the last days of Last.fm

I was expecting that one a long time ago.

But it was today, as I was at the institute (interpretation vary), doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that, listening to "my music" from last.fm, I got a message, a ridiculous one, from that company asking for subscription fees to continue listening to "my radio station"!!!. And the irony was that this warning came up while a song from Radiohead's last album was playing. An album that was freely distributed from the Internet, for anyone who cared to download it.

The fee is 3 money metrical units, per month. Radio stations will never play the music I listen to, but are free, full of advertisements but there are some producers that still play great music. So I removed every last.fm program I had installed or script placed in this blog, since there is no meaning. I will think of removing my account from their site, since I can access any other information without an account from the Last.fm webpage.

The most annoying part is the press release about the transforming of the company to a pay-to-listen service, that states that three countries will continue to listen to their radio stations freely, what if all the other services are still free, I do not care. It was a good thing that I could listen to my personal music selection everywhere I could get a connection to the Internet.

If I find anything similar I will let you know.

indie music

Amazon.com, has posted a very interesting article (not an article though, more like a list) about the top 100 indie albums of all time. It is a good list and I think that it will remind us of albums we listen back then, most of them I still listen to, actualy. It is a good opportunity to check out albums and groups that never had the time or the opportunity to listen to, cause this list got me unprepared. I never heard for example the early works of Eliot Smith, even "better" I never heard any album of Neutral Milk Hotel or Unrest or Slint and many more, and it is with great surprise that I found them at the very first of this list, between the top 10. I hope that this list will be a starting point to learn about differentiality in music (if I have grasped the meaning of indie this could be a good point), to listen to new tunes (some of the groups are no longer active, others keep it on for more than 20 years) and to talk about the music (or the list).

so the link to the list is here

By the way I can not understand under what criteria belle and sebastian's "If You're Feeling Sinister" is at this list and not the "The Boy with the Arab Strap"...maybe the selection was based upon the album that make the band known to a wider audience. Who knows...

Pearl Jam, Athens 2006

Driving on a rainy morning (the sun could be up, but heavy clouds obscure the rays to end their journey) from home to work, I plugged in the car stereo my mp3 player. As always in Athens a rainy day equals to hours inside the vehicle just to go to work. So my mp3 player is my only remedy. I resume listening to Orishas, a good group mixing hip-hop with traditional Cuban music/rhythms, and as "el kilo" was finishing, from the speakers came the sound of clapping from a live show.
"Go" was starting to play and I was transfered once more into the stadium...
The band was on time and as soon as the clock ticked the eighth hour of the evening Eddie with his friends stepped into, through screams of joy and excitement.
Two years and almost two months ago, I was present in one great evening, an evening with Pearl Jam. The first track of the evening felt as a trip through time, years ago, still at high school. "Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town" had me singing and it was just the beginning.
I still had a long way to work and I was happy about it. As soon as it finished we received a surprise call from our friend from Spain, and as soon I got to talk with him Pearl Jam was playing "Given To Fly". One of my favorites, one of Pearl Jam's best songs, and I was remembering how excited I was talking with him and listening to the song (the conversation lasted for a few seconds, but that was enough!).
As soon as I was trying to find a parking space, Eddie was presenting his "wish list". The first part of the concert was over, I closed the stere,o got out of the car and patiently was letting time slip away so that I could hit the road.
Play button and "Insignificance, Jeremy, Better Man", got me to the last traffic lights before show down of evening's traffic jam.
The first Encore started with "Footsteps" and we were still at the middle of the evening, sun was descending, leaving hopeless drivers looking for a small fracture in the continuity of endless metal to fill in. In between Pearl Jam's songs a small tribute to Pink Floyd, "Daughter (Another Brick In The Wall)" and Jimmy Hendrix, " Yellow Ledbetter(Little Wing)" which closed the evening and some greater with the Band to thank Ramones, by performing "I Believe In Miracles" and Neil Young by performing " Rockin' In The Free World".
And then the lights were on, lifting away the anonymity, the crowd was exposed to the Band, but even under the heavy light the crowd was happy, was singing was dancing. The band finishing with " Yellow Ledbetter(Little Wing)" waving to everyone of us...

Radiohead, a new album, but not a review

I believe that most of you know that Radiohead (Ραδιοκέφαλος) have finished recording their latest album, In Rainbows, the forthcoming cd/vinyl release should be available after the 3rd of December. I am also aware that a great deal of you also have visited the corresponding site and downloaded the album either free or by paying a fee (those not informed of this, will now be considered as such!!!). No big deal right?
Not quite...
...Radiohead are not just a group, since they considered to be one of the greatest bands in the world. So when Radiohead decide to "sell" their new album, directly from their site, by giving us the chance to pay as much as we want, to download the album, (or to preorder a great edition of it, double cd, vinyl and a hardcover illustration book, I'm drooling here, without the labels) it will be an opportunity for various sources to do their hypothesis and conclusions about the outcome.
From Bittorrent search engines to market analysts. even slashdot.com, all making their comments on this movement, as do I, while others, go even farther, considering it to be a hard kick in the balls for the music industry.
Even TIME magazine has an article on this, including a piece from an interview of Thom York, describing the music industry as a decaying business model. A statement, that is backed up by:

an A&R executive at a major European label:
"This feels like yet another death knell, If the best band in the world doesn't want a part of us, I'm not sure what's left for this business."

As of 12th of October Radiohead Made $6-$10 Million on Initial Album Sales (depending on the average amount payed for downloading the album) as I was informed from WIRED

I'm thinking...will they got a lawsuit from RIAA, from music corporations, for "freely" distributing an album via the internet, even if Radiohead has finished with EMI from 2004, and by doing so, encouraging the "leeching/seeding" community to burn up some more the copper telephone wires?

A few more artists seem to follow this business plan, one of the Trent Raznor, the Nine Inch Nails man, as well as Prince(?couldn't find that one). Even a record label as magnatune and artists as Saul Williams.

And this lovable guy (Trent Raznor) has said:

A few months ago, Trent Reznor (frontman of the band Nine Inch Nails), was in Australia doing an interview when he commented on the outrageous prices of CDs there. Apparently now his label, Universal Media Group is angry at him for having said that. During a concert last night, he told fans, '...Has anyone seen the price come down? Okay, well, you know what that means — STEAL IT. Steal away. Steal and steal and steal some more and give it to all your friends and keep on stealin'. Because one way or another these mother****ers will get it through their head that they're ripping people off and that's not right.

And to finish this read that one:

The Impact of Music Downloads and P2P File-Sharing on the Purchase of Music: A Study for Industry Canada

Description: Industry Canada undertook a music file sharing study during 2006-07 to measure the extent to which music downloads over peer-to-peer file sharing networks, for which the sound recording industry receives no remuneration, affect music purchasing activity in Canada. The data used for this analysis are from a Decima Research survey conducted between April and June, 2006, on behalf of Industry Canada. The report, prepared by University of London researchers, Birgitte Andersen and Marion Frenz, found that music downloads have a positive effect on music purchases among Canadian downloaders but that there is no effect taken over the entire population aged 15 and over.

that's all for now...keep on sharing...

A Gem Raised From Trash? Paul Potts

I got the following from the known email-chain, so probably it's not news, but it was one of those things that got my attention. Is anyone of you familiar with the show "Britain you have talent"? I believe that the same reality show was aired in Greece with the profound name of "Greece you have talent"!!!
I could never attend to similar shows for more than 15 min, and I thing that that's a personal record. But a friend of mine send me an e-mail, that emphasized on the winner of this show.
Paul Potts
He appears to be an ordinary guy, a 36 year-old cell-phone seller, too ordinary, modest and maybe a little bit shy, bullied as a kid, with low self esteem. He chooses to participate in the show and I'm indifferent to what he is about to do or to say, his looks betray him. One of the judges asks one and only one question:

"What are you here for today, Paul?"
"To sing OPERA", he replies

and she is almost shocked by this unbelievable answer. So am I, this is just another hoax with a lunatic megalomaniac thinking of being grandiose, without even deserve to be in frond of a TV camera (now that is an oxymoron). And after the millions of animals performing, sometimes better than men...

...he sings and I am amazed and shocked. I just hope this is for real, cause he is marvelous. "a breath of fresh air", out of those TV trashes, I couldn't agree more.
Listen to him sing:

Nessun Dorma from Puccini's Turrandor, in the first round



...and Time To Say Goodbye

Soundtrack, for your ears only

The Chemical Brothers - All Rights Reversed (at last the duo goes back to the old good songs)
American Analog Set - Million Young (I will never get tired of this)
Clint Mansell - Together We Will Live For Ever (End Credits For a Great Movie)
dEUS - The Magic Hour (no comments)
Feist - One Evening (Gonzales Solo Album, when was the last time you listen to good pop songs?)
Gomez - Notice (One of my favorite bands, from my late high school years)
The Cinematic Orchestra - To Built a Home (Wonderful)
The Avalances - Since I Left You (It really fixes me when I'm blue)
Razorlight - Who Needs Love (CooooooooL)
Q.O.T.S.A. - Little Sister (Best Band On Earth)
Motorpsycho - Devil Dog (Both motorpsycho and Gomez have never disappointment me)
Mogwai - Travel Is Danger (the definition of post-rock)
All About Lily Chou-Chou - Sight (from the OSTof the movie)
King Of Convinience - I Don't Know What I can Save You From (Quiet IS the new Loud)

Music A personal Afair

OuR DearesT FrienD Has ReturneD FroM The LanD Of "if-you-pay-a good-lawyer-you-can-almost-do-anything" and many other , BUT RidiculouS NewS Are FlooDing IN. AnD My FavoritE Ones Are RelateD To MusiC RoyaltieS and THE ExtremitY OF RIAA ActionS. SO...
I've TolD YOU AbouT The BIG HAND of Darkne$$ ThaT AfteR The "SuccesfuL" ProsecutioN OF InterneT UserS ThaT ARE SHARING MUSIC, actually "stealing" under theirs terms, AND InterneT RadiO StationS...the Fullne$$ OF TimE is HerE and TheiRs ProtectivE Wings HAD SpreaD to OtheR areas ThaT NeedeD TheiRs ImmediatE DivinE IntervantioN.
ONE of ThosE ARE YouR LocaL CoffeE ShoPs (the American Term for CAFE, avec accent)...

So In the future,
AuthoritY WilL CrosS ChecK if your MP3 PlayeR IncludE LegaL CopieS of OweneD MusiC
.............. WilL ArresT You if The MusiC is TOO LOUD and CAN be HearD FroM OtheR PeoplE
.............. OfficerS WitH A WarreN EscordinG LwayerS WilL BreaK UP a PartY and ArresT PeoplE NOT FOR BEING TO LOUD, BuT FoR BroadcastiC MusiC, without PayinG a PennY for ThiS Action.
.............. No MoRE BeacH PartieS WitH a GuiTaR UndeR a StarfuLL SKY
.............. No MorE WhisperinG of SongS to The EAR oF YOUR LOVER, SinginG LullabieS to YOUR ChilD.
It COulD EveN go to the extreme case of:
BeinG aBle To SinG a FamiliaR TunE WhilE BathinG ONLY if those bloody ROYALTIES were PAID.

CASE CLOSED

Music

Two new entries in the music section, and also in reaction to the bittersweet band presented by sfiltros, the one and only editor of newslete, at the friends tag, I present 3 high speed groups that are located in my mp3, and damage my hearing for a few weeks.

After a long time (almost 2 years) a new album from Fu Manchu, titled "We Must Obey" not as good as the legendary "The Action Is Go", but a real butt kicker. Your day is just awful and want to kick your head somewhere? Go and headbanging with this album. It's pure unconditioned riffed-based-fuzzed-dirty-as-army-toilets hard rock. Top track for me "Moving On Stereo", there are a few elements from the old Black Sabbath in this track. Or I think so.





Next "Enter Shikari". A band consisted of "four standard geezers from St. Albans City, a standard area just north of London" that mixed hard-core, punk, heavy-metal and "καφριλα" (I luck of a proper translation) with electro, techno and other stuff. The result? Pure grade A', f#@$ing FUN. "χαβαλες" as usually referred by that name in Greece. But the guys don't lack of good melodies and great music. Tracks as "Return To Energizer" and "Adieu", give hope for those guys. Wish the best for them, and a real good fresh start.





And finishing with the announcing of the new album from THE GREATEST BAND ON EARTH, Q.O.T.S.A. (for the uninitiated "QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE"). The title of the new album is ERA VULGARIS. The words are meaningless, the feeling overwhelming, the hand is trembling, the mind loops back to the best concert ever, back at the glorious summer night of 15-06-2005. Enter the site watch/hear the single and beg for forgiveness for ever listening to Corrine Beilly Rae and Urbs (not bad for easy listening and pop stuff).
Sick, Sick, Sick the first single, into the darkness away from safety once more. When I get that album on my hands (and survive holding it) I will emerge from the hard-stoned-trip, stretch my head and write down a few things. But it will take some time...

...sick, sick, sick don't resist...

Jesus, I'm really hungry!!!!!!!!

Music Lists

As you may have noticed there is a new tag inserted (there at the right side) regarding music I am listening to at the time being. Although there are a few problems I dislike. Actually one problem, the fact that it can not be configured to work as a real list or a drop-down menu, sawing all the music I inserted by time. Thus, I have to remove an album at time for the list to be shown well. So, I will introduce a new category with music I hear, or located in my mp3 player, and worth mentioning. So as for the previous days the list goes as:

!!! - Myth Takes
A Silver Mt. Zion - He Has Left Us Alone But Shafts of Light Sometimes Grace the Corners of Our Rooms
Aceyalone - Magnificent City (MC Aceyalone "sings over the music written by RJD2, a hip-hop/electronic/sampler musician)
Alex Gopher - S/T (Not a great album, but includes a few great songs as the first 2 songs of the album, rain Leech and Out of the inside)
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (Better than the first one, it surprised me positively, recommend it to everyone out there)
Artic Monkeys - Favorite Worst Nightmare (Second coming, still licening to it, a great album, but i cannot get throuthg the aftershock of the first album :))
Artic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (the first wave was like the crash of tidal waves, pure guitars, excellent riffs, and those kids enjoy what they do. My favorite track, fake tales of Sun Francisco)
As Tall As Lions - S/T
At The Drive-In - Relationship of Command (including the single "Invalid Litter Dept.")
Augie March - Moo, You Bloody Choir
Badly Drawn Boy - Have You Fed The Fish?
Basia Bulat - Oh, My Darling
Bat For Lashes - Fur And Gold
Berg Sans Nipple - Along The Quai
Bjork - Volta
Boy Kill Boy - Civillian
Calexico - Feast of Wire
Clint Mansell - The Fountain OST
Death Note - OST
dEUS - In A Bar Under The Sea
dEUS - The Ideal Crash
Eels - Blinking Lights And Other Revelations
Enter Shikari - Take To The Skie
Feist - Open Season
Fu Manchu - We Must Obey
Isombel Campell & Mark Lanegan - Ballad of the broken seas
Jenny Toomey with Calexico - Temptin: Jenny Toomey Sings The Songs Of Franklin Bruno
John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman
John Coltrane - Blue Train
Kwan - Love Beyond This
Maximum The Hormone - Buiikikaesu
MooM - TooT
Palast Orchester & Max Raabe - Palast Orchester Mit Seinem Sänger Max Raabe Präsentiert Superhits
Pearl Jam - Riot Act
Porcupine Tree - In Absenthia
Q.O.T.S.A. - Era Vulgaris
Q.O.T.S.A. - Lullabies To Paralyze
Seu Jorge - The Life Aquatic Sessions
Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band - Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band
Sparta - Threes
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Suzane Vega - Beauty and Crime
The Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder
The Besnard Lake - S/T
The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works
The Postal Service - Give Up
The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band - Born into Trouble as the Sparks Fly Upward
Thelonius Monk - Who's Afraid of the Big Band Monk
Tribalistas - S/T
Windermere - No One Wins
Yo Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone
Young Gods - Only Heaven

I will also Try to write down a few comments...probably i will be to lazy to do so.

DEATH NOTE

I still cannot belive how good is the two soundtracks from the anime death note. Not as good as the Cowboy Bebop's soundtrack but it does has some excellent themes, more like post-rock, there is a theme that reminds of mogwai's auto rock. And the series, just when you say you have figured everything out...great story, great animation, great dialogs, great characters. Just superb.
For a few info also check those blogs.
NOVASTORM
Random Curiosity