2005.09.09
Link of the Moment
LAN3 msg'd me last night with the following:
http://www.pandora.com/ A few months ago I heard on NPR's WESat about the Music[al] Genome Project, which was an effort to catalog songs by up to 400 musical attributes, and then use this massive database to find music other songs or other artists that are similar. At the time of that interview, they couldn't or wouldn't say in which form people would get to use the database. But now it's here! Quite cool. You can put in songs or artists you like, and it'll find other stuff you'll probably really like and probably things you haven't heard. The only thing it won't do is play direct requests-- if you put in a song name, it'll eventually get to playing it, but isn't allowed, per license, to do it directly.I have to admit...this thing is GREAT...superslick presentation, it seems to have its licenses in order...it combines some of the best elements of the old Napster and just hanging around college dorms, talking with people who knew more about pop music than you.
I love the effort to pindown musical genres...my favorite song "Groove is in the Heart" brings me to songs with "pop rock qualities, minor key tonality, a busy horn section, a clear focus on recording studio production and groove based composition, disco influences, rap influences, electronica influences and danceable grooves".
I might well end up subscribing to this. Thanks LAN3!
Song of the Moment
I'm always on the lookout for pop-culture references to The Salvation Army. They show up more often than you might guess if you're looking for them. So far my favorite is how Nietzsche gripes about them in stuff like "Beyond Good and Evil".
Anyway, the other day I stumbled upon the lyrics to Salvation Army Girl by Jake Thackray. The lyrics are a bit suggestive...mostly they remind me of some of the adolescent romances I had in the church, back in the day. I was mildly impressed by all the little references in the song.
(Another thing I googled recently is The Skeleton Army, a sometimes violent anti-Salvationist group...The Salvation Army has a page about them including the front page of one of a newspaper sheet they put out.)
Quick Link of the Moment
Looks like it would've been cool to go to this one electronic intreactivity festival in Austria; check out the photogallery.