The Bag which appear to be full of little balls gets heavier throughout the performance whenever a musician requires the 'pause' facility.  Dynamics of notes played during the piece should comply with the position of the bag of the 'dynamic gradient' which forms the main method of structuring material during the piece.  Pitch content is the most improvisatory whilst dynamics are the most static.  Performers may choose to never stomp their feet, but then the piece would never end, and that wouldn't be very musical now would it?

The system being used for the composition of pitch streams will be facilitated by a fader fox micromodul LC2 (kindly provided by Chris McClelland).  The system allows me to use the fingers of one hand to control the pitch values whilst my other hand is free to press any of 4 buttons which input the notes into the real-time stream.

We'll see how well it works!

Video by Keilly & Roeters

For some reason I completely missed this song from her Feels Like Home album. And it's on my fucking iPod! Found this version and I like it better than the other funky video thingy.

Al Green's Let's Stay Together

Everywhere I went since this past Saturday this song was playing somewhere, or by someone. The most recent was the dude in the subway on 42nd street at the tail-end of the A train platform (going uptown), armed with just an acoustic guitar. Some years ago, after a singer on the Apollo show rocked the place with his own rendition it made me mad not to have access to the song right away. Fucking hate it when that happens...err...used to happen.

So, I thought it would be cool to find and post another rendition of this song on YouTube that is actually done well. Lo and behold...Ms. Sherika Sherard who's only 15 or 16. I love this version and I don't know why! I don't have to know...I just fucking do.

THE DANISH POET

MAESTRO

I'd posted a slew of audio programs on memory from BBC, PRX and others on my Sound Palette blog. Just click here and type in 'memory' on the search box.

Now if none of the above is your cupa joe, then go over here and watch the Monty Python sketch, My Brain Hurts.

Three other VodPods not on the sidebar is Beatles & Beyond Pod. It's meant to have every possible clip available of the Beatles, John, Paul, Ringo, and George - George Martin too. As well as interpretations of Beatles songs, butchering of Beatles songs, the bands appearance on various talk shows, interviews etc.

Musiconome is my all-music Pod.

Animated Pod is a collection of clips from my favorite shows, Family Guy, Simpsons, South Park, and Tom and Jerry. I do have other shows, but thought of starting one with these.

You are most welcome to come aboard my Beatles & Beyond and Animated Pods as a contributor.

Fortunately, YouTube's public service has made it possible for us to enjoy moving images of Huber with some minor interruptions from great musicians. You can't just have it all, can you? It may just be me that I find her so hot, but I find her hot nonetheless. I wonder what she'd look like on...HD. Mmmm.

Click here to watch clips from some of BWTA episodes. I've included both parts of the Noel Gallagher interview because that segment is how I first saw Huber and 'Breakfast'..........Huber and breakfast........that would be nice.

Watch a few of clips on my VodPod  from Vengo and Latcho Drom just to give you an idea. There's no way these clips, taken out of the story's context, does justice to the films. You have to watch them as a whole. If you're a flamenco music lover, Latcho Drom should be in your collection as well as the soundtrack. 'Arrinconamela,' the first selection on the VodPod list easily makes my 'Can't Get Enough Of' list - you know, when a song takes over your life for a few days. I'd seen 'DROM' some ten years ago and still haven't found any film matching its level of storytelling. Click on images to find them at Amazon.

I'm glad I found 'Five Feet High and Rising' one of my all-time favorite shorts. This short eventually went on to inspire the brilliant feature 'Raising Victor Vargas' by the same filmmaker, Peter Sollett. Victor Rasuk, the lead, is a very busy actor. So is Judy Marte. Wonder why Sollett hasn't made anything since then.

I loved 'The Hire' series by BMW Films. If you haven't seen these shorts, directed by some big wigs, then here they are. My faves...'Powderkeg' by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, 'Chosen' by Ang Lee and 'The Follow' by Wong Kar-Wai. If I had to pick one, it would be 'The Follow.'

Two years ago, I had a chance to watch all the Oscar nominated short films at a NYC screening. (Attending again this year...yess) Found two from that screening (Birthday Boy and Little Terrorist). 'Birthday' is my favorite. Couldn't find WASP by Andrea Arnold. She has a new film getting great reviews. The shorts event is a special annual event and you shouldn't miss if you like short films. Bill Plympton was in the audience in 2005. His 'The Fan and The Flower' (not on my VodPod) was nominated that year.

Hope you enjoy the films. And yeah...when that fucker Cupid flies by you with his bow and arrow, kick the bitch for me.

Let's start with the latest one. Couple of mornings ago. I wake up to go to work. I usually turn on NY1 to check the weather. On my cable box it's channel 60. 61 is VH1. I usually quickly go over to 61 to see what's playing. I don't have a remote so I have to reach out and use the plus and minus on the box, next to my bed. Channel 59 is static. Not much surfing possible there, you see. So...The Fray's 'How To Save A Life' comes on. The piano intro and Mark Pellington's name was enough to fuck me. I knew right away that I wouldn't be able to function properly until I listen to this song to death (no pun intended). Yes, the same Mark Pellington who brought us Pearl Jam's 'Jeremy.' As I'm writing now, the piano intro is on a loop inside my head. It will keep playing while I sleep, tomorrow when I am on the train, and tomorrow night when I sit back here again to write something else.

Please don't write me and tell me I have a rare musical disease bordering mental collapse or something. Anyway, let me start with 3 such songs.

The Fray's 'How To Save A Life'

I stumbled into the following almost the same way as 'How To Save..." NY1 weather...why not check out VH1...boom...pants down...music fucking for the next few days.

Five for Fighting's 'The Riddle'

Procol Harum's 'Whiter Shade of Pale' happened to me in 1995. It was at a Language of Film class (Prof. Lindley Hanlon - Brooklyn College - if you must know). She screened 'New York Stories' for the class and the Scorsese film started with this song. You can guess the rest.

Procol Harum's 'Whiter Shade of Pale'

Justin King [googlevideo="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-6390745587595829021&hl=en" flashvars=""]

Erik Mongrain

Andy McKee

Bob Brozman

Adam Fulara [googlevideo="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=292987729403650927&hl=en" flashvars=""]

Stanley Jordan

BONUS:

Another Erik Mongrain

He is recording and singing again and that's all that matters. I hate it when some of you fuckers bring up stuff that has nothing to do with music when his music is mentioned. Some of the greatest songwriters of today acknowledge his influence on their writing. Just try and enjoy the music, will you? That's all I have to say -- and this is from someone who began this post with "I've got nothing to say really..."

VIDEOS:

Wild World

Father and Son (One of my all-time favorites. It does something to me everytime I hear it. Eyes itchy and watery--if you know what I mean)

Morning Has Broken

Peace Train (should be an anthem for peace, if you ask me)

OTHER:

Alan Yentob interviews Yusuf Islam [googlevideo="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-688991723998377475&hl=en" flashvars=""]

VH1 (the best Behind The Music episode)[googlevideo="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=6157965900354777626&hl=en" flashvars=""]

Oh, I'm sorry. Did you think I meant John McLaughlin from NBC? Yeah, I like him because his show is calm and quiet. Not so much his guitar playing. I'm sure he can play a mean version of Purple Haze on one string, but his whammy bar usage is out of control. Can't do that if you're a serious talk show host. Anyway, enough for now. Let's move on.

John McLaughlin is one of my favorite guitar players, but what style will he be best known for? He's played and recorded with so many great musicians and styles that it's hard to label him. His Jazz roots are solid and it has helped him branch out and explore other styles. Whether it's been with Shakti, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miles Davis, Santana, or Pace De Lucia, just to name a few, his style has shone through. Yes, one can argue that he doesn't really play flamenco, or that he didn't really play the Indian classical style. But then you miss the bloody point. It's a meeting of two worlds/styles engaged in a conversation and getting to know each other. Both use a little bit of each other's vocabulary to converse and, therefore, we as the third party know a little about each of them. It is then up to us to visit one or the other's personal work and find out more.

My personal favorite would be his work with Shakti. Unless you've hear the title 'Joy' with your own ears, you won't know what I mean. That 18 minute piece is a performance that has me exhausted and exhilerated at the same time. I was able to find a clip of a 1976 Shakti performance. It's-a-nice!

ALBUM LISTING

McLAUGHLIN OFFICIAL SITE
Mahavishnu Orchestra- Live At Syracuse University
[googlevideo="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=425099801869161388&hl=en" flashvars=""]

Shakti 1976
[googlevideo="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-554869071097049195&hl=en" flashvars=""]

with Bireli Lagrene
[googlevideo="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=6989495568157691372&hl=en" flashvars=""]

w/ Paco De Lucia and Al Dimeola - Mediterranean Sundance
[googlevideo="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=6153902065082058850&hl=en" flashvars=""]

w/ Paco De Lucia - Live At Friedburg
[googlevideo="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=4000832980315711059&hl=en" flashvars=""]

Shakti - Live 2004
[googlevideo="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=-416986371378975475&hl=en" flashvars=""]

Remember Shakti- Saturday Night in Bombay
[googlevideo="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=766347916305347608&hl=en" flashvars=""]

It wasn't in the album. It probably wasn't by Rod Stewart either. Whatever.

This is probably old news to Affleck fans, but brand new to me. Enjoy the video!

Ben Affleck

Line Rider Catch Tutorial by H2O Studios 

Tube Tutorial by H2O Studios

Flip Tutorial by JacobB103

Line Rider Boomerang Video by ndemeire721

Line Rider Velocity Video by ndemeire721

Line Rider Exit Video by ndemeire721 

Line Rider Roundup | The Smorgasbord

Blog's getting a lot of hits after my original post 'Line Rider'. I have been seeing the snowboarder guy on every line I see around me for the past few days. Lying in bed the night before, I couldn't help but wonder how would he ride the diagonal lines the posters on my wall had formed. Nuts!

Anyway, check out the standalone version called Line Rider beta 2. This one has an eraser tool and couple of other helpful features. I must admit I lost interest quite a bit when I had the eraser option available. By the way, who is the real author of this game?

While we're on the subject of flash, and completely un-related to Line Rider, check out this animation created with the Flash interface. It's brilliant work.

Es hat geschlagene zwei Wochen gedauert bis das Micromodule DJ2 von Faderfox im Jackpoint eingetrudelt ist. Das Teil kommt aus Hamburg und nicht aus Honolulu, aber der Faderfox-Crew sei ein Urlaub gegönnt. DJ2 ist laut Hersteller perfekt auf Native`s Traktor 3 ausgelegt, quasi dafür gebacken.

ugh... das Teil mißt gerade mal 180 x 105 x 70 mm, wiegt nur 410g und passt damit locker in eine Jackentasche.

Traktor 3, DJ2 und ein MacBook hab` ich jetzt also beisammen, kann damit aber noch nicht loslegen - ein Midi-USB-Interface muss her. Die Hamburger empfehlen das "MidiSport Uno". Uno weil ein Midi-Ausgang und ein Midi-Eingang...

...und warum hat das DJ2 nicht direkt ein USB-Interface integriert? Die Hamburger erklären das so:"Micromodul ist ein ganzes System aus Controllern, welches bei Anwendung mehrerer Module einfach über Midi kaskadiert werden kann, was mit USB längst nicht so einfach wäre..." ...aha! Ein Micromodul ist nicht genug, ich zitiere: "Das optimale Setup für eine 4-Deck-Steuerung unter Traktor 3.0 besteht schließlich auch zwei DJ2 + zwei DX2."... öhm, ja nee - is` klar! Ein Modul kostet ca. 200 EURO!

...hmmm, ich bin abgeschweift und jetzt wird es überhaupt erst interessant! Traktor kommt ja nu` auf das Micromodule klar, aber ich kann keine Songs vorhören, da alles über die integrierte Macbook-Soundkarte läuft und die kein Vorhören erlaubt, da nur zwei Kanäle (rechts/links) vorhanden sind.

Hier muss ich mal anmerken, dass ich mir als langjähriger Win-User ein MacBook gegönnt habe... warum ich von Win zu Mac gewechselt habe soll hier nicht interessieren, nur soviel: auf dem MacBook lief das Micromodule/Midisport-Setup direkt und ohne Probleme, auf dem PC habe ich nach ein paar Stunden aufgegeben!!!

Im Gegensatz zu den Vorgängerversionen unterstützt Traktor 3 nur noch eine Soundkarte - aus Performancegründen heisst es! Eine externe Soundkarte müsste also von rechtswegen her... hmmm, geht das nicht auch anders? iMic von Griffin does the trick - iMic darf sich eigentlich nicht Soundkarte nennen, strenggenommen ist es aber eine. Naja... für 40 EURO lässt man die Rute im Sack, besser noch: das Teil macht einen prima Job. Wie Macuser iMic zum vorhören nutzen können wird im Native-Forum gut beschrieben... und hey, das funktioniert sogar:

Allen Unkenrufen zum Trotzt läuft Traktor 3 auf meinem MacBook ohne grosse Mucken. Die einzigen Abstürze - dafür in steter Regelmässigkeit - erfolgen bei der Wiedergabe eines aufgenommen Mixes... aber das Intel-Upgrade soll ja laut Native noch im Oktober November erfolgen. Na klar, Native leiert mir dann nochmal eben 25 EURO für das Intel-Prozessor-Update aus der Tasche...

Da ich nicht geplant habe auf der nächsten VooV aufzulegen, gereicht mir die genannte Variante zum Vergnügen - bei Leibe ein nicht ganz so günstige Lösung, dafür aber ausbaubar und alles in allem besser als die Lösungen von Herkules oder Behringer...