on Soundcheck he plays one of his compositions on a piano with standard tuning and then we hear the "same" composition on one of his rejiggered instruments. Cool stuff.
I met a music professor at UNC Asheville, I forget his name now, back in 1998 or so, who wrote midi software (or had it written for him) that did something like this. He demonstrated a piece by Bach or Mozart on his midi keyboard, first with today's standard piano tuning, and then with the 18th (?)century tuning (damn, where's that musicologist girlfriend when you need her?). It was fascinating how the "color" of the piece changed due to the subtle change in note frequencies.
For fans of The Apple (I'm looking at you, Jessica), This band has a video: [link]
It's a fantastic cheesy cossack disco dance number. Seriously.
20MB, but so worth waiting for.
I found the links from the newish WFMU blog.
Speaking of openers, the Dresden Dolls are opening for Nine Inch Nails on a string of dates across the country. P-C: the closest they come to your neck of the woods is Toronto on May 9 and Chicago May 12-13.
GOOD GOD.
Man. Thanks for the heads-up, Jon.
Wouldn't it be better to just talk about the worst band you're seen, irrespective of where their name appeared on the marquee?
You're quite right. I'm sorry. I was just in the throes of loathing last night, plus there might have drinking. I too have gone to shows many times to see the opening act, and there my irritation was turned on the people who talked through the performance I came to see. So I sit through opening acts and don't talk, although sometimes I start twitching uncontrollably.
The category could better be described as "the worst performances you had to sit through for some reason."
Sweet story from Joe Pernice's mailing list:
Joe was in LA working on the new record. He and the genius known as Ric Menck were dining at Art's Delicatessen in Studio City. Joe spied Ed Asner, who was headed to the cash register at the same time as Joe and Ric. As they all approached, the cashier said, "I'm a big fan of your music." Joe turned to Asner and said, "you play music?" Then Joe realized the cashier was talking to him, not Asner.
Hell, I'd be excited about meeting Ric Menck, too. Those Velvet Crush albums were pretty good.
Ooh, excellent. Michael Berube has a new twist on one-hit wonders: Which bands do you WISH were one-hit wonders, because they have one song that you love and all the rest are dire? [link]
Wings, "Live and Let Die".
Wings, "Live and Let Die".
AKA the best Bond theme ever. Well, except for Henry Mancini's, but that's for Bond as a whole, not just for one movie.
But what is the WORST Bond theme?
But what is the WORST Bond theme?
Any that Shirley Bassey did. Or, hell, let's just make it a trifecta: Diamonds Are Forever, Moonraker, and, yes, I'm going to say it, Goldfinger. The first 2 are just blandly cheesey, and she *bellows* Goldfinger, which I cannot abide.
Oh, and the one that a-ha did was pretty bad, too. Was it The Living Daylights?
I'm oddly fond of Thunderball, myself.
