Goodbye Google Reader Share Features
October 31st, 2011
Today Google canned the Share functionality of Google Reader. I’m disappointed, as this was a pretty large source for my news, pop culture and funny photos. I will miss receiving updates from Gord, Andrew, once in a while Brandon, and most of all Dan.
And, I will miss the laziest way to share with my circle, “shift S” to share, before I “j” my way on to the next item. Lazy, I know.
Google+ can go lick a tree, I don’t care to migrate to a service and wait for my friends to migrate. Bleh. Dan poked his finger right in my ribs and told me to update my blog more often.
Maybe I will. Maybe I will.
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Sonoio: Red and Blue
July 14th, 2011For the past month, I’ve been listening heavily to two albums by Sonoio (pronounced so – no – ee – oo). This is a solo project by Alessandro Cortini, who you may not know, but may have heard before. He played synthesizers with Nine Inch Nails between 2004 and 2008.
There is a commonality between the musical choices of Sonoio and my favorite NIN songs. (Hint: I’m less into the thrashy-screamy, and more into the industrial-melodic.) If you enjoyed Ghosts, and the more melodic sing-along (feel good) Nails tunes, check these out.
There are two Sonoio albums out: Blue (2010) and Red (2011). Both are fantastic. Very synth heavy. And I can remember remarking aloud how, a while back, I stated that I would never like or even APPROVE of vocoded vocals. The world does not need another vocoder. Well, he proved me wrong. This is the most tasteful usage of vocoder in pop music that I have ever encountered. I was wrong. (Imogen “Hide and Seek, you’re #2)…. (of a list of 2).
Red
Blue
[The Topspin embedded players don't seem to translate to Google Reader. Go hear to here the music I was sharing.]
I’ve gathered that the color-theme is Buchla related. And we can expect the next release to be another Buchla color. I think that’s green and orange? (Looking forward to Orange. Sounds juicy.) What.
If you are interested in hearing Cortini talk about his artistic process, experiences, and a bit about his Buchla system, have a listen to this talk he gave at Concordia Univeristy. I was in New Zealand at the time, and so pissed that the Electroacoustics guys brought someone so cool in, so soon after I graduated and left Montreal. Esti.
Can’t afford a Buchla 200e, but you’re curious for a software emulation? (Bearing in mind that the whole point of a hardware synth is to get your hands on, and your mouse put away.) Still, I’m saving my pennies for Aalto, a soft synth – inspired by the Buchla.
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Foo Fighters in the Garage
February 23rd, 2011The Foo Fighers have finished recording their next album, in Dave’s garage. I’m intrigued.
The most hilarious thing, is that they have an enormous live room with a top of the line recording studio (Studio 606). But they want what they can’t have… a garage.
Here is (I think) a track from the record.
And another.
I’ve been a big fan for a long time. (Wasn’t such a big fan of Wheels.) But certainly looking forward to hearing this album. The style, attitude and fuzzy sound remind me of the Foo Fighters self-titled album, which according to legend, Dave played every part on, and tracked the whole thing in a week. (Who knows for sure.)
Rawk!
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King of Limbs and Radiohead in Rainbow Songs
February 18th, 2011UPDATE: You can go to The King of Limbs website, log in, and download your purchased album.
Monday of this week, Radiohead surprise announced the release of their next album The King of Limbs for digital download this coming Saturday. Apparently, download codes have already started being sent out to preorders a day early. I’m looking forward!
Look! It’s Thom Yorke! And he’s a tramp! (My acting professor will love this: anything Radiohead and existential clown.)
A couple weeks ago, in my music class, I was teaching the cabasa. And one of the examples of “where you may have heard a cabasa,” was in the Radiohead song Paranoid Android. People would chuck, I would move on. But after making this joke for a couple of days, the joke then evolved into, “We are now going to sing Paranoid Android.”
Then THAT joke evolved into me sitting down at the computer and kinda sorta learning out to hack out a recognizeable rip on the Paranoid Android intro (which is bloody unintuitive to my style of play) AND the much more recognizeable bass riff leading “You will remember.” And THAT got some laughs.
The following week, a dad said, “What Radiohead instrument are you showing this week?” Hmmm… a bit character from the video for “There There”? (At that point I was showing wooden frogs, a wood block/guiro hybrid.)
So I’m thinking that dad might dig it if I am able to throw in a song from King of Limbs on the CD player during Parachute time, tomorrow. I know this is riveting. I’ll report back.
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Overdue Courtesy from the Library
January 26th, 2011I want to know how much money a municipal library makes on fines.
In a city the size of Toronto, would it be a lot of money, compared to the operating costs? I would guess it’s a drop in the bucket.
I love the Toronto Library system. I am able to log on, and order a book from any of the hundreds of branches, and have the book delivered, for free, to my nearest location. Awesome. But…
If there is a system in place that can email me when a book I have signed out is 7 days overdue, couldn’t they just as easily email me the day before my book is due?
Would that courtesy email really cost them a fortune? Would it affect their bottom line?
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