BURGERS Fall 2010 MIXXXX
October 18, 2010
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the BURGERS Fall 2010 MIXXXX. Download for free:
Tracklisting:
Two Door Cinema Club- Something Good Can Work (Twelves RMX)
Lexicon Don- Student Body (Bit Funk RMX)
Miami Horror- I Look To You (ft. Kimbra)
Burns & Fred Falke- You Stopped Lovin’ Me (Treasure Fingers RMX)
Duck Sauce- Barbara Streisand
Punches- Feelin’ Right (Justin Faust RMX)
Cee Lo Green- Fuck You (Le Castle Vania RMX)
The Armed Forces- Loose All Control
Jensen Sportag- Jareaux
It’s short and to-the-point, and I think I’ll be keeping most all my published mixtapes that way from now on. I feel like some of the past few have tried to do too much for one mix, so this one is just 35 minutes of smooth, sexy disco/house fun.
A weak weekend
October 15, 2010
There’s always plenty of things going on in this City of Music every weekend, but this particular one really doesn’t have much of anything that I personally get excited about. But, here’s my best attempt:
FRIDAY:
DJs Wick-it and Kidsmeal, along with several other DJs, have been throwing a pretty badass party called Mashville roughly once a month for three years now, and they’re throwing the biggest party yet tonight at Mercy Lounge to celebrate. It’s also the release party for Wick-it’s new mashup album. Expect some of the best scratching performances you’ll find in the southeast, along with plenty of hip hop, pop, and maybe some head-bending WOMP WOMP in the form of dubstep. The very mention of dubstep makes me cringe, but I certainly respect those guys because their skills are easily light years ahead of any other DJs in this town. Sean Maloney says I need to smoke more weed to enjoy dubstep… but even then I don’t think I could enjoy it. It just ain’t my bag. There’s a 5% chance I might go just to see Kidsmeal and Wick-it have a scratch-off, and head for the patio when the WOMPs start pulsing, but who knows. Read a much better preview by Mr. Maloney at the Nashville Cream.
SATURDAY:
There is honestly not one thing happening Sat. that piques my interest enough to mention.
SUNDAY:
Matt & Kim w/ Donnis and Girls in the Eighties @ Exit/In. I saw Matt & Kim play a sold out show at this same venue along with the Cool Kids about 2 years ago, and while I don’t call myself a serious fan, they put on a pretty enjoyable show. Not that familiar with Donnis, but he drops some pretty sweet verses on “All The Girls” by Bag Raiders. And I enjoyed Girls in the Eighties’ quick and simple pop punk at their NBN show a couple weeks ago.
Have a great weekend!
New And The Relatives/Big Pics from Chile
October 14, 2010
File this one in the “what could have been” folder. Local classic indie rock (yes I’m using “classic” with “indie rock”) trio And The Relatives have sadly reached the end of their career… for the forseeable future, at least. I hate to say that, but it’s true. I won’t go into explicit details but a member of the band rather unexpectedly made the decision to move to California. That being said, they ARE releasing the debut album Green Machinery which they’ve been working on for the past few years; it will be out very soon on vinyl via a joint effort between Michael Eades’ YK Records and Theory 8. It will also be available digitally via their Bandcamp. You can actually go there now and preview a couple of the tracks. I’ve watched this band develop over the past few years, and it’s rather amazing how far they’ve come. I also must mention the eye candy that is the artwork and new website, designed by Eades and Kyle Scudder. I’d like to hope they will eventually reunite at least to play a show here and there, or even just to work on new recorded material… similar to the Hotpipes’ situation.
Some more random links/tidbits of interest:
The Boston Globe’s Big Picture blog has a series of beautiful and moving photographs from the Chilean mine rescue. I can’t imagine being trapped underground for 2 months with 32 other men, and no doubt the full psychological effects have yet to be seen. Regardless, these photographs are incredible.
T.I. apparently talked a guy out of committing suicide Wednesday afternoon in Atlanta, just a few days before he’s scheduled to go to trial on a probation violation. Good job, T.I.! Maybe the judge will go a little easier on you?
The Village Voice did a pretty cool interview with Duck Sauce (a.k.a. A-Trak and Armand Van Helden). Just go read it, and be sure to check out their new single “Barbara Streisand” for which they did this awesome came0-packed video:
Doubt cast on Gliese 581g planet
October 13, 2010
Credit: Lynette Cook/NSF
Planet hunting is a delicate and tedious science. A very strong emphasis is placed on multiple teams of astronomers being able to replicate the results of the first team to announce any kind of discovery. If another team is unable to replicate the findings of the first, it casts a serious shadow of doubt on the validity of the initial findings. That’s exactly what is happening with the Gliese 581g exoplanet that was announced just last week. Sadly, a team that works directly with the HARPS detector on the 3.6m telescope at the La Silla Observatory in Chile has been unable to confirm the existence of Gliese 581f or g. They have access to more data than the team who initially announced the discovery, and they can’t find a clear enough signal in the background “noise” of the observations to confirm this planet. As more teams run computer models and look at observations from other telescopes with radial velocity planet-finding instruments, maybe we’ll get a clearer picture of whether these two planets actually exist. (Via Universe Today via Dynamics of Cats blog)
Don’t worry though, the Kepler mission will undoubtedly start popping out earth-twin discoveries in another year or so, mark my word.
New Armed Forces track/weekend stuff
October 8, 2010
It’s all about the timing, yo. If you’re in Nashville you have to know that this week was the Scene‘s annual Best of Nashville issue, in which the readers fill out polls for a few weeks voting on all kinds of local bests. The writers also compile a small list of their own favs, and our good friend Brandon Jazz was named “Best Lovable Attention Whore.” Whether it was planned or not, the timing of the release of his next single “Lose All Control” is perfect. It dropped today and was produced by Privates’ frontman Dave Paulson’s DJ-altero-ego DPAUL. The track is pure electro/disco-pop, and features a ridiculous/hilarious rap segment toward the end. Seriously, listen to this track all the way through (it’s available for free at his bandcamp)- at about 1:50 in, you’ll smile at the very least, if not have a full-blown ROFLMAO.
Now for what to do show-wise this weekend:
FRIDAY:
Tonight is a VERY rare performance of Nashville legends Jason & the Scorchers at Mercy Lounge. The band was one of the first non-country acts to emerge from Nashville, and were originally called Jason & the Nashville Scorchers. When signed to a label, they were forced to drop “Nashville” from their name because the label thought people would be too shocked to hear rock n roll from a band with Nashville in their name. Thus began the famous “Nashville Curse.” 9pm, 18+ $15 advance, $20 at the door
How I Became the Bomb is at The Basement with Cobra Cheetah Tiger Viper and My Dear Disco. 9pm, $8
SATURDAY:
This isn’t a show, but I must mention that Oktoberfest and the Germantown Street Festival are happening in the Germantown neighborhood. We’ve attended the past 2 years and it’s been a blast. There’s lots of good beer, bratwurst, and all sorts of other unhealthy items, in addition to music, vendors, and people dressed ridiculously. It’s totally free too. Though indistinguishable from one another, the two festivals claim to be separate.
Menomena is at Mercy Lounge with Suckers and Tu Fawning. 9pm
Electric Six at Exit/In was apparently canceled… lame.
The Scene is hosting Saturday’s Musician’s Corner show in Centennial Park. Lineup: Natalie Prass, Evan P. Donohue, Big Surr, Dozen Dimes, and Carter Administration. According the Cream, there might be a 6th band but it hasn’t been confirmed.
Have a great weekend!
Lots of good things happen tonight
October 6, 2010
Before I talk about the nerdy television shows which will be on tonight, I must mention that Nashville rockers Heartbeater released their debut album Slow Waves yesterday. I totally forgot to mention it. Hell I’ve only heard a couple of the songs, but I know it’s an awesome record because I’ve seen them live many times, and they are just that good. The main strongpoint is the amazing chemistry between the two guitar players whose parts are almost always playing off each other and harmonizing. Check them out at heartbeater.net or their label’s bandcamp.
Now for some serious nerding-out.
- Obama finally got a clue and is having solar panels installed on the White House. It’s about fucking time!
- Tonight is the season premier of Mythbusters on the Discovery Channel. The myths their testing tonight both involve dogs, so this will surely be an adorable episode.
- Of course, directly following Mythbusters will be the 2nd episode of Phil Plait’s Bad Universe. This time he will be studying the realities of alien attacks and the overall existence of extraterrestrials, as well as the grim realities of interstellar travel. Two of my favorite things back to back=me having a nerd-out. Here’s a sneak peak at tonight’s episode:
Jasmin Kaset: Get her debut album
October 5, 2010
I’ve known Jasmin Kaset for quite a few years now. Until recently she’d played various small, solo acoustic shows, sometimes with a few friends accompanying her on various instruments. She moved back and forth between Nashville and Australia a time or two. It seemed that she might have been holding back a bit, waiting for the right time to step into the spotlight. That time has come and she’s officially made a strong statement in Nashville’s “other” music scene, the good one. She teamed up with studio wizard and Non-Commissioned Officers founding member/producer Jordan Lehning, and I must say it’s a match made in heaven. He took her sweet acoustic ditties and ballads and turned them into soaring majestic masterpieces fit for a king. (Well, some of the songs are still simple acoustic arrangements, but the standout tracks can most certainly be described as “majestic.”) My only reservation with Jasmin was always that the Phonetic styling of her voice was usually a little too sweet and somewhat childlike. That child of a voice has now matured and her performance on this album simply demands your attention and respect. She still sounds distinctly like Jasmin, but she’s singing more robustly these days, and I absolutely love it. Some of these songs will no doubt draw comparisons to Regina Spektor, but honestly in my humble opinion I think Jasmin’s songwriting simply eclipses that of Ms. Spektor.
The album is short, but it’s worth every penny of the $5 you will spend to purchase it directly through her website. The artwork is worth mentioning as well- a delight for your eyes.
Dixie Downturn 8 off 8th tonight
October 4, 2010
Next Big Hangover. Next Binge Nashville. I’ve heard it all. But it’s over. It was awesome and everyone had a blast, but it’s time to move on with the regular Nashville rock and roll grind. Going out and seeing another show is probably not high on your list of things to do tonight, but if there was ever a lineup capable of changing that sentiment, it’s the Dixie Downturn 8 off 8th tonight at Mercy Lounge.
What’s Dixie Downturn? Oh, they’re just the greatest blog in the universe. Well, 2nd greatest blog… obviously this blog is the greatest in the universe. J/K. Seriously though, they are brand-spankin’ new and they are already rocking my world, mainly because they said this about my band Powerbrrrd:
Powerbrrrd are three goofy mofos that play sloppy, infectious rock ‘n’ roll music in the vein of Superchunk and Guided by Voices. They also have a video that reenacts the opening sequence from The Adventures of Pete and Pete. They are obviously in the running for greatest band in the universe for that fact alone.
But also because they put together this utterly amazing lineup for an 8 off 8th tonight- Spanish Candles, Powerbrrrd, Action!, Diarrhea Planet, Heartbeater, Fake Brad, Big Surr, and one more that I haven’t heard about yet. All these bands are bands that we love to play with and who love us, and now we love DD, who also loves us, and and and there’s just so much love.
Massive love aside, keep an eye on Dixie Downturn y’all- they’re all about the free shit, and that’s alright with me. Here’s a link to their post about tonight, and here’s a link to the facebook event. As always, it’s FREE, 21+, and there are $2.50 Yuenglings.
Breaking news: new earth-sized planet found in Gliese 581 system
September 29, 2010
Image via Wikipedia
Our old friend Gliese 581 just keeps getting more and more interesting. Astronomers have discovered yet another VERY interesting planet orbiting this star. The star itself is a red dwarf- much smaller and cooler than our own sun, which mean it’s habitable zone is much closer than that of our sun. This new planet is only about 3 times the mass of earth, and it is within the star’s habitable zone!
Clearly this is exciting, but it’s still not a true “earth-twin” because we have no way to determine if the planet even has an atmosphere. It was discovered the same way all 5 other planets in this system have been discovered- the radial velocity, or “wobble” method in which astronomers measure the planet’s tug on the star as it orbits. I’m assuming the planet does not line on the plane of our line of sight to the star, otherwise we’d have transit observations to go along with these RV observations. Also, because it is so close (it orbits in only about 37 days) it’s probably tidally locked. This means the planet rotates at the same rate it orbits the star, resulting the same face of the planet always facing the star, exactly how or own moon always faces us with same side. Thus, one side of the planet would be much hotter than the other, and this is big mitigating factor in the likelihood of the planet harboring life.
The big deal here is simply that there is a somewhat earth-like planet orbiting a star right at our galactic doorstep. The Gliese 581 system is only about 20 light years away. Statistically, if earth-like planets were rare in our galaxy, the chances of one being so close to us would be VERY VERY low. So having one at our doorstep means that earth-like planets must be pretty common in our galaxy, VERY common, in fact. I have a strong feeling that as more data from the Kepler mission comes in, they’re going to start popping up everywhere, and that’s exciting.
I could go on and on, but what I’ve presented thus far is a condensed version of the Bad Astronomy post that just went up, so head over there to get the full details. As always Phil does a great job presenting the facts in laymen’s terms.
Ask your congressman to vote YES on NASA Authorization Act of 2010 TODAY
September 29, 2010
It is imperative for the future of NASA that you IMMEDIATELY call your congressman’s Washington office and ask they vote YES on S. 3729- NASA Authorization Act of 2010! If you’re in Nashville then your congressman is Jim Cooper and his # is 202-225-4311. The bill is up for a vote TODAY and the session ends this Friday, so if they don’t pass the bill now, NASA will have NO BUDGET for the next fiscal year, which also starts Friday. Phil Plait explains quite well on his blog why you should do this, but honestly, time is of the essence, please take my word for it: it is IMPERATIVE that this bill get passed! If you’re not in Nashville and read this in time, use this link to find you representative and CALL HIM/HER NOW.
steve cross loves music and science 