It’s a fact. The world of hip-hop is finally evolving. It’s been innovating and developing all along, but so deep underground that the only coverage afforded was in seedy record stores in University districts across the nation. The internet, along with ample access to crying while eating videos and forum space to argue your point of view in Kirk Vs. Picard, has crafted a variety of new and inspiring musical acts that actually become popular, because people are able to hear them easily. You aren’t faced with the undesirable option of paying $20 for an album only one random guy who’s so pale you can see what he ate for lunch through his skin recommended in line at a seedy bar concert. Myspace is the new MTV and rightfully so, because it puts the listener in control, not Carson Daly and Lala.
One of the most intriguing and enjoyable bands to come out of the Myspace wave of new music is Gym Class Heroes. Their first album, The Papercut Chronicles, released in 2005 was a brilliant mashup of Hip Hop poetics and the stage presence of the indie generation. A Supertramp sample put it all over the top.
The band returned in the summer of 06 with a new album, As Cruel as School Children, that not only rewarded the promise of the first, but improved upon tenfold. Travis, the groups lead singer and poet extraordinaire proves himself not only an ample showman but an incredibly gifted writer.
The album is laid out as a day in school, each track labeled as Period 1-13, with the inclusion of little asides (lunch, study hall, and yearbook club) that make up a three part poem titled “Sloppy Love Jingle”, cleverly produced and just funny enough to fit the bands style.
The tracks themselves, are almost without exception energetic, foot bouncing dance inducing tracks, complete with hook, chorus, and the musically curiosity of Sting. On “The Queen and I” you’ll here a combination of acoustic and electric guitars, a smooth synth enhancement in the back, and chorus backing up Travis’s frantic, energetic narration of that girlfriend we’ve all had at least once.
They don’t stop there, constantly searching and poking at different stylistic elements, testing the heavier guitar riffs and even penning a poppy ode to the site that saw 13 million listens, Myspace in “New Friend Request”.
Funky R&B, sensuality isn’t above the boys as one of the best foot tapping to dance inducing tracks of the album pops up in “Clothes Off”, evoking throwbacks to Prince and Parliament Funkadelic.
Every track on this album builds upon the previous tracks, taking a cozy, warm journey through the boys’ own trek these past couple years, as they rhyme about their careers, the hard times they went through, the women troubles, the writing troubles, and ultimately the successes, and a final rallying call to “Write On” and do it on your own, the mentality that seems to pervading the music of the 21st century.
I'm a self avowed unemployed writer, working on semi-constant basis to try and overcome the need to go and work a real job. I've written more than 200 articles and reviews and am constantly scouring the internet for any and all excuses and methods to make myself less dependent on corporate pay days.
Article Source by Anthony Chatfield
Daughtry is the latest Rock CD released by the very talented Daughtry who once again has delivered a brilliant collection of tracks. I’m confident Daughtry fans, and Rock fans alike will be pleased with this one.
It's a rare day indeed that I get a CD from an artist that I can truthfully say does not have a bad track in the bunch. I'm more than happy to announce that’s exactly what I must say about this one. There simply isn’t a bad one in the bunch. No fillers here at all, with each song standing tall on it's own.
One of the refreshingly nice things about this CD is the way all of the participating artists seem to be really enjoying themselves. Combine that with the overall presentation and you’ve got one of Daughtry’s most impressive releases ever.
I’m of the opinion that Daughtry is certainly Daughtry’s best work in a few years. A totally enjoyable CD and an outstanding release. What I call must have music. I give it two thumbs up because it’s a collection that even the casual Rock fan can appreciate and enjoy.
While this entire album is really very good the truly standout tunes are track 6 - Feels Like Tonight, track 10 - There And Back Again, and track 12 - What About Now.
My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 - It’s Not Over. Great track!
Daughtry Release Notes:
Daughtry originally released Daughtry on November 21, 2006 on the RCA Records label.
CD Track List Follows:
1. It's Not Over 2. Used To 3. Home 4. Over You 5. Crashed 6. Feels Like Tonight 7. What I Want - (featuring Slash) 8. Breakdown 9. Gone 10. There And Back Again 11. All These Lives 12. What About Now
Daughtry: Chris Daughtry (vocals); Phil X (guitar); Howard Benson (keyboards); Paul Bushnell (electric bass); Josh Freese (drums). Additional personnel: Slash (guitar); Chris Chaney (electric bass).
Article by clyde-lee-dennis
emusic is a subscription based music service that is available in the United States, United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. What makes eMusic so different is that its entire music catalog is indie music.
eMusic has a unique business model that concentrates solely on indie music, but does this single focus give it enough quality content to entice you to subscribe? Read the eMusic Store review to find out the nuts and bolts.
Pros:
* eMusic is a ‘DRM-free’ zone.
* Over 2.8 million tracks.
* Good value for money.
* Songs from independent labels only.
* Unused download credits don’t get rolled over to the following month.
Service Features
Free Trial: eMusic offers a two-week trial for you to test-drive the service. You can download 25 free songs which are yours to keep even if you decide not to become a member.
Subscription Plans:
eMusic has 3 subscription options which are:
* eMusic Basic: $9.99 per month for 30 downloads ($0.33 per download)
* eMusic Plus: $14.99 per month for 50 downloads ($0.30 per download)
* eMusic Premium: $19.99 per month for 75 downloads ($0.27 per download)
All of the subscription plans give good value for money compared with other music services. Whichever option you choose, please be aware that if you don’t use all your download credits in a month, then you will lose them because there is no rollover.
Booster Packs:So, what happens if you are a download junkie and happen to hit your maximum before the end of the month? Simple - eMusic have got it covered with ‘booster packs’. These are additional download credits that you can buy in order to download more music, but these workout expensive compared to normal subscription downloads.
Audiobooks: eMusic have over 1,000 audiobooks to choose from that will appeal to most tastes; a subscription is required to use this service.
Website Content: Navigating the site is a user-friendly experience that is complimented by a clean and simple layout. An informative and entertaining editorial is featured on the web site and is frequently updated. Cool features called ‘friends’, ‘neighbors’ and ‘playlists’ gives you the ability to link to other users to share your discoveries.
File Formats
File Formats:As with all the music downloaded from the eMusic store, the tracks that you download have no restrictions on how you can use them. You can play, burn to CD and transfer the MP3 files as many times as you like; this is a strong selling point and a very attractive feature for prospective subscribers. Unlike services such as iTunes, Rhapsody and Napster who DRM-armour their AAC and WMA files, eMusic delivers unprotected digital audio files in exactly the same way as if you were to rip tracks from your own CDs.
Audio Bitstream Rates:
* All downloaded MP3 files are encoded at 192Kbps with Variable-Bit-Rate (VBR) compression.
Software
eMusic Download Manager: To download music from the web site you will need eMusic’s Download Manager program. Its interface is a no-brainer to use and installs without any fuss.
eMusic Remote: eMusic Remote is a new multi-platform utility that is an improvement over the download manger utility and is required if you want to download audiobooks as well as music. This program is a better option to use due to its many additional features such as, web site browser; search tool; file transfer tool and ability to add extra extensions.
Conclusion
Is it right for you?
eMusic has come up with a an excellent music service that fills a niche in the market and gives subscribers the maximum flexibility on how they can enjoy their music; this feature alone may sway your decision into using eMusic. If you’re into indie music or just want to discover alternatives to mainstream offerings, then it’s worth giving eMusic a shot – even if it’s just for the 25 free tracks that you get with the trial. The biggest gripe about the eMusic service is the way they execute their subscription model; if you don’t use all your allotted downloads in a month, then they are not rolled over to the next month; this seems a little harsh considering you have already paid. That said, if you don’t mind a subscription based service and music from independent labels only, then you’ll love eMusic.
Article by Mark Harris
eMusic: 25 Free MP3 Downloads!
What was I doing when I was 15? In school, playing childhood pranks with friends, cramming up books for examination purposes and in general being a normal 15-year old having fun in the game called life. While another 15 year old somewhere in the world was recording his first song ‘Operations of Nature’. Yes, I am talking about the popular artiste Akon who is not only a Senegalese-American hip hop and R&B singer and songwriter but also a record producer. Akon, who has taken the music world by storm with his album ‘Konvicted’ though that, has in no way diminished the popularity of his other songs and albums, made a strange beginning to his life. The journey of Akon from a regular teenager to an artiste of international fame has a moral for everyone. The most important lesson learned from his life is that talent finds its own way and helps you reach the pinnacle of success sooner or later.
Few people know that Akon is actually the shortest form of his real name that is actually Alioune Badara Thiam. Born to jazz percussionist Mor Thiam, Akon Music gave no indication of his approaching stardom even as a teenager when he was jailed for armed robbery and drug distribution charges. But the musical family background and the early indications through recording of first song at the age of fifteen laid the path to success. The stint in jail helped to change his approach to life and discover his true calling and it was behind the prison wall that Akon worked on his music. It also inspired his hit single ‘Locked Up’ that is still on the popularity of many music lovers. The single ‘Smack that’ from his album ‘Konvicted’ also earned Akon a Grammy nomination for the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. Akon has dedicated the album ‘Konvicted’ to his friend and manager Robert Montanez who was shot dead.
Akon has ventured out into the field of movies and fashion. He is planning to work on a full-length movie called ‘Illegal Alien’ that is based on some aspects of his life. Akon also launched his clothing line ‘Konvict Clothing’ that features urban streetwear like denims, hoodies, t-shirts and hats. Aliaune is the upscale version of this clothing line. Akon has truly projected himself as a multi-dimensional artiste with many shades to his personality. However this also brings with it the danger of controversies and it is especially true for an artiste of his stature. Akon has been surrounded by criticisms and controversies from time to time and his earlier start as a criminal with a jail sentence to his name has done nothing to help matters. Early this year Akon drew a lot of flake from the moral police and advertisers regarding his raunchy dance in a Trinidad club with an under-age girl. True to his nature Akon apologized to the girl and Gwen Stefani, whose tour was also, affected due to this incident, through his newly released song, ‘Sorry, Blame It on Me.’
A singer, songwriter, producer who is also into fashion and movies – Akon truly is the epitome of success for many of his fans across the globe.
Article by Tom Janison
Copyright or licensed by Sony Music Entertainment.
Light On by David Cook
Never really said too much
Afraid it wouldn’t be enough
Just try to keep my spirits up
When there’s no point in grieving
Doesn’t matter anyway
Words could never make me stay
Words will never take my place
When you know I’m leaving
(Chorus)
Try to leave a light on when I’m gone
Something I rely on to get home
One I can feel at night
A naked light, a fire to keep me warm
Try to leave a light on when I’m gone
Even in the daylight, shine on
And when it’s late at night you can look inside
You won’t feel so alone
You know we’ve been down that road
What seems a thousand times before
My back to a closing door and my eyes to the seasons
That roll out underneath my heels
And you don’t know how bad it feels
To leave the only one that I have ever believed in
[Chorus]
Sometimes it feels like we’ve run out of luck
When the signal keeps on breaking up
When the wires cross in my brain
You’ll start my heart again
When I come along
[Chorus]
Many of you may remember his unforgettable performance of “Billie Jean” in this season’s American Idol, or have grown to love his boy-next-door charm. Regardless of a thousand more reasons, David Cook has definitely shown his worth in being in the top four finalists this year. And most people are willing to bet that his rise in fame, only rivaled by Hollywood stardom, is assured.
Rocking with his Gibson Les Paul guitar, and singing with his strong and husky voice has always been a dream for the twenty-five year old David Cook who was born in Houston, Texas and raised in Blue Springs, Missouri.
At an early age, he received his first instrument (a guitar, naturally) and started singing in his elementary school choir. His teachers were always supportive of his talent, thus giving him the opportunity to perform in Christmas and PTA programs year by year.
By the time he entered middle school and high school, he was cast as an actor/singer in musicals such as The Music Man, West Side Story, and Singing in the Rain. David earned a theatrical scholarship to the University of Central Missouri, but gave up theater in order to graduate with a degree in graphic design. It wasn’t until he graduated from college when he pursued his childhood dream of being a musician.
David eventually moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma and told his parents that he was going to put off getting a job until he turned twenty-six years of age. All he cared for at that moment was his pursuit of music. So from 1999 to 2006, he became the lead vocalist and guitarist for the band Axium. Their song “Hold” was purchased by AMC theaters to use as music played before the previews started in over 20,000 theaters around the country. Axium was also hailed as one of the top 15 independent bands in America, as was stated in the “Got Milk?” independent band contest in 2004.
Axium might have broken up in 2006, but it only meant the start of David’s career as a solo artist. He joined a regional touring band named Midwest Kings for a while, as he did almost everything; from playing guitar and bass to singing back-up. He recorded an EP with Midwest Kings titled Incoherent with Desire to Move On while working as a bartender on the side.
David was extremely busy in 2006. That same year he also recorded and released a solo album called Analog Heart. It was also the year when he graduated from college. Music Equals Life chose it as number four on the best 2006 albums list. It was also warmly accepted by Urban Tulsa Weekly, dubbing it "Absolute Best of Tulsa" award for "Best Locally Produced, Independent Album" in 2007.
At first David had no plans to audition for American Idol. He claimed that he was just there to accompany and support his brother. It was only out of curiosity that made him audition. Lucky for all of us that he did! However (on a side note) because he made it through to Hollywood, his first album, which was ranked number one on “Today’s Top MP3 Albums” at that that time by Amazon, was immediately taken out.
In any case, David’s success still went with smoothly. Aside from his jaw dropping performances every week, Simon commented on his performance of the Chris Cornell inspired version of “Billie Jean” as a performance that "was in a different league to anything we've heard on the season so far."
Article by globalbpo1
