There were some mistakes in the calculations used to select tracks, as per my new year’s resolution (still going strong), last week. I’ve been too busy to record a full episode, so please accept in its place this half-episode, which contains fewer tracks but, thanks to the inclusion of a Halloween megamix, isn’t actually much shorter than the first. The tracklist is as follows:
Pastor McPurvis - The Oddio Overplay March [from Oddio Overplay]
Georgia & August Greenberg - Oddio Overplay Theme (We Like to Share) [from Oddio Overplay]
*The tracks can be streamed. If they can be streamed, those who know how can probably download them. For instance, here’s a direct link to Halloween Haunt Megamix.
**Not by Flying Omelette as I said in the recording. I am aware of the mistake, but due to time restraints I am forced to leave it be on this occasion.
I found the picture above whilst out walking the dog this morning. It seemed somewhat provident, given what I planned to write about tonight, so I took it home with me. Click the image to be taken to the flickr page, then click on “All Sizes” to see it in all its glory.
A feature - in fact, the only feature of my old blog - was a systematic exploration of my music. Since then I have decided to completely strip my computer of music and have begun to rebuild it. It is, as those who have ripped large CD collections - particularly upwards of once - know immensely tedious work, but as the collection feels more truly mine once more. There’s little music around which I am looking at with befuddlement as I try to recollect from whence it came. That doesn’t mean I’m an expert on my music by any stretch, some artists I know really well, some albums I have picked up as I have liked that one song by an artist and want to hear more. UNKLE’s Never, Never, Land (2004) was an example of this. I, like most folk raised on britpop and indie, before (but then again, probably after) the genre was hijacked as a trendy marketing term for guitar-and/or-synth-based pop/rock bands signed to major labels but with an "indie aesthetic" (whatever the crap that might be), know them first from their track which featured Thom Yorke’s vocals and a stunning video (by the director who went on to make both Sexy Beast and Birth, Jonathan Glazer) to accompany it, Rabbit in Your Headlights:
A review on musicOMH describes In a State as "a cousin of Street Spirit but given a piano part that’s closer to Tubular Bells," which I can understand though it does smack of clutching at straws to get a Thom Yorke mention into the review somewhere in spite of his absence on this particular record, though this may make it the best second track for those initiated the same way to hear, before taking the plunge. And if you wish to plunge without doing as I did and going out to buy an album, you could do worse than the band’s website, which features a good many streaming tracks as well as, on the front page at present, a 20 minute James Lavelle promo mega-mix available for free download.
Nothing’s been added to the sidebar to this effect as yet, but tracks are for sampling purposes only and will be available for no more than two weeks unless they are hosted by a dedicated server and the artist wishes them shared, in which case download links will most likely point direct to the appropriate page anyhow. If you like the music, please follow the links to purchase albums where available or, better yet, go down to your local music store and ask them for it. If you own the rights to the music then, in spite of what is discussed in my previous post, I shall honour all requests to remove files and links. The purpose of this blog for me as a lover of music is to discuss and introduce people to new sounds. If you feel this affects you then get right in touch. You can find me by solving this simple bot-fooling riddle to uncover an email address: <the title of this blog*> (at) live.com.
*That’s the bit before".blogsome.com"in the address bar.
During my haste to write and publish the podcast last night, I missed the most important reason why artists and performers choose sometimes not to place such heavy restrictions on how their music can be distributed and used. It is this: for the love of music. There’s nothing more simple or beautiful than that. It hit me as I was out with the dog as a notable point of neglect in my scripting. It’s not just about getting heard; it’s about loving what you do and giving your gift to the world, to make it that little bit better. Art (and I’m not just talking about music here, as visual arts and literature are suffering similarly), is being treated more and more as a commodity that must can given merit only by the value that can be placed upon it. These groups who work (no less hard than those who make it their primary source of income) outside of the system are not, as I might have suggested in my momentary verbal clumsiness, mere rebel outsiders out to make a point about rights and ownership, They are artists who believe that their work is worth far more than the arbitray monetary value placed upon it by these self-appointed custodians of intellectual property.
It’s probably best I don’t go on any further, as clearly my writing is all off-kilter tonight. Instead, I’ll link to Pitchfork Media’s "One Week Only" film (so be sure to check it out whilst it’s still there*), RiP! A Remix Manifesto. It centres around Girl Talk, briefly mentioned in that podcast of mine, as an example of an artist working under the Copyleft banner. It’s pretty interesting viewing, whichever side of the "intellectual output as property" argument you stand on, or if you’re completely new to the whole idea of new-art-from-old (such as plunderphonic art pieces, illegal sampling and mashup) and want an introduction to the topic that covers most bases.
*Having said that, it’s also here and here (though this last is for download by my American-flavoured readers only), in what appear to be unlimited releases.
POSTED BY The Netcaster ON @ 10:54 pm | 0 Comments
Well, it took me long enough and I was hoping to have it out a little earlier tonight, but things like life have a habit of getting in the way. That said, I applied myself to getting it published and here it is, the maiden voyage of the Casting the Net netcast (link).
As for this blog, I plan to use this to talk about music, film and whatever else comes to mind, without any real restriction except that it should, hopefully, be interesting to the world at general. So no "guess what my cats did today" posts, unless the cats do actually do something pretty spectacular. I have a few features already on the go in the real world, so those should start appearing here. For now, though, please do enjoy the podcast and leave feedback here or there, constructive or otherwise.
EDIT: In one draft of this commentary I added a link to Free Albums Galore. Somehow that got left out of the finished article. Consider this careless omission now rectified.
