Radiohead is a very cerebral band, and they just do things differently. Their fans do things differently too. Case in point, the first video is Radiohead performing their song “Nude” from their album “In Rainbows.” The second clip is from a guy who recreated their song “Nude” by using old and outdated machines and then filmed it. Cerebral. You can hear it developing loosely at first but it really tightens up after a minute or so. It’s pretty elaborate, and obviously took some time to set up. So where does someone get an idea like this, and then muddle around until they solve it? Sometimes it seems I have trouble squeezing in things I need to be doing like dishes and mowing the lawn… “Oh honey after dinner I was going to recreate my favorite bands song using things we were going to donate to goodwill okay? And then I’m going to record it. And then I’m going to film it. And post it.” I don’t know how he did it, but it’s pretty fantastic.

Posted: July 8th, 2008 under Music.
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Super cool and slo-o-o-mo. It’s really just fun to watch.

Posted: June 26th, 2008 under Music, General.
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Sometimes when old ideas come back into new forms they’re cool, and sometimes they seem like a blatant attempt at cashing in on years gone by. This is a new usb drive created by Suck UK masquerading in the nostalgic wrappings of the classic mix tape. Does this new product recharge what was once a coveted and personalized vehicle of music exchange? Sadly no. I think it’s a cool idea, and they look great, and although it gets my nostalgic memories spinning at $40 bucks a pop, you have to be Richy Rich to be handing these out. One of the greatest things about mix tapes was that they were cheap. You could buy that five-pack of crappy tapes without covers that hung next to the cash register for a dollar. Maybe less. If you were a real snob you could get the two-pack of the high-fidelity tapes that came with the covers and stickers for the sides too. Yes these new usb drives are high tech, and the packaging is awesome but they take a nose-dive at the practicality level. For a present okay, but to use these in the same way as you made mix tapes back in the day? No way. Also they only hold 60 min worth of music, which is kitsch – but I was more of a 90 min guy anyway. So when I make mixes, as I still do, I stick to the standard CD, (they’re super cheap) and then design my own covers. They are personalized, portable mixes of music for my friends. Kind of like mix tapes, remember those?

Posted: June 13th, 2008 under Everyday Life, Music, Design, Advertising/Marketing.
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Here is a very cool video for the song “Again and Again” by The Bird and The Bee. It was directed by Dennis Liu, and stars my favorite OS, Leopard. It’s a feast for the eyes that makes apple nerds, and computer lovers alike proud.

Posted: May 28th, 2008 under Everyday Life, Music.
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Coldplay’s “The Scientist” is an amazing song, but have you ever seen the video? This has got to be one of my favorites of all time. Beautifully shot and brilliant. It sends chills up my spine, check it out.

Posted: March 25th, 2008 under Music.
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This Taylor Guitars Ad campaign showcases their quality guitars in very strange settings. As a bridge support, a skyscraper or collected in a jar with butterflies and other beautiful things. The feeling I get from these ads is calm, peaceful and the colors are smooth and surreal. I think these ads could be blown up and released as framed art, (if they are not already.) The way the guitars are made the center piece of the ad, woven into the scenes they’re placed really draws my eyes right to them. It’s hard to look away and see the rest of the ad, I’m just stuck going ga ga at the Taylor’s beauty. (If you play guitar you’ll know what I’m talking about.) The headlines are small but powerful in these pieces, “Two Worlds. One Link Between Them.,” “Big Sound for a Big World,” and “Pure Sound Captured,” really help these Taylor ads seem bigger than life, like their sound.

Posted: March 11th, 2008 under Music, Advertising/Marketing.
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I love this band, if not for their music, but for their tenacious appetite to redefine “music”. The little band that could has done/is doing it again. Being forward thinking and at the front of the music world has never been a problem for Radiohead, and with their latest move it again underlines their importance in musical circles. Their latest album In Rainbows, was released last week without a record label, but not without fans, respect or ingenuity. After not being able to sell their album as a collective whole on iTunes, which requires artists to sell releases also as individual purchasable tracks, they decided go it alone, and creatively at that. A fan of Radiohead can now purchase their album in it’s entirety on a special website. The fans can also, and here’s the kicker, pay however much they want for it. They can decide what it’s worth to them, ten cents or ten bucks. The more avid fan and collector can purchase the yet to be released disc box which will be sent to them including the cd, 2 x 12″ vinyl and a cd of extra songs, digital photos and exquisite packaging for around $70 usd. I am curious what the RIAA has to say about this latest experiment in the music world. Oh and if you’re wondering about the music, this is as strong, if not stronger than their last record, which makes this all the more interesting.

Posted: October 15th, 2007 under Music, Advertising/Marketing.
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