Portishead has joined forces with Amnesty International to release their new single "Chase the Tear." The team-up is in honor of International Human Rights Day. The following is from the 7 Digital website where you can buy the MP3.
International Human Rights day marks the anniversary of the United Nation’s historic ‘Universal Declaration Of Human Rights’ on 10 December 1948. The UDHR set out for the first time in a single document the fundamental rights to which everyone, everywhere is entitled - including the right to life, liberty, security, the freedoms of opinion, association and expression, and the right not to be subjected to torture or cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment.
Here's a video for the song which is just simply great. I loved their "comeback" album Third and from the sound of it, more good things are to come.
Welcome to the first installment of Never Too Late, in which I'll review (read: ramble) an album that has been released for some time, judge it with both contemporary snark and sentimental appreciation, then make some grand statement about its ir/relevance.
Someone told me this is how serious music blogs are done. (Thanks, mom).
Today's Never Too Late review is an album that is dear to my heart and pretty much personifies my 7th grade self. It's Another Bad Creation's 1991 opus Coolin' At The Playground ya' Know!
First off, it must be stated that Another Bad Creation (ABC) could kick Kris Kross' ass anyday. First of all, there was 6 of them. Secondly, we all know you can't fight while sporting backwards pants (proven statement). But say Kris Kross pulled some wiggity wack shit and fought dirty. Fear not because the entire East Coast Family has ABC's back. And you don't eff with dudes wearing long shorts, denim shirts and ties. Plus, DeVoe will straight cut your ass.
Maybe I should talk about the music now...
Basically, this album has 2 things going for it: "Iesha" (btw, you are the girl that I never had.) and "Playground."
While they both certainly have 1992 and Starter Jacket written all over them, they are both extremely fun to listen to and, better yet, to sing the crap out of. These are the kind of songs that are a blast to put on your iPod. Throw them in the middle of a playlist at a party and watch the room light the hell up when they come on.
Of course, if your party is full of people BORN in the 90s, you'll probably get a different reaction. It'll lack the nostalgic irony. Kind of like when someone plays Andy Gibb's "Shadow Dancing" for me. (No one has actually done this, btw. This is me being clever. Andy Gibb makes me giggle).
While I did hear a few beats that could've influenced J Dilla (R.I.P.), the rest of the album is pretty much crap. (I say "crap" with love, DeVoe, please don't knife me).
Here it is-- Rock Rulz (Because misspellings are hardcore and "Rulz" fit nicely on my fist). Consider this your musical lesson to keeping up with the rock Joneses (and the George Jones-es too).
The theme for our pilot is "Debut" (how appropriate, right? I know, I know-- I'm cute). This was made next to a bathroom using a green electric blanket, thumbtacks, some shop lights clamped to a chair, coffee, a whole lot of moxie and some old fashioned hard work-- kinda like all the best rock and roll.
Please watch it and give us your feedback. We would love to know what you think both about the music and the production of the show. We're already thinking of ways to make it better (like WTF is up with my hair?) and hope to make it a weekly show.
Big thanks to Erin McHenry and Rob Walters, my partners in rhyme. Look for more to come from our newly formed production company-- Seven Tummy.
Christmas is long gone. New Years came and went. Essentially, the fun part of winter is over and we are left with the stark, cold, blunt and ass-sucky part known as January and February.
The snow in Tulsa has been on the ground for well over a week now and no change is in sight. Instead of waiting for a defrost of our freezer town, why not embrace it? During this time of resolutions and other life-changing goals, what better backdrop for self-reflection than the cold, white canvas of our long winter?
And like all good indulgent inner montages, you need a soundtrack. Since you can only listen to Bon Iver (For Emma = The most wintery of winter soundtracks) so many times, here's a playlist with an emotional coldness to match your shivering bones.
It's heavy on country and folk tracks because there is such an emotional bluntness to those tunes. I found them quite a match to the atmosphere of things.
I lack the ability to stream this right now, but most of these are easily accessible. Since I am in a generous mood, though, and something of an attention whore, if you pass along a link to my blog via Twitter or Facebook and ask nicely via a comment to this post, I'll send you a copy on CD.
"The Grand Tour" - George Jones
"Fifteen Keys" - Uncle Tupelo
"Smith & Jones Forever" - Silver Jews
"A Song for You" - Gram Parsons
"Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold" - Townes Van Zandt
"Antonia Jane" - Lightning Dust
"Alcohol" - The Kinks
"Tree Bones" - Port O'Brien
"Hollywood Hopeful" - Loudon Wainwright III
"Scissor Tales" - Samantha Crain
"Broken Heart" - Alexander "Skip" Spence
"Lua" - Connor Oberst & Gillian Welch
"As Soon as I Hang Up the Phone" - Loretta Lynn
"Let's Dance"(Cover of David Bowie) - M. Ward
"A Girl In Port" - Okkervil River
"Avalanche" - Leonard Cohen
"Three Days" - Castanets
"Write It Down In Red" - Cheyenne
"Romulus" - Sufjan Stevens
"Dark as a Dungeon" - Ramblin' Jack Elliott & Guy Clark
