Photobooth pics/Elektra revival/Fake plastic trees
June 2, 2009
So I had monday off this week. Hence the lack of posting yesterday. But I must say the weekend of photobooth insanity was quite a blast. The most enjoyable one was definitely the Moustache May party Saturday night. We found this absolutely ridiculous/hideous sheet to use as a backdrop and it worked perfectly. The rest of the MM pics can be found at the Moustache May website. The Bike For Branches photobooth pics can be found at the Soundforest website, and to my knowledge Johnny Kingsbury hasn’t quite gotten the Happy Valley pics up yet. But keep checking his website. They should be up in a few days. I must say though, I was getting tired of taking pictures of drunk people by the end of it all.
Former Nashvillian and ex-Be Your Own Pet singer Jemina Pearl got some blog love on Stereogum. She’s got 3 new solo tracks on her myspace. It’s really catchy, I must say.
Billboard.com reports that the Elektra Records imprint has finally been ressurected under the Atlantic umbrella. Amongst their first signings- Justice, Cee-Lo, and Little Boots.
A once-in-a-lifetime occurrence is upon us. At five minutes and six seconds after 4am on July 8th of this year, the time and date will be 04:05:06 07/08/09. Via dontstaylong.
Ever wanted to see a Blue Whale up close? They’re biggest animals in the world afterall… Well you can do just that here. And take their message to heart while you’re at it, too.
This wed. night I’ll be making an appearance as DJ Burgers at Foobar. I’ll be joining my friends Spice-J, fats, and Action Replay for their weekly series Totally DJ’s. Come on out and dance. I just might have some special surprises up my sleeve. That’s right, east side, I’m talking to YOU.
Just a few science-y tidbits today:
Launch pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center is now officially in the hands of the Constellation program. The last shuttle mission (the one that serviced the Hubble Space Telescope) was the last time that both launch pads would ever need to be used for space shuttles. From now on, the shuttle program will only use pad 39A. There will never be a need to have 2 shuttles ready for launch simultaneously because the few remaining shuttle missions are all to the ISS, which can be used as a lifeboat if the shuttle is severely damaged, thus alleviating the need for a 2nd shuttle to be ready for a rescue mission. Pad 39B will now be “remodeled” for tests of the new Ares rocket system.
If you were in New York City this past weekend you got a real treat at sunset. On both May 30th and 31st the sun set in perfect alignment with NYC’s cross-streets, an event nicknamed “Mahattanhenge” by astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson who calculates the events every year. The phenomenon will happen again on July 11th and 12th this summer. Via Live Science.
A London company called Solar Botanic, Ltd. has a great new idea for solar power. They want to make realistic-looking trees that are actually solar panels. This a wonderful idea and I hope it one day becomes reality. Via EcoGeek.
Today Theory 8 Records released the new self-titled EP from Shoot the Mountain. So far I’ve only listened the 1st track “Invitation,” and so far so good. Actually, so far so AWESOME. I can’t wait to have time to check out the rest of it. Head on over to their Bandcamp page and purchase it for a measley $5. Yet another Nashville indie rock gem recorded and produced by Jeremy Ferguson at Battletapes.
In other release news, Those Darlins have announced the release date and album art for their debut self-titled full-length album. The vinyl version hits shelves on June 23rd, followed by those “other” formats on July 7th. They’ll be celebrating the album release on June 27th at Mercy Lounge with….. the Black Lips. Fuck yes. More details at We Own This Town.
Thank you to everyone who came out to my 8 off 8th last night. It was most definitely a success, at least as good as the last one I did. All the bands played great sets, and I was especially happy to hear some new stuff from The Nobility and Carter Administration. Mean Tambos killed it, and Ryan was really getting crazy on stage because my friend/bandmate/videographer Seth was taping the performance for their EPK. Hopefully I’ll do another one late summer/early fall. And who knows? Maybe I’ll book a full-on show.
It was really nice to have today off from work at Vandy. When you host an 8 off 8th you gotta stay till the end, and even a little after, so it was nice to be able to sleep in today. I’ve been sitting around with the doors open listening to the Lovin’ Spoonful and The Association on vinyl. It also gave me a chance to take the new kittens to the vet, where we discovered that Sebastian is actually a Sebina. But they’re in pretty good health, main concern was a little bit conjunctivitis in Sebina’s eye, which should be easy taken care of with some meds.
EcoGeek reported on an amazing new company that aims to create a Second Life-esque “video game” interface that will allow homeowners to control every energy-consuming device through a 3D animated program. The “game” uses avatars to control lights/AC/etc… So you would login and make your avatar turn down the AC, and in real-life your AC would be turned down by a computer that controls your house. Whatever you do, just don’t name your house’s computer H.A.L….
Space Shuttle Atlantis is now on its way to Hubble. They’ve completed the heat shield inspection with the shuttle’s robotic arm. There were a few dings found, but the initial opinion is that they’re very minor and not a threat. Detailed analysis is underway, however, to be certain. I’ll keep you updated daily. In the meantime, watch this kickass HD video of yesterday’s launch. If you have your computer hooked up to a sound system, I highly suggest turning the volume and bass waaaay up.
Click image to see bigger version
This has been popping up in a few places around the interwebs for a couple days now, and I should’ve posted about it earlier, but I’ve fallen victim t0 post-SXSW sickness and laziness. A team of physicists have discovered a brand new subatomic particle, which they’re calling “Y(4140).” Ironically this particle was not discovered at the Large Hadron Collider, which is still not operational due to repairs from the catastrophic helium leak last fall; it was discovered at Fermilab, right here in the USA. This new information will be valuable in future mathematical models of the universe, as well as in the experiments conducted at the LHC later this year. You’d think they could come up with a cooler name for a completely new type of subatomic particle… something like “megaquark” or “quarktron.” Lazerquark…
The space shuttle undocked from the ISS yesterday and did a fly-around, capturing the first images of the fully symmetrical, full-length ISS. Universe Today has the space porn, including video of part of the fly-around.
According to Space.com, NASA has decided to go ahead with the Hubble repair mission, despite the increased risk of debris impact due to the satellite collision on Feb. 10th. I’m glad, but kinda scared for the crew. The danger is heightened by the fact that they won’t have the ISS as a lifeboat. Instead, NASA will have Space Shuttle Endeavour on a different pad, ready to launch and be used as a lifeboat should Atlantis be damaged.
Several different time-lapse videos of plants growing. These things are always fun to watch. Via kottke.org.
This has been showing up on almost every blog I read, but it’s definitely worth posting- the first trailers for the Spike Jonze-directed, Arcade Fire-loaded, live-action version of Where the Wild Things Are has been posted. The best place to view it is on apple.com. They have gorgeous HD versions that are true eye candy.
Camera Obscura @ SXSW 2009 Photo: Steve Cross
I was quite pleased yesterday to find out that Camera Obscura will be kicking off their north American tour in Nashville at the Mercy Lounge on May 27th. To my knowledge, they have never played here, and they’re one of my favorites. Even though I just saw them at SXSW, I will be there enthusiastically. Their new album My Maudlin Career drops April 20th via 4AD. Check out the rest of their tour dates at their myspace.
Another upcoming show I’m looking forward to is The Pains of Being Pure at Heart @ the End on May 2nd. Like C.O., I saw this band at SXSW and they did not dissappoint. But I really look forward to seeing full length sets from both bands, as all the shows at SXSW are showcases with 5 or so bands, thus each band has less time to setup and a shorter set length than normal. POBPAH are definitely one of those “blog-buzz” bands, but I honestly think they will have more staying power and are on an entirely different level than say, Vampire Weekend or Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.
Obama addresses science/Michael Jackson stuff
February 17, 2009
Clusterflock had two great links this morning:
Michael Jackson is apparently having to sell a bunch of stuff from his ranch via auction to pay off some of his creditors. There are some strange things in there…
Ever wondered what TV news anchors do during the commercial breaks??? Look no further.
I was recently given the debut album from a brand new Nashville electronic act called AXWY (I think it’s pronounced ax-wee). The duo consists of Ryan Malina, a local guitarist/friend/lighting guru/all-around cool dude who used to play in the Young Professionals, and another guy named Justin who lives in LA, and who also doesn’t have his last name on their myspace page. Apparently they’ve been trading songs back and forth via the interwebs, collaborating and synthesizing. The result is a moody, Postal Service-esque sound that is, in my opinion, quite refreshing for Nashville. The lyrics are mostly soft-spoken, and the beats are sometimes a bit glitchy, sometimes smooth and even a little dancey. Think the Postal Service and Phoenix making love while listening to Hot Chip. Check out their myspace, then grab the two tracks below:
Dr. Alan Boss, an astronomer and author, announced at a conference in Chicago recently that our own Milky Way could harbor billions, yes BILLIONS, of earth-like planets. He thinks that the Kepler Mission (scheduled for launch in just a few weeks) will even discover many earth-like planets just within 30 or so light years of earth. Dr. Boss’s comments can be found in several news stories released in the last few days, but I think Universe Today does the best job of reporting this announcement. I personally am a bit skeptical of this claim, as his numbers fall under the high end of the range of possible results from the famous Drake Equation. I do, however, believe strongly that the Kepler Mission will find an earth twin, and probably many of them. I don’t think that we will reach the conclusion that billions of them are in our own galaxy, though. Maybe hundreds of thousands, or even a few million….. but I’m hesitant to say billions. I do agree that if life does exist on these earth-like planets, it’s probably going to mostly microbial or other non-intelligent forms. No matter the result, I can’t wait to see what the Kepler Mission finds.
This ties in nicely to this video of President Obama talking about his mission to restore science & technology to the forefront of education and funding. I can’t explain how happy it makes me to hear this. After the last 8 years of regression, this is music to my ears, and it should be to yours, too.
“the bases” explained/weekend shenanigans
February 6, 2009
Oh XKCD… I love you. You have some of the best comics ever. Please click to make the image larger. Then laugh. Very loudly.
Don’t be deceived by the unusually cold winter we’ve had in the lower 48. As Live Science reports, the arctic is still quite warmer than normal, and the problem with the sea ice melting is not getting any better. In fact, they still expect the entire arctic to become ice-free during the late summer months in a decade or two. Global warming is real! Don’t be fooled by one cooler-than-average year! If you don’t think global warming is occurring, and that it’s mostly caused by humans, then you have no grasp on reality and need to have your head examined.
Some interesting links:
A Daguerreotype was recently discovered to be the earliest known image of Abraham Lincoln. He went through a lot of emotional trauma early in his life, which is why his appearance changed so much. The website includes a thorough forensic examination of the image, proving that it is in fact Honest Abe. Via Kottke.org.
A completely healthy baby was born in California with six fingers and six toes on each hand/foot. The extra digits are fully functional and complete. Imagine if this kid becomes a musician! He could take finger picking to a whole new level!
Rumors are floating around about a new line of Olympus digital SLR cameras. It would be a whole new breed of SLRs. This thing is sexy.
Find me tonight taking pics at the Features/Jeff the Brotherhood/Jack show at Mercy Lounge. I’m anxious to see who Jack is… Also on saturday, there’s a huge house show at a place called the Zombie Mansion featuring The Privates, Cage the Elephant (WTF?!?!?), Ethan Swim and several others. It’s at 7023 Charlotte Pike.
Have a great weekend!
Bruce’s epic crotch collision
February 2, 2009
So there it is. Enjoy it. The look on his face right after it is priceless. Overall, though, he rocked the house like only he could. In my opinion, one of the better superbowl halftime shows in recent history. GIF image via You Ain’t No Picasso.
The RIAA and Universal Music Group are at it again, claiming that if you’re a music reviewer and you haven’t kept track of every single promo CD you’ve ever recieved, then you’re a pirate. They won’t win the court battle, because if they do then, technically any book publisher could stick a label on their books saying “not for library lending.” When are these assholes gonna learn?
In case you haven’t heard, Flight of the Conchords are playing at the Ryman April 10th.
A new Spoon track has surfaced on Stereogum… and I have to admit it’s kinda strange. Now, I’m far from being a Spoon fanatic, so someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I think this is the first Spoon track to involve an electronic beat. Their new album hits shelves Feb. 17th.
Old 1940’s photographs superimposed on new ones taken in exactly the same location in Russia. The text is all in Russian, but you needn’t read it. The images say it all.
Speaking of Russia, apparently they want to build their own space station. I also had no idea that the current Internation Space Station was scheduled to retire in 2015. It just seems to me that too much money has been spent on the ISS to retire it only 5-6 years after its completion.
Finally, I want to say a few things about science and religion. While I consider myself a person of faith, I don’t follow any one organized religion specifically, and I don’t beleive that we should ever look to religious texts to explain our environment and how it works. The only reliable method of explaining our environment (and by environment I mean everything from our planet to the entire universe) is SCIENCE. My favorite writer from the Daily Galaxy, Luke McKinney, posted a very well worded blurb about evolutionary theory and its unknowns. Let me say this- science and religion are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but they are completely different methods of thought. Science has even supported some of the stories in the Bible, but as Mr. McKinney so eloquently says, “Religious texts can be incredibly positive works, prescribing social support and good rules for a good life if used properly, but declaring one to be a definite depiction of reality is like calling Chicken Soup for the Soul a quantum mechanics textbook.”
Doom from Yellowstone/2008 in pictures
December 31, 2008
Sometimes XKCD just really hit’s the spot.
The New York Times has posted it’s Year in Pictures gallery. There’s some great work in there. I suggest you take the time to sit down and go through it.
There has apparently been a swarm of larger-than-usual earthquakes in Yellowstone recently. Ok, so let me explain a few things before you go read the article- earthquakes happen in Yellowstone ALL THE TIME. As the article says- 1,000 to 2,000 every year, but the vast majority of them can’t even be felt by humans because they’re all only in the range of magnitude 1-3ish. Generally an earthquake has to be at least a 4 before people can feel it, or it causes any damage. But this recent group of temblors have been a little more intense than normal. If you’ve ever watched the History channel, you’ve probably seen one of those programs about natural disasters that mentions how Yellowstone is actually a gigantic caldera from an ancient supervolcano. When supervolcanoes erupt, it’s not even on the same scale as a normal volcano… we’re talking enough ash spewed into the atmosphere to cause sudden worldwide climate change (possibly enough to cause some extinctions), and (in the case of Yellowstone) a blanket up to 3 feet thick of ash covering most of the US. What’s scary about this fact is that its last eruption was about 620,000 years ago… “so what?” you say. Well, scientists also estimate that prior to that last eruption, it erupted with a frequency of about every 600,000 years….. *gulp*….. Don’t freak out just yet, though. Fortunately, geologists also point out that there’s nothing to indicate an imminent eruption, though it will eventually erupt again, without a doubt. But, they really don’t know what this latest increase in earthquake activity could mean, if anything, quite honestly I’d say it does NOT point to an imminent eruption. I also learned something from the article I hadn’t a clue about- the Teton range is actually sinking ever so slightly.
This is really creepy… and sad. A videotape that showed the final moments of the Space Shuttle Columbia astronauts’ lives managed to survive the breakup of the spacecraft. You can hear them talking about the glowing hot plasma-temperatue gases outside their windows, the very hot gases that seeped in through the hole in the left wing and caused it rip apart. The video is not embed-able, so just follow the link below.
http://www.wftv.com/video/18381740/
Disclaimer
December 18, 2008
Disclaimer: I’m in NYC till sunday. I seriously doubt I will post again until after I get back to Nashville. Sorry.
Sharon Van Etten lands the space shuttle….just kidding
December 1, 2008
I have to say that despite the horrific mess of driving through Knoxville yesterday, this year’s Thanksgiving break was a good one. Megan and I went back to east TN to visit my parents, and even got to go skiing wed. night after rushing to get there early enough. The snow was in good shape (for the southern Appalachians, at least) and we had a blast. Don’t get me wrong, skiing in NC or any where in the Appalachians doesn’t hold a candle to skiing in CO or anywhere in the rockies, but it’s better than nothing.
Today’s links:
Sharon Van Etten on RCRD LBL blog. I remember being served Red Stripe by her at the Red Rose in Murfreesboro years ago. She played at the Basement a few months ago and it took me a while to realize from where I recognized her. It’s awesome to see her getting some recogition in the blogosphere.
Weezer will be releasing an album of old recordings that “for some reason didn’t make the final cut” for their other albums. Very exciting. They can’t seem to put out anything new that’s worth more than a few listens on the way home from the record store, so the random old gems are gonna be the only way they can please the die-hard old school Weezer fans such as myself. Via Billboard.com:
On the heels of the release of the second volume of Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo’s home recordings, the group is now taking a look back into its own vaults. Cuomo tells Billboard the tentatively titled “Odds and Ends” will feature “great songs” which “for some reason didn’t make the final cut” for an album.
The Space Shuttle Endeavour touched down at Edwards Air Force Base in California yesterday after thunderstorms and crosswinds at Kennedy Space Center caused NASA to use its backup landing plan.
This may be old news by now, but the fragments of the meteor that streaked across the Canadian skies last week have finally be located. Apparently it was a pretty big one weighing a few tons. Image via Universe Today.
University of Calgary graduate student Ellen Milley poses with a fragment of a meteorite in a small pond. AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Geoff Howe
Yes We Can.
November 5, 2008
I’m glad America finally decided to get its head out of its ass.
Unfortunately, something tells me we haven’t seen the last of Sarah Palin.
steve cross loves music and science 