Ned Raggett

Articles: Queue Up: 20 Essential Music Documentaries

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:50:02 -0700

Articles: Queue Up: 20 Essential Music Documentaries:

Something from the mighty marathonpacks to read and enjoy. This delves deep into past decades for some fascinating choices — really want to see the Paul Anka one now! My own choices would include (but would hardly be limited to) Still Bill on Bill Withers, Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him)? and the inimitable sprawl and chaos of Dig!.

Remembering Romanthony, For the First Time, Again | 5 Magazine

Sun, 19 May 2013 05:44:00 -0700

Remembering Romanthony, For the First Time, Again | 5 Magazine:

Still hard to believe. His passing was reported quietly by his sister a few days ago on Facebook so it must be considered confirmed. 5 Magazine’s reflection here is worth a read, and very kindly contains a quick nod in my direction.

theundergroundismassive: Romanthony, “The Wanderer (Journey Man...

Sat, 18 May 2013 23:09:56 -0700

theundergroundismassive:

Romanthony, “The Wanderer (Journey Man Thump)” (Black Male, 1993).

R.I.P.

Romanthony -Hold On (by ressla) — So many voices, so many...

Sat, 18 May 2013 22:53:00 -0700

Romanthony -Hold On (by ressla)

—

So many voices, so many depths.

Just lose yourself.

Sat, 18 May 2013 22:47:00 -0700

Just lose yourself.

Daft Punk - One More Time [HQ] (by Naf’ Manson) — On...

Sat, 18 May 2013 22:33:00 -0700

Daft Punk - One More Time [HQ] (by Naf’ Manson)

—

On ILX, years ago, there was a thread talking about “Digital Love” and I said something about how not liking that song was just as weird as not liking breathing. But I could have just as easily as said that about “One More Time,” of course, and it came first. It was the ‘comeback’ single as such, after — at least in the mainstream public eye — maybe “Da Funk” would have been just another one-off demi-hit single on alternative radio. And “One More Time” ended up almost going number one in the UK, and top ten in Australia, and it got enough attention over here, it was almost a tipping point moment of “Oh wait…they’re in this for the long haul, it seems.” And if it wasn’t for Daft Punk working with an already established and known figure like Romanthony, already doing his thing when Daft Punk were still Darlin’ and doing their ‘daft punk thrash’, then that song would not be That Song, and it wouldn’t sound so goddamn good then as it does right now. And if it reduces Romanthony’s work so much in turn in a wider public eye to one guest appearance on a single (not counting “Too Long” itself on the album, of course), then by god, if you’re going to be most widely known for one thing, make it fucking legendary. RIP Romanthony.

Report States Romanthony, Legendary House Music Artist, Passed Away

Sat, 18 May 2013 21:57:42 -0700

Report States Romanthony, Legendary House Music Artist, Passed Away:

If this is true I don’t even know. I just do NOT even. Daft Punk would not be ANYWHERE near as ingrained as they are without them having the bright spark to get an already established and talented figure in to help them via a couple of vocals on Discovery, one of which just happened to be “One More Time.” And I’m still kinda pissed it wasn’t a UK number one thanks to LeeAnn Rimes.

Muhammad Ali outcooling the universe back around 1963.

Sat, 18 May 2013 19:17:30 -0700

Muhammad Ali outcooling the universe back around 1963.

_Love Her Madly_ (2000), directed by Ray Manzarek, is on Netflix Instant.

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:50:00 -0700

_Love Her Madly_ (2000), directed by Ray Manzarek, is on Netflix Instant.:

It is also one of the utterly SLEAZIEST/unintentionally funniest/completely most horrible films I’ve ever heard of. I don’t even know how I stumbled across its existence this morning but I’m perversely glad I have. Also, if I haven’t conveyed it to you yet, it’s awful. I haven’t even gotten a third through it and:

* after the credits some ska-punkish cover of said inevitable song plays while a blonde showers then emerges into her mysteriously roomy and comfortable art loft while a topless man with long greasy hair blows a naked torso sculpture dry with his mouth. I’m honestly surprised it’s not Fabio.

* the name of the woman is Hadley, which is alllmost Madly. Almost.

* the narration of all this sounds like one of those smarmy insurance commercial guys. “She’s coltish, creative…and just a little bit kinky. And hey, why not? She’s a trust fund kid!”

* there’s a panty-sniffing drunk old coot of a professor lying around with a lot of books.

* there’s an art project some other guy is working on. A video art project from 1999 as imagined by a guy who went to school in the early sixties, mind you. It’s…it’s bad.

* most of this movie is just Manzarek’s smooth jazz porn soundtrack in search of a Skinemax vehicle, which is presumably why it was filmed in the first place.

* there is somebody here where I’m honestly not sure at all what the gender of the person in question is. I mean not at ALL. That’s not a critique, it’s just that I can’t decide whether this red-headed curly mullet person with the unusual build is…I just can’t tell. I’m amazed. (This then cuts to video art weirdo putting on a fake mustache and toupee while a tape of Madly shaving in her sensitive area audibly plays in the background.)

* there’s a point where a salacious old banker day is joking joyfully about gay prison rape.

Again, I haven’t even gotten a third of the way through this thing. And have I mentioned the crappy film/video quality and the way everything feels like it was furtively filmed via handhelds and maybe one tripod occasionally used.

UPDATE: from a friend on Twitter: My boss at the time worked on it as a music consultant. Watching her deal with Ray was a huge highlight. What I mainly remember is her yelling into the phone “Are you on drugs Ray?!” about twice a day through the project.

2013 Eurovision Song Contest (Grand Final)

Sat, 18 May 2013 10:39:00 -0700

2013 Eurovision Song Contest (Grand Final):

Live from the Malmö Arena in Sweden, the Grand Final of the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest! Join millions of fans all over the world for an event not to miss in 2013!

12 noon Pacific Time. See you there…

'The Village' Was Crazy to Fire Him: 5 Reasons Why Michael Musto Matters

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:08:56 -0700

'The Village' Was Crazy to Fire Him: 5 Reasons Why Michael Musto Matters:

Yup, as it says.

jkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjk: NOW ACCEPTING PRE-ORDERS I do keep...

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:47:49 -0700

jkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjkjk:

NOW ACCEPTING PRE-ORDERS

I do keep wondering.

Meantime, twenty years old today.

Fri, 17 May 2013 10:28:45 -0700

Meantime, twenty years old today.

'Better Than a 10-Inch Dick': _Showgirls_ Lives Onstage and In Hearts

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:34:00 -0700

'Better Than a 10-Inch Dick': _Showgirls_ Lives Onstage and In Hearts:

April Kidwell shrieks, “Different places!” about five minutes into Showgirls the Musical, and the crowd loses it. This is in response to being asked where she’s from, and though these words alone are not particularly funny, their delivery is. So are the flying French fries that punctuate the line.

—

Thus begins Rich Juzwiak’s discussion. A perfect combination of writer and subject.

'Bloodbath' Day at Village Voice: Musto, Sietsema, Feingold Out

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:25:33 -0700

'Bloodbath' Day at Village Voice: Musto, Sietsema, Feingold Out:

Well that’s that, then.

Per Ade Begrand on Twitter, thirty years old today.

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:22:20 -0700

Per Ade Begrand on Twitter, thirty years old today.

Holmes & Yo-Yo Opening (by chuckcollins) — The hell?

Thu, 16 May 2013 17:00:13 -0700

Holmes & Yo-Yo Opening (by chuckcollins)

—

The hell?

"After our show in Brighton tonight, someone who was apparently in the audience stole my computer off..."

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:34:00 -0700

“After our show in Brighton tonight, someone who was apparently in the audience stole my computer off the stage, which has my entire life on it, i am shocked and just completely speechless, i don’t understand why or how someone could do this, but if whoever took it is reading this, if you turn it in to the church where we played or leave it at Jurys Inn in Brighton, there will be no consequences, no questions asked. I have so many things on that computer which i need.”

- John Grant, posting via his Facebook feed. Spread the word in the UK, where this took place, in particular. Grant is one of the few people out there who I can honestly say writes lyrics I pay attention to as much as I do the music — and the larger point is obvious: this is shitty no matter who it could have befallen. This is wretched news.

The wages of livin’ your life, sin after sin.

Thu, 16 May 2013 15:04:00 -0700

The wages of livin’ your life, sin after sin.

In the ‘photos I did not expect to see’...

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:17:49 -0700

In the ‘photos I did not expect to see’ section…