This is MP3Monster's blog. The blog covers music, technology, photography and anything else Monster considers worthy of blogging about.Airbourne Toxic Event
Posted by monster in Music
So where do you get to find out about new artists and groups? The net, magazines, hearing support acts, from friends. Well how about the barbers?
Yes, the barbers. A place for hair cuts and inane background music like local radio or daytime Radio 1. But not this time, no Airbourne Toxic Event blasting out good and loud.
So I better give you an idea of what ATE are like. Probably the easiest description is to say that they are a mix of early Elvis Costello and the Smiths.
Muhammid Ali
Posted by monster in General
Muhammid Ali
Originally uploaded by Phil & Catherine Wilkins
Photo from recent Faithless gig
Amazon maybe cheap for music, but for the extra special ….
Posted by monster in Music
Amazon maybe consistently one of the cheapest places to buy music, but you can often pickup some jems from other places such as recordstore.co.uk. For example you can pickup a number of signed copies of albums and/or limited editions. In terms of price - the only real difference is postage unless you order over £50. So always worth checking out. I’ve ordered my copy of the next Delays album (Star Tiger Star Ariel) from RecordStore.co.uk
More Gabriel music in the pipeline
Posted by monster in Music
The latest Peter Gabriel podcast has some fine news. Aside from extending his Red Blood (no guitars, no drums, orchestra) tour which features his Scratch My Back album on which I’ve already blogged, Peter has said he will take the Orchestra back into the studio to record the reworking of his own songs. The recording could be out later this summer. Then he is going to pick up his original album project again.
Only dissappointment is the new dates don’t include a return to the UK.
It is still early, but Scratch My Back may make the album of the year in my books.
Faithless live
Posted by monster in Music
We caught Faithless live last night touring their new album The Dance. I had been disappointed by the album with the exception of the monster Sun To Me. But in a live context (fo Faithless think more of a super club) the new album made a lot of sense and sounded great.
Of course they also performed their big numbers such as God Is A DJ and lesser numbers like Flowerstand Man.
Wonder over to photos.mp3monster.org to see pictures.
Play more Games!
Posted by monster in General
Record Shops
Posted by monster in Music
I’ve blogged in the past about the demise of the record store. But I came across a little video clip on Glorious Noise trailoring a documentary on the subject:
“Re-Vinylized” trailer from John Boston on Vimeo.
When I go travelling on business, and often being on my own I have a chance to go looking for those record stores that manifest the character of Nick Hornby’s Championcip Vinyl. rummaging through the racks looking for something different and interesting is a good way to kill some time. so I thought I’d point out a couple those fine emporiums I’ve encountered:
Polyester Records in Melbourne - a hint of commercialisation, but a brilliant section on Oz & Kiwi artists. More Empire Records than Championship Vinyl.
Basement Discs - good stock of vinyl, big on Folk. Easily missed as its only a small entrance at street level - but basement is big, right in the centre of Melbourne.
Dixons Recycled Disc - several stores around Melbourne (I visited the Prahan store as I wondered down Chapel Street) stocking second hand, or better put ‘pre-loved’ music. An aladin’scave of stuff. Yes, lots of the dross, but jems among them.
Amoeba Music - San Fransisco, a short cab ride from the city centre. But a place of pilgrimage.
Rasputin Music - heart of San Fransisco, just a minutes walk from Union Square and could be giving Amoeba a run for its money.
New Matthew Ryan Release
Posted by monster in General
May 18, 2010: Dear Lover (The Acoustic Version) will be available digitally and through our online store. Beginning April 19th, Pre-orders are available at thematthewryanonline.com/store. All orders that include Dear Lover (The Acoustic Version) will ship as soon as CDs arrive.
Way Out West - We Love Machine Remixes!!!
Posted by monster in General
We’ve been promising details of the We Love Machine Remixes album for some time, and you can now listen to edits of all of them! It will be released on Beatport on 19th April, and other digital stores (including our own website) on May 3rd. We love some of the versions that other producers have created, let us know what you think!
Peter Gabriel - New Blood Tour
Posted by monster in Music, Photography
The New Blood tour is following on the back of his Scratch My Back album - A different take on the covers album, by working the covers as orchestral pieces.
So the tour means a large Orchestra rather than his regular touring band. The concert has much in common with a traditional orchestral performance with the first half being the new album end to end. After the interval we’re treated with some great reworkings of his own songs. Some obvious choices and others not so.
With a large orchestra Peter can’t provide the usual style of performance he lays on with zorb balls, Sedgeways, massive moving floors. That’s not to say this was not a class Gabriel visual feast. No, we get curtains made from massive U2 style displays, visuals behind the orchestra; several camera crews filming, often right in the middle of the musicians so the stage side screens get you into the heart of the action.
So a beautiful and stunning concert. I have posted some photos on our flickr account. What is cool is that the guy (Stefan Goodchild) who produced some the visuals has found my pictures ans some by a few others (possibly more professional than mine) and put them together into a collection to show his work which can be found here.
If you read the journal, the artist will be making some video clips of the work available. We would highly recommend checking them out, along with the blog.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mp3monster/sets/72157623594005837/
Music should sound better …
Posted by monster in General
even better ….
Tom McRae Gig
Posted by monster in Music, Photography
Some Photos from the Tom McRae gig at the Wedgewood Rooms Portamouth. Another fine performance from Tom. Go here.
Wish Listing
Posted by monster in Music
All the music waiting to be purchased gets fropped into a wishlist, just incase someone was to feel a little generous ….
If only there was an easy universal wishlist app out there.
Moby Live Recording
Posted by monster in General
As much as I really hate tie ins with online music stores such as iTunes, releases such as a live Moby recording cant be simply ignored. So I may have to swallow my pride to check out ….
“extensive critically acclaimed US tour in Fall 2009, Moby recorded an intimate live performance at the Montreal iTunes store to a captivated audience. ‘Moby iTunes Live from Montreal’ becomes available around the world at iTunes …
For this special recording Moby performed tracks from his most recent album ‘Wait For Me,’ as well as some other classics from previous albums, with a rare ‘stripped back‘ set consisting of just guitar, piano, violin and vocals. Joining him for this incredible and unique performance were the very talented lead vocalists from his tour - Kelli Scarr and Inyang Bassey. “
Tom McRae album
Posted by monster in Music
Yippeee my copy of the latest Tom McRae album - The Alphabet of Hurricanes has arrived with a bonus EP, which comes if you buy through Tom’s official website.
Posted by monster in Music
new album from Jesse Malin
Posted by monster in General, Music
Jesse Malin is very happy to announce that my new album “Love It To Life” is finished and will be released in stores on April 27, 2010 on Side One Dummy Records. It is produced by Ted Hutt (Lucero, The Gaslight Anthem, Flogging Molly), and YES it will available in VINYL, as well as CD and all the other digital stuff!!! The record was recorded with my new band, The St. Marks Social.
I’ve not yet seen the album listed on the usual online stores yet to preorder yet.
Article worth checking out
Posted by monster in Music
Glorious Noise hve an article about trying to support real record stores here. Although I do want to agree with the direction of the article, I am lossing faith in the bricks & mortar stores because they only seem to want to flog mass market and not cater or encourage more diverse tastes.
Having said that when I was in San Franscisco recently, I had a little bit of time spare and came across Rasputin Records. This is how record shops should be, rough around the edges - with that feeling you’d get that Nick Hornby captured in High Fidelity. Four stories of this within a block of Union Square!
The National - new album as well
Posted by monster in Music
The National have started to release news on the follow up to their brilliant The Boxer album. The new album hasn’t had its name published yet, but should be released in May through 4AD. Prior to the relaese will be a European and North American tour with dates through April and May (Royal Albert Hall in London May 6th).
Turin Brakes - Outburst
Posted by monster in General, Music
News of album releases are coming in rapidly now. The latest is for Turin Brakes with their new album Outburst due out on 1st March 2010. If you can wait that long then head onto their website (http://www.turinbrakes.com/) as has details of a free track download from the forthcoming album.
Plus a video of the creation of the album at http://www.vimeo.com/8715360RegardsTBx
