distractedbyathing.net

Bowie - Nov 2009 SoHo NYC

My hero David Bowie is 63 today – so Happy Birthday to him.

It’s been several years since his last album (Reality, 2003) and well publicised ill-health whilst on the tour to support the album – and he’s been laying low with infrequent media appearances (celeb stuff with his wife Iman, supporting his son’s movie “Moon“, some movie and music cameos). Recently there’s the stamps thing plus a new live album (based on the live DVD) of his Reality tour out at the end of the month.

There has been no new music either rumoured or released – and some fans have speculated that he’s really not well.

It was almost a relief when back in November these photos surfaced of DB walking around in SoHo NYC looking quite the dapper man about town (what’s in that bag? a new album?)  

So – happy birthday DB and lets have some new music you old bugger!

Originally broadcast back in August to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Miles’ Kind of Blue album,  I finally got round to listening to this today (whilst cleaning the kitchen). It’s a good one hour doc presented by Brit trumpeter Guy Barker with plenty of clips of the record, interesting comments and historical interviews. I have a copy in mp3 if anyone’s interested.

BBC – BBC Radio 2 Programmes – The Secret Kind of Blue.

I just bumped into this oddity (via Bryan Ferry – The Official Site.)

Be sure to catch the duet with Aznavour in the audience.

It’s become a bit of a annual ritual each September the 1st to play this still exquisite poem/song from David Sylvian’s 1987 album Secrets Of The Beehive.

Sylvian ~ September

The sun shines high above
The sounds of laughter
The birds swoop down upon
The crosses of old grey churches
We say that we’re in love
While secretly wishing for rain
Sipping coke and playing games

September’s here again
September’s here again

You can listen to it here at youtube (1min 14sec)

As discovered by Booyaa:

tres tres coolifique! – Alternative Music Distribution: Moldover’s CD Case as Circuit Board Noisemaker http://bit.ly/UHN1j

Fun, Funny, Geeky and Innovative… http://createdigitalmusic.com/2009/08/19/alternative-music-distribution-moldovers-cd-case-as-circuit-board-noisemaker/

Hamada

I was playing some old Nils Petter Molvaer (lastfm, wikipedia, fan-site, official) this morning (can it really be 12 years since Khmer came out?!?!?) and wondered what he had been up to recently.

Turns out he released a new album/cd in April this year – Hamada (review at AllAboutJazz) – though it has had hardly any coverage/press. Based on the review, love for his previous music and a feeling that I ought to buy a copy and support the artist (he’s gone “own label”)  I checked out Amazon.co.uk and Play.com – neither of which stock it (CD or download).

Oh! how odd.

So I double checked his own site (and the horrible/unusable MySpace page – I won’t link to it) and he neither offers CDs or downloads for sale directly – nor links to suggested stores/merchants. Digging further I could probably get an (expensive) CD import – or possibly sign up to a German online store and download mp3s (means creating a new account, possible restrictions on my right to buy via a UK IP address).

Interestingly… this fan site forum page gave links to a fileshare site where (it appears) the whole album is available for free.

What would you do?

Petrols in Nottingham - July 09 - Credit: HughieD from TPE forums.

I’m going to see the That Petrol Emotion tonight in Newcastle. I shall be a proper hanger-on and get along to the soundcheck and hang-out with the band .

Whilst the tour hasn’t had any/much press coverage – the response on the band’s website forum has been enthusiastic and the general feeling is that they sound better than ever. I think is what comes from getting older and becoming better musicians – a bit like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

TPE Forum

Forum post with recent pictures

I’ll post a review later.

TPE

My good friends Ciaran and Ray embark tonight on their first major tour for 15 years with That Petrol Emotion. They play the Birmingham Academy 2 tonight and then on for a total of 10 gigs (see list of gigs here). I will see them in Newcastle a week on Friday… can’t wait!

Wonderful insane writing linking Bowie/Elvis/Roswell/2001 A Space Odyssey/Superman:

“The alien that crashes to Earth during the supposed Roswell crash in Bowie birth year is also the starchild that evolves at the end of 2001 . Astronaut Bowman is in cryogenic suspension for 18 months and then evolves into …. something else. It is curious to note that Bowie was Ziggy Stardust for 18 months and then became …. something else. Elvis recorded at Sun Studio and was under the guidance of Sam Phillips for 18 months and then became … something else.”

link:   Bowie vs Elvis.