Monthly Archives: July 2011

Chris (Jazz Cypher) – Interview (Part 2)

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This is the last part of the interview with Chris, the founder of social networking site Jazz Cypher. Here we talk about his whole musical background, and these artists he enjoys more.

And this link will take you to the first part of the interview (the one where we talk about Jazz Cypher itself).

 

PART II

MUSIC & YOU

 

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

I’ve always been interested in music. Always into hip hop. Never an over-the-top jazz fan.

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

No, I don’t play anymore but I used to play the drums.

Musical likes and dislikes? Favorite artists?

Primarily hip hop and R & B, but I can appreciate great music from any genre. Continue reading →

Chris (Jazz Cypher) – Interview (Part 1)

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Today I bring you the interview I had the pleasure to conduct with Chris from Jazz Cypher, the social network for jazz lovers and performers reviewed last week on MusicKO.

So, what goes into creating a social networking site for musicians? Read on to find out…

 

Chris (Jazz Cypher's Founder)

Full Name: Chris
Age: 33
Website: Jazz Cypher
Position: Founder

 

PART I

THE WEBSITE

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

My father is a jazz pianist, and I am in the technology field, So together we decided to build a site aimed to fuse together Jazz Music with a fully scoped social networking platform.

Registered member can create profiles, and create posts, join groups, or simply use the site as an interactive rolodex to find and contact new jazz musicians in the area. It provides musicians and jazz enthusiasts a unique networking gateway at their fingertips.

What was the original launch date?

July ‘11

What has been the response so far?

Great – although we need to kick promotion into high gear.

What features can we expect to see implemented in future revisions?

Chat and possibly, Vendor Partnerships. Continue reading →

The First Foot Controller For iPad Is Here

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If iPads are not many a musician’s best friend, then they might just become it right now. Available for guitar, bass, electric violin and keyboard players, this new StompBox by Griffin can effectively turn anybody’s trusty tablet into a shredding machine.

StompBox is defined by its creators as “a programmable multi-functional foot controller that enables virtual guitar effects”. This foot controller is used in conjunction with Frontier Design’s iShred LIVE app, and it lets musicians switch effects with their feet without having to take their hands off their instruments. Using iShred LIVE, the individual foot switches can be assigned to implement (and control) all the effects one wishes to apply.

The kit comes complete with a special cable for simultaneous guitar, PA, or amp connectivity, and a cable that goes straight into the iPad.

On a side note, this StompBox also works with teleprompters. Users are enabled to control text scrolling and related presentation functions with their feet. So, that’s two birds down with the same stone. Or with $ 99 – that’s how much the whole kit retails for.

100 Different Musicians Cover Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog”… In The Same Video!

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100 Different Musicians Cover Led Zeppelin In The Same Video... Does The Song Remain The Same?

How many good Led Zeppelin cover bands do you know? One? Two? Three, maybe?

Well, now you can take that number up quite a bit – to one hundred, no less.
Israel-based producer Ophir Kutiel (better-known as Kutiman) has assembled the ultimate Led Zeppelin cover fest by stitching together 100 different cover bands (and individuals) in the same video.

Sounds quite intriguing, huh? Well, the results hold together admirably well.

Check the finished piece. The song is “Black Dog”, from “Led Zeppelin IV”.

FuseTrade – Social Network For Artists

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Name: FuseTrade
URL: http://www.fusetrade.com

When reviewing social networking sites on MusicKO, I usually focus on the ones which are centered on musicians, and that let them interact among themselves or with their fans (or both). These sites let musicians and their punters start building the kind of communication that is necessary for music to become an integral part of everybody’s lives. But something which is every bit as important in order to accomplish that is taking a good look at what the artistic scene around one is like. Which plays are being staged, which exhibitions are being held, which new galleries are opening… A lot of opportunities for further spreading one’s art lie there. Not to mention that visual artists are something every musician ends up working with when releasing an album. Finding those that are in one’s wavelength early can but be a wise move.

That’s exactly what this new social network is all about. It lets artists from all over the world connect with each other, share all that they are doing and promote their creative work collectively. News on events can be spread, and the site has a gallery for uploading original work to. And a forum for conducting organized discussions regarding art and events is likewise featured.

Membership to FuseTrade costs nothing, and registration is quick and painless. And if you already have a Facebook, Twitter, Google or Yahoo! account then you can use that to log in instead, and skip registration altogether.

Meet Incubattle, An Online Game Released By Incubus To Promote Its New Album

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Incubus Has Released Incubattle To Promote Its Newest Album, "If Not Now, When?"

You might like Incubus or not, but there’s no denying that the social media campaign that they have put together to promote their latest album (“If Not Now, When?”) has been nothing short of admirable.

First, they had an interactive live stream going. Then, they announced a partnership with video-sharing app Viddy. And then, they began interacting with fans on Formspring.

What was left to do after all that action?

The answer was entirely obvious… a beat’em-up a la Double Dragon or Renegade!

These are two names that will surely ring a bell if you’re over 30. They were two of the most popular arcade games of the ‘80s, and I recall endless summer vacations playing them with my older brother.

Well, Incubus has come with their very own variation on such titles to promote their latest album. It’s named Incubattle, and they have done a terrific job as far as I’m concerned.

The game lets you pick your favorite band member and fight your way over five different stages, fighting pirates that have stolen copies of the album (he!). You can play the game on your own, or with a friend. And in addition to the usual punch/jump/dash controls, each character can perform a special move when he has collected enough leaked copies of the album. Continue reading →

“Mr. Hide”, The First Single From Italian Band The R’s (Video)

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“De Fauna Et Flora" is The R's debut album in America. The band is led by bass player (and singer) Pietro Paletti.

A new Italian band, The R’s have just released the first single from their American debut (“De Fauna Et Flora”). The song is called “Mr. Hide”, and it is a fine exploration of duality set to an undiluted pop background.  Suitably-enough, the clip is dominated by black and white. And more mirrors than Kelly Clarkson’s “Because Of You” video.

What do you think? Is this trio poised for some visibility? Or will the three of them just become Messrs. Hide themselves?

Whatever you opinion is, give “De Fauna Et Flora” a listen. I like many of the songs on the album better than “Mr. Hide” – try out “Colossus”, “Easy Way Out” and the set opener, “On Our Minds”.

Jazz Cypher – Social Network For Jazz Musicians And Enthusiasts

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Jazz Cypher Is A Social Network That Jazz Lovers And Performers Can Join At Zero Cost.

 

Name: Jazz Cypher
URL: http://www.jazzcypher.com

Jazz Cypher is a social network which is aimed at jazz musicians and connoisseurs. It enables them to create their very own profiles, list their likes and dislikes and post on a wealth of jazz-related topics. For example, the site makes it very easy for performers to promote upcoming shows, and also to find other musicians to play with. And these venues that feature combos playing live can spread the word about the acts they are to feature next through Jazz Cypher, in a cost-effective way (IE for free).

And what would a social network be without photo albums? Jazz Cypher enables users to upload all their images and group them in the relevant collections. These can then be seen by all their contacts and friends.

So, the site gives jazz musicians and lovers the chance to do what social networks let people do in general: connect among themselves, and share these things they are enthusiastic about. Only that here everything is kept within well-defined limits and boundaries, and no discussion is careening off-topic.

Personally, I feel it’s important to mention that even someone like me (who is neither a jazz performer nor someone who is overly-keen on the genre) found the site quite interesting. It actually made me feel like playing the CDs by Diana Krall I have in my possession. I have no doubts that if you’ve got the genre under your skin, you’re certainly going to fall for something like Jazz Cypher.

Spotify Launches In The US

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At Long Last, Spotify Arrives In The US

Many saw it coming, but it’s not any less impressive because of that: Spotify has officially launched in the US.

Of course, an American launch had been rumored from day one. But that was all it was – only a rumor. A streaming service like Spotify was not something record companies in America would welcome with arms wide open. And they never did, actually. What made yesterday’s launch possible was that Spotify slowly began limiting the access users have to music for free, and also signing agreements with all major American record companies restricting what can be streamed, and at which rate.

Spotify had to acquiesce for the simple reason that (notwithstanding its popularity) the company has been running on a loss almost from the beginning. Only 10 % of its estimated 10 million users are paid subscribers. Launching in the States is the only way to attain long-term sustainability.

The company aims to amass no less than 50 million users in the space of 1 year.

Spotify has a 15 million-strong music library (bigger than Pandora, MOG and Rdio to name three direct competitors), and unlike Pandora and Rdio it enables users to add these locally-stored tracks they own to their online collections.

What do you think? Will that be enough to make the European startup thrive on American soil? Or is it arriving too late for its own good to America? Are you signing up for it?

“POU” – The New Video By Closet

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The Full Lineup Of Closet

Originally formed in 2005, Closet is a Uruguayan band whose repertoire pays an equal debt to rock instrumentation and electronic beats. The band has already released two EPs – one that goes by the great name of “Nociones Utilitarias Del Amor” [Utilitarian Love Concepts], and another that goes by the even better name of “Dildo”. They also released a full-length album named “Lengua” [Tongue] in 2010. One can but wonder (and rejoice at the thought of) what their next work will be named… answers to the usual address on a postcard with a picture of Benny Santini, please.

This is the band’s latest video. The song is “POU”, from the “Lengua” album.  The clip has been produced by Metropolis Films, and it has been directed by Oliver Garland.

The current lineup of Closet comprises Camila Sapin (vocals), Germán Pérez (vocals, guitars and programming), Charly Servetto (guitars and programming), Flavio Galmarini (drums and programming) and Patricia Iccardi (bass).

This is their official website. You can download “Lengua” there. And at zero cost, it must be added. This means the IRS won’t be getting anything. Ha. That will serve them right. Let’s avenge what they did to Willie Nelson, and download it in droves. Me? I’ve already downloaded it five times.