The new site is http://thedadada.wordpress.com/ . This site will be maintained for archival purposes only.
Thanks,
The Dadada
09/16/2009
08/12/2009
Three new posts on new site
Blogophilia 9: http://thedadada.wordpress.com/2009/08/12/blogophilia-vol-9/
Okkervil River News: http://thedadada.wordpress.com/2009/08/11/okkervil-river-news/
Sunday Ramblings: http://thedadada.wordpress.com/2009/08/09/sunday-ramblings/
Please update your bookmarks to:
08/04/2009
07/27/2009
Moving to WordPress
Well, it's been a good run here on VOX. I will keep the page open for updates, but I am moving to a new site on August 1. Check it out here.
Please be sure to stop by! Thanks to everyone who commented, emailed, and found some use for this site. Thanks to VOX for remaining afloat and providing me with a good start
07/23/2009
Experimenting with the Podcast Idea
I've uploaded Blogophilia 7 here as a podcast, because I am toying with the idea of posting it on Itunes.
You can download Blogophilia 7 as all-in-one podcast file here:
or pick it up here, as a tracked, gapless mix:
07/20/2009
From the DUH! Department...
I don't know if I am uncommon among my age cohort, but I'd like to think not. Maybe this is where demography plays a role, who knows. I read a piece today about the decline of radio, and I came away thinking either the popular press is out of touch or I am an anomaly.
Growing up in the Boston area, I still read Boston.com (The Boston Globe website) to get my daily news and information on what's happening in the old neighborhood. It's pretty good for all other news too. This morning, I caught the headline for a story featured in the Inside Boston.com section on the homepage entitled, Internet Killed the Radio Star?
I guess WBCN's demise caused a fury. I am kind of surprised to see this article. I can only conclude that folks at the Globe must be wondering how a well respected rock-n-roll institution like BCN could suffer such an ignominious fate, or maybe they just have their heads up their arses. Before sharing the link, two things bothered me about this piece:
1) The demise of the recording industry as it existed for decades is well documented, and radio was a logical domino to fall in the process.
You don't have to look hard to find a good piece of journalism that describes the decline of traditional recording sales. Factors contributing to this are the cost of CDs, electronic file sharing, and electronic downloading as a method of purchasing these media.
Logically, music radio was the next domino to fall. This is an industry that had no viable competitor for a long time. Advertising was at a premium for radio powerhouses until mp3 players, the Internet and satellite radio became legitimate forms for consuming media. Couple these changes with the continued corporatization of stations, and the product became bland, and almost indistinguishable from city to city across the United States. Increased advertising to compensate for diminishing revenues and a crappy product has led to decreased audiences nationwide. Simply put, people were sick of what was available, and when novel and better alternatives emerged, they moved to them.
The podcast and the mp3 have redefined the radio and music industry respectively. Consumers have more options and bands have a bigger reach due to corporate America weakening a little. I sincerely believe that we are approaching a state in music where the greater good is being served by undercutting the power bases of recording industry giants. It's an odd analogy, but it resembles the rise of microbrews in the late '80's and early 90's. Smaller breweries became successful and took hold, and beer drinkers and connoisseurs reaped the benefits. We're seeing the same thing for audiophiles.
2) The piece from Boston.com assumes that this movement is limited to younger consumers.
I don't know, but I was taken aback with the supposition that this trend is limited to young people. Is this really the case? Or is it a specific kind of music consumer?
This is where I question how typical I am among my age cohort, and where I believe demography might better explain who this new market is. I am guessing I am not much different than folks between 30-50 who are college educated, computer savvy, and interested in music. I don't want to make any assumptions about race or gender, but I am guessing my status as a white male could factor into this as well. I am sure income plays a role too. Regardless, I think that demography could also explain something similar for younger listeners. Not all younger listeners have adopted this new pattern of consumption, trust me, I spend a lot of time with college-aged folks and plenty still listen to the radio. The point is, this trend is bigger than one generation and that the radio broadcasting and recording industries are undergoing major changes as a result.
Here is the piece:
07/19/2009
Sunday Roundup 07/19/09
I've been listening to the Grizzly Bear album, Veckatimest, over and over lately. I am usually a fan of straightforward rock, but this album is so well produced and richly layered that I have to admit being a bit overwhelmed by it all. I've listened to it about two dozen times these last two weeks, and find something new in it each time. The one thing I can say for certain is that I like it better than other efforts by Grizzly Bear and its associated acts (i.e., Department of Eagles). Other efforts have always slogged along for me, and Veckatimest does not. I think the mix of songs is well balanced, and does not drag as the album nears its end. If you haven't already, please check out:
REMEMBER TO HOVER OVER THE LINK AND THEN RIGHT CLICK ON THE LINK IN THE TOP OF THE SNAP BOX with the URL starting with sites.google.com...
Two Weeks was featured on Blogophilia Volume Six. Veckatimest is one of the must own albums of 2009.
Also check out this excellent mashup of Dead Prez's Hip Hop with Two Weeks:
Two Weeks of Hip Hop is featured on Blogophilia Volume Seven.
Live Music Archive Show of the Week
Spoon Live at the Moon, Tallahassee, FL
11/08/2007
A great matrix (soundboard/audience)mix that captures the band on the Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Tour. Check out the single, Got Nuffin', from the newly released EP of the same name here.
1. Delicate Place
2. Don't You Evah
3. You Got That Cherry Bomb
4. Stay Don't Go
5. Beast And Dragon, Adored
6. Rhythm & Soul
7. Metal Detektor
8. Way We Get By
9. Ghost of You Lingers
10. Everything Hits at Once
11. Don't Make Me a Target
12. It's Gonna Take an Airplane **
13. Monsieur Valentine
14. They Never Got You
15. I Summon You
16. I Turn My Camera On
17. My Mathematical Mind
18. Black Like Me
19. Japanese Cigarette Case
20. The Underdog
21. Fitted Shirt
Track by Track in FLAC or MP3 here:
All in one ZIP here
CHECK THESE OUT
Obviously, I am fan of mixes and mix lists. Have you downloaded the latest Blogophilia yet? Here are a few onto which I've stumbled the last few weeks. All are decent, and making the rounds on my Ipod.
The Darker Side of Synths (Blue Walrus.com)
Future Islands, Pegase, James Rutledge, and Ben Sollee are all featured on this very good mix of modern bands who feature the synthesizer. I am a bit reluctant to call these synth bands, hence the verbiage in the previous sentence. Great mix to pop on when you first wake up. It will help you ease into your day. It was a great Saturday morning listening experience for me.
Summer Mixes
You need something to help you chill while poolside? A mojito works, a margarita is better, and a cold Corona with lime is fantastic. These mixes will certainly add to the chilaxin.
INFINITE SUMMER? AM I TOO LATE?
I recently stumbled upon the site, Infinite Summer, which is challenging book lovers across the world to read David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest. Infinite Jest is the post-modern equivalent of James Joyce's Ulysses in that it is full of rich writing and an endless supply of historical and contemporary allusions. Like Ulysses, there are reader guides to help with interpreting this monstrosity (over 1000 pages). I've always wanted to read it, and apparently there are Facebook and Twitter sites dedicated to tracking progress, commenting on the text, and exchanging ideas. There are also facilitated discussions led by scholars of the book. The challenge runs from June 21 to September 22. I am about four weeks behind, but I think I am going to make a run at it. Wish me luck as I attempt to catch up on approximately 300 pages of reading in a week.
07/16/2009
Blogophilia Volume 7
Blogophilia Volume 7 is Ipod ready and gapless. All promotional mp3s used to form this compilation were gathered from July 1 through July 15, and reflect what I thought was the best out there (at least what could be mixed). See past Blogophilia posts for more information. Anyway, it's there for you to enjoy. It features three North Carolina artists: Megafaun, Bowerbirds, and the Avett Brothers. There's also Jim James covering George Harrison on Long, Long, Long. Here is the tracklist and ripping information:
Blogophilia Vol. 7
encoded at 256 VBR (Zip File 151 MB)
Embeded cover art and gapless formatted for Ipod
Tracklist (submitted to Gracenote)
01. Camera Obscura – If Looks Could Kill
02. The Moondoggies – Changin’
03. Drummer – Feel Good Together
04. Ramona Falls – Russia
05. Local Natives – Airplanes
06. Heartless Bastards – The Mountain
07. Elliott Brood – Write It All Down For You
08. Lightning Dust – I Knew
09. The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You
10. Aeroplane Pageant – I Remember, I Think
11. The Phenomenal Handclap Band – 15 to 20
12. Dead Prez/Grizzly Bear Mashup – Two Weeks of Hip Hop
13. Portugal the Man – Work All Day
14. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – Where Is My Brain?
15. The Baptist Generals – Alcohol (Turn and Fall)
16. Rock Plaza Central – Don’t You Believe the Words Handsome Men
17. Bowerbirds –Northern Lights
18. Megafaun – Kaufman’s Ballad
19. Son Volt – Down to the Wire
20. Jim James (as Yim Yames) – Long, Long, Long
07/14/2009
Sad News...
The station to which I grew up listening is going off the air (link here). WBCN in Boston was THE RADIO STATION in Boston from the late '60's until recently, and it's sad to see it go. I am not surprised by this announcement at all. Rock music radio is waning, and there are many factors that have contributed to its decline. Constraints by corporate owners are probably the chief reason for radio's decline, but you have to believe that streaming audio, Ipods, Satellite radio, and other forms of media broadcasting played a role in WBCN's demise. It's a sad day for anyone over 30 who grew up in the Boston area. Does anyone remember the Big Mattress?
The Dadada
This is an archive of the Dadada Music Blog, which originally started on VOX, and now exists here: http://thedadada.wordpress.com/ If you compare the two, you can see that it grew from an occasional indulgence to a pretty serious hobby... Have fun with it.
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