Turing Machine, What Is The Meaning Of What

By Less Lee Moore

In fact, Turing machines are not intended to model computers, but rather they are intended to model computation itself . . .
—Wikipedia, “Turing Machine”

Perhaps there are those who, unfamiliar with minimalist, drone, or ambient music, may lobby the complaint that it doesn’t go anywhere. Nothing could be further from the truth. These styles of music can certainly take you places, but to paraphrase Dr. Crane in The Dark Knight, they might not be places you wanted to go. This is certainly true of Demdike Stare, who reside at the disturbing end of that particular spectrum. As Turing Machine’s new album What Is The Meaning Of What reveals however, these places may simply be the ones to which you didn’t expect to go. And the ride there is invigorating.
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Assemblog: Less Lee Moore, May 4, 2012

“I’m not wearing hockey pants.”

New on Popshifter this week: Part Four of the ongoing hilarity of “so bad they’re good” YouTube videos from around the world; reviews of new releases by Chelle Rose and Portland Cello Project; The Lake Effect’s Expect Delays EP; Dave Martin’s Natural Selection; and whether or not The Avengers is a “chick flick.”
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Dave Martin, Natural Selection

By Chelsea Spear

In the ’80s and ’90s, Dave Martin cut his teeth as a member of the beloved Boston rock band O Positive. His role as a sort of band factotum—in which he played numerous instruments and worked on the band’s onstage sound—filled out the quintet’s angular, shimmering, new wave arrangements. Since O Pos disbanded in 1995, Martin has put forth a prolific solo career, recording a trio of solid, folk rock-influenced solo records. His most recent album, Natural Selection, mines the contemplative vein of his previous albums, and also finds him introducing some new sounds and arrangements.
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Taking Aim: Is The Avengers A Chick Flick?

By Lisa Anderson

Jeremy Renner in The Avengers

As fan of comic book movies and of Joss Whedon, this is a great summer for me. I’m thoroughly enjoying all the buzz over The Avengers, which opens in the US at midnight tonight. Every once in a while though, I’ll come across something that I can’t get on board with, even though it’s essentially positive. A recent piece by Bill Gibron at Pop Matters is a good example.
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The Lake Effect, Expect Delays EP

By Kai Shuart

The four tracks on The Lake Effect‘s debut EP, Expect Delays, tell of a band that seems too chilled out for its own good. While this does make for some lovely, atmospheric music, such as the always-wonderful combination of warm keyboards and acoustic guitars found throughout Expect Delays, the muted atmosphere made it difficult for me to attach myself to the emotions being conveyed in the lyrics.
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Portland Cello Project, Homage

By Jemiah Jefferson

While the sparkly and joyous “Hey Ya!” has long been a part of Portland Cello Project‘s live repertoire, Homage is their first full-length release of cover versions of hip-hop songs (they have done hip-hop covers before, but never a full album). In every case, PCP’s arrangement and performance of the melodies and rhythms found in these chart-smashing hits brings new delight to the listener, both in the chuckle-inducing recognition of the original and in admiration for how smoothly these tracks have been adapted.
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Chelle Rose, Ghost Of Browder Holler

By Kai Shuart

Ghost Of Browder Holler is the latest release from Chelle Rose, and was recorded using the contributions of many. The album is the product of a bunch of musicians gathering around the table and deciding which of Rose’s songs they wanted to record. Yet for all the collaborative efforts, Ghost Of Browder Holler is extremely cohesive, giving the feeling that the primary artistic voice is Chelle Rose’s alone.
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Hungry For Love, Part Four: More Awesomely Bad Music Videos From Around The Globe

By Jim R. Clark

This is Part Three in our series on bizarre videos you may have forgotten about or never seen. Don’t forget to check out Parts One, Two, and Three.
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Assemblog: Less Lee Moore, April 27, 2012

Velvet Goldmine, 1998

New on Popshifter this week: reviews of the recently reissued Beginnings, Rick Springfield’s 1972 US debut album; Theresa Andersson’s latest album Street Parade; Beatles documentary Strange Fruit; Apples in Stereo’s Chris McDuffie’s solo release as Whitejacket, titled Hollows and Rounds; and The Ian Hunter Band’s Rockaplast concert on DVD.
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Ian Hunter Band Featuring Mick Ronson, Live At Rockpalast

By Hanna

While lately the BBC and specialized music channels have finally been repeating and showing their collected musical material, German TV has been far ahead of them, broadcasting their music shows such as ZDF’s disco and comprehensive DVDs of shows like Musikladen, while the BBC still fails to release anything like a Top of The Pops DVD, and its Old Grey Whistle Test issues are limited and, annoyingly, themed.
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