Gareth – Page 139 – The Designer Monologues

October 22, 2010October 22, 2010

Friday Music

Nothing controversial on the blog today — just another installment of my weekly internet mixtape.

Mark Ronson’s new album is out — he’s forgone the 60s-soul horn-heavy sound that marked his debut (and most of his producer credits, like Amy Winehouse’s breakout album), in favor of a switch to 80s-influenced electro-pop. He’s also given his backing band title credit on the album as well. Here’s the title track, which features guest vocals on the refrain from Duran Duran frontman Simon LeBon (Ronson is currently producing DD’s forthcoming album) and UK Grime MC Wiley: Mark Ronson & The Business International – “Record Collection (feat. Simon LeBon and Wiley).”

Dotta Numba Two clued me into this track, which is from Yet Another Jack White Side Project. I swear, it seems every time that boy gets an itch to try a new musical style, he starts another band. This one is his alternative supergroup, featuring Alison Mosshart of The Kills, Dean Ferita of Queens of the Stone Age and Jack Lawrence from The Greenhornes (who plays with White in another project, The Raconteurs.). Good stuff. White may be a ADD-addled dilettante, but he’s an undeniably talented one. The Dead Weather – “Die By The Drop.”

Here’s the follow-up to Cee-Lo Green’s viral hit “Fuck You”, from his new album — more retro stylings, but this time around much more classy: Cee-Lo Green – “Old Fashioned.” (Copy and paste this link)

I haven’t posted much dubstep here, which I should remedy. Those of you unfamiliar with this branch of electronic music should click the previous link and read the Wiki article for more info. Or, just click the following, which is a brilliant example: J.O.B. feat Anjulie (with MadV & 12th Planet)- “Warrior.”

Last week’s post featuring Joan Jett had me thinking about how much I loved her stuff. This track doesn’t get as much love as “Bad Reputation” or “I Love Rock and Roll”, but at the time of its release, I was reading Free Fall in Crimson by John D. MacDonald, and the song and the book melded in my head to produce a really strong associative memory. Plus, it’s a really excellent cover tune. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – “Crimson and Clover.”

I heard this song the other day on my iPod, and I realized that it had been a long time since I’d heard it. I was a fan of The Church way before they hit big in the US with this track, which made it all that much sweeter to me — the joy of other people discovering something that you already love. The Church – “Under the Milky Way.”

Lastly, a bit of instrumental rock, mixing progressive rock, jazz, electronic — my friend Scott gave me a copy of this on cassette in the mid-90s, and I stumbled across it the other day. The pulsing bassline still grabs me: Ozric Tentacles – “Sploosh!”

There you go kids. Enjoy!

October 21, 2010October 22, 2010

Tabletopocalypse Now

Had a conversation with a friend the other day, sparked by my recent comments about the negativity of tabletop gamers, the shrinking market, etc. A few thoughts crystalized out of that conversation, and I thought that I’d take the time to put them down for others to comment upon.

There’s a lot of denial among gamers that their hobby is shrinking — a combination of anecdotal evidence (“There are plenty of gamers around here.”) and One-True-Way purity (“My hobby will NEVER die!”). Mixed into this is the always-charming assertion that the industry may be shrinking, but that “the hobby doesn’t need the industry.” (Never mind asking such geniuses to ponder where new players will come from without product on store shelves drawing their attention — or when was the last time they met a player-piano enthusiast, another form of entertainment that no longer has an industry producing material for it…)

It’s not a matter of debate though. Anyone who has paid attention over the past two decades has seen the undeniable shrinking. There are far fewer dedicated speciality stores any more (current estimates place total numbers in the US at somewhere in the low-to-mid 2000s, according to ICV2, Diamond/Alliance distributors, and others). Fewer stores means fewer orders, as well as fewer social centers for the tabletop gaming community. Sales numbers are massively down from the 90s, much less the numbers seen during the ‘d20 explosion’ of the early 2000s.
Continue reading “Tabletopocalypse Now”

October 20, 2010

Update Post is Updatey

Stumbled a bit in the attempt at daily blogging. I need to get back in the habit.

BBC America posted their interview piece from New York Comic Con — the only bit of me that made it in was a quote that starts at about 53 seconds or so. Embedderation:

….which provides as good a segue as any that you should watch Sherlock when it debuts on PBS here in the US on the 24th, assuming that you haven’t already viewed it by other means. (Brief aside: Attention networks, this is why delays in airing are STUPID. Your most motivated viewers can watch it the same day it originally airs. Isn’t that an audience that you want to encourage, rather than annoy?)

As I announced earlier via various social media platforms, I will not be making it to World Fantasy Con in Columbus next week, despite initial plans. Parental duties beckon, and so I’ll be staying at home — fear not, however, as the lovely and talented Laura will be there to provide the venue with at least a modicum of Skarkacity.

A conversation with a friend yesterday regarding the state of the tabletop games industry and hobby distilled some thoughts for me — I think that I’m going to work said thoughts up into a proper blog post for tomorrow (which, I suppose, will provide a nice excuse for hue and cry upon the various internet fora through the weekend for those so inclined).