Tops of My Pops for 12/30/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending December 30, 2007
1. Radiohead
2. k-os
2. David Bowie
2. Beck
5. The Kleptones
5. Spoon
5. DJ Shadow
8. Justin Timberlake
9. Kate Bush
9. Josh Rouse
9. Sondre Lerche
9. Jurassic 5
9. Foo Fighters

Nothing interesting going on this time around. We had relatives visiting all week, so we were listening to pretty innocuous stuff.

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

The Clinton's Halloween Party

Just saw this hilarious SNL clip and had to share:



Go Barack!

Tops of My Pops for 12/23/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending December 23, 2007
1. DJ Z-Trip
1. Beck
3. Radiohead
4. The Kleptones
4. Kiln
6. Beastie Boys
6. Nine Inch Nails
6. k-os
9. The Bees
9. David Bowie
9. Spoon
9. Klimek
9. Josh Rouse

Quick hits:

• Z-Trip's All Pro soundtrack is unfortunately not scratching my turntablist itch the way Shifting Gears did so well.
• Kiln has released a nice album (Dusker) and ep (Vaporbend) that occupy the crossroads where crisp electronics meet noise and ambient.
• Speaking of ambient, my buddy mrkvm turned me on to Klimek's interesting Dedications. Executed by Sebastian Meissner under one of his many aliases, it's not necessarily cohesive as an album but the individual tracks are very nice (and trying guess how the varied individuals influenced the compositions dedicated to them is fun).
  

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 12/16/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending December 16, 2007
1. Nine Inch Nails
1. Burial
3. Underworld
4. Massive Attack
5. David Bowie
5. John Mayer
7. The Kleptones
7. Zero 7
9. Boards of Canada
9. Jamie Lidell
9. Josh Rouse
9. Coldplay
9. Coil
9. RJD2
9. Radiohead
9. Renegade Soundwave
9. Lamb
9. The Decemberists
9. Seefeel

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 12/9/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending December 9, 2007
1. The Kleptones
1. Saul Williams
3. David Bowie
4. Amon Tobin
5. Soundgarden
6. Klaxons
7. The Church
8. DJ Shadow
9. Spoon
10. Sigur Rós
10. Radiohead
10. Beck
10. Múm

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 12/2/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending December 2, 2007
1. Nine Inch Nails
2. Radiohead
3. Stars of the Lid
4. Yppah
5. Cocteau Twins
6. Seefeel
7. Underworld
8. k-os
8. Spoon
8. The White Stripes

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 11/25/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending November 25, 2007
1. Burial
2. Beck
3. Radiohead
4. Cocteau Twins
4. Josh Rouse
4. Gang of Four
4. Underworld
8. Massive Attack
8. Renegade Soundwave
8. Boards of Canada
8. Spoon
8. Jurassic 5
8. Autechre
8. Nine Inch Nails

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 11/18/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending November 18, 2007
1. Stars of the Lid
1. Radiohead
3. The Hives
4. Ulrich Schnauss
4. Kiln
4. The Church
7. Killing Joke
8. Lusine ICL
9. El-P
10. Thomas Fehlmann
10. Meat Beat Manifesto
10. Spoon

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 11/11/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending November 11, 2007
1. Iron & Wine
2. David Bowie
3. Lee "Scratch" Perry
4. Tim Hecker
5. Rockers Hi-Fi
6. The Sea and Cake
6. Killing Joke
8. Faith No More
8. The White Stripes
8. Brian Eno
8. DJ Shadow
8. Nine Inch Nails
8. The Field
8. Everything but the Girl

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

The Office Is Closed

For those of you living under a rock, the Writer's Guild of America is striking in order to force the studios and networks to negotiate residual payments for digital media. Sounds complicated or maybe boring, but it's not. And every TV show and movie currently in production in the U.S. is affected. And tragically, that includes The Office. Listen to what the show's actors and writers have to say about it:

Find out more at United Hollywood. Support the Strike!

Tops of My Pops for 11/4/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending November 4, 2007
1. Nine Inch Nails
2. David Bowie
3. DJ Shadow
4. Underworld
4. Amon Tobin
4. Renegade Soundwave
4. Radiohead
8. Autechre
8. Clark
8. Meat Beat Manifesto

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 10/28/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending October 28, 2007
1. The Dead Texan
1. Underworld
1. Radiohead
4. Spoon
5. Stars of the Lid
6. James Brown
6. DJ Shadow
8. Gang of Four
8. Wagon Christ
8. Lusine ICL
8. David Bowie

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 10/21/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending October 21, 2007
1. Underworld
2. Apparat
3. David Bowie
3. Josh Rouse
5. LCD Soundsystem
5. Spoon
7. Radiohead
7. Beastie Boys
7. Beck
10. The Kleptones

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 10/14/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending October 14, 2007
1. Radiohead
2. Spoon
3. Maps
3. Silversun Pickups
5. Lusine ICL
6. Wilco
7. Amon Tobin
7. Beck
9. Robert Fripp
9. Underworld
9. Plaid
9. David Bowie

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 10/7/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending October 7, 2007
1. Spoon
2. Foo Fighters
3. Fridge
3. Josh Rouse
5. Manual
5. Lusine ICL
7. Radiohead
8. Beck
8. David Bowie
8. Interpol
8. Meat Beat Manifesto
8. Gang of Four
8. The White Stripes

(Editor's Note: all commentary is suspended until John manages to catch up on his weekly postings.)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 9/30/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending September 30, 2007
1. Simple Minds
2. Iron & Wine
3. Ulrich Schnauss
4. Klaxons
5. Underworld & Gabriel Yared
6. Wire
6. Cepia
6. Maps
9. Spoon
10. Beastie Boys
10. Josh Rouse

The grind to catch up with my real-time listening continues... I will pause briefly to reflect on the ongoing tidal wave of musical goodness that is 2007: fantastic albums from Iron & Wine and Klaxons enter the fray this week, upping the current tally for my year-end Top Ten to around two dozen contenders.

Worries about Sam Beam selling out on The Shepherd's Dog turn out to be entirely unfounded. While there are more instruments and more musicians and even more singers on this one, he's continuing to refine that exquisite pastoral melancholy that we all know and love.

Klaxons were this year's Mercury Prize winners for their debut Myths Of The Near Future (technically a 2006 release, but only just now making it over the Atlantic). On it they've delivered a reckless, brilliant, modern, electrifying UK rock sound the brazenly reaches across the gap between the quirky indie camp and the stadium rockers. They're hooky and perplexing as you might imagine, but there's a hot swagger to it that rivals anything Bobby Gillespie ever aspired to. Listen to "It's Not Over Yet" before you tell me I'm wrong.

Finally, I can hear you all asking: what the hell is Simple Minds doing at the top of this week's chart? Before all the Breakfast Club mega-stardom rotted their brains and begat all the sonic garbage that followed, the band released five bold, experimental and ultimately cinematic masterpieces of pop music in four short years: Empires And Dance (1980), Sons and Fascination / Sister Feelings Call (two EPs released in 1981 and later combined on CD), New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84) (1982), and Sparkle in the Rain (1984). Lo and behold, all have been remastered and the first three are now available in iTunes Plus format. I have proudly (re)purchased the 1981-82 releases and listen in awe and respect. So there.

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 9/23/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending September 23, 2007
1. Underworld
2. Spoon
3. Radiohead
3. David Bowie
5. k-os
5. Caribou
5. The Kleptones
8. Nine Inch Nails
9. Beastie Boys
9. Beck
9. Ulrich Schnauss
9. DJ Z-Trip
9. Massive Attack
9. Severed Heads
9. Johnny Cash

Absolutely nothing to say this week. Things were once again hectic at work so there wasn't time to enjoy tunes much...

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 9/16/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending September 16, 2007
1. Nine Inch Nails
2. LCD Soundsystem
3. David Bowie
3. Spoon
3. Faithless
6. Beck
6. Underworld & Gabriel Yared
6. Radiohead
9. Meat Beat Manifesto
6. Underworld

Lots of work this week; no time for play. Thus, nothing to say.

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Underworld Live @ the Fillmore Auditorium, 9/11/07

Last night was one of the musical highlights of my life: I finally got to see Underworld live.


Several years back when I was first discovering them, I heard from many different sources that they delivered an earth-shaking performance at Coachella 2003. That alone was enough to get me out to three consecutive Coachella Festivals, in hope of catching something as exciting (which I did). But still I waited for my chance to see Underworld.

The venue was originally set to be the epic Red Rocks Amphitheatre, but just a few short days before the show the promoter moved everything to the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver instead. While that was undeniably a disappointment in and of itself, the show was still incredible. Before the starting the first song, Karl Hyde apologized to the crowd and informed us that Live Nation would be sending every ticket holder a free copy of Underworld's upcoming album, Oblivion With Bells. Nice way to clear the air!

There's no way to describe it like it was, but I can tell you that as far as I'm concerned, it was two plus hours of pure bliss. My pal mrkvm captured the vibe well with a few surreal photos of a surreal experience (including the one at the top of this post). Peak moment: all 3700 audience members bouncing out of control to "Cowgirl".

Setlist:

1. Dirty Epic
2. Crocodile
3. New Train
4. Biro the Leggy (a.k.a. Beautiful Burnout)
5. Rez/Cowgirl
6. Glam Bucket
7. Two Months Off
8. Spikee
9. Nuxx
10. King of Snake
11. Pearl Girl
12. Moaner
13. Jumbo

(The less said about wretched opener Paul Oakenfold the better. He should be ashamed of himself.)

Tops of My Pops for 9/9/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending September 9, 2007
1. Stars of the Lid
2. M.I.A.
3. Bat For Lashes
4. Radiohead
5. Beck
6. Amon Tobin
6. Depeche Mode
6. Massive Attack
6. Tim Hecker
6. DJ Shadow
6. Meat Beat Manifesto

My brain is going to explode from all the great new music coming out this year. M.I.A.? Against all odds, her sophomore release is fantastic. Bat For Lashes? It will remind you of other great trailblazing female vocalists, but you've never heard anything quite like this haunting debut.

Sorry, no time to stick around and get into the exquisite details...

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 9/2/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending September 2, 2007
1. David Bowie
2. Spoon
3. Strategy
3. Josh Rouse
3. Dextro
3. Cocteau Twins
7. The Kleptones
7. Beastie Boys
7. k-os
10. Outputmessage
10. Common
10. Gang of Four
10. Mogwai
10. Beck
10. Nine Inch Nails
10. Radiohead
10. Tim Hecker

So. Far. Behind. ButStrategyandDextroarereallycool. Bye.

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

"Nice marmot."

RMNP-50.jpg
Originally uploaded by richcaccavale

My friend Rich had a sighting during his trip into the back country...

Tops of My Pops for 8/26/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending August 26, 2007
1. Spoon
2. Maps
3. Soundgarden
4. Josh Rouse
5. David Bowie
5. Fujiya & Miyagi
7. Matthew Dear
7. Ministry
7. Luke Vibert
10. Beck

I'm criminally behind on posting my weekly charts, so I'm forced to forego clever commentary (like "Fujiya & Miyagi are awesome" and "why do people like Matthew Dear?") in favor of just catching up...

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Obama/Stewart '08

Barak Obama on The Daily Show:



John Stewart has smart and funny questions, Barak Obama has smart and funny answers. Sounds like a dream ticket to me!

WebCrash2007

Absolutely spot-on perfect:

Tops of My Pops for 8/19/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending August 19, 2007
1. Nine Inch Nails
2. Renegade Soundwave
3. Cepia
4. LCD Soundsystem
4. Stars of the Lid
6. Dextro
7. Butthole Surfers
7. David Bowie
9. Soundgarden
9. Spoon

Nothing too insightful to report this week. Been checking out two new electronic releases from Cepia and Dextro – have heard either of them all the way through but both are very promising. And that new Nine Inch Nails album, Year Zero? Still totally fantastic.

See also:
Review: "Year Zero" by Nine Inch Nails
NIN: Year Zero Mania
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Beastie Boys Live @ Red Rocks

On August 16th, I had the distinct pleasure of seeing the Beastie Boys perform live at Red Rocks.

This was the third time I've seen them (once on the Licensed To Ill tour and again on the Hello Nasty tour) and by far the best show. Touring to promote their all-instrumental album, The Mix-Up, the show was a great balance of rap, punk and instrumental songs from throughout their musical history. I think Mike D probably wins the prize for "Most Fun to Watch", but MCA and Ad-Rock were both on point. Mix Master Mike, Money Mark and Eric Bobo were all on hand to round out the touring band, so it was a real all-star affair.

(Mic to Mic posted a great set of photos from the show on Flickr)

Tops of My Pops for 8/12/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending August 12, 2007
1. The Zutons
2. Underworld
3. Panda Bear
3. Yppah
5. The Field
5. k-os
5. Can
5. Aerosmith
5. DJ Shadow
5. Junior Boys

I finally got my hands on a copy of The Zutons' Tired Of Hanging Around. Quite by accident I saw them perform most of the songs off this album when they played at Coachella 2006. Hard to describe; sort of straight-ahead garage pop...but not. Definitely loads of fun live, and this album's filled with a lot of that playful rock spirit.

Panda Bear's Person Pitch. How to explain that? Freaky, folky, psychedelic and oddly post rock, it's like this year's Pet Sounds revival only as if it were spearheaded by Tim Hecker and Kevin Shields. A wall of beautiful mixed up Brian Wilson-ness for the laptop set? I dunno...but I really, really like it.

It turns out that k-os' iTunes Live Session is a lot more enjoyable than his most recent album. With a nicely paired down accompaniment for an almost-but-not-quite "unplugged" sound, this set really highlights how strong and distinctive his vocals are.

Still loving Yppah and The Field. No real explanation for Aerosmith's appearance in my Top Ten this week other than a maudlin nostalgic urge to hear their Greatest Hits album again. I pledge to fight that urge in the future.

Been listening to more Underworld recently as I'm getting more and more excited about seeing them at Red Rocks in September...

See also:
Underworld tix, baby!
Top Ten Albums of 2006: #6 - "Harmony In Ultraviolet" by Tim Hecker
Sunshine on the horizon
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 8/5/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending August 5, 2007
1. David Bowie
2. Primal Scream
3. Amon Tobin
4. Lamb
4. DJ Shadow
4. Spoon
7. Boards of Canada
8. Johnny Cash
8. Squarepusher
8. Mogwai
8. Massive Attack
8. The Kleptones
8. Jack Johnson
8. Radiohead

Vacation this week, so believe it or not there wasn't much iPod action...and the listening is pretty predictable "comfort music".

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 7/29/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending July 29, 2007
1. LCD Soundsystem
2. Yppah
3. Primal Scream
4. Ulrich Schnauss
5. Spoon
6. The Kleptones
6. Tim Hecker
8. David Bowie
9. Radiohead
9. Amon Tobin
9. Meat Beat Manifesto
9. Josh Rouse
9. Beck
9. Gang of Four
9. Fila Brazillia

LCD Soundsystem's Sound Of Silver gets better every time I hear it...and that's become quite often. When I first heard "Daft Punk Is Playing At My House" I thought it was pretty irritating. But that's back when I thought these guys were serious. Flash forward a few years to their brilliant second album and I totally get what James Murphy is doing and totally love it. If you're still trying to figure out WTF his deal is, check out two tracks: "Losing My Edge" and "North American Scum". That should basically give you everything you need to know to totally bond with him.

I stumbled onto Yppah thanks to the always enjoyable and informative Scissorkick. It's hard to go wrong with a Ninja Tune signing, but I think this guy is gonna turn out to be somebody special in the electronic(a) music scene. He's been a rock-n-roll guitarist and bassist, as well as a scratching hip hop and house DJ, and took all that musical experience and put it in a blender that spat out You Are Beautiful At All Times. And he's from Texas. Represent!

I have a feeling both of these albums could make it onto my year-end Top Ten....

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 7/22/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending July 22, 2007
1. The Church
2. Spoon
3. Röyksopp
4. Maps
4. Lee "Scratch" Perry
6. The Upsetters
7. The Sea and Cake
7. Beck
9. The Field
10. k-os
10. Ulrich Schnauss

"The Soundtrack To Summer". That's what I'm calling this week's chart. How can you think of any of these artists without involuntarily imagining sunny days and warm weather? A few shout outs:

• I've been inspired recently (my my old pal dnl's review of Gold Afternoon Fix) to reconsider The Church. Turns out I didn't have any of their catalog on My personal jury is still out on the later stuff, but I have truckloads of good will for their first several albums. They've traced an interesting creative arc over the years, going from a Aussie indie rock sound in the 80's to super radio-friendliness in the early 90's to somewhat experimental art rock today. They're no Talk Talk, but hey -- who is really?
  
• Plenty's been said elsewhere about Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, the new release from Spoon, so I'll choose not to belabor the point here. I will say this: it's their best album since Kill The Moonlight (not a comparison I make lightly).
• Maps (James Chapman) is on the Mercury Prize Shortlist this year for their debut, We Can Create. He's been thrown in the nu-gaze bucket already (and not completely without reason) but he seems to be pushing beyond that as well. I can't quite put my finger on it, but he wholeheartedly embraces sweet melodies without going for the pure pop jugular the way his shoegaze ancestors often did. The songwriting casts a broader net than that, and the music is richer for it. For some weird reason I'd like to put Maps and The Decemberists in a room together and see what they could cook up.
  

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 7/15/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending July 15, 2007
1. Coldcut
2. Akufen
2. Butthole Surfers
4. Fila Brazillia
5. David Holmes
5. A Plus D
7. The Field
8. The Decemberists
9. Spoon
9. M.I.A. & Diplo
9. Broken Social Scene
9. LCD Soundsystem

Can't think of any particularly clever observations to make about my listening habits this week -- I pretty much spent it listening whatever random thing pleased me at the moment. I have been re-enjoying the Butthole Surfers early stuff however, and I still get Austin flashbacks every I hear them.

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 7/8/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending July 8, 2007
1. Ulrich Schnauss
2. Bonobo
2. Renegade Soundwave
2. Spoon
5. Rage Against the Machine
5. Wagon Christ
5. The Church
5. Radiohead
5. Lamb
10. The Sea and Cake

Too much working and not enough time listening to music (what else is new?) but there was one extremely bright spot this week: Ulrich Schnauss.

Goodbye (along with the Quicksand Memory EP) is simply amazing. With this new material he's shifted even further into dreamy alt-pop territory, frequently putting the guitars front and center and making liberal use of vocals throughout.

If you buy only one nu-gaze release this year, I'm thinking this is it.

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Imagine My Suprise...

79% Geek

Tired of Broadcast TV? Make Internet TV!

Big props to The Participatory Culture Foundation for launching MakeInternetTV.org, your one stop site for everything you need to know to roll your own video and get it online.

There's info and instructional videos on equipment, technique, editing, licensing, publishing and even tips for promoting your video baby. Plus, everything is linked to the MITV wiki, where anyone and everyone can share their questions and know-how.

Here's a quick video clip featuring Dean the Elongated Man to tell you more about it:

Make Internet TV: Introduction

We're all very lucky to live in the Internet Age, don't you think?

Tops of My Pops for 7/1/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending July 1, 2007
1. DJ Shadow
2. Beastie Boys
2. Stars of the Lid
4. B. Fleischmann
5. Massive Attack
5. Radiohead
5. Spoon
8. David Bowie
8. James Brown
8. Josh Rouse
8. The Kleptones

The new all-instrumental Beastie Boys album, The Mix-Up, turns out not to be as punk-tinged as Mike D led us to believe, but it is at least a worthy equal to The In Sound from Way Out! (If you hadn't noticed already, the entire Beasties catalog is now available in the DRM-free iTunes Plus format)

Stars of the Lid just continue blowing me away with their latest, the two disc masterpiece And Their Refinement of the Decline. You'd think that as sublime as their sound is, it would start to sound tired or formulaic after a couple of albums. You'd be wrong...very, very wrong. Self-deprecating titles aside, they just keep getting better at taking my breath away.

Finally, it just doesn't get much better than DJ Shadow's amazing live album/DVD In Tune And On Time. I hope that he's figured out by now that all that brilliance he turned out preceding The Outsider wasn't just "hipster bullshit" after all.

Hmmm. That's a lot of things not being what they seem. I didn't realize I had a theme this week.

See also:
Gettin' stewy with it!
DJ Shadow's new video is Nintendo-riffic!
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

The iPhone Cometh

Tomorrow sees the release of Apple's iPhone and I...wish I had one. *sniff*

Reasons Why I Shouldn't Buy One:

• I'm on a Verizon contract for the foreseeable future, and as everyone knows AT&T has a FIVE YEAR EXCLUSIVE on the iPhone. Damn, I hated AT&T so much I switched a couple of years ago. Go figure.
• I really have to carry a Blackberry for work and the thought of having two different cell phones makes my pockets cry...especially if one of them is bigger than a PSP.
  
• My only personal concern about owning one of these God-devices is that there will be a better one every six months (yeah, just keep telling myself that...)

Warren Ellis: What Best Says Mad for Rock?

Today's starry wisdom from Warren Ellis:

Talking of odd, I heard a bit of the new White Stripes. And I'm going to have to listen again, because I swear I heard some Jethro Tull in there. What was the name of that git? Ian Anderson? With the wild look in his eye, and his "look at me, I'm so craaazy, prancing around playing my fucking flute." Because nothing says Mad For Rock like a flute, mate.

Tops of My Pops for 6/24/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending June 24, 2007
1. David Byrne
2. David Bowie
2. Ulrich Schnauss
4. Fila Brazillia
4. Silversun Pickups
6. The Field
6. Underworld
6. Massive Attack
9. Loscil
9. DJ Shadow
9. Linkin Park
9. Beck

This was a great week for discovering new (to me) artists. The first revelation is Silversun Pickups, who I know nothing about but are rocking my world regardless. Great fusion of classic-era Smashing Pumpkins and maybe Lush, but the results are more powerful and exciting than just another indie band wearing their influences on their collective sleeve. The other great discovery is The Field, who's From Here We Go Sublime is pure looping repetitive minimal techno joy (YMMV).

Also, topping my list for the week was David Byrne's forgotten magnum opus, The Catherine Wheel – his soundtrack to Twyla Tharp's production of the same name. Released the same year as his landmark collaboration with Brian Eno, My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts, The Catherine Wheel shares many of the same experimental leanings, but largely does so without found sounds and tape loops. Instead Byrne creates a warmer, more organic feel using mainly live instrumentation, and bounces back and forth between abstract soundscapes and anxious, angular pop ala Talking Heads of the same period. Definitely a "desert island disc" for me.

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 6/17/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending June 17, 2007
1. David Bowie
2. Skinny Puppy
3. Radiohead
3. The Sea and Cake
3. Linkin Park
6. Lily Allen
6. RJD2
8. Amon Tobin
8. Everything but the Girl
8. Barry Adamson
8. Spoon
8. Broken Social Scene
8. Gang of Four
8. Beck
8. Harold Budd
8. Wire
8. Battles
8. Manual
8. A Sunny Day In Glasgow
8. Underworld

Not a whole lot more time for listening this week than last, but I made a concerted effort to rate as many unrated tracks as I could along the way. This yielded some interesting (and overdue) observations:

• Albums that exceeded my expectations: Battles' Mirrored (the ultimate expression of math rock)
  
• Albums that were everything I had hoped they would be: Wire's Pink Flag (yeah, I know I should've owned this one decades ago), Barry Adamson's Stranger On The Sofa (he hasn't let me down in years), Amon Tobin's Foley Room (still trying to get used to this one though)
• Albums that failed to achieve: Linkin Park's Minutes To Midnight (but an 'A' for effort, guys), Lily Allen's Alright, Still (although there are a few great tracks hiding in there), A Sunny Day In Glasgow's Scribble Mural Comic Journal (feh), Skinny Puppy's Mythmaker (was this even necessary?), Rjd2's The Third Hand (still, not as apocalyptically bad as everyone was going on about)

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Back In The Saddle Again!

Wow, that was painful.

First there was ten days of vacation (which was fine), but then that was followed by two weeks of work travel and a solid week of feeling like death warmed over thanks to a double-whammy of a cold and evil allergies. Simultaneously my PowerBook started freaking out, went in for repairs twice, and was out of commission for two entire weeks while Apple Support figured out WTF. Two main logic boards later it's back to normal.

So much has happened in the world since I last posted, it's pretty overwhelming trying to figure out where to begin. But I'm just gonna take a deep breath, stretch out and get to blogging.

Thanks for your patience while I was being spanked by The Universe.

Tops of My Pops for 6/10/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending June 10, 2007
1. Beck
2. The Sea and Cake
3. Massive Attack
3. Beastie Boys
3. Depeche Mode
3. Zero 7
3. Dub Syndicate
3. Lee "Scratch" Perry
3. Bonobo
10. k-os
10. Ministry
10. The Decemberists
10. DJ Krush
10. Coldplay
10. Midwest Product
10. Tubeway Army
10. Space Monkeyz vs. Gorillaz
10. Radiohead
10. Coldcut
10. A Sunny Day In Glasgow

As it turns out, there was too much time spent working this week, resulting in not a lot of listening. Overall low play counts made for a pretty random list. Wish me more luck next time!

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 6/3/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending June 3, 2007
1. Jack Johnson
2. The Kleptones
3. The Sea and Cake
3. The Helio Sequence
5. LCD Soundsystem
6. David Bowie
6. Pedro
8. Marvin Gaye
8. DJ Shadow
10. Ministry
10. Beck
10. Richard Cheese
10. Spoon

Sometimes you just want to get your mellow on. Jack, Marvin, The Sea and Cake, The Helio Sequence and Pedro contributed nicely to that vibe this week.

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 5/27/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending May 27, 2007
1. David Bowie
2. Spoon
3. Beck
4. Radiohead
4. Loscil
4. Josh Rouse
7. Broken Social Scene
7. Mogwai
9. Boards of Canada
9. My Bloody Valentine
9. Gang of Four
9. Primal Scream
9. Squarepusher
9. The Kleptones
9. Underworld

Nothing too crazy to report this week, as we were on vacation all week (Vegas, baby!) with friends. As a result, what little listening there was was fairly mild-mannered. Bigger excitement next week!

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives

Tops of My Pops for 5/20/07

A weekly look at what I'm listening to, from my Last.fm user stats:

Top Artists for the week ending May 20, 2007
1. DJ /rupture
2. DJ Andy Smith
3. Nine Inch Nails
4. Meat Beat Manifesto
5. Outputmessage
6. Squarepusher
7. The Decemberists
7. Loscil
9. DJ Shadow
10. Radiohead
10. The Sea And Cake
10. Portishead
10. Josh Rouse
10. Fila Brazillia
10. Dub Syndicate

Spent some time time week rockin' some mixes I'd been sitting on for awhile from DJs /rupture and Andy Smith. Both were quite tasty, with Smith's The Document II certainly a worthy successor to his first and DJ /rupture's Minesweeper Suite being one of the best drum 'n' bass/jungle sets I'm heard captured on disc in a long time.

I've just discovered Loscil's Plume is perfect for lazy warm weather listening. This is dovetailing nicely with the seemless mellow of The Sea And Cake's latest.

Much to the puzzlement of nearly everyone (including myself), I've somehow grown to enjoy The Decemberists. Disturbing though it may be, it turns out that I think The Crane Wife is pretty darned good. What's happening to me?

See also:
The 'Tops of My Pops' archives