Movie of the Week: Umbrellas in The Sun - A Crepuscule / Factory Benelux Collection

Following the posting this week of Donald Johnson (A Certain Ratio)'s Stupefied Playlist, let's stick with the Factory Records vibe for the first MOTW for the weekend.

Here's Umbrellas In The Sun - an incredible collection of bands from the Crepuscule, Benelux & Factory loose family of labels. This collection wouldn't otherwise ever be possible without the hard & obsessive work of labels like LTM, so go buy a copy of this, or any of their DVD comps, now!

Umbrellas in the Sun borrows its title from the 1981 video compilation of the same name released by Belgian label, Les Disques du Crepuscule (TWI 099), and features selected clips from that project, as well as clips from A Factory Video (Fact 65), A Factory Complication (FBN 7) and A Factory Outing (Fact 71) plus previously unseen material. Featuring cover art by Crepuscule design director Benoit Hennebert, the DVD contains 23 rare clips filmed between 1979 and 1987 and runs for over 2 hours.  The definitive genre document!

Tracklist:

01. Antena - The Boy From Ipanema
02. A Certain Ratio - Back to the Start
03. Josef K - Sorry For Laughing
04. Cabaret Voltaire - Sluggin' Fer Jesus
05. Marine - A Propositio dei Napoli
06. Section 25 - New Horizon
07. The Names - Nightshift
08. Durutti Column - Marie-Louise Gardens
09. New Order - Everything's Gone Green (live)
10. Crispy Ambulance - The Presence
11. Minny Pops - Dolphins Spurt
12. Malaria! - White Sky/White Sea (live)
13. Tuxedomoon - Litebulb Overkill/Jinx (live)
14. Berntholer - My Suitor
15. Thick Pigeon - Wheels Over Indian Trails
16. Paul Haig - Heaven Sent (live)
17. Kalima - Trickery
18. Stockholm Monsters - Partyline
19. Swamp Children - You've Got Me Beat (live)
20. Kalima - The Smiling Hour
21. Quando Quango - Go Exciting (live)
22. Marine - Une Soiree Avec... (28 minute film)

Factory Records bonanza!

Thanks to Sasha Frere-Jones, I was hipped to yet another cool Factory Records-related blog called Forced Laugh. This blog, as it says, is "devoted to the art & music of Manchester label Factory Records and Factory Benelux." Quite an admirable undertaking if you ask me. Never before in the history of music can I recall a record label with a following so obsessed with not only the music, but also the catalog numbers!

Of course, if you're looking for Factory history as well as whats currently happening with Factory-related folks, the best place on the web is most likely Cerysmatic Factory. Not only is its administrator all knowing when it comes to Manchester music, he's also a baseball fan! I'm hoping to catch a game with him this summer when he comes to NYC on holiday.

Visit New York photographer Eugene Merinov's site for amazing live shots of New Order from their club days in the early 80's.

New Order/Quando Quango Paradise Garage gig poster courtesy of Factory Cerysmatic.

Buy Factory related items:

Disco Not Disco video bonanza

This is in tribute to the great comp from the relaunched Strut Records, Disco Not Disco. If you haven't picked it up yet...what are you waiting for? Some of the artists I'd figure to have video don't seem to, and some I'd never think would do have some - at least as far as searching on on youtube.com goes. In the case of Six Sed Red, its a fan-made video but I'm impressed there's anything there at all. Here you go:

A Number of Names - Sharevari (The Scene, Detroit TV show, 1982):



Liaisons Dangereuses - Los Niños del Parque (Live Manchester 07.07.1982):



Gina X - No GDM (1979):



Quando Quango - Tingle:



Six Sed Red - Bang 'em Right (1984):



Buy Disco Not Disco: