China Does Not Like Dan Deacon

This is not a confirmed fact. I never actually asked anyone in China if they liked Dan Deacon, and in fact their are probably people who would like Dan Deacon if they perchance heard his music. Its just that the majority of music listened to by young people is horrendous. We're not talking American, Britney Spears horrendous, we're talking Creed/overproduced bad indie rock peddled by Clear Channel in order to reach out their youth audience.

However, when we were in De Hang, a tiny minority village in the Hunan province (with some pretty sweet rice patties and some of the most phallic karst terrain mother nature can create), we passed a house that was blaring some sort of loud heavy metal type of music at the beginning of one of our hikes. On our way back down, we saw a girl, rather short, dressed in crazy rocker type clothing, exit the house with the loud heavy metal type music. I think she might at least give Dan Deacon a fair listen.

Dan Deacon is Big in China?

I had a dream last night which was pretty funny. I'm in China right now and I just loaded the cheap HoneyBee MP3 (it has a cute little honeybee character on the front) player I purchased in the Shanghai subway with music I loaded up on a flash memory drive prior to arriving... so Dan Deacon was on my mind. I dreamed that every citizen in China was required to make a small mistake and a big mistake everyday. As a visitor I was bound by the same rules. For some reason, the big mistake I made was to leak Dan Deacon's new album Bromst to China. In my dream China loved Dan Deacon.

The End.

Nonagon Update

Good friend Nonagon is producing a real live CD. Get yours while they are available

Nonagon

2008 Mau Mau Ender

All the Clouds Turn to Words
All the Words Float in Sequence
No One Knows What They Mean
Everyone Just Ignores Them

Mau Mau Starter Ching Ching Dad Da
Daughter Daughter Dumpling Data
Pack and Pick the Ping Pong Starter
Carter Carter Go Get Carter
Perigeeeeeeeee
Open Stick and Delphic Doldrums
Open Click and Quantum Data

Another year come and gone. Another sequence of seamingly sequenced seamless events sliced together candorously. 365 events, seamingly seamlessly sequenced and sliced into 24 sub seamless sequenced events. Come and gone. In the end I have laughingly learned 365 times 24 times 60 lurid little lessons of life and lie here panting languidly. But learning is good, and it was a great year.

Now I'm off for Peru for 2.5 months. Perhaps when I get back I will have gathered some wonderful Peruvian samples that I may be able to grace your ears with. Hopefully I'll have a few things to say while I'm there. I'll be back to making art and music soon, so stay tuned.

Waterless Sky CDs

If you remember, back about 8 months ago, I went to SXSW armed with a bunch of Waterless Sky CDs replete with custom artwork.  I'm wondering if anybody might want one.  I'm still mulling the idea of putting together a book of sorts with Shark's Waterless Sky lyrics, some related doodles, and packaging it all up nicely.  They'd cost maybe $10-$20, depending on what sort of production goes into them.   My girlfriend and I leave for Peru in less than a month, so the orders would have to be filled out after I get back, but that gives me time to doodle.  The cds themselves will still all have custom artwork unique to each one.  Drop me a line if you're interested:

a{dot}pet{dot}rock{at}gmail{dot}com

Best of 2008: El Guincho

I can't remember if El Guincho's album came out in 2007 or not, but I first heard it in 2008. I saw him at SXSW and he sort of blew my mind: This one guy was making so much sound.

Best of 2008: Holy Fuck Buttons

Holy Fuck: LP


Fuck Buttons: Street Horsing


Holy Fuck, Fuck Buttons... there are differences, but who cares.  And yes, LP came out in 2007, but again, who really cares.

Best of 2008: No Age

No Age: Nouns

They made #3 on Pitchfork this year.  I nearly forgot about them, actually, and how could I with a girlfriedn so obsessed with their music as to make me jealous.

Best of 2008: Nico Muhly

Nico Muhly -  Mothertongue

Really beautiful music.

Best of 2008: Crystal Castles

Crystal Castle Crimewave
Uploaded by Differentrecordings

I'm sure that all the kids are listening to this.  I have no idea.  I don't talk to the kids.  But I was a kid once, or still am.  Let's play some Mario Brothers?

Best of 2008: High Places

I don't like writing trite little blurbs, nor do I want to write long drawn out reviews that betray my illiteracy.  I like them a lot.

Best of 2008: Marnie Stern

This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That.  This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That.  This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That.  This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That.  This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That.  This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That.  This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That.  This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That.

Best of 2008: Babe, Terror

Imagine being in a pew of a South American Colonial Cathedral, but instead of listening to a preacher, you see a soccer game, playing out around you in very very slow motion.

Babe, Terror

Mau Mau Starter's Guide to the Best of 2008: Gang Gang Dance

Gang Gang Dance - St. Dymphna

Tribal dance music.  Hits the floor sweaty and with abandon associated with dogmatic ullulations.  Dance and forget where you are.

The Things They Keep From Kids These Days