Valentine's Daze

Hmmmm

Valentine's Day is creeping up on us...

and because of this, we get the supposed first pictures of gorillas copulating face to face...





Since I'm short of Chocolates & Flowers...

Howz a bout a virtual mixtape...

Califone - Black Metal Valentine

Here's some more relevant music tracks for this greeting card industry staple holiday...

This next one came from a benefit compilation called Genocide in Sudan, which doesn't sound very romantic...but the hearts of the contributors was certainly in the right place I suppose. It was assembled by the Waxploitation label with help from Serj from System of a Down, and this instrumental probably won't grate much on yer valentine's nerves...maybe.

Teargas & Plateglass - A Book Of Black Valentines

The compilation I got this track from is almost 4 years old, but like the Genocide in Sudan, is still mostly unheralded, and sadly fresh & relevant. Other contributors included The Pretenders, Jurassic 5, Danger Mouse/Murs, Jill Scott, Mark Farina, Thievery Corporation, Kinky, X-ecutioners, DJ Spooky, Tweaker, Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra amongst others. Order the Genocide in Sudan compilation new for less than $12 at this url

This one is also from a compilation called Rhythms Del Mundo: Cuba





From The Rhythms Del Mundo Cuba CD


It was even co-written by a Mr. James Valentine

Maroon 5 - She Will Be Loved(Cuban Mix)

It also features a reinterpretation of a certain Coldplay tune featuring members of The Buena Vista Social Club and other Latin musical specialists getting down on modern rawk hits

I had never heard of it, or Maestro Demetrio Muniz who did the arrangements, but when I saw it in the window of a record shop next to my bus stop a couple years back I knew i had to have it. Why it wasn't plopped on the shelf at every frickin' Starbucks is a mystery to me...

Not only does it offer some palatable but not too spicy sonic tapas, it even includes the late Ibrahim Ferrer's last vocal recording done in Madrid of the Casablanca classic "As Time Goes By"

The the booklet is also chock full of info on global warming / climate change from folks like Al Gore etc... and even the mighty Sting is included.

it seems like a perfect match for the greedy yet guilt-free gravitas of corporate cafe culture...




My friend Kelley Stoltz ( he's the one in the picture that's not naked) has just released a doozy of a new disc called Circular Sounds on Sub Pop, and I wanted to feature a tune.

But then I thought, y'all should have no problem finding this in the hipper shops, or online stores, or even some tracks via the usual web sources.



But how many have heard Kelley doing his Lynn Anderson imitation?



Not too many I suppose...

It's a song perfect for a Valentine's day that is more honest than the usual hyperbole...

So for a few days, here's yer chance


It's also keeping with the crazed compilation theme I guess, this is a track from a Joe South tribute record assembled by "teenage" Rob Douglas a few years back.
Joes South ( born: Joe Souter 1940, now 68 years young) is a great songwriter of course who penned some other nuggets you might know including Games People Play, Walk A Mile In My Shoes and Down In The Boondocks. Kudos for Rob getting a diverse buncha guys like Otis Clay, Paul Cebar, Chuck Prophet and Kelley all on one disc covering his past glories.

Kelley Stoltz - I Never Promised You A Rose Garden

I also thought maybe, you'd all like to perhaps catch Kelley Stoltz on tour.

Especially relevant to those of y'all in Australia currently...





Feb 14 2008 9:00P
Great Northern Hotel Byron Bay Australia

Feb 15 2008 9:00P
Troubador Brisbane Australia

Feb 16 2008 9:00P
Annandale Sydney Australia

Feb 17 2008 8:00P
The Tote, melbourne, Victoria , Australia

Feb 28 2008 8:00P
independent - noise pop SAN FRANCISCO CA

SPRING US TOUR

Friday, March 14, 2008 Bourbon Rocks, Austin TX (Sub Pop SXSW showcase )

Friday, March 21, 2008 Jake's Nightclub, Bloomington IN

Saturday, March 22, 2008 Mercy Lounge, Nashville TN

Monday, March 24, 2008 Hi-Tone, Memphis TN

Tuesday, March 25, 2008 AR Revolution Music Room, Little Rock AR

Wednesday, March 26, 2008 House of Blues (Dallas), Dallas TX

Thursday, March 27, 2008 Emos, Austin TX

Friday, March 28, 2008 Rudyard's British Pub, Houston TX

Saturday, March 29, 2008 One Eyed Jacks, New Orleans LA

Monday, March 31, 2008 Orange Peel, Asheville NC

Tuesday, April 1, 2008 Bottletree, Birmingham AL

Wednesday, April 2, 2008 The Earl, Atlanta GA

Thursday, April 3, 2008 Local 506, Chapel Hill NC

Friday, April 4, 2008 Sonar, Baltimore MD

Saturday, April 5, 2008 Rock and Roll Hotel, Washington DC

Sunday, April 6, 2008 Maxwells, Hoboken NJ

Tuesday, April 8, 2008 Cafe Nine, New Haven CT

Thursday, April 10, 2008 Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia PA

Friday, April 11, 2008 Bowery Ballroom, The, New York City NY

Saturday, April 12, 2008 Middle East, Cambridge MA

Sunday, April 13, 2008 Cabaret Music Hall, Montreal Canada

Tuesday, April 15, 2008 Babylon, Ottowa Canada

Wednesday, April 16, 2008 Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto Canada

Friday, April 18, 2008 Frankie's, Toledo OH

Saturday, April 19, 2008 Blind Pig, Ann Arbor MI


Now that we got that stuff out of the way, there's plenty more stuff going on to keep us distracted ...



My pals who works in the Yahoo music/media group is of course likely sweating bullets... as the search engine under siege lays off a 1000 and enters into talks with Murdoch's minions.

Geez... you know it's gotta be bad when merging with Rupert Murdoch is seen as the lesser evil.




Is Redmond really hell?

I was there earlier last year for a day and it seemed kinda quiet & sleepy to me.





I drank some decent beer, karaoked in two bars...even went to the farmer's market where I scored some fresh salmon & apples...

Dull, but not exactly evil...


I also am pleased as punch to report,

that I have nothing more to add tonight...