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This ad is worth a good chuckle.
Thanks to Lynn for the tip.
John Scalzi (sci-fi author) is working on a book about the 50 best science fiction films. He's asking for help n coming up with the list.
A good list.
- Jaco Pastorius -- "It ain’t braggin’ if you can back it up!"
- Miles Davis -- "Those songs to me don’t exist, you know? So What or Kind of Blue, I’m not going to play that shit, those things are there. They were done in that era, the right hour, the right day, and it happened. It’s over; it’s on the record."
- Thelonious Monk -- "I say, play your own way. Don’t play what the public want — you play what you want and let the public pick up on what you doing — even if it does take them fifteen, twenty years."
- Oscar Peterson -- "We’re not like pop musicians who have to perform the same top ten tunes every night of a tour."
Uncle Grambo gets it right. The VMAs this year reeked.
From the files of "things-I-never-really-wondered", here's a page of what would happen if various members of The Simpsons had offspring.
The RIAA is all unhappy about a Canadian inventor's software that allows him to record XM transmissions and play them back later. Sounds sneakily like a VCR, huh? It's almost as if Sony v. Betamax didn't happen....
A spokesman for the Recording Industry Association of America said his organization had not reviewed the software, but said that in principle it was disturbed by the idea. "We remain concerned about any devices or software that permit listeners to transform a broadcast into a music library," RIAA spokesman Jonathan Lamy said.
Thanks to Simon for the tip. And we'll go to him for the closing quote:
Let's hope nobody ever tells them about the compact cassette - they'd have kittens.
-- Update --
Here's more from Ernest. XM radio is pulling support for PC based listening. Not because the RIAA wants them to -- oh no. Just because.
Clerks was one of my favorite movies from the 90's. Kevin Smith is hard at work at making a sequel. I can't decide if I'm happy, scared or just sad.
A few days ago, Al Fasoldt wrote an open letter to librarians in the Syracuse Post-Standard to not use Wikipedia on the grounds that it couldn't be trusted (The Wikipedia is an encyclopedia editted by the users). Challenged by some denizens of the web, Fasoldt Alex Halavais entered thirteen changes on thirteen different entries hoping to prove the unreliabilty of Wikipedia. They were all found and corrected within two hours.
Thanks to Cory for the tip.
-- Update --
Ernest Miller, always indispensible, gives a nice wrap-up of the events.
-- Update 2 --
I've been corrected by the author; it was Alex Halavais who made the changes to Wikipedia, not Al Fasoldt. My bad, and it's been corrected in the main article.
Michael Jackson wants to sell his Neveland ranch.
Michael Jackson is said to be selling his Neverland ranch because he fears it has been bugged by police.
He has refused to enter the £8 million home since he was arrested there last year, claims the Daily Star.
It wouldn't have anything to do with his crushing debt load, would it?
First, he sports a Mr. T mohawk at MTV's VMAs (I'd write something about it, but frankly I was way too bored about it to muster up enough energy to care). Now, he gets a iPod with 120 diamonds embedded on it.
As an update to a previous story, DMB offers to make up for the ca-ca incident.
She has passed on at 47 from an aneurysm.
The 9th annual World Air Guitar Championships hope to yield the best imaginary instrumentalist. While it would be appropriate for the winner to get imaginary prizes, they actually get an electric guitar to take home.
Thanks to Rob for the tip.
I've spent most of the day reorganizing my CD rack. I hate having to do this, but it's goot to happen. Part of the job is throwing out old CDs. So, after I rip them to mp3, I'll be selling off about fifty or so on Amazon. Feel free to contact me if you want to pick any up prior to that, though. Call it $2 a piece, plus postage.
Some guy named Eric has a website where you can ask him to portray an emotion. Some of them are quite amusing (getting mugged, a deer in headlights, a chick magnet).
Today, I got together with Rob and Greg, both of whom happen to also be students of Anthony. Rob and Greg have been playing together as a duo for some time, and today they invited me out to sit in with them.
After cooking out some rather large steaks, we started to play. The way we played was that one of us would start a groove (it tended to be Greg) and then another one of us would start some kind of supporting melody structure -- chords or sich (that tended to be me) and then the other would start soloing over top of the other two (which was usually Rob). Then we would hold things steady for a bit and take turns soloing, with the previous soloist dropping back to leave room.
Playing like this is completely different than any other kind of playing that I do. There are no other instruments, and we each produce the same basic frequency range and sound. So, the challenge is to find space around the others while still playing the right part.
For example, towards the start of the jam, Greg laid down a groove and Rob started playing a little syncopaited riff in the same key (just a slightly different mode). The two of them have been playing together for some time, so they were able to feel their way through each other's playing fairly easily. When I started to play, I couldn't go low (that's where Greg was) and I couldn't go high on the neck (where Rob was). So, I tried to play in the middle range, keeping my notes above Greg's lines and underneath Rob's.
Greg pretty much stayed steady, but Rob would move around. When Rob would move his line down the neck, I had to react, chaning my line so we wouldn't be interfering with each other. I'm starting to understand why Anthony tells me over and over that playing bass with another bassist is one of the harder things to do.
I also noticed that I really need to work on my soloing. I've been doing more and more soloing when I play with Canvas, but I pretty clearly have a long way to go. I felt like I was really working to get anywhere. By contrast, Greg's solos were effortless and Rob's flowing.
Speaking of Rob, I have to say that I'm really impressed. It's been a while since I've played with him in any context other than some rock stuff. He's very clearly been working at it -- head and shoulders better than I expected. I've thought for some time that he has better technique than I do, but his feel for jazz tunes is pretty darn good, too.
In any case, it was a new experience playing with just three bassists. Perhaps a preview of the Bass Extremes show.
He's a hard rapper and all, but if you read his concert rider, you'd think he was a spoiled rich kid.
-- Update --
Here's the original text from The Smoking Gun.
Bobby Brown may get his own reality show on Bravo. No word if the drug buys will be on or off camera.
They soon could be, in France at least.
When you put together this article about the prevelance of high end name dropping in music (mentioning Mercedes, Cartier, Gulfstream) and this article about how advertising is everywhere and basically underwrites film and TV, I have to wonder why the musicians haven't gotten in on this act.
I'll be happy to mention Caddy everytime I'm on the stage if someone wants to give me a free car (hint, hint).
Townsend, some boy band that I've never heard of before and never want to again, has released a cover of the Def Leppard classic Pour Some Sugar On Me. To say their version of the song sucks would be to insult all those songs out there that really do suck. Just when you think it can't get any worse and they can't suck out anymore groove from the tune, they add a white boy rap in the middle.
But the video introduces even higher degrees of suckage. The lead singer from Smashmouth is in it for some reason, as is Teck from MTV Real World Hawaii. The only thing that kept me from ripping my eyes out while watching this dreck was the scene where the lead singer is glammed up and is nearly the spitting image of Hedwig from The Angry Inch. It's unintentional, of that I'm sure.
Thanks to Jonson for the tip, I think.
-- Update --
Oh, darn. Townsend has broken up. Whatever will do, wherever will I go, blah, blah, blah.
-- Update 2 --
I tried to find Townsend's album on Amazon, but no luck. Apparently, they're not even worth stocking, which makes it harder for me to mock them appropriately.
This strikes me as a rather self-inflicted problem.
But my iPod addiction harbored a darker, more disturbing side. With more than 1,000 songs at my thumb tip, I could satisfy any desire, any time. My iPod was like a drug. I lived in my own self-imagined movie, instantly tailoring the soundtrack to fit, or inspire, my emotions. Some days unfolded languidly, similar to a Wes Anderson film, filled with nostalgic post-punk songs and the occasional Nico track (yes, Nico). Other times, I blasted on the treadmill at the gym to thumping techno beats. This winter, after a girl I briefly dated abruptly announced that she was "still in love with her ex-boyfriend," I spent the night trudging through the Arctic air of Greenwich Village with Conor Oberst’s wallowing voice on repeat. More recently, when an evening with romantic overtones ended on a positive note, I boozily left the bar amplified by the hopeful lyrics of Death Cab for Cutie front man Ben Gibbard. The music lent some kind of dramatic import to what I was experiencing. Without it, I felt empty. Mostly, I now realize, it just made my days feel like some cheesy Dawson’s Creek episode.
Personally, I've started to travel more and more without music on at all. I know that my last three ideas for songs came when I was on a long trip, just singing to myself.
Bob Dylan will be publishing his memoirs in three sets. The first volume will focus on the 60s and hit the stores this fall.
Here's a website dedicated to the intricacies of the guitars, with a heavy emphasis on wiring.
Having seen a few bellydancers over the years, I would have never married the dance with heavy metal. What do I know.
Today, Shahin and I introduced Ripple to Brett. We went through the song twenty or thirty times, letting him find what he wants to do in each section. We eventually ended up recording both of our tracks on to Brett's 4 track so he would have a version that he could work up a part to. I'll be interested in hearing what he creates.
I've spent the last day or two reworking my rig. My old rack had eight spaces in it, three for my Ampeg head, one for the Furman, one for the tuner, one to the Lexi effects unit and a space for heat ventilation. After I picked up the JamMan, I've held off from doing anything with it due to the lack of space in my rig.
To fix the situation, I ordered an Anvil. Now it's come in -- all twelve spaces of it. And I seriously underestimated how much bigger this new case would be. I can very literally fit the old case inside of the new rig and have quite a bit of room left over.
I'm glad I got the new case, and I think it will very nicely do the job, but I also think it's going to introduce some new problems. Now, I need more real estate on stage (unless I can figure out how much weight the Anvil can support, but I'm sure that isn't going to be my full stack). I already was full to the brim in my old car as it is; I guess I either need to get a bigger car or a trailer for hauling.
-- Update --
I talked with Lee at Cases 2 Go about the weight that the case can bear. He gave me an approximate amount (~80 pounds or so), which should be more than enough for a 4x10. I think we're in business.
-- Update 2 --
I may have spoken too soon. When I loaded it into my car, I learned two things. One, even with wheels, the rig is really heavy. Once I get it in my car, I don't have room for any of my cabinets. I'm going to have to load the rig into my car without front or the back (which would defeat the purpose of have a protective rack in the first place), pick up a 2x10 cabinet, or buy a bigger car.
Go on MTV Videa Music Awards, get lots of free stuff:
- iPod
- Versace sunglasses
- a diamond bracelet
- a year's supply of Wonka chocloate
Must be nice.
Amazon allow readers to post their thoughts on a given book. J.D. Lasica posted his review of Mindjack (by Dan Gillmor), only to find out that Amazon yanked his writing immediately.
So instead of an informed review that places the contents of the book in context, they'd rather have ramblings such as: "I looked up what the author had to say about chat rooms, Yahoo!, free speech, etc. and was always amazed to find merely a sequence of vacuous ramblings offering nothing new. I find it even difficult to write a critical review because there is almost nothing to here to criticize."
Which would nicely capture the reason why I don't bother with the reviews on Amazon in the slightest.
Thanks to Wendy for the tip.
An interesting piece of software. It slices, it dices, it julianes (and just WTF is that anyway?).
It also converts the following formats --
- Amiga 8svx files
- Apple/SGI AIFF files
- SUN .au files
- CD-R data (music CD format)
- Macintosh HCOM files
- Amiga MAUD files
- MP3 files (with optional external library) [and I recognize that this caveat probably moves the this piece of software into the for-techies-only list]
- Psion Record.app files
- Turtle beach SampleVision files
- Soundtool (DOS) files
- Yamaha TX-16W sampler files
- Sound Blaster .VOC files
- Ogg Vorbis files
- Microsoft .WAV files
to list just a few of the features. It's worth checking out, so long as you're comfortable with command line utilities.
The latest version of Discs can hold about a terabyte of data. To do the math really quickly, that's about 200 DVDs or 1400 CDs. Does this mean I have to buy all this music all over again?
Dave Matthews craps on a bunch of boaters in Chicago and Phish pollutes a swath of Vermont.
The Black-Eyed Peas will release some tunes as a part of the soundtrack of the next version of the Sims.
More and more artists are welcoming P2P with open arms.
Most recently Sananda Maitreya, the artist formerly known as Terence Trent D'Arby, has made three songs from his "Angels and Vampires" project available via P2P. The soulful singer's career never again reached the 1987 heights of "Wishing Well" or "Sign Your Name," but he still has hard-core fans who are avidly following his artistic evolution.
Maitreya chose Weed technology to distribute his project.
With that distribution choice, Maitreya joins rock veterans Heart.
Some other artists using Weed include Sir Mix-A-Lot and DJ Drunken Master, along with a massive list of lesser knowns.
The US government moves against file sharers, raiding several computers in three states. The feds targeted the hubs of a P2P network.
The same articles goes on to mention that the RIAA filed suit against another 744 people for uploading files (grand total: 4,891). The difference here is that the US Government is acting in accordance to the law -- indeed, they are enforcing the written law. The RIAA, on the other hand, seems to be more focused on tryng to scare people into submitting to their agenda.
Which one do you think is more legitimate?
Madonna leads the way, allowing her music to be downloaded to cell phones without needing a credit card. As the commentary from Pho says
...[This approach pretty much has] all the right elements for a successful formula:
- Easy-to-use interface for the customer (just dial 1-900-blah).
- Direct billing interface (cell phone bill line item).
- 'Closed' content playback architecture: cell phone.
So, if the Bass Extremes show at the Birchmere on September 13th is Mecca for bassists, the Bass Extreme show in NYC on Friday the 17th has to be Medina. Check out this line up --
On bass, Victor Wooten, Steve Bailey, Oteil Burbridge and Anthony Jackson. On drums, Derrico Watson.
Rob, thanks for this tip.
Coolfer is just on a roll! Previously, he gave out tips for P2P. Now, he looks at the labels themselves.
- Stop blaming piracy. Piracy is just part of the problem. The sooner you recognize the issues you face, the better off you'll be and the more consumer confidence you'll command.
- Use digital music to help create a better relationship with consumers. We're in an era of relationship marketing in which the companies that have the best relationship with their customers will be the most prosperous.
- You don't have to swing for a homerun every time you're at the plate. It's OK to start small and build to greater success.
- Embrace MP3 blogs. Look, there is a precedent here. You already give advance tracks and exclusive remixes to mixtape DJs and look the other way when their mixtapes are sold without giving you a penny in royalties.
I do take some exception on this, though. The labels have seen fit to prosecute people who traffic in mix tapes.
The swinging for the fences seems to be a result of the economic realities that have emerged over the last few decades where most artists don't make enough money to recover the labels' investments, but one or two make enough to recover the investment on both themselves and most of the other acts on the label's roster. Given that is the only way that the labels have been rewarded, it's natural that they would evolve to support that business model.
The RIAA is all pleased with themselves on their plan to combat piracy. So, the small detail that the lawsuits from the RIAA are not supported by the public (57% against) indicates what...?
A website dedicated to observations on shows. The particular events skew towards the UK (and classical music at that), but it's an interesting idea.
A huge page of drum solos. All the greats are there -- Chambers, Peart, Krupa, Bonham, Gadd, Rich, Weckl -- you name them, they're probably on the site. Also check out the list of killer grooves or the pile of videos -- actually just spend some time on the whole site!
Well worth the time for any bass player who wants to learn some great grooves. To me, the more a bassist knows about drums, the better he/she can lock in with them.
How to fake your way through being, say,
- a juggler -- the end of your act has to look impressive, not be difficult. Build up tension by "missing" the finale once or twice before "getting it right"
- a lounge pianist -- Never agree to Christmas sing-alongs if there is alcohol involved. Your singer will only remember the first two lines of his favorite tunes, or you’ll waste a half-hour on a drawn-out, stumbling, “12 Days of Christmas.” The singer will be forgiven when he sobers up, but you’ll look unprofessional.
- a street performer -- In street performance, it’s possible to make money without really knowing how to play your instrument. You can pick up a cheap accordion at a thrift store and simply make stuff up on the street corner. Most people usually won’t stick around and listen for long if you are on a sidewalk where there’s little room to stand, and you can play the same thing over and over and still make money.
- even an attorney -- Do whatever it takes to fit your contracts onto a single page: Format with single-spacing, use a 10- or 9-point font, and reduce the margins to less than an inch. Most people assume any contract that fits on one page will be simple and straightforward, and even sophisticated negotiators can be charmed by the lack of a staple.
To which I'd like to add bass player. You can never go wrong rooting the chords. And, if you can't find the beat, you'll always get into trouble playing ahead of the beat. Hang back and play behind the beat.
Okay, it's a step up from this, but only a very tiny step.
...There is a downside to the virtual girlfriend - she will require more flowers and gifts than many real women. Artificial Life is hoping to launch the new game later this year, on the latest 3-G mobile phones. All virtual girls will look the same - but each girl will behave differently - depending on how much money is spent on her. On top of a general subscription, men will be charged a fee to buy flowers and gifts for the virtual girlfriend. In return, she will introduce them to different aspects of her life, like letting them meet her female friends - also electronic images.
Not surprisingly, this is coming out of Japan. I like Xeni's pithy take on it:
[It's] kind of like a tamagotchi with tits. There is a direct correlation between her level of romantic activity output and the amount of money you spend on her. Actually, my people have a word for this sort of creature: ho.
The Book Thing, a Baltimore based charity which gives away free books to people all over the world, is about to lose their current home. Anyone who knows of somewhere to which they could relocate should contact them with the info.
Kylie Minogue wants to sing jazz. Oh my, where to start with this:
Well, jazz survived Michael Bolton, it'll survive Kylie.
Yet another musician complaining that his/her bodyguards are keeping away suitors. Um, correct me if I'm wrong, Lenny, but don't those bodyguards work for you? And couldn't you tell them to let through who you want? Just checking...
Coolfer Glenn once again proves why he's indispensible to music on the web. His tips for using P2P and staying legal:
- Educate yourself on the matter and know what constitues legal and illegal behavior.
- The RIAA, to my knowledge, has not yet sued a person for downloading songs. Uploading is the issue here.
- Don't make public songs by RIAA artists.
Microsoft will be starting up their own version of iTunes. Lucky us.
A while back, I mentioned the new copy protected CDs. Over on the Pho mailing list, SunnComm's VP talks about the actual cost to include the copy protection on a given CD.
The per-disk cost for MediaMax ranges from 8 cents down to 5 cents depending on volume. There is also a per-project/album set up cost.
In most cases, the increased revenue from minimizing the sales drop off in the initial weeks of the CDs commercial release more than covers the MediaMax cost. This is "found money" which, in several cases, has amounted to $200,000 - $400,000+ in additional PROFIT (not revenue) to the record label and the artist! As I showed you, we have had Gold and Platinum CDs with SunnComm's MediaMax M4 technology included.
I'm still rather skeptical that the additional revenues outweigh the costs, but I suppose the market will pretty conclusively determine if this is a good idea or not.
For those musicians who are also budding entrepreneurs, here's some tips on how to prepare for making a CD that can be sold. The links on the page are broken (as of this time of writing). You can move through the pages by manually substituing the new page number at the end of the URL.
Thanks to Rob for the tip.
It would seem that ringtones prove that people are quite willing to pay for digital content when they see a value to it.
As anyone following the online music debate knows, the recording industry regularly blames teenagers for the popularity of peer-to-peer file sharing. The Canadian Recording Industry Association has often cited the need for "education" so that teenagers might buy into its vision of copyright law.
The success of the ringtone market, which undoubtedly owes much to those same teenagers, contradicts that claim, illustrating not only that teens are willing to pay for digital music, but that they are willing to overpay for such music.
To the surprise of many, teenagers will think nothing of spending $20 for a batch of ringtones featuring only a portion of songs, though they would not dream of paying 99 cents for the full version of each song on one of the fee-based music services.
-- Update --
Some more on the ringtone phenomenon.
Lopez is considered by many to be the founder of Tejano music. He died of complications from both a stroke and an aneurysm at 75 years of age.
Reenhead, one of the local DC blogs, has folded shop. Lots of luck to you in the future, Maureen...
This has to be a first. Bloodrayne, a vampire character in the computer game of the same name, will appear "naked" in the October issue of Playboy.
::shakes head::
Thanks to Earnest for the tip.
I wouldn't have thought of this, but Brad did.
You might think that, for [music] executives and employees alike, the threat of collapse would have concentrated the mind wonderfully. Both, surely would prefer to work for a profitable airline [music company] than for a nonexistent one. But the mind is often distracted by the power of past experience—what the social scientists Simon Gachter and Arno Riedl call entitlement. In a series of experiments on bargaining, Gachter and Riedl have shown that, for people in a negotiation, ideas of fairness are determined by what happened in the past. Once someone earns a particular cut, all the participants, on both sides othe bargaining table, assume that that person is entitled to a similar cut again, even if conditions have completely changed.
The substitutions do work....
Whoever did this clearly sunk a lot of time into playing Civilization.
Personally, I can't remember when the last time I was excited to go into a music store. Maybe when I was twelve or so. Clive Davis weighs in on what the music stores should do to survive -- be more like Tower and Virgin. Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Tower go bankrupt? and Virgin nearly so?
York was the bass player for Hank Williams, as well as a number of other country greats. He was eighty-five.
Overtly political shows (like Music For Change) have presented a number of issues for fans of the bands playing.
"I'd prefer that my money not go to support Kerry," [Powell] Peabody [23 year old DMB fan] said. "And I'm not so sure I'd want my money going to Bush either. To be honest, I'd rather be supporting Dave Matthews."
As tour tickets go on sale today across the country, fans like Peabody are facing tough decisions.
There's no doubt the tour has musical allure to spare, featuring powerhouse matchups such as Springsteen with R.E.M. at Cobo Arena and the Dixie Chicks with James Taylor at the Fox Theatre. But a Vote for Change ticket doesn't just get you a seat. It turns you into a legally defined political contributor, with your money going to the group America Coming Together (ACT), which makes no bones about its desire to oust Bush from office.
I'm not so sure about the "legally defined political contributor" angle, but I can sympathize with the quandary. Do you go support a band that you really like (say, The Indigo Girls or Ted Nugent) when they play to support a cause with which you strongly disagree (respectively, Death Penalty Moratorium or Support Wildlife -- a pro-hunting group).
Thanks to Coolfer Glenn for the tip.
I suppose that this would count as proof that MTV must actually play a video once or twice.
A listing of most of the prominent blogging software.
An interesting article in the Washington Post about the dearth of prominent female guitarists. While I do agree that women guitarists do not get anywhere near the same kind of attention as their male counterparts, the sad part about the writer is that they ignore some very good players (like Jennifer Batten, just off the top of my head).
I'm back from Richmond. It was a nice weekend; I got to spend sometime with my family. My brother has two boys, and they're some pretty good kids. I don't get to see them as much as I would like, so it's nice when I can. My mother and father were also in town, so it was a nice reunion.
As it was my birthday a week ago, my folks also got me a good bit of gear from the upcoming camping trip. I got a rather nice tent and sleeping bag, as well as various and sundry ancillary items. But the gift that I most appreciated was a scrapbook from my mother.
She went through what must have been a large pile of photos and put them together. She also interviewed my father (as well as a few other people) to collect some details -- like that my father's grandfather didn't really interact with the grandkids all that much and that his grandmother was largely bedridden for most of his memories. It's things that may have never known otherwise, and I really appreciate it. Thanks, guys.
And see, I didn't blog all weekend. I really can stop whenever I want to -- I'm not at all addicted. Now, to make a dozen or so posts.....
I'm heading down to Richmond for awhile to spend time with my family. Blogging will probably be light (really, I can stop anytime I want to), but I may update from time to time.
One of the odder comparisons I've ever read.
Both groups are as close as one can get to being cult artists while still releasing Top 10 albums on a regular basis. And both attract an audience that comes primarily to gawk at the musicianship. In Rush’s case, the response is a little more literal: instead of circle-dancing or staring wide-eyed at the band, fans play air drums along with Neil Peart (whose amazing dexterity and stone-faced Vulcan look make Rush the only power trio whose undisputed star is the drummer). And in an era where obvious backing tapes and flat-out lip-synching have spread well beyond the Britney circuit to rock bands like Creed and Korn, it’s telling that two bands who are all about live playing, warts and all, drew some of the summer’s biggest crowds.
Thanks to Tim for the tip.
Brandy, having found that the pop world has largely forgotten about her, wants to go back to the small screen to resurrect what's left of her career.
Sandow's got another good article on what's to come for the classical genre. He goes over market share, demographics, the whole bit.
I'm late to the party -- day gig work and all, so there's not much I can add to this rather momentous case that other people haven't already said time and time again. So, instead, I think I'll just do a link farm on what some other people have said.
The EFF
Cory @ Boing Boing
Rebecca @ Conspiracy of Sound
Katie Dean @ Wired
Jason Schultz @ Copyfight
Donna Wentworth @ Copyfight
Brad Hill @ Digital Music
P2P United @ Digital Music
Ed Felten @ Freedom To Tinker
Actually, I started to do this, but I realized pretty quickly that Ernest Miller is all over this. Go there for all the links you could ever want.
Now, having said that I wasn't going to add anything to this, I'm not going to add something to this. Basically, this is a huge win for file trading. The impact to the music industry will probably be positive, but it can't be seen for now.
The best possible analogy I can draw is the Betamax case back in the 80s. The technology was ruled legal, and a thousand flowers bloomed as both new inventions expanded the horizons (and markets) of the film industry, created whole new industries (video rental is the obvious one; the less obvious ones are the entire Direct-To-Video industry, the ancillary spill over into data storage once the DVD proved popular with consumers, etc.) and basically grew the pie for everyone involved.
I rather suspect that will be the end result of this decision here. Well, it will after it goes through the Supremes. We don't know how it will affect the music industry, but I think that it will cause the pie to grow, and give out more opportunities.
BugMeNot -- a great site that allowed people to get around that annoying registration that some websites use. Well, unfortunately, they're no more.
Interestingly enough, these are the top 25 sites requested on BugMeNot.
-- Update --
Some more info on what actually happened.
-- Update 2 --
BugMeNot may be gone, but it'll be back soon.
What people have to say about you matters. A strange thought, no? A nice PDF going over some ways to make what people say work work for you.
Some highlights:
Have the integrity not to worry about what other people think of you. Good work is the way to build good reputation in a new business. — False. It is not enough to display competence. Reputation depends on people telling stories about you to their colleagues (remember the three players: you, the contact, the colleague). Reputation is unstable over time when not discussed, and too important to leave to chance. Reputation is the lubricant for exercising social capital. Your positive reputation makes people more likely to accept you as the source of new ideas and actions.
For me, quite a few bands that I have found have been by word of mouth (good, of course).
Remember the guys who found the Beatles outtakes in a suitcase? It's a bunch of hooey. Nothing of value to see here, move along.
Tonight, I caught Bruce Hornsby (and, one would presume, The Range) at Wolf Trap. I had been looking forwards to this show for quite some time -- I had previously had two opportunities to catch this show, but things feel through for one reason or another.
As the show got started, the weather was clearly going to be an issue. A stereotypical DC summer day, hot, humid with little wind wasn't going to do much to address physical comfort, much less the tuning issues of acoustic instruments. But, I guess that's one of the drawbacks of dealing with outdoor venues.
The show got started, and things were moving right along. But something was amiss. I'm not sure if it was the stifling humidity or what, but the crowd was comlpetely dead. Not a spot of energy from the crowd. And that affected the band. After a while, it seemed like the band was just phoning it in.
The music itself was unremarkable. Given Hornsby's playing history (some bluegrass, some jazz, lots of years with the Dead), I had expected more. This show was jazzy-ish improv for people who don't want surprises. Everything was safe, no challenges to anyone.
A word about the band. It featured Sonny Emory on drums, Doug Derryberry on guitar/backing vocals, JV Collier on bass, Bobby Read on sax/woodwinds/vocals, John "J.T." Thomas on second keys, Bruce Hornsby on keys/vocals and R. Hornsby (his nephew, local to NoVA) on second guitar. Bruce's nephew just seemed to be scared and out of his depth the entire time. He did some nice soloing, but his accompaniment playing was sparse and it seemed like he was just trying to find his way through the tunes. It's nice of his uncle to give him a break, though.
I did manage to take some photos. The seats were in the 2nd row, but way over to the side. So not only was there a rather limited visual range, we were out of the throw of most of the main speakers. The show actually got much better walking around the back of the venue on the lawn.
Van Halen has filed a 2 million dollar breach of contract suit against the Baltimore Orioles and Camden Yards. They filed after the O's cancelled VH's September 2nd concert.
A site with lots of sound and video clips of Spinal Tap.
I do like listening to old jazz albums (Dizzy, Louie, the like), but sometimes the language can be a bit opaque. Now, there's help.
Beyonce's toe has been broken after being stepped on by her bodyguard, "Shorty."
The film music world lost a good one last night. Bernstein's work was easily identifiable and always quality. In a world where the pop music du jour masquerades as film soundtracks, the ones who compose well for film are few and far between.
but if you haven't, check out the back and forth going over at ESPN (for some reason). It's touches tangentially on sports, but it's mostly just amusing pop culture chat.
Behold what more than a few see as the future of music sales. I'm rather skeptical.
I'm a fan of online shopping. I like the huge selection and the convenience of being able to find almost anything with a few keystrokes. That I usually save a couple of bucks is only a bonus.
I still make time to wander through the local stores, though. Sometines, the interaction with some of the staff is enlightening (think High Fidelity but not quite so esoteric). I have to say "some," because the teenagers who work at Tower (or Borders for that matter) aren't the most lucid of music afficiandos (unless you want to rate them by the number of piercings over their left eyebrow). I usually end up finding music that I would not have ever heard of before when I go ambling through the aisles.
As a matter of fact, that's how I discovered Richard Bona. I was killing sometime before a concert, so I trapised through a Tower records. I had African music on my mind, so I wandered through their world music aisle. One of the CDs in the front of the racks had a photo of Bona holding his bass. Seemed like a good fit, so I grabbed it. And what a find that was.
Phish fans kept from the final show by the mud will soon find some sort of refund coming their way.
American Idol calls out to DC. Thousands respond. I'd be willing to bet that a few well placed claymore mines would do wonders to clean up the gene pool.
Justin Timberlake's next album as Southern rock? Did I miss a memo somewhere?
The wedding's off? Why, Britney, why? Kevin was just so perfect for you...
-- Update --
Don't worry, good children. No need to cancel those wedding gifts just yet.
And thanks to the eagle eye of truth and justice known as Lynn for the tip.
Remember how I said that I hated all those people who got to go to Bass Camp? Well, I guess I now have to hate myself.
Through luck and good fortune, I've managed to find my way into going to Bass Camp. What does this mean? It means that I get to spend a week in Tennessee, studying bass with some of the best players around today (Steve Bailey, Anthony Wellington, Dave Welsch, Chuck Rainey, Regi Wooten, Adam Nitti and, of course, Victor Wooten) as well as learning about both nature and the outdoors (from Wilderness Survival instructors as well as a few martial arts instructors). It promises to be a rather interesting week. This is a chance for me to learn from both legends and my personal idols. To say I'm excited about it would be a understatement.
Trust me, I'm seriously doing the happy dance over this!
I finished Coding Slave by Bob Reselman the other day. I had hoped for a good story about coders. That's not what I got.
Almost half of the book is a combination of glossary and an exact translation of Plato's Meno dialogue. What's left is broken up so that each chapter tells a portion of the story from the point of view of a single character. Not a spankingly original idea, but a failed one in this instance. Characters appear, serve their function in moving what little of the story there is forwards and then they are discarded like so much chaff. The story itself lunges from tax fraud to technical incomptence to commercial intrigue with no transition and minimal connectivity.
The author throws in a sex angle from time to time, but it feels much like the afterthought bolt-on that it so clearly is. I would suspect that the author was told to "sex it up" -- some advice that he took quite literally.
The book itself is not well made, either. It's spiral bound -- like the kind of pamphlets you would get made at the local Kinko's.
All in all, I would highly recommend avoiding this book just about at all costs. I'd offer it for sale on Amazon, but I can see little point of it -- I'd just about pay someone to take it off my hands. If you want a fictional book on coding, check out either Microserfs or The First $20 Million Is Always The Hardest. Either one is a far better read.
Phil Collins is preparing to release a double album of suckage, focusing only on "sappy, trite, sacchariney love songs".
Okay, maybe he didn't quite describe the same way I did. I'm paraphrasing based on his career.
You would think that jail would be a place where a person wouldn't have the ability to continue working, wouldn't you? Not somewhere that you could make 100 phone calls, for instance?
John Gruber has a somewhat contrarian point of view as to why Apple is not making the same mistake with RealNetwork's Harmony that they did with Microsoft's DOS.
I’m here to tell you this is utter bunk. Apple’s position with the iPod is significantly different — and much stronger — than their position with Macintosh 20 years ago. There are admittedly a few similarities, first and foremost of which is that both products are much better designed than any competing product. Second, uh, they both use 12-point Chicago as the system font. (Except for the Mini, which uses Espy Sans, the Newton’s system font.)
The gist of my parlay argument is that the biggest difference between Apple and Microsoft — and the biggest reason for Microsoft’s lucrative monopolies in operating systems and office software — is that Microsoft built upon their previous successes, and Apple did not. Windows parlayed off MS-DOS, and Office parlayed off Windows. The Macintosh didn’t parlay off anything.
Fred Durst turns his thoughts to birthdays:
i do not like birthdays. it has been this way for me as long as i can remember. i do not like recieving gifts either. it makes me feel very uncomfortable. i really enjoy giving gifts and surprising people though. i cannot figure out why this is. as a little boy i loved surprises and presents. my son loves them as well. i guess i'm gonna have to figure it out later.
He also posts that junk email that claims " it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae." We think it probably sums up both his hardcore fans, who've littered the comments with "wow, that's amazing and so very true" type wide-eyed enthusiasm, and Fred's intellect that he seems to really believe this obvious wasp toss. If it were true, Countdown would be a hell of a sight easier and dyslexia wouldn't be a problem at all, apart from anything else.
Greg's train of thought is very clearly pitched towards classical music, but there's something here for any musician.
Instead, I want to ask why people in the audience don’t get more deeply involved with music itself. Someone, very likely (and of course understandably), might reply, “But we can’t do this—we’re not musicians!”
But I think the audience really isn’t given a chance. Here’s a small but telling example. Once, at the New York Philharmonic, I read program notes for some large-scale piece—I think it was a Bruckner symphony—that among much else told me that the work was scored for four horns. But right up there on the stage, in plain sight, were five! Any musician could tell you why that was. The horn is a difficult instrument, and the principal player has a sovereign privilege, to not play everything in his or her part. Thus a fifth horn sits in reserve, to fill in when needed.
But do people in the audience know this? Not likely, and the Philharmonic—along with just about every other orchestra—wouldn't think to explain, even when they face a stark contradiction between their program notes and what they put on the stage.
but the bottom of the page has a good list of opening lines to never use.
When I was in college, I studied Aikido for a while. While looking around, I found a blog dedicated to the art.
The good news here is that at least her crappiness is being contained in one city, instead of spreading all around the world. Thank God, Ms. Dion's not touring.
A while back, I wrote about the advent of dual sided releases (CD on one side, DVD on the other side). Now, I'm seeing some new reports of problems that might prevent the debut. The problems aren't technical -- it's both legal and licensing that's causing the headaches.
In additional news, Destiny's Child will release their next CD using this format. So, either the issues aren't all that much, or they're just pushing ahead anyway.
Thanks to Glenn for the tip.
In the always challenging effort to try and find new ways to reach an audience, some start-up rock bands are turning to younger and younger audiences.
It's Lollapalooza for the lollipop set. Some of the music industry's most promising — or possibly most promising — pop stars are heading to camp in an effort to reach a captive audience of taste-making teens and tweens.
For the past few summers, some of tomorrow's rock stars have been traveling to dozens of day and overnight camps from Pennsylvania to Maine, performing concerts that are either sponsored by their record labels or part of Camplified, a concert tour intended exclusively for camps.
Jack McDevitt's Omega was a decent enough sci-fi book. The basic idea is that there is a massive nanotech cloud floating through the universe, destroying any object in it's path made up of right angles (of a sufficient size -- a book wouldn't be big enough, but a skyscraper would). There's one of these clouds floating towards Earth, but it's not due for a few more centuries. As would be expected by human nature, the denizens of Earth at the time chose to ignore such a far off threat.
Enter a space exploration team which discovers one of these clouds heading towards a world populated by sentient beings. Beings of a vaguely Athenian world which happen to look like characters from a popular childrens' story. Public sentiment grows and a rescue mission is launched. Will they make it? Will the interference of a alien species affect the development of the creatures (shades of the Prime Directive)? Will I care enough to find out?
Honestly, not really. The story didn't move very well, nor were either the characters or the plot all that interesting.
Warner was trying to do the hip thing, enlisting various music blogs (my invitation must have been lost in the mail...) to promote The Secret Machines. They contacted the owners of the blogs and asked them to review the music as well as play it online (oh my! whatever will the RIAA say?!). Warner wins, the bloggers win, everyone wins, right?
Not quite. It seems that they weren't content to let it go at that. Rather, some corporate citizens of Warner pulled an authors-at-Amazon, going around to the aforementioned blogs and basically spammed the comments, saying how great Secret Machines and their music was. Too bad they didn't change their IP from post to post.
Now, Warner looks bad, the bloggers get to claim a fiesty independence and Secret Machines gets way more attention than they could have every gotten otherwise. Hmm... maybe this was the plan all along....
One reason why you would think the industry would be falling all over themselves to hook up with blogs.
"Film companies and music companies are seeing that 18- to 35-year-olds who are smart and have money and buy everything online are almost entirely our audience," says Chiore Sicha, editorial director of Gawker Media, a leading producer of blog content. "Blogs have this shocking demographic that most magazines would kill for."
Ah, but there's that whole RIAA copyright thing. The blogs that really like music like to post mp3s (that's bad), but they build huge buzz (that's good) even while seemingly encouraging people to download music without paying for it (that's bad). So what if it spreads the good word about a band far and wide (that's good)?
Thanks to David for the tip.
You can't help but admire the way Michael Jackson spreads the love around - we were convinced he was a Jehovah's Witness, but since his, ah, unpleasantness presented itself, he's taken to hanging out with highly members of the Nation of Islam, and now he's calling in at the First AME Church in LA - that's African Methodist Episcopal, of course. Any suggestion that this was simply a PR move prior to today's court hearings would mark you out to be a cynic - and if it was, it backfired a bit, because a man facing charges suggesting he's sexually attracted to children really should be careful how he phrases things. Jacko, asked what he was doing at the church, said he'd gone to "worship and see the children." Under any circumstances that would sound a little like it's on a par with a trip to a petting zoo, wouldn't it?
It's called 1000 Blank White Cards. All hail Eris.
Pardon me while I get my geek on.
SHA-1 is a one way hash algorithm used almost everywhere to secure computer transactions. If you've ever bought something over the web using SSL, you've used this without knowing about it. Well, it may have been cracked -- or, to be more accurate, a hole may have been found in the math. If this is the case, it's a big deal -- almost every website will have to retool to not fall prey to hackers, and there will be massive compatibility problems until everything gets worked out.
I must emphasize the word maybe. This may not pan out to be a full bore hole in the function. Either way, it's something to pay attention to.
-- Update --
It seems that it is true in a sense. A MD5 variant has absolutely been proven flawed; SHA-1 is still up in the air.
Greg Sandow talks about perform an opera from Handel in the fashion that Handel intended it to be.
A ramp should be built from the stage out into the middle of the audience, so that singers can walk down it, stand in the middle of the opera house, and entertain. (That happened in Handel's time.) Think of a Handel opera production almost like a cabaret show. The singers should perform more as themselves than as their characters; since a long series of da capo arias makes no sense unless the singers are showing off, showing off is the best way for singers to bring their characters to life.
The lights should be on in the opera house. (As they were up to the middle of the 19th century.) The audience should be free to talk, to come and go, to take breaks from the performance, to walk around. That way, the performers would have to grab our attention; if they didn't, we'd stop listening.
What most bothers me about this is listing the Alien as the winner on electric bass. Come on, I don't think he has the groove in his soul.
Thanks to Max for the tip.
Christina Aguilera wants to project a more mature image.
According to The Sun the 23-year-old singer had eleven pieces of body jewellery in her ears, belly button, eyebrow, lip and tongue.
But Christina, who is dating record executive Jordan Bratman, 27, revealed: "I'm rebelling against myself. I've taken out all my piercings apart from one in my right nipple. That's for me."
And dating a record exec? She seems to be taking lessons from Mariah, excepting the dating the underling instead of the bass part.
A really interesting compare/contrast between the information found on the label of a record and the info in iTunes (and, by extension, the data found in almost any mp3 tag).
Jazz has remained a very accessible art form partly because fans are educated by their own music collections. Albums employed text, photographs and graphic design to illustrate how a network of artists created a musical language together.
Without the physical album, online music stores will play a much larger role in teaching new listeners about jazz. While institutions, educators and preservationists will soon face the same challenges, music stores will be the first to use digital interfaces to educate the listening public about jazz.
Really a must read. As I was reading, it got me to thinking about the change in information over the last few years (digital media and no). Shrinking the package from vinyl to CD gave artists less real estate to work with when they were projecting their ideas to the public. I don't know if a modern day label would justify the expense incumbent to cover art of any magnitude (think Bitches Brew).
At the same time, the explosion of virtual real estate would seem to expand the horizons of people, but that doesn't always seem to be the case. I know that I get lazy when it comes to this sort of detail. A DVD can hold more information about almost any artist than most people will ever want to know -- 99% will never put it in the player. I'm making up that stat, but I have good reason to think it.
Case in point -- Oteil Burbridge's Family Secret. It's actually much more than a CD -- it's a double disc release, both a CD and DVD. I love Oteil's work and his playing. I listened to the CD nonstop for about two or three weeks before moving on to other things. It was only a few weeks ago that I got around to dropping the DVD into my player, and even then it was on as background while I did other things. And, not to toot my own horn, but I'm both a fan and serious about music. Couple that with my techno-geek nature and you might think that would pre-select me to be exact kind of person that would be enthralled at the availablility of a DVD, but I didn't do it. From that, I would suspect that more will not be looking at online offerings than will.
With the final Phish show drawing nearer, the runup ends in a muddy mess.
With hundreds of cars stuck in the mud and more pouring in, Vermont State Police today (Aug. 14) started turning back traffic headed to the Phish farewell concert in Coventry, Vt., and told ticketholders they would get refunds but no admittance.
Police erected a roadblock on Interstate 91 and other roads and told fans headed to the two-day festival at the Newport State Airport to turn around.
"Because of the heavy rains, parking inside the festival site has basically become impossible, and they're concerned for people's safety," said Adam Lewis, a spokesman for the concert promoter, Great Northeast Productions.
A writers lists a few of his cinematic guilty pleasures.
Tonight, Shahin and I got together to do some writing. Brett took his family away on vacation (the beach, I think), so Shahin and I sat down to work some more on Ripple. We worked out most of the structure last week (A -> B -> C -> A -> B2 -> C2 -> D -> C3 -> A), as well as the pacing and key. Tonight was making sure that we remembered the setup from last week, as well as further tightening the transitions.
The transition into the D section is to accelerando from about 87 to 144. The idea is to build up a mass of frenetic motion, probably with Brett and myself holding down the fort while Shahin (and the to-be-determined other musician) goes off, soloing on top of it.
After a while, we revisit the theme from the C section at the new pace, but instead of coming back down to the E to resolve to the A section, we're going to move to a high B (it's probably going to end up being me doing this). While the B is sustaining, Shahin will pick back up the original, more sedate A section at the original pacing. It should make for a good little tune.
I ordered a double gig bag from InCase. Hopefully, it should get here within a week or so.
Last year, I flew out to SF for work, and Anthony was kind enough to let me borrow one of his double bags. I've been meaning to pick one up for awhile; I'm just now getting around to it.
Paper Napkin is an email service dedicated to anonymous rejection emails.
So here's the scenario: You're out at a bar, riding transit, or even just walking down the street, and some bozo who desperately wants into your pants starts up a conversation with you. Rather than make a scene or make them upset, you're polite and at least nod at the proper times. Then, of course, they ask you for your number. Except this is 2004, so maybe they ask for your email address instead.
That's where Paper Napkin comes in. Give them anyname@papernapkin.net, tell them it's your address, and when they write you, they'll automatically get a response telling them how badly they've been rejected.
While he was in Ibiza, P Diddy tried to perform.
"He was getting the crowd going and singing over some tracks. But when he tried to rap the crowd turned on him, shouting and jeering until he left the stage."
And a visit to underground club DC10 for after-hours party Coco Loco the following day was equally disastrous.
The insider continued: "He got on stage and everyone cheered - but once he started rapping there was another chorus of boos. He persevered but the crowd reaction was so bad he was forced to leave the stage.
"He looked very hurt and was heard asking one of his flunkies: "Why don't they dig me?""
Because you're an overrated hack with delusions of grandeur?
IKEA. The land of out-it-together-yourself furniture. Home of the richest man in the known universe (even more money than Bill Gates). You know, that place that gives you everything that you would need to build your furniture, even if there are five or ten extra parts left over.
An amusing look at his experience with IKEA.
Tonight, I caught a showing of Collateral. But, before I get into that, I should talk about the theatre itself.
The showing I saw was in the "club section." Tickets ran about 25% more, and they had reserved seating. Not to mention that the seats were larger, with more legroom. I don't know if I would pay the extra amount for the seats in the future, but it was nice this time around (hey, it's my birthday. What the heck).
I had anticipated the movie for awhile; I've enjoyed quite a few of Michael Mann's films before. This one had all the earmarks of a Mann film -- slick, enjoyable to look at, sumptuous production values. The presence of both Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx I saw as necessary evils.
This flick was not a disappointment in this regard. I suppose my greatest criticism would have been the last half an hour or so. The movie just ran out of steam, meandering without knowing how to end. Prior to that, it was a pretty good ride, so long as you didn't think to hard about it.
Watch time :46.
The lads (and lass) of Nickelcreek and the former frontman of Toad the Wet Sprocket will be playing together next week at the Birchmere. I was interested in going, but I dwaddled and now it's sold out. A friend of mine is going (hope you have fun, Patrick -- drop me a line and let me know how it went), and this is what he can expect to find.
Not all of these would be required, but it's worth looking at when creating a site.
A compendium of ideas for dates. Some of these are rather cheesy, but some might work with the right person.
A veritable bounty of tunes from Claypool and boys.
I'm watching the opening ceremonty to the 2004 Olympics in Athens. I've got two quick thoughts:
The musical selection played as the last group countries entered the stadium (just prior to Greece) was Agnus Dei. AGNUS DEI!?! A requiem for the dead?!? On what planet is this an appropriate welcome to the sport? It's a great song (3rd track, if you're interested), very moving, but probably just a touch out of place
They are really bad. The saddest part is that the people in the photos are probably completley sincere about it.
Thanks to Rev Bob for the tip.
Street date is October 5.
Poogie Bell, the drummer for Marcus Miller, will be playing at Blues Alley on the 19th of this month. He's a phenomenal drummer -- if you like drums and/or groove, make some time for him.
George Clinton and the P-Funk Allstars will be at the 9:30 club on September 21.
Two shows in October (the 16th and the 17th) feature Tower of Power at the Birchmere.
Okay, so I've set up a new URL for anyone who wants it -- www.chromaticmusings.com. I thought it might be easier to remember than the slashes and such. Either will work; I don't expect to be dropping the old way anytime soon.
The Washington Post has a good write-up on Prince before his show at MCI this week.
With the possible exception of Brian Wilson, no one in pop has been called a genius more often than Prince. It started in the early '80s, as it dawned on everyone that this tiny kid from Minneapolis wasn't just writing all the songs on his albums but playing all the instruments, too. And then he started writing hits for everyone else, for acts including the Time, Wendy & Lisa, Apollonia 6. It was strange. All this choppy, racy, synthed-up fusion of rock, soul and R&B pouring out of Minnesota, of all places. And one guy is the Svengali of it all.
Moby's proud. He paid a woman to talk to him, got coked off his ass, shat himself and then told someone about it? I'm sorry, but if I was that foolish, the last thing I'd do is breathe a word of it to anyone.
About $500k worth of instruments and gear lost in a fire at the studio where they are recording their latest album.
They know exactly what they want.
Scott gives us a little sneak peek.
I sorta like Bands Reunited the first time around; hopefully this one will be good, too.
One of these days, I'm going to stop with the lists. Really, I will. Is there a 12 stop that can help me?
This is aimed more at rock critics, but the points should apply pretty broadly.
Thanks to the indispensible Coolfer Glenn for the tip.
I liked a number of them (The Straight Story, Hamlet, The Spanish Prisoner, Jacob's Ladder) while scratching my head as to how they left some out (Looking For Richard, Dark City, South Park -- one of the great satirical musicals). I'm sure you'll do the same.
Thanks to Frank for the tip.
Tonight, I went out to Merriweather Post to see Sarah McLachlan on her latest tour. She's doing a run of arenas in support of Afterglow. Tonight marks both the first time in six years she's been to Merriweather and the only shed stop on her US run.
First, the venue. I hate going to Merriweather. It's in an inconvenient location, the egress to the facility is horrible (one single, narrow footbridge over a stream from the parking lot) and the acoustics are subpar. I usually avoid going there -- I'm even going to skip a Flecktones show because of the venue.
Sarah McLachlan's got pipes. No fakin' there, she can solid sing. Her backing band consisted of Kathryn Rose on backing vocals, David Kershaw on keyboards and bass, Vince Jones on keyboard and backing vocals, Sean Ashby on guitar, lap steel and backing vocals, Brian Minaldo (I think) on bass and backing vocals, Luke Doucet on guitar, lap steel and backing vocals and Ashwin Sood on drums and vocals. Given McLachlan's stature as a singer, it's small wonder that she stacks her deck with an army of singers. Vocals were definitely the highlight for the evening.
It certainly wasn't spontaneity. I felt almost like I as sitting through the recording of Mirrorball. The songs that she played were the same as how she played them on that tour -- note for note, and almost certainly inflection for inflection. I'm even wondering if her facial tics are the same during each show.
Having said that, it's probably not a bad thing. Her audience almost certainly wants her to sound just like her record. Well, she did that in spades. To that end, the band was way overequipped. The guitarists changed guitars on every song. That in and of itself isn't a big deal. But they rotated through about fifteen different guitars. There isn't so much difference between a two pickup Les Paul and a three pickup Les Paul to justify the hassle of carrying both of them around. Not to mention enough toms to build a second drum set and then only using those toms for two minutes in one song. Must be nice to have roadies.
The show itself was very well done. Transitions were tight, the energy level of the show never lagged, and McLachlan's got on stage charisma for miles. She's one of those performers who can make each person in the audience think the little half smile was for them and them alone. The stage design was a bit strange, though. I'd call it Greecian farm -- tall Dorian columns (like 30 feet or so), lots of stairs like a veranda with green turf/carpeting (to look like moss?). A backdrop hung behind the band, allowing various video projections. A side note about the backdrop -- the way it framed the video overwhelmingly reminded me of a Yes album cover.
And the 70's references didn't stop there. There was a country-ish feel to the backing band, from the lap steel playing, to the abundance of cowboy hats. It reminded me a lot of The Eagles and/or 70's Linda Ronstadt.
All in all, it was a pleasant show. I don't know if I would go again, but I didn't regret going this time.
-- Update --
The NY Times reviews a Sarah show as well.
I'm ordering a new case to house my rig. I got a 12 space shockmountAnvil from Cases2Go. My old rack had 8 spaces in it and was already full when I picked up the JamMan. I figured that getting a few extra spaces will allow me to add another piece of hardware or two as I go forwards.
Also, it will have wheels. My back is happier already just for hearing about it.
It's a close call.
Thanks to Simon for the tip.
I'm taking the idea from Frank:
First Record Bought: I'm sure it was something Rush.
First Concert: I think it was Stryper (and man, am I embarassed about that)
Favourite Music Movie: Spinal Tap or Standing In The Shadows Of Motown
Favourite Music Book: Jaco
Favourite Songwriter: Richard Bona
Favourite Record Label: Real World
Favourite Magazine: I usually avoid the rags.
Favourite Bassist: Wow, there's a long list. If I have to say one and only one, I've got to go with Victor.
Favourite Album Cover: Schroeder's Greatest Hits -- so retro.
(In a new category)Least Favourite Album Cover: Boys For Pele -- Tori Amos
Favourite Teen Idol: Umm... Hillary Duff. Sure.
Artist Who Broke Your Heart: Jimmy Buffett. I used to like his stuff until I realized it was all the same. Every last note of it.
Artist You Will Always Believe In: Prince. Miles of talent, always worth paying attention to.
Singer Who Makes Your Skin Crawl: Kenny G. and Courtney Love.
Singer Who Makes You Swoon: Norah Jones. And the Indigo Girls (Emily if solo, but together, their harmonies usually stop me cold).
Favourite Sound: Well played, correctly intonated fretless bass.
Album You Will Always Defend: Moving Pictures -- Rush. Yeah, it's their most commercial, but it's still got some great work on it.
Album You Own That No One Else Does: Let The Kid Play -- Isaiah Williams.
Classic Album You Own but Don't Like: The Very Best -- 10cc.
Artist You're Supposed to Like but Don't: Wilco. Maybe I just haven't given them enough of a chance, but I don't quite get all excited like others seem to do.
Song You Can't Stand by an Artist You Like: Volare by Gipsy Kings. The first 30,000 times, it was okay....
Band That Should Break Up: Um, the Stones?
Band That Should Re-form: Just for my 80's nostalgia, Van Halen
Guilty Pleasure: Backstreet Boys, I Want It That Way
Favourite Music DVD: Spinal Tap or Standing In The Shadows Of Motown
Concert You Wish You'd Seen: Any with Jaco Pastorius.
Dream Collaboration: Richard Bona and Victor Wooten.
A rather self-serving article about how BMI disperses their collected monies to their hard working artists.
"Some of our business customers are surprised to hear that BMI never earns a profit," said Annastas. "Since its founding in 1939, BMI has had a unique business model."
Contrast that with this perspective:
I am a writer on "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" which spent eight weeks at #1 last year. To make a long story short, here is the history of the royalty payments on that song:
January 2004-ASCAP $6K/BMI $20K(ASCAP matched)
April 2004-ASCAP $119K/BMI $135K(ASCAP matched)
July 2004 ASCAP total $99K/BMI $60K(drum roll please)
BMI REFUSED TO MATCH!!!!!!!
Some people have asked me why I quote Simon as much as I do.
Madonna has insisted on promoters providing her with a totally soundproof room for her current tours.
As I'm sure you've guessed, we're wondering if we can persuade them to build it on the stage around her microphone.
Still wondering?
Three words on Usher: money making machine. I assume the guys are all okay with him under the Girls' Pants-Loosening Amendment to the Constitution of Manliness.
I worried about taking the 10 and 12 year-old flares to this show, but it was successful in every way possible that doesn't end with me on top of one of Usher's dancers and the entire RBC Center yelling, "Go Sun, it's your birthday -- not really!"
I am the King of the Niche Dwellers, and I had forgotten how fun it is to connect to the Biggest Thing on the Planet at its peak. That is Usher right now. If I could only have touched the hem of his garment, I know I'd have been made whole.
A dad goes with his daughter...
Macy Gray's getting a best of. I thought they stopped making EPs.
A few ideas to consider:
Those crazy college students.
One student was describing Glass's life in Paris as a young composer, where he was hired to transcribe Ravi Shankar's music into Western notation. Ravi Shankar, hero of classical Indian music; the man who taught John, Paul, and George how to play the sitar and the tabla. That Ravi Shankar. The student's description of Shankar? "He's the dad of Norah Jones." So much for the "godfather of world music." (George Harrison, for you damn youngsters.)
The season kick off concert will feature Mary J. Blige, Destiny's Child, Jessica Simpson, Elton John, and Lenny Kravitz.
Remember the board game Mousetrap? They're doing it for real in San Francisco. The marble becomes a bowling ball, the trap a huge crane and so on.
It seems to me that many of the CDs I pick up these days tend to have a hidden track (or two) on them. Sometimes, the hidden song is the best one on the disc. Other times, it's best viewed as a diversion. In any case, a website out there is dedicated to uncovering these hidden gems.
I know that I make a lot of these mistakes myself. Hopefully, these pointers will help me and others.
I know that I have a penchant for parenthetically speaking as well as probably using way too many commas when I write.
I found an unusual acoustic bass today while I was tooling around. It's setup in the form and fashion of a 34" scale bass with the layout of an upright.
This is one of the stranger ones I've ever heard. Signing a dead dog?
For some strange reason, the Olympic Games in Athens will "feature" a DJ spinning as the athletes enter the stadium. Sure, the opening ceremonies have a certain amount of cheesiness built into them (dancing children, garish costumes, etc.), but this strikes me as a bit on the wrong side. As Glenn puts it
As the small squad from Cameroon walks onto the track, some Euro-trance anthem is going to be pumping from the PA system. Should fit really well.
Maybe it's some desperate gambit to try and be relevant to those crazy youth of today's market. Look for an announcer to mention how "blinged" the gold and silver medals look.
Madonna now wants a peace room built for her while she tours.
Looks like good things can happen when we all get together. Richard Bona will be coming back to Blues Alley on October 8th and 9th. Mark it on your calendar; it's well worth the trip.
Latoya Jackson, in what can only be described as a desperate bid to remain even vaguely newsworthy, has changed her name. Would it be Kelly? or Cheryl? or even something as respectable as Shaniqua?
Nope, it's Toy. As if she wasn't enough of a joke already.
Okay, for the last few days, MediaCatch (my hosting company) has been screwing around with their servers. If you find that the Musings are up, that's almost certainly why. If it weren't that changing hosts is such a pain, I'd probably be looking.
The underlying message here is that teens have no taste and can't really choose. I mean, Best Thriller -- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Nothing at all better?
I kid! I kid! Teens have great taste; particularly when they buy something from me...
Yeah, I know. I was supposed to update my site. I did manage to get quite a few done (see the end of this post), but MediaCatch crashed on me Sunday evening and I couldn't finish it off. I'll get to it later on tonight.
A listing of some of the backdated posts I've managed to catch up on:
Bela Fleck Makin' Bank
The End Of Music
Musicians Take Charge At Label
Copyright Law Future
Women Rule
Musicians And Vocabulary
Halle Berry is either putting on a brave face or deeply in denial. Love to put the catsuit on again, indeed.
Today was a gorgeous day in DC. So, rather than stay inside and type for a few hours to catch up on posts, I went hiking. Sue me.
I promise lots o' posts tomorrow.
I've actually been sitting on a number of posts (I went to concert recently, caught a baseball game, read quite a few things that are really interesteing). I've just been very busy with work and such. I'm starting to get a handle on it; you may have noticed a few posts during the day, but it's still rather busy.
In any case, expect a load of posts over the weekend.
Okay, Bela Fleck making the front page of US Today would have gotten a writeup from me in any case. That it's about his business model only serves to make it easier.
A look at banjo master Fleck and how he runs his business in the digital age shows how drastically the industry has changed. A new CD release gets attention, but with many young customers bypassing CD purchases for free pirated songs on the Internet, touring pays the bills. Fleck says concerts reflect 70% of the band's income, records 20% and merchandising 10%.
Fleck will realize 40% of his yearly touring income crisscrossing the country to perform with his jazz/bluegrass/world music band at amphitheaters, auditoriums, amusement parks — even a farmer's market in Kansas City. In summer, audiences swell from 1,000 to 2,000 people nightly to anywhere from 4,000 to 20,000. The Deer Valley show sold out, at 4,000 tickets.
Totally worth your time to read.
Thanks to Rob for the tip.
Now we have a few people submitting their CD track list for the most hated CD ever.
Thanks to Cider Woman for the tip.
Japanese record label Avex experienced an artist revolt when Masato Matsuura -- one of the senior management (well beloved by the musicians signed to the label) -- was forced out by the board of directors. After his resignation was announced, the major acts signed to the label started to voice some rumblings about leaving the label for greener pastures. In very short order, Matsuura was reinstalled at Avex.
Thanks to Simon for the tip.
I used to work with a few Brits a while back, and this might have come in handy once or twice. I can't remember who said it, but there's a quote that goes something like "The US and UK are two countries separated by a common language."
So, here's a translation guide. I suspect that this one is like some of the slang dictionaries I remember looking at when I was working as a DJ ("How to speak hip-hop"), which usually ended up being useful for getting a good chuckle as opposed to having any good info. If any good person from the UK who reads this site wants to let me know their take on it (Simon? Geoff? Lindsey?), I'd appreciate it.
Some future copyright schemas discussed by intellectual property lawyers. Some of their possibilities:
- Primarily a criminal regime (remember when copyright was considered civil law?)
- Focused on control of the design of hardware & software (in the model of the Broadcast Flag) to prevent infringement ex ante
- A regime dedicated to preserving the retail market and revenue streams for 4 discs: (CDs, DVDs, Software CDs, and Video-Game CDs), having given up on nearly everything else
- Made in WIPO or the FCC as often as the U.S. Congress
- Gone (not a good bet).
Of the five options, I'm more inclined to think that option #1 is the way that Congress and others are heading.
Not that anyone actually doubted it, but women pretty firmly are in charge of the marketplace.
- Women influence the purchase of over 80% of consumer goods
- They influence 80% of health-care decisions
- They buy 50% of all automobiles sold, and play a role in influencing the purchase of 30% more
- 40% of households with assets of more that $600,000 are headed by women
- They start new businesses at twice the rate of men
Some good info that should be useful for marketing music...
Kyle Gann has been participating in the critic's conversation over on Arts Journal. One of the things he has been talking about is musicians and use of terms.
Of course, artists don’t like thinking about terms. Nothing is more fatal to creativity than to already know the answer before you frame the question. Artists have good reason to be suspicious about what terms you yoke them to, because terms wield power.
It's an interesting digression.
Not that I was all in demand anyway.
Pink Floyd's opus The Wall will debut on Broadway sometime in the near future. I wonder how they'll do the marching hammers bit.
Thanks to Jeff for the tip.
Thanks to Rev. Bob for the tip.
Surprising to no one, the original database got started over geeks tracking hot actresses.
For the Music For Change tour, John Fogerty will be backed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. I wonder if they will only be playing Fogerty tunes, or if they'll whip out the occasional Springsteen ditty.
Tonight, I caught a combined bill of Oteil Burbridge And The Peacemakers and Garaj Mahal. I've seen them both before (Oteil here and Garaj here). Given the hgih level of musicianship between all the members of the band (and especially Oteil and Kai), I was looking forwards to the show.
The Peacemakers started off the evening. Actually, they were late taking the stage (about twenty minutes or so). Looking around the audience (52 people -- I counted -- including venue staff), perhaps they were trying to decide if it was worth it. They came out and started up their set. The audience was appreciative, but not all that engaged. The Peacemakers were not quite as energetic as the last time I saw them; perhaps it's because they weren't doing a full night, perhaps because of the crowd, I don't know. Oteil would occasionally get into the show, doing his dancing thing that he does (a B.B. King side-to-side as well as full on limb-flailing dance steps), but not as much as I have seen on other occasions. Towards the end of their set, the crowd had about doubled, and they were starting to get into the music (even with some dancing going on, in that jamband, hippish style).
Oteil's band consisted of Oteil Burbridge on bass, Chris Fryar on drums, Mark Kimbrell on guitar, Jason Crosby on keyboards and Paul Henson on vocals. The majority of their set came from the Family Secret album. The show was capped by Oteil playing Amazing Grace as an unaccompanied solo. His version is no where near as kinetic as Victor's, featuring lots of chords as well as the occasional scat singing, but it's equally enjoyable.
After the set break, Garaj Mahal took the stage. The opening numbers were a bit slow and atmospheric, but then they went to one of their more popular tunes (Meatless Patty), an upbeat, fun, grooving song. The crowd completely went with the music, dancing and having fun. Garaj kept the pace moving, never letting the feeling stop.
As far as the musicians go, Kai was just on fire. Easily the best I have ever seen him play. Lots of rapid fire, staccato style with complex rhythms. Alan's pocket was so deep that even dead people couldn't help themselves but groove along to his drumline. Fareed played well, while Eric probably overplayed his vocoder/breath adapter a little too much.
At the culmination of Garaj's set, they invited The Peacemakers back on stage. Kai asked the crowd to clap out a beat (which ended up being something slow, around 102 or so), and they started jamming from there. The first tune went on for ten or fifteen minutes, mostly showcasing the guitarists (Fareed and Mark) as well as the keyboards (Eric and Jason). After a while, the song started to fall away, so Kai stepped up, laying down another thumping assault. The drummers jumped in soon afterwards, and it was a rhythm section bonanza for several minutes while the melody instruments either looked on or filled in light chords. After a while, the melody guys jumped in and a full bore funky song was underway.
While this was going on, Oteil kind of sat out a bit, smiling and enjoying the music around him while also seemingly trying to figure out where he was going to fit into the music. He played a few notes here and there, but that was about it. Towards the end of the piece, he stepped up to the mike and started his scat thing, which required all the rest of the musicians to find space for him (vocals tend to do that). This didn't last long, though.
As hard as this might be to believe, Kai then stepped up his playing during the jam. Oteil headed towards the back of the stage, took off his Fodera and grabbed his Modulus. As soon as I saw that, I knew that the serious bass playing was about to begin. Oteil likes his Fodera for the melody style stuff he does, but the Modulus is his slap machine. This was no exception; the full bore double thump Wooten-esque style bass playing was here to stay.
After the show, the members of the band came out into the crowd and talked for a while. It was interesting to overhear Kai and Oteil talk with each other. It seems like they really enjoyed playing together, as well as respected each other's playing. In fact, I'd speculate that the two of them playing together is probably what spurred Kai's level of performance that night.
CDs were also made on the spot for that night's show. I don't know if this is a Garaj thing (which I suspect it is, given that they had pre-printed, silk-screened CDs ready to go), a State theatre thing, or an independent 3rd party thing. In any case, I think it's a good idea.
At least this list had me laughing a few times. Some highlights:
- Magic Man by Heart (Soloist: Roger Fisher. Album: Dreamboat Annie. Year: 1976) -- I shouldn't even have to explain this one. God, who on the planet hasn't been subjected to this grating instrumental break? As we all know, the heavy rockin' Wilson sisters influenced a legion of equally- feminine '80s copycats: Bon Jovi, Poison, Motley Crue, etc. ...
- Sucker In A 3-Piece by Van Halen (Soloist: Eddie Van Halen. Album: OU812. Year: 1988) -- Sure, ol' Eddie has had his moments: he flaunts his nimble fingertips on early VH instrumentals like Cathedral and Eruption. Yet he's probably one of the worst group players in history. To anyone whose higher brain functions have developed beyond a sixth grade level, these aforementioned instrumentals must seem like empty, childish pleas for attention. Eddie is all about showy technique that elicits a lot of "Wow, dude's" from hyperactive, misguided suburban adolescents. But at least this kind of technically- obsessive masturbation was somewhat original for its time. On Sucker In A 3-Piece Eddie relies on hyperbolic whammy-bar hijinks without really "playing" much of anything. Unable to break out of the stylistic prison he locked himself in years before, he's seen here as just another aging rock virtuoso making stale rock- god gestures on yet another incredibly forgettable Van Halen album.
- Do You Feel Like We Do by Peter Frampton (Soloist: Peter Frampton. Album: Frampton Comes Alive. Year: 1976.) -- I think this one's pretty obvious. Is it a guitar, a voice, or a combination of the two? Whatever it is, it just won't shut up. Didn't Babe Ruth use one of these devices for his famous farewell speech at Yankee Stadium? As far as failed experimental effects go, this voice- box gadget is the biggest loser of them all.
- Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd (Soloist: Gary Rossington, Ed King, Allen Collins. Album: Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd. Year: 1973.) -- Unless you're Forrest Gump, this isn't much of a surprise. This impotent three- pronged hillbilly guitar attack is exhausting to say the least. "Well, damn, bitch! They fingers bled on that thar solo," Junior Samples says. Well, I slammed my fingers in a car door when I was seven. They bled. That wasn't too bright, and neither is the soloing on one of the most revered rock compositions in history. For a solo that's supposed to be akin to a spontaneous "backyard jam," it sounds forced and phlegmatic as hell. A couple of years before, Neil Young (Skynyrd's arch enemy) recorded the ideal blueprint for long- playing guitar sparring matches on Down By The River. The more you hear Free Bird the more evident it becomes how bereft of ideas these bloated, attitudinal hickoids really were.
Okay, I included the gratuitious Free Bird becuase I completely HATE that piece of garbage song. If I saw it walking across the street, I'd speed up.
Thanks to Shahin for the tip.
I'm sure you've heard about this before, but there's a big concert coming through the US to support defeating President Bush this year.
In an unprecedented series of concerts in nine swing states, more than 20 musical acts - including Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and the Dixie Chicks - will perform fund-raising concerts one month before the Nov. 2 election in an effort to unseat President Bush.
I went back and forth on whether or not to post this tid-bit. I really do try to stay away from politics on this blog. I have my opinions (don't we all?), and both my opinions and that of others can tend to run hot. I also know that I can enjoy music no matter who writes it or who performs it -- it's the quality of the product, not some detail of the performer (communist / anarchist / libertarian / follower of the moonbeams / whatever). If it's got a good groove, a smokin' musician (or two), then (for the most part) I can appreciate what's there without accepting all of it.
Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will) and Birth Of A Nation (just for two quick examples) are two movies about very bad people and very bad subjects. I can watch either flick and appreciate the craftsmanship of the film without approving of the content of the movie itself. Much the same with my forays into music.
MTV did for music what KFC did for chicken. -- Lewis Black
From Danny.
Yet another list, this time aimed at stadium rock anthems.
Thanks to David for the tip.
Ever been on a bad date? Sheesh, I know I have. I can remember one date I went on where things were going pretty good until she laughed. A Janice laugh (if you remember Friends). My god, I wanted to crawl away from the table and deny having any knowledge of her.
If only I had known about ways to get out of bad dates.
Thanks to Xeni for the tip.
Norah Jones' second cd went straight to number one when it debuted and stayed there for something like two months. Not good enough, says she (or, more likely, says her label). It's going to be re-released as a double CD. The re-issue will have live versions of some of the songs from the original disc, an interview with Jones and a very videos.
Honestly, I thought that he was dead. But, fortunately, that's not the case. He's alive and well, still playing guitar once a week in a NYC jazz club. Les Paul is probably best known for inventing a style of solid body guitar, but what I didn't know (before this article) is that he invented the technique of multi-track recording.
If it wasn't that she's managed to finangle her way into a fourth record contract, I wouldn't care. But somehow, Dannii Minogue has gotten picked up by a baby label of Universal.
The popular view that Prince had hooked up with Sony again purely to bounce them into funding his comeback publicity and that he was intending to withdraw back into the comfort of flogging his own downloads again seems to have got a shoring up following the little one's comments during a TV interview in Canada:
"Kids today, I mean, they're so talented and sophisticated. They can create their own albums on laptops. They can deliver it through the Internet. They can even be their own distribution service. I mean, what do we really need record companies for?"
We'd love to know how long the record company flunky who's organising this current trip for Prince laughed nervously for. It's hilarious to see a major label being suckered into basically underwriting a massive campaign against its entire business.
Not too long ago, I played around a bit with a guy named Clint Crisher. He was trying to throw together a funk band to do dance/pop music. We had been in contact a few times, trying to work out a time when I could get together with him and the other musicians he had found, but nothing ever really came together.
A few days ago, he rang me up to let me know that he was a bit frustrated with the DC music scene. It seems that he liked what I did, as well as the drummer that he found, but he couldn't find either a guitarist or a keyboardist that were both good enough and stable enough to create a band. So, he's heading out to LA to try and throw something together out there. He was also kind enough to invite me along.
If you couldn't guess, I'm not heading out to LA anytime soon. I'd be all for playing a sit in with Clint here and there, but I'm not quite willing to pull up stakes at this point in time. But I do wish him well...
His former manager has put out a tell-all book. They didn't part on good terms; anyone want to guess who comes out looking good and who comes out looking bad?
Thanks to the tireless efforts of Frank, we have both segments of Stylus magazine retrospective of major music producers and why they matter. Brian Eno, Phil Spector, Rick Rubin, Timbaland, Joe Meek, Max Martin, Glyn Johns -- just a few of the people covered.
Mancow is one of the more popular shock jocks in the Midwest. Much like Howard Stern, he's been harassed a few times by the FCC for decency violations. However, he took matters into his own hands, suing one of the people who regularly complained to the FCC about him. He has now decided to drop the suit, claiming to have met his desired goal.
Queensryche, called by some the "thinking man's heavy metal band" (and feel free to point out any contradiction in the previous phrase you may want), will be following up their 1988 release Operation: Mindcrime with a sequel (imaginatively called Operation Mindcrime II). They will be touring prior to the release, playing the entire Mindcrime suite in an effort to "prime audiences for the event". This will be the first time in fifteen years that the band has played the entire album in one show.
I remember when the original came out. I rather liked it. Geoff Tate has a strong voice with a pretty large range, the writing was a little above what usually came out of most metal bands at the time, and the lyrics weren't about the usual trolling for drugs, booze and sex. But man, it was pretentious and bombastic.
I love Fark. There's always something there to read, and it usually draws a chuckle from me. Yet, a possible fly is in the ointment.
After trying to figure out a deal they told me that I could just buy the editorial. The cost? Like $300 to $400 for a story.
I was shocked…. all this time I’ve been reading Fark.com it turns out that some percentage of the stories are paid for. Looking back on it I’m now sure the adult links are all paid for, as are the ifilm.com links.
It would make some sense as to why such dreck as iFilm is featured as much as it is. Just for the record (and in the interests of full disclosure), I do not get paid for anything I say here. If you buy something from Amazon off of one of my links, I get a cut, but that's it.
The drummer for Poco suffered a stroke one song into his set the other night. His condition is improving; hopefully, he will continue to do so.
Cincinnati has had a ban on festival seating ever since 11 fans were crushed to death at a Who concert when a mass of people made a rush for the door. I was rather young when that happened, so my exposure to this event is very literally an episode of WKRP In Cincinnati, when they talked about both the event and the aftermath.
Fast foward twenty-five years, and now the city fathers are talking about changing the law to allow general admission seating -- with a few caveats. The doors (all of them in the venue) would have to open no less than two hours before the show, with ushers and security personnel in place prior to opening. An evacuation plan must be designed as well.
Now, just speaking for myself as a fan, I kind of like the reserved seating approach. It cuts down on my personal wear and tear, I can get something to eat before I come out to the show (thereby skipping the haute cuisine of a hot dog for $10) without having to worry about getting bad seats and I don't have to give up an entire day to get a good spot (not that I have minded doing just that before). From my point of view as a musician, I like it when the crowd right in front of the stage is full of energy, and I can see an argument where general admission encourages this. I'm not sold on that, though.
Can you imagine Stanley Kubrick directing Jack Nicholson in the life story of Napoleon? It almost happened.
The geek in me is just about frothing at the mouth of a stapleless stapler.
The IRMA (Irish Recording Music Association) hopes to extend their present copyright situation from 50 years to 70 years.
The Irish Recording Music Association (IRMA), a lobby group for the Irish recording industry, is now demanding European law fall into line with American legislation, which extends royalty payments to 70 years.
Dick Doyle, the director general if IRMA, said Irish aritsts wanted "a level playing field."
Bernie Goldbach points out that Irish artists also enjoy tax-free royalities (both for performance and for sales), so I can't really be all that heartbroken for any loss of revenue due to a somewhat shorter copyright life.
Thanks to Cory for the tip.
Telemundo, home to overly melodramatic soap operas and dubbed films from the 80's (along with other things, to be fair), is expending great effort to get their on screen personalities to change their accents.
Mexican Spanish, Telemundo says, hits a middle ground between Colombian Spanish, which the network considers too fast and terse, and some Caribbean accents that are too slow and imprecise. Telemundo executives say Mexican Spanish is the broadest-appeal, easiest-to-understand Spanish -- if Telemundo's coaches can iron out its typical sing-song cadence. In other words, it becomes the Nebraskan of Spanish.
I'm guilty of it. I've followed the very public detioration of Courtney Love with the abject fascination that causes people to slow down and rubberneck a car wreck. Andrew Meuller writes on the phenomenon, taking people like me to task:
There may have been a time, in rock's first flush, when this kind of outlaw behaviour was a semi-spontaneous adjunct of the riotous new sound, a response to a frightened mainstream society struggling to constrain its restless young. At this late stage it's hard to escape the feeling that addiction and arrest have become the equivalent of scout's badges, things to be collected out of some vague sense of obligation. ...
Any idiot can take drugs. Getting arrested is only as difficult as knocking a policeman's hat off. It is, surely, time we all grew out of this.
So noted, Andrew. I'll probably write more about this in the future (I write about what interests me), but I'll feel appropriately abashed when I do.
Thanks to Cooler Glenn for the tip.
Ugly Americans is the true story of ex-patriots heading over to the Asian rim to engage in financial speculation. Set in the mid-90's, these gaijin cowboys gamed the system, traded on rumor and innuendo to exploit minute shifts in the Nikkei and ended up making billions. The book follows the exploits of an ex-football player from Princeton who heads over to Osaka with little more than an invitation from a Princeton alum cum trader. He quickly finds himself immersed in trading millions of dollars on a daily basis, as well as the seedier side of gaijin life in Japan.
It's a good and riveting read. The financial details are well explained and never dragging, while there is enough of a story about the activities of the traders to hold a reader's interest through some of the more dragging parts. And, whenever the author gets into trouble, he drags out some unseemly details about the sex trade in Japan (while no doubt true, and I know full well that bonding over beers in a sex club happens everywhere, I felt that it was an attempt to spice up the story). In any case, there's something for everyone.
Written by Ben Mezrich, who also wrote the book on the MIT grads who took some casinos in Vegas for quite a bundle. I haven't read his other book, but I'll probably make some time for it fairly soon.
A minimum of hundred grand from the final Phish concert will be going to charity.
J Lo wants to star in a movie along with Marc Anthony.