I love turntablist Kid Koala, but this video is the first time I really understand what it is he does: [link]
A really good turntablist is astonishing. Most of the people I've seen/heard "play" the turntables just scratch, which is (IMO) completely different. But there's a fair number of turntablists who play like they're violinists who can make their instrument make any sound they please, from talking to singing to conjuring a full orchestra, jazz band or funkabilly quartet, just for a moment, then move on to the next sound they want their instrument to make.
I'm sure I've said it before, but it's one of the things I like about the band Incubus. DJ Kris Killmore, their turntablist, is awesome. He's what makes them more than just a punk/funk/hard rock fusion band. His contribution to the band's sound is both great and subtle. Sometimes you can't even tell he's playing on a particular song, but he's there -- acting like salt in a sweet dish, enhancing the sound in surprising and subtle ways.
Polka Floyd
Pink Floyd polka cover band....
From what I've listened to, their cover of "Interstellar Overdrive/Bike" is their best. It rocks!
20 Best Pavement Songs Ever
From someone who doesn't know that "Slay Tracks" was a 7" release? Bahh!
(yes, I'm being an indie snob. What of it?)
Hey Jon - I was just poking around this blog entry on Theremins [link] and was wondering what your take was on optical Theremins? Do they, like, totally suck? (An optical Theremin uses the amount of light hitting a photoresistor to determine the pitch. So you wave your hands above it to alter the amount of light it receives.)
Every so often I'm tempted to buy a kit and build my own Theremin. The one at the top of the blog posting looks like it'd be easy to make....
Do they, like, totally suck?
Yes. They're difficult to control, and they don't have the richness of sound that a true heterodyne instrument would have.
Yesterday, while Drew and MM were playing Guitar Hero, we discussed the possibility of a Theremin Hero game. It would be perfect for the Wii.
The Phil Spector murder trial looks like it might be a doozy.
The Phil Spector murder trial looks like it might be a doozy.
WTF?
I have a feeling we may never know what
really
happened....
