Michael Jackson and Gollum Combined

For Mother’s Day, check out this ridiculously entertaining website called MorphThing that lets you combine two pictures into a “morphed” image… be it you and your girfriend, you and Chewbacca, Marilyn Manson and Shrek (no joke – it’s on the website already), Brangelina Jopitt, etc. You can also make a baby, choose its race, and send it to your friends… or get a reaction from your mother.  Michael Jackson and Gollum can be seen above.  If you create their baby, it’s remarkably cute and normal looking.  Have fun and listen to Plastic Beach by Gorillaz while you’re at it– review coming soon.

Jem Godfrey, on a completely separate note, is a successful British pop producer, responsible for number one hits by Atomic Kitten and X Factor’s Shayne Ward.  Eventually, he went wayward, flipped the kill switch (like Soulja Boy), and started producing progressive rock music– his true love from the beginning.

I thought I’d mention for the sake of my metalhead friends that I think “Frost*” is one of the most underrated prog bands today.  Enjoy the Soulja Boy track.  Best blog post$.

If you haven’t watched “Dark Side of Oz” (Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd synced with The Wizard of Oz)– it’s really cool (or uncool– at the very least, interesting,) and it’s on YouTube.  And it’s as much of a coincidental finding as the Soul Train video I experimented on– hence the ambiguity of their combined coolness.  Alan Parsons (Dark Side of the Moon engineer) put it best in a Rolling Stone interview, when he explained:

It was an American radio guy who pointed it out to me. It’s such a non-starter, a complete load of eyewash. I tried it for the first time about two years ago. One of my fiancee’s kids had a copy of the video, and I thought I had see what it was all about. I was very disappointed. The only thing I noticed was that the line “balanced on the biggest wave” came up when Dorothy was kind of tightrope walking along a fence. One of the things any audio professional will tell you is that the scope for the drift between the video and the record is enormous; it could be anything up to twenty seconds by the time the record’s finished. And anyway, if you play any record with the sound turned down on the TV, you will find things that work.

So… Alan Parsons says EXPERIMENT!  But judge for yourself:

Still unsure whether it’s coincidence or freakish premeditation?  Go watch Alice in Wonderland and TELL me that wasn’t also done on purpose.  Case closed.  Someone even did it for you already:

So the moral of the story is:
A) Video-music mashups are cool, but any monkey throwing darts at a music playlist could come up with a cool idea.
B) Some ideas are better than others.  You could probably come up with a decent one if you’re watching something and it makes you think of a song.  Or vice versa.
C) Tempo estimation should be an afterthought– just continue to throw things together and see what happens.  Experiment.  Again, like a monkey throwing shit at a wall and seeing what sticks– it’s bound to entertain you (eventually, with minimal patience).
D) Yes!  I just compared myself to a monkey.  Now you understand how art works, and why primates make the best artists!

[ed note: Vintage Veta actually thought of the entire Daft Punk idea while we were watching Soul Train-- no monkeys were harmed in the process].

I just wanted to share a music video I did for my cover of “Remember The Time” by Michael Jackson.  A link for the song download is on my iCompositions profile!  Download the mp3 here!

Enjoy.

You might ask: Why are you talking about rock music and where is it even headed?  Well, my friends– this is where rock music is at…not necessarily in America, and not necessarily on our charts.  Radio is obviously a huge player in the rock business.  With psychedelic, progressive, and operatic references like Pink Floyd, Rush, and Queen, it’s no surprise that a number of great rock artists continue to thrive beyond American earshot (with songs beyond the 4 minute mark).  This album and artist recommendations are not about underground bands– on the contrary, these artists are pretty popular.  Nor is this list comprehensive.  Rather, I’d like to think it’s an ongoing dialogue on great, quality artists that are criminally overlooked by us Americans (or is “US Americans” more correct… anyway…)

Let’s start with an album of the week, shall we?

The Incident by Porcupine Tree (9/14/2009)

This one is on my wishlist, and it’s a crime I haven’t listened to it (or the YouTube preview) yet.  Funny, because the album apparently intends to humanize the victims of crimes covered by a detached media (or something along those lines– again, I haven’t actually heard it).  A lot of magazines will make, or already have made some very punny jokes on this matter.  Maybe I don’t read enough music press.

The songwriting abilities of Steven Wilson, as well as his vocals, which can only be described as “a silky smooth layer cake” (K for P to those who care); and Gavin Harrison’s odd, precise drumming, to me, make Porcupine Tree, as Mike Tyson would put it, an impetuous beast [of a band of nice British guys.] Side project “Blackfield” reinforced Wilson’s status as “K for P” in my book.

Porcupine Tree now leads me to…
Blackwater Park by Opeth (2/27/2001)

If you haven’t already watched my tour bus interview with Opeth, here’s another chance.  Opeth and Porcupine Tree also dig each other, which is cute… in a deathly metal sort of way.  I’ve already recommended the album Watershed, so now I’m recommending Blackwater Park– produced by Steven Wilson.

The Resistance by Muse (9/14/2009)

Another album of the week, another great band that I really like, and another one on my wishlist.  I haven’t heard the preview, but for those who aren’t ready to take the plunge (yet) and dish out $10 for The Resistance, YouTube exploration awaits you.

Elitist moment:  Despite my suggestion that some of you might want to check out Muse on YouTube, I still side with taking the plunge.  Only because you might make a comment like the one from this Metalsucks.net review: “I’ve only listened to the record once so far, but I’m kind of lukewarm on what I’ve heard.  I’m really anxious to hear all of the 3-part symphony that closes the record, as only :30 clips are available even to those who’ve signed up for the website” (source: http://www.metalsucks.net/2009/09/11/the-resistance-has-arrived-new-muse-album-streaming-in-full/).  As Steven Wilson put it, listening to an mp3 (or any compressed music) is like looking at a photocopy of a painting.  Judging an album on 30 second low-quality clips is, well…now that I’m on a quote roll… “missing all that heavenly glory” (Bruce Lee).  Still, if you have the means to check out the photocopy before investing in the full work of art, why not?

Octahedron by The Mars Volta (6/23/2009)

I hated them the first time I saw them live with the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2005.  I love them now.  A lot of people don’t like their more free-form songwriting, but to those people, I say shake it up and enjoy the riff salad!  This album is on my wishlist, so I couldn’t comment on it, but a lot of fans seem to put “Deloused…” on a pedestal and avoid the epic and experimental.  Opeth is probably guilty of the same approach to music, but if you’re going progressive anyway, expect to test your patience every now and then.  You did it when you moved on from “Dark Side” or “The Wall” and discovered “Shine On You Crazy Diamond.” I think the Volta deserve the same chance– you loved Deloused… so give “Amputechture” and everything else a chance!

This is not, by far, a comprehensive list.  Comment with rock artists you think are overlooked or underrated, major or indie!

While the wordplay was an absolute necessity, I don’t think you’ll need much more convincing that didgeridoos, slide guitars, and psychedelics are just what the doctor prescribed for Tuesday night (8/11).  In the wake of Lollapalooza comes Xavier Rudd– Australia’s best selling, but more importantly, the most awesomest artist and multi-instrumentalist…ever.  Granted, I may very well just be as overly excited as you are (or should be) about Xavier’s arrival to Chicago.  We mustn’t get too feisty now.  But as cityfolk, how often do we actually get the opportunity to fulfill our annual quotas for Aboriginal-inspired folk-didge-blues-rock?

The man sings, plays the didgeridoo, slide guitar, and a slew of other percussion and stringed instruments.  Correction… he plays not one, but three didges live, as seen in the YouTube videos below.  While he lists old school folk artists Leo Kottke and David Lindley as some of his biggest guitar heroes, Xavier Rudd is far from old school.  Having toured with Dave Matthews Band and Ben Harper, he’s proven himself both a talented and relevant entertainer, drawing from folk, Aboriginal, African, and pop rock music.  Now, as the headliner of his own tour, fans can expect to hear songs not only from his latest album Dark Shades of Blue (2008), but rather from his entire catalogue.  In our interview, Xavier also made it a point to mention that his band’s international lineup, which now includes African musicians, is worth checking out in its own rite.

Although an Australian playing the didge, or yirdaki as it is referred to regionally, might seem like a blatant musical stereotype, Xavier explains, “The way I use the yirdaki is pretty unique even in Australia…yeah you hear the instrument more, but I think what I do is still pretty unique there.” But what do we know?  Why not judge for yourself…

Look in the mirror. The truth is, you're going to Warped.

15 years ago, Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman nearly gave up his music career to conquer new territory: the classroom.  That’s right– in an interview at the New York stop of Warped Tour 2008, label head, entrepreneur, and all-around music mogul Kevin Lyman told us, “Really [Warped Tour] was going to be my last thing probably in the music business.” Having worked for 12 years at clubs, Lollapalooza, and all-in-all, 300 shows a year, it was always important to Kevin not to “be that older guy giving you a hard time.” In one respect, Kevin’s a family man– it’s hard to juggle a high-pressure, time consuming career in entertainment with a wife and kids.  Secondly, Kevin Lyman is simply an all-around nice guy.  Granted, his demeanor might appear intimidating to some– not to say he doesn’t have the capability to shake other top dogs out of their shoes.  He really summed up his modesty in a story he tells, in which a career can develop out of the smallest deed– for instance, sharing a slice of pizza with an artist that would later help launch one of the most successful annual tours in the world.

Courtesy of mtv.com - Fair Use

As we speak, the 15th anniversary Warped Tour wheels are in motion.  The tour has come a long way since its inception, in which about 16 bands shared only a handful of buses and trucks (one or two hands, for the sake of accuracy).  Lyman reminisced about the days when “a group of drug addicts and a group of vegans” had to share the same bus (he was referring to Sublime and Orange 9mm– the reader can decide which is which.) Today, the lineup is in the hundreds, with more local and up-and-coming artists doing one-off shows at the side stages.  “It’s all about the side stages,” said Lyman about the 2008 tour, projecting that the same would be true (really, more true) in 2009.  And it really is.  Ultimately, bands are hand-selected for their ability to play live.  And if you can’t play live at a live show, well, according to Kevin and the forces above, you’ve got big problems.

Warped isn’t all about the punk bands– it’s about giving fans energetic live shows and putting great bands on the map.  Boulder, CO natives 3OH!3 (named after their area code) are a great example of a not-necessarily-punk duo whose electro-gangster rap beats made splashes in 2007 and 2008.  Now they’re one of the headliners and main attractions of the tour.  When not “Hiking, blowing glass, [or] making hammocks out of hemp,” as 3OH!3 member Sean Matthew Foreman put it, these Coloradans would “just jam out for 3 or 4 days” and make music they could dance to, according to Nathaniel Warren Seth Motte.  “I like going to clubs and dancing…hopefully if I go to a club, we’ll hear our stuff,” Nathaniel continued.  I asked 3OH!3 what they thought was worth dancing to.  Finishing each other’s sentences, the duo essentially captured the spirit of Warped when they responded, “Electro…country music…we’ll dance anywhere to anything.”

In a world where “there is no scene” and “people are just listening to music,” as Kevin explained in our interview, Warped Tour is about putting on great live shows for “the music fan” as opposed to selling to a particular genre.  And it appears he really does have the right idea.  “Bands are coming up to me and saying, ‘I can sell more albums in one day on Warped Tour than my label can sell in a week’,” said Kevin.

So what did we learn from Mr. Lyman today, class?  Get off yo asses and buy yo’self some tickets to Warped Tour!  Get to Tinley Park, IL this saturday!

Beastie Boys have today (20 July) issued the following statement:

‘Adam “MCA” Yauch of Beastie Boys was diagnosed last week as having a cancerous tumor in his left parotid (salivary) gland. Luckily it was caught early and is localized in one area, and as such is considered very treatable. It will however require surgery and several weeks of additional treatment. Fortunately the cancer is not in a location that will affect Yauch’s vocal chords. Beastie Boys have canceled all upcoming concert appearances to allow time for Yauch’s surgery and recovery. The release of the band’s forthcoming album Hot Sauce Committee Part 1 will also be pushed back.

‘Paraphrasing from a video statement on www.Beastieboys.com, Yauch said, “I just need to take a little time to get this in check, and then we’ll release the record and play some shows. It’s a pain in the neck (sorry had to say it) because I was really looking forward to playing these shows, but the doctors have made it clear that this is not the kind of thing that can be put aside to deal with later.”’

A statement from EMI reads: ‘Our thoughts, love and prayers are with Adam Yauch, his family and the Beastie Boys. The most important thing is to allow Adam to focus on staying healthy. We wish him all the best and a speedy recovery.’

Get with the future… sit at your computer and do something that matters.  With everyone learning information, history, news, etc through each other, sites like Timelines.com are breaking the barrier between user-driven content and social networking sites. Throw away your history books and start recording and sharing the history of the world… everyone together now (clap).

Here’s a good place to start – the history of music. Go to a good show, get a new album? Have something to say about it? Have your perspective recorded in history and rank the events you like most and find to be important. Timelines can be as specific or as broad as you want (for example, Michael Jackson’s timeline is also a part of the history of pop, rock, funk, and music timelines).

Record the History of Music… or really, whatever you want.

Photo compliments of http://lancedrummondsmusic.wordpress.com/

RIP, Michael.