Effect Return

Visitations: A Musical Tribute To Doctor Who

2010-04-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

I'm super excited and feel super honored to announce Visitations: A Musical Tribute To Doctor Who! The always clever and aweseome Geekdad Zed, of Hipster, Please! put together this compilation of Nerdcore, Chiptunes, and Geekrock all about Doctor Who and (this is the best part) included one of bands we record under - The Entangled Photons - songs on it! What!? You can download the whole thing for FREE at Hipster, Please! Go take a look, download the record, love it forever, and tell all your friends!

You can download our track

HERE.

Please tell us what you think!

More Delia!

2008-07-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

Somebody found 260+ tapes in Delia Derbyshire's attic.

w00t!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7512072.stm

A Double Feature

2008-07-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

And Now Here's The Busking News.

I played at two farmer's markets this weekend. And my finger burn like hell-fire. I got to be the "official lunch time background enhancer" for the U-district market. And thus I was paid in kind by being given a whole, organic, freshly made, no cheese pizza by Mike a the Rolling Fire Pizza Concern. Great goddamighty that was tasty! and Again! Aaron at The empire ice cream stand tossed me the last of thier strawb sorbet - great lord that was awesome. I'm not kidding. These foods...their not like food. it's like - they are their own art. There's so much trade and barter that happens at the farmers market, it gives me hope that corporate capitalism in not the only answer to allow humans to thrive. It feels very healthily pre-AND-post capitalizm.

In the Dr. Who Role Playing Game, which I owned at one point - they had a chart that listed levels of political advancement for a planet. From least advanced to most it went - no org, tribal/clan based, city-states, nations, democracy, whole world govenrment, and at the apex of civilization? - tribal/clan based. Ah....such cleverness. If feels so true. Like how regions have thier own cultural flavor within the EU countries...they all have a simultaneous eye to the larger interests of thier collective - while celebrating their own hertiage and culture at a local and regional level.

Anyway - i played for about 2.5 hours on saturday and 3 solids on sunday. My new songs are "hey Good lookin'" and "james Alley blues" and i made a pretty good stab at improvising a "ring of Fire" for a super-fun couple (the lady sang along with "When you love somebody" by the Fruitbats!) and thier super cool kid who parked in front of me for like, 1/2 hour. I don't know why i didn't learn Hey Good Lookin' before - It's just perfect for this thing - everyone knows it, it's easy to dance to, it's a bit rascally, it's postive, just a perfect song. And Peter - who kept at me about James Alley Blues is absolutely right - It is one of the best older folk songs in the world - so clear, so clever, so full of emotion, so soulful, and i'm going to play it for the rest of my life. (on a side note - Mcguinn and Wilco got it wrong - Rabbit Brown doesn't sing:
I bought her a gold ring and i paid the rent
He REALLY sings
I buy the groceries and I pay the rent

The difference is that instead of singing a trope - Gold ring = marriage - It keeps it grounded in the day-to-day details of ANY relationship - sanctioned by the bourgeoisie/state/church or not. For some folk music that is RARE, mang - so personal/universal and special.

Ok...back to regular life, and learning new tunes....I'm actively working on Pancho and Lefty and Georgia on my mind (SO! beautiful!), and These boots are made for walking.

Wish me luck!

The Recap

2008-07-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

What's been up? Well, this transplanted west-coaster has been taking in some mad shows. Thanks to the good folks at the sasquatch festival i was able to see:

Vince Mira
- That boy is amazing

The Breeders
- Why, oh lord why are they not regarded as the greatest art band in history. BTW: just found out that this is happening and is LONG overdue, a tribute comp to Kim Deal! Greatest of all guitarsongwritingbassists! Good job KIM! you are my heroine!

R.E.M. (again!)
- Damn you Stipe in your suave suave ways...how i feel like you know me, down somewhere deep.

Dan the Automator and Mike Patton as "Crudo"
- ummm...no thanks. I bounced after the mid point of the third song. I didn't like rap rock the first time i heard it. But godamighty! Lovage is a great band!

Beirut
- Snore!

M.I.A.
- Verrrown...!Bang!Bang! heeerowwwn...Boomboomclickboom....heeeeeerooown...chckchkBang!
- She didn't play mangopickle(downriver) = sad.

A bit of Modest Mouse

I say Johnny Marr in person! (looks at gran check list of life, finds and entry - makes check mark). Their sound for whatever reason sucked ass...but i didn't feel like i was missing anything lifechanging.

A bit of Ozomatli
- (again!)

So i can't really complain.

Also saw Erykah Badu (Finally!!!) and The Roots opened up for her. WOW i love me some roots. I was mentioning to a friend that the roots sound like they're just a super crafty studio group - but live they are this incredible football team sized party/funk band. And was lamenting the fact that they don't have a live album to reflect that dichotomy - so i went to the roots website for the first time and great goddamighty - they have a TROVE of FREE live recordings...talk about over the moon! i'm over the kuipier belt!!! Oh to be the pick in ?uestlove's bangin' fro!

As far as busking goes.
I saw Once and loved it. The (second) opening scene is just chilling in it's jugular rawness...it's worth any rental cost just for the first 5 minutes. That guy transcends humanity.
I didn't play for reals this sunday - i'm trying to learn a new batch of songs and bust them all out at once...i need a bigger songbag and there are just too many good songs out there. I got to play some music in my work-neighborhood and that was fun...met a guy names taylor who is getting into the whole "let's play pop-punk on acoustics" which is ALWAYS a good way to start in on acoustic playing.
I'm working on making a CD or two to sell that actually has recordings of me playing at the market.
And i've been writing bits of new songs on my cell phones voice recorder...i def. think smartphones are the greatest thing since the awl.

Ok...i'm tapped out now.

More Hits

2008-05-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

Since we haven't had a post since feburary, i'll do a quick recap:

Busking-blahblahbah i got tipped a baguette(!!) blahblahs gonna record myself to cd to sell blah blah

Software - Fl Studio 8 is just incredible and will even do quadratic equations and i don't know what those are. Also - free amp 3 is just flat out perfect and free and sounds good...the tools that are free now are just incredible.

This is just flat out awesome. What happens outside album covers.

(Via (not leo)Kottke)

Busking update: Spring

2008-02-25T14:33:00.000-08:00

Starting to look like spring around here with 5 to 6 days of sunshine in a row. I was *so* excited to get back to the market since i haven't been there since early January.

Gah! when i arrived it were plagued with other musicians in full flight and all the good sunny spots were all taken...no place for the late-arriver to set up with barraging the patrons when a cacophony of homespun tunage and entertainments. So i slipped over to the shady side, set up in front of a very bored looking chocolatier and dug in.

Yesterday marked my first foray in to actual Vaudevillianism. I actually tried to do a bit of a dance while i got into a number. This is sort of the plunge that I always hope to take but spend each day running from any sort of leap of faith like it. More later.

Not to be presumptious, but i do feel like i was in fine form. I've had plenty of rest and i've been studying new tunes and learning some new chords for tunes that I can't WAIT to whip out on the market/earth at the earliest opportunity. My guitar playing was more sure, as it was much warmer than the past bajillion times, and I sung as close to my real range as possible...only once did i croak out a poor low note (during lone pilgrim), and once i swallowed a falsetto that i shouldn't have even approached in the first place (during Buffalo Tom's paen to wasted, perfect time - Summer).

I busted out the two Misfits songs that I'll go to my grave knowing, as i've known them since i started playing, nearly. I was feeling a bit restless, and thought maybe i should pack it in, but then i saw a clump of tied up dreads above a gray Misfits hoodie sweat shirt, so off came the fingerpicks and out came the flat pick and here comes the bass riff for "london Dungeon" and the fella's head wipped around and gave me such a grin. It got bigger when i was done with "dungeon" and jumped right into my Misfits-by-way-of-superchunk-on-halloween special "Horror bizness". I really should learn "Bullet" but i'm afraid singing that song in public would actually cause me to land in the jailhouse. The young gent scooted up to tell me "I never hear the misfits at the market" and i could only shrug and wink "Claro Que Si! but now i'm here and now you DO hear them at the market". highlight of the day. wow. yes. it really were.

So, i figured out on Saturday that i've been singing "Moses, Don't Get Lost" in Fminor. So i tuned up my A and D strings a whole tone each and capo-ed at the 1st fret and bingo! now i have a guitar tuned to Open Fminor. I've never been shown that by anybody and I was pleased as punch to figure it out. But, when the georgia Sea island singer do it, they've got like, 6 folks clapping and stomping in that way that causes my hackles to rise. To mimic it, 1 think white-boy - i started stomping with my feet and smacking about my guitar to get the different tones. I felt like the first Vaudeville entertainer leaving the cave for the first time to see if there were any sabretooths about. But if you're not going to go balls out. why go outside? I don't know if it was a success... and my slide and singing "Nobody's fault but mine" is kind've intense and a downer for the market...but it felt actually cathartic to do....so it stays. I don't know how to make my guitar sing quite like Rev. Johnston...but i do try. Also - i don't wanna cast stones, but I think the Duhks are an emasculated, updated-not-so-much-for-the-millennium version of Peter Paul & Mary. and not in a good way. Have a listen to a sample of their version of "moses, don't get lost" and let me know if you agree, or if I should stick to what i know, and leave my opinions whereever the fuck.

New songs i busted out that I hadn't ever busted out before:

London Dungeon
Horror Bizness (both misfits)
Lone Pilgrim (B.F. White)
Moses, Don't Get Lost/Nobody's Fault But Mine (trad./trad)
Move it on over (hank williams)
Midnight Special (boogie like your name is Huddie)
Po' Black Mattie (R. L. Burnside)
Chips Ahoy (Hold Steady - my version is pretty short though)
The Five Deadly Venoms (hyder)

Songs I hope to bust out soon:

Blackwaterside
Souper Trouper (Camera Obscura style)
O Pato
Manha de Carneval
I Heard the Voice of A Porkchop (come cover me in grits)

Dying to get back in the ring coach. Let me at 'em!

Ghost Pleads With Fans "Go Cop My Shit!"

2008-02-15T07:53:00.000-08:00

This video posted on Ghostface Killah's Myspace page last month catches the artist in between bringing the ruckus and choppin' heads, as he expresses hurt at his fans' downloading his music without buying his CDs. The video is actually quite sad, and is probably the most real and personal expression on the subject I've seen from any artist in the music biz.

On an upnote: Ghost states clearly that if you buy his CD and show it to him when he comes to your town, he'll personally kick it with you and ya'll can get "goosed up."

Sounds like a plan.

Via Fader

Sacred Harp Convention this weekend

2008-02-14T09:21:00.000-08:00

I'm stoked. And I'm apprehensive. I've been sick a dog for the past 2 weeks and my voice doesn't want to speak even, and when I try to sing in general i start to cough. But I'm going anyway. It means i'll have to miss a sunday farmers market (which i haven't been to for 3 weeks or more), and i'm jonesing for that. But the Convention only comes once a year, and the market happens 51 times a year so....

Also - I don't know what food to bring. Cornbread is always a sure bet...but I want to bring something else, but don't feel inspired.

Today i'm going to listen to my library of recorded tunes and see which ones I'd like to lead. I do love Rocky Road - but I led that last year...don't want to repeat myself. but I do love Rocky Road.

I know when I get there, i'll probably cough my brains out halfway through singing the notes of "Holy Manna" and then i'll be hooked and won't leave till the cut the lights off.

The convention is Saturday and Sunday. So if you live is Seattle and are curious heres the deets:

9:30 am to 3:30 pm (or so) each day at Sunset Hill Community Club, 3003 NW 66th St, Seattle, WA.

Maybe you'll come down and see what all the magic is about. You won't believe how fast this thing will jump all over you and won't let you go.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter (w/ salt on top?)

2008-01-14T10:56:00.000-08:00

Love love love that music biz talk.

love love love that Mac.

Love love love that david byrne.

Get well soon,

2008-01-04T13:24:00.000-08:00

I'm sad y'all.

I just found out that Nate Dogg recently had a stroke and is getting the help he needs.

I can't tell you how much each time i hear Nates smoove vocal drop into a track that i'm just mezmerized.

Get well soon, Nate Dogg!

(props to the sexxy snake head on that cane. fierce!)

Buskers! Radiohead! Thom Yorke! David Byrne! - A Stream of Consciousness Rave-Fest

2007-12-27T15:36:00.000-08:00

First, hats off for the busking adventures!

This new addition to ER is really exciting and just goes to show that when Dr. Confusion brings it, he brings it raw! That's right, honeys- smarts, a fine storyteller, and one hell of a looker (if I do say so myself). These little tales of magic and woe, of singing into the cold alone and with strangers, have touched my inner troubadour right where he lives....

So what else has got me excited? The new Radiohead album!! It's affirmative, chilluns, that In Rainbows is already out in the land o' the rising sun and will be available on CD stateside January 1st!

In case you've been living under a mossy stone in some forgotten forest somewhere, Radiohead's long awaited follow up to 2003's Hail to the Thief is a double-disc extravaganza that's been getting stellar reviews left, right and center. Many worldwide have already snatched up the album online, as it was originally made available back in October from Radiohead's website where you could choose your own price to download the album!

Speaking of Radiohead:

Thom Yorke announced that Radiohead will be "broadcasting a pre-recording of some songs and other bits on New Years Eve.." over at Radiohead.tv.
It starts at midnight GMT on December 31, which is in the early evening here in America, leaving plenty of time to go get ready to see Spoon or the Black Lips or R. Kelly or whoever.

-according to Pitchfork.

Mmmm. A pretty sweet way to spend New Years if you're going to be staying in....

And by the way, if you like Thom Yorke and Radiohead, then you might (and by "might" I mean damn well should) check out the recent interview that Mr. Yorke did for Wired Magazine. It gives some nice insights AND (!!!) his interviewer is none other than mega geek and music legend David Byrne! Talk about givin' the peoples what they want....

LINK to the Pitchfork article for more details on the Radiohead New Year's broadcast.
LINK to David Byrne and Thom Yorke on the Real Value of Music at Wired Magazine

Busking: Victory is thrilling and the taste lingers

2007-12-17T13:52:00.000-08:00

What up. w00t! for 100th posting down below. that video is indeed thrilling. Don't say yes to the man. mang.

After some terrible weather that kept me from playing at the market (woe is me?) - i ventured out yesterday. It was cold so my fingers were all kinds of stiff and clumsy and kept me from being any kind of nimble. But I played anyway and there was some great positive feedback. And for some reason yesterday was like "music community day". and it was great. some examples:

I was mid way into my fahey-ed up bron-yr-aur, and a couple folks lingered to listen. When I was done the Gent asked if he could strum a bit with me so I said "Hellz yeah!" and tuned up in to standard tuning as he fetched his guitar. Turned out he knew "lonesome Whistle" and was familiar with "I'll be your baby tonight", and he played some excellent lead AND sang high-harmony while I tried to keep steady time with some choruses so he could move around on his guitar. A most excellent player - he played me one of his songs and showed me the changes - i tried to keep up. Then his sister came up and said "We gotta go mang!" so I learned his name was scott and he was visiting from main and had to bail to go to another market. Well met and done scott.
Then there was robert who heard my corcovado, and let me know he was a busker too - and asked to play me one of his songs. I handed the guitar over and was treated to a easy-going song with loads of Major Sevenths and lyrics involving people coming to gether and Mother Goose Nursery rhymes. He told me he was a flautist as well, and would I be interested to play guitar and back him on flute up around town. I told him i'd consider it....i may not have the mental energy to add that to the pile.
Lastly there was Mike. He hung out behind his table (the fay farm), untill he heard "corcovado" and then he JUMPED over the table to confirm it - and started singing along IN PORTUGUESE! I said I knew Ipanema, and he sang it and asked to repeat the verse so he could scat and inverted "take the A-train" melody over the top. Apparently Jobim did the same thing. He then tells me he cried for a week when he heard the news of Jobim's death. Tip out a glass indeed. Turns out, that Mike is a Jazz bassist and toured around with the likes of Doc Serverinson. And he's a songwriter that wins contests when he's not making skin care products. He saw my hands and tipped me a jar of his hand-salve and a fin. (!) He said he dug the scene and I should come back and stand right across from his stand so he could hear. I said, "i'll be there".

Damn right i will.

On to learning "Manha de carneval", "O Pato", "reynardine" and "beeswing". wish me luck, and thanks so Scott from main, Robert, and Mike.
-Dr. Confusion

100th Post!

2007-12-11T11:23:00.000-08:00

Yay!

This, my babies, is our 100th post here at the luscious Effect Return and I've decided to celebrate it with a little Bobby Conn, who is in fact my new idol. I believe this clip is from 'Chic-a-go-go,' a public access dance show for kids and adults out of Chicago.

P.S.- Please, don't say "yes" to the man....

Awe, hell. I wasn't going to do this, but how could I only pick one when both these videos are so frickin' cool?? 'Home Sweet Home' may actually be my current favorite song....

This is How We Go Out

2007-11-23T23:08:00.000-08:00

Leslie Hall. Nuff said....

Santana Shreds

2007-11-20T09:46:00.000-08:00

I just wet myself laughing at these. hand to god - the funniest thing on the internet since some guy did a face plant on his bmx bike.

http://youtube.com/user/StSanders

they are ALL funny.

especially this one.

(shame they won't let us embed them)
Via Questionable Content.
-Dr. Confusion

Pack-Rat Confessions, Part 1

2007-11-09T19:27:00.000-08:00

About a week ago, I had all of these boss ideas for posts for the ER. But then, school happened, life happened, and I forgot what I wanted to say. eek.

One thing I've been noticing lately, though, is that I seem to have acquired an inability to get rid of music in my collection. I think I'm a musical pack-rat. There's loads of full albums that need to be purged from my music vault, but that I simply don't have the heart to toss out. Even worse, I don't seem to have the ability to break up albums either. For me, everything is digital now, so it would be so easy to simply keep the one or two good songs on an album and ditch the rest... but I can't. I simply can't bring myself to do it. There seems to be this issue of posterity that keeps coming up with me- that I want to keep everything that I can because it's all important somehow. This leads me to question: Am I building a music collection or a music library?

Maybe it's a library until I run out of space on the hard-drive, then it will become a collection...

Beach Party Tonight

2007-10-30T10:13:00.001-07:00

Tonight La Tostada and I get to see Yo La Tengo again.
I'm so excited.
Actually i'm a little sick, so I'm not as excited as I wanna be.

This will be the 3rd time I've seen them and they say that this tour is the "Behind the storyteller's music" tour or something. They say it'll mostly be acoustic with some stand-up mixed in, or something. La Tostada is thrilled cause she loves YLT's more quiet side - where as I can dig the skronky noise for a bit longer. Either way it's a win/win.

After I saw them the first time (not too long ago, acutally) i was inspired to add in more YLT to the GoA's songs. This song in particular cribs directly from Ira's use of Drop-D tuning and smacking the back of the neck just so to make that super sweet ambient chord that you hear a lot in their songs. Ira is a freaking genius with the way he twists and turns his electric all around to make all these textures.

He really gets me to thinking about the physical form of the person and their vocal/non-verbal epxression and the very well developed expression or avatar that some guitarists conjure up when they play. Like Keith for example. I keep saying I want to make a post/essay about this issue and Ira and Keith are perfect examples. You'd think Ira was narcoleptic on stage, he barely opens his eyes, and his vocals are very soft and gentle - but then he makes with these 15 minute long (or longer) skronk-anallias of roaring chords and squealing amps...it's quite something to see. and in general James is very tall and seems super gentle and sweet and Georgia seems like the shyest drummer ever - but then they can be the loudest, most abrasive band since White Light/White Heat. It is a marvel. And i'm lucky to get to see them again! yay US!

Analogies

2007-10-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

Amy Ray : Driver Education :: James Joyce : Ulysses :: The Existence : Life all at once

------

That is all.

(Mp3, Lyric) for the song

Is this what Deaner was talking about?

2007-10-26T13:22:00.001-07:00

As announced here, Ween have a new record out. And i'm stoked for it. A little bit of history of me and ween.

Geaner and Deaner are like two slightly older brothers to me. My cousin made me a tape at the beginning of 10th grade of some newer music, as i'd been on a steady diet of Zeppelin, Stones and AC/DC - i'd gotten my mind blown recently with The Velvet Underground and I knew from liner notes and other stuff that there were all these other bands that took the VU thing and ran. I knew about R.E.M. of course, but the Clemson radio station only came in when it was cloudy so i didn't have money to buy a bunch of records, so my Cousin made me a tape. Of all the stuff that was on that tape, They Might Be Giants (what evs), Chickasaw Mudpuppies (eh...), Jane's Addiction (now were talking!, but all their fans are so DRAMA-ey) Ween leapt out at me, shook my hand, and whispered in my huge ear "You can do this". SO funny, and SO lo-fi and so confident. So perfect.

So, I've seen Ween 5 or 6 times - and In 96 I think, i got to interview Deaner on the Mollusk tour for a local paper. That was difficult, it was my first interview - it was during soundcheck so we couldn't hear each other - and Deaner was very foggy after a nap and needed some coffee. Any way - it was a real treat to meet him and talk to a real hero of mine.

Deaner is an amazing guitarist - and being somewhat of a guitarist myself i have definite likes and dislikes - i don't as a rule like guitar solos. and I have walked Swiftly away from any concert that sounded like a "Jam Band" - Not saying that Ween are - they are not. But I have seen Ween do a, i'm not kidding here: i timed it, 45 minute version of LMLYP - which you could assert was a "Jam" of the "Wicked" variety. I think it is all to easy to fall into cliche and self indulgence when soloing on guitar. Having said all that

Here, watch Deaner rip something alive from the depths of the earth with his bare hands. This clip is long and it's mostly a guitar solo but not many people on earth get a chance to see this -

Microtonal Van Halen

2007-10-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

Oh man.

Ouch.

Head over to Create Digital Music and see some painful tech trouble. Both the Bass and Eddie Van Halen's guitar are playing a few microtones below their synth backing track. oof.

The Moby Equation

2007-10-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

Magnificent.

Only - they left out the most galling part of the whole Moby/Play phenomena - He was literally STEALING the good parts of his songs from unpaid african american folk artists. His offence goes WAY beyond the justified criticism that Elvis and most other white artists need to own up to, in terms of appropriating black music to a white audience. With Moby, its worse, because - he's not even copping the style of Big Boy Crudup - he's using the recordings of Bessie Jones and others and putting shitty, simple, Theory I first week re-harmonies under them with soft synths. big whoop.

And one more knife twist in this pointless post. He has this screed about being a Vegan in the sacred space of liner notes for this record. and on the cover, what do we see on his super-cool feet? Some nikes. some leather sneaks made by nike. Way to live in a glass house doood. here, take this rock and nail it to the wall.

(is she not amazing looking? and she knew *all* these songs. I wish i could have learned from her directly, not just from Lomax's tape recordings - but thank god for those)

Busking: Rounds 4 & 5 (ding! ding!)

2007-10-08T14:15:00.000-07:00

Not to turn this into a busking blog but:

That's been the biggest musical whatever happnin' in Dr. Confusion's world so - here's a collection of observations and anecdotes from rounds 4 & 5 of the great Busking Adventure of the Naughties.

I'm starting to really dig it, and I start looking forward to my sundays playing at the Ballard farmer's market all week.
So many kids
so many dogs!
every dog wants to sniff and maybe pee on the hat.
95% white men (who are not dads who have their kids with them) in their 20's are too cool for school and never smile, stop and listen, or toss coins. I think they must all be guitarists too.
Kids are the secret to steady change - they stop and stare, and the 'rents give them a quarter to drop in...it's a whole procedure...it's fun...i'm going to be learnign some Leadbelly kids songs (the good ones) to tailor to the wee beasties.
Round 4:

was total fun.
I got dressed up with a tie and my granddad's jacket
Right off the bat a guy comes up and says (seriously): " you have the air of the british isles about you. What part are you from?" I replied " I'm from Easley, South Carolina" and he seemed surprised. what fun! - song I was playing one of my new work's in progress which is a John Fahey'd up version of Zeppelin's Bron-Yr-Aur.
I hit a particularly good stretch on John Hurt's Big Leg Blues and a bunch of young kids started gathering around and actually dancing. that was crazy.

the one wee wee toddler went up to the hat and lifted it - he found out it jingled onnacounta the change in there and jiggled it once or twice and then full on slung the hat as far up as he could so all the change could clang down and the bills drifted back to earth.

The poor mom - she was worried and asked the kid to help her put the money back, but the kid was totally pre-verbal and just was looking around. she was all "i'm sorry" and i answered - "don't worry, that was HILARIOUS."

A nice couple stopped by and said they like the playing and I was extra thrilled at that cause i was doing a stretch of GoA songs. w00t!
The empire ice cream guys across the street from me dropped a dollar in and said they liked the set list (sweet!). So after I packed up I asked them what they liked (costello, Nashville skyline era dylan, maybe some more BRUUUUUUCE!) and didn't (not much, just don't play all along the watchtower 7 times in a row, like some people do {check!})

Then they gave me a free pint of Peach Sorbet. SCORE!

It rained most of the day and the strings got hard to play - but it was fun...i wondered if I felt like the Edge felt when they made Live at Red Rocks. god that video was awesome.

Round 5 (ding! ding!)

Got there late.
totally lost my voice and steam like, an hour into it (drag)
Just not on my A-game.
Started with my new fully learned "Prodigal Son" which i've been wanting to learn how to play for ummm....20 years. (yep. since i was 10 at least)

(shout out to Rev. Wilkins for being such a genius!)

Right off the bat got into a discussion with a nice new mom about Mississippi John Hurt and she recommended that tribute album that i want to listen to. I asked her if she wanted to hear "big Leg Blues" again, and she said yes...so I played it again, and she left (husband/partner stopped by and dropped some change, thanks!) and as she was leaving said in what seemed to be honesty: "You play very well, you're very talented" and I was just beaming.

After I tried to play "beulah land" but I had the I IV V right, but not the right capo/chords - oh well.

Empire Ice cream guy dropped a dollar after "Tonight, I'll be Staying here with you" and said "That is the greatest love song in the world" Fucking right it is.
My hat was pretty anemic on the money front till this guy wandered over as I was finishing up a song. He wanted to see what kind of guitar. I showed him, and he was like, "Humph! well...." as if that was a super fancy guitar. It is. And it was a gift (and the gifter didn't pay the list price, that's for sure). and I treasure it. and play the shit out of it. So i said "Yep. It's a martin, I want these songs to sound good to y'all, y'know?" and he did the head tilt/shrug thing that means "good point" in american non-verbal language. and I asked did he want to hear something in particular. He said "No, but how about a ballad? from the 70's or 60's?" I said how about one from the mid 50's? Cause I was just about to play "Long Black Veil". He stepped EVEN closer to hear it and i was getting nervous...so i just tried to keep as steady a beat as I could and sing it solid. I do it basically the Lefty Frizelle version but try to incorporate some of the Welch and Rawling's bits too. He dug it and when it got to the 3rd verse and it's clear what's going on he gave a little "woo" when he understood the action. and then he pulled out a five and made sure I saw it go into the hat. He said "Good job, learn some Eric Clapton" - I'm thinking he wanted to hear "Wonderful Tonight" but i don't think I'm going to learn that.
I think the market folks like that I stick around and play while they are packing up - rather than bailing as soon as the market's over and the customers leave. I like that too and want to keep doing that...I hope they like it...they don't really talk to me...but i overheard two workers talking and they looked my way and one said "I know, I love it" to the other one...and I THINK they were talking about me...but who knows.

I want to learn SO many more songs now... and really really really KNOW them...
I still need to keep working on my game...there's a lot more guitaring i could be doing, and my singing STILL needs a year or two's study and work 40 hours a week. ooohhh it's a fickle thing, my voice...it needs a LOT of work.

So that's what's happening - i'm still scouring my record collection to find songs I want to do and learn. This has been a great adventure and I really hope to continue to get better and better.

whew!

Talking Heads Live in Rome

2007-08-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

Boing Boing reported a few days ago that someone had posted an entire concert video of the Talking Heads live in Rome (circa 1980!!) to You Tube. Holy Crap.

I am and have always been a fanatical follower of this incredible band, who (along with Television) totally redefined the way I think about the interplay of the instruments in a band.

This show reveals why the great Talking Heads remain the stuff of legend, and the rich vibrant energy that they emit on-stage is intoxicating to say the least. In a word, this is a-w-e-s-o-m-e.

So grab a drink, get comfortable, unplug the phone, and put your rawk goggles on!

The Songs:

* Psycho Killer
* Stay Hungry
* Cities
* I Zimbra
* Drugs
* Take Me to the River
* Crosseyed and Painless
* Life During Wartime
* Houses in Motion
* Born under Punches

Live! James Brown, Michael Jackson, and Prince in Supersoul Throwdown!

2007-08-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

In keeping with the recent burst of video love, I just had to drop this clip of an old James Brown show where Michael Jackson and Prince both get called to step up from the crowd and onto the stage to add a little spice to the Godfather's mega-jive. Holy crack-rabbits, this is some cool sh*t....

She Wakes Up Just Long Enough to Rawk!

2007-08-17T18:21:00.000-07:00

This video I found at haha.nu is awesome. This little girl rocks like nobody's bid-ness!
I wonder how long till she can quit her day job?

Maple Practice Amp!

2007-08-17T10:58:00.000-07:00

Something cool featured on Make, is this swigity-sweet little practice amp that came from a personal website called nonentity. Really lovely work indeed! Check out a step-by-step (with pictures!) of how this hand-crafted beauty was made.

Guitarist Zack Kim Shreds Mario Bros.

2007-08-17T00:32:00.001-07:00

For all us tragically nostalgic kids who owned one of the first Nintendo game systems and who's voices changed not because of puberty but from blowing into game cartridges and screaming endless hours at the Koopa Troopas, here's a guitar virtuoso who feels our pain.

This is a priceless video clip I caught over at haha.nu of an Australian guy named Zack Kim playing the original Super Mario Brothers Theme on two guitars simultaneously using a finger-tapping technique that would make Eddie VanHalen proud as a pickled herring.

Check out his site for loads of links to similar videos he's made (including other video game themes!).

***Edit!***

Awe, screw it. Here's a few more unique samples of the Mario theme I found on YouTube after posting Zack Kim's. Enjoy!

Classical Guitar:

Flute and Beatbox:

11 String Bass:

Drums and Bass:

Major League Soccer Gets Adidas-Sponsored Anthems

2007-08-16T11:39:00.001-07:00

Look out, soccer fans!

Adidas has teamed up with a number of artists under a new promotion they're calling "Represent" which enlists well-known musical talents to 'Represent' their home towns by penning and performing original fight songs for their local Major League Soccer Teams. This is a great idea in that it's wicked fun for soccer enthusiasts and music lovers alike, and allows a closer sense of that pride and community that our European counterparts enjoy with the sport.

Visit THIS site set up by Adidas, click through their landing page, and select your favorite MLS team to listen to and/or download their new fight song for free! To save time, here's a run-down of the line-up you'll find:

Chivas USA - "Chivas Explosivas!" by Akwid

New York Red Bulls - "Woo, Alright, Yeah... Uh Huh" by The Rapture

Real Salt Lake - "The Mighty R-E-A-L" by Meg and Dia

Colorado Rapids - "Goal!" by Rose Hill Drive

Houston Dynamo - "Houston Dynamo (Don't Play)" by Mike Jones

FC Dallas - "H-O-O-P-S Yes!" by The Polyphonic Spree

Los Angeles Galaxy - "We Are the Galaxy" by Kinky

Kansas City Wizards - "Ain't Nobody Gonna Stop Us Now" by Blackpool Lights

Chicago Fire - "Here Comes the Fire" by Ok Go

Columbus Crew - "It's Your Crew" by RJD2

Toronto FC - "TFC" by Barenaked Ladies

D.C. United - "DC United" by Bad Brains

New England Revolution - "Revolution" by Damone

iTunes Stops Playing Those Mind Games, Sells Lennon Solo Stuff

2007-08-15T16:57:00.001-07:00

I remember back when I was just out of high school I applied for a job at a record store. On the application was a question: What are ten bands/artists that you think deserve more recognition? I tried my best to fill the list with obscure, intelligent choices to show my prowess as a discerning audiophile, but I was laughed at when I went in for my interview because riding atop my A-list of brilliant underground jazz artists and indie-sceners was the Beatles. I remember the guy's face now- "you think the Beatles should be more popular?!" Um, yeah, why shouldn't they be? Looking back at the decades of legal disputes that have kept a new generation from exposure to the Beatles and their solo work, I still feel the same.

That's why I was happy to come upon an article in the Journal Star today reporting that iTunes, which has been slowly but surely warming itself up to the release of Beatle's material owned by the EMI label and Capitol records, has just made available 16 of John Lennon's post-Beatles solo albums. I for one am happy to see it- even though my Lennon/Beatles collection already overfloweth, to say the least- and think it's really about time. It's a shame that the work of one of the most influential and prolific artists of the last century, one of those few individuals who actually had a hand on the hammer that hewed out the genre that is now modern popular music and helped it to be regarded as a serious art form, has been plagued with such difficulty in the release of his music (with the Beatles and solo) through any legitimate, legal digital music provider. I guess there's also a certain amount of sentimentality too, thinking that John Lennon is not alive to negotiate his music's release on his own terms.

It should be said though, that despite the catchy title of this post, EMI has surely had a healthy hand in keeping the Fab 4 from the ears of a new generation who listen and live online, and so have the Beatles for that matter. It took decades for the royalty disputes between EMI and the remaining members of the band + Yoko (via Apple Corps) to be resolved (a $59 million resolution, from what I understand) and the feud between Apple Corps and Apple Inc. over trademark infringement has only recently come to an end. All friends now? Who knows, but all this law-suiting has kept many music lovers literally licking their lips for nearly two decades anticipating this turn.

I guess to many, of course, the real news was when Steve Jobs announced that iTunes would carry music by the Beatles earlier this year. I realize too that Yoko Ono already released a remastered collection of John Lennon's work to many online music stores like Napster and MSN Music, but that too was a long time coming. Anyway, iTunes is the largest online music store and they should be carrying the work of music giants like the Beatles and John Lennon. So, this is indeed news.

Oh yeah, and just for good measure, here's "Mind Games" from Lennon's "Walls and Bridges" album to help you celebrate!

Busking, Round 2

2007-08-07T19:04:00.000-07:00

I jumped up and act a fool and did it again.
I went back to what I learned is called a "pitch" back on Queen Anne and tried my fingers and throat again at busking.
I went a little earlier in the day this time, and wasn't as thorough with the sun screen, so i have odd burned patches on my right tricep and neck. I was there not quite as long - about 1.5 hours (i had some time constraints) and i earned nine dollars sixteen pence in tips. Not bad!

I gave one dollar away to a homeless dood who boozily wobbled up to me and said he played guitar, and that he'd had 7 guitars stolen from him down town (indeed sad), asked if i thought the pizza shop would give him a slice if he asked - I said "take a shot, who knows?" he came swaying back with a hot slice of cheezy goodness and then asked me for a dollar out of my hat. Well, friends - it's hard to say no to somebody who had such a story and seing as how we were both looking down at the hat with it's couple bills and shiny coins all arrayed just so I said, sure - take a dollar. Small price to pay for some karma i suppose. I got blessed by the cheese filled slightly yeasty smelling fella who then headed off to more adventure no doubt.

No dog pee this time. that's a plus.

I worry i'm getting greedy...I spent some of my pay pretty quickly down at the Arab Festival going on at the Seattle Center - and it sort of stung! I either need to not spend my take or maybe move to a higher traffic area - I don't want to get locked in to thinking "busking = that one pitch on queen anne" y'know?

Musically i had a good time - i need a broader collection of songs and instrumentals to shake it up for me, but I, on the spot, figured out two Dylan "licks" that I'd been wondering about forever. one is that quick hammer-on pull-off thing he does in in "Hollis Brown" and the other is the G variant chord in "Billy 1 - 4" . I was thinking he did it with an open tuning, but it turns out its the same chord/lick trick that's used in "Girl from the North Country", "Spanish Boots..." and Tom Paxton's "last thing on my mind" where you've got the G chord and you move your fingers into a C with your 1st and 4th fingers on the G on the high and low E strings...you know what i'm talking about. {jguitar lists it as possibly a G 6th, suspended 4th - which makes sense harmonically - i'm in love with Jguitar.com}

Also - I'm working on my own version of this song below. I can't top this - ever, but i can try and that second chord is such a pleasure to play. I could play that second chord ALL day. RT does it here with thumb and 2 or 3 fingers and that gives it a very "English" sound. Since i'm still learning the American country blues finger picking style I'm doing it with thumb and index finger. but anyone whose heard Rev. Gary Davis knows that those two fingers can bring on a FLURRY of notes.

Richard Thompson, man. I used to think that Jimi Hendrix was the most creative and possibly the greatest guitarist to have lived - I don't think that as much anymore.

Last thought - whose living room is that? How do I get Richard Thompson to come to *MY* living room and play one of the best songs in the universe?

Willie Nelson on Vinyl

2007-08-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

There is just not much more pleasant than opening up the doors and windows, when the air is still bright and morning like. And dropping a needle on to the grooves of some Willie on vinyl. Sure, there are some instrumental tracks that don't really move the story along, and the story kinda doesn't make sense - but then really does make sense. But there is such magic in this record and listening to it in two halves and watching that black disc circle round and round - it's just special.

Just good and pure and sad and happy and tragic and fun, simple and difficult, joyous. In a way few pieces of art in any medium
succeeed this record (played on lovingly preserved vinyl) is pure, muddied, Art.

(p.s. - Thanks to Sonny and Margaret for letting me have this when they downsized their vinyl collection)

Beyoncé Battles Stairs, YouTube, and Aliens

2007-07-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

Has anybody seen the footage of Beyoncé's recent fall in Orlando?

Apparently, she took a face-firster down 12 stairs during a concert then got up, dusted herself off, and kept workin' it! Some concert-goers reported that Miss Knowles even appeared to be bleeding. The show must go on, I suppose- bravo, Queen Bee!

After the show, Beyoné requested that no one release any video footage of the fall on the internet, but it surfaced quickly on YouTube anyway. Sony music yanked it, though, by the time I got there. Doesn't matter anywho because I managed to find some stills of the video that was released to Fox News and the quality is so bad you've got no clue what you're even looking at- could be Beyoncé falling down a flight of stairs, could also be a fuzzy bootlegged scene from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

Probably the second, I think.

*Edit* Maybe, it's both....

Where You Been?

2007-07-29T00:39:00.000-07:00

To anyone who might have thought that I'd been devoured by dinosaurs or pushed off a cliff for insurance money, I apologize for my glaring absence from the Effect Return over the past couple of months. School and work have been alternating, taking bites out of my pearly-white seat cushion, and I'm just now getting my head above water. Fortunately, our man on the scene, Dr. Confusion, has stepped up and been posting overtime with a fury that would make even the 300 Spartans proud.

Thanks, Dr. C, for keeping ER alive!

Starbucks Label on the Move with Mitchell

2007-07-29T00:20:00.000-07:00

So, there's been a little debate here at the ER over the new Starbucks record label, and new developments are abound. We mentioned before that Paul McCartney had signed to them, which he did, and his album "Memory Almost Full" has already sold 447,000 copies, 45 percent of them in Starbucks stores, according to the Sun-Sentinel.com.

Now Joni Mitchell has signed on with the Hear Music label to release "Shine," her first album of new compositions since 1998. Very interesting, indeed. The label is apparently planning to sign one more artist this year and another eight more in 2008. Considering who's already on board, it will be exciting to see who will be the next to get snared into Starbucks' silky web of ingenuity.

First Busking Experience

2007-07-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

This Sunday (that just happened) - I took the advice of my very lovely and brilliant Wife. She said "you've been talking about playing on the street forever, so here's my idea.

I'm going away for a couple days - so practice your favorites
Then go to a neighborhood where no one knows you
don't tell nobody
Play 10 songs, and if its a terrible time - you can bail and noone's the wiser.

So, I did exactly that. I practiced a couple songs, and made a list of more than 10 songs to maybe do. and I fiddled, I faddled , I dawlded, and I procrastinated harder than ever - until sunday afternoon, after doing all the laundry, cleaning the floors and doing the dishes like 3 times. So I was at my computer listening to the Great Rev. Gary Davis, and reading about his life. And how he played on the street for more than 35 years. and I just felt "If I don't go now, i'm never going to do it"

So I jumped up and ran out the door and immediately caught the bus going downtown, I hopped off in Lower Queen Anne, and walked up the Hill - To work off some of my nerves. At the top, i stopped across from a safeway, where the food traffic would be heavy-ish, but I could be set back from the sidewalk.

I was pretty nervous so I started with Corcovado and played that a million times so I wouldn't have to actually sing. And then, i tried "lonesome whistle" - But it took me a million tries to find the right note and the right first chord...

I was playing a bunch of country songs, and San Andreas (which I could play forEVER) - but generally the stuff that seemed to put the strollers by at ease and enhance the pleasant ness of their day were the instrumental stuff. To maximize money from that crowd it's definitley less John Cale and more John Fahey.

I did make some money - the first in my life that I've ever made from music. I made eight dollars fifty cents. The first dollar was from a lady what that walked by her dog wanted to pee on my guitar case. She was successful in diverting the pungent amarillo stream away from my trusty case - to which i'm eternally grateful. After securing the incontinent beast she scurried over and dropped the first dollar in to my hat. Thanks much Lady.

I ended up playing about two hours...I included some GoA stuff, and just going until my fingers hurt, and my voice was blown out, and then I left. Feeling pretty triumphant.

More later!

Nercore Undercover

2007-07-10T17:49:00.000-07:00

My homie, Z - from Hipster, Please! has put out his very own compilation record of Nerdcore and semi-quasi-demi-tasse nerdy musicians. That's RAD. and he gave me a shout out... so right back atcha Z!

Go Steve!

2007-07-05T18:49:00.001-07:00

Let it be known that I agree with Steve Albini in just about every way he illustrates. He's a super smart dude and had brought a lot of good music into this world. I wish I was more like Steve. Right Now.

Merlin Mann and John Roderick

2007-06-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

Here's two WAY too smart guys being way to funny talking about playing guitar.

It is.

Elucidating.

(and part 3 of 4 total parts so there's lots more.)

Ravi Shankar Compresses Time Because He Loves You

2007-05-25T09:49:00.001-07:00

The Hindustani art music version of playing a Beethoven symphony in 3 minutes.

This. Is. So. Punk.

it's one minute of the Alaap, one minute of Jhorl and Jhala - then it's on to the medium and fast Ghats for the remaining minute. when it was done I cheered. out loud. at work.

Poseidon's Harmonica

2007-04-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

This is one of the most awesome things i've ever heard of:

The Sea Organ in Zadar, Croatia.

It's like John Cage and Poseidon and Brian Eno all made love to the same idea at once!

There's video!

found via metafilter.

{update: Just hold the phone, This website is giving me a case of the thrills!}

Dancing, Mashups, and Missy Elliot's Unstoppable Kung-Fu

2007-04-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday night was off the chain.

Turns out, one of my favorite Mash-up Dj's (assemblers?, synthers?, Grafters? - what is the term for someone who makes a mash-up?) DJ Freddy, The King of Pants lives in Seattle and hosts a mashup and illegal music dance party at my favorite places to go out - the Re-bar - every 3rd Saturday. This is sort of like being a new convert to catholicism, who lives in Rome, and is thinking about joining the priest-hood being informed that the Pope, in fact, lives down the street.

Dj Freddy is a a super nice sweet-heart! We got there sort of early and I went straight to the booth and let him know I was so excited and I had just put his "Badd To Me" on my latest Ugata disc, before I knew he was from here - and he immediately added it to the mix...DOPE!

So we and the crew went and danced for Approx 2 and 75/100ths of an hour. It was fantastic. But the mash-up dance party has a inherent - i don't wanna say flaw - but you know how to fly a plane has to over come the drag that the atmosphere produces? that same atmosphere that allows the plane to fly? it's kind've like that.

Mash-ups are great cause they re-contexualize the familiar, and the juxtaposition factor can be thrilling - but it can also distance from the core initial response we have to it. For example, i was struck by how well the underlying rythmn of "Come as you Are" works as a dance beat - but doesn't sound like a traditional dance rythmn. And I was boogie-ing away - but then, i realized I was thinking about the music too - so not really lost in the dance sort of vibe.

That to me indicates that, at least for me, a Mashup can be much more cerebral than kinetic, in a sense. Of course, the more seamless and alarming the juxtaposition - that is, the more skill fully the mashup is executed - the less this is an issue. But it does mean that a mashup dj needs to be on point, in a way that a regular dance music creator doesn't.

Also - sometimes it seems the juxtaposition can be a hindrance to "getting the party started" We might all be philistines, but there was a palpable surge of energy on the dance floor when a mashup had a section of song that was just a pure source from one track. There was a sense of releif and of "HEY! this is what i recognize!" feeling - when the both lobes of our brains had been furiously listening, dancing, investigating, remembering, and processing flipped over to - "YAY! this is the music AND the chorus to the same Madonna song! WOOO! let's boogie a little harder!"

Don't let this make you think that mashups aren't good to dance to. We're going back next time frankenboot drops at the rebar. It was mad fun and the experience needs to be repeated over and over again.

Seriously. It was fun and we'll be back. More to come!

Also - Missy Elliot sounds incredible rapping over Any, and Everything.

The Masterclass

2007-04-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

This, my fellows. Is how it's done.

May The Lord Bless You, and Keep You, Mr. Rooksby

2007-04-17T15:40:00.000-07:00

My good friend Thom hipped me to the author from britain, Rikky Rooksby.

He said he wrote some neat books about guitar. So I checked one out from the library, "How to write songs on guitar". At first I was very skeptical. But in the introduction, Mr. Rooksby got right to the heart of the matter. The gist was, you can muddle through and write some good stuff - don't forget to do that, but if you have knowledge of whats happening in rock/pop music - you can create good stuff (with YOUR distinct spin) on it faster, and easier.

I was hooked. And now I own nearly his complete bibliography. and i'm scared to give him shout outs, cause if somebody knew how much of my new songs were handed, handed to me from the good prof. rooksby - well i'd be ashamed. But while rooksby is giving me the knowlege, i'm still putting stuff together and it still sounds like a "Dr. Confusion original". I've been given our bought these books:

I'm still on the fence about buying the Riff book, and the Arranging book. But If I get a fraction of the knowledge from those two as I have from the other books - that'll be money well spent.

I might break down each of these books and their strengths here. But for starters I wanted to give a hearty shout out to my new long-distance mentor. And thank him for the doors he's opened up for me in my songwriting.

Wurster on Random Rules

2007-04-12T17:41:00.000-07:00

Jon Wurster is funny. and he plays the heck out of the drums for my favorite band. Here he is talking about what's on his iPod. I'm stunned that I care about this so much. No.

No i'm not.

Ugata Heardis update,

2007-04-11T17:26:00.000-07:00

Y'all know about the Ugata Heardis Project right? Right.

We'll i sent off my recent discs and posted my tracklist and some thoughts about the songs here.

Build High For Happiness!
-Dr. Confusion

Music Saves Lives

2007-04-06T09:09:00.000-07:00

Seriously.

This soldier's iPod helped slow down an AK-47 round enough to not pierce his body armor. Thanks iPod!

Ooops. Looks like this story could be a fake. Boo! if it's a fake! BOOOO!!!

MS to ditch some DRM too.

2007-04-05T14:55:00.000-07:00

blip!

As is their wont - Microsoft saw what Apple did and thought to themselves: "well, we'd better hop on that ship before she sails!"

Still, encouraging news all around!

BTW: I've hefted and messed around with the Zune. Give it a pass. I found it to be slow, and you had to click the up and down buttons a quarzillion times to do anything. I know Apple has got the hottness locked down with their patented Click-wheel, but still - My Neuros was similar, but it had a smarter layout and you could skip ahead in the alphabet, which I couldn't figure out with the Zune. Maybe i'm dumb.

Apple Get's its Sh*t Together and Dumps DRM

2007-04-02T13:08:00.000-07:00

Boom!

Here's some pretty sweet news:

Mr. Steve Jobs has just announced that Apple will join up with EMI to offer the entire EMI catalog on iTunes music store....

DRM free!

The announcement was made today and the new 'free tunes' will be available for download in May. The new music prices will increase 30% to $1.29 per song, but the quality offered will be upped to 256 kbs in AAC format. Interestingly, iTunes will continue to offer the DRM music as well at $.99 per track, giving music listeners a choice. (not sure about the thinking on this, but whatever...)

So the price goes up, but the quality's better and there's no DRM to contend with. The hike in coinage that it will take to buy the DRM-free music from iTunes has another benefit too, as it will give a more even advantage to smaller distributors.

Another cool little tidbit is that (as near as I can tell) full albums will remain the same price (!) and you can 'upgrade' any previously purchased iTunes DRM music in your library by simply paying the $.30 difference. That's cool. Also from what I understand DRM videos can be stripped of their DRM for free.

Apparently, back in February, Steve Jobs actually sent out an open letter to record companies encouraging them to dump DRM restrictions. Mr. Jobs stated in the letter that the only reason iTunes implemented DRM in the first place was because the major music labels wouldn't distribute music through iTunes Music Store without the DRM restrictions in place.

I know that this won't mean anything at all to many people who get their music from eMusic or elsewhere, but the fact is that this is a huge (although inevitable) step forward for the world of music. As long as the concept doesn't bomb (and why would it?), then everyone else will very quickly jump on-board and the DRM monster will be effectively slain.

Great work, Apple!

P.S.- In case you're wondering (and why wouldn't you be?) The Beatles' music, which EMI owns the rights to, will still not be released along with the rest of their catalog as of yet.

***********Dr. Confusion jumping in here********
I think this is great news. But, I worry. I'm worried that, in pricing the DRM free tracks higher, the sales will be lower. So, in the future both Apple and EMI can say "Look at the figures...there's no demand for DRM-free music." If they priced the non and the with DRM tracks the same, the ideological argument would trounce the economic for doing away with DRM. If feels weird, a a little bit galling to have to pay to remove the noose you didn't ask for. Like, how unrefined brown rice costs more than processed rice. Knamean? There's less labor involved in the process so why do I have to pay more? On the whole, this is a very encouraging sign!

****a Myku Update*****
Yes, indeed, it is a backwards way of doing things. I can only imagine that it's because they're (for some reason) trying to "phase out" DRM instead of doing away with it altogether. I truly hope that it doesn't backfire, but for some reason, I don't think it will. Maybe because there's such an overwhelming populace of people who want DRM to die. We'll see what happens. I think, though, that the new DRM-free tunes are of a higher bit-rate than those currently available on iTunes Music Store.

Another Apple update here too: I just read that iTunes Music Store will now give you credit towards the purchase of a full album if you've previously purchased tracks from that album. They'll just subtract what you've already paid from the album cost. I think that's really sweet.

Some Amusing (and Not-So Amusing) RIAA Updates

2007-03-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

I recently ran across these few links regarding the RIAA that I found funny and/or disturbing:

Here's a story on Techdirt about a few universities finally getting a little backbone and standing up to the RIAA's scare tactics. The RIAA has been putting pressure on colleges to 'rat out' it's students by way of handing over IP addresses from university networks and the like. It's nice to see that at least some of the houses of higher education have decided not to cave under the unscrupulous extortions of the RIAA.
On a more pathetic note, the kind-hearted souls at the RIAA recently attempted to sink their talons into a 10 year old girl (who was actually 7 at the time of the alleged illicit downloading activity) in Oregon. The girl's mother, 42 and living on Social Security Disability Assistance, insists on the girl's innocence.
Here's a funny little diagram of the RIAA's lawsuit decision making process called the RIAA Lawsuit Decision Matrix, posted on BBspot. The author gives a link to larger jpeg and pdf versions of the image that can be printed out and circulated at your office or where ever.
Finally, here's a nice blog run by two NYC lawyers called "Recording Industry vs The People," which is 'devoted to the RIAA's lawsuits of intimidation brought against ordinary working people' and is ripe with stories like the ones above. A good resource for tracking the madness....

Mac on the record industry

2007-03-28T16:25:00.000-07:00

Continuing the theme of music industry pondering. Here is Mac from Merge interviewed about the state of the plastic disc manufacturing and distribution industry. They Play a little arcade fire, and a little Spoon, Lambchop and such.

It's fun.

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/soundcheck/episodes/2007/03/27

Clemens Kogler Creates Crazy Video Collage for Clark

2007-03-27T03:52:00.000-07:00

Illustrator/digital animator Clemens Kogler has come up with an absolutely gorgeous music video for UK musician Clark's song "Herr Bar". The vid, which is an animation created from photos of the human body arranged to form animals, landscapes and plants, is really quite beyond description. Clark's music is very nice as well, although a bit reminiscent of some of Richard D. James' more ambient, less drill-n-bass, stuff. Regardless, the music and images are married perfectly, and it is a lovely way to spend a few minutes.

Enjoy....

Snoop, Not Britian's Cup of Tea

2007-03-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

According to an article over ta CNN, Calvin Broadus, AKA Snoop Dogg, Mr. Shizzolator himself, has been refused a visa to perform a series of concerts in the UK. Mr. Dogg, who is co-headlining a European tour with Sean P. Diddy Combs will now, apparently, be unable to perform at the tour's five dates in Britain.

Snoop is not entirely innocent in Britain's decision, however. The bad-ass rapper was involved in a ruckus back in April of 2006, when he and five other men were arrested for violent disorder and starting a brawl.... at London's Heathrow International Airport??!!

Big up yourself, Snoop; few people can boast that.

Anyway, Snoop's people are hoping that the situation can be rectified (as the show must go on), but no news yet on that one. Good luck, Mr. Dogg....

-Check out Snoop Dogg's Official Web Site.

Deerhoof @ Rolling Stone

2007-03-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

Deerhoof is so much fun. They were recently here in tha "C," but I was unable to attend.

*Sadness floods my drab southern room; the flowers wilt; goldfish hold their breath in sorrow; somewhere in the distance, a clown is crying.*

Oh well, I'll just have to console myself with the new video for "The Perfect Me" available at Rolling Stone's site. There's also a vid for "Dog on the Sidewalk" on the same page.... Off the chizzain.

Also, for more of Rolling Stone's Deerhoof coverage/support check out their Deerhoof Page, ripe with articles, album reviews, photos, videos, and a little audio player that lets you tune in to 'Deerhoof Radio' and/or listen to the 5 most popular Deerhoof tracks on Rhapsody.com.

Love ya, Deerhoof. Catch you next time around....

McCartney Due to Release Album on New Starbucks Label

2007-03-23T03:09:00.000-07:00

Damn!

Well, Paul McCartney has just been the first major artist to sign with the newly formed Starbucks music label Hear Music. Apparently, big Paul, one of the most important musicians in the history of modern popular music, has been enticed by the coffee chain's new music venture because of its "commitment and passion" and "love of music."

Great news for Starbucks too, who are (obviously) hoping that other big-name artists will follow in Mr. McCartney's footsteps. Bad news, however, for me who emphatically expounded my rather un-optimistic opinion of the new Starbucks Hear Music label. *Searches for spatula, removes egg from face.*

It will be interesting to see who else climbs on board the new label that I previously likened to a "sinking ship." This doesn't change my view of the record industry in the least (and why would it?), but it is an interesting development in this story. And to Mr. Dr. Confusion, *tips hat* nice call- hindsight is 20/20, foresight rarely is.

Funky Robot,

2007-03-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

Y'allz:

Check this squishy robot that dances (interactivly, not-preprogrammed) to Eric Bachmann and Spoon.

Make sure you choose the video link "keepon dancing to spoon".

Nerdcore show write-up @ hipster, please

2007-03-20T11:05:00.000-07:00

What up!

My write-up, with video, of the Nerdcore show featuringThe Mediocre Tour is up now at Hipster, Please! Check it out if you wanna see me lose my metaphorical mind.

Word.

---A little "P.S." by Myku----

Wow! This is really first rate! I think anyone who hasn't really had any exposure to Nerdcore (like yours truly) can get some straight-schoolin' from Doc C's excellent write-up and video coverage. And, don't forget to hang around 'Hipster, Please!' for a few afterwards and dig deeper into the scene.

Thanks, Dr. Confusion!

OMG! OMG! the synergy!

2007-03-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

I don't want to spill the beans but: I just completed my latest Ugata submissions and I opened with two different variants of the Dr. Who them on each disc.

I've been going through a bit of a Dr. Who renaissance lately and it just seemed fitting, do put them on and now look what i found posted today at the mostly entertaining and fun website Create Digital Music: a post with video on the re-recording of the Dr. Who them for the 1980 season. ROCK!

THEN! The next post is all about how Delia Derbyshire could beat match on MULTIPLE reel to reel systems. If I weren't already SO happily married I'd be on the next ferry cross the mersey to co-habitate with the genius that is Ms. Derbyshire.

Ah! the brilliant synergy of the internets! my neurons are singing a song of hope and recognition!

Byrne Speaks on the Future

2007-03-19T04:19:00.000-07:00

Mr. Doctor Confusion sent me a LINK to this little snippet in Boing Boing about a presentation by David Byrne where the music icon muses that record labels will soon be obsolete and that he currently gets all of his music from eMusic or via illegal download. Mr. Byrne quotes issues with DRM for his not purchasing music online from distributors like iTunes. Very interesting indeed. I might try to dig up more on this, but thanks for now to Dr. C for catching this cool piece of info!

Starbucks Records?

2007-03-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

So just gliding in on the tail-feathers of my last post about how the music industry is a 'declining empire,' is a story I found in USA Today reporting that Starbucks is on the cusp of launching its own record label. Um, ok.....

It is debatable whether this is a sound move for the monster coffee corporation or not, but I believe they're jumping onto a sinking ship while everyone else is scrambling for the life-boats....

*Open slot; insert 2 cents.*

************2007-03-15***********

A Dr. Confusion rebuttal:

Ah, but see. I think this the smart move and shows the necessity of working around the fractured system that's currently in place. I'm pretty sure that Starbucks records are ONLY going to be sold inside a starbucks - right there that eliminates the need for paying for end caps at a record store like EMI or sony do now, or working out deals with wal-mart AND ever independent record store in medium and large towns. Plus, they can distribute the new CDs on the same palates that they deliver the coffee and cups and junk - removing/absorbing lots of shipping costs.

And who cares about radio/payola to get radio airplay - if you play the record instore - you're probably targeting and HITTING more people than radio in some markets AND (watch me now) they've got disposable income a-plenty (they're already in the starbuck for their luxury item {coffee}) AND the unit to move is RIGHT THERE next to the register for the impulse buy. Game, Set and Match capitol records! And it is now in your face.

Plus, they just need to work up some TV spots to say "HEY! new Norah Jones starbucks special snoozy live performance, only at starbucks" to get folks jonesing for their coffee AND to pick up the cream of the lifestyle-music crop. It's all is the synergy of the coffee, the starbucks cafe "experience" (seriously - the Pottery Barn's inventory is just cribbed from any starbucks interior design) and now they're just providing the convenient at-home soundtrack to that "experience".

It's almost worked on me with that Dylan thing they had a couple years back.

Sounds like a pretty genius move for Starbucks and one more bell toll for the extortion racket that was the plastic disc manufacturing and distribution cartels. Over all, I think it's a good thing but i think that the heterogeneration of music and it's distribution is a good thing on the whole. We could write a book on that subject. Thanks for letting me step on your post!
Dr. Confusion

******* ...and later, the same day... *******

Dear Doc Confusion:

First, I'm so glad you did step on my post because I think you've made some awesome points. I still have some problems with this whole endeavor, however. Let's dive in and take a look....

First, Starbucks will not be selling their label's music exclusively in Starbucks stores. The USA Today article states that Starbucks' "Los Angeles-based Hear Music label will sign its own artists and sell records through Starbucks stores and other retailers." It goes on to quote Ken Lombard, president of Starbucks Entertainment who said, "We're not setting this up so that Starbucks stores would have any advantage over other retailers." This negates most of the advantages you've listed above I'm afraid, and turns the new Starbucks venture into just another record label.

I would be inclined to say, then, that Starbucks would do well to look at things from the perspective that you've just taken, except.... Well, there's something that bugged me from the start about this whole deal, but I couldn't put my finger on what my problems/concerns were until I read your addendum to my original post:

If, in fact, Starbucks was planning to distribute their label's music exclusively in Starbucks stores (which they aren't), why would any artist want to be on a label that would only sell their records at a Starbucks? The draw of the atmosphere and the loads of potential impulse buys would be great for the Starbucks company, but what artist would want their music delineated to an 'impulse buy?' Would 50-Cent have ever gone multi-platinum if his only venue was next to the register at Starbucks?

Not to mention the fact that the "luxury item," which is the coffee, that is drawing people in is substantially cheaper than a CD (which is the impulse item). Isn't the impulse item usually cheaper than what the customer originally came in to buy? I can understand if you're at a record store and go, "Hey, I was going to spend $15 on a CD, I don't mind dropping another $1 or $2 for this little peace-sign key chain with a skull in the middle." But, if you're at a coffee shop and are only there to spend maybe 3 or 4 bucks, you're not going to very nonchalantly decide to spend 3 to 5 times more (plus the price of the coffee) at the register than what you came in prepared to spend in the first place. And, that's if you only buy one CD. If, for example, you buy 2, you're already spending in the neighborhood of 10 times more than if you'd just bought your cup of coffee.

Plus, I can't see people lining up outside a coffee-shop to buy the new Norah Jones CD. But if they did, Starbucks (and people who like to go there for the coffee/atmosphere) would have a problem on their hands because Starbucks would have to totally rearrange all their stores to make room for the CDs and the CD shoppers, and Starbucks as we know it would become a retail store... bye bye atmosphere. And if, perhaps, you're thinking that it could turn into something as cool as the Starbucks/Barnes & Noble combo, think again. Why? Because at Barnes & Noble you can snatch up a copy of "Naked Lunch" and sit there reading it (for free) over an espresso.... Everybody wins. In contrast, I can walk into my local Starbucks right now, pick up the "John Lennon's Greatest Hits" CD from beside the register, sit down with it and my cup of coffee, but then what? All you can do with a CD (until you get it home, that is) is sit there and hold it, and what's the allure of that? It doesn't add to the experience at all.

Ok, so it seems that if we do write a book on the subject, this might be an entire chapter by itself! I realize I've been a bit long-winded here, but I'm excited by the discourse, to be honest. Holla back and let me know what you think- we've never done this kind of posting before, and I'm interested to see if it takes us anywhere weird.

P.S. After re-reading what you wrote above, I realize that we've both been really hurling rocks at what you termed "the plastic disc manufacturing and distribution cartels" recently. Rock on.

-Myku

Behold, the Declining Empire

2007-03-08T21:28:00.001-08:00

If you haven't heard the hoopla regarding the newest bit of battling over musical content on the internet, check THIS out.

I am more or less outraged by the RIAA's push to suck internet radio stations dry by imposing ghastly royalty rates on them, but this post is not entirely about that; it is about the fact that I feel that this a pristine example, an uncomplicated omen, another point of light in a constellation spelling ultimate doom for the record industry as it has existed and been known to us in our lifetimes. There is a new direction on the horizon; a cultural revolution involving artists, society, and the corporations that have traditionally linked the two.

What, then, will the new direction be? I will not (and can not) offer speculation- I can only say that it's an exciting time. It is my hope that artists continue to push the envelop, inventing new means of circumventing the powers that be in order to see a more direct flow of revenue straight from the hands of the listeners into the pockets of the creators- middleman be damned. We need to realize as a society of music listeners and music makers that we exist at a point in time that is unique in the fact that we no longer need record companies to act as brokers in what could be an extremely beneficial relationship between artist and public; so, why don't we start dealing directly with the artists whose work we love instead of with the record companies and groups like the RIAA whose work is becoming an increasing intrusion, as well as an assault, on our personal sensibilities and listening liberties? We don't need anyone telling us what music we should or should not be listening to, what we should or should not be buying, and overtly attempting to corral us all into some sort of top-40 vacuum that profits only a few to the detriment of music as a whole.

I believe the problem, however, is that too much of what would be called the 'opposition' to the aforementioned Goliaths is comprised of a largely disjointed populace, yet without singular vision, not united and, therefore, still without the power to invoke necessary change. The internet, for sure, is full of independent music, but a large chunk of it is made by people like me. So? What's the problem? I think a lot of artists like myself are just looking to put their music out there and get heard. We've been making music for years at home, with friends, in private, and at drunken parties; we've been lucky to scrape together enough dough to dip into a studio and cut a demo of blandly produced snippets of our 'best stuff,' or to have a friend with a four-track we could use to record a few extremely questionable, quality challenged opuses that would largely be considered unlistenable to most people. We are the huddled masses finally breathing free via the conduit of affordable home-recording software and the ease of making digital media available on the web, the everyman (and woman) who once stood mute behind an invisible podium now handed an open-ended ticket for a center-spotlight performance and top billing at an online 'open-mic night' that at any given moment might play to one solitary listener or to an audience of thousands. Because we are basically 'weekend warriors' and so have minimal expectations and no power or pull within the 'industry,' the question of the future of music only lies with us as much as we can become united under one flag.

Likewise, a great deal of the responsibility for change rests on the shoulders of professional artists. It is for those intent on making a living in this crazy business to forge new means of contenting all of us who have been so accustomed to the ease of getting new music online (often, ahem, for free) while somehow simultaneously turning a profit. I am not trying to pass the buck here, either. I believe this is a natural progression that will inevitably be felt out anyway as artists seek to rectify the gross inconsistencies plaguing their profession of choice and attempt to take advantage of a changing marketplace that will not continue to play by the archaic rules of an obsolete game. How this will come about is not clear. Maybe it could be from artists using the internet for self-promotion (MySpacers do it all the time) and making the actual scratch from live shows and merchandising. Perhaps, the biggest hit and the scariest prospect to artists who decide to cut out the middle-man 'play ball' with internet users is not the lack of revenue from CD sales (since most of that goes to the record companies anyway), but it's the absence of that old cliche of getting 'discovered' and being offered a 'big record deal' and a gargantuan fistful of cash.

However, as times change, more and more brave souls will just wing it and work the system as best they can. Plus, a new generation of artists are emerging who have known little other than the market that now exists and will no doubt bring about innovations in the way that music is thought of and handled, innovations that for now are just barely beyond visibility out there on the horizon. I, for one, am hanging on the edge of my seat waiting to see who comes out and turns the industry (and the world) on its ear.

Bye bye, Evil Empire. It's only a matter of time.

Seuss Via Zimmerman!?!

2007-03-08T12:10:00.001-08:00

God bless the internet for giving us all a voice and a venue.

I just stumbled upon something and had to share. It's a fun spoof album featuring a Bob Dylan impersonator singing entire Dr. Seuss books! If you're looking for something a bit different, spread your little wings over HERE and check out "Dylan Hears a Who!". It's a nice effort and all the tracks (as well as album art) are available free for download. Sweet.

Why is Life So Hard?

2007-02-22T23:05:00.000-08:00

So I've got a 30 gig ipod and I've recently run out of storage space.

What's this mean exactly? Well, naturally, it means that I have to sift through my music collection and essentially triage albums and artists. This is hard, man. I mean, seriously, how do you choose between "Birth of the Cool," "Walkin'," and "Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet?" It's like the age old question, 'would you rather be stabbed, hung, or shot?' Just set me on fire and get it over with.

Not to mention the fact that I'm really going through a kind of 'discovery' phase, picking up loads of albums that I've never heard but that the rest of the free world has know about for decades. Case in point, Springsteen's "Born to Run." OMMFG! If this isn't a great album, then what is??? I'm also seriously getting into Built to Spill and have just discovered some classic old school Elton John and a whole slew of Bowie's early stuff that I knew of but hadn't actually heard. Now I've cut Madonna's "Something to Remember" and just left "The Immaculate Collection," I've shamelessly disregarded Coltrane's "Impulse! Years" two CD set and just left "My Favorite Things" and (of course) his album with Johnny Hartman, but my question is, 'where's this all going to end?' I'm eventually going to wind up at a point where its easier to pull my own hair out than to decide who's more important to me, Elvis Costello or Tom Waits, Built to Spill or the Archers of Loaf, Miles or Dizzy, Orff or Prokofiev, the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, David Bowie or Lou Reed, Cibo Matto or Deerhoof?

Ok, now I might cry. As my music collection grows and my interests and experiences expand, I can't help but long for a day when hard-drive space is simply a 'sky's the limit' situation. I look forward to a society where all the world's music is accessible at any time and at any place. Let's end the misery, shall we?

*A tear falls into the abyss....*

Go, Shorty, Its Your B Day

2007-02-21T22:03:00.000-08:00

Yo, straight up for real, if you ain't heard Beyoncé's "B Day," do yourself a favor and blow off your crew and your girl or your guy and go buy this sh*t, friends.

Miss Knowles has been bringing the funk for a while, but she's always managed to tangle her albums up in just enough pop/mainstream R&B to keep me away from wanting to own a full recording. I've just heard a single here and there and thought 'wow,' but I have always known what I'd be in for if I purchased the entire CD....

Now I'm not trying to dis mainstream pop music (but really I'm dissing the f**ck out of it), but I've never really been able to get into it because.... well it would seriously take too long to discuss what's wrong with modern pop/R&B as a whole....

But the thing is, on "B Day," Beyoncé is slangin' things on a totally other level, people. This is not an album that can be ranked with Fergie's latest or whatever: a (possible) staple of the moment/the times, but ultimately a collection of largely forgettable music. "B Day" is like listening to classic soul updated for modern times.

Now, I'm not trying to put this album up on some crazy high pedestal. Let's be straight- this is not "James Brown: Live at the Apollo," but what it is is a breakthrough for Miss Knowles, and I am simply tipping my hat to an artist who's made an album that is hot hot hot and pretty much rocks very very hard. For anyone who heard "Crazy in Love" and thought 'I wish there was a whole album like that, but I don't want to buy some top 40 crap CD with one awesome single' I will refer to the first sentence of this post and say, 'go out and buy "B Day," people!!!' Its good.

If Beyoncé continues to develop in this direction I'll build an altar to her in my home and risk estrangement from my wife. This album is almost a very important one. What's that mean? Its like when Peter Gabriel left Genesis and had to make 3 records before he got it right. Its like when Elton John came up with "Honky Château;" it wasn't "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," but looking back you can see where things would inevitably end up. If this doesn't make sense, or if it seems a little over the top, I'm sorry, but I'm still giving some props to the B for coming out with a record like this. This isn't one of the greatest albums of our times, but its very encouraging. Keep rockin', Beyoncé, you got enough soul to make history....

Silverman is Magic

2007-02-16T23:22:00.000-08:00

Wicked.

So, if you haven't seen Sarah Silverman's concert vid "Jesus is Magic" yet, do do do see it, please. You will laugh your twin towers off, and that I guarantee. Only problem is... it's not for the squeamish or the easily offended. The lovely and talented Miss Silverman tackles every conceivable politically incorrect topic and takes every conceivably offensive stance on said topics. She really comes across so snide and unaware and you hate hate hate the fact that you can't help loving her. Her performance here epitomizes those people that you most love to hate, but its all irony, folks... and thank god, because if it weren't miss Silverman would be well on her way to being assassinated by now. That aside, she does some great stand-up and some great songs too! I would totally watch this more than 3 or 4 times... I think.

The Convention is this weekend,

2007-02-16T11:25:00.000-08:00

The Washington State Shape Note singing convention is this weekend.

If ya don't know anything about Shape Note Singing, you can find out more here. and the above link.

This will be my, I think, 4th time hitting up the WA state convention. But it'll be the first time I go for both days. I'm pretty excited. Although, i'm a little wary of getting up at the crack of dawn on both a Saturday and a Sunday, and making some food early.

It's pretty great - they always get some singers from Alabama to be treated like rockstars, and Last year in the morning I sat next to a Nun the whole time from Lopez Island. A Nun y'all! So we've got what started as a mainly protestant form of congregational singing - and catholics, even Nuns show up. And don't get me started on all the fantastic singers from Portland. Those people are FIENDS for the Sacred Harp. Word on the street is they sing regularly, EVERY day. ain't that something? and how many wiccans and poly-religious folk are in that number? ska-tillions of them. Folks can get tripped up by the overt religious nature of the texts that are sung. but the text of Sacred Harp tunes are light years away from your standard hymm texts. Sacred Harp tunes are the Nietzsche of christian liturgy. It's all about hardship and struggle, and missing friends and family. To me, it barely even seems like it's any kind of christian in nature - but that might be willful deception on my part. Regardless, the singing strikes a chord in a lot of people, including atheists. And for some in the South, hell, even up here too, Sacred Harp Singing - becomes their church. It's almost like this strange analog to Sufism, in the way it is part of a tradition, but is also outside the mainstream, and has a vastly different agenda from the mainstream.

I'm at work so I've got to run.

As for bringing food for the dinner-on-the-grounds potluck: I'm thinking Cornbread as some point. and maybe some pinto beans. Vegetarian sides are still hard to come by at these things, even way up here in seattle.

Word.

Portastatic! Hobart!

2007-02-13T08:56:00.000-08:00

Last night was the Portastatic and Camera Obscura show. As it turns out, T-Money wasn't feeling well, at all. So I had an extra ticket and called up th' homie Hobart, of HOBART fame. (BTW, Hobart #7 is at the printers and will be getting sent out soon, so get yo' copy. It's the ART issue. so it's full of, ART. and words).

Hobart didn't know a thing about the whole Mac/Portastatic/Superchunk thang, so he had to listen patiently while I ran circles around him in my enthusiasm.

The show was great - Just Mac and Margaret. And they started low key, but by the end - it was gripping. The best part was when Margaret picked up the tiny keyboard for "___" (oh, heck i can't remember the title, I'll post it later) and played some mighty lonesome casio-tone. {see below}

By San Andreas, and I wanna Know Girls - I was sweating and wishing the set were twice as long.

Camera Obscure was solid. I admit, on the slower numbers i was feeling how late it was, but they had a string of about 3 uptempo numbers, and the lead singer was rocking this big epiphone ES-335 looking guitar through a blues driver and a fender twin, and it was this propulsive Velvet Underground/meets ballsy twee-pop/50's dance hall that really was rocking. and by rocking i mean, lets all dance cause there's nothing you can do but dance. The photos of the Camera Obscure set didn't come out at all. I suspect there is a hint of irony in that somewhere.

Photos are below:

Mac and Margaret gettin' into it, y'know (in my best R.L. Burnside voice)

Margaret soothing us all with the Casio-tone. (the Ninja Turtle sweatshirt guy may or may not have been painfully alone)
It does not get any more hardcore awesome than this.

Night Night Hobart. Let Chewie howl you a lullaby

Prince,

2007-02-08T12:31:00.000-08:00

Go, Just GO over to the you tubes and watch (again) how Prince just nails everything about a live performance. It's over, people. There's no more good reason to make songs, record, or play in front of people. There used to be needs to make that stuff. Now, there is only wants. From the superbowl half-time performance on, every new piece of music is just gravy.

I love this too, at a press conference before the show he played some music and then stopped and:

Officials had warned that Prince would answer no questions, but he pimped the room by taking the small stage and saying, "Contrary to rumor, I'd like to take a few questions."

When a reporter lobbed a softball, Prince and his four-piece backup band replied with ear-shattering music. Then he continued to play for some 10 minutes before the performer signed off, saying "See you at the Super Bowl. Peace."

ha HA! Suckas! That is what it's like to be a the TOP of your game. And Prince at the top of his game is the apex, the apogee, indeed the very event horizon of everyone else's game.

Podcast Fever

2007-02-06T18:05:00.000-08:00

So, I've lately begun to seriously enjoy listening to podcasts as opposed to music on my way to school. I'm swiftly becoming addicted, in fact. Why?

Well, in some cases, I believe there's a certain quaint enjoyment to be found in listening to the personal podcasts of individuals as it is much like listening to someone's blog. As can be expected, this experience may bring a certain feeling of being connected to a greater community, creating a web of "friends" that you don't know and who don't know you but will nevertheless air their life's dirty laundry and their innermost hopes and fears for you to connect-with/laugh-at. But it may also, at times, become brutally laborious, as you careen through the average Joe's pensive recounting of his/her daily banal minutia of why they chose a certain brand of toothpaste or why why they decided to rent "Brokeback Mountain" instead of "The Devil Wears Prada" at the video store. J. Michael Haas puts a nice twist on his personal podcast, "The Daily Purge," by including excepts of his writings at the start of each installment. After his readings, however, the podcasts often degenerate to him talking about his cats.... This is the reason that I don't listen to podcasts like this too often. So what, then, do I listen to?

Mostly, I've found myself listening to podcasts like Boing Boing's new one, Penn Jilette's "Penn Radio," "Democracy Now," "Real Time" with Bill Maher, etc. These (and like a gagillion others I've recently decided I can't live without) sit in that greyish news/current events/editorial/entertainment zone that helps career underachievers such as yours truly feel connected to what's going on in the world. Of course, this feeling comes largely from listening to others rant and rave about how our society is coming apart at the seams. Oh well, it's better than not being informed at all.

On another note, Indie Feed has a collection of podcasts that are seriously cool and fun give you a little taste of various artists and whatnot. Likewise, KEXP is rocking my world lately too, injecting my earbuds with all kinds of new artists and sweet live performances.

Let us also not forget discipline specific podcasts like "Inside Home Recording" and the many Photoshop Podcasts out there. What better way to stay ahead of the game?

If you're not yet "into" podcasts, I guarantee that once you start searching, you'll find a plethora of casts that fit your individual tastes. Recently, I'm listing to/watching (ipod video, ya'll... holla!) audiobooks, radio shows, poetry readings, personal blogs, political debates, news, new music releases, etc, and finding myself absolutely thrilled with the wealth and variety of information that can be carried with me wherever I go. Maybe this is a passing thing for me; I can't say for sure. But with so much quality content out there.... how could it be?

This. Is. Dope.

2007-02-02T10:54:00.001-08:00

This idea was rad and blew my socks off when Crooked Fingers did this on the "Dignity and Shame " tour. I got goose bumps just thinking about it, and set about on the internets for quasi legal ephemera to re-create the experience.

It was cool then and it's STILL cool (ghoulishly cool to the touch) when the arcade fire does it too, and they couldn't have picked a better song to do it with.

Check it here.

New as of today

2007-01-25T10:14:00.000-08:00

Just to keep the blog breathin' heres whats rocked my world recently.

Chapelle's Block Party:

It's fantastic. It rocks and is very funny. You want chappelle to be your best friend. It's the greatest concert video ever made - and i'm including the woodstock doc AND Don't look back (I'll even include Renaldo and Clara too.)

The music is fantastic and urgent and smart and made me run to the library and fill in my knowledge of Dead Prez, Talib, the Roots - all of them.

The fugees weren't that impressive to me - so maybe, i'll say that woodstock and renaldo and clara edge this out. but the rest - oh man - and the urgency.

Rent it soon - buy it. These folks deserve to be heard and your life will be better for it.

Good Stuff from eMusic:

Ever since I found out about "manha de carneval", from the film Orfeu Negro - i've been kind of obsessed with the song. The film has been re-released by criterion and it's pretty awesome - but I'm digging just the soundtrack myself. I've got about 6 different interpretations, and i'm learning the changes in my real book as much as I can. Which brings me to my real point - I love Vince Guaraldi's Charlie brown Christmas record (you have NO soul if you don't) - but I didn't know where to go to explore his other works - and lo an behold, he's got a record called "Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus", and i'm digging it. It's not really a bossa nova record - he takes the melody and harmony, but then kind of straightens out the rhythm to be more North American regular swing. But its still pretty rockin'.

I'm learning that my Jazz tastes seem to run to the mid 50's west coast jazz flavor. Chet, Vince, Gerry Mulligan. But I also picked up a couple of bedrock famous Monk records, and I'm digging those as well.

Also - i grabbed some Bach. Which is a big step. But its just the cello suites, which you here in every high and low budget merchant ivory picture but still - you can not funk with the nasty dunk that is Bach writing for a solo cello. It is rock and roll when Tennessee was still without the white man for the most part.

And that's the new stuff. What's rocking your boat?

It's hard out here for a band

2007-01-23T17:08:00.000-08:00

That needs a bass player.

Yep. the GoA auditioned another bass player - who had chemistry and talent - but is a smart guy under time pressures who needs to focus on his own music.

Last time we auditioned a bass player and they left, we recorded an album. Well, it looks like we might do that again, thanks to this as an inspiration:
www.rpmchallenge.com - Home

i'm out!

Best of 2006.

2006-12-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

I listen to a lot of music. But I listen to a lot of music made ALL over the place, timewise. I'm usually not real sure when a record is released cause I grab lots of stuff from the library, or eMusic (and none of the eMusic has the sweet herion high providing liner notes). So I'm not real sure which records got released this year. So here's my list of the top 5 records released this year (i think), which i heard, that I like, in order.

1) Ghostface's Fishscale.

2) Portastatic's Be Still Please

3) M. Ward's Post War

4) Yo La Tengo's I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass

5) Constantine's Tournament of Hearts

Sorta weak though - cause if I look at that list that is 5 of only 8 records that I've listened to that I know came out this year. Ok 9, if you count the 4 Wolfmother songs I heard riding in a friends car. That was pretty awesome.

{edit: the one's i didn't include were: Neko's Fox confessor, Ani's new one, and Rassmussen's Condemnation EP}

And in terms of masterpieces only the top 2 will be forever. The other's, i'm sad to say have some skipable tracks for me. but you can't win them all - and look at all the goodness around.

I hope Myku pops in right here and gives us his thoughts.

Oatmeal is good for you

2006-12-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

Sup!

just found a new synth from that list of goodies that was the previous post that is the bees knees.

it's called Oatmeal and you can get it free here.

use the large skin. trust me. and then get this skin when the guy is done with it. It is way awesome. you just hit the random button and get a great new sound. woooo!

These folks make a bunch of presets for Oatmeal. Onliest thing is, i can't seem to get them to load. I think the patches are for an older version but i'm not sure.

This synth is very powerful and low cpu usage. and so far i've gotten loads of sounds out of it. Now the top contenders for never spending money on a synth ever are Oatmeal, Crystal, Auger, and Synth1. man! that' some good synthing!

Round up of free music tools

2006-12-01T09:24:00.000-08:00

Why re-invent the wheel? I want to have more aggregation of free music tools here at effect return so to get started - here's some new hotttttness.

Create Digital Music � The Best, 100% Free Music Plug-ins - Just Add Host

How I learned to stop caring,

2006-11-30T11:55:00.000-08:00

And stop reading pitchfork.

I've had it. I only spent maybe 5 minutes looking at pitchfork. That was five minutes wasted.

I'm cranky and here's a symptom. Regardless of whether or not taking the beatles music and mashing it up for french-ish contortionists in the Le Circ is a good idea or not, here's the 2nd paragraph:

"Glass Onion" was Lennon having fun with the Beatles myth, referencing his earlier songs and mocking the tendency to "decode" them that would eventually get way out of hand when Beach Boys pal and "Never Learn Not to Love" composer Charles Manson sent his minions into Beverly Hills to commit mass murder. "Glass Onion" was Lennon's attempt-- on the fly, while the band was at its peak-- at recontextualizing his Beatles work, to remind us all that music is supposed to be fun. The joker was laughing with us, jabbing an elbow in our sides to say, "Hey, we're just a pop band here, folks."

You silly, silly person. If you'd ever done any research AT ALL, instead of just remembering there's some connection between manson and the white album you might look up something snd find out that the White Album was the catalyst for manson to go off the reservation - AND you'd find that the song "Glass Onion" was in fact, ON the fucking White Album. One might even say that there are grooves on the vinyl disc that when played at 33 and precisely 1/3 revolutions per minute sounds mimicing the song Glass Onion would issue forth. Like tissue paper from a spastic cash machine.

I want my five minutes back.

Update: I'm a big loser - the paragraph says eventually get out of hand with manson. i missed that. Note to self - take some remedial reading comprehension courses at the local middle school. grade: amateur. Sorry about the outburst.

More Corporate Thieving, Compliments of Microsoft.

2006-11-19T22:49:00.000-08:00

Apple Matters | Zune Marketplace's Absurd Pricing Scheme

So, the Zune is out and making all kinds of waves. I checked it out myself and wasn't really interested for a variety of reasons, namely because I could give a f**k about sharing music that I'm not allowed to own with friends when that music will expire in three days (which is one of the 'great' unique features Zune boasts), etc, etc. I represent the kind of consumer that doesn't own an MP3 player so that I can use it as a 'magic key' to somebody's online music store- I just want to put music on the thing (music that I own, music that I can transfer to ANY device).

Now, I have to say that I do not take sides on the whole 'Apple vs. Microsoft' battle-royale. Personally, I dig the iPod- I use it, I love it, BUT I have never once used the iTunes Music Store- not once. I mean hey, let's face it, if I wanted to load up my 'Pod' with 20,000 songs from iTunes MS (at $.99 a song), it would cost me roughly $20,000, wouldn't it? So, I'm not really into online music stores as a rule anyway, no matter who's counting the cash. That being said, I have to dog on Microsoft's new online endeavor (that's linked to the new Zune media player) a little anyway.

I'm a little put out by something I read recently about Zune Marketplace's use of a 'points system' in place of currency for buying songs. This is supposed to be so that XBOX Live users can win points (and for a few other reasons that seem largely inconsequential to me), but the whole equation comes out very shifty because there isn't an exact 1:1 correlation between dollars (or cents) and points. Microsoft forces you to buy points at a minimum of $5 blocks ($5 = 400 points) and their songs (which are 79 points each) come out to be like 98.75 cents per song. This is great right? Cheaper than iTune's 99 cents per song right? Well, sort of, unless you take into account that you have to keep buying in $5 blocks if you hope to ever break even.

You see, Microsoft essentially gets to pocket the inevitable left-overs because it's not 'real' money there in your account- you bought 'points' not 'songs'- end of transaction. So, unless you make it your personal mission to use all your remaining points up, which entails buying more and more and more points at a minimum of $5 each purchase, you'll never get as much music as you actually paid for- so are you really saving money when you're forced to spend more to get your money's worth? Not only that, but until you spend up all your extra points (which is undoubtedly an endlessly futile thing to attempt), Microsoft gets to use your unspent change as an interest-free loan.

And, in case anyone is wondering about how much purchasing you'd have to do at Zune Marketplace to use up ALL the money that you paid in, the only way that you could break even (without actually losing money) is to buy music in increments of 31,600 points ($5 = 400 points, 79 points = 1 song, and 31,600 is the LCM of 79 and 400). That means to get back ALL of your money, you are forced to buy 400 songs, which will cost you $395.

What a deal!?!

Ugata Heardis

2006-11-15T13:33:00.000-08:00

Some highschool friends that I recently got in touch with have a neat thing going on. They call it the Ugata Heardis project. So far there have been 2 complete rounds with the third round in progress.

The way it works is that you

have a list of cats who are "in" for the round.
Each cat who is in gets a list of the names and addresses of the other cats who are also in.
Then, you serve up a mix cd or double gatefold mix epic of songs and audio that you feel your peers just MUST be exposed to. Hence the name : Ugata Heardis.
Then, if there are 6 cats who are in you make 5 copies of the disc(s) {6 minus your self = 5} and send them out to the peers.
After a while a survey is emailed out to the peers from a co-ordinator where you vote for your favorite tracks from

Each album that you didn't submit
Your favorite tracks over all that you didn't submit.

The co-ordinator then tallies up the results of the most popular tracks over all and you get to see which songs from your mix were favorites.

There are a couple of minor sub rules such as, no more than 2 tracks from one artists (the project is about exposure and breadth, rather than say making a mix and the last half be the B-side to Tattoo You. No matter how tempting that might be.

It's really a great idea. I love making mixes and I love the veritable avalanche of new music that you get. And it's great to hear other folks exercise their mix/dj skills. Most folks theme a mix and then the cover art can get off the hook. It's good times. This last round that i've joined in on has a sub-theme: Running Blind. Which means you send out the mix to be appreciated WITHOUT a track list. then, 2 weeks later you let the folks in on the secret of the artist and track names. So, if you REALLY want your peers to appreciate the suble colors of your pat boones and perry coumos, or your insistence that Tuvan throat singing is far and away inferior to Tibetan throat singing - you can. You can torture or show mercy.

I've already received a set in the mail One entitled Black Black and is a batch of industrial assaults that attempt to burn my face chemically. the other is Strawberry Pocky - which is chocked full of cartoon, raymond scott style musics, and some actual standup comic bits, with a sugar coating of Pop Songs. what fun.

Spread the culture of the Ugata Project. It is unseemingly tasty. It is, yea, unwholesome in it's delights.

Mr. Inflation/greed, meet Mr. Emusic,

2006-11-01T11:27:00.000-08:00

Sope.

Emusic is changing the way they price stuff out. They gave us paying customers a heads up and said: "You'll be grandfathered in, at the same rate charge per download, but if you bail and comeback the deal won't be so sweet." That's pretty fair when you raise rates, as rate raises go. Of course they then reminded that you can bump up to a higher price and if you pay annually you'll get the maximum value but.

But. That's just it. I'm getting 65 downloads a month from them...I tend to burn them all up in one binge, so i'm always coveting more albums than i can fit in in a month, but here's the REAL rub. 65 tracks is JUST about all i can bring into my stable and process and give a good listen to and evaluate and be cheered by, or depressed by in a month. Frugality dictates that I stay nice and safe where I'm at. but the spendy part of me screams "VALUE!" at about 120 inner decibels, or indebs.

I'm torn, i'm NOT torn. I am in the words of Abraham Van Helsing, last night during Coppola's homage to "the Shining"'s torrents of blood, Un-Torn. caught between caring and not caring.

-Dr. Confusion
+++++
A quick shout-out to Myku who has been a posting whirlwind here and at his spot. The internets are enriched by your efforts.

MySpace, 'Hustlin'

2006-10-30T20:35:00.000-08:00

MySpace to block illegal use of copyright music | CNET News.com

So MySpace is finally 'putting it's foot down,' implementing new technology that will allow them to stop users from posting unauthorized copyright music. Supposedly, they've been getting flack from some of the 'giganto' record companies (and who hasn't) and have decided to cave to the pressure.

This may be more strategic than it seems, though, considering MySpace aims to eventually offer copyright-protected songs from major record companies, and will soon begin selling songs from nearly 3 million unsigned bands. Really quite an ambitious move, if you ask me:

1. Oust the 'music pirates' and appease the major record labels, cleaning-up your image in the process

2. Make deals with said labels to distribute their music on MySpace now that 'everybody's friends again'

3. Begin capitalizing on all the independantly produced music being distributed by the many bands who use MySpace

4. Bask in the glow of an ever-expanding empire

Smart stuff, MySpace. I just hope that those who've been posting their own original music for free will be allowed to continue if they so desire.......

The Record Industry Loves You (and Other Such Bulls#*t)

2006-10-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

The Problem With Music

For all those hopeful rock gods and goddesses out there, dreaming of striking it rich in the music industry as soon as the right chance comes along for your exemplary vision to be recognized and appreciated by the 'powers that be' at some monolith gargantua of a record-label, this article, from Maximum Rock n' Roll #133, written by Steve Albini may just scare the buh-jesus out of you (or at least make you want to trash a hotel room like your heroes do). The article, a staunchly pessimistic trip down a rabbit-hole filled with broken promises and cremated dreams, details the problems encountered by newly 'signed' artists when dealing with a major label.

Pay close attention to the run-down of how much the artists actually walk away with after all is said and done. And record companies have freakin' nerve to push that morality-button and say that 'every time you illegally download music online, you're stealing money from the artists.' How can you steal money from them that's already been stolen?

In short, record companies are evil (unless one wants to sign me).

Tom Waits: Father to 56 Orphans

2006-10-28T00:14:00.000-07:00

Tom Waits has put out a 3 CD, 56 song collection of new and archived material called "Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards" on Anti, and I for one think the world could do worse than a little extra Tom Waits.........

There's a great write-up about "Orphans" by Waits on the page as well.

ANTI- Album - Orphans

Laurie Anderson

2006-10-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

I just spent the better part of one of my classes huddled around a computer with the teacher and a few other students digging for and watching clips of Laurie Anderson performances online. I believe this was kicked-off by our professor musing over Anderson being the first and only artist in residence employed by NASA.

An unlikely duo, or a match made in heaven? (really, no pun intended)

For Those About to Mix.......

2006-10-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

Booyah!

It's never too late to start treatin' yourself right with some free music. I just came across Basic.ch, a site that boasts internet radio as well as live & archived dj mixes. The archives actually look quite huge too...... Wicked.

Religion IS Marquee Moon

2006-10-14T20:04:00.000-07:00

I was driving just now, from West Seattle, back up to Ballard.

It's been cold and foggy and at night the West Seattle/99 stretch of highway is all container ports, those big cranes, the piers into the harbor, the black black, forever black of the bay - then there was the low clouds covering up half the tall buildings down town. Very awesome visually.

To top it off, i had put in Marquee Moon, and cued up the track Marquee Moon and set about to driving in that very intense, careful way that I do. And I swear, as the sodium lights were streaking by, and the flat black of the harbor was on my left. I had a religious experience. Not the kind where you've got the music on, and the lights are wonderfull and then God starts talking to you. Nope. Mine is where the visuals are happnin' and the spectacular, spare, and complicated, emotional music that was on 9 or 10 on the volume dial IS religion. God doesn't speak to or through Tom Verlaine during that song. God takes notes. God says "Oh."

Curtis Mayfield tells us if there's a hell below, we all gonna go. Well, i guess that makes the blapheming alright then. Keep my seat warm, Curtis.

-Dr. Confusion

First Impressions

2006-10-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

This. new. record. is. awesome.

some how cozier than the prev. A little more "studio" sounding than bright ideas. Put it SAT -ways and it's

Meet the beatles : Bright ideas :: Revolver : Be Still Please

At the same time it feels, sonically more expansive. And the songs. man. the songs sound, well - they sound all grown up. The progressions are intricate and the melodies are sure footed and poignant. and it all sounds very thoughtful. My God. this is an excellent album so far. Buy it.

How to treat a brother right,

2006-10-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

Y'all remember when I was thrilled about the Portastatic pre-order?

Well. The record just fell into my mailbox. That is they way to brighten a day. They loaded me up y'allz. I got:

An invoice with a sweet sharpie scrawled "61" letting Merge know I wanted the hot mess. (w00t!)
A new streamlined Merge sticker
A Portastatic post-card for "Who Loves The Sun"
A Be Still Please poster with Mac getting some wave action
The Some Small Things You Can't Defend demo CD inscribed by the man himself. You can bathe in the silver sharpied handwritten glory below:

(The underscore lets you know that this is indeed, Mac! who is dropping the science on the unwashed masses, without the need for punctuation, for punctuation is a brute's tool.)

And finally , the Be Still Please album itself.

For the grand total of $13.00 American. And I got it, all the way across the Continent 3 business days before that record drops en la tiendas. That, young scholars all, is how you win and keep a customer, and turn him into something unwholesome in his enthusiasm.

I'm speechless.
And I'm Out.

A Little Shout to the Wolf Parade

2006-09-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

Hot Dizzam!!!

Why is Wolf Parade straight rockin' my dirt marble recently???!!!! For some reason, I didn't think that much of them when I first heard their stuff, but I'm slowly becoming a true believer. They are bombs, ya'll.

BTW, I first heard them @ Sub Pop's site (see 'Free (legit!) Music' for link).......

Yo La Tengo's I am not afraid of you and I will beat your ass

2006-09-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

Ok killahs,
I just listened to the first three minutes of the TEN MINUTE(!), FORTY SEVEN(!) second album opener of Yo La Tengo's New Record. And lord god, it has given me sensations that would call for quinine and last rights were I reclining in the darkest Congo, not in a crumpled office chair in a mole-fart stagnant media basement. Typing furiously, as if this were my last actions on this earth.

With all deliberate speed listen to this album and support this band! I cannot underline this enough, even if I owned all the quills in cornwall, let alone, east anglia.

***

[update] - the party don't stop. the slaying track in question can be obtained, coveted and polished from obsessive rubbing, for FREE - on the up and up, courtesy matador records here. (direct .mp3 download link)

Ghostface and portastatic

2006-09-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

I kna he's a RIAA artist and all, but DAMN! Fishscale just keeps bangin' and bangin'. That record doesn't ever stop. Why am I such a philistine that I don't really like listening to late 60's - 70's soul - but if Ghost samples some i'm like, "Thats my JAM, right there!" and it's SO good?

Ghostface official website @ defjam.com

***

Also - i don't know if there's time but: Mac and the portastatic are making a new record and if you get in on the 1st 100 pre-orders, they give you a bonus disc for free. Dope.

**
Also, Also - my flaming lips exposure is limited to : Soft Bulletin. But if I had a florin or a gilder for each time i played the record, OR if I had a half-pence for each time i played a TRACK off that record - I would line the streets of walterboro with such precious onyx and jasper that the sun itself would have to set out of envy.

About Me, School, and the Jelly She Don't Use….

2006-09-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

The News:

Ok, so I'm sure our millions of readers have been wondering what in the h-e-double-hockey sticks happened to me. Well, I recently moved to Columbia, SC and started at the U of SC as a studio art major. Thanks, BTW, to Mr. Dr. Confusion for so aptly and sentimentally presenting this news to the rest of cyberspace.

Anyway, aside from being busy with school and the wife and staying up pretty much all night every night painting, I've been listening to loads of music. And, let's talk about that because, after all, that's why we're here, mammal.

Down To Bidness:

I was walking to school today, with the MP3 on shuffle, when "Chewin the Apple of Your Eye" came on. Now this is a very cool little acoustic-low fi type thing that sits right around the middle of The Flaming Lips' album Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, and breaks up the record great. It got me thinking about how I'd heard "She Don't Use Jelly" back when it came out (around '97, I think??). I remember hating that song and thinking that The Flaming Lips were just another idiot, no-talent band trying to skate in on the corporate side of the then new musical genre called 'alternative.' For some reason, the song just rubbed me the wrong way.

Of course, I'd never heard of the band at that time and so didn't have the affection toward their music that I do now- This left me wondering how much of my change in attitude (regarding "She Don't Use Jelly" specifically) was contextual and how much reflected my now different musical outlook. To state things more clearly: did my tastes change so dramatically, or did I simply accept The Flaming Lips' silly little ditty as a 'classic' after having been exposed to so many (other) masterworks by the group? I mean, how differently do we view individual works by an artist when we have other works by that same artist to compare them to? I think it often makes a difference to me, as I seem to be willing to cut more slack to artists that I respect when they come up with a silly or a lower standard piece of work.

This is not to say that I consider "She Don't Use Jelly" to be a lower standard work, but when you hear it by itself does it wreak of brilliance? What if I'd heard Transmissions from the Satellite Heart and it had sucked? What if "She Don't Use Jelly" had been the best thing, hands down, on the album? What then? Would I have said, yeah, The Flaming Lips, I was right about them……they S-U-C-K!.......(I'm stickin' with Nirvana.)

Makes you think, or at least, it does me. I need to go through my record collection and try to see some of the music I listen to with new eyes (or new ears, rather)- Shuffle is good for that. It also makes me think how you can develop a 'personal' kind of relationship with an artist over time and exposure to a greater bulk of their work, and through this relationship, begin to view their works with a sort of knowing 'familiarity,' a familiarity that turns a song like "She Don't Use Jelly" into a kind of inside joke that (maybe) only Flaming Lips fans can get.

And, to answer the question, is the song good by itself? I can only answer with that most popular addage, "I don't know if it's art, but I like it!" Pick up a copy of Transmissions from the Satellite Heart and decide for yourself *plug plug*.

Synth 1

2006-08-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

Since I last looked at Synth 1 it has gotten a new updated version. It still looks the same, but it seems more stable with my fruity loops installation. Which is good, cause Synth 1 comes highly reccomended. I don't think it has crystal synth beat in terms of sound design possibilities. But it is rockin none the less. No need to buy any lead synth, or Moog knockoffs... you can just use crytal synth and synth 1.

Thanks! Mr genius Japanese Synth maker.

Synth 1 - in all its bewildering question marks and japanese carachters.

A Happy, Happy Doggone Day

2006-08-24T09:55:00.000-07:00

Today is a great day.

Today is a day that I'm damn proud.

Today, is the 1st day of Myku's new schooling. He's starting up Art School, after basically living and breathing Art School since he was, what? 3 years old?

I was proud before. Now, I'm more proud.

To celebrate, i'm taking tomorrow off to play some guitar, and hopefully write a song. I'm just putting the whole lyric/idea notion on the shelf. Cause it's keeping me from writing stuff. So i'm just gonna focus on writing some music, and we'll see how that goes.

So godspeed and good luck, M. I'm so damn happy I could bust.

Songs in the air,

2006-08-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

Since it's been too long since i've posted anything. Here's a run down of the music that keeps getting played from speakers that i'm ever near.

The Constantines:
A mix of Shine a Light and Tournament of Hearts, esp.

Draw Us Lines
Young Lions (video here.)
Soon Enough
Working Full Time
On To You

Yo La Tengo's

Fakebook
Painful
I can hear the heart beating as one

Recent crew mixes such as the "just married mix", "flight plan", my own Ugata Heardis contribution. and Zach's Ugata mix which is a thing of majesty.

And almost religously:
Willie Nelson's

Teatro

Which really people, deserves it's own Wikipedia entry. I should get right on that - as soon as I learn anything about that record. It is just SO good.

What's being played at your spot?

The Constantines Rebuttal Rebuttal Re..... oh Whatever.....

2006-08-10T17:37:00.000-07:00

Yeah.

I sort of read that write up of the show and was wondering if I'd missed something. However, as I usually DO miss something, I just kept my pie hole shut. :)

Oh, um, stirring things up again.......

I really like Chad VanGaalen. I hope he didn't ruin the Constantines show, but I have his "Infiniheart" album and it's pretty sweet.

The article IS, in my opinion, a little lacking concerning the actual performance by the Constantines, though. Not enough coverage/info for my tastes, considering that's what the article's supposed to be about.

-Love,
.m

The Constantines Rebuttal Rebuttal

2006-08-01T10:13:00.000-07:00

Umm...

So time has passed and I re-read the review of the Cons concert in Seattle. The reviewer wasn't as harsh as I first read it. Then I read my rebuttal...and it's kind of dopey.

I still wish the reviewer had written more - cause those guys deserve as much praise as they can stand.

Link:
Pitchfork Feature: Live: The Constantines

No More Guitar Tabs On The Web?

2006-08-01T10:04:00.000-07:00

I am so sick of this. I've been tooling around on the internet since 1995 and I hear this again and again. The publishing companies do a sweep of all the tab and chords sites like every 4 years. Claiming copyright infringement. What a load of shit. Y'know why the Hal Leornard company doesn't make any money? Cause the Hal Leonard product is A) Not written for the audience they think they are serving and B)Incorrect. I stopped buying any version of a monthly guitar magazine (guitar world, g-hero, electric-guitar, guitar-buttplug monthly) when I was 15. Why? Because, I knew how to read music and tab and I'd learn what the magazine would say a song part went, and I'd play it - and it'd sound wrong. Then I'd learn from a friend or try and figure out my self, and it would sound correct. This happened over and over and over, and then i realized: The transcriptionists at those magazines were crap. They basically were correct when they knew what KEY a song was in, and if someone used an alternate turning but they were wrong about WHICH tuning about 50% of the time.

Fast forward to the internet age (1995) and there's all these tab sites. and guess what? The user generated content on tab sites was about 95% correct. Cause it was written by a bunch of guitarists, who loved playing guitar, who loved learning songs from the source and then writing out the correct way to play it. Cause that's what they wanted, and that was what WE wanted too.

So let me get this straight. The music industry wants us to 1) pay for a artifact (cd or download) 2) pay to hear it on the radio 3) Pay to see the song live 4) pay for us to buy a transcription that is incorrect and written for piano. and 4) look the other way when the folks making the damn music in the first place get paid MAYBE .4% of the gross, if they get paid at ALL (see Jim Croce, the Cold Crush Crew, and James Jamerson of the Funk Brothers as stellar examples of artists being compensated fairly.)

Eat it. Just Eat it. You bunch of heartless greedy snakes. I'll be damned if I ever want to look at you leeches. Much less do any kind of business with you.

The J-Walk Blog: No More Guitar Tabs On The Web?

Pitchfork Feature: Live: The Constantines | A Rebuttal

2006-07-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

So, I saw this:
Pitchfork Feature: Live: The Constantines

And ok. Well, i know pitchfork's gotta be too cool for school and all. But mang, I was AT that show, and let me tell you, there was more holy rock that was being ladled out at that show than in one million clap your hands, say what block parties in the part of heaven they call brooklyn.

I'm totally ok with the reviewer knowing the in's and outs of Chad Vangellen. I was up front, never heard of the guy and wanted to see what he brought. He brought some poppy-hoody-wearing-lifestyle-in-the-beater-car music. I was in the front so I couldn't get the full vibe. He had a nice strummy fender jaguar that his sometimes finger picked with great skill...but he didn't blow my hair back or anything.

Then the Cons came out. and Fool, they STARTED with "Young Lions" a song so rock they only need one chord for the majority of the song. And when they hit that first G chord. All the guitars were lifted in tribute to the Holy and Sacred sound of tube amps being overdriven. The Bass hoisted, the keyboardist, turned away from the audience, still playing his chord and lifted his finger skyward, two goregeous guitars were pointed towards the heavens as the feedback took over in a wash of harmonics. And that rock salute stayed up there for enough time for the audience to feel amused, then questioning, then awkward, then they realized that, goddamnit, they were in the Church of the Constantines' now and they'd better spectacles/testicles/dobbin/genuflect/kneel, or ablute themselve if they wanted to follow them into this sacred time. And then the salute came crashing down into the verse;

Oh
Young Lions
This is your kingdom...

And I'm here to tell you. You don't get more trancendent than that. That show went beyond mere mechanical / somatic movements and time. There was a communication of a larger world of experience that wrapped around our beings like the pain and exhiliration of truly being alive.

W00t!

2006-07-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

Oh man! Myku! Now I gotta go and grab those records that you're talking about.

I have a question for the larger Effect Return community, You teeming Millions: Where can I find bomb-ass acustic Mexican music?

I'm familar with Juapangos and Huasteca music from Veracruz. But I was in Bajacalifornia Sur. And I know it sounds cheezy but, we were in this joint that had a roaming 4 piece playing for tips. Guitar, Bass, Harp (!), and Quinto (?) - and they were singing ballads, and cancion romanticas, and "Guantanamera" and "Besa Me Mucho" for the drunks who only know those songs. And dammit, if you put a mic on those guys you could sell thousands and thousands of records, but I don't know where to get those records up here.

All I can find is big Mariachi, Ranchera, and that schmaltzy stuff from Mexico City. Where's the Alan Lomax of Mexico? Wait....did Lomax go to Mexico? maybe I should start there.

Also! From the one more community-driven music site department:
music.metafilter.com
What's nice about this is - well, metafilter has been around the block for a while, but also they have this thing where the songs come up in a little flash player so it's really easy to get high quality samples. Not so sure if you can grab a full download for your Ogg player unless you jump through some hoops - but it's an easy way to get rolling and sharing. But, i haven't tried it out - so it might be like pulling Semi trucks with fresh dental work.

Guitar Sounds Revisited

2006-07-03T15:52:00.000-07:00

I got all worked up when I read Doc Confusion's post on guitar sounds and wanted to post a comment with a list of my own. Once I started rambling on, however, I figured I might as well just 'blog it' and be done with it.

Here's a few of my faves, just to see what's what:

The Flaming Lips (What's that you say??) - That's right, check out Transmissions from the Satellite Heart for some great bass-heavy distorto-rock madness. "Slow Nerve Action" in particular has a sound that straight-up hits like a Samurai sword in between your earbuds.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Everybody Knows This is Knowhere - Need I even say anything? Well, just in case, Everybody knows that "Cinnamon Girl" and "Cowgirl in the Sand" have influenced more rock guitarists than china white, and "Round and Round (It Won't Be Long)" is about as luscious as an acoustic sound recorded in 1969 can be. Personally, I've always dug the rhythm guitar on "Down By the River" too.

Dinosaur Jr., Green Mind - It's crunchy, it's muddy, it's your run of the mill Les Paul/Marshall stack sound with a heavy, fuzzy, bassy distortion. It's the kind of set-up that so many players work with, but few make it sound as punchy and as alive as J. Mascis. His open chord style is different as well, considering most rockers of the Green Mind era would have gone the way of the 'Power-Chord' in expressing their angst.

Hendrix, Electric Ladyland - It's cliché to pull out Hendrix, but I can really get behind some of that sharp, crisp, perfect tone that he was known to lay down. I especially love the fuzzed-out sound mixed with some phaze and those super-heavy gauge strings, which gave the tone an awesome 'pop' and kept it from turning to mud under all that distortion.

Robert Fripp - Well, I guess somebody was bound to say it, right? Maybe it's just me. Anyway, I'm into the 'Frippertronics' in general, but his work on Bowie's Scary Monsters reigns supreme in my opinion. "Fashion" has this sweet plastic distortion that I think is bombs, "Teenage Wildlife" is both laid-back and uplifting in its Prog-Rockiness with Fripp's all-over the place background noodlefesting and rock-anthem slow riffs, and let's just say "Because Your Young" is about to get kicked out of my MP3 player for being a cooler track than I should be allowed to listen to. Fripp is all over Peter Gabriel's early stuff too- same sound, but it doesn't get old to me……..

Mark Ribot - His sound on Tom Wait's Big Time and Elvis Costello's Spike is not for those prone to nightmares. It's sharp, and very very darkly-percussive, like an evil marimba that dreamt it was a guitar and awoke plugged into a '63 Fender Twin. (The Horror, The Horror.)

Television, Marquee Moon - What can I say about this album? Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd got the goods, and they certainly come correct. And, it's not just the fabulous back and forth riffing, but the pristine sounds as well. Every note strangled from every guitar string on this record sounds like it was coddled and cared for like a baby wolf-cub that would one day grow up to eat its loving master. And every track just drips guitar coolness as those fuge-like siamese riffs blossom into a single concrete web, as inseparable as city sidewalks and streets. I can only imagine that if you found yourself lost in NYC, circa 1977, you could just as easily find your way with a copy of "Venus de Milo" in hand as you could with any map bought at a service station.

Ok, I just realized this list could go on for a while……………. I'm gonna go listen to some music.

.m

Sweet "Youth Decay"

2006-07-03T15:35:00.000-07:00

I was kicking-it with the MP3 player on shuffle today, driving the suburban and rural landscapes that lay themselves down for our great southern highways and interstates, when I was suddenly, and most unexpectedly, straight-up accosted by the ladies of Sleater-Kinney and their kick-ass song "Youth Decay." Could a rock song be any more bombs than this?

Sometimes, it's so much more about the attitude than anything else, and this track's got enough attitude to blow up even the most heavy-duty set of studio headphones. Its cool and loud in a way that only girls could lay to wax. This trio surely brings it like few others can, and if you don't know, then the fourth track on their 2000 album All Hands on the Bad One, "Youth Decay," will surely make a believer out of you.

As set-ups go, it's a fairly simple arrangement. Vocals and backing vocals, two guitars, drums.

"What about the bass player?" you ask the band.

"F++k 'em, we don't need one" would be the probable response.

…..and they truly don't. Corin Tucker plays a baritone guitar, Carrie Brownstein tunes her guitar one step down, and drummer Janet Weiss (I can just hear Tim Curry telling her to "Wise Up") does an excellent job of forcing the average listener to 'hang on for dear life.'

So much for the bass player, but hello "Youth Decay!"

This song just starts off rocking and doesn't let up until you're dizzy from smashing your head on the punk rock. The quick-revolving guitar riff falls all over itself (in a good way), and the no-frills rhythm guitar that it overlays drives 8th notes with a muddy crunch that gives the drums every oportunity to just keep drilling and overturning until they finally blow-up in the chorus's final reprise, never quite giving you a chance to compose yourself and say "ok, ok…… it's just a song."

Throw in the vocals, and you've got a real classic on yer hands; they grab you from the get and don't let go, beginning with a sing-song type melody that ends up in a Sing Sing style shouting match as they explode into the emphatically disturbing chorus "Am I running out? / Daddy says I've got my mamma's mouth…..."

Holy Christmas, that's rock music.