Do My Eyes Look Scary?

The New York Times has become an almost universal media punching bag for both the right and the left. But it doesn’t mean they don’t publish some of the best stories in any newspaper anywhere. I have my qualms about the paper — I think that they have never properly covered what I call vernacular art music* — if you don’t look at the Times, you’re missing out. This weekend, in the Arts section alone.

There are hours of recordings of Thelonius Monk working with arranger Hall Overton on the arrangements for his historic Town Hall concert. What could be more marvelous than that?

Renaldo Kuhler, a scientific illustrator, has spent more than 50 years creating and illustrating his own private world.

A documentary with philosophers talking philosophy, that I totally want to see. On my brother’s blog, he had a guest post from philosophy professor Jack Russell Weinstein, about his new radio show about philosophy. While I am fascinated by philosophy and philosophical questions, I have no patience for reading philosophy, so any time I’m able to hear philosophers speak in the vernacular, I love it.

*vernacular art music is any music that is outside both the commercial and academic music worlds. It comprises most popular electronic music, noise, acoustic music inspired by traditional folk, atypical rock, inspired amateurs. It’s where real people listen to real music.

I decided, after getting some money on EBay, to buy Pluggo from Cycling74. Looking around I had two choices — $159 from AudioMidi or direct (and downloadable) from Cycling 74 for $199.

Since this was an impulse buy, I went with Cycling74. I paid a bit more, but I know people who work there, and sometimes you have to step up and represent, right? Plus, I thought I’d get to immediately play with it, since I was downloading.

Oops. They don’t just take your money and mail you an activation code, all automatic and computery — apparently someone at the office has to notice that you’ve paid, and then e-mail you your code. And, there’s like 4 or 5 people who work there, and no one’s in the office doing boring things like product activation on the weekend.

So I have to wait until Monday I guess to get all activated. Damn!

From a co-worker. English is not his first language, but I think he’s captured a feeling I frequently share.

I was browsing through some John Peel ‘Festive 50’ shows that I randomly downloaded and was captivated by a track he played in 1983 by the Danse Society.  I’d never heard of them,  but they are contemporaries of and fellow travelers with New Order, the Cure, etc

But they seem to be a missing link between a bunch of different styles — Punk, Goth, New Wave, and even U2 at their grindiest. But they seem to have their own thing going on — songs like “We’re So Happy” sounds like Blue Monday era New Order, if Ian Curtis still sang for them.

Seduction: The Society Collection – The Danse Society  at Last.fm.

I have been realizing for a while that there’s just too much great music in the world. I do my bit, but I can never even begin to listen to it all even once. Hell, I don’t have time to listen to all the music I already own.

It is apparently sufficient to market yourself as NOT being something.

Reunions: JJ Fad Set To Get Supersonic All Over Again.

Maybe I’m old and crotchety but what really grabbed my ear back when hip hop was a new thing was that it was fun.  And few tracks were as fun as “Supersonic.”  In my circle of friends, “The S is for Super, The U is for Unique”  regularly comes up in conversation.

So yeah, I’m sure that JJ Fad in their 40s might not be cutting edge, but I’m hoping it will be fun.

The perfect gift for Dooce:

Mexican VELVET PAINTING of Original Mormon JOSEPH SMITH – eBay (item 350102923856 end time Feb-24-09 22:13:51 PST).

Livejournal user rape_blossom sure does know how to find them. Warning, a couple of candidates for rotten.com.

Anything byMartyn. Like 2562, someone who isn’t interested in just cranking out cracks in a particular style because it’s an easy way to sell tracks. All of Martyn’s stuff so far is really thoughtful, deep, and funky.