Miscellaneous music-related things

First of all, I've installed the latest version of the PLT Scheme web server, which handles timeouts more gracefully (proportional to the file size, rather than using a global constant). So if you've had trouble downloading mp3s from me before, try again, and let me know if you're still having trouble.

I finally spent the Newbury Comics gift certificate that my brother gave me a couple Christmases ago, at the store that's practically right across the street from work. They have a pretty decent used CD section, and I picked up three for under $10 each:

• The Hives, Tyrannosaurus Hives: stylish and energetic Swedish garage-punk; you might have seen them on the MTV VMAs a couple years ago
• A.C. Newman, The Slow Wonder: singer and guitarist for The New Pornographers, Zumpano, Superconductor
• Orthrelm, Asristir Veildrioxe: hyperactive noisy instrumental guitar/drums duo from Washington, D.C.

I haven't actually listened to the first two yet, but the Orthrelm is kind of ridiculous: 99 tracks, total time 12:47. Most of the tracks are under ten seconds. It's basically just one piece with 98 rests—actually 97, because the final track (a 27-second epic) sounds like it came from a different recording session (maybe it's a bonus track).

Back in May, I saw a rockumentary double feature: Dig and The Fearless Freaks. Dig is ostensibly the tale of the relationship between two bands, the Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Dandy Warhols, but it's basically The Anton Newcombe Story As Narrated By Courtney Taylor-Taylor. ( Read more... )

The Fearless Freaks, on the other hand, is a more straightforward history of The Flaming Lips, following the standard "Behind the Music" narrative: ( Read more... )

Music stuff on TV recently: ( Read more... )

And finally, the recent Supreme Court decision on MGM v. Grokster namechecks Modest Mouse and Wilco. You know you've really made it when...