This is the second essay in a series in which we have a bit of fun dissecting our favorite Duran Duran videos. Here’s Fraser Levey‘s take on the video for Careless Memories, released in April of 1981.     I feel a bit emotional about this one. So Careless Memories was the second single to be released by Duran Duran and, although it is (in my opinion at least) one of their better songs, the single didn’t do well in the charts.   I’m not sure as to why that might be, but perhaps this video might [...]

Shari Ellis has made an inevitable contribution to the comedic YouTube videos series “Shit Girls Say.” Done with class and humor, “Sh*t Duran Duran Fans Say” is sure to become a classic, and Shari gave us the scoop on how it all came together.   I’m proud of the video as it was a collaboration of friends. I grew up in Chicago, where I met Paula, my editor on the piece. And I went to Yale University, where I met Robinne, who is a professional actress. I love the Shit People Say videos because it’s [...]

Most of us know Michael Des Barres from his phenomenal live contribution to the Power Station, but once glance at his full bio and you’ll realize that this man is so much more. True rock-n-roll royalty, in fact, and the Marquis has kindly offered to share a mini-documentary with us about what starts him up and keeps him going. The video, a ten minute rapid-fire download of Michael’s personal influences (“Lord Byron was one of the first rock stars”), his life philosophy (“excess is tattooed on my ass”) and his own definition of authenticity (“self [...]

1984 was a golden era for live music on UK television with the Tube, the Old Grey Whistle Test and, briefly, a rather bizzare series about rock bands Called “Play at Home.” These mini-films were made by the bands themselves: New Order, Echo and the Bunnymen, Virginia Astley and Siouxsie and the Banshees (during the time that Robert Smith of The Cure was with them).   The Banshees’ “Play At Home” episode was released as a DVD extra on the reissue of the 1983 Nocturne concert film in 2006. It’s the bands’ own surreal take [...]

Musician Dan Bull, whose letters to Lily Allen and Home Taping is Killing Music videos both become huge hits on YouTube, had his entire first album available on MegaUpload. When it was shut down recently, all his links pointing to his album, scattered all over the web, no longer worked.   And so he made this video, which, like all of Dan’s creative commentary about the business of recorded music, is pretty awesome.       Tweet

Senegalese singer and songwriter Youssou N’Dour has responded to what he calls a “supreme patriotic duty,” announcing himself as a candidate for presidency of his country. The 2005 Grammy winner is jumping into the game with just eight weeks before elections amidst an already crowded and far more politically organized group of contenders.   The pop star is banking on his international popularity to win votes, a gamble given that two-thirds of Senegal’s population is under 25 years old and way more into rap than world music. N’Dour hails from the golden political age of [...]

Lower Manhattan’s 60 Hudson Street is one of the world’s most concentrated hubs of Internet connectivity. Set in the dense, mixed-use neighborhood of Tribeca, this Art Deco tower was once the global headquarters of Western Union. Now, it conceals several network interconnection facilities where huge amounts of data are exchanged. A short documentary by Ben Mendelsohn peeks inside, offering a glimpse of the massive material infrastructure that makes the Internet possible.   WATCH: Bundled, Buried and Behind Closed Doors Tweet

Looking to add a little synethesia to your day? The Radioactive Orchestra beautifully explains the concept of radiation by inviting you to compose tunes with 3,175 of the most interesting radioactive isotopes, each of which has a unique sonic fingerprint. Melodies are created by simulating the decay of an atomic nucleus from an excited nuclear state down to its ground state. A single gamma photon is released for every step of the energy loss and, by representing the energy of the photon as the pitch of a note, the photon plays a note each time [...]

There’s a warm feeling of optimism that glows from within as we approach each summer…   The winter weather breaks & the nights get warmer as we head towards the long holiday, full of hippie love & dinning alfresco, whilst savouring moonlight barbecue’s, with cold, cold beers, & fresh local produce, it’s civilisation, the best in spirit we have – everybody looks forward to a great summer.   So – We congregate in tribes at festivals, clubs, resorts, islands, airports… Summer is our rituals season. Whereas the winter & fall are defined by more institutional [...]