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Friday, November 08, 2002
Anchormen, Aweigh! IX The Anchormen are now on our very first compilation ever! Logan Tapes' Zombies of the Stratosphere collects a nice array of indie-pop and punk-rock goodness, including Tullycraft, All Girl Summer Fun Band, the No-No's, the Salteens, the Hissyfits, and your favorite Somervillains, the Anchormen. The Web site doesn't really indicate how to purchase the platter, and I can't find it at Twee Kitten or Interpunk. Not at Insound, either. Hmm. Hope they send us a copy, at least! If you see this anywhere, snag the puppy. Event-O-Dex XII From Timmy Nickels of the High-Steppin' Nickel Kids: The High-Steppin' Nickel Kids are dead. That's what the answering machine said. I believe it was Chinua Achebe who said "Things fall apart." After a period of excruciatingly intimate self-examination (best done just after the shower, when the flesh is pliant and supple), the High-Steppin' Nickel Kids have elected to hang up their collective boots in an amicable parting of the ways. Essentially, those three jerks and I realized that we were all "traveling" on "different musical paths" in our "journey through music." Or something along those lines, anyway. Saturday, Nov. 9: Ames Curve, Go for the Throat, None More Black, Thumbs Up, and the High-Steppin' Nickel Kids at the House of Suffering, 96 Chestnut Hill Ave. in Brighton. Show starts at 7 p.m. Costs $5. I first saw the Nickel Kids at the Milky Way in JP, I believe. They wear jackets emblazoned with the band's name, like they're in some kind of gang or something. I've never met Timmy in person, but he does a good zine. And his girlfriend, who works at The Improper Bostonian, seems nice enough. I'm sure the Kids will be missed. Television-Impaired VI Vincent from Choo Choo la Rouge has the following good news to share: In a somewhat financially rewarding turn of events, a song from our first four-song demo (you know you're you're a fan if you're one of the eight people who bought it), "Say it Twice," has been selected for use in this Wednesday's episode of Dawson's Creek. There'll be a scene where the kids are in a record store buying a No Doubt album, and our song is supposed to play in the background. You never know what will get cut at the last minute, but the contracts are signed, and the check's in the mail. You can check out the song on our site. Don't get too excited for us, though. Katie Holmes still won't return our phone calls. Congratulations, Choo Choo! Rock Shows of Note XLIII Last night, the Handstand Command collective threw a little party at the Dilboy on Davis Square in Somerville. The basic idea was to improve on the Anchormen All-Star Karaoke event we organized last year, only with collective members performing cover songs, not songs by the Anchormen, spelling me as singer.  There were two sets of karaoke, punctuated with performances by Spoilsport and Swizzle. First up, Swizzle. Sporting a couple of new (compared to the band photo online, at least) band members and featuring a nice guitar and keyboard pairing, the band alternated between interesting indie-rock numbers and country songs, including a Hank Williams cover to cap the set. Good stuff. Before the first karaoke set, the Anchormen took the stage, with me singing a couple of songs, "Houston" and "Celebrate Democracy," the latter in dishonor of the recent elections. Then, the karaoke began! Here's who did what: TD joined Simone for "Hungry Like the Wolf," and "Ace of Spades" was utterly priceless.  Then, Spoilsport. Every time I see them play, they increase in confidence and energy, which is good to see. They played their standard set of sunny-day cutepop, blending aspects of the poppier side of the Queers and the charming and disarming goofiness of Pansy Division. I shall not compare them to Tullycraft, which they've never even heard. Word is that I might join them singing a song at an upcoming show. Word up. The Anchormen took the stage for another song, "Audobon Park," from our as-yet-unnamed forthcoming CD EP, before the karaoke calamity resumed. Here's who did what:  Then the Anchormen took the stage again. We played requests until they stopped coming. Then we all went home. Picture Perfect For at least $1,000, Viewmaster will create 1,000 custom Viewmaster reels. The offer isn't good for existing photographs, so dash your hopes of converting your holiday snaps. Instead, upon receipt of the $1,000, Viewmaster will send you a stereoscopic camera for 30 days. There's a $25 late fee for each day you keep the camera past deadline. You can also order Viewmaster viewers in bulk to accompany your seven-image Viewmaster reels. What a neat idea for a Christmas card, promotional tool, or advertising effort! Thanks to BoingBoing. Thursday, November 07, 2002
Workaday World VII Fast Company is looking to hire a senior writer to be based in Boston or New York City. Any and all interested parties should contact me and I'll connect you with the proper people. Magazine Me XIX Coming soon to bookstore shelves near you: Several new books about... magazines. Yes, according to SFGate, several former staff members of The Industry Standard, Rolling Stone, and Wired have written tomes about their previous periodicals. Instead of falling into the tell-all trap, however, the authors have erred on the side of sharing stories about the economic rises, falls, and foibles. Should make for interesting reading! Now, who's going to write the book about my employer, Fast Company? Thanks to Jim Romenesko's Media News. Street Art II To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Alfred Hitchcock's birth, 14 Hitchcock-inspired mosaics were commissioned for an installation at the Leytonstone tube station, not far from Hitchcock's birthplace. In Boston, the MBTA has been relatively good about building art into the T stations, including poetry etched into the brick floor of the Davis Square station, a wonderful wide-ranging glove sculpture littering Porter Square station, and other art scattered throughout the public transit system. If the city you live in has a public transportation system, let me know about public art in your area. Thanks to BoingBoing. Nervy, Pervy IX A wily Frenchman has scanned and uploaded almost every single Playboy centerfold between December 1953 and July 2002. I don't think I need to say anything else. Thanks to Blogdex. Technofetishism XVII I just downloaded and started using iTunes 3. And it's amazing. It's got all of the features from previous versions, with some notable additions that I'm really enjoying. While the new My Rating feature is useless in my opinion -- if you don't like a song, why do you have it on your computer? -- I'm extremely excited about the instant playlists iTunes now features, such as Recently Played and Top 25 Most Played. I've got the shuffle mode on in my Library, and in the last hour, I've listened to 22 songs ranging from Ray Lynch to Raycharles, Operation Ivy to the Doves. You can even burn mix CD's straight from your Recently Played playlist. Just another notch in Apple's belt -- and a welcome accompaniment to the new version of the iPod software, which adds a clock and some more flexible navigation options. Wednesday, November 06, 2002
From the In Box: Tickle Me Emo What is that "wrong" thing, though? Don't get me wrong -- I agree that there's something extremely creepy about stock "a capella;" I got stuck watching the Bobs open for Zap Mama once, and it was really unpleasant. However, Zap Mama, for example, is a group that does a lot of good stuff with unaccompanied singing. And I love less polished voices -- only stuff like shape note singing or music from the Georgia and South Carolina sea islands. I even like polished vocal harmonies like the Beach Boys and CSN. So, what is it, then? -- Joe Germuska Well, I like Zap Mama and shape-note singing, too -- take the new Cordelia's Dad record, for example -- so I'm curious what it is, too. I think that I make a distinction between unaccompanied singing -- the root of a capella's definition, granted -- and stereotypical a capella performance. Maybe it's the trappings of a capella that rub me the wrong way. Maybe it's the consistent characteristics of the way a capella groups are composed -- and the gestures and stage techniques they use while performing. Maybe it's the inward-looking competitive culture of the collegiate a capella scene. Maybe, just maybe, it's the hundreds and thousands of a capella groups that name themselves Five O'Clock Shadow. I don't know. But when I say I dislike a capella, I don't mean that I dislike Zap Mama or the Beach Boys -- much less unaccompanied singing or harmonic vocals. Tickle Me Emo Like punk rock and emo-style melodic hardcore? Like cute college-aged boys singing without accompaniment? You'll love Emocapella, a punk rock-proficient a capella group at George Washington University. Their rendition of Mr. T Experience's "Even Hitler Had a Girlfriend" is probably the best among the handful of MP3's I've downloaded, which seem to be heavy on the left channel, but I have a couple of concerns. One, a capella is still geeky. I'm a geek's geek, but there's just something wrong about a capella, especially its subculture status among the college clutch. If you add punk rock and emo, does it make a capella any less disturbing? How unpunk is a capella? Also, this project, while slightly charming, has joke written all over it. Is it an earnest a capella project? Is it an ironic commentary on emo? Is this a punk band without instruments? Still, fun for a rainy Wednesday morning. If you get giggle fits while listening to Atom and His Package or James Kochalka Superstar, this'll probably give you a grin. Thanks to Metafilter. Music to My Ears XVII Josh Benton works as a reporter for a newspaper in Dallas that I probably shouldn't mention or link to. On the side, he runs a project called the CD Mix of the Month Club. The deal is simple -- and similar to other mix trade projects I've participated in via the Well or Echo. You send Benton a mix CD; he sends you a mix CD. He goes so far as to post the past playlists so you can get a sense of how his tastes run, and after looking at the October 2002 mix, I'm thinking I need to send him a mix of my own. Inspired by Benton and reminded of past mix exchanges, let me offer this. If you send me a mix tape or CD, I will reciprocate. My address is on the left-hand side of this very page. During the CoF Roadshow, I snagged all sorts of great local music between Richmond, Virginia, and Burlington, Vermont. Let's trade tuneage! Thanks to Just One Thing. These Links Were Made for Breaking? VI Earlier this month, MTVi severed its employees' access to peer-to-peer file-sharing services such as Kazaa and Morpheus. An internal memo indicates that the step was taken because of the proliferation of copyright infringement within the services. But I wonder: How can MTVi and other large media organizations -- particularly those that focus on music and pop culture -- continue to be relevant if they cut themselves off from the grassroots sources of their information and ideas? How can MTVi continue to be of use to file-sharing fans if the employees of said organization are not allowed to use file-sharing services at work? Seems to be a case of putting your foot in your mouth, shooting yourself in the foot, and biting the hand that feeds you all in one awkward physical spasm. Another argument for the ongoing evolution and maturity of parallel media networks. Share away, folks. Music to My Ears XVI John Shirley, author of the prototypical cyberpunk novel City Come a Walkin', was also in several punk-rock bands in the '70s. His musical groups included SadoNation and the Panther Moderns, and you can now download MP3's of his musical makings. Thanks to BoingBoing. Animation Nation II The Big Cartoon Database is a wonderful animation resource, combining news about upcoming cartoon and animated film features with episode guides for more than 4,000 cartoons. The cartoons are organized by studio, so if you're a fan of Rankin-Bass, you can quickly find relevant listings. The Cartoon of the Moment isn't that interesting currently, but if you click on the year, you can get a directory of every cartoon produced during that time -- extremely useful for chronology buffs. Thanks to Blogdex. Tuesday, November 05, 2002
Mention Me! XVII Joe Germuska is one of the smartest, most interesting, and nicest people I know. At the end of October, Joe began a blog entitled Through the Wire, which focuses on blogging, Chicago, democracy, language, literature, music, and other topics. I like Joe's categorical organization, and I look forward to adding Through the Wire to my list of daily reads. Welcome to the blogosphere, old friend. Event-O-Dex XI I'm now back in Boss Town, just in time for another stellar Handstand Command blow out. Originally, this show was going to take place at the Abbey Lounge in Somerville, but the venue fell through, so we've relocated it to the Dilboy VFW Hall on Davis Square. Thursday, Nov. 7: Spoilsport, Swizzle, and Handstand Command karaoke The show starts at 8 p.m., and the karaoke portion will feature three-fourths of the Anchormen backing up various collective members performing cover songs. Should be a hoot. Where is the Dilboy? 371 Summer St. in Somerville, on the corner of Summer and Russell streets, across from the Rosebud Diner. It's in the same building as the Winter Hill Savings Bank. By T, take the Red Line to the Davis Square stop. Exit and walk down Elm Street toward Porter Square. Bear left at Summer Street, and the VFW's on that corner. If you drive, there is a parking lot at the VFW and metered parking/municipal lots scattered around Davis Square. Hope to see you there! Products I Love IV I've yet to buy or use Verbatim's digital vinyl CD-R's, but if you burn CD's, why wouldn't you burn these? Verbatim has combined the sheer convenience of CD-R's with a classic, 45-rpm record format-like design, producing what might the most retro-cool CD-R available. Very nice. Monday, November 04, 2002
Animation Nation I'm in Burlington, Vermont, talking to Gahlord Dewald, and it turns out he does a blog, too. N0d3 is an animation blog, and Gahlord describes how to make an animation station for less than $300, as well as how to do some simple animations, such as bounce. He admits that he doesn't keep it up, which is true, but if you're just getting started in animation, it might be worth a look. Tomorrow: Breakfast with James Kochalka, and then I head home! On the Road Again IV In about 12 hours, the CoF Roadshow will officially be over. Since Sept. 23, I've visited 18 cities and driven more than 3,000 miles. Burlington, Vermont, is where I am today -- the final stop! Tomorrow morning, I point the Passat back south to Boston and my Magazine Street home. Media Diet will most likely resume its usual activity later this week. Sunday, November 03, 2002
Comics and Commentary II A friend of mine is studying at New York University with a fellow named Scott Rosenbaum. Rosenbaum's online comic, the History of Mortimer Pyle, riffs slightly on the Scott McCloud school of online comics -- perhaps it's a Scott thing. Regardless, Rosenbaum's starting to look into publishers for his comic, and my friend touched base to see what I thought. The book is conceived as a 5"-by-5" book, with four panels per page. It doesn't really strike me as Highwater Books, Top Shelf Comics, or Alternative Comics material, much less Fantagraphics or Drawn & Quarterly. Maybe the folks who publish Helen, Sweetheart of the Internet and other online -- and related -- comics? My initial reaction is that the comics might best be left online given their look and feel, but feel free to email Rosenbaum with your own comments and suggestions. Pulling the Plug VII From a couple of recent emails sent to the Boss Improv mailing list, which concentrates on Boston-area jazz and improvised music, it seems that Mama Gaia's, a cafe on Central Square, might have closed recently. Ken Field reports that Friday night, Mama Gaia's was locked up, as was the performance space next door. On the door of the performance space was a sign saying something to the effect that the property had been seized by the Middlesex Sheriff. Another list member reports that the cafe was open earlier in the day, so it seems that the closing was sudden. Does anyone have any information? I don't get back from the CoF Roadshow until Tuesday night, so I can't even check out the space. Street Art Russell H. first became enamored with public stencil art in 1995 while traveling through Europe after being laid off from his job in Atlanta. The result, StencilArchive, an online collection of street art and stencil-related resources from a handful of continents. The October update features a lot of bicycle-related stencils, mostly from Minnesota, indicating that Russell's moving on from his early San Francisco stencil collecting -- and that his mention in the Utne Web Watch might be bearing some Midwestern fruit. Thanks to Utne Web Watch. Sites on the Side... Walk Kevin Barbieux, creator of The Homeless Guy, is a homeless man in Nashville, Tennessee. On the streets since 1982, Barbieux details what it's like to be homeless, offering a valuable, more personal complement to homeless newspapers such as Spare Change. Recent entries address comments posted in his discussion boards, a new shelter that just opened, gifts from strangers, and religion. Thanks to Utne Web Watch. From the In Box: Postcards from the Past II I was doing a Google search and stumbled across your review of my North Adams postcard page. Needless to say, this is the very first review that I know of, although I do receive favorable letters of appreciation. Anyway, thank you. I am in the process of donating my cards to the public library. -- Shirley Bruso Mention Me! XVI Sometimes I get emails like this: I just stumbled across your site and it's absolutely wonderful. I'm planning on hanging around. I just launched a new creativity tool and am chunking along with the marketing effort, any help you could give would be most appreciated. -- John Kowalski I'm not sure what John's connection with Herman Miller is, but his blog CreativeJuicies is so new, there's only one post! You can learn more about what John's working on at his other site. Best of luck, John. On the Front (Page) Lines Every day, the Newseum scans and publishes the front pages from 120 daily newspapers from 20 countries on the Web. While you can see a slightly larger view of each front page, the size is still relatively small, and it can be difficult to read beyond the headlines. Still, what a neat way to scan story placement around the world! Thanks to Hiromi. |
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