Apart from Malcolm's email, yesterday's post received 0 comments. Which suggests to me that you are all either a) extremely anti-french; b) extremely anti-scottish; or c) extremely good at making the most of your Memorial Day holidays. I'll hope it's the latter option, and that I've not alienated everyone. Welcome back?
Mase - "Welcome Back". I mentioned this song here, and first read about it here. Indeed, Mase is back - the story goes that he found God and gave up the thug-stuff... as he puts it here, he's a "bad boy gone clean." This might elicit indifference from some of you (or even uneasy memories of MC Hammer), but please understand: "Welcome Back" is easily the warmest, friendliest hip-hop track of the year, with cheers and hugs all round, and what Mark P rightly called a "loping, smily-faced beat." The crowd gathers close, yellow light glances from the walls, there's slow bump dancing and earnest pats on the back. A demure piano taps simply at the bottom, strings eke out a theme (from Welcome Back Kotter? Maybe. I've never seen Welcome Back Kotter.), and everyone else seems to be shouting hellos, singing the hook, setting the table. "I make my money, man, without the coca / livin la vida without the loca." Laid back but jubilant.
Hedningarna - "Räven (Foxwoman)". And since I hate to be predictable, here's dark-weird nordic alt-folk to complement the goofy rap. It starts off with breathing, rapid and spooky, soon joined by a brute, drumming bass-line. Something like a didjeridoo drones in the background; a baritone voice begins to intone; then - glance to the side - and it's a lulling woman's voice, a lute playing alongside. Whip back to hear the saw of strange strings, overlapping wails. The Finnish language is perfectly suited to this between-worlds music, like the language of goblins, of elves, of foxes. Like a lot of the music from the neo-folk movement in northern Europe, Hedningarna has an incredible ability to set a scene, to evoke terrifying/wondrous imagery, scenes and faces and eyes that you'll never see. Early morning music to nightmare by - Rammstein at Odin's hoedown. [buy]
gmailswap update: was interviewed twice, Monday, for the BBC World Service.
a reminder: i'm taking tomorrow off as i go to montreal and graduate. huzzah. see you thursday!