new sneakmove release: magic me! out today!

the oakland-based band magic me plays mid tempo indie rock with organ and slide guitar. sneakmove super pal and meanest man contest member quarterbar plays guitar and sings on some of the songs. the band's first e.p. is available now at emusic. it will be on amazon and itunes in the next couple days. it's a fine collection of songs and was expertly recorded. this record is a digital release on our own sneakmove label. we're so so proud.

recorder: fantastic robot rock from tulsa

i was introduced to a fun-to-watch-and-listen-to band last weekend, called recorder. they're doing some creative, cool stuff, but rather than explain it, i'll let you watch a couple of their videos.






you can download their whole album for free.

here's a track to get you started: fax post data (mp3)

(thanks, magic jeremy, thanks robbo.)

more details about muxtape's demise and possible future

read up on what went down with justin oulette's quickly popular, quickly gone project.

john williams

john williams is the prolific film composer who wrote the themes to star wars and jaws. this is a funky disco version of the theme from close encounters of the third kind. the makers of the lp were legally obligated to print "not an original soundtrack" on the sleeve.

john williams "theme from close encounters of the third kind"

300 worst fake rapper names

best week ever has a pretty hilarious list up. 300 terrible names for rappers. ninja-vitis and da constant gardna are two of my faves.
(thanks, erin.)

new mr. oizo lp

find voltorb, catch voltorb has a couple tracks up from the new mr. oizo lp, which apparently comes out on ed banger records in november. sounds pretty good. more insane dance beat programming from the french master.

"sharp drest" featured in nba 2k9

"sharp drest," the electrorap track i did with mochipet and oonceoonce (more info here) is featured on the soundtrack to nba 2k9, along with songs by dangerdoom, beastie boys, n.e.r.d., santogold, the cool kids, and others. the game comes out october 7th but the entire soundtrack is available to listen to online now.

the version of the song that's in the game was re-recorded and cleaned-up (my favorite lyric substitute: "i ganked and shot ya" becomes "i came to rock ya" - awesome!). the original version of the track is still available for free download at rcrd lbl, kexp, buzznet, and iheartcomix. woo hoo!

flying lotus + eric wareheim + devin flynn video

holy wow! the new flying lotus video is a RIDICULOUS porno clip directed by eric wareheim (tim and eric) and animated by devin flynn (who we posted about previously here). it really is pornish, so don't watch at work, please.

saturday in sf: quarterbar + charity benefit

there's gonna be a special charity event saturday evening at the madrone lounge in san francisco. it's a benefit for the burt children's center and will feature a dj set by our own quarterbar. there will also be fun performances by futuristic prince and the tourist and mr. wrong? of the magnificent seven. see you there!

mixtube makes mixes from youtube audio

miss muxtape? here's an option for the interim: mixtube. using the (sometimes/oftentimes crappy) audio of youtube's videos, it lets you make mixes just like you've been wanting to keep doing. here's an extensive techno playlist to help you wake up and start your workday.

they apologize for having to display the video component too, but make the video window pretty tiny and tucked in the corner of the page.

vinyl records: still selling, and sales are up, according to businessweek

trying to catch up on all the magazines you subscribe to is hard, especially weeklies like businessweek. so forgive me for missing this aug 23 article: audiophile's delight: vinyl records still sell.

just check out the crazy 5d mark ii sample movie

pulitzer prize winning photographer vincent laforet borrowed a new 5d mark ii and made his first movie ever. movie budget: $5000. lens budget: $25,000. they say it's all in the glass, and this is a good example: the images look like moving pieces of art.

watch the movie here

funny enough, the big controversy from the galley is canon's use of 30p and not offering 24. of course, if it had been, someone would cry that it didn't include 60...

(thanks, trav.)

eric burdon and the animals

here's a great raw rockin' classic. it's originally from the 1966 lp animalization, but i got it from their best of 2 collection. the hand claps really make the song for me.

eric burdon and the animals "cheating"

info about the animals

make your own drum loops

o'reilly has a quick tutorial on how to construct your own drum loops in garageband, but also applicable for the fancier programs (live, logic, etc).

look where your homie george bush left us

"white rapper show" runner-up john brown is back with some ol' topical raps. expertly melding diss rhymes and sex rhymes, "sarah palin (i wanna lay pipe)" is guaranteed to revive the ghetto and rule the burbz.



mp3:
john brown - "sarah palin (i wanna lay pipe)"

obama's high school basketball highlight reel

as a basketball junkie, late september is when i really start itching for the nba and college seasons to hurry up and begin. and as a patriotic american, late september of any election year is when my election fever adrenaline kicks in, as the candidates round the bend and the finish line starts to come into view.

this highlight video of barack obama's 1979 high school basketball team playing in the hawaii state championship satisfies both of those cravings. after all the buildup for the past few years, it's odd to think of the commentator so casually mentioning obama's name.



two hoops-related tracks to kick off the weekend:

basketball (mp3): just a flat-out great song that makes it hard to not want to go outside and practice your finger roll. kurtis blow, 1984.

sirius (mp3): there's probably a good reason that i'm not a campaign manager, but if i were i'd strongly push for obama to use the chicago bulls' warmup theme song, off of the alan parsons project's 1982 album "eye in the sky." the chicago connection plus the tone that eludes to upcoming triumph make this seem like a perfect fit.

canon sets a new dslr bar with the d90 crushing 5d mark ii - full frame hd video!!!

just days after nikon rocked the photo and video world with the first dslr to shoot hd video, canon responds in kind, majorly. the new canon 5d mark ii - successor to what is a kick ass piece of photo gear - has a crazy set of specs that look to match or exceed those of the d700 (although a little slower at 3.9fps vs 5fps for the d700, and with an inferior autofocus system). features 21 megapixels, iso that ranges from 50-25.6k, 3" lcd, and more...

the big buzz is the video mode. canon's offering increases the resolution over nikon's to a full 1080, at 30fps, using a full frame sensor for increased detail. and in a nod to moviemakers wishes, it has an stereo mic input option. the possibilities of this camera have the forum users eager to start filming with it.

canon's inclusion of such a high quality video mode is an interesting move, as they are also a leader in digital video cameras, and specs like these put a lot of pressure on their video division (in addition, of course, to those of all the other manufacturers). with this and the nikon (plus the work that red has been doing - thanks red, for forcing these two giants to start giving us more of what we want), major revisions with be coming quickly. we're at a stage where a huge shift in video capture has begun - expect everything to be completely different in one to two years.

check out the full specs on dpreview and gizmodo, and watch some sample videos here or here - they're small but crispy clear (even in japanese).

price: $2700 body / $3500 with 24-105 lens (and it better be nice for $800 more). expected to be available in november 2008.

(thanks travis)

tornado machine at sfo - and how to make your own

waiting for a delayed flights is a regular activity for most people, so when airports take it upon themselves to have interesting installations, it makes me say "hell yeah, this ain't so bad after all."

case in point: sfo's tornado machine. tall enough for a grownup to stand inside of, the machine creates a very cool vortex of mist. the effect is truly and completely mesmerizing - the next thing i knew i had been staring at it for two hours straight, and it was time to board my flight.



love it enough to put one in your living room? the weatherscapes website has a pdf instruction set that steps you through all the materials and process to make your own. i personally think a desktop version would be badass.

the sea and cake "weekend"

i really like this new sea and cake video. it's pretty perfect, actually.

chemical brothers producing next mgmt album

although i try hard not to, sometimes i let hype turn me off to music that i would really like if i only gave it a proper listen. mgmt is a great example. early on, i was resistant to check them out because every music blogger was jocking them sooooooo hard that i dumbly assumed that their sound was noisy 130bpm "banging club track" madness. but then i stopped being a dick and actually listened and now it turns out that they're one of my favorite new bands.

anyway, this article in the guardian says that the chemical brothers are producing the next mgmt album - and that it won't be dance music. that could be very very cool.

otis fodder posting roadium mixtapes and more at wfmu's beware of the blog

otis fodder has started a new series of posts on wfmu's beware of the blog called the mix machine.

In the future weeks to come (every Thursday) I'll be sharing classic mix tapes, limited edition 12" megamix singles/albums + current mashups and massive mix meltdowns.

he's off to a GREAT start with rips of roadium mixtapes, which were mixes produced in the '80s by dr. dre, tony a (hi-c's dj) and a host of other influential west coast dj's. they were primarily sold out of the roadium swap meet in torrance, ca. they featured freestyles by rappers like eazy-e, tone loc, ice cube, as well as crazy mixes of electro, miami bass, hip-hop, and more.


check out the rad cover of this dr. dre mixtape from 1986

i bought some of these mixes from kobey's swap meet in san diego when i was a kid (you can read me nerding out about it in the comments of this post). turns out that's where otis got his copies too. cool.

completely coincidentally, otis fodder also has a track on the upcoming sneakmove minicomp 3, which is now available for pre-order. much more on that very soon. woo hoo!

and, to tie this post up all pretty-like, let's check out an otis fodder track with a great title right now, shall we?

otis fodder - "if you're a fan of don henley you're in luck"

radiohead uses kontakt 3 for their live performances

music making geeks will be curious to discover that radiohead's long-secret live rig includes a setup of macbooks running kontakt 3, with a number of samples on it to facilitate their more elaborate electronic songs. musicradar.com has the full story, and a couple photos that illustrate it closely.


here's a photo of johnny at the radiohead concert i went to in madrid in 2003. even then, he was rocking the mac.

let's active

mitch easter was the frontman for athens, ga rock band let's active. what a wonderfully annoying band name. their sound is straighforward rock in the vein of elvis costello. easter is best known for producing some of the early r.e.m. records. this track is from 1983's afoot e.p..

let's active "every word means no"

this thursday: the parish, lady genius, sweetie

sneakmove's second favorite record label, gold robot records, is presenting a very cool show on thursday. oakland's own special rock band, the parish, will be performing alongside new gold robot signees lady genius and sweetie. the show is in celebration of recent GRR releases. it's at the starry plough in berkeley on thursday, september 11 at 9:30 pm. 1331 shattuck. i'll see you there.

electric flag

here's a track from electric flag. it's loud rockin soul. the band features mike bloomfield and buddy miles. honestly i'm not into most of their records, but this track is pretty great. from 1968's an american music band lp.

the electric flag "see to your neighbor"

new meanest man contest songs on dublab and so much silence

two of our favorite music sites are offering free downloads of tracks from meanest man contest's new ep, we blame you.



dublab's got "you're right. it's ballin'.," along with mmc's remix of thee more shallows' "night at the knight school."



so much silence has mochipet's remix of "throwing away broken electronics," as well as the original version of the track. there's also a nice write-up of the ep. awesome!

fully flared: insanely awesome skateboard vid opening sequence

even if you're not a skateboard junkie, check out this explosively awesome skateboard video from lakai called fully flared. four years in the making, and a directing team that includes spike jonze. all i've seen is this opening sequence but i suspect the rest of it is top-notch as well. not a brand new video, but well-deserved of a viewing nonetheless.

one interesting sidenote - you might recognize the filming location from the rock and roll acid test episodes. perfect place for a video like this, i'm happy to see it represented so awesomely.



(thanks, chris baker)

the rascals

here's some feelgood funky soul from the rascals. these fellows had tons of hits in the 60s as the young rascals. this track is from a later effort, 1971's peaceful world. jazz heavy-hitters joe farrell, hubert laws, alice coltrane, and ron carter play on the record.

the rascals "happy song"

since tim and eric have a few sketches that mention rascals, i'm going to use this tenuous connection to post this funny/really annoying clip from their show:

sfj on laptops and music

the new yorkers' sash frere jones talks with battles and girl talk in a discussion on how the laptop has become an onstage live instrument, from serato scratch dj'ing to erykah badu to radiohead.

r.i.p jack weil, designer of snap button western shirts / check out south san gabriel

take a couple minutes and read this fascinating obituary on jack weil, the man who pioneered the western look that so many continue to wear in classy, rugged style. mr. weil passed away on aug 13 at age 107 in denver. thanks, economist.





speaking of people dressed in jack weil's designs, i saw a great "all texas" show last week: centromatic, sleepercar, and south san gabriel. the three bands were phenomenal, but more than the others i haven't been able to stop listening to south san gabriel since then. singer will johnson has a soothing tone to his voice, coupled with a somber haunting violin that floats like nighttime autumn leaves blowing through endless fields (how's that for a cheesy description?). in other words, super good stuff.

check out "trust to lose":


support the band and grab the rest tracks here.

fairport convention

more vinyl rips this week. fairport convention. all the recent neo-folk, ren fair bands owe this band a debt of gratitude. this gem is off their 1969 what we did on our holidays lp. the end of a holiday is pretty sad, right? let's all enjoy the last bit of summer.

fairport convention "end of a holiday"

another nikon d90 sample video to keep the drool flowing

call me a sucker for marketing, but i can not wait for this dang camera to be released. in the meantime, i'll keep trolling the video sites for more sample footage. here's a pretty good one on vimeo - make sure to click through to the actual vimeo page so you can watch it in full hd beauty.


Nikon D90 Sample Movie " Train " from ligar on Vimeo.

don't forget! add sneakmove.com to your rss reader to keep up with all the awesome posts we put online all the time.


bonus: here's one more awesome d90 video i just found:

Pizza with the nikon d-90 from MOVIE GUY on Vimeo.

some saturday keep ya workin music

learn more about shit robot.

carl "sherlock" holmes

my favourite sound is a blog that posts lots of good funk, soul, jazz, and disco. i found this track there. notice the familiar drum break and guitar part. the sample has been used by beck, along with many others i'm sure. there's a nice write-up about mr. holmes here.

carl "sherlock" holmes "black bag"

bikes with soundsystems - great article in the nyt

who doesn't love the sounds of summer blasting from the back of a bike pedaling down the street? in richmond hills, queens, a group of kids has made this into their main activity.

Usually, the stereos crank out heavy Caribbean beats, but Mr. Ragbir cranked up the new system, which was playing a 1980s hit by the Outfield — “I Don’t Want to Lose Your Love Tonight” — and the near-deafening music had his friends bobbing their heads as they worked on their bikes.

more in the nyt.

(thanks, jon.)

leo kottke

i ripped a bunch of my old records recently. i'll be posting some highlights in the next couple weeks. first up is leo kottke, the virtuoso acoustic guitar man from athens, ga. this is a beautiful solo performance from his 1969 lp, 6- and 12-string guitar. realeased on john fahey's takoma label.

leo kottke "the fisherman"

nick catchdubs & mr. ducker's "radio friendly unit shifter" mix

the homie mr. ducker collaborated with nick catchdubs on a great '90s-themed mix that was just released by streetwear label mishka. it's called radio friendly unit shifter and it's a round-up of alt-rock hits by bands ranging from cibo matto to sonic youth. i helped out on the project by mining my digi-crates for some of the songs the guys used in the set. (i haven't seen the cd yet, but word is i'm thanked in the liner notes alongside matt pinfield and daria morgendorffer - sweet.) a limited number of physical promos were given out to retailers last week at magic. the download version is available for free to everyone else. grab it!

bonus: here's a '90s fave they didn't use for the mix. maybe it'll end up on volume 2?

luscious jackson - "daughters of the kaos"

camille sauvage

i picked this track up at mutant sounds which is a blog that posts lots of weird outsider albums. post punk cassettes from the 80s, 90s experimental cd's, 70s art rock lp's, etc. this french library track from the 70s has a comedy horror type of sound. hmm. weird.

camille sauvage "enferissimo"

the franks release "un e.p."

the franks is a new band that has been making noise via a series of explosive gigs at some of la's coolest spots. the trio just released the six-track un e.p. through their own hit city usa label. it's available for free download and it's a super fun batch of songs. the band's got a rad, raw, punky sound and a cute girl drummer, which is always a great look. let's listen to one of their tracks now, why not?

the franks - "neon politik"

la people: cc salon tomorrow night w/ boing boing, good magazine, free beer + music by vosotros

if you're around tomorrow evening, come check out cc salon la. it's happening at found gallery in silverlake from 7:30pm to 9:30pm.

cc salon brings together people who are interested in culture, technology, media, and intellectual property issues to give brief presentations about their work, hang out, and meet new people. cc salons are casual and totally free. there will be free beer for drinkin', as well as music by the awesome band/label/creative collective vosotros.

there are two great presenters scheduled. boing boing's xeni jardin will talk about the majorly influential blog she co-edits, as well as her innovative foray into web television, boing boing tv. good magazine's creative director and co-founder casey caplowe will discuss the much-loved publication's content, community, and business model.

cc salon la
wednesday, september 3, 2008; 7:30-9:30pm
found gallery
1903 hyperion ave., los angeles, ca 90027

hope to see you there!

the j.b.'s/the sea and cake

this j.b.'s track feels just about right today. it's from their 1975 record, hustle with speed. enjoy.

the j.b.'s "sportin' life"

and btw, the sea and cake have a song with the same(ish) name. i've heard their new record. it's really good.

the sea and cake "sporting life"

ian mcculloch

i posted about the great summer mix series site a few weeks back. one of the mixes featured tracks that had been on mtv's classic show 120 minutes in the late 80s/early 90s. i had forgotten about this song by echo and the bunnymen singer ian mcculloch. check it.

ian mcculloch "proud to fall"