Saturday 02.27.2010 | 9:23 PM UTC

Spot On: Some Songs Considered

The idea behind NPR’s All Songs Considered has spawned a musicologist as obsessive, if not considerably more disciplined and eloquent, as yours truly. Brian Wall’s Some Songs Considered blog serves up daily observations focusing on a single track–as catchy an idea as Rob Grover’s charming blog The Song That Got Stuck In My Head Today.

Today’s post takes the words right out of my mouth:

“…it’s hard to “stumble” on music from another era without an introduction. For example, I count a bunch of records from the postpunk era among my favorites, but I discovered them many years later.”

Not an entirely original statement, but one that rings especially true here. My own recent obsession with PostPunk was initially sparked by certain Brooklyn bands’ appropriation of the period; aided and abetted by Simon Reynolds’ Rip It Up and Start Again; and permanently cemented by Gang of Four’s Entertainment! Thusly PostPunk became a staple of my musical diet a full 25 years after it’s inception.

But enough about me… check it out:

http://somesongsconsidered.com/

Friday 02.26.2010 | 10:23 AM UTC

Weather Report: G11′s Long Exposure to Snow

G11 | ISO 80 | focal 6.1mm |  15 sec. exposure@ f 3.2

Another few inches of snow last night. Perfect opportunity to finally test long exposure results on the Canon G11. Very pleasantly surprised: virtually no noise shooting in total darkness. The Marble Tea’s new EP (A Blizzard, A True Storm) the perfect soundtrack, on repeat all the live long day.

The Center of The Universe, The Marble Tea: A Blizzard, A True Storm.

G11 | ISO 80 | focal 15mm |  15 sec. exposure@ f 3.2

G11 | ISO 80 | focal 6.1mm |  1/60@ f 5.6

Thursday 02.25.2010 | 12:23 PM UTC

Weather Report: Bklyn Skies Heavy With Snow

Canon G11 | ISO 200 | 30mm focal | 640th sec at f 4.5 | post-processing in Lightroom 2 | © maunet

Fat, thick, wet flakes. Not the best light for photog, great light for Nick Drake on repeat.
Seems it’s gonna last through the weekend. Calling for 3 inches today, no big whup.
Why must the weather folks always turn routine into newsworthiness?
Ithaca expecting 20 inches. Now that’s something to sneeze at!

Listen to the Northern Sky…

Thursday 02.25.2010 | 2:23 AM UTC

Drum Solo: Rare Non-Wanky Variety

Even as a huge fan of all things percussion, I think we can agree to draw the line at the drum solo. As if it was possible, they are even more wanky/showboat-y than their 6 or 4-string counterparts. And though there’s a certain melodic narrative to the drum circle, it’s still god-awful hippie shite.

But when John Bonham settles his lumbering frame onto the throne, a juggernaut exception shatters the barrier of bad taste. This guy can do more with one foot than all of Manchester United. He plays the drums “like two jack-rabbits fuckin‘.”

Witness Bonzo’s Montreux…

Wednesday 02.24.2010 | 4:23 PM UTC

The Kitchen Sink:
Your Creativity Down the Drain

Those in creative fields still beholden to client demands (record labels, global brands, movie studios, corporate retailers, the list goes on…) are well familiar with the mercenary principle: you gotta make a living, the client is “always right,” (but not really, ever). So whaddya do? Suck it up and deliver often-emabarassing, sub-par work.

In the December issue, Wired presents us with a “how to fail” strategy presumably aimed at lifting our spirits and helping us turn setbacks into advantages. Gotta love the bullshit affirmation, elusive as it may be. But the piece does deliver some satisfaction in this short anecdote from Alec Baldwin:

“The Fail: Mercenary acting.
I needed to make a living. People don’t realize actors are like plumbers. When you invite a plumber to your house and say, “I want you to put this sink in my bathroom,” the plumber doesn’t say, “I’m not going to install that sink, it’s hideous. You have the worst taste in sinks!” No, he just says, “OK,” and he puts it in.

The Save: Making a terrible romantic comedy.
My Best Friend’s Girl had one of the worst scripts I’ve ever read in my life. The movie was a huge disaster. Scathing reviews.
And I realized: I’m done with doing it for the money.”

You know what it takes to make it in the creative business with your pride intact: It takes brass balls. Go and do likewise, gents…

–

Tuesday 02.23.2010 | 4:23 PM UTC

Artful CGI. Avatar Can Suck It.

This is not narrative filmmaking, simply some stunning architectural sequences created entirely with CGI. Sweet use of rack-focus and the texture work is amazing. Avatar can suck it.

Great stuff at the 7:15 mark.

It’s a little long/repetitive, the guy could use an editor, but impressive that he wrote, “shot,” lit, directed, rendered and scored the entire thing himself.

Hell, who am I to critique it at all, I’m just a guy watching it, there’s people out there actually, you know, doing stuff.

-

Monday 02.15.2010 | 12:23 PM UTC

Weather Report:
Another Grey Day in Ithaca, For a Change

iPhone + CameraBag | © maunet.com

In this case, Every Day is Like Monday, every Ithaca winter is silent and grey. Morrissey in heavy rotation. Hard time putting nose to grindstone. Photog: iPhone + Camera Bag. Too lazy to break out a proper camera.

 Ah, the Blahs…

Tuesday 02.09.2010 | 4:23 AM UTC

Out of Office w/ The National

Morissey once whined: “We hate it when our friends become successful.” Well, I kinda get the sentiment, but when it comes to The National boys, I defer to pride… What a thrill it’s been to watch the boys rise from empty Brooklyn clubs to sold out Radio City shows.

But who’da thought you’d find them featured in this context:

Pretty fucking cool.

Thursday 01.07.2010 | 4:23 AM UTC

Rightly So, John Lennon Gets Bitchy on Fills

Thanks to John, we can now invoke the correct song-writing language needed to enforce the crucial difference between ”simple” and “simplistic.”

Those of you that have spent any time making music should be well-familiar with the little bickers and spats that occur when working in an ensemble setting. Drummers, guitar players, singers–we’re all guilty of over-playing at some point or another. So we each have the responsibility of imposing checks and balances on each other’s wanky, over-wrought performances that sneak in to the arrangement process.

 Listen here as John let’s his band have it…

Hallelujah, brother…

Tuesday 01.05.2010 | 4:23 AM UTC

Top 30 Studio Drum Sounds Ever

Don’t argue, young’uns. Go to your room and don’t come out till you finish your homework:

Not talking strictly performance or technical prowess. It’s the texture, man.

In no particular order:

1. John Lennon: Watching The Wheels
2. Spoon: All the Pretty Girls Go to the City
3. Dusty Springfield: Son of A Preacher Man
4. The Beatles: (tie) A Day In The Life/Tomorrow Never Knows
5. Cream: White Room. Just for you, hippies.
6. Joy Division: Transmission
7. Led Zeppelin: (tie) Fool In The Rain/Good Times Bad Times
8. PJ Harvey: O Stella
9. The Police: (tie) Roxanne/Every Breath You Take. Don’t lie, you love it.
10. Velvet Underground: Oh Sweet Nothin’
11. Gang of Four: Damaged Goods
12. The Smiths: How Soon Is Now?
13. Prince: (tie) Lady Cab Driver/Pop Life
14. Beastie Boys: Sabotage
15. The Fall: Chicago, Now!
16. Lou Reed: Coney Island Baby
17. Fleetwood Mac: Dreams
18. David Bowie: Five Years
19. Elvis Costello: Lipstick Vogue
20. The Cure: 10:15 Saturday Night
21. The Cars: Candy-O
22. Gary Numan: Cars
23. Psychedelic Furs: Pretty In Pink (OST Version).
24. U2: (tie) New Year’s Day/Elvis Presley In America
25. Adam Ant: Goody Two Shoes
26. R.E.M.: 7 Chinese Brothers
27. The National: Brainy
28. Elliott Smith: Alameda
29. Big Country: In A Big Country
30. The Who: Eminence Front. Surprise! Keith Moon doesn’t play on this track.

Wednesday 12.23.2009 | 4:23 AM UTC

Ancestor of Oughts:
Best (old) Music of the Decade

Everybody’s got ‘em, present company obviously included. Lists and lists of the best of this and that to help mark the passing of another 10 crazy years. But the Ought’s ancestors called, and they want their jaggy guitars, compressed drum tracks, cheesy keyboard sounds and whispery vocals back.

So, here’s to those records without whom our latest crop of honorable pirates and thieves would have starved on the streets. And make no mistake, this is no slight. The bad only borrow. Only the good steal.

Listen up:

Monday 12.21.2009 | 4:23 AM UTC

Best of the Decade: Music

This is not Pitchfork. (Ok, obviously not, but stay with me). It’s a grand organization, to be sure. Those talented young boys from Chicago have given me much to love, laugh and barf about. Their opinionated slant, overwrought prose and sharp fashion sense serve as inspiration and anathema to the spirit of this little forum.

That said, any arbiter of all that is Pitchfork-y will be quick to jump on some of the more obvious choices made here. Take it easy. I got a lot of weird records, man. But like old Robyn Hitchcock says, “if you can’t dig cliches, you can’t dig rock and roll.”

So, with that spirit in mind, this list does not give representation to a large swath of the really really cool kids of the decade. Fuckin’ a, there’s like a brazillion coolie bands out there. And while my record collection contains entries for at least a gazillion of them, I’m sticking with just the ones that spent the longest time spinning my disks between Jan 1 2000 and Dec 31 2009. The big guns are such for a reason…

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