Three solo acoustic shows by Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy are the gems in today's Bittorent Brunch. One of my favorite live recordings, Tweedy at Harper College in 1999, starts things off.
Jeff Tweedy: 1999-03-05, Harper College [flac]*
Jeff Tweedy: 1999-06-15, Chicago [flac]*
Jeff Tweedy: 1997-11-25, Cambridge [flac]*
Uncle Tupelo: 1994-05-01, St. Louis [flac]*
Decemberists: 2004-09-22, Champaign [shn]*
The Music: 2004-12-11, Los Angeles [flac]*
Camper Van Beethoven: 2004-12-20, Colorado Springs [flac]*
Kings of Leon: 2004-06-25, Glastonbury [flac]*
The Darkness: 2004-03-03, Cologne [flac]*
Neil Young: 1971-02-27, London [shn]*
Flaming Lips: 2004-11-18, Late Night with Conan O'Brien [dvd]*
*registration required
Scott at Stereogum names his favorite 14 discs of 2004.
Sin City Sounds offers offbeat holiday tunes on their outdated Advent calendar.
The Morning News lists their top ten 2004 albums, along with mp3 selections.
Sunsquashed has the tracklisting for the upcoming Yo La Tengo compilation.
Make your own Christmas carol.
John Peel's most played songs of 2004.
Boomkat lists their top 50 albums of 2004.
Allmusic's editors list their best albums of 2004.
Pulse of the Twin Cities looks back on their local music scene in 2004.
Looking for a last-minute gift for a sports fan? Here are five recommended books.
The New York Times listens to records with jazzman Wayne Shorter.
Writers of yuletide hits share their experiences with the Independent.
All-star humanitarian Cd's are back in vogue.
NPR's Morning Edition chronicles an immigrant's first American Christmas.
Camper Van Bethoven: 2004-12-07, Hamburg [mp3,ogg,flac]
Camper Van Beethoven: 2004-11-22, London [mp3,ogg,flac]
Decemberists: several tracks [mp3]
Keane: audio & video [mp3,mov,midi]
Audio Is a War: two tracks [mp3]
Yage: several tracks [mp3]
Chromelodeon: several tracks [mp3]
Dead Girls Ruin Everything: two tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from Lilac Sky records [mp3]
Various Artists: Cactus Island recordings compilation [zipped mp3]
Various Superheroes: Exciting Christmas Stories [mp3]
A show by the new version of Son Volt headlines today's Bittorrent Brunch.
Son Volt: 2004-12-11, St. Louis [flac]*
Cracker & Camper Van Beethoven: 2004-12-20, Colorado Springs [flac]
Radiohead: 2003-10-06, Atlanta [flac]*
The Walkmen: 2004-08-10, Belle Vernon [flac]*
Steve Earle: 1996-01-17, San Francisco [flac]*
Built to Spill: 2001-09-25, Atlanta [dvd]*
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: 2004-11-08, Manchester [flac]*
The Melvins & Mudhoney: 2004-03-07, Seattle [flac]*
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: 2003-10-11, Livid Festival [flac]*
The Smiths: 1985-10-25, Glasgow [flac]*
*registration required
New West Records is offering a preview of the forthcoming Drive-By Truckers live dvd as well as an e-card from the band (warning: sound).
A Whole Lotta Nothing lists his "best of the net music for 2004."
Reason interviews FCC chairman Michael Powell.
Pitchfork lists their top 50 albums of 2004. How many have you heard? (Indie nerd that I am, I had heard 36 of these in their entirety)
Andy Cirzan offers Santa Soundscapes 2004!
Slate's Fred Kaplan lists the year's best jazz records.
Chicago Tribune music critic Greg Kot lists 2004's memorable live shows.
LA Weekly lists 5 2004 list-obsessed books. Also in LAW, 13 2004 CD reissues you may not have heard of.
The Broward New Times lists their top ten albums of 2004.
A St. Louis Post reporter is suspended for extracurricular Internet activities (his blog).
Washington's Metro Weekly lists the best and worst music of 2004.
Rex at Fimoculous lists his best albums of 2004.
The Boston Herald writes a puff piece on podcasting.
Virgin Mobile gets viral with Chrismahanukwanzakah.
Kate Bush is working on a new album.
The Hershey Chronicle names their top ten albums of 2004.
The Washington Post reviews John Waters' appearance Tuesday night.
Zumpano: 1987-04-08, Detroit plus b-sides & rarities [mp3]
Sufjan Stevens: unreleased holiday songs [mp3]
Mary Kate O'Neil: several tracks [mp3]
Sorayas: several tracks [mp3]
Early Day Miners: several tracks [mp3]
Stationary Odyssey: downloadable ep [mp3]
Various Artists: Suburban Sprawl's annualHoliday compilation [mp3] (via)
Drekka und Vollmar: two holiday tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from BlueSanct Recording Corporation [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from Trailer Records [mp3,real]
Various Artists: tracks and samples from Zeal Records [mp3]
In honor of his birthday yesterday, a 1974 Frank Zappa show highlights today's Bittorrent Brunch.
Frank Zappa: 1974-09-08, Bologna [flac]*
The Shins: 2004-12-11, Los Angeles [flac]*
Green Day: 2001-04-26, New York [flac]*
The Cure: 2004-10-15, Black session [flac]*
Brian Wilson: 2004-02-20, London [flac]*
Neil Young: 1999-10-30, Bridge School Benefit [flac]*
Van Morrison: 1971-09-11, Marin [shn]*
Paul McCartney & Wings: 1976-05-03, Fort Worth [shn]*
Bob Dylan and others: 1975-12-08, New York [dvd]*
Beck: 2003-04-28, London [dvd]*
*registration required
i-Mockery reviews Christmas in the Stars, the Star Wars Christmas Album.
Download the Beastles album (the Beatles vs. the Beastie Boys).
Pitchfork lists their top 50 singles of 2004.
Playlouder lists their top 50 albums and singles of 2004.
Rex at Fimoculous names his top 25 blogs of the year.
Looking to get away from the family on Christmas day in Atlanta? The Earl is presenting a Special Xmas Evening with Patterson Hood (of the Drive-By Truckers).
Slate profiles author Alice Munro.
Heavy Black Frames lists his 2004 Top 5's.
The New York Press offers New year's Eve music suggestions in the Big Apple.
The Orlando City Beat reviews the Saint Etienne singles collection, Travel Edition 1990-2005.
Ani DiFranco has two albums finished, the first out January 25th. "I tend to follow my own pace so that it shifts from year to year, but generally it's pretty fast and furious, and it's more like a sensation of running to catch up with my muse, I guess."
Marriage proposal via iPod engraving
Download a plethora of drum 'n bass live sets.
The Wikipedia entry for "bastard pop"
Why Baltimore House Music Is The New Dylan.
Flagpole lists holiday releases to cherish and avoid, and writes a brief love song to do=it-yourself recording.
The new Harry Potter book's presales have it #1 on many lists (even though Half-Blood Prince won't be available until July 16).
Drowned in Sound profiles the Charlatans.
Bloc Party: Peel session [mp3]
Extreme Elvis: holiday songs [mp3]
Señor Tonto: holiday songs [mp3]
Teenage Harlets: audio & video [mp3,mov]
Panty Lions: several tracks [mp3]
The Softies: several tracks [mp3]
Tullycraft: several tracks [mp3]
James Yorkston & the Athletes: two tracks and several samples [mp3]
My Teenage Stride: several demos [mp3]
Vatious Artists: "Lest We Forget" Berkeley compilation tape [mp3]
Comments are once again down as my web host has temporarily halted my comments script (high loads on the server due to comment spam, grrrrr).
Once again, I'll ask your advice for Movable Type-friendly hosting providers. My laziness may keep me from changing (again), but I'm looking for solid uptime, about a gig of storage and at least 20 gig of bandwidth. Reliability is the key, and a good price helps (as does knowledgeable tech support). Please e-mail me with any suggestions, and thanks in advance.
Recent shows by the Drive-By Truckers, Polyphonic Spree, Guided By Voices and Patty Griffin highlight today's Bittorrent Brunch.
Drive-By Truckers: 2004-12-16, Towson [shn]
Polyphonic Spree: 2004-12-18, Grand Prairie [shn]
Guided By Voices: 2004-11-03, Athens [flac]*
Patty Griffin: 2004-12-03, KGSR [flac]*
Tori Amos: 1998-09-11, KNDD [flac]*
The Clash: 1982-01-24, Tokyo [flac]*
White Stripes: 2002-07-12, Chicago [flac]*
Radiohead: 2000-07-04, Berlin [shn]
Bob Dylan: 1978-11-10, Seattle [flac]*
Thom Yorke: 1996-04-10, Rockville [shn]*
*registration required
Sea Ray's final show will be January 21st.
Internet Week has fallen in love with del.icio.us.
Comic artists use the internet to ensnare readers.
Harvard hip-hop prof moves to Stanford, find out why.
The Day offers books that are "stocking stuffers for short attention spans."
The New York Post reviews Sunday's Scissor Sisters show.
USA Today lists 2004's top 100 selling books in the US.
Singer/songwriter Rachael Yamagata is profiled by the Associated Press.
NPR's Day to Day reviews Art of Modern Rock.
The Soundtrack of Our Lives: 2001-06-01, Norwegian Wood [mp3,ogg,shn]
The Soundtrack of Our Lives: 2001-10-13, Hamburg [mp3,ogg,shn]
The Soundtrack of Our Lives: 2004-09-18, ACL Music Festival [mp3,ogg,shn]
The Books: several tracks [mp3]
King of Woolworths: several tracks [mp3,real]
The Animators: several tracks [mp3]
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!: several tracks [mp3]
Bonny Prince Billy & Matt Sweeney: "My Home Is the Sea (live)" [mp3]
Six Organs of Admittance: "Home" [mp3] from School of the Flower
Magnolia Electric Co.: "The Dark Don't Hide Here" [mp3] from Trials and Errors
A vintage Kinks holiday show and two KROQ Acoustic Xmas performances lead off today's Bittorrent Brunch.
The Kinks: 1977-12-24, Kristmas Koncert [shn]*
Keane: 2004-12-11, KROQ Acoustic XMAS [flac]*
Modest Mouse: 2004-12-11, KROQ Acoustic XMAS [flac]*
Modest Mouse: 2003-07-22, Atlanta [flac]*
Death Cab for Cutie: 2004-10-30, Austin [flac]*
Bjork: 2003-07-26, Fuji Rock Festival [dvd]*
Drive-By Truckers: 2004-12-15, Greenville [flac]*
Drive-By Truckers: 2004-12-18, Richmond [flac]*
Drivin' 'n' Cryin': 2004-11-26, Atlanta [flac]*
Radiohead: 1996-10-03, Providence [flac]
*registration required
No Love For Ned offers his annual holiday music show, with additional links to his 2002 and 2003 shows. That's six hours of holiday jingles, brought to you by the man who makes internet radio listenable, No Love For Ned.
Also recommended: SomaFM's Xmas in Frisco.
With the end of year approaching and hardly any music being released, I'll be passing on the one interesting CD release this week, The Adored's debut ep.
The Simpsons' 5th season and Napoleon Dynamite will be in my shopping bag at the end of the day, though, both will make excellent holiday gifts for family and friends, and the Simpsons discs will be a great addition to our DVD library. Is there anything I'm missing?
The Adored: EP [cd]
The 4400 - The Complete First Season [dvd]
De-Lovely [dvd]
Drawing the Line - Portrait of Keith Haring [dvd]
King Arthur (Unrated Widescreen Director's Cut) [dvd]
The Manchurian Candidate (Widescreen Edition) [dvd]
Napoleon Dynamite [dvd]
Shaun of the Dead [dvd]
The Simpsons - The Complete Fifth Season [dvd]
The Simpsons - The Complete First Five Seasons [dvd]
Star Trek Voyager - The Complete Seasons 1-7 [dvd]
Star Trek Voyager - The Complete Seventh Season [dvd]
Surviving Christmas [dvd]
Thunderbirds (Full Screen Edition) [dvd]
Vincent Van Gogh - A Dutchman [dvd]
Jake Coyle lists his top 10 rock albums of the year.
NPR's Weekend Edition profiles Fat Possum Records.
Paul Wells writes "iTunes as Autobiography."
DJ's from Boston College's WZBC list their top ten releases of 2004.
Wired News profiles iPodMyPhoto.com.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reviews Saturday night's Drive-By Truckers show. "Even as they sing of Cadillacs and whiskey, they make it powerful and compelling with their energy and sincerity. Plus they have a devastating three-guitar attack that's sometimes tastefully composed, yet sometimes joyfully chaotic."
The OC gives Leslie Feist a well-deserved break.
iPods: the holiday gift worth listening to.
Looking for an iPod? O'Grady's Power Page lists several options for holiday shoppers.
What do teens want for Christmas?
Arcade Fire: 2004-10-02, CBC Radio 3 [mp3]
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: 2004-07-24, New York [mp3]
Slint: 1989-08-19, Chicago [mp3]
The Get Up Kids: 1999-10-09, Seattle [mp3]
Venetian Snares: several live shows [mp3]
Graham Coxon, Damon Albarn: Peel tribute songs [mp3]
Bob Dylan: "Rough Cuts" (Power Station, 1983) [mp3]
Brittlestar: two tracks [mp3]
The Aluminum Group: several tracks [mp3]
Morning Spy: several tracks [mp3]
Art of Modern Rock is a magnificent collection of poster art sure to please both music and art fans. With almost 500 pages of amazing posters, this book would make an excellent gift for the music fan on your holiday shopping list.
Book #51 of my reading year will be Dave Eggers' book of stories, How We Are Hungry.
Billy Bragg: 2004-03-29, London [mp3,ogg,flac]*
Camper Van Beethoven: 2002-07-19, New York [mp3,ogg,flac]
Camper Van Beethoven: 2002-07-18, New York [mp3,ogg,flac]
Los Lonely Boys: 2004-10-14, Phoenix [flac]
Bad Livers: 1981-08-12, Austin [shn]
Gavin DeGraw: 2004-12-11, Pittston [flac]
Mary Karlzen: several tracks [mp3]
The Slats: several tracks [mp3]
Brian Franklin: several tracks [mp3]
Paul Roub: several tracks [mp3]
MacGregor: 2001-05-18, Edgewater [mp3]
Th' Legendary Shack*Shakers: several tracks [mp3]
Peelander-Z: two tracks [mp3]
David Mead: two outtakes, several live tracks [mp3]
Dawn Landes: several tracks [mp3]
Tim Bluhm: several tracks [mp3]
American Drag: several tracks [mp3]
Antony and the Johnsons: one track and several samples [mp3]
The Heavenly States: two videos [mov]
The Honorary Title: "Bridge and Tunnel" [mp3]
RIP Kevin Coyne... Enjoy the two Kershaw sessions in today's Bittorrent Brunch.
Kevin Coyne: two Kershaw sessions [flac]*
R. Crumb & The Cheap Suit Serenaders: 1984-09-05, Cotati [flac]*
Various Artists: 2004-12-13, 40 Watt Xmas party [flac]*
Drive-By Truckers: 2004-12-11, Charlotte [flac]
The Handsome Family: 2004-1-12, New York [flac]*
Magnetic Fields: 2001-07-01, Roskilde Festival [flac]*
Pixies: 2004-12-04, Camden [flac]*
16 Horsepower: 2000-03-20, Nijmegen [flac]*
PJ Harvey: 1995-10-01, Modern Rock Live [flac]*
Kid Creole & The Coconuts: 1982-10-16, Essen [flac]*
*registration required
Obsessive Consumption v2 has launched, stop by and watch as largehearted pal Kate creatively chronicles the beating down of that interesting drug, consumer credit. Kudos to her for the mention of OCv2 in January's Money magazine.
Other Music published their 2004 year end recap.
Music writers at the Las Vegas Mercury list their favorite 2004 releases.
Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood is no longer Japan's best selling novel of all time.
Bloc Party signs with Vice Records.
Shonen Knife is still sharp after 23 years.
Thalia Zedek talks to the Providence Journal. "In the past I've tried to write stuff and fit the words to music, and it just doesn't work for me."
Local H: 2004-12-10, Q101 [mp3,ogg,flac]
Rainer: 1983-12-05, KXCI [mp3,ogg,flac]
The Fashion: one track and several clips [mp3]
Oxford Collapse: several tracks [mp3]
The Dudley Corporation: several tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from The Social Registry Records [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from Lovitt Records [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from File-13 Records [mp3]
Loxsly: "Dramatador" live on KVRX [mp3]
Pokett: "Train" [mp3]
The stripped-down demo recordings you can find online are some of my favorite downloads. Today's Bittorrent Brunch features two sets of REM demos and an amazing Jonathan Richman demo recording from 1973. Recent shows by Snow Patrol, Franz Ferdinand and The Delgados are also featured.
REM: Green demos [flac]*
REM: Life's Rich pageant demos (and more) [flac]*
Jonathan Richman: 1973 Living Room Demos [shn]*
Green Day: 2004-12-12, Los Angeles [flac]*
Franz Ferdinand: 2004-12-11, Los Angeles [flac]*
Pearl Jam: 2004-10-01, Reading [flac]
Delgados: 2004-12-13, Paris [flac]*
Snow Patrol: 2004-09-22, Minneapolis [flac]*
Chris Whitley: 1999-05-20, Philadelphia [flac]*
Golden Smog, Minus 5, Uncle Tupelo, Wilco: videos [dvd]*
*registration required
Donewaiting.com now has a podcast.
The Guardian asks thirty "movers and shakers in British culture" to name the highs and lows of 2004.
Kathryn Yu gets a well-deserved mention by John Sakamoto in his weekly Anti-Hit List for the Toronto Eye. (read Kathryn's weblog and thank me later)
Drive-By Trucker Mike Cooley talks to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
ChartAttack offers its holiday gift guide.
Columnists from the Socialist Worker offer holiday picks.
The Perseus Blog Survey results have been posted.
Macworld lists their digital music products of the year.
Dusted reviews the year in music.
Forbes explores wikis, calling them "extreme blogging."
Lotus: 2004-03-06, Richmond [mp3]
Old Crow Medicine Show: several tracks [mp3,wma,real]
minipop: several tracks [mp3]
The Bright Black Morning Light: several tracks [mp3]
Phenomenauts: audio & video [mp3,ogg,mpg]
Queen: rarities [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from Oh! Map Records [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from Turn Records [mp3]
Wilco: "Don't Fear the Reaper" (Blue Oyster Cult Cover) [mp3]*
Dead Ghosts: "Make Me" [mp3] from Exfoliation
*registration required
Two Pavement shows start today's Bittorrent Brunch, with recent shows by the Drive-By Truckers, the Darkness, and a television appearance by the Pixies rounding things out.
Pavement: 1994-04-21, Missoula [shn]*
Pavement: 1994-04-07, Atlanta [shn]*
Drive-By Truckers: 2004-12-10, Charlotte [flac]*
Death Cab for Cutie: 2004-11-09, Seattle [flac]*
Led Zeppelin: 1980-07-07 [flac]*
Doug Martsch: 2002-03-24, Portland [shn]*
PiL: 1979-06-18, Manchester [shn]*
Sex Pistols: 1978-01-10, Dallas [flac]*
The Darkness: 2004-12-10, London [flac]*
Cat Power: 1999-09-06, Seattle [flac]*
Pixies: 2004-12-14, live on Letterman [mpg]*
*registration required
What music is everyone giving this year as holiday gifts?
Last year's "ace in the hole" present for me was Guided By Voices greatest hits album. Several of my friends were turned on to GBV through that record (and several more just rolled their eyes).
This year I'm giving Joanna Newsom's The Milk-Eyed Mender and iTunes gift certificates.
Chromewaves published an excellent top ten 2004 albums list.
Salon offers their top 25 legal downloads of 2004, as well as their top 10 albums and singles.
These Concertino speakers may be the ultimate iPod accessory.
Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis makes USA Today's top 100 people of 2004, as does Jessa Crispin (of Bookslut).
Lemony Snicket answers questions from the Independent's readers.
Prefix lists their top 60 albums of 2004.
Business Week calls RSS feeds "your online paperboy."
The New York Daily News lists their "12 CD's of Christmas."
The Minneapolis City Pages published their "local music yearbook" for 2004.
Radiohead: live & demo tracks [mp3]
Jori Hulkkonen: two live sets [mp3]
50 Foot Wave: several tracks [mp3,wma]
Die Romantik: several tracks [mp3,real]
Magneta Lane: "Cheap Linguistics" [mp3] from their forthcoming 2005 7"
Uncut: "Understanding the New Violence" [mp3] from Those Who Were Hung Hang Here
controller.controller: "History" [mp3] from History
Memphis: "The Second Summer" [mp3] from I Dreamed We Fell Apart
Jake Fairley: "Mosquito" [mp3] from Touch Not the Cat
Hanalei: "Action Drum" & "John Hughes Endings" [mp3] from We Are All Natural Disasters
These may be too late for holiday gifts, but free items are still available via Gratis Internet, Offercentric and Prizecube. All require completion of a trial offer as well as several of your referrals completing an offer. Of the following, I can vouch for the Gratis offers, through them I have received a free flatscreen TV as well as a free 20 gig iPod, and am waiting for shipment of my 40 gig iPod Photo (which will make my wife very happy). The Gratis offers:
free gaming system (4 referrals for an Xbox, PS2 or Gamecube)
free iPod (5 referrals for a 20 gig iPod)
free iPod Photo (10 referrals for a 40 gig Photo iPod)
free desktop pc (10 referrals for a dektop pc)
free flatscreen (8 referrals for a flatscreen or LCD television or monitor)
free handbag (5 referrals for a designer purse)
Offercentric is offering a unique twist: take the free item or a cash equivalent (payable by check or Paypal). Their offers are:
free mp3 players (5 referrals for an iPod or other mp3 player)
free digital cameras (7 referrals for a 3 or 5 MP camera)
free dvr's (5 referrals for a Tivo or Replay TV)
free nintendo ds (4 referrals for a Nintendo DS)
Prizecube is a relative newcomer to the game, and the only one to offer personal video players so far. Plus, their requirement for free video game consoles is one referral less than Gratis.
free video game consoles (3 referrals for a Xbox, Playstation 2, Gamecube)
free digital cameras (4 referrals for a 3 or 4 MP camera)
free personal video player (8 referrals for a pvp)
free video games (3 referrals for a video games)
One caveat: the offers that are truly a free trial seem to be drying up. Advertisers seem to be growing weary of customers signing up for free trials, then ditching the service. AOL (for one) has ceased participating in these offers. eFax is a current offer that is truly free for the duration of the trial, and is easily canceled if you are not impressed with the service.
Grab a couple of Radiohead videos that are the first courses on today's Bittorrent Brunch.
Radiohead: 2003-06-05, New York [dvd]*
Radiohead: 1997-06-28, Glastonbury Festival [mpg]*
Broken Social Scene: 2004-02-12, Rome [flac]*
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: 2004-11-24, Brussels [shn]*
Pedro The Lion: 2004-12-09, Fullerton [shn]*
Guided By Voices: 2004-11-16, Portland [shn]*
Calexico: 2004-11-20, Tempe [shn]*
Jeff Tweedy & Jay Bennett: 1999-07-25, Chicago [shn]*
Cat Power: 1998-11-26, Berne [flac]*
Led Zeppelin: 1973-01-14, Liverpool [flac]
*registration required
Sunsquashed is posting daily reviews of Yo La Tengo's Hanukkapalooza shows.
No Love For Ned's weekly radio stream features Mandarin Dynasty as an in-studio guest this week.
Reuters reviews the 2004 edition of KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas.
The National Post profiles Craig Robinson, creator of Minipops.
The Fort-Worth Star-Telegram interviews the teen actors of the Lemony Snicket film.
Mike Watt: 2004-12-10, Echo Park [mp3,ogg,flac]
Local H: 2004-12-10, Q101 [mp3,ogg,flac]
Ani DiFranco: two live shows and other tracks [mp3]
Morning Theft: several tracks [mp3]
Wckr Spgt: Everybody's Dead (Oh My) [mp3]
Mathematicians: two tracks [mp3]
King Black Acid: two tracks [mp3]
The Drive: several tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from Duna Records [mp3]
Various Artists: Austin City Limits tribute to Townes Van Zandt [mp3]*
*registration required
Indietorrents is a great resource for live shows served in mp3 format. Here's a small sample of the shows available:
Ben Gibbard: 2002-07-13, Seattle [mp3]*
The Postal Service: 2003-05-06, KCRW [mp3]*
James Mercer (of The Shins): 2004-01-07, KBOO [mp3]*
James Mercer (of The Shins): 2004-10-10, Moonshine Festival [mp3]*
The Shins: 2004-02-08, Mission Beach [mp3]*
The Shins: 2002-07-13, Austin [mp3]*
The Decemberists: 2004-09-22, Champaign [mp3]*
The Arcade Fire: 2004-11-27, Minneapolis [mp3]*
Neutral Milk Hotel: 1998-03-04, Carrboro [mp3]*
Desaparecidos: 2001, Omaha [mp3]*
Devendra Banhart: 2004-05-05, KCRW [mp3]*
Pavement: 1999 BBC Evening Session and three Glastonbury tracks [mp3]*
*registration required
Import singles by Morrissey (x2), the Black Keys, the Zutons, the Twilight Singers, and Damien Rice are the gems in this week's record releases, as well as a domestic single by Bonnie Prince Billy. I'll probably put off picking up any of these, though, and concentrate on my holiday shopping tomorrow. Is there anything worth making an extra trip to the record store?
On the DVD front, I'll probably pick up The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition Collector's Gift Set), the first two seasons of Everybody Loves Raymond, and possibly a couple of other presents for friends and family.
This week's interesting releases:
Anouk: Girl [cd]
The Black Keys: Till I Get My Way/Girl Is on My Mind (import single) [cd]
Bonnie Prince Billy: No More Workhorse Blues (single) [cd]
Damien Rice: Blower's Daughter (import single) [cd]
Flunk: Morning Star [cd]
Marah: Let's Cut the Crap & Hook Up Later on Tonight [cd]
Merle Haggard: Unforgettable [cd]
Morrissey: I Have Forgiven Jesus Pt.1 (import single) [cd]
Morrissey: I Have Forgiven Jesus Pt.1 (2 track import single) [cd]
Twilight Singers: Too Tough to Die (import single) [cd]
Various Artists: ABBAlicious [cd]
Zutons: Confusion (import single) [cd]
24 - Seasons 1-3 [dvd]
American Icon (Johnny Cash) [dvd]
Collateral (Widescreen Two-Disc Edition) [dvd]
Everybody Loves Raymond - The Complete First And Second Seasons [dvd]
Everybody Loves Raymond - The Complete Second Season [dvd]
Faith Rewarded: The Historic Season of the 2004 Boston Red Sox [dvd]
Family Guy - The Freakin' Sweet Collection [dvd]
Futurama Volumes 1-4 [dvd]
Godzilla Box Set [dvd]
I, Robot (Widescreen Edition) [dvd]
Joss Stone - Mind, Body & Soul Sessions [dvd]
Julia Child! America's Favorite Chef [dvd]
The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition) [dvd]
The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King (Platinum Series Special Extended Edition Collector's Gift Set) [dvd]
The Lord of the Rings - The Motion Picture Trilogy (Special Extended DVD Edition) [dvd]
Lost in Space Seasons 1-2 [dvd]
Mary Poppins (40th Anniversary Edition) [dvd]
M*A*S*H Seasons 1-7 [dvd]
Meet the Parents (Widescreen Special Edition) [dvd]
Newlyweds - Nick & Jessica - The First Season [dvd]
Paris, Texas [dvd]
Piaf [dvd]
The Princess Diaries 2 - Royal Engagement (Widescreen Edition) [dvd]
Rocky Anthology [dvd]
Star Trek The Original Series - The Complete Seasons 1-3 [dvd]
Star Trek The Original Series - The Complete Third Season [dvd]
Harry Partch has an excellent Wikipedia entry.
The Washington Post explores travel blogs.
Pulse of the Twin Cities offers a "progressive gift list."
The Guardian profiles Dan Brown, author of the Davinci Code.
Stereophile's December recording of the month is Brian Wilson's SMiLE.
Homemade mini iPod ad goes viral.
Coverville is a podcast featuring the "best and worst of cover songs." I don't listen to many podcasts, but this one is entertaining.
iPodlounge offers a guide to free music for your iPod.
Modest Mouse: 2001-09-08, Portland [mp3] (thanks)
The Besties: several tracks [mp3]
Gameboyzz Orchestra Project: several tracks [mp3]
The Chap: several tracks [mp3]
Pipas: several tracks [mp3,mp4,real]
Nixon: Cigarettes & Rainy Days ep [mp3]
Year Future: two live tracks [mp3]
Send For Help: several tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks courtesy of Blue Ghost Publicity [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks courtesy of ArtRocker [mp3]
With the unfortunate demise of Sharing the Groove, several sites have stepped forward to try and fill its shoes. The most promising new site is Purelivegigs, a forum-based bittorrent community that has already seeded many interesting shows in its short life. The first four shows of today's Bittorrent Brunch come from this excellent resource.
The Hives: 2004-12-10, Los Angeles [flac]*
Neil Young: 1999-10-30, Bridge School Benefit (acoustic) [flac]*
PJ Harvey: 2001-09-04, New York [flac]*
The Who: 1989-06-27, New York [flac]*
Pearl Jam: 1992-05-05, Boulder [flac]
Kevin Coyne: 2003-09-13, Germany [flac]*
Stan Ridgway: 2004-12-08, San Francisco [flac]*
Kings of Leon: 2004-06-25, Glastonbury Festival [shn]*
Modest Mouse: 1997-04-27, California [flac]*
Wilco: 2004-07-10, Chicago [flac]*
*registration required
The Washington Post lists the good and bad 2004 holiday music releases, as does the Asbury Park Press.
The San Francisco Chronicle lists their "finest best books of 2004."
Newsweek examines "alpha bloggers" and their effect on technology.
The Telegraph offers the "download" on digital music.
Jake Shears of the Scissor Sisters reminisces on twelve months of mayhem for the Observer.
the Guardian offers their 2004 year in music review, as well as their top ten gigs and musicians who passed away.
The Scotsman profiles Franz Ferdinand.
LamRim.com offers Tibetan Buddhist internet radio.
TheOpenCD 2.0 has been released, full of open source programs for Windows users.
Fender is giving away two Cyber-Twin SE amps.
The Houston Chronicle offers book gift suggestions.
The Tallahassee Democrat recommends music gifts for the entire family.
The White Plains Journal News lists their 2004 best books.
The Miami Herald prefers Michael Chabon to Arthur Conan Doyle, and the Chicago Sun-Times also reviews his latest book, The Final Solution.
The Chicago Tribune calls baby blogs the "baby books of today."
The Nashua Telegraph talks to vinyl enthusiasts (in a related note, I finally replaced the turntable I sold a couple of years ago).
The New York Post profiles the "Fearless Music" television program.
The Reverend Horton Heat talks to the Ann Arbor News. "If you listen to the band's catalog, you might say there are a few recurring themes found in our songs: beer, gin and tonic, whiskey, cocaine, tequila, martinis, marijuana, cigarettes, cars, more beer, pretty women, sermons, cats and dogs, the devil and Texas. All the good things in life."
Billy Bragg: 2004-03-28, Southampton [mp3,ogg,flac]
Tracy Chapman: 2000-05-16, Hamburg [mp3]
Converge: several tracks [mp3]
Fancey: two tracks [mp3]
Crimson Spectre: several tracks [mp3]
Dave Douglas: two tracks [mp3]
A Light in the Attic: several tracks [mp3]
Saviours: two tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from Council Records [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from Purepainsugar Records [mp3]
Kazuo Ishiguro's When We Were Orphans was enthralling until the ending. Ishiguro paints a thoroughly detailed picture of Shanghai, but the story unravels as the end nears. Still, I look forward to reading more of Ishiguro's work, and admittedly was warned by several friends about this book (and avoided it for a year as it sat on my nightstand).
My next book is Art Of Modern Rock: The Poster Explosion.
I am constantly amazed that shows are taped, transferred, encoded and seeded so quickly. Today, Thursday evening shows by the Drive-By Truckers and Muse are available in the Bittorrent Brunch.
Drive-By Truckers: 2004-12-09, Wilmington [shn]
Muse: 2004-12-09, Los Angeles [flac]*
Kings of Leon: 2004-12-10, Friday Night with Jonathon Ross [mpg]*
Flaming Lips: 2000-04-14, Baltimore [shn]
Uncle Tupelo: 1992-12-02, Munich [shn]*
Neil Young: early demos & outtakes, 1965-1967 [shn]*
Public Image Ltd: 1988, Estonia [flac]*
The Black Keys: 2004-10-12, Late Night with Conan O'Brien [mpg]*
Devo: television appearances 1978-1981 [dvd]*
Morrissey: "The Importance of Being Morrissey" documentary [mpg]*
The iTunes store now accepts Paypal.
CNN examines the "invasion of the podcasting people."
Glide lists their top twenty albums of 2004.
NME lists their favorite albums, tracks, reissues and singles of 2004.
"In the broadest possible terms, there are two kinds of Christmas plays: the ones written by Charles Dickens and the ones written by David Sedaris." (my obligatory Santaland Diaries, also available in Holidays on Ice, holiday season post)
Plummeting prices aid consumer electronics holiday shoppers.
Free Time gives quick reviews of 2004 holiday albums, as does the Globe and Mail.
The Globe and Mail profiles Toronto duo Death from Above 1979.
Bad Livers: 1996-10-23, Camp Mather [shn]
Dälek: several tracks [mp3]
Empress: several tracks [mp3]
The Cloud Room: two tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: 365 Days Project (direct download) [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from Lucid Records [mp3]
Turing Machine: "Don't Mind if I Don't" [mp3] from Zwei
Mocket: "Spot-For-Best-Vision" [mp3] from Pro Forma
Kissing Tigers: "I Died in a Mall" [mp3] frpm Trebuchet
Devin the Dude: "Anything" [wma] from To Tha X-treme
In honor of Dimebag Darrell, today's Bittorrent Brunch begins with two Pantera shows.
Pantera: 1998-06-09, Buenos Aires [flac]*
Pantera: 1994-05-05, San Antonio [shn]*
Loose Fur: 2000-05-14, Chicago [flac]*
Bloc Party: 2004-11-07, Paris [shn]*
Radiohead: 1995-02-27, 2 Meter sessions [shn]
Wilco: 2004-11-06, Denver [flac]
Paul McCartney: 2004-10-24, Bridge School Benefit [flac]*
Morrissey: 2000-03-28, Santiago [flac]*
Eagles of Death Metal: 2004-12-07, Detroit [flac]*
Red House Painters: 1997-06-14, Hulstfreds Festival [flac]*
*registration required
The Parasol Records staff name their top picks of 2004.
The Guardian explores online music myths.
Insound lists their top 100 bestselling albums of 2004.
Brooklynvegan continues an excellent string of posts with Joanna Newsom videos and a Guided By Voices feature.
Drive-By Trucker Jason Isbell talks to the GSU Signal. "I’d like to hear Rufus Wainwright cover one of our songs just to see what he would do with it. He’s got such a great voice you know?"
Mother Jones offers holiday book gift suggestions.
Sasha Frere-Jones profiles Keren Ann for the New Yorker. "Every college student who feels a little sad and sits down with an acoustic guitar to summon beauty and form hopes, whether or not she knows it, to come up with one of Keren Ann’s songs."
Webpronews ponders podvertising.
The Christian Science Monitor examines the world of podcasting.
Rob Da Bank is profiled in the Guardian.
The Detroit Free Press names the iPod Mini "gadget of the year."
The Harvard Crimson reviews 2004: the year in rock.
The Lawrence Journal-World offers 2004's best local music.
The Boston Herald lists the best box sets to give as holiday presents.
The Butchies: audio & video [mp3,mp4]
Thirdimension: audio & video [mp3,mov]
Efterklang: several tracks [mp3]
Jetplane Landing: several tracks [mp3,real]
Swervedriver: live compilations of all four albums [mp3]
Smash-Up Derby: several tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks fromWichita Recordings [mp3,real]
Various Artists: tracks from Parasol Records [mp3]
Various Authors: alphabetical list of downloadable audiobooks [mp3]
Bittorrent downloads of live shows are not always just audio, as the first two offerings of today's Bittorrent Brunch show. With DVD burners and high speed internet becoming even more commonplace, expect more live show videos to be available in the future.
Sonic Youth: 2004-07-15, Portland [dvd]*
Miles Davis: two shows [dvd]*
Miles Davis: 1983-04-25, Brussels [shn]*
North Mississippi Allstars: 2004-10-16, Philadelphia [flac]
Be Good Tanyas: 2002-11-04 [flac]*
GWAR: 1985, Richmond (first show) [flac]
They Might Be Giants: 1999-10-23, New York [flac]
Radiohead: 2003-11-27, London [shn
David Byrne: 2004-06-13, Bonnaroo [flac]]
The Onion A.V. Club's critics name their top albums of 2004.
Singer/songwriter Nellie McKay talks to the Telegraph.
Grab Christmas guitar tabs for those festive holiday concerts.
CBS News talks about blogs gaining political influence.
Warner Brothers will reissue every REM album in its catalog as double cd's, starting February 15th.
Forty Media makes predictions for web design in 2005.
Wired News wonders how to make money with RSS feeds.
NPR offers a "listeners guide to world music."
The Milk Factory lists their best albums of 2004.
Retro Remakes offers "classic gaming for the next generation."
The Santa Cruz Sentinel offers CD gift suggestions for "those difficult relatives."
Wired News profiles Flickr, the interactive photo sharing site.
The Cincinnati Enquirer offers a holiday mix CD tracklist.
Musicians are lining up for their songs to be featured on video games.
goTriad lists their 20 best releases of 2004.
Los Lonely Boys: 2004-11-19, Madison [mp3,ogg,flac]
Mutual Admiration Society: 2004-08-09, Chicago [shn]
Patti Smith: 2004-10-22, Paris (White session) [mp3]
Godspeed You! Black Emperor: two shows [mp3]
Emma McGlynn & the Monorails: several tracks [mp3]
The Irises: two tracks and several samples [mp3]
Jason Mitchell: two tracks [mp3]
Celesteville: several tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: tracks from Radio Vulva [mp3]
The Fiery Furnaces: "Single Again" [mp3] from EP
Jeff Tweedy's debut book of poetry, Adult Head, if taken as lyrics, isn't a bad book. As poetry, it's a strong initial effort, but musical backing would have filled in the weak spots. Tweedy takes chances, and often they pay off, but he won't be replacing Theodore Roethke or Wallace Stevens on my bookshelf any time soon. But then again, I won't be buying any of Stevens' or Roethke's music, either.
Book #58 will be Kazuo Ishiguro's detective novel, When We Were Orphans.
I am a huge fan of songwriters, and especially love to hear their songs stripped bare and performed acoustically. Today's Bittorrent Brunch offers acoustic performances by Rufus Wainwright, John Lennon and George Harrison, along with several other interesting shows.
Drive-By Truckers: 2004-07-30, Winston-Salem [flac]
Rufus Wainwright: 2004-12-01, KCRW acoustic [flac]*
Gillian Welch: 1999 UK radio session [flac]*
Smog: 2001-12-04, Malmö [wav]*
The Feelies: 1986-03-14, Cambridge [flac]*
REM: 2004-09-15, London [flac]*
John Lennon: Acoustic Masterpieces [flac]*
George Harrison: Acoustic Masterpieces [flac]*
Various Artists: 1999 Bridge School Benefit [shn]*
Bob Dylan: 1990-08-27, Merrillville [shn]*
From Bubblegum To Sky drops by No Love For Ned's weekly radio show this week for an acoustic set.
Stylus lists their top 40 singles of 2004.
The Morning News lists their 2004 Good Gift games Guide, including a personal favorite, Carcassonne.
The iPod Tiny looks very cool.
The Radford University Tartan lists their best and worst of 2004, including "Frank Ferdinand."
CNN offers their version of the indie fan's holiday wish list.
The Times Online gives the Secret Machines album 4 out of five stars.
The Independent calls podcasting "the people's radio."
Forbes imagines an iPod challenger.
Business Week asks, what are you getting your iPod for the holidays?
Wilco has announced some 2005 dates:
FEB-08 CHAMPAIGN, IL FOELLINGER AUDITORIUM
FEB-09 COLUMBUS, OH WEXNER CENTER
FEB-11 CINCINNATI, OH TAFT THEATRE
FEB-12 MEMPHIS, TN ORPHEUM THEATRE
FEB-13 BIRMINGHAM, AL ALABAMA THEATRE
FEB-15 ORLANDO, FL HOUSE OF BLUES
FEB-16 TAMPA, FL TAMPA BAY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
FEB-17 POMPANO BEACH, FL POMPANO BEACH AMPHITHEATRE
FEB-18 SAVANNAH, GA SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN
FEB-19 MYRTLE BEACH, SC HOUSE OF BLUES
FEB-21 CHARLOTTE, NC OVENS AUDITORIUM
FEB-23 WASHINGTON DC 9:30 CLUB
FEB-24 WASHINGTON DC 9:30 CLUB
FEB-25 CLEVELAND, OH HOUSE OF BLUES
Yet another example of the iPod economy: ipod my photo.
OpenSource Shakespeare offers the complete works of William Shakespeare, fully readable and searchable online. The interweb is truly a wonderful thing.
Engadget offers plans for a do-it-yourself milk jug iPod case.
The Chicago Tribune explores the world of blogs with financial advice.
Los Lobos: 2004-07-25, Grassroots Festival [mp3,ogg,flac]
American Analog Set: two tracks [mp3]
b. fleischmann: audio & video [mp3,mov]
Nina Gordon: audio & video [mp3,wmv,mpeg]
Nina Gordon & Veruca Salt: several tracks [mp3,real,wav]
Mellow Drunk: several tracks [mp3]
The Moaners: "Heart Attack" [mp3] from Dark Snack
Joseph Arthur: "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" (Smiths cover) [mp3] (via)
Depistado: "A Stirstick's Prediction" [mp3] from The Emergency Response
Boxcar Saints: "I Think I'm Done" [mp3]
The iPod Fan Book is a great resource for the new iPod user. Covering everything from basic use to accessories, the book will probably disappoint power users with its simplicity, but the elegant design will keep even them entertained.
Book #48 will be Adult Head, Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy's book of poetry.
There are plenty of download-worthy shows in today's Bittorrent Brunch, but I am always partial to Jeff Tweedy solo shows. This performance from January of 2003 is remarkable (as are most of his solo shows).
Jeff Tweedy: 2003-01-08, Chicago [flac]
Wilco: 2003-09-04, Eugene [shn]*
Yo La Tengo: 2004-10-10, Carrboro [flac]
Paul McCartney: 2004-10-24, Bridge School Benefit [shn]*
Beatles: White album sessions [shn]*
Vic Chesnutt: 2002-02-15, Atlanta [flac]*
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings: 1994-05-19, Nashville [shn]
Interpol: 2003-09-17, Toronto [flac]*
The Feelies: 1991-05-02, Chicago [flac]*
Pixies: 2004-12-05, Camden [flac]*
Bauhaus: 1979, live in the studio [shn]*
*registration required
Gratis Internet has added yet another free offer: Free Gaming Systems. With only four referrals needed, this should be even easier than the iPod. You can choose between an Xbox, Gamecube, Nintendo DS, and Playstation 2.
I am horribly out of the loop when it comes to gaming systems, having an original Playstation and few computer games. Which of these systems would you choose? I'll probably be playing sports games on it mostly (unless I start the Dance Dance Revolution workout), if that helps. I won't need network connectivity or any bells and whistles, either. Thanks in advance for the input.
The New York Times reviews Sunday night's Guided By Voices Irving Plaza show.
Keith (of TTIKTDA) waxes poetic about the upcoming Fiery Furnaces singles and b-sides compilation (as well as posting a couple of tracks). After one listen, this EP (titled "EP," of course) ranks with Low's The Great Destroyer as an early 2005 personal favorite.
Our kitten Neko wants the Coconut Palm Cat Tree for Christmas.
Rough Trade lists their top ten 2004 compilations, top ten 2004 reissues and collections, and top 100 2004 albums.
Store a list of wifi hotspots on your iPod with wiPod.
Sloan is offering their tourdates as an RSS feed.
iPodlounge offers its "iPod Year in Review."
Donutmuse lists their top 25 albums of 2004.
Stripwax is "the world's only comic strip record review."
Salon names their top ten books of the year.
Popmatters' Zeth Lundy lists his best music of 2004.
TV shows are tuning out theme songs.
USA Today lists recent and upcoming music DVD's, as well as 2004's best-selling music DVD's.
The Globe and Mail covers Marqui Inc.'s paid blogger marketing scheme.
Wired News previews videocasting, the inevitable followup to podcasting.
Investor's Business Daily has an iPod, a Blackberry and a mini PC on it's Christmas wish list.
The Philadelphia Daily News offers music gift suggestions.
Mozilla releases Thunderbird 1.0PR, its e-mail client.
Has the internet caused the extinction of plagiarism?
Devendra Banhart: 2004-10-15, Copenhagen [mp3]
Cracker: 2003-05-23, Indianapolis (late show) [mp3,ogg,shn]
Silverbullit: 2001, Goteborg [mp3]
Silverbullit: several tracks [mp3]
Amandine: several tracks [mp3]
Diskettes and related bands: several tracks [mp3]
Lederhosen Lucil: several tracks [mp3]
Various Artists: WFMU's December "On The Download" [mp3]
Various Artists: Blocks Recording Club artists [mp3]
Mark E. Smith: Deeply Vale documentary excerpt [mpg]
Magneta Lane: "The Constant Lover" [mp3] from The Constant Lover ep
A Very Southern Christmas is not your typical collection of holiday yarns. All ten of the short stories are well-written and thought-provoking, but there is not one happy elf or Tiny Tim to be found. The holiday theme is portrayed with all its frazzled edges, and this makes the book welcome when the holidays have become so sanitized and sugared. I'm immensely thankful to my sister for giving me this autographed copy.
iPod Fan Book, by Yasukuni Notomi, is my next book. This book is almost too cute to read, I'd give it an A+ for design without even cracking the spine.
Thanks to Gratis Internet, I was able to order my free iPod Photo, making me 3 for 5 in their promotions (previously I received the free iPod and free 27" Sony WEGA flatscreen television). The iPod Photo will make a great present for my wife.
I still lack a couple of referrals for the free desktop pc and free handbag, but I'm still hoping to fulfill both by Christmas. By the way, the Louis Vuitton clutch has been re-added as an option for the free handbags (I'm sure that will please one of my fashion-conscious nieces).
Has anyone had any experience with Offercentric? I've signed up for their free digital camera, free dvr, free mp3 player, and free Nintendo DS, but haven't completed an offer yet. Are these guys legit?