“The Rip was worth waiting ten years for…” Critic commenting on Portishead’s long awaited third album.
Visuals are from the excellent film The Fountain. Which by the way, has it’s own amazing film score by the brilliant Clint Mansell.
Ancestors appear in the moments between dreams and consciousness.
Carcrash International – The Whip (1992 remixed version)
Me (to a DJ who was in the middle of a Joy Division-y set): Who is this your playing?
J: Hard Crash International*
Me (mentally scratching my head…): Hard Crash International?
DJ: Yup!
Me:Hmmm…
Why hadn’t I ever heard of this band? I looked them up on Youtube right on the spot and I couldn’t find a thing. I get home and then it dawns on me, Carcrash International! I’ve had this record in my house for like 15 years. This is what I get for not ever giving it a proper listen, I’d totally missed out on this song. Time to revisit the record collection.
original version, 1983
I was born with a cannibal instinct
And bound up in the house of fear
For sweet kisses love and affection
I had to eat myself alive
*He probably said Carcrash International and I couldn’t hear him over the music.
Egyptians practicing the fine art of rock throwing, January 25, 2011.
I’m been enthralled by Al Jazeera’s live feed of the uprising in Egypt. Riot cops running from protesters, folks celebrating on top of army tanks, lots of burning stuff and fires in Cairo!
It only makes me pine for my faux-Egyptian connections even more. But just this week, I learned an extraordinary fact, one that gives hope to my far-fetched dreams of an Mexican-Egyptian heritage. According to Chicana musician Lysa Flores who recently participated in an Egyptian group art exhibit, Citizen, Participant “Egypt sent 20,000 troops to Mexico in the 1860′s to help Mexico boot out Maximilano and none of those Egyptians returned…” What? Could it be that perhaps, one of those soldiers could’ve been related to the grandfather I never knew and recently tried to find in Guadalajara? Probably not, but I still feel the nostalgia when gazing at the Eye of Horus.
Amr Diab-Omal Eih
All this revolution and uprising needs some musical accompaniment so how about some Arabic Pop/Al Jeel music by one Egypt’s most popular artists, Amr Diab? His sorta dorky style is quite charming, too bad he’s all slick and dolled up now. The 80s was the BEST time for Arab Pop, in my opinion.
One of his most popular songs, was previously featured on the blog here. And of course, EVERYONE knows this song, Nour El Ain.
Oh, you’ve all been waiting for this Egyptian Lover? Why didn’t you say so?
New music from Metronomy! I can always count on them for some decent melancholy electro-pop. This video is a nice representation of what dreams are like, severe looking woman and all.
This Metronomy song’s still my, uh, favorite though: A Thing for Me.