Gnarls Barkley – Going On

This video is awesome, the duo is progress personified and everything they becomes a roadmap to distant lands.  If you don’t love them, you should find out why.

Any who needs what they want and doesn’t want what they need, I want nothing to do with.

Honestly this video keeps on consuming me.  It gives me chills.  The song is great, but the video adds such a real dimension that it gives the song power.  At least for me.  

It makes me recall experiences from this week and fifteen years ago, all at once.  I think about a rich prick who doesn’t tip the valet, who insults everyone trying to assist them, who believes money buys respect and prestige.  Then I remember an old friend who lived in a 9′ x 9′ hotel-turned-apartment, who once stole a bag of dog biscuits from my neighbor to have as a snack when his mom didn’t have enough money for groceries.  What shocks me most about these two experiences is only how common they have proven to be over the years.  

Duality is an insanely magnetic pole.

A long overdue music post

Here is a compilation of tunes I’ve been enjoying as of late. Some are new, some are classics reinvented by current events. I’ll make every effort to get every link perfect and keep all songs free, but some may be too good to avoid leaving you to buy or listen online. There’s no general theme for this one, just a list of music to expand your mental.

Download | Burn | Enjoy

1. SumKid – Puddn’head : This is one of my favorite new emcees. He’s got a flow that makes you nod your head and a vocabulary that doesn’t make educated folk cringe. The song title drew me in, the beat hooked me and the flow slowly tied me to my chair.
2. Glenn Case – I am the President of the Sony Entertainment Corp. Ltd. : This song is infectious and poppy in the perfect way, anti-pop. Glenn is somewhat of a legend on the 61, but a truly great musician and an awesome person in general. This is definitely one of my favorites on the whole site.
3. The Gin Riots – El Torro : This song reminds me of high school and the first day I heard Ted Leo & the Pharmacists at once. It’s upbeat yet raw and gritty, it even gets borderline pretty at times. This song is well worth the spot on a mixtape.
4. Lightwires – Can We Go Back : This song grows on me more with each listen. The layers of sound give this song a simple feel without being at all boring. Sometimes it’s the space between sounds we remember most.
5. Stab the Matador – Doctor : Stab the Matador reminds me of Paramedic, the band Zach Clancy played drums with in LA. Indie-prog rock in the vain of No Knife and the Mars Volta. The change here is a clear and simple voice that doesn’t take away from the music like Cedric from the Mars Volta. It may not be for everyone, but give it a listen, it may be for you.
6. Kina Grannis – I Know Who Took the Milk and Cookies : An old-timey sounding folk sound with a Christmas bend, and a beautiful sound for those moments that don’t need a thumping core. Her voice is also pretty amazing. She sounds closer to the listener, not like many female vocalists these days. She even reminds me of a young Joni Mitchell at times.
7. sweetie – Building : A building indie rock song for any fan of Snow Patrol, but don’t let that steer you away. This song actually has substance, unlike some songs with sparsely scattered lyrics and a building sound. I don’t know much of sweetie, but I’d like to hear more.
8. Joe Cang – Blackbird (originally by the Beatles) : Few covers really catch me and keep me, and even fewer Beatles covers make the cut. Having said that, this jazzy version of Blackbird is a great song and actually yields a cover worth listening to, over and over.
9. Philadelphia Slick – Culture Industry : Philadelphia Slick is a lyrical emcee in the vain of Talib Kweli and Mos Def. I’m surprised he hasn’t blown up to some extent, there’s everything to love about his beats and flow. Unless you truly just loathe the genre, this is a great song for a broad swath of people.
10. Zuba – Money : Zuba is quickly becoming my favorite reggae band, although I am hearing they have broken up. They remind me of Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band in many ways. If they could get the kind of backing Buffett has, I have no doubt they could put on just as exciting a show for young and old. They have a great library of songs to check out.
11. Ve – I’ve got a Song : This sounds like the soundtrack to the part of a movie where a good person does a bad thing, or a bad person does a good thing. Either way this song is soft and catchy. It does have some Enya qualities I’m not entirely comfortable with, but for this compilation, I’ve got this Song.
12. Delightful Young Man – I’m Happy With What You Are : This is just a soft, almost sway-inducing song with a solid guitar line and an oddball array of female and male vocals. The final product is a great change-up from the over produced crap coming out these days.
13. Dust & Blood – Cops Kiss & Drool : I almost held this song out, not because it’s not as good, but because it’s a genre I don’t always like. It’s worth it, good song in that hard rock vain. Don’t worry, it’s not Nickelback.
14. birdlips – magicfish : Infectious is the word I would use to describe this gem. I really like it, can’t stop listening. It always puts me in a good mood, unless I’m in a Glassjaw mood.
15. YACHT – So Post All ‘Em : An instrumental track by one of my favorite electronic artists. He’s from Portland, Oregon and has collaborated with the Blow, another personal favorite. Check her out as well if you haven’t already.
16. WALE – W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E. : This guy reminds me of one of my old students in his vocal patterns. Great flow and some interesting beats (and fun samples). This is one of the more popular songs in the history of theSixtyOne.
17. McClain – Central Park : A slow folky song with a Joshua Radin meets Iron & Wine feel. Soothing as far as songs go, and a good one for the ladies.
18. BEARBOT – Quality Style (Remix) : What might as well be an instrumental track is good for backgrounds and an energetic break in your day. Most of my playlists are played while I’m trying to get other things done, and this song is a good motivator.
19. Dan the Automator – Relaxation Spa Treatment : An instrumental from my hero of beats, Dan the Automator. The guy who brought me such gems as Deltron 3030, Gorillaz and Handsome Boy Modeling School. This track holds it’s own water, but needs a vocalist to tear it apart. I recommend Mf Doom!
20. L.JULIUS – Yesterday : This is almost an Usher-esque song, but I like the feel and it’s calm nature. Everything sounds pretty crisp and the lyrics aren’t terrible. Not everyone will like this, but it’s a good slow jam in my opinion.

That’s all I’ve got. I’ll try to keep more up to date with music as a topic on here. I may also try to evolve and organize the site better. We’ll see…

Modern music, the new industry and the big losers

This is my take on the music industry, shaped by the events of the last decade. My thoughts on the RIAA, the big winners, the changing tides, and the digital format. A big mouthful and at the same time, we’re really dancing around one issue piracy.

The recording industry includes: A&R reps, management and public relations, sound engineers, producers, advertising and anyone else lifting a finger for the band. I’ve seen bands get stupid amounts of advance money, and spend it on stupid things without retaining enough to stay an active band. Granted, the bands doing this were dumb, not friends but local bands I watched and wondered why their following continued to grow. But even dumb people deserve a fair shake, and the easiest way to ensure a dumb response is to flash an absurd amount of money around, or at least an absurd amount for the area.

The internet gives everyone a fair shake, and a chance to let the music speak for itself. No advertising campaigns, no major banner play, just a plan and free sites on web. For less than $200 you can press 50 copies of a demo or limited edition CD (and depending on predicted sales up to 1000 CDs for under $500), print album art and submit the album to every major digital retailer (iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody, walmart.com). Sign up on AmieStreet, Last.fm and theSixtyOne as an artist and upload a few songs for some more opportunities to let your music speak, and establish communication with listeners.

The problem with all of this is that it cuts out a lot of that first equation. Now you only have the issue of recording/studio time. In any metropolitan area, you will find a boatload of recent recording arts graduates working for a fair price. I also describe on this site how to build a home studio, or the general direction to take. My tutorial is for beginners thinking about building something that works and works well, it is in no way a “best of” compilation of gear.

That is what all of these RIAA lawsuits and issues are about; the loss of many middlemen, the industry shedding it’s skin and the good ol’ American chase for the dollar sign. Recently the accusation was made that some artists represented by RIAA lawyers hadn’t seen a dime of the money from settlements reached. These are the last breaths of a slain dragon. The world is better off with too much music than filtered crap music, and it’s much better off if we filter our own crap. Pandora can pay the artists what you used to, go re-train in Green energy.

Songs of theSixtyOne, vol. 1

These are all songs available for free download from www.thesixtyone.com. If you have not visited this site before, I highly recommend it, you can discover new music, use it as your internet radio, or just get addicted to the game of it all.

This blog will feature music I find, and much of it is from or at least available on theSixtyOne.

• I Love a Computer – YACHT
• wishing well – Cornbelt Chorus
• The Loving Sound of Static – Mobius Band
• The Long Walk Back – Just Off Turner
• Sunday Bloody Sunday – Saul Williams
• Oh – Winter Took His Life
• Nickel and Dime – Ember
• LaughLoveF*ck – The Coup
• hospital hearts – another robot sunset
• Geography – Thao Nguyen
• everybody gets a shoulder rub – Sire the Wolf
• Drink My Wine – Reed Whorton
• Dragonfly – Universal Hall Pass
• Call Us Home – danger & the steel cut oats
• Geronimo – Chris Merritt
• Attribute to Memory – Watching Cars
• all along the chilltower – hot bitch arsenal
• 2:45 – Ve
• ‘Till We Free – Native Guns
• Black Lung – Cedarwell

It fits on a CD, so you can always have this compilation on the go. Let me know what you think, stay tuned for more on great music. Or a moron’s average music.