Mystery Jets你與我的精選

英倫樂團Mystery Jets新碟【Radlands】基本上首首好聽,有一貫的懷舊及的好玩外,亦有那份像回到brit pop 時期的樂團的氣質。當然,最新單曲《Greatest Hits》便係其中一首我聽得十分高興的作品,老土其實唔一定要用最老土手法玩,呢首歌就既老土又玩味又有廿一世紀guitar pop 的味道。內容就其實有d 似The Divine Comedy的《Indie Disco》,一樣好玩。

Mystery Jets Greatest Hits

You can take ‘The Lexicon of Love’ away but I’m keeping Remain in Light’
You can take away ‘It’s a Shame About Ray’ but I’m holding on to ‘Country
Life’ (Ohhh)
You can keep ‘No Need to Argue’ and I’ll keep ‘The Aeroplane Over the Sea’
But hold on to ‘The Boy with the Arab Strap’ cos I’m holding on to ‘Village
Green’

I don’t know if the knot just needs untangling cos the tapes get stuck all
The time
Either way I’m keeping ‘Double Nickles on the Dime’

These were our greatest hits (Shalalalalalalala Shalalalala)
The best of me and you(Shalalalalalalala Shalalalala)
These were our greatest hits (Shalalalalalalala Shalalalala)
The best of me and you
I still remember buying you ‘Band on the Run’ on the first day that we
Kissed
But you always did prefer ‘McCartney I’ because it reminded you of being a
Kid
No way your having ‘This Nation’s Saving Grace’ you only listen to it when
Your pissed
But when you sober up it’s always “Why the fuck are you still listening to
Mark E. Smith?”

I don’t know if the knot just needs untangling or if we forgot which way’s
Up and which way is down
But still the tape keeps going round and round

These were our greatest hits (Shalalalalalala lalalalala)
The best of me and you (Shalalalalalala Shalalalala)
The best of me and you
Of me and you

Still the tape keeps going round and round.
The tape keeps going round [repeat til the end]

These were our greatest hits (Shalalalalalalala Shalalalala)
The best of me and you (Shalalalalalalala Shalalalala)
Our Desert Island Discs (Shalalalalalalala Shalalalala)
The best of me and you (Shalalalalalalala Shalalalala)


又一必撈電視汁The Fades萬千元素在一身

都是那句,自從會認真地看電視劇後,便明白電視劇也如電影一樣,美式製作總跌入formula及某些大環境因素影響,要比創意,真的比英劇輸蝕很多。英劇從來都有自己一套的Offbeat英式幽默,那種幽默從來都是英國人獨有的,那些簡單的嘴臉,全部都是在timing及對白方面各方配合的。講到尾,其實又想說最近一套【The Fades】。

The Fades 是以針對年輕觀眾的BBC3的產品,台齡還輕的BBC3之前的出色作品就有Little Britain,Gavin & Stacey
, Being Human,Him and Her及How Not to Live Your Life等等。繼Being Human後,The Fades再次是一套有關神鬼嘗試把傳統神鬼故事再以廿一世紀年輕人角度包裝,怎知結果是哇!我相信The Fades等全個series 1播放完畢後再在網絡世界circulate一陣後,會成為像Being Human一樣另一套international hit。

The Fades是一部集青春劇、科幻、恐怖劇、喜劇、懸疑、神鬼paranormal、殭屍⋯⋯⋯⋯等等元素集一身的犀利電視劇。故事講述一個geek(香港稱的宅男、電車男)的十七歲John是在學校不起眼、被欺凌的男生。不過同時佢又不斷發奇怪的惡夢並會驚到夜晚瀨尿,成為家姐笑柄,同時並能看見鬼魂。起初看似還不是另一套講鬼怪電視劇?對,頭一集確實是令人感到不少顧慮及不肯定的。但我敢說,電視劇一集比一集精彩,故事的野心及膽量一集比一集犀利,很多twsists的同時不是那種讓人覺得為扭而扭的橋,你只會一直感到整個劇本是十分聰明且是真正的being gutsy, reflective, thoughtful and creative。

很多時鬼怪片都會跌入一個trap,就係跌入左果種對抗邪魔的二元關係。當然,近代的鬼怪zombies種類己經明白呢個缺點,所以很多時都會令到角色更活生生,更多人性及角色的陰暗面。但係The Fades就更加將呢個層面鑽入更深的程度,利用角色年輕青春期的設定,將佢的思想行為放落整個故事的發展,令到故事能夠唔係理所當然地進行。當然,點解好睇?同時係因為當中的喜劇元素依然好強,一路緊張之餘一路又有offbeat幽默令你笑,其中第五集的一幕尤其笑死人︰

「My Boyfriend’s dead and you’re a library monitor」

我真係笑翻了。

當然,曽為SKins及This is England 電視版的編劇Jack Thorne應記一功。而喜歡Skins或Misfits 的亦一定要睇,如果Misfits係Skins x Heroes,咁The Fades就直頭係The Skins x the Walking Dead x Misfits x Heroes,哈哈!仲有Skins的演員,第一季飾Chris的Daniela Nardini及黑人笑匠Daniel Kaluuya與及第二季的Naomi Lily Loveless(應該係stage name 掛)擔演。

講多無謂,下星期The Fades第一季就完,好緊張!我敢說,上年電視劇係Sherlock一鳴驚人,今年到The Fades了(今年有另一套好好笑的喜劇,遲下講)。(同時睇完The Waling Dead的第二輯首集,well,真係越來越平庸了,喜歡The Walking Dead的,試下The Fades)

閱讀更多
Have you been watching … The Fades?

From The Fades to Misfits – is youth drama leading the way?


Art Brut︰每個人都間唔中想變sexy

arrbturt

我真的由Art Brut 2005推出首張專輯【Bang Bang Rock & Roll】時已經知道我同呢隊band 一定有好好發展機會。確實,當年首張專輯風頭火勢係威係馬,到慢慢已經不是音樂雜誌的寵兒,我仍然係一張又一張聽,然後一張又一張咁喜歡。聽Art Brut永遠有著說不出的樂趣,他們有的是punk rock的 骨子,卻有簡單直接的美學,又有種無厘頭的幽默搞鬼,最後就是由主音Eddie Argos 那種古怪唱法及英國口音來吐出的靈魂。

不經不覺已經來到他們第四張專輯【Brilliant!Tragedy!】。單從Pixeis Frontman Frank Black作producer已經叫人嘩左一聲。再聽,係,聽,因為已經網上流出了!哇,真係唔同了,呢張真係唔係講笑有少少The Pixies的一些鬼影,結他riff密了,樂器的層次多了(尤其呢點最有The Pixies味道)唱法亦稍稍收歛了。關於唱,Eddie Argos 咁樣講︰

so Black Francis had time to teach me how to sing. I’m very proud that I sing on it. Only took four albums to start singing, not bad.”

哈哈。其實Frank Black在當年Pixies唱法亦一樣是隨意派了

這次的主題是︰
“This time the album is more about how I think I’m psychic, songs for my funeral, the principality of Sealand and Axl Rose. Weightier topics I think. I’m also sexier now”。

Explaining the record’s themes, Eddie Argos continued: “Bang Bang Rock & Roll did what it said on the tin. It’s A Bit Complicated was a bit complicated. On Art Brut vs. Satan we had to fight Satan. This one follows the same pattern, it is a ‘brilliant, tragic’, record. If it was a TV show you’d define it as a dramedy.”

哈哈,真係吹佢唔漲。呢張專輯歌詞依然生活依然搞笑。例如《Sexy》一曲便昃講︰「Everyone wants to feel sexy sometimes」。又例如Axi Rose便是給Gun’N’Rose的Axi Rose的歌。不過咁,大家不如先聽有免費下載的《Unprofessional Wrestling》先啦。


呀下呀呀下,倫敦

倫敦從來都是我又愛又恨的城市。愛在其文化的豐富及複雜,它的文化建基於文化間的衝突及不協調,倫敦人的愛辯不妥協性格又是使這些衝突能成立的地方。這些都是使英國或是倫敦的文化層面可以那麼有趣罷。恨在於其過份繁忙缺乏應有的人情味吧。我三年沒來倫敦,這次第三度短暫停留讓我的腦海真的變了海洋一樣在蕩漾,很複雜,那裏流這裡衝向哪裏走。

上一次來倫敦是跟爸媽及大家姐來。短短不足四年發覺倫敦已改變不少,尤其是Piccadilly Circus,大型HMV 及Virgin原來已消失了。確實,人都消失了,我不禁在回憶倒帶,那些地方我們幹過什麼那個地方我們怎樣走過。人還不過是城市的一部份,人會幻滅城市難以幻滅。我們的回憶黏在城市上,不如說城市是沿著我們的生命線地在四方百面地發展成長活著的罷。

在倫敦短留根本看不到什麼,看到一大群人在Oxford Street跑呀跑,其實很有趣,就像在香港Nathen Road 旺角一段跑一樣,那種對抗街道本身角色的含義很強。看得我不禁咧起嘴笑。

回到奧斯陸心情又是不一樣,變幻原是永恒嗎,我不覺得變幻原是永恒,永恒的就只有永恒這詞語,變幻是人生,像馬路紅綠燈一樣,你久不久便要碰上一個吧。我站在這個馬路口,我想到的是這個世界原本就是用來作破壞的,建立,deconstruct,或是collapse,或是重組,這些都是這世界,或者是我自己不斷經歷過程。

有些東西是沿著路軌走的,不過不知為什麼這個站要提早到達。我不知道提早發出訊號的意義何在,我邊廂就只有感到悲傷。就像是海,大海是變幻的始源,我討厭水,這是Erlend Loe教我的。我討厭水。保持,保持的就只有俗套路軌上的過程罷了。我討厭水。這個世界的磁場總讓水在翻在倒,可以讓它安靜一點嗎?我不明白。剛剛手上的水才平靜過來,為何又要那麼快迫我倒瀉?可知道我的手是這麼震。


免費下載我喜歡我住的地方

ilikewhereilive

其實如果一個人能夠「我喜歡我住的地方」,是種福份,至少我一直還未能很堅定地大叫「I like where I live」。來自蘇格蘭的樂團便以「I like where I live」作樂團名字,透過Slow Receiver Records送上【Coordinates EP】作免費下載。

首曲便是《Hello Glasgow》,是,Hello 蘇格蘭,Hello I like where I live。在童真可愛的插畫背後,是混合了Grandaddy、stars等樂團氣息的音樂,透一口氣的小品。

下載地址


地鐵車廂變工作室

london_studio

名為「Village Underground」,是倫敦Shoreditch裏的一座磚建的樓房變為一個展覽空間,以二百磅買入四個地鐵車廂作Artists的Studio的地方。還未知道究竟駐守的Artists的作品是怎樣,但單看外表已經很吸引,下次去倫敦又有新地點要遊覽了。

來源︰Inhabitat


今時今日的專輯


這幾天都在不斷在聽David Byrne and Brian Eno相隔【My Life in the Bush of Ghosts】接近廿多載再次合作的【Everything That Happens Will Happen Today】一碟。Brian Eno貴為20世紀裏最重要的音樂人的座上客,年屆六十的他當然仍然能交出一張不會令人失望的專輯,由The Roxy Music到Talking Heads或是由「搖滾」的Brian Eno到「實際/環境」的Brian Eno,都不曾讓人失望過。

以前合作的一碟玩實驗,這張專輯則主調玩民謠與Gospel,首首都以人聲作主導,混雜豐富的音樂元素有時像聽David Sylvian有時似The Beach Boys,當然你都一定聽到Talking Heads的丁點味道。再細看Davyd Byrne的歌詞,原本我是打算送上【Strange Overtones】的一曲,但最後打算改送《MY BIG NURSE 》或《LIFE IS LONG》,因為David Byrne的歌詞,像前者寫混沌的現世

「When the past becomes the now
When the lost becomes the found
When we fall in love with war
When the angel fucks the whore 」

或是後者寫生命的艱澀

「Soul to soul- A kiss and a sigh
Sawed in half- by the passage of time
Halfway home- from a window you see
Chains and bars- but I am still free 」

都是美麗的詩詞。

官網
還有仔細的專輯介紹與背景,2008年絕對難得的專輯。

Life Is Long – David Byrne and Brian Eno

LIFE IS LONG

Ev’rybody says that the living is easy
I can barely see ‘cause my head’s in the way
Tigers walk behind me- they are to remind me that
I’m lost- but I’m not afraid

Soul to soul- A kiss and a sigh
Sawed in half- by the passage of time
Halfway home- from a window you see
Chains and bars- but I am still free

People on the outside- I remember sweet times
This old rose- is always in bloom
Ev’ryone is happy- to be a baby daddy
Stone love- with nothing to lose

Life is long- if you give it way
So stay, don’t go- ‘cause I’m fading away
Soul to soul- between you and me
Chain me down- but I am still free

Now I can say- those three little words
And ev’ry day- I’m dreaming a world
Soul to soul- a kiss and a sigh
Holding back- the waters outside.

Life is long- if you give it way
So stay, don’t go- ‘cause I’m fading away
Soul to soul- between you and me
Chain me down- but I am still free