From: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org (loud-fans-digest) To: loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Subject: loud-fans-digest V7 #505 Reply-To: loud-fans@smoe.org Sender: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-loud-fans-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk loud-fans-digest Monday, September 15 2008 Volume 07 : Number 505 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [loud-fans] A Heartbreaking Genius Of Staggering Work ["Tom Marcinko"] [loud-fans] MusicIP Mixer vs. a Heartbreaking Genius ["Brian Block" Subject: Re: [loud-fans] A Heartbreaking Genius Of Staggering Work I did search on "Chardonnay (long version)" and got some recommendations by "Game Theory." Wrong band, though. Apparently somebody else is/was using the name. The reviews on iTunes are not flattering. On Sat, Sep 13, 2008 at 8:01 PM, Dave Walker wrote: > I've had mixed luck with Wile E. Coyote, Super Genius so far. It's done OK > with some things (Camera Obscura, Benga, The Wedding Present), but when I > picked a Paul Newman track as a starting point it gave me a bunch of fairly > general indie stuff (Arcade Fire, Interpol, Editors) when I have plenty of > bands that would have been a good fit (e.g. Sonna, Japancakes, Letter E, > hell, even The Sea And Cake and Trans Am) instead. > > -d.w. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2008 06:26:12 -0700 From: "Brian Block" Subject: [loud-fans] MusicIP Mixer vs. a Heartbreaking Genius There's a much better free program already doing what iTunes's Genius does, except that it works by actually _analyzing_ the songs in your collection (tones, rhythms, structures) and generating playlists based on that. It's called MusicIP Mixer, and I recommend it heartily. MusicIP Mixer's choices often make intuitive sense, for one thing: putting in Low's "Breaker" got me a quietly restrained and pretty set of songs with a clear if subtle groove (Death Cab's "Different Names for the Same Thing", Buttless Chaps' "Love This Time", Nothing Painted Blue's "Developer's Dream", Yeasayer's "2080"). Putting in McLusky's fast, abrasive "the World Loves Us and is Our Bitch" yields a lot of fast, urgent pop and abrasive punk (Foo Fighters' "Monkey Wrench", Mission of Burma's "Nancy Reagan's Head", the New Pornographer's "Twin Cinema", Sadaharu's "a Measured Response to an Obvious Inequity"). But the other cool aspect is, the choices that _don't_ make intuitive sense usually work. I plugged in "Good, There are No Lions in the Street" just now, and had no idea what to expect, but in their own ways Clearlake's "I'd Really Like to Hurt You" (moody rock), They Might Be Giants's "Hopeless Bleak Despair" (twerp-pop), Sonic Youth's "Karen Koltrane" (9-minute guitar workout), Fosca's "Storytelling Johnny" (lyric-driven synthpop), Dar Williams's "Play the Greed" (cheerful folk), Richard Shindell's "Fishing" (ominous folk), and Shalini's "Desperate for Dawn" (Scott's ex and cuckold play pop) all pick up on very real aspects of "Lions"'s melody, pulse, and/or texture. I'll arrange the songs in a more deliberate order than MusicIP Mixer did if I decide to hear the mix, but that's easy to do. A less complicated song, not surprisingly, tends to get a more focused mix. Every once in a while the Mixer decides for absolutely no known reason that, say, Lee Ann Womack's "I Hope You Dance" (sappy hyper-commercial country-pop) is a virtual twin of the 5uu's "Roan" (classically-trained avant-rock). Then again, every once in a while I decide for absolutely no known reason that "I Hope You Dance" is something I want on my computer, and I haven't changed my mind yet, so who am I to complain? (MusicIP Mixer also offers you the chance to download free songs by obscure artists, songs that it considers related to the songs you play. I didn't find this feature impressive in a brief sampling. You might.) cheers, - - Brian

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http://www.Care2.com Green Living, Human Rights and more - 8 million members! ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:51:45 EDT From: Markwstaples@aol.com Subject: Re: [loud-fans] A Heartbreaking Genius Of Staggering Work In a message dated 9/13/2008 12:05:51 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, craigtorso@verizon.net writes: On the other hand, the first song I tried it with (The Bird and the Bee's "Again and Again," one of my favorite singles of recent years) immediately brought up Blonde Redhead's "23," You'd think it would have brought up songs by Cocteau Twins and Everything But the Girl. - --Mark **************Psssst...Have you heard the news? There's a new fashion blog, plus the latest fall trends and hair styles at StyleList.com. (http://www.stylelist.com/trends?ncid=aolsty00050000000014) ------------------------------ End of loud-fans-digest V7 #505 *******************************