Mr. Lajoie has done some amazing work over the years. Whether it’s rapping or singing about getting high (see my 420 post) he’s been an institution on YouTube for years now. This new video is both hilarious and terribly sad. The stunning commentary on the total co-opting of the music industry by branding & marketing is done exquisitely. It pains me to say it, but every word of the video is true. One of the only ways for artists to make it these days is to get corporate sponsorship or for their baby hit single to get pulled into an ad campaign by Pfizer or Ford. Hit it up, then try not to feel bad for your friends who “hate commercialism” and are trying to make it. Here’s a tip, Generation Z doesn’t know what “selling out” is. Let that sink in for a moment.
Category Archives: News/Lolz
Disney Invented Tech That Prints Speakers In Anything.
So, firstly, I had no idea Disney had research labs, but more importantly, holy crap. Apparently, they’ve made a breakthrough that allows them to build a speaker into literally any object. Not only can anything be a speaker, but they can also add proximity sensors such that different speakers interact with different tokens. This will allow you to walk into a room, and depending on a pre-existing choice you made (say, whether you wanted a duck, bunny or frog), the corresponding speaker would play once the token was in range of it (i.e. the duck/bunny/frog animatronic device inside the ride you’re on). This is going to seriously fuck with the way we build art installations, studios and interactive media, especially if everything in this video pans out. (via Fast Co. Design)
Focused Soundwaves Heal Tumors. And The Sonic Screwdriver Is Real, It Seems.
The Txchnologist Tumblr (Sponsored by GE, full disclosure) did an expansive & well documented piece on focused soundwaves being used to heal tumors two weeks ago. Apparently there’s an entire group called the “International Society on Therapeutic Ultrasound,” which sounds like a hilariously awesome title for a dubstep show. It’s in fact a society focused on disseminating knowledge about what ultrasound can do besides just helping doctors view the thoracic cavity & see if your baby has two heads. The therapeutic applications are kind of jaw-dropping. Groups working on drug delivery, healing chronic wounds & even using sound in place of scalpels. That’s right, Doctor Who’s sonic screwdriver is not only real, but it’s being actively researched by grad students as we speak. Check out the article here and hit up the links inside for more info. Can’t wait to see the wub-wubs work to cure disease at festivals.
The Gift Of Hearing Given To Someone For The First Time.
Beatport was one of the many websites that pushed this out a little while ago. I think it’s important to stop, take a minute and see just how this lady (named Jo, of Gateshead England) has been reduced to tears by the simple act of hearing things for the first time. We in the music universe get so caught up in “is this good, do I like this, eww Dubstep” that we forget the simple gift of hearing is exactly that. A gift. That can be taken away in an instant. This is your reminder to wear earplugs, don’t nest in front of the speakers, and for Christ’s sakes, take care of your ears! Stop hoping that stem cells will forgive all of the abuse you put your aural circuits through during that one summer you followed Warped Tour and back it off a little bit this weekend. If anyone gives you shit for wearing earplugs, laugh and walk away. Seriously. You only get one pair of ears, and they are truly astonishing.
Ludacris & Wiz Khalifa Discover Trap Music. And There Was Much Rejoicing.
So, I may have mentioned a while ago that Ludacris discovered Cashmere Cat, one of my favorite Lovetrap producers. Firstly, yes lovetrap is a genre, so deal with it. Secondly, the video for the track came out today. Boy oh boy is there a lot of sexy in this. It’s already got about 68k plays on Youtube, so once that VEVO machine gets rev’d up, you’re going to be hearing this thing officially all over the place. Hilarious rips of “Barbie Girl” lyrics, smooth rhyming by Luda and the irrepressible beats of CC make for a catchy track, even though you probably want to play this at home with your honey. Give it a spin, see how it feels, you’ll thank me.
Miles Davis Fucks With CBS
Bitches Brew would go on to be one of the most critical & important albums in the history of both Jazz & Rock. Just imagine the look on the guy’s face when he got the telegram. Or whatever the hell people used to communicate in the late 60’s. I love how “Please advise” means the same thing in business-speak no matter what era you’re in. (via Reddit)
Saul Williams Is Going To Be In The Musical Inspired By Tupac Shakur “Holler If Ya Hear Me” On Broadway.
So, not only is there going to be a Tupac Shakur Musical on Broadway (I know, I was surprised too), Saul Williams has been tapped to join the cast. No, he’s not playing Tupac, despite what you may have heard (if you pay attention to this stuff.) If this musical really gets at the goals and effects of the Shakur family on American society, this is going to be a very powerful piece. An eye-opener for the Average Broadway theater if ever there was one. Check him out below if you’ve never heard of him. (Props to FACT for pointing to the NYTimes piece, but updates required it seems.)
New Flashbulb Album “Nothing Is Real” May 12th!!
If you’ve never heard of Benn Jordan, I’m almost jealous of you. I first stumbled across this guy late one night on a chan board, where some of his early work had been added as the soundtrack to some particularly compelling flash animation (no, not porn). This led to a general purchase and enjoyment of a significant amount of his catalog.
This guy’s body of work under multiple monikers is impressive, as is his pace of production. Big Room DJs don’t produce as much as Benn in an off year and The Flashbulb’s compositions have more complexity in 12 seconds than DVBBs has had in its entire career. Apparently there’s newness coming out in less than a month time and there’s a general feeling of glee from me, as his intensely complex & stupefyingly beautiful work is always welcome in my ears. Listen to things and get excited too.
Morrissey Announces New Album Filled With Hilariously Emo Track Titles.
Morrissey has always impressed me, though I find the sound to be somewhat difficult to take seriously. However, after seeing the new album’s track names, it’s going to be really hard to listen to someone in Colonial Williamsburg detail how he was an inspiration for their current singer-songwriter “identity.” These are kind of amazing:
1 World Peace Is None Of Your Business (4:21)
2 Neal Cassady Drops Dead (4:02)
3 Istanbul (4:40)
4 I’M Not A Man (7:50)
5 Earth Is The Loneliest Planet (3:38)
6 Staircase At The University (5:30)
7 The Bullfighter Dies (2:05)
8 Kiss Me A Lot (4:03)
9 Smiler With Knife (5:13)
10 Kick The Bride Down The Aisle (5:18)
11 Mountjoy (5:08)
12 Oboe Concerto (4:07)
When “Oboe Concerto” is the least maudlin sounding track name on the album, I can’t wait to hear what this sounds like.
Armin Van Buuren + Frozen’s “Let It Go” = Get Your Kids Dancing.
Just in case you had forgotten that “Let It Go” song from Frozen, Armin dropped this a little over a week ago. While I’m certainly not the first to post this, I want to emphasize, there is a trance remix of a female led Disney movie. I think every part of that sentence illustrates how far Western culture has progressed in the last 20 years when it comes to being more inclusive of non-heteronormative narratives. Also, it’s catchy as hell. (via EDMTunes)
Terry Gotham 