Gone Fishin'

This blog and me need a change. Stay Tuned...

Suits go Indie

What’s up with the recent surge of mainstream media outlets attempting to tap into the (not-so) Indie rock scene already (overly) covered by such websites as Pitchfork and Stereogum? A couple months ago, Pitchfork announced that it would start being featured on a weekly ABC webcast called “New Music Mondays” where uber-creepy hipster and Pitchfork founder; Ryan Schreiber, along side some of his colleagues, would give their picks for the best up and coming bands.

Then Brian Williams, who admittedly seems less stiff than the rest of mainstream news anchors, has launched what is called “BriTunes” where he covers new, up and coming bands. So far, he has interviewed Brooklyn rockers Deer Tick and given a shout-out to Doves and Camera Obscura. As the website states:

I have always loved identifying good music and good groups -- discovering them early (bar bands are best) and following them through their journey. While we'll interview some established musicians, mostly I'd like this to be a place where people can sample some of the great music being created every day, by talented musicians who wouldn't dream of doing anything else.

Bar Bands? Sure, Brian.

BriTunes is not to be confused with "Fein" Tunes which is a similar project by Senator Russ Feingold who recently gave his monthly music pick to Wilco.


While Feingold seems to be shamelessly modeling Obama and reaching out in an attempt to atteact younger voters, NBC and Brian Williams seem to be just wasting their time. Is this there way of reaching out to a new, younger twenty-something generation in hopes of attracting more viewers? If so, the gimmick probably won’t work. It seems self-evident that the twenties-something crowd is already firmly planted in receiving a majority of their information and music via the Internet. The same could probably be said for those who are entering or already in their early thirties. Really, who cares what kind of music Brian Williams likes?

However, this can also be seen as a marking point where an entire redefinition of what "Indie” music means has fully been realized. This of course coincides with the increasing coverage of such festivals as Austin’s South by Southwest and New York’s CMJ Music and Film Marathon and increasing respect and deference to the previously mentioned music sites. What is the difference between independent music and the mainstream, anymore? Bands like Camera Obscura may not be getting radio play or be up for a Grammy, but when Brian Williams is featuring you on a national television show that certainly can not be considered as being an unknown, underground band. A redefinition is in order.


Camera Obscura

President Obama's Flickr

Did the last presidential administration have a Flickr account? Perhaps, but did anyone know about it? In the very short time that the Obama administration has been in office, one of the most evident “changes” so far is their openness with the general public and the media. The level of secrecy that the previous administration kept not just on a political level but personal as well seems to not have carried over so much with Obama and company. However, as politics go, it would be naïve to think that this administration isn’t without their secrets and keeping tight-lipped about a number of issues. However, at least we get a photo stream into the candid life of a president.

Check out The Official White House Photostream HERE.

Alzheimer's in France

Creative advertising for Alzheimer’s Association of France by Saatchi and Saatchi:

“In France, one million people can’t get hold of their memories.”

Ad campaigns like this really blur the lines between art and commercialism effectively. These ads are particularly interesting though because the context holds them to greater restrictions than say the latest Toyota Prius campaign.


Thanks to “I Love Advertisement” for this and recognizing other imaginatively artistic ads.

Smokin Joe Frazier

Joe Frazier on long-time rival Muhammed Ali in the May 2009 Details:


Q: Where would you be right now if Muhammed Ali hadn't been stripped of his title in 1967?

A: Joe Frazier's life didn't start with Ali. I was a Golden Gloves champ. Gold medal in Toyko '64. Heavyweight champion of the world long before I fought Ali in the Garden. And I went down to D.C. to help Ali get his license back, man. President Nixon invited me up for tea: "Joe, if I do that, can you take him?" he said. I said, "You dust him off, I'll beat him up." Nixon kept his word. So did I.

Q: So why did he come down to your gym and challenge you to a fight in a park?

A:He's just a noisemaker, an empty wagon going down a road: bumpity-bumpity bump. 'Joe's got my title. Joe's a tom. Joe the white-man fighter!' Hes a pretty boy from Louisville. Light-bright and damn near white. I'm a sharecroppers son from Beaufort, South Carolina. Bumpity-bump.

[...]

Q: Ali took from you too. Do you respect him?

A: Hell, yeah. And I feel sorry for him now, but I did what the Lord told me to do. Him going around all "I am The. I am The Greatest. I am The Prettiest. I am The Butterfly." Well, you can't be The—Thee is the Lord. Ali even told me in the ring, "You can't beat me—I'm your Lord." I just told him, "Lord, you're in the wrong place tonight."

Q: What wisdom did you take from the ring?

A: Stick with the plan. That's you and the trainer. And train every day to make the plan come true. Stay close and when he misfires, Boom. [Imitating Howard Cosell] "Muhammad is down, Muhammad is down." See, the thing no one knew, 'cause I'd never get a license, was I've been pretty much blind in my left eye since '64. Had an accident with an old speed bag and pieces of metal flew into my eye. When my right eye swelled up in Manila, 14th round, and it looked like Ali's beating Joe Frazier up? I was a blind man. That's why Eddie Futch wouldn't let me come out in the 15th.

Q: That was the third fight. He beat you twice.

A: Who?

Q: Ali.

A: He never beat me.

Q: That's not what the history books say.

A: History books? Go back far enough, the earth's flat. That's what them books say.


Read the rest of the interview with the smack-talking Smokin' Joe
online.