Hi and Happy Sunday with Promises by Genuine Leather.
Omni – Exacto
Good morning with Exacto by Omni. Have a nice weekend.
Devendra Banhart, Theatro Circo, Braga, 08.11.2023.
words: Marcos Leal (edited and freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Marcos Leal
Devendra Banhart presented Flying Wig, his new album, at Theatro Circo in Braga. He was preceed by H. Hawkline, his guitarist. Hawkline warmed the ears and a few arms with his bass tender voice, seated on the middle of the stage gently accompanied by his guitar.
An unexpected, but very pleasant and well received performance, bringing humour to the audience with his relaxed communication.
Good disposition and at easiness were also present at Devendra Banhart’s performance. Known by his stage eccentricity, here he presented himself in a simple, relaxed manner, a little bit a reflex of Flying Wig’s music, calmer and meditative.
Live, his, on this album, more ethereal freak-folk,, seemed to hug and cradle. Dispute singing about life’s issue, he does it in a way that breathes calm and levitates the soul.
Between songs, Devendra walked around the stage, murmuring away from the microphone, toying with the audience that tried to understand when someone told him to speak louder. Maybe that was the purpose. Devendra toyed a number of times in his quiet manner, always in a sweet tone, at times with an “obrigado” that he found long, often shortened to “obri”or” gado. Or when he presented his backing band. Especially with Welshman H Hawkline, músico galês, going on a comic translation of what the guitarist was saying in Welsh.
Devendra is, probably, one of the coolest musicians I’ve had the pleasure of seen live. Given one of his best known songs was missing, the concert could not finish without the traditional encore. Carmensita was farewell from Devendra & Co. with thank and waves you to the audience while heading backstage.
Extra #122 – Rafael Toral – Intro + Changes
EXTRA #122 is a special one. My old friend Rafael Toral has a new track out today. Intro + Changes is the first release from Spectral Evolution Rafael’s upcoming album. In Spectral Evolution Rafael is back to the guitar, the instrument I first saw him play, a million years ago, in another galaxy. It is a delight to listen to his unique approach to the guitar again.
(Spectral Evolution is out February 23, 2024 on Moikai – via Drag City).
Gruff Rhys – Silver Lining Lead Balloons
Good morning with our Middle of the Week Song – Silver Lining Lead Balloons by Gruff Rhys. Have a nice day.
Five Questions: Pierre Omer
We have a new space Five Questions. Five Questions is not dependable of a record release, tour or otherwise, although it may coincide with those. As is the case here. Five Questions is also not limited to music. What is the criteria? A very easy one. Something I like, and, or feel is relevant.
We start with Pierre Omer. Pierre Omer’s Swing Revue’s Tropical Breakdown is out on Voodoo Rhythm and currently touring Europe.
by Raquel Pinheiro
01 – What is your earliest musical memory?
My early life was between two countries and two languages, so the memories are mixed up… I have lullabies coming to my mind. Harry Belafonte in English and some bizarre French nursery rhyme out of the Middle Ages, hahaha!
02 – When did you start to be interested in Swing and why?
Somewhere in my teens. I heard old shellac records of obscure swing artists. I was fascinated by the evocation of another world, another time. At the same period, I started listening to Django Reinhardt. His guitar just rocks! So much energy and joy!
03 – Fado is one of your influences. How did it come into your life, and how does Fado present itself in your music?
I’m not a specialist in Fado at all, and one can’t hear any trace of it in my music. But yes, I am very touched by Fado, the same way Tango or Flamenco touches me. I feel something essential about this music, but I know I need to include a big part, not understanding how the words are used.
04 – How important is it to you on Pierre Omer’s Swing Review that the clothes, the visual and scenographic aspect of things fits into, translates, and, or give a sense of the Music?
I like to think of our tuxedos not only as a visual element for the audience but also as a way for us in the band to be focused and tight. I like to think of the Ramones and their strict outfits and disciplined attitude towards their music. I also like the idea that the tuxedo is a working outfit. Our work is to entertain. Then, the “artistic” aspect might appear or not.
05 – Which more contemporary elements do you incorporate in the Swing tradition, and how important it to you, despite the Revival of the title, to have a fresh approach to Swing?
The only fact that we have been exposed to all the music that has happened since the 1930s gives our interpretation of this music a different twist. It is also important that we are not jazz players. We have to struggle a little bit with this music, which gives us a different attitude. As much as I love this music, I have to play it in an iconoclastic way to pay my respects. I’m really not at ease with revival bands who play swing religiously!
https://pierreomersswingrevue.bandcamp.com/album/tropical-breakdown
Corinne Bailey Rae – Misty Fest, Casa da Música, Porto, 05.11.2023.
British singer Corinne Bailey Rae didn’t lie when, right before playing A Spell, A Prayer, invited the audience to ,“… to a spell of pleasure”. Corinne entered the stage like a wizard, wrapped in cloak resembling Merlin’s one, rocked by her band’s music ready to bewitch.
words: Marcos Leal (edited and freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Marcos Leal
At each rest, Corinne spoke of the inspiration behind each song of her latest record, composed after a visit to the Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicado, a 1923 bank building turned arts and archive center for the people of South Side.
An exhibition with strong afro-american and racial segregation in the United States, curated by Theaster Gates, lead Corinne to a number of objects that would be the driving force behind Black Rainbows. Given the diversity of influences and Corinne’ need to properly live express the feelings brought by the inspirational objects the record proved to be very dynamic in concert.
Some may had been surprised by such versatility from the singer when New York Transic Queen (an old beauty pageant) was performed in a more rock way, steaming from a photo of former model Audrey Smaltz, that took Corinne to compose a more rebellious and feminist song.
The evening highlight was Put it Down, introduzido by the story of a party at Stony Island Arts Bank in celebration of dj Frankie Knuckles. Corinne tells that at the entrance there was a big jar where people would drop a piece of paper with whatever worried or tormented them.
At a point, fire was thrown inside the jar and everyone danced as a community like what had been written in those pieces of paperhsd stop having so much weight upon people. And that was how,, in Put it Down, the audience was contaminated by the music dancing and smiling along Corinne in the middle of room, a few hugs and emotional words shinning in their faces.
Music really has an incredible power and Corinne and her fantastic musicians turned the night into a celebration and freedom of the worries that torment our days making us forget the outer world for a little bit.
Ty Segall – My Room
Good aafternoon. We’re late again for our Monday usual song. Once more, with good cause. We waited to bring you Room Ty Segall’s new single from Three Bells his new upcoming album. Have a good afternoon.
(Three Bells is out January 26th on Drag City Records.)
Amazing Songs & Other Delights #53 – The Fórum Sons edition by Pedro Rios & Raquel Pinheiro @ Yé Yé Radio, Monday 6th
Amazing Songs & Other Delights #53 The Fórum Sons edition airs tomorrow, Monday 6th, 314pm (London time) on Yé Yé Radio:https://yeyeradio.com/ (or on the app)
The Fórum Sons edition is mine and Pedro Rios’ (one of print Mondo’s writers and current Ipsilon, Público’s culture suplement,editor) homage to the thrilling, crazy days of Fórum Sons music and much else online forum that saw Portuguese music writes, musicians and music lovers endlessly debate the virtues, or flaws, of a given artist or band. And boy, could we debate. And argument.
Those were the times of no one, but us, have heard of Antony and The Johnsons The White Stripes and Queens of the Stone Age. Of Wolf Eyes, Xiu Xiu, Deerhoof, Lightning Bolt. As well as of loving Low, Daniel Johnston or Mark Eitzel.
On Fórum Sons life long friendships were forged, marriages came to be a and ended there, writers were enlisted – I lost count of how many people ended up on print Mondo through Fórum Sons. We lost people too, namely Fernando Magalhães, a beloved veteran Portuguese music critics. Even a five aside Fórum Sons team was born.
My first Fórum Sons display name, Monsters in the Parasol, for years shared with my by then husband, is from Rated R, the second album of The song is part of my choices. My second Fórum Sons name Miss Library became the dj name I used when I lived in Lisboa and my dj sets were called Amazing Songs & Other Delights. Pedro Rios display name on Fórum Sons was AKA Idiot. For real! No one ever said Fórum Sons was the most sane,logical, serious place on earth, but it was an extraordinary place. We miss Fórum Sons dearly. Fasten your seat belts, you’re in for quite the sonic ride.
Tracklist:01 – Antony & The Johnsons – Be My Husband (Raquel); 02 – Aphex Twin – Xtal (Rios); 03 – Boxhead Ensemble – Still Burning (Rios); 04 – Daniel Johnson – Mountain Top (Raquel); 05 – Deerhoof – This Magnificent Bird Will Rise (Rios); 06 – Giant Sand – 1972 (Raquel); 07 – Mark Eitzel – Move Myself Ahead (Raquel); 08 – Lightning Bolt – Ride the Sky (Rios); 09 – Low – (That’s How You Sing) Amazing Grace) Rios) ;10 – Mogwai – Punk Rock (Rios); 11 – Mr. David Viner – This Boy Don’t Care (Rios); 12 – Queens Of The Stone Age – Monster In The Parasol (Raquel); 13 – The White Stripes – Hotel Yorba (Raquel); 14 – Sonic Youth – Mote (Rios); 15 – Turbonegro – Prince of the Rodeo (Raquel); 16 – Wolf Eyes – Stabbed in the Face (Rios); 17- Xiu Xiu – I Luv the Valley OH (Rios)
Guided By Voices – The Race Is On
(Nowhere to Go But Up is out November 24th on GBV Inc. Records)
Mondo Bizarre Magazine 