Errant Home

Errant Home is a film about exile and longing for home. It is an impressionist portrait of Iraq through the eyes of four well-known Iraqi artists and intellectuals: an Iraq of culture, art, diversity, tolerance, daily pleasures, perfumes and food. An Iraq lost for the time being, but not forever. Forced into exile, the protagonists - the sculptor Mohamad Ghani Hekmat, the artist Balasem Mohamad, the journalist Maysoon Al-Mousawi and Amal Al-Khodairy patron of the arts - talk, remember and dream of return.
A great short film directed by Nada Doumani.

View this movie at cultureunplugged.com

Watch with greek subtitles at TVXS.gr

Soulsavers - Broken

Soulsavers are an English production and remix team comprised of Rich Machin and Ian Glover. The Soulsavers’ downtempo electronica sound incorporates influences of rock, gospel, soul, and country. In their second album they collaborated with Mark Lanegan. This is their third album, in which Lanegan once again features as the main vocalist. Other prominent musicians such as Mike Patton (of Faith No More, Tomahawk), Jason Pierce (Spiritualized, Spacemen 3), Richard Hawley and Gibby Haynes (of Butthole Surfers) also feature on the album. Track 4, sung by Lanegan, is a cover of Palace Brothers' "You Will Miss Me When I Burn". Once again a great album by the Soulsavers with Lanegan's haunting voice giving a great feeling! Highly recommended!

Artist: Soulsavers
Album: Broken
Year: 2009
Genre: indie, electronica

Tracks:
1. The Seventh Proof (instrumental)
2. Death Bells (vocals by Mark Lanegan & Gibby Haynes)
3. Unbalanced Pieces (vocals by Mark Lanegan & Mike Patton)
4. You Will Miss Me When I Burn (vocals by Mark Lanegan)
5. Some Misunderstanding (vocals by Mark Lanegan)
6. All the Way Down (vocals by Mark Lanegan)
7. Shadows Fall (vocals by Mark Lanegan & Richard Hawley)
8. Can't Catch the Train (vocals by Mark Lanegan)
9. Pharaoh's Chariot (vocals by Mark Lanegan & Jason Pierce)
10. Praying Ground (vocals by Red Ghost)
11. Rolling Sky (vocals by Mark Lanegan & Red Ghost)
12. Wise Blood (instrumental)
13. By My Side (vocals by Red Ghost)

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Kang Eun Il - Ancient Futures

Kang Eun Il is one of the world's most acclaimed Haegum artists and is regarded as the forerunner of crossover music, combining traditional Korean music with non-traditional genres. Ancient Futures, her debut album, combines various musical genres: traditional, classical, jazz and improvisation (used for soundtrack of Kim Ki-Duk’s movie “Hwal” - "The Bow"). She has greatly broadened the scope of her instrument, playing with famous musicians and orchestras both at home and abroad. Kang has long been interested in the possibility of bringing her instrument to a wider audience by experimenting with crossover music and this has led to her collaborative work on popular songs with a number of famous jazz musicians. Really beautiful, emotional music!

Artist: Kang Eun Il
Album: Ancient Futures
Year: 2003
Genre: ambient, folk, instrumental

Tracks:
1. 웽이자랑 Wongijarang (Cheju Lullaby)
2. 비상 Soaring
3. 초수대엽 Chosudaeyeop
4. 헤이 야 Hey Ya!
5. 오래된 미래 Ancient Futures
6. 비에 젖은 해금 A Wet Haegum With Rain
7. 라다끄의 여인 Ladakh’s Women
8. 낡은 마루 Old Floor
9. Fade Out

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Fauxliage - Fauxliage

Comprised of American Sixpence None the Richer vocalist, Leigh Nash, plus Bill Leeb and Rhys Fulber of Canadian ambient pop outfit Delerium. This is their debut album, released in 2007 on Canada’s premiere indie label Nettwerk. Great album that combines elements from electronica, trip-hop, jazz and pop!

Artist: Fauxliage
Album: Fauxliage
Year: 2007
Genre: trip-hop, electronica, pop

Tracks:
1. All The World
2. Someday The Wind
3. Draw My Life
4. Let It Go
5. Magic
6. Without You
7. Rafe
8. Vibing
9. All Alone
10. Rafe (Gabin Remix)
11. Rafe (Pacha Remix)

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Buy from Nettwerk store.

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Discuss - Discuss

Discuss is the musical outlet of Andrés Ortiz-Ferrari from Puerto Rico, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. However, this debut album was a collaborative approach between Ortiz-Ferrari and Evan Wood (Player Piano and Planet of Sound.) In this album, the two combined their musical talents, using a mix of acoustic instruments, synths, samples and anything they can get their hands on, to make music that is completely their own without shying away from their influences. A reminiscent sound of early mornings, or really late nights, the self titled Discuss album flows from IDM influenced tracks, to more indie-rock outfits. Excellent experimental electronica/idm. Highly recommended!

Artist: Discuss
Album: Discuss
Year: 2006
Genre: electronica, idm, experimental

Tracks:
1. Intro
2. A Parallax Revisited
3. Makeshift Madison
4. Happiness Follows All Of Us
5. Bubbles + Swings
6. As The Dawn Of Autumn
7. We’ve Lost Time
8. Perdido
9. Interlude
10. One For The Kawai
11. I Wish I Were A Marsupial

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MySpace

Buy from CB Baby.
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You are a Terrorist (Du bist Terrorist)

"You are a terrorist" is a satirical interpretation of two official German social-marketing-campaigns. Whereas "Du bist Deutschland" (You are Germany) was promoting the national consciousness and a child-friendly Germany, "You are a terrorist" is the answer to todays politics in Germany.

Upcdowncleftcrightcabc+start - Embers

Upcdowncleftcrightcabc+start are an instrumental post-rock band from Kent, UK, who have been going since early 2000. They signed to indie label Tap N Tin records in late 2004 and released their first double AA 7” single “Stand shadowless like silence/Sadako’s fury”. Their debut album “And the battle is won” was released in 2005. Embers is their second album, released in 2008. Highly recommended to post-rock fans!

Artist: Upcdowncleftcrightcabc+start
Album: Embers
Year: 2008
Genre: post-rock, instrumental

Tracks:
1. Embers And Ashes
2. Get To The Chopper
3. Our Flowers
4. Murmurs Pt 2
5. New Chapters
6. McDoomish
7. Murmurs Pt 1
8. Cascades
9. Fireflies
10. The Creeping

Official Website (buy from here - currently sold out)
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SiCKO (2007)

SiCKO is probably the best documentary directed by Michael Moore. The film investigates the American health care system, focusing on its health insurance and pharmaceutical industry. It compares the for-profit, non-universal U.S. system with the non-profit universal health care systems of Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Cuba.

This film is not about the 47 million Americans who don't have health insurance, it's about some of the 250 million who have/had health insurance and in spite of this their lives were ruined.

A softer, less angry Moore taking a good hard look at the current state of the American private health care system and dispels a lot of the myths espoused by some in America such as long waiting lines, higher taxes and the doctors being paid close to nothing. Michael Moore allows a lot of space for people's stories to be told.

A documentary with optimism and hope despite being gripping sometimes. A must-see for everyone!

More info:
Official Website
Wikipedia
IMDb
Rotten Tomatoes

Trailer:

Balmorhea - Rivers Arms

Balmorhea are Rob Lowe and Michael Muller from Austin, Texas. They list some of their influences as Ludovico Einaudi, Six Parts Seven, Claude Debussy, Ludwig van Beethoven, Rachel’s, Gillian Welch, Max Richter, Arvo Pärt and John Cage. This is their second album released in 2008. Beautiful ambient/neo-classical instrumental music!

Artist: Balmorhea
Album: Rivers Arms
Year: 2008
Genre: neo-classical, instrumental, ambient, post-rock

Tracks:
1. San Solomon
2. Lament
3. The Winter
4. The Summer
5. Greyish Tapering Ash
6. Baleen Morning
7. Barefoot Pilgrims
8. Context
9. Process
10. Divisadero
11. Limmat
12. Theme No. 1
13. Windan Sea
14. San Solomon (reprise)

Official Website
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MySpace

Buy from Western Vinyl.
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As The Poets Affrim - The Jaws that Bite, The Claws that Catch

As The Poets Affirm was a Canadian independent band from Ottawa, Ontario, formed in 2001. The band began as a three-piece acoustic project, and later evolved into a seven-member lineup experimenting with jazz, classical and electronica. Their name is taken from a line in Dante's Inferno. The band disbanded in 2007. This is their second and most successful album released in 2004. Highly recommended!

Artist: As The Poets Affirm
Album: The Jaws that Bite, The Claws that Catch
Year: 2004
Genre: post-rock instrumental

Tracks:
1. Snow-White Wings in the Bottomless Blue
2. The Snick-Berry Switch
3. Rocket Through
4. Portrait; Levity May Call
5. A Lie Told Before Breakfast
6. Orange Car Crash
7. The Bourgeois Dream of Some White Trash Kid
8. A Voice Recited the News on the Radio
9. Now I Shall Sing the Second Kingdom
10. Where Flowers Should Be

Blog
Last.fm
MySpace

You can find their catalog here.
Check the comments to listen before you buy.

Causa Sui - Summer Sessions Vol. 3

The third part of the Summer Sessions by this great psych/stoner/kraut rock band from Denmark. Really great!

Artist: Causa Sui
Album: Summer Sessions Vol. 3
Year: 2009
Genre: psychedelic, stoner-rock, kraut-rock, experimental
Similar: Summer Sessions Vol. 1, Summer Sessions Vol. 2

Tracks:
1. Eugenie
2. Red Valley
3. Manifestations of Summer

Official Website
Last.fm
MySpace

Buy from Elektrohasch records
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Causa Sui - Summer Sessions Vol. 2

The second part of the Summer Sessions by this great psych/stoner/kraut rock band from Denmark. Really great!

Artist: Causa Sui
Album: Summer Sessions Vol. 2
Year: 2009
Genre: psychedelic, stoner-rock, kraut-rock, experimental
Similar: Summer Sessions Vol. 1, Summer Sessions Vol. 3

Tracks:
1. Sun Prayer
2. Rip Tide
3. The Open Road
4. Cinecitta
5. Tropic of Capricorn

Official Website
Last.fm
MySpace

Buy from Elektrohasch records
Check the comments to listen first.