Joe Frank Podcast - never dull

"Joe Frank is by far the most brilliant comic in America... [He] has created a series of dead-pan radio monologues so sharp and intelligent that during the quiet bits you can almost hear God taking notes." -- The Guardian (UK)

"[Joe Frank] travels in the emotional landscape of Bergman and Fellini; there's a tension and sense of mystery halfway between Kafka and Chandler, plot twists worthy of Rod Serling, and a satiric edge worthy of Firesign Theatre and Woody Allen." -- The Washington Post

"The world of Joe Frank is a wildly entertaining surrealistic universe...hilarious, unsettling, zany, powerful, moving and perhaps the most unique, inventive and effective use of radio since Orson Welles convinced much of America that there was a "War of the Worlds." -- The L.A. Weekly

Go here for podcast information. F.A.Q
Or, enter this URL as a "New Feed" in your podcast software:
http://www.joefrank.com/cast/JoeFrank.xml

Martinibomb & Coconut Monkeyrocket

I can't believe I haven't posted this before! This is a split EP released for free (link) on Comfort Stand Records.

From the exotic Northeast sands of Portland, Oregon, two brothers (Eric and Ryan) orchestrate sampled records with acoustic guitar, programmed beats, computerized synthlines, live bass, toy monkeys and anything else they can use in Martinibomb.

A one man music project out of Tallahassee, Florida, The Coconut Monkeyrocket A.K.A. Jason Emmett assembles layers and layers of samples together to make a cartoonish dance racket. Check out his awsome cell-phone-ringtones.

The Famous Bill Bailey Hummus Recipe

Hummus:

Ingredients (use vegan versions):
1 15 oz can of garbanzo beans
2 large cloves of garlic
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoon of the bean juice
1/2 cup of Tahini
juice of 2 lemons (4 tablespoons)
dash of salt
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 jar of sun dried tomatos

Directions:
Put all ingredients in the food processor and mix until nice and smooth (about 1-2 minutes). You can sprinkle a little bit of paprika and a tiny bit of olive oil on top - add a sprig of mint just before serving it with vegan pita bread. Serves 6-8.

German Covers

Whoha! Germans Under Cover is a site to be experienced! It is a "music" blog, devoted to the really cheesy stuff. Mostly from the 70's and 60's.

This is wunderbar and schrecklich at the same time.Check out the 3 compilations on the site! It is packed with goodies, and is the only earfodder to accompany a night with pretzels and liebfraumilch.

Simply Awful (Castilianis Horribilis)

Tributo a Queen: Los Grandes del Rock en Español (1997)

This has to be the worst (read: best) compilation of covers of Queen. This one is on the top of the "scary" list. Call it "outsider music", call it "weirdo" - anywho; you're bound to find "something" here.
You didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition, but here (rs-link) it is.

Thanks (well I suppose) to daniMusic:::gigas y gigas de música al estilo dani

All Hail Eris! 23

Robert Anton Wilson lives on (YouTube)
Maybe Logic (Movie Trailer)
The Principia Discordia

Dag Vag - Scenbuddism (1979)

Swedish "prog" doesn't have much in common with "progressive rock". Through the 70s many Swedish bands subscribed to the general political influences of the time, such as; feminism, leftism, vegeterianism and anarchism, but all'n'all with "messages". Some far left such as "Knutna Nävar" others with humor such as "Philemon Arthur & the Dung". Dag Vag was not really regarded as a "prog" band as such, even though their lyrics often focused on injustice. Maybe they were too anarchistic in their approach, also with lyrics focusing on drugs, and "reggae beats". A memorable song title from their first lp "Jag Blev Inte Hög" [I didn't get high], is a hilarious story about a guy who drops all sorts of narcotics, only to achieve drowsyness. Scenbuddism is another great record, and was one of my favourite lp's of the time. The excellent blog prog not frog (go there for dl-link in comments) has provided us with this fine piece of vinyl.

Zee blinking and zee blonking (no thanks)

The new "Windows Vista" sounds revealed here (Youtube). 18 months in the making...

Personally I'm more impressed by Jim of Seattle's mix of the old windows sounds (mp3)

It is scary listening to all these microsoft sounds - the world gets a little dinkyer, archiving a bit more annoying - and retrieving, hah... Well, there is always solitaire - the most successful piece of software made by the microboys.

An example of the American trade boycott infringing on the sovereignty of other nations.

No room for Cubans (original Story).

In Norway Scandic Hotels owned by the Hilton Hotel Corporation faced an uproar for refusing to book rooms for a Cuban delegation because of the U.S. trade embargo on the communist-run island. The 300,000-member Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees said it would boycott all Scandic hotels in Norway. The Anti-Racist Center in Oslo filed a police complaint against the hotels, saying Norwegian law ensures that "no one can be denied access based on their citizenship or ethnic origin." The Norwegian Foreign Ministry said all companies operating in Norway have to obey Norwegian law. It's expected the court[2], [3], [4], [5] will order the Scandic Hotels to pay fines for expelling guests.

Puppini Sisters

Inspired by the "Triplettes" I found the Puppini Sisters, and their "Betcha Bottom Dollar".
Accomplished musicians, with everything from piano through saxophone to harp on their combined CVs, The Puppini Sisters have created contemporary reinterpretations of old-time favourites including Mr Sandman and Jeepers Creepers and translated 'modern' songs like Gloria Gaynor's 'I Will Survive' and Blondie's 'Heart Of Glass' into tight three-part harmonies of such splendor that the Andrews Sisters would quiver with joy. Here. (rs) Thanks again to Big Bad Music

x-mas card from banksy

«Banksy»

Dirty Calypso

Junior Jennings & the Humble and the Meek - Sell the Pussy (MP3)
Lord Antics and the Lyons Band - Fork She Garden (MP3)
All taken from Bizarre Records (link)

stockingfodder

-> here

look what I found in the stocking!

here - thanks to Jazz-Rock-Fusion-Guitar

Friday! Party hard!

Cock And Ball Torture - Aphrodisianus (YouTube)

fun stuff

The 22 year old Norwegian, Lasse Gjertsen (left) is having a huge success on the net with Amateur (YouTube) Some stunning drumming and video-editing there! Amateur (MP3) La Meg Være I Fred (MP3) Chaplin Snakker (MP3)

Michael Paulus has made an interesting character study of 22 present and past cartoon caracters to show what they're really made of.

Orcas and the Devil, marinated, grabbed by frying

Watch (or download) this (.avi) film from Lofoten, Norway. Orcas having a great time, while the Norwegians spout out cursewords in pure excitement! Enhancing, and adding to the general experience of the "whale-safari" a heartfelt linguistic tidbit!

Han e jo steike gal! - [He is frying mad]
Fy faen for et show - [phew Satan] what a show!
Dævven! - [Devil]
Dævven, salte, steike ta! - [Devil, marinated, grabbed by frying]
Å fy! - [oh phew]

People, Let Me Get This Off My Chest

Paul Stanley from Kiss.
80mb of stage ranting (megaupload) Working!
"let me telly something..."

A bit of Fry & Laurie Vox pop series 3

See all of the "vox pops" here (YouTube)

And from the southern coast of Norway (the bible belt), I give you this chilling story:

Mother arrested son (Aftenposten)

A frustrated mother decided to try and end her teenaged son's hash smoking by dragging him into the local police station on Wednesday.

The woman slapped down a nine-gram (0.3 oz) lump of hashish on the counter and told police that she had found it on her son, newspaper Agderposten reports. The 15-year-old admitted to daily hash smoking after being quizzed by police.

"This isn't something you see every day. But this was a sensible mother. What she did demands respect. Now this family can get help and a program that might be able to stop the 15-year-old's drug use," said Arne Arnesen of Agder police.

Local law enforcement officers were quick to help out the desperate woman, and after interviewing him child care authorities were notified.

"The interview will be sent to a police lawyer, who will assess what should happen with the boy in the future. Hopefully this will give him a jolt and he will quit," Arnesen said.

END.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

So people; if the police think the mother is so sensible, why then were child authorities notified?!

A lesson for life, I'm sure. The 15-year-old has learned this: Family-problems are community problems. They are not solved within the family, but is a responsability for the authorities. I hope this mother will equally respect what the son does when the time comes to to put her in a home, in care by others. While he sells off her flat to pay for his heroin dependance.

The stigma associated with cannabis by some, in this case a mother - will inflict greater damage than the drug itself.

Let's BOOGIE - it's Friday!

Hertzlichen Glükwunsch

Helge Schneider, the German version of M.A. Numminen. His comic techniques include parody, use of the local Ruhr area dialect, surprising use of infantile language and other unexpected changes in style, slapstick/physical humour, Dada like absurdities, sudden and unexpected use of crude/sexual humour, references to national and international highbrow and lowbrow culture, and phonetic and declamatory playfulness and exaggeration. Most of his material is heavily language dependent and therefore does not translate well into other languages.
The excellent blog; Rakete Rinnzekete, provides the album in the corner. The blog also features other great German stuff, such as Andreas Ammer & FM Einheit, Spliff etc... Well worth a visit

And If you're a fan of 30's and 40's UFA hits you will not be disappointed after a visit to Not Rock On - 4 CD with som classic Berlinerschlägers

Swedish Desserts part 1

Strange Norwegian Metal Band

There is a band with the strangely familiar name Dimmu Borgir. They play some sort of traditional Saami Joik. Quite catchy, and ok to move your feet to! This video (youtube) from an outdoor concert somewhere, shows clearly that Lappish music has great appeal to young people. Being an indigenous saami band, Dimmu Borgir (now, where have I seen that name?) has managed to gain international success. Good going Dimmu Borgir! (maybe they will be at the saami festival Riddu Riddu in 2007?) Dimmu Dimmu... (Hmmm, that name - it rings some bells, but I can't put my finger on it...)

The Cowboy Outlaw

Gather 'round my children, and I'll tell a tale of woe
About a famous cowboy outlaw who lived a hundred years ago.
Today his soul at last is resting peacefully in hell
Though many years have passed away since through the gallows-trap he fell.
He was sitting propped up in a chair just after he was hanged
And they photographed his body as a distant churchbell rang.
A circus man was waiting with fifty dollars in his coat
And he bought the cowboy outlaw so he could have him in his show.
And very soon he was embalmed and toured from town to town
People paid to see the outlaw that they'd heard so much about
He stood before them with a pistol against a painted scene
The greatest cowboy outlaw that the world had ever seen
But in time he was forgotten and no one knew his name
And when he began to fall apart they took his booth away
They painted him with varnish and put a crown upon his head
Come and see the king of Egypt said the sign out front instead
And then one year the circus closed, the tents were packed away
And he was sold to an amusement park on Massachusetts Bay
He was sold for next to nothing and they packed him in the van
They thought they'd bought a dummy but they'd really bought a man.
He was sprayed a special color to help him look a fright
And they hung him from a gallows 'neath an ultra-violet light
He hung there in a spookhouse for many, many years
As youthful faces passed him by in tiny railroad cars
Until one fine and fateful day in 1976
He fell down from the gallows when the hangman's noose unhitched
His arm broke at the shoulder as he clattered to the floor
And the man who went to fix him was stunned by what he saw
And the teenage boys did holler, and the teenage girls did faint
When they saw the bone protruding from the varnish and the paint
A coroner came to serve him and ran a slew of tests
they found out who he was, in time, and laid his soul to rest
A hundred years have come and gone since he spoke his final words
I'm not afraid to die and leave behind this rotten world
So go and pull the lever hangman, now my race on Earth is run
And he thought his life was ended but it had only just begun

By Brian Dewan - From "Tells the Story", The Cowboy Outlaw (mp3, from a stream...)

Gorgon the Janitor's rap

Gorgon the Janitor, known from his obsessive compulsive disorder, has gone forth and made this little ditty (mp3). Courtesy of Semiotisk Front, enjoy!

The far right young gentleman to the left seems to like it.

Pompel & Pilt

The Norwegian TV-show "Pompel & Pilt" was both loved and hated in its home country due to the surreal, amoral personalities of its characters. After the series was broadcast in 1969, 1973, 1976, 1979 and 1985, the show was banned by NRK (Norwegian National Broadcasting) as it was deemed too dangerous for children. After this a huge cult-following grew, demanding to get "Pompel og Pilt" back on television and today the characters are considered one of the greatest pop-cultural icons in Norwegian television-history. Watch the first episode (YouTube) The dialog is fairly simple. The two main characters are always looking for something that needs mending, as most stuff in their world is either bizarre, or just malfunctioning in a spectacular way. Be also aware of Gorgon, the janitor, a scary guy, that creeps everybody out with his obsessive-compulsive disorder, spouting out words that rhymes with "reparere [to mend/repair]" - such as "to subliminalise", "regressitate" etc ad nauseum.

Moffedille (upper left corner) is a fantasy animal from the show. The moffedille vaguely resembles a porcupine, eats keys, and communicates through howling sounds and cartoon-style balloons.

The series consists of five episodes, of which the moffedille appears in episodes 2 and 3. It is introduced as the protagonists, the repairmen Pompel and Pilt, sit down on it in the belief that it is a tuft of grass, a misconception that is gradually cleared up as the moffedille starts moving. The moffedille then asks for a key (by uttering a talking-bubble containing a drawing of a key). Pilt, who has earlier found a key, shows it to the moffedille, which immediately grabs it and eats it. It then leaves. This concludes the appearance of the moffedille in episode 2. Moffedille excerpt (.mov/4mb)

In episode 3, Pompel and Pilt meet up with the moffedille again. This time, it utters a big SOS inside a talking bubble. By uttering different semi-mysterious talking bubbles, along with rudimentary body language, the moffedille manages to communicate that it has a key inside of it, that it wants Pompel and Pilt to remove. Pompel, intending to do surgery on the moffedille, comes up with a saw. Pilt, however, does not approve of this, and suggests an alternative approach, where they feed the moffedille a length of rope, and make it dance. After the dance, they pull the rope out of the moffedille. It turns out that a large number of keys are now threaded onto the rope. One of them resembles the key that was swallowed by the moffedille in episode 2. Pilt takes this key, and the moffedille swallows all the others again. The moffedille then leads the way to a locked door. Pilt uses the key to unlock the door. The door opens, and a migrant (another type of fantasy creature) comes out. The moffedille eats the key again, and leaves. (from wikipedia) See episode 3 (.mov/35mb)

Favourite excerpts: Hungry Baby (.mov/9mb) Parcel Lady (.mov/10mb) Machine (.mov/9mb)

Pompel & Pilt intro music (MP3) Gorgon Janitor's rambling (MP3)

The TV show was created in 1969 by Arne and Bjørg Mykle (script for the 4 first episodes here - in Norwegian).

Internal organs served while external organ is played

Tabani Kakas is a "must experience" place to visit if you're ever in Budapest. (Attila ut, 27, Budapest 1013 Hungary) Dishes on the menu include Hungarian chicken stew, sholet beans with smoked ribs and goose liver Hungarian style at fairly moderate prices. Guests are also entertained by soft organ music, and vocal extravaganca from the elderly lady after 6 pm. To give you an example of the music try these downloads (rapidshare) "Old Lady Playing Badly, Volume 1" and "Old Lady Playing Bad, Volume 5" (Taken from the wonderful blog of X-Y-Z Cosmonaut (link)

But, really the best restaurant in Budapest is by no doubt Náncsi Néni Vendéglője [Aunt Nancy] - it is a 10 min ride up from the riverside (buda) - where you can frolic in the nice gardens. It is also popular among the locals. A place to take whole parties. Good service. Good food. AND check out their nice homepage (link) Address: Address: Ördögárok u. 80, Budapest, II. district, take a taxi to get there. Tel: (+36 1) 397 2742 - If you leave Budapest without visiting Náncsi Néni you have made a fool of yourself.

So you wanna be a drummer?

Well, take a look at this guy. He is 12 years old, and totally blew my mind. So, if you're planning to be a great drummer, start early...
The videoclip is 9 years old - go here for his homepage.

The Frivolous Five - Sour Cream & Other Delights

First we'll get the obvious out of the way. The cover art and album concept is a parody of everyone's favorite brass polisher, Herb Alpert and his Band O' Brass. Although only a few of the cuts here are taken from the Alpert album, the selection of material is planted firmly into the same vein. I can't vouch that the ladies of the cover are actually playing the instrument herein, but the music is humorous in any case. It takes talent to play that bad intentionally. Deft hands, mouths and brain combine to dangerously weave from chaos to an almost coherent structure before disintegrating into another round of follow the leader with no one in particular singled out as the aforementioned leader. Another one to file under W for Weird and Wonderful. Check Out The Cool Wax (link to original post)

CBGB's no more

Rock'n'Roll High School (article NYT) Fans of a Groundbreaking Club Mourn and Then Move On (article + photos NYT)














...and there is Jamie, sitting in lotus, watching Patti. Cheers Jamie ; )


So, they finally closed it down - Not much different than the Taliban. Blowing up statues, closing down landmarks, same same, but different. Some do it for Allah, some do it for the money...

But the good 'ol punk reek can still be found around the corner of CB's; at the Mars Bar. There is still some legendary vomit on that ceiling! Yeah, punk is not dead, it's just relocated...

Where are they now...

The Chaucer Pubbe Gagge - by Bill Bailey

Three fellowes wenten into a pubbe,
And gleefullye their handes did rubbe,
In expectatione of revelrie,
For 'twas the houre known as happye.
Greate botelles of wine did they quaffe,
And hadde a reallye good laffe.
'Til drunkennesse held full dominione,
For 'twas two for the price of one.
Yet after wine and meade and sac,
Man must have a massive snack,
Great pasties from Cornwalle!
Scottishe eggs round like a balle!
Great hammes, quaile, ducke and geese!
They suck'd the bones and drank the grease!
(One fellowe stood all pale and wan -
for he was vegetarianne)
Yet man knoweth that gluttonie,
Stoketh the fyre of lecherie,
Upon three young wenches round and slye,
The fellowes cast a wanton eye.
One did approach, with drunkene winke:
"'Ello darlin', you fancy a drink?",
Soon they caught them on their knee,
'Twas like some grotesque puppettrie!
Such was the lewdness and debaucherie -
'Twas like a sketch by Dick Emery!
(Except that Dick Emery is not yet borne -
So that comparisonne may not be drawn).
But then the fellowes began to pale,
For quail are not the friende of ale!
And in their bellyes much confusione!
from their throats vile extrusione!
Stinking foule corruptionne!
Came spewinge forth from droolinge lippes,
The fetide stenche did fille the pubbe,
'Twas the very arse of Beelzebubbe!

Thrown they were, from the Horne And Trumpette,
In the street, no coyne, no strumpet.
Homeward bounde, must quicklie go,
To that ende - a donkey stole!
Their handes all with vomit greased,
(The donkey was not pleased,
And threw them into a ditche of shite!)
They all agreed:
"What a brillant night!"

«end»

and seriously - a little bit on Chaucer's English:

Although Chaucer's language is much closer to modern English than the text of Beowulf, it differs enough that most publications modernize (and sometimes bowdlerize) his idiom. Following is a sample from the prologue of the "Summoner's Tale" that compares Chaucer's text to a modern translation.

A nice hypertext version of the Canterbury Tales.

From the BBC «Click Online»

Everyone who's ever learned to speak English, whether as a first language or not, will know how hard it is to get your head round. All those words which sound so similar, but which are spelled completely differently. I know many people who rely on spell checkers to make sure everything is correct before it's published. If you do the same, remember, they're pretty mindless - as this cautionary tale we received from an anonymous viewer shows.

Owed two a Spell Chequer

Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea
Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh
As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee four two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong
Eye have run this poem threw it
am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.

Martha Snow, from The Funny Times

Vivian Stanshall

Vivian was along with Neil Innes the most prominent figure in Bonzo Dog Band (Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band) An interesting biography can be found here (wikipedia). His tribute page is here. As a connoisseur of Brit pop-culture, as I assume you are - you would be TOTALLY lost without some essential background information about Vivian and the Bonzos, as well as being a boring ignorant. So do yourself a favour - get enlightened! AND get even more than most, by seeing one of the Bonzos 40th anniversary-tour concerts!
(Vivian will not be attending, as he is indeed quite dead)

“Why can't I be different and unusual... like everyone else?” (Quote Stanshall)

Get a tidbit of Vivian's makings (Men Opening Umbrellas Ahead) here (RS-link)
Thanks to the Palestinian Light Orchestra blog.

TV-Time

Senate Judiciary Committee Hearings; Zappa's testimony before the Maryland State Legislature Feb. 14. 1986. Here (YouTube)
During Tipper Gore's crackdown on dirty rock lyrics, Zappa found himself thrust into the role of first amendment spokes-musician, and he handled it expertly, confounding people like Novak with his direct, articulate approach to free speech and government censorship. But Zappa's ire is directed not at Novak, but at John Lofton, (at the time) a columnist for Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Washington Times. Lofton is practically frothing at the mouth, at one point even ridiculing Zappa's stated interest in getting young people to register to vote, and Zappa quips that he actually likes Novak more than Lofton. Frank Zappa on CNN Crossfire 1986. Here (YouTube) Here (mov download 50mb)

Little Georgie's Energy Plan

«click»

77-88: from post-punk to proto-techno

Forget all the 80s compilations, make your own here

Buckethead meets Hieronymus Bosch

Buckethead is the stage name of Brian Carroll, an Avant-Garde musician and composer who has released a huge number of solo albums as well as collaborations with other musicians. He is probably best known for his time with Guns N' Roses. His music touches on many genres, notably thrash metal, funk, ambient and electronica. From his 2004 album The Cuckoo clock of Hell, you can see the video of Spokes for the Wheel of Torment (YouTube) or download it here (mov). It really brings life (or death (sic)) to the paintings of Mr. Bosch.