[MusicRatty] tag: lizard

DJing and making music - Korg microKONTROL and Ableton Live

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 16:35:12 +0000

For about the last three years I have been determined to get my hands on a keyboard controller and finally the beast is here! After doing lots of research and waiting until I was ready to really make use of it I went over to Long and McQuade and hooked myself up with the Korg microKONTROL. It’s small, powerfully built and comes loaded with sliders, faders, pads, and a phenomenal software package - which I think is what sold me on the unit.

There are two reasons I wanted a keyboard controller. First I wanted to be able to play my music and use effects while performing or DJing. Second I wanted something to play with while composing music, and I wanted something with some decent bundled software - ideally lots of retro sounds including rhodes electric pianos and various organs / synths.

So far I have to say I’m very impressed! After loading / updating drivers and setting up the VST instruments it was basically plug and play! Connecting the USB cable to my computer I was able to play the AMAZING Lounge Lizard Session which is a ‘light’ version like all the other software and plugins in the bundled Creative Kontrol Pack 3. I also got light versions of Reason, Live, and a wide variety of synth VSTs with a banging variety of instruments. SICK is the only word for it.

So far I have not been able to figure out the ’scene’ parameters and use the controller to DJ in Live but I have to study the manual a bit more. I selected scene 12 and the controller displays ‘Live’ but doesn’t seem ‘ready to go.’ The playing / DJing thing will have to wait for the moment - but I’ll keep you posted!

Overall my first impression is that this is a solid unit with a wealth of incredible features. The case is brushed aluminum which reeks high-end build quality (compared with the plastic used on most other products in this class). The pads are not as responsive as I had hoped but I’ll probably use them to trigger samples rather than play percussion parts. (Using the keyboard might work well for laying down drums). The keys are VERY small - hence the ‘micro’ in the name - but they are responsive and feature three octaves which is decent (Octave ‘up’ and ‘down’ buttons are easy to use). My brother, the piano man blew me away when he got on the Korg and used one of the sweet lead synth presets - rich, warm tones with complexity and movement rang from my speakers. Those with fat fingers or looking for more accuracy will want to go with something full size (check out the Korg Kontrol49). I bought it just to jam and get ideas down. For this it is compact and very useful. I can just squeeze the unit into my backpack with all my cables and my laptop. Now all I need for proper transport is a nice carry case!

In my next installment I will let you know how the unit holds up as a controller using the Session view to play my samples with effects in Ableton Live. The bundle provided a light version of Live 6 and I already own Live 4 so I’ll be trying it with both. Stay tuned!

The Jesus Lizard To Reunite

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:46:41 +0000

From the news I never thought I’d see happen department: The Jesus Lizard are set to reunite and four of their seminal albums will be remastered and reissued.

David Yow, Duane Denison, David Wm. Sims and Mac McNeilly (the original lineup) will reunite for a limited series of dates in 2009. The first of those dates will be the All Tomorrow’s Parties (The Fans Strike Back) in Minehead, UK on May 9 and 10. The finale will take place in Chicago in late November. These shows will be the first the band will play since disbanding in 1999 and the first to feature the original quartet in twelve years.

Touch and Go Records will reissue four albums from the band in May 2009. Remastered recordings of Head, Goat, Liar, and Down will be available in both LP and CD formats. All four releases will feature expanded packaging and liner notes. Bob Weston will handle the remastering process with Steve Albini (the original session engineer) sitting in.

MP3: The Jesus Lizard - “Fly On The Wall”
MP3: The Jesus Lizard - “Boilermaker”

The Stream 11/28/08

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:47:31 +0000

The Jesus Lizard to reunite and play All Tomorrow's Parties. Superdrag's original line-up to reunite and record new material. Need a timewaster at work today? Take NME's Music Quiz. Today In Music History: 1943 - Randy Newman was born. 1962 - Matt Cameron (Soundgarden) was born. 1970 - George Harrison released his double solo album All Things Must Pass. 1989 - The B-52's Cosmic Thing and the Rolling Stones Steal Wheels were in Billboard's Top Ten. 1995 - The Beatles Anthology 1 package sold a record 1.2 million in its first week. 1999 - Rage Against The Machine's The Battle Of Los Angeles was the #1 album.

The Jesus Lizard Reforms For U.K. Shows

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 11:30:39 +0000

The Jesus Lizard are reforming for a handful of concerts in 2009. The band's original line-up, David Yow, Duane Denison, David Wm. Sims, and Mac McNeilly,

The Jesus Lizard Reuniting In 2009

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 06:00:12 +0000

Seminal Chicago indie rock outfit the Jesus Lizard will play its first shows in 10 years in 2009, while Touch & Go will remaster and reissue its first four studio albums.

Rolling Stones Top Stories

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:22:55 +0000

• The 2008 Hot Issue
• Charts: Beyoncé, Nickelback, David Cook
• Video: Behind the Britney Spears Cover
• Axl Rose Demands Dr. Pepper Apology
• Breaking: The Knux
• Weekend Rock List: Thankful Songs
• Noel Gallagher: “I Am Brilliant Every Night”
• New U2 Album Has Title, No Rick Rubin
• Travers Video: Milk and Australia
• James Taylor Explains His Favorite Covers
• Radio Having Worst Year Since 1954
• All Tomorrow’s Parties: The Jesus Lizard
• MTV Plans Obama Inaugural Ball
• News Ticker: Lil Wayne, Franz Ferdinand

Weekend Rock List: Thankful Songs

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 18:45:46 +0000

Here at Rock Daily, there’s plenty of things we’re thankful for. Chinese Democracy. The Jesus Lizard reunion. Johan Santana’s left arm. To pay homage to those pilgrims who came to America to escape oppression and slaughter turkeys, this long weekend’s Rock List is dedicated to “thankful” songs. Tell us which thankful songs you’re most thankful for, and on Monday we’ll work off all those yams we ate by counting the votes and revealing the readers’ list. Before you start feasting or battling the Black Friday shopping crowds, here are our faves:

• Led Zeppelin - “Thank You”
• Fall Out Boy - “Thnks fr th Mmrs”
• Sly & The Family Stone - “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”
• Alanis Morissette - “Thank U”
• Talking Heads - “Thank You For Sending Me An Angel”

All Tomorrow’s Parties continues to make the impossible happen, first getting My Bloody Valentine to come together and now, the Jesus Lizard. The Chicago noise rockers will reunite after a decade-long absence for next year’s ATP: The Fans Strike Back festival in England on May 8-10. The concert, featuring all of the band’s original members, comes ten years and two months after the band’s last gig together in Umea, Sweden on March 27, 1999. The Fans Strike Back lineup will also include Devo, Spiritualized, a reunited Sleep and the Young Marble Giants’ performing their entire Colossal Youth. ATP made some more news by announcing that next year’s New York festival, to be held September 11-13, will include Animal Collective, Panda Bear and Deerhunter side project Atlas Sound.

• Patton Oswalt Reveals the Sordid Truth About All Tomorrow’s Parties

• My Bloody Valentine, Thurston Moore Bring Big Noises to All Tomorrow’s Parties

The Jesus Lizard Reunite!

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:15:00 +0000

Photo by Steve Gullick

Some ten years after they called it a day, the glorious noise rock clusterfuck they call the Jesus Lizard will reconvene for a series of shows next year. Yep, all of 'em: the classic lineup of David Yow, Duane Denison, David Wm. Sims, and Mac McNeilly will hit the road on what the band's label Touch and Go calls a "fleeting reunion."

The only date announced thus far is an appearance at the All Tomorrow's Parties' "The Fans Strike Back" fest in Minehead, England the long weekend of May 8-10, though we're told things will come crashing down with a grand finale in the band's hometown of Chicago in November.

Come May, the band's first four albums-- Head, Goat, Liar, and Down-- will be released on CD and vinyl in newly remastered form. Bob Weston is heading up that process, with original engineer Steve Albini sitting in.