October 14, 2006

The Foremost Observer of American Society

Craig Finn is the new Tom Wolfe.

Related: The new Hold Steady disc confirms my pet theory that a truly American rock band must have an organ. Not keys, not synths, but an organ. Think of any song you consider American rock par excellence. It has an organ in it. Absolutely required. J. S. Bach smiles from above.

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September 29, 2006

Can't Stop This [Updated]

For the first eighteen years of my life that I was responsible for my bathing, it was done in the morning, every morning. Forced to awaken before dawn, hours not deigned by God or the sun but certainly by the demands of my strict education, I warmed up to the day with running water. Then came college, and the subsequent experimentation with bohemian habits of cleanliness. The summer I lifeguarded, I would go weeks without a specific scrubbing.

Now, though, a day after my quadcentennial, I must find myself anew amidst the spray. Time, timeliness, timelessness, all aspects of a shower, require a short periodicty. But the phase must be shifted, as befits my new-found cellular maturity. I, Noel Weichbrodt, have resolved to bath once a day, in the evening.

The best song on the new Root's album is the last one.

[Link fixed] Can't Stop This.

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July 21, 2006

Westward Ho!

I stop writing computer programs for lawyers tomorrow. I begin writing computer programs for intelligence agencies on Monday. I'll leave the protective shadow of Lookout Mountain, bulwark against the storms from the West, and mush just that way, back to the flatlands and anvil thunderheads. New places and people beckon, and frankly, having failed to take radical action, I've disconnected already from the people and places here in the 'nooga. Natural, not entirely good, and completely inevitable.

The mountains have been hazy the last week. Today I walked south from downtown to southside, and I could only make out the faintest looming mountain line in the sky two miles away. I picked up my car, clad in new klomppen so freash and so clean clean, and drove away.

My playlist for driving to and fro is as follows:

  1. Johnny Cash in Tennessee
    1. Live at Fulsom Prison
    2. Johnny Cash & Bob Dylan
    3. American Recordings
    4. American III
    5. American IV

  2. My Morning Jacket in Kentucky
    1. It Still Moves
    2. Z

  3. Sufjan Stevens in Illinoise
    1. Illinoise
    2. Avalanche
    3. Seven Swans
    4. Live at the Purple Door 12/20/2005

  4. Nelly in Missouri
    1. various singles of irreputable provenance and nature

    Obviously, two questions follow from this. First, does anyone know of high-quality MMJ live sets from the Z tour? Second, can a suitable replacement be found for Nelly repping Missouri?

    This move is also messing with my personal metanarrative. But I'll touch on that later.

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    June 01, 2006

    The Warble of The Domestic Page

    Page has brought down the house more than one time with his mighty, melodious, warbling whistle. Now, dear reader, you may enjoy this most wondrous of talents thanks to an enterprising videographer and the internet. I present Mr. David Page performing the classic hymn "Be Thou My Vision" in the bucolic outdoors of Southern Florida. Cherish it in your heart; treasure it for your children.

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    May 09, 2006

    Melody & Code

    Code is data. Melody is rhythm.
    Puzzlement is progress ;)

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    February 23, 2006

    The Secret...

    ...is to listen to the new Strokes record in reverse order. Much better.

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    February 09, 2006

    Track 3

    I have a theory about records.

    The determinative moment of a given record is Track 3. Inhale this track, and you will gain a gestalt knowledge of the entire album.

    Track 3 makes you ill? "Put down the disc, son, and back away slowly from the crate!"

    Track 3 speaks to your head? Cop two, no six, no twelve, baker's dozen!

    That's my music heuristic for the day. Merry ipodding.

    Posted by Noel at 05:38 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

    February 03, 2006

    T.J.I.F.

    When I was in college, Luther and I would play Pink Floyd every Friday afternoon at 4, to welcome everyone back from the week-day educational brick-building life into the revolutionary weekend. We called it Floyd at Four. Teacher leave us kids alone, etc.

    In the same spirit, Freshbread presents Thank Jah It's Friday, with a roots lesson and fresh mp3s each Friday. Go chant down Babylon.

    In case Mr. Bready falls through today, there's a Matisyahu soundboard bootleg (with a freestyle from Pigeon John) from last month to tide you through...

    Posted by Noel at 05:33 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

    November 17, 2005

    My Musical Fate Rests In Your Hands [Updated]

    As always, I'm jonesin' for a hit from my dealer, the iTunes music store. A musical smorgasbord awaits me. But so many choices! To you, dear reader, I hand the keys to my credibility (hipster, indie, street, et al), popularity, enjoyment, and edification.

    Make a vote on what I should buy this month. In return, I promise to bend to your will like a reed in the wind. Additionally, I will post a review of said album in my best faux-Blender style. Thrilling prospect, I know. I'll tone things down here in the future. But bask in the moment and consider the possibilities:

    My musical fate rests in your hands. Are you not entertained?!

    [Update: Elissa and John reminded me of a few more. Thanks for making this more difficult, guys.]:

    Posted by Noel at 10:23 PM | Comments (11) | TrackBack

    November 03, 2005

    A Modest Proposal to the Librarian of Congress

    Submission Information


    Proposed class or classes of copyrighted work(s) to be exempted:

    Motion Pictures, Software, Audio Recordings, and Digital Text.

    Brief summary of the argument(s) in support of the exemption proposed above:

    These classes of works (Motion Pictures, Software, Audio Recordings, and Digital Text) have traditionally been granted copyrights for the purpose of encouraging the public dissemination of the works for the benefit and use of the public by providing a property incentive to the originator for a short period of time. The DMCA ignores this traditional cause of granting a copyright, and moreover establishes crippling restrictions on the aforementioned "benefit and use of the public". As such, the DMCA's use should be restricted to the text of the DMCA itself, with the consequence being that any private party which attempts to discern the workings of the DCMA with the intent to apply it in any broader fashion outside of the text of the Act itself would be committing a punishable, criminal action under the DMCA.

    Just an idea ;)
    I am awaiting a response from the LoC.
    Found via Slashdot.

    Thank you!

    The following information was submitted to the U.S. Copyright Office at 17:35 on 11/3/05. Please print this page for your records.

    [I have read the notice of inquiry and acknowledge that my attached submission will be posted on the Copyright Office website.]: Acknowledged

    [Name]: Noel Weichbrodt

    [Title]: Application Developer

    [Organization]:

    [Street Address]: The Volunteer Building

    [Address Line 2]:

    [City]: Chattanooga

    [State]: TN

    [ZIP]: 37402

    [Phone]: 4237858262

    [Fax]:

    [Submitter's email]: nweichbrodt millermartin com

    [Proposed class or classes of copyrighted work(s) to be exempted]: Motion Pictures, Software, Audio Recordings, and Digital Text.

    [Brief summary of the argument(s) in support of the exemption proposed above]: These classes of works (Motion Pictures, Software, Audio Recordings, and Digital Text) have traditionally been granted copyrights for the purpose of encouraging the public dissemination of the works for the benefit and use of the public by providing a property incentive to the originator for a short period of time. The DMCA ignores this traditional cause of granting a copyright, and moreover establishes crippling restrictions on the aforementioned "benefit and use of the public". As such, the DMCA's use should be restricted to the text of the DMCA itself, with the consequence being that any private party which attempts to discern the workings of the DCMA with the intent to apply it in any broader fashion outside of the text of the Act itself would be committing a punishable, criminal action under the DMCA.

    [Attached file]: ExceptionProposal.doc

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    October 11, 2005

    Love Press Ex-Curio by Charlie Peacock (ur)

    Posted by Noel at 11:09 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

    Demon Days by Gorillaz (***.*)

    Posted by Noel at 09:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

    September 08, 2005

    Cowboy Bebob: The Box Set by The Seatbelts (***.*)

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    August 23, 2005

    "That's when jazz lost its best friend."

    "The trouble started when the first guitar player plugged in to the amplifier and played the blues really loud and rock n roll was created. That's when jazz lost its best friend. Jazz was like, 'Okay, who do I relate to? What popular music do I draw from?' When rock n roll happened, all of a sudden there were no cord changes, and melody took a back seat to rhythm. The jazz player said, 'Where are the chord changes, what's going to spur on my improvisation?'"

    --Marcus Miller, Open Source Radio, July 25, 2005, "Miles: Early, Late, Real, Yours"

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    August 17, 2005

    "Good Sons" and Rational Words

    Forsooth, can somebody put some lyrics to Starflyer 59's new album on the web? The album's been on Pitchfork, on sale since April, and the mp3 of the insanely catchy single "Good Sons" has been floating around the web before then. So why oh why can I not, in a desperate last-ditch effort to remove aforementioned single from my brain to make room for other, worthy ditties, find and read the lyrics anywhere? Jason Martin has cast a spell 'pon my mind with Talking Voice vs Singing Voice. I find that the most fiendish of such spells are best dealt with by reading lyrics. Inevitably, the written word's concreteness and rationality counteracts the magic of music, releasing me from its spell.

    Fine. I've transcribed the stupid thing, and added it to the Kiwilyrics wiki. Now get out of our galaxy, both of you.

    Posted by Noel at 05:37 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

    August 05, 2005

    Rockin' The Air B-3 Organ

    Many of you don't know that. Some do. If so, please keep silent (I’m talking to you, attendees of my bachelor party), at least until I am ready to publicly prove my air instrument prowess is at the level attained by this dude. That won't stop me from privately shredding to some sweet solos by the Pixies and the Prayer Chain. Someday, someday...

    Do read that last article, by the way.

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    August 02, 2005

    Cars & Music: Because That's What My Kind of Hipster Consumes

    For some odd reason, I decided that if three stacks of benjamin’s came into my possession, and I was absolved from my normal stewarding obligations with it, I would purchase the following from auctions on eBay: a Fiat 124 Spider, and a Technics SL1200MK2.

    Posted by Noel at 05:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

    July 27, 2005

    Code Fu Jams, or, What Gets Me Through These Days & Nights, in Gerund Form...

    ...becoming eclectic...

    ...flowing with ll337 skill...

    ...Laughing/Grinning/Appreciating/Unsettling...

    ...Going back to the Chicken Shack...

    ...Just a few of my favorite things.

    Posted by Noel at 05:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

    June 15, 2005

    How The NBA Got Its Soul Back

    IMHO, last year's finals were the best thing that's happened to the NBA since Jordan left the Bulls. Commish David Stern's pseudo-gangsta hype built LA as the next Chicago, Shaq and Kobe as Jordan and Scotty except awesome-er.

    I always thought of it as the difference between 50 Cent and The Roots. 50 may sell the knockoff jerseys and get the TV ratings for a season, but it's the Roots that have held it down for a decade, doing their thing. Same deal in LA versus Detroit. Detroit plays classic ball, "do it the right way" as their Larry Brown mantra. It's ugly sometimes, but so is ?uestlove's hair sometimes too. Doesn't mean he isn't the best there is. Just that he doesn't get on MTV much.

    So when Detroit took LA 4-1 as the pretty boys from Tinseltown ego-imploded, there was balance restored to the Force. The tipping point was reached. Who represents true hip-hop: 50's Kevlar vest, or Blackthought's mike? And we know who would win in a battle, in both cases. But it doesn't come to that. Detroit is a team. LA was, depending on the count, one to four inclusive egos resembling blimps that buzzed around the court, the press room, the court room, and the red carpet. The team, the crew, the sound, the fury, the spirit. Where's the room for pop culture in that? It's drama and respect. Ben Wallace's hair won't ever appear in the Most Beautiful People list. He plays basketball, and that well; not much else.

    It's still cool by me to have celebrity and such involved with the NBA. Spike Lee and his Knicks. LeBron. But remember who's in the Finals this year: Detroit and San Antonio. That's fly-over country, baby. Represent. USA, Argentina, Frace, they're all there. It's the melting pot, not the superstar sushi roll. And so Eva Longoria can get all desperate for the Spurs in the stands, and Stevie Wonder can bob his head to the rhythm of Billups bouncing down court. We all know that Robert Horry is hot. But now we're about playing basketball the right way. 37-36 at half means that the teams pay for each hoop with a pound of sweat and a bucket of flash. The NBA has its soul back, and screw the ratings, I'm happy for it. Everybody is a star.

    Posted by Noel at 05:35 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

    May 12, 2005

    We Both Go Down Together (to Nashville)

    Elissa (heretofore known as "the Wife") and I are traveling to Nashville this Friday to catch The Decemberists at a show. We're looking forward to making whale-swallowing noises. You should buy tickets and join us.

    Posted by Noel at 08:31 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

    April 25, 2005

    Tweedy Bird's Listener-Response Theorizing

    I'm so pleased with that title, I won't say any more.

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