U2

Medialoper Bebop Episode 24: Steal This Podcast

November 30, 2011 by Jim Connelly

This week, Tim, Kirk, & Jim discuss the the following Rolling Stones-permeated topics.

First off, you’d think that a newly-released Rolling Stones live album from the early 70s would be a cause for celebration, but as it is confined to Google’s Android platform, it’s as cause for consternation and the spur for a long, serious discussion about how music exclusivity — whether via artificially high prices or artifically enforced platforms — encourages piracy.

Not only do artists like U2, Nirvana & Bob Dylan end up burying musical treasures in “Super Deluxe” box sets with exorbitant prices, it’s gotten so bad the Elvis Costello wrote a blog post encouraging his fans not to purchase his recent live album until next year. (2:20 – 23:20)

Then, on the heels of a report that she might be pro-life, we do an interview with the iPhone’s built-in personal assistant, Siri, to try and determine what her politics are once and for all. (23:30 – 30:15)

Finally, even though Kirk’s mix is a bit of a mess, he still has time to talk about the new album from Tom Waits, reissues from the Rolling Stones and the entire Linton Kwesi Johnson catalog. (30:16 – 40:30)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 48:35 — 66.8MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Subscribe to us in the iTunes, yo!

Medialoper Bebop Episode 22: Time Change!

November 9, 2011 by Jim Connelly

This week, Kirk, Tim and Jim are reeling from the ramifications of the reversion back to Pacific Standard Time, so there are fewer topics, but more digressions!

First, a look at Amazon’s Kindle Owners Lending Library, and what it might mean for the Publishing industry, and you, the Consumer. Yes, you!! (07:20 – 21:00)

A voicemail from Commissioner Loper leads to a plot to capture Jay Fung, who still doesn’t know that he’s been mentioned on nearly every single podcast for the past couple of months. (21:02 – 23:00)

Then, a Musical Moment to Die For: The Dream Syndicate – Then She Remembers. (23:02 – 25:02)

Finally, Jim reveals his amazingly simple 21st Century plan to fix the problem of Daylight Saving Time, something that has been publicly affecting our lives since at least 1983. (25:03 – 33:32)

Here’s what’s in Jim’s mix this week: John Doe, Deer Tick and some rare Smiths. (33:33 – 37:54)

All that, and commentary from our special guest, Siri!!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 47:18 — 65.0MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Subscribe to us in the iTunes, yo!

21 Musical Moments To Die For

December 19, 2008 by Jim Connelly

You can talk about genres, artists, albums, or even songs, but sometimes what keeps us coming back to music is the discovery of the transcendent musical moment. For me, “the moment” is the part of the song that fully and utterly engages me; the reason that I keep coming back to it.

I’m not necessarily talking about hooks here, because the purpose of a hook is the draw you into a song. I’m really talking more about traps: the part of a song that that keeps you there.

The is the fifth in a series. The first one had 25, the second one had 24, the third one had 23, the fourth one had 22.

Also: there is a slight — but not total – Christmas theme going on with this one. More of an arc, really. And a couple of mini-arcs, too!

Every single moment I’ve listed below kills me single every time I hear it.

Oh, and this isn’t in any kind of order, despite the numbering.

Hey Masses! Don’t You Dare Watch “Mad Men”

July 16, 2008 by Jim Connelly

This morning, the first episode of the second season of Mad Men showed up in my TiVo’s To Do list. Finally!

With all of the great HBO series long gone, and Sci-Fi shows — even Lost and Battlestar Galactica — eternally (and wrongly!!) consigned to the weirdos ghetto, and/or losing audience as their plots get ever more complex, Mad Men stands as Quality Television’s Great White Hope.

And why not? As the first scripted series for the AMC channel, which had previously made its bones with movies movies movies, the story of the Don Draper and the rest of the crew at the Sterling Cooper Ad Agency was also an unflinching look back at the mores and lifestyles of the mid-20th century.

At its best, it straddled the line between deadly serious and darkly funny, and was easily the most fully-realized first season of any TV series since Deadwood.

It’s the type of show that TV critics are usually shouting from the rooftops about, trying to get the entire world to watch. Except in the case of Matthew Gilbert of the Boston Globe who now wants you to stay away.

Ladies and gentlemen, Indie Rock Snobbery has come to Cable Television.

Red Hot Concert Tickets

April 5, 2006 by Jim Connelly

Apple Computer — last seen in an UK court of law trying to prove that it really isn’t in the music business, and therefore violating a 1991 agreement with Apple Records — is now getting deeper into the music business.

It works like this: if you pre-order a download of the new Red Hot Chili Peppers double album, Stadium Arcadium, from iTunes, you get a code that will allow you to purchase tix from Ticketmaster four days before they go on sale to the general public. This type of concert ticket pre-order isn’t so different from what a lot of artists do on their fan sites, sometimes not so smoothly..

A couple of things strike me about this:

U2 – The Unforgettable Fire

October 29, 1984 by Jim Connelly

(Island)

There is no other band in the world like U2. Over the course of their previous four records, U2 has demonstrated a command of their intense, exciting sound like no other band before. Only The Who, in their Who’s next/Quadrophenia period could claim to have such an unique style. And U2 have had their sonic ideas from their first single. The latest U2 album, The Unforgettable Fire, examines a seemingly different facet of U2, but only the angle differs; the band remains constant.

U2 – Under A Blood Red Sky

December 31, 1983 by Jim Connelly

(Island)

Because U2 is the best group in the world right now, and because I’ve heard some incredible live material in the past, I felt that this live Mini-LP/Maxi-EP could have been transcendant, the best live record ever. But it falls short. Only the live “Gloria” reaches the emotional peak that U2 aims for with their best stuff. What brings this record down for me is the existence of much better live versions of “New Years Day,” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” Especially “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” potentially the most explosive song in U2’s live set due to Bono’s sensitivity about the subject. Still, “40” is beautiful, “Party Girl” a surprise and “11 O’Clock Tick-Tock,” “I Will Follow,” and “The Electric Co.” can all make me jump around in my room. And the price ($5.98 list) vs. the time (34:22) makes it a must. But not the best.

. . .

As Published in the Dead Air Diary December 1983