The Bass Geek

Looks like iTunes and Amazon have the Wup Bup tracks available for download, so feel free to download them at your leisure. Also, the CD can still be purchased at Indy CD and Vinyl and Luna Music here in Indianapolis.

We’re still working out the live aspects of the show, but it’s looking like Reason is going to be playing a large part of providing the sounds and loops for the show (including, hopefully, my bass). Since I love the program personally, then, I’m a little geeked out about the company (Propellerheads) releasing an audio recording program to work in tandem with the soft synth and sequencing capabilities of Reason. It’s going to be a little hard to wait until September for the final product, but it does make my decision to choose a new audio recording software a little more complicated. At least on my laptop, Pro Tools and Logic have another competitor.

Twice this weekend, I was brought out of a movie’s story line to confront some less-than-stellar music choices. One was simply unfortunate, and one was egregious. They’re both lessons to music supervisors to choose carefully.

The simply unfortunate was the use of the Beastie Boys track “Sabotage” in “Star Trek.” The scene had a too-young-to-drive (even in the future) James Kirk cruising along in car screaming along to the track – a track that would have been hundreds of years old by the time of the shooting. Would a young child appreciate (or even have access to) music that old? It was a misstep in an otherwise decent movie. At least they managed to avoid the trap of putting in generic-sounding nu-metal to signal the dark, dystopian future.

The egregious example came from Rosie O’Donnell’s documentary “All Aboard.” In one scene, following the touching marriage of two gentleman aboard the cruise ship, we’re treated to Harry Nilsson singing . . . “Sail Away.” Yes, that Randy-Newman-penned song that extols their new country to groups of African slaves, sung from the perspective of the slave merchant. They conveniently left out the part about watermelon and buckwheat cakes, and they never put into context the arrival of the ship in Charleston Bay – home of the slave auctions. The whole point of the song is glossed over for this one moment. Using the song in this way totally undercuts the message of tolerance and acceptance the documentary is trying to communicate. Everything I’d seen up to that point was ruined by one song.

Please, music supervisors – be careful. The wrong choice can be just distracting, or it can take down the entire project.

Radio Radio has The Handcuffs, Sam Vicari and Red Light Driver on Saturday night. Red Light Driver has 50% Playboy Psychonaut content, so I can personally endorse them.

Deano’s Vino has the Shirtless Biddles tonight and Acoustic Catfish tomorrow.

The Fountain Square Theater has Swing Thing for its Friday Night Swing Night event, and there’s live jazz at Maria’s Pizza tonight as well.

Finally, the Templars of Doom metal festival has a wrap-up party Sunday for the all-ages crowd at the Murphy Building. The lineup includes Krallice, Christ Beheaded, Coffin Worm, and Heavy Lies The Crown. They didn’t list a time or cost, but I assume you can follow the loud tones and bring some extra cash. Enjoy.

The new IMN podcast is up – download it here or listen at the site or WFYI.

Also, Fez Fest is just a few short weeks away, and the Playboy Psychonauts are geared up for . . . whatever it is we do. Mostly, we play strange music and wear fezzes, which is why we’re perfect for this event. Also playing are The Dockers (Fezcore!), Vinyl Shriner (alterna-fez), and The Lord of the Yum-Yum (need more information on his fez, but I’m sure it will be stunning. More info here – see you there!

This first comes from Okayplayer.com and tackles the “Where Are They Now?” question for former Roots bassist Leonard Hubbard. Based on the article, I’ve got an album and musical to catch up on, plus some more solo material in the future. Good to hear.

The second is this interview with hip-hop artist DOOM, which addresses not only some upcoming material but the controversy over alleged performances by “imposters” instead of the real article. The quote that struck me is:

Impostor would imply that the character. I liken it to this: I’m a director as well as a writer. I choose different characters, I choose their direction and where I want to put them. So who I choose to put as the character is up to me. The character that I hired, he got paid for it. There’s no impostor.

So he’s not denying that someone else was inside the mask – he’s just saying that the act was true to the DOOM character and fit in with the artistic vision. Given that hip-hop is such an individual music live (many times, it’s just the artist and a backing track), I found it fascinating that he’d expand the performance aesthetic to include actors playing a role. Not that all performers aren’t playing a role in some way (even in hip-hop, where “realness” is prized above all), but that he’d expand it into additional performers for the same role. Definitely a ground-breaking step, at least in theory. Many folks reported that the shows were . . . less than stellar, which is a problem in itself.

Oh dear Lord, if there’s only one show you need to see this weekend, it’s tonight at Radio Radio. Unknown Hinson plays, and you’ll never get a better chance to see the world’s preeminent rockabilly vampire guitarist. Ever. Like he even needs to be a rockabilly vampire – he’s just that good. Toss in the aforementioned undead status, though, and you’ve got a good evening’s entertainment. Saturday, Radio Radio has Bigger Than Elvis. But I think they’ll only let you in if you go see Unknown Hinson. ‘Cause otherwise, they don’t need you around. Seriously.

Deano’s Vino has the Travellin’ Hillbillies tonight and Brian Hodge tomorrow night.

Big Car Gallery has Pons tonight as part of their First Friday gallery opening.

Finally, there’s jazz at Maria’s Pizza tonight from 7 to 9. Enjoy!

And seriously, Unknown Hinson. Go.