Aidan Moffat - Stage Of The Art

The Palais de Tokyo in Paris and Stage Of Art scheduled a very attractive evening with Aidan John Moffat (ex Arab Strap), Friday, April 25. You know how much I was very disappointed when I heard the end of Arab Strap in September 2006 after ten years of being together (read Arab Strap Farewell Tour), so, I soon as I got the information I wanted to share it with you.
This is what you must know: Moffat just released a poetry-oriented album titled I Can hear You Heart, credited to his full name. I Can Hear Your Heart is a collection of Moffat’s intimate poems and stories set to sound collages, song snippets and crackles... At forthcoming solo performances, Moffat plans to mix music with readings, “a nice, relaxed ‘Evening With Aidan Moffat’- type thing,” he says. So, don’t forget to come if you’re around and you know it’s not too expensive for a very special evening, just 20 euros.
Aidan Moffat will be joined by Black Affair. Black Affair is actually Steve Mason, founder and singer of The Beta Band, and more recently known as King Biscuit Time.

Stage of the Art is specialized in curating and organizing musical exchanges between international art centres, offering a new way to experience live music in conjunction with the contemporary art scene. More information: Stage Of The Art

Web: aidanmoffat.co.uk
MySpace: myspace.com/blackaffair

Aidan John Moffat - The Boy That You Love .mp3 from the poetry album, I Can Hear Your Heart released by Chemikal Underground.
Arab Strap - Islands (Live) .mp3

Arab Strap - To All A Good Night .mp3

Peter Case - Live & Acoustic

This was just going to be a review of Peter Case’s La Java venue show in Paris this past March 17th but after buying his latest CD I couldn’t help but include a short review of this most excellent 2007 release as well. I had a short chat with him before the show and Peter seemed very much in good spirits and quite clear headed about it all. I believe this surety of spirit has been reflected not only in the concert but in the new record as well.
The concert in the historic La Java was a 2.5-hour ride through all the corners of American music. Everything from Jimi Hendrix and Dylan to Mississippi John Hurt and back to his own fine musings and precise observations, Case kept us involved and entertained. He’s also a really great guitarist, which I think folks sometimes overlook. This is not a musician who’s content with perfecting Nick Drake’s intricacies. This is a bluesman that leans into his instrument and digs for the good stuff. The evening was a powerful and assured performance by a talented and confident musician.

Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John is acoustic Case at his best. With guest appearances by Richard Thompson and Duane Jarvis (among others), the CD is uncluttered, very well recorded and a pleasure to listen to. I’ve never heard him sing so good either. I would call it folk music although I’m not sure exactly what the folk purists would say about it (although I would suspect grumblings abound). His music is as much a part of the rock and roll world as it is of the folk. There is aggressiveness about the music that can be unsettling to those timid souls who need their music gentled. He is very much the artist that is constantly in search of the perfect note. You can tell he’s scratching and clawing and always looking to reinvent himself and the songs that he sings.
The one word that I feel represents these new CD though is “restraint”. He has learned how to take the breath, hold back some and let the song move itself forward. A million miles of roadwork, 5,000 gigs and the fortitude to hang in there through it all shine through this artist’s songs, attitude, stories and presentation. The concert was and the CD is an inspiration.
With an interesting new biographical novel out about his early musical journeys (As Far As You Can Get Without A Passport and with an introduction by John Doe!) as well as doing the drawings for his CD artwork, Peter Case has upped his game and continues to reach for new and higher ground. My compliments and respect!

Bookerfatz2

PS- one of the best and most interesting artist sites on the net. I constantly drop in to check out his musings, writings, observations and tour diaries. Really! Check it out:

bloggn.petercase.com

Web: petercase.com
MySpace: myspace.com/petercase

Peter Case - Million Dollars Bail .mp3 from Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John (2007)
Peter Case - Wake Up Call .mp3
Peter Case - Ice Water .mp3

Bonus:
Richard Thompson - Dear Janet Jackson .mp3
Richard Thompson - For Whose Sake .mp3
John Doe - Golden State .mp3

Photo: P.S.Zollo

Bashung, Kent & Zita Swoon

I don’t listen so much to French music or follow French singer-songwriters - consider Magma as a group coming from, let say, a unique place called Erewhon (nowhere!). These days, many people praised the new Alain Bashung record, Bleu Pétrole. They all agreed that this new release is a masterpiece. Knowing the work of this guy a little, I’m not surprise that they put him back on the top, the traditional music in France or Belgium or Switzerland is a little bit weak at the moment so artists like Bashung are always welcome with a new album.

Alain Bashung - Comme Un Lego .mp3 via Sous les pavés, la plage

This little foreword is just to introduce you to Kent and Zita Swoon, two excellent artists that I had the chance to discover recently. The first one is Kent Cokenstock. Kent is a multi-talented artist: singer-songwriter, writer and cartoonist. With L’homme de Mars (The Man From Mars), Kent, ex-punk leader of a group called Starshooter, created an opera-rock where he could put music to his comics or drawings to his compositions. The record is a concept album, a symphonic story in 17 chapters. No matter you understand French or not, you will enjoy this musical story filled with passion backed by a full orchestra with horns and violins. The best is to go to his MySpace, the only official possibility to get an idea of his work.

Web: kent.artistes.universalmusic.fr

Zita Swoon is a Belgian-based indie band (Antwerp). They sing in English and sometimes in French. This Tuesday (March 25) will see the release of Big Blueville an amazing album field with great songs. Zita Swoon exists since ten years now but long before in the beginning of the 90’s, the leader, Stef Kamil Carlens was one of the founding members of dEUS. After the first three successful CDs, he exited to focus on his side project Moondog Jr who soon became Zita Swoon… I like the way Stef Kamil Carlens dialogues with his two choristers, Kapinga and Eva Gysel, all along this album full of live. They talk about cities, women and family. Big Blueville is a very enjoyable album and I’m sure it will be at the end of 2008 on many critics’ top ten in Europe.

MySpace: myspace.com/zitaswoon

Sun Kil Moon In April

Ghosts Of The Highway was my # 1 in 2004. Mark Kozelek alone or with The Red House Painters or Sun Kil Moon was, is and will be one my favorite singer-songwriter ever.
The good news just came to me few days ago – I’m sure you knew it before me -, the 1st of April will see the release of April (yes!), the new album by Sun Kil Moon. The same day, Nights Of Passed Over the lyric book by Mark Kozelek will be available for the first time in a comprehensive edition with a 12-Song bonus CD entitled Nights EP. The disc includes live and rare versions of Mark Kozelek songs dating from 1996 through 2007.
I didn’t hear any of those two CDs. I’m sorry! It's just to tell you or remind you the good news. I will come back later on those two releases, believe me.

More on Leaky Sparrow: Mark Kozelek New Live CD

Web: sunkilmoon.com
MySpace: myspace.com/sunkilmoon
Web: markkozelek.com
MySpace: myspace.com/markkozelek
Label: caldoverderecords.com

Sun Kil Moon - Carry Me Ohio .mp3 Ghosts Of The Great Highway via Movies Of Myself
Sun Kil Moon - Ocean Breathes Salty .mp3 Tiny Cities
Mark Kozelek - Lazy .mp3
Mark Kozelek - Salvador Sanchez .mp3 (live) via Pitchforkmedia

Photo: Nathan Malone - Mark Kozelek SXSW Lou Reed Tribute March 14, 2008

Goldfrapp - Alison In Wonderland

To be honest, until now I was not sure if I wished to write about Seventh Tree, the latest Goldfrapp release. First because this record doesn’t need me to be known (as far as I could be of any help, ha ha ha…), it already reached the top of the charts in UK and on the Web, second because I felt a little bit disappointed by the contents of this fourth album even if I enjoy listening to it since I bought it (February 26).
In 2000, like most of you, I was amazed by the wonderful debut album Felt Mountain. The baroque mood of this record with the magnificent voice of Allison Goldfrapp arrived in the middle of a golden age where you could listen to Portishead, Alpha, Massive Attack…, all those people from Bristol. Then, I skipped Goldfrapp’s second album, Black Cherry, knowing that Allison and Will Gregory took a different direction. I came back with Supernature in case of and must admit that I really enjoyed it, I even saw Goldfrapp live in an outdoor festival during the summer of 2005.
To come back to Seventh Tree, after several listening, all I can say is that the writing is still very efficient, the sound and the production quite perfect - as usual - and that few songs like Cologne Cerrone Houdini bring me back to the days of the flamboyant Felt Mountain, and that is good. Well, I let you find more comments elsewhere. Just one advice from me, if you feel the need to buy Seventh Tree, choose the deluxe edition (CD+DVD+ poster+book+postcards), for about the same prize, it’s a nice little object.

Web: www.goldfrapp.co.uk
MySpace: www.myspace.com/goldfrapp
Label: www.mute.com

Goldfrapp - A & E .mp3 (Seventh Tree) via Music Is Art
Goldfrapp - Number 1 .mp3 (Supernatural)
Goldfrapp - Human .mp3 (Felt Mountain)

Bonus: Tricky - Evolution Revolution Love .mp3

Adem Takes

Adem new album is scheduled to be released May 12th. It will be his first album since 2006, since Love And Others Planets. It’s a cover record – yes, one more… – but I like this one. I didn’t listen to it yet (not any song is available at the moment), I just like the selection. Adem says it’s all the music that he loved from 1991 to 2001 and I must admit that I fully agree with all the artists/tracks that he choose. Wait and see.

Adem Takes - New Album out May 12th (Domino Records)

01 Bedside Table - Bedhead - 7” single 1992 (+the end of the day (beheaded1996))
02 Oh My Lover - PJ Harvey - Dry 1992
03 Slide - Lisa Germano - Slide 1998
04 Loro - Pinback - Pinback 1998
05 Hotellounge - dEUS - Worst Case Scenario 1994
06 To Cure A Weakling Child + Boy/Girl Song - Aphex Twin - Richard D James 1996
07 Tears Are In Your Eyes - Yo La Tengo - And Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out 2000
08 Starla - Smashing Pumpkins - I am one 7” b-side 1992. (+Window Paine from Gish 1991)
09 Gamera - Tortoise - Gamera 12” 1995
10 Unravel - Björk - Homogenic 1997
11 Invisible Man - The Breeders - Last Splash 1993
12 Laser Beam - Low - Things We Lost In The Fire 2001

Web: www.adem.tv/site/

Adem - These Lights Are Meaningful .mp3 from Love And Others Planets (2006)

Bonus: Björk - Unravel .mp3 via A Certain Romance
Yo La Tengo - Bean Bag Chair .mp3
Pinback - Loro.mp3

Photos by: Danielle Millea (egigs.co.uk)

People Press Play (And) Listen

Mmm, I must admit that this record came to my attention a little bit late. I don't know why it took me so long to discover the 2007 People Press Play’s self-title debut album. It only came to my ears few weeks ago; maybe winter is the best season for that kind of music.

People Press Play produces melancholy, slow-moving electropop just perfect for a cold and rainy day. The album jitters, lurches and levitates through slow aching melancholy, detached coolness. My favourite tracks of the album are Girl and Hanging On. People Press Play is a Danish quarto consisting of three boys (aka Future 3, an ambient trio) and a vocalist (Sara Severy).

MySpace: www.myspace.com/peoplepressplay
Label : www.morrmusic.com

People Press Play - Hanging On .mp3
People Press Play - Girl .m3u
Future 3 - 201 .mp3

Video: People Press Play - These Days via GHB TV

Zappo And Frank Zappa

There are two good reasons to stop at Caterpillar Records shop while you visit the city of Cologne (Köln). One, you’re a big fan of Frank Zappa, you know the place and you don’t want to miss a visit to the temple of that multi-talented artist. Second, you wish to take the opportunity to be in the heart of one of the most amazing second hand records shops dedicated to alternative/progressive music circa late 60’s: Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart and the likes.
Zappo is the man who runs the shop. No, I’m not kidding, that’s how he likes to be called. Zappo will welcome you in a very friendly way and let you share his passion and his devotion to one of the most amazing and important music singer-songwriters since rock music exist. Not only he runs the shop but also published a quarterly magazine dedicated to his idol, the ARF-Dossier (in English or in German depending on the language it was written by the contributors) and manage a very small label, Zappo Records.
Zappo was born in Praha long time ago and discovered the music of Frank Zappa in 1976 with the album We’re Only In It For The Money (released 1968). “It changed my life”, he said to me. At that time the black market helped him to collect and trade vinyls that were not easy to find behind the iron curtain. Further on, he followed Frank Zappa during some European tours between 84 and 88; he also crossed the ocean to see him during a west coast tour. One time he had the chance to say hello to his idol, like a hardcore devotee he his, he was pretty honored to receive an autograph from the big man.
Zappo is a fan like I am happy to meet, very generous and passionate, open enough to share and give you comments and advices about the music from that period. He is one of the last big music collectors from the early seventies.
Below, you’ll find some useful links to contact him but one personal advice: call him or send him a mail before you plan a visit because Mister Zappo travels a lot in Europe from records conventions to international music markets to promote or exchange the music he loves.

Caterpillar Records – Elsass Strasse 19 – D-50677 – Köln – Tel: 0221-328003
Mail: caterpillarrecords{at}freenet{dot}de
Web: www.arf-society.de

Frank Zappa - Who Needs The Peace Corps .mp3 via Feed Me Good Tunes
Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa - Orange Claw Hammer .mp3
Frank Zappa - Who Are The Brain Police .mp3

Photo from Lucky Lady