Wednesday 16 November 2011

Ah Lovely Auckland...

People who read this site, people who know me, and even those people who have only met me a few times, will tell you this: I LOVE music.

People may have mixed opinions about me, some may think I'm a straight up utter prick, but they'll all agree on one thing: I LOVE music.

Even my email signature reads: Without Music, Life is an Error.

I love DJing. I love playing people new music, making mix tapes, trading music...

I'll even listen to music I might usually hate in order to find something I like (like with Dubstep. I've found heaps of stuff I like through dubstep, but then it becomes labelled - by others - as "not really dubstep". Which confuses me even more... anyway...)

One thing I'm particularly known for is going out to see bands ands DJs.

Portishead played here in Auckland last Thursday night. I've wanted to see them for so long! I missed their last tour back in the 90s, and I was going to go to Sydney to see them and that all fell through, but then I found out they were playing here, and grabbed tickets.

And they were fabulous. Really, everything I was expecting, and still amazing. There's only a few other bands who've exceeded my often admittedly high expectations - Pop Will Eat Itself, DEVO, The Flaming Lips, Muse, and Pixies.

But you know what?

The gig wasn't sold out. Wasn't even chockers.

To me, that's insane. The very idea that Portishead didn't sell out somewhere is mindboggling. That's like... the Beatles performing in 1964 and people not screaming at them for the whole concert. That's like... something I can't think of, because philosophically I can't consider a thing I'd never think about!

To put this in even greater perspective: Adelaide sold out! Within days of announcement!

Adelaide!!!

So I find myself wondering, how the hell is it I find myself living in a place where Portishead didn't sell out?

Wednesday 2 November 2011

#fivewordreviews CD: PWEI - New Noise Designed By a Sadist

CD: PWEI - New Noise Designed By a Sadist:

Only Graham, but still rocking!

five word reviews???

Remember how I said I was going to do five word reviews?

Well, that kind of bit the dust when I couldn't get access to any CDs and such.

But, I've got access to Shock, Fuse, and EMI plus a few other places, so will continue them forthwith.

Thursday 25 August 2011

Review: A Game of Thrones


A Game of Thrones
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Although I am "one of those" who started with the TV series, the intrigue of the series made me want to read the book, see where the book deviated, and hopefully figure out a bit more about the world and the characters relations to each other for the next series.



View all my reviews

Sunday 17 July 2011

Don't get angry at Google, get angry at the Government

So, a whole bunch of moronic dipshits are pissed at Google for not allowing Android Marketplace in Australia according to ZDNet. Guess what idiots - it's NOT Google's fault!

Do you think they deliberately want to hold back their market? Do you think they want to stop people in Australia watching things on their phones? Do you think they're sitting in their ivory towers, cackling with evil glee that they've fucked Australia over?

Of course not!

And do you have such short attention spans that you forget it took the Apple iTunes Store TWO YEARS to launch in Australia after the USA Launch? What's the difference here - you've learned to whinge more about more useless shit in the last 5 years?

This is SOLELY the Government's fault - both the current Labor Government and the former Liberal Government.

They have continued to bow to USA pressure to sign the DMCA, which restricts consumer rights and access to international content, and continue to bend over backwards to Sony, EMI, News Limited and other media and distribution companies to stop the free flow of content into Australia through price fixing and geo / region locking.

The governments claim it's to protect local industries... but we all know that's bullshit. How is getting to see Torchwood at the same time as the British and Yanks going to impact the filming of Neighbors?

If you want things like Google Android Market, Spotify, Turntable.FM, Hulu - you need to fight for it. You need to petition, protest, agitate, and defy the Government and Opposition and Greens on these matters, and let them know consumer rights are more important than protecting local companies profits.

We live in a democratic capitalist economy. If a local company can't complete with an international, especially when they're OWNED by another international company, they don't deserve protection.

EDIT:
And if you don't believe me that the Governments of the world are in collusion with copyright companies, the Wikileaks scandal proves that the the very least New Zealand has been: New Zealand's Three Strikes Paid by USA

Sunday 10 July 2011

Google Plus

OK, so I've got Google Plus.

http://gplus.to/funkyj is my site. Feel free to look me up and add me to your circles.

I've read that Blogger might be re-branded eventually, and so I'm hoping they integrate everything together nicely.

Thursday 7 July 2011

Falling Skies

Seriously, who keeps giving these people money to make these TV shows?

Sure, ok, if I were a deaf, blind mute who had just been living in a cave in Nowherekistan and just returned to full cognitive ability recently, I might possibly enjoy this show.

But because I'm 38 years old and have been exposed to a fair amount of pop- and not so pop-culture in these last 38 years, like most people in the Western world, the show has absolutely no merit at all.

What's the point stomping over trodden ground, using the same story and same stereotypes and same shit over and over again?

This makes me hate reality TV shows even more. Because we're so starved for anything not so incredibly vile and lame, we praise mediocrity as if it's the second coming.

I am just so disappointed after United States of Tara - a rich, unusual, funny, and touching series.

This is how it feels? Nah!

So, I woke up with this song in my head today...


This is How it Feels - by Inspiral Carpets covered by Carter USM.

I know, I know - J you miserable bastard! you're thinking... but if I may channel Andrew P Street here for a moment and pontificate brilliantly about music...

More importantly, I think, it was this version, by Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, in my head.

As they take what is a beautiful yet utterly miserable song about the depressive condition of modern life, and turn it into a sideshow of noise and a celebration of the absurd, which is utterly brilliant.

Because no matter how miserable life may seem, it's forever more absurd than miserable, and I for one love that about live.

Tuesday 28 June 2011

And after getting excited about playing music again, this happens...

And after getting excited about playing music again, this happens...

A note on the turntable.fm website:
We're very sorry, but while we would love to let you in and rock out with us, we need to currently restrict turntable access to only the United States due to licensing constraints.

We are working very hard to try and get you in as soon as possible.

If you believe this is a mistake and you are located in the United States, please e-mail help [at sign] turntable dot fm

Again, sorry, and we hope to see you soon.

Billy Chasen
CEO
Fuck you music industry. Fuck you with a pole, sideways.

I was exposing this great music to people who can't even buy it on CD or on itunes because you're too fucking ignorant and scared to promote outside of Australia!

Monday 27 June 2011

7 Years of LA Noire development hell

IGN have a great and disturbing article about Team Bondi's LA Noire 7 year development cycle.

It features responses by Brendan McNamara, who is the typical egotistical management type.

I'm sick of dealing with management fucktards like McNamara. I’m butting against it daily at the moment and I’m sick of it. There may be a bit of projection onto McNamara in this rant, but he’s not the only person who acts like he does in this industry… ;)

But if you ask me, “whatever it takes” means getting rid of egotistical arsehole pricks like him out of the games industry.

However you cut it, running your staff into the ground is NOT a good management plan, nor is it good for maintaining an industry.

I don't buy into the argument that it's due to the competitive nature of game development. I know people in the finance and defence software creating business - software which is worth billions of dollars and far more important than games ever could hope to be - and they positively baulked when I told them the crap hours for the crap pay we put up with.

How is this environment good for a competitive and sustainable industry? You can't develop and nurture creative skills in this kind of environment! How are you meant to have people who are strong leads if you burn everyone out and they leave after a year or two? People will leave for other studios overseas, where at least pay if not conditions are proven to be better. However, more often people leave the industry altogether, choosing to go into fields which pay better and are not as demanding on their time and sanity as games. All that talent, skill and knowledge has left the industry. Is it any wonder every bloody game is almost exactly the same now days?

And where is the industry left after this scenario, repeated time and time again? After the closure of studios and mass exodus due to McNamara and others “management skills”, a lot of casual / indie developers have popped up as a result, and yes, a few are making some great games, but is this really a sustainable industry? Will these startups be around in a year or two? Will they be around after Facebook dies (and it will die just like AOL and all those others died) and iPhone development costs increase with the continual revisions to the devices hardware?

I have a very strong suspicion these studios will vanish when the cashcow of iOS and Facebook games comes back to reality, and we'll lose even more talented people.

And lastly, this is directly to McNamara and anyone else who thinks the same way: it is not your game, you egotistical fuckstick; It’s every single person on that teams’ game! It belongs to everyone who works on it. And I don’t give a fuck who you are - Brendan McNamara, Sam Houser, Cliff Bleszinski, or Jesus Fucking Christ; if you’ve got a producer and leads, then help those people PRODUCE and LEAD - that's how a good producer/director should work.

Don’t give me this “I’m passionate about games” bullshit either – those people who are making $50,000 a year working 12 hour days plus weekends are passionate about games. Just because you’re on $200,000 jetsetting all over the world trying to get finance for the next game doesn’t make you any better, clever, or talented than the team you’re working with.

Tuesday 21 June 2011

Funky J back on the airwaves!


So, I have finally found a way to get back on the airwaves!

There's this great new streaming service called Turntable.fm.

You sign up using your facebook log in, and you can select any number of rooms generally split into genres.

For those DJs amongst us, you can create a list of tunes from their databank (or upload your own if they're not in there) and spin tracks alongside 4 other DJs, taking it in turns.

You have avatars which you can level up through playing music, and can become fans of other DJs, subscribe to email lists which tell you when your favourite DJs are playing, can use Twitter and Facebook to announce what and when you're playing, and can use text based chat to mention where bands are from, talk about gigs, talk about boobs, whatever.

I've been playing in the Hiphop Jazz Funk room, which introduced me to some damn good music, and I introduced some Americans to some fine Aussie hiphop via Hilltop Hoods, Delta, Funkwig & Denorthwode, Funkoars, Katalyst and others.

It's lots of fun, and if you like sharing your music then give it a try!

Saturday 18 June 2011

comments on violence makes me want to punch something!

This "psychologist" talking about violence after the Stanley Cup;
Quote:
[PEOPLE] spend countless hours exposed to incredible violence through TV, video games and movies. "I'm not surprised at all that the very same people who've grown up on a steady diet of observing and playing violence are then intrigued to watch it when they see it in person. ... There was a large number of people for whom this was a spectacle, an event to be observed and maybe laughed at and to participate in very, very minor ways in these activities," he said.
...
Their behaviour was "entirely consistent" with how they're expected to react to violence on TV or in video games, he said.
http://www.thenownews.com/technology/Stanley+riots+come+this/4962998/story.html

FOR FUCKS SAKE THEY WERE JUST WATCHING A GOD DAMN LIVE ICE HOCKEY MATCH AND HE BLAMES TV AND VIDEOGAMES!?!?!?

Seriously, people are going push their agendas despite all the overwhelming evidence against them, so what's the point in asking about anything, any more?

Every weekend, sports are played.

Every weekend, teams lose.

Every weekend, fights occur because of this. Often, these fights turn into riots.

And yet it's the first impulse of a psychologist when asked about how this can arise is to blame violent TV, movies and videogames?

Not the fact that people become so invested in that sport because they've got nothing else in their lives to be passionate about?

Not the fact that commercialism and competition have devolved so much that we can no longer enjoy a game of sport, but rather have to become so heavily invested in watching a team that we feel negatively when they lose - something we as fans and viewers have absolutely no control over - in other words the classic human dilemma of feeling hopeless in the face of an uncaring environment?

Friday 10 June 2011

Did Stephen Fry just out Little Big Planet 3 on twitter?

I love Stephen Fry, and follow him on Twitter, and he just mentioned this:


Off to do some voicing for Little Big Planet. Then lunch and QI. Only three more recordings and the 16 of Series 9 will be done.

Has he just outed Little Big Planet 3? Or is this for the PS Vita?

Either way, I'd LOVE to do a game with someone of Stephen's talent!

It's been a while...

So, after about a week and a half where every morning it would be a different song, it's been a while since I woke up with a song my head... well, at least one I hadn't listened to the previous day.

But this morning, woke up with this... Oh one two!


Breakadawn - De La Soul

Friday 27 May 2011

Wednesday 25 May 2011

Song I woke up with in my head this morning

So, I woke up at 6am with a coughing fit, and for some reason this was in my head:

Rick James - Super Freak



At least this time it was a fucking cool song, and not some lame arse soft rock song ;)

Wednesday 18 May 2011

What the fuck? Billy Joel?? Honestly, subconscious!

OK, I must be channelling some kind of crap old 80s rock station or something...

Woke up with Billy Joel's "You May Be Right" in my head this morning.

Thing is, until I looked up song, I didn't even know it was Billy Joel! I thought it was some more obscure band like Toto or someone.

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1xrlt_billy-joel-you-may-be-right_music

Also, youtube doesn't have this video clip. What dicks.

Tuesday 17 May 2011

Song I woke up with in my head this morning

I always seem to be waking up with songs in my head, so I'm going to share with the interweb...

Today it was Howard Jones - No One is to Blame

Actually, make that Five Word Reviews...

Ok, after careful consideration, I've decided to make it Five Word Reviews, to keep along the theme of Five Minutes of Funk...

So, to reiterate: given the amount I watch and listen to, I thought you all might like to see more of my stuff but in smaller amounts, so I've created Five Minute Reviews on Twitter.

The rules are simple - Five words on games, films, music, television... maybe even other things.

The order will be Type: Name: Review, so for example:

Film: Black Swan: Great film I enjoyed thoroughly

Simply follow me on Twitter, or search for the #fivewordreviews

Monday 16 May 2011

Four Word Reviews on Twitter

Considering the amount I watch and listen to, I thought you all might like to see more of my stuff but in smaller amounts, so I've created Four Minute Reviews on Twitter.

The rules are simple - Four words on games, films, music, television... maybe even other things.

The order will be Type: Name: Review, so for example:

Film: Black Swan: Great film enjoyed thoroughly

Simply follow me on Twitter, or search for the #fourwordreviews

Sunday 1 May 2011

Day 30 - Your Favourite Song This Time Last Year

This is a neat little Facebook like & share game.

Day 30 - Your Favourite Song This Time Last Year

I don't remember! But according to Last.fm it was this one:
Ozomatli - Cumbia de los Muertos 

This band was one of the most enjoyable bands live. Their groovy blend of latin rock and hiphop is outshined by their on-stage antics. Go see them!

Saturday 30 April 2011

Day 29 - A Song From Your Childhood

This is a neat little Facebook like & share game.

Day 29 - A Song From Your Childhood

I was shit scared of this as a kid. I remember my neighbours used to play it to make me go home. Once, a friend locked me in a room and played it through speakers - I crawled out the window to get away from it.


Jeff Wayne - Eve of War - War of the Worlds

The funny thing is is so god damn funky, I love it now!!

Interestingly, when I listened to this again on youtube, I heard the phrase "Timeless Worlds of Space", which is sampled in one of my favourite dnb tunes. I always knew it was from something I was familiar with, but I couldn't tie it down. I love discovering shit like that! :)

Friday 29 April 2011

Day 28 - A Song that Makes You Feel Guilty

This is a neat little Facebook like & share game.

Day 28 - A Song that Makes You Feel Guilty

I don't feel guilty about much, to be honest.

Data Rock - Fa Fa Fa (in Simlish)

But, yeah, I might not have bought the Sims 2 expansion pack this song was featured on. Hence the guilt.

Thursday 28 April 2011

Day 27 - a Song You Wish You Could Play

This is a neat little Facebook like & share game.

Day 27 - a Song You Wish You Could Play

If I could play an instrument, it would be bass guitar or keyboard. If I could play any song using those skills, it would be this one
Herbie Hancock - Hang Up Your Hang Ups

The film clip is superb. Herbie is superb.

Wednesday 27 April 2011

Day 26 - a Song You Can Play on an Instrument

This is a neat little Facebook like & share game.

Day 26 - a Song You Can Play on an Instrument

Does a turntable count?


Latyrx - Lady Don't Tek No

I can play this because I own it on vinyl, and anyone who's heard me play hiphop would have heard me play this :)

Tuesday 26 April 2011

Day 25 - a Song that Makes you Laugh

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Day 25 - a Song that Makes you Laugh

I love many silly songs and silly bands. There are many, many tunes I could pick. Eat It by Weird Al. Fish Heads by Barnes and Barnes. Business Time by Flight of the Conchords.

Dread Zeppelin - Immigrant Song

But the idea of a reggae band fronted by an Elvis impersonator doing Led Zep covers is pretty fucking hilarious.

Monday 25 April 2011

Day 24 - a Song You Want to Play at Your Funeral

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Day 24 - a Song You Want to Play at Your Funeral

Pretty morbid really. But in all honesty...

Monty Python - Always Look On he Bright Side Of Life

Uninspired - perhaps. Funny - definitely.

And incidentally, I'm posting this up on Easter Monday ;)

Sunday 24 April 2011

Day 23 - a Song You Want to Play at Your Wedding

This is a neat little Facebook like & share game.

Day 23 - a Song You Want to Play at Your Wedding.

I'd like to find someone worthy of marrying first, before thinking about the music for a wedding...So here's a completely random song I like, instead.

Nightmares On Wax - Les Nuits

Saturday 23 April 2011

Day 22 - a Song You Listen to When Sad

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Day 22 - a Song You Listen to When Sad

OK, so even though this is almost exactly the same as Day 4, I'll offer a different take. I don't like being sad, so I listen to music to make me happy.

Happy Mondays - Step On

Happy Mondays always cheer me up!

Friday 22 April 2011

Day 21 - a Song You Listen to When Happy

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Day 21 - a Song You Listen to When Happy



Max Sedgely - Happy

I don't really know much about this guy, I simply like this tune. It makes me happy..

Thursday 21 April 2011

Day 20 - a Song You Listen to When Angry

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Day 20 - a Song You Listen to When Angry

Rage Against The Machine - Bullet To The Head

For this I tried to find something that wasn't clichéd. But like every young male of my age, this band simply resonates too strongly for me to ignore. Arriving in 1993, RATM captured my teen angst perfectly. I still get amped up when listening to it.

Wednesday 20 April 2011

Day 19 - a Song From Your Favourite Album

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Day 19 - a Song From Your Favourite Album


Because I've already listed a PWEI song from my favourite album, I'm going to choose another of my favourite albums - The Second Coming by Stone Roses.

Begging You - Stone Roses

Although this album wasn't as well received as their first self titled album, I think this is a much better album in terms of song writing and performance. The guitars and drumming on this track in particular are just awesome - complex, layered, driving, beautiful rock and roll.

Tuesday 19 April 2011

Day 18 - a Song that You Wish You Heard on the Radio

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Day 18 - A Song You Wish You Heard on the Radio

I used to listen to the radio day and night, but now it's kind of irrelevant. I find new songs and bands myself through the internet and through recommendation of friends.Commercial radio lost my interest once I turned into a teenager, and although I'm a fan of community radio, it's often hard to get past the incessant talking most hosts feel they need to do.
But if radio was the arbiter of taste it once was, this song and moreover this band are highly deserving of airtime:

The Heavy - How Do You Like Me Now 
Ninjatune's 'alternative' label found this band, and they're fantastic. They have such a tremendous funk rock sound in most of their tunes, but can do reggae and blues equally as well.

Monday 18 April 2011

Day 17 - a Song You Hear Often on the Radio

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Day 17 - a Song You Hear Often on the Radio

I hear this song all the time on the radio and in shops.

So annoying!

Lady Gaga - Bad Romance

Sunday 17 April 2011

Day 16 - a Song That You Used to Love but Now Hate

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Day 16 - a Song That You Used to Love but Now Hate

Damn it, I kind of did this one already. But I can always think of more ;)
Oasis - Don't Look Back In Anger

I think Oasis rode the Stone Roses and Blur's coattails to success, and after listening to them in retrospect, I really don't think they were anything special. This song in particular pisses me off - it's so fucking whiny.

Ian Brown went on to do some amazing music as a solo artist, Mani joined Primal Scream who are still fucking awesome, and Damon Albarn went onto do both The Good, The Bad and The Queen (terribly underrated!) and of course Gorillaz.

Apart from prove they're major fucktards in a variety of ways, Oasis ain't done shit.

Saturday 16 April 2011

Day 15 - A Song that Describes You

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Day 15 : A Song that Describes You

I'm sure many people would have songs that would describe me. Asshole. Loser. Too Drunk Too Fuck. etc.

But if I have to choose one to describe me, it has to be this one:

Tripod - Gonna Make You Happy

This is me. I'll attend to your needs, right after I've attended to mine :)



This was a very close second:
The Headhunters - God Made Me Funky

I don't believe in God, but singing "The random sequence of events which led to the big band, life within the universe, evolution upon planet earth, and the incredible random circumstance of my birth made me funky" simply doesn't have the same ring to it...

Friday 15 April 2011

Day 14 - a Song that No One Would Expect you to Love

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Day 14 - a Song that No One Would Expect you to Love

I've written many times in many articles and on many websites about my dislike of dubstep. It takes from all of my favourite electronic genres - dub, breaks, drum and bass, UK garage - and mashes the sounds together. But instead of being the most awesome music in the world, it's boring, repetitive, predictable, and most wankerish music. It's the antithesis of everything I ever liked about dance music.

However, I do like this:
Mt Eden Dubstep - Sierra Leon

Thursday 14 April 2011

Day 13 - A Song that is a Guilty Pleasure

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Day 13: A Song that is a Guilty Pleasure

Scissor Sisters - Take Your Mama

Many songs and bands I discover through playing FIFA games. Scissor Sisters Take Your Mama was on FIFA 2005 or 2006, and I just loved the song. A few years later I got the chance to take photos for inthemix.com.au and they were amazing live - sounded great and gave an awesome show.

Wednesday 13 April 2011

Day 12 - A Song from a Band You Hate

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Day 12: A Song from a Band You Hate

This was harder than I thought. I could have chosen ABBA, but I didn't even want to search for them. Or Bonnie Tyler. Or anything labelled "R&B/Rap" to come out of the USA made in the last decade. But I chose this band:

Metallica - One

I hate this band. I hate their music, I hate their lyrics, I hate them as individuals. I've watched many documentaries about them, read interviews, and listened to whole albums in order to understand the attraction. I just can't.

Most of all I hate the fact so many people I respect music-wise (and indeed, individual-wise) like this band.

Tuesday 12 April 2011

Day 11 - A Song From Your Favourite Band

This is a neat little Facebook like & share game.

Day 11 - A Song From Your Favourite Band

Well, in fact I've already posted a song from my favourite band, so I'll post a song from my favourite Australian band.

Ooooh.... who could it ever possibly be?!

AC/DC - If You Want Blood

Monday 11 April 2011

Day 10 - A Song That Makes You Fall Asleep

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Day 10 - A Song That Makes You Fall Asleep

Now, this is an interesting one. Because I don't generally fall asleep to music. Music interests me, and I tend to stay active if it's playing.

Having said that, I have fallen asleep at nightclubs and raves before.

Roberta Flack - First Time I Ever Saw Your Face

Apparently my mum used to play this when I was young to make me fall asleep, or something, so that's why I've picked it out.

It used to be on an advert or TV show, and I said I hated it to my mum, and she told me this story about how it reminded her of me when I was little and asleep. My response was "that's probably why I hate it".

Yeah, I was a shitty son sometimes.

I like the song now though. And still love my mum.

Sunday 10 April 2011

Day 9 - A Song That You Can Dance To

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Day 9 - A Song That You Can Dance To

I can, and given enough alcohol, will, dance to almost anything. So lets change this slightly to "A Song That You Like To Dance To"...

Space Cube - Inbound

Every drum and bass head in Adelaide knows Inbound. Run by Fiction and Filter, these club nights with a rave attitude introduced many hundreds of dnb heads to a variety of different sounds they wouldn't experienced otherwise.

This is the original sound, the Yellow Record. I love jumping about on the dancefloor when Fiction drops this.

Saturday 9 April 2011

Day 8 - A Song That You Know All the Words To

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Day 8 - A Song That You Know All The Words To


Sure, I know most lyrics to most of the songs I listen to, but I don't think I know all the lyrics to the whole entire song of by heart for any song, apart from this one:

Dead Kennedys - Short Songs

Friday 8 April 2011

Day 7 - A Song That Reminds You Of A Certain Event

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Day 7 - A Song That Reminds You Of A Certain Event

Oh, so many to choose from! I could have chosen any song from any band I've seen live. I could have chosen Ice-T's Colors which reminds me of the year 10 Ski Trip. I could have chosen the Fish Song by Mr Scruff, which reminds me of my first DJ gig.

But I'll choose this one:


Big Audio Dynamite - Rush

When Big Audio Dynamite toured with U2 in... um... the early 90s... I think... I was equally as excited to see them as I was U2, and I was jumping around screaming like a maniac when they sang this song. So it's this song, and not any U2 songs, which remind me of the U2 concert!

Thursday 7 April 2011

Day 6 - A Song That Reminds You of Somewhere

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Day 6 - A Song That Reminds You of Somewhere.

This one's easy:

Jack Johnson - Taylor

This style of laid back kinda surfie guitar folkish music was being played all over Hawaii when I visited in 2009, and as this film clip was filmed in Hawaii, it simply reinforces that feeling.

I loved Hawaii! I need to go back.

Wednesday 6 April 2011

Day 5 - A Song That Reminds You Of Someone

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Day 5 - A Song That Reminds You Of Someone

Well, the last song also reminds me of someone, but in a sad way, so let's make this a happy one, shall we?

Queen - Fat Bottom Girls

This song will always remind me of my school mates Kris, Todd, Tim, Corey, Terry, Steph and Dan.

But in particular Kris, who had a very clever knack of being able to re-write lyrics on the fly. One night, driving home from somewhere to Tim's house Kris changed the lyrics to this song and we were laughing so much we almost had a car accident!

Tuesday 5 April 2011

Day 4 - A Song That Makes You Sad

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Day 4 - A Song That Makes You Sad

I actively avoid songs that make me sad. I spent too long being miserable as a teenager / young adult, so searching for songs that make me miserable doesn't make much sense any more.


Coldcut - Autumn Leaves

This song is Coldcut at their very best. Laid back jazzy and melancholic.

The reason I find it sad is it reminds me of someone I used to know. Let's leave it at that.

Monday 4 April 2011

Day 3 - A Song That Makes You Happy

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Day 3 - A Song That Makes You Happy

Argh! This is getting hard now!

So many songs make me happy for a variety of reasons, it's hard to choose just one.

The Bamboos - Turn It Up (feat. Lyrics Born)

but I love the funkiness of this song and LB's voice is just so damn soulful on this.

Sunday 3 April 2011

Day 2 - Your Least Favourite Song

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Day 2 - Your Least Favourite Song


This is a tough one. It's not most hated - that would probably go to Total Eclipse of the Heart.

But my least favourite song - the song I like the least out of all the songs I consider are my favourites... that's a whole different kettle of fish.I have to consider what are my favourite songs, and then consider which one I like the least.

So...

The Smiths - Please Let Me Get What I Want.

I used to absolutely love the Smiths, but just grew up, and got bored of Morrissey's miserable nature, and the whiney patheticness of most Smiths fans.I do still like some Smiths songs... just this one is probably my least favourite from a band which is my least favourite.

Saturday 2 April 2011

Day 1 - Your Favourite Song

This is a neat little Facebook like & share game.

Day 1 - Your Favourite Song

Pop Will Eat Itself: Dance of the Mad
This song means so much to me. It introduced me to electronic and rave music, it showed me protest songs don't need to be folky and boring, and I discovered it at a time of my life where music was probably the only thing that kept me going...

Friday 1 April 2011

Freedom of Speech and Andrew Bolt

Andrew Bolt is in court for defamation.

Numerous "journalists" are jumping up and down, crying crocodile tears for Bolt, claiming all kinds of outrageous nonsense about Freedom of Speech for the Press and Democracy and related bullshit.

Here's some rubbish from Brull the fool at the ABC

And from Bernard the Retard at Crikey

Thing is, Bolt has defamed these people, in their view. (And, to be honest, my view too)

Defamation works like this:
You can say "everybody in XCompany is a wanker". Perfectly legal, because it's a company and no individual is damaged by it. This applies to groups, even member of a race.

If you say "FunkyJ is a member of  Xcompany and therefore a wanker", and (this is the important bit) I take offence and believe it can damage my reputation, then I can sue. Then it's up to you to prove I'm a wanker and for me to prove I'm not (yeah, I'm boned! )

Andrew Bolt didn't say "Some Aboriginals are pretending to be blacker to get privileges" which is a perfectly abhorrent, but perfectly legal thing to say.

He named these specific individuals in specific circumstances where he believes this occurred.

Of Pat Eatock, a 79 year old Aboriginal Activist, he said: “Eatock only started to identify as Aboriginal when she was 19, after attending a political rally, so little did any racial difference matter to her before her awakening to far-Left causes... But she thrived as an Aboriginal bureaucrat, activist and academic…”
Eatock, with 8 decades of being aboriginal and all that it brings, obviously thinks otherwise.

Another, Larissa Behrendt, is upset that Bolt said her father was "German". In fact, her father is Aboriginal.

Bolt never sought response from those he named. News Limited hasn't offered any corrections. (Bolt's website has the words "German Father" with "father" crossed out and the word "name" put next to it - yet the implication is still very apparent)

These people have taken offence. And quite rightly in my opinion. Their professional and personal reputation has the potential to be damaged by these claims.

Free speech advocates like Bernard the Retard and Brull the Fool know that most people don't have a bloody clue about journalism and the law, what it can and what it can't do.

Every single ethical rule about journalism you can think of - Truth, balance, fair, unbiased, sources, etc - is a mere recommendation. The AJA and ACMA can give out fines to newspapers and journalists who break the rules, as long as they are members of those organisations.

However, there are no laws that cause these recommendations to be adhered to. There are no laws that say any journalist organisation needs to join any member organisation so punishments for breaches can be dealt out.

Now, if Freedom of Speech of the Press is so integral to Democracy, why is getting a response from people only a mere recommendation for journalists? Why is fact checking not enforcible by law? Why is the only recourse of someone wronged to sue for defamation?

It's so easy for Bernard and other journalists to jump up and down over this crap, but I said this on another of Bernard's pieces:

When the Press actually start being accountable for the words they print by firing people who report sensationalist bullshit; by printing corrections and errors on the front pages and running corrections as the first news story; by reporting on a story fully and not relying on readers and viewers to contribute; by not running advertising as stories; by not having advertising; by not being multinational; by not having links to organisations which create a conflict of interest; by taking responsibility for commentators on their websites; by fully fact checking even the most mundane story; by not relying on news wires; by not charging for content or subscriptions… Only THEN can the Press be truly considered a pillar of democracy, and only then can the imprisonment of journalists in a country like Australia truly be an outrage.


tldr?
Before the Press can claim to be a pillar of Democracy and have the right to Free Speech, they need to acknowledge their responsibilities through enactment of laws to make them act well in accordance to what is right and noble for Democracy.

30 Day Song Challenge

This is a neat little Facebook like & share game.

The rules are post one song a day, for 30 days, following these rules:

day 01 - your favourite song
day 02 - your least favourite song
day 03 - a song that makes you happy
day 04 - a song that makes you sad
day 05 - a song that reminds you of someone
day 06 - a song that reminds you of somewhere
day 07 - a song that reminds you of a certain event
day 08 - a song that you know all the words to
day 09 - a song that you can dance to
day 10 - a song that makes you fall asleep
day 11 - a song from your favourite band
day 12 - a song from a band you hate
day 13 - a song that is a guilty pleasure
day 14 - a song that no one would expect you to love
day 15 - a song that describes you
day 16 - a song that you used to love but now hate
day 17 - a song that you hear often on the radio
day 18 - a song that you wish you heard on the radio
day 19 - a song from your favourite album
day 20 - a song that you listen to when you’re angry
day 21 - a song that you listen to when you’re happy
day 22 - a song that you listen to when you’re sad
day 23 - a song that you want to play at your wedding
day 24 - a song that you want to play at your funeral
day 25 - a song that makes you laugh
day 26 - a song that you can play on an instrument
day 27 - a song that you wish you could play
day 28 - a song that makes you feel guilty
day 29 - a song from your childhood
day 30 - your favourite song at this time last year

So look out for my posts here and on facebook!

Wednesday 23 March 2011

Bullying and Casey the Hero

Sometimes I feel like I'm writing SEO pieces to get more hits LOL.


But I've got to say something about this Casey stuff.


I feel passionate about it because I was picked on in school. I found my diary from school not so long ago, and nearly every entry was about being picked on, about being hit, about being spat on.

When I found it I was shocked. I certainly remember that sometimes it occurred, but it didn't seem that big a deal, nor seemed to occur that often when I remember back to school.

I guess I bottled it up, as I certainly didn't bother to tell anyone about it, and I like to think I turned out pretty well adjusted.

And I'm sure I picked on other kids just as I was picked on. The way I remember it, that's just the way things were and you just had to put up with it.

But one thing I am sick of is all these do-fucking-gooders jumping up and down about the A Current Affair and Today Tonight interviews, and claiming all kinds of bullying will occur because of this, and so forth.

Because 25 years ago, I was Casey. Obviously, all the good intentions and pages of writing by the "anti-bullying experts" hasn't done shit.

And I have to point out I fucking HATE ACA and TT, and don't wish to defend them in any way, shape or form, because they're completely rubbish, gutter television.But by this going viral on youtube, and being picked up by these shows not only in Australia, but world wide, we're all talking about it. The whole world is talking about it.

Now, this isn't from a psychologist, just a mate on a forum, but he said:
Quote:
Interviewing these kids does nothing to solve the issue, does nothing to solve the underlying issues in general, and does nothing for these kids in particular.
I responded:
Really?

We're all talking about it.


10 pages and counting, when there's two earthquake ravaged cities still recovering, and open revolution backed by Western powers in Libya, open hostility in many other parts of the Middle East between "the people" and their Dictators.


People all over the world are talking about it, telling people how they were bullied when they were young. Sharing their stories. Talking about it with their kids, talking with each other.


I think it's done more than 25 years of bullshit popsych and "anti-bullying experts" put together could
ever hoped to do.

Because for all their studies, for all the thousands of papers and millions of words, for calls to ban games like Bully because "they sent the wrong message" and calls to ban music and art they disagree with, they did
nothing to stop this situation occurring to Casey.

Maybe the media reports won't [stop bullying] either, but at least we're talking about it.
Also, just because I love Penny Arcade, I need to post this:

Friday 18 March 2011

All of the Above...

There's a pretty funny site called Fat, Ugly or Slutty, which reveals the darker side of gamers.

Gamers, mostly girls, post the rude, nasty, sexist and racist posts they get from the more moronic and inbred type of gamers that inhabit virtual space.

I must admit I've managed to pretty much avoid this type of shit through not only being male, but mostly through playing with people on my friends list on Xbox Live, and by joining The Older Gamers about 8 years or so ago.

I can't say enough good things about TOG, and although I've been completely pissed off with some of the more ignorant comments in The World Around Us (discussions of news and issues) forum, particularly in relation to immigrants, I realise some people are just uneducated or close minded, and there's not much I can do about it.

But moreover, those people are in the minority in TOG, and when it comes to accepting people for who they are, even the most pigheaded of those in TWAU are in fact great people.

But there was this one time about 2 or 3 years ago that some random sent me a picture of his junk on Xbox Live.

I have no idea why.

Obviously I reported him, but honestly, if you're going to send pictures of your junk to people, at least have something to show. I've never felt inadequate in that department, but if this guy was an "average" male, then I'm in porn star league.

So thank you, random Xbox penis dude! Your obvious inadequacy made me feel superior.

Wednesday 16 March 2011

Bon Jovi is an idiot

Apparently Bon Jovi thinks Steve Jobs is killing the music business

Kids today have missed the whole experience of putting the headphones on, turning it up to 10, holding the jacket, closing their eyes and getting lost in an album; and the beauty of taking your allowance money and making a decision based on the jacket, not knowing what the record sounded like, and looking at a couple of still pictures and imagining it..

God, it was a magical, magical time...I hate to sound like an old man now, but I am, and you mark my words, in a generation from now people are going to say: 'What happened?' Steve Jobs is personally responsible for killing the music business. (link)
Thing is, I've never experienced music like this.

I've never gone into a record store, looked at the cover, and purchased it on a whim.

I've always been informed by radio, by magazines, by music video, by friends. Even if I was simply attracted to the record by the label design, I'd ask to listen to it in store.

I own 600 CDs and nearly as many records. I've seen over 200 bands live, and probably a similar number of DJs. I've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on music and music equipment.

I also have 150 gig of music - all of it as carefully chosen as those CDs and records.

Just because the way I find out about music has changed, because I can listen immediately, I can download immediately, I can click and see videos, I can read a review and then purchase right away, or a friend can send me a file, it doesn't mean my passion for finding music I like to listen to has diminished any.

And as long as there are people like me out there like me, there will be people making music for me.

So fuck you and your music business, Bon Jovi. You've done nothing for me.

Tuesday 8 March 2011

Clint Mansell to score Mass Effect 3


There is a rather long but very awesome interview with Clint Mansell – former member of Pop Will Eat Itself and composer of film scores Requiem for a Dream, Moon, and Black Swan, on The Quietus

(thanks to Amy for the link!)

He mentions in it that he’s doing the music for Mass Effect 3.

Do you do much work for other outlets like computer games? Mike Patton, for example, has most recently voiced The Darkness.
CM: I'm doing a video game this year actually. Mass Effect 3. Funnily enough, talking about Mike, we've exchanged emails about the possibility of doing a show featuring the Quartet and people they've collaborated with. It'd be a Kronos show, with different rooms for other people to do their thing, then bringing it all together. It's pretty cool-sounding.
I'm definitely interested in different outlets – that's one of the reasons I get involved in short films. It's not so much that I can experiment as it is to be in a situation where nobody's looking over your shoulder. Short films are usually made by young people and they've got ideas I can bounce off. They can take me in a different direction.
So in a game, the character might arrive at a big boss and you have to have a piece that can quickly become dramatic.
CM: That's what I'm figuring. As I was saying about Public Enemy and re-working old hip-hop tunes for Requiem, and kind of re-working old ballet tunes for Black Swan, with something like Mass Effect you're more like a DJ, with all these elements. You've got the holding pattern, then the big explosion where you need the score to kick in. Then you need to take it off on a tangent. You've got all these different elements that change depending on what the player does. You have to figure out an overall symphony, but be able to break it down into component parts. You can bring the pain when required.

Considering the previous Mass Effects count in my top ever games, this purchase was a given, but this makes it a pre-purchase for sure, especially if the soundtrack comes as a bonus feature!

Wednesday 23 February 2011

I'm OK!

For those that were wondering, I'm OK.

I'm in Auckland, which is on the North Island, whilst Christchurch is on the South Island.


But thanks for thinking of me :)

Sunday 20 February 2011

Green Certified

Hi, you might notice a new banner on my pages - one that states I'm using 100% wind energy for this site.




Ironic, considering I don't like the Greens much, hey?

However, I do believe in Climate Change and making the world less reliant on fossil fuels, particularly oil and coal, so that's why I'm proud to have this on my website.