Pobrecito solitario x.
XTC - these guys are so 80's they started in 1978. I only know about them because of their album "Drums and Wires", from which Primus covered two songs. D&W is comical - bask in the glory of awkward, goofy "strange girl" songs like "Helicopter", or slightly frightening, still goofy songs like "Scissor Man", and everything 80's in between. "Snipping snipping snipping goes the scissor man \ maybe you are in his book of names" goes the song about a mystical vigilante who cuts up kids who don't behave... Play that one for your elementary schoolers.
Any X* artists to contribute? Pretty please?
06 March 2009
05 March 2009
ya got trouble
These later letters simply don't have many artists to claim.
Yann Tiersen - soundtrack for "Aemelie". Evidence that all you need to sound French is an accordion.
Yello - ever seen "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"? Know that song, basically the movie theme, that's mostly a slowed-down-deep voice saying "ohh yeahhh" and "beautifullll", plus a repetitive "chikachika"? That's a Yello masterpiece. Once upon a time, the bro and I would speaksing along at the same pitch as the modified voice... Ahh, the subterranean vocal days.
Yellow Note - another one of DJ Soul Slinger's cohorts. Less funk, more weird. Still fast!
Yo Yo Ma - must be mentioned, but needs no introduction. The folks on The Daily Show claimed he was President of the US for a few minutes because the inauguration was running late and YYM was on camera when Bush's term officially ended... President Ma would be fine with me, except that he already holds a ruling position - he is the king of cello, after all. Also, Mr. Ma, your name causes me much difficulty: searching my music collection for "yo yo ma" yields entirely too many irrelevant results. I need a more substantial least common substring, sir.
Nerds rejoice. I'm just getting warmed up. Comment comment comment!
Yann Tiersen - soundtrack for "Aemelie". Evidence that all you need to sound French is an accordion.
Yello - ever seen "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"? Know that song, basically the movie theme, that's mostly a slowed-down-deep voice saying "ohh yeahhh" and "beautifullll", plus a repetitive "chikachika"? That's a Yello masterpiece. Once upon a time, the bro and I would speaksing along at the same pitch as the modified voice... Ahh, the subterranean vocal days.
Yellow Note - another one of DJ Soul Slinger's cohorts. Less funk, more weird. Still fast!
Yo Yo Ma - must be mentioned, but needs no introduction. The folks on The Daily Show claimed he was President of the US for a few minutes because the inauguration was running late and YYM was on camera when Bush's term officially ended... President Ma would be fine with me, except that he already holds a ruling position - he is the king of cello, after all. Also, Mr. Ma, your name causes me much difficulty: searching my music collection for "yo yo ma" yields entirely too many irrelevant results. I need a more substantial least common substring, sir.
Nerds rejoice. I'm just getting warmed up. Comment comment comment!
04 March 2009
zounds, he's really doing it!
Some Z action, before you catch some zzz action.
Zao - metallllll!!! I like to try to find unique characteristics for metal bands that most people would lump together as "shredding and screaming"... For these guys, the guitar riffs are inordinately pleasant; if you close your eyes and pretend really hard that everything is waaay less distorted and a little slower, it could almost be a bunch of classic rock ballads. That ruse doesn't last long, though, as they yell at you the whole time. The only time I understand any words is when they randomly vom the song title.
Zen Guerrilla - "jam band" meets noise guitar and megadistorted vocals. But, not yelled! I thought I had a story here, but I guess not. Plus one for a misleadingly punk-sounding name.
Zero 7 - some music exists to take you to relaxation; other music exists to be enjoyed once you are there. This is the latter. One word: groove.
The Zutons - deliciously odd indie pop? One of my friends from school likes to make up new lyrics to "Zuton Fever". All sorts of interesting fevers going around, it seems... Sorry, weak anecdote.
Speaking of fevers, remember: the only prescription is more cowbell.
The Zyphoid Process - how do you define "indie"? Is it a musical style? Is it the defiance of major record labels? (Is it a kind of food?) Or is it some WAV files your buddies recorded from a random impromptu concert they did one night?
I had some good times with part of this band. We got together and jammed a few times - an interesting feat with two bassists and a drummer... We even played at an "UnderCover" contest, but with me on regular guitar very poorly. I miss those nights in the AKAK basement. Nate and Mike are way more skilled than I ever was and ever will be. I miss the three-man slingshot, too, but we'll leave that for another time >;-}
Comment, then go do something else!
Zao - metallllll!!! I like to try to find unique characteristics for metal bands that most people would lump together as "shredding and screaming"... For these guys, the guitar riffs are inordinately pleasant; if you close your eyes and pretend really hard that everything is waaay less distorted and a little slower, it could almost be a bunch of classic rock ballads. That ruse doesn't last long, though, as they yell at you the whole time. The only time I understand any words is when they randomly vom the song title.
Zen Guerrilla - "jam band" meets noise guitar and megadistorted vocals. But, not yelled! I thought I had a story here, but I guess not. Plus one for a misleadingly punk-sounding name.
Zero 7 - some music exists to take you to relaxation; other music exists to be enjoyed once you are there. This is the latter. One word: groove.
The Zutons - deliciously odd indie pop? One of my friends from school likes to make up new lyrics to "Zuton Fever". All sorts of interesting fevers going around, it seems... Sorry, weak anecdote.
Speaking of fevers, remember: the only prescription is more cowbell.
The Zyphoid Process - how do you define "indie"? Is it a musical style? Is it the defiance of major record labels? (Is it a kind of food?) Or is it some WAV files your buddies recorded from a random impromptu concert they did one night?
I had some good times with part of this band. We got together and jammed a few times - an interesting feat with two bassists and a drummer... We even played at an "UnderCover" contest, but with me on regular guitar very poorly. I miss those nights in the AKAK basement. Nate and Mike are way more skilled than I ever was and ever will be. I miss the three-man slingshot, too, but we'll leave that for another time >;-}
Comment, then go do something else!
03 March 2009
#begin.
Hey! Here goes... Let's start with numerical bands; then for dramatic effect, we'll traverse the alphabet (loosely) in reverse. These are a bit reviewish, but it's a start. On with the numbers!
1.8.7. - real funk instrumentation meets energetic, fast-paced electronics and DJ work. Look for them on compilations from DJ Soul Slinger, one of the kings of scratchelectrofunk, as well as the bro's passions. PS, they're fast... And funky!
The 101 Strings Orchestra - liars! ¡Tocan casi totalmente los metales! Even so, these are some fun, upbeat, dancey "Latin" tunes (note: "Latin" is a place, not a genre). For bonus points, enjoy the unintentionally goofy lyrics about dancing and cats and such, and claim that you're studying colloquial español. Most importantly, dance.
Why in the world am I so familiar with this stuff?? Remember when that Apple jukebox program used to sort with numbers at the top, rather than the bottom? I accidentally listened to 101 Strings through most of college. Now that numbers are relegated to the end of the iAlphabet, I accidentally listen to [the first few seconds of] a-Ha's theme song to The Living Daylights ad nauseam... On the rare occasion that I use that media player anymore, that is.
The 5.6.7.8.'s - responsible for the irritatingly catchy "Woo Hoo" song on Vonage commercials... Anything else? Beats me. The song is actually on the soundtrack to Kill Bill, Vol. 1. As astoundingly dumb as the song appears to be (ok, is), it's perfect 12-bar blues; jazz musicians, unite! You don't get to hear the slick drum solos on the commercials, but oh well. One of my goals for this project is to do absolutely no research or fact-checking (this is a blog, after all) - has anyone actually heard more from these folks?
Good enough for the get-go. Add your bands and harassment in the comments!
1.8.7. - real funk instrumentation meets energetic, fast-paced electronics and DJ work. Look for them on compilations from DJ Soul Slinger, one of the kings of scratchelectrofunk, as well as the bro's passions. PS, they're fast... And funky!
The 101 Strings Orchestra - liars! ¡Tocan casi totalmente los metales! Even so, these are some fun, upbeat, dancey "Latin" tunes (note: "Latin" is a place, not a genre). For bonus points, enjoy the unintentionally goofy lyrics about dancing and cats and such, and claim that you're studying colloquial español. Most importantly, dance.
Why in the world am I so familiar with this stuff?? Remember when that Apple jukebox program used to sort with numbers at the top, rather than the bottom? I accidentally listened to 101 Strings through most of college. Now that numbers are relegated to the end of the iAlphabet, I accidentally listen to [the first few seconds of] a-Ha's theme song to The Living Daylights ad nauseam... On the rare occasion that I use that media player anymore, that is.
The 5.6.7.8.'s - responsible for the irritatingly catchy "Woo Hoo" song on Vonage commercials... Anything else? Beats me. The song is actually on the soundtrack to Kill Bill, Vol. 1. As astoundingly dumb as the song appears to be (ok, is), it's perfect 12-bar blues; jazz musicians, unite! You don't get to hear the slick drum solos on the commercials, but oh well. One of my goals for this project is to do absolutely no research or fact-checking (this is a blog, after all) - has anyone actually heard more from these folks?
Good enough for the get-go. Add your bands and harassment in the comments!
01 March 2009
nutsity
Hey, alley cat! Join me here in March, the month of madness...
My crackpot idea: completely straying from the usual medical/health theme of this electronic rag, I think I'll spend 27 days - one for each letter, plus a day for numerical names - talking about bands. Lots and lots of bands. It won't be anything in particular, i.e. reviews, just random stuff. I browsed the coffers of Amarok and made a list of at least 500 artists to choose from on my end, but there's no way I'll cover that many. We'll see what develops. Be prepared to read some nonsense, and to add some of your own.
So, I write and you add. That sums up the plan. I'll start in the next few days, obviously, or else we'll run out of month. Thoughts?
As Megaman would say in X4... Get ready!
My crackpot idea: completely straying from the usual medical/health theme of this electronic rag, I think I'll spend 27 days - one for each letter, plus a day for numerical names - talking about bands. Lots and lots of bands. It won't be anything in particular, i.e. reviews, just random stuff. I browsed the coffers of Amarok and made a list of at least 500 artists to choose from on my end, but there's no way I'll cover that many. We'll see what develops. Be prepared to read some nonsense, and to add some of your own.
So, I write and you add. That sums up the plan. I'll start in the next few days, obviously, or else we'll run out of month. Thoughts?
As Megaman would say in X4... Get ready!
20 February 2009
that certain feelin'
Avast ye, scurvy dogs! Time to sail those high seas. Aye, board if ye longs to see the morrow!
Know what rocks, he says with a double dose of sarcasm? Anxiety rocks! Here is just one of its many flavors: often, and quite unpredictably, my body decides it's awake time at some absurd hour. For example, today I powered up around 6am, circa 3-4h after finally entering suspend mode last night. The exit from hibernation is by no means casual, either. No; rather, the eyes open wide, the skin crawls with itch, and the brain bursts onto the scene at full throttle. Thoughts fly through the mind with little trace - even multiplying exponents, one of my favorite mathtivities, is futile. By this time Xanax (alprazolam), my main anti-anxiety med, is mostly ineffective, and I just have to get up and explode. But the day is shot by then, meds or no. Armchair sleep experts, have at it!
BTW, writing about anxiety is difficult whilst still under the anxinfluence...
Imagine the Utopia in which bed is a place of rest, not a straightjacket. What a luxury, eh?
Go go gadget logarithm!
Know what rocks, he says with a double dose of sarcasm? Anxiety rocks! Here is just one of its many flavors: often, and quite unpredictably, my body decides it's awake time at some absurd hour. For example, today I powered up around 6am, circa 3-4h after finally entering suspend mode last night. The exit from hibernation is by no means casual, either. No; rather, the eyes open wide, the skin crawls with itch, and the brain bursts onto the scene at full throttle. Thoughts fly through the mind with little trace - even multiplying exponents, one of my favorite mathtivities, is futile. By this time Xanax (alprazolam), my main anti-anxiety med, is mostly ineffective, and I just have to get up and explode. But the day is shot by then, meds or no. Armchair sleep experts, have at it!
BTW, writing about anxiety is difficult whilst still under the anxinfluence...
Imagine the Utopia in which bed is a place of rest, not a straightjacket. What a luxury, eh?
Go go gadget logarithm!
15 February 2009
des milles
Hello, friends old and new! Ikimasho.
In medicaland, I'm doing well, so it's back to a few hours per day in the manual chair with no trouble. Speaking of manuchairs, it turns out that the re-request for my real j-sized transporter has not even made it to insurance yet! Waiting for red tape clearance is awwwesoommmme.
In medicaland, I'm doing well, so it's back to a few hours per day in the manual chair with no trouble. Speaking of manuchairs, it turns out that the re-request for my real j-sized transporter has not even made it to insurance yet! Waiting for red tape clearance is awwwesoommmme.
In place of a thousand more words of nonsense, enjoy this scanned Polaroid gem with the Käp'n, Cleveland, 6 Nov 2004...
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