YouTube Bounces Back From Poor Audio Compression System With Improved Sound, Videos of Laughing Babies Have Never Sounded Better

To anyone who's ever gotten the urge to listen to a song you don't have and then gone straight to YouTube, it should be apparent that YouTube is our generation's all-purpose, instantly accessible jukebox. Unfortunately for us, it seemed that the audio quality of YouTube clips had received a drastic blow when, towards the end of July, the website launched a new audio scheme which starkly altered the sound quality of music clips by heavily truncating their dynamic range. As reported on Wired's Listening Post blog, the move prompted not only frustration from audiophile YouTube users (apparently as much a rare breed as you'd expect), but also user-generated hacks designed to counteract the processing, conspiracy theories that the maneuver was designed to favor already-processed mainstream pop over "properly produced music," and dissent from music gear companies who felt that their capacity to advertise on the site had been compromised.

Thankfully, Listening Post's July 30 story prompted both a typically vague response from YouTube PR ("The vast majority of videos currently benefit from our audio technology, and we are committed to improving that in the future" -- oh, okay) and an actual change in the audio process. Because YouTube kept unprocessed copies of all videos' audio files, they were able to develop a new, far less problematic system which is now in place. Now we can all breathe a sigh of relief that the next time a mid-’90s MTV nostalgia kick infects you with the craving to listen to, say, Ghost Town DJs' "My Boo," it will sound as crisp and glorious as online streaming video usually does!

Mark David Chapman Denied Parole a 5th Time, Not Even Mark David Chapman Surprised

Mark David Chapman, the infamous murderer of The Beatles’ probably all-around good guy John Lennon, was once again denied parole from prison today. Chapman, 53, has been imprisoned in Attica State Prison since 1981 for his crime against the late Lennon in December of 1980.

Of course, no one was surprised by the fifth denial of parole since October of 2000. Apparently, you can’t just kill one of the most culturally significant artists in history, say “I’m sorry,” and then expect things to go your way -- especially when Yoko Ono has been consistently lobbying against you since your first application for parole. Sorry, Mark. Actually, no, I’m not.

Radiohead Have Not Written the Score to Choke, Nor Have They Recorded a New Song For It

As I suspected earlier today in my original story (TMT News), Radiohead have NOT written the "score" to the upcoming film, Choke (see trailer here). In fact, they didn't even record a new song for it at all. According to The Playlist:

It's either a language thing or Palahniuk is confused or mistaken, but Radiohead did not compose a bunch of new instrumental music and cues for this film ala the way Jonny Greenwood did for "There Will Be Blood" (which is what a score is). We hate to be sticklers for language, but if we're not, things get misreported. A score and writing songs are two different things and Radiohead didn't even pen new songs for the film. "Choke" utilizes "Reckoner" from In Rainbows, in the closing credits and the score is actually written by Nathan Larson ex of Shudder To Think.

We just confirmed this btw, with the music supervisors on the film Ken Weinstein and Lyle Hysen. Our original report on the music of "Choke" is still correct. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Funny how most everyone just ate the news up, probably due to the fact that it all derived from the same BBC report and straight from author Chuck Palahniuk's mouth. But just remember: Palahniuk is a Pablo Honey fan. He can't be trusted. Got some press though, that's for sure.

DJ /Rupture Emerges from Spanish Exile (..Seriously..) with Uproot, Ingredients Comp

DJ /Rupture, beloved genre-splicer and DJ laureate of Brooklyn circa 2002, is prepping both a new mix CD, Uproot, and a companion compilation of the mix's unaltered "ingredients," both due October 3 on The Agriculture Records. Uproot, Rupture's first solo mix release since 2005's Low Income Tomorrowland and after his return to the States after seven years in Barcelona, draws it inspiration from typically disparate sources such as dub, minimal, and the NYC improv scene. Listenable and bass-heavy, the mix includes artists like British dubstepper Shackleton and blues-inspired glitchster (and improbable RHCP collaborator) Ekkehard Ehlers.

Uproot will also be accompanied by the online release of Ingredients, a 108-minute comp including all of the mix's tracks in unmixed form. Described as a "multi-format release" in a press release, the mix is particularly nice for fans hoping to hear full-length versions of Uproot's nine previously unreleased tracks. Meanwhile, Rupture continues to host a weekly show, Mudd Up!, on indie freeform radio station WFMU.

Uproot tracklist

+/- (Plus/Minus) Announce New Album, Xs On Your Eyes

Oh, that silly +/- and their love of mathematical symbols! With the announcement of their new album, Xs On Your Eyes, due October 21 on Absolutely Kosher, the boys of all things adding and subtracting are quickly drumming up attention for their new album. Hell, I already feel obligated to post their new record’s tracklisting and listen to their entire discography to get ready for it. Now, if I could just do something about my urge to draw Xs on my eyelids, I'd be all set.

Xs on Your Eyes tracklisting:

Don’t draw Xs on your eyes, or you won’t be able to see the following tourdates:
08.15.08 – New York City, NY – Mercury Lounge
08.16.08 – Cambridge, MA – Middle East (Upstairs)

Radiohead Reportedly Scores Music to Palahniuk Adaptation, Exact Contributions Not Entirely Clear; Ex-Shudder to Think Member Writes Original Music

According to a report on Radiohead fansite At Ease, Chuck Palahniuk (best known for authoring Fight Club) told BBC 6 Music that Radiohead have not only written the exit music for the film adaptation of his 2001 novel, Choke, but they have also reportedly "written the score."

Palahniuk apparently wrote the novel while listening to Radiohead's worst offerings, Pablo Honey and its hit track "Creep." The rest snowballed. According to Palahniuk:

So Clark [Gregg, the director] got Radiohead to contribute a song, to write a song for the very end of the movie, the final credits. Apparently Radiohead liked the movie so much, they’ve written the score, most of the ambient music throughout it. So it’s "Choke – with the music of Radiohead."

However, according to an earlier report by The Playlist, Radiohead's contribution is actually just "The Reckoner" and lists Rogue Wave's "Lake Michigan" as the final song during the credits. Things, of course, may very well have changed, but it's worth noting since no official announcements have yet been made. Meanwhile, Choke's IMDB entry lists ex-Shudder to Think's Nathan Larson as the composer of the film's original music.

So, while the news is exciting, it's best to wait for some official word from the Radiohead camp.

Choke hits theaters September 26 via Fox Searchlight. Check out the trailer here. You can't hear the Radiohead track, but it does have that annoying "Satan Said Dance" song from Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

Meanwhile, see Radiohead on tour in support of Pablo Honey.

$$ Grizzly Bear

$$$$$ Liars

News

  • Recent
  • Popular