Mondo Bizarre Magazine Essays, Raquel Pinheiro, Weekend Song

Bernard Butler – Preaching To The Choir (Live At The Green Note)

Good morning with Preaching To The Choir (Live At The Green Note) by Bernard Butler. Have a nice weekend.

An essay, in the form of a tragicomedy letter is accompanying today’s song choice. It’s in the vein of what I, in my Picky INTJ Fairy incantation have been posting to Bernard on his Instagram.. It’s also a shout-out to my essay on Deep Emotions and to my note on Camber Sands.

Oh mine! Where did that super deep, manly, hoarse voice came from? Me thinking live at The Green Note was safe. You live on youtube or social media tend to be . It’s live, no risk. Turns out, it’s a minefield. Urg! Urg! Urg! Picky INTJ fairies don’t know what to do when we’re nearly in tears with emotion. There’s a glance at the guitar, a “maybe the bass?”, a “poem, write a poem, pour it on the page” I’m always doing it, like right now, writing this). But it’s too much, and too many hours of non-creative discomfort, and of being silent and still.

Preaching To The Choir gives me the chills, it’s too close to home. It’s home, times ago. Preaching To The Choir is, or is supposed, to be about politicians, rulers, their deceit and lies and hypocrisy. That’t not my meaning of the lyrics. Songs are this, they mean a different thing to each of us.

“… Oh I’ll reach across the covers to caress your skin / The memories we overcome could mean anything / The words I use to hurt you disappear / Their presence only lingers in your tears…”

Those words always, always, get to me. They cut deep, they have a multilayered, multi side meaning to me, and there are almost, if not really, tears. I don’t know the exact meaning Bernard had in mind when he wrote them. For personal purposes, it doesn’t matter. They bring me memories, they bring out a “good grief”, they’re touching.

“Isn’t it a good thing that you have emotions.” asks Bernard on the Super Deluxe Edition interview. It is. But… but I keep being amazed at how, why, Good Grief, the album, and now it’s companion Live At The Green Note bring out such emotions in me. It’s unusual.

Therefore, congratulations, Mr. Butler. You did it again! Fortunately I have forever cancelled you a few months ago because you don’t like to play bass! You may recall that from Instagram. It has now become hazardous to attend your concerts. However, you will not get away that easily. For purposes of practice and reharsals duty, coupled with protection I’ll most likely turn up with my guitar. It’s becoming something of a trademarks to show up at concerts with my guitar on my back. Don’t worry, I will not take to the stage. It’s all yours. But I will have my safety blanket. Dark glasses are also useful and a side blessing in disguise of photosensitive. Any possible tears Will be hidden.

The hallmark of a great artist is not measured in record sales, size of venues played or any other similar thing. It’s in how deep and truthfully how many hearts and souls are touched by the artist’s work. You’ve deeply touched and moved a few, if not a lot, of us, Mr. Butler.

Signed Picky INTJ fairy.

Bernard Butler is currently touring the UK. Bernard Butler plays in Portugal for the first time in November.
14 (Thursday), Casa da Cultura de Setúbal, Setúbal, 9:30pm
17 (Sunday) 1, Sala 2 Casa da Música, Porto, 9pm

Mondo Bizarre Magazine Amazing Sounds & Other Delights, Radio Show, Raquel Pinheiro, YéYé Radio

Amazing Songs & Other Delights #72 – The Ecosystem edition by Raquel Pinheiro @ Yé Yé Radio, Monday 21st

Amazing Songs & Other Delights #72 The Ecosystem edition airs Monday 21st, 3-4:30pm (gmt+1) on Yé Yé Radio:  yeyeradio.com (or on the app).

Of late, I’ve been coming upon the word ecosystem from different sources. Or happen upon lyrics, or otherwise that mention the concept that we’re all one, we’re connected, that we depend on each other.

That concept is part of Body Count’s Comfortably Numb version of Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb the song that opens this edition. Ice-T writes and says: “Listen… ’cause I’ve been on both sides of the gun
As you stand before me we’re all here as one
We gotta come together or our chances are none
Maybe I’m just a dreamer, too many obstacles (full lyrics can be read here.).

An ecosystem implies environment and those in it interacting, forging connections, relationships, one thing leading to another. That is how both Mondo and Yé Yé came to be.

There are a few ecosystems on the programme. Birthday Party that lead to Rowland S. Howard and Mick Harvey. Mick Harvey song October Boy is about Pop Crimes – The Songs of Rowland S. Howard. Harry Howard is Rowland’s brother with whom Mick has played with. Interviewing Mick and Harry (and J.P. Shillo and Genevieve McGuckin) along a group of old friends – an ecosystem – lead to a number of Australian musician starting reaching out and sending their music.

When two weeks ago Bernard Butler was looking for opening acts for his current UK tour the Mild Ones, a Suede fan group, shared the request and so did I, adding I would be listening to Bernard’s choices and pick what I like from those. Raveloe (a Mild One Member herself), Ned Swarbrick,
Saint Sappho and Sorry Monks (other Mild One) songs are my choices from Bernard’s selection of opening acts. Meanwhile, Ned and, Tammy Dyson, of Saint Sapho, just joined The Mild Ones. Proof that ecosystems are a real thing and work.

Mark Robin White and 12 roads other Mild Ones. I found them on the group and liked their music. Johnny Marr’s New Town Velocity is from a post by Liza Hadiz, another Mild One. I was mentioning how Johnny Marr solo albums have songs I may select to play, but don’t stay with me long time. Liza asked what I thought of Velocity Girl, her favourite solo Johnny Marr song. I replied it was nice and would one day play it on the show. Johnny Marr influenced Bernard Butler, both have played together.

Oh Bobby are Bill Rivers and Simon Hayward. Bill has been part of my ecosystem for a few year. We did a few song together for my third anniversary show. Bill and Simon created together.

The Courettes are released by Damaged Good, a record label Mondo has been close to for twenty five years. Resistência are a Portuguese supergroup. Although I know some of the musicians, or other musicians from their other bands, I don’t have such a direct connection, but Resistência are an ecosystem themselves.

Resistência means Resistance. Maré Alta (High Tide) is a 1972 song by Fausto Bordalo Dias, José Mário Branco and Sérgio Godinho, three Portugue protest singers, released when Portugal was still a dictatorship. The lyrics mention getting ready because an high tide is arriving and freedom is about to come.

Tracklist:
01: Body Count – Comfortably Numb (feat. David Gilmour)
02: Raveloe – Passing Place
03: 12 Roads – Waiting For JB
04: Rowland S. Howard – Shut Me Down
05: Ned Swarbrick – Somebody, Something, Somewhere Else (live York City FC)
06: Mick Harvey – October Boy
07: Johnny Marr – New Town Velocity
08: The Birthday Party – The Friend Catcher
09: Saint Sappho – Grass is Gold
10: Oh Bobby (Bill Rivers and Simon Hayward) – Are You Still There
11: Sorry Monks – One Rule For Them
12: Paradise Lost – The Last Time
13: Harry Howard And The NDE – Sensitive To The Cold
14: Mark Robin White & Adam Lato – Rabbit Hole (Tranquility mix)
15: The Courettes – Shake!
16: A Resistência – Maré Alta

All previous shows on mixcloud: Yé Yé mixcloud | Mondo Bizarre Magazine mixcloud

Mondo Bizarre Magazine Amazing Sounds & Other Delights, Mixcloud, Radio Show, Raquel Pinheiro, YéYé Radio

Amazing Songs & Other Delights #71 – The Desert Blues and Not Just edition by Raquel Pinheiro @ mixcloud

Amazing Songs & Other Delights #71 is the The Desert Blues and Not Just edition is now on mixcloud.

This edition opens with Imajighen by Mdou Moctar and closes with Tom Huddleston singing a live version on Hank Williams’ I Saw The Light. Once more, I’m travelling through connections, details, inspiration. I’ve wrote an essay for it that can be read here.

Imajighen means free men in Berber. Although the lyrics specifically, or more specifically, address the free men of the Desert, the song’s words can be transposed to encompass us all. The chorus goes:
“Imajighen, we can’t afford to be divided
Imajighen,
We can’t afford to be divided
Imajighen
We have no time for hate
Imajighen
Calling on you all wherever you are!
We are all Imajighen”
Full lyrics in English, Tamasheq and Tifinagh can be read here.  here.

What do Mdou Moctar and Hank Williams have in common? Everything, I venture. My essay about the programme further speaks about it.

Tracklist:
01 – Mdou Moctar – Imajighen
02 – ANOHNI & The Johnsons – Breaking
03 – Tiwiza – At u Azeka
04 – Bombino – Mahegagh (What Shall I Do)
05 – Rui Veloso – Sayago Blues
06 – R.L. Burnside – See My Jumper Hanging On the Line (live at home, 1978)
07 – Tarwa N-Tiniri – Taryet
08 – Tom Verlaine – 5 Hours From Calais
09 – Dead Combo – Lisboa Mulata
10 – Fatou Seidi Ghali (Les Filles de Illighadad) – Telilit (live from Story of Sahel Sounds)
11 – Manu Chao – Tu Te Vas Feat. Laeti
12 – Felt – The Stagnant Pool
13 – Boubacar Traoré & Ali Farka Touré – Duna Ma Yelema
14 – Buzz Ayaz – Buzzi Ayazi
15 – Soledad Brothers – This Guitar Says I’m Sorry
16 – The White Stripes – Suzy Lee
17 – Etran de L’Aïr – Imouha
18 – Ben Watt with Bernard Butler – New Year of Grace (Upstairs at the De La Warr Pavilion Bexhill 5th April 2016)
19 – The Legendary Tiger Man – Keep it Burning
20 – Majid Bekkas – Daymallah (feat. Rachid Zeroual, Khalid Kouhen, Paolo Radoni, Marc Lelangue)
21 – Tinariwen – Sastanàqqàm
22 – Tom Hiddleston – I Saw The Light (with Mark Kermode on double-bass, live in the Wittertainment studio)

All previous shows on mixcloud: Yé Yé Radio mixcloud/ | Mondo Bizarre Magazine mixcloud

Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concerts, Reviews

Rafael Toral, Understage-Rivoli, Porto, 04.10.2024.

© João Octávio Peixoto/TMP

words: Raquel Pinheiro; photos: João Octávio Peixoto/TMP

We’re literally seated, in the dark, in the Rivoli’s underbelly. My old friend Rafael Toral is presenting his new album Spectral Evolution. Spectral Evolution is a single continuous instrumental track. The concert follows the same format.

“There are already too many ruptures in the world, I’m more commited in peace, integration, healing, reconciliation, and this record assumes it.” said Rafael, on an interview, about Spectral Evolution. I wholeheartedly concur with him.

Spectral Evolution, one of my three favourite records of 2024 so far, does have an healing, a come together effect. It’s brings forward emotions, release, serenity.

Here, live, at least where I was seated, for me that was a little disturbed by the sound in itself. It’s part of the nature and the beauty of live music.

I’m not going into technical details or guitar approaches, many of which I’m not even sure or fully aware of. I’ll go with sensations, emotions, a report of how the sound and music reached me, what I made of it.

© João Octávio Peixoto/TMP

A piercing, erthquakerish, lound sound, under, or along which, church like and birdsong like music appears. Scratches, signals, noises. It moves towards gentleness, a slight return to higher intensity. There’s a coming and going, a departure, an arrival, a departure, an arrival, a departure. It goes up, higher, louder. It recesses. It floats. It pierces the heart, the muscles, the soul, the senses.

Hadn’t seen Rafael in person in a while it wasn’t no much a case of reconciliation, or even reconnection – we connect through his music, and in the usual current ways – more the joy, the affection, the hugs, the kind and godspeed farewell words in the now emptiness of a minutes before filled room. It was a good-bye matching the essence of Spectral Evolution.

© João Octávio Peixoto/TMP
Mondo Bizarre Magazine Amazing Sounds & Other Delights, Essays, Radio Show, Raquel Pinheiro, YéYé Radio

Amazing Songs & Other Delights #71 – The Desert Blues and Not Just edition por Raquel Pinheiro @ Yé Yé Radio, Monday 7

Amazing Songs & Other Delights #71 is the The Desert Blues and Not Just edition airs Monday 7th, 3-4:30pm (gmt+1) on Yé Yé Radio:  yeyeradio.com (or on the app). This a longer, special edition.

This programme opens with Imajighen by Mdou Moctar and closes with Tom Huddleston singing a live version on Hank Williams’ I Saw The Light. Once more, I’m travelling through connections, details, inspiration. And writing an essay.

Imajighen means free men in Berber. Although the lyrics specifically, or more specifically, address the free men of the Desert, the song’s words can be transposed to encompass us all. The chorus goes: “Imajighen, we can’t afford to be divided
Imajighen,
We can’t afford to be divided
Imajighen
We have no time for hate
Imajighen
Calling on you all wherever you are!
We are all Imajighen” Full lyrics in English, Tamasheq and Tifinagh can be read here. Tom Hiddleston plays Hank Williams in the film I Saw The Light.

What do Mdou Moctar and Hank Williams have in common? Everything, I venture. Amazing Songs & Other Delights #71 the The Desert Blues and Not Just edition could be said to be part of my “self taught” guitar schooling, mostly related to what Grupo Operário do Ruído, of which I’m part of, have been working on music wise.

Desert and African blues often have clapping. Clapping, including Arab clapping, a dry, hand palm against hand palm, clap, along with the fat clapping, is also something we have been exploring on Grupo Operário do Ruído. The same goes for rhythm, space, speed, rests, tone, intensity, ambient, emotions, silence, continuous, abrupt or smooth changes.

Since I elected the electric guitar as my main instrument in Grupo do Ruído, I have been paying a different kind of attention to the many faces, possibilities, approaches of the instrument.

This year, on Grupo Operário do Ruído we even created our own blues. A not so standard one, nonetheless, a blues.

Which take us to, what is the blues, what is a standard blues? The answers may require a many volumes encyclopedia. Or music theory explanations. I’ll leave both aside. As my choices for this Amazing Songs & Other Delights show, the blues is many things, everything, often not what a rigid blues school would call blues. Yet, it’s precisely the richness, the uniqueness, the emotions, feeling, sentiment that make the blues. Not being a never-miss-a-note-i-can-play-it-at-1000-miles-per-second master of the mimor blues pentatonic scale, proper chords progression, and on. If that’s all you got, you don’t have the blues, you have technique.

On these blues choices of mine we go on a journey with stops on Niger to Portugal, through the United States, Argelia-France, Marocco, United Kingdom, France-Spain, Mali, Cyprus, Algeria. Or, as sang Mdou Moctar’s Imajighen “We can’t afford to be divided”. Therefore, let’s have, sing and play the blues!

Tracklist:
01 – Mdou Moctar – Imajighen
02 – ANOHNI & The Johnsons – Breaking
03 – Tiwiza – At u Azeka
04 – Bombino – Mahegagh (What Shall I Do)
05 – Rui Veloso – Sayago Blues
06 – R.L. Burnside – See My Jumper Hanging On the Line (live at home, 1978)
07 – Tarwa N-Tiniri – Taryet
08 – Tom Verlaine – 5 Hours From Calais
09 – Dead Combo – Lisboa Mulata
10 – Fatou Seidi Ghali (Les Filles de Illighadad) – Telilit (live from Story of Sahel Sounds)
11 – Manu Chao – Tu Te Vas Feat. Laeti
12 – Felt – The Stagnant Pool
13 – Boubacar Traoré & Ali Farka Touré – Duna Ma Yelema
14 – Buzz Ayaz – Buzzi Ayazi
15 – Soledad Brothers – This Guitar Says I’m Sorry
16 – The White Stripes – Suzy Lee
17 – Etran de L’Aïr – Imouha
18 – Ben Watt with Bernard Butler – New Year of Grace (Upstairs at the De La Warr Pavilion Bexhill 5th April 2016)
19 – The Legendary Tiger Man – Keep it Burning
20 – Majid Bekkas – Daymallah (feat. Rachid Zeroual, Khalid Kouhen, Paolo Radoni, Marc Lelangue)
21 – Tinariwen – Sastanàqqàm
22 – Tom Hiddleston – I Saw The Light (with Mark Kermode on double-bass, live in the Wittertainment studio)

All previous shows on mixcloud: Yé Yé Radio mixcloud / | Mondo Bizarre Magazine mixcloud

Mondo Bizarre Magazine Amazing Sounds & Other Delights, Mixcloud, Radio Show, Raquel Pinheiro, YéYé Radio

Amazing Songs & Other Delights #70 – The True Love edition by Raquel Pinheiro @ mixcloud

My Amazing Songs & Other Delights #70 – The True Love edition can now be listened to at mixcloud.

The name of this editon comes from the opening and closing songs, True Love the new song by Jane’s Addiction, and True Love Will Find You In The End by Daniel Johnson. You can read more about Amazing Songs & Other Delights here.

Tracklist:
01: Jane’s Addiction – True Love
02: A 90s new man called Stan – Sushi feat. Adamski
03: Anthony Moore – Earthbound Misfit
04: Black Toska – Three Silver Nails
05: Cosmic Room 99 – E Corp
06: Fernando Triste – Escuro
07: Franz Ferdinand – Audacious
08: Good Sad Happy Bad – Shaded Tree
09: Jonas – Bato À Porta
10: Kingbird – There Were Things That Needed Forgiven
11: Laurie Anderson – Road to Mandalay
12: Primal Scream – Love Insurrection
13: Terry Gross – Sales Pitch
14: The Heavy Heavy – Feel
15: Tindersticks – Always a Stranger
16: Virgem Suta – Amor Ao Avesso
17: Daniel Johnston – True Love Will Find You In The End

All previous shows on mixcloud: Yé Yé Radio mixcloud | Mondo Bizarre Magazine mixcloud

Mondo Bizarre Magazine Amazing Sounds & Other Delights, Radio Show, Raquel Pinheiro, YéYé Radio

Amazing Songs & Other Delights #70 – The True Love edition by Raquel Pinheiro, Monday 23

Hello! My radio programme Amazing Songs & Other Delights is back with new editions. The first one, called The True Love Edition airs Monday 23, 3-4pm (gmt+1) on Yé Yé Radio: yeyeradio.com (or on the app).

The name of this editon comes from the opening and closing songs, True Love the new song by Jane’s Addiction, and True Love Will Find You In The End by Daniel Johnston. Between them there are fifteen other songs some of which also mention love. As often in my Amazing Songs & Other Delights there is a variety of genres, well known bands and artists along newcomers and hidden gems.

Tracklist:
01: Jane’s Addiction – True Love
02: A 90s new man called Stan – Sushi feat. Adamski
03: Anthony Moore – Earthbound Misfit
04: Black Toska – Three Silver Nails
05: Cosmic Room 99 – E Corp
06: Fernando Triste – Escuro
07: Franz Ferdinand – Audacious
08: Good Sad Happy – Shaded Tree
09: Jonas – Bato À Porta
10: Kingbird – There Were Things That Needed Forgiven
11: Laurie Anderson – Road to Mandalay
12: Primal Scream – Love Insurrection
13: Terry Gross – Sales Pitch
14: The Heavy Heavy – Feel
15: Tindersticks – Always a Stranger
16: Virgem Suta – Amor Ao Avesso
17: Daniel Johnston – True Love Will Find You In The End

All previous shows on mixcloud: Yé Yé Radio mixcloud/ | Mondo Bizarre Magazine mixcloud

Mondo Bizarre Magazine Concert Reviews, Concerts

Bill MacKay, Understage – Rivoli, Porto, 13.09.2024.

Bill MacKay @ Rivoli © Raquel Pinheiro
© João Octávio Peixoto/TMP

Guitar Poetry

words & video by Raquel Pinheiro; photos: João Octávio Peixoto/TMP

To say Bill MacKay’s concert was extraordinary, would be underwhelming. Sublime is a better word. Transcendental, another good one. Those words still don’t do justice to the music, guitar, playing, singing. In fact, being there is the only thing that would do it justice.

Beauty, poetry spoken with an electric guitar as I’ve seldom heard it. Bill sings too, and tells little stories about the songs, however, his visual, sound, poetic mastery of the guitar is the domain of few.

The songs from MacKay’s latest album Locus Land (by the way it’s Terra do Gafanhoto, Bill 🙂 ) gain a different, spiritual, otherworldly dimension live. They become a time within time. A time of gentleness, until the final piece served: Arcadia. Bill stood up to play Arcadia in full, distortion mode adding a sharp dramatic contrast to the tone of the concert.

Bill MacKay @ Rivoli © Raquel Pinheiro
© João Octávio Peixoto/TMP
Mondo Bizarre Magazine Amazing Sounds & Other Delights, Mixcloud, Radio Show, Raquel Pinheiro, YéYé Radio

Amazing Songs & Other Delights #69 – The Surf, Summer and Strats edition by Raquel Pinheiro @ mixcloud

https://www.mixcloud.com/infoyeye/amazing-songs-other-delights-69-the-surf-summer-and-strats-edition-by-raquel-pinheiro/

Amazing Songs & Other Delights #69 – The Surf, Summer and Strats edition is now available on mixcloud. You can read about the show here.

Tracklist:
01: Radar Kadafi – 40 Graus à Sombra
02: Cansei de Ser Sexy – Let’s Make Love and Listen to Death From Above
03: David Bowie – China Girl
04: Dick Dale – Hava Nagila
05: Djo – End of Beginning
06: Electronic – Getting Away With It 07: Erasure – L’amour
08: Feelies – Who Loves The Sun
09: Chic – Le Freak
10: Klark Kent – Don’t Care
11: MGMT – People In The Street
12: Nunca Mates o Mandarim – Sonhos de Menino
13: Prefab Sprout – The King of Rock’n’Roll
14: Suede – She’s In Fashion
15: The Shadows – Man of Mystery
16: Violent Femmes – Blister In The Sun
17: The Specials – Enjoy Yourself (It’s Later Than You Think)
18: Mamas & The Papas – California Dreamin’

All previous shows on mixcloud: http://www.mixcloud.com/infoyeye/Yé Yé Radio mixcloud | Mondo Bizarre Magazine mixcloud

Mondo Bizarre Magazine Amazing Sounds & Other Delights, Radio Show, Raquel's Compilations, YéYé Radio

Amazing Songs & Other Delights #68 – The Bric-à-New edition by Raquel Pinheiro @ Yé Yé Radio, Monday 1st

My Amazing Songs & Other Delights #68 The Bric-à-New edition airs Monday 1st, 3-4pm (gmt+1) on Yé Yé Radio: yeyeradio.com (or on the app).It a lovely programme of new songs, or songs that are new to me.

Tracklist: 01: A Working Man’s Guide to Comedy – Imitation (Last Serious Man) 02: Adelaida – Las Flores No Saben Qué Decirse 03: Beak> – The Seal 04: Bernard Butler – Preaching To The Choir 05: Bill Rivers – No Pity 06: Bright Eyes – Bells and Whistles 07: Dorothy Carter – The King of Glory 08: Fontaines D.C. – Favourite 09: Guster – Maybe We’re Alright 10: Joe Goddard – Follow You 11: King Krule – Time For Slurp 12: Lara Taubman – Love Is The Rule13: Marc Lemon – Meet Me In The Morning 14: Population 5 – Midnight Surfer 15: Salétile – Dürüm 16: The Milkshakes – For She

Tracklist:
01: A Working Man’s Guide to Comedy – Imitation (Last Serious Man)
02: Adelaida – Las Flores No Saben Qué Decirse
03: Beak> – The Seal
04: Bernard Butler – Preaching To The Choir
05: Bill Rivers – No Pity
06: Bright Eyes – Bells and Whistles
07: Dorothy Carter – The King of Glory
08: Fontaines D.C. – Favourite
09: Guster – Maybe We’re Alright
10: Joe Goddard – Follow You
11: King Krule – Time For Slurp
12: Lara Taubman – Love Is The Rule
13: Mark Lennon – Meet Me In The Morning
14: Population 5 – Midnight Surfer
15: Salétile – Dürüm
16: The Milkshakes – For She

All previous shows on mixcloud; www.mixcloud.com/infoyeye | www.mixcloud.com/MondoBizarreMagazine