Posts Tagged ‘Music’

Letter of the Day – M

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

M is for Music

For some it marked the death of “proper” music.

Every song you hear on the radio, in a night club, and at some concerts wouldn’t be possible without some sort of computer processing. From electronic keyboards to drum machines and to the infamous Auto-Tune, there’s a computer in there somewhere making music “better”.[1]

Music production is so reliant on computer processing that most producers wouldn’t know how to their job without a computer. There are some decent tunes that we wouldn’t have without computer processing[2], but then again there’s some dreadful tat out there that shouldn’t be ever played again.[3]

  1. Better being a totally subjective term. Covering up mistakes and lack of talent isn’t better – it’s just a cynical way of fooling the audience. Like singers lip syncing to a backing track, you’re being cheated out of a performance. Give me an acoustic session anytime. []
  2. I’m thinking Faithless, Prodigy etc. []
  3. Any novelty song – Barbie Girl, Crazy Frog etc. []

Say It Ain’t So….

Friday, February 13th, 2009

Please, don’t do it.

Music to Work To

Friday, November 21st, 2008

I’ve been working on a website for a friend for the last few hours, while listening to this:

The last 5 hours have just flown, without any of the stress I normally feel when under a deadline. Highly recommended!

New Life For The CD Single

Friday, October 19th, 2007

You may have heard that the recording companies have been complaining of late about a decline in music sales. In an attempt to turn the tide, Universal have turned to the USB flash drive. They’re planning to release songs from Keane and Pussycat Dolls on the format at the end of this month. The plan is that the new format will generate interest among the younger demographic.

A couple of things come to mind though, namely:

  • What format will the music be in?
  • Will DRM prevent Mac OS and Linux users from playing the content? If so, are the recording companies just going to alienate even more of their customers?
  • Will the content require a specific media player?
  • Will the end user be able to copy the content to more than one device?
  • What about people who want to listen to music on their hi-fi and not on their computer? Can the tracks be burned to CD?

While the ideal would be DRM-free MP3 files, I don’t see it happening, so it will be interesting to see how Universal proceed with this.

The Blizzards Live

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

The Blizzards played The Stables last night. I was off, so I took myself down for a look-see. It was an amazing gig. If you’ve never seen The Blizzards live, then you really are missing out.

Yet Another Parody of “How to Save a Life”

Saturday, April 21st, 2007

I like parodies – if they’re done well. And this one certainly is. It’s a parody of the Frays “How to Save a Life”. It’s not suitable for the younger audience, so click the link to view it.

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Chasing Bars – David Coyne

Saturday, April 21st, 2007

This is probably going to be the theme tune for Gordons stag night!

EMI to Sell DRM-Free Music

Monday, April 2nd, 2007

EMI announced today that they are to make their entire online catalogue available without any copy protection or Digital Rights Management, (DRM). While the DRM-Free music will cost more, it will also be of a higher quality. This makes EMI the first label to back away from DRM. The first songs will be available through the Apple iTunes store in May.

The BBC also have a write up on what DRM is, and why it’s considered a bad idea by the online community, while the labels have embraced it whole-heartedly.

Fred – The Band

Tuesday, November 14th, 2006

It’s rarely that I’ll give up my time to help promote a commercial enterprise, especially when I don’t get paid for it, (capitalism at it’s best, huh!), but I just have to tell you about this band. They played in the bar where I work last night and they despite some skepticism, I have to say that it was a cracking gig. Everything from the music to the show they put on, was fantastic. Given that it was a “quiet” night, they really got the crowd going.

The music was upbeat and lively, the energy they displayed on stage was stratospheric, and they a really nice bunch to boot. I even blagged a copy of their new album from them! If you get a chance to see them live, do. If you want a sneak peek of what they’re like, head over to www.fredtheband.com. And they have a lovely looking website as well. It looks like the sky is their limit. Some people have all the luck, and not an inconsiderable amount of talent either!