Basement Office

Every year I make an effort to wade through the 1,000 or so songs that comprise the SXSW MP3 showcase that is offered up before the festivities in Austin begin. It’s a worthwhile, if sometimes tedious, task that has introduced me to bands that I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.

I go at the process in fits and spurts, aided immensely by iTunes and the following AppleScript (launched by FastScripts), which allows me to quickly can songs (usually by speed/death metal bands with names like “Hammerstrike” and “Ogg the Slayer,” as well as overly earnest solo males) whose first 10 seconds convince me that my time would be better spent elsewhere:

tell application "iTunes"
    set curr_rating to the rating of the current track as text
    set curr_track to the name of the current track
    set curr_artist to the artist of the current track
    set curr_dur to the duration of the current track
    set curr_dbid to the database ID of the current track
end tell
set keep_song to display dialog "Keep \"" & curr_track & "\" by " & curr_artist & "?" buttons {"Yes", "Yes, and skip to end", "No"} default button 3
if button returned of keep_song is "No" then
    tell application "iTunes"
        set rating of every track of playlist 1 whose database ID is curr_dbid to 20 as number
        set played date of every track of playlist 1 whose database ID is curr_dbid to current date
        set enabled of every track of playlist 1 whose database ID is curr_dbid to false
        if the database ID of the current track is curr_dbid then
            set player position to (curr_dur - 1)
        end if
    end tell
end if

if button returned of keep_song is "Yes, and skip to end" then
    tell application "iTunes"
        set played date of every track of playlist 1 whose database ID is curr_dbid to current date
        if the database ID of the current track is curr_dbid then
            set player position to (curr_dur - 1)
        end if
    end tell
end if

Songs that are worth visiting again get 2-4 stars, while the rest slowly get culled or rated as they come up in future playings. Of the 1,000 songs, perhaps 10-15% really stick.

In the five years that I’ve been doing this experiment, I’ve been reluctant to hand out the coveted five star rating. “Unless” by Outrageous Cherry got it back in 2005, but it’s an honor only to be bestowed on the most perfect of songs.

I’m a bit behind on the process — I just finished 2009’s batch — but I am happy to announce that another five-star song has been found. It’s called “Punch and Judy” (video) and is by the British Band Little Thief. Like so many of these bands that I find, their website and MySpace page is woefully sparse and out-of-date. Perhaps it was just their fate to get together long enough to put out some truly wonderful songs before disappearing back into the flow of daily life, unsigned and largely undiscovered.

This impromptu performance on the London Tube is worth three minutes of your time and is a beautiful moment by a band whose joy in making music is quite apparent.

The Dandy Warhols pull through

I’m a bit behind the curve on this one, but did you know that Michael Jackson died? I was reminded of this fact while listening to “Welcome to the Monkey House” by the Dandy Warhols. Recorded in 2003, the title track contains this contractual line:

When Michael Jackson dies / We’re covering Blackbird

Intrigued by this six-year old promise of a future song, I did a little digging. Sure enough, they did it. While initially caught off guard, they got together and put out a single soon thereafter.

Sharing the music

As part of my renewed appreciation for the cloud, I’ve been uploading my collection of live television music performances, circa 2001-02, to my YouTube account. This is, of course, in blatant disregard to all copyright law. Sue me (or at least send me a strongly-worded takedown notice).

So far my efforts have been successful, save for live performances from Saturday Night Live. NBC Universal has a tight hold on those, and all four attempts I have made at uploading different clips have been rejected.

NBC, through Hulu, has made great strides in recognizing the usefulness of digital distribution. It’s disheartening, then, to find out that three-minute clips of shows aired over six years ago remain taboo.

Confidential to the drunk guy at the concert last night

• I’ve never seen a grown man drinking Budweiser drunk by 7:30. But you and I run in different circles.
• Your family has been in Pittsburgh “for four generations?” Wow. I really don’t care, and telling me this amazing fact over and over makes me care even less. I suggest breaking the streak.
• Contrary to what you think, people did not pay $15 for the pleasure of watching you make an ass of yourself in front of the stage.
• The band can “kick it up a notch” and “rock the house down” without your helpful suggestions, thank you very much.
• Your efforts to sing along to songs that you, self-admittedly, “don’t know,” was sad to me, but was a great tribute to the thousands of poseurs who have gone before you.
• While your personal advice on love carried with it a hopeful message, I think I’ll stick to my guns. I’m happily married. Your fiance called off your wedding due to “trust issues.”
• Not everyone gets pulled aside by Peter Buck to be told to behave. Maybe his kids, but I know they are more considerate than you. Too bad you won’t remember the encounter.
• Watching you be escorted out of the concert gave us all great satisfaction. I especially relished the opportunity to tell you that “you suck” and that “you should leave” as you were making your way out.
• Be sure to pay your friend back for his ticket and the bar tab that he had to hurry up and pay as you were making your way out the door.
• Hair loss can be treated.
• But above all, you’re 42. Come on. You can (and should) turn this boat around.

Two things

1. The first spring day is always the nicest. And brings with it a feeling unlike anything else.
2. The Redwalls are my band of the moment. Dylan, the Stones, Van Morrison, The Beatles, and The Band all rolled up in one perfect package. This may be my summer soundtrack.

Notable runner-ups include:

• The Fighting Brothers McCarthy
• DeVotchKa
• Outrageous Cherry
• Two Gallants
• Others too numerous to mention at the moment…

All this was discovered through a huge collection of mp3’s that the SXSW Music team assembled. It took me several weeks to wade through it and separate the wheat from the chaff, but it was worth it several times over. I haven’t been this excited about discovering new bands since the good old KUMM days.

Also, a link to one of the best new Pittsburgh bands, The Quiver. Not at SXSW yet, but give them a couple of years.

To everyone involved

Wow.

Happy New Year.

To the Turf Club: Thank you.

Accident Clearinghouse: Every year. Please?

Ben: We’re home safe and sound. All praises to you.