Giving my review

I was digging through a box in a closet tonight looking for my “Encyclopedia Beatles” my reference for all things Beatles, including details of the “Let It Be” film, a subject I am increasingly interested in delving into.

During my digging, I discovered two CDs I’ve been looking for and feared lost. The two were Whiskeytown’s “Strangers Almanac” one of my favorite albums that I was close to re-purchasing and Remy Zero’s “The Golden Hum” an album that marks the early Otts for me pretty clearly.

While doing this I’ve had music on in the background, specifically Nine Inch Nails “Ghost I,” the first part of a recent download album Trent Reznor released much like Radiohead did late last year.

With such a breadth of music to dig through, it makes me realize how varied my tastes in music really are.

Continue reading Giving my review…

I finally saw U2 live, sort of

Bono stepped to center stage clad in black and sun glasses, belting out the opening count for “Vertigo,” hovering over a front row ready to receive his gospel of rock & roll.

Funny thing, it happened both live and months ago. It was U2, in 3D. Not the old blue and red glasses that we’ve come to know, but a new and exciting digital experience. “U2 3D” marks the first live action 3D film.

Wearing large clown glasses with grey-hued lenses, my experience of finally getting to see U2 in concert would take place at an IMAX theater, not an arena like I had always assumed.

For my birthday, my Dad took me up to the Minnesota Zoo where the largest screen in Minnesota (6 stories high) was showing the “U2 3D” movie, something I’ve been excited to see since I first heard about it in January.

As a U2 fan, I’ve seen all the concert films on VHS or DVD and have an iPod chock full of b-sides and rarities along with the cannon albums. But I have yet to see the band in person. This felt really close to seeing the band live, in fact it might have even had some advantages to seeing them in person.

Adam Clayton’s bass guitar swings over the crowd, Bono reaches his hand out to touch you on the head and The Edge floats over everyone to stand right in front of you delivering a killer riff, all while drummer Larry Mullen Jr. keeps rhythm and time right next to you.

The experience of digital 3D really gives depth for the viewer, your field of vision seems to go on forever. For a U2 show, you feel like you’re part of the crowd, even to the point of wanting to tell the guy in front of you to put his arms down – only to realize you’re talking to a flat screen.

The band played a lot of classics, including “The Fly,” a personal favorite that was heightened by 3D text floating through the air challenging the viewer to participate in their own mind.

Over all, digital 3D is exciting, fun to watch and an experience I look forward to checking out a few more times.

Upon reflection I’ve used the word “experience” a few times in this post and really that’s what it’s like watching U2 in 3D – it’s an “experience.”

U2:3D, New design, etc.

I’ve been a bit quiet lately on here, tough I guess. I’ve been working in the background on a few ideas that will come together as a new layout and focus for the blog. I think it should be kind of interesting, I hope you’ll enjoy it.I really want to see U2 3D. I have about every concert film the band has put out, never seen them live. I hear this is the next best thing. Exciting stuff. 

Music shopping online

As I continue my adoption of MP3, AAC and my iPod as my primary way of getting to and listening to music, it has become a lot easier to find new music and indulge in some old favorites. For a while now I’ve been using the iTunes story quiet happily. For the most part the good people at Apple have given me a good experience at a relatively reasonable price.

The problem with iTunes is, the majority of the content there is copy protected. Not cool. I like the idea that my music can go with me even if I (God forbid) leave the iPod behind and go to something like the Zune. Not going to happen, but anything is possible I guess.

For the last few weeks I’ve been exploring some alternatives that work with iTunes and my iPod without having to deal with the iTunes Store. First up is the new Amazon.com offering. A nifty service linked right into Amazon.com. Through it I have been able to get the latest Barenaked Ladies albums at a reasonable price ($7.99 compared to the $9.99 iTunes price). Oh did I mention it’s all unprotected standard MP3? Yeah, it is, it’s awesome.

Of course there is eMusic too. The other service I have jumped on. For $15 a month I get to download 50 tracks a month. Awesome! Well, it’s all indie stuff for the most part, which means a limited selection but I’m amazed what I’ve found. Here is a list of just a few things I’ve downloaded to date. . .

• New Dashboard Confessional, plus some older tracks
• First Elbow album
• John Wolfington’s second album
• Classic Promise Ring material
• The Gomez album from last year
• The 88′s latest

I’ve also found stuff from Motion City Soundtrack, Pedro the Lion, Badly Drawn Boy, Super Furry Animals, Hey Mercedes and others that I plan on downloading over the next few months.

At any rate, the online music world has really opened up over the last few months for me, and it’s making my iPod all excited.

Ten Albums I'm listening to Oct. 2007

Every now and then I think it’s important to write down what music is really rocking ones world at any give time, so I’m going to try and keep a monthly look at the music I’m listening to heavily and see how it changes through the year.

For Oct. 2007. . .

• Dashboard Confessional – The Shade of the Poison Tree
• Loudon Wainwright III – Strange Weirdos (Music from Knocked Up)
• The Get Up Kids – Eudora
• Stereophonics – Pull The Pin
• Jimmy Eat World – Chase This Light
• Saves The Day – Sound the Alarm
• Radiohead – In Rainbows
• Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
• Ozma – Spend Time on the Borderline
• Say Anything – . . . Is a Real Boy

There is a bunch more that I’m digging into right now, but that’s a snap shot of some recent listens, some older (Get Up Kids is a rare b-sides disc that I just now found) and there is some interesting stuff coming out this month including the new Say Anything double album which I’m jazzed about.

Even Robots dance to Spoon

My latest column

I had a lengthy blog post prepared to discuss the new direction Radiohead has taken with the distribution of its latest album, but I took the opportunity to put a better thought out explanation in print. Check out my latest column in the Independent.

What's it worth to you

Something or nothing? Either way it can be yours now. I’ll tell you more later.

New Motion City Soundtrack video!

I’ll write more about the album soon. Friggin’ awesome I tells ya! “Call all cops and autobots” – all I have to say.

New Dashboard Confessional

Dashboard is back, just a year after releasing “Dusk and Summer.” The new album is set for release next month but you can already pick up the first single “Thick as Thieves” for free right on the Dashboard MySpace page. Enjoy!