STRICTLY GLOBAL

Well well well!  It's a new year, and it's about time for some new episodes right?!   Awww, did you miss us?- cause we missed you!  Thanks for keeping those requests coming in via our email/Twitter/Facebook and Myspace while we were on our winter break.  They helped contribute to our line-up for this Friday's special edition of Strictly Global: The Best of 2009! 

It's gonna be super fantastical, including videos from bands that toured throughout the year, the most requested videos, 90's revival videos, and other awesome randomness including the best animated video of the year, and even the best zombie video of the year.  Holy heck.  Just take some guesses on what international acts those could possibly be...

And check out this radical painting one of our viewers sent us!  Virginia's Chris Drummond sent us this after he saw Passion Pit's video for "The Reeling" on our show this year.  If you are familiar with the video, you can see the similarities, and some of it's inspiration in the different use of mediums.  The video showcases boatloads of sparkles and paper mache.  Drummond used paint, newspaper, and watercolor to capture the bands image, lyrics, and more.  Most triumphant.  Drummond is currently working on his online gallery, so if you are interested in finding out more about his work, you can email him at dchrisd2@yahoo.com. 

Get ready to double the fun, because immediately after the Best of 2009 special is the Best of the Decade special!!!  I know!  It's gonna be the greatest show EVER as we showcase some of the best videos from 2000 all the way up to 2009.  Oh yeah!  Want a little teaser taste?  Daft Punk, Motorhead, M.I.A.... I'm excited already. 

The music world had many great losses this year, from tragic accidents to natural causes.  I'm not going to get into the details of how these talented musicians went out in '09, but rather just mention their accomplishments in the industry, cause that's what they lived for.  (For SG memorials on Michael Jackson and Les Paul, click their names for our archives from earlier in the year.)

Super recently we lost a couple of rockers, like Mick Cocks, guitarist for the Australian band Rose Tattoo, who was rumored to be the inspiration behind Guns'n'Roses sound!  He was also the fourth member from the band to leave us within the last four years.  Only a couple days ago came the loss of a young 28 year old James Owen Sullivan, also known as the Rev, who drummed for Avenged Sevenfold.  And last week came the loss of influential Native American rocker, Tony Bellamy (63) who was a member of Redbone. They became established as a Native American rock group in the 1970s and reached the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in 1974 with the hit song, "Come and Get Your Love."

Some of the frontrunners of CBGB's explosive music takeover in NYC's 70s scene passed away this year too.  Including guitarist and founding member of the Stooges, Ron Asheton (60), who was ranked #29 on Rolling Stones' list of 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. He was later a part of a handful bands including most recently The Wylde Rattz which consisted of other alt greats Mike Watt (the Minutemen), J. Mascis (Dinosaur  Jr.), Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth), and Mark Arm (Mudhoney.)  In memory, Sonic Youth dedicated their album The Eternal to Asheton.

Another loss from the CBGBs Movement was Willy DeVille (58) who originally fronted CBGB's house band Mink DeVille.  He reached cult figure status with his unique compositions of American rock music, mixing in latin rhythms, doo-wop, and even cabaret amongst others.  In 1988, he made a move to New Orleans and helped bring back the sound of New Orleans R&B, and helped in the creation of "Spanish-Americana" music.

Another shocking loss of an artist who got their start at CBGB's was the Cramps founder and singer, Lux Interior (62).   The Cramps, who's reign began in 1975 and kept going til this year, created the genre now known as psychobilly- a mix of punk and rockabilly.  Lux and the Cramps inspired many early goth rock bands, and horror punk bands.  Including the psychobilly band Nekromantix, whom also lost their drummer this year, Andy DeMize (25).  DeMize was also a member of the Rocketz and Up Syndrome.

More loss from the punk underground included the passing of poet/author Jim Carroll (60), most famous for his novel The Basketball Diaries.  He created the group The Jim Carroll Band, releasing their debut album Catholic Boy in 1980, featuring the single "People Who Die" which ended up being featured in the films E.T. and Dawn of the Dead! (2004) Carroll had several more releases over the next couple of decades, the last of which was the EP Runaway, from 2000.

Argentina lost a renowned folk songstress in Mercedes Sosa (74). Best known as the "voice of the voiceless ones," she was an activist and part of nuevo cancion (Spanish for "new song") movement in Latin America, by voicing songs written by Brazilians and Cubans.  Her musical career has spanned over 4 decades, with a massive discography to showcase for it, and most recently, her song "Balderrama" was featured in the film Che.

The indie dance rock scene lost a super talented drummer to a tragic accident this year: Jerry Fuchs (34).  Chances are, if you are down with dance rock, he's drummed for a band you're totally into, including: Maserati, !!! (chk chk chk), the Juan MacLean, LCD Soundsystem, and MSTRKRFT. 

Hip hop had losses on both sides of the Atlantic, including the UK rapper Derek B (44), who's 1988 album Bullet From a Gun reached #11 on UK charts.  The US lost hip hop producer, Tony D, who's earlier work had been sampled by Naughty by Nature and Heavy D.

Gone too soon was Canadian folk singer, Taylor Mitchell, who was only 19 years old. After independently releasing her album For Your Consideration in March of '09, she was nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award for Young Performer of the Year.  Also in the Canadian music scene, was the loss of one it's pioneers. Rex Yetman (76) who sang and played mandolin for Canada's first bluegrass band, The York County Boys. 

Some legendary performers that went this year included the US's Huey Long, who lived to be an impressive 105! He was the last remaining singer of the group the Ink Spots, a popular vocal group that helped define the genres R&B and Doo-Wop.   From near that same era, came American singer Al Martino (82) who played singer Johnny Fontane in The Godfather.  Back in 1952, his single "Here in my Heart" reached #1 on UK singles chart, and stayed there for 9 weeks, putting him in the Guiness Book of World Records.
And legends in their own countries and abroad included:
Faramarz Payvar (76) an Iranian composer and santur player.
Liam Clancy (74) an Irish folk singer for group The Clancy Brothers, who are regarded as Ireland's first pop stars.
Aram Tigran (75) from Syria, was considered the best among contemporary Kurdish singers/musicians.
And Shah Abdul Karim (93) of Bangladesh, who was considered a  legend of Bangladeshi folk music, having written and composed over 1600 songs.

Asia endured some abrupt and unexpected passings amongst there own pop scenes.  Including Chinese Mando-pop singer Chen Lin (39), who had a chart topping record in 1993, I Can Never Understand Your Love, which sold over 1.5 million copies.  And amongst Japan's Visual Kei scene was the loss of the bassist for metal band Versailles- Jasmine You (age undetermined).  The band still plans on a world tour in 2010 in support of their 2nd studio album, which had been postponed in production due to You's passing.

In other Metal losses, over in Finland was lead guitarist and founder of doom metal band Sentenced, Miika Tenkula (34).  Sentenced had a good run from 1989 to 2005.  Their final gig in 2005 was recorded for the DVD Buried Alive which went Platinum posthumously in Finland.

Indeed, this list is long, but on a gloomy note, it pales in comparison to the actual number who are gone.  And I hate to leave anyone out, so if you'd like to share some of yours in the comments feel free.  SG fans earlier in the year did express concern for the loss of multi-instrumentalist, and former Wilco guitarist Jay Bennett (45.)  Sky Saxon's (71) passing was overshadowed by MJ's, but he wrote one of the raddest rock anthems in the 60's "Pushin' Too Hard" when he fronted the garage band The Seeds.  But I'd like to end this blog with a video featuring an actress who had a killer voice and left us suddenly a couple weeks ago- Brittany Murphy.  To everyone on this list, and more, R.I.P.

It's not just the end of another year, it's the end of a decade, and the lists have gone nuts all over the media with year/decade-end best/worst/whatever lists.  And I'm joining in, cause guess what? I friggin' love lists.  They make you dig back in your brain and rediscover things you may have completely forgotten about.  Sure, everyone is doing it- but how many of those lists are globally focused, hmm?  Here's my take on the decade, all youtubed out for your viewing pleasure.  (You can also listen to everything on this list and more on our Blip.fm channel now!)

2000:  Oh gees, that was so long ago, and honestly, in those days if it wasn't old school punk, oi!, or hardcore, I wasn't interested.  Had I not been stuck in my ways, I would have sooner discovered musical gems from that year including Canada's Peaches "F*%& the Pain Away", the French group Air with "Playground Love", or the Finnish vampy rockers HIM and their album Razorblade Romance.  But to sum up that year, I have to give it to an early-runner who produced this track towards the tail-end of '99:  and that would be NYC's Le Tigre with "Deceptacon."  What's so global about it? The song was later used in the Norwegian film Reprise.

2001:  This was the year that one band changed my whole perspective on life.  I'm super super serial.  This was the year that I lived, ate, drank, and breathed nothing but the Strokes.  They remain my favorite band to this day, Is This It the greatest album of all time, and "Hard To Explain" the greatest song that has ever existed, ever.  Infinity.  What makes this NYC band so global?  They were definitely huger over in the UK/Euro before they were here.  Other mentionables of this year: France's Daft Punk with "Digital Love" and "One More Time", as well as NYC's Fischerspooner with "Emerge."  But I was too busy listening to this track over and over...

2002:  More awesome music started piling in, as my several copies of Is This It became too worn and skippy in the stereo.  Such as the Swedish garage-punk rock band the Hives, who'd been around since the early 90's, and finally got some stateside attention after releasing a greatest hits album, Your New Favourite Band.  They are so rad live.  More props for that year: Minnesota's hip-hop group Atmosphere with "Modern Man's Hustle", and the UK electronica group Ladytron with "Seventeen."  That song was featured in the insanely awesome soundtrack to the insanely awesome movie Party Monster.  Ok, so standout artist of this year, again goes to another NYC based band- Interpol!  What makes 'em global?  The album Turn on the Bright Lights reached #10 on NME's list of top albums in 2002.  And this song is off it:

2003:  I could probably make double-sided mixtapes with all the awesome music that came out this year.  But if I had to narrow it down to just 3 albums, I'd go with the Canadian rockers Broken Social Scene's You Forget It In People, French electronic shoegazers M83 with Dead Cities, Red Seas, & Lost Ghosts, and best album of the year to, surprise surprise: another NYC band, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Fever to Tell.  Even NME rated it #5 Best Album of the Decade.  Aces.  One of the best songs that year though, that you probably couldn't get out of your head thanks to all those iPod commercials, has to go to Swedish garage rockers- the Caesars' with "Jerk It Out." Remember the commercials?  Well here it is again...

2004:  A friggin' huge year for music around the world, from Austrailia (Cut Copy and Wolfmother) to the UK (Futureheads, Franz Ferdinand, and the Prodigy), totally.  Ugh, so hard to boil it down to a select few... The definite standouts from NYC that year were self-titled debut albums from Asobi Seksu (Japan represent!), and Scissor Sisters (who were huger over in the UK before they were here.)  The best song of the year, I'd have to give to the Walkmen with "The Rat."  Word up.  Best album is too tough, so it's a tie between the rad American shoegazer Dykehouse with Midrange, and Canada's now defunct duo rockers Death From Above 1979 with You're a Woman, I'm a Machine.  I'll keep dreaming for a reunion.  Here's a video from that album...

2005:   More worldwide awesomeness came this year from Norway (Annie) to Jamaica (Damian Marley) and in between.  Billy Corgan went solo from the Smashing Pumpkins and did a heartbreaking cover of the BeeGee's "To Love Somebody" alongside the Cure's frontman Robert Smith.  But it was the UK that shone the brightest that year with new music from Hard-Fi, the Editors, Gorillaz, the Doves, and the Go! Team.  Hands down, best album of the year that lead the way to indie rock being remixed for dancefloors: Bloc Party with Silent Alarm.  But in a very close race, was Sri Lanka native M.I.A with her debut Arular, and a much deserved song of the year "Bucky Done Gun." Holler!

2006:  Awww, this was a tragic year for the record industry as we lost my fave chain; Tower Records. :( Even more so, was the loss of one of the greatest hip-hop artists who made the sickest beats ever, J Dilla.   But it was also a breakout year for Brazil's CSS with their debut album Cansei de Ser Sexy, and from the wintry wonderland Denmark was Mew with impressive singles like "Special" and "Apocalypso."  American goodies included the Gossip's "Standing in the Way of Control", and also the only indie-folk band I can get down with, Band of Horses.  Best album of the year? I'd have to give it to Sweden's Peter Bjorn & John's Writer's Block.  I couldn't get their single "Young Folks" out of my head for days.  And that was a good thing.  For the best song of the year, I'd have to give it Muse's (UK) "Knights of Cydonia" 'cause the video rules all, and that breakdown towards the end... stellar.

2007:   This is the longest blog ever... On that note, this year can be summed up with simply three tops.  First, the most impressive debut was the mashing of metal and rave in the creation of the French group known as Justice.  They are apparently working on a new album for 2010! Giddy giddy giddy right here.  Best album of the year goes to M.I.A. of course!!!  Kala is right up there with Is This It in my book.  Mmm-hmm.  But the song of the year, straight up belongs to German electronic masters Digitalism with "Pogo."  I still toss this on every mix CD I make for my buds.  And it was even remixed by other sweet bands like CSS and the Horrors.  Check out the video...

2008:  This was a fun year in music.  Girl Talk played in larger venues so that hoardes of sweaty people could get down to 20 second sample mash-ups of everything from Big Country to Three 6 Mafia.  Tennessee and Connecticut came together in a group known as MGMT (who are wicked huge in Australia too) and created the awesome video "Electric Feel" which featured my favorite childhood band from Showbiz Pizza. ;)  As far as best album of the year... it's a 3 way tie, cause it's too hard to choose.  That would be Crystal Castles S/T (Canada), Ladyhawke S/T (New Zealand), and Friendly Fires S/T (UK.)  All three albums are still in repetition in my car stereo, for seriously.  Best song of the year, is gonna have to be a remix that Crystal Castles did for the UK band White Lies song "Death."  Inspiring enough to go skydiving, I swears. 

2009:  Friggin' finally right?   This year saw a rise in the Scotland music scene with a spunky gem "Quiet Little Voices" from We Were Promised Jetpacks.  Punk rave legends the Prodigy (UK) returned to their roots and delivered an album, Invaders Must Die,  that could transport you back to the early 90's.  And overall it was a tug'o'war battle between the UK and US with shining examples from my idol Julian Casablancas' solo project Phrazes for the Young, and don't forget the breathy and haunting voice of Bat For Lashes in "Daniel."  The battle continued between the coasts for best album of the year.  Surf goth on one side, math noise on the other.  It was a tough fight between UK's the Horrors Primary Colors and the US's HEALTH Get Color, but overall The Horrors severly shined on their second studio release.  Hooray.

All the songs on this list and more are now streaming for free on our blip.fm channel, so check that out, and let us know your decade faves!!!

Tibet House US will hold its 20th Annual Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall on Friday, February 26th. Philip Glass, the concert’s Artistic Director, once again brings together an original line-up of contemporary artists including Patti Smith, Jesse Smith, Michael Campbell, Baaba Maal and Pierce Turner with more performers being confirmed soon. Tickets will go on sale December 24th, 2009.

For twenty years, the annual concert has assembled some of the biggest names in music and offers audiences a mix of unprecedented musical collaborations and solo offerings.  Past unforgettable concerts have featured such talents as David Bowie, Paul Simon, Sheryl Crow, Moby, Sigur Ros, Bright Eyes, R.E.M., The National, Natalie Merchant, Rufus Wainwright, Vampire Weekend, Emmylou Harris, Live, Ray Davies and Damien Rice, among many others.

The Tibet House US Benefit Concert commemorates the Monlam Prayer Festival traditionally held at the time of the Tibetan New Year. The festival drew vast numbers of monks, citizens and pilgrims from all over the country who gathered to pray for world peace and prosperity. Tibet House US is a non-profit organization founded in 1987 at the behest of His Holiness the Dalai Lama that serves as a center for the preservation and presentation of the endangered Tibetan culture. 

For more information or to reserve tickets for the concert and reception, visit http://www.tibethouse.org/

Words courtesy of Inge Colson.

This week's random wiki article landed on the youthful Chilean soccer goalie Richard Leyton.  Poor kid has a pitiful two lines describing his position on the bench. Ouch.  But in other news, lo que es con la escena musical de Chile?  

Check out this bunch of prog-rock hombres, Akineton Retard.  They've been together since 1994, performing a mix of trad Chilean roots, prog-rock, jazz fusion, and beat samplings.  Overall they describe their sound as a "blow to the head." Not sure how they came up with such an interesting name, but all I know is that Akineton is actually a pharmaceutical drug known to cause delirium in old folks.  A silly bunch indeed.  Check out their shenanigans as they hang out in Tokyo in this video clip.

And on the complete opposite spectrum of anything Chilean traditional is the industrial rock band, Vigilante.  With a discography of 3 albums spanning back to 2005 (plus being featured in a handful of goth/electro metal compilations), a European tour just completed, and a DVD just released in October, this bunch is about to bring forth their 4th independent release in 2010.  Holy wow.  They are easily at the head of the pack of the South American electro-metal scene.

And lastly comes the reason I love doing these random world music scene scavenges; discovering gems like Chilean indie rock band Rock Hudson.  Known as The Must Urban back when they started in 2000, they later changed their name to Rock Hudson in 2003, but now they are simply known as RH+.  They finally had a US debut release this year, Quintana Roo, an album that puts them right up there with Stereolab and Air.  Check out this freakin' awesome song featured as a bonus track on said album.