Sunday, August 03, 2008
Saturday, August 02, 2008
John's August Top 50 (pt. 1: 50-41)
Ok, so in the spirit of our recent flurry of music-related content here on Best Way, I decided to start writing a bit about my fake ipod charts that I started awhile back. When I worked at my college radio station I generated weekly charts that reflected what discs were getting lots of play, what were new ads, etc. and distributed those to various distributors to keep them posted when their releases were getting pick-up. It was one of the more fun pieces of my job, along with the weekly conversations these charts spurred with reps from the various distributors.
Since owning an ipod I listen mostly to my own music when driving in the car (via FM radio adapter), at home, etc. so I have started thinking of my ipod as a little self-contained radio station. Hence, in June I made my first monthly top 50 playlist. I had toyed with the idea before, and it was lots of fun, so this month I'm doing the same. Below are songs #50-41 in my top 50 for August 2008. Songs newly added to my ipod and the list are in green.
50. Soggy Tongues (by Vic Chestnutt)
Lovely song by a widely respected artist, someone whose music I've always meant to check out, but only recently downloaded some of his stuff.
49. Climbing the Walls (by They Might be Giants)
48. Living Room (by Basement Jaxx)
47. Salamalekoum - Les Escrocs (by Bantu, Docta, Sister Fa & More)
This is off a wonderful compilation of African hip-hop I found on E-music. The album is called "Many Lessons: Hip Hop, Islam and West Africa." Some really wonderful sounds here.
46. Sweet Talk (by Spank Rock)
45. I Woke Up Today (by Port O'Brien)
44. Keasby Nights (by Catch 22)
I used to listen to Catch 22 a lot in college, but never purchased the CD until about a month ago. This has been in pretty heavy rotation ever since. Ahh for the throwback songs we used to crank while driving around campus!
43. Walcott (by Vampire Weekend)
They're a little too phenom-y for me right now, I see their record everywhere, but their sound is good even if the whole African sounds filtered through preppyness vibe is weird to me.
42. Ladies of the World (by Flight of the Conchords)
41. You and Me (by Solomon Burke)
Solomon Burke is an incredible soul singer who could literally make the warnings at the end of a direct-to-consumer drug advertisement sound amazing. This is a relatively new cut.
Since owning an ipod I listen mostly to my own music when driving in the car (via FM radio adapter), at home, etc. so I have started thinking of my ipod as a little self-contained radio station. Hence, in June I made my first monthly top 50 playlist. I had toyed with the idea before, and it was lots of fun, so this month I'm doing the same. Below are songs #50-41 in my top 50 for August 2008. Songs newly added to my ipod and the list are in green.
50. Soggy Tongues (by Vic Chestnutt)
Lovely song by a widely respected artist, someone whose music I've always meant to check out, but only recently downloaded some of his stuff.
49. Climbing the Walls (by They Might be Giants)
48. Living Room (by Basement Jaxx)
47. Salamalekoum - Les Escrocs (by Bantu, Docta, Sister Fa & More)
This is off a wonderful compilation of African hip-hop I found on E-music. The album is called "Many Lessons: Hip Hop, Islam and West Africa." Some really wonderful sounds here.
46. Sweet Talk (by Spank Rock)
45. I Woke Up Today (by Port O'Brien)
44. Keasby Nights (by Catch 22)
I used to listen to Catch 22 a lot in college, but never purchased the CD until about a month ago. This has been in pretty heavy rotation ever since. Ahh for the throwback songs we used to crank while driving around campus!
43. Walcott (by Vampire Weekend)
They're a little too phenom-y for me right now, I see their record everywhere, but their sound is good even if the whole African sounds filtered through preppyness vibe is weird to me.
42. Ladies of the World (by Flight of the Conchords)
41. You and Me (by Solomon Burke)
Solomon Burke is an incredible soul singer who could literally make the warnings at the end of a direct-to-consumer drug advertisement sound amazing. This is a relatively new cut.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Happy Anniversary, Crap Bag
Today is the 20th anniversary of Rush Limbaugh's radio broadcast being on air. I honestly can't figure out anything more appropriate to say about this than what Tom Tomorrow said on his blog:
What an ass. Rush, that is, not Tom. Happy Anniversary, ass.
"Most of us try to make our mark, in some small way. But it’s a rare group of human beings who can look themselves in the mirror and know, beyond any doubt, that the world is a far worse place for their having lived in it.
It’s quite an achievement!"
What an ass. Rush, that is, not Tom. Happy Anniversary, ass.
OhNoesBama ALIENS!?!?!?!
Thanks to Wonkette I just saw this redonkulous piece of campaign interview footage. Obama, what kind of answer is that? It isn't even funny. He smiles like he thinks he's making a funny, but really his answer is just plain strange.
Now, granted, this has got to be the most silly question I've seen put to Obama since Georgie Stephanop-o-pop-o-lupus asked, "Does Jeremia Wright love America, Jesus and Apple Pie as much as Harry Carey loves the sun?" Watch the super quick and silly clip below and be amazed. Hooray for Friday Video Rediculousness!
Now, granted, this has got to be the most silly question I've seen put to Obama since Georgie Stephanop-o-pop-o-lupus asked, "Does Jeremia Wright love America, Jesus and Apple Pie as much as Harry Carey loves the sun?" Watch the super quick and silly clip below and be amazed. Hooray for Friday Video Rediculousness!
New QTip... Maybe For Real This Time
So it has now been 9 years since the last release from Q-Tip, but that album, his solo debut, Amplified, is still great. Along the way between then and now there have been many indicators that something new would be released. Kamaal the Abstract was previewed to radio stations back in 2001 when I was still music director at my college's radio station, but while the initial tracks for that were tantalizing and intriguing it never surfaced. Today I read on Pitchfork that a whole new Q-Tip album is tentatively set for release in October. It sounds like this one may actually become real. Check out a stream of the first single.
Listening Notes Take 1
Nobuzaku Takemura: Scope
This has been one of the better rediscoveries on my iPod. I got this album sometime during college, and vividly remember driving back from the record store with my friend chuck, listening to the first track. It was about 20 minutes long and consisted mostly of silence broken by atonal, arrhythmic electronic noises. It was intriguing but hard to get into. The rest of the album is more accessible, and I am particularly fond of a track called “Icefall” which has been a regular feature on my playlist. It sounds like someone recorded a little synth riff, burned it onto CD and then scratched the hell out of it. It doesn’t sound like the recipe for gorgeous music, but it is—utterly gorgeous and utterly alien. In fact, in places, it reminds me somehow of Bach. Definitely worth listening to when you’re wearing headphones, alone in your room, or—as a study in contrasts—when you’re wandering through the woods early in the morning.
This has been one of the better rediscoveries on my iPod. I got this album sometime during college, and vividly remember driving back from the record store with my friend chuck, listening to the first track. It was about 20 minutes long and consisted mostly of silence broken by atonal, arrhythmic electronic noises. It was intriguing but hard to get into. The rest of the album is more accessible, and I am particularly fond of a track called “Icefall” which has been a regular feature on my playlist. It sounds like someone recorded a little synth riff, burned it onto CD and then scratched the hell out of it. It doesn’t sound like the recipe for gorgeous music, but it is—utterly gorgeous and utterly alien. In fact, in places, it reminds me somehow of Bach. Definitely worth listening to when you’re wearing headphones, alone in your room, or—as a study in contrasts—when you’re wandering through the woods early in the morning.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Let's Do This! (John's ipody goodness)
I was so pleased to see Matt's post about ipody goodness that I had to post a little quick tidbit of my own. I've recently been fishing around on my own ipod a good bit. Since I got one about a year and a half ago I've been frantically cramming pieces of a huge CD collection into apples sleek little sexy player... slowly taking my 30GB of space and narrowing it to the point where I think I maybe still have 4 GB or so. Along the way I've also become aware of and filled some gaps (never owned any Bob Dylan so I bought a bunch starting with Blonde on Blonde and Blood on the Tracks).
Lately I've gotten back into the swing of tracking new acts, and I've got a couple I'm pretty pumped about right now. The are Santogold, a group/performer I think is blowing up in a general sense. The sound is catchy, the beats are good, and the whole package comes together well. Many people make a quick comparison to M.I.A., another musician whose work I love that has come up in the past few years. The shoe fits in that department, and the similarity in their sounds is fine by me, as I like both. I've also heard Santogold compared in sound to other luminaries of fem rock and pop including Sleater Kinney, another group I admire greatly. Worth your time, no doubt, even as the tracks get picked up as background music for Bud Light Lime ads! (ak!)
The second new group I'm pumped about right now is Dr. Dog. I just downloaded a bunch of their stuff in the last couple days, and I'm pretty hooked right now. They've got a clean hooky sound. They're from Philly (as supposedly Santogold is as well... REPRESENT!!!), and they've got a devotion to certain founding rock sounds (think Beach Boys and Beatles) but they've also got a newskool arts and craftsy creative edge. Their arts and craftsy workmanship has me lumping them in with groups like Spoon, Interpol, and others like them who take well used sounds and hustle them into something new and interesting.
Let's hear it for music talk! I WANT MORE!!!
Lately I've gotten back into the swing of tracking new acts, and I've got a couple I'm pretty pumped about right now. The are Santogold, a group/performer I think is blowing up in a general sense. The sound is catchy, the beats are good, and the whole package comes together well. Many people make a quick comparison to M.I.A., another musician whose work I love that has come up in the past few years. The shoe fits in that department, and the similarity in their sounds is fine by me, as I like both. I've also heard Santogold compared in sound to other luminaries of fem rock and pop including Sleater Kinney, another group I admire greatly. Worth your time, no doubt, even as the tracks get picked up as background music for Bud Light Lime ads! (ak!)
The second new group I'm pumped about right now is Dr. Dog. I just downloaded a bunch of their stuff in the last couple days, and I'm pretty hooked right now. They've got a clean hooky sound. They're from Philly (as supposedly Santogold is as well... REPRESENT!!!), and they've got a devotion to certain founding rock sounds (think Beach Boys and Beatles) but they've also got a newskool arts and craftsy creative edge. Their arts and craftsy workmanship has me lumping them in with groups like Spoon, Interpol, and others like them who take well used sounds and hustle them into something new and interesting.
Let's hear it for music talk! I WANT MORE!!!
ipody goodness
I have recently finished taking the bar exam, an experience that is nearly as much fun as spending an evening with Karl Rove and Richard Simmons while drinking expired milk. (Apologies to anyone who spent their Saturday night that way).
The one good thing about the last two months is that I was motivated to finally go out and get an iPod, so I could use music to tune out the sounds of the world. When I first got the iPod, I decided to revisit some of the music that I own but haven’t listened to in years and years. For me, this essentially means raiding the vast collection of electronic music that I acquired in college. For the last 5 years or so, I’ve gotten really into –i.e. obsessed with—that ill-defined and venerable genre of music known variously as “classical”, “serious” or “art” music. So I haven’t really been keeping up with the phat beats and crazy mixes.
Anyway, I have thought about making some notes about music and my reaction to it, since I am by nature narcissistic enough to subject my friends to my opinions about this sort of thing. Therefore, you should all look forward to my random, incoherent and very possibly drunken ramblings about CD’s no one cares about anymore! Hurray!
The one good thing about the last two months is that I was motivated to finally go out and get an iPod, so I could use music to tune out the sounds of the world. When I first got the iPod, I decided to revisit some of the music that I own but haven’t listened to in years and years. For me, this essentially means raiding the vast collection of electronic music that I acquired in college. For the last 5 years or so, I’ve gotten really into –i.e. obsessed with—that ill-defined and venerable genre of music known variously as “classical”, “serious” or “art” music. So I haven’t really been keeping up with the phat beats and crazy mixes.
Anyway, I have thought about making some notes about music and my reaction to it, since I am by nature narcissistic enough to subject my friends to my opinions about this sort of thing. Therefore, you should all look forward to my random, incoherent and very possibly drunken ramblings about CD’s no one cares about anymore! Hurray!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Fun Fun Superfun
I had a great weekend. I went to a wedding in Long Island that was outstanding in a handful of ways:
So, if you're feeling blue 'cause it's Monday, fear not! It's getting beautiful again outside (after all the storminess of the last week), I've got some Zen stuff to calm you down, and life is good.
Cheers!
- I am pretty sure I've never been to Long Island before... except maybe for a college info session for SCAD, I think, back when I was living in NYC and thinking of going back to school for graphic design (about 6 yrs ago).
- I have never danced so much at a wedding... I'm talking had to take my suit coat off in the first 15 minutes, legs tired the next day, sweating like a crazy person, legit reason to loosen the tie and undo the top button of the dress shirt style dancing. Damn. Craziness. Seriously, I don't usually dance.
- Great company
- Oh! and bonus, the vegetarian food was legitimately good! Mmm... veggie lasagna with a healthy portion of cheese baked in. Yum.
So, if you're feeling blue 'cause it's Monday, fear not! It's getting beautiful again outside (after all the storminess of the last week), I've got some Zen stuff to calm you down, and life is good.
Cheers!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Amazing Photo of the Week
I was just on Huffington Post, and I want to know where they got this goofy and amazing picture of John McCain. It's amazing. It makes me giddy. I just can't wrap my head around how awesome it is. Can you? Seriously. Why is he holding that ancient cellphone? It looks like current day John McCain with 1991 John McCain's cell phone. Incredible. It came with an interesting article too.
Incredible.
Amazing.
Hope it makes you smile too.
TGIF.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Scandal, wha???
Confused by the layers and layers of controversy and scandal, crimes and misdemeanors that have swirled around the White House over the last 7 years? Wondering where the Department of Justice firings connect to Coercive Interrogation of Guantanamo Bay detainees? Just want to chuckle to yourself while thinking of John Ashcroft, Larry Craig and Mark Foley in a barbershop quartet together... wait... was Foley in the quartet? I think I'm wrong on that last one. Well if you're feeling the first two, check out Slate.com's supercool interactive chart of Bush Administration scandals! This clever little info graphic is not only fascinating and nicely designed, but informative as well.
The Girl Effect
This is cool. Speaks for itself, really. I just watched it on their website (there it's full screen!) and was impressed enough by both the message and delivery that I really wanted to pass it along. Enjoy.
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