Genre Research Project 90/1362: Bitpop

Bitpop is a type of electronic music and subgenre of chiptune music, where at least part of the music is made using the sound chips of old 8-bit (or 16-bit) computers and video game consoles.

Among systems used include the Atari 8-bit computer, NEC PC-8801, Commodore 64, Nintendo Entertainment System, Amiga, Game Boy, and Mega Drive / Genesis. The sounds produced from these systems can be combined to any degree with traditional instruments, such as guitar and drums, modern synthesizers and drum machines, or vocals and sound effects. Some artists use software-based emulators or virtual synthesizers to recreate the sounds of 8-bit systems, while some use hardware synths, which use the actual sound chips from those systems, such as the Sidstation, Midibox, and trackers.

I have such wonderful, wonderful things... to show you...

Darkspace - "Darkspace 3.13" (Darkspace III)

I'd give you my all

Woods of Desolation - "Darker Days" (Torn Beyond Reason)


I feel like I only listen to country and metal now. Sorry. :(

Playlist for 2-19-15

Hello Internet,

Did you win your Oscar pool? This was the first year I hadn't made one in a while because I feel like I was just....less interested in the noms. I saw the ones I wanted, and I'm sure the other ones are good, but..... And they didn't even nominate Nightcrawler for nearly anything. And etc etc etc. Any movies you think got passed over that I should know about? Tell me in the comments.

In the meantime, here are songs I played on a radio show I do.

Things that Are Square 2-19-15

(*) = New release

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - Lesley Gore on the T.A.M.I. Show (Version) - Advance Base Battery Life

(*) Belle and Sebastian - The Book of You - Girls In Peacetime Want to Dance

The Lucksmiths - Camera-Shy - Naturaliste

Stereolab - Pinball - Fluorescences

(*) Quarterbacks - Not In Luv - Quarterbacks

(*) Phantom Posse - She Gets Lonely (Feat. Makonnen) - Home

Old Man Gloom - Something For the Mrs. - Christmas

Low - Sunflowers - Things We Lost in the Fire

(*) Twerps - Fern Murderers - Range Anxiety

Sturgill Simpson - Life of Sin - Metamodern Sounds in Country Music

John Moreland - Nobody Gives a Damn About Songs Anymore - In the Throes

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Cannibal's Hymn - Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus

Simon Joyner - Burn Rubber - Beautiful Losers

(*) Mount Eerie - Pumpkin - Sauna

Fog - Cockeyed Cookie Pusher - Hummer

Nils Frahm - Says - Spaces

M83 - Run Into Flowers - Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts

Sia - Breathe Me (Four Tet Remix) - Remixes

Playlist for 2-12-15

Hey folks!

Thanks to everyone who listened last night. And even if you didn't, I hope you're one of those folks who get to enjoy a three day weekend tomorrow. And that, however you spend it, you enjoy Valentine's Day. I will be spending it with my one true love, alcohol, at a bottle share event. Feel free to join me. Go buy something nice from the Bruery, come over, and we'll get lovey dovey.

I played you these songs because I love you:

Things that Are Square 2-12-15

(*) = New release

The Magnetic Fields - Yeah! Oh, Yeah! - 69 Love Songs

(*) Belle and Sebastian - Allie - Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance

The Long Winters - The Commander Thinks Aloud - Future Soundtrack for America

Low - Venus - A Lifetime of Temporary Relief

Advanced Base - My Sister's Birthday - A Shut-In's Prayer

(*) Mount Eerie - Dragon - Sauna

TV on the Radio - Mr. Grieves - Young Liars

PJ Harvey - The Words that Maketh Murder - Let England Shake

Fleet Foxes - Tiger Mountain Peasant Song - Fleet Foxes (For Alex in Costa Mesa, CA)

(*) Twerps - Back to You - Range Anxiety

The Weakerthans - Plea from a Cat Named Virtue - Reconstruction Site

Minus the Bear - Let's Play Guitar in a Five Guitar Band - Highly Refined Pirates

Dads - Aww, C'mon Guys - American Radass (This Is Important)

(*) Viet Cong - Pointless Experience - Viet Cong

Against Me! - Pints of Guinness Make You Strong - The Acoustic EP

(*) Thou & The Body - Terrible Lie - You, Whom I Have Always Hated

Rosie Thomas - Wedding Day - When We Were Small

Woody Guthrie - I Ain't Got No Home In This World Anymore - Hard Travelin'

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Today I Was An Evil One - I See a Darkness

Silver Jews - Honk If You're Lonely - American Water

Smog - Let's Move to the Country - Knock Knock

Phil Ochs - The Ballad of the Carpenter - I Ain't Marching Anymore

Hedwig and the Angry Inch - Sugar Daddy - Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Aux Hope - 16H and Pavement - The Slumberland 5 EP

Boards of Canada - Kid for Today - In a Beautiful Place, Out In the Country

Vatican Shadow - Wahabi Money Flows - Atta's Apartment Slated for Demolition

She's on the dark side

Massive Attack - "Angel" (Mezzanine)

Genre Research Project 89/1362: Post-Punk

Post-punk is a rock music genre that paralleled and emerged from the initial punk rock explosion of the late 1970s. The genre is a more experimental and arty form of punk. Post-punk laid the groundwork for alternative rock by broadening the range of punk and underground music, incorporating elements of krautrock (particularly the use of synthesizers and extensive repetition), disco, dub music, and studio experimentation into the genre. It was the focus of the 1980s alternative music/independent scene, and led to the development of genres such as gothic rock and industrial music.

Stylistically, the genre has a general backbone consisting of a prominent, pulsating sound and rhythm section of bass and drums. The bouncy syncopation and overall funkiness of the bass is exploited to its maximum in Dance-Punk. On top of this arrangement are atmospheric-but-minimal, spiky, interweaving lead guitar lines and squall, creating a cold, melancholic tone, with extensive use of minor key melodies. Vocals are commonly menacing, monotone and even robotic.

And we rock because it's us against them

Against Me! - "Those Anarcho Punks Are Mysterious..." (The Acoustic EP)

Playlist for 1-29-15

Hey guys,

I'll do a full show again someday as soon as UCI's basketball teams get knocked out of the playoffs. Won't be long. Promise.

Things that Are Square 1-29-15

(*) = New release

The Extra Glenns - Somebody Else's Parking Lot in Sebastopol - Martial Arts Weekend

(*) Twerps - Back to You - Range Anxiety

Shannon and the Clams - You Will Always Bring Me Flowers - Sleep Talk

Tullycraft - Building the Robot - Disenchanted Hearts Unite

Future Bible Heroes - Doris Day the Earth Stood Still - Eternal Youth (For Kelly in Irvine, CA)

(*) Belle and Sebastian - Ever Had a Little Faith? - Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance

R.L. Kelly - Woke Up Feeling Sad - Life's a Bummer (For Diana in Los Angeles, CA)

Daniel Johnston - True Love Will Find You in the End - The Late Great Daniel Johnston

Emperor X - Allahu Akbar - Western Teleport

(*) Viet Cong - Bunker Buster - Viet Cong

The Dismemberment Plan - Spider in the Snow - Emergency & I

Botch - Afghamistam - An Anthology of Dead Ends

Mogwai - 2 Rights Make 1 Wrong - Rock Action