Meant to blog about this earlier but now the dust has settled and no major repercussions (touch wood) the Dean Gray Tuesday as hosted here and many other sites was a definite success.

I shifted 10GB in ONE day alone! Thanks to all that linked to me or hosted files themselves, it was a good statement.

On a more ranty-related note; it was an interesting the debate I had over at Get Your Bootleg On messageboard tho which went as usual as debates about politics over there go.

Which is basically there is a vocal few who don't think what they do is political and it always amazes me when people associated with something that is fairly transgressive and illegal (if not exactly the same as robbing banks, it's still not legit) think it isn't so., and seem to be laissez-faire about the whole deal.

'Oh I just do it for fun' or 'I do it to make people dance' are well and good reasons; but when the might of Warners is breathing down your neck political arguments like that don't cut it. And suggesting people don't fight might be a wise move in the case of one person, (I have suggested that to people who couldn't fight such a case alone); but it's different when you're opposing group actions like Dean Gray Tuesday; because it might upset the record company or the status quo. It just they want to just sit on the fence...have the 'cool' benefits of being related to mashups and its scene without actually risking much, and giving reactionary advice of 'well it's illegal, so you shouldn't do it, so quit yer bitchin' - it's a very conservative position to take.

I kknow the type: they support any rights than don't affect me and are fashionable (gay rights, womens rights, racial equality, my right to make mixes and bootlegs, don't get me wrong they are all well and good and worth fighting for) but don't come and ask me to put anything on the line, brother. Even for those causes.

It's like "I support X Y and Z"; but what do you actually DO about it? I'm as guilty of that in the past; one of the reasons I got involved in this was to shake such lethargic apathy, I do need to do more. And that does mean getting off your arse and risking something.

As I said in the Dean Gray thread; actions are what matters, everything else is just noise (I should have added 'including what I say' but didn't; but I hate couching statements with self-depreciation since it's a bad nervous english habit I have).

Weirdly the other worlds I inhabit - beardom, podcasting etc. seem more tolerant; or happier to think; or maybe they just ignore my rants better, or haven't gotten bored of me yet, I dunno.

And I'll never apologise for bringing politics into anything; ever again - since it was there to begin with, it's not my fault if someone is so blinkered they don't want to see that.

Sorry getting ranty - the important thing is that despite a few nay-sayers Dean Gray was a success; and interestingly doesn't seem to have had any major fall-out.

Maybe Warners didn't want a McLibel or Metallica/Napster or Beatallica on their hands? Or are the lawyers waiting to pounce around the corner...

OK this is probably going to sound podcestous or something (PodCest? did I just invent that? I know Podsterbation is taken!) as he plays a bit from Radio Clash in his show, but PodCheck has finally put up a new show - doesn't need pleading from me but I'll do it anyway, please go listen...it's very good. I want him to get a really big audience so then he HAS to put out regular shows. GUILT RAY ON STUN! I love what he does so much.

Yes I'm gushing now, I'll stop.

I must do another rollcall of my 'must listen' shows on Radio Clash which he is one - along with WHYME, Tracks up the Tree, Bicyclemark, £50 Pound Note and of course Ken And Squip...these are less frequent shows that I actively go and check the directory regularly rather than the rest who I'll listen to a chunk when I'm in the mood, or hear on shuffle.

timbearcub: uploading now
timbearcub: it has marching bands with punk covers
timbearcub: covers of sweet songs by mad people
timbearcub: cat related mashups
timbearcub: cult recordings used in modern dance tracks
bristolians1971: last of the canada pics en route to you
timbearcub: and some green day and supremes mashed up
timbearcub:oh and Beautiful South covering Don't Fear the Reaper
bristolians1971: nice

Business as (un)usual for show56, click for goodness (41Mb, 68mins): http://www.mutantpop.net/go.php?url=110

Shownotes

• Take 2 Offences into the Podcast? I just fuck and go!
• fuTuro - Keep Hanging Tomorrow
• Dean Gray - Novocaine Rhapsody
• Dean Gray Tuesday or here
• Canned Peaches - Ozzy's Cats (excerpt)
• Twink - Pussycat
• Churchill - Tigre Boy Love
• MakeSomeNoise podcast
• Vic Chesnutt - Like a Monkey in a Zoo (from the Late Great Daniel Johnston CD)
• Leland Stanford Junior Band - White Punks on Dope (from WFMU)
• Wayne Butane - Gorilla Drafted into the Marine Corps (excerpt - from Wayne Sucks)
• Miss Frenchie - Beautiful Fashion People
• The Strange Incident of the Cult in the Negativland (Record) - (LanceLockarm's original GYBO post and the response post from Bix (Bismrkbear))
• Mylo - Destroy Rock n' Roll
• Tindersticks - Here
• Beautiful South - (Don't) Fear the Reaper
• Nobody's Perfect - Everybody's Gonna Learn Sometime

Just something I've been thinking about recently; but those of you who are musicians, artists, DJs and the like - do you get fed up with recycling or regugitating the 'latest thing'?

I think this affects DJs and mashup/cutup artists more than others, the feeling or pressure from the media and record industry to work with the latest acapella/track or genre unless you feel out of the loop - there does seem to be a cycle or feed chain with what goes around; even obscure artists getting picked up seem to have some strange synchronicity or loop/pattern to it.

It's a weird sort of media-malaise; an editing ennui...it was sort of covered in the Pet Shop Boys 'DJ Culture' - the video and timing was synchronous with the Gulf War and the sampling of media-friendly clips of Iraq being bombed.

The feeling that you're regurgitating what's gone before and just part of an endless feedback of making crap pop singles or oldies palatable is one of the reasons I don't make many mashups unless I have a good reason (political/humour) and a message to do so.

Unlike say The Fall or Wesley Willis I don't have voices in my head forcing me to create tracks or artwork - but there is this low-level background hum of 'getting along' and wanting to keep up with others or wanting or keeping a media/online profile - this is what I have resisted - Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani and Britney can sleep safely in their beds knowing I won't be messing around with such pop shite anyday soon; pop-culture currency or no.

...ahh but am I 'Losing My Edge'?
Are the footprints sounding behind me?
Do I care?
Or am I talking crap?

I get more excited about Wayne Butane (thanks bjason for that pointe ) and Shitmat and 'bad' outsider music than I do most mashups nowadays...

Finally joined LiveJournal. Nothing at all to do with the loads of cute bears that hang out there...oh no...

Also as a backup if this goes down...on there as 'timbearcub' too.

Thanks to Jeb aka arthole (£50 Note Podcast) for introducing me to folks over at LJ.