Finding NewTunes

smilin’ joe fission

Jon — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:33:41 +0000

This is the song.

the power of gogol bordello

Jon — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 06:45:59 +0000

I’m sure I’ve written more than I need to about Gogol Bordello on this site. But we just went and saw the independent documentary, Gogol Bordello Non-Stop. (See the trailer…)

And my wife made an otherwise innocuous observation that I think rings very true.

On the recommendation of Developer Jim, I went to my first concert festival event – Lollapolooza in Chicago. While I don’t think I’d want to go to another concert festival like that, something very significant happened that day.

Having received an email from friend Rick telling me “run, don’t walk to see Gogol Bordello,” I walked over to the South stage to catch the band. I’ve chronicled here how absolutely amazing they are live, so I won’t get into that. Plus, what really happened was not that I saw a great show. It was my introduction into the Eugene Hutz philosophy on life.

It crystalized for me what had been a loose philosophy of my own – try everything and be up for anything.

Shortly after that show in August, things really started to take off in my life. My job with NewTunes was slowly and painfully crashing. People around me started to reveal themselves for what they really were. My wife was getting progressively unhappy at work.

I think pre-Gogol Bordello, there might have been more willingness to take it – especially for my wife. But she embraced the lyrics and the band. I saw them again in October, and then we flew to New York and saw them in their natural environment.

When 2009 began, we began to think the unthinkable – moving from Madison and heading back West. And in April, I got a job with RealNetworks, sold our house in one day, gave away a bunch of our belongings and packed our house in two weeks. By mid-May, we were in Seattle.

It’s hard to say what might have been, but had it not been for Gogol Bordello calling attention to the Gypsy, no borders lifestyle, who knows whether or not we would have made the trip.

Obviously there were other factors, but Gogol Bordello will always occupy a very special place for me. And while I love music, few bands or musicians can claim this influence on my life.

If you haven’t already, give them a chance. I hope they can do something special to you, too.

start your weekend in a hong kong garden

Jon — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 06:11:10 +0000

I love it when I rediscover a classic song. Not a hit or something that was once popular. Just a song that I knew of, or used to listen to a lot, that resurfaces after 10 or more years.

Just heard “Hong Kong Garden” by Siouxsie and the Banshees while at my friend’s house. Now I can’t get it out of my head.

Classic video, too…

watch out! avalanches!

Jon — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 05:38:09 +0000

Since I’ve been in Seattle, it’s been pretty much work, find a place to sleep and hunt for a home. As such, I haven’t had any access to television or any media past the Internet – which has been an interesting experience on its own.

Anyway, I am lucky enough to work with some music fans – including one who worked in the industry for the last 20 years. They’ve been tipping me off on several bands, but one that’s stuck is the Avalanches.

If you haven’t seen the video for “Frontier Psychiatrist,” check out the video below. The Avalanches specialize in the use of samples to make their collage of sound. In some ways, they’re almost like a 2009 version of Art of Noise.

But what makes this video great is that they assign a person to carry out each of the chosen samples. Makes for some good fun. Here ya go…

And here’s some Art of Noise, for those of you who remember them…

someone great

Jon — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:45:06 +0000

On the day that Michael Jackson died, I got into my car to go home from work and popped on KEXP – 90.3 in Seattle. If you’re not familiar, go to their website. They’re the greatest radio station in the world, and if you listen to their live stream, I guarantee you’ll find it more interesting than any Pandora-type site.

Anyway, when I got in, they played a clip of someone talking about Michael Jackson and then played “Someone Great” by LCD Soundsystem.

I’m not sure why I knew this song, because I don’t own any of the albums. But I recognized it immediately and was captivated by the opening riff and then the lyrics.

I hadn’t seen it coming, but this turned out to be the perfect song for what had happened. It’s been awhile since I’d gone out and purchased a CD because of a song I’d heard on the radio. But I just did tonight.

Here’s the video. And the entire album’s worth getting, too, if you don’t already have it.

Incidentally, if you’re not familiar with LCD Soundsystem, their (his) claim to fame is creating a 45 minute song that was commissioned by Nike for runners to listen to in their walkman’s. (that’s right… I wrote walkman’s.) If you don’t have it, download it and run to it. It’s pretty solid.

after 34 years… another mystery solved

Jon — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:50:57 +0000

Every since I was 5 years old, I always thought it was:

maresy-dotes and dosey-dotes
and little lamesy-divey.
a kiddledy-divey, do
wooden you.

It is now clear to me that, in fact, it goes more like this:

Mares eat oats and does eat oats
and little lambs eat ivy.
A kid will eat ivy, too,
wouldn’t you?

Whew. Well… on to the next thing.

plenty of good seats still available

Jon — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:48:21 +0000

Interestingly, you can still purchase tickets to see Michael Jackson play live in London. I wonder when they’re going to get on that…

michael jackson is dead? what?

Jon — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:38:24 +0000

What? In some ways I’m surprised he lived this long, but in others, it’s hard to believe.

I never really paid attention to his recent public persona. Didn’t really find it that interesting.

But I do remember growing up to the more classic “Off the Wall” album, which featured “Don’t Stop ’til You Get Enough,” “Rock With You,” and “Workin’ Day and Night.” And then Thriller came out right when I hit my neighborhood lawn-mowing prime. I wore that cassette out in my walkman as I kept the neighbors’ lawns manicured.

Michael Jackson was a force of nature in his prime, and that’s just how I’m gonna remember him. So, as I take the 10 seconds needed to digest the news, I look back at my youth, and MJ’s part in it, with this song (my favorite from his solo work)…

speaking of great songs – try this old one from suzanne vega

Jon — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:43:59 +0000

After “Lotus Eaters,” “Blood Makes Noise” from Suzanne Vega came on. Another great, if not forgotten, song.

Great iPod day, I tell ya…

(Although the video for this is a bit dated…)

you know what’s a great song?

Jon — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:40:23 +0000

I’m having an excellent iPod day today. “Lotus Eaters” by Dead Can Dance just came on.

What a fantastic song. Now I can’t wait to listen to more of them on the way home from work.