PITCHFORKER WHINES ABOUT TOO MUCH MUSIC, CREATES SHALLOW CONTEMPORARY LISTENER STRAWMAN

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Today's column.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 19 February 2005 00:33 (twenty-one years ago)

"Shallow" in title refers to the listener/strawman, btw: the "shallow contemporary listener strawman."

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 19 February 2005 00:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Your 40GB mp3 player is both a frosty Kubrickian abyss and a portentous Kubrickian monolith.

!!!!

I just fell off my chair laughing.

Thankyou, pfork, for ensuring that I will fall asleep tonight with a smile on my face, quietly giggling to myself.

where do they dredge these writers up?

― The Lex (The Lex), Saturday, 19 February 2005 00:55 (twenty-one years ago)

2nd person writing is never ever a good idea.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Saturday, 19 February 2005 00:56 (twenty-one years ago)

frosty.

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Saturday, 19 February 2005 00:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Though "officionado" has a particularly compelling ring to it...

― JC-L (JC-L), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:05 (twenty-one years ago)

I bought 3 CDs at the thrift store today that I had never heard of and all of them had robots singing on them!! Yayyyyyyyyyy!!!

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Alexander Robotnick..The Robot Orchestra...Robots R Go?

― dan bunnybrain (dan bunnybrain), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, what were they? I want more robot-singing recommendations.

― Mike O. (Mike Ouderkirk), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:12 (twenty-one years ago)

I need some good robot songs. Someone recommend something (that is not kraftwerk).

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:12 (twenty-one years ago)

haha xp

― djdee2005 (djdee2005), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:13 (twenty-one years ago)

shockah!

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:15 (twenty-one years ago)

They weren't that old. They were:

Bombfunk MC's - In Stereo (Plus a disc of remixes that are even cooler than the scandinavian acid/bass/rap/whatever that is on the regular album. Are they from Sweden? There is a great track where the one guy sez in this great booming voice: "Many years ago, when hip-hop came to our cold country..." (!!!!) Anyway, it's cheesy and fun and it has robots.

Bosco - Action (some french dudes trying to be daft punk or something. But I really like it. Plus, robots)

Mellow - Another Mellow Spring (some french dudes trying to be Air or something. But I really like it. Plus, robots.)

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:19 (twenty-one years ago)

hey, for a couple bucks i was happy. i've got enough ancient robot musik in the house to choke a robotic horse. maybe i need more french daft punk rip-offs in my life. i bought this robot album on Warp for a dollar and i looked on-line and it sells for, like, a hundred bucks! They dressed like the Earons. Or like Space. Or like Les Rockets. I had no idea. I have to dig that one out. It's a double with a yellow cover. I didn't know 90's Warp records went for big money.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:22 (twenty-one years ago)

"I need some good robot songs. Someone recommend something (that is not kraftwerk)"

Buy Bose's Robo-Cop single on-line somewhere.That's a great one. Oh hell, there are a million of them.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I think the article raises some interesting questions. When we hate our iGods, are we hating the player -- or are we hating the game? And just what is the game in this case? An Orwellian mash-up of post-meta Monopoly tokens and spent Russian Roulette shells? Each of those cigarette-sized data-bricks is, indeed, a sort of cyber-cancer, dangled like Proust's carrot just out of reach for the twixter-hipster whose veins pump jet-fuel. Also, when the dogs do smell her, will they smell alone?

― Bent Over at the Arclight, Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:24 (twenty-one years ago)

see, you should have written that thing. and thank you for turning proust's ubiquitous cookie into a carrot. you win a gold star from me for that.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:27 (twenty-one years ago)

bowers really shouldnt write about himself in the 2nd person -- it's creepy.

― jack cole (jackcole), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh man, the Rockets are so awesome. We have On the Road Again at my college station and the title track is my fucking jam, dude.

― Mike O. (Mike Ouderkirk), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:36 (twenty-one years ago)

If you read it in the voice of Mr.Burns it's really cool.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:38 (twenty-one years ago)

I think I gave all my rockets records to chuck eddy. I love that album though. They were great.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Are their records available on CD?

― Mike O. (Mike Ouderkirk), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:42 (twenty-one years ago)

maybe in France. there is a cool web-site i found with lots of rockets info.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I absolutely don't get the article.

at all.

― donut debonair (donut), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:44 (twenty-one years ago)

maybe I'm trying too hard?

― donut debonair (donut), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, at least it's entertaining if you read this piece pretending you're Henry Rollins in the "Family Man" video... widened eyes and all.

― donut debonair (donut), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:45 (twenty-one years ago)

this is a cool page:

http://digilander.libero.it/rockets/I_f.htm

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:47 (twenty-one years ago)

they have a lot of fan-sites:

http://digilander.libero.it/rockets/rockets.htm

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I like how they stopped wearing make-up at roughly the same time as Kiss.

― Mike O. (Mike Ouderkirk), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:51 (twenty-one years ago)

or the face paint at least

― donut debonair (donut), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:54 (twenty-one years ago)

so this isn't the Detroit band made up of ex-Wheels? I like those guys.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Saturday, 19 February 2005 01:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Hey, Mike, You can always go the Russian bootleg route. 6 albums for 10 bucks:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=307&item=4701640573&rd=1

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:02 (twenty-one years ago)

stormy, do you have that pre-crazy horse rockets album on white whale? i've never heard it.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:04 (twenty-one years ago)

24 Nazareth albums for 20 bucks is a steal!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=307&item=4701640479&rd=1

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:09 (twenty-one years ago)

No, I've never heard of it! What is it? Is it Crazy Horse in all but name? I don't think I actually own anything on the legendary White Whale label. I've got a CD version of Orgasm but that's about as close as I come I'm afraid.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:09 (twenty-one years ago)

wow! that's a lot of Nazareth.

I like how they put twofer CDs together with the albums waaaay out of chronological order. You have to love it when they do that. And the throw in a few Dan McCafferty solo lps for good measure! What a thoughtful label that is, whoever did those.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:12 (twenty-one years ago)

someone is selling one as we speak:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=306&item=4701925538&rd=1

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:13 (twenty-one years ago)

some russians in a warehouse somewhere. they probably sound okay. those russians know a thing or two about bootleg music.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:14 (twenty-one years ago)

i bought this robot album on Warp for a dollar and i looked on-line and it sells for, like, a hundred bucks! They dressed like the Earons. Or like Space. Or like Les Rockets. I had no idea. I have to dig that one out. It's a double with a yellow cover. I didn't know 90's Warp records went for big money.

Is this by any chance the Elecktroids (aka Drexciya) album?

― Telephonething, Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:17 (twenty-one years ago)

i've never even heard of Arabesque, but apparently they had at LEAST 10 albums:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=307&item=4701640149&rd=1

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:17 (twenty-one years ago)

wow, that crzy hrse Rockets thing looks cool. You learn something new every day.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:18 (twenty-one years ago)

"Is this by any chance the Elecktroids (aka Drexciya) album?"

Yeah, that's the one.

If I were drunk, I would totally buy every T-Rex album from a Russian bootlegger for 10 bucks. Just for fun. But I'm not drunk.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Les Rockets probably deserve their own thread, no? I mean, I'm happy they're being discussed instead of the actual subject matter. I'm just saying, someone should bring over all the comments here, and start a new thread... that way, other people can notice the thread title who are in the know, and can contribute.

― donut debonair (donut), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:20 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, what the hell, here is that elektroids album:

http://www.popsike.com/php/detaildata.php?itemnr=4040077412

did it never come out on CD or something?

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I brought up the rockets on a couple threads before and it didn't seem like they were that well known. you can still find the vinyl pretty cheap. I guess people in brooklyn haven't gotten to them yet. it seems kinda strange that they haven't. or what do i know. maybe they are big in brooklyn. i brought them up to deejay dan selzer on here once and it didn't seem like he was familiar with them. which i found hard to believe.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:25 (twenty-one years ago)

i really dig this Mellow album i got at the thrift. blissed-out beatles/air/phoenix shit. i wish i had some drugs. is there a thread on them? i'll check.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Song of the Death Machine by Bruce Haack's robot swings it on the flippity flop.

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:36 (twenty-one years ago)

That's weird - I'm reading this thread, listening to "Plasteroid" in the background, and who should be mentioned but Dan McCafferty!

― Pangolino again, Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Plasteroid rocks! Life is weird sometimes, isn't it?

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, and Nazareth rock too, of course. i love them to death.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:39 (twenty-one years ago)

There should be a rough guide to robot musik.

― Leon the Fatboy (Ex Leon), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:40 (twenty-one years ago)

I didn't even know Dan McCafferty had any solo lps! Shows how much of a Nazerene I am!

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Saturday, 19 February 2005 02:42 (twenty-one years ago)

When I first heard Rockets, I had expected them to be more a progressive rock band or something and kind of passed them over. I have no idea how it was that I didn't love them at first listen, but I didn't. I have to say I don't know Nazareth at all except for a song that goes "Now you're messin' with a son of a bitch", etc.. For years I had thought they were Canadian, but they must just have been notably popular here.

― Pangolino again, Saturday, 19 February 2005 03:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Has anyone heard the recent Rockets CD?

― Pangolino again, Saturday, 19 February 2005 03:04 (twenty-one years ago)

no i haven't even heard all that 80's stuff. I should start buying all of it while it's still cheap on ebay. those brooklyn people won't be asleep forever. that's "hair of the dog", the nazareth song. great album too.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 03:56 (twenty-one years ago)

i just sold this recently http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4069756396&ssPageName=STRK:MESO:IT

― dan bunnybrain (dan bunnybrain), Saturday, 19 February 2005 04:16 (twenty-one years ago)

i like the article! (apart from a few of the purplier bits.) the second person esp is pretty neat: it's nicely done, the wavering of the sentences, the portmanteau-ing or whatever it is when they splay on for similar-syntax clause after similar-syntax clause. and 'pluraculture' silly word but otm concept.

robot music?

― box box box box box (cis), Saturday, 19 February 2005 04:52 (twenty-one years ago)

It was another accident just waiting to happen on the masturbation superhighway. When you see yourself as another vehicle, you run a real risk of colliding with yourself.

― Momus (Momus), Saturday, 19 February 2005 06:19 (twenty-one years ago)

http://david.gharib.free.fr/bowsergif.gif

― latebloomer: HE WHOM DUELS THE DRAFGON IN ENDLESS DANCE (latebloomer), Saturday, 19 February 2005 07:36 (twenty-one years ago)

that's so obscure, scott.

i found my copy of the mellow cd at a thrift store too..

― reo, Saturday, 19 February 2005 07:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Bombfunk MC's - In Stereo (Plus a disc of remixes that are even cooler than the scandinavian acid/bass/rap/whatever that is on the regular album. Are they from Sweden?

Check the CD again, it's BOOMfunk MC's. :-)They are indeed from Sweden. Freestyler was okay - it was all over MTV and other music channels. Cheesy drum'n'bass. Some of the lyrics? They namedrop Celine Dion, yo.

As I rock the mic right
Oh, excuse me, pardon
As I syncronize with the analyzed
Upcomin' vibes, the session
Let there be a lession, question
You carry protection
Or will your heart go on
Like Celine Dion - Karma Chamelion

― stevie nixed (stevie nixed), Saturday, 19 February 2005 08:39 (twenty-one years ago)

its BOMfunk mc's, no?

― Rizz (Rizz), Saturday, 19 February 2005 11:19 (twenty-one years ago)

my cd says BOMBfunk and it isn't drum & bass.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 12:13 (twenty-one years ago)

there is only one other thread that even mentions them:

So Solid Crew vs Bombfunk MCs

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 13:30 (twenty-one years ago)

i'm a sucker for that swedish eurodance/disco/rap/acidhouse/miamibass cheeeeeeeze. and the remixes ARE really cool.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 13:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Since you're reading Pitchforkmedia.com, let's presume that you enjoy trying to keep up with "contemporary music."

An interesting assumption in ways.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 19 February 2005 14:26 (twenty-one years ago)

I like Bosco's use of the P-Funk/Miami Bass helium-voiced space critter.

― scott seward (scott seward), Saturday, 19 February 2005 14:54 (twenty-one years ago)

That Bowers article is lame, but I actually read a good piece by him in the Oxford American. I think he has something in the 2004 Da Capo Best of Writing book as well.

― Steve-k (Steve K), Saturday, 19 February 2005 18:34 (twenty-one years ago)

he went on a pfork hiatus a while back and i think that's when he published that oxford american article, which was quite good.

― blackmail.is.my.life (blackmail.is.my.life), Saturday, 19 February 2005 18:37 (twenty-one years ago)

― MV, Saturday, 19 February 2005 18:45 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, what the hell, here is that elektroids album: [...]
did it never come out on CD or something

I've got the CD, so yes, it did. Bought for the Norwegian equivalent of approx USD 7.

― OleM (OleM), Saturday, 19 February 2005 18:45 (twenty-one years ago)

he went on a pfork hiatus a while back and i think that's when he published that oxford american article, which was quite good.

He wrote for both at the same time, and also got Rob Mitchum a couple gigs at the Oxford American before it closed shop. He's got a book coming out and has also written for Esquire, probably many others.
(I bring that up out of curiosity, that if people realize the guy's a rock solid writer they might give his column another read.)

― Chris Dahlen (Chris Dahlen), Saturday, 19 February 2005 18:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I thought the Oxford American article (the My Morning Jacket one) was kind of overwrought but that's par for the course for the OA.

― adam (adam), Saturday, 19 February 2005 20:42 (twenty-one years ago)

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