Iranian Psychedelic by Adam Kvasnica on Mixcloud
Many thanks to Adam Kvasnica, who always puts up a unique and amazing show!
Music
[Video] Nurse With Wound – (I Don’t Want To Have) Easy Listening Nightmares
Who would? Nurse With Wound in fine form, showcasing a cut from the legendary ‘Alice The Goon’ EP.
[Video] Valentina Ambrosanio – Notturno n° 1 op. 9 (F. Chopin)
There is much good in Italy in terms of music, especially in the South, which tends to hide its prizes a bit better than in the better-publicized North of the country. Some years ago, I had the joy of traveling to Naples, where I made the acquaintance of pianist Valentina Ambrosanio. In a city which breathes romance, a wild beauty, music and poetry of every shade imaginable, Valentina’s ability, warmth and charm stood out above the crowd.
She is quite comfortable interpreting masters such as Frydryk Chopin (as you can see in the video below) and Johannes Brahms, but has no fear of exploring modern compositions.
Ambrosanio will be working on recording an album sometime this year. She will be worth looking out for in the future.
[Group] Obscure Music
I’m going to start doing a better job publicizing things I’m enjoying these days. Here’s a starter for those of you who are using Facebook. Obscure Music is a group dedicated to some great older tunes that didn’t get much play in the 1980s or so.
The Dead Russian Composer Personality Test
Yes, such a thing exists, thanks to the wonders of the Internet. While digging through old links, I came across this gem, and decided to test myself. The result?:
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If I were a Dead Russian Composer, I would be Sergei Prokofyev. I was born in the late 19th century and was a child prodigy, composing at a very young age. I kept this talent up, earning myself quite a name and fully exploiting the bragging rights. I was disliked by Stalin, however, and I died the same day he did. My most famous work is “Peter and the Wolf.” Who would you be? Dead Russian Composer Personality Test |
Not bad!
Reg Presley, British rock singer of ‘Wild Thing,’ dies
Sad news. Former Troggs singer Reg Presley has passed away after suffering with cancer for a year. He was 71. The video shows Presley in his prime, singing “A Girl Like You,” which would be wonderfully covered by the late Alex Chilton some years later.
[Review] Kirill M – Nepostizhimaya Bisota (Unfathomable Height) [Кирилл М – Непостижимая Высота]
Kirill M is a Russian composer who uses an accordion to make some rather hazy sound-scapes. His work follows in the tradition of fellow Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina, whose works for bayan strike a similar chord with me, and Pauline Oliveros, the American composer who seems to be Kirill’s lost soul mate.
The first track, Unfathomable, is a cloudy affair, droning listlessly in a way that would fit as part of a soundtrack to an Andrei Tarkovsky movie. Height is more claustrophobic in feel. The sound envelops you in a crushing, yet relatively pleasant, sort of way.
I’m looking forward to hearing more from this man.
You can find out more about Kirill M from his website, Bandcamp site, and at Petroglyph Music, the Norwegian net-label hosting his work.
[Video] Across the Fields & Liturgy of Confrontation – Across the Fields
I don’t normally have much of a chance to check out what is going on in the Apocalyptic Folk scene. A friend on a Facebook page suggested that I listen to this, and I was rather impressed by it. If you’re a fan of Death in June or similar bands, this may be something of interest to you.
Read more on Across The Fields and Liturgy of Confrontation at their respective Facebook pages.
A Miscellany Of Tasteful Music/Art/Film/Lit
This is where the blog will be sharing music posts and articles which will be up for discussion.
Fans rally round Durutti Column star Vini Reilly
Durutti Column singer and guitarist Vini Reilly had a series of strokes during the past few months which left him unable to pay rent on his flat. His fans came to the rescue to help him pay off his bills, which left Vini ‘ecstatic’. For more on the story, read the BBC article here.
