Most of the Time, Ani Di Franco

last night she picked one of my all times favourites movies, High Fidelity... it features Bob Dylan's Most of the Time, but Ani Di Franco's is her favourite version, I guess for the beginning: "It's serious shit now, I've got the banjo out!"

To a night well saved...!

Florence and the Machine, Dog Days Are Over - Taken by the Trees, Lost and Found

The dog days are over
The dog days are done
The horses are coming
So you better run



I took myself out walking
by the evening I was running
I hadn't done this for a long while
My friends said cheer up
it was high time

Tom Waits, Jean Michel Basquiat and the Swagman

it's been a while, such a while... almost three months... it seems ages... well, I'm certainly a few years older since then, consumed to say the least, a feeling similar to Waits' sand paper vocal cords, rusty, painfully deep and haunting.

A lot has changed, but nothing was planned and, ultimately, the real change won't happen this time either.

The last post had Tom Waits in; it's only fair to start again (!) with Tom Waits. This song is part of the soundtrack of Basquiat, a decent movie - not completely original and daring though (it has actually a scene identical to Pollock, with the artist painting the canvas on the floor and walking all over it).
The soundtrack is good though, actually very good. Tom Traubert's Blues accompanies Basquiat in a nightwalk the day he's told Andy Warhol is dead; it also features bits of "A Walzing Matilda", the most popular (I've been just told) Aussie folk song, that features the Swagman, the foot traveller looking for work and going from farm to farm.

Well, I'm not going anywhere with this, but it's use(less)ful information; a bit like those British quiz programs...

"The Morning Hour": Tom Waits and Daniele Silvestri

the one i went to sleep with...




I've listened to Tom Waits a few times in the past, i actually had a couple of his albums once. It never clicked though, as it clicked last night while Alice was on Lifegate Radio. I just got blown away by his rusty voice, it can tear you apart if you get too close.


and the one i woke up with...

"The Morning Hour": Dente, Vieni a Vivere

A few months ago I wrote something along these lines "Waking alone in the morning sucks". I still stand by it.

And it's kind of bitter-sweet that the album i've been listening to in a loop for the past 3 days is called "L'amore non e' bello".

A few reasons to watch the video:
it's shot in Venice
features a polaroid camera and polaroid stills
Dente's hair and tie

Something tells me that tomorrow's song will be Quel Mazzolino, my new alter ego. Thanks to Agatella and her dentisms, who started this all madness.

G'day!

"The Morning Hour": Jacksons 5, Don't Know Why I Love You

This is not a proper Morning Hour song, but to tell you the truth... that's true for most of the songs that I've uploaded lately, let's say I'm broadening a bit the concept of the Morning Hour...

anyway, this is the song we heard when we got into the pub for the preview of Paint It White, the photographic show I've taken part and that opened with a bang last night. The party was great and I'm still hooked up on the adrenaline of seeing a lot of people looking at my work on the wall and liking it. A few friends came all the way to Shoreditch for the party and, have to say, that's flattening!

"The Morning Hour": Ivano Fossati, Panama

Most of the time, the UK is one hour apart from Continental Europe.
There are moments though, when a less-than-2-hours flight can bring you ahead a few months... namely, from August to November. Looking out of the window these days, it's really hard to think that not far from here and only two days ago, August means 35 degrees, hard sun flattening all the shadows to the ground, slow walking and mosquitoes (jeez, I'm even missing them!). The sky here is shining with silver clouds these days, the air is not cold but is definitely not hot and, above all, the feeling is that summer is way behind us, back to work, back to long sleeves, back to planning life.

The song here is, beyond the shocking look to Italian fashion in the 80's, a postcard from my holidays. Fossati is singing Panama and I see French roads again, yellow patches of sunflower fields and red cherries in my hands. I'm again swimming in the hot dry air, letting my body breathe, slowly.

"The Morning Hour": Smog, Cold Blooded Old Times

Heard the Turin Brakes cover of this song (though there's no sign of it on Youtube) and immediately thought about the original one, by Smog. heard it for the first time in the movie "High Fidelity" - one of my favourite movies of all time, definetely my favourite soundtrack and, interestingly, in the all time top 5 of my books, without having actually read the book.

Couldn't find a decent video on Youtube but this has got good audio and an interesting clip.

"The morning hour": Imelda May

We have a new friend writing for Radio Prosecco: AJ. At first sight (hemm... read) he seems to be the only one here that combines two skills: knowing what's talking about and actually writing it.

After having to pass on two tickets for Oi Va Voi, I got two tickets for the Itunes Live Festival y'day night, for Madeleine Peyroux and Imelda May. I had no idea of who Imelda May was (too bad for somebody who "writes" for a radio-blog) and had only listened to a couple of songs from Peyroux. The latter had a decent set, but her attitude stinks.

Imelda was a complete surprise, very upbeat- at the beginning i thought she was from the movie The Committments, though she looks definetely more professional and commercially groomed. Her set was interesting and though her style comes from the past (the likes of Johnny Cash come to mind), she doesn't look to me like she's mimicking it (a sort of Buble' effect). As Jools Holland puts it: "She sings beatifully, she swings"; i'll go with that.

Will listen a bit more, for the fun of it.

"The Morning Hour": Pino Daniele, Che Soddisfazione

This song will certainly get one of the co-bloggers, the indie-snob, mad... well, after months of mishandling of my name... it's still not enough.

Anyway, i haven't written in a while, lack of inspiration, of time- it's just that life lately hasn't been great and the only respite from a messed-up situation has been on holiday. Even there, actually, my body and my mind has behaved in a surprising way; i think the stress of the job and the town has finally taken its toll.

I have been listening to some old italian music in the past two weeks- actually, while on holidays, we have been driving around in a rented white 500 and a cd playing all the time with the main acts being Baglioni, Battisti, Mia Martini and Lucio Dalla (it looked like we were doing the remake of my parents' honeymoon... with a newer car- theirs broke down mid-way).

I found this cd laying around yesterday night and played it- got hooked up with it and played again today. I like this song, not his hair...

"The Morning Hour": Regina Spektor, Folding Chair

The weather in the last two days has been the sweetest possible: warm, dry and with a light breeze that starts blowing in the evening. With such a beautiful and rare setting, a concert in Hyde Park sounds really like the perfect thing to do.
Actually it is, the location for Regina Spektor's gig last night was amazing, they have created a small village on the bank of the Serpentine pond with the support acts playing in small band stands while the audience lays on the grass, enjoying beer and burgers.
I wasn't thrilled that the main act, Regina, played under a covered tent, very dark inside (though beautiful orange sunbeams filtered through from the cracks and the doors. The gig was okish... reality is that, but for a couple of songs, the new album is not impressive at first listening. The night was actually worth it, however, for the magnificent walk in a darkening Hyde Park we had after the concert. 10.30pm, the park still lightly lit by the random lamp post and the twilight in the sky. The water was calm, placid. Ducks, geese and birds were still slowly fishing and swimming. The odd couple kissing on a bench, two friends silently chatting to the bottom of a bottle of wine. My hands in her hands, my eyes in her eyes, in the most beautiful summer night London has ever given me.

"The Morning Hour": Jose Gonzales, Save Your Day

Ops, I did it again... (outrageous start for a post... but now it's there and I'll keep it...)
i didn't wake up at the alarm today... and, actually, i almost didn't wake up at all!

these are supposed to be days of brave decisions, important steps and life changing turning points... in reality, even loading the dishwasher seems an insurmountable task (that i rarely endeavour indeed...)

So i caught myself in drifting today; it's warm and sunny, time is slow in these almost lonely days at the office and my mind started wandering after lunch in a long a relaxing stroll... sandy beach, small waves, cold lemony beer and Spanish accent. It was last August in Barcelona. Jose Gonzales was on shuffle in my small ipod, all the time. Gentle strings like gentle waves, subtle voice like subtle sea breeze.

My body is longing for a swim, for a decent holiday with no emails, no pc, no desk; just the walk to the beach, fresh fruit and a newspaper. just a pair of familiar eyes to look into when coming back to the shore- oh yes, they have turned green again!

"The Morning Hour": Regina Spektor, Laughing with

in the last few days I'm waking up slowly and, strangely, without a morning hour song... the alarm goes off, there's usually music coming out, but the song doesn't stick, just goes away...

This week, Regina Speltor's latest album has been released and this is the first single. Her style hasn't changed much and her voice is sweet and lovely as before.

I've listened to this song a couple of times and i'm not sure yet i'm getting it... it seems to me a bit of dark humour, the song is full of sad iconic moments but then the chorus has a kind of funny twist...bah... i'm not sure!

she's touring Europe at the moment and I'm going to see her live next monday in the greeny Hyde Park; let's hope the infamous British summer weather doesn't make its appearance and lets us enjoy the open air show with a bit of suntan lotion over the faces...

"The Morning Hour": Oi Va Voi, Refugee and more

they're from London, a mixture of Jewish, Gipsy and Brit trip-pop, their fourth album has just been released and, less than 12 hours ago, I had no idea of who they were.

Their best album seems to be the first one "Laughter Through Tears" but the last one "Travelling the Face of the World" is worth a play! The latter sounds a bit more international, while all the different "local" influences are very strong in the first album "Refugee", "Od Yeshoma". Ah... all the songs are available free in Last.fm

A couple of names to throw in this mix bag: Beirut and Ballalouda, check them out!

"The Morning Hour": The Cure plus "London Underground"

the real morning hour song today was "Boys don't cry" from The Cure, one of those songs that I've heard thousands of times but never listened to; but then i snoozed (bad bad habit...) and the song that definitively woke me up was "Going Underground" by The Jam- however, in my head, the lyrics of the song were being modified to a lesser known cover version. So i woke up singing "Wawawawankers Wankers!!!..."

what a way to start a day!

"The Morning Hour": , KT Tunstall, Suddenly I see

I'm not so much of a writer these days, well, what the hell, I'm never been that much of a writer... it has always taken me ages to start writing something, and the harder i try, the worst is the outcome... that's why i switched to maths pretty soon in my life.

on the other side, not so much is happening these days, I'm still shell shocked from the events of May and the brain cells haven't really recovered yet.

I should really think hard about a few things that need to be sorted quite soon, but i just haven't got the strength and the will.


also, the almost lonely days in the office have started...
(the benefit is that i can keep the radio on sometimes... hence the bonus track for today, a wonderful Paolo Rossi singing Rino Gaetano)

"The Morning Hour": Jeff Buckley, Hallelujah

it wasn't the alarm this time; the subtle sweet voice of Jeff Buckley seeped into my ears gently on Sunday morning from my next door stereo.

it's such a beautiful song, that I really don't want to add much to it, just play it, over and over again.

Jeff Buckley-Hallelujah.flv
Uploaded by Rock-90s

"The Morning Hour": Stereophonics, Maybe Tomorrow

I used to love this song, i still like the melody and the tune, but, today, I can no longer stand the lyrics...

Why Maybe? Why Tomorrow?
why not today? why not now? why not "I'll try and I'll make sure to make it"?

the song, once loved, now puts me under the weather. maybe it's a new me, maybe it's just that i feel compelled to do instead of waiting that i can't really stand anybody who says tomorrow, anybody who says maybe, who says I'll wait and see.

and now... to the first weekend of freedom in more than a month!

"The Morning Hour": Bryan Adams, Back to You

never been one of his fans, too sweet for my tooth. great guitar, yes, but the lyrics are always so mellow... I like to listen to him from time to time, not that much.
But I'd have never expected to become one of admirers as a photographer. How the hell did this guy make it into the impenetrable word of professional photography? and his pictures are great too. Edgy, provocative sometimes, always elegant.

While our society keeps promoting a modern disease called hyper-specialization "You are your job and you'll always be that job", here is a man who has mastered rock music and photography, sometimes certain genes are just bloody good!

"The Morning Hour": The Coming-back Medley

It's been a month... and while the guys of the tube are on strike today for some reason, I thought I should come back to work on this...

From the last post, on May 9th, much more than 30 days have passed, at least for me it feels like months, years, with the only difference that I'm in the same place, writing from the same pc, just a little bit more tired.

Things have happened... a lot of them... some great, some definetivelt not.

Thinking back, everything seems a bit strange, not surreal... but strange. I've found myself drinking tea with taxi drivers planning a demonstration, waking up at 3am to take photos of butchers at the meat market, freaking out in face of new challenges and making it at the end. It's been a sneak-peek at how things could be different in a lot of ways, terryfing at some point, but the feeling is that we (highlight WE) could work it out.

here is three songs that i've been listening to a lot in the last weeks, there was no time and no energy to care too much, and write ,about music, but some songs always stick to my brains nevertheless... The Eels is a new discovery, thanks to a great friend who i have not met yet (she's not imaginary though...), this song is sweet and sour, cuddly melody with a tear. Paolo Nutini has just move in my charts from "rubbish I'd never listen to" to "this is not so bad, actually i like it". The Beatles are The Beatles and have always a place on my cd shelf.