What's All This Then?
This site is edited by Coudal Partners, a design, advertising and interactive studio in Chicago, as an ongoing experiment in web publishing, design and commerce. [Next]
What's All This Then?
Thanks for visiting. If browsing around here while at work has had a negative effect on your productivity we're sorry but imagine what it's done to ours. [Hide]
Monday Edition
This is our studio site. Among lots of other things, we run Field Notes Brand,
go there right now and spend lots of money. Thanks.
Coudal Partners
fresh signals categorical archives
Music
Grab our blended RSS feed here.
Radio Garden.
Trailer for the documentary "Creem: America's Only Rock 'N' Roll Magazine."
Madness sadly rescheduled their first US tour in years, but Suggs and Mike with a string quartet helps with the wait.
Escape the real world, and take a little trip to Poolside FM.
Living In A Ghost Town from the Stones. "If I want to party, it's a party of one." Right on.
Here's a little paper model of my jukebox you can build to stave off boredom, and a playlist to listen to while you build it.
Af if we all don't have enough to worry about: The Vinyl Pause of 2020, a FAQ in progress.
2019's greatest basketball-related musical performance set an impossibly high bar, but Har Mar Superstar is leading the race for the 2020 title.
Awesome resource of some of the best Record label logos over the years, collected by Reagan Ray.
It's Thanksgiving! You can't hide from Frozen II, but you can make sure that your nieces and nephews never mention it around you again.
"...a towering pillar of musicianship, wonder, and menace." Ryan Reed on the 50th Anniversary of In the Court of the Crimson King.
"If I'm so average-American, how come that i've never heard of most of the musical groups that millions of other Americans apparently are listening to?"
Robbie Robertson plays The Weight with Ringo Starr and dozens of other people for Playing For Change. Fab.
Is it Ella Fitzgerald or is it Memorex?
New Wilco single from their upcoming 11th studio album, "Love Is Everywhere (Beware)."
Ten Tracks from Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue. "Though it lasted only a few months in 1975 and 1976 and played mostly in tertiary-market venues, Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue occupies a mythic place in the history of rock tours." - Tom Moon.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of The Cure album Disintegration, the band performed it live at the Sydney Opera House.
Nice story by Sean Captain on synthesizer pioneer Bob Moog.
Great interview with The Cranberries by Rachel Martin. I was not prepared to hear Dolores O'Riordan's voice on these amazing new songs. Heartbreaking and beautiful.
Gang of Four and the Mekons both have new albums, so the Guardian looks back at Leeds post-punk
The bass part from "Lost in the Supermarket," just because.
"There's heaps of new boutique pedals companies crafting unique, hand-made stompboxes. It's a great time to have GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) and get creative with your bass or guitar tone." Ten Wacky Effects Pedals, by Leticia Trandafir. Via Things.
Bill Bailey tries out the Star Spangled Banner in a minor key.
"On Jan. 7, the police cordoned off the streets. The auditorium's ventilation and elevators were turned off. Every light bulb in the concert hall was unscrewed to eliminate a faint buzzing sound.
Upstairs in the museum, Mr. Cacciatori put on a pair of velvet gloves and took a 1615 Amati viola from its glass display case. He inspected it thoroughly, and then a security guard escorted him and the instrument down two flight of stairs to the auditorium.
The curator handed the instrument to Wim Janssen, a Dutch viola player, who walked to the center of the stage."
Wow, the Staple Singers took Talking Heads' "Slippery People" to #22 on the R&B chart in 1984
For my money, the best month of music at a single venue, ever.
Prog rock alert. David Nixon and the Mellotron.
Fugazi, in infographics.
32 years ago today; the the last Smiths concert at Brixton Academy, London.
You know what really kicks your commute up a notch? Just try listening to this while driving. Works for me.
Mozart's diary is online. Learn more from Open Culture.
Jeff Tweedy and George Saunders conversation.
"There's no R&B in this song:" Chris Read's 25th anniversary mixtape of De La Soul's Buhloone Mindstate.
Happy Birthday, Olivia Newton-John!
"I'd venture a guess that most Americans (like us, before we started this project) can't name more than one or two amendments to the Constitution, let alone remember that there are 27 of them. But these 27 "insertions" to our founding document outline our basic rights as Americans. Not only that, they show a country changing and evolving and re-imagining itself; striving (and not always succeeding) to be better. With that in mind, the team at More Perfect challenged ourselves to come up with a way to give these words the swagger they deserve. So we invited some of the best musicians in the world to create songs inspired by each of the 27 amendments; a kind of "Schoolhouse Rock!" for the 21st Century.
27: The Most Perfect Album | WNYC Studios.
"I've seen the future of rock and roll and it's name is Nathan Destin." I dare you not to smile.
Forget what "Rap Rock" eventually became, and dig deep into the pretty wonderful and largely forgotten story of the Judgment Night Soundtrack.
Composer/Sound Designer Suzanne Ciani creates the audio for the 1980 "Xenon" pinball game.
"Vermeer was eerie / Vermeer was strange / He had a more modern color range" Muses: Jonathan Richman on Vermeer, Monet, and Custom Chords for Matisse.
Jack White's Corporation Mature content.
Your daily dose of Reg Presley on a train: Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba.
If I get to pick the soundtrack for my anniversary party tonight, how about Carlos René's YouTube channel?
"Guys, you should come in and hear this and see if there's any last adjustments you want to make because I think we're getting somewhere." Robbie on the making of Music From Big Pink.
Today in history, Vice President Aaron Burr shot Alexander Hamilton. So, yeah, of course I'm linking this up.
So you know, why some music makes you cry. For me, it's Gabriel's Theme, Baba O'Riley, and Barber's Adagio for Strings.
The Mellotron: A Keyboard with the Power of an Orchestra.
"This incident took place sometime between 1973 and 1975, either in Cleveland or Berlin." Genesis' Tour Manager Recalls His Role in One of Rock's Most Embarrassing Moments.
The AV Club's playlist of "classic rockers grappling with punk and new wave."
Happy Wednesday.
I was a little late for work today because Interstellar Overdrive came on and I had to wait for 8:39. Bonus: Tonite Lets All Make Love In London.
Released in the USA as a single on today's date in 1970, "Let It Be."
Happy Thursday.
Cocteau Twins Fever hits Columbus, OH, 1985.
It's a good year for guitars, at least aesthetically: Yamaha's Revstar and Gibson's updated "Modern Flying V."
New Breeders! A lovely cover of Mike Nesmith's "Joanne."
Gorgeous video for Kendrick Lamar and SZA's All The Stars Full screen is best.
Choir!Choir!Choir! and David Byrne sing Heroes. Goosebumps.
Happy Thursday.
We've reached peak nerd: the Cantina Theme Equation.
Remember back when Winona Ryder, Giovanni Ribisi, and John C. Reilly kidnapped the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion?
Relink because awesome. Radio Garden, live feeds from everywhere.
Perfect for this cold morning: Heatwave live on Musikladen, 1976.
NME's "50 Unfashionable But Brilliant 80s Bands That Time Cruelly Forgot." A few are maybe better forgotten, but there's some good stuff here.
"Radio broadcasts leave Earth at the speed of light. Scroll away from Earth and hear how far the biggest hits of the past have travelled." Lightyear.fm.
Blondie and Joan Jett in Doom or Destiny.
How did I not see this until now? Mudhoney playing atop the Space Needle in 2013.
Happy Monday.
Happy Wednesday..
A few years back, the good people at Exponential Records helped us out a bunch providing the music for a few of our Layer Tennis recaps. Now they have two new albums out: Diego Bernal's great \e-sas\ and Ernest Gonzales' Our Lady Of....
Happy Monday.
I never knew Aztec Camera's cover of Van Halen's "Jump" is supposed to have two minutes of guitar shredding at the end! So much better.
Chance, Francis and the Lights and Lin-Manuel Miranda perform the Hamilton song "Dear Theodosia" at the closing ceremony of the inaugural Obama Foundation Summit. Try not to smile.
The first album from composer, frequent collaborator and friend, Carl Sondrol, Batika Hawk, comes highly recommended.
Of course I have beefs with this, and plenty of them, but respect to Bill Wyman for all 139 songs from the Only Band That Matters, ranked from worst to first.
Clever as hell: The Academic uses Facebook Live as a loop pedal.
Japanese noise rock legends Boredoms' 77 Boadrum with 77 drummers at Empire Fulton Ferry Park, 2007. Get 'em, Yoshimi!
"The day is on its way, it couldn't wait no more." Chance and Daniel Caesar on Colbert.
Ever wonder what the lyrics in your favorite song mean? Wonder no more with Unmask Us, featuring songs meanings provided by the songwriters themselves.
Composer Jeff Russo leads a 60-piece orchestra in recording the new theme for Star Trek: Discovery.
Happy Thursday.
"Putting the Beatles back together isn't going to be the salvation of rock'n'roll. Four kids playing to their contemporaries in a dirty cellar club might." NME critic Mick Farren's epic 1976 call to arms.
This is going to be super-popular in the pack-and-ship department: Radio Garden.
Happy Tuesday.
Luna is back, performing a Cure cover for Rose McGowan.
"Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)"
"Tubthumping" is 20 years old. AV Club interviews an under-appreciated socio-political band (whose arguably greatest record was never officially released).
Happy Thursday.
"Did 1997 contain the worst two weeks in music history?" They make a very good case.
Bill Wyman is at it again. All 165 Pink Floyd songs, ranked and annotated. Fab.
"Ooowww! Now, the big big big question:" The Purdie Shuffle.
The The Big Muff Pi Home Page. So much grunge to love.
"Greatest hits albums are for housewives and little girls! You're not serious, you don't want to be a Doors fan." (Also note: most Doors songs actually do have a bass track.)
7th Regiment Small Brass Ensemble Performs For Beluga Whale. This. Is. Wonderful.
Gap in-store playlists at Gap Stores 1992-2005
Chance the Rapper on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert.
Related to the last: Jonah's Kaiju Rap from MST3K, written by Paul and Storm
While waiting for Green Day to take the stage last Saturday, the crowd in Hyde Park sang Bohemian Rhapsody.
You've probably never heard of up-and-coming singer Annie Lennox, but she's going places.
Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" performed in a variety of classical styles. It's almost educational!
Related to the last, Zurich's 2001 production.
Gary Numan's 1981 "Teletour" final show at Wembley. (The highlight is
"Down in the Park," used for the film "Urgh! A Music War.")
So you know, the History of Punk Rock in 200 tracks: An 11-hour playlist takes you from 1965 to 2016.
Kate Bush paraphrasing, then 20 years later, finally with permission, quoting Molly's soliloquy from Ulysses. (backstory)
One of the '90s most underrated bands: I'm Now, The Story Of Mudhoney.
Happy Tuesday.
"The difference is that when the guys in Genesis were teenagers, their way of rebelling against formulaic pop was to say, 'Our album is going to be a musically complex re-creation of the Book of Revelation,' instead of 'Let's play songs that are 90 seconds long and jump into the crowd.'" David Weigel on the awesomeness that is Prog Rock.
I saw the mighty, venerable Redd Kross last night and I can't shake this one.
Doc Severinsen plays "The Court of the Crimson King" and it is fantastic. Via WFMU, of course.
A history of alternative music, mapped on a transistor radio circuit board.
B-A-R-B-R-A Barbra, Vancouver, 1980.
Happy Wednesday
The Tom Tom Club, live from June 26, 2008 at McCarren Pool. Just one of a motherlode of live shows recorded and posted by NYC Taper. Via Things Mag.
Happy Tuesday.
MS, looks like Reggie Watts feels the same way about Radiohead as we do.
The encephalophone is a real instrument you can play with your mind.
Dark Side of the Moon 1974 North American tour, screen projections. Most excellent.
Apropos of nothing, Rubinstein plays Chopin's Nocturne in B-flat minor Op. 9 No. 1.
Happy Monday.
Thin Lizzy vs Pixies. Nicely mashed. Thanks Marshall.
Happy Tuesday.
This is wonderful, where Daft Punk get their samples.
Apropos of nothing, Miles Davis The Sorcerer, May 17, 1967.
Thanks Whole Foods for playing the one song guaranteed to make me cry at your salad bar.
Related to the last.
March Fadness isn't quite so compelling as last year's March Sadness, but it does give me an excuse to let you know that Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn" was totally a cover.
Related to the last, one of my favorite pieces, Yo Yo Ma plays the Bach cello suite No.1 in G Major.
In 1962, a performance for President John F Kennedy included a 7-year-old Yo Yo Ma.
It only took 188 years but Fanny finally gets her due.
Happy Birthday Maurice.
Because playing a regular guitar isn't hard enough.
"This is: Double Door 1994-2017," a Spotify playlist featuring 365 songs by artists that played the recently-closed Chicago club.
I got the chance to direct this funny promo for a new solo album from Noam Pikelny of the Punch Brothers: The Making of Universal Favorite: The Noam Pikelny Story. Come for the jokes, stay for the Dierks Bentley and (sorta) Alison Krauss cameos.
Discovered via Sound Opinions this weekend, teenage band The Regrettes
If you're a fan of Joe from our shipping department (who isn't!?) tune in to his 24-hour live performance from his apartment this weekend. I hope his neighbors are out of town.
The "Asian Cliché" musical riff, examined in great detail.
Boil the Frog takes the boiling frog metaphor and applies it to music playlists. Now you can fix any party so subtly, no one will notice.
Bruce pulls a Brisbane kid out of the audience and it's the best thing you'll watch all month.
Building Blocks of Sound & Synthesis.
If there was ever a song to listen to when I drive from Oak Park, IL to Benton Harbor, MI on Thursday, this is it.
Inside Daft Punk's nostalgia-laden pop-up shop.
Check his charming, surprising Same Drugs video. Chance is the man.
WhaleSynth. Like is says. Via Joe Hanson.
Been on a Calexico binge for the past few months, listening to little else, and this morning found a great guide to each track on Edge of the Sun. They say 'Miles from the Sea' isn't about the film Julian Po, but it clearly is.
Related to the last, The Langley School Project from 1976and their version of "Space Oddity"
6,500 kids sing "Birdhouse in Your Soul". Play and replay, all day.
Robbie Robertson on WTF. Thanks for the heads up Marsh.
Happy Monday.
Happy Birthday, Wolfgang.
Hilarious, infuriating, and surprisingly cathartic. Watch this kazoo video, YAKETY.
Pogo is back with a new remix from Robin Hood
A playful analog interface for music by our pal and occasional co-conspirator Brendan Dawes, Plastic Player. I think remember chatting w/ Bren about this years ago. Fun.
Song of the moment, "You" from Manwolves. What a hook. Simple. Undeniable.
When New York's nightclubs were secret empires.
Merry Christmas Lil' Mama, a mixtape gift from Jeremih & Chance the Rapper. Boom!
Long distance dedication to Jeff Drake: Agent Orange's surf punk best.
Tune in radio stations by turning the globe at Radio Gardens. Check the "Jingles" section too.
Nice list of Christmas songs you won't hear at the mall.
De La Soul's new wedding video for "Memory Of," plus a lot of other great DLS clips (incl. a "Scenario" Demo and an incomprehensible interview with Damon Albarn).
Helping out a great band, support production of a new record from Head of Femur. Check the new single, "Stoned Soul."
Related to the last: 26 Bands That Named Themselves After Books, which doesn't include Joy Division. Which is an obvious excuse to re-share our "Booking Bands" feature.
"Clearly, the intended audience for these things was the same audience that was waiting for that awesome A-Ha video to come on again." How Casio's Tinny Keyboards Quietly Inspired a Music Revolution, by Ernie Smith.
Music vid of the day, The Avalanches Because I'm Me.
The Synth Sounds of John Carpenter: Halloween, The Fog, Assault on Precinct 13.
Dangerous Minds' great couple of posts on some infamous music videos: "The Video That Killed the Rock 'N' Roll Star" (about Billy Squier) and "The Story Behind Hall and Oates' Ultra-WTF? Video for 'She's Gone'."
Marvin Gaye, "What's Going On" live from 1972. Incomparable. Via Austin.
Happy Tuesday.
P.P. Arnold kills "To Love Somebody" on French TV, 1968.
XXX- Flight Attendant
A history of alternative and independent music mapped out to the circuit board of an early transistor radio.
Related to the last, Chance the (W)rapper for Kit Kat. Via my boy Spence.
Supa Bwe featuring Chance on "Fool Wit It," animated by Abel Gray.
Romain-Gavras directed music vid for "Gosh" by Jamie XX. Incredible.
Happy Tuesday.
Back in May, I posted a link about my song of the summer. Looks like a ton of people felt the same way. Congrats Lizzo!
Chance The Rapper, Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz on Ellen performing No Problems.
Happy Wednesday.
Dusty: Spooky! Sunny! Funny!
Oh man, it's been a long 9-year wait, but somehow we'll have to manage to make it another week. Blue States is releasing a new album, Restless Spheres next Friday the 16th.
Vid of the day. Get the scoop on the video and song here and then go watch it here.
Speaking of Freddie, Happy Monday.
How the "worst song of all time" came to be. Don't worry, it will auto-play the moment the site loads.
Classical music station in Chicago this morning was on an Aaron Copeland kick. If you are like me, and of a certain age, this will make you want a steak. Most successful advertising campaign ever??
"Tom Bombadil and Galadriel are all over the place in the Grateful Dead." Matthew Waither contends that Tolkien influenced rock more than The Velvet Underground. Hmm. Via Kottke.
"I just totally fail to find anything enjoyable about this, or to see what this has to do with music as I understand it." Torturing the Saxophone, a letter from Robert Crumb.
From Grace Jones' erotic castle to Kraftwerk's singing automatons to Kate Bush's otherworldly hall of mirrors, these pre-MTV clips helped define what music videos could be.
Concert Mats.
Official song of the summer (at least in my household), local kids Manwolves' "You". Awesome.
"He's the youngest old man I know," Chance is the cover story for the new Billboard Mag.
Play the Roland TR-808 drum machine in your browser.
Happy 8/08
Mort Garson's 1976 album, Plantasia has been playing in the Field Notes warehouse all morning and everyone has taken notice. "Warm earth music for plants... and the people who love them."
Happy Thursday
As a fan of Jensen Karp's Pistol Shrimps halftime Sock Reports, I was excited to read his book, Kanye West Owes Me $300. It's a great, true story, and very funny.
This pretty much sums up 1987: Wire performs "Drill" for Suzanne Somers on national TV.
DJ Yoda's Stranger Things mixtape.
Happy Monday.
Any day with new Pixies is a good day.
Auctioneer Beats, like it says. Via
Happy Friday.
"Spit so many verses/
sometimes my jaw twitches/
One thing this party could use/
is more… booze."
"Jann Wenner is a fan of any band that sells eight million records."
Happy birthday to Orpheus. Oakland Coliseum Arena, December 4, 1988.
Berklee pianist Tony Ann plays a medley of familiar ringtones.
You spent a lot of time and money at Tower Records back in the day, why not spend another hour and a half and $4.99?
Sound Opinions did a great Classic Album Dissection of the Beach Boys Pet Sounds this weekend. While you are here, enjoy.
De La Soul Is Dead came out 25 years ago. The band built memorials in two locations in NYC and released a long-lost bonus track.
Just found my summer song, Lizzo's fab Good As Hell.
The top ten classic synth presets from MusicRadar. Via Things.
Chance debuted "Blessings" last night on the Tonight Show. Boom. 3 due May 13th
Lords of the Synth, from Adult Swim.
Radiohead's newest, Burn The Witch.
"When the song went to No 2 in the UK, my artist friends told me I was selling out, but just months later the term being used was 'crossing over.'" So you know, how Laurie Anderson made "O Superman."
Vid of the day, Snoop Dogg's Who am I, the Muppet Version. Via Awesomer
A brief history of robots making music from ancient Egypt to modern day Berlin.
Happy Friday.
Iggy Pop sings Repo Man at KCRW with Josh Homme filling in for the Sex Pistols' Steve Jones. The story of the original recording is a good read, and of course the film is the greatest.
Wow, Hamburger Helper just dropped an amazing mixtape. Yes, THAT Hamburger Helper.
22 great "diss tracks" and "Gimme Indie Rock," which I still insist is sincere.
There goes the rest of my day: The 120 Minutes Archive.
Happy Birthday Mr. Bach. Full volume is best.
Guess it's about time for me to revise my opinion of The National.
Things are heating up in the March Sadness bracket. After some insane first-round upsets, Elliot Smith is going to be tough to beat.
Hypothesis: "Walk of Life" by Dire Straits is the perfect song to end any movie.
Reposted for the nth time because it's still great: Matthew's Celebrity Pixies Tribute.
Great 2007 Battles song/video "Atlas," finally in hi-def.
Remember Cocteau Twins Fever? You know, when the maniac punk rockers rioted on the streets of Columbus, Ohio over import copies of Blue Bell Knoll?
Happy Monday.
Another Tim Kerr interview from 1995, in 2strokebuzz, my scooter 'zine.
"This collection is a compilation of underground/ independently- released cassette tapes from the days when the audio cassette was the standard method of music sharing... generally the mid-eighties through early-nineties. The material represented includes tape experimentation, industrial, avant-garde, indy, rock, diy, subvertainment and auto-hypnotic materials. Much of this material defies category, and has therefore not been given one."
Gravity's just a habit. OK Go's new zero gravity video.
Happy Birthday Ms. Price. Fuzzy video but that voice!
Beyonce drops the video for her newest song, Formation. NSFW lyrics.
Happy Friday.
Make music and waste time at work with Sampulator.
Questlove meets Prince and lives to tell the story.
For TF, who brought up the subject a little bit ago: MC Paul Barman's Owl Pellets.
A great episode of Sound Opinions this week when Greg and Jim chat with iconic producer and sound engineer Glyn Johns.
A bunch of us are super bummed about David Bowie passing. But Bowies in Space from Flight of the Conchords takes some of the sting out of it.
I'm afraid to look at What did Bowie Do When He Was Your Age? because i'm probably already in that period where he was running a bank and internet service.
It's 2016! News flash: I'm old.
Re-link for BB, It's a Bad Brains Christmas, Charlie Brown.
100% spoiler-free Star Wars: The Force Awakens link.
Joy Division bassist Peter Hook visits old friends at the Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno.
A loving bio of Little Richard, quietly retired in Nashville after 82 years of rock and roll, Sputnik, and God.
"Everyone knows the Ramones and Talking Heads, but a host of obscure bands were integral to the CBGBs scene - and now their records have been rediscovered." For BB.
Just another day at our beloved Palace Grill.
It seems ridiculous that I only discovered STRFKR this summer, after they've been around for nearly a decade. Every album is perfect and even their music videos are great: While I'm Alive and Atlantis.
So great, United State of Pop 2015.
"Sure you could just stand there and belt out "Mr. Roboto" in your normal clothes. Wouldn't it be better, though, to do it as Optimus Prime?" The WSJ on team karaoke leagues.
What all those "Worst Album Covers" lists are all missing: the terrible music inside them.
Never Gonna Give Your Teen Spirit Up.
The Last Waltz. was 39 years ago today. Here's Joni singing "Coyote", and Van Morrison's "Caravan".
Charlie Daniels singing about Nascar and UPS with Jon Wurster (Superchunk) and Kyle Gass (Tenacious D)? You're welcome.
You love Jon Benjamin from Archer and Home Movies but did you know he's also a Jazz Daredevil? His album drops on
Friday on Sub Pop.
Dude covers Yes, CSNY and Zeppelin, note for note, all by himself. Yowza.
Property From The Collection of Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach. You know, in case you need Ringo's Magic Christian sweatshirt or Barbara's luggage from The Spy who Loved Me.
On I Was There Too, Deb Theaker mentioned that The Folksmen (Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer) had recorded the Rolling Stones' "Start Me Up" for A Mighty Wind but it didn't make the final cut. Thanks, Internet!
"The Museum acquired its machine in 2007 from Dick Hack, the world's last remaining Scopitone repairman... Thanks to Hack's meticulous restoration, MoMA's Scopitone looks brand new and still plays as well as it did in 1964."
I Want The Skulls I Can't Have.
Maybe a little too slick, but awesome nonetheless:German school kids sing Kraftwerk's "The Robots"
Kraftwerk's "first gig."
Marc Bolan had a live after-school variety TV show? Yes, please!
10 Best Skate Punk Records of All Time. As far as this poseur is concerned, Agent Orange's Living in Darkness might as well have bearing noise and wheel-clacking dubbed into it.
Apropos of nothing: Why was the amazing laser holographic embossed effect of Side 2 of Styx's Paradise Theater never used since? You'd think Jack White would be all over that.
Related to the last: Ivy's 2000 album Long Distance is as good as you remember.
Happy Tuesday.
Never thought I'd say this, but maybe the Grateful Dead weren't so bad.
"In the late 1980's and early 1990's, I worked for Kmart behind the service desk and the store played specific pre-recorded cassettes issued by corporate. This was background music." My new jam.
Linkbait headline aside, here's a solid interview with the perpetually underrated Redd Kross.
Roland Boutique, pint-sized versions of classic synths. Cool.
Gang of Youths with an amazing cover of LCD Soundsystem's All My Friends. Via The Awesomer.
Zepplin's "Kashmir", by 4th, 5th and 6th graders on marimbas, xylophone, vibraphone, drum set, timbales, congas, bongos and piano. Right on.
Pure magic! Teenage Superstars with the Pastels, Shop Assistants, Vaselines, Jesus and Mary Chain, Teenage Fanclub, and all'a'em.
Dave Simpson on a top ten from the only band that matters.
Fab, Blackalicious- The Blowup.
While I am no longer able to fight side-by-side with JC in the great office Steely Dan Debates (now entering their 20th year) I can sometimes supply ammunition. Anatomy of a Song: Deacon Blues.
"Pot, Rock and Revolution." WFMU's Beware of the Blog is, sadly, winding down. But they're going out with a barrage of great posts.
Just the drums and the bass.
New Macklemore video is a shot-by-shot remake of one of BB's longtime recurring dreams. (Some language NSFW.)
Pitchfork gives us their picks for the 200 Best Songs of the 1980s.
And for JC: All-synth Peg. Bleep-bl-blee-bleep!
Related to an earlier post, how radio enthusiasts are listening to Earth's secret symphony.
"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" annotated (and now stuck in my head).
Glenn Fleishman sums up the The twisted history of the Happy Birthday song.
Speaking of Lionel Richie, remember when Robert Smith replaced him in the Commodores? Me neither.
World Order has a new video out, Multipolarity. Not sure why but these videos make me so happy.
Kalle Mattson's "Avalanche" video recreates 35 famous album covers. (via Dana.
If you ever heard that the song "Happy Birthday" was was protected by copyright and you thought that was crazy, well, it looks like you were right.
Why I Deleted Your Band's Promo Email.
25 essential punk movies.
New Wilco album, "Star Wars" is available as a free download just in time for their home-town headlining of Pitchfork tonight. See you there.
Ah, Um! Please allow great jazz bassist/composer Charles Mingus to potty train your cat.
An indispensable reference: Complete list of Sassy's Cute Band Alert, though I'm pretty sure Nation of Ulysses is missing.
Happy Tuesday.
For all my pals going to see Morrissey tonight, here's my favorite Smiths video.
I finally broke down and bought Numero Group's awesome Wayfaring Strangers, 2xLP collection of obscure '70s Dungeons and Dragons rock, so of course now they're reissuing it as a playable board game: Cities of Darkscorch. Man.
Here's pretty much what you missed in Chicago this weekend.
James Horner, catcher of cinematic moments.
Rolling Stone's 50 Greatest Prog Rock Albums of All Time. I'd totally argue about this but first I have to find where I hid the bong last night.
"When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose." 50 years ago Dylan recorded "Like a Rolling Stone".
"They sat down in the empty ballroom and Henry (Mancini) played "Moon River" while Johnny (Mercer) sang the lyrics. Johnny was a wonderful singer and I loved to hear him sing. They were two of the best." I'll say. The history of "Moon River", plus a rare demo. I'm totally OK with this stuck in my head all day.
Were we just talking about The Rondelles?
It's about time someone made a film about Austin funk/skate/punk greats The Big Boys, and it sounds like this film will be as goofy, original, and fun as the band itself.
Pogo has a new remix out.
SD filmed a profile of Wilco's Glenn Kotche for Chicago magazine.
Happy Thursday.
Chalkhills, the XTC fan resource. Plus, Andy's twitter.
XTC-Live-Paris-1979.
…and their terrible Avengers parody which doesn't hold a candle to the Pretenders' amazing Avengers parody.
…and lip-syncing "Generals And Majors" in 1980…
If we're posting XTC videos, here they are in the amazing "Urgh: A Music War…"
XTC performs "King For A Day" on Late Night with David Letterman, June 30, 1989. Fab.
For BB, Sound Opinions has a great interview with Peter Hook from Joy Division and New Order.
B.B. King.
Try "rbrbrbrbrbrbrzzz": typedrummer
Discussed at lunch, Paul F Tompkins covers the theme to Skyfall.
When I was in high school, I did a report on the band Rush. The teacher stopped my tedious rant 1/3 of the way through, but still gave me an "A." This Skeptic's Guide To The Mekons is pretty much mining the same territory.
Unbelievable.
The music mogul & the supermodel, Whipped Cream & Other Delights.
A little Sunday Candy on a Monday morning. Utterly delightful.
Fab version of Radiohead's Creep by Postmodern Jukebox featuring Haley Reinhart.
"Years after it was a hit, we got an email saying this bloke wanted to use the song in a film, Donnie Darko, which we didn't think would go anywhere, so accepted a one-off 3,000. Then when the director did the director's cut he replaced The Killing Moon with Never Tear Us Apart by INXS. Aren't some people knobheads?"
30 Years of music industry change.
Music vid of the moment, Brian Wilson's On the Island featuring She & Him.
"My theory is that punk really lived in the suburbs, the provinces. We believed the lie… so it became real." The Quietus interviews Billy Childish
Music festival posters with all the male acts removed.
The Will Gregory Moog Ensemble performing the Brandenburg concerto No. 3 followed by a nice 15 minute doc on the 50th Anniversary of the Moog Modular Synthesizer.
Fabulous, a 1920's take on Coolio's Gangsta's Paradise.
Mark Mothersbaugh: "I was absolutely certain that music was invented just to torture me."
"Human beings are the central or most significant species on the planet in the sense that they are considered to have a moral status or value higher than that of other animals." Never Give it Up by Monsieur Minimal.
Tragedy, one of the world's finest all-metal Bee Gees tribute bands, has decided to branch out a bit with this cover of You're the One That I Want from Grease. Nice to see that Corn Mo's still got it.
Zeppelin!.
Happy Tuesday.
New Blur you guys!
ONE! TWO!
Happy Tuesday.
Mark Mothersbaugh's synthesizer collection.
"Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were New York to the core, all Brill Building gone Burroughs, using the language of pop as their foot in the door to ease in creepier, more unsettling things." Nate Patrin rates the Dan albums, worst to first.
"What the fanatics might not agree on is just what the definitive version of 'Blood on the Tracks' really is. It's a situation that's positively, well, Dylanesque." —Tyler Wilcox. Via TMN.
Local note. Fare Thee Well. The Dead celebrate 50 years with shows at Chicago's Soldier Field on July 3, 4 and 5. Need a miracle. "Q: Are these really the final concerts this band will ever perform together? A: Yes."
"Computers aren't a free ticket to music heaven." An interview with composer Jan Hammer from the September 1985 issues of Family Computing. Via Peachfuzz.
Happy Wednesday.
What did ancient Babylonian songs sound like? Something like this.
Ghostface Killah performs at Toastface Grillah, a grilled cheese sandwich shop in Perth.
It's a busy day here as we get caught up for the break, but I'm happy to re-re-repost my favorite Christmas song, too.
JC is out of town, so I post this in his stead. The Pogues Fairy Tale of New York.
"Making Wham's 'Last Christmas' eight times as long yields a minor ambient masterpiece." Agreed.
Thanks for a great week at The Riviera Theater.
True story: I bought this cassette in a mall in Caracas on a Caribbean cruise in 1987 with my mom. (Yes, I know Caracas is 50 miles inland. Well, NOW I know.)
"A concert of light in which each lamp has a sound of its own, made by the amplification if its 'buzzing...'" Quiet Ensemble's Robotic Symphony
Happy Friday.
And to bring it all home: Eddie Holland's "Leaving Here" (featuring James Jamerson on bass) was Mötöhead's first single.
And now I'm on a roll: Clem Cattini drums on Johnny Kidd and the Pirates' "Please Don`t Touch" (1959) later covered awesomely by Mötörhead and Girlschool (1981).
Related to the last: James Jamerson played bass on 30 number-one songs, second only to English drummer Clem Cattini, who played on 44.
Bernadette! James Jamerson killing it on bass.
The art of disco record covers.
If you need me, I'll be back in '82.
4 million songs on Spotify have never been played. Not even once. Forgotify wants to change that.
Happy Friday.
There's nothing like a good Steve Albini keynote. Via Chris Glass.
Local note: Way to go, CHIRP! If you're outside that few square miles, you can still listen online, of course.
Happy Tuesday.
…but here's the Alphaville version with 10x the backing vocals, moogs and bass rumble. So good.
Guys. The Rentals. Lost in Alphaville. Album of the year. If you're already a convert, here's a simpler version of "It's Time to Come Home" from 2009.
Custom lathe-cut vinyl records from Meep.
Great, long, illustrated article by Rhodri Marsden on early synthesizers, New Found Sounds. Via Things Mag.
Music vid of the moment, Broken Bells After the Disco.
Ok Go's newest music video, I Won't Let You Down.
Apropos of nothing. Frank "Here's That Rainy Day".
Tuning '77 is "a seamless audio supercut of an entire year of the Grateful Dead tuning their instruments, live on stage. Chronologically sequenced, this remix incorporates every publicly available recording from 1977." Sheesh. Via Mefi.
Related to the last, Time to Kill, The Weight, This Wheel's on Fire, Up on Cripple Creek from The Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, November 1, 1970.
A promo video of a recording of Que Sera, complete with a full orchestra and chorus, from the upcoming Wax Tailor live album, Phonovisions Symphonic, coming out November 4th. Can't wait.
"The coolest of all diacritical marks is obviously the 'umlaut.'" The History Of The Umlaut In Heavy Metal, by Ben Smith. Via Quipsologies.
"This isn't composing; this is clicking." Provocations of a Bad Jingle Writer, by David Safran. Via Gapers Block.
Happy Wednesday.
So fun. Randy Bachman explains the opening chord of "A Hard Days Night", yeah, that one. Via Open Culture.
Matt Berry (co-star, with Rich Fulcher, of Snuff Box) talks about his obscure British record collection. Thanks Nerfect
Sure to be the preferred instrument of 2 year olds everywhere: the Electric Spring Doorstop.
A promo film for Wallace Detroit Guitars, a company making instruments out of salvaged wood from abandoned homes. I had the pleasure of lending a hand as the DP for the film, albeit over one of the hottest, muggiest days in Detroit this summer.
There's plenty of Chicago love for Bowie lately, but none greater than this 2003 Sea and Cake cover.
Happy Friday.
Speaking of Craig, check his Bandstand project.
David Bowie Is opens today at the MCA, the show's only stop in the US.
In the Book Notes series at Largehearted Boy, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. Once you get started on them, you can't stop.
Jeff and Spencer Tweedy's Tiny Desk Concert.
Excellent, The Dissolve's picks for The Movies' 50 Greatest Pop Music Moments. Happy to see 39, 23, and 21 on the list.
I busted out some 3-D glasses from an old VHS of "The Polar Express" and watched this ten times last night.
I didn't know Canada had a "Walk of Fame," but now that I do I'm sure glad to see these fellows are on it.
Shooting a new Ref video. Sadly, my idea to copy this video frame-for frame didn't get approved.
Related to the last, Who is U2?
"The track sounds like seventeen different bands averaged out in Yelp and turned into an Active Rock Smoothie." SFJ on U2's Forgettable Fire. Amen.
Baron von Luxxury somehow mellows out Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon" even more.
Genre bending band The Evangenitals drop some science for their "Turbulent Flow" video.
Also awesome, especially the Shonen Knife track: Yellow Loveless.
For BB, after our conversation at lunch today: My Bloody Valentine's Loveless in its entirety, though all in reverse.
Super-Looper. Can't stop. Won't stop.
True Music Facts Wednesday. WTF? So awesome. Where have I been?
Sure, the Rock and Roll Sports Classic has been widely shared recently, but with the weekend coming up, you can take the time to watch the whole hour-and-a-quarter of Solid. Gold. Entertainment.
Happy Wednesday.
Marvin Gaye, "Grapevine" vocal, isolated. Via Meredith Frost.
Toots & the Maytals, Bonnie Raitt, and Bill Cosby. Because OF COURSE.
FWIW, Billy Bragg is stopping in Ferguson tonight.
As ambitious and defining as ever, Pitchfork has The 200 Best Tracks of the Decade So Far.
"Punk with the rock surgically removed." A terribly perfect recording of Sleaford Mods at the Beacons Festival.
"Flowering", new from Jeff and Spencer Tweedy's Sukierae. On repeat.
My fave thing on the internets today, a Muppets tribute to Beastie Boys.
Prog alert. "It's a crazy good. Even if you hate progrock in general, or Yes in particular, you can make an exception for this amazing song." Richard Metzger on "Starship Trooper".
Joe Strummer and Johnny Cash cover Bob Marley's "Redemption Song".
Jonah Ray's assessment of Sublime. His point couldn't be better made, even if it's shooting fish in a barrel.
Weird Al is releasing a new music video every day this week.
Krautrock pioneers Can, live in Cologne, 1972.
RIP Tommy.
Vid of day, for me anyway, The Helio Sequence Live on KEXP.
Music vid of the day, Warpaint covers Ashes to Ashes.
Happy Wednesday.
The Rentals are finally back, yay!
Bone Music, Soviet-era bootlegs were pressed as records using x-ray plates. Via Notcot.
Songs of the summer. 50 years worth.
An oral history of CSNY's 1974 "Mountain of Cocaine" tour, by Andy Greene.
A music video absolutely made for the Musicless Music Video series: Mick Jagger and David Bowie's Dancing in the Street.
Eilon Paz photos of record collectors and their record collections.
Donny & Marie covering Steely Dan's "Reelin' In The Years." Could anything be better? I think not. Via Ryan Catbird.
Music vid of the moment, Interpol's Anywhere.
Related to the last and a relink, Wilco, Nick Lowe & Mavis Staples rehearse The Weight. Thanks for the reminder Marshall.
"It was so beautiful to me. I was surprised that was caught on tape, you know, because I thought I was whispering. It wasn't rehearsed to go like that. It was just a feeling that brought that on. The excitement of being with our friends-- Levon and Danko and those guys were such good friends of our-- to be singing with them, and knowing that this is going to be on the big screen, the silver screen, it was just a moment in time for me." Mavis Staples remembers singing with the Band.
OK Go's latest music video is crazy. More info on how they did it here.
Ice-T wants a Pepsi. Just one Pepsi. NSFW, obviously.
Karen Carpenter voice tracks isolated. Wow. Via Largehearted Boy.
"We'll be celebrating noteworthy pop from around the planet with some help from various guest contributors and an unnecessarily convoluted tournament format in which countries performing in each World Cup match are pitted against each other according to what they've managed to get in their own pop charts." Popworldcupstice: Brazil v Croatia.
Music video for Skywalking by Von Pariahs.
Docs on the making of Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here.
Happy Friday.
The Mothership Has Landed (at the Smithsonian).
Weird, was listening to this and came across this. Internet Kismet.
Misunderstood.
New Tweedy, I'll Sing It.
Vulture gives us their picks for the 150 Greatest Schlock Songs of All Time. Guys, you forgot this one.
"Don't fake it baby, lay the real thing on me."
Game of Thrones Main Theme (Super Audio Time! 1986 remix).
The best album of 2014, and I'm not just saying that because I paid $40 to have the LP shipped from Gothenburg. (Update, looks like it came out last year, and it's out in June in the US.)
Happy Friday.
Happy 80th birthday to Bob Moog. In celebration, Rober Barry put together a playlist of Moog music.
"...people from Hibbing don't like Bob Dylan as much as people not from Hibbing like Bob Dylan." Bob Dylan, Fanboy, by Ian Crouch.
Poolside Radio.
Try not to smile.
Happy Friday.
Local note, the much-beloved former record store Wax Trax will have a pop-up shop for one day only. BB, make your plans now.
Punk/indie nerds: this should keep you busy for a few months.
"It Takes Two" was great, but it was just as good back in 1972
"Gigantic" from Apple and from the Pixies in Boston in 2005.
"B-Classic wants to give classical music the same recognition as pop and rock music. That's why we are proud to announce The Classical Comeback: a new music video format that combines the timeless emotion of classical music with the visual talent of a contemporary director."
The Dark Side of the Cover.
Good news/bad news for Chicago music fans (you decide which is which): Wax Trax! and Veruca Salt are both back in action!
"Using color to interpret emotions, we designed unique color palettes that reflect the albums and music of artists such as Beyonce, Daft Punk and other favorites. The hope behind mixing the beauty of color, music, and emotion is that this will be a source of inspiration for those of you who are music lovers and design enthusiasts, looking to bring color into your home in a creative way." The Sound of Color.
A film and performance series about Johnny Cash's Out Among the Stars," with Brandon Flowers, Father John Misty and Local Natives.
How Michael Jackson's History Was Made, from Sony's now-closed Pitman, NJ CD mastering plant.
Music festival season is right around the corner and Pitchfork has a handy guide on how to survive should you find yourself attending one.
This is creepy and wrong. And also causes me great concern about a potential army of Shane MacGowans.
Music vid of the moment, Tokyo Police Club's Hot Tonight.
"He would sing us an entire string arrangement, every part." Demo of "Beat It" composed using only Michael Jackson's voice. Yowza. Via Ryan Sims.
On heavy rotation in my household, Spencer Tweedy's Temple State. and Marrow's Two.
"We're a not-very-successful, weirdo rock group and we're just like every other group." Pitchfork Classic: The Flaming Lips.
"Seventy-five years ago, on April 9, 1939, as Hitler's troops advanced in Europe and the Depression took its toll in the U.S., one of the most important musical events of the 20th century took place on the National Mall in Washington. There, just two performers, a singer and a pianist, made musical-and-social history."
À propos de rien, pour Michele; Foux du Fafa.
Revisiting a classic: Syd Barrett Visits His Accountant.
Ministry's Al Jourgensen has nothing bad to say about Aimee Mann. Aside from her, anything goes.
Have a Nice Day.
Sly & Robbie with Sheila Hylton doing early Police. (via the Gome)
OK, that's enough with the Lego links everyone. Oh, well, maybe just one more: Pixies!
If I Should Fall from Grace with God. Pogues live.
"My Husband's Stupid Record Collection."
Kraftwerk's "Autobahn," animated by Roger Mainwood, via our pal Mobboss.
"The score consists of a C program of about 20,000 lines of code." Creator Andy Moorer on that THX "Deep Note" Sound." Yeah, that one. Via Mefi.
A high-concept art piece that you just haven't deciphered yet or a commercial for cereal made in the 1980s? Let your heart decide. Tori Amos for Kelloggs' Just Right. Mmmm.
A Mardi Gras playlist.
A history of recorded music in 90 seconds, from Abbey Road. Via Hal Espen.
Isolated Bob Marley vocal tracks from "One Love" and "Redemption Song." Via WFMU.
A handy primer for people just being introduced to The Handsome Family from their song (in the most perfect show intro of all time) for True Detective.
Three cute guys in cab, just singing.
Why shouldn't our commutes sound better?
Cameron Crowe's Allman Brothers story from RS 1973 which inspired Almost Famous. Via TMN.
Happy birthday to the Man in Black.
Happy!
Pitchfork is streaming the original soundtrack to Wes Anderson's newest, The Grand Budapest Hotel.
A preview of Space Project, a compilation album "that features songs incorporating sounds recorded in space by the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 probes." The Spiritualized song previewed is perfection.
Studio One Story, doc on "The University of Reggae," the recording studio in Kingston. Via Mefi.
Looks like 25 is the magic number.
"In short, everything that once seemed weird about 'Birdhouse in Your Soul' has become, well, normal." Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet.
I've been to a lot of estate sales, but sadly never one this great. (Also, in case you're as shocked as I was: she's not dead, she's just moving.)
This online electronic theremin is super-fun. It sounds more like a theremin-controlled Moog, but it turns out that's a thing! (Via Leigh)
Related to the last and so you know, who is Miss Fannie and what is The Weight? Maybe.
Related to the last. Wilco, Nick Lowe and Mavis Staples rehearse The Weight.
Good Morning. The Band, The Weight. Woodstock.
The Weight, by Jimmy & The Muppets. Sweet.
Chicago Avenue Moon "gathers a set of variables including date, time, phase of the moon, and GPS location, and uses that data to determine how its music unfolds, in real-time. The piece is intended for a listener in motion, whose route and speed affect the composition." Sweet, by Joshua Dumas.
"I dug through the junk and into the boxes in search of old mixtapes... And I realized I wasn't thinking about wanting to listen to these old cassettes. I wanted to see them." —Rob Walker.
Happy Tuesday.
"I'd always thought of Pete as a deadly serious, hard-assed old Stalinist, and here, lo and behold, the banjo-plucking poet of the proles actually seemed to have a sense of humor." Joe Queenan remembers Pete Seeger and the $5 check the singer sent him.
Hey BB, seen this?
Now we all know where JC will be this April.
Soviet-era Led Zeppelin bootleg album covers.
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard likes Vegemite.
Speaking of XTC, let me help you keep busy this afternoon.
Happy Friday.
Music video of the moment, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings' Stranger to my Happiness.
A partial list of things that upset Morrissey as depicted in Autobiography.
100 Years of Rock visualized. Nice. Via The Loop.
Dylan Brown's video on the new Intellijel Atlantis, a dual oscillator subtractive synth inspired by the classic Roland SH-101. More here.
Speaking of Christmas songs, this may be the best use of one of my favorites.
"Uncalled for and utterly unwinnable..." Timothy and Elizabeth Bracy make a valiant effort anyhow. The 10 Best Bob Dylan Songs.
A sentence fragment I never thought I'd type: Bootsy Collins' Christmas tribute to Peyton Manning, a promo for Sports Illustrated Kids. What?
"...a rewritten version of Carol of the Bells sung by a choir of vintage Macs, a Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum 1 and a Sega Mega Drive."
Pitchfork's picks for the Top Music Videos of 2013.
"Kelly Clarkson… is in fact as removed from my world as we both are from the imams of Islamabad or the glowing anemones of the Marianas Trench." Noted curmudgeon John Roderick reviews a Christmas CD.
Slate's review of a book about drum machines will send you racing to find a lot of great songs.
First performed in Paris on this date back in 1830, Symphonie Fantastique.
Related to the last, "When the cities run with blood and you drink our health in mud. All flesh be gone, save your dry and joyous shout. For the day poor skeleton steps out..."
United State of Pop 2013.
After decades of floundering away at my three chords, I think I've finally found a guitar instructor who understands me.
OMG, so many gems here... Hideous Holiday Music.
In 1956, Les Paul designed eight subterranean "reverb" rooms for recording. The Secret of that Capitol Studios Sound, by John Peabody.
Music video of the moment, Arcade Fire's Afterlife.
Ever feel like life is just one big Bob Dylan song?
Johnny Mar tells the tale behind writing Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now.
Happy Friday.
Best Drops Ever. Oh yeah. Via Waxy.
See you in 22 minutes. Just discovered this 2004 documentary about Kyle Field and his band, Little Wings.
Feeling much more like winter around here now, but that shouldn't dissuade from downloading Kevin Byrd's latest seasonal mix: CHIRP Fall '13.
Best business plan ever.
"I make it a point to never listen to the lyrics, so I wasn't shocked by anything," The making of Walk on the Wild Side. Via Kurt Loder.
Link for BB and JC, Joy Division's Disorder set to clips from 2001 A Space Odyssey.
There goes the rest your day: Chez Kek's Multitrack Love.
Justin Vernon's Volcano Choir, live in DC. Swell. Thanks Lock.
This Lou Reed Shirt is great on so many levels.
Related to the last, the genuine article.
Baseball fans-slash-longtime Coudal readers have to be loving the new Google Chromebook ad. Does anyone else miss Slatch.com?
"I've been with Buddy Rich. I've been with Gene Krupa. I've been with Max Roach. I don't care about your bullshit rock 'n' roll band!"
Please do me a huge favor and play DLR simultaneously with Barbra.
Barbra Streisand sings "Life on Mars," isolated vocal track. You're welcome.
"This song takes me back where I should have stayed." Happy Wednesday.
"They painted their name across the fuselage, snorted cocaine with rolled-up hundreds and treated the master suite like a pay-by-the-hour motel." Now boarding Led Zepplin's Starship, circa 1973.
"7 days to shoot 350 faces, 10 days to assemble 4000 photos." Music vid of the moment, "Young" by The Paper Kites, directed by Darcy Prendergast.
Sounds of the Office is my new jam. I've had track 201, "Pop Bottle Machine," stuck in my head all morning. Via Things Mag.
Official Song of the Month: The Love Lights' 69 Slutty Costume Ideas (free download!). Let's make this a huge hit.
Full of celebrity cameos and directed by Roman Coppola, Arcade Fire's Here Comes the Night Time.
Happy Wednesday.
The Computer Orchestra allows users to create and conduct their own digital orchestra. By students at ECAL. Check the video.
Exposed dolly track at Maxwell's in Hoboken: It's a Feelies kinda Friday. Bonus track: "Fame" cover from Something Wild.
Happy Wednesday.
Album Covers designed by actor Phil Hartman, via Chris Glass.
Wilco Live on Sound Opinions, right after 9/11 and right before YHF went huge. So great.
Happy Wednesday.
Stan Getz apologizes for an unfortunate incident in Seattle in 1954.
Filmed at dawn at Versailles, using a drone in one continuous shot, Phoenix's Entertainment.
Various bits and pieces from Dark Side of the Moon, isolated. Very cool. Via The Loop.
Hüskers vs Joan Rivers.
This is my current jam. What's yours?
A variety of interpretations of Romanian folk music, collected and transcribed by Bela Bartok between 1909 and 1925.
"I asked Julian Corrie to compose and perform a piece of bespoke music for antiquated hardware that I had turned into instruments then rigged together via MIDI." And he performed it in the bottom of an empty swimming pool too. Sweet. Via Colossal.
The 1991, local-TV-made documentary out of Ottawa about who was then Canada's version of Debbie Gibson: Alanis: Too Hot!
Album to be set on repeat for the weekend: Diego Bernal & Ernest Gonzales's collaborative Atonement. "...the soundtrack of an unmade Mexican Western film."
Happy Friday.
Aardman Animations has produced a set of videos for a BBC Radio 2 play celebrating the 40th anniversary of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side Of The Moon.
Proof that Dolly Parton can do no wrong: slowed down Jolene sounds nearly as great as the original.
For MS: This Charming Charlie
Happy Wednesday.
Some fun news from a favorite label: Exponential Records have put their entire catalog on Bandcamp and just yesterday announced a collaboration between Diego Bernal and Ernest Gonzales, both of whom helped us a ton on music for the Layer Tennis recap films.
Music vid of the moment, Kings of Leon's Supersoaker.
Happy Wednesday.
Live at the Academy of Music 1971, a new, big box set from The Band due in September.
If you've got nothing to do for the rest of the day, visit YouTube and search for "Waterphone." You're welcome.
Very funny new music vid for Mumford & Sons, Hopeless Wanderer.
A teaser film for the new Madeon album. Don't watch and just listen if you don't like strobe lights or headaches.
Always a sure sign that a new season is upon us: Kevin Byrd's CHIRP, Summer '13 Mix.
The simple promo and first single off their first new album since 1996: Mazzy Star's California. Sounds like their reverb pedals are still working just fine.
Happy Wednesday.
FotA Wakiza Gamez has put visuals to his epic The Three Shelley Experience, featuring the "little-known, short-lived super group featuring Shelley Winters, Shelley Long, and Shelley Duvall" performing their hit The Shelley Boogie.
A young Frank Zappa plays the bicycle (part 1) (part 2) (part 3) on the Steve Allen Show.
Jaded Punk says there are 36 Pop Punk Albums You Need to Hear or Just Go F*cking Die. Well, alrighty then. Via MeFi.
A fun find by WFMU, a 1950's radio station and advertising jingles audition tape.
Music video of the moment, Franz Ferdinand's Right Action. Thanks Michael.
Apropos of nothing: "There, There My Dear," 1980
Music vid of the moment, Phoenix's Trying to Be Cool.
In Defence Of Phil Collins, in which we learn that the drum sound of "In the Air Tonight," which was imitated by every pop artist for the next decade, was directly stolen from Public Image Limited's "Flowers of Romance."
It's going to take me all weekend to figure out how I feel about the new Pixies song.
My Dad Was In a Band.
David Letterman really likes drummers.
Happy Wednesday.
Malcolm and Jarad are Unlocking the Truth. Go kids go. Via @signalnoise.
Gah!
Related to the last, The Mellotron! and it's history as narrated by Rick Wakeman.
Nerdy but totally awesome. The Roland RE-201 Space Echo Story. A deliciously analog invention. Via Things Mag.
I always get stuck with screaming children and chatty-cathys when I have flight delays, the folks on this flight were lucky ducks.
While waiting for a Green Day concert to start at Emirates Stadium, the crowd had an impromptu sing-a-long. So awesome. Via Reddit.
Neil Young finds bootlegs In record store, Deccember 1971
NPR recently moved offices and OK Go helped them along. Via Adverve.
Music video of the moment, Vampire Weekend's Diane Young.
Laser cut records.
The first "single" from the upcoming new album: the music vid for Boards of Canada's Reach for the Dead.
Premiering 100 years ago tonight at Paris' Theatre des Champs-Elysees, composer Igor Stravinsky's ballet score The Rite of Spring shocked theater-goers into booing and catcalling, it has even been said blows were exchanged and duels were arranged. Nothing like an exciting night at the ballet! Happy Anniversary.
Fans dropping four figures for their own Daft Punk robot hemets. Via Stereogum.
Clash box set with all five albums remastered. #TOBTM.
So you know, Fillmore East Shows 1968-71.
Embarrassed to only just be finding this now: Blue States' Andy Dragazis has started a side project solo band, The Scantharies, "inspired by 60s and 70s Greek bands such as The Persons, The Forminx and Aphrodites' Child." On extra heavy rotation starting...now.
I'm not usually the one to post about videos (SD), or music (BB), or music videos (MS), but this song is catchy and this video is pretty great looking. The Vaccines, I Always Knew.
Apropos of nothing, Sparks '74, This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us.
This is the sort of thing my dad sends me: Four Lazy Brass Players & One Amazing Multi-Tasker. Via my dad.
Desert Jam in Kofa Mountains, Arizona featuring Beta Monkey Drum Loops is exactly what it sounds like.
Pogo is back with SquareBob Spongemix.
For yesterday, Liz Phair, Cinco de Mayo, from a 1994 appearance on 120 Minutes.
Every Noise at Once. Trust me, click around.
Mother Earth's Plantasia - Warm earth music for plants and the people who love them. Moog music from 1976. Via Mostly Junk Food.
The all-star recording of Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, a southern gothic supernatural musical from co-conspirators Stephen King, John Mellencamp and T Bone Burnett, will be released June 4th via Concord Recordings/Hear Music. Lead track, That's Me by Elvis Costello, is available for streaming.
Over this past weekend, on Record Store Day, Boards of Canada released a mysterious new record. And by "record" we mean just one singular record.
"According to many of the musicians I talked to—and let's be clear, these are rock musicians, not folks playing country, zydeco, contra, jazz, hip-hop—the number of available band names is dwindling." Like a Lead Balloon, by Michael Erard.
So great, a historically inaccurate tale of the inspiration for the KISS song Beth.
Bedroom Cassette Masters, "An eclectic selection of electronica produced in bedrooms around the globe between 1980-89." Via Things Magazine.
Had no idea that the shredded music video had gone international. It somehow makes them all that much better. Even David Lynch himself couldn't begin to make something as bizarre as the shredded version of Eddy Mitchell's Sur la Route de Memphis.
Pitchfork's Guide to Summer Festivals is nicely done.
So you know, Dylan, Wilco, & MMJ are touring together this summer.
I'm a sucker for Rube Goldberg-style chain reactions, especially when they involve toast.
Just as promised: 45 Minutes of Paul Stanley Stage Banter.
Illustrator Victor Melamed has created some amazing portraits of rock stars for Rolling Stone Magazine.
Handy for moments of sadness.
Director Peter Atencio references this Key and Peele sketch he directed in answer to the insane and painful Brad Paisley/LL Cool J collaboration.
Spectacle: The Music Video is the first museum exhibition to celebrate the art and history of the music video. From early examples of music in film to the work of music video masters such as David Bowie and Madonna and contemporary artists such as The White Stripes and Kanye West, the exhibition reveals the enormous influence music videos have had on contemporary culture over the past 35 years.
Awesome, Wilco live at Sydney Opera House, streamed today.
Bowie Mania Again, a guest review of the V&A show by Oliver Bradbury, at Things Magazine.
Friday Flashback.
Dude made a pretty sweet-looking DIY "Fender" Jazzmaster.
Sheet music for piano, for Super Mario Brothers themes. Via Boing.
Stories About Prince. Did you know Prince likes tortillas? And Hamm's?
For BB, a full show from 1978 starring The Ramones. Via Cynical C.
A bit too long, but otherwise hilarious, if you're into the Postal Service: The Postal Service Auditions
Call Me A Hole.
Absolutely lovely the new Waxahatchee record, streaming now at NPR.
For BB, audio of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' newest single, Sacrilege.
Music video for David Bowie's The Stars (Are Out Tonight).
A cover of Massive Attack's Teardrop using vegetables connected to MIDI triggers.
Music of the moment: Caroline Bauer's free EP Goodbye Beautiful.
Ben Kay learned about a new band via this great cab ride.
At NPR Music, you can stream the first album from Chelsea Light Moving, Thurston Moore's new band.
Take a tour of United Record Pressing with Jack White, this years ambassador for Record Store Day. Highlights include learning about the Masons, the NBA Draft and record industry secrets.
Music video for You Can't Be My Girl by Darwin Deez.
Song Stories- The Smiths, "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now". Via TMN.
In honor of the day, TMBG's James K. Polk, "Napoleon of the stump."
IMHO the best one yet, Harlem Shake, the Matt and Kim edition.
Italians singing in fake English: Prisecolinensinenciousol! Goodtimes.
And just because I used the word "ecclesiastical" in the last post, here's Charles Mingus doing Ecclusiastics featuring Roland Kirk's three-horns-at-once thing.
Happy Birthday to John Williams, winner of five Academy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, seven BAFTA Awards and twenty-one Grammy Awards, prolific composer of dozens of memorable film scores such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Schindler's List, Jaws. and ET. That is pretty much the soundtrack of my childhood right there.
The video for Sivu's "Better Man Than He" was shot through a MRI scanner.
A nice write-up on the best music delivery service at the turn of the last century: the barrel piano and the barrel organ.
Here's the Sub Phatty. Check the demo.
Extra weird with its unnerving new optimism: REM's Losing My Religion digitally reworked so all of its minor keys are now in a major scale.
What could possibly make the music video, and the very song itself, for Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights any weirder? What about stretching it out to 36 minutes? Yep, that'll do it.
Prog Rock Britannia, a doc from the BBC. Excellent.
You know what makes a morning commute better? This. Try it.
Bob Marley, live in Santa Barbara 1979.
Boys II Men is coming to Vegas. Take that Celine Dion.
So you know, how to be an aging rocker, by Terry Teachout.
Relink for BB, the story behind the Pogues Christmas classic, Fairytale of New York. Via Look at This.
Fascinating article by Brian Whitman of The Echo Nest on how music recommendation works —and doesn't work.
The holidays come early, at least for your ears, with the release of the latest edition of Kevin Byrd's seasonal mixes: Chirp, Winter 2012.
100 riffs telling a brief history of rock n' roll, and since it's Soundslice, you can play them too.
The song Happy Birthday is under copyright protection until 2030. This contest challenges you to come up with an alternative.
The AV Club staffers pick their favorite songs of 2012, including a sappy entry from Mrs. SD.
People who like this sort of thing will find it exactly the sort of thing they like. Everybody else, not so much. A seamless audio supercut of an entire year (1977) of the Grateful Dead tuning their instruments, live on stage. Via Waxy.
Song of the moment, if the moment is the one when you're peaking on blotter in The Haight in 1969, Group Image's Heeyyaa. Via WFMU.
The Savage Beast is "the first hip-hop album to be comprised of only animal noises." After having listened, you might agree that there may be a reason for that.
On learning that The Breeders are reuniting with their original 1993 Last Splash lineup next year, two things come to mind: A) that's amazing and where can BB and I buy tickets, and B) that album is now 20 years old?!
Zulkey takes a Highlander-esque stance on holiday music by (rightly) declaring: "There Should Be Only One Santa Baby."
"A stable perception was never reachable as to whether Shane was a genius or a fucking idiot."
The story behind our very favorite Christmas anthem. Dorian Lynskey on The Pogue's Fairytale of New York.
In 2008, Dave Brubeck gave this great interview on "Fighting Communism with Jazz' during the cold war. RIP to a great performer and human being.
Speaking of covers, former CPer Jeff Pazen forwards Gang Of Four's Not Great Men as performed by a Gamelan Orchestra. Boom.
A nice way to jump start the week, 17 Led Zeppelin covers, selected by Largehearted Boy.
Music vid of the moment, Florence and The Machine's Lover to Lover.
Turns out, I've been right all along. Beatles fans aren't that smart.
Damon Krukowski breaks down streaming-service royalties and the hopelessness of the current music industry. Especially relevant today because his ex-bandmate Dean Wareham can no longer eat his Twinkies in line at the drug store.
Of the moment, "I'm gonna pop some tags, Only got 20 dollars in my pocket,
I'm hunting, lookin' for a come-up This is fucking awesome."
So great, Miles Davis improvising on LCD Soundsystem. Via MeFi.
Cabel's bleepy-blippy music for The Incident is the bomb.
Heads, Rome, Live, 1980. Phew, a smoking performance all the way through, with Adrian Belew. Via Open Culture.
Rap music vid of the moment, if the moment is in 1974 Italy, Adriano Celentano and Raffaella Carrà perform Prisencolinensinainciusol with lyrics that were meant to mimic the way English sounds to non-English speakers.
Jim, time to upgrade your Korg: Teenage Engineering's OP-1, via Chris Glass.
If Snoop Dogg thought that changing his name to "Snoop Lion" and making a dub reggae video with Major Lazer where he and a bunch of school kids out-crazy Scratch Perry would put him back in the spotlight, well, he was probably right.
Music video of the moment (if the moment is 1972 Tokyo)
Kôji Wakamatsu's Tenshi no kôkotsu (Ecstasy of the Angels)
If anyone's looking for a theme song for the rebuilding of NYC, the Ramones have it covered. Won't you please lend a hand?
Fifty years ago today, French television aired a song by an 18-year-old chanteuse during a break in an election referendum. That was France's first encounter with Francoise Hardy, and it turned her and the song, Tous Les Garcons... into massive hits.
Whether you love or hate Gotye's music, you've got to admit - he produces some truly memorable music videos. Seven Hours With a Backseat Driver.
Low Times has announced 31 Finalists in their "Worst Band Shirt Ever" contest. I'm totally voting for Steve Albini's.
A compilation of Daft Punk songs as 8-bit music.
Music vid of the moment: The xx's Chained.
Peter Saville on how the now iconic Joy Division Unknown Pleasures album cover art came to be.
Somewhat related to the last: Star Wars Flash Mob.
In 2008, Dean & Britta (formerly of Galaxie 500 and Luna) were commissioned by The Andy Warhol Museum to create a soundtrack for Warhol's screen tests. The resulting songs are finally available as digital downloads and as a limited edition CD on their site.
Liike Coldplay or not, their latest music video is pretty cool. The video for the song Hurts Like Heaven is the prequel to a six-part comic about a character named Mylo Xyloto. You can watch it here. Full screen is best.
Adele sings the theme song for Skyfall.
Rolling Stone is reporting that Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson of the seminal band, The Replacements, have reunited to record a limited-run, charity EP of covers. The EP will be released later this year. In the meantime, here is a whole show of The Replacements in their prime, playing Minneapolis' 7th Street Entry.
Music video of the moment, Solange's Losing You. Via Pitchfork.
30 years ago today, Sony launched the first CD player. Neil Young and Steve Albini are still mad about it.
Searching through Los Angeles to find the location where album cover photos were taken.
Stop all that sort of "flim-flam and tosh." Nice interview with Mr. Nick Lowe, by Daniel Durchholz. Via Wilco.
Blind Faith, Hyde Park, London, June 7, 1969.
John Cage performs Water Walk on the 1950s game show, I've Got a Secret. Surprisingly, given the type of show, it gets relatively sincere in a hurry (at least until the audience starts laughing nervously).
Trippy sneak peek for Small Moments (Until The Quiet Comes) by Flying Lotus. Via The Fox is Black.
I'm glad it's not just me that sees Chris Cornell appearing out of the mist... new Soundgarden album trailer. Looks chilly.
"Bringing noise to the peace and quiet of rural Devon." Charge/Discharge a documentary and performance by John Richards. For large ensemble, Faraday Dirty kinetic generators, rectifier, capacitance smoothing, and oscillator circuits. Thanks Paz.
Hip hop dancing and French Bulldogs unite in the Mouse on Mars video Polaroyced.
Completing a little 1968 trifecta. Dylan and The Band, I Ain't Got No Home, Carnegie Hall.
Expected weirdness and satisfyingly odd dancing by David Byrne and St. Vincent in their new video for Who.
The Mixtape Club turns 3.
Really great audio documentary about the importance of the music in the James Bond films, Shaken, Not Stirred.
A Mefi post listing Sound on Sound Magazine's "Classic Tracks" articles. Each is a look into the production techniques, equipment and anecdotes surrounding the recording and mixing of the songs. Nerdy but highly recommended. For example If I Should Fall From Grace With God and Moondance.
Illustrator, animator and artist Rebecca Dart has fine sense for composition, a beautiful flowing use of line and a predilection for old-timey murder ballads. One of the most famous of those is "On the Banks of the Ohio" and Dart's retelling of the tale flows beautifully like the river of its title. Here's the song, as performed by Bill Monroe & Doc Watson.
Of all the things MS has insisted we need for the office over the years, we've never needed anything more than this. It's Coudal Partners' chance, nay, responsibility to do the Hump.
Outsider art meets guitar legends at the Cass County Fair in Michigan.
Ran into my old friend Melissa the other day, she moved to NYC and films bands. Fire up Bleary Eyed Brooklyn and have a look.
DEVO's "Don't Roof Rack Me, Bro!" joins the ever-expanding genre of Seamuscore, pioneered five years ago with the release of FoTA Waki Gamez' "Emotion-Free Crisis Management."
FotA Nathan Rabin's annual firsthand report from the Gathering of the Juggalos, an event which is now at a sort of crossroads.
The general theme of the comments on this YouTube clip of 1959's When by The Kalin Twins: "I love this song! Also, young people are terrible!"
So great, new Pogo remix, Wizard of Meh.
Related to The Smith's post below. BB, tell that to all the hipsters currently riding around on bikes.
MS, we all need a little reminder once in a while that The Smiths weren't really as cool as we remember.
Now playing in the studio: Paul Collins' Beat.
This morning's musical interlude. You are welcome.
Karen Carpenter going nuts on drums, via the mighty Grzeca.
Trailer for Pink Floyd: The Making of Wish You Were Here. The main promotional image for this doc is just exactly perfect.
Hugh Cornwell and Mariachi Mexteca perform Golden Brown. Via MeFi.
"I played these shows with The Dead and never had to think twice about it. Maybe they just dropped something in my drink, I can't say, but anything they wanted to do was fine with me."
Recordings of Dylan and The Grateful Dead rehearsing in 1978
Music vid of the moment, Passion Pit's Constant Conversations.
F*cking Brilliant. Batman Maybe.
FotA Jonathan Messinger on growing up and losing a little cynicism along the way: "The Verve Pipe, a Mea Culpa."
Wilco, live from The Newport Folk festival last Friday. Here's the setlist and official poster. Great way to wind down a hectic Thursday.
From the TMN archives, I Know You're Lonely for Words That I Ain't Spoken. KG on the shouting man who inspired Springsteen's 2002 album.
Meant to link earlier, somehow listening to this in the car on the way to work in the morning just makes the traffic melt away......
Cosmos, a three movement choral tribute to Carl Sagan.
Wheel of Punk Part One. Wheel of Punk Part Two. By Ben Johnson. Via Vice.
Rock n' roll is better with puppets, dogs, and instruments made of candy. "Are You Going to Waste My Time" by Zeus.
So many vocals. Bohemian Rhapsody sans instruments. Via Stellar.
Garage rock replaces a morning cup of coffee. Ty Segall performs Wave Goodbye at the Pitchfork Music Festival, 2012.
So fun. Brian May at a mixing console going through the original multi-track master from "Bohemian Rhapsody."
Five guys, one piano, playing What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction.
Hypnotic, visually compelling music video by Kalle Mattson.
Music vid of the moment: The Shins' It's Only Life.
From Saint Louis University's law journal: "Jay-Z's 99 Problems, Verse 2: A Close Reading with Fourth Amendment Guidance for Cops and Perps," which starts off as just a funny premise, but then becomes a genuinely intelligent and entertaining read.
"But maybe Robbie missed out on having Levon drive him to the library, as he did for The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." A long, highly entertaining discussion of the historical accuracy of the lyrics of The Band's Acadian Driftwood, by Peter Viney.
This is the best burrito song written about the best burrito ever eaten.
Zulkey polls her readership on what rock bands were you irrationally frightened of as a child? A few answers in there by BB and myself.
Joshua Mellin's great photos of last night's Wilco/Andrew Bird concert at the Kane County Cougars ballpark.
If you're comfortable with falling in love at first listen, open your ears and hearts to the simplistic country stylings of Shovels and Rope (Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent).
A collage of musicians covering Jack White's Love Interruption. Via Third Man Records.
Apropos of nothing, sweet photo of The Clash. Via This Isn't Happiness.
"Japanese filmers had total access backstage, and the footage shows Stevie out of her mind on something, along with Mick and Lindsey getting high with the crew. When Lindsey says he likes them rolled nice and tight..." Happy 35th Rumours.
Music vid of the moment: The Shins' No Way Down.
Metallica and Herbie Hancock, together at last in this great mashup by Wax Audio: Master of Doin' It. Via Beer or Kid.
A pitch-perfect review of the new Justin Bieber album by a bunch of eight-year-old Canadian girls. Via Chicago Reader.
Spellbound, a 2008 BBC radio documentary about Public Image Ltd/Siouxsie & the Banshees/Magazine guitarist John McGeoch.
Kevin's just provided you with your soundtrack for the season with the release of his Chirp Summer '12 mix.
Music vid of the day: Passion Pit's Take A Walk.
Pitchfork writer and U of C science/research reporter Rob Mitchum wanted to slow down his music consumption and write more about the same. So he started a project where he'd listen to an entire artist's catalog and write about each release. First up: Neil Young.
The folks over at The Art of Manliness have chosen 10 great songs about Dads in honor of Father's Day this weekend.
Thank You Hater!.
Jimmy Fallon, Carly Rae Jepsen & The Roots sing Call Me Maybe using classroom instruments. Way better than the original.
Ast A Pobbnum, Kopavogi. Via Mr. Walters.
A collection of wonderfully terrible Beatles covers.
"There's no such thing as a sold out concert." Here's why.
Tracking the evolution of Curtis Mayfield's music, a day after what would have been his 70th birthday.
Related to the Aragon link earlier. TOBTM, September 14th 1979.
Local note. Here's a list of just about every show that was held at the Aragon Ballroom in Uptown, from the 60s though the 90s. Via Gapers.
Bought two new albums today, so if you'd like to come over for a listening party, let me know how much time you have to spare: 32 hours or 711 days.
50 Metal and Hard Rock Musicians' Yearbook Photos.
R.I.P. Ween (at least for the next 10 years or so, until they inevitably kick off a reunion tour).
More related. Moog's Animoog iPad app is 99¢ right now, If you care at all about electronics OR music, you'd have to be crazy to not buy it.
Moogday.
Not sure why but here's "Kid A" and "OK Computer" covered as 8-bit video game music.
Lovely music in an unexpected place, try not to smile. Gah, that baby at 1:50, cute overload!
Great mashup of Adele's Set Fire to the Rain and Baltimora's Tarzan Boy, Tarzan & Rain.
Speaking of dead french poets, Do you like Paul Verlaine?
If you're able to find this Punk compilation album from the early-90s, you'll get all the punk classics from bands like Crowded House and the Eurythmics.
Nothing can prepare you for the face-melting power of Van Halen's Hot for Teacher times four.
Stop everything and stream the new Garbage album.
Somebody That I Used to Know by two kids in a car. Too cute.
Whoa. From May through October, a full visual catalog of John Peel's Record Shelf will be released, complete with scans of the fronts and backs of the LPs and Peel's note cards.
Related to the above. "Hey Gandalf, nice dress."
Sabotage. Intergalatic. Sure Shot. No Sleep Til Brooklyn. RIP.
Bruce and a few thousand others sing The Weight in memory of Levon, a couple nights ago in Newark. Fab.
Related to the last: Sinead O'Connor, Cocteau Twins/This Mortal Coil, Bryan Ferry, Robert Plant, and Damon and Naomi.
"Did I dream you dreamed about me?"
Radio Time Machine. Via Book of Joe.
(2/3 of) De La Soul is back in top form with a great concept album and a great-looking video. Why aren't people going crazy for this?
76 years ago today, Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf debuted in Moscow. Here is the story narrated by Boris Karloff.
The latest Chicago Mixtape, "Birds of a Feather" features artwork by our pal Briana Bolger-Schuth.
"I've always been an old Jewish man in a young person's body, but now I'm getting to be middle-aged so I'm going to embrace it." The AV Club's great, touching interview with Aaron Freeman of Ween.
Back when we did advertising, we used to get schloads of unsolicited voice talent and canned music CDs, but never anything this good.
A new album is released in a small aluminum cube.
Chicago has a terrible new tourism anthem. Good luck getting through the whole thing.
The most relaxing song ever. It's certainly better than "Chicago" but it brings to mind Reggie Perrin and the "Company's new Wellness Person."
Umphrey McGee's "Chicago," (the song), brought to you by Chicago (the city), and Chicago (the band), with help from Buddy Guy. It really couldn't be any worse.
Michael Hansen designed a vinyl record that animates as it spins.
A Decade of Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, by Jaymie Baxley for American Songwriter.
Video for Scissor Sisters' Only the Horses.
Levon Helm: The 2007 Fresh Air Interview.
So long Levon.
Another star-studded cover of The Weight. Richard Thompson, Nick Lowe, Elvis, Alan Toussaint and Levon.
BB and I had become so enamored with the linguistic oddity known as "Buffalo buffalo Buffalo (etc)" that we requested that FotA Wakiza Gamez compose a song about it. Which he did, and then some. The mind boggles.
"And the voices sounded like a choir put together in the the toughest joint in a lost frontier — the soulful, gulping joy of Rick Danko, and the high, gorgeous soul of Richard Manuel. And Levon, in whose voice we all got our country back again." —Charles P. Pierce, for Esquire.
The Weight from Woodstock.
"Levon is one of the most extraordinary talented people I've ever known and very much like an older brother to me. I am so grateful I got to see him one last time and will miss him and love him forever." —Robbie Robertson.
There are hundreds of songs I want to hear Levon singing, but right about now, maybe this one to start.
Fuck.
A sweet looking new iPhone music making app from the Swedish creators of Reason and ReBirth. Check out Propellerhead's Figure. Via ISO50.
Organizers of the London Olympics sent a request to see if Keith Moon would be available to play at the opening ceremonies. His manager, in response, said, "If they have a round table, some glasses and candles, we might contact him."
Music vid of the moment, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.'s We Almost Lost Detroit.
NPR is streaming the new Spiritualized album in its entirety: Sweet Heart Sweet Light. Headphones will be in for the rest of the day.
Pogo's back with the predictably fab Boo Bass (Monsters, Inc. Remix).
That last link got DW and I talking about Orbital for the last few minutes, including revisiting an absolute classic from 1996; their mix of Belinda Carlisle and Bon Jovi from Halcyon On and On (Live).
Stuart Murdoch, sorry, but you're no Tracy Tracy.
Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers cover Hall and Oates "I Can't Go For That"while driving a van. Fab. Via The Awesomer.
For SD: Ekki múkk by Sigur Rós.
Apropos of nothing. Woodstock lineup, photos and setlists. Via The Centered Librarian.
The Dead Milkmen haven't changed much (Audio NSFW).
B*tches in Bookshops.
"I told Mike Mills where the bathroom was" and other non-exciting, user-submitted stories about dull run-ins with rock stars: Rock and Roll Tedium.
For BB: an animated explanation of dubstep.
Odd but mesmerizing music video for Miike Snow's The Wave.
Related to the last, a link to the thirstiest of the Pogues, Shane MacGowan and If I Should Fall From the Grace With God live.
For tomorrow, 18 minutes of The Pogues, live from 1985.
Bruce Springsteen's Keynote at SXSW. So great.
I've recommended a couple times that you all go check out Hüsker Düdes, so of course I missed this show.
Of course now that means going back and watching all of Graham Coxon's music vids, including his best: I Wish.
A great, fun read: Bradford Cox's talk with Pitchfork about the Minneapolis music press' response to his recent, impromptu, hour-long cover of My Sharona. Thanks Claire.
Adele vs. Daft Punk.
Super Morrissey Bros.
Music playing in my headphones for the rest of the day: Portland, Oregon's Emancipator. In particular "With Rainy Eyes" and the impressive mashup of Sigur Ross and Mobb Deep, "Shook."
John Lennon and Paul McCartney's childhood homes have received historical site protection status.
So you've heard the sad news and are looking for a worthy audio tribute? Sound Opinions did a great Monkees episode last year.
Music/Film industry billboards on the Sunset Strip in the mid-70s. My fave is this triptych celebrating David Bowie's vanity. Via Northcoast Zeitgeist.
Music vid of the moment: The Shins' Simple Song. So great.
The Badgermin is exactly what it sounds like: a taxidermied badger with a theremin built into it.
8-Bit remixes of Daft Punk.
10 seconds from every Top-100 song ever, assembled using Nat Roe and Frederic Cornu's "Supercut-O-Matic." Not sold in stores!
Half music video, half impromptu karaoke performance and all quiet, lo-fi goodness for Stevie Jackson's Feel The Morning.
Haters gonna hate: Zulkey has announced her duet with the reanimated corpse of Osama bin Laden.
The Clash Playing to 50 people, Christmas 1979, London. TOBTM.
Apropos of nothing: Tuesday Rocksteady.
Found while looking for something else. Van "Come Running," Randall's Island NY, July 1970.
PopSpots, where they shot the album covers. Via Mefi.
Folk in a Box is a one-on-one music venue that can be set up anywhere. It even has a whisky bar on the side. Via Dezeen.
Preparing to cross the road.
Music vid of the moment: The Black Keys' Gold on the Ceiling.
Composer John Williams turned 80 yesterday, here are "five of his must-listen movie score moments" accompanied by Williams comments. So fun. Via a post by David Hudson at Mubi.
So you know. How to cover a Dylan song.
Music vid of the moment: M. Ward's The First Time I Ran Away.
And the week is done, now that North Korea and A-Ha intersect. Oh internets, how I love thee so.....
Rarely seen footage of The Clash at The Palladium in NYC from 1979. "A sublime slice of rock history." I'll say. #TOBTM
OK Go helps the kiddos learn about Primary Colors.
Kabuki disco metal outfit Kiss is like Star Wars, in that even if they're just a sad licensing empire today, conventional wisdom insists they were awesome in the '70s. Well, here's proof Kiss was just as terrible 33 years ago.
Today in history, Puccini's La Boheme premiered at the Teatro Regio, conducted by 28 year-old Arturo Toscanini. Time out for Che Gelida Manina. That is how you start your day, my friends.
"Thank you (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" from Soul Train. Try not to smile. Via the always observant Ben Greenman.
Michael Caine is, in fact, such a good Michael Caine impersonator, he was brought in to replicate Michael Caine's voice on Madness' hit "Michael Caine."
Apropos of nothing. Score for the main title sequence of The Magnificent Seven, by Elmer Bernstein. Enjoy loud.
Micro-budget music video for Sweet Lime by Congo Tardis #1.
Short clip of Charles Cohen playing the Buchla Music Easel, one of only 14 built in the 1970s. Via Doobybrain.
Photos of and recordings of the Gypsy Bands of Hungary.
Popeye and the gang rock out with Wilco.
Kurt Anderson chats with David Byrne about the beginnings of The Talking Heads.
Jim Dalrymple toured the Fender Custom Shop. He brought his camera.
I'm trying to talk SD into making a Field Notes video inspired by Savage Steve Holland and Van Halen, but I don't think he's into it.
Soundmachines. "Three units, which are resembling standard record players, translate concentric visual patterns into control signals for further processing in any music software." Check the video. Via DMiG.
This Lionel Ritchie "Hello" video composed of movie clips is all over the net today, but I prefer an oldie-but-goodie, "The Hello Experiment"
Hello by Matthijs Vlot. Genius. Via Daring Fireball.
"Sherman Hemsley (The Jeffersons) was a prog rock fanatic. He once danced to Gentle Giant on the Dinah Shore show. Playing a song from Nektar on the show was quite unusual. He was a jazz keyboardist himself."
A follow-up to the post yesterday about the cell phone that stopped the New York Philharmonic: an interview with the ashamed culprit.
Song of the morning: Simple Song by The Shins.
In honor of the impending reunion tour. Isolated David Lee Roth vocal track from "Running With the Devil." So great. Ow!
JK on Dubtrot: My Little Pony Dubstep!
Bettie Visits CBGB, a great collection of snapshots from 1976-79. Part of Marc H. Miller's 98 Bowery. Via The Cartoonist.
Let me get The Human League stuck in your head. You're welcome.
Today seems fitting to re-post this classic again: Wakiza Gamez's song, Emotion-Free Crisis Management, which retells the horrible story from the last election about Mitt Romney tying his dog to the roof of his car during an ill-fated family vacation.
Nick Campbell and Benny Monson's project to once a month write a song, perform it, record it, and film it, has wrapped up the year with Wrestle with the Restlessness. I helped out with the one-take Steadicam shoot and my arms are still tired.
Trent Reznor on writing the score for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.
Wilco's recent Chicago Civic Opera House show streamed. If you're going to listen to just one song today, make sure it's the cover of The Weight with Nick Lowe, Mavis Staples and Jeff singing the Danko part. Fan-effing-tastic. Thanks Joe.
Everyone's Mixtape. Fab.
A most original version of the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Lovely.
Did you know that Sleigh Ride has been played 154,327 times since October 1st of this year? Me neither, but you can see how many times your favorite holiday song has been played here.
Marry Christmas!
BTO guitarist Randy Bachman demystifies the iconic opening chord of A Hard Day's Night. Fab.
It's pretty hard to argue with the contention that this is the greatest album cover of all time. Via Dan Snedigar.
If you're having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit try celebrating in Hollis, Queens.
"...7 days seems kind of optimistic to me." Jeff Tweedy does morning weather.
Year end lists are showing up everywhere, but this is a good one: Pitchfork picks their Top 100 Tracks of 2011.
Music vid of the moment: Foster the People's Don't Stop.
So you know, Last Christmas is now in its sixth year of collecting covers of the Wham holiday classic. As of this post, they're up to 479.
The A.V. Club's The Year in Band Names. The Roast Beef Curtains, Slow Dance Chubby, A Great Big Pile Of Leaves, etc.
So you know, rap lyrics, decoded.
Picked up a copy of the debut album by The Lawrence Peters Outfit this past Friday and it's been on repeat ever since. If you're a regular at The Hideout you'll recognize him from behind the bar. For those who aren't, the whole album is available for streaming here.
Happy Thursday!
Non-nerds avoid please. A rundown of Walter Becker's live guitar setup.
Pogo's new remix using sights and sounds recorded around Bhutan, Kadinchey. Lovely.
"To help warm up the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Chorus this season, we asked Calgarians to tweet their tips on how to keep warm in Calgary's winter wonderland."
House of the Rising Sun Old School Computer Remix.
New video from They Might Be Giants, Electric Istanbul (Not Constantinople).
"...and that failure's no success at all..."
So you know. Helpful Rap Board of signature catchphrases from your favorite rappers.
Ravel's Bolero at Copenhagen Central Station. Via MeFi. Best. Flash. Mob. Ever.
The Master List of 2011 Year-End Online Music Lists, updated daily and faithfully catalogued by David Gutowski, aka Largehearted Boy.
"OK, I'm letting go." Sometimes you just need a shot of Lemon Jelly to get the day started.
Speaking of (the underrated half) of Talking Heads, this is really good Field Notes packing music.
Apropos of nothing. The speedy version of "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" from Stop Making Sense.
No idea how long the request process takes, but it's an interesting idea. Moby Gratis provides free production tracks for non-commercial film projects.
The sorely missed Byrdhouse blog may be no more, but Kevin is fortunately keeping his seasonal mixes coming. Here's CHIRP Fall 2011.
CR Blog has some great vinyl selections in their Record Sleeves of the Month feature from October. Including a Massive Attack 12" and a sweet slipcase for Tom the Lion. Also, the CD box for that is terrific.
Music vid of the moment, Los Campesinos By Your Hand.
Good morning. Ozzy Osbourne testing His Arp 2600 Synthesizer.
Day Glow Freaks, a record created completely out of bits from Steely Dan records. An amazing experiment, check the icons below the timeline when playing the songs (which are great btw) to see exactly where each sample came from. Also, read about Gabe Schultz's process for creating this. Fab.
Day Glow Freaks, a record created completely out of bits from Steely Dan records. An amazing experiment, check the icons below the timeline when playing the songs (which are great btw) to see exactly where each sample came from. Also, read about Gabe Schultz's process for creating this. Fab.
All this synth and beat-making talk reminded me of this Directors Cut of Jamie Lidell Using iMaschine.
Just because, Johnny rocks it.
To celebrate Halloween the Wayne Coyne way, the Flaming Lips have posted a song that is 24 hours long. You are also encouraged to purchase the ambient and incredibly same-y track, along with a hand-crafted "Song Skull," for a mere $5,000. Aw, thanks, Wayne! (And an "aw, thanks!" goes out as well to the fabulous Coudal brass for handing me the guest-editor reins for October.)
Jim and Greg's Halloween playlist.
Some entertaining, behind-the-scenes stories from a new book, I Want My MTV The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution.
Campbell & Monson for October, "Registered Nurse & Short Order Cook," filmed right outside our office! Righteous.
Music vid of the moment, The Black Keys Lonely Boy.
The history of the Fairlight CMI (Computer Musical Instrument), the first commercial sampler and screen-based rhythm sequencer. Now, available for iPhone and iPad. See also, Animoog.
"Now, we've got so many layers of nostalgia that we've got a nostalgia for the second or third revival of something as nostalgia. I totally expect a fourth wave of ska to roll through at some point." Steve Albini interviewed in Gothamist. Via Things.
Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon, live at Wembley, November 1974.
The reclusive Cleveland garage pop purveyor Bill Fox (of the influential '80s indie band The Mice) has surfaced with a previously unreleased and highly old-school Dylanesque track, "Men Who Are Guilty of Crimes," in support of OWS.
Time magazine critics picks their All-TIME 100 Greatest Songs.
Sha la la la la la: 1960, 1964, 1966, and 1967.
Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want, which is this.
Wilco's Tiny Desk Concert for NPR. Fab.
Pitchfork interviews Henry Owings, founder of Chunklet and
author of The Indie Cred Test.
Music vid of the moment: Fusion Family's Dr. Sadler.
The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation was created to raise awareness about the economic hardship family farmers face in the increasingly industrialized American agriculture system. So far, they have commissioned two videos to help make the public aware of the issue, Willie Nelson sings Coldplay and Karen O sings Willie Nelson. Great campaign.
Popped up on Pandora, too good not to re-visit: Johnny Cash sings Hurt.
Metallica played by elementary school kids. Rock on.
Jim Lockey's illustrated, scientific diagram of the Visible Tom Waits.
Music vid of the moment: Florence + The Machine's Shake It Out.
Album covers held up against places that look almost like the original locations. via @WFMU
A band on a motorcycle in Russia.
When pigs fly? Um, Monday, as a PR stunt.
A fun medley of pop music gibberish in this History of Lyrics That Aren't Lyrics.
NYPost on Sly Stone's current state of affairs.
Got a long road trip coming up this weekend? You can use the time driving to listen to the Flaming Lips' new 6 hour long song.
Animated Albums.
Ithaca concert not going so well and neither is Concord NH. Local note. We're very much hoping that things don't go so well when They Might Be Giants play the well-lit Vic Friday night.
There goes the afternoon: The BBC's Synth Britannia.
MS, surely it had something to do with this.
Huh. Not sure how that happened but this just popped up on my Smiths Pandora station.
Who knew? Cows like jazz.
NPR has a full streaming copy of composer Steve Reich's WTC 9/11, recorded with the Kronos Quartet.
Music vid of the moment: Monster Rally's Surf Erie. Via HUH.
30 years of music industry changes, in 30 seconds or less.
The internet messes up Tom Waits' Private Listening Party.
Stumbled upon what appears to be something of a subculture of creating animated sheet music. Here's Miles Davis' So What. And sort of tangentially related, here's a very nice animated visualization of Debussy's First Arabesque.
French & Saunders interview Dusty Springfield.
Music Video of the moment: OK Go with The Muppets.
A couple years ago, The Decemberists Colin Meloy participated in Infinite Summer an online reading project in which thousands attempted to tackle David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest for the first time. The book inspired a song, and the song has inspired a video based on one of IJ's most famous scenes.
Damon Albarn of course has Gorillaz, Graham Coxon comes out with a solo album every couple of years, and Dave Rowntree is getting a law degree. But perhaps the most interesting member of Blur is bassist Alex James, who has apparently gotten really into cheese.
Music vid of the moment, Bon Iver's Holocene. Lovely.
Rioters in London burnt down the PIAS music distribution center, warehousing almost 200 indie labels' stock.
Almost.
Scott Simon chats with "math guy" Keith Devlin about the opening chord of "A Hard Day's Night." Yeah, that one.
Music vid of the moment: Typhoon's The Honest Truth. (Full disclosure: I just found out I'm distantly related to the drummer. Hey cous!)
Soundtrack for the day: a stream of the full album of Amon Tobin's ISAM. After that ends, I'm going to keep the nerd factor high and re-listen to his work for Splinter Cell.
NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series with Noah and the Whale.
Music vid of the moment: Cee Lo Green's Cry Baby. Hey, is that Urkel?
So you know, the 30 best music videos.
Music vid of the moment: Best Coast's Our Deal. Directed by Drew Barrymore.
Black Cab Sessions: The Maccabees.
Songs of the moment: the remixes of Brookville's Broken Mirrors.
"Hooray For Earth," music vid for True Loves directed by Alex Takacs and Joe Nankin.
Fun mash-up by Ithaca Audio using a variety of random sources, from Star Wars to the opening of a snooker championship. Don't Hold Back, Just Push Things Forward.
BB, you'll love this: Touring Pitchfork with Superchunk's Jon Wurster.
"Hey Gandalf, nice dress." Harper reminds us of this music video for Red Fang's "Prehistoric Dog."
Hard to believe it's been a decade already. The Avalanches will soon be reissuing a deluxe, 10 year anniversary edition of their album, Since I Left You. They're previewing it with a Stereolab remix of the title track. Now where's the second album already?!
Song of the moment: Madeon's crazy 39 song live mashup, Pop Culture.
Surfing skeletons! Sam Fleischner's new video for Panda Bear. Via It's Nice That.
Bob Pollard has 1393 songs registered with BMI. Hopefully he's rehearsing all of them for Pitchfork.
Our pals at the A.V. Club have too much fun: They Might Be Giants covers Chumbawamba.
Setting a world record by playing Flight of the Bumblebee at 600 BPM on a guitar. Via Doobybrain.
Desert Island Discs, from the BBC and the crew at Magnetic North. Beautifully done.
Sweet video teaser for a new M83 album. Via ISO50.
What if the coolest song written for one cello was instead written for eight?
Finnish band Porkka Playboys cover Bohemian Rhapsody while sitting in a Volkswagon.
The DDC's record package for Viva Voce's "The Future Will Destroy You." So great.
New Pogo video, Disney Remix.
Our Subaru radio sometimes doesn't get along with the Radio Data System.
Music vid of the moment, Noah and The Whale's Life is Life.
Oona...rocks!
An infographic showing how your Father's favorite music indicates what you listen to today.
Good morning. Selection 13: Postal workers canceling stamps at the University of Ghana Post Office. Via Alexis Petridis.
Joyce's influence on popular music, both here and here, including that time he joined the Pogues.
Music vid of the moment, TV On The Radios' You
Death Cab for Cutie's Benjamin Gibbard has lied. For those who don't get it right away, this will help explain.
Music vid of the moment, Florence + The Machine's cover of Not Fade Away.
Guess what? Customer service matters, even for Radiohead. Via TMN.
Kim and Kelley Deal's birthday cake.
For BB, Rush drummer Neil Peart breaks downs Moving Pictures track by track.
Music vid of the moment, the Yes Yes Yalls Earth To Pluto.
Best news of the week (particularly for we Adam Schlesinger fans): the band Ivy has a new album coming out later this summer and you can listen to the single here.
Music vid from 1979 of the moment from France's leading expert on hair, walking, staring at things, and the playing of a mean synth: Jean Michel Jarre's Equinoxe 5.
Hey, what song are you listening to? Simple and great.
"Just what is it that you want to do, Mudhoney and Primal Scream?" And how 'bout some Davie Allan & the Arrows to tie it all together?
North Country Blues, 1963 Newport. Via a great piece by John Bennet, Don't Read This Bob.
Subterranean Homesick Blues.
Ken Regan's never-before-seen photos from the 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue on the occasion of Dylan's 70th birthday. Via David Hudson.
Them kinda monkeys can't swing.
Live. The Crossing at Abbey Road. Via Mefi.
"Every sound on this record, from the melodic sounds to the percussion, the atmospheric effects to the bass lines originates from the Braun AB-30 alarm clock." Jon Brooks' Music for Dieter Rams.
Related to the last: Gripp's 51 track concept album born out of frustration after being hired to write jingles: For Those About to Shop, We Salute You
Song of the moment from the always great Parry Gripp: I Like Vegetables.
Steve Witchbeam reports on Noizefest 2011 for WFMU.
Maria Popova on the music of Philip Glass, visualized in fractals. Beautiful. There is lots more to check out on the site of artist, Tatiana Plakhova.
That last one provided a good excuse to post a favorite Anthony Lane piece, when he wrote about Eurovision after last year's contest: "Only Mr. God Knows Why."
For MS: the winner of this past weekend's annual Eurovision contest was Azerbaijan's Ell & Nikki for their song Running Scared. No doubt all that powerful emoting helped tip the scales.
Rayna learned the guitar by playing "Duncan". When she yelled that out at his concert, Paul Simon invited her up on stage to play with him.
Repaying a favor, David Gilmour performed Comfortably Numb at Roger Waters' Wall show in London last night.
Fun Friday starter. PS22 singing The Smiths. Thanks Stephen.
"God please give us Bob Marley back. In return we will give you Charlie Sheen and Justin Beiber." Agreed.
A preview of The Silent League's remix album, We Go Forward.
Music vid of the moment, Kimbra's Cameo Lover.
If you've never heard of electronic music pioneer Delia Derbyshire, you've likely heard her most famous work. Watch her do her thing.
Sheerly Avni for Open Culture on Hell W10, a gangster parody starring TOBTM and written by Joe Strummer. No it's "not exactly a masterpiece" but in my book, anything that starts with "Version City" can't be bad.
Always worth a repost: Phil X. Milstein's Probe, occasional obscure pop music curation at its best.
Michael Moran on The Fairlight, the first sampler, launched in 1979 and heard throughout the 80s. You might not know the gear, but you know the sound.
Max Blau lists his thirty best Wilco songs.
Little Dragon performs Little Man for Yours Truly.
Related to the last, BAD just added for Lolla.
"Otomata is a generative sequencer. It employs a cellular automaton type logic I've devised to produce sound events." It's also a ton of fun to play with. Check this example sequence from Batuhan Bozkurt, who created the instrument. Via Scott Hansen.
Not since Frampton Comes Alive have I so eagerly awaited a record album. Here's a sneak peek at Thomas & Christopher's Pure.
Spike Jonze presents: Lil Buck and Yo-Yo Ma. Via Hypebeast.
Ralf And Florian: the Kraftwerk sitcom. Perfect. Thanks Jamie37!
Music vid of the day, Autoerotique's Turn Up The Volume
"Judges Disqualify 'Little Milton' in Last Minute Rumpus." Prog warning, Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick album packaging nicely scanned.
This is going to be posted all over for weeks, but it's too good not to post: Fight For Your Right - Revisited, the star-studded promo for the new Beastie Boys record. (Thx, Jamie 37)
A short preview of the collaboration between J. Spaceman and director Jonathan Glazer on turning Spiritualized's classic Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating in Space into an "interactive installation" for this year's Coachella.
"For Garrick, who pointed out to me recently how mysterious that 'doctor' in Nothing Compares 2 U is." Brilliant.
A beautiful, mesmerizing film of Stretta demonstrating the arc4 encoder. More from Scott Hansen here and here.
"In the spring of 1981 a group of reggae studio musicians from Jamaica gathered in New York City under the direction of Jeremy Taylor, a music professor at NYU at that time. The result was this Reggae Interpretation of Kind of Blue."
Agenda-Collective's eerie and subtle video for Esben and the Witch's "Marching Song." Via Jamie 37.
"She offers the camera a hostage's smile, forced, false. Her smoky eyes suggest chaos witnessed: tear gas, rock missiles and gasoline flames. They paint her as a refugee of a teen culture whose capacity for real subversion was bludgeoned away somewhere between the atrocities of Kent State and those of the 1968 Democratic Convention, the start of a creeping zombification that would see youthful dissent packaged and sold alongside Pez and Doritos." Rebecca Black's Friday as radical text.
Every game, my wife would make us walk over to say hi to Nancy. We'll have to keep that tradition alive to help welcome the new White Sox organist.
SD, I think that Canco de l'alba video is more like a backwards/artier version of this, right down to the orange guitar cable.
Downloaded Djay for Mac. Two minutes later I am mixing Carl Sandburg reciting "Chicago" and Tycho. Big Fun. (Full disclosure: Algoriddim is a Deck advertiser.)
The Steely Dan Infographic Project is exactly as advertised. Black Cow.
Cry Baby: The Pedal That Rocks The World. "If someone didn't know what the wah pedal was the first thing I would say is 'Have you ever heard of Shaft?'" Great, via Boing Boing.
Tangentially related to the last, nine profanity-filled minutes of Buddy Rich bitching out his band on the bus after a gig and also firing his trombonist right on the bandstand. Nice guy.
Beach Boys' Smile Sessions to be released. Awesome. Via someone who should know.
Draplin's amazing design for All Tiny Creatures' "Harbors" CD and vinyl. Bam!
BTW: My favorite Phil Collins moment.
I love to knock on Phil Collins, he's a Spurs fan and put out some godawful songs, but I'll miss the little guy now that he's retired. He drummed on Big Log, played Live Aid on two continents, appeared on Miami Vice with Emo Philips, made many wonderfully preposterous videos, and even worked with Brian Eno on several occasions. So he's not all bad.
A musician interprets the mathematical constant to 31 decimal places for What Pi Sounds Like. Via Laughing Squid.
And of course what would have to follow that last post: Soul Coughing's Screenwriter's Blues.
Good start to a good day. Tangled Up In Blue, 1974.
Justin Bieber Covers Pantera. The pages and pages of comments are great.
A demonstration of the Muson Synthesizer, a mini-organ with a built in sequencer, released in 1978 by Mego Corp.
Lullatone's bright and cheerful Experiments Around the House using stuff that makes sound. Via Grain Edit.
Video for Caribou's Jamelia.
The 11 Best Video Game Cover Bands
The Muppets cover LCD Soundsystem. Yes, I said the Muppets.
Our pals at Exponential Records (they've very kindly provided the tracks for the last two Layer Tennis recap videos) have just released their fourth annual compilation for spring, downloadable for free, simply titled Texas. Really digging Diego Bernal's All I Did and Chill's PB 2 My J.
"As most people know, I'm currently producing my way through the alphabet and I had a slot between Stetsasonic and Supertramp." Rick Rubin produces Ray Stevens.
For Presidents Day, from TMBG. "From Nashville came a dark house riding up, Mister
James K. Polk, Napoleon of the Stump."
Wilco recording, just now.
An unexpected connection discovered about the Smashing Pumpkins new bassist.
Andre Maat & Superelectric's video for Kraak & Smaak's Squeeze Me. Flipbooks!
John David Lee Lennon-Roth at his best. Via Chris Glass.
So you know: the world's only Eight Track Museum opens tomorrow in Dallas.
Jenny Rock, where have you been all my life? I'm swooning like Eleanor Bron in Bedazzled.
In Bb 2.0, a collaborative music project brought together with 20 different video clips that can be played together or at random, which always sync up. Play just a handful at once to create a series of movements.
Song of the moment in what sounds like a return to form for the band: Cornershop's United Provinces Of India.
Playmobil Ian, Bernard, Stephen, and Hooky play "Transmission" live on John Peel.
Lee Marvin and Angela Dickinson perform Steve Reich's minimal piece Clapping Music. Strangely almost as hypnotic as the original. Now someone needs to make an edit like this of Music for 18 Musicians. Maybe the space noises from Alien?
World Order in New York. I can't begin to explain the awesomeness of this synchronized dance pop group properly, but try not to smile while watching it. Via Scott Beale.
Nicely-designed/well-curated new music by subscription: Ramen Music
Rest in peace, Gladys Horton.
Forget everything you've read on Pitchfork, these five bands are the cutting edge of 2011.
Always a great way to waste seven minutes and 43 seconds: The Who pwn the Rolling Stones' TV special.
New Feelies LP April 12! Streaming track (and their live shows) pick up right where they left off 20 years ago.
The Fairlight Synthesizer demonstrated by inventor Peter Vogel in 1980. Sweet.
Local band Baby Teeth's five song experiment/tribute to Richard M. Daley, Boss. Start with the last song, Boss Man.
Jean Laurendeau demonstrates to the Ondes Martenot, a rare Theremin-like keyboard instrument with a wire-controlled glissando control. Sweet.
Matt and Kim duke it out in their latest video for Cameras.
Another year and another great alternate reality Coachella line-up. Sad though that NWH didn't make the cut.
Likely for a small subset of our readers, including me, (and certainly not BB) The Dead have released the entire 1972 European Tour on CD.
Local note: Purple Apple have the best promo photo ever and they're playing at Schuba's tonight with some MKoFotAs (musical kids of friends of the agency.)
The Wedding Present on Alabama Public TV, of all places.
Lady Gaga's song Telephone recreated as a children's book story, complete with vintage illustrations. Via bblinks.
For BB: news of the collaborative album between Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake and Euros Childs from Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. And here's a music vid to boot. Via I Like.
John Williams' theme from Jurassic Park slowed down to 1/10th its original speed. Hypnotic.
Related to the last, BBC doc Prog Rock Britannia.
Prog Rock x 8.
To celebrate my current LCD Soundsystem infatuation, I just dug out my Pony CD. In that context, "Gimme" is even funnier.
"Is this the new Strokes album art? Probably not, but it should be."
Remember that show, "Night Music," where David Sanborn would have amazingly hip bands like The Pixies, but at the end of the show, he'd come out and ruin a Sonic Youth or Pere Ubu song with his cheesy sax? Well, it was all worth it for this clip of Bongwater and Bob Weir (!) covering "Three Sticks" AND Roky Erickson at the same time with Screamin' Jay Hawkins (!!!) on vocals.
"It's like being shrunk down to the size of a pea and taking a walk on your records." Macro Reggae 45s. Brought to you by Ring The Alarm.
Related to last night's TOBTM links. Eight years ago today Joe Strummer died. "We'd like to roll the tanks." A 1980 Clampdown.
Chiptunes! Shaun Inman's Noise Entertainment System for the iPhone is now available.
Fans of the band Blue States will be happy to find this collection of random, short tracks from its lead, Andy Dragazis. Seems like maybe they're music for commercials.
Who could forget the holiday musical stylings of Yogi Yorgesson? If you think that's a laugh riot (like SD and I do) you'll love his follow-up. (Lots more on Yogi here.)
Related to the last: the band Self's Titanic, the best song ever about the movie based on the ship set to the Pixies' Gigantic.
For BB, The Ramones "Blitzkrieg Bop" deconstructed.
"Remain calm and amused" and "Don't have some big overarching narrative about baby boomers or technology or anything." New York's Nitsuh Abebe on How to Hate the Beatles.
"17. So-and-so's debut solo outing, which sounds precisely like the band so-and-so is famous for." Troy Reimink's instructions on how to rank the best albums of 2010 without actually listening to them. Very helpful. Via Largehearted Boy.
Every detail of this image is fantastic. From the foggy ground, to the rocket in silhouette, to the excellent choice of stemware. The cover from Les Baxter's "Space Capade" record. Found among tons of similar grooviness at Music From Outer Space.
Rudolph, You Don't Have to Put On the Red Light.
Gah! A careful restoration of Joy Division/New Order's years on Factory Records and one of The Smiths on Rough Trade.
It's slow to load and the total flash overkill make this Map of Metal just exactly as it ought to be. Really great, via Kumar.
From Spike Jonze, Arcade Fire's latest video, The Suburbs.
To help fill up these last 45 minutes before Layer Tennis begins, why not have a conversation with yourself similar to the one BB and I are having right now: which robot-based band is better, Quintron with his Drum Buddy or Captured by Robots?
Perhaps appropriate for today. Steven Heller on the origins of the Beatles logo, I Wanna Hold Your Type. Via Gary Hustwit.
Music video of the moment, Chris Garneau's Dirty Night Clowns.
Local note. Moondoggies at Schubas tomorrow. Win tix and Field Notes here and check their hand-drawn video for Empress of the North.
"I can appreciate it now because the beat is so good, and the kids love it." DJ Ruth Flowers hits the US.
Mrs. BB recommends KEXP's Halloween stream this morning, the DJ just suggested checking out this creepy Aphex Twin video.
For JC: "One day in 1974, Manuel Göttsching, guitarist for the legendary Krautrock band Ash Ra Tempel, walked into a Berlin record store and heard some wildly cosmic guitar sounds blasting from the speakers. He was shocked to discover that he was listening to a new Krautrock supergroup, and that he in fact was the guitarist."
Mine was the TPS-L2 and spent the entire summer of 1981 with one of the two Sandinista tapes in it.
Music vid of the moment, Genki Sudo's World Order in New York.
A harmonica at Carnegie Hall. Via my dad.
Related to the last. For XTC fans, individual members of the band talk in-depth about individual songs. It's sort of a mess to navigate but well worth it to scroll and click through tons of great stuff. For example here's Andy on Supergirl and Colin of King For a Day.
"No, not the last minute drawing of the Elysian type couple tooting on their flutes, nice as it was..." A new double-vinyl release of Skylarking is imminent. A note from Andy on the cover and another on the mix.
Music video of the moment, Hollerado's Americanarama.
Brilliant. Playbutton does what it's named.
I don't think Derry City ever played Chelsea (outside Subbuteo) and I can't speak to Feargal Sharkey's football skills, but that never mattered to The Undertones.
The Beautiful & the Damned, LA punk photos by Ann Summa.
Tilt shift Cochella .
Gorillaz in concert.
Taking on A-ha classic. Thanks Michael.
Music video of the moment, Japanese Popstars' Let Go.
Kevin's Chirp mix for fall is now available for your ears' benefit.
Music vid of the moment, The Bees' I Really Need Love. Via It's Nice That.
Song and music vid of the moment: Duck Sauce's Barbra Streisand. Such great editing. Via Doobybrain.
Song of the moment: Norwegian Recycling's Miracles. Until The Avalanches finally release a second album, this is my new favorite mashup band.
Here's a muscular live version of Acadian Driftwood from The Last Waltz, which sadly, didn't make it into the film.
Music video of the moment, LCD Soundsystem's Home.
Gettin' money with a mouse and wacom pen.
Music vid of the moment Little Comets' The Isles.
Layer Tennis competitor, Matt Stevens, started a self-initiated Black Keys poster project.
Song of the moment, maybe the summer. 8 bit Doctor Worm.
40 years ago tomorrow, Jimi Hendrix died. SPD has collected a set of magazine covers. Also, Hey Joe.
As you'd expect, Freddie Mercury had awesome stationery. Via Letters of Note.
Local note: Songs About Buildings and Moods celebrates Chicago's spectacular architectural legacy in music.
Related to the last: Superchunk drummer Jon Wurster and WFMU's Tom Scharpling's "Forgotten History of Rock."
Posting without even watching it first, because I'm so excited: New Superchunk video! Never thought I'd hear those words again.
For BB, who has probably heard of all of these. Ben Greenman's Ten Best American Rock Albums You've Never Heard Of.
Fearless WFMU once again takes on an important topic without regard to their own safety or well-being. Bravo. Country Music and Hot Pants.
In response to Cee-Lo Green's F*ck You, there are two sides to every story, Clearly Obsessed.
First there was the typographical music video for Cee-Lo Green's F*ck You, now the official video is online.
You don't need a dance floor to break it down, maybe just a bit of rain.
Jim DeRogatis is celebrating his birthday with a look at the best albums of 1990, including The Flaming Lips' best work, In a Priest Driven Ambulance. In case you forgot, the Lips used to be a rock and roll band.
"Gonna ride my bike until I get home." The Bike Song.
Musician Maxence Cyrin adapts pop songs to piano pieces and then sets them to scenes from classic films. You can see a fabulous example of his work with this take on The Pixies Where is My Mind. Via It's Nice That.
For BB: everyone's favorite video band Pomplamoose teamed up for a promo for a song off Lonely Avenue, the album Ben Folds and Nick Hornby have coming out in late September.
Everything is better when there's tacos involved, even your favorite music: Album Tacos. Thanks Claire.
Tristan Perich's 1-Bit Symphony, "an electronic composition in five movements on a single microchip" built into a jewel case.
We've posted it before, and we'll post it again because it's great: Andre Michelle's Sound Laboratory.
Friend'a mine melted off one of his fingerprints making a Drawdio this weekend, but that's not going to stop me from making one, too.
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists think the Green Day musical is stupid. (Via Jamie.)
How much do music artists earn online? Thanks Marshall.
Justin Bieber's U Smile slowed down 800%. If the teen pop idol thing doesn't work out, he should slow down all his music and land a gig opening for Art of Noise.
Song and video of the moment, Ellen Allien's Sun the Rain.
All but three of the 1991 Pro Set You! MTV Raps card collection.
Listened to Bernard Herrmann's brilliant score for Hitchcock's Vertigo on the way into work this morning. Time to watch the movie again, good thing I own it.
RIP Chris Dedrick, lead songwriter of the Free Design. Will make listening to this week's Jordan Jesse Go a little more somber.
Video for Scissor Sisters Any Which Way.
"I am totally in agreement, Joy Division are the best thing I have heard in Manchester for about six months." Letters of Note remembers Tony Wilson. More on Tony here. For BB.
"Groove is in the Art celebrates the era when psychedelic graphics and pop art met the mainstream on instrumental and classical album covers in an explosion of line art and color."
And BB, remember when Spacemen 3 covered Mudhoney?
SD's post sent me on a Spacemen 3 relapse: Revolution!. Bonus: Mudhoney's awesome parody.
For BB: footage from the partial Spacemen 3 reunion (Jason Pierce wasn't there). Via Peachfuzz.
Who knew Lady Gaga and Berlin had so much in common? Top 10 Songs That Sound Exactly the Same.
My current fave at the fab Levi's Pioneer Sessions, where contemporary musicians cover songs that inspire them, The Shins' take on Squeeze's Goodbye Girl.
Superchunk covers The Cure. Aces. Thanks Joe.
I didn't regret skipping Pitchfork until I heard about Drag City's Rian Murphy's hilarious intro to Pavement's set. Genius.
Music video of the moment, the Wave Pictures' Sweetheart, made entirely from secondhand books.
It's the 39th Anniversary of George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh. Here's Dylan's Blowin' in the Wind and piece about the event by Bill McKibben.
Song of the moment. Big Little Dipper Dipper's Hockey Star. Via
Fab, music vid of the moment, Kleptones mashup Come Again.
"We were initially called Real Westway, but Mick really wanted to use the acronym B.A.D. so we came up with the backronym Big Audio Dynamite and the scene was set." Don Letts and Mick Jones for Sabotage Times
"Won't Get Fooled Again," just the drums.
Folk, opera, comedy, jazz. A treasure trove of preserved and digitized audio cylinders. Via Sally Jacobs/The Practical Archivist.
Interesting behind the scenes bit on the making of 10cc's I'm Not In Love with a 24 track, 256 voices and gaffer's tape. Via @monoscope.
Outstanding acoustic cover of Journey's power ballad, Faithfully, by Eef Barzelay for the A.V. Club. Via luckyshirt.
What do you envision for our future? Specifically, 989 years from now? Illustrators interpret tracks and provide a glimpse into the world of tomorrow. Arka is the first in a yearlong series.
Song of the moment, Mavis Staples' You Are Not Alone, written and produced by Jeff Tweedy.
The Autotune the News group have used their talents to make the Double Rainbow Song.
A CP first: Related to the NEXT post!
Awkward teenager Ian Quigley interviews Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips. The video editor coulda thrown the kid a bone, ha. (Via Draplin.)
"California gurls deniers generally do not accept the term 'denial' as an appropriate description of their point of view, and use the term 'West Coast female revisionism' instead." Zulkey's report on California Gurls Denial.
"Three-quarters-filled at the start, the club was no more than a quarter packed by the excruciating end." The painful account of Courtney Love's disastrous concert in DC this weekend.
Is all this techno business late-90s nostalgia or is the US really just now hearing this music for the first time? Photos from the Electric Daisy Carnival.
Clever, handcrafted packaging and promotion for the album "This Is Yours" from the band London Fields.
Over at the brilliant Levi's Pioneer Sessions, check out Passion Pit's cover of The Smashing Pumpkins' hit Tonight, Tonight,
The rock album as Science Fiction.
Vuvuzelas + The Final Countdown + autotune. What could go wrong?
FotA Nathan Rabin follows my Dancing Queen experiment model by listening to a batch of pop songs on repeat for far longer than he should for his latest Then That's What They Called Music column for The Onion A.V. Club.
"I don't give a fuck if it's good or not, just play it together... you don't have to play anything fancy or nothing, just... just together." A great story, well told. Mystic Nights, The Making of "Blonde on Blonde" in Nashville, by Sean Wilentz. Via TMN.
Stuck in my head all weekend: Ray Barretto's "Deeper Shade of Soul". (I'm a sucker for lo-fi YouTube turntable videos.)
Images of every Blue Note record album ever released. Via MeFi.
Yesterday, to help promote their new album, Devo hosted a cat listening party. Cats love Devo!
Music vid of the moment, Ok Go's End Love.
Bante's promotional video for the Bellavista Social Pub is an homage to Reid Miles, legendary designer for Blue Note Records. Sublime. Via Dan Wagstaff.
When dragging in the late afternoon, some people go for a quick coffee. Me? This from TOBTM always works.
Bill Watterson take note: Libertarianism Fail. "Man, that guy in the pickup truck sure hates Stewart Copeland's brother!"
Portraits of musicians made from cassettes, film and reels. Ghost in the Machine. Via GOOD.
A history of artists who have demanded that Republicans stop playing their songs, on TPM via TMN.
Covers of the best 1980's sitcom theme songs.
From DJ Pogo, who brought us the previously posted remix of Alice in Wonderland, his utterly fabulous remix of Pixar's movie Up, Upular.
Video/music remixer Pogo's Gardyn.
The Star Wars Imperial March played on steel drums. Via Buzzfeed.
Music vid of the moment: The Black Keys Tighten Up.
Love it, an Operatic Flash Mob at the Reading Terminal Market.
"Levi's invited today's pioneering musicians from pop, rock, soul, and rap to re-craft the classic songs that inspired their sound." Session one is now available. Via Hypebeast.
Music vid of the moment, Tim Knol's When I Am King.
For no reason than to bum you out on a bright, sunny Monday: some couplets from 1979.
Focus.
For the waning days of spring, Kevin's just released CHIRP 10.
Former Squirrel Nut Zipper, Tom Maxwell writes about his new online radio project. The Universal. "The show takes a page from John Peel's work at the BBC in the 60s and 70s. Bands are brought into a professional recording studio and perform live, conversing with me between songs." Sweet.
Radio Shack Telephone Answering Machine Outgoing Messages, Music Edition.
Johnny Marr's Guitar collection. There goes the afternoon.
Music vid of the moment, The xx Islands.
Fun mini-doc showing the making of LCD Soundsystem's latest album. Start with "Clip 1" of course, but make sure to work your way to the best: "Clip 6."
Music vid of the moment, Vital's Airport. Via This is Awesome.
Is "ZERO PER ZERO" equal to Nothing from Nothing?
"I received an email from a woman named Laura, who had recently moved to a new city for a new job. She was overwhelmed with anxiety and asked me to write her a song to help her calm down." Chillout Song. That Mister Frank, he's something ain't he?
Enchanting and heartbreaking, music vid of the moment, Christopher Smith's Gently, Gently.
"Don't let math make your music choices for you." Christopher R. Weingarten delivers a rather awesome, rather colorful criticism of internet music commentary. Via Aaron Kraus.
Gah! Cute overload as this eight year old plays the ukulele and sings Hey, Soul Sister.
Music vid of the moment, Kate Nash's Do-Wah-Doo.
Music vid of the moment, directed by Spike Jonze, LCD Soundsystem's Drunk Girls. Fab.
"He explained that for the last year he has been living in motels, but that now he can buy new shoes. He showed his shoes. To say that he seemed high was an understatement." Ben Greenman on Sly Stone's bewildering Coachella performance.
Btw: The song in the last video is Climbing Up Fire Escapes from Chicago-based Head of Femur's album "Great Plains," which is available in the iTunes store.
A quiz that tells us agency branding has jumped the shark: Ad Agency or Indie Band?
Music vid of the moment, Wax Taylor's I Own You.
Weezer makes an unannounced vist to a park in LA and plays a song for the folks and kiddos.
Malcolm McLaren, RIP. Double Dutch.
Way better than Hevisaurus' power ballads: Black Rattle featuring (we think) Brendon Small and Greg Behrendt. "Influences: Raffi, Nazareth."
"Next time you hear rap on TV, check out this 'def' glossary." Via Colin M. Ford.
Song of the moment and related to the last, The Affiliated.
Twenty-five years ago "Virgin Records released what was supposed to be a reissue of a lost psychedelic album from the late 1960s, 25 O'Clock by The Dukes of Stratosphear." John Coulthart on the Dukes. More at Chalkhills, the XTC fan site.
For JG, "Len Zefflin" Dazed and Confused circa 1968. 1968!
Music vid of the moment, Kings of Leon's Notion.
Song of the moment: I Learned the Hard Way from Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings. Never miss a chance to see them. Ever.
FotA Jeremy Quinn's interesting post on sound from diagrams, looking at guitar rig, pedal board, and synth patch layouts.
Hey! It's Vinyl Cat, Mikey Burton's art print for Cleveland's own Music Saves. And don't forget - Record Store Day is right around the corner.
A couple weeks back, MS posted this series of photos of Kim Jong-il, which BB and I found made him look like someone's bewildered, senile uncle sent on a factory tour. FotA Wakiza Gamez agreed and made this brilliant music video: That's My Uncle Kim!
The top ten list of hip-hop feuds is about to be rewritten.
FotA and Field-Tested Books contributor Steve Almond writes this great essay on music becoming less sacred.
"In the end, the life was largely in song, and the songs all had life, and that's all there is to say, and there isn't anything that can be done." Ben's thoughts on the passing of Alex Chilton.
Vince Clarke of Depeche Mode, Yaz, and Erasure shows off his vintage synthesizer collection in Maine. Via The Coolest Filipino.
All of Yoshi Akai's music-based experiments are great, but his Lego Sequencer MR II and Credit Card Scratcher are particularly awesome.
The NESynth in action. Via Peachfuzz.
In the tradition of our Booking Bands project, welcome to the Indie-Rock Delicatessen. I'll have the Will Old Ham with a side of Calexicole Slaw and wrap it up so it's OK to Go. Thanks Matthew G.
Song of the moment, Reni Lane's Place For Us.
The Lolita of French pop concept albums: Serge Gainsbourg's Melody Nelson, a name that should be familiar to Movable Type users.
"I'd rather sign a contract with a record company than to sign up for the nursing home..." 69 Year old DJ Ruth Flowers.
Jimmy Gutterman's Greatest Song of All Time of the Day, Ennio Morricone, Once Upon a Time in the West. Hard to argue with that.
Music video of the moment, a frenetic, chaotic survey of art history for 70 Million by Hold Your Horses. Via Booooooom.
Music vid of the moment, Gorillaz' Stylo.
Heather just found the exact opposite (NSFW) of the NWA link I posted yesterday.
H**p tha Police!
Auto-Tune the News #10: Turtles. Best one yet I think.
Apropos of nothing, the theme from "Mannix" by Lalo Schifrin.
Toe tapping break for the day, Matt and Kim's Daylight.
Kevin's just released his Chirp Mix for Winter 2010.
Music vid of the moment, Zeus' Marching Through Your Head.
"I'm from the punk era. I believe what's great about rock 'n' roll is community and the tearing down of boundaries. And the basic thrust of The Last Waltz is that these are superheroes so much better than you. Plus, it's boring." Jim DeRogatis picks the worst rock movies ever.
The London Nobody Sings...
"Has anyone else noticed how difficult it is to find commercial jingles from the 1970s arranged for performing the floor exercise in Modern Rhythmic Gymnastics?" Via J-Walk.
"Giving something a name can be just the same as inventing it." Paul Morley chats with Brian Eno.
Alexis Malbert is Tapetronic. Check these two videos showing him scratching and manipulating standard and modified audio cassettes.
Ever wonder what a sound looks like? An introduction to the hand-drawn sounds of Norman McLaren, who drew directly on the optical audio track of motion picture film. Via Folkert.
GbVDB. There goes the afternoon.
Song of the moment, The Dixie Cups' Iko Iko. Via gmt+9 (-15).
Totally digging on "Macht es nicht selbst" by Tocotronic. Sounds like The Wedding Present in Deutsch.
"Yes, it's an LP. As in a record. As in vinyl. Not because it sounds better (though it often does), but because of all it allows from a design perspective." Whip-smart thinking and an excellent execution, BCWax from Bandcamp aims to revive music as physical product. Via Ryan Catbird.
"These visualizations are part of an extensive study of the music of the Beatles. Many of the diagrams and charts are based on secondary sources, including but not limited to sales statistics, biographies, recording session notes, sheet music, and raw audio readings."
Get your tickets early, Coachella is going to rock this year. Via Torrez.
When you open this package by tearing the seal, a quantity of purple ink is released to create the cover art to match the interior design. Totally brilliant CD cover by Hubero Koror.
Carrie Brownstein "I Wanna Be Your Dog" karaoke sounds awesome, right? But her friends didn't think so.
Song and video of the moment. Marcus Söderlund's film for VCR by The XX.
FotA Wakiza Gamez lends his talents in support of Conan O'Brien: I'm With Coco (The Song).
Taking the idea of a player-piano and expanding it to include drums and lots of other mechanical, musical instruments, Pat Metheny's new record The Orchestrion. Via About Last Night.
Céleste Boursier-Mougenot's walk-though aviary for a flock of zebra finches furnished with electric guitars and other musical instruments.
George is 14, John is 16, Paul is 15. Three of the four Beatles in 1957. Via Look at This.
Music video of the moment, Ok Go's This Too Shall Pass, co-starring the Notre Dame marching band in ghillie suits. Awesome.
Music for Our Future. A free compilation album inspired by Caprica.
Music video of the moment, Jay Z's On to the Next One.
For no good reason: Wonderin'.
Music video for Miike Snow's Silvia.
Totally digging this alternative video for Passion Pit's Sleepyhead.
Song and video of the moment, Bing and the Thin White Duke, "Ba rump ba dum dum."
Pomplamoose Always in the Season.
Not really related to the last, Paris, 1919.
Uppsala Analogue Synthesizer Symphonic Orchestra (UASSO) live at the Volt Festival in Sweden. Via Jamebus.
Finally, everyone's dream collaboration has been realized: Pixies performing I Bleed with "Weird Al" Yankovic. Sadly, missing Kim Deal, but that probably would have made it too perfect.
30 years ago this week TOBTM released "London Calling." Here's a 1980 London performance of The Clampdown, which was the B-side of the original single. Via the BDR.
Just when you think you've seen every hilarious Danzig-related video on the internet, (example, example, example) along come several more.
Have you ever wanted to see Utah Senator Orrin Hatch uncomfortably and very briefly sing a song he wrote about a Jewish holiday? Good. Eight Days of Hanukkah.
Related to the last: the Indie Rock Alphabet Book. (Z is a total cop-out) and even from the perspective of a new father, these are just wrong.
For Jenna, A Take Away Show, Phoenix- 1901.
"I mean, we all know that major labels are supposed to be venal masters of hiding money from artists, but they're also supposed to be good at it, right?" Via Waxy.
"Music historians are still talking about the four lads from Linverton; John Lennon, Paul MacKenzie, Greg Hutchinson, and Scottie Pippen." The Beatles as seen from the year 3000. Via Cynical-C.
33 years ago tonight at Winterland in San Francisco, The Band payed The Last Waltz. The whole four hours is available streamed at Wolfgang's Vault and there's lots of video around. Here's Danko Makes No Difference. And of course Dylan.
Kevin has just released his CHIRP Fall 2009 mix. It's your new soundtrack for the season.
Friday starter. The Magnificent Seven.
Music vid of the moment, Ramona Falls I Say Fever. Via Made in England.
Warp20, a documentary about Warp Records and their first 20 years.
Sly Stone aka The French Fries: the story and the music (see #274). Oh, YEAH.
Music vid of the moment, Vampire Weekend's Cousins.
A visualization of Bach's Crab Canon, an ever-repeating "single musical sequence that is to be played front to back and back to front."
Music vid of the moment, The Bravery's Slow Poison.
Scenes from two alternate universes involving The Beatles: the band accepts Lorne Michaels' offer to play SNL in 1976, and an accident leads to the discovery of their album Everyday Chemistry. Thanks Henry.
Regarding today's Eye, here's a baleful version of "The Banks of the Ohio" by Johnny Cash.
The graph the music industry doesn't want you to see.
Every cover has a story.
Dude, I know I put that set-list somewhere. What's the Dewey Decimal class for Aoxomoxoa?
Try not to smile. Les Soirées de Poche featuring Beirut.
"Too many songs have been written about love already. Subject's covered." Related to an earlier post, The Only Band That Matters interviewed on the Tomorrow Show in 1981.
Music vid of the moment, Jookabox's You Cried Me.
Your soundtrack for the rest of the morning: Pomplamoose.
Please Pass The Biscuits.
Fender's new Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore Jazzmaster Jazzblasters. I want.
For BB: music vid for the single off Spiral Stairs' new "solo album." What was Preston School of Industry then?
Hey DW, plug your iPod into this.
The Wall of Sound.
Hey Jude, flowcharted.
Choose your band here and enjoy.
FotA and Field-Tested Books contributor Terry Teachout on the mystery of music and why neuroscientists still haven't figured out how/why it affects us. Via Murketing.
The Electric Six's ode to graphic designers.
Long time correspondent R. Todd Wescott writes, "Heard this band on WWOZ this morning, and thought of you right away. Check track 3." All right! A fab cover of our favorite movie theme ever, composed by David Shire.
Video directed by Imogen Heap starring her friends, First Train Home.
For no reason except it's about time for this classic again. Diamond Dave's vocal track from Running With the Devil isolated!
Audio analysis of the Beatles' multitrack masters. Waxy posts an "astounding, and very listenable, glimpse into their recording process."
For BB: NPR is hosting The Flaming Lips new album, Embryonic in its entirety.
Totally great. Props to the one-take wonders at the University of Quebec for their fab lip-dub of The Black Eyed Peas I Gotta Feeling. Try not to smile.
Local Serb note: Tamburitza Extravaganza. It's going to be a Slivotastic weekend.
Thanks. Leonard. For. That. "Breaks." Link, it is so totally awesome. Keep 'em. coming!
Ant asks, How come no one does On Ice anymore? Good question.
I can dig the Bee Gees. I love Wilson Pickett's version of "Hey Jude" (sampled here btw). But this is so wrong. Via Mojo Flucke.
Video for Royksopp's This Must Be It.
Kim Campesinos! signs to LC!FC. If you don't already love Los Campesinos!, watch this.
We Are Hunted. The 99 most popular emerging songs in the world.
"I came up with a quadruple-neck experimental 'something' that I thought to call Experibass."
"In the spring of 2009, I had the opportunity to submit various tracks for Jay-Z's long awaited Blueprint 3 album. Unfortunately, none of them made the final cut." Alex Goose releases all of them as the excellent The Blueprint 3 Outtakes. Start with tracks 3 and 4.
Music vid of the moment, Air's Sing Sang Sung.
Mike Douglas in 1966, "suddenly they decided to let the hair grow and they're doing very, very well." WFMU on the great story of The Cavemen.
Nuthin' like some Motörhead & Girlschool to liven up a quiet Tuesday afternoon.
This one goes out to MS. Enjoy.
Heard at the local coffeehouse while picking up my afternoon caffeine shot, this one is for BB.
Star Wars: In Concert.
SD wins a two-year old bet. Cue the "It's not the same without Gary Young" ninnies.
"Shot over a few very hot summer weeks in and all over NYC, 8 mini movies made to become 1." The Phenomenal Handclap Band's video for 15 to 20.
Gah! Not sure which is cuter, this one or this one.
If this doesn't leave you a bit verklempt, you have a heart of stone. Sinead O'Connor sings Two Little Boys.
Wired has an exclusive look at the new video for Moby's Mistake.
"One of the nice things about the demise of the music business is that a big production doesn't matter any more. Like in 1998, it seemed the criteria for determining the worth of a music video was how big the production was. Now the only thing that matters is the idea." Moby's video for Mistake.
Video for Little Dragon's Swimming.
"Anyway, the upshot of all this is that Guitar Hero has gained loads of free publicity, Bon Jovi still suck, Cobain is still dead and I've got an extra 100 followers on Twitter, most of which are sad goth girls from the American midwest."
TMBG Meet the Elements. While we're getting educated, Mammal, NYC, November 08.
FotA Ben Greenman uncovers The Beatles: Rock Band Easter Eggs.
For BB: a great piece about Jim O'Rourke in today's NY Times.
David Pajo (Slint, Tortoise, Papa M, etc) takes on the Misfits. A little more laid-back than his last project, Dead Child.
Related to the last: Here's a summary of the epic Roxanne Wars, and more details (and samples) from Fat Lace.
Max Tannone's Doublecheck Your Head, a mash up of all the songs off the Beastie Boys' classic album into a handful of new tracks. Start with 3's What'cha Want and you'll be instantly hooked. Via Denver Egotist.
Music vid of the day, Monogrenade's Ce Soir.
Since this has apparently become the theme for this morning, I post the only and incredibly-slight connection I've ever had to Rush: "What about the voice of Geddy Lee?"
Can't post a Rush video without re-posting the Neil Peart animation and Sara, 13, on drums. Bonus: a couple (1, 2) "Freaks and Geeks" Rush references.
Made my morning to hear this as a musical segue on NPR this morning.
Local note. Speaking of ISO50, Scott Hansen (Tycho) is headlining the Ghostly International 10th Anniversary show tonight at the Empty Bottle.
Vid of the moment, The Lost Levels The Early Sheets.
Dumba Dumba Dumba: Madness' TV commercials for the Honda City, featuring a folding scooter in the trunk! The jingle was later reworked as UK single.
Definitely the best one yet: Kiss Shreds.
Posted before, but worth an occasional look: Probe is Turning-on the People!, a great source for long-forgotten and often weird music.
Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto's Trioon. Via Moon River.
The zebra crossing at Abbey Road, live.
Most fan-made music videos consist of a cheesy montage of band photos. Not this one, lovely animation by Gabe Askew for Grizzly Bear's Two Weeks.
iTunes' new Digital 45s are a silly but interesting concept, though many 7" records didn't have picture sleeves, and they're probably just repurposed the digital album tracks rather than a remastered original single. In any case, it's nice to have the option to buy some out-of-print B-sides.
To help celebrate their recent reunion, the band The Verve has decided to break up, if just for old times' sake.
Local note: The Breeders are at Metro Double Door Thursday night. We'll be there of course, here's our interactive video for "Walk It Off."
Stefan Sagmeister talks about Warhol's album cover design for Sticky Fingers on Studio 360.
For a hot summer weekend. Dylan. July 18, 2006. Not Fade Away.
Jonathan Mann is writing a song and making a music vid for it every day. Lots of them are for online video contests or about various websites, like Bing Goes the Internet. All of them are wonderfully catchy and bizarre.
Annie Lennox's entire career in one song. Well, the singles at least.
Interesting infographic charting the rise, peaks, and falls of music sales from 8-tracks to downloaded albums.
FotA Justin Kaufmann launches the first of a five part series trying to find which bands Steve Albini should see at Lollapalooza with help from the Council of Hipsters, which include a reverend and former 42nd Ward Alderman Burt Natarus.
This 30th anniversary slipped past us last week but it's def worth a listen to start the day. The Special AKA Vs The Selecter.
Music vid of the moment, Passion Pit's Sleepyhead.
Hilarious 14-minute infomercial promoting the 10th Annual Gathering of the Juggalos (beginning this Thursday in Cave-In-Rock, Illinois). Audio NSFW.
The Clash's Mick Jones has opened a temporary museum in London, The Rock N' Roll Library, which will showcase 10,000 items from his personal collection. More info here.
Music vid of the moment, The Cliks Dirty King
Steve Albini on Silkworm's pervasive use of "Fake Italian"
Posted without comment: the band Confide covers The Postal Service's Such Great Heights. Via Transbuddha.
Russian folk group Pushnoy's cover of Shine On You Crazy Diamond.
After having their instruments destroyed by baggage handlers, the band Sons of Maxwell created this funny/catchy music video aimed at United Airlines: United Breaks Guitars. Via Murketing.
The new Sonic Youth video is cute. Also: The Eternal is totally worth $31 for the double LP, and they're still incredible live.
Just because it rocks: "All the Way from Memphis."
One time in high school I went to see a band and this really cute goth chick invited me back to her rich, out-of-town parents' house. Things were going pretty well until I lost interest because Rock and Roll High School was on Night Flight on her parents' huge TV. So yeah, I'm excited about Night Flight: Born Again. Thanks, Jeff!
Hey you! Don't watch that, watch this! (but skip to :45). Or just listen to the original..
Music vid of the moment, Fever Ray's Triangle Walks.
A fun audio toy. Via Making Light.
I've been looking around at iPod speakers, think I found the one. B&W's Zeppelin.
"First, I still hate when a piece of music I love gets directly associated with a brand or product. Second, and more important: We as a culture must reserve our right to shower disdain on the Black Eyed Peas." A well worn discussion, but handled very well in Seth Stevenson's piece "will.i.shill."
A Boy and his Tuba's Girl U Want. Also check out Blue Monday Awesome.
For Bloomsday. An early If I Should Fall From Grace With God.
Sort of like the Saturday morning cartoons from my youth on drugs. I totally dig it. Now where are my Lucky Charms?
A great story about the man who owns Sufjan Stevens' song The Lonely Man of Winter and doesn't plan to ever release it outside his sanctioned listening parties. Via Murketing.
"It seemed you could get away with almost any level of drunken and boorish behaviour on tour, but heaven help you if you messed with their cheese plate." A great series of interviews surrounding the 20th anniversary of the band Blur. Via I Like.
ASMO, "adventures in circuit bending, diy electronics and experimental music." Bookmarked. Via Things.
Local note. Levon Helm at the Chicago Theater tonight. Set list from Saturday. See you there.
Crystal Vibrations, a blog dedicated to new age music, complete with album cover scans, bizarre promotional photos, and even downloads of some of the records. Just the thing for your next spiritual vortex vacation.
Related to my post about cheese rolling, music video of the day, The Maccabees' Can You Give It.
Can you spot your guest editor in this music video from Chicago's Lola Balatro extolling the benefits of balance in a hard-partying life? A hint: he's the one in the Musa acuminata suit.
What is that song they always use? You know the one. I can't think of its name. It's the one they always use.
I'm pretty sure J., Lou, and Murph have stunt doubles.
"The track is composed of a sine wave bass, custom drum sequences, and sounds recorded from the Disney film 'Mary Poppins'".Expialidocious. Utterly fab.
"We're an indie label digging through years of demo backlogs day by day. These are some of the choicest gems we've received." Mind-Melting Demo Disasters.
Popped up on my shuffle rotation and hit replay. Twice. Afternoon nostalgia, Nothing but Flowers.
Jen Sharpe writes, "Mid-century Chicago composer, Harry Partch, in his music studio, demonstrating his strange array of obsessively homemade microtonal instruments." Fab.
Fair warning: the song Machadaynu as performed in the "Music 2000" episode of Look Around You is catchy enough. If you listen to the remix, it'll be stuck in your head for days.
Song of the moment, "Well, Did You Evah." Thanks Andrew.
Song of the moment, Minivan Highway. Thanks Jason.
Music vid of the day, White Rabbits Percussion Gun. Via NotCot.
Not sure where it came from but I woke up with this one stuck in my head.
Nice link, MS, but I'd hardly call most of those "obscure." The first on the list is a fave: Rush's Power Windows by Hugh Syme. Rush is an acquired taste, but no one could deny Syme has given the band a distinctive and consistent visual identity over 30+ years.
The new Wilco record!
Vid of the day, BrotherSister's Still Run
For Jenna, who loves Taylor Swift, Love Story meets Viva La Vida.
Creepy, mysterious, and perfect. Jason Lytle's first post-Grandaddy music vid: I Am Lost (And the Moment Cannot Last), directed by The General Assembly (channeling their inner Jamie Thraves).
…which was re-worked in 2003 as "That's My Team" to promote Australia's National Rugby League.
Another Blue Note knockoff: Jackie McLean and the Hoodoo Gurus. Which is really just an excuse to post both this great Blue Note cover archive and "What's My Scene" video.
One long, gorgeous, complicated, amazing shot for Nyle's Let The Beat Build.
Music vid of the day, French Kicks Abandon.
Yesterday was the 110th anniversary of Duke Ellington's birth. Appropriately, his orchestra took the A Train to celebrate.
Just Lovely.
Jennifer Sharpe writes, "So French and absurd." 1968 Brigitte Bardot scopitone.
Vid of the moment, Passion Pit's The Reeling.
The new Breeders EP on 180g vinyl with a sleeve hand-printed by the band at Wire+Twine. 1000 copies, going fast!
We interrupt this Friday for a moment of culture. Thank you Alfredo.
Virtual CBGB. Awesome, thanks Jennifer.
Kim and Kelley Deal of the Breeders are in (Chris Glass') studio working on their new album (covers). Awesome interview and photos.
Surprisingly related to the last, Edward Lifson says "It's always good to hear hip hop in Romansh."
Tone Matrix by Andre Michelle. A simple, addictive, cheerful sinewave synth.
Vid of the moment, acoustic version of The Helio Sequence's You Can Come To Me.
YouTube is a never-ending bounty of funny Danzig videos (some intentionally funny, some not), but this one takes the cake.
"Simple and elegant steps, carved in white stone, were built on the quayside. Underneath, there are 35 musically tuned tubes with whistle openings on the sidewalk. The movement of the sea pushes air through, and - depending on the size and velocity of the wave - musical chords are played."
Caught all the violin playing and suitcase stomping of musician Anni Rossi this weekend. Well worth your time to check her out if she's playing near you. One of her quieter song: Wheelpusher.
Vid of the moment, Manchester Orchestra's I Can Barely Breathe.
Songs You Used To Love. Amazing.
Related to the music in DE's last post. Listen to the whole album here: Diego Bernal's For Corners. Play Armor All'd Out again and go from there. It's all great.
This week's episode of NPR's Wait! Wait! Don't Tell Me included an impossibly charming interview and celebrity quiz with Kim Deal.
Smooth move, Iggy. Everyone knows he's the passenger.
Oh, play this while you watch the video. "Right up to your face and DIS YOU."
The current BB household meme is "The Cat Came Back," especially Cordell Barker's famous 1988 animation and the 1980 Muppet Show version.
Kevin's just released his CHIRP Spring '09 Mix, perfect listening for a beautiful day such as it is here in Chicago right now.
The National Library of Scotland is finding and cataloguing 70 years of UK music fanzines.
The 8-bit Hip Hop Medley. Current songs as processed through an original Nintendo.
"Over 2,000 human voices recorded via the internet, assembled to sing Daisy Bell." You listen over at Bicycle Built For 2,000.
Gah! Vid and song of the moment, The Flaming Lips cover Madonna's Boderline.
For BB, Joy Division bootlegs.
Is this a TV signoff message, or a Tangerine Dream concert?
Vid of the moment, Kid Cudi's Day 'n' Nite.
Following BB's last: if you notice in New Order's Crystal, the fake band's name is The Killers. Years later, when a real band with that same name came around, they invited its lead singer, Brandon Flowers, to sing the song with them on stage. Also funny.
Huh, just realized New Order's video for Crystal was a bit of a rehash of their video for Touched By The Hand Of God. Not their best work, but both videos are pretty funny.
An interview with Dean & Britta (formerly of the band Luna) about their project The 13 Most Beautiful: Songs for Andy Warhol's Screen Tests.
Really great a cappella version of Vampire Weekend's Oxford Comma.
Song of the moment if you're a prog-head and it's 1978, Gentle Giant's Just the Same.
Inspired by our Field-Tested Books, Mike Smith from The Morning News field tests some music in New York for the Clare Market Review.
Dang, that is some big ass hair. Vid of the moment, Peter Bjorn and John's Nothing to Worry About.
What song kept "You Keep Me Hangin' On" and "Good Vibrations" out of the Billboard #1 spot over three weeks in 1966? The Best. Song. Ever.
Michel Gondry's getting props all over for his Flight of the Conchords episode. Gondry's great, but that particular clip is nothing special aside from FOTCs great 88 Lines-esque song.
It's like cotton candy for your eyes, vid of the moment, Animal Collective's My Girls.
Post-Retroism: yearning not for 1962 Rat Pack, but rather, for a 1996 homage to the 1962 Rat Pack. Similarly, nostalgic for 1977 liberty spike punk rock, but through the lens of 1994.
Just to make sure you have time to get it in your head before Valentine's Day: The Guillemots' "Made Up Love Song #43" is great anyway, but the Take Away Show version is even better. Plan something like that when your sweetheart comes out into her courtyard on Saturday.
Peter Sellers does A Hard Day's Night and She Loves You in both an Irish version and a very Dr. Strangelove-like German version. (Keep in mind, things weren't so PC back then.)
Ra Ra Riot's Can You Tell.
Related, She's a Lady 1974.
The Take-Away Show with Tom Jones, yes "Tom whoa whoa whoaaaa mother f***in' Jones!" His Green Green Grass of Home here is the song of the moment. Via Waxy.
Playlists posted on the official Radiohead blog have proved invaluable. Amongst the solid choices, each week they reveal a song or two that are jaw-droppingly, face-meltingly fantastic. At times, can cause a total freak-out.
Cheer up with Istvan and His Imaginary Band: Love.
Vid of the moment, Fleet Foxes Mykonos.
No reason to watch the clip, just listen: Six-Deuce Blown Hemi Hot Rod.
I feel like I need to balance out JC's Traffic link.
Song of the moment, if the moment is 1972 in Santa Monica. Via Todd Harrison.
Stuck in my head after a trip to the local coffee shop, join me?
Song and vid of the moment, The Bird and The Bee's Love Letter to Japan.
I concede that Pittsburgh has a pretty weak music scene, but Don Caballero and the Karl Hendricks Trio almost make up for the terror that Rusted Root unleashed on the world.
Great performance of The Weight, at the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh from November of 1970.
Obama has inherited a nifty collection of classic LPs stored in the White House basement.
A couple dead horses in this list of overrated bands, but mostly spot-on.
Music vid of the moment, EGM's Beautiful. Language NSFW.
"When a geometric visitor from another planet becomes your new roommate and shares with you the tragic state of its home world, you drop your guitar and see what you can do." Leo's Song.
Music vid of the moment, Friendly Fires Skeleton Boy.
A big thanks to everyone who sent in entries for our nerdiest band contest. The three lucky winners are Rich who gave us Atom and His Package, Akira who wowed us with Dchingghis Khan, and thanks to Karl for introducing us to Lars Kristerz. Cool stuff is on the way.
Mellotron is ok, but it's no Moletron.
Trailer for Mellodrama, the Mellotron documentary. Yay.
Who is really to blame behind this whole economic mess we're all suffering through? Clearly it's David Bowie, the Architect of Financial Gloom.
"You Can Vote However You Like" choir is invited to sing at the inauguration. Hope TI gets to go, too. Oh yeah, and also Weird Al.
"The only thing distracting me from his frozen smile and bug eyes (which continue to haunt my dreams) is the enormous Adam's apple of the guy on the left." Do not miss the audio, the Nerdiest band ever. Got a challenger? Send your entries to michele at coudal dot com. We'll post the top three entries and send the winners some cool stuff.
The Star Wars Theme Sung in Japanese. Who knew it had lyrics?
Bono (yep, that one) pens a wonderful essay about Frank Sinatra. Don't miss the audio.
Paul Westerberg's Signature Guitar Not to be a guitar snob, but at $90 I'd guess it's mainly decorative.
Music vid of the moment, Fever Ray's If I had a Heart.
Rest in peace, Ron. Here's some great Stooges footage from 1970, with funny Cincinnati anchorman commentary.
The man who could make three chords sound brilliant, Ron Asheton, passed away this week.
Minnesota's new junior senator impersonating Mick Jagger on Solid Gold. Rad!
Vid for The Weepies Can't Go Back Now. Um, puppets.
As long as we're reviving old traditions, how about the one where we post this link before holiday weekends? Beautiful. Beautiful, beautiful. Just beautiful.
A "gift" to Fleet Foxes from two fans in a forest. Via the blog of Casual Poet, who also carries Field Notes in Singapore. Thanks for that.
I clicked on this accidentally but it's kind of awesome.
"A friend's friend let us into an abandoned wing of the Grand Palais. There were empty spaces, as if abandoned at short notice, unreasonably high ceilings." Fleet Foxes-A Take Away Show.
Can't get enough Marnie Stern lately. Shreddd! Don't miss her "Don't Stop Believin'" cover.
Fa La Freezing. Charming. Via Matt.
Jingle Bells played on 49 microwave ovens. Nuff said.
Matt from 37signals has a lot of talents and apparently an alter-ego we weren't aware of. The Hip Hop Pirate.
"I wonder if that isn't really a saw, but Joanna Newsom singing." The Mellowmas guys aren't big Singing Saw fans.
Christmas music doesn't get much better than Kasio Kristmas. There are many ways to interpret that statement.
Pitchfork posts part one of their 100 Best Tracks of 2008.
Fleet Foxes on Black Cab Sessions.
No, no, MS, Nick CAVE!
The humming blog post.
Song of the moment, Lily Allen's The Fear.
Michael Monroe connects Viennese School composer Anton Webern with Earl Hagen's fine incidental music from "The Andy Griffith Show," with examples. Klangfarbenmayberry. Magnificent. Via Whet.
Local note. TMBG at The Metro tonight. Just added.
It's not the first greatest hits of 2008 list and it definitely won't be the last, but here's a review of Last.fm's 'Best of 2008'.
"These singers are bad and need to get bettr u can do better really this is crap." Cry Me a River: the 20 most heart breaking songs of all time
I've been keeping my VHS around just for these two clips: Guided by Voices and the Flaming Lips, both at their absolute peak on the old Jon Stewart show.
Hard to resist a post about a music video titled "Hey Gandalf -Nice Dress."
Popdose's easy-listening Christmas hell, Mellowmas, is off to a good start.
For BB and SD, the Beyoncé video.
Local note for NYC. TMBG performs "Apollo 18" on Saturday. Damn that would be fun.
Matthew Barber's "And You Give" video, for people that like the sound of "Sofia Coppola's Wuthering Heights." Thanks, Kate.
Song and video of the moment, if the moment is in 1977 or possibly at some time in the future. Magic Fly from Space.
"This Czech song is about a monster named Jozin who lives in a bog. The monster eats Prague dwellers and can only be killed by spraying some toxic material from an aeroplane." Via Arbroath.
Mandatory viewing, Clearwater, Florida, April 22, 1976.
"You'll live to dance another day, just now you have to dance for both of us." Frank lost his friend Lex to breast cancer. So he wrote a song for her. Via Fabulist.
Francois Macre's a cappella Thriller in 64 parts. Stick around for the French accented Vincent Price.
Electric Stimulus to Face: Test #3, making music with facial movements.
Please, please keep making these. Tears for Fears' Head Over Heels: Literal Version.
Learned about last night and investigated this afternoon: the yet-explained reason for why some New York subway cars play Somewhere from West Side Story.
Surreal, but great: Ethan Winer's Tele-Vision, one man, a million instruments, and "a rock guitar symphony of epic proportions."
"The wonderful sounds that come from the apartment next door. He's an older fella. If you saw him at the supermarket
you'd never think the guy could rock out like this."
Speaking of political films, Ghetto Superstar, because it's still awesome.
Seven years of iPod evolution.
An unconventional classical music mini-site built around a timeline for LA Phil, celebrating the career of Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen.
Noah and the Whale's Shape of my Heart.
Cool 360 degree panoramas from each of The Beatles' mic positions in EMI's Studio Two.
If there's such a thing as "too many LEGO Album Covers," I'll believe it when I see it. Via Glass.
Not for salt and pepper but still... Shakerboys by Viewmanoid. Via David Thompson.
Song and video of the moment, Fleet Foxes' White Winter Hymnal.
Uncovering the reason for why a Stradivarius sounds so good.
Relink for William. David Lee Roth's isolated vocal track from Running with the Devil. Great way to start a Friday.
Demonstration of High Fidelity Stereophonic Sound. 1957. Cool.
Song of the moment Black Kids' Look At Me (When I Rock Wichoo).
Re-link because it makes me happy and who doesn't need a pick-me-up?
Song of the moment, Nikka Costa's Stuck To You.
Speaking of the Breeders, I almost forgot to plug the interactive Breeders video SD and I directed.
The best thing ever to happen in Cincinnati: The Breeders and the National at an Obama rally October 16th at Fountain Square.
Waste the rest of your week reliving the Stone Roses, Primitives, My Bloody Valentine, Elastica, Throwing Muses, etc, through these lovingly-archived scans of '87-'96 N.M.E.s and Melody Makers. (Oh, Peter, you have no idea how happy this link makes me.)
For our friends across the pond, Arctic Monkeys at The Apollo.
Several years ago, my friend Waki Gamez and I bought a used, out of tune, air-powered Bontempi organ, likely built around the late-1970s, but had never put it to use. He finally just dusted it off and recorded this Pixies cover, which will now be called Bontempi Debaser.
MEG's Precious. Charming.
For BB: after three years of being out of print, Thrill Jockey is releasing a very limited repressing of Tortoise's Standards on red vinyl and with new artwork.
Song of the moment, Sisters of Transistors' The Don.
The first part in a series of filmed interviews and performances by Calexico on All Songs Considered.
Song of the moment, Santogold's Lights Out.
Greensleeves played on a Theramin, complete with forest wandering music video.
"Is that a Coudal Partners sticker on your guitar?" She Came In Through The Bathroom Window from Wreck & Salvage.
Where they took that photo on the album cover, mapped. Via The Morning News.
Song and video of the moment, The Wave Pictures Just Like A Drummer.
"Slight poverty is what drives music forward. It only works if you're in the red." The Futility Of Flogging Music. A great read, but probably not an easy one for struggling musicians to get through. Via I Like.
Song and video of the moment. Raquel Welch sings Bang Bang. Via PCL.
The Stairway Suite, "orchestral variations upon an air by Plant & Page."
Song and vid of the moment, Vampire Weekend's Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa.
Who doesn't love that famous U2 lyric: "Shamu the mysterious whale." The Telegraph's 10 Most Misheard Lyrics in Pop Songs.
Song of the moment, Ladyhawke's Dusk Till Dawn.
Too much to love here.
"You're about to hear something fantastic." Four Speakers Good, Two Speakers Bad, WFMU on an introduction to Quadraphonic sound.
The Aquabats rock out on Yo Gabba Gabba, the hippest kids show around.
Songs of the moment: Oregon Girl and House Fire, both by Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, who played a fantastic set at this weekend's The Raven street fest here in Chicago.
The Riverside Theater in Milwaukee bought back 100 scalped tickets for an upcoming Eddie Vedder show, and made them available to fans on their mailing list. Awesome.
Song and video of the moment, Greg Laswell's How the Day Sounds. Hey, is that Frodo?
The Visual Articulation of Artikulation, Gyorgy Ligeti's electronic music experiment from 1958. Via 1+1=3.
Art Rock Suite, Christopher Guest's pre-Tap 1975 contribution to National Lampoon's Goodbye Pop LP. Fab. Via I'm Learning To Share.
For BB, Chapter 1 of a documentary on the the third album from the Smiths, The Queen is Dead.
"After only a few issues (two months), she was fired by the editor who wanted less of an ethereal dreamer and more of a hardnosed reporter." Steven Heller on working with Patti Smith, the rock journalist.
Sigur Ros live at MoMA.
Instruments made from Pikachu toys.
"The following is a list of over 3600 titles recorded from my collection of 78 rpm records. Many of them are linked to MP3 files and will play what was recorded. No sound enhancement, just what was recorded." Dude, nice job.
From the archives, the amazing Vegetable Orchestra.
For Kelly, an oldie but goodie, Things that make you got hmmm....
"1,2,3,4 monsters walking across the floor..." Feist on Sesame Street.
Hard drives and dot matrix printers play a song by Radiohead. Also via NPR.
Fleet Foxes stop motion video for White Winter Hymnal.
Good to know high school talent shows are still awesome: Slayer!, Slayer!, Slayer!, Slayer!
Jazz piano genius Bill Evans on improvisation, the creative process and self-teaching. (1966) Highly recommended. Via Thinking For a Living.
Audi Symphony.
Song and video of the moment, pretty much any moment. Brian Eno and David Byrne Mea Culpa. Via The Post Family.
Yes, cribbed from Wes and others but I am a sucker for a long take done well, Vampire Weekend's Oxford Comma.
Apropos of nothing. Doug and Tyler play Cripple Creek. Via Lonely Sandwich.
Song and vid of the moment, a King's Safe as Houses. Via Fabulist.
"Oates is portrayed as a modern-day family man and finds himself enticed back to the rock star life by his mustache, which is voiced by comedian Dave Attell." Um, thanks, Don.
Irish artists redesign album covers. Sweet, thanks, p+p.
Song and vid of the moment. The Jazz Messengers' A Night in Tunisia, Paris, 1959.
Buzz has an idea to take our Field-Tested Books idea and extend it to music. He has posted a lovely video of an Alaskan journey as his first example.
"I think at this point people are just f**king with the record industry as a whole." Two wax cylinder references in one day, coincidence?
Video of the moment, The Last Shadow Puppets' Standing Next to Me.
For BB, Pitchfork's got it for one week only so watch it while you can. New York Dolls; All Dolled Up.
They sure don't make them like they used to, Edith Piaf performs Milord in a combination of spoken word and song on The Ed Sullivan Show.
Fab, composed using 90% of sounds from the film Alice in Wonderland, Alice.
Radiohead teamed up with MTV to raise awareness of the exploitation and slavery of children around the world by creating a new video for their song All I Need. Next time your kid whines about not getting to play Wii when they want, show them this.
Photographic gold found under Sony's NYC headquarters on Madison Avenue. Thanks Marshall.
Obsessional on the band Blind Faith, including the origins of the infamous debut album cover. Thanks Coop.
The Blind Faith wiki entry is unusual, in that it makes for a pretty good read.
Speaking of Blind Faith, Sea of Joy, Hyde Park, London, 1969.
The new Weezer video's been on the internet for about an hour, but you've probably already seen it.
What's with the pig? Roger Waters traces the history of the Pink Floyd prop. Thanks Bill.
Song and video of the moment, Mario Basanov & Vidis' I'll Be Gone. Via E-sushi.
"I was nervous to meet the real man himself. Baggage and all. But I found him to be gentle, intelligent, open, bright, helpful, humorous, brave, audacious, loquacious, clean, and reverent." Tom Waits interviews Tom Waits. Via Large Hearted Boy.
Let's take a little tour through Robert Smith's hair: It started out as a Paul-Weller thing, then he cut it short, then he totally nailed it, and from then on it's become a parody of itself. Now it just looks kinda stringy. (See also: Ian McCulloch.)
So you know, I did the leggings and denim minis the first time around. When Morrissey whined and Robert pined. For BB, the video for The Cure's new song, The Only One. Is it nostalgia that makes me love them so? Dunno. Don't care.
The Disappearing World of Soho's Independent Record Shops.
The band The Get Out Clause used footage from CCTV cameras to make their video for Paper. Background on the story is here. Via MeFi.
The haunting new video for Radiohead's All I Need.
Dazzle Ships? That was a great record!
Song of the moment. Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros Johnny Appleseed. Fab. Thanks Marshall.
Give Nine Inch Nails your email address and they'll send you their new album, free.
Adult Swim & Ghostly International team up to bring you an album's worth of free music from some of the best electronic-based artists out there. Ghostly Swim features Layer Tennis player ISO50 aka Tycho.
Video for Stereolab's Three Women.
Song and video of the moment, Brigitte Bardot and Serge Gainsbourg in La Bises Aux Hippies (Kisses to the Hippies.) Via PCL.
Steve M. writes, "Try and tell me this won't be the next song to sell me a new Mac or Jetta. Go ahead, try. I've got $10 on it." I won't take that bet.
If you could use your song to sell salad dressing, would you do it?
"The young guys are more conservative and more dangerous to the art form than the old guys with the cigars ever were." Zappa video interview.
I guess there's nothing unusual about three musicians in a room watching pornos. But the results are pretty interesting when they're there to work. The Porno Soundtracks project is SFW, although what's going on in your imagination while listening may not be.
Cute Band Alert! Los Campesinos' "The International Tweexcore Underground" is somehow even more twee than "Twee." Awesome.
Acoustic version of The Kooks' See The Sun .
Song and video of the moment, Tokyo Police Club's Tessellate.
Not your average piano recital. Rock on kid.
"Germano Facetti had already introduced illustrations to the covers, but the typography and layout was still strictly standardised." Penguin, bookstores and the writing of the Beatles' Paperback Writer. Via One Good Move.
Song of the moment, The Ting Ting's That's Not My Name.
Kevin Byrd's seasonal mixtape has just arrived: CHIRP Spring 2008. Happy listening.
Song of the moment, Nina Gordon covers Straight Outta Compton by NWA. A winner from our recent Cover Me contest.
An oldie-but-goodie: I'm willing to bet Stump was working with the biggest frog budget in music video history.
Perfect link for a conversation BB and I were just having about Nada Surf's cover of Where Is My Mind and very related to our Cover Me contest: Cover vs. Original.
Local note. Head of Femur tonight at Schuba's. See you there. Speakers up for Leader and the Falcon. Matt from the band was on Chicago Public Radio's Eight Forty-Eight this morning.
Black Cab Sessions with Spoon.
Color palettes from iconic record album covers using the tools from the most excellent Colourlovers.
Songkick's Battle of the Bands, rankings based on MySpace data, Amazon sales and blog posts.
Speaking of Patti Smith, Jeff Rutzky just missed the deadline for our "Cover Me" contest with this beauty.
Two EPs of free rock and roll from The Lions Rampant. (Thanks, Don.)
Architectural animation set to Coltrane's Giant Steps. Via Materialicious.
Sarah Conner, Whet Moser and Amanda Mohney are winners of Cover Me, a subscriber-only contest from our recent Infrequent Mailing. Sign up at the bottom of the right column.
Hating on Rick Astley was a popular theme in the late eighties: Nick Lowe's All Men Are Liars, Pop Will Eat Itself's "Preaching to the Perverted", and the Wonder Stuff's "Astley in the Noose", a response to Rick's version of "Ain't Too Proud to Beg."
The first music video I ever saw. For me and BB, Heaven 17's Let Me Go.
36 15 Moog, "stuff with Moog and/or 60's and 70's vintage synths in it." Nice. Via PCL.
Must be one of those things where, now that you're thinking about it, you start seeing it everywhere: The Leningrad Cowboys and The Red Army Choir cover Sweet Home Alabama.
Two more covers, both starring Greg Dulli: Afghan Whigs' My World Is Empty Without You, and Twilight Singers' Hyperballad.
I thought the Barry link was going to be this Barry.
A little Barry for your Friday.
Song of the moment and a peek at what's to come around lunchtime today. Shonen Knife covers Top of the World by The Carpenters.
Gorgeous screenshots from Bjork's 3-D Wanderlust video.
Song and vid of the moment, Miracle Fortress; Have You Seen In Your Dreams.
Yet another bandwagon to jump on. Sharing your beloved mixtapes.
Video for Grandaddy's Jed's Other Poem programmed by Stewart Smith "entirely in Applesoft BASIC on a vintage 1979 Apple ][+ with 48K of RAM."
In honor of the upcoming Easter holiday, a musical interlude from the best musical ever.
Behold the Drum Buddy and then marvel at the essay
written to explain and promote it. Via Mr. Thompson.
For BB, A Million Miles Away.
Music vid of the moment, Modest Mouse's Fly Trapped In a Jar.
Mark Simonson on a batch of 1949ish album covers he bought at an antique store.
Video demo of the Kaossilator, a pocket synth from Korg. Via Shoepal.
Musical re-visit for me and BB. And you too. Radiohead covers Joy Division's Ceremony .
Obama to "Kick It" with Q-Tip. Yessss!
Musical re-visit, Camera Obscura's Let's Get Out Of This Country.
I feel for Wayne Kramer, but I've been hoping to see MC5*A True Testimonial for years. (Thanks Mojo Flucke.)
"Twenty-five years ago [Neil from The Young Ones] said, 'I'm beginning to feel like a Leonard Cohen record, cause nobody ever listens to me.' Today, in contrast, one particular Leonard Cohen song is featured prominently in… at least twenty-four separate movies and TV episodes, almost always as the soundtrack to a montage of people being sad."
Music vid of the moment, Thao Nguyen's Bag of Hammers .
Somehow, the Japanese always manage to do it better.
Apropos of nothing. The opening sequence from Room 222, 1969-73. Infectious theme music by Jerry Goldsmith.
Local note. Studying up for tonight at The Riv. Poguetry: Rum, Sodomy and the Lash Annotated.
For BB: news on the inevitable Pavement reunion. No dates have even been talked about yet, let alone announced, but I'm guessing the tickets are already sold out.
Arcade Fire covered David Bowie's Heroes last night in Cleveland at a rally for Obama.
LP Cover Lover is a great daily resource but beware the categorical archives if you need to get anything done today.
Local note. Former song of the moment, Cataloging Candy's Demise by Hallelujah The Hills. The band is appearing at The Abbey Pub tomorrow night.
Gizmodo proves that audiophiles are ninnies. I wonder how $4200 speaker cables stack up?
Making music out of Mac OSX sound effects.
For BB, hopefully a little shot o' prog will make you feel better. Focus Hocus Pocus, 1973 and Thick As a Brick from 78.
Leave It To Me: Columbia Records producer Teo Macero on working with Miles.
The Sound of Color. Thanks to John Thibodeaux.
Carry On My Wayward Son.
Three million records and 300,000 CDs containing more than six million songs. The undisputed largest collection of recorded music in the world is up for auction. Thanks Marshall.
Sound Opinions on their favorite movie soundtracks. DeRogatis includes Tangerine Dream's work on Sorcerer. And we thought we were the only ones who loved that. Conspicuous by its absence, the score from The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.
The passing of Paul Cole and the story of how he found himself on the cover of the Beatles' Abbey Road. Via Cynical C.
Winners of a Rockford Illinois Chamber of Commerce song writing contest. A fave, Making It In Rockford.
"Why are there so many lame band names, when there are so many great possibilities, just waiting to be adopted?" Found Band Names. Via gmt+9(-15).
Ba-bye to the morning, old album covers.
Video for REM's new single Supernatural Superserious.
The albums that every music snob name checks and even snobbier ones "because the snobs got upset that the first batch wasn't obscure enough." Via Largehearted Boy.
"Here's a song with a message from 1985: If you're listening to the radio, you're hearing our jingles." Fab WFMU on a promo disc for the leading producer of radio identity stingers. Man, we need one of those.
"The Cher Effect" and other examples of Auto-Tune abuse in pop music. Found while catching up on Anil's fine series of Snoop Dogg research posts.
A little overbearing, message-wise, but a sweet-looking video: Valient Thorr's "Exit Strategy."
Song and vid of the moment, Laura Marling- Ghosts.
Brilliant, a 12 minute mashup using only intros to songs, Intro-Spection. Heard on Sound Opinions.
Why oh why did they not have music like this when I was a kid? From the recently released They Might Be Giants album for kids, Never Go To Work.
Chris Glass' new site for the Breeders, featuring interviews with Vaughan Oliver and Steve Albini about the design and recording of their new album "Mountain Battles."
Creating music with video game hardware. Here's a sneak peek at Blip Festival: Reformat the Planet debuting at SXSW.
Song of the moment: The Raveonettes' You Want the Candy.
Still the song and vid of the moment, Vampire Weekend's A-Punk.
OK, you caught us, we dig Obama, and the Yes We Can Song makes him sound even better (literally).
Oh, and that other version, live from 1979. TOBTM.
Song of any moment. Willie Williams' Armagideon Time. Courtesy of Crying All The Way To The Chip Shop.
25 LAME: One of the greatest moments in MTV history.
"Back in the Cretaceous Period (or was it the 70's), when calculators were the size of small cars and an auto pop-up toaster was considered hi-tech, some geek sandwiched two circuit-boards together, chucked in some random wiring, and gave birth to a musical (sic) instrument that was to become an icon." The Stylophone is back.
Song and vid of the moment, Vampire Weekend's A-Punk.
Via p+p: Lemon and Gum magazine gurus Grady & Metcalf back up Mark Christensen on "Old Tom Brady's Going Down."
Followup on that last post: My logo for my sister-in-law's Rock Band "band" is now available on a wide variety of merchandise.
The rock band logos weblog by David Cotner. "By the time you're done, you'll never want to see another skull, cow, or peace sign ever again." Via QBN.
Song of the moment, irresistibly catchy and will make you want to shake it, Ida Maria's Louie. Via Fabulist.
"John Mayer's people were begging us to come on the show, and we were like, no." For everyone, but especially for BB: Zulkey's interview with Jim DeRogatis of Sound Opinions.
Song and video of the moment, The Little Ones Ordinary Song.
Awesome: Neko Case covering Wanda Jackson on Chic-A-Go-Go with John Rauhouse, Kelly Hogan, and Sally Timms. Thanks, Vina!
Northwestern University's collection of handwritten sheets of Beatles lyrics, including Eleanor Rigby and Yellow Submarine. Thanks Claire.
David Lee Roth's Running With the Devil vocal track isolated. Great day-starter. Ow. Via Fimoculous.
The man who makes me swoon is this week's guest on Sound Opinions.
Not related to 37Sarah's accidental iPhone purchase of Chicago's Greatest Hits: Bands named after places.
Many, many video recording sessions of didgeridoo.
Song and video of the moment, Les Savy Fav's What Would Wolves Do.
(Re: last post) turns out it's "AsHDautas." Oh, duh, now I see it.
Check out the death metal band logo in the middle of this flyer (above Baphomet's Florist). I don't have any idea what it says, but they're my new favorite band.
Still the song of the moment, Rogue Wave's Lake Michigan.
Song of the moment: Nada Surf's See These Bones off their forthcoming new album, Lucky. Always destined to be a great year when they've got something new out and hit the road on tour.
Finally, a chance for our fave freight elevator to star in the coin flip. Here's another nice clip: Arcade Fire play Neon Bible live in a freight elevator.
Buddy Rich vs. Tonight Show drummer Ed Shaughnessy, The Muppet Show's Animal, and Jerry Lewis. Thanks, Don!
Another song and video of the moment, The Knife, Heartbeats. Totally reminds me of skateboarding in junior high. Good Times.
Song and video of the moment, if the moment is in 1962. The Spotniks' The Rocket Man.
This song was actually played in my Pilates class last night, not the original version which is bad enough, but a horrible, generic remake. And now it's stuck in my head. Like a nightmare. And I don't want to be alone in this hell.
Song and video of the moment, The Mary Onettes' Explosions.
Rolling Stone has a great article on the evolution of the music recording, The Death of High Fidelity.
Pitchfork's got the New Year's Eve Radiohead Scotch Mist webcast.
The Bob Edwards Weekend show has a fascinating interview with musician Chuck Leavell, whose played with everyone from the The Rolling Stones to The Allman Brothers. He's the guy with the heavenly piano solo in The Allman Brothers classic, Jessica from the Brothers and Sisters album. And if you can't appreciate a little Southern Fried Rock, you, my friend, have no soul.
Noted only with the comment that this is noted without comment.
Song of the moment, Rogue Wave's Lake Michigan.
Joy to the World by Eef Barzelay, a worthy repost from Christmas '05.
Merry Christmas to all.
Among many things discussed today at lunch was the name of a band that instantaneously had all of us humming the same tune. And now, you'll hum it too.
Via p+p: McDonalds mural allegedly bites Nine Inch Nails' "The Fragile" artwork.
...and from the Fillmore in October 06.
"Twenty years after it was released, the classic Christmas single Fairytale of New York by the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl has suddenly become offensive." Let's enjoy some of that holiday cheer from St. Paddy's 1988.
Song/Video of the moment: Phil and Philip.
All over the tabloids and singing the words of WB Yeats. Busy girl.
Pitchfork's got their list of the Top 50 Music Videos of 2007.
Everyone's saying that the Arcade Fire's Keep the Car Running sounds like Springsteen, apparently even Bruce himself. But I can't hear it without thinking of this.
Trailer for Snow Angels.
Still song of the moment. Noah & the Whale's Five Years Time. "Yeah, well I feel pretty happy too."
Brian Eno's embarrassingly aggressive tambourine action in the first half of Editions of You is all forgiven when he starts fondling that beautiful primitive keyboard. Awesome.
Now these are some cool cats, Nina Simone's My Baby Just Cares For Me.
Trailer for 10,000 BC.
Noah and the Whale go along for a ride in Black Cab Sessions.
A classic, Johnny and June are going to Jackson.
Video for Iron & Wine's "Boy With a Coin."
Zeppelin in London last night.
Music video for Amy Winehouse's latest, Love is Losing Game.
Gapers Block is currently discussing least favorite holiday songs over at Fuel. Flipping that around, here is my fave.
Wake up this Monday morning with a little TMBG from 1990.
For SD and BB, Zach Galifianakis in Kanye West's video for Can't Tell Me Nothin'.
"Arnel? This is Neal Schon of Journey. We saw your videos on YouTube and we'd like you to fly over from the Philippines and be our new lead singer."
CP field trip for May 18th? Sparks to play their entire catalog of songs over 21 nights in London. More at All Sparks. Via Mefi.
For BB, Awesome hair, dude.
So you may know that UK makes a huge deal about which Christmas song is number one on the charts every year. Malcom Middleton's We're All Gonna Die is in the running. He'd have my vote, love it when the children's choir kicks in with " You're gonna die, You're gonna die, You're gonna die alone." Merry Christmas!
For DW, Pitchfork's got the newest Michel Gondry directed Bjork video Declare Independence.
For my nieces Raegan and Jenna and everyone else out there lighting a candle tonight, the best Hanukkah song ever.
Song of the moment. Again. Head of Femur's Leader and the Falcon.
Radiohead covers Joy Division's Ceremony.
Music vid of the moment, Emille Simon's I Want To Buy You Flowers.
Music vid of the day, The Raveonettes Dead Sound.
Sweet and simple site for composer Michael Fakesch. Check the 'soundtracks.' Design by Griskevicius Jurgis, who we found via The DDC.
Music vid of the moment, Minipop's Like I Do.
Another music video of the moment, The White Stripes Conquest.
What's better than a Dolly Parton music video? One with Amy Sedaris in it.
Not a look I'd recommend for the street, unless, it's the street look you are after. Heard this at a store last night and it's stuck in my head, These Boots Were Made For Walking.
Where are all those cartoon people going? Halfby's Rodeo Machine/ Screw The Plan. Via Core77.
Related to our serialized documentary this week: Doctor Atomic at the Lyric Opera next month, about Oppenheimer and the building of the bomb in Los Alamos.
A little pop confection for your morning, The Pipettes Pull Shapes.
Just in case you didn't know, Thin Lizzy was awesome.
Ant writes, "Crank up the speakers and and indulge in the taste bud celebration."
Music video of the moment, The Hives Tick Tick Boom.
Song of the moment, but not from I'm Not Here, Sebastian Cabot's Like a Rolling Stone.
The Most Serene Republic's The Men Who Live Upstairs .
Song of the moment, in honor of Ira Levin. Mia Farrow's Lullaby from Rosemary's Baby. Via Probe is Turning-On the People.
Simple, gorgeous, shot in HD, The Dodos Fools.
For BB and JC, because the beat goes on.
For BB and fans everywhere, Boxcar Willie sings Hobo Heaven.
For PP, Here's The Go! Team with The Wrath of Marice. Yeah, they'd have me shaking it too. Fab.
Song of the moment. I Still Care, from the debut record by Chicago soul collective Pieces of Peace, recorded 30 years ago and just now released. So cool. More from James Porter in this week's TOC.
Arcade Fire on Austin City Limits.
Song of the moment. Buell Kazee's Short Life of Trouble found at Honey, Where You Been So Long?
"Sun, Sun, Sun, Sun. Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun. Love, Love, Love, Love." Song to get you through the middle of the week, Noah and the Whale's Five Years Time.
Great Billy Bragg album covers, how could a spokesman for England with two Gs in his name not love Gill Sans?
Who is listening to what and where.
The Killers with Lou Reed, Tranquilize.
A poster mapping the history of the covers of Love Will Tear Us Apart.
The locally based NPR rock critic show Sound Opinions had a terrific show this week featuring a band near and dear to me and BB's heart, Joy Division. You can listen to it here.
Song that's stuck in my head on a sunny fall Friday afternoon, Fink, This is the Thing.
Daft Hands are letting their digits do the talking and doing it harder, better, stronger and faster.
Filmed using vintage tv cameras bought on Ebay, this video for Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings 100 Days, 100 Nights re-creates the look and feel of a 1960's video.
James Blunt goes on Sesame Street and sings about his triangle.
Modest Mouse's People As Places As People.
Just popped up on my iTunes so thought I'd share, Mamas and the Papas at the Monterey Pop Festival singing Dancing in the Streets.
This year's most popular costume: 60+ Amy Winehouses and 30+ more Amy Winehouses.
Can I Get An Amen? A 2004 study by Nate Harrison on the most sampled drum break of all time. Fascinating and totally worth a relink, via PCL.
Stuck in my head, The New Pornographers' Challengers.
Song of the moment. The theme from Rosemary's Baby as performed by Twink on a toy piano. Beautiful and extra creepy.
For your enjoyment, The Replacements perform I Will Dare live.
Au contraire SD. The Sparks song is Talent Is an Asset, but the only place I could find it was this French female tribute band cover. Translation.
That's a good Sparks link, BB, but for my money, it's My Baby's Taking Me Home.
Two more celebrity supergroup benefit videos: The Ramones' "Hands Across Your Face" video and Do They Know It's Halloween ? featuring David Cross, The Arcade Fire, Thurston Moore, etc. Interesting: both videos feature Sparks.
Six supergroups who saved the world.
Still trying to figure out what this video is telling me. Eat more veggies? Veggies are your enemy? Help, I'm corn-fused.
It's still stuck in my head, maybe still with you? Modest Mouse's Little Motel.
Kane on Barry Gray (1908-84), the favorite composer of Gerry Anderson, who employed him to create the music for all his 'Supermarionation' series, plus, and most importantly, the awe-inspiring theme for Space 1999.
That Glee Club video features a link to this atrocity of which we were previously blissfully unaware.
The Shins cover Pink Floyd's Breathe.
Animated video for Efterklang's Mirador.
If you missed their great show this weekend (I missed half of it standing in line at the Aragon), here's some 24/7 Ween radio.
Because I love him so, as should you. Everyone's favorite whiner Moz sings This Charming Man.
A lesson from The Bryant Park Project on NPR: "never invite Sigur Ros onto your radio show." Painfully funny. Via Defective Yeti.
So you know, you can preview the sound of your purchase at MyCymbal.com. Via WFMU.
Computer code on pop music vinyl LPs. (a weak excuse to post one more YYZ link.)
More YYZ: Animated Neil Peart, Guitar Hero weirdo, mullet dude with a Steinberger, in Rio, and the "Ultimate Drum-Off" winner.
If you've ever flown through Toronto and geeked out on your luggage tags, Metafilter has some links for you.
Carson Ellis is a goddess walking the earth, and we love DIY, and crafts, and indie rock, and interesting band merchandise, but this is a bit too much of a good thing.
Funky little video for TUNNG's Bullets.
Mini Mod Matt, the ten-year-old taking the english scooter rally circuit by storm.
Another "good thing you can check the internet on your phone at a hockey game, because I woulda gone nuts trying to remember the name of Bob Log III's old band" moment: Doo Rag's "Trudge."
Ascii Rock. Nuff said. Via SB.
Today's song to get stuck in your head, Modest Mouse's Little Motel.
For BB, following this morning's conversation: Pleaseeasaur's Warning These Cobras Are Totally Cool.
You can keep your Arcade Fire, I'll stick with the original ten member Montreal collective: Bran Van 3000 returns with a new album. Dated and semi-corny as they are, you just can't beat songs like Couch Surfer.
Song of the moment. Cataloging Candy's Demise by Hallelujah the Hills. Via Largehearted Boy.
Wolfgang Grajonca's {AKA Bill Graham} personal collection of memorabilia and concert recordings straight from the sound board, reportedly over 10k of them. Hours of time to be lost here.
Billy Corgan joins effort to create Moog Museum.
Posted without comment: Ultimate Guitar Hero Trampoline Rock God. Via Creative Generalist.
Related to the last. Wilco on AOL Sessions Live.
For The Deck, our advertising network, we check out products and services before we accept a schedule. Of course, when we have listened to them constantly for years and have seen them live dozens of times we don't have to do that. If you've never seen Wilco live, well, you ought to.
The Clash on the Tom Snyder Show, Magnificent Seven and the interview.
Song of the moment. Joe Strummer and Johnny Cash cover Bob Marley's Redemption Song. Thanks Marshall.
The DDC vs. The Flaming Lips. Our partner in Field Notes, Aaron Draplin spent some time with the Lips in Cleveland for a magazine article. Check the photo titled "Victory!" Yowza.
Kitsune Noir's Radiohead Countdown Wallpaper: #1 of 7, Pablo Honey.
Ever wonder where that "Asian Riff" in "Turning Japanese" and "China Girl" and "Kung Fu Fighting" came from? So do music historians and, presumably, Asians.
"Do oo oo yeah." Song to get stuck in your head, The Sea and Cake's Crossing Line.
"...that thin, that wild mercury sound." Great, great Oxford American piece on the making of Dylan's Blonde on Blonde. Via Mefi.
Ladies, Walk It Out.
Songs You Never Thought You'd Hear (soon to be Songs You'd Wish You Never Heard).
Joy Division's first television appearance, "Shadowplay" on Granada Reports in 1978. The host of the show is Tony Wilson, who will include them on his Factory Records sampler a couple months later.
Too many great Joy Division songs to choose from but here's Atmosphere.
"One day we will return, and become nothing again." The Clash interviewed by Tom Synder in 1981.
"Funny thing was I shot about 10 rolls of black and white and decided not to develop them. Money was tight in those days - so I would sometimes just not bother processing the film if I felt the band was not worthy of the expense." Boxing Day, 1979 and the the story from photographer, Andy Rosen.
Addendum to Zulkey's list (but mostly good): All the MLS teams' theme songs, including Bad Brains (DC United,) OK Go (Chicago Fire) and the Polyphonic Spree (FC Dallas).
While we can't agree with Zulkey's inclusion of Here Come the Hawks, the rest is a solid Mix Tape of Horrible Professional Sports Theme Songs.
Image of the moment, record sleeve from Star Wars and other Galactic Funk by Meco.
"This experiment attempts to convert the first 10,000 digits of pi into music."
More MacGowan: fan art on Shane's official site.
Worst post-rehab ever: Pete Doherty to move in with Shane MacGowan. (Shame on Yahoo for spelling MacGowan wrong.)
Yamaha's Tenori-On is a 6 x 16 LED button matrix that acts as a musical instrument by functioning as a performance input controller and display.
All you need to get signed to Sony Music these days is a stack of Devo records and a blue screen: Polysics' Electric Surfin' Go Go and I my Me Mine
"Then he asked us what we wanted to hear a song about: Love, Sex, Social Significance, or Other." Ray Saint Ray, the singing cab driver.
"It's like when everyone laughed in 24 Hour Party People when we lost money on every copy sold of 'Blue Monday' because of the expensive sleeve. I thought, 'You bastards - that's my life, that is, that really happened!'" How to make a film about the short and tragic life of Ian Curtis.
Song of the day from Noah and the Whale, Five Years Time.
Electronic music pioneers at work: Giorgio Moroder, Delia Derbyshire, Vangelis, and Bernard Sumner in too-tight shorts.
Local note. These guys, here. Tonight. See you there.
A fine visualization tool for your listening habits as cataloged by Last.fm, echoing the Baby Name Voyager.
Song of the moment. The Treniers' One Of These Days. Via PCL.
30 Years of Morning Becomes Eclectic from KCRW. Phew, tons of great archived shows here, including appearances by Peter Tosh, The Flaming Lips, Coldplay, etc, etc, etc. Thanks Marshall.
Ipickmynose picks 50 states in 50 songs.
Boutique stompbox maker Ooh La La Manufacturing offers a wide range of bizarre pedals including a Truly Beautiful Disaster and the Soda-Meiser.
Dopa, funkadelico, scratchare, and suckeroni. Hip Hop Italiano blends American slang and dialect from the bottom of the boot. Viva comic opera.
The Mix Tape of the Gods.
Apparently Scream is the most expensive music video ever made.
Tick, Tick, Boom.
Ofra Haza + MC Lyte = M.I.A.
Just because. A jaunty little song to brighten your day.
From Bauhaus to the dollhouse: Kerli, Estonia's gift to goth-pop. Via ESD Music.
"The flubs below highlight mistakes in recording or mixing that could have been corrected before the track was released." 10 Recording Bloopers That Made the Album.
Music video for The Cribs, Moving Pictures.
Download Kevin Byrd's August '07 Chirp Mix while admiring the cover art by Justin Van Hoy.
Oh my Lord. Can't speak, eyes hurt, ears bleeding. Thank you Boing Boing.
Song of the moment: Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings 100 Days, 100 Nights. Via Arjan.
Music video for The White Stripes You Don't Know What Love Is.
MS, Dexy's are so underrated and so much more than "Eileen." Check out Geno, There There My Dear, Jackie Wilson Said, Celtic Soul Brothers, and This is What She's Like.
So I'm hooked on Flight of the Conchords, and now I can't get this song out of my head.
For Carl. Personal faves: NYC December 14th, Indy, Manchester or either one of the Tokyo shows.
Fifteen masters of onstage banter, with various clips, from The A.V. Club.
Song of the moment, PJ Harvey's When Under Ether.
Weekly radio rock and roll talk show Sound Opinions has a great interview with The Besnard Lakes. Here's the video for the song For Agent 13.
Music video for Hot Hot Heat's latest single, Let Me In. Clearly fans of the long tracking shot, perhaps they were inspired by the master?
"I'm not sure I believe in the passive music listening experience. I like the silent restaurant. I like the silent bar. I put on music in the background in my day-to-day life, but that's a choice" Gearlog interview with John Flansburgh of TMBG.
Big deal, it's not Van Halen without Michael Anthony.
For BB: Guy LaFleur's 1979 album, hockey tips set to disco music. Via AdFreak.
That Truncheon Thing presents a bootleg of The Band, from Washington DC in 1976, just four months before The Last Waltz. Splendid. Via Largehearted Boy.
From Wall of Sound to Huckleberry Hound: The Vinyl Side of Hanna-Barbera. At WFMU, fab.
Wired has a nice article on the reacTable which has been wowing audiences during Björk's summer tour.
All hail the mighty Hurley, Boon, and Watt: This Ain't No Picnic.
Moby makes production tracks available free for student and non-profit film projects. Via Burst Labs.
Digging the video for Oh Mandy by The Spinto Band.
Song of the moment. Moog Plays Abba Fernando. Via Third Island.
Maybe not the official CP song of the moment, but definitely MY song of the moment. 6th Ward All-Stars - Get It How You Live.
In this multi-screen video installation 19 singers reproduce a recording of a group of wild British birds singing at dawn.
I got dizzy just watching it, but Theodore's Vinyl Workout is pretty neat.
Music video of the moment, The Besnard Lakes, For Agent 13.
Song of the moment: Debbie Harry's "Two Times Blue". Via Arjan.
Heads. Rome. 1980.
If you're into Ice Cream Truck music, and who isn't, don't forget our favorite toy piano band (and early Swapper) Twink's latest album, "Ice Cream Truckin." The Twink song "Knick Knack" keeps me busy.
"A lot of the ice cream on those trucks is pretty nasty," he confides. "But who am I to tell people what they should and shouldn't eat? I'm not a dietician; I'm a guy who wrote silly songs for ice cream trucks."
I try to schedule nothing on Thursdays, just so I can stream WWOZ live from New Orleans all day. 11am-2pm CDT especially. If you don't like it, I'll buy you a show of your regular brand, guaranteed.
Video of the moment, Mosaique Fujiya & Miyagi's Ankle Injures. Via D&T.
Just realized the background music for my Wednesday afternoon is a soundtrack full of Hammond B-3 organ. Among many others, Cissy Strut by the Meters qualifies for my list.
Lolla 2007, Last Band Standing. If there is any justice in the world, the winner will be Helicopters. We owe the band a favor, since they let us use their music on our mini-doc, Found & Reused. So, as is standard operational procedure in Chicago, vote early and vote often.
Differential Affect Gap, "a discrepancy between the emotion expressed in a song and the emotion felt by the listener." Via 1+1=3.
Unlike Corgan, we respect you....
Stereogum's OK X, a tribute to Radiohead's OK Computer, which came out ten years ago. I refuse to believe it's been that long.
As part of the tomorrow's Live Earth concert, bands will play on every continent, including a band made up of British scientists playing in the Antarctic.
Finally. Video of the ukulele-only version of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. Via Laughing Squid.
For SE: Kraftwerk's Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider love of cycling and their involvement with the Tour De France in 2003. Via 1+1=3.
Finally, an answer to a question I've long been asking: What ever happened to Jordy, the four year old who sold 6 million copies of It's Tough To Be A Baby in the late 80s.
Speaking of the Girls' reunion, 55 million people bought their records and are apparently clamoring for more, which is further proof that the British public has no right to judge the Olympic logo.
"Hey everybody!! We're back!! Can you believe it!!" the girls announced on their web site.
The cover art of Grace Jones albums. Via 1+1=3.
Following up SD's Little Steven post. What Wilco thinks. Via our fave caterer. Unrelated, Wilco on Prarie Home Companion.
Little Steven on bands licensing their songs for commercials (he's for it). Via AdFreak.
Spencer Elden, the baby on the cover of Nirvana's Nevermind. "After seeing the photo, Kurt Cobain and his wife Courtney Love agreed that they would take Spencer out to dinner when he got older."
General Electric's Meter Business Department - MBD, We're The Best.
Music vid of the moment, The White Stripe's Icky Thump.
Depending on how hardcore analog you are, you might really dig The Melloman, a DIY Mellotron built out of old Walkman cassette players, a Casio and a good amount of electrical ingenuity.
KLF's The Manual. or How to Have a Number One the Easy Way. In which the "justified ancients of Mu Mu reveal their zenarchistic method used in making the impossible happen." Comprehensive, hilarious and pretty close to the truth I imagine.
Thanks for all the links to Shift Option Rinse, our attempt to rid the world of gunk, one keyboard at a time. In answer to a couple emails, we swiped the music from S.S. Kresge Company Background Music No. 123, which we found at Oddio Overplay.
Weekly digital recordings from cassette tapes purchased at the Dalston Oxfam Shop in East London. Found among other things.
Music stars' real names.
The bittersweet, vintage score from our latest film, Shift Option Rinse, from CP Labs was shamelessly swiped from the 1960's album S.S. Kresge Company Background Music No. 123. Where would one find such a thing to swipe? Oddio Overplay of course.
Safari works in OSX or Windows!.
Highly biased musical act infographics. Via Design Info.
It's almost as if the Stooges' crew knew their concert rider would end up on The Smoking Gun.
Song title of the moment. Softlightes' The Robots In My Bedroom Were Playing Arena Rock
"This is unbelievably lame. We are the mighty Police and we are totally at sea." Via Waxy.
"Has any album, pop or classical, been released in a more vivid, endlessly fascinating jacket?" Happy birtHDay Sgt. Pepper.
Christian Schubart's Key Affekt.
Folk Songs for the Five Points is a digital arts project that allows you to remix and overlay a range of sounds taken from New York's Lower East Side. Beautiful. Via Elliots Funnel.
Awesome collection of downloadable horror movie soundtracks. Link from Lindsay Vivian, whose metalwork is showing next month at Infusion Gallery, in LA.
Song and music vid of the moment: Jeffery Lewis' Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror. Via Torrez.
David Byrne and neuroscientist Daniel Levitin talk about music and memory for Seed. The entire conversation is also available on video.
"'I'm far more dangerous now, because I don't care at all."
Excerpts from Chris Salewicz' Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer at PopMatters.
For a limited time, you can download Madonna's new song Hey You for free. The first million sends 25 cents per download to The Alliance for Climate Protection.
Song of the moment. Monk Light Blue, Paris '69.
Zappa on Dance Fever!
The making of the Doctor Who theme music. Via Collision Detection.
Does this go under "music" or "visual arts"? There's some great cover design going on here in this collection of Awesome Tapes from Africa.
Song and vid of the moment. Justice's D.A.N.C.E. Gorgeous, via 30gms.
The Robotcowboy Unit. Via wm$na.
Local faves Helicopters are giving away their EP "Walking to be Looked At" free at Threadless this week. BTW: The band was nice enough to let us use a track on this doc we made about Aesthetic Apparatus.
Song of the moment, Pink Martini's Let's Never Stop Falling In Love. However, this one certainly strikes a cord with me, Hey Eugene.
Ted Leo & the Pharmacists go to Threadless for a shirt design.
"The control between the hamsters and the musical intelligence turned out very well. The music sounds as good as I imagined, and I am very satisfied with the outcome of my design experience." Intelligent MIDI Sequencing with Hamster Control. Via Thrilling Wonder.
Josh writes: "About six weeks ago we started a punk rock choir, getting about 25 folks together weekly and singing old faves." Awesome. Hopefully they won't practice too much, the charm is in the chaos. If their "Where is My Mind" makes you crave the real Pixies, we can set you up for only $10.
Local note. Elvis at the HoB tonight. "One's named Gus, one's named Alfie."
Song and video of the moment. Oleg "King of Russian Lounge" Kostrow's Snow Man. Via PCL.
Song of the Day at Salon.
Song of the moment. Steve and Eydie cover Black Hole Sun. Via Snarky Malarkey.
A variant of Booking Bands on YayHooray (Banding Bands?): Beachboyz II Men. Thanks, Ryan.
Super cool. USB Roll-Up Keyboard And Drum Kit. Via Things.
It's so nice to hear J. and Lou getting along again: new Dinosaur Jr. tracks (in streaming audio).
Rob Paravonian really hates Pachelbel's Canon.
"Deacon Blues is as about as close to autobiography as you can find in one of our songs." Fagan and Becker at a mixing board, dissecting the track.
Song of the moment. Sly's Thank You (Falettin Me Be Mice Elf Agin). Via Mefi.
Kane on musician, synthesizer-pioneer and iconoclast, Raymond Scott.
Song of the moment. Maria Taylor's Speak Easy. Via Green.
I was fortunate enough to meet fiddler Lissa Schneckenburger last weekend and attend a gig of hers the other night. If you're into folk music and fiddle, definitely check out her recordings, or better yet, her current tour.
Music video and pop-up book puppetry link of the moment, Shitdisco's OK.
Local note. Andrew Bird at The Riv tonight. Here's Heretics from the new record.
Noted without comment. Kiiiiiii's 4 little Joeys. Via Transbuddha.
Song of the moment. Sufjan Stevens covering Joni Mitchell's Free Man in Paris.
In the department of "people who like this sort of thing will find this exactly the sort of thing they like," Counting Out Time, a great prog-rock album archive.
Song of the moment. Waltz in Orbit, by Ray Cathode, aka George Martin, 1962. Via WFMU.
Scrubbles posts a nice double-dip of groovy synthesizer video, featuring Edd Kalehoff and Giorgio Moroder.
Here's what you're looking for Kris. Pretty much everything in the "No Promises" section of Carla Bruni's site is a song of the moment. Especially, the hypnotic Those Dancing Days Are Gone, from the Yeats poem, and If You Were Coming In The Fall, by Emily Dickinson. The album is only available as an import right now.
Song of the moment. Ken Andrews' Sweetest Things. Via the boy.
The Washington Post's experiment with Johsua Bell, his Stradivarius violin, and commuters in DC's L'Enfant Plaza.
Ridiculously good group robotics. Via our Guest Editors for the month, Axel and Josh of Tiny Giagantic.
Rob Harvilla's graphical dissertation on the number one song in America. Via Debbie Millman.
Attention Björk fans. Tune in to woxy at 6pm EST to rip listen to Earth Intruders.
Someone once said to me he didn't like The Killers because he only liked "smart" music. His inability to enjoy a good pop tune shouldn't encroach on yours. Here's a video for their new tune, Read My Mind.
BB, don't listen to these: Do It Yourself Guided By Voices Cover Band. Via Chris Glass.
BB had this song stuck in his head at lunch and now it's probably gone so here it is back again, Modest Mouse's Dashboard.
From the Before the Flood tour, The Band at the LA Forum on Valentine's Day 1974 and tons of other historic complete performances at Concert Vault. Registration required but well worth it. Wow.
"There are so many things that are absurd on this cover that I cannot quite comprehend all of it...I'm just relieved that he didn't forget to put a high number of lens flares onto the cover." The 10 Worst Rap Album Covers Ever Made. Via Torrez.
Song of the moment, The main title theme from the short-lived "Probe" tv series by Dominic Frontiere.
Noted without comment. 79 Popcorns.
Sure to delight a few here at CP: The Making of the Doctor Who Theme.
For the uninitiated, an NPR story on the
Langley Music Project.
14 cover songs that are better than the originals including the Langley Schools Music Project version of Desperado.
Here are some blank music papers in PostScript and PDF formats. In case you're writing a song or something.
Wigs on Sticks has been opening for the Scissor Sisters on their current tour. This is the only video I've been able to find.
As we were packing up prizes for the Bob Dylan contest winners the other day, I told JC that Dr. Seuss' "The Foot Book" would make a good Dylan song. Today I came across Dylan Hears a Who! (via Drawn!) Is the studio bugged?
Noted without comment. Karamba, Karacho, ein Whisky. Thanks Stephen.
Mea Culpa, by Brian Eno and David Byrne, video by Bruce Connor. This song is from "My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts," which has it's own amazing remix site. "Help me somebody."
Björk talks Volta for the very first time.
Awesome mashups for a concept that would have felt right at home in our Booking Bands feature. Ladies and gentlemen, Dylan Hears a Who.
Song and video of the moment. Cops on Bikes, from Byrdhouse.
"Van Halen die Zweite?" Relive our Great (chalk) album covers contest in german at Spreeblick (Glorious machine translation).
The 808 clap. Thanks, Uncle Buzz.
Song of the moment. Tulleycraft's Twee. Via LHB.
My alma mater leads the U.S. in illegal music downloading. I haven't been there for fifteen years, I swear!
A similar idea from BBC6's Gideon Coe: Paintbox Jury. Thanks, Cy.
Our officemates posted a photo of our bathroom wall featuring 35 album covers we drew in chalk. Let's make it a contest, email bryanATcoudalDOTcom a list of all the artists and album titles, numbered 1-35 left-to-right, top-to-bottom. First three people to get them all right win a prize. (Yes, there are a couple that are questionable hybrids, I will take that into account.)
Tune of the moment, Pleasure's Out of Love.
Eliot Van Buskirk article for Wired on the mastering of The Beatles catalog and the book that documents absolutely everything, Recording The Beatles. Cha-ching.
"In 1983, when I was a freshman at Berkeley High School, I replaced the bass player of a fiercely vegetarian peace punk band called Atrocity." Not sure how we missed this the first time around, but here's a personal NPR piece by our pal Jen Sharpe titled Looking to Cash In on a Punk Rock Youth.
An earnest plea is the song of the moment. Fortress of Attitude's Dear Aerosmith. Via LHB.
Astonishing case of classical performance plagiarism possibly uncovered by "Get CD Track Names" feature on iTunes. [reg. req.}
Song and vid of the moment. Prabhu Deva from Pennin Manadhai Thottu (Touch a Girl's Heart). Via Grow a Brain.
Found Tapes, an evolving exhibition of cast away sounds, gleaned from discarded cassettes and then reassembled.
Shiina infuses her Japanese brand of pop rock (also called J-Rock) with elements of blues, jazz and traditional Japanese music with a cabaret-like elegance. Here's her video for Yokushitsu. Via Arjan.
Nina Simone performing Erets Zavat Chalav, from 1962.
Song of the moment. Robyn Hitchcock covers the Furs' The Ghost In You. Via the Largehearted Boy.
This is what's starting to play on radio. Right now.
Noted without comment. Our God is an awesome God. Via Radosh.
Help out my friend, who swears that the guitar riff in Cornershop's "Brimful of Asha" is directly ripped off (but not sampled) from another song. Any ideas? (It's not "Sweet Jane.") Email bryan(at)coudal.com.
Album of the moment, Yoko Ono's Yes, I'm a Witch.
Song of the moment, Honeycut's The Day I Turned to Glass.
In honor of the game today, and to give a peek for those outside of Chicago what goes on here, here's an archive of recent Bears songs. Don't miss The Chicago Bears Cha Cha and the Versatones' polka cover of Bear Down.
Relive one of the biggest events of last summer, Touch and Go's 25th Anniversary party, with weekly video features by Meg and Jamie over at Picture Show. Up first: Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.
Song of the moment, from 1966. Rockin With the Mods from a privately-pressed industrial musical commissioned by JC Penney. More at WFMU.
Historic photos at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. Check Bird and Monk, in NYC, 1953. Thanks Coop.
Quick trip on the wayback machine for a Tuesday morning. O Superman.
Jon Rose plays music on some of the Great Fences of Australia. I'd love to hear this in situ. Via TMN.
Dance Crazes of the Sixties. This would make a fantastic t-shirt.
Song and video of the moment, circa 1964. The Tornado's Robot, produced by Joe Meeks. More from Kane, The Alchemist of Pop.
"A 396 Does NOT have to be a Big block. If a small block (which could in fact have fuelie heads) with a bore of 4 inches is bored to 4.20, and a 3.75 Crankshaft is used, the displacement does in fact come out to 396 Cubic inches." Gearheads debate the accuracy of Springsteen lyrics.
Song of the moment. Creeping Weed's Long Way Down. Via the five-year-old Largehearted Boy.
In a departure from my usual browsing topics, last night I checked out the Digital Library of Appalachia's Music Archives. It includes, among other things, 3271 fiddle recordings. Wow.
While boring SE with a story about how loud The Church was live in 1998, I wondered if it was possible that The Who still held the record as the loudest band in the world. Turns out Guinness doesn't track that record anymore. Lame!
WFMU on the music everybody loves, everybody wants and nobody has. Namely, the background music from the original animated Spiderman series. Here's a jazzy example. A great post, chock full of examples and links.
Song and vid of the moment. Mahendra Kapoo's Mere Desh Ki Dharti. Via Music From The Third Floor.
"The graphs of companies listed on the NASDAQ are transformed into music. Computer software converts the graphs to sheets of music, and the scores are presented online on a projection screen, to be read and sung by a member of a local choir."
The sounds of the season. Kevin's Chirp Winter 2007 Mix has just been released.
John Cage's 4:33, the Ringtone. Brilliant. Via Chris Glass.
Song of the moment. For the Fields' Summer Gurl. Via Largehearted Boy.
Revel in the discomfort: Stephin Merritt on Good Day Atlanta. Via Veer.
Johann Johannsson's IBM 1401, A User's Manual, a beautiful, amazing, brilliant composition that would make for the perfect soundtrack for our 72° film project. Oh please, please.
Ebony Cuts, disco, soul, funk and oldschool radio.
A long, smart introduction, followed by audio files of The Alan J. Weberman phone calls with Bob Dylan, 1971 at If Charlie Parker Was a Gunslinger. So great.
Noted without comment. Sin Destroyer's Gifts to the World.
Matthew's Celebrity Pixies Tribute. Goofy but fun. For the real deal, at just $10 per show, check our Pixiesdiscs site. Thanks Chris.
Song of the moment, Tammi Lynn's Mojo Hannah. Via Funky16Corners.
Lots of television theme songs as wav files. Start your day with this classic.
Nevermind that it's on the OC Christmas album, the Raveonettes' Christmas Song is the best new holiday tune in recent memory.
Largehearted Boy's list of year-end music lists.
Never miss another Tragically Hip show again, thanks to the super cool Tourfilter. Via Springwise.
If you've got my name in the CP Secret Santa, I'd like this "lost" acetate of the original mixes for The Velvet Underground and Nico.
Song of the moment. Mistral's Neon City. Via WFMU.
Looking at song structure based on word order. Cool. Via Ascent Stage.
Posted without comment: Colonel Sanders' Tijuana Picnic.
JC's Metropolis photo crush reminds me, I have a similar infatuation with a photo of 60s BBC Radiophonic Workshop sound pioneer Delia Derbyshire. That photo led me to an amazingly in-depth History of the Doctor Who Theme.
Song of the moment. The Thelonious Monk Quartet's Rhythm-a-ning, 1961. Via PCL.
Secret Fun Blog's amazing Production Music from Ren & Stimpy, a huge, downloadable collection of vintage instrumental tracks culled from a wide variety of sources.
End of the year and that means the beginning of lists like these: The Five Most Unintentionally Funny Albums of 2006. Via Stereogum.
Six minute test: are you Tone deaf?. Thanks, Ed & Don!
Jim DeRogatis interviews Mick Jones.
Leslie and the LY's breakthrough hit Gold Pants Lullaby.
This is all over the web today, but just in case you missed it: Lou Reed plays AOL corporate event.
Brian Wilson's song-by-song podcast series on the making of "Pet Sounds," on its 40th anniversary. Very cool. Not sure how I feel about the action figure though. Via PCL.
Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen collected the pet peeves and angst-ridden pleas of the people of Helsinki and then composed this choral work. Fab.
I've been digging through old mix tapes and cleaning out my iTunes library. I can relate to Ruined Music. Via Gothamist.
For BB. Because we spent this morning talking about Baritones, Sousaphones, and Tubas, here's a very handy resource to help continue the conversation: Variations on the Baritone Horn and Euphonium, complete with a history of large brass instruments in general.
"At my last meeting, I nominated Yoko Ono, made myself a pastrami sandwich and walked out, never to return." Danny Fields on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Song and video of the moment. Broadcast's Come On Let's Go. Via Kane.
Surprisingly, Will just wrote looking for this link. I thought I was the only one obsessed with the score from The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.
Explore the score. Beethoven Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major. So cool.
At lunch BB and I were enjoying a little trip to the Prog Archives, an invaluable resource, if that's your sort of thing. Specifically, we set the wayback machine for '73 and the amazing, underappreciated Renaissance. Song of the moment, Ashes are Burning.
I've been invited to chat with Edward Lifson for this Sunday morning's Hello Beautiful arts program, which airs at 10am on Chicago Public Radio and is also streamed on the web. Edward asked me to bring a piece of music. It didn't take long to decide on something appropriate.
For everyone here at CP: Frank Black's appearance on Woxy.
The Death Of Dynamic Range and more information about it from Alex Ross. Via Things.
Song of the moment. Head of Femur's Skirts Are Takin' Over.
Perfect for the end of a mad week. Us and Them, 1971. Via IT&W.
Frank Black was interviewed in the Onion last week and we somehow missed it. If you somehow missed the Pixies 2005 tour, we can set you up.
Song of the moment. Cat Scientist's I Saved an Airplane. Via the Large Hearted Boy.
Debbie just wrote to ask, "Who was that girl who you linked up who played all the instruments and sang on her own version of a Yes song?" We wrote back, Nell James' South Side of the Sky.
XTC note. Andy Partridge's Fuzzy Warbles: The Demo Collection gets its release this week. More on this nine-disc set at Chalkhills.
"The singer sympathises with the conflicting emotions that he imagines in the wild dogs' howls. He needs more time alone with his thoughts, and can't stand the idea of returning to the hustle and bustle of his home country. And yet he doesn't want to be a hermit --he misses her." Textual analysis of Toto's Africa. Via Info Junk.
Song and video of the moment. Mareva Galanter's Pourquoi Pas Moi. Lots more of her here. Via Kane.
In a scene in Clockwork, Alex browses a futuristic record shop and checks out an album by the 'Heavenly 17.' Rock Band Name Origins.
Robert Crumb Blues Trading Cards. Via GaB.
Song of the moment. Miles. So What. So cool. Via Shoepal.
Song of the moment. The Slip's Even Rats. Via LHB.
Music for Public Rail: L, 8 Av to Canarsie/Rockaway Pkwy is a soundpiece by Benjamin Chaffee for listening on personal headphones while riding the MTA L Line.
Song and vid of the moment, Magyar Posse's Whirlpool of Terror and Tension.
Yo La Tengo puts out what seems like six records a year, and they're always great, but the new one, I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass" is extra-great, and has inspired me to re-post "What's Your Worst Memory of Playing with Yo La Tengo?".
WFMU on Atari music and a new song of the moment, Missile Command.
Song of the moment. Speedbuggy USA's Somewhere in America.
Aube Radieuse Serpents en flammes by former band mate of Gondry's, Etienne Charry. It's an album with a music video for each song, including an all time favorite, A-Bomb by Jan Brzeczkowski.
Aquarium Drunkard posts outtakes from the Dylan's Freewheelin' sessions, 1962.
Song of the moment. Her Space Holiday's My Girlfriend's Boyfriend.
For BB: An Oral History of Scratch Acid. Via Things.
Excerpt from documentary about Tonto, the original funk synthesizer, and Stevie Wonder. Special appearance by Bootsy Collins.
J-Walk started with 428 Dylan Song titles, then he analyzed them.
Scissor Sisters are previewing their entire new album on MySpace before it's released next week.
Another in Kevin's always enlightening series: The Chirp Back to School Mix.
Mike and Curt will be driving from Clifton Park to New York City. Inspired by SD's 238 Miles, they will listen to one song on repeat for the duration of the approximately 185-mile, three-hour ride. You pick the song.
Shoepal adds these links about the previous post. "Visual explanation. Complex explanation. Mefi thread."
John Coltrane's Giant Steps as interpreted by Michal Levy. From Ken.
WFMU: "Here's the great Japanese guitarist Takeshi Terauchi with his band The Bunnys adding the fuzz to eleven well known classical themes." From Coop.
Song of the moment. Out Of Clouds' Like a Lily. Via 3hive.
Steve Albini's Jeans. From the man who sang "Kim Gordon's Panties." Thanks, AsianMack.
Noted without comment. KPMG anthem.
XTC's Senses Working Overtime, an entry from Dictionaraoke which "features parodies of popular songs using karaoke-style backing music with vocals provided by audio pronunciation samples from online dictionaries."
"In the USSR and Eastern Europe in the 1950s underground night spots would play music pirated from the west. The only media they had were recorders etched into discarded X-ray film." Wow. Via Byrdhouse.
The saddest news of the week: Woxy is closing their doors. If we had millions, we'd be giving them every penny to let this not happen.
Obsessional on A Whiter Shade of Pale. Via Grow a Brain.
Make your own custom concert tickets.
Song of the moment. Robert Pollard's Supernatural Car Lover. Via LHB.
Nat Hentoff's NYer profile of Dylan from 1964. Via Kottke.
Setlists.
"When the Pixies reformed, they invited a film crew to join them for the ride. Frank Black talks to Xan Brooks about the train-wreck of a tour that followed." Our custom designed, mixed and mastered recordings of the train-wreck are available from The Show here. Thanks Neil.
Song(s) of the moment: The Silent League's demos.
"I should probably mention that Pitchfork also helped put me out of a job." Wired has a nice article on Pitchfork. Via Gapers Block.
Don't be fooled by imitators, these are the Official Record Store Cats
Mission of Burma were on WBEZ's Sound Opinions Sunday. Their live take of "Donna Sumeria," a postpunk retread of "I Feel Love," blew me away.
Lil' Wally, the Chicago Polka King, is in heaven now, where, we've been told, there is no beer.
Sunday night at the Empty Bottle. See you there. (They're also doing Chic-a-go-go). Correction: It's Gary Barger of the Monks, with the Goblins, which should be approximately as good.
Finally. Something for the kids that isn't the horror that is KidzBop: Rockabye Baby, lullaby renderings on famous albums. Via Chris Glass.
"Looking for a happy, encouraging sound- listen to this complimentary record. It's the theme music taken from the '72 Announcement meeting. We encourage you to share this happy sound with your showroom visitors." Chevy Showroom Music from 1972. Definitely worth it, despite the clunky downloading process.
19-year old Tina Turner, kicking ass. Via bluesreviews.
Song of the moment. Finian McKean's Shades Are Drawn. Via LHB.
"This is what's starting to play on radio. Right now." Wow. Great resource, try the 'find a station' function too.
Soundtrack for the weekend. Andrew Andrew Mix Tape #2.
The final scene in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, in concert, with Morricone conducting.
Song of the moment. Au Revoir Simone's Backyards.
Song of the moment. The Tailors' Diamonds. Via Largehearted Boy.
The ten most ridiculous metal album covers and the ten most awesome ones.
Harrowing excerpt from Vivien Goldman's Exodus: the Making and Meaning of Bob Marley and the Wailers' Album of the Century.
Don't Worry, Be Happy on the theremin.
A source of fascination and speculation for BB and I yesterday afternoon: booking rates for popular bands. We're thinking "generally available" means you can probably talk down the price a bit.
Eric and Drew of Slowtron, who produced and directed the Western State video series, recently did a music video for Inara George and as you might expect, it's simple and luscious. Click on 'videos' then scroll down the right side to Fools Work.
Keeping the prog-rock fire burning, our fave teenager, Nell James has released her album Tempus. Also, not to be missed, her one-girl cover of the Yes classic South Side of the Sky.
For all the England fans out there: Fat Les' Vindaloo.
Song of the moment. Ed Greene's When The Sky Is A Bout To Fall. Via Swedesplease.
The 1972 Tomy Voice-Coder, allowing kids to press their own vinyl. Via Gizmodo.
Since this year's England World Cup song is totally embarassing, here's New Order's "World In Motion" from Italia90. Wait, that's embarrassing, too. Even the '85 Chicago Bears rap better than John Barnes.
Pitchfork Media culled 100 Awesome Music Videos. Not simply a list, a bunch of YouTube videos.
Start the Pianolina. Darn, I was planning on getting some work done on a Saturday too. Via Mefi.
Song of the moment. The Black Keys' Meet me in the City. Via gmt+9 (-15).
Arguing about the band Boston on the 30th annivesary of their self-titled debut album. Via LHB.
Heavy song of the moment. Moccasin's Ezra's Ghost. Via M&M.
Kurt Cobain's suicide letter now with Google ads. Via Kottke.
There's been a lot of buzz about numbers stations all over the web this week because of a strange posting on Craigslist. The Conet Project is an archive of creepy recordings of numbers stations through the years.
Lengthy DJ mix of the moment: a Kid Koala radio appearance. Make sure to stick around for Phil Collins.
Some Cover songs to compare and sift through as you think about having a drink on Friday.
Check the Cool Wax on A Child's Introduction to Outer Space, featuring the Satellite Singers and Orchestra.
Great making of the Dan's Peg video. "That bridge just seemed to be a slapping thing for me." Via Waxy.
"Celebrities" singing Pixies songs, via 146degrees. If you prefer the Pixies singing Pixies songs, we've got you covered.
Song of the moment, Asobi Seksu's Walking on the Moon. Via Green.
Song of the moment, The Beloved's demo tribute to Lloyd Cole, Jennifer Smiles. Via LHB.
The perfect accompanyment to KG's "How To Explain the Rules of Cricket," the complete soundtrack to The Cricketer.
JW and BB, discussing BB's upcoming gig as a wedding DJ: "Who the hell actually likes 'Celebration'?" Now we know.
The17. Hmm.
Song of the moment, It's in the Post, Mr. Nice remixes I Love Helicopters. Download available for a limited time. Go.
A fan's video of Kim "In Heaven" at Lollapalooza 2005. If you'd like a higher-fidelity audio recording, it just so happens we can hook you up (that's Jake's head at 1:32).
John Vanderslice has "militant rules about what we can and can't do as far as using effects. If we want an effect on an instrument, we have to record it that way." Analog recording at Tiny Telephone studio. Via Largehearted Boy.
A terrific site for all things Swedish music: swedesplease. Found this song by Big Strong Union, Internet Poker Ruined My Life and I'm From Barcelona's fun vid, We're From Barcelona.
"We travel from town to town and film bands performing in houses that are about to be demolished." Burn To Shine Vol. I (Washington DC) looks great, but not as great as Vol. II (Chicago, with Wilco, Shellac, Tortoise, Freakwater, The Ponys, and more).
Popjustice calls them "Truly and without a shadow of a doubt the most amazingly ridiculous and exciting pop group of all time."
"As soon as you see Pixie sister Kelly Deal doing cross-stitch and drummer David Lovering on the beach with his metal detector, it's all over, the film's gotcha." At Risk Films on LoudQuietLoud, the Pixies tour doc from Stickfigure. Our live Pixies disc-sets are available here.
Song of the moment, Hinkleysounds' Superman.
The 50 Worst Things to Happen to Music. Via Clicked.
It's no secret that we're all Pixies fans here at the studio. That's why we're thinking about jumping on a plane on Thursday and hitting up the Night of a Thousand Pixies event to celebrate Ben Sisario's new 33 1/3 series book, Doolittle.
Back at the ranch, on the JB blog, The Qualia packs up a new release.
Song of the moment, Ellen Allien & Apparat's Do Not Break. Via LHB.
Ahem.
Song of the moment. Letting Up Despite Great Faults' Disasters Are Okay.
"I asked them to take out their favorite album - to kick back in a favorite place - to relax. And then, smoothly, pull out the record and inhale the fragrance." PCL's Vinyl Sniffers.
"The Princeton Laptop Orchestra (PLOrk) is a newly established ensemble of computer-based musical meta-instruments. Each instrument consists of a laptop, a multi-channel hemispherical speaker, and a variety of control devices (keyboards, graphics tablets, sensors, etc...). The students who make up the ensemble act as performers, researchers, composers, and software developers."
How has this existed so long without my knowing it? Movie Grooves, 60's and 70's soundtrack library.
I dare you not to smile. Stephin Merritt's new record, Showtunes. Track two especially. Via Shoepal.
Play! A video game symphony. Super Mario Bros. and Zelda just added. Via Go Nintendo.
Cheerioke!
The cool faces of Ace of Base.
"Cool Places" by Sparks with Jane Wiedlin peaked at #49 on June 11, 1983. SD brought you up-to-date with Sparks the other day, but if you were as crushed on the Go-Go's as I was, you may be happy to find out that Jane is now a part-time latex-fetish model (find your own link).
It's good news that the Replacements have recorded a couple new songs. It's better news that there will be a Rhino compilation, which will hopefully be more comprehensive than All for Nothing, which ignores the first half of their career.
I accidentally found musician/illustrator milenasong while googlestalking my daughter. More songs here.
Reading about Rockapella reminded me of a weekly Boston radio show, All A Capella on Emerson College Radio.
Twice in as many weeks, talk around the office has turned toward Rockapella. Now we know what became of them.
"The store was open from the early 1950's and closed in 1970. As the photos show the contents were frozen in time as no one had been able to buy anything from the store over the past 35 years." Kondoff's Records is now for sale. Via Waxy.
The complete Saville. Thanks Ken.
Trailer for loudQUIETloud, the new Pixies documentary from Stick Figure. We've seen extended pieces and it looks really great. It might even include an accidental cameo from an employee or two from The Show, as we were out with the band for the last 12 shows of the tour featured in the movie. Our recordings are available as limited-edition CD's and in a 'best of' format for download at iTunes as well.
Obsessional on the complete Beatles' songbook. Contains a huge amount of detail on structure and technical considerations, laced with anecdotal information. Very impressive.
Filmmaker Magazine's 20 Essential Movie Soundtracks, a nice list to which I can't resist adding Jerry Goldsmith's score for Chinatown and Ennio Morricone's for Days of Heaven, which, surprisingly, seems to be only available on a combo disc with the score for Two Mules for Sister Sara.
Wow.
Song of the moment. Instantly Loved by The Faunts. Via Mystery and Misery.
Related: A kid's drawings of Peter Gabriel's UP Concert 2002. Sweet.
A friend in this weekend gave me a copy of Action Spectacular, the new DVD by Pleaseeasaur. If you've never seen/heard "Warning: These Cobras Are Cool," you're missing out.
Ooh. Great project celebrating the golden age of children's records. Kiddie Records Weekly has everything from "The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins" to (for jc) "Gerald McBoing Boing".
An interesting '91 interview with U2's The Edge, unaware that Negativeland is doing the interviewing. Via Waxy.
Album of the day, Goldfrapp's Supernature.
"Here at The Aural Times, our goal is simple: To provide you with the most important headlines of the day, but with a beat, and you can dance to it." Via Waxy.
"'Long Bond' is a requiem string solo. Notes in this piece are based on the pattern of interest rates since 1926 as represented by the yield of the 30-year Treasury bond. Higher notes equate to higher interest rates and lower notes reflect the lower rates experienced over time." Emerald Suspension's Playing the Market. Via SNP.
New Junior Senior single Can I Get Get Get. Their also inviting people to send in footage of lip-synced performances of the song by March 15th to use in the video. Via arjan.
Song of the moment, Apache by the Sugar Hill Gang. Not in the least politically correct but... Via Some Velvet Blog.
Can you believe the Queen died 20 years ago. The Smith's Johnny Marr looks back at their best album.
Musicvideo of the moment, Belinda Bedekovic. So fine, via Screenhead.
Andrew Hearst on the gorgeous musical notation of George Crumb. Via Design Observer.
"The men behind the scandal - Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty, who were themselves infamous popstars under the name The KLF - admitted how they plucked a young Buddy Holly impersonator Doherty from obscurity and made him a media darling." The Great Pete Doherty Hoax. Very funny. Via Things.
In another reference to TMBG this week, this collection of Brian Dewan videos is starting to make the rounds. Brilliantly weird. Via AdFreak.
Sean Klassen used our Jewelboxing system to create packaging for his Leaving and the Soundtrack of Our Lives Project CD. His latest venture is the just redesigned IndieHQ, a big resource site for independent bands and labels. Looks great.
They Might Be Giants, "grizzled vetrans of multiple national club tours," are writing a song for each venue they play on their current tour. This week, number 9, The Star Hill Music Hall in Charlottesville.
Still feeling very conflicted: the whole scoop on Dev2.0. Still beats Kidz Bop though, I guess. And that's something of value.
Song of the moment. Sunday Morning from the Acid House Kings. Via Mystery and Misery.
Creating audio signatures for the BBC using iTunes. Via City of Sound.
What a strange world. Just had a long conversation about the song "Aquas de Marco" this weekend, and up pops this video of Elis Regina singing the song in a clip from 1973. The version we were talking about can be found here. Both are gorgeous. All via Antville.
Radio stream from the archives of Bill Graham Productions.
FoTA Lew Temple (in the guise of his alter ego, country singer Adam Banjo) is in good company on The A.V. Club's Unapologetically Dirty Valentine's Day Mixlist. It almost makes having your face ripped off in a Rob Zombie movie worthwhile.
To follow up on jc's post, Woxy was one of the very few things that made Cincinnati tolerable in the 80s, feeding me Mekons and Camper Van Beethoven in a sea of Bon Jovi and REO Speedwagon.
"After two decades of rocking, the heavy metal band Megadeth's mascot Vic Rattlehead needs a facelift." Via AdFreak.
"The climax of the event sees Jesus sing 'Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now' as he is being flayed by Roman soldiers. He will then come face-to-face with Pontius Pilate, with the two of them singing 'I said maybe, You're gonna be the one who saves me?'" Best reenactment of the Crucifixion ever!
The beautiful music of Tyler Potts' 52 Songs, a song a week for a year. Via Things.
Song of the moment, Robin's Theme from Sun Ra and The Blues Project perform Batman music. More at WMFU, via Firewheel.
Download most of the fantastic Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins album. If nothing else, grab "Rise Up With Fists." They just know you're gonna go out and buy it if you hear it, just for the Travelling Willburys cover.
The Goblins have a lot of really fantastic ideas for future album projects. Someone bankroll some of these!
Fabulous local rockers The Sonnets, whose songs appear in the current Blackhawks commercials, play a free show tonight at The Empty Bottle with the Siderunners and Vanishing Kids. Check 'em out!
Chris Glass has received a top secret, advanced copy of this year's Coachella lineup.
Lots on Abba. Lots of Abba.
I'd rather play a different sort of game... Belle & Sebastian meets Napoleon Dynamite.
Andy Rosen's photoset of the only band that matters, playing to fifty people, Christmas 1979.
Possibly better than the original "Lazy Sunday" is a version done by two kids with a drum set.
Marc Almond (of Soft Cell) was a Northern Soulie, and probably heard the original soul versions of "Tainted Love" and "Where Did Our Love Go" back to back on the dance floor for years before recording the combo. It takes real genius, however, to merge U2 and Barry Manilow.
I defy you to find a better transition between two songs than Soft Cell's 8 minute 56 second opus, "Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go (Extended Version)".
Song of the moment. Scotland Yard Gospel Choir's Bet You Never Thought It Would Be Like This. Via 3hive.
"Below are the original versions of the cover songs featured on the Fantômas' album The Director's Cut, as well as some information about the films from which the songs orginated." Enjoy the delicious creepiness of Krzysztof Komeda's theme from Rosemary's Baby.
"There seems to be basically three ways to go at it when doing product music. Either use a well known band and create credibility on that or rearrange a well known song or make your own song and hope it sticks." PCL on a swell mp3 of commercial tracks.
Venn diagram of the day: (Iron Maiden fans (Hans Claesson) Spongebob Squarepants fans).
Wake up on a Monday with the sound of the future, Eyeball Skeleton, Mayo Elementary's favorite band. Have a listen here.
The perfect last song for your holiday playlist: Clem Snide's gorgeous Joy to the World. Thanks, StG!
If we had an archive category titled Extremely Exciting News this would qualify: John Anderson, longtime FoTA, White Sox fan, and editor of countless CP television spots, has been nominated for a Grammy in the Best Long Form Video category for his direction of Brian Wilson's SMiLE. Other nominees include Martin Scorcese (for Bob Dylan's No Direction Home) and the dude responsible for that Trapped In The Closet crap. Huge congratulations, John!
Song of the moment, Shonen Knife's Space Christmas. Happy, happy. Via gmt+9.
If (part of) The Smiths can't cure cancer, who can?
British artist Jim Noir will be as big as his reviews indicate.
Enter the magical world of lock grooves .
My unhealthy obsession with the Yacht Rock series has led me places I never thought I'd go, such as The Steely Dan Dictionary.
You see these types of articles once or twice a year, and they're always a terrific read: "A song so awful it hurts the mind.", in Slate.
Song of the moment, Estrume'n'tal's cover of Link Wray's Ace of Spades. Via gmt+9.
Handmade noise generators from Bleep Labs. Like if a theremin had sex with a Radio Shack.
"The Lehigh Valley, Allentown, PA area, at one time, was a hotbed of musical talent, influenced mainly by the British Invasion groups of the day." Dig The Limits and King Arthur's Court.
"'Writing 'Secret Satan' allowed us to channel our own sordid past to reach those people who, like us, think the holidays are a time of misery,' signed original frontman, Kent Karkis, whose larynx was crushed in a tragic hockey accident and who is now the lead guitarist for the band." The most brilliant press release of the year.
Rock Band Logo thread at Yay.
Bob Dylan and John Lennon in a taxi, 1966. Nice ride. Relatively uneventful and interesting because of it.
Song of the moment, Kites Are Fun from Mellow on The Free Design: The Now Sound Redesigned compilation.
Local note: Good music and famous poster designers. What more could you need on a Saturday night? We have it on good authority that our good pal Jay Ryan will be at tonight's Andrew Bird show at the Logan Square Auditorium, signing copies of his new book, 100 Posters, 134 Squirrels.
"CoverFlow aims to bring that aesthetic appeal to your mp3 collection. It allows you to browse your albums complete with beautiful artwork pulled from any sources it can find, whether it's buried in your song tags, collected via Synergy, or looked up on Amazon." Via Chris.
U2's Vertigo DVD which was filmed right around the corner at The United Center, goes on sale today and it's packaged in a Super Jewel Box King, just like the ones available from our Jewelboxing.
The Crushing Blow, a video blog covering the first US tour of the brilliantly weird Norwegian band Hurra Torpedo. Via Screenhead.
NY Daily News profiles The Man Who Invented Album Covers. Now I know who to thank!
Music vid of the moment. Lantern by The Clogs, directed by Vincent Moon. Sublime. Via Green.
The Bassjo, or bass banjo or what to do with parts and a lot of beer. Thanks Bret!
Fiona Sturges interviews Brian Eno for the Belfast Telegraph. "There's no technological solution to songwriting. It's no easier now than it was in Chaucer's day." Via LHB.
"Do you people have a curfew or anything like that? Does it matter what time you go home tonight? Do you have school tomorrow?... 'Cause we could do either one long set or we could do two sets, you know, which ever makes it easier for you.... One long one?... Okay, then this is going to go on for awhile. So we should get used to each other." Obsessional on The Velvet Underground, album by album. Via Irregular Orbit.
A little late on this one, but a bunch of indie rock stars have recorded a Halloween Halloween Song to raise money for UNICEF.
Behind Closed Doors at a Recording Session, "Confidential recording secrets revealed for the first time." Fun and sorta educational, found while rummaging through Record Brother's excellent stacks o' vinyl.
Song and video of the moment, Mister Phon.o's Stop da Shotblocka. Via Elms Blog.
bb's review of Kidz Bop Halloween on the mighty Asian Mack.
To celebrate their F1 victory this season, Renault programmed a RS25 V10 engine to rev "We Are the Champions" on a dynometer. Merci, Gome!
Just in case there's anyone that hasn't bought an iPod yet, Apple is stepping up their marketing. Thanks Mobboss!
Nate Harrison's great mini-doc on The Amen Break. Via The Skinny.
Song of the moment, Wishing Well from The Arrogants. So cool. Via Mystery and Misery.
Hundreds of punk and new wave 7" record sleeves. Totally awesome.
The Motherpage, repository for all things P-Funk, delightfully un-updated since 1997. Via Mefi.
On the heels of Dead Can Dance's fantastic show last night, I have a new project lined up for the weekend.
John Peel Day is October 13th. Make some plans, or at least listen to a lot of Undertones and Weddoes.
Ken writes, "Not my kind of song, really, but the video is clever."
Song of the moment, Doris Henson's The Power. Via Mystery & Misery.
Noted with fascination and appreciation, but without comment. Groove With Machine. Via PCL.
Definitely set some time aside this weekend to listen to this rebroadcast of Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz where she performs with John Medeski. Even if you don't like jazz, it'll be worth it. Promise.
On a call Tuesday evening with cohort Waki Gamez, we got to talking about the John Mayer songwriting contest in Esquire. Being as Waki's a musician, I encouraged him to do something quick and weird. And, as always, brilliance was delivered: "Mayering the Floral Blitz."
Harvey Danger is offering up their third album Little by Little as a free download. If you like what you hear, buy the album. Via artypapers.
TGIF, a Jesse Frederick tribute album: Covers of his half-catchy, half-obnoxious theme songs from shows like "Step By Step," "Full House," and "Family Matters." Via Waxy.
And while we're on the topic of awesome flash sites for awesome bands, Architecture In Helsinki is playing at the Bottle Friday.
It seems like every couple weeks or so Steve brings up t.A.T.u., so this one's for him. Their new video for All About Us.
Oh, and to follow up Jim's post about Radosh' post about David Greenberg's essay I caught most of No Direction Home on PBS last night, and I concur. It wasn't a movie about Dylan, it was a movie about movies about Dylan. Instead, watch Don't Look Back and Festival and save yourself the agony of watching fragments of Don't Look Back interspersed with 60s icons reciting urban legends about themselves.
Check out the Arcade Fire's flashtastic new site. I'm just going to steal links from Said the Gramophone all week, OK?
Revising the revisionists: The Architectural Dance Society has a go at the sixties in general, and "Crimson and Clover" specifically. I've bored lots of friends for hours on this topic ("and taking the cheesy disco sounds out of Oh! L'Amour on Pop is downright criminal!").
Out of 5, Themed Mixes. Currently, 'Songs about trains.' Via Memo.
What Daniel thinks about Dylan is what I think about Dylan and I would have said so if only David Greenburg hadn't said it before Daniel said it again, only more succinctly.
"And with vinyl you had twenty-two minutes per side. CDs came along, and you had sixty, seventy, eighty minutes and people felt like they had to fill them up. They were like those Fuji apples from Japan. They look like perfect, super-gigantic versions of American apples. But when you bite into them, they're tasteless. They taste like foam." Believer Interview with Mark Mothersbaugh.
Special thanks for a very nice article from our friends at Presonus in Louisiana. Presonus manufactures all the microphone pre-amps that we use at The Show, and we're better off for it. They are clean, crisp and affordable. So if you're in the market for microphone preamps or other gear ... well, you know where to go.
Nice beat to start a Friday with, Tiga's You Gonna Want Me.
"The after-school percussion group at Minnetonka High School, Minneapolis, rehearsed for months and can now play two tracks from DJ Shadow's 'Endtroducing' album." Wow. Via Waxy.
Song of the moment, Funkadelic's Maggot Brain. Thanks George.
Pandora creates custom radio stations based on the theory that "people who like this sort of thing will find it exactly the sort of thing they like." My XTC anchored station is flavorful and not too jangly. Via Dig Business.
More on the Blisters. Scott Smith works at Element 79 and writes the Pulling Focus blog for us. His kids, my kids and The Blisters kids all go to the same school. Scott made this short rockumentary about the band and, as sd noted yesterday, Element 79 featured them in this Quaker Oats commercial.
A terrific Quaker Oats spot by Errol Morris and Element 79 (Scott Smith works there), featuring The Blisters, a local favorite from appearances at The Hideout and sports members with the last name Tweedy and a child of the Reader.
It's rare when Pitchfork scoops us on Junior Senior news, but we're happy for Junior Senior news wherever we can get it. Thanks for the tip, dr!
Jason Morehead reviews our Dead Can Dance, Selections From Europe 2005 release. "For starters, the sound quality is amazing. These are no mere bootlegs, but rather artist-sanctioned recordings made directly through the soundboard and then cleaned up and remastered." North American disc-sets are now available.
Bond Themes. James Bond Themes. Via The Ultimate Insult.
Song of the moment, Cardigan's I need some fine wine and you, you need to be nicer.
As you might have noticed by the oh-so-subtle image above, we have put Dead Can Dance North American Tour Discs on sale. By 'we' we mean, of course, The Show.
Song of the moment, Johnny Cash's take on the Bond theme, Thunderball. Via gmt+9.
Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music. Pretty much everything is covered. Exhaustive and exhausting. Via Daily Dose.
Note from Jake in Manchester UK via Blackberry, "Epic show no bs... Double encore, wild crowd.. F'ing great show. If these don't sell, I'm quitting..." No need to quit Jake. More in the blog tomorrow.
Have a listen to Hide And Seek by Imogen Heap.
"One day, I walked in and was greeted by a pile of about 18 VHS video tapes sitting on the table. Each one was labeled simply 'Rock Singer Audition' with a piece of masking tape." Via Transbuddha.
Fischerspooner backs it up for the 15th.
Almost 7000 posts and 6 years later we finally link to something at AOL. Sweet Jane video from Max's Kansas City. Via Ralf.
Song/video of the moment, The Mountain Goats' This Year. Via GCD.
A note and information about Bob Moog who passed away yesterday. In typical Moog fashion, it'd probably the coolest funeral you could go to, held at the North Carolina club, The Orange Peel.
Laura Barton talks to The Pixies in the Guardian.
Former guest editor Jason Koxvold launched a new video for Citizens Here and Abroad's single You Drive and We'll Listen to Music. Yowza. Great look and an awesome car stunt caught by "Three laptop-controlled Phantoms running at 500fps... and an HD Varicam and operator at a slight angle from the path of the car." Oh yeah. Great song too.
A big fan of Rush's Neil Peart, but prefer your drummers to be more robotic? Then you'll greatly appreciate P.E.A.R.T. the robotic drum machine. Via Things.
Combine cool design and the music the designers were listening to at the time. Could turn out to be something really great: The Designers Mixtape.
"The
following is a brief chronology of the clothing Dylan has worn onstage." Via TMN. Plus the Dylan Village Walking Tour. "Click on the purple numbers to see a picture and caption for each Dylan place."
Obsessional on ABBA Cover Art and, of course, SD's epic journey regarding the same.
Finally, you can interview Phil Collins whenever you want to. WFMU's essay and collection of links about personalized station IDs. Via Waxy.
Konono No. 1. Via the always interesting Core77.
We get asked all the time which Pixies disc-set from The Show is best. The show of the moment is June 12 from The Ritz in Raleigh. A really bright, upfront mix and vibe plus a great performance. Of course our faves change all the time.
Deborah Johnson of the recently-moved-from-Chicago-to-Brooklyn Candystations collaborated on this sweet Walk in the Park with Chocolat & Akito.
Song of the moment. Annette Funicello, Jamaica Ska. Via gmt+9.
We love I Love Helicopters. Song of the moment, Goodbye Little New York.
Bangs on Eno. Nuff said. Thanks Ken.
Mint Royale Singin' in the Rain trailer.
The Beat Surrender reviews Frank Black's new solo record Honeycomb.
A wonderfully odd interview with Iggy Pop from the CBC archives.
Thanks to Radio Despi who broadcast our Dead Can Dance recording from Barcelona as a full concert earlier this week. You can listen to Radio Despi on 107.2 FM. If you live in Barcelona.
New My Morning Jacket single, Off the Record. Thanks Joe.
RIP Laurel Aitken, the Godfather of Ska.
Song of the moment. When You Go Out from I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness.
Song of the moment. Freshman Thesis from Thee More Shallows.
German Punk fanzine The Ostrich published 'Total Control.' devoted to The Clash 1977 Tour. Ralf was kind enough to make a pdf of it. Sublime.
Last night's pixies gig in Milwaukee was really excellent. Check out the setlist, or buy the disc. You won't regret it.
"I can feel what going on inside a piece of electronic equipment." Trailer for Moog a film by Hans Fjellestad. Cha-Ching.
Lock writes about OK GO, dancing in the backyard , "I notice not one misstep here - favorite moves are 'the push off', 'the
thinker' and 'the fight.'"
DCD: Selections from Europe 2005.
Entries are open for the 2005 Air Guitar World Championships held in Finland. Legend of the art, and fellow New Zealander, Tarquin Keys is the current joint World Champion. According to Air Guitar ideology, wars would end and all bad things would disappear if all the people in the world played the Air Guitar.
For a music lover, it's a difficult struggle to love a band who can create a great sound but couldn't write a compelling lyric to save their lives. This article from The Guardian claims it's getting even harder.
"One of the most famous television commercials scored by J. Ralph is an ad for the Volkswagen Beetle. Volkswagen asked J. Ralph to write music that would make people think that their television sets were broken." A Melissa Block piece on NPR earlier in the week.
Pixiesdiscs blog updated with a sweet mp3 from Portland. to check out. The San Francisco show is now sold out.
More Portraits of the Dead.
BBC Radio One is coming to America.
Stereogum asks visitors what the worst/most embarrasing CD they have ever bought is. A passionate, cathartic outpouring ensues.
New Arcade Fire tune Cold Wind. Nice. Thanks Squeaky.
Song of the moment (as a Scopitone!) Francoise Hardy's Saurai-Je, from Bedazzzled.
For the Pixies, being surprised with a Gold Record for Surfer Rosa onstage in DC on Monday must have been exciting and all, but having their cover of "Theme From NARC" named the #1 video-game-related rock song of all time by the Onion really must have made their week.
City of Sound reports that "Live performances of Beethoven's first five symphonies, broadcast as part of The Beethoven Experience on BBC Radio 3, have amassed an incredible 657,399 download requests during a week long trial." That's a lovely pack of droogs, eh?
If you've ever wondered why often a band is late to taking the stage, they've probably got a good reason, as Elvis Costello reports here.
Shimmery popsmithing from The Changes, in this week's Transmission, at Gapers.
Flight of the Conchord is "New Zealand's 4th most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo." Be sure to check out the MP3 of their hit, Business Time.
Return Of The Ninja Droids.
Jon Hicks was sorting through some boxes when "a hidden treasure was discovered that had been forgotten for over 20 years. 'The Smash Hits Yearbook 1984' which includes a comic strip telling the Story of the Sex Pistols. "Is the Home Secretary aware of the threat this group poses to the morals of youth?!"
If the link below made you really dig Architecture in Helsinki, then you'll be pleased to know that they'll be making a live appearance this afternoon on former Jewelboxing Case Study subject, Woxy.com.
Don't quite know what to make of the Architecture in Helsinki's song/video IT'5, (clk 'video' in nav) but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Couldn't resist. "Beautiful. Beautiful-beautiful. Just beautiful."
Anyone who thinks music stores are dead should visit Amoeba Music on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Incredible store. I really liked their 40-page handout of their employees favorite music. Thanks to pretty much everyone in the Pixies crew for hipping me to this place.
Can't afford a ticket to go see U2? Just pretend you're them and put on your own concert. By the always brilliant, Improv Everywhere. Via Screenhead.
Lost in Andy Metzger's library of Steely Dan Sounds. Tons of rare, live and unreleased stuff including this alt take of Rose Darling and A Little With Sugar, a very 'rough and bare' demo from 1968 or thereabouts. Via GaB.
We Jam Econo. One of the greatest stories in Rock and Roll is finally being told. Can't wait.
The Dallas Observer argues that the sax is dead as a rock instrument. I still love that Morphine baritone sax sound, but other than that, i don't miss it much.
Maybe we can get Musikanterna for the next The Show release.
Word is that Coldplay's new single will be blocked from #1 on the UK charts by a ringtone version of "Axel F" from Beverly Hills Cop. Hopefully the comparisons to Unforgettable Fire-era U2 end right there.
Music Things' Tiny Music Makers. First up, the 'Intel Inside' chimes. Via Volcano Boy.
To compete with the creepiness of the Bjork music vid DW posted yesterday, here's the new one from The White Stripes.
After some digging I found Björk's new video for Where Is the Line. Directed by Gabríela
We're shooting a music vid here in the studio this weekend for the group LightFM. We really like the song, "Never Gonna Get Up," but ask us tomorrow after the thousandth listen.
To go with Dylan Days, Dylanstubs and an obsessional on Jokerman and its video.
"Why not give a listen to: Pillow Logics new disc, 'Treason to Live?' Obstensibly about a young girl who loses her shoes in a cockfight she mistakenly attends during Thanksgiving 1959, it's really about the universal themes of loss, angst, candy and damp clothing" A brilliant, much needed answer to Pitchfork's bloated reviews.
Dylan Days start tomorrow in Hibbing Minnesota. Via Largehearted Boy.
Symphony for Dot Matrix Printers.
This week's transmission, Atomly's Ask.
Song of the moment, The Poison Arrows' Trailer Park.
For a definite change to your studio environment, tune in to Radio Oh La La, featuring French pop muisc from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Via The Sparkplug.
There is no sweeter sound than the sound of the mighty keytar!
A snake begins to eat itself. Via Waxy.
Does it get much cooler than this? The History of Sampling links songs from the original to the sampled. Amazing. Via Byrdhouse.
Our friends at Gapers Block added a great new feature called Transmission. It's a blog about music in Chicago with a new MP3 each week from an up-and-coming Chicago artist. We loved the idea, and decided the only way to improve it was to slap a Jewelboxing ad in the middle.
Tomorrow is Forever Branding the Sky. Video of the moment.
Apache. Yowza.
Note to babysitters, at this year's Lollapolooza (featuring the Pixies, yay) at Grant Park in Chicago children under 10 years are admitted free with a ticket-holding adult, with no limit to the number of kids. Via Sugarbuzz, the blog of our favorite catering company.
In case you were trying to read them in the mirror, here's the HTML band names list from our washroom.
A private collection of some fantastic concert photos from the 70s. Via Waxy.
"Sparky was a little boy about your age..." The Kiddie Rekord King: 78rpm Children's Records.
"...an infamous compilation of studio chat said to have inspired the Spinal Tap rockumentary. The British pop band, led by millionaire crop-circle enthusiast Reg Presley and famous for Wild Thing and Love Is All Around, became the subject of cult fame with The Troggs Tapes." Via Screenhead.
Vintage Vanguard, a huge and beautiful collection of classic vinyl jazz covers.
K-TEL Records Presents...
Chicago's Thrill Jockey Records is celebrating their 10th anniversary (Tortoise has been around for 10 years already!?). Instead of the typical "check out our riffs" compilation, label founder Bettina Richards interviewed 115 musicians about the formative events in their music career, for a DVD called Looking for a Thrill.
John Prine's new album Fair And Square is fantastic. It's available via iTunes now, and at retailers in a few weeks. I've been listening to "Taking A Walk" all day.
It took a lot of inner strength to listen to the same Abba song on repeat for 238 miles. Would I have been as successful had I chosen this "Dancing Queen" cover by singing sensation, Wing? I don't know. And I don't want to find out. Thanks Kurt.
Can I point you to Brian Ibbott's wonderful podcast Coverville? Or to Marc Riley's Mint, a weekly show from BBC's Radio 6 about collectable records and pop memoribilia? I think I just did.
Check out FoTA Exo's recent appearance on MTV2. This video, as we say, has got good Dougie.
David Byrne launches his own internet radio station. He speaks about this project and others at Boing Boing.
Pop singer Kelly Clarkson goes corporate; and with corporations comes annual reports. Via Waxy.
A hefty download, but the Decemberists' new video is worth it. An obvious "Rushmore" clone, but created with heart and shot beautifully, so it's all okay.
Official corporate soundtrack for today from Record Brother. The Space Age: The Age of Reliability from Raybestos-Manhattan Inc. Spectacular. Don't miss the PDF of the artwork either.
Many years before The Office, Ricky Gervais briefly enjoyed a career in music, fronting the band Seona Dancing. Via MBToolbox.
"...cest dire en combien cest bien, clair, bien fait, toujours renouvel, et intressant." Merci for that to Green: Musicblog and Magazine.
Phil Manzanera's Roxy Music Archive. Tons of archival record and concert reviews, some profound, some banal and some that start like this, "Well, it was certainly quite impressive, there's no denying that. Auspicious, even. The safety curtain rose for the first night of Roxy Music's fournight extravaganza at the Rainbow, London, to reveal a set that wouldn't have seemed out of place in some grotesque Nazi epic like Triumph of the Will..."
The Black Keys' new album has been out for a while, as has the accompanying video for "10 A.M. Automatic," so excuse this if it's old news. It would just be too troubling to later find out that there are some who haven't seen it yet. A simple, subtle concept played out perfectly.
Say goodbye to CBC Radio 3 Magazine. Aww.
Our The Twelve Final Shows Pixies Discs are now eleven. The last night at Hammerstein Ballroom just sold out.
The big question is if you get to pick the song you want to hear. Because if not, and I had to run the risk of listening to anything from Creed's Greatest Hits album, I'm just going to stop brushing my teeth. Via Gizmodo.
Now, on to the finest in Swedish psych rock. God, itís good.
'All Songs Considered' Presents Wilco in Concert. Nice. Plus check the interview with our pal, artist Deborah Johnson of CandyStations, who mixes video live with the band.
Thom Yorke vs. Marvin Gaye, courtesy of Marino 500.
Chris Milk does it again. This time for The Chemical Brothers.
New Wave Photos by Phillippe Carly. Over 21,000 live band photos from Europe in the '70s and '80s. Of course, I checked the only ones that matter first and found some great ones. Plus, XTC, live at Vieux Saint-Job in '78. OK, that did it. I donated. Via Mefi.
Friends of the agency, Viva Voce, who not three months ago used the CP studio to shoot a music video, will have music featured on tonight's episode of "The O.C." Watch as their gorgeous songs accompany the angst of attractive teens.
Robert Moog interviewed in the Guardian. "Look, my wife is a retired philosophy lecturer, and she says that the notion that machinery doesn't have consciousness is a crock of shit. Everything has some consciousness, and we tap into that. It is about energy at its most basic level."
Following the success of "No!," They Might Be Giants are releasing another children's album: "Here Come the ABCs" The accompanying site includes a handful of great music videos.
Massive obsessional on the Thin White Duke, Golden Years. Via Subsystence.
"Fusing musical prowess with rugged home improvement, those from TonLeiter have integrated MIDI with a standard household ladder. Plugging in the ladder will yield a slew of tones and soundloops when you trigger the sensors on each of the rungs." Seems very...artistic. Let's leave it at that. Via Gizmodo.
There's something fun in the works with File-13 Records. We're involved in helping to develop a series of short motion graphics pieces for a new album of theirs. If you're a mo-graf person, and are interested in maybe helping out by putting something together for it, shoot an e-mail over, with a link to your work, to steve at coudal. More info from there.
This interesting essay in the Guardian, about the iPod undoing the social being, reminds me of an excellent book about the same ideas, written nearly twenty years ago about the Walkman. Via Things Magazine.
We had some promotional discs from the Pixies Twelve Final Shows series we designed to give away. Over the weekend, lots of people knew the answer to this question, What song did the Pixies play twice during most of those last twelve shows? We'll pick six at random who wrote Wave of Mutilation and send 'em each a disc. Just a couple more left. Order a Jewelboxing system and write us that you read this note and we'll toss one in the box until they're gone.
"I held it in and I didn't cough and everybody applauded, 'Rastamon, Rastamon' and I felt great." Jimmy Norman reminisces about working with Bob Marley. Via TMN.
P-Funk Lego.
Carl Orff meets the power chord. I knew this was a "find" when I bought it in '99. But I had no idea the Fire Requiem would be a hard-to-find collectable so quickly. Hurry, there is only one left.
Fusion... can happen in one voice, one mind. Sheila Chandra has that voice... that mind.
If Dave Reidy hadn't gone south to pursue his MFA he would be posting the comprehensive What Goes On: The Beatles Anomalies List, as well as the list explained. Alas, it is up to me. Via 2/7.
If hearing super lo-fi, beeping versions of pop songs you don't like is bugging you now, you're apt to love the news that Thomas Dolby, Q-Tip, and others, have signed on to produce catchy new songs for cell phones ringtones. "And the 2006 Grammy for Song of the Year goes to....'Bleep, blop-beep, bleeeeeep!'"
Someoddpilot has done a sweet, smart job on the previously out-of-control Pitchfork site.
The melody of John Coltrane's Giant Steps explained, but not so I could understand it. Via City of Sound.
Think you heard a fret squeak thirty-five seconds into the Beatles' "Come Together" but aren't quite sure? Well, now you have a resource. Via Waxy.
Test discs from our Pixies project are lined up and ready to blare through the studio today. Right now we're listening to the show from Norfolk. Sounds great. Shipping soon.
You only have two days left to bid on an entire collection of Sup Pop singles. Skimming over the catalog makes you think it's priced about right.
Lhasa De Sela. Her first album was the soundtrack to the love affair that became my family. Now, 6 years later she has a new album. Try it. But if it works, be sure to send me a wedding invitation. And a baby announcement.
A Jewish/Morrocan song that opens with an Armenian folk song that shares the same scale:Tudra. The Yuval Ron Ensemble is an LA Based group that seeks the common thread of Middle Eastern musical cultures. They played on Christmas eve as part of the 43 Annual Los Angles Holiday Music Festival. Beautiful stuff.
Remix of Shine on You Crazy Diamond. Nice. Via Marino500.
Sabadabada, obsessional on '60 Brazilian bossa nova, balanco and samba records. 1. 2. 3. 4. Great resource and inspiration. Via PCL.
L.A.'s first big "storm" in several years made me seek out a fresh recording of Beethoven's Tempest Sonata. Well I found that and discovered a new pianist in the process. I couldn't wait so I bought it at iTunes (which I can't figure out how to link here). But the audiophile in me would encourage you to go for the CD.
All Things Considered takes on Nickelback. Monster deluged with resumes from NPR listeners wanting to be "Forensic Musicologists."
pi10k, an amazing experiment by Felix Jung, converts the first 10,000 digits of pi into a (surprisingly pleasant) musical sequence, based on ten notes selected by the user.
Continuing with kg's fondness for new British slang, here is perhaps the best example of said lingo (in one of the year's best music videos): The Streets' "Fit But Don't You Know It."
Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me. Via The Twilight Lounge.
Brian Wilson, The Fiery Furnaces, The Streets, Animal Collective and...? Pitchfork posts its Top 50 Albums of 2004. See how your taste measures up.
The Pixies late show last night was epic. Buy the CD, you'll see.
Just two more shows to go on the Pixies tour, both tomorrow night at the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC. I'll be hanging with our co-conspirator Jake before the midnight show at the table where you can buy a limited-edition mastered CD of the performance. Stop by and say hello or order online if you can't be there.
Evilnine, another nice thing from Preloaded. "We don't like it when the city lights start fading, when the city, fading, so we can't get down."
Jamie at AsianMack has put together a compilation of free songs, with some handsome PDF artwork for your downloading pleasure. I check Asian Mack daily for Jamie's great reviews of music available on iTunes Music Store.
Girl with the bass guitar: smoking, drinking, & singing like an angel. From our Pixies blog.
Music video of the moment. Transylvanische Verwandte. Lots more there, all in great style, by Peter Licht. Via Veer.
BBC Radio 4 show Chain Reaction. " A well-known public figure begins the series by interviewing the person of their choice. The following week the interviewee gets the chance to chat to the person of their choice. And so on..."
Cool concept. First up, on the 14th, Alan Moore interviews Brian Eno. Via City of Sound.
Song-ish thing of the moment.
We Will Fight Them On The Beaches, an improvisation for saxophone and theremin. Found at Switched On Radio.
Repercussion, created by Carla Diana. Yowza. Great fun. Great visual metaphor for making sound loops.
Mic check One, Two... Direct from Chicago, Skinny Corp presents 15 Megs of Fame. The most useful resource for music discovery and promotion in existence. Groupies not included.
Lesson for Italians on How to Dance the Ska. Thanks TB.
Finisterrae's Cronotopo. "is a kind of interconnection, through which it is possible to describe, at the same time, an historical and imaginary time and space. Pleo and Urkumu choose to take as reference Murray Schaffer's soundscapes, recording 30 seconds of sound every 5 kilometers along Salento's coast." Beautiful experiment. Headphones on please. Via Paperholic.
Jon Brion does Tom Waits doing Radiohead.
Over the next three weeks, a rare advertising promotional album from The Heller Corporation will be featured at Basic Chip Digital Oddio.†The Hellers created jingles and audio ID's for advertising and this was one of "a handful of recordings that were sent out to radio stations and ad agencies and was never intended for public sale." Delicious.
In other Halloween weekend local music news, Steve Delahoyde of Irritable Colon will be using our studio space today to shoot a video for the beautiful Alive With Pleasure from Viva Voce.
Song o' the moment. Iron and Wine's Jesus the Mexican Boy Epic.
Jason of Mystery and Misery writes, "I noticed your Crash Ballet contest. The crash videos looked very
familiar to me so I tried to retrace my internet steps. Luckily, I
found this video that uses the same crash footage for a really great NYC band named Hula."
Interesting obsessional on I Got You Babe.
British DJ John Peel suffered a fatal heart attack on vacation in Peru, a great loss to music fans everywhere. Back in the 80s,"Peel Sessions" were released on vinyl by Strange Fruit in a boring silver and black sleeve that listed hundreds of great bands Peel had recorded, a useful reference tool in the days before the internet.
The song of the moment, from Vegas Vic's Download of the Month, is Koko Head from the exciting sounds of Milt Raskin. Nice and steamy.
100 artists re-do the covers of their favorite albums The Greatest Album Covers That Never Were.
Music of the moment. The sweet and supple sounds of S. S. Kresge Company Background Music No. 123. Digging Put On Your White Gloves, Go Downtown.
Asian Mack Super Filter sifts through the iTunes Music Store so you don't have to. Nice idea and a clean execution.
"In the same way that the webzine imposed itself upon us following many different experiences in writing, Autres Directions in Music has been designed to be directly set up on the web in order to broadcast the music efficiently and on a free basis. as a label." The Noise of the City, 30 cities, 30 artists, 30 tracks, built exclusively around city noise samples. Via Screenhead.
"Wake-up calls are a long-standing tradition of the NASA program. Each day during the mission, flight controllers in the Mission Control Center will greet the crew with an appropriate musical interlude." Good Morning.
Smells Like Teen-Spirit from Scala On The Rocks. Phew.
Marc Moulin's Who Stole the Groove?, directed by Didier Malchaire. Sort of about typography. The 'making of' video's worth a peek too. Via Typographica.
An insane day for music news...Slint re-unite to curate the All Tomorrows Parties festival, Radiohead release a DVD of short films, and The Wu-Tang Clan drop a greatest hits CD! Get your music news from the source.
Great interview with Dylan on NPR this morning. Plus related materials including excerpts from the audio version of Chronicles, read by Sean Penn.
Cup Phonograph Kit. A part of the Otona no Kagaku's "Sophisticated Science Kit Series for Adults".
CMJ hits New York this week with performances by every band you currently like, Al Franken, and a panel discussion of Smile with Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks. Keep dreamin'...
The Conet Project - Recordings of Shortwave Numbers Stations [ird059]. Super interesting in geeky/arty/spy-vs-spy sort of way, which is why Grant posted it in the first place I suppose. Related: Feed the Enemy the Thin Air.
Jamie writes, "Thereís a beautiful new video for Iron & Wineís 'Naked as we Came' thatís right up your alley." Jamie is right. Luscious.
OK, we hepped you to Junior Senior, what, like a year and a half before your friends knew about them, right? Well, I'm here to tell you Goldie Lookin' Chain is to Welsh rap what Junior Senior is to the Danish gay dance scene. Check out "Half-Man-Half-Machine" and "Guns Don't Kill People, Rappers Do."
"'The Troggs Tapes' is an infamous compilation of studio chat said to have inspired the Spinal Tap rockumentary. The British pop band, led by millionaire crop-circle enthusiast Reg Presley and famous for Wild Thing and Love Is All Around, became the subject of cult fame with The Troggs Tapes. These recordings, available on bootleg, were made during a session and display, according to The Penguin Encyclopaedia of Popular Music, 'instrumental incompetence, mutual recrimination and much foul language'. They inspired the sequence in which Tufnel and St Hubbins have their row in the Rainbow Trout Recording Studio." Via mefi.
Mr Moog makes a comeback.
We haven't heard much from our Guest Editor, Jason Koxvold in the last week or so. Here's why.
A plunderphonic call to arms.
Video for Sam Bisbee song "Miracle Car" features cameo by Rachel Dratch who, in her pre-SNL, Chicago days, was the star of many CP TV and radio commercials. Via TMN.
Great story on ATC today describing how an Episcopal priest made the first-ever live recording of Bruce Springsteen.
Hyper Harp: One part harmonica, two parts hallucinogenic mushrooms.
This Is Rock and Roll (Note: Windows Media Link)
The Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics. "The standard procedure will be to provide links for words or phrases which might benefit from some elucidation, without attempting to give definitive 'interpretations,' since that's a very personal endeavor." Nice, but who's doing it for Steely Dan?
I will now perform some fretboard Aikido on this guitar. thanks RJ
Song of the moment, Yellow Cherry by The Three Cats. Via Astroboy via Easydreamer.
Wilco record. Wilco tour. Wilco release a 160-page book and 40-minute CD full of un-released music. Coudal Partners rejoice.
Chris Milk's new video for Modest Mouse, Ocean Breathes Salty debuts on MTV next week, but it's up for you right now.
Handy reference that takes the guesswork out of answering the question Should I rip this particular piece of music?
Kevin writes, "50 tracks. 100 years. One great list of essential songs of the 20th century."
If you're in Chicago, or like new wave music, or have a scooter, bb is DJing tonight at The Hideout as part of the Slaughterhouse 10 Scooter Rally.
On Saturday, the Dutchmen played the last rock show at Fireside Bowl. I saw some great bands at the Fireside; Gaunt, Ted Leo, Cub, Ben Lee, The AmpsÖ I think they even hosted a Coudal holiday party before I worked here. There are other good places to see bands in Chicago, but none quite so charming and disgusting at the same time. Thanks, Fireside.
At last, irrefutable proof that Morrissey carefully planned Princess Di's death, at least eleven years before the fact.
Last month's Guest Editor, Steve Delahoyde, just finished up directing the music video for Breathe, a poppy, shimmery gem from The Silent League. Real nice.
"Overcrowding and court-orders are killing the Clash concerts." 1981 radio snippets on the NYC shows at Bond's Disco. "Get all this rubbish out of the way so we can see what's going on." Plus,
September 14, 1979, Aragon Ballroom, Chicago.
Nice rundown of current thinking on how "bad metadata is killing music" by Dan Hill at City of Sound. It was bad enough when tiny CD packaging replaced large sleeves for vinyl that had plenty of room for art and notes, but now, as much music is purchased as digital files, there's almost no physical background material available. See this excellent example from Wayne Bremser at harlem.org. That's one reason we started Jewelboxing. As designers and writers, we wanted a package that would give us room to stretch out a bit.
Some good press for someone who deserves it, Jason Wilder, proprietor of Mystery and Misery, fave spot to check which way the independent and underground musical wind is blowing.
SoundtrackNet. A compendium of all things related to the art of film and television music.
"Does everyone remember the Foghat Rule? Your fourth album should be double live." Yo La Tengo goes to the real school of rock. Via Stereogum.
"I was looking for some action. It was night. Late at night."
"I enter in musicplasma one of my favorite artists." Pretty interesting app, fun to mess around with. Via wdik.
"...In December 2002, a shipping container arrived in Sydney, Australia. Its contents largely unknown, it was unloaded into a warehouse in East Botany. For the next 6 months a story unfolded, a history of the recorded music of Rochester, NY, from the immediate post-war era, until the untimely death in 1977 of studio owner and jazz big band leader Vincent Giancursio, aka Vince Jan, aged 58." Fine Recording Studio, 1947-1977. Via gmt+9.
I had a friend in college who argued that the greatest pop album of all time was ABC's Beauty Stab. When I moved to Ukranian Village in 1993, Ajax Records had a copy of Beauty Stab on vinyl for $2. Butler promised me if anyone brought it to the counter, he'd shower them with fanfare and give them the record and a $10 gift certificate. Alas, one day I came in and it was gone, bought on someone else's shift. I bet that story is not featured in Made in Sheffield, a new documentary about ABC, the Human League, and the brief moment in the 80s when Sheffield ruled the pop world. I live for movies like this, review forthcoming.
If average Joes like me are connected by six degrees to everyone in the world, and actors are all connected in some way to Kevin Bacon, then surely these patterns must also exist in the music world too.
If he never did another thing, the soundtrack from Chinatown would qualify him as a genius. Jerry Goldsmith. The ensemble for the score was made up of strings, four pianos, four harps, guiro, and solo trumpet. Listen to these snippets and you'll be ready to fire up the film again.
1969 Quincy Jones and Bill Cosby Jam Sessions. JTB at Slatch says, "Legend has it, Jones got together with a slew of his jazz buddies (Jimmy Smith, Milt Jackson, Les McCann, Monty Alexander, Ray Brown, Joe Sample, Tom Scott...), sat down and jammed for hours and hours. So, along with the Bill Cosby Show theme music, they also ended up with an entire full-length full of this late-'60s jazz/funk-type material."
"On January 2, 1950 Sam Phillips opened the Memphis Recording Service at 706 Union Ave. in Memphis.†The building, centrally located just east of downtown, had been the former home of a radiator repair shop..." Scotty Moore's quick history of Sun Records. Tons more engaging personal history from Moore, The Guitar that Changed the World, at his site. Via gmt+9.
How's this for your next cruise?
If it looks like a vegetable orchestra...If it sounds like a vegetable orchestra...then it stands to reason that it probably is, in fact, a vegetable orchestra. And the first in Vienna to boot!
Link o' the month. Best music video since a certain squirrel. All hail Remind Me for Royksopp.
"The idea is that the Harry Potter from Year 7 and the Harry Potter from Year 4 started a rock band. And now, no one can stop the wizard rock." Thanks Slatch.
Think the beeps, blurps, and other spacey noises you hear in all the latest pop songs are an invention of modern music? Well, most people may not be using the Musical Telegraph anymore, nor the Singing Arc, but given that they're both instruments from the 1800s, doesn't that date the electronic-music scene back a bit further than you may have thought?
Jason Koxvold of Bubble & Squeak is a cool guy with good taste. How do I know? He made this video for Appearances from Citizens and when he was all done, he packed it up in our Jewelboxing Kings to give to the band and crew.
I Am Spartacus. One of those links that makes you a bit uneasy because you know there's something important going on but you can't quite get in the same frame of mind as the people behind it. Real nice. Keep digging around here. Look but more importantly, listen. "A collective group of musicians, we each chose to
record ten original songs as individual albums and part of a series." Found among other things.
"I wanted to make something that didnít sound like it had edges, sonic edges, or that it had a beginning and an end. I wanted to make something that belonged to a big space and you as the listener could hear some of that but not necessarily all of it, and I wanted to make something that felt like it had always been going on and would always be going on and you just happened to catch a part of it." A talk by Brian Eno, from a series of seminars about long term thinking. Via Stung Eye.
Band of the moment at the CP studio, Solina. Four tracks available as mp3s. Try to sit still during Hi Koukai.
Band Name Literalisms at Worth1000.
America's #1 Website features Gale Garnett's Small Potatoes as Scopitone of the Week, and it's a real beauty
Bob Mould has a weblog.
Just 30 copies of the Akina Nakamori 'Revamp' CD are available. Need a short-run of a big idea? Try Jewelboxing.
That light I never knowed
.
"I've always taken great pictures of Patti Smith," said Robert Mapplethorpe in 1987. He described the collaboration as "like taking drugs; you're in an abstract place and it's perfect." From Seventies' Greatest Album Covers via Slatch.
The Hidden Song Archive. A comprehensive listing of hidden and unlisted tracks.
John Kerry and his high school band, "The Electras" actually cut an album back in 1961.
Nice concept, design and name for this new music site. Better Propaganda.
Rodeohead! and a bit of background on the project. Via Chris Phin.
The 1966 Supro Guitar and Amplifier Catalog. Via gmt+9.
New Music Club over at Daniel's.
8-Track Heaven need very little explanation, unless of course you need the answer to the question, "What's the story on 8-Track Porn?" Via Irregular Orbit.
"Sort of a record label, sort of a publisher, and sort of an art factory." Today we loaded up the changer with four discs from Jewelboxing customers Tense Forms. Good stuff, impeccably designed and printed, and matched well to this grey-but-dry day following two weeks of thunderstorms.
Check out the video for the catchy "Blossom," a song by the band Komeda on Chicago's own Minty Fresh label.
"It's as simple as that, we're sharing the sharing. Let us know what you think. Better yet, let us know what you're listening to." 3hive is just about perfect. Via one pissed-off Dooce.
The Beeb has a look at Mozzer in the here and now. Via largeheartedboy. Mozzer to have a look at Craigers very soon.
Typeradio from Berlin.
Play Music Magazine Numero Quatro is up.
Daniel rarely needs help with Music Club (just look what he came up with this month), but he's having trouble with next month's theme. If you have an idea, go lend him a hand.
Hevay Metal Umlat. Via TMN.
Everything you need to live the iPod lifestyle.
The Beasties are back.
Given the artists mentioned in this article, some of you may be surprised to find out you're fans of folk music. Heck, defined broadly enough, you're probably a fan of bossa nova, as well.
Stream the CP house band's new album.
Read Pitchfork's review of the UMass Front Percussion Ensemble's cover of Radiohead's "Paranoid Android," then judge the group's live effort yourself. Thanks to Brian.
We at CP wait with baited breath for Mozzer's return.
Shouldn't White be covering Dylan? Listen to a changing of the guard in Detroit.
Most folks between 20 and 35 have Weezer's
Blue Album. But few have the bands b-sides from the era, including songs about the band's lawyer, A&R person, and rabid fans, and the killer demos that got them that first deal. Liner notes of the
Deluxe Edition include a scan of the original lyrics to "Say It Ain't So," written on loose-leaf paper below a homework assignment to write a paragraph on the importance/unimportance of ethics.
The friendly and accommodating James Yorkston (email him if you don't believe me) has posted some mp3s here and here. If you like these demos from the Scottish folksinger, check out his debut, named Rough Trade Shops' Number One record of 2002.
JtB has posted a sort-of-transcript of an interview with Courtney Love on WBRU.
Whatever.
New Music Club is up. This week, "Songs About Parties."
Listen to Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out." It's OK to decide you don't like it, but don't rush to judgement. The song changes drastically just before the one-minute mark.
Alternate musical themes for various seasons of Space 1999. Even better than the title suggests. Via Scrubbles via Robot Action Boy.
"My minidisc recorder isn't running all the time." Lucky for us, it's running a lot. Check Alicia's Audible Frequency.
"I'd like to get something out in the open right away. I am completely clueless when it comes to rap music. I don't know East Coast from West Coast, I'm not really sure if Outkast is a band or just one dude, and I sure as hell don't know what all this nonsense about someone's milkshake is either." The Black and Blue album , a remix of Weezer's blue album and Jay Z's black album. Via Gawker .
Yes. "A site for the collector, attempting to provide a 'somewhat' definitive archive of the label's back catalogue and related releases worldwide." 2 Tone. Via gmt+9.
"A very complicated and interesting song on the xylophone." Mo Kin.
When you load this site everybody else in your group should put a towel around their neck, grab a cold drink and wander off stage.
Issue two of Play Music Magazine is up.
Former Blur guitarist Graham Coxon has released his new single. Hear it here. NME describes Graham's new single as a "cracker." Get it? In a related note, The Guardian describes NME as "reliably daft."
If you can stand the flashing banner ads you might want to put Sing365 in your 'references' bookmarks folder for when you need to know what line comes before "You don't need a weather man to know which way the wind blows."
I've always found Trouser Press indispensable when researching music, but I just noticed the archive of TP magazine covers, a fantastic mini-lesson in rock history.
There they go.
Sonic City enables people to create music in real time by interacting with an urban environment. "Drawing on wearable and context-aware computing, our prototype applies perception of place, time, situation, and activity to the real-time sound processing of urban sounds." Via No Sense of Place.
MacJams is a new GarageBand community. There's a mess of user songs uploaded already and the site is well organized and functional. As you'd expect, the quality of the pieces is all over the map but the production values are quite high and in the end we expect, talent will out.
Spare your fingers with chordbook.com's virtual guitar.
Strum along with Billy Bragg on Accident Waiting to Happen, Ingrid Bergman and tons more.
Toastgirl's site. Toastgirl live. I'm sorry. Via gmt+9.
Tulsadrone is an "intrumental outfit centered around a hulking bass hammered dulcimer." Amazing sound, kind of like, um, er...
After a short hiatus, Music Club has returned to radosh.net. This month: Songs About Instruments. Daniel's also taking suggestions for next month's theme, "Songs About Parties."
A burst of California sunshine from . . . Ireland. Enjoy The Thrills.
There is still time to bid on "Bitter Heart," a single by defunct new wave outfit Seona Dancing, led by Ricky Gervais of The Office. A most informal band bio is available here.
And speaking of digging, Dig!, a documentary about the friendship and rivalry between Courtney Taylor of the Dandy Warhols and Anton Newcombe of Brian Jonestown Massacre won the Grand Jury Prize in the 2004 Sundance Documentary Competition. The Dandys have written some of my favorite pop songs of all time. Sample a few here.
You gonna make me down, easy love baby.
Another FoTA on a Best of the Year music list. Chicago Tribune rock critic Greg Kot names his favorite local releases of 2003. Among the highlights on the Pine Valley Cosmonauts' Executioner's Last Songs Vol. 2-3: "Keyboardist Pat Brennan makes like a perverse Mose Allison on 'Death Where Is Thy Sting.'"
WLUW-FM (88.7), Chicago's best college radio station according to bb and dr, announced its top 30 releases of 2003 and Safety Primer Justice by friends of the agency Exo came in at number five.
A Washington Post piece on the birth of Beatlemania offers a blow-by-blow account of hitmaking in the early 60's. If not for a teenage girl, an enterprising D.C. dj, and a helpful British flight attendant, it would have happened some other way. Via The Morning News.
"The riddles are red, the treasures abound, just type in the answers and follow the sound..." Johnny Hollow.
Might have to buy this CD based on the title and cover art alone "Hot Women: Women Singers from the Torrid Regions of the World, Taken From Old 78rpm Records" and collected by Robert Crumb. Via Ken Krimstein.
Portland, Oregon's finest: Those Shins. Shins at home. Shins in the office. Shins inverted. Shins on the stage, etc. A Shin named James.
The Cocoe Conspiracy Headquarters features some excellent work including a mesmerizing music video for Nosotrash. Found among other great stuff at Netdiver.
KShay writes, "'Then pretend that he is partly brown.' Christmas mondegreens compiled by Snopes.
Will Smith may be doing the movie, but Manplanet has done the song.
I'm an awfully big Blur fan, but shouldn't this job have gone to The Flaming Lips?
Not our Rock and Roll quiz, but a darn good one at Izzlepfaff. Via Blurbism.
"'My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard.' You donít know what this means, and you donít know if they know what it means, but youíre pretty sure itís dirty (and it is). Youíre never going to stop your kids from hearing this stuff, but that doesnít mean you have to pay record companies to make more of it." What a Crappy Present!, a message from downhillbattle.org.
Some Brits old enough to drink have never had the opportunity to attend a Duran Duran show on their home soil. Thankfully, the travesty will soon be righted.
Let the year-end lists and related arguments begin. Andrew Womacks Top Ten Albums of 2003.
A robot that makes mix tapes for you!
One man's search for The La's.
The Library of Congress Aaron Copland Collection can be browsed in anumber of ways including by 'musical sketch.' "The sketches reveal to scholars the history of Coplandís work on the compositions, but they can also mean something to the general reader. The sketches for the Piano Variations, the Short Symphony, and the Fanfare for the Common Man show Copland searching for titles to do justice to three of his most characteristic works." Via Plep.
Har Mar Superstar rocketh as he plugs Vladivar Vodka.
Is love a ridiculous line? Rick Moody on the Talking Heads.
A fascinating story surrounding the
O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. Thanks to Gapers Block.
New theme song. History of Snakes by Boy Racer. Found via a skinny link at Veer.
Junior Senior drummer's tour diary, cheers to largehearted boy.
Watch the antics at the Abbey Road zebra crossing. It's at its best when there aren't any people holding homemade messages to Ringo.
"ColdRice is a weekly event run by a collective of artists, musicians, DJs and promoters operating primarily in Birmingham, England." And operating nicely so it seems. Cool site. Great concept. Excellent Mixtape.
New studio theme song and animated video from NZ band Salmonella Dub, Nu Steppa. Big Quicktime (54m) but smoking hot. Via Computerlove.
Learn Disco.
Go to a concert and then listen to it again in the car on the way home. DiscLive, a brilliant concept.
Thanks to Mike who points out this legal download of Preston School of Industry's collaboration with Wilco.
CP house band bangs on pots and pans.
For Bryan and Dave. The definitive Ray Davies Interview from 1973. "I like The Doors more now than I did a couple of years ago. I liked Morrison's voice. It sounded like Andy Williams. There's nothing wrong with Andy Williams' voice. It's a nice voice. It's his pullovers I don't like."
It's probable that Chicago has the best wine store and the best jazz and blues record store in the country. Gapers points us to Jazz Record Mart's list of essential jazz, blues, and gospel records.
"Let Me Touch Him." More candidates for worst album cover. Via Scrubbles.
Friends of the agency Luminair have completed a film about the legacy of an idiosyncratic CP interest, Edith Piaf.
Can't tell your Casiocore from your Speed Garage? Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music will set you straight, with family trees, descriptions, and sound samples.
Guitar Vader vs Pixelsurgeon. Big party in London 11/27 featuring the first UK show for Guitar Vader. Wish I had miles to burn.
"Anybody who has to move somewhere to become something they're not isn't the real thing. If you've gotta move to Los Angeles to make it, then you ain't got it." Paul Westerberg in The Onion AV Club. Via largehearted boy.
Current CP studio theme-band, My Morning Jacket, live from, the Bluebird Theater in Denver at IndieRockLive. Thanks Joe.
Bip Bip.
Jen writes, "interesting MIT experimental sound mixer that is also very beautiful to look
at. I got totally engrossed in watching the quicktime video of how this
thing works (you should too)..."
The Online Rhythmicon. The Rhythmicon was a musical keyboard instrument built in 1931 by Leon Theremin at the request of composer/theorist Henry Cowell. Each key of the Rhythmicon played a repeated tone, proportional in pitch and rhythm to the overtone series (the second key played twice as high and twice as fast as the first key)… Via Uren. Dagen. Nachten.
Pitchfork Media counts down the 50 Most Common Used CDs.
The Wesley Willis Song Generator. Via Blurbism.
Yet another reason why you need to read JTB at Slatch every day. Some of us here are completely and totally over the top on My Morning Jacket. You can connect the dots directly from The Band's "Music from Big Pink" to MMJ's new record, "It Still Moves." At The Metro here in Chicago on the 25th. Plus check this mini-documentary. Whew.
Blogcritics has many good Warren Zevon related links.
ìWeíll screw the universe if we get the chance / So lower your shields, and weíll drop our pants.î A profile of the rivalries and personalities that make up the Sacramento Star Trek tribute band scene. And I'll bet you didn't even know there was one.
McSweeney's debuts a Bluegrass advice column.
I was Swedish when Swedish wasn't cool: Postcards featuring Swedish bands of yore. Thanks to Excitement Machine.
ASCII-art rock videos. Via uren. dagen. nachten.
Slate weighs in on Junior Senior.
New Music Club. This month: songs by TV and movie stars.
What sequel are we most eagerly anticipating at CP? Matrix? Star Wars? Return of the King? Nope, nope, nope. The Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch. If you haven't seen the original, you really should.
Chicago legend Wesley Willis died of luekemia last night.
Rock Stars and their parents.
Comprehensive site using animated GIF technology to provide "undeniable, forensic proof" that Paul McCartney was replaced by a look-alike or robot in 1966. Via TGATM.
Kelli points us to The Covers Project, "A cover chain is a set of songs in which each song is a cover of a song by the band who covered the preceding song."
There's a new Music Club up and without any prompting from me, Daniel picked CP's official song as his contribution this month.
Things picked off of various email groups: Delta Lab, the grooviest recording studio in Copenhagen - or anywhere, for that matter. Also: Desperately Seeking Kraftwerk, a fascinating Guardian article on the group's famed reclusiveness.
Don't mess with Satchmo. Or Pat Metheney, for that matter. Via largehearted boy.
Colorado band called Alan Greenspan Project brings new relevance to Tim Carvell's McSweeney's classic.
Today's WSJ has a story about Bob Dylan lyrics that seem to be lifted from a Japanese book called "Confessions of a Yakuza." Related: a summary of the passages in question.
"Each Frequency is an EP of new music usually 20 to 30 minutes long. Expect the unexpected. Every Frequency is its own project with its own sound."
Miles Rain has a frequency. And a slick site too.
Richard Thompson takes the "favorite song" thing back 1000 years. His "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" from Rumor and Sigh makes just about any list I draw up.
In response to the much-debated VH-1 list writer Bob Sassone asked a number of interesting people (including current CP guest contributor Matt Hinrichs) to compile a list of their favorite songs of the last 25 years.
The XTC Nonsvch Colouring Book
World music, the fresh new talent Koby Israelite - the cross cultural musician.
Excellent song list over at Daniel's courtesy of the latest music club. The theme was profanity and the link is not work safe if prudish co-workers sit close enough to read off your monitor.
Jen picks "The Afri-Can guitar, as played by Nashville's Aashid Himmons, is fully functional guitar, hand-made in South Africa using an oil can for the body."
"Limited edition seven-inch conceived and recorded for the International Typographic Composition Association.†Tony (Schwartz) takes an unusual approach in presenting what type and lettering might sound like." Found at the "where the hell have I been that I've never been to this site before" Basic Hip Digital Oddio. Link via NT.
The Dead Presidents Song Writing Project. Thanks to kshay.
UK Studio Unreal. Click Navigation, then Work, then Motion, then Clash for a tasty chunk of Don Lett's BBC2 doc on the only band that matters, "Westway to the World." Note to BB. I just ordered it. Yes, you can borrow it.
"Jimmy Somerville's bright light is the focus of the Page of Wands." Bryan put "Smalltown Boy" in my head at lunch and now I can't get it out.
News to me anyhow. Grid Magazine's excellent background piece on the thinking behind the Billy Bragg/Wilco collaborative Woody Guthrie record, "Mermaid Avenue." Volumes I and II.
New "Music Club" posted at Daniel's. This month: Songs From Your Vinyl Collection.
"I think to entertain any of their half-assed, fearful, frightened bullshit would be to compromise something that is a big part of my soul." Check the trailer and background information on
"I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," a great documentary about local Chicago heroes, Wilco.
Jen points us to Olifant Is Grijs, an enchanting animated music video for Gorki.
Daniel's disappointed with results from the latest Music Club.
The Encyclopedic Guide to 78 RPM Party Records.
Elvis Presley met President Richard M. Nixon in the Oval Office in December 1970. A photograph of that meeting is one of the most famous in the holdings of the National Archives. When Nixon Met Elvis.
If your Nokia cellphone had feet, they would surely be moving.
Lock asks,
"What, you mean you don't remember the Ivan Henrys?"
The Gallery of Jethro Tull Posters, Programs, Tour Guides, and Books. Via Quiddity.
Daniel has the latest results from Music Club up. This week's theme: Childhood.
Frank's Vinyl Museum is a great resource for wacky album art and audio clips, including Muhammad Ali spending 40 minutes discussing tooth decay.
More odd and beautiful album cover art from unusual records. Via TMN.
"When the 747 takes off, there's going to be a lot more room up on Cloud Nine." Pan Am's groovy 1960's ad campaign is featured at the consistently amazing 365 Days Project.
My band is hot. seriously. Tips for making a good promo picture. Via ToT.
Sure, you can just turn the thing on and let it go by itself, but the real action is in the scratching and the knob twiddling. Ladies and gentlemen I give you, The Drum Buddy.
Daniel's Music Club (which we faithfully track in this space) gets a little write up in the current issue of Newsweek (bottom of story).
2advanced Studios launches the amazing Bacardi DJ SoundStudio. Mix up your own musical cocktails in a beautifully-crafted interface.
Buy these cool coasters printed from the record collection of the late Sister Ignatius and proceeds benefit the Alpha Boys' School in Jamaica. Thanks to GMTPlus9.
Live Forever chronicles the rise of Britpop, Britart and New Labour in the 90's and interviews all the major players. I feel like jc would with new Kubrick on the way.
Daniel has results from the music club.
Lock writes, "Check this out...Mom slideshow, Dad keys and 9 year old daughter drums,
making up songs about slides and photos they buy at flea markets..." The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players
"She was a senior and the best tuba player Knightsbridge High had seen since 1983. She was also the toughest low brass member youíd ever meet, and sheíd kick your ass if you look at her sideways twice." Enjoy Murder in Band Camp X and other Marching Band Fan Fiction. Courtesy of Kelegraph.
Ad agency hires Ween to write a jingle for Pizza Hut which is rejected in spite of its brilliance. Via Boing Boing.
Another ad from 'boards: If you'd told me in 1989 that the Flaming Lips would someday be in a Hewlett-Packard ad with Abe Vigoda, well...
Daniel has results from the latest Music Club. This month's theme: "Songs performed by artists whose first or last name is the same as the last name of a US President."
Congratulations to Brian Baker and Tim Thompson, this year's winners in the CP Holiday Rock and Roll Pop Quiz. Brian and Tim are each now 20-for-20 lifetime in the event. Check out the results page for a list of winners, runners-up, and the answers to this year's contest.
Beautiful. Beautiful, Beautiful. Just Beautiful.
You have until 8 AM Central on Wednesday to turn in your answers to the Second Annual CP Holiday Rock and Roll Pop Quiz. We have over 100 entries to date, but only one skilled researcher has come up with all ten correct answers. Prizes could be yours!
"Love on a Farmboy's Wages" is only the 1,667th most-requested song in CD 101 history because I don't live in Columbus. Via Reenhead.
I cried on my way to work today: Colleen's last show on 88.7FM WLUW.
Minneapolis' finest new-wave sci-fi punk band: Manplanet.
Kelley Deal Handbags. Hmmm. I wonder what you'd carry around in one of those? Via Excitement Machine.
Over at radosh.net, Daniel has an account of the latest music club meeting where they argued over cover songs that are better than the original. Some good controversy.
CP house band Exo is currently touring America and you can watch them live from Oakland in a streaming internet broadcast tonight at 8PM Pacific, 10PM Central.
Dying with grace.
The Academic Rise of Falling Drifters. Remixes to design by, especially Styrofoam's "A New Start Remix." All in a sweet and innovative site by sl'k.
Happy BirtHDay Ryan and Bryan! Also, piss off Ryan Adams and win fabulous prizes from Robbie Fulks.
Perfect for converting your analog collection of 45's to CD, and you don't need that little plastic thingee for the middle.
Ryan has dubbed us the American Ambassadors for Junior Senior's "Move Your Feet." That's OK by us. In honor of the Arlene Grocery event tonight in NYC we've moved the video back to front page. Somebody please write a review of the party and send it to "jim at coudal dot com".
These links take a little work but are well worth it. A comment by a friend about good covers of bad songs reminded me of two great moments on NPR's Fresh Air: A recent performance of Britney Spears's Oops I Did It Again by Richard Thompson (about 9:30 from the start) and a wonderfully earnest rendition of Dancing Queen by Robbie Fulks (about 41 minutes in). Requires Real Audio.
Tasty. Crunchy. Vetiver. A band's site by our pal Karen.
The Philly Punk Flyer Exhibit is organized by both club and band and includes an offering from Hall of Fame band name "Rocknoceros." Via Scrubbles.
Alec Henley Bemis' review of Beck's latest record in The New Yorker is the finest piece of music criticism I've read in some time.
Aha! VibraShop wll ship Junior Senior's "coming atcha!" to the States. Yes. Thanks rAz.
Just when Junior Senior was getting old, they came out with a video game. Die, Zombies, Die!
The best German Oi! disco scooter video ever. Cool interface, too.
Nothing like a little Bowie to start the weekend off on the right foot. The 30th anniversary of Ziggy Stardust and The Ziggy Stardust Companion. That's a whole lotta glam rock.
Excellent interview with Peter Gabriel about his new record "Up" and other things, just posted at PixelSurgeon.
The Beatles Interview Database. Transcripts and images from 1962-1984. One of the millions of great links found over on Travelers Diagram.
This song's been stuck in my head for a few days, and the video slays me: Papas Fritas' "The Way You Walk.".
Top three music videos currently in rotation: 1. Junior Senior's Move Your Feet. 2. Lambchop's Is a Woman (just click on the little video camera). 3. Jimmy Fallon's Idiot Boyfriend (that line about Swanson's dinner... oh man).
The recently redesigned Beck.com streams tracks from Beck's upcoming record "Sea Change" through a fast and highly usable interface.
Incredible. Inevitable. Sad.
"The newsgroup was generally pretty annoyed by the posts, but on July 16, Publius told us to watch for a sign: flashing white lights, East Rutherford, New Jersey, July 18, at about 10:30 p.m. At the Pink Floyd show in N.J. that night,
ENIGMA PUBLIUS was displayed from the foot of the stage by the lights they use during KT and ABITW. Then more people accepted that Publius was on the level..."
A fiendish new sound and record from Swedenís Jack Brothers, ìKing Coltraneî combines a raw punk sensibility with tons of respect in a mighty tribute to John Coltrane. Their take on ìA Love Supremeî is a trance-inducing, garage-band, high-performance mess.
Covering alt-country like a thin blanket.
What was that song I heard last night before I fell alseep?
69 Love Songs: an exquisitely well executed concept album that stands the test of time. Well, three years' time, anyway.
Kicking off a new run at Sharpeworld, here's James Darren's "Because You're Mine" (11mb quicktime), the first in a 12 part series of weekly Scopitone movies.
All seven issues, PDF style, of Sonic Youth's early 90s self published 'zine, "Sonic Death".
Produced in 1961, "Sonoguitar Waves" (96k mp3) is one in a series of otherworldly "singing guitar" Sonovox radio station jingles.
Everyone around cp already knows how bb and I feel about The Pixies. So we were quite pleased to check out The Morning News today and read Mena Trott's great recollections of the album Doolittle. Guess we'll be playing that album again today.
Friends of cp HEM have a new cd due out June 11 and will be the featured guests on World Cafe this week on radio stations nationwide. Sometimes referred to as "orchestral folk", they offer an interest in traditional American music combined with a contemporary edge. Lovely work.
cp alum Jeff Pazen sends us this beauty, lowercase audio. The site by Steve Roden if full of goodies and the interface is "based on apple's early macintosh os (circa system 1.0-7.0)." Quietly spectacular.
An product endorsement spot by Japanese Pop Group Morning Musume for a chocolate drink mix called Pocky. I think.
A lovely, simple new look and color scheme for Setpixel.
Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry lives in the same town as my brother and sponsors a T-Ball team ("Joe Perry's Rock Your World") which will soon be taking on my niece Erin's eager squad. I couldn't figure out what Perry was promoting, however, until I came across this competitor to CP's "Whoa!"
The Optigan was the world's first sampled keyboard (analog) you could buy at Sears. My parents used to own one and I had a blast playing it as a teenager. If you put the disc in upside down, you could pretend to be George Martin.
kshay helps out with a search for a song used in current HBO promos.
Dadaphonic, makers of fine musical products, purveyors of excellent audio treats. Delicious site by mschmidt with Mike Buzzard.
Boards of Canada site. Amazing.
The Covers Project. I can't think of a single reason why this should be compelling, yet it is. Via XPlane.
Wealthy 22-year-old drama student, whose ex-wife would one day plot to murder him, films entire Hendrix set at Woodstock, funds famous theater.
"And And And" and "Autobahn". Two of my favorite bands, and I'm still in the "A"s. I need to go to M and see if they list "Middle Earth." Behold the Rocklopedia Fakebandica.
"If you place the small coloured icons in the right place you will get a nice suprise." at Studio Tonne. Link via the excellent misterpants.
The American Song-Poem Music Archives site was always a fascinating and hilarious look into a bizarre corner of American culture; with the recent addition of MP3 files, it's become an indispensible resource for connoisseurs of lyrical incompetence. Please do not miss this one. Other good ones here, here, and here.
Um, dr, here's the good Kinks tribute.
Well-designed advance info on the soon-to-be-released Kinks tribute "This Is Where I Belong: The Songs of Ray Davies and the Kinks". Cracker, Damon Albarn, Jonathan Richman, Yo La Tengo, and others contribute. The best song clip I heard was, unexpectedly, Fastball's take on "'Til The End of the Day".
Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns, a documentary about They Might Be Giants. Check the trailers and a beautiful set of posters. Via kelegraph.
Learn the other 64 lines to "Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum." Sea Shanties and Sailor Songs.
The addictive Mixmatcher is "a tool to share your musical ideas and ... tastes through playlists."
You only need three of these to play most Eagles songs. Impress your friends with a soul-shaking rendition of "Take It Easy."
Cool Clash photographs. The one of graffiti artist and Clash proteg» Futura playing Ms. Pac-Man practically made my head explode with seventh-grade nostalgia.
Want to know what Moby thinks about Enron, U2's Super Bowl performance, the latest Onion, Vanilla Sky, and a vegan deli treat called "ToFurkey"? Me neither, really, but for everyone else Moby has a weblog. It seems he either hasn't learned how to provide links or he's just being contrary.
"The most exciting Dictionary Music on the web÷ EVER!"
Jennifer of the slick and newly relaunched Sharpeworld writes, "A series of mp3s, recorded in 1970, that capture a noisy IBM printer that was rigged up by techies to play songs like 'Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.' Great."
Last week's Onion offers an interview with a frequent subject of cp office conversation, Ray Davies. Ray seems to think quite a bit of Conan O'Brien.
75 or Less. "Album reviews in 75 words or less (but words with 2 letters or less do not count)."
An earlier coudal.com cover feature puts me in mind to listen to Brimful of Asha, a tribute by British Punjabi popsters Cornershop to Bollywood queen of song Asha Bosle.
Our favorite Canadians, Mike and Eric at Reservoir have built a lovely site for Indica Records. Check the CD metaphor for the nav. Really sweet.
Watching the snow fall, listening to a bit of internet radio and browsing slatch.com.
Iain McNally of ChangingWorlds saw Gorillaz perform in Dublin last year: "While the animations weren't lip-synched (waaay to difficult live), and the encore consisted of songs they'd already played, it still had to be one of the best concerts I've ever been to, musically, visually, and most important of all, atmospherically."
Gorillaz, a 2D musical act animated by Tank Girl creator Jamie Hewlett, are planning a tour, presenting a technical challenge worthy of the finest projectionists and sound people. E-mail us if you catch the act. We'd love to hear how they pull it off.
Brian Baker won our contest? Brian Baker from Minor Threat, Dag Nasty, Bad Religion, and, uh, Junkyard? No fair, he knew Hank way before he was Rollins!
We have winners in the first annual CP Christmas Party Rock and Roll Pop Quiz. The Grand Prize goes to Brian Baker, with Kurt Groetsch, Ben from Magnetbox, and Chris Schachte also winning prizes. Thanks to everyone who entered. A summary of the correct answers (as well as a rundown of all question controversies) can be found here.
Beatles 1 is a collection of every one of the Beatles singles which reached the top of the US or UK charts, an audio-visual feast.
Jorie from SST couldn't help us with our search for the song "Night of the Johnstown Flood," but she points us to "The Wave That Carried Off a Town", a recent classical composition commemorating the same event.
"My name is Balazs Gollob. I am a Hungarian violin maker, currently working in Budapest."
The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra's site is carefully constructed with a fine attention to detail.
Before there were music videos, there were Scopitones. Via Sharpeworld.
Eric Helin writes, "A music video and video game for the great Liverpudlians, Clinic."
I heard a long feature on the Langley Schools Music Project on NPR Saturday and what I heard has been haunting me (in a good way) all week. In the mid-seventies, sixty rural school children in western Canada were recorded by their music teacher singing rock songs and accompanying themselves on stripped down instruments. The recordings weren't originally meant for commercial consumption, but as the songs were passed around they were hailed by many as outsider art. The records have been released on CD and this page has several samples as MP3s. Start with the Beach Boys stuff and then move on to "Desperado" and "Space Oddity". Surreal and beautiful, you won't stop until you get through them all.
Do not visit this link if you have work to do today. From Crash Media, the amazing Loop Lab.
Nanopops feaures the story of pop's greatest groups, all told in tiny, little pixel art. Their "History of Kraftwerk" is better than a "Behind the Music" episode.
Sunday's San Francisco Chronicle posted a list of the coolest people in music. They got some right and they got some wrong, in my opinion (In what plane of existence is Joni Mitchell cooler than Miles Davis?) but they've got friend of the agency Ken Nordine at 38, between Otis Redding and Shirley Bassey.
Friend and hero of the agency, Ken Nordine has a new cd of word jazz available called "The Transparent Mask." Ken is also profiled and interviewed at Salon today where he says, "I think being in the right place at the right time sometimes can ruin you. It's easy -- so much of what happens is luck. I've been doing albums now since 1956, and I've met wonderful people and I've got a lot of people that e-mail me now and it's very gratifying. But, the nice thing about where I am, hidden away here, is that I can do almost anything I want to do and I have nobody to blame but myself. "
With a blend of acoustic and hip-hop elements, Motown debuts a new flavor, India.Arie to form a soothing drink of acoustic soul.
"And we taped down keys on that yard sale organ and let it play on its own." Laurence from bandofmonkies sends us this interview link, noting that "it's not design but it's nice."
John Lochen writes, "Please view this only if your funny bone can be tickled by the notion that somebody out there was compelled to build this crude but sincere digital tribute to America, all set to the soaring musical majesty of that AOR goliath, Journey. Or don't."
Bizarre album covers grouped in categories. Look for Jump Roping For Men and Boys and Understand Your'e (sic) Swede as well as a few I'd rather not talk about.
Eric Helin writes: "Check out Chicago's own Ohio Gold records, part of the Ohio Girl family of companies."
Ever wonder about the names of the tunes playing behind The Weather Channel's local forecast? Me neither.
03/23/01 BB A link to the (Milwaukee) Eisner Museum's Album Cover Art Exhibit. It takes forever to load, but it's worth the wait. Neat interface.
A nice collection of newish rock posters for sale at voodoocatbox.
Now that Veruca Salt has oficially bottomed out, it's time to monitor the rise and fall of Chicago's next pop phenomenon.
John Lochen writes: "Plug in your birtHDay and find out what song
was #1 in the US or UK the day you were born."
The world's first electronic instrument. Although it wasn't really an instrument, exactly. But sort of.
"All Things Must Pass" site, launched to coincide with the recent re-release of that George Harrison album, can only be described as bizarre and Python-esque.
Who is Jandek?
Make an origami cd case. This assumes, however, that you're familiar with the Fujimoto Approximation technique. Origami fans rejoice! The mysterious Fujimoto Approximation Technique has been explained. Sort of.
A Hard Days Night. Site includes cool archival material including the original London premiere program. Very clean.
For the music lover on your gift list, make sure you consider something by The Shaggs, a cult fave band with a most unusual sound.
NPR has been running a fantastic series on the most important American musical works of the 20th Century. If you have Real Audio you can listen to each program. I haven't heard them all but don't miss the pieces on Once In a Lifetime (Talking Heads), Good Vibrations (Beach Boys), A Chorus Line, Aaron Copland (today's his 100th birtHDay), and Tom Dooley.
The scientific application of John Lennon's studio techniques. {from Marco at 8flights}
Check out the homepage of the original masked instrumental band, for whom every gig is like Halloween.
Top-Five Halloween Records:Bauhaus: The Sky's Gone Out Oh, yeah. Every graphic designer's favorite in college.Goblins: Goblin Pride Chicago's finest band, paved the way for the ? and the Mysterians reunion!Misfits: Walk Among Us "I want your sku-ulll...I need your skuuu-uuu-lll!"The Damned-Damned Damned Damned Fun Fact: "New Rose" beat the release of "God Save the Queen" by a week!Scandal: The Warrior Wouldn't it be funny to dress up as Patty Smyth in her "Warrior" makeup for Halloween? That video used to always scare the crap out of me when I was a kid. Because I was afraid they might put out another album. If they did, I never had to hear it. One time I saw a picture of her in one of those "celebrity skin" magazines. That was scary too.
A collection of classic print advertising, many about hi-fi and music, including this one for "a super-heated and special brand of rock and roll."
Word Jazz pioneer and friend of the agency, Ken Nordine has just completed a series of tv and radio voiceovers for CP celebrating the Blackhawks 75th Annivesary season. Here's an excellent fan page for Ken. Notice the young manÎs dashing good looks.