songs in B Flat major

screenshot of the In B Flat website

My accomplice recently brought BlipFM to my attention, which basically allows a user to construct their own radio station by creating playlists from songs hosted on YouTube. This same seamless use of YouTube files was also found in the original iteration of the much-loved, much-missed Muxtape site, which ended up changing its focus (to strictly band-submitted files) to avoid being scuttled upon the rocks of copyright infringement.

This creative use of YouTube is now being pushed a little further by musicians creating collage pieces (witness the very cool content created by Kutiman, whose "Mother of All Funk Chords" went viral this year), or those musicians who are putting the songwriting largely in the hands of the user.

On that front, I recently stumbled upon a project by Darren Solomon, called In B Flat, which allows users to create their own collage-based musical piece from a set of 20 videos hosted on YouTube. The project reminds me a little of the Buddha Machine, which also allows users to create a seemingly endless variety of pieces from a simple subset of loops, however, In B Flat offers far more textural variety for the user simply because there are more options to choose from.

These recent, user-and-accident-generated projects touch on the same ideas that Brian Eno put forward in his Generative Music discussions, where simple musical motifs are developed over time to create multi-layered, endlessly shifting tonal landscapes.

However, beyond such smarty-pants hoo-haw, In B Flat offers something interesting, fun and genuinely moving for a layman with one functioning finger. I recommend you check it out and play with the start / stop times of each video. Also, I find that if you trigger enough pieces to cause cut-outs in your internet connection, you can create another unique layer to your pieces.

Good fun!

what do geniuses talk about? well, let's just see...

Beck Hansen, otherwise known as "Beck", or, "that guy we're going to beat up after football practice," has added a new feature to his website. Called Irrelevant Topics, it features Beck interviewing writers, musicians and other artisteratti, about whatever pops into his tiny, scruffy head.

The first in this series is a fittingly rambling interview with Tom Waits. Topics discussed include: Los Angeles, wieners, spontaneous lightning strikes, awkwardness, best-of lists, Van Gogh, gold panning, Sinatra, and modesty.

If you've ever seen any other interviews with Tom Waits, you'll know that he's notorious for not answering questions and for fabricating information for the fun of it. This interview with Beck, then, as unlikely as it may seem, is probably the most sincere interview Waits has ever done.

Check it out, and see if you can spot the differences between musical geniuses and (the likes of) you and I.

HINT: Geniuses have the personal phone numbers of guys like Beck and Tom Waits.

buy elliott smith's car, drive very, very sadly

According to a notably sarcastically-ironic / ironically sarcastic source, Elliott Smith's car is on sale via Craigslist in Austin, Texas.

The influential singer-songwriter, who committed suicide in 2003, had a troubled career full of depression, chemical imbalance and drug dependency. However, his stellar work cut across the musical landscape, bringing accolades from fans and critics and allowing him to maintain some level of indie-cred (which I strongly doubt he cared about) while also recording soundtracks and scores for feature films - most notably Good Will Hunting.

The car, a 1999 VW Passat, is being put up for sale by Smith's sister, with all proceeds going to the SIMS foundation.

If you have a spare $4000 and an interest in musical history, you can contact the seller here.

Of Note: I saw Smith play a couple of times, and am an enormous fan of his work. If I had the extra money - or ANY desire to own a car again - I think it would be worth the roadtrip to buy this Passat. Having said that, if any reader is considering going down to Austin ... get in touch. I could be up for some journalism from the field.

reviewing september 2007 through june 2009

I am happy to report that absolutely nothing happened between September 2007 (when I last posted to Urban Camouflage) and now, June 2009. Hence my silence here.

Perhaps you thought that, like every other music information site, I had begun organizing giant festival concerts rather than writing about music?

The reality is that I landed a full-time gig as Lead Editor at a animation start-up. The harsher reality is that the Global Economic Apocalypse (TM) took that job away after about 2 years. While the gig lasted it consumed a lot of my energy and therefore, there was a long silence here on Urban Camouflage.

During this stretch I kept watching the traffic on Urban Camo and am pleased that the blog has maintained an audience even without regular posts. I guess the blog has been a resource for all those millions of people looking for info about hip hop action figures, obscure musical devices, oblique pastiche rock, and sub-sub-sub-genre music documentaries.

Either way, this post is to say that I will once again be posting to Urban Camouflage, simply talking about musical developments that catch my eye as a writer, musician and consumer of music.

However, I thought I'd also say that you can check out my content in a couple of other places as well. In case you have any interests beyond music.

For the last year I've maintained a blog about the Boston Bruins called Black, White and Gold. I've been a fan of the Bruins since I was about 8 years old, and finally began writing about the club this year. As an adult, I have been part of a community that combines hockey and the arts for a long time now, and while I realize that it may seem like a strange fit for most Urban Camo readers, I recommend you just give Black, White and Gold a try. Maybe you'll learn something...even if that something is just that I'm a jock dork (you would be half-right).

You can also check out my larger-scope content on the Fauna Corporation website, which is where I will be posting my more "legit" multimedia journalism pieces, as well as my thoughts on multimedia pieces by other journalists (and a few references to posts here and on BW&G). I hope you stop by to check it out. As of this writing it is still a work in progress, but progress (especially these days) is really under-rated.

And finally, I want to apologize to those of you who wondered where the eff I had effed off to. The reality of a writer's life is that there is only so many hours in the day and energy in the tank, regardless of how much interest there may be in various topics. I hope you stick around, and check out all three sites.

Thanks for your continued interest in Urban Camouflage, Black, White and Gold, and the rest of my content production through the Fauna Corporation.

The Graveyard in Matrix Sent To Graveyard

My tenure with Matrix Magazine has ended after three or more years. I was orginally brought on board to manage their album reviews section, and then about a year and a half ago, I was offered a column, which we called The Graveyard.

The Graveyard ran at about 1,000 words a pop, and I usually tried to avoid carrying them on Urban Camouflage, simply because most people don't want to read 1,000 words on their computer screen. I blame computers.

However, a couple of people recently asked about a couple of the columns, so I thought I'd carry a post that linked to all of them. So here are the collected Graveyard columns, for you to enjoy:

Graveyard - May 2006: This is the first column, and talks about the Exclaim Cup hockey tournament, indie rock and (at the time) new releases by Destroyer and Raising the Fawn.

Graveyard - September 2006: This column featured reviews of 5ive independent, Canadian albums, as my own version of the Polaris Prize (note: I did not give away $20,000).

Graveyard - January 2007: This edition of The Graveyard looked at Eno's idea of ambient music, and I related it to two glitch-hop inspired artists, EdIT and Murcof.

Graveyard - May 2007: When I wrote this column, I had spent a looooong time watching music documentaries, so I decided to write a top 5ive of ones I had recently seen. Obviously not an exhaustive list, but a fair assessment of some of the better music docs out there.

Graveyard - August 2007: Another "film" related column, this last edition of The Graveyard looked at three independent Canadian albums that took a 'cinematic' approach to songwriting.

To anyone out there who has read The Graveyard columns, or told me that they had enjoyed reading one - I just wanted to say thank you. I enjoyed writing The Graveyard, and I hope this small collection of columns, above, offers you something to read and enjoy.

I will not see you next time in the Graveyard. But I do appreciate you stopping by.

Gazette Piece on Alternative Spaces

Just a quick note to say that the piece I wrote on Montreal's alternative performance spaces (for the Gazette) was published today. It is available in print around the city (hurry! hurry!), or on the Gazette website for a week (requiring free registration after that).

However, I decided to also throw the full article up online, so if you are interested in reading it, please follow the link. I had a good time writing this and think it could warrant a much longer, more exhaustive piece at some point in the future. A future where I am not as busy and sleepy.

Let me know your thoughts on this article. I realize that there are all sorts of performance spaces that I didn't even mention (both legal and not), but must stress again how word-count became a factor in the overall presentation of the piece. The key was to keep the piece tight and focused.

I should also say again how working with the Gazette editors has been a professional and clean experience, as it continues to be notable. Also, the fact that my girlfriend is a genius and makes me look much smarter than I actually am.

Enjoy the article.

Urban Camo Update - Work & Upcoming Writing

My devoted roster of long-time readers will probably notice that there's been a bit of a gap since my last post here on Urban Camouflage. My deepest apologies - I'll send reimbursement cheques to you all soon.

The update is that I've just started a new job at a software company, and I'm very iBusy learning the e-ropes.

However, I am working away on another piece for the Gazette on some of Montreal's alternative performance spaces - a few of the abandoned or repurposed buildings around the city now being used for creative output. This little honey should be out in print in the first week of August, and I'll have it online shortly thereafter.

Also, a few people over the last few days have mentioned that the link to the last Gazette piece I wrote (on Montreal's emerging dubstep scene) requires registration on the Gazette site, so I decided to post the whole piece here.

I hope you are able to read it and enjoy it. Leave a comment if you are feeling so inclined.

Montreal Dubstep Coverage in the Gazette

Over the last several weeks I've been spending time checking out Montreal's Dubstep scene. I've been going to DJ nights and Mutek performances, doing interviews with promoters and musicians and generally just researching what is going on here with this dark and spare electronic music.

The piece I wrote about the scene ran in today's anglo newspaper, the Gazette, in their Arts & Life section. The piece can be read online, or it can be glaumed in paper form from the nearest Dep whilst picking up some Red Stripe.

On the whole, it was a great experience, and I must say that working with the Gazette was very pleasant and simple: I got clear direction, and their editors made suggestions that made sense. Now that the piece is written I feel like I can attend some of these events without being a journalist, necessarily, and just sink into the syruppy thickness of bass-driven tracks. Also, drink more.

Good times.

Ongoing Suoni Per Il Popolo Coverage

Another quick post to alert readers to the Suoni Per Il Popolo coverage that Midnight Poutine writers are providing right now. I just posted a review of the Sunburned Hand of the Man show last night at Sala Rossa, and thought it ruled with a straw-filled fist.

I'll be checking out the Sea & Cake show tonight (posting about it tomorrow), and some other weirdness a little later in June, but there should be daily coverage of the Suoni festival on Midnight Poutine for the next several weeks, if you want to know what's going on. Worth checking out.

Mutek 2007 Coverage - Dubstep

Just a fast post to say that Mutek is going on right now, and I've been checking out some of the goods. Last night's Dubstep night was heavy and impressive, featuring great sets by Sam Shackleton, Kode 9 & Spaceape, and Rhythm & Sound. I reviewed it on Midnight Poutine, so if you want to check it out, do so.

Standing around at the SAT last night I was reminded that a great thing about Mutek is the number of dudes who look like me - sporting a sort of a non-intentional Moby look (skinny white guy, short-shaved hair, glasses). Everywhere I looked, there was another near-doppelganger dancing the night away, and it occurred to me: I should round up a team of these guys for some bank heists. Nobody would be able to describe the robbers beyond generalities. If I fail to make my zillions as a freelance writer, watch out!

Midnight Poutine Podcast Guestspot

Montreal has officially entered into syrupy heat, as full summer descends on us like a hot, moist blanket. The city (famously) uses this opportunity to expose its skin, and in recognition of that, a brief note to say that I'm part of this week's Midnight Poutine podcast, where we discuss local shows, upcoming events, and the wearing of shorts and flip flops.

This is the 43rd edition of the Midnight Poutine podcast, and I'm pleased to be a part of its charming dorkdom, ably moderated by Jeremy Morris and John MacFarlane. You can have a listen here, and the podcast will give you a chance to hear everything from bluegrass and folkrock to experimental noise, synthpop and alt-riff-rock, all from bands playing in Montreal in the coming days. Remember to leave a comment if you listen in.

Enjoy the weirds! Don't forget the socks under the sandals. So cool, even today.

Tarwater - Spider Smile

Tarwater
Spider Smile
Morr, 2007

Years ago, during a brief "bulking up" period, I regularly went to the gym to work out. I would trundle down to the YMCA and set up on a cross-training machine, which is essentially a Stairmaster-type of device that also works your arms (hence, "cross-training"). I'd put on the discman, punch in my weight, height and age, and try to get my heart-rate up to 180 bpm for 20-30 minutes. Getting the heart-rate up was never a problem, not dying in the process sometimes was.

Even though I was in a major city and living in a scenester part of town, I was surprised that I was the only indierock type of guy in the gym. All around me were brawny, waxy guys in spindly tank tops on weight benches, and packs of women with nine-pack abs looking at each other with pure hate across the constantly occupied running machines. I am certain I was the only person in the gym listening to the type of music that could really only strengthen your chin-scratching muscles.

Case in point, my favourite "workout" album at the time was Tarwater's Silur. Following the now-familiar Tarwater formula of strangely translated English vocals, sing-spoken over fractured digital percussion and half-realized guitar lines, the album was one of the few that could engage me enough to distract me from the burning in my lungs, legs, and tingling in most of my left side. While cross-training my flab away I wanted to announce aloud with the singer:

"I like,
To yell,
When it's snowing."

Now back with their tenth release (2nd full-length album on the formidable Morr Music label), Tarwater present Spider Smile - probably their strongest release since 2000's Animals, Suns & Atoms. Given how popular the electronic-indierock hybrid has become, either in bands such as Postal Service and Rogue Wave, or in European post-rock such as the Notwist, Lali Puna or Ms John Soda, I am always surprised by how little attention Tarwater receive. The German duo is more known for one member's involvement in To Roccoco Rot than their own output, particularly here in North America, despite Tarwater's consistency and unique voice.

Spider Smile is a specifically post-9/11 album, capturing some of the anxiety and resignation that society now feels, and setting these themes against hooky but damaged synth lines. The songs are propelled forward by snapping cuts and clicks, and everything is held together by sparse arrangements, an austere aesthetic and the usually forgotten sounds from guitar and bass (for instance, the streaking sound between notes, knocking on an instrument's body, or electrical hum all sometimes feature more prominently than traditionally played notes). Spider Smile is infectious and another engaging release from one of Europe's most consistent and consistently overlooked post-rock bands.

Spider Smile is available via the Morr Music website.

Leafcutter John - The Forest and the Sea

Leafcutter John
The Forest and the Sea
Staubgold, 2007

Regular readers of my music writing will know of my love for the micro-genre, where already obscure music differentiates itself from its roots by an emphasis on singular elements or unique combinations of sound. I always think of mid-90s electronic music as the zenith of this, where albums and songs themselves were parsed out as "genres" unto themselves. Dizzying and ridiculous, this technique has the advantage of consistently allowing artists to reinvent themselves and avoid being typecast as creators of a certain type of music.

To me, a micro-genre that deserves greater attention than it receives is "laptop folk". Essentially predicated on the idea that "folk music" is that beardy stuff from the 60s and 70s that you don't tell your friends you listen to, laptop folk takes the familiar, organic elements of folk, and squeezes them through the electronic recording and processing equipment that has changed modern recording. This type of music captures the zeitgeist in an interesting way, as so much of our lives are mediated by technology (even 24bit, digitally remastered folk classics). Why music such as Leafcutter John is considered laptop folk and not simply the modern version of folk music I have no idea. Maybe its all those militant folkies pulling the world's strings and hiding their weed from us. This machine kills fascists, indeed. Bastards!

Taking cues from Christian Fennesz's thick fuzz-scapes and influenced by glitchy electronic pioneers such as Pole and arguably Mouse on Mars, Leafcutter John have sculpted a very moving and sophisticated album. The Forest and the Sea hybrids delicate fingerstyle guitar and multipart vocal harmonies with unpredictable electronic experimentation, using cut-ups of traditional folk instruments (strings, accordians, what sounds like dulcimers) and found sound to create an all-enveloping universe. It usually feels odd to discuss emotional attachment to something so influenced by digital processing, but the technology in Leafcutter John is used so orginally, and remains so intrinsic to the atmosphere they create, that it is impossible to think of the laptop as anything except a traditional folk instrument in their hands. Blended with the acoustic instruments in trad folk, these electronic phrases and twists offer a Brechtian push-pull effect, and offer a texture that gives the music a staying power.

As an added incentive to allow yourself to be completely immersed in Leafcutter John's music, The Forest and the Sea is a concept album, loosely telling the story of a couple that falls asleep in the deepening forest night, only to awake on a clifftop surrounded by the sea. The album pulls you along with them, in a somnambulant haze. I cannot recommend this album enough, especially to those who like their experimental music to still occasionally veer back toward melody and structure, or to those who need more grit in the gears to really engage with acoustic instruments and folk music. Leafcutter John's The Forest and the Sea is available via something called iTunes.

Reactable - Possibly the Best Musical Instrument Ever

Like many musicians, when I finally made my peace with technology and its relationship to the music I was trying to make (initially with coal-fired 4-tracks, then 2-bit hardware and finally HAL-esque computers and tabletop devices), I became interested in exactly how far the technology could go. Many musicians and scholars have written about the liberating potential of music technology, and in many cases I agree with their positions. However, I've also seen enough "laptop shows" to recognize that sometimes the machine can trump the man, and become a screen that disguises a lack of originality or, at its worst, a lack of musicianship.

So you can understand my excitement and trepidation at seeing Reactable - an interactive tabletop that uses light and physical devices to generate synthesis and sound. Watch this video to see the action - it seems to be the kind of instrument that you could play by simply moving devices around until you found something pleasing (or not!), but unlike other music technology it seems that the more understanding you have with regard to synthesis and sound generation, the more interesting the work could be.

In an ever-accelerating world where the human-and-technology inter-relationship becomes more fluid, I actually welcome intruments such as the Reactable, as it is the first device I have seen that offers a truly intuitive hardware/software interface, and breaks the mold of what an instrument should look like.

On the down-side, you pretty much have to have your own museum or be a billionaire (or both) to own one.

Hip Hop Literacy Project

Over the last several weeks, I've been volunteering at the Atwater Library for something called the Hip Hop Literacy Project. This involves teaching groups of 10-to-13 year-olds how to construct beats in Fruity Loops, write raps to put over the beats, and then - like magic! - how to put the two together.

It's been a really fun and at times hilarious experience. Some of the kids are really good at beat construction, others have really clever rhymes and surprisingly skilled deliveries, and a few have both - which is inspiring and intimidating to see in an eleven year-old kid. You're never too young to have Mad Skillz, apparently.

Anyway, this coming Tuesday (May 1st), these kids (and others) will be doing a project-end performance at the library. If you are around, I recommend coming out to see what the youth of today are capable of. The performance starts at 6pm sharp, and if the dress rehearsal I witnessed is any indication, it will totally slay.

The Graveyard & New Matrix Magazine Website

Matrix Magazine - Issue 76 is on newstands now, featuring a clean new design throughout, and carrying several pieces in memoriam of Rob Allen.

My column for this issue was written while riding subways and walking across snowy fields in the dead of Montreal's winter, listening to the iPod. I recommend that you pick up a newsstand copy of Matrix, of course, but if you visit Matrix's solid, newly designed website you can read my column, The Graveyard, there.

I'm working on the new column now, and it's 17 degrees and sunny.

The Sally Fields Are Often Confused With Sally Field

I do a solo musical performances under various names. My longest-running alter-ego is The Sally Fields, which was originally named as a mashup of The Salvation Army and Magnetic Fields - another one-man band (at least, it was when The Sally Fields started).

I consistently get emails and letters from fans of Sally Field, the actress best know for The Flying Nun, now starring in some TV hoo-haw. These emails arrive in the inbox, and always blow me away because of their sincerity.

I thought I'd include a few here, for people to check out. Take note that when people email me / Sally Field, they include their full names, email addresses, home addresses, phone numbers and in one case fax number. I have blanked all that stuff out, but I thought it was worth noting to show how open these people are (to a perfect stranger, and as it turns out, not even the one they thought):

From "Robyn":
Hey Sally,
I think you are the greatest female actor in the world. I’m 37 year old mum with 2 girls, I love you & I’m so glad to see you back on TV. Your kids are so gorgeous, you should be proud, you know I just wanted to tell you, I admire you so much that you a great person you are gorgeous BE PROUD YOU ARE ONE IN A MILLION. GO GIRL
LUV ROBYN AUSTRALIA

From "William":
You are amazingly inspirational for us all. You are a true treasure in the fortunes of time. With the world in all its broken dreams and drudgery you are a beacon to show it is still a beautiful world. If I ever make it in the entertainment industry it will be a pleasure to meet you someday. If not this is just a chance to say Thank-you. 555-555-5555 2911 Blank Blank Harbor Florida 55555

From "Bill":
Dear Sally, I am an old 85 year old fan and I have never tried to contact a movie star before, but I just wanted you to know that you are the best. You put your heart and soul into your part. My wife, Mary and me never go to movies many more, she is deaf, but if on TV, in CC, we watch it. Mary and I have been married for over 61 years and are still in love. Our love to you, Bill and Mary.

Far be it from me to make fun of the sincerity and candour in these notes. I just wanted to post them, to give a bit of an inside view of what goes on at Sally / Urban Camouflage HQ. Between receiving these notes, writing hit songs, earning millions as a journalist, and my work as a part-time Air Traffic Controller, things are very busy for me here.

Exclaim Cup Round Up

Well, I'm back, beat up, and (of course) watching the NHL playoffs. Because this is a music blog, I'll resist writing a lot about the Exclaim Cup weekend and all the hockey that went on. I just thought I'd let you know I did a brief round up of the weekend on the Midnight Poutine blog, trying to show the Montreal connections.

On the musical side of things, I will probably never again be able to hear "Let Your Backbone Slide" without hearing it in bluegrass style. Thanks a LOT, Peterborough Pneumonia.

Exclaim Cup Hockey Tournament Weekend

Heading down to Toronto this weekend for the 9th annual Exclaim Cup hockey tournament. This is the annual tourney for musicians and general arty-types. I am pleased to say that this will be my eighth year playing, and seventh year with the Humiliation. It has gone from a fun, overly sincere pond hockey festival (of four teams) to a 31-team mega-juggernaut(tm). But it is still a fun, competitive tournament and is always one of the highlights of my year.

I am under less pressure as I head out because the Humiliation won the coveted Dominion Cup last year, awarded to the team that "displays the most inspired artistic expression throughout the tournament". Usually around this time I'm learning how to play and sing 5 or 6 songs with switched up "comedic" lyrics. Fun, but stressful.

This year, all I have to worry about is judging other teams' performances via an ultra-secret scientific method the Humiliation is employing. It is not an exact science...it often mixes alcohol with some of the other chemicals in the lab, and research funding is generally distributed through bribes. But exact enough, I am sure.

By the way, I glaumed that image above from a schweeeeeet website that is worth checking out!

Go Humiliation Go.

The MegaNiche, The Long Tail and Some Delicious Pie

Over the last 12 hours or so I've stumbled across some very interesting articles and posts about how our shifting economies are influenced by technology. Well, technically, the economies are often shifting because of technology, but there are some interesting theories that have emerged because of all this, and for some reason, they've all come my way rather unexpectedly.

For my part, I think of record labels, and how the industry is largely being crushed due to peer-to-peer sharing, file leakage and general digital distribution. I worry about people I know who work for small labels, and bands that work their asses off to generate a fanbase; however, I also rail against copyright controls being suggested by the CRTC and other industry players that suggest keeping clocks permanently turned back, so the recording industry's outdated model can survive. While this is a huge Sarlaac pit that I am not willing to wade into, there are others (such as Michael Geist) who seem able to articulate a point and stick to it.

I am torn, of course. If consumers can get albums for free, they probably will. However, models like Chris Anderson's Long Tail theory (suggesting that smaller, niche products are more viable in today's marketplace than mainstream, shelf-reliant products), offers hope for independent labels and non-mainstream businesses. Perhaps for every 5 albums downloaded free, consumers would be inclined to buy 1 or 2 as well if they were more aware of their role in the long tail.

Also worth considering is the idea of the MegaNiche - essentially any niche, spread out over the internet-connected world - which suggests that having access to one-tenth of one percent of internet consumers still equates to a million consumers. It's an updated version of the old indie-rock concept of an audience in New York: it doesn't matter how weird or avant-garde your music is, New York is big enough that there's an audience for anything. The MegaNiche takes this idea globally, and coupled with tastemakers such as bloggers and critics, and taste-shapers such as Pandora.com, makes it possible for anyone, anywhere to fine-tune their consuming habits to the micro / individual level, and support an independent label or artist.

However, the question remains: will they?

I am not completely sure of the answer to this question - it is one I am still struggling with. However, I hope to speak to a few independent label heads in the coming weeks and get a sense of how they see the transformed economics that the internet has brought us. Is it a scourge to artists and their support system as the CRTC suggests, or is it a viable (albeit rapidly changing) marketplace that demands adaptation? I'll endeavor to find out what people have to say.

However, if you have thoughts, please leave a comment. Do you download stuff? Do you also buy stuff? Do you run / work for a label? What do you think the future holds for independent artists and their support network?