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Study shows music affects moods, students agree

admin — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:33:44 +0000

The Mozart effect is one that has been around for a long time. Studies suggest that when a child under age 3 is subject to the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, their brain development is increased.Whether or not the stories and studies prove anything, the question remains: Does music have an effect on people?Psychology professor Jan Berkhout conducted several studies relating to the effects of music on people. One of her studies tested to see if music affected the way people drive. Berkhout said the main idea was to see if music made people drive more dangerously.While the subjects were in the driving simulator, Berkhout played unfamiliar loud rock music in order to see if the drivers would develop road rage or sloppy driving. “There is some evidence that rock music can do this,” Berkhout said.After playing the loud rock music, the drivers were allowed to bring their own music selections to play during the tests. While driving in the simulator, Berkhout blasted the familiar music at them. The familiar music didn’t have a bad response from the people behind the wheel. “If it was their own favorite music, their driving didn’t get at all sloppier, and they certainly didn’t exhibit road rage,” Berkhout said. “Subjects in such studies get enraged only when you blast them with music they don’t like.”Aside from just resulting in possible hard feelings, certain types of music can also help students in other ways.Freshman Bill Muller says he believes music has an effect on his mood and work ethic. When he has to sit down to do homework, he puts music on to make him work harder, he said. “I put music on to distract me from how much time I actually spend when I’m doing the work,” Muller said.Pre-physical therapy major sophomore Beth Guthmiller also said that she listens to music for activies like working out. When working out, she usually chooses something from the rap or hard rock genres, but has to slow the tempo down during other activities.

Keeping Music Real

admin — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:33:33 +0000

Music is a powerful thing. It evokes feelings and has the power to bring people together. Music is also a way for people to express themselves and share ideas, whether through poetic lyrics or throbbing anthems. But today, artists are not known for their music, but for how extravagant their outfits are and how many times their wealthy relatives can get them out of jail. And thus music is lost. Pop and rap music has evolved into a shallow, image-obsessed industry that conforms to what the public wants to hear and see, eliminating the focus on the actual music. Mainstream music is no longer composed of emotion, but instead themes of money, sex, and fame. Pop and rap performers are notorious for their run-ins with police, their latest diet, or their most recent affair. Photos and rumors fly while the music is ignored.Not all musical groups or soloists begin like this. Many of these artists are original and talented, but they may feel the stress of being underappreciated and turn to the money side for support. Often their songs are written by experts who know what is appealing to a certain age group, and the musicians’ faces are plastered on as many magazine covers as possible. Soon their supposedly new and improved songs can be heard blasting out of car windows. But these songs are empty shells, devoid of creativity and the original thirst of the artist to make an impact or convey a message. Countless pop and rap songs today fit into a very slim mold – not just the music, but those who perform it. Some female musicians struggle with eating disorders because of the increased attention of the media and the public on their looks instead of their musical talent. Most popular songs follow the same pattern – singable, with a catchy beat and a flashy band. These songs teach listeners that what’s on the outside is important, and money matters. These messages are also shown through music videos containing sexual themes, as well as people wearing “grills” and other decorations meant to show their wealth. Many rap videos promote the “gangsta” image, encouraging people to act tough, embrace violence, and swear. These videos can propagate false views of African-Americans. MTV is not helping. It has become increasingly racy and plays only what the public wants to hear. And unfortunately, the majority seems interested in either sickly sweet, generic pop or stereotypical, bleeped-out rap. Kids and teens everywhere are swimming in these songs, which are often degrading to women and minorities, and inappropriate. This past summer at camp, almost all the girls in my bunk were obsessed with the same songs, which had been the case the previous year, and the year before that. These songs, including Avril Lavigne’s “Girlfriend,” were blasted in the bunk at all hours from campers’ iPods. Whenever I tried to play music I enjoyed, or introduce them to some decent songs (in my view), they would say that everyone except me liked their music. They had me there. None of this is to say that all pop and rap music today fits this mold. Artists like Sublime and Jurassic 5 produce rap without the silly extras – just great rhythm and pulsing lyrics. A lot of high-quality pop music exists as well. Although some talented musicians thrive, the entire music industry has devolved into something that’s almost unrecognizable. Music is no longer just for pleasure, but instead is a huge part of the economy. It is valued for its power to influence people everywhere. Not only does the music business make money from songs, but lots of useless products carry rap and pop stars’ names and faces. Why do most teenagers exclusively listen to pop and rap music when so many other genres exist? Maybe it’s because everywhere we look, we are bombarded with the same music: on the radio, on TV, on the computer. At school, pop and rap are discussed religiously. Perhaps they have never listened to anything else. Or maybe peer pressure is part of it. Another reason some people listen to popular music is because it is easy listening, with no abnormalities, since anything unique is considered weird.There is no solution to the “pop problem.” It’s called popular for a reason – many people enjoy it. People who like pop and rap music are the same as people who like rock and punk music – they are just fond of a particular genre of music. It’s not a heinous crime, and there’s no easy way to sway their views.Still, many artists are ruined because of the increased focus on money and image. My suggestion is not to buy into music like this when you can explore something new. Expand your horizons. Dig up your parents’ old records and CDs. You never know what you might find.

Rising rap star doesn't need RIAA

admin — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:33:26 +0000

You won’t hear up-and-coming rap star Flo Rida griping about fans pilfering his songs on P2P sites, or complain that technology is hurting the music industry. Don’t talk to him about so-called digital divides either.

As one of rap music’s fastest rising stars, Rida, 28, is new enough to music success that fans are still precious to him. This is a guy who used to shout out his cell number during performances.

This “personal touch” has helped, he says. His song “Low,” recently spent 13 weeks as the top-selling ringtone in the country, a new record for consecutive weeks, according to Nielsen RingScan chart. According to his music label, Poe Boy/Atlantic Records, Rida (a name he chose to honor his home state and his rap style) is also the first ever debut artist to have two Top 10 digital singles prior to an album release. His debut album, Mail On Sunday goes on sale March 18.

Rida is one of a growing number of young performers who are trying to break into a music business dominated by technology.

In an interview Tuesday with CNET News.com, Rida revealed himself to be a bit of a gadget geek (he’s got two MacBook Pros and four flat screens) and said he sees more computers and high-tech gadgetry in inner cities than ever. He also sent a message to Apple CEO Steve Jobs. He once accidentally dropped his iPod in the toilet and “if they can make them waterproof, that’d be great.”

Rida: If you’re really in touch with your fans on a personal level then you don’t have to worry about things like that. A lot of times I make sure I go onto MySpace and holler at my fans, looking at them on YouTube, showing love, making sure that I’m in tune more so on a personal level than just having a hot song…cause these are people who just might want to go to the store to get the album as well as download. These are people who might want to put your poster on the wall or see your (album) art.

Rida: Oh man, oh man. It’s a blessing. I can do a whole lot of things that I couldn’t do before right now you know? I just put down on another house, got a couple of cars from all my fans and the ringtones. I definitely bought like four flat screens. I got two MacPros…

Rida: Oh yeah, sometimes I might go to Wal-Mart and hear it and say to myself: “That’s my song right there and it’s his ringtone playing.” In October last year, I heard it for the first time. I just told the guy “Thank you.” I never knew the song was going to be this big.

Q: The technology sector has heard much about the digital divide, and how urban areas lack enough computers and other technologies. Is that your experience?Rida: In the schools around my (South Florida) neighborhood, they definitely got tons more computers. Before now, they didn’t have anything. The students now, a lot of them have laptops at home…

A lesson in sharing: the music of today plays the give-and-take game

admin — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:34:09 +0000

Now, more than ever, North American bands and music fans are becoming more open to music originating somewhere outside the continent. Sri Lankan-born M.I.A.’s unique sound rules the club scene, while the Afro-pop inspired Vampire Weekend have seen their debut album enter the Billboard Top 20. New York City’s Yeasayer have also recently garnered acclaim from music fans and critics alike for their experiments with Middle Eastern and African musical styles. Closer to home, there are the weekly drum circles held in Trinity-Bellwoods during the warmer months of the year (moved from Queen’s Park last year, much to my chagrin). The barrier of self-consciousness seems to be non-existent to those who allow themselves to be hypnotized by the tribal rhythms produced by at times, upwards of a hundred drummers, dancing in the middle of the circle in a spiritual/drug-induced bliss. The North American musical landscape has never been so diverse.Alas, all is not well in the music world. It has often been a cause for debate amongst those who take their love of music (too?) seriously, asking whether integrating other cultural styles into Western music is a good thing. What’s wrong with doing this, you may ask? For a number of critics, music biographers and internet bloggers, it’s a constant debate about whether it’s appropriate for a bunch of stoned twenty-something hipsters in T.O. and NYC to co-opt established styles from other cultures, to make their own music more interesting. This argument has been raging for decades, ever since the Beatles befriended Indian musician Ravi Shankar. Some critics go as far as to call it stealing, and say that it cheapens the cultures in which the various styles have their origin. When viewed through such a negative lens, the “stealing” perception makes sense, but what I think the critics are failing to realize is that these style-blending bands often produce some incredible music. It shouldn’t be seen as a form of musical robbery, but instead as songwriters from all over the world coming together and trading musical ideas. Writing original and inventive music in the new millennium isn’t easy; there are plenty of bands that have felt the strain of coming up with exciting rock music using the long-established and somewhat stale set-up of guitar, bass and drums. Some counter this malaise by delving into the world of electronics, but why spend countless hours trying to figure out a sampler that costs a fortune to buy, when there are plenty of wonderful musical ideas from around the world that have yet to be introduced to a Western audience? Vampire Weekend’s recent self-titled effort is the equivalent to a breath of fresh air for the ears. The Congolese rhythms, Afro-pop guitar melodies and energetic backing vocals on tracks like “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”, “Bryn” and “Blake’s Got A New Face” add an entirely new layer to well-written, but otherwise nondescript, pop music. Barcelona’s El Guincho has recently become the darling of American indie music scribes with his wonderful musical landscapes, fusing together elements of Afrobeat, Latin music and Spanish chanting. Like Vampire Weekend, he is only one example of the many talented musicians with ears for music outside the archetypal rock band sound. On the other side of the coin, musicians from around the world often collaborate with Western musicians and songwriters, in an effort to be introduced to a wider audience. Paul Simon’s 1986 album, Graceland is a perfect example; Ladysmith Black Mambazo had gained some notoriety on the world stage, but after the release of Graceland, which featured Simon collaborating with the South African choral group, they instantly became more appealing to Western audiences. Their success piqued an interest in other African acts, while Graceland itself sold over sixteen million copies. Some questioned whether it was appropriate for the intensely spiritual music of Ladysmith Black Mambazo to be imposed upon by Simon’s middle-class, angst-themed lyrics, but the remarkable music Simon and Mambazo songwriter Joseph Shaballah made together spoke for itself. Listen to great tracks like “Homeless” and “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes,” and you can be the judge. It wouldn’t be right to assume that every musician wants international recognition, but it surely can’t be wrong to expose a set of fresh ears to styles of music from around the globe. For all those who think that music’s golden age of talent and originality is long over, I would say that a closer look at today’s music scene is all it takes to reveal that this is one of the most exciting times to be a music fan.

Two short notes on pop music

admin — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:34:01 +0000

“Romany Soup” is absolutely classic: haunting, hypnotic, melodic. Please do get started on Bolan. Please do. (And don’t you dare leave out “One Inch Rock”.)

Titans turn to rap

admin — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:34:24 +0000

COWBOYS and fellow NRL rivals … welcome to the Temple of Boom. That’s the rap-based anthem that will thump around a packed Skilled Park on Friday night.

That’s the rap-based anthem that will thump around a packed Skilled Park on Friday night.

Turning up the volume on what already has been predicted to be an ‘Origin-like’ atmosphere at Skilled, the Titans have gone high tech to give Gold Coast supporters a unique home ground beat.

Most clubs have cheergirls. South Sydney Rabbitohs last year introduced drummers as their sideline entertainment.

However, the Titans are expected to eclipse all rivals with their cutting edge games highlights package.

"It will be the Temple of Boom because we are introducing rap music to rugby league," boasted the club’s communications manager Jason Sintome yesterday. "This is a first. It will be a loud and proud Titans rap. Imagine Preston Campbell scoring a try at Skilled.

"In the past our cheergirls would have led the crowd in a celebration dance. Well from Friday night the crowd will be whipped into an even greater frenzy by booming music and graphics on the big screen.

"Soon after Preston touches down there will be an explosion of rap ‘Did ya see that! Did ya see that!’ (says Sintome breaking into a rap routine). But it won’t just be for the tries. Whenever there is something to cheer about on the field there will be an immediate soundbeat, words and graphics to match."

Sintome said the Temple of Boom would have a ‘perfect debut’ on Friday night when a capacity 27,000-strong crowd roar on the Titans in the 2008 season opener against the Cowboys.

"That game was always going to be big with a lot of noise and atmosphere, but we hope to add something extra with our own rap music influence. We have been working on the concept and the music for a fair while with local creative, corporate event company Dreamweavers, and we are really hopeful that it will be a big hit. The music is certainly unique and will give a special stamp to Skilled Park.

"We are not aware of any other sporting group that embraces rap the way we will. It will be edgy and different and fans will come away with our warcrys burned into their brain."

Sintome said a day at the football was no longer just about watching the game. "It has to be a whole entertainment package, from the moment you walk in the gates until the time you leave," he said.

"We want our fans to be part of our game day. We want to take the entertainment to a whole new level. We also want the Temple of Boom name to stick.

"The great stadiums of the world have a name that is synonymous with the action that takes place there - The Cauldon (the old Lang Park) or the House of Pain (Dunedin’s infamous Carisbrook rugby stadium)."

Also on Friday night there will be an hour-long entertainment package, before the main game kicks off at 7.30pm.

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Good news, bad news

admin — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:34:18 +0000

Bad News - the everyday language used by many Americans is becoming more obscene and profane all the time. I read, with a great deal of sympathy and empathy, a column last month by David Little, editor of the Enterprise-Record newspaper. He was lamenting the fact that it was so difficult to take his young children out about town without having to contend with foul-mouthed adults and teenagers at sporting events, restaurants, stores, and shopping centers.

We’ve all suffered from this fetid language not only via personal contacts but also from the rap “music” blaring from the car next to you at a traffic light, and on the bumper stickers of the cars blaring rap “music” from their vehicles next to you at the traffic light, and on the tee shirts of the people driving the cars that are blaring the obscene rap “music” from the cars with the four-letter word laden bumper stickers idling next to you at the traffic light.

I got quite discouraged during my last few years of teaching at Paradise High School because many of the students didn’t see the inappropriateness and offensiveness of their speech in the hallways. I always asked my students to refrain from using such language in my classroom, and, to their credit, they always complied. Young people just need to be taught when and where it is appropriate to use such language. Adults should already know.

Good News - The city of South Pasadena down near Los Angeles has declared itself a “cuss-free zone.”

In an attemptto make a statement about their civility, the city council voted to “elevate the level of discourse” and proclaim swearing and other untoward behavior unwanted and unwelcome in their fair vile. They follow St. Charles, Missouri that earlier this year proposed a ban on cussing in bars. I’m not sure what real effect all these bans might have, but I admire the councils of these cities for taking a stand against offensive language. Of course, I can hear all the crazies now decrying the loss of their “right” to be butt-heads in public (Is “butt-heads” swearing?). This is where the right to swing your fist, ends at the end of my nose.

Don’t we have a right to drive our cars and walk in public places without being bombarded with the offensive language of those who have neither the intelligence nor consideration to speak otherwise? I say we do.

Bad News - Danish police uncovered a plot by Islamic protesters to kill the artist of the drawings of the Prophet Muhammad that sparked deadly riots in 2006. Apparently it is a blasphemy in the Muslim religion to draw such cartoons - punishable by death.

Good News - In a gesture of solidarity, Denmark’s leading newspapers reproduced the cartoons. In any civilized world, the drawing and publication of a cartoon can be offensive and may be decried by those offended. But in the mixed up Muslim world, the artist must be murdered for creating such a drawing. I’m glad that the Danish newspapers did not let such threats, real as they are, prevent them from exercising their own rights to reproduce the cartoons. Freedom must prevail over such insanity.

Good News - for those of you who own Exxon stock. Last month, the company set a new record for annual profits: $40.6 billion. That’s BILLION with a “B.”

Bad News - That’s BAD with a “B” for the rest of us as we are experiencing record high gasoline costs. And don’t tell me that it’s all “supply and demand.” The price of a barrel of oil goes up a dollar and the next day, our prices at the pump are up five cents a gallon. The price of oil goes down five dollars, and it takes two weeks for the per gallon cost to us to come down a penny or two. Oil companies routinely take refineries off line for “maintenance” which allegedly creates a shortage of supply.

We haven’t seen a real shortage of gasoline since the early 1970’s during the Arab oil embargo. Heck, there have been times in our recent history when the cost per barrel was down, the weather was mild for winter, driving was down, and supply was plentiful. Guess what! Prices at the pump went up incessantly.

I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but I am convinced that the oil companies have us over a barrel (pun intended), and they’re going to make their record profits no matter what the current world and economic situation. We’ll have to learn how to consolidate our trips, drive smaller, more efficient vehicles, and use our bikes in order to survive. Good luck to us all!

Bad News - a dying and dangerous U.S. spy satellite, the size of a school bus, was traveling in polar orbit around the earth at approximately 17,000 miles per hour. If not destroyed prior to re-entering the earth’s atmosphere, the results could have been catastrophic for those of us down here.

Good News - a Navy SM-3 missile struck and destroyed the satellite and its 1,000 pounds of toxic fuel 130 miles above the Pacific Ocean last month. The feat was comparable to hitting a bullet with a bullet, and renews and secures my faith in our missile defense system - a faith I pray will never be tested.

The Narrowing Gap Between Indie Rock and Rachael Ray

admin — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:34:10 +0000

In which I don’t totally have a point, but nonetheless talk a little about hipsterdom’s relation to appetite, and whether or not a band can sell out anymore

My weekend was so oppressively sad I ended up watching “Rachael Ray Feeds Your Pets” on Saturday night. Part of the show, however, was filmed at the llama farm in Granby, and as a result, a food hostess who normally occupies 0% of my mind occupied 0.1% of my mind.

So it was weird, on Sunday, that I’d end up reading about Rachael Ray again via the Onion AV Club. They reported, via MTV news, that Rachael Ray is hosting an afternoon cookout at Austin’s SXSW Festival. Here’s the descrip:

Feedback With Rachael RaySaturday 3/15 12:00 pm to 6:00 pmBeauty Bar (617 E. 7th St.)Listen Records, Watch Entertainment and Everyday With Rachael Ray come together to bring you Feedback…a feast of hot bands and tasty foods, hosted by America’s favorite cook and indie music lover, Rachael Ray. Join us at this merging of great food and even better music with performances by Autovaughn, The Raveonettes, The Cringe [Ray’s husband’s band], Scissors For Lefty, The Stills, and Holy *&%$. DJ Efren “Pedro” Ramirez from Napoleon Dynamite will be DJ-ing inside. Drinks on us and lots of Rachael’s Tasty Recipes. Open to all SXSW badgeholders.

MTV’s report gave me the impression that the indie community reacted to ‘Feedback’ with the expectable diarrheic blog-rage and Hatorade. That wasn’t totally the case, but there were nonetheless a few stray annoyances about the event: Brooklyn Vegan ran a hilarious Photoshop job showing Ray at a ska / hardcore show, and the thread on Stereogum settled into a snark-a-thon over Ray’s ‘hittability,’ whether or not she’s indier than Anthony Boudrain (who said Ray’s Dunkin’ Donuts endorsements were like “endorsing crack for kids,” later adding, “I’m not a very ethical guy. I don’t have a lot of principles. But somehow that seems to me over the line.”)

The degree to which any of this is so aggressively not news I’m absolutely aware of (there’s been no complaining about of SXSW’s other huge sponsorships, or its 263-ton carbon footprint that, certainly to their credit, they’re working on changing this year). But Ray addressed that issue to MTV:

“[…]I don’t understand why that’s so surprising. I find it weird that they find it weird. People think I’m like this food robot or something, but music is a huge part of my life,” she continued. “I’m a huge fan of rock music in general — all kinds. I like indie stuff, my favorite band is the Foo Fighters. When I first met my husband, he told me what he made for dinner the night before, and I thought, ‘OK, well, he can cook.’ And then he told me he had a band and I was like, ‘Aw, jeez. I hope they’re good,’ because I couldn’t deal with someone who didn’t play good music.”

Certainly, Ray’s personality is partly the reason for any discomfort among the indie kids: her relentless, raspy-voiced optimism, the fact that her dog is named Isaboo, the fact that she’s her own empire in a festival that vaguely eschews empires. But, for Chrissakes, it’s only food, and it’ll probably taste good. And that’s just it: food is one of the last elements of popular culture yet to be tarnished by irony and music-store-clerk ennui. Sure, there’s high-end food criticism, but nobody makes cynical, parody food, and nobody’s getting food poising off Taco Bell ironically. Which makes me wonder how much the indie code of conduct can even apply here: can your palette sell out? Can meta-food exist that comments on the act of eating - a metaburger? Or if, say, recording an album DIY or on an independent label is the equivalent of buying local at a supermarket, then how does getting wasted on Pabst or Bud - whose finances and marketing campaigns are just as widespread and irritating as Rachael Ray’s - fit in?

Then again, this is about food, not alcohol. And the current statuesque, skinny-jeaned brand of hipsterdom has always had an awkward relationship with food, always attempting to look like it has transcended the body’s basic needs. Being thin is important, but not so thin as to appear like you’ve put in time on a treadmill to achieve that thinness. It’s almost impossible, and quite weird, to imagine any hipster eating, going to the bathroom, or, like, having a stomach ache.

Maybe that’s about to change a little, or has changed already. Rachael Ray does, in fact, listen to Holy F—. She has Sirius. Where there would’ve been unanimous vitriol 10-20 years ago about her appearing at an event like SXSW, many bloggers, aside from those I’ve mentioned, wisely don’t care about any of this at all.

That’s partly because, today, there are too many ways to get known if you’re in a band or part of a music subculture — it’s pointless to be selfish about it. And maybe that shift from previous decades could and should redefine the idea of authenticity, for a band or a music community. The process of band exposure is different now. As larger labels acquire or spin off smaller, artsier ones, I wonder if it’s even possible anymore for the underground to “sell out” in the old-fashioned, 1980’s / 90’s sense? Pitchfork ran a headline about this a while ago, but I didn’t read the article and couldn’t find the link. More recently, Interpol didn’t sell out so much as get boring; Feist didn’t sell out so much as just happen to sound Starbucks-friendly. Either way: music’s politics of purity circa the 80’s and 90’s are dead. Don’t try to save them.

Album Review: British Sea Power "Do You Like Rock Music?"

admin — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:47:04 +0000

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The Chemical Brothers

admin — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:42:03 +0000

Australian fans of dance music have really been spoilt of late.First there was the near-spiritual experience of the Daft Punktour. Then came the storming likes of LCD Soundsystem and Pnau atthe Big Day Out. Good Vibrations has just brought Kanye West totown while next month’s Playground Weekender will featureKruder & Dorfmeister.

But arguably the biggest name of all - reaching further acrossmultiple genres than even Daft Punk or West - belongs to theBritish duo that united indie kids, electronica heads and pop fansin both clubs and live arenas across the planet. Even if, when wespeak to one of the revered Chemical Brothers, Ed Simons, he’sreeling from having recently played, in his words, “a prettyshocking gig”. Really?

“It was OK,” he reconsiders, perhaps realising the purpose ofthis interview. “It was just … one of those one-in-a-millionChemical Brothers gigs that wasn’t completely astounding.”

You see, Simons and his fellow Brother, Tom Rowlands, have longbeen two of too few artists in live electronica who convincinglyrock out behind their banks of equipment while assaulting theiraudience’s senses with mind-blowing visuals and thunderousbeats.

“I mean, three guys hunched around a laptop can be good,” Simonssays, evidently a little embarrassed about some of his peers. “Itneeds a bit of a jump in imagination. But all live performance ishard to get right or make exciting.”

Are the Chemical Brothers ever tempted to just press “play” andpretend behind the decks?

“We don’t do that,” Simons says, deadly seriously.

“We always thought maybe we should show, like, a short film onthe screen before we come on, just explaining to people what’sgoing on onstage ’cause we still get that misconception. Peoplethat don’t play the guitar can watch someone playing the guitaronstage and kinda feel like they know what’s going on. Or they seesomeone hitting a drum.

“But it doesn’t really matter. Our shows are aimed at creatingan atmosphere in an environment that’s exciting to hear our music.It’s also about getting people out the house and having funtogether, y’know? That’s the important thing to me, rather thansome sort of massive appreciation of how well we’ve executed liveelectronic music.”

They’re obviously doing something right. Many of theironce-brilliant Brit-tronica peers from the ’90s have lately eitherlost it (Fatboy Slim), tried their hands at something bizarrelydifferent (Underworld) or completely vanished (Leftfield). TheChemical Brothers, on the other hand, have been as prolific andconsistent as your average rock band in the studio as well as live,releasing a strong, cohesive album roughly every couple ofyears.