Countrymike's blog

This weeks BTB was a post-election listen to a variety of political remixes, mostly from the US elections but with a couple from the recent NZ/Aoteroa election. An incredible amount of digital artifacts were created from the US election especially since early on in the campaign Obama's team seized on the idea of really using Web 2.0 platforms as a means to spread messages, organize people, and create hype - more than any other political party in history, the democrats campaign played the network to create buzz, and they were in return rewarded by a level of user generated content on platforms like YouTube that had never been seen before. They understood the future much better than the republicans did, who looked like a party still trying to figure out how to stop the VCR time display from blinking 12:00

Obama's speeches though were like a lolly scramble for digital samplers and begged for musical background mixes, plugin effects and viral distribution; whereas McCain's dry waveform and lack of oratory was destined for the greenscreen landscape of parody and pastiche, sounding much more akin to the crumpling death throes of the newspaper than a nation on the verge of version 2.0. The Democrats remixed the American dream beautifully - combining their most aged conflicts with their most sacred visions, Lincolns with Martin-Luther Kings, and "Oh say can you see"s with "Yes We Cans!"

The Playlist

Yes We Can  - YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/user/WeCan08

"Yes We Can" is a collage-style music video inspired by a speech delivered by Senator and now President-elect Barack Obama following the 2008 New Hampshire primary, derived from similar union catch cries. The song was released on February 2, 2008 by the Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am on Dipdive.com and also on YouTube under the username 'WeCan08'. It was honored with the first-ever Emmy Award for Best New Approaches in Daytime Entertainment. The term "Yes We Can!" became a secondary slogan for Barack Obama's campaign.

Although the lyrics are entirely quotations from Sen. Obama's concession speech in the New Hampshire primary, the Obama campaign had no involvement in its production. The song was produced by will.i.am; the music video was directed by Jesse Dylan, the son of singer Bob Dylan. The music video premiered on the national media on ABC News Now's What's the Buzz entertainment program on February 1, 2008. On February 2 it was featured on the Obama campaign's community blog, and later promoted as a viral video by the campaign on its website. Obama played the clip prior to a February 12 rally of nearly 20,000 at the Kohl Center on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Release
Since the original posting on YouTube, the video has been re-posted a number of times by other users and as of today, the video had been watched a combined total of more than 13 million times on YouTube alone. The main video on the http://www.youtube.com/user/WeCan08 page has received 84,000 comments!

john.he.is

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gwqEneBKUs

"Will.i.am totally stole this idea from us, we've been thinking for a long time that earnest people reacting to a candidate is the future of music video. "

Yes We Can for Lee Dorsey / Obama remix

http://www.tanosokolow.com/yeswecan.html

When Allen Toussaint wrote Yes We Can for Lee Dorsey in 1970.  The recording is funky, political, and unapologetically optimistic.  Surprisingly little editing was needed to couch Obama's famous Yes We Can speech into the song.
The song also became the first hit for The Pointer Sisters in 1973, which is a recording worth looking for.  

HipHopforObama
http://www.youtube.com/user/HipHopForObama

The purpose of this channel is to combine two things I'm passionate about to make change happen in America.

The hip hop nation can mobilize behind Senator Obama's campaign to help put him in the White House.

McCain-Palin Rap!!! M.C. CAIN-Palin was the Choice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_rOCDG_btk

McCain vs. Madonna: Gray Ambition

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G9jA-FGGd8

McCain Senior Moments Mix

http://popdefectradio.blogspot.com/2008/10/mccain-senior-moments-mix.html

Collection of McCain senior moments on the campaign trail put to music and sound effects. Music loop by The Butthole Surfers. "Bottle hot water to dehydrated babies" (John McCain)

RNC 2008 Remixed

http://popdefectradio.blogspot.com/2008/09/rnc-2008-remix.html

Audio collage mix of protest sounds and media from the streets of St. Paul Minn. Preventive detention raids, Democracy Now! arrests, concussion grenade and teargas attack.

Featuring audio samples from:
The Uptake, Indymedia, Democracy Now! Submedia.Tv and many other media sources including preventive detention raids/arrests, Nicole Salazar and Amy Goodman's Arrest

UpTake Journalists Corrine McDermid and Oliver Dykstra caught between police and protesters when cops open up with concussion grenades and teargas and chased down the street

Also sound at end was from when St. Paul police officer attempting to drag a protester away, only to get tackled from behind. The officer sprayed a chemical agent all around him but ultimately lost the suspect.

Dj Spooky talks about "B-Side Wins Again" by DJ Spooky & Dave Lombardo"

http://www.imeem.com/manifesthope/music/_6YaEOrh/dj_spooky_talks_about_b...

DJ Spooky, Shepard Fairey Call For Regime Change

http://blog.wired.com/music/2008/10/dj-spooky-shepa.html

John Key remix

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6j_WczVOEA

John Key Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT7ip7_9muA&feature=related

Nandor Tanczos smashes watch in farewell to Parliament

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNrbLq-ZlUI

Listen or download the show here.

Bookmarks for this show on Delicious are here.

Almost universal praise of the first Waiheke Radio fundraiser show has given us something to live up to as far as future gigs go; which after the overwhelming success of this one we are already starting to think about. The all local lineup was spectacular with the debut of Three Legged Horse on the island  showcasing some true local talent with Bede "T-Bone" Taylors lyrical craftsmanship, backed by Aaron Carpenters arrangements and vocalist Gina Higham (also from Swoon). Following on from that the spectacle of The Homewreckers launched into possibly the first ever all female pro-wrestling dirty rock and roll show this side of Las Vegas. Truly something that had to be seen to be believed. Rounding it all off was the spunky punk sylings of local party band SWOON who got the packed crowd dancing to their popular numbers.

Many thanks to all in the audience who showed up that night, bought sausages, and drank beer - all for a great cause, local radio!

Special thanks to Artworks Theatre, Village Butchery, Copy Expresso, Waiheke Wine Centre, Adjadz, Gulf News, Dale Weingott, Sophie-Jo and friend, Jason McGyver, Zach, Bianca Sanders, MC Eledir Serin, all the Waiheke Radio volunteers and family, and especially Simon Mansfield and Michelle Barber for organizing a lot of the evenings events.

You can see some pics of the night here.

The Waiheke Community Radio Trust is very disappointed that an island radio frequency auctioned by the government’s Radio Spectrum Management Group has been purchased by an off-island group.

WCRT attended the auction and was bidding on the frequency which eventually sold for $380000, putting it well out of our reach. The successful bidder was World TV Limited, a company that runs a number of Asian language TV and radio stations.

The $380000 paid for the frequency was the second highest sum paid for any frequency in the country in this auction round. The last Waiheke Island frequency auctioned, in 2003, also went for a very large sum, $378000. The effect of the high prices paid is that Waiheke interests are priced out of the market as there is not sufficient population to support either a commercial or non-commercial operation that had to recover such an amount.

The problem arises because the Radio Spectrum Management Group regard Waiheke as part of the Auckland radio market. Island frequencies attract high sums at auction because Auckland radio frequencies are hard to come by and a Waiheke based signal can be broadcast to parts of the city that are highly sought after. The problem for potential Waiheke broadcasters is that the only places you can broadcast to Waiheke from are the island itself and the Sky Tower where frequencies go for close to one million dollars, but because these licenses are picked up by players in the Auckland market Waiheke misses out.

Waiheke Community Radio Trust have volunteers with the technical ability to ensure that our low powered station will provide a clear signal to those living from Oneroa to Onetangi despite the challenges posed by the island’s hilly terrain. We are currently broadcasting a test signal to Oneroa and Blackpool on 106.7fm and will soon have a second transmitter covering Surfdale, Ostend, Palm Beach and Onetangi. While we can broadcast effectively on low powered FM, ultimately we would like to be able to broadcast a full powered signal to the island. We are disappointed that the two full power radio licenses operating from Waiheke are utilised by groups with no connection to, or interest in, our local community.

The Radio Trust is also taking up the issue as a political battle and are planning to approach the government and the Ministry of Culture and Heritage to make the case for the allocation of a non-commercial radio license to be operated by a Waiheke broadcaster.

Continuing on with our fundraising push ... this Friday be sure to check out the Waiheke Premiere of I'm Not There a 2007 biographical film inspired by the life of iconic singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It depicts six distinct stages of Dylan's life and public persona portrayed by an ensemble cast of actors: Marcus Carl Franklin, Ben Whishaw, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Richard Gere, and Cate Blanchett, who play characters based on Dylan but with different names. Film starts at 8:30 at the Waiheke Cinema in Artworks. Tickets available at Island Designs or on the door but be warned the theatre only seats 50 so grabbing a ticket beforehand may be advised.

PS. A test broadcast is up and running on 106.7 in Oneroa and Blackpool. If you can tune it in please consider leaving as a note via the Contact Form and letting us know just where you are located on the island and how the signal quality was.