Songbird
Oct
30
Music Mini Mix
Filed Under Music Mix Up | 13 Comments
I am tired…Think I am ready for some days off…Like Thanksgiving, I can’t wait till Thanksgiving that is going to be awesome. But let us look at the now shall we? Well tomorrow is Halloween all across America and all though I am not really the festive Halloween type I always like to hear what people decide to dress up as. So lets hear it people…What are you going as for Halloween? Or what did you dress up as this past weekend?
Also a mini new music mix…
mp3:Â The Days – The Fairer Sex
Two Can Win 2007 (Ionik Records)
mp3:Â The Way On – The Owls
Daughters and Suns 2007 (Magic Marker Records)
mp3:Â Birds On The Wing – Viva Voce
Lovers, Lead the Way! / The Heat Can Melt Your Brain 2007
Oct
29
It’s All About Vinyl
Filed Under Album Picks | 10 Comments
Vinyl has been reborn so to speak and it is a beautiful thing. Check out this article at Wired:
Vinyl May Be Final Nail in CD’s Coffin
By Eliot Van Buskirk
As counterintuitive as it may seem in this age of iPods and digital downloads, vinyl — the favorite physical format of indie music collectors and audiophiles — is poised to re-enter the mainstream, or at least become a major tributary.
Talk to almost anyone in the music business’ vital indie and DJ scenes and you’ll encounter a uniformly optimistic picture of the vinyl market.
“I’m hearing from labels and distributors that vinyl is way up,” said Ian Connelly, client relations manager of independent distributor alliance IODA, in an e-mail interview. “And not just the boutique, limited-edition colored vinyl that Jesu/Isis-style fans are hot for right now.”
Pressing plants are ramping up production, but where is the demand coming from? Why do so many people still love vinyl, even though its bulky, analog nature is anathema to everything music is supposed to be these days? Records, the vinyl evangelists will tell you, provide more of a connection between fans and artists. And many of today’s music fans buy 180-gram vinyl LPs for home listening and MP3s for their portable devices.
“For many of us, and certainly for many of our artists, the vinyl is the true version of the release,” said Matador’s Patrick Amory. “The size and presence of the artwork, the division into sides, the better sound quality, above all the involvement and work the listener has to put in, all make it the format of choice for people who really care about music.”
Because these music fans also listen using portable players and computers, Matador and other labels include coupons in record packaging that can be used to download MP3 versions of the songs. Amory called the coupon program “hugely popular.”
Portability is no longer any reason to stick with CDs, and neither is audio quality. Although vinyl purists are ripe for parody, they’re right about one thing: Records can sound better than CDs.
Although CDs have a wider dynamic range, mastering houses are often encouraged to compress the audio on CDs to make it as loud as possible: It’s the so-called loudness war. Since the audio on vinyl can’t be compressed to such extremes, records generally offer a more nuanced sound.
Another reason for vinyl’s sonic superiority is that no matter how high a sampling rate is, it can never contain all of the data present in an analog groove, Nyquist’s theorem to the contrary.
“The digital world will never get there,” said Chris Ashworth, owner of United Record Pressing, the country’s largest record pressing plant.
Golden-eared audiophiles have long testified to vinyl’s warmer, richer sound. And now demand for vinyl is on the rise. Pressing plants that were already at capacity are staying there, while others are cranking out more records than they did last year in order to keep pace with demand.
Don MacInnis, owner of Record Technology in Camarillo, California, predicts production will be up 25 percent over last year by the end of 2007. And he’s not talking about small runs of dance music for DJs, but the whole gamut of music: “new albums, reissues, majors and indies … jazz, blues, classical, pop and a lot of (classic) rock.”
Turntables are hot again as well. Insound, an online music retailer that recently began selling USB turntables alongside vinyl, can’t keep them in stock, according to the company’s director, Patrick McNamara.
And on Oct. 17, Amazon.com launched a vinyl-only section stocked with a growing collection of titles and several models of record players.
Big labels still aren’t buying the vinyl comeback, but it wouldn’t be the first time the industry failed to identify a new trend in the music biz.
“Our numbers, at least, don’t really point to a resurgence,” said Jonathan Lamy, the Recording Industry Association of America’s director of communications. Likewise, Nielsen SoundScan, which registered a slight increase in vinyl sales last year, nonetheless showed a 43 percent decrease between 2000 and 2006.
But when it comes to vinyl, these organizations don’t really know what they’re talking about. The RIAA’s numbers are misleading because its member labels are only now beginning to react to the growing demand for vinyl. As for SoundScan, its numbers don’t include many of the small indie and dance shops where records are sold. More importantly, neither organization tracks used records sold at stores or on eBay — arguably the central clearinghouse for vinyl worldwide.
Vinyl’s popularity has been underreported before.
“The Consumer Electronics Association said that only 100,000 turntables were sold in 2004. Numark alone sold more than that to pro DJs that year,” said Chris Roman, product manager for Numark.
And the vinyl-MP3 tag team might just hasten the long-predicted death of the CD.
San Francisco indie band The Society of Rockets, for example, plans to release its next album strictly on vinyl and as MP3 files.
“Having just gone through the process of mastering our new album for digital and for vinyl, I can say it is completely amazing how different they really sound,” said lead singer and guitarist Joshua Babcock in an e-mail interview. “The way the vinyl is so much better and warmer and more interesting to listen to is a wonder.”
– – –
Eliot Van Buskirk has covered digital music since 1998, after seeing the world’s first MP3 player sitting on a colleague’s desk. He plays bass and rides a bicycle.
Oct
29
It’s All About Vinyl
Filed Under News & Info. | 11 Comments
Vinyl has been reborn so to speak and it is a beautiful thing. Check out this article at Wired:
Vinyl May Be Final Nail in CD’s Coffin
By Eliot Van Buskirk
As counterintuitive as it may seem in this age of iPods and digital downloads, vinyl — the favorite physical format of indie music collectors and audiophiles — is poised to re-enter the mainstream, or at least become a major tributary.
Talk to almost anyone in the music business’ vital indie and DJ scenes and you’ll encounter a uniformly optimistic picture of the vinyl market.
“I’m hearing from labels and distributors that vinyl is way up,” said Ian Connelly, client relations manager of independent distributor alliance IODA, in an e-mail interview. “And not just the boutique, limited-edition colored vinyl that Jesu/Isis-style fans are hot for right now.”
Pressing plants are ramping up production, but where is the demand coming from? Why do so many people still love vinyl, even though its bulky, analog nature is anathema to everything music is supposed to be these days? Records, the vinyl evangelists will tell you, provide more of a connection between fans and artists. And many of today’s music fans buy 180-gram vinyl LPs for home listening and MP3s for their portable devices.
“For many of us, and certainly for many of our artists, the vinyl is the true version of the release,” said Matador’s Patrick Amory. “The size and presence of the artwork, the division into sides, the better sound quality, above all the involvement and work the listener has to put in, all make it the format of choice for people who really care about music.”
Because these music fans also listen using portable players and computers, Matador and other labels include coupons in record packaging that can be used to download MP3 versions of the songs. Amory called the coupon program “hugely popular.”
Portability is no longer any reason to stick with CDs, and neither is audio quality. Although vinyl purists are ripe for parody, they’re right about one thing: Records can sound better than CDs.
Although CDs have a wider dynamic range, mastering houses are often encouraged to compress the audio on CDs to make it as loud as possible: It’s the so-called loudness war. Since the audio on vinyl can’t be compressed to such extremes, records generally offer a more nuanced sound.
Another reason for vinyl’s sonic superiority is that no matter how high a sampling rate is, it can never contain all of the data present in an analog groove, Nyquist’s theorem to the contrary.
“The digital world will never get there,” said Chris Ashworth, owner of United Record Pressing, the country’s largest record pressing plant.
Golden-eared audiophiles have long testified to vinyl’s warmer, richer sound. And now demand for vinyl is on the rise. Pressing plants that were already at capacity are staying there, while others are cranking out more records than they did last year in order to keep pace with demand.
Don MacInnis, owner of Record Technology in Camarillo, California, predicts production will be up 25 percent over last year by the end of 2007. And he’s not talking about small runs of dance music for DJs, but the whole gamut of music: “new albums, reissues, majors and indies … jazz, blues, classical, pop and a lot of (classic) rock.”
Turntables are hot again as well. Insound, an online music retailer that recently began selling USB turntables alongside vinyl, can’t keep them in stock, according to the company’s director, Patrick McNamara.
And on Oct. 17, Amazon.com launched a vinyl-only section stocked with a growing collection of titles and several models of record players.
Big labels still aren’t buying the vinyl comeback, but it wouldn’t be the first time the industry failed to identify a new trend in the music biz.
“Our numbers, at least, don’t really point to a resurgence,” said Jonathan Lamy, the Recording Industry Association of America’s director of communications. Likewise, Nielsen SoundScan, which registered a slight increase in vinyl sales last year, nonetheless showed a 43 percent decrease between 2000 and 2006.
But when it comes to vinyl, these organizations don’t really know what they’re talking about. The RIAA’s numbers are misleading because its member labels are only now beginning to react to the growing demand for vinyl. As for SoundScan, its numbers don’t include many of the small indie and dance shops where records are sold. More importantly, neither organization tracks used records sold at stores or on eBay — arguably the central clearinghouse for vinyl worldwide.
Vinyl’s popularity has been underreported before.
“The Consumer Electronics Association said that only 100,000 turntables were sold in 2004. Numark alone sold more than that to pro DJs that year,” said Chris Roman, product manager for Numark.
And the vinyl-MP3 tag team might just hasten the long-predicted death of the CD.
San Francisco indie band The Society of Rockets, for example, plans to release its next album strictly on vinyl and as MP3 files.
“Having just gone through the process of mastering our new album for digital and for vinyl, I can say it is completely amazing how different they really sound,” said lead singer and guitarist Joshua Babcock in an e-mail interview. “The way the vinyl is so much better and warmer and more interesting to listen to is a wonder.”
– – –
Eliot Van Buskirk has covered digital music since 1998, after seeing the world’s first MP3 player sitting on a colleague’s desk. He plays bass and rides a bicycle.
Oct
26
Thoughts In Rainbows
Filed Under Album Picks | 4 Comments
Now that the dust has settled a bit on In Rainbows lets discuss…I will start off saying that Radiohead is not perfect in my mind, Pablo Honey is a great debut but I don’t listen to it regularly and Hail To Thief is really not one of my favorites by any means. So don’t get me wrong I am not going to sit here and stroke Radiohead’s dick or anything…Alright maybe a little…
When I got home from work on that Wed. I downloaded In Rainbows immediately, as I had to wait all day to hear it because I was late to work in the morning and was unable to download it before I left. I couldn’t wait to hear the album…And then I listened to it over and over again and took little breaks in between and then listened to it over and over some more. Because Radiohead is one of those bands where you have to give their music a little time, it is not love as soon as you hear it. Their music grows on you and sometimes it takes weeks and at times even years I think. For example when I first heard Kid A I hated it (I know can you believe it?) but then I gave it another chance years later and it has become one of my favorite albums of all time.
I was intrigued to say the least when I first listened to In Rainbows…The first two tracks are funky rhythmic gems and then the album slows down in pace a bit, sucks you into it’s world and personally for me I am lost by the time All I Need comes into play…
Now what have Radiohead done differently from that of Hail To Thief? In one word In Rainbows is unpredictable it is a funky jazz infused alternative rock album that only Radiohead could make. It doesn’t sound mainstream like Hail To Thief did, in fact I think In Rainbows leans in the direction of Kid A, but it is just not as ground breaking. But it is beautiful and unique and there isn’t a song on the album I don’t like…I continue to listen to it over and over all the way through from 1 to 10. It makes me fucking happy, puts a big smile on my face and I can’t wait till the box set comes out in December and I can’t wait to see them sometime in 2008.
2 of my favorite tracks off the album…
mp3:Â All I Need
mp3:Â Reckoner
In Rainbows 2007
Album only available HERE
P.S. My Playtagger tags are not working and I don’t know why so please be patient. The songs are still there though just click the link to play in your music player or right click the link to save. Thank you!
Oct
23
3 for 1 – Film Reviews
Filed Under Film Box | 4 Comments
Pip here and fine, ok, I admit it: I’ve been lazy. I’ve seen films on the independent side that I’ve not shared. Well this travesty shall continue on no more! Unfortunately, most of these are gone so you’ll have to Netflix ’em. Onward then, with the three reviews at once!
When I mentioned this one, lil Rach’ wasn’t so sure, in fact the look on her face was anything but sure when I explained the premise. A doc’ about a bunch of old video game geeks are trying to break the Donkey Kong record……… I’ll let you pause and take that one in. At first I thought it was like those guys that did the doc’ about the staring contest championship. Little did lil Rach’ know, that this was going to be a damn good documentary.
Really, as with any sport – yeah that’s right I said sport – the formula is the same. Either the underdog wins, or he don’t because the underdog needed to learn an important life lesson. So why the hell do we love this stuff so much? It must be something primal, like eating meat from a bone. It just brings the animal out of ya. This one’s no different really, except that the cast of characters are at once so bizarre and so lovable you just can’t help but to laugh and cry right along with them.
Some people might be inclined to point and laugh at the silly geeks. Of course I easily identified with them. At first the folks in the audience would poke fun, or chuckle when they said something about video games that can only be said about ‘real’ sports. Soon though, they latched on to our hero and were along for the ride. I’d highly recommend this one to anyone that likes a good underdog story, but if you love documentaries or video games or both at once, you have no excuse but to seek this out when it hits DVD sometime next year.
Here’s a movie I’d recommend to my mother, in fact I did. This is one hilarious film that looks at love and the label of marriage pretty darn realistically. Well really that’s the rub of the film: marriage vs. love. Some of the characters have been together forever, some don’t love each other openly, some think they love each other, some are just getting started and of course everyone is tangled up with everyone else. It’s a wild romp of romantic comedy proportions that follows no formula and damnit if Abby is just cute as a button.
I really loved all the players in this one, all the people were living and breathing spewing witty – but not overly written witty – dialogue that had myself and my party laughing out loud on a regular basis. It takes concepts we normally attribute to certain legal contracts and disconnects those things a little, which might maybe stick in a few folks craw I suppose. Hey, if you can have sex without love, you can have marriage without love damnit! Back off! Oppressor!
Fellas, wanna score points? Well then remember Ira and Abby for your queue. Ladies, if you’re looking for a fella to come at you with a romantic comedy… just put down the fantasy and come back to reality. I tried with my scoring points thing, but really… asking a guy to rent a romantic comedy without some sort of compromise or sexual bribery is just plain silly. Unless of course the guy is like me, then he’s just freakin’ awesome.
Ok so I had no idea that this one is based on a true story going into this, and really I’m not sure if that knowledge would have enhanced even more the amazing experience that is this film or not. I tell you this because you should know. That’s right, I’m playing God with your mind right now, you can’t deny that kind of power.
Anyway, I can’t remember another film that instigated as long of a conversation as this one. It’s an amazing story, one that makes it even more poignant knowing this stuff really happened. In the beginning I had my pet peeves pushed – I’m not a huge fan of constant back and forth flashback storytelling unless it’s done right. Even when it is done right, sometimes I take longer than others to get into it. That was me at first during this film. But about 20 minutes in, I was hooked. I don’t really agree with a lot of the things that the guy did, but man I sure understood where he was coming from. That total selfishness the main character exhibited was the reason conversation after the film was dominated by his actions. Every person he came across is unforgettable and he is unforgettable to them, but still on his quest forward into the great unknown he constantly abandons until he realizes what he’s done.
I can really relate to the call of the wild. Sometimes I get this desire to just drop everything and run out into the woods… but then that silly reverie is shattered when I click on the StumbleUpon button again and again and again in hopes of finding a funnier video on YouTube. Maybe that means woe for our future… I say our future is going to be all electronic. Tectonic. Break it down.
Until next time – and I’ll try and work on my promptness – Pip signing out.
Oct
19
New Music Friday
Filed Under Music Mix Up | 8 Comments
It’s freaking Friday! I wasn’t sure I would survive there for a little while. This sickness knocked me on my ass. But I started feeling better yesterday and I do certainly feel better today just in time for the weekend! Yeah!
I thought I would start with some new music…I am kind of letting the hype die down in regards to the Radiohead download release, because you know me… :)
In other news I did get a working iPod and it is grand. I have so much room I don’t even know what to do with it all. Ha! Just kidding. Anyways this iPod has restored my love for the Apple mp3 player, there really isn’t anything better on the market in my opinion. So cheers to Apple’s iPod! And cheers to you know who for getting me such a marvelous gift.
Now on to the music…Â
Vespers 2007 (Abandoned Love Records)
Album available HERE
mp3:Â No Cars Go – Arcade Fire
No Cars Go – Single (Merge Records)
Album available HERE
*Check out the Surf City Eastern Bloc track it is fantastic
mp3:Â King Friday – Songs Of Green Pheasant
Gyllyng Street 2007 (Fat Cat Records)
Album available HERE
Oct
15
The Aches and Stuffies
Filed Under News & Info. | 4 Comments
I am sick with some sort of evil sickness that has warped any energy I originally had from my body. I will be away for another day or so until I start feeling better. When I do start feeling better and when I start making some sense I will post all the goodness I have lined up…Like the Beirut show review, Radiohead praise and misc. new music. Night, night even though it is barely 8:00 am.
Oct
9
Sunset Rubdown Bless Me
Filed Under Album Picks | 9 Comments
Sunset Rubdown just released their newest album, Random Spirit Lover. Good old Sunset Rubdown are beginning to become a staple in my music collection. Winged/Wicked Things is probably my favorite song on the album it is filled with so much passion and force I just love it, tis quite powerful indeed.
Speaking of force, the force hasn’t been with me as I return my defective iPod. Sending it as we speak back to Apple, where they will then in turn refund the money, where I then will purchase it in store so to avoid any shipping issues in the future just in case I happen to get another defective pod. Weeeee! I will keep you posted, I am sure you will be hearing it if I do indeed happen to get another rotten Apple.
mp3:Â Â Winged/Wicked Things
Random Spirit Lover 2007 (JagJaguwar)
Oct
8
Beirut, The Flying Club Cup
Filed Under Album Picks | 13 Comments
In the past couple of years I have listened to countless bands but no other band touches me deep in my soul quite like Beirut. Maybe it is because of their distinct sound or Condon’s one of kind vocals, or even the sure love for music that speaks volumes in every one of their composed tracks. Most likely it is a combination of it all and I can’t get enough. Beirut’s second full length album, The Flying Club Cup is a progression of sound, a delightful dance of French chanson and one of my favorite albums of the year. I see them live this Thursday, October 11th at the Avalon Hollywood.
mp3: Nantes
mp3: A Sunday Smile
The Flying Club Cup 2007 (Ba Da Bing!)
Oct
7
The Darjeeling Limited
Filed Under Film Box | 9 Comments
Directed by: Wes Anderson
Starring: Three chaps pictured above
I suppose I should preface this mini-review by explaining my love for Wes Anderson. It is total… it is complete… it is with all my soul. I discovered him thanks to an old friend several years back when he sat me down and made me watch Rushmore. It was love at first sight, gushing, adoring love for the creator of that little world. We then discovered his past filmography, we tracked down Bottle Rocket (not an easy feat at the time), watched it and allowed my feelings to become solidified. It was so bad if I was in school and had a notebook, it would be graffitied in blue ink in huge “Slayer” font. I heart Wes Anderson. The first Wes film I saw in the theater was Royal Tennenbaums and I must admit at the time I was unsure if I liked it or not. Now, I think it’s my favorite to date. Strange how they grow on you – I hear this is not an uncommon event. My theory about Tennenbaums is simply that I wasn’t ready for it. When Zissou came around, I sure was and I ate that up like fresh brownies.
On a side note, my favorite sweet (which I only really like three sweets total) is brownies, so if you’re planning on sending in money for site maintenance, send brownies instead.
It was time for a new Wes Anderson film. I think you’ll be surprised when I say that my hetero-curiousity toward the skinny bastard remains, and in fact gets a layer deeper. The story is simple, as are most of his films on the surface, three brothers are going on a journey into India after not talking to each other since their father’s funeral. Like all of his films, it’s the details and character depth that make up the magical equation. Rach made the comment that the film was pretty random, I’d have to agree to a point. The film has a hectic nature to it, always moving forward like a shark… or… a train. But as soon as their itinerary gets off schedule and when they’re not looking for it, that’s when their true journey begins. I think, too, anyone with more than one brother is going to really feel this one. I have three sisters myself, but sometimes I treated them like brothers by beating them up and whatnot, so I think I have some idea. There are many moving moments in this one, some shocking, some hilarious, but all ring true in the Andersonion universe.
Not to be confused with the other god-like Anderson, that review is coming in a few more weeks.
I’m scared though, really. There are maybe four directors or writers that can go through a long career without stumbling once constantly bringing greatness and near perfection out onto the screen. Odds are against Wes that someday he’s going to make a bomb. For some people, that bomb has already happened. Bollocks I say upon thee, he’s only given birth to beauties, this one is no different. If you’re like me and have loved everything he’s done, why are you reading a review about it? Just go see the damn film. If you haven’t liked his past two films, skip this one and save your money. Go see Heatbreak Kid instead, probably more up your alley.
Don’t forget before you go to the theater, go download Hotel Chevalier from iTunes… it’s a prologue of sorts, plus there’s a few extra laughs in the film if you see it first.
Disclaimer
Music found on this blog is for sampling only. If you like what you hear then support the artist. Buy their music, attend a show and spread the word. If you own the rights to any of the music featured here and you would like me to remove it contact me and I will remove the link immediately.
Click the
tag to listen, right click the song title to save. If you find that an mp3 is not playing chances are it has expired.
Contact
Rachel - Music, FilmAggregator Love
