What MUSIC are you listening to? ARCHIVE

I totally agree with this, in fact I apply this attitude to all the creative aspects of what I do. Any kind of music, and any kind of expression. Game design included...

The thing about DIY is most people aren't very good at every aspect of creation. The ability to write good music doesn't necessarily mean you can perform music well. A person could be a great game designer, but a lousy graphic designer or editor, and then you could be left with a great game with non-functional components and a terrible rulebook that keep it from being playable.

Right now: Leon Redbone
Today:
Duke Ellington
Tribalistas
Jacques Dutronc
The Feelies
The The
Fiona Apple

Alain Bashung, the major french rock artist of the last 25 years died from cancer a few weeks ago. He is probably totally unknown in the USA & UK, despite being at least as important as Gainsbourg. He was our Dylan, our Leonard Cohen, our Bowie at the same time. Fantastic lyrics, impossible to translate.

The ultimate french song of the last 20 years. Anybody understanding french is totally crazy about this song (and the fantastic video made by director Jacques Audiard)

When it started getting sweaty a page or so back, I agreed to stop with the "WHAT'S ART, MAN?" talk.

But I think this will adequately demonstrate than Coltrane is at least "technically proficient".



(and those guys were totally playing to impress someone. mostly each other, but they fuckin' *practiced hard* for that.)

So yeah, listen to Coltrane. Because he really is that good.

Everyone's playing to impress people. I don't care who you are, what kind of chords you're playing, or how many notes are in them. If you're not trying to impress your audience, do everyone a favor and stay in your bedroom.

"The thing about DIY is most people aren't very good at every aspect of creation. The ability to write good music doesn't necessarily mean you can perform music well. A person could be a great game designer, but a lousy graphic designer or editor, and then you could be left with a great game with non-functional components and a terrible rulebook that keep it from being playable."

I agree, but first: you've got to do your best and second, many times, there's people around you that get into what you're doing and help along, filling the holes and making a better final product. In game design, I'm reminded of all the great p'n'p games no one took notice of until some nice graphic designer decided to redo all the components

"Everyone's playing to impress people. I don't care who you are, what kind of chords you're playing, or how many notes are in them. If you're not trying to impress your audience, do everyone a favor and stay in your bedroom."

But the thing is. It's not really about impressing people in the sense of: "Wow, that guy can really play well!!" but more like managing to transmit whatever you're trying to transmit with what you do. Music is mostly about feeling. Good technique helps, but I don't think any real "mature" musician is looking to impress people with technique alone. It's more about sharing something you enjoy with other people...

As a brief departure from the current line of discussion, how many of you listen to what could be refered to as regional bands. By regional I mean, country, township, anything along those lines.


The past few days have found me listening to The Tragically Hip, and Me, Mom & Morgenthaler.

The first being a Canadian rock/blues band out of Toronto, the second is a Montreal based ska band from the early 90's

Where I live, I'm pretty sure there's a county statute that makes listening to at least one Hip song per day mandatory.

Hehe. Where ya from?

Northern NY. Not quite on the border, but close enough that we get a bunch of radio and TV stations from Kingston.

I don't mind the Hip, and I mostly like their hits, but if I have to hear one more crappy bar band play "New Orleans is Sinking," I swear I'm gonna' give up the sauce.

THE BOLSHEVIKS are a cool underground band.

Here's one of their songs on youtube:



They seem to adhere to the early Stooges 25 or less words per song rule.

Shpongle
Porcupine Tree
DJ Shadow
More Shpongle

I made a bundle off the Hip back in '94 - then drove from Victoria to Vegas and blew it all.

Pat II wrote:

Shpongle
Porcupine Tree
DJ Shadow
More Shpongle

I made a bundle off the Hip back in '94 - then drove from Victoria to Vegas and blew it all.

If you enjoy DJ Shadow, check out his song Dark Days:

Rediscovering the Black Crows here: Live and Warpaint Live. Awesome
PJ Harvey: Peel sessions and Dancehall at Louse Point

Bloodbath's Wacken DVD is awesome. Dj Shadow can make just about anything sound good. I'm sure he's got a Partridge Family remix that kick's ass somewhere out there.

You guys are gonna kill me but can't stop listening to this, someone must have put something in my drink:



My friend sent it to me, I don't wanna know what drugs has he been on.