Now this is what I call guitar chops

Paganini_Caprice_no_24


Su Meng also plays Paganini_Caprice_no_24


(thanks digg)

Mouse on Mars --> Stephen Colbert in 4 Hops

Mouse on Mars releases new album, Varcharz, on Ipecac Recordings

Ipecac Recordings label run by Mike Patton

Mike Patton long time collaborator with John Zorn

Stephen Colbert Makes fun of John Zorn:

Girls From Ipanema

When I first got my hands on the seminal Getz/Gilberto album about six years ago, I thought I'd stumbled into a whole new musical universe, one constructed entirely from sunshine and lazy daydreams. I'd never heard anything so smooth, so effortless, so nonchalantly beautiful.

However, it didn't take to long before the hit song from that record, The Girl From Ipanema, flipped over in my head to become one of those songs that I'd be fine with never hearing again. Don't get me wrong: it's a masterpiece, just one that is so over-played (even in my own home, on my own turntable) that it seems to me to suck the life out of a genre populated with so many other great songs that never get equal airtime. I love Bossa Nova, and it seems sad that for so many the whole genre is represented by just that one song. So it is with some reluctance that I present this link to 49 different recordings of The Girl From Ipanema. You're welcome. Someone please listen to all 49 of these and tell me how that goes...

Also, a little digging has uncovered proof of the actual girl from Ipanema (that's her in the picture above):

Though the writers and their estates have made millions in royalties from the song, Helo never made a penny from it. When she tried to open a clothing boutique with the name "The Girl from Ipanema" she was sued by the heirs to co-writers Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, and she was forced to change the name of her shop.

Sad story... but I suppose inspiring a creative expression does not entitle one to a share in the profits from that expression. If that were the case, there would be a lot of ex-girlfriends lining up to collect royalties from the mopey rockers who made it big with songs about their loss and pain.

Grand National - "Drink to Moving On"

My new favorite video:



(thanks digg1)

C64 Orchestra and Video Games Live

Here's one for our good pal Disrupt (dubsmith and lover of all things C64) over at Jahtari. Tomorrow in the Netherlands a Dutch orchestra is premiering their arrangements of several pieces from classic Commodore 64 video game soundtracks. They've put up a Myspace page with rehearsal takes of their performances. Be sure to check out International Karate, and for reference you should listen to Disrupt's take on the same piece (Jahtari's first ever release).

In somewhat related news another friend of ours, composer Christopher Tin, has a piece premiering tonight at the Hollywood Bowl as part of the Video Games Live concert. It's the immensely popular "opening menu" theme from Civilization IV :

"Baba Yetu" is receiving its world-premiere at the Hollywood Bowl on September 21st, 2006. The acclaimed song has been added to the Video Games Live concert tour, with planned performances in New York, London, Tokyo, Sydney, and other major cities around the world. The concert features the best in video game music, both classic and contemporary, performed by a live orchestra and choir.

You can hear "Babu Yetu" via Chris's site.

Are all these orchestral treatments of video game music, both classic and contemporary, an attempt to elevate the genre to the level of "art music"? Perhaps, but I don't think it needs much help. I have it on good authority that video game music just keeps getting better and better, and that many talented young composers would prefer to work in games than in film, due to the relative degree of compositional and entrepreneurial freedom this affords them.

In any event, we wish Chris the best of luck tonight at the Hollywood Bowl....

1 Guitar Is Just Not Enough

Zack Kim - Super Mario Theme


Stanley Jordan plays "Autumn Leaves"


(from Digg)

BREAKING: Sean Combs Looses Rights to "Diddy"

On what will be known to historians as "The Day Puffy Was Combed of His Diddy", "P Diddy", scratch that, "Diddy"... er, I guess now its just "", has lost a lawsuit over his nome de plume:

Rap star loses Diddy name rights

Rap star Sean Combs is no longer to be called "Diddy" in the UK after he agreed a settlement with a music producer already known by that name.

The rapper, also known as Puff Daddy and Puffy, agreed to pay more than 110,000 pounds to settle out of court with Richard "Diddy" Dearlove.

Dearlove, best known for his dance remix of the Blondie hit Atomic, had used the name since 1992.

"I'm really happy and relieved," Dearlove told the Guardian newspaper.

Weird Al: First Time Funny Since Early 90's

Thanks to Digg you can now experience Weird Al's first awesomely funny song in a long, long time:

Weird Al - Ridin' Dirty (White & Nerdy)

Download an mp3 here.

Here is a mirror of the file

You can even hear it on the target of the parody's myspace page: Chamillionaire

Someone set that annoying "Peanut Butter Jelly Time" dancing banana to the song too:


Lyrics:

White & Nerdy
------------
Parody of "Ridin'" by Chamillionaire
New lyrics by Al Yankovic

They see me mowin'
My front lawn
I know they're all thinking I'm so white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Can't you see I'm white and nerdy?
Look at me, I'm white and nerdy
I wanna roll with
The gangstas
But so far they all think I'm too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
I'm just too white and nerdy.
Really really white and nerdy.

First in my class here at MIT
Got skills, I'm a champion at D&D
MC Escher - that's my favorite MC
Keep your 40, I'll just have an Earl Grey tea
My rims never spin, to the contrary
You'll find that they're quite stationary
All of my action figures are cherry
Steven Hawking's in my library
My MySpace page is all totally pimped out
Got people beggin' for my top eight spaces
Yo, I know pi to a thousand places
Ain't got no grills but I still wear braces
I order all of my sandwiches with mayonnaise
I'm a whiz at Minesweeper - I could play for days
Once you see my sweet moves you're gonna stay amazed
My fingers' movin' so fast I'll set the place ablaze
There's no killer app I haven't run
At Pascal, well I'm number one
Do vector calculus just for fun
I ain't got a gat but I got a soldering gun
Happy Days is my favorite theme song
I could sure kick your butt in a game of ping pong
I'll ace any trivia quiz you bring on
I'm fluent in JavaScript as well as Klingon

They see me roll on
My Segway
I know in my heart they think I'm white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Can't you see I'm white and nerdy
Look at me, I'm white and nerdy
I'd like to roll with
The gangstas
Although it's apparent I'm too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
I'm just too white and nerdy
How'd I get so white and nerdy

I've been browsin', inspectin'
X-Men comics, you know I collect 'em
The pens in my pocket, I must protect 'em
My ergonomic keyboard never leaves me bored
Shopping online for deals on some writable media
I edit Wikipedia
I memorized Holy Grail really well
I can recite it right now and have you ROTFLOL
I got a business doing websites
When my friends need some code, who do they call?
I do HTML for 'em all
Even made a homepage for my dog
Yo, I got myself a fanny pack
They were havin' a sale down at The Gap
Spend my nights with a roll of bubble wrap
Pop, pop, hope no one sees me
Gettin' freaky
I'm nerdy in the extreme
And whiter than sour cream
I was in AV Club and Glee Club and even the Chess Team
Only question I
Ever thought was hard
Was do I like Kirk
Or do I like Picard
Spend every weekend at the Renaissance Fair
Got my name on my underwear

They see me strollin'
They laughin'
And rollin' their eyes 'cause I'm so white and nerdy
Just because I'm white and nerdy
Just because I'm white and nerdy
All because I'm white and nerdy
Holy cow, I'm white and nerdy
I wanna bowl with
The gangstas
But, oh well, it's obvious I'm white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
Think I'm just too white and nerdy
I'm just too white and nerdy
Look at me, I'm white and nerdy

2 Interviews with Magnatune Founder

I found these two interesting interviews with John Buckman, the founder of the Magnatune record label over at digg.

Interview : John Buckman of Magnatune.com

Interview: John Buckman, Founder of Magnatune Records

I have a couple issues with their model. Specifically: the fact that they only release full LPs. This excludes the excitement and energy of a lot of independant music at its cutting edge which tends to be released in short form singles or EPs with rapid turn around time between song writing and release). In spite of this, it sure is nice to see label's trying to treat their artists right.

The Most Natural marriage in the World

Take 1 part Radiohead, combine with 1 equal part Dirty South Crunk. Then simply stir, strain and enjoy.

Skeet Spirit: A Crunk Tribute To Radiohead

(from boingboing)