Impulse buy at Starbucks. Odd thing, it came with a "digital album download code," which I thought had some bonus tracks. Turns out to be identical to the album. Why bother?
The new U2/Apple thing. I like it. Which I guess is good b/c maybe it's permanently on my phone now? And my wife's phone, and my laptop. Oh well, only about a year left on the contract on this already outdated phone. I can live with it for that long.
I am working on a conceptual art piece where we get a stadium full of people to play that U2 album on their phones, all at the same time. Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, listening to a very nice recording by the John Ellis Quarter, live at Yoshi's, 07/19/05. Would link to it here, but guess it's not available anymore!
Refreshing my recollection on what is easily the worst Mats album (despite the presence of "Achin' To Be", "I'll Be You", and "Talent Show"), because...
SONAR is
Stephan Thelen: guitar
Bernhard Wagner: guitar
Christian Kuntner: bass guitar
Manuel Pasquinelli: drums - "Sonar is a progressive post-minimal band from Switzerland. Their name stands for SONic ARchitecture, a name which alludes to their intention of creating polymetric and highly structured avant-rock. Static Motion is their second full-length release, and their first release outside of Switzerland.
Fusing a rigorous minimal esthetic with the power of a rock band, every note and rhythm is precisely composed and performed, all of which are designed to move you from one rhythmic and / or harmonic tension to the next. Sonar is the last word in a rock band that works by building their music out of blocks consisting of slowly rising and unfolding musical tension. While you can hear elements of Sonar's sound in ensembles such as King Crimson, Glenn Branca, Present, etc, ultimately, no one else sounds like this and Static Motion is a powerful and extraordinary listen!
Just about everything is different with Sonar: the sound, the harmonies, the rhythms, the whole musical concept. Their instantly recognizable sound is partly due to the special tuning of the guitars and the bass guitar to tritones (C / F# / C / F# / C / F#), an interval sometimes called the "devil in music" ("diabolus in musica").
A large proportion of their music is played using only the natural harmonics of these two notes, thereby creating a harmonically ambiguous musical microcosmos that the group calls "tritone harmonics" and that avoids conventional musical cliches. The group's rhythms are also highly unconventional and usually consist of layered polyrhythms and isorhythms in odd metres.
Sonar's music is always played live without any sequencers, loops or computers, using a minimum amount of equipment: 2 guitars, a bass guitar, 3 small amplifiers and a basic drum kit. Nearly effect-free (with just a touch of reverb and tremolo allowed), the band does this to keep the music as clear, direct and immediate as possible. Sonar does not consider itself or operate as a collection of soloists; rather, their efforts are oriented towards collective efforts making the music more than the sum of the individual parts of the players."
- Cuneiform Records - music - http://sonar-band.bandcamp.com/
@GP - Not for long, you're not. The new Marcin Wasilewski Trio album comes out October 7th, and based on recent history, I'd expect it to appear on eMusic that day or very soon after. BTW, it's awesome. Milder appears on only about half the tracks and his sax enhances the serenity, doesn't shatter it. I'm very happy with Marcin's new one.
NP:
Emilio Solla y La Inestable De Brooklyn - "Second Half"
Yea! It's been a little over a couple of months and I thought I'd check back to see if anyone had left
the gate open to my pen and now this llama is finally free to mingle amongst the emus. Happy day!
OK, so now I'm taking a break from listening to some soundtrack work of Fumio Hayasaka and Masaru Satoh
to turn attention to the recently deceased (last night) Joe Sample. Tho his solo stuff, beginning in the '80s,
was just too close to Aunt Jemima jazz for me, his work in the (Jazz) Crusaders created a major impact.
So, I'll be spending some time with some of that this afternoon.
Too bad there's no preview, so I hope this all looks fine.
Comments
Just downloaded this from Amazon UK for 99p. I'd already got the first half - the standard album, but worth 99p to get the extended versions
Impulse buy at Starbucks. Odd thing, it came with a "digital album download code," which I thought had some bonus tracks. Turns out to be identical to the album. Why bother?
Meanwhile, listening to a very nice recording by the John Ellis Quarter, live at Yoshi's, 07/19/05. Would link to it here, but guess it's not available anymore!
Spoon - They Want My Soul
Craig
I also learned he's touring with pianist Helen Sung; may try to catch them in town next month.
Brian Eno - "Music for Airports"
-The En-ster, playing his quiet early morning music for my quiet early morning ears!
Marcin Wasilewski Trio w/Joakim Milder - "Spark of Life"
Quantic - Magenta
The Replacements - Don't Tell a Soul
Refreshing my recollection on what is easily the worst Mats album (despite the presence of "Achin' To Be", "I'll Be You", and "Talent Show"), because...
I'M SEEING THE REPLACEMENTS TOMORROW!!!!.
Craig
SONAR is
Stephan Thelen: guitar
Bernhard Wagner: guitar
Christian Kuntner: bass guitar
Manuel Pasquinelli: drums
- "Sonar is a progressive post-minimal band from Switzerland. Their name stands for SONic ARchitecture, a name which alludes to their intention of creating polymetric and highly structured avant-rock. Static Motion is their second full-length release, and their first release outside of Switzerland.
Fusing a rigorous minimal esthetic with the power of a rock band, every note and rhythm is precisely composed and performed, all of which are designed to move you from one rhythmic and / or harmonic tension to the next. Sonar is the last word in a rock band that works by building their music out of blocks consisting of slowly rising and unfolding musical tension. While you can hear elements of Sonar's sound in ensembles such as King Crimson, Glenn Branca, Present, etc, ultimately, no one else sounds like this and Static Motion is a powerful and extraordinary listen!
Just about everything is different with Sonar: the sound, the harmonies, the rhythms, the whole musical concept. Their instantly recognizable sound is partly due to the special tuning of the guitars and the bass guitar to tritones (C / F# / C / F# / C / F#), an interval sometimes called the "devil in music" ("diabolus in musica").
A large proportion of their music is played using only the natural harmonics of these two notes, thereby creating a harmonically ambiguous musical microcosmos that the group calls "tritone harmonics" and that avoids conventional musical cliches. The group's rhythms are also highly unconventional and usually consist of layered polyrhythms and isorhythms in odd metres.
Sonar's music is always played live without any sequencers, loops or computers, using a minimum amount of equipment: 2 guitars, a bass guitar, 3 small amplifiers and a basic drum kit. Nearly effect-free (with just a touch of reverb and tremolo allowed), the band does this to keep the music as clear, direct and immediate as possible. Sonar does not consider itself or operate as a collection of soloists; rather, their efforts are oriented towards collective efforts making the music more than the sum of the individual parts of the players."
- Cuneiform Records - music - http://sonar-band.bandcamp.com/
Thanks brighternow!
@GP - Not for long, you're not. The new Marcin Wasilewski Trio album comes out October 7th, and based on recent history, I'd expect it to appear on eMusic that day or very soon after. BTW, it's awesome. Milder appears on only about half the tracks and his sax enhances the serenity, doesn't shatter it. I'm very happy with Marcin's new one.
NP:
Emilio Solla y La Inestable De Brooklyn - "Second Half"
Flaming Lips - Transmissions from the Satellite Heart
Assuming I don't die of happiness at the Mats show, I'll be seeing the Flaming Lips play this album in full on Sunday night. Big weekend for me!
Craig
- Hmmmm ?
Tom Varner - "The Swiss Duos"
-Varner on French horn in a series of duo collaborations with four different pianists. Review posting in about an hour. Final run-through listen.
the gate open to my pen and now this llama is finally free to mingle amongst the emus. Happy day!
OK, so now I'm taking a break from listening to some soundtrack work of Fumio Hayasaka and Masaru Satoh
to turn attention to the recently deceased (last night) Joe Sample. Tho his solo stuff, beginning in the '80s,
was just too close to Aunt Jemima jazz for me, his work in the (Jazz) Crusaders created a major impact.
So, I'll be spending some time with some of that this afternoon.
Too bad there's no preview, so I hope this all looks fine.
®ø?