Hottt. Brilliant independent filmmaker Maria Gigante cut together footage from Cool Devices first show ever at the Empty Bottle. The sound, actually pulled from the camera, is amazing, and the boys are for real slaying a cut from their new record; watch You’re Primative. I’m still bummed I missed that show, unfortunately I got thrown out of the club for “close dancing” during the opening band…
Not entirely sure how these holophonic recordings [via Marisa] differ from binaural recording but they definitely sound cool.
About five years ago I had the chance to experience one of Janet Cardiff‘s audio installations/walks. You put on a pair of headphones and Cardiff’s voice guides you along a path and through a narrative, while sounds on the recording mingle with sounds on the street. I assume her work is recorded binaurally, and it is totally uncanny and beautiful — one of those instances when the creative possibilities of a technology are truly fully realized. Listen to excerpts of the walk I took through Central Park, called Her Long Black Hair.
This is cool. Endesign Studios put together a short skate video of Brian Carley; Jitney provides the soundtrack.
Four year old New Yorker essay by Malcolm Gladwell about the problems with treating intellectual property like physical property. He addresses how “plagiarism fundamentalists” stifle creativity and though Gladwell doesn’t mention it, he is, in fact, making a terrific case for Creative Commons.
From the broken instruments and archaic recording equipment deep within the rural confines of Pieholden Suite Sound recording studio, comes the Notes & Scratches 2nd release To the Other Side. This six song cycle about memory and moving on is the first installment of seven releases the Notes have planned for 2009. And it’s a hoot.
Download it free, right here!
If you are in Chicago, please do come out to the Whistler on April 30th for the Notes & Scratches release show celebrating this EP as well as a new 7” from Whistler Records.
We’d also like to express our sincere thanks for all the recent blog support. Here’s a few highlights:Jay Bennett reviewed on Paste, Jitney interviewed on Orange Alert, and Andy Wagner reviewed on You Crazy Dreamers. We truly appreciate any time taken to explore the music we’re offering.
Okay, that’s all for now. See you next month when we drop our loudest record yet… the self-debut by The Cool Devices.
Until then, take care.
Love,
The Rock Proper Community Orchestra
We are pleased to announce the launch of our second featured release. Jitney’s new album “86-300” is now available for free download. Get it here!
If you happen to be near Chicago, Jitney will be playing a free show at the Empty Bottle on Monday Feb 9th.
Some info about 86-300:
These songs were written while driving a taxi in Chicago. Meehan drove the night shift for two years to finance the record. The name of the album, 86-300, refers to Meehan’s chauffeur’s license. He is the 86,300th cab driver to be licensed in Cook County; the Jitney moniker is also taken from taxicab terminology.
Other than the late-night, cityscape imagery of streetlights, gasoline and drifters, this album explores the element of chance. There were many setbacks for this musician in recent years, including nearly loosing his leg necessitating many difficult months of recovery. This material explores dealing with forces beyond ones control; the song “Fin” may be interpreted as a brief commentary on the struggling music industry.
This album was recorded at Jay Bennett’s Pieholden Suite Sound on the same equipment used for Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
This record, produced by Meehan’s long time friend Matt DeWine, was one of the first albums recorded at the studio after its transplant from Chicago’s West side to downstate Illinois. Meehan helped with the construction of this studio. Additional recording was done by Kris Poulin at Chicago’s Electrical Studios and Semaphore.
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We also have a few more great records on deck. Andy Wagner’s “Those Who Forgive” will be launching with Where The Moon Came From with David Vandervelde’s “Psychedelic Saturday” both will be available on February 23rd. Notes and Scratches’ “To the Other Side” will be out March 30th.
Last month we were very excited to find a wonderful remix of one of Jay Bennett’s songs, check it out here. Jay’s song “I’ll Decorate My Love” was originally released on “Whatever Happened I Apologize” (Rock Proper, 2008). We are grateful for Fabakis’ great work on the remix, this is precisely the kind of projects that the new Creative Commons’ copyright laws make possible.
Thanks for listening!
The short story: Over the past 7 years, we’ve made some great music.
>>Start downloading this music now<<
The slightly longer story: In Chicago, near the intersection of Albion and Newgard Avenue, sits a house that should have been condemned years ago. The crooked angles of its brickwork sloped toward the weak corners of its foundation and the holes in the drywall made convenient storage for anything that needed hiding. Here lived a lucky tribe of cavemen. This is where it started.
We spent years doing many things in, around and to that house. There were ten great bands in a one-mile radius, all feeding on a collective frenzied energy. We rehearsed amongst asbestos, threw things from the rooftop and silkscreened cryptic messages on any unclaimed article of clothing we could find. We justified this as necessary to making music that was pure.
Kleinflelter was that group of cavemen. They later became Lying In States. Where The Moon Came From was their denim clad rival around the corner. In the early morning hours, Jason Fredrick was often speaking in toungues on the couch; soon to start Love Story in Blood Red. Samuel Stiles, Steve Eck, and Casey Meehan were a trio of transplant balladeers from New Orleans. Andy Wagner lived down the street, then a thousand miles away, then down the street, then two thousand miles away and now lives down the street again. The Notes and Scratches have all done time in one or another of these groups. Brother Truck never actually visited that house as a band but grew organically over years out of the friendships that were made there.
I don’t know where all that merch finally ended up; there’s some under my bed for sure. Lost yet worthy music that we are proud to be re-issuing.
This archive is the first step in what we hope will become a genuine resource for those who enjoy music created with integrity. If you like what you hear, check back often and soon.
Rock Proper provides free album downloads from a select group of indie rock artists. We embrace the technology of today in order to connect our music to the largest possible audience. Please also visit: The Jay Bennett Foundation and Pieholden Suite Sound
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