wackacon » the future of music

i can keep rhythm with no metronome, no metronome, no metronome

lantius — Tue, 13 May 2008 21:00:54 +0000

the flobots are really great. oddly enough, this up-and-coming hiphop act reminds me of no other band more than cake, especially on their lead-off single, handlebars.

once you get that song good and stuck in your head, you’ll probably be looking for some other, non-musical auditory enjoyment delivered directly through your cochlea to your brainstem. might i suggest listening to one of the newfangled internet podcasts that are available for your listening pleasure?

at the top of the list i narcissistically must place the rulezero.org podcast, featuring none other than myself, jon safety monkey grover , and paul the blogless springer. i know i’ve pimped it out before, but we’ve shortened up our format and we’ve got a few new episodes up for your listening pleasure. check out episodes 9 and 10 – you don’t even have to be obsessed with video games to like it now as much, although it still helps to like nerdy crap.

next up is the podcast that has (somewhat ironically, given the title) been hurting my podcast self-esteem since i first started listening to it. you look nice today brings the “three guys chatting about whatever” game to a whole new level. it even features interludes with john hodgman between the humorous lols from their twitterin’ principals: lonelysandwich, scottsimpson, and hotdogsladies.

lastly, and you kind of have to be a real nerd like me to like this one: the penny arcade podcast. it’s fair to say that this was one of the two biggest inspirations for my own podcasting desires (the other being the now defunct daily affirmation with kris and scott (scott and kris)). it’s a rambling look into the minds of creative folks as they sit around working.

code monkey think maybe manager want to write god damn login page himself

lantius — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 23:32:20 +0000

i like fritos. and if you don’t follow, then you need to listen to jonathan coulton. so badly. seriously. he’s really talented!

if you’re interested in hearing more, less-talented audio, might i direct you to episode 01 (nee 00) of the rulezero podstravaganza. in it, you will hear the poetic waxings of myself, jon “safety monkey” grover, esquire, and paul the websiteless. we discuss a few things about video games and d&d 4th edition, make some dick jokes, and generally banter about like you’ve probably seen us do in real life. we’ve got one more episode already in the can, and a halfisode made with too high of a beer-to-content ratio that will hopefully show up on the commentary track for the rulezero podstravaganza premium boxed set remastered platinum extended edition.

today is a day of feeling like a slacker, because christmas break is right around the corner. tonight if you’re in the greenlake area you should come by to cheer on the contestants in the third annual greenlake race of champions. and then tomorrow i’m gonna shake off my hangover and fly to bfe western oregon, and christmas break will have officially begun.

it’s penny arcade with tycho and gabe, it’s the penny arcade

lantius — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 02:06:15 +0000

the frontalittle squad is one of the strangest bands i’ve ever heard, and it really did take a while for their particular brand of internet-collaborated indie-nerdcore to grow on me, but eventually they were successful. i certainly hope that my love of songs like penny arcade and space cadet is not going to come back and haunt me like my brief 7th grade infatuation with the music of “wierd al” yankovic has. of course, white and nerdy will always appeal to a more mainstream audience than a song like saving throw, so i’m probably screwed.

perhaps of more interest to my faithful readers is that i finally got the all-clear from my doctors with respect to my elbow. turns out not getting a screw slapped in there was the right choice, and hopefully i’ll be getting back up to full strength again soon. here’s to less getting hurt in 2007.

an open apology to anyone, anywhere who has ever extolled the virtues of sufjan while i stood idly by, not really listening to what they were blathering on about

lantius — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 18:23:33 +0000

so this past weekend i responded to a random invitation from my friend kristen to drive down to portland to see the sufjan stevens concert at the crystal ballroom. i’d never really listened to sufjan, perhaps once while riding in the car with jason or jordan, so i had no particular longing to see him. but the fact of the matter was that i really had nothing better scheduled, and the promise of seeing my wonderful ma and getting some delicious grub and beer at the hb was more than adequate to tip the scales in the favor of a pdx trip.

it was in a word, brilliant. why didn’t i listen before? regardless, i am now a sufjan proponent.

please, please, if you doubt me give at least these few tracks (from his album “come on feel the illinoise!”) a listen from my happy local streaming server:

of course, they are approximately five times better at full fidelity, and even more impressive with live horns and strings in a cavernous space such as the crystal. definitely worth seeing live.

i’m starting to get used to this feeling of last place

lantius — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 22:41:16 +0000

i don’t think of myself as very musically inclined. i mean, i don’t think i even started listening to anything other than the nerd staples of soundtracks and weird al yankovic until sometime in high school. i can play a total of three songs on the piano (if you count my renditions london bridge and mary had a little lamb as distinct), make a couple different noises on the didjeridu, and be really annoying with a djembe.

fortunately, the last seven or eight years i’ve been fortunate to have a number of friends in bands making music that i really enjoy. one of the best musicians i’ve had the privilege of knowing is danny kwak, and he just played his last seattle show last night with his ensemble band yesan damen at the chop suey. i highly recommend you check his music out. you can still pick up a copy of their cd at cdbaby.

unfortunately for danny, he’s reached the place where ‘reality’ and ‘passion’ stand at odds. with it looking improbable that his musicianship will provide him with a career, he’s moving back down to los angeles to pursue graduate school. it’s pretty hard to see him go.

sheep entrails for the digital age

lantius — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 19:01:32 +0000

okay, it’s meme time again. maybe i should have one meme a week. meme mondays? theinternet thursdays? i got this one from lt. it’s music-based, in that the answers to these questions were helpfully provided by itunes shuffle over my two thousand song library. usefulness of this form of divination? low.

how does the world see you?
imaginary girl – tennis pro, cassie’s junior varsity make-out squad. i would like to be known as the guy with an imaginary girlfriend.
will I have a happy life?
get up – dropkick murphys, do or die. if i don’t get up, if i don’t stand for something then i’ll fall for anything.
what do my friends really think of me?
believe, – third day, time. but then, what do they know?
do people secretly lust after me?
salty dog – flogging molly, swagger. hopefully this does not mean a drunken pirate secretly lusts after me.
how can I make myself happy?
come just as you are, crystal lewis, greatest hits. probably the most accurate answer i’ve ever seen.
what should i do with my life?
you’re pretty when i’m drunk – the bloodhound gang. check!
will i ever have children?
wish i hadn’t stayed so long – hayes carll, sxsw 2005 showcasing artist compilation. possible interpretations here seem to be a substantial stretch.
what is some good advice for me?
solstice: reintroduction – blue scholars, blue scholars: the expanded re-release. in the title? not much for advice.
will i be remembered?
date with destiny – pennywise, full circle. this is eerily accurate, actually.
what is my signature dancing song?
the white tree – soundtrack, the lord of the rings: the return of the king. well, no. though it does kind of make me tear up just to think about the grandeur of minas tirith when behold, the lords of gondor have returned!
what do i think my current theme song is?
crime and punishment – fun lovin’ criminals, come find yourself. dostoyevsky, i am not.
what does everyone else think my current theme song is?
fear of the last branch – mercir, as small as the center. if i gave you two thousand two hundred and ten of my mp3s and asked you to pick for me a theme song and this is what you came up with i would give you a huge gem-encrusted golden trophy.
what song will play at my funeral?
you – bad religion, no control. please? eternity my friend is a long fucking time.
what type of men/women do i like?
suite autumn – soundtrack, halo. sweet autumn? perhaps!
what is my day going to be like tomorrow?
see you soon – coldplay, live 2003. and with that i’m done. see you tomorrow?

bonus prize: hamster!

lantius — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 17:40:52 +0000

for me, this is video of the year. i just got dj format’s new disc and the rest is every bit as good as this song.

i also finally heard and immediately purchased the blue scholars, basically on the strength of the tracks blink and the ave. at the same time i heeled to wheelie’s advice and got the new boom bap cd. i was not disappointed. northwest hip hop, represent.

i hope that you find mercy when you find that i’m not clever

lantius — Mon, 10 Oct 2005 22:56:19 +0000

in no particular order i present twenty-one reasons to see eleven different local seattle bands:

the brandon ghorley project: the apology song, wooaah and their crazy awesome drummer.
the republic: features two goughs, and a lovely song called second chance.
optimus rhyme: they played my house and have a song about being a robotic transforming taxi cab driver.
john tsnuam: he’s a sushi chef by day, rapper by night, asian delight. he’s not too intelligent, but extremely resourceful.
mercir: zadok is a pretty cool guy even if we never did succeed in playing pickup soccer. the dynamics on the beach are almost flawless though.
tennis pro: they flip off the crowd (and get it in return) while singing the 2nd chorus to taking your mom home tonight (she has low self-esteem).
argo: all you do is all for you, unless you’re john wooster – who looks old, is young, and has a thing for maria cantwell. they also played my house.
u.s.e. united state of electronica: you’ve probably heard of them, and rightfully so – even while making thumping beats, johnny rock can take it to the bridge.
yesan damen features danny kwak and a string quartet including arick gouwerok. though i haven’t heard any of this new stuff, i recommend it on the basis of his last outing.
& 11. super deluxe and harvey danger used to be common names on commercial radio, and though even i haven’t seen them yet i’d say they’re still making knockout songs.

seven track soundtrack

lantius — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 20:22:16 +0000

this is a new meme, created by the one and only maggie. i don’t know if she intended it to be a meme, but since i’ve got the bandwidth and the mp3 collection, may as well.

title and credits: joss whedon & sonny rhodes – firefly theme
our urban cyclist: optimus rhyme – ford vs. chevy
the journey: john tsunam – feet not feat
a meeting: dream of a tree – beach song

intermission: cake – arco arena

failure: death cab for cutie – title and registration
questioning: tree63 – a million lights
the battle: third day – never bow down
a hero’s finale, end credits: pennywise – bro hymn (with hidden track)

outtakes: tenacious d – lee

yes it’s the optimus, no stoppin’ us

lantius — Thu, 29 Sep 2005 04:35:32 +0000

best. show. ever.

from left to right: powerthighs, wheelie, grimrock, and stumblebee – who gets mad props for letting me use his camera and sending me even this very photo.