Friday, June 19, 2009
Thurston Moore's avant-garde want list
In my off time, I'm a record collector. I'm a record collector to the point that I sometimes look back on my habits and wonder what's wrong with me, and wonder why I can't be happy just listening to top 40 commercial radio. I mean, when you get really amped about the Michael Snow LP on Chatham Square or a Folkways record called "Music from an equatorial microcosm," a switch has really flipped inside you. If you're similarly afflicted, check out the below.
A while back I got a copy of Thurston Moore's avant-garde wants list (PDF). It's pretty impressive that way back in the day Thurston was after Raymond Boni on Futura, Drum Dance to the Motherland, and OFAMFA. It's a worthwhile read, if heavy on lots of european jazz that I don't personally find too interesting. It's easy to forget in 2009 how difficult it was back then to find overseas and private-pressed records.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Thru-you Mashups
Much as I initially didn't want to like Kutiman's YouTube mash-up compositions, I've come to the conclusion that they are undeniably great. First they are compositionally solid tunes that hold up as more than just tinkering or experimentation. There's also a utopian vibe to kutiman's mash-ups. Musicians of all types - old and young, male and female, of all races and ethnicities - come together under the umbrella of music. Guided tutorials are layered with private bedroom vocalists, product demos, and student performances. In Kutiman's eyes, everyone's videos are equally fair sample fodder.
Ultimately, what I think makes Thru-you succeed is that the personalities of the musicians comes through in their performances and little visual cues. I find myself wondering what the story is behind the mother singing soulfully in "Someday," smiling while holding her toddler, or if the cornball guitarist on "The Mother of all Funk Chords" sincerely believes in his rocking solo. Kutiman takes care to show the musicians' little performance quirks, pacing or talking as they warm up or (god forbid) give the camera a "solo face."
There's a touch of magic here; it seems so improbable that the vocalist, keyboard, flute, and wind chime in "Just a Lady" could mesh together and come out sounding like a dead ringer for Portishead. If ever there was a case to be made for fewer restrictions on copyright (a la Lessig or Negativland alike), here it is.
Ultimately, what I think makes Thru-you succeed is that the personalities of the musicians comes through in their performances and little visual cues. I find myself wondering what the story is behind the mother singing soulfully in "Someday," smiling while holding her toddler, or if the cornball guitarist on "The Mother of all Funk Chords" sincerely believes in his rocking solo. Kutiman takes care to show the musicians' little performance quirks, pacing or talking as they warm up or (god forbid) give the camera a "solo face."
There's a touch of magic here; it seems so improbable that the vocalist, keyboard, flute, and wind chime in "Just a Lady" could mesh together and come out sounding like a dead ringer for Portishead. If ever there was a case to be made for fewer restrictions on copyright (a la Lessig or Negativland alike), here it is.
Labels: copyright, mash-up, music, video, web 2.0, youtube
