Lady Gaga Goes to Jail

Fans of avant-garde pop artist Lady Gaga know that her videos never fail to impress. Like something out of Wonderland, Lady Gaga brings as much performance to her music than almost any other mainstream artists. Gaga’s video for her latest song, Telephone, had it’s world premiere last night. Needless to say, it is something to remember.

In the Michael Jackson tradition of music video as mini-movie, Gaga spins a story that is a mix of Quentin Tarantino meets Themla and Louise. Gaga’s partner in crime is none other than R&B siren Beyonce, sporting a series of outfits that seem to have come from the more tame side of Lady Gaga’s closet. With unabashed product placement and outright ridiculous fashion, the video is worth watching, even if you’re not a fan of the music.

Check out Lady Gaga and Beyonce in Telephone below: read more

Free SXSW Music Sampler for 2010

It’s that time of year again for NPR to give us a free iTunes sampler of some the new and emerging artists that will be presented at the SXSW Festival. Each year, the festival hosts a variety of musicians, filmmakers and many people in the tech industry to meet-up and share information. For information on how to redeem your free downloads from iTunes, click below.

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Who do we blame for Auto-Tune?

A lot of complaining has been going on over the use of Auto-Tune in popular music. Auto-Tune is software that corrects the pitch of a sound wave digitally. It has been use by many popular singers including Madonna, Rascal Flatts, Snoop Dogg, Maroon 5, Kanye West and countless other top-40 pop singers. It came to the forefront this year when rapper Jay-Z released his newest single, “DOA (Death of Autotune),” which proclaims the practice of using Auto-Tune is gimmick. Rappers such as T-Pain have become the poster child for the technology, utilizing the correction technique for all of his songs. Are rappers of the future supposed to sound like robots?

So who is to blame for all this Auto-Tune drama? The inventor of the proprietary software, Andy Hildebrand, takes pride in his creation as he give a reporter at PBS’s NOVA a full demonstration (see above video). Don’t blame Andy for the sudden Auto-Tune abuse though. He points the finger at Cher, who let the secret out with her song Believe. Since 1996, the software has been in use to correct certain words within songs. As the video highlights, Hildebrand’s software was initially intended for more subtle pitch adjustments. As the reporter points out, Auto-Tune is simply “Photoshop for audio.”  read more

Britain’s Underdog Idols

This past week, the web has been a buzz about Susan Boyle, the homely spinster from Britain’s Got Talent. The clip floating around YouTube features Ms. Boyle auditioning for the show, and being scoffed at for her looks. When she belts out an impressive rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserable, the judges and audience are flabbergasted at her voice and regret their initial judgment. A standing ovation and tears follow. Are people interested in her simply for her talent, or the fact that her looks distract from it? read more

Awesome Friday

Don’t just have a good Friday, have an awesome Friday. Video by Varelsen Studios. Song by Minilogue.

Somebody, Somewhere — Somebody loves me!

If you’re a fan of modern rock that sounds from its another era (think The Strokes), then you need to check out the London-based Cazals. The five piece indie rock group’s debut album, What of Our Future was released last year in Europe on French label, Kitsuné Music. Even though the album has been out for more than a year in Europe, North America is finally getting a taste of the first single, Somebody, Somewhere this month. Check out the fun animated video above for a clever mix of live action and animation. The last time an animated character and a human tore it up in a music video, Paula Adbul and M.C. Skat Cat were cutting a rug in Opposites Attract.

If you dig this song, you can get the North American version of the album at at a local retailer on The:Hours music label. You can also get this single as a free (and legal) mp3 download via the download link below. read more

Free iTunes Coupon for SXSW Sampler

Every year a mix of artists, press, and party-goers head to Austin, TX for one of the biggest conferences in the country. South by Southwest (SXSW) is actually three festivals back-to-back, which include film, music, and interactive (technology). Austin is considered the “live music capital” of the US, and draws some of the biggest musical talent from around the globe.

You can download a complete free album (legally, of course) courtesy of NPR Music. The sampler album is a collection of NPR-featured artists that are also preforming at SXSW. The download comes in the form of a coupon code that you can redeem on iTunes.

Click below for the code…
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We All Love Green Beer

Remember to drink responsibly and enjoy your green beer in moderation. Check out the video of The Friars, an a capella group from the University of Michigan. I don’t care if you are Irish, I’m not kissing you. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Skullcandy’s Smokin’ Buds

I’ve been accused of consuming ear buds like candy. How can I help it? Since the explosion of portable media devices, the use of in-ear headphones as grown enormously. With each new ear bud purchase I take the gamble that what I’m buying is going to have a shorter shelf life than produce. I’m often asked what I actually “do” to the ear buds to make them so breakable. Rather than being rough or winding and unwinding the cord, I’m very gentle to my headphones. I know some are designed for light use, but I’m a person that uses them often and for many purposes. It always seems as if one earphone dies, the cord becomes ratted, or even the internal wire snaps. Is my only option a custom created high-end headphone exceeding hundreds of dollars? Luckily I have found an alternative.

After reading an article in a business magazine I discovered the Skullcandy brand. Skullcandy is an emerging producer of MP3 players and accessories. Taking a note from Apple, they’ve developed a lifestyle brand that speaks to the youth market and has been embraced by  snowboarders, Mac fanatics, and music-philes alike. They have a wide range of headphones, including their Full Metal Jacket ear buds, which are designed for maximum sound quality, and even wooden (yes, I said wooden) Holua buds created to be eco-friendly with unique acoustics. They also have several other brands marketed specifically for athletes and DJs.

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Matt & Kim Are “Grand”

I’m fickle when it comes to music. Like most of people, I have a love/hate relationship with pop music and top 40 tracks. I’m constantly looking for independent artists that may or may not be available on iTunes or Amazon. This past week I stumbled upon Matt & Kim. They’re a Brooklyn-based pop duo that just released their second studio album, entitled Grand, last month on the Fader Records.

Matt Johnson’s voice and melodic keyboard with Kim Schifino’s bubbly percussion transform most of their songs into power pop marches with staccato beats that will bring you back to your days at band camp. If you’re looking for an indie sound with a little skip in it, you owe it to yourself to check out their budding YouTube channel. It features all of their videos and a few extras.