British Music of the Aughts.

Since the turn of the latest century into the 00s there have been many a great group of talented musicians making good creative postnewpunkwaverock, especially British ones. First The Clash's sound started to evolve with Sandinista! but there were many more where they came from.

During my older brother's teenage years, I could hear music blasting out of his locked room (couldn't turn it down, even if he wasn't home). It took me ten-odd years to appreciate his love of record stores and open my ears to more than the gangsta rap that was so popular in MY teenage years. When I did, I remembered the sounds I had heard when I could barely recognize them: Siouxsee Sioux and her crew, Robert Smith with his new band, Ians both McCullough and Curtis and their respective groups, Jesus and Mary Chain, while Costello also and the wave he'd made. All these seem to center around English Radio DJ John Peel whose studio sessions promoted many of these acts when airplay was much more relevant to launching music careers.

In the early "double-zeroes"I was in Wisconsin serving a spanish-speaking LDS mission and although I did occasionally hear popular music, I wasn't able to soak it up like I love to do. Or if I did, it was mostly ranchera music booming out of camillonetas or trocas on the calle (that too holds a special place in my heart.)

When I returned home in May 2003, I was blown away with the resurgence of good rock music coming from across the pond in what the many called the post-punk revival. I had never made the connection, but it was much like the music I heard as a boy mixed with the creative juices flowing from all directions in the beginning of this new millennia.

While britpop pioneer Damon Albarn worked on his projects, brilliant acts like Bloc Party shared a new look at this great era of rock, citing the Cure as a major influence. My favorite of these bands just arriving on the british music scene has to be those chimps from the north, the Arctic Monkeys. They burst forth as the internet era of music brought them to more people quicker than ever before. After seeing them last monday and their new "interestingly-titled" album coming out today in the states, I am convinced that their brand of rock revives only the best in the british music of the yesteryear.

P.S. Figuring out my new handy little handheld handrecorder, I recorded a few live tracks from the in the venue show. Among other great songs I was too tired to hold my H2 up for were: Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair from the new LP, the classic If You Were There, Beware, Humbug's Potion Approaching, my favorite When the Sun Goes Down, Then when the picks and bottles of water were thrown into the audience and my friend was yelling something I couldn't quite make out, they played She's Thunderstorms also new, and crowd pleaser Fluorescent Adolescent.

It's not world music, it's just music.

After listening heartily to Mali Music with my brothers in 2002, being exposed to Fela Kuti in 2006 by my dear friend Whit and reintroduced with the relatively new broadway show, and most recently turned to Tinariwen from my bud JDR, I have grown to love the traditional music of Africa and the spin new artists from the motherland put on American's take on the music they created in the first place. Full Circle.

From the dolcet tones of Ladysmith Black Mambazo to the funloving riffs of Vieux Farka Toure one can spend a lifetime exploring the myriad genres in Mama Africa. Move over Stanley, Burton and Livingstone, there is much more to discover here. L'Afrique, your contributions to music are endless.

P.S. Best part of my night? Toure family came out to dance on stage.
P.P.S. The Secret just came out tuesday, check it out.

Information overload

I love to learn about pretty much everything. When new things are introduced to me, it is like a drug. I must have new music/art/film/food and like Veloso's vagabond heart, mine "wants to hold the world in me."  I find the history of everything from Theremin festivals to Rock Paper Scissor Championships all tremendously interesting.  Why just this last week I saw french pop on wednesday, goslings and ducklings at work on thursday, found a new natural cherry energy drink on friday and wanna hear the words of the prophet (Q'uran) complete with a reciter? there's an app for that.  When I encounter these types of things I tend to explode into nonstopsharing mode, as my friends and wellwishers know well (Moe: I'm a wellwisher, in that I don't wish you any specific harm). When I am attempting to be clever and tell my story with tongue-in-cheek (it's hereditary, makes it hard to chew) please understand this is my way. Either laugh at me or with me. Either way it gives me much joy to see your smiling face.