The Modern Materialist : Music

When They Were Young

Steph Auteri — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:19:00 GMT

Forever ago, I found myself creeped about by this headless-dog speaker system.

But today, I was lucky enough to see a pic of them before they were all growed up (and decapitated):

[$40]

Find out more about these puppy speakers here.

[Via Gizmodo]

Pool Sharks: Prepare Your Victory Dance

Steph Auteri — Fri, 01 May 2009 15:06:00 GMT

When it comes to shoving your superiority in other people's faces, there's nothing more important than having a victory dance. My personal victory dance is a mixture of the basic salsa steps, unreserved booty shaking, and hopping from side to side. Other popular forms are:

Who's Your Daddy?
Smackin' That Ass
Stir the Pot, Of Love
Hanging Out...Casual

(These, and other forms of dance, can be found here.)

Pool sharks will now have an easier time of finding their victory groove with the Debut Lunar MP3 Pool Table:

[$745, Debut]

This particular pool table — aside from looking hot — has a built-in universal media player, with controls for volume and light effects. There are also two speakers on either side of the table. Some closeup shots:

[Via Crave]

iLuv These New Portable Speakers

Steph Auteri — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:09:00 GMT

This is what I look like when I'm alone in my apartment with the music blasting.

Sometimes I am wearing underwear.

Other times I'm wearing my Cookie Monster pants.

Someday, I'd like to take my act on the road:

[$34.99, iLuv]

The iSP100 Ultra Portable Stereo Speaker is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Plus, it comes in multiple pretty colors, but the purple is, of course, my fave.

[Via Popgadget]

Wireless Speakers That Really Travel

Steph Auteri — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 19:19:00 GMT

I've already purchased these travel-friendly speakers for a third of the price, but these wireless speakers from Hammacher Schlemmer really can travel:

[$149.95, Hammacher Schlemmer]

This iPod dock has portable, wireless rechargeable speakers that allow you to listen to music anywhere in your home. The speakers produce clear sound up to 120 feet away from the dock.

[Via Oh Gizmo!]

Related: Travel-Friendly Speakers

Got a Penny? Get New Music

Laureen Mahler — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:29:00 GMT

[Photo via]

Ah, budgeting. So adult, yet such a bummer. In the past few months, I've done everything from handwashing my clothes to starting the Mission burrito diet (not so much a healthy thing, but a way to spend about five bucks for a whole day's worth of calories). One of the most painful results has been a drastic reduction in my music spending.

But finally, a bright spot in the budget blues! The Amoeba Blowout eBay store is offering CDs for one single penny:

[AmoebeBlowout]

All of their CDs start at a penny, and the auctions are one week long. Even if you don't snag any albums for their starting price, a few bucks for a bundle of tunes isn't bad!

[via Trendhunter]

World's Most Expensive CD

Alex Zalben — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:25:00 GMT

In these tough economic times, should anyone be making the world's most expensive anything? Probably not, but that didn't stop Universal Music from making "Woman, Sweet 10 Diamonds," the world's most expensive CD. The CD itself contains eighteen songs by female vocalists.

Hey, guess how much it costs (and no, it's not $9.99 on iTunes):

[$100000, Nagahori]

[Via Born Rich]

Simplify Media, a.k.a. The Best iPhone App Ever!

Shaun Seneviratne — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:02:00 GMT

THIS IS THE BEST FUCKING iPHONE/COMPUTER APPLICATION EVER!!! I have never been so excited about a $4 purchase ever in my life!

Let me explain why I am so excited. I have a 60 gig iPod and an 8 gig iPhone, which is fine because I really only listen to about 20% of all my music on a regular basis and I don't plan on using my iPhone as an iPod. And then I read this wonderful Gizmodo article about must-have iTunes hacks and I was intrigued by Simplify Media.

Simply put, Simplify Media lets you stream YOUR ENTIRE MUSIC LIBRARY ON YOUR iPHONE!!! Yes. Oh God, yes. Using the 3G or WiFi networks, I can stream all 150 gigs of music on my home computer on my iPhone! (I've yet to find out if this is a battery killer.) The music is streaming quality but that's a small price to pay for your entire music library to be on your phone. Some other aspects of this application:

invite up to 30 friends and listen to their libraries
scrobble music to your last.fm profile
read artist bios and lyrics!
super simple setup

Watch the app in action:

Seriously, the best $4 I have spent in my entire life.

[$4, Simplify Media]

[Via Gizmodo]

Practice Your Paradiddles at Work

Shaun Seneviratne — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:31:00 GMT

I loveeee playing drums. . . at my desk. Y'see, I don't actually know how to play drums. I just take two pens and hit them on my desk for the snare and a glass for the cymbal (while tapping my foot on the floor for the bass drum). Thankfully nobody sits right next to me.

One problem though is that the cap flies off. I wouldn't need to worry about that with these:

Drumstick Pencils.

[$9, Helioptrope]

[Via Rare Bird Finds]

Design Concept: Mixtapes for the Mp3 Age

Shaun Seneviratne — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:36:00 GMT

[photo via]

Mixtapes are some of the best things in the world! Passively telling someone how you feel through songs, spending the time to make sure songs transition into one another well, diversifying the genres, etc. It's really the only reason I miss tapes (sadly I don't even have a tape player anymore). Mix CDs just don't carry the same weight as tapes (it's much easier to queue up a bunch of songs in iTunes and burn a CD than sit at a stereo and wait for a song to finish before adding the next one).

Though I miss the idea of tapes, I like the practicality of mp3s. What's a sappy kid to do?

The NVDRS Tape is an mp3 player that, quite obviously, resembles an audio cassette tape. Like a real tape, it comes in either 45, 60, or 90 minute options. To make this mp3 experience even more organic, the only way to fast forward and rewind is to stick your finger in the spools and turn it manually:

A digital reader in the middle even shows elapsed time on the tape:

Can this get any fucking cooler?!?! I really hope this concept becomes a reality.

One problematic thing: if I give a mixtape to someone and it doesn't work out with us, is it in poor taste to ask for this back?

Here are some mixtape faves of mine:

Jawbreaker - "Chesterfield King"
Promise Ring - "Make Me a Mixtape"
Yo La Tengo - "Sugarcube"
Braid - "Forever Got Shorter"
The City on Film - "Portland Maine and the Pouring Rain"
Alkaline Trio - "Clavicle"
Descendents - "Nothing With You"
The Ergs! - "Kind of Like Smitten"
Daft Punk - "Digital Love"
Rites of Spring - "For Want Of"
Hot Snakes - "Plenty For All"
Lemuria - "Length Away"
Lifetime - "I Like You, OK"
Saves The Day - "Sometimes, New Jersey"
My Bloody Valentine - "What You Want"
Nada Surf - "Inside of Love"
New Order - "Age of Consent"
The Ramones - "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend"
Red House Painters - "Have You Forgotten"
Kind of Like Spitting - "43c"
Big Star - "Thirteen"
Owen - "Good Deeds"
Smoking Popes - "Rubella"
Ryan Adams - "Two Hearts"
My Morning Jacket - "Lowdown"
Kath Bloom - "Come Here"
Ida - "599"

Sorry. . . got a little carried away! Kudos if you made it that far.

[Via Yanko Design]

Do Drugs and Have Sex Without Doing Drugs or Having Sex

Shaun Seneviratne — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 20:30:00 GMT

You like drugs? Probably. Can you always score? Not always.

You like sex? Most definitly. Can you always score? Not always.

What if you could achieve those mental states without drugs or sex? That's what I-Doser claims to do:

I-Doser makes Binaural Brainwave Doses. Now, what is that exactly? They basically create ambient soundscapes that are scientifically tested to affect your brainwaves in the way that other things would. Basically, you can feel like you just had some (sex/marijuana/cocaine/peyote/opium) without actually doing it.

The website says that susceptability is subject to the user and may take several tries to achieve the stimulated state.

Do I smell a test drive coming on?

Thanks to Kavita for the tip!

[I-Doser]

Watch Where You Headbang

Steph Auteri — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:07:00 GMT

[Photo via]

Watch where you headbang. That shit can get dangerous...

[price upon request, Castor]

...especially if you're wearing antler headphones.

[Via Apartment Therapy]

This Guitar Is Not What It Seems. . .

Shaun Seneviratne — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:04:00 GMT

Blink-182 just got back together. Tom Delonge played a Fender Stratocaster. Above is a Fender Stratacaster headstock. Or is it. . .

A Fender Stratocaster Table! This table is much nicer than the Sabian Cymbal End Table I posted awhile ago and commensurately more expensive.

So who else is psyched for the Blink-182 reunion? I feel like I'm 15 all over again.

[$750, Fender]

[Via The Awesomer]

A Reason to Buy CDs

Shaun Seneviratne — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:25:00 GMT

[photo via]

As everyone knows, CDs are dying off as a media format. There is just no incentive to buy an album if it's only a collection of songs and that's it. Sure, Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails can afford to offer their albums for free with special limited edition packs for the super fans, but things are a little bit tougher for the average independent artist.

Enter Rhymesayers Entertainment and P.O.S. Together they have created CD packaging that acts as an art piece for P.O.S's latest album Never Better.

Check out this video:

Make your own album art! With a slew of transparent inserts and solid backgrounds, the possibilities are endless. You can also stream the album while creating your own custom digital covers here! Change colors, try different layouts, and share it in the gallery while listening to a damn good hip-hop album. Here's one I made:

Get this limited edition digi-pack while you can and rediscover your love of the CD!

[$12, Fifth Element]

[Via CATSLOCK]

Quick Tip Of The Day: Buy Incredibad

Alex Zalben — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:30:00 GMT

Probably should have done this yesterday, as that's when it came out, but just a quick reminder that you HAVE to buy the new album from The Lonely Island, Incredibad. Not only is it hilarious, but it's also great music. A few reminders why:

[$12, iTunes]

The Sound of White Castle

Alex Zalben — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:04:00 GMT

If you eat a sack of ten, and no one is around, does it make a sound? It does if you grab these:

This set of amplifiers don't seem to be for sale, but honestly, for the sake of acting like an adult/non-total fatso, I'd urge you not to buy them anyway.

[Boutique Music]

[Via Nerd Approved]

When Your Computer Starts Speaking to You...

Steph Auteri — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:01:00 GMT

...it's not always good.

(Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?)

Though sometimes...

[$120, thinkofthe]

...it's just crazy-cool. I'm thinking this falls into the latter category.

[Via The Awesomer]

Vans of the Week: Pixies

Shaun Seneviratne — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:38:00 GMT

Where is my Vans? Waaaaaay out in the water, see it swimming.

The Vans x Pixies Sk8 Hi will be out in fall. Keep a look out for the Bad Brains Vans this spring!

[Vans]

[Via High Snobiety]

Guitar Boat Being Auctioned for Charity

Shaun Seneviratne — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 16:02:00 GMT

It looks like MM's Alex Zalben's wish is coming true.

On Feb 9, Australian singer-songwriter Josh Pyke is putting this guitar-shaped boat on eBay to raise money for the Indigenous LIteracy Project.

Here's the guitar-boat in action:

How much do you think it's going to go for? Place your bets in the comments section!

[Via Boing Boing]

The Most Versatile Player Piano. Ever.

Shaun Seneviratne — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:13:00 GMT

[photo via]

In the words of the band Cap'n Jazz: "No need for a piano player/ no need for a player piano!"

That is, unless it's a Concerto Table with an iPod Dock:

Cue the Chopin. or Lil Wayne. Whatever music the occasion calls for really!

Thanks to Naz for the tip!

[Lovegrove & Repucci]

These Vases Are Totally Metal

Alex Zalben — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 20:34:00 GMT

Hardcore heavy metal, and fine china, are not two things you normally associate together; but Pierre Blanc makes it work:

[Via Design Boom]

Legno Turntable

Shaun Seneviratne — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:33:00 GMT

Man. Buying this Legno Turntable made out of bamboo would make me quite the yuppie sonnuvabitch. I don't think I'd ever be able to listen to my vinyl on here with any semblance of punk rock credibility. Regardless, this turntable is effin gorgeous!

[$13,240, Montegrio]

[Via DVICE]

Keep Time With This Table

Shaun Seneviratne — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:02:00 GMT

[Photo via]

A Sabian Cymbal End Table (not made out of real cymbals).

Crazy drummer faces not included.

[$280, Guitar Center]

[Via Nerd Approved]

Shirt of the Day: The Sound of Music

Laureen Mahler — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:19:00 GMT

The new year is a time for reflection and self-assessment, a time to ponder the crucial question: how can I be cooler than everyone else?

The answer: your own personal soundtrack in t-shirt form. Whether you decide to record the Rocky theme and play it during your morning jog (most definitely not based on personal experience), or use the included presets ("Western Showdown," "Super Hero Rescue," "True Love," etc.), the dream of personal soundtrackdom has become a reality. It even comes with a handy pocket remote.

And remember, you don't get a second chance to make a first impression.

[$39.99, ThinkGeek]

Related: Things I Wasn't Cool Enough to Pull off in Junior High, Terrorize the Neighborhood With Your Guilty-Pleasure Song

Live Dream: Like Rock Band, But Pointless!

Shaun Seneviratne — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:32:00 GMT

I have no idea what went through the heads of the workers at Sega Toys. The Sega Live Dream is just a set with miniature instruments. Each instrument starts playing once you add it. If you wanna spice things up, take away an instrument and hear what the song would sound like without it! )Just look at how much fun that girl in the picture is having!) And that's pretty much all you can do with this thing.

So. Dumb.

Not to mention that the songs themselves sound like the pre-loaded demos you'd hear on low-end Yamaha and Casio keyboards.

Here is Sega's demo video:

I imagine this costs as much as it does because of song liscensing, otherwise this would be no more than $10.

[$314, Japan Trend Shop]

[Via DVICE]

Shirt of the Day: Goes Best With Parachute Pants

Steph Auteri — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:02:00 GMT

Please Hammer, don't hurt 'em. It's not the designer's fault that your lyrics lend themselves so well to dorky T-shirt designs...

[$14.99, Herbal T's]

Recap: Gifts for Jaded Indie Rockers

Shaun Seneviratne — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:01:00 GMT

Damn. Those distortion pedal pillows really are kind of phallic. . .

Anyways, here is a recap of the gift guides for Jaded Indie Rock Aficianado (please feel free to buy me any of the items on these lists).

Gifts Under $25 for the Jaded Indie Rock Aficianado
More Gifts for the Jaded Indie Rock Aficianado

Buy Your Favorite Musician's Guitar Strings

Diana Vilibert — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:19:00 GMT

Whether you're into Eric Clapton, Ani Difrano, or Avril Lavigne, you can wear a bracelet made from guitar strings used by your favorite musician--and 100% of the profits go to a charity chosen by that artist.

[Wear Your Music]

Related: Buy A Warhol Original For $100

Shirt Of The Day: Wednesday, Break My Heart

Alex Zalben — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:02:00 GMT

It's shocking to find a t-shirt that inspires you to:

A) Sing.

B) Have an intense emotional reaction.

But this shirt totally does that:

I think you either instantly know what this shirt is about, and love it, or you're dead inside. Just my opinion.

[$15, Threadless]

[Via Fashionably Geek]

This Book Has A Secret

Alex Zalben — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:36:00 GMT

This book has a beautiful secret, can you guess what it is? It's...

...a music box! Jennifer Khoshbin takes old books, and builds crankable music boxes right into them. They're not cheap, but this is such a lovely idea, it's completely worth the money.

[$165, Etsy]

Related: Judging a Book By Its Cover

More Gifts for the Jaded Indie Rock Aficianado

Shaun Seneviratne — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:04:00 GMT

As jaded as your friend who can't put down his Pavement and My Bloody Valentine records is, he/she still needs clothes to wear and, sometimes, a pillow to cuddle (face it, you know they go to bed dreaming about this stuff anyways):

Make sounds with your mouth as you press these plush buttons.

For the shoegaze fan that never learned to play guitar.

[99 EUR (Approx. $126), DaWanda]

[Via CRAFT Magazine]

Vans x Bad Brains Spring 2009 Collection

Give your favorite punk rocker a raincheck this Christmas and wait until these sweet Bad Brains-themed Vans come out in the spring. Vans is also teaming up with Kiss and Slayer, but that's not nearly as cool.

[Vans]

[Via High Snobiety]

The term "experimental music" is thrown around so much. This shirt should help clear things up.

[$20, Glennz Tees]

[Via MAKE Magazine]