Friday, September 26, 2008

Reckoner Remix












Hey, check this site out. You can download the various recording tracks from Radiohead's 'Reckoner' (one of my favorite songs off "In Rainbows"), and remix it, and then upload it. And you can listen to all the remixes from other fans, and vote on them.
It's a little bit bogus, because you have to pay to get the recordings, and listening to the top remixes, I think Radiohead did just fine with their own final version! But it's a cool idea.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Ladies and Gentleman .....

The Vern Morgus Harmonica Band!!!

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Friday, August 8, 2008

The Go! Team

Not to be confused with a short Olympia project that Kurdt Cobain was in. Although, if I recall correctly the energy was similar. Brighton, UK based six piece (with two drummers). These guys are like cheerleaders on acid. A nice thing to get you going in the morning without all the refinement of a drug free cheerleader.

Saturday, May 31, 2008

O, CARIBOU

















Dan Snaith is 30 years old. He is a PhD mathematician from Dundas, Ontario. His thesis at London's Imperial College was titled, "Overconvergent Siegel Modular Symbols." His father and brother are both university math professors and Dan is............ CARIBOU

Snaith primarily composes electronica from his home computer (see the video at the very end of the post for a cool look into the process). He draws inspiration from among other things, a voluminous obscure vinyl collection. His latest album mines pop sensibility from 60's and 70's psychedelia. Though skilled at the keys and the drums, Dan enlists a group of musicians for more traditional recordings and for touring.

Dan Snaith's first couple albums were recorded under the name, Manitoba. In 2004 facing a lawsuit from the Dictators' Richard "Handsome Dick" Manitoba (above right- the self-proclaimed "Handsomest Man in Rock n' Roll"). Unwilling/unable to assemble a legal defense, he switched to CARIBOU. ("Handsome Dick" hadn't recorded anything in 15 years and never as a solo artist).

I stumbled across Caribou watching a video for "Melody Day" from the album Andorra. Next stop: downloaded the song and later the whole album off emusic. I love the hammer/axe synchronization with the beat! Andorra's a beautifully odd album. There's stuff on there that reminds me of early Moody Blues and Pink Floyd (especially "Sandy"). Melody Day wastes no time sinking its hooks. It has a great beat and melody (imagine that!), but it's the little flourishes (the synth flute!!) that drive me nuts. Then there's songs like Niobe that come out of nowhere (absolutely love this song- but due to its length, didn't make it into the post- but if anybody is curious- i'll gladly email it to you.) Niobe is more electronica than psychedelia, starting softly and plodding, building to a crescendo and crashing.... then steadily builds and crashes again. I like how Irene serves to transition from the psych to the electro.

Yeah, ok, so he lives in London now. But note that he didn't change his name to "Hedgehog"!! Anyway, hope ye all enjoy.

Videos:

1) Melody Day (Andorra)
2) Hello Hammerheads (Milk of Human Kindness)
3) Bees (Milk of Human Kindness)
4) BBC Collective Mini Documentary (Niobe plays briefly in the intro)