Month: February 2006

Arthur Russell Update

First Thought Best Thought, a 2 CD compilation of Arthur’s orchestral and instrumental music, should be released any time now will be released on April 3 in Europe via Rough Trade, and April 4 in US/Canada/Japan via Audika.
Also from Audika Records, there is one new track coming up, called Springfield, which is getting final production by the DFA. When you open the Audika site you’ll hear a snippet of what’s to come.

In the meantime, you can listen to a collaboration between Arthur and Nicki Siano on the New York Noise 2 compilation. Banana Nutrament has the insights and downloads.

Three Grammys for Mariah

Oh yes, I won 3 Grammys, honey!Mariah won 3 Grammys tonight, including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Song and Best Contemporary R&B Album. I am more than happy and will drop a few eggs in my kitchen tomorrow morning in honor of Miss Mimi.

The sad thing is, she didn’t win the major categories like Album, Record or Song of the Year. They went to some band or singer I haven’t even heard of and will hopefully never hear again. I’m fuming. Basta.

Anyhoo, produzentin had Mariahweeks last spring as a countdown to The Empancipation of Mimi. To celebrate here are the highlights, again:
My cover of Mariah’s song Circles
My Mariah charts
Toffi’s Mariahism column
My favourite Mariah TV moments
Superschum about Mariah on RTL Exklusiv

Picture by parismatch

Leroy Burgess: Over Like A Fat Rat

Loogging HotI am on the Leroy Burgess trip.

Leroy started as a singer, writer, producer of R&B and disco records in the Seventies. I discovered him through listening to a Larry Levan remix of Logg’s – I Know You Will. Leroy was a band member and producer of Logg.

Then I really got into the Levan remix of Weekend by Class Action, which was originally recorded by Phreek, a studio band of Leroy. The Weekend record was heavily sampled or resung. I bet you all heard “Tonight is partytime, it’s partytime tonight” (just listen to Missy’s latest album, The Cookbook, track Partytime).

This started my research and I found these two highly recommended compilations by Leroy: Anthology 1 – The Singer and Anthology 2 – The Producer. Off the later one, the song “Over Like A Fat Rat” immediately caught my attention.
Now, there is a fantastic 3 part interview with Leroy at the Red Bull Music Academy pages, giving a good overview on all his works. In part 2 he talks about the meaning of Over Like A Fat Rat (scroll down), with the lyrics that I like so much:

Get over like a fat rat, piece in a pie, bugs in a row, we never stop, we get over like a fat rat, snugged as hug in your arms.

The singer of Fat Rat, Fonda Rae, had an earlier hit with Touch Me (All Night Long), which was covered by Cathy Dennis in the Nineties.

I have been a Leroy fan longer than I known it myself. As a singer he was featured on the Chez Damier produced deep house record, Your Love. No. 1 on my charts in November 2004.

Buy the anthologies: CA, DE.

FPP

Famous People Players is an internationally renowned black light theatre company.

Their headquarters are not far from our place. I think their facade looks amazing. As soon as I have checked out their show, I will give an update. And hopefully, we will take all of our visitors there. Get ready.

Famous People Players HQ

Fat Actress

Fat Actress taking over!When I heard about the TV series I wanted it to be good. So I went to my local video store, Queen Video, and rented Fat Actress. Kirstie Alley is Fat Actress, a fictionalized version of herself. The show has only one fantastic plot: Her being fat, fat, fat and the schemes she uses to get a new TV deal.

The episodes are getting better and better on the first DVD with my favourite episode The Koi Effect (named after the fish) as the last one. The shows on the second disc are a bit off the mark, but again, the last one is very good.

In the Koi Effect, her two assistants want to go on a diet with her. She calls her adviser (Watch this clip on the front page of the Fat Actress page). When her team doesn’t fancy the idea of acquiring a parasite, Kirstie listens to her evil neighbor, Blossom, who wants her out of the house:

“Unlike goldfish, Koi grow to the size of the pond that they are in. Small pond – small fish, large pond – large fish. Get it? … It could be, that you have become larger, because you have been living in such a large house. And maybe, you could become smaller, if you move to a smaller house. Change your physical environment and your body will follow.”

Kirstie invites an expert on the subject to her place. After the meeting she only speaks in her little voice, invites little people for a party and moves into a little house.

It is absolutely hilarious. And she looses weight: “The Koi Effect is working, I’m shrinking”.
I think, I will try it soon…