marcusharwell.net » Music

I Trust You to Kill Me

Marcus — Sun, 10 May 2009 07:02:53 +0000

I just saw this documentary, which has a killer soundtrack by Rocco DeLuca and the Burden, and is a record of that band’s first European tour, managed by the unlikely head of their label, Kiefer Sutherland. It’s a terrific doco, the sound editing and mixing alone is reason to see it. The music is powerful and raw, but has such a clean production I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that studio tracks were used for some of it. Yet, there were quirks that wouldn’t be overlooked for the album, so I have to hand it to Florian Ammon for his recording prowess. The band is earnest, generally good-natured, and funny. They know how unlikely it is they’ll skyrocket to fame, and take it in stride when their first show’s audience barely responds.

But if you have any interest in Kiefer Sutherland, he comes across in the film as a down-to-earth and forthright person, who loves and believes in the band he’s shepherding and desires only to see them appreciated. He’s also clearly a goofball and more than a little disorganized.

In reading about Sutherland’s latest legal woes, it seems important to keep perspective on what little has been reported. The truth is not often fully explored, and rumors persist long after the details of an event become public. But of course, there’s always the possibility that Kiefer is, indeed, a pirate.

Ra Ra Riot – Dying Is Fine (live)

Marcus — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 07:28:58 +0000

More bands should do this. Maybe we could keep the barrier between celebrity and anonymous person lowered if we could walk down the street, stand next to Kate Winslet, and listen to Beck bang out a few tunes on his acoustic.

Ra Ra Riot – Dying is fine – A Take Away Show posted by La Blogotheque.

The original video is also worth watching.

Chairlift’s Video for ‘Evident Utensil’ Trips Out on Artifacts

Marcus — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:00:01 +0000

Compression artifacts look like shit. Unless a clever director is using them as an effect. Whoa. Dude.

Henry Hey Sets Final Bush Press Conference to Music

Marcus — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 19:50:18 +0000

This is amazing work. Jazz pianist Henry Hey did an outstanding job creating a song out of spoken words. We don’t often think about it, but words have musical pitch (which is obvious to anybody in China, where they use pitch & tone as an integral part of language). Hey used the pitch of George W. Bush’s words as the melody and crafted something fantastically cool.

But Steve Vai has done this a lot, notably in Ya-Yo Gakk, a 1995 track using his son Julian’s nonsense babble.

But I first heard him doing it a decade earlier, on So Happy, from 1984′s Flex-Able. It doesn’t hold up so well, but it’s really an experiment, and not meant to be a pop single.

Steve Vai – So Happy

Et Tu, U2?

Marcus — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 07:37:25 +0000

Did Josh Homme produce U2′s new record, or did they just listen to a bunch of stoner rock before they made this. It’s got heavy Homme influence, to my ears.

U2 – Get On Your Boots

Only it’s not as good.

Vocal Trends in Dance Music

Marcus — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 05:13:45 +0000

I’m noticing this cut-up, nonsense vocal thing happening more frequently. Justice does it a lot.

Justice – Newjack

The Field (Axel Willner) does it a bit too, and I like his music even better, even though it’s not quite the same rumpshaker-type tracks.

The Field – Over the Ice

This latest in this microtrend of my own discerning is Freak Machine by The 9000. Bonus: it’s got a kickass video to go with it. Slow motion always works.

I’ve seen a car commercial several times that has the same style, but have become so good at tuning out brands that I have yet to remember what the make of car is so I can look up who does the music.

Teardrop on the Fire

Marcus — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 06:46:02 +0000

I like Massive Attack, especially the collaboration with Mos Def on the Blade 2 soundtrack. But nothing they’ve done stirs my soul like Teardrop, from 1998′s Mezzanine. Most people know it as the theme from House. I’m glad I heard it soon after its release. It was part of a stream of ambient and dance music fed to me by a cow orker who was madly in love with the rave scene even as it was dying, and for which I’m forever grateful, as I’d been ignorant of most of the “electronica” side of music for several years previous. My life is richer for hearing Aphex Twin, Lull, Autechre, Boards of Canada, Orbital, and dozens of others. And, of course, Massive Attack, featuring Liz Fraser:

Fearless on my breath

I Forget How Great Blackalicious Is

Marcus — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:01:29 +0000

Chemical Calisthenics, from Blazing Arrow:

I Heart Parry Gripp

Marcus — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 22:37:14 +0000

I don’t care what anybody thinks, I love these songs. I bought this one, among others:

He’s got a gleaming pile of these.

I Was All, Like, OMG, Parry Gripp Has a New Song

Marcus — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 06:06:47 +0000

And it is amazing. Actually, it’s not new, it’s from back in November, but the video is new. Hamster on a Piano fans, take note:

In case you didn’t catch the chorus, it’s

I was like, she was all
He was all, they were like
We were all like
OMG like totally

We were like, I was all
They were all, He was like
She was like all
Totally like OMG