scissorkick

I think it's time to move. Yes, I think I sort of hate blogger. And I'd like to move to another blogging software. Any ideas. Please let me know if you use something you are happy with.

Posted by Steve at 8/15/2006 12:05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments   

Got back from DC and was happy to return to the Ratatat record sitting in the mailbox. Not only did the good people at XL send over the CD, they also sent over the first vinyl single from the record, "Wildcat," which includes a sick E*Vax remix on the A-side. What can be said about Ratatat that hasn't already been said? The record has a cheetah or cougar, some kind of big cat, on the front. Fresh meat friends. Get ready for the kill. Satiate that bloodlust I know you all have for the untamable guitar-shredding-beat-binge. Arena rock meets bedroom beats. Classics is an expansion of the typical Ratatat sound and features some acoustic and slide guitar, sleigh bells and cello. It's a much more rounded out instrumental sound, moving away from the over-the-top Monsters of Rock (not completely of course) toward a more progressive, expansive pallete of sounds. As always though, the boys write immediately arresting hooks, produce huge, angular breaks, and have a sound that is instantly identifiable. In 2006, that's about as refreshing -- and approproate -- of a sound as I can think of. It's not simply rock and beats together. It's the evolution of equal love of both channeled into a unique product. It's difficult to find comparisons to Ratatat off the top of my head. And that's a fantastic thing. RIYL: Battles, Midwest Product, Outhud, The Neptunes, E*Vax, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Joe Satriani Resources

Posted by Steve at 8/07/2006 10:16:00 AM | Permalink | Comments   

Back in college, about 10 years ago, I had the opportunity to jam with three other friends in a pretty amazing practice space in downtown Buffalo. Not far from a nice brew pub and within close proximity to our apartment, we found ourselves practicing on a fairly regular basis, refining a handfull of songs to near completion. We never really had a name (our friend Zander suggested "Gloves" which we all agreed was pretty sick) and played only 1 show. But as I get older, I find myself revisiting these songs and becoming even more connected with them. The recordings below are certainly not perfect. Recorded by Scott on 8-track, they were digitized from a cassette tape that had been eaten and re-spliced back together with scotch tape. Not only do I want to get these things on the server for archival purposes, it is more important rather, to the overall understanding of this often misguided blog that they are posted. I think had these songs been written last weekend, they'd still resonate with me, but the underlying nostalgia, the well traveled quality of the audio and the fact that I waited nearly 5 years to post these makes it worth a listen. I hope you agree. The demo is something Jamie and I recorded on the fly one afternoon a few years ago. I think all of us would probably agree that tracks 4 & 5 are the standouts. The illustration I borrowed for the fake album cover is from my old friend Andy Gilmore, the finest illustrator I know. Check all of his amazingly detailed, highly personal work at at his Website hosted by his label Carbon Records. Or see more current works at his blog .

Gloves :: Afternoon Demo (2003) Gloves :: "Song #1" (1997) Gloves :: "Song #2" (1997) Gloves :: "Song #3" (1997) Gloves :: "Song #4" (1997) Gloves :: "Song #5" (1997)

Posted by Steve at 8/04/2006 11:39:00 AM | Permalink | Comments   

Just receieved some advanced MP3s from the new Days EP from Hefty's Eliot Lipp. Two new nuggets of angular synthesizer instrumental hip-hop that can break the sweltering 100-degree heat. The first is a brand new track from his forthcoming digital-only EP called "Eye Sore" available for download at Beatport or in the iTunes store. So says the Hefty PR machine: "The EP consists of ten tracks, each one perfected with a similar synth-funk hip-hop formula found on the critically acclaimed Tacoma Mockingbird album." From the likes of the first single, I'd have to concur. The second track is a remix of "Glasspipe" from his last LP, the stellar Tacoma Mockingbird by dublab's own Daedelus. Maybe it was produced on his magic box. Who knows. But this is a bonus treat for all of you on this ridiculously hot, close to dangerous, summer day.

Eliot Lipp :: "Eye Sore" Eliot Lipp :: "Glasspipe" (Daedelus Remix)

Posted by Steve at 8/02/2006 04:49:00 PM | Permalink | Comments   

I will be DJing at the world premiere screening of the Psst! Pass it On... series of collaborative films next week -- Tuesday, August 8th, 7 to 11 PM at Kanvas. I had the opportunity to write about these shorts for RES and they will not dissapoint fans of short film, animation, motion graphics and the like. The basic principal is based loosely on the Surrealist game of Exquisite Corpse. In other words, one team of artists works on 1/3 of the film and then sends it to the next team who complete the next third and so on. It makes for really interesting films on the whole and for a fun study in transition. Discovering the methods by which each set of artists chooses to add-on to the previous section is the real heart of the project. Some makes smooth slides, others intentionally trainwreck. It's unpredictable and a great watch. RIYL: RESfest, One Dot Zero, Gas Books, WeWorkForThem, etc. Resources

Posted by Steve at 8/02/2006 10:05:00 AM | Permalink | Comments