never you mind I'll sift through the piles

When you have friends staying over and they know your music. Priceless.



4AD Session. Shot at Shangri-La Studios in the heart of the Brooklyn film and photography district in Greenpoint, the session was recorded with Annie's new band, Daniel Mintseris (keys), Toko Yasuda (moog) and Matthew Johnson (drums). via 4AD

turn off the TV, wait in bed
blue and red
somethin' to get along (...)
 
dress the undressing for the wall
if mother calls
she knows well we don't get along

I tell the mailman, "Never you mind
I'll sift through the piles"
for him to just get along 

where we're going to, you can't bring all your worth

A bizarrely sunny day ended with the most spectacular live music vibes that appear in the universe most probably once every four years. Also, I had a smoothie. And great people by my side. We're gold that's as bright as hell's own flame.



Please meet the director of the video Kendy Ty.

remember when no one danced the same
we all had a voice
we had a name
we're gold that's as bright as hell's own flame
forgive me, for I have lost my way (...)

oh raise me up, oh raise me from the dirt
each second is a high point of concern
where we're going to, you can't bring all your worth

new frontiers | new elements

I saw new frontiers – on the edge between what I knew and what I didn’t know – that I had long wanted to explore: creation myths, the periodic table, Euclid's geometry, Kandinsky’s writings, the matter of sound, and of colour, the stems of wild grass in a meadow, the shapes of the landscape. For months I wandered in a seemingly chaotic mix of images, thoughts and feelings. Then, gradually, everything came together in a dance, as if all the elements were parts of the same world, and myself within it. Ludovico Einaudi

something different | something new

New perspective. Movie. Good talks. Good people. City. Walk. Tuning into my days off. Abundance. New music. New visions. Clock Opera's new album. November at its best.



"To coincide with the release, the band are also sharing a set of short, beautifully-shot, documentaries that offer a behind-the-scenes view in to their world as they craft what will become the new album." via Gold Flake Paint

on the search for female emcees

This summer could not have been better. My itinerary for the upcoming autumn has been updated and so has the concert calendar. Bliss. And gratefulness. Kudos to Akua Naru. KUDOS. I am listening.



And how much I wish to know the behind-the-scenes of the video and give credits to its creators as I usually do. For more about the song itself, please click here. The song was produced by JR & PH7.

this is for latifah, for lyte, for shante, bahamadia, lauryn hill, heather b, for jean grae, eve, nikki d, salt n pepa, even me, apani b, for missy, for kim & foxy...this is for, rah digga, rage, left eye, for yo yo, paula perry, nonchalant, da brat, for jane doe, rage, mystic, boss, sparky d, for those never seen, on the search for female emcees, the microphone fiends

let the river | wash my soul

Cerys Matthews took as always good care of Sunday vibes and today doubled them by broadcasting live from Womad festival. Now, that's a line-up! All that reminded me that I need to update my concert plans for the upcoming weeks. For now I will let Naomi and Lisa-Kaindé, sisters from Ibeyi, haunt all my senses with this video. Let the river...



The video was directed by Ed Morris.

 
I will come to you river, wash my soul,
I will come to you river, wash my soul again.

Carry away my dead leaves (...)
Let the river take them, river drown them (...)

listen to the music you like

The biking season started and ended in a concert mood. Just behind the corner. With the soundtrack of Veronica Falls.



The video was directed by Nicola Probert.

driving late at night... I'll let you listen to the music you like 

after all this wandering

Feels good to be back. Revisiting dear and known places. Finding again the key to the city. Refreshing and sharp, it was such a nice surprise that you turned up.




great to be so small
great to be home after all this wandering

traffic lights

The superb sound of Friday night: Soweto Kinch, Karl Rasheed-Abel & Shaney Forbes.



"At a junction they stop talking all at once, and the silence sticks for a while, as if someone spat it at the windscreen and they're watching it slide down." Z. Smith The Autograph Man

all the people | blurred

Getting up when you want... Now back from the holiday wonderland reality. Luckily there are good people back here. And good people back there. Blurred from the excitement. Still.



Please meet the director of the video Pedro Romhanyi.

I get up when I want except on Wednesdays
when I get rudely awakened by the dustmen
I put my trousers on, have a cup of tea
and I think about leaving the house

I feed the pigeons I sometimes feed the sparrows too
it gives me a sense of enormous well-being
and then I'm happy for the rest of the day safe in the knowledge
there will always be a bit of my heart devoted to it

the ability of sharing the light

The Queen of generosity and good vibes couldn't be a better way of closing this day.

When you are gifted with voice or ability of playing an instrument that can speak to people, you gotta be able to share. It's about generosity. It's not up to you to keep it.

The song always speak to people because where it comes from is the place of light that doesn't belong to you, that we can't sell, you can't predict, we don't know when it's gonna come (...)

ANGELIQUE KIDJO WITH MANCHESTER WORLD VOICES CHOIR from Band on the Wall on Vimeo.


Please see other videos by Band on the Wall here. See also more project by The Space. To learn more about We Face Forward please click here.

strawberry gin

Speaking of rum... how about strawberry gin? There is this lovely cocktail booklet from Café de Abejas... Good. Drinks. Good. Songs.



... soul wrapped in steel
you never can feel;
the less you conceal,
the less you reveal;
the winds in your rigging
are desolate, lonely and few. 

yellow vibes

Ebo Taylor in the Flow line-up. Waiting for that with a huge smile on my face. Content.

morning blend

March is a bit of a torture when one needs to wait so long till April. But then again, the reward is a good one: José James at April Jazz. Good. Blend. Good. Morning.

writers, writers | concerts, concerts

Dealing with too many gigs? Never. Some you are simply attentively listening in spirit.



Art direction and motion credits go to: Nórr.

got on fire

When a song starts to grow within you and captures you in an unseen way: yesterday I witnessed the most mesmerising performance in months. Unlocked. Started.



The video was directed by Julia Marcell and Iwona Bielecka. 

start the car and lock the door

saturday special

Saturday morning special. Good day to all. For more treasures from Wax Poetics click here.

under their reign

The best things are those unexpected. And when I think about all the concerts of this year, the most memorable, with the smallest yet the most devoted audience, in the coldest yet the cosiest venue and a good friend by my side paying an unexpected visit, was the one of Café de Abejas: a band to watch in 2013. Witty and sharp. Let's be faithful to them, in a real way. 



The video was directed by Laura Reunanen and Juha Reunanen.

do not resort to stronger wine, my love
under my reign superbly you shall bloom (...)
the orbits do their dance, and here we are
the music stops, the dawn is gray again
insufferably close
insufferably far
i never was so hungry for the pain
(...) so marry and make merry as you please
be faithful in your fashion, your design

dreaming of june

So speaking of good concert vibes: Big Wave Riders are truly a pure joy to watch on stage.



The video was directed by Teppo Meriläinen of the band.

dreaming of june
(...) take all the pent up shame
(...) blend in

hazy flow | delay trees

The Emma Gaala Nominations (Finnish music industry awards) were announced some weeks ago and I was pleased to see the work of Sami Korhonen for the best artwork. Combined with the hazy flow of Delay Trees' guitars and vocals, it's a perfect way to tame this winter. It was also good to see the band live last week playing together with their Soliti colleagues Big Wave Riders. Good. Vibes.

Please meet the director of the video Sami Korhonen and see more works of cAPS LOCK HELSINKI.                                         there’s no one strong enough to break my heart