Blog on the run

I have no idea what happened to our blog. Who's idea was it to make it green? Why does justifying everything to the left make such a fantastic difference? How did the list of favourite blogs appear down the right hand side, and who controls which ones get on there?

Taking into account the last point I had to post this:

The single blog I am completely addicted to is Complicated Dance Steps. On which 'Blackeyed Donkey' regularly posts concise, informed and intriguing reviews of consistently obscure, fantastic albums spanning an eclectic spectrum of genres. Not only that but there is always a link to download the music referred to, fleshing out the review and negating the annoying habit I have of listing albums I want to hear but never buy because the list is too long and the price of records restrictive.

Subscribing to blogs is something I am hesitent about doing. I subscribe only to my brothers photography blog My Absolute Present, in which he posts monthly photographic journals which sometimes include a picture of our family and are often my only indication of what is going on in his confusing life, and CDS.

I guess, in a vain and hopeful thought, if Blackeyed Donkey is reading our blog I'd like Him (or Her) and you to know what a massive effect that blog has had on my life and record collection. I discard some music reviewed there and don't always rate the stuff He (or She) does but have found myself some great new albums and bands. Most of which I have wanted to review here but couldn't have done justice.

It was the first place I heard White Denim, Zombie Zombie and broadened my taste for kraut-rock 70s techno (if that is a genre). Check out the Jeans Team (who I'd never heard of, liked the name and has grown on me since) from earlier posts for some refreshing electro, the Marshall Tucker Band (who I'd never heard of and are f**king brilliant) for LA country rock and the intelligent Thomas Function (who's album cover is shit but are great).

I don't know who you are or where you're at but THANK YOU.

Making Music Videos is Easier if You Know a Band

White Denim - Let's Talk About It
Dir. Carlos LaRotta

Cheesey 70s fake moustache and hearse style; uncomfortable tableau style framing and set-up; glorious Texas sunlight; down at the carwash; a fat guy shaking his tits; skewed surrealism; slow tracking camera movements. Sweet.

It took them 3 days to make it, which means low budget but lots of effort. I'm led to understand that the director has done a couple of things just hanging out with White Denim and would probably have had time to thrash out some strong ideas.

Oh yeah, thinking of this as a feature on music videos that are beautifully hand made rather than commissioned by some commercially minded executive I'm reminded of another video...



Langhorne Slim - In The Midnight
Dir. Paul Kermizian

As a constantly touring yet rooted member of the New York anti-folk scene Langhorne is always on the move and this video captured a real truth about his life at the time.

Using a yellow taxi cab, and New York at night, the video is simple yet wonderfully captivating and uses iconography from the artwork of Langhorne Slims album.

Another video that screams low budget to great effect. Either put together by a very canny director or formulated by the director and Langhorne, although as a fan of another of Paul Kermizians video (The Mystery Of Rock Drumming) I have a suspicion it might be the former.