Say No to the Keystone XL Pipeline

There is so much to be said about the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, but at the end of the day it comes down to the idea of justice.  Justice, because the companies that stand to profit from the project are destroying our climate and that of our children in the process.  Fast Company just posted an article that listed the Alberta Tar Sands as one of the 14 Carbon Bomb projects, that if exploited, would lead to disastrous long-term temperature increases.  Even the Dalai Lama and Nobel Peace Laureates are against this thing.

Yes, we use oil everyday. But stopping the Keystone XL is a crucial first step to creating a safe future for all of us.  It will send a strong signal to oil, coal, and gas companies around the world that people are pissed off at their reckless strong-arming of our energy policy and are prepared to take true action that will cure us of our fossil fuel addiction.  We are already capable of doing this through existing renewable energy technologies and smart energy efficiency policies.  And if it's jobs you're worried about - research from Cornell shows that the project would "kill more jobs than it creates by reducing investment in the clean energy economy."

On Sunday thousands of people will convene on Washington D.C. for the largest climate rally in this nation’s history.  I’m going, because this is one of those moments where we, as everyday citizens, have power.  By showing up in massive numbers, the media will take notice and that will give Obama and the State Department license to reject the pipeline.  This could actually work, people.

The Sierra Club is arranging for free buses and cars to take people from all over the country.  You should consider going. You won’t be alone.

Here are some tunes that try to put this exciting moment in history into perspective.  I imagine masses of people of all ages marching around the White House in slow motion, with no sound, but this music.  Then there would be cuts to shots of tar sands extraction and oil executives watching the protest on the news.

These are two runner's up:

Jeff Tweedy - The Ruling Class

The Cure - Faith (Tienanman Square Version)

And here are some reliable links that will explain the situation:

• The Keystone XL Project in a 4 minute video (NRDC)
• Project facts via the National Resources Defense Council
• Tar Sands and the Carbon Numbers (NYTimes)
• Is it worth it? (Patagonia)
• Why are tar sands worse than regular oil? [video] (Josh Fox, Academy Award Nominated Director of Gasland).
• "When This Oil Spills, It's a Whole New Monster" [stream] (NPR)
• Game Over for the Climate (James Hansen of NASA via NYTimes)
• Video from last year's XL protest - 10,000 strong (DemocracyNow)

Coverage of previous pipeline oil spills:

• Michigan
• Yellowstone River, Montana

image: NYTimes

Getting It Right

This is for those times when you come home from work, throw your keys on the table
and know you've just put in a good days work.  It is full of front porch guitar, positive rock, and retrospective folk.  This is not the mix you put on when you build the log cabin.
This is the mix you put on when you want to remember building it.

Keep it simple, friends.

1. Leo Kottke - Part Two
2. Tallest Man On Earth - Troubles Will Be Gone
3. The Head and the Heart - Lost in My Mind
   Can't argue with these harmonies.
4. Alt-J - Something Good
5. Here We Go Magic - How Do I Know
   Try listening to this while walking down the street without smiling.
6. ALO - Blew Out the Walls
   Those big chords in the middle will shake up your day.
7. Broken Social Scene - Meet Me in the Basement
8. Megafaun - Heretofore
9. Jack Johnson - Enemy (Worst Friends Light Leak Remix)
10. John Renbourn - I Know My Babe
11. Mark-Almond - Friends

image: theyardpdx.tumblr.com

Lost in Summer

This is a reserved summery-slowjam playlist that goes well
with mornings, latenight bonfires, and a cerveza. 

Sorry for the lack of blog activity. 
Who would’ve thought your free time becomes
limited once you land a real job??

1. Brian Briggs – Aeo (Pts 1 and 2)
   Welcome to what is quite possible the best morning song: it creeps in gently, it is light and fun-loving, it has a repetitive rhythm… it makes you coffee.
2. Patrick Lee – Hovercraft Song 
   Just uncovered this older Patrick Lee jam.  Some of his hip-hop pieces are too glitchy for me. He is best when he keeps it straightforward and simple.  This is the getting out of work on payday jam.
3. Sorcerer – Cobra Coven
   Taking it back to Miami.
4. Sandro Perri – Changes
   Changes wins the award for the most unexpected song twist.  The chromatic breakdown in the middle surprisingly doesn’t sound out of place.  Thanks to Jack for the suggestion.
5. Umberto Tozzi – Dummi Di No (Nassau Poste80 Edit)
   If I ever landed a sweet job in the 80’s I would put this on as I exited the elevator.
6. Steely Dan – Peg
   Couldn’t resist…
7.  Sailcat – Motorcyle Mama
   You can’t listen to this without clearing the sweat off your brow with a cold Sol.
8. The War on Drugs – Taking the Farm
   TWOD are the band of the year for me (although technically Slave Ambient came out in 2011).  You could argue that a lot of their songs sound the same, but I love that sound.  As Johnny put it, “It’s like driving a red convertible in the desert while smoking a cigarette.”
9. Marco Benevento – You Must Be a Lion
   Sorry to bring you down, but I have been wanting to post this track for awhile now.  Something about it reminds me of the feeling you get when you know you are growing up.  The outro is incredible.  By the way he is playing a free show at the City Winery on July 10^th if anyone is interested.
10. AA Bondy – No Man Shall
    AA Bondy used to front a punk band. His most recent work is all acoustic, but no less punk in spirit.  Really great for night walks. 
11. The Books – There Is No There
    If I had any say I would’ve picked this song for this Oregon timelapse video – especially for the night sequences.
12. Damian Jurado – Cloudy Shoes
    Big thanks to BK for introducing me to Damian Jurado through this Berrics skate video.  Can music get any more introspective?
13. Jeff Tweedy – Sunken Treasure (live)
    Just give it a listen – preferably with no one else around.  Thanks to Hazlett for recommending the Live in the Pacific Northwest album, which is fantastic.

image: Oh Pioneer

St. Patrick's Day

 

Ah, St. Patrick's Day.  The day where everyone's Irish, it's acceptable to fraternize with redheads, and frowned upon if your first drink is consumed after you've finished breakfast.  Here's a collection of celtic and pub style tunes to get you through the day with the right songs on the speaks instead or drearily watching Boondock Saints with subtitles at a packed bar where they serve green beer. 
Get up and dance, lad. 

Sorry about the links.  I am away from my hard drive so this will have to do.

1. Shaun Davey - Michael's Ride
2. Reeltime - Trucks of Bohermore (myspace)
3. Cherish the Ladies - Woman of the House Medley (myspace)
4. The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem - Whiskey You're the Devil
5. The Dubliners - Whiskey in a Jar
6.  The Dubliners - Wild Rover (live)
7. The Pogues - Streams of Whiskey
8. The Mahones - Paint the Town Red
   
   
   
   
9. The Dubliners and The Pogues - Irish Rover (live)
10. The Dubliners - Molly Malone (live)

image: Marcus Nilsson of NYTimes

Happy Friday

 

Here's just a couple feel good tunes to remind us all to not take ourselves too seriously.
Have a good weekend everyone!

1. Tanlines - Reinfo
   I couldn't wait until summer to post this.  A fan just sent this video to the band and they turned it into their official video.  Sound like nice guys.
2. Tourist - Placid Lake
   What a great kickstart to a weekend.  You're feeling a little tired, a little beaten down from the work week and then BAM you remember how fun weekends can be.
   
3. Faith Evans - Love Like This Before (B+S Edit)
   I don't find something like this too often.  It has some real rhythmic attitude, but gels perfectly with dance vocals.  This is more than an choppyy edit.  This is a whole new song. Nice work.
4. Todd Terje - Inspector Norse
   A clever use of the bounce.
5. Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime (Moplen Remix)
   
   Just for fun.
 

image: sezio

Like Riding a Bike

 

For those of us who like a good bicycle ride.

Originally made for my brother's morning commute,

this has equal parts motivation, fun and patience.

1. Karl Denson's Tiny Universe - Shake It Out
   Throw some gear in your backpack or basket and let's go...
2. Amadou & Mariam - Dougou Badia (ft. Santigold)
   Best played loud.
3. Gang of Four - Natural's Not In It
4. Buddy Holly - Slipping and Sliding (Jacques Renault Remix)
   The part of urban biking that gets me is the feeling of gracefully sliding in between the immobile skyscrapers and slow pedestrians.  It's like you've discovered a better way to travel and everyone else is still asleep.  It's fun to cruise around, look up at the buildings and see how the daylight changes from street to street.  These next three songs go well with that feeling of awe.
5. Air Waves - Knockout
6. Flume - Sleepless (feat. Anthony for Cleopatra)
   At first this will sound like just another instrumental hip hop track, but the tension and build up lead to an all-encompassing outro where vocal samples are coming from all angles.  Great stuff.
7. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dance, Dance, Dance
   Yeah that's right, I put a Chili Peppers song on this playlist.  I wouldn't normally put this much bubblegum on the blog, but I happen to put this on when I was biking home from Mt. Tabor at sunset and it just FIT.  Best going downhill so you can feel the wind on your face.
8. SBTRKT - Pharaohs
   Somehow London's Aaron Jerome managed to squeeze two of the most fun tracks of 2011 on his selftitled album.  I almost didn't put it on here, because I didn't want anyone dancing so hard they don't notice that truck heading right for them.  You're on your own.
9. High Contrast - Racing Green
   Now you're not going to want to listen to this when it starts, but give it time and you'll soon be cutting off taxis running red lights.  The genius of High Contrast is that he hooks you with emotion rather than aggression like most Drum 'n Bass artists. He almost tricks you into becoming a DnB fan.
10. The Winstons - Amen, Brother
    When you get hired as a bike messenger they give you a Walkman
    with Amen, Brother and Sea Groove on it.
11. Big Boss Man - Sea Groove
12. Youth Lagoon - Daydream
    How can you have a bad day and listen to this song?  Man I feel like I just had a picnic with my sweetheart and now we're biking home in tweed on a Saturday in June.  Sheesh.
13. LCD Soundsystem - All I Want
    For those long rides alone.

 
Links
------------
Interview with Brendt Barbur, Founder of the Bicycle Film Fest
NYC to get largest bike-share effort in the country
Copenhagenize (pre-eminent bike blog)
Support NYC Bike Efforts
Reasons to bike to work
Bowery Lane Bicycles
Extraordinary Paths
NYC Bike Maps

Friends can message me for a download.

image: Design Sponge and Regular Basis

Design Will Save the World

"Architecture in general is frozen music"
-Friedrich von Schelling

A combination of design theory, IDM and sampled piano lead to one crisp, emotive playlist.
I recommend browsing some of the amazing shots at archdaily , ISO50 or Wanken while this plays out.

1. Swod - Hellerau
   I have been waiting for a track like this for a long time.  Someone who samples a grand piano and rearranges it into something of a hybrid.  I imagine this is what architects listen to when they draw up blueprints.
2. 3iO - Eple (Royksopp cover)
   3iO is a jazz trio that covers popular electronic tracks. It doesn't always work but the minimal style really plays well on Eple.
3. Gold Panda - Back Home
   Gold Panda has been a favorite of mine for awhile, but I have been waiting for the right mix to share his style.  Back Home has that driving energy that fits right in on train rides.
4. The Field - Silent
   I had the opportunity to see the Swede play recently and it was a real treat.  To me, it sounds like he creates drawn out soundtracks to those fleeting moments in life that make you feel like you're truly alive.  They all require patience, but once they sink in you are in love with the guy.
5. The Foreign Exchange - Happiness
   The Foreign Exchange have a Postal Service-esque story where a producer sends beats online to an MC and occassionally sparks fly.  I'm just happy someone is carrying the torch from Nujabes.
6. Bibio - Kaini Industries (Boards of Canada cover)

image: ArchDaily