Hear No Evil, See No Evil

When I Grow Up, This is What I Want To Do... Make a movie called "Oceans"

2010-04-26T14:28:00.000-05:00

How did I let this one slip by?! This movie is totally up my alley and I forgot to hit on it. The magic-workers over at Disney have hired directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud to scour the 3/4's of the Earth's surface that is covered with ocean, and report back with super-awesome images and the let Pierce Brosnan tell the tale.

Look how cool this is!! These guys went swimming with great white sharks outside the cage, and guess what... they didn't get eaten. Those of you who know me, know that I love anything to do with the ocean, and I am particularly fascinated by sharks. They are totally misunderstood fishes...

For more on my ongoing quest to meet every shark on the planet please watch the following video...

Tiger Beach 2010 from Matt McGee on Vimeo.

Now back to the topic of conversation. "Oceans" was released April 22, 2010. Take your friends and family to see this show and learn a little something about our planet. Which by the way, why do we call it planet Earth when it is clearly Ocean? Discuss..
Here's the trailer...

Live Music Friday is a few Days Late... but worth it for Sigur Ros!!

2010-04-25T17:32:00.001-05:00

This band is just freaking amazing. I mean who in the hell thinks of picking up a cello bow to play their guitar with. Really?! The resulting sound is a cross between singing whales and rubbing your finger on the edge of a glass half filled with water. This Icelandic group has created some of the most unique and incredibly creative music I've ever heard. It's almost surreal. You hear it and think "this really isn't music, it's more, it's , it's ... I can't put my finger on it..."

Seeing them play live is just absolutely a spectacle. He's up there with this guitar like he's trying to saw it in half with that bow, and the most beautiful sounds blast into your eardrums. Their songs are a mix of mellow put-you-to-sleep type of music and these soaring verse/chorus combinations that build to these grand crescendos.

I've always described their music as "the soundtrack for general anesthesia." I think that holds true for a lot of it, but there's a lot of joy and uplifting stuff too.

My wife and I were lucky enough to get tickets to see them at the Ryman here in good ole Nashville. What a great venue. They were still pretty unknown then, so we could see them up close and personal. the next time they came to middle Tennessee, they headlined the Bonaroo festival.

Oh and by the way, if you're new to Sigur Ros, don't try to sing along. The lyrics are either Icelandic or jibberish. Don't let that scare you away, as they are truly brilliant and worth a listen.

Here's a sample of the sonic goodness...

Watch the guitar work. I beg of you...

This is an especially beautiful song with beautiful imagery to go with...
Dudes need to work on their English though...

this has been featured in a bunch of movies about joy and hope

This is the first song that hooked me...

Live Music Fridays Continues With Jam Bands

2010-04-16T11:03:00.000-05:00

No other genre of music is associated with live music more than jam bands. Whether it's Phish, Widespread Panic, or the Grateful Dead, jam bands exist to play live music. Period. It's almost as if when they play a song live, the original studio recording is sort of a framework to work with. Songs evolve one into the other, and often one song begins, another is embedded in the initial song only to have it completed. Set lists may be made up on the fly. It's true on-the-spot improvisation with no two shows being alike.

Jam bands have always had a culture that is an integral part of the music experience. I suppose it began in the 60's with Grateful Dead shows, grew large with groups like the Allman Brothers, and has continued with Phish, Widespread Panic, and The String Cheese Incident.

The music itself seems to have some common threads from group to group, but it ends up being a musical gumbo of prog rock, jazz, blues, progressive bluegrass, and funk all mixed together. The amount of each ingredient varies from band to band, but it is always satisfying.

I used to funnel this stuff into my ears in the past... big time (Widespread actually played at my high school in 1990). In recent years, though, I've branched out a little, and I haven't listened to jam bands exclusively. But, spring has sprung here in Nashville, and there is nothing better on a sunny day than listening to a little Widespread and drinking a "cold, cold, beer"

Jam on...

Dolphin Face Fetish, Mascot Sex, and the World's Largest Condom... this is Really Weird, But Oh SO Funny!!

2010-04-15T08:19:00.000-05:00

I'm in a holding pattern on the musical inspiration thing right now because I can't stop listening to that Broken Bells album.

However, during my search of the internets, I have happened across this little beauty. It's a clip from the Current network (which I highly recommend) and is a quick and hilarious commentary on the crazy things people do in their spare time behind closed doors (but apparently on video.)

It's definitely freaky, but the dude commenting on all these shenanigans cracks me up. So please take a moment to take in the freaky kinky hilarity....

For Whom the Bell Doesn't Toll... Broken Bells

2010-04-11T13:09:00.000-05:00

I can't seem to get this album out of my head. It's like those little ear worm things in Star Trek

It's crawled through my ear and into my brain, but this time Ricardo Montablan didn't put it there. The collaboration known as Broken Bells did...

It seems that artists these days can't just make music with just their own band. They all are taking on these side projects (see Gorillaz, Beck). James Mercer of The Shins didn't want to miss out on all the fun, so he decided to team up with Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton) who has worked with .. well... Beck and Gorillaz to name a few. Oh yeah, and Gnarls Barkley to boot.

The two met at a Danish music festival in 2004. Danger said to James "Dude I like your work with The Shins" and James said to Danger "Dude I like your work with Gorillaz." Well, that's how it played out in my mind. Anyway, the two started recording on the sly, and announced in 2009 that they had a finished product.

Their self-titled album was released on March 9, 2010. Since then I can't seem to go anywhere without hearing this album. It's not exactly the type of record that just grabs you and you think "WOW. This is way cool!" Nah. It just kind of is there, but keeps coming back around. I heard it being played in the bookstore, the mall, Starbucks... everywhere. I'd hear a song and use my Shazam app on my phone to identify it, and... Shazam! Broken Bells kept coming up. That's also a testament to how the songs aren't too repetitive... at least not to me.

So here's a few samples of this most recent band infidelity. Enjoy!!!

Live Music Fridays Presents THE FLOYD...

2010-04-09T08:41:00.000-05:00

Seriously, I don't know how I can do these guys justice. Pink Floyd is in my opinion on of the greatest bands to ever record music. Additionally, I don't think anyone can argue that any group out there has ever put on a better live experience. Flying pigs. Walls. Lasers. It's all good dog.

I'm not sure that these guys have any intention of getting out there and playing live again, but someone should intervene and get Roger Waters and David Gilmour to put their differences aside and play one more tour. I'm beggin' ya! C'mon Man! C'mon!

Ok so maybe it's not happening. Well, here's a collection of live performances from The Floyd. If there's a band out there with a better show, I like to know about them.

Time...

Quality isn't the best on this one, but this is definitely worth a listen. This is back when Waters was still playing with them...

This next song kind of scares me, and it's total space rock, but it gives you an idea of what the early days of The Floyd were like. And it has a cool name... Careful With That Axe Eugene

There's so much more good shit out there from these guys. Do yourself a favor and go buy one of their live dvd's. Do it! Do it now!

Live Music Fridays Presents Old School R.E.M...

2010-04-02T11:49:00.002-05:00

Methinks I shall begin a blog series on live music. Basically, I love live music. Pretty much any live music. And since I'm in need of some blog inspiration today, I thought that maybe I should pump some live music vibes into your auditory and visual cortexes... corticies. whatever.

Hmmm, who should I start with. Let's go with a little old school R.E.M. Yes, that should work quite nicely.

This Athens, GA quartet helped me to properly calibrate my musical compass in the mid 80's. If first saw them live at The Fox theater in Atlanta. When they dimmed the lights for the show I was physically shaking with excitement, and standing in a puddle of my own urine. I was thirteen. The show included goodies from Murmur, Reckoning, Fables..., and even a little Chronic Town. P.S. Let's Active opened. Aaah, the days of early alternative music.

Over the years I've managed to see R.E.M. live in support of several of their albums, but as time has passed, they still haven't been able to capture the brilliance of those first few albums. They will always be a personal favorite.

So here's a few clips of R.E.M. performing back in the day when they were still a group of 4, Michael Stipe still had hair, and your music was either delivered to you in vinyl or cassette tape form. Go forth and take in the goodness...

I like how Stipe says "this is a new song." REALLY old...

I could go on and on. Good times. Come back next Friday for more live music.

What music have you seen live that was particularly amazing?

Listen To Jonsi's (yes, Jonsi from Sigur Ros) Album a Week Before It's Released

2010-03-31T07:04:00.000-05:00

Jonsi is perhaps best known as the singer for the Icelandic super awesome band Sigur Ros. He's also the guy who picked up a bow rather than a pic to play his guitar, and holy freaking crap does he create some beautiful sounds out of that instrument. Srrsly, I've never heard anything else like it.

As many band front men seem to do these days (see Thom Yorke), Jonsi has branched out own his own to create a solo project.

His first sans Sigur Ros project was a collaboration with his boyfriend Alex and was simply titled "Jonsi & Alex." The result was more experimental and ethereal than Sigur Ros (as is that were possible). I enojyed it. It WILL put you to sleep though, as it is very soothing and ambient.

So now Jonsi has his own solo project, and where his previous work has been somewhat dark and mysterious, his new stuff is way upbeat. You might even consider it something to dance to .. if ... you're, into .... that .. kind ... of thing.

So the new album is called "Go" and you can listen to it here.... FREE!

There's also an interview with him and he also DJ's at NPR. Topics in the interview include Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath as well as his musical beginnings in Iceland, and the new album.

I'm not really sure what to make of this new sound yet. Sigur Ros, it ain't, but it will probably find a space in my ipod. If you're new to this whole Icelandic-bowguitar-atmospheric-ethereal sound, you should probably check out a little of Jonsi's work with Sigur Ros. It's quite amazing... I recommend it to all my friends.

This is a beautiful song with beautiful imagery of Iceland to match

(check out his use of the bow on the electric guitar.. GENIUS)

Neil Young Shows a Little Love for the "Southern Man"

2010-03-29T20:13:00.003-05:00

There's a lot of great music out there that was recorded years ago. Neil Young just so happens to have recorded loads of it. The problem is that he, and others like the remaining members of Pink Floyd and The Beatles, is not getting any younger. So there's not too many more times these amazing acts are going to be able to get around and tour.

Well Neil has decided to grace us with a few live shows, and so far most of the announced dates are down here in the good ole South. Thankfully, he will be coming to Nashville, so I won't have to travel to see him. He'll be playing the Ryman Auditorium later this year.

I actually saw him in concert (sort of) at The Ryman a few years ago. He was there filming "Heart of Gold."
It wasn't actually a concert, per say, but he did take a break from filming to play an acoustic set that included some great songs like Needle and the Damage Done, Old Man, and After the Gold Rush. Nice.
It was also super cool because several of Nashville's greatest musicians showed up to lend a hand.
It was an amazing experience because this event was not open to the public. Tickets were circulated among those "with connections". The only reason I got a ticket was one of my patients had a family member who plays for Neil, so he gave me the hook up.

Interesting aside: I stood behind Merril Streep in line to buy beer. Cool.

Anyhoo, here's the dates for Neil's tour...
May

26 – Louisville, Ky. @ Palace Theatre
29 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Fox Theatre
30 – Spartanburg, S.C. @ Memorial Auditorium

June
1 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Ryman Auditorium
2 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Ryman Auditorium

Notice that he's coming to Nashville for two dates. Nice.

This post was really just an excuse to post the following gems of musical goodness...

It's Good To Be Beck

2010-03-26T07:21:00.003-05:00

It seems that Beck has been pretty bust these days. In addition to producing artists like Charlotte Gainsbourg and Jamie Lidell,

he's also been inviting friends over to cover some of his favorite albums.

This select group of musicians has been called Record Club, and has included artists yo umay have heard of like, um Devendra Banhart, MGMT, the Liars, Feist, Wilco, and Nigel Godrich (srrsly, this dude is everywhere). His brother-in-law Giovanni Ribisi even stops by to lend a hand.

So, what exactly are these super cool people doing together you ask. Well, they are recording cover versions of great albums and recording what happens so people like me can blog about it, and people like you can read/watch and think "that's fucking awesome! thanks for sharing."

Thus far, they have recorded Skip Spence's "Oar" (Feist and Wilco), "the Songs of Leonard Cohen" (MGMT and Devendra Banhart), and "The Velvet Underground and Nico" (Nigel Godrich and Giovanni Ribisi). They are currently working on covering "Kick" by INXS (which one of these is not like the other) with St. Vincent and the Liars.

This is a pretty cool idea, I think. Please enjoy the following nuggets of audio goodness and let me know what you think. Do you think it's a good idea to cover/remake albums?

This version of of "i'll be Your Mirror" is absolutely a beautiful song.

Record Club: Velvet Underground & Nico "I'll Be Your Mirror" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Record Club: Songs Of Leonard Cohen "So Long, Marianne" from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Like You've Got Something better to do on Sunday Night

2010-03-21T13:08:00.002-05:00

I'm always trying to find new cool stuff to provide you with sights and sounds to make your brain happy. Well, tonight's your lucky night. The BBC has done it again. Their new 11 part series on nature shit debuts on Amurican tv tonight.

I so love the BBC. I so love nature, especially the animal part. So this is my latest joy-inducing bit of goodness. The BBC films our world like no one else does. Their images are like buttah. That is to say, the footage they get is unsurpassed because they will send their film crews out into the middle of nowhere and promise to kick them in the shins and babysit Amy Winehouse if they don't come back with award winning stuff. To avoid such misery, their film crews will build hideouts and stalk/wait for animals to come along and do what animals do.

So imagine some dude sitting in a shrubbery waiting minutes/hours/days to get footage of a bug hiking up a 10 billion foot tree for a shot at a piece of ass from a she bug. They shoot this bug booty call from every conceivable angle, throw in a little CGI, and have David Attenborough narrate the whole thing. The result is an incredibly interesting story and shows the particular critter's behaviour in a way that also shows their personality. Of course if someone filmed my life and David Attenborough narrated it, that would actually make for some interesting television.

I happened to get a sneak peak at this series while on a boat in the middle of the ocean on one of my recent dive/shark stalking adventures. I must say that it is highly entertaining and does not disappoint.

Here's a little clip about the big beetle that could. I must say that it is the funniest animal clip I've ever seen (this clip is long but the funny part starts at 1:35, 5:08 ad after is classic, 5:55 LOL) . He is persistent.

The 11 part series begins tonight on Discovery and Animal Planet...

Build A Better Mouse Trap

2010-03-19T10:24:00.002-05:00

You should check out this video for the song "This Too Shall Pass" by OK Go! It is filled with much goodness and it will make you smile.

That was awesome!! I'm going to try that in my garage this weekend.

Ok Go, originally formed in chicago, now resides in LA. The forming members met as teenagers and have been performing together since 1998. they got their name from an instructor at a camp for the arts who would give instructions for an assignment and then would say "Ok Go!".

They got their big break in 2007 when their video for "Here It Goes Again" became a You Tube sensation, won them a Grammy, and displayed their penchant for treadmills.

Put these guys in your ipod.... Ok GO!

My Girlfriend Has A New Record...

2010-03-18T10:42:00.001-05:00

My wife recently commented on a blog post, and in doing so basically gave me the green light to have a girlfriend. She kindly selected Zoey Deschanel for me. Way to go honey!

Well, it appears that my supposed concubine's band has a new album coming out next week. She and Him's second album entitled Volume Two will be released on Tuesday, but you can listen to the whole thing right here.

Deschanel wrote the songs, which are a collection of musings and longing for love, but the way she sings, it ends up sounding like she's smirking while singing. It's like she's saying "yeah, like i'd be pining for someone. i'm freaking hot!! they should be pining for me!! this shit ain't real."

You: "isn't this music a little girly sounding?"
Me: "um, sort of. maybe. yes. Fuck You! it's cool."
You: "chill out dude."
Me: "sorry. i still think you should check it out..."

... here's a video for the song "in the sun"

Who Else See the Leprechaun say "Yeah!" ..... "yeah"

2010-03-17T11:53:00.001-05:00

Many of you (although I'm not sure that "many" people are actually reading this blog... leave comments!!) may have already seen this, but damn it's so funny that it bears repeating. Happy St. Patrick's Day Y'all

Definitely Not Seeing Evil ... Taschen Books

2010-03-14T13:16:00.009-05:00

Ok, I admit that this post is a bit off topic, and it certainly demonstrates a bit of metro-sexual prowess, but I just had to share this.

Taschen books. This is some awesome shit. For real. They have something for everyone, and they are European so they must be cool.

I stumbled on some of these book in the photography section of Borders. I pulled aside a few books that I wanted to take a closer look at, and what do you know, they were almost all by the same publisher.

Taschen started off as Taschen Comics in 1980 in Cologne, Germany by Benedikt Taschen. Initially the company published Taschen's extensive comic collection (ok?), but branched out to become an art book publisher know for providing exposure for lesser known artists.

The mission statement of the company is "to publish innovative, beautifully designed art books at popular prices." Hmmm, not really sure if their definition of "popular prices" is the same as mine; their books range in price from a few dollars to tens of thousands!! They actually have the distinction of publishing the second most expensive book ever.

Their topics have a decidedly retro feel to them and are quite varied including art, architecture, travel, design, photography, comics, advertising, and more controversial topics like historical erotica, fetish imagery, and good old fashioned pornography. I like naked people. He he.

But it's all in the name of art, so it's ok if you have this book about boobs here above sitting out on your coffee table. Or maybe if breasts aren't your thing, then perhaps a cool book on hotels would be nice.

... or maybe you need to spruce up your home with a little design inspiration (my wife would be proud of me for pointing this one out)

I love photography, so I think these would be cool.....

You can check out their website here.

So f books with lots of words just aren't your thing, you should buy some books by Taschen. The pretty pictures therein are top notch, and as I have said before ... you will be cooler.

Here's a few more:

Why Does Music Do What It Does?

2010-03-14T12:31:00.001-05:00

I was going to Starbucks this morning to get my daily coffee, venti bold with room. I didn't have to work today, so I just threw on whatever clothes were close at hand, which not surprisingly included a Radiohead t-shirt.

So when I walked in the door at S-Bucks, this dude was sitting at a table by the door and said "hey, is that I Radiohead shirt?" "Yeah." I said, "doesn't it rule?!" I thought that was the end of the conversation, but oddly enough this guy had more to say. "I have a couple of their albums " he said, "what do you think of them." At this point my instinctive reaction was to say "OMG! They freaking rock!!!" and start to hyperventilate, but I played it cool and instead replied "I think they're pretty brilliant."

What surprised me was that he then said "Why?" I thought "Because they're awesome! Duh!" I actually don't remember what I said, but I tried to wrap up this conversation so I could get some caffeine in my system.

So as I stood in line, I began to wonder what it is about music by Radiohead, or Sigur Ros, or The Beatles, or any number of artists that appeals to me. And furthermore, what is it about Kenny Chesney, or Lynard Skynard, or Lady Ga Ga that keeps them behind my ipod's velvet rope.

What is it about music that appeals to us in general, and as individuals specifically? I mean, everyone loves artists like the Beatles, right? Right? Damn straight. And just as universal is the disdain for say... Chris Gaines. Why is that? Is there an alternate universe where Chris Gaines is the greatest? Let's hope not.

I think part of what is appealing about music, is that it is consistent. What I mean by that is that you can hit the repeat button, and the song is the same as it was the last 100 times you heard it. You can rely on it. Music will be there for you unchanged. Stable. An unchanging dependable constant. Like Pi.

So when you listen to your favorite artist, they will be dependable. Or at least their music will be. And it becomes a part of your daily life, just like going to work or getting your Starbucks.

But what about the music? It's just sounds. What is it about the combination of sounds that appeals to the masses, or to the individual?

Maybe taste in music is learned. People often learn their religion or political views from their parents. Is this the same with music?

Maybe it's geographic. Do people in the South like country music more? Are Northerners more into hip-hop?

Maybe it's socio-economic. Do people in unemployment lines listen to the same tunes as Warren Buffett?

I'm sure it's a combination of all of the above. But what amazes me is the power that music has to stir emotions, and that, my friends, is universal. Whether you're happy, or sad, want to get you groove on, or just want to chill and contemplate the universe there's a song out there for your needs.

So for me, music is part of my daily life, and judging by the sight of ipods everywhere you look, my guess is that it plays a part of everyone else's daily life too. The artists on this blog plus many others a pumped into my ears every day, and my life is better for it. I can't exactly tell you, or the dude at Starbucks this morning, why. It just is.

What artists do it for you? and why?

Miloko Plus...A Clockwork Orange Review

2010-03-07T14:41:00.001-06:00

My initial intention with this blog was to shine the spotlight on music and films and other related media that don't suck. Well, I've been hitting music pretty hard so , since today is Oscar night, now I'm gonna hit on movies and I'll start with a movie that hits viewers hard ... Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange.

Let me begin by saying that there is much more to this film than a few rape scenes. Whenever I tell someone that I love this movie, they cringe and say "...isn't that the one with the bad rape scene?" Well, yes, but there's also tons of social commentary in there as well. Not to mention the fact that, in my opinion (and lots of other people as well), Clockwork is a masterpiece of film making. And now I'm going to tell you why with some help from a Scottish man who knows his films.

Kubrick adapted the novel of the same name by Anthony Burgess into a film which follows the life of "our humble narrator", Alex DeLarge. The film begins showing Alex and his droogs relaxing at the Korova Milk Bar and preparing for a night in which they engage in several acts of "ultra-violence" before returning to the milk bar for a nightcap.

Alex asserts his role as their "droogan leader", even ends up resorting to violence to prove his point. Eventually this leads to Alex being betrayed by his droogs. He is caught, arrested, convicted, and sentenced to prison.

Aaah, but there is hope for "our humble narrator", as he learns of the Ludovico technique which if Alex agrees to, will have him free in a matter of a few weeks. This Ludovico technique is a form of psychological conditioning which trains Alex to be repulsed by even the thought of violence, and thus will "cure" him.

Alex is subsequently released, but soon finds that his "cure" has left him unable to function in society. He is outcast by his family, his former droogs are now police officers and they beat him, and in an ironic twist he lands at the home of one of his former victims who turns out to be the only one who will help him.

In the end, Alex has become a political pawn, and the government who was behind the Ludovico technique is exposed and the public sees how the "cure" is more of a curse. They reverse the effects of Alex's conditioning, and he he is back to his old was declaring "I was cured alright."

What is fantastic about Clockwork is partially the message and themes, but more importantly, how that message is communicated. Kubrick is a master of symbolism and foreshadowing, and nothing, I mean nothing, is accidental. The colors in a room, the positions actors have on screen, words, everything is done with intent.

I hope you'll give this film a chance, or if you've already seen it then give it a second chance and ask your self:

What is the function of violence?

How are we "conditioned?"

What is the origin of "goodness?"

So, without further ado, I would like to present a series of videos which explain some of the brilliance of Clockwork and will have you viewing film differently from now on...

P.S. there's scenes of ultra-violence and nudity from the movie so if you don't like that type of thing, get outta here

the first 4:20 is a foreward by the reviewer Rob Ager. The good stuff starts after that

there's naked people in this one, so don't watch if easily offended...

Yeah yeah yeah, some of that is far-fetched, but overall this guy does a great job of decoding this masterpiece.

What do you think? I'd appreciate comments very much and would be interested in your thoughts.

Peace out droogies...

The Garden is Back in Bloom... Soundgarden Reunites

2010-03-03T12:09:00.001-06:00

On January 1, 2010 Chris Cornell tweeted that his former band Soundgarden would be reuniting. Time to dust off my old flannel shirts and Doc Martens. Seriously though, this is a good thing, right. These guys rock so hard it'll make you need to have your spine adjusted.

The first time I heard of Soundgarden was my freshman year in college, and I still had a vagina. This dude at the end of the hall had a poster for Louder Than Love on his wall and it kind of scarred me. I was into whinny frat boy music, and I just prayed that the mean boy at the end of the hall didn't play his Soundgarden music too loud.

Within a year grunge had become mainstream, and I had consumed my glass of Kool Aid. It was good. I quickly snatched up copies of Nevermind, Ten, and Bad Motorfinger, and was on my way to becoming a bad motherfucker.

The band released a handfull of albums, with each one becoming more and more mainstream and accessible eventually going so far as to land in the cassette player of then girlfriend now wife's Jetta.

Their music is always packed with testosterone and other anger inducing ingredients, and any time I need to break shit I play one of their albums. Johnny Cash (the original bad motherfucker) covered "Rusty Cage", other songs were features in mainstream media, but songs like "Nothing to Say" and "Outshined" are for me their quintessential songs.

Let's hope the second time around can reproduce some of their original kick-assness!!

What band would you like to see reunite?

This song makes me want to kick someone in the nuts...

Listen To Gorillaz Album A Week Before Release ... Fo Free (Thanks Jay!)

2010-03-01T18:08:00.000-06:00

It's been awhile since we heard from the virtual band brain-child of Damon Albarn, Gorillaz. Well the wait is over and they have a new album called Plastic Beach. It is set to be released next week, but NPR has it available to listen to it in it's entirety right here. Thanks to my brother-in-law Jay, who works with the good folks over at Los Bastardos Unidos for bringing this to my attention. Jay's a cool motherfucker.

I've listened to some of it so far. It's sounds a bit more hip-hop than their previous efforts, but I haven't listened to all of it yet. Snoop D-O double G is on the title track... it's tha shizzle!!

007 Minus One of the 0's. Zero 7...

2010-02-28T18:47:00.003-06:00

Zero 7

British producers Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker studied sound engineering and basically worked their way from the ground up in the music industry working alongside artists such as The Pet Shop Boys and Robert Plant, and gradually they began releasing their own stuff. Their good buddy Nigel Godrich (him again), helped them get their foot in the door. Their first EP was released in 1999 and it was called, get this, EP1. Yeah. Those witty Brits. EP1 featured remixes of songs by Sneaker Pimps, Lenny Kravitz, Lambchop, and Radiohead. Few copies were made, but they were snatched up almost as quickly as they were released. They subsequently released a second EP entitled ... are you ready for this .... EP2.

In 2001 the released their first album called Simple Things on which they collaborated with Sia Furler and Sophia Baker. Critics were ga-ga for the release, and it was nominated for multiple awards including the Mercury Music Prize. Their sophomore effort, When It Falls, was released in 2004 and saw the duo collaborating with the same vocalists as on Simple Things with the addition of Danish singer Tina Dico.

For their third album, Binns and Hardaker told all their previous collaborators to hit the road so they could get back to basics as a duo. So on The Garden, they only worked with Furler, and brought on some new guy named Jose Gonzalez (who's he?). Then in 2007 they released Yeah Ghost with a similar sound to The Garden but with a decidedly more upbeat sound.

Their stuff has been featured on television shows like House, CSI, and Sex and the City, as well as movies such as Garden State, and Blue Crush.

I think they are pretty amazing. Their sound says "I want to get my groove on" but "I don't want to get off the couch to do so." It's a mellow laid back blend of acid-jazz and trip-hop that creates a unique soundscape that also could easily be classified in the "shoegazer" aisle. Binns and Hardaker rarely provide vocals as they rely on other artists for this mundane task, and they also have several instrumental tracks in case vocals aren't your thing. Oh and by the way, they got the name from some bar in Honduras.

So the next time your list of things to do includes chilling out and listening to soothing music, or you are in need of some nice background soundscape music, spin some zero 7.

Here's a clip from Garden State that features the song "In The Waiting Line" (This song will seep into your pores). Please don't watch if drugs and make-out scenes get your panties in a wad...

Here's a G-rated version of the entire song..

And this song is called "Give IT Away" and will mellow yo tense-ass out

What do you listen to to chill?

My Basement is Flooded....

2010-02-26T17:29:00.010-06:00

... with awesome music B-Yotch!

Nigel Godrich is my new hero. I mean this guy pisses awesomeness. Not only has he produced some bands like R.E.M., the Sundays, Paul McCartney, AIR, and some other band whose name I can't seem to recall immediately, he's also recently started playing in Atoms For Peace, and to top it all off he's created a podcast/tv program featuring bands and artists that don't suck playing in an intimate environment sans host or audience. It's called From the Basement and it's like you're there at a practice session with cool people like Beck, My Morning Jacket, Jose Gonzalez, Cold War Kids, Radiohead, The White Stripes, The Shins, Sonic Youth, Fleet Foxes, Queens of the Stoneage, Gnarls Barkley, and Jarvis Cocker. Sweet Jesus that's some amazing stuff!!

The format is very laid back and really shows a different side to music performance. It's not some huge arena staged production, quite the contrary. These bands just set up in a small studio and do they thang. It also captures some banter between band mates that mere mortals are seldom privy to. It's just a great program.

The initial idea was to release the episodes as podcasts on itunes. That failed to produce enough revenue to support the show. Now the shows can bee seen on random networks here in good 'ole Amurica and also overseas. A video compilation of several of the performances is available here, but if you're wetting yourself with excitement and can't wait, I've provided a few samples here for you to enjoy. After you view them you WILL be cooler...

Did Ya see that?! That. Just. Happened.

Dude is like buttah...

Did that rock? Yeah it did...

Oh Joy! Thom Yorke's New Band Has A Name And A Tour!

2010-02-25T19:30:00.003-06:00

Aaaah Yeeeah! Thom Yorke has come up with a name for his new band. Is it The Erasers?....... Noooooo. Is. It. The Yorkies? ..... Noooo. It Is.............

Atoms For Peace.

Ok. Fine. Cool. Whatever. What is even cooler is that they are going on tour. Mind you it's a very small tour, but a tour none the less.

So who is in the band? Well Thom plays geetar, piano, and sing. Radiohead's longtime pal and producer Nigel Godrich does something but I don't really know what. Then there's Mauro Refosco who is the percussionist. Joey Waronker is the drummer and he has played with R.E.M., Beck, Smashing Pumpkins, and Walt Mink (whoever that is). Oh yeah, and there's some bass player named Tick. Wait, no Flea. Yeah Flea, Flea that's right.

The tour dates can be found here. I doubt I will see any of this live. Shit. Damn. Rats. But, here's a little sample of the one show that his band has done so far. Quality sucks, but you get the idea

What bands would you like to see live?

... Down the Rabbit Hole

2010-02-23T20:12:00.006-06:00

My daughter is having a birthday party next week to go see this movie. I'm invited. This is good because this movie looks cool. Visually it looks a bit disturbed and goth in typical Tim Burton fashion. I've always wondered though, how in the hell did an LSD inspired story become a children's classic. Srrrsly. I mean there's some fucked up shit in this story. Just like in Alice, didn't Jefferson Airplane sing some song about one pill or drink or something making you small and the other making you tall? Didn't they? Yeah they did, and we all know they did enough acid to keep the rest of us trippin' for a year or so. Thus is the content of Alice.

And what the hell was that caterpillar smoking. That funky worm was sitting on a (mu)shroom smoking on a hookah. No wonder his ass flew off. I mean, what's a great children's story without copious drug references? Hmmm.

I digress. In the spirit of Pan's Labyrinth, this appears to be a visually stunning adult oriented fairy tale. I'm looking forward to it.

What films have you seen that visually don't suck?

Let Me Tell Ya 'Bout The Bird and the Bee...

2010-02-22T09:55:00.014-06:00

I’m always looking for new stuff to listen to. I have to. I live in Nashville, and my ears are under constant assault by some country music “artiste” who wants me to shake my honky tonk ba-donk-a-donk, informs me that they are “coming to your ci-tay”, or is espousing the benefits of a “red-neck wo-man” lifestyle. It’s tough, but somehow I get by.

... and it’s finds like these that make life in country music ground zero tolerable. Aaah the Bird and the Bee. Not Bees. Bee. This little duo from, ahem, L.A., is the cure for what ails ya. The bird is this combo is Inara George, daughter of the late Lowell George founder of Little Feat, and the bee is Greg Kurstin.

Kurstin is a producer and keyboardist who has worked with the likes of The Flaming Lips (Sweet), Beck (Double Sweet), Kylie Minogue (Eh), and The Red Hot Chili Peppers (I like their socks). The collaboration began when George and Kurstin were working on George’s solo album.

I would describe their music as techno-jazz-synth-pop. It delicately strokes your eardrum like fizzy soda pop and makes your brain feel like you just stood up too fast. George’s voice is like a narrator from a dream. It is light and airy, and tends to put you in a bit of a trance from which you are bitch-slapped back into reality by the lyrics. What did she just say? Will you be my fucking boyfriend? uh, maybe.. And then she politely begs of us to "get up and dance" to the "crazy kick-ass beat". She’s only looking out for our best interests.

Their tunes have been cool enough to be featured on TV shows like Bones (I have no idea what that is) and Grey’s Anatomy (unfortunately I do know what that is), and they have performed live on The Tonight Show, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

Would you please, would you please, would you please clap your hands.

The Bird and the Bee - Polite Dance Song

Eric | MySpace Video

This song is my fav, but the video is a bit odd. Retro, but odd

and here is a low quality cover of a Hall and Oates song. Can you dig it?

What's new to you these days?

Your Star Wars got in my Snatch! Your Snatch got in my Star Wars!!!

2010-02-21T11:26:00.010-06:00

I truly LOVE both of these films. From Bricktop's fucking foul mouth, and the uber-cool soundtrack of Snatch, to the sticky bun hairdo of Princess Lea and epic struggle of good vs evil and brother and sister making out of Star Wars, these films are cinematic gold.

So some blessed soul with too much free time took the initiative to combine these two cinematic gems into comic genius. Please take a moment to savor this You Tube nugget you "fucking pratt!!'

Radiohead Plays Gig to Help Quake Victims in Haiti

2010-01-28T14:44:00.008-06:00

Radiohead played a gig this week in Los Angeles at the Music Box Theatre at the Fonda to raise money to help the victims of the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti. Tickets to the show were purchased by an auction with the lowest bid coming in at $475 and the highest bid being $2000! In total they raised $572,754.

Several celebrities were spotted at the show including Charlize Theron, Daniel Craig, Justin Timberlake, Drew Barrymore, and Maggie Gyllanhaal.

The setlist was as follows:

01 Faust Arp
02 Fake Plastic Trees
03 Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
04 The National Anthem
05 Nude
06 Karma Police
07 Kid A
08 Morning Bell
09 How To Disappear Completely
10 A Wolf at the Door
11 The Bends
12 Reckoner
13 Lucky
14 Bodysnatchers
15 Dollars & Cents
16 Airbag
17 Exit Music

Encore #1

18 Everything In Its Right Place (Thom)
19 You And Whose Army?
20 Pyramid Song
21 All I Need

Encore #2:

22 Lotus Flower
23 Paranoid Android
24 Street Spirit (fade out)

here's a link to a new song played at the show...

Aw Man....

2010-01-28T12:59:00.003-06:00

J.D. Salinger Dies. Most of us have read "The Catcher in the Rye" at some point or another. Sadly, it's author J.D. Salinger passed away and left this world of "phonies". His work lives on, but he will be missed...

She and Him

2010-01-24T20:37:00.011-06:00

As if Zoey Deschanel needed anything to make her any hotter. The girl can sing!!

Deschanel an M Ward met on the set of a movie called the Go Getter (which I have personally never heard of), when they were asked to sing a duet. Ward then learned that the super-hot Deschanel had in fact written some of her own songs, but was hesitant to record and release them. He later called her and convinced her to put her art into a recording, and "She & Him" was formed.

The two corresponded by email from Portland, OR and Los Angeles, CA. Deschanel finally went to Ward's studio in Portland and their debut album, "Volume One", was recorded in late 2006 and early 2007.

The duo was influenced by the likes of artists produced by George Martin and Phil Spector, and groups like the Carter Family, and their collaboration ends up being an amalgamation of 60's singer songwriters with a dash of cowgirl crooners like Patsy Cline topped of with elements of California soul.

When their album was released, it was declared to be the #1 album of the year by Paste Magazine

They have toured sporadically, and have plans for a follow up album.

Please enjoy the following musical gem...

here's another version...

Nuts About Nutini!!

2010-01-23T08:54:00.003-06:00

Continuing my trend of featuring artists who's names don't sound like where they are from, I proudly present Paolo Nutini. Sounds Italian, right. Wrong. This guy is Scottish. Nutini began paying his dues at the age of 17 when he played the role of supporting act for Amy Winehouse and KT Tunstall. In 2006 he released his debut album "These Streets", and subsequently found himself playing most of the music festivals in the UK, even a performance on the legendary pyramid stage at the Glastonbury Festival. Stateside, his songs were featured on television programs such as "Scrubs", "Grey's Anatomy", "CSI Miami", and "One Tree Hill". In 2009 he released his sophomore effort "Sunny Side Up".

Here's the single "New Shoes". If it doesn't get your feet tapping, you might want to check to see if you're still alive...

Pick 'Em Up ... Silversun Pickups

2009-03-28T16:27:00.002-05:00

I stumbled across this band recently and they seem to have promise. They released an EP in 2005, an album in 2006, and they have a scheduled release of a new album on April 14, 2009. They opened for Foo Fighters, Kaiser Chiefs, and Snow Patrol.

their sound drips with fuzzy sounding distorted guitars, and it hints at the shoe-gazer genre. Oh and by the way, they have a girl in the band so they must be cool!!

Murmur Remastered

2009-03-25T18:51:00.003-05:00

This album had a major impact on my life. It was the first time that I heard music that was not in heavy rotation on the radio and liked what I heard. Loved what I heard. I played this cassette in the 80's so much that it wore out and I had to get a second copy. Now R.E.M. have remastered and re-issued what I consider to be one of the finest albums ever recorded.

Murmur was arguably the first album to start the college radio music scene. Any band who calls themselves alternative has R.E.M. to thank for blazing that trail through the music landscape.

This album is a mix of Stipe's garbled lyrics, Peter Buck's jangling guitar, and Mike Mills driving Rickenbacker basslines in the backdrop. The songs were like nothing else at the time, and were largely ignored by the public being lost in the storm of vanhalen, heart, and 80's one hit wonders.

Check out this interview with Peter Buck to get his take on the reissue.

Of course nobody could understand Michael Stipe's lyrics back in the day. Maybe the remastering will make it all clear. Hope not.

Here's a few samples of this masterpiece

Your Hip-Hop Got In My Alternative. Your Alternative Got In My Hip-Hop

2009-03-07T07:57:00.001-06:00

First off let me say that the title of this post was inspired by a recent post by losbastardosunidos, but it just seemed appropriate for this post.

Gorillaz. When I first saw/heard this band in the late 90's I didn't give it a second thought. However, a few years ago I was in desperate need of something new to stimulate my tympanic membranes and this fit the bill.

Gorillaz is the brain child of former Blur front man Damon Albarn, and Jamie Hewlett who created the comic book Tank Girl. Their collaboration produced the world's first virtual band. In the spirit of bands like Alvin and the Chipmunks and that band from the 80's that wore giant eyeballs over their heads, the musicians in Gorillaz have an alternate corporeal form.

The band "members" include 2D, the front-tooth-missing lead singer, Russel, the periodically possed rapping drummer, Noodle, the child guitar prodigy from Japan, and Murdoc, the demonic bass player.

Musically Albarn is the only constant in Gorillaz, but he has collaborated with artists such as Danger Mouse, De La Soul, and DJ Shadow to produce the studio albums and help with live performances.

Check out some of their tunes ...

... best play ever, man.

2009-03-01T17:40:00.002-06:00

Wes Anderson seems to have cornered the market on quirky films. This 1998 follow up to his film "Bottle rocket" seemed to establish him as the new king of slightly off-center films.

"Rushmore" is a Holden Caufield-esque coming of age story of a very precocious high school student at a prestigious academy who spends more of his time in extra-curricular activities than his academic pursuits. This story finds the main character, Max Fischer (played by Jason Schwartzman), involved in a love triangle of sorts with an eccentric and bored and burned-out steel tycoon Herman Blume (played by Bill Murray) and a recently widowed 1st grade teacher Rosemary Cross (played by Olivia Williams)

Max and Blume strike up a friendship based on the two seeing aspects of their "ideal self" in each other. Max then falls for Ms. Cross and upon sharing this with Blume, he promptly follows suit. Friendship takes a competitive turn and Max and Blume engage in a series of personal attacks which prove to be hysterical. ...

Despite the fact that Ms. Cross sees qualities of her deceased husband in Max, she is obviously too old for him, but still holds a special place in her heart for Max. Blume also fails to win her affection as he is married, and too old.

The subversive humor of this film is not delivered nicely on a silver platter. The quirky and endearing characters that Anderson presents to us are a refreshing alternative to the watered-down trite ones so often seen in blockbuster comedies.

If you are looking for a great story with slightly different characters, check out Rushmore. It doesn't disappoint.

By the way the soundtrack is fantastic... (listen to the Kinks song in this scene!!)

Jose Can You See ...

2009-02-21T19:49:00.004-06:00

Jose Gonzalez. Ok this dude is cool. He hails from .... guess where ... Mexico ... Brazil ... Argentina. Wrong. All wrong. This guy is from Sweden. The land of meatballs and Abba. His parents are form Argentina, and thus that Latin sounding name, but this guy is a Swede. Although he started his musical career in a hardcore punk band influenced by Black Flag and The Dead Kennedys, Gonzalez has evolved into a style of music that is heavy on the classical guitar and his light and airy vocals. Most of his music is original, but he has performed several covers by artists from Massive Attack and Joy Division to Bruce Springsteen and Kylie Minogue. If you have ever enjoyed Nick Drake, you will love Jose Gonzalez, and he seems to have found a way to take up the flag of the singer/songwriter and march forward.

Click here to hear his cover of "teardrop" by Massive Attack

And here is a great song called "Down the Line"

This is a studio of version of "The Nest" on what seems to be a Jewish music channel

Check this guy out. He is REALLY good. I promise.

By the way, is anyone reading this blog?

Yorke Biography

2009-02-18T14:11:00.000-06:00

Those of you (read me) who enjoyed the last post may want to delve further into fabric that we know as Radiohead. If you like what you hear, then this soon to be released biography may scratch that itch in just the right place.

On February 26, 2009, a biography of Radiohead front man Thom Yorke by Trevor Baker entitled "Thom Yorke Radiohead & Trading Solo" will be released. According to the press release by the book's publisher, this book will be "a tale of the extraordinary drive, ambition and perfectionism of just one man. Thom Yorke's story has never been told and this biography goes further and deeper than ever before with the help of in-depth interviews from former classmates, producers, video makers, and other key players in his life."

Several books have been written about the band, but none chronicles the life of the enigmatic singer and principal songwriter. Hopefully it will shed some light on his often confusing lyrics.

OK Computer

2009-02-17T12:27:00.000-06:00

Many people recognize Radiohead as that band that wrote that nineties song of angst and self-loathing "Creep". They were dismissed as a one-hit-wonder, and fell off the musical landscape.

Their subsequent album, The Bends, showed that these lads from Oxford actually had some talent and may have a bit more to offer. But it was their release of OK Computer in 1998 that blasted these guys into the pantheon of rock and roll's most exciting artists. Tom Cruise, Madonna, and R.E.M. led the droves of adoring fans and music critics alike to line up, seemingly overnight, to gush over the group formerly know as On a Friday. The sudden adoration caught the band off guard, and front man Thom Yorke struggled with the fame and attention the band had garnered. The film "Meeting People is Easy" documents the band during their meteoric rise to fame, and provides an insight to the affects of this fame on them as a band and as individuals.

OK Computer has been described as a "classic" album, the best album of the nineties, and a concept album. Musically it takes the listener all over the place, from the glockenspiel laced lulaby "No Surprises", to the hard edged almost grunge sounding "Paranoid Android", to the computer voice litany of positive thoughts in "Fitter Happier". Lyrically Yorke delves into alienation in the modern nuclear society, his distrust and fear of modern technology and mechanized transport, as well as nearly-averted death and coming "back to save the universe".

Many critics were quick to maintain that OK Computer is a concept album along the lines of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon". Radiohead have denied this, although the concepts are there, and the songs and the progression take the listener through a bit of a sequential journey of ideas. I'm not sure I buy the idea of a concept album, as some of the tracks ("Lucky" and "Exit Music (for a film)" ) were written before the group headed to Jane Seymour's mansion in the English countryside to record the album.

The (a)esthetic of the album's artwork nicely compliments the music, and is an integral part of the "experience" of the album. The imagery hints at a blurred view of aspects of society. You can sort of make out a bit here and there, but clarity is lost and the viewer is left with an altered view of something that appears on first glance to be familiar, but is now distorted. This seems to be the message behind many of the lyrics of the songs themselves.

I love how the music compliments the lyrics in "No Surprises". It's a kind of lull-a-bye that is sung to us by society and we gradually fall "asleep" as our lives pass us by...

... and I love how in "Let Down" the lyrics and music are contrasting. The lyrics are slightly upbeat and catchy, but the lyrics are describing how the world is essentially a let down. Brilliant!