Relatively Insignificant EC Stuff. . .

[johnfoyle]

http://dominicphilibert.blogspot.com/20 ... tello.html


Sketch painting by Dominic Philibert.

[johnfoyle]

http://smallpressreviews.wordpress.com/ ... verything/

January 17, 2010

Marc Schuster

Throughout Everything is Everything, poet Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz demonstrates that she is a master of juxtaposition. Take, for example, “L’Chaim,” in which Aptowicz seamlessly blends images of David Foster Wallace’s suicide, dancing the Hora at a Jewish wedding, and attempting to recall how to do an Irish jig. The effect of this commingling is nothing short of astounding: after the narrator of the poem learns of the author’s suicide, she is summoned to represent her Irish heritage by performing a jig she doesn’t exactly know how to do. The result, of course, is a dance that bears a striking similarity to that of the hanged author–bottom half whipping the floor, “furious as a seizure,” while the top half remains “frozen, immobile, paralyzed.” But the parallel demands further examination, as it implies that we are all, in some way, dying as we appear to celebrate, committing small suicides as we force ourselves to go through the received motions of daily life. Is there anything more than preserving the culture of our ancestors, the poem all but demands?

As it turns out, there is, as Aptowicz also proves throughout the volume that she has a sterling sense of humor. Among the subjects she touches on in her poetry are crack-addicted squirrels, her fascination with dachshunds, the Loch Ness Monster, and insults that only work if you are a presidential trivia buff. The poem that really got me, however, is titled “Every Winter, People Think My Boyfriend is Elvis Costello.” Here, Aptowicz ponders the essence of identity, the fecklessness of celebrity, and the age-old question: “Would Elvis Costello really be wearing an Elvis Costello t-shirt?”

As strong as Aptowicz’s poems are on the printed page, she is first and foremost a performance poet, so the best way to get a sense of what she’s up to is to see her live. If this isn’t a possibility, there’s always catching her performances online at http://www.aptowicz.com/poet.htm (be sure to scroll down!). Funny, smart, and a little macabre, Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz speaks eloquently and expertly for a generation raised on trivia, tabloid journalism, and black coffee.


http://www.amazon.com/Everything-Cristi ... 060&sr=1-1
Everything Is Everything
~ Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz
January 11, 2010

[johnfoyle]

Interesting comments on EC lyrics -

http://www.redroom.com/blog/sarahbradle ... s-costello

[Who Shot Sam?]

EC provides the epigraph for Joe Pernice's new novel, It Feels So Good When I Stop...

This is the place where I made my best mistakes - Elvis Costello

[johnfoyle]

Sounds like a good read-


http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Author/Au ... ml?sym=QUE

(extract)

Q. The epigraph to the novel is a quote by Elvis Costello: “This is the place where I made my best mistakes.” Why did you choose this epigraph? What does it say about the central thrust of the book?

Joe Pernice I guess the novel is both the scene of the crime and something of an apology on the part of the narrator. He’s not exactly telling the story from a place of redemption, but he certainly knows—and isn’t happy about it—that he’s done many lousy things.

Also, for the character Marie, mistakes as unexpected opportunities is a central theme. That and getting wasted.


http://www.amazon.com/Feels-So-Good-Whe ... 610&sr=1-1
It Feels So Good When I Stop
~ Joe Pernice

August 6, 2009

[johnfoyle]

http://www.rockmnation.com/2010/1/19/12 ... arterbacks

Jan 19 '10

American footballer Jimmy Costello gets analysed by Bill Connelly-


He did some solid shipbuilding in the spring and summer, locking down the #2 spot after Blaine Dalton's brilliant mistake. When Blaine Gabbert was taken out against Texas, he put on his red shoes and attempted a night rally. Unfortunately, his aim was not true. He couldn't stand up for falling down, and while accidents will happen, he is now a boy with a problem. A man out of time, so to speak.

(If you didn't understand any of that, go ahead and google "Elvis Costello" and proceed to roll your eyes like Costello fans already are.)

[johnfoyle]

http://www.hounslowchronicle.co.uk/west ... -25644469/

Elvis Costello's school celebrates anniversary

Jan 20 2010 By Robert Cumber

(extract)


ELVIS Costello's old school in Hounslow is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

[Jack of All Parades]

EC was an answer to a Jeopardy question on tonight's special celebrity show- the guest even got the answer correct to the category "Back-up Bands".

[johnfoyle]

While hunting around the 'net I happened on a Mingus Big Band performance from last year which feature's
a Mingus tune with Costello lyrics that is new to me.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... =103144642

April 16, 2009

Concert Pick: Mingus Big Band Performs 'Bird Calls'

on JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater

Set List

includes -

"E's Flat, Ah's Flat, Too" (lyric by Elvis Costello, arr. Johnson)


It can be heard at about 19 minutes in at a link via the above link.

A comment is made after the performance saying it's an alternate title to Hora Decubitus

http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... _Decubitus

[johnfoyle]

http://bbchron.blogspot.com/2010/01/elv ... tello.html

Monday, January 25, 2010
Elvis in the Eighties (Creative Costello Concerts)

Posted by BBKron

[johnfoyle]

http://heartwornhighways.blogspot.com/2 ... _8856.html



Monday, January 25, 2010

The Little Hands of Asphalt - Leap Years
(Spoon Train Audio/how is annie records, 2009)

Stian Svehagen

A couple of things before I write about this album. Yes, The Little Hands of Asphalt main man, Sjur Lyseid, is a friend of mine. That doesn't mean that this album automatically had a place in this round up. If anything it had to be even more impressive than some of the others.

With that out of the way, who are these Little Hands of Asphalt? Well, sort of like Phosphorescent, The Little Hands of Asphalt is a one man band. A one man band with up to eight people on stage when they are playing live one would might mention. The band name comes from a Elvis Costello album called King of America and the band is kind of the sideproject for Monzano vocalist/guitarist Sjur Lyseid. Leap Years is the band's debut and what a debut. Almost every song on the album is a favourite. The sound range from acoustic folk, twang-like country and Springsteen-ish rock, but there is always a good pop-melody at the core of everything.

Pop-melodies and good lyrics are the backbone of this band. Both the first song "Oslo" and the Springsteen-ish "The Future" have been minor radio-favourites in Norway and certainly should have been hits. If I were to pick favourites among my favourites on this album I think I would go for the achingly beautiful "The Next Time We Meet" with the stunning harmonies from Marit Falkum Enerhaug. Espescially on the lines:

"So when we'll stumble under the street lamps
the broken glass will feel like diamonds 'neath my shoes,
just like last time."

Favourite number two is "Bait". A very bitter and stunning song and lyric.

"The deep water swallowed us and we talked until we got the bends about love in the modern world with the awkwardness of passing friends. Eventually I shrugged it off. Maybe that's how I feel? But you don't seem offended by the fact that I have kept you here as bait for something real."

My absolute favourite on the album is the song "A Few Words from Our Ten Nominees". This song makes me get all teary-eyed almost everytime I hear it. I don't really know for sure what does it for me, but I think it is the combination of the hauntingly beautiful melody and the lyrics. The last words in the song always leaves me with a lump in my throat, tears in my eyes and shivers down my spine. Not many songs has given me these feelings the last years. So this my friends is a classic.

"Though I know you're already immune to every decision I'll make. Both the good ones and the ones that'll turn out to be mistakes."

Leap Years, a fantastic album.

[Mikeh]

I see that Cherry Red records in the UK has reissued the album by Clive Langer & the Boxes. Of course, he co-produced EC's albums Punch the Clock and Goodbye Cruel World. I used to have the LP (released in 1979) and I remember it being fairly average new wave stuff. So for EC completeists only, and I am sure Mr Foyle is reaching for his Visa card as we speak!

[johnfoyle]

I presume this is the Washington Post ; does anyone here have a copy of the issue to have a look at/scan?

http://comicsdc.blogspot.com/2010/01/to ... lo-in.html

Friday, January 29, 2010

Posted by Mike Rhode

Tony Millionaire's Elvis Costello in Post

Tony Millionaire draws Elvis Costello for an ad that's on page 9 of the Weekend section of the Post.

[johnfoyle]

http://zombiecat-lifeintheround.blogspo ... harts.html


Life in the Round

An exploration of my life as I know it. Knitting, working, creating, and cat-wrangling.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Posted by ZombieCat

(extract)

This was a very long-winded way of saying that I have gotten a lot of requests for the charts on the Elvis Costello pillow. So many, in fact, that I have put it up for sale on Ravelry. It's not very expensive, only $1.99, and you get a chart for the front (his face) and two for the back (his name). Right now it’s only available on Ravelry, since I don’t know how to put the “buy now” button on my blog. If I get that figured out then you won’t have to have a Rav account to purchase it. However, if you’re a knitter and you’re interested in things, like Elvis Costello, and you DON’T have a Ravelry account; then get your butt over there and sign up! It’s free and you’ll meet so many other cool knitters like yourself that your head might explode! We could all use that every now and then.


http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library ... llo-charts






Elvis Costello Charts
by Tina Melvin

[blureu]

http://popdose.com/soundtrack-saturday-satisfaction/

January 30th, 2010
Soundtrack Saturday: “Satisfaction”

by Kelly Stitzel
Last summer I wrote about one film starring a Family Ties cast member as a struggling rock musician. Now I bring you another. That’s right, girls and boys, it’s time to get some

Satisfaction (1988).

Retitled Girls of Summer for TV, Satisfaction is probably most notable for being the feature-film debut of two of its stars, Justine Bateman and Julia Roberts.

While Bateman already had a successful television career, having starred as Mallory Keaton on NBC’s Family Ties since 1982 as well as in several TV movies, Satisfaction was Roberts’s first big acting gig (she had previously only appeared in an episode of Crime Story, another NBC series, and a dinky little movie called Firehouse, in an uncredited role).

Also starring Trini Alvarado (Little Women), Scott Coffey (Shag), Britta Phillips (of rock duo Dean & Britta), and Liam Neeson, the movie centers on Bateman’s character, Jennie Lee, a recent high school grad who’s also the lead singer of an all-girl rock band called the Mystery. After convincing her older brother — the head of the household, since their parents are dead — to allow her to spend the summer with the band, Jennie Lee and the Mystery — bassist Daryle (Roberts), drummer Mooch (Alvarado), guitarist Billy (Phillips), and newly recruited male keyboard player Nickie (Coffey) — head off to audition for a gig as the house band at a beachfront bar.

They arrive for their audition only to find the bar closed, so they track down the address of the owner and go to confront him, discovering that he’s Martin Falcon (Neeson), an award-winning songwriter who now spends his time drinking rather than crafting melodies. He reluctantly allows the band to stay in his garage, despite the fact that they broke into his house, and tells them they can still audition — but he’s already made up his mind that he probably won’t need them. Once Martin sees them perform, though, he changes his mind and gives them the gig as his club’s house band.

The Mystery has a blast spending time on the beach during the day and playing music at night — and sometimes getting into trouble. Daryle, who made the trip with the band against her possessive boyfriend’s wishes, meets some yuppies one day and tries to fit in with their scene (something that Roberts’s character in Mystic Pizza, released later in ‘88, also attempts). Jennie begins a romantic relationship with the much older Martin, which threatens her relationship with the band. Meanwhile, Billy almost ODs on drugs, and the leader of a street gang whose van Mooch stole finally finds her and the band after pursuing them all summer. Things don’t end badly for any of the characters, as they all pretty much get (wait for it) satisfaction from the whole experience.

This movie definitely qualifies as a guilty pleasure for me. It’s not very good, but it’s one of those films I found as a kid, and it just stuck with me. I mean, it’s about an all-girl rock band (though the Mystery is a truly mediocre band). There weren’t a lot of movies about all-girl rock bands back then, so I had to settle for what I could get.

Watching it now, I realize that while it was supposed to be the breakout film for both Bateman and Roberts, Britta Phillips is the one who really steals the show. She’s the cast member who was an actual musician: she already played bass but learned how to play guitar for the role of Billy, and before Satisfaction she was the singing voice of every ’80s girl’s favorite cartoon rock star, Jem of Jem and the Holograms (Phillips went on to become the bassist for Luna, where she met husband Dean Wareham, the other half of Dean & Britta). She also had the funniest lines and the most charisma on-screen.

Since Satisfaction is a movie about a band, music plays a central role. All of the songs the Mystery play are covers except for “Talk to Me,” which, from what I can tell, seems to have been written for the movie (interestingly, the credits say, “Title and inspiration — Roy Orbison”). The choices for cover songs are pretty interesting — songs by the likes of the Knickerbockers, Eddie Cochran, Elvis Costello, and of course the Rolling Stones.

As Jennie Lee, Bateman doesn’t do a terrible job singing; her voice is kind of perfect for a bar band. Phillips has a great voice, though, and while the arrangement of the Mystery’s cover of “Mr. Big Stuff” isn’t great, she shines as the lead vocalist. I will say that one thing this movie doesn’t need is more cowbell — Bateman beats the hell out of that thing, particularly during the Mystery’s cover of “Knock On Wood.”

An official soundtrack album was released, and credited as being performed by the cast, who were billed as Justine Bateman & the Mystery (though in the movie’s credits, the songs are listed as “performed by Jennie Lee & the Mystery”). However, the instruments are all performed by session players, with Bateman singing lead and Phillips providing backing vocals (plus lead vocals on “Mr. Big Stuff,” as mentioned). The soundtrack also features songs by John Kay & Steppenwolf and the Chantels, as well as a piece of Michel Colombier’s score (the same Michel Colombier who did the score for Purple Rain).

Whether you like it or not, I’ve gathered up every song from the complete, out-of-print official soundtrack album, along with one song that didn’t make the cut: “Stimulation,” by Wa Wa Nee.

[johnfoyle]

http://newmusicreviews.net/kate-sawyer- ... on-itunes/

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 2 /PRNewswire/ —

(extract)

As pop culture phenomenon “Lost” begins its sixth and final season on TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2 (9:00-11:00 p.m., ET) on ABC, fans of the ABC television series will gain a unique glimpse into the minds of characters Kate, Sawyer, Locke, Hurley and Charlie as well as the vibe of the Dharma Initiative with the release of six EPs revealing classic songs important to each of them. Appropriately for characters stranded on a remote South Pacific island, these recordings are their “Lost tracks.”


Kate’s Tracks: LOST EP: A fugitive on the run, the strong-willed Kate Austen has a tumultuous past.

1. “Cherry Bomb” (The Runaways)
2. “Crazy” (Patsy Cline)
3. “Jack Of All Parades” (Elvis Costello)
4. “(I Know) I’m Losing You” (Rod Stewart)
5. “Another Nail In My Heart” (Squeeze)
6. “Bad Medicine” (Bon Jovi)
7. “Somebody I Used To Know” (Elliot Smith)

Charlie’s Tracks: LOST EP: The most obvious character to have an EP, Charlie Pace is a rock musician who conquers his drug addiction while on the island.

1. “Gasoline Alley” (Rod Stewart)
2. “Less Than Zero” (Elvis Costello)
3. “I’m One” (The Who)
4. “Going Underground” (The Jam)
5. “Dirty Boots” (Sonic Youth)
6. “Lady Godiva’s Operation” (Velvet Underground)
7. “Empty Pages” (Traffic)

[johnfoyle]

http://setsuled.livejournal.com/568297.html

Feb. 5th, 2010

(extract)


After watching the last episode of Being Human's first series last night, I watched the fifth episode of Dance in the Vampire Bund with breakfast and the juxtaposition, along with the recent film Daybreakers, made it clear that the current effort to maintain vitality for vampire fiction in this post-post-post-Anne Rice world is to go into politics and vampires as a social class. Being Human seems to have pursued this line with somewhat weak focus, only sort of hinting at the vampire guild's intention to convert the whole world into vampires, and rather hastily moving about The Vampire Mitchell's loyalty. The episode focuses, appropriately enough on what being human means as Mitchell moves from feeling superior to humanity to seeing value in humanity and George learns to accept his lycanthropy as part of his humanity. Mitchell's story would have been almost totally arbitrary if it weren't for a nice scene of his former lover sacrificing herself so that he could live, though the scene is diminished somewhat by the baffling use of the Cait O'Riordan/Elvis Costello song "Baby Plays Around". Is Mitchell cheating on her by accepting her sacrifice? Is she cheating on him somehow, since the song's sung from a male perspective? It was really weird.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/beinghuman/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Being_Huma ... _series%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Be ... .282009.29

Series 1 (2009)

"Episode 6" 1 March 2009

See the episode ; 'Around features at about 17 minutes in -


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... uman&hl=en#

[And No Coffee Table]

There are a zillion comments on Twitter about Pete Townshend looking like EC at the Super Bowl.

[And No Coffee Table]

Elvis Presley sings "Pump It Up."

[Who Shot Sam?]

One of the fashion choices on Rock Band 2 is a style of sunglasses called "Costellos". I got my avatar a pair!

[johnfoyle]

http://powerpop.blogspot.com/2010/02/sh ... ty_15.html

Patti Smith

(extract)

I'm reminded of something she said when I asked her about Elvis Costello in an interview for the old Stereo Review back in 1978.

"I don't like Elvis Costello. I don't hate him, but...I mean, as a politician I'm into solidarity, but as a fan I'm relentless, a real Nazi. You ask the fan in me and you're gonna get a pretty narrow view. Basically, if there isn't somebody I want to fuck in a band, I couldn't care less. Unless it's such great abstract music it carries me away. Otherwise, if it's a rock-and-roll band, there better be somebody fuckable or forget it."

[johnfoyle]

http://ke4elizabeth.edublogs.org/2010/0 ... -me-downs/




some of my albums, and Declan, my record player, named after Elvis Costello

[johnfoyle]

MikeH noted earlier -

I see that Cherry Red records in the UK has reissued the album by Clive Langer & the Boxes. Of course, he co-produced EC's albums Punch the Clock and Goodbye Cruel World. I used to have the LP (released in 1979) and I remember it being fairly average new wave stuff. So for EC completeists only, and I am sure Mr Foyle is reaching for his Visa card as we speak!

http://www.cherryred.co.uk/lemon/artist ... eboxes.php

Mike knows me , of course, well and I did indeed order and get this re-issue. It's a fun listen, the overtly English intonations of the vocals making a good case (as Clive makes in the sleeve notes) for it being a before-its-time version of the sound Blur and the other Britpop bands used. The two Costello produced tracks are pretty much identical to the vinyl edition I compared it with. The bass seems much louder on 'Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya ' . The vocal on 'Half As Nice' was rather hissy on the 1980's edition and is doubly so here.

Clive tells a story about Elvis , as a promo. gesture, supporting the Boxes for their debut gig and rather spoiling the effect by playing a set of hits that was difficult to follow! Details of same may be in amongst my print archive of Costello stuff ( a fancy name for a pile of stuff that I'll have to make time to delve into) but don't seem to be on the 'net. I've e-mailed Clive Langer's site looking for a date and venue etc. so maybe that'll get a result.

[TX_Fan]

This is probably more than just "Relatively" Insignificant...but a friend's sister-in-law saw EC on a plane to Vancouver. She was on the way to the olympics

[Top balcony]

MikeH noted earlier -

I see that Cherry Red records in the UK has reissued the album by Clive Langer & the Boxes. Of course, he co-produced EC's albums Punch the Clock and Goodbye Cruel World. I used to have the LP (released in 1979) and I remember it being fairly average new wave stuff. So for EC completeists only, and I am sure Mr Foyle is reaching for his Visa card as we speak!

http://www.cherryred.co.uk/lemon/artist ... eboxes.php

Mike knows me , of course, well and I did indeed order and get this re-issue. It's a fun listen, the overtly English intonations of the vocals making a good case (as Clive makes in the sleeve notes) for it being a before-its-time version of the sound Blur and the other Britpop bands used. The two Costello produced tracks are pretty much identical to the vinyl edition I compared it with. The bass seems much louder on 'Ain't Gonna Kiss Ya ' . The vocal on 'Half As Nice' was rather hissy on the 1980's edition and is doubly so here.

Clive tells a story about Elvis , as a promo. gesture, supporting the Boxes for their debut gig and rather spoiling the effect by playing a set of hits that was difficult to follow! Details of same may be in amongst my print archive of Costello stuff ( a fancy name for a pile of stuff that I'll have to make time to delve into) but don't seem to be on the 'net. I've e-mailed Clive Langer's site looking for a date and venue etc. so maybe that'll get a result.

John

Whilst you're on the trail I'd recommend a listen to Clive's earlier stint as part of the fantastic beat combo "Deaf School" send me a PM if you want a copy of their stuff to sample. I saw the Boxes support Elvis at Southport Floral Hall on 18th March 1980 the tour of out-of-the-way-places to "promote" Get Happy. That night EC dedicated "Goon Squad" to the Liverpool Police heavies who had wrecked Erics a few nights previously:

http://fruitierthanthou.blogspot.com/20 ... th_04.html

Colin Top Balcony