Truly an outside broadcast for 115. The first of two "specials"
from the studio on the terrace (right) here on the beautiful and
breathtakingly rugged north coast of Mallorca.
Thango - Forza (Norway)
We mix stuff.. By mixing we mean mixing styles and influences. We
do basically funk/jazz/hip hop/world beat - so there you go. It's
all about music and not about genres.. We love our audience
more than they love us.. and they love us a lot!!
www.myspace.com/forzaonline
Theme
Happy - Jimmie Bratcher
(Missourri, USA)
www.jimmiebratcher.com
So, just where are we? Well, not in a tango region that's for sure,
nor even Flamenco.
Around 110 miles south east of Barcelona. Sitting under the lemon
trees on my terrace at the back of my top floor apartment in what
was until a few years ago a village based around a small port and
navel base with a local fishing boats and a few rather faded hotels
from when Mallorca was a cheap and cheerful holiday destination for
sun-starved Brits.
Transformation is approaching completion the navel base is all but
gone, the hotels are re-opening as bijou establishments. After
being stood empty for a few years,
Hotel Espléndido has had a 5
million euro refit and is living up to its name again.
Last week played "Nothing on" by Ruth Theodore and got some ribbing
from the Codger about how long he's been playing her - the usual
old tosh. Her album Worm Food has been on almost continuous cycle
on my shuffle for the past fortnight so here's another quirky
treat.
Ugly Faces - Ruth Theodore
(London, UK)
A singer/songwriter like no other. With words as dangerous as her
guitar playing, Ruth Theodore reminds us why songwriting is
important in the first place. Refreshingly original and
relentlessly imaginative. - River Rat Records
Debut album Worm Food. 13 tracks of beautifully twisted, political
and personal mayhem. River Rat Records supports Creative Commons.
If you like what you hear, please consider buying a CD. Our
releases are packaged beautifully and manufactured using 100%
recycled card. £9.99
www.ruththeodore.com
CC Rider - Davis Coen
(Charleston, S, Carolina, USA)
Blues circuit guitarist/singer Davis Coen's most recent
accomplishments have included original music on the DVD release of
Martin Scorsese's PBS special 'The Blues'; backup work on the last
release by Jesse Mae Hemphill, entitled 'Dare You To Do It
Again'.
Coen has been touring the U.S. since his teens, mostly as a solo
acoustic guitar and vocal act, but currently joined by bass and
drums performing as an electric trio. Davis commonly plays clubs,
bars, theaters, and festivals throughout the Southeast.
www.daviscoen.com
www.myspace.com/daviscoen
Apologies for the link errors last week - I have been put right and
so have the links!
Corazon - Corrientes (New York,
USA)
Corrientes is an original four piece band from NY. All Corrientes
music is recorded, mixed, and produced by Ivette Torres in a home
studio. Ivette is a Cuban-American, born in NY. Corrientes songs
are in both English and Spanish. Check out the Corrientes' website
for more info.
www.corrientesmusic.com
Puerto
Soller is backed by the Sirerra Tramuntana a range of very
rugged mountains with the highest point on the island Puig Major at
4,500 feet only a mile or so from the coast - pretty steep.
The working port is very chic marina with excellent (and no-longer
cheap) restaurants.
Not all pleasure though. Arrived Monday evening, shopping for
basics yesterday morning, work in the afternoon and prepped the
show in the evening ready to record this morning. Oh, OK, mostly
pleasure then! Call me lucky but I'd say that "luck is the place
where preparation meets opportunity." Smug git!
Cats and Rats - Jayme Gutierrez
(Jaén, Spain)
From the solidly excellent album Wompychew. You can hear five other
tracks at his MySpace.
www.myspace.com/jaymegutierrez
Goodbye - Lena (Illinois,
USA)
Lena is Russian girl with a bio from spy flicks (and you thought
Cold War was over!). Her musical curiosity is stronger than her
sense of propriety. That goes for other things, too. Her self
defined music genres are "soft punk" and "mock pop". You ask for a
label, you get one!
Lena is a Russian pianist with a sweet speaking voice, a low and
scary singing voice, and a bio taken out of Hollywood spy movies.
Yes, she has even been to jail on allegations of espionage. For
real.
Along with original material, she presents her inside-out,
tongue-in-cheek versions of tunes by Dead Kennedys, Iggy Pop,
Madonna and others.
Band members include Alan Lake (drums and percussion), John Griffin
(guitars) and Scott Parrish (bass).
Alan Lake is a seasoned player who over the years has had the
opportunity to play with many artists from many different fields.
Among the more recognizable are: Madonna, Brian Ferry, Julian
Lennon, Ministry, Brian Wilson and Sam Moore.
John Griffin and Scott Parrish are recent additions to the band,
they are both seasoned and very well respected musicians.
Recently, the band started working with Ian McDonald, the founding
member of King Crimson and Foreigner.
Lena's new digital release "My Little, Temporary Loves" came out on
April 27. My thanks to the really good folks at
Ariel Publicity
for putting me onto Lena.
05/02/2008 8:00 PM Looptopia,
Chicago, IL
05/04/2008 8:00 PM Knitting Factory
Old Office, New York, NY,
www.lena.fm/
I'll be here for another week and a bit so I'll put a few more
pictures up on my flickr stream at
www.flickr.com/photos/clithers/
Down, down, down - The
Expendables (California, USA)
Growing up in Santa Cruz California was a laid back experience for
The Expendables: surf, skate, party and play music. Since 1997 The
Expendables have staked their claim in the California surf rock
genre. Blending Reggae, Punk Rock, and 80's style duelling guitar
solos.
Geoff Weers (Guitars and Vocals), Adam Patterson (Drums and
Vocals), Raul Bianchi (Lead Guitar) and Ryan DeMars (Bass).
5/2/08 San Diego, CA
5/3/2008 Pozo, CA
5/9/2008 Santa Cruz, CA
5/10/2008 Santa Cruz, CA
6/7/2008 Cincinnati, OH
6/8/2008 Louisville, KY
6/9/2008 Pittsburgh, PA
6/10/2008 Richmond, VA
www.theexpendables.net/