Hold up by Louis Chédid: 1984 Version

Bouncy keyboards, soaring synths, doodle-y bass, and lots of sound effects (sirens, menacing shouts) are the '80s remake of Hold up that Louis Chédid did of his own hit from 1974. In both versions he uses a woman's voice announcing the passing minutes on a loudspeaker to build suspense.

The video for the 80s Hold up is a mini-film, with actor Claude Brasseur and singer/actor Alain Souchon starring alongside Chédid as bank robbers and as moviegoers watching themselves commit the crime. France was ahead of the pack with videos thanks to Scopitone technology and had been making them for over two decades by the time America started watching MTV in the mid-80s.

More Cambodian Rock

The lovely Ros Sereysothea comprises about half of the Cambodia Rocks compilation. That's not a complaint; her pinched singing style takes nasal to beyond-human levels that are fascinating. Southeast Asian ideal meets Western rock and roll. Pan Ron's got it, too, along with a prominent organ and a brief wah-wah guitar solo on Knyom Mun Sok Jet Te. There's one song by the obscure Liev Tuk (anyone heard of him?) that borrows the horn line from Carla Thomas and Otis Redding's Tramp. But like Ros Sereysothea, Liev Tuk's voice is barely human. His growls and grunts are... well, just weird. Ros Sereysothea's Jam 10 Kai Thiet is great to hear right after Liev Tuk's offering: she's just that much more of a refined tonic. The guitars don't cease to amaze, and the organs are consistently funky. Wow, what if Cambodia had collaborated with Stax?

Jeff in the Responses at Aquarian Drunkard mentions his site devoted to Khmer pop, modestly describing it as "a bunch of mp3s and some YouTube videos." Admit it, Jeff! You've got tons of great shit up there. Plus lengthy, RFI-style bios of his favorite singers, Cambodian rock giants Sinn Sisamouth, Ros Sereysothea, Pan Ron and So Savoeun.

By the way has anyone heard anything about John Pirozzi's movie Don't Think I've Forgotten? Like when it's coming out?

Manu Chao on Austin City Limits This Week

Eva wrote and told me that Manu Chao was on Austin City Limits on the 24th, i.e. yesterday. I missed it but found out the show is airing again this week on PBS. Whew.
Apparently Manu Chao was on ACL in September, too.

Mega-hit Bongo Bong from the insanely successful Clandestino is Manu Chao at his recycling best, reworking and incorporating the Mano Negra hit Je ne t'aime plus from years earlier into the dancey tune. The topic of bongos is also a leitmotif that reappears on the album, and Manu Chao purposely sings in a Latino-accented English, combining it with his native French. You've heard the song a million and one times, now watch the video, if you haven't yet.

Two Moroccan music videos

We've been toying with the idea of attending the "Festival Gnaoua" in Morocco this June. I was looking at some of the bands scheduled to play and found this live video of Saïd Outajajt.



Along the way, I also found this video by Houssin amarrakchi:

El houssine amarrakchi - awin lkhbarad gh dari
Uploaded by ouchrif

Both via amarrakchi-med.skyrock.com

Anita Sarawak and Yelle

Dua Kali Lima was Malaysian singer Anita Sarawak's first film. In this clip, Sarawak and Dewi Asiah gracefully sing and dance in the kitchen as they make dinner and set the table, occasionally placing bowls on each other's heads for fun. The domestic scene reminds me of both Yelle and Laurence and Hélène's videos for À cause des garçons.

We wrote about French pop sensation Yelle last March, just as she was about to tour the U.S. These days she's touring Australia and will star in a short on La Collection, a show on Canal+ that seeks to help aspiring directors by giving them the opportunity to make a short film that then becomes one of the episodes. Yelle's going to play the role of a prostitute in "Une pute en un poussin."

But back to Anita Sarawak. She's had a long illustrious career and is still giving concerts in Malaysia. Here she does a cover of her hit from the '70s, Kini Telah Tiba. This song exemplifies what I love about contemporary Malaysian pop: the Arab sound that runs through it and the sort of cutesy melody that manages to not sound stupid. Plus she looks great and couldn't be one iota more mellow!

Kind of the opposite of the four legged dance

Here is a kuduro music video (hip hop from angola). All of the kuduro videos I've seen feature crazy dancing and this one is no exception. Also check out Sound of Kuduro which features M.I.A. and more great dancing.

The FADER's Bangladesh Freeload

The FADER has the Bangladesh – Passport Music Mixtape hosted by Don Cannon. It's so good we're taking a break from the Roy Haynes festival to listen and it's like we're now clubbing at the best scene ever in our minds. Producer Bangladesh also has the sleekest MySpace ever.

WKCR 89.9 Plays Roy Haynes All the Time

Remember DJ Farraginous? Yes, that DJ Farraginous, the one we wrote about last July. He told us about WKCR's Roy Haynes festival. All Roy Haynes, all the time, until Friday, January 23rd at 9PM. We're listening during every waking minute. Right now they're playing some stuff he did with Art Blakey. Wow.

The festival started last Sunday at 8AM, and is a chronological presentation of Roy Haynes's entire career. What a brilliant idea. We can't get enough.

Leftside and Esco Back Up Four-Legged Dancer

Trained Cat pointed out that the music on M.I.A.'s Bird Flu Audition is Leftside and Esco on the Pitbull Riddim from a few years back.
Here's their Wine Up Pon Her, from the same era. Nice arena concert backlighting and stunning grinds.

More พุ่มพวง ดวงจันทร์ AKA Pumpuang Duangjan

Pumpuang Duangjan snaps photos of koi in the botanical gardens. She takes a break to sing in her inimitable voice. Why is this Buddhist wearing big cross earrings? Because they look good with her wavy mushroom cut hair. She sits cross-legged, the camera looking up at her from a lower spot on a hill. She stands and looks askance, her hair backlit by fuschia purple light.
Back to photographing, followed by a nice straightforward close-up. Then, the fish. So many fish. Pumpuang Duangjan strolls through the gardens, and some farangs recognize her: now she's on the other side of the zoom lens. She returns to the flowers, mugs for the videographer. Freezeframe ending.
Want more of her? Who doesn't?