From brent@charcoal.oxhouse.org Wed Apr 19 23:55:03 2000 Received: from localhost (brent@localhost) by charcoal.oxhouse.org (8.9.3/8.9.3) with SMTP id XAA27941 for ; Wed, 19 Apr 2000 23:55:03 -0700 Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2000 23:55:03 -0700 (PDT) From: Brent Emerson To: media@charcoal.oxhouse.org Subject: [media] the beginning Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII it's been months since I had the idea to begin a distribution list / community like media@oxhouse.org, so I figure I should actually begin it. the following might just change your life. this is unlikely, but not that unlikely. |-| first up is NICK DRAKE. this man is a miracle. if you're in the mood for transcendent pop-folk circa 1970, look no further. FIVE LEAVES LEFT is the only one of his three albums that I have extensive experience with, and it's a bit on the drinking-tea-on-somebody's-slightly-dusty- hardwood-floor-on-a-rainy-saturday-afternoon side, a little toward the melancholy. but it's SO good. let's say that nick drake was carefully writing and recording the soundtrack for the fresh, early moments of a love that just seemed to fall at your feet, waiting for you to pick it up, the most natural motion you can think of. |-| still in the folk mold, #2 recommendation: JONI MITCHELL in general. everyone knows the name, few know that she kicks ass. at the core of her work are the three albums BLUE FOR THE ROSES COURT AND SPARK produced 1971-74. they even look good on a shelf together, that's how good they are as a set. buy them all, listen to them in chronological order, each one for several days before moving on to the next. you may find it difficult to stop. |-| moving rather abruptly on, the next stop finds us lauding the second disk in the PET SHOP BOYS collection ALTERNATIVE. this 2-disk album collects all the B-sides from their many singles. we all probably heard the A-sides (west end girls, what have I done to deserve this?, you were always on my mind) dancing with early crushes in junior high in the school auditorium, so it's probably somewhat nostalgic, somewhat nauseating british dance-y radio music. those are the A-sides. somehow the undersides of these singles are pure art. at least the later ones; the first disk in this collection is pure crap, as far as I can tell. I found this CD in a used record shop in Vancouver where most of the cases were cracked and everything was supercheap -- this one was missing the first disk. was it fate? |-| for lovers of conceptual art and technology everywhere comes BRUCE CANNON, a technologist/sculptor in the SF Bay area who my roomate's girlfriend has the pleasure of working with the girlfriend of. view his work at http://www.members.home.net/brucecannon. it's so great. he found a beautiful dead tree in the forest and cut it apart and re-animated it with motors that move the branches around so slowly as to be imperceptible, except to the most ardent and patient viewer. he did other even cooler things. check it out. so now it's your turn. write everybody something at media@oxhouse.org. it doesn't have to be massive, just say you saw this great movie on tv last night or your roomate just found out about this awesome photographer, or you found something written on a scrap of paper in the bathroom at the train station and you want to share it. -brent [for those who haven't joined us yet, submisssions will be auto-archived on the media website at oxhouse.org/media. there are ten of us presently, but we want to grow. tell your friends to join. pass this message on. to join people or delete yourself, email lists@oxhouse.org and tell me.] From brent@techforpeople.net Wed Feb 28 12:19:14 2001 Received: from localhost (brent@localhost) by users.techforpeople.net (8.11.2/8.11.2) with ESMTP id f1SKJE030420 for ; Wed, 28 Feb 2001 12:19:14 -0800 (PST) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 12:19:14 -0800 (PST) From: Brent Emerson To: Subject: [media] fast yet yucky food and transcendent melodies Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII the media list returns to fill your mailbox with blather: [1] do you like stereolab? no matter, go purchase this CD anyway. you will love it, unless ... no, there is no unless, I can't think of anyone I know who would not adore this music. the band is Air, a french duo that effortlessly melds disco-era grooves with the latest in post-rock sophistication. the album is Moon Safari. find in the indie section of your local indie-loving music store. [2] another record that lives next to stereolab on my shelf: Broadcast's The Noise Made By People. it kicks ass, go buy it. (these two records will be the soundtrack of your spring '01. you will remember this period with fondness when you are older and more dried up.) [3] Eric Schlosser's book Fast Food Nation is sweeping the fast food nation. probably we should all read it and find out once and for all how much fecal matter is in each and every McDonald's hamburger. be ** to be less-than-subject to being sent blather of this kind at the whim of anyone, who you may not even know, email me and I will remove you ** From simon@users.techforpeople.net Wed Feb 28 13:31:41 2001 Received: from localhost (simon@localhost) by users.techforpeople.net (8.11.2/8.11.2) with ESMTP id f1SLVfg30670; Wed, 28 Feb 2001 13:31:41 -0800 (PST) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 13:31:41 -0800 (PST) From: Simon Fillat To: Brent Emerson cc: Subject: Re: [media] fast yet yucky food and transcendent melodies In-Reply-To: Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII I concur, Air does kick ass. I borrowed a disc from one of my house mates and she had to pry it out of my hands when she moved out. not really, but it's great stuff. Brent, what about posting some mpegs for sampling? Simon On Wed, 28 Feb 2001, Brent Emerson wrote: > the media list returns to fill your mailbox with blather: > > [1] do you like stereolab? no matter, go purchase this CD anyway. you > will love it, unless ... no, there is no unless, I can't think of anyone I > know who would not adore this music. the band is Air, a french duo that > effortlessly melds disco-era grooves with the latest in post-rock > sophistication. the album is Moon Safari. find in the indie section of > your local indie-loving music store. > > [2] another record that lives next to stereolab on my shelf: Broadcast's > The Noise Made By People. it kicks ass, go buy it. > > (these two records will be the soundtrack of your spring '01. you will > remember this period with fondness when you are older and more dried up.) > > [3] Eric Schlosser's book Fast Food Nation is sweeping the fast food > nation. probably we should all read it and find out once and for all how > much fecal matter is in each and every McDonald's hamburger. > > be > > > > ** to be less-than-subject to being sent blather of this kind > at the whim of anyone, who you may not even know, > email me and I will remove you ** > > From brent@oxhouse.org Thu Oct 3 12:21:33 2002 Date: Thu, 3 Oct 2002 12:14:16 -0700 (PDT) From: Brent Emerson To: media@oxhouse.org Subject: [media] lovely noises and corporate globalization the media list (http://oxhouse.org/~brent/writing/media) returns after a long hiatus to bring you these suggestions: ---> album: wooden smoke (by mike keneally) exowax recordings this disc has been described as "the best headphones-to-oblivion album since dark side of the moon" but I think it's just a good fusion of lovely acoustic guitar and gentler frank zappa -style wackiness. mike played with frank and has clearly inherited certain things from him. all are good things. plus the disc is packaged in paper and has great cover and inside art - you can just feel the love. if you listen to this, you may possibly find it very charming. ---> collection of essays: the case against the global economy (edited by jerry mander and edward goldsmith) sierra club books ever wonder if or hope that those young impassioned protesters outside the World Bank and WTO and IMF meetings have anything conherent to say to the people inside, or if their actions are actually built on any established body of thought that contains an informed and logical critique of corporate globalization? well wonder no more: here is that body of thought. read it if you want to know what all the fuss is about. ---> whole subgenre but especially one album: switched-on bach II (walter carlos) columbia masterworks all of walter/wendy carlos's recordings are cool, especially the early ones. you can hear the experimentation, the feeling that nobody knew what electronics was going to do to music. if you like bach, the album to get is switched-on bach II (the third album of baroque music rendered on analog synthesizers done by walter in the very early 70's) which is the best because all the kinks have been ironed out and all that remains is really inventive, bright marvelous renditions of amazing music. this album will (if you need it) re-inspire you to like baroque music, I guarantee. ** to be less-than-subject to being sent blather of this kind at the whim of anyone, who you may not even know, email lists@oxhouse.org and you will be removed **