OM84

OM84 is the work of duncan wood-walker. recorded in 2000, OM84's only record was created exclusively with old keyboards and a vocoder. there's no irony in the music, just a wonderfully sincere and somber tone. all of the songs are available for download. check out "harmlessness".

dangerdoom video: aqua teen hunger force

from their kickass collaboration, another fun video paying homage to one of the best animated shows on tv. dangerdoom's aqua teen hunger force video.

[via antville's video page]

overlooked science and tech stories of the year

the end of the year is a happy time for me since i think in lists. this list by rj eskow in the huffington post is one of the best i've seen.

ever get into big star?

here's a good way to start, thanks to the jeffitoblog.

skate vid using creative commons beastie boys track

a recent vid to pass through the antville video page mixes some custom skatepark video footage with the creative commons/wired cd track by beastie boys (now get busy).
check it out if you like skating, and/or the beastie boys.

Predictably, Rick Moranis Has Recorded a Country Album

No, seriously. Get some info and listen to a few tracks here:

http://www.rickmoranis.com

(thanks, cw)

the nba's digital archive project announced

one iconic rebound you will be able to watch over and over again

the nba moves us one step closer to a world where any show ever made is instantly available. their latest venture is a project to make 60 years of footage available for viewing or remixing into custom highlight packages. it will take six years to complete and will most likely be available through the nba website and on-demand-type systems, but the first iterations will show up immediately. and the capabilities will be mindblowing.

Since 1996, courtside statisticians have been assigning time codes to plays so they can be matched to taped broadcast footage. That coding will make it easy for computers to search for, say, all the 3-point attempts by Michael Jordan with less than 2 minutes of play in a game where a team leads by five points or less.

radcasts

download audio from bob-dylan- no direction home and john lennon's rolling stone interview from 1970 through itunes for free.

the absolute worst from the "worst of 2005" list

human vs. chimpanzee--who comes out on top? from today's sf examiner. please tell me that it's fake, that someone slipped a funny past the editor. anyway, read this scanned segment and be happy that 2006 is just days away.

viral music

the top songs of the year according to the fine mp3 blog aggregator elbo.ws. with a few clicks you can find most of the songs on the list too.

[via a boy, a girl, and his radio]

the definitive 'lazy sunday' story

brain cannot hold anymore information about the lonely island guys after the new york times explains that shit too def!

k-fed launches website, forgets to tell anyone what it's called

associated press did not give into pressure from the bush adminstration to hold back the biggest story of the year.

thas right, biatches. k-fed has his own site. just try to find the url, and you are finished.

snake versus kangaroo

a must-see for those who find nature fascinating and are amazed by the capabilities of earth's many creatures. this photo series shows the aftermath of an encounter between a snake and a kangaroo. it might just blow your mind. great webpage to show your nephews and nieces.

top 50 gadgets of the last fifty years

this is a printer outer!

free online music lesson tutor site

made with flash and a creative commons license, the ricci adams music theory site lets you practice theory, keyboard, guitar, ear training and more, for free, through the magic of your web browser. get those casios dusted off and start honing your chops.

CoverFlow

i'm really enjoying the demo version of CoverFlow, an mp3 browser that lets you see album covers in a 3d-ish way. mp3s are represented as album collections, rather than individual songs which make things feel more tangible. it's a lot more fun to look at than a typical mp3 player. itunes is used in the background to play songs.

brand new best shirt ever

sure didn't take long for someone to throw this heavenly tee together!

digital universe: a more credible wikipedia?

digital universe is a wikipedia-style info resource launching in 2006. it will differ from wikipedia by inviting acknowledged experts to review the articles that are submitted by the general public. despite nature's recent report that wikipedia is as reliable as the encyclopedia britannica, many people have doubts about wikipedia's credibility.

uffie's got the internet goin' nuts

check out uffie. the mr. oizo collab is siiiiiiiick.

UPDATE: uffie denied my request to submit a song to sneakmove's minicomp002. screw uffie! just kidding, uffie. you're still ok by me.

the game ain't playin'!

this link's been floating around for a few, but i keep forgetting to post it. the game's stop snitchin / stop lyin dvd comes out in january. the promo site is hilarious -- from the url (theblairsnitchproject.com) to the hyperbole used to describe the movie ("the most controversial DVD in hip hop history") to the dvd's cover art (he's soooo fucking tough!). more proof that rap is wrestling. i love it!

Chapelle Theory - Proof of Image Faking

Following up on Sam Biguity's post ragarding the possibly viral marketing campaign known as Chapelle Theory, I did a little investigation into the authenticity of one of the images presented as "evidence" on the site.

By this point, with a "BULLSHIT" stamped all over the website, it's not exactly speculation that the site is complete nonsense of Weekly World News proportions.

That being said, HERE is some detailed evidence that at least one of the images on the site was doctored.

benzino is outta control!

check out the *insane* voicemail messages that wack rapper and source ceo benzino left for julia beverly of ozone magazine.

(via)

plugging the "analog hole"

This ars technica article spells out a scary new peice of legislation...

"The Digital Transition Content Security Act of 2005 (PDF) is sponsored by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) (PDF) and would close that pesky analog hole that poses such a dire threat to the survival of the music and movie industries. The bill was originally planned for introduction in early November, but was tabled after hearings held by the House Subcomittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property.

Calling the ability to convert analog video content to a digital format a "significant technical weakness in content protection," H.R. 4569 would require all consumer electronics video devices manufactured more than 12 months after the DTCSA is passed to be able to detect and obey a "rights signaling system" that would be used to limit how content is viewed and used."

back to the future -- part 4???

rumor has it that michael j. fox is talking about making a follow up to one of the mainstays of the 80's -- only this time he'd play doc. time to finally watch bttf3, everyone.

The former Spin City star wants to take over Christopher Lloyd's eccentric scientist character, Doc, in the sequel. He tells movie website Moviehole.net, "The only way it would work would be if I played Doc. I'm 44-years-old now and I'm not interested in running around on skateboards!"

how to: determine what rate to charge your clients

posted on about.com and targeted to graphic designers, but it is widely applicable to anyone that has their own service-based company. read through to find what you should be charging. chances are, it's more than you think.

new movie remake--predator???

apparently hollywood has redone all the 60's and 70's classics, and now they're dipping into the 1987 catalog--word on the street is a remake of predator is in the works. the movie would star professional wrestler john cena as the role of "the marine" (arnold). oh hollywood, you're so weird sometimes.

engadget is hiring a how-to editor

one of the top, if not THE top gadget sites, engadget, is in the search for a new how-to editor. read the requirements and get your resumes in early.

I’m hiring a new ‘How-to’ editor for Engadget. We’re looking for someone who can contribute at least 2 how-tos a month. Original how-tos can cover hardware, software, and anything in between. We’ve covered software how-tos like streaming with VLC and setting up Synergy. We definitely want someone who isn’t afraid of a soldering iron and can do things like building WiFi antennas and embedding sensors in clothing.

does this viral marketing make me look phat?

it seems funny, ad guy funny not chappelle funny, that this site is appearing as hype builds for the remaining unseen episodes of the now cancelled chappelle show.

a little detective work makes us believe that in a few days you'll know if you've/we've been spreading some corporation's messaging for free.

(thanks, glenn and will.)

what does brokeback mountain mean?

does the excellent new adaptation of the e. annie proulx story by ang lee have anything new or specific to say about what it means to be gay? manohla dargis from the new york times frames the discussion (free reg and mind required).

Jack and Ennis are not cowboys (if anything the two are shepherds), but they are, in Ms. Proulx's resonant words, "beguiled by the cowboy myth." It is a myth shaped as much by Hollywood as history, which is why when Ennis pushes his Stetson down to obscure his face, the gesture recalls nothing so much as James Dean pushing down his Stetson in the epic 1956 western "Giant."

(thanks, andy.)

live pixies double album coming shortly

the pixies are releasing a live double cd with 28 tracks from their 2004-2005 tour. got all the classics, recorded in wonderful cities around the globe. already available on emusic; itunes etc coming jan. 3.

saving snl's soul

looks like snl is at it again. hiring andy samberg and the rest of the lonely island could move the yankees of comedy back from being the bologna of satire into the blinding observational force it can be.

also, something historians should note: funny people love chris parnell, who is just about as nice and consistent as they come.

(thanks, johnny elks.)

google "wins" the aol sweepstakes

a smiling larry page, back when he still had some integrity

the past few weeks have seen a quiet bidding war between three major companies: yahoo, google and microsoft. the prize? aol. things heated up when yahoo declared itself out of the competition. finally, today the announcement was made: google wins. but is it a win at all? for one billion dollars, they get a 5% stake in aol--and in return they agree to alter their business model to meet aol's yucky demands. we'll find out more after the weekend, but things may be very different on the internet from here on out.

over 8 feet long, over $24,000 - lego star wars cruiser on ebay

you don't have to be a star wars fanatic to appreciate how cool this would look in your bedroom, taking up more space that a queen sized bed. and with eight days remaining, who knows how many years of rent money the final price will set you back. but c'mon, it's worth it. please buy this.

lego star wars attack cruiser
(thanks, halfsie.)

the worst email you ever got

add STD to LOL, BTW and LMAO and the other most annoying all-caps phrases on the web.

la county now lets you use email anonymously to warn someone that they may have an STD. good and awful in so many different ways.

ultimately my superego's verdict: if you can't figure who sent you this naughty e-greeting and are still nervous, see a doctor or priest, depending on your religion.

britt daniel on veronica mars

hot on the heels of top model kim livening up veronica mars, spoon's britt daniel is slated to make a cameo on the teenage detective show.

definitely not safe for work

the cover of the new liars' single is super gay!

the beastles

dj bc's beasties/beatles mash-up collection has been around for a bit, but somehow i just now heard about it. kinda fun and pretty much exactly what you'd expect.

ipod mini: a smart investment

apple killed off the ipod mini in favor of the nano back in september, but some consumers aren't having it. on ebay, the mini actually sells for nearly 140% of its original retail cost.

Jeremy Horwitz, editor-in-chief of popular iPod site iLounge, said "there's no reason to prefer the iPod Mini (over the Nano) on technical specs." The Nano is faster, has better audio quality and a color screen, among other advantages, he said. So he can only guess that people are paying more for the Mini because it's now rare, comes in more colors, and, he said, is sturdier than the Nano, which has been accused of scratching easily.

harvard's berkman center: recommendations drive music sales

one tenth of people surveyed frequently buy music based on other people's recommendations.

my morning jacket's response to the rootkit fiasco

super cool. (scroll to bottom).

Mike Martinovich, manager for My Morning Jacket, says that even before the revelation of MediaMax's security problems, his company had been mailing burned, unprotected copies of MMJ's new album Z to fans who complained that MediaMax prevented them from transferring songs to their iPods.

'boards magazine--a treasure chest of commercial video content

'boards magazine is not a magazine i know much about, but i'm sure that it's more familiar to you video professionals. one great part of their website is the screening room, which has a large repository of videos, categorized into animations, commercials, music videos, and short films. the stuff leans towards the more creative side, especially if you can find the art in a burger king commercial. and why do commercials from overseas always seem so much cooler?

electric six gets a new american record deal

the best band from detroit isn't kid rock. it's electric six. they had a hit album in europe a couple years back but their american label wasn't so keen and didn't pick up their newest record. now, after almost a year, they announce their latest album senor smoke will be finally released in america on metropolis records in feburary 2006, with a 43 date american tour through the spring.

good videos for checkin' today

antville's video site always has something new to enjoy each time i check it. today there's a good video (sigur ros live in reykjavic) and a fun video (sarah silverman's "give the jew girl toys") to peep, and take the poll for best video of 2005.

prince goes back to the majors

got an email press release today with the news that prince (purple rain, little red corvette, etc etc) is signing with universal to release his upcoming album. see below for the full release:

Prince Signs Deal to Release New Album
- - - - - - - - - - - -
December 12,2005 | NEW YORK -- Prince, who has put out most of his music on his own record label over the past decade, is aligning himself with a major label once again. The 47-year-old superstar has signed a deal with Universal Records to release his upcoming album, "3121," early next year. A press conference was scheduled Tuesday in Los Angeles.
Prince had a similar deal with Columbia Records in 2003; that label distributed his acclaimed comeback album, "Musicology," for NPG Records, Prince's label.
Also Tuesday, VH1 and its affiliated networks, including Tempo and VH1 Soul, are scheduled to premiere the singer's new video, "Te Amo Corazon (I Love You Sweetheart)," directed by Salma Hayek.
"Salma heard the song and came up with the original concept," Prince said of the actress in a statement. "Salma is the most thoughtful, attentive director I have ever worked with. An absolute joy."
VH1 will also make the song available on its Vspot broadband channel and VH1 Mobile.
----
On the Net:
http://www.npgmusicclub.com

(thanks, steffy.)

Jelly Donut in Freestyle Rap Battle

In this deliciously ridiculous video, a member of San Francisco's acclaimed comedy group Killing My Lobster goes head to head against six MC's in a freestyle rap battle. Also, he's wearing a Jelly Donut costume.

Click here to watch the Donut straight glazing fools.

(thanks, cw)

[via boing²]

will.i.am to "pull a rick rubin" on sergio mendes

the black eyed peas' will.i.am is producing sergio mendes' upcoming album. go ahead and groan, but you simply can't deny the power of this team-up:

"I have Sergio Mendes, Pharoahe Monch and Justin Timberlake on a track," Will said. … "This is like classic beautiful melodies."

David Cross' Open Letter to Larry the Cable Guy

Apparently a while back David Cross said some things about Larry the Cable Guy in a Rolling Stone interview. Larry either read it, had it read to him, or was told about it, because he, in turn, targeted Cross directly (along with the rest of the "P.C. Left") in a chapter of his new book GIT-R-DONE.

Please enjoy David Cross' response to Larry's book: An Open Letter to Larry the Cable Guy.

sf movie screening-- metal storm: the scandinavian black metal wars

anyone in sf without an office holiday party to attend on wednesday (dec 15) would be a real loser for missing out on the screening of 2000's metal storm: the scandinavian black metal wars at the yerba buena center (701 mission st). the film documents a violent and deadly war between and within the black metal bands hailing from the hidden northern reaches of europe. even if you hate black metal, this film promises to fascinate.
(thanks, steulo.)

free guitar lesson video podcast

iplaymusic.com makes guitar instruction dvds. they're also jumping on the video revolution with a (video) ipod-viewable guitar lesson videocast. 35 free lessons, just in time to get you set for your family singalong.

succumbing to schizophrenia, seen through art

late onset schizophrenia is a terrifying monster. not being able to discern reality from imagination, fighting with voices in your mind, being treated with heavy chemical medications and ostracized from society.

artist louis wain was known for painting cats, his work published in a variety of papers and magazines. as he got older, he developed a case of late onset schizophrenia, eventually requiring permanent hospitalization. his sad case is interesting to observe through his cat art, which denegrates from political commentary into psychedalic images.

sofia coppola's marie antoinette movie trailer

only recently, i learned that sofia coppola is making a movie about marie antoinette. some good names in the film (kirsten dunst, jason schwartzman, molly shannon, rip torn--but it isn't a comedy). from the looks of this preview trailer, complete with synthy 80's mod-pop, it seems to be a grand film.

[via antville (read the heated debate in the comments section)]

attention all music producers: remix contest will get your song in a film!

copyright law pioneers creative commons announces a hot new promo contest for all you music magicians. their latest remix contest will get 12 winning tracks on a compilation cd, and the top pick will have a song featured in the copyright criminals documentary film about remixing.

official contest info page.
official press release.

read the rules and send in your submissions right away!

Creative Commons, along with filmmakers Kembrew McLeod and Ben Franzen, today announced the Copyright Criminals Remix Contest. The competition encourages producers, DJs, and remixers from around the world to use audio snippets from the upcoming documentary film Copyright Criminals in new, original songs. One winner will have his/her music featured prominently in the final edit of Copyright Criminals. The winning track, along with 11 runners-up, will be included on the film’s companion CD. The contest will be hosted at ccMixter from Tuesday, December 6 through Tuesday, February 28.

Drawing from more than fifty interviews with prominent musicians, artists, scholars, lawyers, and music industry representatives, Copyright Criminals looks at the development of sound collage (also known as sampling). The film explores the complicated impact that copyright law has had on the creative practice of sampling and studies the conflicting opinions artists and others have about appropriation.

“This contest, like our documentary, examines what it means to be creative in an age of digital reproduction,” says Kembrew McLeod, co-director of Copyright Criminals. “Artists have traditionally borrowed from each other and have been directly inspired by the world around them. But what happens when digital technologies allow for very literal quotes to be inserted into new works?”

Samples of dialogue by artists like De La Soul, DJ Qbert, and members of Public Enemy, as well as Matmos, Coldcut, and members of Negativland – all taken from interviews conducted for Copyright Criminals – are available online at the popular remix community ccMixter for use as source material to be included in entrants’ songs. The audio snippets are available to the public for free through the use of Creative Commons licensing, which allows for the sharing of and building upon existing creative works. Entries will be judged by McLeod, Franzen, and author/producer Jeff Chang. Contest rules and details are available at ccMixter.

google earth coming soon to a mac near you

it's almost like that map of the deathstar from return of the jedi

appleinsider reports today that google earth for os x is in development. in fact, there is apparently an open gl version for mac making the rounds overseas, and they have screenshots to prove it. if you haven't tried google earth, you'll be blown away. it takes the magic of google maps and multiplies it by 1000, allowing you to take a detailed look at areas not only from above, but at an angle, with many many more parameters than just google maps. and it's free, while the report says a gps-enabled version will cost $20 a month. well worth it for you gps freaks (both of us).

those t.a.t.u. girls are sooo dramatic, and also boobie-licious

there's also a part where a merry-go-round blows up in a huge fireball

a russian language song from the russian rock duet t.a.t.u. is online for your viewing pleasure. and what a pleasure it is--look out for the part where the bustier girl is really flashing some flesh. their videos, with all the melancholy and explosions, are starting to remind me of german rockers rammstein, except these girls are russian and look like teens, chesty chesty teens.


[via antville]

rss toilet paper printer

i'm pretty sure this is fake because the only info i can find is from some guy's blog. either way it's funny. up-to-the-minute rss feeds printed on toilet paper right there in the restroom! the rsstroom reader toilet paper printer appears to be a taiwanese product that can wirelessly deliver fascinating butt wipes.

emanon

emanon is a southern california hip-hop duo that's been making music since the mid-90s. their early stuff was genius. check out their classic track "iambland" from back in the day. by the sound of things on their myspace page, they're still doing good stuff. shaman work recordings released their latest collection of songs, called the waiting room, in september.

the ricky gervais show

check out the first episode of the ricky gervais podcast, if you wanna. if you saw rick-dog and stephen merchant hanging out in the extra features on "the office," you kinda know what to expect.

foxy brown is deaf now?

remember when rush limbaugh went totally and suddenly deaf, right around the time he was facing charges for abusing his medication? i wonder if foxy brown has the same lawyer, as they announced yesterday that she has the same affliction. good luck with the trial, foxy! and stay calm--remember, rush's hearing came back as mysteriously as it went away.

EDIT: apparently his returned hearing wasn't a mystery, as commentor "ghh" notifies--rush had surgery to implant a hearing restoration unit. now we're sad again.

guide to free vst instruments and effects plugins

an entire industry exists for creating and selling plugins, but just like the software world there are some high-quality freebees out there if you know where to look. this site has a comprehensive list of free vst and au instruments and effects that will beef up almost any recording setup.

soften up your tough musician pal with the hello kitty strat

looks like intel isn't the only company fender is collaborating with these days. check out the affordable ($230) hello kitty fender stratocaster. apparently from the photos, it's for girls! looks pretty basic but not a bad present idea for your high school aged little sister.
[via ohgizmo]

dirty a

this video is going to make it even more horrifying when arnold defeats some no-name democrat next year.

[via huff post]

breakdancing robots, handle-less segways, entire porn business for sale, and more!

i couldn't pick just one thing to post from today's edition of gizmodo. lots of great stuff there today, including:

• the new japanese segway which doesn't have a handle or steering wheel-- i feel my ankles snapping right now.
  
• breakdancing robot that finally doesn't seem like some lame cheap plastic toy.
  
• porno business for sale on ebay. the whole thing!

my hat is off to those gizmodo guys. always delivering a job well done.

junip - black refuge video

after checking out a new band on gorilla vs bear recently (via pete's jennylewis s.m. post), i'm really digging this band junip. their haunting organs and faraway guitars create such a wonderfully somber, autumnal sound. their official website has the video clip for black refuge (with an equally great dark, sad skeleton vibe to it). i've found some other info on the band from various other sites (brooklyn vegan, antville), such as this being jose gonzales' new project (i'm still confused by gorillavsbear's sweden reference).

fever tree and madvillain

it's fun to discover the source of samples used in songs you love. i got an lp in minneapolis by a band called fever tree. it looked interesting. UNI records and late 60s-looking seemed like a safe bet. when i got home and put it on, it had the crazy bass and guitar break used by madlib in the madvillain album! the fever tree song is kinda annoying as a whole, to be honest. still, it provides some insight into how beats get put together and is a testament to madlib's ear. check out the songs and love 'em.

"99 and one half" by fever tree
"america's most blunted" by madvillain

espn jumping in to the ipod video revolution?

espn, owned by disney (who also owns abc, a company now providing tv show video content to the itunes store) is contemplating joining with itunes to help promote their initiative of providing content, anyhow, anywhere. their initial analysis shows they could have double-digit growth with all their new offerings. time to buy some stock in espn, investors.

listen to some sweet offers for cheeep v1agra

spamradio is a streaming web radio show that uses text-to-speech software to turn junk email into audio. why?

[Spam] invades your inbox every day with a sense of confidence. There is always a new sales pitch -- a new way that you can improve your life, if only you will take a few minutes to read. Anything this important shouldn't be ignored. Anything this important deserves its own radio show.

heidi fleiss to open an all-male brothel near vegas

it's called heidi's stud farm. the "hollywood madam" has already hired her first whore -- actor les brant, of another world. hbo is planning a reality series about the bordello -- sounds disgusting! and, well, we'll be watching.

"What I want to do is only good for the brothel industry here. I'm Heidi Fleiss. I know this business better than anyone in the world."

Opening The Pandora's Box of Music

It is difficult for me to attribute any one reason to explain my change or growth in my musical preference throughout my life. Luckily the folks who created The Music Genome Project have developed Pandora, a software program that will introduce you to “new” music based on a song or artist that you currently like. Over the past five years they have attempted to dissect the D.N.A. of music in order to help the listener discover music that aligns with their listening pleasures. Give it a shot, I did. It looks like my love for The Jim Yoshii Pile Up has introduced me to a new world full of Hefner, Consonant, Baby Ray, and oh boy the list goes on!
[thanks, sygyzy]

forbes magazine's top 15 richest fake people

using their secret formulas, forbes has created a profile of the 15 richest fictional characters-- people like bruce wayne, daddy warbucks, thurston howell iii. they even give a little background on each person and how recent events have affected their wealth ("Iraqi conflict has been kind to Warbucks; recipient of multiple defense contracts"). what an honor.

rolling stone on biggie's murder

excellent rolling stone article about the unsolved murder of the notorious b.i.g. that calls into question the credibility of the la times' reporting on the crime.