Loopion

Sigur Rós – Hoppípolla

Personal comments

Suggested by a colleague, Sigur Rós is a icelandic post-rock band (as defined on Last.fm). Quite innovative, their music and songs are composed of poetic lyrics (in icelandic essentially). Hearing for a long moment is quite relaxing, this particular song give you an overview of the music style that really touch lightly icelandic music scene with some new rock style.

Band biography

Reykjavík, Iceland (1994 – present)
Sigur Rós are an icelandic post-rock band. The name is derived from the name of lead vocalist Jónsi Birgisson’s little sister Sigurrós. According to their website, it is pronounced “si-ur roas (as in roast).” They hail from the same creative and vibrant Icelandic music scene as múm and Amiina. They released their first ever foray into film-making with their tour documentary, Heima in late 2007.

Jón Þór (Jónsi) Birgisson, Georg Hólm and Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson formed the group in Reykjavík, Iceland in August 1994. They soon won a record deal with a local record label, Bad Taste. In 1997, they released Von (Hope) and in 1998 a remix collection named Von brigði. The name is Icelandic wordplay: Vonbrigði means “disappointment”, but Von brigði means “hope alteration”. (In English, the album is sometimes known by the alternative name “Recycle Bin”.)

Post rock music with a touch of icelandic style

International acclaim came with 1999’s Ágætis Byrjun (“An alright start”) for which the band were joined by Kjartan Sveinsson. The album’s reputation slowly spread by word of mouth over the next two years. Soon many critics worldwide hailed it as one of the best albums of its time and the band was playing with Radiohead and other big names. Drummer Ágúst left the band after the recording of Ágætis Byrjun and was replaced by Orri Páll Dýrason.
Via Last.fm

Bruce Lash – Lithium

Personal comments

Today a Nirvana classic Lithium but a guitar acoustic version played by Bruce Lash. Bruce Lash is quite infamous, but I discover him by watching the movie Marley & Me and I totally hook up on this song.

Band biography

Bruce Lash, singer and guitarist

Bruce Lash spent his formative years listening to British Invasion pop music while studying piano and playing guitar. In 1970, he was particularly struck by Paul McCartney’s first solo album, a home DYI project in which Mr. McCartney played and sang all of the parts himself, and Bruce decided that this may be a good direction for him to pursue as well. He was similarly inspired by Nick Drake who, after a couple of live performances, decided to leave the stage to concentrate on studio recordings.

Many years passed.

Bruce found himself happily employed at a prominent commercial post production house in Chicago, mixing TV and radio commercials. Encouraged by his employers, he worked on recordings of his own music during his off hours, playing and singing each part himself, much as Mr. McCartney had done in the early ’70s.

Most of this was solitary work. He did, however, make some music with friends, including producer Scott Greiner with whom he recorded a variety of strange covers songs and originals. With Ken Zawacki, he started the pychedelic pop duo, the Virgineers, and recorded a critically acclaimed CD (a second Virgineers CD is still rumored to be in the works). With singer Maura Corey, he created Prozak for Lovers.

In more recent years, his music has found its way to motion pictures. In 2008, his song All the Way appeared in the Vodka Martini Productions release of Hell’s Gate.

On Christmas Day, 2008, Bruce’s Prozak for Lovers II version of the Kurt Cobain penned Lithium will be featured in the 20th Century Fox release Marley & Me, starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson.

Bruce has also recently begun playing live shows, after a fashion, in the metaverse Second Life. He streams stripped down, acoustic guitar and vocal, performances live from his home to an international crowd as avatar Winston Ackland. Winston has been drawing large, enthusiastic crowds with his mixture of clever originals and mostly obscure covers.
Via his official website : Bruce Lash Official Website.
Bruce Lash also have a nice MySpace page.

After your website is fully W3C compliant to all standards the most important part is to test how your website will render on each type of browser and OS.

Adobe took the gap like others (browsershot) and launch a week ago:

https://browserlab.adobe.com

Blog Loopion on Adobe BrowserLabs with onion skin view

What I appreciate the most it the transition mode (Onion Skin) to see exactly what’s going wrong.

Bebel Gilberto – Baby

Personal comments

Between bossa nova and jazz Bebel Gilberto is a Brazilian singer and personally I love her voice. Sweet, soft and with tender… Baby is my favorite one from her last album, I let you enjoy this fabulous track.

Band biography

Bebel Gilberto (born Isabel Gilberto on 12 May 1966 in New York City) is a Brazilian popular singer often associated with bossa nova. She is the daughter of João Gilberto and singer Miúcha and her uncle is singer/composer Chico Buarque.

Bebel has been performing since her youth in Rio de Janeiro. At the age of seven, Bebel made an appearance on her Mother’s first solo album Miucha. At age nine, Bebel performed with her mother and jazz saxophonist Stan Getz at a Jazz festival at Carnegie Hall.

Back in Brazil Bebel performed and recorded on the soundtrack of the children’s musical Os Saltimbancos written by Sergio Bardotti and Chico Buarque which created a major impact.

Pretty brazilian singer with a beautiful voice

Later, Bebel joined an experimental theatrical and formed founded the performance space ‘Circo Voador’ at Ipanema Beach. At this group she met singer/songwriter Cazuza, who became a close friend and later on a major rock star in the 1980’s.

At this time Bebel started to write songs with collaborators such as Dé, with whom she co-wrote
Preciso Dizer Que Te Amo, which became a national hit winning several music awards. Bebel’s first solo album was the 1986 Bebel Gilberto EP.

In 1991 Bebel moved back to New York where she performed first at the Brooklyn Academy Of Music in a special tribute to Carmem Miranda, directed by Arto Lindsay (also featured Naná Vasconcelos and Laurie Anderson).
Via Last.fm

Thomas Siffling Trio – One Hand Clapping (Club Des Belugas Remix)

Personal comments

I won’t do a comment on Thomas Siffling Trio but on Club Des Belugas which I prefer present you. I not especially appreciate Thomas Siffling Trio. :$
What I really appreciate in this remix is the mixture of Club Des Belugas style and tango. Club Des Belugas is currently waking up a new old fashioned dance style and adapting it to now modern days. When watching their videos on the MySpace page you can found many dance videos, a live concert and clips.

Band biography

Club des Belugas is one of the leading lounge & nujazz projects in Germany, perhaps in Europe. They combine Contemporary European Lounge & Nujazz Styles with Brazilian Beats and American Black Soul of the fifties, sixties and seventies, using their unique creativity and intensity.

Main members are Maxim Illion & Kitty the Bill, with such exquisite guests as the Californian Jazz Lady Brenda Boykin, trumpeter Reiner Winterschladen (Nighthawks), Swedish singer anna.luca, London based Jazz singer Iain Mackenzie, Anne Schnell from Jojo Effect, Dean Bowman from New York and trumpet player Thomas Siffling.

Club des Belugas started their career in 2002 with their first album “Caviar at 3 a.m.”

In 2003 they released their 2nd album “Minority Tunes”, which included the German Club Charts no.1 hits “hiphip chinchin” and “Gadda Rio”.

In 2006 Club des Belugas enriched the world of music with a real masterpiece called “apricoo soul”. The 12″ vinyl “Wildcats gotta move” reached German Club Charts #3 and stayed in the Top Ten for 8 weeks (march & april 2006). The Album included Club des Belugas’ Remix of Dean Martin’s “Mambo Italiano” and was the first worldwide legal remix of any Dean Martin track, authorized by Capitol/EMI and the Dean Martin Family themselves !!!

Club Des Belugas band

Discography

2002 Caviar at 3 a.m. (album)
2003 Minority tunes (album)
2003 Hip hip chin chin / Gadda Rio (12″ vinyl)
2006 Wildcats gotta move / Dibidy Dop (12″ vinyl)
2006 Apricoo Soul (album)
2007 Skip to the Bip (Andreas Henneberg Remix / 12″ vinyl)
2007 Moca – Post it (Club des Belugas Remix / 12″ vinyl)
2007 Best of Club des Belugas (special China Edition)
2008 SWOP (album)
2009 Special 2 CD re-release “Caviar at 3 a.m. / Minority Tunes”
2009 ChinChin presents: Hip Hip Chin Chin (12″ vinyl)

From the official Label website