Preview Songs from “Glee” Season Finale

If you’re a ‘gleek’ then you have got to listen to the songs from the latest Glee album, Glee: The Music – Journey to Regionals. This new EP will be released on June 8 and include all the songs from the season finale of Glee. To listen to the songs, check out the Flash player below and click play. Can’t see the player? Then be sure to download or upgrade your Flash Player.

For more music from Glee, visit gleethemusic.com. There you’ll find links to all the sources that sell the albums and singles. Listen to the EP of “Journey to Regionals” below. My favorites are Bohemian Rhapsody and Over the Rainbow. What are yours? read more

She & Him Do ‘Volume 2′

She & Him is a folk duo is comprised of singer Zooey Deschanel and guitarist M. Ward. With a hit debut album in 2008 and a performance at SXSW this past weekend, She & Him have been making quite a name for themselves in the independent music scene.

The band has carved a niche with a unique sound that is channeled from another era. If it would be possible to  create “new” oldies, She & Him seem to have found the formula. Zooey Deschanel, famous for her roles in Elf, Yes Man, and (500) Days of Summer exploits her voice with a fresh take on the 1950’s crooner sound. Bringing back images of Connie Francis and Teresa Brewer, Deschanel’s melodic vocals sing of tales of happiness and woe. Backed by Ward’s upbeat folk guitar and occasional vocals, the duo layer instruments and lyrics to create a hip retro world that might have existed prior to the British invasion.

In their newest album, Volume Two, She & Him explore the possibilities love and heartache. The first single, ‘In the Sun,’ is a summery pop ballad that reminds everyone how hard it is to capture the desired. The music video is a humorous montage of high school dance choreography that harkens to the more innocent era of Britney Spears’ music video career. read more

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!