A spring-like release

May I do another post on Spanish music (sung in English, though ) without people skipping it?. Give it a try, Spain also has a lot to offer as far a music goes, and not all is flamenco - in fact most of it isn't.
Proof of it is Marlango, they are just about to release their new album "Life in the treehouse" and the first single makes it look very promising, very spring-like feeling to it so the release is most timely. Some very arty images in their video too :

In this other video they talk about this new cd, basically saying it's a more happy record (happiness type B they say, as they're never "the life of the party") that also aims for the kind of simplicity that's achieved through very hard work.
Marlango's singer, Leonor Watling, is also one of the best Spanish actresses around.
Also trying to push down all this blog's seasonal posts... looks kinda shabby still showing Christmas and Valentine's stuff..

L'illustration

Pic: make up session demonstration, 1932

Different post this time, L'Illustration was a French magazine famous in its time for its most advanced design and photographs as well as its quality articles, which covered the widest variety of topics, more info here. It was specially popular and important during the different wars of that period because of the extensive coverage it provided. Since I've some copies, all dated in the 1930's, I figured I'd post about it.

And surprisingly there are quite a few on sale at ebay, not expensive at all.

Now some pics, may add more in the future. Some of them are frivolous, others most tragic (hope it is not regarded as disrespectful to have posted them together, nothing further from my intention). All of them are to me pretty impressive, specially considering the cameras back then. They all belong to different issues dated 1932 (some of the photographs were taken in previous years though).

There are some impressively beautiful front pages like the one below, L' Atlantique and its story now forgotten, -a ship returning to port with no passengers, only its crew aboard when there's a fire, believed to have started in a first class cabin at a little before 3.30 am. No, it's not a movie!. The story here-

A few ads (hey, some women were not that doomed with domesticity!) :

Music, hippos...

Years after my grandparents died I lived in their house for a few months.
It was a small flat full of half empty cabinets. What was still there by then was what was considered completely expendable... I couldn't have agreed less.
The other day, greyest yet in this grey winter, was a good time to unpack them. To open some of them for the first time. To see how past is present, present is past...

Tags: L'illustration, 1932

Melody at her best - Abbey Road

A while ago I was happily surprised when the Spanish National TV used one of Melody Gardot's songs as soundtrack to one of their most "important" spots (it was going ad free), one of the first ads to run this first of January. Fumbling on youtube I came across this impressive cover:

Love it. I don't think it will be on youtube for long, as the thing has already started retiring previous uploads of it because of the tiresome annoying copyright bummer.
Apparently there's this TV program from the UK called Live from Abbey Road, that is now on the US's Sundance Channel too, info here . There's a ton of clips there but I can't seem to open any from my country. Hopefully one day it will get here too-.
A lot of great most assorted artists have been on it (from Brian Wilson to Alanis Morissette, Richard Ashcroft, Kate Nash (listened to her new "I just love you more" yet, everybody?) or La Roux). And I quote " it offers a truly unique look inside the creative process of some of the industry's most fascinating artists (...) discussing their work and performing". There's some Beatles covers, and some new takes on their own material.
The Spanish tv ad featuring Melody's take of "Somewhere over the rainbow":

Nerina Pallot NOW!! -Useless tomorrow

Note April'09: Actually not, redoing this post since her "I don't want to go out" sessions are going on pretty often. In fact there was one every Monday for a while. Keep an eye on her website for future sessions as she's currently busy on tour.
Great and so generous of her, in these webcasts there's room for live performances of her songs and also some chatting where she answers questions. She answered one of mine a while ago (asked her about the "Shania you impress me" line in Cigarette, yes it was Shania and not another name -but I hear another name.. weird- and it was S. Twain she refers to, since she said it's a song about guilty pleasures -indeed!- bit of everything aaand she'd smoke a bit back then, kinda non smoking smoker - ;) And the song rocks.
Nerina Pallot, 'I Don't Want To Go Out' Sessions. Just click