Day 463 – World’s gone mad

The world’s gone mad.
I have tried to swim against the tide, but I’ve given up and now I’m just drifting along with the rest of them.

Like some sort of… Passenger.

Perhaps surprisingly, this is the fourth best rendition of this song that I have ever heard. But that’s only because I have only heard four versions. Obviously, the correct order is:

  1. REM – (the Jools Holland version)
  2. Iggy Pop
  3. Siouxsie and the Banshees
  4. This one. Although if you have any other suggestions, they will almost certainly slot in above The Hoff.

Wow. So leathery.

WLP

I’m not putting this on here for the reasons you might already be thinking of. I did hear it on the radio yesterday, and that was definitely for those reasons, but I’m steering clear of all that stuff on here (at least for the moment).

It is a great song – one of my favourites by REM – and deserves to be highlighted, regardless of the current global political machinations.

And this is albeit that the band themselves volunteered it as an anti-Trump song last year in yet another move which didn’t destroy him.

This is a longer live version, complete with a really young Michael Stipe (hey, it was filmed in 1989!), plenty of stick and chair action and a cinematic video. It takes a while to get going.

Be patient. Trust me.

…please don’t take a picture

Channelling Michael Stipe:

It’s been a bad day…

…please don’t take a picture.

Student protests” which suddenly(?) seem to be much more than just student protests, a staff member involved in a nasty RTA (he’ll live), the political puppetry of Jacob Zuma and his apparently relentless agenda to ruin the entire country via the Punch & Judy Show which is the National Prosecuting Authority versus the Finance Minister, the fact that I was already feeling rather crap – physically and mentally – before all of this nonsense started.

And it’s not even midday yet.

I do like that REM song though. They need to update the video to HD.
Doing it over an actual news report in SA today would be a good idea.

But equally thoroughly depressing.

There goes the bandwidth

Oh dear. That’s the local internet broken as REM drop one hundred and something rare, unplugged, live and “other” tracks onto iTunes.

The massive cache includes stuff from as far back as 1982, as well as live performances – such as their 2003 Glastonbury set. We were right at the front for that, having enjoyed The Darkness, Inspiral Carpets, De La Soul and Suede, amongst others. What an amazing day.

Goosebumps.

If you’re an REM fan, this is like all your Christmasses and Birthdays rolled up into one. Collections will be completed. Memories will be reignited. Wallets will be emptied.

And the local telephone exchange is going to take a hell of a beating.

New Music Monday

Yes. I know it’s Tuesday.
Thanks.

With not going away this weekend, I had access to the internet. This is generally a good thing, but not when I’m in the mood for some new music. Wallets (namely mine) start getting thinner. Rapidly.

And now I’m playing catch-up because I have a million new songs to listen to.

Here’s what’s in store (or rather not in the store anymore):

All At Once from The Airborne Toxic Event.
I told you I was going to get this.

REM’s Collapse Into Now.
I’ve been following REM since 1987 and yet their last album, Accelerate, was my favourite so far.  This has a lot to live up to.

DJ Fresh & Euphonik: F.eU Too – In The Club.
Proof that you don’t need to actually have a brain to spin some thumping dance tracks, 5fm’s drive time host and his friend have mixed some catchy anthems here. This was playing while I was in Musica and it was flying off the shelves. Yoav’s We Are Dancing (The Peter Luyts mix), Teenage Crime from Adrian Lux and Hello (the song with the really disappointing video) from Martin Solveig all feature.

Goodluck’s CD, which appears to be called Goodluck.
Buy it now and you’ll get a bonus remix disc thrown in free of charge, which has 3 remixes of Taking It Easy (the über-chilled track we told you about here) and another 3 of their latest offering Hop On Hop Off, which has nothing to do with the Cape Town Sightseeing bus, although that is an option with the service.

Wounded Rhymes – Lykke Li.
A worrying purchase, this.  I based it on one song: I Follow Rivers, which grabbed me with it’s 80’s soundtrack and breathy, yet powerful vocals. Still, what could possibly go wrong when you hear that the artist in question is a 23 year old Swedish indie singer whose music “often blends elements of pop, electronic, and indie rock” and she has a middle name that sounds like shampoo (Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson)?
And basing an album purchase on one song is infinitely better than basing a purchase on no songs whatsoever and just taking a chance because it’s in the UK charts. I did that with Pala from a band called Friendly Fires. It was pants. What a waste of bandwidth.

I’ll be reporting back on these new purchases as and when I see fit.

In the meantime – what else should I be listening to – and why?
Your recommendations in the comments section below would be appreciated.