Culture Greyhound

Just look at that (click on the poster to enlarge, or check out the lineup on the site.) Wow. Thank you, Transmission, for the best birthday news I’ve had in a while. Tickets are on sale now, and they’re going fast – if the quick sellouts of presales and early bird specials are any indication, I would gather you need to jump on this and quick.

I once told Alan Palomo in person he looked like Jake Gyllenhaal, to which he replied jokingly, “Only my mom thinks that.” But judging from the pic above, I’d say the new look for the former Austinite is more resembling of a Keanu Reeves. Nevertheless, Neon Indian has returned, and on September 13, he will drop Era Extrana, his highly anticipated follow-up to the brilliant Psychic Chasms, my pick for Album of the Year way back in 2009. The first leaked track is called “Fallout,” which you can stream here at Pitchfork, and you can download via the widget below. Not sure what I think of the track yet, to be honest – pretty low-key compared to the dance-heavy vibe “Deadbeat Summer” and “Terminally Chill” brought. Perhaps it will grow on me as September rolls around.

This September, as I’ve recently mentioned, one of the most influential albums of the last quarter century turns 20 years old. I’m talking about the major label debut from Nirvana, of course – 1991’s Nevermind. And according to Pitchfork today, Universal Records is pulling out all the stops, releasing three different packages and a separate CD/DVD of a rare live performance.

On September 27, look for a remastered version of the album, as well as a Deluxe Edition with a second disc featuring “accompanying studio and live B-sides, a set of demos recorded at producer Butch Vig’s Smart Studios, boombox recordings of rehearsals, and a pair of previously unreleased BBC recordings.” The Super Deluxe Edition includes all of the above, plus the famous Devonshire Mixes, where Butch Vig produced and mixed the album himself, as opposed to Andy Wallace doing the mixing.

I’m probably springing for the Super Deluxe Edition, because it also includes a 90-page booklet and a CD/DVD combo of the famous Halloween 1991 Paramount Theatre show (which will also be available separately, apparently.) The DVD will also have the music videos for the Nevermind singles. And, just in case you forgot what year it is, the collection will be available in digital and 180-gram vinyl as well. So, Mom, if you’re reading this, Christmas has been taken care of. Love ya.

Legitmix Empowers Artists from Legitmix on Vimeo.

I know I’ve been posting a lot recently about new developments in the Internet music world, whether it be the social networking/competitive music discovery tool Turntable.FM or the now-domestic Spotify.Com. My newest discovery isn’t necessarily for the average music consumer, but it certainly will have an audience, and on the business side, an impact.

The above video pretty much sums up what LegitMix.Com is all about – giving credit and compensation where it’s due, and without all the hassle and time constraints of getting samples cleared.  And anyone can participate, and it’s all legal.

To help promote the new site, still in beta testing, LegitMix has teamed up with the one and only Diplo, who has provided a mix for sale – Mad Legit.  You pay a small price for the mix itself, plus the price for the copyrighted samples it contains, which are included….and because you paid for them, you are free to do whatever you want with them – remix, mashup, etc.  Everyone on all ends earn their share, including bloggers when they promote the mixes (which I particularly like, obviously.)

I’ve been very excited to see all the new technology being developed to help progress the music business into a more practical 21st century model, increasing the ease of use for consumers and the ease of production and compensation for those behind the scenes, especially the artists, DJs, and producers.  Though I may not necessarily have much use personally for LegitMix.Com currently, I might one day, and I certainly support new ideas in this ever-changing world of music commerce.

On October 18th, the highly-anticipated follow-up to Anthony Gonzalez’s spectacular John Hughes sendup Saturdays=Youth will drop. It’s an epic (duh) double album and it’s called Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. And the first track, which you can shimmy to below, is the M83-ish-ly titled “Midnight City.” And it. Is. Awesome. So looking forward to hearing this live at Fun Fun Fun Fest this year.

Midnight City by M83

I’ve heard about Spotify for years now.  Mainly that it was this “celestial jukebox with every song and album you could ever want,” which is somewhat true, and that it “wasn’t available in the US,” which was totally true.  That is, until now.

This whole thing is pretty brainless to use – basically it’s your iTunes plus millions of other tracks, all at your disposal, and for free (but currently invite-only – Klout.Com might be able to help you out.)  Connect it to Facebook and share tracks and albums with your friends.  It’s ad-supported, but you can pay up to 10 bucks a month to get rid of that, and with offline synching and mobile features.  Which seems reasonable.  I mean, we already pay upwards of 18 bucks a month for every movie and most TV shows via Netflix, why not for every song ever?

While browsing the Spotify website, learning about the product and all its features, I stumbled upon what the media outlets have said about the product.  There was the usual: “Spotify is revolutionary” and “it will change the way you listen to music” and all that jazz.  But the one that got me thinking was a comment from Stuff.TV – “the only jukebox that might make you give up music ownership for good.”

This is one of the things I think, initially, people might be reticent about in regards to Spotify.  With an entire library of music with you at all times, synched to your mobile device, that you can listen to however you want, with no restrictions, what’s the point of the iTunes store? Of downloading torrents? Digitally speaking, why would you pay for another individual track ever again?  Why would you ever open iTunes again?  I mean, you can do pretty much everything you do there with the Spotify application – make playlists, put them on your iPod or phone, take your music everywhere you go.  Some, including myself, might be hesitant to completely convert to the Spotify lifestyle – to having everything, yet none of it is yours.

The Village Voice recently wrote about Spotify and how it might affect popular music in the next decade.  It’s a great article that goes in depth about the past decades and what chart-topping tracks began the trend for that particular decade, and how we’re due for another track to turn the tides.  With Spotify added to charting stats in the future, what people stream vs. what they download could produce that track.  But will people eventually STOP downloading altogether?  Ownership purists like me enjoy having an organized iTunes library, filled with mp3s we have on our hard drives, that we can call our own, similar to the traditional ownership of vinyl, cassettes, and CDs.  But will future generations, immersed in the “Spotify culture” or whatever, see the point?  Why waste hard drive space when it’s all there to stream whenever you want it, however you want it, as many times as you want it?

Certainly Spotify could curb pirating, but I could also foresee it putting the iTunes store, as well as Zune and others, out of business, though I can’t imagine that happening anytime soon, and it hasn’t happened in other countries that have had Spotify for years.  But Spotify has certainly started the wheels turning for the music business and the consumer alike.  There has never been a product like this, and now that it’s finally in the US, I think we might start seeing it slowly making its mark on our musical lifestyles, the same way Napster and iTunes did not too long ago.

Scientific Evidence That Pop Culture Matters (Think Progress)

Back at it: NFL owners, players come together for crucial talks (NFL.Com)

Movie, music strike online copyright pact with ISPs (Politico.Com)

Turntable.FM has only been around for a few months, but it’s already taking the Internet (or at least the music-loving wing) by storm.  The concept itself is so simple and fun I wish I would’ve thought of it myself. Users, or DJs, spin tunes in a chat-room setting – up to five DJs can take turns playing songs in one room.  Listeners rate the song choices as “awesome” or “lame,” and DJs can earn points, so it essentially can become a competition.  There is also a chatting function for each room, and the music selection is diverse and vast.  It’s a great way to discover new music, chat music with friends and acquaintances, and share your favorite tunes with like-minded people.  Needless to say, I’m intrigued and addicted by it.

The site is in beta testing and currently invite-only, and there are some bugs and glitches being worked out, but I look forward to seeing this thing when its completed and ready for the masses.  Visit it today and try it out for yourself – I got an immediate invite when I signed into Facebook, apparently if you have a friend already on (if you’re friends with me, you do), you’re good to go, so give it a shot.

Though not necessarily a fan, I’ve long been a supporter of Weird Al Yankovic, the household name amongst satirical and parodic songwriting.  The dude’s been cranking out funny hits since the early ’80’s, and, being a longtime lover of Dr. Demento, I’ve adored and admired Al from afar for most of my life.  The man puts on an unsurprisingly entertaining live show, as well as some pretty decent original material alongside his trademark parodies of hit songs.  It’s safe to say Yankovic has transformed from quirky pop culture footnote to a comedic legend over time – now, like being poked fun at by South Park and SNL, it’s considered an honor to be lampooned by Weird Al.  That means you’ve made it to the top!

This week, Al sat down with AV Club and went through an array of new and old material in celebration and promotion of his latest creation, Alpocalypse.  He talks about some of the well-known classics, some forgotten gems, and even some astonishingly catchy original songs. Read it here.

Stop being so sensitive! Burly men become girly men, turning pop music into a wuss-case scenario (NY Daily News) – I have mixed feelings about this one.

Indie Rockers Respond To NY Legalizing Gay Marriage (Stereogum)

Texas to defund Planned Parenthood (Politico)