If I was still doing the 30 days of music thing, I'd make up a category just to post this one.
I love old people and these ones are especially adorable.
Jamaican octogenarians singing Rehab.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Friday, 27 August 2010
Monday, 17 May 2010
30 days of music - Day 3: a song that makes me happy
A song about an evil genius in love.
What's not to love?
If a smart musically inclined bloke made a half-pony half-monkey monster to please me and ruined a pony making a gift for me, I'd be willing to put aside rather strong ideals of animal activism and be happy.
Jonathan Coulton is pure genius.
He makes me happy because his music is nothing like what I've grown up being told 'music' is.
With light tunes and pleasant vocals that let the hilarious songwriter in him take centre stage, JoCo is automatically refreshing and a high dose of good, clean, happy.
It also helps that he's an incredibly smart and sensible artist, because of the way he distributes his music. It's Free to take (often enough), to mess up, remix, enact, sing to your sock doll, to do what you please with it. Including making videos for the song like the one here.
The happiest music has to be the most accessible.
If Skullcrusher Mountain didn't put you in a good mood, try JoCo's full-of-awesome version of the frankly demeaning Baby Got Back. It's the fourth song on that link.
What's not to love?
If a smart musically inclined bloke made a half-pony half-monkey monster to please me and ruined a pony making a gift for me, I'd be willing to put aside rather strong ideals of animal activism and be happy.
Jonathan Coulton is pure genius.
He makes me happy because his music is nothing like what I've grown up being told 'music' is.
With light tunes and pleasant vocals that let the hilarious songwriter in him take centre stage, JoCo is automatically refreshing and a high dose of good, clean, happy.
It also helps that he's an incredibly smart and sensible artist, because of the way he distributes his music. It's Free to take (often enough), to mess up, remix, enact, sing to your sock doll, to do what you please with it. Including making videos for the song like the one here.
The happiest music has to be the most accessible.
If Skullcrusher Mountain didn't put you in a good mood, try JoCo's full-of-awesome version of the frankly demeaning Baby Got Back. It's the fourth song on that link.
Friday, 14 May 2010
30 days of music - Day 1: my favourite song
There's this internet meme going around that I thought would be fun to be part of. Y'know, one song posted everyday for 30 days, to fit a description. Pretty simple stuff really.
Why would I do that, you ask?
Well:
Why would I do that, you ask?
Well:
- Because I like music and I like arranging music into lists more
- Because I really need to make more of an effort into completing my writing and posting on my blog everyday. (3 posts all year. Disgraceful.)
- It's a great opportunity to explore all that music, and music sharing options, don't-ya-think.
And yes, I have a fondness for Cheese. Don't laugh, don't judge.
Oh and yea, do share with me your songs. It'll be fun.
Day 01: my favourite song
My first genuine music craze, the first and only poster to go up on my walls.
I have about five different versions of this song in my collection, each one making my heart melt in a very shameless, breathless, lovesick, girly, oh-I-wish-it-were-me kind of way to hear JBJ sing those words.
Plus it's a pretty good tune. So there.
Here's the rest of what's coming up this month for anyone who'd like to think about it as well. You know you want to.
Day 02: your least favourite song
Day 03: a song that makes you happy
Day 04: a song that makes you sad
Day 05: a song that reminds you of someone
Day 06: a song that reminds you of somewhere
Day 07: a song that reminds you of a certain event
Day 08: a song you know all the words to
Day 09: a song you can dance to
Day 10: a song that makes you fall asleep
Day 11: a song from your favourite band
Day 12: a song from a band you hate
Day 13: a song that is a guilty pleasure
Day 14: a song that no one would expect you to love
Day 15: a song that describes you
Day 18: a song that you used to love but now hate
Day 19: a song from your favourite album
Day 20: a song you listen to when you're angry
Day 21: a song you listen to when you're happy
Day 22: a song you listen to when you're sad
Day 23; a song that you want to play at your wedding
Day 24: a song you want played at your funeral
Day 25: a song that makes you laugh
Day 26: a song that you can play on an instrument
Day 27: a song that you wish you could play
Day 28; a song that makes you feel guilty
Day 29: a song from my childhood
Day 30: your favourite song this time last year
Oh and yea, do share with me your songs. It'll be fun.
Day 01: my favourite song
My first genuine music craze, the first and only poster to go up on my walls.
I have about five different versions of this song in my collection, each one making my heart melt in a very shameless, breathless, lovesick, girly, oh-I-wish-it-were-me kind of way to hear JBJ sing those words.
Plus it's a pretty good tune. So there.
Here's the rest of what's coming up this month for anyone who'd like to think about it as well. You know you want to.
Day 02: your least favourite song
Day 03: a song that makes you happy
Day 04: a song that makes you sad
Day 05: a song that reminds you of someone
Day 06: a song that reminds you of somewhere
Day 07: a song that reminds you of a certain event
Day 08: a song you know all the words to
Day 09: a song you can dance to
Day 10: a song that makes you fall asleep
Day 11: a song from your favourite band
Day 12: a song from a band you hate
Day 13: a song that is a guilty pleasure
Day 14: a song that no one would expect you to love
Day 15: a song that describes you
Day 18: a song that you used to love but now hate
Day 19: a song from your favourite album
Day 20: a song you listen to when you're angry
Day 21: a song you listen to when you're happy
Day 22: a song you listen to when you're sad
Day 23; a song that you want to play at your wedding
Day 24: a song you want played at your funeral
Day 25: a song that makes you laugh
Day 26: a song that you can play on an instrument
Day 27: a song that you wish you could play
Day 28; a song that makes you feel guilty
Day 29: a song from my childhood
Day 30: your favourite song this time last year
Saturday, 7 November 2009
Live Music (Coming soon to a cinema near you)
Last week, I watched This is It. While the MJ plaudits may be taken for granted, this post is not about the genius that Michael Jackson was.
It’s about how much I enjoyed the experience of watching a ‘concert’ on a large screen, eating popcorn and having the music sound better than ever before.
I love my music, and I know my music largely as a result of exposure to both licensed and unlicensed digital music.
For years now, sections of the music industry have been lamenting the loss of revenue caused by illegal music downloads. At the same time, even two years ago, reports estimated that live music revenue would overtake recorded music sales.
People like me, lucky enough to have heard of bands from the other side of the world, bands that MTV or commercial radio wouldn’t even sniff, would happily pay (or consider paying – I’m pretty sure I can’t afford U2 on most days) to see someone worth more than manufactured pop on little plastic disks.
Unfortunately though, with only practically retired rockstars (Mr. Big? Seriously?) coming to my town, I think I’d jump at the opportunity to hear my favourite music ‘live’.
Live music from the other side of the world
On November 25, fans from 16 countries tuned in to watch U2 live on YouTube. The rock group was playing to an audience of 10,000 at Pasadena, California, but 10 million online viewers were part of the show at the same time as well.
A recent Wired report talks about the increasing popularity of such live music webcasts, with players like Billboard, Sony and MySpace organising live online shows.
The report goes on to suggest how these shows, while being remarkable examples of an industry finally adopting new marketing practices, would be that much more memorable as experiences when being watched in a cinema, in a crowd, rather than as a thing between just you and your PC.
I’d fully agree.
I like Michael Jackson because he sounds good, even on my laptop speakers. I don’t need to elucidate on how amazing it was to be able to listen to his songs in surround sound. Add to it the excitement of watching what was technically a lavish stage performance, and I’d say it was Definitely Worth It.
Why can’t we have more of that?
If acts still dream of being rockstars, I’d say this is as close as they’ll get.
Of course, in no way can a show watched in the cinemas take the place of the real concert experience – of watching the bands up close, with maybe more than a little jostling, of being part of a 10,000 plus crowd.
But this could be a way for an industry to adapt, a way for audiences to acknowledge creativity and talent, and large groups to be part of a process of culture building, based around shared experiences.
It’s like when the movies started and going to the cinemas was a real event. Live concerts in cinemas could well be the beginning of a new form of entertainment, and a lucrative one at that. I'm in.
Image courtesy p4nc0np4n aka Victor.
It’s about how much I enjoyed the experience of watching a ‘concert’ on a large screen, eating popcorn and having the music sound better than ever before.
For years now, sections of the music industry have been lamenting the loss of revenue caused by illegal music downloads. At the same time, even two years ago, reports estimated that live music revenue would overtake recorded music sales.
People like me, lucky enough to have heard of bands from the other side of the world, bands that MTV or commercial radio wouldn’t even sniff, would happily pay (or consider paying – I’m pretty sure I can’t afford U2 on most days) to see someone worth more than manufactured pop on little plastic disks.
Unfortunately though, with only practically retired rockstars (Mr. Big? Seriously?) coming to my town, I think I’d jump at the opportunity to hear my favourite music ‘live’.
Live music from the other side of the world
On November 25, fans from 16 countries tuned in to watch U2 live on YouTube. The rock group was playing to an audience of 10,000 at Pasadena, California, but 10 million online viewers were part of the show at the same time as well.
A recent Wired report talks about the increasing popularity of such live music webcasts, with players like Billboard, Sony and MySpace organising live online shows.
The report goes on to suggest how these shows, while being remarkable examples of an industry finally adopting new marketing practices, would be that much more memorable as experiences when being watched in a cinema, in a crowd, rather than as a thing between just you and your PC.
I’d fully agree.
I like Michael Jackson because he sounds good, even on my laptop speakers. I don’t need to elucidate on how amazing it was to be able to listen to his songs in surround sound. Add to it the excitement of watching what was technically a lavish stage performance, and I’d say it was Definitely Worth It.
Why can’t we have more of that?
If acts still dream of being rockstars, I’d say this is as close as they’ll get.
Of course, in no way can a show watched in the cinemas take the place of the real concert experience – of watching the bands up close, with maybe more than a little jostling, of being part of a 10,000 plus crowd.
But this could be a way for an industry to adapt, a way for audiences to acknowledge creativity and talent, and large groups to be part of a process of culture building, based around shared experiences.
It’s like when the movies started and going to the cinemas was a real event. Live concerts in cinemas could well be the beginning of a new form of entertainment, and a lucrative one at that. I'm in.
Image courtesy p4nc0np4n aka Victor.
Monday, 7 September 2009
Do-it-together media
I've been harping on on my website* about the cultural worth of DIY media, and about innovative independent music business models. But as we move beyond basic 2.0, I correct myself: do-it-yourself media eventually should give way to do-it-together media.
That was no brain-wave. I stole that thought from a website of Unconvention, an initiative that claims to do exactly that for the "grassroot music scene."
I had nothing to do with Unconvention, besides an interest in the music and ideas of some of the independent artists involved.
I still have nothing to do with Unconvention. But it just happens that I found my way to the website, heard clips of some new acts, heard them recommended by artists I already like and hence trust, witnessed an online initiation for an interesting new band, ("four musical savants generating controlled chaos") and found more music and ideas that I intend to be interested in and freely recommend.
But what just happened here? In just a few days, a community working together, energised by the digital tools available, effectively decided that some young people with a couple of guitars, a drum and a tune were worthy of being Music, and for a wider audience.
Collaboration was always an important aspect of the free culture movement. The ability to build upon another's work was a desirable consequence of free creation. But now, it seems to be becoming a part of effective creation itself. And I'm not talking the collaboration on Wikis, but on creating mainstream multimedia.
So now who's scorning "the Cult of the Amateur"?
* One ought to be allowed to use one's blog for shameless self promotion.
That was no brain-wave. I stole that thought from a website of Unconvention, an initiative that claims to do exactly that for the "grassroot music scene."
I had nothing to do with Unconvention, besides an interest in the music and ideas of some of the independent artists involved.
I still have nothing to do with Unconvention. But it just happens that I found my way to the website, heard clips of some new acts, heard them recommended by artists I already like and hence trust, witnessed an online initiation for an interesting new band, ("four musical savants generating controlled chaos") and found more music and ideas that I intend to be interested in and freely recommend.
But what just happened here? In just a few days, a community working together, energised by the digital tools available, effectively decided that some young people with a couple of guitars, a drum and a tune were worthy of being Music, and for a wider audience.
Collaboration was always an important aspect of the free culture movement. The ability to build upon another's work was a desirable consequence of free creation. But now, it seems to be becoming a part of effective creation itself. And I'm not talking the collaboration on Wikis, but on creating mainstream multimedia.
So now who's scorning "the Cult of the Amateur"?
* One ought to be allowed to use one's blog for shameless self promotion.
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
On Patrol last Sunday
Snow Patrol!
Still grinning.
Amazing seats.
Amazing band.
Grinning too much to come up with anything more descriptive than 'amazing.' It was an investment well worth making, and it's taking some measure of self control to refrain from pasting lyrics that I have fallen in love with all over again, across all my status messages, tweets and similar stations of online existence.
Here's a clip from the show, from someone who'd brought recording equipment along. Not mine sadly.
Still grinning.
Amazing seats.
Amazing band.
Grinning too much to come up with anything more descriptive than 'amazing.' It was an investment well worth making, and it's taking some measure of self control to refrain from pasting lyrics that I have fallen in love with all over again, across all my status messages, tweets and similar stations of online existence.
Here's a clip from the show, from someone who'd brought recording equipment along. Not mine sadly.
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