Something Shiny

These are both real things, I did not make them up. It’s worth clicking through to listen to the samples, but… um… let’s just hope Seth and Hugh keep their day jobs.

I haven’t been a huge fan of Jack White‘s projects lately, personally rating the Dead Weather a solid “meh.” He’s been busy, but it doesn’t feel like he’s been spending enough time or energy on any particular project to make it great. That said, a little Jack isn’t anything to sneeze at, I just miss the White Stripes. I am enjoying his contribution to the new Rome project though, a collaboration between Danger Mouse and Italian composer Daniele Luppi. Mr. White’s vocals show up on “Two Against One.” Check it out.

Here’s some better, vintage(r) Jack.

Oh, Meg, it’s a shame I don’t think you’ll pick up another gig drumming.

Related articles

• Listen: Danger Mouse and Jack White Collab (pitchfork.com)
• Video Preview: Danger Mouse & Jack White Team Up On Rome (radio923fm.radio.com)
• Danger Mouse and Jack White Talk ‘Rome’ Project (spin.com)
• “Stream: Danger Mouse, Jack White, Daniele Luppi – “Two…” and related posts (twentyfourbit.com)
• Hear Danger Mouse’s Jack White, Norah Jones Collaboration (stereogum.com)

And here I thought I wouldn’t have anything fun to post on this festive Friday. This is… this is brilliant. It’s like a time machine to Christmas-past in some friend’s half-assed finished basement. Be sure to check out the TV Guide in the upper right hand corner for the listings.

Click the pic or here for the BetaMaXmas experience.

Pfft… I think I just hosed up the latest wine kit. Crap. On the other hand, this nut brown ale made from a kit from Midwest Supplies is delicious.

Nice to see Kmart‘s positive influence on Sears since the former purchased the latter.

DeluxeComfort.com Girlfriend Body Pillow.

This looks pretty cool, and at least a little bit dangerous. Whenever I see anything like this, I assume a children of the corn, or lord of the flies scenario has just played out. Presumably if there were adults around they would have at least sucked the fun out of the project if not killed it altogether.

So, either this is an old picture, or there’s some magical place in the world where parents don’t freak out about everything their kids do.

I suppose it’s possible it did happen here in the U.S. recently and parents were too busy watching Survivor?

Anyway, whatever loophole allowed this to happen, congratulations kids, looks like a heck of a lot of fun.

Eating All Those Popsicles Paid Off – There, I Fixed It.

Seriously, what’s next? Crappy digital cameras? Perhaps some sort of snack mix? What happened to you Sketchers? You used to be cool. Ok, maybe you were never cool, but you weren’t quite this lame.

My favorite part, they’re “for work.”

I have a whole drawer of cordless knives. They’re called knives.

Humanity has hit a new low, be a part of it for $9.99 including shipping.

New As Seen on TV One Touch Cordless Battery Knife – eBay (item 230400313182 end time Dec-15-09 22:20:03 PST).

Oh, Mason Jennings, what happened to you? You used to be cool. Perhaps the folk-fro has stolen your powers.

The Current played part of Rebecca Deville on the local show this past Sunday, but cut it off before it was over. Since I wanted to hear the whole thing, I thought someone else might feel the same way, so here you go, mysterious stranger who feels the same way I do who I’ve probably never met and quite possibly doesn’t even exist..

His latest album, Blood of Man, is further dissappointment that has built, well, really since everything after his self-titled debut.  But don’t take my word for it, check it out in its entirety below, courtesy of Lala.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Mason Jennings: Blood of Man (pastemagazine.com)
• Song of the Day: Mason Jennings – The Field (kexp.org)
• Nothing (and 2 reasons musicians should never get married to other musicians) (somethingshiny.com)
• Mason Jennings: Video “Ain’t No Friend of Mine” (jambase.com)
• Bostonist Interviews Mason Jennings, Scheduled to Play Somerville Theatre Thursday (bostonist.com)

The Mixed Blood Theater, a nationally acclaimed theater has picked up an odd play for this holiday season: A Klingon Christmas Carol. Here’s the blurb on their website:

Scrooge has no honor, nor any courage. Can three ghosts help him to become the true warrior he ought to be in time to save Tiny Tim from a horrible fate? Performed in the Original Klingon with English Supertitles, and narrative analysis from The Vulcan Institute of Cultural Anthropology.

The classic Dickensian tale of ghosts and redemption adapted to reflect the Warrior Code of Honor and then translated into tlhIngan Hol (That’s the Klingon Language).

A co-production of Commedia Beauregard and the IKV RakeHell of the Klingon Assault Group.

I estimate the potential audience of Klingon-language theater in 2009 in the Twin Cites to be about 37 people (assuming a few can be drawn in from the colleges in St. Cloud and Mankato). Furthermore, I suspect at least 12 of those 37 are already involved in the production in one way or another.

I wish the Mixed Blood all the best, but if this is their way of trying to tap into a new/different audience, they may have been better served aiming for a slightly larger target than the sub-sub-pop-culture that is Klingon speaking Star Trek fans.

BTW, the picture doesn’t have much to do with anything, other than a Hello Kitty Klingon is pretty ridiculous (but possibly entertaining).

My favorite bit about this post, and really the only reason I’m posting it is this:

This fallout shelter plan, from 1962, only cost $150 in raw materials, and if properly made, had a “protection factor greater than 500.”

My sub-$15 racquetball racket has a power rating of 900. Same units? Perhaps… If that’s the case, my racquetball racket can kick this shelter’s ass.

Corrugated Steel Fallout Shelter Protects Against Most Mild Rainstorms, Probably – Fallout shelter – Gizmodo.

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• 1962 fallout shelter design booklet (boingboing.net)

Perry Farrell was a huge influence in the alternative music scene before “alternative” went mainstream and “indie” became the new “alternative.” But before there was an “adult alternative,” Nothing’s Shocking was new and fresh. While a classic album at this point, it it more listenable, and less dated than most of the me-toos that followed. Perry isn’t contributing much these days musically (avoid listening to Satellite Party at all costs), but he’s still a partner in the Lollapalooza festival held annually in Chicago.

Having been a fan, it’s hard to objectively say how popular or influential Jane’s Addiction was. However, it’s easy to say, and I think you’ll all agree, Dave Navarro should be put down immediately for his own good and the good of music fans everywhere.

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• Lollapalooza 2009′s Best and Worst Moments (spin.com)
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I can’t tell if they’re going for playful sexy, or it just kinda happened, but to see this from Qwest surprised me. Next we’ll see a Bank of America ad with a girl in a t-shirt that says “Access in the Rear” advertising their bank located ATM locations.

On a related note, I have Qwest and while I haven’t had an opportunity to use it yet, I do appreciate the free WiFi add-on.

According to the Uptown’s site, their last night open for food is Halloween, but they’ll be open with a show November 1st. They’re looking for a new home, so let’s up it’s not so much good bye, but see you later.

I’m looking forward to the Faux Jean show on the 29th, how about you?

Read on for the lineup up to their hiatus (more…)