"Guero" es muy bueno

I got Beck's new record, Guero, from iTunes yesterday and enjoyed it today during the commute home. Fat beats, sweet hooks & some harmonica thrown in for good measure. You should definitely check it out.

The World Isn't Fair

I was originally going to post a link to the Randy Newman song "The World Isn't Fair" but I was unable to do that because the link wasn't working correctly. However, I did manage to get a working link that takes you to the entire album, which is better anyway because the whole record is great. Newman re-recorded some of his best songs with just him at the piano.

"The World Isn't Fair" is a great song. If you don't know it, follow the link to iTunes and check it out. Marxism and hot PTA moms in the same 3 minutes? Only Newman can pull that off.

You'll find other great songs here in future posts.

"Office Space" Quiz

All right all you folks who think you know the movie Office Space. I've got a quiz for you. CLICK HERE to take the quiz at redswinglinestapler.com.

My pathetic performance:

Thank you for taking the Office Space Quiz
Here are your results:
* Correct Responses: 49
* In-Correct Responses: 50
0.49%
Entry Level Office Space Fan - Looks like you should watch Office Space a couple more times.

Erin joins me for podcast #3!

My lovely wife Erin agreed to sit down with me for the third podcast. We talk a little about the NCAA tournament (yes, again) and the premiere of NBC's The Office. We hear a track from Infradig and talk about the first John Edwards podcast. Some funny stuff from McSweeney's, a really tough honor-system trivia, a shout-out, and your quote of the day (x2).

Download the 3rd podcast here: 04_stp-03-27-05.mpg

(oh, and i state that John Lennon sings "Her Majesty" on Abbey Road when in fact it's Paul. Did I mention I'm an idiot?)

A Call For Podsafe Music

"Podsafe" denotes music that I can play on a podcast without being sued by a record company or music publishers. If you know of music with a Creative Commons license or if you or a friend have music that you would like to get out to new listeners, please send MP3s to shauntownley@gmail.com. I'd love to play good music on the podcast and I can't afford paying ridiculous fees to ASCAP & BMI.

Covers

One of the most amazing thing about music is the variety of interpretations one song can yield. There's even a podcast devoted solely to cover songs called Coverville and you can find it at www.coverville.com.
Here are a few of my favorites:
"All Along the Watchtower" by Jimi Hendrix (originally Bob Dylan)
"I Shall Not Walk Alone" by The Blind Boys of Alabama (originally Ben Harper)
"I Will" by Alison Krauss (originally The Beatles)
"Crazy Mary" by Pearl Jam (originally Victoria Williams)
"Besame Mucho" by The Beatles (written by Consuelo Vazquez)
"Jolene" by The White Stripes (originally Dolly Parton)

So what are your favorite cover songs?
Click on "comments" below and let me know!

David Huppert wins the first honor system trivia!

Congratulations to David Huppert of Brooklyn, NY.
He won the honor system trivia on the very first podcast.
Question: What is the last track on The Beatles' Abbey Road?
Answer: "Her Majesty"

I'm now listed at Podcast Alley!

Okay folks, this is now gettin' kinda official 'n stuff. The Shaun Townley Podcast is now listed at www.podcastalley.com along with a ton of other shows. You can go to the site and VOTE for "The Shaun Townley Podcast" as one of your favorites (if, in fact, it is). I think it's a one vote-a-month deal at this point. Podcast Alley is a great place to start if you're new to podcasting. You can find lots of great shows there. A few of the ones I listen to regularly are The Daily Source Code, The Dawn and Drew Show (often raunchy, beware), On the Media, and more recently, The John Edwards Podcast.

U2's induction into R&R Hall

If you missed the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on VH1, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
GO HERE to read Bruce Springsteen's amazing speech about U2.

Oh, and if you happen to have $150 that's burning a hole in your pocket, you can purchase ALL of U2's music (remixes, unreleased tracks, EVERYTHING) by clicking on this link to iTunes.

The 2nd podcast

The second podcast is a bit longer than the first. It's 40 minutes of talk about basketball, film, & upcoming music. We talk briefly to my wife, Erin, and hear a track from Paul Westerberg. Enjoy! (p.s., it looks like I now have at least nine subscribers. Thanks for listening, y'all!)

Click here to listen

Gillian Welch & Jay Farrar downloads

It seems Gillian Welch & Jay Farrar are among the artists that have taken up the iTunes model for direct downloads. In the downloads section of their sites you can order their songs for $.99 each or around $10 per album in a variety of formats.
Check it out:
Gillianwelch.com
Jayfarrar.net

Have you ever had food poisoning?

Boy, I don't recommend it. Yesterday wasn't fun at all. Here's a tip for you. Don't eat a bacon cheeseburger in a dimly lit bar, no matter how hungry you are. My wife (my hero) rushed me to the urgent care center because I couldn't keep WATER down. A dose of antibiotics, a shot in the bum, and four hours of sleep later I was feeling well enough to drink gatorade. It's true what they say. You really don't appreciate agony-free consciousness until it's gone.

Ninjas!!

I was in Borders the other day and saw this book on the shelf. What I read was really funny.

Real Ultimate Power: The Official Ninja Book

The first full length podcast

To hear the first full-length podcast, click on the file name below.
Direct download: 02_stp-03-16-05.mp3

It's about 24 minutes, which is probably how long these things are going to be. I'm not 100% happy with it. I had some audio problems and rambled a lot, but hey, it's the first one. It will only get better with time and practice. Enjoy!

Good News for TiVo lovers!

As you may have heard, TiVo's been having a bit of a tough time lately. Their CEO is leaving and DirecTV has steered away from using TiVo technology in their boxes. But it was recently announced that TiVo and Comcast have made a deal which will put TiVo technology into Comcast DVRs. Read the story here at ABC News.

How To Subscribe To the Podcast

For those of you who have never subscribed to a podcast before, iTunes makes it really easy. Just download the latest version of iTunes by CLICKING HERE.

Once it's installed, go to the music store and look for "Podcasts" on the left side of the page. Once you're on the podcasts page, type in "Shaun Townley" and you'll find my podcast and a "subscribe" button there. It's that simple.

Of course, you can always use another podcatcher. Here's how:

1) Download free software that will automatically check for and download new podcasts when they become available. I use iPodder.
Click here to download it: IPODDER

There are other programs as well.
This page at podcastingnews.com might help:
CLICK HERE FOR MORE PODCASTING SOFTWARE


2) Once you get the iPodder up and running, you will be given the option to "add a feed manually". I've found this to be the easiest way to subscribe. Simply copy this text:

http://stownley.libsyn.com/rss

and paste it into the field next to "add a feed manually" and click "ADD".

You'll see the feed listed.

3) Next, click "check for new podcasts". iPodder will check and if any new podcasts are available, the mp3 will be automatically downloaded and stored on your computer. You can then listen to it on your PC, on your portable media player (iPod, or any player, really) or you can even burn it to a CD for listening in the car!

4) Most of these programs will give you the option of a daily automatic check. You can set the time you want it to check for new podcasts.


Please let me know if you run into any trouble at all. It sounds pretty complex but it's not that hard. If you'd like to just download the audio without subscribing, you can do that too. Check the links section to download the latest podcast.
Thanks for listening!

The first podcast test!

When you click here you should begin automatically downloading the very first podcast test. Remember, this is only a test. Check back here soon for subscription information once I get it all ironed out.

One step closer to podcasting

I've had some time today to work out a lot of the recording set-up for the podcast. I recorded a 2 and a half minute test and was able to output it from my digital 4-track to my pc and then encode the wav file as an mp3. I completed the id3 tags, using the format that Adam Curry uses on the Daily Source Code. The next step is to get the file to a host server and to complete the feed setup so that anyone can subscribe to the podcast. I've never done any of this before so if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. When there's more info on the podcast, you'll find it here.

Audioblogger & Sky Captain

I tried audioblogger out for the first time today. You can listen to the test. It's the post below this one. It took something like 7 hours for the audio to show up on the blog. So, I probably won't be doing that anymore.

Erin and I watched Sky Captain & The World of Tomorrow on DVD tonight. Visually it was pretty incredible, especially when you know the backstory. Read this WIRED piece from May of '04 for more info on the first-time director Kerry Conran and his efforts to get the film made. I need to go back and watch the DVD to be sure, but when Dex is showing off all the old robots that they've managed to disable and study through the years, I think I saw The Iron Giant. If you haven't seen The Iron Giant, go rent it. It's the first movie from Brad Bird, a former Simpsons writer who brought you The Incredibles (out on DVD TUESDAY!).

Successful (yet extremely tardy) audioblogger test

Tech's in the ACC Finals!

My father told me early in the season to watch Georgia Tech this year. He said they've got a chance to do something. They defeated North Carolina today and will be facing Duke on Sunday for the ACC Championship.

The Deathstar in Legos...can be yours

I saw this on Gizmodo, which led me to the Lego site. It's out in September of this year.

Creativity is everywhere

I found this on the wall at the Newark Broad St. train station. Some paint started to chip off the wall and it seems someone saw a face there and finished it off. I just thought it was kinda cool.

A Question

This is probably explained somewhere, but does anyone know how Superman flies? What is it technically that he's doing? It's not that he's lighter than air. Something about gravity? Canon?

(a note: My friend Taj is responsible for this one. He asked me today and I have no clue and now I'm just really curious.)

Details on the next XBOX

A few details were released yesterday, I'm sure y'all have probably heard by now. Some Microsoft fellow named Allard gave a keynote address at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco and talked about HD and the new interface and a whole lotta processing power. Click here to read the Reuters story. There are screenshots of the new user interface for the next box at XBOX.com.

Shaun of the Dead

If you haven't seen "Shaun of the Dead", it's out on DVD now. Mickey & Sarah went with Erin and I when they came up to visit last year. I think I sent this out via email to some people, a little fun with Photoshop. Open up for the larger view to get the full effect.

Live bookmarks

If you're using the Firefox browser, click on the little orange RSS symbol in the bottom right hand corner of the browser. This will add a live bookmark for this page in your "bookmarks" menu which allows you to see all recent posts without having to load the page. I have live bookmarks for slate.com, nytimes.com, and boing boing too.

The Braves are 4-0

It's that time again. Spring Training is underway, and as Mike Fitzpatrick of the AP points out,
"Atlanta's starters have not allowed a run this spring, combining for nine shutout innings". Keep it up fellas, we'll be watching. Tim Hudson pitched well today. Should be a nice addition to the rotation.

My Favorite Music of 2004

In no particular order:

Interpol - Antics
The follow-up to "Turn on the Bright Lights" is even stronger than the debut.



Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose
With Jack White aboard, Lynn sounds right at home.




Kanye West - The College Dropout
I hate the Grammys but they got this one right. This record deserved every nomination and more. It's everything hip-hop should be, catchy, smart, funny and thought-provoking.




Alison Krauss & Union Station - Lonely Runs Both Ways
After a few listens, you'll feel like you've been singing along for years.




Garden State Soundtrack
If Colin Hay's "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You" hadn't appeared on his 2000 record "Transcendental Highway", it would have been a shoo-in for Best Original Song at the Oscars.
Frou Frou's "Let Go" is pop perfection.




Bruce Hornsby - Halcyon Days
This is an extremely solid record. It usually takes years for Hornsby songs to be appropriated for television commercials but "Gonna Be Some Changes Made" is already showing up in ads for Lowe's.




David Byrne - Grown Backwards
You may recognize "Glass, Concrete & Stone" from ads for the film "In Good Company". It's a great song among several others on a very good record.




Keb Mo - Keep it Simple
While his most recent project, an album of covers called "Peace, Back By Popular Demand" seemed lifeless and opportunistic regarding the current political climate, this previous release somehow managed to hug the guardrails of schmaltz without careening over the side.




Norah Jones - Feels Like Home
I tend to think it's better than "Come Away With Me", but even if you don't, you must concede it's certainly on par. And that's saying something.




Ryan Adams - Love is Hell
I'm glad they released the two 2003 EPs (Vol. 1 & 2) as a full length album in 2004 so I could add it to this list.
"Avalanche" & "Wonderwall" are among his best recordings.




Sam Phillips - A Boot and a Shoe
You may remember her as the blonde mute at Simon's side in "Die Hard: With a Vengeance" but she's put together a great record with her husband, T-Bone Burnett (producer of 'O Brother'). It sounds to me like somebody got Marlene Dietrich so drunk that she dropped the accent and started confessing.




Tomoyasu Hotei - Battle Without Honor or Humanity (single track)
You know that awesome music in the Kill Bill Vol. I previews that they later used in that Jaguar commercial? Yeah, this is it. The title alone would get it on this list.




U2 - How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
They just keep doin' it.




The White Stripes - Blackpool Deluxe
Three live tracks released on iTunes exclusively. Jack White's vocals threaten to topple over throughout, but the balance he manages in their cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" is daring and impressive.




Drive By Truckers - The Dirty South
Check out this record and their previous "Decoration Day". I don't know if it's possible, but this seems like parody, celebration, and one of the truest incarnations of southern rock around today.




Elvis Costello & Lucinda Williams - There's a Story in Your Voice (single track)
"The Delivery Man" is the latest record from Elvis & the Imposters. It's good enough, but you might do better just to get this track off of iTunes. It's the only thing on there that you absolutely need to own.




Wilco - A Ghost is Born
A worthy follow-up to "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot"

Gmail

I've got 50 Gmail invites if anybody wants one, let me know. Just shoot me an email or post a comment.

The Grateful Dead on iTunes

If you like the Grateful Dead and you're tired of searching record stores for the Dick's Picks collection that you want, check out iTunes. They now have a huge amount of Grateful Dead material.

I can't remember the last time I bought a CD in a store. iTunes is a cheap, quick & reliable way to purchase music legally. Don't have an iPod? That's okay. As long as you have a CD burner, just purchase the tunes you like and burn them to a disc. It's almost always cheaper than buying it in a store. You lost the disc? Burn another!

McSweeney's Comics issue, G.O.A.T. & Frank Miller

If you're not familiar with McSweeney's, do yourself a favor and check it out. That Dave Eggers is a publishing dynamo. Authors like Jonathan Lethem & Nick Hornby have work through McSweeney's. Eggers started a magazine too called The Believer. Interviews with cool folks like Terry Gilliam. But the coolest thing is the McSweeney's Quarterly. They did an issue on comics that you have to own. It's probably the most beautiful book published in the last ten years, with the possible exception of the $3,000 Muhammad Ali book, G.O.A.T.. If you have the means, I highly suggest picking one up. But seriously, you can probably find the Mcsweeney's comics issue (#13) at Borders. I see it there pretty regularly. Probably on the McSweeney's site too.

I've also been reading the Frank Miller Dark Knight books. They're amazing.

Incredible iPod hacking

I saw an amazing story at NewScientist.com about a guy who hacked an iPod by listening carefully to the way it squeaks. Yeah, I don't get it either. Read the article.

Moleskine & Cross ion pens

I've been carrying a Moleskine pocket notebook for over a year. It's great for lists, ideas, lyrics, anything. I also carry a Cross ion pen in my front pants pocket. A friend from work found a store going out of business that's selling the pens for half price. I think I'm gonna stock up.

(...follow up, 3/6/05, the store was Sam Flax, midtown NYC.)

Walkin' in NYC

When I posted this picture, my wife thought it might be confusing.
I'm not the one in the chicken suit.
Mine's at the drycleaners.

MONDAY NIGHT...

before it really started coming down. I was told to expect up to two feet but it turns out it was more like six inches. Mom, send snow boots.

First post

This is the first post. Pretty boring, huh?