Antagonist demon

And in the same vein of Japanese-named girl-fronted heavy-rocking bands, this is a bass-heavy track from Kokeshi Doll (AKA こけし Doll) - it's like they're channeling Black Sabbath or the Queens of the Stone Age. Except tht Kokeshi Doll is not only Japanese-named, but Japanese as well.

こけし/Kokeshi Doll
"あまのじゃく" (which might be translated as an antagonistic demon in Japanese folklore, they're the demons the temple gardians at the entrance are trampling)

short n' trash

mika miko: another one of those bands that i hear about after the fact. this girl punk band was just in town last week as part of the suoni per il popolo festival.

i really like their "yeah, we sound like a basement band, but who gives a f***" attitude. i'm a very gentle person, but sometimes, i'd really like to trash it up. like a mosh pit, never done that.

Apples and white things

This is a track from '06, but I remembered that Flying Lotus had done a remix of this song and that the original was pretty awesome too. Which is not always the case.

Mia Doi Todd
"My Room is White"
Manzanita

And the dark waters shall be your guide

I posted about Flying Lotus before, but this was on the same podcast that the Cate Le Bon song was on, and I have of late been reminded me of how beautiful it is.

Flying Lotus
"Auntie's Lock/Infinitum"
Los Angeles

Cabaret

Another song with a light sound but a heavy heart from our good Australian friends in Sodastream.

Sodastream
"Twin Lakes"

The neon lights of Wales

I was checking out that Neon Neon track with Cate Le Bon after yesterday's post and I said to myself, "Hey, this isn't that bad at all, and it seems I haven't mentioned Neon Neon at all."

So here you go.

Neon Neon
"I Lust U"
Stainless Style



PS - You knew that Neon Neon was Gruff Rhys (from Super Furry Animals) and Boom Bip indulging in 80's nostalgia, right? Yeah, of course you did...

Word

So I'm currently enrolled in the CELTA teaching-English certification course. I have downloaded a podcast from The Long Lost, and it's all smooth and melodic and excellent for those 10 minute walks across an extensive campus.

I should be preparing a lesson about the use of modals in the past for opinions and suggestions (possibly even less exciting than it sounds), but instead was inspired to post by Cate Le Bon singing "O Am Gariad" in Welsh (Welsh, for God's sake). Believe it or not, the podcast the version is even more beautiful.

She's best known for her vocals on a Neon Neon track, but I like this better.

I never wanted to go to Wales until I met Welsh people, and I want to go now more than I did before.

Cate Le Bon
"O Am Gariad"
Live on what I imagine is some Welsh TV Show