Call me an elitist but I fail to see the attraction—for viewers—in the whole American Idol phenomena. Of course, television has made millions from televising talent shows over the years so I guess it's just me that's out of step.
My major bitch against American Idol—other than its terminal boringness—is that it gives musicians, and that's musicians with a small "m," the idea that they can get around paying dues and just jump right into stardom. Great. Just what the music biz needs more empty-headed ninnies who have no life experience.
All this was…
A study indicates that a daily drink has health benefits. We can stop researching now—we have gotten the results we wanted.
Regular readers will be aware that the semidetached brownstone next door caught fire this week and the Brooklyn FD battered down our door to make sure we were safe. One of the next door kitties is MIA, presumed dead.Bagheera, surviving the drama, took to our bed with the vapors.
As always, welcome to visitors from The Friday Ark and Carnival of the Cats.
Pretending he wasn't affected by this week's events, Huckleberry curls up in the comfy chair with a few good books. As a rule, he prefers to stay on top of contemporary literature, but he doesn't mind lying next to it in a pinch.As always, welcome to visitors from The Friday Ark and Carnival of the Cats.
Locust Street has a fabulous essay on the Johnny Burnette Rock and Roll Trio, along with three top-notch examples of what that group could do. Johnny, his brother Dorsey, and guitarist Paul Burlison just flat out rocked and the fierce rhythm and burning guitar of "Train Kept a-Rollin'" sounds remarkably fierce 50 years later.All of you LP buyers need to keep your peepers peeled for the Solid Smoke label's great-sounding late '70s release of the Rock and Roll Trio's Coral sides.
Martin Wattenberg, an artist "whose work centers on the theme of mapping information," has posted a website that "draws musical patterns in the shape of transparent arches." Kind of interesting, but it reminds me of Robert Persig's comment that data without generalizations is just gossip. Wattenberg's maps show the repetitive nature of musical composition without informing us of anything. I look forward to his taking his technique to a deeper level.
Stereophile will begin its coverage of HE 2006 starting Thursday. Stay tuned for reports from all four days of the show.
Should we be thankful that CD liner notes don't contain sentences such as, "Thanks go to the 'physiological studies in monkeys [that] suggest that roughness may be represented in the primary auditory cortex by oscillatory neuronal ensemble responses phase-locked to the amplitude-modulated temporal envelope of complex sounds.'"Why yes, I believe we should!
Apple has filed for a patent that will select music to match your activity level. Just think of your iPod as that guy beating the drum in the rear of the galley.
DIY Photography posts an extremely useful how-to. I've done my fair share of concert photography and, if I'd read this article first, I wouldn't have nearly as many pictures of people standing behind microphones.
