I just realized that I have not updated my "Reading" selection in a very long time. I read "The Old Man and the Sea" on a plane ride over Easter, so it's about time I caught you all up to speed.

I won't bore you with a list of all the books we've read over the past few months, but I will tell you that my current selection, "This is Your Brain on Music," by Daniel Levetin is fascinating.

This wonderful book has a wealth of information for anyone who is interested in, as he puts it, the "science of a human obsession." In it he discusses the functions of the brain as they pertain to both music-listening and creating, and, as I begin working on my MFA thesis, I find myself continually dwelling on these ideas. Music as "organized sound." The direct mapping of pitch from the auditory cortex to your brain. (Neurons in your brain fire at the exact frequencies of sound you hear!) Does 10,000 hours of practice really make a virtuoso? These questions and more will certainly effect the way I approach the coming year of studies. So, heads up, it's about to get real nerdy around here for the next 9 months.

Labels: Books, MFA, Music

The Trons are robots. They might not play with a lot of heart, but they're better than a lot of bands I've heard on the Sunset strip.

Labels: Fun, MFA, Music

The Old Deluder Satan Law is alive and well.

We were sidetracked by teaching, learning, editing, graduating, moving, bleeping, booping, sleeping, breaking our arms, losing our cool, relocating, having babies, getting married, making new friends, leaving old ones, drinking cold ones, making hot buns, eating pasta, brewing beer, painting deer, facing fears, climbing mountains, hiking trails, chasing tail, feeling ill, and building stills.

Then Jayson helped remind us all of our hopes and dreams: namely, to record a collaborative album with as many people as possible.

So, ladies and gentlemen, behold: The mixed and final version of Green, Green, Green by the Old Deluder Satan Law [mp3]

Please.

Enjoy.

Labels: Music, Projects

James Houston remixes Radiohead's Nude with a Sinclair ZX Spectrum, Epson LX-81 Dot Matrix Printer, HP Scanjet 3c, and an array of hard drive arrays. This is what nerd heaven looks like. The action starts in at 1:10. Watch it!


Big Ideas (Don't get any) from 1030 on Vimeo.

[via waxy]

Labels: Music, Technology, videos

Hey dudes. Cocktail Kitchen is finally on the iTunes podcast store, and we need your support.

So head on over, subscribe (it's free y'all), learn how to make a good cocktail, and leave us a glowing review.

Link to the Cocktail Kitchen page in the iTunes Store

Yeah, yeah. We know there's only two so far. But we plan on making more (and more regularly), we promise.

Labels: The Drink