27 February 2005

Bye Bye iTunes?

ml_iPod plugin allows you to copy songs (MP3 & MP4 AAC) to your Windows iPod using Winamp [official ml_iPod site]

some additional features:
:: iPod Shuffle supported
:: Artist-Album view
:: Smart Playlists
:: Playlist Support
:: Reverse & Forward Sync
:: On The Go Playlist Support

Winamp Staff Review:
Kiss iTunes goodbye. Send music to and from your iPod directly from the Winamp Media Library. Nothing could be easier.

User Review: Feb. 24, 2005
"Before this plug in I seriously considered getting rid of my iPod. I just could not stand iTunes. It slowed my computer up so much.... I was going to sell my iPod and get another mp3 player; that's how bad iTunes is."

From CD to OGG

Rip your CD tracks to the OGG-Vorbis format with Winamp Plug-In

Developer's Comments:
Ogg Vorbis is a completely open, patent-free, professional audio encoding and streaming technology with all the benefits of Open Source. It’s currently one of the best candidate to 'mp3 successor', and its wide increasing support illustrates its qualities and popularity.

This encoder allows to rip CD tracks to Ogg-Vorbis 1.1 files using the Winamp 5 built-in CD ripper (free or pro editions). Resultant files are adjustable through a quality setting (-1.00 to 10.00), although an estimated average bitrate is displayed for information.
[official Ogg-Vorbis site]

Winamp Staff Review:
Gives you OGG-Vorbis encoding power for Winamp, allowing you to rip CD's to the OGG format.
[official Winamp site]

23 February 2005

Torture Tape Experiments

Since issue 19 of Chunklet came out with the torture tapes, I have listened to folks listing the contents of their own battle tapes. The idea is to pull the most wretched audio from your own records and put it on a tape, then swap with a friend. Loop those things for 18 hours, and see who survives.

Now, let me tell ya, I cringe in pain at the sound of silverware being put into the drawer. I will careen into anyone to hit the power button to shut down religious radio. Tears of suffering well up in my eyes when high pitch electronica drones in my headphones. [Aren't you glad to have me as your filter? Suffering so that you won't have to, now that is some love.]

HOWEVER, I have a sincere appreciation for you oddiophiles after this experiment. We enjoyed the tapes. Oh hell yeah, we can take this torture like freggin masochists. More, more, more!
The Mission:
Create for combat purposes a tape so wretched and foul that anyone who listens to it for 24 hours will never be able to think straight again. Some minor guidelines being that the material must be predominantly from your own record collection and should fit a standard 90-minute cassette tape. Some of you would consider that old school, but to us it just makes it more annoying.

Objective:
Survive a full waking day (roughly 18 hours) of an opponent’s battle mix. Pure hate drives the competition. There are no true breaks from the sonic storm. The music must remain at least 70 decibels at all times. Cheaters only cheat themselves of surviving pure audio torture. This is not for the weak at ear. Hearing loss and bad taste are pluses in this endeavor.

Well, what would you put on your battle mix? [tell the group!] Have any tunes in common with these folks over at Stereogum and MetaFilter?

Here is a little peek into our world. Some radio we oddiophiles love that might break weaker ears:
- Shirley and Spinoza, on your knees before the gods of battle mix
- Bide et Musique, the worst of European novelty music 24/7
- Cantonese Opera House, all traditional Chinese opera, all the time

Stand tall, cookies. We are the champions, my friends. Oh hell yeah, bring it. Freggin champions!

22 February 2005

On Finding a 1986 Punk Mixtape

RuinOkay, so I am digging through the old cassette crates and spy a punk mixtape circa 1986. I see Philly punk band Ruin on it, and I smile thinking of AgentA the former lead singer. He now operates The Unofficial Ruin Site. He continues to make music, and also has a brainbending online radio show, Headtones, and puts together great playlists for you at Webjay. Thanks to AgentA and the Ruin crew, you can still enjoy some Ruin online. Be sure to check out other members' sites, too, including drummer Bloody Rich. [I cannot even start off on the Little Gentlemen tangent, another Bloody Rich band. Man, I love East Coast '70s and '80s punk. Thanks to Baltimore's defunct WCVT for sending it in the air to me.]

Cro-MagsAlso on the tape are NYC hardcore band the Cro-Mags. Wondering what they are up to these days, I seek their official site. Well, it seems that both founders Harley Flanagan and Parris Mayhew operate their own version of the official band website. Both are very cool. You should know that one of the sites offers THE AGE OF QUARREL LP online for free. After you enjoy it, you can purchase it from the other official site which is selling it for $12. That was a once a beloved album of mine. Track 9 "Hard Times" is a minute and a half of my sweet sixteen.

Allmusic.com: Before the Cro-Mags, the idea of combining heavy metal and hardcore together was unheard of. But with the release of their classic debut, The Age of Quarrel, hardcore-metal was born, and in its wake, came a legion of similarly styled offspring (Biohazard, Vision of Disorder, etc.). Although the group endured an endless amount of line-up shifts (which is probably the main reason they never became as well known as they should have), the Cro-Mags continued to record and tour in one form or another. Through it all, the New York City-based group's leader has been bassist Harley Flanagan, who in 1977 at the ripe old age of ten (!), started his first punk band during a European trip. Upon returning to NYC, Flanagan supplied drums for the Stimulators, a band that performed quite a bit locally and in Washington, D.C., alongside the Bad Brains. The early ‘80s saw the initial Cro-Mags line-ups formed, with a variety of members playing alongside the only constant -- Flanagan. By the middle of the decade, the best known Cro-Mags line-up was in place -- Flanagan now on bass, former Bad Brains roadie John Joseph on vocals, Parris Mayhew on guitar, and Mackie Jayson on drums -- who soon built a rabid following via shows at CBGB's.

21 February 2005

New Sounds from the Netherlands

52 Weeks, inspired by the 365 Days project, presented a collection of rare recordings every week in 2004. It was an incredible project, and you can still enjoy much of it. The creator, Jan Turkenburg, has archived the site with some of the audio intact for your enjoyment.


SPLUSP = Splogman's Undefined Sharity Program
Fortunately for the world, it seems that Jan got himself into a sharing habit with 52 Weeks! Now he shares random recordings, still with a Dutch emphasis, almost daily in his "undefined sharity program," Splusp. Being a music teacher and performer, music is his life, so his blog evolved into this Dutch mixtape. Those outside of the Netherlands are not likely to ever hear this music otherwise. Splusp is a real treat!

20 February 2005

The Tape-beatles on UbuWeb

"The Tape-beatles are a collaboration of varying membership that make music and audio art recordings, 'expanded cinema' performances, videos, printed publications, and works in other media. They work under the aegis of Public Works Productions.

"The Tape-beatles began creating works for audio tape in 1987. Their goal at first was to create a form of pop music that made no use of musical instruments, instead relying on tape recording and analog studio techniques as their sole source of sounds. In addition, the Tape-beatles aspired to an egalitarian attitude of artmaking, avoiding the use of 'professional' equipment and milieux, opting instead to make work almost entirely using home stereo equipment."

Hear their works on UbuWeb. Learn more at Public Works Productions, a division of Detritus.net.

03 February 2005

Uncle Neptune News

Uncle Neptune!Exciting News!! Uncle Neptune is in the studio again creating new magic! Also, UncleNeptune.com is offering the covers and inserts with artwork by the amazing Billy Blob for each of his freely downloadable CDs. The CD inserts are all round, because they were originally released with c-shell CD cases. The first CD case was yellow, second blue, and third green. You'll find them in the FUN section of the site.

In his NEWS section, Uncle Neptune sends out thanks to OddioOverplay.com for traffic. That means YOU, because you are visiting his site and telling the world about it. Thank YOU for visiting and supporting artists featured on Oddio. Hurray! The Internet works!

For those who are new to Uncle Neptune, boy oh boy, are you in for a treat! This is from the Featured Archives:

Uncle Neptune, cousin to Tiny Tim and Mr. Rogers, has chosen to share his 3 CDs online. Once you fall in love with them, you can easily donate to Uncle Neptune on his site. You will fall in love with them, too!

He and his friends make sweet happy music to brighten your day. An immediate favorite is The Good In Everything. Sesame Street really ought to hear the song I Like Being Me, featuring Jean Bean. It sounds perfect for the show.

The first CD is self-titled. The second CD Music For a Rainy Day seems addressed to a shorter audience with Uncle Neptune speaking after each track. In A Perfect World is CD three and it hosts a number of other artists and singers.

The incredible [and beloved] Billy Blob does the graphics for the site. His cartoons were on Wired's Animation Express. Karma Ghost is a true gem.

For the introduction to darling Uncle Neptune, many thanks to Marco of WeirdoMusic.com and Peter of CosmicTones.com. Oddio fans are sure to love their oddiocentric sites, as well!

01 February 2005

February

And so we begin another February. Hello friends. For your pleasure, Oddio Overplay has had the monthly updates including a new featured site, a new set of super sound sites, and a newly completed January Oddio-Webjay comp. Here's hoping February 2005 brings you laughter and joy!