sitting at the dealership...

...a couple observations.

www.bekanyenow.com - let's debate: nice execution to Absolut Vodka's "In An Absolut World"campaign, or a new high/low for Kanye's arrogance?

i was reading SPIN's interview with Coldplay. this line popped: (context is Coldplay's manager wanting a 30 second promo to its full-length music video, which MTV will be running)

"...The guys worry this could steal the thunder from a viral video they're preparing to put online, a mash-up of clips of dancing politicians...and they're not convinced the MTV premier will do much to help the song's success."

Well that pretty much sums up so many things.

Do better this weekend! and new threads!

Hit up the Do Better Blog for info on the Barclay Martin Ensemble/Interwoven Threads/HALO Foundation benefit concert this weekend! And get a sneak peek at the new summer threads!

tape scratching

you've heard of DJ's scratching records. the influx of computer tech to aid in the mixing of records for the purpose of getting one's groove on is also rather mainstream.



and then there's this: the scratching of TAPES! love it.



there's an obvious art in mixing of any type and when a DJ is moving multiple tracks/records within a cohesive beat, the art is heightened. but check out the labor that goes into changing out tapes vs. vinyl.

this concludes my commentary on DJ culture. :)

new tunes. judge please.

Scarlett Johannson, Falling Down. (yes, i read Perez Hilton. throw a stone, i dare you. it was the only site i found with the song's video (which i like).)
Death Cab for Cutie, I Will Posses Your Heart. update: just found this song too.
Coldplay, Violet Hill.

"weird, why's that girl from Lost in Translation singing in public?" I don't know, but she sort of rocks in a weird, "i-recorded-covers-and-am-rich-and-able-to-do-what-i-want" way. seriously, cameo by David Bowie? i don't hate it.

Death Cab: you have to wait approximately 15 minutes to have the first verse begin. by that time, you might have forgotten what is playing or maybe mistook the song for an audio lesson in bass tab. but it's good. a departure. i am looking forward to the rest of the album before i judge. i give them credit for evolving. "Cath." is the other song posted above. it's very much in the older DCFC mold. i guess it furthers my point on evolution. i am excited to see the River Market show coming up.

and Coldplay, they have an innovative "we're-giving-our-first-'tune'-away-for-free" model, which is so completely innovative, I don't know why more bands don't adopt....it's fine. not wonderful, not bad. the first 30 seconds are better than the rest of the song.

footnote: i started plaing DCFC's new song when i began writing this post, and they verse JUST started. it was like a surprise. "Hey! It's Death Cab!"

would love to hear your thoughts.

six things

that caught my attention today:

1) from the always-attention-grabbing Jessica Hagy (why isn't she a brand planner?)


2) was pre-ordering the new Death Cab for Cutie album this morning and ran across the Vitamin String Quartet's tribute to DCFC. wow. perfectly mellow music for an overcast Wednesday.

3) Japanese taxi lights.


4) German company compares food-shoot images with real post-cooked product.


5) a flash of brand insight from Tom Asacker. brilliant.

6) muxtape. an online, social space to mix and share songs. instead of burning cds of your iTunes playlists, or hoping the object of your affection still has a tape deck and affinity for Rob Gordon-like romance, you can upload and mix and direct your listener to the site. brilliant. it's a bit slow to upload and load...not sure if that's new bugs or just the volume of traffic this great idea is sure to be receiving.

weekend tuneage

we're overdue for some WoolardSpeak music recs. looking at a week full of iTunes purchases, i here's what i've been pumping through my earbuds.

The Khrusty Brothers - The Khrusty Brothers: this is plain Amazing. this KC band is part Beck, part Beastie, part Bright Eyes in my opinion. and i love it. they're playing tonight at the record bar to release the self-titled album. start with "On a Shelf."
The Everybodyfields - Nothing is OK - i was in a mellow, bluegrass/folksy mood this week (hence many of the following purchases, save Danger) and this group of ex lovers are to blame. start with "Aeroplane."
Iron and Wine - Woman King EP - start with "Freedom Hangs Like Heaven."
Yonder Mountain String Band - Younder Mountain String Band - start with "Classic Situation."
Danger - 09/24 2007 EP - check out "11h 30." little bit of a departure, but this song freakin' rocks.

three bits of hump-day inspiration

busy day today...gotta be brief. but wanted to point you toward three things that have me all amped up.

first, from the wonderfully insightful Ruby Pseudo Wants a Word, a look at youth tribes and their tatoos. every agency client should have a Ruby Pseudo at their service. i learn so much each time she posts.

This Ain't No Disco gives us an inside look at creative spaces. it's no shock to those of us in the creative industry that space plays a major role. an uninspiring scene often promotes uninspired work. how does your space match up?

i attended the Citizen Cope concert last night with a number of folks (and a lot of stoned college freshmen). a great concert and even better company (stoned freshmen excluded), but the highlight of the evening was Cope's encore when he launched into a cover of Radiohead's Karma Police. as i mistakenly predicted in just hearing the first few chords, it was not UB40 - happily. this is a poor quality video of the song, but you get the idea.



as i told Mark on the drive home, the amount of buzz and chatter Radiohead gets in online trendspotting circles is astounding. its press in mainstream media is even more noteworthy. attention to its music, its cultural impact and its tech/business innovation yields best practices for brands far removed from the music scene. the group has transcended mere "band" status into the arts-equivalent of U2 in my mind. remember the Amplive remix i pointed you toward? here's another well-known cover of Kid A by John Mayer. every artist and their mother has covered Creep.

enjoy, and be inspired.

remixes, collaborations and brand strategy

one little known love of mine is hip hop. yes, you can laugh at the notion. however, in addition to my love for slow geetar tunes and folksy rock, i nod my head to Notorious frequently. i'm working on a little pet project right now, dissecting collaborations between brands and in that process uncovered this video/song from The Pack: Vans.



got me thinking about collaborations and remixes that crossover between two very different brands or cultures. The Pack's video and the buzz that's surrounded it is evidence that a cross-over from one culture to another can have a powerful impact. whodathunk the traditionally white-boy-skater shoes could infiltrate the sneaker-zealot hip hop culture in such a big (billboard topping) way? cross-over of kicks in hip-hop culture aren't new (think Nike SB Dunks and Air Force 1s), but The Pack is suggesting quite a big change in the way people are dressing and that doesn't come around too often. moreover, i think this is an example of a shattered ceiling for some brands that might not have the guts or insight to enter into new markets.

keeping within the remix theme, i downloaded well-known DJ Amp Live's finally-released remix of Radiohead's In Rainbows. wow. brilliant composition and incredibly respectful evolution to a stellar In Rainbows. i ran some errands during lunch today and pumped the album. the Jetta is 10x cooler as a result. the below videos document Amp's attempt to get around a cease and desist from Radiohead's management, then the thank you video once Radiohead let Amp put the remix out (for free download, of course).

not only is the remixed album amazing, but it's a brilliant collab (per Radiohead's OK) across two very differnt musical genres (with equally proud fans) and ends up elevating both artists' brand and work. please download it. your afternoon will be better.

the most notable collaborations are the collabs you wouldn't have thought of, but once you see them materialized, make total sense. so how does one or one's brand get there? i believe the answer resided in an understanding of cultural needs and consumer insight. it's more than brand a looks great with brand b. it's about empowering consumers to crossover to a new style, culture or mindset via a remix of the familiar.

spot sounds

i was fishing around for the singer behind the MacBook Air spot (Yael Naim) and found her full video of the featured song, New Soul. here it is.



the song is perfect - even in light of the entire video - for the message behind Air. this little hunt got me thinking about a debate i had with a fellow VW and Wilco fan on Sunday, over Wilco's music in the new veedub spots.

Wilco's "Either Way" spot, which blends the song with spot strategy seamlessly:



and Wilco's "Walken," which despite a solid strategy and great execution (especially for the Gen X market) just doesn't seem to work as well. might be better with a lullaby-like song? i know of a number of songs on Sky Blue Sky that fit (Please Be Patient With Me, You Are My Face, On and On and On, for starters).



and speaking of car commercials, this Kia spot has a great strategy, and is executed nicely with the help of a very fitting song by one of my favorites, Joe Purdy.



what's your favorite song and spot matchup?

saturday tunes

i've had a super-productive saturday morning. as most mornings go, it began with the Monk-dog burying his head under the covers, then jolting it upwards to jar me awake. may have been that i just felt under the weather this week (or that it's now saturday), but I bounded out of bed and took him into the backyard to drink some coffee (me) and partake in some squirrel intimidation (him).

filled some interwoven threads orders (preparing shipping packages gives me an insane amount of joy) while listening to the new Radiohead album (for the love of God, this is a great effort). i especially love the model Radiohead experimented with, in offering the album for any price the consumer wanted to pay. not only did that reap great pr and sales, it only encouraged folks to buy the album in box-form when it became available in the real world. it's currently numero uno on the Billboard chart. victory! here's the band's special NYE video, Scotch Mist. amazing....



just downloaded the new album from Coconut Records - actor Jason Schwartzman's one-man (with help) band. it's stellar. great weekend music. it's amazingly ADD in its sound, moving from mellow and melancholy folk (think Ben Kweller) to funky dork (think Weezer). i'm loving it. it's a nice surprise to find an actor making quality music. i got impatient and bought the album from iTunes, however, if you buy it from Coconut Records, Schwartzman throws in a Polaroid Pic for your extra consumer effort. check the below video for one of my instant favorites from the album:



here's what i'm not going to do this weekend. too cold to jump on the trails. i think part of the cold i battled last week was from inhaling too much mud last saturday.


instead, i'm headed to ibex to climb with a friend (her first time bouldering!). should be fun.

have an invigorating weekend.

That vending machine has feet

my friend moe helped me indulge my love for all things Japanese this morning with this link.

i love that the "experimental" designer likens this to ninja camo. man...i want one. just to throw on when people start boring me. i need to tap into my peeps in Tokyo to see if i might acquire this by Halloween.

"Are you supposed to be a vending machine?"
"No, I'm a modern-day ninja. Duh."

instead of running in the pouring rain this morning, i sat on my couch and made a mix for the rainy day. then i realized i haven't posted a mix on WoolardSpeak for a long time. So here. Happy Monday, this is what's in my ears today.

FM Radio - Joshua James
No One's Gonna Love You - Band of Horses
Crystal Village - Pete Yorn
Mushaboom (Postal Service Remix) - Feist/Postal Service
Ricky's Theme - Beastie Boys
Boy With a Coin - Iron and Wine
Land of Sea - Chris and Thomas
On Your Way - Album Leaf
Silent Sigh - Badly Drawn Boy
Love in the Lies - Amos Lee
Orange Sky - Alexi Murdoch
Side with the Seeds - Wilco
Moonlight Mile - The Rolling Stones
Thinking About You - Norah Jones
Everybody Knows - Ryan Adams
To Be Alone With You - Sufjan Stevens
Screen Door - Jeff Tweedy
New Slang - The Shins
Chandelier - The New Tragedies
Paris is On - Paul Brill
Don't You Evah - Spoon

"Is that Sufjan Stevens?"

This Sunday ranks among the best Sundays ever. For me at least. Here's a rundown.

• 11:00 wake up with Monk sprawled out on a good 3/4 of the bed. Winter is approaching, which means he starts feeling entitled to share the bed. This is not good.
  
• 11:30 Toast, coffee and a protein shake, read various papers online.
• 1:00 Met a group of friends at You Say Tomato. This could easily be my new favorite Kansas City restaurant. YST is one of those businesses you just know will make it. They haven't advertised, but have filled the chairs from extremely positive word of mouth and some well-earned press.
• 3:00 Sat outside and played guitar, then read The History of Love. One of the most well-written books I've ever read. My friend Sara sent this my way on Friday and I've been reading it since.
  
• 5:30 Went to church, which is always great. Tonight I served communion - one of my favorite things to do - and as I found my place up front, our band started playing what I thought was Sufjan Stevens' "To Be Alone With You." I looked up on the screen and yes, it was Sufjan. This is a pretty artsy, musical church, but Sufjan during communion? Then I listened to the words - of a song I'd played numerous times - and realized it was a very non-secular song. It was one of those experiences that seemed perfect.
  
• 8:00 I joined four friends to run a very cold and wet 11 miles. We're getting ready for the Gobbler Grind and this was our peak in preparation for next weekend's half. I love these people and we knocked out a quick 11, filled with a ton of hills, in no time, laughing the entire way.

Excuse the self-absorbed lack-of-a-point post. I guess I'm allotted one every once in a while. It's my blog and all.

Oh - Blogger has a new Beta version up...I'm using it now. Allows for some better templates and labels. It's alright...forces you to log out of Gmail when you're in Blogger though. That's a not-so-well-thought-out process.

Here are the lyrics I spoke of. You really need to hear the song to appreciate the meaning.

Artist: Sufjan Stevens
Album: Seven Swans
Year: 2004
Title: To Be Alone With You


I'd swim across lake Michigan
I'd sell my shoes
I'd give my body to be back again
In the rest of the room

To be alone with you
To be alone with you
To be alone with you
To be alone with you

You gave your body to the lonely
They took your clothes
You gave up a wife and a family
You gave your goals

To be alone with me
To be alone with me
To be alone with me
You went up on a tree

To be alone with me you went up on the tree

I'll never know the man who loved me