Music
Mildred Our Choir Director
Posted By: Paul - Wed May 10, 2017 -
Comments (3)
Category: Humor, Music, 1950s
Salongo
A forgotten early album by the Insane Clown Posse?
Ramsey Lewis at Wikipedia.
Posted By: Paul - Wed May 03, 2017 -
Comments (3)
Category: Music, 1970s, Body Painting, Face and Facial Expressions
The Wurlitzer Electric Piano
Pre-digital, this device worked by striking steel reeds.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Apr 30, 2017 -
Comments (1)
Category: Music, Technology, 1950s
Musical Prisoner
In 1949, LIFE told us about Frank Grandstaff, who composed a cantata while jailed, and earned a brief release to hear it performed. But what happened afterwards?
Original story here.
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Apr 19, 2017 -
Comments (6)
Category: Crime, Music, 1940s, 1950s
Vexations by Erik Satie
Eccentric composer Erik Satie wrote "Vexations," a four-line piece of music, around 1893, though that date is a guess because it remained undiscovered until his death in 1925. It was an unexceptional piece of music (by design), except for the instructions he attached that seemed to indicate that it should be played "840 times in succession" by a pianist who should "prepare oneself beforehand, in the deepest silence, by serious immobilities." It's not clear why he chose the number 840.It was first performed in September 1963 at the Pocket Theater in Manhattan. Composer John Cage arranged for a relay team of 10 pianists to play the entire thing, 840 times. The entire performance lasted 18 hours and 40 minutes.
There was a $5 admission fee for audience members, but you got 5 cents back for every 20 minutes you listened to it. Joel Meltz sat through the whole thing, so ended up getting a refund of $2.80.
It's subsequently been performed a number of times and is, of course, available on YouTube. Check out the video below of the guy who plays the entire thing, alone, in under 10 hours.
San Bernardino County Sun - Sep 11, 1963
Posted By: Alex - Mon Apr 17, 2017 -
Comments (6)
Category: Boredom, Music, 1960s
The New Colony Six
"Groovin' is easy, if you know how!"
Their Wikipedia entry.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Apr 15, 2017 -
Comments (4)
Category: Music, Bohemians, Beatniks, Hippies and Slackers, 1960s
Matchstick Violins
If you've got a lot of extra matchsticks lying around (and maybe some toothpicks as well), why not make a violin? Here's a description of how O.L. Reames of Michigan did it (source: The Battle Creek Enquirer - July 22, 1951):Then it was cut to the shape of a violin and arched, a technical process done with arch gauges to assure the proper slope to the front of the instrument. After working down the front of the violin and graduating it correctly in the inside, it was ready to tune.
When the fiddle sounded a perfect G, Mr. Reames knew he was on the right track.
He then constructed the back of toothpicks, following the same procedure. The ribs, or sides, were made to a metal form and were glued to the back. The neck was constructed of toothpicks.
Reames was not the only guy to ever make a matchstick violin. A number of them have been created over the years. For instance, a Polish bricklayer, Jan Gwizdz, made one in 1937, and it was actually played in concert in 2014. In the video below, skip to about 4½ minutes in to see the violinist start playing.
The violin of Jan Gwizdz
More info: Classic FM, Worthpoint
Posted By: Alex - Sat Apr 08, 2017 -
Comments (2)
Category: Music
The High School That Rocked
"Before touring became big business for promoters who elevated rock shows to an art, even name-brand bands played pretty much anywhere. It’s an interesting component of the early rock era that’s explored in the upcoming documentary The High School That Rocked!, which takes a look at one Connecticut school that somehow managed to lure a slew of classic-rock legends — including Cream, the Doors and the Yardbirds, among others."
Posted By: Paul - Sat Apr 08, 2017 -
Comments (1)
Category: Education, Music, 1960s
Chipmunk Punk
Posted By: Paul - Thu Apr 06, 2017 -
Comments (5)
Category: Animals, Anthropomorphism, Music, Cartoons, 1980s, Cacophony, Dissonance, White Noise and Other Sonic Assaults
Gotta Get Over the Hump
Your new theme song for Wednesdays.
Gotta get over da hump!
More on the creators.
Posted By: Paul - Wed Mar 29, 2017 -
Comments (2)
Category: Music, 1970s
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |