Bonnie "Prince" Billy Fascinating Istanbul Concert

One of the most important singer/songwriter of 21th century, Bonnie "Prince" Billy (a.k.a. Will Oldham) was here last night for his second concert in Istanbul . It was a very beautiful excitement to see him in front of us. He performed the great songs from "The Letting Go", "I See a Darkness" and some from Palace Music but mostly they played hidden songs of Will Oldham such as Idea and Deed, "All gone, all gone", You Have Cum In Your Hair And Your Dick Is Hanging Out and John The Baptist. Although i had all the solo Bonnie, i couldn't remember some of the songs. Songs from "The Letting Go" Big Friday, Strange Form Of Life and I Called You Back were highlights of the night, but i personally trembled for Pushkin, Wolf among Monsters and closing performance Ease On Down The Road. By the way the picture isn't from same concert.

Here is a small package from the concert but note that it's quite low quality. I just want you to realize the broken voice which is imposible to forget for me.

Last six songs from Bonnie "Prince" Billy Istanbul Performance on 9 Feb.
1. Strange Form Of Life
2. Master and Everyone
3. Wolf Among Monsters
4. Pushkin
5. I See A Darkness
6. Ease On Down The Road
Listen the live stuff (don't use the listen button for the file, just click to the link)

High Llamas - Can Cladders

Rating: 9.6/10
Modern Music Review
We know that the world is polluted day by day, were losing our best friends, the animals. They're still know how to live in a peace. We need to fight for a better world. It's imposible being happy on a garbage land. A modern person doesn't only mean good living person, it's completely about brain, character and your viewpoint to world. So culture gets the most important saving life at that point. We want good music but not only good music, a clean world would be the best thing along with it.

This is eighth album of the band since " Beet, Maize & Corn" after a four year break. High Llamas' music as gentle as a bird's wing, it's warm, it's light. Moreover it's smooth, like holding wing of a dove and watching the world from clouds.

On the new record, this jazzy headed boys keep the lush, orchestrated work in a nice way. Like tasting a mature peach, it tastes so delicious, healthy and fruitful!. The songs kisses your ears softly, feeling sunrise on your face and keeping warm your skin. There is nothing obscure, completely a cure for sad souls. A perfect friend to brooding with. How you say when you're happy? Just like 'Still great to know that there is goodness on this earth'. In spite of undeniable
comparisons with Beach Boys and Steely Dan, this is High Llamas' openhearted music. With "Can Cladders", they're victorious!

Take my hand and lead me to the place where everything looks polite, everything smells pure, everything is clean. Just open your ears to the peaceful music. Everybody needs a rest. We know that music is the food of spirit. "Can cladders" is so powerful that can easily clean all blocked way of your heart. Release date: 13 Feb 2007.
Official High Llamas
MM picks: Bacaroo, Clarion Union Hall, Dorothy Ashby, Rollin
mp3: High Llamas - Bacaroo

Noisettes - What's The Time Mr Wolf?

Rating: 8/10
Modern Music Review
Energetic but aggressive, cracked but bluesy, indie rock but punky, Noisettes is ready to bounce you with their attractive debut "What's The Time Mr Wolf?".

One of the best thing on The noisettes is Shingai Shoniwa's assured singing style. Even if the guitar and drum coordination is quite satisfying, the dominant character of this band absolutely will be Shoniwa's lewd voice. You start with song "Don't Give Up", and it ends just like a pleasant fiery expedition. "Bridge To Canada" simply is best burning effort, and it's their high point, supporting meaningful lyrics by powerful loudy guitar chords. You see clearly how they're heavily influenced by garage rock on that song.

Shoniwa's voice on some songs is really detonate itself, she should know that she has to be worried about those uncontrollable high-pitched vocal. In anyway, Dan Smith's loudy guitars
help to cover that spotty vocal performance. That's why punk music is a little cracked style. It has its own right such as confidence, freedom, hilarity. As a matter of fact blending lots of style in one record alike blues, punk, garage, indie is a risky attempt. It may fill the gaps, one the other side it may frustrate all of those hard work. "Mind The Gap" perfectly puts the last full stop with its bluesy and airy wind.

Noisettes' "What's The Time Mr Wolf?" is another obvious proof that debuts are always ambitious. This album is enough reason that it's worth watching Noisettes' growing.
Audio, Video Streaming on Noisettes page
MM picks: Bridge To Canada, Mind The Gap, Cannot Even (Break Free)
mp3: Bridge To Canada

The New Romantics

I don't like much commercial disco music, all the same beats, corny dum dums. It sounds like everbody can bring into being a disco song. Anyway, i'm a big fan of 80s' New Romantic artists. Now let's look what we have in the New Romantic basket! Here is my best new romantic picks, also these are memorable picks from 80s. They were funny with their heavy make up, i know that they needed those romantic look on the faces. Don't try to be like them, because being a simple guy/girl is the best. Now it's time to feel music inside of your body!

1. mp3: Visage - Fade to Grey
Fade to Grey is Visage's most successful single, considered as the most representative song of the New Romantic scene. I can't stop myself dancing whenever i hear starting beats, and after a romantic female voice 'Devenir Gris', we start to dance like a lonely unexplored star. Blending dance beats with violin is a brilliant idea of Visage. Also don't forget that visceral bass guitar...Bulut

2. mp3: Japan - Ghosts
Somewhat ashamed of being attached to an outmoded gimmick, Japan have been recently attempting to pass the parcel, as it were, by singing lots of songs about Red China. This one is about ‘Ghosts’ of no particular persuasion; you know what it sounds like. David Sylvian has a
belly ache and so we all have to hear about it. Jayne Mansfield once suggested to her manager that they bottle the Mansfield urine and sell it to her star-struck fans. Well, David Sylvian bottles belly aches and (sometimes) idiots buy them. Men shouldn’t read books – knowledge
makes them miserable…Julie Burchill

3. mp3: Talk Talk - It's my Life
That broken voice! It's my life!. The song hides the emotional power and bursts all emotions on chorus. It's a backround melody for dudes who want to live their life bravely...Bulut

4. mp3: Soft Cell - Secret Life
Over a jaunty piano part backed by a deeper synth-bass stab and a simple, hollow beat, Marc Almond delivers a bit of sly fun about emotional games and screwing around with expectations. Certainly, it may sound more serious than anything else -- the bit about the narrator's wife having just had a breakdown isn't really a laugh riot -- but the perspective is as much from the cad in question than any victim. Almond's winning delivery on the chorus makes everything sound fun, to be frank, and it gets better as the song goes!...Ned Raggett

5. mp3: Gary Numan - Bombers
With dozen of groovy electric guitars noise from beginning to end, Numan's heavy David Bowie influence on his music, amazing harmony of bass synth with a cracked voice, you can count so many reason to praise this flawless work...Bulut

6. mp3: Ultravox - Vienna
A group who’ve already reached the skids ’73 – an Epic Year stage. From the extremely stylised (ie, precipitously clichéd) Peter Saville (arty) direction to the extremely silly (ie ditto) maudlin
Ultravox humming and humming, ‘Vienna’ is an unbearably po-faced trek. I’m a sucker for Viennese mythology and history (my Mastermind subject!) but there isn’t any in ‘Vienna’. If
you see what I mean. In its place? A load of extremely portentous nonsense: “A man in the
dark in a picture frame/So mystic and soulful”, etc etc. Young brats like this need a good klimt round the earhole...Ian Penman

7. mp3: Human League - Love Action (I Believe in Love)
Oooh! The way they get excited when they aren’t. Is Sal Solo ever sad? Because he is always bad, real bad! Why aren’t The Human League lop-sided like Oakey’s hair cut? How about more acute observations about guys and gals? How about stringing more than two words together. The “Human” League?! Bring back the Daleks, Doctor, let’s converse with Kraftwerk’s computers! Don’t cry on their shoulders; you’ll smudge the lipstick on their circuits.--Neil Rowland

8. mp3: Duran Duran - Girls on Film
Somebody Play Them The Isley Brothers! This is an innocuous impersonation of a true blue funk. Somebody Punch Me! This is so numbingly adequate it could make you squeal with irritation. Duran Duran look like such Doodle Dandy partyline twits. Conclusion: something like, if the sap fits, bear it?...Ian Penman

9. Heaven 17 - Fascist Groove Thang
Heaven 17's first single, "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang," is a perfect example of the trio's skewed perspective: on one level, the song is a straightforward condemnation of the right wing.

10. mp3: Spandau Ballet - Chant No 1 (I Don't Need This Pressure On)
Move to the groove! Dip like a dervish! Feel the chant and glow like a lover in the land of a thousand dances! With cold sweat in their swing and motion in their art, Spandau Ballet turn
it loose and return to the singles arena with a dazzling dance floor stormer as demonic as anything else we’re likely to contort ourselves to this summer. Spandau have taken the spirit
of ’75 – Kool, Fatback and (especially) Brass Construction – and slammed it straight into the heart of 1981. Dare to dance and feel the chant!...Adrian Thrills

New Stuff!

New Singles
1. mp3: The Earlies - Burn The Liars
2. Long Blondes – Giddy Stratospheres
3. The Little Ones - Oh, MJ!
4. M. Ward - To Go Home Feb. 20
5. Brett Anderson - Love Is Dead
6. mp3: Tokyo Police Club – Cheer It On (7”)
7. The Enemy – It’s Not OK
8. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Desecration Smile
9. Low vs Diamond - Life After Love (EP)
10. Damien Rice – Rootless Tree

New Videos
Loney, Dear - I Am John
TV On The Radio Video - Province
Decemberists Video - O Valencia!
Thanks to Stereogum

I love Mondays for only one thing, new cds appear in the mailbox.

'This isn't a 'best of...' by any means: it's just the surface, and if you hear a voice or a style that you like, then you'll find hours more of great recordings out there. Happy Digging!' Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead guitarist)

Jonny is absolutely right that his new compilation gives a lot of dizzy impression about great reggae artists out there. "Jonny Greenwood is the Controller" seems to control my playlist for a long time, totally music feast! With the release of the record, Trojan Records celebrates the 40th anniversary of the label. Release date: March 6th, 2007

High Llamas' new album "Can Cladders" totally amazed me, i gave anough listen now it's time to
share with you. It's my favorite band listen to on sunset. New album got much more great High Llamas melancholy. I've got a new jazzy song for you. Hope it'll warm you.
mp3: High Llamas - Winter´s day

Calla

Calla is another great band from New York City, formed in 1997, dropped four successful record.
With upcoming "Strength in Numbers" they make unadorned, heavily acoustic, emotional record and i can feel goodness of their experimental sound on this new stuff. Strength In Numbers is quite delicate that keeps gloomy, dark and high-flying sound waves. The band has their own charisma, while at the same time have been compared to Nick Cave and Low.

Calla playing shows across Europe, Greece, and Russia where new songs were written and rehearsed. Inspired by their travels and combining all aspects of their previous albums, Calla recorded their fifth album in NYC and Austin, TX. "Strength In Numbers" will be released Feb 20 in the US. I recommend you to listen "It Downed On Me" at first, and love balmy new song "Bronson".
Calla Official
mp3: Calla - Bronson "from forthcoming album"
mp3: Calla - It Downed On Me "from Collisions 2005"