Nothing is real

Now here's a film I simply must see: Daaaaaalí! is a newly released French comedy and claims to be a, wait for it, real fake biopic of the surrealist artist Salvador Dalí. Judging by the trailer it's funny, irreverent and, I'm guessing, not strictly a linear depiction of the great man; I mean, how could it be? 

Daaaaaalí! (2024) - Official Trailer 

Also, I learned only today, the soundtrack was written and performed by Thomas Banglater - better known as one half of Daft Punk... 

If I can track it down on Blu-ray (it's not streaming yet) or find an art house cinema that's showing it I'll report back with my findings. 

Dalí (1984-1989)

Nopunctuationrequired

It had to happen - a band come along who, whether knowingly or not, effortlessly meld the sound of three of my favourite artists and get right under my skin: they go by the moniker Parcels and, being blunt, sound a lot like Daft Punk (who they've worked with in the past), Air and maybe shades of Jungle too. Normally, I hate these blanket definitions but rather than dance on the head of a pin I may as well tell it like it is. But I love the noise they make. It's infectious and it puts a smile on my face (which I really need right now, let me tell you). Also, I don't know why, but I'm rather taken with the fact that several of their song titles are elongated into one word; I shouldn't, but I do. This being a case in point. (I could just as easily gone with IknowhowIfeel or Tieduprightnow.) Hopeyouenjoyit.  

Parcels - Somethinggreater (2021)  

Get Lucky

The Daftness

You're an English rock band from the East Midlands: Derby, to be precise. You release an album and get a bit of interest, but gigs dry up and the record company lose interest; you can't get arrested. What to do?
Move to LA, of course! Put out a catchy single, get it played on every FM station from the Eastern Seaboard to the West Coast and perform it on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to a TV audience of kajillions. Then watch the offers pour in to open for the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Foo Fighters...

And, what won't do any harm, record a tasty (very tasty) cover and shoot a stylish promo film for it in black and white. In a pub. In Derby.

The Struts: Get Lucky

They say their influences are Queen, The Darkness, Aerosmith and the Stones. No shit, Sherlock.

Don't be Daft

For those about to funk, we salute you

I'm indebted, as ever, to The Number One Son for pointing me in the direction of this little nugget. It's from the Bootsy Collins stable so you know it's got pedigree. And if they ever take off their crash hats for long enough, I'm sure those Daft Punk boys would be tipping it the wink too. It being the inspiration behind their entire canon and all. Allegedly.

Zapp - More Bounce to the Ounce

A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle

The Mark 3 lineup of Deep Purple may not have been the most commercially successful of their reincarnations, but it was certainly their funkiest - by a country mile. Mid-seventies albums like Burn, Stormbringer and Come Taste the Band saw the group drop their extended guitar solos and take a more introspective look at themselves. In fact it was why Ritchie Blackmore (surely one of the most miserable guitar players ever to have picked up the instrument) left the band. 'I don't play shoeshine music' he told Sounds back in 1974.

How apposite then that this cheeky little mash up finds the Purps sharing a bed with Daft Punk, the behelmeted French funky house duo. I'm guessing vocalist David Coverdale thinks it's a hoot; Blackmore on the other hand probably tried to slap an injunction on it. And, anyway, I think you'll find he nicked the riff for Burn from George Gershwin's Fascinating Rhythm.