Category > Music
January 13, 2006
Use iTunes Better: iPoditude.com’s guide for getting the most out of iTunes
- Always listen to a song all the way through: Don't be tempted to skip the end. I know your fast-forward finger starts to twitch during that long fadeout, or that last couple of seconds of silence. but just be patient. The reason is that this allows the play count to update (in both iTunes and your iPod). Not only does this let itunes know which songs you like, but it also keeps your playlists that depend on 'play count' or 'last played' criteria accurate.
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Category: How-To, Music, Resources, iTunes | Comments (11)
September 07, 2005
Apple announces the iTunes phone: Motorola ROKR E1
Finally! The long rumored and awaited iTunes phone is here. Available exclusively through Cingular in the US, the Motorola ROKR E1 lists for $250 with a 2-year contract. It's a tri-band GSM/GPRS phone that weighs 3.77 ounces and sports a dedicated iTunes button on the face. It's got a VGA camera with 4x zoom, Bluetooth, speakerphone, a nice 176 x 220, 262 colors TFT display, and it supports TransFlash memory cards.
Use iTunes software to sync a playlist or randomly fill the ROKR with music. Song capacity is limited only by the amount of storage on your memory card to 100 songs, and the phone syncs with your computer via USB (version 1.1 only). The phone will play mp3 and AAC files and display album art and song information just like an iPod would. The navigation interface seems to be just like an iPod's as well.
Visit the Apple page or go directly to the Cingular site to purchase.
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August 02, 2005
The spider bite and The Spider Bite Song
In honor of the large, swollen, necrotic spider bite on my ankle, I bring you The Spiderbite Song by The Flaming Lips (iTunes). Every time I look down I get this song stuck in my head all over again.
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July 08, 2005
The Flaming Lips: The Fearless Freaks
Via my Netflix account, I watched the new Flaming Lips documentary The Fearless Freaks
My favorite scene is on the bonus disc and shows Wayne at what appears to be a family Christmas gathering. He hides in the kitchen dressed as Santa, and uses a stage prop smoke machine and one of their handheld spotlights to make a grand, and almost scary, entrance into the party.
And this is really cool: Tiny Mix Tapes quotes Wayne Coyne from the introduction of the CD soundtrack, "There's lots of embarrassing clips of us with weird haircuts, and bad clothes, and though this CD has a very limited run of only a few hundred, all who can are urged to copy it and put it on the Internet and do whatever you can do with it. Please, please do not pay hard-earned money for it." So there you go, download the CD soundtrack here.
After watching the video, I came away with the understanding that The Flaming Lips, with their collaborative spirit, experimental temperament, and entertaining personas, are one of the best bands ever. The second thing I learned is that everyone in Oklahoma City is on drugs (that's not true, but this film sure makes it seem that way).
Thanks to Brooklyn Vegan for the soundtrack tip and the photo.
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July 01, 2005
Rock me, Ludwig. Second movement
Hello? What the... It's too early! Hey, it's me - your Beethoven free mp3 snooze alarm going off to remind you that rest of the Beethoven symphonies are now available to download from the BBC Radio 3 web site. Looks like you've got only about 5 days to get 'em.
If you haven't listened to them yet, they're really good and they've got these great introductions that explain a bit about the music, put it into social context, and briefly explain how it fits into Beethoven's canon. Plus, the guy speaking has a British accent, and he sounds so knowledgeable, trustworthy, and professor-ly that I'd believe him if he told me Beethoven had a pink mohawk and was arrested repeatedly for public indecency. Wow, I didn't know that, interesting...
Related: Rock me, Ludwig
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June 16, 2005
Good stuff on iTunes lately
I just wanted to point out some good music they've added lately, music that I feel passionate about. (Links open either iTunes or Amazon USA):
Another Day On Earth, new from Brian Eno. Of course, I'm a fan of his work with Roxy Music, but my favorite of his solo albums is Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy
The new White Stripes, complete with the video and booklet from iTunes. So creative - combining musical elements both old and new into something fresh and cool.
The new Foo Fighters, with bonus interview video with digital booklet. I've got an mp3 of Dave Grohl doing Elton John's Tiny Dancer on the Late Late Show and it is hysterical. At one point he tells the audience to be quiet. I heard the new single from this disc and it would make a great 3 minute song (meaning that it's a bit repetitive).
And iTunes just added some early Johnny Cash: Original Sun Sound of Johnny Cash. And I'd recommend his classic Ring Of Fire. I do impersonations of exactly two people; A guy I used to work with named Stan and Johnny Cash. People say I'm pretty good at it.
And iTunes added a few of the classic John Mellencamp albums The Lonesome Jubilee and Scarecrow. This is not something I would typically like, I'm genre-hopping here, but the passion and the purity of the songwriting amounts to songs that speak to my heart and make me want to dance around like an idiot.
Related:
- My iTunes star rating system explained, or, live music is where it’s at man
- Did You Know? iTunes Music Store Navigation Hints
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June 13, 2005
Rock me, Ludwig
I still remember the thrill of playing Beethoven's fifth symphony in my 5th Grade orchestra. I, of course, was second-to-last chair in the clarinet section, and together with my friend Lorne (who was always a better player than me, but it was only because his mother made him practice) we treated Beethoven's most famous piece to a fresh, and involving treatment. If you weren't in the audience that night, you can emulate the experience with your iPod thanks to the BBC. Under the direction of conductor Gianandrea Noseda, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra is playing Beethoven's entire collection of nine symphonies over a series of concerts. They're recording them and then making the mp3's available for download for free. You can get three of the recordings now by visiting the BBC Radio 3 web site. They're only available for download until 5:30PM Tuesday, June 14th, so you'd better hurry.
Via iPodNN, via Guardian Unlimited
Category: Music | Comments (1)
April 08, 2005
The state of rock and roll today and the persistence of older musicians
I was writing an email to a friend and thought I'd post this here as well. Please feel free to participate and post your thoughts in the comments.
It's a strange age we live in where "older" musicians/rockers/bands are still producing music. Traditionally (I'm talking about the last 50 years here), "Rock and/or Roll" has been for the young only, but that's not really true anymore. Some, and I really mean only some, of the older bands that are still around are producing music that is even better than it was at the height of their popularity. Some bands, however, are just milking the nostalgia thing, playing their hit(s), and that's a shame.
There should be no rule that says when you turn 25 or 30 years old you have to stop being an artist and stop producing music. As long as you still have talent, a gift, and passion, please continue. Lots of bands can have their record-company-funded 15 minutes of fame, but it takes talent, skill, passion, and some luck, to release lots of albums over lots of years and still produce relevant, beautiful music that touches people and enriches their lives.
Here is my incomplete list of musicians/bands that have been at it for a while and are just as good, or better, than they were at the height of their popularity: The Church (producing amazing music these days), Aimee Mann (see Tuesday's post), The Flaming Lips, New Order, Rammstein, Nick Cave, and Bjork.
Maybe the following bands: U2, The Damned, and REM.
And an honorable mention to these people for long and fruitful careers: Brian Eno, David Byrne, Johnny Cash, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and Allen Ginsberg (I know he's a poet not a musician, but the same argument still applies in this case).
Who have I forgotten?
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February 28, 2005
Talking Heads: Stop Making Sense
I watched the Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense (Amazon link) over the weekend. I've never been a huge fan, but have a couple of their albums and like them well enough. This film came out in 1984 and I had never seen it, but have heard really good things about it and I had seen stills of the 'big suit' of course. If you can overlook the horrible 80's fashions (not easily done) then it's a very good film. Part theatre, part concert, it really highlights that these guys are excellent musicians. In particular, the guitarist they've got on stage - not Jerry Harrison, I don't know this guy's name - is just amazing.
At one point they light the musicians from the front with a big spotlight and project shadows on the backdrop. It looks just like the dancing iPod shadow people in Apple commercials. You've probably heard about how it starts, but it is really cool - just David Byrne, his acoustic guitar, and a boombox start playing on a fully lit empty stage. Slowly, during the course of the next few songs, more musicians are rolled in… then some platforms… singers… until it becomes a huge multimedia spectacle. Very cool.
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January 12, 2005
Steve Jobs, Rock Star
Well, Steve Jobs isn't a rock star yet, but you can kind of tell that he wants to be one, can't you? Chris McElligott has posted AAC files of the two songs John Mayer performed during Steve Jobs' keynote speech yesterday. That's a cool thing to do, and if you like John Mayer you're all set. Personally, I think it sounds like he sings with a mouth full of cotton balls, complete with all the spittle that's accumulated after leaving them in too long.
Via MacMinute
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