Focal Point : Yello

This week on Psychic Tuesday we'll be exploring the eccentric 80's sounds of Swiss electronic music pioneers, Yello. Dieter Meier (vocals) and Boris Blank (synthesizers) have been pumping out their ingeniusly catchy and bizarre brand of music since the late 70's.

You're more than likely already familiar with Yello and you don't even know it. Their song "Oh Yeah" is played in it's entirety during the final scene (alongside the credits) of the film "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" =

The 1st time I discovered Yello was way back when on a TV show called "Night Flight", which often spotlighted the music videos of obscure and off-the-wall bands. It was the video for their song "Bostich" and it more or less frightened me. Haha ... It definitely was like nothing I had ever encountered both music or video-wise. I didn't know exactly what to make of it and my 1st thought was "These people are INSANE. What exactly is going on here?" haha

It was a bit mind-blowing, because at the time (and even now, really) there was nothing else that remotely sounded like Yello. I found myself the very next day going into the music store and seeking out an album by them. What I found was their amazing opus, "You Gotta Say Yes To Another Excess". I played it over and over again, enjoying it more each time I listened. I recorded it for my friends and attempted to turn as many people as I could find on to my new-found treasure.

What I find so rewarding about the majority of Yello's sound is simply how crazy and playful it is. So many of their songs astound me to the point of making me laugh out loud at just how absurd they are. Dieter Meier directs all of their videos and every single one of them is an ultra unique thing of brightly-colored beauty...I included a slew of them after the mix.

So, here they are ... YELLO : A highly enjoyable (and extremely danceable!) duo ... Get ready to be highly entertained!!! =

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Videos! Videos! Videos! And each and every one of them are by ... you guessed it!

YELLO!


"Bostich"



"The Evening’s Young"



"Pinball Cha Cha"



"I Love You"



"Live At The Roxy"

"Oh Yeah"



"Call It Love"



"The Race"



"Tied Up"



"Planet Dada"

Thrift Store Vinyl Radio program 12 (xmas)

Wow ... it's odd to think that there have already been 12 whole programs of Thrift Store Vinyl Radio! We covered a lot of ground in the last year, too ... from exotic lands and children's records, to exotic lands and midnight beats, to organs and percussion records.


And now here we are at the end of 2011 ... I usually wait until the last Tuesday of the month to release a new TSVR episode, but seeing as how Christmas is just around the corner, I thought I'd get all seasonal and celebrate the Yuletide with some nice crackly old holiday vinyl!


And, like the Halloween program I did two months ago, this episode will be talk-free so the magic of the mood won't be spoiled!


Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone! ENJOY!!!

You can download the mix RIGHT HERE and play it at yer next Xmas party!






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Hey look! Ryan and I have our tree up ... Peter helped decorate it, too ... pretty, huh? =























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Hey look! I'm showing paintings at the Administrative Gallery (downstairs) at the Hoover Public Library in Hoover, Alabama ... Swing by and check em out sometime! =






















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Hey look! My mom sent some pretty funny snowman comics! Thanks, Mama! =




































































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Hey look! A bunch of very Christmassy V*I*D*E*O*S!!!




1st up, here's a rather ridiculous 2 hour "Yule Log" video incase you wanna have a crackling hot fire burning inside your computer! haha =




And here's a pretty funny Bottletree xmas video I made, circa 2009 =




Speaking of blasts from the past, here is "Do They Know It's Christmas?"by Band Aid, circa 1984 =




Wowzers! I chanced upon this musical version of "Scrooge" (circa 1970) recently and remembered watching it as a kid with Roy Burns at his house ... the Death scene (around 6:03) used to scare the crap out of me! Haha =




And here are a lot of memorable moments from the yuletide classic, "A Christmas Story", circa 1983 =




Lastly, I have Ryan and I's favorite part of the Pee Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special (circa 1989), where Little Richard greets Pee Wee, then busts his ass on the ice! haha =







Not quite figgy pudding, but here is some dessert ...




My god ... Dean and Company's 2011 xmas special is even nuttier then the ones from years past! I reckon it's because they now have green screen technology on their side ... hahaha =




And what would the season be without the Liberace Christmas Special ?! =




Poor Santa ... he'll never get all of those presents delivered in this condition! =

Yuletide Mix

This mixtape might be perfect for =

A. Bundling up
B. Shopping for xmas gifts
C. Decorating the tree
D. Drawing stuff on fogged up windows
E. Preparing for a cold Winter


Sure, I've done seasonal mixes before, but this time around I think I'm most satisfied with my "Yuletide" mix because it's full of not-so-typical holiday songs ... I sort of went out of my way searching for music that's either wintery or Christmassy, but doesn't usually land on a holiday mix ...


I think part of the inspiration behind this mentality was the fact that, at least here in Alabama, it didn't really get cold until just recently and I wasn't feeling the spirit yet ... So I was just craving something a bit ... different, as opposed to all the typical over-played traditional stuff ...


So there you have it! And here it is for your seasonal pleasure: the "Yuletide Mix" ... ENJOY =

If you'd like to download it, you can do so HERE.





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Speaking of yuletide and ... um ...different Christmas music, if you've never heard it you should check out my brother and I (Fred & Daily)'s crrrraaazy Christmas album, "Hairy Crimmah On Ice"!

























You can listen to and download it on End Up Records RIGHT HERE!!!


Here's Peter & I in the middle of doing a new Fred & Daily video shoot (I'll post it as soon as it's edited!) =




















And speaking of videos, here's one for our holiday hit, "Jingle Bell Blitz"! Hairy Crimmah! =







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And now for a tiny bit of random news ...



1st up, the recycling program here in Birmingham is about to expand! I'm so truly thrilled about this! Read all about it RIGHT HERE!



Also, Merrilee recently posted a link to "50 Unexplainable B&W photographs", which is fun to ponder over ... Check em out HERE. Thanks, Merr!




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Time now for some V*I*D*E*O*S !!!




Chris Toro recently posted this 80's Christmas classic by Run DMC ... Cheers, Chris! =




Speaking of Christmas, Alan Lynch posted this nice one from way back when called "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis" by Tom Waits ... thanks, Al! =




This new Major Lazer video makes me think of Harmony Korine ... haha =




Some true psychedelia from Ty Segall =




Here's the one and only Billy Childish (musician, poet, philoshopher) discussing his practice =








Would you like some smile-inducing dessert ???




Haha ... Sarah Harrell posted this next one ... it's Miranda July as Colin Self as Joanna Newsom singing Peach, Plum, Pear ... danke, Sarah! =




Chris Stewart recently posted this blissful one from Professor Soap ... gracias! =




And lastly, here's some vintage Dean and Company lo fi Xmas insanity to get you in the mood! =