Santo & Johnny – Sleep Walk

Musical predictions for 2011 that won’t come true: 1950’s pedal steel guitar will make a massive comeback.

This is what Airstrip One would look & sound like if we were around in the 50’s.

For those who are interested, Johnny Farina continues to update the official Santo & Johnny website.

via the wonderful @aidanjohnmoffat

The Monkey or the Organ Grinder?

To follow on from James’ last post about the SMA/Aphex Twin mash up, I’ve been noticing some pretty cool bands allowing their music onto ads recently…a few examples below.

Halfset/Bord Gáis
One of the best Irish bands of recent years help Irish Gas Board flog some more accounts.

Phoenix/o2
Masters of catchy synth rock appear one of the most recent o2 mobile adverts

Of course, this isn’t the first time o2 have had brilliant music on one of their ads (UK fans may not be able to see this…)

LCD Soundsystem/Sony Kinnect
James Murphy, hot on the heels of coming up with a track developed with Nike for the purposes of exercise now hawks XBox 360 add on. I like the way this contraption, intended to make you exercise, in fact allows you to turn your XBox on without even expending the energy of lifting the remote control…

Air/Budweiser
Air, who (I think) once claimed they would not allow their music to be used for advertising, backtrack and team up with Bud. Having seen Air up close and personal prior to one of their gigs (Brogans, Dame St, Dublin, since you ask), I can tell you they actually drink red wine.

Finally, Beach House/Guinness
One of my fave bands, one of my fave drinks. Great ad too

Come to Daddy

In a previous post I’ve mentioned my fondness for a number of Aphex Twin covers. So you can imagine how intruiged I was when I heard something familiar on an ad for SMA Progress Milk.

Yes, it was indeed a nice acoustic reworking of one of my favorite tracks from Richard D. James: To Cure A Weakling Child (Girl/Boy Song) by Adem.

Clearly a great way to target Aphex Twin fans who are parents, coupled with a delicious in-joke in the song title for good measure.

I’m looking forward to hearing an acoustic version of ‘Windowlicker’ on the next Mr Muscle advert.

Save BBC6 music and Adam & Joe

There are many reasons to be upset about the plans to shut down BBC6 music, but my chief gripe is that the impeding closure will mean the end of some of the funniest radio the BBC has ever produced. I only discovered the Adam and Joe podcast towards the end of last year, and I don’t think anything on BBC radio has ever made me laugh so much. I just can’t imagine a world without Boggins, Stevenage, and Song Wars. Maybe the bigwigs at the Castle need to have a listen to ‘The Right and Wrong Song’.

The Right and Wrong Song:

Here’s an old classic from A&J’s Channel 4 show:

Bobby De Niro:

BBC6 has loads of other great shows which play music you wouldn’t hear anywhere else, and is exactly the kind of station the BBC should be promoting.

Here’s a track from Count Buckulese David Bowie summing up why the BBC has decided to ruin something brilliant:

Download the MP3 here

Free Album: Airstrip One – Decathlon – 2004

We used to have a myspace page, but one day we woke up and *poof* it was gone like Kaiser Soze. No idea how or why it happened. This means that there is no music by Airstrip One available online. Until now.

Back in 2004, the world was a simpler place: the LUAS was still under construction; iPhones were yet to be invented; Kelis was singing about milkshakes and The Simpsons was still funny. People were wondering what exactly Bill Murray said to Scarlet Johansson at the end of Lost in Translation, and wireless networking was something ham-radio enthusiasts did in a desperate attempt to get a girlfriend.

In about 48-hours of creative madness we managed to lash together a sports-based concept album, and lo, Decathlon was born. Amazingly, we somehow did this without using any computers at all.

Now you can download your own copy of this lo-fi electro classic completely gratis. Just click here.

In case you prefer our other stuff, we intend to have a myspace page up and running again in the near future.

Joni Mitchell – California (live 1970)

Totally un-Christmassy, but it’s still one of the best live performances I’ve seen! Oh, and before you ask, it’s an Appalachian mountain dulcimer!

I got 99 albums…

…that Phish mixed into one.

I love the Manu Chao bit!

(via Boing Boing)

Airstrip One have a Gig

Yes, we are a band, even though we barely do anything. This may be your only chance to catch us live for ages. Sunday 10.30, 4 Dame Lane, Dublin. If you wonder what we sound like, here’s a link to our Myspace.*

*Airstrip One’s use of Myspace does not indicate tacit endorsement of Rupert Murdoch and his Evil Media Empire. In fact, I wish there was an alternative owned by someone who was a force for good in the world, but what can you do?

Sour – Hibi no Neiro

This may be the greatest music video of all time. Japanese pop rules!

The Duckworth Lewis Method – Meeting Mr Miandad

Some psychedelic cricketing capers from the wonderful Duckworth Lewis Method