Posted in Life, Music, tagged Yotel NYC on August 29, 2011| 1 Comment »
Hey Playtonics,
For those of you who regularly follow the blog, you know that myself and the rest of the PDs staff keep busy. Wilchuck regularly turns out amazing video collages. Mskurz moved on to become editor of Maine’s local newspaper The Independent. It’s in our spirit to create.
So, in the interest of adding to and diversifying my avenues for writing, I am now a contributor for Yotel NYC’s blog. To give you some insight:
Posted in Music, tagged "Dance, "Lazy Bones", California", War On Drugs, Wooden Shjips on August 29, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Spacerock, krautrock, drone rock – what’s the fucking diff? San Francisco’s Wooden Shjips (whats up with/I love that j) make it happen, blending elements of all kinds of experimental psychedelia. Their latest LP West is slated for release September 12 off their new label Thrill Jockey. If you like heady jams, you better pick this one up. Read on! (more…)
Posted in Music, tagged Cody ChesnuTT, Delorean, The Headphone Masterpiece, Tiny Mix Tapes on August 25, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Mornin’ Playtonics,
Last night, my piece on the Cody ChesnuTT’s The Headphone Masterpiece was posted on the online music magazine Tiny Mix Tapes’ Delorean blog. After a chance conversation, I revisited this album and came to some surprising realizations. Check out my thoughts here.
Posted in Art, Music, tagged all creatures will make merry, meursault, music video, one day this'll all be fields, public domain footage, scotland, stock footage on August 22, 2011| Leave a Comment »
I’ve gushed about Meursault before on Playtonic Dialogues. The band has figured prominently on the tapes I’ve shared and their 2010 LP All Creatures Will Make Merry is one of my favorite records of the past couple of years. “One Day This’ll All Be Fields” is a choice selection off of Creatures, so of course I put it in a video shwag collage. (more…)
Posted in Music, Review, tagged Adam Granduciel, Mercury Lounge, Slave Ambient, The Bowery Presents, The House List, The War On Drugs on August 22, 2011| Leave a Comment »
(Editor’s Note: This piece appears on The Bowery Presents The House List. Check it out here)
The War on Drugs is a losing battle. People will get high if they so desire. No government enforcement can stop production, dispersal and use. It’s the classic “where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Much in a similar vein, rock and roll music persists, despite years of push back and upheaval. Its conduit, the electric guitar, continues to be a tool for exploration and its rhythms maintain their allure. So what better name for a rock band that channels vitality than the War on Drugs.
Bringing their curious name and burgeoning reputation, the War on Drugs played to a sold-out crowd on Saturday night at Mercury Lounge. Credit must be given to the group’s new album, Slave Ambient, released last week and receiving a ton of good press. Many in the audience appeared to know the material, which took up the bulk of the set list.
Their sound, distinctly rooted in the kind of Americana practiced and perfected by Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, filled the venue, reverberating and echoing off the walls. From the show opener “Best Night” to the wonderfully anthemic “Come to the City,” the songs sounded fuller, deeper and more rhythmic than the studio versions. Guitarist and vocalist Adam Granduciel’s talent showed with his unfaltering delivery. And when he graciously noted that Mercury Lounge is his favorite venue to play in all of New York City, it felt genuine. No need to pander when you’re unstoppable.
Posted in Life, tagged Facebook, Playtonic Dialogues on August 17, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Playtonic Dialogues is now up and running on Facebook. Check it out. Like it. Write on the wall. Spread the word.
The internet isn’t going anywhere but you should start following us while you’re still an original fan. Otherwise, you’re that late-to-the-party bandwagon fan, always making excuses. Don’t be that fan.
Posted in Music, tagged "Apache", Delorean, Incredible Bongo Band, Tiny Mix Tapes, Watch the Throne on August 16, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Afternoon Playtonics,
Today, my piece on the Incredible Bongo Band’s “Apache” was posted on the online music magazine Tiny Mix Tapes’ Delorean blog. In light of the much-sampled song being used on Watch the Throne, I connect its past use to its present application. Check it out here.
Posted in Music, Review, tagged Celebrate Brooklyn!, Cut Copy, Dan Whitford, Foster the People, Midnight Magic, Prospect Park Bandshell, The Bowery Presents, The House List on August 12, 2011| Leave a Comment »
(Editor’s Note: This piece appears on The Bowery Presents The House List. Check it out here)
Cut Copy lead singer Dan Whitford’s arms are perhaps the most expressive limbs in all of live music. With fists pumping and outstretched, open palms, his gesticulations closely resemble his lyrics. Take, for example, the chorus to “Hearts on Fire.” Onstage with his fellow bandmates, Whitford grasped for the crowd while crooning, “With hearts on fire I reach out to you tonight.” If the words didn’t move you, the music and dancing certainly would.
And so it was that on Thursday night at the Prospect Park Bandshell, Cut Copy along with openers Foster the People and Midnight Magic closed this summer’s Celebrate Brooklyn! series. The choice, while not obvious, positioned the Australian dance rockers as the final act to a lineup of talent that opened with Andrew Bird and included diverse bands ranging from the Books to the Heavy.
From the onset, Cut Copy wove new songs from the recently released album Zonoscope with older favorites. “Take Me Over” led to In Ghost Colours standout “Feel the Love.” And, while live the band mostly conjured a sound similar to its studio albums, “Where I’m Going” and “Pharaohs & Pyramids” are still best heard when fleshed out in concert. The samples and synths have a way of infecting the brain with an urge to move. And on a perfect late summer night, you couldn’t ask for a better compulsion.
Additional photos, taken by Diana Wong, after the jump:
Posted in Art, Music, tagged bachelorette, kurt vile, lower dens, music video, stock footage, the ronettes on August 10, 2011| Leave a Comment »
About a month ago, here on PD’s, I introduced some of the a/v collages I’ve put together this summer. Since then I’ve kept up the trend, hopefully making a little progress. Here is some more (mostly) public-domain music video schwag. Feast!
Posted in Articles of Interest, Music, tagged "Prototype", Amy Wallace, Del Casher, New York Times, The Thomas Organ company, wah-wah pedal on August 8, 2011| Leave a Comment »
“But I’m the one who said, ‘This is a guitar thing!’”...In 1967, Mr. Casher, seated, demonstrated a wah-wah pedal for the film composer Vic Mizzy at Universal Pictures. Photograph: Del Casher/Cache Agency
Merry Monday Playtonics!
To start your week off right, I’d like to highlight a recent New York Times article about the invention of the wah-wah pedal.
Amy Wallace, writer of a monthly column on creativity and innovation (called “Prototype”) for the New York Times Sunday Business section, investigates the iconic guitar pedal for her last “Prototype” column. Specifically, Wallace focuses on Del Casher, a notable guitarist and alleged part inventor of the wah-wah pedal.
The thesis of the article is that, “While it is easier — and more romantic — to talk about innovation as the domain of lone inventors who hit pay dirt while tinkering in solitude, creativity is more often than not a collaborative, and messy, affair.” Following this line of argument, Wallace explains that while engineers for The Thomas Organ company own the patent for the wah-wah pedal, Del Casher helped shaped the pedal’s use, defending its utility for guitars.
This is a great piece for any and all who care about rock and roll history. Or, from a philosophical perspective, it is an effective example of collective innovation.
Playtonic Dialogues 