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      <creativeCommons:license>http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/</creativeCommons:license>
            <pubDate>Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
      <lastBuildDate>Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000</lastBuildDate>
            <ttl>60</ttl>
      <docs>http://www.audioscrobbler.net/data/webservices</docs>      <title>sirang's Last.fm Journal</title>
      <link>http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal</link>
      <description>The Last.fm journal for sirang.
        Last.fm journals are a place to talk about all things music.</description>
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         <title>UARAL : A truly wonderful gem of Chilean music</title>
         <link>http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2010/07/05/3r70wj_uaral_:_a_truly_wonderful_gem_of_chilean_music</link>
         <pubDate>Mon, 5 Jul 2010 17:00:09 +0000</pubDate>
         <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2010/07/05/3r70wj_uaral_:_a_truly_wonderful_gem_of_chilean_music</guid>
         <description><![CDATA[<div class="bbcode"><strong><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Uaral" class="bbcode_artist">Uaral</a> biography</strong><br /><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Uaral" class="bbcode_artist">Uaral</a> is a two peice band from Chile, that fuses an eclectic mixture of Latin inspired classical guitar, <a href="http://www.last.fm/tag/neo-folk" class="bbcode_tag" rel="tag">neo-folk</a> textures and Doom metal vocals and structures. The band was formed in 1996 by Aciago (Instruments) and Caudal (Vocals), since then, the pair have recorded four demos, two full length albums and an EP. Their debut album, Sounds of Pain was released in 2005, followed by 2007's <a title="Uaral - Lamentos A Poema Muerto" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Uaral/Lamentos+A+Poema+Muerto" class="bbcode_album">Lamentos A Poema Muerto</a>, which can be generously downloaded for free from <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Uaral" class="bbcode_artist">Uaral</a>'s last.fm webpage. Themes of nature, loss and despair are common in both the music and lyrics of <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Uaral" class="bbcode_artist">Uaral</a>'s compositions, however, quiet songs are apt to morph into movements of despair and doom-laden power, based primarily around the truly unique vocals of Caudal.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Uaral" class="bbcode_artist">Uaral</a>'s songs are often based around long acoustic <a href="http://www.last.fm/tag/folk" class="bbcode_tag" rel="tag">folk</a> passages, with a mixture of deep, gutteral doom-like growls, choral clean singing and forlorn screams. The slow, atmospheric sound is complemented by stark orchestration and often emotional guitar work, both acoustically and with a clean-tone electric guitar. Caudal's unique vocals are one of the most interesting aspects of their music, and really defy any attempted categorisation. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Uaral" class="bbcode_artist">Uaral</a> as a band are wholly unique, and while comparisons to other bands like Agalloch and other Folk Doom bands seem obvious, one can only experience <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Uaral" class="bbcode_artist">Uaral</a> as a separate entity. A truly wonderful gem of Chilean music.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Tale of <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Uaral" class="bbcode_artist">Uaral</a></strong><br />Over hostile times and fruitless experiences in the horizon, rough episodes were registered in our bodies. By the year 1996, Aciago and Caudal, relatives and friends, walked through different paths but both carrying the piece of a family sentenced to live under the repression, the toil and the labour of the field; subsequently, they were fated to love the land which provides their home with sorrow and hope. In fact by those years, in all familiar night falls, you could see that musical ideas were brought up, though they were never brought to an end because to oblige restrained feelings to give body is a matter of time.<br /><br />In 1997, immersed in the solitude of the mountain range, the wine straight in wisdom covered the night with his lineage under the inert gaze of trees and sky, and the moist fire wood lighted and brightened Potrero Grande river who was drowned in beautiful desolation. Just a faint harmony could satisfy the wind who caressed his sonancy. It was a night of poetry and music where <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Uaral" class="bbcode_artist">Uaral</a> plastered their veins departing a way of natural comfort to the need of expressing feelings, whom Aciago and Caudal would resort to. As an option, to make immortal musical registers, it was recorded a demonstration for fellows, and it was given the name of “Potrero Grande” and “<span title="Unknown track" class="bbcode_unknown">Surrendered to the Decadence</span>” but a called introduction “Bruma”.<br /><br />In those gaits, The <a title="Niche &ndash; niche" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Niche/_/niche" class="bbcode_track">niche</a>s roads were bloodstained with the end of a relative life. Nobody will forget that day when <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Uaral" class="bbcode_artist">Uaral</a> plastered his agony with instrumental melancholy on the delicate coffin and gladden the air with all the desolation that covered the room. Those were difficult times full of losses and misfortunes that marked <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Uaral" class="bbcode_artist">Uaral</a>: as a mirror, mourning, personified in compositions, reflected the pain of a land full of everlasting silence. Thus, without reaching an agreement, new symphonies emerged without resignation.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Uaral" class="bbcode_artist">Uaral</a> guided the traces of members' thoughts leaving in all bands a poem and a chord. In this way, the musical agonies around the wintry downpours and nights of shining blazes advanced through the years in The <a title="Niche &ndash; niche" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Niche/_/niche" class="bbcode_track">niche</a>s and Cordillerilla. They were reflected in every tear of the brook. Throughout the seasons is coming the amazement of the breathings of those who were ripening <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Uaral" class="bbcode_artist">Uaral</a>. For that reason, it is decided for a second time to capture a register: a new one, its name From The Agony To The Hopelessness, that wandered along tree stages and an overture. In 2003, it was handed over an anonym musical register to a selected group of friends that walked sharing the ideologies and the expressions that <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Uaral" class="bbcode_artist">Uaral</a> gave out. OMG listened to this by accidents of destiny, contacted them, and proposed an interesting project to record the register. They both, OMG and the guys -Aciago and Caudal- agreed on meeting to expose their needs. There, they explained the real meaning of <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Uaral" class="bbcode_artist">Uaral</a> music ex! pressions and ideologies, and that they did not want an overexposure of them. OMG understood that everything is mainly to protect <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Uaral" class="bbcode_artist">Uaral</a>'s interests, and finally they entered the studio.<br /><br />After washing the dishes in the kitchen of The <a title="Niche &ndash; niche" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Niche/_/niche" class="bbcode_track">niche</a>s, Aciago's and Caudal's grandmother dried her hands and proudly gave her chant to her lads. She registered the most sincere expression of her feelings, which was used as a prologue in “<span title="Unknown track" class="bbcode_unknown">La Vaga Esperanza Del Ser</span>”, a song of admirable beauty inspired by the aerial caress of childhood.<br /><br />From all the sorrows that came from feeling decadence, it was achieved a final expression rich of worldly grief, familiar proximity, and hopeless agony: it was achieved <a title="Uaral - Sounds of Pain" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Uaral/Sounds+of+Pain" class="bbcode_album">Sounds of Pain</a>...</div>]]></description>
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         <title>10 Facts About Freddie Mercury</title>
         <link>http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2008/11/25/2asnox_10_facts_about_freddie_mercury</link>
         <pubDate>Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:21:18 +0000</pubDate>
         <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2008/11/25/2asnox_10_facts_about_freddie_mercury</guid>
         <description><![CDATA[<div class="bbcode"><span style="font-size:14pt"><strong>10 Facts About Freddie Mercury </strong></span><br />by <a href="http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/author/internstacy/" rel="nofollow">Stacy Conradt</a><br /><br /><img src="http://i34.tinypic.com/35lhvsp.jpg" /><br /><br /><strong>1. He designed the <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Queen" class="bbcode_artist">Queen</a> emblem (AKA the Queen Crest) himself</strong>, thanks to a degree in art and graphic design from Ealing Art College. The crest is made of the zodiac signs of the whole band – two Leo lions for John Deacon and Roger Taylor, a Cancer crab for Brian May and two fairies to represent Freddie’s Virgo sign. The “Q” and the crown represent the band name, of course, and a phoenix protects the whole thing.<br /><br /><strong>2. His birth name was Farrokh Bulsara</strong>; he started going by Freddie when he was at St. Peter’s, a boarding school for boys near Mumbai. He legally changed his name to <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Freddie+Mercury" class="bbcode_artist">Freddie Mercury</a> around 1970, when <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Queen" class="bbcode_artist">Queen</a> was formed.<br /><br /><strong>3. He and family (parents and one sister, Kashmira) were Parsis and practiced Zoroastrian religion.</strong> Even though he hadn’t practiced in years, his funeral was performed by a Zoroastrian priest.<br /><br /><img src="http://i33.tinypic.com/2uemqvn.gif" /><br /><strong>4. Freddie was born in Zanzibar</strong> – his family moved there so his dad could continue his career at the British Colonial Office.<br /><strong><br />5. Freddie had a recorded range of three (almost four) octaves.</strong> <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Mariah+Carey" class="bbcode_artist">Mariah Carey</a> claims five, for some perspective. When he spoke he was more of a baritone, but majority of his singing fell in the tenor range.<br /><br /><img src="http://i35.tinypic.com/24y4uhj.jpg" /><br /><strong>6. He had a long-term girlfriend in the early 70s named Mary Austin.</strong> Even after they broke up, they remained incredibly close. He gave an interview in 1985 and said that she was his only friend and he didn’t want any other friends. He wrote “Love of My Life” about her and was the godfather of her first son. When he died, he left her most of his money, his house, and his recording royalties.<br /><br /><img src="http://i33.tinypic.com/2i0cd5k.jpg" /><br /><strong>7. Although he was obviously very flamboyant on stage, most people who knew him intimately said he was very shy in his personal life</strong> – one of the reasons he very rarely granted interviews.<br /><br /><strong>8. Freddie and his manager issued a statement confirming that he had AIDS the very day before he died.</strong> It had been widely speculated for a couple of years due to his gaunt appearance and <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Queen" class="bbcode_artist">Queen</a>’s sudden lack of touring. Some people were very upset by this delayed statement, saying that an earlier announcement could have raised a vast amount of money for the cause.<br /><br /><img src="http://i35.tinypic.com/2w7mnna.jpg" /><br /><strong>9. He loved cats</strong> and had as many as 10 at one point. He even had an album and a song dedicated to his cats (Mr. Bad Guy). He wrote a song about his favorite cat, Delilah. Here’s a bit of it: <br /><br /><span class="quote">    <em>Delilah, Delilah, oh my, oh my, oh my - you’re irresistible<br />    You make me smile when I’m just about to cry<br />    You bring me hope, you make me laugh - you like it<br />    You get away with murder, so innocent<br />    But when you throw a moody you’re all claws and you bite -<br />    That’s alright !<br />    Delilah, Delilah, oh my, oh my, oh my - you’re unpredictable<br />    You make me so very happy<br />    When you cuddle up and go to sleep beside me<br />    And then you make me slightly mad<br />    When you pee all over my Chippendale Suite</em></span><br /><br /><img src="http://i36.tinypic.com/33e4t39.jpg" /><br /><strong>10. The “bottomless mic” was among Freddie’s many trademarks.</strong> Here’s how that happened: early in Queen’s career, he was apparently mid-show when his mic stand snapped in half. Instead of having it replaced, Freddie just used it as-is. He must have liked it, because he used the mic “stick” from then on.</div>]]></description>
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         <title>The 10 worst album covers of all times</title>
         <link>http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2008/07/22/22xzec_the_10_worst_album_covers_of_all_times</link>
         <pubDate>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:08:52 +0000</pubDate>
         <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2008/07/22/22xzec_the_10_worst_album_covers_of_all_times</guid>
         <description><![CDATA[<div class="bbcode">In the 70s you could get a free concert along with your daily newspaper.<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3015/2655534901_a03b8b50a5.jpg" /><br /><br /><span title="Unknown album" class="bbcode_unknown">All my friends are dead</span><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3252/2656362202_5e6bcd937a.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3129/2655650543_754a383218.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3018/2655534585_72d52fb028.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3178/2656361964_42c16137b2.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3163/2655534435_944f6e5e77.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3228/2656361810_afe601db1f.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3275/2655534263_4b8815bd85.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2108/2655534169_56e23ba6e2.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3223/2655697105_dee37e376d.jpg" /></div>]]></description>
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         <title>What's his/her real name ?</title>
         <link>http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2008/06/18/2139f1_what%27s_hisher_real_name_%3F</link>
         <pubDate>Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:22:22 +0000</pubDate>
         <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2008/06/18/2139f1_what%27s_hisher_real_name_%3F</guid>
         <description><![CDATA[<div class="bbcode">1. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Clay+Aiken" class="bbcode_artist">Clay Aiken</a> - Clayton Holmes Grissom<br />   2. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Akon" class="bbcode_artist">Akon</a> - Aliuane Badara Thiam<br />   3. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Tori+Amos" class="bbcode_artist">Tori Amos</a> - Myra Ellen Amos<br />   4. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Trey+Anastasio" class="bbcode_artist">Trey Anastasio</a> - Ernest Joseph Anastasio III<br />   5. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Adam+Ant" class="bbcode_artist">Adam Ant</a> - Stuart Leslie Goddard<br />   6. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Marc+Anthony" class="bbcode_artist">Marc Anthony</a> - Marco Antonio Muniz<br />   7. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Frankie+Avalon" class="bbcode_artist">Frankie Avalon</a> - Francis Avallone<br />   8. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Baby+Face" class="bbcode_artist">Baby Face</a> - Kenneth Edmonds<br />   9. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Erykah+Badu" class="bbcode_artist">Erykah Badu</a> - Erica Wright<br />  10. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Ginger+Baker" class="bbcode_artist">Ginger Baker</a> - Peter Edward Baker<br />  11. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Syd+Barrett" class="bbcode_artist">Syd Barrett</a> - Roger Keith Barrett<br />  12. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Ol%E2%80%99+Dirty+Bastard" class="bbcode_artist">Ol&rsquo; Dirty Bastard</a> - Russell Tyrell Jones<br />  13. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Pat+Benatar" class="bbcode_artist">Pat Benatar</a> - Patricia Andrejewski<br />  14. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Tony+Bennett" class="bbcode_artist">Tony Bennett</a> - Anthony Dominick Benedetto<br />  15. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Dickey+Betts" class="bbcode_artist">Dickey Betts</a> - Forrest Richard Betts<br />  16. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Jello+Biafra" class="bbcode_artist">Jello Biafra</a> - Eric Reed Boucher<br />  17. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Bo+Bice" class="bbcode_artist">Bo Bice</a> - Harold Elwin Bice<br />  18. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Marc+Bolan" class="bbcode_artist">Marc Bolan</a> - Mark Feld<br />  19. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Michael+Boltin" class="bbcode_artist">Michael Boltin</a> - Michael Bolotin<br />  20. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Jon+Bon+Jovi" class="bbcode_artist">Jon Bon Jovi</a> - John Francis BonGiovi<br />  21. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Bono" class="bbcode_artist">Bono</a> - Paul David Hewson<br />  22. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Sonny+Bono" class="bbcode_artist">Sonny Bono</a> - Salvatore Bono<br />  23. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/David+Bowie" class="bbcode_artist">David Bowie</a> - David Jones<br />  24. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Jackson+Browne" class="bbcode_artist">Jackson Browne</a> - Clyde Jackson Browne<br />  25. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/J.J.+Cale" class="bbcode_artist">J.J. Cale</a> - John W. Cale<br />  26. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Irene+Cara" class="bbcode_artist">Irene Cara</a> - Irene Escelera<br />  27. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Eric+Carr" class="bbcode_artist">Eric Carr</a> - Paul Charles Carravello<br />  28. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/50+Cent" class="bbcode_artist">50 Cent</a> - Curtis Jackson<br />  29. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Ray+Charles" class="bbcode_artist">Ray Charles</a> - Ray Charles Robinson<br />  30. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Cher" class="bbcode_artist">Cher</a> - Cherilyn LaPierre<br />  31. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Charlotte+Church" class="bbcode_artist">Charlotte Church</a> - Charlotte Reed<br />  32. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Gene+Clark" class="bbcode_artist">Gene Clark</a> - Harold Eugene Clark<br />  33. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Patsy+Cline" class="bbcode_artist">Patsy Cline</a> - Virginia Patterson Hensley<br />  34. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Ry+Cooder" class="bbcode_artist">Ry Cooder</a> - Ryland Cooder<br />  35. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Alice+Cooper" class="bbcode_artist">Alice Cooper</a> - Vincent Furnier<br />  36. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Elvis+Costello" class="bbcode_artist">Elvis Costello</a> - Declan MacManus<br />  37. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Peter+Criss" class="bbcode_artist">Peter Criss</a> - George Peter Criscuola<br />  38. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Ice+Cube" class="bbcode_artist">Ice Cube</a> - Oshea Jackson<br />  39. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Bobby+Dall" class="bbcode_artist">Bobby Dall</a> - Robert Harry Kuykendall<br />  40. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Bobby+Darin" class="bbcode_artist">Bobby Darin</a> - Walden Waldo Robert Cassotto<br />  41. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Dimebag+Darrell" class="bbcode_artist">Dimebag Darrell</a> - Darrell Abbott<br />  42. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Mac+Davis" class="bbcode_artist">Mac Davis</a> - Morris Davis<br />  43. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Taylor+Dayne" class="bbcode_artist">Taylor Dayne</a> - Leslie Wonderman<br />  44. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Mos+Def" class="bbcode_artist">Mos Def</a> - Dante Terrell Smith<br />  45. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/John+Denver" class="bbcode_artist">John Denver</a> - John Deutschendorf<br />  46. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Rick+Derringer" class="bbcode_artist">Rick Derringer</a> - Rick Zeringer<br />  47. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Buck+Dharma" class="bbcode_artist">Buck Dharma</a> - Donald Roeser<br />  48. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Snoop+Dogg" class="bbcode_artist">Snoop Dogg</a> - Calvin Broadus<br />  49. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Thomas+Dolby" class="bbcode_artist">Thomas Dolby</a> - Thomas Robertson<br />  50. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Mickey+Dolenz" class="bbcode_artist">Mickey Dolenz</a> - George Michael Braddock<br />  51. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Dr.+Dre" class="bbcode_artist">Dr. Dre</a> - Andre Young<br />  52. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Bob+Dylan" class="bbcode_artist">Bob Dylan</a> - Robert Zimmerman<br />  53. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Sheena+Easton" class="bbcode_artist">Sheena Easton</a> - Sheena Orr<br />  54. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Falco" class="bbcode_artist">Falco</a> - Johann Holzel<br />  55. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Fergie" class="bbcode_artist">Fergie</a> - Stacy Anne Ferguson<br />  56. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Flavor+Flav" class="bbcode_artist">Flavor Flav</a> - William Drayton<br />  57. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Flea" class="bbcode_artist">Flea</a> - Michael Peter Balzary<br />  58. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Ace+Frehley" class="bbcode_artist">Ace Frehley</a> - Paul Daniel Frehley<br />  59. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Kenny+G" class="bbcode_artist">Kenny G</a> - Kenneth Gorelick<br />  60. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Crystal+Gayle" class="bbcode_artist">Crystal Gayle</a> - Brenda Gail Webb<br />  61. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Boy+George" class="bbcode_artist">Boy George</a> - George O’Dowd<br />  62. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Gary+Glitter" class="bbcode_artist">Gary Glitter</a> - Paul Gadd<br />  63. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Macy+Gray" class="bbcode_artist">Macy Gray</a> - Natalie McIntyre<br />  64. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/MC+Hammer" class="bbcode_artist">MC Hammer</a> - Stanley Burrell<br />  65. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Faith+Hill" class="bbcode_artist">Faith Hill</a> - Audrey Faith Perry<br />  66. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Billie+Holiday" class="bbcode_artist">Billie Holiday</a> - Eleanora Gough<br />  67. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Buddy+Holly" class="bbcode_artist">Buddy Holly</a> - Charles Holley<br />  68. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Englebert+Humperdinck" class="bbcode_artist">Englebert Humperdinck</a> - Arnold Dorsey<br />  69. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Janis+Ian" class="bbcode_artist">Janis Ian</a> - Janis Eddy Fink<br />  70. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Vanilla+Ice" class="bbcode_artist">Vanilla Ice</a> - Robert Van Winkle<br />  71. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Billy+Idol" class="bbcode_artist">Billy Idol</a> - William Broad<br />  72. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Tito+Jackson" class="bbcode_artist">Tito Jackson</a> - Toriano Jackson<br />  73. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Rick+James" class="bbcode_artist">Rick James</a> - James Johnson<br />  74. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/D.J.Jazzy+Jeff" class="bbcode_artist">D.J.Jazzy Jeff</a> - Jeff Townes<br />  75. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Joan+Jett" class="bbcode_artist">Joan Jett</a> - Joan Larkin<br />  76. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Grace+Jones" class="bbcode_artist">Grace Jones</a> - Grace Mendoza<br />  77. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Tom+Jones" class="bbcode_artist">Tom Jones</a> - Thomas Woodward<br />  78. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Elton+John" class="bbcode_artist">Elton John</a> - Reginald Dwight<br />  79. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Wynonna+Judd" class="bbcode_artist">Wynonna Judd</a> - Christina Ciminella<br />  80. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Juvenile" class="bbcode_artist">Juvenile</a> - Terious Grey<br />  81. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/R.Kelly" class="bbcode_artist">R.Kelly</a> - Robert Kelly<br />  82. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Alicia+Keys" class="bbcode_artist">Alicia Keys</a> - Alicia Cook<br />  83. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Chaka+Kahn" class="bbcode_artist">Chaka Kahn</a> - Yvette Marie Stevens<br />  84. <span title="Unknown artist" class="bbcode_unknown">L’il Kim</span> - Kimberly Jones<br />  85. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/B.B,+King" class="bbcode_artist">B.B, King</a> - Riley B. King<br />  86. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Uncle+Kracker" class="bbcode_artist">Uncle Kracker</a> - Matthew Schafer<br />  87. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/L.L.+Cool+J" class="bbcode_artist">L.L. Cool J</a> - James Tood Smith<br />  88. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Patti+LaBelle" class="bbcode_artist">Patti LaBelle</a> - Patricia Holt<br />  89. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/k.d.lang" class="bbcode_artist">k.d.lang</a> - Katherine Dawn Lang<br />  90. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Queen+Latifah" class="bbcode_artist">Queen Latifah</a> - Dana Owens<br />  91. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Mario+Lanza" class="bbcode_artist">Mario Lanza</a> - Alfred Cocazza<br />  92. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Geddy+Lee" class="bbcode_artist">Geddy Lee</a> - Gary Weinraub<br />  93. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Julian+Lennon" class="bbcode_artist">Julian Lennon</a> - John Charles Julian Lennon<br />  94. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Huey+Lewis" class="bbcode_artist">Huey Lewis</a> - Hugh Craig<br />  95. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Liberace" class="bbcode_artist">Liberace</a> - Wladziu Valentino<br />  96. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Ludacris" class="bbcode_artist">Ludacris</a> - Christopher Bridges<br />  97. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Mama+Cass" class="bbcode_artist">Mama Cass</a> - Ellen Cohen<br />  98. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Barry+Manilow" class="bbcode_artist">Barry Manilow</a> - Barry Pincus<br />  99. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Yngwie+Malmsteem" class="bbcode_artist">Yngwie Malmsteem</a> - Lars Lannerback<br /> 100. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Manfred+Mann" class="bbcode_artist">Manfred Mann</a> - Manfred Lubowitz<br /> 101. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Marilyn+Manson" class="bbcode_artist">Marilyn Manson</a> - Bruce Warner<br /> 102. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Mick+Mars" class="bbcode_artist">Mick Mars</a> - Robert Deal<br /> 103. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Dean+Martin" class="bbcode_artist">Dean Martin</a> - Dino Crocetti<br /> 104. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Ricky+Martin" class="bbcode_artist">Ricky Martin</a> - Enrique Jose Martin Morales<br /> 105. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Paul+McCartney" class="bbcode_artist">Paul McCartney</a> - James Paul McCartney<br /> 106. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Meat+Loaf" class="bbcode_artist">Meat Loaf</a> - Marvin Lee Aday<br /> 107. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Freddie+Mercury" class="bbcode_artist">Freddie Mercury</a> - Farrokh Bulsara<br /> 108. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/George+Michael" class="bbcode_artist">George Michael</a> - Yorgos Panayiotou<br /> 109. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Joni+Mitchell" class="bbcode_artist">Joni Mitchell</a> - Roberta Anderson<br /> 110. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Miley+Cyrus%2FHannah+Montana" class="bbcode_artist">Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana</a> - Destiny Hope Cyrus<br /> 111. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Moby" class="bbcode_artist">Moby</a> - Richard Melville Hall<br /> 112. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Van+Morrison" class="bbcode_artist">Van Morrison</a> - George Morrison<br /> 113. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Nas" class="bbcode_artist">Nas</a> - Nasir Jones<br /> 114. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Rick+Nelson" class="bbcode_artist">Rick Nelson</a> - Eric Nelson<br /> 115. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Nelly" class="bbcode_artist">Nelly</a> - Carnell Haynes<br /> 116. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Vince+Neil" class="bbcode_artist">Vince Neil</a> - Vince Neil Wharton<br /> 117. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Juice+Newton" class="bbcode_artist">Juice Newton</a> - Judy Newton<br /> 118. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Nortorious+B.I.G." class="bbcode_artist">Nortorious B.I.G.</a> - Christopher Wallace<br /> 119. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Ric+Ocasek" class="bbcode_artist">Ric Ocasek</a> - Richard Otcasek<br /> 120. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Billy+Ocean" class="bbcode_artist">Billy Ocean</a> - Leslie Sebastian Charles<br /> 121. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Tony+Orland" class="bbcode_artist">Tony Orland</a> - Michael Anthony Orlando Cassivitis<br /> 122. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Ozzy+Osborne" class="bbcode_artist">Ozzy Osborne</a> - John Michael Osborne<br /> 123. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Robert+Palmer" class="bbcode_artist">Robert Palmer</a> - Alan Robert Palmer<br /> 124. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Gram+Parsons" class="bbcode_artist">Gram Parsons</a> - Cecil Ingram Connor<br /> 125. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Pink" class="bbcode_artist">Pink</a> - Alecia Moore<br /> 126. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Iggy+Pop" class="bbcode_artist">Iggy Pop</a> - James Osterberg<br /> 127. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/PUFFY" class="bbcode_artist">PUFFY</a>/<a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Puff+Daddy" class="bbcode_artist">Puff Daddy</a>/<a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Diddy" class="bbcode_artist">Diddy</a>/<a href="http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/P.Diddy" class="bbcode_artist">P.Diddy</a> - Sean Combs<br /> 128. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/C.J.+Ramone" class="bbcode_artist">C.J. Ramone</a> - Chris Ward<br /> 129. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Dee+Dee+Ramone" class="bbcode_artist">Dee Dee Ramone</a> - Douglas Colvin<br /> 130. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Joey+Ramone" class="bbcode_artist">Joey Ramone</a> - Jeffrey Hyman<br /> 131. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Johnny+Ramone" class="bbcode_artist">Johnny Ramone</a> - John Cummings<br /> 132. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Marky+Ramone" class="bbcode_artist">Marky Ramone</a> - Mark Bell<br /> 133. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Richie+Ramone" class="bbcode_artist">Richie Ramone</a> - Richie Reinhart<br /> 134. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Tommy+Ramone" class="bbcode_artist">Tommy Ramone</a> - Tom Erderlyi<br /> 135. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Lou+Reed" class="bbcode_artist">Lou Reed</a> - Louis Firbank<br /> 136. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Busta+Rhymes" class="bbcode_artist">Busta Rhymes</a> - Trevor Smith<br /> 137. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Nick+Rhodes" class="bbcode_artist">Nick Rhodes</a> - Nicholas Bates<br /> 138. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Smokey+Robinson" class="bbcode_artist">Smokey Robinson</a> - William Robinson<br /> 139. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Henry+Rollins" class="bbcode_artist">Henry Rollins</a> - Henry Garfield<br /> 140. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Axl+Rose" class="bbcode_artist">Axl Rose</a> - William Bailey<br /> 141. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Johnny+Rotten" class="bbcode_artist">Johnny Rotten</a> - John Lydon<br /> 142. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Ja+Rule" class="bbcode_artist">Ja Rule</a> - Jeffrey Atkins<br /> 143. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Mitch+Ryder" class="bbcode_artist">Mitch Ryder</a> - William Levise<br /> 144. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Sade" class="bbcode_artist">Sade</a> - Helen Adu<br /> 145. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Boz+Scaggs" class="bbcode_artist">Boz Scaggs</a> - William Scaggs<br /> 146. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Bon+Scott" class="bbcode_artist">Bon Scott</a> - William Scott<br /> 147. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Seal" class="bbcode_artist">Seal</a> - Henry Samuel<br /> 148. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Gene+Simmons" class="bbcode_artist">Gene Simmons</a> - Chaim Witz<br /> 149. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Sir+Mix-A-Lot" class="bbcode_artist">Sir Mix-A-Lot</a> - Anthony Ray<br /> 150. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Nikki+Sixx" class="bbcode_artist">Nikki Sixx</a> - Franklin Ferrana<br /> 151. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Slash" class="bbcode_artist">Slash</a> - Saul Hudson<br /> 152. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Grace+Slick" class="bbcode_artist">Grace Slick</a> - Grace Wing<br /> 153. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Fatboy+Slim" class="bbcode_artist">Fatboy Slim</a> - Quentin Cook<br /> 154. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Paul+Stanley" class="bbcode_artist">Paul Stanley</a> - Stanley Eisen<br /> 155. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Ringo+Starr" class="bbcode_artist">Ringo Starr</a> - Richard Starkey<br /> 156. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Cat+Stevens" class="bbcode_artist">Cat Stevens</a> - Steven Georgiou changed name to Yusef Islam<br /> 157. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Sting" class="bbcode_artist">Sting</a> - Gordon Sumner<br /> 158. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Michael+Stipe" class="bbcode_artist">Michael Stipe</a> - John Michael Stipe<br /> 159. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Joss+Stone" class="bbcode_artist">Joss Stone</a> - Jocelyn Eve Stocker<br /> 160. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Joe+Strummer" class="bbcode_artist">Joe Strummer</a> - John Mellor<br /> 161. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Donna+Summer" class="bbcode_artist">Donna Summer</a> - LaDonna Gaines<br /> 162. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Ice+T" class="bbcode_artist">Ice T</a> - Tracey Marrow<br /> 163. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Timbaland" class="bbcode_artist">Timbaland</a> - Timothy Mosely<br /> 164. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Peter+Tosh" class="bbcode_artist">Peter Tosh</a> - Winston Macintosh<br /> 165. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Tina+Turner" class="bbcode_artist">Tina Turner</a> - Anna Mae Bullock<br /> 166. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Shania+Twain" class="bbcode_artist">Shania Twain</a> - Eileen Edwards<br /> 167. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Conway+Twitty" class="bbcode_artist">Conway Twitty</a> - Harold Jenkins<br /> 168. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Steven+Tyler" class="bbcode_artist">Steven Tyler</a> - Steven Tallarico<br /> 169. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Dionne+Warwick" class="bbcode_artist">Dionne Warwick</a> - Marie Warwick<br /> 170. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Roger+Waters" class="bbcode_artist">Roger Waters</a> - George WAters<br /> 171. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Fee+Waybill" class="bbcode_artist">Fee Waybill</a> - John Waldo<br /> 172. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Bob+Weir" class="bbcode_artist">Bob Weir</a> - Robert Hall<br /> 173. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Leslie+West" class="bbcode_artist">Leslie West</a> - Leslie Westein<br /> 174. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Jack+White" class="bbcode_artist">Jack White</a> - John Gillis<br /> 175. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Hank+Williams" class="bbcode_artist">Hank Williams</a> - Hiram Williams<br /> 176. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Paul+Williams" class="bbcode_artist">Paul Williams</a> - Billy Paul<br /> 177. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Peter+Wolf" class="bbcode_artist">Peter Wolf</a> - Peter Blankfield<br /> 178. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Stevie+Wonder" class="bbcode_artist">Stevie Wonder</a> - Steveland Morris<br /> 179. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Zakk+Wylde" class="bbcode_artist">Zakk Wylde</a> - Jeffrey Wieldlandt<br /> 180. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Bill+Wyman" class="bbcode_artist">Bill Wyman</a> - William Perks<br /> 181. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Xzibit" class="bbcode_artist">Xzibit</a> - Alvin Joiner<br /> 182. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Rob+Zombie" class="bbcode_artist">Rob Zombie</a> - Robert Cummings<br /> 183. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Eminem" class="bbcode_artist">Eminem</a> - Marshall Bruce Mathers III<br /> 184. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Joe+Satriani" class="bbcode_artist">Joe Satriani</a> - Joseph &quot;Satch&quot; Satriani<br /><br /><br />Source : <a href="http://www.glamorati.com/celebrity/2008/real-names-of-182-musicians/" rel="nofollow">http://www.glamorati.com/celebrity/2008/real-names-of-182-musicians/</a></div>]]></description>
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         <title>Interactive promotion for Pink Floyd's 14 cd box set</title>
         <link>http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2008/05/18/efl35_interactive_promotion_for_pink_floyd%27s_14_cd_box_set</link>
         <pubDate>Sun, 18 May 2008 09:23:21 +0000</pubDate>
         <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2008/05/18/efl35_interactive_promotion_for_pink_floyd%27s_14_cd_box_set</guid>
         <description><![CDATA[<div class="bbcode">A great interactive promotion for <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Pink+Floyd" class="bbcode_artist">Pink Floyd</a>'s 14 cd box set. The packaging is demonstrated nicely. One by one, each disc rises out from the box, leading to a jukebox style browser of each album cover and sample track. You can flip the cover art around to see the art on the back and the track listings. Arrows appear to let you browse forward and back chronologically through each release of the box set. The iconic prism-separated light streams pulsate with each sample track.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.cddesign.com/covertalk/images/pink-floyd-box-set-screen1.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.cddesign.com/covertalk/images/pink-floyd-box-set-screen2.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.cddesign.com/covertalk/images/pink-floyd-box-set-screen3.jpg" /><br /><br /><br />More information : <a href="http://www.pinkfloyd.co.uk/obtw/" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://www.pinkfloyd.co.uk/obtw/" rel="nofollow">http://www.pinkfloyd.co.uk/obtw/</a></a></div>]]></description>
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         <title>Cover design :Thom Yorke &quot;The Eraser&quot;</title>
         <link>http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2008/05/18/efl1m_cover_design_:thom_yorke_%22the_eraser%22</link>
         <pubDate>Sun, 18 May 2008 09:13:24 +0000</pubDate>
         <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2008/05/18/efl1m_cover_design_:thom_yorke_%22the_eraser%22</guid>
         <description><![CDATA[<div class="bbcode"><img src="http://sleevage.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/08/theeraser.jpg" /><br /><br />Back in 1995, <a href="http://www.slowlydownward.com/" rel="nofollow">Stanley Donwood</a> began a body of work titled <a href="http://www.slowlydownward.com/londonviews.html" rel="nofollow">London Views</a>. This would later become the cover of <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Thom+Yorke" class="bbcode_artist">Thom Yorke</a>’s album <a title="Thom Yorke - The Eraser" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Thom+Yorke/The+Eraser" class="bbcode_album">The Eraser</a>.<br /><br /><img src="http://sleevage.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/lvpart1.jpg" /><br /><br /><img src="http://sleevage.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/lvpart2.jpg" /><br /><br />Stanley describes the art making process:<br /><br />    This medievalised vision of apocalypse in England’s capital city was carved on 14 pieces of linoleum with one small cutting tool. The original blocks make up a picture about twelve feet long, which has been painstakingly hand-burnished on to beautiful Japanese Kozo paper, as it has so far proved impossible to print this using a press. Thus the edition is extremely small; only 8 have been made.<br /><br />    Each of the 14 sections were first proofed on a huge cast-iron printing press, an Albion made in 1860, scanned, and printed on to large aluminium/polymer composite panels, which in turn were caged with diamond-pattern wire, reminiscent of the Evening Standard headline-boards that infect the capital with their own dire predictions. Each of these panels are 75 cm wide x 140 cm high. <br /><br />Limited prints and more <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Radiohead" class="bbcode_artist">Radiohead</a>-related artwork are available from his website.<br /><br />Source : <a href="http://sleevage.com/stanley-donwoods-eraser-linocut/" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://sleevage.com/stanley-donwoods-eraser-linocut/" rel="nofollow">http://sleevage.com/stanley-donwoods-eraser-linocut/</a></a></div>]]></description>
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         <title>Agalloch - “The White EP” Review</title>
         <link>http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2008/05/10/efl1j_agalloch_-_%E2%80%9Cthe_white_ep%E2%80%9D_review</link>
         <pubDate>Sat, 10 May 2008 10:21:21 +0000</pubDate>
         <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2008/05/10/efl1j_agalloch_-_%E2%80%9Cthe_white_ep%E2%80%9D_review</guid>
         <description><![CDATA[<div class="bbcode">Band: Agalloch<br />EP: The White<br />Year: 2008<br />Country: United States of America<br />Genre: Atmospheric Folk/Dark Metal<br />Length: 32:29 Min<br />Filesize: 38.71 MB<br /><br />Track list:<br />- The Isle Of Summer<br />- Birch Black<br />- Hollow Stone<br />- Pantheist<br />- Birch White<br />- Sowilo Rune<br />- Summerisle Reprise<br /><br /><br />=======================================<br /><br />In 2002, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Agalloch" class="bbcode_artist">Agalloch</a> released <a title="Agalloch - The Mantle" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Agalloch/The+Mantle" class="bbcode_album">The Mantle</a>, an album which would garner them a cult following and immeasurable praise. Two years later, the Grey was released. The Grey was an EP that took two songs from the Mantle and took them into two completely different perspectives. Two years after that, their third Full-Length, Ashes Against the Grain, was released with praise. Some fans however, wished for <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Agalloch" class="bbcode_artist">Agalloch</a> to retain their folkish sound. Six years after The Mantle, Agalloch have an odd response to fans, one which will likely divide them into two camps.<br /><br />The White is a difficult beast. The short way to describe it is picture if The Mantle was a DVD. The White would be the Deleted scenes and alternate ending on said DVD. This is honestly, the best way I can describe it. Some parts on this cd, mainly the transitions between songs, do feel as if someone pressed the skip scene button which lands you on a sudden and somewhat confused point.<br /><br />The EP begins with children chanting, “We Carry Death, Out of the Village!” on the Isle of Summer. This track is a solid opening with classic <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Agalloch" class="bbcode_artist">Agalloch</a> folk elements. The only thing I find annoying on this song is there is an electric clean guitar part that comes in near the end that sounds incredibly out of place and rather juvenile for <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Agalloch" class="bbcode_artist">Agalloch</a>’s usually mature sound.<br /><br />Birch Black comes in suddenly after the calm Isle. Going back to my movie reference, this song sounds like your being chased in a dark forest without knowing where exactly you are going or exactly what you are running from. The song has a great feel with acoustic strumming overlapped by strong bass drums and electric guitars. This, like Isle, is an instrumental.<br /><br />Skip a few scenes. Now, we are at a serene pond. Perhaps you are dead or dying and flashes of the afterlife appear before your eyes. The name of this scene is Hollow Stone. This is a haunting track with angelic voices and ambient noises. It is infinitely hard to describe, but this is definitely one of my favorites on the EP.<br /><br />Pantheist, the next track, is along the same lines. A catchy acoustic riffs with John’s chanting vocals. Accompanied with pounding drums, this is best described as a folk-drone song. This is a decent track, but it is the first time that I have though that an <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Agalloch" class="bbcode_artist">Agalloch</a> song can be too long.<br /><br />Skip scene to Birch White. This is another standout track. With an accordion and acoustic opening, this is much more upbeat. Haughm’s minimalist, calm vocals tell a story with this going on. This goes on until halfway through and then someone hits the skip scene to a rather sad acoustic interlude until it fades into the chirping of birds.<br /><br />Sowilo Rune is the most complete track on the EP. With expertly placed synths, pianos, acoustics…it’s got it all. The relaxing raspy vocals, though barely audible, add perfectly to the atmosphere. Then, electric guitars with minimalism come in to close it.<br /><br />This song is also perhaps why many were and will be let down by this release. It sounds so complete, like an <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Agalloch" class="bbcode_artist">Agalloch</a> Full-Length song, and many expected that this would be a more typical release. It’s not. From the start the band said this would not be indicative of what their future sound will be like. So this is a warning to all who expect otherwise: GO INTO THIS EP WITH AN OPEN MIND.<br /><br />Closing out the EP is Summerisle reprise. It definitely feels like an ending, and has little in common with the similarly named opener. It is very ambient and mostly consists of a lone piano. It is incredibly somber with the piano almost whispering its notes. However, this song is pretty epic when it begins to use the riff established in the EP’s opener. This leads into more clips from The Wicker Man and the EP fades out.<br /><br />Overall, this is a solid release, one that satisfies more so than any of <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Agalloch" class="bbcode_artist">Agalloch</a>’s other EPs. The biggest problem with this EP though, is it is not a full-length. Almost all of the songs are instrumental here, and while this doesn’t make it automatically bad, it just feels like they don’t have a point. Imagine having a third of the Mantle’s Shadow of our Pale Comparison instead of the whole song and you sort of get my point. There is also little to nothing connecting these tracks together, something that <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Agalloch" class="bbcode_artist">Agalloch</a> is known for. These tracks are better looking at them individually, then as a cohesive whole.<br /><br />In the end, this is another solid release from <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Agalloch" class="bbcode_artist">Agalloch</a>, though it might not be what you expected. This is definitely the perfect companion to The Mantle, so if you liked that, you will like this. Is it the answer fans expected? No, not at all. However, it is a typical <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Agalloch" class="bbcode_artist">Agalloch</a> move. Revisiting and giving some closure to arguably their best album thus far, it will be interesting and exciting to see what happens next. Your move, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Agalloch" class="bbcode_artist">Agalloch</a>.<br /><br />Source : <a href="http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review_15320" rel="nofollow">http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review_15320</a><br /><br /><br />More reviews :<br /><a href="http://www.therockblogger.com/agalloch-the-white-ep-review/" rel="nofollow">http://www.therockblogger.com/agalloch-the-white-ep-review/</a><br /><a>http://www.last.fm/out?url=http%3A%2F%2Frayvanhornjr.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F02%2Fcd-review-agalloch-white-ep.html<br /></a></div>]]></description>
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         <title>How Bands Get Their Names</title>
         <link>http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2008/03/26/efkzr_how_bands_get_their_names</link>
         <pubDate>Wed, 26 Mar 2008 07:02:02 +0000</pubDate>
         <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2008/03/26/efkzr_how_bands_get_their_names</guid>
         <description><![CDATA[<div class="bbcode"><strong><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Chumbawamba" class="bbcode_artist">Chumbawamba</a></strong>: According to the bands official FAQ the name doesn’t mean anything. However, there have been several explanations about how the name came to be. One of them is (according to a Pop-Up Video on VH1) that “Chumbawamba” is derived from a dream that one of the members had, where doors of public toilet had signs which said “Chumba” and “Wamba” instead of “Men” and “Women”.<br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Goo+Goo+Dolls" class="bbcode_artist">Goo Goo Dolls</a></strong>: The band was founded under the name “Sex Maggots” but a club owner who booked the band requested they change the name, because the local newspapers wouldn’t print that name. So, they picked a name out of a magazine ad for a doll that cried Goo Goo when you turned it upside down.<br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Jethro+Tull" class="bbcode_artist">Jethro Tull</a></strong>: Named after an English agriculturist who invented the seed drill.<br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Lynyrd+Skynyrd" class="bbcode_artist">Lynyrd Skynyrd</a></strong>: Named after Leonard Skinner, who was an annoying gym teacher/coach some of the band members had in Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, Florida.<br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Mothers+of+Invention" class="bbcode_artist">Mothers of Invention</a></strong>: Frank Zappa’s band started out as “The Soul Giants” and was later changed to “The Mothers” but their record label asked them to change it because it could be taken as an obscenity. So, out of necessity they added “of Invention” as “necessity is the mother of invention.”<br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Beastie+Boys" class="bbcode_artist">Beastie Boys</a></strong>: “Beastie” is said to have originally stood as an acronym for “Boys Entering Anarchistic States Toward Internal Excellence”. However, according to Mike D and MCA on the Charlie Rose Show, August 28, 2007, this was an afterthought once the band was already named “Beastie Boys”.<br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/The+Doors" class="bbcode_artist">The Doors</a></strong>: The band took their name from Aldous Huxley’s book “The Doors of Perception” which in turn was inspired by a line from William Blake’s poem: “If the doors of perception were to be cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is: infinite”.<br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Heaven+17" class="bbcode_artist">Heaven 17</a></strong>: The name is taken from a fictional band mentioned in Anthony Burgess’s book “A Clockwork Orange”.<br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/UB40" class="bbcode_artist">UB40</a></strong>: Took their name from a paper form “Unemployment Benefit, Form 40″ issued by the UK government’s Department of Health and Social Security which is now replaced by Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and the form UB40 no longer exists.<br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Weezer" class="bbcode_artist">Weezer</a></strong>: There’s a widespread belief that Rivers Cuomo was nicknamed Weezer in school because he made weezing sounds caused by his asthma. Actually he never had asthma. However, Weezer has been claimed to be a nickname of Rivers’. Actually, there doesn’t seem to be exact explanation what the name really means. Anyway, the band needed a name and Rivers came up with one. (According to the fansite Weezer101).<br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Led+Zeppelin" class="bbcode_artist">Led Zeppelin</a></strong>: After a concert Keith Moon, the drummer of The Who, said to Jimmy Page that his new band will fly like a lead zeppelin, in other words it will not survive. The “a” from “lead” was dropped so people woudn’t pronounce it as leed.</div>]]></description>
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         <title>Vigen Derderian's Biography  + فارسی</title>
         <link>http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2008/02/06/efkyo_vigen_derderian%27s_biography__%252B_%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3%DB%8C</link>
         <pubDate>Wed, 6 Feb 2008 08:21:27 +0000</pubDate>
         <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2008/02/06/efkyo_vigen_derderian%27s_biography__%252B_%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3%DB%8C</guid>
         <description><![CDATA[<div class="bbcode"><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Vigen"><strong>Vigen Derderian</strong></a>, who was born November 23, 1929, and died at the age of 73 of cancer in California. Before his emergence in the early 1950s, the music industry of his native Iran was dominated by traditional singers, who had little knowledge of western pop music or such instruments as the guitar. Then Vigen, known as the &quot;Sultan of pop&quot;, ushered in a revolution that coincided with the emergence of a new, western-influenced middle class.<br /><br />Born into a relatively poor family in the western Iranian city of Hamadan, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Vigen">Vigen</a> was brought up by his older brother, after his father died when he was seven. During the second world war, his family moved to the northern city of Tabriz, where local Azerbaijani nationalists later declared the area a separatist republic, with the help of the occupying Soviet forces. <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Vigen" class="bbcode_artist">Vigen</a> may have resented the presence of the foreigners, but listening to Red Army troops playing the guitar changed his life. He bought his first guitar from a soldier.<br /><br />Then the family moved to the capital Tehran. By 1951, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Vigen" class="bbcode_artist">Vigen</a> had got his first job, performing at the Café Shemiran. One night, a national radio producer heard him, with the result that his first song, Moonlight, was broadcast on Tehran radio - and became an instant hit. More than 600 songs were to follow during his long career. Some of them, such as Red Rose, Rival and Rain, have become classic Iranian popular songs.<br /><br />Compared by some fans to <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Elvis+Presley" class="bbcode_artist">Elvis Presley</a>, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Vigen" class="bbcode_artist">Vigen</a>'s good looks and tall, fine physique added to his appeal as Iran's first male pop star - especially among women at a time when ideas of emancipation were taking hold in the 1950s and 60s. He was also one of the first Iranian entertainers to perform with a guitar.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Vigen">Vigen</a> came from Iran's minority Armenian Christian community, a fact that had no effect on his appeal in a predominantly Muslim country. He sang in both Persian and Armenian, and, at the height of his popularity, featured in six movies. In that era, every Iranian artist wanted to be associated with him; among them the country's most established top female singers, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Delkash" class="bbcode_artist">Delkash</a> and <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Elaheh" class="bbcode_artist">Elaheh</a> are notable. He worked with the best songwriters and composers, who realized they had to cater for a new youth market, and performed some of his country's most memorable songs.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Vigen">Vigen</a> left Iran shortly before the 1979 revolution; he never returned. Meanwhile, the newly established Islamic Republic banned pop music. Based in California since he moved to exile, he continued to perform in concerts and on tours - including to Europe - and record new albums. He celebrated the 50th anniversary of his career at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles in February 2001.<br /><br />And despite the official ban of Islamic Republic on Pop-music, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Vigen">Vigen</a>'s albums continued to reach his millions of fans inside Iran via the black market. Some people traveled to neighboring countries to see him perform. His own last wish was to go home and perform for that vast audience in Iran, and one of his last songs, &quot;Awazeh-Khan-e Mardom&quot;(People's Entertainer), expressed that desire.<br /><br />He died on October 26 2003, and left his second wife, Karen, and four daughters and a son from a previous marriage behind. <br /><br />-------------------------------------------<br /><div style="text-align:right"><br />زنده یاد ویگن دردریان در سال 1308 در همدان به دنیا آمد.<br />او پدرایلین هنرمند سینما و کارو نیز هست که کارو شاعر می باشد. او دارای مدرک تحصیلی دیپلم می باشد و از سال 1330با خواندن اواز فعالیت هنری خودرااغازکرد.<br />شروع فعالیت او درسال  1332باخواندن اواز بر فیلم چهره اشنا ساخته حسن خردمند بود.<br />از عمده اوازهای شادروان می توان به قناری-مراببوس-گلی از بهشت-دختردریا-زن ایرونی-همیشه یاد توام-شادوماد-هفت هشت-مرابه یاد بیاور-دوکبوتر ودهها ترانه خاطره انگیز دیگر اشاره کرد<br /><br />فیلمهایی که ویگن در آنها ایفای نقش داشته یا ترانه ای از آن فیلم را خوانده است عبارتند از :<br /><br />1=اتش وخاکستر هم خواننده هم بازیگر<br /><br />2=ارامش قبل از طوفان هم بازیگر هم خواننده<br /><br />3=ارشین مالالان هم خواننده هم بازیگر<br /><br />4=اسمون جل فقط خواننده همراه باپوران ونخست<br /><br />5=افت زندگی فقط خواننده همراه با روانبخش<br /><br />6=اعتراف هم خواننده هم بازیگر<br /><br />7=بازی عشق فقط خواننده<br /><br />8=بچه های محل فقط خواننده همراه با ویدا قهرمانی<br /><br />9=بیوه های خندان فقط خواننده<br /><br />10=بی ستاره ها همراه بامهوش-یاسمین-افت<br /><br />11=تپه عشق هم بازیگر هم خواننده<br /><br />12=ترس وتاریکی هم خواننده هم بازیگر<br /><br />13=چشمه عشاق هم خواننده هم بازیگر همراه با پوران<br /><br />14=چهارراه حوادث فقط بازیگر<br /><br />15=چهره اشنا خواننده همراه با حمید قنبری وناهید سرفراز وبازیگر<br /><br />16=خون وشرف فقط بازیگر<br /><br />17=درجستجوی داماد فقط خواننده باسیما<br /><br />18=دنیای پول فقط خواننده همراه با عارف-پوران-ایرج-بهشته<br /><br />19=شب نشینی در جهنم فقط خواننده همراه با بانو دلکش<br /><br />20=طوفان در شهر ما فقط خواننده همراه با الهه<br /><br />21=ضالم بلا هم خواننده هم بازیگر در هردو همراه با بانو دلکش<br /><br />22=عروسک پشت پرده هم خواننده هم بازیگر<br /><br />23=عروس دریا هم خواننده هم بازیگر<br /><br />24=عسل تلخ هم خواننده همبازیگر<br /><br />25=عشق بزرگ خواننده با منوچهر سخایی<br /><br />26=فرداروشن هست خواننده با بانو دلکش وبازیگر<br /><br />27=لاله اتشین هم بازیگر هم خواننده با پوران وبهشته<br /><br />28=یکی بود کی نبود خواننده با مهوش<br /><br />این 28فیلم اوج هنرنمایی ویگن بودند از نکات جالب فیلمها همصداشدن با بهترینها مثل بانو دلکش-عارف وزنده یاد پوران هست<br /><br />اوبازیگر وخواننده بیشتر فیلمهای زنده یاد سامویل خاچیکیان هم بود<br /></div></div>]]></description>
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         <title>Florent Pagny's Biography</title>
         <link>http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2007/12/23/efkx1_florent_pagny%27s_biography</link>
         <pubDate>Sun, 23 Dec 2007 10:05:16 +0000</pubDate>
         <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.last.fm/user/sirang/journal/2007/12/23/efkx1_florent_pagny%27s_biography</guid>
         <description><![CDATA[<div class="bbcode"><a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny" class="bbcode_artist">Florent Pagny</a> was born on November 6 1961 in Chalon-sur-Saône, a town in the Burgundy region. Florent came from a modest working-class background - his parents were both manual labourers - but his greatest dream from an early age was to attend a Performing Arts School where he could study his two great passions, acting and singing. Young Florent did not excel at his general school studies and, at the age of 16, he decided to quit school and leave his home town to try his luck in Paris.<br /><br />Florent already had a fair amount of experience behind him when he arrived in Paris. Indeed, the young singer had been performing in local talent contests and on radio competitions since the tender age of 13. Florent had even won a special talent contest organised by the daily newspaper &quot;Dauphine Libéré&quot; during the Tour de France cycling race. But Paris proved to be a tougher option than the provinces. Florent managed to get a 'chambre de bonne' (a small one-room flat) and began earning his living through a number of odd jobs. His passion for music was still as strong as ever and, in between his various jobs, Florent found time to enroll at the Conservatoire de Levallois-Perret (in the Paris suburbs). It was here that Florent would fulfill one of his childhood dreams, taking singing lessons at the Conservatoire over the next three years. Florent proved to be an eager pupil, despite the fact that many teachers found his leather jacket and gold earring somewhat strange attire for a classical baritone.<br /><br />Meanwhile Florent continued his series of odd jobs, one of which would eventually score him his first big break. For it was while working as a barman in a nightclub that Florent got talking to Dominique Besnard, one of the top talent-spotters in the film world. Besnard was on the look-out for trendy young actors at the time and Florent's wild 'alternative' image was just what he was seeking. Following his encounter with Besnard, Florent Pagny went on to land roles in two feature films (Bob Swaim's &quot;La Balance&quot; and Alain Corneau's Fort Saganne&quot;).<br /><br /><strong>&quot;<a title="Florent Pagny &ndash; N'Importe Quoi" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/_/N%27Importe+Quoi" class="bbcode_track">N'Importe Quoi</a>&quot;</strong><br /><br />With his film career well and truly underway, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny" class="bbcode_artist">Florent Pagny</a> turned his attention to his singing career, going into the studio in 1987 to record his début single. &quot;<a title="Florent Pagny &ndash; N'Importe Quoi" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/_/N%27Importe+Quoi" class="bbcode_track">N'Importe Quoi</a>&quot; was a hard-hitting song about drug abuse which was intended as a warning to vulnerable adolescents. Pagny soon got his message across in no uncertain terms. After receiving massive airplay on national radio, &quot;<a title="Florent Pagny &ndash; N'Importe Quoi" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/_/N%27Importe+Quoi" class="bbcode_track">N'Importe Quoi</a>&quot; went on to sell over 1,000,000 copies, rocketing the young singer to fame almost overnight.<br /><br />After releasing his follow-up single, &quot;<a title="Florent Pagny &ndash; Laisser nous respirer" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/_/Laisser+nous+respirer" class="bbcode_track">Laisser nous respirer</a>&quot;, in 1988 Pagny found himself hailed as a spokesperson for discontented adolescents across the country. Pagny proved an immensely popular figure with teenage music fans who readily identified with this anti-conformist rebel who roared around town on a Harley Davidson and promoted unconventional ideas. Pagny's new-found wealth and fame threatened to go to his head at first, however, and the singer went through a period of 'showing off' to the media before settling into his new role.<br /><br />Pagny went back into the studio in 1989 to record his third single, &quot;<a title="Florent Pagny &ndash; Comme D'Habitude" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/_/Comme+D%27Habitude" class="bbcode_track">Comme D'Habitude</a>&quot; (a cover of Claude François's famous variété hit). In fact Pagny was more than familiar with the French variété repertoire, having been a passionate fan of stars such as <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Luis+Mariano" class="bbcode_artist">Luis Mariano</a> from an early age.<br /><br />Despite his string of hit singles, Pagny did not go into the studio to record his début album until April 1990. The album was touchingly entitled &quot;Merci&quot; (&quot;Thank you&quot;), expressing gratitude at his good fortune and thanking his fans for having helped him reach the top. Yet Pagny's new-found fame was not always a bed of roses. The French press often judged him rather harshly, mocking his rebel image and criticising his relationship with the young French pop star <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Vanessa+Paradis" class="bbcode_artist">Vanessa Paradis</a>. Pagny did not take these attacks from the press lying down, however, openly hitting back in his songs such as &quot;<a title="Florent Pagny &ndash; Presse Qui Roule" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/_/Presse+Qui+Roule" class="bbcode_track">Presse Qui Roule</a>&quot; (&quot;Gutter Press&quot;).<br /><br />Despite hostility from the press Pagny continued to be an immensely popular figure with French music fans, who judged him to be down-to-earth and sincere. When the singer performed at the Zénith in Paris in January 1991 thousands of fans turned out to see him. Overcoming his attack of stage fright, Pagny brought the house down.<br /><br /><strong>Pagny Sinks Into Depression</strong><br /><br />After taking a short break from the music scene to act in several new films, Pagny returned to the recording studio in 1992 to put the finishing touches to his second album &quot;<a title="Florent Pagny - R&eacute;aliste" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/R%C3%A9aliste" class="bbcode_album">R&eacute;aliste</a>&quot;. The album, released in July 92, turned out to be a rather melancholy work. Having just split up from girlfriend <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Vanessa+Paradis" class="bbcode_artist">Vanessa Paradis</a> (c.f. the single &quot;Tue moi&quot;), Pagny was not in the best frame of mind and his second album suffered. Pagny was beset by problems at this time. Apart from his split with Vanessa, the singer was also confronted by serious money problems after having blown most of his earnings on Harley Davidsons, expensive clothes, partying and general showing off. By the end of 92 Pagny had sunk into the depths of depression.<br /><br />In April 94 <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny" class="bbcode_artist">Florent Pagny</a> made a remarkable comeback, however, releasing a new album entitled &quot;Rester vrai&quot;. Pagny's powerful vocals filled out the lyrics of emotional ballads such as &quot;Les Hommes qui doutent&quot; and &quot;Est-ce que tu me suis&quot; (the latter written by the famous French singer/songwriter <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Jean+Jacques+Goldman" class="bbcode_artist">Jean Jacques Goldman</a>). Indeed, the eleven tracks on the new album, which successfully fused variété with a modern rock sound, proved that <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny" class="bbcode_artist">Florent Pagny</a> intended to bound right back to the forefront of the French music scene. Following the low period after his split with Vanessa Paradis, Florent Pagny had found calm and serenity in his personal life again with his new Argentinean girlfriend Azucena (who would give birth to a son, Inca, in March 96).<br /><br />The singer's career was soon firmly back on the rails, and the time was ripe for a 'Best of Florent Pagny' album. Entitled &quot;Bienvenue chez moi&quot; (&quot;Welcome to My Place&quot;), this album featured all of Pagny's greatest hits as well as three new songs (including a brilliant cover of the Italian singer Lucio Dalla's hit &quot;Caruso&quot;). The album proved a phenomenal success, selling over 1,500,000 copies within a few months. Pagny, evidently more relaxed when it came to live performances than he had been in the early days of his career, embarked upon a new tour at the start of 96. The tour kicked off in Paris in January with four extremely successful concerts at the Cirque d'Hiver. Florent Pagny received a warm welcome in the provinces then returned to the Zénith in Paris on June 11th for a triumphant show. On December 9th Pagny triumphed once again, packing out the Palais Omnisport de Bercy (the largest concert venue in Paris).<br /><br /><strong>Pagny Reaches New Heights of Popularity</strong><br /><br />Following this enormous success, Pagny returned to the studio to set to work on his new album &quot;<a title="Florent Pagny &ndash; Savoir Aimer" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/_/Savoir+Aimer" class="bbcode_track">Savoir Aimer</a>&quot;, (released in October 1997). Several highly talented French music stars, including <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Pascal+Obispo" class="bbcode_artist">Pascal Obispo</a>, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Zazie" class="bbcode_artist">Zazie</a> and <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Art+Mengo" class="bbcode_artist">Art Mengo</a>, were called in to help with the songwriting and the result is simply excellent. The title track from the album has already proved phenomenally successful as the first single &quot;<a title="Florent Pagny &ndash; Savoir Aimer" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/_/Savoir+Aimer" class="bbcode_track">Savoir Aimer</a>&quot;, rocketing straight to the n°1 spot in the French charts only a week after its release. On Friday February 20th 1998 Pagny went on to win Best Male Artist of the Year at the &quot;Victoires de la Musique&quot; awards.<br /><br />Following the phenomenal success of &quot;<a title="Florent Pagny &ndash; Savoir Aimer" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/_/Savoir+Aimer" class="bbcode_track">Savoir Aimer</a>&quot;, Pagny's new album went on to sell an incredible 1.4 million copies. Pagny - who had by this stage established himself as one of the most popular stars on the French music scene - was the only French artist invited to perform at <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Luciano+Pavarotti" class="bbcode_artist">Luciano Pavarotti</a>'s international charity concert organized in Italy in June 1998. Performing on stage together with The <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Spice+Girls" class="bbcode_artist">Spice Girls</a> and <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Stevie+Wonder" class="bbcode_artist">Stevie Wonder</a>, the young French star brought the house down! He was also invited to appear at <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Johnny+Hallyday" class="bbcode_artist">Johnny Hallyday</a>'s mega-concert at the Stade de France in September of this year. Pagny's duet with Hallyday (&quot;Le Pénitencier&quot;) proved to be one of the highlights of the show.<br /><br />Pagny returned to the studio shortly afterwards and a year after the release of his best-selling album, &quot;<a title="Florent Pagny &ndash; Savoir Aimer" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/_/Savoir+Aimer" class="bbcode_track">Savoir Aimer</a>&quot;, released a new single entitled &quot;Dors&quot;. (&quot;Dors&quot; was penned by the French songwriter Erick Benzi, as a tribute to his wife who died earlier that year). Pagny brought the house down when he performed &quot;Dors&quot; at his mega-concert at Bercy Stadium (in Paris) on 5 October. The stadium was packed to full capacity, and thousands of fans sang along with Pagny as he ran through a medley of his greatest hits (including the famous &quot;Caruso&quot; and &quot;Oh Happy Days&quot;). Following his triumph at Bercy, Pagny embarked upon an extensive tour (which is set to continue through until December).<br /><br />Pagny stormed back into the music news at the end of '99 with a new album entitled &quot;Ré-création, which featured 17 (more or less) successful covers of classic French chanson hits. Songs such as the Léo Ferré classic &quot;Jolie Môme&quot; and the famous Trust anthem &quot;Antisocial&quot; were given a modern techno touch thanks to <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Pascal+Obispo" class="bbcode_artist">Pascal Obispo</a>'s original musical arrangements.<br /><br /><strong>Media-Unfriendly</strong><br /><br />Pagny was soon hard at work in the studio again, putting the finishing touches to a new album which was released in November 2000. The album was named after a busy Paris métro station, &quot;Châtelet les Halles&quot;, but no-one seemed very sure why Pagny had chosen this particular title as he turned down all requests for interviews. In fact, Pagny had had a troubled relationship with the media from the very start of his career, French journalists not having taken too kindly to his song &quot;<a title="Florent Pagny &ndash; Presse Qui Roule" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/_/Presse+Qui+Roule" class="bbcode_track">Presse Qui Roule</a>&quot; (The Deceiving Press). So his new album received hardly any promotion in the media, despite featuring contributions from some of the best French songwriters and composers of the day (<a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Pascal+Obispo" class="bbcode_artist">Pascal Obispo</a>, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Lionel+FLORENCE" class="bbcode_artist">Lionel FLORENCE</a>, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/David+Hallyday" class="bbcode_artist">David Hallyday</a>, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/G%C3%A9rard+Presgurvic" class="bbcode_artist">G&eacute;rard Presgurvic</a>, former Charts star Calogero, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Art+Mengo" class="bbcode_artist">Art Mengo</a> and <span title="Unknown artist" class="bbcode_unknown">Eric Chemouni</span>).<br /><br />Splitting his time between France and Southern Argentina (the country of his partner Azucena), Florent Pagny would withdraw to the large property he owns in Patagonia every time his work enabled him to do so. There, wandering on horseback around his thousands of acres, he would indulge in his taste for wide open spaces and, helped by the local peones, take care of his cattle or go fishing. As a result, his fans, frustrated by his long shunning from the limelight, would delight in each of the singer’s media appearance.<br /><br />At the end of 2001, Pagny went back to the front stage, releasing a new album called &quot;2&quot;. The latter is of a rather peculiar sort, since it merely consists of duets with some of the singer’s best friends—the inevitable <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Pascal+Obispo" class="bbcode_artist">Pascal Obispo</a>, for instance, as well as <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Axel+Bauer" class="bbcode_artist">Axel Bauer</a>, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Eddy+Mitchell" class="bbcode_artist">Eddy Mitchell</a> (in &quot;<a title="Eddy Mitchell &ndash; Pas De Boogie Woogie" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Eddy+Mitchell/_/Pas+De+Boogie+Woogie" class="bbcode_track">Pas De Boogie Woogie</a>&quot;), <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Patrick+Bruel" class="bbcode_artist">Patrick Bruel</a>, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Daran" class="bbcode_artist">Daran</a>, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/David+Hallyday" class="bbcode_artist">David Hallyday</a>. Pagny did not forget to ask some lady friends either and <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Lara+Fabian" class="bbcode_artist">Lara Fabian</a> (&quot;Et maintenant&quot;), <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Natasha+Saint-Pier" class="bbcode_artist">Natasha Saint-Pier</a>, and <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Souad+Massi" class="bbcode_artist">Souad Massi</a>, to mention but a few of them, also feature on the record. Following the release of the album, the singer hosted a television show on TF1 (France’s Number One free TV channel). He had invited most of the artists on the album and performed the duets live with each of them.<br /><br /><strong>2003: &quot;Ailleurs land&quot;</strong><br /><br />While going on with his cow-and-sheep-breeding business in Patagonia, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny" class="bbcode_artist">Florent Pagny</a> would never lose contact with the French audience and he managed to remain one of the most popular artist in France. Collaborating with songwriters in spite of the distance, he released a new album in April 2003. Entitled &quot;Ailleurs Land&quot;, the album introduced a somewhat new <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny" class="bbcode_artist">Florent Pagny</a>: clad in a Poncho, wearing blond dreadlocks and groovy sunglasses and copying Manu Chao’s style. With the first title, &quot;La Liberté de Penser&quot; (Freedom of Thought), the artist intended to put across his independence from the system. Penned by <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Lionel+FLORENCE" class="bbcode_artist">Lionel FLORENCE</a> and <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Pascal+Obispo" class="bbcode_artist">Pascal Obispo</a>, this rather acoustic track soon became a hit at the top of the Top Album.<br /><br />Apart from Florence and <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/+noredirect/Obispo" class="bbcode_artist">Obispo</a> many other famous artists collaborated on the album: Calogero (&quot;Je trace&quot;), Brice Homs-Daniel Lavoie (&quot;Le feu à la peau&quot;), Pierre Grillet-Alain Lanty (&quot;Je parle même pas d'amour&quot;), actress Sandrine Kiberlain (&quot;Sur mesure&quot;) and <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Daran" class="bbcode_artist">Daran</a> on four tracks. Yet, despite this crowd of people, the album managed to keep a very cohesive sound mixing Rock’n Roll with Down-tempo.<br /><br />Before embarking upon a promoting tour starting at the Olympia on July 13th, Pagny took part with many other artists in the symphonic show ‘Night of the Proms’ in May. On June 15th, he joined <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Johnny+Hallyday" class="bbcode_artist">Johnny Hallyday</a> on the Parc des Princes stage to perform a duet.<br /><br />At the beginning of 2004, Pagny's popularity took a downward turn after he was prosecuted for tax evasion. This public blow to his image marked the start of a difficult period in his career. Taking a temporary break from his singing career, Pagny turned to the film world instead, starring opposite the renowned French ballet dancer Marie-Claude Pietragalla in Jacques Corbal's movie &quot;Quand je vois le soleil.&quot; Unfortunately for Pagny, the film failed to reboost his image as it proved to be a major box-office flop.<br /><br /><strong>2004: &quot;<a title="Florent Pagny - Baryton" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/Baryton" class="bbcode_album">Baryton</a>&quot;</strong><br /><br />Surviving the fall-out from his much publicised run-in with the French justice system, Pagny made a comeback on the recording front later that year with the release of a new album, &quot;<a title="Florent Pagny - Baryton" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/Baryton" class="bbcode_album">Baryton</a>&quot;, in November 2004. As the title suggests, this album found the singer indulging his passion for opera and operetta (as he had on his cover of Caruso in 1996). This time round, however, Pagny made the audacious move of recording not one, but eleven songs.<br /><br />The album &quot;<a title="Florent Pagny - Baryton" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/Baryton" class="bbcode_album">Baryton</a>&quot; was originally intended to be a mix of opera classics (featuring extracts from Verdi's &quot;Rigoletto&quot; and Puccini's &quot;Turandot&quot; and &quot;Tosca&quot;) and popular musical favourites (&quot;West Side Story&quot;). But the album also ended up including original compositions by Daran and Calogero (who wrote the music for the single &quot;Io le Canto per te&quot;, penned by Pagny's brother-in-law, Giuseppe Giunta). &quot;<a title="Florent Pagny - Baryton" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/Baryton" class="bbcode_album">Baryton</a>&quot; proved to be a major undertaking, musically speaking, Pagny going into the studio with an orchestra of 70 string instruments and a 60-strong choir.<br /><br />Pagny took a huge risk, moving from pop to opera in one fell swoop, but his fans remained loyal and &quot;<a title="Florent Pagny - Baryton" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/Baryton" class="bbcode_album">Baryton</a>&quot; proved to be an impressive chart-topper, selling over 700,000 copies. Following this success, Pagny decided to prepare a live version of the album, bringing the house down when he performed a month-long run at Le Palais des Congrès in Paris in July 2005.<br /><br />From September to November 2005, Pagny took the show on an extensive tour of France, performing with a full classical orchestra. A live CD and DVD of his &quot;Spectacle Baryton&quot; was released at the end of the year.<br /><br /><strong>2006: &quot;Abracadabra&quot;</strong><br /><br />After a career spanning almost 20 years, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny" class="bbcode_artist">Florent Pagny</a> has established himself as a truly unique performer. In April 2006, he returned to the forefront of the French music scene with a new album in a 'chanson' vein. &quot;<a title="Florent Pagny - Abracadabra" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/Abracadabra" class="bbcode_album">Abracadabra</a>&quot;, produced by Daran and Erik Fostinelli, was less commercially oriented than usual, and featured an eclectic mix of songwriters: <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/G%C3%A9rard+Manset" class="bbcode_artist">G&eacute;rard Manset</a> and <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Raphael" class="bbcode_artist">Raphael</a> (&quot;<a title="Florent Pagny &ndash; Comme L'Eau Se Souvient" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/_/Comme+L%27Eau+Se+Souvient" class="bbcode_track">Comme L'Eau Se Souvient</a>&quot;), Miossec (who penned the lyrics for &quot;<a title="Florent Pagny &ndash; &Ccedil;a change un homme" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/_/%C3%87a+change+un+homme" class="bbcode_track">&Ccedil;a change un homme</a>&quot;) and rapper <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Oxmo+Puccino" class="bbcode_artist">Oxmo Puccino</a> (&quot;<a title="Florent Pagny &ndash; Vivons La Paix" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Florent+Pagny/_/Vivons+La+Paix" class="bbcode_track">Vivons La Paix</a>&quot; co-written with Nat Alhister and Ben Ricour). The first single release from the album was a classic ballad entitled &quot;Là où je t'emmènerai.&quot; Pagny's new sober, pared-down style certainly proved a hit with fans – within a few days of its release, &quot;Abracadabra&quot; ranked amongst the best-selling albums in France.</div>]]></description>
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