http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Thu, 9 Nov 2006 11:25:25 EST http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/11/09/112525.php Merlinfmct87The question of how to adapt to new times and technology has always been a troublesome one. Some want to abandon the past, others cling to it with heels-in-the-ground determination. Finding a middle ground is, of course, not only the goal, but very difficult as well.The music business is no different. 50 years ago, you couldn't even really take music with you, outside of your car. You had your radio, and that's it.Now mp3 players are available that will easily fit in the palm of your hand. Players that boast about being able to hold over six albums of data. This isn't even the largest or most drastic paradigm shift. It's now very easy to copy and re-produce music, legally or otherwise.What to do? How can we adapt to the new technologies and abilities that are available without compromising our integrity?Last.fm is one take on this problem. It's an innovative hybrid of the old and the new - music sharing and, as the name would imply, FM radio. You select the bands you like and adore, and the service plays selections based on that. They mix your old favorites with other artists in the same musical vein, giving you the best of all worlds. Best of all, it's free, legal, and growing fast.Last.fm is a service I've had my eye on for quite some time now. Unfortunately, I couldn't use their service because I couldn't install the client - I lacked admin privileges on my computer, which both the install and authentication needed. So all I really had for internet radio was Yahoo LAUNCHCast. Sadly, I quickly grew annoyed with that style of doing things, and I wasn't about to shell out $5/month or $30/year for 192 kbps WMAs. I had grown quite sick and tired of lossy encoding and wanted a much fuller sound. I don’t think 320 kbps MP3s are too much to ask for, if not outright lossless sound.So naturally I greeted the news about Last.fm's update - in particular the introduction of the flash client - with excitement. FINALLY! Something that just needs a browser and flash, that will work anywhere! Sounds like a dream come true, yes?Well, mostly. You see, it's brand-new code - it doesn't have the stability the installed clients boast. Often times (for me, at least) connection errors stopped the music cold. Granted, most times you can just press "Play" and it'll start right up again, but it does get mildly annoying. If it's determined not to play, it will give a "Not enough content to play station" error message. That's because I didn't put enough bands in the list. Last.fm is licensed as a radio station, and as such, they cannot play more than one song from any artist within a certain timeframe.Another thing I noticed is that, unlike LAUNCHCast, Last.fm plays the artists you select far more often. LAUNCHCast tends to focus on artists related to one of your favorites, only tossing you a personal favorite once in a great while to keep you pacified. This annoyed me a great deal, as I felt they (LAUNCHCast) were trying to introduce to me new bands (and, by extension, get me to buy their material) instead of play the music I actually wanted to hear. New music is well and good, and a core reason of the radio medium itself, but who doesn't want to hear old favorites in the mix as well? Last.fm is truly about preferences, it seems. It picks music you will like - both music you already know and music you would want to be introduced to. LAUNCHCast is a far more commercial outfit - they are trying to sell music, not just play it.On that note, perhaps it's my imagination, but Last.fm's selection seems a lot wider. The first Nine Inch Nails song I heard was titled "Intermission". This confused me somewhat, as I'm quite familiar with the NIN discography, but had never heard this song. I googled around and was deeply surprised that it was off the Quake soundtrack. This blew me away - a game soundtrack on internet radio? I've died and gone to heaven! This has its downsides, of course. For example, they played a cut from Interpol's live album - the radio announcer introduction. So you have the same kind of feel of a 5-disc CD player on shuffle. You never know what will come your way... in fact, sometimes you have no clue whatsoever. But sometimes that's half the fun. One thing I'd like to see (maybe) is if they could combine the intros and the songs into one track so you don't get left hanging.One thing that LAUNCHCast has over Last.fm, however, is a far more refined rating system. LAUNCHCast gives you a full rating system, anything from 0% (never play again) to 100% (Loved it), in 10% increments. Perhaps this is illusionary control, given the fact that Yahoo seems to ignore what you love many times, but it is something I miss. Slightly.One other detail I miss from Yahoo is being able to pause tracks. Again, since Last.fm is licensed as a radio station, they can't legally offer it. A minor detail, and in my opinion a fair trade for the lossless sound. Yes, I'm quite the sucker for that little feature.The other new features are quite nice, too. For one, every artist now has a concert listing, so you can get a quick overview of both the artist's material and when/where they are performing. In addition to that, your dashboard will record what concerts you want to go to, and show reminders. This seems rather silly to me (how could you forget a date to see your favorite band?) but maybe it's for the shows your friend makes you come along to. Another new toy you can tinker with is a music compatibility rating. This may sound like Last.fm meets Match.com, but it's fun to make your friends sign up and see how you two match up. If music means a lot to you, it's a great way to meet new people as well - you're guaranteed to have something to talk about right off the bat.Last but not least, they are also starting to offer free music downloads at their site. This is another feature they have over LAUNCHCast. While the Yahoo! service does offer downloads, they are $.99/each. The ones you get with the monthly/yearly subscription expire when the subscription does, which is a large annoyance to me. Good news is, the Last.fm downloads are completely free and never expire. You do have to do a bit of hunting to find them (don't expect to find U2's latest single) but they are working on a way to make them easier to find as we speak.Overall, my impression is the same I had when I stumbled across Last.fm - wonderful idea, exactly what I want, and I can't wait until the bugs are knocked out. Until then, your experience will be positive, but likely rocky.If you just want to hear music, and don't care if you're getting the full sound, LAUNCHCast is probably your best bet. It "just works". However, if you're more selective both about what music you hear, and how you hear it (i.e. you don't want half the sound ripped out before it even gets to your speakers/headphones) Last.fm is your best bet, by far. I'm quite sure the bugs in the system will die a quick death. Sci/Tech55379@blogcritics.org Thu, 9 Nov 2006 11:25:25 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/05/03/122524.php Merlinfmct87Time for some shameless self-promotion and exploitation of my ability to put words on a website to which I don't give a red cent.I'm a poet. In all truth, I've been enjoying poetry in one form or another for many years now. Music is an integral part of my life, it's almost always going. The lyrics are something I routinely look up, and I have always enjoyed finding the meaning behind the music, so I suppose it's only appropriate that I start putting some menaing and style into my own words.This is actually something my sister inspired me to get into. She is a poet herself and would always send me her work for input, opinions, or pointers...the latter of which she rarely needed.Once I actually started writing, many people started to come together and help me out with my craft, always ready with an encouraging word, a positive suggestion, and anticipation for more of my writing. Were it not for this 'independent collaboration,' this conspiracy of friends and family, I doubt I'd still be writing today. I owe them all a debt of gratitude I'll never be able to repay.My deviantART Poetry Page: My own site. Everything from protest poems to breakups (quite a few of those, actually), stuff from my own head, collaborations, rants, and the beginnings of a poetry series. I'm also trying to learn how to sketch, so keep an eye out for that in the future.Phoenixtx's poetry page: one of the poets/conspirators I spoke of before. Her work is brilliant and a solid inspiration for my own -- check her out.Shivarra's poetry page: another inspiration, she moves between light fantasy to Edgar Allen Poe-esque horror to personal grief overcome with the grace and ease of a pro.CyborgGold's deviantART page: some poetry, mostly photography from a man with talent.AzKitten's deviantART page: Another artist, this one's a sketch artist with some amazing works in her gallery.Neilsama's deviantART page: Another illustrater, Mr. Neil (as I know him) favors a more cartoon-esque style, which he pulls off with excellent (seemingly effortless) skill.A special thanks to those listed here, and to those who worked off dA, my sis, grandmother, mother, and everyone elso who has commented directly to the poet in personal communications.Anyhow, I look forward to seeing you on dA! Please drop a note if you have an account, I'd love to hear from you. Culture47195@blogcritics.org Wed, 3 May 2006 12:25:24 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/05/02/192853.php Merlinfmct87Well, ladies and gentleman, it's finally happened... the out-of-the-blue hit rock band Evanescence has announced a follow-up record to their hit major label debut Fallen.This new album marks both the return of Dave Fortman (of Mudvayne and Bif Naked fame) in the producer's chair and the band's growth since writing Fallen.As you might expect, many of the songs feature a Choir as well as string arrangements recorded in an old chapel. The band also brings their own driving-yet-intimate style as their last album showcased and the unique blend of rock and classical that seems appropriate by its very contrast.Lee shared, The making of this record has been really intense, but I've come out feeling purified. I've grown so much since Fallen, and Terry is the perfect writing partner -- I feel like I've been lifted up to a whole new level of inspiration and possibilities. After all the things we've seen over the past couple of years, beautiful and tragic, in the end I'm really grateful. It has made us create music I could not be more in love with.But what will this album truly bring? The question many fans are asking themselves is "Will this be the heir to Fallen, or will it fall short? Evanescence certainly deserves high praise for Fallen - which it received - but this album will tell if it was a fluke or if we truly have a rock legend on our hands.I'm hardly clairvoyant ... and I don't know if this new album will sell. But I can't quiet the feelings of optimism and excitement.It is certainly something to mark the calendar for.More information can be had at www.evanescence.com and www.winduprecords.com Music47178@blogcritics.org Tue, 2 May 2006 19:28:53 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/04/03/013411.php Merlinfmct87This is something I see quite a lot of and surprisingly, it's not from just one place. It's not just, say, a wife asking a husband to sell his favorite game, the one he adored playing, because they will "have no time" with the new baby. It's not just a performer giving up a career with an award-winning string quartet because he's touring more than he's home. Or a husband gets a big new promotion in the city and tells his wife to quit her job - his comes first. Or maybe the wife wants to go back to grad school, but the husband won't watch the kids.Time.And time.Again.Why?Now, I'll be the first to concede my utter lack of experience here. I have had, to date, one long-term romantic relationship. This is hardly the basis for authoritative criticism.But still. I can't help but feel the flaw in this is rather obvious. After all, you don't need much experience to point out the emperor is naked. The flaw I see is this:Isn't this supposed to be an equal setup?After all, I hardly think I'd have the right to deny my future wife's dream because it's inconvenient to me - and vice-versa. I certainly hope she wouldn't ask me to sell my Star Fleet Battles collection, or make me move from my beloved Gentoo Linux to *shudder* Windows simply because it's inconvenient to her.I understand that marriage is about commitment, compromise, and doing what's best for each other. Sometimes you do have to make sacrifices.I understand that. I really do.And I can understand that there are some cases when selling an old favorite is really a non-issue. Maybe he just doesn't care for it any more. Or maybe asking her to quit her job for a promotion is hardly a loss. Maybe she hates it there and was just working for the extra income - the extra income your new promotion will provide and more.Then again, maybe not. Maybe you have been dreaming of showing your little one the "coolest game in the world." You have the whole approach planned out, how you were going to teach kiddo all the rules, and make him/her the best player in the world. Or maybe she really, really, loves her job and it gives her the feeling of accomplishment she so needs and wants.What causes this? I can't get my head around either side of this, asking or being asked.This isn't what marriage -- partnership -- is about, is it? It's about what's best for both, isn't it?Picture this: One business partner tells another, "Hey, I need to move. Drop what you're doing and finance it for me. Never mind how much the company will lose on it."What kind of answer do you think he'd get? Yes? Of course, dear? Or would he be laughed out of the room -- and, odds are, given notice?Isn't the only reason this happens is that one of the 'business partners' has emotional leverage over the other?What am I missing, guys? Culture45841@blogcritics.org Mon, 3 Apr 2006 01:34:11 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/03/20/015241.php Merlinfmct87I first got the opportunity to listen to nearLY's Reminder about three weeks ago. There's something about the instrumental cut that slowly guides you into a new place. It feels like something beyond time, above dates, superior to trend.Listening to this album as I write this, I can't help feeling the same way I did when I first gave it a spin - utterly, strangely at home. Pure comfort, which is something even I don't understand in the slightest. But it does evoke something very deep within me, and it always seems to pull me back to try to peel another layer off, get closer to the core, the inner truth of what the artists are trying to say what part of their heart, mind, and soul (that being the largest ingredient in this piece) they poured into this album.For the Nine Inch Nails fans among us (which I count myself as), you will recognize the name Jerome Dillon -- he's been the drummer of the 'band' (using the term loosely) since The Fragile era, and participated in both the With_Teeth recording and part of the accompanying tour. His own signature drumming style is present here in force - soft graceful rhythms, aggressive beats, and something utterly unique ("Release"). He is present in all of them, and he brings his own style and passion to each.Another thing NIN fans will feel at home with, in some way, is the sound. You can hear the influence The Fragile had on Jerome, and the influence he himself had on With_Teeth's unique take on sound and melody.That, however, is where the similarity ends. Jerome may have a few mementos and reminders (that pun was very intentional) of his past projects, but this work is undoubtably something separate and unique. The sound, the lyrics, they are all together unique and stunning. It demands to be appreciated solely for its own merits, and succeeds on all counts.Claudia Sarne brings her own seductive, almost unearthly, tone to the lyrics she sings. From the moment you first hear her voice, she possesses your attention and never lets up. Perhaps that's why the album has so many instrumentals -- no less than three; the other two musicians on the record wanted some attention for themselves, which they certainly deserve. Her intimate plea to her lover to "Step Into the Light" can only leave you heartbroken and crossing your fingers for a happy ending.We've covered the drummer and the lead singer, which only leaves Brett Pierce. He's the man who recorded/performed all the instruments on the album. This man has talent, ladies and gentleman. It's not often you hear a sound style that mixes baroque strings and industrial-esque tones. Yet Brett pulls it all off with grace, passion, and verve rarely matched.Now comes the hardest part of classifying the sound. Is it industrial? Classical? Medieval folk? A new branch of soul?What I want to say here is "Listen." But if I have to give an answer here, it would be "All of the above, and a pinch of something utterly new."Get it any way you can. It's something that will entice you, change you inside and out, and then release you to the world, never to look at it the same way again. Music45108@blogcritics.org Mon, 20 Mar 2006 01:52:41 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2006/03/10/233346.php Merlinfmct87I just did something I've only done once before. I stopped a concert before finishing it.This is such a monumental feat for me, because I almost take it as a masochistic challenge when I find I've rented a really bad flick or show. It's a contest between me and the flick - which one says uncle first?I'm proud to say (in my own somewhat-skewed way) that I've outlasted many a stupid flick. I've yet to be able to outdo Lifetime movies... I'll climb that mountain when I'm able. But back to my rant.You see, I had just rented this concert DVD - Peter Gabriel's Growing Up Live - from the local Hollywood Video. I was about to settle in for a nice two-hour concert, something I have done many times in the past. You see, I am a concert connoisseur of sorts. I've seen and heard many, many concert recordings in my time. It's a passion with me; I am always fascinated at how a song metamorphoses from the calm, controlled studio environment of its youth to its adolescence and eventual adulthood on the battleground of the live stage.Now I must admit I'm not at all familiar with Peter Gabriel's work. I've heard snippets of his work on XM Radio, but it never grabbed my attention, so I would move on to find another channel or artist. This time I was bound and determined to give him a very generous shake at my attention and interest.I lasted just over an hour. Between the bombastic, atonal 'melodies' of his writing, the surreal-just-for-its-own-sake photography and stage setting, or the positively bland, uninsightful lyrics, I felt not only bored, but somehow dimly insulted, as if Mr. Gabriel was trying to pull a fast one on the audience and thought he was the only one who knew.As a concert connoisseur, I've had the distinct pleasure of seeing many artists from many fields and levels of popularity at work. It also makes me very sensitive to artistic bootlegging.Now, I'm not referring to the unauthorized recordings of fame and infamy. I'm speaking of one artist mining others for ideas and then selling them as his own. I could not shake the impression that I was watching a bad knock-off of ZooTV ("The Barry Williams Show") or PopMart ("Digging in the Dirt").In short: Don't bother. Buy a U2 DVD and see the original. Then buy a Phil Collins DVD just to rub the salt in. Music44793@blogcritics.org Fri, 10 Mar 2006 23:33:46 EST