words: Paulo Carmona (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro; photos: Paulo Carmona
I begin with the final score:Teenage Fanclub: 19 “I’m too old for” : 0At the first chord, the last ones started already defeated. Not that it matters, but age has its most damaging downside in the absurd conformism that the lesson is learned and let’s just go there rehearsal in front of a bunch of unknown people, familiar with us and our ways. Not at all! Not at all! The 19 songs on the setlist was perfectly and flawless spun out and no pass was missed. They’re, without doub, life lived gentlemen, but the insolent youth of their songs goes into their guts to drink the memories of sonic youth and spill them out.
We, the lucky ones (lucky bastards) that dared out on a Tuesday evening to go Hard Club to see these comrades, got a shot (no counter indications) of joy, sunny disposition, affection and lots of humour. Super fun, in fact. Teenage Fan Club opened with Home, About You, Foreign Land and Endeless Arcade in great rhythm and strength among energetic, but melodic guitars, drums with a bass, tall snare drum, that never snaps l, closed upon itself with a, by the way a very well played, bass guitar as company Here and there, a fork guitar shows up, a majestic alto sax, rocking keyboard always in the back and a cute xylophone that gracefulku turned up. As an homage, I highlight the brilliantly tinned backing vocals and vocals that are the big weapon of this a LA carte indie-alternative rock’n’roll band.
Alcoholiday, See the light, I Felt a Light on, Falling Into The Sun were also served with an excellent inter-guitar game; Your Love is The Place, Everything is Falling Apart, What You Do To Me, It’s a Bad World with the wah-wah pedal thundering in, doing wonders.
While Normam Blake takes his time and tunes his guitar, the band chooses to play clean, improve jazz to which, with humour Norman replies “that is a disguised way of pressuring a guy”, laughs Seguem-se I don’t Want Control Of You, I’m in Love, My Uptight Life and The Concept (I know, I’m pretty good nicking setlists) follow. They say farewell to a pre-announced encore. They return with three more songs: Tired Of Being Alone, Back To The Light and end rather well with Eveything Flows. I’ve always, liked Scottish Highlanders, no exception here.The week starts flowing much better with help from this lads. I jump on my motorbike and happily ride back home.
Good morning. Today, our Middle of the Week Song is an instrumental. The beautiful Queda Livre from Miguel Feraso Cabral’s new album, Deambul, that is out on Friday. We hope you like Quedra Libre as much as we do. Have a nice day.
words: Marcos Leal (edited and freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Paulo Pacheco
In a downpour night in Guimarães, a sold out room listened to The Cinematic Orchestra. Born in 1999 within the nu-jazz and downtempo electronic aestetic, with a cinematic approach to compositions, as their name gives away, they presented Dziga Vertov’s, The Man With a Movie Camera (1929).
The soundtrack was created for Porto European Capital of Culture in 2001 originally presented to a, sold out Coliseu, in Porto. “Dear viewers. What you’re about to witness is an experiment”, appeared on the screen. It was what a, single man seated on stage, wrote on a typewriter, telling the audience what they were about to witness. On the center of the stage, a white frame, with a window to Vertov’s world and a camera that would project upon the big screen for all the audience to see as in a film theater.
With a “man with a movie camera” on stage commanding and coordinating the visual side of the performance, Cinematic Orchestra started with The Projectionist”, developing their music in perfect sincrony with the images being worked on stage, to complement the listening experience and arise near transe sensations. The progressive melodies that do not reach climax, leave the listener suspended and the geometric, caleidoscopic images join to hypnotize the viewer. It was really as announced at the beginning, an audio visual experience.
The concert did not finish without an encore. Ode to the Big Sea was the chosen track. This time the man with the movie camera targeted the audience that saw itself on the big screen while the camera lens run through the seats. It was funny to see people’s expressions and reactions that stood up to applaud a surprising performance.
My Amazing Songs & Other Delights #50 – The Start of the Season edition can now be listened to on mixcloud.
This show is packed with beautiful novelties and a couple of recent discoveries.
Tracklist: 01 Rita Braga – Illegal Planet 02 Big Thief – Born From Loving You 03 – Bill Rivers & Simon Hayward – The Busy Body Brigade 04 Animal Collective – Gem & I 05 Helen Svoboda – Honeybee Warfare 06 Ty Segall – Void 07 Devendra Banhart – Nun 08 A. Savage – Elvis In The Army 09 Tiwiza – At u Azeka 10 Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter – I Will Be With You Always 11 Hidden Horse -Efeitos da Ampola Flutuante 12 The Wreckery – Smack Me Down 13 Pierre Omer’s Swing Review – Tropical Breakdown 14 Al Jardine – Waves of Love 3.0 Ocean Mix 15 Swansea Sound – Twientieth Century 16 Wilco – Cousin 17 David Holmes – Necessary Genius) featuring Raven Violet
words: Neno Costa (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photo: Neno Costa
Sir Richard Bishop, discreet music legend and Sun City Girls (1979-2007) founder was a refreshing appearance at Hard Club. For about an hour, Bishop granted the audience with a dyed and preservers free performance, during which, bend over his electric guitar, with elegant virtuousism he painted wide and poetically beautiful sound landscapes.
Dislocated from a certain musical convencionalism anchored in a black (blues) and white (country) dialetic Sir Richard Bishop interpreted works imbued with varied inheritances – from folk to flameng – that truly shape Uncle Sam’s country, offering an unforgettable moment to all that had the previledge of listening to him.
Mondo Bizarre Magazine 