Mink Car Collage

While mixtapes are a bit trite, I've always liked the fact that they were 90 minutes and, like vinyl, have two sides. The two-parts is a feature I've always enjoyed, and some artists take advantage of this, even in cd form (listen to Modest Mouse's Good News...). Mixtapes often have this uniqueness to them, similar to vinyl, but still quite distinct. The remix idea of albums is something else I haven't explored much, but I'd like to give it a shot, especially since I claim so often to be better at production than writing itself.

The ultimate idea, I suppose, is to take the tracks from the Mink Car companion, and make a full tape of the audio, but blurring the edges, and mixing the songs together, possibly using some samples from the original audio. The final result would be a sort of collage of the companion, wherein the distinct elements still exist, but in a sea of sounds. You'd still get the bulk of the main tracks, but with little extras here and there. It'd also probably help weed out a little bit of the repetitiousness of 5 versions of Hovering Sombrero, not counting the original version.

There's a few other tracks I might mix in or sample, if I ever get around to it, specifically some remixes, and a couple of live tracks, such as performances on Conan.

Hey, my tape deck needs to be used for something these days.

Update: 60 songs including the original album tracks. I still might be missing two though, from what I know, but 60 is such a round number. This is without repeats, by the way for sure. Songs for which I only have the album version: Yeh Yeh, Hopeless Bleak Despair, My Man, Your Mom's Alright. Alternate releases seem to just be the same versions with more blank time on the edges, or slightly less mixing. Discounting the original Mink Car tracks, the whole thing is about 100 minutes, but considering large chunks of songs are superfluous, it looks like 90 minutes is an achievable goal.

Poem Practice

While I was out throwing away any money I still have on vinyl records and Korean horror films, I ran into a man who has a typewriter set up on the street, who will write you a poem for only asking him to. "Strictly donations," the man told me. After five or six minutes he had a poem ready for me. Aside from the fact that he was able to produce a poem in really good time, it was a good poem. I only had to name him a "word" and a job.

Apparently, this started in California, and a friend of the originator's brought it to New Orleans, and he was friends with this guy and brought it to New York, or something along those lines.

I might try it occasionally as an exercise, but I need to practice a little more before I can get up to this type of thing. I'll do some small challenges with some friends and things like this first.

Why DVDs Totally Suck

If there was one thing that would make we want to pirate movies instead of buying them is that there is that damned plastic on the top. It's pretty bad on cds, but at least you don't ruin the cd case when you try and pull it off. It's absolutely unnecessary to exist in its current form.

That, and one million other things.

They Might Be Predicted

As I predicted in my post about The Else bonus live tracks, and live performances, the next live appearances of songs from The Else have been Take Out The Trash and The Mesopotamians. From here on in, I really don't know what's next for them, but I'd put decent odds on Bee Of The Bird Of The Moth making an appearance, and possibly even Feign Amnesia. More likely though, we'll just hear more of the same.

Songwriter's Club

I'd like to belong to a songwriter's club, something small and intimate, but I think I just don't know enough musicians who would be very interested to really get something going where I wouldn't be peripheral. I can poll and see if it's viable. I think the idea of doing it all separate, recording on our own, and then submitting might put some off, so maybe we can also gather to show off our stuffs. Also, I don't know how many people have convenient ways to make their own demos. It might be something to consider though, even if it is only done infrequently.

Paul Baribeau Songbook

For my own use and practice, I started transcribing all of the songs by Paul Baribeau. I am pretty confident about most of it, and I have just about the whole self titled album done, Like Bells, his two songs on myspace from Grand Ledge, most of the guitar parts from the Ghost Mice split, Ghost Mice's version of Tablecloth, and I've done most of the significant differences between the Yikes Baribeau tracks and their self-titled counterparts. I'll borrow a friends copy of 25 to wrap those up. There are a few demos I probably won't include, and I will probably skip (at least most of) the Bruce Springsteen covers with Ginger Alford. I won't do the Keyboard songs either, I don't think.

The cover art will probably be an imitation of the front cover of the self-titled album. Loop bound, plastic cover, harder back. I will probably do the songs either in order of chronology (as I have them indexed now, more or less) or alphabetically, which might be more useful. I'm leaning towards chronology with an alphabetical cross reference in the back or front. Format of each page would be TITLE, then a description of the non-standard chords, then the lyrics with the chord letters written above them. Melodies will be written out in tablature I suppose. I figure as I get closer to my goal, it will become more apparent what exactly I need to do.

Currently, the book will have the 14 tracks from the s/t album, Like Bells, 2 songs from Grand Ledge (until I can get it!), 3-4 songs from the Ghost Mice split (I don't know if I will include Dead Flowers And Dirt), and 5 or 6 of the 8 songs from Yikes Baribeau. So, 27 or so pages there, then a slew from 25, and some other demos might get us to 50? I think I can put that as a goal.

Making Cds Desirable Again

Yeah, I still buy real cds. But more and more I get disappointed when I get home and it's pretty much just the cd, a track list on the band, and a little slip of paper in the front with some artwork on it. With all of the tons of complaints about pirating mp3s, maybe record companies would do a little better if they followed suit like some artists who have made cds that I actually want to own.

So, here it is. 10 things people should do to make their cd worth buying:

10. Little Extras
They Might Be Giants are known for always trying to get little extras here and there for their fans. Aside from the dozens of services they offer in general, they will put out certain features that are harder to simulate on copied cds or the computer. Even with the downplaying of shuffle (Apollo 18) and adding data onto cds, and the terrible mishaps of negative one bonus tracks (Factory Showroom) as well as long delay afterward, their is just so much they try and do. Even "A User's Guide To Factory Showroom" which is available for free to anyone online

9. Additional Items
Andy Stochansky had a cd that came with a selection of lyric cards and other little elements. I didn't actually get it, but I remember him showing it off after a gig I saw him at. Creative development of liner notes has been respected even in minor implementations like Death Cab For Cutie's Transatlanticism which barely did anything past combining a fold out and a booklet type set of notes.

8. Cd As A Package
Hellcat Records I noted some time ago for putting out many of their cds in the cardboard sleeve type format. While it stinks that they are easier to damage and are impossible to fix, they make me want to take greater care of my cds, as if they actually have some value. Also, I don't know if it's cheaper to do or not, but there does already seem to be an increasing trend for this type of packaging.

7. Irreproducibility
Tool's Aenima had album artwork that couldn't be replicated on a computer screen. Many cds also have reflective parts, or other effects. Tomahawk's Anonymous had a wonderful textured appearance. Even relatively little things let you feel like you are getting a little something extra for you buck.

6. Going The Extra Mile
Discordance Axis released some of their cds in dvd cases and had companion texts that fit inside the case with it. Nothing that different from a cd with liner notes, but much closer to doing it right. Too many artists barely even put a sleeve in for their cds. I am greatly interested in credits, lyrics, side notes, all that. Also, it's not that different from a regular cd,

5. Customizability And Personal Design
Beck's The Information came with stickers and was set up so that everybody can have a completely customized version of the cd. This isn't something I would personally take advantage of, but it certainly has its potential.

4. Trimming Down
If people only care about the music, there should be an alternative. While they could buy the mp3s online and get a pdf of the artwork, and do whatever they want with it all, they could also get a cheaper version of the full cd on a printed copy. Have two pressings, the first, more elaborate one with the extras, then a knocked down price version.

3. Removing The Archaisms
Victor Ruggiero sells burned copies of his cd. The artwork is xeroxes. It's Vic's own artwork, and he pens the writing on the cd itself. I could download the files, burn them to a cd write with a sharpie and print out a xerox of the artwork. But it wouldn't be the same, even though it's probably the closest to an actual replica of a cd. Intimacy and subtlety aside, this drops the cost of cds amazingly. Minimal effort all around can get you a cd for under five dollars.

2. Bonus Disc
Whether is be a live bonus dvd, a track of rare tracks, remixes, alternate versions, demos, it's always a good incentive to spend the extra two dollars over the average price of a cd, since I'm getting double the goods, even if the extra cd or dvd isn't exactly what I was going for. There is a lot of room for creativity in this area, and finally it's starting to get rolling.

1. Clever Packaging
I bought a cd from a small time band called The Hue Of Two. The cd itself was a blank burned cd, but with a design stamped on. It rested inside a folded xeroxed sheet of sized paper with a clever design made to look like a medical form, but it still included information about the band, and the lyrics. Those items were placed in a manilla folder the size of a cd, with "The Hue Of Two" stamped on the tab, and another stamp on the folder itself. This all went inside a sewn canvas bag sized just right, with a design painted on it. It was probably one of the most spectacular layouts I've ever seen.


Honorable Mention:
I am also a regular consumer of vinyl records, and I've seen a few great incentives for purchasing the record instead of, or in addition to a cd, if one exists. Bonus lyrics, translations of foreign lyrics, sheet music, extra or alternate artwork, things like that. My personal favorite was that one record I bought came with a web address where I could legally download the mp3s of the full album. It was perfect. I had my hard copy on vinyl, the artwork, the liner notes, and I could still easily put it on my ipod or whatever I wanted.


As pointed out by a friend, we don't want to eventually turn cd stores into curio shops selling unspeakable objects that somewhere in themselves contain music, but I still think there is plenty of room for improvement.

The Else Live Cd

They Might Be Giants podcast has been a great little tool of theirs for distributing interesting content. While they've already made a cd that goes along with The Else, featuring songs from the podcasts, they have been releasing a large number of live versions of song from The Else. If this trend continues, there could be a viable Live Else companion cd to be had. Songs they've done so far:

From 26A
I'm Impressed
From 28A
The Shadow Government
Climbing The Walls
From 28B
The Cap'm
Careful What You Pack
From 28C
Upside Down Frown
Withered Hope

All of these except or I'm Impressed are live recordings made at Sirius Satellite Radio.

I don't know if all of The Else songs were performed, or even if they are all going to be released. Still though, there are 7 tracks released, which is more than half. According to TMBW, Feign Amnesia has not been played live so far, and With The Dark has only been played in very specific contexts, so those are the two that are unlikley to appear. Bee Of The Bird Of The Moth and Contrecoup have also had diminishing appearances in live sets, so they might not've been performed, or wanted to be released with the same enthusiasm as the other tracks.

Also possibly for inclusion would be other live, studio quality appearances, like the forthcoming rendition of I'm Impressed on Conan O'Brien. My guess for the next live tracks released (if any): Take Out The Trash, and The Mesopotamians.

Companion Track

A couple of months ago, I had the unique pleasure of seeing The Slackers perform a full set without front man Vic Ruggiero. While Vic Ruggiero's vocal and lyrical stylings are the main attraction I have to the band, it was very interesting to see Glen Pine sing the majority of the songs, and Dave Hillyard even sang on The Fool. They did two covers, A Minha Menina by Os Mutantes and We Can Work It Out by The Beatles. I don't know if I could get copies of them doing those tracks, but I think an interesting side cd would be of all of the tracks by The Slackers sung by somebody other than Vic, and maybe some instrumentals, depending on how much room there is.

It'd be a nice change of pace too, Slackers cds are very Vic oriented, and he does have a whole slew of solo cds too. I played the most recent Slackers cd for a friend and he commented that they were just playing Vic songs from his cds, but in the style of The Slackers.

Mink Car Companion Cd

Way back when I was much more dedicated to music I'd dig up demos of bands and listen to them before the album leaked. There are two really interesting ones, Mike Patton's Peeping Tom demos, and the demos for Beck's The Information. For the sake of doing something a little different, but not too different, I'm going to go back and try and assemble the various TMBG demos I have from my collection, and related B-sides, and make companion cds. As I've been on this Mink Car kick, I figured I'd start there. Mink Car has a good number of demos, b-sides, and remixes available. I went through what looks like it's relevant and good and it goes as follows (based on Mink Car US track order):

Bangs (Unlimited Version)
Bangs (McSweeney's Version)
Cyclops Rock (Unlimited Version)
Man, It's So Loud In Here (Clock Radio Version)
Man, It's So Loud In Here (Unlimited Version)
Man, It's So Loud In Here (Hot 2002 Remix)
Mr. Xcitement (Early Version)
Another First Kiss (Unlimited Version)
I've Got A Fang (Unlimited Version)
Hovering Sombrero (Dial-A-Song Version)
Hovering Sombrero (Unlimited Version)
Drink! (Unlimited Version)
Mink Car (Demo Version)
Mink Car (Jim O'Conner Version)
Mink Car (Live Unlimited)
Wicked Little Critta (Dial-A-Song Version)
Finished With Lies (Demo Version)
Finished With Lies (Radio TMBG Version)
All MacGyver On It
Your Mom's Alright

There's also a weird doubled-piano delay in the mix error kind of thing version of She Thinks She's Edith Head that I can't seem to find a mention of anywhere. Oh well. Also, there are versions of Yeh Yeh, My Man, and maybe another song or two that the Unlimited versions are supposed to be the exact same ones as on Mink Car. It's close, at least. I'll give it a good listen later.

It's probably also possible for John Henry, the early years, and maybe even one for No!, State Songs, and other stuff. More words on this and these when they finalize some more.

Bringing Back The Phone

Recently I was catching up with a friend of mine via instant messanging and he quickly asked for my phone number. Shortly thereafter, he called me and informed me that he doesn't really like using the computer that much, and prefers to use the phone to talk. I had a similar discussion with a former roommate of mine, not only on the great faults of instant messanging, but on the fact that we had gotten to the point where computers are less like tools and becoming more the same that is television. I guess there's a tandem need for minimizing the time I fritter on the computer, pretending to be getting something done, and also maximizing the actual benefits I gain from my computer.

Guitar Works

Just a quick annexation, I'm going to try and write some songs geared much more as a singer-songwriter/solo rock guitar kind of songs. I've had a few efforts before that I've done, but nothing that solid. It's a bit more about some kind of, well, legacy is overstating it, but it'd be nice to show something solid I've done as a performing musician and a lyricist. It'll also be a bit of a challenge from the random put togethers of music I've made and sang over.

Also, I forgot to mention this too when I said I was going to buy cookbooks, I've been meaning to document recipes of mine to make a book of my own. That's about it. Well, as long as I'm mentioning it, I'll set this summer as a time limit for cooking: spring rolls, at least one indian dish, and I'll come up with some other stuff later.

New TMBG Numbers

This show doesn't suggest that much is different, and just reaffirms a lot of the numbers. Probably we can say there is a slight increase in the chance that there might be something occuring between Damn Good Times and I'm Impressed. The Guitar is probably up to 25-30%. Boss Of Me is maybe at 3%, I still think it's unlikely to be heard at a smaller venue type show, especially in NYC. Why Does The Sun Shine? is up to 90%, let's say. This Damn Band is up to 20% or so. The next show they play will probably be the most decisive show so far though, so we'll see if any of this was for accurate.

New Books

While out looking for cookbooks, I actually wrangled up a copy of Pablo Neruda's Veinte Poemas De Amor Y Una Canción Desesperada and a sizable book called Poesía Española. I'm going to take a bit of time to enjoy some of these. One of my favorite advantages of works such as these is that they are made up of many clearly divided pieces. I can read a poem or three at a time, or I can read any number of Neruda's pages. It's nice when you have a book where you can get through a section while your in the bathroom. Of course this is not the reasoning, but the point is well illustrated in the phrase. A friend of a friend used to burn through books because he'd carry them around with him and he'd read a couple of pages anytime he didn't have anything else drawing his attention, standing in a line, on the subway. The Neruda book is small enough, but it's rather delicate, and weighty material. I guess I should prioritize finding such a book that could fit in my pocket, or start carrying some kind of bag.

They Might Be Giants Show

Many bands have sets that are coordinated to some extent with background video footage. Some are more inextricably linked to the songs, like Ratatat, but other groups have looser arrangements, like Primus. I was listening to They Might Be Giants's Mink Car, and I was thinking about how their sets have changed from several styles over the years. The original duo shows, which had their "art fuck" element, to the years with the band, and even the occasional resurgence of the modified-duo show. In recent years though, you still get a John and John only song or two, and on appearances on TV, this happens as well (one time I can even remember a Flansburgh only song on Conan).

Anyway, enough background. In the unlikely event that it hasn't been deduced, I think TMBG has the potential to set up a two-man show, but playing more recent fare. Several of there songs already call for it, and it probably wouldn't be a long change to make versions that are essentially the same, but can be done with just the two men. It could be an interesting alternative for the NYC crowd, and others who have already seen TMBG many times, or it could be great for some special type of event. Mink Car had several songs that would transition well, Man It's So Loud In Here, I've Got A Fang, Wicked Little Critta, and My Man. Recently they did duo shows with the LEMUR robots, and those songs are also viable here, With The Dark, Vestibule, Our Cannibal Friends. Some other older songs that have lived long and well would be able to be done as well, James K. Polk and Ant come to mind (though these might go more with what I mention later on). Some of the more recent odd songs by TMBG that are more electronically themed could come in as well, Am I Awake?, Skullivan, even To The Bubblecraft, if they were to want to include these in the set.

This is all off the top of my head, but I'm sure a more comprehensive list of songs could (and will) come. Maybe I'll even get some film together and get some interesting loops going. Or I'll just drop the Johns a line and see what they thinkg.

Oh, they could probably gear up some of their less full-band type songs and play those to a less coordinated video. Songs like O Do Not Forsake Me, Robot Parade (Children's Version), even Particle Man could work very well in this environment. It could pull up some very interesting type of shows, and I still think it'd be rocking.

Error bX-5ae1bo In Blogger

There's a problem that seems to come up in Blogger for some people, called error bX-5ae1bo. For me, it came up during an effort to change the admin for my other blog, Paratactic Cataphora. Changing it involves adding a new permission, changing that to an admin, then deleting the previous account (if so desired) from the list. After doing this, I couldn't get back to any useful Blogger screen. Several other people had this problem (google bX-5ae1bo), and one person hinted that deleting the cache and cookies would help, but it did not.

What worked for me was logging into my google account, and clicking on the Blogger "B" that was in my account. It all loaded right up. So if anybody is having that problem, give that a shot.

Schussmeisters

It's only $113 to sign up for Schussmeisters if I do it on August 25th. It's more than last years, but only by $14. I tried making use of it the one year, but it was a terrible time trying to coordinate it two years ago, and last year I didn't even bother. I think I might need to bring it back for this year. It's been too long, and it was a great something to do in the winter months. If I just go 3 or 4 times, I think I make back the cost, and if I go 6 or 7 times, I'll make it back for not going the other year as well, financially, at least.

Melt Banana/Melvins/Vaz Bootleg Shirt

There is a bootleg Melt Banana/Melvins/Vaz shirt made from a design on a venue poster for the show. The shirt actually says FRI AUG 6 and 10PM but I can't recall where the show was. I found the actual poster once, and maybe I can do it again. I think it could be a good shirt if that last line was taken off, and if something was done about the hard edge going along the side. I had a similar problem when I took a design from a Fantomas poster to make a shirt logo, but the design didn't have such a large unfinished logo. I will consult a friend who is experienced in such things to see if there are any happy mediums.

If you want to see the design being exploited by somebody just search for "melvins melt banana" and it'll come up under "melvins melt banana vintage music punk t-shirt"

They Might Be Predictions

Way back when I used to go to concerts more frequently, if there was a band I really liked coming, I'd investigate what songs they had been playing that tour to get an idea of what I could expect to hear when they finally came. This was particularly true of Weezer, who originally had very regular setlists, and for a time allegedly input songs into a Dungeons and Dragons style random data selector. I decided that since I was going to be seeing They Might Be Giants, and I had a wealth of data at my hands, I'd at least give it a shot, which turned into an exhaustive analysis of the likelihood of songs occuring.

While there should be new numbers tonight after a non-standard, non-NYC concert, I still thought I'd put out what I have. Songs listed horizontally indicate a greater chance of them being played together.
There will probably not be less than 25 songs total. There probably won't be more than 30 in the main set, or even overall (is that a typo?). There will probably not be more than 36 songs.

Damn Good Times(15% in encore, with next two moved slightly), I'm Impressed, Take Out The Trash (100%)
Ana Ng (95%, 10% in encore)
Don't Let's Start (15%, almost certain if Ana Ng is not played)
Asbury Park (100%, 15% is opener with altered set somewhat)
appropriate Venue Song (almost certain if exists, could be earlier in set, or after Meet James Ensor)
Upside Down Frown (100%, possibly later in set)
Experimental Film (95%)
New York City (95%, possibly after We're The Replacements)
We Live In A Dump (10%, possibly elsewhere, possibly related chance to Why Did You Grow A Beard)
Fingertips (95%, possibly before The Joker)
No One Knows My Plan, with Everybody Conga intro (20%, most likely later in the show, significantly different set)
Birdhouse In Your Soul(100%), The Shadow Government(100%), Contrecoup(90%), Meet James Ensor(90%) (70% in this order, latter 2 cut for shorter sets potentially)
Turn Around (20%, 85% if played within last 4 songs)
Bee The Bird Of The Moth (10%, could be anywhere)
Particle Man (90%, 10% elsewhere in set)
Phone Calls To The Dead (70%)
We're The Replacements (85%)
Why Did You Grow A Beard (5%, very different set, possibly related chance to We Live In A Dump)
Climbing The Walls (80%, possibly earlier if Careful What You Pack is not in set, 2% opener)
Careful What You Pack (78%)
Withered Hope (100%)
Why Does The Sun Shine? (88%)
Older (90%, 20% in encore)
James K. Polk (20%, 25% in an encore, could be anywhere, very different set)
Till My Head Falls Off (15%, could be anywhere, very different set)
Memo To Human Resources (90%)
The Cap'm (90%)
Alphabet Of Nations (100%, 10% earlier in show)
Doctor Worm (100%, 15% in encore)
Drink! (95%, 10% in encore)
Boss Of Me (2%, most likely later in the show)
The Mesopotamians (100%, almost certainly the last song of the set)
The Joker (1%, would be last song, would be after fingertips, no encore, and set would be radically different)

Could be anywhere:
Our Cannibal Friends (3%)
With The Dark, extended intro version (4%)
Vestibule (3%)

Encore 1
Istanbul (90%, 15% in encore 2, 15% in main set)
The Famous Polka (68%, 5% in main set)
This Damn Band (15%)
Spy (25%, only if set real different)

Encore 2
She's An Angel (85%, 20% in encore 1)
Twisting (60%, 90% closer if played)
The Guitar (18%, only if set real different, possibly in set)

This is ultimately intended to apply to the times I go see them, but I suppose it really goes to just about any show they are playing on this tour.

Melt Banana - Heart Of Glass

I took two audience recordings of Melt Banana covering Blondie's "Heart Of Glass." One track was used to boost the guitar particularly, and had decent bass quality. The second track greatly improved the drums, and rounded out the bass. The vocals were not that great on either track, which is a common weakness of many live recordings. The final result of the various equalizing and efforts makes most of the track sound very clear, on the lines of the quality between "radio show" and "studio recording." Sadly I don't really possess the means to boost the vocals any clearer, but I doubt it'd be anything short of arduous for anyone, regardless of tools.

The other downside to the track is that one of the recorders didn't get (or make available) about 10 seconds that the other guy has, so the levels are slightly askew, but I think I evened it out as much as possible. Even the first track, actually, sounds like it might be missing something from before the track, but luckily it does seem to at least start at a decent point, so nothing had to be truncated.

The live show was May 25th 2007, in Denton Texas, at a place called Rubbergloves.