a quiet revolution: listen carefully http://www.aquietrevolution.com listen carefully Fri, 09 May 2008 15:01:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 en The Long Tail and what it means for your career http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/09/the-long-tail-and-what-it-means-for-your-career/ http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/09/the-long-tail-and-what-it-means-for-your-career/#comments Fri, 09 May 2008 12:26:04 +0000 Jonny Stevens http://www.aquietrevolution.com/?p=756 The Long Tail and What It Means to Your Career

I’m pretty sure this concept has been discussed but for those of you who like watching videos this is the one for you.
Professor, producer, and entrepreneur George Howard discusses the concept of “The Long Tail,” which describes how changing technologies and business processes are changing the long-term sales patterns of many types of products, and applies its lessons to the music business of today and tomorrow.

Here is the video

Read the article “The Long Tail” here:

]]> http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/09/the-long-tail-and-what-it-means-for-your-career/feed/ Music Makes Good Pics Too: Biting my tongue ‘cuz it is a good cause http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/08/music-makes-good-pics-too-biting-my-tongue-cuz-it-is-a-good-cause/ http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/08/music-makes-good-pics-too-biting-my-tongue-cuz-it-is-a-good-cause/#comments Fri, 09 May 2008 02:10:01 +0000 Rob MacArthur http://www.aquietrevolution.com/?p=735

I am fairly certain I have trashed Ms.Winehouse on this very blog in the past - I have issues with those displaying clear talent choosing to get twisted out of their trees instead and she has been an easy target for such attacks. I will digress on such attacks for now and support her stand on raising awareness about breast cancer with young women.

I lost my mom to breast cancer, and while not quite 24 [she was 42 when first diagnosed] I can speak to the need for for women of any age to be aware and take the time for regular self examinations and doctor visits when appropriate. Working for the Canadian Cancer Society I meet young girls [young children] to seniors fighting cancer - their is no age limit or requirement when it comes to cancer invading your body. And anyone’s odds when fighting cancer are greatly improved with early detection.

Moodily strumming a guitar in the nude, with only two pieces of duct tape and a strategically placed musical instrument to protect her modesty, Amy Winehouse is the epitome of rock’n'roll style in a new series of images taken to raise awareness of breast cancer among young women.

The black and white portrait shows the Rehab chanteuse performing one of her sultry sets in a basement studio. “I feel it’s so important that people understand breast cancer affects young people as well as older women,” says the 24-year-old.

Via Hello Magazine

]]> http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/08/music-makes-good-pics-too-biting-my-tongue-cuz-it-is-a-good-cause/feed/ The Most Ferocious Drummers Ever - Trailer http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/08/the-most-ferocious-drummers-ever-trailer/ http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/08/the-most-ferocious-drummers-ever-trailer/#comments Fri, 09 May 2008 02:09:55 +0000 Rob MacArthur http://www.aquietrevolution.com/?p=752 Something a little lighter than the previous film post…..looking forward to checking this out - future gift for my brother-in-law perhaps as well.

]]> http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/08/the-most-ferocious-drummers-ever-trailer/feed/ Watch this movie: War/Dance [trailer] http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/08/watch-this-movie-wardance-trailer/ http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/08/watch-this-movie-wardance-trailer/#comments Fri, 09 May 2008 02:09:39 +0000 Rob MacArthur http://www.aquietrevolution.com/?p=751 This movie angered me, possibly broke a small piece of my heart and filled me with hope and awe over the power of music.

Set in Northern Uganda, a country ravaged by more than two decades of civil war, WAR/DANCE tells the story of Dominic, Rose, and Nancy, three children whose families have been torn apart, their homes destroyed, and who currently reside in a displaced persons camp in Patongo. When they are invited to compete in an annual music and dance competition, their historic journey to their nation’s capital is also an opportunity to regain a part of their childhood and to taste victory for the first time in their lives.

14 year old Dominic had this to say in the opening minutes of the film [which was also beautifully shot on location] on the importance of music:

In our daily lives their must be music. In everything we do, if there is music, life becomes good. That’s why I want to be part of music.

Watch the film and tell me you wouldn’t want to grab that kid [or any of them in the film] and hug the hell out of him and then have a mad jam!

The film reminds me of Daniel Levitin’s book, This is Your Brain on Music, from which the following quote comes from:

No known human culture now or anytime in the recorded past lacked music.

There is something universal and powerful about music and I feel fortunate enough to be part of it (and also not to have endured what these children and their families have).

I don’t want to give too much of the movie away but here is just one example of what these children have been left to deal with [copied from PopMatters review of the film):

The film illustrates a story told by Rose, a singer. Initially, the camera takes her point of view, running through a field in the sunlight, her hand trailing over the tall grasses. This pleasant perception is interrupted when Rose recalls LRA soldiers taking her to see a large pot, near a “big tree” swarmed by ants and flies: “It was so ugly,” she says, as the camera shows close-ups of bugs. “The soldiers,” she says, “removed heads one by one from the pot. I recognized my parents. When I saw my mother’s head being pulled from the pot, I felt like I was losing my mind… There is nothing more I can say.”

You really should see this movie.

Kudos to Th!nk Films for producing the movies they do - high quality productions that entertain while making you think and are almost guaranteed to get a response of some sort from you.

]]> http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/08/watch-this-movie-wardance-trailer/feed/ New Wintersleep Video - Oblivion http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/08/new-wintersleep-video-oblivion/ http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/08/new-wintersleep-video-oblivion/#comments Fri, 09 May 2008 01:53:40 +0000 Rob MacArthur http://www.aquietrevolution.com/?p=753

]]> http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/08/new-wintersleep-video-oblivion/feed/ NIN vs Radiohead: One is Innovator other Opportunistic http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/07/nin-vs-radiohead-one-is-innovator-other-opportunistic/ http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/07/nin-vs-radiohead-one-is-innovator-other-opportunistic/#comments Wed, 07 May 2008 13:18:52 +0000 Rob MacArthur http://www.aquietrevolution.com/?p=728

Have you heard the latest one about Nine Inch Nails…..
I understand if you might be confused, am I referring to his recent instrumental release Ghosts?
Or is it the singles he has released in the past week?
Well both good points but I am now listening to a brand new - complete album - we’re talking “real” songs here with lyrics that was just released for FREE - in every conceivable format you could want.
And after one listen through - it is solid. [Complete album details at end of post]:

as a thank you to our fans for your continued support, we are giving away the new nine inch nails album one hundred percent free, exclusively via nin.com.

the music is available in a variety of formats including high-quality MP3, FLAC or M4A lossless at CD quality and even higher-than-CD quality 24/96 WAVE. your link will include all options - all free. all downloads include a PDF with artwork and credits.

for those of you interested in physical products, fear not. we plan to make a version of this release available on CD and vinyl in july. details coming soon.

Oh - and beyond that there is the spin on live shows he is trying:

Trent Reznor’s Nine Inch Nails announced on Monday that the band has secured very limited allotments of “the guaranteed best possible seats” to every headlining show on the band’s upcoming tour, and will make them available for sale via NIN.com. Fans must register under their real names for the tickets, which will come personalized with the purchaser’s name that matches a photo ID presented at “designated will calls at separate entrances to be used exclusively by NIN.com pre-sale ticket holders.”

Meanwhile…..
Radiohead, although trying all kinds of online experiments including their own social network and a remix contest fetching over 2200 remixes [one of the highest voted remixes is Holy Fuck - 3/4s of whom hail from the east coast which is nice to see considering the recognition they are getting of late].

However, they are not the innovative leaders they may have appeared to be:

“I think it was a one-off response to a particular situation. It was one of those things where we were in the position of everyone asking us what we were going to do. I don’t think it would have the same significance now anyway, if we chose to give something away again. It was a moment in time.”

Radiohead’s Thom Yorke: Free Album Offer Was a “One-Off” - Digital Media Wire
Thom Yorke: no more free Radiohead albums - Guardian UK

TechDirt’s Mike Masnick has his own take on it in “Don’t Read Too Much Into Radiohead’s Claim That It Won’t Offer Music For Free Again“:

Radiohead is making some noise again today, with lead singer Thom Yorke basically saying that the band won’t do a promotion giving away free music again…..As such, it’s not at all surprising that Yorke would say the band won’t do it again. Since they only viewed it as a stunt, repeating the stunt doesn’t make sense. They’ll come up with some other stunt for the next release. That doesn’t, however, mean that the idea was wrong or a failure. Just that the band wants its publicity stunts to be new and different each time.

Reznor expressed his less than favorable opinions on Radiohead’s release:

“I think the way [Radiohead] parlayed it into a marketing gimmick has certainly been shrewd,” Reznor said. “But if you look at what they did, it was very much a bait and switch, to get you to pay for a MySpace quality stream as a way to promote a very traditional record sale.”

Trent Reznor: Radiohead’s ‘In Rainbows’ promotion was ‘insincere’ - CNet News

From the same CNet article above:
The truth is that Reznor, who at times is volatile–and is always outspoken–is doing more for music fans and fellow musicians than anybody.

Continue reading for complete details on “The Slip”

The Slip, also known as Halo 27, is the seventh studio album by Nine Inch Nails and was released on May 5, 2008 via digital download. Before the release, a single, “Discipline” was released freely on the official Nine Inch Nails site, and another song, “Echoplex”, was released for free download from iLike. The ID3 tags of these MP3 files indicated that visitors should visit the Nine Inch Nails website on May 5, 2008, where a free direct download link to the album in MP3 format, as well as torrents for lossless audio formats were posted. A message posted on the Nine Inch Nails website read:

“thank you for your continued and loyal support over the years - this one’s on me”
Release

The Slip was released online on May 5, 2008 on the official Nine Inch Nails website, without any prior advertisement or notice. Like the previous Nine Inch Nails studio album Ghosts I-IV, The Slip is licensed under a Creative Commons attribution-noncommercial share alike license, in effect allowing anyone to use or rework the material for any non-commercial purpose, as long as credit is provided and the resulting work is released under an identical license. The website further expands

“we encourage you to remix it, share it with your friends, post it on your blog, play it on your podcast, give it to strangers, etc.[1]”

According to NIN.com, physical copies of the record will be released to stores around July 2008.[2] As with Ghosts I-IV and Year Zero, multi-track audio source files of the album were also made available at remix.nin.com.

Track listing

1. “999,999″ 1:25
2. “1,000,000″ 3:56
3. “Letting You” 3:49
4. “Discipline” 4:19
5. “Echoplex” 4:45
6. “Head Down” 4:55
7. “Lights in the Sky” 3:28
8. “Corona Radiata” 7:33
9. “The Four of Us Are Dying” 4:37
10. “Demon Seed” 4:59

]]> http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/07/nin-vs-radiohead-one-is-innovator-other-opportunistic/feed/ Divorce Records - Obey Convention - Nadja Profile http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/06/divorce-records-obey-convention/ http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/06/divorce-records-obey-convention/#comments Tue, 06 May 2008 14:07:43 +0000 Neal Stewart http://www.aquietrevolution.com/?p=744 Obey Convention II

Last year’s Obey Convention was excellent, but this one looks as if it’s going to overshadow it by far. Darcy Spidle, owner of Divorce Records, has been pulling some strings and has managed to pull in a variety of very excellent local and national acts. I’m going to profile a few artists, starting with the group I’m the most excited about.

Nadja's Leah Buckareff and Aidan Baker

NADJA (Toronto, Canada)

are musicmakers Aidan Baker and Leah Buckareff. They make heavy, soul-crushing and uplifting ambient metal (/shoegaze/doom/drone/). Seldom completely abandoning melody and never letting up a wall of sound; Nadja makes some of the most immersive music I’ve ever heard.

Nadja began in 2003 as a studio project for Aidan Baker. In 2005, after releasing three studio albums (Touched, Skin Turns To Glass, Corrasion) and an EP (I Have Tasted the Fire Inside Your Mouth), Aidan brought Leah Buckareff into the project in order to perform live. They have since released 10 more full length albums, an EP, and 7 collaborations. Not only do they have a massive amount of material, but the quality of it all is very impressive.

Of course, Aidan Baker is a prolific artist on his own. Classically trained on the flute, and self-taught on guitar. He has over 100 albums and EPs that he has composed, contributed to, or collaborated on, as well as several books of poetry. His writings mirror his musical style in their darkness, brooding, length, and heresy; his book ‘Wound Culture’ includes the eleven stanza poem ‘Angel Tales’ which muses on the sex life of Angels.

Nadja’s most recent album, Desire in Uneasiness, is a more human offering than their older albums. A drum kit, rather than a programmed drum machine beat, makes the swelling sounds more accessible. While still dominating your sense, they make the feeling less abstract and more like a natural disaster. Seeing this version of Nadja in person promises to be a very memorable experience.

Myspace
Official Website
Label Website
A collection of excerpts of Aidan Baker’s poetry.

]]> http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/06/divorce-records-obey-convention/feed/ Sappy Fest Announces 3rd Year Line Up http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/05/sappy-fest-announces-3rd-year-line-up/ http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/05/sappy-fest-announces-3rd-year-line-up/#comments Tue, 06 May 2008 01:56:27 +0000 Rob MacArthur http://www.aquietrevolution.com/?p=747

Sappyfest has confirmed the line-up for its 2008 festival, including acts such as The Acorn, Attack in Black, Chad Van Gaalen, Julie Doiron & Miracle Fortress. Taking place in Sackville, NB, the festival will see over sixty bands perform between Friday, August 1 and Sunday, August 3.

SappyFest is an independent music festival produced by Sappy Records in Partnership with the Ok.Quoi?! Contemporary Arts Festival, Struts Gallery and Faucet Media Arts Centre. Now in it’s third year, the festival has returned with an exciting and artistically diverse line-up of bands that ranges from mod revival to country folk and psychedelic trance.

Acts confirmed for the festival thus far include: acclaimed post-folk act The Acorn; roots punk group Attack In Black; pop mavericks The Bicycles; uke-folk songsmith The Burning Hell; 2007 Polaris Prize nominee Chad Van Gaalen; singer/songwriter Christine Fellows; gloom rock hero’s Dog Day; post-rock upstarts D’ubervilles; 2007 Polaris Prize nominee Julie Doiron; Paperbag Records recording artist Laura Barrett; symphonic pop wizards Miracle Fortress; folk-revival mastermind Old Man Luedecke; reclusive genius Rick White; Constellation recording artist Sandro Perri; lo-fi luminary Shotgun Jimmie; acclaimed singer/songwriter Snailhouse; cute-core duo The Superfantastics; sprawling rock collective The Got To Get Got; punk-raver-destruction band Think About Life.

Other acts confirmed to perform at Sappyfest include: 100 Dollars, Adam & The Amethysts, Baby Eagle, The Baird Brothers, B.A. Johnston, Bette & Wallet, Bruce Peninsula, Calm Down It’s Monday, Castle Music, Cat Pontoon, Colonial Quarrels, Construction & Destruction, Deloro, Elfin Saddle, Erica Wehry, Eric Chenaux, Ghost Bees, Hard Drugs, Jenny Omnichord, Jim Bryson, John Tielli & The Metal Kites, Just Barelys, Katie Stelmanis, Koak, Love Singer, Luyas, Mardeen, Memories Attack, Motion Ensemble, Play Guitar, Quest For Fire, Richard Laviolette, Share, The Silt, The Stance, Thesis, Wax Mannequin, West Ave, Wet Nose Hero and Woolly Leaves.

Early bird weekend passes are now available for $60. Individual tickets will be available on June 1. Passes and tickets are available at all participating Ticketpro Outlets (www.ticketpro.ca).

For more information on Sappyfest, visit: www.sappyrecords.com/festival.htm

Continue reading for a complete list of acts and their websites

100 DOLLARS
http://www.myspace.com/1hundreddollars

THE ACORN
http://www.theacorn.ca
http://www.myspace.com/theacorn

ADAM & THE AMETHYSTS
http://www.myspace.com/theamethysts

ATTACK IN BLACK
http://www.attackinblack.com
http://www.myspace.com/attackinblack

BABY EAGLE
http://www.babyeagle.ca
http://www.myspace.com/dreambabyeagledream

B.A. JOHNSTON
http://www.justfriends.ca
http://www.myspace.com/bajohnston

BETTE & WALLET
http://www.bette-wallet.com/
http://www.myspace.com/bettewallet

THE BICYCLES
http://www.thebicycles.ca
http://www.myspace.com/thebicycles

BRUCE PENINSULA
http://www.bruce-peninsula.com
http://www.myspace.com/brucepeninsula

THE BURNING HELL
http://www.wearetheburninghell.com
http://www.myspace.com/mathiaskom

CALM DOWN ITS MONDAY
http://www.myspace.com/calmdownitsmonday

CASTLE MUSIC
http://www.jennifercastlemusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/jennifercastlemusic

CAT PONTOON

CHAD VAN GAALEN
http://www.flemisheye.com
http://www.myspace.com/chadvangaalen

CHRISTINE FELLOWS
http://www.christinefellows.com
http://www.myspace.com/christinefellows

COLONIAL QUARRELS
http://www.myspace.com/colonialquarrels

CONSTRUCTION & DESTRUCTION
http://www.constructionanddestruction.ca
http://www.myspace.com/davidtrenaman

DOG DAY
http://www.dogdaymusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/dogdaytheband

D’URBERVILLES
http://www.shakeitdown.org
http://www.myspace.com/thedurbervilles

ELFIN SADDLE
http://www.myspace.com/elfinsaddle

ERIC CHENAUX
http://www.cstrecords.com
http://www.myspace.com/ericchenaux

ERIKA WERRY
http://www.erikawerry.com
http://www.myspace.com/erikawerry

GHOST BEES
http://www.myspace.com/ghostbees

HARD DRUGS
http://www.myspace.com/harddrugs

JENNY OMNICHORD
myspace.com/jennyomnichord

JIM BRYSON
http://www.jimbryson.org
http://www.myspace.com/jimbryson

JOHN TIELLI & THE METAL KITES
http://www.myspace.com/metalkites

JULIE DOIRON
http://www.juliedoiron.com
http://www.myspace.com/juliedoiron

THE JUST BARELYS
http://www.thejustbarelys.ca
http://www.myspace.com/thejustbarelys

KATIE STELMANIS
http://www.stelmanis.com
http://www.myspace.com/katiestelmanis

KOAK
http://www.myspace.com/koakrock

LAURA BARRETT
http://www.myspace.com/laurabarrett

LOVE SINGER
http://www.myspace.com/diegomedina

LUYAS
http://www.theluyas.com
http://www.myspace.com/theluyas

MARDEEN
http://www.myspace.com/mardeen

MEMORIES ATTACK
http://www.myspace.com/thememoriesattack

MIRACLE FORTRESS
http://www.myspace.com/miraclefortress
http://www.secretcityrecords.net

MOTION ENSEMBLE
http://www.motionensemble.com

OLD MAN LUEDECKE
http://www.oldmanluedecke.ca
http://www.myspace.com/oldmanluedecke

PLAY GUITAR
http://www.myspace.com/playguitarplayguitar

QUEST FOR FIRE
http://www.myspace.com/questforfireband

RICHARD LAVIOLETTE
http://www.burntoak.ca/
http://www.myspace.com/richardlaviolette

RICK WHITE
http://www.rickwhite.ca
http://www.myspace.com/rickwhitealbum

SANDRO PERRI
http://www.sandroperri.com
http://www.myspace.com/sandroperri

SHARE
http://www.myspace.com/andrewsisk

SHOTGUN JIMMIE
http://www.shotgunjimmie.com
http://www.myspace.com/jimjimers

THE SILT
http://www.myspace.com/thesilt

SNAILHOUSE
http://www.snailhousemusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/snailhouse

THE STANCE
http://www.thestance.ca
http://www.myspace.com/stance

THE SUPERFANTASTICS
http://www.thesuperfantastics.com
http://www.myspace.com/thesuperfantastics

THE GOT TO GET GOT
http://www.myspace.com/gottogetgot

THESIS
http://www.thesissahib.com
http://www.myspace.com/thesissahib

THINK ABOUT LIFE
http://www.thinkaboutlife.org
http://www.myspace.com/thinkaboutlife

WAX MANNEQUIN
http://www.waxmannequin.com
http://www.myspace.com/waxmannequin

WEST AVENUE
http://www.myspace.com/eunevatsew

WET NOSE HERO
http://www.myspace.com/buysabear

WOOLLY LEAVES
http://www.myspace.com/woollyleaves

]]> http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/05/sappy-fest-announces-3rd-year-line-up/feed/ New Justice Video for “Stress” - umm, releases some… http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/05/new-justice-video-for-stress-umm-releases-some/ http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/05/new-justice-video-for-stress-umm-releases-some/#comments Tue, 06 May 2008 01:19:52 +0000 Rob MacArthur http://www.aquietrevolution.com/?p=748 Via Listening Post: “Fairly Violent, Pretty Amazing”

]]> http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/05/new-justice-video-for-stress-umm-releases-some/feed/ Landwash winds down – CBC.ca report http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/05/landwash-winds-down-%e2%80%93-cbcca-report/ http://www.aquietrevolution.com/2008/05/05/landwash-winds-down-%e2%80%93-cbcca-report/#comments Mon, 05 May 2008 22:46:43 +0000 Rob MacArthur http://www.aquietrevolution.com/?p=746

The biggest music distributor in Atlantic Canada is winding down its traditional business because of declining sales. Landwash Distribution of St. John’s is recalling thousands of CDs, tapes, books, DVDs and videos from hundreds of stores across Canada and returning them to artists. Landwash, started 13 years ago, represents more than 100 Newfoundland, Labrador and Maritime artists, including The Fables and Kevin Collins. Landwash owner Charlotte Story said company revenues were down 35 per cent last year, and 2008 looks even worse. “I can’t get the sales up. They just keep going down and down and down, and the sales are dying. And the writing is on the wall,” she said. Billy Sutton of The Fables said he doesn’t know where he’ll find another distributor to get his CDs to other parts of the country. “Landwash, from what I know, was the only game in town that was getting out to other places in the country,” he said. “And now that doesn’t exist, so I have to find other distribution.” Kevin Collins was just weeks away from distributing his CD Just Call My Name when Landwash told him the project was off. Collins said previous distributors Tidemark and Duckworth Distribution also bailed on their artists and ceased to exist. “And a lot of artists in Newfoundland and Labrador I’m sure are going to feel a greater impact. It just makes things tougher and tougher all the time,” Collins said. “The independent artists in Atlantic Canada, — it’s all on their shoulders, and when something like this happens, it’s a major blow to them.” - CBC Arts Posted on Friday, May 2, 2008

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