A number of you have likely seen Naturally 7’s subway rendition of In the Air Tonight. Check it out quickly if you haven’t (RSS readers, the video is embedded on this blog post):

Have you ever seen something like this? Likely, you haven’t, and you never will– but have you ever considered why that is?

Next time you see someone singing on a subway, or in a public park, consider your reactions to it: the most basic of human activities, suppressed, now mostly reserved for television.

Notice how enthusiastic the metro riders are at the end, however. It’s likely they won’t see anything like this performance for a long time, and they know it.

Fear of shame, derision, and alienation control so much of our lives– but it’s pretty hard to be remarkable, and get noticed, if you can’t get past it.

Filed by Julien at 1:08 am under video, music, random
13 Comments

Seriously, it’s criminal that we all have to pay for music that sucks when stuff like this is free. This Definitive Swim compilation puts the previous freeload stuff I’ve blogged about to shame. Go grab yourself some of this.

Do you guys detect a pattern here? A new way of making money with music? If I owned a record label like Definitive Jux or Stones Throw, I would release all my compilations this way.

(But yeesh, I send so many links in the direction of Adult Swim you guys probably think I’m getting paid by them.)

Filed by Julien at 2:24 pm under download, music, hip hop
4 Comments

So I recorded this show last week that is to be my last ’studio’ show in two months or so. So it’s rambling BS until that time! I’ll try to put some songs in there too, though, so don’t stress.

I don’t remember much of what I talked about on this show, except for the fact that RoboCop has a hot ass for no reason whatsoever.

Filed by Julien at 1:06 pm under download, music, hip hop, podcast
6 Comments

My first regular show in about a month. I talk about the Homelessness Marathon, which is going on as I write this, about working through some of my long term goals, and the best t-shirt I have ever owned.

I also play a track from the band The Knife, which you should really check out. Click the picture, go listen to the tracks.

Filed by Julien at 3:47 am under download, music, podcast
7 Comments

This may actually work! Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff launched this meme the other day, Bum Rush the Charts, that’s attempting to send an indie artist to the top of the iTunes charts through a same-day purchase of one track. Here’s the blog in case you wanna follow what’s happening with it.

The way I see it, it can get even better than that: If we not only purchase the track, but I have a feeling this idea would catch on in social networking spheres (think Digg, etc.) - if we get enough attention, that would propel the purchases of this one track ever upward– who knows how far it could go.

Filed by Julien at 12:13 pm under music, podcasting, random
6 Comments

This image so fascinated me earlier when I saw it on Philip Sherburne’s blog that I had no choice but to find out who these people were. It took me about an hour, but boy am I happy I did.

Readers, I introduce you to the Swedish band The Knife. I just bought their third album, and encourage you to do the same. Happy Friday.

Filed by Julien at 7:25 pm under music, random
3 Comments

Yeah, I know– talking about web ecology one day and then dance music the next. I’m not sure what’s going on with Julien, either… but listen up.

(Thanks Pitchfork, thanks Véro!)

Filed by Julien at 7:19 pm under download, music, trends
2 Comments

Notes from being at a homeless shelter for a week, meeting the ex-girlfriend for the first time, and having no show notes whatsoever. Also, I literally end the podcast with 30 seconds of ‘blah blah blah’. Yes, really.

• RJD2 - Iced Lightning
• Jaylib - Nasty McFilth feat. Frank N Dank
• Jedi Mind Tricks - Omnicron feat. Apathy and Sun Pharaoh

Filed by Julien at 11:37 am under homeless nation, download, music, hip hop, podcast
7 Comments

Please take a second to go check out Homeless Nation’s podcasts. My friend Brett basically gives all these kids access to equipment and gets them to record their stories. It’s absolutely amazing.

(If you’re looking for somewhere to start, try this one… one of many great recordings.)

Filed by Julien at 10:38 pm under download, music, podcasting
No Comments

So this episode kind of speaks for itself. Here’s the transcript.

• Euphrates - ‘Told You So feat D-Shade’
• Edan - ‘Torture Chamber feat Percee P’
• MED - ‘Push feat J Dilla’

Filed by Julien at 3:34 pm under download, music, hip hop, podcast
5 Comments