Crocodile Re-Opens | Crocodile Collection in the Works

From KOMO: At a time when local night spots are falling victim to the struggling economy, one club is making a comeback. The Crocodile Café was a dingy nightclub that became a second home for local musicians during grunge rock's heyday. Many of Seattle's most famous bands, including Nirvana and Pearl Jam, played there during its 16-year life. Money troubles shut down the Croc in December 2007, but the live music venue reopened on Thursday night, thanks to nothing short of a miracle.

While the Crocodile Cafe re-opens, UW Ethnomusicology Archvies and UW Libraries continue to process the Crocodile Cafe Collection—a series of some 3,000 hours of live recordings made by soundman Jim Anderson. Watch this blog for news about a listening and release party.

Washington Film Works - Viral Video Campaign

Attention Washington based filmmakers! Help WFW establish Washington State as the premier west-cost filming location. They're seeking five local filmmakers to create dynamic and entertaining viral videos. These viral videos will promote the state's diverse locations and topography as well as the seasoned local talent and crew. $1000 grants will be given to the five selected filmmakers to put towards production. Visit this site for more info.

The best 100 rap albums are here

The Media Center is proud to present a new collection of the best one hundred hip-hop albums of all time. Spanning from the early greats (Erik B. & Rakim, Grandmaster Flash, the Ultramagnetic MC's) through the 1990's (2Pac, Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan) to some of most prominent voices in rap today (Kanye West, Lil' Wayne, Jay-Z), we have gathered a collection together that will both educate on the history of hip-hop and entertain the ears. View the list of the 100 greatest albums - as well as see snippets of reviews from various publications - at out website here.

Digital television is coming. Are you ready?

The folks over at Reclaim the Media have put together some useful information on the switch to digital television. Check it out here.

Free Smithsonian Folkways Podcasts

Songs of protest. Spoken word. Traditional musics. Sound FX. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings has it all. As a UW community member you can access these recordings online @ Smithsonian Global Sound. Now you can also download (free to everyone) 24 one-hour programs that explores the history of this collection: click here.

More about the podcasts: The music of modern day giants like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Ani Difranco is interwoven with original Folkways recordings to demonstrate the lasting legacy that Folkways Records has on popular music. Recent and archival interviews with Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Mickey Hart, Studs Terkel, and others help reveal the remarkable human stories behind this equally remarkable collection. The series was produced by CKUA Radio in Alberta, Canada and originally aired in 1999.

New Media - March 2009

Lots of great local music and hip hop added to out collection this month, including Burning Hearts, Tribe Called Quest, Cut Copy, Hercules and Love Affair, DJ/rupture, Raekwon, Sonando, Thanaton, and Ultramagnetic MC's. Check out all of our new music this month here.

New additions to our DVD collection include The Best of the Colbert Report, Burn After Reading, Dali in New York, Paris Je'Taime, Man on Wire, Step Brothers, and The Wackness. Check out all of our new DVDs here.

And, of course, we're continually adding VHS to our collection from a large gifts donation, including City Slickers I and II, The Cisco Kid, Class Action, Conan the Barbarian, Congo, Stakeout, and Coming to America. Check out all of our newest VHS acquisitions here.