Twittering Machines

But where (and with whom) you drink it is important.

Crime + the City Solution
Room of Lights

1980′s Berlin. Another music-in-film connection, this time Wim Wenders’ achingly beautiful Wings of Desire. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds & Crime + the City Solution are featured as themselves in the ‘club scene’. While Nick arguably stole the show (and continues to do so), I really love this record (nostalgia?) which is their first LP, released in ’86. Simon Bonney – vocals, Mick Harvey and Rowland S. Howard – guitar (both x-Birthday Party players and Mick is a current Bad Seed), Harry Howard – bass, Epic Soundtracks (great name!) – drums and featuring Simon Bonney’s girl Bronwyn Adams on violin.

I saw them back in ’86 (or so) at Maxwell’s in Hoboken and was one of a few people there for an amazing show.

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try fittin’ all that goodness into one of them fancy-ass ‘jewel’ cases

MiniGods: Mexico

The newest MiniGod takes his inspiration from Quetzalcoatl the feathered Aztec sky and creator God. Standing 17″ and featuring an AC adaptor, Mexico may be the meanest “Giver Of Divine Sound” from Marka27 yet.

Bauhaus
Bela Lugosi’s Dead

Sometimes music in movies just gel. Once you see the film, that tune or soundtrack will invariably bring back a scene, a moment a memory. In the case of Bauhaus’ Bela Lugosi’s Dead, I will never be able to hear this song, or any Bauhaus song, without thinking of The Hunger. Sometimes this kind of connection is annoying but in this case it’s wickedly wonderful. A great 45 12″ single and a great flick.

If you haven’t seen this, see it. Has to be watched late at night ’cause it’s spooky (and there’s a piano)

Bela is also one of the coolest picture disks around

Jaki Byard
Freedom Together!

Jaki Byard described this album as “chamber music, jazz, and pop” including “attempts to produce electronic music.” From 1966, Jaki plays piano, tenor sax, electric piano, celeste, vibes and drums and is joined by Richard Davis on bass and cello, Alan Dawson drums, vibes and tympani and Jr. Parker on vocals and lagerphone. Byard began his musical career as a trumpeter, moved to trombone, then tenor sax and finally piano and stylistically he’s equally restless moving from stride to swing to ragtime to blues to jazz while touching on contemporary classical modes. Sometimes all in the same solo.

This LP is a smorgasbord of Jaki’s wackiness filled with wild sounds and it’s pure fun albeit with an overall grayness like a rainy fall day. “Getting to Know You” with Jr. Parker’s soulful singing against Davis’ bowed cello, Byard’s flourishes and Alan Dawson dancing lightly on cymbals is a taste of syrupy sweet goodness.