Puppies and Flowers

Roll over Dave Brubeck — 12 Girls Band Link

Limited edition USB flash drives containing The White Stripes new album, Icky Thump.

These figures have removable hats that reveal a USB port. Each USB 2.0 flash drive has a 512-megabyte capacity and are Windows and Mac compatible. The Jack and Meg figures are available separately, or you can purchase the set at a discount. They are produced in a limited edition of 3,333 Meg drives and 3,333 Jack drives.

Link to White Stripes

A MOBILE phone salesman from Wales has stunned the judges of a British talent show with his rendition of an opera classic.

Paul Potts, 36, sang Nessun Dorma – made famous by Luciano Pavarotti – for the judges on Britain's Got Talent TV show, who are searching for an act to perform in front of the Queen at the Royal Variety Performance and win $A250,000.

Link to article and clip

music, photographs and YouTube Links

Link to Oskar Lewis

Link to YouTube

(image credit: Flickr)

Flamboyant jazz veteran George Melly, who died on 5 July 2007 aged 80, was one of the most colourful characters in British showbusiness of the last 50 years.

A true Renaissance man, he wrote 13 books, gave lectures on fine art and performed on stage for nearly sixty years while also finding time to indulge his passions for film, fishing, drink and sex.

His style was heavily influenced by his jazz idols Fats Waller and Bessie Smith and he became famous for his performances in which he delighted audiences with saucy jokes and witty asides.

With his loud suits, hats and cigars, he epitomized the gangster style of the 1930s.

Alan George Heywood Melly was born in Liverpool on 17 August 1926. His interest in jazz, blues and art began at the liberal Stowe public school.

Link to tribute

Link to YouTube

(credit: small the beetle) 

A woman juror has been arrested after she was allegedly caught listening to an MP3 player hidden beneath her hijab during a murder trial.

The Muslim woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of concealing the device beneath her headscarf so that she could listen to music during the testimony of a man who bludgeoned his disabled wife to death.

Judge Roger Chapple, presiding, said that he thought he could hear “tinny music” in the courtroom at Blackfriars Crown Court in Central London, but dismissed it as a figment of his imagination until another juror sent him a note.

The woman was arrested for contempt of court on the direction of the judge on June 27 and is bailed to appear at the court before Judge Aidan Marron on July 23. The arrest can only be reported now after Alan Wicks, 72, the defendant at the trial, was convicted yesterday.

The juror, who is in her early twenties, was discharged by Judge Chapple and given warning that her behaviour, if proved, would amount to contempt of court. Outside the court she was searched by a police officer and an MP3 player was confiscated.

Link to article 

Cool little generator, program your own drum, bass and keyboard lines.

Link to site 

Link to YouTube

From thedudeiseverywhere.com, you might be a dude if:

1. You wear your dressing gown to the supermarket.
2. You have begun writing cheques for less than £1 (or $1).
3. You are partial to Thai Stick and a good ‘caucasian’.
4. You have a habit of using the royal ‘we’, you know, the editorial…
5. Your car has developed some rust ‘colouration’.
6. You enjoy the occasional acid flashback.
7. You have been known to occupy various administrative buildings.
8. You hate the Eagles, no, you really hate the f-ing Eagles.
9. You have no idea what day this is.
10. You are unemployed.

Lebowski lexicon

via Grow-A-Brain 

Photo: L.A.Woman

Some samples:

David Bowie - David Robert Hayward Stenton Jones
Elvis Costello - Declan Patrick McManus
John Denver - John Henry Deutschendorf
Snoop Dogg - Cordazer Calvin Broadus

Link to YouTube 

Love the Spanish sub-titles 

Link 

Link 

Zappa, another brilliant unsung American talent, good for Baltimore I say.

Thursday, August 9th is Frank Zappa Day in Baltimore, MD, as proclaimed by Mayor Sheila Dixon. Frank Zappa was born in Baltimore in 1940 and, coincidentally, wrote and recorded a song entitled “What's New In Baltimore?” Dweezil Zappa, his son, is bringing the ongoing Zappa Plays Zappa/“Tour de Frank” to the Ram’s Head Tavern there on the day designated to honor his late father. Far from a “tribute band,” Zappa Plays Zappa underscores the compositional genius of Frank Zappa much as a symphony orchestra would perform pieces by a master composer. 

The second half of this clip, where the kid rocks out is my favorite.

Link via Arbroath 

AP Photo/Brian Kersey

British singer Amy Winehouse is reportedly addicted to heroin, according to her mother-in-law Georgette Civil.

Winehouse and husband Blake Fielder-Civil have checked into a rehab clinic in the U.S., according to British newspaper reports, after the singer collapsed following three days of hard partying last week.

And now Fielder-Civil's mother tells the Daily Mirror newspaper, "You can't blame Amy, you can't blame Blake. They're just as bad as each other. It's the hardest thing in the world for me to say in public that my son and his wife have a drug problem...

"I know my son has had a drug problem ever since he was 20 and moved down to London. I needed to know about Amy's problems and we had a chat -- just the two of us. She told me she was addicted to heroin and cocaine."

I 'heart' Miss Cellania. Busy as she is, she still has time to find the ol' fart in in the duck song! 

Awesome I tell you. 

Link  via yesbutnobutyes 

Something about Louis Armstrong's demeanour, when he shakes his head and sings, makes even Johnny Cash (who's music I love) look like an amateur... but you have to watch this clip.

Link Oct., 28, 1970 Johnny Cash Show clip

Link to a classic version of "What a wonderful world"

i

Kinda Totally cheesey 'Top-of the Pops' circa 1970's video effects.

Beautiful music if you close your eyes.

Should you need any advice on building, repairing, restoring a stringed instrument, Andy Carruthers is an amazing craftsman, he used to have a really cool website, but now there are just plain pictures. 

Found at Ursi's 

Hilly Kristal, who founded CBGB, the Bowery bar that became the cradle of punk and art-rock in New York in the 1970s and served as the inspiration for musician-friendly rock dives throughout the world, died in Manhattan on Tuesday. He was 75.

Continue reading 

'Kitty scratch attack' 

via neatorama 

Make your own Bob Dylan “Subterranean Homesick Blues” signs.

Link via Neatorama 

The store which was frequented by Ry Cooder, Elvis Costello, Dave Edmunds, BB King and John Hiatt, to name a few, is going out of business at the end of the month due to the decline of vinyl sales. 

Clip form article:

Goddard was celebrated last month at the 142 Throckmorton Theater in Mill Valley with an afternoon and evening of music that continued into the small hours across the street at the Sweetwater. Eating barbecue at folding tables in a bank parking lot that night were Bonnie Raitt, Sammy Hagar, Maria Muldaur and Narada Michael Walden, pretty much the four horsemen of Mill Valley music. New Orleans rock 'n' roll star Frankie Ford ("Sea Cruise") had to be kept out of sight for a day and a half in Mill Valley so he could surprise Goddard at the event.

Village Music's end will also be marked on Sunday at the Great American Music Hall - only a handful of tickets remain - where Goddard will be serenaded by a mix of performers that mirrors his fairly narrowly proscribed but passionate tastes in music: rockabilly by the Collins Kids, blues from Jimmy McCracklin and Sugar Pie DeSanto, soul music by Bettye LaVette and Swamp Dogg, among others.

If that isn't enough, world-renowned turntablist DJ Shadow will be spinning sides every day this month at Village Music, using only records from the store's bins. Goddard himself is thinking about closing down with a midnight Saturday-to-midnight-Sunday finale at the end of the month.

Continue reading

From MacNN: 

Apple boss Steve Jobs today introduced the widely rumored and highly anticipated touch-sensitive iPod, codenamed iPod touch. The iPod looks nearly identical to the iPhone in appearance, with a large screen and a customary 'home' button at the bottom. "It features our revolutionary multi-touch interface that you've come to know and love on the iPhone," said Jobs. "If you've used an iPhone you'll feel at home, it's exactly the same." The company also unveiled a new application specific to iPod touch and the iPhone, the iTunes WiFi music store. The new store allows users to preview and download songs via WiFi in the same fashion as the original iTunes software. Apple will offer the iPod touch in two configurations with 8GB and 16GB storage capacities for $300 and $400, respectively. Both models are slated for shipment "in just a few weeks" but before the end of the month.

The 3.5-inch widescreen display displays photos just like the iPhone, and supports Apple's "pinch-to-zoom" technique as well as the customary slide for unlocking the device.

The iPod touch features CoverFlow technology, and includes a WiFi meter in the top-left corner of the screen to monitor signal strength. The new iPod's wireless capability includes 802.11 b/g support, and utilizes the company's Safari Web browser to login to public wireless networks as well as surf the Web.

Apple's iPod touch supports YouTube in a fashion similar to the iPhone, and boasts a battery life of 22 hours for audio playback or five hours of video playback.

Worth playing for the soundtrack alone! 

Thanks Josh P. 

From article: 

TOKYO - Musicians of the world are getting a new kind of artistic freedom with technology that eliminates the challenging chore of tuning.

Robotics technology developed by German company Tronical Gmbh in partnership with Gibson Guitar Corp. enables Gibson's newest Les Paul model to tune itself in about two seconds.

For users who purchase the add-on technology, the guitar recognizes pitch. Then, its processor directs motors on its six tuning pegs to tighten or loosen the strings accordingly. Tronical has offered its "Powertune System" online and through retailers in Germany since March, according to the company's Web site.

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Found photo

The similarities between Jesus Christ and Elvis Presley are almost uncanny. Just check the following parallels for yourself!

• Jesus said "Love thy neighbor." Elvis said "Don't be cruel."
• Jesus is the Lord's shepherd. Elvis dated Cybill Shepherd.
• Jesus was part of the Trinity. Elvis' first band was a trio.
• Jesus walked on water. Elvis surfed (Blue Hawaii, 1965).
• Jesus' entourage, the Apostles, had 12 members. Elvis' entourage, the Memphis Mafia, had 12 members.
• Jesus was resurrected. Elvis had the famous 1968 "Comeback" TV special and many posthumous mall sightings.
• Jesus said "If a man thirst, let him come to me, and drink." (John 7:37). Elvis said "Drinks on me" (Jail House Rock, 1957).
• Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights. Elvis also had irregular eating habits (eg, 5 banana split breakfast).
• Jesus is a Capricorn (Dec 25). Elvis is a Capricorn (Jan8).
• Matthew was a biographer of Jesus. Neil Matthews was a biographer of Elvis (A Golden Tribute).
• "Jesus countenance...like lightning...raiment snow white." (Matthew 28:3) Elvis wore snow white jumpsuits with lightning bolts.
• Jesus lived in a state of grace in a near-eastern land. Elvis lived in Graceland in a nearly eastern state.
• Jesus' mother Mary had an immaculate conception. Elvis' wife Priscilla went to Immaculate Conception H.S.
• People called Jesus a "...glutton and a drunk." (Luke 7:34) People called Elvis "...an overweight druggie...".
• Jesus died for us. Young girls would 'die for' Elvis.
• Jesus was born in humble surroundings. Elvis was born in Mississippi.
• Even today Jesus has a cult following. Even today Elvis has a cult following.
• Jesus was called "King of Israel.." (John 12:13) Elvis was called "King of Rock n' Roll".

Was Elvis the 20th-century re-incarnation of Jesus? Hey, decide for yourself.....

Found here

One of the most influential, yet unsung bands of the eighties...

Links:

1. Not Cool

2, Amplifier 

Link via Arbroath 

Link to YouTube clip via Neatorama

Blind rock and jazz musician Jeff Healey has died after a lifelong battle against cancer. He was 41.

Healey died Sunday evening in a Toronto hospital, said bandmate Colin Bray, who was in the room with Healey's family when the guitarist died.

The Grammy-nominated Healey rose to stardom as the leader of the Jeff Healey Band, a rock-oriented trio that gained international acclaim and platinum record sales with the 1988 album "See the Light." The album included the hit single "Angel Eyes."

Healey had battled cancer since age 1, when a rare form of retinal cancer known as Retinoblastoma claimed his eyesight.

Due to his blindness, Healey taught himself to play guitar by laying the instrument across his lap.

His unique playing style, combined with his blues-oriented vocals, earned him a reputation as a teenage musical prodigy. He shared stages with George Harrison, B.B. King and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Bray said he and many others expected the guitarist to rally from this latest illness.

"I don't think any of us thought this was going to happen," Bray said. "We just thought he was going to bounce back as he always does."

Healey had undergone numerous operations in recent years to remove tumors from his lungs and leg.

Bray and fellow bandmate Gary Scriven remembered their frontman as a musician of rare abilities with a generous nature and wicked sense of humor.

Healey's true love was jazz, the genre that dominated his three most recent albums.

His love of jazz led him to host radio shows in Canada where he spun long-forgotten numbers from his personal collection of over 30,000 vinyl records.

His death came weeks before the release of his first rock album in eight years.

"Mess of Blues" is slated for a North American release on April 22.

He is survived by his wife, Christie, and two children.

From SFGate

I've long been a fan of Frank Zappa and I'm sure he'd be proud of this use of his music… 

Previously on P&F about Zappa 

From AP: 

Roger Waters brought Coachella to a close with an epic two-set performance that included playing all of "Dark Side of the Moon" and unleashing a giant inflated pig into the night sky.

But Waters' biggest prop was an inflatable pig the size of a school bus that emerged while he played a version of "Pigs" from 1977's capitalism critique, "Animals."

The pig, which was led above the crowd from lines held on the ground, displayed the words "Don't be led to the slaughter" and a cartoon of Uncle Sam wielding two bloody cleavers. The other side read "Fear builds walls."

The underside of the pig simply read "Obama" with a checked ballot box alongside.

Link to more photos 

Previously on P&F about Coachella:
Fabio's awesome Coachella '07 Flickr set(s)

NPR.org, May 27, 2008 - The Raconteurs just want to have fun. Loud and brash with an arsenal of infectious riffs, the quartet plays with swagger, a wry sense of humor and one, singular message: Let's rock. Hear The Raconteurs in a full concert, recorded live from Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club.

Listen to NPR's PodCast.

Video for Le le's hitsong 'Breakfast'. It consists solely of drawings made by Piet Parra that are also used as loops during the live performances. The song is about bitches and eggs...

Link to YouTube clip.

From The Independant:

They are said to produce unparalleled sound quality. Until now, however, no one has been able to explain why 300-year-old Stradivarius violins have never been matched in terms of musical expressiveness and projection.

A study has found that the secret may be explained by the consistent density of the two wooden panels used to make its body, rather than anything to do with the instrument's overall contours, varnish, angle of the neck, fingerboard or strings.

Scientists compared five antique violins made by the Cremonese masters Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri Del Gesu with seven modern-day instruments by placing them in a medical scanner that could accurately gauge the density of the two wooden plates that make up the top and the back of the body.

They found that, overall, the density of the two groups of violins was the same, but what differed significantly was that the two plates of the older instruments had a more uniform density compared to the more inconsistent densities of the modern plates.

Continue reading

Very cool indeed.

Learn about how the video was made and the 3D plotting technologies behind it.

Thanks Noah.

Dr. Steel envisions living in a world where fun is the top priority. He imagines a landscape filled with endless possibilities based on the ideology that life should be spent doing the things that make us happy.

Dr. Steel's Army of Toy Soldiers are active supporters of this cause. A Toy Soldier knows that by rejecting fear, embracing inspiration and by uniting in a singular focused vision, that the world can and will be transformed into a Utopian Playland.

By becoming a Toy Soldier you are an integral part of Dr. Steel's success. You are Dr. Steel's eyes and ears. You are the legs on which he stands.

Only YOU can help Dr. Steel take over the world, so sign up today and begin making this world a better place!

Link to site

The popular soul-funk band Soulive arrived at the Newport Jazz Festival with an elder statesman of groove music: trombonist Fred Wesley. Judging from drummer Alan Evans' stage banter, the group was thrilled to share the stage with a pioneer of their art form. "I told somebody earlier: I've been waiting all my life to do this," Evans said, before introducing Wesley.

After Soulive performed a few extended instrumental jams, the longtime soloist and arranger behind James Brown and George Clinton appeared on stage to enthusiastic applause. Alongside fellow horn player Ryan Zoidis, Wesley brought instrumental punch to several classic funk numbers he'd originally helped popularize. After a guest spot from modern soul singer Anthony Hamilton, who also headlined his own Newport performance, the horns returned for an encore of "Tighten Up," popularized by Archie Bell and the Drells.

Continue reading and link to Podcast.

"Washington Bullets" —Video montage

"The Call Up" —Live footage.

Never hear of this band before but enjoyed the animation.

Found at shape and colour

Show me more covers…

From The Squid List:

Every year since his untimely death, the San Francisco music community has come together to celebrate the life, music and spirit of Joe. All proceeds go to Strummerville (www.strummerville.com), the foundation in England set up in Joe's name that aims to create new opportunities for aspiring  musicians.

This year, Eric McFadden, The Armagideons (w/ members of The Black Furies), The Hooks, Dead Ringers, Ferocious Few and Rubberside Down are donating their time and effort for the love of Joe at The Bottom of the Hill on Sunday 12/7, Pearl Harbor Day.

We have an early start for the working folk: 6:30 doors, 1st band at 7. Six bands for $10 and prizes!-recession proof fun!

 Continuing on the theme of Industrial Design, here is:

A peek at the upcoming design documentary "Objectified", by Gary Hustwit, the director of "Helvetica". The trailer features the voices of Jonathan Ive, Andrew Blauvelt, Marc Newson, and Karim Rashid. The song is "I Like Van Halen Because My Sister Says They Are Cool" by El Ten Eleven.

Objectified premieres at film festivals and events worldwide starting this March, more info here: www.objectifiedfilm.com

I came across this guitar yesterday at Real Guitars in San Francisco. It's great this small shop is surviving, I've been going there for over twenty years. Link to Real Guitars unfortunate website (the place is better in person).

Thanks Garry MBS

This could be a brilliant viral for Apple's iPhone/iTouch or could just be the way The Mentalists roll.

Thanks Brady, Nathan G.

An excellent music video that aired briefly on MTV in 1994 and soon became largely forgotten. This one was filmed in B&W to produce an old-timey ambience that works very well with the ragtime sound. Pay close attention to the continuity. The whole video was filmed with a steadycam, in one continuous shot... an unbelievably difficult task that only someone like Michel Gondry could pull off.

Thanks Jeremy S.

David Byrne performs Burning Down The House with The Extra Action Marching Band in San Francisco 10.06.08.

And with The Rockettes, well one of them, at Radio City Music Hall circa 02.28.09. The ending is worth the watch in this video.

I'm very happy that WeegieBurd posted this documentary on youtube. It's a brilliant slice of the 1970's in Ireland, both North and South. 

Billy Connolly was, in the 1970s, a sort of Scottish Lenny Bruce, who, with devastating humour, sliced through the hypocrisies he perceived.

This 1976 documentary follows the singer-comic during his 1975 Irish tour. Made in a cinema verité fashion, the performer appears to be completely unaware of the presence of the camera in his off-stage and backstage moments.

Links pop a new window:

Big Banana Feet Part 1

Big Banana Feet Part 2 

Big Banana Feet Part 3 

Big Banana Feet Part 4 

Big Banana Feet Part 5 

Big Banana Feet Part 6

Big Banana Feet Part 7 

Big Banana Feet Part 8 

This series of 'point and click' games by Armor Games is really well done, I particularily like the music in the The Great Attic Escape — when it changes.

• The Great Kitchen Escape
• The Great Living Room Escape
• The Great Bathroom Escape
• The Great Basement Escape
• The Great Attic Escape
• The Great House Escape