The Hippodrome

Judging by a recent $50,000 Google research grant for Freesound, I’m guessing I’m a little late hopping on the bandwagon. But boy, am I glad I finally got on! According to the front page, “the Freesound Project is a collaborative database of Creative Commons licensed sounds. Freesound focusses only on sound, not songs. This is what sets freesound apart from other splendid libraries.”

I was sold at a site solely featuring Creative Commons licensed soundbits, but I was wholly unprepared for the massive volume of high quality, user generated content available for download. This site is not only a composer’s dream, but also a great place to store your own found sounds and share them with others. “Mootcher,” an opensource programming library that indexes the sounds, is also available for integration in personal programs. Bulk uploading via FTP makes life even slicker. True to its name, the site makes it about as easy as possible to enjoy, manipulate and disseminate sound.

On a broader level, The Freesound Project puts a previously impossible spectrum of sound in the hands of anyone, and for that reason, earns a place in my book next to Wikipedia and others of the like. Obviously Freesound didn’t come up with the “found sound for everyone” idea, but their implementation and commitment to the cause is an inspiring feat in a music world that’s getting more and more friendly.

Happy, happy day — FensePost and The Hippodrome have teamed up to do some content sharing! FensePost is a terrific online music zine that gives equal attention to the big guys and the fledgling aesthetes, and even hits unsigned music too. Check ‘em often and check ‘em hard folks.

That’s Fun Download
Toys Download

I hate to make obvious comparisons as much as the next blogger, but when Honus Honus of Man Man suggests “demonic take-overs” in response to his live shows, I imagine a similar scenario for Mit’n, an equally bizarre quintet. Cloaked in low fidelity and one take wonders, Mit’n have already begun to pulverize audiences with their Mike Patton affected vocals, ambiguously sarcastic rap choruses, and general “what the fuck” attitude.

Mit’n formed when Amelia “came over to beat up Mark and Nikita pretty often because they were nerds. When she heard what had been recorded… she beat Mark and Nikita up even worse than usual, so it was time to start a real band.” A fitting start when you consider even just a small sampling of the band’s “influences”:

“LCDs, LEDs, OLEDs, HDMI, DVI, PCI, VGA composite, HD, 16:9, 4:3, 320×240, NAACP, LA Gear, LA Law, FBI, CIA, KGB, FCC, ACLU, ESRB, FX, THX1138, WEFT 90.1, SARS, AIDS, NBC, Nickelodeon, NOFX, Ren & Stimpy, PEN15, DOS, RF…”

Both “That’s Fun” and “Toys” are off the band’s latest record, Bad Hair, Nice Glasses. The album, described by Nikita as “fishy,” is an aptly weird but strangely gripping collection of tracks that run the gambit from endearing to calculatedly repulsing. While Mit’n has a ways to go in creating a consistent balance of solid songwriting and outright weirdness, the gems in their collection glow pretty damn brightly.

Once a PEN15 member, always a PEN15 member.

I just found out via TMT that Insound.com, everyone’s favorite online music retailer, has been bought by Warner’s ADA division (Alternative Distribution Alliance). Mr P points out that this move blurs the line even more between major music distribution and indie distribution.

I’m willing to take it one step further and say that it’s just another step in exposing the fact that there really is no essential difference in the majors and so called “indies.” Granted, there’s a difference in execution between your older brother’s garage outfit and Barsuk, but surprise surprise, when record sales start to head out the door, everyone seems to get a little cozier with the “enemy.”

I honestly spit out my tea when I saw this video. This is Tim and Eric meets Andrew W.K., shamisen style. The best parts are the shots of the refined Japanese gentlefolk nodding in tentative approval. And the breakdown around :50 is priceless.

These guys are seriously signed to Domo, so no drome feature in the cards here. Jokes aside, the shamisen playing is flawless, but seems like an arpeggiator with a “Japanese” patch plugged in. This is kind of a shame when you consider their undeniable virtuosity and the subtlety of the traditional art form.

I don’t really have a problem with the fact that people eat up cheesy music by virtue of one gimmick, but what does sadden me is that The Yoshida Brothers are treated as gods in Japan. They’re far more recognizable than the countless and starving traditional shamisen players who live in anonymity. It’s great that more people will even be exposed to shamisen, but isn’t it a shame that the world works like this?