Damondays SPAM!

It's been a while since I've posted, so I've decided to do a SPAM post with all the stuff I've discovered in the past two weeks...








• The Honest Jon's Revue at the Lincoln Center is fast approaching...here's the blurb about it from the Lincoln Center website, it's part of their yearly festival:

"WHAT TO SEE IF YOU'RE MUSICALLY INQUISITIVE

Mr. Albarn, once the lead singer in the rock group Blur, has become British pop's most unlikely polymath. "Damon has gone beyond being a rock musician. He's someone who is musically extremely inquisitive," Mr. Redden said. Damon Albarn & the Honest Jon's Revue will feature performances by 10 artists on the Honest Jon's record label co-founded by Mr. Albarn in 2002. Honest Jon's specializes in African music but, reflecting the label's diversity, the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and Los Angeles-based soul singer Simone White will also be performing. "

It's on July 12th at Avery Fisher Hall in New York, with a symposium beforehand. All those lucky enough to be able to attend should go. I just browsed through the Honest Jon's label page and you can't look at their selection without buying stuff! I spent $50.00 in ten minutes on there! They have so much interesting music (if you're interested I got the "London is the Place For me 4" compilation and the "Black Slavery Days The Sound Of St. Ann's" CD. It seemed really interesting, they have tons of stuff documenting pre-war immigrant music in London (lots of Reggae, Calypso etc.) It's kind of a musical genre that has been forgotten or at least overshadowed by the artists it influenced like the Two-Tone and later Ska revivals. To be Honest, Jon, I didn't really know most of this stuff existed before (like Lord Kitchener) so I'm happy to learn more. Who knew my twelve year old love of Blur would broaden my musical horizons so much? Of course Honest Jon's deals mostly in African music, but there's loads of folk, and some dance music too. The photo is of Damon inside Honest Jon's, the record shop that started his love for "outernational music" and whom with he started the label.

Lincoln Center For The Performing Arts
Honest Jon's


• The Guardian has done an A-Z of the Olympics, in honor of ...well, the Olympics. At "G" there's Gorillaz, because:
"G is for Gorillaz
The duo behind the cartoon-fronted band, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, have produced the soundtrack and title sequence for the BBC's Olympic coverage. In the two-minute animation, three colourful characters will journey to Beijing - Monkey, Pigsy and Sandy, inspired by the cult Seventies TV show Monkey. 'The key aim was to try to bring the Olympics to newer and younger audiences,' said a BBC spokesperson, failing to mention whether that other character - the kid with the sceptre who kept saying 'No violence, Monkey!' - would feature too."

Um, that other character is Tripitaka!! Hmm..so we're still only getting Bob Costas?

Guardian A-Z of the Olympics.

•Now for my youtube discoveries!

1. Someone has posted a very early version of one of Blur's best songs "Sing". It was recorded in 1989, when they were "Seymour". I like it, especially the plinky piano.


2. In 1993, Blur did an opening gig for Duran Duran to a bewildered crowd in Cologne Germany. This is Oily Water, also one of my favorite Blur songs ever, it's just Albarn/Coxon at their best. I've never seen this live before, so this youtube vid is a treat - it was only on blurcast before. Damon goes mental with a bull horn...it's great. I only wish that the ending was as long as it is on MLIR, it just goes on and on and on, and just when you think it's over, it goes on some more! It will always be one of the best.


3. My favorite song from Think Tank is Caravan. It just has this quiet, sneaky brilliance...and the ever-present melodica. I just really love all the weird sounds on this simple song. I hadn't seen any live versions of it on youtube, but now there's a whole slew. Here's the best one from a show in Italy.


THAT'S IT! ENJOY!