Thursday, November 15, 2012
Monday, November 12, 2012
Anthony is Pissed
"For the past eight years, I’ve been making a television show called NO RESERVATIONS. I wrote it. I executive produced it. And I appeared in it. My partners and I always tried hard to make it good. "
Sounds like Anthony Bourdain and the Travel Channel are splitsville. Too bad, I dig the show.
Why Does Vinyl Sound So Good?
"However, there is one format that attracts fanatical devotion above and beyond any other– vinyl. For over a century, music lovers have held it dear for the physicality and warmth it affords sound, not to mention the addictive excitement of record hunting."
Oh man how I love "record hunting" Another article on why the wax just sounds better. Indeed.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Fred Perry Interview with Bradley Wiggins
Bradley Wiggins talks Small Faces, Weller, Fred Perry shirts, Manchester, etc.... good read.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Timeless Design, Apple Borrows from Braun
Braun created its first design department in 1956, headed by Dr. Fritz Eichler, who instituted a collaboration with the Ulm School of Design to develop a new product line. The company introduced its famous SK4 record player, designed by a youthful Dieter Rams. Rams soon became the most influential designer at Braun, and was a key figure in the German design renaissance of the late 1950s and 1960s. Eventually he became the head of Braun’s design staff and retired in 1995.
Check out the similarities here.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Monday, October 1, 2012
Museum of Oddities
Vladimir Cobweb - The Curator -
Collector of strange and wonderful things, Vladimir is unfortunately not the most organised of souls.
His Museum of Oddities is a place of wonderment and reflection for the citizens of Retropolis.
The small detail that some of the item’s annotations are a little wide of the mark factually doesn’t seem to have bothered anyone.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Siggi Eggertsson - Illustrator
The Icelandic illustrator Siggi Eggertsson, born in 1984 in Akureyri, has just updated his portfolio, the opportunity for us to rediscover his original work at the limit of pixel art.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
1965 Vespa Super Sport
a really great photo essay on the Vespa Super Sport 180 I mean really top notch photos here! Of course I'm partial to the '65 SS!
and mine below:
Friday, September 7, 2012
Shepard Get Probation
He was sentenced Friday to two years of probation and 300 hours of community service by a judge.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Intellectual Property War in the Nail Space
Can I get an "Oh Brother!" for goons sending out
the cease and desist letters?
Friday, July 27, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
I Can't Do Free
Sharon Hayes writes a brilliant essay on how and why she can no longer do free work, as a graphic designer/UI/creative guy I get these kind of requests all the time. Sharon nails it here. FTA:
"In a typical day, I get anywhere from 10 to 50 questions and requests to do something for others at no charge. A small number of these are from actual friends, some are from acquaintances, some from people who know me (and I don’t know them) and others from referrals. I know that many others are in a similar situation. Perhaps not getting nearly the same volume as I do, but nonetheless, it is troublesome or has the potential to be so. "
Monday, July 16, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
Interview with Dave Wilkinson
local Denver hero Dave Wilkinson gets interviewed about his long time employer(and my favourite shop!) Wax Trax
Thursday, July 12, 2012
ESPN Body Issue
pretty neat photos from the new ESPN Body Issue - athletes naked doing their sport thing - naughty bits cleverly hidden.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Still My Favorite Drummer
Dave Lombardo gets interviewed on LoudWire and talks about a new EP for SLAYER coming out!
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Got My First Tattoo
well not me, but the cat who does the lovely BeerorKid blog and he did the logo of Williams the pinball maker, I have been toying with this logo too as a tattoo - of course I'd flip mine over and make it an "M". Williams is hands down my favorite pinmaker too. Nice job!
Hunger Games - Before and After Photoshop
, ummmm, I'll take the curves anytime. I guess it's done fairly well but skinny is not the right answer. Jennifer Lawrence in GQ - before and after airbrush and tweak.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Rob Delaney's Take on High on Fire
As you know, I am a huge fan of High on Fire as well, good work Rob!
10 Brands That Will Disappear in 2013
Each year, 24/7 Wall St. identifies 10 important American brands that we predict are going to disappear within a year. This year’s list reflects the brutally competitive nature of certain industries and the reason why companies cannot afford to fall behind in efficiency, innovation or financing.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Friday, June 1, 2012
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
Friday, April 27, 2012
Nicolas Jaar
I LOVE Nicolas Jaar. I pick up every single piece of vinyl he makes, THIS is awesome
.
Musician and owner of record label Clown & Sunset, Nicolas Jaar, has just released a new collection of tracks entitled Don't Break My Love, not on CD or vinyl, but on a small aluminium cube called The Prism…
Don't Break My Love is a 12-track label showcase and the 4x4x4cm cube it is released on (above) sports two holes (headphone sockets) and four unlabelled buttons. Jaar tells us that it as well as vinyl, the small metal cube will be the primary format for future releases on Clown & Sunset.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Restaurant Mental Health Code Violations
Some of these are great, especially if you've worked in the industry.
FTA:
"Customer over the age of thirty-five is told by server that chocolate dessert is “tight,” “off the hook,” and also “the bomb.”
"Party of seven all wearing flip-flops in plain sight."
Monday, April 23, 2012
Record Store Day
Interesting article on Record Store Day I .did not go this year for the first time. I did have some family stuff going on but I could have made some time if I wanted to. I saw the 2012 RSD as quite different than past years. This year seemed much more about labels and distribution not about bands or special releases. Just lots of stuff repressed as a release - but not much in the weird B side kinda thing department. Jack White did some interesting things as he always does but more stuff like repressing the Misfits Walk Among Us on colored vinyl..... bah. Hopefully next year they will get back into the spirit of releasing things that are B sides and other oddball things.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
How to Enjoy a Turntable Without Obsessing
Buying records is easy. You can find them by the milk crate at yard sales, for a few dollars apiece in used record stores. But buying the instrument needed to listen to them, a turntable, is a different matter.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
the RISE of VINYL
really great article on records by Joe Petro. FTA:
"Think about the last time you decided to listen to music. Now think about the last time “listening to music” was the sole activity you were engaged in. By this, I mean the music was not just accompaniment to some other activity, like commuting to work, surfing the Internet, or cooking. Obviously music can compliment all these things well, but it can also be great on its own.
Anyway, my guess is that it’s been awhile since you put on an album, laid down on your bed, and listened to it for 45 minutes. If I’m correct, I suggest that you try it out. And if you don’t think you have the self-control to do it on your own, maybe buy some fresh vinyl and give it a spin."
"Think about the last time you decided to listen to music. Now think about the last time “listening to music” was the sole activity you were engaged in. By this, I mean the music was not just accompaniment to some other activity, like commuting to work, surfing the Internet, or cooking. Obviously music can compliment all these things well, but it can also be great on its own.
Anyway, my guess is that it’s been awhile since you put on an album, laid down on your bed, and listened to it for 45 minutes. If I’m correct, I suggest that you try it out. And if you don’t think you have the self-control to do it on your own, maybe buy some fresh vinyl and give it a spin."
Friday, April 6, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Nice Interview with Derek Riggs
How do you feel about The Number Of The Beast sleeve 30 years on? Many people would say it’s the definitive Iron Maiden artwork – would you agree?
I turned out a lot of pictures back then. I did them and they shot out the door, then I never saw them again. Really that picture is just one more in a very long line of pictures that I did in the 1980s. I am a professional illustrator and I don’t get emotionally attached to my pictures. They are just the means for me to earn a living. For me to become attached to a picture would be rather like a carpenter getting attached to a chair. It’s a bit ridiculous really.
I don’t know if it’s the definitive Maiden cover. That’s not my call really, that’s up to the fans. I did a load of pictures for Maiden, they covered a vast area of subject matter. I am not sure what would make one definitive and another one not. What defines Maiden’s covers? I don’t know, the first one I guess, the one set the place for Eddie. All the others followed that first one.
I wish I had more time to paint it, I could have done a much better job. Maybe I should do a new version, now that I have more time to do it. I could do it the way I really wanted to. Or maybe I can’t be bothered… What do you think I should do?
read the rest in here
I turned out a lot of pictures back then. I did them and they shot out the door, then I never saw them again. Really that picture is just one more in a very long line of pictures that I did in the 1980s. I am a professional illustrator and I don’t get emotionally attached to my pictures. They are just the means for me to earn a living. For me to become attached to a picture would be rather like a carpenter getting attached to a chair. It’s a bit ridiculous really.
I don’t know if it’s the definitive Maiden cover. That’s not my call really, that’s up to the fans. I did a load of pictures for Maiden, they covered a vast area of subject matter. I am not sure what would make one definitive and another one not. What defines Maiden’s covers? I don’t know, the first one I guess, the one set the place for Eddie. All the others followed that first one.
I wish I had more time to paint it, I could have done a much better job. Maybe I should do a new version, now that I have more time to do it. I could do it the way I really wanted to. Or maybe I can’t be bothered… What do you think I should do?
read the rest in here
Monday, March 26, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Aaron Draplin
Aaron Draplin is a personal hero of mine. Good hard work done right. Thanks for all you do Aaron.
Aaron Draplin - Insights 2012 Design Lecture Series
Aaron Draplin - Insights 2012 Design Lecture Series
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
New Interview with Barry McGee
Barry McGee is one of my all time favorites.
BARRY MCGEE AND SAMUEL BORKSON: A CONVERSATION
BARRY MCGEE AND SAMUEL BORKSON: A CONVERSATION
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Spring is Coming
My favorite time of year to burn some fossil fuels. If you've never ridden a Vespa this video will give you a pretty good idea of what it feels like. Smiles and looking around. I.Can't.Wait.
That's how strong my love is/EN VESPA (UNOFFICIAL) from Marc Gurung on Vimeo.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Shepard Fairey Pleads Guilty
Shepard Fairey, the Los Angeles street artist, has entered a guilty plea in his criminal case with the Associated Press. The artist pled guilty in a New York court to one count of criminal contempt for destroying documents, manufacturing evidence and other misconduct in his case involving his "Hope" poster of Barack Obama.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
the Scream
The Scream expected to fetch $80 million when it is auctioned this spring... only version with a frame hand-painted by the artist.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
WholeFoods
In my always ongoing attempts at eating better I have been reading the WholeFoods blog - it's packed with really good information about nutrition and good habits. There's some info on what's on sale and stuff too, but mostly good tips on eating better. Check it out here. WholeFoods blog.
Monday, February 13, 2012
GHOST RIDER
my absolute favorite comic rag as a kid, the hollywood movie - notsomuch. I loved Ghost Rider, got me through some tough pre-adolescent times. So reading this is sad and frustrating on a personal level as well as from a copyright point of view.
FTA:
"Marvel forces Ghost Rider creator to stop saying he's Ghost Rider creator.
After nearly five years of bitter and depressing legal back-and-forth only slightly ameliorated by the fact that it concerned a biker with a flaming skull, Marvel has won a lawsuit that forces Ghost Rider creator Gary Friedrich to stop identifying himself as “Ghost Rider creator Gary Friedrich,” simply because he is the creator of Ghost Rider."
FTA:
"Marvel forces Ghost Rider creator to stop saying he's Ghost Rider creator.
After nearly five years of bitter and depressing legal back-and-forth only slightly ameliorated by the fact that it concerned a biker with a flaming skull, Marvel has won a lawsuit that forces Ghost Rider creator Gary Friedrich to stop identifying himself as “Ghost Rider creator Gary Friedrich,” simply because he is the creator of Ghost Rider."
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
Google's New Privacy
Interesting stuff to consider....
FTA:
"Up until March 1, 2012, the data Google collected on you when you used YouTube was carefully cabined away from your other Google products. So, in effect, Google could use data they collected on YouTube to improve and customize the users’ YouTube experience, but couldn’t use the data to customize and improve user experience on, say, Google+."
FTA:
"Up until March 1, 2012, the data Google collected on you when you used YouTube was carefully cabined away from your other Google products. So, in effect, Google could use data they collected on YouTube to improve and customize the users’ YouTube experience, but couldn’t use the data to customize and improve user experience on, say, Google+."
Thursday, January 26, 2012
TurnTable Kitchen's Top 10 Reasons to Buy Records
solid list and dead on!
FTA:
"For me, the ritual involved in playing my records is delicious. I’ll thumb through my record collection delightedly examining the spines of the records in my library before my fingers come to rest on the album I’m seeking. I’ll carefully pull the record out and remove the LP from the jacket. I examine the surface of the record in the light for dust and, if necessary, swiftly brush off any lint or dust that has collected. Next, I carefully place the record on the platter and clamp it to the spindle. I quickly blow on the stylus to remove any dust or fuzz that has collected there before lifting and subsequently lowering the needle to the record. The soft thump I hear when the needle makes initial contact with the vinyl is alone worth savoring. If music is a religion, then this is the sacrament."
FTA:
"For me, the ritual involved in playing my records is delicious. I’ll thumb through my record collection delightedly examining the spines of the records in my library before my fingers come to rest on the album I’m seeking. I’ll carefully pull the record out and remove the LP from the jacket. I examine the surface of the record in the light for dust and, if necessary, swiftly brush off any lint or dust that has collected. Next, I carefully place the record on the platter and clamp it to the spindle. I quickly blow on the stylus to remove any dust or fuzz that has collected there before lifting and subsequently lowering the needle to the record. The soft thump I hear when the needle makes initial contact with the vinyl is alone worth savoring. If music is a religion, then this is the sacrament."
Monday, January 23, 2012
Type Matters
Nice letter to Brad Bird of Pixar from Matthew Butterick on the use of the font Verdana in the latest Mission Impossible movie.
"Verdana is a Microsoft font designed in 1996 designed to optimize the legibility of small text on low resolution computer screens. It wasn't intended for large size text on high resolution movie screens."
Read the letter here.
"Verdana is a Microsoft font designed in 1996 designed to optimize the legibility of small text on low resolution computer screens. It wasn't intended for large size text on high resolution movie screens."
Read the letter here.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Denver Post Interviews Local Hero Jason Heller
"I grew up in a solidly blue-collar family full of truck drivers, waitresses and convicts," Heller said last week. "I know it sounds like a bad country song, but it's true. I'm one of the first people in my family to attend college."
Read it here.
Jason, enjoy the kudos and credit you deserve every stitch of it! Can't wait to keep reading what's next!
Read it here.
Jason, enjoy the kudos and credit you deserve every stitch of it! Can't wait to keep reading what's next!
RIP King Stitt
"No matter what the people say
These sounds leads the way
It’s the order of the day
From your boss deejay, I, King Stitt
Haul it from the top
To the very last drop !"
- King Stitt
Rest in Peace Ugly One!
These sounds leads the way
It’s the order of the day
From your boss deejay, I, King Stitt
Haul it from the top
To the very last drop !"
- King Stitt
Rest in Peace Ugly One!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Thursday, December 29, 2011
My Top Ten for 2011
In no particular order:
the Men - Leave Home
Tommy Guerrero - Lifeboats & Follies
Wooden Shijps - West
Moon Duo - Mazes
Shimmering Stars - Violent Hearts
Nicolas Jaar - Space is Only Noise
Unfact - split
DeathGrips - ExMilitary
All Pigs Must Die - the Blessed Void
Trash Talk - ep
Panda Bear - Tomboy
Slim Cessna's Auto Club - Unentitled
White Hills - hP-1
Dum Dum Girls - He Gets Me High
Cult of Youth - Cult of Youth
Beach Fossils - What a Pleasure
Weedeater - Jason the Dragon
I'm sure I'm forgetting something......
the Men - Leave Home
Tommy Guerrero - Lifeboats & Follies
Wooden Shijps - West
Moon Duo - Mazes
Shimmering Stars - Violent Hearts
Nicolas Jaar - Space is Only Noise
Unfact - split
DeathGrips - ExMilitary
All Pigs Must Die - the Blessed Void
Trash Talk - ep
Panda Bear - Tomboy
Slim Cessna's Auto Club - Unentitled
White Hills - hP-1
Dum Dum Girls - He Gets Me High
Cult of Youth - Cult of Youth
Beach Fossils - What a Pleasure
Weedeater - Jason the Dragon
I'm sure I'm forgetting something......
Friday, December 16, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Does Time Exist?
Complex organisms die. Sad though it is in individual cases, it’s a necessary part of the bigger picture; life pushes out the old to make way for the new. Remarkably, there exist simple scaling laws relating animal metabolism to body mass. Larger animals live longer; but they also metabolize slower, as manifested in slower heart rates. These effects cancel out, so that animals from shrews to blue whales have lifespans with just about equal number of heartbeats — about one and a half billion, if you simply must be precise. In that very real sense, all animal species experience “the same amount of time.”
heavy shit on a Wednesday morning....
heavy shit on a Wednesday morning....
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Quote Someone
“Listen. All great literature is about what a bummer it is to be a human being: Moby Dick, Huckleberry Finn, The Red Badge of Courage, the Iliad and the Odyssey, Crime and Punishment, the Bible, and The Charge of the Light Brigade…” - Kurt Vonnegut
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Obama Asks for Free Graphic Help
we call this spec work and no, it's not cool to ask.
FTA:
"Yes, the Obama campaign is soliciting unpaid labor to create a poster "illustrating why we support President Obama's plan to create jobs now, and why we'll re-elect him to continue fighting for jobs for the next four years."
no thanks!
FTA:
"Yes, the Obama campaign is soliciting unpaid labor to create a poster "illustrating why we support President Obama's plan to create jobs now, and why we'll re-elect him to continue fighting for jobs for the next four years."
no thanks!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
Aaron Draplin
Aaron Draplin, one of my favorite graphics designers interviewed about some of ths shit he collects. Thanks Aaron, you're making my day.
Review of the OFF! Show Last Saturdy Night
Git Some opened, sorry I missed you guys, I love your album - but I was drinking in another bar at time you went on.
Fontside 5 played next, you guys need a sound engineer and a sound check.
Retox - I like your studio stuff more than your live show, my take from you was fire the singer and move the drummer to the front. That guy can play!
OFF! Keith and the boys kicked out the jams for sure, I love how on the encore Keith says "we've played all out songs already, we haven't written anymore so we're gonna go back and play the first 2 songs"
Fontside 5 played next, you guys need a sound engineer and a sound check.
Retox - I like your studio stuff more than your live show, my take from you was fire the singer and move the drummer to the front. That guy can play!
OFF! Keith and the boys kicked out the jams for sure, I love how on the encore Keith says "we've played all out songs already, we haven't written anymore so we're gonna go back and play the first 2 songs"
European Motorcycle Ride in 1953
this is a great photo essay of days gone by. Link stolen from the mighty Coudal!
In the Summer of 1953 my father Geoffrey Gander and his friends set off on their annual Motor Cycling holiday around Europe.
It was probably quite an adventurous trip to take at the time.
They would ride through France, Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland.
We think of old bikes as being unreliable, but my father and his friends were keen riders and engineers and completed the trip without much more than a puncture.
The bikes that took part in the trip were:
GAU 856 Brough Superior SS100 with fuel in the loop sidecar
AHC 650 Triumph Thunderbird. He bought this one on 22nd July 1950 for £219 16 9 and by the day they set off in July 53 it had done 24,900 miles.
KBY 571 Sunbeam
VMM 871 Sunbeam
AHC 963 Triumph
In the Summer of 1953 my father Geoffrey Gander and his friends set off on their annual Motor Cycling holiday around Europe.
It was probably quite an adventurous trip to take at the time.
They would ride through France, Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland.
We think of old bikes as being unreliable, but my father and his friends were keen riders and engineers and completed the trip without much more than a puncture.
The bikes that took part in the trip were:
GAU 856 Brough Superior SS100 with fuel in the loop sidecar
AHC 650 Triumph Thunderbird. He bought this one on 22nd July 1950 for £219 16 9 and by the day they set off in July 53 it had done 24,900 miles.
KBY 571 Sunbeam
VMM 871 Sunbeam
AHC 963 Triumph
Friday, October 7, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
About the Sounds
I have hundreds of gigabytes of digital music. Yet I listen to less than one percent of it. Why? Because it's entirely overwhelming. I have so much, and it's so intangible, that I may as well not even have it. Don't get me wrong, I love the convenience of having entire days (weeks, months) worth of listening in my pocket. But scrolling down an endless list of albums just ain't the same as flipping through a crate of LPs. Cover Flow? Please. Listening to records is an entirely different musical experience. For me, vinyl is more active. More visceral. More mindful. More immersive. I pick the album, admire the cover art, slip it from its sleeve, and play it. And after 20 minutes or so, I turn it over and play the other side. Remember "the other side"? I had forgotten until recently, when I retrieved my record collection from storage and immersed myself in the vintage audio forums online to find the perfect new, old stereo system.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Razor Blades and Knitting Needles
Ray Davies wrote this with the help of his brother (and Kinks guitarist) Dave. Ray played it for Dave on piano, and Dave tried it on guitar. Their first version was 6-minutes long.
Dave Davies got the dirty guitar sound by slashing the speaker cone on his amp with a razor blade. The vibration of the fabric produced an effect known as "fuzz," which became common as various electronic devices were invented to distort the sound. At the time, none of these devices existed, so Davies would mistreat his amp to get the desired sound, often kicking it. The amp was a cheap unit called an Elpico.
Before they released this, The Kinks put out 2 singles that flopped. If this didn't do well, there was a good chance their record label would have dropped them.
When the Kinks heard the first version they recorded of this, they hated the results. It was produced by Shel Talmy, their manager at the time, and Ray Davies thought it came out clean and sterile, when he wanted it to capture the energy of their live shows. Dave Davies girlfriend backed them up, saying it didn't make her want to "drop her knickers." The Kinks' record company had no interest in letting them re-record this, but due to a technicality in their contract, The Kinks were able to withhold the song until they could do it again. At the second session, Dave Davies slashed his amp and Talmy produced it to get the desired live sound. This is the version that was released.
This was the first hit for The Kinks. It gave them a lot of publicity and led to TV appearances, magazine covers, and 2 gigs opening for The Beatles. They didn't have an album out yet, so they rushed one out to capitalize on the demand. This first album contained only 5 originals, with the rest being R&B covers.
Ray Davies recalled in an interview with NME how his brother Dave created the distortion effect on this song. Said Ray: "We stuck knitting needles in the speakers, or in Dave's case, he slit the speakers with a razor blade. In those days we played records on a radiogram so loudly that they all sounded fuzzy. We thought, 'That's a great sound,' without realizing the speakers were buggered. Everyone else was using really clean guitar sounds, so for 'You Really Got Me' we hooked a little speaker up to a clean amp and came up with thunderous, unaffected, pure power."
Dave Davies got the dirty guitar sound by slashing the speaker cone on his amp with a razor blade. The vibration of the fabric produced an effect known as "fuzz," which became common as various electronic devices were invented to distort the sound. At the time, none of these devices existed, so Davies would mistreat his amp to get the desired sound, often kicking it. The amp was a cheap unit called an Elpico.
Before they released this, The Kinks put out 2 singles that flopped. If this didn't do well, there was a good chance their record label would have dropped them.
When the Kinks heard the first version they recorded of this, they hated the results. It was produced by Shel Talmy, their manager at the time, and Ray Davies thought it came out clean and sterile, when he wanted it to capture the energy of their live shows. Dave Davies girlfriend backed them up, saying it didn't make her want to "drop her knickers." The Kinks' record company had no interest in letting them re-record this, but due to a technicality in their contract, The Kinks were able to withhold the song until they could do it again. At the second session, Dave Davies slashed his amp and Talmy produced it to get the desired live sound. This is the version that was released.
This was the first hit for The Kinks. It gave them a lot of publicity and led to TV appearances, magazine covers, and 2 gigs opening for The Beatles. They didn't have an album out yet, so they rushed one out to capitalize on the demand. This first album contained only 5 originals, with the rest being R&B covers.
Ray Davies recalled in an interview with NME how his brother Dave created the distortion effect on this song. Said Ray: "We stuck knitting needles in the speakers, or in Dave's case, he slit the speakers with a razor blade. In those days we played records on a radiogram so loudly that they all sounded fuzzy. We thought, 'That's a great sound,' without realizing the speakers were buggered. Everyone else was using really clean guitar sounds, so for 'You Really Got Me' we hooked a little speaker up to a clean amp and came up with thunderous, unaffected, pure power."
Friday, September 23, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Monday, September 19, 2011
Obama to Raise Taxes
to the tune of 1.5 trillion dollars.... I don't understand? if we can't pay for what we spend now how can the solution be to tax us more? Please President Obama stop spending what we don't have, please make some serious cuts with Congress and balance the fucking budget! Please!
Article here.
Article here.
Friday, September 9, 2011
MLK Sculpture Completed by Chinese Unpaid Workers?
Say it isn't so!
FTA:
"While often overshadowed by his civil rights legacy, King was an outspoken defender of labor rights and was supporting striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee when he was assassinated. But his memorial was built, in part, using free labor imported from China."
FTA:
"While often overshadowed by his civil rights legacy, King was an outspoken defender of labor rights and was supporting striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee when he was assassinated. But his memorial was built, in part, using free labor imported from China."
Friday, September 2, 2011
Quote From Rick James in 1981
"Any artist who tells you that they don’t wanna get gold or platinum records is full of shit. Any artist who tells you he’s doing it for the sake of art is full of shit, OK? I am trying to make multi, multi-millions of dollars, I am trying to make Paul McCartney white boy money, so I can sit back and have a big house in Spain and not ever work again. Right now I got a few million dollars and I’m doing all right; I hope to have 20 million soon, so I can sit back real fat like Mick Jagger and Rod Stewart and all them other assholes who sit out there and talk shit and procrastinate and talk that hypocritical ass bullshit about their ‘art’…"
— Rick James, 1981
— Rick James, 1981
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