Monthly Archives: October 2009

Andy Bull (We Love Festivals) – Interview (Part 2)

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This is the “Music & You” part of my recent interview with Andy Bull from We Love Festivals. In case you haven’t done so already, check the first part right here.

PART II

MUSIC & YOU


When did you become interested in music? What was the first album or single you ever purchased?

In the 70s. Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder.

Are you in a band yourself, or have you been in a band in the past? Is there a file on YouTube or elsewhere we could watch?

I am a DJ. You can download a recent mix:

http://www.mediafire.com/?yjx0lykhmwj

Musical likes and dislikes? Favorite artists?

Reggae, funk, disco, house, electro. Johnny Osbourne, Roy Ayers, Don Ray, Dennis Ferrer, Wolfgang Gartner.
Continue reading →

Andy Bull (We Love Festivals) – Interview (Part 1)

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This is an interview I conducted with Andy Bull from “We Love Festivals” . As you probably recall, I reviewed the site a couple of weeks ago. Here it is, straight from the horse’s mouth!

We Love Festivals

PART I

THE STARTUP

Tell us a little about your startup. How was it conceived? What are its most distinctive features in your opinion?

From that feeling you get when you arrive back from a great festival and you want to share your memories with everyone who went

What was the original launch date?

May 26th 2008. Continue reading →

11-17-70 (Elton John) – Album Review

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The Front Cover

The Front Cover

This live album is incredible. Not because the performance sets a standard to judge all future live records in the history of music by, but because what you listen to here is so divorced from the concept of Elton most people have that it is all frankly startling.

11-17-70 was recorded before a small audience. It has roughly 45 minutes of music, 20 which are taken up by a long “Burn Down The Mission” jam that has interpolations of “My Baby Left Me” and “Get Back” thrown in for good measure.

Elton plays backed by Dee and Nigel only (that is, bass and drums). The energy they display in general, and the stamina Elton has in particular is admirable. His piano skills are highlighted so markedly that any fan of the diminutive British pianist can be but hypnotized. And there was something which I found quite funny: Elton even sounds a bit nervous when he addresses the public! Continue reading →

Hatful Of Hollow (The Smiths) – Album Review

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What Do People Keep In Their Heads?

What Do People Keep In Their Heads?

The career of The Smiths was characterized by the (back then) inordinate number of compilations they were to issue. The first one saw the light shortly after the release of their eponymous debut, and it was named “Hatful Of Hollow”. The album comprised many songs recorded for radio shows, along with assorted A-sides and B-sides.

As I am sure you recall, one of the main problems the debut album had was that the production was not as punchy as it could have been. That meant the impact of its songs was somehow diluted, and since about half of the tracks that were found on the debut are played live on “Hatful Of Hollow”, this compilation has added appeal. Of these songs, the ones that work best are “Reel Around The Fountain” (the drums are so booming that it sounds like a different song) and an acoustic “This Charming Man” that is even janglier than the original cut. Conversely, “Still Ill” is not that appealing – maybe the added harmonica at the start and at the end is the problem. It just does not fit in. And the live “What Difference Does It Make?” and “You’ve Got Everything Now” are not that removed from the original performances as to make you rethink those versions. However, it is admirable how well Marr plays “What Difference Does It Make?” live, as in the studio more than 15 guitars had been combined. That doesn’t make the song better or worse, but it places his skills in a very favorable light.

One of the featured A-sides is “William, It Was Really Nothing”, a song many propound was about a romantic relationship Morrissey had with some journalist. It is a short and sweet song, but it is easily one of their least effective singles. And while “How Soon Is Now?” is included, the song had not been released as a single yet. Continue reading →

Sound Affects (The Jam) – Album Review

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In Theory, Each Panel Is Related To A Lyric On The Album

In Theory, Each Panel Is Related To A Lyric On The Album

During their brief time together, Paul Weller & Co. were to release 6 albums of original compositions. Three are traditionally regarded as representing their pinnacle. They are “All Mod Cons“, “Setting Sons” and “Sound Affects”. Out of the three, “Sound Affects” is the one I like the least. Here, they sound more like The Beatles than The Kinks or The Who, two bands that had been the predominant influence until then. As the critics aptly insinuated, Sound Affects stands as The Jam’s “Revolver”.

The album bore The Jam’s second chart topper – the song is named “Start”, it was inspired by Orwell’s “Omage To Catalogna”, and the bass part has been taken on permanent loan from The Fab Four’s “Taxman”.

The other major hit the album features is “That’s Entertainment”. The song was issued as a single only in Germany, and it is still the best-selling import single within the United Kingdom. Continue reading →

TourMapr – Find Where Your Favorite Band Is Playing Next

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TourMapr

Name: TourMapr
URL: http://www.tourmapr.com

TourMapr brought to mind the one drawback that some hardened music lovers cite when measuring the effect the Internet has had on music, the way we consume it, and the way we approach it on the whole today. It is a very philosophical matter, and even when I don’t agree with their position I do feel there is a paucity of truth in what they say.

They claim that while the changes brought about by the WWW in general and social media in particular have reinvented the music industry, not every change that was brought along was necessarily something that made things better. Maybe more convenient. Not necessarily better. That is only natural. In the old days, following a band around was a true test of determination and enthusiasm. And now, the Internet has placed everything so nearby that getting within range of a band’s circle is so easy that it is not even remotely the same anymore. Continue reading →

Jake Chen (Musefy) – Interview (Part 2)

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This is the second and final part of the interview I conducted with Jake Chen from Musefy. You can read Part 1 by clicking here.

PART II

MUSIC & YOU

When did you become interested in music? What was the first album or single you ever purchased?

Oh man, I can’t remember that far back… I have to say at least before elementary school, since I was really excited during those days when you got the opportunity to try out all of the instruments. Then again, I was already set on the saxophone by then because of jazz music, and I suppose the saxophone really represented that style of music to me. As for that first album, I really can’t remember unfortunately, sorry 🙁 Continue reading →

Jake Chen (Musefy) – Interview (Part 1)

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I have had the great pleasure of interviewing Jake Chen from Musefy, the service I covered on its week of launch. The review is split in two parts – part 1 is found below, whereas part 2 is found here.

Enjoy!

Full Name: Jake Chen

Age: 22

Startup: Musefy

Position: Founder

Mr. Jake Chen

Mr. Jake Chen

PART I

THE STARTUP

Tell us a little about your startup. How was it conceived? What are its most distinctive features in your opinion?

I like to think of Musefy as a virtual representation of the entire local musician community, thus providing ways to branch out and meet new characters that you would normally happen through mutual friends or sheer luck. Right now it’s only in its Alpha stage, so Musefy can only set up musicians with musical groups such as rock bands, jazz ensembles, a cappellas, and so forth. But down the line it’ll reflect all of the local elements a musician or a group might want to connect with, such as friends and fans, upcoming events, performance venues, and more.

As for the idea, I came up with the concept of Musefy after looking for a band to practice guitar with and being completely dissatisfied with Craigslist’s classified ads. To me, after using web applications such as Facebook and Last.FM where information is abundant and easily to sort though, pure text classified ads like those on Craigslist just seem very backwards. And thus Musefy was conceived. It has a powerful matching and filtering system and that is what I think sets it apart from the rest of the crowd. Using Musefy, you can stack multiple requirements to filter out exactly who you need, selecting not only from obvious things like instrument, location, and style, but all the way down to experience level, equipment, to the amount of time they’re willing to devote to a new group. Continue reading →

Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce (The Goo Goo Dolls) – Compilation Album (Part 2)

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For a general introduction to this compilation album go here.

The CD has 22 songs. I feel it is interesting to provide you with the track list, along with the album that each song was originally found in.

Bullet Proof              (Dizzy Up The Girl)
All Eyes on Me         (Dizzy Up The Girl)
Amigone                      (Dizzy Up The Girl)
Acoustic #3             (Dizzy Up The Girl)
Naked                           (A Boy Named Goo)
Ain’t That Unusual        (A Boy Named Goo)
Burnin’ Up                (A Boy Named Goo)
Flat Top                  (A Boy Named Goo)
Eyes Wide Open        (A Boy Named Goo)
Fallin’ Down            (Superstar Car Wash)
Another Second Time Around   (Superstar Car Wash)
Cuz You’re Gone        (Superstar Car Wash)
We Are the Normal        (Superstar Car Wash)
Girl Right Next to Me        (Superstar Car Wash)
Lucky Star            (Superstar Car Wash)
On the Lie            (Superstar Car Wash)
Just the Way You Are        (Hold Me Up)
Two Days in February    (Hold Me Up)
Laughing                      (Hold Me Up)
There You Are            (Hold Me Up)
Up Yours                              (Jed)
I’m Addicted            (Goo Goo Dolls)

As you have just noticed, there is only a song apiece from their earliest releases. That is something that (from what I have heard so far) is hard to object to, especially if you climbed aboard the Goo’s train around the time of “Iris”. These songs are mere curiosities and little else.

The albums that are better-represented are the ones whose sound will win you over like “Name”, “Slide” or “Iris” did, and these songs roughly make up half the CD. Continue reading →

Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce (The Goo Goo Dolls) – Compilation Album (Part 1)

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(What I Learned About) Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce

(What I Learned About) Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce

You already know how enthusiastically I listen to the Goo Goo Dolls. Maybe such a prolonged keenness was the result of buying this compilation right after having purchased their “Greatest Hits Vol. 1” CD. You see, “(What I Learned About) Ego, Opinion, Art & Commerce” delves into their studio albums one by one and offers up the best songs from each one of these CDs. In many cases, alternate mixes and/or entirely rerecorded versions are featured.

What I like best about this compilation is the way it is structured. The six albums that are featured are “Goo Goo Dolls”, “Jed”, “Hold Me Up”, “Superstar Car Wash”, “A Boy Named Goo” and “Dizzy Up The Girl”. The tracks on the CD run from back to front. That is, rather than starting with the songs from the self-titled debut and taking you chronologically to the songs included in “Dizzy Up The Girl” the CD starts with the “Dizzy Up The Girl” material and goes all the way back to “Goo Goo Dolls”. You might think that such a thing is not a big deal, but I assure you it is. Think about it, many people are familiar with the more mature sound of the Goo Goo Dolls. Arranging the songs like this lets anybody trace the way that such a sound evolved. Continue reading →