Technology
My article on energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, green HDTVs ran today at Forbes.com.
The article is mostly about energy-efficiency, ensuring that your new HDTV doesn't suck to much power and thus contribute to greater consumption and a larger carbon footprint.
I also talk about what new technologies are being introduced to reduce the environmental impact of HDTVs and how manufacturers are significantly altering the methods of production and greening their factories to ensure that they're not contributing to the ultimate destruction of humanity and the biosphere.
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I'm a little late on mentioning this one, but I had work in the August 2008 issue of LAPTOP Magazine, which is no longer available on newsstands but was not long ago. I contributed to the evaluation of camcorders for the "52 Great Mobile Bargains" cover story. I once again benefit from having a last name that starts with 'b,' as I'm mentioned first in the byline on the article. In other tech writing news, I should have some work in the November 2008 issue of LAPTOP, also regarding camcorders, and I've got my story on "Green HDTVs" pending at Forbes.com.
ALARM Magazine issue 32 is out on newsstands now. It's the one with the the Melvins on the cover. Inside, you'll find my review of the Balustrade Ensemble's Capsules. I've done a few other reviews that are pending publication at ALARM, one for Death Vessel's Nothing is Precious Enough For Us and Robert Pollard's Boston Spaceships album Brown Submarine.
At the moment, I'm listening to Max Richter's 24 Postcards in Full Colour, Matthew Robert Cooper's Miniatures and Tanya Tagaq's Auk/Blood.
Music
My review of David Byrne and Brian Eno's latest collaboration, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, ran today in the Boston Phoenix
If you were hoping for a sequel to their seminal 1981 album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, you're out of luck. Both these artists have covered a lot of ground in the nearly 30 years since that work and, unsurprisingly, this album bears much more of a resemblance to their contemporary outputs than their youthful endeavors.
But just because it's not what you might have expected (or hoped for) doesn't mean it's a disappointment. Quite the contrary, this album is an exciting, entertaining bit of music from two musicians who can still make a joyful noise.
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Music
My review of Jeff Hanson's Madam Owl ran today in the Boston Phoenix.
I had the pleasure of listening to this record alongside the most recent Death Vessel disc (which I have reviewed for ALARM Magazine). Both artists share an unusual trait for grown men, a quite airy, feminine singing voice that is not instantly recognizable as coming from a man.
It's slightly disorienting, in fact, but once the initial surprise subsides, both records can be assessed on the merits and strength of their songcraft.
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Books
My review of The Black Death: A Personal History by John Hatcher ran today at PopMatters.
It was an excellent portrayal of the life and times of medieval villagers as the plague crept towards their English hamlet in the 14th century. Hatcher blends historical research with well-crafted fiction, bridging the gaps in our knowledge. It's not pure history; it's something of a reenactment, full of educated guesses and speculation, like Errol Morris' The Thin Blue Line.
The result is an effective means of communicating the salient facts about the Black Death in a personal and immediate way, highlighting the significance of the event in a manner that no dry, statistical outline ever could.
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Technology
My article on HDTVs that would be suitable for dorm rooms or college suites ran tonight at Forbes.com.
If you're a college student heading back to school after a summer of enjoying your parents' big-screen, high-definition television, this is a good guide to figuring out how to find an affordable HDTV that will fit in your academic-year living space.
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Music
My review of Zach Hill's Astrological Straits ran today in the Boston Phoenix.
I really enjoyed this disc. Completely off-the-wall, drummer-led abstract noise with a tuneful, playful energy. I had never really warmed up to Hella (the math-rock guitar was never my thing), though I appreciated what they did and the power they put into their performances. Still, despite my lack of enthusiasm for their work, when they started shifting toward more traditional, less anarchic songs, it seemed like a step in the wrong direction.
Astrological Straits is the right direction: every-which-way, all over the place, and willing to boldly experiment with sound, structure, and cohesiveness.
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Music
My review of Oneida's Preteen Weaponry ran today in the Boston Phoenix.
It's a three-part, thirty-nine minute instrumental piece modeled after the band's live shows. It certainly has an improvisational feel to it. It's an enjoyable listen; the kraut-inspired beats and organ rhythms are really hypnotic. Overall, it's not really anything new or truly exciting.
Hopefully the next entry in the Thank Your Parents trilogy will kick things up a notch.
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Vestiges
This weekend at South Station, I noticed something about the new digital train information board. When they change the information being displayed, it makes the familiar "chk-chk-chk-chk" sound of the old analog flip boards. There's a speaker mounted on the bottom of the board. It seems ridiculous at first, but I really can't think of a better way to make people aware that the board is changing that doesn't involve lots of painstaking reconditioning. Our future technology is in many ways constrained by tradition. Comments (0) - [7.28.08]
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