IM BACK!!

Terribly sorry for my abscense of late. I had computer troubles. So much so that I was on the verge of buying a laptop! But that is all sorted now and I'm back to being fully operational!

Expect usual posting to resume very shortly.

Animal Collective To Curate ATP Festival In May 2011

Animal Collective's last album Merriweather Post Pavilion was hailed with universal acclaim; 5 Stars from Uncut, 8/10 from NME and a 9.6 from Pitchfork, who also named it their album of the year and put it in their top 20 albums of the decade. ATP promoter Barry Hogan: "I always wondered what kind of mixtape Animal Collective would put together, so we are really stoked that they are climbing into the curating hot seat at Butlins next May where they will headline and curate the festival that includes the likes of Lee Scratch Perry and Gang Gang Dance from an already eclectic mix of 40+ acts."

The first announcements chosen by Animal Collective for the line-up are:


ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
GANG GANG DANCE
LEE SCRATCH PERRY
ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITI
BROADCAST
BLACK DICE
MEAT PUPPETS performing Up On The Sun
THE FROGS performing It's Only Right & Natural
IUD
OMAR-S
PRINCE RAMA
SPECTRUM
DENT MAY
GROUP DOUEH
THE BROTHERS UNCONNECTED
SUBLIME FREQUENCIES DJs + Films
DERADOORIAN
ZOMBY
VLADISLAV DELAY

with far more to be announced!

Yo La Tengo

Can't seem to stop listening to Yo La Tengo. For the last few days I have been crankin' them, almost exclusively. Love em'!


I like that you never know what you're going to get with each album. They always find a way of surprising you. Not to mention how brilliantly inventive and creative they are as a unit. And Georgia Hubley's voice..Wow.


The albums I have been listening to a lot are, And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out, I Can Hear The Heart Beating As One and Electr-o-Pura. All fantastically brilliant! To tell the truth, its taken me until now to give Yo La Tengo a really thorough listen. I'd heard some stuff before..But I had only had like, a real casual sort of listen. I'm glad I took the time to really absorb the tunes and get into these albums. It has been a rewarding experience.

I don't know how many of you, my faithful blogger army, use or have heard of the music program Spotify...But for those that have, and use the thing, I have taken the time to compile a playlist of Yo La Tengo songs from the three albums that I mentioned!

HERE IS THE LINK!


Yo La Tengo.

Bands You Should Listen To: Animal Collective

 

Animal Collective formed in 2000 in Baltimore, Maryland. Childhood friends Dave Porter (AKA: Avey Tare), Noah Lennox (AKA: Panda Bear), Josh Dibb (AKA: Deakin) and Brian Weitz (AKA: Geologist) used to trade various pieces of music that they had created and thought it only right to come together and start their own project.

It is certainly hard to pin Animal Collective's sound to one genre. They have been compared to just about everyone and have a tendency to not stay in one spot for too long. Their first release, ' Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished (2001) ' on the bands own label, is possibly their most accessible record. It features bold experimentation in pop, noise and melodic psych-folk. The band were clearly not afraid to show some originality and expanded even more on Spirits.. template with their second release ' Danse Manatee (2001) '. This record touched on more than a few styles and influences and while not being the most accessible record in the world, it definitely showed a band that had a lot of ideas.

The band seem to surpass themselves with each release. Constantly honing their skills and improving their craft. 2004's Sung Tongs was a stripped down, hushed affair full of beautiful acoustic numbers such as ' The Softest Voice ' and the delightfully intoxicating ' Visiting Friends '. it was not without its moments of chaotic frenzy though, as evident on the songs ' We Tigers ' and the alluring yet false delicacy of ' Winters Love '.

2005 brought about the album ' Feels '. Many fans and critics consider this to be the bands greatest achievemnet and its worth listening to for ' Banshee Beat ' alone. And 2007's ' Strawberry Jam ' made them darlings among the indie music elite and poster children of American review/music site, Pitchfork .
The collectives popularity has reached its zenith now with the advent of their latest relase, ' Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009) '. An album dripping with lush arrangements and vocal harmonies, it was unlike anything that the band had done before. Especially when weighed up against previous releases such as the live album ' Hollinndagain (2002) ' and 2003's ' Here Comes The Indian '.

Why You Should Listen To Animal Collective

• You would be hard pressed to find a more engaging, creative or original band.
• Music is changing. And you have these guys to thank. They will pave the way for a lot of new, exciting bands in the future.
• Just listen to their album ' Feels (2005) ' and im sure you will see what I mean.

Selected Tracks
My Girls (Merriweather Post Pavilion)
Banshee Beat (Feels)
Loch Raven (Feels)
For Reverend Green (Strawberry Jam)
Winters Love (Sung Tongs)
Chocolate Girl (Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished)

 

Awesome Bird #2

Fellow Bloggers!! HELP ME OUT!

http://torontoist.com/virginamerica/?entry=0003 could you do me a HUGE, MASSIVE favor and just click the "like" button underneath this article! I would be forever in your debt if ya could! CHEERS!

Seriously, the person that this is for is awesome and has been going through some rough times lately. A nice break from the shitty norms of her daily routine would be most welcome. I will love you all forever if you click the "like" button underneath this article. Thank ya!

Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest: Review

Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest: Review

Deerhunter, a self proclaimed "ambient punk" band, first emerged sometime in 2001. The band, lead by charismatic, yet softly spoken, Bradford Cox, have released a number of albums that seem to meld together the pounding, scuzzy and abrasive sounds found in garage rock with the lulling, dreamy qualities heard in shoegaze rock. This formula makes for very interesting and appealing listening and they have been praised by both music fans and critics alike.
Their most recent effort, Halcyon Digest, is possibly their most realised, cohesive and engaging attempt at mastering their unique sound.

The album flows along beautifully. Lyrically, Cox seems to lamenting the dissapearance of more simple times, his words dripping with an aching sense of nostalgia and longing. The album opener " Earthquake " is presented in the form of a slowed drum track followed by beautiful guitar arpeggios and Cox's hushed vocals. Its definitely an album highlight and sets up the rest of the record nicely.
Things suddenly shift up a few gears and " Revival " blasts through the speakers, reminding fans of Deerhunter why they fell in love with the band in the first place.
This is a band that have gotten better and better with each release. A lot of care has been taken into these song arrangements, although the uninitiated listener would easily be forgiven to think that some of the arrangements are like a patchwork quilt of sounds. Lingering and drifting slowly from one idea to the next.

The album flirts between stripped down sparseness and liberal instrumentation. We are treated to saxophones even! On the track " Coronado ". The sparse moments come..And they are nothing short of mesmerizing. Cox sings, " only fear/ can make you feel lonely here " with such sincerity in his voice during " Sailing ", it's hard not feel slightly choked up.
The real special moment here though is the song " Helicopter ". With Cox singing " No one cares for me/ I keep no company/ I have minimal needs/ And now they are through with me " all over the backing of a lush sound scape consisting of drum beats, electro-acoustic guitars and the usual gorgeous textures associated with ambient rock. It's a truly awesome few minutes of music.

Halcyon Digest is a simply brilliant album. An essential addition to any serious music collectors repitoire and, of course an absolute must for any deerhunter fan.
It is easily their most fully realised album, in terms of the sound the band had set about creating for themselves.
9.5

LOL

Hadn't seen this in years. Just watched it now and it was brand new to me. LMFAOOOOOOOO

Migraine 'Caused by Genetic Defect'

Migraine 'Caused by Genetic Defect'

A very recent scientific study has found a genetic defect that could be linked to the cause of migraine headaches. The identification of this defect could point the way to better treatments for migraine patients across the globe.
The flawed gene was found in a family of migraine sufferers. This flawed gene is thought to be the cause of migraines, as the nature medicine study suggests.
This is a hugely important study and could be a massive step forward in understanding why up to one in five people suffer from debilitating migraine headaches.

The World Health Organization classifies migraine as being a leading cause of disability. Patients often experience crippling pain, usually on one side of the head, along with other neurological symptoms.
These other neurological symptoms, sometimes referred to as an 'aura' can include:

• Visual Disturbances (Scintillating Scotoma or Fortification Spectra)
• Aphasia (Problems Understanding Speech/Problems Communicating Through Language)
• Balance Problems
• Numbness Or Tingling Of A Limb
• Weakness Affecting One Side Of The Body

Migraine Gene

Until now, the genes that are directly responsible for causing migraine headaches have been unknown.
In this recent study, scientists have identified a gene known as TRESK. It is thought to be the direct cause of migraines in some patients.
The study states that if this gene is not working properly then environmental factors are more likely to trigger pain centres in the brain, leading to severe headaches.

This breakthrough means that scientists can now undergo the development of new drug treatments that could greatly benefit and may even cure some or most patients of their migraines completely.
A Dr. Aarno Palotie states, "It opens new avenues for planning new research which possibly could then lead to new treatments... but of course it's a long road."
A Dr. Cader, one of the leading researchers in the study also adds, "Previous studies have identified parts of our DNA that increase the risk in the general population, but have not found genes which can be directly responsible for common migraine.
"What we've found is that migraines seem to depend on how excitable our nerves are in specific parts of the brain.
"Finding the key player which controls this excitability will give us a real opportunity to find a new way to fight migraines and improve the quality of life for those suffering."

Awesome Bird #1

Obscure Hip Hop Time and a Deerhunter Song That I am In LOVE With!!!

This post comes from the deep, unconditional love that I have for music. Included are two songs. The first, A Quasimoto track called ' Bluffin' '. Lord Quas is so awesome...Quas is one of many of rapper/producer Madlib's aliases. Seriously great.




Secondly, for lovers of shoegaze, ambient punk..We have Deerhunter with their track ' Vox Celeste '. This is truly beautiful music, I can't stop listening to this tune. I fucking love Deerhunter. They are super consistent and their new album, Halcyon Digest, is incredible. This is an old cut though. ENJOY!

The BJM and My Music

The Brian Jonestown Massacre are one of those bands that should have been huge...Yet not many people know of them. I adore them. Anton Newcombe is an asshat, however, he is somewhat of a musical genius. The songs speak for themselves and this track, ' The Ballad of Jim Jones ' caught my attention again tonight. The guitars sound huge. Less is more..Its a song consisting of a very small amount of chords, yet it achieves so much with so little.



Also, as I mentioned in my previous post. I create music. I'm not so good, but I love playing so much. I did get put on a small net label and released an album of sorts.

http://www.myspace.com/thebluethenblack

the stuff up there at the moment is pretty bad. I haven't been writing much lately.

http://www.last.fm/music/low+-+fye

most of my stuff is up on lastfm. just follow the link if you want to listen. Its pretty lo-fi..I like the aesthetic. I record with the bare minimum.

I got my first official review not too long ago. It can be found here:

http://www.terrascope.co.uk/Reviews/Rumbles_August_2010.htm (its just over half way down the page..I used to call myself " low-fye " ) Geddit?!

Now Including Musique!

I have decided to include my love of great music into this blog. Music is my main reason for breathing. I spend, literally, 99% of my time listening to and creating music. I love it. All of it. So, yeah...Some posts will contain songs and info on some of my absolute faves.




This beautiful song by Badly Drawn Boy will really kick things off. The Sun Ra video was just a teaser. This closes Damon Goughs debut album, The Hour of Bewilderbeast. What a stunning song. It's the simple songs that always seem to be the prettiest. 

Sun Ra - Tapestry From An Asteroid

Mark E Smith on Flipside

XX, I.... = WTF?!

Where the hell did this meme originate from? What does it mean?! I love that I don't understand it fully..I love how surreal it seems to me at this time. It cracks me up and I can't say why.



Auntie and Uncle, I....

This is obviously Will Smith as the fresh prince! haha.
Seriously, I have seen so many different variations of this meme..And nearly all of have had me in stitches.

But, where the fook did it come from? and what is the real meaning behind it?
If anyone can fill in those blanks for me, I's be grateful!

FOREVER ALONE

Forever Alone!!
Easily the best/funniest meme I've seen in a while.

.....

Mr. Spring Break

Mr. Spring Break...What can I say..? I first became aware of Mr. Spring Break through a podcast I used to listen to regulary. The podcast was called From The Ville..I do not know if you were familliar with it but it was great. A really funny show. If you want to check it out go here http://fromtheville.com/  Unfortunately, they have stopped making new shows but that link should provide you with all the past episodes!

Anyway..The story of Spring Break Dennis..Well..Not a lot is known really. I heard he was a professor at  Kent State University who went crazy. He lives out of his car and is obsessed with college sports. Most notably, American football. Perhaps the most obscure fact about Dennis is that he had never missed a Spring Break in twenty odd years...Hence his nickname, Mr. Spring Break.

Here is a sample of the mans madness. He must have gotten involved in some sort of TV commercial during one of his spring break escapades...



As you can see..Not the sanest man on the planet. But a true character nontheless! Everyone should be aware of spring break. Oh, and for the women..He is apparently well hung in the pants.

Unbelievable Wikipedia Pages #1

While stumbling through everyones favorite know it all site, Wikipedia, I found some pages that made my jaw drop to the floor. Talk about obscure weirdness...This will be the first of a continuing series featuring the weirdest most unbelievable wiki entries.

Firstly, they had a page for that age old sex act, The Rusty Trombone. Unbelievable...Am I right? I would love to meet the man (or woman!..But let's face it..It was almost certainly a man who contributed this information to wiki) who made this page....Im also pretty surprised that wiki have kept it up (no pun intended).

Awkward Boners!

Have you discovered this site yet? I don't know how old this place is, so forgive me if I'm way behind the times on this one...I only found out about a few days ago. Its basically a place for people to submit photos that happen to catch someone with an..You guessed it! Awkward boner. Puerile? Maybe. Hilarious? Definitely.
As you can see, I've included a sample pic on the left showcasing former president clinton's raging, awkward boner. FOR SHAME!

If any of you want to visit this deplorable site go here: www.awkwardboners.com

Canadian Military Would Treat Troops With Ecstasy!

Yes, check out this obscure little gem of a story I found while trawling the web. It seems that the Canadian military would consider treating batlle-scarred troops with the illicit street drug, Ecstasy. 

Lt. Col. Rakesh Jetly, A Psychiatrist with the Canadian military has said that department of national defence would embrace any type of treatment that would help ease the trauma and suffering felt by many troops on returning home from war torn environments. Who'd have thunk it?!
"If you replaced Ecstasy with substance X - whether it was an absolutely approved legal drug, a mainstream medication, my answer would be the same. The fact that it's Ecstasy means nothing to us," stated Jetly. "If there's any substance, any drug that has the research, the randomized controlled studies, the publications to prove its efficacy, we would entertain adding it as an approved treatment." 

As most of us know, MDMA or Ecstasy is very popular among all the ravers and dance freaks out there and since being outlawed its amazing to imagine the Canadian military actually doing this.
However, the drug creates feelings of euphoria and well-being. It allows users to talk openly about topics that would normally provoke anxiety or extreme negative emotions. A new study has shown that up to 80% of patients suffering from chronic forms of PTSD no longer showed signs of the condition after a combination of both the substance, MDMA and psychotherapy.

PLUS! MDMA has been used by psychiatrists and psychotherapists to aid in the treatment of various disorders before being outlawed in the 1980's. So lets all get loved up and overcome our problems!....No?

Hello, Humans!

An Introduction

Hello there. Let me tell you something about what this pointless blog of mine will contain. The ideas behind it, if you will. What it is likely to contain..And all that jive.

I have what some may call a morbid sort of fascination for everything thats weird and wonderful on the Internet. Be it l33t speak, bizarre youtube videos (and better yet, video comments), internet memes (god bless you 4chan), disturbing news stories from around the world and images. Anything that I come across that I feel meets the criteria and amuses me, on any level, will be posted. Now, Im going to get on with it as im not the most articulate fish in the drawer and I get the sense that most of you who are reading this are already strongly considering navigating away from this page..if you haven't already. If you are still here...Cheers. I hope you enjoy this blog.