Month In Review – November 2010

One year after having issued my first book of poetry (“Once”) I have now released a new volume: “Ten”. Which is just suitable, especially when you take into account that “Ten” is the prequel to “Once”, and that the events described there happen one year before the events described on “Once”. Both books have been published by Rumbo Editorial.

I have obviously posted some poems from the book (here and here), along with a handful of pictures. I am posting plenty more soon.

As far as additions to the blog are concerned, the inclusion of Radiohead to the list of featured artists has been a significant one. You can read the general introduction here, and then what I have to say about “Pablo Honey” here.

The startups I wrote about during the month included TuneCrank, Bud To Bud and Durocast. And both Bryce Clemmer and Elliot Swan from Durocast found the time to sit down for an interview, too.

On December I hope to review a lot of Uruguayan acts, both signed and unsigned. That will be a great way to send off the year!

TuneCrank – Letting Independent & Unsigned Artists Spread Their Music

TuneCrank
Name: TuneCrank
URL: http://www.tunecrank.com

The meet-and-greet tradition upon which the music industry operates is a necessary evil… or is it? Websites like TuneCrank are here to bring that hegemony down.

In general terms, this site lets just anybody upload his tunes and have them streamed to whomever is willing to give them a good listen. The process is wholly free, and what TuneCrank aims to do is give just everybody a chance to be discovered, in a framework in which there are no favoritisms of any kind. On TuneCrank, all that matters is the quality of what you are uploading, not whose back you are scratching. Continue reading

Pablo Honey (Radiohead) – Album Review

“Pablo Honey” Was Radiohead's Debut Album. Issued In 1993, The Album Was Named After A Popular Prank Call By The Jerky Boys - You Can Listen To It On The Song “How Do You”, The Band Sampled It There.

“Pablo Honey” Was Radiohead's Debut Album. Issued In 1993, The Album Was Named After A Popular Prank Call By The Jerky Boys (This Prank Call Is Sampled On The Song “How Do You”).

“Pablo Honey” was Radiohead’s debut album. It was issued in 1993, and I think you more or less know the story: its leadoff single (“Creep”, a marvelous exploration of self-hatred) was blacklisted for being just too depressing.  Yet, by a bizarre twist of fate the song began being played in Israel. Then, some import copies found their way into San Francisco. From there, nothing would stop the five friends from Oxfordshire, and England had to listen to what Yorke and his cohorts were screaming at the top of their voices.

Because “Pablo Honey” was the closest the band came to grunge. The material on this disc has serious difficulty sitting next to the songs from just any other Radiohead album. For example, Parlophone’s single disc compilation (released in 2008) included only the ineluctable “Creep”. And the enhanced two-CD edition had “You” and “Anyone Can Play Guitar” tucked near the end of the second disc, as if the songs had been added hastily to the tracklist when the compilers realized the band’s debut had been absolutely neglected.

The truth is that there is nothing wrong with “Pablo Honey”… leaving aside that it is a “conventional” album from a band that was to become renowned from its unwavering experimentation and inventiveness. Radiohead was to sound like nobody else on the industry. Yet, on “Pablo Honey” they did bring to mind other acts.

Of course, Nirvana was the first band one made an association with. Radiohead was actually dubbed “the British Nirvana” once “Pablo Honey” hit the high streets. And they were also mocked as “Nirvalite”, which might go into explaining why the band felt ill at ease about performing songs from their debut album live on later tours. Even the successful “Creep” was given a wide berth, much to the chagrin of audiences that (along with “Karma Police”) invariably thought of that song when the name of the band was mentioned.

Echoes of The Smiths, The Cure and U2 were also evident throughout. “Anyone Can Play Guitar” had it all, with an anthemic, double-time chorus and its microcosmic approach to success. Continue reading

Justin Bieber’s “Baby” Is Mocked Yet Again… This Time It Is A Starcraft 2 Parody!

Yet Another Parody Of Justin Bieber’s “Baby” Hits The Web. This Time, Everything Is Centered On Starcraft 2!

Yet Another Parody Of Justin Bieber’s “Baby” Hits The Web. This Time, Everything Is Centered On Starcraft 2!

Justin Bieber’s “Baby” video stands as one of the truest definitions of online success for an artist, with 390 million views on YouTube and counting. To this day, it remains the most watched music video on the WWW.

It also stands as the perfect target for online mockery. This one in particular has been getting a lot of views recently. Titled “Banelings”, it pairs Bieber’s overplayed ditty with Starcraft 2!!!  How much you are enjoying this will obviously depend on how well-acquainted you are with the game. But top marks go to the ones who created it for how slickly it has been put together.

A Couple More Poems From “Ten”

ten emilio perez miguel

Today I’d like to share a couple more poems from “Ten” with you. As I am sure you know, “Ten” is the book that I have just issued with the support of my long-standing friends from Rumbo Editorial.

The prequel to “Once“, “Ten” is split in six different parts that make up a single chapter. The poems I have included below come from the central part of the book. This is named “The Giver And Taker Of Life”, and it takes the shape of a passing day that ends up becoming a song.

I hope you like them! As usual, I look forwards to your every comment!

Flugelhorns

I count every single step from the end
Towards the outskirts of the beginning
You were the battle never worth winning
And the episode no-one should append –
Now the juxtaposition is thinning

Flugelhorns playing
Across an empty building, down an empty street
Amid a wasted dream, through nighttimes incomplete
Flugelhorns straying
Like the truth I loathe but I cling to nonetheless
Within my spent heart, like the thoughts I don’t possess
Like a guilty antiphon –
Why did you leave me alone?

I count every single mile from the end
Towards the remnants of the commencement
You were my one chance, my one investment
And the bitterest share and dividend –
Now you transcend my deepest resentment

Flugelhorns playing
Across an empty building, down an empty street
Amid a wasted dream, through nighttimes incomplete
Flugelhorns straying
Like the truth I loathe but I cling to nonetheless
Within my spent heart, like the thoughts I don’t possess
Like a guilty antiphon –
Why did you leave me alone?

Flugelhorns baying
Across an empty effect, down an empty cause
Amid a wasted dream, through immaculate flaws
Flugelhorns slaying
Like the immanence I refuse but I reckon
Within my spent heart, like the hopes I won’t beckon
Like the love I never shone –
Why did I leave you alone? Continue reading

Jay Z Promotes His New Compilation With A Really Classy Website

“The Hits Collection” (Vol. 1) Is The First Compilation That Jay-Z Releases In America.

“The Hits Collection” (Vol. 1) Is The First Compilation That Jay-Z Releases In America.

Legendary rapper Jay-Z is promoting his multi-volume hits collection with one of the most polished sites I have seen in a long, long time.

The design is elegant and the menu is decidedly versatile, but what really sticks out is the way in which social media has been integrated. Micro messages are a constituent part of it all, and people can use a big microphone to shout out whatever they fancy and have it posted for all to see. Visitors are invited to contribute the memories of the gigs they have attended, and also to submit their favorite lyrics from the eminently quotable rapper. Continue reading

Bud To Bud – The Online Sharing Of Music Is About To Reach A New Height

BudToBud

Name: Bud To Bud
URL: http://www.budtobud.com

I usually don’t cover startups that are yet to launch for the simple reason that I prefer to review sites you all can head to directly and use within seconds, but today I have decided to make an exception. Bud To Bud presents itself as a really cool way to experience music. As such, I have felt it was in order to let you know about it so that you already know what to expect when it finally launches.

In general, Bud To Bud creates a shared environment in which people get to listen to the music their pals are playing in real time. It’s just as if you were sharing headphones with the other person, only that you are going to be located in separate places. Different rooms, different cities… even different countries.

And when you discover a song that means business, you can proceed to buy it and have it added to your music collection. Of course, users of Bud To Bud can also message each other out and either compliment themselves for their good taste or pull each other’s legs. I mean, imagine what would happen if you caught someone who is mad about AC/DC listening to the Jonas Brothers! Priceless or what… Continue reading

Sweet Warrior (Richard Thompson) – Album Review

Released In 2007, “Sweet Warrior” Was Arguably The Most Elaborate Album Richard Thompson Recorded In The Whole Decade

Released In 2007, “Sweet Warrior” Was Arguably The Most Elaborate Album Richard Thompson Recorded In The Whole Decade

After “The Old Kit Bag” and “Front Parlour Ballads” (two albums defined by their interpretative intimacy) Richard Thompson undertook the recording of one of the fullest-sounding albums of his career. Completed and released in 2007, “Sweet Warrior” was named after a composition by Spenser, the poet who sparked the sonnet craze of the 17th Century, and who unwittingly encouraged Shakespeare to come with his finest body of non-dramatic work ever.

“Sweet Warrior” brings to mind key albums of Thompson’s career such as “Rumour And Sigh” and “Mirror Blue”. But not in a sonorous sense – for worse and for better, both “Rumour And Sigh” and “Mirror Blue” had been the subject of Mitchell Froom’s flamboyant studio techniques. No, the connection here is one of scope. Starting with 1999’s “Mock Tudor”, Thompson’s previous albums had been conceptual or thematic works. “Sweet Warrior” stood as a deliberate detour that took Thompson back to non-conceptual territory, and freed him to write about a much larger set of characters within the same record.

The one that was better-observed (and better-appreciated, too) was the American soldier stationed in Iraq of the song “Dad’s Gonna Kill Me”. As you probably know, “Dad” is slang for “Baghdad”, and the song careens from triplet to triplet describing the horrors and tragedies of war without any kind of palliative. If anything, “Dad’s Gonna Kill Me” conveys the idea that in war only the suffering is equally-distributed, along with a sense of doom that marks those involved for life. A song to listen to attentively, and ponder on for a long time…

But not certainly if you are listening to the full album in one sitting. “Dad’s Gonna Kill Me” is directly followed by the masterful (and utterly unconnected) vignette of “Mr. Stupid”. A rocker with a phenomenal drive, “Mr. Stupid” has Richard digging deep in his repertoire of abandoned and dysfunctional characters, and coming with karat gold yet again. So does the Gaelic-inspired “Johnny’s Far Away” (with a couple that simply highlights the fallibility of human beings), and the tragedy-laden “Poppy Red”. And characters that embrace the violent side of affection are not absent, either – just listen to “I’ll Never Give It Up” for a precise example.

The one criticism that might be leveled at the disc is that it runs just a little too long. There are a series of songs in the middle that are not key to the appeal of the album, including “Bad Monkey”, “Sneaky Boy” and “Too Late To Come Fishing”. And I find the ska of “Francesca” a bit trying, even when the sax work has to be commended for its finesse. Continue reading

“Ten” Was Published Yesterday

ten emilio perez miguel

"Ten" Is The Prequel To "Once". Both Books Have Been Published By Rumbo Editorial.

Yesterday I published my second book of lyric poetry. The launch event was a very touching moment, with lots of old and new friend in attendance along with my family and people that I did not know until yesterday, and who attended the event on strength of the announcements that were made on local radio.

The book is named “Ten”, and it is the prequel to “Once”, the one I published last year. The books (which have been published by Rumbo Editorial) are interconnected in many senses. For example, the pictures you can see on “Ten” are the ones that illustrate “Once”, and vice versa.

ten once emilio perez miguel

"Ten" & "Once" Side To Side.

My good friends Marcelo Otamendi, Dinorah Santomauro, Erika Mayssa Bassi and Mario Paz played a selection of lyrics from “Once”, along with their very own compositions.

I thank everybody for being there in such an important day. Now, the day after the event, the one phrase that defines how I feel is the one sung by Ben Lee on his song “Love Me Like The World Is Ending”:

It is the first day of the future…

Thanks, everybody.

Some Poems From “Ten”

My Second Book Of Lyric Poetry, “Ten” Is Being Released One Year To The Date In Which I Published “Once”.

My Second Book Of Lyric Poetry, “Ten” Is Being Released One Year To The Date In Which I Published “Once”.

Tomorrow I am releasing my second book of lyric poetry. It is named “Ten”, and it is entirely in English.

It is the companion book to “Once”, the book I published around this time last year. The events described in “Ten” take place one year before the ones set down in “Once”.

Expect plenty more posts about these two books. In the meantime, I would like to share some poems from “Ten” with you.

Enjoy!

Dance Across The Moonlight

There’s a cessation in my heart I seem to eternize
And there’s an eternity I can never realize
And I move across the silence that keeps me company
And you dance across the moonlight arisen in the sea

And I close my eyes to see you

There’s a question in my heart I seem to perpetuate
And there’s a perpetuation I can never abate
And I move across the silence winged by celerity
And you dance across the moonlight arisen in the sea

And I close my eyes to see you

There’s a disunity in my heart I seem to prolong
And there’s a prolongation I can never bear along
And I move across the silence that binds you close to me
And you dance across the moonlight arisen in the sea

And I close my eyes to see you

Here

Chasing meretricious rainbows I came in here
Knowing there was no promise to reclaim in here
Embosoming the shame in here
Within my devotion
Just like an emotion

That I never bothered to restrain or impede
And what you never expressed was all I would heed

Chasing deleterious dreams I strolled in here
Knowing I would regret it all I bowled in here
Treasuring the fool’s gold in here
Reinforced by the thrill
Of pleonasms shrill

That I never bothered to restrain or impede
And what you never expressed was all I would heed

And I simply thought of you without thinking twice
And what you never gave was all that would suffice Continue reading