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.