If You Find The Earth Boring...

Out of the Unknown was a British Science Fiction series produced for the BBC between the years of 1965-1971.  I’ve never seen it, but it was probably like The Twilight Zone in the US.  Here’s the main title for the show which is a mighty fine 35 seconds of your time: [youtube CFtO84yaKnU 600 400]

I got a wrong text or a foreign spammer or something-or-other from the Washington DC area today.  Google can’t help me figure it out.  The first thing I thought of was one of the high points of my childhood TV memories.  Zoom, Dad, Zoom! [youtube suafkk2vWNI 600 400]

This is one of my new favorite blogs: Maddie On Things …and check out This Wild Idea for more background on their travels.

The Amen Break is an approximately 6 second section of drums taken from the song “Amen, Brother”, the B-Side to the 1969 single “Color Him Father” by The Winstons.  This 20 minute documentary investigates the history of the Amen drum sample, arguably four bars that changed the world: [youtube 5SaFTm2bcac 600 400]  Here’s a database of music that has used the sample.  Listen here to a BBC Radio 1 documentary on the Amen Break.

This great VHS tape was a free promotional item which eventually was passed around by the workers at the record store I used to work at.  What’s Up Matador was “a Matador Records Instructional Film & Music Video Compilation” that came out in 1997.  From the back of the video jacket: What is a record label? What are “recoupables”? What is “indie cred”? Who is Ricky Luanda? Where is my mail order? Every day, we receive countless letters, taxes, and electronic mail messages from children who want to know “what’s up?” And although we try the best we can to answer their questions individually (especially if they send pictures), we couldn’t possibly satisfy everyone. Enter award-winning film maker Clay Tarver. Clay (who also plays guitar in Chavez) conceived of an instructional (yet entertaining) film that would introduce young people to the world of Matador. With the help of cable television fixture Bill Boggs (perhaps you’ve seen his work as a pitch man for the 18” satellite dish) and a New Jersey elementary school audience, Tarver’s film answers all the questions you’ve ever had about Matador, its origins, the bands and their way of life. These lessons are illustrated by actual professional videos by Matador artists: (1) Spoon “Not Turning Off” (2) Railroad Jerk “Rollercoaster” (3) Yo La Tengo “From a Motel 6” (4) Guided By Voices “Motor Away” (5) Pizzicato Five “Twiggy Twiggy” (6) Silkworm “Wet Firecracker” (7) Bettie Serveert “Palomine” (8) Pavement “Cut Your Hair” (9) Helium “Pat’s Trick” (10) Run On “Christmas Trip” (11) Liz Phair “Jealousy” (12) The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion “Flavor” (13) Chavez “Unreal Is Here” (14) Chain Gang “Satanic Rockers” [youtube HMp8Q89bWKc 700 525]