I recently finished up work on the album cover you see above. Composer Joe Hallman’s gogreengo has been remixed by Megan Cauley, Peter (PONY) Celment, DJ Carl Michaels/Jamie Johnson, Kono Michi (Michi Wiancko), and Paul Pinto. gogreengo is a hard album to pin down, and tends to be pretty abstract and probably isn’t for everyone, but it’s worth a listen.

Joe gathered some talented musicians to remix his work, and you can hear their stuff and meet them over phenomenal drinks at APO bar + lounge (it’s Apothecary, for those wondering). Make your way there around 5 on the 10th of September and join the fun.

I haven’t heard it all, but in doing my design research, I became fond of Kono Michi’s music. Her vocals and violin work are quite interesting.

First album I ever owned, bought for me by my Dad when I was about five years old. I miss Michael, but I’m not saddened by his death. The MJ I knew as a child has been dead for years.

I’m sorry, the correct answer is: “The real question is ‘Just how awesome is this?’”

To which you must answer your answer with: “So awesome.”

(via 43folders)

Between Apple and Amazon (who are already DRM-free), we may have just witnessed the beginning of the end of music DRM. No one offering DRM’ed music will be able to compete. I hope this trend continues as the savvier companies realize that DRM punishes lawful consumers far more than pirates.

Update: My mistake. It’s the iTunes Plus library that’ll be DRM-free. Well, it’s a start. I still think they’re idiots for clinging to DRM at all, even though I understand why they do.

That description alone will probably make you want to preemptively hate it, but why don’t you just sample some of it here? Or maybe you should just buy it right now.

Blackbird’s been a bit fussy the past few days. The remedy? Dancing to the musical hits of the 1930s.

She’s always liked two things: being close to Mom (or Dad) and movement. Well, it turns out she likes music as well, and is a sucker for the 30s. I was playing 1930s compilation (link opens in iTunes) I’d purchased and dancing around like an idiot with Blackbird in my arms and not only did she quiet down, but she even cracked a few non-directed smiles before slipping into that almost-asleep-but-I-won’t-let-them-take-me-without-a-fight state where she looks like a sleepy cross-eyed drunk.

If there’s anything I’ve taken from this experience, it’s the following three things:

1) It’s surprising how many of these songs are part of our cultural lexicon. With one exception (the woeful ‘Ten Cents a Dance’), I knew every track.

2) I’m going to be very fit in about a month with all this dancing.

3) Once you get past the modern, irony-tinged, throwback quality of the music, you realize that most of these performances are excellent. These people could get the job done. I realize that this revelation is not novel.

Check out the track list after the jump.

Cheek to Cheek – Fred Astaire Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? – Bing Crosby A-Tisket, A-Tasket (1938 Single) – Ella Fitzgerald Happy Days Are Here Again – Guy Lombardo Over the Rainbow (From “The Wizard of Oz”) – Judy Garland This Land Is Your Land – Woody Guthrie Minnie the Moocher (Theme Song) – Cab Calloway When the Saints Go Marching In – Louis Armstrong It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) – Duke Ellington and His Orchestra Puttin’ On the Ritz – Benny Goodman Jumpin’ at the Woodside (1938 Version) – Count Basie & Quincy Jones & His Orchestra Strange Fruit (1939 Single Version) – Billie Holiday As Time Goes By – Rudy Vallee Ten Cents a Dance – Ruth Etting Georgia On My Mind – Mildred Bailey I Got Rhythm – Ethel Waters Blue Yodel No. 9 (Standin’ on the Corner) – Jimmie Rodgers I’m in the Mood for Love (Single) – Louis Armstrong One O’Clock Jump (1937 Version) – Buck Clayton, Count Basie & His Orchestra, Herschel Evans & Lester Young Night and Day – (From “The Gay Divorce”) – Fred Astaire & Leo Reisman & His Orchestra The Joint Is Jumpin’ – Fats Waller Star Dust – Tommy Dorsey & Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra Heart and Soul – Helen Ward, Larry Clinton & His Orchestra Auld Lang Syne – Guy Lombardo Your Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby (From “Hard to Get”) – Dick Powell

Two scenes as viewed from the train this morning. These are best considered while listening to Cicada’s Technology Crisis, which is available for free.

Aren’t they describing the very parts of the English muffin that are nothing?

I mean, I know the “nooks & crannies” thing is their hook, but don’t start assigning adjectives to pockets of nothing; adjectives that are, by their very nature, describing qualities of things made of matter.

How awesome is that? They sent me this for free along with two stickers and a pin. Just more proof that Shadow rocks.

Also, Funky Skunk includes a clip from a Fresh Air interview, which is just great.

Also, it’s really damn good.