Nighty Night -- "Abraham" -- Belle (2009)
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Sunday, December 27, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Let's Take a Poll: Beyonce v. Justin
In all honesty, not enough people read this blog to host a meaningful poll, but I'd love to receive some thoughts from everyone on this one.
As per a debate I engaged in a few weeks ago, I'm wondering who everyone thinks is the most successful American pop idol of the decade. To simplify the matter, I've narrowed it down to the two candidates I think merit the title: Beyonce Knowles and Justin Timberlake.
Here's a few matters to consider before you vote:
Point:
Beyonce's artistic history is perhaps less embarrassing than Justin's -- The Destiny's Child years are full of hit songs that feel antiquated, but not shamefully so.
Counterpoint:
Justin managed to reinvent and distance himself from trickier roots. What other idol can you name took part in the the boy band movement and lived to tell the tale?
Point:
Beyonce sold more records than Justin in the '00s -- Dangerously In Love alone has sold 11 million while FutureSex/LoveSounds sold 9 million (which doesn't even take into account B'Day and I Am...Sasha Fierce).
Counterpoint:
Justin's "FutureSex/LoveShow" is the 18th highest grossing tour of all time. The gross was $130,374,996 (adjusted for inflation), and chances are that Justin saw far more of that money than Beyonce saw for her record sales.
Point:
Between Destiny's Child and her solo career, Beyonce spent 52 weeks at number one of the Billboard Hot 100. That's a full year out of the 2000s spent at #1.
Counterpoint:
Justin was more ubiquitous from a cultural standpoint. Not only was he a part of "Nipplegate" and "Dick in a Box," but he seemed to receive almost no negative press for either. He also won an Emmy, which is a step above a Grammy.
Counter-counterpoint:
Beyonce created the "Single Ladies" video, which inadvertently led to one of the most memorable moments of the decade.
Point:
Beyonce was in Goldmember.
Counterpoint:
Justin was in The Love Guru.
If you have any other pertinent arguments, please feel free to voice them in the comments section. Otherwise:
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Frrriday/Beat.Connection: Tonstartssbandht
It's pronounced "Ton-starts-bandit."
Tonstartssbandht -- Black Country -- Tonstartssbandht (2009)
Sound familiar for some reason? Try this:
And the original:
Tonstartssbandht -- Black Country -- Tonstartssbandht (2009)
Sound familiar for some reason? Try this:
And the original:
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Favorites Songs of the '00s: #4 & #5
What would we do without Dan Bejar? Well for starters, all of The New Pornographers' albums would lack a much needed ounce of quirk. Admittedly, the songs I've singled out here--"Testament to Youth in Verse" and "Execution Day"--made zero sense to me in 10th grade, even souring the listening experience a bit, but I now think of them as indispensable.
The New Pornographers -- "Testament to Youth in Verse" -- Electric Version (2003)
The appeal of "Testament to Youth in Verse" is clear enough: the final two minutes are a charming dose of intricately-stacked, slightly syncopated harmonies. It's probably the coolest anthem this side of "Sing Me Spanish Techno," but with more replay value.
The New Pornographers -- "Execution Day" -- Mass Romantic (2000)
"Execution Day," for it's own part, is a weird new-wave/post-punk/power pop hybrid that kills by way of contrast. Once again, it's the second half that really brings this one home, and it wouldn't be as effective if the outburst was telegraphed in any way. Belt this one out and I swear it will brighten your day.
(To see the previous "favorite song" entry, click here.)
The New Pornographers -- "Testament to Youth in Verse" -- Electric Version (2003)
The appeal of "Testament to Youth in Verse" is clear enough: the final two minutes are a charming dose of intricately-stacked, slightly syncopated harmonies. It's probably the coolest anthem this side of "Sing Me Spanish Techno," but with more replay value.
The New Pornographers -- "Execution Day" -- Mass Romantic (2000)
"Execution Day," for it's own part, is a weird new-wave/post-punk/power pop hybrid that kills by way of contrast. Once again, it's the second half that really brings this one home, and it wouldn't be as effective if the outburst was telegraphed in any way. Belt this one out and I swear it will brighten your day.
(To see the previous "favorite song" entry, click here.)
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Ooh How Exciting!: Field Music
For whatever reason, much of the first half of the upcoming Field Music double-album, Field Music, sounds like Spoon. That's not the case with this one though:
Field Music -- Let's Write A Book -- Field Music (2010)
Monday, December 7, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Beard 'druff's Top 10 Unheralded Songs of 2009
I'll get to a top ten albums segment later this month, but for now I'm going to present a different list: 10 songs that didn't receive much attention this year that I happen to love.
Basically, that rules out shoo-ins like "Two Weeks" and "Stillness Is The Move," but doesn't exclude cuts from great albums (see #2). So without further ado...
10.
Peter Bjorn & John -- "Just the Past" -- Living Thing
From a review I wrote for The Voice earlier this year:
9.
The Veils -- "The Letter" -- Sun Gangs
I'm aware that you'll probably get to the end of this one and go "huh?". I caught it live in New York, couldn't get the chorus out of my head, and then unfortunately found the recording to be a bit of a let down. Still, Finn Andrew's urgency is more than evident here; this is the sort of intense (but not overwrought), emotive music I'm happy to endorse. When the Veils come back to America, mark your calendar.
8.
The Juan Maclean -- "Happy House" -- The Future Will Come
2009 doesn't strike me as a particularly great year for dancing (though it did give us "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell"), with the notable exception of this Juan Maclean episode. Granted, it's the kind of slow-building hip-churner we've come to expect from most homegrown DFA bands, but that's no reason to discredit the execution: the delicious diva-disco piano riff, the punchy bassline, and the phrase "Launch Me Into Space" all make this one worth the requisite exercise. Or, as a girl I don't know put it at a party I DJ'd recently: "WHAT IS THE NAME OF THIS SONG??!!!!"
(R.I.P. Jerry Fuchs)
7.
City Center -- "Bleed Blood" -- City Center
City Center started as a side project for Fred Thomas (Lovesick, Flashpapr, Saturday Looks Good for Me) and has evolved into a collaboration between him and Ryan Howard. One of the features of the outfit is a pretty prolific blog with demos, mixtapes, photos, and more -- a facet of performance that easily connects City Center's aesthetic with Bradford Cox and Atlas Sound (Fred has basically admitted as much), though we can always throw in the arbitrary Animal Collective/Panda Bear reference. "Bleed Blood" is the most well-developed track on the group's debut, with the consistently coherent and engaging sample choices, and an interesting arc to boot. Welcome to the next 10 years of music.
6.
Sufjan Stevens -- "Movement III: Linear Tableau With Intersecting Surprise" -- The BQE
Oh, Sufjan -- you're so existential. I know this project supposedly spurred the artistic crisis you currently find yourself in, but is this really an impasse worth obsessing over? Should the habits of the general public redefine the artist's approach to a medium and the very form itself? Plenty of people make "albums" that aren't diced into 3-5 minute nuggets, so what are you complaining about? I like this suite, don't get me wrong, especially this third movement (whose brilliance gets smothered by the stupid fourth movement), but I don't think it's existential-crisis-worthy. It's just great music, same as it ever was, same as it will be. So let's celebrate instead!
5.
The Big Pink -- "Too Young To Love" -- A Brief History of Love
The Big Pink get my official vote for "most slept on pop act of '09." A Brief History of Love is chock-full of big hooks and bravado, and my guess is that they'll be ready for the festival circuit by the time their second album comes around (third at worst). In reality, "Too Young To Love" is more effective in the context of the album, but that's the case for most of its songs. If you don't like it now, sleep on it and try again--it took me a few listens to realize how great its simplicity really is.
4.
Paul Westerberg -- "Gimmie Little Joy" -- PW & The Ghost Gloves Cat Wing Joy Boys
Call me a blaspheme: beyond "Unsatisfied" and "I Will Dare," Paul Westerberg's music has never moved me much until PW & The Ghost Gloves Cat Wing Joy Boys found its way into my rotation. This song alone (which features one of the catchiest chorus melodies I've heard all year) makes me want to revisit the entire Replacements discography and check out Westerberg's other solo output. It's really just the way he says "Easy"--you can't teach charm like that.
3.
Smith Westerns -- "Tonight" -- Smith Westerns
This song lives and dies by the guitar hook, which is definitely part of the appeal. Like "Dreams" and "Be My Girl," "Tonight" is spazzy summer camp bliss, like the bonfire in that one Girls song or Real Estate's "Atlantic City Expressway." To the band's credit, it just wouldn't be as fun without the teenage swag: you can feel the smiles on their faces each and every time they obliterate that downbeat ("Uh!").
2.
Animal Collective -- "Also Frightened" -- Merriweather Post Pavilion
Okay, so maybe this doesn't belong here, but then again, it totally belongs here. So much emphasis has been placed on "My Girls" that this gem (my personal favorite on the album) has been completely undercut. Perhaps more so than any other piece on Merriweather, "Also Frightened" really transports you to a different space: "Venture my way into the dark/Where we can sweat/One takes one by the hand." (And though I haven't read any thing to confirm this) It seems like another song about parenting for Noah, as addressed to his wife: "Are you also frightened?" In many ways, it's a more affecting question/sentiment than getting "adobe slats for [your] girls" or "strap[ping] a stroller to [your] back."
1.
Animal Hospital -- "And Ever..." -- Memory
Hands down my favorite piece of the year, without question. It's a sprawling, intricate, transcendent, and generally epic chunk of post-rock that melts my mind each and every time. The ripply snare drum fill; the droney wraiths; the barbed guitar treble; "Today, Tomorrow, and Forever": it all amalgamates into a reach-for-the-fences surge of energy that somehow, inexplicably, channels the spirit of its ambitions into something in-fucking-effable.
Basically, that rules out shoo-ins like "Two Weeks" and "Stillness Is The Move," but doesn't exclude cuts from great albums (see #2). So without further ado...
10.
Peter Bjorn & John -- "Just the Past" -- Living Thing
From a review I wrote for The Voice earlier this year:
"The paintings around me/ they don’t understand me/ I’m a bit too early/ I’m seen as development,” Peter Morén sings on “Blue-Period Picasso,” as if to justify the growing pains that plague Living Thing. The problem with Peter Bjorn & John’s fifth album is not that it’s “too early,” though, but that it’s still overshadowed by Writer’s Block, the Swedish indie-poppers’ highly lauded, ironically-titled third album. Whereas “Young Folks” will probably be the only song Kanye and the general consciousness will ever associate to their name, Peter Bjorn & John could be doing worse. Much, much worse."Just the Past" is the one song that justifies the argument in my mind: it's the languid, ascending melody in the pre-chorus and the metallic, Kraftwerk-y percussion that really bring it to life. I want to groove with the gallop but I am too lazy to get out of the hammock.
9.
The Veils -- "The Letter" -- Sun Gangs
I'm aware that you'll probably get to the end of this one and go "huh?". I caught it live in New York, couldn't get the chorus out of my head, and then unfortunately found the recording to be a bit of a let down. Still, Finn Andrew's urgency is more than evident here; this is the sort of intense (but not overwrought), emotive music I'm happy to endorse. When the Veils come back to America, mark your calendar.
8.
The Juan Maclean -- "Happy House" -- The Future Will Come
2009 doesn't strike me as a particularly great year for dancing (though it did give us "Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell"), with the notable exception of this Juan Maclean episode. Granted, it's the kind of slow-building hip-churner we've come to expect from most homegrown DFA bands, but that's no reason to discredit the execution: the delicious diva-disco piano riff, the punchy bassline, and the phrase "Launch Me Into Space" all make this one worth the requisite exercise. Or, as a girl I don't know put it at a party I DJ'd recently: "WHAT IS THE NAME OF THIS SONG??!!!!"
(R.I.P. Jerry Fuchs)
7.
City Center -- "Bleed Blood" -- City Center
City Center started as a side project for Fred Thomas (Lovesick, Flashpapr, Saturday Looks Good for Me) and has evolved into a collaboration between him and Ryan Howard. One of the features of the outfit is a pretty prolific blog with demos, mixtapes, photos, and more -- a facet of performance that easily connects City Center's aesthetic with Bradford Cox and Atlas Sound (Fred has basically admitted as much), though we can always throw in the arbitrary Animal Collective/Panda Bear reference. "Bleed Blood" is the most well-developed track on the group's debut, with the consistently coherent and engaging sample choices, and an interesting arc to boot. Welcome to the next 10 years of music.
6.
Sufjan Stevens -- "Movement III: Linear Tableau With Intersecting Surprise" -- The BQE
Oh, Sufjan -- you're so existential. I know this project supposedly spurred the artistic crisis you currently find yourself in, but is this really an impasse worth obsessing over? Should the habits of the general public redefine the artist's approach to a medium and the very form itself? Plenty of people make "albums" that aren't diced into 3-5 minute nuggets, so what are you complaining about? I like this suite, don't get me wrong, especially this third movement (whose brilliance gets smothered by the stupid fourth movement), but I don't think it's existential-crisis-worthy. It's just great music, same as it ever was, same as it will be. So let's celebrate instead!
5.
The Big Pink -- "Too Young To Love" -- A Brief History of Love
The Big Pink get my official vote for "most slept on pop act of '09." A Brief History of Love is chock-full of big hooks and bravado, and my guess is that they'll be ready for the festival circuit by the time their second album comes around (third at worst). In reality, "Too Young To Love" is more effective in the context of the album, but that's the case for most of its songs. If you don't like it now, sleep on it and try again--it took me a few listens to realize how great its simplicity really is.
4.
Paul Westerberg -- "Gimmie Little Joy" -- PW & The Ghost Gloves Cat Wing Joy Boys
Call me a blaspheme: beyond "Unsatisfied" and "I Will Dare," Paul Westerberg's music has never moved me much until PW & The Ghost Gloves Cat Wing Joy Boys found its way into my rotation. This song alone (which features one of the catchiest chorus melodies I've heard all year) makes me want to revisit the entire Replacements discography and check out Westerberg's other solo output. It's really just the way he says "Easy"--you can't teach charm like that.
3.
Smith Westerns -- "Tonight" -- Smith Westerns
This song lives and dies by the guitar hook, which is definitely part of the appeal. Like "Dreams" and "Be My Girl," "Tonight" is spazzy summer camp bliss, like the bonfire in that one Girls song or Real Estate's "Atlantic City Expressway." To the band's credit, it just wouldn't be as fun without the teenage swag: you can feel the smiles on their faces each and every time they obliterate that downbeat ("Uh!").
2.
Animal Collective -- "Also Frightened" -- Merriweather Post Pavilion
Okay, so maybe this doesn't belong here, but then again, it totally belongs here. So much emphasis has been placed on "My Girls" that this gem (my personal favorite on the album) has been completely undercut. Perhaps more so than any other piece on Merriweather, "Also Frightened" really transports you to a different space: "Venture my way into the dark/Where we can sweat/One takes one by the hand." (And though I haven't read any thing to confirm this) It seems like another song about parenting for Noah, as addressed to his wife: "Are you also frightened?" In many ways, it's a more affecting question/sentiment than getting "adobe slats for [your] girls" or "strap[ping] a stroller to [your] back."
1.
Animal Hospital -- "And Ever..." -- Memory
Hands down my favorite piece of the year, without question. It's a sprawling, intricate, transcendent, and generally epic chunk of post-rock that melts my mind each and every time. The ripply snare drum fill; the droney wraiths; the barbed guitar treble; "Today, Tomorrow, and Forever": it all amalgamates into a reach-for-the-fences surge of energy that somehow, inexplicably, channels the spirit of its ambitions into something in-fucking-effable.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Current News Items: Susan Who?
"Big News" from Rolling Stone about Susan Boyle's debut:
The Big News: In a week that featured new releases by Rihanna, Adam Lambert, Lady Gaga and Shakira, it was a 48-year-old British woman [emphasis mine] plucked out of absolute obscurity a year ago who topped the Billboard Top 200 on its most competitive week of the year. Susan Boyle’s I Dreamed a Dream far exceeded any expectations in the U.S., selling 701,000 to give The Britain’s Got Talent runner-up the best-selling debut week of 2009, and the best-selling week for a debut album by a female artist in the history of the Nielsen Soundscan era. Boyle beat out Eminem’s Relapse, which sold 608,000 copies in its opening week back in May, to become the year’s biggest seller.
So this woman sold more records than Eminem:
Current News Items
When Tha Carter III was released in June of 2008, Lil Wayne had one child, Reginae, which he had when he was 15.
As of November 30, 2009, he now has three sons, all from different mothers:
Dwane III (Oct 22, 2008)
Lennox Samuel Ari (Sept 9, 2009)
Neal (Nov 30, 2009)
That means he had two pregnant women to answer to during 2009.
I'm not here to judge. I'm just intrigued. And vaguely impressed.
(Also, watch The Carter).
As of November 30, 2009, he now has three sons, all from different mothers:
Dwane III (Oct 22, 2008)
Lennox Samuel Ari (Sept 9, 2009)
Neal (Nov 30, 2009)
That means he had two pregnant women to answer to during 2009.
I'm not here to judge. I'm just intrigued. And vaguely impressed.
(Also, watch The Carter).
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The Carter
If you have an hour and change to spare, this is definitely worth your time.
(Ignore the pop-up/second window when you push play -- just click the play button again when it's green).
(Ignore the pop-up/second window when you push play -- just click the play button again when it's green).
Monday, November 23, 2009
Alliteration Monday: Sleeping States
Another one of my favorites -- the concept and execution are impeccable.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Frrriday: Memoryhouse
Lots of houses on this blog, apparently.
Here's a duo (Denise and Evan) from Ontario. In their words, "e.p. coming in December 2009. debut 10 song l.p. is being recorded, and will be available in early 2010."
Memoryhouse -- To the Lighthouse -- Years EP (2009)
They also link to a site called WE ARE BANDITS on their MySpace, which is where the polaroid comes from. It also has this great video posted on it by someone named Evan Abeele, who I presume is the very same from the band.
It features footage from Maya Deren's "Meshes of the Afternoon" and a Stan Brakhage film where he paints directly on the celluloid.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Ooh, how exciting! (feat. Beach House)
A gorggggeous cut from the best Beach House album to date.
Beach House -- Silver Soul -- Teen Dream (2010)
Monday, November 16, 2009
Chiddy Bang
Friday, November 13, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Alliteration Monday: Feisty Lashes/Double-Feature
Both of these made the top ten of that Pitchfork list.
I just like that they both involve one continuous take (fabrications aside) and whole crews that pop outta nowhere. Also, Leslie Feist and Natasha Khan look like they could be cousins.
I just like that they both involve one continuous take (fabrications aside) and whole crews that pop outta nowhere. Also, Leslie Feist and Natasha Khan look like they could be cousins.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Frrriday: The Moi Non Plus
The Moi Non Plus -- Jil Sander Makes Your Eyes Black -- The Moi Non Plus (2009)
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Oh, that reminds me (pt. 2)
My latest columns for the Georgetown Voice:
"A Gleeful Future" (The commercial implications of the popular TV show)
"One More Time for the Encore" (The absurdity of the last 10 minutes of rock shows)
"Jock Jams 2009" (Bruce Channel? Really?)
"A Gleeful Future" (The commercial implications of the popular TV show)
"One More Time for the Encore" (The absurdity of the last 10 minutes of rock shows)
"Jock Jams 2009" (Bruce Channel? Really?)
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Ooh, how exciting! (feat. Bear in Heaven)
Bear in Heaven -- Beast in Peace -- Beast Rest Forth Mouth (2009)
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wanna Be, Gotta Be
Just finished this recording with my good friend Matt -- it's a cover of "Wanna Be Starting Something," and it was recorded in a staircase.
Cheers, Mike.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
WTF: Renegade Edition
Anyone else find it ironic that the "Renegade Edition" of DJ Hero features two rappers?
"Looks dope."
Other absurdities:
Nothing like playing guitar with my fav DJ.
"Looks dope."
Other absurdities:
Nothing like playing guitar with my fav DJ.
Monday, October 26, 2009
WTF: "Victim Impact Statements"
Okay, so I'm close to a year late on discussing this one, but this story from WNYC is amazing:
The best part comes from 3:55 when they discuss the judges of the California Supreme Court as music critics (or "psycho-neurologists").
I won't give away the best part, but involves the phrase "soft, not stirring."
This week, the Supreme Court declined to review a case about whether it was legal to play Enya under a video montage of a murder victim’s life. Such "victim impact statements" serve as testimony submitted during the sentencing phase of a criminal trial. Public defender Evan Young discusses what she says is the regrettable art of swaying a jury.
The best part comes from 3:55 when they discuss the judges of the California Supreme Court as music critics (or "psycho-neurologists").
I won't give away the best part, but involves the phrase "soft, not stirring."
Discoveries Worth Sharing: Young Doseone
The one in the vampire costume is Adam Drucker.
Doseone -- Low Heaven -- Soft Skulls (2007)
Doseone -- Ghost Personal -- Soft Skulls (2007)
(via eMusic)
Discoveries Worth Sharing: You Can Sing Any Jazz Song...
There's a really enjoyable discussion over at NPR's Jazz Blog, A Blog Supreme, between Patrick Jarenwattananon and Anya Grundmann (a.k.a. "Boss Lady") that was posted Friday. Patrick and Anya collaborate on a regular feature called "Listening, Party for Two," wherein the former will pick out a "great jazz song" for the latter and the two will discuss it over the Internet. This latest post features an amazing live performance of Ella Fitzgerald in West Berlin, which features about 5+ minutes of straight scatting.
The vocal virtuosity is impressive in and of itself, but then you learn that it's chock full of song interpolation too:
I definitely sat through about 3/4 of the song and had no idea. To hear the song and read the full post, click here.
And in other news, Ella Fitzgerald and Jimmy Fallon have something in common:
(Err, I also owned one of those Stretch Armstrong dolls. Whoa. This post is spiraling out of control.)
The vocal virtuosity is impressive in and of itself, but then you learn that it's chock full of song interpolation too:
[Patrick]: Surely, you heard "Poinciana" (start of the scat solo), or "Stormy Weather," or "Rhapsody In Blue," or "I Want To Be Happy," or "A-Tisket, A-Tasket" (her first hit in the '30s), or the interpolation of "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" as "Sweat Gets In Your Eyes" at the end ...
Boss Lady: Looks like I'd better listen again. Because I was focused on Ella's voice and her pyrotechnics, but all of those references flew by unnoticed. Sigh.
[Patrick]: ...or Ferde Grofe's "On The Trail," or the Ethel Waters number "Tropical Heat Wave," or "El Manicero," or even a Charlie Parker tune called ["Ornithology"] which was based on the chord changes to this song.
I definitely sat through about 3/4 of the song and had no idea. To hear the song and read the full post, click here.
And in other news, Ella Fitzgerald and Jimmy Fallon have something in common:
(Err, I also owned one of those Stretch Armstrong dolls. Whoa. This post is spiraling out of control.)
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Ooh, how exciting! (The Funk Brothers)
Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch (Instrumental) -- Earl Van Dyke & The Soul Brothers
Forget the hook for a just minute and listen to how amazing this song really is.
Friday, October 23, 2009
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Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Shazam, We Genie
Attention nerds: Slate just published a pretty great feature about how the popular Shazam application works on Monday.
Just to give you a taste:
Ahem, speaking of 'high energy content'...
Just to give you a taste:
Shazam creates a spectrogram for each song in its database—a graph that plots three dimensions of music: frequency vs. amplitude vs. time. The algorithm then picks out just those points that represent the peaks of the graph—notes that contain 'higher energy content' than all the other notes around it...In practice, this seems to work out to about three data points per second per song.
Ahem, speaking of 'high energy content'...
Monday, October 19, 2009
Ooh, how exciting! (feat. Phaseone)
Animal Collective -- Daily Routine (Phaseone Remix) -- White Collar Crime (2009)
One of the better remixes of a Merriweather track in existence.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Obits: John Rivas (1956-2009)
"It was all a dream
I used to read Word Up Magazine
Salt-N-Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine
Hangin' pictures on my wall
Every Saturday, Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl."
I used to read Word Up Magazine
Salt-N-Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine
Hangin' pictures on my wall
Every Saturday, Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl."
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Discoveries Worth Sharing: Flash Mobs Love to Dance
I'd come across a few of these as of late, and figured I'd post them in one neat collection.
Definitely lives up to the definition of a "flash mob" in ways the subsequent clips do not.
Nothing like actual pregnant women and pretend pregnant women coming together to pretend to breakdance and actually breakdance (respectively).
The Black Eyed Peas helped plan this one which sort of detracts from the fun...until you realize Oprah wasn't in on it. Oprah doesn't upstage the entire mob, but she gets close.
Sort of stupid given that it's such a blatant ad. Nevertheless, the fact that randos join in by the end is pretty charming.
European train stations love this shit. The cascade of children is a nice touch.
Instantly creepy. I've never seen so many men reach for a camera in my life.
This is more like a flash support group.
Okay, I'm bored.
Definitely lives up to the definition of a "flash mob" in ways the subsequent clips do not.
Nothing like actual pregnant women and pretend pregnant women coming together to pretend to breakdance and actually breakdance (respectively).
The Black Eyed Peas helped plan this one which sort of detracts from the fun...until you realize Oprah wasn't in on it. Oprah doesn't upstage the entire mob, but she gets close.
Sort of stupid given that it's such a blatant ad. Nevertheless, the fact that randos join in by the end is pretty charming.
European train stations love this shit. The cascade of children is a nice touch.
Instantly creepy. I've never seen so many men reach for a camera in my life.
This is more like a flash support group.
Okay, I'm bored.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Alliteration Monday: Ha! Ha ha!
Definitely just a hodgepodge of Pizza Hut and Taco Bell commercials pieced together with other YouTube videos -- and it's perfect.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Oh, that reminds me
I've been writing a column for the Georgetown Voice this semester.
While I've opted not to post the full pieces here (so as to not muddle the tone of two v. different mediums), I felt it was worth linking to them. Enjoy, and beware of shoddy formatting:
"Gold Sounds" (Pavement reunion)
"A Ticket to Ride" (A defense of Beatles: Rock Band)
"The Golden Age" (Music consumption at its finest)
While I've opted not to post the full pieces here (so as to not muddle the tone of two v. different mediums), I felt it was worth linking to them. Enjoy, and beware of shoddy formatting:
"Gold Sounds" (Pavement reunion)
"A Ticket to Ride" (A defense of Beatles: Rock Band)
"The Golden Age" (Music consumption at its finest)
Monday, September 21, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Guest Spot: Who does it better?
Enticed by a well-worded Gchat status yesterday, I decided to invite Jen Okwudili to write an op-ed for the blog. Enjoy:
Many in the mainstream media have begun to frantically string together the events of last week—namely, Rep. Joe Wilson's freakout during the Joint Session of Congress and Kanye West's own freakout (number 1000...) during Sunday's MTV VMA awards. Do these events, in their fantastically unbridled rejection of class, decorum, and civility, actually mark the end of civilization as some are speculating? Has our society come so far that we have begun to devolve, slowly morphing into mindless trashy apes unable to publicly hold our own (oft unbalanced) emotions in check? Or is there some other more clear and pleasant answer at hand?
Ladies and Gentlemen, that answer is simple: Hip-Hop does it better. The widely acknowledged musical underdog (what?—Ed.), credit is rarely given where credit is due regarding this genre (okay, fair – Ed.). Putting aside all un-winnable arguments concerning Who Did It First, Hip-Hop can easily walk away with the Who Did It Best award nine times out of ten. RUN-DMC's "Walk This Way," wearing Tommy Hilfiger attire with a straight face, and producing energy drinks are a few minor examples, but last week's contest to publicly 'act the fool' was won, hands down, (for better or worse) by Hip-Hop's Kanye West.
Looking at the facts: Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), did interrupt a Joint Session of Congress, which was watched at least in part by millions of Americans (let's hope). After having called President Barack Obama, leader of the free world, a "liar!" (sort of—Ed.), he even managed to survive the death-glare of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). In the following days he was nationally labeled as an idiot, forced to apologize, and censored by the House of Representatives with a "resolution of disapproval." Pretty bad.
However, Hip-Hop artist Kanye West still managed to do it better. Biding his time a full 3 days, his appearance at the VMAs could not have been more perfectly executed. Unlike Wilson, West managed to even storm the stage in question, taking the spotlight and the mic as well. After flailing about making his (valid?) point, West left in his wake not the leader of the free world, but rather a teenage/blond/doe-eyed/southern country starlet with no Nancy "the hawk" Pelosi to protect her. West had done real damage. His aftermath? Not only immediate boos from the audience for the rest of the night and instant Internet hate tirades, but perhaps the most biting punishment of them all: in a fitting full circle to the dueling stories, being called "a jackass" by President Obama himself.
Hip-Hop did it better. Now let's celebrate with a re-mix.
Many in the mainstream media have begun to frantically string together the events of last week—namely, Rep. Joe Wilson's freakout during the Joint Session of Congress and Kanye West's own freakout (number 1000...) during Sunday's MTV VMA awards. Do these events, in their fantastically unbridled rejection of class, decorum, and civility, actually mark the end of civilization as some are speculating? Has our society come so far that we have begun to devolve, slowly morphing into mindless trashy apes unable to publicly hold our own (oft unbalanced) emotions in check? Or is there some other more clear and pleasant answer at hand?
Ladies and Gentlemen, that answer is simple: Hip-Hop does it better. The widely acknowledged musical underdog (what?—Ed.), credit is rarely given where credit is due regarding this genre (okay, fair – Ed.). Putting aside all un-winnable arguments concerning Who Did It First, Hip-Hop can easily walk away with the Who Did It Best award nine times out of ten. RUN-DMC's "Walk This Way," wearing Tommy Hilfiger attire with a straight face, and producing energy drinks are a few minor examples, but last week's contest to publicly 'act the fool' was won, hands down, (for better or worse) by Hip-Hop's Kanye West.
Looking at the facts: Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), did interrupt a Joint Session of Congress, which was watched at least in part by millions of Americans (let's hope). After having called President Barack Obama, leader of the free world, a "liar!" (sort of—Ed.), he even managed to survive the death-glare of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). In the following days he was nationally labeled as an idiot, forced to apologize, and censored by the House of Representatives with a "resolution of disapproval." Pretty bad.
However, Hip-Hop artist Kanye West still managed to do it better. Biding his time a full 3 days, his appearance at the VMAs could not have been more perfectly executed. Unlike Wilson, West managed to even storm the stage in question, taking the spotlight and the mic as well. After flailing about making his (valid?) point, West left in his wake not the leader of the free world, but rather a teenage/blond/doe-eyed/southern country starlet with no Nancy "the hawk" Pelosi to protect her. West had done real damage. His aftermath? Not only immediate boos from the audience for the rest of the night and instant Internet hate tirades, but perhaps the most biting punishment of them all: in a fitting full circle to the dueling stories, being called "a jackass" by President Obama himself.
Hip-Hop did it better. Now let's celebrate with a re-mix.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
What Does The Future of "Audio-Visual Mash-ups" Look Like?
If you happen to frequent this blog, you may have noticed that I've developed a fondness for London A/V geeks Eclectic Method, a.k.a. Jonny Wilson, Ian Edgar, and Geoff Gamlen. The trio first formed in 2002, re-splicing the videos for U2's "Mysterious Ways" and the Beastie Boy's "Intergalactic" together as an experiment, and have since released close to 50 official videos (though I'm sure that figure doesn't account for other unofficial offerings). They were recently featured in Wired magazine (where I first picked up on them) and their resumé includes events as diverse as Sundance and a forthcoming Twestival gig in NYC.
So what do they do exactly?
According to their website: "The trio’s audio-visual mash-ups feature television, film, music and video game footage sliced and diced into blistering, post-modern dance floor events. It’s a cyclone of music and images mashed together in a world where Kill Bill fight scenes and Dave Chappelle’s Rick James rants are ingeniously cut and looped over bootleg samples, DVD scratches and pumped-up dance anthems."
To get a better idea of what that means, let's take a peek at a clip from their 2005 mixtape "We Are Not VJs":
The "mash-up" component of Eclectic Method's aesthetic should be pretty evident from the sample above: "audio" and "visual" samples interpenetrating simultaneously to form their own, new entity -- or so it would seem. As much as I'm entertained and delighted by Eclectic Method's work, part of me feels like it's not quite as "post-modern" and/or groundbreaking as it's cracked up to be (and if you can stomach a long-winded digression, feel free to read on).
"Mash-up" may be be a modern term, but the concept of combining multiple sources to form a new composition is not new. American composer Charles Ives should very well be credited as the first proper "mash-up" artist given his manipulation of well-known hymns, parlor songs, and other traditional music into his work--and he died in 1954. In this part of "Piano Sonata No. 2", for example, you can hear him quoting Beethoven at 1:17.
If we were to focus on direct sampling, however, (and ignore the fact that most hip-hop songs are technically "mash-ups" of sorts) then the first authentic example of a mash-up probably belongs to Double Dee and Steinski. Their legendary "Lesson 1 -- The Payoff Mix"--which has been championed by the likes of Robert Christgau (his excellent essay about the collage can be viewed here), DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, and more--culls its material from an unprecedented set of sources (The Supremes, Herbie Hancock, Humphrey Bogart, et al), and its striking originality netted its creators top honors in the remix contest they crafted it for in 1983.
For your convenience:
Beyond that, Paul's Boutique and De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising have come to represent the pinnacle of unregulated sampling before the costs of clearing them became astronomical (both albums were released in 1989). Imagine the sense of collage that holds "The Payoff Mix" together, extend it across an entire album, and you get the gist.
My point here? That the practice of remixing songs together was pretty well entrenched before Girl Talk, The Hood Internet, and/or the Super Mash Bros. entered the picture, much less Eclectic Method.
But what about the video component of their work?
What strikes me most about their "mixes" is a reliance on audio to maintain a sense of coherence. When sampling snippets of recordings, for instance, a DJ will smudge melodies, rhythms, and even timbres together in ways that remain consonant. In theory, the same should be applicable to video, except instead of melodies or rhythms the artist should be blurring movement, color, and other themes together, so as to draw out the visual similarities between different sources.
Eclectic Method doesn't do that at all. Rather, they layer different visual clips on top of each other (or in boxes, etc.) in such a way that reveals the source of audio, but does not otherwise fuse the video together. The result--a product in which video is an auxiliary to audio--seems more of a way to "come clean" or otherwise draw attention to source material without actually creating something new visually.
I'm not aware of any sort of film movement that pulled this idea off successfully, but the types of videos Eclectic Method end up presenting have, in my mind, been done before.
2001's "Frontier Psychiatrist" from The Avalanches only album Since I Left You:
Clearly, the Eclectic Method videos are connected by individual themes (a Tarantino mixtape, a John Hughes mixtape, and so on), but the visuals only seem to do what they do in the clip above--draw attention to the samples themselves. To be fair, some videos meld images together abstractly (I've got their Temptations mix in mind here), but I find that they achieve a limited level of success.
So how could it be better?
Take a look at this video that draws similarities between Disney cartoons:
As far as "visual mash-ups" goes, this video relies on comparable movements of characters to make its point, i.e. it takes its cues from the images rather than the audio, giving it a very strong sense of visual coherence even if you mute the sound.
Additionally, this new video from Teenage Fantasy offers an interesting example:
Here the audio and video have very distinct connections (it's almost impressionistic in its execution), yet by mid-song the video component stands alone completely, offering fresh, stark eye-candy (sort of like another favorite of mine, "Begone Dull Care").
To be honest, I'm not entirely sure the sort of homologous mixture that's possible with audio is even translatable to video, but I do think Eclectic Method could be offering more holistic compositions--mixes that draw attention to visual continuities rather than aural ones.
All of that said (whew), their videos sure are fun to watch.
But will they lead us into the future of "Audio-Visual Mash-ups"? I'm doubtful.
So what do they do exactly?
According to their website: "The trio’s audio-visual mash-ups feature television, film, music and video game footage sliced and diced into blistering, post-modern dance floor events. It’s a cyclone of music and images mashed together in a world where Kill Bill fight scenes and Dave Chappelle’s Rick James rants are ingeniously cut and looped over bootleg samples, DVD scratches and pumped-up dance anthems."
To get a better idea of what that means, let's take a peek at a clip from their 2005 mixtape "We Are Not VJs":
The "mash-up" component of Eclectic Method's aesthetic should be pretty evident from the sample above: "audio" and "visual" samples interpenetrating simultaneously to form their own, new entity -- or so it would seem. As much as I'm entertained and delighted by Eclectic Method's work, part of me feels like it's not quite as "post-modern" and/or groundbreaking as it's cracked up to be (and if you can stomach a long-winded digression, feel free to read on).
"Mash-up" may be be a modern term, but the concept of combining multiple sources to form a new composition is not new. American composer Charles Ives should very well be credited as the first proper "mash-up" artist given his manipulation of well-known hymns, parlor songs, and other traditional music into his work--and he died in 1954. In this part of "Piano Sonata No. 2", for example, you can hear him quoting Beethoven at 1:17.
If we were to focus on direct sampling, however, (and ignore the fact that most hip-hop songs are technically "mash-ups" of sorts) then the first authentic example of a mash-up probably belongs to Double Dee and Steinski. Their legendary "Lesson 1 -- The Payoff Mix"--which has been championed by the likes of Robert Christgau (his excellent essay about the collage can be viewed here), DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, and more--culls its material from an unprecedented set of sources (The Supremes, Herbie Hancock, Humphrey Bogart, et al), and its striking originality netted its creators top honors in the remix contest they crafted it for in 1983.
For your convenience:
Beyond that, Paul's Boutique and De La Soul's 3 Feet High and Rising have come to represent the pinnacle of unregulated sampling before the costs of clearing them became astronomical (both albums were released in 1989). Imagine the sense of collage that holds "The Payoff Mix" together, extend it across an entire album, and you get the gist.
My point here? That the practice of remixing songs together was pretty well entrenched before Girl Talk, The Hood Internet, and/or the Super Mash Bros. entered the picture, much less Eclectic Method.
But what about the video component of their work?
What strikes me most about their "mixes" is a reliance on audio to maintain a sense of coherence. When sampling snippets of recordings, for instance, a DJ will smudge melodies, rhythms, and even timbres together in ways that remain consonant. In theory, the same should be applicable to video, except instead of melodies or rhythms the artist should be blurring movement, color, and other themes together, so as to draw out the visual similarities between different sources.
Eclectic Method doesn't do that at all. Rather, they layer different visual clips on top of each other (or in boxes, etc.) in such a way that reveals the source of audio, but does not otherwise fuse the video together. The result--a product in which video is an auxiliary to audio--seems more of a way to "come clean" or otherwise draw attention to source material without actually creating something new visually.
I'm not aware of any sort of film movement that pulled this idea off successfully, but the types of videos Eclectic Method end up presenting have, in my mind, been done before.
2001's "Frontier Psychiatrist" from The Avalanches only album Since I Left You:
Clearly, the Eclectic Method videos are connected by individual themes (a Tarantino mixtape, a John Hughes mixtape, and so on), but the visuals only seem to do what they do in the clip above--draw attention to the samples themselves. To be fair, some videos meld images together abstractly (I've got their Temptations mix in mind here), but I find that they achieve a limited level of success.
So how could it be better?
Take a look at this video that draws similarities between Disney cartoons:
As far as "visual mash-ups" goes, this video relies on comparable movements of characters to make its point, i.e. it takes its cues from the images rather than the audio, giving it a very strong sense of visual coherence even if you mute the sound.
Additionally, this new video from Teenage Fantasy offers an interesting example:
Here the audio and video have very distinct connections (it's almost impressionistic in its execution), yet by mid-song the video component stands alone completely, offering fresh, stark eye-candy (sort of like another favorite of mine, "Begone Dull Care").
To be honest, I'm not entirely sure the sort of homologous mixture that's possible with audio is even translatable to video, but I do think Eclectic Method could be offering more holistic compositions--mixes that draw attention to visual continuities rather than aural ones.
All of that said (whew), their videos sure are fun to watch.
But will they lead us into the future of "Audio-Visual Mash-ups"? I'm doubtful.
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