Just read a fantastic article analyzing Pixar and Miyazaki's approach to children's films. If you're into one or the other or both, it's definitely worth a read.
If Pixar is the Babysitter — the smart, likable professional you can trust — Miyazaki is the Grandfather: a wise and beloved elder who understands kids as deeply as (in some ways more deeply than) their parents do, and knows that while the ability to delight and comfort children is a rare talent, it's not the only one worth cultivating.
Okay, quick one. Faggotron is a Youtube user who takes apart the tiniest samples from movies' soundtrack and dialogue to spin an ambient and trance-like song. The sing-songy voices from Disney movies tend to give every song a very dreamy quality. Here's his most recent work, using one of my favorite movies of the past year - "Up."
Here's his homepage, definitely check out his other work:
I just happen to be digging them really hard atm. And who can blame me (...), today's mash-up artists spin together some incredible hybrids - take for instance Taylor Swift's super charming country-tinged voice treated slightly to suit U2's soaring, uber-emotional 'With or Without You.' Indeed, some mash-uppers use their powers for good, not evil.
I'm constantly impressed by the quality of music that's released each year - that artists can maintain a creative flow over the course of years, and even decades (as the Flaming Lips show us, entering their 4th) and continue to please fans along the way. What also impresses me is the imagination of mash-up artists who capitalize on complementary qualities between completely unrelated songs, that, when you first hear them together, make you say "Wow, hand - meet glove." They just fit. That's a talent in my book.
Enough of that - highlights of this end-of-year mixtape, courtesy of team9 (www.team9.net), check it out:
- An Animal Collective song actually meshing with another (hint: Missy Elliot, Phoenix :D)
- A nigh-unrecognizable mash-up with my old favorite, the Pixies' "Monkey Gone to Heaven"
- Chromeo's newest sex-jam "Night By Night" teaming up with Lily Allen for an added bit of sex (we're talking Chromeo here, no matter what you do to a Chromeo song, that shits gonna make you wanna bone to the bpm)
Anyways, follow the link if you dig what you hear, dl that shit, and hop on over to www.team9.net for more goodness. Remember: always sample it before you buy it - I purchased WarioLand: Shake It completely under the influence of the cool commercials. Long story short: I hate that game, but wasted my time beating it anyways. That's a completely different story though. Just don't buy that fucking game.
A NYTimes article regarding the Conservative media's branding of Obama as a Nazi provided a link to this Wikipedia article. Godwin's Law is, in short, that in the terms of a debate, the first person to compare the subject of debate (or to just use any comparison) to fascism, Nazis, Nazism, or Hitler immediately loses the debate. The law also states that the longer an argument or debate proceeds, the more like someone involved will use such a comparison. Let's hope the ultimate fate of those who conjure such comparisons follows this law.
New Hood Internet Mixtape released today! That's number 4, and if you guys haven't got the rest you gotta check them out. Follow the link for free, dl-able mixtapes courtesy of the Chicago DJs.
http://drop.io/hoodinternetmixtapes
If you're unfamiliar with The Hood, they're pretty prolific DJs releasing weekly mash-ups containing 2-3 songs, normally complementing a rap song with the instrumentals from an indy/rock/electronic song - often producing killer combos and other times coming out pretty flat (see Major Lazer vs. Dirty Projectors - Hold the Stillness). Accompanying each song are 2 other takes on the mash-up art form:
1) A sometimes hilariously awkward song title splicing the two songs' names, and 2) A sometimes hilariously awkward photshopped picture of the 2 artists. Who doesn't belong here?... hmmm
They've been active since March 2007, so that means 300+ mashups and at least one song out there for everyone.
Their site underwent some changes earlier this year making it much easier to find songs, and you can even just plug in an artist's name to see if they've done any work on them. You can get individual songs and full mixtapes (listed on the left margin of the page).
Good morning Internet. I'm posting the very first, very historic entry from my bed - I imagine this is where you'll be getting most updates from me. And I'm wondering what the trajectory of this blog should be - it would be too boring if it was just my life, just cuz the things I do every day aren't that exciting. But! The things I think! Now there's some ripe, hot, juicy material I know y'all would be interested in. So I'ma try to speak my mind, put my point of view on stuff/things out into the universe, and maybe after some time this blog will develop some sort of theme or style and I'll be proud to be its owner. And if something interesting or exciting DOES unexpectedly occur, well then my friends... you will know, and I will divulge in gross detail what has happened, and it will be delicious.
That being said, for now this will just be sorta free-form, Twitteresque, slam-poetry, Text Twist kinda shit. Let me know if you're following or if you're into the idea - the more people interested, the more motivated I'll be to please ya. Until next time, it's nap time.
