Today in Tech History: May 22, 1990 Video

Video description: Windows 3.0 is released today, and the world will never be the same.

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Ep. 1106: Web Exclusive

The post show from today's episode rang in at nearly the same length as a normal episode of BOL. And almost none of it has anything to do with tech. Check it out.

Ray Charles: "Ray Sings, Basie Swings"

Uncover never before released Ray Charles recordings combined with new performances of the legendary Count Basie Orchestra featured on Ray Sings, Basie Swings CD in stores October 3rd. I am proud to offer copies of the CD available for review and giveaway as well as audio streams and other assets (album cover, press release, and bio). Concord Records and Starbucks Hear Music, the two Companies that co-released Genius Loves Company, announced today that they will partner again to co-release and co-market Ray Sings, Basie Swings, which marries archival, never-before-released Ray Charles recordings with brand-new performances by the Count Basie Orchestra. A painstaking labor of love that combines cutting-edge technology and musical ingenuity, Ray Sings, Basie Swings due out October 3rd, 2006 at Starbucks Company-operated locations in the U.S. and Canada and at traditional music retail, showcases the late artist at his dazzling peak. Although Ray Charles and Count Basie shared the same bill during their careers, Ray Sings, Basie Swings marks the first and only recordings in which the ?Genius? is backed by the legendary bandleader?s orchestra. John Burk, Concord Records? A&R chief and producer of Ray Charles? 2004 multiple GRAMMY? Award-winning blockbuster album Genius Loves Company, came upon the lost tapes simply marked ?Ray / Basie,? in late 2005 while surveying the label?s vaults in Berkeley, CA. While documentation about the original recordings is scarce, the archival reels that served as source material for Ray Sings, Basie Swings were apparently concert tapes made in the 1970s by legendary impresario-producer Norman Granz. Ray Sings, Basie Swings gives listeners the unprecedented experience of hearing Ray Charles at the height of his powers with the legendary Count Basie Orchestra.

BOL 1091: Web Exclusive

We discuss our first impressions of the official release of Windows 7 in today's post-show.

The 404 379: Where we have a ball with Steve Guttenberg

CNET official Audiophiliac Steve Guttenberg guest hosts today's ball-busting show. Steve brings his usual brand of random topics to the table today that include the most bizarre festival you'll never want to visit and the world's largest ketchup bottle. We also introduce another awesome band in our Becks/Last.FM semiweekly audio draft!

Quasimoto: "Bullyshit"

The names Quasimoto and Madlib have been linked for years, yet they've never been seen in the same room together. In fact, Quasimoto's never been seen in the same room with anyone ? he's The Unseen. But you can hear him - and there's no mistaking what he sounds like. Peanut Butter Wolf first heard him off a dusty old cassette, one of Madlib?s infamous beat tapes ? the kind he?d make to listen to himself, maybe pass around to crew. Madlib and Quas had been up in Lost Gates, somewhere near Oxnard, CA, making music for years fueled by Top Ramen and shrooms without the slightest intention of releasing it to the masses. Wolf got it out though ? after some begging and pleading, and after signing a contract with Quas vowing not to reveal his name. The Unseen came out in 2000 and caught praise by fans and critics alike. SPIN went off on Quasimoto's "recipe for resin-caked jazz and crusty comedy samples as a new flavor for the bland world of mainstream rap" and stuck him smack between Madonna and Outkast in their best of the year list. URB too named the album one of the best of the year. Jon Caramanica (Rolling Stone/Village Voice) wrote an essay called "Blind Faith-Quasimoto's Backdoor Truth? choosing to describe the album as a revelation or ?strange dream? rather than a hip hop LP. In the tradition of artistic "role playing" in black music, Quas was compared favorably to RZA, Kool Keith, and even Prince (City Pages, St. Paul/Minneapolis). Another dude wrote that rap music "hasn?t been this far out since 3 Feet High and Rising" (Sleazenation). And a few commented on the voice. What a voice. Was it a tree-blazin? ghetto chipmunk? A cartoon Martian? Naw, it?s neither - but close. Lord Quas, personally, is more bizarre than Michael Jackson in a playpen, and he likewise demands a high level of privacy. Madlib and the heads at Stones Throw have been dodging questions about Lord Quas for years. Who is he? Why won?t he perform live? When?s the next album? Mostly that last question. The answer is now. Quasimoto is back with 27 tracks and 68 minutes of straight boom music. The Further Adventures find Lord Quas still digging for records, rolling blunts, and smackin? dudes with bricks. Madlib, for his part, appears to have been saving some of his best beats for Quas, and some that others were maybe afraid to touch. Consider the book on Hip Hop thrown out the window. Quas probably smoked it. They?ve got MF DOOM along for a reprise of the Madvillain-Quas collab on "Closer." (Madvillain ? that's where we last heard from Madlib & Lord Quas, on the album named as one of the best of 2004 by GQ, Rolling Stone, Spin, XLR8R, Village Voice, and a long list of others.) They've got M.E.D. from the Lootpack family up on "The Exclusive." Melvin Van Peebles (legendary filmmaker, the "Baadasssss" himself) shows up again on several tracks, as he did on The Unseen, channeled through the officially sanctioned use of a sampler. Madlib also takes the mic for several tracks ? among them "Rappcats," the ultimate ode to 80s hip hop; "Raw Addict Part 2," the ultimate ode to crate digging and sampling; "Another Demo Tape," the track that might result in his never again being given a CD demo from a stranger. Quasimoto's at no loss for words though. With some wild tales of crime sprees, kidnappings, and a fetish for some booty, we can assume he?ll still be known as "the Bad Character." Watch for a video for the lead track "Bullyshit" in May, followed by a short tour, for which Quasimoto may or may not show up.

Girls Against Boys: "Basstation"

Formed in 1990 from the ashes of legendary DC hardcore bands (most notably Soulside), Girls Against Boys have released six albums on such varied labels as Adult Swim, Touch & Go and Geffen, in addition to numerous singles and EPs. They have also contributed to soundtracks for the movies: Clerks, Mallrats, Permanent Midnight, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Suburbia and 200 Cigarettes. GVSB have toured the world extensively by themselves and with bands such as Fugazi, the Jesus Lizard, Rage Against the Machine, Garbage, Hole and Jawbox, as well as appearing in such festivals as Lollapalooza, Reading, Mt. Fuji and SXSW

Fishbone: "Date Rape"

Fishbone lives up to their legend as "THE" group to bridge the gap between the funk of George Clinton and the blare of Rush; a hybrid fusion where Led Zeppelin and Sly Stone dance to a frenetic ska beat that fuel's the alternative thrust of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane's Addiction and the cast of Lollapalooza. From their childhood together in the hardcore South Central Los Angeles wasteland to years of forced school-bused integration, Fishbone's influences were kaleidoscopic and never-ending. The band was formed in 1979 in the ghettos of South Central Los Angeles. The group came from the same Los Angeles scene that spawned the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction. Fishbone first gained attention with their unique live concerts, earning a reputation as one of the most original bands in the alternative genre. Their unique stew of different styles, mixed with hectic energy and pounding rhythms, were a huge influence on the funk/rock/metal/rap genre that would become popular in the 1990s. Live audiences around the world have been surrendering to the band's stage flash and magical rhythms with uninterrupted regularity. Such passionate devotion is not lost on Fishbone, who refer to their friends on the road as "The Familyhood."

Boom Boom Satellites: "Moment I Count"

Boom Boom Satellites first surfaced in Europe in 1997. They've taken Japan by storm many times, and have toured with Moby, Underworld, and remixed artists such as Garbage and Josh Wink. Philosophically pursuing the spiritual world, while at the same time having an energy that is physical and untamed, Boom Boom Satellites' sound is a blend between the roughness of rock and meticulously calculated programming. "FULL OF ELEVATING PLEASURES," their first US release in almost 7 years, is a gospel rock 'n roll album that moves beyond the traditional boundaries of electronic music. The throbbing 12-song track list includes "Dive for you," the theme song for the much talked about anime feature film "APPLESEED." It's an album that suggests the unveiling of a new chapter in the history of Boom Boom Satellites.

Boom Boom Satellites: "Dive For You" (anime video)

Boom Boom Satellites first surfaced in Europe in 1997. They've taken Japan by storm many times, and have toured with Moby, Underworld, and remixed artists such as Garbage and Josh Wink. Philosophically pursuing the spiritual world, while at the same time having an energy that is physical and untamed, Boom Boom Satellites' sound is a blend between the roughness of rock and meticulously calculated programming. "FULL OF ELEVATING PLEASURES," their first US release in almost 7 years, is a gospel rock 'n roll album that moves beyond the traditional boundaries of electronic music. The throbbing 12-song track list includes "Dive for you," the theme song for the much talked about anime feature film "APPLESEED." It's an album that suggests the unveiling of a new chapter in the history of Boom Boom Satellites.