The swinger

Wow, all of our enthusiasm about this blog died quickly. I found something that should entertain y'all for at least 5 minutes: the swinger. It's some python code that can take any song and transform it into a swing beat. I like the swing version of sweet child o' mine. I assume it transforms the first quarter note of a measure to a dotted quarter note and the next quarter node to an eighth note and so on repeating.

I also saw some live music for the first time in a while last night. Nina Nastasia played a nice little show in Reading. She has done a lot of recording work with Steve Albini. She also did a pretty cool album with the drummer from Dirty Three. I didn't think I'd like it, but she was very good live and an excellent guitar player.

Penny is going to be 3 soon. Hard to believe. Guess we should start looking into boarding schools. I hope all of the other Tonguesters are doing well, guys.

A Night at the Opera

Since we are posting viral video content now, I thought you guys (or your daughters) would enjoy this devil in rock n' roll.

I recently bought the re-mastered album on 180 gram vinyl and whether you like Queen or not, the production quality is incredible. "I'm in Love with My Car" has long been among my favorite mindless 70s rock anthems.

I wish I was in a band right now.

Probably a sentiment shared by all of us, unless Joe is actually in a band right now, in which case... never mind, Joe. I just wanted to make sure you saw this commercial for, um, blackberry brand telephones that perfectly captures the feeling of being in a band. I especially endorse the depiction of looks exchanged by the players (0:15 - 0:20) when they know they've got the hook down. It's almost like they were in the practice space filming us when we wrote "icarus airlines" and "the monitor and the merrimac!"

Reading O Reading

Ok, Reading may not be the most exciting of places. It's no Las Vegas and it has no twin city and the wind is more annoying than notable. But, it does have a nice little pop band (I keep thinking poop band after Steve's post) that is doing quite well in the UK and just did CMJ in the States.

Pete and the Pirates play catchy little 2 minute pop songs so don't expect them to blow your mind. They're fun and their melodies are pretty original. If anything, your kids might like them. Penny loves dancing to them, but she also likes dancing to Old MacDonald, so maybe that's not the best endorsement. I promise they're not as repetitive as most children's songs.

They have a bunch of cheap videos you can check out on YouTube too.

Twin Cities Scene

I cannot even pretend to keep up with the local scene. I cannot even keep up with the three posts on this page. There is so much going on and I am completely removed from it in both time and space.

Our local radio station The Current (www.mpr.org) can be streamed and is excellent. They don't play too much Griptongue but for lighter fare it is very satisfying.

Among the excellent Twin Cities acts that should be gaining wider attention is P.O.S. (http://www.myspace.com/pos) He has roots in punk/rock but is among the most talented rappers I've heard (i.e. not that many); his rhyme chops are superb.

I bought the Audition album which has 3-4 really good tracks. The single Savion Glover off the newer release Never Better references Bed for the Scraping off our mutual favorite Red Medicine.

Mountain (of poop) Song

What: parody song to be sung while changing a massive poo diaper (aka, the Poopernova).

How:

1. Think: Jane's Addiction's "Mountain Song." Think of the bass line. Hum the bass line as follows: "Doo-doo-doo-doo Doo-doo-doo-doo Doo-doo in your pants." Repeat 3x. If you can, have the wife sing the doo-doos part.*

2. Sing: "I was poopin' out a mountain!! / doo-doo, doo-doo, etc. / One of [your name here]'s children!! / Everybody has their own poop-in-'em, everybody has their own poop-in-'em!! / Holdin' it back hurts so baaaad / jumpin' out of my diaper I say ewwwww!!!!"

* - Most wives won't do this. They will, however, appreciate you changing a Poopernova.

Why: It's better to laugh at the poo than have the poo laugh at you.

n.b. Feel free to follow up, after changing, with "Clean-butted", sung to the tune of "Hot blooded."

future of the left

mclusky was a good band. They had a good attitude. I think the carry-on-with-the-leftovers future of the left could be stocked on the same shelf and no one would complain or be confused. I can rock out to "Arming Eritrea" while smiling and sneering; it's rock-sarcasm, and I like sarcasm. listen to the song (you've probably already listened to this band,):

http://www.myspace.com/futureoftheleft

It's good, right? "C'mon rick!" is funny. But the song lives by that verse riff, and the verse riff has a problem:

It's a Helmet song. From 1992.