Nine Inch Nails: The Day the World Went Away (Oh Trent...how we all adore you)

Nine Inch Nails - live at the Hordern Pavilion in Australia on September 16, 2007.

Trent Reznor:
"Last time I was here, I was doing a lot of complaining about the ridiculous prices of CDs down here. And that story got picked up and got carried all around the world and now my record label all around the world hates me, because I yelled at them, I called them out for being greedy fucking assholes. I didn't get a chance to check, has the price come down at all? I see a no, a no, a no... Has anyone seen the price come down? Okay, well, you know what that means - STEAL IT. Steal away. Steal and steal and steal some more and give it to all your friends and keep on stealin'. Because one way or another these motherfuckers will get it through their head that they're ripping people off and that that's not right."





As my friend Jeff put it:
"This may be one of the greatest things I've ever heard an artist say from a stage."

I have to agree.

*edit* Heh, a friend of mine asked me to make this post more deep and thoughtful....what are we complaining about my short posts now? Sheesh.

What the heck could I say that I haven't already about Trent and his connection with his fans? Ya know, the recording industry is manned by business people for the most part and the artists themselves are so far removed from the promoters and the same ilk that I can sorta understand how intentions can be so different. Still don't make it right though. It makes perfect sense that they can only think in terms of dollars amounts and chart ratings. They are after all, business people. Trent, on the other hand is an artist. You get the sense he'd be a Burning Man gazing in the Fibric Xyrex cube smoking pot with the homies (okay probably not smoking pot, but you get my drift) if he had the time. He know that real art is a communal experience. Something that holds greater meaning if you can talk about it, share, find a connection with one another with. So, although he uses the word 'steal' I think he know that connotation is 'share.'

Listen to:
"The Day the World Went Away"

Somewhat related note, this video is going to give me nightmares for a long while (backstage in Sydney):



Visit:
Nine Inch Nails
The Nine Inch Nails Hotline

Nine Inch Nails: The Limitless Potential

As someone said so simply on a related Digg article "Trent Reznor is just about the only person in the music industry that gets it."

It may or may not be news to you that Mr. Reznor released Garage Band files to several songs over the past years encouraging fans to fiddle and play with them. Frankly, I haven't known any other artist who has done such a thing (I could be wrong) but the important thing is that this really tapped into the creative juices of not only the NIN community but artists as a whole. Even *I* was inspired and started playing around with audio software and making music. Take a peek a the Open Source Resistance site that sprung out of the Year Zero online alternate reality game and you'll see these works of self expression displayed.

The Limitless Potential is merely another manifestation of the Art is Resistance movement that sprung out of the collective. Fansite, Painful Convictions hosted a remix contest where judges picked the top 21 tracks out of more than 200 songs that were submitted. The final product displays a phenomenal array of talent and innovative remixes to songs from Year Zero and With Teeth by fellow NIN fans.

Trent does get his fans. Not only does this compilation whet our pallets for the anticipated remix album but helps tide us over so we don't go for years...waiting...and resorting to talking about mundane things like, you know, Trent's hair or that Red Robe pic.

Listen to:
"Capital G (Streetlab Remix)" by Streetlab
"Me I'm Not (Withdrawl Remix)" by Dirty Scarab

Visit:
Official Nine Inch Nails Website
The Nine Inch Nails Hotline
Painful Convictions
Listen and download The Limitless Potential
Open Source Resistance

Trent Reznor: "No wonder people steal music" and the Fragile revisited

I caught this tidbit off of the NINHotline recently. Trent's last blogpost made it into a Digg article and attraced so much attention that the dudes (Alex Albrecht and Kevin Ross) over at Diggnation featured it in one of their podcasts. They do a fabulous job summing up Trent's views of music file sharing, his disapproval of how the record industry openly screw over fans, etc. Basically, the post backs up just how much Trent gets how this generation of music listeners function. Up yours, Lars! Poop on a stick indeed.

Like I've said so many times...TRENT LOVES US (and of course we love Trent too.) See, it's one big appreciation orgy.


Anyhow, this gives me a good excuse to post about a NIN album that came out in 1999. I've been wanting to revisit the Fragile for some time now. I can see all the NINers rolling their heavily made up eyes at me all in unison right now, but I have to say it is definitively my favorite NIN album of all time. I do love Downward Spiral but just 1st half in all honesty and I think heavy rotation of some of the songs on the radio while growing up causes me to not play TDS all that often at home. Sounding incredibly trite, I'll go ahead and say The Fragile has aged like a fine wine revelaing it's complexities with each listen. It's taken me several years to even bother with analysing the lyrics because music itself is so intricate. Add to that Trent's confessions of drug and alcohol abuse during the album and the liner notes suddenly take on a whole new meaning.

I'll admit, I'm kind of a heel when it comes to talking about Trent's lyrics. I think it has to do with the AAA or ABABABABA rhyming scheme and over use of the words: fade away, believe, echo, hands and knees, skin, deep(er), eye...you get the picture, but fundamentally he's better than most, so I'll shut the fuck up. Surprisingly when I did take a gander at the lyrics for the song "Even Deeper" (one of the best off of the massive 2 disc album) I found well written prose:

I woke up today
To find myself in the other place
With a trail of my footprints
From where I ran away
It seems everything Ive heard
Just might be true
And you know me
(well you think you do)
Sometimes, I have everything-
Yet I wish I felt something

Do you know how far this has gone?
Just how damaged have I become?
When I think I can overcome
It runs even deeper

In in a dream Im a different me
With a perfect you
We fit perfectly
And for once in my life I feel complete-
And I still want to ruin it
Afraid to look
As clear as day
This plan has long been underway

I hear them call
I cannot stay
The voice inviting me away

Do you know how far this has gone?
Just how damaged have I become?
When I think I can overcome
It runs even deeper
Everything that matters is gone
All the hands of hope have withdrawn
Could you try to help me hang on?
It runs...

Im straight
I wont crack
On my way
And I cant turn back
Im okay
Im on track
On my way
And I cant turn back
I stayed
On this track
Gone too far
And I cant come back
I stayed
On this track
Lost my way
Cant come back



In the spirit of sharing music, I've got a link to one of my favorite NIN songs off of one of the "rare" singles, We're in This Together Now pt. 3 which I believes goe for the low low price of $89.99 used on Amazon.com at the moment. It's a fucking sexy track with a groovy beat and heavy base. Hearing Trent harshly whisper "Give it to me..." makes me weak in the knees every single time, let me tell ya!

Listen to:
"Complications of the Flesh"
"Even Deeper"
"Just Like You Imagined"

Visit:
Nine Inch Nails Website
Digg Article
Trent's Blog
The NIN Hotline
Diggnation
Purchase The Fragile from Amazon

Nine Inch Nails: Year Zero

(photo by Rob Sheridan)

Had Trent Reznor been this productive back in the day, no way in hell would I have graduated from college and finished graduate studied. I don't know how the heck a student aged NINner could possibly go to classes with this much entertainment surrounding them. Two albums within a 3 year period. That's crazy. Let's not forget the barrage of concerts, the DVD and the freaking alternate reality game. If you've had your head in the sand for whatever reason, this good USA Today article can get you up to speed.

First and foremost, if you're a NIN fan, buy the fucking album, okay? This definitely sounds better than the audio stream and the album art is slick. My cellophane wrapper even has a sticker that says 16 noisy new songs. How cool is that?

Now, this is a hard post for me to write. As as I was walking back from work I kept fishing for words, reexamining how this album actually makes me feel and cross checking what my expectations were to begin with. I must say, as a big nail head myself, it's really hard to be objective at times when it comes to Trent Reznor and his music. You want everything to blow you away because for the most part it does and when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING. It's accepted knowledge that Reznor is one of the innovative musicians in the world, but the alternate reality game that supports marketing for Year Zero is pure genius. Entertaining. Yes. Creative. Yes. Intellectual. Yes. Incredibly well executed. Hell yeah.

He's one to give back to all over his fans as well. Take for instance the footage of the Art is Resistance meeting (turned surprise NIN concert) in LA up at one of the related Year Zero sites: www.opensourceresistance.net/

Year Zero isn't just about the new album, it's about the entire experience. Observing the interactivity and community forming around all of this is overwhelming and quite beautiful, actually. So, when I say the music on the album itself really takes a back seat to everything else NIN related this time around, I mean that in the nicest possible way. This isn't exactly a criticism, but it is to say that the album as a free standing entity is not only unimportant to me but that it is more vital for the music to play in the role of a supporting piece for Year Zero's alternate reality.

I missed out on a lot of the game as it was unfolding due to being off line for most of February and March, so I wasn't as caught up in the hype as I would have liked to. However, it did give me the unique opportunity to listen to the album somewhat objectively as an old fan. Each song in of itself stands quite well on its own featuring interesting sounds, textures and significant lyrics. Unfortunately, although the tracks fit together as a cohesive themed unit, I feel, dare I say it, some portions sound repetitive. There are chord progressions and melodic themes that tread too close to "sameness" compared to songs from earlier albums With_Teeth and The Fragile. With that said, I think a new listener would be impressed by general sound of the album: Trent's vox is powerful as ever and the effects and distortion are cool sounding. The song "In This Twilight" has exceptionally lovely words...

As a companion to the ARG surrounding Year Zero, this album is the perfect soundtrack. Unfortunately, I have to say, if we're talking about just the songs, the whole sum isn't necessarily better than its parts. Granted I'm comparing this again my usual standards for NIN...and they're astronomically high.

But does it really fucking matter? Hell No because the musical genius behind Nine Inch Nails completely blows all other artists out of the water.

Listen to (courtesy of NINRemixes.com):

"Me I'm Not, Wretched I'm Not" (songmash by Shagg127)
"Survivalism Remix" (Megaton edit by Chris Rose)

Visit:

Nine Inch Nails Official Website
Year Zero Mini Site
NIN Remixes.com
The NIN Hotline
Echoing the Sound
be a part of the resistance...
remix your own version of "Survivalism" (requires Garage Band)


(www.opensourceresistance.net)

Nine Inch Nails: Year Zero (streaming)

Trent loves you. He really does. Considering the leaked tracks, fun internet games, cyptic clues and other hoo-ha thus far, you should know that by now.

So for those of you wanting to hold off until April 17th, don't click the link below. I'm hearing it right now at work and damn, it's good stuff. The tracks flow beautifully from one to the other. It's brutal and gorgeous at the same time. I am trying to be a good girl though and will hold off listening to the album with my full attention on a decent sound system until I have the physical CDs in my hands. Till then, the rest of y'all should enjoy.

The man himself put the entire album online so I'm guessing the RIAA is gonna be a tad miffed.

Listen to (courtesy of the official NIN Year Zero site):
Year Zero

Visit:
Nine Inch Nails official website
Year Zero official site
The Nine Inch Nails Hotline
Year Zero discussion forum (hosted by Echoing the Sound)
Preorder Year Zero off of Amazon

being a sheep by taking the easy cheap shot...Peter and Trent 4 Evah!

For the record, I like people who give real hugs and not tepid shoulder nuzzles. These two actually know how to properly embrace each other.

I'm sure all over the internet ether other ninners are making the same inane stupid comments like mine over these pics from Peter Murphy's site, but I don't care. This is what lack of sleep does to me. Anyway, I bet *they* don't have Snuggle-potamus playing in the background! Ah yes...


Snuggle potamus, I love youuuu
You make the sun come out
When I'm bluuuuue

(side note: Hot damn. Look at those eyes. Too bad these rock gods can't mate.)



Snuggle potamus, what do I do?
I like to hug and squeeze
you you youuuuu

(Please don't burn Trent's tukus with the ashes from your cigarette, Pete. Could you also please give the dude from TV on the Radio a hug too while you're at it? He feels left out.)


Snuggle Potamus, I need you!
do do doo do do
dooo doo dooo


(apparently he really needed him. right there. at that moment.)


Snuggle potamus, I love youuuu
You're the best-est thing
I love you!

(Man, they really are snuggly. Is this an affectionate hug or a hug of sheer exhaustion? They almost look like they're collapsing into each other's arms. Either that or they're trying to remind Aaron that he hasn't gotten any since Jerome left...anyhow I'm glad they're not too macho to be friendly.)

Back on a serious note. If you haven't checked it out already, there are some amazing pics and media from the Murphy/Reznor radio sessions loaded onto NIN's site:

http://www.nin.com/current/radioshows/index.html
Be sure to check out the other photos (in context) off of Peter Murphy's site:
http://www.petermurphy.info/intro.html

To be honest, I love this marriage of rock gods even more than Bowie and Reznor.