Music Archives - Page 6 of 20

Coffee Talk #571: Are You Ready For the Six-Strike Rule?

Rumor has it that those evil Internet service providers will start using the Copyright Alert System six-strike anti-piracy policy today. The companies kicking it off are AT&T, Cablevision, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Verizon. The six strike part of the equation is easy enough to understand; your ISP will give you six warnings about downloading or sharing copyrighted material before punishing you. The consequences vary from provider to provider. They include bandwidth throttling, cutting off access to certain web sites, and temporary suspension of service.

There are some interesting pitfalls and…more

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, 2013 Oscar snubs, wishing herpes on J.A. Happ for breaking Curtis Granderson’s arm, or revisiting the PlayStation 4 unveiling now that you’ve had a weekend to think it over, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

There are some interesting pitfalls and potential loopholes. How will ISPs handle offenses detected in shared environments? If you’re getting heat at home, will you be able torrent at a coffeeshop or shared office space? Will virtual private networks (VPNs) see a surge in business from downloaders that want to mask their activity? Implementing the six-strike rule is going to be a nightmare and I hope every major ISP in America suffers. Those companies deserve an expensive venture for reaping huge profits and not spending the money on infrastructure. They’re inhibiting technology and limiting consumers.

More importantly, how are you going to deal with the six-strike world? Are you going to quit torrents? Are you going to purchase a VPN subscription? Or will you throw caution to the wind and deal with the consequences as they come?

Reggie Padilla Surfs With a Vibrato Saxophone

Remember that polycarbonate saxophone from Vibrato Sax that I checked out a NAMM 2013? Here’s a video of my brother, Reggie Padilla, playing one while surfing. Since it’s made from polycarbonate, the saxophone is waterproof, so Reggie thought that he’d combine his passions for music and surfing in one video! I guess that runs in the family. I’ve combined my passions for videogames, consumer electronics, vaping, pro-wrestling, and writing silly things on the Internet to produce this very site. Ha! Continue reading “Reggie Padilla Surfs With a Vibrato Saxophone”

Coffee Talk #568: If You Could Decimate One Band….

On Valentine’s Day, I was having a fun drunken conversation about bands and musical artists that you wished were erased from existence. A lot of the candidates brought up were whiny male singer/songwriters. For some reason, on this day of love there was a lot of hate for Jason Mraz. Partially for his music and partially for being a man-whore, John Mayer was brought up a lot. I actually don’t mind either of those guys. “I’m Yours” is a cute and catchy song, while I totally admire Mayer’s man-whore prowess. My choice for the band that I wished were erased from existence was easy: Ace of Base…more

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, NBA All-Star Weekend, the glorious start of MLB spring training, or Oscar Pistorius allegedly shooting his girlfriend, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I love Sweden. It’s a beautiful country that has produced many fine things. The number of gorgeous Swedish models is mind boggling. The country birthed three of my favorite tennis players of all time: Bjorn Borg, Mats Wilander, and Stefan Edberg. Ikea has furnished the homes of many young people that can’t afford “real” furniture. I’ve always loved the look and quality of Volvo automobiles. One of the best times of my life was hanging out in Oslo with clients, sledding down a short hill that ended in a hot spring. With all of that in mind, it’s disheartening that such a wonderful country — one that gave us the glorious Abba! — produced a band that scores millions of nightmares.

I hate everything about Ace of Base. The music is grating. The image is artificial. “All That She Wants” and “The Sign” are rumored to be used in Guantanamo Bay torture sessions. If I had the power of time travel, one of the first things I would do is prevent the formation of this horrendous band. I’m certain that it would snag me a Novel Peace Prize.

How about you? If you could eradicate one band or musical act from the face of existence, who would it be and why?

Stuck in My Head: Hall & Oates

“Rich Girl” by Hall & Oates has been stuck in my head for the last three days. In the shared office space I use, the song has come up a lot. It’s a catchy tune and I actually enjoy Hall & Oates, but I need to get the song out of my system! Hopefully sharing it with you helps. As an added bonus, below is a clip of the wonderful The Bird and the Bee covering “Rich Girl.” Continue reading “Stuck in My Head: Hall & Oates”

NAMM 2013: Bad Seed Titanium and Steel Guitars

Continuing my NAMM 2013 quest for traditional musical instruments made out of unusual materials, I interviewed Bad Seed Ltd. owner Sheldon Currington about his company’s titanium and aircraft-grade steel guitars. Bad Seed guitars use wooden necks and metal bodies, with a neck-through process that allows for killer sustain. I’ve tried a few metal electrics in the past and they had an artificial tonal quality. Bad Seed’s guitars have a more vibrant sound that’s also unique. In addition to a more natural sound, titanium is just a cool material.

You know how a lot of fantasy nerds believe that everyone in New Zealand is tied to The Lord of the Rings in some way? In Bad Seed’s case, that’s actually true. Currington worked on some special effects for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies. One of the company’s guitars features control knobs and tuners that look like skulls. The skulls were designed by a person that worked on the miniatures for the films.

Currington also has a background making race cars and hot rods. Bad Seed combines his passion for metal working and music. So yeah, this guy makes cool guitars, worked on The Hobbit, and makes race cars. He’s pretty much the coolest person I’ve met in the last year…and makes me feel bad about making goofy videos and writing goofy articles.

Anyway, check out the video above. It’s a fun talk about some of the coolest electric guitars I saw at NAMM 2013.

NAMM 2013: Vibrato Sax Polycarbonate Saxophones

One of my missions at NAMM 2013 was to find traditional musical instruments made out of non-traditional materials. Vibrato Sax’s polycarbonate alto saxophones certainly fit the bill. I interviewed company president Piyapat Thanyakij to learn more about these instruments. To get an idea of how they sound, my brother — jazz musician Reggie Padilla — put them through their paces.

Vibrato’s altos weigh about 1/3 of what a typical brass saxophone weighs, and they’re waterproof to boot. To attract younger players, Vibrato offers parts in various colors, allowing for bright personalization. These altos are also a compelling choice for older players looking for a travel saxophone. My brother was impressed by the sound, saying that it was very close to the output of a brass saxophone. He’s looking forward to the company’s upcoming tenor model.

This was easily my favorite NAMM 2013 video. It was fun working with my brother on a project and I was genuinely impressed by Vibrato. The company is based in Thailand, so hopefully I’ll get to stop by and see where they’re made the next time I visit my second home. Check out the video above and listen to my brother play a Vibrato Sax polycarbonate saxophone (please!).

NAMM 2013: Journey Instruments OO-verhead Guitar

I’ve seen a lot of travel guitars over the years, but all of them compromised sound quality for portability. The OO-verhead from Journey Instruments is significantly better than its competitors. It offers surprisingly full sound for a travel guitar, yet is small enough to fit in an overhead bin. In terms of sound, the OO-verhead is as big as a dreadnought acoustic at its thickest point, allowing for a full and rich tone. In terms of portability, it comes with a carry-on sized case that has enough room for the guitar, a 14-inch laptop, a tablet, and other travel items.

The OO-verhead is available in wood and carbon fiber. The wood model is geared towards players that want a traditional acoustic sound. Carbon fiber offers a brighter tone, which is a bit polarizing. Unlike wood, it’s not sensitive to humidity changes. The carbon fiber model is a good choice for world travelers that hop around different climate zones…or people that dig the cool, space-age look of carbon fiber.

Personally, I’m lusting for the carbon fiber model. I love its sleek looks and weather resistance. As someone that hops around between California, Hawaii, and Thailand, I appreciate what carbon fiber brings to the table.

Check out the video above and let me know what you think of the Journey Instruments OO-verhead (please!).

Off to NAMM 2013

Howdy ladies and gents! I’m taking a short trip to Anaheim to attend NAMM 2013. My brother is going to be at the show doing some promo work for one of his saxophone sponsors. I’ll be checking out some music games, mobile speakers, cool guitars, and more. There are loads of artists performing at the show and at sponsored parties. If you have a chance, check out the exhibitor list and let me know if there are any booths or artists you want me to check out on your behalf. I’ll have my video gear with me, so hopefully I can get some fun videos out of the show.

Olivia Munn Pulls a Kanye on Taylor Swift

Your favorite no-talent hack and mine, Olivia Munn, continued her plagiarizing ways at the People’s Choice Awards. As Taylor Swift was accepting the award for “Favorite Country Artist,” Munn stole a move from Kanye West’s playbook and interrupted the chronic dater/songwriter’s acceptance speech. That would have been funny if the awards show took place shortly after the infamous 2009 incident at the MTV Video Music Awards. Two and half years later…it seems totally stale.

Oh, I kid, I kid. I’ve been neglecting my Bolivia Bunn writing duties and saw the faux incident as a good way to kickstart my 2013 articles on her. *sigh* It’s going to happen. My nightmare of her becoming the biggest star in America is going to come true and I’m going to spend decades fetching her lattes.

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“Gangnam Style” Tops One-Billion Views

Huge congratulations are in order for Psy. His video for “Gangnam Style” has topped one-billion views on YouTube! That’s an amazing accomplishment. To celebrate Psy’s record-breaking feat, kindly give the video another watch. Perhaps with your help, it can top two-billion views. Sing it with me, “Oppa Gangnam Style!”

Continue reading ““Gangnam Style” Tops One-Billion Views”