2005-12-29

Feist: the musician from Lacoste


去年零四年 Lacoste 的香水廣告 "Touch of Pink" 唱紅了來自丹麥的美少女 Natasha Thomas。今年零五年 Lacoste 的香水廣告 "Essential For Men" 則唱紅了來自加拿大的唱作人 Leslie Feist。Lacoste 的 "Essential For Men",找來超級帥的男模 Axel Hermann,加上 Leslie Feist 一首節奏清新又活潑的 Mushaboom,令這個廣告十分吸引,份外誘人。


原來聲音有點沙啞的 Leslie Feist 來頭不小,來自加拿大的 Calgary 省,在中學時代已經玩 punk 。曾經為 Ramones 的演唱會作 opening。曾經因為過度勞損了聲帶,被醫生告訴她不可以再唱歌。

其後 Feist 為 Divine Right 當結他手。於九九年推出了第一張個人大碟 Monarch。在二千年跟玩 electroclash 的 Peaches 合作,其後於零二年跟加拿大的 Broken Social Scene 合作。於零四年推出了第二張個人大碟 Let It Die。期間亦跟 不同的單位合作,例如有 Kings of Convenience, Apostle of Hustle 和 Jane Birkin 。

Lacoste Essential
http://www.lacoste-essential.com
Feist Official site
http://www.listentofeist.com
Interview in Avenue Magazine:
http://www.avenuemagazine.ca/December2005/cover_feature.html
Kings of Convenience Fans site
http://www.kingsofconvenience.org/kocgigs.html

2005-12-20

不一樣的聖誕 by Projekt - Excelsis ~ a dark noel



Projekt 的聖誕音樂合輯?Projekt 不是出 darkwave 和 gothic 的嗎?誰說聖誕音樂不可以是darkwave 、不可以是gothic。 聖誕是不一定是快樂的,聖誕音樂是亦不一定要是普世歡騰的,聖誕音樂可以是黑暗、恐怖和令人心寒的。

Projekt在十年前就推出了這「不合邏輯」的合輯 Excelsis ~ A Dark Noel ,更在99年推出了Excelsis ~ A Winter's Song,和2001年推出了Excelsis ~ A Prelude。Excelsis ~ A Dark Noel更成為Projekt最暢銷的合輯之一。

多年前的聖誕的前夕,在仍然位於佐敦普慶廣場的 monitor 門前,看見一張很大的Excelsis海報。背叛了天國的天使,站在陰暗黑夜,我二話不說我就買了,立即在 monitor 門前取出CD未回家已聽了幾遍。心想,對了,找到了,這才是像樣的聖誕音樂。

重頭戲有 black tape for a blue girl 的 Chanukkah, Oh Chanukkah,有漲力地滲出中世紀的泛音。Love Spirals Downwards 的 Welcome Christmas 則令人想起 Cocteau Twins 的招牌結他 effect 美麗又溫暖。Lycia 的 We Three Kings 用上大量effect,像地獄傳來的聲音。

FuchiKachis Ethu 的 Oh Come All Ye Faithful 強而有力詠唱,伴上輕輕的結他chord弦樂。This Ascension 玩了有 gothic 味的 Carol of the Bells。Arcanta 則用純詠唱的方式唱出 Carol of the Bells。Thanatos 用了超低沈的聲音,伴上結他唱出 The First Noel。 Lovesliescrushing 的 Jingle Bells 是慢半拍和充滿結他noise的聖誕音樂。Balderas & Osborne 用上華爾滋的曲式,為 What Child Is This? 添上華麗與蒼涼。Autopsia在悽涼的風聲下,用德語唱出"Stille Nacht" "德語唱曲。Eva 0 的 O Holy Night 雖說不是 metal, 但很有 Lacrimosa 味道。Faith and the Muse 的 A Winter Wassail 很特別,有點像東歐小國的舞曲。

Autopsia 的 Stille Nacht 和 Attrition 的 Stille Night 各有不同。Autopsia 是唱德語的黑天使合唱團,在平安夜,於寒風一步一步走向地獄。Attrition 是於平安夜座坐在太空站等待救援的小天使。

Projekt - Excelsis ~ a dark noel

Lost in My Bloody Valentine


每次想起 Lost in Translation「迷失東京」都令我想起 My Bloody Valentine 的 Sometimes。那段貫穿整曲,豐滿而又漲力的結他noise,加上溫柔的電琴聲,還有Kevin Shields迷人的歌聲,實在使人聽得無法自拔。

還有 The Jesus & Mary Chain 的 Just Like Honey、Death in Vegas 的Girls、Squarepusher 的 Tommib。聽著soundtrack,電影內的畫面,就在腦海?一幕一幕地浮現。

有時候,我實在分不清,是因為 Sofia Coppola 的畫面,令我愛電影的 soundtrack。還是好像當年的 The Virgin Suicides,因為 Air 的音樂,才令我愛上她的電影。

Sofia Coppola 就是有這樣的魔力,就是這樣的天才。無論是她的電影,或是她所選擇的音樂,都會使人愛上。

My Bloody Valentine - Sometimes

Close my eyes
Feel me now
I don't know how you could not love me now
You will know, with her feet down to the ground
Over there, and I want true love to grow
You can't hide, oh no, from the way I feel

Turn my head
Into sound
I don't know when I lay down on the ground
You will find the (way it) hurts to love
Never cared, and the world turned hearts to love
We will see, oh now, in a day or two
You will wait
See me go
I don't care, where your head turned (I don't know)
You will wait, when I turn my eyes around
Overhead when I hold you next to me
Overhead, to know the way I see

Close my eyes
Feel me now
I don't know, maybe you could not hurt me now
Here alone, when I feel down too
Over there, when I await true love for you
You can hide, oh now, the way I do
You can see, oh now, oh the way I do

2005-12-14

不一樣的聖誕 by Cocteau Twins



Cocteau Twins 的Snow EP:

買了Lullabies to Violaine的朋友,會發現disc 3有兩首非常她好聽的聖誕歌:Winter Wonderland 和 Frosty the Snowman。

其實這兩首聖誕歌是來自 Cocteau Twins 於1993年12月發表的 EP ─ Snow。據說 Snow 只是發行了極少量。而Frosty the Snowman 單曲最初是發表於九二年第五期的 Volume CD Magazine。

個人認為Elizabeth Fraser 那甜美的歌聲,是最完美的heavenly voice示範,她的歌聲簡直就是天使的化身,代表了天國的聲音,溫柔地唱出節日的歡欣。加上Simon Raymonde和Robin Guthrie一貫獨特的結他arrangement為首兩單曲加添上無限的聖誕氣氛。Robin 的歌詞亦細緻地寫了冬日?的快樂氣氛。

只可惜我們在香港無緣和雪人玩耍。

cocteau twins discography and videography Singles Snow

Frosty the snowman

Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul
With a corn cob pipe and a button nose
And eyes made out of coal

Frosty the snowman is a fairy tale, they say
He was made of snow, but the children know
That he came to life one day

There must have been some magic in that old silk hat they found
For when they placed it on his head, he began to dance around

Frosty the snowman was as live as he could be
And the children say he could laugh and play
Just the same as you and me

Frosty the snowman knew the sun was hot that day
So he said 'Let's run and have some fun, now
Before I melt away.'

Down to the village with a broom stick in his hand
Running here and there all around the square
Saying, 'Catch me if you can!'

He led them down the streets of town right to the traffic stop
He only paused a moment when he heard them holler 'Stop!'

Frosty the snowman had to hurry on his way
But he waved goodbye saying, 'Don't you cry
I'll be back again, someday.'

Frosty the snowman was as live as he could be
And the children say he could laugh and play
Just the same as you and me

Frosty the snowman knew the sun was hot that day
So he said 'Let's run and have some fun, now
Before I melt away.'

2005-12-11

不一樣的聖誕 by Belle and Sebastian



又到聖誕,又是各大小商場、店舖,把放在倉底的陳年聖誕歌拿出來大播特播的時候。這些了無新意的聖誕歌,來來去去不是廟街兒童合唱團,就是女人街電子合成管弦樂,總是讓大家聽得精神分裂。聖誕既然是快樂的日子〈其實我不同意,聖誕是快樂的〉不如找一些不一樣的聖誕歌,來聽聽。

Belle and Sebastian 的 Radio 1 Peel Session Christmas Special:

Belle and Sebastian 在 2002 年十二月十八日 John Peel 的節目內玩了一場別開生面的聖誕 session。

Belle and Sebastian 除了正正經經地玩了幾首聖誕歌,好像 Oh Come All Ye Faithful、Silent Night、O Come O Come Emmanuel。又有玩了 Jazz 版的 Christmas Time Is Here、O Little Town Of Bethlehem。Rock 版的 Santa Claus。James Brown 版的 Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto。Elvis Presley 版的 Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me。牛仔版的 I Took Some Time For Christmas。

還有用勁低B的電子琴拌奏加上很多古古怪怪的青蛙叫,吹口哨,吹BB,手風琴組成的 The Twelve Days of Christmas,唱到一半更有人扮聖誕老人大叫: ho,ho! (我懷疑是john peel)令全場人大笑,而且唱到甩beat兼走音。真正的快樂氣氛十足。

當然有自家的幾首 Step Into My Office、Jonathan David Photo、Jenny、If You Find Yourself Caught In Love、The Boy With The Arab Strap、Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying。

可惜這好玩又好聽的 peel session 只有 bootleg, 有心人要用用辦法找了。

Belle and Sebastian - Radio 1 Peel Session Christmas Special

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