These are my top 20 tunes of 2007. This does not mean they were released in 2007, just my favorite songs of 2007. Each month I put together my top picks for the month. These 20 came out of that list of 142 songs.
20. Fergie - Glamorous (Dutchess [2006])
19. Sufjan Stevens - Casimire Pulaski Day (Illinoise [2005])
18. Malcolm Middleton - Fight Like the Night (A Brighter Beat [2007])
17. The Pearlfishers - Up With the Larks (Up With the Larks [2007])
16. Alison Krauss - Forget About It (Forget About It [1999])
15. Kalli - It's Over (While the City Sleeps [2007])
14. Acid House Kings - That's Because You Drive Me (Sing Along With Acid House Kings [2005])
13. Kanye West - Flashing Lights (Graduation [2007])
12. Lucky Soul - Add Your Light To Mine (The Great Unwanted [2007])
11. Atomic Kitten - Be With You ([2003])
10. White Shoes & the Couples Company - Nothing to Fear ([2007])
9. White Shoes & the Couples Company - Runaway Song ([2007])
8. Jon Redfern - Give Away Your Heart Pt. 2 (May Be Sometime [2007])
7. Foo Fighters - Times Like These (One By One [2002])
6. The Noises 10 - Elephant in the Room (Elephant in the Room [2005])
5. Monster in the Machine - Savior (Butterfly Pinned [2007])
4. Spoon - Me and the Bean (Girls Can Tell [2001])
3. Josh Rouse - Snowy (Country Mouse, City House [2007])
2. Suzanne Vega - Ludlow Street (Beauty & Crime [2007])
1. Pete Yorn - On Your Side (Musicforthemorningafter [2001])
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Best of December 07 (I)
Stacey Kent - The Ice Hotel (Breakfast on the Morning Tram [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
This is a fun light song, on a solid album. It's good pop jazz.
1,000 Clowns - Greatest Rapper (Freelance Bubblehead [1998])
allmusic
I missed this song when it came around 10 years ago. It's a fun song on a fun album.
The Channels - Masa Lalu (Channel [2007])
I can find nothing anywhere about these guys. I'm not even sure what language they are singing. But their album has a good rock/pop sound and I really like the sound of this song. I of course have no idea what the song is about, but that's not always so important. It's a good pop song and I like it.
Daniel Cirera - Motherf*cker-Fake Vegetarian Ex-Girlfriend (Honestly; I Love You *Cough* [2006])
band homepage, myspace
I like this song even though I feel a bit too old to say so. This album is very odd. It is very folksy, but all the songs are a bit juvenile and fun. The guy is a good songwriter. All the songs have good hooks and his lyrics are fun and playful.
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
This is a fun light song, on a solid album. It's good pop jazz.
1,000 Clowns - Greatest Rapper (Freelance Bubblehead [1998])
allmusic
I missed this song when it came around 10 years ago. It's a fun song on a fun album.
The Channels - Masa Lalu (Channel [2007])
I can find nothing anywhere about these guys. I'm not even sure what language they are singing. But their album has a good rock/pop sound and I really like the sound of this song. I of course have no idea what the song is about, but that's not always so important. It's a good pop song and I like it.
Daniel Cirera - Motherf*cker-Fake Vegetarian Ex-Girlfriend (Honestly; I Love You *Cough* [2006])
band homepage, myspace
I like this song even though I feel a bit too old to say so. This album is very odd. It is very folksy, but all the songs are a bit juvenile and fun. The guy is a good songwriter. All the songs have good hooks and his lyrics are fun and playful.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Best of November 07 (II)
Little Big Town - Lonely Enough (A Place to Land [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
If you like The Eagles, or Fleetwood Mac you should like these guys. The album has a nice mix of country-rock sounds. This particular song is not really a big standout, but it is a good sad song. I love good sad songs.
Via Audio - Developing Active People (Say Something [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
In some ways I feel like I'm in a rut on sound, but I like the sort of laid back, jazzy, indie folk sound and this song fits right into all of that. It's a pretty song on a pretty album. The album is a bit more experimental than this song, but the songs pretty consistently have a good hook behind them.
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
If you like The Eagles, or Fleetwood Mac you should like these guys. The album has a nice mix of country-rock sounds. This particular song is not really a big standout, but it is a good sad song. I love good sad songs.
Via Audio - Developing Active People (Say Something [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
In some ways I feel like I'm in a rut on sound, but I like the sort of laid back, jazzy, indie folk sound and this song fits right into all of that. It's a pretty song on a pretty album. The album is a bit more experimental than this song, but the songs pretty consistently have a good hook behind them.
Office 2007 Install Error
While trying to install Office 2007 I kept getting an error saying "The windows installer service cannot update one or more protected windows files." After searching Microsoft.com I came up with nothing and had to turn to alltheweb.com. Luckily I found a fix.
1. From Windows install disk, or c:\i386 that may have been set up in an OEM install, open (Double click) on the FP40EXT.CAB file. It should open.
2. Find fp4Autl.dll in the list
3. Double click and select extract to c:\program files\common files\microsoft shared\web server extensions\40\bin
4. Restart the 2007 office install
1. From Windows install disk, or c:\i386 that may have been set up in an OEM install, open (Double click) on the FP40EXT.CAB file. It should open.
2. Find fp4Autl.dll in the list
3. Double click and select extract to c:\program files\common files\microsoft shared\web server extensions\40\bin
4. Restart the 2007 office install
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Yahoo Unlimited Music To Go
For reasons I don't understand Yahoo is no longer making the To Go service available unless it is through a partner program. They currently only have one partner program as far as I know with Sansa.
For the price Yahoo was by far the best program. Currently we are paying $5 a month since we got in on a buy one year get one free deal last year. For the amount of music that is available this is an amazing deal. Margaret and I are both able to load up our MP3 players and change our music when we feel like it. Sad to say now if you have the qualifying player and you sign up it is $14.99 a month. This is comparable to Rhapsody or Napster which both have to go programs of their own for the same price. In the past they have always offered a discount for signing up for a year, not sure if this is still available with the new To Go plan. I know it is still an option for the more limited Yahoo Unlimited plan. You can still sign up for one year to get one for free which would come out to about $3 a month. This is a great deal you just won't have the ability to download music to your player or computer.
So what of the program itself. Well I can tell you I attempted to listen to the 500 albums on the Rolling Stone top 500 album list and Yahoo had around 63% of them. This is pretty good I would say. The quality of the audio is very good and the software is pretty straightforward and quick. It works with your LAUNCHcast music ratings and lets you continue to rate genres, artists, albums, ans songs and this is a very nice feature. You can quickly get a list of similar artists for any artist, and get a playlist created for any artist and similar music. All of this works well. They also do a good job of presenting new albums and albums just added to browse through. This is how I pick most of my music. The new albums list exposes me to new stuff and the just released exposes me to all sorts of stuff.
There are of course some problems. The first is that it requires special software to work properly. Unlike Napster and Rhapsody you cannot use a web interface to get to the music. You can of course still use LAUNCHcast and your mood stations, but this is not the same as being able to select a single track or album. The second problem is that this software is quite buggy. Since we have been using this software it has been problematic. I have found ways to work around some of the issues, but often the problem is on their end and there is nothing to be done until they fix it. There is often problems as well with downloading music to a player. I have pretty much given up on letting Margaret download the music to her player as it often has problems. She will generally create a playlist and then I'll move the music to her player. The playlists are another problem. They are setup to be available from any computer running the software, but often they are missing on one to the next of songs that are in a playlist will disappear. This can be quite frustrating since I use playlists quite a bit.
One of the odder issues has to do with the music itself. One day you'll have full access to an album and the next day you may not. I have not run into this problem with Napster or Rhapsody but it doesn't mean it is not a problem. I'm assuming this has to do with licensing issues, etc. but it can be quite annoying. And it can be anything from new stuff to old. For instance they use to have the Frank Sinatra album September of My Years available, but no longer.
All in all I love the program, but because the software has always been so flaky I've not recommended it to friends I didn't believe were computer savvy enough to work through such issues. As someone who does computer work for a living it has been frustrating at times for me and so I can't imagine for instance my mother having to deal with something like this. Still it is an amazing program and the best price out there.
For the price Yahoo was by far the best program. Currently we are paying $5 a month since we got in on a buy one year get one free deal last year. For the amount of music that is available this is an amazing deal. Margaret and I are both able to load up our MP3 players and change our music when we feel like it. Sad to say now if you have the qualifying player and you sign up it is $14.99 a month. This is comparable to Rhapsody or Napster which both have to go programs of their own for the same price. In the past they have always offered a discount for signing up for a year, not sure if this is still available with the new To Go plan. I know it is still an option for the more limited Yahoo Unlimited plan. You can still sign up for one year to get one for free which would come out to about $3 a month. This is a great deal you just won't have the ability to download music to your player or computer.
So what of the program itself. Well I can tell you I attempted to listen to the 500 albums on the Rolling Stone top 500 album list and Yahoo had around 63% of them. This is pretty good I would say. The quality of the audio is very good and the software is pretty straightforward and quick. It works with your LAUNCHcast music ratings and lets you continue to rate genres, artists, albums, ans songs and this is a very nice feature. You can quickly get a list of similar artists for any artist, and get a playlist created for any artist and similar music. All of this works well. They also do a good job of presenting new albums and albums just added to browse through. This is how I pick most of my music. The new albums list exposes me to new stuff and the just released exposes me to all sorts of stuff.
There are of course some problems. The first is that it requires special software to work properly. Unlike Napster and Rhapsody you cannot use a web interface to get to the music. You can of course still use LAUNCHcast and your mood stations, but this is not the same as being able to select a single track or album. The second problem is that this software is quite buggy. Since we have been using this software it has been problematic. I have found ways to work around some of the issues, but often the problem is on their end and there is nothing to be done until they fix it. There is often problems as well with downloading music to a player. I have pretty much given up on letting Margaret download the music to her player as it often has problems. She will generally create a playlist and then I'll move the music to her player. The playlists are another problem. They are setup to be available from any computer running the software, but often they are missing on one to the next of songs that are in a playlist will disappear. This can be quite frustrating since I use playlists quite a bit.
One of the odder issues has to do with the music itself. One day you'll have full access to an album and the next day you may not. I have not run into this problem with Napster or Rhapsody but it doesn't mean it is not a problem. I'm assuming this has to do with licensing issues, etc. but it can be quite annoying. And it can be anything from new stuff to old. For instance they use to have the Frank Sinatra album September of My Years available, but no longer.
All in all I love the program, but because the software has always been so flaky I've not recommended it to friends I didn't believe were computer savvy enough to work through such issues. As someone who does computer work for a living it has been frustrating at times for me and so I can't imagine for instance my mother having to deal with something like this. Still it is an amazing program and the best price out there.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Best of November 07 (I)
Nicole Atkins - War Torn (Neptune City [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
This album is interesting and a bit strange though I'm not sure why, but no matter I like this song. Like the album it is a bit odd, a bit over the top, but it's pretty.
Home T - First Date (Holding On [1989])
allmusic
This is simply a great reggae, pop tune. You can't listen to it without dancing.
Marissa Nadler - Dying Breed (Songs III: Bird On the Water [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
I'm always drawn into songs initially by their sound. I love the sound of this song. When it came on my LAUNCHcast radio station I went and listened to the entire album. The album is good, but this song stands out with its wonderfully eerie sound. Have to say she makes me think of the singer for Mazzy Star.
Liquor Giants - I'll Never Mind (Every Other Day At a Time [1998])
allmusic
A good pop-rock song on a good pop-rock album from the late 90's. The album is made up of short songs, each with a good hook and a good sound, sort of a dirty garage, light rock sound.
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
This album is interesting and a bit strange though I'm not sure why, but no matter I like this song. Like the album it is a bit odd, a bit over the top, but it's pretty.
Home T - First Date (Holding On [1989])
allmusic
This is simply a great reggae, pop tune. You can't listen to it without dancing.
Marissa Nadler - Dying Breed (Songs III: Bird On the Water [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
I'm always drawn into songs initially by their sound. I love the sound of this song. When it came on my LAUNCHcast radio station I went and listened to the entire album. The album is good, but this song stands out with its wonderfully eerie sound. Have to say she makes me think of the singer for Mazzy Star.
Liquor Giants - I'll Never Mind (Every Other Day At a Time [1998])
allmusic
A good pop-rock song on a good pop-rock album from the late 90's. The album is made up of short songs, each with a good hook and a good sound, sort of a dirty garage, light rock sound.
Subscription Music Services
I've been a subscriber to Yahoo music now for a few years and I have to say it has changed my life. I listen to more music now than at any point before in my life. I also watch less TV. Margaret and I often put on Yahoo music and just leave the television off. It's great because we can find music to fit whatever mood we are in, and we can play new stuff, old stuff, mix it however we want. It's great at Christmas because you can hear your favorites, but also explore tons of other Christmas music without having to buy up tons of Cd's.
Ever since I started using Yahoo Music it has seemed to me that this is the future. I see more people I know now starting to think about subscribing as they get MP3 players and get burned out on hearing the same old Cd's they've ripped over and over.
We subscribe to the Yahoo Unlimited To Go option which allows us to both download music to our compatible MP3 players. We love our players, love the fact that we can pick new music whenever we like, etc.
Well a friend of mine was recently looking to subscribing and I got interested in looking at the options available myself, so I'm going to write brief reviews of the three services I've tested recently Yahoo Music Unlimited To Go, Napster To Go, and Rhapsody To Go.
Ever since I started using Yahoo Music it has seemed to me that this is the future. I see more people I know now starting to think about subscribing as they get MP3 players and get burned out on hearing the same old Cd's they've ripped over and over.
We subscribe to the Yahoo Unlimited To Go option which allows us to both download music to our compatible MP3 players. We love our players, love the fact that we can pick new music whenever we like, etc.
Well a friend of mine was recently looking to subscribing and I got interested in looking at the options available myself, so I'm going to write brief reviews of the three services I've tested recently Yahoo Music Unlimited To Go, Napster To Go, and Rhapsody To Go.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Best of October 07 (III)
Kelly Willis - Don't Know Why (Translated From Love [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
I am a big Kelly Willis fan and have been for years. Her latest album is a bit different from what she's been doing. A little harder edge and a bigger sound and it's taken me a bit to get use to it. But now of course I accept the change and enjoy the album. I really like this song. She can sing about sadness and breakup and desire better than anyone out there and on this song she's vocally at her best.
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
I am a big Kelly Willis fan and have been for years. Her latest album is a bit different from what she's been doing. A little harder edge and a bigger sound and it's taken me a bit to get use to it. But now of course I accept the change and enjoy the album. I really like this song. She can sing about sadness and breakup and desire better than anyone out there and on this song she's vocally at her best.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Best of October 07 (II)
Moving Units - Pink Thoughts (Hexes for Exes [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, my space
There is nothing that really jumps out about this song or this album, but I like them. It's an interesting sound on this album. More of the 80's revival, but these guys are interesting because they are tapping into so many different sounds.
Baka Beyond - Sogo (Sogo [2002])
allmusic, band homepage, my space
I'm not a big fan of world beat, but this album has a very nice sound. This band's sound is suppose to be a mix of Celtic and African influences. Seems like an odd mix, but it works for a nice light jazzy sound. I really like this song Sogo.
Marmoset - A Prayer for Elaine (Today It's You [1999])
allmusic, myspace
This is the month of minimalist, post punk. Another post punk band reminiscent of the early 80's. The album is quite good, and I really like this song. Happily these guys are still around just came out with a new album.
West Indian Girl - Back to You (4th & Wall [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
This is a good song on a fairly good album. Not sure how to describe the sound. It's new wave, it's psychedelic, it's over the top and interesting.
allmusic, band homepage, my space
There is nothing that really jumps out about this song or this album, but I like them. It's an interesting sound on this album. More of the 80's revival, but these guys are interesting because they are tapping into so many different sounds.
Baka Beyond - Sogo (Sogo [2002])
allmusic, band homepage, my space
I'm not a big fan of world beat, but this album has a very nice sound. This band's sound is suppose to be a mix of Celtic and African influences. Seems like an odd mix, but it works for a nice light jazzy sound. I really like this song Sogo.
Marmoset - A Prayer for Elaine (Today It's You [1999])
allmusic, myspace
This is the month of minimalist, post punk. Another post punk band reminiscent of the early 80's. The album is quite good, and I really like this song. Happily these guys are still around just came out with a new album.
West Indian Girl - Back to You (4th & Wall [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
This is a good song on a fairly good album. Not sure how to describe the sound. It's new wave, it's psychedelic, it's over the top and interesting.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
PVAc to 44.1 kHz
I discovered a great blog last night called PVAc to 44.1 kHz. It's an odd name for a blog, but it is a great site. What he is doing is taking out of print vinyl or Cd's and putting up digital copies. It's great. I was able to get copies of the Watermelon Men albums which has made me very happy indeed.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Best of October 07 (I)
Bruce Springsteen - Last to Die (Magic [2007])
allmusic, band homepage
I really like the sound of this song. Springsteen has a way of creating songs that seem to be yearning for something both musically and lyrically, this song fits right into that category. The emotions feel so raw and that's the beauty of Springsteen and why his music grabbed me so hard when I was 16 years old.
The Pearlfishers - Up With the Larks (Up With the Larks [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
I have a thing for pop songs and this is a very melodic and pretty sounding pop song. I swear it's like I've gone back to the 1980s listening to some of the music out right now. This album and this song remind me of a lot of bands from the 80s. For me most notably China Crisis. The band is lead by David Scott who has an odd voice, but if you can get past that the music and the lyrics are fun. Great album to throw on while cleaning the house on a sunny Saturday.
White Shoes and the Couples Company - Nothing to Fear and Runaway Song (White Shoes and the Couples Company [2005])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
If you never heard Young Marble Giants, or Weekend, or The Marine Girls, or any of those early 80's post punk bands they are worth listening to. But these guys have taken that whole idea to a new level that is just brilliant. This is a great album. These two songs were my two favorites, but this album is very very solid. Definitely give these guys a try. Normally I only post YouTube videos for songs that I've listed. But I like these guys and this album so much I'll list what I can for them.
allmusic, band homepage
I really like the sound of this song. Springsteen has a way of creating songs that seem to be yearning for something both musically and lyrically, this song fits right into that category. The emotions feel so raw and that's the beauty of Springsteen and why his music grabbed me so hard when I was 16 years old.
The Pearlfishers - Up With the Larks (Up With the Larks [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
I have a thing for pop songs and this is a very melodic and pretty sounding pop song. I swear it's like I've gone back to the 1980s listening to some of the music out right now. This album and this song remind me of a lot of bands from the 80s. For me most notably China Crisis. The band is lead by David Scott who has an odd voice, but if you can get past that the music and the lyrics are fun. Great album to throw on while cleaning the house on a sunny Saturday.
White Shoes and the Couples Company - Nothing to Fear and Runaway Song (White Shoes and the Couples Company [2005])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
If you never heard Young Marble Giants, or Weekend, or The Marine Girls, or any of those early 80's post punk bands they are worth listening to. But these guys have taken that whole idea to a new level that is just brilliant. This is a great album. These two songs were my two favorites, but this album is very very solid. Definitely give these guys a try. Normally I only post YouTube videos for songs that I've listed. But I like these guys and this album so much I'll list what I can for them.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Best of September 07 (II)
Sufjan Stevens - Casimir Pulaski Day (Illinois [2005])
allmusic, band homepage
I've listened to a little of his stuff, but I'm more intrigued by the idea of him doing an album for every state than I am by his music, but this is a pretty song.
Eskimo Joe - New York (Black Fingernails, Red Wine [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
Nice sound nice album. I've commented on this blog before about modern bands taking sound from early U2 and this band is another one. They seem to draw more from the sound of The Unforgettable Fire than the harder stuff and it fits in well with a modern sound. Perhaps the most interesting move on their album is that it opens with what is essentially an instrumental. I can't think of any rock album that opens with an instrumental, but it actually pulls you in and sets the stage for the album quite well.
allmusic, band homepage
I've listened to a little of his stuff, but I'm more intrigued by the idea of him doing an album for every state than I am by his music, but this is a pretty song.
Eskimo Joe - New York (Black Fingernails, Red Wine [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
Nice sound nice album. I've commented on this blog before about modern bands taking sound from early U2 and this band is another one. They seem to draw more from the sound of The Unforgettable Fire than the harder stuff and it fits in well with a modern sound. Perhaps the most interesting move on their album is that it opens with what is essentially an instrumental. I can't think of any rock album that opens with an instrumental, but it actually pulls you in and sets the stage for the album quite well.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Best of September 07 (I)
Terra Naomi - Say It's Possible (2007)
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
A 20 something folksy rocker this is her first song to make it to Yahoo and she has an upcoming album due out on the September 17th. I'll definitely keep an eye out for it on Yahoo. I don't know that I'm going to be remembering this song years from now, but it's a good song with a good hook.
The Brunettes - If You Were an Alien (Structure & Cosmetics [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
A great, breezy pop tune. I really enjoy the song it's a classic indie pop tune fun and quirky. The rest of the album for me was not so enjoyable. A bit too experimental and uninteresting.
Boogie Down Productions - My Philosophy (By All Means Necessary [1988])
allmusic
One of the best opening songs in album history, this song opens a brilliant album and creates the frame for the political and social commentary to come. On its own its a great song with a good hook and a complex yet simplistic layered sound.
Kanye West - Flashing Lights (Graduation [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
Continuing on with the hip-hop sound, a track off of the new Kanye West album. This song has a great beat and has a depth and elegance to it that Justin Timberlake seems to be missing with his dance pop music. If you haven't checked out the album it's worth giving a listen.
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
A 20 something folksy rocker this is her first song to make it to Yahoo and she has an upcoming album due out on the September 17th. I'll definitely keep an eye out for it on Yahoo. I don't know that I'm going to be remembering this song years from now, but it's a good song with a good hook.
The Brunettes - If You Were an Alien (Structure & Cosmetics [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
A great, breezy pop tune. I really enjoy the song it's a classic indie pop tune fun and quirky. The rest of the album for me was not so enjoyable. A bit too experimental and uninteresting.
Boogie Down Productions - My Philosophy (By All Means Necessary [1988])
allmusic
One of the best opening songs in album history, this song opens a brilliant album and creates the frame for the political and social commentary to come. On its own its a great song with a good hook and a complex yet simplistic layered sound.
Kanye West - Flashing Lights (Graduation [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
Continuing on with the hip-hop sound, a track off of the new Kanye West album. This song has a great beat and has a depth and elegance to it that Justin Timberlake seems to be missing with his dance pop music. If you haven't checked out the album it's worth giving a listen.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Best of August 07 (IV)
The Noises 10 - Elephant in the Room (There's An Elephant in the Room [2005])
band homepage, myspace
This is a pretty fun album, but I really like this song. The lyrics are smart and it's got a nice sound.
Amy Correia - Fallen Out of Love (Carnival Love [2000])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
She sounds like so many other folksy modern female singers, the album is a bit lackluster. But this song is a good folk pop tune that has a good sound and really balances her voice which is a bit weak and raspy.
Fauxliage - All the World (Fauxliage [2007])
allmusic, myspace
Another solid electro-pop tune with a haunting female voice. Hmm I seem to have a thing for songs like this. The album is OK, but no other song has the minor key poppy angst of this one.
The Hidden Cameras - Boys of Melody (Shortbus: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
A nice light pop tune from an experimental Canadian pop band. That's a lot to say.
band homepage, myspace
This is a pretty fun album, but I really like this song. The lyrics are smart and it's got a nice sound.
Amy Correia - Fallen Out of Love (Carnival Love [2000])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
She sounds like so many other folksy modern female singers, the album is a bit lackluster. But this song is a good folk pop tune that has a good sound and really balances her voice which is a bit weak and raspy.
Fauxliage - All the World (Fauxliage [2007])
allmusic, myspace
Another solid electro-pop tune with a haunting female voice. Hmm I seem to have a thing for songs like this. The album is OK, but no other song has the minor key poppy angst of this one.
The Hidden Cameras - Boys of Melody (Shortbus: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
A nice light pop tune from an experimental Canadian pop band. That's a lot to say.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Best of August 07 (Part III)
Tracy Bonham - Mother Mother (The Burdens of Being Upright [1996])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
This song came on my Yahoo Music one day and I thought, "wow I haven't heard this song in forever, whatever happened to her." Well she's still out there, but of course she never really topped that song for a hit. It's funny hearing it now it has such an angry and mid 90's sound. Anyhow it was good to run to this month, but now I can go another 10 years and not hear it and I'll be fine with that. I listened to the rest of her album and some songs off of her other stuff. It's all OK, but nothing that really grabs me.
Monster in the Machine - Savior (Butterfly Pinned [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
Yahoo only has two of the songs off of this album so far, not sure the album is even out yet perhaps this is just a single release but the song has a great sound. This song is so The Cure meets Goth and Nirvana it's wonderful. The other song I've heard is OK, but not quite as good as this one.
Patrick Park - One Body Breaks (Everyone's in Everyone [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
Another folksy indie rock artist. He's pretty good but seems to struggle a bit with writing good hooks. Too many of his songs sound pretty much the same. This song sets apart on the album bringing in some good country sounds which really help to lift up the music and he has his best melody and production.
The Coral - She's Got a Reason (Roots and Echoes [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
These guys are pretty much a straight forward rock band. They have a good crisp sound and this is a nice album. This particular song just happens to have a hook that really grabs me.
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
This song came on my Yahoo Music one day and I thought, "wow I haven't heard this song in forever, whatever happened to her." Well she's still out there, but of course she never really topped that song for a hit. It's funny hearing it now it has such an angry and mid 90's sound. Anyhow it was good to run to this month, but now I can go another 10 years and not hear it and I'll be fine with that. I listened to the rest of her album and some songs off of her other stuff. It's all OK, but nothing that really grabs me.
Monster in the Machine - Savior (Butterfly Pinned [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
Yahoo only has two of the songs off of this album so far, not sure the album is even out yet perhaps this is just a single release but the song has a great sound. This song is so The Cure meets Goth and Nirvana it's wonderful. The other song I've heard is OK, but not quite as good as this one.
Patrick Park - One Body Breaks (Everyone's in Everyone [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
Another folksy indie rock artist. He's pretty good but seems to struggle a bit with writing good hooks. Too many of his songs sound pretty much the same. This song sets apart on the album bringing in some good country sounds which really help to lift up the music and he has his best melody and production.
The Coral - She's Got a Reason (Roots and Echoes [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
These guys are pretty much a straight forward rock band. They have a good crisp sound and this is a nice album. This particular song just happens to have a hook that really grabs me.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Best of August 07 (Part II)
Shit City - Winterland (God Bless Our Home [2007])
myspace
These guys obviously sat around Oslo, Norway listening to a lot of Crosby, Stills, and Nash. They've got a great late 60s early 70s country rock sound. The album is very consistent. Can't stand the name of the band, but they are good.
Laurnea - No Shame (I Remember [2005])
allmusic, myspace
Good song with a nice groove to it that really sets off her voice. The album is pretty steady, but this song is a standout.
Zhane - Sending My Love (Pronounced Jah-Nay [1994])
allmusic
A great example of early 90s pop R&B, the album is a nice listen.
The Perishers - My Own (Victorious [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
These guys sound like so many other bands of the moment, but I like this song. These guys are from Sweden so I guess I'm into Scandinavian bands this month. The album is good, but nothing to write home about.
myspace
These guys obviously sat around Oslo, Norway listening to a lot of Crosby, Stills, and Nash. They've got a great late 60s early 70s country rock sound. The album is very consistent. Can't stand the name of the band, but they are good.
Laurnea - No Shame (I Remember [2005])
allmusic, myspace
Good song with a nice groove to it that really sets off her voice. The album is pretty steady, but this song is a standout.
Zhane - Sending My Love (Pronounced Jah-Nay [1994])
allmusic
A great example of early 90s pop R&B, the album is a nice listen.
The Perishers - My Own (Victorious [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
These guys sound like so many other bands of the moment, but I like this song. These guys are from Sweden so I guess I'm into Scandinavian bands this month. The album is good, but nothing to write home about.
Best of August 07 (Part I)
UNKLE - Keys to the Kingdom (War Stories [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
This song makes me think of an urbane Billy Idol. There is a dirtiness to the sound that is quite nice as it revolves around a driving melody. The rest of the album is OK but doesn't really grab me the way this song did. A great song to run to by the way.
Magnolia Electric Co. - North Star (Sojourner Box Set [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
A bleak country/rock sound gives this song its appeal. Good lyrics and a nice melody don't hurt. The album is fairly consistent, and so if you like this song you'll probably like the rest of the album.
A Fine Frenzy - Come On, Come Out (One Cell In the Sea [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
Very nice pop tune. Great sound that fits the singers voice very well. Nothing else on the album quite has this feel or sound which is a bit disappointing, but it's still pretty good. Here is a video the band has up on YouTube.
Josh Rouse - Snowy (Country Mouse, City House [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
Pretty cool tune with a nice slow and homey feel to it. Like so many artists right now this song does better than most at capturing that early 70's pop sound developed by people like Paul Simon. A short album which is kind of nice it is fairly consistent. No song to me really stands out like Snowy.
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
This song makes me think of an urbane Billy Idol. There is a dirtiness to the sound that is quite nice as it revolves around a driving melody. The rest of the album is OK but doesn't really grab me the way this song did. A great song to run to by the way.
Magnolia Electric Co. - North Star (Sojourner Box Set [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
A bleak country/rock sound gives this song its appeal. Good lyrics and a nice melody don't hurt. The album is fairly consistent, and so if you like this song you'll probably like the rest of the album.
A Fine Frenzy - Come On, Come Out (One Cell In the Sea [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
Very nice pop tune. Great sound that fits the singers voice very well. Nothing else on the album quite has this feel or sound which is a bit disappointing, but it's still pretty good. Here is a video the band has up on YouTube.
Josh Rouse - Snowy (Country Mouse, City House [2007])
allmusic, band homepage, myspace
Pretty cool tune with a nice slow and homey feel to it. Like so many artists right now this song does better than most at capturing that early 70's pop sound developed by people like Paul Simon. A short album which is kind of nice it is fairly consistent. No song to me really stands out like Snowy.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Jill Scott - Beautifully Human
The more I hear this album the more I'm convinced it is one of the best albums of the past 10 years, and the best of the modern Philly R&B sound. It is hard to imagine she can top this album, but I can't wait for her next one.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
The Avett Brothers
Just got through listening to their latest album "Emotionalism" and found it quite enjoyable. Not sure what their other stuff sounds like, but this album is worth a listen.
Friday, May 04, 2007
The Hills of Chapel Hill
It's that time of year when I start doing bike rides in the morning before work. You can check out one of my favorite rides at MapMyRide.com.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Annual Credit Report
I just learned that there is a site where you can get a free annual credit report from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. This site was setup and is supported by the three companies in response to a law passed by congress requiring them to provide this annual free report. Definitely worth checking out.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
A World Above Our Heads
I heard the most fascinating story the other day about redwoods and research being done about the life that goes on in the tops of these trees. Definitely check this out it is quite interesting.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Fergie - The Dutchess
For whatever reason I had made a point of avoiding this album since it came out. Then one day I caught the video for Glamorous on Launch and enjoyed it enough to listen to the album. I was very surprised. The lyrics are smart and funny and the beats are filled with good hooks. It can be a bit repetitious, but all in all it's a good pop album. If you want to catch a fun pop album with catchy beats and lyrics this is a good one to pick up.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Cycling For Fun
I'm always interested in online games and I read about professional cycling everyday, so when I came across this web site I just had to check it out. It is an online game where you manage a cycling squad. You have a budget, have to hire cyclists and staff, and sign them up for races. You have to train your guys up, etc. it seems pretty fun.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Table Top Football
I found a great new online game called Sky Sports Table Top Football, check it out.
Ultimate Exposure Computer
I found a nifty web site to help with figuring out exposures for photography. It's called the Ultimate Exposure Computer and it has a lot of useful information if you are like me and just starting out on doing photography.
Monday, February 26, 2007
The Ugly Tomatoe
I heard a very interesting piece on The Splendid Table this weekend about the UglyRipe Tomato. It is a tomato that is not allowed to be shipped out of Florida by the Florida Tomato Committee because it isn't pretty enough. The UglyRipe has a reputation for having a great taste and was developed for taste not stamina on store shelves. It means that we could be eating good tasting tomatoes year round if not for the Florida Tomato Committee. Well this was the first I had heard of this, but looking on the web there is quite a bit about it. Wikipedia of course has a good write up.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Mercury in CFL Bulbs
I heard a story on NPR yesterday about the mercury that is in CFL bulbs and was really surprised to hear all the problems associated with disposing of the bulbs. If you care about the environment and want to switch to using these energy saving bulbs you should listen to this story.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
New Music Makes Me Happy
I subscribe to Yahoo Music Unlimited and love the fact that I can so easily be exposed to so much new music. I've recently finally started focusing on MySpace as well since I've finally come to realize it is one of the best places to get current information on artists that you might have an interest in. Here are a few artists worth checking out when you have the time.
Tracey Thorn of Everything But the Girl has a new solo album coming out and you can hear her new single at her MySpace site.
Jon Redfern is a new artist worth checking out, especially if you like the sound of people like Badly Drawn Boy.
Metisse is a new band with an interesting sound. It is made up of Aida and Skully an African singer and an Irish musician/producer. Definitely worth checking out, a very cool sound.
Editors is a relatively new band with a very 80's sound. If you like 80's U2, Big Country, and The Call, then you'll really like these guys.
Tracey Thorn of Everything But the Girl has a new solo album coming out and you can hear her new single at her MySpace site.
Jon Redfern is a new artist worth checking out, especially if you like the sound of people like Badly Drawn Boy.
Metisse is a new band with an interesting sound. It is made up of Aida and Skully an African singer and an Irish musician/producer. Definitely worth checking out, a very cool sound.
Editors is a relatively new band with a very 80's sound. If you like 80's U2, Big Country, and The Call, then you'll really like these guys.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
The Wealth Imbalance in the United States
NPR is running a series this week on the growing gap between the poor and rich in the United States. It has been very good so far and worth a listen.
North Carolina Voices
WUNC in Chapel Hill, North Carolina has done a nice job with their last two North Carolina Voices series. Their latest Considering College was very good, and their previous series Studying High School was excellent.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
What About the Leftovers
For some reason lately I have been thinking a lot about leftover embryos that are stored in fertility clinics from invitro fertilization procedures (IVF). Today USAToday.com has a story about it that helped to answer some of my questions, like what happens to the leftover embryos.
But it still doesn't answer my major question which is where do the pro life groups who are opposed to abortion stand on IVF. I did find this helpful site, but what I can't tell is if this is the norm of opinion of Pro Lifers or only the extreme. Where does the Bush administration for example stand on IVF. He did veto a bill that would have funded stem cell research from stem cells that came from IVF embryos that were going to be discarded, but he has never talked about legislation to regulate or stop the use of IVF.
It seems that if you oppose abortion you must also oppose IVF. Are fertility clinics being protested and burned? Are the doctors of these clinics being threatened? These are the questions I want answered.
But it still doesn't answer my major question which is where do the pro life groups who are opposed to abortion stand on IVF. I did find this helpful site, but what I can't tell is if this is the norm of opinion of Pro Lifers or only the extreme. Where does the Bush administration for example stand on IVF. He did veto a bill that would have funded stem cell research from stem cells that came from IVF embryos that were going to be discarded, but he has never talked about legislation to regulate or stop the use of IVF.
It seems that if you oppose abortion you must also oppose IVF. Are fertility clinics being protested and burned? Are the doctors of these clinics being threatened? These are the questions I want answered.
Friday, January 12, 2007
A New Bike for Margaret
It's exciting times in the house. We got our home office all setup, which I still need to post about, and now we have a new bike for Margaret. For the past so many years, she has been riding an old Nashiki (with a Biopace crank set) that we bought from Play it Again Sports for $35 or so. It's been a great bike for her but with her getting more serious about doing triathlons, etc. it was time for something better. The Nashiki was heavy and had poor derailleurs that needed constant tweaking to keep aligned.
In all the times I've ever ridden with Margaret I have never see her put her hands in the drops. Not once. She doesn't even like to ride with her hands on the hoods that much, so I felt as though it would do well for her to get a flat bar road bike. It would be lighter than her old bike, with thinner tires and geared like a road bike. The twist shifters are something she's use to using on her mountain bike and likes a lot. Also you can put bar ends on a flat bar, something else she likes a lot.
After convincing Margaret of my plan the next step was to find a suitable bike. There are plenty of flat bar road bikes to choose from, but I kept coming back to one over and over, the Bianchi Strada. I had first looked at this bike in 2005 when I was looking for a new bike for myself. It was geared up similar to a road bike 11-32 in the back 30-52 in the front. The key here being the 52/11 that you can achieve similar to a road bike. Many of the flat bar bikes were setup closer to a touring bike. In fact in 2006 Bianchi switched to a different setup 11-32 in the back and 28-48 in the front. It also came on 700x23C tires something most flat bars don't. I felt as though this were a true road bike with some features of a touring bike like the 32 on the front. I also liked the fact that Bianchi called it a road bike, treated it as a road bike and not as a hybrid or comfort bike.
The problem was that the newer Strada didn't fit the bill and we have no Bianchi dealer that close to us. I looked at a lot of other bikes and wasn't that impressed and began to think of getting a regular road bike then changing the shifters and handlebar, or just building one from scratch. In fact I fully priced out building one from scratch using either a cheap Nashbar frame or a Surly Pacer frame. It seemed doable, but then one day recently I hit on something. A web site that changed everything for me. bikesarecool.com had a 2005 Bianchi Strada that was $160 off retail with free shipping. I jumped on it, especially since building it myself or converting another bike was going to cost at least as much or more. This was the bike I had always been interested in and now was my chance to get it.
It arrived yesterday and I put it together last night. It looks great and I can't wait to do a fitting for Margaret and then take it out for a spin. I'm more excited than she is I believe. We are now the Bianchi 2005 couple with her having the Strada and me the Brava from the same year.
In all the times I've ever ridden with Margaret I have never see her put her hands in the drops. Not once. She doesn't even like to ride with her hands on the hoods that much, so I felt as though it would do well for her to get a flat bar road bike. It would be lighter than her old bike, with thinner tires and geared like a road bike. The twist shifters are something she's use to using on her mountain bike and likes a lot. Also you can put bar ends on a flat bar, something else she likes a lot.
After convincing Margaret of my plan the next step was to find a suitable bike. There are plenty of flat bar road bikes to choose from, but I kept coming back to one over and over, the Bianchi Strada. I had first looked at this bike in 2005 when I was looking for a new bike for myself. It was geared up similar to a road bike 11-32 in the back 30-52 in the front. The key here being the 52/11 that you can achieve similar to a road bike. Many of the flat bar bikes were setup closer to a touring bike. In fact in 2006 Bianchi switched to a different setup 11-32 in the back and 28-48 in the front. It also came on 700x23C tires something most flat bars don't. I felt as though this were a true road bike with some features of a touring bike like the 32 on the front. I also liked the fact that Bianchi called it a road bike, treated it as a road bike and not as a hybrid or comfort bike.
The problem was that the newer Strada didn't fit the bill and we have no Bianchi dealer that close to us. I looked at a lot of other bikes and wasn't that impressed and began to think of getting a regular road bike then changing the shifters and handlebar, or just building one from scratch. In fact I fully priced out building one from scratch using either a cheap Nashbar frame or a Surly Pacer frame. It seemed doable, but then one day recently I hit on something. A web site that changed everything for me. bikesarecool.com had a 2005 Bianchi Strada that was $160 off retail with free shipping. I jumped on it, especially since building it myself or converting another bike was going to cost at least as much or more. This was the bike I had always been interested in and now was my chance to get it.
It arrived yesterday and I put it together last night. It looks great and I can't wait to do a fitting for Margaret and then take it out for a spin. I'm more excited than she is I believe. We are now the Bianchi 2005 couple with her having the Strada and me the Brava from the same year.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
2006 NCAA Division I Football Tournament
I know the image is hard to see, but this is how the football bracket would have been setup for a 24 team tournament. More than anything I wanted to plug the free software I used to create this bracket, it's called Tournament Maker 2.1. You can download it from ZDNet. If you want some simpler software take a look at another freebee called Tournament Bracket Builder from ZDNet. It will create an html bracket that you can print out. With Tournament Maker you can actually keep track of the games, costs to enter the tournament, etc.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Gnarls Barkley and the Femmes
I was listening to Gnarls Barkley yesterday and hearing his cover of the Femmes, "Gone Daddy Gone," got me to thinking about them. It's odd in some ways that I've not heard more of their songs off of that first album covered.
By the way love the song "The Last Time" by Gnarls Barkley.
By the way love the song "The Last Time" by Gnarls Barkley.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Is Wal-Mart Good for the United States (What Can Be Done)
If we look at the results of the case study about Shovel Inc. what do the people of the United States get out of this market model. US Steel loses a customer and may have to lay workers off, American workers lose their jobs at Shovel Inc., the rest of us get to save around $3 on a snow shovel that now has a plastic handle instead of wood and the blade is possibly made of a lower quality steel. In my book this isn't that good of a result for the citizens of the United States. The question is what can be done to change it, and should something be done to change it.
I would say that definitely something needs to be done about it. The blue collar middle class is very quickly disappearing from our country and they have always been the rock bed on which the rest of the economy is built. Of course IT people are really just fancied up blue collar types and so we still have them, but I know so many IT people that have been laid off as jobs are outsourced to India, etc. it's a bit frightening. The outsourcing would be another issue and go back to the discussion about what was not covered by Frontline so we won't get into that right now.
So now that we know we need to do something what can we do. The most obvious would be to put restrictions on imported goods, making the appeal of moving manufacturing outside of the US not as appealing. These could be simple tariffs or more complex tariffs that are geared at forcing other nations to insure their people are payed a higher wage. The appeal of cutting labor costs by 98% is one of the main appeals to moving jobs out of the United States. If we limit or don't allow imports from nations that don't pay a decent wage then we would limit the number of companies willing to move their jobs out of the United States.
We could also look at the big box stores as the new manufacturers of our age, since it is mostly service industry jobs that are replacing the manufacturing jobs. We could insure that they pay their employees a decent wage, provide them insurance, and retirement benefits. This would be similar to the support that employees got during the labor movements reforming industry.
We could also work harder at encouraging our citizens to save more and spend less. Our voracious appetite for consumer products is one factor that has led to this new market model. With so little savings in this country and such a large trade deficit we are sitting in a position where the survival of our economy is completely dependent on other nations. This is a risky position in which to find ourselves.
We could also increase the taxes on the wealthiest individuals in our country. In our country today the wealthiest individuals can easily get out of paying a dime in taxes every year. With the jobs moving out of the country and the wealthiest individuals reaping the rewards of the increased profits, none of that increased income is finding its way back into helping the government function or keep the deficits at a reasonable level.
We could subsidize certain industries that we feel must be protected, like steel and other heavy key industries that are seen as necessary for a country to survive on its own. During World War II we rose to power in large part because we could survive without being dependent on the rest of the world. It is important to insure that we can always feed ourselves, clothe ourselves, and supply key products like steel.
We could take a much stronger stance against other countries who refuse to open up their borders to imported US goods, and work hard to encourage self sustaining economies in third world countries. Instead of El Salvador using every inch of its farm land to produce coffee to be sold in the US market we should encourage them to create a self sustaining economy that creates a more balanced market system, rather than one which only generates revenues for the large coffee farm owners. Helping to develop a more independent market and middle class in these countries helps to protect US jobs because it raises the salaries being paid in such nations.
As you can see there is a lot that we can do to change things. But what specifically should we do? That will be the next series as we begin to actually look at the numbers and figure out what we need to do to help insure a stable economy in the US.
I would say that definitely something needs to be done about it. The blue collar middle class is very quickly disappearing from our country and they have always been the rock bed on which the rest of the economy is built. Of course IT people are really just fancied up blue collar types and so we still have them, but I know so many IT people that have been laid off as jobs are outsourced to India, etc. it's a bit frightening. The outsourcing would be another issue and go back to the discussion about what was not covered by Frontline so we won't get into that right now.
So now that we know we need to do something what can we do. The most obvious would be to put restrictions on imported goods, making the appeal of moving manufacturing outside of the US not as appealing. These could be simple tariffs or more complex tariffs that are geared at forcing other nations to insure their people are payed a higher wage. The appeal of cutting labor costs by 98% is one of the main appeals to moving jobs out of the United States. If we limit or don't allow imports from nations that don't pay a decent wage then we would limit the number of companies willing to move their jobs out of the United States.
We could also look at the big box stores as the new manufacturers of our age, since it is mostly service industry jobs that are replacing the manufacturing jobs. We could insure that they pay their employees a decent wage, provide them insurance, and retirement benefits. This would be similar to the support that employees got during the labor movements reforming industry.
We could also work harder at encouraging our citizens to save more and spend less. Our voracious appetite for consumer products is one factor that has led to this new market model. With so little savings in this country and such a large trade deficit we are sitting in a position where the survival of our economy is completely dependent on other nations. This is a risky position in which to find ourselves.
We could also increase the taxes on the wealthiest individuals in our country. In our country today the wealthiest individuals can easily get out of paying a dime in taxes every year. With the jobs moving out of the country and the wealthiest individuals reaping the rewards of the increased profits, none of that increased income is finding its way back into helping the government function or keep the deficits at a reasonable level.
We could subsidize certain industries that we feel must be protected, like steel and other heavy key industries that are seen as necessary for a country to survive on its own. During World War II we rose to power in large part because we could survive without being dependent on the rest of the world. It is important to insure that we can always feed ourselves, clothe ourselves, and supply key products like steel.
We could take a much stronger stance against other countries who refuse to open up their borders to imported US goods, and work hard to encourage self sustaining economies in third world countries. Instead of El Salvador using every inch of its farm land to produce coffee to be sold in the US market we should encourage them to create a self sustaining economy that creates a more balanced market system, rather than one which only generates revenues for the large coffee farm owners. Helping to develop a more independent market and middle class in these countries helps to protect US jobs because it raises the salaries being paid in such nations.
As you can see there is a lot that we can do to change things. But what specifically should we do? That will be the next series as we begin to actually look at the numbers and figure out what we need to do to help insure a stable economy in the US.
Tracey Thorn
Happily she'll be back soon with a new album. You can check some of her stuff on her MySpace.com page. Meanwhile Ben is busy running his record label and you can check out his MySpace.com page as well.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Is Wal-Mart Good for the United States (What is Missing)
One of the critical components that was left out of the discussion on Frontline was the pressure to produce results for stockholders. In the case study we looked at Shovel Inc. was caught in a tight squeeze. They simply couldn't have made the shovels as cheap as Home Depot wanted. But let's say that it was only costing them $10.00 per and they were able to sell them to Home Depot for $13.00, what other factor might push them to move their facilities to China? The obvious pressure would come from stockholders and upper management who would reap the rewards of greater profits. By moving their operations to China and reducing their labor costs by 98% they could potentially build the shovels for say $6.00 per including shipping to the United States. That's a 133% increase in profit from $3.00 per shovel to $7.00 per shovel.
The question I would ask is how much of what is driving these companies to move jobs out of the United States is by the big box retailers and how much of it is the desire of the stock holders and upper management to increase their wallets. In essence how much of it is just the market system at work. Anyone that takes a basic economics course learns that controlling the cost of manufacturing is the key to making bigger profits. If you can move your manufacturing facilities to somewhere outside the United States and import them in at no cost other than shipping why not do it. The labor costs are so much less it pays to make the move.
By moving these jobs to countries like China it also helps to get around their tight importing restrictions and helps these companies to market better to the Chinese. They are able to still sell and make profits in the United States and now also sell and make profits in China.
This has lead us to the final installment, is the Wal-Mart model good for the United States and if not what can be done to change the effects it is having on our economy.
The question I would ask is how much of what is driving these companies to move jobs out of the United States is by the big box retailers and how much of it is the desire of the stock holders and upper management to increase their wallets. In essence how much of it is just the market system at work. Anyone that takes a basic economics course learns that controlling the cost of manufacturing is the key to making bigger profits. If you can move your manufacturing facilities to somewhere outside the United States and import them in at no cost other than shipping why not do it. The labor costs are so much less it pays to make the move.
By moving these jobs to countries like China it also helps to get around their tight importing restrictions and helps these companies to market better to the Chinese. They are able to still sell and make profits in the United States and now also sell and make profits in China.
This has lead us to the final installment, is the Wal-Mart model good for the United States and if not what can be done to change the effects it is having on our economy.
Kwanzaa
Leave it to The Comics Curmudgeon to help me learn about Kwanzaa. In case you were like me and know nothing about Kwanzaa, take a quick look at the Official Kwanzaa web site to learn about its history and what it represents.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Is Wal-Mart Good for the United States (A Case Study)
So let's walk through an example of how this system works according to the manufacturers and the Frontline episode that spurred this whole discussion.
Shovel Inc. sales rep goes in to meet with Home Depot buyer. The buyer tells the sales rep that they would like to buy 100,000 snow shovels at $13.55 per shovel. This would allow Home Depot to put a 40% markup on these shovels and they have found that $18.97 is the best price to mark their snow shovels for selling. The Shovel Inc. sales rep tells the Home Depot buyer that it is costing them $14.00 per shovel to produce the shovel now and there is no way they can sell it to Home Depot for $13.55. The Home Depot buyer says, OK, we won't buy any shovels from you this year, we'll go with another brand instead. The Shovel Inc. sales rep says no we need the business so we'll do it for $13.55.
Now Shovel Inc. is in a tight situation. They have this order to produce 100,000 shovels to be sold at $13.55 per shovel. Now obviously Shovel Inc. needs to make money on this so if they are going to be selling the shovels for $13.55 per shovel they would like to make 20% per shovel or produce the shovels at $11.29 per shovel. Currently it is costing them $14.00 per shovel so they have to shave off $.45 per shovel just to break even. The first step to cutting costs is to look at alternatives to the raw goods they are using. It just so happens that China is dumping steel on the US market that year and so they decide to buy this cheap Chinese steel instead of the US Steel they've always bought before. This will save them about $.50 per shovel, so enough to break even. They also decide to go with plastic handles instead of wooden handles to save another $.50 per shovel. Of course the first year they make this change there are development costs and so in the end they break even on the shovels.
The next year tariffs are placed on Chinese steel and so Shovel Inc. goes back to Home Depot and says OK we are ready to get you your 100,000 shovels, but with steel prices going up we have to do it this year for $15.00 per shovel. Home Depot says no we would like two things from you this year. We would like 50,000 all plastic shovels at $10.00 per shovel and 100,000 of the plastic and steel shovels at $13.00 per shovel. We hope to sell the $10.00 shovels for only a 10% markup but use that low price to pull in customers. We will keep our other shovels marked at $18.97 and make more profits to makeup the difference. If you can't meet these demands we will look elsewhere. The Shovel Inc. seller again agrees and goes back to his company.
Now they have to invest money to develop an all plastic shovel, and still provide a steel shovel with a plastic handle at a lower cost than they were able to do the year before. They are not going to be able to get their raw materials down enough to make these prices work and actually make profits for the year so they start to look at other ways they can cut costs. There are restrictions on steel imports, but not on importing shovels, so Shovel Inc. decides to bight the bullet and move one of their plants to China. They will lose money this year, but by moving their plant to China they will cut labor costs by 98%. They are currently paying union employees $15.00 per hour, in China they will be paying $.25 per hour. They also will not have to pay insurance, social security, pension, etc. It will also make the cheaper Chinese steel available to them and so even though they will have to ship their shovels into the United States market they will easily make their money back and increase their profits down the road.
Now of course the US plant is shut down and those employees laid off. It also means that US Steel loses the customer for raw goods even though there was protection against steel dumping on the US market. Home Depot gets to increase their profits and Shovel Inc. is now positioned to do the same.
In the next installment we will look at what other factors are involved this process that are missing from the model as presented by Frontline.
Shovel Inc. sales rep goes in to meet with Home Depot buyer. The buyer tells the sales rep that they would like to buy 100,000 snow shovels at $13.55 per shovel. This would allow Home Depot to put a 40% markup on these shovels and they have found that $18.97 is the best price to mark their snow shovels for selling. The Shovel Inc. sales rep tells the Home Depot buyer that it is costing them $14.00 per shovel to produce the shovel now and there is no way they can sell it to Home Depot for $13.55. The Home Depot buyer says, OK, we won't buy any shovels from you this year, we'll go with another brand instead. The Shovel Inc. sales rep says no we need the business so we'll do it for $13.55.
Now Shovel Inc. is in a tight situation. They have this order to produce 100,000 shovels to be sold at $13.55 per shovel. Now obviously Shovel Inc. needs to make money on this so if they are going to be selling the shovels for $13.55 per shovel they would like to make 20% per shovel or produce the shovels at $11.29 per shovel. Currently it is costing them $14.00 per shovel so they have to shave off $.45 per shovel just to break even. The first step to cutting costs is to look at alternatives to the raw goods they are using. It just so happens that China is dumping steel on the US market that year and so they decide to buy this cheap Chinese steel instead of the US Steel they've always bought before. This will save them about $.50 per shovel, so enough to break even. They also decide to go with plastic handles instead of wooden handles to save another $.50 per shovel. Of course the first year they make this change there are development costs and so in the end they break even on the shovels.
The next year tariffs are placed on Chinese steel and so Shovel Inc. goes back to Home Depot and says OK we are ready to get you your 100,000 shovels, but with steel prices going up we have to do it this year for $15.00 per shovel. Home Depot says no we would like two things from you this year. We would like 50,000 all plastic shovels at $10.00 per shovel and 100,000 of the plastic and steel shovels at $13.00 per shovel. We hope to sell the $10.00 shovels for only a 10% markup but use that low price to pull in customers. We will keep our other shovels marked at $18.97 and make more profits to makeup the difference. If you can't meet these demands we will look elsewhere. The Shovel Inc. seller again agrees and goes back to his company.
Now they have to invest money to develop an all plastic shovel, and still provide a steel shovel with a plastic handle at a lower cost than they were able to do the year before. They are not going to be able to get their raw materials down enough to make these prices work and actually make profits for the year so they start to look at other ways they can cut costs. There are restrictions on steel imports, but not on importing shovels, so Shovel Inc. decides to bight the bullet and move one of their plants to China. They will lose money this year, but by moving their plant to China they will cut labor costs by 98%. They are currently paying union employees $15.00 per hour, in China they will be paying $.25 per hour. They also will not have to pay insurance, social security, pension, etc. It will also make the cheaper Chinese steel available to them and so even though they will have to ship their shovels into the United States market they will easily make their money back and increase their profits down the road.
Now of course the US plant is shut down and those employees laid off. It also means that US Steel loses the customer for raw goods even though there was protection against steel dumping on the US market. Home Depot gets to increase their profits and Shovel Inc. is now positioned to do the same.
In the next installment we will look at what other factors are involved this process that are missing from the model as presented by Frontline.
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