logotipo

+ I used to know a lot of things about The Davies Bros and friends. But now that I have all the biographies and all types of gossip and stuff you can possibly ask for in internet, I definitely would have to look for other things.

+ And of course, listening to the kinks, the name supposedly coming from those kinky boots and other fashion used in the avengers (los vengadores) TV series.

* So, you really got me.

* Lola: I’m not dumb but I can’t understand why she walked like a woman and talked like a man

+ Do you remember Ray Davies also directed a movie?. I could never watch it, but the critics give it 3 and 1/2 stars (out of five).

* Catch me now I'm falling: some say the kinks initiated hard rock.

* Till the end of the day.

+ He had a love affair with Crissie Hynde and composed I go to sleep and for the pretenders. They used Ray's stop your sobbing for one of their first songs (produced by Nick Lowe, btw): but it did not work out long.

* Tired of waiting for you.

* Animal farm: please read this.

* Sunny afternoon: recalls me a lot the lovin' spoonful's summer in the city.

* Come dancing.

+ I think these guys did not get full recognition (i know they are a band of cult everywhere) because they were stuck in Seattle when Cobain and pals were starting to play with noise.

+ Of course, other more apparent reasons are that power pop has never (¿?) produced number one hits. At least, since this term was coined (i will have to do some more research to prove this conclusion).

+ Please, listen to:

* Tears, Jon Auer, Songs from the Year of Our Demise (2001).

* I've been high (REM cover, Ken Stringfellow on vocals with Scott McCaughey, Robyn Hitchcock and Mike Mills).

* The Posies: Every Bitter Drop (Amazing Disgrace version, unreleased track).

* Ken released album last year. You can hear a sample here (when u find someone).

* Another piece from Ken last album, you drew.

* Finally, in theposies.net you have some more live pieces.

+ Radio 5 , de Radio Nacional de España, acaba de emitir una entrevista con Seth Gordon, líder de Los Listillos, aka The Mockers.

* You can have it here, courtesy of Dr. Jnk.

+ Podrás escuchar fragmentos de (por este orden) straight in the yes, real enough for me y the emperor strikes out.

+ Que lo disfrutes.

.
(El País de las Tentaciones, 25 de febrero de 2005).

+ No, este no es el blog oficial de The Mockers, aunque no pasaría nada si lo fuera, eh?

+ Simplemente, tenemos línea directa con The Mockers.!

+ Pronto, otros grupos. Keep in touch!

+ Seth Mocker es tan amable de avisarme:

Saludos: Aquí está la información de los reportajes que se emitirán en el mes de Febrero de "Vibraciones", en Radio 5 RNE; recuerda que se emiten, en su primera emisión, los sábados y domingos a las 21:37, y luego esos mismos reportajes se repiten a lo largo del mes.

Domingo 27 Febrero: THE MOCKERS.

Seguimos al servicio de la música...

ORLY LUMBRERAS-"VIBRACIONES"
APARTADO DE CORREOS 70
28690 BRUNETE (MADRID)
TFNO:676·470·031

+ Weren't they great?, weren't they cool?, didn't they made dozens of pop songs?, oh, yeah, they were.... The Cars!

+ I bring to your attention one of the biggest new wave american bands, The Cars. Rick OCasek and pals made wonderful records full of great songs that stand still as time goes by. Don't you believe so?. Ok, then listen to these gems:

* Magic.

* Shake it up.

* Drive.

* Touch and go.

* Let the good times roll.

* Just what I needed.

* Since you're gone.

+ Still not conviced of the cars' mastery?. Ok, then, get the tribute album "substitution mass confussion", just released and you'll see. Very potent and excellent versions (most of them I have to say) by Jason Falkner (he's a 10), The Andersons!, Gigolo Aunts, Chris von Sneidern, ....

+ Loor y gloria a los cars!

+ I'll talk about them later, so you may want to check back later.

+ Gracias a grabaciones en el mar. Wonderful job!

* The Zinedines - "Let your fancy flow" extraida del disco I'm gonna rise.

* The Zinedines - "Thank you" extraida del disco Diggin' Everything.

* The Zinedines - "Over you" extraida del disco Take me, take me.

* "The Zinedines: Take me" extraida del disco One day in colour.

* Carrots & Sidonie: it's all too much.

* Harry Octopus: Here comes the sun.

+So, plogs is pop blogs (he, he):

* Parallel field.

* Little Hits: every day deserves a different song. Right!

* Mark Warner in 2008!

+ Great job, guys (and girls)

+ Few artists show courage when the things go wrong. Las pollitas del sur son uno de ellos. (non) Incredibly, only for telling own (non mainstream) opinions. As the beginning of that article reads, country music is other things. To be reassured, you can read their lyrics to make sure.

* Listen to goodbye earl, a song aimed at women abused.

* A kind of she's leaving home, wide open spaces talks about young chicks leaving home.

* Landslide, a song about love finished and gone.

* A version of James Taylor's sweet baby james. A song about loneliness and the healing effect of singing songs.

+ Loor y gloria a las dixie chicks.

+ Ok, I have received a couple messages from Seth of The Mockers, which you should read here. If you want to write them, you have the e-mail address there.

+ They promised to tell this blog the dates of their new spanish tour. Be sure to ckeck it out in some time if you don't want to miss a thing (remember, steven tyler and colleagues did this).

+ Also, they are aware (as it should be) of the new ways of geting music. Of course, I am sure their main income does not come from records, at least now (maybe when they are superstars they will live from records' royalties). But...

+ So, this is to let you know again, though you already know, that you have to buy the record if you like The Mockers' music. Myself, I received the record yesterday, bought from PopMadrid.com. It's not necessary to use a credit card. You pay when you receive the package. 3 days after I place the order. By the way, the other records I bought were also glorious pop music!.

* ok, listen to the mockers, pearly gates.

+ Mola, guay, ok! If you want see some Mockers' fotos, go to here.

+ He, he, Seth!, there was a Los Mockers in Uruguay, back in 60's or 70's. There is even a record out there some place.

* There is another mockers' around there. You can even hear therm sing, you're a mocker!. Nothing comparable to our Mockers!.

+ Ok, so, besides the logical translation, Mockers: contraction of mod and rockers, what else can be a mocker?:
-----mockingbird: any of the types of North American or Australian birds which copy the sounds made by other birds.
-----to mock: to laugh at, to laugh at someone, often by copying them in an amusing but unkind way.
----mockery: when you mock someone or something.
----mocking: when you laugh at someone or something in an unkind way.

+ Italian mockers also.

+ Also, french mockers!.

+ Maybe the first time the term mocker was coined (or at least heard widely): Ringo Starr in a well known moviea hard day's night .

+ Some more mockers (oh, boy, this is not going to stop)

+ I promised yesterday to post some of Grammys' losers. Of course, loser meaning that they did no get the award. But, you'll see that these guys are not losers at all.

* Willie Nelson (with friends): listen to pancho and lefty.

* Ryan Adams: wonderwall.

* Wilco: handshake drugs.

* Notorious Cherry Bombs: sorry theare no mp3 availables, Instead, go to their page and see how good is their music.

* I like Los Lonely Boys so much that they should be here also. They did not win all those grammys!. Listen to señorita or go to heaven.

* Biggest guys also hit the ground: ask Paul and Eric about it: they were nominated for his something in Concert for George.

+ For the complete nominees' list, visit this.

+ You probably heard/read about the outcome of the Grammys. You know, prizes doesn't give always recognition. In fact, Grammys are not always related with music. The relation is most with the industry (as a whole), including music companies, tvs, radios, artists, than with music itself. But, you know we live in a society of winners and losers. We bloggers are just a bunch of losers?, some kind of losing winners?, whatever,

+ So, today I have selected some of the winners. Tomorrow I will post some losers. This order is just random, not deliberated. You will see that some of them have appeared already in this blog. As always, you know the rules about these songs. Read about it on the left.

* Loretta Lynn, Best Country Album, Van Lear Rose. Listen to have mercy.

* Dixie Chicks, Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal, listen to top of the world.

* Los Lonely Boys, Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal for heaven. Listen to dime mi amor.

* John Mayer, Song Of The Year (A Songwriter Award. Singles or Tracks only.). Listen to daughters. So you don't know this guy?. Ok, then listen to this perfect song, your body is a wonderland.

* Bruce Springsteen, Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance, listen to code of silence.

+ You know that, don't you?. When you only drive on sundays it could be because you are afraid of driving with the crazyness of a normal day, or because you love going out with your lover to the countryside for a pic-nic, or because you don't own a car and just get the rent car for the weekend.

+ Whatever is your cause, you have to get music for your sundays. Your driving will never be the same. After hearing what I've got today, it's likely that you start driving also on weekdays.

+ So, listen to the Sunday Drivers' second album little heart attacks. And, if you like it, buy it here, for instance.

* Please, go to here and listen to on my mind and to often.

+ If you are good enough, I will post some mp3s next week, for a limited time only.

* Hooray, just found who did a song I heard 5 years ago. I catched some of the lyrics and assumed it was yes world. Today I found there were The Mockers. Oh boy, what a terrible thing, I heard that record (living in the holland tunnel) maybe 2 years ago but I did not realize it was the same song. I remember I surfed the internet over and over for days without getting the smallest clue! I found it today visiting the mockers' page. What a wonderful song. Finally, I discovered why some of these guys speak spanish so well. They studied in Estepona (Málaga) where their parents had an english school!.

* Adam Schlesinger, from Fountains of Wayne and Ivy, composed a small wonder that was used for a very innocent and fun movie, that thing you do. Who played actually the song?. Five stars for Adam, for reflecting so well some of the sixties' music.

* Fountains of Wayne have three albums you should know if you like pop or pop-rock: probably their biggest hit is stacy's mom (some friends' mothers are made to fall in love with them, aren't they?).

* They also did a cover of Britney Spears' baby one more time, but it was never released officially because of the lack of consensus between the company (they wanted to do a full release) and the band (they wanted to be a b-side, not wanted to be remembered as a Britney's cover band).

* I want you back, was a massive hit by The Jacksons, back where they were still kids. Please, listen to this excellent cover by Steel Train, from Drive-Thru Records' galaxy of stars.

+ Ok, 5 songs, 5 pop songs, hope you like them!. I do!.

+ As I posted yesterday, I don't know why, I am listening to blues lately (maybe, never stopped doing it), and reading as much as I can to learn more from those music giants, the bluesmen. Without them, there would be no rock and roll or even rock, probably. Almost 100% sure, right?.

* So, I listened to the great Muddy Waters (qué nombre: aguas fangosas) singing good morning little schoolgirl. A song full of desire, sexual desire, electric love.

* It was composed by Sonny Boy Williamson, who was killed in 1948, well before electricity was applied to the guitar. His version, the first version, contains his down and dirty voice and his tremendous harmonica.

* Logically, as much as they were looking for women, they also tried to protect what they had. Junior Wells & Buddy Guy performed this impressive woman blues, which you will recognize as one of the hits by the late great white hurricane, SRV, leave my girl alone.

+ Gracias a Boogaloo Corner por la pista de Hoodoo Blues!.

+ Loor y gloria a los blueseros!

+ In spite of being all week long listening to The Mockers' last album, I finished it listening to blues. This afternoon I started to listen to John Lee Hooker, and I finished with Ray Charles. From the Delta to Chicago and back South again. To Georgia.

+ It is not that I'm saying that Ray Charles is (was) a bluesman, who was. Of course, he is not a bluesman in the purest sense,he is remembered by his rock and roll classic piece what i'd say, and my many r&b classics. For instance, one among dozens of them, let's go get stoned (oh, boy!).

+ Please, listen to 3 old blues by Ray Charles (and discover the boogie woogie):

* Blues before sunrise.

* Jumping in the morning.

* How long blues.

+ Trick para los castellano-hablantes, sabes lo que es jump en argot, ¿no? ¿recuerdas una peli "white men can't jump" (sobre el baloncesto y los blancos) que se tradujo "los blancos no la saben meter"?

+ Pues eso, jump and shout!

+ I visited (and listened) the excellent Binky Records - Squirrel Records, where I found the last album by Iain Matthews (see the post 2 days ago). Then, I met Mike West, defined there as one of Louisiana's finest writers and instrumentalists.

+ We don't use to listen to this kind of music very often. Sometimes also taken as bluegrass, hillbilly music has its own distinctive sounds and misteries.

* Please, listen Mike West playing and singing american jeans.

* Or tug boat captain.

* Or this clearly asian turkish fiddle.

+ Hee, hoo!

+ In fact, they met Los Nikis some time ago. The Mockers just published (first in Spain) a wonderful record. The third, it is titled “The Lonesome Death Of Electric Campfire”. You can read an excellent review here in spanish. This job is a five star power pop album. Sorry, I do not have mp3 availables as the cd was just released this week.

* One of the songs was already published. Last year they contributed to a Los Nikis' Tribute with their version of a spanish nueva ola classic, Los Nikis' El Imperio contraataca. The Mockers' version is updated in 2004, therefore is devoted to Trio de las Azores, as you can see in the lyrics.

+ "The emperor strikes out" is a fun, trepidant song, with a chorus at the end, specially made for jumping and shouting (I guess, he, he). You can hear it here.

+ Ok, the Mockers love Spain (as The Lackloves do). You have to learn to say España, as they do in the funny Mola, Guay, OK, in which they tell us about their experiences speaking español in Malasaña and drinking our famed beer Mahou (just as it would happen to us, spaniards, in New York City).

+ If you like pop, power-pop, pop-rock, hurry up and get the Mockers' last album.

+ By the way, Los Nikis were so funny during the 80s that I can not resist to bring you two of their songs:

* El imperio contraataca.

* Pasión por los decibelios.

+ Loor y gloria a la nueva ola española (y a los Mockers).

+ The most updated radio station in Spain is Radio 3. Updated in terms of pop, rock, alternative, blues. Every morning, at 9 a.m., after unloading my car (is full of my daughters) in the school, turn on Radio 3 and I hear a small piece of classic rock (by Diego A., you know him already) with a very good and short comment. Then, they always play a song (a different one each day) but the presenter never (ever) presents the song. Then, I suspect they do that so that we get angry or something, because I can not understand that kind of strange behavior for a radio music program. One day, 15 days ago, I heard a wonderful song for the first time. But no artist name, no song title. After the song finished, they just played another one. You can imagine my frustration. For some time, I could sing it a little bit. But, after the coffee break, the song was completely gone. Oh, my!. Please, don't do it again, ok, girls?

* It was this song. Ok, sure, I'll tell you. I'm not like the people doing the script for that radio show. It is Iain Matthews!. And the song is cartwheel avenue.

+ But it took me a lot of radio hearing to hear it again. The song is quite typical, I know, american pop-rock, very infectious, a very catchy guitar lick, a laid-back voice, wonderful harmonies, a superb production. But, the song is perfect. In my opinion.

* Then, a little bit of googling and voilá. Then, you would probably ask yourself. Why this song is not a number one?. Why this record has not been publicized?. Moreover, you are reassured when you listen to song number 3, here. One door opens, a mid tempo ballad, with a tremendous organ and a fantastic way of singing.

+ I tell you, these are two number one songs.

+ We will have to review our old records with the Matthews Southern Confort.

Conviene avisar: en 2005 se cumplen los 25 años de la aparición a la luz pública de los grupos pioneros de lo que ahora se conoce como la movida y que entonces sencillamente se llamaba la nueva ola. Eso explica la salida de productos conmemorativos. El primero en llegar a las tiendas es La movida de los 80 (EMI), un combo -suma de CD más DVD- que ha coordinado el locutor Jesús Ordovás, uno de los más entusiastas apóstoles de aquellos grupos a través de la incipiente Radio 3.

Jesús Ordovás presentó ayer La movida de los 80 en El Sol, la sala madrileña que nació con la nueva ola y que el pasado año celebraba su primer cuarto de siglo. Una vez más, se repiten las polémicas que animaron aquel periodo vertiginoso: la pertenencia o no a un movimiento difuso que era tanto musical como social ("pero ¿qué hace aquí la Orquesta Mondragón?"). De fondo, la modesta reivindicación de unos años que fueron anatematizados a partir de los noventa por figuras del PP, que se apuntaron a la teoría de que todo fue un montaje del PSOE, con el desaparecido Tierno Galván como genio maligno en la sombra.

En 1991, José María Álvarez del Manzano, alcalde de Madrid, daba una entrevista a un diario barcelonés donde afirmaba que la movida fue menos que un espejismo: "No hay que enterrarla porque se ha evanescido, ni siquiera tiene cuerpo para enterrar. Era algo etéreo, una propaganda política, no ha dejado un solo poso. Yo no recuerdo un solo libro, un solo cuadro, un solo disco; nada, de la movida no ha quedado nada". En esa visión revisionista, el PP fue respaldado por algunos famosos "arrepentidos" con fino olfato para los cambios políticos.

Lo tuvieron fácil: durante los últimos tiempos, la movida no contó con muchos defensores. Muchos de los principales creadores prefirieron, y era comprensible, no atar sus lealtades a un tiempo histórico determinado. Además, es cierto que la movida terminó mal, con demasiadas carreras que se cerraron prematuramente y una caterva de proyectos que agonizaron en público; los grupos que podían haber encarnado su continuidad prefirieron, en muchos casos, diferenciarse al cantar en inglés y dilapidaron lo duramente conquistado.

Lo extraordinario es que aquellas canciones de los ochenta se mantienen comercialmente vivas, en reductos radiofónicos y en locales de copas. Un arraigo que justifica comercialmente la constante avalancha de reediciones: se trata de unos lanzamientos generalmente hechos con más codicia que coherencia, mezclando alegremente churras y merinas. La novedad en lo que llevamos de siglo es que TVE comercializa sus archivos y ahora se pueden conseguir las actuaciones, en playback o en directo, de algunos de los protagonistas.

La movida de los 80 ofrece un DVD con ocho canciones -posteriormente, se editará una versión ampliada- y entrevistas con Loquillo, Radio Futura y Carlos Berlanga. Material en bruto para una historia por realizar, si es que alguien se toma el trabajo de chapotear entre la nostalgia y los juicios sumarios. Una historia potencialmente fascinante, que tuvo eco en todos los rincones de España -sin olvidar su influencia en sociedades donde el rock estaba reprimido, como México- y que sigue siendo referencia en muchos países europeos.

El País, 2 de febrero de 2005.
(Aviso: este post se coloca aquí meramente a efectos informativos. No pretendo con ello saltarme el copyright del periódico, ni nada por el estilo. Para evitar problemas, este post desaparecerá si alguien piensa que es ilegal y que debo hacerlo. Aunque el trabajo que me he tomado para teclearlo...).

+ Too much work, too many idiot things to do, too many.

+ So, since I don't have much time, I will post songs from The Ramones and I will jump and shout to remember when things were different.

* Some of the songs have 60s and Spector' smell:

- Rock and roll radio.

- Baby, I love you.

- I wanna be your boyfriend.

* Some others are just the ramones trademark:

- I don't care.

- Blitzkrieg bop.

- I wanna be sedated.

- Have you ever seen the rain (you know who did it, right?).

+ Finally, just a small homage to the 25th anniversary of nueva ola in Spain. You probably read big ol' Diego A. Manrique yesterday in El Pais (if you did not, please do it). Los Pistones were one of those very early birds these days (the end of the 70s). They did a love song about a girl that asked to his boy in El Sol (also 25 years in Madrid) who were these guys who played i don't care. Los Pistones did " yo no te hubiera conocido si no llega a ser por los ramones".

+ Loor y gloria a los ramones (y a los pistones).