UPCOMING SHOWS:

UPCOMING SHOWS:

Sat. April 30
KONONO N°1 FEAT. BATUDA
(Le Grand Mix, Tourcoing)

Sun. May 1
HELL
(The Pit's, Kortrijk)

Thu. May 5
Awesome Tapes From Africa dj set
(Treehou5e Open Air, Ghent)

Fri. May 6
Invisible Hands / Neil Michael Hagerty & The Howling Hex / DSR Lines
(Vooruit, Ghent)

Sat. May 7
CRITES
(De Ruimte, Ghent)

Tue. May 10
SEX CRIME + THE ARROGANTS
(De Pit's, Kortrijk)

Thu. May 12
QUANTIC
(DOK, Ghent)

Fri. May 13
ARCHIE & THE BUNKERS
(Het Bos, Antwerp)

Sun. May 15
THRONEFEST (Taake, Inquisition, Mgla, Batushka, Inferno, Dysangellium, Wiegedood & The Commitee)
(Kubox, Kuurne)

Thu. May 26
PAUL COLLINS BEAT
(Den Trap, Kortrijk)

Fri. May 27
BEAK>
(Trix, Antwerp)

Wed. June 1
TY SEGALL & THE MUGGERS
(Botanique, Brussels)

Wed. June 8
UNCANNY VALLEY: THE LOS ANGELES FREE MUSIC SOCIETY AND THEIR LEGACY (WOLF EYES, etc.)
(Vooruit, Ghent)

Wed. June 22
FÖLLAKZOID
(Het Bos, Antwerp)






Friday, November 28, 2008

Free Dirt - DIED PRETTY (Citadel Records 1986)



While compiling my desert island albums list a couple of years ago, I was seriously considering to include DIED PRETTY’s 'Free Dirt ' album from 1986 because it’s one of the most passionate yet uncompromising rock albums of the 1980s. Now - 20 years after its original release - the album has been reissued in style as a 2cd set, including all the great early singles and a bunch of live tracks. Listen to samples and read more about the Rock Album Reissue of the Year here (click on the album cover for details).

Sunday, November 23, 2008

My Music Room


I just wanted to share 2 pictures with you of my music room. I don’t know exactly why – maybe because I liked Harry Prengers' ‘culture wall' – but I’m sure you’re gonna like my original Derek Hess, Robert Williams & TAZ posters…



Saturday, November 22, 2008

ELI "PAPERBOY" REED !!!




Last night, I went to see 24-year-old blue-eyed soul sensation ELI “PAPERBOY” REED in Ghent and was totally blown away by Reed’s ultra-dynamic performance! Backed by his super-tight backing band The True Loves, Reed delivered a monster set of high-energy R&B and sizzling southern soul ballads. Most of the songs were of course from his fabulous album 'Roll With You' but the super-enthusiastic crowd also got to hear a brilliant cover of The Ohio Untouchables’ astonishingly beautiful “I’m Tired”. Believe it or not, but on stage Eli “Paperboy” Reed channels the ghosts of Otis Redding and Sam Cooke and is nothing short of spectacular! One of the best shows I’ve seen in the last couple of years!

You can watch a complete show from July 16th, 2008 here. It's rather courteous compared to yesterday's show but still very good!

Thursday, November 20, 2008

CATH & PHIL TYLER


A couple of months ago, New Jersey native Cath Tyler and her husband Phil released their amazing debut album 'Dumb Supper' on the tiny No-Fi Recordings label. It’s a wonderful collection of haunting, mediaeval-like ballads and traditional banjo tunes. Despite its immediate origins in North Eastern England – the album was recorded in Cath & Phil’s current hometown Newcastle upon Tyne - the music is deeply rooted in the traditions of rural America. Most songs are sung with spare accompaniment from finger picked acoustic guitar or banjo, with a few harmonized acappella songs along the way. Listen to “Fisherman’s Girl” by clicking here.

Cath actually used to play in the criminally underrated folk-rock band CORDELIA'S DAD; a truly unique trio that brilliantly mingled acoustic American folk traditionals with grungy indie rock. I interviewed the band in 1997 for my fanzine and I hope to republish that interview on my site soon. In the meantime, there’s a pretty good biography at All Music and Cd Baby sells most of the band’s amazing output.

After the demise of Cordelia’s Dad, I was very glad to hear that all members are still making music. Tim Eriksen, the shaven-headed lead singer whose musical roots are in the western Massachusetts hardcore punk scene of the ‘80s, formally studied South Indian Carnatic music while in college and holds a degree in ethnomusicology. He currently plays traditional tunes, accompanying himself on guitar, fiddle and banjo. He also played guitar in the Bulgarian rock band ZABE I BAB with his wife Minja Lausevic. You can listen to Zabe I Bab’s “Sjaj Mjesece” from their 1997 album 'Drumovi' by clicking here.

According to Cordelia’s Dad’s recently revitalized website, the band is still active so let’s hope they will record and tour again in the future. In the meantime, buy 'Dumb Supper' because it’s a gem!

Saturday, November 08, 2008

At the movies



I watched 37 movies at 35th Ghent International Film Festival and for the first time in years, I had the feeling that I was still missing out on another bunch of interesting films. Needless to say, the 2008 edition was an outstanding one with a strong emphasis on world cinema and a high-quality retrospective section. Two films will undoubtedly make it into my personal top 5 of 2008: Kornél Mundruczo’s visually stunning DELTA (Béla Tarr meets Carlos Reygadas) and British video artist Steve McQueen’s gut-wrenching HUNGER, two films that were also part of the Official Selection at Cannes this year.

Another surprise was Fien Troch’s intriguing second feature UNSPOKEN. Although this promising Belgian filmmaker is hardly 30 years old, her film is directed with great intelligence and visual flair. A mystifying but unpretentious arthouse film that doesn’t cease to fascinate!


Apart from a tribute to American silent film actor Harold Lloyd, the Memory of Film section – in collaboration with The World Cinema Foundation, established by Martin Scorsese - had its focus on neglected films from around the world - in particular, from those countries lacking the financial and technical ability to preserve and restore their cinematographic masterpieces. The digitally restored Turkish film DRY SUMMER (SUSUZ YAZ) (1964) from Metin Erksan - a village story about the struggle over land and water – earns a special place in our film history (and in my heart from now on) because of the genuine way its social realism handles erotic elements.


I will try to review most of the other films I saw when they get a national release here in Belgium. In the meantime, here’s some kind of personal value judgement:


♣ ♣ ♣ ♣ ♣

DELTA
HUNGER
UNSPOKEN
DRY SUMMER (1964)

♣ ♣ ♣ ♣

THE HONEYMOON KILLERS (1970)
HONEYDRIPPER
DAISIES (1966)
SNOW
KATYN
TULPAN
WENDY & LUCY
THE SONG OF SPARROWS
TWO-LEGGED HORSE
IN LOVE WE TRUST
ADORATION
KABULI KID
AUTUMN
MY MAGIC
LA PISCINE (1969)

♣ ♣ ♣

LA RABIA
LAKE TAHOE
GOD MAN DOG
ELLE VEUT LE CHAOS
WITH A GIRL OF BLACK SOIL

♣ ♣

SWEET FOOD CITY
THE SHAFT
PARKING



FLIPPING OUT
LINHA DE PASSA
SUMMER BOOK
THE PRINCESS OF NEBRASKA
GITMEK: MY MARLON AND BRANDO

0

ELEGY
THE GUATEMALIAN HANDSHAKE