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Sliding doors

vanfrancis — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:33:51 +0000

Nevermind the major events one has experienced in one's life. What about those supposed insignificant moments? For instance, leaving work on time or an hour later. Catching the bus or missing it. Agreeing to go out or staying in. All mundane situations yet they can be catalysts for dramatic changes.

And then, stuck in the middle of a crowded club that I didn't want to be at in the first place, I find someone who also didn't want to be there in the first place. And even though this encounter may or may not last forever, we're left wondering what would've happened if Choice B was selected?

No matter how much I love being in control of my life, in the end, does life conspires us all?

The Stars My Destination

thenomadstent — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:36:54 +0000

There is an old Hollywood maxim,"start with an earthquake and build up to a climax",this could have been written not about movies,but about Alfred Bester
The book Tiger Tiger,sometimes called The Stars My Destination is ,in my opinion not only one of the best Sci-Fi books,but also one of the best books ever written,...Bester's style is everything at breakneck speed,pared down to the minimum,if it's not needed to advance the flow of the narrative then its either missing in the first place or is tossed aside.The story thunders along discarding dazzling ideas and concepts,that other writers would waste pages or even chapters over.It's not all speed and no substance, he was also an extremely talented and intelligent writer,he plays with language and even with typography.It's good old fashioned entertainment,but the book also raises some really heavyweight questions.Reading it,it's difficult to believe it was written in the early Fifties.It really has not aged at all.With this novel,Bester single handedly invented Cyberpunk and also heavily inspired the New Wave movement in the UK.

The first time i read it,i couldn't believe how fast paced it was,after a few chapters i was thinking there was no way Bester could keep this speed up.It turned out that i read the entire book in one sitting,stayed up most of the night to do it,it was that gripping.Since then i have re-read it many times,a book this well written is more rewarding the second or even third time.My copy has now fallen to bits,the binding has snapped and many pages are loose,can there be a greater testament to a book than that?
Sometime around the end of the war Bester found the story of what is the basis for the main character Tiger Tiger.Some say he found the story of Poon Lim in a newspaper,some say in National Geographic.It doesn't matter,a seed had been sown.In addition to this found story,Bester added into the mix a Sci-Fi reinterpretation of The Count Of Monte Cristo.
The novel's hero is a man named Gulliver Foyle,perhaps that should be anti hero,as when we first me Foyle he is not a pleasant man.The book charts his growth from illiterate Mechanic's Mate 3rd Class to,ultimately the saviour of Mankind.
The story is set against the backdrop of the 24th century,Man has colonised much of the Solar System including some of the outer planets' satellites,a trade war between the Inner Planets and the Outer Satellites soon escalates into full blown conflict.Mankind has also learned how to "Jaunte",or teleport from one locale to another.It has a profound effect on society,a whole world on the Jaunte means that the poor can go and squat anywhere they like,diseases flash around the world in minutes,criminals jaunte with the night,homes and business have to be hidden behind jaunteproof mazes and there is a return to the worst prudishness of Victorian times.
The story begins with Foyle as the only survivor on a partially destroyed spacecraft called the Nomad,a victim of the war.He has lived in the ships' only airtight room,a tool locker, for a hundred and seventy days,periodically venturing out into the ship for supplies of food and air.He is a "man of physical strength and intellectual potential stunted by lack of ambition.The stereotype Common Man,some unexpected shock might possibly awaken him,but Psych cannot find the key.Do not recommend for promotion.Foyle has reached a dead end".Foyle gets his unexpected shock,when after attracting the attention of the Vorga,a sister ship to the Nomad,he is left to rot,the Vorga passes him by.Motivated by an all consuming desire for revenge on the Vorga and all her crew,Foyle does what society has been unable to do for him,he finds his own key and he rescues himself.

Managing to fire one of the ships engines he sets off on a long trek to extract revenge and in the process he becomes a driven, educated and highly intelligent man.Bester allows Foyle to grow up and really become an adult,and in the end a kind of saviour.It's really quite a transformation,in the beginning Foyle is guilty of many hideous crimes,he's a rapist,a murderer,a blackmailer and a thief amongst many others.Every one of these acts is only to cover his tracks or bring him a step closer to his precious revenge.Bester doesn't mess about with Foyle's character,he really lets you know he is a nasty bit of work,although Besters' genius is,as the story progresses,to make you like Foyle,or at least admire him.

Tiger Tiger goes beyond a simple revenge tragedy,one of the books' central themes revolves around a substance called Pyre which Foyle finds in the safe on the Nomad.Pyre is an explosive,but an explosive on the order of the Big Bang which can only be detonated by willing it to combust.This represents and externalises Mankind's wish for destruction.There are several other similarly large themes,like the weird psychedelic section as the book nears it's climax,where Foyle experiences Synesthesia,when taken with the telesends and various other motifs,they all seem to point to Bester wishing to break down the barriers between thought and action.Foyle himself is used to symbolise Man's wish to control,during his trek to find Vorga,he is forcibly given a Maori style full face tattoo,which he later pays an underworld doctor to remove,however, whenever he loses emotional control the pattern of the tattoo shows blood red,His inner emotion is plain on his face for all to see,Foyle has to learn how to control himself,something which he never truly manages to do until it matters.
It is a truly wondrous book,which is something that Bester never quite managed to replicate,much of the rest of his novels though good,do not really have the same sense of being complete and can be a little patchy in comparison.I can't recommend it enough.
Buy It

Tiger Tiger

nancyboo — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:24:48 +0000

29 The Haymarket, London SW1Y 4SP

It is an absolutely amazingly cool club. It has about 5 bar areas and 2 dancefloors. What I loved the most was that you could order food during the entire night. Im not saying I like to have fried chicken or anythin on the dancefloor, but sometimes it is really nice to have a bit of munch.
The crowd was very different. Equal amount of guys and girls and from ALL different nationalities. Tiger Tiger goes in my “backup club” category. It is a club that doesnt flop. It is really good everytime :).

Pro’s: Club with good standards, taste, trendy, very good price range and restaurant service all night.

Con’s: Very standard club

La cinquantesima puntata

onrepeat — Sun, 18 May 2008 11:50:12 +0000

Qualche volta durante gli anniversari divento un po’ troppo sentimentale e anche leggermente retorico. Stavolta per fortuna no. Cinquantesima puntata senza troppi proclami o senza festeggiamenti roboanti. Solo una puntata decisamente ricca, anche se meno di quanto avrei sperato all’inizio (purtroppo è saltato il live in studio dei Le Man Avec Les Lunettes, peccato). E comunque, prima parte con live in studio di Dente – un po’ di chiacchiere, qualche battuta, una co-conduttrice (Ambra), una atmosfera giocosa che spero sia stata piacevole anche per gli ascoltatori. Anche perché il clima si era creato già da prima di arrivare in studio. All’aeroporto per recuperare musicista e co-conduttrice della puntata, poi a mangiare in un posto dove si andava da ragazzini nei pressi di via Roma, poi caffè e ammazzacaffé in due bar diversi, e poi registrazione di primissimo pomeriggio prima di andare a Montevecchio per guardare i lavori al Mine Festival.
La seconda parte invece è stata più pacata e tranquilla, con un po’ di canzoni varie e una intervista a Paolo Spelorzi, titolare di una label italiana che seguiamo da sempre con interesse, la My Honey Records. Infine abbiamo chiuso con una anteprima assoluta, di cui scriverò più tardi… Questa è la scaletta: vi ricordo che sabato andrà in onda una lunga intervista con Flavio Soriga.

Il Genio, Pop Porno
Le luci della centrale elettrica, Piromani
Dente, Canzone pop
Dente, Le cose che contano live @ On Repeat
Dente, Baby Building live @ On Repeat
Dente, Canzone di non amore live @ On Repeat
Bon Iver, Skinny Love
The Chap, I Saw Them
The Calorifer Is Very Hot!, Wocko
Tiger Tiger!, Psychological Phenomenon
Micevice, True
Me Icon featuring Vanvera, Make Up

Videos

fromtimbatotumba — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:48:52 +0000

Hemos subido el video del concierto de Tiger! Tiger! y Subsonics, y de regalo el de Heavy Trash y Powersolo de hace una semana en la Vaca.

Autografiados

fromtimbatotumba — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:41:58 +0000

Las dos señoritas de Tiger! Tiger!, Buffy Agüero y Susanne Gibboney, tuvieron a bien dejar sus dedicatorias en este cuerpo serrano, a la par que viril.

Si es que las tías ya no saben que hacer para arrimar la cebolleta a semejante falo...

Esta imagen es cortesía de Oscar y Ana.

Subsonics y Tiger! Tiger!, doble sesión en el Cocodrilo

fromtimbatotumba — Sat, 10 May 2008 17:17:22 +0000

SUBSONICS

TIGER! TIGER!
Sala Cocodrilo Negro - Ponferrada
Domingo 11 de Mayo - 22:00h.
Entrada: 10€

- SUBSONICS: Son un trio de Atlanta con una larga historia a sus espaldas. Un grupo absolutamente único y con una personalidad como hay pocos en todo el mundo. Una mezcla alucinante de rock descarnado, garage glamuroso, lo-fi trash, y pop torturado que te sacude, te revuelve, y te hace temblar. No hay pose, no hay truco, es en realidad así... un grupo tan REAL que asusta. A pesar de recordar en ocasiones a Slim Harpo, Buddy Holly, 13th Floor Elevators, T.Rex, Richard Hell, Cramps, o sobre todo Velvet Underground, su música es tan personal que tratar de etiquetarla es tarea imposible e injusta. Es rock&roll con un talento y carisma muy raros de ver hoy en día. Si quieres volver a sentir ESCALOFRIOS escuchando un grupo de los de verdad, Subsonics son lo que necesitas.

Subsonics vieron publicados sus dos últimos discos en España y realizaron varias exitosas giras entre el 2002 y el 2005. Despues de dos años en dique seco SUBSONICS vuelven a la carga, con un festival en Francia y esta gira española, avance de su reaparición en escena.

Ultimamente Clay Reed había estado ocupado sobreviviendo y colaborando ocasionalmente con Matt Verta-Ray de HEAVY TRASH (él y Jon Spencer siempre han sido fans de Subsonics), pero ahora, los Subsonics vuelven por fin a la palestra! Clay Reed, Buffi Agüero, y Robert Del Bueno (de los ya difuntos pero geniales Man Or Astro Man!). Presentando temas nuevos y de su último disco “Die Bobby Die” (R&R Inc./Slovenly).

- TIGER! TIGER!: son el nuevo grupo de la batería de Subsonics Buffi Agüero, pero aquí ella deja los tambores para pasar al centro del escenario cantando y tocando la guitarra, donde se convierte en una Nancy Sinatra punk o una Patti Smith del lo-fi rock. Son actualmente una de las bandas más en forma de Atlanta con permiso de sus amigos y admiradores BLACK LIPS. Tiger!Tiger! son parecidos a Detroit Cobras en el sentido en que son también una sensual mezcla de garage-rock y R&B retro, aunque Tiger!Tiger! tienen más facetas, haciendo una mezcla bastante única con cosas que pueden recordar tanto a Richard Hell y los Stilettos como a la imaginería poetica de Leonard Cohen. Algunos han soltado sus descripciones más típicas ("punk angular" y "rock inspirado por la new wave"), pero a Tiger!Tiger! el saxo y el órgano le dan un toque muy especial e inusual, y nos hace pensar a veces en Roxy Music o más bien en James White (el heroe de culto del JazzPunk de New York). Cualquiera al que guste la primera epoca del CBGB´s con los comienzos de Blondie, Television, o Talking Heads, disfrutaran con Tiger!Tiger! que estaran presentando su segundo álbum “The Kind Of Goodnight”, publicado en España por el sello Blooy Hotsak y en USA por Chicken Ranch Records.

A continuación os adjuntamos una entrevista a Buffi Agüero extraida de ipunkrock.net, y realizada por Diego R.J.

Aunque no haya sido coronada, Buffi Agüero es una de reina del rock’n’roll. Lleva más de quince años derrochando clase mientras aporrea los tambores de Subsonics, una banda que siempre se ha movido en la sombra maldita del negocio de la música pero que no por ello deja de ser el mejor combo garagero de Atlanta. Durante este tiempo ha formado parte de otros grupos entre los que destacan The Vendettas, The White Lights y su último y prometedor proyecto, Tiger! Tiger! Podremos verlos por nuestro país en gira conjunta con los Subsonics. Las citas comienzan el sábado 10 de Mayo en Santiago (Sala Capitol), el 11 en Ponferrada (El Cocodrilo Negro), 12 en Gijón (Savoy Club), 13 en Palencia (Carabel), 14 en Burgos (Carmen 13), 15 en. Madrid (La Boite), 16 en Andoain (Auditorio Bastero) y el 17 en un festival de Vidreres (Girona). (por Diego R.J.)Poder volver a ver a los Subsonics sobre un escenario es una enorme noticia, por lo menos para el que aquí escribe. Inolvidable fue su anterior visita, allá por el 2002, presentando un discazo como “A lot to forget”. Un espectáculo sin parangón de rock’n’roll despellejado y adrenalínico, directo a los centros emisores de emociones. Tras la edición de “Die Bobby Die” en 2006 se extendió la noticia de que el grupo había dejado de tocar en directo. Afortunadamente, las cosas cambiaron su rumbo y se volvieron a lanzar a la carretera. Por otra parte nada desdeñable, tendremos la oportunidad de ver en directo la presentación española del disco “The kind of goodnight” (edición en Cd y vinilo para Europa por Bloody Hotsak, 2008) de Tiger! Tiger!, quinteto de garage con matices rhythm&bluseros, mezclando temas oscuros con otros de melodía popera, y con el atractivo añadido de saxo y teclados. Adelantamos que dentro de poco Munster sacará un single compartido con dos temas nuevos de Subsonics y dos temas inéditos de Tiger! Tiger! Os dejamos con Buffi Agüero.

Lo primero es pedirte que nos presentes a tu nueva banda.
“Tiger!Tiger! son: Sam Leyja (The White Lights,the Vendettas) al órgano, Susanne Gibboney (The Vendettas, Catfight! y Lust) al bajo, Shane Pringle (The Go-Devils, Tag Team) guitarra y saxo, Mario Colangelo (the Hustlers) batería, Buffi Aguero (Subsonics, Vendettas, White Lights) voz y guitarra”.

¿De dónde surge un nombre tan sonoro como Tiger! Tiger!?
“William Blake” -son las dos primeras palabras de un poema titulado “The Tiger” del poeta británico-.

Lógicamente este grupo se formó en este periodo de stand-by por el que ha pasado Subsonics. Cuéntanos que te movió a formar este grupo y a pasar al frente del escenario siendo voz y guitarra del mismo.
“Realmente no es nada nuevo. Ya había estado cantando y tocando la guitarra en grupos como The Vendettas o The White Lights. Y ahora Tiger!Tiger, que es, quizá, una combinación y mutación de esas dos bandas”.

El sonido de Tiger! Tiger! y sus canciones distan de los trabajos de Subsonics. Aunque hay temas oscuros estos no son tan descarnados y cuando os acercáis al pop sois mucho más melódicos. Además, el empleo de saxo y teclados hace que vuestro sonido garagero, sesentero y r&b se bañe en otras esencias, haciendo las canciones muchísimo más bailables. Entiendo que tú intención era hacer algo completamente diferente. ¿Cuáles fueron tus ideas de partida y cuál es la filosofía del grupo?
“Me encantan ambas bandas pero son proyectos distintos. Clay y yo somos muy diferentes como músicos y como intérpretes. Tenemos casi las mismas influencias, pero la manera en que se reflejan es muy distinta. Es mucho más intuitivo y orgánico de lo que puedes pensar. Tiger!Tiger!, más o menos, ha evolucionado por lo que cada uno sus integrantes aporta a la banda musicalmente. Un organista rellena muchísimo, e incluso canciones de tres acordes suenan muy potentes con el órgano. Me gusta el contraste de los dos proyectos. En referencia a los puntos de partida, Tiger es una banda bastante poppy. A todos nos gustan las canciones pegadizas, pero creo que es importante subvertirlas en cierta manera, ya sea usando un riff de guitarra disonante, o mediante unas letras sorprendentes. Esta es una filosofía que comparten ambas bandas”.

Aún así es inevitable ver detalles que recuerdan a Subsonics lo que me lleva a pensar que tú papel en las composiciones de Subsonics era mucho mayor del que imaginaba. ¿Cómo compararías en el sentido compositivo tu papel en cada uno de los grupos?
“Yo fusilo a Clay, y siempre lo he hecho. Y Clay fusila todo lo cool del mundo. Clay escribe casi todo lo que canta en los Subsonics, y yo escribo todas las letras y canto en Tiger. Mi contribución musical en los Subsonics es mantener a Clay a raya. Es un trío, y si la sección rítmica no atase en corto a Mr.Freakout y le diese alguna patada en el culo, él lo convertiría en una mezcla entre Ravi Shankar y Ornette Colleman”.

Creo que antes que “The kind of goodnight” ya habíais grabado algo. ¿Puedes contarnos como ha sido la trayectoria del grupo hasta el día de hoy?
“Una trayectoria similar probablemente a la bala de la pistola de William S. Burroughs”.

¿Y qué puedes decirnos de la grabación de “The kind of goodnight”?
“No lo sé. Pusieron los micrófonos y tocamos las canciones en una o dos tomas. Así es como hacemos los discos, no es muy distinto de tocar en directo, excepto que puedes rebobinar y arreglar los fallos”.

Las letras de Tiger! Tiger! son duras y macarras pero encierran sentimientos, hay punk en ellas pero también cierta poesía (“The first thing” or “Cheap imitation” son magníficas). No muestran una visión tan fatalista como ocurría en muchas letras de Clay. ¿De dónde surgen tus letras?, ¿son experiencias personales?
“He de reconocer que soy una tremenda voyeur. Me encanta escuchar a la gente hablar de cosas y luego robarles sus experiencias para mis canciones como un súcubo. Ideas para las canciones pueden salir de cualquier lado, de mi misma, de alguien que conozco o de algo que he leído. No hay restricciones acerca de dónde salen las ideas, es simplemente mi interpretación de todo, de dentro y de fuera”.

¿Qué te parece cuándo hablan de ti como la “Nancy Sinatra del punk”?
“No se quién debería sentirse más insultada, si Nancy, el punk, o yo”.

Dinos quienes han sido tus mujeres favoritas del rock’n’roll a lo largo de la historia.
“Ya sabes, cualquier cosa cool. The Duchess, Ronnie Spector, Lady Bo, Nico, Marianne Faithful, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Leslie Gore, Tina Turner, Darlene Love, etc…”.

Buffi, si no me equivoco eres de Tampa, Florida. ¿Cuándo y por qué te mudaste a Atlanta?
“Me mudé a Atlanta en 1990 para ir a la escuela de arte. Florida no es un sitio en el que te quedas, es un sitio del que te vas”.

No estoy familiarizado con tu Antigua banda The Vendettas, sé que grabasteis un álbum en 1998 y un single en el 99 ¿qué puedes contarnos de este grupo y de otros en los que hayas estado?
“The Vendettas eran dos guitarras y batería. Yo escribía, cantaba y tocaba la guitarra. Luego estaba Johnny Vignault en la otra guitarra y voz, y Susanne tocaba la batería. Llevábamos pelucas y pestañas postizas, y nos parecíamos más a Wayne County que a Ronnie Spector. Al final Sam se unió tocando el órgano. Después tuve The White Lights, algo más tirando a Phil Spector con siete miembros. Había mas baladas con pedal steel y violín y órgano, y guitarra barítono, a veces se parecía a Ennio Morricone. Clay tocaba la batería. Hicimos dos discos muy buenos. Pero ya es difícil mantener juntos a tres o cinco tíos un tiempo así que imagina siete. Independientemente de lo bueno que fuese no podía durar. Además he tocado en algunos otros grupos pero no los mencionaré porque eran bastante malos. Ahora estoy tocando en otro grupo llamado The Bandettes, una banda de chicas estilo Ramones haciendo canciones para niños. Tenemos la canción del alfabeto, una canción para contar y algunas canciones de animales. Es muy divertido. También, recientemente, he hecho una cosa con una gente de New York llamados The Lost Crusaders, con Michael Chandler de los Raunch Hands, Johnny Vignault, Keith Streng de los Fleshtones y John Spencer. Es un disco de Rock&Roll Gospel llamado “Have You Heard About The World”. Lo grabamos en un estudio fantástico de Brooklyn en un fin de semana”.

Subsonics vienen por fin a presentarnos “Die Bobby Die”. Un disco más oscuro y menos melódico que su predecesor “A lot to forget”. Poco después de editarlo el grupo se aparto de la carretera. Supongo que eso sería devastador para el espíritu de Subsonics.
“Quizás. A veces es difícil tener una perspectiva en lo que haces artísticamente y sus repercusiones emocionales. Nunca hago juicios de valor como esos. Pero tienes razón sobre “Die Bobby Die”, fue escrito en un periodo oscuro. Creo que esas canciones son muy fuertes y honestas, así que estoy contenta de finalmente tocarlas en directo presentándolas en esta gira”.

¿Era la última canción del disco, “Don’t answer the phone”, una profecía sobre lo que le iba a pasar al grupo?
“No, era sobre un tiempo en que un montón de gente que conocíamos se moría. Cada vez que sonaba el teléfono eran malas noticias”.

Recuerdo de una entrevista que le hice a Clay hace años que decía que a veces podía ser complicado para alguien sobrevivir cerca de los disparos que os lanzabais tú y él, y que podía acabar lleno de agujeros. Supongo que era el fruto de dos fuertes personalidades. ¿Cómo os encontráis a día de hoy?
“Somos los mejores amigos. Muy íntimos. Los que están cerca aprenden a apartarse un poco o comprarse un chaleco salvavidas. Clay y yo somos a prueba de balas en cualquier caso, así que creo que deberemos empezar a usar navajas”.

¿Qué tal se encuentra Clay últimamente? ¿Qué ha estado haciendo?
“Sabes, Clay se cree que es invencible e indestructible. Ha tenido un montón de accidentes en su vida, y me imagino que ha tenido mucho daño cerebral. No tengo ni idea como puede todavía recordar su nombre, por no hablar de las letras de las canciones, pero es genial. Siempre esta tocando y escribiendo, creando canciones en su cabeza. Está escribiendo tres libros de historia, psicología, y una autobiografía”.

¿Puedes contarnos tú algo de las colaboraciones que hizo Clay con Matt Verta-Ray y Jon Spencer?
“No se si podrías llamarlas colaboraciones. Matt produjo un disco para Clay en New York y entonces Clay decidió que odiaba a otra gente tocando con él, así que Matt nunca sacó el disco”.

Hace poco pasaron por España Black Lips presentando su último disco. Hace poco grabasteis un single con ellos. ¿Qué puedes contarnos de vuestra relación con estos chicos?, ¿hacéis de hermanos mayores?
“Ellos son muy simpáticos con nosotros y parece que aman a nuestro grupo, pero no creo que seamos lo suficiente cercanos para que ninguno nos considere sus hermanos mayores. Pero nos tratan muy bien”.

Subsonics lleváis editando discos desde 1992. Y a pesar de tener gran material y uno de los mejores directos que he visto en el garage rock’n’roll, el éxito siempre os pasado de lado, mientras, otros grupos de, en mi opinión, peor calidad han conseguido mayor repercusión. Parece una maldición del rock’n’roll. ¿Cómo lleváis todo esto?
“La mierda siempre flota. Significa que nosotros no somos mierda. Tocaremos si a alguien le importa tanto como si no. No necesitamos un público, creo que es aquí donde rompemos el molde del show business. En el negocio hay un falso concepto que dice que el intérprete y la audiencia se necesitan mutuamente. A nosotros nos gusta nuestro público, pero no lo necesitamos”.

Han pasado unos cuantos años desde tu última visita a España. Aparte de su magnífica comida, ¿cuáles son los mejores recuerdos que guardas de este país?
“La última vez que estuve en España ¡un chico cortó un mechón de mi pelo! Estoy seguro de que lo hacía con buena intención pero… ¡manteneros alejados con los objetos afilados! Ah, fuimos al Museo de la Inquisición, ya que a todos nos gusta la tortura en un sentido o el otro. España parece tener siempre nuevas sorpresas para nosotros”.

Por Diego R.J.

http://www.susbonics.net
http://www.myspace.com/subsonicsatlanta
http://www.tigertigerrocks.com
http://www.myspace.com/tigertigerband

Tiger Tiger!

organetta — Sat, 10 May 2008 11:48:29 +0000

E' con orgoglio che vi presentiamo i nuovi arrivati nella famiglia Organetta.
Loro sono la band più fashion del momento.

Hanno da poco pubblicato su MyHoney Rec un album di pop scintillante e danzerino intitolato 11PM. Andate a vederli/sentirli sul loro Space

Tiger Tiger! \"Premarin\"
Ecco qui dove li potete vedere prossimamente (a breve altri appuntamenti)
10/05 Vobarno (BS) @ Teatro Comunale
17/05 Udine @ Zoo
31/05 Sambuceto (CH) @ Relè Café
01/06 Roma @ Circolo degli Artisti
07/06 Mi Ami - Milano
19/06 Vicolo Bolognetti - Bologna
28/06 Darsena - Castiglione (Perugia)

Más conciertos!!!!!

fromtimbatotumba — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 23:34:28 +0000

Este año vamos a por el record. Si hasta ahora ya montábamos mas bolos que todos los ayuntamientos del Bierzo juntos, ahora estamos intentando dejar mal a algunas capitales españolas...

La cosa es que nuestra agenda de conciertos se amplia (toda una odisea rockanrollera asistir a todos, no se la pierdan) y dentro de las fechas que os anunciábamos hace unas semanas se incluye otra más: el Domingo 11 de Mayo estarán en el Cocodrilo Negro dos bandas de garage-punk, los SUBSONICS y TIGER! TIGER!

Los SUBSONICS son un trio de Atlanta con una larga historia a sus espaldas. Un grupo absolutamente único y con una personalidad como hay pocos en todo el mundo. Una mezcla alucinante de rock descarnado, garage glamuroso, lo-fi trash, y pop torturado que te sacude, te revuelve, y te hace temblar. No hay pose, no hay truco, es en realidad así... un grupo tan real que asusta. A pesar de recordar en ocasiones a Slim Harpo, Buddy Holly, 13th Floor Elevators, T.Rex, Richard Hell, Cramps, o sobre todo Velvet Underground, su música es tan personal que tratar de etiquetarla es tarea imposible e injusta. Es rock&roll con un talento y carisma muy raros de ver hoy en día.

TIGER! TIGER! son el nuevo grupo de la batería de Subsonics Buffi Agüero, pero aquí ella deja los tambores para pasar al centro del escenario cantando y tocando la guitarra, donde se convierte en una Nancy Sinatra punk o una Patti Smith del lo-fi rock. Son actualmente una de las bandas más en forma de Atlanta con permiso de sus amigos y admiradores BLACK LIPS. Tiger!Tiger! son parecidos a Detroit Cobras en el sentido en que son también una sensual mezcla de garage-rock y R&B retro, aunque Tiger!Tiger! tienen más facetas, haciendo una mezcla bastante única con cosas que pueden recordar tanto a Richard Hell y los Stilettos como a la imaginería poetica de Leonard Cohen.

También comienza a haber conciertos en Ponferrada avalados por una nueva asociación de amigos que surge en nuestra ciudad. La asociación CUATRO PISTAS debuta en la promoción de conciertos el martes 6 de Mayo trayendo al grupo frances NECROPSY, que practican "brutal death". También actuarán de teloneros los ponferradinos DREDD, un grupo prometedor dentro de su estilo (britt core, hardcore acelerado, grind core, zapatilla...o como querais llamarlo). Será en la Sala La Universidad con entrada gratuita.

Desde Fromtimbatotumba solo podemos felicitar a los miembros de CUATRO PISTAS por su iniciativa, desearles muchísima suerte en esta batalla y quedar a su disposición para cualquier ayuda que puedan necesitar. Siempre que sea traer grupos a Ponferrada, dentro del amplio abanico del rock, Fromtimbatotumba colabarará en lo que pueda.

LBF 2008 - Tiger Tiger

tiaradiamond — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 11:12:16 +0000

Ok, so it's taken me this long to write up because it's taken me this long to recover! The London Burlesque Festival is over for another year, leaving behind a trail of feathers and glitter in it's wake... And what a festival it was this year! For those of you at Tiger, Tiger and Bush Hall, there's a very good chance you would have seen me - as I was the lady dressed like this:

(c) Master David@ London Fetish Scene

By the third night I gave up on the heels and changed into some flats! Still - I managed a different hairstyle for every night so I didn't do too badly. First up - Tiger Tiger...

After rehearsals on Thursday I went into the dressing room, plugged in my tongs and attempted (somewhat successfully) to barrel curl all of my hair onto the top of my head and smoothed my make-up on so I'd be as ready as possible when I arrived at the venue. When I got there I stood about a bit, not knowing what to do with myself and feeling like a bit of a lemon. But then I met the lovely Earl Okin who had just finished a sound-check and made me feel right at home. When Agent Lynch came in a second or two later I knew I'd be fine. We'd met before after a performance of hers at Volupte but I didn't want to come in with 'Hello! Remember me?' as I was sure she wouldn't, so I kept my mouth shut. In the toilets putting my false eyelashes on I bumped into her again - 'So what act are you doing tonight?' 'Barbarella...' 'Oh great! I haven't seen that one yet!' 'Didn't I meet you before...?' last time we met I was saying how much I wanted to see her Barbarella routine, and turns out she did remember me! Next up I was introduced to Alaska Blue who was doing the pick-up with me, who had on a fabulous flamingo hat, and turned out to be equally as lovely. Sean from 'Beyond the Cabaret' filled me in on my duties for the night and we began sorting out the reserved tables for the guests. There was a slight hiccup at the sponsors table (not enough seats!) but with some re-jigging we were able to get everyone sorted out in time for the show. And by golly we were packed!

It was a great line-up; Agent Lynch, Dangerous Dolly, Stella Plumes, Roxy Velvet, Chrys Columbine, Foxtrot India and the amazing Vicky Butterfly (now there's a performer worth seeing!) and more! I must admit I was a little star-struck. Watching in the wings I got to see some first-rate burlesque dancers, and I was increasingly pleased with myself for having offered to help out. Aside from a few disgruntled patrons that weren't able to see the show properly (bearing in mind the place was packed!) we had an incredibly successful night - with all items removed being returned to their rightful owners :)

The midnight show meant I got to see Vicky Butterfly's Peacock Act plus a whole lot more wonderful performances, and for £5 entry, the audience most certainly got themselves a bargain! With the club not a particularly renowned venue for burlesque we got the occasional few asking what on earth was going on downstairs as they got a glimpse of some sparkle and skin; but more than a couple of them went off to buy their tickets to get a better look... it would seem that with burlesque taking over London on the 3rd of April, there was no escaping it for the general public. So why not give in and be fabulous for an evening? You'll have a whole lot of fun!

Sixth Street Rock Walk SXSW Mop-up - Choogle on #65

Dave O — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 16:38:29 +0000

Before heading to Mexico for chillaxin' times, Uncle Weed wraps up SXSW trip by chatting with Austin local Pugz - and various random characters - while rolling out a vast variety of great music including: Liam Finn (New Zealand), Black Angels (Austin), Los Campesinos (Wales), The Constantines (Canada), Tiger Tiger, Sons and Daughters (Glasgow), Wedding Present (Dublin), The Pasties (Olympia, WA) and various mysterious artists, while wandering the bustling streets of Austin USA, listening to the commotion, meeting curious folks, and commenting on food and recycling.

Note: Please add band links in comments to save me the time ;-).

One more for the road ... Sixth Street Rock Walk SXSW Mop-up - Choogle on #65 (.mp3, 43:22, 35MB)

[audio http://www.uncleweed.net/podshow/choogleon/choogleon-65.mp3]

Original photo by Chris Heuer on Flickr, art'ed up by Uncle Weed on Phixr

More Podcast Goodness:

Postcards from Gravelly Beach - Literature Podcast - Feed - iTunes - Blog

Out n’ About with Uncle Weed- Travelin’ man vidcast - Show - Feed - iTunes

Ephemeral Feasthouse - Miscellanea & Notes - Blog - Feed - Podcast

Austin is Hazy, Austin is Weird - Choogle on #62

Dave O — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 05:14:24 +0000

At SxSW Music in Austin, Texas - Uncle Weed recaps the previous day's activities and thoughts while enjoying a joint on the porch of the "Hillary Clinton Suite" at the Omni Hotel. Bands include the Jacob Jefferies Band, Sons and Daughters (Glasgow), Henry and Invisibles, Lemonheads, Tiger! Tiger! and more.

Meanwhile at SXSW ... Austin is Hazy, Austin is Weird - Choogle on #62 (.mp3, 13:53, 11MB)

[audio http://www.uncleweed.net/podshow/choogleon/choogleon-62.mp3]

Subscribe to the Choogle on feed or Chillaxin feed or via iTunes
Visit Uncleweed.net for more writings, podcasts, paintings and photos

More Podcast Goodness:

Postcards from Gravelly Beach - Literature Podcast - Feed - iTunes - Blog

Out n’ About with Uncle Weed- Travelin’ man vidcast - Show - Feed - iTunes

Ephemeral Feasthouse - Miscellanea & Notes - Blog - Feed - Podcast

Not to go A&R on a Mothafucka but...

redsoxmaniac — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:54:51 +0000

Disclaimer: Picture has nothing to do with the article. My jokes digress and regress whenever they please. You'll enjoy them.

There's no way we can have public sex here, my darling.

Why? Because I will not look cool without my umbrella. Can I hold it over

us while we do the nasty?

Bands like this with press like this annoys me. Tiger, Tiger!, with their new album The Kind of Goodnight has been really under the radar, and some people ( well, just me since I am the only mofo reading my work) will say, "But oh great writer of SID, this has to be the type of band you would put on your site, right? They are touted to be a mix of R&B & Punk and have two lovely chicks in the band. Surely two hipster-looking chicks add some brownie points to the mix?"

No. Good gracious no. No. No. No. No. This is a band that when I listen to it, I DO like their sound. I DO like the feeling and the counter-pop style they produce. I DO like the seductresses in the forefront. But the music is OK. OK. Like OK Soda. Mixed with orange soda, a little different, maybe even some questions and riddles on the side, but I am not bedazzled by the sound. I only heard their single, but if this their best sound, or even their median sound, I don't feel there is much that will make me thrilled to hear them again.

Movin to the country gonna eat a lot of peaches!

When I made his blog ( like an hour ago ), my purpose was to promote really good music. I know this is the eye of the beholder conundrum, but I think that if anything, I am going to showcase the really good music. A lot of music contains a serious amount of mediocrity or attribution to other bands that you don't see too many bands rise above that sea level of talent and scream " Look at how amazing this sound is!"

When I hear a song, or want it to be put on here, I place it on here because it resonates higher beyond something I can comprehend.

I want to showcase that sound that makes a woman take off her top with no thought of consequence, her tits bare & reverberating from the sheer power of her hands ripping off her shirt for all to see. I want to give to you the music that the hard-faced alpha male will break down in front of peers and sob about the days he was molested by a fat man on the beach. I want a reaction after the end of the song that culminates into people having sex without concern for their surroundings or law enforcement, a reaction that can incite a mob mass drooling for blood and mayhem as they head to burn down the capital where the lovely imperialism complex resides.

Seldom do I find these types of bands, up to the point that not all the bands on this blog WILL BE that GOOD. Barely anyone is, and it is always disputed when someone nominates a song so highly. But I will promote music that is closer to that spectrum than to the spectrum of " That's great, honey. I think it sounds nice." Nice is OK. OK is not bad. Get over those two humps, and you will probably have a spot on this blog.

I will showcase more bands in our weekly carnival, to be democratic of course. But I am doing this for my ego, and my ego appreciates good music. And band reviews like the one for Tiger, Tiger! ( thank god Google knows to look for two tigers in the search or you would've been fucked finding them otherwise; search engines were not that good in the old days) make me cringe because their sound doesn't correlate with the praise.

It is the equivalent when I did my social studies project ( which they give you months to do) the day before class in the 8th grade and I WON third place ( my teacher was pissed; he knew I was a fuck-up). I felt happy not because I was talented, but I was an asshole who got my way because I was good at the craft of bullshit and deadline bullshit work.

In music, bullshit sucks. Even B- work makes me throw up my hands and go "WTF?! Why?".

I don't mean to have this rant, but this isn't a shot against Tiger, Tiger! They are actually a decent band and I do hope to hear more of their work. But from what I heard, it wouldn't make the cut if I ever had a record label. The Salvo goes out to the writers who do their best to market it by calling this band a "cohesive sonic menace" that would constitute bar music " if more bars actually cut loose enough to play stuff like this".

This is why if someone tells me I write really badly or don't make much sense in my reviews, I can show them these diatribes on Tiger, Tiger!, show them a logo of Pitchfork Media, pour some gasoline on it, shove it down their throats, and while they CHOKE TO DEATH, I will scream, " I could've made it worse by burning the paper before I shoved it down your throat, but I feel bad for you since you will die eating SHIT!"

My point of all this: I am adamant of the music that will be on this blog as good. If you don't think it is good, then maybe I am losing my edge and you should contact me immediately and shove a pitchfork logo up my ass. That'll get me working again to bring you the best underground music around. I am such a masochist.

PS: I am a sucker for the female hipster look, but its a faze that won't last ( like my Mariah Carey faze = 1 year).

Introducing Tiger Tiger!

whenaleisindowntown — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 09:32:22 +0000

premetto che non sono un giornalista e non voglio esserlo. inoltre avevo 5 in italiano alle superiori.
ora che lo sapete, se vi va, potete continuare!

PRESENTAZIONI. NOME, ETÀ (SE SI PUÒ DIRE)
Federico e Margot.
25 e 23 anni.

TIGER TIGER. LA PRIMA COSA, PERCHÈ QUESTO NOME? SIETE IN DUE. QUINDI OGNIUNO DI VOI È UNA TIGRE? SAPETE CHE CI SONO UN BEL PO DI GRUPPI CHE HANNO NEL LORO NOME TIGER? VI INTERESSA?
L'origine del nome presto detta: è una vecchia storia accaduta qualche tempo fa nel Bengala.
Chiaramente ognuno di noi è una tigre precisamente fede è tiger e margot tiger!
Per quanto riguarda altri gruppi con tiger nel loro nome, ci ricordiamo di aver visto dei rocker nelle foreste bengalesi, deve essere per quello e comunque non ci disturba, anzi noi animali sappiamo convivere insieme!

QUANDO AVETE INIZIATO A SCRIVERE CANZONI? VI CONOSCEVATE GIÀ?
Abbiamo cominciato ad aprile 2007, e ci conoscevamo gia' da un po di tempo in quanto ci trovavamo in locali per ballare il rock, quello vero.

SO CHE SIETE ANCHE DUE FOTOGRAFI. QUALE RUOLO HA LA FOTOGRAFIA NELLA VOSTRA MUSICA? MA VIVETE DI ARTE QUINDI?
Federico e' un fotografo ma si sta per far licenziare perche' si sveglia sempre alle 13,
Margot ama la fotografia e ha comprato la batteria nuova per la sua reflex.
Viviamo di carboidrati principalmente,ma anche di provviste calabresi dai genitori di margot e quando ci arriva la paghetta andiamo a mangiare sushi.

VIVETE A BOLOGNA ORA. MA DOVE AVETE PASSATO I VOSTRI PRIMI ANNI? CHE FACEVATE?
Ora viviamo tutt'edue a Bologna , Margot pero' e' nata in Calabria.
Margot leggeva fumetti dell'uomo ragno e Federico era campioncino di judo.

CHE PENSATE DI BOLOGNA? È VERO CHE C’E’ UN SACCO DI ROBA NUOVA A LIVELLO DI ARTE? O CE UN SACCO DI GENTE CHE SI FA COMPLIMENTI E BASTA?
Bologna e' bella, e ci sono un sacco di gruppi validi che meriterebbero molto di più, pero' allo stesso tempo i complimenti sprecati nei locali fashion non mancano

PARLATECI UN POCO DEL NUOVO DISCO. COME SI INTITOLA? QUANTI PEZZI CONTIENE? AVETE DELLE ASPETTATIVE PER QUESTO ALBUM?
Il disco si chiama 11pm, che e' la taglia di reggiseno di margot, alla creazione del disco hanno contribuito diverse persone tra i quali Francesco Giammarella al clarinetto, Alessandro Scagliarini alla tromba, Adriano Angiolini del Redcorner Studio che ci ha seguito passo passo durante la registrazione e le idee, e le batterie sono state Francesco Righi che ci accompagnerà durante tutti i nostri live. I pezzi sono 10, di piacevole ascolto a parer nostro.Le aspettative sono suonare in giro e mangiare prodotti tipici il piu' possibile.

LA COPERTINA E' MOLTO PARTICOLARE. MI VOLETE RACCONTARE QUALCOSA A RIGUARDO?
L'idea e' di Chiara Monateri, la nostra musa ispiratrice, colei vestita da Maria Antonietta nella copertina, ed e' ispirata ad un quadro di Velasquez, Las Meninas, dove il pittore dipinge se stesso insieme a Margherita, figlia dei sovrani di Spagna, e tutta la scena che la circonda, nasconde tantissimi riferimenti che fanno di questo quadro un'opera ermetica dalle molteplici interpretazioni.(non ho fatto copia incolla, lo giuro sull'uomo ragno)

HO AVUTO LA FORTUNA DI ASCOLTARE I PRE MIX DEL DISCO. MI SONO VENUTE IN MENTE ALCUNE BAND, ALCUNI RIFERIMENTI. MI DITE COSA ASCOLTATE IN QUESTO PERIODO? QUALI DISCHI VI HANNO INFLUENZATO TANTO DA SPINGERVI A REGISTRARE QUALCOSA ...
Ultimamente abbiamo ascoltato molto i Vampire Weekend, Daniel Johnston, Iron & Wine, Animal Collective ma anche un sacco di roba vecchia tipo i Music Machine , Velvet Undergraund e Television. Ci siamo registrati per sentire cosa ne veniva fuori e farlo sentire ai nostri amici.

QUALI SONO STATE LE MIGLIORI USCITE DEL 2007?
Federico: Akron/Family, Panda Bear, The calorifer is very hot, Vampire Weekend, Patrick Watson
Margot: Lcd Soundsystem, Radiohead, Of Montreal, Wilco, Battles

NON SO BENE CHI LEGGERA', VOLETE COMUNQUE SALUTARE I LETTORI CASUALI CHE CAPITERANNO QUI A LEGGERE QUESTA SORTA DI INTERVISTA?
Bao!

Tiger Tiger!

whenaleisindowntown — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:24:32 +0000

Tiger Tiger! è il nome del duetto costituito nel 2007 da Federico and Margot. Federico è bolognese, Margot è calabrese in Erasmus a Bologna. Fanno 47 anni in due. Margot canta e suona glockenspiel, diamonica, piano, Federico suona la chitarra. La storia del perché si chiamano Tiger Tiger! chiedetela a loro, ho come la sensazione che la storia cambia ogni volta che la raccontano. Quello che rimane invece è la loro musica: chitarra acustica che si mescola a battimana riff irraggiungibili e dirigibili giocattolo. Se per spiegarvi la musica dei Tiger Tiger! dovessi prepararvi una cassettina, inserirei le Cocorosie e i Belle & Sebastian, Devendra Banhart e gli Strip Squad; ma non potrei consegnarvela senza prima essere passato in farmacia a procurami dello Xanax (per i Tiger Tiger!) e del Premarin, in caso qualcuno del pubblico ne avesse bisogno*.

Dal vivo non sono soli ma si fanno affiancare da Cisco alla batteria e da Adri (Redcorner studio).

Il 29 Febbraio 2008 uscirà il primo disco dei Tiger Tiger! per My Honey Records, la gloriosa etichetta devota all’indiepop.
Il titolo del disco è 11 pm ed è stato registrato al Redcorner studio da Adriano Angiolini e masterizzato da Francesco Donadello all’ Alpha Dept. di Bologna.
10 canzoni tweepop senza sapere cosa sia il tweepop.

http://www.myspace.com/tigerontiger
http://www.myspace.com/myhoneyrecords
http://www.myspace.com/headphonesman

* tratta da Take care Intervista ai Tiger Tiger! – realizzata da Enzo Baruffaldi per polaroid.blogspot.com

Tiger Tiger ! Tuffo a Bomba!

whenaleisindowntown — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 13:41:22 +0000

il 29 di Febbraio MyHoney Rec. pubblicherà il disco di esordio dei Tiger Tiger! Avremo modo su queste pagine di conoscerli meglio al più presto. Grazie alla preziosa Zahr Records dell'amico Luca proprio i Tiger Tiger! hanno la possibilità di attraversare il mare e avventurarsi nella stupenda Sardegna!.

Una bella occasione per presentare i pezzi che finiranno su 11pm, il loro disco d'esordio.

Ecco qui i dettagli:

08.02.08 Cagliari - intervista/showcase @ On Repeat, Radio Press h. 17
08.02.08 Guspini (CA) @ Sleepwalkers h. 22
09.02.08 Sassari @ Tumbao

www.myspace.com/tigerontiger

www.myspace.com/zahrrecords

www.myspace.com/headphonesman

www.myspace.com/myhoneyrecords

A Strange Old Week

Middle Man — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:14:34 +0000

A Strange Old Week

It has been a strange old week. A busy one. In no particular order or preference, there has been flooding across much of the country, a new (ish) Prime Minister, terrorist attacks in London and in Glasgow (and arrests on the M6 at Sandbach, VERY near where we live), a couple of funerals, a ban on smoking in public places, a phone call from my mom and dad who are on holiday in Canada, a meeting with a Head Hunter, Birmingham City have signed two new players, Brian has brought Rory back home to Ambridge in the Archers, Charlie has somehow survived another week in the Big Brother House, and, we have run out of oil.

It is Sunday. C is upstairs, trapped in her study, trying to make progress on an assignment that she has to complete by next Friday as part of her psychotherapy course. She is very disciplined. Very dedicated. She will be locked away until either she completes the task, or, the urge of a nicotine fix kicks in. Following the Government ban on the 1st July, our lounge is now one of the few places left in this great nation of ours where C can smoke without risking a fine or public derision. This week I even got a letter from the leasing company reminding me that my company car is designated a workplace and that smoking is, therefore, banned.

Fortunately I do not smoke. I never have. And, even if I had, I am sure I would never have smoked in a car. Far too enclosed a space. But, C will be OK with the ban. She only really smokes in the evening, just four or five a night, and is very aware of her smoke and prefers not to smoke when eating or when others would be offended.

Maslow, our furball baby cat, has been a bit fractious today. There have been several episodes of “mad cat”, when he stares with wild, wide eyes at imaginary monsters, drops his tail, and bounces around the room like a lunatic feather-duster on speed. It might be the weather. It is very wet and windy. He doesn’t like the wind. It might be because C is ensconced in her study and he is not getting the attention he seeks. Or, it might be because I released the little “present” that he brought us this morning - a little robin red-breast. I managed to retrieve it from Maslow’s mouth and release it through the dining room window. It was a little shocked and chewed but unpierced and he flew away under his own steam, thankfully.

As for the funerals, I attended one and sent a memorial message to the other. The funeral that I attended was of our neighbour’s father. A lovely man. The one I didn‘t attend was that of a work colleague. He was also a lovely man. His death was maybe even more tragic in that he was so young and it was suicide - maybe only a year or so older than I am. Such a waste. God Bless both.

Anyhow, with C at work upstairs, I am at home with the Sunday Times, listening to Radio 4 and the frequent, heavy showers outside. I am glowing slightly and emitting a faint pink radiation. I have not long returned from five minutes in a stand-up sunbed. Consequently, I am a tad flushed and smell a little singed. Which is unfortunate really as a shower is out of the question. This is because we have run out of heating oil and so have neither hot water nor heating since Friday. I doubt that they will deliver before Wednesday, which means a couple of early mornings having a stand up wash in cold water, and, shaving and washing hair by boiling kettles. Lovely.

I have applied for three jobs this morning. One out of the paper and the other two as a result of the many, many, many email prompts that I receive from all of the recruitment agencies that I am now registered with. Getting a job is a full-time job in itself. I met with a Head Hunter on Thursday (a recruitment specialist rather than a wild man from Borneo).He seemed quite hopeful, and the job that he described would certainly be of interest. He said he will probably be able to tell me tomorrow if I will be called for an interview. So, fingers crossed!

In the meantime, I am desperately trying to conjure up some enthusiasm about Gordon Brown’s arrival at Number 10. I would like to believe that he is genuine in his cabinet approach and a Government of “all talents” but I am guarded in my enthusiasm. I still feel badly let down by Blair and his lies that took us to war in Iraq. And Brown is the least impressive front man that I have ever seen. He is such a dull speaker. So monotone. I find myself drifting off when he is talking, even when it is about something as important as the latest terrorist threats. And, I can’t seem to get beyond that slack-jawed gagging thing that he does with his mouth. So, the jury is still out………as indeed, it is on Brum’s latest signings, Garry O’Connor and Olivier Kapo. So, watch this space.

Incidentally, it is a bit worrying that suspect terrorists were arrested near Sandbach on the M6 - if I stand on tip-toe in my garden I can almost see the spot where the police stopped the traffic and pounced. It is a little too close to home. Especially, since the failed car bomb in London was outside of the Tiger Tiger nightclub, being the last place that I “hit the town” in at a colleague’s leaving do. The food and service was crap, by the way. But, why are they picking on me……

Ficção Científica & Tipografia

Mário Moura — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 01:19:19 +0000

Tanto o design, como o sexo, como a violência podem ser “gráficos”. Há poucas ocasiões em que os três usos se misturam e os livros de Alfred Bester são uma delas. A sua obra pertence a um género de ficção científica – que fica a dever muito pouco à ciência – chamado space-opera. Nestas histórias, as pessoas teletransportam-se, sofrem mutações sem grandes explicações e os enredos dão mais reviravoltas do que seria possível em escritores mais sérios. Mas aquilo que se perde em coerência é ganho a dobrar em energia, e cada um dos livros de Bester é uma viagem de montanha russa seguida de um murro no estômago.

Ao longo dos anos, a intensidade excêntrica e sexualmente sugestiva de Bester ganharia um estatuto de culto. Em 1974, por exemplo, Malcolm McLaren e Vivienne Westwood fizeram uma T-Shirt que resumia os ódios e os amores do movimento Punk. Tinha duas listas: uma era bastante extensa (adivinhem qual), a outra incluía o Tiger! Tiger! de Bester (apropriadamente considerado um percursor do cyber-punk). Mais tarde, na série Babylon 5, um dos personagens, um polícia telepata, chamar-se-ia Alfred Bester.

Em Tiger! Tiger! (1956), – também conhecido como The Stars My Destination – estamos num futuro em que toda a gente tem o poder do teletransporte, desde que consiga visualizar o local para onde quer "saltar". As prisões são mantidas às escuras para evitar fugas e os milionários protegem-se atrás de labirintos defensivos; carros, aviões e locomotivas são coleccionados como objectos de luxo. O anti-herói desta história é Gully Foyle, um marinheiro do espaço analfabeto e amorfo, atraiçoado de tal maneira que se transforma num Conde de Monte Cristo futurista, obcecado e totalmente irracional.

No final do livro, Gully Foyle descobre quem o traiu no meio de uma sequência delirante onde começa a ouvir cores e a ver sons, e todas estas sensações sinestéticas são representadas através de arranjos tipográficos que se prolongam por oito páginas – alguém grita “Stop” e o conjunto dos gritos forma o hexágono dum sinal de trânsito; alguém desce umas escadas e vêem-se “Clatters” a ondear pela página.

Num livro anterior, Demolished Man (1951), Bester já tinha usado técnicas semelhantes para descrever uma sociedade policiada por telepatas, onde a publicidade é uma ciência exacta. Os pontos altos da história são uma festa onde a conversa telepática é representada por uma série de arranjos tipográficos (imagem acima) e um crime que é encoberto dos polícias telepatas através de um jingle publicitário viral.

Em geral, estas histórias são arrumadas como uma versão popular das vanguardas mas, durante a década de quarenta, Bester tinha ganho a vida a escrever histórias do Super-Homem para a DC Comics, tendo sido também o inventor da primeira versão do juramento do Lanterna Verde. É portanto mais provável que as onomatopeias da BD de super-heróis tenham tido mais influência nas suas histórias de ficção-científica do que a poesia concreta ou futurista.

A natureza gráfica dos livros de Bester aguenta muito mal a tradução, e as versões portuguesas são bons exemplos disso: Tigre! Tigre! aparece na colecção Argonauta da Livros do Brasil com uma paginação fanhosa e arranjos tipográficos diluídos. A versão da Europa América é a mesma coisa, com a diferença que se chama Estrelas o Meu Destino. Na mesma colecção também aparece Homem Demolido (não confundir com a adaptação do filme de Stallone com um título parecido). Na dúvida, prefiram as edições SF Classics da Viktor Gollancz (embora as capas sejam de fugir). Tive a sorte de encontrar a edição de 1954 cuja capa ilustra este artigo à venda por três euros e meio num alfarrabista do Porto.

The Tiger

Nikita — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 09:18:00 +0000

William Blake. 1757–1827

The Tiger

TIGER, tiger, burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies

Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire?

What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder and what art

Could twist the sinews of thy heart?

And when thy heart began to beat,

What dread hand and what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?

In what furnace was thy brain?

What the anvil? What dread grasp

Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,

And water'd heaven with their tears,

Did He smile His work to see?

Did He who made the lamb make thee?

Tiger, tiger, burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

William Blake (28 November 1757 — 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognized during his lifetime, Blake's work is today considered seminal and significant in the history of both poetry and the visual arts.