Arc Magazine

Amanda Palmer, the singer from the Dresden Dolls has come up with a really fun side project. Her latest EP is collection of Radiohead covers – on the ukulele. It’s beautiful, haunting and as a friend put so well, “it makes me want to take a bath with a toaster…”

The world of videos was changed forever and the old rules were thrown onto the fire. What emerged is much like the initial advent of videos all those years ago – creative freedom. Take one look at the videos of Ok Go and you’ll know what I mean. Artists are taking ownership of their videos and using them as a creative outlet, not as a sales tool.

I’m not sure if he’s a comedy genius, a la Sacha Baron Cohen, or Spike Jonze’s Torrance Community Dance Group from Fatboy Slim’s Praise You video, or if he’s actually developmentally handicapped. Who says you need to know how to play the drums in order to offer an advanced drum lesson?

Amsterdam is great for this kind of thing–everywhere you turn, it seems, someone is pulling some odd stunt or staging an experimental something or showing off his/her lifelong obsession.

On the other hand – I love the idea of people who are so excited about their favourite band that they bootleg shows, upload set lists and in some cases start fan-driven podcasts. Case in point, All That’s Sacred is a fan created podcast dedicated to the band Pearl Jam.