Jason’s Neighbors

WHA?!'s Summer of Love 2008 mashup monsterpiece!

nobody@vox.com(W♥M) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:59:15 -0700

07/20/2008 02:55:26 ♥ written by derek ( / www.pegritz.com)

Apollo Zero-Pinball Wizard in the Driver's Seat

Apollo Zero

I generally don't think much of mashups. Some of them are really creative--"The Ghosts That Feeds," combining Ray Parker Jr's "Ghostbusters" and Nine Inch Nails' "The Hand That Feeds" is brilliant, as is the entire-musical-spectrum-raping insanity of Pittsburgh's Girl Talk--but for the most part, mashups are almost always poorly-thought-out, and even more poorly-executed exercises in the cut'n'paste aesthetic that Negativland and Emergency Broadcast Network pioneered but few, few, can master as well.

WHA?! Studios latest mashup monsterpiece, Summer of Love 2008, proves that there are brilliant mashup artists Out There who can combine elements of various songs into mind-melting frankensongs that manage to transcend the mere sum of their parts. Yeah, it's cool to hear Jim Morrison's laconic vocals from "Rider On The Storm" synced up to Blondie's "Rapture," but are you prepared for the sheer musical chimerism of "Buffalo Springfield VS 808 State VS Deee-Lite VS Prince VS Duran Duran"? Because that's exactly what "What's That Sound?" by World Famous Audio Hacker, on Summer of Love 2008 is.

The whole idea behind Summer of Love 2008 can be succinctly described in the words of WHA?!'s press-release for the comp: "[Summer of Love 2008] is our tribute to the second Summer of Love, the acid house and rave culture which started 20 years ago in the UK. It was just as important as the first Summer of Love in the late 60's. So we took songs from the Flower Power era and we took songs from the Acid House Revolution and mashed them together." And that's exactly what you get. Album opener, "Step Together," by the brilliantly-named Phil RetroSpector, combines the Happy Mondays with The Beatles, while "Pinball Wizard in the Drivers Seat" splices together elements from The Who, Dogtooth, and Cook's County. I'd have to say this is my favorite track, because it turns The Who's "Pinball Wizard," one of my alltime favorite Who tracks, into a synthpop dancefloor destroyer that sounds more like a strange, contemporary remake of the song rather than a traditional remix. Bobby Martini's "Here Comes the Sunscreem" is a seamless mercuric amalgamation of Sunscreem and The Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun." Though sometimes the vocals don't quite match up with the music, it's still an incredibly ballsy track that will electrify hippies and britpop fans alike and will keep dancefloors rocking. Flying White Dots' shiversome "Land of Oz" is a beautiful, almost ambient space/dance/trance track built from pieces of Manuel Gottsching, Latino, Grace Jones, Pink Floyd, The Orb, Opus 3, Björk, Masters At Work, and The freakin' KLF to boot! We're talking ten minutes of space music so lush and mindblowing it proves, beyond any shadow of a doubt...this one track proves that music is better than acid for achieving altered states of mind. Yes. There. I said it. It's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Again, what makes this compilation work so well is that it's not a one-trick pony. Yes, it's built around a basic gimmick, combining music from two different eras, flowerchildren plus early rave culture, blah blah blah--but it only uses that gimmick as a starting point, not an endpoint. These individual tracks achieve much, much more than simply stitching together the familiar hooks from a bunch of random pop songs from the late '60s and the late '80s/early '90s. The combination of Summers of Love produces vibrant new music, not merely zombie tracks consisting of reanimated samples from old songs. A few of them, the first two tracks in particular, sound like remixes--but good remixes that do what remixes should do: create all new songs out of the components of previous tracks. But the other tracks...the other tracks are truly unique examples of, and triumphs of, the mashup genre.

Best of all...the entire EP is free! Free as Love! First, you can listen to all songs in streaming format at the album's homepage, then you can download the entire album here (Divshare link), or, even better, you can download it as a torrent. Plus, the torrent version contains a special extra: "The Caravan of Love Collection is the bonus gift of the Summer of Love 2008 compilation. Each artist from the album has designed a VW bus and you can find them in a handy print ready booklet feature in the zip file. Print them all and set up your very own Caravan of Love!" That's right, you get a collection of papercraft microbuses to print out, fold up, and display proudly in your cubicle while you blow your coworkers minds with the psycherobodelic sounds of Summer of Love 2008!

Links: whastudios.com apollozero.blogspot.com

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on going round -n- round -n- round ...

nobody@vox.com(ambookgeek) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 21:44:45 -0700

CB064866

I read about this on someone else's Vox blog, but I got so involved with the site that I lost the original poster so apologies to whoever sent this site my way ... Check this out! You can get 360-degree views of parts of cities from all over the world. Pretty damned amazing!!! 360 Cities: The World in Virtual Reality.

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just finished ...

nobody@vox.com(ambookgeek) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:21:04 -0700

Market, The

J.m. Steele

The Market—J.M. Steele

Kate has been satisfied to make it through three years of at Millbank High School as just one of the girls in the crowd. She earned good grades, admission to Brown University, and had good friends with whom she could pass the time. Kate’s high school life changes, however, when late one night she stumbles across the Millbank Social Stock Market (MSSM). Of the 140 girls in her class, Kate’s ranking is a bleak 71. Kate and her friend develop a plan to raise the value of her stock from “junk bond” to “blue chip” before the end of their senior year.

While the plot is thoroughly clichéd and can be very easily mapped by anyone who has seen Mean Girls and three episodes of a teen drama on the CW Network, middle schoolers and younger high schoolers will likely enjoy the fastpaced story telling in this decent enough beach read.

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Kate Nash - 'I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You'

nobody@vox.com(Undercover Black Man) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 11:01:25 -0700

I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You

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Mags gets comfy

nobody@vox.com(eve) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 10:49:51 -0700

photo.jpg

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The Dark Knight

nobody@vox.com(W♥M) — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 06:09:05 -0700

07/19/2008 08:04:52 ♥ written by vu ()

Hans Zimmer - I Am The Batman

Hans Zimmer

As a pretty big DC Comics geek, so I went to see The Dark Knight on opening day. I've been eagerly awaiting the film since Batman Begins and it just felt forever for the film to finally make it to the movie theaters. What made it worst, was I picked up the Batman Bluray and saw the first six minutes of the film, which made waiting for the movie even more unbearable!

So after watching it, I definitely wasn't disappointed. I thought maybe at the end, there was an over usage of sweeping orchestral music that seems to overpower the dialogues spoken. Maybe even Christian Bale's Batman voice is sometime over dramatic and the Gotham mafia is a joke, the movie is still pretty awesome.

By the way, I'm actually kind of surprise that with all the violence in the film, it was still Rated PG-13. I guess the rating board have laxed over the years, but if this movie was released in the 80s, it would've been slap with an R.

I'm sure all the critics will tell you what a wonderful villain Heath Ledger's Joker was. He was pretty frightening in the role, and I'm kind of sad that this will be his last role. In some ways, I hope they don't bring back the Joker in future films, especially if future actors won't be able to carry on the craziness of what Ledger brought.

Anyway, before I let spoilers slip, I'll just keep this short and sweet. Here are some Batman music.

Danny Elfman - The Batman Theme

Prince - Batdance (Vicki Vale Mix)

Siouxsie and the Banshees - Face To Face

The Dynamic Batmen - Batman TV Theme

R. Kelly-Gotham City

A couple of comments: I've previously mentioned Hans Zimmer and Danny Elfman before, so check those out. The "Batman TV Theme" was redone, possibly in the late 60s by an outfit called The Dynamic Batmen. I've always loved this surf theme song, but it doesn't seem to suit the seriousness of what Batman should be. It is a fun song and I guess reflect the feel-good theme of the Adam West show.

Prince's "Batdance (Vicki Vale remix)" and had heavy sampling from the 1989 Batman movie. It is, as they say, funky, I didn't think belong in the "grim" and "gothic" Tim Burton film. However, Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Face to Face" fit quite well in the sequel Batman Returns. What a great single! Rounding out is R Kelly's "Gotham City", from the disaster that is known as Batman & Robin.

Links: thedarkknight.warnerbros.com hans-zimmer.com oingoboingo.com

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on haters and parking spaces that i covet ...

nobody@vox.com(ambookgeek) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:32:50 -0700

Okay, so ... as a general rule going back as long as I can remember, lesbians have LOVED me!!! I don't know why, but it just has always been so ... The lesbians in my life have always been good to me! I LOVE lesbians!!!

Anyway ... Everyone in the building that S/O and I bought into is friendly and wonderful with the exception of the two ~~lesbians~~ "handsome" women that have the parking space right next to ours. I suspect that the two of them are lesbians, but I have no way of really confirming this since they have never once even acknowledged my existence when I have cheerfully greeted them in the six or seven times that I have run into them. This is how it goes. I say, "Good morning!" and they look through me like I am made of glass and they are reading the newspaper through my head.

I mean, WTF??? RIGHT???

Anyway, the two hypothetical lesbians have two very nice cars--A Jeep Grand Cherokee and a brand friggin' new blue Audi. As all of the units in our building only have a single assigned space and there are a limited number of street spaces available, residents in the building that have more then one car sometimes have to resort to the "space kapu maneuver." The "space kapu maneuver" is when someone in your household has a street space and when he/she is going to leave, a second person moves a car from your assigned space into the street space as you vacate it. This is understandable to a point, but the hypothetical lesbians have made space kapu-ing into such an art that they have LITERALLY held the parking space in front of our building EVERY DAY since we arrived in Hawaii on June 10th. I KID YOU NOT!!!!

WTF??? RIGHT???

I find this rather odd in that, effectively, they only have one car that they can drive around town as they always have to have one "kapu-ing" the space. The blue Audi in this picture belongs to the hypothetical lesbians and this is the space that I covet above all others. I'm down to less then a week to be able to find a way to get my car into that space so the pressure is now on. I've come to realize in my middle age, that I have not outgrown being vengeful toward those who I think don't like me ... And forgiveness is not one of my good things ...

Which reminds me, this girl named Dana was really mean to me in eighth grade. We were standing in front of the water fountain by the French classroom when ... Well, perhaps that one might be best left for another blog entry ...

But anyway ... Here's the space that I am determined to make mine!!! Bwa-ha-ha-ha ...

IMG_7250

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Upcoming Guests on MBE and KCRW Presents

nobody@vox.com(KCRW Music News) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:02:05 -0700

Upcoming Live Performances on MORNING BECOMES ECLECTIC

Monday, July 21 -- Mates of State

Monday, July 28 -- The Black Kids

KCRW.COM PRESENTS

Mon, July 21, PACIFIKA at YOSHI's in San Francisco.
Sun, July 27, !!! (Chk Chk Chk) at Music Hall of Williamsburg in NY.
Mon, September 8, KCRW.COM presents SONS & DAUGHTERS at HIGHLINE BALLROOM in NYC.

KCRW PRESENTS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Thurs, July 17, Nights at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art: Transcend illusion & desire by traveling though the exhibition A Tibet Expedition 1938: Selected Gifts from Two Explorers.
Friday, July 18, Grand Performances features The Real Tues Weld & Lal Mari as they perform in an amphitheater setting at 350 S. Grand Ave. Nic Harcourt will host.
Friday, July 18, BITTER:SWEET at THE EL REY THEATRE.
Sat, July 19, BITTER:SWEET at STATESIDE in Santa Barbara.
Sat, July 19, EMILY WELLS at HOTEL CAFÉ.
Sun, July 20, KCRW's World Festival with: Feist, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Pacifika—the evening is hosted by Nic Harcourt at the Hollywood Bowl.
Sun, July 27, SECRET MACHINES at THE VIPER ROOM.
Sun, July 27, KCRW's World Festival with: Gnarls Barkley, Fallou Dieng, Deerhoof. – the evening is hosted by Garth Trinidad at the Hollywood Bowl.
Tues, July 29, THE WATSON TWINS at THE ECHO.
Sun, August 2, THAO at the TROUBADOUR.
Sun, August 3, KCRW's World Festival series with: Reggae Night: UB40, Beres Hammond, Barrington Levy-- the evening is hosted by Tom Schnabel at the Hollywood Bowl.
Friday, August 8, DR. DOG and DELTA SPIRIT at THE EL REY FRIDAY.
Sat, August 9, B-SIDE + CECI BASTIDA at THE ROXY.
Sun, August 17, RAPHAEL SAADIQ at THE ROXY.
Tues, August 19, GLEN CAMPBELL AT THE TROUBADOUR.
Wed, 8/20 CHRIS PIERCE at HOTEL CAFE
Thurs, August 21, Nights at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art: Surrender to a world of glamour, magic and perfection inspired by Made in Hollywood: Photographs from the John Kobal Foundation.
Sat, August 23, SONDRE LERCHE at THE TROUBADOUR.
Sat, August 23, Grand Performances features The Dakah Hip Hop Orchestra as they perform in an amphitheater setting at 350 S. Grand Ave. Anne Litt will host.
Sun, August 24, SONDRE LERCHE at the TROUBADOUR.
Thurs, August 28, PATTY GRIFFIN at BELLY UP in San Diego.
Tues, September 2, SONS & DAUGHTERS at TROUBADOUR.
Wed, September 3, PAUL WELLER at THE WILTERN.
Sat, September 6, AMOS LEE at HOUSE OF BLUES ANAHEIM.
Mon, September 8, AMOS LEE at MUSIC BOX AT THE HENRY FONDA THEATER.
Tues, September 9, BALKAN BEAT BOX at THE EL REY THEATRE.
Tues, September 9, MOGWAI at THE WILTERN.
Wed, September 10, RATATAT at THE MUSIC BOX AT THE HENRY FONDA THEATER.
Wed, September 17, KCRW is Media Sponsor for NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS WITH SPIRITUALIZED at THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL.
Thurs, September 18, Nights at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art: Celebrate the international avant-garde inspired by the Museum's collection of art of the 30's - 60's. Special guest deejay, Jason Bentley.
Sun, September 21, MY MORNING JACKET at THE GREEK THEATRE.
Sun, September 21, KCRW's World Festival series with: Ozomatli, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Lila Downs, Nortec Collective-- the evening is hosted by Raul Campos at the Hollywood Bowl.
Mon, September 22, HOT CHIP at THE WILTERN.
Tues, September 23, CSS at the MAYAN THEATRE.
Wed, September 24, CSS at GLASSHOUSE in Pomona.
Friday, September 26, PACHA MASSIVE at FORD AMPHITHEATER.
Thurs, October 2, SIGUR ROS at THE GREEK THEATRE.
Sat, October 4, SWELL SEASON at THE GREEK THEATRE.
Tues, October 21, CONOR OBERST AND THE MYSTIC VALLEY BAND at THE MUSIC BOX AT THE HENRY FONDA THEATER.
Wed, October 22, CONOR OBERST AND THE MYSTIC VALLEY BAND at THE MUSIC BOX AT THE HENRY FONDA THEATER.

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Upcoming Guests on MBE and KCRW Presents

nobody@vox.com(KCRW Music News) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:02:04 -0700

Upcoming Live Performances on MORNING BECOMES ECLECTIC

Monday, July 21 -- Mates of State

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a small mention, but I'll take it

nobody@vox.com(Draw) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:31:02 -0700

I got a small mention in the mainstream press. Yee-hah! Quite small, but I'll take it.
It's an article about art on Post-it notes in the Seattle PI online.
They found me through this post on C-Monster, one of my favourite art blogs. If you wanna know what's going down in the art world, add C-Monster to your RSS pronto.

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