Tag: Music

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.

Source

“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”

Reggie Padilla’s Almost Home Now Available Digitally

My brother’s album, Almost Home, is now available digitally through Amazon and iTunes. Click on the video above to hear “For Dani,” the track he wrote for his wife. While buying this fine jazz album through Amazon helps me out a bit, buying the physical CD from Pass Out Records helps my brother out a ton. So if you’re looking for a great stocking stuffer for one of the jazz lovers in your life, kindly consider picking up my brother’s album.

Hey…I just realized that he has tracks for his wife and his dog, but not his (more) dashing and (more) charming brother. Hmph. I’m going to chalk that one up to sibling jealousy.

Journey Nominated For Grammy Award

Congratulations to composer Austin Wintory for having the soundtrack for Journey nominated for a Grammy Award. The soundtrack is up for the Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media award. The nomination is being touted as “the first videogame score in history to be nominated for a Grammy Award.” While the competition is fierce (John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Trent Reznor, and Howard Shore also have works nominated), being nominated is an outstanding accomplishment. It’s awesome that videogame music composers are being recognized alongside some of the biggest names in movie soundtracks.

Watch Jay-Z Ride the Subway to a Performance

Here’s a cool documentary that covers Jay-Z’s performances at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. It’s a nice behind-the-scenes look at the artist and one of the hottest new arenas in the country. There’s a really cute moment around the 19:20 mark where Jay-Z takes the subway to Barclays. He converses with an elderly woman that asks him about what he does and if he’s famous. Upon realizing that he’s Jay-Z, the woman remarks, “Oh, your’re Jay-Z! I know about Jay-Z!”

It’s a very cool and cute moment. I think it’s awesome that Jay-Z rides the subway (albeit with a security team in tow) like a real person. If he wanted to, I’m sure he could by his own subway car. It’s nice to see him mixing and mingling with the normals.

Anyway, check out the video when you have a chance and please share your thoughts on it in the comments section.

[Thanks to my darling Glenda for sharing the video!]

Psy and MC Hammer Team Up For Gangnam Style

At the 2012 American Music Awards, Korean popstar and burgeoning Internet legend Psy performed his hit “Gangnam Style” with some help from MC Hammer. A mashup of Psy’s smash and Hammer’s “2 Legit 2 Quit” ensued…and it was glorious. It was easily the best teamup of 2012 and quite possibly the most amazing pairing since Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman appeared together in the March 2008 issue of W. Continue reading “Psy and MC Hammer Team Up For Gangnam Style”