This is a bit off topic, but I couldn't resist throwing my hat into the meme ring and posting my answers to this one.
"You're stuck inside Fahrenheit 451 - which book do you want to be?"
Moby Dick or On The Waterfront...something with a lot of water so I can escape the fire when they come to burn the library I belong to.
"Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?"
Does Linda Blair count as a fictional character? I sure enough had it bad for her when I was a youngster. If not, then I'd have to say Regan (from The Exorcist), Chris (from Born Innocent) and Sarah (from Sarah T: Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic). Let's see, that's under-age drinking, juvenile delinquency and demon possession. Is it any wonder I had a thing for her?
"What is the last book you bought?"
I bought a compact sized large-print leather bound edition of the King James Version of the Holy Bible. I have so many translations, but I was really beginning to get into the KJV, so I figured I'd get a nice copy that I could carry around.
"What is the last book you read?"
How Now Shall We Live by Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey
"What are you currently reading?"
Somewhat simultaneously:
~~~Mastering The New Testament: Matthew by Myron S. Augsburger
~~~The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin
~~~Best Sermons: 1959-1960 Protestant Edition edited by G. Paul Butler
~~~Systematic Theology by Dr. Norman Geisler
"What five books you would take to a deserted island?" 1.) The Holy Bible (NIV Study Edition)
2.) The Holy Bible (King James Version)
3.) The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
4.) "The Knowledge of the Holy" by A. W. Tozer
5.) Bulfinch's Mythology
Who knows, but that I might do this more often. You've been warned.
And just in case you're wondering why I didn't choose, for instance, The Grove Dictionary of Music or some other extremely in-depth, lengthy text on music...I thought about it. But then I figured this was a desert island I was never going to be rescued from...it would be torture to read about all the great music in the world without ever getting to hear it again, left with only the memories absorbed during the days of living in a civilized society to work with.
Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Short List from Deep Tracks 3.30.05
After yesterday's way-too-long exposure to the 70's music on XM's "Seventies on 7" channel, I decided to listen to channel 40 this afternOon, the Deep Tracks channel. Here's a list of 5 notable songs that I heard amongst the other very good stuff they always play...
~~~"On Top Of The World"---Cheap Trick
I like to say that Cheap Trick sounds like a slightly heavy tribute to the style of the Beatles, but the closing section of this song sounds so much like the Electric Light Orchestra that it could fool Jeff Lynne. Of course, ELO's modus operandi was always to emulate the Beatles more grandiose aspects, so it makes sense.
~~~"Bad"---U2
When Bono & Co. performed this song at Live Aid they established themselves as a musical force to be reckoned with, and it's to their credit that they have gone on since then to release so much quality material. This atmospheric number gives me goose-bumps every time. It's one of Bono's most powerful, impassioned vocals.
~~~"Eminence Front"---The Who
It's not the same without Keith Moon, that's a given, but the Who sound pretty good to me here. I recall seeing the video back when MTV was still about music and marvelling that Roger Daltrey was toting a guitar, playing that mean (and no doubt extremely difficult) 2 note motif. What a messed-up bunch these guys were before hitting big with "She's A Beauty" and "Talk To Ya Later". Fee Waybill took theatricality to a new level during the early days of the Tubes, and this was one of their signature songs.
~~~"I Am the Walrus"---Spooky Tooth
First time I've heard this cover, and I actually thought it was some modern heavy music outfit like A Perfect Circle for the first few measures before checking the display and finding out it was Spooky Tooth. Kinda lost the modern feel not too long after that, but still a very intriguing re-working of the Beatles' original.
~~~"On Top Of The World"---Cheap Trick
I like to say that Cheap Trick sounds like a slightly heavy tribute to the style of the Beatles, but the closing section of this song sounds so much like the Electric Light Orchestra that it could fool Jeff Lynne. Of course, ELO's modus operandi was always to emulate the Beatles more grandiose aspects, so it makes sense.
~~~"Bad"---U2
When Bono & Co. performed this song at Live Aid they established themselves as a musical force to be reckoned with, and it's to their credit that they have gone on since then to release so much quality material. This atmospheric number gives me goose-bumps every time. It's one of Bono's most powerful, impassioned vocals.
~~~"Eminence Front"---The Who
It's not the same without Keith Moon, that's a given, but the Who sound pretty good to me here. I recall seeing the video back when MTV was still about music and marvelling that Roger Daltrey was toting a guitar, playing that mean (and no doubt extremely difficult) 2 note motif. What a messed-up bunch these guys were before hitting big with "She's A Beauty" and "Talk To Ya Later". Fee Waybill took theatricality to a new level during the early days of the Tubes, and this was one of their signature songs.
~~~"I Am the Walrus"---Spooky Tooth
First time I've heard this cover, and I actually thought it was some modern heavy music outfit like A Perfect Circle for the first few measures before checking the display and finding out it was Spooky Tooth. Kinda lost the modern feel not too long after that, but still a very intriguing re-working of the Beatles' original.
AUTECHRE: A Key to Appreciating Chaos
Autechre Draft 7.30
The new Autechre album, curiously titled Untilted, is set to be released on the 18th of April, and guess what?
I'm REALLY excited about it!
Thanks to all the brain-dancing folks at the Warp Records label, the timing could not be better, for you see, 4.18.05 is my 43rd birthday. If there's one thing that makes me feel like I'm not as old as my driver's license says I am, it's the fact that I really dig something as "hip" and "underground" as Autechre.
And I honestly DO love Autechre's electronic noodling---I don't have to work at it as if I were some 45 year-old grandfather of two who claims he can really relate to Trent Reznor's self-loathing angst or that Marilyn Manson reminds him so much of Alice Cooper's glory days that he might even consider buying a ticket and showing up the next time that gravy train pulls into town. Yeah, right...Better take the advice of the skinny kid with the 74 strategically placed body piercings who warns, "You'd better steer clear of the mosh pit, Daddy-O, or you'll get your dentures knocked out".
Then again, the artistry of Autechre has about as much in common with the nihilistic racket of NIN & Manson as John Denver's Rocky Mountain High has with the kind of high that keeps getting Scott Weiland in trouble.
Autechre's noise is a clatter unlike any other, as any true glitch connisseur will attest to. Pay no attention to the legions who would have you believe that they are merely a slightly less tuneful version of Aphex Twin (should that even be taken seriously as an insult, I ask? After all, I've heard AFX tracks that are about as tuneful as the sound of a lumberjack chopping down a cedar tree...).
Don't get me wrong, I LIKE Aphex Twin. A lot. But I LOVE Autechre. I don't even know if I could reasonably explain the preference, but it is there.
Perhaps you've noticed that not once in this post so far have I referred to Autechre's compositions as "music".
Therein lies a question for the contemplation of minds more enlightened than the one in my noggin.
IS IT MUSIC?
I suppose that all depends upon your understanding and definition of what constitutes music. I hate to get all postmodern on ya, but oh well...it's art, not ethics. And so "postmodern" is as good a tag as any to label it with. You take from it exactly what you expect to take from it. If you choose to hear it as disorganized, chaotic blips and blaps of unrecognizable sounds, that's your prerogative. Fact is, that's basically exactly what it is...the next step you are required to take is making the decision as to whether or not the seemingly random splotches of noise sound PLEASING to you, or do they foster annoyance and manifest collectively as a pain much like a migraine headache?
I can't say that I don't empathize with the latter camp, seeing as how your typical bottom-end booming loop-repetitive trance/acid house/techno produces a similar effect on me. But for some reason I happen to fall into the group that enjoys the noise. Perhaps it was my being exposed to Kraftwerk's Autobahn at a tender, impressionable age. Or more likely it stems from the occassion when, at the age of 15, I listened to Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music in it's screeching entirety through headphones (and from an 8-Track tape, no less).
For whatever reason, I find that the programmed sequences of Draft 7.30, Autechre's last album, are definately what I would consider MUSIC...to my ears, at least.No offense to those IDM/Glitch fans out there who have always been open-minded (or maybe it's tin-eared) enough to consider tracks like "Surripere", "V Al 5", "Tapr" and "Xylin Room" to be as musical as the catchiest Paul McCartney tune on the radio. But face it, guys, and I will face it right along with you---Autechre is a "love it or hate it" proposition and you can bet your prized laptop that the haters are gonna throw out that tired line once applied even to the craft of the Beatles by a generation convinced of Sinatra & Crosby's superiority, ie. "It's NOT music!"
Why bother arguing with them when odds are they're actually RIGHT this time? For instance, take "V-Proc" as an example. Yeah, there's a monsterous percussive beat that pulsates, but it jitters and sputters like a drum machine riding in the bed of an old Chevy truck speeding down a bumpy dirt road. Even if the sounds shooting from the center of those thumps were as releatively musical as the ones heard in the following track, "Reniform Puls", it wouldn't matter because yer brain has got to stay busy trying to decode some semblance of rythmic structure and it likely would never notice them.
With that in mind, I offer the secret to appreciating Autechre. You need only follow John Lennon's "Tomorrow Never Knows" advice to "Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream". If you can manage that (hopefully without chemical assistance) you may discover that Draft 7.30 is the perfect soundtrack for downstream floating.
It is a sonic Zen-world that is completely frustrating when you try to make sense of it. But if you can find a "Be Here Now" moment, all of a sudden you will notice that there are things occurring on so many different levels that one cannot help but be somewhat amused and perhaps not a little bit entertained by what's happening to your eardrums. It eventually seeps into your skull like a surgeon's scalpel, prodding and arranging all that useless brain matter, firing off electrical charges directly into the cerebral cortex with the uncanny effect of actually RELAXING the mind, despite the anarchic nature of the sounds bombarding it.
When "Reniform Puls" winds down you open your eyes and turn your mind back on, and what do you know? It's as if your brain has just enjoyed a nice Swedish massage.
So who cares if it's music or not, right? The hard part about Autechre is not how "challenging" it is (and, yes, I have used that word to describe much of their work). The "challenge" is to completely be able to shut down your thought process long enough to mine the treasures that are buried in those shiny 5" discs. Lennon knew the key to that as well (although it is true that LSD played a role in his figuring it out)...no need to worry, like the man said, "It is not dying".
Perhaps, at 42-soon-to-be-43 I've switched my brain off and then back on again enough times to know how it's done, and to be fearless about doing it.
I suppose that's why I've been listening to Draft 7.30 so much the last few days...When Untilted finds it's way into my headphones on my birthday, I want to make good and sure that my "on/off" switch is primed and in working order.
New Springsteen Song
Just heard the title track from Bruce Springsteen's upcoming album, Devils & Dust on XM's Deep Tracks channel. Let's just say that I hope this one will grow on me, cuz on first listen it really leaves me cold. Bruce-by-the-numbers, almost TOO remeniscent of songs like "Land of Hope and Dreams" and "Blood Brothers".
Good songs, mind you, but "Devils & Dust", at least at this point, isn't hitting me like they do. Here's hoping it's not one of the strongest tracks on the album, and also that it will grow on me. Such a consistantly excellent body of work doesn't need one more clunker to add to the few among it (that would be a few tracks from Human Touch and Lucky Town that I'm alluding to).
Good songs, mind you, but "Devils & Dust", at least at this point, isn't hitting me like they do. Here's hoping it's not one of the strongest tracks on the album, and also that it will grow on me. Such a consistantly excellent body of work doesn't need one more clunker to add to the few among it (that would be a few tracks from Human Touch and Lucky Town that I'm alluding to).
Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Playlist 03.29/30.05
Once again I'm up WAY too late, messing around with this blog. It's 2 in the morning and I really should be in bed. But hey, what's a few hours of missed sleep when there are names to be added to the "Music I Like" sidebar list, right?
Okay, so I got a little carried away. But you have to believe me, that is the SHORT list, of only the most significant bands/artists/composers that I enjoy.
Anyhoo, this is what I've been listening to all the while...
Philip Glass Akhnaten
Haven't played any Glass in some while. It was a toss-up between a Glass piece or Steve Reich's Music For Eighteen Musicians and Reich only lost out because I was afraid I might get hypnotized by 18. So I chose the third installment of the "Opera Trilogy", Akhnaten, which is the one I'm least familiar with.
Galaxy 500 Blue Thunder EP
Been a long, long time since I gave this one a spin. I bought it in the late 80's because I was curious to hear the cover of Joy Division/New Order's "Ceremony". I liked the arrangement well enough, and the other songs are very good, too, but I never really got into Galaxy 500. Probably would be worth checking into, better late than never and all.
Faces Long Player
I was SO excited when I found out this was finally being released on CD. It was an oddity of my record collection as a youth. Some of Rod Stewart's best work ("Bad n Ruin" choogles with the best of 'em), even if I'm not fond of his take on "Maybe I'm Amazed" (then again, I just don't like that song, period). The highlight of the album, to my ears, is the lazy "On The Beach", with the late great Ronnie Lane sounding like the skinny kid who always gets sand kicked in his face by the bullies. Tasty pre-Stones Ron Wood guitar sloppiness abounds and the whole thing hangs together by a very tentative thread, but hang together it does.
Okay, so I got a little carried away. But you have to believe me, that is the SHORT list, of only the most significant bands/artists/composers that I enjoy.
Anyhoo, this is what I've been listening to all the while...
Philip Glass Akhnaten
Haven't played any Glass in some while. It was a toss-up between a Glass piece or Steve Reich's Music For Eighteen Musicians and Reich only lost out because I was afraid I might get hypnotized by 18. So I chose the third installment of the "Opera Trilogy", Akhnaten, which is the one I'm least familiar with.
Galaxy 500 Blue Thunder EP
Been a long, long time since I gave this one a spin. I bought it in the late 80's because I was curious to hear the cover of Joy Division/New Order's "Ceremony". I liked the arrangement well enough, and the other songs are very good, too, but I never really got into Galaxy 500. Probably would be worth checking into, better late than never and all.
Faces Long Player
I was SO excited when I found out this was finally being released on CD. It was an oddity of my record collection as a youth. Some of Rod Stewart's best work ("Bad n Ruin" choogles with the best of 'em), even if I'm not fond of his take on "Maybe I'm Amazed" (then again, I just don't like that song, period). The highlight of the album, to my ears, is the lazy "On The Beach", with the late great Ronnie Lane sounding like the skinny kid who always gets sand kicked in his face by the bullies. Tasty pre-Stones Ron Wood guitar sloppiness abounds and the whole thing hangs together by a very tentative thread, but hang together it does.
This Afternoon's Best (& Worst) on XM's 'Seventies On 7'
This afternoon I've been listening to XM's Seventies channel...ahh, the music I grew up with...the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The 70's were sort of a weigh station between the ground-breaking sounds of the 60's and the more experimental styles of the 80's, and as such the ratio of VERY GOOD music to VERY BAD music was pretty even, without a lot of happy mediums.
And so here's my lists of the BEST and the WORST songs I've heard today on XM Channel 7, "The Seventies on 7":
The BEST:
~~~"School's Out"---Alice Cooper
You can't go wrong with the Coop. My 8th grade reputation basically revolved around bringing pictures of Alice Cooper to class, showing them to the girls and giggling when they would say, "Ewww, GROSS!" How times have changed...
~~~"Wild World"---Cat Stevens
One of only a few Cat Stevens songs that I genuinely enjoy, along with "Peace Train" and "MoonShadow".
~~~"Without You"---Harry Nilsson
Mariah Carey ALMOST ruined this song for me, but Nilsson's original version is good enough to make me forget about the "Butterfly Diva"'s travesty of a remake.
~~~"The Show Must Go On"---Three Dog Night
I think Leo Sayer wrote this song, and his version is probably the better of the two, but Three Dog Night's take is the one I like.
~~~"Livin' For The City"---Stevie Wonder
One of the great 70's-era classics from Wonder...right up there with "Superstition" and "Sir Duke" on my list of his best songs.
~~~"Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"---Santa Esmeralda
I had this song on a K-Tel disco compilation album and it was one of the few songs I actually really liked (second only to the Andrea True Connection's "More, More, More"). A nice Latin feel applied to the Animals' original.
~~~"Dirty White Boy"---Foreigner
Though I'm not a big fan of Foreigner, I do recall enjoying a few of their songs when they were fresh. This one has a killer guitar line that makes up for the silly lyrics and testosterone-overkill vocals.
~~~"Superstar"---The Carpenters
The music of the Carpenters was one of the guilty pleasures of my youth. I think the first 45 RPM single I ever bought was one of theirs. This Leon Russell song is the perfect vehicle for Karen's angelic voice and Richard's lush arrangement.
The WORST:
~~~"Cook With Honey"---Judy Collins
Methinks it's SACCHARINE Judy's cooking with. A truly wretched song that makes me want to throw on some Ministry to get the bad taste out of my ears.
~~~"Southern Nights"---Glen Campbell
I don't have a problem with Glen Campbell as a general rule, but his crossover hits, like this and "Rhinestone Cowboy", are bottom of the barrell. Stick to country and stay sober, Glen.
~~~"Cherchez La Feme"---Dr. Buzzard
Believe it or not, this is the first time I've ever heard this song, and I thought I'd heard the worst the 70's had to offer. I stand corrected.
~~~"I Am Woman"---Helen Reddy
The Women's Liberation National Anthem. It's sad that there actually was a time when a song like this was RELEVANT. What's even sadder is the lameness of the song itself and Reddy's annoying voice.
~~~"Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)"---Reunion
Let's just call this a "novelty piece" and save me the trouble of bashing it as hard as it deserves to get slagged.
~~~"Copacabana"---Barry Manilow
Now, I'm no Manilow hater...I actually like a few of his songs ("Could This Be Magic", "Mandy", "Read 'Em and Weep")...but "Copacabana" is...uhh, let me get out the Thesaurus...rubbish.
~~~"In The Summertime"---Mungo Jerry
With a name like Mungo Jerry it's got to be awful. And it is. This is NOT one of those songs that I used to like but then tired of. I have loathed this song since the first time I ever heard it.
~~~"Let Her In"---John Travolta
If she's seeking sanctuary from having to endure this dreadful song, then by all means, LET HER IN! Have mercy, won't you?
~~~"Paper Roses"---Marie Osmond
Marie was always a little bit more country than Donny was ever a little bit rock and roll, but this attempt falls far short of the mark, despite it's hit status.
~~~"Da Doo Ron Ron"---Shaun Cassidy
Why couldn't he have taken a lesson from his older brother? Maybe taken up a more respectable trade he was more geared to and spared the music world this crappy re-make?
~~~"How Do You Do"---Mouth-MacNeil
If the title doesn't jar the memory of this song in your brain, count your blessings. This may be the worst of this very bad batch.
And there you have it...I've had about as much seventies music as I can stand for now (and probably for quite some while). As you can see, the bad stuff outnumbered the good today...but not by much, proving my theory about the ratio of good to bad being fairly even.
The 70's were sort of a weigh station between the ground-breaking sounds of the 60's and the more experimental styles of the 80's, and as such the ratio of VERY GOOD music to VERY BAD music was pretty even, without a lot of happy mediums.
And so here's my lists of the BEST and the WORST songs I've heard today on XM Channel 7, "The Seventies on 7":
The BEST:
~~~"School's Out"---Alice Cooper
You can't go wrong with the Coop. My 8th grade reputation basically revolved around bringing pictures of Alice Cooper to class, showing them to the girls and giggling when they would say, "Ewww, GROSS!" How times have changed...
~~~"Wild World"---Cat Stevens
One of only a few Cat Stevens songs that I genuinely enjoy, along with "Peace Train" and "MoonShadow".
~~~"Without You"---Harry Nilsson
Mariah Carey ALMOST ruined this song for me, but Nilsson's original version is good enough to make me forget about the "Butterfly Diva"'s travesty of a remake.
~~~"The Show Must Go On"---Three Dog Night
I think Leo Sayer wrote this song, and his version is probably the better of the two, but Three Dog Night's take is the one I like.
~~~"Livin' For The City"---Stevie Wonder
One of the great 70's-era classics from Wonder...right up there with "Superstition" and "Sir Duke" on my list of his best songs.
~~~"Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood"---Santa Esmeralda
I had this song on a K-Tel disco compilation album and it was one of the few songs I actually really liked (second only to the Andrea True Connection's "More, More, More"). A nice Latin feel applied to the Animals' original.
~~~"Dirty White Boy"---Foreigner
Though I'm not a big fan of Foreigner, I do recall enjoying a few of their songs when they were fresh. This one has a killer guitar line that makes up for the silly lyrics and testosterone-overkill vocals.
~~~"Superstar"---The Carpenters
The music of the Carpenters was one of the guilty pleasures of my youth. I think the first 45 RPM single I ever bought was one of theirs. This Leon Russell song is the perfect vehicle for Karen's angelic voice and Richard's lush arrangement.
The WORST:
~~~"Cook With Honey"---Judy Collins
Methinks it's SACCHARINE Judy's cooking with. A truly wretched song that makes me want to throw on some Ministry to get the bad taste out of my ears.
~~~"Southern Nights"---Glen Campbell
I don't have a problem with Glen Campbell as a general rule, but his crossover hits, like this and "Rhinestone Cowboy", are bottom of the barrell. Stick to country and stay sober, Glen.
~~~"Cherchez La Feme"---Dr. Buzzard
Believe it or not, this is the first time I've ever heard this song, and I thought I'd heard the worst the 70's had to offer. I stand corrected.
~~~"I Am Woman"---Helen Reddy
The Women's Liberation National Anthem. It's sad that there actually was a time when a song like this was RELEVANT. What's even sadder is the lameness of the song itself and Reddy's annoying voice.
~~~"Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)"---Reunion
Let's just call this a "novelty piece" and save me the trouble of bashing it as hard as it deserves to get slagged.
~~~"Copacabana"---Barry Manilow
Now, I'm no Manilow hater...I actually like a few of his songs ("Could This Be Magic", "Mandy", "Read 'Em and Weep")...but "Copacabana" is...uhh, let me get out the Thesaurus...rubbish.
~~~"In The Summertime"---Mungo Jerry
With a name like Mungo Jerry it's got to be awful. And it is. This is NOT one of those songs that I used to like but then tired of. I have loathed this song since the first time I ever heard it.
~~~"Let Her In"---John Travolta
If she's seeking sanctuary from having to endure this dreadful song, then by all means, LET HER IN! Have mercy, won't you?
~~~"Paper Roses"---Marie Osmond
Marie was always a little bit more country than Donny was ever a little bit rock and roll, but this attempt falls far short of the mark, despite it's hit status.
~~~"Da Doo Ron Ron"---Shaun Cassidy
Why couldn't he have taken a lesson from his older brother? Maybe taken up a more respectable trade he was more geared to and spared the music world this crappy re-make?
~~~"How Do You Do"---Mouth-MacNeil
If the title doesn't jar the memory of this song in your brain, count your blessings. This may be the worst of this very bad batch.
And there you have it...I've had about as much seventies music as I can stand for now (and probably for quite some while). As you can see, the bad stuff outnumbered the good today...but not by much, proving my theory about the ratio of good to bad being fairly even.
Music In The Blogosphere
People, let me tell you, I have spent WAY too much time in the last week working on this blog. Ever since I decided to shut down the RSdotcom Champions Music Club blog and resurrect the Listening Room it has been an obsession with me. By the time I get to bed after a long session of blogging my eyes are strained and sore. Then, when I finally do get nestled in between the sheets, I lay there like an insomniac with ideas storming through my brain about what I want to do with it in the future.
And yet, I concede that I am a novice to the whole blogging thing. The work I do here is usually a painfully slow process of trial-and-error. I have basically NO education in computers or anything related to them, and any knowledge I have about HTML, the internet, cyberspace, etc. has been gained through experience in the 6 years since my wife decided we needed a computer and we bought our first. I mean, I can't even TYPE the way it's supposed to be done...though I must say, I achieve a remarkable rate of words-per-minute utilyzing 2 fingers & a thumb on the right hand and 1 finger on the left.
That, plus the fact that I go through phases where I really love to blog that rotate with cycles of non-interest (plus the related "inspiration factor"), is my main excuse for this blog not being quite as top notch as I would like for it to be...as I hope it WILL someday be...while still allowing that I am proud of what I've accomplished so far.
Anyhoo, I only bring this up because this morning I have wiled away the hours by surfing the blogosphere checking out other music-related blogs. And let me tell you, there are some VERY good ones out there. I have added several to the "Blogs I Like" list (located beneath all the XM stuff in the right sidebar of this bloggy doggy). For convenience sake, here's a list of the blogs I saw today that passed my rigid quality control standards and were added to the "Blogs I Like"...I assure you that I plan to explore each one of these thoroughly in the future:
This Is Not For You
Freeway Jam
I Hate Music
Close Your Eyes
The Rambler
Everything is Something
Smacked Face
we're here to help you thru yr changes
i talk about myself on the internet.
B, Myself and the Music
Blogcritics
Lots of great writing and excellent design on those blogs. I wish I had time to describe each one of them for you right now. You'll just have to trust me that they are all worth checking out.
A couple, however, really peaked my interest.
I Hate Music is a hilarious site maintained by Tanya Headon, who describes it in these words:
My name is Tanya Headon and I hate music. All of it. The purpose of this weblog is a simple one: to detail, week on week, the failings and infinite wretchedness of the stuff, building into an encyclopaedia of musical badness.
Much of this music will generally be called 'good' by critics. Some of it you might be a fan of. Rather than get offended, think of this as the virulent opposite of all those smarmy Record Guides with their star rankings and chin-stroking critical weightings. Here, everything gets one star.
If you feel the need to disagree with me, you may. However, it is worth pointing out that while I have every respect for your musical taste, you are wrong.
I Hate Music was made possible by the people at Freaky Trigger. Hate them too.
Ha! That's priceless. Blame it on the cynical manifestations of my bipolar disorder, but I always did enjoy reading music criticism that lambasts sacred cows and reviewers that are not afraid to call a crap record what it is...even if I don't agree with them. After all, what do critics know?...~~he said, with tongue in cheek, even though he considered himself a music critic~~
There is some VERY FUNNY stuff to be found on this blog.
I also like This Is Not For You quite a bit. It is the work of a fellow Oklahoman who has been called by the Lord into the music ministry. From what I've seen so far of his blog, there is an emphasis on theology that is more prevalent than music discussion/criticism, but in all fairness, I haven't yet delved into his archives, which date back to 2002. His taste in music, as presented in the "Music" list in his sidebar, has much in common with mine and includes Beethoven, the Beatles, Handel, the Stooges, Nick Drake, Mozart, U2 and Blind Willie Johnson among others.
A very attractive web design on this one. This may not be the ideal blog for those of you who are just looking for straight music content, but if, like me, you appreciate a rich mix of music and theology, This Is Not For You is well worth looking into.
And one more I'd like to single out, that I was very impressed with, is Freeway Jam, the work of the enigmatically monikered "uao". His latest installment is a very thorough examination of the Jangle Pop genre, which covers all the bases from REM to the DBs to Guadalcanal Diary to the Bangles to Let's Active and many other touchstone bands in the bargain. He's also a bit miffed at the new Coca-Cola ads that mangle Harry Nilsson's "Coconut Song" and blows off some steam in a highly amusing post.
In answering the FAQ about what Freeway Jam, is all about, this is what uao had to say:
...uh, I don't know. We'll just have to see what it evolves into. It's about music, or music collections, or being a listener of music, or consuming music. It's other things too, at least in theory. I try to provide the visitor with a piece of information, an anecdote, a tip, and a joke every day (some days are better than others). The album art is a popular feature here it seems; it certainly can jog old memories. The playlists give me a fun excuse to listen to my collection, including stuff I've missed or not gotten to yet.
Fair enough. Sounds like something I'd be interested in, at least.
If you want to find out more about uao and his blog, click HERE.
So there you are. A few music blogs that blow this one to smithereens.
And yet, I shall persist. Whether or not this one evolves into a work of similar quality will remain to be seen...I only hope that you will check in every now and again to find out!
And yet, I concede that I am a novice to the whole blogging thing. The work I do here is usually a painfully slow process of trial-and-error. I have basically NO education in computers or anything related to them, and any knowledge I have about HTML, the internet, cyberspace, etc. has been gained through experience in the 6 years since my wife decided we needed a computer and we bought our first. I mean, I can't even TYPE the way it's supposed to be done...though I must say, I achieve a remarkable rate of words-per-minute utilyzing 2 fingers & a thumb on the right hand and 1 finger on the left.
That, plus the fact that I go through phases where I really love to blog that rotate with cycles of non-interest (plus the related "inspiration factor"), is my main excuse for this blog not being quite as top notch as I would like for it to be...as I hope it WILL someday be...while still allowing that I am proud of what I've accomplished so far.
Anyhoo, I only bring this up because this morning I have wiled away the hours by surfing the blogosphere checking out other music-related blogs. And let me tell you, there are some VERY good ones out there. I have added several to the "Blogs I Like" list (located beneath all the XM stuff in the right sidebar of this bloggy doggy). For convenience sake, here's a list of the blogs I saw today that passed my rigid quality control standards and were added to the "Blogs I Like"...I assure you that I plan to explore each one of these thoroughly in the future:
This Is Not For You
Freeway Jam
I Hate Music
Close Your Eyes
The Rambler
Everything is Something
Smacked Face
we're here to help you thru yr changes
i talk about myself on the internet.
B, Myself and the Music
Blogcritics
Lots of great writing and excellent design on those blogs. I wish I had time to describe each one of them for you right now. You'll just have to trust me that they are all worth checking out.
A couple, however, really peaked my interest.
I Hate Music is a hilarious site maintained by Tanya Headon, who describes it in these words:
My name is Tanya Headon and I hate music. All of it. The purpose of this weblog is a simple one: to detail, week on week, the failings and infinite wretchedness of the stuff, building into an encyclopaedia of musical badness.
Much of this music will generally be called 'good' by critics. Some of it you might be a fan of. Rather than get offended, think of this as the virulent opposite of all those smarmy Record Guides with their star rankings and chin-stroking critical weightings. Here, everything gets one star.
If you feel the need to disagree with me, you may. However, it is worth pointing out that while I have every respect for your musical taste, you are wrong.
I Hate Music was made possible by the people at Freaky Trigger. Hate them too.
Ha! That's priceless. Blame it on the cynical manifestations of my bipolar disorder, but I always did enjoy reading music criticism that lambasts sacred cows and reviewers that are not afraid to call a crap record what it is...even if I don't agree with them. After all, what do critics know?...~~he said, with tongue in cheek, even though he considered himself a music critic~~
There is some VERY FUNNY stuff to be found on this blog.
I also like This Is Not For You quite a bit. It is the work of a fellow Oklahoman who has been called by the Lord into the music ministry. From what I've seen so far of his blog, there is an emphasis on theology that is more prevalent than music discussion/criticism, but in all fairness, I haven't yet delved into his archives, which date back to 2002. His taste in music, as presented in the "Music" list in his sidebar, has much in common with mine and includes Beethoven, the Beatles, Handel, the Stooges, Nick Drake, Mozart, U2 and Blind Willie Johnson among others.
A very attractive web design on this one. This may not be the ideal blog for those of you who are just looking for straight music content, but if, like me, you appreciate a rich mix of music and theology, This Is Not For You is well worth looking into.
And one more I'd like to single out, that I was very impressed with, is Freeway Jam, the work of the enigmatically monikered "uao". His latest installment is a very thorough examination of the Jangle Pop genre, which covers all the bases from REM to the DBs to Guadalcanal Diary to the Bangles to Let's Active and many other touchstone bands in the bargain. He's also a bit miffed at the new Coca-Cola ads that mangle Harry Nilsson's "Coconut Song" and blows off some steam in a highly amusing post.
In answering the FAQ about what Freeway Jam, is all about, this is what uao had to say:
...uh, I don't know. We'll just have to see what it evolves into. It's about music, or music collections, or being a listener of music, or consuming music. It's other things too, at least in theory. I try to provide the visitor with a piece of information, an anecdote, a tip, and a joke every day (some days are better than others). The album art is a popular feature here it seems; it certainly can jog old memories. The playlists give me a fun excuse to listen to my collection, including stuff I've missed or not gotten to yet.
Fair enough. Sounds like something I'd be interested in, at least.
If you want to find out more about uao and his blog, click HERE.
So there you are. A few music blogs that blow this one to smithereens.
And yet, I shall persist. Whether or not this one evolves into a work of similar quality will remain to be seen...I only hope that you will check in every now and again to find out!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)