I'm in the midst of a move right now so the blog will be taking a small break until March 1st. In the meantime, enjoy Cassetteboy's latest video mockup.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Protests in Moscow
Meanwhile in Moscow thousands of people are standing in protest of their own corrupt government. There are some great pictures here.
Footage from Syria
This is some pretty crazy footage from the city of Homs, Syria. Prior to the current uprising looked like this. Obviously there is some graphic footage included.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Roxy Music - Love Is The Drug
This is an awesome Todd Terje remix of the 1975 classic. Trippy video heaven!
BONUS BEATS!
Jack Beats - Make The People
Nikita Zabelin - Serpentin
This is an awesome video done by StereoNoize from Russia. More minimal goodies down below as well!
BONUS BEATS!
Karen O - Hello Tomorrow
Standard Fair - Northern City [Jun Akimoto & Ittetsu Remix]
Popof - Blue Dream
Ultimate Tazer Ball
If this isn't proof positive that you can truly manifest any ridiculous idea into reality, I don't know what is.
The mystery box of Sesame Street
I watched the new Muppet movie the other night, and it was pretty awesome. A very pleasant surprise indeed. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out. Here's a reminder of what kind of sillyness is involved.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Nightmares On Wax - Les Nuits
If you haven't heard of these guys, here you go. Chill out supreme.
BONUS BEATS!
K-Def - Times Change
Mayer Hawthorne - You Got The Makings Of A Lover [Pillow Talk Edit]
Bob Johnson & Rev. Jamel - Walking On The Moon
US Intelligence admits that Iran has no nukes
Leave it to the greasy politicians to try and convince us otherwise.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Tomoyasu Hotei - Battle Without Honor Or Humanity
I feel like this one is probably on that soundtrack too.
Santa Esmeralda - Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
There's probably an awesome movie soundtrack somewhere with this on it.
Train Of Thought - The Mustard Station
Fresh Canadian hip-hop! A supergroup featuring Ghettosocks, Muneshine, Timbuktu, Jeff Spec, and Moka Only! Awesome.
Baard Kolstad - Drum Solo
No crazy news today, just tunes. First, a wee drum solo from the streets of Norway.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Ludwig van Beethoven - 6th Symphony
Also referred to as "The Pastoral Symphony", this one is a big longer than the others, but worth the listening effort. Performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Christian Thielemann. Watch in HD!
Edward Elgar - Nimrod
This is a very well known piece performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 1975, conducted by the legendary Georg Solti.
Sergei Rachmaninov - Rhapsody On A Theme By Paganini
Today is a good day for some classical tunes, just because. Let's start here. This is the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado.
Former BC attorney generals want marijuana regulated
Both sides of Canadian politics have reared their heads this week. First it was the ugly side, with asshole of the week Vic Toews comparing those against unrestrained government control of the internet to child pornographers. Then it was the good side, with former BC attorney general Geoff Plant giving a very progressive and reasonable argument about legalizing and regulating marijuana. Too bad he's retired from politics. The ones who haven't retired yet are utterly incompetent.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Claudio Sanchez - Sentry The Defiant
Late afternoon addition! Claudio just posted this one, it's an acoustic version of one of the songs from the upcoming Coheed & Cambria album. The description reads:
"Instead of making you wait until the album is released, I thought I'd share my excitement for this song with you now. I decided with this piece to video document its creation. This is literally the first time I played the song through in its entirety. His name is Sentry The Defiant. - Claudio"
The World In 2030
According to Michio Kaku. This is an interesting lecture about the future. Keep in mind this is from October 2009, so some of the things that he's talking about have already become fact.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Aurora borealis from space
NASA has released this pretty awesome footage from the International Space Station. It shows a view of the aurora borealis from space. It's a pretty impressive sight from the ground, from space it's just amazing. Watch in HD.
Freedom Watch cancelled
The only show worth watching on Fox has been cancelled. Judge Andrew Napolitano's two year run has come to and end after the network bigwigs decided that there was simply too much truth being spread for it to continue to be on a strictly entertainment only network. The announcement followed the airing of the episode which included the clip below.
Ice skating in Amsterdam
It's truly a crazy world that we live in. Athens is burning after another Greek bailout; American cops are still shooting innocent people; Mohamed Nasheed has been kicked out of office in the Maldives; Fukushima continues to melt and threatens Japan; the Republican state primaries are complete fiction; and the Chinese are having debt problems of their own, which begs the question, if China has no money, and Europe has no money, and the US has no money... who the hell has all the money?
None of this seems to matter in Amsterdam, however, where the current cold snap has frozen its canals for the first time in 15 years. Enjoy this little break from insanity, complete with a lovely song from Patrick Watson and the Cinematic Orchestra.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Gabin - Doo Uap, Doo Uap, Doo Uap
How about we follow that up with some electro swing? Sure, no problem.
BONUS BEATS!
Ella Fitzgerald - Air Mail Special [Club Des Belugas Remix]
Dunkelbunt - Cinnamon Girl
DJ Sneak - Studio Swing
Royal Crown Revue - Hey Pachuco!
You may remember this song from "The Mask". This version is insane.
Average White Band - Pick Up The Pieces
You've heard this song before. Just not live in Montreux. Until now.
This Is My Winter
For anyone into snowboarding, this is a pretty amazing short documentary about Xavier de la Rue. If you're not into snowboarding, this is probably still amazing.
What Is Reality?
This is a pretty awesome video montage from The Paradigm Shift, featuring Joe Rogan talking about reality. If you don't know Joe, this probably isn't for you. So a mild disclaimer: lots and lots of cursing ahead. As always, watch in HD!
The Iceman
Wim Hof shares the same nickname as Richard Kuklinski, but that is where the comparison ends. Wim has the unique ability to control his internal body temperature. How he does this is known only to him. There's an interesting TED Talk about him here.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Novalima - Mamaye
These are some awesome latin beats from Peru. I'd love to see this stuff live.
BONUS BEATS!
Gregor Salto - Paranda Loca
Champion - War Dance
Salmonella Dub - Slide
NASA develops biocapsule to treat astronauts
This is just nuts. It's an implant that diagnoses and treats individuals without them even feeling it. No science fiction here, just science fact. You can read the full article here. "That was too cool!"
No More Secrets
This is an absolutely amazing lecture by renowned neuroscientist Michael Persinger. If you have any questions about human telepathy, this might answer many of them.
Nigel Farage on the state of the European Union
My favorite British parliamentary figure at his scathing best in September.
Confessions Of A Mafia Hitman
Richard Kuklinski was extraordinary in a very different way. He was an infamous Mafia hitman, known as "The Iceman". This is a unique look into his dark places.
The Boy Who Sees Without Eyes
Another extraordinary story about the late Ben Underwood who used echolocation to see after his eyes were removed after being diagnosed with cancer.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Michael Franti & Spearhead - Nobody Right Nobody Wrong
Yet another brilliant song from the best political singer out there right now.
Sevendust - Angel's Son
This is actually Lajon Witherspoon from Sevendust singing with the surviving members of Snot. It's a tribute to the late Lynn Strait, the extremely talented singer who was taken far too early.
Lefties Soul Connection - Move What You Got
How about a little funk? From Amsterdam? Sounds like just the ticket.
The Real Rain Man
This is the fascinating story of the man with the world's most amazing memory, the late Kim Peek. I'll be featuring a few more stories of extraordinary people in the coming days.
The history of the Amen Break
Now for a little music history. This is the story of the "Amen Break", probably the most prolific sample used in the last 30 years. Even in music it's hard to find things that are truly original.
A modern history of Iran
Since it seems we're all too keen to just waltz into Iran because they're "dangerous", I think it's important to understand why Iran might not be so willing to deal with the United States face-to-face. There is always more than meets the eye. Check out this rant I posted a month ago for more on this subject.
Gun camera footage from 1945 in Japan
I've been interested in war film, both fictional and real, for a while now. This might seem weird since I'm vehemently opposed to war, but I think it's important to understand exactly what these men were forced to go through so that you can attach a value to the human element when weighing the cost of aggressive political action. This is footage from a fighter jet over Japan in 1945. Watch in full screen HD for full effect.
35 fantastic HDR pictures
This is an old collection and you'll find lots more in the interwebs, but if you don't know what HDR photography is, this is a good introduction. In a nutshell it's a technique of using multiple exposures of the same picture to create a surreal image that captures a full range of light and color, more than any normal single exposure would. If that doesn't make any sense, just look at the these pictures and enjoy. This one is a late night in Toronto by Chris Carson. Awesome.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Maceo Plex - Can't Leave You
From fish to cephalopods, we keep it underwater. This is one of my favorite new producers who seamlessly blends progressive, minimal, tech, and lots of groove to everything he releases. Oh look, more bonus beats too!
BONUS BEATS!
Talk Talk - Life's What You Make It [Starkillers Remix]
Knightlife - I Want You
Dub Taylor - Holy Cow
Dr. Adrian Park speaks on shale gas
This is a big issue in New Brunswick, and certainly a divisive one. On one hand, this would create lots of jobs and boost the economy. On the other, it has the potential to do irreversible damage to our environment. As Dr. Park explains this is unlikely and mostly preventable with strict regulations, but for me even the slightest possibility that things could go wrong is a risk not worth taking. In my opinion we need to look past fossil fuels as energy sources and invest in renewable, clean energy sources that we have the science to develop. Shale gas is a temporary solution to a problem that needs a long term solution. Nonetheless this is an interesting (albeit pretty boring) presentation and should shed some light on the process involved.
Dam Mantle - Not A Word
I thought I'd already posted this one, but apparently not. Some minimal goodness here, and below, at long last, some bonus beats!
BONUS BEATS!
Gregory Porter - 1960 What? [Opolopo Remix]
Aloe Blacc - Loving You Is Killing Me [Mano Le Tough Remix]
Radiohead - Little By Little [Caribou Remix]
Monday, February 6, 2012
Damien Echols freed from Memphis prison
One of the infamous "West Memphis Three" did this interview with Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, and I think it's worth a watch. This case is a particularly harrowing case of the American judicial system gone horribly, horribly wrong. A new documentary titled "West of Memphis" was just presented at the Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim and the filmmakers hope to take the case back to court this year.
Zoe Thomson - Stratosphere
This is 8 year old Zoe Thomson, just doing a little practice. Aspiring guitarists, don't quit your day jobs just yet.
Russian scientists reach Lake Vostok
They've done it. After 30 years of drilling, scientists have finally reached the mysterious Lake Vostok. It's been an intriguing last week or so when reports of its imminent awakening surfaced accompanied by reports that the scientists had gone missing or at least lost contact with the world, but all of those proved to be unfounded and they have finally made it through the ice. Now the question is, what is down there? Some of the world's preeminent billionaires are there to see, and whatever they find you can be sure it's going to be mind-blowing.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Stompin' Tom Connors - Bud The Spud
Courtesy of Fredericton Heritage:
"Today in New Brunswick (and Canadian) history. On February 3, 1936, "Stompin' Tom" Connors, singer, was born at Saint John New Brunswick. Connors grew up in Skinners Pond, PEI. He started singing for a living in 1964, at the Maple Leaf Hotel in Timmins, Ontario, when he found himself broke. His foot stomping style was developed to keep the beat over the noise of the tavern. His trademark song is "Bud the Spud", about a potato trucker from Prince Edward Island."
Happy birthday to a Canadian legend.
There might be metal in your cereal
I don't really each much cereal so I'm not too concerned, but maybe you should be.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Aloe Blacc - If I
There are six songs from this stunning performance in Berlin with a string quintet. I was going to post them all because they're so good but you'll just have to find the rest yourself. Absolutely brilliant.
The 12 year old girl who silenced the world
In 1992 Severn Cullis-Suzuki, daughter of legendary Canadian activist David Suzuki, gave a truly amazing speech at the United Nations Earth Summit in Brazil. Methinks there are more than a few politicians who could take a lesson or two from this even today.
FW De Klerk speech to end apartheid
22 years ago today marked the beginning of the end of apartheid in South Africa, and the announcement of the release of Nelson Mandela from prison. To this day the method of transition continues to be controversial, but this was truly an historic moment for South African politics.
Six really, really old trees
A couple weeks ago Florida's legendary cypress tree "The Senator" burned down from a lightning strike. At some 3500 years old it was among the oldest trees on the earth. These giant old trees are pretty awesome sights, and while I would hardly call myself a "tree-hugger", I think some of these are probably worth keeping for a few more decades at least if we can help it. Check out these cool trees including the tree below, the Zoroastrian Sarv in Iran.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Big Wreck - Albatross
I can't believe this video has been out a week and I hadn't seen it before now. My friends have failed me. Hahaha. FINALLY! The video for the new single is out. Check it. I can barely contain my excitement for this new album.
3D printing is the new frontier
The Pirate Bay has recently made the press again by declaring so-called "physibles" as the new frontier for piracy. It's a bold statement but one worth noting. In just a few short years we've gone from room-sized computers to 4G cell phones and now the things that only Gene Roddenberry could conceive of are closer to reality. The future is coming faster than you think. Are you ready for it?
The Gordon Arnold video
The US National Archives released a bunch of audio tapes from Air Force One on the day of JFK's assassination recently, but I haven't listened to any of them as I don't think it will shed too much new light on anything we don't already know. Here's something you might not have seen before though, the complete Gordon Arnold interview. For those who still think he was killed by a "magic bullet", give this a watch.
Kenton Slash Demon - Daemon
I don't usually post two videos at once from the same artist, but I think this time it's justified. This one might be better than the last. Again, this is entirely "analog". No computers. Unreal.
Kenton Slash Demon - Matter
These guys are from Denmark and this video is done entirely without computers. Amazing. Watch it in HD.
Distance & Alys Be - Falling
Some cool slow motion dance move action here to go along with some minimal dubstep.
Time lapse MMA drawing
This is just a short time lapse video of a guy drawing his MMA coach that I thought was cool. I like to watch processes and such.
The truth about sugar
Dr. Robert Lustig gives a very interesting talk about obesity and its causes. If you're into the real science of it I recommend watching this. If you just want to know how to stop gaining fat, cut out refined sugar and alcohol and increase your fiber intake. Exercise, apparently, is not very effective. I don't really agree with the solutions he suggests at the end of the video, but the rest of his presentation is very informative.