26 June 2005

elliott brood::cadillac dust:: tin type::weewerk
elliott brood::edge of town::tin type::weewerk
devendra banhart::at the hop::at the hop::XL
devendra banhart::noah::nino rojo::XL
the skygreen leopards::mother the sun makes me cry::life&love in the sparrow’s meadow::jagjaguar/cargo
the skygreen leopards::tents along the water::life&love in the sparrow’s meadow::jagjaguar/cargo
smog::say valley maker::a river ain’t too much to love::drag city
mt eerie::i hold nothing::no flashlight::p.w.elverum&sun
mt eerie::the universe is shown::no flashlight::p.w.elverum&sun
deerhoof::come see the duck::green cosmos::menlo park
the new pornographers::three or four::twin cinema::matador
andrew bird::measuring cups::the mysterious production of eggs::righteous babe
hayden::i should have been watching you::skyscraper national park::hardwood
hayden::bass song::skyscraper national park::hardwood
iron&wine::sinning hands::7”::sub pop
damien jurado::white center::on my way to absence::secretly canadian
hood::end of one train working::outside closer::domino
bright eyes::down a rabbit hole::digital ash in a digital urn::saddle creek
teenage fanclub::slow fade pictures::man made::peMa
teenage fanclub::life without you::man made::peMa
album>>david pajo::pajo::drag city

French radio reports:POP (interview with Oliver Petkov)

As soon as I’m finally convinced that macedonian pop music is hopelessly dead, a few people come along to prove me wrong. Bei the fish, Robotek and Oliver Petkov are ones that come to mind. In a few days Oliver’s debut album French Radio Reporter is being officially released for Templum, book publishers that sometimes embrace kanal 103 FM recommended music.

Oliver is basically a charming guy from Veles, that apparently likes talking about himself in third person. He is also a Comparative Literature student that maybe has a lot to do with his weird sense of humour. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, he rips off Stereolab and The sea and cake...This is an e-mail interview I did with him somewhere around December 2004, before actually meeting him and working with him in the mutual Oliver’s geisha project.

Who is Oliver Petkov?
Oliver Petkov is a typical anti: hero, feminist, polish pope-ist...His weakness are the early winter mornings when he expects a parcel from Santa carrying a Pentium 4. Other weaknesses include: projects financed by NGO, he claims he never really got their point. He hates books with a beautiful cover and content because he is selling such to people with a not very attractive cover and content.
How do you make your music atmosphere-wise, and how long have you been doing this?Oliver actually believes in miracles. That is why he started making music a long long time ago. When after many attempts via liasons and corruption, he managed to get a B in maths, his parents bought him a guitar. So his musical beginnings are full of perpetual romance with a dangerous outcome. He makes his music at home, but it was never proved how exactly. It is assumed that he stays over in expencive hotels kneeling down a laptop and wishing to never leave the room. The scientists and former KGB associated with PASOK work hard to reveal his true identity.
Where do you find inspiration?
He always finds inspiration in bicycles. Once he said that if the album is of good quality then you can listen to it whilst riding a bike, without skipping once. The songs off French radio reporter have been tested with Pony Adriatic + helping wheels. It only skipped once actually...when a yellow Yugo 45A with register plates 345 AB ran into him.
What are your future plans(albums, songs, collaborations)?
His mother asked him exactly the same once...I don’t think the answer included any of the things mentioned in brackets.
How are you satisfied with our scene?
Generally we haven’t discussed that much. I don’t think he has a certain attitude towards scenes. But he likes the “our” in the question.
What is your album of the year?
It’s always been “Album of the year” by Faith No More.

As you can see he killed my interview, hence it never got really published.



**French Radio Reporter will be promoted on Monday the 27th of June in Tocka at 21:00h**

19 june 2005

wilco::cars can't escape::yankee hotel foxtrot demos::nonesuch
calvin johnson::can we kiss?::what was me::K
smog::rock bottom riser::a river ain't too much to love::drag city
decembrists::the engine driver::picaresque::kill rockstars
pernice brothers::snow::discover a lovelier you::ashmont
magnetic fields::take ecstasy with me::holiday::merge
castanets::heaps of wheat::what kind of cure::asthmatic kitty
i am kloot::dead man's cigarettes::gods and monsters::echo
i am kloot::strange without you::gods and monsters::echo
sons and daughters::dance me in::the repulsion box::domino
raveonettes::remember::chain gang of love::columbia
D+::my best day::dandelion seeds::K
karl blau::after all that fearing::dark,magic sea::kelp
karl blau::triangulation::dark,magic sea::kelp
mt eerie::with my hands out::seven new songs of mt eerie::department of safety
mt eerie::wooly mammoth's absence::seven new songs of mt eerie::department of safety
thanksgiving::track 1::now it is all over like the birds::marriage
bonnie "prince" billy::what are you::superwolf::drag city
magnolia electric co::at least the dark don't hide it::what comes after the blues?::secretly canadian
havergal::parachutes::elettricita::secretly canadian
havergal::a new innocent tyro allegory::elettricita::secretly canadian
oliver petkov::few of my friends prefer fork for biscuit::french radio reporter::demo
album>>y.a.c.h.t::mega::marriage

The Winona Riders radio session announcement

This Sunday(19th June), from 22:00 till midnight (in Sad and Beautiful world), on Kanal 103, Darko Tasevski and I are going to have a live radio session with our new material! Including interviews etc.

We intend to play:
Parachutes
Picard
Fortune Telling
Lucky Number 9 (Moldy Peaches cover)

Thanks @ Gjorgi Janevski for inviting us to play in his show.

PS: I have pernice brothers' Snow in my mind for about few hours now...Had a magnificent time in Jukebox tonight, started off with stuff like the jesus and mary chain, pj harvey, prml scrm, radiohead, blonde redhead while it was semi empty, then continued with shins, beck, stephen malkmus, pernice brothers, microphones, fiery furnaces, moldy peaches, deerhoof, elliott smith...further on Shurbe continued in the final 2 hours with similar outstanding stuff like yo la tengo, kings of convinience, josh rouse, teenage fanclub...

Lofidelica live!

This Wednesday, the 15th, I'll be playing music in Jukebox with my colleague Kostadin Shurbanovski-Shurbe as a part of the Kanal 103 nights in that club..

I'll play mostly stuff you can find in the playlists and reviews!

12 June 2005

blonde redhead::elephant woman::misery is a butterfly::4ad
blonde redhead::messinger::misery is a butterfly::4ad
mercury rev::a secret for a song::the secret migration::v2
songs ohia::peoria lunch box blues (vocals Scout Niblett)::magnolia electric company::secretly canadian
thanksgiving::track 6::now it is all over like the birds::marriage records
smog::drinking at the dam::a river ain't too much to love::drag city
yacht::roar (oops version)::mega::marriage records
yacht::i love a computer (anacortes version)::mega::marriage records
four tet::as serious as your life::as serious as your life::domino
fiery furnaces::spaniolated::the blueberry boat::rough trade
jesquibel::reaching::mise en abyme::marriage records
jesquibel::norm::mise en abyme::marriage records
mount eerie::wooly mamooth's absence::seven new songs of mt eerie::department of safety
devendra banhart::little yellow spiders::rejoising in the hands::young god
blonde redhead::loved despite of great faults::melody of certain damaged lemons::touch&go
field mice::before the first kiss::where'd you learn to kiss that way::sarah
silver jews::how to rent a room::the natural bridge::drag city
pavement::good soundz::crooked rain, crooked rain::matador
album>>stephen malkmus::face the truth::matador

Lofidelica interview: Grasshopper (Mercury rev)

Mercury Rev, the band that got kicked out of Lollapalooza in 1993 for their loud and “weird” music, played in Skopje tonight, and it was damn magical. Your lofidelica host got to interview Grasshopper (Sean Mackowiak), the lead guitarist.
We are located in kanal 103 during Lizzy&Mauricio show, it’s packed with lots of colegues, guests and Italians. Grasshopper seems to be hungry so my first Q is..
I’ve heard you make amazing spaghetti sauce, is that true?
It is! How do you know that!
These things spread really fast..what’s your secret? Recepie!
Well..fresh tomatoes is a good start, then a little olive oil, then you add basil and regano...now the secret ingredient is hot sauce, I add hot sauce called “Franks”...Finally you can add a little red wine as well.
Red wine...sounds interesting..By the way, what does “rev” mean? I know “mercury” has something to do with science..
The planet Mercury...you know...and it can also mean liquid metal..While to rev means when you step on the gas on the car, it can mean revolve, or revolution..and reve in french means to dream...so all those things...
You started off making music for films, how can you relate the visual with the sound?
They are very closely related actually... sound and music are vibrations and there are different spectrums of the waves, so music colours and images come together..there are times when Jonathan tells me, I want you to make a sound like a nest of bees going crazy, then that gives me a picture and I can do that, easier then play an E chord or something..
The material you recorded with David Baker as vocalist was much noisier, why is that? Was David into noise?
The thing is we were fighting a lot with Dave Baker so..The noise came from the combination, because we were always fighting, like storm ...
What was the biggest change during the recording of The secret migration compared to the previous albums?
The biggest change was that we recorded a lot of it ourselves and we had our own studio. We had to travel a lot to the other studios while recording All is dream and Deserter’s songs...This time, it was nice that we were kind of close to home.
What are your influences?
Well usually you can’t verbalize an influence, it’s something that is subconsciously implanted in you, like listening to the music your parents play in the car while driving...The first guitarists that come to mind are Neil Young, Robert Quine...I was also into punk rock when I was young, The Ramones,
Clash, The Gun Club..I listen to a lot of different music now, even jazz or classical..
What about the new american bands?
There is an interesting underground scene in America at the moment, but the problem is that it’s not put out that much, you can’t listen to it unless you’re living in a student town where you get student radios..A band I like a lot currently are Blonde Redhead..
My friend saw a “Joseph Campbell” sticker on your piano? How are you connected with the Joseph Campbell campaign?
Well you know, Campbell claims that in all mythology there are archetypes of different stories, there are always same stories that keep appearing in every culture, and we were interested in that philosophy..
Ok my final question..any thoughts on this radio station?
Ohh I like it..It looks very...
retro?
..Indie... most of the radio stations in America are commertial and they’re not as open minded..also this building looks interesting, I’ve heard the architect jumped off the top when he finished the construction.
Yes, he did...and I think I can understand why..
What about Skopje, what are your first impressions?
Well the mountains look very beautifull, tomorrow i’ll do a lot more walking, by my hotel there’s a river...And tonight i’m going to go out experience the night life..
Have fun! :)


* A part of this interview was published in Utrinski Vesnik, on Tuesday, 14th June...

Thanksgiving-Nothing-(marriage records)

Awful, ugly weather in Skopje, it's that moment when it's neither raining nor not raining..something in between, that can only give you a severe headache, I am making my way home from the radio station and sing quietly, but loud enough to make the people who pass me by give me these strange looks..I sing "now it is all oveeeer like the biiirds, now it is all oveeeer....". That maybe has nothing to do with Nothing, but it has to do with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the alias of a sweet looking person called Adrian Orange, whose beautiful voice and sensibillity reminds of Cat Power, Smog, Will Oldham... Melancholic, suptle voice, clever lyrics and soothing relaxing guitar backup. A few weeks ago you were able to hear "Now it is all over like the birds" EP on lofidelica, this week's issue was dedicated to his LP called Nothing.
It includes 10 tracks called nothing i.e untitled, and quite short, the total time is less then 30 minutes, which I particularly like about albums like these. Adrian tours with Jona Bechtolt (yacht), who according to this "Is orange birds" compilation booklet, tours with devendra banhart...They both release for marriage records, a small indie label from Portland, that apparently releases music lofidelica likes. Nothing is recorded by Curtis Knapp (who also sings backing vocals) and mastered by Rob Jones. Finally, the cover is quite simple, it features a drawing of a strange creature that looks like a fish, an owl, a vase, it looks like...like nothing.

05 June 2005

TKSK::skopje prethodniot den (skopje the day before)::skopje prethodniot den::АШ
jeffrey lewis::don't let the record label take you out to lunch::it's the ones who've cracked that the light shines through::rough trade
a john henry memorial::sleep walking::is orange birds::marriage records
adam bayer, drew cramer, andrew kaffer::times two::is orange birds::marriage records
the watery graves::marco polo::is orange birds::marriage records
yacht::i love a computer(anacortes mixx)::is orange birds::marriage records
little wings::ramblin'::is orange birds::marriage records
manta::a harbinger of toppling metropoli::is orange birds::marriage records
drakkar sauna::spear for when the bear comes::is orange birds::marriage records
mount eerie::it's not the hunting::is orange birds::marriage records
mise en abyme::norm::is orange birds::marriage records
thanksgiving::growing up::is orange birds::marriage records
or::as a metaphore::is orange birds::marriage records
poison dart:: i will bend my will::is orange birds::marriage records
the viking moses::toss and roll::is orange birds::marriage records
spencer kingman::bikee summer::is orange birds::marriage records
the blow::come on petunia::is orange birds::marriage records
rob walmart::the last sufi::is orange birds::marriage records
(pre) kingdom::ice skating::is orange birds::marriage records
white rainbow::chant, children, chant island festival traditional walking song::is orange birds::marriage records
mini monark::yoplait::is orange birds::marriage records
brave new no sound::hit single::is orange birds::marriage records
album>>thanksgiving::nothing::marriage records
brad atkins::lying for a living::big red::marriage records
brad atkins::little small message post::big red::marriage records
brad atkins::finger fantasies::big red::marriage records
the viking moses::country gown::crosses::marriage records
the viking moses::georgia::crosses::marriage records
the viking moses::my husband's hand::crosses::marriage records
spencer kingsman::vietnam malaria nostalgia::spenking::marriage records
spencer kingsman::R.A.T.L::spenking::marriage records

Jeffrey Lewis-It's the ones who've cracked that the light shines through (rough trade)

When it comes to Jeffrey Lewis everybody listens attentively, it doesn't matter if you're a trance, strokes, glitch, or an indie fan...His lyrics can soften your heart, stab fork-wise with striking precision in your intimacy..So I can't possibly not be completely subjective when reviewing him.
Before becoming a part of kanal 103 fm, I was such a crazy fan that i taped most of the programmes I liked. One of them was "Doli bese beatnik" (Dolly was a beatnik) that had the exact term that I have now, Sundays from 6 till 8 pm. Going through those tapes, months after I had recorded them, I totally accidently came across this fantastic song "The last time I did acid I went insane" by Jeffrey Lewis. Being a hardcore Moldy Peaches fan, I liked it very much. So much, that I played it over and over and over again. It was love at first listen (and I've never even done acid, but that hardly matters)...I enjoy seeing it happen to almost anyone that hears this song, it never fails to charm you completely, the lyrics, the voice, the music. Perfect. It seems a lot of people have gotten into Jeffrey via this song, hence he somehow became synonim for acid-antifolk..A fact which he doesn't seem to like particularly, hence he writes "No LSD tonight" that has it's place on this album I am listening to at the moment "It's the ones who've cracked that the light shines through"... He's this time accompained by his brother Jack Lewis (bass) and Andrew Griffen (drums).
Even though I can't say I like it as much as his previous stuff, "Don't let the record label take you out to lunch" has to be undoubtedly the best song title ever..Apart from that one, there are 12 other songs that walk on the line between a kimya dawson-ish harisma (Back when I was 4, Alphabet, You don't have to be a scientist to do experiments to your own heart) and weird acoustic punk (No LSD Tonight, If you shoot the head you kill the ghoul). To get the full image, Jeffrey's also good in comics, those low-fi NYC comics...I just hope one day we'll manage to get him here in Skopje.