There is a tradition here of having "after parties", which is basically a party to ensure that partying never ends, ever. You can either go to one at a friend's place, or have your own and invite strangers, as we did. Ruben said "give me two cigarettes and we will have an after party", so I obliged.

Two cigarettes got us about 12 people in total. Pretty good! Several Scots, several Swedes- all lovely people. Drank and laughed until dawn (which is at about 13.30 in Stockholm this time of year), good fun. This is a tradition I will be bringing back with me. New Yorkers don't trust people like that. Partly, with good reason, but it also limits experiences like that.

Walked around the old city today, hiked up to the cliff near Ruben's flat and looked out over the whole city. Really beautiful. Now we're eating meatballs and watching Sweden play Portugal in a football match.

Enjoy!

Still, my edition came with an additional Afterword by Chuck Palahniuk in which he reflects on the book's success and the processes of its writing. Slightly too long in parts, but essential reading for anyone who takes an interest in such things, and especially if you consider yourself a writer too. We can all take heart that the short story that became the seed of Fight Club was apparently written during a bored afternoon in a no future job somewhere in post-industrial America. (It's Chapter 6 of the finished novel in case you're wondering).

Think about that as you bite into your blueberry muffin.

Primeiro o Pixies que faz parte da turma das college radios e virou um dos monstros do rock alternativo. Aqui, tem um show em L.A. de 1991, bem próximo do "primeiro fim" da banda, com uma qualidade muito boa. Pra dar um gostinho, tem "Velouria".

[audio http://todosnaweb.com/funhell.com.br/musicas/live/06 velouria]

MP3: Pixies - "Velouria" (Live in L.A. 21.12.91)

O outro show de hoje é  do My blood Valentine. Uma das bandas que desenhou o conceito do shoegaze e tem poucos álbuns, mas fez o suficiente pra colocar um deles em qualquer top 5 de melhores discos que faça respeito. O show já é da volta dos irlandeses, e aconteceu no último dia 27 de setembro em Chicago. O download, encontrei aqui. Pra conferir a qualidade, tem "Cigarette in Your Bed", final arrepiante.

[audio http://todosnaweb.com/funhell.com.br/musicas/live/My_Bloody_Valentine_-_Cigarette_in_Your_Bed_Live_in_Chicago]

MP3: My Bloody Valentine - "Cigarette in Your Bed" (Live in Chicago 27.09.08)

Marcelo Fubah

Según la Wikipedia, la Generación X considera rangos que van del año 1965 hasta el de 1984 pero aclara que se debaten las fechas exactas que definen a esta generación, en terminos generales suele afirmarse que la Generación X va del año 65 al 75, aunque también hay quienes lo llevan hasta el 81.

Crecimos viendo caricaturas inmersos en la fantasia de la televisión, la gran mayoria hijos de Baby Boomers (esto en referencia de aquellos nacidos en tiempos de gran crecimiento poblacional), entrando a los 80's nuevamente la televisión pero ahora con MTV como protagonista acercandonos música en video, New Wave, Rock Pesado ligeramente empapado de la esencia del Pop, siendo jovenes con menos manifestaciones ideologicas que la generación anterior, pero con la misma rebeldía de todas las otras generaciones.

Sumando a todo esto, la cinematografía ochentera con Los Gremlins, Poltergeist, Amadeus, Los Cazafantasmas, Footloose, Flashdance, Top Gun, las peliculas de Molly Ringwald...

Además del gran descubrimiento de esa generación: los videojuegos desde su forma más primitiva, el Pong y el Breakout, hasta llegar al Pac Man y al Mario Bros, pasando por Space Invaders, Asteroids y Galaxian, entre otros, al principio por medio de las consolas que habia en los establecimientos y después con el Atari.

Ya después del cubo de Rubik, el walkman y todas aquellas cosas que ocupaban nuestro tiempo en los 80's, llegaron los 90's con un sonido nuevo llamado Grunge, con Nirvana como principal representante, junto a Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Pixies y Sonic Youth.

A continuación DIEZ DIFERENCIAS GENERACIONALES que circulan por la red:

Estas son, de acuerdo con los expertos, diez diferencias específicas de mentalidad:

1. Colaboran más.

"Los integrantes de la generación "X" son más colaboradores. Se toman el trabajo de equipo en serio. Los miembros de la generación "X" crecieron con la idea del equipo, y les gusta". En cambio, en el caso de los ejecutivos tradicionales el concepto de trabajo en equipo se introdujo cuando muchos de ellos ya tenían algunos años inmersos en la empresa. Algunos todavía manifiestan reticencias en cuanto al valor del trabajo en equipo.

2. Dan menos valor a las jerarquías.

Por lo tanto se debe tratar a los miembros de generación "X" como iguales, no como subordinados. Es necesario incluir a los miembros de la generación "X" en el proceso de aprendizaje. Si un instructor le da una orden a un ejecutivo tradicional, probablemente la lleve a cabo. En cambio, es muy posible que el de la generación "X" no lo haga hasta que esté convencido de que es lo correcto.

3. Son más altruistas.

Los miembros de la generación "X" ingresan a las empresas y aceptan participar en proyectos laborales por razones más altruistas que los ejecutivos tradicionales. No consideran que el estatus está necesariamente vinculado con el éxito y la felicidad.

4. Se sienten más a gusto trabajando al lado de mujeres que los ejecutivos tradicionales.

Esta es la primera generación en la cual tanto hombres como mujeres no tienen ninguna preferencia por tener un jefe hombre o mujer.

5. Son más hábiles para la administración.

Más miembros de la generación "X" han estudiado administración formalmente, y tienen un enfoque más profesional que el que tenían los ejecutivos tradicionales a la misma edad". A diferencia, los ejecutivos tradicionales terminaban en puestos directivos sin ninguna capacitación.

6. Son la generación de la informática.

Las computadoras siempre han formado parte de su vida, y las manejan mucho mejor que los ejecutivos tradicionales. Los "X" son la primera generación de la informática".

7. Insisten en equilibrar la vida y el trabajo.

Para un miembro de la generación "X" esto es de suma importancia y generalmente valoran mucho el tener y disfrutar una vida independiente del trabajo.

8. Tienen diferentes estilos de comunicación.

Los ejecutivos tradicionales son poco asertivos y tienen un estilo de comunicación mucho más "diplomático" para hablar, incluso cuando se dirigen a sus compañeros de curso son más indirectos; los de la generación "X" tienden a ser más abiertos y directos.

9. Son menos leales.

Si la lealtad se define como la disposición a quedarse en una compañía en las buenas y en las malas, los miembros de la generación "X" no pasan la prueba. Siempre están listos para cambiarse al próximo trabajo, ya que tienen más confianza en sí mismos que los ejecutivos tradicionales. Cuando un trabajo ha dejado de ser satisfactorio desde el punto de vista creativo, intelectual, emocional o económico, no tienen miedo en actualizar su curriculum e ir en busca de un nuevo empleo. Los miembros de la generación "X" son leales a su profesión, no a su empleador, mientras que los ejecutivos tradicionales mantienen la lealtad a su compañía y sienten que los demás deberían pensar igual.

10. Ignoran las reglas.

Los miembros de la generación "X" siempre están deprisa, luchan para obtener resultados y tienden a esquivar reglas y procedimientos. Están dispuestos a correr riesgos e innovar, incluso cuando ello pueda enloquecer a un instructor.
Los miembros de la generación "X" no dudan en criticar los estilos de administración de los ejecutivos tradicionales y con frecuencia se quejan de ello. Dicen que los ejecutivos tradicionales se saben el discurso pero no lo siguen; ponen poca atención en la participación y el trabajo en equipo.

Es más, consideran que muchas veces los ejecutivos tradicionales y los instructores a menudo piensan: "Estamos en lo correcto, ellos están mal", y tratan de cambiar la actitud de los jóvenes.

Con frecuencia el primer error que se comete al tratar de capacitar a un integrante de la generación "X" es suponer que él o ella se parecen a un ejecutivo tradicional. El segundo error consiste en tratar de cambiar a toda costa su mentalidad. El tercer error es garrafal y tiene que ver con el hecho de dar demasiada importancia a las diferencias generacionales.

Douglas Coupland, escritor canadiense, popularizó el término Generación X en su novela "Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture" publicada el 11 de marzo de 1991, que fue aclamada por la crítica al capturar el momento de la gente de aquel entonces, para la cual el título resultaba especialmente apropiado. Sin saberlo, había hecho popular uno de los nombres de toda su generación (su edad coincidía aproximadamente con la de la Generación X). A raíz de esto, Coupland participó en una serie de anuncios promocionales de la MTV, leyendo fragmentos de su libro. A la "Generación X" también se la conoce a veces como Generación sin nombre. La sucesora de esta generación se conoce como la Generación Y.

Aquela foi uma época mais difícil para quem queria comprar o álbum do seu artista preferido, se existisse o pirata seria a minha alternativa, a quase extinção do vinil foi um fracasso para a indústria fonográfica. Nos 80 e começo dos 90, um disco de vinil custava caro. A música sempre foi cara no Brasil. Era bom, de vez em quando, pegar uma promoção. Uma vez comprei o Unforgetable Fire, do U2, outra, o Ceremony, do The Cult. Realmente, cuidávamos dos nossos LP’s com muito carinho àquela época. Juntava meu dinheirinho suado para esperar um lançamento, e, quando estava com o vinil na mão, isso era motivo para beijá-lo e escutá-lo repetidas vezes.

Veio o CD. Já era difícil comprar o álbum em vinil, tive de me adaptar -- esse processo demorou, e os LP’s ficaram escassos -- e comprar um CD player, infelizmente, vendi o minha pick up, parte de um 3 em 1 CCE (?). Antes de mudar de aparelho, enquanto a grana não vinha, lembro-me perfeitamente do Nirvana explodir na MTV e FM’s e eu pedir a um vendedor da loja de CD’s para gravar, em uma fita cassete, acho que Scotch, de um lado Pixies, que conhecia, e de outro Nirvana. Foi uma grande ruptura musical. Fiquei mais incentivado a montar uma banda.

Com a facilidade da abertura econômica, a mídia musical e cinematográfica se tornou muito acessível, visto que em qualquer boteco compra-se CD’s e DVD’s piratas. Na internet, os álbuns “vazam” antes mesmo dos artistas lançarem-nos. Porém o compartilhamento de música é muito bom - franciscano. Podem-se baixar raridades que não se compraria na loja da cidade.

Claro que conservo meus “bolachões” ainda. E pretendo nunca me desfazer deles. Há muitas histórias que os acompanham. Vez ou outra, vou a Belo Horizonte, Galeria 7, e compro alguns. Outro dia encontrei  discos do Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, Stray Cats. Acha-se tudo na internet, mas prevalecem no LP outros sentidos a não ser o auditivo. Deve ser por isso?... Tem a perspectiva visual, o tato de três matérias diferentes: papel, plástico, vinil. Sem dizer que a capa, contracapa e o encarte com letras aguçam a imaginação.

Esse saudosismo todo atingiu os adolescentes. No Brasil já não há mais fábrica de vinil – Poly Som. Todavia as coleções de vinis herdadas dos pais aumentam. A garotada redescobriu o vinil. Alguns já compraram a vitrola e ouvem discos enquanto conversam numa praça. Há quem diga que alguns músicos são melhores de ouvir em LP como Beatles. Adeptos ao disco dizem que ele tem o som melhor, claro que com um vinil conservado, agulha boa e um aparelho com boas caixas acústicas.

Na Europa e nos Estados Unidos, onde ainda há fábricas, a venda de vinis aumentou bem. Compradores procuram nomes recentes em LP. Robert Smith do The Cure, banda inglesa, para comemorar 30 anos do grupo, lança, desde maio, sempre no dia 13 de cada mês, um single, e está previsto para 13 de outubro o novo álbum. Recentemente Madonna,  “Hardy Candy”, e Metallica, “Death Magnetic”, lançaram esses álbuns em vinis.

Uma palavra que se ouve ultimamente é vintage: indicar características antigas (retrô – 20 anos) em moda e objetos. Observa-se isso na música. Os instrumentos de alguns equipamentos soam vintage. Algumas bandas como The Raconteurs soam vintage. Então os adolescentes hoje são vintage.

Com a onda retrô da garotada, o aumento pela procura de discos em vinil, o surgimento de bandas que soam vintage, artistas vintages de sucesso atual que lançam seus álbuns em LP, podemos dizer: “Eles estão de volta a 33 rpm!”

Warlen Alves Leal é guitarrista da Anarkaos e professor de português nas horas vagas.

Whoa.

I gotta install one of these. Maybe get myself a Halbird while I'm at it.

I. Love. John. Woo.

Laugh out Loud funny. The backflip is the best.

Get you claymation fix.

See MiMi Soya at Staines

Oct 2 2008      7:30P The Hobgoblin (18+)     Staines

MiMi Soya

Formed in the British summer of 2006 MiMi Soya have risen fast in their short career. Now the pop punk quartet from sunny Brighton aim to bring their addictive melodies, innocent lyrics and beastly guitar riffs to the world.

After the initial EP self release which included the anthemic lead track “Crazy” and the visionary salsa pop song “A Memoir”, they then recruited their current front woman Hero at the start of 2007 and started creating brand new stadium
crowd pleasers. Since playing shows constantly they’re bringing their intense, passionate, killer live shows to a town near you. With crowd participation and band energy second to none, it’s visual ecstasy for their fans.

Now signed to LAB Records with Crown management (Sugababes, Good Shoes, Get Cape,Wear Cape. Fly) in tow, expect incredible things. MiMi Soya are hot, you’d be crazy not to check out their mixed gender, punk-driven singalong anthems!

Hero - Vocals
Chris - Guitars/Vocals
Mike - Bass/Vocals
Joe - Drums/Nudity

http://www.myspace.com/mimisoya

You can purchase the new MiMi Soya EP Here >>>

The Four Penny Knee Trembler [Single]
~ Mimi Soya (Artist)

Price:     £3.99

2.

Catch some Contemporary Jazz - at Ascot

Nicolas Meier Band 5 October 2008      1:00P Jagz Ascot, with Roast

Swiss guitarist Nicolas Meier is one of the rising stars of a vibrant British jazz scene, his trademark sound a mixture of Methenyesque jazz and spicy Turkish and world music rhythms. Already well known in Europe, where his Meier Group have
toured extensively and shared the bill with such illustrious names as Elvin Jones, Brad Meldau, Trilok Gurtu and Bill Evans. Meier and his band recently won the enormously prestigious Grand Prize Of The Jury and 1st Prize Jazz Guitar at Jazz
a Juan Revelations 2006 a competition for the finest new jazz musicians and bands in Europe run by the legendary Jazz A Juan Festival.

But he is becoming increasingly well known in his adopted country as well where his Meier group features brilliant Israeli world-bebop saxophonist Gilad Atzmon, bassist Tom Mason and drummer Laurence Lowe who all contributed to his hugely well received Naim label debut ‘Orient’ .

As well as leading his own band, Meier has worked with the likes of Harry Beckett, Dave O'Higgins, John Etheridge, Gilad Aztmon, Renato D'Aielo and Deidre Cartwright. He has recently recorded "Guidance" featuring Vivaldi's 4 Seasons with a guitar orchestra (acoustic, electric & synth guitars) for American Classical label Centaur and until last year was in the nu-metal, techno, industrial band Avoidance Of Doubt, with whom he recorded some Indie label ‘EPs. He also recently formed
nu-metal-industrialists Seven. He cites influences as diverse as John McLaughlin,P at Metheny, Paco De Lucia, Al Di Meola, Chick Corea and Erkan Ogur.

Sunday, 5th October
Show will start at 1pm to 3.30pm
Ticket cost: £6.00
Special -entrance and roast £12

Jagz Ascot 01344 878100

3.

Get Midi Midis at Staines

Oct 5 2008      8:00P MIDIMIDIS + MORE @ The Hobgoblin, Staines

Post punk / Electro / Thrash

'Displaying an infectious enthusiasm for life, due to their independently motivated work ethic and energetic albeit shambolic lifestyles, MidiMidis loaded up with no memory card being removed. Spawning from an element of confusion and a longing for a bold incorporation of interesting and innovative influences, MidiMids represent a creative surge of creativity orchestrated by two brothers-in-law. Two brothers who enjoy spending far too much time drinking beer and experimenting with retro midi sounds on their old dusty unreliable laptops, GameBoys, GameGears and scuzzy broken guitars.

From an early age, the two have embraced everything from Gary Numan, AC/DC, Howard Jones and Bahuaus, to Nirvana, The Velvet Underground, and Television. MidiMidis create their minimalist fuzzy-buzzy 8-bit music by meticulously weaving the harsh feedback-heavy guitars of Sonic Youth together with the sharp angular work of Talking Heads, Kraftwerk and Human League.

Whether pondering over forgotten thoughts, the ubiquitous subject of relationship breakdowns or pining after a bottle of wine, lead singer Marcus manages to somehow circumvent the bile bitterness that many a songwriter would fall for. He treats these and other dark subjects with a bohemian carelessness and humorous irreverence only to the back drop of feedback laced angular guitars and electro bass and midi bleeps.

http://www.myspace.com/midimidis 

4.

Play with Spectrum 7 - at Staines

Spectrum 7 Oct 5 2008      8:00P Hobgoblin w/ The midi midi’s     Staines,

Its Rock Time!

In early 2006 two friends Sean Shreeve (Bass) and Jon Hardless (Guitar) began their early careers like most musicians; crafting songs in their bedrooms. Soon the ideals and conventions of a traditional rock band set-up were wearing thin with
the duo and they began to look for new and innovative ways to bring their vision of the way bands should sound to a future generation of listeners. Shreeve and Hardless immediately got to work crafting unconventional musical structures and
electronic beats on their Playstation while layering lyrics, guitar and bass riffs over the top. Although the band was still in a very premature form the duo managed to convince vocalist Jason Mirchandani to come onboard and after scrapping
their Playstation in favour of a laptop the group began hoaning their unique sound. Spectrum 7 were born!

Link:

http://www.myspace.com/spectrum7

5.

Check Get Set Radio at Staines

Oct 2 2008     8:00P Hobgoblin w/Stay Away From Paris     Staines

Pop Punk / Rock

Will - Vocals/Guitar ; Steve - Guitar/Vocals

Ruby - Bass; Jonas -Drums

Get Your Tickets for Beck Theatre, Hayes

The Beck Theatre
Grange Road
Hayes
Middlesex
UB3 2UE

-Visit AdPontes-Staines Regularly for Staines Arts-

When I listen to an album for the first time, I usually find that there's one or two songs that I really like, and they act as the doorway into the rest of the album. Over time, I'll listen to the songs around those few songs I initially liked, and slowly I'll gravitate towards either end of the spectrum (liking or disliking the album). In this case, I really got into Bone Machine and Gigantic. I listened to those two songs over and over, and then started spreading out a bit. I listened to the pop single Here Comes Your Man. Eventually, I really got turned on to a lot of the other songs - Vamos, Monkey Gone To Heaven, Debaser, Gouge Away, Wave Of Mutilation, Where Is My Mind?, Into The White.

Once I reach this point, I start to think about getting into the band properly, buying their album/s. So I went out and bought Doolittle.

Doolittle had some of the songs I already loved, as well as a few that piqued my interest from the 30-second preview available on iTunes. At the moment, I'm really digging "Mr Grieves", not least of all because that was the name of the hilarious sportsmaster at my high school.

And that's where I'm at at the moment. My birthday is in a month, so I'll almost definitely update my Pixies collection then. Until then, I'll be happy listening to one of my new favourite bands.

One really cool thing though - we will be able to put up a pre-order this week (I hope, I hope!) for our next exclusive. Its going to be awesome - I can't wait to share FINALLY.

PS: The Bloodhound Gang vinyl all came to my doorstep tonight. Pictures tomorrow, shipping on Thursday for those who have already pre-ordered.

New Releases:

Off With Their Heads - From The Bottom (White)

Pixies - Trompe Le Monde (180 Gram) 

Police, The - Synchronicity 

Pre-orders:

Decemberists, The - Always The Bridesmaid: Volume 1 

Ludacris - What Them Girls Like 

Nelson, Willie - Red Headed Stranger 

Oasis - The Shock Of The Lightning 

Plain White T's - Natural Disaster

Edouard Brasey poursuit sa déclinaison en petits livres des principales créatures évoquées dans son encyclopédie du Merveilleux. Paru aux éditions du Pré aux clercs, le Petit Livre des lutins nous propose une brève introduction démontrant le caractère jovial et taquin de ces petits êtres de Féerie. Ensuite, viennent de judicieux portraits dressant les principaux traits des Sevants suisses, nutons belges, lutins bretons, brownies écossais et autres pixies anglais. Le tout dans un très petit format poche illustré par les somptueuses oeuvres de Sandrine Gestin.

Decimos que no tenemos dinero para erradicar la pobreza. Que es imposible. Pero de repente, ¡anda! sí que tenemos 700.000 millones de dólares para salvar de la quiebra a Wall Street.

Bernie Sanders, Senador de los Estados Unidos de América.

Visto en Microsiervos

This week's frequently covered track is Pixies' Where Is My Mind.

With your feet in the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head will collapse
When there's nothing in it
And you'll ask yourself

Where is my mind?

Way out in the water
See it swimmin'

I was swimmin' in the Carribean
Animals were hiding behind the rock
Except the little fish
But they told me, he swears
Tryin' to talk to me to me to me

Where is my mind?
Way out in the water
See it swimmin'?

With your feet in the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head will collapse
When there's nothing in it
And you'll ask yourself

Where is my mind?

Ooooh
With your feet in the air and your head on the ground
Ooooh
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Ooooh
Ooooh

Top marks this week go to Emmy for realising that she's not American and pronouncing Caribbean as a Brit should. James Blunt loses the competition for doing exactly the opposite, also, just for being James Blunt. I promise never to post a James Blunt track ever again.

MP3 Pixies |

MP3 Nada Surf | Website / MySpace

MP3 Yoav | Website / MySpace

MP3 Emmy the Great | Website / MySpace

MP3 The String Quartet |

MP3 James Blunt | Website / MySpace

MP3 Placebo [XFM Live] | Website / MySpace

I'm afraid I'm having to use a different file host to usual due to bandwidth issues, sorry for any inconvenience, the blog has obviously been vaguely popular this month. Good to know!

Melody Maker singles of the year 1988.

Got lots to say but no time right now. A few points on the above.

You Made Me Realise should be No.1 and Freak Scene should be No.2

Although you're most likely to hear Crash as the soundtrack to a compilation of home movies it is a *great* pop single and should be higher.

The Young Gods inexplicably make the charts. I never got them and I know I wasn't the only one. Someone commented a while back about how they seemed like an elaborate practical joke, as if Stubbs and co. had had a pub bet between themselves that they could break even the most difficult, avant-nonsense group. I think bovine masses got it right on this occasion.

Thanks again to the Idolator for the traffic spike. Thanks to everyone that emailed too - it's really nice to hear from everyone.

I have to get ready for a 40th birthday party now, not mine quite yet, but fucking hell....40!