New Sound Now - 3 Million records, iband, sounds of colour, mix tape store
Due to a predictable February illness, there will be no show this week. Instead, I’m going to write out the show, with links and videos available.
This week on New Sound Now:
World’s largest record collection
-This guy is selling off 3 million records to the tune of 3 million dollars
-The story isn’t so much the bid or the collection itself in my mind. The fact that nobody has yet bid on it is. The post-CD nostalgia factor of albums isn’t exactly high enough to destroy the fact that music is primarily a digital thing, now, and nobody with a practical head on their shoulders would trade in a hard drive full of music for a record collection like this, impressive as it may be.
iBand
-Two ipod touches and a Nintendo DS make a band
-The idea that devices built for the purpose of consuming media has been transformed into machines that create it. While the video is amusing, it comes off as cutesy, but that’s because it’s only the beginning of something huge. It’s possible that we may soon be in a place where music becomes like youtube - user-created, free, and collaborative. But with more Game Boys.
Gap’s Sound of Colour videos
-Five different bands write 5 songs about a certain colour, which get sent to 5 directors who produce 5 videos based on the colour and the music
-A wonderful collaboration that feels absolutely inspired. It’s incredibly easy to forget that these were commissioned by the Gap, since they seemingly have nothing to do with selling clothes and everything to do with real feeling. Also, you can download all five songs for free.
Michael Showalter’s Mix Tape Store
-Documentary about Michael’s mixtape store as a promotion for the Plug indie music awards.
-The circle of mixtape life is finally complete. It may be that Showalter’s store will end up being more a grave site for the mix tape, but the passion that went behind putting this together is apparent. I don’t know if I’d ever buy anything at a mix tape store, because it would feel like going through other people’s photo albums, but I’d love to have one in my neighborhood just for bragging purposes.
Videos
“Death to Los Campesinos”
Los Campesinos
http://www.loscampesinos.com/
“Myriad Harbour”
The New Pornographers
http://www.thenewpornographers.com/
“The Royal Family”
Free Blood
http://www.myspace.com/freeblood
“Right Hand On My Heart”
The Whigs
http://youtube.com/user/TheWhigsband
