AatomBomb

BREAKING:TinaFey'sEvilTwinGetsGOPVeepNod

NotableQuotable

Found in a Gawker comment thread, re: Wired magazine:

"Isn't having a magazine that covers internet life sort of like having an abacus that describes a calculator?"

LizSmith'sFridge

The more you look at this picture, the better it gets.

SummerListening

It's Saturday, and I haven't posted for a while, so here's a fabulous little listicle for you! A brief rundown of a few things on my iTunes heavy rotation list currently (but not necessarily current!):

John Digweed - Transitions Vol. 4

John Digweed is one of those artists that seems to continuously raise the bar on his own creative expectations. His 4-part Transitions series, a compilation set based on his popular radio show, captures the oft-misunderstood beating heart of the electronic mindset and catapults the whole concept into the near future in one fell swoop. Vol. 2 remains my favorite, perhaps for "The Shivering" alone, but Vol. 4 is an understated finale that is gradually winning me over. I've never heard a DJ who has as much deep respect for the sonic possibilities of technology-based music as well as the talent to explore them with sublime subtlety and finesse. iTunes has taken to releasing these types of compilations with a long mixed track as well as individual unmixed root tracks, which provides the listener the ability to glimpse the creative process of DJing.  Each compilation tends to have 1 or 2 standout tracks that underpin the mood for the entire set, Vol. 4's is "Wear Your Scars Like Medals," with rolling basslines that grumble like thunder over a percolating skyline of digital bliss. 

Roni Size/Reprazent - New Forms

I'm not even sure what made me nostalgic for this album the other day, but I realized that I didn't have it on my iPod yet, and rectified the situation this morning. I went through a heavy Drum & Bass phase in the late 90s, and while I don't listen to it for very long any more, I do return to it occasionally. D&B is one of those annoying genres that generated a cult-like following of nutters who never seemed to notice that 97% of what they were listening to was rehashed shit. But with some patience, there are gems to be found - DJs like Dieselboy and Soul Slinger, labels like Metalheadz, and artist/producers such as Spring Heel Jack and Roni Size. New Forms came out in '97, at the height of Size's popularity with an odd international set of trendmakers and fashionistas who were captivated by his deep, newsoul take on the militaristic rhythms of Jungle. Working with vocalists like Bahamadia and Onallee gave warmth and hip-hop passion to an otherwise cold and mechanistic genre. 

Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours

One of the more exciting hangover effects of the 90s electronic revolution was the inevitable interaction of a more traditional rock/pop hook with the broadened possibilities that technology opened up for post-digital music tyros. Australia's Cut Copy is probably the best example of this concept at work - with their catchy, slightly emo pop lyrics, inventive use of guitars, and tantalizing references to rave-era party culture and 80s New Wave, all wrapped up in a sleek electro package. Their second album, In Ghost Colours, sees the band settling more comfortably into a signature sound, at once more organic and less dark than their first album Bright Like Neon Love, if not as immediately gratifying. Standout tracks like "Hearts On Fire" and "Lights & Music" display a maturity lacking on the first album, however, and transform this electro-oddity into a real band worth following.