The Happy Gentleman

Gloomy Sunday

Kevin Blechdom put up an interesting remake of the Song to the Siren (originally by Tim Buckley). I'm always interested in songs that are frequently and successfully remade. How a single song can take on many lives, each version unique. One of my favorite frequently remade songs that I have collected many versions of is 'Gloomy Sunday'. Here are a few versions that I like... 

Merzbow & 13 Birds

 

 

I still remember the very first Merzbow album that I stumbled upon in a little hole in the wall record store. Somebody said it was noise and I thought, "that's for me!" Despite the confusion that set in when I actually got home for my first listen, I was lured back again and again and on to other works... The prolific artist became a gateway for me to Kurt Schwitters and onward through Duchamp interviews and academic tomes on dada--one of the first breadcrumbs on a trail that would lead me through the forest of my constructed reality. 

I admit I've followed Merzbow more sporadically after his box of 500 discs was released and he moved into the digital realm. Perhaps the overwhelming volume of work left me hopeless, maybe even pessimistic at times. In the last year or so I've picked up Merzbird and Merzbuddha, a handful of others. Now I'm confronted with the massive 13 Japanese Birds project, listening to sample tracks, I'm again amazed at the transformation in his sound and his ability to relentlessly produce more and more work. 

Check out 13 Japanese Birds. Here's a link to some audio files and if you want to buy me the box set, well then be my guest!

Ten Albums I've Been Listening To Lately...

Here are ten albums that I've been listening to a lot lately...in no particular order.

 

1) Mika Vainio & Lucio Capece - Trahnie 

(experimental sax meets finnish minimalist electronics -- great writing music)

2) Anna Domino - Self-Titled (80's indie at its best)

3) Morrissey - Years of Refusal 

(I love to sing along with Morrissey albums on those wretched commutes)  

4) Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir - Litany to Thunder

(More great writing music with a dark and mystical aura)

5) Kevin Blechdom - Gentlemania

6) Jape - Self-titled (great lyricist)   

7) Bettina Koester - Queen of Noise (Soulful and melodic treats from Malaria! veteran)

8) Lykke Li - Youth Novels

9) PJ Harvey - White Chalk

10) Zola Jesus - Stridulum     

Hyungkoo Lee

Hyungkoo Lee is just one of many, many talented South Korean artists that I admire. This image comes from a series of interesting images created with invented "medical inspired" braces. They remind me the fantastical "pseudo-science" of French sci-fi like Jeunet & Caro's Le Cite Des Enfants Perdus

and Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys

which itself was adapted from the French film La Jetee.