Bangkok Jungle

Det 5: Time to Face The Music – Yes You!

Inside Bangkok Jungle — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:16:49 +0000

It’s true. We don’t get around much these days reminded as we are on a weekly basis at the very least that there “ain’t nowhere to go for good live music any more” in The Big Mango. That’s a lame excuse and not even true. How about Nothing But The Blues on Thonglor Soi 13? Or Fat Gutz on Thonglor 12? Or V8 Diner on Sukhumvit Soi 12? Or Tokyo Joe’s on Suhkumvit Soi 26? Adhere 13 Blues Bar at Samsen by Khao San Road? Saxophone at Victory Monument? The list actually goes on…with the Australian on Soi 11; Bangkok Beat on Sukhumvit Soi 7…! But the chance of meeting a dozen or so of my long-time muso friends in one hit after a year away was not to be resisted, and I headed Monday night to one of my favourite sois on Sukhumvit – Soi 8 – where I often overnight at the Promenade Hotel for a 1000 Baht with breakfast. And right opposite the dusty old hotel is the Det 5 Pub and Restaurant, replete with pool, great food, excellent service, outdoor and indoor dining tables and a genuinely hospitable ambience in what is already a very restful soi.

And on a Monday night it’s ‘Face The Music’ when owner Bob Van Es and amiable session hosts Paul Williams and Tommie Duncan actively, enthusiastically encourage anyone who wants to do anything they want on stage – be it solo sax, poetry, debuting new songs, folk favourites or even a touch of rock – with a modest backline, monitors, a bass guitar and drum kit at whoever’s disposal.

Whether doing a turn, or hanging with the musos and their guests, it’s a great Monday night out with a great menu, well-priced food and drinks, great tea (Twining’s English Breakfast), and some very interesting talent making itself felt on the roomy stage until 1 am. And they do an awesome Full Monty All Day Breakfast!

Nana BTS.

Gig of The Week…Month?

Inside Bangkok Jungle — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:31:57 +0000

Music Review: The Isley Brothers – It’s Our Thing

Inside Bangkok Jungle — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:26:08 +0000

The Isley Brothers‘ 1969 album It’s Our Thing has been remastered and reissued by Iconoclassic Records. The group’s signature hit “It’s Your Thing” has remained popular for over forty years. What has been largely forgotten are the other worthwhile tunes that make the entire album worth hearing. The album’s title carries a touch of irony, as “their thing” was clearly an amalgam of the styles of other pioneering artists of the day. But that doesn’t make the music any less enjoyable.

The ten tracks were all original collaborations by Ronald, Rudolph, and O’Kelly Isley. Following several years as part of the Motown machine, the Isleys had emerged with a new sound. Their approach was heavily influenced by the funk of James Brown and Sly and the Family Stone. With the exception of a few ballads, the music on It’s Our Thing is all about thick grooves with elastic bass lines and percussive horn accents. Ronald Isley‘s voice is perhaps the most underrated of his generation, and he’s in fine form throughout.

The Godfather of Soul himself was listening closely. After “It’s Your Thing” became a massive hit, James Brown fired back with “It’s My Thing (You Can’t Tell Me Who To Sock It To),” which he wrote and produced for Marva Whitney. The similarities were strong enough that Brown was forced to share writing credits for “It’s My Thing” with the Isleys. The James Brown influence was strong throughout, with “Give the Women What They Want” coming off like a cross between “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” and “Cold Sweat.” But the playing and singing are strong enough to allow the music to stands on its own.

The album’s lead-off track, “I Know Who You Been Socking It To,” is another highlight, a boisterous jam that rivals the better known “It’s Your Thing.” Of the ballads, “Feel Like the World” burns brightest, with searing lead vocal. The other ballads are a bit generic, typical for the genre at that time.

The entire album clocks in at a very brisk 27 minutes. There aren’t any bonus tracks included on the album. As for the remastering, considering its age the album sounds decent. As explained in the CD booklet, the two closing tracks (“Don’t Give It Away” and “He’s Got Your Love”) were taken from a vinyl source due to badly damaged master tapes. These songs blend in just fine with the rest of the album. Give the bass a boost and crank the volume. It’s Our Thing is classic funky soul and Iconoclassic Records should be commended for reissuing it.

View the original article on blogcritics.org

Getting it Right

Inside Bangkok Jungle — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:06:08 +0000

Lefsetz Says:Tone Deaf Madonna

Inside Bangkok Jungle — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:04:40 +0000

“People spend $300 on crazy things all the time, things like handbags. So work all year, scrape the money together, and come to my show. I’m worth it.”

http://bit.ly/A77UHb

It’s not the eighties anymore. But don’t tell that to an ultra-rich woman living in a London inhabited by wealthy oil sheiks that appears to be oblivious to the recession, never mind the plight of those in the Midlands or the United States. This is how we know Madonna is toast. Ahmet always kept up with the trends, that’s how he stayed relevant. And Madonna tried, albeit a beat behind the hipsters, distilling their fads for the masses, but now she’s lost her way.You’re supposed to be in bed with your fans. Or at least give that illusion. She’s supposed to say she wants to charge less, but the scalpers won’t let her, she wants to make sure fans get the tickets. Or, if she really cared about the fans getting tickets, she’d lower the price and go paperless.

But Madonna never cared about her fans. Certainly not after she got rich and started living a better life hanging with the upper class.

And this worked in the go-go eighties, even the dot com nineties, when seemingly everybody had money and was living the high life.

But now, when those same fans who lined up as teenagers are mothers balancing the books to put food on the table, Madonna insults them?

As for the comment re handbags, isn’t this what’s wrong with America? Empty, soulless gratification, like too much of Madonna’s recent music? People are hungering for truth. Sure, they want to party, but not at these prices.

Not that I believe Madonna will do poor business. But I’d be stunned if her album’s a success in America. She’s too old, too unhip, and without Top Forty success, you’re done.

It’s a brand new music business and Madonna’s not part of it.

The saturation marketing of yore, where we had to endure her, is gone. We can ignore Madonna pretty easily these days. And that’s what she hates most. She wants that attention. But rather than remake herself for a modern era, she’s gonna go on the road and sing those old hits.

She’s incredibly smart. If only she let her face fall and sang about the travails of the middle age woman, then she could truly be a leader, an icon, she’d have a chance of regaining her previous status.

But she blinked. She spends more time in the gym than on charitable issues and has had fat injected in her cheeks when her fan base is riddled with cellulite. Once upon a time she was a chubby everywoman, now she’s a Terminator, a veritable computer, made of metal and plastic as opposed to flesh and blood.

But she mirrors society quite well. The rich and famous have lost touch with the hoi polloi. Not realizing, that without them they’re nothing. She can take her money and go home, like David Bowie, but if she goes on the road who does she think is paying for all those tickets? Certainly not Citibank or Goldman Sachs.

Watch this Elizabeth Warren video, it gets the essence straight:

http://bit.ly/oZ7w9N

So Madonna is just like Mitt Romney. Living off the grid for so long that she’s lost touch with it. Mitt thinks a casual bet is 10k and says he doesn’t worry about the poor, that the safety net will take care of them at the same time wanting to get rid of national health and continue to cut welfare payments.

Madonna, wanna make a difference? Stand up for the little people!

But she’s not from the sixties or seventies, she never learned that lesson.

She screwed everybody known to man. Where was her outrage when the Susan G. Komen foundation took away funding from Planned Parenthood? Madonna moved to NYC broke, I’d be stunned if she didn’t use Planned Parenthood for birth control. Furthermore, isn’t birth control all about empowering women?

But Madonna doesn’t care about you, only herself.

And since she got away being sassy in the Reagan eighties, she thinks the same behavior works today.

If she thinks she’s worth $300 a ticket, she’s dreaming. Nobody’s worth that. And if they can get it, it doesn’t last forever, nothing does.

Speaking of which, do you think we’ll be hearing “Like A Virgin” next to “I Want To Hold Your Hand” on oldies radio fifty years from now?

Don’t make me laugh.

I know Madonna’s answer. It’s everybody’s answer today. I sold out, so shut up. Money trumps everything, ends every conversation. Like we should revere these bankers just because they’re rich.

Well, the rich and powerful media companies got trumped by the online masses on SOPA.

And the blowback caused the Susan G. Komen foundation to reverse course.

That’s the power of the people. You want to be on their side if you want to win.

Madonna is not.

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Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
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MUSIC INDUSTRY REDEFINED: End Of The Record Label

Inside Bangkok Jungle — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:06:55 +0000

TULSA, OK: idefi developers are excited to announce the launch of a record label model they say will revolutionize the record industry. Years in the making, idefi destroys the antiquated model of the fat cat record label taking the lion’s share of artist earnings while controlling artistic content. The idefi website, designed by ticketing system provider and idefi part-owner TICKETsage, allows any artist to upload their original music and create a profile page for free. The artists set their own pricing and determine how their music is packaged.

“What happens after your music sells is what makes idefi unique,” said Brady Deaton, founder and CEO of idefi. “When your music sells, you earn reward points which open services of a traditional record label.”

These points give the artist access to services such as duplication, worldwide digital and physical distribution, promotion to press and radio, artist development, licensing and placement, a recording budget, a budget for music videos, booking and tour support.

“At some point in every artist’s career they have to make a decision about doing everything on their own or giving up control so they have a team to support and promote them. With idefi they don’t have to make that decision because there are no contracts and the artists maintain full control,” Deaton said.

With the official launch of idefi coming on March 14, Deaton is also announcing partnerships with several established artists to the new platform. Grammy nominated, three-time Dove award winner Rob Beckley will release his first solo album via idefi Music next year.

Even the Dogs, a band familiar with the trappings of a major label, sees the launching of idefi as a wake-up call to artists struggling to have their voices heard.

“Labels, as they stand today, are out to break starving artists’ hearts,” the band’s lead singer Eddie Green said. “We found out the hard way that just because it’s in the contract, doesn’t mean it’s true. idefi puts the power in our hands. We determine our success and with all of the tools that are provided, we can only fail if we choose to.”

idefi is committed to not only providing an avenue for artists to connect with music fans but to develop their careers as well, said Donnie Frizzell, director of artist development.

“We will watch the artists grow as we become a partner in developing their careers. They will work to create the awareness and, once they have done that, we will plug them into the perks of a traditional record label,” Frizzell said.

To find out more about idefi, the idefi showcase at the 2012 South by Southwest festival or to contribute to idefi’s indiegogo campaign, visit:

Email: brady@idefimusic.com
Website: http://www.idefimusic.com

Inside Bangkok Jungle — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:43:47 +0000

Jimmy Moves In – Carpet Pink or Brown?

Inside Bangkok Jungle — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 05:37:08 +0000

From The Classifieds: IT Help

Inside Bangkok Jungle — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 06:57:08 +0000

Expert Computer Help and Service in Bangkok. Experienced and established provider of Computer Services and Solutions. Providing very best service and support for your IT needs. IT Support / Maintenance, Hardware and Software, Web Sites, Hosting, Networks, CCTV, PBX and more. Call 02 650 4770 (3 lines) or visit us on the web at www.clarity.co.th

Hot Kiwis?

Inside Bangkok Jungle — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:53:29 +0000

“I’m Down With…Breaks Co-Op

By Elton John

My favorite album at the moment is by a New Zealand three-piece called Breaks Co-Op. ‘Sound Inside’ is a chill-out disc that sounds a little like Crosby, Stills and Nash. It’s brilliant, wonderful. Since I bought it in the store, I’ve played it for so many people. I played it for the head of my record company today. I’m on Universal and Breaks Co-Op is on EMI, but he said it was probably one of the best records he’s heard all year. It just kills me that these albums come out and they don’t sell or don’t get the right promotion. Everyone I’ve given it to – from the Killers to the Scissor Sisters – have all freaked out.”

Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/ylVhAd

YouTube: http://bit.ly/sKf8u