5 minutes before lying down CALENDAR 2010

This blog has just reached a milestone in its history, because here's the first annual calendar: a special interpretation of a year, because it starts in March. As you could get used to it, this blog introduces the songs by its mood and connection to seasons. The calendar was made in the same atmosphere, and it's just the first step to the large-letter CALENDAR which will have an album proposal for each day in a year. Until that, 5 minutes before lying down will give you annual calendars each year. Click on the image to view it larger and download.

Madonna - American life

Now it's someone who doesn't need to be introduced, but besides her biggest hits she has some notable albums, too. Being driven by a sudden emotion, I chose an old cd, American life a few days ago, which is her second best after Ray of light (it's an outstanding one amongst her albums).

1. American life

2. Hollywood

3. I'm so stupid:

4. Love profusion

5. Nobody knows me

6. Nothing fails

7. Intervention

8. X-static process

9. Mother and father

10. Die another day

11. Easy ride

After the first two faster and widely known songs, she sings slower songs. Nice songs in a cosy pop-atmosphere, and one of the advantages of this album is the clearness. At last a pop album which isn't too dense. If something wants to be expressive, it doesn't need to be "big". By the way, the singing voice sounds much better if there aren't too many instruments playing. Just enough. Whatever Madonna does these days, it's something notable in her interesting and colourful carreer.

Pet Shop Boys' new products

It seems like the Pet Shop Boys never rest, they always come up with something new. Now, the Pandemonium concert dvd and cd, released on the 15th of February. Quite a cool choice with those new "two songs in one" types.
Or the ep Christmas, released on the 14th of December, 2009, containing the new version of It doesn't often snow at Christmas, a cool remix of Madness' My girl, or the Viva la vida / Domino dancing mix. Now they have an own YouTube channel, too.

Pandemonium dvd trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/petshopboys#p/c/CC5459DB602B6963

Domino dancing / Viva la vida:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJp-0kKgvlA

My girl:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M37TnocXUSc

Madness - My girl:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09ARfGbCfMs

Katya Chehova & Vortex involute - Вторая жизнь

It's always a pleasure to hear other performances, adaptations and remixes of a song which you've known for a long time, let it be a jazz standard or even a techno song. Vortex involute, the Russian drum'n'bass band (in fact one person) reinterpreted Katya Chehova's music and created something, a deeply expressive atmospheric sound-world. The songs became slower, they don't hurry, there's enough time to express themselves and to make experiments with sound & noise. For example Po provodam (По прoвoдaм) got an other meaning, it became slower and ambient, such as Oblakami (Oблaкaми). And the closing song is the beautiful Вторая жизнь which - as I told you earlier - is my favourite song by her and also got a nice video. The whole album can be downloaded for free by registered users at www.station20.ru.

I remember listening to this album perfectly one year ago, in the cold, grey and hopeless February. Music stays with us, luckily.

Вторая жизнь:

http://www.youtube.com/user/katyachehova?blend=2&ob=1#p/a/DBCFD010ECF5BA8A/1/SONUYhlJ7nQ

Beтpoм:

Katya Chehova's music

It was the same time ago when I discovered Station 2.0 and Katya Chehova (Катя Чехова). In the beginning I didn't really know what I hear, just see the strange unreadable characters of titles on the screen. I had to go further, I liked it: I realized soon that it was much better than today's music played on radio and at clubs, but the main reason for it was the amazing atmosphere provided by the cold techno music and the Russian singing voice. The meeting happened, and even if it wasn't love at first sight (hear), later it got on a higher level.

Katya Chehova made three albums released by the Russian label Uplifto. Unfortunately her project ended, but there's something she created and left. Her, first, introducing, Ya robot, then the most known, Love 2.0, and after that K4, her latest and last. I think Love 2.0 is the best, with her biggest hit, Ya ne s toboy. The album is about another love, a love made today when everything changed. My first experience with her belongs to the song Вторая жизнь - Vtoraya zhiesn which has a very special atmosphere for me, see below. All of the mentioned albums can be downloaded at www.uplifto.ru or www.station20.ru.

Я не c тобой - Ya ne s toboy (I'm not with you):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRw3paHNF_Q

Я тебя люблю - Ya tebya lublu (I love you):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Wb6uW2NuiA

Making of Нас больше не будет - Nas bolshe ne budet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cak5_Sfs16s

Вторая жизнь - Vtoraya zhiesn (Second life):

Нас больше не будет - Nas bolshe ne budet:

Shaft

At last I learned who is the man that would risk his neck for his brother man by watching the American movie Shaft (1971) which theme is written by Isaac Hayes. The movie is a nice thing, and its music perfectly matches to the pictures. It was also released in 2000, with Samuel L. Jackson in the main role.

You can watch the full movie here:

http://stagevu.com/video/zmqauwrufrtu

Listen to the theme

Station 2.0

My first meeting with Russian electronic music was a few years ago while downloading from last.fm's free downloads. Somehow I got to uplifto.ru which is an electronic record label, and also runs a webradio called Station 2.0 (СТАНЦИИ 2.0). I was glad to hear Russian voices, it was exotic. As I haven't visited this site for a while, it has been developing very well and now it's not only a radio, but a music community site as well with a lot of members and activities. The radio became a source of every kind of music let it be today's hits, Russian electronic and underground, or everything else. It also features live track information and a possibility for downloading archive streams back to a few days.

Visit www.station20.ru or www.uplifto.ru

To download music, click on Музыка (music).

To download archive streams, click on АРХИВ (archive).