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

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

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.