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Chris Mule's MiM Mission Statement

We're searchable
This page is now in the Yahoo! index. I submitted it a few weeks ago, and now if you search for "Mass in Music" (in quotes) we are the second hit. You know what a popular search that is, so traffic should be skyrocketing any day now. Obviously, other searches point to the page, too. We should celebrate with some more of Jenny's key lime pie. Yum.
posted by Jerad | 11:29 AM |

Friday, February 20, 2004

The check is in the mail
Do you remember the price fixing lawsuit against the record industry from a year or two ago? It looks like you'll finally be getting your $13.86 check if you signed on with the legal fun and games. Unfortunately, I've moved since then, so I'm not really expecting it to actually get into my hands. There's a short blurb about this at slashdot.
posted by Jerad | 10:51 AM |

Wednesday, February 18, 2004

Muir Quartet
Thanks to Frank for rallying us in support of Ludwig van. I was practically brought to tears when I saw the bulk of Mass in Music's core at the concert on Friday. Because I am still coughing like a fool, I missed some of the second piece, but what I heard was sublime. It is interesting to me just how satisfying jazz and classical music are live. I particularly enjoyed listening to the acoustic instruments on Friday. So much of the amplification of acoustic music makes it sound like ass. The Muir is obviously extremely talented, yet less than 1,000 people appeared to be in attendance. Much the same could be said of jazz legends that I have seen.

When I saw Elvin Jones at the Regatta Bar last year, there were even fewer people watching. I mean, this was fucking Elvin Jones! A member of the most famous--and possibly most talented--jazz quartet ever! Yet, you can't get all that many folks to see him. His playing was still just amazing. The band did a rendition of "Wonderful World" that made me truly appreciate that song. Most of the time it sound like sentimental wedding dreck, but Elvin was able to make it perfectly sweet yet wistful at the same time.

Why people pay zillions of dollars to see bad pop groups live--when you are not even sure if they are playing live--is beyond me. I will avoid the "decline of western civilization" diatribe.
posted by Ken | 10:52 AM |

Thursday, February 12, 2004

Corporate Punk
Twice in the last couple of weeks, while driving to work, I've seen a BMW 535 on I-93 with the license plate "PNKRCK". There's just something wrong with that.

...and a quick Google search shows that I'm not the first person to blog this sighting - The Angus Index and Slyblog got to it first.
posted by Jerad | 1:06 PM |

Wednesday, February 11, 2004

Beethoven Friday the 13th!
If anyone is interested in attending, which many of you have said you are...it would be good to show up at about 7:30, so we can all sit together and get good seats.
Hope to see you then...Frank

Muir String Quartet
Friday, February 13 at 8pm

Lucia Lin, violin
Steven Ansell, viola
Michael Reynolds, cello
Peter Zazofsky, violin

Program includes Beethoven: Quartet, Opus 127 in Eb Major; Beethoven: Quartet, Opus 18, No. 1 in F Major; and Beethoven: Quartet, Opus 59, No. 3 in C Major.
The Muir String Quartet is acknowledged as one of the world's most powerful and insightful ensembles, and is featured at major chamber music series throughout North America and Europe.
$10 general admission, $5 seniors and non-BU students with ID, and FREE to BU students, faculty, staff, and alumni with ID.


posted by Frank | 11:01 AM |

Alphabetical Music Store
The website with the oddly-cheap hard-to-find CDs that we talked about is AB-CD. This should be your first stop if you're having trouble finding something elsewhere, or if you're just having trouble finding something for a reasonable price. This is where I found my Ellen Allien CD that I played at Ken's place last night. Check out her website - it's a fun place to explore. Look here to read the Pitchfork review that got me interested in her in the first place.
posted by Jerad | 9:53 AM |

Tuesday, February 10, 2004

Grammy Thoughts
I didn't watch the Grammy awards the other night, but I did browse the list of winners. Now I really hope that this doesn't come across as at all insensitive, but it looks like it really pays to be deceased and nominated. It seems like the strongest vote is the sympathy vote, not to take anything away from the artists who created this music. I'm talking about winners like Warren Zevon, George Harrison, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, and (not deceased, but very ill) Luther Vandross. It's not my place to say that the music they recorded (and videos they made, in the case of Johnny Cash) last year was not the best in their respective categories. It's just a little sad to see that the only way for a real artist to win an award is to die, as opposed to 50 Cent, Beyonce, Evanescence, or other pop crap that won other awards. Here's the full winners list.

In other Grammy rants, does anyone else remember Fountains of Wayne from the mid-90's with their catchy hits like "Sink to the Bottom" or their title track to the movie That Thing You Do? I find it very amusing that they were up for Best New Artist this year. Apparently the Grammys use some definition of the word "new" with which I'm unfamiliar.
posted by Jerad | 11:50 AM |

Thursday, February 05, 2004

Next Meeting at Ken's house
The next meeting of Mass in Music will be at Ken's house in Brighton at 28 Ransom Rd., Apt. 1, on Tuesday, February 9. The bad news is that my turntable may be out of commission, but the good news is that you may be able to help me evaluate a new pair of speakers which I am auditioning. There will be no theme; just bring something that you really want the rest of us to hear. Lately, I have been finding myself totally overwhelmed with the musical choice that I have in 2004. Whenever one of my audio friends tells me that there is no good music being produced now, I crack him in the head and tell him to hit Pitchfork or Newbury Comics or anywhere other than commercial FM radio. Recently, I answered by telephone a half-hour survey on local radio. That was a real blast because the kid had never heard of my favorite stations. I had to keep spelling out W-Z-B-C . . . W-G-B-H . . . . I am sure they will throw out my results as a some kind of statistical outlier, but it was fun to actually give my opinions (which I never do).
posted by Ken | 6:25 PM |

Local Radio
WBUR - Boston's NPR Station
WZBC - Boston College Radio
WMFO - Tufts Radio
WERS - Emerson College Radio
WGBH - Jazz in Boston
FNX - Alternative Radio Boston

Future MiM Hosts

07.20.04  It could be you!
08.03.04  TBA