Athens66

I finally decided to head downtown yesterday and pay my annual visit to the European Jazz Festival (on my first chance since I got back). This time I decided not to do my typical preparation (bag full of cocktails) and kept the alcohol to a minimum (only a few beers). Hosted in Gazi, the place was packed with all types of people (most of who pay no attention to the music whatsoever), from students (majority) to faking intellectuals and plain pretentious wankers. Ok, I’m sure there were some people that actually do like jazz in the place (I just love exaggerating).

So I first spent almost an hour touring around the exhibitions before trying to find a spot to rest and enjoy the music. Finding a spot took a while and of’ course I couldn’t listen to anything with all the crowd and poor sound setup. The first band I got to hear was the Deodato Siquir Trio from Denmark with their African influences (due to their drummer/singer). Not bad but no mater how much the singer tried, the crowd never got into the music and at the end they just gave up. The second band was The Eric Ineke Jazz Xpress from the Netherlands. I have the idea that they actually put the crowd to sleep but then again most of them where just looking for an excuse. Finally, the Wildbirds & Peacedrums from Sweden came out. A drummer and a singer that have more of a rock than jazz sound. I was already too tired from the whole scene that I only gave them 10 minutes but they didn’t manage to convince me (they try to blend rock with ethnic and avant-garde elements…but it just sounds like a rock wannabe-band who can’t find a guitarist to join them). Better luck next year (or perhaps I’m just not into all that jazz after all)..

Finally weekend and some time to rest...I'm preparing a number of posts but will probably be delayed cause today is one of the hottest days this year and I plan on spending most of my time outside (plan is the key word). Until then..a quick quiz!

From time to time, it’s good to get away from good music and focus on superficial aspects (although everyone out there will suggest the opposite). So what if her debut album was nothing more than an amusing mix of modern love scenes and intimate stories narrated through slang londoner lyrics. As far as the music goes, a happy mix of pop sounds accompanied by the casual piano tunes. To be noted, her album (Made of Bricks) is not that bad, just nothing really new or above average. Having said that, we still recommend Kate Nash just cause she’s 21, sweet and indie (by looks not music). What can I say, really beautiful she ain’t, neither does she have a great body, nor anything else that would made her stand out in a crowd…all the right ingredients for an indie chick. Just how we like them :-)

On another Monday morning (we all know how difficult these are) I took comfort on Otis Redding’s masterpiece Blue (which has been re-released as a Collector’s edition). And while I was ready to post something about this musical gem, I wondered off into a cover track contained in the record, the hit-piece Satisfaction. The original was of’ course written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards back in 1965 and ever since 95 other artists have made a cover of it, from masters like Otis Redding and Jimi Hendrix to duffers like Samantha Fox and Vanilla Ice. You can find the complete list of covers on SecondHandSongs but we decided to make a mega-video-posting here with our top, worst and strangest takes on this rock-and-roll piece of history.

This is just a masterpiece. As much as I love originals, this version is how the song was intended to be heard.

One of the best covers ever made (of any song). Devo deconstructed the original and ended up with a kick-ass punk version that I actually love even more than the Stone’s.

I can’t really decide what’s worst, Vanilla’s outfit or his mockery of a song.

Just when you thought she couldn’t get any worst (even worst than her acting in How I Met Your Mother). Now that I think of it, she is actually on her own league along with David Hasselhoff!!

Ok, this is not that weird in general, but given the likes of Cat Power, I have no clue why she did this cover..

A cover by the Residents, need I say more?

I'll sound bitter and old again, but I've missed the good old days when one of the joys of going into a record shop and browsing through the endless record collection was to also glance at some of the finest pieces of art depicted on the album covers. I'll be totally honest, I didn't really live through the golden years (since I grew up at the time of CDs), but with the digital revolution taking over the music industry, I start to wonder (like many have before me), is this art form slowly disappearing? (and am I starting to sound too much like Carrie? shit..)
Fortunately, there are still some nice covers coming out (although most of us only get to see them as thumbnails in our computers or iPods). So what stirred all these memories? It was one of my previews reviews, that of The Twilight Sad. Their album (and EPs preceding it) include some magnificent covers that pay tribute to the 50's comic era. Brilliant illustrations that reflect the band's reference to adolescence and sour memories that sometimes accompany them, illustrating lyrics such as "The kids are on fire, in the bedroom" and “But this is where your arm can't go”

I just spent almost 2 hours searching and waiting in line to get some gas for my car. I was away all the previous couple of weeks and had no idea there was a strike going on. And of course today was one of the few days that I really needed my car (have to drive all the way out of Athens for a friend's wedding). At least I came out a winner (full tank), although I'm still skeptical if it was gas they were filling or mostly water (I'll just have to wait for the autopsy).

The only good thing about all this was a song I happened to hear in one of the shops (while searching for wrapping paper, which was actually harder to find than gas...in other words I failed to find any). It was Gigi D'Agostino's 'Bla Bla Bla' (quite a stupid nonsense song) which I had come upon a few months ago featured in Jim Carrey's classic SNL sketch on YouTube (of course the original sketch featured Haddaway's 'What is Love' but who cares).

After extensive research and sleepless hours of listening to music, we were able to discover the true identities behind the electronic-dance duo Datarock. As you can see by the evidents collected, it turns out that they're not coming from Norway (which was quite a good cover...who the hell knows anyone from Norway?? besides Royksopp, which we now doubt if they are Norwegian too). The true genious under those hoods is our own local singer/star/performer/gangstaman Giorgos Mazonakis!!

I found this funny strip at some blog and it actually reflects how I feel these days about problems and means to fix them. We all come across things that annoy us each day and sometimes the only way of fixing them is to stop thinking and start acting.

PS. If only I followed my own advice..
PS2. I always wanted to do this (never solved the fricking cube)
PS3. Is it time to get a PS3??? (naah...)

Besides sightseeing and endless (probably crappy though) photographs that I've taken during this trip, the other thing that really stands out is getting back in grips with british television. It was quite a flashback when (while zapping through the limited channels during one of my resting times back in the hotel) I show the opening title (and haunting music) of Eastenders. Some things I guess never change back here.

This isn't always bad though. Cause I got another (enjoyable this time) flashback when I saw O'Sullivan and Hendry battling it out at the Crucible. To be honest, it was no battle this time with pure genius O'Sullivan just cruising through to the final (he's already managed to produce a 147 maximum during the tournament).
Amongst the other things spotted on the telly, a number of lame british comedies and dramas (whose names thankfully I don't recall), the local elections (with Labour facing a big loss and Boris ruling over London), Graham Norton still doing his show and Anne Robinson still torturing players at the Weakest Link.
At least I got to finally see an episode of The Big Bang Theory (although American; another harmless comedy about geeks and chicks which I'll probably download since I've finished How I Met Your Mother) and also Balls of Steel from C4 (great comedy show with nuts people trying to impress the host with how far and how stupid they can be to make people laugh; definitely going on my download list).

I've been spending the last week back on the Island (UK) cause of work. I've spent 4 days in Glasgow and now I'm in Edinburgh for another couple of nights before heading back to Athens. I've never been up so north before and must say I don't regret it that much. It's not that there's anything too bad or appalling about the place; on the contrary. Perhaps it's not the place itself but rather me (what a cliche).
While Glasgow was a bit dull as a city, its nightlife and music scene is packed with bars, pubs and live music in numerous corners. On the other hand, the natural and architectural beauty that Glasgow is missing is more than compensated here at Edinburgh. It is the night life however that did not inspire me for more than a couple of Guinness. It was basically down to choosing between the classy, fancy and definitely posy high class bars and clubs of George Street or the usual "I'm totally pissed, underage or just woke up from the nearby hostel" bars of Cowgate and Lothian.
Of the two cities, I definitely choose Glasgow head over heels (even just out of respect for giving us bands such as Belle & Sebastian, Arab Strap, Teenage Fanclub, Sons and Daughter, Franz Ferdinand and so many more).

PS. I'm sure both cities have so much more to offer than I just (very) briefly saw (you never really know a city until you lived it as an insider). It's mostly that I've always hated the classic pissed-and-jerk style of the brits (although it has its benefits). Give me a proper bar with real drinks and music, that's all I need..

Yesterday night I received an invitation to participate to yet another social-centric site, “Twine” (currently available in beta version thought invites only). It has been rumored as the next big-thing and the first Web 3.0 site (platform), combining semantic information through bookmarking and tagging in order to connect your interests with those of other people, providing “intelligent” browsing. Needless to say I signed up and created yet another profile.

While I try to cover-up my addiction to sign-up for any kind of social networking site with job related interests (IT freak), I don’t believe I’m convincing anyone (definitely not myself). Currently, my music preferences are recorded by Last.fm, my activities by Twitter and Facebook (not going further into Facebook territory; that’s a whole different subject which hopefully a fellow editor will post about pretty soon), my photos by Flickr, my futile artistic attempts by Humble Voice, my career by LinkedIn and my thoughts by Blogger. Big Brother is here and he definitely has our blessings and support (so far).

“Twine this” is the catch-phrase of the day…

As the Democratic Party’s presidential candidate election continues it is now evident that this is a marathon (unlike the Republican sprint) until the end of August. It is in Denver at the Democratic National Convention held from 25th till 28th of August that the superdelegates - which are basically a set of elected officials including former democratic presidents, vice-presidents, senators etc. – will decide the next Democratic candidate that will face the aged and uninspiring (obviously I’m judgmental here) John McCain.

The idea that a set of official members and not the people, who have voted in dozens of states by the millions, will decide the “Democratic” candidate seems somewhat ironic. Once again, you may accuse me of being judgmental about the election process due to the fact that most polls (and elections so far) show Obama as the favorite of the people, while Clinton has the superdelegates on her side. But then again, if I have to choose between racist or sexist, I’ll prefer to be accused as sexist and vote Obama all the way to the White House – how racists is that? Regardless of the result, one thing is for sure, the presidential race has proven a real delight for a change.

Obviously, I’m no political analyst nor have I followed the election on a daily basis (with the exception when I’m abroad and have to suffer through either CNN or even worst FOX-news) but we all have the right to a personal view. Hopefully Obama will give the final blow in Pennsylvania in a couple of weeks time and put an end to his big-state syndrome. Will see..

As most posts on this blog, they are inspired by late night talks, drinking and sessions of pro evolution. This was also the case of yesterday’s Twee revival with fellow blogger BLR. After a couple of matches of pro (Chelsea crashed woeful Sweden for yet another time) I once again indorsed with my latest obsession (belated as always) of listening to Last.fm music stations. After quite some time, we realized the common tag on most of the tracks, none other than “Twee Pop”.


That was that. A quick reference back to the origins of Twee Pop history and I was once again on my way to another post of personal favorites and listening suggestions. I guess I’ve been into Twee Pop more than I realized (not necessarily a bad thing though).

It all dates back to mid ‘80s, when in the UK new bands started to emerge from the post-punk era. They were referred to as Indie Pop, obviously due to having a pop sound and signed to independent labels. However, Indie Pop was much more than that. It evolved from synth Pop to more guitar oriented Pop, with references to 60’s music and uplifting, innocent lyrics.


It was in 1986 when NME issued a tape (the now famous C86) with some of the (at the time) most promising bands of this movement, that Indie Pop distinctively deviated from indie rock. This also further evolved, and later became known as ‘C86’ or Twee, a genre characterized by the jangly pop sound.

Whether Twee Pop still continues as a musical movement itself (if it does I guess Sweden is its new home) is not known to me. One thing is for sure, it has influenced many of our favorite bands and continues to put a smile on my face (rarely as that may be).

And what a better way to get into Twee Pop than to listen to the music itself. I have to say, I really enjoyed finding and compiling these mix-tapes (something I haven’t done for decades). Of’ course, the tracklistings are from the original C86 tape and the compilation is a mix of suggestions by Nitsuh Abebe, from his article The Story of Indie Pop, and my own favorites. Enjoy…



Acid House Kings; Architecture in Helsinki; Belle and Sebastian; Beat Happening; Blueboy; Boyracer; Camera Obscura; The Cardigans; Cub; The Fakrays; The Field Mice; Glo-Worm; Heavenly; The Hit Parade; Honeybunch; I'm from Barcelona; The Lucksmiths; Magnetic Fields; Merricks; The Nixons; The Orchids; The Pastels; Pipas; Rocketship; The Pipettes; The Pooh Sticks; The Radio Dept.; Saturday Looks Good to Me; The Sea Urchins; Small Factory; The Softies; Suburban Kids with Biblical Names; Talulah Gosh; Tambourine; Television Personalities; Tiger Trap; Tullycraft; The Vaselines; Velocity Girl; WolfieBlack

On yet another boring business trip (as most people nowdays), I made my usual stop on the airport's newsstand and got the latest copy of American Photo. Featured on the cover was Sheryl Nields' photo of Charlize Theron (as the mag's tribute to photography & the movies).

Reading through the mag, I discovered that the photo-shoot was for Esquire's annual "Sexiest Woman Alive" issue. Guess I was caught a bit off-guard, having missed this kind of information completely (as opposed to most people reading this). Needless to say, I did my surfing around Esquire's page and here are some of the most interesting photos of movie stars to appear recently in Esquire's pages.

" Driving at 70 miles per hour in the freeway , carefree , listening to music . You are free , thinking of nothing , enjoying the moment. Suddenly you loose control of the car , you hit a tree , you crash. You hit your head on the dashboard , everything goes black ...

You wake up in the hospital , your leg is in a cast , your head has stitches, you have three broken ribs. Your confidence is next to none , you question yourself , you are in pain . The painkillers do their job... "


" You are in love . You get to hug and to hold a woman that you believe is the woman of your life , you know that she is enough to make you happy. You do not even consider looking at another woman because she can fill your heart. You consider yourself a very lucky guy. You go to her you say ' I love you ' , she responds , ' I am sorry we have to seperate , I love somebody else ' ...

You feel the earth shatter into pieces undeneath your feet. Your heart aches so much as if somebody is crushing it into his hand , you feel life has no meaning anymore , you fell betrayed , you suffocate , you are in pain. Sorry , no painkillers for that ... "

Every generation has its own set of classic movies. However, some of these sets are not meant to be something unique or breakthrough in cinema history, nor where they ever meant to evolve into classics. All they intended was to entertain and be forgotten as soon as the credits were over. Looking back on them, a wonderful half-decade from 1992 till 1997 provided us with a number of such films, mainly focusing on 20-something love stories and mishaps. Overlooking the Generation-X trend, here is a (chronological) listing of some of those forgotten titles that most of us saw on late night TV. I’m sure I’ve left numerous ones out, but at least it’s a start…

Random thoughts Inspired by “Get Me Away From Here I'm Dying”, which has been constantly playing in my head from the first time I’ve heard it years ago..

It is important to maintain your unique way of thinking , of being yourself. To have your own ideas your own perspective of life. However when being in a relationship you have to do some compromises. No two people on earth are the same , most of the times the interests of men and women are different. When you normally enter a relationship , you want to be with somebody because you have feelings for him/her and you aim to share these emotions.

Some people claim that people with different interests should not be together.. Who can really support such an argument ? You choose a woman because you like her , you feel attraction towards her and not for their interest in cinema or belief in football. For sure being with somebody requires a level of compromise, so the only valid question can be " Do I care for her, do I want to be with her ? What am I willing to do to give up for her ? "

Sexy film star Kate Beckinsale tries to boogie like Anna Karina in the 1967 made for TV cult musical "Anna" with music by Serge Gainsbourg for a photo shoot for Mean magazine.