Friday Music Day: March 15, 2013

So far, I've played for y'all two of the pieces of music I've made. Today, I'm going to share a piece that I'm pretty sure is my favorite thing I've ever done. Called "Mbeer", I assembled it solely from one short .wav file of Homer Simpson saying "Mmmm...beer", and teasing it all until it fell apart, stretching it, folding it back on itself, until it was a ten-minute piece of angry, jagged sonic taffy. My only functions were cut, copy, paste, delete before, delete after, reverse, halve speed, double speed, volume +25%, volume -25%, and echo. I had one level of undo.

If you don't have ten minutes to listen to more-or-less unpleasant noises, I also assembled a three-minute radio edit, with which to focus your discomfort. I wish I could remember how I did that.

I know so little about noise as a music genre, and I know way more now than I did when I made this.
One thing I've really enjoyed about listening to Aaron Dilloway's Modern Jester is that it's reminded me of this one thing I made that I'm really, truly satisfied with, even after 15 years.

I know this isn't "music" or what most of you would listen to, but please be kind, I've never really shared this with anyone other than EAR (who can't really do much more than "That's nice, hon"). If you've listened to either, a good Minnesota-nice "That sure is different!" is fine by me.

43 thoughts on “Friday Music Day: March 15, 2013”

  1. In honor of the TMBG concert we're going to tonight, here's a single off their latest:
    httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gFECzmDLrI

    (damn them combustible heads!)

  2. Deerhunter - Memory Boy - Halcyon Digest
    River Of Jordan - Peter, Paul & Mary - Lifelines
    I still Miss Someone - John Doe & The Sadies - Country Club
    Every Thug Needs A Lady - Alkaline Trio - Good Mourning
    Useful Idiot - Tool - Aenima

    Jack-Ass - Beck - Odelay
    Birthday Pony - Fugazi - Red Medicine
    White Hot - Black Flag - In My Head
    Southern Man - Neil Young - Decade
    Ch-Check It Out - Beastie Boys - To The 5 Boroughs

  3. 1. Far Out Crops -- Guided By Voices -- Live At The Wheelchair Races
    2. Indirect Enquiries -- Wire -- 154
    3. Lets Go To Bed -- The Cure -- Staring at the Sea
    4. So It Shall Be -- k.d. lang - Ingenue
    5. One -- U2 -- Achtung Baby
    6. Let There Be Love -- Oasis -- Time Flies... 1994-2009
    7. Office Of Hearts -- Guided By Voices -- Under The Bushes Under The Stars
    8. Octopussy -- The Wedding Present -- Seamonsters
    9. Flitcraft -- Mekons -- Fear And Whiskey
    10. And I Love Her -- The Beatles -- A Hard Day's Night

    B1. The Sweetest Thing -- Camera Obscura -- My Maudlin Career

  4. .
    .
    1. The Raggle Taggle Gypsy - Waterboys - Room to Roam
    2. Shenandoah - Paddy Moloney/Van Morrison - Long Journey Home
    3. When Will We Be Married? - Waterboys - Fisherman's Blues
    4. He Moved Through the Fair - Sinead O'Connor/Chieftains - The Long Black Veil
    5. I'll Tell Me Ma - Chieftains/Van Morrison - Irish Heartbeat
    6. Drunken Lullabies - Flogging Molly - Drunken Lullabies
    7. Marie's Wedding - Chieftains/Van Morrison - Irish Heartbeat
    8. Sit Down by the Fire - Pogues - If I Should Fall From Grace With God
    9. The Night That Larry Was Stretched - Chieftains - Long Journey Home
    10. Girl of the North Country - Waterboys - Fisherman's Blues

    What?

  5. .

    * Fire's Highway - Japandroids - Celebration Rock
    * Sleep Now in the Fire - Rage Against the Machine - Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium
    * Abatis - Ryan Elliot - Fünf
    * Normal Like You - Everclear - So Much For the Afterglow
    * Téw semagn hagérè - Kronos Quartet - Floodplain (Alemu Aga) **
    * Tired Eyes - Neil Young - Tonight's the Night
    * Commissioner Castration - The Dust Brothers - Fight Club Soundtrack
    * Prod - Mudvayne - L.D. 50
    * Dive - Nirvana - Incesticide
    * Mean Monsoon - Dan Auerbach - Keep it Hid

    ** Translated - "Listen to me, my fellow countrymen". Aga is an Ethiopian composer and singer, the piece is originally written for the begena, an Ethiopian 10-string lyre and voice. Inspired by the begena, the quartet had built an instrument called the "Beguèna Maridhia," which is played by Jeffrey Ziegler (cellist), while Hank Dutt plays a modified viola suggestive of Aga's voice. The sound is pretty cool.

  6. I dig it. It's sort of like a less rhythmic, more abrasive version of some of Fuck Buttons' earlier stuff. I'm going to download this.

  7. .

    01. Volbeat - "A Better Believer", Beyond Hell/Above Heaven
    02. Iron Maiden - "Journeyman", Dance of Death
    03. Testament - "Burnt Offerings", The Legacy
    04. Danzig - "I Luciferi", Danzig 777: I Luciferi
    05. Mercyful Fate - "Desecration of Souls", Don't Break the Oath
    06. Dark Tranquillity - "Cathode Ray Sunshine", Damage Done
    07. Jag Panzer - "Unworthy", Mechanized Warfare
    08. Metal Church - "Merciless Onslaught", Metal Church
    09. Grave Digger - "My Life", Heart of Darkness
    10. Testament - "Over the Wall", The Legacy

  8.  
     
    1. “sweet life” – frank oceanchannel ORANGE
    2. “somebody have mercy” – sam cookelive at the harlem square club, 1963
    3. “the d bag rag” – the avett brothersa carolina jubilee
    4. “north hollywood” – van huntwhat were you hoping for?
    5. “for prayer” – wye oakthe knot
    6. “mr. wrong” – crackercracker
    7. “express yourself” – NWAstraight outta compton
    8. “hannah & gabi” – the lemonheadsit’s a shame about ray
    9. “helpless” – neil young1971: live at massey hall
    10. “sleepwalking” – modest mouseinterstate 8

  9. 1. Tricky with DJ Muggs and Grease “She Said” Juxtipose
    2. Jimi Hendrix “Bleeding Heart” Blues
    3. Koko Taylor “Wang Dang Doodle” Koko Taylor
    4. DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid “Synthetic Fury” Synthetic Fury EP*
    5. Bonnie &lquo;Prince&rquo; Billy “I'll Be Glad (Live)”* Transfigurations Festival, Asheville, NC, 8-14-2009

    6. Andy Stott “Up the Box”* Luxury Problems
    7. Wolf Eyes* “Stabbed in the Face” Burned Mind
    8. Dave Aju “Open Wide” Open Wide*
    9. El Guincho “Antillas” Alegranza
    T. Hot Chip feat. Bonnie &lquo;Prince&rquo; Billy “I Feel Bonnie” I Feel Better EP

    B. The Orb “Toxygene (Kris Needs Up For a Fortnight Mix)”* Toxygene EP

    *Notes:
    4. This EP, the Galactic Funk EP, and his remix of Metallica's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" were my favorite things DJ Spooky did back when I cared about him. Not sure what I'll think now... This song isn't quite as awesome as I remember, but a decade and a half of others using the "Amen" break and drill'n'bass derivatives have made these beat structures less novel. Plus I think I liked DJ Spooky's basslines, and I can't really get that out of my speakers here at work. IIRC, this was not my favorite track on the EP, maybe third or fourth. Least favorite? "Demonseed", a collaboration with Panacea that was really just an half-minute ambient interlude. If you're going to collaborate with someone and that's all that results, just don't bother releasing it and let us imagine something cool could have been created.

    5. Shannon Stephens cover. Pretty good bootleg of a solo acoustic show.

    6. ...Speaking of "Amen" break derivatives. The second-half of this song is based on what sounds like "Amen" at half-speed.

    7. I spoke of Aaron Dilloway in my thing above. Here's his old band's big pop hit. Sad that Wolf Eyes is relegated to the "One-hit Wonder" file next to King Missile, Green Jell¨o;¨y;, Marcy Playground, etc. Wolf Eyes has an interesting and varied catalog. I first heard of them when they opened for Sonic Youth (Sonic Nurse Tour, I believe [Zack bait]), and I was scared for my ears.

    8. This album was a let-down. Dave Aju put out two fantastic EPs (The Tables Turn and Love Always with the Invisible Art Trio) and two more good ones before this album came out, and this is just way boring compared to them.

    B. I tried to get lots of people to listen to "Toxygene", I felt that the Orb could have had a "Block-Rockin' Beats"-level crossover. Or at least "Busy Child"-level. They didn't help themselves by starting the song with two minutes of ambience. This remix was allegedly done by Kris Needs at the culmination of two weeks of sleeplessness. I'm not sure if that was intentional or not.

  10. Ben Folds Five: Fair
    The Beatles: Carry That Weight
    Barenaked Ladies: Sell Sell Sell
    Tim McGraw: You Just Get Better All The Time
    Est Chester University Of Pennsylvania Gracenotes: Fred Jones, Part 2
    Alan Thicke & Gloria Loring: Diff'rent Strokes
    Mighty Mighty Bosstones: The Impression That I Get
    Jerry Lewis: Great Balls of Fire
    Joe Diffie: Texas Size Heartache
    Dave Matthews Band: Lover Lay Down

  11. Another Pandora week for me.

    1. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - "Home" - Up From Below
    2. Cloud Cult - "Unexplainable Stories" - Light Chasers
    3. Guster - "Satellite" - Ganging Up on the Sun
    4. The Section Quartet - "Such Great Heights" - Fuzzbox
    5. Simon & Garfunkel - "Cecilia" - Simon and Garfunkel's Greatest Hits
    6. The Rolling Stones - "Beast of Burden" - Some Girls
    7. The Avett Brothers - "February Seven" - The Carpenter
    8. Amos Lee - "Night Train" - Supply and Demand
    9. Mumford & Sons - "I Will Wait" - Babel
    T. Keane - "Somewhere Only We Know" - Hopes and Fears
    B. The Temper Trap - "Sweet Disposition" - Conditions

    Songs 1-3, 5, 9, and B were all on my mp3 player. Song 4 is a cover a song on my mp3 player. Not a lot of new variety for me.

    1. Cecilia was going to be the name of her daughter if we had one. So, instead of having this song in my head all of the time, I have Henry VIII in my head. Hmmm.

  12. 1. “En Gallop” Joanna Newsom The Milk-Eyed Mender
    2. “The Comeback” Shout Out Louds Howl Howl Gaff Gaff
    3. “This Boy” I’m from Barcelona Let Me Introduce My Friends
    4. “Fell Asleep on a Train” The Quavers Fell Asleep on a Train
    5. “Jen Is Bringin the Drugs” Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s The Dust of Retreat
    6. “And It Spread” The Avett Brothers I and Love and You
    7. “100°” Shout Out Louds Howl Howl Gaff Gaff
    8. “Bring It All Down” The Quavers Fell Asleep on a Train
    9. “Rattle My Rattle” Elizabeth Mitchell Little Seed: Songs for Children by Woody Guthrie
    10. “Oh, My Darling” Basia Bulat Oh, My Darling

  13. 'Steal My Sunshine' - Len You Cant Stop the Bum Rush
    'Jumper' - Third Eye Blind Third Eye Blind
    'Chapter III' - The Features Wilderness
    'Waiting' - Green Day Warning
    'I Want You to Want Me' - Cheap Trick Cheap Trick At Budokan

    'Denise' - Fountains of Wayne Utopia Parkway
    'Pure' - Lightning Seeds
    'Lets Call It Off' - Peter Bjorn and John Writers Block
    'Lonely Boy' - The Black Keys El Camino
    'Sausalito Summernight' - Diesel Watts in a Tank

  14. Hey any citizens in the Twin Towns wanna see Ike Reilly Saturday at the Turf Club? I'll be there probably around 10:00. I'm meeting some college friends for dinner in St. Paul earlier that evening. Let me know if you'll be there.

    Ike puts on a good show and he has a long history at the Turf Club, well recommended or, if you can't make it, just look for my tweets of some concerts shots tomorrow night @freealonzo.

    1. I'd love to see Ike Reilly, unfortunately the drive might me than I want to deal with.

    2. Well he's coming again twice in April and twice in May. There's always a basement futon to crass on at the Freealonzo crib if you need to.

      April 13, 27
      May 11, 25

  15. Long time no play. Here's mine:

    01. Wall of Denial - Stevie Ray Vaughann and Double Trouble
    02. The Lemon Song - Led Zeppelin
    03. Guitar Boogie - Chet Atkins and Les Paul
    04. Train, Train - Blackfoot
    05. Again Tonight - John Mellencamp
    06. Navajo Rug - Jerry Jeff Walker
    07. Stay All Night (Stay a Little Longer) - Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys
    08. Dreams I'll Never See - Molly Hatchet
    09. Mean Old Frisco - Eric Clapton
    10. Stardust - Nat King Cole

      1. i balls that bass breakdown on "the lemon song".

        Thanks to that comment I've been on a Zeppelin jag all afternoon heading now into the evening. Now I have to explain to the missus why I brought home a land shark.

    1. 08. Dreams I'll Never See - Molly Hatchet

      heard this song on the classic rock station yesterday. I didnt know it was Molly Hatchet until I was curious and looked it up. Great jammin song

      1. Molly Hatchet covered it but the original is by the Allman Brothers, a slower, bluesier version.

  16. I'm late today, but I made it:

    1. Brother Ali – Heads Down (You Haven’t Done That Yet) – Champion
    2. Gnarls Barkley – Just a Thought – St. Elsewhere
    3. P.O.S. – Graves (We Wrote the Book) – Never Better
    4. Oasis – Go Let It Out – Familiar to Millions
    5. Felt – Get Cake – Felt 3: A Tribute to Rosie Perez
    6. Barenaked Ladies – Blame It On Me – Gordon
    7. Hootie & The Blowfish – Look Away – Cracked Rear View Mirror
    8. Barenaked Ladies – Unfinished – Everything to Everyone
    9. Better Than Ezra – Under You – How Does Your Garden Grow
    10. Brother Ali – A Room With A View – Shadows On The Sun

  17. I walked up to the used CD store on Monday when it was nice out (it's since reverted to windy and 28 degrees). I got The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Transatlanticism, and the soundtrack to "The Commitments" for $11.

      1. Yep, total. It was really $10 for the first two, then a $1 donation to the animal shelter for the soundtrack. It was in the busted case bin.

      1. I've been a fan of theirs since I saw them do "Mr November" on one of the late night talk shows, maybe 6 years ago. Define recent.

        FWIW, I have Alligator, Boxer and High Violet in my iTunes library.

        1. The National is one of those bands that crawls into my head and stays there. I have to be in the mood... but when I am, man I can't get enough.

          1. I have to be in the mood... but when I am, man I can't get enough.

            My feelings exactly. For me, that's feeling a bit down on rainy day, sipping on a glass of whiskey.

            1. i me mine?

              (i don't think that link is doing what you'd hoped, but i think i'm getting your point anyway. also, how the [redacted] did they play "mr. november" on a TV show?)

              1. I'm happy to see a National discussion this extended without involving either of the two guys who named High Violet their #1 album of 2010.

        2. i have alligator, cherry tree, and sad songs for dirty lovers (acquired in that order), and, coincidentally, just picked up boxer this week as i felt i needed more national in my life.

  18. I listened to a bit of "Mbeer". On it's own, well...it was nice, hon AMR. But I think it could be a pretty cool part of a larger work.

    Either way, props for having the balls to share.

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