Good morning with our Middle of the Week Song - Don & Françoiz cover of The Cramps Kizmiaz. Have a nice day.

M. Ward. M.O.U.C.O., Porto, 27.05.2023.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Paulo Carmona

 

words: Paulo Carmona (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Paulo Carmona

A dusty dirt path, with no end in sight in the middle of nowhere, beaten by the sun, only attenuated by the brim of the hat and the green hills that invite us to stop near a creek of fresh water, for sure the soundtrack for such imaginary would pass through the songs of M. Ward.

Last Saturday night, an instrumental guitar intro with electrifying strums between short solos and riffs steeped in folk blues was the motto presented on a plate by M. Ward to the audience present at Mouco.

With eyes always closed, now bending his body over the guitar, then appearing as an extension of his arm, the musician feels every note that serves us with arrangements of garish, warm and strong colours. No doubt if it were a bouquet of flowers, they would be wild.

He thanked each applause with tight crossed arms against his chest and a slight bow with a very well pronounced thank you.

If Chinese Translation brought that sweet and melodic joy with the guitar galloping under a simple voice, on the other hand, Supernatural Thing, in that swing mode of a summer night in a dream with the king of rock'n'roll, brought a huskier dragged with high falsettos and guitar solo, backed by a sequenced loop.

M. Ward uses the music's spaces very well and the crescendos and diminuendos depending on the balance he wants to give it. A lot of talent and a lot of mastery, from someone who goes on stage alone and doesn't let their set-line fall into monotony. Only someone very bold would risk a Bowie’s cover with just a guitar in his hands and a harmonica. Well, Ward did it and with great class, not only because of the making he gave to Let’s Dance, but because the approach he took to the theme is pleasing and does not discredit the original in any way.

During I'm a Fool to Want You, a couple in love danced in front of me in a “we’re alone among them” mode.

After two short encores he ends with Rollercoaster, very entertaining as is the music he leaves us with. Many well-deserved applause.

It's raining outside, but not enough to put out the happy flame I carried in my pocket. There are nights like this.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Paulo Carmona

texto e fotos: Paulo Carmona

Um caminho de terra batida poeirento, sem fim à vista no meio do nada, o sol a bater de frente, apenas atenuado pela borda do chapéu e colinas verdejantes que nos convidam a parar junto a um riacho de água fresca, e por certo que a banda sonora para este imaginário passaria pelas canções de M. Ward.

Um intro instrumental à guitarra com dedilhados eletrizantes entre solos curtos e riffs impregnados de blues folk foi o mote que M Ward apresentou de bandeja à audiência do Mouco que marcou presença no passado sábado à noite.

De olhos cerrados o tempo todo, ora debruçando o corpo sobre a viola, ora esta surgindo como um prolongamento do seu braço, o músico sente cada nota que nos serve com arranjos de cores garridas, quentes e fortes. Se fosse um bouquet de flores, seriam silvestres, sem dúvida.

Agradeceu cada aplauso com os braços em cruz apertados contra o peito e ligeira vénia com um obrigadíssimo muito bem pronunciado.

Se Chinese Translation trouxe aquela alegria docinha e melódica com a guitarra a galopar sob uma voz singela, já Supernatural Thing, naquele modo de swing de uma noite de verão num sonho com o rei do rock’n’roll, trouxe uma voz mais rouca e arrastada com falsetes altos e solo de guitarra apoiado num loop sequenciado.

M. Ward utiliza muito bem os espaços da música e os crescendos e diminuendos consoante o balanço que lhe quer dar. Muito talento e muita mestria, de quem vai para palco só e não deixa o seu set-line cair em monotonia. Só alguém muito ousado arriscaria uma cover de Bowie só com uma guitarra na mão e uma harmónica. Pois é, Ward fê-lo e com grande classe, não só pela roupagem que deu a Let’s Dance, mas porque a abordagem que fez ao tema agrada e não desprestigia em nada o original.

Em I’m a Fool to Want You , um casal apaixonado dança à minha frente em modo estamos sozinhos no meio destes todos.

Após dois encores curtos termina com Roallercoaster, muito divertido tal como a música com que nos deixa. Muitos aplausos e bem merecidos.

Cá fora chove, mas não o suficiente para apagar a chama alegre que trazia na algibeira. Há noites assim.

Hi with Douceurs by Anne-James Chaton & Andy Moor and Yannis Kyriakides. Have a nice afternoon.

Chk Chk Chk (!!!), Hard Club, Porto, 25.05.2023.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

 

words: Neno Costa (Freely Translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Telma Mota

New York City based Californian sextet Chk Chk Chk (!!!) returned to Porto, bringing in their luggage, among other musical wanderings, their latest album Let It Be Blue (2022). Opening with This Is Pop 2, a manifesto for the pleasure of uncompromised and easily absorbed rhythms. The celebration of hedonism continued with A Little Bit, Panama, Bang … until culminating in one of the most interesting versions R.E.M.’s Man On The Moon, underlining the creative and irreverent drive of Chk!Chk!Chk!

Finely tuned dance music with funk guitars over a powerful and syncopated bass, samplers and synths, interwoven with the breadth and vocal power of Meah Pace and the grace and passion of Nic Offer several times oozing from the stage into the audience. Contagious rhythm, intense and fluid performance, groove of the best vintages and Chk Chk Chk embodied one of the best performances of this musical year.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

texto: Neno Costa; fotos: Telma Mota

O sexteto californiano, radicado em NY, Chk Chk Chk (!!!) retornou ao Porto trazendo o seu último álbum Let It Be Blue (2022) na bagagem, entre outras deambulações musicais. Abertura com This Is Pop 2, um manifesto ao prazer dos ritmos descomprometidos e de fácil absorção. A celebração do hedonismo prosseguiu com A Little Bit, Panama , Bang…até desembocar numa das versões mais interessantes de Man On The Moon, dos R.E.M., sublinhando a pulsão criativa e irreverente dos Chk!Chk!Chk!

Música de dança bem apurada, com guitarras funk sobre baixo potente e sincopado, samplers e sintetizadores, entretecidas com a amplitude e potência vocal de Meah Pace e a graça e a paixão de Nic Offer a escorrer do palco para o meio do público por diversas vezes. Ritmo contagiante, actuação intensa e fluida, groove das melhores colheitas, os Chk Chk Chk deram corpo a uma das melhores actuações deste ano musical.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

 

 

Hi and Happy Sunday with Paris by Friendly Fires

The Obsessed + Desert’s Smoke, Hard Club, Porto, 25.05.2023.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Marcos Leal

 

words: Marcos Leal (editing: Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Marcos Leal

On Thursday night Portuguese band Desert’s Smoke opened for the mythical The Obsessed. The room was still far from being filled, but those who attended got a good dose of powerful riffs and psychedelics in a formula that forced the audience to shake their heads, proving once again that they are one of the most interesting proposals within the Portuguese stoner and psychedelic rock world. Their concert, lasting about half an hour, was a good warm-up for the night's headliners who strolled through the room, although some preferred to wait on the esplanade for the night's main band.

When the time for the start of the concert arrived, The Obsessed entered the stage without delay, into an already better audience appointed room, but which, surprisingly, was not sold out, being the national debut of this historic American band with more than 40 years of career.

The Obsessed came back to be in 2016, with Scott 'Wino' Weinrich the only original and founding member of the band, currently accompanied by Brian Costantino on drums, Chris Angleberger on bass and Jason Taylor on rhythm guitar - band members later introduced during the concert - and Wino on vocals and guitar.

Those who went to see The Obsessed would not leave surprised, much less disappointed. The Obsessed delivered what was expected of them, old school doom metal, stoner rock and even upbeat rhythms of an almost punk rock nature that kept the audience in a growing frenzy until the end of the concert, presenting a good catalog of themes that explored the vast repertoire of the band from Maryland, United States, that even managed to present a couple of songs from a new album announced by the band to be released next year.

In the end, the band seems to have left satisfied with the visit to Porto, with Wino having said at one point that he was having a good time with Porto’s audience, who responded affirmatively and who, after the concert, rushed to the merch stand to support and salute the band.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Marcos Leal

 Good morning with Intercepted Message by Osees. Have a nice weekend.

Sessa, CCOP, Porto, 23.05.2023.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Marcos Leal

 

words: Marcos Leal (editing by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Marcos Leal

Tuesday, by the end of the day, mild temperature in the air and on arrival at CCOP it was made clear that the night was going to be warm, with people already crowding up in the street, at the entrance drinking a beer and smoking a cigarette before going up the stairs leading to the auditorium.

While waiting for Sessa and company to enter the Stage, a good part of the audience already present was waiting sitting on the floor, while others went to get a drink to refresh their bodies in an environment that was already guessing hot and that the large air conditioner on one side of the room could not be enough to soften, despite opening a clearing, such was the wind that came out of it.

On stage, hanging from the ceiling, three pieces of rectangular fabric with images reminding the visual imagery of the 2022 album Estrela Acesa that Sessa is presenting on this tour.

Announced the beginning of the concert by the usual voice recording, the public stands up and applauds the entrance of Sessa and company who take their places in the respective instruments. Sessa sits in the center on a small chair where he remained cross-legged with his guitar during the concert.

The first chords were for Estrela Acesa, the title song of Sessa's new record. A serene start, as a large part of the concert would be. The sessa music breathes the sea and calm of the late summer afternoon, like a light breeze that, despite the heat in the room, refreshed the soul.

Sessa, Sergio Sayeg's artistic name, of few words, but always with serenity and sweetness in the voice showing a certain naivety and timidity, highlighting how good it is to play in Portugal with an audience that shares the same language. As he spoke, smiles could be seen from the band and the audience and sighs could be heard between exclamations like “Oh…it's so sweet…”, “Oh…it's so cute…”.

After the third song Pele de Esfera, Sessa said the first words to thank and introduce the band that accompanies him on drums, acoustic bass and voice.The concert continued between songs from the two edited works, focusing on the last one, where the Brazilian musical heritage is notorious, from influencial artists like Caetano or Gal from the golden times of tropicália and pop soaked in samba that makes the bodies sway lightly, and with punctual moments of psychedelia .

At one point in the concert, Sessa alone on stage plays two cover songs 'Quién te Viera' by Eduardo Mateo and 'Flor de Maracujá' by João Donato, then returning to his repertoire with Dor Fodida.

The concert did not end without an encore with three songs Tanto, Língua Geral and Grandeza with which the band said goodbye with thanks, applause, smiles and the feeling of having lived a tender moment.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Marcos Leal

The Haunted Youth, M.O.U.C.O., Porto, 21.05.2023.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

 

words: Neno Costa (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Telma Mota

The Haunted Youth debuted in Porto, promoting mostly songs from their first album Dawn of the Freak (2022). At the first chords of Broken the landscape was populated with butterflies in the armpits and chewing gum on the hips celebrating a late adolescence that flew over the course of an hour, to the delight of the audience that rushed to M.O.U.C.O.

The Haunted Youth's music has the haunting success formulas with the guitars evolving into easily digestible melodic riffs, in a dream-pop affiliation that Joachim Liebens' voice and Anne Smets' keyboards accentuate, auguring an update of the menus of the nearest dance-floors. An example of the above was the song Gone, referring to a possible holiday soundtrack for a convertible. The Belgian quintet presented a cohesive, well-articulated and relaxed posture on stage, revealing mastery on the art of sound pastry, although stumbling upon a poor lyrical construction, which could be taken from the margins of a school notebook, sometimes in clear contrast with the melodic marzipan (e.g. Fell Like Shit).

All in all, a cute and delicious indie waiting for further maturation.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

texto: Neno Costa; fotos: Telma Mota

Os Haunted Youth fizeram a sua estreia no Porto, promovendo essencialmente músicas do seu primeiro álbum Dawn of the Freak (2022). Aos primeiros acordes de Broken, a paisagem povoou-se com borboletinhas nos sovacos e pastilha elástica nas ancas celebrando uma adolescência tardia, escorrendo ao longo de uma hora, para gáudio da assistência que acorreu ao M.O.U.C.O.

A música dos Haunted Youth tem a assombração das fórmulas de sucesso com as guitarras evoluindo em riffs melódicos de fácil digestão, numa filiação dream-pop que a voz de Joachim Liebens e as teclas de Anne Smets acentuam, augurando uma atualização das ementas das pistas de dança mais próximas. Exemplo do exposto foi a canção Gone, remetendo para uma possível banda sonora de férias para descapotável. O quinteto belga apresentou em palco uma postura coesa, bem articulada e descontraída, revelando domínio da arte da pastelaria sonora, embora tropeçando numa construção lírica pobre, que podia ser retirada das margens de um caderno escolar, por vezes em evidente contraste com o maçapão melódico (e.g. Fell Like Shit).

Feitas as contas, fica um indie fofinho e delicodoce à espera de melhor maturação.

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

Good morning with our Middle of the Week Song - Desert Flower - by The Saxophones. Have a nice day.

Amazing Songs & Other Delights #46 - The 2nd Anniversary edition by Raquel & The Astro Travelers @ Yé Yé Radio's mixcloud

Amazing Songs & Other Delights #46 - The 2nd Anniversary edition by me and my "band" The Astro Travelers can now be listened to at Yé Yé Radio's mixcloud.

Like last year, the programmes comprises purposely done, never heard before, never published, from the vault songs or instrumentals as well as songs that either I may like or somehow describe me picked by friends. There is also a brand new, it just came out, song Italian Shoes by ÓDubhTV.

When Ed (Clayton-Jones) sent me 1975 a song from his upcoming solo album I knew João (Diogo Zagalo) idea of putting music and voice to my poems was on. Two of my poems have the line "Lower East Side 1975". As Ed says there are no coincidences. Francisco Silva (Old Jerusalem sings and cretead a song with my poem 43, João Diogo Zagalo sings and created a song with my poem 51 mixed and mastered by his brother, Gonçalo Zagalo Pereira. digei de bairro is one of Pedro Tenreiro's projects. Paulo Navarro created a piano piece, Vini Reilly, Tom Gunn Nash contributed with another instrumental, Cycle. Máquina Magnética (Miguel Carvalhais, Pedro Tudela, Gustavo Costa, Rodrigo Carvalho) allowed to select an excerpt from their upcoming E+Criatech+mix+2021.

Rui Pimenta, Tó Cunha, Carlos Fortes, Pedro Mesquita and Ricardo Lopes selected songs. Respectively, Fog Over Frisco (Yo La Tengo), Cities in Dust (Garbage), Flyin' Shoes (Townes van Zandt), We Are All Prostitutes (Crookers Rmx) (Adam Sky Vs Mark Stewart) and Fade into You (Mazzy Star).

As for the red fish. It is my favourire red fish. It is part of a mural by VIC (Vasco Branco) and can be found on the library of Aveiro.

Monday, May 22nd 2023, 3.4pm

Running time: 50:37:07

Tracklist:
01 - Edward Clayton-Jones - 1975 (from upcoming solo album)

02 - Francisco Silva & Raquel Pinheiro - Poem 43

03 - João Diogo Zagalo & Raquel Pinheiro - Poem 51

04 - digei de bairro - ferramenta nº7 (pre-master)

05 - Yo La Tengo - Fog Over Frisco (Rui Pimenta)

06 - Garbage - Cities in Dust (Tó Cunha)

07- Máquina Magnética - E+Criatech+mix+2021 (excerpt from upcoming album)

08 - Townes van Zandt - Flyin' Shoes (Carlos Fortes)

09 - Adam Sky Vs Mark Stewart – We Are All Prostitutes (Crookers Rmx) - (Pedro Mesquita)

10 - Paulo Navarro - Vini Reilly

11 - ÓDubhTV - Italian Shoes

12 - Mazzy Star - Fade into You (Ricardo Lopes)

13 - Tom Gunn Nash - Cycle (unpublished)

All previous shows: www.mixcloud.com/infoyeye/stream | www.mixcloud.com/raquelpinheiro/stream/

Hi with Limão e Jasmin by Mila Dores. Have a nice afternoon.

Amazing Songs & Other Delights #46 - The 2nd Anniversary edition by Raquel & The Astro Travelers

 

Amazing Songs & Other Delights #46 - The 2nd Anniversary edition by and my "band The Astro Travelers airs tomorrow on Yé Yé Radio: yeyeradio.com/(or on the app), 3-4pm (Lisboa/London time). 

As last year, the programmes comprises purposely done, never heard before, never published, from the vault songs or instrumentals as well as songs that either I may like or somehow describe me picked by friends.

There is also a brand new, it just came out, song Italian Shoes by ÓDubhTV. When Ed (Clayton-Jones) sent me 1975 a song from his upcoming solo album I knew João (Diogo Zagalo) idea of putting music and voice to my poems was on. Two of my poems have the line "Lower East Side 1975". As Ed says there are no coincidences.

Francisco Silva (Old Jerusalem sings and cretead a song with my poem 43, João Diogo Zagalo sings and created a song with my poem 51 mixed and mastered by his brother, Gonçalo Zagalo Pereira. digei de bairro is one of Pedro Tenreiro's projects. Paulo Navarro created a piano piece, Vini Reilly, Tom Gunn Nash contributed with another instrumental, Cycle. Máquina Magnética (Miguel Carvalhais, Pedro Tudela, Gustavo Costa, Rodrigo Carvalho)  allowed to select an excerpt from their upcoming E+Criatech+mix+2021.

Rui Pimenta, Tó Cunha, Carlos Fortes, Pedro Mesquita and Ricardo Lopes selected songs. Respectively, Fog Over Frisco (Yo La Tengo), Cities in Dust (Garbage), Flyin' Shoes (Townes van Zandt), We Are All Prostitutes (Crookers Rmx) (Adam Sky Vs Mark Stewart) and Fade into You (Mazzy Star)

As for the red fish. It is my favourire red fish. It is part of a mural by VIC (Vasco Branco) and can be found on the library of Aveiro. 

Tracklist:

01 - Edward Clayton-Jones - 1975 (from upcoming solo album)

02 - Francisco Silva & Raquel Pinheiro - Poem 43 

03 - João Diogo Zagalo & Raquel Pinheiro - Poem 51

04 - digei de bairro - ferramenta nº7 (pre-master)

05 - Yo La Tengo - Fog Over Frisco (Rui Pimenta)

06 - Garbage - Cities in Dust (Tó Cunha) 

07-  Máquina Magnética - E+Criatech+mix+2021 (excerpt from upcoming album) 

08 - Townes van Zandt - Flyin' Shoes  (Carlos Fortes)

09 - Adam Sky Vs Mark Stewart – We Are All Prostitutes (Crookers Rmx) - (Pedro Mesquita)

10 - Paulo Navarro - Vini Reilly

11 - ÓDubhTV - Italian Shoes

12 - Mazzy Star - Fade into You (Ricardo Lopes)

13 - Tom Gunn Nash - Cycle (unpublished)

All previous shows: www.mixcloud.com/infoyeye/stream | www.mixcloud.com/raquelpinheiro/stream/

Hi and Happy Sunday with Passenger Jeff Parker's Interpolation for Interpol.

Good morning with Seconds by Beach Fossils. Have a nice weekend.

 Good morning with our Middle of the Week Song Changer by bar italia. Have a nice day.

 Hi with Moving target by Emil Amos. Have a nice afternoon.

Hi and Happy Sunday with True Love by Soft Walls.

Good morning with Funny Hand by Manteau. Have a nice weekend.

Good morning with our Middle of the Week Song  - Start With The Sound by Tim Arnold. Have a nice week. 

 Hi with Eraser by Sweeping Promises. Have a nice afternoon. 

Amazing Songs & Other Delights #45 - The New and New and Old edition by Raquel Pinheiro

Amazing Songs & Other Delights #45 is The New and New and Old edition.  It airs tomorrow, Monday 8th on Yé Yé Radio: yeyeradio.com/(or on the app), 3-4pm (London/Lisboa time). Nearly all songs are new as is @c + Drumming GP  that opens the programme.

The old refers to Janis Ian's Sweet Misery, which happens to be new for me since I only heard it for the first time a little while ago and Depeche Mode's cover of the late Gordon Lightfoot' Sundown. 

Tracklist:

01: @c + Drumming GP - 63, for percussion, synthetic percussion, electronics (excerpt) 

02: Janis Ian - Sweet Misery

03: Erik & The Worldly Savages - Thunder in Our Hearts 

04: Beach Fossils - Don't Fade Away

05: Special Friend - Bête 

06: Los Luchos - Rollercoaster Love (single version) 

07: Mother Juniper - These Little Animals 

08: Rose City Band - Slow Burn 

09: Depeche Mode - Sundown (Gordon Lightfoot cover  as performed by Scott Walker live @ Radio 2's Piano Room, 2023)

10: The Zoo & Joao Cabeleira - Neste Nosso Amor 

11: Dan Lynch - Australia 

12: Traço - Gota 

13: Fibril - The Bats are Back 

14: Las Robertas - Awakening 

15: Isa Leen - I Have In Me All the Dreams In the World

All previous shows: www.mixcloud.com/infoyeye/stream | www.mixcloud.com/raquelpinheiro/stream/

16: John Mercy - Who Took Harry Down? 

Hi and Happy Sunday with The Trumpet Song by The Particles. 

Good morning with Secret by Fred again & Brian Eno. Have a nice weekend.

 Good morning with our Middle of the week Song - These Little Animals by Mother Juniper. Have a nice day.

Amazing Songs & Other Delights #44 - The Dulce et Decorum Est edition by Raquel Pinheiro @ Yé Yé's mixcloud

Amazing Songs & Other Delights is back with a new programme the #44 - The Dulce et Decorum Est edition. Dulce et Decorum Est is a line from Horace's Odes of which the full sentence is "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" (it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country) used as the antithesis, "The old Lie", as an expression of senseless loss of life of the glorious meaning in Horace by Wilfred Owen in his poem of the same name.

April 24th is the eve of 25 de Abril (April 25th) that came to be know as A Revolução dos Cravos (The Carnation Revolution) a military coup d'etat that deposed the 48 year Military than right wing running dictartorship (28.05.1926-15.04.1974) in Portugal leadimg to the demise of Portugal's Colonial War (1961-1975). Owen wrote Dulce et Decorum Est while a soldier in the trenches of WWI. Wilfred died seven days before the 1918 Artistice Owne's poems were mosty written between August 1917 and September 1918 and live on. The programme opens with Christopher Eccleston reading Owen's poem and ends with the choir of prisoner soldiers in Merry Christmas Merry, Mr. Lawrence singing the 23rd Psalm.

Not all songs relate to war. At least not in the strict sense of war. Some approach daily struggles, the hardships of working people or racism or injustice. The Portuguese songs are from before the end of the dictartoship. From a time when every word had to carefully measured, inuendos or love, romantic and longing song spoke what could not be said. Although Reinaldo Ferreira poem sang by José Afonso is rather to the point, the soldier will only return home in a pine box. Chico Buarque's Construção is a critique of the Brazilian social situation under the Brazilian military dictatorship (01.04.1964-15-03-1985).

Both Dulce et Decorum Est and 23rd Psalm can be read bellow the tracklist.

Tracklist:

01 - Christopher Eccleston - reads Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen

02 - Comunicado do MFA - Aqui Posto de Comando

03 - The Doors - The End (from the Soundtrack of Apocalypse Now)

04 - Billy Bragg - Waiting For The Great Leap Foward

05 - Bob Dylan - Blind Willie McTell

06 - Bruce Springsteen - The River

07 - Chico Buarque - Construção

09 - Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms

10 - Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Oliver's Army

11 - Fernando Tordo - O Café (José Carlos Ary dos Santos' poem)

12 - José Afonso - Menina dos Olhos Tristes (Reinaldo Ferreira's poem)

13 - Manic Street Preachers - Let Robeson Sing

14 - Marvin Gaye - What's Going On

15 - Monophonics - There's A Riot Going On

16 - Public Enemy - By The Time I Get to Arizona

17 - Richard Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries excerpt (from the Soundtrack of Apocalypse Now)

18 - Ryuichi Sakamoto - 23rd Psalm (From the Soundtrack of Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence)

Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen

Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs,
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots,
But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots

Of gas-shells dropping softly behind.

Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!—An ecstasy of fumbling
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time,
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling
And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime.—
Dim through the misty panes and thick green light,

As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.

In all my dreams before my helpless sight,

He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning.

If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,—
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est

Pro patria mori.

23rd Psalm as in Ryuichi Sakamoto's version for Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me

The quiet waters by

My soul He doth restore again
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness

E’en for His own name’s sake
Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still
My table Thou hast furnished

In presence of my foes

All previous shows: www.mixcloud.com/infoyeye/stream | www.mixcloud.com/raquelpinheiro/stream/

Sonoscopia Anniversary, Porto, 29.04.2023.

Andrew Levine © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

words:Telma Mota (freely translated by Raquel Pinheiro); photos: Telma Mota

Last Saturday the second anniversary of Sonoscopy took place in Porto in its new home, now more spacious and pleasant, located at Rua Silva Porto. This association, which since the 1990s has been committed to boosting collective spaces and creating and presenting concerts, dedicated this anniversary event to experimental and improvised music for which interesting names in the field were invited.

The event started with Andrew Levine, currently residing in Hamburg. Levine presented an improvised set for a room still half filled, based on a curious set of instruments ranging from the theremin, one of the first electronic instruments completely controlled by dancing hands, a cracklebox, generating unusual sounds from 6 metallic buttons and a modular synthesizer, rich in producing inspiring tingles. Arlt, a pleasant surprise composed by Canadian Eloise Decazes and Frenchman Florian Caschera (known as Sing Sing) followed who presenting their most recent album Turnetable.This record challenges the romantic “French song” with experimental notes, almost circus-like sounds and pre-recorded folk musical pieces on nostalgic cassettes. Singing sweetly and captivatingly, the duo rocked the already crowded room with their charm and talent. They started the show with the melancholic 2012 song Tu m´as encore crevé un cheval and ended with two older themes Soleil enculé and the emotional De haut em bas. In between, the melodies of the new album following one another, enthusiastically accompanied on the guitar by Sing Sing and sprinkled with the noise of concertinas, the playing of plastic keyboards and the hum of other common objects that Eloise mixes so well with her naif voice.Arlt delighted the audience that aplauded and prolonged the moment with pleasure.

/Telma Mota

 Arlt © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

 This was followed by a break for dinner kindly offered by the organization as an integral part of the Sonoscopic experience.

After this moment of tranquility and conviviality, thunder struck Marcia Bassett, a New Yorker who is a reference in the underground world presented a black collage, dense and rich in improvised sounds, accompanied by the Swiss Ursula Scherrer on the projections, created from fabric textures and leaves captured by a camera. Nestled on the floor, they enveloped people in an electronic sound whirlwind of influences, noise, drone and many more nameless odors. From an impressive modular synthesizer with fingerboard and pieces of nature, Marcia offered a total immersive experience full of restlessness.

Marcia Basset & Ursula Scherrer © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

 

Closing the anniversary Frantz Loriot (violin), Marina Tantanozi (flutes) and Philipp Eden (piano and objects) trio performed a free and elegant improvisation. The piano, full of soft murmurs and intense awakenings, accompanied by the flute where vigorous blows and full-bodied sound blows followed one another, all involved by a disturbing violin, now in tune, now intentionally irritated with reality. They massaged and scratched the instruments with affection and excitement in a conversation rich in phrases full of content.

Frantz Loriot, Marina Tantanozi and Ohilipp Edenr  Trio
© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

 

 

A different day went by, calm and musically exciting, in a pleasantly homely and welcoming space.

/Telma Mota

© Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Telma Mota

Miguel Callaz @ Banda Amizade, Aveiro, 29.04.2023.

 © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Raquel Pinheiro

                                                                    

A Double Solo of Songs and (double) Bass

words & photos: Raquel Pinheiro

 Miguel Callaz © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Raquel Pinheiro

To celebrate the 49th anniversary of 25 de Abril Aveiro’s section of Associação José Afonso (AJA) organized an intimate late afternoon concerto with singer-songwriter-double bassist Miguel Callaz.

I was unfamiliar with both Miguel Callaz and Banda Amizade a local cultural association and philharmonic band that dates at least from 1834. All I knew from have taken a look at and AJ’s advert was that it was going to be a double bass concert. The double bass being the electric bass older, acoustic brother the event was right up my alley. Nothing like venturing into the unknown to be pleasantly surprised in every way.

Double bass, like electric bass is not played, but felt. Many people play one or both, few feel it. Miguel Callaz feels it, lives it, breathes it. As he says “this instrument that, to me, has no beginning or ending.” Solo double bass can be thought as a boring, extremely academic performance without margin for emotions, for the soul filling human touch. Nothing of the sort was gifted to us.

Miguel Callaz presented a mix of his second solo album Contra: Contemporânea Tradição (Contra: Contemporary Tradition) of revised and transposed to double bass and voice as well as to a more modern language traditional songs from Beira Baixa and Trás-os-Montes, and a few, hand chosen songs from Portuguese singer-songwriters matching the occasion.

Traditional songs originally for voice or voice and adufe (a quadrangular or rectangular traditional Portuguese percussion instrument of Moorish origin) like Moda de São João, Senhora do Almortão, Moda de Ceifa, O Bento Airoso and others remaining easily recognizable, transmute and change with the beautiful artistry of Miguel’s playing and singing bringing them us in a new manner that retains their essence. The words, as is often, if not always, the case in traditional and folk songs, are of utmost importance “the hidden truths contained within traditional songs”. They are also timeless even if the stories told are from a mostly gone rural or manual labour world.

 Miguel Callaz  © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Raquel Pinheiro

The singer-sonwriters chosen were José Afonso, born in Aveiro in 1929, whose song Grandola Vila Morena (not part of the concert reportoire) was one of the signals of the military coup of April’s 24th/25th 1974 that lead to the end of the dictatorship, a symbol the resistence, fight for freedom, usage of our traditional song books – he too sang Senhora do Almortão -, and one of our greatest artists; Sérgio Godinho /Que Força é Essa), José Mário Branco (Inquietação) with the double bass and the voice translating the restleness (inquietação), Fausto (Foi por Ela), Adriano Correia de Oliveira (Canção com Lágrimas). To tie the performance song half José Music (music) and traditional (lyrics) Tu Gitana – a XVI century song part of Elvas song book - that will be part of Miguel Callaz’s new album.

I saved the bass playing in itself for latter. Because, last is not least. And, in this particular case, truly not least. Without getting too tech bass geek, there is a uniqueness, a singularity, in Miguel’s playing. Drawing from jazz, masterly, but not eletistiscally, diving deep into our folklore to bring its rhythms, its flow to a way of multiusing the double bass. It is a marvel to look at Miguel’s hands as they finger, and pluck, and tap the body of the double bass and when the fingers pluck above the fingering hand down the fingerboard right there, close, close to the terminus of the fingerboard (on a bass/double bass finger or fretboard down is up and up is down).

However, after Miguel’s concert, the very end was a surprise by Banda Amizade’s band that came marching in and played a handful of upbeat tunes. What a lovely late afternoon!

 Banda Amizade's Band © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Raquel Pinheiro

 Miguel Callaz  © Mondo Bizarre Magazine/Raquel Pinheiro

Hi with Way of the World by Sudden Voices. Have a good afternoon.