Where does the time go? Has it really been four months since we started the Carnival of Music?

Please check out Professor Spiegelberg's poetic entry this week.

I have updated the main carnival page, addressing the questions of just what is a blog carnival and what does one have to do to host. Check it out, and submit your links to musical posts and your offers to host here.

Thanks for your support!

Posted by: JohnL at 11:11 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 81 words, total size 1 kb.

Thought I'd put this up while we're on the subject of Neuromancer.

William Gibson's coinage of the word "cyberspace" and his ultra-hip future-pop-culture style led to the description of a lot of fiction in the 80s and 90s as "cyberpunk." There was even a temporary streak of some musical acts that were described as cyberpunk. Most of it noise, which didn't tolerate multiple listenings.

I recently put together a play list of some familiar and not-so-familiar songs, which created a Neuromancer-y vibe for me. I dubbed this playlist "Wintermute" in iTunes. None of these are cyberpunk, though I might call a couple "cybergoth." I think the CD makes for a good walking soundtrack (playing time: almost exactly 1:15).

Presentation Format: Song - Artist - Album (Notes)

• Above - Blue Man Group - The Complex (dulcimer, synthesizer, drums, PVC pipes, and a rock group, layered like a frothy parfait to cleanse the mental palate)


• The Model - Kraftwerk - Man Machine (kinda makes me envision Molly)


• Down in the Park - Foo Fighters - Songs In The Key Of X: Music From And Inspired By The X-Files (awesome cover of the Gary Numan original)


• 3 Libras - A Perfect Circle - Mer de Noms (these lyrics are evocative of Molly, too)


• Whip It - Devo - Whip It (Heh. More Molly?)


• Judith - A Perfect Circle - Mer de Noms (gothic metal, though the lyrics aren't relevant to Neuromancer)


• Closer - Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral (Ahem. More Molly?)


• The Current - Blue Man Group - The Complex (the trip into cyberspace/inner space begins)


• Perfect Drug - Nine Inch Nails - Lost Highway Soundtrack (did someone say "trip"?)


• Trip Like I Do - Filter/Crystal Method - Trip Like I Do (Yes. Someone did say "trip.")


• Blue (Remix) - A Perfect Circle - Weak and Powerless CD Single


• I Like To Score - Moby - I Like To Score


• Imagine - A Perfect Circle - eMOTIVe (better than the Lennon original, IMHO)


• We Are All Made of Stars - Moby - We Are All Made of Stars pt. 1 (I love this song. Always reminds me of the excellent star stuff episode of Carl Sagan's Cosmos.


• I Feel Love - Blue Man Group/Venus Hum - The Complex (I actually liked the Donna Summer original, one of the few examples of really good disco. This version kicks it up a notch. And, to restate a theme. . . Molly?)


• Ordinary World - Duran Duran - Duran Duran 2 (The Wedding Album) (a gentle landing from the trip)


• Astradyne - Ultravox - Vienna (one of my very favorite instrumentals of all time, and a traditional album closer for mix CDs of mine)

There are probably hundreds of other combinations of songs that would evoke the cool, grungy, electronic, trippy world of Neuromancer, so let me know what your playlist would be...

Posted by: JohnL at 11:32 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 483 words, total size 6 kb.

Jolly good, I say. Jolly good. Mind the soccer hooligans as you make your way to this week's cricket-themed Carnival of Music at The Rambler.

I was most moved by Helen's account of her visit to Auschwitz.

We need hosts for future carnivals. I would love to see some new faces here. The carnival has grown nicely, and is a good way to showcase both your blog and other bloggers. If you author or run across a post about music that you would like to see in a future carnival submit it here. Likewise, if you would like to host a future carnival, please volunteer here.

Thanks!

Posted by: JohnL at 08:48 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 115 words, total size 1 kb.

I've been not-very-motivated to blog recently. A number of factors contribute. Perhaps more later.

But before we get too far past September 11, I wanted to note how I observed the date. Our church choir performed Memorial by Rene Clausen. Our sanctuary choir was accompanied by full orchestra, and I played the Glockenspiel and Chimes via the organ console (using sampled sounds).

If you haven't heard this piece, it is a powerful recreation of that awful day 4 years ago. Modern, but tonal with numerous lush romantic gestures and chillingly visual representations of the attacks. It was a perfect way to mark the occasion.

You can purchase a recording of the piece here.

Posted by: JohnL at 12:32 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 117 words, total size 1 kb.

Like the recapitulation of themes in the last movement of a symphony, Owlish has addressed the dearth of voluntary submissions to this week's Carnival of Music by picking musical posts from the many previous hosts of the Carnival.

The Rambler is hosting next week, and is promising an "ecumenical" carnival, so get your submissions on a wide variety of music to the Carnival's "drop box." We need more hosts, so please volunteer!

Posted by: JohnL at 10:22 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 80 words, total size 1 kb.