Never ever heared of this Japanese rock singer? Neither have I but a black cherry is a black cherry right? Acid Black Cherry is a Japanese project by Yasu, the vocalist of another to me unknown band calle Janne Da Arc. Yasu started this solo porject after his band went on a short break.
Since 2007 he created 4 albums so far and it is said his old band probably will never perfomr again so this should be Yasu's new project in time. Four albums called: Black List (2008), Recreation (2008), Q.E.D. (2009) and Recreation2 (2010). Most of the title tracks are named in Japanese but they all have an English title as well. I just randomly picked a song.
If you know the bands name is usually shortened into ABC I guess you'll know what number 65 will be? Any suggestions on a particular song?
When you've got a heartbeat you must be pretty Alive and since there are numerous songs with that title it was a bit tough too pick a different song. At first I wanted to go for the Pearl Jam song but on the other hand I've heared the name Goldfrapp around for quite some time but never knew what they stood for. Well now I know.
Goldfrapp is also a duo who try and bring electronic music. They're not Swedish but British and they're no family from each other. The difference with The Knife is also that Goldfrapp has a strong live reputation and they actually perform on stage. Also the non commercial side is left behind and Goldfrapp stands for a poppy synthesizer sound.
The band is named after frontwoman Alison Godfrapp who also plays keyboards. Her compagnion is named Will Gregory on keyboards and they found each other in 1999 when they worked together on a single song. A good year later they formed the Band under Alisons last name and started recording the first album Felt Mountain which made gold in the UK charts. A nice start.
The dance concept took over in the second album while the first was also heavily inspired by a folky sound. THis album called Black Cherry overclassed Felt Mountain and reached a little higher in the charts. It made platinum and Godlfrapps name was set in the dance scene.
This success made them choose wisely to go for electronic dance so on their third album you'll find less lyrics and more music. We're talking 2005 now and Goldfrapp just gor nominated the year before for their first BRIT Award. Supernature, which is the albums name, made it's debut at the number 2 spot in the British charts and almost scored a number one hit.
They took over a year to write their next album since they left the poppy electronic sound a bit and evolved into a more slow and ambient style. It has a warmer style introducing for the first time acoustic guitars. A less liked album you'd tjink, since they left their original sound but also this album debuted at the number 2 spot in the UK charts.
Last year they released a fifth and so far final album since their contract with the EMI studios has come to an end. Also an end of an era maybe, Who knows. This album titled Head First relates back to a more electrpop sound for which Godfrapp is best known. The album also gave them an opportunity to go on their first ever wolrd tour starting in june 2010.
It is said a best of will be released at this year's end or early 2012 and that the band would start recording shortly after to release a sixth album on a still te be determined date.
David Bowie chose his last name based on the founder of the Bowie knife and so this Swedish electronic pop duo fits in perfectly. The Knife is a family buisiness between brother Olof and sister Karin Dreijer and is situated on their own record label Rabid Records. Apart from that you can’t call them mainstream since they hardly perform live. Olof does his DJ work under the name of DJ Coolof and Karin is a part of the band Honey Is Cool. When appearing under the name of The Knife they usually wear ancient masks usually used at a bal masque.
The Knife also rebells against mainstream music in general and big music labels in particular. When winning a 2003 Grammy they’ve let other people pick up the prize wearing monkey suits. The song I’m posted got fame when it was picked up for a Sony commercial and it was broadcasted worldwide. This did not stroke with their non commercial feeling but was later explained as they needed the money to start up their own record label and that this would only encourage their independence. A single commercial hick-up was tot hem a small sacrifice.
The Knife mastered5 albums so far in 10 years time on top of 3 EP’s. Their album got nominatd in 2007 for six Swedish Grammy’s and the banwon them all. Again they didn’t collect their prizes. Brother and sister both have their separate solo projects and in that environnement you can hear Karin sing in Slow by the Belgian rockban dEus. She also contributed to the What Else Is There by Röyksopp.
Since Jasper Steverlinck made an excellent cover of this original David Bowie song I'd thought to post the original here and Bowie gives me an original flow into number 62 next Wednesday.
David is one of the icons in the music history and not only because of his music but also because of his famous theatrical acting appearences in movies such as Labyrinth and Zoolander. He must have played in over 20 movies big and small. If you know he also created over 40 albums from 1967 untill know you'll know he's never been a year without a project.
His typical theatrical performances on stage inspired many bands such as NIN, Placebo and Pet Shop Boys. David was and still is a trendsetter. He also followed trends and coloured it with his own interpretation and apparantly he has a nose for success. This is how he scored his first hit in 1969. It was called Space Oddity and was based on Stanley Kubrick's filmsucces 2001: A Space Odyssey. A year later he'd have another hit with The Man Who Sold The World later better known in the Nirvana cover. As you can read, many artists gave different interpretations to different Bowie songs.
Bowie started using alternate names for himself such as Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane usually accompagnied by different types of androgyne characters. Ziggy Stardust died abruptly in 1973 during a live concert. Ziggy remained popular with the fans and that live concert would later be released as a kind of motion picture.
Later 1970's he'd turn himself more into the world of dance music and in 1976 The Tin White Duke was introduced to the fans. A new alter ago probably inspired by his more frequent drug use. He gets inspired in the time he spends in Berlin and early 80's and he scores hits with Let's Dance and This Is Not America. His albums are now being howled at by fans and critics and then another album is being received as sublime. In 1988 he's forming a rock band and for the first time he's not going solo. Tin Machine is born. They lasted four years.
Ever since the nineties his performances turned into the more songwriting part of music from his early years. Some albums were forgotten and re-relaesed but his fans never let him down. In 1992 he'd mary Iman, a Somalian model. Late nineties and during the nillies David Bowie only releases older work in new coats and he participates in the albums of different other artists. This year his biography appeared on the bookshelfs named Starman. Although I haven't read it I do believe it's probably a very interesting insight into one of the worlds greatest geniousses.
Soy means I Am in English so we'll go on: I Am, You Are, ... ok that's far enough. I googled You Are lyrics and came upon the Angels voice of Jasper Steverlinck, front singer of Arid, a Belgian rock band.
Founded halfway the nineties the band practiced a lot untill they decided to participate into Humo's rock rally in 1996 where they made in into the finals. Their first album followed a few years later and was called Little Things of Venom, to me still their best album actually. At the same time their album got released they started touring with Suede through America and K's Choice and Counting Crows in Europe.
A year later the lead singer would starr in a movie called Haunted Castle. Arid would also sign for the opening and closing credits.
Little Things of Venom would be followed by a second studio album All Is Quiet now in 2002 and with their superb live reputation a live album was supposed to follow without a doubt. After that all actually became quiet since the band wanted to take time off for a few personal projects. In this period Jasper scored a great hit with his solo project.
In 2008 the band picked up their activities again and from 2008 untill 2010 they'd release an album every year. On their last album they scored another hit called Broken Dancer.
Let's stay spanish since we already got there with Lana's family name. Del Rey = King so the Gipsy Kings were the obvious follow up.
The Gipsy Kings consist of members of two families. The family Reyes who take care of most of the vocals and tha family Galiardo which are just guitar players. Chicko Bouchikhi was also a founding member but he left in 1989.
Although singing in Spanish and bringing a mix of flamenco music with gipsy Romani influences they are actually all French natives. Their ancesters fled Andalucia during the Spanish civil war though in the 1930's. And I always though they were Mexican Americans or something. Big mistake.
In 1982 and 1983 they released their very first two albums but not with the biggest success but the self titled Gipsy Kings album from 1988 boomed their popularity especially with the number 1 hit Volare. Apart from Volare they scored also with songs such as Escucha Me and Bamboleo. And if you liked the Eagles a few posts earlier you definately have to check out their version of Hotel California. Sung in Spanish but with super fast paced flamneco guitars make it a special song. I believe it was used in the cultfiulm The Big Lebowski as well.
Apart from that film they also contributed to Toy Story 3.
Gipsy Kings released about 20 albums in almost 30 years and if you like Spanish flamenco rythms it's most certainly somthing to set yout mind on.
Dune is a video game I used to play so the link was quickly found. Either way it was hard to get out unless I wanted to post Somewhere Over The Rainbow; which I didn't want to actually.
Lana Del Rey is a singerI never heared of before and probably neither have you but why not give it a shot? Apparantly her real name is is Lizzy Grant and e few years back she recorded a song with producer David Kahne. It never became a succes. She re-launched her career under the name Lana Del Rey and she recorder a double A-sided single called Video Games / Blue Jeans. Both with retro fifties video clips.
She's being pictures as a poor trailer trash American girl who tries to live the big dream but her lip job shows otherwise. The marketing machine is rolling to unleash a new star .... or not? Who knows but here she comes:
Duin in Andre Van Duin's can be translated into English as 'dune' and so I came up with this German hardcoredance and rave act. DJ Oliver Froning is the musical brain while Dune never had the same lead singer for a longer period of time. Dune actually had 3 singers perform since it's first gig back in 1995. Verena Von Strenge (1995-1997 and 1999) was followed by Vanessa Hörster (1997-1999) and Tina Lacebal (2000-2003) was the final singer untill the band split up. Verena would achieve a solo carreer which never really took off a,d DJ Oliver from time to time still performs under the name off his old group at several retro house parties in Belgium, The Netherlands and Germany.
Dune releasd 8 albums in a six year timespan. This is quite normal for a dance act since they come and go on a regular base. The albums even include a live album which is seldom seen in the world of rave acts. I've got to know them from the song 'Are you ready to fly' but then I should always post the most known songs huh?
