n°14, 10th of December, 2009
Dear friends, fans and passing smiles,
are you shopping in some depaato, expecting some snow to fall? The Christmas songs are now everywhere, till the point you start to puke. You thought you could escape them in the Awaken Magnetic Universe? Missed! Here they are too. But... in a magnetic way.OK, time to jump into Awa-news number 14!
Artists sometimes say very smart sentences, with or without knowing.
It's rock'n'roll philosophy time!
In writing songs I've learned as much from Cezanne as I have from Woody Guthrie. (Bob Dylan)
What are the hottest news in Awaken's Universe?
XMAS WON'T BE THE SAME THIS YEAR
What!? After more than 20 years, Awaken-Nekokawa-Snowcat-whatever still hadn't release any Christmas album!? Sad but true. This old dream now comes true. Well, this is not an album, but a virtual 45-rpm. And to be included in the bootlegs collection. Yep, only true fans will receive it, this is a very special private present.
You Make It Feel Like Christmas Won't Be The Same This Year features two Xmas classics covered by the old cat Snowcat: Neil Diamond's "You Make It Feel Like Christmas" and the Jackson 5's "Christmas Won't Be The Same This Year". But would a Snowcat Xmas record be complete without an original tune? Well, that's why a special mix of "The Blue Hanger", the 'Merry Xmix', is closing the single on a disco mood.
Links: http://bit.ly/55BUNr
Our interview:
MARCO MARIANI: C'est mon esprit qui rêve
Anam... Anam.. Anam... Peut être entendras tu ce nom, chanté par la pluie ou soufflé par le vent. Peut être te sera t'il susurré par le feu ou crié par la terre. Peut être l'entendras tu si tu tends l'oreille dans la forêt ou le verras tu inscris dans les étoiles. Peut être ton âme le percevra t'elle au plus profond d'elle même... Ouvre ton coeur et laisse toi porter par ce nom ancestral... Car Anam arrive et espère te combler te paix.
These French words are the mysterious introduction to Eirenya and Marco Mariani's band Anam, an interesting project exploring the fields of celtic music with the passionate spirit of Marco, whom we interviewed today.
-Nice to meet you, Marco. Please use three words to introduce yourself.
-Marco: Italien du côté du père, espagnol-pied noir du côté de ma mère. J'ai 21 ans, presque 22, je suis brun aux cheveux légèrement longs et je fais 1m73. J'aime la vie, les grands paysages, les amis et bien sûr la musique.
-What brought you to become an active musician?
-Marco: Hé bien c'est la musique, tout simplement. Le fait d'écouter en boucle la live 93 de Laurent Voulzy, les vieux disques des Who, ainsi que Dire Straits m'a donné envie d'acheter ma première guitare. Ce n'est que depuis que j'ai commencé à être fan de Genesis que je me suis mis à composer.
-What's the meaning behind the name of your new band, Anam?
-Marco: C'est tout simplement le mot "âme" qui se trouve ici dans sa consonance gaélique, la seconde langue de l'Ecosse et de l'Irlande. Nous l'avons choisi ainsi car avec Eirenya, nous sommes grands fans de musiques celtiques, en particulier d'Enya, et nous voulions leur rendre hommage. Ce sont des musiques qui, selon nous et bien plus que d'autres, s'adressent directement à l'âme.
-Among your work, what is the piece that you think represents you the most, and why?
-Marco: Pour l'instant, nous et même pas moi tout seul n'avons pas une oeuvre très conséquente et je dirais que chaque chanson que j'ai composé me ressemble à un moment ou à un autre de ma vie, aussi bien les "dépressives" (même si elles ne sont plus d'actualité) que les plus enjouées, celles qui parlent de voyage (c'est mon esprit qui rêve) et les plus romantiques.
-Any song you’re ashamed of, and why?
-Marco: Pour le moment, il n'y en a aucune. Mis à part peut-être celle que j'ai écrite sur mes amis, parce que je n'ai pas pris la liberté de tous les citer et du coup elle ne sera même pas enregistrée, je l'ai laissée tomber.
-If you had a magic wand, in what band would you play right now?
-Marco: Je ne suis pas assez pro pour jouer avec n'importe quel groupe de mon choix malheureusement. Mais si j'y arrivais, ce serait bien sûr Genesis.
-What would you say to Awa-news readers who might not know you, to convince them to listen to your albums?
-Marco: Je leur dirai "Laisser reposer votre esprit, laissez-le se promener pour cette nouvelle aventure".
-You have a strong admiration for Camel and Phil Collins. How do they influence your own music?
-Marco: Phil Collins, ce sera surtout pour les ballades, et tout comme Camel, j'en retiens principalement les ambiances et les mélodies, ainsi que la sensibilité contenue dans toute cette oeuvre.
-Last but not least, would you openly admit that you are an Awaken fan?
-Marco: Pas pour le moment, car je ne connais pas assez bien l'oeuvre d'Awaken. Mais ce n'est que partie remise !
Links: http://www.myspace.com/ceilteachanam
What happened on December some years ago?
Let's jump into Awa-news' time machine...
18/12/1938: Chas Chandler says hello to the world, without knowing that he would become a famous Animal years later.
16/12/1988: Sylvester says bye-bye to the world, but is still alive in the hi-nrg disco mind. Mighty unreal?
15/12/2006: Awaken releases the "Beppu Nights" EP. (hee hee hee).
You like Awaken? You *will* like this album:
AL STEWART, Russians & Americans (1984)
The 80's were such an interesting era. The last really creative period for modern music. Nowadays music just recycles previous decades and plays it a bit too safe. That's why it's great to jump into the heart of those underrated albums like Al Stewart's Russians & Americans. Famous for his Year Of The Cat and labeleld 'folk singer', Al Stewart is much more than that and was, in the 80's, at the peak of his creativity. Follwing a rocky 24 P/Carrots, Russians & Americans changes direction to cover grounds of more synthesized music ("Rumours Of War"), sophisticated melodic pop ("Lori Don't Go Right Now"), introspective acoustic songs ("Accident On 3rf Street"), grandiloquent cabaret rock (the slightly pinkfloydish "Cafe Society") or new-wave ("Strange Girl", typically 1984). Stewart doesn't forget his stylistic habits either: some Spanish guitar ("The Gypsy & The Rose"), some folk (the superb "Russians & Americans") and a funny cover of Len Barry's "1-2-3", with a funky touch. The album ends with a stunningly beautiful dark tune, "The Candidate", putting a melancholic mood in the air and leaving us into a bitter-sweet spleen like ir was the case with 1978's "End Of The Day". Stewart's voice is as unique as ever and his lyrics always clever or ironic or most likely both.
Nota #1: Awaken fans already know that "The Candidate" has been covered on Party In Lyceum's Toilets (and if you don't, it's time to remember, don't you think?), but other songs from Russians & Americans were awakenized on other tapes and on the You Should Have Listened To AsmL tribute albums.
Nota #2: The American edition features, for no reason that I know, a different track-listing.
Links: http://www.alstewart.com
Next week is next week. And to quote Al Stewart: you'll be a movie star... next time.
Take care and see you!
email: awamail(at)hellokitty.com
Awaken main sites: www.awaken.be
© AWAKEN-Awanews-
[downloadable pdf version here]
