thesixtywhat?

A road is a road, but sometimes it’s more. Sometimes a road sings.

Drive down Highway 61 and you’ll find music everywhere you turn.

Muddy Waters rode the 61. So did Bob Dylan, Ike Turner, and B.B. King. Elvis grew up in the housing projects along it.

Highway 61 was the road by which people left to find better opportunities. And by leaving they took their music to the world.

Come join us on thesixtyone.

You can find this on the “About” section of thesixtyone.com.  Does it tug on your heartstrings?  Absolutely.  But it definitely captures the laid-back  democratic spirit that sets this music networking site above the pack.

I’m gonna throw it out there, I think this website is fantastic and will only continue to grow.  It has been around for about a year and keeps gaining steam and influence.  The premise is simple.  Artists upload music and listeners vote on the music they like best; it is a full interactive experience with leveling up and new.  Cool, right?  9 times out of 10, if the band is unsigned they will allow you to download the track you are listening to from thesixtyone.com. Now, it does take a bit of effort to find artists worthwhile, but when you do they are often spectacular.

The website is open to everyone, but becoming a member allows you to contribute your taste to the website and join the competitive experience.  You earn points, level up your influence if other listeners like the songs you heart, and collect badges for different accomplishments–like hearting a song to the homepage.  For all you budding musicians out there, create an artist account, upload your music, and see what kind of reception you get from the sixtyone community.

I emailed the creator James Miao, a graduate from that school across town, to get some further insight on what we can expect in the future for the sixtyone:

We’re focused on enabling the “creative middle class.”  thesixtyone as it is today is an fun discovery layer for music that is otherwise overlooked by mainstream audiences.  the next step is actually helping musicians pay the rent — you’ll see what i mean in a few weeks.

And for all you last.fm devotees, thesixtyone.com supports scrobbling.  Yes, the power of two websites combined only serves to enhance the awesomeness.

I hope you enjoy the site as much as I do!  Get an account and add me!  Dancingnancies

Coming at you from The Backseat, Sundays 12-2 pm.

–Just “K”

If you’re like me, you often wonder what Saul Williams, Ikey Owens, Andrew WK, Afrika Bambaataa are listening to at this very moment…to be honest, I don’t often find myself thinking about what these folks and other celebrities are listening to at this very moment, and if you do find yourself wondering about what celebrities are currently listening to/eating/reading/thinking about/doing, I strongly recommend professional help.

In the meantime, here is a healthy alternative to digging through people’s trash for old receipts and souvenirs: Amoeba Music’s What’s In My Bag?

Not only is this a great tool if you’re a stalker, but it’s also great for music, movie, and book recommendations.  For example, looking for an old comedy for your next Movie Night? If you’re like Jimmy Kimmel Live’s Uncle Frank, why not rent The Pink Panther or it’s sequel A Shot in the Dark?  Still bitter about Jon Theodore and Zach De La Rocha leaving The Mars Volta and Rage Against the Machine? Saul William’s recommends you check out One Day As a Lion (Theodore and De La Rocha’s collab album) if you still miss the TMV drummer and RATM frontman.

Amoeba’s “What’s In My Bag” offers something for everyone – from Black Metal to Spoken Word – so if you were ever curious as to what your favorite artists and the staff at Amoeba listen to, here’s your chance.

And er…stay out of Noel Gallahger’s trash.

–Teeg

If you are anything like me, you probably got introduced to Wilco by a friend during your first year in college. You may have been sitting around in your dorm rooms during that first awkward month or so, and finally got around to exchanging iTunes libraries. This was an exciting process which really only served the purpose of trying to impress friends with your musical taste.

So that was kind of a stretch. Perhaps we both just share an underlying seriousness for the band called Wilco. Coming this June, Wilco will release the follow-up to 2007’s Sky Blue Sky. If you have found yourself to be anything like me, then you cannot help but feel giddy with excitement despite whatever opinion you may have about the last album.

The June release has no title, but one of the tracks is humorously entitled “Wilco, the Song“. Jeff Tweedy & Co. performed the track back in October on the Colbert Report (hence the reference during the song. Colbert enjoyed it).

Lets keep our fingers crossed. Also check out their soon-to-be-released Live DVD, Ashes of American Flags.

–Mark

Name: Julie OK

Show Name & Time:
Stolen from KLA, Mondays 6-8pm

Position/Time at Station:
Music Director, since Fall Quarter 2008; Been wit the station since Fall 2006!

Favorite album discovered in the last week:
Mi Ami – Watersports

Song that always gets stuck in your head:
“I’M A TIGHT PANTS WEARING ASS NIGGA! WHAT!”
Tight Pants – Ninjasonik

Best concert experience:
My Bloody Valentine. On acid.

Song lyrics that sum up the past week of your life:
“When everything is lonely I can be my own best friend…”
Lua – Bright Eyes
Also, “I’m a loser baby so why don’t you kill me?”

Name: Emily

Position/Time at Station:Intern since Winter 2009

2-3 songs that remind you of childhood:
Cool Kids- Screeching Weasel
Senses Working Overtime- XTC
I Will Dare- The Replacements

First artist/band you saw in concert:
The Hi-Fives and Imperial Teen together in like fifth grade.

One album currently in heavy rotation in your car/on your iPod:
Speaking In Tongues- Talking Heads (It’s kind of always in heavy rotation)

Song lyrics that sum up the past week of your life:
“And I claim I’m not excited with my life any more
So I blame this town, this job, these friends
The truth is it’s myself”
-Talking Shit About A Pretty Sunset, Modest Mouse

Tune in to Better Get Hit In Yr Skull with DJ Schoolly P (and me) this Monday from 12-2 PM.  Special guests The Fall of April will be in the studio to talk about their upcoming EP, their new singer, and to preview a couple of new songs.  They will also be playing a very special acoustic set exclusively for uclaradio.com.  Don’t miss it!

Check out more information about The Fall of April at their Myspace.

–Teeg

I know this is old news, but in these tough economic times, it’s important to know who still has a few bucks. (So we know who to hit up for burger money.)

From The University of California’s Office of the President Website:

(Chancellor Gene) Block will receive an annual salary of $416,000, which represents an increase over former Chancellor Carnesale’s salary of $323,600, along with the following additional items:

-Standard health, pension and senior management benefits, and standard sabbatical, sick leave and vacation accrual.

-An automobile allowance of $8,916 per annum.

-Use of administrative funds for official entertainment and other purposes.

-A relocation allowance of $30,000 to assist with the higher living costs and other expenses associated with relocating to California.

Sure, Block isn’t the only UCLA administrator making a lot more than most professors, he’s just the easiest to find on Google.

But he’s probably the only one who gets money for parties and a car. Who can afford gas on 400K a year, anyhow?

“That’s how we roll.”

[Block did not actually say this.]

[Or did he?]

–DJ Octoon

As is the case with all Beatles related music news, many of you have probably already heard the unreleased 11 minute long Beatles song, “Revolution Take 20.”  If you haven’t, good luck finding it, because EMI has already had the video taken off YouTube due to “copyright claims.”

Fortunately, there’s this other video that hasn’t suffered the fate of the original.  However, it’s only half the recording. (EDIT: The first half of the video has now also been posted. Click here to view.)

Nevertheless, the 2nd video is rather interesting, as it is the second half of the original recording, a rather strange outro that follows “Revolution 9’s” bizarreness.  The track features layer upon layer of strange sounds, oohs, ahhs, all over the steady drum beat and background vocals from “Revolution 1″ – making it even more spooky than “Revolution 9″ – in my opinion.

Hopefully, you’re able to check out the video before EMI tears it down again.  Post your responses down below.

-Teeg

Now that we’ve gone over the gist of what traditional post-rock sounds like, I thought I’d delve into some other niche areas (some post-rock, others just tangentially related to the genre) for the next ten or so installments of this blog.

The process of attempting to classify and categorize artists into neat little packets of information for the purposes of this blog has been somewhat maddening. Honestly, where do you draw the line between chamber music and minimalist classical? Minimalism and drone? Isn’t drone a subset of minimalism? Where does sound art come into play? Wait, that’s minimalist too! Is this more math rock or more electronic? 60-40? Do I even know what the fuck I’m talking about? Wait, now5n7le [o.f tasf;he-sewe arwere pawrasjdf;ockadsjkf;h;sj!!dfks!

Nevertheless, I’ve mustered up some sort of halfway solution pieced together with chewing gum, a thumb tack, an iPod, 12 tubes of Elmer’s interior wood glue, and two Siamese midgets.

And it all starts off with an installment geared toward a certain few modern minimalist classical and ambient artists that mean quite a bit to me personally. All the artists here have the capacity to make music that sounds like it’s coming from another room. The ability to completely immerse you in waves of sound. To fill your lungs. To overwhelm you by their vast emptiness. To make you feel so completely insignificant that you feel alive. To make you feel warm, fragile, delicate. Distant, cold, and mechanized in a fleeting life. Viewing the world in shades of grey. Appreciating the noise in between. The crackles. The tired sounds that bind motion to meaning.

The first artist I’d like to mention is the granddaddy of them all – Stars of the Lid. In 2001, Stars of the Lid released the greatest (not hyperbole, but fact!) ambient record of all time, The Tired Sounds of Stars of the Lid. This two-hour opus is difficult to describe in words, but the artwork above helps explain it a little. The music is vague and mysterious; a vast plain that seems to be unending if not for the horizon. To Stars of the Lid, scale is nonexistent and silence is not a bridge to communication but a means of it.

Another artist is Max Richter whose catalogue is near flawless. However, the highlights have to be his first two records Memoryhouse (2002) and The Blue Notebooks (2004). What makes Richter so special is not only the utterly gorgeous melodies he strings together, but the broken fragments, the nooks and crannies in his music that provide an unparalleled depth. Whether it’s a typewriter, street noise, or spoken word, the found sounds Richter incorporates into his music make it incredibly tangible. It often feels like the music is being played right in front of you. You can almost reach out and touch it.

Now rather than go into tedious depths about each and every artist I’d like to mention, I would rather have you all just listen to the music and maybe they will mean as much to you as they do to me. Whether they be Johannsson’s beautifully epic concept pieces, Eluvium’s entrenching quasi-classical noise, Arnalds’s fleeting fragile melodies, Hammock’s airy wonderment, or Helios’s warmth, all of these artists have the ability to captivate the hearts and minds of their listeners. Kind of like Bonnie Tyler in “Total Eclipse of the Heart.”

To hear from all these artists, check out the links below.

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I sit here, just having heard this song, and I’m thinking: how the fuck did I not hear this earlier?! (I ask all of you out there not to answer that question.)

The point of this blog is not my neglect of great music, but rather that this is an amazing song.  Stern’s guitar work is mind blowing, and when combined with the layers and layers of her vocal tracks, the result may cause seizures for those with sensitive ears.

Seizures aside, Stern’s math rock masterpiece is a constant flow of movement, that grabs you immediately from the first note, and doesn’t let go of your attention until the end of the song.  “Ruler” is just one of 12 amazing songs off Stern’s latest release, This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That (Note: the album has 12 songs). If you like what you hear, I strongly recommend somehow obtaining a copy of this album.

And er…no comment on the Rocky spoof music video.

–Teeg

Kool Keith @ The El Rey on Friday, February 27th

being given away on:
THE COOL DOWN Monday, February 23rd 8-10 pm

Ra Ra Riot @ The El Rey on Saturday, February 28th

EMAIL US AT promotions@uclaradio.com TO WIN THESE.

Moving Units @ The El Rey on Friday, March 6th

EMAIL US AT promotions@uclaradio.com TO WIN THESE

Cut Copy @ The Glass House on Monday, March 9th

being given away on:
JOKERPACE RADIO HOUR Saturday, March 7th 12-2 pm

Cut Copy at the Music Box @ Fonda on Wednesday, March 11th

being given away on:
PRIMARY COLORS Sunday, March 8th 4-6 pm

Simian Mobile Disco at the Music Box @ Fonda on Monday, March 16th

being given away on:
ECLECTIC ELECTRIC SHOW Monday, March 2nd 12-2am
LOG JAMMIN Friday, March 6th 10pm-12am

LISTEN TO THESE SHOWS FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!!!

Though he might be unknown to the casual electronic music fan, Lee Burridge is an established figure in the global dance music scene who is always able to dish up phenomenal music and hedonism. Discogs will tell ya:

Before Lee Burridge became one of England’s more acknowledged house DJs in the early 2000s thanks to his Tyrant residency at Fabric alongside Craig Richards, he spent the majority of the ’90s in Hong Kong, where he honed his skills. Burridge left for Hong Kong in 1991 after realizing that his chances for success in England as a DJ were slim. During the ’90s he spun at most of Hong Kong’s premier clubs and also made contacts with visiting DJs such as Sasha and Craig Richards. In addition, he would often spin at a number of Thailand’s famous full moon parties in Ko Pha Ngan. By the end of the ’90s, Burridge had moved back to England and was ready to establish himself as a premier DJ. This didn’t take long once Burridge and Richards set up their Tyrant residency at Fabric, one of London’s leading clubs. He garnered special attention with his unexpected mix of house and breakbeats, two often juxtaposing styles of dance music that he would carefully balance during his sets. Lee Burridge is currently ranked # 30 in the DJ Mag top 100 list for 2003.

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In light of the recent monkey attack on a Connecticut woman I think it is important to discuss the need for solutions. Travis, the retired show business monkey, probably coming down from a coke binge, went bananas and nearly murdered an innocent woman. All puns aside, the problem of what to do with ex-celebrity primates is something that the UCLA community needs to address. God knows when the monkeys from “Ed”, “Congo” or “Planet of the Apes”, disgruntled from being out of work and sobering up, are going to freak out and hurt somebody else. The UCLA student body loves its causes, and this is as important as any. So stop monkeying around and get to monkey business!

The High Life with Fast Eddie
Friday 2-4

Perfect video to show some

late Valentine’s Day

LOOOOOVE.

Wanna see it? Click HERE

The Lyrics?

I’ve got your picture on my wall.
I dream about you when I sleep.
I go out of my way, everyday, just hoping that
I’ll catch you walking down your street.
I know just where you went to school.
I know the names of all your friends.
Oh God I’ve got it bad again,
An o-b-s-e-s-s-i-o-n.
I know your middle name.
I’ve got a lock of your hair.
I’m just a little bit insane,
Cause I think I see you everywhere.
My friends, they just don’t understand.
They cannot see my point of view.
They say it’s gotten out of hand,
That I’m obsessed with you.

I want to get next to you.
Yeah I love all the things you do.
I want to get close to you.
You are my dream come true.
I want to have sex with you.
Your sweet caress won’t do.
Cause I’m obsessed with you.
Yeah I’m obsessed with you.

Your smile sets my heart aflame.
Electrocute me with your eyes.
The very mention of your name,
My stomach fills with butterflies.
Your love is better than cocaine
I need you more than oxygen.
Oh God I’ve got it bad again,
An o-b-s-e-s-s-i-o-n.
I know your middle name.
I’ve got a lock of your hair.
I’m just a little bit insane,
Cause I think I see you everywhere.
My friends, they just don’t understand.
They cannot see my point of view.
They say it’s gotten out of hand,
And I’m obsessed with you.

I want to get next to you.
Yeah I love all the things you do.
I want to get close to you.
You are my dream come true.
I want to have sex with you.
Your sweet caress won’t do.
Cause I’m obsessed with you.
Yeah I’m obsessed with you.

You and me, we were meant to be.
We live happily in my fantasy.
We go walking down the aisle,
Yeah you look at me and smile.
My alarm clock rings, I wake up in denial.

I want to get next to you.
Yeah I love all the things you do.
I want to get close to you.
You are my dream come true.
I want to have sex with you.
Your sweet caress won’t do.
Cause I’m obsessed with you.
Yeah I’m obsessed with you.

–Karen Oliveros