By Omar L. Gallaga, NPR's All Tech Considered Blog Remember how amazing it was, way back in 1999, to type the name of a song or artist into Napster.com and have instant access to a song? Remember how un-amazing it was to wait for it to download over a poky dial-up connection? It makes sense that music was the first chunk of traditional media to really tumble down in the face of online digital distribution. Songs, already broken down into 1s and 0s for CDs, were easy to digitize [...]
Meet noise rock duo Lightning Bolt . Two namesakes from Providence, Rhode Island whose abrasive drum and bass double fisting (metaphorically speaking of course) make Death From Above's fuzzed out din sound like chopped and screwed lullabies for insomniacs. We chatted to drummer Brian Chippendale about their forthcoming Australian tour, Visa trouble in Japan, Bjork and Freudian band roles. Just for people who don't know, how did you guys form? We formed at an art school, here in Province, both studying Visual Arts and I was two years ahead of him. In [...]
There are people out there who buy things. Like you and me. Then something happened. Something terrible. And the way that they saw themselves is gone. And nobody understands that. But you do. And that's very valuable. Every season, Don has a sales pitch that says a lot about that particular season of Mad Men . That this one was to Peggy and not a client doesn't diminish the fact that it nails several truths about this season, and the characters' past. While last week's Kennedy assassination episode was light on plot, the 'something terrible' was an [...]
23 - Blonde Redhead A friend asks: "Is this NY23 thing a big deal? Perhaps more importantly, do we want it to be (I can't tell whether I want the Republicans to implode after a long season of infighting or return to the middle so that elections can be about more reasonable things again, assuming they ever were)?" These are fair questions. I think the best take I've seen so far is from Jonathan Bernstein here and here . The takeaway is that the race does matter, sort [...]
One of my more favorite recent mix-ups has been with the large number of people who have gotten confused between Kings of Leon and Kings of Convenience. No legitimate Kings of Convenience fans have mixed the two groups up, but given Kings of Leon's rise to popularity in the past year, most of their new fans have clearly not been paying close attention. There have been stories of Kings of Leon fans showing up at Kings of Convenience shows, tickets in hand, only to be surprised when they don't hear "Sex on Fire" but are instead treated to some gorgeous [...]
In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. In her novel But Not for Long , Michelle Wildgen crafts a skillfully told story of personal crises during a major energy crisis. Social issues are as much in play as the characters' personal lives and interactions in this thought provoking and moving book, a worthy successor to Wildgen's much lauded You're Not You . The Rumpus wrote of the book: " [...]
Three years ago Spike Jonze called Monster Children co-founder Chris Searl and asked him to take some behind the scenes shots of his new film "Where The Wild Things Are". Searl missed the call, but when Spike Jonze leaves you a message you best call him back. Searl did just that and captured some of the most candid and whimsical photographs we've seen this year. We caught up with Hollywood to discuss meeting Spike Jonze, "wild moments" on shoots and his serendipitously named son. P: I guess I should start [...]
In the Book Notes series, authors create and discuss a music playlist that relates in some way to their recently published book. Fever Chart is one of the year's most wonderfully dark and entertaining novels, and its protagonist Jerome Coe an unforgettable literary character. Coe's narration is filtered through his mental illness as he weaves through the book's tightly woven plot and the menagerie of interconnected characters that populate this wonderful book. Read this excerpt from the beginning of the novel, I'm sure it will entrance you as well. [...]
Remember that time, back in your parent's basement with their two turntables. You are sitting there looking at this deck as you pull two glorious black vinyls out of a case. Placing them carefully on the turntables, you pick up your earphones and a sudden urge to scratch overcomes you. Don't worry it happens to us all. Or if that scenario never happened (which applies to most of you), have no fret as you can be a DJ without the need for vinyl, a turntable or anything. That's right; technology has once again gone where no one has [...]
Daft Punk , Beastie Boys , Gorrilaz , and M.I.A. are among the bands who are set to have tracks featured in the forthcoming DJ Hero video game. The game, brought to you by the same people behind the popular Guitar Hero franchise, is set for release on the PS2 , PS3 , Wii and Xbox 360 on Oct. 27. The creators behind the video game have revealed the 93 mash-ups (100 songs total) set to be featured in the forthcoming game (list below). [...]
All the hip-hop heads, pop divas, and electronic music mavens must have really felt left out of a video-game world where Guitar Hero and Rock Band dominated. But Activision is finally righting that oversight with the release of DJ Hero . The game, which comes with its very own turntable and will retail for about $120 (or $200, if you're willing to throw down for the Renegade Edition, featuring a premium turntable, hardshell carrying case, and 2-CD set of Jay-Z and Eminem tracks) when it hits stores [...]
We attend the same educational institute, albeit differently, and share many of the same visions on the way music works, and the way we must work to achieve our goals. And a shared penchant for those old school jams... An incredibly interesting person to talk it up with (about whatever...), and a very talented man with the pen - I hope this is the first of many contributions, not just to NDM, but to the www. by my good friend Leke. ---------- There comes a time when student becomes [...]
It had seemed like an ideal situation: reasonable rent, near the campus, well-furnished. It had only a few drawbacks, including a relative lack of privacy, since it was just a room in some lady's house, and the fact that the lady seemed a bit odd. She was in her late fifties, he thought, and there wasn't anything he could put his finger on, but her whole attitude seemed just a little off-kilter, as though she was concerned about things most people quietly ignored. Near the end of his first visit, for example, she had asked, out of the blue and [...]
Filed under: Concerts and Tours , News Near the end of a 90-minute set at Musicfest NW Thursday night, Girl Talk , aka Greg Gillis, took a quick breather from his ADD mash-ups to make an announcement: "Usually s--- gets f---ed up and shut down, but nothing got f---ed up," Gillis proudly told the perspiring audience at the Roseland Theater in Portland, Ore. "This s--- is organized. Make some noise for security." It's no secret that a Girl Talk show can become unwieldy -- his [...]
words by Black Bubblegum , photos by Ryan Muir Panda Bear Friday, September 11th - Stage 1: 3.15pm-4.15pm : The Drones performing Wait Long By The River... 4.45pm-5.30pm : The Feelies performing Crazy Rhythms 6.00pm-7.00pm : Dirty Three performing Ocean Songs 7.30pm-8.30pm : Suicide performing Suicide (First LP) 9.00pm-9.45pm : Panda Bear [...]
Band #3, Battle Toadz rocked fast and rocked hard. Set Highlight: The unique cover of "Everlong" Matt Graber (Sarah RabDAU & Self Employed Assassins, Mascara) Nick Balkin (Kingsley Flood, Logan 5 and the Runners) Henry Beguiristain (Aloud) Ben Weiser [...]
Buy: Amazon For me, the prospect of a Josh Homme corrupted, sexed up Arctic Monkeys had the potential to send me into a blood thirsty rage in order to obtain a copy of this new album. Luckily I did not have to resort to that to possess a copy, However, there remained a nagging feeling that time could judge it to be the move of a desperate band. When a band with a well known, well worn style of their own is produced by someone with a similarly distinctive but utterly [...]
This last weekend had a lot of ups and downs for LA kiddos wanting to party... So many things there just needs to be a review! For those of you who went to HARD fest and encountered riot police, shut down venue, and no music, here's what happened: Obviously, the Forum was not the best location. Kids were jumping from the balcony to be on the main floor, then there was a bit of disputing with the security guys, the fire marshals showed up and to top it off the kids began to riot when [...]
Welcome back, readers! The summer is winding down and I'm still listening to danceable hip hop and R&B jams that make me want to shake my tailfeather on the dance floor. Well, kitchen floor really. Last week I unleashed a Sampling Edition, Part 1 to whet your musical appetites and had so much fun that I decided I'd double down on your asses with a two-parter. Not for the A.D.D. musical aficionado, these tracks featuring a plethora of samples in unique and unlikely capacities. Sometimes it's fun just trying to see if you can figure out what part of the [...]
STFU (Shut The Fuck Up), it's TGCHU!! How often do we get local talent on hear? Frigg'n scarce as shit, that's how often! Well my babies, i've got for you The Girls Can Hear Us, straight out of Ontario, Canada!! And, i must proudly acknowledge, they've successfully tweek'd out a remix of Human Contact's, Loverider. Big ups to our local talent, The Girls Can Hear Us. Keep up the solid remixes dudess - just like the one we have posted today. If you've got an obsessive thang for anything remotely related to Daft Punk, i do believe this [...]
Vampire Weekend - Cousins
WKND PLYLST!! This has nothing to do with NEW MOON!
HOT CHIP TAKE another crack at IT and I’m IN
The Beach House Theory of 2k10.
