~ajroach42.com

I'm Andrew. I write about the past and future of tech, music, media, culture, art, and activism. This is my blog.



Music for Parties: Minimalist 1980 synthpop from Silicon Teens

Musically and culturally speaking, I find that there is something particularly special about early 80s minimal synthpop. I am fascinated with it in much the same way I am fascinated with modern bedroom-pop. It seems primitive, personal, and not quite fully formed. In 1980 the album Music For Parties was released, (allegedly) by a band called Silicon Teens. It’s mostly a collection of synth covers of 50s and 60s rock, with renditions of Chuck Berry’s Memephis Tennessee, Manfred Mann’s Doo Wah Diddy, and a particularly stellar performance of The Kinks’ You Really Got Me Now.

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Discovering Jandek

Following with today’s theme (which is apparently, weird music from the 80s) I thought I should spend a few minutes talking about everyone’s favorite weird/outsider musician, Jandek. It would be easy to misrepresent Jandek’s music. I’ve heard it called “Visionary”, I’ve heard it called “Utter Garbage.” I would argue that it’s neither, but it’s probably the weirdest music you’ll hear today.

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Blogging from the Kindle Fire

I got a Kindle Fire HD for myself from Amazon. It’s a little 7” tablet, with Amazon’s off-brand Android. Why would I do this to myself? well, it was $25, refurbished, so that helps.

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