Monday, January 31, 2011

Collective Soul - The World I Know

Remember Collective Soul? I always found this song pretty moving, and today it seems strangely appropriate. The situation in Egypt is a not-so-subtle reminder of how fragile the world has become, and that it's not difficult to foresee something like that happening in our own backyards if the current trends continue. This isn't necessarily a bad thing though. It means that someone is paying attention, and we are beginning to wake up.

Collective Soul - The World I Know [Live In Atlanta]



STUFF YOU SHOULD SEE

Zeitgeist: Moving Forward

Forget Harry Potter, watch this instead.

The Egyptian Protest

Some amazing and powerful scenes.

SCIENCE MATTERS

New Painkiller Developed

Aren't there plants that do this already?

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Oscar Actresses Prone To Divorce

Someone got a Ph.D for this? Seriously?

The 100 Greatest Movie Insults Of All Time

Warning: increasingly offensive language.

WEIRD OR WHAT

Growing Meat In A Lab

Let me be the first to say "yuck".

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Tonella - Ghostling

I've been meaning to do an album review of Tonella's debut album "Dreaming In Red" for a while, but alas I haven't picked up a copy yet. It's on my list of things to do, however, in the near future. I've had the pleasure of watching this lovely lady's evolution from casual open mic drop-in to professional performer over the last seven years or so, and I'm sure most would agree that from the first time they heard her it was clear she was destined for bigger things. This is a new song she posted a couple nights ago that I really enjoyed. This is not on the album, but this one is. The best part is there is so much more to come from this exceptional talent. Keep your eyes, and ears, on this one.

Tonella - Ghostling



STUFF YOU SHOULD SEE

Climbing The Stairway To Heaven

Just nuts. Watch in HD.

SCIENCE MATTERS

Commercial Spaceport In New Mexico

A measily $200k for a ticket.

New Documents Support Wakefield

An important case in the increasingly shady medical industry.

POLITICS SUCKS

Monsanto Wins Alfalfa Case

It's all downhill from here, folks.

WEIRD OR WHAT

Water Powered Jetpack Now On Sale

For the low, low price of $99,500.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Hey Rosetta! - Yer Spring

Well it's been yet another busy, and it's far from over, so I'll just leave you with the brand new Hey Rosetta! video. The new album comes out in a couple weeks. I'm assuming you know who they are because I've posted them before, so listen and enjoy. Thanks to Julie for the heads up.


STUFF YOU SHOULD SEE


Good documentary, worth watching.

SCIENCE MATTERS


Promising, but will the oil barons allow it?


One down, one to go. Sort of.


As long as you like the person.

JUST FOR LAUGHS


Bacon is better than seaweed. Fact.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Stereophonics - Maybe Tomorrow

I don't know of anything else that has ever caught my ear by Stereophonics, but this track was from the "Crash" soundtrack, and I always thought it was pretty good. Maybe tomorrow I'll get around to writing a little more, way too much on the go today.

Stereophonics - Maybe Tomorrow



SCIENCE MATTERS

Robotic Ground Coffee Gripper

What a waste of good coffee.

The Mission R Electric Motorcycle

Wow... awesome.

POLITICS SUCKS

Global Competitiveness Forum Discusses Alien Life

Get used to it folks.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Epic Super Bowl Showdown

These guys just continue to big it up.

SIMPLY AWESOME

World Record Kayak Waterfall Descent

Simply awesome... or simply insane???

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Thom Yorke - Airbag

The blog is back to save the universe. Apologies for missing yesterday. These things happen. You might remember Thom Yorke from such songs as "Paranoid Android", "There, There", and "You Never Wash Up After Yourself". If you don't, you probably listen to country music or Crack Dyed Cheese, and for that I'm sorry. I haven't time to blather on about the greatness of this performer, so I'll just let you figure it out for yourself.



STUFF YOU SHOULD SEE


Farewell to the Juiceman.


Brings new meaning to the term piano bar.


The fake one, that is.

SCIENCE MATTERS


Best eaten raw, or lightly steamed.


Where's the one that kicks record field goals?

JUST FOR LAUGHS


Now that's what I call a salad.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

M.I.A. - Sunshowers

The blog is on temporary hiatus due to prior time commitments. Regular service will continue on Tuesday, January 25th. In the meantime here's some M.I.A..


Have a good weekend.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Hayden - The Hazards Of Sitting Beneath Palm Trees

I am well aware of the hazards, thank you very much, and I am willing to except them in exchange for the sitting opportunity. Remember Mike Bullard? Ya, didn't think so. How about Hayden? A little bit? Sorta? He used to be pretty good. Some surmise that he still is. I really haven't listened to anything he's put out in the last... ten years? This one is thirteen years old. It's pretty good.

Hayden - The Hazards Of Sitting Beneath Palm Trees [Live]



SCIENCE MATTERS

New Device Uses Brainwaves To Control Stuff

These aren't the droids you're looking for.

Mini Cows For Sale

Now hurry up on those mini elephants already.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Cat Summoned For Jury Duty

I say give him a shot. How bad could he be?

Ricky Gervais Opens Up Golden Globes

Almost as good as last time.

WEIRD OR WHAT

92nd Anniversary Of The Great Molasses Flood

Yup, it's real. The "Delicious Disaster".

Monday, January 17, 2011

Nujabes - Another Reflection

I took yesterday off because it was Sunday, and I heard that it was illegal to blog in New Brunswick on Sundays. I was wrong. It's only illegal to shoot animals with guns and then blog about it all on a Sunday. How silly of me.

J. Fonz introduced me to Jun Seba, aka Nujabes, a few years back. Japanese anime cartoons really aren't my thing, but if it is your thing, you've probably heard of Samurai Champloo. This brilliant fella featured heavily on the soundtrack for that series, and gained a following for his amazing beats and jazzy grooves.

Sadly he passed on in late February of last year at the young age of 36, and one of the most inspiring producers of our time left us to wonder what might have been. It's almost fitting that such an amazing artist had no flashy music videos to accompany his work, in fact no videos at all. This is just a fan made video to distract you while you listen to another great track.


BONUS BEATS!

Nujabes - Kumomi


STUFF YOU SHOULD SEE


In Brisbane, Australia. Ronnie won't be pleased.

SCIENCE MATTERS


Probably not so good.


Just a reminder.


Please make this free...


Sadly Boo Berry does not.

POLITICS SUCKS


This is just ridiculous.


There's a couple good zingers in there. And Martin Short.


A creepy response to this.

JUST FOR LAUGHS


A bit long, but pretty hilarious.


Warning: somewhat suggestive behaviour.

WEIRD OR WHAT


Birds, fish, now cows. I hope we're not next.


Dumbest thing I've seen in ages.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Maya Jane Coles - Humming Bird

Noematus strikes again! I remember him saying a little while back that he didn't have his finger on the pulse of the "underground" scene any more... I must respectfully disagree with him. I've been introduced to so many great tracks just from following his page. Much respect.

So here's some minimal goodness from Maya Jane Coles for you. I'd never heard of her before this, but she's got my attention now. She's a Brit with Japanese heritage, and I like her style. I don't really regret leaving Toronto for Freddy Beach, but there are two things that I definitely miss about the big city. Well, three if you include all my peeps there, but the food is definitely world class there, and the music scene is just amazing. I miss being able to just hit up a small little lounge and hearing some random DJ spinning amazing tracks like this all night just to set the ambiance. Anyway check out this track, it's awesome.

Mary Jane Coles - Humming Bird



BONUS BEATS!

Bucketheads - The Bomb [hausJacker Remix]



SCIENCE MATTERS

Coffee vs Diabetes

Proving once again that decaf sucks.

Tinnitus In The Brain, Not The Ears

Musicians take note, take care of your brains.

POLITICS SUCKS

Universities Urged To Value Teaching

Our education system sucks: fact.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Christopher Walken GPS Voice

Fake, but hilarious.

Snoop Dogg GPS Voice

Real, but hilarious.

WEIRD OR WHAT

Bullet Proof Custard

Now if we can only turn the bullets into custard too...

Friday, January 14, 2011

Queen - Don't Stop Me Now

I haven't posted any Queen yet. I better do that. These guys aren't everyone's cup of tea, they're as much theatre as they are music, but they deserve respect. Freddy Mercury was a world-class character with world-class teeth, and at one point a world-class moustache. His life is somewhat of a tragedy, but we should remember him for the majesty he brought in his music. This is simply a great song, full of energy, that exemplified his mission and his message. If you're not having fun, now's a good time to do something different. After all, it's just a ride.

Queen - Don't Stop Me Now



SCIENCE MATTERS

Fruit Flies Solve Network Problem

Once again nature proves it's smarter than we think.

POLITICS SUCKS

U.S. vs China Summit Next Week

You will join us or die!

Pope John Paul To Be Beatified

Can I do the remix?

RANDOM GOODIES

15 Cheap Superfoods

Mmmm... suuuuperfooooods...

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Bill Hicks Revelations

Well, there might be a point there somewhere...

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Perry Como - Catch A Falling Star

Phew, I'm beat. Short but good gym workout. Now... Perry Como!

Perry Como - Catch A Falling Star



SCIENCE MATTERS

Mammoths Reborn

Anyone remember Jurassic Park?

Wine Good For Science

If it's good for science, it must be good for me.

POLITICS SUCKS

Money For Nothing Censored

This is dumb. Don't like the song? Change the channel.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Bambi vs Godzilla

A classic I remember watching that on TV.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

SBTRKT & Sampha - Look At Stars

Today seems like a good day to post some spacey stuff. Not sure why, just because. Maybe some other stuff too, but lots of spacey stuff.

Aaron Jerome, aka SBTRKT (pronounced Subtract), is a mysterious kind of guy. He's a DJ / producer who likes to wear crazy African tribal masks to hide his identity, hence why he's wearing one in the video below. He makes really cool minimal beats for the most part, but uses some really eclectic rhythms. Sampha is the vocalist, who's face is being projected onto the mask. They've collaborated before on some cool stuff, like this one I posted a while ago. Creds to Noematus for this video find.


BONUS BEATS!

Alex Clare - Up All Night [SBTRKT VIP Mix]


STUFF YOU SHOULD SEE


The 2nd best UFO documentary ever made.


The best.

SCIENCE MATTERS


Scotty told us about this ages ago.


Somebody call David Bowie!


Next stop, Endor.

WEIRD OR WHAT


Double rainbow what now?

SIMPLY AWESOME


Now if we can only cancel out the drill...

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Naughty By Nature - Flags

Well look who's back. Naughty By Nature. These guys were sa-weeeet like fifteen years ago, but then they had a falling out and hadn't put out an album in eight years. Good to see 'em back. This isn't their best, but I dig the message and it's good enough for me. Creds to Vye Nel for this one. Props to everyone else for the other links I stole today.

Naughty By Nature - Flags



BONUS BEATS!

Naughty By Nature - Feel Me Flow [E-A-Ski Remix]



POLITICS SUCKS

Twitter Responds To Wikileaks Subpoena

Nice job guys, respect.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Chili Four Loko

Epic Meal Time! Yes!

The Price Is Right, Peter Griffin Style

Hilarious.

SIMPLY AWESOME

Evolve Festival Mini-Documentary

Fifteen minutes of awesome.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Live - White, Discussion

"Throwing Copper" was Live's best album. One of the better rock albums of the decade actually, which is somewhat surprising considering none of their albums before or since came close to matching its awesomeness. There were a couple other good ones, but this far and away defined the band. Not that it's a bad thing. It's not easy to replicate masterworks like that, and you can imagine from the tone of the album that it was a very personal and intense process writing and recording the album, probably something that would be taxing physically and emotionally. Beyond the big hit "Lightning Crashes" there are some brilliant songs on the album, with this one being my favourite. If this were released last year it would have been my rock song of the year by some distance. There are better audio versions of this one on YouTube but I like the video.

Live - White, Discussion



STUFF YOU SHOULD SEE

Invisible Tanks

How about invisible garbage trucks?

SCIENCE MATTERS

Climate Change Here To Stay

So get used to it.

Self-Cleaning Atmosphere

I wish my room did that.

WEIRD OR WHAT

Orange Alligator

I'd like a blue one.

SIMPLY AWESOME

Pants Off Party!

Don't you just hate pants?

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Lady Gaga - Paparazzi

I am often a staunch critic of most pop music. The majority is just filler distraction for people with no musical education or exposure to proper awesomeness. I would generally include Lady Gaga's music as equivalent junk, but sometimes you have to give credit were credit is due. She is obviously very talented, and unlike most pop stars she can actually sing. You also have to give her some credit for her passion towards philanthropy and social cause, even if it is sometimes misplaced. Don't worry, I won't be jumping around in silly get-ups and prancing about to her albums any time soon, but just for a moment I will recognize her exceptional qualities and indulge in this fine acoustic performance. Maybe she should consider releasing a wholly acoustic album in the future, it might attract a different audience to her sound.

Lady Gaga - Paparazzi [Live Acoustic @ Capital FM]



SCIENCE MATTERS

Music Triggers Brain Chemicals

Haven't we known this for ages?

POLITICS SUCKS

An Irish View On The Economy

Oldie but goodie. Favourite clip of 2010.

SIMPLY AWESOME

Charlie Chaplin Speaks

If he said this today, would we listen?

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Led Zeppelin - Kashmir

Let's play some good vs bad today. I'll end with the good though, because it's better.

Bad: Genetically Modified Organics. See below.
Good: Ruby red grapefruits. Delicious.

Bad: Phone companies <- scam artists. 
Good: Pita Pit <- pita artists. 

Bad: Aspertame. Don't drink it.
Good: Zavida coffee. Environmentally safe Canadian goodness.

Bad: Wal-Mart. Just terrible.
Good: Walrus. Just awesome.

Bad: Oil companies that make big messes.
Good: Awesome bacteria that clean up big misses.

Bad: The entire MuchMusic top 10. So sad.
Good: Led Zeppelin. Let me give you an example...

Led Zeppelin - Kashmir



STUFF YOU SHOULD SEE

Monsanto & GMOs Are Bad, Bad News

Support your local farmers markets.

SCIENCE MATTERS

Scientists Construct Synthetic Proteins That Sustain Life

Hmm... some potential for good and bad here.

Earth's Magnetic Field Shifts Affecting Airports

As if Siberia wasn't cold enough already...

WEIRD OR WHAT

Swedish Birds Die From External Trauma

Weird... trauma from what?

So Do Arkansas Birds... And Radar Sees Mysterious Culprit

A UFO? Some kind of atmospheric anomoly? Weird...

SIMPLY AWESOME

Behind The Scenes At TED Talk 2010

If you haven't seen TED yet, you're way behind the times.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Robert Miles - Children

Back in 1994 Robert Miles arrived with this dandy, and was promptly never heard from again. He didn't actually disappear. He's not a magician. He just faded into mid-level obscurity because his music didn't really adhere itself to anything in the public musisphere. I doubt he had much going on in the big budget marketing department either.

In some cases I feel artists like these are hard done by, but in this one I just don't think Robert evolved much from those early days. I've had a chance to listen to a promo copy of his upcoming album "Thirteen", and it has its moments, but overall I just felt it was a bit repetitive and just lacked that certain something. It just kind of sounds like a jam band stuck in the guise of an electronic production, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I feel it needed a little more oomph, a little more direction.

Back to this song. This is one of the tunes that got me into the electronic genre and for that I am grateful. These many years later it's still an awesome song, and a cool video. Enjoy.

Robert Miles - Children



STUFF YOU SHOULD SEE

Anderson Cooper Interviews Andrew Wakefield On Autism

More poor journalism and interviewing from CNN.

"Blackout In A Can" Banned

I wouldn't drink it, but I'd like it to remain my choice.

Crocodile vs Electric Eel

Note to self: don't eat electric fishys.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Flying Lotus - Mmm Hmm

Shoe laces suck. Especially in the winter. Sure, you can get different colours and they're stylish, but functionally I feel they just aren't up to scratch. They're better off as cat toys.

This is a video from "Cosmogramma", the latest album from Steven Ellison, aka Flying Lotus. His music is pretty out there, obviously very spiritually inspired. It's mostly of the experimental-ambient variety, but it's real cool. The album got rave reviews and though I have it, I haven't really gone through it all yet. Cool video for this track, check 'er out.

Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma



SCIENCE MATTERS

Male Pattern Baldness Root Cause Found

Hair stylists the world over should sponsor this.

RANDOM GOODIES

The Best Bar In The World

It's no BK or Capital, but it looks decent enough.

WEIRD OR WHAT

The Dumbest Car Ever?

It's gotta be close. Whale penis leather? Seriously?


SIMPLY AWESOME

Jaws 2009 Surf Wipeout Reel

Think I'll stick to snowboarding.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Twista - The Heat

Twista's back with a new album, "The Perfect Storm". Sadly this track is available only on the Best Buy version of the album. I hate that shit. Hopefully he's using that greasy money to help out his community. Of course it's probably all just going to his label. Ah whatever. Check it out, it's a cool track. Also got some Binary Star reppin' it in the bonus beats. If you haven't checked out their album "Masters Of The Universe" and you dig hip-hop, you're missing out. It's the bomb-diggity.

Twista feat. Raekwon - The Heat



BONUS BEATS!

Binary Star - Slang Blade



SCIENCE MATTERS

Cats Act Sick When Stressed

I wonder if this works with people too?

POLITICS SUCKS

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Works Out

I just love this guy. Why, Toronto, why?

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Epic Egg Roll!

New Epic Meal Time. 'Nuff said.

WEIRD OR WHAT

More Birds Dropping From Skies

Let's hope this doesn't have anything to do with oil.

SIMPLY AWESOME

Homeless Guy Gets Job

The guy with the voice is back on track.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Lethal Bizzle - Pow 2011

I was commenting on this video the other day, I think Noematus posted it. I don't normally post a lot of top 40-ish dance style tracks, but this one is from Lethal Bizzle in the UK and it just has something different about it. This seems to be the kind of sound coming from overseas while over here we're stuck with crappy house ripoffs and cheesy lyrics. Creds to Chantal for the bonus beats.

Lethal Bizzle - Pow 2011



BONUS BEATS!

Yacht - I'm In Love With A Ripper [Party Mix]



SCIENCE MATTERS

10 Year Old Frederictonian Discovers Supernova

Good spot!

POLITICS SUCKS

Schwarzenegger Steps Down In California

Hasta La Vista to the Governator.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Old School Police Academy Video

Man I hope that's real. (language warning)

WEIRD OR WHAT

Human Brains Are Shrinking

Hard times for brain-eating zombies, too.

SIMPLY AWESOME

Homeless Radio Announcer

Somebody give this guy a job!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Small Sins - Déjà Vu

I saw this video in the preview for the TRON movie, proof indeed that marketing is everything. I've since listened to the full album. Now I remember why marketing can only go so far. Well... judging by the top 40 countdowns these days I might be wrong there. Anywho, this is a catchy little ditty from Small Sins out of Toronto. The video, on the other hand, is pretty crappy. I know they had a small budget, but let's get serious. This seems to be a recurring theme with these guys.

In fact, these guys are almost the perfect reason why make believe pop artists exist. Not bad song writers, decent producers, but singing and actually performing the songs, not so much. I thought this was easily the best song on the album, the others were fairly forgettable. Maybe it's just me. I dunno. I find the guy's voice kind of whiny and didn't like his use of the chorus effect to make it more whiny. He gets away with it in this song, but I didn't think it worked in the rest. See what you think.

Small Sins feat. K-Os - Déjà Vu



Strange random cameo from K-Os to boot.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Hulu 2009 Superbowl Commercial

How did I miss this? Hilarious on so many levels.

WEIRD OR WHAT

Shark Cage Accident

Don't worry, nobody gets eaten.

SIMPLY AWESOME

Idiot With A Tripod

Watch this short film in HD.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Saidah Baba Talibah - Place Called Grace

Took yesterday off, I think most people did. A little maxin' and relaxin', and checked out the UFC last night. Great fights, if you haven't seen them yet I recommend checking them out, particularly Edgar-Maynard. I won't spoil the results for you, but there were some surprises.

As I alluded to before, the blog is now going to take a slightly different course. Music will remain a focus, but I'm also going to start including links to other things that I find interesting, such as political interests, scientific news, and stuff that I find funny. I'm going to start adding stuff immediately as I find it, so updates might come at any point during the day. Gotta keep everyone on their toes.

Lacey posted Saidah Baba Talibah's video of this track today, so I thought I'd post this live cut. You'll notice in the real video the audio is really lo-fi, kinda scratch sounding. It's because she recorded it using a phone, hence the Phone Demos title. This live version was recorded entirely, video included, on a phone. Technology these days, I tell ya.

Saidah Baba Talibah - Place Called Grace [Live]



She's from Toronto, too. Crazy.

SCIENCE MATTERS

Walking Slows Progression Of Alzheimer's

Connection between physical health and the brain. Who knew?

POLITICS SUCKS

Glenn Greenwald vs CNN Wikileaks Debate

Greenwald makes CNN look really amateur. Surprise surprise.

JUST FOR LAUGHS

Baby Monkey Riding On A Pig

Thanks Carolyn, this is hilarious.

WEIRD OR WHAT

1000 Dead Birds Fall From Sky In Arkansas

Is that weird, or what?