Wednesday, February 27, 2013

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (02/27/13)

Here's the playlist for this week's edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. If you dig it, be sure to also follow the show on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter!

Artist - Song - Album
Sunnyboys - Individuals - Individuals
Sunnyboys - Colour Of Love - Individuals
The Cure - M - Seventeen Seconds
The Cure - At Night - Seventeen Seconds
Love And Rockets - Welcome Tomorrow - Earth, Sun, Moon
Love And Rockets - Rain Bird - Earth, Sun, Moon
Television Personalities - Three Wishes - Yes Darling, But Is It Art?
Television Personalities - A Sense Of Belonging - Yes Darling, But Is It Art?
The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored - The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses - Made Of Stone - The Stone Roses
Inspiral Carpets - She Comes In The Fall - Life
Inspiral Carpets - Directing Traffik - Life
Membranes - Everyone's Going Triple Bad Acid, Yeah! - Songs Of Love And Fury
Happy Mondays - Loose Fit - Pills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches
Happy Mondays - Step On - Pills 'N' Thrills And Bellyaches
Primal Scream - Slip Inside This House - Screamadelica
Primal Scream - Don't Fight It, Feel It - Screamadelica
A Guy Called Gerald - I Feel Rhythm - Automanikk
A Guy Called Gerald - Automanikk - Automanikk
LFO - Intro - Frequencies
LFO - Mentok 1 - Frequencies
Nightmares On Wax - Aftermath - A Word Of Science: The First And Final Chapter
Nightmares On Wax - Biofeedback - A Word Of Science: The First And Final Chapter
Blur - Girls And Boys - The Best Of
Blur - She's So High - The Best Of
Pulp - Common People - Different Class
Pulp - Mis-Shapes - Different Class
Supergrass - I'd Like To Know - I Should Coco
Supergrass - Sofa (Of My Lethargy) - I Should Coco
Super Furry Animals - If You Don't Want Me To Destroy You - Fuzzy Logic
Super Furry Animals - Something 4 The Weekend - Fuzzy Logic
Noonday Underground - The Light Brigade - Self-Assembly
Noonday Underground - Wonderful Tonight - Self-Assembly
The Beta Band - Dr. Baker - The Three E.P.'s
The Beta Band - The House Song - The Three E.P.'s

FEATURE: Andy Warhol: Inside the Frame and Out

Befitting a man obsessed with media and mass communication, Andy Warhol's life and career has been documented more thoroughly than any other artist in history, in books, in films and on his beloved TV, but with a figure as complex and contradictory as Warhol, no single recounting can tell the whole story.


Wednesday, February 20, 2013

FILM REVIEW: Indie Game: The Movie


Like it or not, technology has a way of liberating culture, but video games, a relatively young media, have had to wait their turn just like music or film before them. There was a time where making a movie or releasing an album seemed beyond the reach of the ordinary Joe, but, over time, advancements in electronics have given that power to just about anyone; video games are no different, but their complexity makes going DIY a bit harder than writing a song or pointing a video camera. Even though inspired amateur programmers have had the technological means to make their own games for some time now, it's only in the past few years that Internet connected consoles have created a market for games produced outside the studio system and proven downloadable content (DLC) to be one of the fast growing segment of the industry. For visionary independents, that means a potential goldmine, but the risks, financial and psychological are just as great.

Directed by Canadian filmmakers James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot, Indie Game: The Movie profiles four intrepid indie creators at varying stages of guiding a game to its release date; there's Phil Fish, the perfectionist programmer behind the continually delayed Fez, Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes, the duo making last minute improvements to their irreverent Super Meat Boy before its surprise deadline, and Jonathan Blow, who released his innovative Braid to rave reviews and excellent sales, but wonders if he really got what he wanted. There are really two sides to each of their stories, the creative and the commercial. Each and every one of them is clearly pouring their heart and soul into their projects, speaking in lofty artistic terms about pushing the boundaries and needing to communicate and express themselves in their work, a luxury not afforded the often hundreds of programmers working on a major release like a Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty, but all of them are also desperately hoping for a huge payday, not just to make up for all the sleepless nights, but to take care of some rather pressing financial needs.

There's another common thread connecting all of these men too: all of them speak at one point or another about the depression and isolation their chosen career path has brought them, staring at bits of code in a darkened rooms like tortured artists (whether or not they are, in fact artists is a debate to unwieldy to get into here). Still, though the prospect of their creation being a flop or, worse, not coming out at all and leaving them deep in debt is a daunting one, the passion with which they talk about their craft suggests none of them would ever even consider doing anything else. That's where Indie Game: The Movie becomes more than just a doc about technological or cultural trends, or even about video games, it becomes about people in obsessive pursuit of a creative and personal ideal. Even if you're not a gamer yourself, you'll probably find yourself rooting for them, sharing in their triumphs and failures, not simply because their underdogs, but because for them, these aren't just games, their whole lives are on the line. 

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (02/20/13)

Here's the playlist for this week's edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. If you enjoy it, be sure to also follow the show of Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter!

Artist - Song - Album
Nero & The Gladiators - Boots - An Outbreak Of Twangin': Phantom Guitars, Vol. 2
The Ramblers - Just For Chicks - An Outbreak Of Twangin': Phantom Guitars, Vol. 2
The Barbarians - Take It Or Leave It - Collector's Records Of The 50s and 60s, Vols. 19 & 20
The Brooklyn Boys - The Normal Ones - Collector's Records Of The 50s and 60s, Vols. 19 & 20
Mother's Worry - Can't Seem To Come Down - Psychedelic States: Wisconsin In The 60s
Zoo - Gonna Miss Me - Psychedelic States: Wisconsin In The 60s
The 13th Floor Elevators - Scarlet And Gold - 7th Heaven: Music Of The Spheres - The Complete Singles Collection
The 13th Floor Elevators - Reverbaration (Sic) (Doubt) - 7th Heaven: Music Of The Spheres - The Complete Singles Collection
The Troggs - Feels Like A Woman - Freakbeat Freakout
The Primitives - Help Me - Freakbeat Freakout
The Standells - Dirty Water - The Best Of The Standells
The Standells - Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White - The Best Of The Standells
The Surf Boys - Da Doo Ron Ron - 7" Single
The Surf Boys - Hurt (Hurt) - 7" Single
Rats - Rats Revenge - Back From The Grave, Vol. 1
Cords - Ghost Power - Back From The Grave, Vol. 1
Tennie Komar & The Silencers - 1985 - Future Stories
The Stooges - No Fun - The Stooges
The Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog - The Stooges
Crime - Flipout - San Francisco's Doomed
Crime - Murder By Guitar - San Francisco's Doomed
Haskels - Taking The City By Storm - History In 3 Chords: Milwaukee Alternative Bands 1973-1982
American Bombs - Lets Go (To Guyana) - History In 3 Chords: Milwaukee Alternative Bands 1973-1982
The Jam - Big Bird (Live) - Dig The New Breed
The Jam - Set The House Ablaze (Live) - Dig The New Breed
The Adverts - One Chord Wonders - The Best Of The Adverts
The Adverts - Gary Gilmore's Eyes - The Best Of The Adverts
The Damned - Neat Neat Neat - Damned Damned Damned
The Damned - Fan Club - Damned Damned Damned
The Cramps - Fissure Of Rolando - Fiends Of Dope Island
The Cramps - Wrong Way Ticket - Fiends Of Dope Island
The Creeping Ivies - Buzzbomb - Stay Wild
The Creeping Ivies - Rock N Roll Ghost - Stay Wild
The Nackers - Banana Boats - It's Better With Fuzz, Babe!, Vol. 1
Earl And The Losers - John Waynes Got Blues - It's Better With Fuzz, Babe!, Vol. 1
Dávila 666 - Obsesionao - Tan Bajo
Dávila 666 - Noche De Terror - Tan Bajo
King Tuff - Stranger - King Tuff
King Tuff - Hit And Run - King Tuff
Black Lips - I Saw A Ghost (Lean) - Good Bad Not Evil
Black Lips - O Katrina! - Good Bad Not Evil
Ty Segall - Thank God For Sinners - Twins
Ty Segall - Ghost  - Twins
The Delphines - Under Tablecloths - Fear EP
The Delphines - Drifters - Fear EP
The Pharmacy - Pines - Stoned And Alone
The Pharmacy - Where Do You Run To? - Stoned And Alone
Halloween - Ren Yao - Halloween
Halloween - Infinite Uglies - Halloween

CONCERT REVIEW: The Residents (Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee)

For their 40th anniversary "Wonder of Weird" tour, the Residents have come up with a retrospective of sorts, a trip down memory lane that, of course leads to some unexpected places (this is the Residents we're talking about after all).


Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (02/13/13)

Here's the playlist for this week's edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. If you dig it, be sure to also follow the show on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter!

Artist - Song - Album
Blondie - Heart Of Glass - The Best Of Blondie
Blondie - Rapture - The Best Of Blondie
Talking Heads - Moon Rocks - Speaking In Tongues
Talking Heads - This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) - Speaking In Tongues
The Stranglers - Dreamtime - Dreamtime
The Stranglers - Ghost Train - Dreamtime
Adam And The Ants - That Voodoo! - Prince Charming
Adam And The Ants - Picasso Visita El Planeta De Los Simios - Prince Charming
Rip, Rig And Panic - Storm The Reality Asylum - Grlz: Women Ahead Of Their Time
Maximum Joy - Stretch - Grlz: Women Ahead Of Their Time
Bow Wow Wow - Mickey, Put It Down - See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang Yeah! City All Over, Go Ape Crazy!
Bow Wow Wow - Hello, Hello Daddy (I'll Sacrifice You) - See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang Yeah! City All Over, Go Ape Crazy!
Truly - Aliens On Alcohol - 10" Single
Einstein's Riceboys - Morbid Orbit - Civil Rice
Einstein's Riceboys - Vertigo - Civil Rice
Fischer-Z - Spiders - Word Salad
Fischer-Z - Nice To Know - Word Salad
Silicon Teens - Yesterday Man - Music For Parties
Silicon Teens - Judy In Disguise - Music For Parties
Devo - Space Junk - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
Devo - Come Back Jonee - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
Elton Motello - Pocket Calculator - Pop Art
Elton Motello - In The Heart Of The City - Pop Art
Laid Back - Elevator Boy - Keep Smiling
Laid Back - So Wie So - Keep Smiling
The Human League - Love Action (I Believe In Love) - Dare
The Human League - Darkness - Dare
Cut Copy - Take Me Over - Zonoscope
Cut Copy - Blink And You'll Miss A Revolution - Zonoscope
Hot Chip - Night & Day - In Our Heads
Hot Chip - Motion Sickness - In Our Heads
Clockwork Orchestra - Black Ice - Friends Without Names
Clockwork Orchestra - Zebedee - Friends Without Names
Of Montreal - Triphallus, To Punctuate! - Skeletal Lamping
Of Montreal - Death Isn't A Parallel Move - Skeletal Lamping
Liars - No. 1 Against The Rush - WIXIW
Liars - Brats - WIXIW
The Complainer - Relax - The Shrine The Second: Ultimate Hits Collection
The Complainer - Heart Of Glass - The Shrine The Second: Ultimate Hits Collection

Monday, February 11, 2013

FILM REVIEW: TPB AFK


Chances are, if you're engaged with the issue enough to form an opinion about it in the first place, you're probably fairly entrenched in the way you think about illegal file sharing and the sites, chief among them The Pirate Bay, that make it all possible. Whether you think about them as a vast criminal enterprise, a radical political movement or just a byproduct of an out of touch industry, it's unlikely that a documentary like Simon Klose's new TPB AFK ("The Pirate Bay - Away From Keyboard") is going to change your mind. Which may be why Klose more or less steers clear of polemics or fiery political diatribes, smartly allowing his subjects to extol their virtues (and expose their failings) on their own. The film is, thankfully, not a work of propaganda, so the question becomes: is it a film worth watching?

Following Pirate Bay co-founders Gottfrid Svartholm, Fredrik Neij and Peter Sunde as they stand trial in a Swedish courtroom, charged with the somewhat vague crime of "assisting others in copyright infringement", while also strategizing ways to ensure their creation stays online no matter what. The proceedings are just as much about politics as the law, watched intently by both the powerful Hollywood film industry, who miss no opportunity to demonize the defendants, and the crowds of protesters outside (and online) who are more than ready to make them martyrs. The testimony is pretty fascinating stuff on its own, but the film really comes to life away from the courtroom, where it becomes a character study of its passionate and deeply flawed protagonists: Svartholm the no-nonsense, substance abusing programmer, Neij the racist xenophobe with a Laotian bride, and, the most likable of the bunch, Sunde the reluctant spokesperson who does his best to hold everything together.

There's a slight lack of suspense about the impending verdict, with all three on the loose and jetting back and forth between Stockholm and the South Pacific and, after appeals, facing a sentence of less than a year, but the look of the film is pure political thriller, from the fluorescent-lit courtrooms to the ominous looking bunkers that house the Pirate Bay's nuts and bolts. At the end of the day though, it's less about the corporate and legal wrangling that surrounds their predicament and more about the men themselves, who seem to have created something that far exceeds their control ("It's disorganized crime" Neij remarks at one point) and struggle to make sense of it as much as anyone else. Funded in part by a Kickstarter campaign, and distributed for free online under a Creative Commons license (including via the Pirate Bay itself, also on YouTube here), it's not hard to suss out where Klose's ideology lies, but it's hard to accuse his film of pandering. You don't have to be a free Internet crusader or even a torrent user to be enthralled by TPB AFK, there's more than enough drama in its portrayal of imperfect individuals straining to shape an uncertain future, for better or worse.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

PLAYLIST: Mondo Radio (02/06/13)

Here's the playlist for this week's edition of Mondo Radio, which you can download or stream here. If you dig it, be sure to also follow the show on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr!

Artist - Song - Album
Herbie Hancock - Watermelon Man - Head Hunters
Herbie Hancock - Chameleon - Head Hunters
L.T.G. Exchange - Money Mad - Susie Heartbreaker
L.T.G. Exchange - Sky High - Susie Heartbreaker
Satisfaction Unlimited - Spread Your Love Around - Think Of The Children
Satisfaction Unlimited - Somebody Else's Woman - Think Of The Children
Lee Dorsey - Ride Your Pony - Soul Patrol, Vol. 2
Maskman & The Agents - One Eye Open - Soul Patrol, Vol. 2
Bill Moss - Sock It To 'Em Soul Brother - Eccentric Soul: The Capsoul Label
Johnson, Hawkins, Tatum & Durr - You Can't Blame Me - Eccentric Soul: The Capsoul Label
Leslie West - High Roller - The Great Fatsby
Dan Hartman - Double-O-Love - Instant Replay
Dan Hartman - Love Is A Natural - Instant Replay
Giorgio Moroder - Night Drive - American Gigolo Original Soundtrack Recording
Donna Summer - Sunset People - Bad Girls
Donna Summer - Journey To The Center Of Your Heart - Bad Girls
Giorgio Moroder - Palm Springs Drive - American Gigolo Original Soundtrack Recording
Patrick Cowley - Right On Target - The Ultimate Collection
Patrick Cowley - Megatron Man - The Ultimate Collection
Farley "Jackmaster" Funk - Aw Shucks (Long Version) - Trax Records: The 20th Anniversary Collection
Jesse Velez - Girls Out On The Floor - Trax Records: The 20th Anniversary Collection
Kinane - Heaven (Danny Tenaglia's Vocal Mix) - 12" Single
Prince Rama - Those Who Live For Love Will Live Forever - Top 10 Hits Of The End Of The World
The Carrier Wave - Tastes Like Hairspray - 4X4 Acid Stompers
Simian Mobile Disco - Sweetbread - Delicacies
The Carrier Wave - Sky Eyes - 4X4 Acid Stompers
UltraCat - One Nice Thing Once A Day - Single
UltraCat - Unexpected Little Happenings - Single
Basement Jaxx - Romeo - Rooty
Basement Jaxx - Jus 1 Kiss - Rooty

CONCERT REVIEW: Soundgarden (The Rave, Milwaukee)

Resurrecting a long defunct band can be a tricky proposition; play it right and you open up your music to a whole new generation of fans, play it wrong and even the most diehard listeners might turn against you. But sometimes, as in the case of recently reunited grunge staples Soundgarden, the second time around isn't as dramatic as all that.


FEATURE: Meet the Team: Herbie Hancock's Headhunters

Herbie Hancock's landmark 1973 album Head Hunters broke a lot of new ground, both artistically and commercially, but old Herb didn't pull it off all by himself. 


Tuesday, February 5, 2013

FEATURE: What It's Like To Be Funny: Modern Comedian

Scott Moran, standup comic and creator of the excellent web series Modern Comedian, tells me about his inspiration for the show, how he goes about creating an episode and his plans for the future.


Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...