Swollen Pickles

I got sick of scouring the web looking for the latest music news, so I set up DigitalBurn.org in order to save me the time I was wasting visiting what seemed like hundreds of sites. It's set up using the Pligg CMS so it works in a similar way to Digg. Anyone can submit a story and vote for other stories that they think are cool or interesting, as well as just browsing through at random. In theory, the voting system works to bring the cream to the top. Head on over, register (it takes a good 2 seconds), and start submitting and voting.

Tenuous link of the day: cabinet hardware.

Last night I saw Muse live for the first time. I’ve got both of their live DVD’s which are cool, but after seeing them play live last night, I have to say, they don’t do them justice.

The support act, Ground Components, weren’t my cup of tea really. The lead singer got on my nerves, carrying on like a kid who didn’t get enough attention in primary school.

Muse came on and blasted straight into Knights of Cydonia, one of my favorite tracks from their latest album. The light show and screens behind the band looked fantastic, it certainly didn’t seem that they had skimped on production just because it was a Big Day Out side show. The bulk of the songs played came from Black Holes and Revelations, and Absolution. The band seemed happy to jam out a few of the songs which I personally appreciated.

During Bliss (at least I think it was during Bliss?) massive balloon things came out into the crowd, filled with confetti stuff that sprayed everywhere when the balloons burst.

They ended the night with Stockholm Syndrome and Take a Bow. Both rocky numbers and hard songs to top. The energy the band gave off was pretty impressive, and made up for the stinky venue, Festival Hall (or is that Festering Hole?).

If Muse ever roll into your town, snag some tickets ASAP. Top night. For rock nerds, a copy of last nights set list is below (it was posted in a Muse forum).

Every so often, something comes along that is so stupid that it makes me laugh. What we have here is but one example. It's a Stormtrooper from Star Wars taking some personal time.

I've had "10,000 Days" since it was released. Six months or so have passed since I first picked it up, however it's only been over the past month or so,  that I've really spent any time with it. I think it only fair that I review it now.

As you can probably guess, "10,000 Days" is not an album easy to digest, it takes more than a single listen to take hold of you. There are two or three songs that instantly jump from the speakers an snap kick you to the face (single "Vicarious" and "The Pot" being two of them), but by and large this album will only be appreciated after several listens.

As a whole "10,000 Days" runs at around 80 minutes, and is listed as having 11 tracks. With that being said, a couple of those 11 tracks are studio experiments, or soundscapes such as "Vigniti Tres", so the cynical listener could argue that there is quite a bit of filler in there. A couple of the tracks run at over 10 minutes, prompting some to suggest self indulgence... but then, if you suggested that you wouldn't really be a Tool fan then would you?

Tool aren't the most prolific band going around, with there albums spaced roughly five years apart, but what they do they do well. The odd time signatures, metallic riffs, melodic bass lines, primal vocals. They definitely have a signature sound, and that's on show here, but makes you wonder, if they were pumping out albums every 18 months, would people still be listening? Does their sporadic nature add to their aura?

How does this album stack up against previous Tool efforts? Well, the high points on "10,000 Days" sit comfortable next to the best tracks from "Ænima" or "Lateralus". Unfortunately, as mentioned above, there is quite a lot of filler in relation to traditional tracks. This is arguably why "10,000 Days" will not be regarded quite as highly as it's two predecessors. Still, "10,000 Days" stands out like a beacon on the 2006 music landscape. Let's just hope we don't have to wait until 2011 for a followup!

As an unsigned band, one of the toughest things to do is build up a buzz and following. MySpace is obviously a useful tool, but it only gets you part of the way there. The Unsigned.com site takes online band promotion to the next level. For Unsigned Bands it's a godsend.

My favourite feature on the site is the CD Creator that will be going live soon. The CD Creator lets you create and sell your own CD compilations.

These compilation CDs will be designed to benefit you the producer and the Artists through a revenue sharing plan. You profit through sales as the producer, the unsigned artist receives a royalty, and the production and distribution will be handled by Unsigned.com

If your in a band I'd recommend hitting that site pretty quickly, and start making it work for you.

This post sponsored by Unsigned.com and my own dream of one day releasing a CD of my own.

In another life I may have been a try hard graphic designer, which may explain why I find the Phallic Logo Awards so funny. The Phallic Logo Awards recognise graphic designers that are able to design, and have approved, phallic logos without the client realising they have just signed off on a big spurting penis. Yup, it's school yard humour at it's finest.

Perhaps the most suggestive and brazen effort is the logo of the "Brazilian Institute for Oriental Studies". Definitely a worthy award winner.

I've always wanted a plasma TV but for some reason this ad from Panasonic has put me off a little.

This ad is gold, and is sure to have the solid viral impact it was intended to. I liken it to watching a train crash in slow motion, you know what's going to happen, you can see it a mile off, but that doesn't mean that your not shocked when the moment arrives (so to speak). It's definitely worth a look, and a laugh.