skip to main |
skip to sidebar
about this time a couple weeks ago i was watching Thievery Corporation throw down (like they do in DC, i'm told) at the Austin City Limits Festival. what a way to start off the weekend. my buddy Chris and i spent most of the weekend there, and it was quite an experience.
i always have a great time when i visit Austin, and this trip was no different. it was my first time to attend the festival, and i was amazed at the amount of good music to be heard. among the bands i was particularly blown away by were Keane, Bloc Party, Buddy Guy, The Arcade Fire, and The Decemberists but really, every band I heard was great. i'm sure i'll be making a lucky cd store very happy in the next week or so.
The Decemberists managed to get most of the people between the stage and the soundboard to sit down at one point (those who didn't had things thrown at them), and then, that whole crowd of people suddenly erupted into cheers and dancing as the band broke back into their song. it was surprisingly powerful to watch.
the only things that detracted from the good times, as anyone who was there can attest, were the heat and the dust. and, to think that i considered not going because of flooding from the hurricane. boy, is my face red. no seriously, i got sunburned to the be-jesus out there, and i'm still peeling. haha, oh, boy, do i kill me.
well, then, i found out yesterday that Harvey Danger released their latest album, Little By Little, for download for free on their website. there are three flavors of varying size and quality available (two mp3, one ogg), and each has some nice album art included. i don't really know what else to say just yet; i think the offer speaks for itself rather well.
i am about halfway through the album, and i must say that i am impressed. when i was in high school, the only song i liked from these guys was Flagpole Sitta. seems like for a few months i couldn't turn on a radio without hearing that song, but at the time, i thought the rest of their album sucked. i wish i had had the presence of mind back then to recognize good musicians. i probably could have avoided all that "hard-core" Slip Bizkit crap.
on a somewhat related note, the LA Times is reporting that movie studio folks are finally beginning to realize that gas prices and P2P aren't necessarily what is hurting the film industry. apparantly, they are now inclined to believe that crappy movies may be a contributing factor in box office shortcomings this year. who knew?
so, yeah, this is refreshing news. an artist in the music industry (not the first, I know) embraces electronic distribution of their work and tries out a new method of making money in the marketplace. then, people in Hollywood admit that it is their films that are hurting them rather than someone else. now, if only we could complete this Moment of Clarity trifecta with Hilary Clinton proclaiming that lack of discipline, not a videogame, is likely to cause bad behavior in children. "it takes a village...to smack some sense into your kid." Mrs. Senator, i am waiting.
