Ask MetaFilter questions in the media & arts category

thunder road cover mp3?

headnsouth — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:35:30 -0800

Please help me find an mp3 (mp4?) of Badly Drawn Boy's cover of Thunder Road. There is a youtube video but I'd like to get a copy of it as an mp3 if possible. Amazon and itunes don't have it, I'd like to actually purchase it rather than just find it wherever it if it's available, as mp3 or cd (preferable but it's not on any of BDB's albums as far as I know) or whatever.

Earphones for a person with sensitive skin who travels on a bus

Anonymous — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:50:49 -0800

How can I keep listening to music on the bus without exacerbating my easily irritable skin with earbuds, or causing hearing loss? The skin in the bowl of my ear and ear canal is easily irritable, which leads to flaking and ear infections. I had this under control, and then I got an iPod Shuffle. Being able to listen to music on my many bus trips makes me much happier, but it is surely irritating my skin. Also, trying to keep the music audible on a loud bus means I have to turn the volume up probably more than is healthy.

I'm planning to get a iPod Shuffle remote-replacement dongle so that I can replace the earbuds. I have some Sennheiser PXC-250 noise-canceling supraural earphones that work pretty well. They avoid the skin irritation that earbuds cause and the noise cancellation means I don't have to turn them up too loud. But they only work when I have a bag with me to store them in. One of the key advantages of the iPod Shuffle was that I could just put them in my jeans pocket and use them even when I didn't have a bag with me. So I'm looking for something more compact if possible. Even if I can't fit them in my pants, something I could more easily fit in my jacket pocket would be good. Something inexpensive would also be ideal I you can't always keep my jacket within view and expensive stuff might get stolen.

I've heard of bone conduction headphones (Outi, Audio Bone), but they seem to get poor reviews, and are apparently loud enough for others nearby to hear (not so great on the bus).

Thus far I have avoided canalphones (which seem apppealing for their noise-isolating characteristics) for fear that they will irritate my skin further, much as earplugs do.

Anonymous because, hey, not everyone needs to identify me with my health issues.

How can I get my hands -- and ears -- on old Planet Money podcasts?

hungrytiger — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:47:01 -0800

I just fell in love with NPR's Planet Money podcast but can't figure out how to access back episodes. I just started listening to Planet Money and I'm excited about it. I'd like to go back and listen to the whole hundred-plus of them, but as far as I can tell they only have the last seven or so available on the NPR website.

Do any of you know another place where these podcasts might be archived/available? It seems odd that they're inaccessible...

ID this album of solo flute music

No-sword — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:41:41 -0800

Identify this album: A two-CD album of contemporary music for solo flute, released after 2000. One composer, one performer, pretty sure both were female. Cover is text on plain white, a sort of ECM/Hat Hut aesthetic (but I don't think it was either of these). One or more of the pieces had a title referencing stillness or silence or something like that.

Jazz standards in Chinese?

MostHolyPorcine — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:14:51 -0800

Where can I find American jazz standards sung in Mandarin? So, yea, I just watched Temple of Doom again and just started listening to all the old jazz greats again. And as craptacular as Kate Capshaw is, I do so love the opening scene with her singing Anything Goes in Mandarin. I know there was a Jazz scene in Shanghai in the 20s and 30s...did any of that survive?

I've been able to find some great Chinese Jazz, but I'd really like to hear the standards.

Ccaasseetteess

god particle — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:05:31 -0800

Where are the best places to buy tape cassettes in Philadelphia? I know there are a few record stores in Philly, but do these places (or any others) sell tape cassettes? I just recently got a tape player and I'm having a lot of fun with it, but want to find more cheap/obscure/fun tapes to listen to.

Just what kind of game was it???

doh ray mii — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:11:41 -0800

GodfatherPart2Filter: Does anyone know what game Senator Geary was playing... ...with the prostitute that ended up dead? It occurs about halfway through the movie, and Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall's character) comes in to "save" the Senator. Anyone have an idea what game it was the Senator was playing with the prostitute?

Acoustic music in New Orleans?

Rain Man — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:23:04 -0800

Suggestions for acoustic music venues in New Orleans? I'll be visiting NOLA in a couple of weeks and would appreciate some advice about likely spots to hear live music. My tastes run to acoustic Americana, a touch of twang okay, bluesy too, and I already have a basic notion of the more touristy Dixieland scene from previous visits (all of them pre-Katrina). As examples of my interests I would mention the Nawlins-based musicians Mary Gauthier and Anders Osborne (or at least his folkier side). Thanks!

Long Gone seems to be long Gone

Science! — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:11:04 -0800

Is there any official source of DVDs or digital copies of Tony Eberhardt's 2003 film "Long Gone" available in the US? The goal is for personal use, not presentation.

Missing Classic Song

captainscared — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:00:44 -0800

Shortly, after 9/11 David Letterman hosted Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, and Nancy Griffith performing an acapella version of the Carter Family's' "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." Anyone know where I can find the audio or video of this forgotten classic? Thanks

Please advertise to me.

shakespeherian — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:50:17 -0800

Is there anyplace online to find whatever television ad campaigns from a specific company happen to be playing nationally in the US currently? A friend of mine was recently in a Honda commercial and has started getting residual checks, so she knows that they're airing. However, she doesn't know what the commercial is about or anything that's said in the ad, and I don't know that it's particularly interesting or funny enough to have popped up on YouTube. She does know that the spot is called 'Think About It,' but apart from that I have nothing to go on. I'm not asking anyone to find the commercial for me, but is there any way (other than staring blankly at the teevee for hours) that I can attempt to track down this commercial?

Obscure early 90s rave song to identify.

spartacusroosevelt — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:38:52 -0800

Trying to identify an early 90s sorta ravey industrial track I only vaguely remember. I believe the song was called "Yaaa" and the word Yaaaaaaaaa was throughout as sort of a bed. There was a liberal usage of Flavor Flav saying "Bass in your face London." Apparently there was some more recent use of that sample that is messing up my Google-fu. It was played usually later in the evening as the DJ veered off into the Front 242 and Thrill Kill Kult sort of material.

Not a lot to go on, but surely somebody out there has heard this track. The DJ wasn't that adventurous.

Abraham Lincoln is tired in this poem.

Slap Factory — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:03:18 -0800

PoemFilter: They exhumed the bones of Lincoln in order to re-inter him elsewhere, and the former president spoke of being tired, tired of the packing and unpacking and packing again. Do you know the poem? I recall reading many years ago a poem that was written by a witness to the final exhumation of Lincoln's body, which occurred during the process of moving his grave. The author recounts a soliloquy by Lincoln, during which he says that he is tired. It has been thirty years since I read the poem, but I would love to share it with my own children if I can find it.

Does it ring a bell for anyone?

Where to print my Canon RAW files...

Climber — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:43:21 -0800

Where can I find a service to print my Canon RAW files? I have a canon 20D. I shoot in RAW mode and would like to find a service that I can upload the RAW files and have them printed and shipped. Who do you use for this service? I don't want to convert the files to jpg or tiffs.

Name that 'tchune?

citywolf — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:33:43 -0800

What was this non-techno song I heard in Cambridge, UK dance clubs in 2005? I spent the first six months of 2005 in Cambridge, UK. While I was there I did my share of clubbing (Fez Club, Life, in particular). I've managed to scrap together a playlist of most of the songs that make me nostalgic for my time there, but one song has escaped me. Google has failed me due to my spotty memory and some rather generic lyrics.

Song details:
- Played frequently in dance clubs in Cambridge, UK between January and June 2005
- Fun, upbeat song, frequently sung along to by all in the club
- NOT a techno song (didn't sound like a "dance remix")
- At this point I can't remember exact lyrics except what I believe was "put your hands up," repeated (real helpful, I know)
- Summer / summertime / sunshine may have been involved in the chorus or lyrics of the song.

I know it's a long shot but I've seen miracles worked on MeFi before.

Pulp Filter

roger ackroyd — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:53:39 -0800

Pulp Filter: I'm looking for books (fiction or non) that read like the recent Bond films: dark, thrilling, brutal, and glamorous.

Which musical instrument is the most difficult to master?

ragtimepiano — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:50:07 -0800

Learning music instruments---order of difficulty? This is just a "fun" question. I expect I'll get a wide range of answers here; people's preferences vary. I'm a musician who plays numerous instruments---piano, brass, woodwinds, flute, a little percussion now and then. I feel most fulfilled playing brass---and find it the most difficult, also, involving the whole body, requiring conditioning (diaphragm and embouchure especially) and constant maintenance---almost like being an athlete:-).
I have no knowledge about playing strings, and I know many people regard the violin as the most difficult and rewarding.
I'd like all you musicians and music scholars of the hive mind to weigh in on your own experiences. Many thanks!

Boston area professor with alternative history interest?

UMDirector — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:23:12 -0800

Are there any professors in the Boston area (especially Harvard) that have an avowed interest in alternate history or have authored books (fiction or non) on the subject?

ID a tune on Youtube

derbs — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:33:44 -0800

Can anyone ID the backing track on this youtube clip? You would absolutely make my day if you could find this one.

I am a camera with its shutter open...

mykescipark — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:47:07 -0800

Angelenos, please recommend an awesome and artsy portrait photographer. I'm being featured in a hardback art book. They need a high-quality portrait of me in the next three weeks (!!). Who do you recommend? I live in Hollywood but can travel within, say, 25 miles for the right person. Links to portfolios appreciated.

Quality portrait in the Twin Cities

Mrs. Green — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:19:06 -0800

Can you recommend any good, budget-friendly, family portrait photographers in the Twin Cities area? We would like to spend under $125 for a sitting fee, but don't really want to go to Sears or Target.

Name that tune!

wsg — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:40:02 -0800

What song is this, please? (youtube link) http://tinyurl.com/ykppwlo

Small Freelance Graphics Pricing?

Mizu — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:40:48 -0800

How much should I charge for two small illustrations that will be printed on wedding invitations? Times are tough, so when my friend asked if I would make some small graphics of two types of cameras for her wedding invitations, I said that of course I'd do it! I do have training in this area and have worked design jobs with an hourly salary, but I've never actually sold anything freelance. I definitely do not want to overcharge my friend, because it's kind of a combination wedding gift thing, and because she'll be doing all of the grunt work, making the invitations and doing the printing/technical aspects. All I would be providing is two little one-color graphics for her to use. I have many months to work on this, so there isn't any time pressure, either.

If it helps, we're both in the USA and I won't need to provide physical prints of anything, just the files.

How much should I charge for these? If I wasn't doing this for a friend, what would I charge? I honestly cannot judge how many hours this will take me, probably not many, so how can I give her an estimate before I make the graphics? Is there a very simple (and freely available) contract format I could write up to make payment a concrete and straightforward affair?

Thanks so much for helping me out!

Discipline the vocce!

yoyoceramic — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:38:05 -0800

Voice instructors in Las Vegas? I'm just a hobbiest... Hi everyone,

Wondering if any MeFites have any good recommendations for someone looking for a voice instructor. Gender and age do not matter to me. I am a male in mid 20's, if that matters.

I'm not looking to be the next American Idol. I took about 2 months worth of voice lessons then moved to a new city (Las Vegas). I'm looking for 45mins - 1 hour per week of instruction. I am interested in classical-type training I suppose (I was working through "The First Book of Tenor Solos"), leaning scales, MAYBE doing a recital etc...

Any thoughts? PM if you have a specific rec.. thanks!

Not Prince Michael. Prince who, though?

samsarah — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:36:44 -0800

Looking for an out of print children's book entitled Prince _________, about a dog. Help? A friend is getting married, and for her wedding gift, I'd like to buy her a set of books she remembers from her childhood. Unfortunately, I forget the most important part of the name. Things I do know:

-She read them in the mid-80's.
-There was a series of books, all about the adventures of a dog. (He was possibly a detective?)
-The word Prince was in the title. I believe it was part of the dog's name.
-I for some reason think the second part of the dog's name began with the letter M.

Suggestions for good rare or out of print book dealers also welcome. Thank you!