Music – The Wired Jester

Once there was a way to get back home

This is just lovely; The Beatles Abbey Road medley, vocals only.

My favourite records of 2011

Though of course, my favourite records aren’t records. They’re bits, 1s and 0s. They’re not even being read from my hard disk – they’re on a NAS box downstairs, so they float to my laptop through the air, weightless as a shadow. Funny then, that my favourite record of last year is the one withContinue reading “My favourite records of 2011”

There is good in everything

All you need to do is slow it down, as this Justin Bieber track, running 800% slower than it should do, shows: Related, the way the Inception soundtrack works: What to call these? Audio timelapses?

New music for May

Three albums I have added to the wishlist, all of which will be out soon: The Hold Steady, Heaven is Whenever – out May 3rd, you can stream it all from The Guardian. The National, High Violet – out May 11th, you can download the song Bloodbuzz Ohio from their site. Band of Horses, InfiniteContinue reading “New music for May”

I Heard It Through The Grapevine, a capella

When the music moves you, you can see it, and you can definitely see it here. Quiet for the first 20 seconds, absolutely burning by 0:50. Previous a capella 60s pop: The Beach Boys

Desert Island Discs podcast

Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs is now available as a podcast1. The show is shorter than the radio version as it only includes samples of the chosen songs. Still, it’s often the case that the interview is as interesting as the music so this isn’t too much of a hardship. In fact, in the caseContinue reading “Desert Island Discs podcast”

Added to the wishlist: The Cello Suites

[Book] Via the indomitable Tyler Cowen’s short but sweet Books of the Year post: “A very good gift book is Eric Siblin’s new The Cello Suites: J.S. Bach, Pablo Casals, and the Search for a Baroque Masterpiece. It signals the sophistication of both the giver and receiver and yet it is short and entertaining enoughContinue reading “Added to the wishlist: The Cello Suites”

The Rolling Stones and The Brussels Affair

The Rolling Stones have released several live albums, and the recording from their peak period, 1970’s Get Yer Ya-Yas Out!, has recently undergone a deluxe re-release. In the original review for Rolling Stone, Lester Bangs said that “I have no doubt that it’s the best rock concert ever put on record.” He might have beenContinue reading “The Rolling Stones and The Brussels Affair”

Pet Sounds, a capella

It’s a beautiful sunny morning in London, so this seems like just the right thing to listen to: Pet Sounds, a capella. Despite the fact that it’s a YouTube link, sound quality is terrific. This is probably the first time I’ve really understood just how spine-tingling what music writers refer to as a singer’s ‘phrasing’ canContinue reading “Pet Sounds, a capella”

Virtual reality, then and now

In the 1980s and 1990s, the term ‘virtual reality’ was understood to mean the creation of reality inside the computer – and thus we would need to experience it using complex imaging and interaction systems (3D googles, cursors mapped to the movement of a glove etc.) The implication behind this was the reality itself wouldContinue reading “Virtual reality, then and now”