For the records

"It was forty years ago today..."

• CNN.COM: When the Beatles hit America: U.S. arrival 40 years ago changed pop music, culture...It's funny; The Beatles started out as a pop band playing r'n'b covers and their own lightweight(yet enjoyable) pop originals but they(along with their producer George Martin) became pop music innovators. Who at the time would have thought.



• I received an e-mail from shibuya-kei@yahoogroups.com which is devoted to "fans of the Shibuya-kei style of Japanese pop (Jpop) music." The e-mail mentioned a record label called eenie meenie records which has just released a CD compilation called "PAR AVION-GLOBAL INDIE CLUBPOP". The following is the tracklisting:
  
  
  TRACK LIST
  
  1. YLK ORGANISATION- Happiness
  
  
  2. STEREO TOTAL- Hey Protest
  
  
  3. GALACTICA- Electronica
  
  
  4. FIGURINE- Impossible
  
  
  5. MAJESTIC- Nyra and Michelle
  
  
  6. EEL-FILLE UNIQUE- Homme Sympathique
  
  
  7. THE PANCAKES- Rock Guitar
  
  
  8. STARS- Elevator Love Letter
  
  
  9. I AM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER- Dancing Alone
  
  
  10. THE RAYMAKERS- Unending Capacity
  
  
  11. SEKSU ROBA- To Go or Not to Go
  
  
  12. VAU SHARRI- Machine
  
  
  
  Interesting compilation. I've only heard Stars' wonderful 'Elevator Love Song'. eenie meenie records looks like an interesting label, as the website describes itself "Forging a bridge between the Los Angeles underground music scene and Tokyo pop culture" . The page also has a bunch of mp3 downloads. Check 'em out!
  



• Toronto Star: Land of the Pilgrim, home of the prude - Peter Howell...Yesterday I read the article which summarizes my feelings in a nutshell regarding the Janet Jackson 'breast' controversy. Why is North American media so intent on censoring nudity and anything to do with sex but do not hold such high standards in censoring violence? It's really quite illogical. I'm not saying that hard-core porn, or for that matter images of Janet Jackson's breast should be part of our prime-time television diet; but this was an isolated incident, and it was only a breast. Can we all just forget about it and move on to the next topic?



• I've read several lacklustre reviews of April March's recent show at Lee's Palace. Check out the review of the show at UmbrellaMusic. See, I am one one of those fans who 'get' her music based on the CD's I have of hers(in particular, 'Chrominance Decoder'). I think I would have enjoyed her show in a small venue such as Lee's Palace, especially if I was given a unobstructed view of her. I can't blame her for being a bit unenthuastic considering I read that her van broke down on the way to Toronto from Montreal; in addition, I remember clearly that there was a snowstorm that day. And to add injury to insult, I read that there was not a large turnout to her show in Toronto(I wanted to go, but decided not to because of the weather). Let's hope that April March returns during the warmer months!