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10-21-11 Footnotes
Show 308: Cut Copy, Review Bjork & Greg's DIJ
Listen to the MP3 Stream of this show: (link)
Download the Podcast: (Download the MP3)
1 Amazon recently announced its move into the publishing world. Authors like Laverne and Shirley’s Penny Marshall have inked deals to have their books published and distributed by the online retailer. These kind of deals are similar to the exclusive releases sold by music retailers like Wal-Mart and Starbucks. So it begs the question: Is Amazon the music label next?
2a Longtime soul musician Syl Johnson’s songs have been sampled by countless other artists. And consequently he’s turned into a “serial litigator” according to Greg. The latest people to face his legal wrath: Kanye West and Jay-Z. The hip-hop stars used a sample of Johnson’s track “Different Strokes” in their song “The Joy” from Watch the Throne. And now Johnson is seeking an injunction, damages and legal fees.
2b In other music news, Stone Roses fans will be happy to learn that the Manchester band will once again hit the stage for the first time in 15 years. Greg compares the group to the Oasis of its time, but wonders if they’ll still have the chops. After all, The Stone Roses split after a disastrous show at the Reading Festival in 1996.
3 Next up Jim and Greg are visited by members of the Australian quartet Cut Copy. The group merges classic pop sounds with electronic dance beats, but began as just a bedroom project for former graphic designer and DJ Dan Whitford. He added guitars, drums and keyboards to the mix, and the result is a live instrumentation that rivals the production you’ll hear on record. Cut Copy performs songs from their recent album Zonoscope, which packs in hooks and a sheen that harkens back to ‘70s pop radio. Check out video of the band in the studio.
4 Bjork is always ambitious. And on her latest release Biophilia, she releases her iPad compositions as a full-blown multimedia project with apps and animation. You have to admire it, but the music is something else for Jim and Greg. She employs custom instruments and unconventional rhythms and time-signatures, but nothing comes out very coherent or melodic. It’s robotic and lacks emotion, and Jim and Greg say Trash It.
5 It’s Greg’s turn to drop a song in the Desert Island Jukebox, and he chooses to honor Bert Jansch who died recently at age 67. The Scottish folk guitarist can count Neil Young and Jimmy Page among his followers, and his east meets west sound continues to be an influence for a new generation of folk artists such as Beth Orton and Devendra Banhart. Greg chooses the tune “When the Sun Comes Up,” featuring Orton from his 2006 release Black Swan.
Songs Featured in Show #308
Cyndi Grecco, “Making Our Dreams Come True,” Making Our Dreams Come True, Private Stock, 1976
Jay-Z and Kanye West, “The Joy,” Watch the Throne, Def Jam, 2011
Syl Johnson, “Different Strokes,” Is It Because I’m Black?, Twinight, 1970
Cut Copy, “Take Me Over,” Zonoscope, Modular, 2011
Cut Copy, “Time Stands Still,” Bright Like Neon Love, Modular, 2004
The Avalanches, “Frontier Psychiatrist,” Since I Left You, Modular, 2000
Cut Copy, “Hearts on Fire,” In Ghost Colors, Modular, 2008
Cut Copy, “Where I’m Going (Live on Sound Opinions),” Zonoscope, Modular, 2011
Cut Copy, “Alisa,” Zonoscope, Modular, 2011
Cut Copy, “Lights and Music,” In Ghost Colors, Modular, 2008
Electric Light Orchestra, “Shine A Little Love,” Discovery, Jet, 1979
Cut Copy, “Drop The Bomb,” I Thought of Numbers, Modular, 2001
Cut Copy, “Blink and You’ll Miss a Revolution (Live on Sound Opinions),” Zonoscope, Modular, 2011
Cut Copy “This Is All We’ve Got,” Zonoscope, Modular, 2011
Cut Copy, “Need You Now (Live on Sound Opinions),” Zonoscope, Modular, 2011
Cut Copy “Pharaohs & Pyramids,” Zonoscope, Modular, 2011
Bjork, “Crystalline,” Biophilia, One Little Indian, 2011
Bjork, “Mutual Core,” Biophilia, One Little Indian, 2011
Bert Jansch, “When The Sun Comes Up,” The Black Swan, Drag City, 2006
R.E.M., “The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite,” Automatic For The People, Warner Bros., 1992
R.E.M., “New Orleans Instrumental No.1,” Automatic For The People, Warner Bros., 1992
R.E.M., “Orange Crush,” Green, Warner Bros., 1988
R.E.M., “Cuyahoga,” Lifes Rich Pageant, I.R.S., 1986
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