of the Shins? (aye! and Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton)

Let's see where it leads ...

I'm not good at original descriptions, but both melody- and voice-wise, it is very much like the Shins, with, yes indeed, a bit more of a beat...

Enjoyable, though I haven't heard tracks yet which drove me crazy.

"Citizen" is a bit catchy... and notice the orchestral trumpet ending of "The Waiting Game"

Het Zesde Metaal - "Gasten"

Twee tracks gespeeld, en blijft zangerig rondzingen. Heerlijk

VPRO Marathon Interview - Liesbeth Koenen

Henny Vrienten - "Het oudste liedje", met "hebban olla vogala..." aardig.

Paolo Conte, was eigenlijk advocaat. Heeft ze geïnterviewd voor Vrij Nederland.

Kabbelt wat voort. Een leuk interview, uitgevoerd door Jan Haasbroek (? hoofdredacteur van de VPRO).

De argumenten voor de afkeer van godsdienst vond ik niet sterk. Ze beriep zich volledig op rationele argumenten en zag niet in waarom mensen "oude boeken" zouden raadplegen wanneer ze op zoek gaan naar het waarom van het leven. "Dat moet je toch zelf uitzoeken." Te kort door de bocht.

Jeroen Brouwers - "De Verzonkene"

Ik denk dat dit het eerste boek is dat ik van hem gelezen heb. Een cadeau van zijn uitgeverij voor relaties, is het een grote polemiek tegen vage, post-vanalles denkers.

Het was in het begin moeilijk door te komen. Er zit dan ook weinig verhaal in, maar toch boeide het wel. Hij schrijft mooi, maar ik moet meer van hem lezen om te kijken wat ik er van vind.

Muse - Live in Goffertpark

Fabulous. Loved the festival spirit, and loved every single second of their show.

VPRO Marathon Interview - Rijk de Gooyer

Prachtige man! Wat een verrukking na die elitaire zuurpruim van een Siebelink!

Niets hoogdravends, niets arrogants. Ooit opgepakt toen hij met zijn dronken kop (zijn eigen auto netjes laten staan - geparkeerd op het Leidseplein! - ) in een mooie wagen zat. Uit een openstaand raampje van het politiebureau gesprongen en meteen opgepakt door een potige bouwvakker. In elkaar gemept. En zich er totaal niet op voor aan laten staan dat hij "meneer Gooyer" is. "Nee absoluut niet. Eerder het omgekeerde. Dan zeggen ze, meneer de Gooyer, u heeft een voorbeeldfunctie. En dat is ook wel een beetje zo."

Prachtige verhalen over Sinatra en een dame uit Berlijn. Over Wim Kan (lagen elkaar niet) en Wim Sonneveld (groot cabaretier), Johnny Kraaijkamp en zijn goede vriend "Eelke" (?) met wie hij samen "Koos Tak" schreef.

"De gereformeerde kerk heeft ook humor. Als je 'm maar weet te vinden."

Heeft Himmel opgepakt, al wisten ze niet zeker dat hij het echt was. "Het had net zo goed een gek kunnen zijn die zichzelf Himmel noemde." Bij het bezettingsleger gezeten. Eerlijk over zijn (tijdelijke) haat tegen alles wat Duits was. Staat het liefst voor de camera's, vindt het publiek, zeker dat op de eerste rij, eigenlijk maar niets.

Houdt van lachen. Houdt ongelofelijk veel van lachen.

Johnny Flynn - "Been Listening"

Nice singer-songwriter. Folk-influences.

The duet "the water" is a little gem.

Must keep this artist in mind.

Kyteman - "Sorry (live at Tivoli"

wow! trumpet, pianola...

by far the best song from "The Hermit Session".

Wonder what the non-live version sounds like, if there is one...

Kraak & Smaak - "Man Of Constant Sorrow" (remixes)

Catchy. Can't say I like all their versions, some are downright irritating, but this one I liked.

Had to grin because of

Then I did it so many times
She started singing nursery rhymes

2 Meter de Lucht In - KinkFM - 2010-06-03

Broer en zus Angus en Julia Stone doen een bijzondere versie van "You're the one that I want"

Plaid - "Not For Threes"

Have had this album for ages, and hardly ever listened to it.

Electronic, techno-isch at times. Basically, skip the first 4 tracks of the CD. Particularly the exotic #4 is a bit silly, but after come some beautiful tracks, among which "Lilith" with Björk

Madness - "Liberty of Norton Folgate"

Old Jack Norris, ‘The Musical Shrimp’
And the cadging ramble...

Busy wednesday, crazy thursday, intense thursday evening, many prio 1's...

And sunny Friday gave me Madness on random shuffle. That was good.

QI - random facts

Love QI at the moment. Watching all kind of old episodes, reading websites, etc.

A standard crayon  (potlood) will draw a line of 35 miles. How about that!

Neutraal Moresnet - "het vierde land"

Het vierde land

In de Nederlandse radiodocumentaireserie Het Spoor terug, onderdeel van OVT, wordt zondag 24 januari de documentaire Het vierde land uitgezonden. Deze documentaire, die samengesteld is door Katinka Baehr, gaat over de opmerkelijke en haast vergeten geschiedenis van Neutraal Moresnet, ooit het vierde land op het drielandenpunt van Nederland, België en Duitsland. Na de val van Napoleon in 1815 maakten Pruisen en de Nederlanden beide aanspraak op het gebied, vanwege een waardevolle zinkmijn. Omdat die twee landen er niet uit kwamen, ontstond in 1816 Neutraal Moresnet als 'tijdelijke maatregel'. Het was niet groter dan 3,4 vierkante kilometer.

Het vierde land is een verhaal over de aantrekkingskracht van een land dat geen echt land was. Er kwamen vrijbuiters en smokkelaars op af, maar ook Esperanto-utopisten die van Moresnet de wereldwijde Esperanto-hoofdstad wilden maken. De esperantisten dachten hun droomstaat bijna bereikt te hebben, toen de Eerste Wereldoorlog na honderddrie jaar een einde maakte aan de 'tijdelijke maatregel' Neutraal Moresnet.

[uit taalpost]

The Doors - "Queen of the Highway" (Essential Rarities)

jazzy, dark.

She was a princess, Queen of the Highway
Sign on the road said: "Take us to Madre"
No one could save her, save the blind tiger
He was a monster, black dressed in leather
She was a princess, Queen of the Highway

Now they are wedded, she is a good girl
Naked as children out in a meadow
Naked as children, wild as can be
Soon to have offspring, start it all over

C. Buddingh - "Pluk de dag"

PLUK DE DAG
C. Buddingh

vanochtend na het ontbijt
ontdekte ik, door mijn verstrooidheid,
dat het deksel van een middelgroot potje marmite
(het 4 oz net formaat)
precies past op een klein potje heinz sandwich spread
natuurlijk heb ik toen meteen geprobeerd
of het sandwich spread-dekseltje
ook op het marmite-potje paste
en jawel hoor: het paste eveneens


(C. = Cornelis, zijn roepnaam was Kees!)

Klaus Schulze, Pete Namlock & Bill Laswell - "Dark Side Of The Moog 4 - 3 Pipers at the Gates of Dawn"

spoken word, ambient Pink Floyd solo's.

this seems definitely different from the other "Dark Side of the Moog" albums.

It's good.

Jason Webley - "Icarus"

[...]

I'll say a word for sickness
she is my favorite mistress
yes she knows my body like no other can
my flesh and spirit keep colliding when her fingers are inside me
oh my god oh my god, lady
I'm your man
Fever flu malaria come near me
do not spare me
I just long to spend another night under attack
I wretch, I shake, I cry until I break
and then I feel something release and I relax

I've banged my head for days against the walls inside this maze
I've never been to good at this damn kind of thing
I'm in here with my father I'm just pacing but he's smarter
he's been bulding a fantastic set of wings
and like that I'm up and flying
with the labrynth behind me
but I go too high
the sun is melting through the wax
it burns it hurts I tumble to the earth and as I fall I feel myself relax.

[...]

Gerard Reve - "De Blijde Boodschap" (fragment)

Ik vind dit leven al geweldig. En straks nog
het eeuwige leven in de Hemel. Je vraagt je weleens af:
‘Waar hebben wij het aan verdiend?’

Website van het Belegen Woord - "Requiem voor oude woorden"

http://belegenwoorden.nl/

Requiem voor oude woorden

een requiem voor oude woorden
eerlang, aanstonds en alras,
oude woorden
zoals je ze vroeger wel hoorde
toen soms nog somtijds was

traagzaam gingen zij ten onder
schone frasen van weleer
de vraag rest kunnen wij wel zonder
alwaar, ofschoon, enzomeer

het buurland bleek een onderkomen
daar raakt geen verbum in vergetelheid
en spreekt men nog zonder te schromen
van deerlijk, fier of appetijt

vooraleer zij zullen sterven
betoon ik hen den laatste eer
en kalk nogmaals uit pure wanhoop
schielijk, puik en guitig
neer

VPRO Marathon Interview - Jan Siebelink

Gedraagt zich lichtelijk gedistingeerd. Beantwoordt eenvoudige vragen met wijdse antwoorden.

Ontkent dat hij in interviews de zaken soms een stuk mooier voorstelt, maar valt volstrekt stil wanneer de interviewer (een goede vriend) hem meer dan één bewijs geeft van zijn overdrijvingszin. Vergelijk dat eens met Hugo Claus' commentaar op vreemdgaan! De poging tot redden d.m.v. een Baudelaire-quote slaat de plank mis, of liever gezegd, 't is een dwaze poging m.b.v. een red herring de zaak nog te redden. Het feit dat hij letterlijk wordt afgekapt, meteen na het ronduit gestamelde "klaarkomen", is tekenend.

Ik stop ermee. Heb bijna 3 uur gehad, en ik word moe van die man. Het is een pedante draaikont die erudiet over tracht te komen door zelfs de meest simpele vraag via ongelofelijke omwegen te beantwoorden (aangenomen dat hij uberhaupt bij een antwoord uitkomt), liefst beginnend met "Startre zei eens...", "Schopenhauer dacht...". Bleh.

Driek van Wissen (1943-2010)

Ik wijt de dag niet dat het avond wordt.
Een bloem treft ook geen blaam dat ze verdort.
Ik ken de noodzaak wel van alle dingen
En toch: al wat ooit was, was veel te kort.

Driek van Wissen - "Joris"

Driek van Wissen overleden: 1943-2010

Joris
Driek van Wissen

Ik heb vanavond, met de poes op schoot
de onrust uit het beestje weggestreken
waarbij de goedzak mij heeft aangekeken
met ogen zo onpeilbaar diep en groot
dat het mij één moment heeft toegeleken
als was hij eeuwen lang al deelgenoot
van het geheim van leven en van dood
en nu dan op het punt stond om te spreken.

Een aandrang, waar hij niet voor is bezweken
omdat hij langzaamaan de ogen sloot
en nog een lome haal gaf met zijn poot
als halve aai en onzachtzinnig teken
dat men hem ooit nadrukkelijk verbood
het zwijgen rond die zaken te verbreken.

Russian Ark

Impressive of course.

Story-wise, was there a reason for the no-cut decision? I could not immediatly detect one.

Interesting at first, but at a certain moment, a bit dull.

The end though, the slow retractive movements of the camera, "Europe" who stays behind, sad? melancholy? lost? ... the long long walk down among the crowd, and finally, the sea, all around them. It made an impressive ending to a not very impressive story.

Perhaps it is simply more like a showcase for their history, not to be seen as a story-telling film.

Gorillaz (ft Mos Def and Bobby Womack) - "Stylo"

Nice song, awesome clip, featuring Bruce Willis in a car chase.

U.N.K.L.E. - "Burn My Shadow"

perfect song, good clip.

made me wonder: a prison in which they sentence you to despair...

Current 93 - "When The May Rain Falls"

soft, melancholy. Seems to appeare only on a single that was given away for free with the first 1000 copies of Sand's "Universal Seraphim"?

Mogwai - "I know you are, but what am I?"

instrumental, soundscape. ambient. careful.

Beatles - "Girl"

Am used to the original now, and it's still a melancholy-inducer.

Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions - "The Trouble Is" (2010)

new single, and I like it.

A bit monotone, but truly like their "Mazzy Star" work, and I'm a sucker for that.

Clip is ... magic gothical

Everything But The Girl - "Acoustic" (1992)

no titles that sound familiar, so I'm curious...

nice. oh wait, all covers...

• "time after time" : is it theirs originally? doubt it...
• "Alison" : Elliot Smith. Not a big fan of this song, this version is ok. 
• "Downtown Train" : ok

All nice, nothing special.

Klaus Schulze, Pete Namlook and Bill Laswell - "Dark Side of the Moog 3" (1995)

second song from this album, "Phantom Heart Brother Part II" is the kind of ambient that made me fall in love with Klaus Schulze.

fourth song, "Phantom Heart Brother Part IV" is more techno-ish, 80-ish. cool!

Aravind Adiga - "The White Tiger"

winner of the man booker prize 2008
Got it from a friend, just started. Must say I have to get used to his way of writing. It keeps nagging me that I cannot understand the reasoning of someone writing a letter like this to the Highest Chinese statesperson. Yes, it is explained, he will visit India to understand how entrepeneurs work, but ... there is something amiss in his sentences, his rambling... too much information. yet I am doing the very same thing, almost.
There are some good descriptions though, and I'm only at page 41 yet.
Finally, I wrote this:  Finished "White Tiger". Took me quite some time to get used to his tone of voice. Didn't buy it at the beginning... but got to like it, and the chapter where he speaks to the City and the City spoke back to him through beggars and girls on the street was simply amazing. Haven't been to India but many things sounded "Asian"... still, what did I miss?

Evelyn Evelyn (live @ Arendbergschouwburg in Antwerp)

Missed their concert in Amsterdam because of "11 minuten" play.

Loved it! As burlesque as expected. Bit sad that it was a seating area, so the crowd was rather timid. They commented on this, but I am not sure whether they'd always do that.

warning: total fanboy moment

Afterwards, the signing, and yes Neil Gaiman was there. Total fanboy moment (even slightly worse than when meeting Tim Burton at the 25th AFFF). I'm not sure what I said to him, but I got his autograph and I shook his hand twice and I was a total fool and it changed my evening and life.

Sorry 'bout that, but that's what it felt like. And it made me realise again I need to write write write.

Rufus Wainwright - "Cigarettes And Chocolate Milk (Reprise)"

Thought his music really didn't do it for me, probably because of his horrible version of "Halleluiah" from Shrek, but this is the second song I heard of him today and it's pretty alright.

The other: "Poses"

Joan Baez - "Blue Raincoat"

via http://8tracks.com

fuck! I finally came free from Tori Amos' version for some time now, but now I'm thrown right back at it.

Played it a lot, around the days I met G.,A. for what would later turn out to be the last time.

It's not even a nice version, too overdone.

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - "This Land Is Your Land"

Reggae, swinging!

Tom Waits - "Brawlers, Bawlers, Bastards"

raw album, dark pub, fat grungy gitars, a broken lightbulb.

cd 1: Brawlers

• "road to piece" - rough, painful, war, death. angry at Bush.
  
• "rains on me" - gospel-ish, but in a really really Tom Waits way. Funny

cd 2: Bawlers

softer, more melodious, sad. waltzing in the rain on a glimmering street

• "long way home" - soft, rhythmic, I love you baby but I always take the long way home
• "little drop of poison" - will always love this song. but what changes in his voice after the 1st verse? seems almost like it's in antiphase
• "Tell it to me" - Cohen-ish. so much that for a moment I thought I recognized it
• "Little Man" - jazzy, slow
  

cd 3: Bastards

it's half spoken-word!

• "What Keeps Mankind Alive" - it is indeed the same song as the one on the Pet Shop Boys' Rarities album! Who was first?! wonderful!!
• "Two Sisters" - Irish
  

Billie Holiday - "Definite Edition"

(all kind of wonderful songs of course)

• "strange fruit": the kind of melancholy Billie Holiday song which is the reason I put this album on
• "Don't Explain" : hush now, don't explain...
• "You're My Thrill" : old scary-film music opening
  

Röyksopp - "The Understanding"

still wonderful

• "Triumphant" : catching
• "What Else Is There": haunting vocals as ever
• "Alpha Male": those flutes remind me of "The Beast", the amiga-game that J. once ripped for me

Earth, Wind & Fire - "Last Days and Time" (1972)

tiresome everything-is-sweet music

Black Uhuru - "Anthem" (1983)

familiar name... reggae.

Not bad, not particularly good.

• "Elements" - melancholy
  

"Elf Minuten" (Noord Nederlands Toneel)

naar boek van Paulo Coelho

bewerking: Ko van der Bosch

Erg indrukwekkend. Pijnlijk.

Testimonium paupertatis

Bewijs van onvermogen

David Bowie - "Helden"

German version of "Heroes"....

why oh why!?!? :)

Get Well Soon - "Born Slippy (Nuxx)"

strange version!

Amy Winehouse - "Frank" (2003)

First album ("Back To Black" is from 2006)

can't say I found the need to make either positive or negative comments.

Tricky - "Vulnerable" (2003)

• "Stay" - am a sucker for this usage of strings
• "Love Cats" - strange version, not particularly good

Leftfield - "Leftism"

• Release the Pressure: ambient-ish turning into catchy
• Open Up: still a classic. Burn Hollywood, burn, take down Tinseltown, burn down to the ground
  

many other songs typically Leftfield; a bit boring

Massive Attack - "Pray For Rain"

a system failure left behind

beautiful during work

Baltazar - "15 floors"

Strange, "dissonantic" way of singing.

Curious background music, Residents-ish.

Tracy Thorn - "Oh The Divorces!"

soft, gentle.

Deru - "Say Goodbye To Useless"

X-Rated - 2010-04-04 - 00:35

Wonderful strange music. French, twisted filtered vocals. beats... melancholic.

D.A.A.U. - "Out of the woods"

new album, "The Shepherd's Dream"... typically D.A.A.U... wonderful

Life On Mars (season 1 (2006) and season 2 (2008))

Wonderful series about a "copper" who "wakes up" after an accident in 1973, while being in coma in his own time, 2006.

Great actors, great music, great dialogues! Not too long, and his life there and his coma "here" are nicely interwoven. Good ending, as well.

VPRO Marathon Interview - Karel van 't Reve

Een rustige, bedaarde man. Zijn interviewer, Martin van Ammelrooy, is een stuk assertiever. Soms lijken de rollen zelfs omgedraaid. Aardig hoe van 't Reve met regelmaat ophelding vaan van Ammelrooy vraagt, en zijn grootvaderlijke "ja ja..."; wat zo uit een Freek de Jonge typetje zou kunnen komen.

"Een Russische dissident heeft geen gevoel voor de Nederlandse kranten. Die vindt zijn eigen zaak heel belangrijk, dat vindt iedereen natuurlijk en die denkt dat de New York Times wel even de voorpagina daarvoor zal openen."

[wonen en werken in Moskou]

"Je moet er rékening mee houden dat je wordt afgeluisterd, maar je moet nooit dénken dat je wordt afgeluisterd. Als je gaat denken dat je wordt afgeluisterd, dan krijg je wat wij de Russische kolder noemde. Dan zie je op straat mensen die je volgen en denk je echt dat al je brieven opengemaakt worden. Dan moet je worden afgevoerd. Een weekje naar Finland ofzo."

[uitspraak van zijn Amerikaanse collega's] "Het hoger onderwijs is het werpen van valse parelen voor echte zwijnen."

Critici en symboolzoekers in de literatuur: allemaal onzin.

"Ik vind het nou niet direct het hoogste niveau van humor. Het is tegen mij gericht, misschien kan ik er gewoon de grap niet van inzien."

[onzin van het zogenaamde symboolzoeken]

"Nou ja in een roman zou ze dan kleuren bijvoorbeeld gaan zoeken. In een Nederlandse roman wordt nooit iemand redacteur van de Groene Amsterdammer, maar gesteld dat dat in een Nederlandse roman zou voorkomen, dan zou ze in dat groen van de Groene Amsterdammer, of als er ook maar ergens anders in dat boek een sprietje groen voorkomt, zou ze een verband zoeken."

Arcana - "Dark Age Of Reason"

From the album "Dark Age Of Reason".

Dark synth.

She and Him - "Volume One"

Zooey Deschanel and someone else.

Not bad, yet nothing special. No spark. Bit 60-ish at times. It goes on and on without irritating you, yet without grasping you at the throat.

Or the balls.

J. Slauerhoff - "In Mijn Leven..."

In mijn leven, steeds uiteengerukt
Door de vlagen waar 'k aan blootsta,
Daar 'k niet kan hectehn aan liefde en geluk
Die mij zullen drijven tot ik doodga,
Ontstaan soms plotsling enkle plekken
Van een stilte zoo onaangedaan,
Dat ik geloof in slaap te zijn gekomen
Bij de diepten waar geen onderstroomen
Meer door 't eeuwig stilstaand water gaan.

The Osmonds - "Crazy Horses"

Crazy Horses (waaaaah! waaaaaaah!)
Crazy Horses (waaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!)

Wonderful! Seen at "Wintertijd" with Def. P

Paul Auster - "The book of illusions"

A wonderful book, but I will not be able to say many useful things about it.

I have been reading it on and off, and almost only when I wanted to relax.

In any case, I am not very good at dissecting the story, characters, motives, structures, &etc.

It is about loss. Chance and loss. About finding a new goal, a new purpose again, about more chance, another love, and more loss.

About films that nobody has seen and books no-one can ever read.

A good book to reread in a couple of years.

Theo van Gogh in gesprek met Maarten van Rossum

"en nu je toch het woord 'druilerig' in de mond neemt, ik ben van mening dat het Nederlandse klimaat het mooiste klimaat ter wereld is. Wist je dat het maar 6% van de tijd regent?"

"Ondanks dat er nog geen wetenschappelijke verklaring voor is, zit er één paragraaf in een sigaret."

Grinderman - "Lazarus Dig Yourself"

More than once, iPod shuffle creates a horrible mix. Besides that, it seems incredibly non-random in its randomness (yes, I am aware of the fact that 1.2.3.4.5.6... can be randomly generated)

But today was a Good Shuffle Day.
And "Lazarus Dig Yourself" came by, and all was well.

But Larry grew increasing neurotic and obscene
I mean, he, he never asked to be raised up from the tomb
I mean, no one ever actually asked him to forsake his dreams