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luuurien · 8 months

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Jessie Ware - That! Feels Good!

(Dance Pop, Disco, Funk)

Luxurious as its predecessor with red-hot sensuality as its guide, Jessie Ware’s follow-up to her 2020 juggernaut What’s Your Pleasure? features more live instrumentation, more expressive performances, and more glamorous disco fantasies. It’s classic, classy disco revival, and nearly every moment is a dream.

☆☆☆☆½

That! Feels Good! sounds expensive. It’s in the album’s DNA through the luxurious strings and live backing band and Jessie Ware’s magnificently trained voice, but also in the feel of it all, how the music transports you to her world of fruit innuendos and 70’s disco-funk and anthemic choruses until nothing else matters but the next beat to grace the dancefloor. Her music has always had romance as its guide - think back to her ravishing 2012 single Running or her smoky R&B hit Say You Love Me - but it wasn’t until 2020’s What’s Your Pleasure? she could show off a more expressive and distinctive side of her, stepping away from clean-cut pop soul and diving headfirst into swooning disco-pop, putting her music back in the spotlight her 2017 record Glasshouse produced relatively middling results. Now, with a balance in her life that’s strengthened every side of her, That! Feels Good! continues the work of her previous album with a greater connection to ‘70s disco foundations, linking with jazz-funk octet Kokoroko to bring a jolt of live band energy to her music while keeping in line with the tight and fast disco style of her previous release. It’s a wildly joyous and uplifting album that, unlike its predecessor, captures love rather than pining at it, Ware commanding the dancefloor with expertly crafted disco where surrendering to your immediate desires is the only concern; if love is the solution, Ware ensures it’s delivered in utmost glamour and excess.

From its first moments, That! Feels Good! makes it clear Ware is not here to linger: the opening title track packs food innuendos (“I gotta something to get you high / Sugar 'n' salt it, lick that lime / Lick, lick, lick, lick, lick, lick that, get in line!”), calls for gratification (“Freedom is a sound / And pleasure is a right!”), and sumptuous verses (“Every time I get a little bit of an inclination / You can throw me to the shock of a new sensation”) into its four-and-a-half minute runtime, laying the groundwork for the following songs and heading right into the heart of the nightlife. Ware has always been an exceptional vocalist with a propensity for both smooth jams and sing-your-heart-out anthems, but That! Feels Good! reveals her excellence as a performer, often playing the party host as much as she plays the singer on the stage - Shake the Bottle anchors itself in Grace Jones-esque speak singing with only the chorus fully sung and These Lips sends the album off with elegant strings and seductive spoken word - and it pulls you right into Ware’s fantasy like never before. The first seven tracks are a masterclass in pop album structuring, coming right out of the gate with the opening trio of the title track and album singles Free Yourself and Pearls before opening up with the Philly soul-indebted Hello Love, sitting squarely in the world of organic 70s disco and soul (save for the notes of garage house and europop in Free Yourself) but never sticking to a single style - Ware has done her homework in this era of underground dance. It’s not to say she’s the first to do this kind of pop revivalism, disco and dance pop have come back the past few years in all sorts of different forms from Dua Lipa’s crisp nu-disco to the glamorous ballroom of Beyoncé’s RENAISSANCE, but Ware opts for more directly retro sounds without too much touch-up, going for classic french touch on Freak Me Now and letting instrumentalists solo through sections of Begin Again and Beautiful People, staying far from being a rehash of old sounds by perfecting all the little details. It lacks some of the chillout, atmospheric warmth of its predecessor, but never before has Ware’s vision been so bold and in your face, That! Feels Good! guiding you through every step of the party from first stepping onto the dancefloor to sneaking away with a new lover to leaving at sunrise with the music still blaring behind you.

Her focus here is almost solely on physical desire, letting her need for touch propel Freak Me Now’s uninhibited house-pop and Pearls’ dance ‘til you drop diva house, but Ware’s music has never been unfocused, this turn away from What’s Your Pleasure?’s yearning for connection during pandemic lockdowns replaced with music that knows exactly what it wants and where to get it. Beautiful People makes it Ware’s mission to fit as many people into the party as she possibly can, fueled by cowbell and a peppy horn section and rejecting misery in favor of finding a new person to party with and pouring another drink, while Begin Again finds spiritual rebirth through a syncopated Latin disco groove and lush, elegant backing instrumentation, each finding euphoria their own ways while staying true to the inclusive, community ethos that ‘70s disco was built upon. Even Lightning, the album’s one slight misstep due to its trading of disco for the moody alt-R&B jams of her early albums, doesn’t lose a whole lot of magic, still functioning as a breath mark before the album comes to an end even if it’s too drastic a step away from everything before it. She doesn’t need to take up too much of your time because these 40 minutes are more than enough to get every idea of hers across - Ware the club diva, Ware the romantic dreamer, Ware the sexual temptress - and no time is wasted in that, Ware keeping the album focused and on a defined path from start to finish.

That! Feels Good! is the kind of party where everything seems to go right: the perfect amount of people, the right kind of drinks, the perfect lighting across the dancefloor, and the most welcoming host in the form of Ware. Her music may stay in one place, but it’s because she’s never sounded better than she does here, a smooth and singular listen with one goal it achieves with absolute precision - few pop albums, especially in this revivalist style, manage to be so refreshing and true to its roots at once. Balancing so many different ideas so effortlessly is a feat in itself, yet Ware makes That! Feels Good! exciting to come back to outside of its pure craftsmanship with her passion for her musical forbearers and how she carries their ideas forward. These songs are waiting for you to lose yourself inside their rich, timeless disco fantasies, and it’s impossible to resist Ware’s invitation to the party.

#jessie ware #that! feels good!#emi #dance #dance pop #disco #funk #house #pop #9/10 #2023 #album review #album reviews #music review #2023 music #new music #2023 albums #luuurien

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altarus · 5 months

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Peter Gabriel - i/o

After more than two decades Peter Gabriel is finally back with a new album. We investigate if the wait was worth it. Continue reading Untitled

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#2023 #album review #art rock #Bathory #Brian Eno #EMI #Genesis #i/o #Peter Gabriel #pop rock #progressive rock #Real World #Up #Us #Ziggo Dome Amsterdam

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dalkyum · 4 months

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EVERY MONTH OF 2023 IN CONTENT! I was tagged by @taegyunie and @dazzlingkai, thank you for thinking of me!! 💕

rules: link your favorite and/or most popular post from each month this year <3 (it’s totally fine to skip months!) and tag some CCs you love!

I know this is late so no pressure to do this at all but I'll tag @tamburins @hwangelbaby @jae-bums @jftk if you'd like to do it!

this is literally going to be emi reviews all of her gifs of yugyeom but like. let's go skfjdkjf

JANUARY most popular: yugjae from youngjae best friend radio (deserved) my favorites: this yugyeom instalive set!! also I think this set from the ponytail mv came out really pretty

FEBRUARY most popular: jinyoung album shoot (I think this is literally my most popular gifset jdjkfj) my favorites: ok I love this set from one of the aomg tour stops because well. wet. also he's cute. and this markjingyeom set that I did for the ahgase admirer event is the most like. technical gifset I've ever done and I think the colors came out so good

MARCH most popular: youngjae errr day behind (I need to do another set with this formatting I think it's so fun) my favorites: yugyeom aomg online concert cuteness, this youngjae performance set is soso pretty, and these dyeary gifs of yugyeom bc I always wanted to make big gifs of this clip even before I taught myself how to gif so they are special to mee

APRIL most popular + my favorite: another big gif yugyeom dyeary set as is my right

MAY most popular: yugyeom falling in love radio perf (apparently I was not giffing in april or may skjdkdf but I do like this set a lot of people said it was pretty)

JUNE most popular: YUGYEOM @ SEOUL WATERBOMB (DESERVED!!) also my most popular yugyeom set in general. also one of my faves 💕 my favorites: I think this set is cute too:) and!! this yugyeom w korea edit, I think I colored this so well. just absolutely killed that evil green filter

JULY most popular: yugyeom from it's live's tiktok (also a fave tbh) my favorites: this lolo performance set! and this one too, I think the coloring came out really nice

AUGUST most popular: just some guy for my isa's birthday (love this set, the clips go together so well it's so satisfying kfdkjd) my favorites: apparently I like everything I made in august so these are my most favorite posts. yugyeom dazed korea photoshoot is my best edit to date I love these sm. this yugyeom it's live set came out so hd looking and the colors are pretty:) I also love this lolo ending fairy set the coloring came out so good. AND no one cared abt this one but I love this set of yugyeom on monstop he's so prettie

SEPTEMBER most popular: yugyeom daebak show set (also a fave!! amazing. glad we all agree) my favorites: this yugyeom ig live set I think he looks so good in the blue 💙 I really need to make more ig live/vlive gifs they're truly my calling and yet I never make them skldfk

OCTOBER most popular: yugyeom lolo curv live my favorites: I love both of these sets of yugyeom at octopop he looked so amazing incredible this is one of my fav looks on him ever (yes I know it's just a tank top don't worry about me I can't be saved)

NOVEMBER most popular: my fancam set of yugyeom performing lights in berlin (screaming crying throwing up. nothing to add. obviously also one of my favorites, the lighting is so pretty and warm 🥹) my favorites: apparently I also like everything from november asdklf this youngjae suit dance set came out exactly the way I wanted 🩷 also yugyeom's birthday post of course. and yugyeom x buzzfeed uk just bc I didn't stop staring at this set for like a week. the first gif alone gave me enough serotonin to survive for a month

DECEMBER most popular: yugyeom take you down perf 220331 (this set came out so good. deserved) my favorites: I love this youngjae mencert set, this also came out exactly how I wanted skfjd youngjae has the best performance videos I swear. and this gifset of yugyeom performing take you down is so beautiful to mee I redid it a lot of times and I like what I ended up with!!

my goals for 2024 are to post more gifs and keep being normal about that man 🩷 I can literally see my improvement from the beginning of the year to now and I think that's really cool:)

if u have ever reblogged my gifs I love u. I'm literally over here just doing my thing and u are all so kind. kiss kiss

#this took me longer than i thought it would sfjdfjkdf if you read through this whole thing i love u #also sorry if i said the same thing over and over i literally ran out of adjectives my brain is broken <3 #tag game

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freddieraimbow74 · 2 months

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Happy 50th Anniversary to Queen ll !!

This fabulous album was released in the UK by EMI on the 8th of March 1974 and was tentatively titled “Over The Top’. This didn’t appease their label so Queen ll would be the perfect title. This album would be described as “Queens heaviest.”

The album combines a heavy rock sound with art rock and progressive rock elements,and has been called "a pillar of grandiose, assaultive hard rock" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

This is certainly the first time one hears their trademark multi-layered overdubs, those rich harmonies and the sheer joie de vivre of a group of young men refusing to be hindered by boundaries and conformity. So while other rock stars went on their holidays Queen worked like Trojan to complete in a month.

Both Brian May and Freddie Mercury had radically different lyrical agendas as far as songwriting content. While Brian preferred a personal or emotional slant, Freddie liked to operate in realms of the phantasmagorical – it was decided to give the record a loose concept, splitting the material into ‘White’ and ‘Black’ sides to match the light and shade of the songs. The White side has songs with a more emotional theme and written mostly by Brian and the black side is almost entirely about fantasy, often with quite dark themes and the songs were completely composed by Freddie himself.

Famed photographer Mick Rock was hired to shoot the album cover. He had the band posed to look suitably moody and vampish a la Marlene Dietrich in Shanghai Express. Freddie, of course, couldn’t resist the faintest of smirks as he looked up at Rock with arms crossed.

Mick said the band wanted to "graft some of [the trademark] decadent 'glam' sensibility" of his previous work with other artists. He also said, “Queen were looking to grab people's attention with the cover, especially since their first album had failed to do so. They realised that if you could catch people's eyes you could get them interested in the music."

Queen’s groundbreaking single released in advance was Freddie Mercury’s penned, “Seven Seas of Rhye,” based on a fantasy world called Rhye that he had created with his sister, Kashmira.

This song was their first entry into the UK singles chart thanks to Queen’s television debut on Britain’s popular show, “Top of The Pops.” The band was a last minute replacement for David Bowie and their performance was impressive enough to rush this fantasy single to an early release.

Brian May told Q magazine, March 2008, “Our first breakthrough, made with the idea that if radio was going to play it, everything had to explode. And it did work."

Brian also said, “To me, Queen II was the sort of emotional music we’d always wanted to be able to play, although we couldn’t play most of it onstage because it was too complicated. We were trying to push studio techniques to a new limit for rock groups — it was fulfilling all our dreams because we didn’t have much opportunity for that on the first album. It went through our minds to call the album Over The Top. Our record label frowned with that title.”

“We took so much trouble over that album, possibly too much, but when we finished we felt really proud, Immediately, it got really bad reviews so I took it home to listen to again and thought 'Christ, are they right?' But after hearing it a few weeks later, I still like it. I think it's great. We'll stick by it."

(Roger Taylor)

“Our latest album ‘Queen ll’ like the other album, is good because of the time we spent on the production. We did all the guitar overdubs, the acoustics, bells, lots of piano; in other words, everything! We go to all the mixes, we don’t just leave it to the producer. Even after the mixing we spent two weeks at Trident whilst the album was being cut.’ ~ John Deacon

“There was no deep meaning or concept in the album. At the time of recording we conceived it impulsively. I wrote a song, ‘The March Of The Black Queen’, for the album and that’s when we got the idea of having white and black sides - reflecting white and black moods. It became a good contrast. The Non Synths’ thing; we put that on as a joke at first because we were frustrated, but it turned out to be quite a good idea because we even managed to fool John Peel at the time. He said something in a review once about there being good use of Moog synthesizer, and actually it was just multi-tracked guitar. People actually thought that we hated synthesizers. Brian was recreating some amazing sounds through his guitar, but people thought ‘My God, guitars don’t sound like that; it’s got to be a synthesizer.’” ~ Freddie Mercury

The album enjoyed chart success in the UK, peaking at #5. In interviews the group promoted the album with a theme of "good versus evil," and made numerous public appearances to gain exposure. It remains a fan favourite to date and shows Queen at their finest, producing music that was deliberately not tailored for the hit parade!

Queen had finally arrived in style and Freddie could give up his weekend job at his clothing stall and concentrate upon the great times that lay ahead. Goodbye Kensington Market, hello world!

#freddie mercury #j’adore #musique #queen #brian may #roger taylor #jhon deacon

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burstingsunrise · 9 months

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If you managed to process it, I would love to hear a story about your experience at Luke's Fonda show🥰 No pressure though, only if you want😊

funny timing for this, i wrote up a little summary post a while ago and have been kind of working up to posting it.

it's hard, because how do you adequately summarize something that means so much to you? it feels like nothing i say will be enough, but i do want to share some things about it, because i think that will help it feel real. thank u for asking and providing the encouragement. <3 emo bullet points ahead! i tried to focus mainly on show-related things but this experience wasn't just important to me because of the shows, so some of the other stuff sneaks in.

that’s the first thing. it didn’t feel real, and it still kind of doesn’t. because i was only there for a few days, and i spent every morning getting coffee with meg and every night seeing luke perform my favorite album. like…that’s not real. that can’t be real.

accidentally but unsurprisingly coordinating outfits with meg on night one. the scientology recruiter on the sidewalk recognizing us from the day before when we’d walked by.

stress buying armloads of merch from an incredibly patient and probably at least somewhat high guy who immediately forgot about me, but who i will probably forever remember fondly.

roy and the mustard having a chat in the balcony.

standing in the crowd waiting for the first show to start. all of the anticipation mixed with all these different emotions, and then finally luke appears on stage. sings the opening of a beautiful dream. the lights shine on him more brightly as it crescendos and we finally get a good look at him. i turn to meg and i say “he’s so sparkly.”

comedown on night one. hearing “let me see all the things that i was supposed to see” while i was there. seeing it.

being able to look over at meg meaningfully when certain things happened during the shows, including but not limited to luke’s gratuitous displays of ass. poetic, really.

leaving the venue night one, in a daze. one of the security guys saying “have a good night” on our way out the door. he had no idea. no fucking idea what we’d just been through. have a good night! now that your lives have been changed forever! sausages on the sidewalk.

collapsing in the hotel lobby, quietly reviewing photos and videos, actually being able to do it openly and to talk about it or not talk about it, and to finally start to have it sink in.

staying up way too late, and eventually falling asleep in my new luke shirt.

the woman with the intense boston accent who hopped on the elevator and immediately asked me if the hotel had a coffee shop with a level of desperation in her voice that spoke to me deeply.

finding sam and meghna in line for night two, and the strange euphoria of speaking openly about things I almost never can to people i just met, but also already knew. being annoying and posting the same palm trees. wishing it would have worked out for emie to be there too.

grabbing meg’s hand to pull her into the crowd on night two. the feeling of relief. somehow we did it. two nights, two shows, two opportunities for everything to go wrong, but actually everything (or at least the things that mattered most) went right.

every time luke gazed our direction, on night two, which felt like a lot, and how every time it was kind of unbearable in the best way. because it’s him and because he was singing songs that mean so much to me while it felt like he was staring into my soul, and because i could look over at meg and know she knew exactly what i was feeling.

the shows going by so fast. i tried so hard to be in the moment and appreciate every second, but it was such a strange, out of body experience. this was something i’d daydreamed about and pictured in my head, but i never thought it was a real possibility. and even in my daydreams, i couldn’t fathom being that close to luke and being there with meg while it happened. it felt surreal that these things were actually happening to me.

the way luke smiled during the breakdown in mum, but also looked like he was dying so beautifully during place in me. admiring his large mouth during slip away. (it really does some riveting things to hit those points of emphasis.)

all the times he ran his hands through his hair to push it back off his forehead. all the times it fell right back where it was. the way he started the shows with it styled, but by comedown it was already just a perfect mess.

his silver nails and his new necklaces and the way his eyes sparkled.

night two, when luke started singing the new bloodline verse. that moment of “what is this? i don’t know this?” it hits different when it’s a song you know so well it’s like it’s a part of you, and suddenly there’s something new to it. thinking about those new lyrics, where they came from, how long they’ve existed, when and why luke decided to add them in, but just for night two.

the talking breaks, ranging from “i’m fuckin’ terrified” early on night one to “can you see my nipples in this shirt” late on night two. octopuses hanging from the ceiling. he didn’t know if anyone would like the album. but he knows we like to scream. making the album was such a very him thing to do, and it’s friday, and he’s in love.

the confetti cannon going off during starting line on night two, being positioned so it rained confetti into my hair, into my purse, down my shirt. it was blue and white and silver because of course it was, because luke thinks about these things.

his smiles and waves and little bows at the end. the shuffle step off stage and the way i watched his back disappear into the darkness until i couldn’t see him at all.

spending both shows with my hands clasped over my heart. it wasn’t a conscious choice. it’s just where they landed.

being stuck in the crowd after the night two show ended, surrounded by groups of people taking pictures of each other’s mascara tears or lying facedown in the confetti. seeing myself in some of those photos a few days later on twitter. and not just those photos - photos from the stage too. the photo luke posted (and took down). and the photo where meg and i are looking up at him with lovestruck smiles.

walking down hollywood boulevard at night, almost silent. walking down the other side of hollywood boulevard the next night, dodging drunk people, talking about luke’s nipples.

making the most absurd pouty face and waving pathetically on the elevator as i left meg on the 9th floor for the last time, then trying not to sob stepping out onto the 16th.

the trip home. feeling physically awful from several days living on iced lattes, kind bars, and no sleep. emotionally drained, sad to be leaving luke and la and meg. sitting at the airport, wishing i could be with my friends at the beach instead.

getting home, unpacking, tucking away my confetti for safekeeping. so incredibly happy but also so devastated to know that it really is possible to have it all, but only for a few days. grateful i had the chance at all, and that it worked out as well as it did.

#sorry this is much more earnest than my usual tumblr vibes it's just really important to me #i feel like i ended on kind of a downer there but i don't mean for it to be #it was just such an incredible experience and i'm so happy i had it at all #it's just a little hard trying to return to Reality afterwards u know #when you know what's possible #but instead you have to go to work #and live across the world from the person who gets you #and not see luke standing in front of you every day #so it's probably a little heavy on the wistfulness #also it's really hard to put into words the actual luke of it all #the shows themselves #i can pick out details but actually conveying the hugeness of the experience is impossible #but i'm very grateful for this ask giving me the opportunity to try #i have all these videos on my phone that i keep watching like evidence #trying to convince my brain it was real and i was there #live at the fonda #lhafc #ask #anon #sidenote it's bizarre seeing twitter stans in the wild #with the livestreams and everything i can't really think of anything that's like #"new” in terms of what went on at the shows to share but ama i'm happy to expand on the mustard

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my-chaos-radio · 5 months

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youtube

Release: August 8, 1980

Lyrics:

Four o'clock, I've been walkin' all night

It's the time I always think of you

If you could only see through my eyes

Then you know just what I'm going through

Here am I, I'm taking a chance

In running around with stars in my eyes

Here am I, I'm looking for you

Wondering, why do I feel so blue

I'm dreamin', dreamin' of me and you, oh-oh

I'm dreamin', dreamin' will see me through

Never letting chances pass me by

I'm gonna dream you right into my life

Yeah, dream you right into my life

Woman you'd better believe that I'm

(Dreamin' you into my life)

Five o'clock still walking around

I call you up but you'd just bring me down

I guess you'd say I'm getting nowhere

But in my dreams you always come around

Here am I, I'm takin' a chance

I'm walking on air, flyin' so high

Here am I, facing the truth

There's no other way I'll ever make you mine

I'm dreamin'

Dreamin' of me and you, oh-oh-oh

I'm dreamin', dreamin' will see me through

Never letting chances pass me by

I'm gonna dream you right into my life

Yeah, dream you right into my life

(Dreamin' dreamin' will see me through)

Woman you'd better believe that I'm

(Dreamin' you into my life)

Woman, you've got to believe me woman

Oh woman, you've got to believe me woman

I'll be (dreamin' you into my life)

You've got to believe me woman

Songwriter:

Woman, oh woman you've got to believe me

I'll be forever (Dreamin' you into my life)

Leo Sayer / Alan Tarney

SongFacts:

"Dreamin'" ("Dreaming" in the US) is a song recorded by Cliff Richard from his 1980 album I'm No Hero. The track was the first of three singles released and the album's biggest hit. It became a top ten hit in numerous countries, including the UK and the US, where it became his third and final top ten hit.

"Dreamin'" was composed by Alan Tarney with lyrics by Leo Sayer, whose own hit, a cover of "More Than I Can Say", charted at the same time as "Dreaming" in the last four months of 1980. Richard feared that the song was too high for his range. However, Tarney told him: "It was fantastic and asked [him] to sing it in that key."

It was released with the B-side being a re-recording of "Dynamite", a song Richard had originally recorded with the Shadows in 1959 and released as the B-side of their number one hit "Travellin' Light". The re-recording was later included on Richard's 1984 album The Rock Connection due to a lack of material for that album.

Robin Smith reviewed for Record Mirror: “Golden-toed and almond-clad Cliff snorts a ginseng and climbs to another winner. Smooth as a koala bear's bum in summer and with the same listenability as 'We Don't Talk Anymore', The man who makes the EMI accounting department very happy looks set for another decade."

The release of Richard's follow-up single to I'm No Hero album "A Little in Love" was delayed by the release of his duet with Olivia Newton-John "Suddenly" from the Xanadu soundtrack.

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archivermt · 2 years

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ON THIS DAY…

Live Aid

Today in 1985, Queen preformed at Wembley Stadium for a benefit concert called Live Aid. Live Aid was a fundraising event held by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for people in Ethiopia, who were experiencing a widespread famine. This concert was held in two major cities, Philadelphia and London. Many major artists participated in this concert such as Billy Joel, David Bowie, Elton John, Eric Clapton, and many more artists.

Queens Live Aid performance received many positive reviews, many claim that they stole the show. They preformed Bohemian Rhapsody, Radio Gaga, Hammer To Fall, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, We Will Rock You, and We Are The Champions. Freddie Mercury and Brian May also preformed Is This the World We Created? as well. This is one of Queens many iconic performances.

Queen Debut

Today in 1973, Queen released their self titled album! The album contains 10 tracks with at least four singles, the four singles being Liar, Son and Daughter, Keep Yourself Alive, and Doing All Right. This album was released by EMI Records and was recorded at Trident Studios and De Lane Lea Music Centre in London. This album was influenced by heavy metal and progressive rock and the lyrics are based on many topics.

Within this album, Roger Taylor has one song he sang, the song being called Modern Times Rock ‘n’ Roll. He wrote this song and it was recorded on two occasions.

#roger meddows taylor #roger taylor #queen band #a night at the opera #bohemian rhapsody #brian may #john deacon #queen #drummer #classic rock #live aid

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fredzeppelin · 7 months

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This is a photo and related article my grandfather sent me by Email, I hope you guys enjoy

It Happened In The 60s

Before Beatlemania set in, George Harrison visited his sister in Illinois on 16 September 1963, becoming the first Beatle on American soil.

Beatle John has the story:

“When a young man with long dark hair and a thick British accent first told Dorothy Burkitt, a chaperone at the old West Frankfort Teen Town, that he played in a band called the Beatles, she laughed. ‘Why would you name a band after an insect?’ she asked. But other than that she didn’t give it much thought.

At the time, Burkitt and her husband, Fred, were both chaperones at the teen town, which was located above Van-Wood Electric in a two-story building on West Main Street. It was there that she had her brief encounter with George Harrison, although she doubted much of what he said. ‘He was so sweet,’ she recalls. ‘We must have talked for a good hour, but I’m sorry I didn’t even shake his hand.’ Burkitt said George told her he was visiting over here from England with his sister, and he came to the teen town to see the band and hear its vocalists. She remembers him sitting on an old red couch in the lobby.

The next time Burkitt saw George Harrison, he was on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ several months later. ‘Oh, my gosh, Fred, there’s that kid that came to our teen town,’ she said. ‘He was telling the truth.’”

- Before He Was Fab: George Harrison’s First American Visit (2000)

Additional background from George:

According to George, “I went to New York and St Louis in 1963, to look around, and to the countryside in Illinois, where my sister was living at the time. I went to record stores. I bought Booker T and the MGs’ first album, Green Onions, and I bought some Bobby Bland, all kind of things.” George also bought James Ray’s single “Got My Mind Set On You” that he later covered in 1987.

When the Harrisons arrived in Benton, George and Louise hitchhiked to radio station WFRX-AM in West Frankfort, Illinois taking a copy of “She Loves You” which had been released 3 weeks earlier in Britain and on the day of George’s arrival in America. “She Loves You” got a positive review in Billboard but very little radio play, although WFRX did play it. According to DJ Marcia Raubach: “He was unusual looking, he dressed differently than the guys here. He was very soft-spoken and polite.”

It’s often claimed that in June 1963 Louise took a British copy of “From Me To You” to WFRX that she had been sent by her mother and that Raubach played it. This is probably true but the claim that this was the first time The Beatles’ music was broadcast in America is not. “From Me To You” was released in Britain in late April and then topped the British singles’ chart for seven weeks’. With the Beatles at No. 1 in Britain, Vee Jay Records released their single of ‘From Me To You’ / ‘Thank You Girl” as VJ 522 on May 27, 1963. The single was made ‘Pick Of the Week’ by Cash Box magazine, but was not a success.

With the Beatles success in Britain in early 1963, Parlophone were anxious to take advantage of their new asset and so contacted their sister label in America, Capitol Records that was owned by EMI. Capitol was underwhelmed by the Beatles records and so decided against releasing any of their records. Instead, Parlophone turned to a small US label called Vee Jay, a company started by a husband and wife in Gary, Indiana that specialized in black R & B music.

It was an irony probably not lost on the Beatles who loved and had been influenced by exactly that kind of music. In February 1963, two days after “Please Please Me” made No. 1 in Britain, Vee Jay released it as a single in the US. VJ 498 did get some airplay from the major Chicago top 40 radio station WLS and it even made their own chart for a couple of weeks, but nothing happened nationally on the Billboard charts. Not helping the band was the fact that Vee Jay managed to miss-spell the band’s name on the record as “Beattles.”

Article thanks to Richie Havers at www.udiscovermusic.com

#the beatles #Beatles #george harrison #60s #classic rock #pop #R&B #history #music

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rufusrant · 1 year

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Florence + the Machine - High As Hope: Album Review

This is the hardest album I've had to review yet. But I suppose that does not really carry so much weight seeing how I've only ever reviewed F+TM's previous 3 albums. Nevertheless, here we are.

In F+TM's discography, High As Hope is an anomaly in almost every way possible: it's their shortest album, the only one out under the Virgin EMI label, and there's only ever been a standard release of it (no deluxe versions or Target exclusives or any alternate editions). And then there's the album itself. I've reviewed all 10 tracks below.

Thus, standard warning here: I am not trained in music or its production in any way and these are all my own opinions as a fan, so feel free to disagree with me. I adore the band and this is only for fun lol.

And thus, onto the review!

#1: June

The review of High as Hope on Pitchfork calls this “a glum song about a high” and I agree, but I think this said glumness is the song’s greatest strength. It starts out so uncharacteristically slow and understated as compared to every other opening song Florence has done so far, but it works so well setting up the tone of what we’re about to expect, and in my opinion is the definitive song of the album. It’s far from the ambitiousness of the band’s previous work but makes the conversational, contemporary prose style work with Florence’s precisely spread vocals, and it all comes to one huge lift when the instrumentals start building up at the end. We might be starting more humbly and downplayed than before, but that’s exactly what makes it so heady, contemplative and altogether a song that really pushes through. 8/10.

#2: Hunger

My feelings on this flux so much. Some days I adore its honesty, vulnerability and joyfully confessional lyrics, but it has never struck that deep a chord within me — because I have no clue where she’s going with this song. I realise that it might be an overly personal choice, but could it be because the sudden mention of “staring at your phone” starkly pulls one out from Florence’s inner world and shunts us back into ours? This has never been a song I loved, but when it hits me, it hits me right where it needs to. I’d say the poetic lyrics are its true saving grace. 6/10.

#3: South London Forever

Look, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.

I know that this is an autobiographical song but I firmly dislike this without a doubt. Listening to this feels like I’m being given a tour by a group of people who are all arguing about where to go and what to do first to the point of just standing still and not moving at all. I can’t help but feel from reading the rambling lyrics that this was meant to have the understated and stripped-down tones of June albeit more lighthearted in some Bildrungsroman sense, but it fails because the melody keeps hiking itself higher and higher till there’s just a huge height to fall from. And boy does it fall. I feel that entirely displaces the essence of the song. Also, I can’t stand the “over and over” bit. Instant skip. 2/10.

#4: Big God

Putting this after its disappointing predecessor redeems this entire album all on its own. This feels like it belongs on Ceremonials because it sounds so dark and foreboding, but I love how it earns its place here simply because it’s actually a song, in Florence’s own magnificent words, about:

“obviously, an unfillable hole in the soul, but mainly about someone not replying to my text.”

Only Florence Welch, man.

It’s such a stormy, visceral song about a relatively minor modern problem. Literally the meme of “me at every inconvenience”. And it’s done with these divine, writhing lyrics about longing combined with such a satisfying build-up of tension throughout that’s released in the outro where she all but begs to be consumed by a higher power. It’s classic Florence. Shout out to the absolutely stellar music video released for this too, with all the water and witchy performances from Florence and her dancers. 9.5/10.

#5: Sky Full Of Song

This song is pure poetry. It feels like something that comes after a pyrrhic victory or a defeat, but at the same time, fittingly, feels like it’s being filtered through clouds, how calm it is. The instrumentals take a backseat as the focus is placed on Florence’s vocals, and what a great choice because it feels so much more intimate and leaves such a deep impact. It also hits hard on how this song is meant to illustrate Florence’s loneliness as such comes down from the high after having performed and needs to regain a proper sense of herself. And I am so glad to say that she succeeds so much. 7.5/10.

#6: Grace

Another autobiographical song: Grace is Florence’s younger sister. With its soulfully tender lyrics, Florence apologises to Grace for having mistreated her, and it’s made whole with a heartfelt ballad that leaves me in tears. As an older sister myself, I related so much to Florence’s feelings here, because she achieves the feat of making the unique pain and regret of bearing such deep love for your siblings and knowing that you should’ve treated them better into something so beautifully hopeful.

Thanks to this song, people all over the world shout-sing Grace’s name, followed by “I know you carry us” and “you are so loved.” Could there be a better tribute? I’m so glad that Florence was able to communicate her love for Grace in this way, and am glad they have a much healthier relationship now. 8.5/10.

#7: Patricia

Another tribute, but this time it's to one of Florence’s biggest idols, Patti Smith. I love how this song sounds so powerfully joyful and is unabashedly a love letter to women. I like this song overall — it starts out strong with great lyrics but ultimately ends a bit abruptly with the brass instrumentation akin to that on How Big How Blue How Beautiful (the track) laying in as Florence trails off at the end, thus making it kind of uneven for me. But other than that it’s one of the songs on the album I feel stands out more on its own. 6.5/10.

#8: 100 Years

An angry, fantastical stomper. This is the album’s longest and most ambitious track and endeavours to show it: it’s unmistakably a song in the battle-strong vein of Queen of Peace but toes the line between modernity and high fantasy, and what a great choice because Florence absolutely kills it and I’m so obsessed with this. The percussion here is so tight and ritualistic and when its coupled with Florence’s war cries, one of the best choruses of all time and the simmering rage in her downtrodden-but-never-defeated vocals, it makes the perfect rebellion/protest anthem and my personal favourite on the album. 10/10.

#9: The End Of Love

…in all honesty, this is one song that I can never remember a single thing about. Though it has stunningly haunting personal lyrics and Florence starts this one so beautifully and tenderly, halfway through it just goes off-kilter for me. It’s undoubtedly soulful yet somehow feels lethargic and lacking in integral soul; which is a drag since it comes right after we’ve geared up for battle in the previous track. Though, I guess when one interprets the song this way, it might just be the perfect song to play on the trudge home after failing and wallowing in it before moving on.

This was very nearly the title track of this album, but we got High As Hope in the end because let’s be real, how do you make something called The End Of Love not depressing? To me, the whole song embodies the feeling of finally giving up and moving on. But then there’s nothing left. Just a hollow void that does not make a dent. 3/10.

#10: No Choir

I’m so blown away by this one. It’s one of Florence’s most gentle numbers. There is quite literally no choir. No masks. No grandiosity. Just Florence. I know I previously said that June is this album’s definitive track, but this would be next in line if only it did not already fulfil the position of being something else entirely: something I can't quite name. But it's something that radiates and inspires so much, if I may, hope.

I’ll never forget the emotion Florence’s humming in the outro elicited from me. This song is serenity and love itself. It feels like a farewell. It feels like a reunion. It feels like the end of a life and yet a new beginning. But most of all, again, this is what hope really feels like. High As Hope indeed. 10/10.

Overview: There are two stylistic sides to this album: gentle domesticity and raw emotion. But it mostly feels like the former. This genuinely feels like Florence at her most intimate lyric-wise but at her most distant sonically. That is to say: this is the least ethereal, or, ‘off-brand’ F+TM has ever been yet, and as a result it seems a general consensus that High As Hope is (unfortunately) the band’s least-loved album. Added on with how minimalist it is in terms of length, production and how generally sparse it feels as a whole when compared to the more cosmically epic sound and larger-than-life themes of the previous three records — something I, too, have been guilty of thinking.

However, to say that Florence + the Machine has ever made a bad album is far from the truth. Let me explain:

I must admit I feel so sorry as this is Florence’s first album done in complete sobriety; to show that she was in a much better place and yet it's got this reputation of being the weird beige spot on an otherwise immaculate discography. But it does not feel fair to dismiss it as such.

So I’d like to bring up this tweet:

This is the album where Florence really started this latter form of songwriting in earnest, and as all first works and experimentation go I guess I can see why it did not garner as much reception as the former. But some of the songs that utilise the first type are genuinely good. There’s June. Sky Full Of Song. Grace. No Choir. Their truest beauty and greatest qualities lie in their lyrics, which are contemporary poems of their own — I read Florence’s lyrics/poetry book Useless Magic last year and SHE KNOWS SHE IS A POET — and I feel that she captures so many indescribable feelings with this newly ragged authenticity, all coupled with this pre-existing atmosphere F+T M embodies of wanting to feel something larger than yourself— though maybe one could argue that the latter statement doesn’t fit this album as a whole, seeing how no-frills it feels. And it is.

But as we all know, music is subjective and I find that after the literal odyssey Florence went on in How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful, are we really so surprised that she’d want to come dock her boat back on earth, just for a bit? 6.5/10.

Stream High As Hope on Spotify!

#florence + the machine #high as hope #florence welch #album review

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skzingitup · 2 years

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Hello gays I’m here with an album review, feel free t scroll past or tune in if you want some more music to listen to 👹

These are all my thoughts on Xdinary Heroes’ new album Hello World as I was listening to the songs, Here we go:

Test me - 7/10 - solid score, the rap bit is a bit abrupt and could have been eased in a bit more, and although I think the doctor whoified pink panther theme is sick, idk how I feel about it being in there 😭

KNOCK DOWN - 10/10 - funky beat, nice build up TO A SOLID ANTI CHORUS OMG IM SREAMING OMG AND THEN THE POST CHORUS WTF this feels like it could also be a WOODZ song so it deffo slays. The downward scales they use when singing makes me float. I’m levitating, heavenly vocals on the bridge ong this is my favourite song of the year I’m not even lying

Sucker Punch! - 9.5/10 - OMFG ARE THEY GONNA SLAY EVERYTHING WTF I actually have goose bumps wtf the strip back before the big chrous, opposite of the song before this is genius, a more like alternative rock sounding song I love this so much god their vocalists are so strong. Would have had that extra .5 if they added a full guitar solo

Strawberry Cake - 10/10 - it’s giving funeral vibes cemetery shit, kind of here for it nice build up OMFG the shouty vocals with just the base line I’m ascending. The muted organ sound. Dude these guys are geniuses istg oh and they brought the drums in for the second chrous fuckin hell 😭 the strip back before the final chorus is something I am an absolute sucker for. And now they’ve added all the instruments for the final chrous this is too good I have no more words

Pirates - 9/10 - heavenly vocals omfg fuck this is giving me rag and bone man vibes I love this so much the base feels like a pirate crew marching is the best o can describe it. Ateez who?? The only pirates I know are xdinary heroes.

Album of the year idc

#gonna force my family to listen to this all day now :D #xdinary heroes #kpop #emi reviews albums

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cyril-dela-8109574 · 1 year

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Copied from my brief review of this project on Bandcamp: Just a sensational project of sampling, archival interpolations of Beatles lore, and bombastic Wu-Tang Clan collective verses. Wu-Tang Killa Beez, we on a swarm across the universe to the Octopus's Garden with Rocky Raccoon and I Me Mine.

Enter the Magical Mystery Chambers, a 2011 project created by UK record producer and DJ Tom Caruana, is essentially the symbolic successor in composition and vision to American musician/record producer Danger Mouse's 2004 The Grey Album. 7 years prior, Danger Mouse isolated instrumentals and samples of The Beatles' self-titled ninth album (more popularly known as The White Album), which he then incorporated into a flipped version of Jay-Z's 2003 classic The Black Album. The end result was a striking experiment that utilized the Lads from Liverpool in a rather stripped-down yet engaging manner of beat chopping and looping. The influence of their melodies and instrumentals sonically transformed the Jay-Z a capella tracks from his well-acclaimed eighth album.

While Jay-Z's retirement after The Black Album's release turned out to be a lie after he returned to music with his ninth studio album Kingdom Come released in 2006, Danger Mouse faced the truth of his sampling experiment being met with cease-and-desist letters from British music label EMI. The transnational company owned the copyright for virtually all Beatles discographies in distribution. However, their attempts to stop record sales of The Grey Album were met with widespread advocacy campaigns in support of Danger Mouse's project. In fact, both represented parties in the remixed album -- both Jay-Z and the surviving members of The Beatles (Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr) -- were said to have approved of The Grey Album. Jay-Z stated in a 2010 interview with NPR that he "[thought] it was a really strong album. I champion any form of creativity, and that was a genius idea -- to do it. And it sparked so many others like it... I was honored to be on -- you know, quote-unquote, the same song with The Beatles." Comparatively, McCartney appraised The Grey Album as an example of how The Beatles' music interacted with Black American music: "It was really cool when hip-hop started, you would hear references in lyrics, you always felt honored. It's exactly what we did in the beginning – introducing black soul music to a mass white audience. It's come full circle. It's, well, cool. When you hear a riff similar to your own, your first feeling is 'rip-off.' After you've got over it you think, 'Look at that, someone's noticed that riff.'"

Two thoughts come to my mind in response to two particular positions I found disagreeable from the information presented up to this point. 1) Paul McCartney seemingly presents a position of ownership that he and his former bandmates possessed over the rock/rhythm and blues/soul/jazz/etc. genres that he says The Beatles 'traded influences with' prior to The Grey Album's creation. In response to Paul, I must say... ehh. Nah, sir. I would argue that an asymmetrical relationship can be found between the black music influences for which The Beatles absorbed and whitewashed when interpreting them for audiences of primarily millions of privileged, cis, het, white Americans, who ate Beatlemania up. Several early Beatles songs from their first four studio albums featured covers of songs initially composed and/or made popular by successful yet relatively underrated contemporary Black artists at the time. These covered songs include the following:

Arthur Alexander's "Anna (Go to Him)", The Shirelles's "Boys" and "Baby It's You", The Isley Brothers's "Twist and Shout", The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman", Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" and "Rock and Roll Music", Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' "You Really Got a Hold on Me", The Donays' "Devil in his Heart", Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want"), Roy Lee Johnson's "Mr. Moonlight", and a combination of Wilbert Harrison and Little Richard's respective versions of "Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!"

If anything, what this list of compiled songs that The Beatles had covered demonstrates is the sheer impact that Black American music instead possessed over The Beatles. The music that The Beatles played for the entire world to hear was picked and chosen from the soul, Motown, R&B, and rock tunes who the Merseyside Mop Tops were trying to emulate. As a result of their efforts, The Beatles were disproportionately crowned as music royalty regardless of all musical appropriation tactics they had employed to get to this point.

I must acknowledge, too, that this perspective comes from a longtime Beatles fan since I was 10 years old. I fall into this overwhelming, engaging, toxic culture we call Beatles fandom. I spent years attempting to learn dozens of John Lennon-style rhythmic guitar arrangements for popular Beatles songs. I even grew out my hair to achieve the aspirational bangs of a mop top when I was eleven! I viewed this group as infallible... and now, I must admit that my worship failed to acknowledge rightful criticism being lodged towards the English band who, for some diehard fans, catalyzed the development of popular music for decades to come.

There is much more to be said about how The Beatles were the product of the beat/mod music scene in 1960s Northern England that was often centered around northern soul -- where predominantly white dance clubs were enthralled by the experience of dancing wildly to Black American southern soul records while stimulated on amphetamines. There is even more to be said of how The Beatles utilized American folk rock and Indian raga influences as momentary experimentations during their years of psychedelic, purple hazes (I am not sure if The Beatles had a personal relationship with the greatest rock soloist ever known in popular music: Jimi Hendrix). But alas, I must simplify my argument to this: Paul McCartney is wrong when describing The Grey Album as the music of The Beatles 'coming full circle.' If I were to correct this logic, The White Album and The Black Album would instead be described as reciprocally related; both equally borrow from and are shaped by music elements of the past while also presenting outstanding, innovative displays of musical greatness (e.g., Jay-Z's "Encore", The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps").

2) Secondly, my further critique of this unexpectedly longwinded discussion of The Grey Album is to also critique the project for its shortcomings; by it being an experiment, the project is rough around the edges in terms of its execution. The samples incorporated by Danger Mouse are limited by the extent of where the original Beatles instrumentals venture in terms of beat flip-ability. The rap rock/at-times trip hop experiment can become repetitive and one-dimensional in the way it loops original Beatles song samples. It is, to me, a prototype of sampling projects to come.

A rightful usurper for the greatest project to mashup The Beatles with hip-hop surely did come with the release of Enter the Magical Mystery Chambers. In contrast to The Grey Album, little information about the musicological history of the former project could be found when I was conducting my Google search-based research prior to writing this blog entry. Tom Caruana is not as widely known as Danger Mouse, with his 2011 remix album likely undergoing countless rounds of music sample copyright battles. In contrast to Danger Mouse, Caruana is not supported by online campaigns to provide him overwhelming support of his work while facing legal challenges. Several uploads of this project have come and gone in their limited stays upon YouTube (which is a common streaming platform for more informal postings that may not clear the rigorous regulatory requirements put in place by, say, Spotify).

With this Tumblr post, here is my attempt to uplift this album that truly deserves much wider praise. Whereas The Grey Album falls slightly short because of the simplicity of its utilized samples, Enter the Magical Mystery Chambers is an astoundingly imaginative album in terms of how it expands upon said musical sampling. Caruana channels the ability to do so by crate-digging and flipping jazz/ska covers of Beatles original songs. To provide an example of this effective mixing and layering of samples, I want to highlight my favorite track from the project: "Forget Me Not." On this mix of the song, Caruana meshes a pitched-down spin of Jamaican guitarist Ernest Ranglin's heavenly cover of the McCartney-led "You Won't See Me" with bass, snare, and the sharp tongue of Wu-Tang killer bee Inspectah Deck lamenting about a decaying relationship with his momentary flame. A brief break ensues, with the archival recording beginning to play that is an interview of Paul McCartney about how he copes with the attention of multiple girls. This clip is then followed by snippet recordings of excited Beatles fans describing their attempts trying their darndest to make it into the private rooms of the four Liverpool Lads when they were on tour. The end result is an extremely fun, head-bopping mastery of a soul sample featuring an original Beatles melody, a wonderful ska instrumental cover, and a member of the Wu-Tang Clan collective sharing in the sentiments aired by the original song's lyrics.

This song is just a start for interpreting the immense creativity featured within Enter the Magical Mystery Chambers. Throughout the rest of the songs, Caruana continues to demonstrate the perfect balance of Beatles melody, Wu-Tang rhymes, and unearthed sampling deep cuts for providing the basis of the project. There is much more I can say about each song demonstrating a significant amount of intention being put into blending The Beatles and The Wu-Tang Clan through sonic chemistry and overlapping lyrical themes. However, it is 5 in the morning as I finish up this blog entry. I am tired. And so, I encourage you, reader, to give the full album a listen for yourself. Experience what I mean when I say that this project eclipses the sampling capabilities initially shown in The Grey Album. Tom Caruana's Enter the Magical Mystery Chambers is truly an internet music marvel to behold that meets the perfect middle point for a longtime Beatles fan turned hip-hop snob turned aspiring jazz enjoyer (i.e., it is a perfect album, in my eyes). And I think that you will enjoy listening to it, too.

To listen through Tom Caruana's Enter the Magical Mystery Chambers (2011), click here (you can also support the artist by purchasing an online copy!): Enter The Magical Mystery Chambers | Wu Tang vs The Beatles | Tom Caruana Remix Projects (bandcamp.com)

To listen to The Grey Album (2004) project by Danger Mouse, check it out here (this link may expire due it being posted on YouTube and potentially being shut down if it were to receive several copyright strikes): https://youtu.be/X-iA7AyFlU0

#the beatles #wu tang clan #mashup #hiphop #music history #sampling #Bandcamp

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ljaesch · 3 hours

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Compilation Album Review: NOW: Yearbook 1990

NOW: Yearbook 1990 is part of a series of compilation CDs being released in the United Kingdom by Sony Music / EMI, which feature songs that were hits in the U.K. during the year featured on each set. With this set covering 1990, it covers my early high school years, which means that I have memories of quite a few songs included here. But even saying that, there were still songs I discovered that…

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#1990s #1990s music #90s #90s music #music #music review #NOW Yearbook #aeschtunes

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qudachuk · 5 months

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(EMI)Gary Barlow and co ditch the synth-pop and roam from swirling strings to ska on their laudable if patchy latest outingOn the curious Days I Hate Myself, the sixth track on enduring manband Take That’s ninth album, Gary Barlow,...

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intothewideworld · 5 months

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The Apollo Kids Foundation has been making picture books with music since 2003

Apollo Kids was created by collaborating with Lucienne Tomesen (illustrator and writer) and composer and musician Guy Renardeau.

We publish DVDs, TV films, video clips and musical theater.

Our work has been reviewed in: NRC Next, VPRO 3 voor 12, Groter Groeien, J/M, Boek en Jeugd Gids, PeuterPlace, IOS Olijfmagazine, NBD Biblion, Peuteren, Pluizer, Days Magazine, Kleuternetwerk, Entoenentoen, Shownu.nl, Kindermuziek .com, Ook!, Kind Haarlem, Haarlems Dagblad, Haarlems Weekblad, De Haarlemmer, Haarlem dit Weekend, Wakou, De Sterrenparade RTV Oost, Kinderopvang Totaal, Kinderliedjes.info, Kindermuziek.tv, Wij kinderinfo.nl, Nederlandse Kinderjury KB, Jantje , Viva Mama, What are you reading?, Parents online, Boekenpret/Fantasia, Boekenkaravaan/Leesweb, Leeskraam, Literatuurlinks.net, Literartuurplein.nl, (Voor)leesplein, Voorleesgids, Attent, Probiblio, HRLM, De Echo Amsterdam-zuid, Uitgast Newsletter 2011, Uitmarkt, News Lelystad, Kinderzwerfboek.nl, De Volkskrant, NRC, Het Parool.

The musical theater performances we have produced are Brrr-live!, Meh-live!, The 4 Seasons, Dutch Landscape, Into the Wide World, parts 1 and 2 (Netherlands, Belgium), In die weite Welt hinein (Germany), Parcourir le monde (France). Our performances could be seen at: War Child Open Air Theater Caprera Bloemendaal, Kinderparkpop The Hague, Bevrijdingspop Haarlem, Haarlemmerhout Festival, Children's Festival Utrecht, Children's Festival Amsterdam, SonsbeekTheaterAvenue Festival Arnhem, Bloemencorso Haarlem-Bollenstreek, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ Amsterdam, Toneelschuur Haarlem, Open Air Theater Caprera Bloemendaal, Vondelpark Open Air Theater Amsterdam, Zuiderpark Open Air Theater Amsterdam, OBA Theater Amsterdam, Uitgast Festival Lelystad, Uitmarkt Amsterdam Nemo Theater Amsterdam, Theater VanBeresteyn Veendam, Brestheater Zeeland, Kindvakbeurs Den Bosch Brabanthallen, Toddler Festival Amsterdam, Theater aan de Werf Utrecht, Ostade Theater Amsterdam, Vondelpark Open Air Theater Festival Amsterdam, Odeon Arnhem.

We have produced music albums, and a dance hit single, 'I Dream of Sinterklaas', which won the radio music prize. We have published books and TV films in the Netherlands, Australia, Germany, Belgium, Scandinavia.

We gave successful concert tours from 2004 – 2011, and in 2011 we collaborated with the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ in Amsterdam. We gave a classical concert there with music by Guy Renardeau and a music and singing workshop with a song from the performance for children.

Employes:

Sverre Fredriksen. Studio 2.13 • www.svrr.tv https://www.linkedin.com/in/sverrefredriksen/ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm286

Sverre Fredriksen explores new territories in analog animation and has satisfied a wide range of international clients with his commissioned work. In the short Cloacinae, Sverre developed a new animation technique involving ice and puppets with artist Serge Onnen. Cloacinae premiered at the Rotterdam International Film Festival in 2017 and has been exhibited in art galleries in the Netherlands and China. Human Nature (2019) is Sverre's most recent short film. Filmmaker & animation artist Sverre Fredriksen runs Studio. 2.13 with graphic designer Quirin Jacques.

Guy Renardeau. Film Music, Songwriting, Electronic Music. Music for Children. Instruments: Piano, Guitar and Bas. Bio. Guy Renardeau is a multi-award-winning composer and producer for film and television based in The Netherlands and in Maryland (US). After obtaining his master's degree in composition, orchestral arrangement, sound design, piano and guitar from the Hochschule für Music in Kõln, Germany, and the Conservatory in Amsterdam, and film research at the University of Chichester, England, he traveled to several countries in Europe, touring with well-known musicians. He recorded for EMI, Sony and film producers. For a couple of years, he has developed a successful and unique approach to his scores and film music productions, songwriting, games and trailers.

Apollo Kids: From 2004 to 2011, he was the composer and musician in the productions: Brrr; About the Sea, Meh, The 4 Seasons, and Dutch Landscape. Guy was hired as the bandleader. They performed over more 500 concerts at children's festivals, concert halls and schools. Press: What makes his musical creations so unique? When composing for a movie, I think about the character and the story meticulously, doing research and analysis. Then, I work on the proper musical sound palette to perfectly support and underscore the story and marry the music to the picture. Joe Kraemer – Compose (Jack Reacher, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation) Guy Renardeau has proven himself as an outstanding musician and composer and as one of the most promising young artists to arise in the genre of film music. In his film music, Guy can use the music of a grand narrative, classical music and modern fusion, regardless of whether they are a magnificent present or his exquisite expression in music.

Articles with Guy Renardeau. Magazine Heart of Hollywood interview https://pdf.ac/1bKKTH. Clouzine Magazine interview https://pdf.ac/JSpVM. Hollywood IWAA interview https://pdf.ac/1odpj. Feature Film 202 See me once more, My Dear Kid. Grammy: Voting member. Hollywood Music In Media Awards: Juruy. European Film Academy: Jury. Bafta: Voting member.

Lucienne Tomesen. Already published by Lucienne Tomesen at Apollo Kids Publishers 'Brrr', picture book about the sea, with music CD, poetry, illustrations and lyrics Luciënne Tomesen, music, compositions and lyrics Guy Renardeau, series 'The four seasons', Pereboom publishers and Apollo Recording Studio, Bussum-Badhoevedorp, 2004. 'Mèh', picture book about spring, with music CD, poetry, illustrations and lyrics Luciënne Tomesen, music, compositions and lyrics Guy Renardeau, series 'The four seasons', publisher APOLLO kids and Apollo Recording Studio, Haarlem-Badhoevedorp, 2008. 'Tikketakkeregen', picture book about autumn and winter, with DVD film 'Into the wide world', poetry, illustrations and song lyrics Luciënne Tomesen, music, compositions, song lyrics and film Guy Renardeau, series 'The four seasons', publisher APOLLO kids and Apollo Recording/Film Studio, Haarlem-Badhoevedorp, 2012 'Dutch Landscape', DVD film, music, compositions and film Guy Renardeau, illustrations Luciënne Tomesen, publisher APOLLO kids, Apollo Recording/Film Studio, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, MuzyQ, Amsterdamse Waterleiding Duinen, 2010. 'I dream of Sinterklaas', dance - single with TV clip, lyrics and illustrations Luciënne Tomesen, music, composition, lyrics and film Guy Renardeau, publisher, APOLLO kids, Apollo Recording/Film Studio, Pink Records, 2010. Also available on the Olon CD. Tomesen's work is available in the Netherlands, Belgium, the Caribbean Netherlands, Australia, French museums, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, and Morocco.

Tomesen received financial support for her projects from the KNAW (Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences), NWO (Dutch Scientific Research), Maastricht University, Erasmus University, Municipality of Tilburg, Municipality of Maastricht, Municipality of Haarlem, Province of North Brabant, Province of South Holland, Ministry of WVC, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, European Commission, Shell International, European Cultural Foundation Amsterdam, Dutch Language Union.

Lucienne Tomesen twice won the 'Dutch Radio Public Award' with the composer, musician and music educator Guy Renardeau for the musical picture book series 'The Four Seasons'. "Contemporary quality music for children." - VPRO "Also nice to listen to for parents." – ChildrenVarious music companies have performed around 500 musical theatre performances of picture books with poems, music CDs and DVD films in concert halls, theatres, festivals and schools in the Netherlands. Tomesen wrote the lyrics and poems, made the illustrations and props, and built the sets for the performances. The picture books with music have also been made into six short TV films, 2 of which have been released on DVDMovies: https//vimeo.com/user13258945.

Tomesen and Renardeau put 'contemporary quality music for young children, written by living composers' and 'contemporary music performances for young children, performed by the composer/musician himself' in the spotlight at multimedia publisher

APOLLO Kids in 2004-2012. 'Children and music' are now on the map within Dutch education, with Queen Maximà as the figurehead.The composer, musician and music educator Guy Renardeau wrote the music for her picture book series 'The Four Seasons'. Renardeau lives and works in the US, the Netherlands and France. He has many film music awards to his name. IMDb Pro http://www.imdb.me/GuyRenardeau

Dr. Luciënne Tomesen (Haarlem) is a writer, scientist (law and philosophy), university lecturer, nature guide and pedagogue. She writes novels, poems, song lyrics, translations and scientific work. She also illustrates picture books. The scientific collection 'Thinking about Culture in Europe' received an excellent qualification within university education under its editorship.

New titles from Lucienne Tomesen in 2023-2024 from Apollo Kids publishers. Extra-curricular Lucky Ones. With pictures, photos and film. Lucienne is inspired in her work by nature in her living environment. She is one of the pioneers in greening childcare in the South Kennemerland region. Tomesen is a green bricklayer at the national Groen Cement Foundation, a nature guide at the children's working group of the Institute for Nature Education and Sustainability (South Kennemerland department) and a school counsellor in the oldest native garden in Europe: Jac. P. Thijsse's Hof in Bloemendaal. Tomesen completed a field biology course at the Royal Dutch Natural History Society. For over 12 years, Tomesen allowed children within childcare, education, cultural organizations and nature organizations to benefit from her artistic and green knowledge for a few half-days a week. She works according to the 'arti et naturae' principle. For her, art and nature are inextricably linked. Movies. The composer, musician and music educator Guy Renardeau wrote the music for the short films 'Butterfly' and 'Play with Me' for the book 'Out-of-school Bofkonten'. The drawings, photos and texts in the films are by Lucienne Tomesen. https://vimeo.com/user13258945 (APOLLO kids publisher) https://natuurluciennetomesen.tumblr.com.

Dr. Jac. P. Thijsse's Hofhouding. Nature education in Bloemendaal. With pictures, photos and film. Lucienne worked as a school counsellor at Thijsse's Hof in Bloemendaal from 2007-2010. She provided nature education to schoolchildren in the oldest native garden in Europe. In this collection, she describes Jac's court with great humour. P. Thijsse. Thijsse is the founder of numerous nature organizations in the Netherlands. He was a teacher, writer of nature books, pioneer, naturalist and conservationist, and was of great significance for nature in the Netherlands.

Window TV. You don't know what you see. With pictures, photos and film. Lucienne lived for a few years (2015-2016) in a farming village in 'the Bathtub of Europe'. The Zeevang polder is on the Markermeer, 30 km north of Amsterdam. A typical Dutch landscape with low skies, windmills and expansive views. The peat meadow area in Laag Holland has been declared a Natura 2000 area. With photos, drawings and stories about villagers, farmers, green city dwellers and 'the things no one knows'. Luciënne's grandfather and aunt had a farm in a village in the southernmost tip of South Limburg, in the Geuldal. She spent much of her childhood there. The landscape where Aunt lived was declared an Iconic Landscape a few years ago. Eli Heimans, Jac's friend. P. Thijsse conducted research there and wrote the book 'Uit our chalk land', 1901. Documentary Lucienne Tomesen in the peat meadow landscape in Low Holland by Guy Renardeau with music by Guy Renadeau. The drawings, photos and texts in the films and the documentary are by Lucienne Tomesen. https://vimeo.com/user13258945 (APOLLO kids publisher) https://natuurluciennetomesen.tumblr.com.

Documentary Do farming villages and farmers in the low peat meadow landscape (Natura 2000 area) in Low Holland still have a future? Guy Renardeau (LA) made a documentary about nature and farmers in the Zeevang Polder (2015-2016), with music by Guy Renardeau. The theme of the documentary is 'enlargement of scale'. How can facilities such as a school and a bus connection, an association for rural women and cultural activities in the reformed church be maintained? He asked this question to a farmer, his wife, and a young man who attended primary school in Ribbon Village, which consists of 500 inhabitants. The young man was in a class with his younger sister. His class consisted of 2 people. https://youtu.be/RCLtLrL3MdA?si=oCi0JyaCA1XDgqZi.

Movie Nostalghia. Andrey Tarkovsky's masterpiece 'Nostalghia' is a film about 'loss'. Guy Renardeau wrote music for this magical black-and-white film (his last) in 2020 during the 'pandemic'. Tarkovsky grew up in the Russian countryside. Stalin and communism destroyed that countryside with its farmers and its wooden houses. This film tells the story of Tarkovsky and his time and tells something about us and our time ('Great Reset'). 'Nostalgia' means longing for that which is definitively gone.

https://youtu.be/57PisdbnBoU?si=XpzHsQQCRQU6WPIr

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