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Reporting live from Paris fashion week today... and the bad news is: those cork shoes all your girlfriends are wearing are well out of fashion. Plat Du Jour on the decks though (go Beyonce!) and Converse All-Stars are still back. Again.
Looking forward to the 1996 revival.
UPDATE: Tailored Shorts.
7th Oct 2005 - 6 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
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Spoon
P.S. Caught the SPOON show at Koko on Friday, and they rocked. Ice Hockey style.
Review coming soon.
P.P.S. The pic on the right show audience support for Amusement Parks On Fire. Whaaack Nirvana wannabies.
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2nd Oct 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Jim James Solo Acoustic
The Enterprise, Camden
After September's DJ/My Morning Jacket/Jim James triple cancellation it was a pleasant surprise to see this re-scheduled solo gig pop up on the MMJ website, particularly as they were about to start a big US tour. Things only got weirder when the chimp contingent got to the venue - above The Enterprise pub in Camden. The room was tiny (around 100-150 max) and totally empty. Doors opened at 7 and we got seats at a Goodfellas-style table, literally right in front of the six inch high stage. The venue was totally empty for ages, and the rumour was that the record label had block booked most of the tickets - presumably for press purposes. That kind of sucked for all the people who kept coming up looking for tickets, but to be fair it did fill right up at nine on the dot, and a couple of desperate fans were invited in for free...
Jim James shuffled on with a keyboard/sample/drum machine type thing (apparantly called an Omnichord), and took off one shoe (making fists with his toes after a long haul flight?). The crowd was hushed instantly as he started off playing only the omnichord, building it up into a layered rhythm before unleashing his amazing voice. The small size of the room and the closeness of the stage meant that half the time he could be heard louder off the mic as he soared and reached all the high notes... always sounding like he should crack, but never even coming close. While the 90-odd minute set was made up of both old classics and a lot of songs from the forthcoming My Morning Jacket album Z there was never a moment when the crowd was less than mesmerised. Seeing one person create such a delicate sound, but still whip up a storming finale for tracks like The Bear, was unforgetable and the sound is still ringing through my mind several days later.
New track Dondante was a particular highlight, given extra poignancy by Jim's introductary explanation of waking from a dream with this song for a dead friend in his mind. The Bear and Bermuda Highway were awesome, as well as newer tracks like Anytime and Off The Record. Covers of Eels' 3 Speed, All The Best by John Prine and Dylan's You're A Big Girl Now finished things off.
After seeing a lot of gigs recently, this was far and a way one of the best. If you don't own any MMJ, please get some. If you do, keep an eye out for this gig as there were rumours of it being taped....
2nd Oct 2005 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 5 star reviews
My Name Is Earl
Just added Jason Lee's new sitcom My Name Is Earl to the Chimpomatic viewing rosta after watching the pilot. Snappy dialogue, funny jokes and no Tom Cruise. Jason Lee at his best.
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2nd Oct 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
More Cowbell!
Great sketch from Saturday Night Live over at Milk & Cookies, with Old School legend Will Ferrell paying tribute to the mighty Blue Oyster Cult.
1st Oct 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Jim James Was Ossum!
Far and away the best gig I have seen in recent years, last night's Solo/Acoustic show from My Morning Jacket front man Jim James was mesmerising. Playing only acoustic guitar and an omnichord keyboard/sampler/drum machine type toy, the show was 90 minutes of unmissable songs, sung with the most flawless haunting vocals... ossum!
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MMJ feedback
Live Boots
Chimp Review
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30th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Song Of The Day: II
She's Your Lover Now from Bootlegs 1-3 by the B.O.B. Dylan... just because he's ruling this week. Love that rolling vibe.
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29th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Fear of Music w/The Chap
Fear of Music this Friday at the Montague arms... as well a Spoon at Koko, and Club Clor at the Windmill. Busy Busy Busy.
Zongamin are back at the Montague on November 25th.
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28th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Select-A-Ray
Not sure what the implications of this are.... but I'm not happy.
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27th Sep 2005 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Stephen Malkmus
Koko, Camden
I made a few Pavement related errors as a younger music fan - most notably missing out on seeing them support Sonic Youth, due to a lack of train fare money. I've been totally loving Stephen Malkmus' solo albums, so I wasn't about to drop the ball and miss this show.
Support came from Clor, who've been causing a 'buzz' on the Chimp Towers 'should-get-round-to-checking them-out' list, and they were great. Malkmus and the Jicks then kicked off, unfortunately disproving the myth that support bands are deliberately mixed badly to make the headliners sound great. The kidney wobbling bass that was working well with Clor's disco groove just drowned out the witty lyrics etc that make Malkmus' songs tick. Dodgy cabling led to a few more sound problems, and while the band were pro enough to ride it out you did get the feeling that it was holding them back.... as they started to run out of banter and never really got on a roll. Moaning aside though, they did kick out some great tracks... notably long form chimp favourite No More Shoes.
3 stars and no grudges.
26th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Read more 3 star reviewsCaptain of the Dolphin Rescue Squadron
No, not the title of an unreleased mythical Guided By Voices track, but an actual real-life story of Post-cold-war-post-hurricaine-Katrina mania:
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26th Sep 2005 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Solo Small Jacket
After a few ups and downs with their recently cancelled gigs Jim James from My Morning Jacket is playing a solo accoustic show at the Barfly in Camden this Thursday.
26th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Song Of The Day: II
Anytime by My Morning Jacket from their forthcoming album Z. Maybe it's kind of boring that this mixtape is featuring most of the same people as the last one.... but that's what we're listening to at the moment, and I'm listening to this a lot. Hopefully it will become a time-capsule style mixtape in year's to come.
23rd Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Jack's New Boots
Plenty of Whites Stripes bootlegs over at www.redcandycane.net, including their great set from Glastonbury 2005....
22nd Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Robin Rhode
There's some cool performance-animation(TM) from South African artist Robin Rhode over at the BBC website.
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22nd Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Wolfmother
Just in from IC "...Fantastic gig from Wolfmother last night, including three power surges during the final song. Shades of zeppelin, sabbath, at the drive in etc all the good stuff basically..."
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22nd Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Jix!
Made up for several years of personal Pavement gig errors last night by catching the Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks show at Koko. Great venue, kidney rumbling bass a bit much and some sound problems.... but some rocking jams. London rockers Clor were in support and have been bumped up the 'to buy' list.
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21st Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
John Wu-sciante
John Frusciante will apparantly be making an appearance on Raekwon's new Cuban Linx Part II album.... as the Wu-Tang clan gear up for more fighting.
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20th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Jeff Tweedy Solo Show
Jeff Tweedy from Chimp favourites Wilco is playing solo at Shepherd's Bush Empire on November 22nd...... same day as I'm seeing Dylan at Brixton. It never rains, but it pours.
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19th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Song Of The Day: II
Animal Midnight from Pig Lib by Stephen Malkmus.... because it rocks and we're seeing him tomorrow. uh uh.
19th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Beeches Smoke Rocks
It's not quite surveillance of Kate Moss proportions, but there are some snaps of Beeches recording their new record here.
17th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Field of Sound
Sound Transit is an interesting field recording project that allows you to book a journey between cities and the listen to a custom mixed field recording of the journey from a library of sources.
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Sound interesting?
Sound boring?
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16th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Song Of The Day: II
Late Night Bus by The Longcut from the single Transition. Saw these guys at the recent PSP promotathon, and they rocked... in the style of Yoga Means Union.
14th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
MMoviestars
Alongside recording a new album ('Z', which is sounding good, and a little bit 'disco') and not turning up to play in London, My Morning Jacket also found time to make a cameo appearance in Cameron Crowe's cheesy-looking new movie Elizabethtown. The good news is they play a Southern Rock band called Ruckus, and they kick out a cover of all-time chimp favourite 7+ minute driving jam Freebird.
12th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Tech News
Skype and VOIP phone calling are getting closer to being an actual practical product... with this nifty thing that allows you to use your existing Mobile for internet call.
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Technology moves ever onward...
Gizmodo
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11th Sep 2005 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Wedding List
The Wedding Present are playing their last show of 2005 at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire on November 20th.
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9th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Free Wilco
There's a free download of a Wilco gig over at:
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8th Sep 2005 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
iNews
Top snoopsters Think Secret got it all right as usual, with the long awaited and inevitably dissapointing Motorola iTunes phone being announced, alongside the more interesting (in name at least) iPod Nano. iTunes 5 also released, with a few updated playlist functions. Oh, you can now also buy Madonna tracks on iTunes...
7th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Goats
It's not quite up to Danny the Squirrel's classic I Have To Admit: I Love The Nuts, but it's close.
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Hey, You Got Something To Eat?
I Have To Admit: I Love The Nuts
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6th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Live Beeches
Bull & Gate, Kentish Town
Friday 23rd September 2005
Onstage at 10pm
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6th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Earth Departure
Nasa's Messenger spacecraft took hundered's of time-lapse stills as it recently left Earth, which have been strung together into an MPEG movie, showing the Earth rotating into the distance. It's so clear it doesn't actually look that real...
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MPEG File (4.9mb)
www.radarvector.com
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6th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Readius
Sounds like one of Kramer from Seinfeld's inventions, but electronic paper is nearly here...
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www.geekzone.co.nz
www.polymervision.com
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6th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Late Night Creosote Jr.
Both King Creosote in session and a broadcast of Dinosaur Jr's performance at Reading/Leeds on Radio 1 tonight.
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6th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Google's Katrina Coverage
Google have added satellite coverage from August 31st of New Orleans.
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#CSF
#CurrentAffairs
#Tech
#Websites
5th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
News from the Front Line
Interesting blog coming out of war-torn New Orleans.
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News Orleans
Surveillance
Wired Article
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4th Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
The Barbican Funhouse
Sounds like The Stooges' recent Funhouse gig at the Barbican was a riot - almost literally....
"The moshpit was NUTS! And there must've been about 50 people onstage during 'No Fun'! Beer flying everywhere, underwear, cigarettes.. I saw at least two cups of beer hit Iggy directly (and one black bra).."
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Iggy Forum
ES
Asheton, Asheton, Mascis + Watt
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2nd Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Song Of The Day: II
It's time for another Song of the Day compilation, so I'm kicking things of with At Least That's What You Said from Wilco's excellent album A Ghost Is Born. It's a slow-burning, turbo-charged rocker with machine-gun drums - and was good enough to kick off their album, so it's good enough for us.
2nd Sep 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
No Morning Jacket
ARGHHH!!!!!!!! Gig of the year is postponed!
"hey everybody...thanks so much for wanting to come to the shows in ye olde london town. we were really looking forward to coming over again and kickin it old school style, but unfortunately for health reasons we are simply unable to come-we've looked at all the options, and just cant find any way to make it possible right now. we feel strongly about this because we want to do it right or not do it at all-and right now it just cant come together.
so anyways, sorry about the inconvenience and we hope to see you again real soon.
thankyins, yer pals mmj."
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2nd Sep 2005 - 3 comments - Add Comment - Tweet
Chart Show Fact
Tower Bridge wan't actually built until 1894.
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29th Aug 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Cassette Phobia
Featuring:
Cristine (live)
Simian Mobile Disco
Punks Jump Up
The Springmine Disaster
Friday 26th August 8pm – 12.30pmish
£3
@ The 'Legendary' Montague Arms
(the best old boozer in this whole land - once owned by a taxidermist, untouched for years...)
289 Queens Road
SE14 5JN
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25th Aug 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet
Firing Blanks
Trailer up for Guy Ritchie's new movie. Look's pretty uninspiring, and no sign of the scene shot outside Chimp HQ...
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23rd Aug 2005 - Add Comment - Tweet