Archive for the ‘pandaily(ish) news’ Category

Pantrans á L.A.*(en francais dans le texte)

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

Voilá, juste de retour de Los Angeles…10 jours trés intenses.

D’abord merci á Derek qui nous a accueilli chez lui, ainsi que Michaël et Emy…Derek a qui on doit en grande partie notre passage dans Grey’s nous a d’abord invité á Disney world(roller coaster=estomac á l’envers en ce qui me concerne)..ou j’ai pu photographier le …Monorail. Evidemment on s’est tapé la totale des “drives”comme des gamins :-))

Le but du voyage, 2 concerts et une video…mais d’abord changement de climat, environ 20 degré. C’était une premiére pour moi, Kathy connait déjá. Au départ, j’ai pensé que je passerai la semaine le cul dans la voiture de location parce que c’est le seul moyen de locomotion possible, donc pas terrible et quand plus les embouteillages sont monstrueux. Aprés tout est différent de l’Est du pays, hormis le climat, les palmiers et les cactus. J’ai vraiment eu le sentiment que tout est tourné vers l’industrie du cinéma et de la musique, cliché peut-être parce que nous étions dans l’envers du décors..aussi l’impression que tout peut arriver pour l’aspirant á une “carriére”, le pire comme le meilleur, mais c’est lá ou tout se passe.Pas mal de stress et de tension dans l’air, réussir ou mourir, m’enfin c’est le lot des habitants des grandes villes.

Toujours le syndrome du petit touriste francais, á chercher les endroits que j’ai déjá vu dans les films et ca ne manque pas!!!( Bon une adresse que j’ai bien aimé, c’est le bar le Prado, vin et biére, musique sympa, punk 80’s pour quadra nostalgiques, sur Sunset. Le quartier d’Echo Park également, surement trés cher, mais cool et typique..Pour les filles évidemment Melrose, shopping, shopping..

Nous sommes allé á Laguna beach et pour l’anecdote, la plage était super clean et sur les rochers des moules énormes…évidemment comme tout frenchy qui se respecte, j’ai démarré une dégustation avant de m’apercevoir que c’était évidemment interdit.

Sinon, cool la visite en VIP de Prospect Studio ou Grey’s Anatomy est filmé, on a assisté au tournage d’une scéne et oui les filles!!! Patrick Dempsey est encore mieux en vrai!!!  quelqu’un de trés sympa..en tout cas avec nous.

Pour la video, Justin Chinn le réalisateur nous a mis dans un avion(ca nous change :-)))) á Air Hollywood …le notre était celui qui a servi pour “Y a t’il un pilote dans l’avion”, celui d’á côté LOST…également Kill Bill etc..le studio existe depuis les années 40.

Le tournage trés pro avec une équipe de 40 personnes(la plupart travaille sur Grey’s) super sympas et compétents..on attend le résultat final normalement mai-juin..Ca devrait être classe!!!!

Bref et pour finir, une semaine de rêve, le retour sur terre á Lyon, la pluie, le froid pas facile.!!!Même chose pour Kathy, C-ville pas le même climat..

PS:

Petit guide non illustré pour devenir californien: porter des T-shirts toute l’année, parler lentement, avoir un chien qui fait moins de un kilo(si, si ca existe, on dirait un peu des gros rats), boire du vin californien(logique), faire semblant de cuisiner bio, avoir l’air jeune, des dents impeccables, connaitre au moins une star et conduire une Toyota Prius…et critiquer les gens derriére leur dos(comme en France quoi!!!) et au final avoir fait au moins une vingtaine de fois(minimum) Space Mountain á Disney.

Interview in Higher Plain Music

Friday, February 12th, 2010

The interview can be read on the site…click on the link below.

higherplainmusic.com

Monorail review in HigherPlainMusic

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

Panda Transport – “Monorail” Review

Monorail is the new 6 track EP from Panda Transport and I can confirm that it is rather fantastic. The duo fuse alternative pop electronica with random extras to create a fun.

Opening with the title track, is a groovy cloud-infused piece of dream-pop that you’d be quite happy riding to work via country lanes on your bicycle to, smiling and tipping your hat to all whom pass you. It’s just delightfully upbeat and fun. I could see it opening a Japanese Animation actually.

“Saint Revel” is the song currently gaining exposure via Grey’s Anatomy and is a little more laid back and chilled out with some fantastic vocal layering and sweet electric piano with a Sitar section! How can you lose? Panda Transport’s ability to carry off placing random instruments into a relatively standard track to make it stand completely out from the crowd is one of their key assets.

“Up The Disco” is a more a lighter-swinging track as its more subdued despite its percussive bangs and while its less immediately gratifying than the previous tracks the chorus riff will stick around in your head after a few listens.

“Freak Show” is cute. From the xylophone to warping electric noises to the mariba-esque percussion, it tippy-toes about with children’s movie overtones and then bursts into a lounge jazz piece like something from the Katamari games. I actually really like the way how the whole song shifts into a more slinky mood and it certainly stands out.

“Cicadas in Stereo” see’s Kathy step down from vocals and Ti step up for a French song full of cuteness that verges on Pikmin style music. Think Jazz gone to the circus with a gallon of icing on top. The closer is “Dark Horse” is as close to a downbeat ballad as you’re going to get. Quite minimal and vocal fronted, it works really well with solomn church bells and low hummings setting the mood and is a welcome change from the other very uptempo numbers.

Monorail is a great introduction to a duo that are prepared to take a chance by going for a different approach everytime and merging things together you wouldn’t nessacarily sit together and making it work. I expect to hear of more great things from Panda Transport in the years to come as the alt-electro-pop genre continues to gather strength and popularity.

the best compilation of cool stuff i’ve ever seen. ever

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

today i found the best website ever. it features life sized horse’s head pillows and links to kenny roger look alike sites. it is no good for my ADD because i every time i click on a feature another 10 awesome subjects crops up. it’s called LOST AT E MINOR. give yourself a cadeau today and subscribe.

Panda Transport Transmission on the radio playlist “Face A” of the french site CQFD

Monday, January 11th, 2010

Panda Transport Transmission on the radio playlist “Face A” of the french site CQFD run by the magazine Les INROCKS. Already 37219 plays…!!!!

http://www.cqfd.com/pandatransport

THE ENTRY is working on a remix for Panda Transport…

Monday, January 11th, 2010

The Entry(Andrea Pestoni) is doing a remix of Freakshow…

More about him:

After 2 studio albums, 1 remix album and more than hundred of concerts all around Europe, Andrea Pestoni - songwriter, singer and producer of the Zurich based project Pureape - decided to continue his musical journey under a new artistic identity.
The Entry is a kind of nightlife creature that takes shape in the very late hours of the day. Imagine an introvert cabaret artist that express deep feelings and violent passions thorugh banal pop songs and that perform them on an imaginary scene for an imaginary audience.

Debut album “Life Cabaret” is out now

http://www.theentry.net

Monorail reviewed in Smother magazine

Sunday, January 3rd, 2010

Sultry off-jazz vocals with the constructs of electro-pop and indie pop building a foundation, Panda Transport, a duo consisting of Kathy Compton and Thierry Holweck have been around since ’06. The duo found fame with their single “Transmission” off of their critically acclaimed debut “Plush Mechanique”, which was featured on Greys Anatomy. Having written their debut essentially through Internet-based collaborations, Panda Transport set out to do something more organic and intimate. Intelligently blending ‘found sounds’ (they sampled cicadas outside of Kathy’s yurt and car-door-slams became a new found kick drum) with personal and emotional vocals, light melodies, sweet harmonies, and future pop rhythms, “Monorail” builds upon the success of their debut and proves that they’re far removed from the dreaded sophomore jinx. Pop fanatics will covet the truly catchy nature of many of the tracks, while the more indie and experimental music junkies will drool over decomposing and digesting the varied musical tapestries that make up each track.

Some will say we love transportation…YES!!!!especially this one!

Saturday, January 2nd, 2010

The famous Double Deck!!!

Thanks for your support in 2009!we start 2010 with a new review in UBLF.

Friday, January 1st, 2010

i-tunes
Panda Transport’s Monorail is described on their website as “[t]he songs are immediate, personal & poppy while retaining the curious experimentation & playfulness so often edited out in today’s music.” For some reason in my mind the group Flunk comes up… with some Kate Havnevik and maybe some Imogen Heap mixed in to describe their music. It ranges from sweet and tender to pop and floaty to kinda dark… no joke - it has a dark edge to it as well.


Here’s how I came in contact: I was searching through my messages on IODAPromonet and there was a direct message from their label. I immediately searched through the rest of the new messages and found them all to be the basic promo stuff I receive most of the time (that does not mean I don’t check out that selection of music…). This message from Panda Transport was personal and thoughtful and created a fan out of me before I heard their music. I became excited and checked out their tunes. This also prompted me to email someone, anyone from the group. The person I contacted was the lead vocalist from Charlottesville, VA named Kathy. I would have to place her in the kind and gracious group as well! She’s a great conversationalist and has been a dream to work with (don’t worry, I feel the same way about Autorotation).

And guess what… you’ll get to hear some of their stuff over the next couple of months.

What’s the moral of this story? A kind note can go a LOOOOOONG way! Even from this below the radar podcaster/blogger.

Freakshow on Radio Orphans,

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009
Radio Orphans Podcast 234

Welcome to Episode 234 of the Radio Orphans Podcast. This episode contains the following independent music for your listening pleasure:

“Stimulate” by Spartak featuring: Sabrina Deep.
Tight trance-rock from the UK.

“Queen Kong” from Last Man Standing.
Funk-rock out of the UK.

“Macbeth” from Away With The Fairys.
Neo psychedelic rock from the UK.

“Love to Hate” by Sansietch.radio orphans
Alternative rock from New Mexico.

“Fire Fighters” by The Optimen.
Funkified Hip-Hop out of Australia.

“Freakshow” from Panda Transport.
Experimental electronic jazz from France.

“We Hardly Knew Ya” from Radio Orphans.
Experimental rock from your hosts
in Minneapolis, MN USA.