Thom Yorke Cries for Clangers

Of course it's sad to hear of the passing of Oliver Postgate, the creative force behind English children's show Clangers. The unbearably adorable program from the late 60's followed the adventures of tiny sewn mice sort of fellows who live on a faraway planet and whose voices are played by a slide-whistle. Ah, my kingdom for a kinder gentler time in children's television programming.

Although one might say "What does this have to do with rock?" it is this very show which gave the band The Soup Dragons their name and which has caused Radiohead to mourn their creator on the front page of their website. Now that's chidren's television in action!

Johnny Lydon on Judge Judy - 1997

This is just an oddity I found on You Tube. John Lydon being sued by tour drummer Robert Williams over a broken tour agreement on Judge Judy. Williams is best known as the drummer for Captain Beefheart, but possibly not known for his sad bowl-cut in this video clip. More details on the decade old suit are here. As to the question of who sues over being fired off a tour when you don't get on with anybody else on the tour, and who would do this on Judge Judy is yet another matter entirely.

RIP Odetta

What sad news this morning that the incredibly strange-voiced 60's folk singer Odetta has passed, just a month shy of her 78th birthday.

It seems like only yesterday I'd enjoyed her haunting, soulful voice on The 6th's "Wasp's Nests" CD singing "Waltzing Me All the Way Home" (click to hear).


One of my favorite references to Odetta is, from the film Hairspray by John Waters.

Hair hopper Ricki Lake and her beau seek refuge in the house of two beatniks played by Pia Zadora and The Cars' Ric Ocasek. Being the first beatniks they've ever met, the conversation goes like this...

Ricki: How do you get your hair so straight and so flat?
Pia: With an iron, man! l play my bongos, listen to Odetta, and then l iron my hair, dig?... When l'm high, l am Odetta!

Swedish Bands of the 70's

It's hard for some of us to remember that Sweden wasn't always a place full of alluring pop albums. It wasn't always as cool as The Hives, Komeda, Jens Lekman, The Soundtrack of Our Lives, Lykke Li,... It wasn't even as cool as noted in the lyrics below to the song "Sweden" by The Divine Comedy.

"I would like to live in Sweden
When my work is done
Where the snow lies crisp and even
'Neath the midnight sun
Safe and clean and green and modern
Bright and breezy—free and easy
Sweden—Sweden—Sweden—In Sweden
I am gonna live in Sweden
Please don't ask me why
For if I were to give a reason It would be a lie
Tall and strong and blonde and blue-eyed
Pure and healthy, very wealthy
Sweden—Sweden—Sweden—In Sweden
I'll grow wings and fly to Sweden
When my time is come
Then at last my eyes shall see them
Heroes every one
Ingmar Bergman
Henrik Ibsen
Karin Larrson
Nina Persson
Sweden—Sweden—Sweden!"

No, once it was full of very gruesome bands - and that is what this link is all about.