"Sleepy Head (White Sirens of Burr Remix)" by Passion Pit

Born in the future world, The White Sirens of Burr were sent back to modern day to begin a crusade against a future full of complacency and idol-worshipping. Emerging from a cloud of mist they streak across the night time like the frigid glow of neon that illuminates midnight diners. They will not quit or be held back. The future must be saved.

Finger on the Pulse NYC held a remix contest a while back for Passion Pit's "Sleepy Head" and none other than the White Sirens of Burr chosen as a personal best of the entries. Picked by the NO Big Deal crew as their favorite, the little Portland Electro/Metal/Healing&EasyListening group has already started down the path towards the destiny that awaits them. Complacency should prepare to be sodomized.

Sleepyhead (White Sirens Of Burr Remix).mp3 (No Big Deal fave)

Music and politics

Not too long ago, a song held lots of power over the political arena. A song could inspire people to rise up and fight for what’s right. It could show the evils of government and inspire change, Bob Dylan, the Clash, Sex pistols, and so many others’s politically inspired songs enlightened the people.
At least that’s what people like to believe. In reality, these songs only reflected the already charged opinions of the people. None of these artists caused the change we saw. The riots, the injustices, and the social outrage of all the people caused the change, not the songs of a few bards.
Music does not inspire political change. I cannot think of a single time that a mass group of people’s beliefs were changed by a feel good political song. Not in any book, music based or historical. Music reflects the politics and atmosphere. I find it hard to believe that music has any mass effect on politics itself.
Don’t believe me? Well look at the music “politic” events. Live 8 could be considered a good example. Massive amounts of bands turned out to show their support for forgiving Africa’s debt. And who did they convince? I’m pretty sure that Africa is still sweating over how much it owes. The people may want it, but the music isn’t what convinced them.
I think it’s time for the music community to accept that we’re not going to create any large political change anytime soon. Or ever for that matter. If you truly want political change, try writing a book or speech. Organize a march. But singing a song isn’t going to get the big wigs prepared to change anything. Let us just accept that we reflect the political atmosphere, we do not cause any significant change.
But why? Well think about it. Most musicians are college educated Harvard grads in economics or political theory. They’re just out of high school or even drop outs. Nothing against them, but politicians aren’t going to take political advice from someone who spent their life dedicated to a guitar. The 6 string instrument, as beautiful as it is, doesn’t give much political insight.
That said, no one should stop making political songs, since they normally are filled with passion and emotions. They can be, and I believe normally are, damn good songs. So by all means write them. Just don’t get into a drum circle and talk about how awesome the songs are, and how we’re going to get change soon. Cause guess what, it isn’t going to happen, and if it does, it isn’t because of your “stellar” song.

Finals

Well, its official, finals have started...fuck. Good luck to you all. and hey, if you want an oh so needed break, just remember that bad girls need love too:


"Bad Girls Need Love Too" -Toxic Avenger

Cornelius

"Cornelius" by the Bloody Beetroots

CORNELIUS from borntofilm on Vimeo.

Taking a cue from my boy Dylan over at portlandplayground I feel the need to share with you this masterful video of debauchery and all around good fun from the Bloody Beetroots. Reminiscent of Justice's recent release of A Cross The Universe, this video keeps on the idea that our generation is going to make civilization swan dive straight into the shits of chaos, abuse, and all around anarchy. Oh the beauty of it all. One thing to note is that this type of shit doesn't happen in Portland, because of its non existent dance/electro scene. But do not fret good sirs and madam es, this is about to change, thanks in a large part to the aforementioned portlandplayground and its leaders, the White Sirens of Burr. So prepare to sodomize complacency and hopefully this video, and the Blood Beetroots (they are fucking amazing, check their shit out, it is mind blowing) will tide you over and prepare you for the irrevocable change that is awaiting our great city
[Nick Erickson]

oh dear, I do hope U got UR holiday sweater on!

oh there is much to be said about the Portland Cello Project's Dec 5th concert, but first...
thoughts on which punk band would best adorn a holiday sweater?
a. the dead Kennedys
b. the violent femmes
c. the ramones
d. the sex pistols
e. the clash
i vote the ramones because they could have a line of ramones holiday sweaters on which each would have a different ramone {Dee Dee, Johnny, Joey, etc.} buy two get Johnny free!

Oh you, dear reader, would have been quite the stud if you had come dressed in a Johnny Rammone Holiday Sweater to Portland Cello Project's Dec 5th concert at the Aladdin. Everyone would have swooned over your festive frock. Many studs strutted their holiday sweater stuff at the PCP show for if you wore a holiday sweater you got a free ep from the merch people. the MC, Adam Shearer, even wore a Christmas-lighted sweater! The set list was just as spirited as Shearer's sparkling sweater...from a cover of "Mad World" by Tears for Fears to "Generosity" by savory local, Mirah featuring the full Flash Choir. (to see all fine music played visit PCP online) My personal favorite highlight of the evening was the audience participation. Witty and daring really! Throughout the show MC Shearer had the audience text to his phone what they would say if they really saw their mom kissing Santa Clause, then he'd red em. one text read, "mom, i don't want a Nintendo wii that bad!" but if i had to sum up the night in one statement I would second the comment from someones child who sat in front of me, "mom. mom! I see cellos, cellos everywhere!" That's right, cellos, cellos everywhere! and I would urge you to see cellos, cellos everywhere live. for more show dates and details visit PCP.

i like the disco version better, monique

Trash Talk, Cower, Death A.D., Ill Intent @ Good Neighbor Pizza 11/17

I thought I was on the east coast again. In a land seemingly full of happy circle pits and straight ‘getting rad’, Good Neighbor Pizza earlier last month was full of spin kicks and windmills. Machoism was in the air, and if it wasn’t for the brutal riffs I think I might have actually left. Death A.D., though they look like they’re all batting at 17 right now, started the night with some spastic, grindy influenced hardcore. Their songs were short and fast, which is all I can ask for, but something about their stupid antics – showy ironic fingerpicking, singer collapsing on the floor, etc. – got to me after a while. The drummer was wearing an Infest shirt and the influence definitely showed, and overall it was a good set. Ill Intent played typical bro mosh and sucked. Nothing more can be said. But rest assured when Cower played they made sure that every last person’s insides were sufficiently pulverized. D-beats gave way into crushing sludge riffs and, yes, they managed to protect that age-old rule, abused so many times now by new age shitty metalcore bands: yes, if you play that line again that much slower, it will be that much heavier. Last up was Trash Talk, representing the oh so raging Sacramento California (…?). With songs lasting an average 50 seconds or less, these dudes threw down some impressive choppy thrash that wasn’t afraid to slow it down for a few seconds before launching into 10 seconds more of blazing brutality. While still bringing their own style to the table, the classic oldschool hardcore influence was hard to miss. Trash Talk came to rage and without a doubt succeeded, but their sound was just a little too clean for me. More feedback, more distortion on the bass, less attention to detail, please. By far the most impressive part of the night, however, was the fact that I made it back to the bus at Pioneer Square in 15 FUCKING MINUTES. (Dekum St. is really god damn far north). Cower is playing again soon with Autistic Youth somewhere on Alberta – come see it if you want to rage it and avoid a far too serious scene. -ds

The superiority of Vinyl

Everyone loves their Ipod, Zune, or whatever MP3 player they have. They are the most beautiful creations the world has seen, and I think if mozart had seen one, he would have weeped for joy.

But theres one think about them that hurts; the loss of sound quality. It seems with every step down in size, sound quality steps down. now for those of you who disagree, ask someone in the music biz. A mp3 file loses sound quality over a wav. Its sad. theres a reason that CDs dont adopt the MP3 format. And its not because CD players won't play them either, more advanced ones will.

Which brings me onto the point. Vinyl. I love albums. Sure they can scrath. sure they can break. sure you must keep them within a certain temperture. But you know what, you can't beat thier sound quality. (btw, a album in proper condition doesn't have that background scrath people associate with records. only old, well well well played alums do.

Someone once explained to me it was basically an issue of sound waves and layering of the music, and when the music is compressed into a smaller format, that the levels are compressed to a single level, but on vinyl this never happens.

Which is why is sounds incredible. Don't believe me? well heres a test. Put on Cat stevens, any of his albums, any of his songs (I particularly like Moonshadow), on an mp3 player. Then listen to it on Vinyl. The real casual listener won't notice. The serious music efficienato, will.

Some artists (like Cat Stevens, Tom Petty, or any band who uses alot of layering) improve greatly, others really don't.

But the fact that you can get old albums for extremely cheap (like 50 cents at Everyday music) just puts the icing on the cake.

And want it on your mp3 player anyway? well you can buy a usb turntable to fix that.