Yours truly has been all about myself of
late, which is why I am behind on record reviews and most everything
else, but I do have a new batch of recordings, starting with
"Betty from Memphis", a tribute to stable types such as
my actual Aunt Betty (Olita) in Memphis (not shown here), as well as to
all those weary road warriors out there playing the soundtracks to
everybody else's movies.
Call it
"creative destruction", like Mitt Romney does. "Until Sam
Walty's Dead" is a cowboy yarn about a villain -
personified by the late and wonderful Warren Oates (below) - who
has left an unfortunate legacy for himself (see chorus...). Walty is my
metaphor for early 21st Century predatory capitalism, a force that must
be dealt with so that honest souls can carry on.
Glory be unto Angie Omaha, whoever
she is, pictured below on the cover to my next- generation version of
"The Glow
of Your Dark Eyes", introduced several years back
as a tune about "the dark side of loving a dark soul". Our girl Angie
may not let me exploit her in this way for long, but as long as she does
isn't she perfect? I mean, for this song?
"Just Eleven
Minutes" comes from a few years back, and from the same
box as "The Glow of Your Dark Eyes", but the versions provided below
come much closer to my ambitions for this story of a booze-fueled
cuckold speeding toward a crime of passion and revenge. The song is
almost entirely played around the single chord of E, with occasional
transitions through A-B, for those keeping score. The "psycho" version
was the original inspiration, but the Nashville chicken-pickin' version
has some nice qualities. Unfortunately it also shows that as a guitar
player I am no Randy Barker, though I hope to be when I grow up.
(Randy Barker played with Michael Woody and
the Too High Band, which in the end gave him way too little
exposure, but those who heard him play remember it even 30 years later
as something special.)
__________
IN THIS EDITION
Icon
Power- RAR waxes on the powerfully unique qualities that
trigger our emotional responses
The
Edited Trio - Douglas Strobel offers a House Concert Review
Lookout!
Records - Video tribute to Berkeley's iconic punk music
label, now ending its historic run
New Releases on
RARadio:
"Darkness" by
Leonard Cohen; "Sweetbread"
by Simian
Mobile Disco and "Keep You"
from Actress
off the Chronicle movie
soundtrack;"Goodbye to Love" from
October Dawn; Trouble in Mind 2011
label sampler;
Black Box Revelation Live on
Minnesota Public Radio;
Apteka "Striking Violet";
Mikal Cronin's "Apathy" and "Get
Along"; Dana deChaby's
progressive rock
Oh why not? Disco Japanese vampires!
Japanese girls look stylish in everything, even Goth.
Quruli
- The World's Greatest Band?
Quruli
has been one of the best bands in the world for more than a
decade, limited in their international appeal only by the language barrier, with
all of their songs presented in their native Japanese. Whatever, the music
translates without difficulty. Masashi Satoh,
the primary songwriter of what is now a duo, is world class as melodist and rock
composer. Shigeru Kishida holds down a
vicious bass, as well as a business empire built around
Noise McCartney Records, the band's label, led by Kishida. The derivation
of the name of the label is unknown to this writer, but Satoh has clearly been
influenced by The Beatles and Paul McCartney, so inferences may be forgiven.-
RAR
After meeting at "Rock Commune," Ritsumeikan University's music club, Shigeru Kishida, Masashi Satō, and
Nobuyuki Mori formed the original three-piece band. The name "Quruli,"
an onomatopoeic word expressing rotation, was taken from a sign in the
Kyoto Municipal Subway. In October 1998 Quruli released the single
"Tokyo" on Victor Entertainment. They released their first major label
album, Sayonara Stranger in 1999.
Quruli released the albums Zukan in 2000
and TEAM ROCK in 2001, both produced by Jim O'Rourke. During the
production of THE WORLD IS MINE (2001), Quruli added guitarist Tasshin
Ōmura to its lineup. In 2002, Mori left the band.
In 2003, after a trip to England, Quruli
returned with a single, How to Go, and created the soundtrack for Josee,
the Tiger, and the Fishes. After working with a number of session
drummers, Quruli officially added drummer Christopher McGuire to their
lineup in November of 2003. In 2003, HMV Records Japan rated Quruli #74
in their "Top 100 Japanese pops Artists".
In 2004 Quruli released the album
Antenna. After the tour for the album was completed, Christopher McGuire
left the group. 2005 saw the release of several Quruli singles along
with a new album, Nikki, released in December of that year. In 2007
Quruli released a new album, Tanz Walzer, recorded in Vienna with the
famous Ambassade Orchester Wien. They joined forces again in 2008 to put
out the live album Philharmonic or die.
Quruli first appeared on television
performing Aoi Sora on NHK. On September 9, 2005, Quruli appeared on the
popular "Music Station" program and performed their song, Akai Densha.
The song was also featured as the theme song to a Keihin Electric
Express Railway commercial.
On May 26, 2010, Quruli released the
B-side compilation Boku no Sundeita Machi, which also included their new
song "Tokyo Rerere no Re." The album reached No. 1 on the Oricon weekly
album charts, becoming their first No. 1 album on the charts.
On September 8, 2010, Quruli released
their latest album "Kotoba naranai Egao wo Misete kure yo", including
the singles "Shatsu wo araeba" (with Matsutoya Yumi) and "Maho no Jutan."
Their songs continue to be used in Tiovita drink commercials, starting
with Jubilee, followed by Taiyo no blues, Shatsu wo araeba, Maho no
Jutan, and a new song yet to be released.
