Monthly Archives: March 2006

Freedom files

The French Parliament has backed a bill to force digital music services to open up their proprietary formats and to make them interoperable. If it gets signed into law, Apple, Sony, MSN and the like will either have to make their systems open or shut down their stores. Who wants to make book on whether they’ll stay open?

I’ve bought an occassional iTunes file, but for the most part, I stay away from the service — I don’t like having to launch a specific application just to listen to a single file. (And no, I don’t own an iPod.) I also don’t like how you can browse stores of other countries but not buy anything from them. Such a missed opportunity to leverage a global market.

Japan Nite, SXSW XX, March 18, 2006, Austin, TX

Somehow, I managed to find the one parking lot in downtown Austin where the attendent told me I have until midnight to keep my car there.

What the fuck?

What kind of business would tell customers to go home two hours before last call during fucking SXSW?

And yet, my aging body replied, "Wow … it would be so nice to get home before 1 a.m."

So I capitulated.

Here I am, 12:30 a.m. Tsu*Shi*Ma*Mi*Re is probably finishing its last song, and I’m at home typing this entry. And I don’t fucking mind! Do I qualify for membership in the AARP now?

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Japan Traditional Nite/eX-Girl, SXSW XX, March 17, 2006, Austin, TX

When SXSW announced the line-up for Japan Traditional Nite, I was really concerned about how the festival could pull it off.

I couldn’t picture someone singing shima uta in a loud, crowded club. Maybe if the shamisen players booked for that night all played like Yoshida Kyoodai, it’s remotely possible.

Thankfully, Japan Traditional Nite was held in the Creekside Dining Room of Capitol Place Hotel, complete with seating and a nice view of Waller Creek.

I am a geezer, because nothing could pull me away from a SXSW venue with seating. (Actually, a Tony Conrad showcase would …)

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Tony Conrad/The Flaming Lips, SXSW XX, March 16, 2006, Austin, TX

On Thursday night, I received confirmation just how conservative I would have become had I pursued music composition back in college.

I arrived at Central Presbyteran Church before 9 p.m., hoping to catch Zeena Parkins, a harp player who has worked with the likes of Bill Laswell and Björk. I entered the church, and someone other than Parker was playing — a solo violinist shrouded in shadow, his visage illuminated on a scrim overhead.

After 15 minutes of listening to the player drone on and on with a limited set of notes, I asked myself, "What the fuck is this wanker shit?"

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ZAZEN SLOTH VOLA toddle: A comparrison chart

Slightly more than three years since the break-up of Number Girl, all four members have now released albums with their respective projects.

Mukai Shuutoku had a head-start with ZAZEN BOYS. Nakao Kentaro sat in with Spiral Chord before getting serious with SLOTH LOVE CHUNKS. Tabuchi Hisako formed toddle in between guitar duties with bloodthirsty butchers. And Ahito Inzawa formed Vola & the Oriental Machine after splitting from ZAZEN BOYS.

How do each of these projects stack up?

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Shipping news

It’s been a long time since I shopped over at CD Japan, having migrated to Amazon Japan for slightly cheaper shipping.

Since then, CD Japan has expanded its shipping options, to include Global Priority Mail. I ordered Vola & the Oriental Machine’s Waiting for My Food mini-album to see how long it takes to arrive. Verdict: three weeks. Amazon usually takes only one.

But CD Japan’s cheapest shipping option is noticeably (but not really significantly) cheaper than Amazon’s, so it’s a good alternative to keep in mind if instant gratification isn’t a must.

That said, when the fuck is YesAsia going to list the new album by Hatakeyama Miyuki (titled Reflection) for pre-order? YesAsia’s shipping is reasonably quick and cheap, but it does me no good if the item I want isn’t even listed in the damn catalog.

Luminous Orange/Noahlewis’ Mahlon Taits/… Trail of Dead, SXSW XX, March 15, 2006, Austin, TX

The flag was raised when I was paying more attention to the muscular hottie in the tight t-shirt off the side of the stage than to Luminous Orange.

(Very much straight, but the way he was dressed, he probably shouldn’t step into a gay bar if he doesn’t want to get hit on.)

It’s been a few years since I listened to Luminous Orange’s Drop You Vivid Colors, and it’s the only album of Takeuchi Rie’s band I’ve heard. So most of the set list at Luminous Orange’s Wednesday night showcase at Habana Calle 6 was lost on me.

Takeuchi herself epitomized the shoegazer stereotype, focusing on singing and playing, eyes concentrated on the ground. Given the complexities of her music, it would require a single-minded focus.

It still didn’t really make her a very engaging frontperson.

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(Who’s Heard of …?) Eponymous 4!

I’d heard of Audioscrobbler and Last.fm years ago, and I passed on it. In my mind, Musicwhore.org is supposed to fill the purpose of letting people know what I’m listening to, thank you very much.

And of course, I get to wank like all the rock critics I read.

I didn’t really want to reveal what I was listening to before I had a chance to write about it.

I’m over that now because I’m not writing as frequently as I used to. It’s tough to let the world what you’re listening to when you don’t have time to tell anyone.

So why not let Last.fm do it for me?

But really, I have another motive for signing up.

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Number Girl: Omoide In My Head 4 ~(Chin) NG & Rare Tracks~

There was a time when Mukai Shuutoku wasn’t the force of avant-garde nature he is today.

Wrapping up a reissue campaign commemorating what would have been the band’s 10th anniversary, Omoide In My Head 4 ~(Chin) NG & Rare Tracks~ brings together the flotsam and jetsom of Number Girl’s output.

Compilation tracks, demos, live tracks — the two-disc set charts the development of Mukai’s muse in more detail than Omoide In My Head 1 ~Best & B-Sides~.

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Hem: No Word from Tom

When the Carpenters were listed as an influence on Hem’s previous album, Eveningland, I braced myself for a sophomore slump.

The band’s debut album, Rabbit Songs, was my favorite album of 2002, and it was so good, I instantly wanted a second album. Eveningland arrived, and I found myself … not as mesmerized.

(Reviews for both albums are available at archive.musicwhore.org.)

When news came down that No Word from Tom would contain outtakes, live recordings and b-sides, I thought it would be scattershot. As it turned out, the album’s clarity is threaded by its adventurous choices.

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