electric laser people blog

the money keeps rolling in...

2011-09-27T11:30:00.005-04:00

We made an album in 2006/7 or so. We printed 1000 copies and sold some through cd baby. We still get small bits from digital distribution. It probably cost us near 10K for all the artwork, cd printing, recording, promotional stuff, etc. And lots of labor hours. Of course it was all for the love, but it's interesting to look back at the numbers. It's clear to us the future of making money through music is not in the sales of copies.

CD Baby sent you a payment!
On 09.25.2011 CD Baby sent you an ACH direct deposit for $10.30. It was CD Baby payment #VPV00896835. If the bank numbers you gave us are correct, it should appear in your account within the week.

The direct ACH deposit was to pay you:
$1.91 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Apple iTunes
$1.27 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Apple iTunes
$0.91 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through iTunes-Australia
$0.65 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through iTunes-Canada
$0.64 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Apple iTunes
$0.64 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Apple iTunes
$0.64 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Apple iTunes
$0.64 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Apple iTunes
$0.64 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Amazon MP3
$0.64 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Apple iTunes
$0.64 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Apple iTunes
$0.16 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.13 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Zune
$0.09 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody
$0.07 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody
$0.04 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.03 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Zune
$0.03 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody
$0.02 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Napster
$0.02 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Zune
$0.02 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.02 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.02 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through MediaNet
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through MediaNet
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Zune
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Zune
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Zune
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Zune
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Zune
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties
$0.01 for DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION SALES through Rhapsody - Mechanical Royalties

ELP @ Rosebud, 26 March 2011

2011-03-31T20:57:00.009-04:00

We had a blast playing at Rosebud with Eksi Ekso, St. Helena, and KNTRLR last Saturday night (March 26). The night was a ton of fun, and we have a nice recording of our set for your listening pleasure on our Soundcloud site. Click above (or here) to listen.

Thanks so much to everyone for coming to the show. It's always a pleasure.

forgetting is useful, and other love poems for the planet and species...

2010-05-24T19:10:00.001-04:00

for the public domain.

see also
http://electriclaserpeople.bandcamp.com/track/forgetting-is-useful

live recording from elp at the middle east upstairs, 2010-05-15

2010-05-17T09:57:00.007-04:00

thanks for coming out! it was a great show. we had a blast.
thanks to blackbutton for inviting us and all the bands for great music.

shopping for rocks

2010-03-22T12:07:00.003-04:00

you need to imagine a science/nature/new age store in a suburban shopping mall. gifts, games, gadgets, magnets, new age cds, rainsticks, puzzles, and rocks, colored, crystals, etc.

now check this track out:
http://electriclaserpeople.bandcamp.com/track/shopping-for-rocks it's a long one. vox at 8:40.

the cop song (at tt's) and voltron (at practice)

2009-12-17T10:20:00.003-05:00

the cop song live at tt the bears. (thanks everybody for coming out)

i'm a cop and i went to cop school and i graduated
i'm a cop and i tried to choose public service but i had to learn this....
do you any idea how fast you were going?

and

voltron (song in progress) live at practice. a small snippet in this movie.

this modern world

2009-12-04T05:43:00.002-05:00

this modern world, live from a reverb heavy warehouse in south boston.

We won an award!

2009-12-03T12:02:00.003-05:00

Check it out at Boston Band Crush:

Boston Music Awards Crush: Boston Band Crush Style

Recent live recording and videos.

2009-11-08T10:46:00.002-05:00

here are some recent live recordings and music videos.

ELP live at obriens, 2009-10-15 - electric laser people

don't cost nuthin, live at the warehouse from Electric Laser People on Vimeo.

machine from Electric Laser People on Vimeo.

thanks!

Tomorrowland Portal :: As Seen @ Disneyland

2009-11-04T09:54:00.003-05:00

Look closely...

"You know it's Disco 3000... everyone is beautiful... and they're owned by Monsanto."

October ELP Shows in Boston!

2009-09-28T17:26:00.011-04:00

Well it's been a while, and boy-oh-boy how we've missed you!! ELECTRIC LASER PEOPLE will make up for this perverse dereliction of duty by rocking the snot out of October.

How's that for making amends?

First up - -

This Saturday, October 3rd ELP joins St. Helena, Ghost Box Orchestra and I Have Ears at the famed Cantab Lounge in Central Square. We are delighted to have Ted of The Highway as our guest drummer for the evening, filling in for Cullen who is currently exploring distant galaxies in his SpaceDrumRocketMachine.

Sat 10/3

The Cantab Lounge (Central Sq.)
738 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA

$8, 21+

9p - I Have Ears
10 - Ghost Box Orchestra
11 - St. Helena
12 - Electric Laser People

Next up - -

Thursday, October 15th ELP, Wildebeet and The Highway take over O'Brien's Pub in Allston Rock City. On drums, Captain Cullen returns from his space odyssey, with his moon rock collection and tales of other worlds.

Thu 10/15
O'Brien's Pub (Allston Rock City)

3 Harvard Ave., Allston, MA

$7, 21+

9p - The Highway
9:55 - Wildebeet
10:50 - Electric Laser People
11:45 - TBA
12:00 MIDNIGHT - LadyLazerJ completes one more life cycle by officially turning 32 years old! She expects everyone to do a birthday shot with her, no exceptions. Her parents will be in attendance, closely monitoring to ensure everyone's participation in the birthday shot exercise.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

! ! ELP LOVES YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH ! !

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

www.ElectricLaserPeople.com
www.myspace.com/electriclaserpeople
www.twitter.com/elpeople

heartbeats live at the middle east upstairs

2009-08-18T23:00:00.000-04:00

heartbeats live at the middle east upstairs from Electric Laser People on Vimeo.

Demis Roussos - We Shall Dance

2009-07-16T00:33:00.004-04:00

I heard this song at a gas station in Redondo, Portugal, while piled into a car with several of my best friends, trying to find a tiny restaurant in a town where English wasn't spoken.

We got there, thanks to a very friendly local gas station attendant, who was blasting this track on his boombox that warm summer night.

Learn how to play some ELP

2009-07-14T11:36:00.003-04:00

New Song (Demo)

2009-06-08T19:28:00.000-04:00

Evacuation Day by electriclaserpeople

elp INFLUENZA @ Great Scott, May 28, 2009

2009-05-20T13:24:00.004-04:00

Oh really, Swine Flu? Nothing stops the INFLUENZA*. Leave your face masks at home, because the only thing contagious at Great Scott on May 28th is the neon dance party. This is the electro-pop edition of the series. Check out the lineup below...

ETHER FIELD (members of Matters & Dunaway)
Technical yet groove-able, Matters & Dunaway layered vocals with dreamy languor reminiscent of New Order awash with reverb and stab the comfort with vibrant noise. After several solid albums of acclaimed releases these Bostonian gents cranked out tunes equally suited for break-up mix tapes or a dance floor throwdown. Ether Field is this new musical project by André of Matters & Dunaway. Not to be missed!

LOVEWHIP:
Lovewhip is dance music. The Boston Globe exclaims “Lovewhip has a celebratory and upbeat feel that has kept crowds dancing everywhere they play!” Lovewhip creates a live show that is rooted in fun with the passionate vocals and dance moves of the “soulful electro-rock diva” (says the Boston Phoenix) Erin Harpe a.k.a. Empress Erin. The project of frontwoman/guitarist/singer Erin Harpe and bassist Jim Countryman combines multicultural influences ranging from Jamaican reggae and dancehall to Nigerian soukous and highlife, afrobeat, and retro 80’s electro. “The overall concept has always been to lift people out of their daily drudgery and get them dancing and feeling good,” says Harpe. And that’s just what they’ve done, touring regularly around the country to great reactions and dancing crowds.

ELECTRIC LASER PEOPLE:
This is smart, fun music for smart, fun minds. The band is made up of MIT graduates who work in bio-instrumentation, prosthetics engineering and robot-building. Singer/bassist Dan Paluska is the co-creator of the Fotron2000, a robotic sketch artist, and created a "Holy Toaster" (a toaster that stamped an image of Christ on slices of bread) for Collision Collective, a group of artists from MIT and the Boston area exploring new technologies (http://collisioncollective.org/) Dan also helped build Totemobile, a 50-foot-tall, 11,000-pound robotic sculpture -- a giant transformer that unfolds from a car into a totem pole. They play moody synth with heavy influences of rock and hip-hop a la BEASTIE BOYS and new wave, art school neurotics like the TALKING HEADS.

And guest DJ’s for the night…

BODEGA GIRLS:
Hedonistic purveyors of Soul, Afro-Beat, and Electro

As always, Influenza is sponsored by Powderfinger Promotions and Northeast Performer Magazine!

Tickets are $10, and this is an 18+ show. Doors are at 8:00.

* INFLUENZA = Boston's best bands playing 1/2 great original music, and 1/2 covers of the songs that they find most INFLUENtial.

Breaking out in song

2009-05-04T10:05:00.000-04:00

Singing feels good...

That's why we've been asking everyone to join us in song at our last few shows.

Down by the Riverside at the Lizard Lounge from Electric Laser People on Vimeo.

Sing Along: Machine and The Cop Song from Electric Laser People on Vimeo.

Live at the Lizard Lounge, May 1 w/ Stephanie's Id

2009-04-27T16:54:00.004-04:00

May Day (a.k.a. International Workers' Day) falls approximately halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice.

Traditionally, it's been an occasion for popular and often raucous celebrations, regardless of the locally prevalent political or religious establishment.

This occasion promises to be no different.

So, gather your compatriots, your fellow labourers, your lovers, and your friends;

Come help us make things raucous and popular.

We'll have our Electric Laser Hymnal, our tambourines, and more on hand so be ready to participate as we continue to experiment with ways to bring this crowdsourcing phenomena to the stage. We need your sound and vision.

We will be joined by our good friends Stephanie's Id on tour all the way from their hometown of Asheville, North Carolina.

They're out supporting their new album Warm People (officially out May 19) which is already being hailed as "world class music...at turns hypnotic, anthemic, and contemplative" - Blurt.

Last May when we played with Stephanie at Lizard, we sold the place out. Let's do it again!

Friday, May 1, 2009
Electric Laser People (Cambridge, MA)
Stephanie's Id (Asheville, NC)

Lizard Lounge
1667 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA
8:30pm-close
$10 / 21+

proudly presented by:
http://www.ninemilerecords.com/

*** PLUS: We have a NEW music video!!! Check it OUT ***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAYEmF5u1hE

electric laser people‘s UPCOMING SHOWS:

Friday, May 8, 2009

for the CNC Music Marathon

All Asia Cafe
334 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA
9pm-close
$7 / 21+ after 10pm

Thursday, May 28, 2009
"Influenza" presented by Powderfinger Promotions - a new monthly show featuring half cover songs & half originals
w/ Giantess and Lovewhip
Great Scott
1222 Commonwealth Ave, Allston Rock City
9pm-close

The Electric Laser Hymnal

2009-04-21T23:37:00.005-04:00

We've begun our songbook project as an open google doc. You can always see the latest version here and it will update as we edit it.
We'll always plan on bringing a few copies to shows so you can follow along. Feel frint to print and bring your own if you wish. Chords are included as well if you're interested in playing things at home. We're also including several traditional songs we'll be introducing in our live shows. We look forward to engaging our audiences more in the future.
The document is a living thing. The current version is boranj.

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcpfp46j_83hhxk73hh

Disco 3000: Official Music Video!!!

2009-04-03T11:26:00.011-04:00

Behold, the first official music video from our debut album,
Straight Talk on Raising Kids.
It features our original song "Disco 3000."

First we painted some walls green:

above: painting walls with green paint, circa June 2008

Then, some raw video footage was filmed by our good pals the Awesome Brothers at our space in South Boston during the summer of 2008.

above: The Awesome Brothers (Ashleigh @ left / Luke @ right)

During the cold dark months that followed, the dynamic digital dream duo that is the Awesome Brothers lovingly and painstakingly manipulated each individual pixel with an uncommon meticulousness.

Now it is spring, the tulips are peeking through the soil, and it is once again time to rock with the ones we love, to share our creative inspirations, to get down, and to boogie.

Enjoy!

Copying is fun!

2009-04-01T19:56:00.003-04:00

copying isn't theft
stealing a thing leaves one less left
copying it makes one thing more
that's what copying's for

copying isn't theft
if i copy yours you have it too
one for me, one for you
that's what copies can do.

if i steal your bicycle
you have to take the bus
but if i just copy it, there's one for each of us

making more of a thing
that is what we call copying
sharing ideas with everyone
that's why copying is fun!!!!

via boingboing. then a couple other links too.

Extreme LED Sheep Art

2009-03-24T12:11:00.006-04:00

Emris, Gerry, Rob, and Bernard make me rather proud to count myself as 1/4 Welsh

Can't sleep?
This is significantly more fun than counting sheep.

What I want to know is, how long did it take to get all those sheep into those LED sweaters?

How do we make models of sharing more successful than models of hiding?

2009-03-24T00:02:00.005-04:00

are some dreams more valuable than others?

George Washington's Teeth and Theme Song

2009-03-19T14:05:00.005-04:00

His teeth:

His theme song:

George Washington, Michael Phelps and the Defenders of Freedom from Electric Laser People on Vimeo.

Thank you. That is all.

Art of the video remix

2009-03-16T19:23:00.005-04:00

If you pay a lot of attention to the internets, chances are someone has sent you the Kutiman Thru-You videos. http://thru-you.com/#/videos/
If you haven't seen them, definitely check them out.

Thought it would be nice to compile some of the other examples of this artform.

EBN hit it big (U2 used vid on tour) with a remix of We will rock you using snippets of George Bush Sr.

Lasse Gertsen was the first youtube one that really grabbed me. He is creator of both Hyperactive and Amateur.

This is also a video mashup which is more similar to Kutiman's use of youtube as a sample source rather than your own footage.

Here is Cory talking about the project.

And here's one from Adam Pelling-Deeves that has some similarity to Lasse's work.

Beats Of Boredom from Adam Pelling-Deeves on Vimeo.

Don't bite the hand that feeds you

2009-03-16T19:07:00.004-04:00

Werner Heisenberg was right. You can't observe something precisely if you disturb it.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Eating From My Hand (Part One) from Russ Thompson on Vimeo.

Just spotted this one on reddit and had to share because it's just so darn cool and beautiful.

Nature really works. So much to learn from simply observing it in action.

if you seek amy - britney hits back with radical transparency

2009-03-14T15:22:00.005-04:00

love me hate me say what you want about me but all the girls and all the boys want to if=u=cee=kay=me

honesty and transparency is the theme du jour! c'est magnifique!

we will soon know whether she was right.
if she returns to the top of the charts then we know that yes, people do want to "if you seek amy".

failure is not as clear. it could mean multiple things.
1. radical transparency isn't a successful tactic because people aren't ready for the truth or
2. people don't actually want to if you seek amy.
3. the transparency of the lyrics is overwhelmed by the slick pop style and corporate marketing techniques that turn people off.

this is bacon

2009-03-12T08:59:00.001-04:00

BIG SHOW @ TT'S

2009-03-11T20:00:00.002-04:00

myspace/scramblerseequill

myspace/magicmagicband
myspace/electriclaserpeople
myspace/thepress

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY:

sing us a song, you're the banana man.

2009-03-05T12:18:00.004-05:00

sing us a song tonight.

thanks banana man!

12-year-old Makes Homeless Shelter from Trash : Green Building Elements

2009-02-26T18:50:00.009-05:00

Our friend and host of Design Squad, Nate Ball, checking in on Max Wallack, who's relaxing in the new "Home Dome" he just built in the Model Shop at Continuum

Max Wallack, a 12-year-old inventor from Natick, MA, stole the show at Design Squad’s Trash to Treasure contest with his “Home Dome.” The contest asked kids to repurpose trash into practical inventions.

Max was here at the Continuum studio last week where we helped him to turn his "Home Dome" concept into a functional prototype in our model shop.

At the end of the day, I had a chance to meet the young inventor so of course I asked him if he had anything in mind for his next invention.
He replied "Yes, but I can't tell you about it."

Oh well, I tried.

He's a super smart and motivated young man, and I hope he continues to inspire people of all ages to embrace the power of design for all things positive.

As for the "Home Dome" - it's quite warm and comfortable - and dare I say mod. With a bit more refinement, I could easily imagine them practically employed as inexpensive, semi-permanent shelters.

See the PBS Design Squad video clip here:

Remix happens...

2009-02-19T00:53:00.004-05:00

and that's a great thing! Sampling happens as well.
In this case, our old friend Father Abraham from Indefinite Article (who we played with at The Paradise a couple years ago) just posted a new track of his. He uses a sample from the Makeout Song in the middle. Check it out on his blog.

http://fatherabraham52pickup.blogspot.com/2009/02/07-oscillator-blues-021909.html

He's also going to be posting a new track every week so we look forward to rest of the year.

Thanks Abe!

Rethinking Green for Lean Times

2009-02-18T22:40:00.009-05:00

"Shopping along" in Atlanta

How do consumers see green?

That's a question we asked ourselves at Continuum, the innovation consultancy where I work, a little over a year ago.
Just this week, we officially published our findings, and our friend Jennifer van der Meer shared some great thoughts on the work on the Core77 design blog.

Read the full story here:
http://www.core77.com/blog/business/continuum_rethinking_green_for_lean_times_12646.asp

Tambourine Men @ Thirsty Ear: Feb 13, 2009

2009-02-15T20:30:00.019-05:00

Rory, Matt, and Al: the tambourine men from Electric Laser People on Vimeo.

We were supremely fortunate to have Rory, Matt, and Al join us for the most rousing version of our tune "Tambourine Man" yet. What a time.

The Thirsty Ear yeah, it rules....!!!!

So do all of our pals who came down for the $6 pitchers, wings, and tambourine solos!

You guys rock!

Matt, Tambourine Al, Rory - you are rock stars! Be the drum. Be the tambourine. Be alive. It's all you.

Peace, people.

nike women | be transformed

2009-02-01T13:53:00.031-05:00

laser people spotted in Asia Pacific Region

Electric Laser People provides the soundtrack for the new Nike Women Spring 09 “Be Transformed” campaign in Asia Pacific -- Nike Women’s largest integrated campaign to date. The campaign celebrates the transformation of women determined to drive their revolution through sport, becoming stronger and more confident.

"Be Transformed" was created by AKQA and will be distributed throughout Asia Pacific in cinema, TV, digital (mobile and website), print, out-of-home and in-store.

For those of you who know our music, you'll recognize the (skeleton of the) track "Guilty" from our debut album, "Straight Talk On Raising Kids," slightly modified for the ad. For those of you who are here by way of the ad itself, you can find the full-on track, as well as the rest of the album(!), for free(!!) download in our... uh, blog-toolbar-thing over there. (Sorry, I'm not the most blogiterate of us.)

Our video is called "Punchbag" (click for 17mb hires clip) and features beach volleyball star Sonia Kong battling a punching-bag-turned-Anime-monster. It's freakin rad.

Glass Music and Quartet coming soon...

2009-01-21T23:26:00.004-05:00

Here is a new original track form Brien Engel. Brien is the artist who made the tuned wine glasses for the Absolut Quartet. Brien performs and lectures all over. He is a talented musician and educator. We were fortunate to find him and work with him. You can see more about his music and his lectures and more information about glass as an instrument on his website, http://glassharp.org/
.

The Quartet machine is now set up and running at the Ars Electronica Center in Linz, Austria for all of 2009. The website where you can interact from anywhere should be up by early February. We'll be looking for composers and coders as well. We're going all open source with the project. More soon...

February 3, 2000: In Charm's Way

2009-01-20T18:53:00.002-05:00

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

In Charm's Way

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

This clip just resurfaced when my friend Maiya saw it on facebook.com.
We were just walking down the Infinite with our nerd kits on the way to 2.007 in the Pappalardo Lab. We were no dunderheads.

A New (Old) Model for Farming

2009-01-06T11:26:00.008-05:00

Two of my favorite farming experts, Wes Jackson and Wendell Berry, recently shared their thoughts on how to improve America's domestic farming practices. The piece is short and direct, so I won't waste your time paraphrasing it much here.

Check it out.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/05/opinion/05berry.html?_r=2

FOOD DEMOCRACY NOW.org
If all that sounds good to you, then be sure to visit the website for Food Democracy Now and sign the petition to let YOUR government know that you want the USDA to adopt sustainable farming practices going forward. Future generations (and your taste buds) will thank you.

2008-12-23T16:53:00.000-05:00

"A World Gone Madoff" - Paul Krugman lays down some knowledge

2008-12-21T15:22:00.006-05:00

"The revelation that Bernard Madoff — brilliant investor (or so almost everyone thought), philanthropist, pillar of the community — was a phony has shocked the world, and understandably so. The scale of his alleged $50 billion Ponzi scheme is hard to comprehend.

Yet surely I’m not the only person to ask the obvious question: How different, really, is Mr. Madoff’s tale from the story of the investment industry as a whole?"

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/19/opinion/19krugman.html?_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss

I truly hope that current and future generations learn the lessons being taught by the economic fiasco we are witnessing unfold. Check out this brilliantly written article by Paul Krugman, 2008 Nobel Prize winner in Economics and NYT op-ed contributor.

Sanity!

2008-12-19T18:04:00.002-05:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122966038836021137.html?

"After years of suing thousands of people for allegedly stealing music via the Internet, the recording industry is set to drop its legal assault as it searches for more effective ways to combat online music piracy."

It's about time! Let's get creative and find new ways for musicians to make money. Hoarding of easily distributable music is not one of them.

I personally think all music should be free for download. Then maybe you could specify in your music player how much you think each song is worth.

Here's one idea.
1. Specify how much you want to spend on music each month(say 10$).
2. Use a music player that tracks what you listen to.
3. Pay out fraction of total to each of the artist depending on how you listened that week.

There are lots of other possible new business and market models. We need to be creative and think about the real value of the musician-listener relationship. It's been driven by rather distorted priorities up till now. What new models are bands currently using? And what are some new things to try?

Derren Brown on psychics

2008-12-16T01:25:00.006-05:00

This is an amazing interview with Derren Brown the British mentalist. ->
http://badpsychics.com/thefraudfiles/modules/news/article.php?storyid=892

Derren Brown is a mentalist. He talks about the overlap of his work with the psychic industry. Super interesting to hear him talk about the fact that the available psychic market provides more money and less scrutiny than stage magic. People want to believe and want to spend their money so psychics can often believe they are doing good for others by providing a needed service. Instead, they are preying upon the poor, those in grief, or those looking to make a meaningful change in their life. It's an unfortunate loop that needs to be diverted. Things like this don't tend to be fixed by shattering the loop. They tend to be fixed by putting changing the constraints and motivations of the system, rather than trying to change the end result.

Its great to hear him talk about his work in such plain language. When you watch him in action it can be quite frightening.

Enjoy these videos of Derren in action.

Repeal Day @ All Asia | Upcoming Performance at Lilypad

2008-12-08T19:48:00.009-05:00

Hey errrrybody!

Just a quick shout out of appreciation to all of you for being the finest, best, most wonderful fans in the whole wide world. With your overwhelming enthusiasm and zest (and the sponsorship of Dewar's), Friday December 5, incidentally the 75th Anniversary of Repeal Day, became a genuine festival of song and dance.

Extra special thanks go to Lee, Alex, April, Tambourine Al, Kham, Rosemary, Marie, Takiyah, Scott, Diana, Ed, Ahna, Roopa, Suelin, Jamie, Sean, Meg, BJ, Emily, and all the other hip folks who pumped up the jam with the nonstop dance party up front. Nice to see the Percolator and the Kid 'n Play alive and well.

We have another show this Sunday, December 14, at the mystical and mysterious Lilypad in Inman Square. Details below:

9pm
Sunday December 14th
@
The Lilypad
Inman Sq
1353 Cambridge St
Cambridge, MA

featuring:
Scrambler/Seequill
Joyengin
Electric Laser People

Lilypad events are all ages and have a suggested donation of $10 unless otherwise noted.
Seating is limited, arrive early.
& BYOB.

Let's End Drug Prohibition!!

2008-12-06T15:01:00.000-05:00

Let's End Drug Prohibition - WSJ.com

Most Americans agreed that alcohol suppression was worse than alcohol consumption.
"Supporters of prohibition blamed the consumers, and some went so far as to argue that those who violated the laws deserved whatever ills befell them. But by 1933, most Americans blamed prohibition itself.

When repeal came, it was not just with the support of those with a taste for alcohol, but also those who disliked and even hated it but could no longer ignore the dreadful consequences of a failed prohibition. They saw what most Americans still fail to see today: That a failed drug prohibition can cause greater harm than the drug it was intended to banish."

Have you used drugs before? Did it kill you? Wreck your life? How many people do you know who have died as a result of cocaine, heroin, or marijuana? How about alcohol or tobacco?
Can we change our mindset to treatment and prevention rather than punishment? What is the goal of drug prohibition? Are we trying to keep kids from using drugs? Because we're failing there. A recent study shows marijuana use is higher in the USA than it is in the Netherlands where Marijuana is legal. I remember as a teen that it was easier for us to get weed than beer.

Randy Pausch's Last Lecture

2008-12-01T18:36:00.005-05:00

a super inspirational and moving speech.

the forum is Carnegie Mellon's "Last Lecture," where speakers imagine it is the last lecture they'll give before death. Randy Pausch, a CMU faculty member and pioneer in virtual reality, opens his lecture by saying that he's actually been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and goes on to talk about his childhood dreams and how he's accomplished them, his experiences at CMU, notably while setting his mind to helping others accomplish their dreams, and all-encompassing lessons he's learned. his tone may be surprising; he's sharp, funny, and energetic. it's about an hour and 15 minutes long, but I'd wager it will leave you feeling better than that movie you might watch instead. really. definitely did for me.

if you like what he has to say, he's also written a book called "The Last Lecture" with more personal experiences.

...and they're owned by monsanto.

2008-11-29T03:27:00.006-05:00

we have a track called "disco 3000" on our first album. it's about the future where some things have changed and some have stayed the same. it begins with "scientists have cured hunger and disease so now they spend all there time making people look beautiful..." and the refrain goes->

disco 3000
everyone is beautiful
and they're owned by monsanto...

the lyric was meant as a jab at the the general trend of corporate ownership of everything. why do companies do so many negative things as they grow? people just tend to get out of touch as they rise in these organizations (bankers anyone?). here's a little expose on monsanto.

Some more here->
http://www.wariscrime.com/2008/11/09/video/monsanto-number-one-enemy-of-humanity/

this is not to say i'm universally opposed to genetically modified foods. i'm an engineer and problem solver and i believe that we can sometimes improve on our environment. you can read about the success of Norman Borlaug to develop sustainable crops for 3rd world countries here->
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlaug
most of first world genetically modified food ends up being used to create bigger corporate farms rather than creating a culture that supports small local farms. the difference between large corporations and small local farmers is equally or more important than the difference between GM and non-GM.

the biggest problem with monsanto is not the engineering but the ownership of something that shouldn't be owned by a corporation. at some point i'll take the time to build a big rant about the damage done by patents and copyrights but that is for another day.
want to read more about food? check out michael pollan.

UPDATE: another nice monsanto movie...

20,214,016,272 Trees *

2008-11-19T17:23:00.010-05:00

That's the number of trees per day that we should be able to plant, theoretically, if we follow the example set by the Republic of Macedonia (population: 2 million) on Wednesday.

Korab mountain, the highest mountain in the country (source: wikipedia)

Thousands of Macedonians took to the hills on November 19, 2008 to plant 6 million trees in a single day! Imagine the possibilities if we were to organize similar efforts in our own communities.

This story is inspiring on so many levels, but in particular, I think it demonstrates the tremendous potential of collective action around a positive cause.

For folks in the Boston area, I'd like to point you toward one of my favorite local tree promoting (and urban renewal) organizations, Eagle Eye Institute. Based in Somerville, Massachusetts, Eagle Eye works to transform the lives of underserverd urban youth in Boston and the New England area through innovative environmental education programs, particularly around trees.

Check them out. They are always looking for volunteers, and I can testify that they do great work.

* I've based my ~20 billion tree estimate on the current global population at the time of this writing. I have defined "we" as all of us.

sustainable_rocking@thirsty-ear.mit.edu

2008-11-17T10:57:00.007-05:00

ELP sends a million thanks to everybody who came to rock with us at the sweet new Thirsty Ear Pub last Friday night! There was a lot of love in that room.

In humble consideration of Thirsty house rules and in deference to our lovely planet Earth, the band went out on a limb and staged a very different version of the ELP concert experience. We set out to be soft and sustainable yet raucous and rocking. Given the enthusiastic crowd response, we think it was a good first effort at this new aesthetic.

All rockers arrived at the venue sans-cars, transporting their equipment with their very own electric laser legs. Cullen carried his drums (and his brushes) with him on the "T." Jess carried her keyboard and stand. Dan carried his bass. Conspicuously missing? Amplifiers. Big, bulky, heavy amplifiers. Everybody just plugged right into the house mixer which ran right into the house PA.

Everybody, that is, except Grant, who walked in with his trusty 1953 Magnatone Varsity amp in a backpack. Weighing in at a paltry 8 lbs, and consuming a mere 8 W of electricity during the performance, the Maggie was a more than suitable complement to broadcast the tones of the Gibson SG.

It was a far cry from the sonically bombastic ELP performances of yore, and those shows will continue, but we all feel that this new "low-impact" approach to musical merrymaking is fun, refreshing, and thoroughly rewarding. We hope you agree. Come see us at the Lilypad in Inman Sq (next to 1369 Coffee House) on December 14th, 2008 to hear us do the low-key thing one more time.

If it's the massive decibels you crave, then be sure to hear us at All Asia Café on December 5. We're bringin' the noise for that one.

war is not the answer, straight from the masters of war

2008-11-14T15:17:00.002-05:00

2 articles worth reading if you like to think about war and the future of humanity.

General Gavin on why the future of regional stabilization and national security is not war or military might but it is the creation of a stable middle class in developing countries. It is sad to know he gave this advice decades ago and was totally ignored. It's worth considering the other forces involved and how to better craft messages so they actually result in policy change.

Of course, we must mention War is a racket by Smedley Butler. This is another great example of a writing that should of had a greater impact but somehow missed the general public and the powers at be were able to continue at speed after a lull. It is interesting to consider this article as well and its failure to actually deliver the message it contains so clearly to some of us.

How do you craft the next message? That we are looking forward to. Perhaps our man Barack or the next one will make it happen.

new york times special edition

2008-11-13T01:35:00.005-05:00

i find this to be super inspiring work.
http://www.nytimes-se.com/
so many great articles. i'm looking forward to 2009!
http://www.nytimes-se.com/2009/07/04/big-boxes-appeal-eviction-from-low-income-neighborhoods/
i love the HSBC ad. a great touch.

http://www.nytimes-se.com/2009/07/04/harvard-will-shut-business-school-doors/
for all you new yorkers, check the dr z ad!

the times perspective on the project with some stats->
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/pranksters-spoof-the-times/
"In an elaborate operation six months in the planning, 1.2 million
papers were printed at six different presses and driven to prearranged
pickup locations, where thousands of volunteers stood ready to pass
them out on the street.

awesome.

UPDATE:
forgot to mention this old classic->
Tribute to Reggie complete with a six million dollar friend of Reggie. And the entire story.

Na-na-na! Na-na-na!

2008-11-03T14:41:00.011-05:00

Hey hey hey....

Nanobama!

No matter your political affiliation, you will probably agree that this is one of the coolest applications of nano-tech to date. MIT alum and ELP friend, John Hart, and his team of nanofabbers made these little faces from carbon nanotubes, tiny hollow cylinders of carbon that are tens of thousands of times thinner than a human hair, yet several times stiffer and stronger than steel.

Besides being great little campaign giveaways for the nano-scale voting block, John says, "carbon nanotubes and other nanostructures are building blocks for many important technological advances, including high-performance solar cells and batteries, new methods of diagnosing and treating disease, next-generation computer processors and memory, and lightweight composite materials."

That's nanochange we can believe in.

The Future's So Bright

2008-10-27T19:40:00.009-04:00

^ ^ ^ ^ click above for link ^ ^ ^ ^

You can't drill a hole in it.
Because it's made of titanium.

A new supermaterial recently discovered at Ohio State University is made from a hybrid of plastics, molybdenum and titanium.

The researchers who invented the novel solar cell material think it may have the potential to achieve nearly 100% efficiency.

Go Buckeyes! You deserve a cheer for that!

Farmer-in-Chief: Food as a National Security Issue

2008-10-23T17:26:00.013-04:00

Many of you may already be familiar with the food writer, Michael Pollan, who recently wrote the NYT bestseller In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto.
On yesterday’s NPR Fresh Air, he talked about his proposal for a new U.S. food policy in an excellent interview with Terry Gross:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95896389

Enjoy real good food!

UPDATE (11/18/08): We have a new president-elect, and he's assembling his cabinet and team of advisors. Grist.org provides a detailed and insightful look at who might be chosen to be the all-important chief of the USDA. So far, the options on the table are not all roses.
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/11/19/6373/9820

ah, yeah... the rock, it WORKS

2008-10-21T20:19:00.020-04:00

Heya! thanks to everybody who helped us make our latest show at All Asia a SOLD OUT one!

First time in a while (perhaps ever?) that we've sold out a show, and I have never seen All Asia sold out. The waning moon obviously exerted its gravitational pull on a disproportionate number of Miller High Life-craving fans.

Our friend Pardis and her rock crew, Thousand Days, set the stage on fire with the most blistering set I've seen them perform yet. The night also featured the compellingly eclectic acoustic stylings of Glenn Michael and the Janis-like swagger of The Wrong Noises. As always, All Asia's infallible proprietor, Marc Schulman, up'ed the ante- this time by installing a permanent giant screen video projection system that can remotely switch between 6 different views of the room and the band, all from the comfort of a bar stool. Take that, FOX News. You are no longer the focal point.

(mighty fine hi-res photos courtesy of Shay Tal)

setlist, for the die-hard groupies:

move right move left
other hip hop
george washington
tambourine man
yer so confident
mack truck
it's really working
don't cost nuthin'
disco 3000
bizarre love triangle (new order)
makeout song

Energy? Fair dinkum, mate!

2008-10-16T11:38:00.022-04:00

(l-r: saul, dan, grant, joe, jeff / photo by cha-ling o'connell)

On Tuesday night, gathered in South Boston around the Absolut-ly-almost-ready-to-be-shipped-to-Linz Quartet, we reunited with our good old Aussie friend, Saul Griffith.

Saul is (ir?)responsible for introducing Dan and I back in school, when we all worked together on a class project to develop a low cost prescription device (aka autorefractor aka autophororetinoscope 4000) for Low Cost Eyeglasses, now known as Optiopia.

These days, Saul's still very involved in technology development, especially around clean energy solutions and educational projects.

His latest work on Energy Literacy is important to all of us, and he's got a really great way of sharing the story. Long story short, I recommend you WATCH THIS and then VISIT HERE.

It's probably as excellent a take on energy and climate change management as you'll find today...

"Do everything for peace..."

2008-10-14T20:04:00.005-04:00

..."Piss for peace, or smile for peace, or go to school for peace, or don't go to school for peace. Whatever you do, just do it for peace."

In 1969, a 14-year-old Beatle fanatic named Jerry Levitan, armed with a reel-to-reel tape deck, snuck into John Lennon's hotel room in Toronto and convinced John to do an interview about peace.

Peace y'all. Peace!

Eat Gooder

2008-10-14T13:09:00.008-04:00

Our good friend Kenji Alt (incidentally a former bandmate in a past life) is launching a Boston and New York-based blog about sustainable eating today.

www.goodeater.org will be updated daily with:
- short features on sustainable eating projects throughout the New York and New England area
- open discussions of subjects related to sustainable eating and the moralities involved in choosing food today
- seasonal and local recipes, and whole foods related food projects
- links to related articles, workshops, and products
- a calendar of local sustainable food-related events
- interviews with important chefs
and much more.

Recent posts have included "Ducking Out Early," about the troubles and pleasures of killing to eat, and "Buying South African Wines," about the state of South African vineyards, and the families that own and work them.

Chefs, writers and eaters alike are invited to share in the feast of delicious content.

Tasty!

Straight Talk on Raising Kids, Download the whole album.

2008-10-07T14:22:00.002-04:00

If you head on over to our homepage, http://electriclaserpeople.com/, then you can download our first album for free in it's entirety. 55mb of goodness. If you want higher quality mp3s or a physical cd, you can still buy those through various outlets. That is all. Despite all the gloom and doom, we wish you a pleasant day. Rock!

"Rappin's a way of sayin', 'Knock Knock!'"

2008-10-06T12:39:00.001-04:00

"Who's there?"

"It's me, open the door and listen to what I got to say!" - Mr. T

beat the stock market

2008-10-06T12:33:00.000-04:00

The wisdom of the past is not the wisdom of today. Time has come to create the wisdom for the future that brings real sustainability forever. If we only teach our children what we know they will only do as badly as we do. We need to create that space with a degree of freedom to imagine new pathways towards sustainability. System design is one of the new pathways.

IUCN Red List reveals world’s mammals in crisis

2008-10-06T09:45:00.000-04:00

Climate change, extreme consumption habits, fishing side-effects, and a host of other human activities have put roughly 1/4 of the world's mammals at great risk of extinction according to the latest publication of the IUCN's Red List.

It's high time to re-evaluate everything we are doing. As my friend Peter Dean (Marion Institute, ZERI, RISD faculty) reminds me, "sustainability requires a shift in mindset to begin reunderstanding our natural relationships with the ecosystem. Otherwise, by simply adhering to regulations, it's at best a guarded stand-off."

the future was yesterday

2008-10-03T01:00:00.001-04:00

The Future Was Yesterday from Electric Laser People on Vimeo.

Where's the Law?

2008-10-01T20:31:00.000-04:00

Watch the whole thing if you can, but at least from 1:11:00 into the film. Watch the list read past. Stand up, learn, educate, ask what's going on.

This movie was deeper than I ever expected it to be.

VOTE

2008-10-01T14:29:00.000-04:00

Hey! Are you registered to vote? You can check here, and register if yer not.

Make Green, Not War

2008-10-01T11:47:00.000-04:00

Grist.org posted a great article this morning. The piece shares the opinions of several prominent folks on connections between the financial crisis, the bailout and green investment.

This quote really drives it home for me.

"Spending hundreds of billions of dollars on present and future wars that have nothing to do with our national security is simply obscene. And yet Congress has been corrupted by the military-industrial complex into believing that by voting for more defense spending, they are supplying 'jobs' for the economy. In fact, they are only diverting scarce resources from the desperately needed rebuilding of the American infrastructure and other crucial spending necessities into utterly wasteful munitions. If we cannot cut back our long-standing, ever-increasing military spending in a major way, then the bankruptcy of the United States is inevitable. As the current Wall Street meltdown has demonstrated, that is no longer an abstract possibility but a growing likelihood. We do not have much time left."
- Chalmers Johnson

So true. Let's MAKE THINGS GROW.

2008-09-29T15:58:00.000-04:00

3 billion or so years ago, far off in space there was a Big Bang which produced the first three Awesomements - Bacon (Bn), Ninja (N) and Batman (Bt) - from which sprang all awesome as we know it today. Remarkable.

Starlings on Otmoor

2008-09-29T00:05:00.000-04:00

Maybe you've seen some impressive particle simulations in computer graphics or the movies? Yeah, me too. But this is pretty amazing. Starlings on Otmoor - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH-groCeKbE

Root of all evil?

2008-09-28T22:17:00.000-04:00

Root of all Evil? is a two part BBC documentary hosted by Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion. This documentary is not likely to change the mind of a true believer but it should convince an agnostic that the acceptance of religion is not without very real negative effects.

Green Jobs Now! We're ready.

2008-09-28T12:01:00.000-04:00

Remixed debates

2008-09-28T11:24:00.000-04:00

Last friday I went to see friend SoSo Limited (http://sosolimited.com/) perform their live remix of the first presidential debate. It was at the Boston ICA to a packed liberal house. It was as much fun as a television centered talking head debate could be. The crew from SoSo messes around with the closed caption feed to show statistics about word use in real time. Awesome stuff. They will be in NYC at the Art Directors Club for the 2nd debate and in Washington DC for the final debate. Check it out if you're in either area. More info here-> http://www.reconstitution2008.com/