Odds and sods

Haven't posted in a while (it's Christmas!), so thought I'd just post a few odds and sods that I've been listening to/watching/singing along to.

Gruff and Twrci
First up, to make you feel all warm and cosy at Christmas; a great video on Huw Roberts YouTube Channel from S4C, with Gruff singing 'Stuff Christmas, not the turkey' (but in Welsh, like). Huw's also provided a rough translation for you. To tell you the truth, I quite like it. Thanks to the SFA list on Yahoo (join it, it's great) for this little festive nugget (and Huw of course).

Stwffiwch Y Dolig, Ddim Y Twrci

A box of bleeping toys
Back in summer 2007 Gruff took part in the TrocaBrahma festival, where he played with Brazilian protest singing legend Tony Da Gatorra. Together, and with Gruff's box of musical toys, they created some DIY rhythmic Brazilian electronica. Even written down that sounds groovy. You can read the write-up and view pics at the TrocaBrahma blog. But as I'm obsessed with gathering any miscellaneous free Gruff-related media I was most interested in the TrocaBrahma podcast that you can download from the same blog.

Or cut out the middle-man and download it right here. (NOTE: Right-click or ctrl click and 'Save link as'. This link will download the podcast, which I found free on the TrocaBrahma website. They uploaded it, not me. Yada yada yada.)

Podgrams galore (well, two)
Two podcasts from two British newspapers, The Times and The Guardian, are available through iTunes. Or you can still find them through their websites if you are willing to put up with their useless search engines.

The Times
The Times podcast is from 2007 and is a Gruff and Lisa Jen affair, to help promote Candylion. The presenter is occasionally a bit embarrassing but Gruff approaches it all with his usual good humour (ahem). He also performs a couple of tracks with Lisa, too. Which is nice. You can read the journalist's write-up of the interview for his opinion on Gruff, if you so wish. The continual references to Gruff as a 'stoner' are a tad out of left-field considering it was never mentioned in the interview but, y'know, it's The Times.

The Times podcast (NOTE: Right-click or ctrl click and 'Save link as'. This link will download the podcast from The Times website.)

The Guardian
The Guardian Music Weekly podcast is also from 2007 but this time Gruff and Bunf are interviewed and play a live version of Run-Away which is my most-played Furries song at the moment ('I still recall your banking details'. Love it). This from The Guardian website;

'Ask Gruff Rhys a question and you'll have time to make a cup of tea before hearing the answer. If Gruff and his fellow Super Furry Animal Huw Bunford (aka Bunf) were a sunlounger, they would be set at the lowest notch, that's for sure, but as our special guests this week they still manage to summon up the spark and imagination that has helped to make SFA one of the continuing success stories in British rock.'

Ah, that old chestnut again. (Don't interviewers get bored of talking about how laid-back they are?)

The Guardian Podcast (NOTE: Right-click or ctrl click and 'Save link as'. This link will download the podcast from The Guardian website.)

Team Love Library

OK, I'm back on Gruff again.

Candylion's US label, Team Love, have introduced the Team Love Library. Amid all the debate regarding illegal downloads, the impending death of the music industry and the moral ambiguity of the whole damn piracy issue, Team Love have took an admirable step in creating a library of free downloads for their roster of artists.

From their website;

"Each month (or so) we’ll be rotating the Library’s selections, featuring different Team Love albums as well as exclusive content such as unreleased songs, live or remixed versions of TL favorites.

The library will be open to the public 24/7, and as we have an endless abundance of MP3’s (we fucked up and made too many of them), anything you take from the library is yours to keep. You will not be notified if you fail to return something on time, and you will not lose your library privileges if you share selections with friends."

In my eyes this is a step in the right direction for music. Labels need to be aware of, and embrace, the mixtape/bootleg ethic that make finding new music such a thrill. The joy of finding something rare and sharing it with friends.

Especially with the Furries, however, I am very conscious of the fact that they rely on fans for their living and I want to support them in any way I can. If the fans didn't help to keep them going, they wouldn't be able to provide us with the music we love. So I don't download bootlegs or pirate versions of any music. As a result, I'm very grateful that a label (even just a small indie label) has given free access to new music, unreleased tracks, remixes etc. After all, it all helps to build a fan base for new bands or strengthen the fan base of established acts. I might download something for free now, like what I hear and later purchase more of the artists work. It's like a free taster (tell him it's ok, we learn this way). It's the future, man!

Anyway... the point of this post is that in the future there may be some Gruff-related goodies available for free on the library. Unfortunately, from what I've read, it looks like only US residents will benefit from any free Gruff releases. As Candylion was released on Rough Trade in the UK, Team Love can't release any tracks from the album to UK residents (I'm guessing that includes unreleased tracks and remixes as well).

Ah well. C'est la vie.

Access the library here;

Team Love Library

Guto, Guto, Guto

"I'm not this random guy. I'm the bass player."

After all that pontificating, I didn't even name check Guto! Feeling slightly guilty, I thought I'd put up a few links to some Guto-centric interviews. The truth is I don't actually know if he's doing any side projects at the moment... I know he did that Furry Selection (which apparently doesn't even mention him by name either), but I haven't heard about any solo work. But it's not a necessity anyway, he's part of SFA, what more could you want?

Hmm, no solo projects, the only member of SFA who doesn't sing, he rarely is the subject of interviews... he's a bit of an enigma, really. Which is kinda cool. Plus he's into Robert Anton Wilson and tech literature, according to Gruff. And RAW is a legend.

Anyway here's some of my favourite interviews with Guto to enjoy, he always starts off a bit guarded but soon opens up;

Under the Radar
Spring 2005, Guto talks about the Super Furry Animals studio experience, his influences, Wales... Make sure you check out the rest of Under the Radar, there's quite an extensive piece on SFA (more in the mag, if only I could find it...)

The Fur and the Fury
November 2007, a nice little interview with him. Perceptive questions and perceptive answers.

PopMatters
February 2004, talking about the music, man.

Drowned in Sound
The reader-supplied questions are a bit inane but... some interesting answers from Guto.

Feel better now...

Karen just pointed me to another nice interview with Welsh Bands Weekly from 1999 over at One Eyed Bear. Check the rest of the site out as well, there's a ridiculous amount on there.

There are other members, dammit!

I'm not oblivious to the fact that this blog is turning into a bit of a Gruff love-in. Which isn't a bad thing, of course, but it wasn't what I intended it to be. There are four other members of the Super Furry Animals and I'm well aware that the Furries wouldn't be the same without all them. So I thought I'd dedicate a few posts to somebody not Gruff-shaped (shock! horror!)

Now as SFA have been off doing their own things for a little while, there have been quite a few side projects popping up. There's Gruff's solo work and Neon Neon, Cian's been doing work with Acid Casuals and Daf, of course, is touring with The Peth. Each member brings something different to the Furries so even avid Furry fans are not going to find something that turns them on in all the side projects. Personally I've always been attracted to SFA because of their lyrical inventiveness and their musical experimentation. Gruff was always key to me because I love his lyrics, the way his mind works, and that's why I love his solo work and work with Neon Neon. He also, I think, writes great hooks and melodies absorbing influences from all over (I say that like I know what it means). That's why he's important to me... and straight away I'm talking about Gruff again...

The other member of the Furries that I identify with is Bunf (you thought I'd forgotten him didn't you?). Now, Bunf has always come across to me as a very serious-minded musician and I admire him for that. When he released his free to download Soundscapes on superfurry.com I thought "this is a man I can relate to". He has very artistic, experimental sensibilities. I'm a sucker for Brian Eno and, in particular, the work of Luc Ferrari. 'Ambient music', for want of a better term, appeals a lot to me. And I adore Bunf's Soundscapes and the atmospheric quality of them. They're very DIY, very organic, with Bunf using field recordings of airports, cities, backstage areas etc during his time on tour with SFA. They're like an aural artists bookwork. And I love them! Before I explode in a shower of buzz words I better tell you where you can download them;

You can, of course, download them for free from superfurry.com but I would suggest you go to This Winki's blog (great name, great blog) as the author has combined them into one downloadable album complete with artwork for you to enjoy.

Groovy.

Gratuitous guitar shot

Kistiecat's photostream

Do I need an excuse for this picture? It's one of my favourites of Gruff. But I don't really know why. The funky guitar? The geeky jumper? I don't know.

It's very... folk.

And I love folk.

I thought of this picture as I got my two issues of Planet Magazine yesterday (Whoot!). Haven't had a chance to read the second part of the interview yet, so I might post any new info I read on Monday. Anyway, I thought of this photo because in the first part of the interview (see post below) he talks about his unique style of guitar-playing. I know he is right-handed but learnt to play on his brother's left-handed guitar and so had to play the guitar upside down. Something he still does today. But I've never been able to figure out whether it's a left-handed or right-handed guitar that he now plays upside down (I know nothing about guitars).

It's a cool little idiosyncrasy anyway. I wonder if musos can hear the difference?

Punk Rock in Bethesda

I found a great interview with Gruff from a Welsh mag called Planet Magazine. Malcolm Lewis talks to him about growing up in Wales in the 70s, his family background, the Welsh language and the impact of music on him as a child. It's nice to read a bit more about his background, in particular the impact his parents and siblings had on his music tastes and his early musical influences. I found this one of the more insightful interviews I've read with Gruff and I really recommend having a read.

Unfortunately it's only half an interview as the magazine haven't made part 2 available online. You can, however, still order both back issues on their website.

The following link is to the PDF file (PLEASE NOTE, the following link will download the PDF, but I can't guarantee that this file is safe to download, if in doubt, don't download it!);

Punk Rock in Bethesda

If you'd prefer to go straight to their website, here's the link;
Planet Magazine

If you liked that...
If you have an urge to find out more about the Bethesda music scene that Gruff was active in as a member of Ffa Coffi Pawb, then I recommend having a look at the 2005 Sioe Gelf Documentary Special 'Pesda Roc'. You can view it online on Huw Roberts YouTube channel, in a nice edited form in Welsh but with English subtitles (woohoo!);

Pesda Roc

Fast forward to 6:50 to catch a clip of a young Gruff Rhys touting Ffa Coffi Pawb tapes with a ridiculously glorious haircut. Aside from that, there are a couple of clips interviewing Gruff, Les Morrison and other Welsh musicians that came from the same area around the same time.

And Gruff has another funky hat on. Groovy.

Zombies!

It's been online for quite a few months now, I think it's from February or sometime... but here, for my Gruff-completist urges, is a link to a Brazilian Zombie rock opera that Gruff lent his vocals too. He sings on track 21, Anghenfil Y Nos. Which is, apparently, about a "forest zombie wandering through the woods hallucinating under the moonlight". You can see photos of Gruff recording with the Zombie folks on Flickr. Gruff shows his "lost in the moment" face, which I absolutely love.

There's a free download and lyrics available from their website (PLEASE NOTE: I can't guarantee that anything you download from this zombieoper site will be virus-free or, indeed, any good. So on your own head be it.)

Well, yeah, it's a few months old but it's suitably loopy for my tastes and it means I get to do a post about Zombies. Which is always a good thing.

On a related note, I recently got given this book, The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead which is ridiculously comprehensive, funny and ever so slightly creepy. Everyone should have a Zombie survival guide, it's indispensable.

Boomsticks at the ready.

Video killed the radio star

Huw Roberts' YouTube channel is probably one of the best resources for SFA videos on YouTube. He's found a lot of great live performances and some quite rare/old interviews and documentaries. Includes some pre-SFA titbits, mainly on Ffa Coffi Pawb (you'd need to be a Welsh speaker to understand all of the Ffa Coffi Pawb vids, though)

For me, however, the stranger the live performance the better. Here's a wonderful video from Dutch programme (Behind) Closed Doors;

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JmYaXXsv_d4

I love how pared down this performance is and it shows the genius of SFA and Gruff Rhys. A lot of people just think of SFA as the slightly potty techno-inspired Welsh band and expect all their music to be mad, fun and turned up to 11. I know some fans, especially in the UK, respond to those kind of songs better than the slower numbers, but I always feel a bit sad when I hear Gruff say that the Furries are going concentrate more on their rockier numbers for future albums and live shows, and this clip just shows how good their songs can be when they are played really simple and lo-fi. My love for this style of their music is probably why I respond so well to Gruff's solo stuff. I'm really intrigued by the DIY sensibilities of his solo live gigs.

Another one in a similar vein, for Other Voices;

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=otAIYvIiJXc

Note: I haven't embedded any of these videos here because if I do, YouTube automatically know you've viewed these vids, even if you don't press play. Which I don't think is very fair, privacy-wise. So, I'd prefer to give you the choice of whether or not you want to view YouTube.

Toazted!

I thought I'd post this as I keep losing the link... one of my fave sites for Super Furry interviews. Mainly because you get to download the audio-only interviews as MP3s. Perfect for listening to on the bus.

There's quite a few interviews available, from way back in 1997 right up to last year. Lots of discussion (mainly with Gruff and Bunf) about their music, how they work together as a band, album artwork, their Welsh roots... and if it floats your boat Gruff even talks (briefly) about drugs, beer, sex and groupies.

A fun time had by all I think!

Toazted.com

Kirstie Cat and Gruff Rhys

So, first things first. I need to sigh over Gruff, where do I go? Kirstiecat's photostream on Flickr!

Kirstie is a wonderful photographer and has some fantastic concert photos on her photostream. But her pictures of Gruff are just stunning, you can see that she is suffering from Gruff-addiction just like the best of us mere humans.

Here's a few of my favourites, posted with kind permission of Kirstie. These photos demonstrate why Gruff is great; passion (see the top image), sense of humour (performing 'Earth', I'm sure with lots of audience participation) and his endearingly slow and considered style of, well, just being. I also love his ubiquitous green bobble hat (I think he must sleep with that hat on) and the nicely retro digital watch. Groovy.

Be sure to check Kirstie out on Flickr and on her official website. All these photos are copyrighted to Kirstie so make sure you contact her if you'd like to use them anywhere.







Check out more Gruff goodness on Kirstiecat's photostream

Howdy

This blog is a gateway blog into the glorious world of the Super Furry Animals. (Expecting something else? Maybe you're a Furry fan not a Furries fan...) If you like the Furries, or are intrigued by them then hopefully you'll find something here to fill your Super Furry needs.

Why, why, why?
OK, I've been a fan of SFA since their debut release Llanfairpwllgwyngyllllantysiliogogogoch(In Space) (Doesn't that title just tell you everything you need to know about SFA?) in 1995. Which would mean I've been a fan for 13 years, now. I've no idea where the hell I found out about a little-known Welsh band when I was ten, but there you go. They popped into my life from somewhere, made a nest in my brain and have been making weird noises in there ever since.

But I got a little complacent. It was probably that awkward teen phase where you start getting in to Radiohead because they're "deep". Where you think the whole world's against you. And, well, I became a bit of a fairweather fan. I still bought all their albums, I went to their gigs but I wasn't hungry for them anymore. I don't blame the Furries. Looking back now it was just me and my existential angst. SFA were just too darn fun. They still made great music, but I just didn't pay enough attention.

When I started life in the real world, I loaded up my ipod for the bus journey and all of a sudden, wham! There they were again. Ferreting around in my head. Finding my Radiohead CDs and shredding them up to make a lining for their nest. Settling back into my brainwaves when I'd left 'em out in the cold. Poor little Furries...

So this is my way of an apology. For all the gigs I missed (New Years, London, 2007), for all the singles I didn't buy, for the solo career of Gruff that passed me by. And which I'm now catching up on. God dammit how could I come in late to the Grufftastic party? I missed the screening of Seperado! (when is that film getting a "general" release??), I missed two whole albums. I missed weird and wonderful toy-led gigs. I missed festival appearances. I even just missed seeing Neon Neon live (I think they've just stopped gigging). The more I see and hear of Gruff the more I fall for him. He is just astounding. Imagine what I felt like when I heard he played a gig only 15 miles away from me, last year? And in the arts centre? That would have been such a intimate performance.

Christ, I feel like screaming!

So...
To make sure I don't miss anything SFA-related again I'm dedicating this blog to them. It'll mainly be notes to myself, links to cool images, interviews, tour dates etc. Stuff that I find intriguing (whether Furry related or not). But if you've stumbled across this blog, I hope you'll find something stimulating. If you're not too familiar with SFA then maybe something you find here will turn you on to them (they are, after all, this generation's Beatles... Apparently.)

Cheers
Bame
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