Due to the generosity and kindness of a good friend, the latest Elbow release, "Cast of Shadows" has finally made it to my ears.

As mentioned before, this release is still a good two months away from a US domestic date (Jan 13th to be exact). As to why V2 would delay its US release by more than 6 months latter the Euro/Asia date has me concerned...

Understandably, Elbow is not the biggest name in US music, but it may be one of the biggest names on the imports scene. Domestically, they have played a handful of gigs in 2003 outside of opening for the likes of the Grandaddy this past October. Eight openers (did we forget to visit Boston????) will not suffice in getting the word out on the US music market, sorry to say, but will keep those Elbow fans on the West Coast and NYC fairly entrenched as we wait for a presumed market blast from V2 come January.

As for me, well, I simply could not wait that long. A "BRTY" (borrow, rip, thank you) into iTunes and I'm covered until i can buy this album at fair market value. Let my friends in the industry scream in disgust, but maybe its a good thing I did get a rip. How else would I be able to spread my love for this disc?

Dont worry, I ripped it in AAC, not MP3, and I do promise to buy it come Jan.

Coming soon: some actual insight into "Cast of Shadows"

[For the record: the last disc to break my bank was in Daft Punk's "Homewerk" in early 1997. I simply could not wait the extra 3 months for its domestic release. Its the only import in recent years to force a purchase well ahead of the US drop date. Was it worth it? Come on...]

A Daily dose of Mix Mash
Looking for an easy daily fix of mix session to fill your aural spectrum? Turn to our good friends at Blentwell, providing
new links daily to a diverse selection of sounds and rhythms.

Blentwell continues to prove that online mixes will thrive as loing as the ear will listen. How better to keep yourself busy?

Some quick notes to ensure to all that the mind is still working:

• The punk electro mix is thriving


• Why is the new Elbow record out in the EU but months away from a US release?


• Sundance and IFC music docu's usually suck (re: Driver23)


• I need more soul records in my iPod


• pre-ordering music on half.com saves you money

We'll talk properly soon...

The Rapture DJ in London.
Well worth a listen if not to simply hear Special Ed's "I Got It Made" again!
The Rapture DJ Session on BBC Radio1
(Be aware this link will change in a few days and will be replaced with Fat Boy's latest sauce de gonads tomorrow).

Being without my Powerbook for a week caused less frustration that I had first expected but it caught me in the middle of a res-design of this site. Maybe now I can fix those nasty CSS bugs...

On a good note, I am half way through Stephen Fry's "The Liar" and listening to Tobias Thomas' "Smallville" (on Kompakt) courtesy of EZ.

Elliot Smith Remembered
http://www.nme.com/news/106526.htm

Apple is on the JET
As I mentioned just 8 days ago, JET is my pick for the best new band this year! Just as I was about to push out a nice long propganda peice on my love for their music, Apple goes a step further and features their track "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" in their latest iPod TV advert! The is the best possible promotion for any band! Big ups!

Also on the Apple front, iTunes was released today for Windows, opening up the iTunes Music Store to the missing 92% of the computing world.

iPod advert featuring JET

Listening to JET. More on them in a bit.

The last few weeks since returning from Barcelona have been quiet for me. Very few new full length releases have interested me into a purchase, so I have taken to picking up some EPs to test the waters.
The best of the batch is an EP from the Aussie band JET. Released back in May, "Dirty Sweet" is a great prequel to their Oct 7th (US) full length. Likened to the Rolling Stones and The Who, JET descends into that very popular 70's rock sound while adding a touch of garage noise to the image...

Added some new Kompakt releases to The List. Both are well worth the money and continue in the long held Kompakt tradition of releasing premium compilations.

Back from Barca
3 weeks is a long time but not long enough on the coast of Spain.
Below is a link to some amazing street art/graf that I photographed. Though not music related, it warrants sharing with you all.
Barcelona Street Art/Graf

Turin Brake's Ether Songs does the sinus good
Being sick in the dead heat of the summer is as catastrophic as being trapped in Solvenia wihtout some hard techno. Luckily the boys of Turin Brakes are here to help.
Ether Song is their latest release with a more uptempo vibe than their freshman release, The Optimist.
So far the new record has been good to me as I battle this sinus infection. Oly and Gale's vocals; though not as soothing as Vapor Rub, do help settle the mind.
Worthy of a listen. Track of choice on Ether Song: Self Help.
Someone send me some drops please.

1001 Tracks Should You Download
Cool thread beginning on the I Love Music forums. I've added a few of my picks.
Dig in and lay claim to some of your favorites.

i love music thread: 1001 Tracks Should You Download Before You Die(TM) ???
(http://ilx.wh3rd.net/thread.php?msgid=3778244)

More compression
With my CD's now properly stored,the time has come to re-examine why my 10GB iPod is full. The nemesis of the iPod looks to be the 192MP3.
Running out of room on this device was something I never thought would happen, but it has. in the beginning of my love affari with the iPod, I promised it that I would never allow for anything lower than 192MP3 to be decoded by the device. To my dismay, the "standard" MP3 encoding rate is a space killer. It sounds better than the lower rates. Hands down. Luckily Apple may be changing all that with AAC. Smaller files that sound comprable to 192? Even I didnt believe it until I tested.

After a long ordeal A/B sampling a variety of music between 128/160AAC and 192MP3, I can honestly say that I really dont hear a difference. 128AAC really sounds as good as a 192MP3; at least to my ears No arguments please. This is simply what I have concluded.

So as much as it irks me, I am re-encoding everything slowly (sans the Radiohead records and my MFSL CDs which will stay at 320MP3) into Apple's preferred 128AAC format. Some quick math show me to be emancipating about 2GB of space. Easily 50 more CDs into the iPod. I hope the ordeal is worth it. Pray for me...

Jack White's Finger Fix Video
A not so nauseaus photo and video profile of The White Stripe's own Jack White getting a couple of screws put into his finger. Thanks for sharing Jack!
http://www.whitestripes.com/finger.html

Compression
In my condo (like any condo in the city), space is an issue. For that reason, we build from the ceiling down in order to preserve precious floor space. Allocating CD space has never been an elegant project, but we finally agreed on a 550 easy access limit. I still have space for about 40 more... choosing IS becoming easier with age, but still not pleasurable. Behold "the dropform wall of sound."

Holy Shit! I got allocated for Euro 2004!
This is not directly music related, but it needs to be stated. As a die hard footie fanatic, I have attempted years to successfully have my name drawn in ticket lotteries which would allow me to view games during the World Cup and Euro Championships. Its never happen. My nice stack of rejection letters tells the true story... but, I always still go. In 2000, my dear friend Chris and I partied in Amsterdam during the final week of Euro 2000. Simply amazing.
My luck had finally changed. In the mail today arrived my FIRST allocation/confirmation letter. For the first time, I'll have tickets in hand before arriving! Thank you UEFA for the luck of the draw! See you at Euro 2004 Portugal next summer!

Revisit: "Big City" by Operation Ivy.
Amazing what the random playlist on the iPod will produce.
"This town in fucking insane..." - see above

Rock solid Blur show at Avalon Friday night; with a focus on the more "progressive" tracks from their catalog. Solid gig that revived me to pick up and renew missing stock in my collection. Trying to find the setlist from the gig now...

Someone had it rough
My favorite working class rock outfit, the Stereophonics, have just released their 4th LP, "You Gotta Go There To Come Back." in the UK (with no US release date in sight). I hate buying imports when a domestic release should have sufficed... but anyways...
"You Gotta Go..." has tossed me into confusion. Like most Stereophonics records, Kelly Jones sings his heart out: on tune and damn raspy, but this is more than raspy. Either Kelly's cigarette intake before each session grew or this man was awfully sad during the sessions (interviews point to the latter).

"You Gotta Go There To Come Back" is a tale of a man trying to regain trust in a woman. Its unclear if 'he' ever does.

Kelly and boys buried their 'walk and talk lyrical style' for a gripping 'heart in the back of the mouth' sound. in "Climbing the Walls" I hear some hope of a turnaround but it is obvious from its position on the LP that the mood of the record is to move from anger to sadness.
"I Miss You Now" finds honest vocals overdubbed on top of an agonizing Kelly humming heartlessly through it. Its a difficult record to stomach...

With the exception of two tracks on this album, its a full unleashing of heart and emotion, never before heard from the Phonics. Kelly obviously got fucked up big from personal issues and it can be heard easily from start to finish. Some overproduction on tracks like "I'm Alright" initially sound unneeded, but only help to add to sound they wanted.

Three tracks on this record feel disconnected from the full record. "Help Me," "High As a Ceiling," and "Madame Helga (a single)." Their positions simply break up the flow. Removing them from the CD playlists really helps keep the intended emotion running.

To V2: "JEEP's" sales sucked in the US. but the fall of 2001 was bad for everyone. Release this record in the USA. It's deserving. The Phonics has a fan base in the US. Their sellout gigs in NA alone show that.