Unlike RW, I won't commit to doing this every week, but I thought it would be fun to do it at least once.
Also, mostly because it's easier since the iPod I have is the small kind without any display, I'm doing this from my iTunes library on my laptop, which consists of everything I've bothered to rip from my CDs (about 40% of what I actually have, biased against all the classical and jazz because I prefer to listen to those uncompressed) and everything I bought/stole/was given in digital format in the first place (basically all the music I've acquired since about 2005 or so.) So this is a random subset of a not-quite-random subset.
Anyway...feel free to use RW's grading scale to mock me in the comments.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
9.09.2009
for the record...
...I am really, really, tired of hearing the Beatles. And about the Beatles.
This isn't to say I dislike their music...in fact, I really like a lot of their (post-drug use) output. But SWEET JUMPING JESUS ON A POGO STICK, I had to hear about Rock Band: Beatles on NPR this morning, and then I had to hear a brass quartet playing Lady Madonna while I got a sandwich at my freaking workplace. All of this is before noon.
I am willing to accept the inevitability of Boomer cultural hegemony until we can get the death panels rolling, but seriously: there has been so much great music made since the late 1960's that they could at least diversify a little...Hendrix, Black Sabbath, The MC5, The Stooges, The Ramones...and that's without even looking past the mid-70's...
[/rant]
8.06.2009
first, we take manhattan...
Not to brag, but...I'm totally going to brag.
Who has two thumbs and has already scored tickets to see Leonard Cohen play in Durham?
Yeah, that's right...
7.13.2009
fun with instruments
SOC Rovers @ Bombadil's CD release party this weekend. This is 10 minutes of sheer ridculousness, including our (rather deconstructed) tribute to Micheal Jackson.
And before you ask...yes, this is pretty much what we do.
You can see/hear most of the set in pieces here.
3.13.2009
2.17.2009
louie bellson, rip
I got to see Louie Bellson play in Durham a couple of years ago and was absolutely blown away. At the time I wrote:
I had no idea at the time that he had Parkinson's disease. He did have the bent forward posture when he walked, and he moved very slowly, but siting behind the kit was like throwing a switch. He was in complete control.
Anyway, I'll let the man speak for himself, the way he did best:
But what I found facsinating [sic] is that he doesn't play like he's 25--he plays like someone with 8 decades of experience. Effortless. Nothing to prove. Pure economy of motion, his hands just gliding from drum to cymbal to hi-hat and back again. And so smooth. Whenever he ended a solo, and started into his trademark hi-hat shuffle (doo-dicka-doo-dicka-doo) to bring the band back in, he had the exact same grin on his face that you see in pictures going way back. At one point he was using two sticks in his right hand, and he occasionally busted out some double bass chops that would give Dave Lombardo a run for his money.
I had no idea at the time that he had Parkinson's disease. He did have the bent forward posture when he walked, and he moved very slowly, but siting behind the kit was like throwing a switch. He was in complete control.
Anyway, I'll let the man speak for himself, the way he did best:
1.28.2009
11.30.2008
11.13.2008
saturday night's alright for steampunk
Come by. Hear some music. Say hello (I'm one of the dorks trying to get you to sing...the one with the drum.)
10.17.2008
if anyone wants my dr. pepper...
Chinese Democracy drops next month, a few days after my 31st birthday.
When Guns 'n Roses started working on this album, I wasn't old enough to drink (legally), The Simpsons was still funny, and no one expected us to elect a black president anytime soon.
When Guns 'n Roses started working on this album, I wasn't old enough to drink (legally), The Simpsons was still funny, and no one expected us to elect a black president anytime soon.
10.14.2008
10.09.2008
I'm off to live the life of an itinerant street musician for a few days at HONK! If you're in the Boston area, come on out to Davis Square in Somerville Saturday...it'll be a, er, blast...
8.27.2008
(in which i ask for your money)
My life is a circle.
Eons ago, a young, wide-eyed would-be trumpet (later euphonium) player went door to door bugging his neighbors to buy overpriced candy, cheese, sausage, and god only knows what else. He sent the order form to work with his dad. He whipped it out at church. He hit up every sucker he could for what amounted to donations for the band.
And here he is again, only this time I am ditching the candy and using the intertubes.
I play in a group called the Scene of the Crime Rovers. We are a roving band composed of musicians of all skill levels and all ages, open to anyone and everyone that wants to join us. We play at no charge* at community events (sometimes whether they want us to or not). We are Triangle famous (infamous?) but now, we are looking to branch out.
We've been invited to play at HONK Fest in Somerville, MA this October. What is HONK? Basically, it's a big festival of bands just like us. And getting there is going to be expensive.
Look, lots of us vaguely resemble grownups with real jobs and stuff when we aren't wandering the streets of Durham improvising, and we can get ourselves to Boston and back, but quite a few of our membership are full-time students or do noble (if not lucrative) things like work for non-profits. I'm here on their behalf.
Also, if you live in or around Durham, in exchange for a donation, I am prepared to promise that we WON'T show up in your front yard at 3AM one night.
OK, I'm kidding about that last part (maybe). But seriously, if you'd like to put a few bucks towards supporting fun-loving, open-source and open-access arts in the community, please visit this page and hit the "Donate" button.
I can't give you all the disclaimers about tax-deductible non-profit blah blah blah (though we are working on that) but I promise that this Paypal account is legit (I've donated to it myself already) and the guy running it is really, really honest. 100% of the proceeds (less Paypal's cut) will go to defer travel costs for our members that need the most help.
Thanks.
*In the interest of full disclosure we have done the (very) occasional paying gig; all of that money goes back into the band and really, it isn't very much. Nobody's quitting their day job for 1/20 cut of $100.
Eons ago, a young, wide-eyed would-be trumpet (later euphonium) player went door to door bugging his neighbors to buy overpriced candy, cheese, sausage, and god only knows what else. He sent the order form to work with his dad. He whipped it out at church. He hit up every sucker he could for what amounted to donations for the band.
And here he is again, only this time I am ditching the candy and using the intertubes.
I play in a group called the Scene of the Crime Rovers. We are a roving band composed of musicians of all skill levels and all ages, open to anyone and everyone that wants to join us. We play at no charge* at community events (sometimes whether they want us to or not). We are Triangle famous (infamous?) but now, we are looking to branch out.
We've been invited to play at HONK Fest in Somerville, MA this October. What is HONK? Basically, it's a big festival of bands just like us. And getting there is going to be expensive.
Look, lots of us vaguely resemble grownups with real jobs and stuff when we aren't wandering the streets of Durham improvising, and we can get ourselves to Boston and back, but quite a few of our membership are full-time students or do noble (if not lucrative) things like work for non-profits. I'm here on their behalf.
Also, if you live in or around Durham, in exchange for a donation, I am prepared to promise that we WON'T show up in your front yard at 3AM one night.
OK, I'm kidding about that last part (maybe). But seriously, if you'd like to put a few bucks towards supporting fun-loving, open-source and open-access arts in the community, please visit this page and hit the "Donate" button.
I can't give you all the disclaimers about tax-deductible non-profit blah blah blah (though we are working on that) but I promise that this Paypal account is legit (I've donated to it myself already) and the guy running it is really, really honest. 100% of the proceeds (less Paypal's cut) will go to defer travel costs for our members that need the most help.
Thanks.
*In the interest of full disclosure we have done the (very) occasional paying gig; all of that money goes back into the band and really, it isn't very much. Nobody's quitting their day job for 1/20 cut of $100.
7.21.2008
gratuitous metal post
I spent all day being verbal. I'm sick of it.
Besides, we haven't done this lately.
Crank it up. You know you want to.
Maybe I'll make this a regular thing. It generally suits my mood about this time of the week.
Besides, we haven't done this lately.
Crank it up. You know you want to.
Maybe I'll make this a regular thing. It generally suits my mood about this time of the week.
4.18.2008
what i've been doing with my spare time lately
(Unfortunately, embed is disabled on the video I wanted to use, but you can still watch it here the old-fashioned way.)
If you are in or around Durham, NC, this weekend, come check out Benjamin Britten's War Requiem at Duke Chapel, Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 4pm. Tickets are $20 (free for students). Come early if don't have a ticket already.
If you are in or around Durham, NC, this weekend, come check out Benjamin Britten's War Requiem at Duke Chapel, Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 4pm. Tickets are $20 (free for students). Come early if don't have a ticket already.
2.29.2008
battle of the bands--80's thrash metal
2.18.2008
black mountain
[m] and I went over to Chapel Hill last night to catch Black Mountain at Local 506.
Let me cut to the chase here...I know I have a few readers up the east coast and into eastern Canada. If this is you, go look at their tour calender and make some plans. Seriously, just do it.
This was the best live concert I've seen in any genre or venue in a long, long time. From the sludgy 7/4 opening of Stormy High to the thundering climax of Tyrants, and all the dreamy psychedelia in between, Black Mountain put on a flawless performance of some really, really great music.
Reading up on them, they are often classified as "stoner rock" which I suppose is a decent first approximation, but the term really doesn't do their music justice. While it is mostly down-tempo and bass-heavy, it lacks the repetitive-to-monotonous riffing that (I think) limits the appeal of bands like Queens of the Stone Age and Wolfmother. Black Mountain navigates between a downtuned early metal heaviness (think Black Sabbath), psychadelic synth work, well-executed interplay between male and female voices, and blistering arena rock guitar solos, all with a seamless musicianship that makes their sound much more than the sum of its constituents.
Or perhaps--70's prog rock without all the obnoxious noodling.
I don't know--I don't really feel like I'm doing it justice here either, so just check 'em out.
I guess the best endorsement I can give is this: typically, I go home from a show and want to quietly decompress with a book or a little TV before going to sleep. Last night, after a 20 minute drive home and with ears still ringing at 1AM, we cranked up the stereo and cracked a couple of beers. They left us wanting more.
(Thank goodness for federal holidays.)
Let me cut to the chase here...I know I have a few readers up the east coast and into eastern Canada. If this is you, go look at their tour calender and make some plans. Seriously, just do it.
This was the best live concert I've seen in any genre or venue in a long, long time. From the sludgy 7/4 opening of Stormy High to the thundering climax of Tyrants, and all the dreamy psychedelia in between, Black Mountain put on a flawless performance of some really, really great music.
Reading up on them, they are often classified as "stoner rock" which I suppose is a decent first approximation, but the term really doesn't do their music justice. While it is mostly down-tempo and bass-heavy, it lacks the repetitive-to-monotonous riffing that (I think) limits the appeal of bands like Queens of the Stone Age and Wolfmother. Black Mountain navigates between a downtuned early metal heaviness (think Black Sabbath), psychadelic synth work, well-executed interplay between male and female voices, and blistering arena rock guitar solos, all with a seamless musicianship that makes their sound much more than the sum of its constituents.
Or perhaps--70's prog rock without all the obnoxious noodling.
I don't know--I don't really feel like I'm doing it justice here either, so just check 'em out.
I guess the best endorsement I can give is this: typically, I go home from a show and want to quietly decompress with a book or a little TV before going to sleep. Last night, after a 20 minute drive home and with ears still ringing at 1AM, we cranked up the stereo and cracked a couple of beers. They left us wanting more.
(Thank goodness for federal holidays.)
12.12.2007
tooting my tiny piece of the horn
I'm allowed to post a favorable review, if I can only take 1/150th (less than that, really) of the credit for what's being reviewed, right?
I hope so:
It was pretty fun to sing, too.
I'm the last person on earth to be offering advice to parents, but...parents: get your kids involved in music. Really. Just do it. They don't have to become concert pianists to have something they will be able to enjoy for the rest of their life.
And you never know...they may get the opportunity to perform something amazing that no one has ever heard before.
I hope so:
In celebration of that anniversary the Choral Society commissioned American composer Steven Sametz to compose a new work in honor of [the conductor's 20th anniversary with the group]... The poetry speaks of stars and light, birth and rebirth, angels and peace.
The music of Part I of "Thou Whose Birth" begins with a first inversion F-sharp major chord (A on the bottom, C-sharp and F-sharp above) sung by the sopranos and altos. In three measures the chord resolves and is picked up in the second phrase as a G-major triad by the tenors and basses. It is an utterly unexpected and jaw-dropping sound.
It was pretty fun to sing, too.
I'm the last person on earth to be offering advice to parents, but...parents: get your kids involved in music. Really. Just do it. They don't have to become concert pianists to have something they will be able to enjoy for the rest of their life.
And you never know...they may get the opportunity to perform something amazing that no one has ever heard before.
3.17.2007
3.04.2007
non-linebacker w/ BMI of 29 runs sub-45-min 10k, credits new iPod
That's right. I finally bought an iPod today (quit snickering).
It isn't my first mp3 player. In fact, it's my 4th. The first two were such pieces of garbage I killed them in < 6 months each. The third has held up so long that it kind of got obnoxious...since I couldn't really justify getting "the real thing" until I wrecked it, too. Nearly two years later, it still works, though the LCD display has seen better days.
What actually spurred me to action was that I had bought a bunch of workout music off iTunes without realizing that they sell mp4 files, which means my little Lyra might as well have been an 8-track. I'd been downloading from Rhapsody, but I decided to try out iTunes for a change. Rhapsody is still worth $10/mo for unlimited streaming, but for downloading, iTunes selection is better. They've definitely cornered the market on Scandinavian death metal, I can tell you that. Also, they have Lacuna Coil, which I realize is probably something that 14-year-old goth chicks listen to, but whatever, I like it. (They're kind of like Evanescence, but, you know, good.)
Anyway, I got a second generation Shuffle (a gold one) and am happy to report that built-in clip held up to the titular run, clipped onto my waistband. No more arm bands to absorb my, ahem, natural perfume. The earbuds stayed in the whole time, and the sound quality is fantastic.
The one thing I would recommend is to never put it in your pocket, b/c is so small (about the size of a hotel matchbook) that it would be very easy to leave it in your pants and send through the laundry. You may think you are too smart to do this--bully for you--but I did this to my passport once and those things cost more than an iPod Shuffle nowadays.
Where was I? Oh, yeah...6.2 miles in 44:28. It felt great. And it should leave me nice and stiff for my first yoga class tomorrow night.
It isn't my first mp3 player. In fact, it's my 4th. The first two were such pieces of garbage I killed them in < 6 months each. The third has held up so long that it kind of got obnoxious...since I couldn't really justify getting "the real thing" until I wrecked it, too. Nearly two years later, it still works, though the LCD display has seen better days.
What actually spurred me to action was that I had bought a bunch of workout music off iTunes without realizing that they sell mp4 files, which means my little Lyra might as well have been an 8-track. I'd been downloading from Rhapsody, but I decided to try out iTunes for a change. Rhapsody is still worth $10/mo for unlimited streaming, but for downloading, iTunes selection is better. They've definitely cornered the market on Scandinavian death metal, I can tell you that. Also, they have Lacuna Coil, which I realize is probably something that 14-year-old goth chicks listen to, but whatever, I like it. (They're kind of like Evanescence, but, you know, good.)
Anyway, I got a second generation Shuffle (a gold one) and am happy to report that built-in clip held up to the titular run, clipped onto my waistband. No more arm bands to absorb my, ahem, natural perfume. The earbuds stayed in the whole time, and the sound quality is fantastic.
The one thing I would recommend is to never put it in your pocket, b/c is so small (about the size of a hotel matchbook) that it would be very easy to leave it in your pants and send through the laundry. You may think you are too smart to do this--bully for you--but I did this to my passport once and those things cost more than an iPod Shuffle nowadays.
Where was I? Oh, yeah...6.2 miles in 44:28. It felt great. And it should leave me nice and stiff for my first yoga class tomorrow night.
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