You Dutch NBT readers are strongly advised to check out the action at dB's studios right here in Utrecht in the upcomin' week. This Friday (August 26th) will see the Stilettos battlin' it out with the Ghetto Ways, and on Thursday (September 1st) the Black Lips will probably tear the place apart. How it compares to watchin' footage of the World Whistling Championships I don't know, but I suggest you give this rock 'n roll stuff a try anyways...

It struck me in the Filmhouse on Monday night that many of the titles on our viewing schedule don’t seem to come with posters let alone a website but I’m sure if you “google ‘em” you’ll find more. Time is kinda of the essence and I don’t have the time to do much digging. I will come back and provide links where possible when the opporchancity arises.

The documentary is a strange prospect these days. You’re never entirely sure if Christopher Guest is masterminding the direction. In these times of fake reality, it seems odd to observe people on screen who can’t possibly be real but actually are.

Pucker Up (The Fine Art Of Whistling) would perhaps be better viewed in the comfort of your own armchair. It was preceded by a short on gurning, Not Just An Ugly Face which in many ways worked better on the large screen. However, PU is a decent enough hour plus which centres around the World Whistling Championships. It features some great characters and some real creeps. The ending is great and kind of unexpected. One of the girls is pure Catherine O’ Hara.

Werner Hertzog’s Grizzly Man plays even more like a spoof. It follows a guy Called Timmy Treadwell that lived among bears in Alaska and ended up being eaten by one. His video footage punctuates the piece. Treadwell is like Crispin Glover channelling Robin Williams. A troubled soul not entirely devoid of entertainment value. It’s a pretty wild story and you couldn’t make this stuff up.

Contrary to popular belief there are still characters out there and thankfully people are making films about them. Tonight it’s “The Aristocrats”, let’s hope it lives up to its rep.

RIP - Dr Robert Moog

Killed By Death web radio. (link c/o Sander Bink)

Rowing against the tide that is the indifference of people in the central belt to embrace LIVE MUSIC, Jennifer Hunter and her crew have put together this line-up for the upcoming Octoberfest... Teenage Fanclub tickets are available via Tickets-Scotland for those outwith the central belt. Falkirk Town Hall for those who can get theirs locally.

I know with first hand experience what a thankless task rousing the rabble around these parts can be but go ahead and prove me wrong. Support (y)our local music festival...

Way to Blue Music Festival 2005 FALKIRK

Info Line: FTH (Falkirk Town Hall, West Bridge Street 01324 503741

Lomax the Songhunter' Wed 5 Oct 7.30pm £3.50/£2.50 concs
The great David Scott and Aberfeldy will open for the (not great) Trashcan Sinatras on Thursday October 6th.
Teenage Fanclub Fri 7 Oct 7.30pm £14
Dig' Sun 9 Oct 1pm £3.50/£2.50 concs

Rialto 28 Vicar Street, 01324 622344

Soul Starr Thu 6 Oct
Viva Stereo + Odeon Beat Club Fri 7 Oct
Pip Dylan + Mr Fairweather Sat 8 Oct 2pm
The Fence Collective Sun 9 Oct 3pm - 1am

Rene (Antonine Hotel) 1 Manor Street, 01324 624066

Northern Soul Night Thu 6 Oct 8pm
DJ Chris Bourne Fri 7 Oct 8.30pm Free
DJ Chris Bourne Sat 8 Oct 8.30pm Free

Comma Bar 14 Lint Riggs, 01324 611669

Robert Graham (Acoustic) Thu 6 Oct
DJ Miller Robertson Fri 7 Oct 9.30pm
Soul Kitchen Sat 8 Oct 9.30pm
Way to Blue Music Quiz Sun 9 Oct 9pm
The Wellington Bar 6 Manor Street, 01324 622701
Shanghai Ornaments Fri 7 Oct

The Boathouse 1 Burnbank Road

Malcolm Middleton Fri 7 Oct Free
Jo Mango Sat 8 Oct Free

Grubowski's 54 Bellsdyke Road, Larbert, 01324 570201

5 Park Drive + support Wed 5 Oct 9pm Free
Jondi Mac & Friends Thu 6 Oct 9pm Free
Mid Life Crises Fri 7 Oct 9pm Free
Mr Nice + Barry Price Sat 8 Oct 9pm Free
Back to the Future Sun 9 Oct 9pm Free

The Dobbie Hall 291 Main Street, Stenhousemuir, 01324 570201

The Falcons Sat 8 Oct 8pm £5.00 Seated

More info to be added including instores by BMX Bandits and Aberfeldy. I'll post that when it becomes available.

Not sure I have the stamina for watching three films in one day anymore. However, with the sheer unadulterated piffle of STONED still tugging at my angry strings – yesterday’s selection fared way better. I’ve read a couple of reviews of said rubbish that were way too kind and wonder how anyone could have found it other than shite.

Two Swedish movies, Fourteen Sucks (Fjorton Suger) and Popular Music (Populär-musik Fran Vittula) were connected because they appeared in the “certified” section of the festival. This is aimed at a “teenage” audience and on this showing the Scandanavians are shown once again to be way more, not sure if sophisticated is the right word – but it’ll do for now. They don’t gloss that’s for sure and the films resonate more as a result. Fourteen was very much a coming of age piece in the style of Lukas Moodyson and although good, I’m well wide of its target audience.

Popular Music, on the other hand is overwhelmingly recommended to visitors to this journal. Based on Michael Neimi’s Swedish bestseller, it’s much more than just their High Fidelity/Trainspotting/whatever. It recalls the early 60’s in the far north of Sweden when rock’n’roll began to take over the world but isn’t just about music. I hope people get a chance to see this because the pace, look and feel of it is all exemplary. A reminder of what a good film actually is.

The final film of the day was Sugar. This year’s programme entry that was compared to Eraserhead and also to Richard Kern. When I read that sort of thing then I figure it’s a challenge. The guy who “programmed” it introduced the screening and he said it had him on the edge of his seat. Maybe we should have had a scoop of whatever he was on? Anyway, it’s not bad but it’s at least 25 minutes too long. Visually it looks like b&w Lynch. The Foetus er, “music” throbs ambiently in the background and isn’t as unsettling as I’d hoped. I think I drifted off a couple of times during the 82 minutes and was somewhat relieved when it was over. It’s not the kind of thing I could recommend but it had something. An unhinged notion of menace that never quite paid off. But that’s what you expect from “experimental film-making” innit? Aye, really.

To be honest, I’m not big on interpretation and subtext. Irrespective of the genre, I wanna be entertained and when digging through the programme becomes a chore then I think to myself, why? The Festival Director, in my opinion, is a donkey. No disrespect to the four-legged variety but his smug, status-chasing demeanor really chafes me. This undertow serves to fuel my enjoying the event less with every passing year and makes me wonder, is what seems like too much of an effort worth it? When you see something like Popular Music then it is.

No films today, just a slide into the doldrums to celebrate my returning to work after a week off living the relatively high life.

Tomorrow night, a documentary about whistling (Pucker Up) and Grizzly Man. Tuesday, The Aristocrats, Wednesday, Junebug and Friday, The Devil and Daniel Johnston. Will they make it to the finish line?

While I'm pondering the second day at the EIFF, thought I'd draw attention to this Jenny Lens Punk Pix link that someone left as a comment on the Punk Turns 30 post. Lotsa good gear to dig through there...

RIP - Randy "Biscuit" Turner (info from Mike McEchron)

So, STONED. What can I tell you? 102 minutes of utter tedium probably just about covers it. At the beginning there's a shot of "The Stones" standing across the street through a telephone box that "Brian" is making a call on behalf of his band. They look like The Star Spangles. It's all downhill from there as we're dragged through a miserable attempt to recreate the period. If this is the untold story then maybe there's a reason for that. There ain't much of one to tell. The wigs are terrible, the soundtrack blows, there's a cut in there by The Counterfeit Stones. When reading up on the film yesterday before heading off, expectations were lowered but I really didn't figure on it being SUCH a stinker. To be avoided at all costs, we suffered enough for everybody.

The adventure continues today with FOURTEEN SUCKS, POPULAR MUSIC and SUGAR. Wish we luck...

Don't forget the second episode of the RADIO (SCOTLAND) THRIFT SHOP goes out tonight at 8.05 til 10 (GMT) and can be accessed for a week thereafter.

Laura has just had The Bein Inn, Perth added to her routing for September 17th. Anybody in Central Scotch-land that's never been there should consider the schlep.

If you're lucky enough to be in the Stockholm area next weekend, try WELCOME HOME

Mr Vahlberg sent me the link to PUNK TURNS 30 and I only just got around to checking it out. Good stuff. Great old photo of Mr David Alvin Esq. on there.

Incidentally, the new UNCUT cd is a "re-make" of Dylan's Highway 61 and it has Brother Dave serving up the title track. Anybody who wants me to buy a copy and send it need only drop a line...

RIP - Delli Colli

"Howdy Country Pop-Pickers!

We're back...El Rancho Relaxo that is, back with morecosmic americana, no depression, alt. country, Lo-Fi Indie, Alternative Folk, Classic country-tinged rock and more great music yet to be stupidly labeled. It's been a couple of months, but the boots are dusted down and ready for a good ole dance off. Here's what you need to know...

When... FRI 26TH AUGUST, 8.30pm-1am

Where... BASTILLE'S (PREVIOUSLY SLOANS) ARGYLL ARCADE, MORRISON COURT LANE, BEHIND ZARA ON BUCHANAN STREET.

With...
RAISING KAIN, playing an exclusive, stripped down, rootsy acoustic set for all the good folks at the ranch.

Including resident DJ's.... El Patron, Pacey & Dialogue DJ's

Expect to hear... Jim White, Half Cousin, The Byrds, Laura Veirs, Wilco, Beechwood Sparks, Jonny Cash, Adem, The Band, Ella Guru, Hayseed Dixie, The Flying burrito Brothers, James Yorkston, Hal, The Shins, Neko Case, Aberfeldy, Smog, Down The Tiny Steps, Neil Young, Field Music, Brendan Benson, The Izzys, Luck Luke, Elliott Smith, Canned Heat, The National,Fence Collective, Alfie, Bob Dylan, The Earlies, American Music Club, The Velvet Underground, Hamell On Trial, The Risingson,John Martyn, Gram Parsons, Drive-By Truckers, Endrick Brothers,The Sadies, Willie Nelson, The Tyde, The Concretes, REM,Songs:Ohia, The Magic Numbers, Hank Williams, Joanna Newsom, Ryan Adams and much, much more!

Expect not to see... Crazed neongirls on double Red Bull and Vodka or guys with controlled hair and matching shirts, this is the ranch after all come as you are (just not like that!).

Play... Dominoes! Bring... Your friends, unless they're jerks!

That's all folks. We hope you can make it along to our alternative night out, it's fun, that's why we do it!"

Spent some time in the company of Mr Tim Kerr and his wife Beth in Glasgow last night. He's in Glasgow to to sculpt The Grease Monkeys new album hopefully for release on a worthy imprint sometime sooner rather than later. Hopefully his unique perspective will "fluff" things up some.

Tonight is our first '05 Film Fest visit to catch the "British Gala World Premiere" of Stoned. It's the "untold story of Brian Jones". "Meticulously re-creating it's late 60's milleu, and shot through with a trippy, hallucinogenic vibe". We'll see... I was looking for something to link here but there's nothing coming up other than blurb so the verdict from this corner will be in later. Probably early tomorrow. Hopes are not exactly stratospheric, I should tell you that from the git go.

I'm sure there was something else on my mind when I logged on here but if there was it's gone now. Maybe a temporary lapse, maybe not. Wonder how The Morells show at Maxwells went last night? Anybody out there wanna file a report? I see we slid over the 150,000 hits the other day so that's good, we try to keep this entertaining for you folks and may well continue to. What is normal service? Hornswaggled if I know...

Update... I remember... The Dictators "16 Forever" 45 coming on Norton. Hopefully the first rumblings of a rarities comp, watch this space for further info as it becomes available.

I've been sitting here this afternoon watching Ebay and in particular trying to score a copy of "I Cannot Stop You" by The Cherry Slush. Everything was going great until I noticed that the price was escalating and then all of a sudden there was a retraction. Upon further investigation I found that there was "retraction" on other items by the same seller by the same bidder and this REALLY PISSED ME OFF. Subsequently, I ducked out and reported this activity. I am this far (virtually zip) from never going near Ebay again. Fuck that. I don't mind shelling out but I'm not gonna be played for the privilege so another one has got away. I'll connect with one of those suckers eventually. Maybe one of you folks has a copy that's lookin' for a good home?

Anyway on a Motor City theme, check out this DIRTBOMBS teaser trailer for "It Came From Detroit". Never really dug the records but this clip looks pretty magnificent to me.

It might be festival time in Edinburgh but none of that can compare with the choice that's available to denizens of "The London" tomorrow night. This bunch of miscreants have a shindig on the go in addition to the Phast experience... choose wisely my boogie chillun!

"The Stripchords are go!

Tits'n'twang has always been a great combination, and now there's a new beat combo to fill yer boots, in both capacities!

This unruly quartet are set to make their live debut at Naked Ruby's South Seas Ahoy!!! allnighter TOMORROW!

Featuring a host of superb DJs, spread over two rooms, blasting a mix of soul, garage, R&B, ska, soundtracks and owt else that takes their fancy, this mammoth undertaking also boasts live sets from Naked Ruby and Colt 45, plus go-go dancers, movies, and other exotic treats.

The Stripchords will be taking to the stage upon the stroke (pun intended) of midnite! The Sonic Reducer Tag Team will subsequently supply several hours of raucous, backbone-slipping 45-based tuneage, alongside their brethren KatManDude and Man Of Sideburns.

The Stripchords are all-star combo, comprising of Captain Standish (50 Watts Of Power club / The Speed Of Sound / Honey & The Hucksters / Baby Birkin), BigKegShandy (Sonic Reducer Tag Team / Problem Hair / Zero Willpower), Dillon Rocker (The Bad Breed), and Yan Quellien (The Barracudas / Hullabalooes / Sky Saxon's Seeds).
To accompany a titillating projection of choice 8mm cheesecake flicks from the '50s, The Stripchords will be twanging on covers like "Pass The Hatchet", "Theme From Billy Liar", "Buzzzzz", and the "Batfink Theme", plus such original compositions as "The Maharaja", "Susan's Smalls", "Beatnik Rodeo", and "Voodoo Clam".

Jamm, 261 Brixton Road, London SW9 6LH. Nearest Tubes: Oval or Brixton
Admission £5 9.30pm-11pm, and £8 after, with the party going until 6am."

GEORGE A. ROMERO LIVE at the Edinburgh Film Festival this coming Saturday!

NO BORDER JAM FESTIVAL


Maribor, Slovenija, Pekarna, KURD
26. , 27. 8. 2005

Mr McLean just flagged this blighter up. Happening maybe three miles away from here but never had a scoob about it... FURTHER INFO