Pure Psychonaut Goodness
I wanted to wait until this show was confirmed and listed on the venue's website and such before bringing it up here, and all of those parts have finally fallen into their respective places. So now I can tell you how darn nice it's going to be playing the Vogue next Thursday for a couple of reasons.
First, it's a nice big stage with nice big sound, and I want to hear what my bass and synths will sound like there. I'm also sure it'll be the first time I've heard a sitar there (certainly not the first time one has been there I'm sure, but it's still rare enough, trust me). We've been playing muich smaller and intimate venues to this point, so it'll be a challenge, especially considering we're a three-piece. I've also been doing most of these shows without an amp (both bass and synth using a DI into the P.A.), so I wonder if I'll have to change that. It's probably better to bring one just in case, eh?
Second, our little half-hour slot leads the way for the genius that is The Leisure Kings and the oversized punk-rock marching band Mucca Pazza. They boast being 30 members strong (inlcuding wind sections and cheerleaders), and the thought of trying to organize them into rehearsals of any sort frightens me, frankly. That's why I'm glad I'll just be taking in the show and not the preparation.
Back From Memphis . . .
We got my mom moved in and took in as much as possible. Beale St. is still Disney, but we managed to grab some good food and took in the Stax museum again - they had a good exhibit from Otis Redding's personal records on a limited run. It was also a delight to see the basses used to record "Soul Finger" and some of the Booker T. and the MGs songs.
We also took in a night of boxing that turned out not to be professional, but a fraternity's charity event. Suffice it to say that we saw maybe one real boxer out of the night, and a lot of really ineffective swinging. Such is life.
I also noted an inordinate amount of truckers sporting signs about remaining strong and attentive 24/7/365 and never giving "aid and comfort to the enemy." I was unaware that these brave drivers manned a combat zone fraught with such danger and peril that their constant vigilance was required. I have visions of the borders being lined with semis blasting Toby Keith in unison, guarding our livelihoods with a combination of brute force and nausea. Yes, it scare me a bit.
Now I'm home, gazing at the unwatched episode of Battlestar Galactica on the DVR and waiting for my wife to get home to remedy that situation.
MySpace Music Site Already Better Than Qtrax!
You know, in that it actually has deals and stuff in place.
The new MySpace Music Site is going to add music distribution from three of the majors (and one would imagine the indies as well) along with all the usual social network features in an allegedly DRM-free environment. Since the website mentioned in the press release (provided here by Indy Star music writer and local hero Dave Lindquist) doesn't actually work yet, I'm assuming the details are being closely guarded, as techies of this sort are wont to do.
At this early stage, it's another encouraging move towards a level playing field of equal distribution. The name "Madonna" will still command more attention than your average bar band, of course, but there's something to be said for MySpace offering all of those tracks at the same place DRM-free. I'd like to see the site, though. In some form. It took them long enough with the developers' sandbox, and it's just now in beta.
The Roots – Playing In a Vaguely Defined Location Near You!
The Roots are a band I'd consider an hour-long road trip to see with no question, so the sight of two such shows on their calendar were the source of a little excitement. Except that the only listing I can see from any source is the band and the city. While Bloomington and West Lafayette are not huge towns, I'd still like to know at which location in said towns the band will be appearing. I think I'm running into some private or otherwise restricted engagements for Little 5 and Grand Prix weeks, respectively. Still, I'm curious about the new bassist and I want to know. Feh. Jambase (how I DETEST even going to the site) and other sources taunt and tease with basic information, but I've got nothing else.
She’s a pastry chef and a sniper.
My wife surprised me with the "Flight of the Conchords" DVDs last night, and they've held up well since first viewing - especially the "Boom King" song. Genius.
I feel guilty for spending a couple minutes trying to identify the make and model of Jemaine's bass and appreciating the green tortoise-shell pickguard.
But that's my cross to bear, I suppose.
Some Quick Reviews . . .
I'm getting a little backlogged on my podcasts and new albums, but here's a little catch-up on what I'm listening to right now:
- Erykah Badu - New Amerykah, Pt. 1: The first time I saw her was after she released the wonderful Mama's Gun, and the concert was magical - one of the best shows I've seen. The next time I saw her was a meandering affair - still good, but not quite up to par. I get the initial impression from this album, too. There are some fantastic cuts and great work with folks like Madlib and Georgia Anne Muldrow, but it doesn't feel as cohesive as previous works. I have a feeling that could be remedied by listening to it with the second album, coming later this year. It deserves repeat listenings, though.
- Mike Doughty - Golden Delicious: Some new songs and a re-working of "27 Jennifers" makes for a pretty decent album. Going in, you know you'll get Doughty's trademark voice and somewhat opaque lyrics, but he puts forth some tight tracks, and the whole album makes for a good listen. He manages to retain a good balance between the acoustic elements and more electronic layers in the songs, too, with the electronics making their presence felt a little more than in previous solo material.
- Free Form Funky Freqs - Urban Mythology: I'm a sucker for these albums, and I sometimes end up being quite disappointed in them. Tossing together a few musical heros and seeing what they come up with doesn't always make for a good band or recording, and sometimes it makes an unlistenable mess that people want to hide in their closests, in their basements, or under dense lead shielding. Vernon Reid, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, and Calvin Weston manage to avoid those pitfalls and put out a trio record that seems to leap off from Band of Gypsies-era Hendrix, route through the "downtown" jazz scene, and amp it up a bit. The result is an electric record that improvises without meandering and always remains vital and fun (the latter part lacking in a lot of these types of efforts).
I still have to get to some eMusic deals, like Matthew Garrison and Peanut Butter Wolf, but those will have to wait for a bit. I also notice that I'm not straying from my comfort zone much - maybe the podcasts will help.
NIN releases new material in variety of formats
Trent Reznor's new release options for the "Ghosts" collection are interesting in that they've got several layers, from the free sampler of the first disc all the way up to a $300 limited edition pack that contains 180-gram vinyl, blu-ray, books, a multimedia presentation, prints suitable for framing, a certificate of authenticity from the Franklin Mint, and free turn-down service the next time you stay at his house, I guess. I like that there are a variety of options for this release, and that it's a project released under the artist's control. I even noticed there was a Creative Commons non-commercial license attached to the collection, meaning that I'm sure we'll see thousands of remixes posted on his site and elsewhere. It looks like a further refinement of the "pay what you want" model, where you can still get material for free, but there are several upsells built into it. Honestly, it looks like a public radio pledge drive format - you can listen for free, but for $20 more you'll get the coffee mug and a tote bag.
The only challenge I see here is that we're talking about 4 discs of instrumental music. That could present a challenge to even the most dedicated fan, and it's certainly not going to attract any casual listeners.
Truth In Music Act Passes Indiana House
Kudos to the Indiana House for passing the Truth In Music Act and sending it on to the Senate. It's hard enough for acts from this time to get the money they've earned or might have been owed, given the shady dealings many owners, managers, and label heads practiced. Having others appropriate their name now is just adding to the insult.
Besides the merits of the bill, I have to think the legislature was awed by the charm of Sha Na Na's Bowser, who's been lobbying across the country for similar acts. Who knew Chuck Taylors and a low voice could provide an entry into the world of politics?
So, about community radio . . .
I mentioned in Friday's blog the big event coming up this Friday to support Indy's new community radio station. It's an important cause, as such institutions remain quite valuable to the communities they service.
Yes, even in this downloaded/podcasted/streamed music world, you should still keep the old FM radio around for a few reasons:
- Ease of accessibility - you don't need to beg off of Starbucks or steal somebody's signal to take advantage of it
- Created by and for the local community - more than likely, the volunteers and neighbors know who you are and what you're interested in; even in the infinitely customizable Internet, nothing works better than word-of-mouth and knowing your audience
- Variety of programming - a lot of the talk about the "death of radio" surrounds the use of confining playlists tailored to marketing focus groups and (let's face it in a lot of cases) payola; community radio doesn't deal with that stuff and consequently gives you some interesting stuff to chew on
- The nature of the beast - there's nothing quite like free-form radio; it's kind of like a Grateful Dead jam, except you know when it's going to end and I can stand to listen to it
So there's a few reasons. I really can't emphasize the local character of this kind of broadcasting enough. This represents an entirely new avenue for artists, listeners, and all other concerned folks in the greater Indianapolis area. The thought of having something even approximating stations like WMFU in this area should be thrilling to local listeners (depending on who's on the air, of course).
And this isn't intended as a swipe at the local programming provided by local stations WFYI and WICR - there's a lot of good stuff there, too. There's just always room for more.
New Podcast Up
The new IMN podcast is up and ready for download. You can also listen to it on the Flash player at the main site.
I also stumbled across this quick interview with George Porter from a Denver publication. The interesting parts of this article include the fact that he's still owed quite a bit of royalty money (please pay up - he made a lot of musical careers possible) and that the jam band folks have adopted the Meters and associated music as their own. On one hand, it's nice to see these acts with large crowds that give them a decent living. On the other hand, please take a shower before you go to the shows, and stop twirling into me.
The Bass Geek’s Twitter
- Lightning session at #stc12, then back home - thanks for everything, it was a great conference! 1 day ago
- The Afghan Whigs with @questlove on drums? My head asplode. 2 days ago
- New blog post: Retro-Geek Bass Porn thebassgeek.net/2012/05/22/ret… 2 days ago
- Staring at the maw of localization at #stc12. 2 days ago
- The more I read about the new @PropellerheadSW rack extensions, the more unreasonably excited I become. propellerheads.se/products/reaso… 2 days ago
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