August 26, 2010

Why to Go and See Stomp the Music

Filed under: Living + Recreation, Music Stuff @ 6:21 am

The phrase stomp originally began with two buskers dazzling the streets of Brighton, UK with music, their catchy performance hooking in bystaders to stop, view, and listen. Created by Steven McNichols and Luke Cresswell in Brighton, UK, the music STOMP debuted in the Orpheum Theatre in February 1994. The music STOMP can also trace a few of its roots to Booth Theatres erected at the Village Fairs in the Middle Ages and Renaissance period- an old custom in that period. In contrast to any other music, STOMP challenges the concept of what constitutes audio. Eight nightly performers play basic and complex rhythms from every day things, such as six foot poles, sand, brooms, lids, litres of water, and aluminum bins. Via dance and music, the group collaborates with each other to play audio, as well as providing person self-expression. STOMP is really a sensual blend of comedy, percussion, and energetic movements. The musical STOMP is the unique design of Steven McNichols and Luke Cresswell that captalizes on a ‘less is more’ philosophy. It is a passionate production, not effortlessly classified into a specific music or theatrical type. Through the absence of melodies, the audience listens to audio obtaining broken down into basics as eight chiseled and lively performers pound out rhythms with common objects: poles, drumsticks, match boxes, water, brooms, bins, and lids. Ironically, the ordinary high quality of these things catapults STOMP to an artistic level unrivalled by other modern theatrical acts. The ease in which the cast manipulates their ‘instruments’ and body stretches the imagination into an exciting reality. The set design is flashy and colorful at times; a more elaborate metal construction displays instruments that are struck by performers harnessed from the ceiling. This restriction frees the cast to use their feet, legs, and arms to produce loud group rhythms which shake the rafters and audience with it’s intense, tribal rhythms. These in-your-face cadences are a powerful avenue for individual and collective expression, leaving many on the edge of their seats. STOMP’s lack of fancy performer outfits keeps the focus on what truly counts: dance moves and musical rhythms, which turn out to be more complicated with every subsequent scene. Subtlety is also used to balance out these raw rhythms.One scene is focused around performers tapping six foot poles, as they stealthily circle the stage, almost preying on each other with their sly moves and rhythms. Their sense of correlation is palpable and sensual, cast eye contact stimulating the anticipation, as you nearly find yourself questioning who is going to ‘win’ at this music game. Yet, everybody wins, the audience even invited into the overall performance via a cast member who initiates a clap-and-response session. Roughly two hours in duration, STOMP keeps one’s attention, making you wonder how items generally reserved for math difficulties, cleaning, and construction projects can entertain and produce a powerful musical group dynamic. In this age of modern technology, STOMP is a refreshing blend of primal instincts meeting music genious, reminding us of the musical and rhythmic potential right under our noses. Discover more info about the musical and buyStomp Tickets on the internet

July 12, 2010

Guvera Users Can Download Free Music from Artists

Filed under: Music Stuff @ 5:29 am
Ad-supported music service Guvera has inked an agreement with worldwide indie music and video distributor The Orchard to slot the latter’s catalog into its library. The accord means Guvera users will be well placed to download free music from artists like Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Local Locals , Wu-Tang Clan, Surfer Blood, and Tiny Bro . At Guvera.com, purchasers download and stream free content paid for by advertisers. Brands pay a charge when their focused shoppers grab tracks or other content, and the record corporations receive a payment for each song downloaded to distribute back to their artists.
After only one or two short weeks after the US beta launch, we have received amazing feedback from our members who are so happy to take part in a revolution and real alternative to robbery and further to compensate artists for their creation, related Dan Thompson, head of content of Guvera. Guvera reported last month that it had notched up more than 75,000 users, and that registrations were running at a rate of three thousand to five thousand a week. The outfit explains it has removed the idea of disruptive advertising, and replaced it with engagement advertising. What that suggests to me and you is we have removed the white noise of irrelevant crap being thrown at us and now we only see brands that are basically talking with us, vs everybody seeing everything…

November 26, 2009

Tinchy Stryder Robbed of His Gold

Filed under: Music Stuff @ 9:20 am

Tinchy Stryder was robbed of £10,000 worth of jewellery in the early hours of yesterday morning, according to reports.

The ‘Never Leave You’ rapper was mugged by two men at 1.45am in the car park of a nightclub in Ilford, Essex after leaving a private party, The Sun says.

Police were called to the scene and one man was arrested on a public disorder charge. The valuables were returned to the 22-year-old star later that day.

A spokesman for Stryder said: “Tinchy and his entourage were not involved in any fighting.”

Tinchy Stryder was mugged in a nightclub car park in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The minuscule chart topper – real name Kwasi Danquah – was allegedly robbed of £10,000 worth of jewellery at around 1.45am at the club in Ilford, Essex, reports The Sun.

Luckily his entourage confronted the two alleged muggers and managed to get the jewellery back before around 30 police arrived on the scene.

A spokesperson for the star added: “Tinchy and his entourage were not involved in any fighting.”

One man has been formally charged by police with a public order offence.

November 10, 2009

The Absolute Worst Way To Download Music On The Internet

Filed under: Music Stuff @ 1:20 am

You get into the online music world. You’ve had this song playing in the back of your mind all day and now you’ve decided that you want to download it. You search for it specifically and find that there’s a site that is offering you exactly the song you want for free.

All you had to do is give them your email. You download it. The next thing you know you have a pop up coming out every time you open your browser window.

You failed to notice all the signs that told you this was going to happen. The banners, the smiley ads, the popups, you just thought you could download it in a clean file.

This happens every day. This is what happens to many people that are looking to download music online. They fall prey to the illegal sources taking advantage of millions of people downloading music out there.

Fortunately people are smartening up and starting to notice that illegal downloads from dubious sites are something to stay away from from the beggining. They are starting to notice and become aware that these downloads sometimes can cost you many times the price of a of a single music file download and can be hazardous to your computer.

There are new alternatives to download music that are proven to be cost effective and can become a “one for all” kind of resource that you can turn to. Places where you can just search for that tune you want (the one that’s been on your head all day), point on it and download it without having to worry about getting a trojan virus just for doing so.

I highly recommend for the sake of your computer, your peace of mind and to avoid downloading bogus files, for you to be sure you download all your songs from a legal source that you can trust. There’s nothing better than having the confidence that when you open up an Mp3 file you just downloaded and knowing it’s going to play exactly what you had in mind.

When you do it like this, when you do it the smart way, it all becomes much simpler, more effective and a ride that you’ll want to repeat over and over again. That’s all there is to downloading music when you’re doing it right. Next thing you know you’re cranking your mp3’s on your computer you’re playing them as loud as you can.

Charles Cruz CEO of Download Music Online Central (www.systemmastery.com/DownloadMusicOnline.html). Teaching you how to download music the smart way with our #1 recommended resource Music Download.

October 24, 2009

How to Convert 3GPP Videos to DV AVI

Filed under: Miscellaneous, Music Stuff, Video World @ 7:13 am

If you would like to convert your great fun videos in the 3GPP format to DV AVI then you can rely on the excellent Need4 Video Converter. This will allow your cllip to be played on a multitude of platforms. These range from your Mac or PC to your cell phone, among other mobile devices. They may also be uploaded to a video sharing file so it may be enjoyed by your family and friends. You can convert 3GPP videos to DV AVI in no time at all.

The latest Need4 Video advances are applicable if you intend to convert the entire audio extract or video clip all in one go, or just a small section at a time. This technology can meet all of your needs, if you only want to convert a little segment at a time, or a whole video clip or audio extract at once.

Step 1. Launch

For starters you will need a video converter program, such as a Need4 Video Converter.

You should download the excellent and follow the following steps.

Step 2.Add 3GPP Video To Converter

  • Cclick the +Video button to add the video you want to convert.
  • Specify 3GPP in the Files of type field.
  • Choose the right video file and click Open
  • The selected file will then be incorporated into the list of opened files.

    Step 3. Select Output Format

  • General Video in the open Profile list.
  • In the Presets list opened on the right,
  • pick the right output format in the Presets list and click open.
  • Step 4. Specify Folder to Save Video

  • Enter the name of the converted video in the Save as field.
  • You cn specify the folder where you would like the converted videos to be stored in the Save to field.
  • Highlight any extra options that you may need for saving video
  • Overwrite existing files and check it to replace any existing video files with the exact same name with new ones.
  • You may review the folder with a ready file after opening the output folder.
  • Step 5. Select a Video Segment to Convert

  • Click the Edit button next to your video in the list to convert a specific section of your video.
  • You can drag the left marker, in the open window to designate the beginning of the video clip. You will also want with the right marker at the end.
  • Step 6. Hit Convert to Save 3GPP Videos to DV AVI.

  • It is be that you check the added video in the list of opened files.
  • Then hit Convert 3GPP to convert it to DV AVI.
  • Need4 Video excel in the field of video conversion software.

    October 13, 2009

    History of Dusty Springfield

    Filed under: Music Stuff @ 9:46 am

    Born to an Irish Roman Catholic family that loved music, Mary O’Brien learned to sing at home. Dusty Springfield began her solo career in 1963 with the upbeat pop hit, “I Only Want To Be With You”. Her following hits included “I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself”, “Wishin’ and Hopin’”, and “You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me” . The Dusty Springfield songs are still very popular even today.

    A fan of American pop music, she campaigned to bring the little-known soul singers to a wider British audience by devising and hosting the first British performances of the top-selling Motown Records artists in 1965. Her rendition of “The Look of Love”, written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, was featured in the James Bond movie Casino Royale (1967) and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song in 1967.

    The marked changes of pop music in the mid-1960s left female pop singers out of fashion. To boost her credibility as a soul artist, Dusty Springfield went to Memphis, Tennessee, to record an album of pop and soul music with the Atlantic Records main production team. This album, Dusty in Memphis, earned Springfield a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1970, and it received the Grammy Hall of Fame award in 2001. International readers and viewers polls list the record among the one hundred greatest albums of all time. This album’s standout song, “Son of a Preacher Man”, was an international Top 10 hit in 1969. After that album, Springfield’s pop music success dipped for many years. In 1987, collaborations with the Pet Shop Boys returned her to the Top 20 of the British and American charts with the three singles “What Have I Done to Deserve This?”, “Nothing Has Been Proved”, and “In Private”. In 1995, Ms. Springfield was diagnosed by her physicians with serious breast cancer.

    August 19, 2009

    British Invasion Was the Beginning of Rock N Roll

    Filed under: Music Stuff @ 8:42 am

    The 60s are considered a watershed decade in the history of music due to the many classic songs that appeared in this era that changed the sound and direction of music forever. The changes that took place in just 10 short years were simply enormous and its effects are still being felt and are still influencing today’s musicians. The following article has been written to give you a concise rundown of the major songs and artists from this decade whose legacy is still being felt today.

    At the beginning of the 1960s, Elvis was still the King and even more so when he released his first songs after returning from military service in Germany. Many of his songs such as “It’s Now or Never” and “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” all became number 1 hits during this period. The early 1960s also saw the emergence of teen artists who for the first time achieved significant success on the charts. Brenda Lee made her debut with the classic song “I’m Sorry” at just 15 years of age and had a long career through the 60s and 70s. Matt Dinning’s song “Teen Angel” also became a smash hit and continued with the theme of a lost teen love. All these young artists had a clean-cut image which would not last much longer in the 60s.

    However, 1964 would be the year that changed music forever. The arrival of the Beatles in America and along with it The British Invasion would completely transform the entire industry, especially in North America. The Beatles’ appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964 has been pinpointed as possibly the most important musical moment of the 20th century. It is their appearances on the show that kick-started Beatlemania in America and the rest of the world. No other band had ever caused so much hysteria and no other band has done since. The Beatles became mega superstars with their ridiculous chords, beautiful melodies, accumulating incredible commercial and critical success and 20 number 1 hits in the United States in just 6 years. No other singer or group has been able to match their success since and it’s unlikely anybody ever will.

    The Beatles’ success also led to the British Invasion with artists such as The Rolling Stones and The Animals also becoming commercial successful in their own right during this period. Bands such as the Troggs and the Kinks emerged as pioneers of heavy metal which would emerge in its more well-known form in the early 70s but you can’t help but recognize the influence of these early bands. “Wild Thing” and “You Really Got Me” are much listen songs from the 60s if you are a heavy metal or hard rock fan.

    September 19, 2008

    HD Radio and multi-casting or more is really better

    Filed under: Music Stuff @ 8:43 pm

    HD Radio technology is the next big thing because it makes it makes FM stations sound nearly as good as listening to a CD. The sound is just amazing – clean, pure and crystal-clear. It even enables AM stations to sound as good as an FM station today.

    What’s the difference? While both HD AM and HD FM are digital, AM radio has smaller sections of bandwidth than FM radio. This means there is not enough “space” to give AM stations the same near-CD quality as FM stations. But there is enough bandwidth that AM stations will be able to broadcast with the same clarity of signal as one of today’s analog FM stations. This performance boost is expected to make AM radio a better alternative to FM than it has been – to give you more listening choices.

    Because HD radio is digital, its signals can be subdivided. This allows a station to multi-cast. meaning it could broadcast two or more programs at the same time. So, its listeners might be able to choose between music from the ’60s, ’70s or ’80s – on the same station at the same time.

    This could change everything you know about radio because it allows stations to do more niche broadcasting, just as cable as brought niche channels to television. For example, the radio station you’ve always tuned to for classic rock, might subdivide into classic rock, and reggae, or classic rock and old school hip-hop.
    Naturally, you would be able to hear these stations only if you have an HD receiver. If you don’t, you’ll still hear the same AM or FM station you’re used to.

    To learn which stations are already broadcasting in HD Radio technology, what HD radios cost and where to find them, please go to my web site, www.hd-radio-home.com. Doug Hanna is a retired marketing executive and long-time radio fan. He is the author of many articles on family finances and HD radio technology

    How To Play Guitar – Free Online Guitar Lesson

    Filed under: Music Stuff @ 7:21 am

    If you’ve always wanted to learn how to play guitar, here’s good news…

    Many people have taught themselves guitar, and you can too! The truth is that the guitar is one of the easiest instruments to learn to play… but, of course, you will need to practice.

    To teach yourself how to play guitar, you will need to search online for the information you need. One of the most important information you need is to find a chart of guitar chords. You can find guitar chords free online, or in any old thrift shop guitar book.

    You’re next step is to figure out how to play guitar chords. As a beginner, you don’t need to know a lot of different chords to learn how to play guitar. Here’s a free online guitar lesson you can do right now…

    Free Online Guitar Lesson – How to Play The G Chord:

    Step 1 – Look at your left hand and, ignoring your thumb, number your other fingers 1, 2, 3, and 4, starting with your index finger and ending with your pinkie.

    Step 2 – In looking at a chord chart, you will see that your index finger (number 1) should be placed on the second fret on the fifth string.

    Step 3 – Next, your middle finger (number 2) is to be placed on the third fret of the sixth string.

    Step 4 – The ring finger (number 3) is to be placed on the third fret of the first string. Note: The first string is the highest pitched.

    Step 5 – Lastly, when all your fingers are correctly in place, strum the strings.

    As a beginner learning how to play guitar, you may notice that when you first learn to play guitar chords, that some of the strings sound dead. This is caused by several things, most commonly because you may not be pressing hard enough.

    Futhermore, for proper chord playing, be sure that your fingers are placed squarely on each string and avoid touching the middle three strings with your fingers (they should be left open). If you are touching the middle strings, you will deaden their sound. Also, be sure that you are pressing the strings between the little fret bars, and not right on top of them.

    With continued practice, you’ll soon be fingering the G chord like a professional guitarist!

    Once you’ve mastered the G chord, you’ll be ready to learn more guitar chords. You will find that there are hundreds of guitar chords that you can learn to play. But for a beginner, you only need to learn a few chords to play your first song. The G, C, D, and E minor chords are some of the most useful chords to know when learning how to play guitar.

    I hope you have found this free online guitar lesson teaching you how to play the G chord helpful. Good Luck!

    Article by Jake Hanson. Please visit his online guitar lesson site to get a free guitar lesson course that details how to play guitar with amazing free chord and tab lessons.

    Is the Apple iPod going to last or burn out like the Apple Macintosh?

    Filed under: Music Stuff @ 7:18 am

    Today the Apple iPod is leading the market in the portable music player industry, having sold around 15 million iPods since they were released. But some people are now saying like the Apple Macintosh once an industry leader the iPod will also become a memory.
    Looking to the near future at the main competition for the Apple iPod are the new age mobile phones. Not only do they have the normal features of a mobile phone but they’re also adopting a higher standard of digital camera and a built in MP3 player. Unless Apple decides to bring the iPod into the mobile phone industry, we may see them move to the back of the shelf at ebay.

    Below are an example of some already available mobile phones that incorporate the higher standard digital camera and MP3 player:

    • Motorola MPx220
    • Siemens SX1
    • Sony Ericsson P910i
    • Sony Ericsson W800i

    Looking at the Sony Ericsson W800i, this mobile phone offers a 2 mega pixel digital camera with video recording capability. Also a built in MP3 player and the phone comes with a 512mb Memory Stick PRO Duo. This maybe only capable of holding around 150 music tracks or 10-15 full length CDs. You can upgrade the memory stick to 1GB doubling the storage capacity.

    Obviously the Sony Ericsson W800i does not have the storage capacity of a 60GB iPod video, but looking at the technology trends everything is getting smaller with higher storage capacity.

    Once mobile phones have a higher storage limit (60GB) they will also have the capability of playing MP4. Then your every day mobile phone will be a Phone, Camera, MP3 music player and an MP4 video player which fits in your pocket.

    Please visit my e-tail store at www.digitalsdownunder.com.