Archive for the ‘Mike’s Music’ Category

One of my favourite musos is Jools Holland. He has a regular “New Years” show called the “Hootenanny” [Incidentally, its not live but recorded before New Year, and its become a thing a fun to spot continuity errors - such as people wishing each other happy new year... before 12 O'Clock has struck].

I was catching up on the show some days after the show. Everyone was great – he has the best guests. But this lady from the Netherlands really struck out. I think she has a very classy voice, and of course Jools Holland’s Big Band is a great accompaniment.

Sadly, the video won’t play embedded on my site – but it will take you to youtube to view it…

Another great track by her is “That Man” – which apparently is played a lot on Radio 2 – I should listen to that station more!

This song has kind 20s/30s retro feel about it which I really like… Makes a change from the X-Factor approach to music!

Note: Be careful with AppleTV remote. It’s a IR transmitter and it can be used to communicate with the MacBookPro. Get these two in close vicinity as you scroll down the AppleTV menus, you will find yourself turning the sound down on your MBP!

Today I did (YET) another AppleTV update. Each time one pops up my heart beats with hopeful expectation that this £99 unit will actually one day meet my excessive expectations.

So here’s what does & doesn’t work:

(more…)

Laura Marling has been on “Mike’s Music” before when her song “New Romantic” got my attention on Jool’s Holland’s “Later” a couple of years ago. Typically, once some has been on the show their career blossoms – partly because of the exposure it generates, and mainly because he has genuinely talented people – who don’t feel the need to genflect at every opportunity, and have their underpants outside their trousers.

So Laura Marling continues to impress. Quite why I haven’t bought any of her stuff is mystery to me! She did 2-3 songs in her little set. The song “All My Rage” impressed me the most – it builds quietly but ends up intense little number.

And then I heard her song the “The Muse” which has a country feel. By the way she’s from a town called “Reading” outside of London. And that was it – I decided to buy her latest, and her back catalogue…

The Civil Wars are two piece group from Nashville. Not sure what the relationship is between the pair. They could be a couple or given the close harmonies – they could equally be a couple. They did an interesting “Nashville” take on the Jackson number “Billy Jean”.

This video below is the Billy Jean cover…

Well, its been a while since “Mike’s Music”, but its return is prompted by the return of my favourite music show EVER (somehow you supposed to capitalize those words nowadays!). Jool’s Holland’s Later came back to UK screen last week, highlight of the show for me was “Trombone Shorty” a New Orleans (pronounced to N’Oleans to those in the know) band.

Lap it up!

[If you want to read the lyrics - go off to the youtube page, and the lyrics are there as well.]

Sorry, I know that’s a less than classy blogpost title. This all about VMUG’s in Oz, and I’m not think of Dorothy and Munkins by the way…

I’m hoping to attend/speak at both the Melbourne and Brisbane VMUG.

The Brisbane event is at:
Monday, December 5, 2011
Novotel Brisbane
200 Creek Street
Brisbane 4000

and then later that week, The Melbourne Event is at:

Thursday, December 8, 2011
Melbourne Park Function Centre
Batman Ave
Melbourne

I’m hoping to stop along the way in Sydney to see from friends of mine on the Tue/Wed…

Well, its been sometime since a Mike’s music. That’s because I haven’t really been inspired by much in the last couple of episodes – until the other week when I heard this fantastic Irish band (well, they seem a pollygot of Irish and English folk musicians!). So this is one for all my Irish chums out there – chin-up guys – we might all be going up the swanny in boat without paddle steered by Captain IMF… But there will always be music and pint at the pub!

Turn this up loud!

On Friday it was very good fortune to meet up with one of my buddies from the North Carolina User Summit – Mr Raymond Overman. We had a good old chinwag – setting the worlds to rights on all manner of things including IT, VMware and Virtualization. It wasn’t all shop-talk. The other good thing was that I managed to get my sticky paws on two of Raymondo’s “Blues Bowls”.

When not going about virtualizing stuff where ever possible, one of Raymond’s passions is wood-turning. Check out this if you like to see some great photos. http://www.overmanshop.com/

This has evolved into a brand new concept – the blue bowl. Again if you want to see pictures http://www.bluesbowls.com/

I think they are totally unique, and original. And they are homage to those early guitars – when people were so dirt poor they had to make their own instruments and entainment. Ray brought two blues bowls with him – a 3-string and 4-string – and I was so impressed with them – I took both!

Anyway, I’m figuring that in about 20-30 years time when Raymond’s design has gone global – I will be one of this first to have the original Overman, hand-turned by the legend himself. As Ray said “From your lips to god’s ear!”

For some reason WordPress keep on bring up this imagesthe wrong way round…. Even though they preview fine on the MBP…

It’s been some time that I posted some music to my site. I’ve been listening to a lot John Lennon recently. Things are slowly picking up for the anniversary of his death – there was a recent drama about him in the period just before he met Yoko… which inspired me to go out and get a compilation of his best numbers with some live and obscure stuff too… Paloma Faith has been on my playlist as well as Plan B… and I’m looking forward to hearing Belle & Sebastian’s new “long player” which is released on the 11th October. I’m going up to Scotland to see the band play at the legendary “Barrowlands” in Glasgow in Dec. I first saw them live there, and I could easily say it was the BEST gig I have ever been to – for both music and such a warm atmosphere…

Anyway, down to brass tacks. This band are called the Jolly Boys. They look like a bunch of OAPs, because well, they probably are – they go way back and are one of the founders of the original Jamacian SKA sound. I loved this reworking of the classic Lou Reed “Perfect Day” song…

I first heard this on Jools Holland’s “Later” since then the album has gone into the top ten. I really digging the Smokey Robinson style falsetto.

Well, its been sometime since I featured an excerpt from my favourite music show – Jools Holland. This girl is called Lissie, and it’s called Oh Mississippi. A great great voice…