January 20, 2005
Well, Not Quite EVERY Game, But Close.
By clicking on the link below, I, the user, agree to take no legal action againstThings As They Are.? for any resulting massive loss of time, cramping and/or numbing of the hands, eye or relationship strain. Don't say you weren't warned.
Goodbye Productivity.
I seriously cannot believe someone did this.
rev 1.1--Things As They Are.?: Helping to create a whole new generation of Nintendo widows.
January 10, 2005
Human Inscription.
I finally did it. And, unlike Jeb's clever ruse, mine can't be Photoshopped away:
For those wondering, that's Awi Usdi, Little Deer of Cherokee legend. I got the image from my friend, author Marilou Awiakta, whose book of poetry, Abiding Appalachia: Where Mountain and Atom Meet, has served as quite a profound companion to my life.
By the way, Mom, I got a tattoo.
Nintendoes Music.
And here I thought that the theme song to Super Mario Bros. was the pinnacle of chipboard composition. (Check the Mario link for a daring rendition of the song). Guess I was wrong. Meet the 8-Bit Peoples, a collective dedicated to making music on Gameboys and, you guessed it, 8-bit Nintendos.
My favorites so far? Either the Depeche Mode Megamix or Axel F, a Beverly Hills Cop throwdown that at times sounds dangerously close to the original. I can almost see Judge Reinhold now....
If I was a bit more on top of things, I would've pasted the 8-Bit Peoples Christmas album, The 8 Bits of Christmas, a month ago. But there's always next year.... (In the meantime, check out Bit Shifter's "Let It Snow").
January 9, 2005
Scrobblers Unite.
Think your playlist matters? You might be right. Enter Audioscrobbler:
Audioscrobbler builds a profile of your musical taste using a plugin for your media player (Winamp, iTunes, XMMS etc..). Plugins send the name of every song you play to the Audioscrobbler server, which updates your musical profile with the new song. Every person with a plugin has their own page on this site which shows their listening statistics. The system automatically matches you to people with a similar music taste, and generates personalised recommendations.
Although I've yet to fully build my Audioscrobbler profile, I wonder how useful a service like this might be for, say, researchers interested in what others in their fields might be reading. A PDF plugin, perhaps, or a search engine tracker that could facilitate research between members of a class, a department or an institution. Google Scholar does this on a large scale. What about facilitating smaller groups as well?
I'm So Vain.
I probably think my Top Ten matters.
But, seeing as how I tend to be the source for most of the music that my friends and family listen to, I'll go ahead and post my Top 10 Albums of the Year 2004.
1) The Bees, Free the Bees
An absolutely astounding album that somehow channels the echoing purity of the 1950's while simultaneously besting most 60's albums that tried to do the same. Also contains a raucous reggaed instrumental and Ringo's voice. Only better. And by someone else.
2) Hot Chip, Coming on Strong
Take Paul McCartney's first solo album (you know-- the good one), cross it in a Commodore 64 with P-Funk, Prince and West Coast gangsta rap circa 1991, and you've got Hot Chip. Sound strange? Trust me. It isn't. Some of the most moving and organic electronica around.
3) Embrace, Out of Nothing
People tend to either love Embrace or hate them. Hands down some of the most over-the-top, epic and anthemic music to come out since, well, ever. Like Coldplay without restraint.
4) Down the Tiny Steps, Point of Yes Return
The album the Beta Band should've, could've, but never did release. Layers galore of acoustics and vocals. Nothing like it this year.
5) The Go! Team, Thunder Lightning Strike
A trendy choice this year but a good one. Like Saturday Morning Cartoon themesongs done by the best DJs around. Except that The Go! Team is mostly live instruments. And not accompanied by the one pound of sugar found in Kaboom! cereal.
6) The Earlies, These Were the Earlies
A song cycle about the beauty of death as done by a Flaming Lips conducted symphony playing with a drum circle.
7) Noah 23, Jupiter Sajitarius
One of the smartest, most well-produced hip-hop albums in years. What a vocabulary.
8) The Stands, All Years Leaving
While not the most original album to come out this year, this still has enough pure melody to stand (ahem...) with the best that The Byrds, The La's and even, at times, The Beatles have to offer. A sunny day Sunday album if I've ever heard one.
8) Little Wings, Magic Wand
If I ever meet Bob Dylan, the third thing I'd ask him is why more people don't know about the genius of Kyle Field, aka Little Wings. We're in the midst of one of the greatest songwriters to come around in a long time, folks, and no one seems to realize it. Magical.
9) Air, Talkie Walkie
A quiet, flowing masterpiece of instrumentation and production, this record shuns the coldness of its predecessor for something equally electronic yet far more human.
10) The Beta Band, Heroes to Zeroes
Years from now people will recognize the influence that The Beta Band have had on music. For now, though, all we have is this, their swansong. While not their best album (Hot Shots II is still untouchable), this is still a fitting finale for one of the most innovative bands of the past 40 years.
BONUS: Keane, Hopes and Fears
My guilty pleasure for 2004. Sounding dangerously close to 80's adult radio, Coldplay and, occasionally, Elton John, Keane still manage to make music that just somehow works. Like Radiohead in Lacoste.
Close Calls: