music

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Really awkward interviews...Another reason to love Sigur Rós?

I mean, they're already scatting in a nonsensical language (Vonlenska aka Hopelandic in English) that may be post-rock's answer to Klingon. Which already makes them superlative in my book. As their site explains: on von, ágætis byrjun and takk, jónsi sang most songs in icelandic but a few of the songs were sung in 'hopelandic'. all of the vocals ( ) are however in hopelandic. hopelandic (vonlenska in icelandic) is the 'invented language' in which jónsi sings before lyrics are... READ ON

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In the Beginning: Sing, Sing, Sing!

With just 5 days to go until mental_floss's new book In the Beginning releases, we're handing you another fantastic origin story. Today's post goes out to all the shower stall singers and closet crooners out there. Enjoy! Karaoke (b. 1970) Given how many horrendous karaoke performances we've been subjected to, we weren't at all surprised to learn that the guy who invented the karaoke machine can't sing, can't read music, and plays the keyboards about as well as your average... READ ON

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What's your inner time signature?

In Ayurvedic medicine body types are grouped into three main categories, or doshas: vata, pitta, and kappa. Your dosha is determined by how quickly you anger and metabolize, which foods you seek out and eschew, etc. It's not going to be able to predict your blood pressure or heart rate, but determining your dosha can be a great DIY diagnostic exercise; however, I sometimes I wish there were a similar system to help calculate the rate at which & style in which we think and consequently express ourselves.... READ ON

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Banned From SNL for Rocking Too Hard

Checking out the Your Daily Awesome archives, I came across this gem: a recounting of various performers barred from Saturday Night Live. Interestingly, footage of many of the incidents in the article is now available on YouTube, apparently from fans' live tapes of the original performances. Below, I cite a list of musical acts banned from SNL (text from the original article), along with YouTube clips I dug up for each: Elvis Costello On December 17, 1977, Elvis Costello and the Attractions... READ ON
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Garage bands

Since my foreign garage sale correspondents are still filing their reports, wouldn't you know I'd find another way to talk about garages. Specifically, the garage band. I'd love to be able to say I formed one in the 90s and that it enjoyed a small, jealous, following of anarchists... But no. I was never in a band, though I did learn early on that the way to a confused teenage boy's heart, or at least ego, was by being a groupie. So I sat there in a group of other young hopefuls, drinking suicide... READ ON

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23 Album Covers that Changed Everything!

There are several reasons I loved working on the Saints and Sinners Issue. It's the only magazine I've ever seen with Madonna and Gandhi elbowing for cover space, it's the first issue we ever got the fantastic authors John Green and Michael Stusser to write for, and it had this piece by Chris Smith. It's just 23 quick notes on 23 important album covers, but it's one of my favorites. Enjoy! wearing their art on_their sleeves: 23 album covers that changed everything by Chris Smith Long before MTV,... READ ON

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Listening to One Song on Repeat

Steve Delahoyde of Coudal Partners has posted 238 Miles, a short film about his weekly journey from Iowa City to Chicago. As an experiment, Steve decided to listen to a single song, on repeat, during the whole trip. The rules: he had to continue listening to the song at all times, he was only allowed to stop for gas or restroom facilities, and he had to document the experience. So what song did he pick? "Dancing Queen" by ABBA. Oh, let the fun begin. Starting the drive, things seemed fine. Steve... READ ON

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Ghost riding the hyphy press wave

We reported on ghost riding last year, when the hyphy-ghost riding movement seemed to be building; however, the viability of that wave has been debated a lot lately. Rapper Keak Da Sneak assumes responsibility for naming the style; "hyphy" is derived from "hyper"--his hyperactive antics as a child were the inspiration for the stop-start-freak-out-get-stupid vibe of hyphy, which started in Oakland in the early 90s. Recently, the San Jose Mercury News suggested hyphy's lackluster reception compared to... READ ON

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120 Minutes Archive

In middle and high school, I used to sit up late on Sunday nights to catch the best show on MTV, 120 Minutes. The show featured "alternative" music, and actually got better during the period (the early 90's) when alternative went mainstream. As bands like R.E.M. and Nirvana hit the main MTV rotation, 120 Minutes remained committed to indie bands, which made it a must-watch for me, even though it was on at midnight on a school night. Imagine my joy when a new blog began cataloging videos featured on... READ ON

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Does Pavlov Live on in DJ Casper? Convince Me I'm Wrong.

Though it may seem ridiculous, I've had a theory for a long time that the best modern example of Ivan Pavlov's work is a line from DJ Casper's dance hit "Cha-Cha Slide." The whole song is just a series of instructions, but one line in particular sticks out (those who haven't attended an event with a DJ in the last six years can watch the video here). At about the 2:10 mark, DJ Casper calls out "Everybody clap your hands," which is followed by a steady... READ ON

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