PRI’s Fair Game asked Andrew W. K. to write a rocker based on words from TV’s shout-fest The McLaughlin Group, “The McLaughlin Groove” (0:47 mp3):
“The next man on the moon will be Chinese.” Who know the pundit was a poet?
Gotta say, tho, Msr. W.K. has fallen mightily in subject-matter, reduced to covering shlock like TV’s punditocracy; especially considering his previous high-culture accomplishments, not least of which is Jackass’s “We Want Fun:”
Check the Fair Game site for host’s Faith Salie’s leadup to the song and intervu w/ W.K. (along with a link to SNL’s McGroup sendup).
A trombone takes fire, ice, wood, and greased steel balls to become a musical instrument. Filmed at the S.E. Shires company, from Discovery’s Science Channel series, “How It’s Made – Trombones:”
The people who master music CDs have gone compression crazy, sez this Rolling Stone article “The Death of High Fidelity.” In this “loudness war,” fought for the ears of radio listeners, their sonic weapons maximize a constant volume by boosting the softer sections, clipping the peaks, and squishing the dynamics,. What’s left is a flatline of loud, like the soundwave to the right (of an Arctic Monkeys song).
Way back in WFMU’s blog is an album that continues to dazzle me, Yann Tomita’s Doopee Time. Sez Station Manager Ken:
Here’s a strange and wonderful record called Doopee Time by the Japanese composer and experimentalist Yann Tomita. Trying to describe this record (or Tomita) is difficult – part muzak, part dada comedy, part I Dream of Jeannie, with a running commentary by The Doopees, two Japanese doll women named Suzie and Caroline.
All the Doopeemp3s are up at WFMU; here’s a few of my faves:
In The Observer, Simon Napier-Bell, manager of bands from the Yardbirds to Wham!, details a history of adversarial relationships between musicians and their record labels: “The life and crimes of the music biz:”
‘Systematic thievery,’ said the Dixie Chicks in their writ against Sony. ‘Intentionally fraudulent,’ claimed US music lawyer Don Engel.
From their site: “The Vegetable Orchestra performs music solely on instruments made of vegetables. Using carrot flutes, pumpkin basses, leek violins, leek-zucchini-vibrators, cucumberophones and celery bongos, the orchestra creates its own extraordinary and vegetabile sound universe. The ensemble overcomes preserved and marinated sound conceptions or tirelessly re-stewed listening habits, putting its focus on expanding the variety of vegetable instruments, developing novel musical ideas and exploring fresh vegetable sound gardens.”
From their automate CD, here’s an excerpt of “cut 2” (1:03 mp3):
For Black History Month here’s Rev Dr MLK, Jr, backed with a music mix by rx, one of the best pol cut-up artists out there. “MLK (rise again)” (9:57 mp3):
rx seems also to be a Mike Gravel supporter. Here’s one of his videos, “power to the people vs give peace a chance:”
If you’ve the overwhelming desire to have pretty celebrities tell ya who to vote for, watch this well-done politimusic video Mr Dippy (aka, Black-Eyed Pea’s will.i.am). He calls it “Yes, We Can.” I call it an obama-nation.
Happy Birthday to radio’s Some Assembly Required on their 9th year of ops and 200th broadcast. Since 1999 sound artist Jon Nelson (of Escape Mechanism) has hosted the series, which “features work by a variety of artists and groups who work with bits and pieces of their media environments, giving something back to the cultural landscape from which they so enthusiastically appropriate.”
An audio slideshow about the Burmese political rock band, Iron Cross. Photos, text and audio by Scott Carrier (from his HV/NPR story); music by Iron Cross; slideshow sequenced by Max Darham. “Rock the Junta: Iron Cross- Burma:”
Tony-b Machine is a interactive flash/programmation that incorporates audio samples to simulate a electronic keyboard, it stores, catalogs and hosts an extensive collection of user created music. Tony-b Machine originated November 2006 as a simple keyboard with 8 chords. Second generation Tony-b, February 2007, integrated sound samples and a user forum. The current installment resembles a laptop and enables users to archive 12 pieces under their account. Enjoy Tony-b Machine.
Singing Science Records is a collection of six records that illustrate science through song. They were produced in the 1950s and early 60s by Hy Zaret and Lou Singer; they were preformed by Tom Glazer, the 1940s folk musician who wrote “On top of Spaghetti.” Our Singing Science selections start with a song covered by They Might Be Giants:
Jason Cady and the Artificials experiment with opera. The following piece is in five parts, Overture, Recitative, Aria, Recitative II, and Finale. The two Recitatives are priceless: they are operatic renditions of everyday conversations, recorded by the composer. “Recitative” (at 2:10 into piece) is about how folk from Michigan say “m’Bye.” Recitative II (at 6:10) dialogs on the dictionary definition of “resplendent.” Jason Cady and the Artificials, “Post-Madonna Prima Donna” (9:35 mp3):
From the PBS American Masters doc, “I Have Nothing to Say and I Am Saying It” (1990), John Cage prepares for a 1982 performance his 1955 composition for twirling radio dials, “Speech:”
“In ’84 Dr. Demento aired someone’s tape montage of ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ with many key words borrowed from other songs. I thought “American Pie” would have make a better victim, so with digital advances (i.e., no more razor blades, online music, etc.) I was able, over several months and two countries, to make it happen.”
So with all due respect to Don McLean, here’s a heapin’ helpin’ of Blake Simpson’s “American Spliced Pie” (8:59 mp3):
Following along with this list of artists spliced:
Don McLean
Boston
Barry Manilow
Waylon Jennings
Steely Dan
Morrisey
The Carpenters
Johnny Cash
Peter, Paul and Mary
Madonna
Beach Boys
David Bowie
The Beatles
Carly Simon
Traffic
Styx
Neil Sedaka
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Dire Straits
Bing Crosby
Pink Floyd
Leslie Gore
Louis Armstrong
The Police
The Rolling Stones
Barbra Streisand
The Who
Buddy Holly
The Doobie Brothers
Neil Young
The Everly Brothers
Nazareth
The Guess Who
Elton John
Led Zeppelin
Byrds, The
Memphis Minnie
Cooper, Alice
Kelly, Gene
Ronstadt, Linda
Monotones, The
Frampton, Peter
Michael, George
Lovett, Lyle
Paycheck, Johnny
Lovin’ Spoonful, The
Jewel
Donald Fagen
Golden Earring
Proclaimers, The
Howard Keel
Jackson, Joe
ABBA
Bad Company
Berry, Chuck
Kinks, The
Robbins, Marty
Coe, David Allen
Mitchell, Joni
U2
Paper Lace
Reddy, Helen
Larry Groce
Isley Brothers
C.W. McCall
Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley
Lynard Skynard
Yankovic, “Weird” Al
Price, Ray
Yardbirds, The
Eagles, The
Dylan, Bob
REM
Joplin, Janis
James Gang, The
Queen
Essex, David
Wonder, Stevie
Mothers of Invention, The
Miller, Roger
Jethro Tull
Townshend, Pete
Page, Patti
Simon, Paul
Merman, Ethel
Newman, Randy
Mike Sammes Singers, The
Springsteen, Bruce
Foghat
Grant, Amy
B-52s, The
Krause, Allison
Siouxie and the Banshees
Kansas
Devo
Cray, Robert
Fleetwood Mac
ZZ Top
Sting
Kingston Trio
Manfred Mann
Fitzgerald, Ella
Mountain
Nystrom, Marty
Gene Autry
Green Day
Williams, Hank
Anderson, Lynn
Talking Heads, The
Cheap Trick
Zappa, Frank
Idol, Billy
Bob McGrath
Marshall Tucker Band, The
Shannon, Del
Rogers, Kenny
Toto
Eminem
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Mormon Tabernacle Choir, The
Rundgren, Todd
Justo Almario
Zevon, Warren
Black Sabbath
Starland Vocal Band, The
Merle Haggard
Julie Andrews
Hall, Tom T.
Roberta Flack
Margaret, Anne
Greenwood, Lee
Diamond, Neil
Band, The
Travolta, John
Left Banke, The
Men At Work
Huey Lewis and the News
Free
Martha and the Vandellas
Lennon, John
Blondie
Thin Lizzie
Stevens, Cat
O’Connor, Donald
Monkees, The
Procol Harum
Band of Gypsys
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
The Vegetable Orchestra “performs music solely on instruments made of vegetables. Using carrot flutes, pumpkin basses, leek violins, leek-zucchini-vibrators, cucumberophones and celery bongos:” via Mountain Music Project.
The people who master music CDs have gone compression crazy, sez this Rolling Stone article “
Way back in WFMU’s blog is an album that continues to dazzle me, 
Happy Birthday to radio’s 
The latest in David Schulman’s 
Poet 
Attached to an email from a friend from Panama,