Auto-Tune Vocals and Current Pop Music

Monica pointed me to a recent New Yorker piece covering auto-tune technology and modern pop music. Kanye West's new album '808's and Heartbreak' uses it on every song and the same goes for most of T-Pain's songs. Read the article here.

Enjoy the read!

Your Unfaithful Servant

Corky (Chris Burke) and his Band

In honor of the fact that I share a birthday with Chris Burke, and happened to stumble upon this while watching a youtube video of the opening of the show 'Life Goes on', here we have footage of Chris "Corky" Burke 'Celebrate'ing...

How Bleach Works

Read it here (from SciAm).

Your Unfaithful Servant

Lakers Keep Rolling

Latest victim: the Hornets.

Unfaithfully Yours

Cafe Tacuba Up For Six Latin Grammys Tonight

Just read that Cafe Tacuba is getting a lot of attention for Sino. Two tracks 'Volver a comenzar' y 'Esta Vez' are up for awards as is the album. This is going down in Houston tonight, and then I assume they are going to fly to San Francisco for the show on Friday. I guess Sino came out about a year ago, and must have missed the cutoff for consideration for last year's Grammys.

Your Unfaithful Servant

Keith Olbermann Is Awesome

Please pass this on (as encouraged by the Courage Campaign).

Thanks!

Your Unfaithful Servant

'Henri', A Short Film About a Cat

Monica turned me onto this video and I thought it was great. Check it out:



Unfaithfully Yours

New Grizzly Bear Record Details

Check out Stereogum, here, for more details.

Your Unfaithful Servant

Obama Victory Slideshow

Coworker Stacy directed me to a slideshow of magazine/newspaper covers from around the globe announcing Obama's victory last week. Check out the slideshow here.

Your Unfaithful Servant

Ben Harper's New Band 'Relentless7'

Don't worry, the Innocent Criminals and Ben are still tight, but for now Ben needs some new guys to get the juices flowing. Read an interview with Ben Harper here.

Your Unfaithful Servant

Racism in the No on Prop 8 Camp

Coworker Rebecca pointed me to an article on the racism that is starting to rear its head in the No on Prop 8 group, based in part on the largely 'Yes' vote seen in the black and latino electorate on Nov. 4. Read the details here.

Unfaithfully Yours

Please Sign the Pledge to Repeal Prop 8

Please go to the Courage Campaign at your soonest convenience and sign your pledge to help repeal one of the most disheartening propositions to ever make it to a California ballot. Bigotry and establishment of second class citizenship for some of our greatest citizens can't be tolerated. Hopefully this prop will be but a brief blip on the canvas of history, overshadowed by the much stronger statement of repeal.

Your Unfaithful Servant

Blind Melon Fires Singer and Cancels Tour

Bad news for Blind Melon fans, but the band has been forced to cancel their upcoming U.S. tour because they have parted ways with their singer of the last two years, Travis. You can read the band's lengthy statement here. The good news is that the core of the band sounds like they still intend to move forward. While Travis' voice could really sound like Shannon's at times, his songwriting was unquestionably weaker, so in some ways this may be good news.

Unfaithfully Yours

The Empress of African Song, Miriam Makeba, Dies

Sad news to be read here. Miriam Makeba was one of the first African musicians to crossover to rest-of-world success. In the United States it was through her song 'Pata Pata' which can be heard in the YouTube video below. RIP Miriam Makeba. She died of a heart attack, collapsing on stage just after finishing 'Pata Pata' during a concert in Italy. She was 76. Enjoy the song!

Your Unfaithful Servant

Chinese Dynasties and the Importance of Rainfall

Some analysis of historical rainfall variation (in stalagmites) has suggested that droughts in China were directly linked to the fall of its dynasties.

The link of climate to political unrest is not surprising to me, and brings into even sharper focus our need to counteract in whatever ways we can the major climatological changes that our globe is starting to experience.

Unfaithfully Yours

Brain Scans and Their Limitations

Check it out here.

Appropriate reading material given where I work.

Unfaithfully Yours

Mormon Church Facing Fervent Protests

In the wake of the passage of Proposition 8, protesters have taken to the streets outside of Mormon temples across the state. Plans are even in place to go to the seat of the church in Salt Lake City.

Serves them right.

Your Unfaithful Servant

'Jenny's Superstitious' -- Killers/Stevie Wonder Mashup

Check this out here. I liked it. Basically Stevie's vocals over the Killers' music. I am a huge Stevie fan, so I am a sucker for him singing anything. I am growing to really like the Killers, too, but their lyrics will always remain silly.

And while we are on the topic of Stevie, I thought I would share this old clip that my bassist turned me onto. It is Stevie covering the Carpenters, on live tv, using a talk box. Beautiful stuff (sadly it is only part of the performance).



Unfaithfully Yours

Star Wars Arrives to CNN

Check out the hologram:

Star Wars: A Capella

Obama's Grandmother Passes a Day Before the Election

Read more here.

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Bruno at it Again

Sacha Baron Cohen is up to more wacky hijinks as he continues filming his next picture, this time starring gay fashionista 'Bruno'.

Your Unfaithful Servant

Iverson to the Pistons

Big NBA News: The Nuggets have traded Allen Iverson to the Detroit Pistons for Chauncey "Don't Call Me Gardener" Billups, Antonio McDyess, and a young prospect. Read more here.

10-year-old Plays a Great 'Teen Spirit'

This is kid pretty great. Check it out below (from Stereogum). After the video finishes you will notice a series of videos he has done for additional songs for which he has created new arrangements like 'With or Without You' and 'More Than Words'. He is very talented.

Sarah Palin Prank Called

Sarah Palin pranked by Canadian DJs. Sad but not shocking:



Your Unfaithful Servant

Civilization -- Awesome

Check out this awesome excerpt from a video exhibit currently running in Los Angeles by artist Marco Brambilla. It is a continuous video loop covering hell, earth, and heaven. I think of Dante and Paradise Lost when I see this.

Google Gives Money to Change the World

Google has this really awesome project it is sponsoring. They are offering 10 million dollars, split equally between 5 winners of a contest to create world changing inventions and technologies. You don't even have to have a prototype or any detailed design specs, just a freat idea that Google hopes the winnings can help grow into viability.

Learn more about it here. The submission period has already passed (that was quick) but voting begins in January so be sure to check back with the site then and help select the winners.

Unfaithfully Yours

McCain Deserving of Expulsion from Senate?

TNR has done a very exciting piece highlighting McCain's tendency toward self-serving behavior, quite in contrast to the "America first" attitude he likes to claim on the campaign trail.

The article shows damning evidence to suggest that McCain was responsible for leaks to the press of the protected proceedings of the ethics committee in violation of Senate ethics rules and in direct contradiction of his sworn testimony. These violations are actually so severe as to potentially warrant expulsion from the Senate.

That this spoiled navy brat is even in the running for president speaks very poorly of the electorate.

Your Unfaithful Servant