A Source Of Inspiration

Or as Wired puts it, Pitchfork.tv Takes a Stab at Music Videos.

For long have i’ve been a regular reader of Pitchfork, along with last.fm, Hype machine,MetaCritic and ubber-cool Stereogum, that nurtured my musical tastes, while bypassing traditional music media moguls like MTV or NME.
Even in Portugal i’m a regular at remixtures, Palco Principal or Bodyspace, great web projects that help me keep up to date with Portugal’s music scene.

Pitchfork and other web based projects are taking a real dent in TV music channels, with loyal fans and delivering breaking news. Pitchfork has even achieved a successful spin-off, with their Chicago Pitchfork Music Festival.

Take for instance Stereogum, who has just released a tribute disk to download, honoring Post, the 10 year old record by Bjork, something possible thanks to the loyalty of both fans and artists to the music weblog. Not to mention other major online players like MySpace, that has just closed the circle with a deal to sell DRM-free music, further establishing the site as a social music destiny.

Even if Pitchfork got a bit too pretentious on their Wired interview, tomorrow we get the chance to review the video quality and the whole interactive experience, but if they keep faithful to their overall excellence, i bet this one will be one more nail in the coffin in traditional music business.

Images Credits: Pitchfork

A website that gets a band like Radiohead to premiere their video service, premieres exclusive demo tracks or shapes an album’s success with their review is surely a menace to MTV or VH1, companies that are increasingly more distant from music fans with their programming choices influenced by major record labels, and miss the huge long tail of music that MySpace, Pitchfork and thousands of music blogs have now filled.

Or quoting The Buggles:

In my mind and in my car, we can’t rewind we’ve gone too far.

MTV, take care.

This is a cross-post from Osocio.org, a blog on Social advertising and non-profit campaigns

Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour is sponsoring Burima, a micro-credit program with finantial support from Benetton, which also developed the website AfricaWorks, at their Fabrica studio.

In the words of Staci Smith who sent the project to my friend and art director Andre:

Late in 2007, Benetton began documenting the progress of the loan recipients through the images of photographer James Mollison. Mollison’s photos spotlight a diverse group of entrepreneurs including a fisherman, a decorator, a musician, a farmer, and a boxer. In keeping with Benetton’s commitment to social advocacy, the images are featured on billboards and print ads in the company’s new “Africa Works” global communications campaign. Benetton’s hope is that these everyday people will become tangible symbols of an Africa that uses the dignity of work to fight poverty and take back responsibility for creating its own future

A simple, zoomable navigation, trying to have a real impact on African’s looking for a way to change their lives for the better. The event launched worldwide last February 13th, with a performance by Youssou n’Dour of the song Birima (campaign video clip below).

Birima is also the name of the portal (http://www.birima.org/) where you can find more about the micro-credit program.

• Advertiser:Benetton
• Agency:Fabrica

After a levitating a light bulb, Jeff Lieberman teams up with Dan Paluska to conjure another digital beauty, with their Absolute Quartet robotic music machine, with a companion website at AbsolutMachines.com.

Check the video for a ball launching, internet connected, melody maker, robotic composer, operated by you and three robots.

Doesn’t it reminds you of Bjork?

The musical installation is on display at New York, but if you want to experience more musical wackiness, then head to the website sponsored by Absolute, with one big question in mind: “In a absolut world, would machines be creative?”

Besides Absolut Quartet, you can also interact with Absolut Choir, where 22 choir members react to the words you type, with your “joint performance” submitted by email. The installation is on display at Stockholm.

This is the TRUE INTERACTIVITY.

Tip by DigitalExperience

DNTEL, Marié Digby, Swizz, The Blakes and The Raveonettes inspired other like minded directors to create 5 music videos, with color as the main concept. The result is a website with a solid work on the sharing features, linking to goodies such as interviews, making-off and FREE MP3s.

So, for my portuguese friends that were tonight at The Raveonettes concert, here’s the sound of black and white:

• Client: Gap
• Agency: Rehab

Source: Adrants

There’s no typo in the post title, rest assured. If you come here often you should probably know who does this king of anagrams and subliminal stuff. Of course it’s my favorite band, Arcade Fire.

After their previous site BonlineB, the Montreal band scores again, using the web platform in novel ways to promote their work, at rorrimkcalb.com

This time, for their single “Black mirror” (now you get the title?), we can toggle six different audio tracks while a fascinating video plays. For me, it was a bit strange to listen Win doing a solo track.

Extra tip: hit the space bar.

I’ve just twittered this one a few minutes ago, but it started to grow on me to deserve a full post.

With music being listened on MP3 portable devices and computers, much of the branding and packaging is lost. The chances to studios and artists to have a conversation with consumers are shifting from physical to digital (except for hard-core vinyl junkies). So what’s an artist to do?

Well, Mr extraordinary Lupe Fiasco did a “Cool” thing on his new album, using the last few seconds of “Fighters” to announce his blog at http://lupethefiasco.blogspot.com/. A excellent way to extend the album experience and stick a URL into a fan’s mind. As long it’s done with a selected track - preferably at the end -and not as a merchandising gimmick, people will notice.

For me, this was a first. Do you know of more artists promoting their URLs in innovative ways?
(That is, besides the Nine Inch Nails ARG campaign).

“All I wanna do is *BANG BANG BANG BANG!*
And *KKKAAAA CHING!*
And take your money”

Image by Oh No They Didn’t

If you listened to it repeatedly, now you can watch it too.

Source: Pitchfork.

Get used to it, as each year i will bother you with my ultra-subjective selection of favorite albums. Or maybe it’s just me giving away ideas for Christmas.
The list goes without comments, but feel free to completely disagree. I can handle your arbitrary music taste.

• 20) Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
• 19) Beirut - The Flying Club Cup
• 18) Les Savy Fav - Let’s Stay Friends
• 17) Burial - Untrue
• 16) The National - Boxer
• 15) Panda Bear - Person Pitch
• 14) Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
• 13) Stars Of The Lid - And Their Refinement Of The Decline
• 12) The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
• 11) M.I.A. - Kala
• 10) Sigur Ros - Hvarf-Heim
• 9) Kanye West - Graduation
• 8) Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna Are You The Destroyer
• 7) Robert Wyatt - Comicopera
• 6) Roisin Murphy - Overpowered
• 5) Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala

• 

  4) Justice - Cross

• 

  3) Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

• 

  2) Radiohead - In Rainbows

• 

  1) LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver

One last note for Portuguese band The Soaked Lamb and their first album “Homemade Blues”, where co-worker Vasco plays keyboards. It’s a great album, and if you don’t believe me listen them at myspace or have a look at their delicious website.