August 28, 2008
Links 30
1. Jamie Livingston's Polaroid a Day - Jamie Livingston took a polaroid nearly every day for eighteen years. It's not so much that he took a photo every day -- many people these days take multiple photos each day -- but that he took a good photo almost every day. Or maybe it's just that there's something about a polaroid. I don't know. Anyway, take a look at this mental_floss article. The Wikipedia entry provides links to more information, too.
2. Lawrence Lessig on McCain on Technology - I'm a big fan of Larry Lessig. Check out his critique of John McCain's technology policy. (These issues are a big deal, folks.)
3. I drove past a number of wind farms, in a number of states, on my trip from Utah to Texas. The enormous alien-looking machines spinning slowly in the air can be a strange sight. It struck me that even a clean, renewable energy source like wind power has tradeoffs. Don't get me wrong; it beats a coal or nuclear power plant. However, I can understand why some people might take issue with living next to them. It's worse if you're a bird or bat. For example, wind turbines make bat lungs explode. Ech.
4. Fleshmap: Musical Genres - I've seen lots of links to this lately, but I'll share it because a few of you probably missed it. It's a chart of how often a part of the body is sung about, sorted by musical genre (from a sample of 1000 songs). It's interesting how hip hop stands out from the rest. Oh, there are actual photos of body parts, so it's NSFW. If you go to the main site there are a couple of other odd little 'studies'.
5. Radiohead's 'House of Cards' video - 'House of Cards' might be my favorite cut from In Rainbows. The video is worth mention, too. (If you have a fast connection, it's worth downloading the high res version from Radiohead's site.) Instead of using lights and cameras, they used "just data" (from Geometric Informatics for the closeups and Velodyne LIDAR for the landscapes). The effect is pretty cool. Plus, you can get the data from Google Code to do with as you please. The site also has a making-of video, viewer, and more.
28 Aug 19:10 | Link | Category: Art & Entertainment, Link Dump '08, Music, Photography, Politics, Technology & Computing, Video
August 24, 2008
Playlist - July / August 2008
The usual conventions apply, the eMusic list is here, and those not on the mailing list can e-mail me for the magic links. (I should probably be commenting on each track to explain why, for example, I included more fucking Vampire Weekend tracks as if we haven't been sick of that band since last year, but I don't have the time or inclination.)
| The Black Keys - Act Nice And Gentle >> from Rubber Factory |
| Vampire Weekend - Walcott >> from Vampire Weekend |
| Dr. Dog - The Ark >> from Fate |
| Peter and the Wolf - The Owl >> from Lightness |
| Lucinda Black Bear - Kites >> from 'Capo My Heart' and Other Bear Songs |
| Pomegranates - In the Kitchen >> from Everything is Alive |
| The Raveonettes - Blush >> from Lust Lust Lust |
| MGMT - Kids >> from Oracular Spectacular |
| Travis - Selfish Jean >> from The Boy With No Name |
| Rotary Downs - Sing Like the Sun >> from Chained to the Chariot |
| The Black Keys - All Hands Against His Own >> from Rubber Factory |
| Interpol - Pioneer to The Falls >> from Our Love To Admire |
| My Morning Jacket - Librarian >> from Evil Urges |
| The Old Haunts - Sunshine >> from Poisonous Times |
| Dr. Dog - The Rabbit, The Bat & The Reindeer >> from Fate |
| Vampire Weekend - M79 >> from Vampire Weekend |
24 Aug 21:35 | Link | Category: Music
June 30, 2008
Playlist - June 2008
Another month, another hour of disjointed listening...
The usual conventions apply, the eMusic list (small as it may be this month) is here, and those not on the mailing list can e-mail me for the magic links.
| MGMT - Time To Pretend >> from Oracular Spectacular |
| Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma >> from Vampire Weekend |
| Vampire Weekend - A-Punk >> from Vampire Weekend |
| The Virgins - Rich Girls >> from The Virgins ('07 EP) |
| Dr. Dog - The World May Never Know >> from Easy Beat |
| Eef Barzelay - The Girls Don't Car >> from Lose BIg |
| Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal >> from Fleet Foxes |
| Lucinda Black Bear - Fought The Bear >> from 'Capo My Heart' And Other Bear Songs |
| Adele - Hometown Glory >> from 19 |
| Adele - Cold Shoulder >> from 19 |
| The Last Shadow Puppets - My Mistakes Were Made For You >> from The Age of the Understatement |
| The Black Keys - Psychotic Girl >> from Attack & Release |
| MGMT - Pieces of What >> from Oracular Spectacular |
| French Kicks - Love in the Ruins >> from Swimming |
| My Morning Jacket - Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt. 2 >> from Evil Urges |
30 Jun 21:22 | Link | Category: Music
May 31, 2008
Playlist - May 2008
Another month, another hour of disjointed listening...
Links to easy non-DRMed downloads are a bit sparse this month (mostly because of the lesser-known '60s songs, for which many had no download at all). The eMusic list (also sparse this time around) is here. Finally, if you're not on the mailing list, e-mail me and I will be happy to provide you with the magic links.
| Firewater - Borneo >> from The Golden Hour |
| Islands - Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby >> from Return to the Sea |
| The Old Haunts - Volatile >> from Poisonous Times |
| Future Clouds and Radar - Malice of Stars >> from Future Clouds and Radar |
| The Kinks - Nothin' in the world can stop me worryin' bout that girl >> from Kinda Kinks |
| Lee Hazlewood - The Night Before >> from Cowboy in Sweden |
| The Rolling Stones - Play With Fire >> from The Last Time (Single) |
| Nick Drake - Blues Run the Game >> from Family Tree |
| The Zombies - Leave Me Be >> from Leave Me Be (UK Single) |
| The Chocolate Watchband - In The Past >> from The Inner Mystique |
| The Beatles - Because >> from Abbey Road |
| The Stranglers - Golden Brown >> from La Folie |
| Grand Archives - A Setting Sun >> from The Grand Archives |
| Firewater - Six Forty Five >> from The Golden Hour |
| Stereophonics - Mr. Writer >> from Just Enough Education to Perform |
| Stereophonics - Getaway >> from You Gotta Go There To Come Back |
| DeVotchKa - New World >> from A Mad And Faithful Telling |
31 May 23:47 | Link | Category: Music
April 27, 2008
Playlist - April 2008
Another month, another hour of disjointed listening...
[ As always: Links go to easily-previewed / non-DRMed downloads when possible, the eMusic list is here, and if you're not on the mailing list, e-mail me and I will be happy to provide you with the magic links. ]
| R.E.M. - Living Well Is the Best Revenge >> from Accelerate |
| The Black Hollies - Paisley Pattern Ground >> from Casting Shadows |
| Peel - In The City >> from Peel |
| Peel - Oxford >> from Peel |
| The New Pornographers - Myriad Harbour >> from Challengers |
| Fountains of Wayne - Radiation Vibe >> from Fountains of Wayne |
| Hysterics - Radical Chic >> from Hysterics |
| Modest Mouse - Dashboard >> from We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank |
| The Dears - Whites Only Party >> from Gang of Losers |
| Dengue Fever - Tiger Phone Card >> from Venus on Earth |
| The Hykkers - I Want A Break Thru' >> from Nigeria Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-sounds & Nigerian Blues 1970-76 |
| The Cure - Jumping Someone Else's Train >> from Staring At The Sea - The Singles |
| The Morning Benders - Damnit Anna >> from Boarded Doors |
| Tunng - Bullets >> from Good Arrows |
| The Raveonettes - Dead Sound >> from Lust Lust Lust |
| Future Clouds and Radar - Quicksilver >> from Future Clouds and Radar |
| Sea Ray - Revelry >> from Stars at Noon |
27 Apr 21:41 | Link | Category: Music
March 22, 2008
Playlist - February & March 2008
Sorry I'm late with the playlist this time around. (You might want to accustom yourself to the idea of playlists not showing up on a perfectly monthly schedule.)
As always: Links go to easily-previewed / non-DRMed downloads when possible, the eMusic list is here, and you should e-mail me for the magic links if you're not on my mailing list. Without further ado, here's the hour of disjointed listening:
| Dr. Dog - Old News >> from We All Belong |
| The Cribs - You Were Always The One >> from The Cribs |
| Richard Hawley - Serious >> from Lady's Bridge |
| Buildings Breeding - Stacking Up Reasons >> from Buildings Breeding |
| Destroyer - Dark Leaves Form A Thread >> from Trouble In Dreams |
| Architecture In Helsinki - Heart It Races (As Played By Dr. Dog) >> from Heart It Races - EP |
| Deer Tick - Long Time >> from War Elephant |
| Okkervil River - The Room I'm Hiding In >> from The President's Dead |
| Sam Prekop - Chicago People >> from Who's Your New Professor |
| Richard Hawley - Darlin' >> from Lowedges |
| The Evens - Shelter Two >> from The Evens |
| The 1900s - When I Say Go >> from Cold & Kind |
| Nick Lowe - I Love My Label >> from Jesus of Cool |
| Dr. Dog - Worst Trip >> from We All Belong |
| Badly Drawn Boy - You Were Right >> from Have You Fed The Fish? |
| Bob Marley & The Wailers - Three Little Birds >> from Exodus |
| Luiz Bonfá - Pernambuco >> from Solo in Rio 1959 |
| Dengue Fever - Sni Bong >> from Escape From Dragon House |
| Gaudi + Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Bethe Bethe Kese Kese >> from Dub Qawwali |
22 Mar 0:01 | Link | Category: Music
March 14, 2008
Pachelbel Rant
"Pachelbel's following me..."
14 Mar 19:14 | Link | Category: Humor, Music, Video
March 13, 2008
Guys and Dolls
Last year, Richard Hawley put out a great, funny video for his song 'Serious' off the Lady's Bridge album. It features a guy who lives with a mannequin that he treats like a girlfriend:
Seemed funny enough when I first saw it. But little did I know, there are people who actually do this. That is, they live with dolls and treat them as companions. (And there was also a comedy/dramedy made last year called Lars and the Real Girl based on the concept, but I live under a rock and hadn't heard about it.)
It's one of those things you expect to read in a sci-fi novel. You know, the aliens decide to put a human in their zoo, but then realize the human needs companionship, so they create the closest facsimile they can. Interesting fictional material, but quite bizarre to see in real life. The following documentary follows several men who own one or more $6500 'real dolls':
From a psychological and anthropological viewpoint it's fascinating. (For example, I suspect there are very few women who would do this sort of thing. It would also be interesting to look at differences between cultures.)
But it's mostly just, well, creepy, isn't it? And how far will it go? A friend pointed me to this page of creepy Japanese robots in an IM. Check out the Simroid (#3). Or to be completely creeped out, check out the details of the last item, the Japenese "Honey doll" sex doll that looks like it's about twelve years old. You'll agree with me: we're doomed. Completely doomed. Someone take me back to the Pleistocene, please.
(I've thought of starting a "We're Doomed" category for posts like this that show technology outpacing the human brain in ways that are frightening. Whaddya think?)
13 Mar 19:08 | Link | Category: Human/Primate Evolution & Behavior, Misc. Tidbits, Music, Technology & Computing, Video
February 22, 2008
SXSW 2008 Music Torrent
Since 2005, SXSW has offered a BitTorrent download of free MP3s from the showcasing artists in the SXSW music festival. This year, you can download the MP3s individually from their website, but for some reason they have decided not to offer a torrent. Hmph.
But don't panic! Greg Hewgill has kindly created a torrent of the 2008 showcasing artists.
Enjoy!
Update: Six-word reviews of every song in the torrent
(via Waxy)
22 Feb 11:18 | Link | Category: Music
February 9, 2008
The Music of "The Omega Man"
I received an e-mail about yesterday's post, reminding me of something I should've mentioned: the music in The Omega Man. I cannot believe I didn't mention it! The film's soundtrack is certainly notable. It was probably considered very cutting-edge for its time, with little blips of synthesizer and drums mixed in with more traditional elements (i.e., strings and horns) and some jazz and rock. It's a weird soundtrack that could only have come from the early '70s, but in most ways that's not such a bad thing. It's certainly an interesting and memorable mix, from the melancholy warble of the horns when Neville's alone, to the organs that play during scenes featuring "the family".
Ron Grainer wrote and arranged the film's music. His Wikipedia entry calls The Omega Man "one of his most eclectic film works," which contains "a mix of symphonic, jazz, avant garde and electronic music."
One of the things I remember from the movie is that Neville (Heston) has a taste for mellow lounge jazz. Even if you consider it 'elevator' music, his taste is pretty good. In the opening scene where he's driving through the empty streets in his convertible, he listens to a version of Max Steiner's "Theme From 'A Summer Place'" on 8-track. Later on, we hear versions of Cole Porter's "All Through the Night" and Cootie Williams' & Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight". They're all arranged (by Grainer, I presume) in an early '70s lounge style. There's also a little tune composed by Grainer called "Swinging at Neville's" that's pretty cool. (It's the one Neville listens to when he dresses up for Sunday dinner in his green crushed-velvet suit. Heh.)
According to Grainer's Wikipedia entry: "The soundtrack was not released on CD until 2002 in a limited run of 3000 copies through FilmScoreMonthly. Copies appear on eBay from time to time, but it is now considered a rarity."
Luckily for you, I was able to track down a copy on the web! What a terrific find. Download while it's still there. (The files are hosted by a download service so you'll have to jump through a few hoops to download.)
You can also grab a couple of the tracks from eccentric-cinema.net (but they're not totally representative so I still recommend downloading the whole thing from the link above):
On The Tumbril / Motorcycle Escape
Surprise Party
For a while, I'll host the mellow lounge jazz tunes, for your sophisticated 1970s cocktail parties:
Swinging At Neville's
All Through The Night
'Round Midnight
Theme From 'A Summer Place'
Here are the tracks that open and close the film, too:
The Omega Man
Dutch Takes Over (edit)
09 Feb 23:54 | Link | Category: Art & Entertainment, Music
February 7, 2008
Sheet Music Consortium
I occasionally become obsessed with a piece of classical music. This time around, it's Chopin's Nocturne No. 19 in E minor - Op. 72, No. 1. (Don't let the opus number fool you. It was actually written very early in Chopin's career but wasn't published until after his death.) It may well be my favorite of his nocturnes... or at least among the top three. Anyway. I decided to learn it, which meant tracking down sheet music. These days, it's not very difficult to find sheet music for well-known compositions (unlike the "good old days" when you had to take a trip to the music store, hope they had a copy of the piece you were looking for, and pay some exorbitant amount for it). However, doing a simple web search means sifting through lots of extraneous links, commercial sites, and such.
For well-known classical pieces, my first stop is the wonderful Mutopia Project, which has a decent selection of sheet music (based on public domain editions and created using LilyPond). If that doesn't work, I often try to find a site that focuses on a particular composer, like chopinmusic.net. They had a PDF version of the song. Theirs appears to be scanned from a print version and unlike the copy I found at Mutopia, it has fingering, which is helpful at first (even if you don't end up following it exactly).
Finally, it's often useful to check with university libraries and music departments, which often have extensive sheet music collections, many of which have been digitized and put online. (See this list, for example.) The University of Chicago has a large collection of Chopin first editions, which is pretty cool.
But the reason I'm writing this post is because today I stumbled across a site that I had previously been unaware of. Several schools have formed a Sheet Music Consortium, using OAI-PMH to make their collections interoperable. What this means is that in one step, you can search several sheet music collections at once. (There are currently seven data providers.) I tried it and immediately located a digitized, accessible copy of the nocturne from the Library of Congress. I love stuff like this. I hope the project continues to grow and incorporate even more collections.
07 Feb 18:53 | Link | Category: Libraries & Digital Information, Music
January 31, 2008
Playlist - January 2008
Another month, another hour of disjointed listening.
Links go to non-DRMed music when possible. The eMusic list is here. If you're not on my mailing list, e-mail me for the 'special' links.
| Blitzen Trapper - Asleep For Days >> from Field Rexx |
| Oliver Future - The Second >> from Pax Futura |
| Maritime - Guns Of Navarone >> from Heresy and the Hotel Choir |
| The Clientele - Bookshop Casanova >> from God Save The Clientele |
| Deer Tick - Art Isn't Real (City Of Sin) >> from War Elephant |
| The Whigs - Hot Bed >> from Mission Control |
| The White Stripes - Truth Doesn't Make A Noise >> from De Stijl |
| Deer Tick - Baltimore Blues No. 1 >> from War Elephant |
| Cat Power - New York >> from Jukebox Chan is known for amazing covers that sound completely different from the originals. I'm not yet sure what to think about 'Jukebox' as a whole, but she's outdone herself on this song. |
| Cat Power - Silver Stallion >> from Jukebox This one actually sounds fairly similar to the version made famous by Johnny Cash and the Highwaymen. But there's something affecting about her performance of it. |
| Peter and the Wolf - Better Days >> from The Ivori Palms |
| Ambulance LTD - Sugar Pill >> from LP |
| The Whigs - Sleep Sunshine >> from Mission Control Several of this month's tunes feature pedal steel, but I'm most fond of the way it's used in this one. |
| Blitzen Trapper - Dreamers & Giants >> from Field Rexx |
| Vampire Weekend - Mansard Roof >> from Mansard Roof |
| Vampire Weekend - Ladies Of Cambridge >> from Mansard Roof |
| LCD Soundsystem - Time To Get Away >> from Sound Of Silver I didn't like Sound of Silver as well as some people did. (It made its way into nearly every 2007 top ten list.) But it has its moments. Like North American Scum. Or this tune, which is my favorite from the album. It's a great mix of influences. Starting at about 1:30, I can't help but be reminded of Remain In Light -era Talking Heads. Good stuff. |
| Irakere - Bacalao Con Pan >> from Si, Para Usted - The Funky Beats of Revolutionary Cuba Vol. 1 The best tune I've ever heard about codfish & bread. |
31 Jan 23:44 | Link | Category: Music
January 26, 2008
Beat A Drum
People from 1 to 100 hit a drum:
It's from 'People In Order', a series of four short films.
26 Jan 23:53 | Link | Category: Misc. Tidbits, Music, Video
Oops
Note to talentless performers of shitty music:
Try not to fall off the stage. Especially if you're lip sycing.
Catching fake 'musicians' hasn't been so fun since Ashlee Simpson's SNL moment.
(via The Presurfer)
26 Jan 23:27 | Link | Category: Humor, Music, Video
January 7, 2008
Memories
What a great find. Do any of you remember this?
(via Centripetal Notion)
07 Jan 12:36 | Link | Category: Art & Entertainment, Music, Video
December 30, 2007
Best album(s) of 2007
I'm not really into painstakingly arranged year-end "best of" lists for anything, including music. So I hope you didn't look at the title of this post and expect a list of my favorite albums.
The reason I'm writing this post is that I have thumbed through a few of these lists (like Pitchfork's, Rolling Stone's, eMusic's, and even The Week's composite of 25 "best of" lists). Everyone's going ga ga over albums like Radiohead's In Rainbows, LCD Soundystem's Sound of Silver, the Arcade Fire's Neon Bible, and - fittingly - Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. Which is all fine. They're all great albums. (If I had bought In Rainbows on vinyl, it would already be worn out.) But on none of these lists do I see mention of some of my favorite albums. The most glaring omission is Andrew Bird's Armchair Apocrypha. I mean, come on... I've enjoyed listening to it for about nine months now and I have yet to grow tired. (Interestingly, it does appear in eMusic's 2007 User Poll.)
So, even though I'm not sure end-of-year rankings make sense, I would like to at least cast a symbolic vote for Armchair Apocrypha. And while I'm at it, I'll cast one for The Good, The Bad & The Queen's eponymous album, Oliver Future's Pax Futura, Deer Tick's War Elephant, and Ash Wednesday by Elvis Perkins.
30 Dec 23:01 | Link | Category: Music
December 29, 2007
Playlist - December (and November, and October) 2007
I apologize for missing two months of playlists. I have no great excuses; I was just busy. Anyway, here's a playlist for you. Finally. It's a bit strange (even by my standards), but it has its moments.
[Song links now go to Amazon.com when possible - no DRM! - then iTunes or elsewhere. Album links go to eMusic when possible, then Amazon or elsewhere. The full eMusic list is here. Also, if you're not on my mailing list, e-mail me for the 'special' link...]
| Arrested Development - Since The Last Time >> from Since The Last Time This playlist had to start with this song. "What've you been up to? It's been so long since we heard from you folks on wax..." |
| Lupe Fiasco - Superstar >> from The Cool This isn't the best selection from Lupe Fiasco's latest album, but it's probably the catchiest. My favorite parts are 2:05 - 2:36 and 3:05 - 3:45. |
| Radar Bros. - Open Ocean Sailing >> from The Singing Hatchet |
| Clinic - Welcome >> from Walking With Thee It recently came to my attention that only one Clinic song has ever appeared in my previous monthly playlists. There is no good explanation for this. |
| Radiohead - House of Cards >> from In Rainbows Sublime. |
| Radiohead - Jigsaw Falling Into Place >> from In Rainbows |
| The Good, The Bad & The Queen - Kingdom of Doom >> from The Good, The Bad & The Queen |
| Vetiver - You May Be Blue >> from To Find Me Gone |
| Albert Hammond Jr. - In Transit >> from Yours To Keep |
| The White Stripes - Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground >> from White Blood Cells I'm ambivalent about The White Stripes, so for the longest time I've had a bunch of their albums in my "save for later" list on eMusic, figuring I could download them later if I got in the mood. Then, suddenly, all White Stripes albums disappeared from eMusic. What's up with that? Anyway. This is one of their better tunes. |
| A.R.E. Weapons - Weird Wild Free >> from Modern Mayhem |
| Simple Kid - Staring At The Sun >> from 1 |
| The Lovetones - Navigator >> from Axiom |
| Andrew Bird - Scythian Empires >> from Armchair Apocrypha |
| The Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound - Gemini 7 >> from Ekranoplan Ladies and gentlemen, we are floating in space. |
29 Dec 10:47 | Link | Category: Music
November 25, 2007
Paul Potts
My mom was telling me about this amateur opera singer who made it big after appearing on one of those TV talent search shows in the UK. The video clip she showed me seemed post-worthy, probably because I've been doing some research into the evolution of music (specifically, adaptive hypotheses).
Anyway, watch this unattractive British bloke bring a crowd to tears and cheers using opera (Pavarotti's signature Puccini tune)... in the space of about thirty seconds:
25 Nov 13:34 | Link | Category: Music, Video
October 11, 2007
How much did you pay for 'In Rainbows'?
I've been listening to In Rainbows, the new Radiohead album, for the last couple of days. It's a slow-grower that'll take a while to digest, so I'll refrain from reviewing the record. (I'm a lousy reviewer anyway, so turn to someone who can actually do it decently. Here's a glowing review to start with...) I will say that I'm currently digging "Jigsaw Falling Into Place", "Nude", "Reckoner," and - perhaps surprisingly, given others' comments - the lovely "House of Cards".
Anyway, what really prompted me to mention the album is the novel marketing/distribution/payment strategy. You've surely read about it by now. You can download the album now for whatever amount you'd like (including nothing). You can also wait a few months and get an expensive super-deluxe version with vinyl, CDs, booklet, etc. And so on.
Everyone's atwitter over what the band's move says about the state of the music industry, the value of music, the future of music distribution, and more. All interesting questions, and there's plenty of lively debate. I don't have time to elaborate on those topics, but I would like to take a moment to focus on perhaps the most interesting aspect of Radiohead's approach - the variable pricing scheme - and specifically, the fact that you can legally choose to pay nothing at all.
Cheap, effortless digital distribution has turned recorded music into a public good (much like public television & radio), subject to the problem of free/easy riding. The rational thing to do (and I'm using "rational" in the game theoretic sense) is to pay nothing to download Radiohead's new album. But what did you pay? I think Radiohead are correctly banking on the likelihood that you'll pay something for their music.
I paid for the album, and judging from other people I've talked to, I'm willing to bet you put something into the honesty box. The following statement will betray my geekiness (like so much on this site does), but I would absolutely love to get my hands on detailed payment data, because (as Jonny Greenwood himself has said) Radiohead are conducting an interesting experiment. (Not a strictly scientific experiment, mind you, but an interesting one nonetheless.) We are getting a few hints of how many copies have sold thus far and some speculation as to the average price paid (£1), but I would really like to see the price distribution, geographical variation, etc.
It's like a real-world variant of some of the games used to examine human behavior and figure out the hows and whys of sociality's evolution. The long and the short of it is that, contrary to what one might expect (given the so-called "selfishness" of genes), we have been shaped by natural selection such that we don't play these games as a rational agent would - that is, we tend to be quite altruistic. For example, in the prisoner's dilemma, people cooperate more than expected (a rational agent will always defect), and in the ultimatum and dictator games, they offer more than expected.
Anonymity does have an effect, and it will certainly play a role in Radiohead's little experiment. But we're very sensitive to anonymity. For example, even in the comments section of the review I linked to above (which is almost totally anonymous), a commenter who wrote about downloading the album for free from a BitTorrent server was roundly castigated by the other commenters, leading another commenter to wonder: "Hmmmm.... should it be £2, should it be £4 do I dare do the £0 thing - all this handwringing from you guys!" Another wished for Radiohead to "publish the names and emails of those who paid nothing to download the album."
Anyway. This post is getting too long. I'm curious to see how Radiohead's experiment plays out and if it has any lasting effect on popular music. In the meantime, just out of curiosity I'd love to find out what you paid (or didn't pay) for the album. E-mail me.
Update: I was just informed that one of the Nature Network blogs already explained this angle far better than I did. See Fiona Jordan's post '"In Rainbows" in anthropological context'. I particularly like what she writes concerning the emotional aspect:
Importantly, the "music business" is not just a business. It transacts not only in the tangible product but in intense amounts of emotion. The social contracts between an artist and their audience are multiple and complicated, and they do not produce agents who play their economic games in a rational manner.
11 Oct 17:18 | Link | Category: Human/Primate Evolution & Behavior, Music, Science
September 30, 2007
Playlist - September 2007
Another month, another hour of disjointed listening...
(eMusic list here)
| Manu Chao - 13 Días >> from La Radiolina |
| Manu Chao - Rainin In Paradize (Andrew Scheps mix) >> from Rainin In Paradize EP |
| Nada Surf - Hollywood >> from High/Low |
| Iggy and The Stooges - Gimme Danger >> from Raw Power |
| The Black Angels - Bloodhounds On My Trail >> from Passover |
| The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Highway Chile >> from Are You Experienced |
| Frank Black & The Catholics - Robert Onion >> from Dog in the Sand |
| Oliver Future - Happiness Machine >> from Pax Futura |
| Oliver Future - The Reclamation >> from Pax Futura |
| Ambulance LTD - Ophelia >> from LP |
| Ambulance LTD - Anecdote >> from LP |
| The Cloud Room - We Sleep in the Ocean >> from The Cloud Room |
| Neko Case - If You Knew >> from The Tigers Have Spoken |
| Elvis Perkins - All The Night Without Love >> from Ash Wednesday |
| Beirut - Nantes >> from The Flying Club Cup |
| My Teenage Stride - Depression Kicks >> from Ears Like Golden Bats |
| Oliver Future - Signing Off >> from Pax Futura |
30 Sep 23:59 | Link | Category: Music
September 10, 2007
Beethoven Piano Sonata Parody
This might be a case where you have to love something to laugh at the parody of it (so if you enjoy Beethoven, you'll probably enjoy the clip)... It's Dudley Moore performing a Beethoven-style piano sonata constructed around the motif/theme from the famous Colonel Bogey March. Brilliant... and the never-ending coda is classic.
10 Sep 21:45 | Link | Category: Humor, Music, Video
September 6, 2007
Funny 'Slow Train' imitation
Since I seem to be in the mode of posting YouTube videos of people playing guitar, here's one of a guy singing Bob Dylan's "Slow Train" - updated with "current Bob" voice & style. Those of you who've seen performances from the last few years should have a good chuckle. Too bad the audio and video are so out of sync.
[ Here's the kickass 1979 version from Slow Train Coming. And here's a live version with the Grateful Dead in '88 (despite coming from what Dylan himself admits was the low point of his career, it's surprisingly listenable). ]
06 Sep 21:20 | Link | Category: Music, Video
September 3, 2007
John Lennon's YouTube vid
I could link to a thousand or so cool videos like that last one of Hendrix, but since I don't have time or space, I'll just link to one more for now.
The reason I choose this one is because it looks exactly like millions of other blokes on YouTube sitting in front of their webcam with a guitar. But it's John Lennon. In 1980. How amazingly weird is that? (And this strummed acoustic version of 'Dear Yoko' is ten times better than the cheesy polished version from Double Fantasy.) It's the best YouTube gem I've come across in ages.
03 Sep 22:54 | Link | Category: Music, Video
Jimi - "The Wind Cries Mary"
Cool video of one of my favorite Hendrix tunes:
03 Sep 22:48 | Link | Category: Music, Video
August 31, 2007
Playlist - August 2007
This month's playlist is a bit subdued and sleepy because... well, I guess I've been feeling subdued and sleepy. The most recent tune is five years old and almost every selection is from a major label (only two are available on eMusic, which I don't think has ever happened before). I'm not sure why it worked out that way...
| The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps >> from The Beatles (The White Album) |
| Paul McCartney - Vanilla Sky >> from Vanilla Sky Soundtrack |
| Bob Dylan - Diamond Joe >> from Good As I Been To You |
| Doc Watson - Matty Groves >> from Home Again! |
| Billy Bragg & Wilco - One By One >> from Mermaid Avenue |
| Beck - Little One >> from Sea Change |
| The Traveling Wilburys - Congratulations >> from Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 |
| The Velvet Underground - Pale Blue Eyes >> from The The Velvet Underground |
| Nick Drake - From The Morning >> from Pink Moon |
| Moby - Everloving >> from Play |
| U2 - Promenade >> from The Unforgettable Fire |
| Talking Heads - Heaven >> from Fear of Music |
| R.E.M. - Welcome To The Occupation >> from Document |
| Pixies - Monkey Gone To Heaven >> from Doolittle |
| Red Hot Chili Peppers - Scar Tissue >> from Californication |
| David Byrne - Amnesia >> from Feelings |
31 Aug 23:29 | Link | Category: Music
July 31, 2007
Playlist - July 2007
Another month, another hour of disjointed listening...
| The Good, The Bad & The Queen - Northern Whale >> from The Good, The Bad & The Queen |
| Bonobo - Walk In The Sky (feat. Bajka) >> from Days To Come |
| El Perro Del Mar - I Can't Talk About It >> from El Perro Del Mar |
| The Good, The Bad & The Queen - '80s Life >> from The Good, The Bad & The Queen |
| Len Wade - Everybody's Clown >> from Soul Resurrection - The Playground Series, Vol. 1 |
| Bettye LaVette - Let Me Down Easy >> from (1965 single) |
| Elvis Perkins - Moon Woman 2 >> from Ash Wednesday |
| David Vandervelde - Murder In Michigan >> from The Moonstation House Band |
| Spoon - Finer Feelings >> from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga |
| Spoon - You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb >> from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga |
| The Wombats - Moving To New York >> from Moving To New York (Single) |
| My Teenage Stride - To Live and Die in the Airport Lounge >> from Ears Like Golden Bats |
| Grandaddy - Now It's On >> from Sumday |
| Maritime - We Don't Think, We Know >> from We, The Vehicles |
| Maritime - Twins >> from We, The Vehicles |
| Elk City - Los Cruzados >> from New Believers |
| Pete Droge - Under the Waves >> from Under the Waves |
31 Jul 23:16 | Link | Category: Music
June 21, 2007
Playlist - May/June 2007
Happy summer solstice, everyone. Here's the playlist I promised a while ago:
| The Kooks - Ooh La >> from Inside In / Inside Out Every time I search my mind for a word to describe this band, I come up with 'adolescent' (see the Sept. '06 playlist). A lot of their tunes do nothing for me, but others are hard to dislike. This one is a pretty good example of irresistable retro Britpop. (You can get the entire album from iTunes for only $6.99... not too bad.) |
| Spoon - The Underdog >> from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga This is from their upcoming album (due in July). Lots of the same old Spoon-isms, but with a few twists to keep it interesting. |
| Paul McCartney - Dance Tonight >> from Memory Almost Full So. This is a stupidly simple song with nothing to it. A piece of empty fluff. (The reviewer at Pitchfork, guide for the uptight and pretentious, says it's an "egregiously innocuous mandolin-folk hootenanny custom-built to have his target demographic tapping along on the steering wheels of their Beemers.") But, really, fluffiness is the point and that's okay. Macca has always had a gift for pop hooks and melodious ditties. It has often backfired (Lennon was being spiteful, but not completely off the mark, to say "the sound you make is muzak to my ears"), but I think it works here. It's a great tune for those summer evenings when things should be stupidly simple. That having been said, at 2:55, the song actually runs a little long... |
| Paul McCartney - Vintage Clothes >> from Memory Almost Full This is another one that'll worm into your brain and stay all day. Since I just disparaged Pitchfork as "uptight and pretentious," I will now parrot the very Pitchfork review I mentioned:
|