The Unblinking Ear 3/27/14

(Above: The new business model)

Music is becoming a cheaper and cheaper commodity to the point where it's nearly worthless. Physical copies are slipping into irrelevance and MP3s are easily obtainable for free. It's high time to we make the pendulum to swing in the other direction and force music to be heard as high art rather than disposable fodder.

With this in mind, starting with our next edition, the Unblinking Ear Podcast will only be heard in select museums. Sorry, plebeians.

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The Unblinking Ear Podcast: Podcasters Do It Weekly

I have to admit doing this podcast on a weekly basis has presented some challengers.

For example, trying to come up with something interest to say when I post a new one.

I can hear some of you now saying "Well that never stopped you before."

Har har. You're so funny, hypothetical straw man.

In lieu of clever comment, I'll just give you this still from the 1983 film Joysticks:

(Note: I discovered the above via the recent book Destroy All Movies, which is immensely entertaining and needs to be owned by everyone.)

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The Unblinking Ear Podcast Part Deux

So the first Unblinking Ear podcast was a rousing success. It was downloaded a grand total of 19 times. For my second podcast I'd like to get that number up to an even 20 if possible. So if you didn't download the first one (which you still can, here), here's your chance to earn a special place in my heart while listening to some rather excellent rock n roll music.

Also, I may have figured out how to remove all the clicks my tongue and teeth make when I speak. Damn sensitive microphone.

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Make this band your Myspace friend: Tyvek

Best record I've heard thus far this year? That would be Tyvek's "Summer Burns" double 7 inch. I've been hearing this band's name thrown around for months: sharing a 7" with the excellent Cheveu, going on tour with the also excellent Cause Co-Motion!, doing a session for the Cherry Blossom Clinic on WFMU, being name dropped by none other than Ted Leo. It's easy to see why. Many bands who drink from the post-punk fountain are stiff and rigid, recreating the formal elements of whatever aspects of the sound they choose to emulate but not the enthusiasm, and are generally too cool for school (but not cool enough for my turntable, motherfucker). Tyvek play their songs with the ragged fervor of a lo-fi garage punk band. (They're from Detroit so maybe that helps.) They're all about immediacy, not detachment and these four songs will penetrate your soul to evoke memories of your 16 year old self scouring 7 inch bins for Datapanik/Anyway singles or hearing Delta 5 or the Fall for the first time. (Okay, that's probably more my 16 year old self than yours.) The 2x45 has me clamouring to hear anything else the band has to offer as I suspect it will for you as well.

Mucho props to the folks at What's Your Rupture? for presenting this gift to the universe. They are quickly becoming of the best labels in the world. If only they would release the 3rd Sally Crewe and the Sudden Moves album they would almost certainly get the top spot. That's called a suggestion, guys!!

Make Tyvek your myspace friend.