Found at my in-laws. "Great Games. Fast Internet."
Well now that's a matter of perspective isn't it.Thursday, February 24, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
First Listen: Adele "21": A handful of gems and whole lot of potential.
With Rick Rubin Co-Producing along side Co-Producers & Co-Writers Paul "Phones" Epworth and Ryan "Apologize" Tedder you'd hope you'd be getting an edgy pop album... and the first two songs deliver on that promise, then the album quickly nose dives into pop blandness to only be subtly revived in the middle with the funk of "He Won't Go" and then sucked completely of all hope of recovery by the time you've reached the lifeless cover of The Cure's "Love Song" and the vanilla torch ballad and 2nd single "Someone Like You". Don't get me wrong I really like Adele's voice but with that lineup in the booth and at the mix desk I was hoping for more.
On "Rolling in the Deep" Adele & Paul Epworth (Producer of Cee-lo Green, Florence & The Machine, Bloc Party & The Rapture) delivers the goods with a solid, edgy pop number, dare I say a classic, something that you'd expect to come from a glossy version of Beth Ditto. Or maybe that's just what's lacking, I hear a similar vocal quality as Beth Ditto just minus the experience, attitude and "Soul".
"Rumor has it" comes stomping in as song number two and owes as much to Soul revival as it does Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus". The slinky tune is filled with fantastic background vocal hooks and a smaltzy but effective breakdown and is produced by Ryan Tedder of One Republic and "Apologize" fame. He's produced & co-written for others including Beyonce, Leona Lewis and a bunch of other pop tarts you've already forgotten about, but really "Apologize" is his calling card.
The last song on "21" to catch my ear is "He Won't Go", Co-Written by Adele and Paul Epworth and produced by Rubin. This one barely made the cut, but as it hit the grove on the chorus it was undeniable. Like something from my early 80's top 40 radio listening youth, it takes me be back to something that I can't really articulate well, just to simply say it's something engrained on my DNA. Damn good groove.
Overall 3 out of 5 stars for the hopes that by her 3rd record she'll head in a more interesting direction and lay off the vanilla. Fingers Crossed.
Bonus clip of Adele playing "Rolling In The Deep" Live:
level architects: house with slide
via designboom.com
I love this house design by Yokohama based Level Architects for two reasons, Simplicity and Playfulness. How fun would it be to grow up in a house with a built in slide and Lighted bouncing ball courtyard. Plus the living area is so minimal, imagine how easy cleaning up after your kids would be. Very Cool! Of course, retiring in that house would probably be a nightmare. More pics here
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
New Atlas Shrugged Movie Clip: Henry Reardon Comes Home
This scene is firming up my confidence on how well this movie might turn out. Still a little too much emphasis of "Action Movie" on the titles at the end, but the scene is done well. So well that I want to smack Philip in the face right through my laptop display. ;) Enjoy.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Marqui Adora - Everything That Makes No Sense
Everything That Makes No Sense by Marqui Adora
Download now or listen on posterous
06_Everything_That_Makes_No_Sense.mp3 (10497 KB) Download now or listen on posterous
So this will be a weird post...
I'm typically pretty gun-shy about posting about music I'm directly involved in, but I'm in a good mood so fuck it! ;) I just finished my initial listen of Radiohead's "The King of Limbs" and it's lead me back to one of my bands songs from 2006. Well the song is a few years older than that actually, it started out with just John and I messing around with a Rhodes piano and playing a bunch of different live drum loops into Pro Tools some time in 2002 after the implosion of our Drum & Bass group, New Republic. Nonetheless, the song was finished with Marqui Adora and made the cut for our White Buildings EP in 2006 (and re-released in 2007). ANYWAYS... It's my favorite song from Marqui Adora's catalog. We never played it live, we were too lazy for that, but it stands out, to me anyway, as one of the songs where we truly achieved something different. Yeah, John and I we're linstening to a lot of U.N.K.L.E.'s "Psyence Fiction" at the time but when it reached the finish line with Danny's wall of Vocals and John's swerving Bass lines and Anthemic Guitars it felt like the song reached a whole new place. No one else might see it that way, but to me "Everything That Makes No Sense" raised the bar a little higher for what we were capable of and how much harder we would have to work to top it (take note of the lack of our output over the past few years). So now you're saying "That's nice Joe, but what's that got to do with Radiohead?" Yes exactly. The drums. Being a drummer it's what I pick up on first when listening to music. On "The King of Limbs" the drums for nearly every song are comprised of live loops of Phil Selway, and Thom Yorke I suppose, playing rhythms on top of them selves. I can relate because I've done it, although with far less reverb.It's funny how new sounds can send you in all sorts of directions isn't it? Get more Marqui Adore here for free and enjoy your International Radiohead Listening Weekend! -Joe
Marqui Adora - Everything That Makes No Sense
Everything That Makes No Sense by Marqui Adora
Download now or listen on posterous
06_Everything_That_Makes_No_Sense.mp3 (10497 KB) Download now or listen on posterous
So this will be a weird post...
I'm typically pretty gun-shy about posting about music I'm directly involved in, but I'm in a good mood so fuck it! ;) I just finished my initial listen of Radiohead's "The King of Limbs" and it's lead me back to one of my bands songs from 2006. Well the song is a few years older than that actually, it started out with just John and I messing around with a Rhodes piano and playing a bunch of different live drum loops into Pro Tools some time in 2002 after the implosion of our Drum & Bass group, New Republic. Nonetheless, the song was finished with Marqui Adora and made the cut for our White Buildings EP in 2006 (and re-released in 2007). ANYWAYS... It's my favorite song from Marqui Adora's catalog. We never played it live, we were too lazy for that, but it stands out, to me anyway, as one of the songs where we truly achieved something different. Yeah, John and I we're linstening to a lot of U.N.K.L.E.'s "Psyence Fiction" at the time but when it reached the finish line with Danny's wall of Vocals and John's swerving Bass lines and Anthemic Guitars it felt like the song reached a whole new place. No one else might see it that way, but to me "Everything That Makes No Sense" raised the bar a little higher for what we were capable of and how much harder we would have to work to top it (take note of the lack of our output over the past few years). So now you're saying "That's nice Joe, but what's that got to do with Radiohead?" Yes exactly. The drums. Being a drummer it's what I pick up on first when listening to music. On "The King of Limbs" the drums for nearly every song are comprised of live loops of Phil Selway, and Thom Yorke I suppose, playing rhythms on top of them selves. I can relate because I've done it, although with far less reverb.It's funny how new sounds can send you in all sorts of directions isn't it? Get more Marqui Adore here for free and enjoy your International Radiohead Listening Weekend! -Joe
Friday, February 11, 2011
Who is John Galt?
One of my favorite books of all time is getting made into a movie... and broken up in to 3 parts. Fingers crossed Part One is good enough to warrant the other two!
By the looks of this trailer I'm hopeful, but not convinced.
Still, I'm anxious for the final result.
Joe
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Spin, spin the letter
Ember learns the alphabet and how to spin the wheel while daddy warms up a bottle.
Success in Music, In my opinion... By Danny Ashe
Although the music model has changed in the last several years, one thing remains the same; the fans will choose what will be successful and what won't. This means that as a musician, trying to make a living, your main concern should be to make music that is honest and can connect with the listener. The reason it seams that less artists are making it these days, is because now every kid with a laptop thinks he's a musician; too many wannabes.
My good friend, musician and chef extraordinaire Danny Ashe, has written a few words about achieving success in music. Although what "success" is is different for every musician, the general idea for most musicians I talk to is to make a living from their art. And even the term "make a living" is rather vague, especially when talking to someone who makes $500.00 a week vs. someone who's easily pulling in $100,000.00 a week or more.
I know this to be true because I interact with people of both of the above income levels daily and everyone has a completely different idea of what success is and what a good living is. To some, being successful is being on tour, playing 200 shows a year to adoring fans, to others it's seeing their album in the number one spot in Billboard or on iTunes or maybe it's when they purchase that 2nd 10,000 square foot home and are prepping to launch their new clothing line... which has a lot to do with music of course. ;) For many though success is just learning a few chords so they can play in the garage with their friends on the weekends or learn how to write their own songs.
Everyone has a different goal in mind, but the way you get their is all the same. You have to be good, you must have something to say that's honest or at the very least interesting and you have to keep working at it. And really the that last bit is the most important. You have to keep at it. That simple step will make you a better player/writer/etc. but will also give you the time to have something to say lyrically, musically or both.
So whatever your goal in music is, keep at it! Unless your goal is to have a couple of 10,000 Sqft. homes spread across the globe, then I'd suggest you consider getting your MBA and start chasing those short term profit opportunities and supersized bonuses. You'll get there much faster.
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Tuckered Out...
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