Music Archives - Page 11 of 20

Hands On With Google Music (Not a Review!)

I’ve been playing with Google Music and Google’s Music Store on Android Market for the last day. It’s a mix of cool features and annoying quirks. There are some aspects of the experience I really like and some areas where Google Music puts Apple iTunes on its ass. There are also some aspects of the experience that are stupid and annoying. Let’s break it down!

Buying and Browsing: I love the shopping and browsing experience of the Google Music Store. It’s bright, there are lots of pictures, and the big-time acts have sweet videos. Most of what you want can be found, as Google has signed up three of the four major companies (Warners is still holding out). There’s lots of free music and a “free song of the day” that encourages repeat visits. Buying is a snap if you already have a Google Wallet or (the soon to be dead) Google Checkout account. Compared to iTunes and Amazon’s MP3 store, I prefer the shopping experience of Google Music.

Listening: After you’ve purchased your music, it’s available in seconds on the web-based player or your Android device. The instant gratification will make you want to kiss the cloud (which isn’t actually a tangible thing you can kiss). Listening on my PC was great thanks to my zippy cable Internet connection. Listening on a Samsung Galaxy S II through T-Mobile required a little more waiting because of the slower connection, the sound quality was still good. I did have some quirks with the HTML 5 version of Google Music on my iPad, but that’s something I’m going to talk about more on Padvance.com.

Downloading: If you want to download a few individual songs onto your PC then you can easily do so on the web-based player. If you want to download a large batch of purchased music then you’re better of using the Music Manager app. The app works fine for uploading and downloading music to and from the cloud, but it’s way to slow. The upload speed I can understand, but downloads should be much faster. Hopefully this will get better in the future, but for now the Music Manager app’s sluggishness is disappointing and annoying.

Social: Google Music features heavy Google+ integration. You can post a song or album through “+1” buttons. People that read your post get one free listen and a link to buy the song or album. Compared to the extremely weak Ping features on Apple iTunes, Google Music’s social aspect is deep and robust. I love how it can lead to discovering new music. There are also some potentially great music discssions that can be generated by Google+ and Google Music.

Verdict: I can easily see myself visiting the Google Music Store several times a week, similar to how I visit the Amazon Android App Store daily to see if there are any good freebies. As for purchasing, it’s all about the price and convenience for me. Apple iTunes is the easiest way for me to buy music, but it’s often the most expensive. Amazon is usually cheaper and its software makes it easy to sync with all my devices. The Google Music Store has a ton of freebies and some sweet deals, but the Music Manager could be better. I like Google Music a lot and will definitely give it a look every time I’m thirsty for new sounds, but the experience isn’t good enough (yet) to push Amazon and Apple off my menu.

If you’ve been tinkering with Google Music, I’d love to hear about your experiences. Please let me know what you think of Google Music and the Google Music Store on Android Market when you have a chance.

Coffee Talk #421: “Shreds” Videos and You

Several years ago I came across several “Shreds” videos by a YouTube user called StSanders. He overdubbed horrendously bad guitar playing over memorable performances. His clip of Jake E. Lee “shredding” while Ozzy Osbourne clapped just about…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Groundwork’s Bolivia Aipac La Paz , Juan Manuel Marquez getting jobbed out of a win over Manny Pacquiao, or the impressive uselessness of Buboy Fernandez, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Several years ago I came across several “Shreds” videos by a YouTube user called StSanders. He overdubbed horrendously bad guitar playing over memorable performances…and made art. His clip of Jake E. Lee “shredding” while Ozzy Osbourne clapped just about killed me. His overdub of Metallica’s “One” completely cracked me up and was extra funny to me since I knew how to play most of the song.

Today I’m going to kick off the week with a laugh. Here are three of my favorite “Shreds” videos. Feel free to post your own YouTube links in the comments section. If you find these funny, head on over to StSanders’ web site and give him some props.

“99 Percent” By Justin Leeper

Check out this video for the song “99 Percent” by longtime RPad.tv friend Justin Leeper, author of the book Still Man Fights. He wrote it in support of the “Occupy” movement sweeping the nation. After you give it a listen, please leave him some feedback on the song in the comments section.

Also, let’s have some fun with it too! I challenge you to rewrite Justin’s lyrics for thoughtful or mirthful purposes. For example, my favorite verse is around the 0:58 mark:

“Corporations,
Ruining the nation,
The greed that they spawn,
Is Armageddon.”

My version goes like this:

“Corporations,
Spicy Cajuns,
Stone Cold Steve Austin,
Cheap Lisa Munn.”

Now it’s your turn! Channel your inner Lennon/McCartney and play with the lyrics.

Coffee Talk #415: Song Covers You Hate (Under Pressure)

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames,Verve’s Guatemala El Pintado, Zooey Deschanel’s performance of the American national anthem, or Manchester City thrashing Manchester United, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

“Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie is one of my favorite songs of all time. Freddie Mercury’s vocals are brilliant. Brian May’s guitar playing is awesome. Mercury’s subtle playing on the piano and Hammond organ fill out the song perfectly. And lastly, there’s John Deacon’s unforgettable bass line…which sadly some people recognize from “Ice Ice Baby“.

It actually pains me that there’s a generation of people that know Deacon’s bass line from “Ice Ice Baby” instead of “Under Pressure”. Vanilla Ice was a crap artist and his song sucked compared to “Under Pressure”. It’s sad that the hook from his only popular song was ripped from another, superior one. I’m offended that he took an integral part of a great song and turned it into a pile of garbage. Next time I’m a hiring manager, I’m going to play Deacon’s bass line and ask the job candidate what song it’s from. Anyone that says “Ice Ice Baby” will be shown the door.

As if Vanilla Ice sampling “Under Pressure” for nefarious purposes wasn’t bad enough, there’s this crap cover version by My Chemical Romance and The Used. It…just sucks. The vocals are so weak that’s it’s like comparing a little league hitter’s power to Albert Pujol’s. (Granted there are only a handful of rock-and-roll singers with Mercury’s power and range.) The arrangement is just awful. There was absolutely no reason for this cover to be released. It’s embarrassing to Queen, David Bowie, My Chemical Romance, and The Used. Ugh.

Anyway, I wanted to hear about any song samples and covers that offend you. Kindly talk about song covers and samples you hate in today’s comments section!

Foo Fighters Closing Out Blizzcon 2011

Blizzard has announced that the Foo Fighters will be the musical guests at Blizzcon 2012. The all-things-Blizzard fan-festival usually ends with a star-studded performance. Past guests include Ozzy Osbourne, Tenacious D, Jay Mohr, and Level 10 60 70 80Elite Tauren Chieftain. Here’s a clip from the…

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced that Foo Fighters will headline the closing concert of this year’s sold-out BlizzCon, taking place October 21-22 at the Anaheim Convention Center. While tickets to the convention are currently sold out, viewers can watch at home by ordering a BlizzCon Virtual Ticket, offering comprehensive live coverage of the event (including Foo Fighters’ performance) globally over the Internet and also on DirecTV in the United States.

One of my favorite shows of the year gets even better! I love Blizzcon. Blizzard is an incredible developer and publisher. The company has some of most passionate fans in the world. It’s brilliant watching thousands of people come together to celebrate Blizzard’s excellent games. Add the Foo Fighters on top of all that?!? Awesome!

Any of you making it out to Blizzcon this year? Are you psyched to watch Foo Fighters perform at Blizzcon whether you’re there or watching on DirecTV?

What Will You Miss About R.E.M.?

Yesterday I was bummed to learn that R.E.M. broke up. I liked the band in high school and came to love them in college. Sure, a lot of people felt that they went too mainstream with “Shiny Happy People” (and especially that silly “Furry Happy Monsters” version from Sesame Street), but they went on to record some great songs after that. Plus, their older stuff was just fantastic.

One of my favorite R.E.M. memories was playing “Driver 8” with my friends Dominic and Roland in college. We performed a three-song set at a student show called Asian Occasion. Partially because of this “performance” and partially because it’s just a frickin’ awesome song, “Driver 8” is my favorite R.E.M. tune and will always have a special place in my heart.

Any other R.E.M. fans out there? What songs and albums of theirs did you like? What will you miss about the band?

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Coffee Talk #398: Pick Your Personal Entrance Music

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Mariano Rivera’s 600th save, putting a dollar value on your work, or Dyson’s hot air multiplier, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I’ve always wanted my own entrance music. You know, like how pro-wrestlers have their own entrance music. When I was a kid, I thought it was awesome that Hulk Hogan used “Eye of the Tiger” (Survivor), Junkyard Dog used “Another One Bites the Dust” (Queen), and Kerry Von Erich used “Tom Sawyer” (Rush) as their entrance themes. Of course nothing beats Ric Flair hitting the ring to “Also Sprach Zarathustra“, more commonly known as the intro music to the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Entrance music changed when Vince McMahon realized that he could save money in licensing fees and make money by selling his own music. Awesome songs by established artists were replaced by mediocre songs performed by no-names. Sure there are exceptions. Hulk Hogan’s “Real American” (Rick Derringer) seems completely appropriate for his character. Motorhead is awesome and Triple H is a mark for the band, so “The Game” makes total sense for him. While today’s entrance music isn’t what it used to be, most of it still works.

If I had my wish, I’d borrow “Sexy Boy” for my personal entrance theme. The lyrics are ridiculous and the music is cheesy. Most of you have known me long enough to have figured out that I’m ridiculous and cheesy. I would absolutely abuse my entrance theme (and spend a fortune in background fireworks). I would use it every time I entered groceries, office buildings, restaurants, courtrooms, etc. (I wouldn’t use it at funerals and when entering bathrooms.) The music fits my personality and would be my little tribute to “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels.

If you could have your own entrance music, what would it be? Choose wisely!

Coffee Talk #395: Your Dream Dinner for Four

If you could have dinner with three people from the history of the world, who would be at your table? They can be game developers, actors, musicians, etc. It’s your dream dinner for four and I’d love to hear your…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, rain ruining my U.S. Open (tennis) background noise, why my coffee beans are late (again), or dinner/drinks with two excellent people, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

If you could have dinner with three people from the history of the world, who would be at your table? The only condition for this game is that the people you choose have to be real (this is mostly to prevent one of you from choosing He-Man or Bugs Bunny). They can be game developers, actors, musicians, etc. It’s your dream dinner for four and I’d love to hear your picks! Here are mine:

Muhammad Ali: “The Greatest” would headline my dream dinner. I’d choose the Ali that was banned from boxing and speaking out against the war in Vietnam. Ali was already an extraordinary athlete with unmatched speed for a heavyweight boxer, but his stance against the Vietnam War made him so much more. He lost three prime years of his career, but inspired so many people while he was away from boxing. He became more than just an athlete. He became an icon.

John Lennon: My feelings about Lennon are similar to my feelings about Ali. He was already a renowned performance artist and songwriter, but his post-Beatles activism made him so much more. I love that he used his fame to spread positive messages and to get people to think. I also love the continued to write great songs when doubters thought he was washed up. I’d love to have ’70s John Lennon at my dream dinner.

Steve Jobs: My last spot was a tough choice. As I mentioned to you last year, I’d love to have a one-on-one dinner with Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto. For some reason, I’m being a stickler with my dinner-for-four scenario and am disqualifying Miyamoto because he would require a translator (sorry Bill!). The final spot goes to Apple’s Steve Jobs. This would be 2005 Jobs, fresh off his Stanford commencement speech. In addition to getting his thoughts on making products people are passionate about, I’d love to hear about how he felt about getting booted from Apple, elevating Pixar, and returning to make Apple better than ever.

So that’s my dream dinner for four. Now let me know who’s sitting at your table (please)!

Coffee Talk #392: Bigger Disruptor — iTunes vs. Napster

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, whoopie pies sweeping the nation, Oscar De La Hoya’s admission of cocaine use + adultery, or Michael Vick’s sweet contract, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

Two of my friends were arguing over which service disrupted the music industry in the bigger way, Napster or iTunes. The Napster backer believes that creating absolute anarchy and making music available to more people than ever is an unmatched accomplishment. He argued that Napster paved the road for iTunes’ success and put an emphasis on being the first change agent. The Apple supporter acknowledged that Napster was the first major agitator, but argued that iTunes had a more meaningful impact on the music industry. He believes that getting the music business to change its pricing model is more significant than the free-for-all environment that Napster created. He also thinks the combination of iTunes and the iPod, later joined by the iPhone and iPad, changed the way millions of people buy music.

The arguments were interesting and I’m still processing both sides. I don’t have my own opinion on the matter yet, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on this debate. Please vote in today’s poll and expand on your answer in the comments section!

[poll id=”131″]

Lady Gaga Goes Drag as Jo Calderone at MTV VMAs

Lady Gaga shocked the crowd at the MTV Video Music Awards by appearing and performing as her male alter ego, Jo Calderone. While I loved Gaga’s performance of “You and I”, mostly because it featured Queen guitarist Brian May, everyone seems to be fixated on the Calderone character instead of the music. Check it out below and let me know what you think (please)!

As for me, I love the song and the guitar playing. The Jo Calderone thing seems like another way of Gaga pushing buttons. I like what she was trying to do, but it seemed a little silly to me. Calderone looks like a member of The Jets from West Side Story. I was waiting for a medley of “When You’re a Jet” and “Somewhere“.