Against Me - "Up The Cuts"

I checked out this album from the library, and I'm really digging this track right now. here's some second hand smoke I remember catching from the blogosphere (all of which is completely arbitrary and without citation). Against Me! has a very loyal following. Some people think they have sold out with this record, or they've moved to a major label, and it's that same ol' same ol' cry from the people that were there first.

Personally this is all new to me, so thankfully I can hear this album for what it is, and that's a pretty straight forward rock record with really strong vocals and lyrics. I'm liking it.

Hobo! - The Musical

Harry Partch (1901 - 1974) is probably a lesser known legend in the world of "classical" music. I put the term "classical" in quotes because it, unfortunately - like the term "modern", usually tends to refer to a composer or type of music that uses orchestration. In reality the Classical period is the time in art from 1750 - 1820 [1]. But I digress...

Partch was the type of American genius that could only come out of the cultural mix that is America.

"In 1930 Partch broke with Western European tradition and forged a new music based on a more primal, corporeal integration of the elements of speech with music, using principles of natural acoustic resonance (just intonation) and expanded melodic and harmonic possibilities. "[2]

Along with that Harry Partch is also famous for inventing the 43-Tone Scale.

Partch may be best known for U.S. Highball, A Musical Account of Slim's Transcontinental Hobo Trip. A piece he based off his own travels from Caramel, California to Chicago, Illinois in 1941. Here's a clip below with a brief explanation.





Here's a clip from a 1968 documentary on Partch, with footage of Harry playing some of his invented instruments:



And here are clips to a 6 part BBC documentary on Youtube:
part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

Part 6:

Great little video find - The Unicorns...

I would noramlly brissle at the thought of this subject matter. Perhaps because it reminds me of horrible airbrushed Trapper Keeper notebooks, and D & D kids. This I like though...

Parts and Labor's "The Gold We're Digging"

I believe all rock videos should be of limited budget, funded by the band, and be done as much as possible by the band itself. Well. that might be difficult for some, but at least employ some one who is willing to work with the simple premise of putting visuals to your music. And for god sake, stop trying to make videos look like a blockbuster movie!

That being said, here is a perfect example of a great looking video, a good song, and rather simple idea (no matter how complex the actual execution was). I compare it to a cross between Wang Chungs video for Everybody Have Fun Tonight and The White Stripes Fell in Love with a Girl.