Winnipeg Free Press - September 29th
IF you are suffering from social-media fatigue, chances are the announcements made last week by Facebook and Google aren’t going to make it easier. Facebook made a splashy announcement about their revamped social-networking service, which will now include an extensive online timeline (the story of your life ), a real-time ticker, a Twitter-like subscription function for people you don’t know personally and a focus on social sharing and social discovery of music (from services like Spotify, not currently available in Canada), movies (Netflix) and other activities like cooking, reading or watching TV. Facebook has already rolled out some of the new features, but the main changes should be active before Oct 1. Perhaps overlooked during all the attention paid to Mark Zuckerberg and the world’s largest social network was Facebook’s newest competitor, Google+, which is now out of beta with no invitation needed to join. During the initial private beta rollout, over 20 million users signed up to use the service. Google+ has a lot of the features social-networking users have grown accustomed to, but it also includes some unique stuff like Hangouts (video chats with multiple people), Sparks (to help you discover things you are interested in) and Circles to help you compartmentalize your online sharing. If you haven’t given Google+ a shot yet, now is as good as any time to sign up and see how many of your friends have migrated to the recently launched service. CAN’T get enough of AMC’s zombie apocalypse thriller The Walking Dead? The network has recently announced a 30-minute talk show that will debut Oct. 16, following the encore presentation of Dead’s season première. Host of The Nerdist Chris Hardwick will lead the post-episode discussion with actors, writers and viewers of the show. “As an enormous fan of both The Walking Dead comic and television show, I pretty much begged for this job,” Hardwick said. “Dissecting the moves of Rick Grimes and the remaining survivors after every episode is something I would be doing with my friends anyway, so the fact that AMC is actually paying to do so is a bonus.” OKLAHOMA City’s psychedelic rockers the Flaming Lips have never done things the traditional way. From recording and releasing Zaireeka, a four-CD set intended to be played simultaneously, to writing and starring in a film calledChristmas on Mars to releasing flashdrives with MP3s encased in skulls made of gummi candy, the Lips always seem to be more interested in pleasing themselves than worrying about the mechanics of the music industry. Their latest self-indulgent collectible is a six-hour song that, according to posts on eBay, was only sold for one day at Jackpot Records in Portland, Ore., but may turn up on the band’s online store in the future. Along with the lengthy I Found a Star on the Ground, the package includes a “Strobo Trip” toy that should help set the mood if you were one of the few collectors to get one of the physical packages. Luckily for diehard fans, Slow Nerve Action has uploaded the sprawling track to Soundcloud.
Google + Now Available Without Invite
Walking Dead Talk Show Announced
Listen to The Flaming Lips’ Six-Hour Song
Uptown Magazine - September 29nd
Things Apple Is Worth More Than
thingsappleisworthmorethan.tumblr.com — If you have Apple stock, you might want to hold onto it. It seems that Steve Jobs’ stepping down hasn’t stopped Apple’s growing momentum. In fact, the Cupertino, Calif.-based technology giant is now the biggest U.S. company by market cap, finally passing oil barons Exxon. What does that mean? With a market cap of over $350 billion, Apple’s value is even bigger than the entire economy of Singapore, the GDP of Denmark and all the illegal drug trade in the world. Knowing how many drugs get smoked, snorted, swallowed and shot every year, it’s surprising to learn people love their gadgets more than getting high. Things Apple Is Worth More Than is a recent Tumblr blog that shows you just how big the company has become by selling iPhones, Macs, iPads and, of course, dominating the online music market.
Archie Out of Context
archieoutofcontext.tumblr.com — Fans of reimagined and recontextualized comics such as Garfield Minus Garfield, Calvin Without Hobbes and Peanutwitter will probably want to check out Archie Out of Context before it gets yanked down. While some remixed comics have managed to stick around, some, such as Peanutwitter, didn’t last long.
Pancakes and Skateboards
pancakesandskateboards.blogspot.com — Local blog Pancakes and Skateboards is getting ready to launch its second zine and has recently unveiled a new T-shirt line featuring photos from founder Cam Nikkel. Already getting props from The Hundreds crew out West, Pancakes and Skateboards’ tees are available from your favourite local skate shop or at the zine launch party on Sept. 29 at 510 Plinguet St. DJ Sw@t and P_A will be spinning. Doors open at 8 p.m., admission is free.
MP3 of the Week: Dãm Funk
bit.ly/dam_funk — After tearing up the Jazz Fest this past summer as a last-minute fill-in, the City of Angels’ Dãm Funk is slated to return to The Pyramid on Oct. 10, this time with a full band. Expect a heavy dose of future-forward funk. His new EP, InnaFocusedDaze, is available for free download as part of Scion A/V’s music series.
Video of the Week:
Brown Bag AllStars – Got It All (DJ Brace Remix)
bit.ly/DJ_Brace_remix — Former Canadian DMC champ, past Juno winner and recent Felix award nominee for his Synesthasia release, DJ Brace has also been busy in the lab working on beats and remixes for the Brown Bag AllStars from New York City. Check this super-slick video for Brace’s remix of their cut, Got It All.
Winnipeg Free Press - September 22nd
Eastbound & Down: Season 3 Trailer
Nearly washed-up former pro baseball pitcher Kenny Powers (Danny McBride) is back for a third season of Eastbound & Down, after rebooting his struggling career in the Mexican league. Kenny is heading back to the U.S. with a contract for a minor-league affiliate in Myrtle Beach, in the hopes he still has what it takes. Powers also found out that he was a father at the end of the Season 2.
Eastbound & Down was originally only intended to last one season, but the network has continued to order episodes after Kenny and his self-destructive ways and over-the-top ego quickly gained a cult following. The show returns to HBO in January 2012.
Internet of Yesterday & Today: 1996 vs. 2011
THE web has evolved rapidly over the last 15 years. Mashable.com takes a look at some of the key changes over the past decade and a half. From slow, chunky browsers to slick web apps, the evolution is dramatic when compared side by side. Destinations on the web have changed too, with early web giant AOL.com capturing most of the traffic in the mid ’90s, with Larry Page and Sergey Brin’s Google dominating the web these days.
KITTENS, crashes, crazy viral videos and anything else you can think of gets served up in this ultimate Internet time-waster that pulls clips from YouTube and dishes them back out in a non-stop video onslaught.
Avoid this site if you’re already addicted to YouTube — it will only feed your video-consumption habit and make it nearly impossible to pull yourself away and get anything done.
WITH over 500 million members, Facebook has quickly become the most popular social network. While Google+ is filled with tech-geeks and every athlete and actor is on Twitter, Facebook is home to everyone from your high school, relatives you never see, your kid sister and probably your parents too.
Privacy is always mentioned when people talk about Facebook, but most of the time, the attention is focused on the company for opening up more of your profile, rather than the fact that Facebook has probably jumped the social-media shark once it spills over into the mainstream and everyone you’ve ever known or met starts to add you.
Do you really want to accept that invitation from your parents? Probably not, but if you do, you might think about sending some of their awkward posts and weird status updates to My Parents Joined Facebook. Remember the site’s motto: “Can’t Facebook with ‘em, can’t unFriend ‘em.”
SICK of hearing about grunge yet? If you’re not, take a few minutes and answer this 20-question quiz and test your knowledge of fuzzed-out guitar bands, flannel and all things Seattle.
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 22, 2011
Uptown Magazine - September 22nd
How Can I Watch Nearly Any Sports Game Online?
lifehac.kr/watching_sports — People are always looking for live-streaming sporting events on the web. If you want to reduce your cable and satellite bills by getting some of your TV online, will you be able to follow your favourite sports teams? Probably, but how successful you are depends on a few factors. There are plenty of choices out there, from free, grey-area sites such as atdhenet.tv and First Row Sports to official pay services such as Mlb.tv, NHL Centre Ice and NBA Unlimited Pass. Likehacker.com takes a look at what options sports junkies have to watch games online. With the recent announcement that both Shaw and MTS finally signed deals with the new TSN Jets channel, you can bet there were a lot of relieved hockey fans who otherwise would have had to switch TV providers or start looking on the web for some games this October. Still, it’s frustrating that the NHL’s Centre Ice Packages (both TV and the Internet) “blacks out” games in the viewers’ home market, especially when the MTS Centre will be sold out every night. This could have been easily avoided, TV subscriptions would have been sold and everyone still would have made boatloads of money. Considering Winnipeg’s reputation for being cheap (maybe that’s changing), there will still be hockey fans upset they have to pay $10 a month to ensure they don’t miss any games — and you can bet it won’t be long before they’ll figure out how to hook their computer to their TV and find the games online.
Doodle or Die
doodle.no.de — Games such as Doodle or Die can be the ultimate time waster. Similar to Win, Lose or Draw, Doodle or Die gives you an object that you must digitally sketch using an online tool that’s not even as fancy as MS Paint. Other players can comment on your pictures and the more you draw, the more you can participate. This could be one of those Internet black holes, so proceed with caution if you become easily addicted. Watch for a new Apple/Android version for mobile devices and tablets called Doddleblast.
Video of the Week: Goon trailer
bit.ly/goon_trailer — Shot in Winnipeg, Goon, the new film from It’s All Gone Pete Tong and Fubar mastermind Mike Dowse about hockey enforcers, was recently screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. The trailer is now online.
MP3 of the Week: Laura Jones’ Mix
bit.ly/Laura_Jones — With a red-hot release on Visionquest and some dance floor killers on Leftroom, Leeds producer/DJ Laura Jones is taking the tech-house world by storm. Fans of DJs such as Jamie Jones, Lee Foss, Seth Troxler and Damian Lazarus will be all over her new promo mix for Fabric nightclub.
Pearl Jam - State of Love and Trust
Saw Pearl Jam again for the first time in 18 years on the weekend. It was a 27 song ride across their history with covers of Neil Young, Victoria Williams, Iggy and Joe Strummer thrown into the mix. Mudhoney opened the show. I was probably more excited to see Mark Arm and co. for the first time than any opener I can remember. What a night!
Uptown Magazine - September 15th
Madden Bible
maddenbible.com — For diehard football fans, fall means a lot of things: the second half of the CFL season, NCAA games on Saturdays, the kickoff of the NFL season — and the subsequent fantasy leagues and office pools — and, of course, the always-anticipated new edition of Madden NFL. First released in 1988 (known as John Madden Football before 1993), Madden NFL is one of the best-selling video game franchises around and continues to set the bar for realism and authenticity in sports games. If you are looking for some tips, insight, play-calling suggestions and/or scouting reports to help you beat that cocky 12-year-old online or to finally get bragging rights with your buddies, Madden Bible offers plenty of info to help your game play.
Manitoba Election 2011
manitobaelection.ca — With just under a month until the big vote, the provincial election is starting to ramp up. ManitobaElection.ca is “a citizen-created resource” where you can view information on all the constituencies and candidates. The site includes interactive maps, a calendar of political events, historical election results, news feeds from candidates, questionnaires to hopefully give more insight into those running, and even eductional resources for teachers. While all the major media outlets will have their own election coverage and online tools, this is an interesting project that provides valuable information for voters, created by the same team that developed WinnipegElection.ca last fall.
Gif.tv
www.gif.tv — Gif.tv = crack of the Internet.
MP3 of the Week: Mookie Blaylock Demos
bit.ly/mookie_blaylock — Before it was shunning MTV and playing to sold-out arenas, Seattle’s Pearl Jam was known as Mookie Blaylock. The band took the name from the all-star point guard of the New Jersey Nets and Atlanta Hawks, but later changed it due to copyright concerns. Pearl Jam would go on to name its debut album Ten, a reference to the NBA star’s jersey number. This early demo contains some instrumentals, a raw version of State of Love and Trust, a cover of Alice in Chains’ It Ain’t Like That and even Citizen Dick’s Touch Me I’m Dick, used in Cameron Crowe’s film, Singles. Pearl Jam performs for the third time in the province on Sept. 17 at a sold-out show at the MTS Centre.
Video of the Week: Speed Dial 7 – Jokes (featuring Yy)
bit.ly/speed_dial7 — Reclusive MC Yy and perpetual troublemaker Pip Skid show up in Belgium’s Speed Dial 7’s newest video, Jokes. Yy delivers his trademark complex wordplay and dope rhymes, while Pip plays the part of a hard-drinking, depressed clown. Another compelling video from the Marathon of Dope crew.
Winnipeg Free Press - September 15th
The nominees for the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Awards (APCMA) are out and the second round of online voting continues until Oct. 6 at 11:59 p.m. You can register your vote online in a number of different categories. Some of the local artists in the running include Don Amero (Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year, Best Country CD), Westbrook Western Hour (Best Aboriginal Radio station/program), Winnipeg’s Most (Cover Design, Best Group, Best Video) Ali Fountain (Best Country CD), Bruthers From Different Muthers (Best Duo/Group), Little Hawk (Best Folk/Acoustic) and a handful of others. The winners will be announced on Nov. 4. confessionsofamichaelstipe.tumblr.com It seems everyone’s getting a Tumblr site these days. An easy way to blog, post pictures, video and display interesting things you find on the web, Tumblr’s simplicity is one of its biggest selling points. Known for dabbling in the visual arts along with fronting R.E.M, Michael Stipe launched his own Tumblr a few months back and he is using it as an outlet for images, words and projects he is working on. This blog and his seizure-inducing michaelstipe.com are the only places you’ll find the singer online. No Twitter, Facebook or Google+ for the R.E.M. singer. rulesformyunbornson.tumblr.com First S—- My Dad Says was turned from a Twitter feed into a book, and then into a TV show. Since then, it seems book deals and popular web destinations go hand in hand. Tumblr’s web platform seems to be a breeding ground for books. One Tumblr site that’s been turned into a published work is 1001 Rules for My Unborn Son. Setting some guidelines for raising a “thoughtful, adventurous, honest, hardworking, self-reliant, well-dressed, well-read, well-mannered young gentleman,” 1001 Rules touches on everything from ending your political career in high school to never shaking a man’s hand sitting down to always returning a car with a full tank. You’ll probably disagree with some of his tips, but you’ll also have a good laugh along the way. Mark Yarm’s Everybody Loves Our Town isn’t the only grunge-related book being released this fall. Coinciding with the 20-year anniversary of Pearl Jam’s debut, Ten, Jonathan Cole’s oral history traces their days from a fledgling rock band formed out of the ashes of Mother Love Bone (after the tragic heroin-related death of singer Andrew Wood) to their heyday as one of the most successful acts to emerge from the Seattle scene. Nicely coinciding with the release of Cameron Crowe’s documentary on the band, Cole’s book hit stores on Tuesday (the soundtrack to the film will be available Sept. 20). In this exclusive excerpt from Rolling Stone magazine, the author looks at the band’s 2002 album, Riot Act. The group performs for the third time in the province at a sold-out show at the MTS Centre on Saturday.Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards
Confessions of a Michael Stipe
1001 Rules for My Unborn Son
Excerpt from Pearl Jam Twenty
The 2 Bears: Bear Hug
Decentralized Dance Party - Uptown Magazine (Online Only)
Back in the early days of the Winnipeg electronic scene, it wasn’t uncommon for events to use a phone hotline directing you to a map check point that would eventually lead you to the party. There were several reasons for this. One, it helped keep the right mix of curious music lovers, dedicated ravers and people looking for a good time or new experience. It also helped add a level of mystery to events, because you never really knew what to expect.
Fast-forward 20 years and Vancouver party agitators Tom and Gary are still using some of those ideas for their Decentralized Dance Parties. While phone hotlines have been replaced by Twitter, Facebook and their mailing list, the duo’s roving, battered powered street dance parties have been building momentum across the country based on word-of-mouth, the strength of social media — and the very simple fact that it’s hard not to have fun when you have a bunch of like-minded people (usually in costume) gathered together for a semi-impromptu party with music that’s being blasted out of a bunch of synchronized, old-school ghetto blasters. (That the DJ is controlling the carefully curated playlists by a modified Nintendo Power Glove from the ’90s doesn’t hurt, either.)
“(Social media) seems to be one of the keys, but just the fact that it’s a free event that exists in the public realm and not an exclusive club is also a huge factor,” explains co-founder Gary over email. “The costume element also allows people to forgo their traditional identities and social roles and just get crazy together. That is something that is extremely rare in our culture and has proven infectious.”
Part social experiment and part celebration, the duo is back out on the road for a new stretch of parties. As of Sept. 8, they’ve raised over $10,000 using Kickstarter.com to help fund the western Canada portion of their Party Safari.
When Tom and Gary first dreamed up the idea of an open-source dance party, they weren’t entirely sure what to expect.
“It was always something we figured had the potential to spread worldwide, but the fact that it unfolded as a social experiment and was something that transcended all social/cultural/age boundaries was a definite surprise,” Gary says.
Set to make their second visit to Winnipeg on Sept. 13, the location of the start of their portable dance party won’t be announced until the day before the event through their various social media accounts and mailing list. The theme this time is Strictly Business, so if you see a bunch of people in suits, with office supplies and ghetto blasters having the time of their time at Portage and Main, it’s probably Tom, Gary and a few thousand of their new friends.
So how have they managed to throw over 20 events without attracting the type of meatheads who only want to party, cause trouble, drink in public and thumb their nose at the authorities?
“Playing only fun party music and getting everyone in costume seems to do the trick,” Gary says. “We also released the Party Manifesto to further press the point. The Parties also self-regulate themselves, by attracting a huge number of positive, respectful people, any idiots are usually compelled to join in or fade away — a good vibe is infectious.”
For more information on Tom and Gary’s DDPs, their manifesto and how you can prepare your own ghetto blaster for the party, visit www.decentralizeddanceparty.com.
DECENTRALIZED DANCE PARTY
Sept. 13, location TBA
Winnipeg Free Press - September 8th
NOT everyone can be the Ace of Cakes. Even professional bakers can screw up from time to time. From mangling the English language to slumping towers that should never have left the store, Cake Wrecks is a collection of baking gone horribly wrong.
Cake Wrecks
While Steve Jobs was a big part of Apple’s success, it is their simple, consumer-focused products and aggressive marketing that has made it a major player in the electronics game. Shrine of Apple takes a look back at the company’s products and innovations. ONE of the popular categories of things people look for on the web is how-to videos. Howcast is a collection of helpful videos that includes everything from how to use a digital camera to how to remove sticky food from a grater. You don’t have to be a D.I.Y. wizard to find some useful tips on the site. While you can search around YouTube or Vimeo for the perfect clip, Howcast makes it easy to find exactly what you are looking for — or stumble upon things you might find interesting. NOT sure what you should read next? Booklamp is a recommendation engine that suggests titles based on themes, writing styles, tone, pacing and other elements. Similar to the way Pandora offers suggestions of other bands based on a song you may select, Booklamp offers up ideas on what to read based on a book you already know and like. FANS of compelling single-themed sites like Dear Photograph and Post Secret will probably want to bookmark Torn Lives. It’s a crowdsourced collection of partial memories and reflections on the past. INTERNET dating can be a minefield of weirdness — just ask anyone who has used Plenty of Fish. Sure, you can tell your friends about your misadventures, but they’ll only put up with your stories for so long. What’s your next option? Start a blog. Poems About Internet Dating is a blog about awkward encounters, time you’ll never get back, weird replies and even some rules for dating in cyberspace.Shrine of Apple
NOT many companies have the type of devoted customers that Apple has managed to cultivate over the years. Despite some setbacks in the ’90s, Apple has always seemed to create products that have captivated its customers and helped create a fierce brand loyalty.
Punch Fork
THERE are plenty of sites with meal ideas out there, but Punch Fork pulls new recipes from food blogs and popular sites like 101 Cookbooks, Serious Eats and The Kitchn. The site also incorporates social data from Facebook and Twitter to help determine what recipes its users are talking about.
Howcast
Booklamp
Torn Lives
Poems About Internet Dating
Junior Boys - Uptown Magazine
After over a decade creating music as Junior Boys with partner Matt Didemus and with three successful albums under his belt, you’d think Canadian electronic producer Jeremy Greenspan would be confident about his career and its direction. JUNIOR BOYS
But, like many thirtysomethings, Greenspan struggles with questions about getting older and staying relevant — and grapples with the fear that his best days are already behind him.
Inspired by the life and work of Orson Welles, Greenspan took those feelings of doubt and his internal struggles with the fear of failure and channeled them into the duo’s fourth album, It’s All True, which was released in June via Domino Records.
“That’s what the whole record was kind of about. It was a lot to do with the last record (2009’s Begone Dull Care). I didn’t feel good about how it was received,” explains Greenspan over the phone from his home in Hamilton, Ont. “I didn’t feel good at where we were at when we were touring it. I was starting a new record from the perspective of someone who was embittered. I felt like I could make a record and ignore all those feelings and try to be positive. That felt false. I could make something up or I could talk about what I am obsessing over in my own life. Where do I go from here? Am I becoming old and irrelevant? All that kind of stuff.”
The questions and fears Greenspan is confronting on this album are incredibly relatable to many people of a certain age.
“In reality, I feel now that I make records for people my own age, in their 30s. Which is not always the best. To be honest, people that are younger are usually more enthusiastic about music,” jokes the normally serious producer.
Since their early days, Greenspan and Didemus have experimented with plenty of styles, from fragile, stripped-down arrangements to richly detailed grooves that reference ’80s new wave, Italian disco, electro, R&B, Krautrock, Detroit techno, broken beat, slow-burning house and U.K. garage. Greenspan’s lyrics have always had an emotional depth you don’t find that often in electronic music.
“If the records are different than the ones that came before, it’s mainly because we have grown as human beings and we are trying different things,” Greenspan says. “We don’t really make too many conscious decisions about how our record is going to be different than the last or how it’s going to fit in with what people are listening to at the moment or what they want — we just work on a kind of faith.”
Still, Greenspan says the duo isn’t interested in recreating what its done in the past.
“This record, in a lot of ways, was a completion of a certain type of idea,” he says. “From this point on, we’re not sure where we’re going to go.”
Sept. 12, 8 p.m., West End Cultural Centre
w/ Young Galaxy
Uptown Magazine - September 8th
Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History of Grunge
on.fb.me/everybody_loves — Released Sept. 6, former Blender editor Mark Yarm’s Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History of Grunge is a detailed look at the Seattle music scene in the ’90s. After “liking” the book’s Facebook page, you can preview a chapter about Nirvana’s Nevermind taken from interviews with Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill), Butch Vig, Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl, Samuel Bayer (Smells Like Teen Spirit video director) and a whole cast of players from the era. Essential reading for any ’90s music fan. Check out grungebook.tumblr.com for other excerpts, outtakes, interviews, music, pictures, posters and other Seattle-related content.
Fuck You Yelper
fuckyouyelper.tumblr.com — If Uhpinions, the site that collects ridiculous reviews from around the web, wasn’t enough for you, Fuck You Yelper is a fledgling Tumblr blog that explores “the douchebaggery idiots commit when enabled with an Internet connection, enough money for a meal and a sense of entitlement.”
MP3 of the Week:
Tim Hoover – More Napkins (Beauchamp’s Bootleg)
bit.ly/Tim_Hoover_remix — More Napkins is the new hybrid instrumental album/DJ mix from producer/promoter/pinball wizard/party rocker Tim Hoover, aka DJ Co-op. (There’s a techno duo out of Toronto on Thoughtless Records using a similar alias so Hoover is releasing the album under his own name.) A bunch of producers has taken a crack at remixing the album and Planet SHHH’s Beauchamp (also known as Mike B.) offers up his own interpretation that focuses in on some sounds used by Hoover but adds his own playful, laidback vibe. Other remixes previewed so far by Woven Records include a darkstep stormer from Montreal’s D’Eon, a tech-house cut from local newcomer Ohmophobe and some weird warehouse techno from Edmonton’s Cadence Weapon. More Napkins release party is Saturday, Sept. 10 at the Planetarium. Your $15 admission gets you a digital download of the album, a gift bag and admission to an after party. Dub Ditch Picnic Records is also doing a limited run of tapes, if cassettes are your thing.
Video of the Week: Greg MacPherson – Ukrainians
bit.ly/gmac_live — Local blue-collar rocker Greg MacPherson took some time on his recent tour out East to record a session for Balcony.tv. GMac performs Ukrainians from his new album Disintegration Blues.
