SYP Says

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 7/7-7/14

Beat (Health, Life and Fire) by Thao 

Female singer/songwriter Thao (Nguyen) from Falls Church, VA  has an interesting, lilting voice reminiscent of Cat Power and her songs have a sweet playfulness that's perfect for summer drives and afternoons on the beach. I'm in sand and surf mode this week in San Diego so her new album, We Brave Bee Stings and All (which includes a languid cover of The Beatles's "You've Really Got a Hold on Me") is fitting my sunny mood perfectly. Listen and see if you can't stop smiling.

Thao and The Get Down Stay Down are on tour now--more data at MySpace Thao Music.

Thao live at The Black Cat

Zombie Garden Sculpture -- yow!

Thanks to Max for bringing this to my attention. I am totally creeped out now.

Courtesy of BoingBoing.net:

Zombie garden sculpture brings the flesh-slavering undead to your daffodil bed

      Posted by John Brownlee, July  8, 2008  4:49 AM     | permalink

Precisely why you call the 1-800 number on the side of the canister when you accidentally spill 2-4-5 liquid Trioxin in the flower bed. A garden sculpture by Alan Dickenson, only $89.95.

Zombie of Montclaire Moors Garden Sculpture [Design to Scano via Nerd Approved]

Precisely why you call the 1-800 number on the side of the canister when you accidentally spill 2-4-5 liquid Trioxin in the flower bed. A garden sculpture by Alan Dickenson, only $89.95.

Zombie of Montclaire Moors Garden Sculpture [Design to Scano via Nerd Approved]

E-Commerce Manager at ExerciseTV.tv

Tom Heymann who I know from A&E forwarded me this job description. If you know a qualified candidate, please email Kelly McSweeney at kmcsweeney@mac.com

Company: ExerciseTV: Comcast

Job Title: E-Commerce Store Manager

Description: ExerciseTV, a multi-platform, on-demand media company dedicated to motivating and inspiring people to live healthier lives by exercising is looking for a hardworking E-Commerce Store Manager to drive the company's online commerce initiatives. The ideal candidate will possess the ability to work independently running all aspects of the online store, but also take direction in a team-based environment. This position requires a utility player with strong user experience skills, marketing and merchandising savvy and proven expertise in maximizing online commerce revenue, including online lead generation, SEM, performance measurement and analytics. Demonstrated experience is essential.

 

The E-Commerce Manager will report to the General Manager and work closely with the Marketing and Finance teams. ExerciseTV can be found online at www.exercisetv.tv

Download ecommerce_mgr_exercise_tv_july_2008.docx

All-Star Game 2008--VOTE for Giambi aka the Moustache!

It's been tough being a Yankees fan the last several years. I've stopped watching until after the All-Stars because lately we've been basically terrible until after the season mid-point.

I've decided to enjoy the All-Stars this year though and want as many NYY players on the team as possible, especially because this is the 79th Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the last to be played in the current Yankee Stadium.

This year's final fan vote is all position players. I'm obviously going for Giambi because he is a Yankee and I can't get over his '70s porn star moustache. It takes guts to sport that around town, plus it's being credited for an improvement in his play. Go IAMBIG!

Hurry -- the Final Vote ends Thursday, July 10 at 5 p.m. ET. VOTE NOW (but only if you're a Yankees fan).

Note: Thanks to Zell's Pinstripe Blog for the Giambi pic.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 6/30-7/7

"Believe" by Famous L. Renfroe 

In celebration of July 4th, I'm posting a few days early and highlighting a slice of down-home gospel/blues Americana from Famous L. Renfroe's 1969 album Children recently re-released on CD by Mississippi-based Big Legal Mess/Fat Possum Records (home of other artists I like, including Andrew Bird and A.A. Bondy).

Renfroe (a.k.a. The Flying Sweet Angel of Joy) is a one-man band who's a bit of a mystery. Even his record company doesn't seem to know anything about him. According to eMusic, his label refers to him as the "J.D. Salinger of soul gospel" and the editor did quite a bit of research and turned up basically nothing.

What can't be denied is that Renfroe is pretty amazing. Not only is he supposedly playing all of the instruments, but on some of the tracks, he recreates all of the parts in quartet style singing. For more about him, visit eMusic. For a while, I think eMusic had an exclusive on the album, but it is now also available on iTunes. This is truly transporting music. Check it out.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 6/23-6/30

"My Mistakes Were Made for You" by The Last Shadow Puppets 

The Last Shadow Puppets is a "side project" from Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys, a band I totally adore, and Miles Kane of The Rascals and it has a suave, late '60s/early '70s Brit sound with lush, sweeping orchestrals. Reminiscent of Scott Walker or Burt Bacharach with a modern twist, this is definitely music that belongs in an old James Bond film (with Sean Connery...natch) and is quite different from the angry, catchy, guitar-driven tunes they normally do.

I'm dedicating this song to my buds at the Center for Creative Leadership who had to put up with one another's faults--sorry, ahem, "weaknesses"--for an entire week. Improving yourself is tough work, let me tell ya. Lyrics to "My Mistakes Were Made for You" are here.

Acoustic version of the song recorded in NYC a few months ago.

Live version of the song with orchestra on Later...with Jools Holland.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 6/16-6/23

"Killing" by The Apples 

Mazel Tov! We are very fortunate that The Apples's newest album, Buzzin' About, was recently released by Freestyle Records just in time for summer. Last year, this Israeli funk band hit it big with an *amazing* cover version of Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name" as a single which has been included on their latest CD. Below is a video of the original and the cover, just so you can hear how inventive their version is. The Apples weave together everything from funk, groove, hip-hop, and scratch to Klezmer, big band, and acid jazz. Play these tunes at any party and you will be a hero.

Original Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name":

The Apples's cover version, "Killing":

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 6/9-6/16

"Skinny Love" by Bon Iver 

Tim Russert's death has been dominating the news this past Father's Day weekend, so I thought a fitting song of the week choice would be from Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago. Bon Iver is French for "good winter" (yes, he spelled it wrong on purpose) and this solo acoustic folk debut by Justin Vernon was recorded during several snowy months alone in his father's hunting cabin, deep  in the Wisconsin woods. It's haunting, touching, and melancholy--a beautiful work.

Here's Bon Iver/Justin Vernon playing "Skinny Love" live at Later with Jools Holland last month.

Tim Russert Dies at 58 :(

Tim Russert, NBC News’ Washington bureau chief and moderator of the long-running political show, Meet the Press, died unexpectedly today from an apparent heart attack.

I have been watching "Meet the Press" for years and even had an affectionate nickname for Tim--"Big Head"--because he was really smart and, I have always suspected, had a huge brain. 

It's very sad--he was a brilliant political journalist who really seemed grounded in reality. He brought passion and dedication to his work, and clearly loved politics. So often the political pundits on TV are idiots, but he was different. I appreciated his enthusiasm and energy, but most of all, he seemed fair, logical, well-informed, and always prepared to ask the tough questions. Especially in this election year, it's a real shame he won't be part of the hullabaloo and get to see how it all turns out. We'll miss you, Tim! Sundays just won't be the same.

Today's Stupid Deal of the Day: 6/12/08

Today's Stupid Deal of the Day at MusiciansFriend.com is KILLER. Snag one before they sell out--they're going like crazy.

On-Stage Stands MS7510 Mic Pro Pak

Today's Stupid Price: $12.99

Reg $49.99

Limited to stock on hand

The MS7510 Mic Pro Pack is a smart way to buy a good microphone with all the vital accessories, especially at this Stupid Deal price! The On-Stage Stands MS7510 Mic Pro Pak includes an Audio Spectrum AS400 dynamic microphone with bag, a tripod boom mic stand, mic clip, and a 20' mic XLR-XLR cable. The AS400 vocal mic features a cardioid pattern, a frequency response of 80Hz to 12kHz, and a sensitivity of -74dB+/-3dB.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/stupid

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 6/2-6/9

"This Is My Life" by Firewater   

Three years ago, Tod A had had enough. After his divorce, the re-election of George W., and general disenchantment with NYC, he hit the road on a sabbatical that would take him through the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. Recording with a single mic and a laptop, he captured performances with a vast array of musicians across the far end of the world and chronicled it all on his blog, Postcards from the Other Side of the World.

Firewater combines punk and rock with an eclectic mix of everything from jazz, ska, klezmer, and classic Bollywood to gypsy, salsa, and Russian folk and this latest effort, The Golden Hour, is a musical journey that fittingly shows off Tod A's recent wanderings to Asia and the Middle East.

With sharp lyrics, innovative instrumentation, syncopated rhythms, growling voice, and pounding drumbeats, it all sounds a bit like the world beat baby of Tom Waits and The Pogues. Definitely on my list of Best of 2008.

Here's a 5-min background video on The Golden Hour album and the travels that inspired it. I'm jealous.
 

 

My First iMac (or How I learned to stop worrying and love Fed Ex's ineptitude)

I learned computers on a Mac. The first one I ever used looked like this:

Then I switched to the dark side. When I was at Vassar, I started using a PC and haven't owned another Mac until last weekend, when I bought my first iMac from the Apple Online Store. It looks like this:

It is gorgeous. I emailed Pedraum and told him that not only did I totally, totally, love it, but that when I got rid of my Dell, I could not believe how many cords there were. It was like the film Brazil under my desk.  It looked like this:

As it turned out, actually getting my first iMac turned out to be almost as difficult as unplugging my old PC.

I ordered an HP printer and Airport Express, in addition to my iMac, and chose to ship it all to my office address.  I got the ancillary items fine a couple days after I placed the order. According to Apple.com, my computer would arrive a day later via Fed Ex. I was super anxious about it, so the following morning I kept checking to see the progress. By 11am or so, I knew my beautiful new computer was on the Fed Ex truck, so I waited. And waited. I finally went downstairs and checked in with our shipping guy to see if it had arrived. Nope, not yet. Back upstairs to wait. Then FedEx.com said it had been delivered. Yay! I rushed back down, but it was nowhere to be found. Back to the site to see who signed for it. Someone named J. Kellogg. Hm--never heard of him. Asked HR and checked the phone list. No one by that name works at Musician's Friend. Uh oh.

My heart was pounding. WHO STOLE MY NEW IMAC?? This J. Kellogg person. Let me at 'em. I called Fed Ex. The customer service person said oh yes, it has been delivered to 545 Stevens Street. Why'd you do that, I ask, when the shipping address on the order was 931 Chevy Way? Well, sometimes packages accidentally get mixed in with others and delivered to the wrong place. It's a huge computer box, I say, not exactly something that can accidentally be mixed in with a letter. I want someone to find that box and get it back to me (SYP, enraged). OK, let me connect you to the local Medford Fed Ex office and call the driver. Back to waiting. Of course he can't be reached and a message is left. I say, what am I supposed to do now? We'll get back to you.

Now, I'm a fairly patient person, but this was my new iMac for Job's sake. I google 545 Stevens Street and find out it's the Connection Point Computer Store down the street. I call up--do you have a J. Kellogg working there? Yes, we do. Can I speak with him please? Hi, are you Mr. Kellogg? Why, yes I am. I'm So Young Park at Musician's Friend and I believe you signed for my computer this morning. Why, yes I did. I think you're right about that. Hold on. More waiting. Yes, I have it here. I say DON'T LET THAT BOX OUT OF YOUR SIGHT. I'll be right there.

I promise Robyn a free coffee to drive me down there and pick up my computer. Why did you sign for it when it didn't have your name or the right address? No real response. I contemplated asking him to pay for our gas, but held my tongue. A nice man (not J. Kellogg) wheeled the box out and we put it in the car. Hey, I just have to ask, why didn't you buy this from us? Well, I actually tried to last weekend but you didn't have any in stock. What kind is it? I tell him and he says Oh yeah, we still don't have any of those.

Get back to the office, iMac box in tow, and heart back down to normal rates. Phone rings and it's Fed Ex. I've got a supervisor now (woohoo). I heard you had a problem? Yes, but I took matters into my own hands and picked it up myself. If I had known I'd have to do my own delivery, I would have had you pay me! Well, we would have delivered it to you. When, I ask? And why did this happen in the first place? We haven't heard back from the driver yet. Of course you haven't.

After all that, my new iMac was worth the wait and Fed Ex's screw-up, you could argue, just made me appreciate it more. It could have been worse. I could still have my old Dell hard drive that sounded like a man riding a squeaky bicycle up a hill.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 5/26-6/2

"San Pedro" by Wolfkin 

Danish band Wolfkin's debut, Brand New Pants, has several fun, catchy singles. It was released in Europe a year and a half ago, so we Americans are a little late to this noir fantasy party filled with lush instrumentation and rock electronica melodies. They've got a dash of The Smiths--must be why I like them.

No video of "San Pedro," so this vid of them performing "A Vacant Heart" will have to do.

Best Songs of 2008: Week of 5/19-5/26

"The Bones of You" by Elbow 

Guy Garvey rocks. He's been the frontman for Elbow, one of the UK's best and most innovative bands, for over 15 years. Plus, he has a very nifty radio show on BBC 6 Music called Guy Garvey's Finest Hour. Feel free to listen to it here.

Elbow's latest, The Seldom Seen Kid, is only their fourth studio album and it was self-produced, mixed and recorded. While Elbow hasn't gotten the commercial success they deserve, their dreamy, atmospheric alt-rock sound has brought them a devoted cult following and reams of critical acclaim.

Here are the obligatory links to their official site and MySpace page.

Elbow live in Hollywood earlier this month--can't believe I missed them. Major bummer.

Organic Vodka by Cascade Peak Spirits

My landlord, Diane Paulson, is a cool chick. She and her fiance, David Eliasen, recently opened Cascade Peak Spirits, a micro distillery brewing organic vodka in my current home away from home, Ashland, Oregon.

Cascade Peak Spirits is the first organic distillery in Oregon making the first organic vodka, gin and whisky in the state.

Their first product is called Organic Nation Vodka and everything is handcrafted from the bottling to the labeling. When I went to renew my lease, I got to try it out. In a blind taste test vs Grey Goose and Square One (another organic vodka...albeit far inferior), we found Organic Nation Vodka was way better. No joke--it was smoother and more refined.

Right now, Diane and David are getting their pure spirits from a distillery in Idaho and then filtering it about six times. However, they've planted two acres of rye that will be ready for harvest in the fall.

For more info, check out their Web site at CascadePeakSpirits.com or email them at spirits@cascadepeakspirits.com . Send them ideas for new flavors too (my fingers are crossed for a Yuzu-flavored vodka which would totally rock). You can also read the May features on their new enterprise at Ashland Daily Tidings and The Mail Tribune.

Most importantly, buy their vodka! It's Oregon's first organic liquor, so support it. It's available, upon request, at all Oregon liquor stores and coming soon to Washington and Northern California. You can also request it at a bar or restaurant.

Locally, it is available at Ashland Liquor Store (40 Lithia Way, 541-482-4258) and West Main Liquor and Stevens Street Liquor stores in Medford. In Portland, Organic Nation Vodka is available at Pearl Specialty (900 NW Lovejoy, 503-477-8604).