How we discover new music today

We Twitter-follow someone we already like. They follow someone they like and then R(e)T(weet) something he says: We follow the link in the tweet and get to: http://www.collapseboard.com/song-of-the-day-177-agent-ribbons Where we learn about a new band we’ve not heard before. And we get to hear them on videos we’d not seen before. We learn that there is a CD from 2006 (now apparently out of print) and that there will be a new CD forthcoming on October 12, 2010 And finally find out the they are playing a show in NYC September 19th, a day we cannot go…


Guess What, Court Says You Might Not Own That Record You Bought

Wired.com’s excellent Threat Level blog has a post called Guess What, You Don’t Own That Software You Bought. It’s all about the federal appeals court saying today that software makers can use shrink-wrap and click-wrap licenses to forbid the transfer or resale of their wares, an apparent gutting of the so-called first-sale doctrine. How might this apply to records? We already know that you do not own songs you “buy” from iTunes, you merely own a license to play them. What if a record company decided to include a note on every record and CD saying that your purchase of…


One of Pooplist’s own is very busy (Oh, and gets played on Mary Anne Hobbs’ last show!)

Praveen Sharma (a PoOP contributor in ’01 and ’03) is hard working man. His many projects include PercussionLab and Sepalcure The former has many interesting electronic music based mixes from around the world. The latter has a 4 track EP on Hotflush Recordings which will interest fans of Joy Orbison, Flying Lotus, Hudson Mohawke and Larry Heard. And in a coup whose import is difficult to overstate, Sepalcure had a dubplate played on Mary Anne Hobbs’ last Radio 1 show. She’s such a fan that she’s included a song of theirs on soundtrack for the new Daren Aronofsky film Go…


Matador 21st Anniversary Box – 6 CDs, book (+ poker chips?!)

A little while ago we highlighted the Ninja Tune XX box. Now it’s the turn of Matador Records. Not quite as elaborate as the NT box but pretty hefty nonetheless. And what’s with the poker chips? Is it so fans have something to use at the Matador 21 in Las Vegas celebration, October 1 – 3. Full details and tracklist at the Matador Order page Here are the basics: Various Artists Matador At 21 A LIMITED EDITION 6-CD LINEN-COVERED BOX SET with 36 custom poker chips in 3 values, an 85-page perfect bound book with history of the label, photos,…


Robyn covers Bjork (with Bjork watching) and makes it work!

One of our all-time fave Bjork tracks. Here performed by Robyn, our new favourite pop diva, on Swedish TV. That takes balls. That’s Bjork herself watching, dressed in a christmas ornament of some kind. And what’s with the audience dressed in best bib and tucker? It’s because this is the Polar Music Prize presentation. This year it was presented to Bjork and Ennio Morricone. Here’s the Bjork citation. More Robyn videos: Robyn “Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart” Alicia Keys Cover (LIVE) at iheartradio Robyn “Hang With Me” (LIVE) at iheartradio Robyn “With Every Heartbeat” (LIVE) at iheartradio Robyn “Dancing…


LP and CD Sale Labor Day Weekend – Woodstock / West Saugerties

Zip’s Ziggurat presents another Huge! Insane! Music Yard Sale 10,000s of LPs , CDs, 45s +12”s rock, pop, hip hop, country, dance, world, folk, reggae, soul, alt.rock, jazz, funk, punk, r+b, metal, classical, techno, new wave, house, old-timey, breaks, spoken, 80’s, electro, blues, promos, DVDs (music + features), tons more Insultingly low prices As low as $0.50 (hey, some are even “cheaper than free”) Listen before you buy Free refreshments too! Memorial Day Weekend Saturday + Sunday + Monday 10am – 5pm September 4th to 6th All covered, so it’s RAIN OR SHINE Osnas Lane Near Rt 212 + Glasco…


Another reason to dislike Apple

As though it were not enough for us to have to suffer through Apple and their fanboi’s constant over-hyping of their over-priced, over-rated, under-performing hardware and their smut-hating, prudish and censorious App store tendencies, we now have to deal with people telling us that their “record has been released on iTunes” Yes, I admit it, I am a dinosaur. I think that if I “buy” something I “own” it. BUT, do I really “own” something if I cannot sell it to someone else? And if I cannot sell it, did I really “buy” it to begin with? It’s because of…


Company presses your ashes into vinyl when you die

Company presses your ashes into vinyl when you die. Wired tells us music lovers can now be immortalised when they die by having their ashes baked into vinyl records to leave behind for loved ones. No mention of the sound quality, we suspect that the records sound a bit like early 80s Jamaican pressings…


OT: The most disingenuous TV spot ever?

I saw this spot during the Fulham / Man U match on Fox Soccer Channel today. I think it ran next to the ubiquitous Katy Perry ProActive spot. Anyway, the point is that there are plenty of youth oriented ad buys on the English Premiere League on FSC. And we know that soccer is a strong female sport in America. “Air has no prejudice. It does not carry the opinions of a man faster than those of a woman. Does not filter out an idea because I am sixteen and not 30. Air is unaware if I am black or…


Katy B “Katy on a Mission” prod. Benga

I think that I should like a little more bass on this one. That’s rather odd, given that Benga is usually not at a loss for bass. There is certainly a suggestion of it, perhaps the plan is that later remixes will boost the bottom end. This track may be the biggest crossover UK Funky / Dubstep track to date. Released by the record label associated with Rinse-FM, so it’s obviously getting play on the UK’s leading pirate radio station. What is a little more surprising is that it is also getting daytime play on Radio 1. UK I-tunes release…


Dub vs Dubstep Special w/ Mad Professor, Adrian Sherwood, Coki & Appleblim

The invaluable Core News brings us a nice clean recording of a recent radio show:   Rob da Bank 2010-07-24 Dub vs Dubstep Special with Mad Professor, Adrian Sherwood, Coki & Appleblim A very nice mix of new and old, does just what it says on the box. Post includes a link to the Hotfile download and the tracklist: Tracklist:Slim Smith — Ain’t Too Proud To Beg – TrojanJoe Gibbs — Chapter 3 – LightningKing Tubby — Roots Of Dub – Blue MoonBenny Ill, Kode9 & The Culprit — Fat Larry’s Skank – TempaDubkasm — Reespek I Spek (feat. Levi Roots…


You can help fund a film about Graham Parker

He is a diamond geezer. When I would ask him to sign records for me he was always simultaneously surly and gracious (two of my favourite things!). My signed copy of “Mercury Poisoning” on coloured vinyl is one of my greatest fetish objects. Kickstarter provides an easy and transparent way to fund projects. Projects ask for a certain amount of money to be pledged by a certain time. If those goals are achieved, the pledges are delivered and the project gets the money. If they don’t get the pledges in the time allotted, no money is delivered. You can sign…



Note to ourselves: Keep an open mind

Over the years, I’ve had my issues with Beck (check that great tartan backgroud!) and quite a few more with NPR’s generally bourgeois coverage of music (unabashed Radiohead fanboi-ism), but now it’s time for a hat tip or two. Via the NPR All Songs Considered (sic) blog comes “Five Great Cover Songs From 2010 (So Far)”, of which at least two are well worth the time of day. When I was doing my nightly radio show “Forward In All Directions” I would start every show with a cover. The one above would have been perfect. A completely new way to…




Ninja Tune XX – What a beast! Now *that’s* the way to celebrate your 20th!

Ninja Tune, the label founded by Coldcut, is turning 20 years old. The Ninja Tune XX boxset is a beast.   You’ve got wo days left to pre-order it at $130.00 Hit the link for the truly frightening details (6 CDs, 6 7″s, stickers, hardback, etc. etc.) and here’s the remarkable track lineup: Tracklists: * = New + Exclusive CD1 * Two Fingers ‘Fools’ * * Roots Manuva ‘It’s On’ * * Toddla T ‘Want U Now’ (feat. Ms Dynamite) * * Dorian Concept ‘Her Tears Taste Like Pears’ * * Zomby ‘The Forest’ * * Offshore ‘Jen At The Station’ * * Emika…


Independence Day Vinyl Sale – Woodstock NY – This weekend

To celebrate our independence, Zip’s Ziggurat Vinyl Garage and Tent(s) will be open this weekend Saturday July 3 Sunday 4 and (maybe) July 5 I should be indoors watching the World Cup. Instead, I’m gonna be out in the yard working on the LPs, so come on by! Just got a new collection with a lot of classic rock, also a fair number of sealed items. Likely to be lots of other folks doing yard sales in the area. ========================== Boilerplate: Many Thousands of LPs vinyl records, 12”s, 45s, classic rock, pop, hip hop, country, dance, world, folk, reggae, soul,…


BBC coverage of Sonar 2010 – Includes DJ sets (Joy Orbison!), songs, interviews

The Sonar festival in Barcelona has become a vital part of the European festival circuit. And by far the most important to the exposure of new electronic-based music. Billed as a festival of “Advanced Music and Multimedia Art”, the booking ranges far and wide (ie. it’s not just banging house and trance, or even just “dance” music) and the organizers ask various luminaries to curate various sections. In keeping with the multimedia aspect of the festival, the BBC has put together a series of audio snapshots of the event. Each picture in the Flash window sits over a link to…


MAH, FlyLo, Roska, Joy Orbison – Sonar 2010 – Video

The Beeb has just posted a quick 8 minute video with Mary Anne Hobbs talking to the cats she brought with her to the Sonar Festival in Barcelona – Joy Orbison, Roska and Flying Lotus. Includes footage from the stage also. Of note: Flying Lotus making a point of mentioning the importance, to him, of playing Weather Report in his set. Yes, Weather Report. I knew that I was right to be so confused by his Cosmogramma record.