Back off Madison and Duluth – Wilco belongs to Chicago! (from WBEZ Blog)
Anyone who knows Wilco knows they’re a Chicago band through and through. Just glance at the cover of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or listen to the tune “Via Chicago” for proof. Now some of our regional neighbors are trying to bask in the band’s glow. First it was Duluth, Minnesota. When the band played there on February 19, Mayor Don Ness met with the band before their show and made an official mayoral proclamation of Wilco being an “Honorary Duluth Band.”
When Wilco played Madison, Wisconsin the next day, The Cap Times reports that Tweedy taunted the city for not recognizing them after playing far more concerts there than Duluth. Alderperson Satya Rhodes-Conway was at the show and was approached by several constituents, who wanted Wilco to be recognized. She rose to the challenge and introduced a resolution claiming Wilco as honorary Madison citizens. Madison’ alderpeople (that’s what they call ‘em in Madison) can’t make proclamations, so the resolution still has to be adopted by the full council at their March 2 meeting. So far the mayor and nine out of twenty council members have sponsored the measure, so has a good chance at passing.
This got me wondering if Chicago had ever taken similar measures to recognize Wilco. After all, we have ‘Talk Like Shakespeare Day’, ‘Smashing Pumpkins Day’ and ‘Diddy Day.’ Surely there must be something on the books for Wilco. Not according to David Daskal (and everyone else I spoke with at the Mayor’s Office of Special Events and the Mayor’s Correspondance Office). Daskal said there’d never been much demand for special recognition….
A Robot Named Shimon Wants To Jam With You (via Zoozmobile, NPR: All Things Considered)
What was billed as the first intercontinental musical interaction between humans and robots took place the weekend of Dec. 17. It involved humans in Japan using an application called ZoozBeat on their iPhones and a robot named Shimon in Atlanta.
According to its makers, unlike other robots that can play music, Shimon is perceptual. The robot can listen to what is played, analyze it and then improvise. And it has been taught to improvise like some jazz masters.
Gil Weinberg of Georgia Tech’s music technology program recently spoke to NPR’s Robert Siegel from Japan, where he witnessed the historic interaction. Weinberg says the result is music meant to inspire people — not an effort to turn our music-making over to robots.
“The whole idea is to use computer algorithms to create music in ways that humans will never create,” Weinberg says. “Our motto is, ‘Listen like a human, but improvise like a machine.’ “
Weinberg programmed Shimon to play like Thelonious Monk. He says that, though he and his team were trying to teach the robot to play like a machine, they first had to teach it how a human plays. To do that, they used statistics and analysis of Monk’s improvisation. Once they had a statistical model of the pianist, they could program the robot to improvise in that model.
Weinberg says the robot won’t play everything exactly like the bebop pianist — or any other jazz master — would, though he says, “It probably will keep the nature and the character of [the musician’s] style.”
Daniel Johnston - Story of an Artist
Daniel Johnston iPhone app - I’d get it if I had an iPhone
Monkeys Get A Groove On, But Only To Monkey Music (via ScienceDaily)
These South American monkeys are essentially immune to human music, but they respond appropriately to “monkey music,” 30-second clips composed…on the basis of actual monkey calls. The music was inspired by sounds the tamarins make to convey two opposite emotions: threats and/or fear, and affiliation, a friendly, safe and happy condition.
Some Vocal-mimicking Animals, Particularly Parrots, Can Move To A Musical Beat
Researchers at Harvard University have found that humans aren’t the only ones who can groove to a beat — some other species can dance, too. The capability was previously believed to be specific to humans. The research team found that only species that can mimic sound seem to be able to keep a beat, implying an evolutionary link between the two capacities…. (continues @ ScienceDaily)
Guitarists' Brains Swing Together
When musicians play along together it isn’t just their instruments that are in time – their brain waves are too. New research shows how EEG readouts from pairs of guitarists become more synchronized, a finding with wider potential implications for how our brains interact when we do.
Hey You, Pink Floyd - In memory of the past and friends lost
Sometimes a Pony Gets Depressed, Tanglewood Numbers, Silver Jews
In honor of their six records (the band might be calling it quits?!?!?!)
Tumblr Powered Bill Israel Designed
