I have been taking swing classes from a very generous and excellent teacher for the last 8-10 weeks.  We have moved from 4 count to 6 count and finally to 8 count swing aka the Lindy Hop.  In case you're curious it looks something like the following:

I'm really enjoying the lessons and have been practicing with my wife.  One thing we realized right away was good music to practice by can really make a huge difference.  So at the recommendation of the instructor I purchase Lionel Hampton:Tempo & Swing which has an excellent mix of straight up solid swing tunes with a lot of different tempos.  In addition to being great dance music it's just really awesome music.

Unfortunately Tempo & Swing isn't readily available new or for download (that I saw) and so I opted to buy it used off an Amazon Seller.  I managed to get a copy for $6.95 plus shipping.  If you haven't checked him out you should definitely head over to Pandora and punch him in as a seed for a station.

Here is a little smattering of some of his stuff.

Seeing Kinky at Summer Stage in central park and for their first encore they are playing Mexican Radio or mexicanos radios.

It was actually all his idea.

I posted on of her video's a while ago. Here's the link if you missed it. She's pretty original, and frankly searching for "Ukelele" on YouTube.com is pretty darn entertaining.

If you haven't added it up for yourself, the common nickname for Richard is "Dick"... Yeah, totally smarmy, but in a good way. I was actually just listening to Pandora and came across Richard's rendition of "Somebody Told Me" by the Killers. I like the Killers, I mean who doesn't, but this was just freakin hysterical. I've put the little Amazon widget in here so you can sample a bit of the Richard Cheese stuff and the originals to hear just how fun his stuff is. That being said, he's better in a mix. I'm pretty sure I couldn't do a full album of just Dick at one go.

Amazon rolled out a new kind of affiliate widget recently - the MP3 Clips Widget. It's pretty cool as it allows me to put a little flash doo-dad on my page and you can sample the tunes that I'm digging. I actually have used the Amazon music service (actual name eludes me). I have no love for iTunes and their DRM bullshit. Amazon gives me what I want, tunes tunes and tunes.

So, for this installment, Vampire Weekend and their self titled album... These guys rock. Love the album. I actually blogged one of their songs a while a go Walcott Insane Mix #2 - freaking awesome. So, stream a sample and if you decide to buy, thanks, I actually got it from Amazon Download too. Otherwise head over to Pandora and check the Vampire Weekend station I'm groovin too.

For those of you who know, KEXP is a sweet set of letters.  To the informed it means good independent radio with a challenging edge.  Those of us who no longer live in Seattle have little choice but to subscribe to podcasts and stream, but that is all about to change for us current New Yorker Seattle Ex-Pats.  In about 1 day 10 hours and change we will get Radio New York (91.5 FM) which is aligned with KEXP. This is a huge day for all of us here in New York, now if only you could get radio in the subway.

If you're curious you need to head over to http://www.kexp.org/ and catch some of their stream or do as I do and listen to their Song of the Day podcast.

The Saitz has an interesting post about how a tribute video to his deceased dog Cookie got picked up in the YouTube copyright dragnet and how he dodged doing hard time in the hoosegow.

He does it better than I could so leap on over then roll on back for my two cents.

I guess I knew that they were doing some form of copyright violation trolling over there, but it never occurred to me what that might mean.  It has to be automated right, they can't possibly have offshore low wage workers watching YouTube videos that can identify what pop song has been stolen.

I remember that Verizon launched a music recognition service on their phones using software Song IDentity by Rocket Mobile.  You remember the cheese ball commercials where a chick is walking by a store blaring music out the front, holds up her phone for 10 seconds (I think they shortened the time for the commercial - I mean 10 seconds in a commercial of someone doing one thing, no way).  Her phone recognizes the song, she downloads it to her phone (who thought that service would be a good idea? - maybe I'm just in the wrong demographic) presses play and walks away the song magically picking up where it left off from the store.

This stuff is all circa 2006.  Actually, there is a CNET article about same (YouTube, your copyright and Google, by Harry Fuller; October 2006) that is somewhat interesting about how they were looking to automate this (sure I could find an article that is more recent, but isn't it interesting what they were planning to do and where they are now).  What I find fascinating is the database and processing power you'd need to scrub all the incoming videos to YouTube. 

More to the point, let's say I post a video today with a song by my favorite artist Raffi which is not in the You-Can't-Use-My-Work database when I upload it.  Then two months later Raffi gets wise and adds his stuff to the You-Can't-Use-My-Work database.  Does YouTube continually re-scan the massive library of videos looking for new violations as their database grows.  I'm guessing they must.  Well, I'm going to a talk on MapReduce next week - maybe I'll find some answers there.

Thanks for the inspiration Ben.

I squeezed two posts out of this ritual last month, but I'm going to make it just one this time. I read Wired magazine, have for several years. I consider it my candy reading. The ritual I mentioned is around recycling my copy of Wired. I used to store magazines that I subscribed to in boxes, cause, you know you may read them again - as if. Ever since moving to NYC I have become merciless about things that take up space. So, instead of keeping them, I slice out the pages with things I'm interested in so I can go back later and remind myself. I'm endeavoring to not keep sliced out pieces any more by blogging about the items I'm interested in.

Anthology Records

This is REALLY great. Here is the link to the Wired article: Vinyl Frontier. It's a tidbit about a record label that re-releases vintage stuff. Here let's let Wired tell it.

Sure, iTunes has millions of tracks, but don't go looking there for obscure or out-of-print treasures like, say, the seminal stoner-rock stylings of Sir Lord Baltimore. Fortunately for music geeks, help is on the way. Keith Abrahamsson, an A&R rep for New York-based indie label Kemado Records, recently launched the first all-digital reissues label. At prices similar to those of Apple's square mass-market store, Anthology Recordings offers high-fidelity (320 Kbps), DRM-free rips of supercool, ultrarare titles — from late-'60s Swedish psych-rock to British postpunk and early-'80s dub.

I was doing a little browsing and came across Panama! Latin, Calypso, Panama! that sounds pretty great. And, I have no idea what this is...Thai Beat A Go-Go Volume 2.

Thinking of making my PC my TV

The OnAir GT Mobile HDTV Receiver & DVR for PC (HDTV-GT) seems to do the trick. This is my first stab at just going full on Media PC for all my entertainment needs. Right now we don't have cable and so all our TV is broadcast. It's not as bad as you think. Although we do miss our favorite channels: TLC, Discovery Channel and History Channel. I realize this isn't going to solve that problem, but I'm hoping by getting some DVR action I can do a bit of time shifting on stuff that I want to watch.

Goldfrapp, anyone? anyone?

Does anyone know anything about these guys? Opinions? I am intrigued by the 7 of 10 review that Wired gave their album Seventh Tree. Not running out to purchase (or I guess pre-purchase), but the Amazon.com MP3 downloads is definitely an option. I used it to download Basement Bhangra for $8.99 (DRM Free MP3). It's a good album (also found in Wired) I'll be using the AmazonMP3 optiont again. I still object to iTunes.

I've been a bit behind because I'm working on a new site.  Sorry, it's still under wraps.  There are a few of you who know about it, but let's just keep it on the D/L until it's ready - it's morphed a bit.

Last Thursday Shawn hosted a board game night at work.  We had taught ourselves El Grande a few weeks before and got to play a full game (4 Players).  It's a really great zero-sum-ish majority game ripe with all kinds of tight trade off decisions.  It's been out for a long time and I'm glad to finally have gotten to it.  Finally one less game that I own and have never played - it's a bit embarrassing.

After games my wife and I went over to Bar 169 so hear Ronan play an acoustic set.  He was really great, some fine guitar playing, a little harmonica and really heart-felt challenging lyrics.  Definitely will catch his next one.  Bar 169 on a Thursday night was a bit of a strange crowd that added to the fun.  Prior to Ronan played some singer chick who used background music and vocal tracks through the PA.  And on top of that she sang really pop-y crap.  After Ronan one of the women (of a table of about 8 lesbians) who had been sitting close to the "stage" got up and played.  She was better than I expected and only played 4 songs or so.  We were busy congratulating Ronan and relaxing.  Then as we were getting ready to leave this guy comes on and plays "new age piano" to a rhythm track.  He proceeds to finish one song and state that the next one was either inspired by or dedicated to his brother.  A SLIGHTLY different rhythm track comes on and he proceeds to play a different riff on the same melody he played in the first song.  We left.

As we stood outside Chealsea's friend Matt (if I remember correctly) is opening a restaurant, whose name I don't know, on February 26th literally next door to Bar 169. We got a tour of the place top to bottom and it looks great.  It is going to be a local produce driven menu - according to Matt, the head chef, it will be about 60% (or was it 80% vegetarian) and of that a good portion will be vegan.  Sure, all the carnivores just rolled their eyes, but I'm a huge fan of the veg and I'm looking forward to giving it a try. 

The interior of the restaurant is great as well.  When you first enter at street level there is a large bar with 3-4 big banquettes, a great place to have a drink and/or wait for your table.  Then as you move to the main dining room there are several generous banquettes on either side of the open area.  The ceiling has great small bulbous fixtures hanging down through large wooden slats.  At the very back of the space there are a couple archways beyond which is a large sunken area.  On the back wall there is a "green wall" covered in plants.  At first glance I thought I was looking out on a subterranean patio, but as it turns out there is a bar on the level below that opens up to the top.   The "back bar" seemed like a swank hideaway.  It got even cooler when he told us there was a separate entrance at the street you had to be buzzed through, after which you walk down a very cool wood slatted long hallway.

I'm looking forward to being in the know on this one.  If his restaurant is anything like Chealsea's other friend Allan's BBQ place, Georgia's BBQ (Yes, Chealsea is quite the hook-up), then I'm sure his food and his reviews will be will be great.  I'm going to have to be sure and soak it all in before the New York Times effect sets in.  But that is a whole different post about how I have a love hate relationship with the New York Times reviews and recommendations. I'm perfectly willing to check out places they recommend but am pissed when they tell the rest of the city about my secret places.  That being said, here is the link to Alan's / Georgia's BBQ's link in the NYT

Sometimes on my way to work I'll swing some tunes or a podcast. And sometimes the podcasts are tunes. While I am not an Apple fanatic I do own an iPod Nano - old school. And in fact that is the only thing I think iTunes does well is their podcasting.

So, let me start by sharing the two music podcasts I keep up with:

Both are great sources of tunes and I've heard more than one great song that has lead to further discovery of a band. Today the tune that caught my ear was Walcott, Insane Mix #2 (5.6 MB so take it easy on my server) which I heard on KEXP Song of the day. It's a great way to get up to speed on the way to work.

Love to hear what people are into or discovering music wise. Please leave a comment and/or a link to some stuff you listen to.

Merry Christmas everyone. Need to make sure my last post before Christmas isn't vitriol. I am at my sisters house in Spokane Washington after quite a traveling ordeal (I'll post about that later). We'll see about getting some photos of my white Christmas (only snow on the ground, does that still count?).

The NY Times (love those guys) have a great slide show about one Jeremy Honey who works as Santa Claus at the Palisades Mall in New Jersey. It's a great slide show and it seems Mr. Honey is a great guy who takes his work as Santa pretty seriously.

At any rate, Merry Christmas to both my readers - you know who you are. :)

In case you're looking for some Christmas tunes - here is what we're listening to courtesy of Pandora.com (love those guys even more.)

If you're looking for something to do tonight I have just the thing. Come see The All-For-Nots play at Mercury Lounge (217 E. Houston Street - corner Avenue A & Houston) at 7:30. This is your chance to notch your I-saw-them-when belt so you are well prepared for when they mahir.

to mahir: when your site goes from a charming morsel consumed by family and friends to overnight global sensation. Mahir Çağrı was arguably the first global internet sensation in 1999 when his famous "I Kiss You" made him a global celebrity.

I'll be there tonight support my friend Kathleen, producer extraordinaire. It's also endlessly humorous to me that they are following a band called the The Neverbeens. I can't think of a better opening act for a psuedo-fictional real band.

My friend Kathleen's (creator of theburg.tv) latest endeavor has kicked off in anticipation of it's kick-off.  The All-For-Nots is a band out to "conquer the world wide web..."

I'm excited to see what she's got up her sleeve as I really enjoyed the burg.

I still enjoy watching my favorite episode of the burg - Training. What can I say, I live in Queens and I love the Doppelgängers

Turning Japanese (3.46 MB) by The Vapors

I love this 80's hit and I have no idea what it means. Apparently, it was a love song?

Just was listening to the Holiday Jazz station on Pandora.com watching the snow come down and saw that it is now available for mobile.  I'm sure it's a major battery suck and either requires some signifianct memory use for buffering or is really subject to the data transfer rate - but it's still cool.  It more or less solves the problems I have with phone-as-mp3-player. 
a) I don't want to carry anything large enough as my phone to make it useful as an MP3 player (although I will admit the iPhone is pushing that limit)
b) I don't want to have to think about what I put on my phone. And since I don't want devote enough carry-every-where-I-go meat-space to something large enough to have a decent selection of music on it, I posit that I would always be unhappy with the music on my device.

But, if I could take all my pandora channels with me where ever I go - killer!  Then again doesn't work on the subway so there goes 90% of my player time. Oh well.
If you're interested in the "Jazz Holidays" station try starting a new station with that as the search term.  Oh and as you'll see below, they also do classical music now.