While protusmose.com has been around for nearly ten years, t’was three years ago this month I decided to turn the homepage into a generic wordpress blog to see what would happen. Along the way, I’ve written a lot of useless words, read by five or six people, and posted lots of videos of more rock than any of you can handle. While I doubt it’s really made an impact on anyone, it’s been fun. I’ll let you in on a secret. I do it for me more than I do it for you. It’s cathartic; more of a diary left open to the latest page in a crowded room. If someone happens to read it and like it, that’s fantastic. Truth be told, even if no one reads it, I enjoy it anyway.
I really never intended for this to be a “Hay, guise, check out this youtube video!” / musical review blog, but that’s the way it’s gone lately. Sorry. Music is a huge part of who/how I am so I can justify it that way, I guess.
Today, I present you with something that makes no sense. I really don’t like techno/house/electronica/whateverthey’recallingithesedays. I don’t get the people who pee their pants over it. I think, as a whole, it’s ridiculously overhyped and overvalued.
However….
I *love* Daft Punk. I just can’t get enough. This also makes no sense. There’s practically nothing original about the music. It’s mostly recycled riffs from obscure songs from the 70s and 80s with new drums, bass, and synth dubbed in. The “lyrics” are minimal. Heck, in one song there’s only three words that repeat throughout the track. By my usual standards, it’s absurd. It’s dumb, yet… I love it. There’s just something about what these two weird French guys in robot costumes put out that makes me smile and bob my head. I’ve always though people going to see Moby or other DJs live was about the dumbest thing since Carrot Top, but I would have killed to have been at this show:
Better, Harder, Faster Stronger / Around The World Mixup.
I’ve been wanting to share this for quite a while now. I was never able to find a copy that didn’t have embedding disabled until today. Quite simply, ladies and gentleman, this rocks. I’d go so far as to say it’s a perfect song and perfect video. The drums are ridiculous.* The guitar parts are a fantastic concoction of crushed skulls and spring lilies. The bass compliments well without being overbearing. The vocals are brutally beautiful. The lyrics are spiritually both convicting and uplifting at the same time. It’s about the broken nature of humanity and the opportunity we have to turn our backs on our past, our sins, our shortcomings, and plot a new, hopeful course. The video actually flows with the lyrics instead of being a cheap collage of unrelated superfluous imagery.
So, from us at the Protus Mose Institute For The Dissemination of Music To Rock Your Face Off, enjoy, and God bless.
Shake it off.
Pick yourself up, they say.
Your life fell apart in your hands, and you’ve got the scars to prove it.
It’s not the first time, and they’re getting deeper.
Pull it together.
Button up your shirt.
Roll down those sleeves.
Don’t let them see how you’ve coped.
More and more your demeanor looks like quicksand.
It seems like your giving up on everything you worked for.
It’s pulling you under.
It’s gripping around your throat.
Life can be overwhelming,
But don’t turn your back on the strongest crutch you’ve ever had.
They have always been there to brace your fall. Wave goodbye to the past.
You’ve got your whole life to lead
* Click here to watch a fan demonstration of just the drums to see how awesome the track is. How awesome? Awesome enough that I’ve watched this video probably 20 times. The drum part is so distinctive, you can hear the whole song just by listening to it.
public class FahrenheitToCelciusTwo {
public static void main(String[] args) {
//Prompt the user for input
String inputValueString = JOptionPane.showInputDialog(
null, “Please enter a temperature in Fahrenheit:”);
// Convert string to double
double inputValue =
Double.parseDouble(inputValueString);
// Calculate temperature in Celcius
double temperatureInCelcius =
(5.0 / 9) * (inputValue – 32);
// Display Results
String output = “The temperature in Celcius is ” + temperatureInCelcius;
JOptionPane.showMessageDialog(null, output);
}
}
********************
This program is both boring and awesome.
If you know programing, it’s probably readily apparent that this is a beginner’s work and you could probably think of 10 different ways to do it better.
If you don’t know programming, that’s pretty impressive, eh? The best part is, after two hours of tweaking, it works.
Here at the ProtusMose Institute for the Dissemination of Musical Excellence, we pride ourselves on ensuring you have access to quality music you may not otherwise have access to. Thanks to our efforts, you have had the pleasure of experiencing such acts as The Devil Wears Prada, Matisyahu, and Living Sacrifice. We are pleased to once again serve up melodious palate rockers.
Remember a few years back when Prince played half-time at the Superbowl and everyone was all “z0mg! Prince can play guitar!??!” No surprise to your friend teh Mose. Prince is a musical genius. Even if you don’t like any Prince songs (assuming you’re old enough to remember them), you probably enjoy some of the dozens he wrote and sold to other artists. A lot of people were shocked by Prince’s rockage that Superbowl. For those of us not ashamed to be Prince fans, it was no surprise. Tonight, we bring to you a performance from the evening Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is a rock classic. It’s #7 on “Rolling Stone”‘s list of the 100 greatest guitar songs of all time. and #135 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. It’s been covered no less than 30 times by major artists. (source) During this performance, the first half is a rather enjoyable and soothing rhythm fest, led by Tom Petty, whose voice isn’t completely annoying this time. While it’s not too dark, the moody (almost to the point of melancholy) nature of the song comes through subtly. Then Prince comes in. While Petty, Lynne, and Harrison sing about how the guitar weeps, Prince lets you hear it weep. The guitar wails in agony, in a sonic account of human heartbreak and suffering.
If you’re a music lover in general, or a guitar lover specifically, this one’s for you.
Ladies and gentlemen. I present to you what I promise will be the best film of this year. October 16, 2009. Mark your calendars. This is going to be special.
How can this not be utterly epic? In the hands of a lesser director, I would cringe. With Spike Jonze in control, I can barely contain my excitement.
