Trock On!

I'm home with (maybe) the flu or (maybe) pneumonia or possibly dengue fever. I've had a fever of around 100F for over a week now. Today's the day I finally call the doctor. Not to be confused with The Doctor, which is what this post is really about.

While waiting for my doc's office to open, I've stumbled across a musical genre with which I was previously unfamiliar. It's called Trock. Short for Time Lord Rock. Basically, it's rock and roll about Doctor Who. Don't know who Doctor Who or Time Lords are? You prolly should. I mean, it's been on TV on and off since the early 60's! Turn on PBS or BBC America once in a while, Aina'? Better yet, go DVR a few eps, or check out some CDs from your local library and come back once you're caught up.

The currently biggest Trock band (and coiner of the term)is Chameleon Circuit. (For those who don't know, The Chameleon Circuit is that bit which allows a TARDIS [It stands for Time and Relative Dimensions in Space... it's a time-travelling space ship thingie - seriously, why are you still reading this? Go! Watch!] to change its exterior appearance to blend in with the local landscape. The Doctor's chameleon circuit is usually broken, so his TARDIS almost always looks like a british police box, circa the 1950s - see at right) . A couple of videos may be appropriate at this point

Here's a vid of Chameleon Circuit's song "An Awful Lot of Running":



and another of their song "Exterminate Regenerate" about TheDoctor's ongoing battle with the Daleks [They're kind of cyborg killing machines on wheels (nice design, that)that go about shouting Exterminate! EXTERMINATE! The regenerate comes about because ... oh hell, just watch the show, why don't you?).



The band TheTimeLords has been doing Dr Who themed tunes for ages, but maybe a bit lacking on the originality?

Weekend goings on

This past weekend was action packed! Among a multitude of other events, TheWife and I caught a show (three acts) at the Pabst Theater with some tickets I won from WUWM. Lenka and Missy Higgins were excellent. Opening act Lenka had a fun and quirky pop edge, and Missy kicked ass on the singer-songwriter front. The middle act was Justin Nokuza. His vibe was best described as soulless pretty boy. Uck. An additional bonus? Missy Higgins latest CD was available for $5 (as MP3s) on amazon.com. Bonus!

The most interesting thing for me was seeing the Pabst with only a 3 or 4 hundred people in it. There was lots of empty space, and this being a pop show, looking around was encouraged. What is it about a grand old theater, half empty, that is so enjoyable?

Before the show, we tried to go to Water Buffalo for dinner. Fortunately, they were a bit backed up, and we ended up going to Rustico, an italian pizza/sandwich place a couple of doors down. The salad and pizza we ordered were excellent (a crispy/chewy crust loaded with italian sausage porcini mushrooms)and , as were the libations - New Glarus's Alt really hit the spot (packed with flavor, the malt and hops perfectly balanced)!

Merry Christmas!

from our own little drummer boy!

It's Alright, Ma, It's Only Music

Why don't I listen to this show every week? It's Bob Reitman's show on UWM, and it's what radio should be. Bob plays what he likes every week - which means lots of Bob Dylan, and an eclectic range of other stuff, from the old familiar friends(Lou Reed, TheByrds, Joni Mitchell) to the more obscure (Gloria Mann, Robert Johnson) to the unknown (Defiance Ohio). The last band was played by his son, Bobby who seems to love music as much as Bob does, and has a segment on the show. I highly recommend tuning in. And I highly recommend clicking the link for Defiance, Ohio to check them out, and download some free tunes (I highly recommend Oh, Susquehanna!)

"It's Alright Ma, It's Only Music" airs on 89.7FM WUWM at 7pm on Thursdays, and rebroadcasts at 9pm on Sunday. Live streaming is available at the WUWM website.

Screaming Orphans

Sunday, I made it to Irish Fest, as attested by my scorched forehead, my damaged hearing, and the craving for mead. Though the heat and a head cold kept me from indulging overly in the mead, I still had a very good time. The Screaming Orphans were my favorite show. Quite enjoyed what I saw. A partial set list from the Screaming Orphans show at Irish Fest:

• Jolene (Dolly Parton cover)


• Original Tune (sounded like Bangles with a Donegal county accent)


• 2 short Reels (don’t know the names, but they had nice stories with them)


• Seven Nation Army (White Stripes cover)


• Irish Traditional love song (can’t recall the name, but it was good)


• Original Tune (sounded like a garage band GoGos with a Donegal county accent)


• Ghost Riders in the Sky (western classic, frequently redone)

Kinda weird, but it actually worked. It helped that their original stuff had that “girl-garage band sound” that I enjoyed on the Bangles’ early tracks. And their harmonies were very nice in a pop-rock way, as well. The show ended up being about a third covers, a third traditional irish stuff, and a third original stuff. I think they did more Irish stuff than usual because it was irish fest. In any case, they managed to keep the Leinie stage about half full for their entire show – about double what most bands were doing on Sunday afternoon. Their CD is all original stuff. I may pick one up from CD Baby.

Decapitated on ride

This news story is just horrifying. I know his family must be just completely grief-stricken by this. I feel terrible for them. Heck, this was a church outing, and he was 17. I know it's wrong of me, awful of me, terrible of me... but I can't stop thinking about the Dead Milkmen song, Stuart. You may recall these lyrics:

"You know that carnival that comes to town every year? Well this year it came with a ride called the Mixer. The man said "Keep your head and arms inside the mixer at all times." But Bill Jr., he was adaredevil, just like his old man. He was leaning out saying, "Heyeverybody! Look at me, look at me!" POW! He was decapitated. They found his head over by the snowcone concession."

I guess that's all I have to say. Oh, and I loved that album.

Inspired

I most likely won't vote for him (tho' who knows this year?) but it is kinda nice to have somebody inspiring running for president...

Paper Strip Music box

Whereas most music boxes these days play from commercially prepared disks or cylinders with raised nubs on them, this Mechanical Music Box Kit captures the musical data as holes in a paper strip. The bonus? You can punch the strips yourself. The kit is only $16 plus S&H at the Curiosity Shoppe Online (unfortunate spelling, gentlemen). This is an excellent idea! This is the perfect gift from a poor college student to his beloved. Punch up a version of your song for it and you've got a great Valentine's day gift!

If you'd like to see one in action, check out the beginning of this youtube video by Yael Naim, which is where I first saw it. That woman has a fascinating voice. I guess she's french? Based on her name, maybe she's morroccan? I'm not sure. Israeli (thanks, Wiki!). I found Yael Naim by googling the lyrics for "New Song", after hearing it played on a commercial for the new MacBook Air commercial. Have you seen how slim that thing is?! And have I mentioned how much I love the internet?

Grafton, Wisconsin, Home of the Blues

I just stumbled across some amazing South-eastern Wisconsin history the other day. Apparently, a key blues and jazz record label of the 1920's and 1930's was based out of, of all places, Grafton, Wisconsin! The company was originally based out of Port Washington as the Wisconsin Chair Company. After they branched out into making cases for Edison phonographs, they eventually decided to start pressing their own records, too. They disingenuously referred to the record studios as the New York Recording Laboratories, but they were really located first in Port Washington, then in Grafton. Their labels included Paramount and Broadway.

There's a load of stuff on the web about the company, including this history on Grafton's official website, this story about Grafton's blues fest, and a great collection of labels here, and the wiki article.

Modern mix tape technology

I was a huge fan of mixtapes in college. The only thing better than making one was receiving one. But mix tapes ended with the era of the CD-R. Somehow they just lacked the same panache found in the classic mix tape.

Well, a worthy successor to the mix tape has been found at last- the mix thumb drive. This is the best idea. Now they just have to get the price down a bit. $30 is a bit pricy for a mix tape, no? Get it into the $5 range, and you've got a product that I can get behind. Check it out here

I Feel Fantastic!

Thanks to 95th anniversary celebrations at the church that TWaK attend, I’m home alone tonight. With no one to interupt or complain, I decided to take some time to sift through AmieStreet, looking for rare gems. Well let me tell you, gentlereader, I’ve found them, as written and performed by Jonathon Coulton.

Sportsracers may remember Mr. Coulton from his lovely adaptations of zefranks songs from theshow. Other internet junkies may know him from his Thing a Week series of tunes. However you knew of him in the past, it turns out that you should know him from Popular Science.

It seems that in 2005, PopSci hired him to produce an album of songs addressing The Future of the Body. The album is entitled “Our Bodies, Ourselves, Our Cybernetic Arms”, and it kicks ass. My favorite of the five songs on this mini album is “I Feel Fanatastic” (linked in the title of this post), which looks at the inevitable result of skilled pharmaceutical manipulation of our moods and reactions. ("driving on drugs feels better when they're prescription")Best of all, the songs can be downloaded for free from Popular Science! Or if that disappears, buy them on amiestreet, like I did. (40 cents apiece or less than $2 for the whole album, at the time of writing).

Southridge Musical

TheGirl and a couple of her friends arranged to get one of their moms (not TheGirl's) to take them up to Southridge Mall after school yesterday. The attraction? Ashley Tisdale - the Disney-owned star of "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" and "High School Musical". She's got a new album out and is touring the country singing a scant handful of songs at various local malls. Even though the concert was only about 10 minutes long, even though from their vantage point they could only see the singer/actress when she moved to a certain corner of the stage, even though the noise from 4000 screaming fans made communication impossible, and even though Ashley Tisdale can't sing any better than the rest of the recent Disney songstresses, the event was a huge hit with the girls. Two highlights: getting in position for the show ("we got to stand on the garbage cans!"), and going out for Hibachi afterward ("[friend's brother] got hit in the face with a piece of broccoli!" "there was a volcano!"). I'm glad she got to go. I still haven't gotten over missing Tiffany's appearance at Northridge way back when. And I've never wanted my daughter to suffer as I have. [grin]

(Click the title for the JSOnline story... if they haven't moved it on me again)

Mozart Canon

Just saw this wiki article about a supposed Mozart song. The history on this is a bit short, so I'm not sure if I should believe it or not. After looking at the discussion page, however, I'd have to say this looks real. Can't wait to hear Fergie do a version of this.

Summerfest!

Had a great time at Summerfest on Tuesday! Saw a bunch of great bands, ate a lot of deep fried things (mmm... mozzarella sticks), drank a lot of fermented things, and marveled at what the young women are wearing these days.

To recreate my day, fry yourself some cheese curds, get yourself a few Cattail Ales, and a few Leinies, log into myspace and surf the pages (this recreates being immersed in a crowd of mindless high-schoolers, college kids, and dropouts), while visiting these websites and listening to some tunes:

• Julie Moffitt
• Roster McCabe
• Pat McCurdy

I saw some other bands, too. But I'll be damned if I can remember their names. They were mostlyof the stop a listen to a song, then move on variety, anyway. The three above were the key shows I checked out. I already had Julie and Pat on CD, and I picked up the Roster McCabe CD at the show. V. Good! All the crowds had their share of, um, interesting people, but the Julie Moffitt crowd was especially interesting, since it was composed of (in ascending proportion):

1. passers-by
2. Julie Moffit fans
3. AFI fans (who looked goth to me, but then I'm an old man, so what the hell do I know?)

Apparently, AFI was the final show of the day, and the crowd wanted to be sure they had good seats. It was pretty weird seeing all these kids in black T-shirts, long black coats, striped stockings and pierced everything, kicking back and listening to Julie. Although I'm sure the fact the Julie was smokin' hot (and amazing vocally, and had a great set list) for the show made the whole experience a bit easier for the hetero male portion of the crowd.

Oh, and it rained a bit. But when has that ever stopped Summerfest from festing?

88Nine

Ok, I guess I'm a little slow (yeah, yeah), but somehow I've completely missed out on Radio Milwaukee until last week. It's a new (well, since February) non-profit radio station out of Milwaukee. They're playing an interesting mix of stuff. I'd name some bands, but I've never heard of most of them before, so my fragile memory won't grab them. Suffice to say there's indie rock, R&B, classic rock, reggae, hip-hop and more. Nothing too experimental. Nothing too harsh. I'm digging it. It sounds like an MP3 player set on random, but an MP3 player owned by that cool kid who knows all the really good music. check it out. (And if you can do streaming, listen online!)

BarterBee changes business model

Music, Movie and Game trading website BarterBee.com has just revised it's business model. There will no longer be a $1 charge per trade! Apparently, their new business model revolves around the sale of points and insured envelopes. Excellent! If you've rejected BarterBee before, based on the cost, maybe it's time to look at it again!

The Weepies

My latest obsession from AmieStreet - the Weepies. I keep thinking they sound like Regina Spektor if she was part of a folk-country duo. Even if I'm way off base on that, they're defnitely worth a listen. So...check out Nobody Known Me At All, or Painting by Chagall. They make me think of sitting in the garage, watching the rain.

Pigeon Amusements

Take a look at the photo at right. You may be thinking - "carrier pigeon". Not even close. Those pigeons don't have messages strapped to their backs, they have musical instruments. Yes, the dark objects appended to these poor birds' tails are Pigeon-Flutes (aka Pigeon-whistles, Pigeon Bells, or Tauben-Floeten).

These strange little instruments are essentially single-note flutes actuated by the wind passing over them as pigeons fly around. I'm nearly speechless... but not quite. I keep imagining what it would sound like to have an entire flock of musical pigeons flying around you. Here's an mp3 clip of a pigeon flute in action. According to the site linked up top, the high-end pigeon whistles are constructed to play a chord consisting of as many as 30 notes!

Madness would surely be the only possible result. Of course, if you're the type of person who spends your days strapping flutes onto the backs of pigeons, it just might be that no one would notice any difference when comparing your pre- and post-performance sanity levels.

Interested in constructing your own pigeon-based cthulian nightmare? Check out this ebay auction.

Barenaked Ladies's on Amiestreet

Well what do you know? Barenaked Ladies's is on AmieStreet! Looks like it's their latest album. Must've gone up in the past day or two. Excellent! This should bring even more people to the DRM-free joy that is AmieStreet.

Be aware that it would probably be unwise to buy the entire album on AmieStreet, as it is going for $15.68, or somesuch (all tracks have already shot up to 98 cents a track). But if you just want a track ot two or three, this is the place.

You will actually own the music you pay for, instead of paying somebody for the right to borrow it for a while. C'mon people, start buying! I'm going to pick out a track or two to buy as an offering to the gods of DRM-free. Join me!

PS: It looks like nettwerk (bnl's label) is going to be putting their entire catalog on amiestreet. Since they've got Avril Lavigne and Sarah Maclachlan, this is excellent news!

Too Much Joy

Here's a little tidbit that'll be a blast from the past for some of my visitors. It's I Wanna Be an Otter from Too Much Joy. Just click the link to listen (Real Media file). You can listen to much of this band and a couple of others at the Susquehanna Hat Company -- The Official Site for Too Much Joy, Wonderlick, and The ITS. Enjoy!