f o l l o w t h e w a y » Music

La musique adoucit les moeurs

Thomas — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:40:58 +0000

Un des gros points positifs de la vie parisienne est l’hyperactivité de la scène musicale, et le nombre incalculable de concerts à voir tous les soirs. Et ça fait plaisir de retrouver cette ambiance, de revoir les habitués de la Maroquinerie et du Nouveau Casino (comme quoi en 2 ans rien n’a réellement changé). J’appréciais Yerevan et les arméniens de Bambir, mais la scène parisienne n’a pas grand chose à leur envier.

Sleeppers, la Maroquinerie, Janvier 2008

Des styles assez variés donc (de l’électroswing parisien Caravan Palace au noisecore de Sleeppers, du jazz manouche avec Palinka, j’en passe et des meilleures). Mention particulière à l’exercice de style de My Own Private Alaska. J’ai chroniqué ce concert pour Mygmusique.com, et j’ai énormément apprécié.

Une attitude et un jeu scénique tout aussi surprenant. 3 gars assis, un vide au milieu (les espaces enneigés de l’Alaska ne sont plus loin) de la scène, 3 sphères vibrant à l’unisson, dans un rictus malsain et déchirant. Histoire de pousser le bouchon jusqu’au bout, le pianiste annonce sur une voix hésitante On a pas l’habitude de parler entre les morceaux alors finissons en maintenant, suivi formalités d’usage (remerciements au staff …) avant d’entamer le concert, d’une traite donc tel. Une prestation tout à l’image de la démo, spontanée (comment ne pas avoir le ventre noué en photographiant le chanteur à moins d’1 mètre), glaciale, immédiate, traumatisante.

La suite ici.

Take me far away in Alaska

Et ce week end, on a remis ca dans la pure tradition des concerts caveaux avec le jazz manouche de Palinka. L’Intro est un nouveau bar en plein coeur d’Oberkampf (rue St Maur), ambiance sympa, personnel adorable et surtout un sous sol avec une ambiance vraiment classe, et spontanée. Loin des décibels et des spotlights aveuglants.

J’y retournerai.

Et hier soirée Kusturica au Grand Rex avec la projection de son nouveau film (Promets moi, bof) et concert du nouveau groupe de son fils (bôôôôf). J’accroche de moins en moins aux décibels et aux spotlights

Sinon je suis inscrit à Last.fm depuis un petit moment maintenant, pour ceux qui seraient tentés de jeter un oeil à mes goûts musicaux, venez voir par ici. Petite anedote d’ailleurs, parmi celles qui ont le plus d’affinité musicales, une israélienne, et un turc.

La musique adoucit les moeurs

Link(ed) #2

Thomas — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 10:10:27 +0000

Nothing really new in my life those days. I’m still jobhunting, and volunteering with some friends in local associations. Expect some fresher news about this point later on this month.

The occasion for me to share with you some links I checked lately and found interesting.

At first, some news about mates :

My friend William is working in Iran for MSF, telling as much as possible about his job overthere, and posting as much pictures as possible.
Myrthe @ ArmenianOdar is starting a new blog about her recent readings, and is writing about living in an international context.
Eric, my lebanese friend is starting blogging from Bergen to Sardenia.

Some other links related to photo :

Some very nice pictures of Geogria : Svaneti, Racha, black & white, and impressing shots from nov. 7 riots in Tbilissi.
A french traveblog with lots of pictures from a guy I met in Yazd
My friend Tim is photoblogging through south east Asia.
Some very interesting black & white works.

And then, let’s talk about inspiring music now

Maybe the best musical experience ever
Here is some music from Eastern europe, Korea and India.
And let me introduce you Gogol Bordello, gypsy punk from NYC, founded by an ukrainian immigrant
More inspiring music from gypsy/punk/folk/underground scenes, selected by the same ukrainian immigrant.
SoCalled, yeddish-styled hiphop, from Montreal.
Caravan Palace, jazzy electroswing from Paris
Miami, electrogirls from Japan

Now playing

Thomas — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 12:29:28 +0000

Just bought 1 week ago, the new Bambir (here and there) demo. 12 tracks of burning 70s rock n roll. A bit rough mixed (it is a demo, keep it in mind). Brilliant songs.

From "The Wild", as a raging overture, to the chilling "Lullaby for Pauper", not a single second to waste. And certainly not "Painted Minds"’ furious finish, revisiting Aram Khatchaturyan’s classic under the heavy influence of extravaganza youth.

The problem is, for addicts like me, that something is missing. Something sweating and noisy. And, "The New Generation" which is scary on stage just sound too much clean on CD.

But anyway. A great moment. For less thah 5 euros. I’m taking orders for the french/european people interested

And what could be better than (yet) another concert to celebrate the demo release? Live from Down Yerevan, for the 1st armenian edition of the french event "La fête de la musique". The Moscow cinema square was packed. Onnik blogged some other pictures.

Keep on rockin in a free world
Bambir / Fête de la musique / Yerevan / June 07 / www.followtheway.info

Katuner

Thomas — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 09:29:00 +0000

Katuner, live at Stop Club, Yerevan, Armenia, May 31st.

Egschgilen

Thomas — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 09:19:13 +0000

Egschilen était de passage à Erevan il y a maintenant 2 semaines, à l’Avant Garde Folk Club, tout droits venus de Mongolie. Via l’Allemagne en fait

Musique traditionnelle tout droit venue des steppes et des yourtes. Voix polyphoniques, instruments et costumes traditionnels.

2 heures de véritable voyage musical rafraîchissant. J’en airai bien repris une ou deux doses.

Compte rendu en images

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Unplugged Bambir

Thomas — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 08:05:44 +0000

Young Bambir, Friday Club, Yerevan

After daddies, kiddies

Thomas — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 19:20:23 +0000

After some posts that were far from optimistic, here is a much more positive one on this blog.

After the “old” Bambir in december, here is coming the “young” Bambir, their sons’ band, giving the first concert in Armenia since last may.
Everybody was waiting for this concert, in a fully packed Stop club.

The youngsters so, who, based on their parents’ success (a mixture of rock and armenian traditionnal tunes), added modern elements, with distorsion. Always with the same energy, and 70s rock n roll spirit. And original acoustic instruments (flute, and trumpet). An impressive mix.

Some would say that they are a but young (I would say 25 years old, average), and a bit more variety is missing their songs. But the potential is here. and huge.

And they have their own style, really different from the rest of the armenian rock scene.
When the other bands are so serious, and without a real personnality, (I remember this rock festival). Bambir is having fun on stage, and it’s really communicative.

And it’s more than 3 hours of sweating rock (in two parts). First part was more rock typed, with more traditional (could we call it traditionnal) original songs, before ending by 70 rock hits.

Then after a break, it was another hour of improvisation, where 70s progressive influences are mixed with modern elements, dub, reggae, coming straight ouf of Narek’s guitar. Ending once again on a raging jam.

Noise, rock n roll, sweat and beer, it was exactly what I needed to be happy
And there is still some good things coming. Bambir is playing unplugged next week end.

Homesick

Thomas — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 15:50:31 +0000

Une dizaine de jours que je suis rentré, le temps s’est réchauffé, on ne doit plus etre loin du zéro, et la vie arménienne reprend son cours (enfin à quelques balles de revolver prêt, j’en reparle plus tard), mais une étrange lassitude, souvent ressentie par les voyageurs au long cours. Lié à un état d’esprit professionnel assez loin de ce à quoi je m’attendais (on ne change pas une équipe qui gagne).

I feel homesick. Je veux rentrer à la maison

Je devrais blogger mes photos de France, vous raconter mes 3 semaines passées au pays, et vous parler un peu de ce qui se passe ici, mais pas vraiment la motivation, ou l’envie, ou les deux.

Une première semaine à errer entre boulot et dodo, une sale crève + diarrhée (ré acclimatation oblige) qui m’a pourri le week-end, et cela repart petit à petit. Le soleil peut être.

Un site web à réaliser en free-lance, histoire de rapporter un peu de cash, quelques rencontres intéressantes, voilà de quoi patienter avant de nouvelles aventures.

J’ai pas mal de long posts dans les cartons, que j’espère fignoler assez vite. Des photos encore, qui trainent ici et là.

Encore une fois bonne année à tous.

Armenian Rock for Human Rights

Thomas — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 09:33:43 +0000

I forgot to blog about it, but on dec. 3Th and 4th, several manifestations in support of Humam Rights Protection in Armenia (which apparently benefits from new partnerships with EU)

A Metal fest was organized by Independant Music Network of Armenia in the heart of Yerevan, with http://rockarmenia.com/about.html in the heart of Yerevan, gathering MDP, Stryfe, Sworn, Vordan Karmir, Blood Covenant, Aramazd.

MDP/Sayat Nova Puppet Theater/Dec.4 2006/www.followtheway.info

If i already knew Sworn (I remind you that MP3 are available here, and their new songs are even more exciting), the other bands were pretty dull and boring. It seems to me that most of armenian hardrock music stage is lacking of creativity, please stop listening to System of a Down. I’m not speaking about Bambir and MDP, right.

Indeed yes, it was the occasion for me to discover Manic Depressive Psychosis as known as MDP, one of the emblematic figures of armenian dark music.

Musically speaking, MDP is really original, and the members describe their music as de ethno-metal-syntho-rock, with traditional melodic elements.

Here is an article from one of their show last year.

An interview from Onnik Krikorian

Some music to listen to also.

And here, pictures from the show

Sworn/Sayat Nova Puppet Theater/Dec.4 2006/www.followtheway.info

MDP/Sayat Nova Puppet Theater/Dec.4 2006/www.followtheway.info

Vordan Karmir/Sayat Nova Puppet Theater/Dec.4 2006/www.followtheway.info

Stryfe/Sayat Nova Puppet Theater/Dec.4 2006/www.followtheway.info

Turn on your TV …

Thomas — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 17:27:39 +0000

Big sensation from NY. One of my favorite tunes theses days. Here is TV on the Radio, the song is Snakes & Martyrs. Their latest album, Return to Cookie Mountain (out this summer) is really classy. No real changes since the first one (Desperate Youth, Thirsty Babes), always very refreshing. Tell me what do you think about it.