I haven't posted anything in awhile. You may be wondering why. No, I didn't get so busy looking for music that I couldn't do anything else with my computer. I finally got my phone, and now I've been spending most of my computer time dealing with a naughty device.
The plan was simple - transfer files between my computer and my phone with a SD card, a medium both are supposed to be able to read. I say 'supposed to', because my Linux box is having trouble with it. It reads it just fine - I can get stuff from the phone to the computer using my plan. The other way though ... I can't for the life of me get my computer to write on the memory card. Some might point to this sort of thing as a reason to abandon Linux and rejoin the Windows monoculture.
But the problem I am having is not Linux' fault. See, I have a naughty device.
The card reader I have - an essentially unbranded generic device - would be a tremendous value if I could get it to work. It cost me all of 6 bucks for the reader/writer itself.
But with cheap hardware you often get coner-cutting. And here the corner cut was testing the reader on a variety of devices.
My understanding (and it took an awful lot of investigation to even get this scant info) is that many cheaper card readers will broadcast that they support standards that they do not. Thus, when the operating system believes what it is being told by the card reader and tries to communicate in full compliance with the standards the device CLAIMS TO SUPPORT - well, confusion results. And, apparently, eternal write protection.
Here's the kicker: Windows machines do not even try to use these particular communication standards - standards fully specified for the device! If the item is only tested on Windows and is not entirely supporting the standards it claims - well, you would never know.
So, it is the device itself that is naughty. Not (for once) Windows. Not Linux.
My naughty device.
THE MORAL: you should spend more than 6 bucks on pieces of computer hardware.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Saturday, November 3, 2007
One Weekend Under AGroove: The Chalets
And the winner is ...
[drumroll]
You know, this would be a lot more suspenseful if I hadn't put the band's name in the title of the post.
THE CHALETS
Official Site
MySpace
Wikipedia
The Chalets are my favorite of the bands I was introduced to during 'One Weekend Under A Groove'. Although I had heard the name before (and even mentioned them here on the blog!), I hadn't actually heard the band.
Hoo boy was I missing out. This is what happens when the only way to acquire a disc is to pop for a $30 import. Folks generally aren't going to want something they've never heard. Yeah, there's Itunes and stuff, but 'haven't heard it=don't know if I want it' still applies. And some of us want the liner notes and disc artwork you don't get with itunes. Scans just aren't the same as the actual physical object.
I'm thinking $30 might just be worth it here. The Chalets deal with many of the things I like in music.
... and did I mention lots of female vocals?
If you doubt any of what I just said, just watch this video (yes, I've been messing around YouTube again). It's kinda goofy at times, but that just adds to its charm.
Second place in this non-contest went to The Long Blondes, whom I covered the other day. Long term I can see them overtaking the Chalets in my affections, but for now they come in second.
---------------
Other parts of my life didn't stop while I screwed around listening to music. Been building up a backlog of non-music topics to cover here. Also things are in the works that could either be really cool or horribly disappointing. We'll see. And no, this has nothing to do with women.
Well, only sort of ....
[drumroll]
You know, this would be a lot more suspenseful if I hadn't put the band's name in the title of the post.
THE CHALETS
Official Site
MySpace
Wikipedia
The Chalets are my favorite of the bands I was introduced to during 'One Weekend Under A Groove'. Although I had heard the name before (and even mentioned them here on the blog!), I hadn't actually heard the band.
Hoo boy was I missing out. This is what happens when the only way to acquire a disc is to pop for a $30 import. Folks generally aren't going to want something they've never heard. Yeah, there's Itunes and stuff, but 'haven't heard it=don't know if I want it' still applies. And some of us want the liner notes and disc artwork you don't get with itunes. Scans just aren't the same as the actual physical object.
I'm thinking $30 might just be worth it here. The Chalets deal with many of the things I like in music.
- Lots of female vocals. Not exclusively in this case, but lots.
- Harmony. Lots of it. Most of the Chalet songs I've heard are sung by two or more vocalists harmonizing.
- Plenty of guitar. The Chalets don't exactly shred, but often songs are built around a strong, central guitar riff.
- Great pop songwriting. Those guitar riffs back songs which have a great rhythym and flow. There is the occasional misstep (see "Love Punch"), but the writing is usually solid.
- Fun. This is difficult to quantify, but the band seems to really be enjoying itself.
... and did I mention lots of female vocals?
If you doubt any of what I just said, just watch this video (yes, I've been messing around YouTube again). It's kinda goofy at times, but that just adds to its charm.
Second place in this non-contest went to The Long Blondes, whom I covered the other day. Long term I can see them overtaking the Chalets in my affections, but for now they come in second.
---------------
Other parts of my life didn't stop while I screwed around listening to music. Been building up a backlog of non-music topics to cover here. Also things are in the works that could either be really cool or horribly disappointing. We'll see. And no, this has nothing to do with women.
Well, only sort of ....
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
VOO DOO!
Night.
Light from my computer's monitor cuts the stygian darkness. Slowly a progress bar crept across the screen. 61% ... 62% ... 63%. Little did I know the horrors that awaited me upon completion of the download ... The horrors of VOO DOO!
Up from the graveyard of music video past that is YouTube rose VOO DOO! Watching the video seemed like a good idea at the time. I really like Rachel Sweet's voice. I knew her career suffered from pretty extreme mismanagement, but, I thought, how bad could it be?
I could scarcely have predicted the terror of VOO DOO!
SHIVER ... at the sight of an artist with a unique vocal talent being given material that in no way makes use of that talent!
SHUDDER ... at the "come hither" looks that come off as "Look out! I'm going to vomit!"
SHAKE WITH FEAR ... at the not-quite-a-sweatshirt, not-quite-a-night-dress outfit!
Seriously, check it out. See if you can resist the pull of evil from ... VOO DOO!
----------------
Little post for Halloween here, 'One Weekend Under A Groove' finale is coming next ....
Light from my computer's monitor cuts the stygian darkness. Slowly a progress bar crept across the screen. 61% ... 62% ... 63%. Little did I know the horrors that awaited me upon completion of the download ... The horrors of VOO DOO!
Up from the graveyard of music video past that is YouTube rose VOO DOO! Watching the video seemed like a good idea at the time. I really like Rachel Sweet's voice. I knew her career suffered from pretty extreme mismanagement, but, I thought, how bad could it be?
I could scarcely have predicted the terror of VOO DOO!
SHIVER ... at the sight of an artist with a unique vocal talent being given material that in no way makes use of that talent!
SHUDDER ... at the "come hither" looks that come off as "Look out! I'm going to vomit!"
SHAKE WITH FEAR ... at the not-quite-a-sweatshirt, not-quite-a-night-dress outfit!
Seriously, check it out. See if you can resist the pull of evil from ... VOO DOO!
----------------
Little post for Halloween here, 'One Weekend Under A Groove' finale is coming next ....
Saturday, October 27, 2007
One Weekend Under A Groove: Speedround!
Many of these groups I didn't hear enough of to say much about. Others I simply didn't like enough to investigate further.
AFTERNOON NAPS - "THE SUN AIN'T THE SAME"
Jangly guitar pop. Not a female in sight. Another thing makes them somewhat different than many of the other groups I looked at - they're Americans.
THE GO! TEAM
I kept running across this band when looking at stuff about The Pipettes. Someplace even said "If you like the Go! Team you'll love the Pipettes." Apparently it's not transative.
CAMERA OBSCURA - "LLOYD I'M READY TO BE HEARTBROKEN"
Really nice vocals. Didn't really look at the band very in-depth though.
NOONDAY UNDERGROUND - "LONDON"
This really reminds me of something. I can't figure out what. Late 60s West Coast (SF) rock, but what? Like it though.
MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND - "WORKHORSE - SOMETHING OF AN END"
An entry in the nameless creepy/dreamy genre I spoke of last post.
DEAR EUPHORIA - "SNOW"
Ditto.
EL PERRO DEL MAR - "COMING DOWN THE HILL"
Ditto again. But El Perro Del Mar is often described as being more like "traditional" girl group, so I guess I need to hear more.
THE SCHOOL - "ALL I WANNA DO"
This is really nice. Pretty straightforward girlpop.
XMAL DEUTSCLAND - "BOOMARANG"
The link I followed described it as bleak, which is pretty spot on. Vocals are more talking than singing, which is a little annoying, but that may be unique to this song.
LADYFUZZ
Described as "indie-dance". I really liked "Oh Marie", not a big fan of the other Ladyfuzz I listened to.
SLEATER KINNEY
Many of the groups I liked like Sleater-Kinney. I guess I just didn't hear the right stuff then. Should be right up my alley. They are considered Riot Grrrl deities. I didn't DISlike them, just ... I think I need to hear more.
Phew. Who woulda thunk it would take two weeks to mention two days' worth of listening? Only one group left. The winners (was this a competition?) You can figure out who they are from what I've said already. Or you can wait for the post.
That's what I'd do.
AFTERNOON NAPS - "THE SUN AIN'T THE SAME"
Jangly guitar pop. Not a female in sight. Another thing makes them somewhat different than many of the other groups I looked at - they're Americans.
THE GO! TEAM
I kept running across this band when looking at stuff about The Pipettes. Someplace even said "If you like the Go! Team you'll love the Pipettes." Apparently it's not transative.
CAMERA OBSCURA - "LLOYD I'M READY TO BE HEARTBROKEN"
Really nice vocals. Didn't really look at the band very in-depth though.
NOONDAY UNDERGROUND - "LONDON"
This really reminds me of something. I can't figure out what. Late 60s West Coast (SF) rock, but what? Like it though.
MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND - "WORKHORSE - SOMETHING OF AN END"
An entry in the nameless creepy/dreamy genre I spoke of last post.
DEAR EUPHORIA - "SNOW"
Ditto.
EL PERRO DEL MAR - "COMING DOWN THE HILL"
Ditto again. But El Perro Del Mar is often described as being more like "traditional" girl group, so I guess I need to hear more.
THE SCHOOL - "ALL I WANNA DO"
This is really nice. Pretty straightforward girlpop.
XMAL DEUTSCLAND - "BOOMARANG"
The link I followed described it as bleak, which is pretty spot on. Vocals are more talking than singing, which is a little annoying, but that may be unique to this song.
LADYFUZZ
Described as "indie-dance". I really liked "Oh Marie", not a big fan of the other Ladyfuzz I listened to.
SLEATER KINNEY
Many of the groups I liked like Sleater-Kinney. I guess I just didn't hear the right stuff then. Should be right up my alley. They are considered Riot Grrrl deities. I didn't DISlike them, just ... I think I need to hear more.
Phew. Who woulda thunk it would take two weeks to mention two days' worth of listening? Only one group left. The winners (was this a competition?) You can figure out who they are from what I've said already. Or you can wait for the post.
That's what I'd do.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Test: Ignore This
This is only a test. Had this been a real post you would have been given further instructions about where to go and what to do when you got there.
Shangri-Las up there. Beauty. The long haired one is Mary Weiss.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
One Weekend UnderA Groove: Always Coming Home
We should start at the beginning. In this case Brighton, in the UK.
Brighton has a pretty active music scene, a result of the fact (according to Becki Pipette) that the place is otherwise pretty drab and dull. An active music scene implies more artists call Brighton home than just the Pipettes (although do you really NEED more than the Pipettes?)
BAT FOR LASHES
Official
Wikipedia
MySpace
Bat For Lashes hails from Brighton (in case you thought I was non-sequitering again ...)
There is a genre that doesn't have a name that I know of. Typified by songs with an almost creepy, dreamlike atmosphere. Kate Bush is the patroness of the style. Julee Cruise is an adherent. As is Bat For Lashes.
I have to be in the right mood to enjoy this style, but when I am, I REALLY enjoy it. Great for just kicking back and letting go, trancelike.
I'd like to provide a better description, but this is music that demands to be experienced, not described.
An article in a paper in my hometown led to my discovering a band from Brighton. Looking at another group from Brighton - the Pipettes (duh) - led to my discovery of a band from my home town. Just follow the links. 'Influenced' and 'Influenced By'. Eventually you'll run across ...
G. D. DOO WOP BAND
MySpace
In Studio at MPR
Hank Hill would call them "Got Dang Doo Wop Band". Minnesota Public Radio calls them "Gosh Darn Doo Wop Band". I'll just use "GDDWB" and let you fill in the rest.
What was surprising about GDDWB for me is that they are from my part of the world and I had not previously heard of them. I'm more out of the loop than I realized ...
GDDWB is the most 'retro' of the many 'retro' bands I listened to. Solid girl group material that could be from 1962. You won't find any 'post-modern' reinterpretations or any of that sorta thing. Just pop the way I like it. Give them a listen at the MPR link above.
Ya know, these little reviews are getting to be more work than they should be. I'm falling behind on other stuff I would like to talk about. But I still want to get through all the music I found that weekend. If only there were a quicker way ...
Brighton has a pretty active music scene, a result of the fact (according to Becki Pipette) that the place is otherwise pretty drab and dull. An active music scene implies more artists call Brighton home than just the Pipettes (although do you really NEED more than the Pipettes?)
BAT FOR LASHES
Official
Wikipedia
MySpace
Bat For Lashes hails from Brighton (in case you thought I was non-sequitering again ...)
There is a genre that doesn't have a name that I know of. Typified by songs with an almost creepy, dreamlike atmosphere. Kate Bush is the patroness of the style. Julee Cruise is an adherent. As is Bat For Lashes.
I have to be in the right mood to enjoy this style, but when I am, I REALLY enjoy it. Great for just kicking back and letting go, trancelike.
I'd like to provide a better description, but this is music that demands to be experienced, not described.
An article in a paper in my hometown led to my discovering a band from Brighton. Looking at another group from Brighton - the Pipettes (duh) - led to my discovery of a band from my home town. Just follow the links. 'Influenced' and 'Influenced By'. Eventually you'll run across ...
G. D. DOO WOP BAND
MySpace
In Studio at MPR
Hank Hill would call them "Got Dang Doo Wop Band". Minnesota Public Radio calls them "Gosh Darn Doo Wop Band". I'll just use "GDDWB" and let you fill in the rest.
What was surprising about GDDWB for me is that they are from my part of the world and I had not previously heard of them. I'm more out of the loop than I realized ...
GDDWB is the most 'retro' of the many 'retro' bands I listened to. Solid girl group material that could be from 1962. You won't find any 'post-modern' reinterpretations or any of that sorta thing. Just pop the way I like it. Give them a listen at the MPR link above.
Ya know, these little reviews are getting to be more work than they should be. I'm falling behind on other stuff I would like to talk about. But I still want to get through all the music I found that weekend. If only there were a quicker way ...
Monday, October 22, 2007
One Weekend Under A Groove: What Took So Long?
During 'One Weekend Under A Groove' I finally checked out a few artists I've known about since working for my previous employer - so that's over 3 years. I just got around to actually sampling their work. Like I said, sometimes things take me a while.
HOLLY GOLIGHTLY
Wikipedia
MySpace
I stumbled across a mention of Holly Golightly following the "influenced .." links from ... I'm not sure where. With Golightly there are many possibilities. She borrows freely from many pre-Beatles genres - and a little post-British invasion too.
If Holly had been around for that event she would have been one of the invaders. See, she's British. I first learned about her from a very local source - one of my bosses at my previous job. He was a big Holly Golightly fan. For some reason I don't think I ever listened to the Holly Golightly CDs he would bring to work.
But now there is a pretty good chance I'll have my own Golightly CDs to listen to. I didn't listen to much of that artist that weekend, but enough to know I'm interested in hearing more.
RASPUTINA
Official
Wikipedia
MySpace
When I stumbled across/rediscovered Holly Golightly it got me thinking about other groups folks I've worked with liked but I somewhat inexplicably never listened to.
One of my former coworkers was a fairly big fan of Rasputina. Many goth-types are. Not being a member of that teenage social club I figured there wasn't anything there of interest for me.
Boy howdy was I wrong. I finally got around to listening to Rasputina, and I like what I hear. Very much.
The first thing you'll notice about Rasputina is the quality of the vocalist's voice. Sweet - but not too sweet. Innocent - but not too innocent.
Next you notice the quality of the songwriting. The material often deals with obscure or unusual topics - Mutiny on the Bounty - starvation in Bolivia - that sort of thing.
Ah, who am I kidding. The first thing you'll notice is that THEY'RE PLAYING CELLOS. Yes, Rasputina is 2 cellists and a drummer. But firmly within the rock paradigm.
---------------------
You know, Rasputina made me realize how cool cellos can sound in rock. I'm not talking ELO or Phil Spector strings, but as a central driving component of the piece. Kind of set me off on my next little quest - I figure the idea of a metal band based around orchestral strings (I'm not talking of a band known mostly for covers like Apocalyptica; I'm talking originals) is too cool for it to be new. It's out there - and I'm looking for it.
NEWS FLASH: There is a whole Wikipedia entry on what I'm thinking of.
Might be tiring, though. We've already been to New York, England, Japan, New Zealand, Ireland (OK not there yet). And to think we started in Brighton (England, home of the Pipettes)
HOLLY GOLIGHTLY
Wikipedia
MySpace
I stumbled across a mention of Holly Golightly following the "influenced .." links from ... I'm not sure where. With Golightly there are many possibilities. She borrows freely from many pre-Beatles genres - and a little post-British invasion too.
If Holly had been around for that event she would have been one of the invaders. See, she's British. I first learned about her from a very local source - one of my bosses at my previous job. He was a big Holly Golightly fan. For some reason I don't think I ever listened to the Holly Golightly CDs he would bring to work.
But now there is a pretty good chance I'll have my own Golightly CDs to listen to. I didn't listen to much of that artist that weekend, but enough to know I'm interested in hearing more.
RASPUTINA
Official
Wikipedia
MySpace
When I stumbled across/rediscovered Holly Golightly it got me thinking about other groups folks I've worked with liked but I somewhat inexplicably never listened to.
One of my former coworkers was a fairly big fan of Rasputina. Many goth-types are. Not being a member of that teenage social club I figured there wasn't anything there of interest for me.
Boy howdy was I wrong. I finally got around to listening to Rasputina, and I like what I hear. Very much.
The first thing you'll notice about Rasputina is the quality of the vocalist's voice. Sweet - but not too sweet. Innocent - but not too innocent.
Next you notice the quality of the songwriting. The material often deals with obscure or unusual topics - Mutiny on the Bounty - starvation in Bolivia - that sort of thing.
Ah, who am I kidding. The first thing you'll notice is that THEY'RE PLAYING CELLOS. Yes, Rasputina is 2 cellists and a drummer. But firmly within the rock paradigm.
---------------------
You know, Rasputina made me realize how cool cellos can sound in rock. I'm not talking ELO or Phil Spector strings, but as a central driving component of the piece. Kind of set me off on my next little quest - I figure the idea of a metal band based around orchestral strings (I'm not talking of a band known mostly for covers like Apocalyptica; I'm talking originals) is too cool for it to be new. It's out there - and I'm looking for it.
NEWS FLASH: There is a whole Wikipedia entry on what I'm thinking of.
Might be tiring, though. We've already been to New York, England, Japan, New Zealand, Ireland (OK not there yet). And to think we started in Brighton (England, home of the Pipettes)
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