josh t pearson: "last of the country gentlemen"

a collapse? a journey to and from despair? a confessional? probably. a darkly beautiful album? definitely. this is the sound of a man who has traveled to a place most people don't return from, and he's brought back some cautionary tales.

this is an album that explores the fine lines between love and hate, apathy and dependency, joy and desolation, that exist when you commune with god, women and booze. ultimately though this a triumphant message; a sermon of hope and redemption.

song du jour 19/02/11

with two great albums proper and, following the death of lead singer shannon hoon one posthumous affair, there is sadly only a tantalisingly limited blind melon back catalogue to explore. but, this is something i urge you to do nonetheless.

with the 90s enjoying a comeback some of these lesser known, but no less awesome bands may just get the mainstream exposure they deserve. or, more likely a bunch of topshop dressed pricks will listen to blind melon, jeff buckley, pixies, etc, and just rip the sound off, taking out all the emotion and energy that made the bands good originally. these little scrotums, whoever they may be, will probably do very well.

the song i have chosen is probably [i hope] a good all round indication of this band's sound. the vid features a wonderful slow motion narrative that not only suits the mood of the song but perfectly exploits the music video format.

with that in mind my song du jour is "toes across the floor" from the album "soup". this has to be one of my favourite blind melon songs.

song du jour 03/02/11

this has got to be my favourite yeasayer song so far. i have to say i prefer this live version on jools holland to the album version. it is far more energetic and the bridge/chant section works so much better. makes all the hairs stand up! so amazing. there is also a great version in some parisian apartment on la blogoteque. god i love la blogoteque. but that's not why i'm here.

so with that in mind my song du jour is "2080" live on jools holland (originally from the 2007 album "all hour cymbals"). yeasayer: the new talking heads? based on this performance; yes. but i dare you to find any similarity on last year's "odd blood".

suck my lomo

i've set up a sister account on tumblr because it is much more photo friendly. concrete photography is for photos and vids created under the concrete winnnebago ideology.

coming soon: lots of photos from the archives and some vids yet to be made!

all the best,

the cap'n

song du jour 27/01/11

it's been a while since i posted. been busy with my birthday, playing music and watching films. time flys.

most people will be familar with the beta band because of the track "dry the rain" which featured in the movie "high fidelity". click here to read a bit about the band. i first heard this band in my teens when the video for this song i have chosen was played on alternative nation, or some similar alternative music show on mtv. i'm not sure which i like better, the song or the fucking genius diy vid; with youtube i don't have to choose (and it's in glorious high definition too)! i certainly can say that the song and video go together so well.

so with that in mind my song du jour is "inner meet me" from the collection "the three e.p.'s".

song du jour 14/01/11

more news inspired song du jourage. dire straits have had a song banned in canada! what's that all aboot, eh? amazing. i didn't realise that such an inoffensive band could be so offensive. well done! for the full story over at music news.com caress here.

i love the straits! grew up listening to their stuff as they were one of my mum's favourite bands. this isn't my favourite track, but under the circumstances it must be played! it's not banned here by golly!

so with that in mind my song du jour is "money for nothing" from the 1985 album "brothers in arms". play it loud ok!

song du jour 13/01/11

britney spears has been accused of stealing! apparently, allegedly, miss spears' new track "hold it against me" rips off the bellamy brothers' hit "if i said you had a beautiful body would you hold it against me".

i don't care. it just gives me a perfect reason, not that i need one, to play this fine jane's addiction song! not really a jane's fan but love this song and dave navarro the guitarist for jane's addiction was briefly in the 'chili peppers. which is nice. not the chili's best album though. sad face.

so with that in mind my song du jour is "been caught stealing" from the album "Ritual de lo Habitual".



song du jour 06/01/11

just a quick post today. found this song by a band called black moth super rainbow completely by accident on you tube following random vid to random vid through complete obliqueness and found a video that had this song as the soundtrack. it instantly grabbed my attention so i stuck it on my favourites and i just keep coming back for more. i've yet to investigate this band any further but there is a little about them here.

this should appeal to lovers of experimental electronic psychedelic weirdness. kinda sounds like the beta band if they were american, if you know what i mean? i guess there are flaming lip elements in there too and

so with that in mind my song du jour is "when the sun grows on your tongue" from the album "dandelion gum".



song du jour 04/01/11

the first song du jour of 2011 and unfortunately it is with a sad and heavy heart. just found out from @moogc that gerry rafferty has died today. the singer songwriter famous for his stealers wheel super group with joe egan and his solo work passed away after a long illness. click here for the full story at the guardian.co.uk.

tough call between this track and baker street but i went with my heart. this track found a new found fame underpinning the scene when michael madson fails (epically) to teach safe shaving techniques to a frightened policeman in the tarantino classic "reservoir dogs". complete overkill on the aftershave there too michael. however, for me this song will always bring to mind much less violent times like playing lego on the kitchen floor while my mum made dinner or dancing around the lounge like a nutter high on e numbers. happy days i'll never forget. i shouldn't; it was only last week.

so with that in mind my song du jour is "stuck in the middle with you" from the eponymous debut album "stealers wheel".

you give us those nice bright colors

do go and check out flavorwire for a little photo collection inspired by the death of kodachrome on 30/12/2010. i particularly like this taj mahal reflection by steve mccurry.

a list: albums of 2010

as the year comes to an end, it is, as i understand it, obligatory to voice one's views of the past 12 months' artistic success'. or something like that. therefore here are my musical winners:

vampire weekend: contra

afro beats sit comfortably with electronic ones in this second album that sees the boys hone their style to perfection. actually enjoy this more than the fist album.

yeasayer: odd blood

highlights include electro folk "madder red", the sing along "ambling alp", hauntingly robotic "the children" and synth heavy electro floor filler "o.n.e.". this album sees the band deliberately try to be more poppy and finds them fully embracing the more subtle electro dalliances of previous efforts on a more full time basis.

the national: high violet

leonard cohen and ian curtis' mutant lovechild fronting a post punk new wave band. sort of. stand out track "blood buzz ohio" is amazing.

my morning bender: big echo 

brian wilson-esque sun filled summery tunes via fleet foxes and vampirweekend from these calfornian [beach] boys. luscious string abound on "excuses", probably the best track on the album.

 

chiefs: modern rituals

close harmony led indie-folk. think csny, neil young, buffolo springfield, fleet foxes and "american beauty" era grateful dead blended with 90s britpop undertones and a modern indie feel. check out "the minute i saw it" and "night and day".

a year in pictures

msn.com photo editor antony bennison provides the year in pictures. some really breathtaking photos in this collection of 60 pictures taken throughout 2010.

my two favorites have to be:

 

christopher thomas' dash 8 q400 in front of the moon, for the effort and time he put in and the resultant stunning image; such a glorious juxtaposition.

 

and alejandra bartoliche's protester pissing at a pack of riot police in argentina. with all the protests going on at the moment this guy could be the poster boy.

click here for the rest at msn.com.

enjoy.

the captain

merry christmas, everyone!

no normal posts today or for some days to come. i'm too busy enjoying christmas! blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda. i greatly enjoy russell brand's view on life. to get you in the spirit for tomorrow check him out here mulling over what christmas is all about.

enjoymas.

the captain.

song du jour 23/12/10

elbow's guy garvey has let slip the title of their new album on live radio. a mildly inebriated garvey revealed during marc riley's christmas show that their latest offering is to be titled "build a rocket, boys!". click here for the full story and track listing at bbc 6 music news.

i only really know elbow since the release of "the seldom seen kid". how can you not love a song that starts "i've been working on a cocktail called grounds for divorce"! that got my attention. next came this song which is so uplifting and anthemic it hurts.

so with that in mind my song du jour is "one day like this" from the album "the seldom seen kid". i love the message of this song and anything with a string part like this just blows me away.



song du jour 22/12/10

sorry, another song that worked it's way into my brain because of the movie "donnie darko". hell. it's practically the theme tune (if films have theme tunes..)! i only superficially know about tears for fears because their big singles were around when i was a kid. but i only heard them on the radio or on top of the pops and never deliberately sought them out. they weren't my thing. so i guess it has to be with great thanks that i doth my cap to the movie makers for providing such a great soundtrack. not only did it cause me to discover this track but also their original version of "mad world" that was covered by some dude called gary jules and also used for the film.

another fine atmospheric song from the 80s proving again that there was a lot more good music around when i was a kid than i was actually exposed to. what is it with that decade for these really dark tracks that were still quite mainstream? for every cheesy pop tune there is a great song like this.

so with that in mind my song du jour is "head over heels" from the album "songs from big chair". for serious.



winter solstice party

(pine forest in snow [embossed] by ansel adams)

there will be no song du jour today as tonight is the solstice and so we are off to play music in the snowy wilds. i'm just not going to have time peeps, sorry!

business should resume as normal tomorrow. until then enjoy whatever art finds it's way into your life, on this, the shortest day of the year (and coldest by the feel of it)! the warming sun is now on it's way back to us.

enjoy.

the captain

song du jour 20/12/10

I'm not really a massive smiths fan. there are a lot of their songs that i like but over all morrisey's voice and the general samey-ness of many of the songs gets a bit too much. there are definately a handful of their tunes that stand out, and for me this track is by far the best. the reason for that is most likely that it isn't really very smithsy at all!

song du jour 17/12/10

ok, so i heard this song through donnie darko and i wasn't really familiar with echo and the bunnymen until then. doesn't mean that it's not a great song. doesn't mean i love it any less. i haven't watched the film since it came out but this song has been with me ever since. it sends shivers up my spine and all that jazz every time i listen to it. any song that can evoke such a strong feeling is amazing if you ask me. and isn't that the point of all art anyway?

so with that in mind my song du jour is "the killing moon" from the 1984 album "ocean rain". such a dark atmospheric sound. i'm all about the atmosphere.

song du jour 16/12/10

yes i do pay attention, and yes i do take requests christopher! this one goes out to my good friend in hong kong. this is chicago when they were in charge of the trains and buses, before they became a whole city; or when they were good, before they were shit. anyway you see it the name was certainly better. jazz-funk-prog? i don't know. bloated rock? musical wank? who cares.

so with that in mind my song du jour is "i'm a man" from the band's self titled debut album "the chicago transit authority". (sorry chris, i haven't watched enough money train to put on some of the more abstract songs...)

song du jour 15/12/10

bob marley's last live gig is set to be released as an album. 'uprising, live forever', recorded in 1980, is due out february 1, 2011. for the full story over at music-news.com click here.

i love bob marley. i've been listening to him since i was in nappies and so has my 5 year old son. we used to use marley albums to get him to sleep instead of kid's music, lullabies, etc. so i guess it's in the blood. unfortunately bob died the year i was born so i never got to see him live, but his legacy lives on and his popularity sees no sign of waining. I look forward to the new album.

so with that in mind my song du jour is "three little birds" from the album "exudus". i know this is maybe one of his more cheesy songs, and there are a lot more important songs with deep messages but relax and take it easy! this song has such a basic message that we could all benefit from listening to, and for that reason it is important.