DRL Echobox

fold me up by Snuggle Ups

2008-06-27T17:31:00.001-05:00

Here's the classic Snugz if you didn't already know which one to listen to first. These guys kinda started the drum-machine-and-singers genre in Portland. Their musical progeny are many and varied.

fold me up by Snuggle Ups
fold-me-up-by-snuggle-ups.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

In the Morning by Junior Boys

2008-06-27T17:30:00.001-05:00

Sounds like if LCD Soundsystem was the #Snuggle-Ups

In the Morning by Junior Boys
in-the-morning-by-junior-boys.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Hush! by Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet

2008-06-25T21:03:00.001-05:00

Relaxing if it doesn't scare you.

Hush! by Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet
hush-by-golden-gate-jubilee-quartet.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Boute by Au

2008-06-25T20:39:00.001-05:00

This band makes me proud to be from Portland.

Boute by Au
boute-by-au.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Shari Vari (The Hacker & Vitalic remix) by A Number of Names

2008-06-20T21:30:00.001-05:00

More disco hotness from the originals.

Shari Vari (The Hacker & Vitalic remix) by A Number of Names
shari-vari-the-hacker-amp-vitalic-remix-by-a-number-of-names.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Mercy by Duffy

2008-06-14T00:12:00.001-05:00

this is #1 in Europe right now.

Mercy by Duffy
mercy-by-duffy.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Shari Vari by A Number of Names

2008-06-13T04:10:00.001-05:00

heard this today again.

Shari Vari by A Number of Names
shari-vari-by-a-number-of-names.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Donovan by Donovan

2008-06-10T18:46:00.001-05:00

They this guy is telling a story!

Donovan by Donovan
donovan-by-donovan.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

diplo stay fly by 3 6 mafia + diplo

2008-06-10T03:06:00.001-05:00

Keeping it low and slow. (1:17) You know it's the bump. So VIP. (2:01) and then it's purple.

diplo stay fly by 3 6 mafia + diplo
diplo-stay-fly-by-3-6-mafia-diplo.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

These Trees Are For Resting by Alan Singley

2008-06-08T20:23:00.001-05:00

Alan's coming over right now to mix a track with me. Here's some early work from him.

These Trees Are For Resting by Alan Singley
these-trees-are-for-resting-by-alan-singley.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

05-ISpentMyLast10OnBirthControlandBe

2008-06-07T18:44:00.001-05:00

I heard this song once about 15 years ago and it's been with me ever since. Now it's with you too. By #Two-Nice-Girls.

05-ISpentMyLast10OnBirthControlandBe
05-ispentmylast10onbirthcontrolandbe.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Complaint Department by Lykke Li

2008-06-05T11:59:00.001-05:00

Kinda cute. Reminds me of the old sketch comedy troupe at Reed. They had a skit with this title.

Complaint Department by Lykke Li
complaint-department-by-lykke-li.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Never Better (Glamour Shots Mix) by Pash

2008-06-04T11:03:00.001-05:00

This was in my head when I woke up. Makes a good compliment to the #Lykke-Li song. Maybe more depressing...

Never Better (Glamour Shots Mix) by Pash
never-better-glamour-shots-mix-by-pash.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Violent Meditations by Rock

2008-06-03T21:29:00.001-05:00

Here's the attitude you've been seeking.

Violent Meditations by Rock
violent-meditations-by-rock.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Couleurs by M83

2008-06-02T00:17:00.001-05:00

Thanks for finding this Jason! http://twitter.com/jasonwatkinspdx/statuses/823666328 Smooth buzzy almost-instrumental synth track with 80's rock syntoms. It sounds like it could be from the soundtrack to The Never Ending Story, if that movie were crossed with THX 1138.

Couleurs by M83
couleurs-by-m83.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Super Inuit by Holy Fuck

2008-05-29T14:42:00.001-05:00

Not a very politically correct title. Which is entirely appropriate for a song that has no other politeness.

Super Inuit by Holy Fuck
super-inuit-by-holy-fuck.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

The Pulse by Holy Fuck

2008-05-29T13:56:00.001-05:00

This is the jam. Love the live drums on top of the echo organ. #Holy-Fuck carries the psychedelic freak-out mantle into the post-dance era.

The Pulse by Holy Fuck
the-pulse-by-holy-fuck.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Tone Bank Jungle by Holy Fuck

2008-05-28T12:18:00.001-05:00

Somehow I find live recordings of what was probably very loud and jarring music, when played at a low volume while working, to be relaxing.

Tone Bank Jungle by Holy Fuck
tone-bank-jungle-by-holy-fuck.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Blooms Eventually by Pulseprogramming

2008-05-28T12:01:00.001-05:00

robot emo

Blooms Eventually by Pulseprogramming
blooms-eventually-by-pulseprogramming.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Blooms Eventually by Pulseprogramming

2008-05-28T12:00:00.001-05:00

robot emo

Blooms Eventually by Pulseprogramming
blooms-eventually-by-pulseprogramming.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Jolene (DJ Soap's BAMF Remix) by Dolly Parton

2008-05-26T22:59:00.001-05:00

(2:50) the payoff is the acoustic beat coupled with the cut guitar. quality craftmanship. (3:45) it's doesn't hurt that this song is priceless.

Jolene (DJ Soap's BAMF Remix) by Dolly Parton
jolene-dj-soap-s-bamf-remix-by-dolly-parton.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Hot (Ratatat remix) by Missy Elliott

2008-05-26T15:43:00.001-05:00

How did I miss the first time around?

Hot (Ratatat remix) by Missy Elliott
hot-ratatat-remix-by-missy-elliott.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Florida by Starfucker

2008-05-26T12:07:00.001-05:00

Every time I hear a new Starfucker song, it's a special day. This one has the trademark echoed arpeggiated guitar, and seems to flip their traditional mix inside out: vocals are upfront, as are the bells. Bass is low, but the guitar is still prominent. Makes me wonder if Starfucker's extreme thickness is being replaced by this lighter sound, or is this a one-time thing?

Florida by Starfucker
florida-by-starfucker.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

funkynian by IAN DURY & THE SEVEN SEAS PLAYERS - Spasticus Autisticus

2008-05-26T11:44:00.001-05:00

ok this is psycho. apologies to your mind for what you are about to experience.

funkynian by IAN DURY & THE SEVEN SEAS PLAYERS - Spasticus Autisticus
funkynian-by-ian-dury-the-seven-seas-players-spasticus-autisticus.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Warm Leatherette by The Normal

2008-05-24T12:44:00.001-05:00

@amysue reminded me of this song. My my, aren't these short samples frustrating?

Warm Leatherette by The Normal
warm-leatherette-by-the-normal.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

CowboyMouth-JennySays

2008-05-24T12:29:00.001-05:00

@harriettlou I'll see your Toadies and raise you one Cowboy Mouth. Was this song big outside of Texas and Louisiana?

CowboyMouth-JennySays
cowboymouth-jennysays.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Possum Kingdom by Toadies

2008-05-24T12:13:00.001-05:00

thanks @harriettlou this is just what I needed this morning.

Possum Kingdom by Toadies
possum-kingdom-by-toadies.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Victoire Scott - 4??me Dimension

2008-05-23T11:56:00.001-05:00

I love the (very quiet) guitar in the background here. It sounds like the ultimate disco guitar. Gonna surely bring it to the attention of #Strength next time we talk. Plus that bass has secret powers.

Victoire
Scott - 4??me Dimension
victoire-scott-4-me-dimension.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Victoire Scott - L'amour en couleur

2008-05-23T11:55:00.001-05:00

@rickdog grabbed all this crazy French stuff and there's a couple of tracks I want to bring to your attention. This one is just downright dreamy.

Victoire
Scott - L'amour en couleur
victoire-scott-l-amour-en-couleur.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Strawberry Whiplash--Who's in Your Dreams

2008-05-21T10:10:00.001-05:00

Think of the namesake: #Strawberry-Alarm-Clock, and then take 60's garage rock to grunge-metal school. Now apply a generous helping of happy go lucky to #My-Bloody-Valentine and you've got Whiplash. Thanks Carolyn: http://caremix.blogspot.com/

Strawberry Whiplash--Who's in Your Dreams
-strawberry-whiplash-who-s-in-your-dreams.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Tired Eyes by At Dusk

2008-05-21T00:27:00.001-05:00

This song is appropriate for the end of my crazy day. Mercury spill in the house, host troubles, awesome funding meeting, weird neighbor news. #At-Dusk crunches crunchy guitars in this one. Will's drums are spaced out real crazy like. The song is a dirty rocker. No wait! It's a sweet melody. No wait - it's a mathematical transition. With double bass drum. And a skittering gypsy dance. If you had to sum up early At Dusk's facets in one song, this has got a little of everything. (5:00) Oh shit I forgot I played a little guitar solo on this! Love the vocal compression overload at the end. Someday I'm gonna dig these files out and remixify them. Someday when I have a bunch *more* time than I do now. Ciao and goodnight.

Tired Eyes by At Dusk
tired-eyes-by-at-dusk.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Not If You Were the Last Dandy on Earth by The Brian Jonestown Massacre

2008-05-20T13:40:00.001-05:00

Here's some celebratory punk anger to mark the occasion of Grabb.it's return from nasty hosting-provider-caused downtime.

Not If You Were the Last Dandy on Earth by The Brian Jonestown Massacre
not-if-you-were-the-last-dandy-on-earth-by-the-brian-jonestown-massacre.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Silence by Portishead

2008-05-17T19:13:00.001-05:00

thanks Will - he says "that's not what Portishead does!"

Silence by Portishead
silence-by-portishead.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Why Won't You Talk About It? by The Radio Dept.

2008-05-17T02:33:00.001-05:00

@al3x reminded me of them on Twitter. This is a pretty good song for a too hot night.

Why Won't You Talk About It? by The Radio Dept.
why-won-t-you-talk-about-it-by-the-radio-dept.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Animal by Kunstlos

2008-05-16T16:18:00.001-05:00

I wrote this in the time it took to record, on a free 4-track shareware for Windows 98. It's still one of the songs I'm proudest of - amazing what you can do with strong constraints.

Animal by Kunstlos
animal-by-kunstlos.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Shari Vari by A Number of Names

2008-05-13T13:45:00.001-05:00

Thanks @marcus for this original techno thriller! The synth sounds like Revenge of the Nerds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkzAJs7NutM and the scratchiest vocals sound like #Lee-Perry

Shari Vari by A Number of Names
shari-vari-by-a-number-of-names.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Jeromé by 2del.icio.us

2008-05-11T23:26:00.001-05:00

@miamigregory thanks yeah it's me and a friend Will: http://mfdz.com/quilly we've been experimenting with beats for a few years.

Jeromé by 2del.icio.us
jerom-by-2del-icio-us.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

time-a-sarus rexalot by Kunstlos

2008-05-11T19:11:00.001-05:00

ok I had to make good on my ambition to do a track in only an afternoon using #Reaper. This is it -instrumental: pretty much all first takes here, with some more of that crazy pitch effect.

time-a-sarus rexalot by Kunstlos
time-a-sarus-rexalot-by-kunstlos.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Exp. Zombies (Reaver In The Cut Mix) by 2del.icio.us

2008-05-10T23:31:00.001-05:00

Will and I wrote and recorded the vocals today to try out Reaper http://www.cockos.com/reaper/ -- the instrumental track is from #Tomeleptic which should be Tomileptic but who's typing anyway?

Exp. Zombies (Reaver In The Cut Mix) by 2del.icio.us
exp-zombies-reaver-in-the-cut-mix-by-2del-icio-us.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Tomeleptic by 2del.icio.us

2008-05-10T23:25:00.001-05:00

If this is the master, current HEAD, then the Zombie mix is some experimental branch where we have to sort out the diff the next day.

Tomeleptic by 2del.icio.us
tomeleptic-by-2del-icio-us.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Jeromé by 2del.icio.us

2008-05-10T23:22:00.001-05:00

2del's PDX Pop entry.

Jeromé by 2del.icio.us
jerom-by-2del-icio-us.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Exp. Zombies (Reaver In The Cut Mix) by 2del.icio.us

2008-05-10T22:58:00.001-05:00

For immediate release: Will and I wrote this in the time it took to record it! It promises to damage your mind, but not like Dr. Luke, at all. More like Videodrome.

Exp. Zombies (Reaver In The Cut Mix) by 2del.icio.us
exp-zombies-reaver-in-the-cut-mix-by-2del-icio-us.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Deixa-ho Cór, Ja Estàet by Gerard Quintana & Jordi Batiste

2008-05-10T13:12:00.001-05:00

We never did too much talking, anyway.

Deixa-ho Cór, Ja Estàet by Gerard Quintana & Jordi Batiste
deixa-ho-c-r-ja-est-et-by-gerard-quintana-jordi-batiste.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Bloc Party vs. Madonna - Groovecopter by Bloc Party vs. Madonna by DJ Schmolli

2008-05-08T02:26:00.001-05:00

kinda energizing.

Bloc Party vs. Madonna - Groovecopter by Bloc Party vs. Madonna by DJ Schmolli
bloc-party-vs-madonna-groovecopter-by-bloc-party-vs-madonna-by-dj-schmolli.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

DVNO (LA Riots Bootleg Remix) by Justice

2008-05-07T16:39:00.001-05:00

Not as compressed, but way less coherent. It's like taking apart the original song and consuming it all in parallel.

DVNO (LA Riots Bootleg Remix) by Justice
dvno-la-riots-bootleg-remix-by-justice.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

DVNO (Radio Edit) by Justice

2008-05-07T16:37:00.001-05:00

How do they get away with so much compression / distortion and still sound (almost) hi-fi?

DVNO (Radio Edit) by Justice
dvno-radio-edit-by-justice.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

California Dreamin by Benny Benassi Vs. Royal Giglos

2008-05-06T14:35:00.001-05:00

It sounds like the #Global-Deejays synth line. Global Deejays seems to have only one synth line (I wonder if they wrote it...) Here's their classic cut: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn4ovawULGo

California Dreamin by Benny Benassi Vs. Royal Giglos
california-dreamin-by-benny-benassi-vs-royal-giglos.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Tha Crossroads by DJ Copy

2008-05-04T22:29:00.001-05:00

Field hollees in the outro.

Tha Crossroads by DJ Copy
tha-crossroads-by-dj-copy.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Young Folks (Behind the Wizards Sleeve Reanimation) by Peter Bjorn and John

2008-04-30T01:02:00.001-05:00

I bumped this at the Apple Store today.

Young Folks (Behind the Wizards Sleeve Reanimation) by Peter Bjorn and John
young-folks-behind-the-wizards-sleeve-reanimation-by-peter-bjorn-and-john.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Magic Spells by Crystal Castles

2008-04-27T04:21:00.001-05:00

easy groove. like #Stereolab but not as clean.

Magic Spells by Crystal Castles
magic-spells-by-crystal-castles.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Now I'm a Spider by The Comas

2008-04-27T04:19:00.001-05:00

sleepy time. the guitars are serotonin.

Now I'm a Spider by The Comas
now-i-m-a-spider-by-the-comas.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

I Put A Spell On You by Eddie Johns

2008-04-26T21:33:00.001-05:00

disco

I Put A Spell On You by Eddie Johns
i-put-a-spell-on-you-by-eddie-johns.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Chips-Chicken-Banana Split by Jo-Jo and the Fugitives

2008-04-26T19:27:00.001-05:00

for sure

Chips-Chicken-Banana Split by Jo-Jo and the Fugitives
chips-chicken-banana-split-by-jo-jo-and-the-fugitives.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Coffee Cup by Jon Braman

2008-04-26T13:41:00.001-05:00

Good morning. Jon Braman is the new #Flobots. Here's one about coffee.

Coffee Cup by Jon Braman
coffee-cup-by-jon-braman.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Choke by Ed Thanhouser

2008-04-26T01:51:00.001-05:00

One of the best songs from the #Reed-Bands comp. Ed and I worked on a few things after that - maybe my favorite is #Space from his band #Matilda-Catches-Fire

Choke by Ed Thanhouser
choke-by-ed-thanhouser.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Galaxy of the Lost by Lightspeed Champion

2008-04-26T01:38:00.001-05:00

Love the background vocals. Sounds a little like Bad Religion.

Galaxy of the Lost by Lightspeed Champion
galaxy-of-the-lost-by-lightspeed-champion.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

African Rhythms by Mi Ami

2008-04-25T23:09:00.001-05:00

Gets more huge on second listening.

African Rhythms by Mi Ami
african-rhythms-by-mi-ami.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

African Rhythms by Mi Ami

2008-04-25T22:46:00.001-05:00

Pure freak out. Rhythm and scream. like if the Animal Collective were animals. (1:46) Guitar knocked me out of my seat. (3:01) Seems to have turned into a song. (3:17) These drums are real. (3:30) The guitar sounds like it is falling from a building. (3:45) oooh... Solo to (4:18) freak out again, but this time on top of the original freakout. (5:00) thanks, JohnnyZee.

African Rhythms by Mi Ami
african-rhythms-by-mi-ami.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Tribulations (Tiga's Out of the Trance Closet mix) by LCD Soundsystem

2008-04-24T20:06:00.001-05:00

Psychedelic dance rock. I'm getting excited for the #Strength show Friday night at Holocene. They'd like this song. Hah the beat that comes in halfway through sounds like Madonna's #American-Life. Listen to that compression!

Tribulations (Tiga's Out of the Trance Closet mix) by LCD Soundsystem
tribulations-tiga-s-out-of-the-trance-closet-mix-by-lcd-soundsystem.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Austere by The Joy Formidable

2008-04-24T19:48:00.001-05:00

@harriettlou thanks for blogging #Austere! I had to pause it in the intro to plug in my good speakers. Oooh surprise - I didn't expect it to turn into a rocker! Check out the guitars at the end. IT's got hooks all over the place - I especially like the call and response background vocal. I bet they're fun live.

Austere by The Joy Formidable
austere-by-the-joy-formidable.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Sweet & Dandy by Toots & The Maytals

2008-04-23T20:37:00.001-05:00

the classic #Toots. This song is worth it especially for the coda.

Sweet & Dandy by Toots & The Maytals
sweet-amp-dandy-by-toots-amp-the-maytals.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

crashWorshipLive92

2008-04-23T11:20:00.001-05:00

12 minutes of live Crash Worship. They're like a jam band for the Survival Research Laboratories set. I find it good background music for programming.

crashWorshipLive92
crashworshiplive92.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Killing in the Name Of (Mr. Oizo Remix) by Rage Against the Machine

2008-04-23T11:13:00.001-05:00

Killing in the Name Of (Mr. Oizo Remix) by Rage Against the Machine
killing-in-the-name-of-mr-oizo-remix-by-rage-against-the-machine.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Angry Mulch by Voxtrot

2008-04-22T20:28:00.001-05:00

I really like the intro drum fills on this one, but the song's a little long for my taste.

Angry Mulch by Voxtrot
angry-mulch-by-voxtrot.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Kid Gloves by Voxtrot

2008-04-22T20:24:00.001-05:00

Good hook. #Voxtrot sounds like a different band in every song I hear.

Kid Gloves by Voxtrot
kid-gloves-by-voxtrot.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Dirty Version by Voxtrot

2008-04-22T11:04:00.001-05:00

Totally worth listening to. Smooth slide guitar and relaxing vocals make for a good morning mix.

Dirty Version by Voxtrot
dirty-version-by-voxtrot.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

HistoryEraserButton

2008-04-22T10:53:00.001-05:00

In commemoration of the new back-button eating history feature. Please continue to browse as usual. :)

HistoryEraserButton
historyeraserbutton.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Edgar by Modeselektor

2008-04-20T03:06:00.001-05:00

Good things, reminds me of #Blooms-Eventually from #Pulseprogramming.

Edgar by Modeselektor
edgar-by-modeselektor.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Reasonable Man (Live) by Nutria!

2008-04-19T22:34:00.001-05:00

One of the most enduring tracks on this old comp I helped with in college.

Reasonable Man (Live) by Nutria!
reasonable-man-live-by-nutria.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton by The Mountain Goats

2008-04-19T20:55:00.001-05:00

I emailed this to my brother Cyrus.

The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton by The Mountain Goats
the-best-ever-death-metal-band-in-denton-by-the-mountain-goats.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Just Like Heaven (The Cure) by Charlotte Martin

2008-04-19T11:47:00.001-05:00

She has a voice.

Just Like Heaven (The Cure) by Charlotte Martin
just-like-heaven-the-cure-by-charlotte-martin.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

My Heart Is Set On You by Heads We Dance

2008-04-19T10:22:00.001-05:00

My record producing days have shown me how hard it is to get a sound as restrained as this. Pop vocals and a beat you can dance to isn't as easy as it sounds. Well, it's not easy to make it sound easy. That's what Heads We Dance have done here.

My Heart Is Set On You by Heads We Dance
my-heart-is-set-on-you-by-heads-we-dance.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

À cause des garçons (Riot in Belgium remix) by Yelle

2008-04-19T09:54:00.001-05:00

Rrrrrriiiiiiioooootttt! It's stuff like this that makes me want to jump over handrails, climb the outside of parking garages, and do flips in slow motion like a Belgian middleschooler on YouTube. That's what we did when I was a Texan eight-grader, only with rollerblades and without YouTube. Rollerblades are cooler than riots.

À cause des garçons (Riot in Belgium remix) by Yelle
-cause-des-gar-ons-riot-in-belgium-remix-by-yelle.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Letters by Laura Cantrell

2008-04-18T12:49:00.001-05:00

Apply stars generously.

Letters by Laura Cantrell
letters-by-laura-cantrell.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Love Vigilantes (New Order) by Voxtrot

2008-04-18T12:36:00.001-05:00

It's interesting how only #New-Order themselves can pull this song off ironically. Both the Voxtrot and #Laura-Cantrell versions are earnest, but in different ways. This one rocks hard right past the ironic warmonger lyrics, Laura yearns like the soldier herself. Can there be an ironic cover of a serious-irony song like this? If you sang this at Karaoke, would the world implode?

Love Vigilantes (New Order) by Voxtrot
love-vigilantes-new-order-by-voxtrot.mp3

(via Grabb.it)

Giles Bowkett misses the point with App Engine

2008-04-09T11:01:00.000-05:00

Giles Bowkett misses the point with App Engine

Seriously. I bet they roll out alternate language choices in a month or less. Because you can't run background processes in the Google cloud, no one will actually build anything important using only Google App Engine. My money is on building your dataset in CouchDB on EC2 and serving the low latency responses via App Engine.

I blogged about my App Engine experience here.

Duh my twitter.

2007-06-06T10:52:00.000-05:00

This is for the crew who aren't like hep to the news.

You can get on twitter, too. And then we'll all be together in the celestial universe!

twitter
jchris

Finite and Infinite Games

2007-05-30T14:55:00.000-05:00

evhead: You have to decide what game you're playing

A post in lieu of a comment, because I guess that's how Ev rolls. Let me suggest again a wonderful book and it's free video/audio podcast lecture. Too bad about the Long Now's permalinks... Here's a link to James Carse's horizon-widening talk at the Long Now Foundation.

And a link the blog I'm writing in these days.

Daytime Running Lights has moved!

2007-04-02T02:16:00.000-05:00

Daytime Running Lights

I've been blogging at my new blog zone for a while now... Sorry, I didn't mean to leave you guys out.

Life is great, Amy had an art opening tonight. I've been working on Grabb.it since the beginning of the year.

Charlie is wearing my EFF shirt!

The population decline

2006-10-16T12:01:00.000-05:00

Yesterday as I was driving across New Mexico and Arizona, I had the chance to listen to Phillip Longman's talk for the Long Now Foundation. Phillip merely points out that world population will peak and then decline in our lifetimes. This simple, empirical fact will have massive and unprecedented real-world repercussions - as the population declines, the ratio of productive working-age people to dependent elders will go topsy-turvy.

We don't need thought experiments to see what effect low fertility rates have on economies. Examples include Japan's rise and fall in the last 3 decades, the slow-down of European economies, and China's current explosion. When birth rates first drop, economies boom as the last wave of youths move into their productive years and focus on work instead of supporting children. However, things can't stay like that forever, and eventually, those productive baby-boomers become dependent elders - the first in their culture without an even larger population of younger people to support them. These societies become risk-averse and inefficient, as health care is not one of those industries which can be made more productive through automation.

Phillip worries that the result of these changes will be a resurgence of fundamentalism and the patriarchy. As more resources are funneled into the care of the old, education of the young falls in priority. In parallel, societies with insufficient numbers of women of child-bearing age tend to become overly protective of those women, keeping them from public life and professional careers as their value as baby-makers overtakes their value as individuals.

These trends are not future predictions - they've already been seen in countries faced with similar demographic changes. Women in the countries where sex-selective abortion has distorted the population balance already feel the affects of an emboldened patriarchy. As William Gibson is oft-quoted, "The future is already here, it's just not evenly distributed." This maxim is what makes Phillip's predictions not speculations, but observances.

What can we do? This is a big question, and the answer isn't clear yet. We've been lucky to live in a time when the intellectual and technological output of the world as a whole has been increasing at a dramatic rate. I've always sort of attributed this increase to, among other things, the sheer numbers of people available to fill all the niches. Projects like Wikipedia and amazing subcultures like the hundreds of videos of different kids playing the same guitar solo all depend on having enough people interested in them. With less productive people on the planet, we'll have to interest a larger proportion of them in doing awesome stuff like science and art, unless we want to live in a boring, stagnant world.

How will we ever colonize the solar system without population pressure to push us off Earth while giving us all the crazy nerds required to make something of that magnitude happen? Precisely when we need an emphasis on education and personal empowerment, demographic trends are conspiring against us.

The internet and the long-tailing of cultural products gives us some hope that we will be able to keep life interesting even through the bleakness of a world-wide population decline. But such an opportunity landscape doesn't give us much without a concommitant change in values. Just because everyone has the opportunity to be a cultural producer doesn't let us assume that they will graduate beyond duplicating guitar virtuosity performances, to doing something of real value for their fellow humans.

The long now

Austin update

2006-10-11T20:53:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about working on my blog some more lately - you know, adding separate sections for Music, Coding, Life etc. I'm trying to decide if I should use the open source project Mephisto to publish with, or to write my own from scratch. I like a lot about Mephisto, but I also prefer to know my code like the back of my hand, and Mephisto's liquid templates add a layer of impedance that I don't need.

On another subject, I'm in Austin right now moving my mom to San Jose. My dad is staying in Texas, where he practices law and has his brother's ranch to stay at. The house is supposed to be on the market in under a week and there is a 0% chance of it being clean (or even empty) by then.

As soon as the truck is packed, Mom and I take off down I-10, via El Paso to L.A., where we'll see Perry and Francine. Once I make it to San Jose, I switch from driving the 24 ft moving truck, to the smallest vehicle that can get me and my parents' vinyl back to Portland.

I feel like I'm on a combination Xtreme Reality moving show, and hit HBO family drama, only this is real. When I bought my plane ticket down here, I thought I'd be sharing driving duties with Mom in her (comparatively small) Chevy Tahoe. Now I've spent 3 days filling a van. Not that it's a total surprise.

I had a plan to blog the shit out of Nevada, but I don't think we'll drive through there. At least you can look forward to my blogging all 70 lbs of my parent's vinyl. I've even figured out a method to keep track of which one's I've listened to, so that I'll know when I've heard them all.

jchris around the web.

2006-08-07T23:43:00.000-05:00

I've heard from a couple of people that they've missed keeping up with me here. So here's the summary.

Got married. You probably know this already. Amy and I honeymooned on Vancouver Island, which was relaxing but more expensive than we'd expected. Our 13 week anniversery was yesterday, life is beginning to resume a normal pace.

Went to Chicago for RailsConf. Chicago knocked my socks off, and Amy came, too. We stayed with our friend Meghan, and learned about Midwest hipsterdom. It is like a real city out there.

RailsConf was encouraging, for sure. I rode Amtrak out there with a bunch of developers, met some people I knew only from blogs (and legend, which is a lot like blogs). I'm happy to learn that I'm on the good side of the Bbell curve, Rails-wise.

I've been recording "Alan Singley":http://alansingley.com/ in the basement. The song is called "It's OK When It's Just You and Me"

I've heard a few people talk about the internet lately. You can find my shit *all* over the internet, folks.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jchris/ all my pictures
http://jchris.mfdz.com that's my ruby blog
I use gmail, if you need to contact me.
http://del.icio.us/jchris all my bookmarks
http://mfdz.com/jchris I upload when it works. I just kicked it back up by killing 165 processes on neon.
STRENGTH record release party on August 10th @ 9pm.
They played my wedding after we'd been working in the basement on this record for over a year. I can't think of any other single project I've ever worked as hard on.
grabb.it my freakin crazy music site. ruby on rails.
http://svn.rtra.in/public my public svn server. svn_tools rake plugin available there. I should really publish it as a gem as well.
wedding guide to portland, something Amy and I threw together for the guests.
I keep snippets.

So, you see, there's more than this blog.

life

On the train

2006-06-20T00:30:00.000-05:00

sitting here in Pasco, WA, just picked up a couple of Rubyists, and we're still on the way to Chicago. I'm downloading the STRENGTH record right now, post mastering. It will take 9 hours to download over my cellphone connection. The mastering engineers put the whole thing into one file. I don't mind.

We get to Chicago Weds night.

railsconf

Wedding part 1

2006-05-21T13:41:00.000-05:00

Amy and I spent the night at Hotel Lucia after the "rehersal" dinner last night. The party was amazing. We are both so lucky to have such wonderful friends and relatives. Just to even list everyone I got to talk to and see would be impossible.

Highlights: double-dutch on the street in the day, and frisbee at night; singing Syd Barrett songs with Isaac and Jeff and anyone else with the temerity to join in; seeing Steve and Sarah Anderson and Julia north of Denison TX; the Aunts filling Amy's gift boxes for tomorrow (today); being surprised that Berit was Berit (ha!); giving the Ball Markers to Cyrus and Alex; Jeff and At Dusk becoming buddies... There are more but I've got to run to the Holocene to get my hitch on.

big wave coming

2006-05-16T12:06:00.000-05:00

Hello Blog,

I haven't talked to you in a while. You see, I've been keeping busy with three or so big projects. I'm in the last couple of hours of the lull between "finishing" the Strength record and the first of the wedding guests arriving. Amy's mom Karen, Lindsay, and Jem arrive today - not exactly the high-pressure crowd (they'll probably make it easier to get prepared) - but definitely the mark that wedding week has begun.

Wow, I'm getting married! That means I'm supposed to be a grownupish person. Its basically a public pronouncement of my ability to plan and follow through. I guess I've shown some follow through in my life, so its not that I lack confidence in myself. It's just that usually I like to under-promise and over-deliver.

The cats have been on edge for a few days now. I think it's cause we cleaned the house. My allergies are clearing up (I think it's cause I'm not spending 8 hours a day in the basement anymore). We've just got a little more cleaning up to do, and then boom!

wedding

302 redirect

2006-03-30T15:33:00.000-06:00

Bam, Boom, got Ruby on zoom! I know some of you all have been reading here for Ruby and Rails posts, and it's been quiet as of late. Deal is, I have my Ruby blog elsewhere - Free Culture Kool Aid, so go there if you want to hear about the HungryNil - it's been eating all my methods missing.

For friends of a less technological bent, let's just say that I'm nearing the end of my tenure as Community Disco producer emeritus - that means we're about to have a product. Rumor mill's rumbling about an album title, let's just whisper "GET THAT MOTHERF*CKER" and if you weren't paying attention, the band is called Strength.

Expect a series of high-profile announcements both here, there and everywhere, and don't forget that as of May 21st, I'll be a taken man.

ruby

rails

strength

love

music

my real blog you are

2006-02-16T03:43:00.000-06:00

mfdz

worked on mfdz bunches today. got php online (almost). ohhhhh! shit! I have to get up early tomorrow. I am not superman!

grabb.it
going online in a major way withour new "wild" css. I'm working on it right now to go to bed.

At Dusk
start in the studio tomorrow, working on mixes. I want to warp time.

life
Marissa and Inana live here now, they are a wonderful addition to the household! Its so nice to be woken early by the sound of new friends.d

not related to any one thing

2006-02-13T08:07:00.000-06:00

I've decided that Lars Von Trier's movies are about the futility of watching them - an argument which happens to support my anti-video-narrative position very well, thank you! The reason is that his characters have a tricky way of being impossible to empathize with. Because they all live either hopeless or inconseqential lives, just on the edge of my ability to suspend disbelief, I find that any glimmer of empathy I have for them is offset by the fact that my only and best recourse towards helping them (and they all need help) is to STOP WATCHING THE MOVIE.

Tonight is one of those nights where I wake up with very dry eyes - the window in the bedroom got shut all the way, and the heat is on, but I know this kind of 6am wake up is from the whiskey (and karaoke) last night at Pix. It was Ryan's birthday, Amy sang a truly heart-rending version of "Love is a Battlefield", Mike W was the volunteer KJ, Leb kept things going with the rock stylings of Joan Jett, and your's truly had a rough time with MJ's "Smooth Criminal", but made up for it by having the gall to sing the Ghostbusters theme song.

The At Dusk record is getting very close! We listened to rough mixes in the car on the way home from the studio, and that's what they were - rough. I was a little surprised because they sounded so good in the studio, but I guess that's what happens when you get them off the big speakers and into the real world. I think they are rough in just the right way - ie. good balance and energy, and could be cleaned up with some diligent de-EQing.

(please skip the next paragraph)

We've been doing mostly additive EQ - not quite my style - and I think it shows. Instead of adding frequencies to the vocals to make them cut through the guitars, I'll removee the corresponding frequencies from the guitars, to let the vocals shine through. --Googling around, I could not find any resources on the difference between additive and subtractive eq, so here goes: Any time you EQ a signal, you are introducing phase irregularities (in its extreme form this is the sound you're familiar with from electronic music as the resonance of a filter sweep). When you boost a frequency band with EQ, the phase irregularities are in the loud part of the signal. When you cut, those same resonances are in the quiet part of the signal, de-emphasizing them. Most of the time if you have more than one eq boost on a channel, you can get a cleaner sound by cutting the frequency between your boosts, killing the boosts, and turning the whole thing up. Now I will tell you that a cleaner sound is not always better. A cleaner sound is not always better.

Tomorrow: STRENGTH background vocals from John and Patrick. Also I will smash by head because Music For Dozens is down down down. Now it is time to go back to sleep.

recording
mfdz
karaoke
eq

boring boring boring boring

2006-02-06T05:26:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I get it in my head that a certain word makes a good refrain. So I say it alot. My theme-word for the week is boring. Not that I'm bored, just that I aspire to be more boring. Not to you, my dear readers, but to my real-life peeps. Like that time I made everyone laugh by spouting non-sense. I could avoid that.

Umm. I'm 26 now. Duh.

(My real reason for being boring: to save up a bunch of exciting so that I can explode with it all at once, like maybe sometime when the sun is shining and everyone least expects it.)

Did you know that our cats lick each other's butts? It might not be the butt, but instead something near there, that they lick. That is not boring but it is juvenile to have an excessive interest in it.

Amy thinks that I should keep her informed when I have a change of plans mid-stream, and she is depending on me for something. This strikes me as extremely sensible. I alittlebit wish for a GPS beacon I could wear.

I dreamed I was on Letterman, in the studio audience, when I interrupted his hostness loudly during a skit. He took it in stride. What choice did he have?

ahh shit have you guys heard Koto Y Soto?

it feels good to blog dumb stuff again. if you want geek stuff you should read my Free Culture Kool Aid blog.

discouraging breakpoint

2006-01-06T23:57:00.000-06:00

Looks like I'll be digging into the login engine tonight.

me.admin?
=> true
current_user == me
=> true
current_user.admin?
=> false

ruby

Quiet C=ountries====

2006-01-06T03:08:00.000-06:00

waving the pdx flag, Quiet Countries rocked the Dunes tonight. Live as I ever seen, Leb tuned beats to pedal loops and vocals over vocals. And aways doing something with the machines. A knob or two between lines of vocal, whole songs acoustic. It was all there, and with an energy and confidence.

freestyle, in a sense, freestyle rock.

pdx

doing things

2006-01-04T05:28:00.000-06:00

The blog has eluded me. I'm on the cusp of releasing Grabb.it, I've got a wedding to plan, I'm working on two albums, and lately, been trying to have a life as well.

saw at dusk, dolly dolly, and boob tonight at the tonic.

awesome rocketboom

2006-01-01T06:25:00.000-06:00

You put away. This diary when month becomes new, does not have the function which automatically makes the page.

So, as for 2005 amount making beforehand, however it hurt, there is no 2006 amount. The kana which how will be done.

~sasada

feel it feel it.

2006-01-01T04:29:00.000-06:00

ruby

attributes:
image_url:
artist:
updated_at: 2005-12-31 20:53:12
info_url:
title:
id: "61"
annotation: Exauce 2
source_id: "4"
created_at: 2005-12-31 20:53:12
- !ruby/object:Track
attributes:
image_url:
artist:
updated_at: 2005-12-31 20:53:12
info_url:
title:
id: "62"
annotation: Exauce 3
source_id: "4"
created_at: 2005-12-31 20:53:12
- !ruby/object:Track
attributes:
image_url:
artist:
updated_at: 2006-01-01 01:59:37
info_url:
title:
id: "25"
annotation: Hiccup Lines mp3
source_id: "3"
created_at: 2005-12-31 18:31:38
=> nil

syntax suggestion:

> py Track.find :all | less
# now i am in the block.
# piping my irb.rc yaml print through a pagination mangager. i move my block position - pointer - through the block, like scroll arrows.

i like these one-handed blocks.

meanwhile, on #prototype:

2005-12-31T15:31:00.000-06:00

[11:15am] jchris: i really would like a way to inspect objects to see what methods they have defined.
[11:15am] jchris: i think i'm spoiled by ruby
[11:17am] sam-: Object.methods = function(object) {var methods = []; for (slot in object) if (typeof object[slot] == 'function') methods.push(slot); return methods}
[11:18am] sam-: call like Object.methods(someObject)
[11:19am] jchris: thanks. I'll try it
[11:20am] jchris: awesome! all the methods just popped out.

prototype

javascript

HAPPPPPYYYYYY NEW YEAR, peeps!

oh no! Ruby action!

2005-12-23T22:45:00.000-06:00

Ok,
I've been sparing you all the details of my hot love for Ruby on Rails, but my Other Blog is down for maintence (I can't post to it right now, but you can read it) so you'll have to bear with me and my excitement.

If you find yourself spending to much time in irb staring at things like this:

"annotation"=>"Youll Be Mine", "position"=>"3", "created_at"=>"2005-12-11 16:59:11"}>, #nil, "artist"=>nil, "playlist_id"=>"1", "updated_at"=>"2005-12-11 16:59:12", "info_url"=>nil, "title"=>nil, "id"=>"5", "track_id"=>"5", "annotation"=>"You And I", "position"=>"4", "created_at"=>"2005-12-11 16:59:11"}>, #nil, "artist"=>nil, "playlist_id"=>"1", "updated_at"=>"2005-12-11 16:59:12", "info_url"=>nil, "title"=>nil, "id"=>"6", "track_id"=>"6", "annotation"=>"Johnny Wanna Live", "position"=>"5", "created_at"=>"2005-12-11 16:59:12"}>, #nil, "artist"=>nil, "playlist_id"=>"1", "updated_at"=>"2005-12-11 16:59:12", "info_url"=>nil, "title"=>nil, "id"=>"7", "track_id"=>"7", "annotation"=>"Innocent Love", "position"=>"6", "created_at"=>"2005-12-11 16:59:12"}>, #nil, "artist"=>nil, "playlist_id"=>"1", "updated_at"=>"2005-12-11 16:59:12", "info_url"=>nil, "title"=>nil, "id"=>"8", "track_id"=>"8", "annotation"=>"Celebrate Your Life", "position"=>"7", "created_at"=>"2005-12-11 16:59:12"}>, #nil, "artist"=>nil, "playlist_id"=>"1", "updated_at"=>"2005-12-11 16:59:12", "info_url"=>nil, "title"=>nil, "id"=>"9", "track_id"=>"9", "annotation"=>"Around My Heart", "position"=>"8", "created_at"=>"2005-12-11 16:59:12"}>, #nil, "artist"=>nil, "playlist_id"=>"1", "updated_at"=>"2005-12-11 16:59:13", "info_url"=>nil, "title"=>nil,

what you need is to open the terminal, type mate ~/.irbrc and paste the following in:

def py( thing = nil )
if thing.respond_to? 'to_yaml'
puts thing.to_yaml
else
puts thing
end
end

Now that you've done that, you can type "py my_object" and your object will get printed all pretty yaml style.

- !ruby/object:Track
attributes:
image_url:
artist:
playlist_id: "1"
updated_at: 2005-12-11 16:59:36
info_url:
title:
id: "84"
track_id: "84"
annotation: Alan Parsons Project
position: "83"
created_at: 2005-12-11 16:59:35
- !ruby/object:Track
attributes:
image_url:
artist:
playlist_id: "1"
updated_at: 2005-12-11 16:59:36
info_url:
title:
id: "85"
track_id: "85"
annotation: Sarah Brightman
position: "84"
created_at: 2005-12-11 16:59:36

thanks for the tips, ruby-breakpoint!

ruby

a new job

2005-12-08T03:56:00.000-06:00

I spent the last two days at the offices of Planet Argon, where I've been programming Ruby on Rails. Rather, I've been using Ruby on Rails to write a website, with the help of a few other people, and getting paid for it. Considering that I'd be doing this anyway (and in not a stimulating context) even if I weren't getting paid, I can safely say I'm happy with my new job.

In the little world where the differences between various programming languages are important, Ruby (the language) is gaining stature and acceptance as fast as any language ever has. In the world most people live in, where programming languages are not that interesting, what it means is that not only do I have an opportunity to learn and challenge myself in a way that is satisfying, but also that the skills and experience I'm gaining should only get more valuable.

Hooray for doing what you like and getting paid! Or in geek speak - new job++

Thanksgiving Smell

2005-11-23T14:13:00.000-06:00

Wow! I haven't posted here in over a month.

Amy and her mom Karen are inn the kitchen running the advanced guard on Thanksgiving preparations. Shauna got into town last night, and Marian's been here for a few days, so it is starting to feel like back-in-the-day times.

I'm gonna make my mac and cheese, only this time without velveeta and with real cheese instead. Revolutionary.

If you would like to hear more from me in blog land, you might find my programming blog more active: Free Culture Kool Aid. Last time I wrote on there it was about "How to Install Collaboa on Debian", which is a topic near and dear to all of your heart's, I'm sure.

Did you know about Whiskers? Whiskers, or "the Skuz", as I like to call him, is the neighbor's old OLD cat, and also very evil. He has besieged our house. If we open the doors to get fresh air or let our cats out, he sneaks in, eats their food, and pees on our clothes. This has happened more than once. He also seems really hungry sometimes, so I feed him anyway. Even as I write this, Amy is giving the Skuz some turkey liver, "'cause it's the holiday season."

computer glow

2005-10-24T03:30:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been imagining a life where I didn't have a glowing screen in front of me every day, almost all day. Like, maybe I'll post on here "Don't bother to email me for two weeks." Or something.

But first I have things to do. Finish the Strength Album. Make Music For Dozens run itself (ha!). Ummmm... program some computers. The usual. Which is enough to keep me busy till January, easily.

I think that is one thing I miss about working at Bar Pastiche - being around people. They are a little unpredictable, but at least they don't phosphorese or require charging at regular intervals.

Johnny floats up and down the street

2005-10-08T22:32:00.000-05:00

Strength

John
Originally uploaded by J Chris A.

This was during his solo in Burning Up.

I know secret things about this band. I know that Bailey doesn't even really drink coffee. And Patrick likes tuning. And John's probably working on synth patches as you read this.