A zillion years after its 1950 introduction, the iconic VW hippie van is still rolling off the production line in Brazil.
The US Library of Congress has partnered with the immensely popular flickr photo sharing site.
From The Earth To The Moon' was an HBO series that dramatized NASA's efforts to put a man on the moon.
Matt Ryd sent us a link to a video of his latest project, a great Casio-heavy cover of Michael Jackson's hit "Billie Jean". There's no end in sight to the MJ tributes, but so far this is the only one I've heard that sounds like a fan could have created it in his bedroom in the 80's.
instruments in this video:
All plastic guitar, the Casio DG-10
Rolf Harris rocks the Stylophone
Toy instrument that made hits: the Omnichord
It's with a heavy heart that I heard about the death of Michael Jackson. When the historic Thriller album dropped, I was in Junior High School (or “Middle School” as people seem to insist on saying these days), and very far removed from pop culture. Nevertheless I had a sneaky admiration for the pre crotch-clutching Jackson, and in later years I grew to admire much of his work. The journalistic world is scrambling to pay tribute to the fallen enigma that is the king of pop. We'll leave the inevitable rumor mongering to others, but I felt like sharing a couple of MJ secrets that the rest of the world may miss.
I thought that pretty much everyone had seen the YouTube video of the prison in the Phillipines that uses dance as their daily exercise, but many friends I asked hadn't. The choreographed moves from the history making Thriller music video are performed here by a staggering 1500 prisoners. This isn't some talent night quality performance either, these guys are really good. Thriller's impact on worldwide culture is so great, that's it's helping reform prisoners. I knew that it took discipline to get good at these signature MJ moves, but who knew how much better you'd get under lock and key?
Michael dominated many forms of media, but who knew that he also holds a patent? One of the iconic moves from his "Smooth Criminal" music video is when all the dancers lean forward at an impossible angle. In the video this was acheived with wires. Jackson's innovation was the development of special shoes along with a support system hidden under the stage enabilng the move in a live show. Very clever. It makes me wonder what secrets he might have had that he didn't want to share with the U.S. Patent Office?
Finally, we could talk about the 80's pop culture products that rained down on a Thriller buying public. There were a couple different styles of 12” doll, clothes, buttons, a single sequined kid-sized glove... but one of his more infamous products is from the 90's. The Sega Genesis is host to “Moonwalker”, a video game that puts the player in the long-form music video of Smooth Criminal.
2009 is shaping up to be a big year for Thomas Dolby. He's working on a brand new album in his lifeboat studio, and EMI is slated to release a 'best of' CD + DVD set entitled The Singular Thomas Dolby this spring.
Thomas reminisces, "EMI is not all a-buzz the way it was when I first walked in there
around 1980. The atmosphere was quite mellow, to say the least. Still,
it was an interesting sensation, being back in the offices of a major
label, staring at tiny transparencies on a light box through a loom.
Outtakes from old photo sessions where the picture commonly used was
the only one I remembered; and entire sessions I’d forgotten about
completely. And there were some nice surprises too: rolls of stills
taken during video shoots. Paparazzi snaps of me palling around with
my then label-mates Queen, Duran Duran, and Spandau Ballet. One aspect
of getting older is, while I’m still picky about the way I look from
different angles and with different expressions… the old shots all look
pretty damn good!
Looks like someone raided their dad's record collection. This video features "Envelope Generator"; three gents who bob and weave between several keyboards while playing a game of 80's synth musical chairs. It's good to see the youth of today finally come to the same understanding that I have - that the 80's are the last decade when music really mattered. Yes, I'm smirking as I type that.
If you're a connoisseur of keyboards, you'll enjoy the occasional shots of their rig. I'm ecstatic simply at their rocking not one but two vocoders. Also cool is that the medley is not a mega-sequenced nightmare, but mostly a real live performance. Seriously, I admire the alacrity of these guys and I've always said that nothing says lovin' like a vaguely related medley of songs spanning a decade.
Some petty types may point at a few small flubs in the performance, but instead I'd like to embrace the exuberance of youth - both theirs and what I remember of mine (it also reminds me how much I regret selling off my Yamaha SHS-10 that I bought back in high school). Congratulations on a job well done, boys! Thanks to YouTube we don't need to wait until the school talent show at the end of the year for these guys to have a place to show off their chops.
Don't forget that once the video starts playing, an HQ button appears in the lower right so you can enjoy better visual and audio quality.
[via Matrixsynth]
When people think of Devo, they probably think of their iconic red ziggurat hats (the band has never been shy of merchandising). I like to think of their striking music videos, and their pioneering use of synthesizers. Their last album was 1990's "smoothnoodlemaps" (which I just played on my radio show a few weeks back), though they have released a few singles since then (their cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Head Like A Hole" is just stunning).
A number of the band's members went on to found Mutato Muzika, famous for their soundtrack and commercial work. Recent years have seen Devo creep out on tour - this summer lucky readers can hear them perform their classic "Are We Not Men?" album in its entirety. The real news is something no one ever expected to hear - finally Devo has a new album coming out this autumn! Most other info about the album is under wraps except that they are in post production right now (many producers knocked on their door including Snoop Dog and Fatboy Slim!) for a fall 2009 release. I'm excited. If last year's single "Watch Us Work It" (produced as part of a campaign for Dell) is any indication, there's some good devolution to come, spuds.
related:
Mike Walters - circuitbender to the stars, including Devo
Atari Video Music as used in Devo music video
Kasio Kristmas album & video - mutated holiday classics
Anyone who's got some musical background probably sees the current music oriented video games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero as having little musical value. I'm crippled in those games by having a smattering of musical know-how, but what bothers me most is that the games are intended more as a stage-antics trainer rather than as a creative tool.
I don't usually look to Microsoft for music software, but their new tool Songsmith makes it easy for anyone to front a band and create original music. It's not a game, in fact it's a lot easier than most games. Songsmith lets you sing into your PC's microphone, and the program immediately produces (sorta cheesy, but impressive) backing instrumentation based on your recorded vocal. You can choose from a number of styles, and it's a great tool for sketching out your own original music, or simply noodling around.
Ah, and what great things come from such noodling... someone out there (I'll call him "the internet") had the idea to isolate the vocals from famous recordings, and then input those into Songsmith. The results are both surprising and hilarious. Why wait for The Eagles to reunite so they can cash in on their new dance mix of "Hotel California"? Finally hear "We Will Rock You" as it was always intended, as a sauntering salsa. C'mon Survivor, what's it going to take to get you to release your new optimistic ballad of "Eye of the Tiger"?
Simply search for "Songsmith" on YouTube to find dozens of these rebooted songs. It's an easy way to waste an entire workday or bring any party to a dead stop. Sure the brooding and spare original version of "Roxanne" by The Police will live on forever, but don't tell me that you don't have room in your heart for this new version that's been Casio-fied with "Latin Beat" set to 10.
Kraftwerk co-founder Florian Schneider has left the seminal electronic band. The split happened in November of '08 (the official press release is dated January '09), after playing none of the concerts in their 2008 tour. It's typical of the band's mysterious and low-key ways that the news is so slow getting around. I guess that sometimes it just takes 40 years to decide you have artistic differences with the rest of your groundbreaking, genre defining band.
On tour, the 61 year old Schneider's role on stage has been taken by 30-something Stefan Pfaffe, one of the band's video technicians. I suppose that's a statement to how automated the band's music is, which was always one of their goals. Though it seems odd that they wouldn't just plug in Florian's robot instead - unless he took it with him when he cleaned out his desk.
Here, then, is a video tribute to the band done entirely with sausages. It's called Kraftwurst, of course.
related:
Review of 8-Bit Operators - Kraftwerk Tribute CD
Bee Gees keyboard as used by Kraftwerk
Updated Stylophone Electronic Instrument
Jean-Jacques Perrey has been making electronic music since at least the mid 50's. He was an early user of the Ondioline, a precursor to the modern synthesizer (few still exist today, though JJP still plays one in his rare live shows). He was one half of the duo that brought us the famous "The In Sounds From Way Out" LP that is considered the first ever mainstream electronic music (& musique concrète) album in 1966.
In recent years he's been collaborating with Dana Countryman, energetic synth maestro and creator of the much-missed "Cool & Strange Music" magazine (I still have my fifth anniversary bumper sticker!). The pair have just released another CD called "Destination:Space", and you should really check out the accompanying music video. Created as a present for Perrey's 80th birthday (and the rest of us), the material was shot in four hours on a green-screen stage, with the rest added by space-age computer graphics. Don't be shy about turning up the sound - the stereo effects in the music are killer!
I don't want to spoil anything by saying too much more, except that the video will put a smile on your face. Can someone please remind music video producers that every once in a while they could try to make a project that's this much fun?
Watch Funky Little Space Girl music video
Get the new Destination:Space CD
Perry's early works in one thrifty CD set
I am old enough to remember the excitement of bringing home the latest Depeche Mode album on vinyl. Once the disc was spinning, the scent of freshly printed cardboard drew me to the cover art and liner notes. It became a weekly ritual.
In time, I saved/stole/borrowed enough for a cheap CD player and stepped nervously into the digital age. The jewel case opened up a world of typographic possibilities and each new CD came with a booklet crammed full of lyrics, photos and cryptic commentary that almost made up for the ridiculous increase in price.
And then some blithering idiot invented mp3 downloads and spoiled everything.
These days, the act of purchasing music is about as enjoyable as swiping a transit pass. All you get in return for your money is a pathetically dull digital file which magically associates itself with a pixelated image of the virtual cover art. There are no narcissistic liner notes to puzzle over, no drunken snapshots of the band squandering their advance in a seedy Bulgarian strip club, and no lyrics. This last omission is especially galling, since I often have absolutely no frikking clue what half the words are. I blame it all on age and rapidly diminishing mental capacity.
I'm not alone (well, about the media bit, anyway). Hard format is a clever new site that celebrates the beauty of physical media. I'll let Colin and Justin explain:
There. I've written all I'm going to. I'm off to rummage through the boxes downstairs in search of an attractive jewel case or two. As for you, I suggest a visit to Hard Format. It's only a short click away...
To be a member of an "owners club" you usually have to own something pretty expensive. I've seen a Porsche owners club, Aston Martin owners club, racehorse owners club... rather spendy hobbies that you can enjoy with your elite confidants. On the other hand I'm in the process of joining an owners club thanks to a 50 cent investment I made back in the late 80's. If you're tired of those snobby owners clubs and their power, corruption, and lies, here's a group that you can join too.
Spencer Graham is collecting photos from around the world of people who own the 1983 Qwest 12" pressing of New Order's classic dancefloor filler "Blue Monday". Let's set aside for a moment that it's the perfect pop song by a gloomy Manchester band that had a few too many turns at the disco. I'm also ignoring that this version is the best selling 12" remix all time, meaning that the synthi-glory plays out even longer. I'm not even talking about the colored blocks on the side that are a secret code who's key is on their 1983 LP's sleeve. All that should be cool enough, but what makes this special is that the sleeve is die cut to look like a giant floppy disk.
The inner jacket is a matte black vinyl (other countries had a silver jacket) that pokes through the slots in the sleeve to genuinely resemble a massive floppy (probably holds at least 150K). The record's comparative rarity might be the rumored expense of the packaging, so much so that that Factory Records lost money on every purchase. The record was quickly reissued with a more standard sleeve, so having one of these rare versions is the key to entering the Blue Monday Owners Club.
Spencer found that nearly every owner he knew kept this record in a special spot, and his project is to explore the reasons why. For me the record and its packaging is the perfect emblem of one of the most interesting parts of the 80's. The music still sounds great to me, the overall design plan of Factory records continues to look fresh, and of course it's a classic forever because its on vinyl. And yes, I'm gushing.
If you want to join the BMOC, just check out the site and send in a picture and your story.
Join the Blue Monday Owners Club
Amazon has a few of the 12" special floppy sleeves available
Ebay seems to have them regularly too
Bless the Internet. It's 2am as I write this (I can hear Beverly Hillbillies on a UHF station in the other room), and just moments ago I got an email leading me to "Kasio Kristmas", an album promising the bleeps and bloops of vintage Casio gear. Wary of yet another interpretation of the same old holiday tunes, I flipped over to the website and found a collection of delightfully mutated carols of yore.
Check out the video to see just how extra demented these interpretations are - especially when you can see the pointy headed alien finger-tongue men playing those old keyboards. With more than a touch of Devo (and that's a good thing), vintage electronics, and oodles of out and out weirdness, these AA battery powered tunes re-electrify the holiday classics.
As hip and happenin' a guy as I am, I have to admit that I don't get into a lot of "internet memes". It's not that I don't get it, but given the speed with which the net churns out these micro fads turn it's hard to keep up. I'm also not a big fan of random non-sequitur humor (though I loved "All Your Base Are Belong To Us" as much as anybody). To put it plainly and simply, a lot of this quasi-humor just isn't very funny.
I've chuckled at Rickrolling, especially at its worldwide acceptance. For those who haven't been been caught in this prank phenomenon, here's what happens: someone links you to a video telling you that it's a new movie trailer or something else they want to share. You click on the link and it turns out to be the music video for Rick Astley's 1987 pop hit "Never Gonna Give You Up". Har.
If we can get beyond Astley's Howdy Doody boyish good looks, and the voice/body type mismatch (like Tay Zonday - another recent goofy net fad - zing!), there's nothing particularly wrong or embarrasing with the original 80's video. It's like any other throwaway pop song, but this Rickrolling thing has banged the funny bone of the internet resulting in millions upon millions of new viewers for this 20 year old video.
So what I'm guessing happened is that someone Rickrolled international mellow man Barry Manilow. Instead of smirking at taking the video bait like the rest of us, he included his own version of the song on his new "Greatest Songs of the 80's" compilation (note how much the camera moves mimic the original cheapie music video). It's a pretty good strategy. The other songs on Manilow's CD are unremarkable 80's ballads as you'd expect, but this uptempo number is what will get him untold free press attention as long as this Rickrolling thing continues.
Heck, even Astley participated in a live Rickrolling himself a few days ago at this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. During one group's performance of the theme song from The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Astley himself burst onto their float interrupting with his "Never Gonna Give You Up". It's so recursive & self-referential that it may make your head cave in.
related:
A New Take On 'Take On Me'
Found Tapes Prove Doctor Who Musician May Have Invented Techno
Atari Video Music: Psychedelic 1970s Music Visualizer
On November 1st, we lost Yma Sumac, a vocalist who rose to fame in the 1950's and 60's. Her voice had an astonishing four octave range (though in some recordings it touches five), which she used to create some of the most signature recordings of the "exotica" music scene.
My mother was never a person who followed music, but she would tell me of a mysterious woman who could not only sing in stratospheric highs and spooky lows, but also used her voice to create atmospheres. Weird sounds and animal noises all arose from this enigmatic woman. Over the years I'd also heard various fictions of her origin - that she was a wild jungle girl, or that the name "Yma Sumac" was simply Brooklyn singer "Amy Camus" spelled backwards.
Yma's real life was much more interesting. Amidst her landmark albums and appearances on Broadway, we are fortunate indeed that she also landed on the silver screen. Here is a clip of her performance of "Chuncho," a legendary recording that shows off her amazing vocal talents.
I've linked a pair of Yma Sumac CD's below. You don't have to be a retro fan to find her music breathtaking. No hi-fi should be without a CD or two.
Here's a good "best of" Yma Sumac CD on Amazon
1950's best seller "Voice of the Xtabay" put Sumac on the map
Official Yma Sumac website
SuperNews animator Dustin McLean rewrote the lyrics of a Norweigian 1980s pop classic to match the action in the video. Literally. The result is a hilarious smash hit seen by over 750,000 YouTubers since its debut earlier this month.
My only regret is that YouTube will soon overflow with agonizing Karaoke imitations. That and the fact that A-Ha vocalist Morten Harket originally sang this little ditty at least two octaves higher than any guy should. Ever. Even after an unfortunate juggling accident involving razor sharp meat cleavers.
Watch Dustin's take on Take On Me [via Spyder's Random Things]
In the 1960's, the folks behind the scenes of the then-new Doctor Who were really looking to make their mark in television. Scoffers can point their fingers at the wobbly sets and fluffed lines, but the extraordinary theme song remains a spooky and unequaled classic to this day. Even people who don't watch Who will wail out "oooooo-WEEEEEE-ooooooo" at the mention of the show's title.
The theme song's melody was composed by BBC composer Ron Grainer, but the signature sound of the piece is thanks to Delia Derbyshire. Derbyshire was a composer at the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop, a department charged with innovating new audio for radio, and a crucial component in creating Doctor Who's otherworldly soundtracks. Derbyshire actually constructed the Who theme song out of separate bits of tape recorded using lots of non-musical gear. The result is one of the most recognizable pieces of Musique Concrète in the world.
Delia created much more than Doctor Who's theme in her career, and over 250 recordings of her private musical experiments have recently come to light. There are many interesting sounds and songs among her tapes. One track sounds remarkably like techno music - only 30 years too early! She spent a lot of time with the time-traveling Doctor in those early days, so I shouldn't be surprised. From the dismissive comments she makes when she slates the tape, it doesn't sound like she'd be a big techno fan today...
Delia Derbyshire goes techno
Backwards speech & spooky music
Delia does Hamlet
Hear some of Delia's work on this rare CD at Amazon
related:
Tardis MAME cabinet
In the 1960's Doctor Who was a feature film
Remote control chrome Dalek
Classic Retro Thing |
