I converted all the categories to tags, thinking I would still have the categories there to structure the blog. The last backup was done in early December so I won’t bother reverting and just use this as an opportunity to restructure this whole blog.
I have being experimenting with different themes and plugins over the past few weeks on this and on the Tara Saga site and have managed to screw things up on more than one occasion. Wordpress has recently been updated (version 2.3.2) and this meant that some themes would need some hand coding to make them work in the newer version. For some reason though on the particular blog, no matter which themes I use they always seem to default to the Kubrick theme whenever I have my back turned! I originally thought this was just with the K2 theme but it doesn’t seem to be.
Tags are an experimental new feature in Wordpress implemented previously in certain themes and now in version 2.3.2 of the CMS platform. I guess it will by more fully featured in the next big Wordpress upgrade due in a few months. Tags are great! They are a linking and sorting system which has revolutionised the web in in 2.0 age. When they are applied right by users they really make for a better web experience. There are so many great sites out there whose functionality depends on them and their addition to the Wordpress platform should really make things much better.
So I will have to go back though the posts here and sort them out into new categories and give them relevant tags. I also need to fix the problem of the defaulting theme and sort out a better navigation system. There is a great plugin that worked for me before called Extended Live Archives but it unfortunately doesn’t work yet with the latest version. I have also been testing magazine style themes which are really ideal for this type of multi subject, multimedia blog. So hopefully this blog will be more user friendly soon and in the meantime I will make some quick fixes to the navigation.
Archive for January, 2008 Page 3 of 4
So a while back there was a site called www.thesoundof.mu which teased the electronic music community into thinking there was a new KLF (aka Justified Ancients of Mu Mu) release on the horizon. I have to say I was blissfully unaware of this even though I has got an image from somewhere on the interweb, for use in a mammoth project I have been working on, which should have resulted in further investigation on my part. The site had some great images in the KLF style which caused a bit of a storm online and speculation of a reformation of Mu!
Anyway to make a long story short, the whole thing was a big skam by Strictly Kev and Mr. Trick and a good one at that. The Sound of Mu(sic) was the result. It hailed a forthcoming new documentary about the KLF previewed by a half hour mix of Mu sounds and it is now available for your listening pleasure. Find out the full story via the links below.
LINKS
Strictly Kev (aka Dj Food) comes clean
Mr. Trick’s confession
PDF Booklet made by Strictly Kev
Watch the Stadium House Trilogy on Stage 6 with some other treats
Watch The K Foundation Burn A Million Quid
The Manual - How to Have a Number One the Easy Way (PDF)
KLF fansite
KLF Communications
Here is the vocal version of the mix which gives the game away by featuring an interview with Bill Drummond..
This is great stuff, got this via Holy Shmoly. The Irish Army are “Stayin’ Alive” in the Lebanon. This video is currently being investigated by the Military police and I hope they have a good laugh about it and then forget about it. This type of behavior should be encouraged! The British Army did a version of “Is This The Way To Amarillo” based on the Peter Kay Comic Relief sketch which sparked this off and I hope it becomes a trend. Imagine a Taliban and Al Qaeda version! This could bring about world peace! Or locally and better still would be an Irish government one to the tune of Abba’s “Money, Money, Money”
From RTE News:
This afternoon, a spokesman for the Defence Forces said the video had first been uploaded while the troops were in Lebanon. It was then taken down but posted again recently. The spokesman said the posting of videos by soldiers on peacekeeping duties was an unwelcome trend and was not at all encouraged by the authorities.
I’ve been tinkering around with the K2 theme for Wordpress but it seems to keep defaulting back to Kubrick. I have a plan though to make this whole thing work nicely. The Tara Saga site is evolving too with lots of cool features and I will soon be putting up a couple of video specific blogs.
So if it’s not looking a neat and usable as it should be then it’s because I’m renovating!
Well lots of people seem to be throwing their top ten albums of last year about in the blogosphere so I guess I will throw my hat in the ring. But I’m not going to write it in any particular order as I couldn’t be that organised about my music tastes! Besides, is the album not dead with the advance of digital music? - Well, no I don’t really believe that, but it is true to say I have been a little bit out of the loop when it comes to keeping up with the latest releases over the last year or two. I’ve been listening to a lot of old stuff and mixes and the like. My Last.Fm quilt here on the side of the blog and profile will give you a better idea of what I’ve been listening to when I have the scrobbling turned on. Meanwhile my vinyl collection has been gathering dust and taking up space, perhaps I might sell it all.
So back to the topic at hand, here’s a few I enjoyed that were released in 2007 :
The Pale - Contents Of A Shipwreck
Sarsparilla - Karahee
Grinderman - Grinderman
Radiohead - In Rainbows
Saul Williams - The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust!
Paul Hartnoll - The Ideal Condition
Herv - Flot and Retent
Dan Deacon - Spiderman Of The Rings
Cathy Davey - Tales of Silversleeve
Bjork - Volta
Battles - Mirrored
Chemical Brothers - We Are The Night
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
No need for reviews for the above, they were all (and still are) a joy to my ears!
I also liked Zoid vs The Jazz Musicians of Ireland although technically I only got the CD in 2008, I performed the visuals for the launch in Crawdaddy a few months back and was very impressed by the sounds.
Other music I really like was that which is on the Tara Compilation CD, which is a lovely mix of many types of music, both contemporary and traditional. There is an another one for the Vigil camp also which I don’t have, but by no doubt it is good too and worth checking out. Support the warriors!
On heavy rotation from previous years, there was a whole lotta Serge, Íse, The Clash, Tool, Mouse On Mars, Howie B, Hot Chip, Neutral Milk Hotel, Halfset, Four Tet, MC Paul Barman, Dangerdoom and more in that mixed bag.
As far as mixes are concerned I’ve been kept entertained by the ThinkToy podcast and in recent weeks by offerings from the Freebird (Vinyl Room) crew; Halfdutch, Pasta Masta and Goldy.
I’ve also been listening to a lot of Alan Watts which is music to my ears and I sometimes blend him with some tunes using Djay or by more ad-hoc means!
