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Post by slb2 on Jan 30, 2007 1:35:18 GMT -5
On second thought, I kinda like lying in bed all night thinking of exactly that!
Um, thanks, Trusty. ;D
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Post by Trusty on Jan 30, 2007 17:45:02 GMT -5
help me here, trusty. I'm over at that site you mentioned above. So, I can download an entire album for less than 3 bucks? I download it for an MP3, say? Okay, but why's it cost $15 at the CD store? Does BeauSoleil receive the same amount of money regardless if I buy it off of this site or from a retail store? And if I don't have an MP3 player? Or an iPod? You can probably play mp3 on your computer, but NOT on your stereo. MP3 is the most compressed (There's that word again!) audio that you'll find. It's popular because it takes up so little bandwidth (That's why you can get so many songs on an ipod.) Compression: Let's do video; there are 30 full frames of video per second (25 in the UK) on the TV screen. Uncompressed video "draws" 30 new frames of video every second. Compressed video only "draws" the portion of the picture that changed. This means that compressed video of a lecture takes less bandwidth than compressed video of an action movie the same length - and the electronics compensate for it. Apply the same principle to audio. CD players ARE digital, but are not built to play such compressed audio. Of course, the uncompressed (CD) audio is better, and costs more, but most people will not notice the difference; the mp3 audio is "acceptable". (I just reread what i wrote - pretty good IIDSSM!) I would have to go back to the site to get the particulars, but it seems you're getting them so cheap because there's not that many digital bits putting out the music; your ipod or computer compensates. (Add a sub woofer to your computer speakers and sit back ready to be blown away.) Hope that helped. I enjoyed writing it. ;D
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Post by Trusty on Jan 30, 2007 18:01:33 GMT -5
Oh, HEY! HEY! HEY!
There's a program you can download called "Switch". It will convert practically ANY audio file to any other audio file - so if you get the program, you MIGHT be able to convert mp3 files to audio CD-acceptable (AIFF) files and burn a CD that you can play on your stereo or in your car.
"Switch" is a free download - for Windoze or Macs. Try it, and share the results with us.
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Post by booklady on Jan 30, 2007 18:51:38 GMT -5
Cupcake, if you're thinking of coming out to see it, why not over spring break? Er, when is your spring break? I'm still lusting after New Orleans over the first weekend in May. I'm sure your break isn't that late. OTOH, I'm pining for Amherst, Mass on March 27th. So let's play hostest to one another. Deal? 1441.3 miles to Minneapolis Avenue, Minnesota from my house. 21 hours and 1 minute of driving Round trip, we'll say 3000 miles. Say, 450 miles to a tank of gas Estimating high, say 8 tanks of gas at $50 each = about $400 in gas. Two nights in a motel on the road there and back Tickets to the Twins game on Sunday, April 15 (would I come to Minnesota and not see the Twins? I don't think so. Too bad they are playing Tampa Bay on April 15......but The Game's the thing, right?) Tickets to the Bob exhibit Food and beverage Hmmm. Maybe I'll stay home and paint my living room. (Wonder what my tax refund is going to be?)
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Post by slb2 on Jan 30, 2007 21:05:14 GMT -5
Do you teach math?
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Post by liriodendron on Jan 30, 2007 21:10:30 GMT -5
[1441.3 miles to Minneapolis Avenue, Minnesota from my house. 21 hours and 1 minute of driving Round trip, we'll say 3000 miles. Say, 450 miles to a tank of gas Estimating high, say 8 tanks of gas at $50 each = about $400 in gas. Two nights in a motel on the road there and back Tickets to the Twins game on Sunday, April 15 (would I come to Minnesota and not see the Twins? I don't think so. Too bad they are playing Tampa Bay on April 15......but The Game's the thing, right?) Tickets to the Bob exhibit Food and beverage Hmmm. Maybe I'll stay home and paint my living room. (Wonder what my tax refund is going to be?) Booklady, you disappointed me. I was positive your list would end, "Tickets to the Bob exhibit - priceless!"
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Post by booklady on Jan 31, 2007 6:01:43 GMT -5
Why, slb? Did I do the math wrong? And Lirio, the tickets to the exhibit wouldn't be priceless. Seeing the exhibit and slb would be priceless!
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Post by Thomas Scheuzger on Jan 31, 2007 9:30:09 GMT -5
help me here, trusty. I'm over at that site you mentioned above. So, I can download an entire album for less than 3 bucks? I download it for an MP3, say? Okay, but why's it cost $15 at the CD store? Does BeauSoleil receive the same amount of money regardless if I buy it off of this site or from a retail store? And if I don't have an MP3 player? Or an iPod? You can probably play mp3 on your computer, but NOT on your stereo. MP3 is the most compressed (There's that word again!) audio that you'll find. It's popular because it takes up so little bandwidth (That's why you can get so many songs on an ipod.) Compression: Let's do video; there are 30 full frames of video per second (25 in the UK) on the TV screen. Uncompressed video "draws" 30 new frames of video every second. Compressed video only "draws" the portion of the picture that changed. This means that compressed video of a lecture takes less bandwidth than compressed video of an action movie the same length - and the electronics compensate for it. Apply the same principle to audio. CD players ARE digital, but are not built to play such compressed audio. Of course, the uncompressed (CD) audio is better, and costs more, but most people will not notice the difference; the mp3 audio is "acceptable". (I just reread what i wrote - pretty good IIDSSM!) I would have to go back to the site to get the particulars, but it seems you're getting them so cheap because there's not that many digital bits putting out the music; your ipod or computer compensates. (Add a sub woofer to your computer speakers and sit back ready to be blown away.) Hope that helped. I enjoyed writing it. ;D Very good, Trusty. I deal with MP3s all the time as a matter of course in my work, and I will say that if I have a choice, I'll save any audio as an uncompressed wav file. About ten times the file size, but with drives as cheap as they are nowadays, it's an acceptable solution for me. There are also some compression methods that are "lossless", i.e. you get back what you put in. Apple's Lossless is one. It's analogous to "zipping" a tiff photo, rather than making it a jpeg. In broadcasting/satellite uplinks, the norm is actually an MP2, which to me sounds just as bad as an MP3... Anyway, regarding burning MP3s onto audio CDs: Just download iTunes and be done with it. You create a playlist, drag and drop songs (most formats) onto the list, and click "burn". iTunes takes care of all the conversions, including AAC, the format used for songs at iTunes Music Store... It has a built in converter, too, should you want to save the files as wav or aiff.
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Post by slb2 on Jan 31, 2007 10:21:12 GMT -5
I'm compelled to cut-n-paste the following. John and Alan Lomax are giants to me.
Taken from today's Writer's Almanac:
It's the birthday of one of the most important folklorists in American history, Alan Lomax, (books by this author) born in Austin, Texas (1915). (Some sources give his birthday as January 15.) His father, John Lomax, was one of the first people ever to travel around the American South to write down the lyrics of folk songs sung by ordinary people in saloons and on back porches. It was John Lomax who discovered a folksong that became known as "Home on the Range." By the time Alan Lomax was born, his father had taken a banking job to support the family. But he lost that job during the Great Depression, and in 1933, he applied for a grant to start collecting folk songs for the Library of Congress. Alan was 18 years old and the time, and he went along as an assistant.
They got in their beat-up old Ford with a tent and a 500-pound recording machine and went off to scour the prisons, plantations, and lumber camps, looking for songs. One of the stops they made on that first trip was Angola prison, and it was there that they first recorded a barrel-chested man with a beautiful deep voice, who went by the name of Leadbelly and introduced them to songs like "Goodnight Irene" and "Rock Island Line."
Alan's father would go on to become the first curator of the Archive of American Folk Song in the Library of Congress, but it was Alan would do most of the collecting. He traveled all over, recording everything from church singers to voodoo ceremonies. Unlike other musicologists, Lomax always tried to get the best recording equipment available. And even though he was recording on the fly in the field, he was careful about microphone placement and did everything he could to capture a high-quality sound.
He was one of the first people to record Woody Guthrie and helped get him a recording contract. In 1941, he went on a quest to try to find the legendary bluesman Robert Johnson, only to find that Johnson was already dead. But along the way, he made the first recording of a bluesman who called himself Muddy Waters. Waters later said that it was hearing the recording that Lomax had made that persuaded him to pursue a career in music.
Lomax also wrote numerous books about folk music and, in 1993, published a memoir of his early life called The Land Where the Blues Began.
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Post by Jane on Jan 31, 2007 14:14:47 GMT -5
Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys are going to be at Michigan State in a couple of weeks. He may be older than dirt, but is he ever good!
BTW, my husband took daughter and sil to hear/see Los Lonely Boys a couple of weeks ago in Grand Rapids. Sponsored by a small Christian college there, the tickets were way cheap. Now he has a new obsession; he's bought all their cds (well, I guess there are only two) as well as a dvd of a performance on Austin City Limits. Does any one else know them? They are amazing performers. Lyrics are a little lame, but my husband says they are channeling Stevie Ray Vaughn in their guitar playing.
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Post by slb2 on Jan 31, 2007 17:20:02 GMT -5
I just heard Los Lonely Boys this morning on KFAI--the other independent public radio station in Minnesota. I remember thinking that I liked 'em, now I'll have to check them out further. I saw Doc Watson and David Holt at the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis about a year and a half ago. They were amazing and Doc's grandson, son to deceased Merle Watson, played his guitar. Wowza. Richard's playing rivals ANYONE else's (even Pat Donohue and David Doucet) I have ever heard. It was magic. Now to listen to Los Lonely Boys. Jane, if I fall in-love with another band, Ace will have a fit.
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Post by slb2 on Feb 1, 2007 1:25:41 GMT -5
Oh Jane. I wouldn't have pursued Los Lonely Boys. I would have forgotten about them until, by chance, I'd heard them again in maybe four or five months. But thanks to you I have discovered my passion is unlimited. Move over BeauSoleil and The Iguanas and Lura and Sweet Colleens. Welcome to my world, Los Lonely Boys! Ace is lucky those Boys aren't playing anywhere near me in the next several months.
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Post by gailkate on Feb 8, 2007 10:03:10 GMT -5
I considered a whole new thread for this, just to get BL's attention. The Village Voice has what I consider an excellent piece on Dylan. www.villagevoice.com/pazzandjop06/0706,tate,75740,22.html This is the conclusion: Point being, any old codger can be wax-dummied into a classic statue pose, be oiled and anointed and get '60s Rock Legend stamped over his faded 666-stigmata. But how many codgers can make you believe Alicia Keys better get a head start and not stare too deep into his eyes when she spies him in her rearview?
Point being, you go see Rolling Stones, P-Funk, EWF, Lou Reed, Bowie, Chaka, or whoever because you want to be reminded how good the good old days really were, and because, let's be real, you want to check in and see how the staunch gray guardians of your dusty glory are holding up. But, and this is the crucial difference, when you put that new Dylan on it's to hear what he's up for today. Because see, now that Miles is gone, Bob D and a precious few very, very free jazz cats—namely Ornette, Cecil, Sam Rivers, and Bill Dixon—are the only artistes around that make you feel like whatever they get into tomorrow will be infinitely more arresting or ahead of the curve or in the moment than whatever YouTube-sucking nostalgia trip we're on now. They're all still like Method Man: "Still wild still 'tical still gritty style, foul, crimi-nimi-nal, individual." Point being, Bob Dylan woke up this morning still representing Bob Dylan. And you, Brutus?
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Post by booklady on Feb 8, 2007 18:07:53 GMT -5
<swoon>
amenamenamenamenamen!
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Post by slb2 on Feb 10, 2007 16:41:07 GMT -5
Last evening, after a nice meal at Chaing Mai, a Thai restaurant, Ace and I drove over to Our Savior's Lutheran Church for a benefit. Pat Donohue played to help raise money for the ESL program at that inner-city neighborhood. Before the show, I find Pat walking straight toward me. I smile and say, "Hi Pat." Mr. Donohue keeps his eyes focused on something over my left shoulder and shows no recognition. I do not find this disconcerting. Sure, we took a spin on the dance floor a couple of years ago, but he must meet thousands of people! He talks to someone about the sound system or something and suddenly turns around to me with a "Hi! How'ya doing? Thanks for coming out tonight. How've you been?" Not in a polite, I've-no-idea-who-you-are way, but with genuine recognition. So I'm very impressed and we talk a bit. I tell him I have a friend in Boston who would be green with envy to be me right now, talking to him. Pat says "hi" to YOU, Bookie, btw. "Tell her I said, 'hi.'" He said his sinuses were bothering him, but he sang wonderfully. He still has his piercing eyes that nail me to the wall. We had a divine time, had to sneak out at intermission, but I bought his latest CD and we listened to that on the way to the hotel. Now you know why we skipped out at intermission. Cheers!
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Post by booklady on Feb 10, 2007 16:59:27 GMT -5
Ka-thump ka-thump ka-thump ker-plunk!
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Post by gailkate on Feb 12, 2007 10:59:54 GMT -5
How about those Grammys? I watched quite a bit, though this show always goes on forever. I was (need I say?) delighted by the Dixie Chicks' win, and especially the win for Country Album. Take that, you un-American yokels! Freedom of Speech forever!
And Christina Aguilera doing "It's a Man's World" was plain amazing.
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Post by doctork on Feb 12, 2007 12:03:24 GMT -5
He still has his piercing eyes that nail me to the wall. I noticed that same stare on the Alaska cruise, slb, but I was assuming it was because I was wearing unusual clothing (Afghan shalwar chameez or kuchi dress). If I have to return to Mayo Clinic, I'll just fly to MSP, check out the music scene, then drive a renta-car on down to Rochester. We have lots of good music available locally, between Bellingham itself, plus Seattle and Vancouver, BC, but you guys have lots of great artists in the Twin Cities too. I watched about half of the Grammys, then had to turn in (and I'm on the left coast, obviously a hopeless old fogey going to bed at 9 or 9:30!). What I saw was great, especially Mary J. Blige and John Mayer.
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Post by Jane on Feb 12, 2007 13:57:50 GMT -5
Saw Ralph Stanley Saturday night. It was fun, but, at 80, he's not quite what he used to be. I think I'd rather listen to a cd. He did sing "Oh, Death" from "Brother, Where Art Thou?" Pretty damned haunting!
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Post by gailkate on Feb 12, 2007 18:34:52 GMT -5
//If I have to return to Mayo Clinic, I'll just fly to MSP, check out the music scene, then drive a renta-car on down to Rochester. We have lots of good music available locally, between Bellingham itself, plus Seattle and Vancouver, BC, but you guys have lots of great artists in the Twin Cities too.//
You'd better not do this without setting up a meeting with your MN friends! If nothing else, we could meet you at the airport for coffee, lunch, whatever.
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Post by doctork on Feb 12, 2007 21:02:14 GMT -5
I'll definitely let ya'll know if I'm in the vicinity. I'm hoping I don't have to head back to Mayo, but ya never know. A trip to Mayo Clinic is never good news, so I'd welcome the moral support!
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Post by gailkate on Feb 12, 2007 23:23:37 GMT -5
Oh, DrK, I didn't mean to sound so lighthearted about something serious. I was thinking you meant sort of a check-up, especially since you mentioned checking out the music scene. You can count on moral support - Brutus would probably drive all the way from Devil's Lake!
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Post by slb2 on Feb 13, 2007 1:50:56 GMT -5
I was thinking Dr. K was going to do some furthering of education or collaberation with like-minded medical minds. Of course we'll rally for you. gailkate's on one side of the Twin Cities, I'm on the other.
Do you like wine and cheese?
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Post by Trusty on Feb 15, 2007 8:45:20 GMT -5
I was thinking Dr. K was going to do some furthering of education or collaberation with like-minded medical minds. Same here. Please keep us informed.
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Post by joew on Feb 16, 2007 1:18:45 GMT -5
Well I went to the Boston Symph'ny (as Rick Nelson would have put it) Thursday evening. They played symphonies by Haydn and Brahms. The Haydn was very good, and the Brahms was not so unpleasant to listen to as Brahms often is. Between those two they gave the world premiere of Symphony No. 8 by Charles Wuorinen. It's a piece of what is often called "modern music," that is, it is atonal, and has no recognizable melodies. It was commissioned to celebrate the orchestra's 125th anniversary. To me it did not seem as bad as a couple of other pieces they commissioned for the occasion and premiered a couple of years ago, but it was not very enjoyable. After it was over the composer came on stage along with the conductor. I didn't applaud the piece or the composer, and as I glanced around I saw that a fair number of other people in the audience were not applauding either. If you are at all curious about the piece, the concert this afternoon will be broadcast and streamed live by WGBH — 89.7 FM for listeners in the Boston area or www.wgbh.org for the audio stream. The concert is at 1:30 Eastern Time, with a half-hour pre-concert show beginning at 1:00, which may include some features about the new composition. The Haydn symphony will be first, and the Wuorinen symphony will probably begin about 2:00 Eastern Time. If you want to catch the entire premiere broadcast, you'd be wise to be listening by 1:55 Eastern Time. Then you can let me know if you agree with me that it is not very good.
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Post by doctork on Feb 19, 2007 23:20:29 GMT -5
I watched two great music documentaries on cable TV yesterday - Starz InBlack station, which I hadn't watched before. Both were directed by Robert Mugge.
The first was "New Orleans Music in Exile," I'm sure you can picture this - interviews with and performances by, "all the usual suspects," as the cinematographer panned their former homes, venues new and old, all the destruction, but all the new spirit rising. Dr. John, Cyril Neville, Tall Marcia Ball, Miss Irma Thomas, and yes, the Iguanas. This film was so fine, I decided to wait and watch whatever came next:
"Last of the Mississippi Jukes." An exploration of the heartland of the Blues, the area around Clarkesdale, where Robert Johnson supposedly sold his soul to the devil, the few remaining juke joints there, and in Jackson.
I never play with the remote, but somehow, I was just sitting there reading the paper and decided to check out what was on. A treasure trove!
Oh, and about Mayo. Right now I'm doing real well and have no follow-up visits scheduled. But since they did such a remarkable job before, I'd go back to Rochester if I needed further care, even if it's a long plane trip from Seattle. With a stop in The Cities to visit my internet friends in person, of course.
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Post by slb2 on Feb 23, 2007 15:14:07 GMT -5
I am loving Pandora.com more and more every day. It's great because they are now playing more songs that I love, plus giving me some new ones, stretching me a bit (if that's possible ) Thanks, dock?, who mentioned it here. The site needs more deep Cajun and BeauSoleil and zydeco, but I am getting lots of old-time with Bruce Molsky and Mike Seeger and the like. Go, Brucie, Go! And Darol Anger, whoohoo! I'm going to have a solar powered pandora radio station installed on my headstone, in forty years or so, when I finally make the move.
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Post by hartlikeawheel on Feb 23, 2007 19:31:05 GMT -5
Mostly I'm doing a lot of Lady Day right now. Mercy. That lovely damned-to-hell woman could sing.
I have to ask why such creativity and harm had to go hand in hand.
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Post by joew on Feb 23, 2007 21:01:51 GMT -5
Today the Boston Symphony gave the second performance of a new composition for cello and orchestra titled "Notes on Light" by a Finnish composer named Kaija Saariaho. (The world premiere was at the Thursday night concert.) It was mostly calm and, unlike many of the pieces they've premiered in the past couple of years, actually musical (as opposed to disjointed noise made by musical instruments).
When I got home, I found that the orchestra hgas sent out an e-mail to subscribers offering a 50% discount on tickets for the repeat performance next Tuesday evening. I'm actually seriously considering taking them up on it.
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Post by slb2 on Feb 24, 2007 7:32:15 GMT -5
I love seeing a musical event more than once. Folks don't seem to blink an eye to watching a movie several times, or going to more than one baseball game (I mean, one's not much different than the other, mais non?), but attending a concert by the same musicians? Well, some folks don't get it.
I sure do! Go for it, joew!
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