squarewave

I would have added "Reviolution Calling" from Queensryche...

Perhaps my list is not as sarcastic as this list...

Anyone have any serious recommendations??

I am not a hardcore DAW guy as of yet.

Honestly, I am really looking to use it as a preamp for music file playback right now. Yeah, I know it's overkill, but that;s how I roll.

The inputs, DSP, plug-ins, etc would LIKELY be used later as I choose some software and assemble a project DAW.

That said, please feel free to include system specific pros/cons of the interfaces with DAW software like Cubase.

Based on a very quick (and I will admit, purely superficial) glance at the available products, I am leaning toward a TC Electronics Konnekt product or the Focusrite Saffire w/ DSP.

I know and respect these brands for their other electronics, but I am not sure of they are the right choice for this type of product.

$300-400 street price would be the max budget for a purchase like this.

TIA.

A_Wheel, your posts on the previous page were spot on. Some of the most relevant things I've read on this board.

If this is a sincere post, then thanks...

If this sentiment is sarcastic (and therfore relevant in it's own right), then thanks again.

Twenty-twenty-twenty four hours to go I wanna be (relevant)

Nothin' to do no where to go-o-oh I wanna be (relevant)

Sorry.

As for El (Famous Burrito), I don't pat myself on the back...

Except for your penchant for throwing digs at Rush fans, you appear to be a fairly normal person with at least some taste in music.

So don't feel that ANY of that was directed to you... Unless you are wearing a rolled brim Stussy hat and Birks w/ heavy socks and standing next to a pool table talking too loud on a cell phone about an after-bar kegger when it's your shot.

"box full of letters" used to be a part of Lin's Bin opening theme....

XRT supports the Wilco... and vice versa

I think XRT has lost a lot of it's luster, but it's still the best we got (and one of the best commercial stations in the US)

I thought of another one...

Sammy Hagar solo during the VOA tour (I can't drive 55)...

An unknown band called Dokken opened, and tore shit up.

Yeah, George Lyhch is as good as the reputation.

Here are some Summerfest favorites....

Bush and Jesus Lizard at Summerfest in the pavilion.....

I was HAMMERED at the end of the show because we were heading to the concessions and buying 4 beers each per trip.

Goo Goo Dolls on a free stage when NOBODY knew who they were, and they were still making Replacements influenced music instead of soundtrack ballads.

Tragically Hip on free stage in Summerfest... They are a great live band.

The Guffs (great Milwaukee band) on a free stage.

Wilco on a free stage, and I believe it was one of the last shows (if not THE last show) before the Nels era.

I remember that they played Got You (at the end of the century) and I went apeshit nuts.

i'm pretty sure that being in a fraternity never hampered my musical intelligence.

If this is true, you are likely to be in the minority...

Most greeks I ever knew were full blown fuck-tards and were lemmings marching headlong off the cliff while jamming out to the lowest common denominator in music at the time.

My favorite was a guy air-drumming to Alanis Morrisette "You Outta Know" on the radio in a car ride we shared while we were bar hopping with mutual friends.

He wandered away from us to hang with his "brothers" at nearly every bar we visited.

This was the era when all frat kids had to manditorily wear Birk sandals (usually with wool socks)... and tightly curled brim Stussy or Abercrombie baseball caps.

His date of that night was my date (and GF for a couple months) a few weeks after that... Then I dated his sister.

Come to think of it, I did pretty well when hanging with those idiots!!

How's your flow? That's all that matters.

Is this a question about the health of my prostate??

Everything that is supposed to be "flowing" is still working just fine, I will let you know if anything changes....

As far as flow on the mic... not so much.

as a total old school hip-hop head, i'd never outright bash...because I agree w/ you from the perspective that mainstream hip-hop has lost it's original pulse in a lot of ways. it takes a lot of effort not to retreat into only listening to stuff i know i like from the golden era.

 

that said, hip hop...some of the classics even...haven't always had what i would consider an actual 'message'. actually, it's not even so much the actual lyrical content that turns me off from contemporary mainstream stuff nowadays, but the rehashed, plodding beats/hooks and lazy delivery over the top of them. the music itself is just stale and boring, even without the tired lyrical rap cliches.

Amen.

So this cat Ohmega Watts is the real shit??

I will grab it...

Perhaps I should dust off the old transcription pads and start writing again.

Should I go for the mags and share my passionate beliefs about music?? or get really adventurous and attempt to cut a truly relevant record with a message??

I don't know if too many "target market" music buyers would buy tracks from a 36 yr old white guy who grew up semi-poor in a marginal area, dropped out of community college, and steadily worked into the upper echelon of his industry through actual hard work while mildly sabotaging his credit rating by paying his student loans off late and forgetting to shut off the electricity from my name in that house I rented on the Fox River out in Geneva....

Don't get me wrong, I have stories... but I think my days of pure angst and identifying with the plight of the average inner city kid on the streets are long behind me...

I am glad that this hasn't turned into a bash session on what I have posted...

My eyes and ears, as well as my mind, are open. Keep the recommendations coming, and I will give them a fair shake.

Obviously, the Roots are a known quantity, and they definitely deserve to be excluded from my ass-ripping of the overall hip-hop scene.

It (should be) fairly obvious that I was a bug fan of the punk and post-punk movements... I feel that hip-hop today is where punk was in the mid/late-80s.

The fever pitch and the true message were long gone, and it was all about the neophytes who got in for the wrong reasons and had zero perspective.

Tell me who, of any artist ever is making music as relevant culturally as the Beatles in the 60's. That to me was the peak of music.

Bob Marley was fairly relevant....

Anytime your own country's oppressive leader makes a real attempt to assassinate you, you have graduated from entertainer to a person who is relevant in the political and social scene...

The Clash were somewhat relevant (note sarcasm).... John Lennon sang about a revolution, The Clash were a little more adamant.

For that matter, the entire punk movement was relevant....

What about the alternative movement of the early 90s?? Going from the "nothing but a good time" 80s hair metal shite to writing songs about what is actually happening good and bad in the World??

It was the 60s hippie movement (encompassing the Beatles) all over again, this time with some angst and fervor, with loud fast drumming and de-tuned power chords....

The aforementioned Public Enemy were very relevant... Essentially THE most powerful messages to come from arguably the most powerful musical movement ever (yes, hip hop)

I think there's been plenty of great hip hop music released lately, but thats just me. I know plenty of people disagree, and I don't disagree with the statement that hip hop is past it's best time (which I think was early to mid 90's.)

Hip hop in general used to be relevant, the music of the streets....

Now it's just another money grab.... and these dumb shit, uneducated, zero clue hip hop artists are not just perpetuating this, they are actually ACTIVELY PROMOTING AND PORTRAYING it as a massive money grab with all the jewelry and ridiculous looking shit they put in their mouths, waving handfuls of cash on videos, and walking around on Cribs talking about the $200k cars, and customized shit they own when most of the time they don't even know what it is... but they own it because it is another sign that they spent money.

Does anyone else find this as offensive to their sensibilities as I do??

I don't see it as "look how successful I am"... I see it as "look how much money I made off you idiots to provide you with a worthless, mindless, empty product".

Mind you, this is my opinion of the majority of hip hop, but not all hip hop....

I would bet that some of the more "relevant" hip hop artists also feel the same way, although they may be hesitant to voice such an opinion for fear of getting shot at the Hip Hop Honors, VMAs, or the BET awards or something.

If the artists only understood the actual power they had, and what they let slip through their fingers.

Chuck D really understood it... Not to many others did.

what site is that (the TRUTH) at again?

Shit. I spawned that whole thing??

Anyway.... The truth as in listen to the candidates speak about themselves, read about their political past, what they voted on, what they voted against, what legislation they introduced, what fat they attempted to add or trim to bills as they were being considered, etc...

Read between the lines, what was a party vote (they all vote on the party lines sometimes to keep in the good graces of the party) vs. what are the persons core values and ideals. Is this person beholden to special interests?? Which ones?? To what degree?? How much does that matter to the ability to lead??

Will the Church or corporate America run this guy? or will the people? Perhaps it's some of both... Will the people be represented AT ALL by this candidate??

Here is an example... A company in IL developed a cellular phone technology that jams ALL external signals within a certain radius while allowing certain pre-determined lines to remain open within that area.

Although it was developed for another use, it was determined that this is a product that can be utilized in military convoys in Iraq and Afghanistan to prevent neer-do-wells from using cell phones to trigger roadside IEDs (which is commonly accepted as the way that they are currently triggered).

Some dick in Pennsylvania voted AGAINST this not because he feared it was too expensive or not technically sound, but because his #1 campaign contributor makes the Pittsburgh steel that is used for military armor, which was the competing way which was being voted on to deal with roadside IEDs....

I would never support that person in any election, regardless of party affiliation....

In the last election, marketing told us that Kerry was a "flip-flopper", what they portrayed was that he was easily influenced and had no backbone... Another opinion may have been that he actually weighed the pos vs neg on the subject with up to date info and changed his mind to best suit his feelings on the matter.

Which is right?? It's really not relevant, but the marketing gets in the way and the masses never bothered to research it.

Nothing stirs up the vitriol at VC like some good old-fashioned intra-state rivalry...

Is this Fort Sumpter circa 1861??

I am from Chicago area, and don't especially care for a lot of what Texas represents to me today...

But instead of bashing fellow VCers, I simply just don't plan to return to TX...

Maybe to Austin... but I can't see intentionally going to the rest of TX right now.

My reasons are more because many of the Texans I have encountered in my lifetime were way too brash, especially while in someone else's backyard, and had this air about them like they were hardcore badasses, but not because they were hardcore badasses, but because they were from TX (which is ridiculous).

I know that Chicagoans traveling anywhere in WI (or IN... or MI...) have a similar reputation, but I don;t begrudge anyone that opinion because they are probably right. I feel that I am probably basing that opinion on a stereotype and a few chance encounters more than the actual cross section of Texans (especially those who would be at a place like this, who are obviously at least somewhat cool)

I do have some friends in Dallas area, but they are more like normal people than the idiots who come up here and spew off at the mouth and can;t shut the fuck up about "not messing with Texas". My usual comment to that guy is to stop messing with ME and go back to fucking Texas...

I think our current President and his reckless cowboy attitude is the one who has set back the status of TX in most people's eyes....

Texans please speak up!!... Be proud of where you are from, and tell me if you see this as an issue for your State's identity....

Mr. 'Smoke... I am a lover, not a fighter... and I am not making a personal attack at anyone, just stating an opinion...

If you want this post pulled, say it.

i originally grew up on the jersey shore, where, between springsteen and bon jovi -- and to a lesser degree, Frank Sinatra, and Pat DeNunzio from The Smithereens -- it was a foregone conclusion that we were all destined to be superstar performers.

demo tape gods abounded..

Southside Johnny called me and he's pissed that you left him off the list of Jersey artists who "made it"...

The Asbury Jukes are outside your house right now with baseball bats.

i've been in semi-retirement... most recently played in a Joe Strummer Tribute show in early 2003 with a band called Bad Apples.

I have done Johnny Appleseed and Janie Jones at rehearsal... but never while playing out.

I played in an originals band and loved to throw in some off-beat kick ass convers Soul Asylum style... The guitar player/singer wanted nothing to do with the covers (because he didn't write them).

T. Rex Jeepster was another favorite warmup/soundcheck... as was the ZZ Top song Just Got Paid (not to be confused with the N'Sync or Johnny Kemp songs of the same name, even though I tried to throw in the Kemp version at a few rehearsals because of the FUNK)

I could do a Clash tribute show or two... I think I would enjoy that.

Anyone need a terrible bass player??

Judging all of hip-hop by the work of "Puffy" is like drinking piss and swearing off water.

I agree, but I wasn't judging all of hip hop by Puffy... I just said that it is a law that anything featuring Puffy HAS TO suck...

A new ruling stipulates that this now includes any Sean John clothes or accessories, especially since he is in the new Macy's ads w/ Donald Trump and Martha Stewart (holding back vomit).

notorious b.i.g. is the lone puffy-ite with any juice.

"don't ask me if i write rhymes, i write checks."

Exactly...

Puffy shuffled through everyone's videos, and I hear he throws a mean party... So what??

So a few of you didn;t like that statement... For you, please tell me who (of todays hip-hop artists) is as important and relevant today as WuTang was in the early 90s??

Or as Public Enemy was in the late 80s??

What's that?? That's right... Nobody, that's who....

THAT was when hip hop was at it's peak, IMO...

To name anyone recording today and make any comparison to PE would be like comparing Blink 182 or Good Charlotte to the Clash...

I like very very few of the recent hip-hop artists... Common and Mos Def come to mind as shining examples of good hip hop... I like also like some of Wyclef's stuff.

If there are others I should be listening to, please post them.

God knows I can't count on radio anymore, and every good record store I used to go to are all gone.

Boards like this are really the only place I can go to to get turned on to decent new music.

BobBob, I own the first two Kanye CDs... They were OK, but they didn't seem to stay with me as much as they obviously stayed with you.

I won't be buying the new one.

Also, don't take it so personally.... I am not here to speak for anyone else, these are my opinions.

It's not like I wrote a magazine article about this or anything.

Soul Asylum at Metro... They covered TLC's "Waterfalls", and one fan turned his back on the stage and flew the bird at the stage for the whole song...

They dedicated Cartoon to that guy and RIPPED!! (I love SA)

Cheap Trick's Silver Anniversary Show at Davis Park in Rockford, IL (the home town of CT).

I was right next to the families in the VIP area, Slash, Art Alexakis, Jon Brant, Billy Corgan, and others stood in at various points in the show...

It was like a religious experience.

KISS!! Bradley Center in Milwaukee... full makeup, full pyro...

I had backstage passes and met Tim Armstrong from Rancid (who was attending the show) and the guys from D Generation (who opened)

Van Halen numerous times in the DLR and Sammy eras... Best was with Bachman Turner Overdrive opening... Weird.

DLR solo w. Steve Vai.... Yes, Steve Vai is as good as the reputation...

Pearl Jam at United Center... Fank Black and the Catholics opened.... PJ broke out their cover of the Who's Baba O'Riley for the first time ever...

Brought the house down!! I rented a big Town Car and me and my pals went in style... and drank way too many back pack Mai Tais at the show

Wilco The first of the 2 night stand at Otto's shows in Dekalb, which were the very first shows after Jeff got clean... Also the first shows w. Nels if memory serves...

Wilco at the Auditorium for the Halloween shows.... Others may hate it, but I love that place.

Mike Watt 7th Street Entry (back room of First Ave in Minneapolis)

Grant Hart (of Husker Du) was hanging out....

Catherine Wheel I saw them at Metro, and later at First Avenue (because I planned a business trip to MN around the show!)

Great band, great shows.

Oh, I was just IM'ing my Mom as I wrote this to visit a little... she wants to add that she saw Johnny Cash and Buck Owens at a "proper" hall in Freeport, IL before I was born...

Why would she rub that in??

Ah, I know I have others.... The memory ain't what it once was....

So Kelly Clakson is a "half-tard" (best writing in that article)

It would appear that ANY idiot can be a rock writer....

Over-praised?? The concept in general is ridiculous.

If I were to pipe in a vote, it would be any of the pseudo-alt BS of the past 5-10 years like Trail of Dead, Drive By Truckers, etc.

Also, Eminem, 50 Cent, Lil' Wayne, Chamillionaire and any of that shit...

Even if you say Em has created a new "flow" (which I would agree with), it's all re-tread hip-hop of the ORIGINAL hip-hop of the 80s-90s.

Anything with "Puffy" in it has to suck, it's the law. Hip hop jumped the shark with the Biggy vs Tupac East Coast v. West Coast "war" and the shootings...

Now it's about getting on Cribs.

Hip-hop is SOOOO tired....

RIP Paul Raven.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7056986.stm

I would implore EVERYONE to keep their remotes handy until the elections are over.

When a political AD comes on, regardless of the candidate or the race, change the channel or use the mute button.

Don't let the marketing sway your opinion, let the TRUTH sway your opinion.

Anyone else sick of hearing every decent performance described as "lights out" this year??

I swear, I am going to pack up and leave to hunt down the next sportscaster who uses that phrase.... and knock their f-ing lights out!!

I saw 'em looking all awkward on SNL and I can definitely see that....

Flipping through some NCAA Football (watching the Badgers lose)

I heard the Bob Mould song "See a Little Light" during a commercial for TIAA Kref...

Bob too??

Jeff Tweedy to Lou Reed

Jeff is/was a member of Golden Smog with Gary Louris of the Jayhawks.

Mark Olsen of the Jayhawks is married to Victoria Williams.

Lou Reed recorded Victoria Williams' song "Tarbelly & Featherfoot" for the Sweet Relief CD which raised money for Victoria's medical treatments.

Music:

Wilco - The entire Wilco catalog on CD and the CD that came with the Wilco Book.

also YHF and AGIB on vinyl

UT - No Depression, Anodyne and the Anthology on CD

DVD:

the IIATTBYH DVD, the Sunken Treasure DVD

and the new DVD which came with the "deluxe" SBS CD.

Books:

I have the Wilco Book pic book

the Greg Kot book

Other:

a canvas tote bag (which came with something else)

some stickers (which came with something else)

Posters:

Notably missing from my collection are the very cool show posters.

Wearables:

For t-shirts, I have the Wilco AGIB Tour '05 shirt where the birds are taking off from the letters,

and an unopened NYE shirt from the Wilco/Flaming Lips show.

The band Hum from Champaign, IL have a song on the new Cadillac CTS commercials...

Where the guy wants to be the hammer and not the nail.

I used to really like Hum, it looks like their web page has been stagnant for many years.