Music

As the observant among you will have noticed, I have been conspicuous by my absence of late. So where have I been?

Well, some of it it’s interesting and some of it isn’t. Firstly, been spending my free time learning PHP. I’ve become a little engrossed in a little personal project, the purpose of which is to write an app to catalog my movie collection. It’s been fun (most of the time) if a little frustrating (most of the time!).

Other than that, went to my first festival last week! The Sunrise Celebration took place in Somerset between the 16th - 21st of June. We (as in my band, Just to Annoy Ray) played a couple of sets there, Friday on the Eartheart (Whirl-Y-Gig) Stage and Sunday in the Bimble Inn. We had a great time with both sets being really well received, though I do HAVE to give a big shout out to the guys at the Bimble Inn for all their hard work. It was touch and go for a while, but they pulled it off. Fair play guys!

Other than playing, the definite highlight was seeing Banco de Gaia play live in Friday night. It was awesome! For those of you that don’t know him, his new album, Farewell Ferengistan is worth picking up, and there are a couple of classic tunes you NEED to hear, namely Last Train to Lhasa, Heliopolis, and Drunk as a Monk (Rabbit in the Moon Mix).

So in summary, I’ve been programming, getting drunk, and dancing around to upbeat ambient dance music in a big field (though not ALL at the same time!)

Technorati Tags: Banco de Gaia, Sunrise Celebration, Just to Annoy Ray, Undulattice

From USA Today

Apple Computer Inc. is entitled to use the apple logo on its iTunes Music Store, a judge ruled Monday, rejecting a suit filed by Apple Corps Ltd., the guardian of The Beatles’ commercial interests.
Apple Corps, which contended that the U.S. company had broken a 1991 agreement in which each side agreed not to enter into the other’s field of business, said it would appeal.
Judge Edward Mann ruled that Apple Computer used the fruit logo in association with the store, not the music, and thus did not breach the agreement.

From the Smashing Pumpkins website.

It’s official, The Smashing Pumpkins are currently writing songs for their upcoming album, their first since 2000. No release date has yet been set, but the band plans to begin recording this summer.

Let’s hope it marks a return to form.

Technorati Tags: music, smahing pumpkins, undulattice

Posted on MacSerendipity

Well I will start off by saying that my work Colleague Mr undulattice will be the first to jump to the fore and say hey this guy knows nothing, nothing I say about music. He will then pull out his 76 string guitar and prove his point

I am a very fond of my strings (currently owning three 12 string acoustics, two 6 string acoustics, one 6 string electric, and two hammered dulcimers - approx 225 strings in total!) but a 76 string guitar might be pushing it a little.

42 strings is the most I’ve seen on a guitar, which is the Manzer Pikasso

In 1984 Pat Metheny asked me to design and build a guitar with ” as many strings as possible” The resulting collaboration was the Pikasso guitar.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Four necks. Two sound holes. Two access doors; one on the upper player’s side and one atthe tail block. ( based on a panel door design by the brilliant -Abraham Wechter)

The “WEDGE” TM1984 is a special feature I designed specifically for this instrument. The body is tapered so that the side closest to the player is thinner than the side that rests on the players knee, thus leaning the top back towards the player for a more aerial view. This is also more comfortable under the player’s arm.

Now THAT is too many strings!

Technorati Tags: guitar, music, undulattice

From the BBC Website

Crazy by Gnarls Barkley has made pop history as the UK’s first number one song based on download sales alone.

‘Bout time me thinks.

Technorati Tags: chart, music, downloads

The ongoing case of Apple Computers vs the Beatles’ Apple Corps record label.

Apple Corps say that Apple computers have broken a contract agreed between the two companies in 1991, in which Apple agreed not to move into the music industry, iPods and the iTunes Music Store being the major points of contention.
While this is old news (lawsuit was filed in 2003) and to be expected in today’s litigation friendly society, it has turned up this choice quote from one of Apple’s lawyers.

“Even a moron in a hurry could not be mistaken about that….”
the distinction between the computer company’s iTunes online music business and a recording company like Apple Corps Ltd.

Made me laugh anyway!

Technorati Tags: apple, music

I’m not a Placebo fan. They look like I should like them, in interviews they sound like I should like them , but then…….
I hear his voice! Could never get past his voice!

But is it just me, or does Molko appear to have gotten his whining out of the way and grown a pair on this new album? Or maybe I’m just getting less fussy in my old age!

“Meds” (Placebo)

Technorati Tags: music