I tend to blog about things I am passionate about. Hockey is one. Video gaming is another. Cars are yet another. Unfortunately, my taste in cars far outstrips my bank account and practicality. I tend to gravitate towards driver's cars. Cars that are fast, handle great, and are fun to drive. These tend to be very expensive cars like M-class BMWs, AMG Mercedes, Astons, Ferraris, Lambos, and the like. Seriously, how many of us actually see them (outside of car shows or Beverly Hills), let alone drive one. I drive a Civic Hybrid. As a driver's car, it's terrible. I, unfortunately, didn't get it to drive. I got it to commute to work and get my growing family around (try getting a 7-month old in and out of the back of a two-door sport coupe - if it even has seats in the back). When I want to have fun on the road, I get on my Ducati and look for some twisties to carve up. But it doesn't have a place for groceries or a baby's car seat.
That said, I tend to live vicariously through others who do have access the types of cars I like. As a result, I love TV car programs. However, not American car shows for the most part since they pretty much deal with everyday automobiles. Too mundane for me. I gravitate towards the two major British car shows - Top Gear and Fifth Gear.
Do I watch them too much? Perhaps. I guess the indication that I do manifests itself when I start using British slang - for example, when I see a police officer now, I tend to think "there goes a rozzer." But they are fantastic (okay, there's another one).
Fifth Gear tends to be less entertainment and more nuts and bolts overall. Top Gear is more entertainment. But both are excellent shows in my opinion.
Top Gear just closed out its 13th Series last Sunday. The final piece is fitting. It's a beautiful piece by Jeremy Clarkson supposedly on Aston Martin's new V12 Vantage. But really it's a commentary. I'm not going to spoil it or taint it by giving you my opinion more than I already have. But it was a very fitting end to their 13th Series. I'm going to have to find something to occupy my time until Top Gear returns in November.
Of course, there is that little thing called hockey....
With the warm days of summer upon us it's time to go to your favorite swimming hole, fire up the grill and enjoy a cold beverage. Of course no summer relaxation session is complete without the accompaniment of some mood fitting tunes as well. For some reason summer is without a doubt the season that has the strongest attachments to certain songs and genres. Sure there's some music that has decidedly wintery associations, Radiohead'sKid A immediately springs to mind, but for hot weather there's huge swaths of genres from reggae to surf music to hip hop that immediately conjure images of beaches and block parties. So here's my guide to summertime classics:
Really the entirety of The Roots breakthrough 1999 album Things Fall Apart makes for great summer listening with its abundant keyboard driven grooves and thoughtful lyrics. But the album culminates with this slowburning single that features the always excellent Erykah Badu on vocals and when drummer Questlove drops some drumnbass breaks at the end things really heat up.
I'm more of a Michael McDonald era Doobie Brothers fan, but this song has to stand as the peak of the Tom Johnston era. With it's acoustic guitars, sweet harmonies and country style fiddle it's pretty much the auditory equivalent of floating down a river on an inner tube and what says summer more than that? Now if Warner Bros. would only let me embed a decent version of the video . . .
You won't hear this song on the radio anytime soon, but Broken Social Scene aptly titled this one when they decided to call it "Pacific Theme" as it's the perfect soundtrack for cruising the 101 highway and enjoying the scenery. It manages to be both propulsive and relaxing at the same time and contains quite a few layers of sonic goodness. Needless to say this isn't the official video, but who doesn't love hedgehogs?
Sure Tito Puente originally wrote this tune, but this list wouldn't be complete without an entry from Santana and this organ heavy classic has always been one of my favorites. Plus this is the version that is lodged in our collective unconsciousness, sorry Tito. If Carlos' snaky guitar lines paired with the hot conga playing here don't make you move, then you may want to check your pulse.
I'm not sure, but I think this is the first track to ever sample Quincy Jones'"Summer in the City" in the form of a perfect bassline and organ part. Everyone from LL Cool J to electronic producers like Nightmares on Wax have followed in their footsteps in utilizing this sublime groove. Toss in the ubiquitous Skull Snaps beat, some Jimi Hendrix guitar scratches, some saxophone from Eddie Russ and of course the Pharcyde's nimble rhymes and you've got a summer cut for the ages. The video is slightly racy, so if that sort of thing doesn't bother you, check it out here.
Wilco's 2007 album Sky Blue Sky is filled with pastoral beauty, as Jeff Tweedy remarked on a summer evening a couple years back when I saw them: "This is lovely, it's bubonic. . . I mean bucolic!" Sure, whatever you say Jeff. Seriously though, the intertwining guitars and outro jam make for laid back listening par excellence. I'm told that this song was playing as I canoed across a lake toward my wedding ceremony a couple summers back, you can't plan that type of serendipity!
4. Sublime- Santeria
I think I just heard a collective groan from any music snobs that may be reading this, and yes it's true Sublime have degenerated into a frat boy cliche at this point. But does that make Bradley Nowell's channeling of the ultimate summertime vibe with equal parts ska and surf rock in this guitar solo any less potent? I think not.
Something about Led Zeppelin screams summertime to me and this tune off of Houses of the Holy is a perfect example of essential dog days listening. From the acoustic intro to the harpsichord coda, it's basically impossible to not be in a good mood while enjoying this song. This video isn't the best quality but it was the best that I could find, amidst a sea of amateur covers, which I suppose is a testament to the song's staying power.
This list would be a complete travesty without the inclusion of a reggae number. While I toyed with going with another artist like Burning Spear or Lee Scratch Perry, no other artist embodies the genre like Marley. In fact he's probably one of the more important musical figures of the 20th Century, having been the first bona fide third world superstar. There are tons of Marley songs that could fit here, but this one is quintessential with it's positive message and undeniable keyboard hook.
An obvious choice? Sure. Deservedly so? Absolutely. "Good Vibrations" had its genesis during the sessions for the acclaimed Pet Sounds album, but creative mastermind Brian Wilson felt it wasn't complete so he continued to work on it after Pet Sounds was released and reportedly spent six months and $50,000 (an insane amount of money to spend on a track in 1966) to perfect it. While that process couldn't have been the best for Wilson's increasingly tenuous grasp on reality, the result is indeed a masterpiece of summer themed pop heaven. During the organ backed verses and vocally complicated middle section the Beach Boys' famous golden harmonies have never sounded sweeter. The fact that one of the biggest hooks from the track makes its appearance in the last twenty seconds of the tune is an indication of the epic level of greatness on display.
Ah summer. The season of barbeques, baseball, and, for those of us who like gaming, not much else!
Summer is usually the dry spell in the gaming industry. Hardly any big titles get released since most of the publishers hoard the big ones until just in time for the holidays.
Case in point, today I have read that Forza 3 is set to be released in late October, and Dirt 2 is set sometime in November (can you tell I gravitate towards driving games).
And for every good bit of news, there almost always seems to be some bad news. For example, it was just announced that Splinter Cell: Conviction is being delayed (again) until first quarter 2010. Yeah, I also like FPS too. Nuts.
Maybe because the weather is nice that game publishers think that everyone is outside enjoying themselves. But with practically all school-aged gamers having ample time on their hands with no threats of homework, you'd think that some publisher or two out there would realize that summer maybe isn't such a bad time to drop a major title or two.
Carrie Brownstein, the guitarist of acclaimed, and on indefinite hiatus, indie rock band Sleater-Kinney has been writing a sweet blog for NPR called the monitor mix for the last couple of years. Last week she solicited testimonials from fans of somewhat maligned bands in an attempt to understand their love of said "unlovable" band. Apparently a Phish fan was so eloquent in describing the merits of the Vermont jam band that she decided to take the plunge and listen to nothing but Phish for an entire week to try and get a handle on the band both musically and culturally. Like many who express disdain for the band she admitted that she had never heard a full song by the band, so in an impressive display of open-mindedness she embarked on a journey to find out what all the fuss, and perhaps hate, was all about.
Immediately her blog was bombarded with suggestions from all quarters, ranging from their studio albums, YouTube videos, DVD documentaries, and of course the over 1000 documented live shows that are much cherished by Phish fans. That's right due to Phish fans' obsessiveness you can actually search for and download, legally, over 1000 shows from the band's over twenty year history thanks to the band's liberal taping policy at sites like this one. Of course you can also buy SBD quality downloads and CDs from the band here.
Clearly overwhelmed in a sea of recommendations, Carrie reached out for help from local fans in the form of a meet up at a Portland bar so we could discuss the band's appeal face to face and give her a few of our selected highlights. Being a fan myself, and also harboring a secret crush on the charming Ms. Brownstein from when she used to frequent a record store I worked at, this was an occasion that I could not bear to miss.
She arrived at the bar fashionably late by a few minutes with a camera crew in tow and plunked herself down at our table and introduced herself. Unsurprisingly she was very down to earth and without a hint of snobbishness. Here was a woman, and formidable artist herself, that was genuinely interested in hearing each of our takes on the band and very appreciative of the numerous discs of music that we forked over. After all was said and done she ended up with at least 30 discs of our personal selections and at the very least an appreciation of our enjoyment, and our somewhat OCD style dedication to Phish's music and the culture surrounding them.
In this picture of her haul that she posted you can prominently see the two white spined double disc sets that I myself bestowed upon her, my handwriting is famous! The experiment is still going on so keeping checking the monitor mix page for more updates and hopefully I will make the cut for the video of the meet up.
All in all it was an interesting experience and a pleasure to meet one of the NW's most respected musicians who turned out to be a really cool and authentic person. Now if only she were into guys, not moving to New York and I wasn't married.
Remember SACD? Once upon a time, the format was the audiophile’s great hi-res hope for two and multi-channel, lifelike sound. I recently read one of our forum threads, “Who buys SACDs?” that got me thinking about my history of hi res music purchases. Unfortunately the format has lingered in near obscurity since its introduction almost ten years ago, reduced to a niche format for that increasingly endangered species, the quality conscious music lover. But ask any classical-luvin’ audiophile and he’ll tell you (it’s almost always a “he,” isn’t it?) that SACD is far from dead. Everyone knows I'm a vinylhead first but, when it comes to newer classical releases, nothing beats SACD. I've found that, for classical music afficionados, there's an embarrassment of super riches out there in the super audio format.
Take for example Pentatone Records, who releases only SACD titles of first rate classical performances. A large majority of their recordings are also multi-channel and recorded direct to DSD; if you have a multi-channel SACD set up with direct from DSD conversion, you'll be amazed by the realistic, warm and rich sonics of their recordings (two channel playback is equally impressive if you're so inclined). You can purchase Pentatone discs at a variety of locations, but my fav is Arkiv Music. Hands down I'd say they are the best classical e-tailer ever: you can also search/browse exclusively within the SACD format, and they've got over 2000 SACDs available. Of course, you can also purchase Pentatone's discs from their own site (if you're a member).
If you love renaissance, consort or Baroque music (or any early music for that matter), you'll surely agree that record label Alia Vox is like mana from the gods. I mean, how can you not love the label Jordi Savall calls home? I need a daily dose of French and English Baroque to survive, and Alia Vox's catalog is loaded with superb performances of works by Couperin, Marais, Lully, Hume and Lawes among many others. If you've ever heard a theorbe or bass viol up close and in person, you'll marvel at how sumptuously realistic these instruments sound on Alia Vox's recordings. Where to buy? Again, Arkiv Music is a great source, as is Amazon.
Also, a shout out to my peeps at Caro Mitis, a classical label specializing in SACDs of Russian and European musicians, ensembles and orchestras. Many releases are world premier recordings, and their selection of exclusive oboe works featuring oboist Alexei Utkin are first class. Check out their recordings featuring the Pratum Integrum Orchestra with authentic period instruments as well. Purchase these fine discs again at Arkiv, or at special prices from MA Recordings, another fine label who is closing out their selection of Caro Mitis discs.
Got your own suggestions for where to buy SACDs? Leave a comment, or hit up the above referenced forum post.
Love them YouTube videos: This week, more analog-luvin' the video way. Check out the video-slash-stills collage below of Portal Space Records, a small, "indie" record pressing outfit that bought EMI's pressing plant before the vinyl revival. There's some good info and picture stills here on the record production process. Mad props for keepin' the luv alive:
Peep this video below for a more in-depth look at the record resurgence, and what makes a music lover choose vinyl over, say, lifeless digital MP3's:
And just in case you missed it the first time around, here's the CBS news story about vinyl's comeback that features some kids waxing ecstatic over the vinyls--praise be them hip youngsters! Oh, and the story also features Miss Shelby Lynne, a record junkie herself:
Alright fellow audiophiles...If you've been following this year’s
presidential race, then you know that it has been a long and heated debate. Was
it going to be Hilary Clinton, or Barack Obama that clinched the democratic
nomination? Now that Barack is in the pilot’s seat, will it be Barack, or John
McCain? Obama seems to be edging ahead in the polls, but with 2 weeks and some
change left, what will McCain be pulling out of his senatorial sleeves? Well I
say that instead of politics as usual, we should spice it up a bit this time
around. I thought of a few candidates that I was thinking of adding to my
personal short list of presidents and I figured I would share them with the
people.
Vote Penguin 08! This constant thorn in the caped crusaders side is outwardly
against mud slinging in his campaign, always is "in the company of the
law", and last, but certainly not least, wears a monocle. If you ask me
nothing says "distinguishable leader of one of the greatest nations on the
planet" better then a good old fashioned monocle.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely? Why not ask our good friend Skeletor
what he thinks about that? Something tells me that he may just have the edge
that it takes to get people excited about the political process again. And
well...If for some reason you feel that he doesn't have what it takes, no big
deal. He will simply don a weird, jagged suit made of pure gold and zap you
with bolts of energy from his eyes until you see things his way. My way or the
highway, eh old skelly?
Ever have trouble getting out of bed before noon on the weekends? Bathing
every morning a bit of a challenge for you? Do you find it slightly overkill to
put on fresh clothes each and every day? Does the thought of our next commander
in chief writing his speeches with 3-4 White Russians in his belly instill
confidence in you? Then you my friend need to be voting for The Dude in 2008!
I think he may just have my vote. If the average American's life equaled the comparison of driving a car in the fast lane, then the Dude's life would mean you didn't even own a car. And maybe we need that? I could see living by the code of The Dude for
the next 8 years or so.
I say unless it's enough to get the Dude riled up, then it's not worthy of my time. That could work well because in all reality, the Dude
never really gets riled up about anything. Of course on the flip side the economy would tank, the population would drop dramatically, and the United States would most likely cease to be a heard as a voice to the rest of the world. But, that's just like, my
opinion man...
Much to Hillary's chagrin, another close contender that I may write in when
it's ballot time is the Log Lady. Remember her? From that lovable early 90's
suspense-laden drama Twin Peaks? Her pseudo-philosophical speeches may be just
what we need to hear as answers to the hard hitting questions...Or not. Can you
imagine the American public’s reaction to hearing any of these responses to
questions about the economy? Health care? Education?
She's so off the wall, that it may be just crazy enough to work...And even if
it didn't, what a show it would be. I would watch an Obama/McCain/Log Lady
debate with a new found passion and interest for politics that I haven't had in
years. To dig deeper which party would she affiliate herself with? Something
tells me she would be checking the "other" box when registering to
vote herself...
That's all that I've got for now, but who knows? The presidential election isn't for a few weeks so anything could happen really. If anybody is interested in campaigning for any of the above potential candidates let me know. I have a paypal account started and am accepting cash donations towards the cause.
The internet has produced it's share of entertaining phenomena, from dramatic hamster to star wars kid, but one of the best has to be the "Rick Roll". Never heard of it? Well you my friend are in for treat, check out one of the most exciting trends in music today! If you clicked on that, then you too have now been Rick Roll'd. So the question becomes, what can equal the perfection of a well placed Rick Roll? Here are my top candidates for the next generation of musical annoyances:
10. Flock of Seagulls- I Ran (So Far Away)
9. Michael McDonald- Sweet Freedom
8. Michael Bolton- Soul Provider
7. Michael Jackson- Black or White
6. Wham!- Wake Me Up Before You Go Go
5. Kajagoogoo- Too Shy
4. Baja Men- Who Let the Dogs Out?
3. Milli Vanilli- Blame it on the Rain
2. Vanilla Ice- Ninja Rap
1. Paula Abdul (feat. MC Skat Kat)- Opposites Attract
Hey Everyone, check this out and get ready to have your mind bent up a little bit:
I don't know how long it took this fellow to figure this out, but it's impressive none the less! Gratitude to Gizmodo via Random Good Stuff for the find.
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