Finally, The Beatles Are On iTunes

 At Long Last, The Beatles Are On iTunes

At Long Last, The Beatles Are On iTunes

It took longer than it took the surviving members of The Who to record a comeback album (slight exaggeration), but on the 16th of November of this year The Beatles’ music has finally become available for purchase on the iTunes Store.

That date is anything but coincidental, of course. It was on such a date that the band’s first video clip was shown on American television. That was a good couple of months before they disembarked on American soil and hysteria broke loose.

If you visit the iTunes Store right now, you will see that the band has taken over the page completely.

This comes after years of discussions between Apple, EMI and Apple Corps (the outfit founded by The Beatles). Continue reading

Kayne West’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” Album Has Been Leaked

Kayne West’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” Album Can Now Be Downloaded By Those Who Look It Up

A Clean Version Of Kayne West’s “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” Can Now Be Downloaded By Those Who Look It Up

And the biggest ploy of the decade hastens on… Kayne West’s latest album has now “surprisingly” been leaked into the Internet.

Now those of you who Google “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” are going to be able to find its edited version available for download, a good couple of weeks ahead of the album’s slated release date.

Kayne hasn’t spoken his mind about that yet.

He has been too busy retweeting some of the best reviews that have surfaced.

And there have been quite a handful of these.

Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink.

Apple Is Tripling The Length Of Song Previews On iTunes

Apple Is To Let You Preview Songs On iTunes Three Times More Extensively

Apple Is To Let You Preview Songs On iTunes Three Times More Extensively

Nothing to complain about here, really. If you are based in the US, you will soon be able to listen to 90-second previews instead of the 30-second clips that can be sampled right now on iTunes.

This is the letter that Apple itself has sent to record labels:

“We are pleased to let you know that we are preparing to increase the length of music previews from 30 seconds to 90 seconds on the iTunes Store in the United States. We believe that giving potential customers more time to listen to your music will lead to more purchases.”

The Latest Tron Legacy Trailer Is a Music Video By Daft Punk

One Of The Many Promotional Posters From Tron: Legacy

One Of The Many Promotional Posters For Tron: Legacy

Tron: Legacy must be one of the most eagerly-awaited movies of the year. Part of the interest itself arises from Daft Punk’s involvement, of course. The French duo has not only composed the soundtrack to the highly-expected movie, but they also have an actual cameo.

And you can see them in the latest trailer that has been released by Disney. True to their onstage personas, the two members of Daft Punk appear fully-costumed.

This trailer doubles as a music video for Daft Punk’s “Derezzed,” a track which is included on the film’s OST.

The movie hits American and Canadian theaters on the 17th of December. I’ll post more info as it becomes available.

The “Michael Jackson – The Experience” Game Is Coming Complete With… A Free Studded Glove!

A Free White Sequined Glove Is Going To Be Shipped With Every Copy Of The Wii Version Of “Michael Jackson - The Experience”

A Free White Sequined Glove Is Going To Be Shipped With Every Copy Of The Wii Version Of “Michael Jackson - The Experience”

Yes, that’s right. “Michael Jackson – The Experience” (one of the most highly-anticipated games of the year) will come with a free white sequined glove, no less. The ones in charge of marketing the game are not really coy when it comes to badass product tie-in, are they?

Note, though, that only the Wii version of the game will come with one such accessory. It has yet to be revealed if other versions will also come with such an item.

“Michael Jackson – The Experience” will be available for the Wii, Nintendo DS and PSP on November 23. The Xbox 360 and Playstation versions are going to be released in early 2012.

Below you will find the trailer for the game.

Month In Review – October 2010

I am in a bit of a rollercoaster right now, what with my second book of poetry (“Ten”) being published in two weeks’ time. Still, there is no way I could stop updating the blog regularly. I am more enthusiastic than ever, I can tell you.

I am sad didn’t find the time to add Radiohead to the list of featured artists, but that will be seen to before the current week ends. Still, I managed to write a very fine review of The Clash’s “Combat Rock” along with Elton John’s “A Single Man” and the “The Kids Are Alright” OST by you-know-who.

I did also review as many startups as any other month. Check them out here: Bender Converter, Clean Tab, Joy Tunes and Wanabez.

And there was no shortage of interviews either. I talked with John Jones from BuyWidget (a startup I had actually reviewed a long time ago), and Rob McCullough from Clean Tab.

The one Uruguayan unsigned artist that was included in October was Conkistadores, from the City of Maldonado. A very cool band, they are making their live debut at La Comuna the same week I unveil “Ten” to the public.

I can already tell you that in November I am writing about Gustavo Doorman, a Uruguayan musician who is very popular not only here but also in Argentina and in the South of Brazil. His first album (“Supermal”) will be reviewed this week, and I am also publishing a juicy interview for you to read.

And I don’t have to tell you that this month I am keeping you posted on the release of “Ten”.

Like Modern English sang, “it’s getting better all the time”…

YouTube’s “Musicians Wanted” Program Has Now Gone Global

YouTube’s Musicians Wanted Program Has Now Gone Global

YouTube’s "Musicians Wanted" Program Has Now Gone Global

People who live in the States became the first beneficiaries of YouTube’s “Musicians Wanted” program when it was announced just last year at South by Southwest.

For those who have never heard about it before, “Musicians Wanted” is basically a program aimed at new talent. Up-and-coming artists are given the chance to become partners of YouTube, and reap the full benefits of being advertised on the leading video portal on the Internet.

And if you had indeed never heard about “Musicians Wanted” before, then that was going to change in the next couple of days for sure. The “Musicians Wanted” program has now gone global.

Australia, Canada, France, Ireland, The Netherlands, Spain, the U.K., Sweden, the Czech Republic, Argentina and New Zealand are all supported now. If you live in any of these territories, you can proceed to fill out the application form and (to quote Cohen) “wait for the miracle to come”. Continue reading

The Johnny Cash Project Is Building The Ultimate Tribute To The Man In Black

Johnny Cash Performing Live

Johnny Cash Performing Live

The Johnny Cash Project is a collective art initiative. People from all over the globe are invited to submit their own drawings of Johnny Cash, and these will eventually form a crowd-sourced video celebrating the release of  the posthumous “Ain’t No Grave”.

In the words of the people who have created The Johnny Cash Project:

“Through this website, we invite you to share your vision of Johnny Cash, as he lives on in your mind’s eye. Working with a single image as a template, and using a custom drawing tool, you’ll create a unique and personal portrait of Johnny. Your work will then be combined with art from participants around the world, and integrated into a collective whole: a music video for “Ain’t No Grave”, rising from a sea of one-of-a-kind portraits.”

All in all, quite a splendid chance to show people from all over the world what Cash meant (and still means) to you, and let them see him through your very eyes. And if you are not a great illustrator, then you needn’t worry. You will actually be provided with an image that will act as your point of reference to draw Johnny.

Justin Bieber Is Getting His Own Movie: “Never Say Never”

Not Content With Having Announced The Release Of A Biography, The Canadian Tween Idol Now Also Has Got A Movie In The Pipeline.

Not Content With Having Announced The Release Of A Book, The Canadian Tween Idol Now Also Has Got A Movie In The Pipeline.

Scary news, huh?
Well, it gets even worse (or better, according to how maliciously you like to laugh out loud).

The movie will be in 3D.

“Inception” wasn’t in 3D. “The Dark Knight Rises” won’t be in 3D.

And Justin Bieber’s biopic will.

That’s all the more ridiculous because the movie will feature tons of homemade clips that have the shoddiest quality you could imagine. These will be interspersed with interviews and live performances, obviously. But they make the release of the movie in 3D all the more difficult not to scoff at.

This post wouldn’t be complete if I had omitted the movie’s delectable trailer. Sorry, guys. I promise to review a classic rock record tomorrow in order to redeem myself.

The Return Of Kanye West

Chicago Rapper Kanye West Is Back With A New Album (“My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”) And A Hip Hop Opera To Promote It.

Chicago Rapper Kanye West Is Back With A New Album (“My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”) And A Hip Hop Opera To Promote It.

Kanye West’s career took a dramatic turn when he interrupted Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009. What he did that night earned him the anger not only of music fans but also critics and the media in general. Even president Barrack Obama lashed at him.

But it wasn’t until September of this year that the rapper took to Twitter in order to redeem himself. He sent over 70 tweets the same day, all within a couple of hours. As well as apologizing for his actions, he also enumerated the direct consequences of that fateful interruption.

– “Had to let employees go… for the first time I felt the impact of my brash actions … I felt the recession from an ownership side”

– “How deep is the scar… I bled hard.. cancelled tour with the number one pop star in the world … closed the doors of my clothing office”

– “That’s when you realize perception is reality. I’ve been straying from this subject on twitter but I have to give it to you guys raw now.”

– “If you google Asshole my face may very well pop up”

In hindsight, these apologetic tweets might as well be remembered as one of the cleverest ploys in Kanye’s career. He projected himself as a fallen star with a sympathetic heart, and as a person fully aware of his failings. And it is no wonder that his next album (“My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”) is already being spoken of in very favorable terms. Continue reading