dj shadow remix project
posted by dean | july 14, 2010
for anyone who has heard anything that i have ever recorded, you may have noticed that i really like dj shadow. a few months ago, dj shadow announced on his website that he was inviting his fans to remix any of his songs and send them in. i found this rather exciting, so, over a weekend, i recorded a version of 'mongrel meets his maker.' i was not very pleased with the result, but was tickled to see that mr. shadow himself commented on the track - he typed 'like it.' so i tried another one - 'what does your soul look like part 2' - which i was quite pleased with.
dj shadow has decided to release a series of these remixes - called the dj shadow remix project - on a cd which will be included for free with any order from his website. in what i assume was some sort of clerical error, my version of 'what does your soul look like part 2' was selected for the album. this is amazing for me. it means many many more people will hear something i have made. it's just great.
and i am in very good company. i have heard a few of these remixes, and they are fantastic - i can't wait to hear the rest.
here is a teaser:
Remix Project Teaser-CD Coming Soon! by djshadow
if you're not familiar with dj shadow, i suggest you head over to djshadow.com, order one or more of his albums (they're all good), and you'll get a copy of the remix project cd. for those who are familiar with dj shadow, there are plenty of other goodies for sale on the website, such as some lovely handmade vinyl, and some nice rare funk and soul records.
sled island
posted by dean | may 6, 2010
economics is going to sled island!
we have applied to play at festivals in the past, but like my highschool and college days, have been faced with harsh rejection. i get the feeling, however, that many festivals base their selection criteria on name recognition, without really taking the time to listen to all of the submissions. the fact that the folks at sled island chose economics, who do no touring, get no radio play, and have no charisma, means an awful lot. it means that there will be plenty of artists at the festival that you have not heard of. this is what festivals need: some small, unknown, talented acts playing alongside some big guns like dinosaur jr., built to spill, and les savy fav. it's a great opportunity for the little fish like us.
the festival takes places from june 30 to july 3 in calgary. the schedule will be posted on june 1 - stay tuned to find out when are where we are playing. i am hoping to construct a set that will make people lose their minds, although i am sure it will just be mildly enjoyable.
damon albarn: talented
posted by dean | apr 23, 2010
my earliest exposure to blur was the video for 'boys & girls.' i hated it, i thought it was annoying, and i was a 12-year old little snot. ever so slowly, blur has become one of my most favourite acts, as their songs picked their way into my brain. if i were somehow forced to make i list of my top 100 pop songs, i think i would have about 5 blur songs on the list: beetlebum, there's no other way, coffee & tv, ambulance, and clover over dover. perhaps more.
i was obviously sad when blur decided to call it quits, and happy when they reformed recently, but i have since become mightily impressed by damon albarn's various side-projects. 'the good, the bad, and the queen' is a wonderful album, and i think people may have been scared off by the 'supergroup' stigma attached to it. take a look at the performance embedded below. i hope they do another album together soon.
as the weather warms, i find myself unable to resist the newest gorillaz album, 'plastic beach.' like many blur albums, it could use some editing, but has some really amazing songs. have a gander at 'stylo' below. it's simple and fun, like previous gorillaz singles, but there's something intangible about it that brings it to near-perfection.
about a month ago, damon albarn turned 47. there are few artists who can keep turning out interesting material for decades - many seem to drift into folk-pop or 'classic rock' territory and camp out there for awhile - but albarn keeps throwing himself into unfamiliar genres, and succeeding. after listening to 'plastic beach' over the last couple of months, i'm hoping for an electro-pop solo album, or perhaps a movie score, but i'm sure he'll surprise me with something completely different.
i am no fun
posted by dean | mar 30, 2010
i've been told several times that i am no fun. here are some people who are less fun than i:
people on diets
exhibit a: they have coined the phrase "nothing tastes as good as thin feels"
if you ever go to a restaurant with someone on a diet, prepare to have no fun. you will be criticized no matter what you order ("there's alot of carbs in that pasta there") and you will have to hear about all the nutritional benefits of the spinach salad they just ordered. i'm quite sure mozza burgers taste much better than thin feels. i used to be thin, and i was miserable. almost as miserable as people on diets.
people who exercise
exhibit a: your facebook friend's bench press update
the gym is one of the least fun places in the whole wide world. go to an underdeveloped country and try to explain to people the concept of recreational exercise. it will blow their minds as to how boring and unnecessary that is. for those of you who do exercise, just know that we are not impressed by how much you exercise, even though i am sure that you will let me know anyways.
food snobs
exhibit a: the popularity if 'asian fusion'
food snobs will make you feel guilty for enjoying food. that is my new definition of no fun. i feel guilty enough for eating fast food, chips, and slurpees from the people on diets, so i don't need to feel guilty because the food i eat "isn't real food." you know what the three best restaurants in the whole world are? taco bell, IHOP, and chili's. food snobs will pretend to despise such places, and secretly (or perhaps openly) despise you for enjoying them.
workaholics
exhibit a: your co-workers
i am convinced that most workaholics have become such because they do not like their families, so they would rather spend their time at work. it's great if you love, or even like, your job. but if you love your job so much that you spend extra time on it - that your job is better than free time to do whatever you want - you are no fun. for the workaholic, they would rather work than do anything else! this is remarkable. me:"say, what are you doing this weekend?" you:"putting in some extra work for a company that doesn't really care about me. you?" me:"i'm going to eat some nachos and watch some march madness. then i'm going to have a nap. then i'll listen to some records before heading out to chili's to have dinner with friends" who is more fun, me or you? me.
i stand corrected...
posted by dean | mar 16, 2010
the golden age of the music video
posted by dean | mar 15, 2010
the music video as an artform is either dying or is in a golden age, depending on how you look at.
most music videos made right now do not appear on television, and they are made by young independent film-makers. the quality is usually pretty good, considering the budget. artists do not need to pay someone to make a video. they simply start up a contest, and people make videos for them, for free. in this way, the music video is in a golden age - anyone can make one, and almost anything is possible.
i can't remember the most recently-made music video that i have actually watched. you have to go to your computer to find them, and i am more of a tv man. as a young lad, my primary source of new music was the video, on tv - usually on muchmusic's 'the wedge' (see my post below) or on mtv2 (back when my parents had a satellite dish). back then, record labels had money to pay creative directors to make videos. they would be shown on television, where kids like me would watch, see something they liked, and go out and buy the cd. for me, this was the golden age of the music video - from about 1994 to 2000 (which, without coincidence, i'm sure, was the golden age of music for my lifetime).
here are some of my favourites:
i also wanted to post a bunch of blur videos (the universal, beetlebum, charmless man) but they won't let me. check them out nonetheless.
plainclothes press
posted by dean | mar 7, 2010
my diary entries are typically attempts at humour, but this time, i'm all business. in a few months time, sheena (the wife) and i will be officially starting up our own short-run cd/dvd printing business called Plainclothes Press. we hope to serve the many bedroom musicians, garage bands, and other independant artists out there looking to get an album made, but who maybe don't need 500-plus copies. we may also come in handy for those looking to print-on-demand, like before a tour, a show, or to send out to radio stations.
in addition to cd printing, we shall also provide a number of packaging options, from the standard jewel case to cardboard sleeves, as well as other creative designs that artists may have in mind. we want to work with artists to come up with some new ideas, and also potentially work with local visual artists if anyone needs a hand with cover designs.
i think there are many different options out there for short-run printing - all which are quite expensive. we will hopefully be able to provide printing and packaging at a reasonable cost while still maintaining professional quality. but most of all, we want to provide personal service - working directly with artists to find out exactly what they need and what they can afford.
so stay tuned for more information - we will have a website up soon, as well as all the obligatory facebook/myspace/twitter pages. also, if you are an artist who is interested in this kind of service, please send me a message and we can discuss any ideas you may have.
new order: talented
posted by dean | mar 3, 2010
i am certain that it is not fashionable to enjoy new-period new order, but if you have ever seen me, you know that i am not very fashionable.
i have been listening to this album, 'get ready', as well as 'waiting for the siren's call' a lot lately, and i have to admit, i enjoy it much more than most of their early material (except for some of the obvious early singles). peter hook is great, obviously, but bernard sumner is a very underrated guitar player, and stephen morris is one of my most favourite drummers - perhaps why i have been liking newer new order these days.
the 2010 slam dunk contest: the worst
posted by dean | feb 20, 2010
this dunk by demar derozan, however, was very impressive:
economics released their debut album in the fall of 2008. the self-titled full-length can be purchased