What's your favourite song ever?

How did I miss so much House & Garage from the 90's?? Oh wait, yeah no that's right, it was because I was listening to Michael Bolton, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, and most influentially, the Spice Girls.

I would like to thank Mr Collier, from work (and Essex) for this, he continues to amuse and educate me:

Bon Iver / Hammersmith Apollo / 24 October 2011

I'm pretty excited at the moment. My immediate future has some milestone events in store. These, plus some plain good planning, sees some exceptionally good times in the pipeline and one of the first has lived more than pleasurably up to expectations. Bon Iver last night at the Hammersmith Apollo, a venue that already holds some nostalgic sentiment for me, could have done no wrong really, but having had the luck to have seen them previously (twice) when they played Glastonbury in 2009 I can safely say they are only getting better.

Their 2011 European tour sees a stage-full of multi-instrumentalists, an eclectic group of men who are clearly just as passionate about this unique sound as frontman, and resolute face of Bon Iver, Justin Vernon. I have fallen in love with Festivals but I am still to claim myself a prolific gig-goer. Despite this there was something about the atmosphere of the Apollo last night that felt different to other live music events; in the halting pauses between lines of unintelligible words and oft inhumane sounds emitting from the mouth of Justin Vernon the crowd was silent, transfixed, appreciative, slightly swaying. I've never seen anything like it. This, for the first 6 songs at least until a crazed and hypnotic saxophone solo threaded into Blood Bank and a significant portion of the audience went mad, shortly followed by a loud, maniacal and highly satisfying Creature Fear.

After the lyrics of Re:Stacks came to an end, and the band continued Vernon produced a camera and started filming the audience. Then in a familiar tack, before launching into Wolves, he asks the audience to include themselves with the evenings performance and join him for the emotional repetition of "what might have been lost", which, as it had in the middle of a field in Somerset, grew to an impressive crescendo, making it my favourite song.

The pleasure of last nights performance was that it was that, a performance, and it is this that made it better, musically, than their sets of two years ago. More developed material hasn't lost any of the original emotion infused into it by a wounded man during a self-imposed year of isolation, but much loved songs were turned into multi-layered sequences with styles at times of a big Jazz band, reminiscent of 80's music, and at others what could easily be incidental score music.

If you weren't there, live youtube video's will not do it justice, this is something close.

opener, Perth

my favourite, Wolves

en core, Skinny Love

Loved Music Live

I am getting very excited about the impending Bon Iver gig I've had a ticket stuck to my wall for since May. I missed the initial rush and ended up with a sold on ticket for twice the price and I don't even mind. After watching them twice at Glastonbury 2010 I can't wait to hear material from their recent album live.

I've been youtubing unheard material just to reinforce my adoration of the voice and talent of the man behind the lyrics, Justin Vernon. I'm currently on hold to Orange waiting to rant about how I still can't open picture messages people send me and the faltering pop of the hold music only serves to heighten my appreciation of Bon Iver's songs.

In a rare occurrence it is near impossible to pick a song or video that I don't want to share. I've settled on the one below because it was the last one I listened to before decided to write this post. And quite frankly it's loveliness speaks for itself.

song of the day

Feeling Unrefined

"But I might drink a little bit more than I should tonight
And I might take you home with me if I could tonight
And I think you should let me cause I look good tonight
And we might not get tomorrow"

- Pitbull/Matt Howard (18.03.2011)

p.s. It's nearly Friday

untitled

Double page spread [oh yes, that's poster size] of SPACE(!) in today's Independent courtesy of two Antennae Galaxies colliding, captured by a telescope from the not even complete yet Alma conservatory.

Being still in the midst of a sparkle obsession I've got the yearns for some glittery shoes so may have to splurge on a serious seasonal investment.

Fur and The Waterproof Bible came in the post today.

I am really looking forward to Andrew Kaufman's follow up to his unusual and affecting début All My Friends Are Superheroes* and hope it cements my fondness for his style of storytelling. Fur, I watched in full this evening, after binging on parts on youtube and it hit me particularly harder even though I knew what was coming. A really beautiful film and I am so glad it's now mine to own rather than post back to lovefilm, which has just sent me Gainsbourg, that I'll be watching tomorrow after a mid-week dinner date. Spoilt.

Currently listening to the happily Prince-esque tones of Blood Orange a.k.a Devonté Hynes (ex-pat, ex-Test Icicle, ex-Lightspeed Champion) in the form of the DJ Exotica Sage Presents : Blood Orange Home Recordings Mixtape, the Terrible Records Mixtape, and leaks of his forthcoming Coastal Grooves EP. There's a quiet rawness to all of it that leaves you wanting more but similarly accepting Hynes' obvious comfort zone. It's a lot more relaxed than the raucous punk of the Icicles and easier listening than Lightspeed but leaves you wondering if he intends to develop this style further. Because it sounds goooood.

Will be snoozing to the owl sounds from outside my window tonight. Lovely.

*one of mine & some of his

Bestival

Unfortunately Besitval had to compete with The Garden Festival this summer, but despite the weather courtesy of the tail end of hurricane Katia the Isle of Wight gave Croatia a pretty good run for its money with wigs, glitter, amaaaazing tunes, and disgraceful behaviour a plenty!