1. 2 years ago 
    Alan McGee on – Damien C Wilde Sometimes you need to rip it up, get uncomfortable, and start again to make it. Parisian singer-songwriter, Damien C Wilde left London and his band, and exiled himself to the sunny climes of California and Australia in order to perfect his songwriting craft. His return from pop exile to Paris resulted in the fascinating Avalon EP. You could read formalist references from the infamous and incestuous Versailles music scene of Daft Punk, Air, and Phoenix, but you would be wrong. Damien Wilde is far more than a retread of his own pop contemporaries. Produced by Jean Michel Gonnard (Phoenix, Cassius) it evokes a time frame and reference of music in the early 70s France, where musicians were pushing their own borders and the subsequent collision of David Bowie, glam, Scott Walker, psychedelia and their own illustrious musical past. Avalon can easily sit with the classics of that particular age such as: Michel Polnareff’s 1971 self titled epic, Jean Claude Vannier’s “L’Enfant Assassin des Mouches, and Alain Goraguer’s score to Fantastic Planet. The three track EP is excellent. ‘Ecstasy in a CastleField’ are one of many highlights on Avalon. ‘Seafarer’ echoes the remnants of a drugged up daydream morning, where rock stars were inspired by aliens, impressionistic paintings and Coleridge. Damien Wilde’s vocals are epic, re-enacting high drama within the grooves, until it becomes the epitome of cool. The vocals encapsulates the easy genius of the bygone era where the singer was king and the stamp of personality is sung and woven into the song. Alan

    Alan McGee on – Damien C Wilde

    Sometimes you need to rip it up, get uncomfortable, and start again to make it. Parisian singer-songwriter, Damien C Wilde left London and his band, and exiled himself to the sunny climes of California and Australia in order to perfect his songwriting craft. His return from pop exile to Paris resulted in the fascinating Avalon EP. You could read formalist references from the infamous and incestuous Versailles music scene of Daft Punk, Air, and Phoenix, but you would be wrong. Damien Wilde is far more than a retread of his own pop contemporaries. Produced by Jean Michel Gonnard (Phoenix, Cassius) it evokes a time frame and reference of music in the early 70s France, where musicians were pushing their own borders and the subsequent collision of David Bowie, glam, Scott Walker, psychedelia and their own illustrious musical past. Avalon can easily sit with the classics of that particular age such as: Michel Polnareff’s 1971 self titled epic, Jean Claude Vannier’s “L’Enfant Assassin des Mouches, and Alain Goraguer’s score to Fantastic Planet. The three track EP is excellent. ‘Ecstasy in a CastleField’ are one of many highlights on Avalon. ‘Seafarer’ echoes the remnants of a drugged up daydream morning, where rock stars were inspired by aliens, impressionistic paintings and Coleridge. Damien Wilde’s vocals are epic, re-enacting high drama within the grooves, until it becomes the epitome of cool. The vocals encapsulates the easy genius of the bygone era where the singer was king and the stamp of personality is sung and woven into the song.

    Alan

     
  2. 2 years ago 

    Pepsi Maxcast - The Enemy’s Be Somebody Video


    To celebrate our latest Maxcast promotion - to win one of 5 copies of FIFA 10, signed by Tom Clarke (!), we’ve been given this video by Warner - to enter, go to pepsimaxcast.com (or simply click on the title above) and enter your details, along with the answer to the question: what football team’s shirt is bass player Andy Hopkins wearing in this video? Easy right? Get entering to win!

  3. Notes: 4 / 2 years ago 

    When Mr Hudson met Q Tip

    NY, NY! Having spent most of the week in the studio I decided to do an epic bike ride across williamsburg bridge, lunchthen back. allowing myself to unwind for a minute. Just need to mak sure I’m in shape when the October Tour kicks off…maybe i’ll run to Jersey and back tomorrow Lol!It was good to catch up with Q Tip (of Tribe Called Quest) at our AOL session (Band were tight!). Tip taught himself to play piano, drums & other instruments…we ended up having a impromptu jam session & he did his thing on the drum kit. Breathe & Stop! Now I’m dealing w an egg situation, he’s appeared on a daytime TV program. Martha?

    ps. having a fear of heights is not a good thing in NY. The pigeon on my window ledge is a legend..

    Yours,

    Ben

  4. Notes: 1 / 2 years ago 
    Del Marquis – All about the Pet Shop Boys My closest friends in life share one thing in common, besides myself, the Pet Shop Boys. One friend favours Kylie and Madonna, and the other, Suicide and Kraftwerk; Yet they both meet in the middle regarding PSB. I was fortunate enough to catch their show in NYC last week and afterwards had a nice chat with both Chris and Neil.  They are fans of the Sisters (and as it turns out, discuss my solo project with Peter Robinson of Popjustice…nice !) As people they are gracious and open, as artists they remain relevant by caring deeply about production, songwriting, aesthetics and the fan connection.  In fact fans talk about them as a subject on par with Russian lit and macro-biology; worthy of analysis and dissection. I asked two friends to help elaborate on their long and fascinating career. My contribution beyond this is a grainy photo of myself, aged 19, with Neil autographing a few items of mine at a record signing. Del X   Domino Dancing by David Russell (Manager of recording artist Sia) A “latin” Pet Shop Boys track sounds a bit like an oxymoron, but in reality DOMINO DANCING is, for me, their finest pop moment.  It’s been said by Neil and Chris that they were inspired by the late 80’s freestyle explosion that was popular in the US at the time, particularly in New York City and Miami.  It was after hearing the various hit singles by the girl band Exposé that they decided to look up their producer, Lewis Matrineé, to produce the track.  Pairing DOMINO DANCING next to Exposé’s own LET ME BE THE ONE is a perfect pop match. Even in its demo form, before Martinez added the synth-tinged orchestra stabs and calypso drum beats, DOMINO DANCING had a bit of an island sway to it.  It was the first time Pet Shop Boys had ever released a track so mournful, longing for love instead of commenting on it. The latin moments continued in the homoerotic video for the track, which Neil himself has said is singlehandedly responsible for ending their chart success in the states.  No matter; the song reached number 7 in the UK and remains and enduring pop classic. …But Pet Shop Boys have always been less about chart success (as considerable as theirs has been: 38 top 20 singles in the UK) and more about the marriage of pop and art.  The idea that a song featuring a modern day Noel Coward rapping over beats inspired by Kurtis Blow could reach number 1 worldwide seems as preposterous now as it did then, and yet that is exactly what WEST END GIRLS managed.  It’s not easy to incorporate the ethos of punk, the beat of disco, the swell of orchestra, the sweat of after-hours, the horns of the island and chart success…but somehow PSB manage to do it over and over again. VIDEOGRAPHY by Edward Quist (Founder of Embryoroom and director of  best selling DVD Kuvaputki) The Pet Shop Boys were first seen by my own eyes in mid April of 1985 for the video West End Girls. Clad in a black trench coat stood Neil Tennant and the other (who was transparent !), looking rather bemused, would be Chris Lowe. From that moment, I was captivated by something that I was too young to put my finger on. Over the years, the myriad of videos and subsequent images materialized, headed by various famed directors and intelligent art design. These videos are a genre unto themselves, an alternate reality. Whether it be love, life, sex, religion, human rights or a sinister relationship with technology; the Videography of the PSB stands in the corridors where pop culture and high art meet. It’s a Sin, Before, Rent, Can You Forgive Her, Being Boring, and West End Girls are all landmarks in modern music videos and emerging music films. My own work through Embryoroom (The Third Rail & Litter to Society) were in part inspired by “the boys” work with Howard Greenhalgh. I wonder where they will take image and videos next ? As of late, they have been cartoons and immersed in motion graphics in an excellent Douglas Hart / fan-made hybrid and spectacular multimedia tour. I suspect, in the not too distant future, there might be a Pet Shop Boys video compilation titled Holography. Where I imagine the PSB in 3D and 360 degrees.

    Del Marquis – All about the Pet Shop Boys

    My closest friends in life share one thing in common, besides myself, the Pet Shop Boys. One friend favours Kylie and Madonna, and the other, Suicide and Kraftwerk; Yet they both meet in the middle regarding PSB.

    I was fortunate enough to catch their show in NYC last week and afterwards had a nice chat with both Chris and Neil.  They are fans of the Sisters (and as it turns out, discuss my solo project with Peter Robinson of Popjustice…nice !)

    As people they are gracious and open, as artists they remain relevant by caring deeply about production, songwriting, aesthetics and the fan connection.  In fact fans talk about them as a subject on par with Russian lit and macro-biology; worthy of analysis and dissection.

    I asked two friends to help elaborate on their long and fascinating career. My contribution beyond this is a grainy photo of myself, aged 19, with Neil autographing a few items of mine at a record signing.

    Del

    X

     

    Domino Dancing by David Russell

    (Manager of recording artist Sia)

    A “latin” Pet Shop Boys track sounds a bit like an oxymoron, but in reality DOMINO DANCING is, for me, their finest pop moment.  It’s been said by Neil and Chris that they were inspired by the late 80’s freestyle explosion that was popular in the US at the time, particularly in New York City and Miami.  It was after hearing the various hit singles by the girl band Exposé that they decided to look up their producer, Lewis Matrineé, to produce the track.  Pairing DOMINO DANCING next to Exposé’s own LET ME BE THE ONE is a perfect pop match.

    Even in its demo form, before Martinez added the synth-tinged orchestra stabs and calypso drum beats, DOMINO DANCING had a bit of an island sway to it.  It was the first time Pet Shop Boys had ever released a track so mournful, longing for love instead of commenting on it.

    The latin moments continued in the homoerotic video for the track, which Neil

    himself has said is singlehandedly responsible for ending their chart success in the states.  No matter; the song reached number 7 in the UK and remains and enduring pop classic.

    …But Pet Shop Boys have always been less about chart success (as considerable as theirs has been: 38 top 20 singles in the UK) and more about the marriage of pop and art.  The idea that a song featuring a modern day Noel Coward rapping over beats inspired by Kurtis Blow could reach number 1 worldwide seems as preposterous now as it did then, and yet that is exactly what WEST END GIRLS managed.  It’s not easy to incorporate the ethos of punk, the beat of disco, the swell of orchestra, the sweat of after-hours, the horns of the island and chart success…but somehow PSB manage to do it over and over again.

    VIDEOGRAPHY by Edward Quist

    (Founder of Embryoroom and director of  best selling DVD Kuvaputki)

    The Pet Shop Boys were first seen by my own eyes in mid April of 1985 for the video West End Girls. Clad in a black trench coat stood Neil Tennant and the other (who was transparent !), looking rather bemused, would be Chris Lowe. From that moment, I was captivated by something that I was too young to put my finger on. Over the years, the myriad of videos and subsequent images materialized, headed by various famed directors and intelligent art design.

    These videos are a genre unto themselves, an alternate reality. Whether it be love, life, sex, religion, human rights or a sinister relationship with technology; the Videography of the PSB stands in the corridors where pop culture and high art meet. It’s a Sin, Before, Rent, Can You Forgive Her, Being Boring, and West End Girls are all landmarks in modern music videos and emerging music films. My own work through Embryoroom (The Third Rail & Litter to Society) were in part inspired by “the boys” work with Howard Greenhalgh.

    I wonder where they will take image and videos next ? As of late, they have been cartoons and immersed in motion graphics in an excellent Douglas Hart / fan-made hybrid and spectacular multimedia tour. I suspect, in the not too distant future, there might be a Pet Shop Boys video compilation titled Holography. Where I imagine the PSB in 3D and 360 degrees.

     
  5. 2 years ago 

    Pepsi Maxcast - The Hoosiers week 4, a prank on Martin and Irwin reviews District 9…?

    It’s week 4 in the studio, and progress is limited… Irwin gives us a (not so) Jonathan Ross-style review of District 9, and Martin has a shower… he’s not really going to plug it in, is he?

  6. Notes: 1 / 2 years ago 
    Alan McGee on – Magic Kids You gotta love Memphis. It’s where guitar music and soul was born. The pop culture legacy of this city is heavy, but there is currently some magical stuff coming out from the shadows. It took the punk rock courage of local band The Oblivions to lift the veil with Goner Records. In operation since ‘94, Goner have been exposing awesome Memphis talent such as Jay Reatard. His media propulsion has shined a light on some amazing bands who could be the proponents of a new pop dawn in the city. The five piece, Magic Kids have got me completely addicted to their sound. Although their released catalogue is currently limited to one single ‘Hey Boy’ and ‘Good to Be’, they resurrect the ghost of a teenage Brian Wilson, reinventing his sound for a new pop era of Memphis. “Hey Boy” is an orchestration of pure innocence with a charming guile. The Magic Kids create a carbon copy of a Phil Spector recording-in-his-parent’s-basement vibe. They make the kind of cool scratchy big pop records you don’t hear much these days, evoking the sunshine harmonies of early surf girl/boy bands with the charm of a Beach Boys glee club. “Good to Be” is finds the Magic Kids stepping straight out of early ‘71 with copies of Badfingers under their arms for inspiration. Magic Kids are infused with enough quirk to make it cool and not just an exercise in retrograde. 2009 should be a fun year if the Magic Kids unite and take over. Alan

    Alan McGee on – Magic Kids

    You gotta love Memphis. It’s where guitar music and soul was born. The pop culture legacy of this city is heavy, but there is currently some magical stuff coming out from the shadows. It took the punk rock courage of local band The Oblivions to lift the veil with Goner Records. In operation since ‘94, Goner have been exposing awesome Memphis talent such as Jay Reatard. His media propulsion has shined a light on some amazing bands who could be the proponents of a new pop dawn in the city.

    The five piece, Magic Kids have got me completely addicted to their sound. Although their released catalogue is currently limited to one single ‘Hey Boy’ and ‘Good to Be’, they resurrect the ghost of a teenage Brian Wilson, reinventing his sound for a new pop era of Memphis. “Hey Boy” is an orchestration of pure innocence with a charming guile. The Magic Kids create a carbon copy of a Phil Spector recording-in-his-parent’s-basement vibe. They make the kind of cool scratchy big pop records you don’t hear much these days, evoking the sunshine harmonies of early surf girl/boy bands with the charm of a Beach Boys glee club. “Good to Be” is finds the Magic Kids stepping straight out of early ‘71 with copies of Badfingers under their arms for inspiration. Magic Kids are infused with enough quirk to make it cool and not just an exercise in retrograde. 2009 should be a fun year if the Magic Kids unite and take over.

    Alan

     
  7. 2 years ago 

    The Enemy – Making of “No Time for Tears” Video!

    A nice little Maxcast exclusive for you guys – the Making of video for “No Time for Tears”
    Enjoy!
    Maxcast Team

  8. 2 years ago 
    This week’s Top 10 tracks from The Hoosiers! Hi guys The time has come again..! Here’s the Top 10 tracks that The Hoosiers are listening to this week! Enjoy 1. Love you better – The Maccabees2. Dreams – Fleetwood mac3. Tonights the night – Jack penate4. Superman – The flaming lips5. Knotty pine – Dirty projectors and David byrne6. Agrophobia – Deerhunter7. Men’s needs – The cribs8. I’m on fire – Bruce Springsteen9. Useful daily expressions – Japanese for busy people, disk A.10. I told her on alderaan – Neon neon. Maxcast Team

    This week’s Top 10 tracks from The Hoosiers!

    Hi guys

    The time has come again..! Here’s the Top 10 tracks that The Hoosiers are listening to this week!

    Enjoy

    1. Love you better – The Maccabees
    2. Dreams – Fleetwood mac
    3. Tonights the night – Jack penate
    4. Superman – The flaming lips
    5. Knotty pine – Dirty projectors and David byrne
    6. Agrophobia – Deerhunter
    7. Men’s needs – The cribs
    8. I’m on fire – Bruce Springsteen
    9. Useful daily expressions – Japanese for busy people, disk A.
    10. I told her on alderaan – Neon neon.

    Maxcast Team

     
  9. 2 years ago 
    Del – Character Assassination Some fantastic records were torn to shreds upon initial release (U2 – The Unforgettable Fire, Kraftwerk – Electric Cafe , The Cult – Love). It’s a good rule that the best and worst reviews should cancel each other out. What about when a review borders on slander ? Given the viral nature of the internet, and the incestuous world of grudges, this could be as simple as a blogger writing an untruth that becomes a matter of national gossip. Character Assassination EP (Itunes 3/09) was inspired by an attack on a good friend. The concept for the song evolved into a discussion about how close to ruin we are, no matter how grand we think life is; most of what keeps us happy is often just an illusion. It is also a comment on the abuse media and its manipulation. On a personal level, we all do things that aren’t ok morally within society but OK in our private lives. Thanks to the Internet and twitter, that necessary world of privacy is close to destruction… Its tough to be a deviant these days. Click here to watch the video that my collaborators Embryoroom did for Character Assassination; My favorite song on this EP, Harmony Park, can be streamed here. http://delmarquis.com/pepsimax1 It was an anemic demo until the live drums were recorded…once inspired by that I added most of the electric guitar in the mix-room on a flawless Gretsch (I exclaimed, “this tone IS Soundgarden !”) The experience taught me to never discount a song, which can come together in the last moment. DelX P.S. – I’ve designing some guitar strap with an as-yet unnamed company, the prototypes should be back in October…so excited. Photo of my templates to the right along with an older strap I fashioned from a vintage belt.

    Del – Character Assassination

    Some fantastic records were torn to shreds upon initial release (U2 – The Unforgettable Fire, Kraftwerk – Electric Cafe , The Cult – Love).

    It’s a good rule that the best and worst reviews should cancel each other out. What about when a review borders on slander ? Given the viral nature of the internet, and the incestuous world of grudges, this could be as simple as a blogger writing an untruth that becomes a matter of national gossip.

    Character Assassination EP (Itunes 3/09) was inspired by an attack on a good friend. The concept for the song evolved into a discussion about how close to ruin we are, no matter how grand we think life is; most of what keeps us happy is often just an illusion. It is also a comment on the abuse media and its manipulation.

    On a personal level, we all do things that aren’t ok morally within society but OK in our private lives. Thanks to the Internet and twitter, that necessary world of privacy is close to destruction… Its tough to be a deviant these days.

    Click here to watch the video that my collaborators Embryoroom did for Character Assassination;

    My favorite song on this EP, Harmony Park, can be streamed here.

    http://delmarquis.com/pepsimax1

    It was an anemic demo until the live drums were recorded…once inspired by that I added most of the electric guitar in the mix-room on a flawless Gretsch (I exclaimed, “this tone IS Soundgarden !”) The experience taught me to never discount a song, which can come together in the last moment.

    Del
    X

    P.S. – I’ve designing some guitar strap with an as-yet unnamed company, the prototypes should be back in October…so excited. Photo of my templates to the right along with an older strap I fashioned from a vintage belt.

     
  10. 2 years ago 

    THE HOOSIERS WEEK 3 – IRWIN AND AL DISCOVER NEW SOUNDS…

    It’s week 3 of The Hoosiers time! Al and Martin discuss Al’s new sound, but is Martin convinced? He doesn’t sound it… Meanwhile, Irwin introduces his new “Irwin’s Vocal Booth”, and his own sound… on the small guitar

    Enjoy

    Maxcast Team

avatar_128
 
 
 
 

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