The Almighty Oracle

“Everybody loves you, baby; of course, they do
Do you miss me? I miss you.“

Yesterday was New Year’s eve but it’s spring already? This year is passing me by unlike any other before.

Poor light but this is my calendar.

These past 3 months have been quite good, musically speaking. With new albums by Andrew Bird, Antony and the Johnsons, Beirut [double EP but still], Morrissey, LGS, Mansfield.Tya and some promissing upcoming releases from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Metric, Placebo and Bat For Lashes you can’t honestly say there hasn’t been good music around.

Then, you have the gigs. Emiliana Torrini was amazing and I have a feeling every concert I’ll choose to attend this year will be just as special. First one coming up : Kaki King in Cologne followed by Moriarty, LGS and Mansfield.Tya the same week and Loney Dear, Gossip, Andrew Bird, Laura Marling and Bat For Lashes before June. Insane.

Here are my favourite songs these days :

[Metric - Sick Muse / Beirut - My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille / Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll / Schuyler Fisk - Hello / Bat For Lashes - Siren Song]

(side note : if you live in or near Cologne, Germany and have a couch or soft enough carpet I could crash on next week (Friday night,  March 27th) after Kaki King’s gig, do tell! Please. I don’t snore, don’t sleepwalk nor need any special attention. Driving 3 hours is ok, but at night it can be harsh.
And if you just want to hang out before the concert, have some awkward silent moment [I really am not a big talker! be warned.] or anything, let me know! I’m in Germany only once or twice a year, after all) didn’t happen; family happened.

“Did they tell you
You should grow up
When you wanted to dream?

Did they warn you
Better shape up
If you want to succeed?

I don’t know about you
Who are they talking to?
They’re not talking to me

All the questions
And suggestions
They mean nothing to me”

mel :: Mar.21.2009 :: Andrew Bird, Antony and the Johnsons, Bat For Lashes, Cologne, Emiliana Torrini, Germany, Gossip, Kaki King, Loney Dear, Metric, Moriarty, Placebo, Random :: No Comments »

I’ve listened to Emilíana Torrini for some years now [thanks to my dear friend kris and Lifesaver] but never got around to catching her live until last night. There was a snow alert but I drove all the way to Brussels, Belgium anyway and actually found the venue right away (after many years of getting lost looking for the same place) only to drive around for 40 minutes to find a spot where to park my car. By 05:45pm, I was the only crazy person to be waiting in front of the AB in the cold (0°C and some occasional snowflakes). I actually happened to meet Cameron, who plays guitar, bass and other stuff in Emilíana’s band, who asked if I had a ticket for the show (I assume he would’ve granted me a guest list spot if I had answered by the negative), that was pretty nice.

The doors were supposed to open at 6:30 but things never happen as planned so the crowd gathering up front had to wait some extra 30 minutes in the cold, that wasn’t that nice.

I don’t understand people why wait in line up front only to go sit in the back of the venue. I know I don’t like to sit down for a gig, except for acoustic shows, maybe. This time I scored a front row spot which was nice since AB has one of the best sound system, the concert sounds good wherever you stand/sit.

Emilíana Torrini and band entered the stage at 9pm sharp with Fireheads Lifesaver and Heartstopper. As the show kept on, Emilíana kept telling funny stories in between songswhich instantly built a good connection with the audience. There were a couple of times when the band would mess up the songs but they were having such a great time it was fun for everyone.

The setlist was more or less this : Continue Reading »

mel :: Feb.02.2009 :: Concert Review, Emiliana Torrini, Lay Low :: No Comments »

While attempting to order my ticket to see Emiliana Torrini live on February 1st, I found this on the ABconcerts website :

First off, why didn’t I know Ladyhawke was touring Europe? [the dates aren't even on her myspace - unless I've gone blind] and then why does the Emiliana Torrini concert sells out just today? I hate this.

To make this post a little happier and less of a personal rant, here’s an acoustic version of Emiliana’s Big Jumps from her session at WFUV :

mel :: Jan.12.2009 :: Emiliana Torrini, Ladyhawke :: No Comments »

My carreer as a blogger started some years ago with a little help from my friend Kat and a post about Emiliana Torrini’s Fisherman’s Daughter album [because my friend kris had once sent me Lifesaver] and today the circle comes round as Emiliana’s third album, Me And Armini is out.

When the title track was released on myspace, it caught off-guard. First because I didn’t know there was a new album coming up and secondly because it’s reggae-pop, a style I don’t really enjoy all that much. But instead of turning my back on Emiliana for this one, I decided to wait for the whole album. Someone who’s written/composed/sung Lifesaver, Sunny Road or Heartstopper can’t completely lose their soul, after all.

Me And Armini : 

It’s not a bad song, actually. Just a very surprising twist.

And it turns out that the album is wonderful in its ways of being so eclectic. Continue Reading »

mel :: Sep.09.2008 :: CD Review, Emiliana Torrini, Me And Armini :: No Comments »