Strange Overtones.

Been a while since I did a Tunes for Tuesday post.

• David Byrne and Brian Eno are both kinda brilliant, really, and the new album Everything That Happens Will Happen Today is their first collaboration in almost thirty years. Byrne calls the album familiar but completely new as well," and that's a fair assessment. You can hear the whole album at the website, but here's a track I cheerfully stole from the KEXP Song of the Day podcast: David Byrne and Brian Eno - Strange Overtones
  
  
• I don't want to tell you too much about this song, but I will say that the first time I heard it, I nearly drove off the road laughing. It's a smooth, sexy Barry White style track. Well, almost. Flight of the Conchords - Business Time
  
  
• This one's a little hard to describe. Little bit glitchy and techno-y, it's got a relentless wind-up toy quality to it, and underneath all the bright and spangly, there's something unpleasant going on. Give it a listen. Man Plus - A Ghost Is A Ghost Is A Ghost Is A Ghost
  
  
• This one is mainly worth listening to if you're familiar with the original version by Rihanna, because the way it takes that dance number and deconstructs it into something slow and sad and unsettling, is really kind of impressive. But even if you haven't, it's worthwhile in it's own right. Sharif - Disturbia (Raw Version).mp3
  
  
• Here's an old one. I realized yesterday that I hadn't listened to The The in a long time, and they used to be one of my favorite bands when I was an angsty young man, so I dug some out. This is one of their best -- only slightly angsty, but mainly just beautiful and hopeful. A good song if you need to be reminded that Spring is on its way, in either a literal or metaphorical sense. The The - Love Is Stronger Than Death
  
  
• And if Spring is coming, then surely Summer isn't too far behind. Here's a little piece of it right now, in the form of an incredibly catchy, bouncy, irresistable little indy pop song. I've been a huge fan of the Scott Pilgrim series of graphic novels since the first volume. I knew that our eponymous protagonist, a clueless young man who's met the girl of his dreams but has to defeat her seven evil exes first, was named after this song, but it had never dawned on me to track it down and listen to it. I'm glad I did. If you've ever known that a completely hopeless crush can actually be exhilirating fun, this song is for you. Plumtree - Scott Pilgrim

Steamcon.

And now for a long overdue announcement:

Several of you already know, I'm sure, about Steamcon, a steampunk convention right here in Seattle this October, with special guests Tim Powers and Paul Guinan.

You might not know that I'm on the committee for it -- specifically, I'm handling the website and publications.

Our registration system is finally finished, so the website went live today. There will be more to it in the next few months, but I'm quite happy with our launch version.

So with no further ado, for your entertainment and edification, ladies and gentlemen, may I present:

http://www.steam-con.com/

Please tune your aetheric receivers accordingly.

You can go ahead and purchase your membership at the introductory price; even more important, go ahead and book your room for it -- I have a feeling the room block will sell out early for this con.