M Is FOR MASHUP - May 19th, 2010
Everybody Flamenco Now!
By DJ Useo & Mrs. Grant's 3rd Grade Class
Mashups hit upon many styles. Hip Hop, Rock,Pop, & Electro mainly. But also just about every other type of music that exists, even noise mashups called Crance. Just today I heard a big band mashup using Glenn Miller. I've even mashed bagpipe music, polka music & whatever kind of music you call the Residents. Mashup fans generally prefer the type of mix called the 'genre clash', where you place opposite styles against each other. See where I'm going with this? Well, the
Sound-Unsound forum
( sound-unsound.com/ ) where I'm a moderator does mashup albums every so often & the style is picked by group consensus. I was taken aback somewhat when the new style that was picked was Flamenco! Yup! The Spanish style with the fast guitar-picking & the quick-stepping dancing. I was like 'Groan! How am I going to mix something with that? I don't know Flamenco from Cookie Monster Metal. However, you couldn't ask for much more of a genre clash.
I tried to work up 3 different tracks using Flamenco instrumentals, but they just weren't coming together. So, I did some googling & found out Camaron was regarded as the greatest Flamenco artist. I then got one of his records & found there were some Santana-like elements that I could relate to. Then I decided to add the Beatles to one of the tracks, as I really am into Beatles music. Soon, working with the Beatles vs Camaron concept, I found sufficient inspiration to cut & loop the Camaron into a proper instrumental worthy of adding some Beatles vocals to. The other 3 tracks I tried all got finished, but really didn't manage anything special worthy of making people want to hear them.
Now, the other bootleggers at Sound-Unsound didn't seem to have the difficulties I did with Flamenco. As each new Flamenco mashup came in, it was obvious that the concept of Flamenco mashups was a very sound idea. The submitted tracks all made it through the pre-release team with very little needed in the way of alterations (tweaking, as bootleggers call it) & soon a full disc was ready to go! I was fortunate to be approved to do the final mastering of the record. mARKYbOY, the other top moderator at SUS did up some great final artwork for the comp, & we were ready for release.
It's only been available a few days now, but there's been some very favourable response. I don't think too many other people found the concept as hard to perceive as I did. I even got to play the final album for some friends who really liked it. It's not too hard to see why they'd like it tho', with talent like DJ Le Clown, G3rst, Colatron & DJ Spider among the contributors. I don't think many of us had any familiarity with Flamenco artists, but some truly great artists record in that genre. On this collection, you'll find Great Flamenco artists like Antonio Martinez, Hossam Ramzy & Rafa El Tachuela, Rodrigo y Gabriela & Chamba, all mixed with rock & pop music from the likes of Led Zeppelin, R.E.M., Nirvana & Linkin Park.
Yes, the final album turned out finestkind, so much so that DJ MashUP did up 3 of the tracks with topnotch videos!
See for yourself
G3rst
Survive the Silk Route
( vimeo.com/11703367 )
Chocomang
What the F is Wrong
( vimeo.com/11695622 )
DJ MashUp
Way Ol Flamenco
( vimeo.com/11693954 )
I've learned my lesson about what can be a viable mashup album theme. I really should've known after the success of the Sound-Unsound Reggaeton album!
Get your copy of Sound-Unsounds 'BASTARDO FLAMENCO.
One complete file, or individual track links here
( groovytimewithdjuseo.blogspot.com/2010/05/sound-unsounds-flamenco-bastardo.html )
Mix Of The Week
You don't deserve a mix of the week this time. Go clean up a little & we'll talk next week.
Mashup Tip
Terminate noise exchange two hours before mashing to avoid cramps.
DJ Useo New Thing
This month's Beatles Remixers Forum challenge track is 'Drive My Car'. I added it to loops of Timmo's 'Vat' (Worakls Remix). No stick shift this tune. It's modern & automatic.
( groovytimewithdjuseo.blogspot.com/2010/05/drive-my-vat-beatles-vs-timmo.html )
Recommended Reading
from Bruce
Flashcards with Spaced Repetition--and Quizzes
The greatest internet sports games of all time (guardian.co.uk)
Your surefire route to a lie-in every morning.
Connie Schultz: Why Didn't Coach Tell Me Only Lesbians Play Softball? (creators.com)
Several questions are burning my brain after last week's flare-up over The Wall Street Journal's decision to run a photo of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan playing softball.
Paul Krugman's Blog: An Upward Trend (nytimes.com)
A funny thing has been happening on Capitol Hill: lately, the Democrats have started exceeding expectations. Health reform, pronounced dead by all the usual suspects, happened (all hail Nancy Pelosi, arguably the greatest Speaker ever.)
ROSS DOUTHAT: The Great Consolidation (nytimes.com)
Every crisis - from the global economy to national security - seems to make the powerful more powerful.
Scott Burns: Finding a Low-Cost Paradise (assetbuilder.com)
Moments after opening the Skype video connection, Billy and Akaisha Kaderli smile at me from Chapala, a small town on Lake Chapala just outside of Guadalajara, Mexico. They live there much of the time, enjoying a near perfect climate close to what may be the largest expat colony in the world. They smile a lot, and for good reason.
Ray Fisman: The Right Kind of Peer Pressure (slate.com)
Want girls to do better in school? Surround them with smart classmates.
"Armenian Golgotha: A Memoir of the Armenian Genocide, 1915-1918" (Vintage) by Grigoris Balakian and Peter Balakian: A review by Benjamin Moser
The Armenian genocide is a "controversial" issue that can always be counted on to annoy the Turkish government, which has dedicated its considerable diplomatic and economic resources to repressing its memory.
"I Slept with Joey Ramone: A Family Memoir" by Mickey Leigh: A review by Maria Damon
A Minneapolis event celebrating this publication concluded with Mickey Leigh singing several Ramones songs, accompanied by a trio of local rockers on drums, bass, and guitar. In contrast to the Ramones' wise-guy adolescent-on-speed sound, Joey's younger brother's was wistful, sweet, and even tender. Later, getting my book signed, I remarked on it to Mickey. "I never feel closer to my brother than when I'm singing his songs," he acknowledged.
Randall Roberts and Todd Martens: Ronnie James Dio, lead singer of Black Sabbath, Rainbow and Dio, dies (latimes.com)
Every metal vocalist who's ever reached for an operatic note owes a debt to the master.
Sam Leith: To his fans, Bill Hicks was a prophet. But surely a comedian just needs to be funny? (guardian.co.uk)
Bill Hicks's filthy tirades on drugs, money and war have made him an alt.culture hero. But he was no revolutionary.
Roger Ebert: "Cannes #2: A magical curtain for Jacques Tati"
I walked into Cinema Arcades, behind our hotel, for a Cannes market screening of "The Illusionist" and saw the magically melancholy final act of Jacques Tati's career.
David Bruce: Wise Up! Baseball/Softball (athensnews.com)
Outfielder Woody Held once watched a Mickey Mantle home run sail over the center field fence. When he got back to the dugout, his teammate Billy Hunter gave him some fielding advice: "Woody, I don't believe you're playing Mantle deep enough."
David Bruce: "Composition Project: Writing an Evaluation or Review" (Lulu.com)
Free download at http://stores.lulu.com/bruceb. This free pdf download describes a composition assignment-writing a review (e.g., of a restaurant, book, movie, etc.)-that I have used successfully during my years of teaching at Ohio University. Feel free to make as many copies as you want to for educational purposes.
Hubert's Poetry Corner
"SECRETs SPOKEn, secrets broken"
Inspiration and mentor for Connecticut senatorial candidate Richard Blumenthal.
The Weekly Poll
New Question
The 'Petitioning for Polanski' Edition
CANNES -- To sign or not to sign is the big question at this year's Festival de Cannes, and there's not a deal memo in sight. But then a petition in support of director Roman Polanski, who is under house arrest in Switzerland in connection with a 33-year-old sex scandal, is always going to set tongues wagging... The petition, posted on a website overseen by French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, asks for "justice" from the Swiss authorities...
Roman Polanski petition circulating at Cannes
What manner of "justice" do you think would be appropriate for Roman Polanski?
Send your response to
P.S. Jencin's response showed up late and was added to yesterday's archived page.
wrote:
From The Creator of 'Avery Ant'
Selected Readings
from that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Rainy morning (!), overcast afternoon.
Cancels Israel Concerts
Elvis Costello
British rocker Elvis Costello has called off planned gigs in Israel, citing what he called the "intimidation" and "humiliation" of Palestinians.
The singer-songwriter is the latest music star to cancel performances in Israel after rock guitarist Carlos Santana and rap forefather Gil Scott-Heron called off their shows.
"It is after considerable contemplation that I have lately arrived at the decision that I must withdraw from the two performances scheduled in Israel on the 30th of June and the 1st of July," Costello said on his webpage.
"I must believe that the audience for the coming concerts would have contained many people who question the policies of their government on settlement and deplore conditions that visit intimidation, humiliation or much worse on Palestinian civilians in the name of national security," he said.
Elvis Costello
Pulls Out Of Cannes
Sean Penn
Sean Penn will miss the Cannes premiere of his new film "Fair Game" because the actor has to testify at a US Senate hearing on the Haiti earthquake, the film's PR company confirmed Tuesday.
Oscar-winner Penn is the latest big name to cancel his appearance at the festival after French film legend Jean-Luc Godard announced at the last minute Monday that he would not attend the premiere here of his "Film Socialism".
Ridley Scott, the director of the blockbuster "Robin Hood" that opened the festival last week, could not attend due to recent surgery on his knee.
Penn, who contributed to the relief effort after the Haiti quake in January, has been asked to appear before a US Senate committee later this week to speak of the destruction he witnessed in the Caribbean island nation.
Sean Penn
Cancels 7 Series
CBS
CBS is moving aggressively to shake up its 2010-11 season, canceling "Cold Case," "Ghost Whisperer" and five other series.
According to a person familiar with the changes, other canceled shows include "Numb3rs," "The New Adventures of Old Christine," "Gary Unmarried," "Miami Medical" and "Accidentally on Purpose." The person, who wasn't authorized to discuss the changes publicly, spoke on condition of anonymity.
The wholesale axings came as a surprise, given the respectable ratings earned by some of the shows and CBS' standing as the most-watched network.
The cancellations will clear shelf space for newcomers, including William Shatner's first sitcom, a police drama with Tom Selleck and other shows to be officially announced Wednesday by CBS.
CBS
Gives W.Bank Lecture By Video
Noam Chomsky
Renowned Jewish-American scholar and activist Noam Chomsky, who was barred from the West Bank by Israel earlier this week, on Tuesday delivered a lecture to Palestinian students by video link from Jordan.
Around 100 students packed into a room at Bir Zeit University near the West Bank city of Ramallah to watch the lecture, delivered by live-link from the Jordanian capital, Amman.
Chomsky had been due to give the lecture in person on Monday, but was stopped from entering the West Bank at the Israeli-controlled crossing from Jordan.
After hours of questioning by border officials, Chomsky's passport was stamped with "Denied Entry" and he was sent away.
He told the paper that Israel's behaviour reminded him of that of South Africa in the 1960s, when it realised it was already considered a pariah, but thought it would resolve the problem with better public relations.
Noam Chomsky
Unveils Musical Tribute To Kennedys
Boston Pops
The Boston Pops is taking the wraps off a musical tribute to the Kennedys.
The world premiere of "The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers," is set for Tuesday night at Symphony Hall. Celebrity narrators Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris will read from some of the most famous speeches of President John F. Kennedy and Sens. Robert and Edward Kennedy.
Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart commissioned composer Peter Boyer and lyricist Lynn Ahrens to write the piece, which will be performed several other times this spring and during the Pops summer season.
Boston Pops
Returns To "Two and a Half Men"
Charlie Sheen
Charlie Sheen, the highest-paid actor in television, has agreed to return to "Two and a Half Men" for an additional two years, after suggesting he would walk away from the hit CBS sitcom as his private life spiraled out of control, reports said on Monday.
A spokesman for the network declined to comment on any contract extension, which was first reported by online news site TMZ. The CBS Corp unit is due to unveil its primetime lineup for next season on Wednesday.
"Two and A Half Men" has just wrapped its seventh season as one of the most-watched sitcoms on U.S. television. Losing the program would have been a blow both to CBS and to the show's producer, Warner Bros. Television. The Time Warner Inc unit makes a mint from selling the show in syndication.
Last month, reports surfaced that he was seeking as much as $1 million per episode -- a substantial raise from his current level of $825,000 -- to continue on an eighth season. Sheen shot down the reported numbers, and said that if his role on the sitcom were to end, "so be it."
Charlie Sheen
Returning To `General Hospital'
James Franco
James Franco is checking back in to "General Hospital."
The "Pineapple Express" and "Spider-Man" actor who guest-starred last fall on ABC's soap opera will return in the role of a bad-boy performance artist - who happens to be named Franco.
The executive producer of "General Hospital," Jill Farren Phelps, said in a statement Tuesday that Franco was coming to Port Charles to take care of "unfinished business."
James Franco
Hospital News
Boney James
Publicists for Boney James say the Grammy-nominated jazz saxophonist has canceled a show after being struck by a suspected drunken driver in Long Beach.
They say James was driving home from a jazz festival in Newport Beach on Saturday when his car was rear-ended while he was stopped in traffic on Interstate 405. He suffered a fractured jaw, two broken teeth and a gash on his chin that needed 14 stitches.
Passers-by pulled him from the car. He has been released from the hospital but canceled a Friday show in Columbia, S.C.
James is married to Lily Mariye, who played nurse Lily Jarvik on TV's "ER."
Boney James
Confessed In N. Korean Prison
Laura Ling
An American journalist who was imprisoned in North Korea for months after briefly crossing into the reclusive country while reporting about the sex trade says she told interrogators in a ploy for mercy that she was trying to overthrow the government.
In her first televised interview since her August release, Laura Ling said Tuesday on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" that she was told the worst could happen if she didn't confess.
Ling said she drew suspicion because she worked for San Francisco-based Current TV, a media venture founded by former Vice President Al Gore.
"I knew that that was the confession they wanted to hear and I was told if you confess there may be forgiveness and if you're not frank, if you don't confess then the worst could happen," Ling said.
Laura Ling
Do As I Say, Not As I Did Tour
Bristol Palin
Bristol Palin is hitting the speakers' circuit and will command between $15,000 and $30,000 for each appearance, Palin family attorney Thomas Van Flein said Monday.
Van Flein confirmed a report by celebrity news website RadarOnline that the daughter of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Quitter) has signed with Single Source Speakers. He added her exact fees will depend on factors such as which group she's addressing and what she must to do prepare.
Bristol Palin, 19, is listed on the speaking group's website as available for conferences, fundraisers, special events and holidays, as well as women's, youth, abstinence and "pro-life" programs.
Van Flein said he believes she's interested in expanding her message beyond teen pregnancy to include her experiences on the campaign trail and in the media spotlight; her parenting approach; and her outlook on life.
Bristol Palin
Leaving CNN
Campbell Brown
Campbell Brown said Tuesday that she's quitting her prime-time show on CNN primarily for one reason: Not enough people are watching her.
CNN has struggled in the prime-time ratings as cable news viewers have increasingly sought edgier, more opinionated programming. Brown, a former NBC News reporter, advertised a "no bias, no bull" persona in a straight news and analysis program with a concentration on politics.
Brown said it was her decision to leave. She said she could say she was leaving to spend more time with her two young children or pursue new opportunities, and both would be partly true.
"But I have never had much tolerance for others' spin, so I can't imagine trying to stomach my own," she said. "The simple fact is that not enough people want to watch my program, and I owe it to myself and to CNN to get out of the way so that CNN can try something else."
Campbell Brown
Ordered To LA Court
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan has been ordered to attend a probation hearing on Thursday that could result in jail time for reportedly missing alcohol education classes imposed for a 2007 drunken driving case.
Court officials said on Tuesday that Beverly Hills Superior Court judge Marsha Revel had ordered the "Mean Girls" actress to attend a progress review in person.
The order follows reports by celebrity website TMZ.com that Lohan, 23, has attended only 10 of 13 alcohol education classes required of her, and months of partying chronicled by Los Angeles and New York paparazzi.
Lohan has been in France for the Cannes film festival this week amid rumors that she is be cast as 1970s "Deep Throat" porn star Linda Lovelace in an upcoming biography film. But no official announcement has so far been made at the festival and Lohan has largely avoided the mainstream media there.
Lindsay Lohan
Assassination Example
Bad Math
A Jefferson County geometry teacher was investigated by the Secret Service after he used a hypothetical assassination of President Barack Obama as a way to teach geometric angles. School officials said the Corner High School teacher apparently was instructing his students about parallel lines and angles and used the example of where to stand and aim to shoot the president.
Authorities were alerted, and Roy Sexton, special agent in charge of Birmingham's Secret Service office, said his agency spoke with the teacher.
He said the investigation was closed. No charges were filed.
Jefferson County School Superintendent Phil Hammonds said earlier the teacher remains at work and there are no plans to fire him.
Bad Math
Rising Rapidly As Ice Melts
Greenland
The ice is melting so fast in Greenland that the giant island is rising noticeably as the weight is lifted. In some spots, the land is rising 1 inch per year.
A vast ice cap covers much of Greenland, in some places up to 1.2 miles (2 km) thick. The ice, in place for eons, presses down the land, making the elevation at any given point lower than it would be sans ice.
Scientists have documented on Greenland and elsewhere that when longstanding ice melts away, the land rebounds. Even the European Alps are rising as glaciers melt.
Now, scientists at the University of Miami say Greenland's ice is melting so quickly that the land underneath is rising at an accelerated pace.
Some coastal areas are going up by nearly 1 inch per year, the scientists announced today. If current trends continue, that could accelerate to as much as 2 inches per year by 2025, said Tim Dixon, professor of geophysics at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) and principal investigator of the study.
Greenland
Prime-Time Nielsens
Ratings
Prime-time viewership numbers compiled by the Nielsen Co. for May 10-16. Listings include the week's ranking and viewership.
1. "American Idol" (Wednesday), Fox, 19.57 million.
2. "American Idol" (Tuesday), Fox, 19.17 million.
3. "Dancing With the Stars," ABC, 19.16 million.
4. "NCIS," CBS, 17.23 million.
5. "NCIS: Los Angeles," CBS, 16.04 million.
6. "The Mentalist," CBS, 14.84 million.
7. "Two and a Half Men," CBS, 13.86 million.
8. "The Big Bang Theory," CBS, 13.73 million.
9. "Survivor: Heroes and Villains Finale," CBS, 13.46 million.
10. "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," CBS, 13.42 million.
11. "Survivor: Heroes and Villains," CBS, 13.28 million.
12. "Criminal Minds," CBS, 13.07 million.
13. "The Good Wife," CBS, 12.85 million.
14. "Desperate Housewives," ABC, 12.75 million.
15. "Dancing With the Stars Results," ABC, 12.52 million.
16. "Glee," Fox, 11.57 million.
17. "CSI: NY," CBS, 11.36 million.
18. "60 Minutes," CBS, 11.35 million.
19. "Grey's Anatomy," ABC, 11.05 million.
20. "CSI: Miami," CBS, 11 million.
Ratings
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