Still waiting for the National

So now I've seen them live - The National.

Pity, really, because now I can no longer listen to their studio material. Not until they find a producer who can capture the energy, power and delicacy of the band.  And what's the deal with keeping Matt Berninger's phenomenal singing a secret?

Appart from being blown away I was impressed by the fact that they actually have two lead guitars (rather than one lead and one rhythm), and that they on one song, "Afraid of everyone" used two base guitars.

7 defining influences: #4 The stranger

This the is countdown of the seven most important influences or influencers that formed me and who I am today - when it comes to music.

I'm not sure if it was in 11th or 12th grade, but at some point we read Albert Camus' "The Stranger" in my literature class. I remember sitting in class (with favorite teacher Mrs Valdes) discussing various passages out of the book. At some point, it dawned on me that the song "Killing an arab" must be about the book.

I listened carefully to the song and discovered that the lyrics quite accurately describe the murder scene and Mersault's subsequent existential torments. Any uncertainty was resolved by the final words Robert Smith says (quietly): "I am Mersault".


I wrote a paper comparing Camus' writing technique to the song and was allowed to bring a tape with the song to class to include in my presentation.


Imagine the scene: 20 or so relatively serious students in a classroom (the typical multinational mix you would expect in an international school somewhere in Asia). I'm wearing white trousers and a light blue t-shirt with the Rossignol brand on my chest. Yes, I was very serious about my position as the European sports jock - not that I made any varsity teams (but then alpine skiing was one sport I at least could pretend that I would have been really good at...).


So, one minute I'm that guy, the next minute half the class is staring wide eyed at me, and Eric (I think his name was) exclaims "You listen to THIS type of music?!?".


And I realise, right then and there, that music was the platform I needed to build my personal brand. 


Yes, I listen to that type of music.


I don't think I ever wore that Rossignol t-shirt again.


Album version (with "I am Mersault" 2:07 into the song, listen very carefully), poor quality.



Single version

Previous defining influences or influencers:
7. First singles

6. In the car

5. The collective

Remaining defining influences or influencers:
3. DJ
2. Jerome
1. The tapes

7 defining influences: #5 The collective

This the is countdown of the seven most important influences or influencers that formed me and who I am today - when it comes to music.

I spent three or four of my university years living in a collective. The apartment housed three (and a half) students and when adventurous Hagar moved out E. and I decided to have a look att a tall bloke who had just moved into one of the dormitory's a few floors down.

The interview was a serious affair. Two issues needed to be resolved: was he interested in moving in, and what music did he listen to.

He answered "yes" on the first, and "pop" on the second.

We returned back to the apartment and discussed what to do. What exactly did he mean by pop? What if, I argued, he turned up with a bunch of Michael Jackson records, or maybe even Back Street Boys? Was it worth the risk? I'm not sure E. was equally concerned, I actually think he might have liked the idea of somebody normal getting on my nerves a bit...

I remember feeling very grown up when we decided to take him aboard despite not having mapped out his taste in music. I even think I thought to myself that I might learn something new, even if it did mean listening to Michael Jackson.

Turned out that M. was a perfect match. "Pop" equaled the Beatles, Pixies, Ride, Breeders, Eggstone - a bunch of stuff I was well acquainted with and a whole bunch of stuff that I needed to get acquainted to.

It also turned out that M. became quite an influence, teaching me to appreciate country and softer guitar pop than I was accustomed too. He was always prepared to challenge any of my beliefs, and always ready to test different projects. Like listening to Frank Sinatra on old vinyls for a whole weekend.

Or like the time Kravitz released "Are you gonna go my way?" This was the time before mp3's and unlimited access, and often record companies would release new singles to MTV and radio stations before they were available in record stores.

We both considered that track to be the best thing to happen R'n'R for ages, and after a long night on the town we came back to the apartment, put on MTV and decided to wait until they played the video. We waited a good 4 hours, watched Lenny's drummer with the big black glasses and went to bed without saying a word.

I'm convinced the years in the collective opened my ears to a lot of music I would otherwise have been deaf to. But I still categorize people according to music taste. There are friends, and then there are FRIENDS.

Previous defining influences or influencers:
7. First singles

6. In the car

Remaining defining influences or influencers:
4. The stranger
3. DJ
2. Jerome
1. The tapes

I'm really old

Rolling Stone's readers have voted their top 10 albums from the 90's. Check out the list here.

My first reaction was that I could have lived with 5 of these albums on the best ever list, but then again,  I had a lot of time to listen to music in the 90's.

OK Computer, Nevermind, Achtung Baby, Siamese Dream, What's the morning glory; in fact, all groups behind these albums par G'n'R (who I loved to hate) and Pearl Jam (no relationship) belong to my absolute favorites of all times.

Interesting that Smashing Pumpkins managed to get 2 albums onto to the list - overall I would consider Radiohead the bigger act but I guess it is a matter of debate if their best work came in the 90's or after.

The interesting thing is something completely different though. I was in a sushi bar the other day and heard music by Suede (where are they on the list?), Green Day and some other act from the 90's. I asked the guy behind the counter if he was in charge of the music and he said: "No, it's the radio channel Classic Rock!".

Classic Rock? CLASSIC rock? WTF?!?

I thought classic rock was Led Zeppelin et al. Good music, but OLD.

Apparently I'm old.

Tom is a clown

New single on youTube and album for d/l now!

Check out the new Radiohead single "Lotus Flower" here:



and go to www.thekingoflimbs.com/ to download the album.

Single reminds me of Thom Yorke's solo work. Amusing video, don't think I've ever seen Thom do the role of a dancing clown before.

Here here!

Radiohead just announced that they are releasing a new album - this weekend!

As if I wasn't already looking forward to the end of the week...

Three Radiohead favorites:

I wish I was Chris Isaac

Remember the video for Chris Isaac's "Wicked Game" (1989)? I know at least one 18 year old lad who gladly would have traded places with Chris Isaac at the time.

The band Fatboy seem to still be stuck on that train... Beautiful video, nice track.



For reference:

the Fly LIVE

Those of you who use Spotify can follow what I'm currently listening to here: On my mind - the Fly.

7 defining influences: #6 In the car

This the is countdown of the seven most important influences or influencers that formed me and who I am today - when it comes to music.

My father is the type who would listen to music in the car.

He played the trumpet as a young man and was, or rather is, into big band jazz. Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Armstrong - later Crosby and Sinatra were his house gods. My most vivid memories are from our car in Singapore, listening to "My way", "I get a kick out of you", "For once in my life" and "Yesterday".

I also remember assuming that Yesterday was a Sinatra song since Sinatra was my father's music and, hence, respectable. Obviously, the young boys that made up the Beatles must have borrowed that song from "real musician" Sinatra. My clearest memory of driving with my mother (in her small Renault 5) is with her hugging the wheel, loudly singing "Oh Carrol" by Neil Sedaka.

Incidentally, McCartney himself has said that he woke up after dreaming about "Yesterday", wondering who had written it.

Obviously, this music helped form me. But I think that something completely different played a much bigger role: the balancing act associated with wanting to hear music of my own choice, but not to irritate anyone enough to make them turn it off.

So, if I recorded tapes with various acts, I would choose songs good enough to please me, but "nice" enough to be allowed by the rest of the car's passengers. I think this effort layed the ground for my following career as a DJ, and also helped my develop a gut feeling about what will be a  hit and what will just be "good" music.

Or, it just laid a foundation for that irritating tendency I have of telling people what they should like.


Previous defining influences or influencers:
7. First singles

Remaining defining influences or influencers:
5. The collective
4. The stranger
3. DJ
2. Jerome
1. The tapes

Is this it?

The Strokes have a new album up for release shortly and their new single "Under Cover of Darkness" can be downloaded from their home page!

I guess it's OK. The reviews so far have been quite favorable, but I'm not convinced the Strokes are anywhere near the level they were on in 2001. I must confess, though, that this single makes me look forward to the release of the full album in the end of March.

The end.

According to http://www.whitestripes.com/ the White Stripes have split up.

I love the band, but still feel good about them splitting up. Is there anything worse than bands that just go on and on even though they have nothing more to say? And isn't it a pitty when their legacy is diluted due to years and years of poor performance?

The one time I saw the White Stripes is a top-7 live experience, I'll get get back to that in a later post.

Two favorites:

7 defining influences: #7 First Singles

This is a countdown of the seven most important indluences or influencers that formed me and who I am today - when it comes to music.

(Sorry, no child abuse, no early (feeble) sexual escapades. I prepared a google search if you can't handle the dissapointment: click here.)

The first time I went out on the town with money on my pocket, and with the intent to buy music, I was 13 years old and it was the summer of 1984. I bought Depeche Mode's "People are people" and The Police's "Every breath you take" (I still have them both) in a small record store in down town Luxembourg.

I remember being very interested in music. I pestered my parents for a walkman for ages untill I finally got one, a huge red Sanyo. Not exactly what I had hoped for but at least I was a part of the movement. But I don't remember being a fan of any one group or singer, and I doubt I actually went out intent on buying exactly those two singles.

The choice of singles may partly have been completely coincidental. But I just googled the hits of 1984 and came up with this - it seems the popular music scene was dominated by acts like Prince, Phil Collins, Tina Turner and Lionel Richie. Maybe the two singles had just been released and I chose Depeche and the Police simply because they were on display at the counter...

Nevertheless, I think these two singles became important extensions of my "self", and were hence important in helping me define who I was. The fact that both tracks have relatively well written lyrics with one political (philosophical?) theme and one psychological theme may just be the reason why I since an early age have preferred music with at least some form of message and some evidence of writing skills.

Or maybe they explain why I never get into fights and why I, in my early university years, fell head over heels in love with various girls and stalked them.

Remaining defining influences or influencers:
6. In the car
5. The collective
4. The stranger
3. DJ
2. Jerome
1. The tapes

I'm so excited!

It seems that the Raveonettes are really excited about their up-coming album...

Here's a favorite from their 2002 debut, Whip it on:



I incidently remember ordering that album unheard, based only on a review in Q comparing them to Jesus and the Mary Chain among others.

Not a good Friday

Checking in for something to liven up your Friday afternoon? Sorry.

In fact, it gets worse.

Not only is this post about music you might consider, at earliest, Sunday while you prepare brunch and wait for your brain to click into action again.

It is a post about an act I read about in my local paper... Wow, I'm really on top of the music scene.

So, what isn't all the excitement about? I give you one part Bon Iver and one part Elliot Smith: Iron and Wine.






Spotify link.

PJ kills

This latest release from PJ's upcoming album is difficult - but then Polly Jean has always been a bit difficult.

In fact, that might very well be why she still is interesting.

Kill me

This is the new singel from the Kills' upcoming album "Blood Pressures".