Grizzly Bear - "Veckatimest"

Congratulations, Grizzly Bear. You've made the jump from no-name indie psych-folk band to bona fide iTunes-home page release feature. Such things are, of course, to be expected when you open for Radiohead and get legions of scoffing hipsters cramming your shows and following Ed Droste on Twitter. It's natural progression for any artist to want to improve and mature upon previous efforts so a broader mainstream audience can also enjoy their music. For instance, they've cleaned up the sound, and all but lost that whispering cabin-like chill that ran through Yellow House (2006). I loved that aspect, but can deal with it being gone as long as the structure, creativity, and underlying idea of a Grizzly Bear album is still there. That idea is a forlorn quietness expressed through a lush layer of instrumentation and swooning vocals, and thankfully, it's still there. Yes, the inevitable Grizzly Bear train into the mainstream is chugging along full steam, but they haven't compromised what made them great in the first place. And that is commendable.

New sound, fame, and popularity aside, Veckatimest provides the listener with a unique challenge: it forces you to choose between Ed Droste or Daniel Rossen as a vocalist. One will undoubtedly come out on top, as if there were an unspoken competition for "lead singer of Grizzly Bear." Here, they split duties pretty evenly, but for me, Rossen wins. Too often, Droste melts into the harmonies ("Two Weeks"), whereas Rossen sings with the coarse, melodic sound of a 75-year old trapped in a 26-year old's body. He stands out, and uses that grandfatherly diction in songs like "Southern Point" and "While You Wait For the Others." Rossen's voice adds to the building, almost-breaking tension of these songs, and, to me, sets the Grizzly Bear vocal precedent from hereon in.

In Veckatimest, Grizzly Bear have obviously grown into their sound, and as much as I hate the term "chamber-pop," it may be a good metaphor to describe this 12-track offering. I still might prefer the creaky-wood floor cabin-pop of Yellow House, but in this case, transformation by way of sound, but not idea, is a pretty good follow-up.

Down along the cove

Last night, as a nightcap to a relaxing Friday evening, I threw in Bob Dylan's John Wesley Harding. Although it's the ultimate album to roam the countryside to, it's also quite pleasant to fall asleep to. I had forgotten how damn good it is.

Google Wave

Tim O'Reilly has a nice digestable summary of Google Wave (a preferable option to the 1 hour and 20 minute demo video, also embedded in the post):

A key point here is that Google's relentless focus on reducing the latency of online actions is bringing the online experience closer and closer to our real world experience of face-to-face communication. When you're talking with someone, you know what someone is saying before they finish their sentence. You can respond, or even finish their sentence for them. So too with Wave...This leads to a change in behavior: conversations become shared documents.

The concept of conversation as shared document is pretty wild, if not a little scary. If Google Wave catches on--as well as other similar software that follows--we could see some huge rhetorical changes in communication. Suddenly, your own thoughts and text can potentially be transformed and rerouted before they reach their traditional "linear" destination. I wonder how this will be studied?

Sorry I'm Late

It's a great finished product, but I wonder how time-consuming stop-motion video must be...patience and precision certainly required (via fubiz).

Phish tour approaching

Phish tour is coming up in about 3 weeks, and I'm really looking forward to making the long weekend jaunt to Deer Creek and Alpine Valley. More than anything, I'm excited to be with my friends during that weekend. Phish the band just really seems like a backdrop at this point. I could really care less what they play (as long as it's not "Time Turns Elastic") or how good they play it. The whole weekend will just be about an association of a past, pleasant memory that will be rooted in the present by a car-full of friends. Nostalgia will loom heavy I'm sure, but I think that will make it all the more meaningful.

Iron and Wine - "Around the Well"

There are two key points to keep in mind should you fancy buying Around the Well. The first--and most important--is that this album provides a wonderful look at the career arc of Sam Beam as a singer, songwriter, and musician. As the album moves from start to finish, those whispering, forlorn solo numbers ("Dearest Forsaken"; "Hickory") slowly transform into the powerful full band arrangements ("Serpent Charmer") that characterize Iron and Wine today. It's chronology, maturation, and evolution all wrapped together into two discs worth of material.

But, unfortunately, herein lies the second point. Iron and Wine's music--especially the earlier material--has always had that campfire quality about it. Beam's voice tends to lull you into these trances of contemplation, which, as emotionally effective as they are, are often difficult to focus on at length. This double-disc certainly gives the listener a lot to chew on, and at times, suffers a blurring effect from track to track. In this respect, Around the Well probably works better as a harvesting disc: pick your favorites and keep them near and dear (for me, it's "Sinning Hands" and the cover of the Flaming Lips' "Waitin' for a Superman"). And of course, there's always the option for a campfire soundtrack. This one could repeat several times as it provides the backdrop for all your late night tales and enjoyments.

$9.99 CDs

I purchased Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest yesterday at Exclusive Company for $9.99, a great deal for a CD (and a free, nice quality album art poster). This got me thinking, what if independent record shops priced all new CD releases at $9.99, putting them at a competitive par with iTunes. Granted, iTunes still retains the physical-less advantage, but I felt like I was getting so much more--literally and figuratively--by getting the CD at digital price. The current $5 or $6 price gap between the two seems to be the biggest obstacle in the war to keep record shops around (format is still secondary, especially for music enthusiasts), so maybe experimenting with a new pricing system during a, say, 3 month new release period would help cut some losses and bring customers back to the record shops.

Keyboard Cat plays off imposter Keyboard Cat

The hat falling off this unhappy (and unwilling) Keyboard Cat is just too much...

The Age of Distraction

This New York Magazine article by Sam Anderson is filled with wonderful and heady speculation on the long-term effects of the information age. In addition to the interesting mix of opinion and expertise Anderson weaves together here (multi-tasking and attention experts, Buddhist monks, neuroscientists), it's refreshing to see a positive view towards the digital distractions of our life, rather than the typical dread of a "cognitive plague" that will wipe out this generation's basic communication skills and creative thought:

There’s been lots of hand-wringing about all the skills they might lack, mainly the ability to concentrate on a complex task from beginning to end, but surely they can already do things their elders can’t—like conduct 34 conversations simultaneously across six different media, or pay attention to switching between attentional targets in a way that’s been considered impossible. More than any other organ, the brain is designed to change based on experience, a feature called neuroplasticity.

As someone who works in neuroscience, I'm glad that the biological basis for learning is being thrown into the mix. Too many times, I think, we look at the information age in terms of intimidation of the unknown. People see all this information coming at them from so many directions, and are too scared to realize that what is happening is simply a shift in the way things are done. The information age is not a monster that is coming to get us; it's a new set of tools. What we perceive as "fear" is nothing more than learning, our neurons slowly becoming acclimated to a new social climate. As humans, we've adapted our thought processes for thousands of years to make way for new technologies and ideas, and the information age is no different. We just need to learn to harness our new way of thinking into modern, digital contexts.

"Two Weeks"

Patrick Daughters' video for Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks." Simple, creepy minimalism...until their heads start on fire.

Agora Statues

While in Chicago this weekend I checked out the Agora statues in south Grant Park. In addition to the obvious questions one might have about statues with no heads, I wondered how the artist--Magdalena Abakanowicz--decided on the positioning of the statues. It seems random at first--like a mass of people in a busy market. However, some of the isolated statues suggest a more symbolic approach that depicts the mass versus the individual. You get this overwhelming feeling when you're walking amongst the crowd of 10-foot giants, but standing next to one of the outliers gave a stronger sense of uniqueness. The headlessness, I think, was just a creative way of standardizing the "individual."

"Prepare Your Coffin"

If the rest of Tortoise's new album sounds anything like "Prepare Your Coffin," I'm afraid to say that the album will likely suck. This sounds like a video game soundtrack, and not cool post-rock instrumentation.

"I've Seen Enough"

One of the main conclusions from my thesis project was that most types of online learning--especially asynchronous types--are basically worthless in terms of their value due to limited interactivity and static interfaces. Now, if we could apply the same principles that Cold War Kids use in their new video to online learning, maybe we could increase that value. Imagine being able to mute your teacher, or make him change colors. That would be stimulating.

Animal Collective - Riverside Theater (5/19/09)

Merriweather Post Pavilion may very well be the last important record of this decade, and therefore, to see Animal Collective perform this material at its popular and genre-defining apex is an essential exercise for any music completist. I had no expectations going into this show--partly because I had never seen Animal Collective live, but mostly because of a lurking skepticism. Not skepticism in the negative sense, but one that questions how a live show could come anywhere close to replicating such a wildly and exotically perfect album.

The short answer: it didn't. For one, the valuable idiosyncrasies of MPP were lost in an overwhelming loudness. You couldn't hear the water, or the dripping, hallucinogenic wafts of sound. It was a lot of bass, and a lot of over-pumped rhythms. The last thing I expected was to be tone deaf after the show, and was really surprised that a group so focused on intricate composition would blast like that.

However, despite the volume issue, it's important to remember that this was a really good show. I was initially concerned with how Avery Tare and Panda Bear would handle the precise, tonal ranges of their harmony-tinged vocals, but once "In the Flowers" opened up like, well, flowers, that fear was alleviated. In fact, the night's best moments came from non-MPP material, such as the swoons of "Banshee Beat" (Feels, 2005) and the wonder-charged "Fireworks" (Strawberry Jam, 2007). The way the older material morphed into the psychedelic qualities of MPP was a sign of the anticipated and inevitable genre evolution that Animal Collective seem destined for.

We've seen other bands (e.g., Radiohead, The Flaming Lips) throw this curve, and now we're seeing Animal Collective accomplish the same daunting feat. They may have not figured out how to live up to their own studio monster, but that doesn't mean they won't keep trying. And as long as those signature vocals keep carrying the sound and elevating this new genre of electro-pop that hopefully my children's children will enjoy listening to on sunny afternoons, ringing ears seem an alright burden to put up with.

(some stage shots; thanks jen!)

New desktop background

A gallery of fantastically colored and shaped illustrations by Evgeny Kisele (via fubiz).

"The Reader"

This movie would have to win the award for most-bizzare-first-half-that-suddenly-makes-sense-during-the-second-half. I kept trying to figure out how an hour of statutory rape and reading would suddenly elevate this movie to the acclaim that it had garnered, but it did, and the twist was pretty powerful. For full effect, don't read the back of the DVD box before watching.

"Actor Out of Work"

I like the face-to-face dynamic of this video...is it an audition, or is it something else that is bringing about the emotional outpouring of each actor? This whole album has really grown on me in the last couple of weeks.

Smooth sonic textures

Last night, for the first time in a while, I listened to STS9's "Seasons '01" double album. Recorded live, but produced with studio-sound quality, it reminded me how the STS9 of the early 2000s still trumps their hard-edge tendencies of today. There's something about those smooth, sonic textures that is just so lush, organic, and pleasing to the ear.

Twitterers landing

People who have "just landed" on Twitter (via clusterflock):

The idea is simple: Find tweets that contain this phrase, parse out the location they’d just landed in, along with the home location they list on their Twitter profile, and use this to map out travel in the Twittersphere (yes, I just used the phrase ‘Twittersphere’).

Save Paste?

Paste Magazine is currently asking for reader donations to help them stay in print due to severe cuts in advertisment spending. It's unfortunate, because as a past Paste subscriber, I can attest to the diverse quality of material they put on their pages.

However, I'm wondering if it is only advertising cut-backs that has Paste asking readers for voluntary donations. I think the creeping, slow death of print itself is probably a huge underlying reason for floundering sales that magazines and newspapers just aren't ready to admit to yet. After all, one of the main reasons I stopped subscribing to Paste--as well as most other magazines--was because of the vast wealth of reviews, articles, and media coverage available online. Why pay $30 per year for one interesting take on an album, when you can have 10 interesting takes available at your fingertips for free online? No offense Paste, but you just can't compete with that.

Roomba path

(via)

"Moth"

I'm still flummoxed by artists who release music solely on vinyl in the age of digital music. If you want to do it to be old-school and artsy, fine. But please release some mp3s for those of us who don't have dinosaur record players on our bureaus. The new Burial/Four Tet collaboration--which is being heralded as incredible--is one such case. At least there is this to make amends (via t&t):

Antiques of productivity

Last night--after a successful thesis defense earlier in the day--I spent about 30 minutes backing up, archiving, and organizing all the grad school articles, papers, and projects that have accumulated in my apartment over the last two and a half years. It was a nice, reflective act of closure that, in a way, was even more satisfying than the defense itself. But now, it's all just paper on a shelf and digital files on a hard drive. Of course, it was always just paper and digital files, but now that it has been removed from the context of the thinking and stressing graduate student, it seems more like meaningless clutter. I suppose, though, that the good (and valuable) stuff is where it needs to be (i.e., in my head), so I can appreciate the bulging manila folders and worn binders for what they really are: antiques of productivity and knowledge.

"Whatever Works"

Whether in Seinfeld or Curb Your Enthusiasm, we're used to Larry David and his comedy in 30-minute doses. It will be interesting to see if that vein of humor can extend well to a full-length movie. I don't see why it couldn't, but it just seems that a half hour time period really maximizes the comedic value of his storylines and character predicaments. Not to mention, will there be a Curb curse on Larry David?

Twitshirt

Do you like my tweets? Well, if you do, you can now have them printed on a t-shirt. Just select any of them from my twitshirt page, and soon you'll be wearing my 140 words of wit and wisdom with pride.

On a different note, I wonder if this type of service will fuel more ridiculous and creative tweets? Perhaps sites like Twitshirt are really underlying rhetorical tweeting devices.

"He's Behind You, He's Got Swine Flu"

New video by The Streets that pieces together footage from zombie movies, which results in a stupid, fun, and smart commentary on social panic:

St. Vincent - "Actor"

I've been trying to think of a term or phrase that could characterize the overall effect of St. Vincent's Actor, but this has proved to be a difficult task. To say that Actor is a mixture of jazz, rock, pop, and catchy lyrical snippets would be easy, but a Norah Jones album this is not. No, there's something else within these 11 tracks that requires a little more of a fantastical approach, something that bridges the gap between dream-like quality and basic human emotion. It's like happy-go-lucky songs draped in a London fog. Perhaps the "bizzaro Mary Poppins soundtrack" could be a starting point. But, regardless of how we look at Actor, it's important to simply remember that St. Vincent has provided us with a collection of music that is first and foremost enjoyable, and secondly, interesting in the way that it blends the dark and bizarre into that pleasant framework.

For instance, with song titles like "Laughing with a Mouth of Blood" and "Black Rainbow," Actor would superficially seem to be drawn into the realm of a gloomy day-record. It is, but at the same time isn't. What saves these songs from downright depression are the assorted, blissful piano chord changes, the upbeat rhythms, and peppy, intermittent electronics. These moments are dispersed throughout, and when you throw Annie Clark's undeniably talented and gorgeous voice on top of them, you get a fairly compelling mix of the emotional spectrum. It draws on life's little lessons--which aren't always pleasant--and puts a tinge of silver lining around each one.

New Wilco album cover

Featuring Milwaukee's own Turner Hall and Mader's restaurant...

Defense texts

Over the past week, I've been reviewing a considerable number of research articles and books that I have read over the past two years in preparation for my upcoming thesis defense. Despite the grind of the project, and the failing attempts at self-motivation in the weeks before graduating, this review has been an enjoyable process. For one, I was able to choose the texts for the reading list, so all my personal favorites are there. And second, there's a certain pleasure when revisiting a text--particularly an academic text--for a second (or third or fourth) time. Theory is more clear, more applicable. Some might simply call this "learning," but I think the learning was achieved the first time around. Now, it's more like "situating," a process where actual usefulness can take place (like wild new perspectives about user localization practices and recently acquired Blackberry devices; love that Huatong Sun article).

Keyboard Cat

Keyboard Cat is the modern-day, Web-video equivalent of the giant hooks that would pull bad performers off stage.

More vintage Ships

1968 Championship Celebration (this time with a Pops Hansen sighting):

Kindle faux pas

On the bus today I was standing behind a woman who was reading from her Kindle. She had the Kindle in a leather portfolio case, which I found a bit odd, since it seemed like she was trying to retain the physical form of a book in her hands while still utilizing the digital reading feature of the device. Isn't the Kindle design supposed to free us from the "constraints" of having to hold an actual book?

In any case, I am still not sold on Kindle ($490 for the DX edition?!), and will gladly stick with my paper and bindings.

The LeBomb James

I suppose every MVP should have his own drink (via SI):

The 'LeBomb James' requires a shot of Crown Royal (for King James), some Red Bull and three packs of Splenda. Drop the shot of Crown in the Red Bull, chug it, dump Splenda in your hands, and 'baby powder throw' it into the air like LBJ. It's an instant hit with the bar patrons.

I doubt bartenders enjoy it, though.

Apple rejects Reznor

Like many people, I'm not understanding Apple's rejection of the Nine Inch Nails iPhone app (due to the "objectionable" content contained in "The Downward Spiral"). If objectionable content is the issue, what would be wrong with some sort of explicit content warning, a system that seems to have been working perfectly well since 1994, when the The Downward Spiral was originally released? Seems like unnecessary, redundant censorship that eliminates a personal choice that is already available in other media options (i.e., The Downward Spiral on iTunes!!!).

"Wilson"

I'm really enjoying these HD Hampton videos that are popping up everywhere--they really bring the light-show qualities into full effect:

Bob Dylan - "Together Through Life"

There's a scene in The Soprano's in which Bobby Baccalieri's father--an old, old man dying from lung cancer--is assigned one final hit on a trouble-making godson of his. Now, Baccalieri, Sr. can barely breath, and any sort of physical exertion brings on a series of bloody coughing fits, causing his voices to sound like a liquefied, gurgling mess. During this scene, he overpowers the much younger godson, completes the hit, and drives off in a blaze of coughing and croaking glory (on his way home he's coughing up so much blood that he chokes, swerves of the road, crashes into a sign post, and is instantly killed; but that's really beside my point here). To a much less brutal extent, Bob Dylan has accomplished the same thing with Together Through Life: at 67, his infamous hound-dog voice is gone, and the only thing left is this corpse-like growl that makes you wonder how he can still continue to make music. But, like Baccalieri, Sr. he still has it, and just goes out and gets the job done.

That said, I wouldn't call Together the greatest modern-era Dylan album; compared to Modern Times, it's a little sparse, and seems to be content to ruminate on the same qualities that made that album great. Dylan has always been the master innovator of his own sound, but this time around the bluesy '50s rock and swing start to blend together. But, as with all Dylan albums, it's always possible to find great things, even if the overall package doesn't hold up to par (although, considering how high "par" is for this man, that's pretty unreasonable to expect all the time). "I Feel a Change Comin' On," for example, could very well be the feel-good hit of this summer, hopefully a perfect metaphor for the times. "Beyond Here Lies Nothing," and "It's All Good" bookend the album with saloon-rocking swagger that defies the age of the gnarled voice behind them. And of course, there's always that one line, that one witty piece of Dylan prose wrapped in song that sticks out: "A teacup of water is enough to drown." For me, that's enough to enjoy this album.

"Ghost"

I like the way this Phish lunatic linked the SBD audio with this stationary video. In particular, the camera distance gives an incredible and mesmerizing perspective of the light show while the (not so great) jam escalates:

9/11

A little hard to catch without knowing the context of what you're looking at, but it's creative and well done (via today and tomorrow):