Please enjoy Cibo Matto’s video to Sugar Water. Directed by the excellent Michel Gondry.
Friday April 27, 2024
MUSIC
I’ve just discovered the excellence that is The Lounge-O-Leers.
Zaho De Sagazan – La Symphonie Des Éclairs (2023)
Chanson meets space-pop.
Jenny Lewis – Joy’All (2023)
An almost return to form for JLew. Check out the opener – Psychos – it’s very Fleetwood Mac and has a wonderful video.
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Mondo Exotica – Sounds, Visions, Obsessions of the Cocktail Generation – Francesco Adinolfi (Duke University Press, 2008)
Moonbuilding – Back To School 2023
A castles in Space label release that comes with Nicely produced fanzine and a CD. Details here.
VERY NOW NOTE
Regular posting will be on hold for the next 3 weeks but please enjoy the music clips I’ve selected for each week.
Friday April 19, 2024
SOUND
Ultra-Lounge Series – Bossa Novaville (Vol. 14 – 1997) / Mondo Exotica (Vol. 1 – 1996) / Space Capades (Vol. 3 – 1996)
The Ultra-Lounge kick continues… These are 3 of my favourites from the series that zero in on samba/latin/jazz, Tribal/exotica/jazz, and Space Age Pop (respectively). The original Ultra-Lounge series was a beautifully conceptualised and curated series that has only improved with age. the CD releases were so well-designed and have also been handy recently as I’ve been researching cocktil recipes (there’s 1-2 recipes included in each CD).
Bert Kaempfert – A Man Could Get Killed (1966)
Mid-sixties soundtrack from Mr Kaempfert. No Swinging Safari here.
Sven Libaek – The Set (1969)
Fab soundtrack from Norwegian expat and Australia resident Sven. Favourite track.
Kevin Pearce – Science Fiction Ballads For The Lost Generation (2024)
A new discovery and it’s a great one. Bandcamp link.
Piero Piccione – Playgirl ’70 (1969)
Maestro Piccione’s score to a slice of groovy Eurotrash.
Lalo Schifrin – Mannix (1968)
Knockout score to the TV show.
Jane Weaver – Love In A Constant Spectacle (2024)
The genius that is Jane Weaver gets better and better with another excellent record. Also check out The Silver Globe and Loops in the Secret Society (and the others).
FILM/TV
Red, White & Royal Blue (Prime – 2023)
Fun melodrama and a nice comfort watch for a Sunday night.
Uri Geller’s Secret Treasures (2023)
This was a lot less interesting than I expected. It’s about the establishment of U.G.’s museum which seems to consist mostly of press clippings, a car and vespa he owned or like one he did, a car with bent spoons stuck all over it and, for some reason, a horse made of driftwood (which was nice but -?). Most of the documentary felt like humblebrag tales of all the celebrities he’s met. Side note, I was just reading that he once vowed he would stop the UK leaving the EU by telepathic means. Seems that didn’t work, but it’s the telephathic thought that counts, or didn’t in this case.
PODCAST
Talk Art
Tony brought this to my attention and I’m so glad he did. Russell Tovey & Robert Diament interview a host of fascinating people about their careers, lives, and art. Instagram, podcast links page.
ONLINE
Inside Prospect Cottage
This is marvellous, finally – interior – photos of the beautiful Prospect cottage in Dungeness, once inhabited by Derek Jarman.
Friday April 12, 2024
SOUND
Barbara Morgenstern – The Grass Is Always Greener (2006)
Despite having this album for years it was during the COVID lockdowns that I really got to know it. This and 3 other albums I had only passing familiarity with – Corine – Un Air De Fête (2018), Matt Berry – Kill The Wolf (2013) and David Sylvian – Gone To Earth (1986) – became constant companions whilst working from home or doing jigsaws and whatever else we did during the lockdowns.
Pallers – The Sea of Memories (2011)
From Åhus, Sweden. Super-smooth electronics. Nice for these Autumn days.
Various – Welcome Back To The Ultra-Lounge, AKA The Tiki Sampler (1999)
This really sounds fantastic on a cool Autumn evening. Jazz, Exotica, Easy. Lovely.
Music For Dreams (label)
From Copenhagen, MFD is svengali Kenneth Bager’s label with a mountain of releases, many with a focus on smooth electronic chill/ambient sounds. There’s lots to discover.
CHARITY SHOP FINDS
Finally -the Mars Attacks! (1996) DVD
FILM & TV
Black Magic (1944)
One of a cavalcade of Charlie Chan movies. There’s a seance performed by hucksters and a mystery to solve. Many aspects, casting in particular, are shockingly dated but it means well and still has some charm.
Challenge The Devil (1963)
I watched this for Christopher Lee, although it seems he’s not in it much and is dubbed. It’s not his greatest hour. The first half is like a crime drama and includes a long sequence in a nightclub where they show 3 acts – in their entirety – including the club’s “headline” act of an twilight-years showgirl who shimmies in a leotard with a ludicrously large tulle train. The second half is like a completely different film and takes place in a spooky castle with a group of hedonistic mod stoners who dance to bongo music and then roam around the castle looking for Christopher Lee’s wife.
Are You In The House Alone? (1978)
I decided it was time I watched some more Made For TV movies from the 70s. This is billed as a horror, and it is, but of a very different sort of horror.
Stranger in Our House AKA Wes Craven’s Summer Of Fear (1978)
Linda Blair stars, as an ordinary teenager this time. A young witch invades her house, and Fran Dresher is Linda’s best friend. It’s over-long and the goings on are predictable but it’s still fun.
Death At Love House (1976)
There’s plenty of reasons to watch this one – the cameos (including Joan Blondell and Dorothy Lamour), the ‘ghosts of old Hollywood’ storyline, Robert Wagner, Kate Jackson and Sylvia Sidney (wh was also in Mars Attacks! – accidental synchronicity!), but the absolute jewel is the setting, Harold Lloyd’s spectacular Greenacres mansion.
Friday April 5, 2024
FILM/TV
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning (SBS)
Fantastic, funny, and I’m obsessed with the Swedish accent.
Do I Sound Gay? (2014)
I was in two minds whether to watch this or not but it was about to vanish from Tubi so I thought I may as well. It is interesting, and good, seeing how the concepts and even the premise of this documentary have dated (badly) in just 10 years. Many seem almost alien now.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
Director Yorgos Lanthimos is having a moment currently with Poor Things. This is one of his earlier films. It’s very black and strange and I mostly loved it but “it isn’t for everyone” barely cuts it. Also a big caveat for the initial visuals of very graphic surgery that almost made me bail on watching the rest.
Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman (2017)
A ten-part half hour series that has taken me over three years(!) to watch. I’ve no idea why, it’s enoyable (and bizarre). Anyway, I finally finished it today and am now craving some sort of chestnut dessert.
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Indie Pop Lesson – Twee Grrrls Club (2012)
A fun book I picked up in Japan many years ago, now on offer currently for a ludicrous $213 AUD from an Amazon seller it seems. Gives a good overview of indie music diving into categories that include themes, countries and indie labels. The hosts are Japanese music fans named Sumire, Moe, Satomi, Mayo and er, Methyl.
SOUND
Continuing on my Indie pop journey from last week, including:
Club 8 – The Friend I Once Had (1998)
Idha – Melody Inn (1994)
The Haywains – A37 Revisited (2011)
Kitty Craft – Beats and Breaks from the Flower Patch (1999)
Marbles – Pyramid Landing And Other Favorites (1997)
Fantastic Something – Fantastic Something (1985)
Shack – Zilch (1989)
Anthony Adverse – The Red Shoes (1998)
and many more…
Friday March 29, 2024
FILM/TV
Casa Susanna (2022)
We caught the tram out to the fancy new(ish) Library At The Dock to see this as part of their Library Cinema programme. Only 10 people turned up which was both good, as it wasn’t crowded, but also a shame as the film was so good it deserved a bigger audience.
The Strange One (1957)
Set in a military academy and starts in an offputting way but becomes expectedly compelling as it goes on.
The Horrible Dr, Hichcock (1962)
Barbara Steele was a gift to horror directors, elevating every scene she’s in.
French & Saunders – (skit) Franco e Sandro [series 5 episode 3 1996]
One of the best film parodies they did – this one takes on Federico Fellini’s Juliet of the Spirits, 8 ½, and La Dolce Vita. It’s such a genius idea and amazing noone thought of it sooner (that I know of). Here’s all 3 parts edited together.
SOUND
DIG Guide – Neo-Acoustic
In Japan around the turn of the century a series of books were produced that were basically large curated lists of a particular style of music (Soft Rock, Techo Pop, UK New Wave…). I bought some of them on a trip to Japan in 2007 including this one about Neo-Acoustic music – which is largely independent guitar-based pop from the 1980s onwards. This week has been about listening to a lot of the bands from the pages, including Orange Juice, Would-Be-Goods, The Dolly Mixture, Virna Lindt, The Go-Betweens, Ben Watt, Belle And Sebastian, the list goes on. I’ve also been seeking out the bands I’m less familiar with or haven’t paid any attention to – Matt Bianco, Twa Toots, The Lilac Time, The Orchids, Primal Scream, Bill Pritchard, Andy Pawlak, the Railway Children, St Christopher etc…
The Dig Guide is listed here at Amazon.jp.
Friday March 22, 2024
TV/FILM
The Bloody Brood (1959)
A young Peter Falk plays a murderous Beatnik kingpin with a subterranean Jazz lair. It’s wild man.
La Maldicion De La Llarona (1963)
Or The Curse of The Crying Woman. Uber-stylish Mexican gothic horror.
The Traitors US – Series 2 (10 Play)
The casting is entirely ‘celebrities’, with said alleged celebs being reality show contestants from Survivor, various Real Housewives franchises and some shows I’ve never heard of (The Challenge? Bling Empire?). Kind of ‘Who?-lebrities’ I guess. The producers are likely betting on this attracting viewers, but this show works much better with participants who don’t know anything about each other, casting celebrities means that there’s a limit to the intrigue they can employ in their game plan and the aspects of themselves they can choose to hide from their competitors. Also, one of the cast is named ‘Johnny Bananas’ which should be sufficient reason to cease stunt casting immediately.
Mary & George (Fox)
I’m just 1 episode in, but so far this is a hoot. More about it here.
The Black Sleep (1956)
Fun mad doctor horror although it wastes the talents of Bela Lugosi, John Carradine and Lon Chaney Jr.
Cry Of The Werewolf (1944)
If, like me, you love the Val Lewton school of thoughtful shadowy horror you’ll get a lot out of this gypsy werewolf tale. The cast includes Nina Foch and Osa Masson who are both excellent. Masson in particular gets to play dark and light and does both with great skill. An undiscovered classic.
Dead Men Walk (1943)
George Zucco is impressive in a dual role as a righteous doctor and his demonic brother. A few tweaks in the plotting could have made this much better though.
The Corpse Vanishes (1942)
Bonus Bela, thankfully this time he’s talking and not doing charades like in The Black Sleep. There’s an epidemic of brides dying at the altar which is a pretty weird premise for a horror film, but baby, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
The Man on the Eiffel Tower (1949)
A great late 40s cat-and-mouse murder thriller. Has a rather terrifying scene on the famous structure that at times looks positively dangerous.
The Brain Eaters (1958)
File under: Only if you’ve nothing better to do.
Many of the above films are due to the listings in the 1998 catalogue (or ‘catalog’) of the NYC grey-market ( meaning – unofficial, but not otherwise released) VHS retailer The Fang. I can’t remember if I ever ordered anything from them or just wrote away for the catalogue. It’s probably the latter as the postage was expensive. I created a Letterboxd list here if you’re interested in ticking them off your view list.
ONLINE
An interesting piece about the recent Jonathan Van Ness (Queer Eye) scandal and the parallels to Ellen DeGeneres and Lizzo.
SOUND
Sampled by Dimitri From Paris
French DJ Dimitri from Paris draws from a range of soul/funk/disco/lounge music in the sample he uses in his work. Here’s a YouTube playlist of some of his inspiration. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLd1xC56TLFF88bzQMJmf5FkxLtSf05sKk
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Menergy: San Francisco’s Gay Disco Sound – Louis Niebur (2022)
I Want to Be a Vase – Julio Torres/Julian Glander (2022)
Corita Kent: Ordinary Things Will Be Signs for Us – Julie Ault (2023)
Friday March 15, 2024
SOUND
Spanish/Mexican Electronic Cold Wave
Off the back of the Los Espookys rewatch I got interested in the soundtrack and have been seeking out the artists who appear on it. ·Y·, Grado 33, Hoffen, Equinoxious, Los Macuanos, Hoffen, La Bande-Son Imaginaire, Mueran Humanos*, Varsovia** and others. There’s a playlist here. The electronic darkwave of Mexico City’s Equinoxious (AKA Rogelio Serrano) is my favourite.
*from Germany but sung in Spanish **from Chile
Xmal Deutschland – Early Singles (1981 – 1982) (2024)
Nouvelle Vague – Should I Stay Or Should I Go? (2024)
They cover Breakfast by The Associates and Dead Or Alive’s You Spin Me Round.
TV/FILM
Some terribly light entertainment has entered the schedule this week.
Is It Cake Too? (Netflix)
People make cakes that look like shoes and mandolins. It’s nuts. Also host Mikey Day is annoyingly OTT – but here we are for season 2.
The Good Ship Murder (SBS)
Sometimes you watch a show because you know it’s terrible and that becomes the reason you watch it (case in point – Departure). Well, this is that. Murders happen weekly on a cruise liner and are solved by an ex-cop, now wannabe Michael Bublé, and a ship’s officer who seems to despise him, but we all know how these things work (*wink*). Imagine a Hallmark version of Midsomer Murders on The Love Boat. I know. This nonsense is deliriously compelling.
The Big Interiors Battle (Foxtel)
The Brits do these designer knock-out shows better than everyone else, although this is a pretty pedestrian attempt, and there’s no one of the calibre of Alan Carr to add some campy entertainment. It’s ok, but at the evictions unfortunately no one says “See you later, decorator”.
CHARITY SHOP FINDS
X-Files – Series 6
Morven Callar (2001)
ONLINE
Emma Bunton – Maybe
I’m bordering on obsession with this brilliant 2012 song and video (HOW CAN THIS NOT HAVE BEEN A HIT!?!).
And if you’ve ever seen Sweet Charity, you might recognise what must have been the inspiration for the choreography from the also incredible Bob Fosse musical number – The Rich Man’s Frug.
Friday March 8, 2024
TV/Film
More Krofft on Tubi
Dr Shrinker, The Krofft Supershow, Far Out Space Nuts have appeared. Sadly most of it is pretty dire to contemporary viewers, the Krofft Supershow looks especially cheap with the nattily named and Godspell-audition-attired Kaptain Kool and the Kongs who appear to be performing in shopping malls. K K and the K includes bubblegum music alum Debra Clinger, who has both Rock Flowers and The Cattanooga Cats on her CV. Respect. Despite all the shortcomings, I would have totally watched these shows when when I was a kid.
The Crown (Netflix)
Watched the final episode this week. It felt a tad anti-climactic given what had come before, although this season has been a tougher sell given that it’s history that’s in many viewers’ lifetime memory.
Los Espookys (Foxtel/HBO)
One of my favourite shows from the past few years. Started a rewatch of series 2 this week. It’s even better the second time around. Bip Bip.
ONLINE
Fade Into Blue: The Life, Work & Legacy Of Derek Jarman
It’s from a decade ago but it’s still a good overview of the artistic legacy of Derek Jarman.
Poseidon’s Underworld
This blog has been around for a very long time but keeps giving. If you’re into a queer eye view of pop culture film and TV from decades gone past then this is the blog for you. His recent post about guest stars on the Quinn Martin production of The F.B.I. prompted a weekly viewing appointment for me. Needless to say, this is relevant to my interests.
SOUND
Brian Eno – Ambient 1: Music For Airports (1978)
After listening to this for the millionth time I thought I should find out how it was created.
C Duncan – Architect (2015)
Beautiful first album by C Duncan. Layered airy harmonies.
David Holmes – This Film’s Crap Let’s Slash the Seats (1995)
Starts with an incredible, almost 13 minute, track called No Man’s Land. David Holmes’ future as a soundtrack composer is all there.
Ladytron – Light & Magic (2002)
Seventeen was the buzz, but Evil is the one for me.
John Maus – Screen Memories (2017)
Friday March 1, 2024
SOUND
I’ve been rehousing ,mostly space-saving by taking out of hard cases, moving into soft cases, and refiling lots of CDs this week. Along the way listening to a random selection of favourites, as well as albums that I haven’t played very much.
Camera Obscura – Let’s Get Out Of This Country (2006)
Best tracks Lloyd I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken, Tears For Affairs, If Looks Could Kill, but it’s all great.
Cerrone – Supernature (1977)
For many of us it comes with an indelible connection to The Kenney Everett Video Show.
Lloyd Cole and The Commotions – Rattlesnakes (1984)
When I was on 3RRR public radio this was a frequent flyer in the playlist of many of the presenters, but not me, I liked the singles but at the time I was more oriented to the gothic/4AD and electronic stuff. However I’m giving it a day in the sun now and enjoying it a lot. The musical call-back from the above mentioned Camera Obscura is a nice indie pop moment.
Depeche Mode – Speak and Spell (1981)
Early 80s Mute pop from DM. My favourites are still album tracks Photographic, Tora! Tora! Tora! and Puppets.
Julee Cruise – The Art Of Being A Girl (2002)
The third album from the sadly late Julee Cruise that steps outside the Badalamenti/Lynch collaborations she was best known for, and it’s an underwater-cocktail-party-in-a-noir-film joy. Very underrated.
Felix Da Housecat – Kittenz and Thee Glitz (2001)
Electroclash!
Faze Action – Plans & Designs (1997)
In The Trees is the one you need. Incredible.
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The Real Rock Follies: The Great Girl Band Rip-Off Of 1976 (2023)
I’ve only skim-read this one but it’s enough to get the flavour – it is extremely dialogue-heavy which makes me think a lot of these exchanges must be paraphrased as no one could possibly remember so much detail. I loved Rock Follies (here’s a taster), and it was eye-opening to find that Thames TV stole the concept from the real life singing group – Rock Bottom. Arguably though, Rock Follies IS a better name.
FILM/TV
The Unknown Man of Shandigor (1967 – via Tubi)
Gorgeous to look at, every frame is a modernist joy. Some scenes are filmed atop Gaudi architecture in Barcelona, and it’s incredible (see below). The plot, well…, it’s supermodel thin but it hardly matters. Serge Gainsbourg is in it too and sings an excellent song at a funeral for one of the baddies called “Bye Bye Mr Spy”.
The Very Now 