5/11/2008
Percussion Guitar [video]
Here's an amazing clip of musician Erik Mongrain playing "percussion guitar" using a technique known as lap tapping.
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5/08/2008
Neil Young New Poster Boy for Blu-ray
Neil Young is now the poster boy for Sun Microsystem's Java On2 interactive Blu-ray DVD technology. Young made the announcement on stage with Sun Microsystems CEO Jonathan Schwartz yesterday at the Sun Microsystems Java One Conference in San Francisco.Young plans to release his entire music catalog on Blu-ray, beginning with a 10-disc set containing his recordings from '63 to '72. Fans with a broadband connection and the latest Java-capable Blu-ray players will be able to download lyrics, photos, tour info and additional songs.
Some hardcore Neil Young fans may find it difficult to see him on stage making deals and announcements with corporate CEOs. Most of the songs on Young's 1988 album "This Note's for You" centered around the commercialism of rock and roll, and tours in particular (the title track is a social commentary on concert sponsorship). Will we see Sun and Blu-ray sponsoring Young's next tour?
The Blu-ray camp made a huge score by wooing Young. Artists such as AC/DC, The Band and Bruce Springsteen have all released HD concert videos on Blu-ray discs, but Young's support of Sun's On2 technology gives Blu-ray new revenue opportunities and solidifies Blu-ray as a music medium.
No word yet if Young plans on remaking one of his classic songs "Keep on Rockin' in the Free World" to "Keep on Rockin' in the Blu-ray DVD World."
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4/28/2008
Madonna Uses MySpace to Promote 'Hard Candy' Album
Following in the footsteps of Nine Inch Nails [story], Radiohead [story], and R.E.M., The Material Girl began streaming her latest album Hard Candy via her MySpace page over the weekend, 4 days before its official U.S. release on Tuesday.Madonna has been building interest in the album with a Hard Candy video widget embeddable on MySpace, Facebook, Hi5 and other services.
She's also performing live at the Roseland Ballroom in New York on Wednesday, April 30 in a show that will be streamed live on music.msn.com.
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4/16/2008
Anya Marina Interview
Sweet. Quirky. Fun. Talented. Cute. Folky. These are just some of the words you might use to describe Anya Marina... but don’t tell Anya that. She’s more comfortable labeling herself Miss Almost or Miss Maybe as she does in her hit song "Miss Halfway." But perhaps "Miss Out-Of-My-Way" would be more appropriate.Anya's debut album "Exercises in Racketeering" won the San Diego Music Award for best local artist and her music has been used on several TV shows including MTV’s The Real World, Numbers and the hit ABC-TV drama Grey’s Anatomy. Anya's song "Miss Halfway" also appears on the Grey’s Anatomy, Vol. 2 soundtrack.
When Anya isn't serenading millions of TV viewers, she still finds time to do stuff like act in the Lions Gate romantic teen comedy 100 Girls and fill the morning drive DJ slot on San Diego’s 94/9 FM. Not too shabby for "Miss Halfway."
In between DJ shifts and recording sessions Anya found a little time to sit down and answer some of our questions.
Interview: Anya Marina - DJ by Day. Pop-Star by Night.
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3/19/2008
Framing Hanley Interview
Framing Hanley have certainly come a long way in a very short time. First formed in 2005, the band posted some song demos that they recorded on a Macintosh on MySpace.com. Then in November of 2006, these demos were discovered by Brett Hestla, former Creed bassist and frontman of Dark New Day.
Hestla helped the young Nashville based quintet record a 2 song demo in his Florida studio which captured the attention of Jeff Hanson (Creed, Sevendust, Paramore) and his record label Silent Majority Group. Framing Hanley's debut LP The Moment was released August 2007.
We had the good fortune to get some time with Framing Hanley's frontman Nixon. This young star has a very intense voice reminiscent of Chester from Linkin Park. Listen to the breakdown in "Hear Me Now" to get an idea of what I'm referring to.
Interview: Framing Hanley vocalist Kenneth Nixon
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Hestla helped the young Nashville based quintet record a 2 song demo in his Florida studio which captured the attention of Jeff Hanson (Creed, Sevendust, Paramore) and his record label Silent Majority Group. Framing Hanley's debut LP The Moment was released August 2007.
We had the good fortune to get some time with Framing Hanley's frontman Nixon. This young star has a very intense voice reminiscent of Chester from Linkin Park. Listen to the breakdown in "Hear Me Now" to get an idea of what I'm referring to.
Interview: Framing Hanley vocalist Kenneth Nixon
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2/27/2008
Sony Style USB Turntable
I'm not exactly sure why Sony is getting into the USB Turntable business but they've taken a stab at getting our interest. The PS-LX300USB looks similar to another product we've talked about before (ION's version) but I see some notable differences.
The Sony version has a belt drive motor for reduced noise along with providing some added rotational stability. The unit also carries a diamond stylus for precise tracking and low record wear.
The turntable has playback speeds for either 33 1/3 or 45 rpm, so anything you've got stashed away should play on the LX300USB. Sony bundles the Sound Forge Audio Studio software to aid in the vinyl to MP3 conversion.
The unit will become available sometime in April for about $150, but if you're chomping-at-the-bit for some vinyl to MP3, the ION Audio version is available now for about the same price.
Source: GetUSB.info.
The Sony version has a belt drive motor for reduced noise along with providing some added rotational stability. The unit also carries a diamond stylus for precise tracking and low record wear.
The turntable has playback speeds for either 33 1/3 or 45 rpm, so anything you've got stashed away should play on the LX300USB. Sony bundles the Sound Forge Audio Studio software to aid in the vinyl to MP3 conversion.
The unit will become available sometime in April for about $150, but if you're chomping-at-the-bit for some vinyl to MP3, the ION Audio version is available now for about the same price.
Source: GetUSB.info.
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2/19/2008
American Idol on iTunes
The biggest American reality show on TV has finally joined the iTunes platform. Fox Broadcasting, Fox Interactive Media and FremantleMedia signed an exclusive deal with Apple to bring American Idol audio and video performances to iTunes as single song-sized snippets available the day after they premiere on air.Audio performances of the top 24 contenders run 99¢ per song, and videos of the top 12 finalists performances will be priced $1.99/each from March 11.
Apple will also become one of the show's premiere sponsors and maintain a branded presence on AmericanIdol.com, where some free streaming performances can be seen.
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2/15/2008
Rare 1989 Nirvana Video
Here’s a rare video clip from when Nirvana, then a relatively unknown band, played at Maxwell's in Hoboken NJ. Maxwell's is a cozy club/pub co-owned by Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley. (Note: MethodShop is based in Hoboken).At the time this video was recorded in 1989, Nirvana consisted of Jason Everman (guitar), Chad Channing (drums), Krist Novoselic (bass) and of course Kurt Cobain. Sorry ladies, Dave Grohl didn't join the band until 1990. Yes he was in Nirvana before the Foo Fighters. I'm always amazed how many people don't know that.
The video looks like it was digitized from an old VHS tape someone found in the bottom of a damp box in their basement. So don't expect much in the way quality.
The full clip is about 10 minutes long and begins with the camera man taping their journey from Manhattan to Hoboken on the Path train. Check out the people on the train. Gotta love those giant greasy late 80's hair styles. Even Kurt Cobain had giant hair at the time. You might recognize some of Nirvana's future hit songs like "About A Girl" towards the end of the clip.
The camera is really close to the stage a gets some good shots of Kurt and the rest of the band. Like I mentioned above, Maxwell's is "cozy" meaning small. To get a better feel of how big Maxwell's is, watch Bruce Springsteen's 1985 video for "Glory Days." The bar scenes were shot at Maxwell's.
Personally I'm not a huge Nirvana fan. I'll take Alice In Chains or Mudhoney any day over Nirvana. But you have to respect them. Since Nirvana's debut, the band has sold over 50 million albums worldwide. Hey, someone has to pay for all of Courtney Love's plastic surgery.
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1/24/2008
Rap Lyrics Explained With Charts and Graphs
An article on ACleverCookie.com attempts to explain popular rap lyrics using charts and graphs. For example, the chart below obviously explains Dre's "Bitches ain't shit but hoes and tricks" theory which was later scientifically confirmed by Ben Folds.
Made me wish I was little bit taller, I wish I was a baller, I wish I had a girl who looked good, I would call her, I wish I had a rabbit in a hat with a bat, and a '64 Impala.
You can see more of the charts and graphs here.
methodshop | digg story
Made me wish I was little bit taller, I wish I was a baller, I wish I had a girl who looked good, I would call her, I wish I had a rabbit in a hat with a bat, and a '64 Impala.
You can see more of the charts and graphs here.
methodshop | digg story
Labels: music
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1/03/2008
Apple and Jay-Z Launching Record Label
Forget all the hype around iTunes movie rentals. Looks like something even bigger will get announced at MacWorld this year.According to the rumors buzzing around the Interweb, Apple is launching a record label with Jay-Z, who's set to step down from Def Jam once his employment contract with Universal Music Group expires. Jay-Z has one more album left in his current contract with UMG. I wonder if he could just push out a quick greatest hits album?
Does that mean there might be another Apple vs. Apple lawsuit in the works? Not so fast. The last settlement between Apple, Inc. and Apple, Corps (The Beatles' record label), gave Apple, Inc. all rights to the name "Apple." Apple Corp. now licenses the right to use "Apple" from Apple, Inc.
Maybe now the RIAA will just lay down in the grave they dug for themselves during the Napster era and die already.
methodshop | digg story
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11/13/2007
U2 Previews New Tracks for Joshua Tree on iLike
U2 used iLike.com to post a video of Bono singing "Wave of Sorrow" while sitting on a couch. It's a track that U2 demoed during sessions for The Joshua Tree in 1987. Just recently Bono laid down vocals for the song and it will be released for the first time next week on the remastered release of The Joshua Tree.As Bono plays the track, he sings over it and talks listeners through the story of the song and explains the lyrics.
"Wave of Sorrow" is one of several rare and previously unreleased cuts which are featured on the bonus audio CD of the remastered deluxe and super deluxe versions of the remastered release of The Joshua Tree.
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11/12/2007
Bob Dylan's 5 Best Albums
I was at my local bar the other night and someone asked me if I were ever to be stranded on a desert island and could only bring 5 Bob Dylan albums, which ones would I bring?I couldn't answer him right away, and not because I had already had a good buzz after drinking four bottles of Miller Lite (note: I'm a lightweight), I had to think about that for a while because I love Bob Dylan. Wait, let me rephrase that, I REALLY LOVE BOB DYLAN!
For anyone even remotely aware of American pop culture over the past 40 years, it would be tough to miss the direct impact and lasting influence of Dylan's songs. I needed time to get back in touch with ALL things B-O-B!
After spending a WHOLE week revisiting all my Dylan CDs I compiled these 5 as the very ones I'd like to have with me if I were stranded on a desert island. And with this list I hope I can introduce the genius of Dylan to people walking around now who've never heard of the guy, or have no awareness of him beyond simple name recognition.
So if I was stranded on a desert island and could only have 5 Bob Dylan albums, which ones would I bring? Here's my list: Bob Dylan's 5 Best Albums.
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10/25/2007
Ryan Ferguson Interview
When Ryan Ferguson, singer of the band No Knife, strutted up to the stage to accept a 1999 San Diego Music Award for Best Punk Album, he chided, "Well tonight we officially found out we're a punk band now."Anyone who knows Ryan's accomplishments can understand the humor in this. Two years prior, No Knife won an award for Best Rock Album. Then in 2003, they won again, but this time it was for Best Alternative Album. Ryan has since then gone solo, but hasn't lost any of his momentum. He even won the San Diego Award for Best Pop Album in 2005.
His versatility makes one's head spin, but Ryan doesn't place much importance on classifying himself, and maybe we shouldn't try to either.
Our interview with Ryan was just like his lyrics, honest and articulate. Ryan was very forthcoming and spoke openly about everything from his break with No Knife to his busty friend Candace on MySpace and his freaky cats. Enjoy!
Interview: Ryan Ferguson
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10/23/2007
Napster Mobile Coming to U.S.
AT&T is making Napster's entire music catalog (5 million songs) available for direct-to-mobile purchase in mid-November via a new service called Napster Mobile. While not compatible with the iPhone, the catalog will be accessible via AT&T's network for the price of $1.99/song or 5 tracks for $7.49.Matchbox Twenty's new album "Exile on Mainstream" will kick off the service.
Two things strike me as odd about this deal:
- It's kind of weird that AT&T didn't try to integrate any music system on their phones with iTunes. They already have a pretty solid relationship with Apple. In the US, AT&T is the only approved mobile carrier for the iPhone.
- When it comes to music, are people really ready to leave their iPods behind and just use their phones? Maybe if you have an iPhone, otherwise, probably not. The media player built into my brand new BlackBerry Curve sucks so bad that I just bought an iPod Touch.
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10/15/2007
Total Music to Challenge iTunes
Universal Music is in talks with Sony BMG and Warner Music about launching a downloadable music subscription service to challenge iTunes' dominance.The service, dubbed Total Music, would be optimized for rival devices such as the Microsoft Zune as well as mobile phones and would be free to the user. In the proposed Total Music model, device manufactures would pay the music companies for access to their catalogs.
Here's a quote from BusinessWeek:
[Total Music will] get hardware makers or cell carriers to absorb the cost of a roughly $5-per-month subscription fee so consumers get a device with all-you-can-eat music that's essentially free. Music companies would collect the subscription fee, while hardware makers theoretically would move many more players.Personally, I can't believe that companies are still trying to make the "subscription" music model work. I don't know anyone who uses Rhapsody or Urge.
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10/02/2007
Radiohead Says Name Your Own Price for New Album
Radiohead is making its newest album, In Rainbows, available online at whatever price point consumers feel they should pay for it. The 10-track album will be released as a digital download starting October 10th. The announcement was made online by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood.
When users try to order In Rainbows on Radiohead.com, they will see a question mark next to a blank price box. If you click on the question mark, the message "It’s up to you" comes up. A subsequent screen reassures fans: "No really, it’s up to you."
Unfortunately, because In Rainbows will only be available on Radiohead's website, the album will not be eligible for chart ranking. It's too bad. I'm sure they'd be #1.
The band, led by Thom Yorke, are also planning a traditional CD release of In Rainbows for early 2008 that they will publish themselves. Radiohead decided not to use a record label after fulfilling their contract with EMI following their 2003 album 'Hail to the Thief.'
Did Radiohead just hammer the last nail into the record industry's coffin or make a huge mistake? Time will tell. In the meantime, at least we can't get busted for downloading a torrent of In Rainbows.
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When users try to order In Rainbows on Radiohead.com, they will see a question mark next to a blank price box. If you click on the question mark, the message "It’s up to you" comes up. A subsequent screen reassures fans: "No really, it’s up to you."
Unfortunately, because In Rainbows will only be available on Radiohead's website, the album will not be eligible for chart ranking. It's too bad. I'm sure they'd be #1.
The band, led by Thom Yorke, are also planning a traditional CD release of In Rainbows for early 2008 that they will publish themselves. Radiohead decided not to use a record label after fulfilling their contract with EMI following their 2003 album 'Hail to the Thief.'Did Radiohead just hammer the last nail into the record industry's coffin or make a huge mistake? Time will tell. In the meantime, at least we can't get busted for downloading a torrent of In Rainbows.
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Labels: music
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9/13/2007
New Guitar Hero has 4 Port USB Hub
Talk about awkward. The first time I played Guitar Hero I felt like a fool - well, for about 15 seconds, then I feel in love. If you haven't tried it - play it - and oh how Guitar Hero has grown. One of the most popular video games on the market the Guitar Hero franchise is now stretching out to Rock Band. And if you haven't heard of Rock Band, this will explain the Guitar Hero sporting a 4 port USB hub.
Rock Band is an unreleased music video game being developed by Harmonix Music, the creators of Guitar Hero. The idea is expanding the air guitar concept of Guitar Hero to a full rock band. Rock Band will offer players the ability to function in a virtual band by providing up to four players with the ability to utilize four different instruments (guitar, bass guitar, drum set and microphone).
The 4 port USB hub gives the ability for these players to sync together in the off-line, or same room, player setting. Although Rock Band will include an on-line sync capability.
The Guitar Hero controller sports the USB ready version for both PS3 and Xbox 360. The product isn't available yet, but is due out in late October.
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Rock Band is an unreleased music video game being developed by Harmonix Music, the creators of Guitar Hero. The idea is expanding the air guitar concept of Guitar Hero to a full rock band. Rock Band will offer players the ability to function in a virtual band by providing up to four players with the ability to utilize four different instruments (guitar, bass guitar, drum set and microphone).
The 4 port USB hub gives the ability for these players to sync together in the off-line, or same room, player setting. Although Rock Band will include an on-line sync capability.
The Guitar Hero controller sports the USB ready version for both PS3 and Xbox 360. The product isn't available yet, but is due out in late October.
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9/12/2007
iPod Nano Commercial with 1234 Song
If you were watching any of the American football games this past Sunday, then you probably saw the new 3rd generation iPod Nano commercial. The ad features the upbeat and catchy song "1234" by Canadian singer/songwriter Leslie Feist.
You can watch Feist's full video for "1234" here [link] on YouTube or check out her new album "The Reminder" on iTunes. The commercial is no doubt doing wonders for Leslie Feist's name recognition. Everyone is talking about it online (like me).
Here are the lyrics to "1234" used in the iPod Nano ad:
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You can watch Feist's full video for "1234" here [link] on YouTube or check out her new album "The Reminder" on iTunes. The commercial is no doubt doing wonders for Leslie Feist's name recognition. Everyone is talking about it online (like me).
Here are the lyrics to "1234" used in the iPod Nano ad:
One Two Three Four
Tell me that you love me more
Sleepless long nights
That is what my youth was for
Old teenage hopes are alive at your door
Left you with nothing but they want some more
Oh, you're changing your heart
Oh, You know who you are
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