Posted Monday, April 18, 2005

Monday's Miscellany: More About iPhoto 5.0.2, a Cool iTunes Visualizer, and Today's Tunes

Big news day: Adobe buys Macromedia and Apple unveils Final Cut Studio, incorporating new versions of its professional video applications.

So let's talk about something else.

More about iPhoto 5.0.2. I've updated my iPhoto 5.0.2 report to reflect an improvement Apple has made with respect to iPhoto book formatting.

More and more interesting iPhoto 5 tidbits are coming my way, so stay tuned to this channel.

New to me: Eyephedrine. Cute name, huh? GioFX's Eyephedrine is an iTunes visualizer plug-in that uses Mac OS X's OpenGL 3D features to create some eminently trippy patterns. I tend to not stare gape-jawed at my screen while listening to music, at least not too often. But I must admit, Eyephedrine on a Cinema Display is about the most psychedelic experience you can have without first having to do a slow drive through the bad part of town.

Today's tunes. Over the weekend, my brother introduced me to the music of Robert Farnonicon. Farnon, who appears to be going strong as he approaches 90, is a master of what we used to call "easy listening"—richly orchestral, Father Knows Best-style string arrangements. He also used to create library music—"clip music" that audio producers would use in TV, radio, and audio-visual productions. It's the kind of music that went from being cool to being corny and back to being cool again—a lot of remixers are working samples of stuff like this into today's tunes.

His stuff is a delight. Listen to this RealAudio sample from his Journey Into Melody CD (not available on the iTunes Music Store). Close your eyes and think angora sweaters, martinis, poodles, and reel-to-reel tape recorders.

Wow—I just described my dream weekend.

Anyway, while researching Farnon a bit, I stumbled on Movie Grooves, a wickedly cool, UK-based site that sells CDs and LPs of classic (and often fabulously corny) library and movie music from the 60s and 70s. (They ship worldwide.) You've got to check this site out, and don't miss Birds Do It, "Music From German Sex Education Movies of the 60s and 70s." If you can keep a straight face while listening to Sunny Honey, you don't have a pulse.

Check back tomorrow for more of Today's Tunes, and have a great week.