ON THE AIR: SUB-SAHARAN BLUES, TINARIWEN LIVE AT WOMAD FESTIVAL!

Tinariwen (Tamasheq: tinariwén "deserts") is a band of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. The band was formed in 1979 in Tamanrasset, Algeria, but returned to Mali after a cease-fire in the 1990s. The group first started to gain a following outside the Sahara region in 2001, with the release of The Radio Tisdas Sessions, and the performances at Festival au Désert in Mali and at the Roskilde festival in Denmark. Their popularity rose internationally with the release of the critically acclaimed Aman Iman in 2007. Tinariwen's biography has variously been described as "the most compelling of any band" (Songlines), "the most rock'n'roll of them all" (The Irish Times), "hard-bitten" (Slate.com), and "dramatic" (The Independent).

The Tinariwen sound is primarily guitar-driven in the style known as assouf among the Tuareg people. The Tinariwen guitar style has its roots in West African music, specifically that from the "great bend" region along the Niger River, between Timbuktu and Gao. The core elements of Tinariwen's music are traditional Tuareg melodies and rhythms including those played on the shepherd's flute, which is primarily a man's instrument; and those played on a one-string fiddle known as an imzad which is played by women. The primary percussion instrument is the tindé drum which is played by women at festive occasions. Another important traditional influence is the lute known as the teherdent, which is played by the griots of the Gao and Timbuktu regions. In the late 1970s, when the founding members of Tinariwen started playing acoustic guitars, they played a traditional repertoire adapted to the western guitar.

While the Tinariwen style is possibly a distant relative of blues music, via West African music, members of Tinariwen claim to have never heard actual American blues music until they began to travel internationally in 2001.

In August 2012, an Ansar Dine spokesman announced: "We do not want Satan's music. In its place will be Quranic verses. Sharia demands this. What God commands must be done." After large parts of Northern Mali were captured by Ansar Dine, Abdallah Ag Lamida was arrested by the Islamist authority in early January 2013. The other band members managed to evade capture, but Ag Lamida was caught while trying to save his guitars. However, the band soon reported that he was "safe and free".

The band released their fifth album Tassili on August 30, 2011. The album later won the Award for Best World Music Album at the 54th Grammy Awards.

Discography:

• The Radio Tisdas Sessions (2001)
• Amassakoul (2004)
• The Soul Rebel of African Desert (2006) CD/DVD (Amassakoul og Jérémie Reichenbachs film, The Guitars of the Touareg Rebellion), Emma Productions
• Aman Iman (2007)
• Imidiwan (2009)
• Tassili (2011) #68 UK

Music doesn't get better than this! Enjoy!

ASIAN HALLOWEEN KIND OF FASHION!

Tommy Ton for Style.com: Tokyo Fashion Week!

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

  trick or treat?

BADASS: JACK IS DEAD & SON ORCHESTRE IRANIEN!

Live at Festival de la Bâtie, Casino-Théâtre, Genève, 2011



Bonus

STREET STYLE INSPIRATIONAL MIX!

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SURFERS PARADISE!

SWEET SUMMER SUN!

The Rolling Stones historic and triumphant return to Hyde Park was without doubt the event of the summer. 

Over 100,000 delirious fans of all ages packed into the park for two spectacular outdoor concerts to watch Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood do what they do best. 

The Stones delivered a five star performance that had both fans and critics singing their praises. The set packed in hit after hit and saw the band joined by former guitarist Mick Taylor for a special guest appearance on two songs.

The Rolling Stones: Sweet Summer Sun - Hyde Park Live is an unmissable cinema event for fans worldwide. Check out your local screening using the widget below.

This stunning concert film is the perfect way to celebrate the return of The Rolling Stones back where they truly belong: live on stage in their hometown. 

www.stonesonscreen.com

ON THE AIR: JOHNNY CASH LIVE AT FOLSOM PRISON!

Cash Onstage at Folsom Prison

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Again, I hope Johnny Cash needs no introduction!

At Folsom Prison is a live album and 27th overall album by Johnny Cash, released on Columbia Records in May 1968. Since his 1955 song "Folsom Prison Blues", Cash had been interested in performing at a prison. His idea was put on hold until 1967, when personnel changes at Columbia Records put Bob Johnston in charge of producing Cash's material. Cash had recently controlled his drug abuse problems, and was looking to turn his career around after several years of limited commercial success. Backed with June Carter, Carl Perkins and the Tennessee Three, Cash performed two shows at Folsom State Prison in California on January 13, 1968. The resulting album consisted of fifteen tracks from the first show and two tracks from the second.

Despite little initial investment by Columbia, the album was a hit in the United States, reaching number one on the country charts and the top 15 of the national album chart. The lead single from the album, a live version of "Folsom Prison Blues", was a top 40 hit, Cash's first since 1964's "Understand Your Man". At Folsom Prison received good reviews upon its release and the ensuing popularity revitalized Cash's career, leading to the release of a second prison album, At San Quentin (click here for video). The album was re-released with additional tracks in 1999 and as a three-disc set in 2008. It was certified three times Platinum on March 27, 2003 by the Recording Industry Association of America for US sales exceeding three million.

Johnny Cash first took interest in Folsom State Prison while serving in the United States Air Force Security Service. In 1953, his unit watched Crane Wilbur's film Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison. The movie inspired Cash to write a song that reflected his perception of prison life. The result was "Folsom Prison Blues", Cash's second single on Sun Records. After its release, the song became popular among inmates, who would sometimes write to Cash, requesting him to perform at their prisons. Cash's first prison performance was at Huntsville State Prison in 1957. Satisfied by the favorable reception of the concert, he performed at several other prisons in the years leading up to the Folsom performance in 1968.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 88 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Blender listed the album as the 63rd greatest American album of all time and as one of the "500 CDs You Must Own". In 2006, Time listed it among the 100 greatest albums of all time

1 - Folsom Prison Blues -- 0:00
2 - Busted -- 1:25
3 - Dark as a Dungeon -- 3:04
4 - I Still Miss Someone -- 7:10
5 - Cocaine Blues -- 8:48
6 - 25 Minutes to Go -- 11:50
7 - Orange Blossom Special -- 15:21
8 - The Long Black Veil -- 18:21
9 - Send a Picture of Mother -- 22:19
10 - The Wall -- 24:30
11 - Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog -- 26:25
12 - Flushed From the Bathroom of Your Heart -- 27:42
13 - Joe Bean -- 30:08
14 - Jackson (duo con June Carter) -- 32:30
15 - Give My Love to Rose -- 35:32
16 - I Got Stripes (duo con June Carter) -- 38:14
17 - The Legend of John Henry's Hammer -- 40:23
18 - Green, Green Grass of Home -- 47:17
19 - Greystone Chapel -- 49:48

Full Album


Clip from Walk the line


Documentary 


Walk the line (trailer)

FILTH (2013)!

A bipolar, bigoted junkie cop manipulates and hallucinates his way through the festive season in a bid to secure promotion and win back his wife and daughter. 

Director: Jon S. Baird 
Writers: Jon S. Baird (screenplay), Irvine Welsh (novel)
Stars: Imogen Poots, James McAvoy, Jamie Bell 

'KISS CAM' OF THE YEAR!

YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT!

  But if you try sometimes.. 

ALL IS BRIGHT (2013)!

While out on parole, Dennis reluctantly takes a job selling Christmas trees with his old buddy Rene in order to make enough money to buy his estranged daughter the piano she's always wanted.

Stars: Paul Giamatti, Paul Rudd, Sally Hawkins

ON THE AIR: PINK MARTINI LIVE IN BASEL!

Pink Martini is a musical group that was formed in 1994 by pianist Thomas Lauderdale in Portland, Oregon. Describing itself as a "little orchestra," its music crosses genres such as classical, latin, jazz and classic pop. The lead vocalist and principal songwriter for Pink Martini is China Forbes.

During 2010–2011, Storm Large (in the show below) appeared as a vocalist with Pink Martini while China Forbes recovered from vocal cord surgery. Both Large and Forbes continue to perform with Pink Martini.

On September 24, 2013 the band released their sixth studio album "Get Happy", including a cover of a traditional Romanian song "Până când nu te iubeam" written by Anton Pann and extraordinarily performed by Maria Tanase

Enjoy Pink Martini's latest live performance and have a good night!

WHITE LIGHT, WHITE HEAT!

HER (2013)!

Set in Los Angeles, slightly in the future, "her" follows Theodore Twombly, a complex, soulful man who makes his living writing touching, personal letters for other people. Heartbroken after the end of a long relationship, he becomes intrigued with a new, advanced operating system, which promises to be an intuitive entity in its own right, individual to each user. Upon initiating it, he is delighted to meet "Samantha," a bright, female voice, who is insightful, sensitive and surprisingly funny. As her needs and desires grow, in tandem with his own, their friendship deepens into an eventual love for each other. From the unique perspective of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Spike Jonze comes an original love story that explores the evolving nature—and the risks—of intimacy in the modern world. 

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, Scarlett Johansson 

In theaters: November 20th, 2013

ON THE AIR: THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, ENJOY THE 'WILD SIDE' LOU!

The reason why I didn't put it in the title or start this with "RIP Lou Reed" is this quote, that I found just in time: "It always bothers me to see people writing 'RIP' when a person dies. It just feels so insincere and like a cop-out. To me, 'RIP' is the microwave dinner of posthumous honours." - Lou Reed

Lou Reed, who took rock 'n' roll into dark corners as a songwriter, vocalist and guitarist for the Velvet Underground and as a solo artist, died on Sunday. He was 71.

Reed was a rock pioneer who went from record label songwriter to a member of the short-lived but innovative and influential Velvet Underground. The band and Reed's solo work tackled taboo topics like drug addiction, paranoia and sexual deviancy in songs that were largely spare, muscular and often saturated in feedback.

"Lou Reed's influence is one that there are really only a tiny handful of other figures who you can compare to him," said Simon Vozick-Levinson, a senior editor at Rolling Stone. "He spoke incredibly frankly about the realities of being an artist, being a person who lived life on one's own terms. He didn't prettify things. He didn't sugarcoat things. He showed life as it really is and that's something that made him a true original, and one of our great all-time artists," he said.

Reed, violist/keyboard player John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison and drummer Maureen Tucker played their first show as the Velvet Underground in 1965 and soon drew the attention of pop artist Andy Warhol, who became their manager. Rock mythology has it that even though the group sold few albums, everyone who bought one started a band.

Nevertheless, Rolling Stone ranks the group's debut album, "The Velvet Underground and Nico," as the 13th greatest of all time. Tunes like "Sweet Jane," from the group's 1970 album "Loaded," have become rock standards. Performers from David Bowie to R.E.M. and U2 have cited them as inspiration, and the Velvet Underground was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996.

In 1970, Reed left the Velvets for a long solo career. He had his only Top 40 hit with "Walk on the Wild Side," from the Bowie-produced 1972 album "Transformer," and Rolling Stone put both that album and 1973's "Berlin" on its top 500 list.

"People say rock 'n' roll is constricting, but you can do anything you want, any way you want,'' he said. "And my goal has been to make an album that would speak to people the way Shakespeare speaks to me, the way Joyce speaks to me. Something with that kind of power; something with bite to it." And Tucker said Reed "influenced probably millions of people into maybe reading more, into playing music." "When I have been on tour, there have been kids from 15 years old to 60 years old commenting on how they were influenced by Lou and the Velvets," she said.

Reed won a Grammy award in 1998 for best long-form music video, for a documentary on his career up to that point. Neil Portnow, president and CEO of The Recording Academy, called him "an exceptionally gifted singer, songwriter, and musician who has had a profound impact on rock music and our culture,"

Reed's former Velvet Underground bandmate John Cale wrote on his website: "The world has lost a fine songwriter and poet… I've lost my 'school-yard buddy.'"

SUPPORT YOUR LOCALS: 100 RISINGS!

A documentary film about folk and modern music trends in Moldova and Romania. A journey of discovery of the relationship between the people, the music and the landscape. Currently in production and getting ready for crowdfunding! 

Credits: Director: Max T. Ciorbă Producer: Lidia Scarlat DOP: Nicu Borș Sound: Sergiu Sili Camera: Andrei Moraru Music by Subcarpați

Support your locals, DONATE! Check out the appealing perks list here! If not, at least LIKE and SHARE the pitch for one of the very few documentary film projects produced in Moldova!

Click here to follow 100 Risings on facebook! And don't forget: ART comes first!

THE STRANGLERS - GOLDEN BROWN!

MASTERING BLACK!

For more black follow us at masteringblack.tumblr.com!

COUPLES!

JOSEPHINE - PORTRAIT!

10 TOMES EVERY MAN SHOULD READ!

With endless recommendations and enticing bestseller lists, choosing what we want to read can become a dizzying task. Mr Philip Blackwell, founder of Ultimate Library, understands this all too well. A man who has since 2007 supplied the world's hotels, resorts and private residences - from The Savoy in London to Amandari resort in Bali - with bespoke book libraries, he is well versed in the need to create essential reading lists. With this in mind, we tasked him to come up with the 10 books every man should read. Although it's hard for a list of 10 tomes to be comprehensive, Mr Blackwell's covers everything from psychology and Shakespeare to booze and Boyd. "Here are my top 10 titles for every man's library, to read at leisure or in those small interludes before nodding off at night," he says. ultimatelibrary.co.uk

PARISIAN CASHMERE: EXEMPLAIRE!

When Paris-based businessman Mr Jean-Victor Meyers couldn't find cashmere knits which met his exacting standards, he decided to collaborate with a close friend, Mr Louis Leboiteux, and make his own. In this way Exemplaire was born, and since its inception in February 2012 this young label has carved out a niche for itself by offering knits that match the quality of traditional brands such as Loro Piana and Hermès with the fashionable, clean aesthetic common to names such as Saint Laurent and Dior Homme. 

"On the one hand you had sweaters which were very high quality and very classic, and on the other there were 'designer' ones which were available in slimmer fits, with darker colours and leather detailing, but there were none which combined the look I wanted with the level of quality," Mr Meyers explains.

''It's all about having a nonchalant attitude... and of course there's a hint of rock'n'roll attitude too''

Exemplaire now fills that gap in the market nicely with its precisely cut, sombre-coloured knits that work as well in the office as they do for a night on the town. "They're also great for travelling," Mr Meyers says, "since cashmere is a very luxurious fabric, but it's also extremely comfortable, and that tactile appeal can be welcome on long flights." Whether you opt for the turtleneck cableknit, the shawl-collar zip-up cardigan or one of the classic crew or V necks, you can be sure that the quality and finishing will be impeccable. 

"As well as working with the world's leading cashmere supplier to get the best yarns, we also work with highly skilled craftsmen in France and Italy to construct the pieces properly," Mr Meyers tells us. And what about the secret to getting that Parisian look which Exemplaire encapsulates so well? "It's all about having a nonchalant attitude, and investing in discreet yet sophisticated pieces with subtle details that you can carry over from season to season," he says, "and of course there's a hint of rock'n'roll attitude too." Check through the gallery, below, to view the collection.

STYLE SETTERS: MR CHARLIE CHAPLIN!

A look at the comic screen icon for whom the term "dressing the part" was surely tailor made.

It is true to say that for most of the 20th century, and possibly even today, the name Charlie Chaplin was better known around the world than that of any other public figure. Even more tellingly, so was his appearance in the many films he made in the early years of the movies when he was known as the king of comedy. In fact, Sir Charlie was one of the first people in any walk of life to understand the importance of branding. He also knew the dangers of changing, upgrading or modernising the brand. Once he had finalised the elements of his "look", the Tramp was always the same recognisably hard done by, inadequate nonentity whose inability to cope with life and his bewilderment and sadness at getting everything wrong had people across the entire globe laughing and crying with every maladroit movement he made. 

As with Mr Johnny Depp's unchanging costume in Pirates of the Caribbean, for Sir Charlie the uniform was as much a character as the actor inside it, which is why he took so much care to get it right. Take his grotesquely oversized shoes, which gave him his characteristic screen walk. The fact is that inside them he was wearing a pair of the correct size for his feet. Interestingly, for someone who as a boy lived in poverty in south London and was twice confined to the workhouse, shoes were one of his obsessions - not surprisingly, perhaps, as for much of his childhood they were a luxury way beyond the grasp of his impoverished mother. And the insecurity affected him throughout his life. He was known to be a compulsive buyer, especially of clothes. At the height of his Hollywood success, a friend recalled that when Sir Charlie's wardrobe was opened it revealed rows of shoes, all identical, with suede shoes on the top row and black ones below, all in immaculate condition. He would never go barefoot again.

Some of the most important things that brought Sir Charlie a sense of order and place in life were good clothes - and plenty of them. He had favourite suits duplicated even to the extent of having many identical ones in his wardrobe, usually grey flannel and always to be worn with a pair of his many high-button shoes. Off the screen, his appearance was always immaculate. He normally wore a natty suit, to use the jargon of the 1920s, although he was equally as elegant in a cashmere sweater and plus fours. It comes as a surprise, however, to learn from his friend, the director Mr King Wallis Vidor, that this most professional of men, when it came to his appearance on or off the set, actually cut his own hair for his role as the little tramp in the very early days - and all his life he took the greatest care with his hair. 

READ MORE AFTER THE BREAK!!!

CARRY THE DAY!

You know that guy you see at the airport? Rushing to the gate as his name is called over the loudspeaker, red faced and out of breath, besieged by plastic bags, and dragging a badly designed wheelie case which keeps flipping over as he runs. Don't be that guy. Sauntering through the terminal at a leisurely pace, with a single piece of stylish luggage, is infinitely preferable. Check through the gallery, below, to see seven of our favourite carry-ons, along with seven of the most stylish ways to fly, or keep reading, below, to discover a few handy services which make air travel that bit less taxing.

ON THE AIR: IBRAHIM MAALOUF LIVE AT PALÉO FESTIVAL!

Ibrahim Maalouf (Arabic: ابراهيم معلوف‎) is a trumpet player and teacher, composer and arranger. He was born in Beirut, Lebanon, and now lives in Paris, France.

Maalouf was born into a family of intellectuals and artists; he is the son of trumpeter Nassim Maalouf and pianist Nada Maalouf, nephew of the writer Amin Maalouf and grandson of journalist, poet and musicologist Rushdi Maalouf. He is noted for playing Arabic music with quarter tones on the trumpet, which is a rare skill, pioneered by his father and Don Ellis in the 1960s. Other trumpeters using such microtones include Marko Marković, Dejan Avdić, Demiran Ćerimović and Franz Hautzinger.

Maalouf has also earned prizes in the major classical trumpet competitions in the world. In July 2010, he was awarded the Instrumental Revelation of the Year Victory Prize (Frank Ténot prize) at the “Victoires du Jazz” competition in Juan-les-Pins.

His music and his trumpet playing are strongly inspired by his Arabic culture, but the instruments around him (bass, electric guitar, drums, Arabic percussion and vibraphones) and the musicians with whom he performs give a more contemporary rock, electro and Jazz-funk flavor to his music. His concerts are generally built around stimulating music that makes people want to get up and dance. But there is always a short, more contemplative, mystical interlude during his concerts, which he calls "a collective universal prayer". Maalouf gets a lot of his inspiration from his culture of origin. This subject has been explored in the documentary Souffle! (Blow), directed by Christophe Trahand and produced by Cocottes Minutes between 2005 and 2006. Christophe Trahand followed Ibrahim for several months in pursuit of the key to his inspiration and to explore his relationship with his native country and the distance that separates him from it. This documentary was broadcast by TV5 MONDE and is available on DVD in the collection Docnet Films.

Studio Discography: 2007 Diasporas, 2009 Diachronism, 2011 Diagnostic, 2012 Wind

There's an amazing moment happening somewhere around min 20:00. Enjoy and have a good night!