Musings on The Muse by Julian Shah-Tayler

Welcome to the sporadic and not entirely well considered spewing forth from my pen. Love to you!

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend was a fun one.
Friday was our chance to check out Tim Burton's new display at LACMA, which was OK I guess. I think he is a more talented designer and director than artist, which makes sense....

On saturday Cat and I went to Las Vegas to see Kid DJ and Paul Oakenfold tear up Rain nightclub at the Palms Hotel.

Cole (Kid DJ) is 14 and Cat's nephew. He totally owned that stage. Also, he played a vocal that I did for him of the Stone Roses classic "I Wanna Be Adored" towards the end of the set. I was very proud of him, and a little bashful when Josef and him were pointing at me during the track to be honest....

We left pretty much straight after his set, and slept in the room with Alex Tovar, his wife, brother and his friend. Whoever it was that was snoring was very talented in that department....
Anyhow, on the sunday we explored the Cosmopolitan hotel, which was pretty impressive on the art department.... then went to an indian restaurant for a lunch treat, and it was exactly that. A wonderful buffet at a place called "Mint Indian Bistro" on Flamingo, which was full of indians (a great sign, obviously....) and great food
We then drove back via the outlets to buy me some running trousers and a swim suit.
When we got back to Cat's we watched an area 51 Documentary which was OK, then "The Road" which was unbearably dark and depressing. I find Viggo Mortensen a little bland and unsympathetic at the best of times. It was a sweet enough story in some ways I guess, although how they managed to get such a relentless book made into a film escapes me.... I could do with the spare millions.
Monday we decided that we should see Hangover 2, and I was bored and irritated by its terrible script and hackneyed "Jackass" style humour. Jock film through and through in the most unelaborate way imaginable... Don't bother...
Monday evening we had rehearsal with "Tiger Blood" which was fun, we put "Hand To Hold" into the set (nearly) and then went to Pomona way to do some Karaoke, during which experience I performed "Suedehead" by Morrissey alongside Jorge's Soundgarden rendition.... Don't know the name of the song, but we definitely both nailed it in front of one of the best live karaoke bands in the land.
Today (tuesday) I have been still remixing. I remixed "Perfect" and "Trains" and "Another Breakdown" which will not see the light of day until I have it right....
Also, dinner at Tender Greens with Brian Ziff/Kerli. Nice to catch up with those two little dolls.

Thanks to Jenny Eells - BBC Radio York

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00gzq4y

BBC local radio play!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00gzq4y
Unfortunately I can't listen to this one, but apparently they played my song "Perfect" on this show....

Friday, May 27, 2011

I quite like this one.... Alternative 3 album review.....

I am a FAN. This band are ace, and there is no doubt in my mind that with the right place/right time interface, they could clean up everywhere.

This album is the culmination of months of hibernation in their studio, honing the shimmering retro sounds of Duran Duran and early Blur. At first listen, it throws you into a spin, as it is so unusual to hear an album that glitters so bright with casual pop diamonds as these.

It is impossible to say which of these songs could possibly NOT be a single, from the poptastic 'Let's Go Electronic' all the way to mindblending elegaic epitaph, 'The Light Years Ahead'.

This could even be argued to be one of the faults of the record. The reason it drops half a star: every card that is played is an Ace, an uptempo blast of exuberant electronic energy that leaves you exhilarated and ecstatic, with no room to breathe.

Littering the little binary dots are highs that compete with all the breathless energy that coexists in the world of music. It is dismissive to describe them as simple pop, as every note is as considered as surgery, and each performance is as perfect as creation. This clinical precision, this mechanical soul gives it its one flaw.

A little more humanity (real bass and drums?) would lift the communication to a higher plane. That said, 'Heaven Underground, Vision, Feels Like' are all magnificent essays into the science of perfect pop.

They are a duo of massive talent and if there is a God, he sings these songs in the shower.

Essential.

Brilliant.

Unassailable.

http://drownedinsound.com/releases/4763/reviews/7478-alternative-3-the-light-years-ahead

OK, so you can look at all of my reviews here: I was young (ish) (!) ;)

http://drownedinsound.com/users/adream/articles

I used to write reviews for Drowned in Sound! This is my one for "A New Morning" by Suede




It is the turn of the century.

Urchin boys run through the streets, their lovable faces stained black with coal dust and grime from the chimneys of Victorian London. A perpetual pea-souper reduces vision to a few feet. Languishing in an opium den off the New Regent Street is a foppish waif. His addled brain is misting with fin de siecle visions. A nightmarish concrete wilderness appears, inhabited by dogs and nuclear skyscrapers. A swivel-hipped messiah flounces onto the stage, antidote to the Love and Poison of London. His floppy haired foil twists tremulous and razor sharp daggers of noise from his 6 strings…..

A New Morning dawns, and the vision fades.

That was last century. It’s a long time in Pop music and politics. What made Suede great is now a pipe dream. Maybe it was the drugs that made them great. Maybe it was Bernard.

They aren’t even a shadow of a shadow of what they were.

See “Little Kix” by Mansun

http://drownedinsound.com/releases/3102/reviews/5014

Amazon Reviews! Thanks people....



2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant on all levels!, May 26, 2011
By
Katie - See all my reviews
This review is from: Coito Ergo Sum (MP3 Download)
I listen to this album all the time- at work , at home, and in my car. I just LOVE it! From Profound lyrics, to beautiful vocals and spectacular musicianship, this one has it all. My favorite song is the piano driven Electricity, but I also really like the unique sound of Saltwater. This whole CD is so dynamic, and I really enjoy every song.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Let the Title Intimidate You., October 13, 2010
By
Cathy (Altadena, US, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Coito Ergo Sum (MP3 Download)
Don't let the title of "Coito Ergo Sum" intimidate you. This is a worthwhile listen that can fit any mood; melancholy, romantic, thoughtful, sexy, inventive. If you are a die-hard fan of Bowie, Prince, or David Sylvian... you will adore this! I'm not(!) (well die-hard anyway), and the tracks grew on me with their ambitious complexities and surprises that kept me interested. I'm a sucker for heavy piano stuff and Electricity's melody is a real hummer; while "Roman Tower 982" is unpredictable and enigmatically lavish. Julian Shah-Tayler's voice is AWESOME, his songwriting- poignant. "Wetter"- everyone will get it, and not just those who know Latin.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Shockingly Talented, May 27, 2011
By
splhcb78 - See all my reviews
This review is from: Coito Ergo Sum (Audio CD)
Julian is a songwriter and musician whose ease with textured rich harmonies and thoughtfully clever and poetic lyrics leads to this: a criminally underground release that deserves the bright light of international recognition. As a DJ, my favorite track is 'Wetter' - a bouncy throwback to the best of 80's New Wave that delivers a hooky chorus that never fails on the dance floor, and that you'll be singing for days after! 'Electricity' is one of those songs you put on during a really great cry - delicate lilting melody, sensitive, soulful, emotionally connected, and just really well written. 'Revolution,' 'Beautiful World,' 'Show Me Your Soul,' and 'Northern Light' bring in a little muscle - power chords and stronger vocals that are thick enough to satisfy the alt-rock fan.

There is not a single dud in this collection - this album is the real deal. Come over over over for the Revolution!

I wish I had known this one would prove to be so popular!



Aubade from the Mother's Day trailer. I made this video very quickly just to get the song up on Youtube. So little time, and I should have done a better job! ;)

x

Amazon sales site for US. Please review!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0047BXQYU/sr=8-3/qid=1306482341/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1306482341&sr=8-3&seller=
http://julianshah-tayler.bandcamp.com/album/coito-ergo-sum

OTL remix of Beautiful World


I made the Rebel Riffs end of 2010 list

OK, so I made the best of 2010 list with "Rebelriffs" :)
by Julian Shah-Tayler on Sunday, 16 January 2011 at 14:10

2010 Tracks Of The Year Overview



Last year I said 2009 was the busiest review year ever, but I've still managed to up the totals (and that doesn't include videos and other sideshows). I ended up listening and reviewing some 459 tracks over the last year, of which many were album and/or EP reviews. I didn't know busy, huh? Nonetheless, only 141 of those bad boys stuck around long enough on my playlist to become contenders today. This is slightly less even than last year, which just goes to show you how ruthless I have to be about this. Moreover, I suffered a REAL bad hardddrive problem early in the year so maybe the figures are a bit whack from previous years but hey, *** happens right?



TRACKS OF THE YEAR - THE KEEPERS

Exceptional Tracks by the Month (either Highly Recommended or Must Have)

Link Key: (RR) Rebel Riffs (MIX) Mixposure otherwise Soundclick or a site such as You Tube etc...check the original review.



November

-----------------------

Eddie Cohn - Stay With Me LP (RR)

Rustik - Smoke Rings

333maxwell - Where You'll Find You

Avalanche - Not My Style

Satellite 3 - Playing With Fire

Julian Shah-Tayler - Wetter (RR)

Ratchet - Compromise

Pidgeman - Beast Of Halloween

Zebrabook - Piercing

Sunburn in Cyprus - If It's Good For Me

Thomas J Marchant - Ego

Speak Words Speak - Out Of Love

Whitman Speck - I Love To Hate You

Inessa Lee - Living Doll tracks (RR)



http://rebelriffs.blogspot.com/2011/01/year-end-review-of-2010-stevies.html

Keds interview



KEDS interview - "Meet LA Based Musician Julian Shah-Tayler"
by Julian Shah-Tayler on Monday, 04 April 2011 at 12:03

posted under Art, Keds, Los Angeles, Road Trip on March 29th, 2011



With our UCLA event just two days away, let’s take a look at another all-star musician that will be gracing the “How Do You Do?” stage. Meet Julian Shah-Tayler of Tiger Blood, a London-gone-LA local who you can see at 12pm on UCLA’s Wilson Plaza between the Student Activities Center and Kaufman Hall.

How do you do inspiration?

My music is my diary of the events and thoughts of my life. I tend to write about people that inspire me, events that shock me, how I want to express my feelings to others without having to come out directly to their faces sometimes. It is a cathartic moment to encapsulate a particular feeling within a little musical box…

How do you do Los Angeles?

LA is very different to London, the people love life and the sun is (mostly) shining! It is always good to know people here, as the city is very spread out, but once you know the little secrets, such as great live music venues and wonderful modern architecture, you will grow to love it. People in shops and restaurants are very smiley, which is definitely not the case in Europe so much!

What is your favorite place in LA to see live music?

The Hollywood Bowl is the best place to see music in the world FULL STOP. A great sound system, history, location. Everything. One day we will be on that stage!

How did you and your band come together?

I was playing with an electronic lineup and I got fed up with the backing track thing, so when I bumped into Ryan and George who run a studio (Pure Rock in Whittier) it was a match made in heaven. They brought the ROCK back out of me. Chris has been playing with me on and off for years, so he was a natural to come and augment the lineup!



How did you get started in music?

My Grandmother was a music teacher and my mother was an opera singer, so they had me singing and playing the piano before I could talk. Rock music was a new thing to me when I left school after years of classical training. I just adore the lifestyle, touring and meeting new people, making people happy with the music. At least that is the plan!



http://hdyd.keds.com/2011/03/meet-la-based-musician-julian-shah-tayler/

Might not be pretty, but it is real! ;)




I contributed a song to this cancer charity. Please take a look

http://www.cancerdrive.org/artists/julian-shah-tayler/

Musical Fruitcake posted Electricity!

12.20.2010

09 – Julian Shah-Tayler – Electricity

Categories: MF2010, MF2010 - Dave's Tracks

I laugh when I think of Julian as a local artist, since he’s originally from England, however his music is fresh and exciting with a rock edge that keeps things real. The love child of David Bowie and Peter Murphy, Julian is the local artist that should already be famous. I actually had a hard time figuring out which song I should pick from this eclectic collection, he’s that good.



http://musicalfruitcake.com/2010/12/20/09-julian-shah-taylor-electricity/

OK, so this is a work in progress. Even the cover is a companion to Coito!

Lucia. Comes full circle.... ;)

the room in Santa Monica

I just met with xavi and a couple of his friends down at the room on Santa Monica and 14th. great bar with very low lighting and a fabulous dj. there had been a wrap party for some English film there so my first drink was free. that was a bonus!
I recommend it, although parking in valet ($6) is a waste of time as I very easily found street parking.
finished mixing Lucia today.
working on "naive love" which is still not lyrically done, but is taking shape very nicely, I guess.
pleased to see that "aubade" is gradually taking over all my other YouTube videos in popularity coming up to 1,300 views with very little promotions.... good news.... bed now sleep...