gogoparis.com

BLOC PARTY: SPECIAL SHOW NEXT WEEK!

2008-10-11T14:39:00.002+02:00

Bloc Party at Le Nouveau Casino OCT. 14. This is the "indie" band that tore up the UK charts in 2005 after having pushed a demo on a BBC dj and the lead singer of Franz Ferdinand, and they hit Paris this month upon the release of their third studio album, Intimacy. They originally made their mark with choppy syncopated guitar riffs bearing comparisons to Gang of Four (as have a host of other recent bands--witness Forward Russia!). However, their second album mixed in more electronic layering over often Robert Smith-ish, mopey legato crooning. They claim the third album is a return to something rawer (by which one can hope they'll be exploring some bluegrass and jug music). Yet, the track they offer on Myspace ("Talons") sounds like its trying hard to seduce the electro crowd while maintaining the loyalty of their guitar rock phalanges. Take it for a ride yerself. This is a special barely announced concert. Tickets go on sale Oct. 13 on fnac.com for the concert the next day. Happy trails, hipsters!--J. Harsin

Rock & Soul, plus New Wave Djay Soirees!

2008-09-24T20:12:00.001+02:00

That's right brothers and sisters, Djay Indie Eclectique/Grand Duc du Kansas is not just serving up some great Rock and Soul tomorrow (9/24) at PLANETE MARS (an opportunity for you to discover a cool new bar if you don't already know it), and Eclectic Indie Rock and its foundations Friday night at l'Orange Mecanique. He also announces the first of several
upcoming NEW WAVE SOIREES: Old Electro Pop vs. New Electro Pop. The first one will be at L'Orange Mecanique Sat. Oct. 4. Another one will follow at the new bar The UFO, also on JP Timbaud, as soon as it opens. Stay Tuned and see you soon!
JH

Gogoparis.com Djs at L'Orange Mecanique: July 24

2008-07-23T13:50:00.002+02:00

This is the end! That's right, friends and neighbors,hipsters, mods and rockers, and indie Vespa honeys. Gogoparis music critics Jay and Channa spin you round for the LAST time this summer, this Thursday July 24 at the fabulous bar L'Orange Mecanique in sunny Oberkampf/Menilmontant. Get ready, as always, for an updated set list of just released stuff and some new-old gems! The exact address is 72 J.P. Timbaud, just off rue St. Maur, a couple of blocks from either Metro Parmentier or Metro St. Maur. From 8:30pm to 1:30am. Come hear live all the good stuff we discuss on GogoP. and a whole lot more--foundations of/and contemporary indie rock, that sprawling jenesaisquoi genre. France Gall to Of Montreal. Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis, to the Clash and the Fratellis. Good, cheap drinks (2,50 demis, 5 euros pints, + Happy hour prices). Enjoy the flyers, spread the word, and mark your calendars.Get there early if you want a seat. (sample playlist)
xoxo-Jay

Tom Waits: The Legend, in Paris this week

2008-07-23T13:24:00.001+02:00

Elvis, Johnny Cash, Willy Nelson, Bob Dylan—all icons of American music; none of them with as much gritty poet-capital as Tom Waits. Two-time grammy and many-time other award-winner, Waits has mastered, then stone-washed, and bourbon-soaked a range of genres from vaudeville to jazz and folk, often sung from personas who see life from the bottom up, and often with startling x-rays of the human condition. 58-year old Waits rides into Europe on a staggering corpus of 20 albums, 7 compilations, and at least 18 international tribute-albums. One thinks of the Charles Bukowski of music, but he's far better. One thinks of Nick Cave, but with permanent laryngitis and a penchant for surrealism and jazz. One thinks of Waits, not the admittedly talented Steve Earle, when Earle sings "Last of the Hardcore Troubadors." Can one even put a price on this ticket? (Oh yeah, does anyone want to get in to heaven and just GIVE me one?)
Thur and Fri 24 and 25 July, Le Grand Rex
tickets (or try Craig's List Paris)
p.s. Come to Soiree Djay Indie Eclectique thursday at l'Orange Mecanique as a pre- or post-Tom Waits party!
Evidence of his range and brilliance:

DJay Indie Ec. Set List, July 10 at L'Orange Mecanique, Paris

2008-07-16T11:10:00.008+02:00

Set list from July 10, and C U tomorrow, thursday July 17! A jeudi, les amis!

People Get Ready--Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions
I Go Out Walking After Midnight--Patsy Cline
Rivers of Babylon--Steve Earle and Emmy Lou Harris
Tear-stained Eye--Son Volt
When You Were Mine--Crooked Fingers
La peintre a l'huile--Bobby Lapointe
Our Way to Fall--Yo La Tengo
This is the Day--The The
Free--Cat Power
Girlfriend in a Coma--The Smiths
Hang Me Up to Dry--Cold War Kids
Mission Impossible--Laika and the Cosmonauts
La Vie En Rose--Emilie Simone
Al Capone--Prince Buster
Seven Nation Army--White Stripes
I Don't Think So--Dinosaur Jr.
Mrs. Robinson--Weezer
The Loveless--Heavy Trash
Ces Bottes sont faites pour...(These Boots Are Made For Walkin')
Rich--Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs
Rush--Big Audio Dynamite
Bubblegum--The Raveonettes
I Want Candy--Bow Wow Wow
The Magnificent Seven--The Clash
Electricity--OMD
Fire Below--Midnight Juggernauts
Ever Fallen in Love?--The Buzzcocks
Punk Rock Girl--The Dead Milkmen
This Little Girl's Gone a Rockin'--Ruth Brown
Chercher le Garcon--Taxi Girl
King Tut--Steve Martin
Hawaii Five-O--The Ventures
White Light White Heat--VU
Miss World--Hole
I Don't Like Mondays--Boomtown Rats
Chicken Walk--Hasil Adkins
The Bird--Morris Day and the Time
Can Your Pussy Do the Dog--The Cramps
Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On--Jerry Lee Lewis
I'm the Man--Joe Jackson
I Love Paris--Sreamin' Jay Hars-- er Hawkins.
Surf Rider--Dick Dale
Somebody to Love--Agent Orange
Do Me No Wrong--Pat Cupp and his Flying Saucers
Est-ce que tu le sais--Dick Rivers et les Chats Sauvages
Goodnight, Goodnight--Hot Hot Heat

Eli "Paperboy" Reed: Soul Revival at La Maroquinerie

2008-07-16T09:33:00.002+02:00

July 15, 2008--Eli Paperboy Reed, the sensational 24-year old Soul Man from Boston the whole internet is buzzing about, made his first appearance in Paris last night at La Maroquinerie. Reed was pushing his fabulous new record Roll With You. Just as on the record, last night his perfectly pickled soul vocals moved effortlessly between slow Sam Cooke-d croons and sharp James Brownesey yelps, giving him the unchallenged title of best new indie artist of the retro soul genre (but hey, he could simply take Best New Indie Artist, period). He belted out songs that made the more casual soul fan blink, "Is this a Sam, uh, Cooke cover? Was that Wilson P-Pickett?" Alas, no, he treated the audience to few covers, but the fact that the Amy Winehouse-led soul revival even wonders about it suggests the Paperboy is the Shit. This ain't no Blues Brothers cover band. And this ain't another Vanilla Ice. And the live performance is as lively as it should be: a demi-Black Baptist Sunday sermon. No minstrelsy. Just true love. This guy has been studying the soul tradition for years, singing along, letting the spirits stake out a claim in his head and heart. He promised to be back soon. Keep your ears glued to those CBs, truckers...
--Jay Harsin
In Paris last night, keepin-it-real-low-quality cell phone version:
Fancy pants higher tech version from Houston:

Gogo Hat Party at Andy Wahloo (May 22nd 2008)

2008-05-23T23:08:00.005+02:00

CANNES 08, THE LOOKS

2008-05-19T14:22:00.009+02:00

Fashion on the Croisette from our hyperactive, and incognito, Cannes correspondant CBM;)

Furie at Social Club (May 16th 2008)

2008-05-17T21:13:00.007+02:00

Je Kiffe Mes Cops at Le Paris Paris (May 15th 2008)

2008-05-17T21:08:00.004+02:00

Summer of Rawk at Ofr Galerie (May 15th 2008)

2008-05-17T20:57:00.004+02:00

Saint Gael (re-used) at Miss China Beauty (May 15th 2008)

2008-05-17T20:38:00.003+02:00

Kris Van Assche & A Magazine launch party

2008-05-16T11:29:00.007+02:00

The new edition of A Magazine, with as guest editor the Belgian Kris Van Assche, aka Hedi Slimane's replacement at Dior Homme, was launched last night with champagne and Belgian waffles.

Fornarina Urban Beauty Show at Carrousel du Louvre (May 12th 2008)

2008-05-13T13:06:00.005+02:00

Maybe not the largest amount clothes (alot more strobes, spotlights, fluffy white walls, candy and drinks), but alot of people and press this night at the Louvre.

A certain Lindsay Lohan was in the center of attention.

Xiu Xiu at Point Éphémère (May 10th 2008)

2008-05-12T14:46:00.010+02:00

Simply a great concert with a great band! Tighter than ever and with a good mix of old material/new material.

Cocorosie video preview at Mad Vickys Tea Gallery (May 9th 2008)

2008-05-09T20:56:00.007+02:00

Cocorosise video preview, great song, great video, rasberrry punch, candyfloss and balloons!

David Lynch @ Divan Du Monde, May 5

2008-05-09T20:42:00.004+02:00

The gifted oddball David Lynch made a special appearance at the hip little Pigalle club Divan Du Monde Monday May 5.

His autobiography, MON HISTOIRE VRAIE, les Editions Sonatine, translated by Nicolas Richard, hit the French bookstores this week, and the evening focused on the book's promotion.

First, the audience and Lynch were treated to an orchestral treatment of the Twin Peaks series music, conducted by Jean-Philippe Audin. The music then became a kind of spoken-word accompaniment to Lynch's Q&A session (giving the event a bit of a beat poetry slam flavor).

Then Lynch basked in the Parisian adoration, his graying pate practically pompadoured, his deep black suit and bright white shirt giving him a vaguely clerical aura in conjunction with his animated gestures.

He took questions from the small crowd of invitees, touching on transcendental meditation, creativity, his preferred artistic medium, the meanings of his films, the concept of plot, and internet rumors.

Apparently his new book has a lot to say about his appreciation for and practice of transcendental meditation, which he said he practices twice a day. According to Lynch, TM is "a way to get rid of all the 'negative' to 'expand your bowl of consciousness.' Ideas are 'bubbling' deep inside us. Meditation helps them to come up to the surface. You don't make ideas, you catch them, like fish, and the bigger are the deeper."

Someone asks, “Doesn't getting rid of the negativity kill the creativity?"

DL laughs: "That's a good question and a very French question, because here the myth of the 'artiste maudit' in his attic is very strong. But it's just a trick to attract the girls who will come in the attic to cook meals for the poor guy and maybe spend the night with him to comfort him. But bad feelings, negative feelings do not help to create. On the contrary, meditation makes space inside you for ideas to develop."

An odd question follows: "Do you need to be dead to film a death scene?"

Lynch's response: "No, and in the same way,you don't have to suffer to film sufferings."

Thankfully that mystery is finally solved.

One of the most predictable but necessary questions followed: on the meaning of his films.

Lynch insists that his films do have a meaning. They "grow from ideas." Though sometimes he doesn't know what they mean straight away, he waits and the meanings come. However, all interpretations are valid to him.

Some people leave the movie theater, saying they don't have a clue about his film, and then they go and have a drink with friends, and everybody has his own version of the film. “Then suddenly the guy who didn't have a clue says ,’No, that's something else and he realizes he's got his interpretation too.’”

About the "plot"…

“Some people in Hollywood make recipes, but when there is a rule there

are always some people who want to break it.”

"I am one of them," Lynch proudly proclaims.

DL is a very multidisciplinary artist (music, painting, film...). Which

medium does he prefer? Someone asks.

"They're all very deep really. Some people like to say that this or that form of

art is finished, but there are always some people who come

with new ideas." He wonders if maybe cinema is more interesting to him because it

combines different arts.

The questions turn to coffee, and one sees a glimmer of his marvelous Twin Peaks

character agent "Coop" Cooper, connoisseur of diner coffee.

"Is it true you created a brand of coffee 'David Lynch's signature cup'?"

DL:"Yes, and it's great stuff." He said he blind-tested a lot of brands, and his own is always the one he prefers

Finally, someone asks about an internet rumor: Is a new Twin Peaks coming out?

"Totally false."

That was all he had time for. When meditation calls...

Video of Book-signing, audience reactions, excerpts of Lynch's answers :

Expo Guy Limone - Ça tourne! at Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin (May 6th - June 14th 2008)

2008-05-08T14:24:00.007+02:00

Top Ten at Ensad (May 6th 2008)

2008-05-06T22:13:00.000+02:00

Le Festival international de mode et de photographie à Hyères invited to Ensad (École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs) with the top stylist laureates from the latest ten years.

Colette Dance Class at Le Paris Paris (May 5th 2008)

2008-05-06T21:17:00.000+02:00

Lots of moving about, mentos, Michael Jackson and smiling!

Goyard satellite store for pet accessories

2008-05-06T12:42:00.001+02:00

Goyard, the luxury bag maker, is in the process of establishing a second satellite store (across the road from their headquarters at 233 rue St-Honoré) dedicated to their range of dog accessories. Just like Vuitton did when they renovated their Champs Elysées store, Goyard have covered the façade with an enormous fascimile of one of their trunks.

Clara-Clara

2008-05-06T12:39:00.000+02:00

And just down the road, at the entry to the Tuileries (from the Concorde end), the State has reinstalled on it's original site a piece by Richard Serra from 1983, 'Clara-Clara':

Richard Serra for Monumenta 2008 opens

2008-05-06T12:24:00.000+02:00

Paris' answer to London's Unilever Series, MONUMENTA launched its 2008 edition this morning with a work by the American sculptor Richard Serra. The 5 steel plates play with verticality and attempt to sew up the light and compact the space of the extraordinary Grand Palais. More infor here: www.monumenta.com

Vernissage Télémusique at France Fiction (May 3rd 2008)

2008-05-04T15:25:00.000+02:00

france-fiction.com