Head Full-O-Monkeys: 03/01/2008

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Lack of Music More of Ubuntu

I still haven't blogged about all my SXSW bands. I think it's too daunting a task. I could have last weekend but Rickey and I spent all of it changing my new XPS m1330 on to Ubuntu with XP running in Parallels. Learning Linux bases OSs is definitely like learning a new language. It will take a while but I'm already having fun with Compiz Fusion. Still have to get the Bluetooth, webcam, and media card working. It will just take time. Lot's of bugs but we're getting there. Here's hoping I don't break anything!

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Thursday, March 13, 2008

Saul Williams

Saw him tonite. Going to bed. Will tell you all about everything at the end of this bone tired week. Woo!

at Vice show SXSW

Sunday, March 09, 2008

SXSWi '08 - What I hath learned.

Behold. I return with tales of the interactivity that will be. Web 2.0 and moreness!

Let me first start out by saying I haven't been to a SXSWi before. I scored 2 free day passes for my and Cousin Smokey (aka Rickey) and we thought we would check it out today. We went over there around 3 and figured 3 hours was enough time to spend going through the kiosks, booths, and sundry. It was. Walking around the place I got an immediate feel of a current flowing through the aisles. There was a new shift in focus this year. From what I heard, last year was about the basic web 2.0 emergence. Basing all your productivity software and other programs on the web instead of hosting it on your own system. This year it was about coalating all your web sources into one portal. Your Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Pownce,and so on. You can blog, message, and send files through one portal. Several folks offered their sites as the new way to do it all on one site. The first guys I met offering this were:

Now I like their interface and the idea is interesting. A site that will update you on flickr posts, facebook, and so forth. Problem is it isn't very interesting to look at. Handy, yes. You can post to any of the sites you've added onto the socialthing! roster and see frequent updates, but this should be up in a corner window of my screen, not a whole site. Better off as a widget for now. Granted this is still in Beta so I'll hope for a more immersive site to be developed. Still very useful for social network collator. if you want in on the beta use this invite code: the cake is a lie

The next note-able booth was:

I loved this concept and plan on using it a few times this year. Blurb is about desktop publishing, in a more literal sense. You download their free software, that has a very light footprint, and you build your book with your own pictures and text. You can do all the layout work and choose what format the book will be. You have them publish the book for you. Order one copy for yourself or 10 to give out as gifts. You can sell your book on their site for whatever cost you want and they will only take out the cost of publishing. They sell it for you and ship it too. I have a few ideas rolling around in my head already.

There was a site I already use:

I made this for the Digg Party:

I think you get that this makes awesome random slideshows to music. Pull your photos from your desktop, your flickr, picasa, whatever... and it will build it for you. You can arrange photos and tell it to feature some more prominently than others. They even give you the code to post it or will post it for you to a frined's myspace comments, Facebook, and the like. Too easy. This is a 30 second example. I plan on having a full one from my SXSW musical adventures up by the end of the week.

Another booth touted the ability to post Text, Pictures, & Video from your cellphone to the web.

Utterz

Simple to use, free as well. I don't see a downside to this service. As soon as I upgrade my phone from the Honk Kong Fooey that it is to a pic and video sending device I will use this a lot. I recommend. It's not in beta, either. Fully ready to rock and roll.

I went downstairs towards the end of the day and found:

These folks were offering a demo of their custom laser engraving. I watched for a bit and decided to get my Samsung P2 engraved. Ricky and I worked on a design while waiting in line. He talked to them about submitting new designs for their catalog. The lady behind us was pushy, antsy, insistent, and rude. All for a free offering. I almost yeled at her for being an old tit bag.
Here is the process of the etching.

And the finished Product:

These folks have only been in business for about a month or so. If you like this visit their site I linked to and ask them for a quote on some work for yourself. When my new Notebook comes in this week I will start figuring out the design. Hot stuff!

We killed some time over at Jackalope and worked on my business card design. We got the front part worked out we are waiting on me to reg a website to host me genius on.

We swung by the Gawker/io9 party but it was too crowded and we could chat with anyone. We ended up at the super secret Blogger party at Club De Ville

where we got booze, gloves and stickers. As shown here.

I chatted with a gent from Clearspring, they make widgets, who's name is on a card I don't have on me right now. [Add in later]. We talked about Twitter, and what widgets were doing to change web functionality, as well as cluing him in on some functions of Google he didn't know about. Score one for me!

It was a nice spread of food and it wasn't too crowded.

We left after about 2 hours or so. Rickey had to be at work in the AM and had to get all the way back to Blanco. It was very productive and I walked away with a new purpose.

This was the main reason why I decided on buying a new laptop. I want to continue doing these web things but don't want to be a shut in. So I will be outside more but still as web 2.? as ever.

Monday, March 03, 2008

Feb 29th - March 3rd

A little late but I have a major blog to follow so I gotta get this knocked out.

Started with a average day at work. What followed was brilliant show by Ghostland Observatory.

Thanks to Ultra 8201 for the pic source.

I didn't bring a camera as I thought it would be too packed to take pictures. It was for the most part. The opener was Dr. Jack. I couldn't find any info on him before or after the show. I liked what he spun. Mostly Daft Punk, Justice, MSTRKRFT, and the likes. Nothing that made my head explode into turntable ecstasy but it warmed up the crowd. SDave for the last 5-10 minutes of his set. I don't know if he was stalling for time or if he thought his droning beats were a good close to a varied and lively set. The crowd started booing. It was very much like making a pie feeding it to us and then waving a poo finger under our collective noses at the end. No bueno. No poo finger action next time Dr. Jack. He wore a Doc's mask and was set way back from the front so I fear I shall never know who this mystery man is.

In about 10 minutes or less we had Ghostland ignition. Starting with the opening track from Robotique Majestique. I already had the new cd in the back pocket. The bass was at a real sweet spot and it put the ants in my pants. I went into this show without having allowed myself a listen to any new tracks. It worked well. Heavy Heart struck me hard and set the tone. I had only seen these guys once before at ACL and now they were in complete control of their environment. A laser show that John Woo could have choreographed and smoke to make it easier to see. Every sone worked and the audience ate it up like a deeeelicious custard of musical musicality. I swear, when "The Band Marches on" started I have no idea that they were going to bust out the UT Band.

Thanks to tyculver for the vid.

I didn't need any euphoria inducing drugs to make me feel like I was in a spiritual domain. I saw lights, colors and sounds in those few moments that I can only home to duplicate through illegal complex chemical combinations that will leave me damaged in new ways. I left straight for home afterwards. Legs were tired and I didn't feel like drinking. I actually didn't drink the whole show so I didn't have to break for bodily functions or new adult drinks to slake my thirst. I had something with me to help with the show though.

Sat was bland, if I recall. So, pretend I didn't just mention it.

Sunday was spent trying to get a girl to leave my place after she didn't serve the purpose she came over for. I officially wrote her off my books after that. A little time at Jo's and then it was out to the Drafthouse Ritz for their Howard the Duck showing. Ivan and Matt were a bit let down from what they remembered it as a kid. See what you think from the finale.

I forgot how good the effects and animatronics were for 1986.

Monday was Justice! I was ready for this for a while. It was cold and windy. I was semi- prepped for this but the wind is a bastard bitch that takes no lovers. I took a camera for this one so here are a few pics for your stupid eyes that weren't there. Stupid eyes, I say!

Messy photo...but oddly pretty.

Opener was DJ Mendhi. He spun some lovely things and really got us jazzed without the actual application of Jazz music. He went a bit to House for me a few times but all and all he was on point and tossing some fun stuff down.

I had met up with Rhett from work just before Mendhi came on. We were a group of 5 or 6 and even though we got scattered when Justice came on we still stayed within proximity and regrouped mid show. All the clustering had made it easy to keep warm.

Of course, Justice hit the decks with full force like a man hitting something at full force. Much like that. They spun everything I had already heard but with enough variations that it felt right. Unlike DJ Shadow who will spin his catalog without much variation save for what he will play in what order. I love you Shadow but unless it's a special project like what you rolled through a month or so ago with Cut Chemist, I probably won't go. All 45s on 8 tables was worth it, though.

The final song closed and Justice walked off on and left the bass on. Like a couple in a hurry to catch their tropical flight leaving the iron on. We all stood there trapped by this epic bass on 10-12 Marshalls stacked. Our bodies vibrating and causing some of us to worry we may never be released from this sonic trap. I think this was on an old episode of Star Trek. After 2-3 minutes of vibrating at speeds unknown to the common man Justice strode back out to remind us who our friends were. In a way they have really highjacked Simian's "We are your friends" for their own. The audience chanted the refrain in waves until the bass and yelling made us collapse onto each other.

I recall a second encore but I was too burnt and tired to remember what it was. My body wasn't and it responded to the beats and I just rode it out.

After, Rhett and crew tried to wait for the crowd to pass by but got caught up in an exiting tide of fans. I got turned around and walked backwards for a bit until a kindly soul forcibly faced me the right way. Long walk back to the ride but I need the cool off.

Next blog is about this last weekend. Lots of goodness to share.

Sunday, March 02, 2008

SXSW Bands and Others

Holy Titty Jesus! I have gone all electro lately with a side helping of UK bands. Here is a list of the stuff I'm aiming myself at for SXSW. A few are mentioned that aren't on the schedule. Get over it. Tell me anything I'm missing.

Ladytron: