For those who only know Amy Ray as half of the Indigo Girls, her venture into rock 'n' roll territory as a solo artist might come as a surprise. With crunchy guitars and a solid backbeat, Ray showcases a more playful side of her musical personality.
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- Rock and Pop,
- Free MP3 of the Day,
- Alternative/Punk
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Yelle says she sings in "80's French"--which sounds kind of confusing until you hear her punky electro tracks that remind us of Stereo Totale and Electrocute. Fronting a fashiony, stylish movement that embraces the DIY aesthetics of punk and seeks to move the dance floor, Yelle's sound begs to be added to your party playlist.
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- free mp3,
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- electronica,
- yelle
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I had a charter family membership Seattle's Experience Music Project or EMP, which opened in 2000. But after a couple years, I gave it up. The exhibits didn't change enough to warrant a lot of repeat visits, our periodic out-of-town guests had all been at least once, and the promise of early alerts about live shows at the museum never seemed to come through. (The one show I really wanted to see, the Television reunion in 2001, was sold out before I was ever informed about it.)
With a teenaged niece in town and my daughter just getting old enough to enjoy the museum experience, we decided to rejoin yesterday. After facing a few years of low attendance, the museum has made a lot of positive changes, like lowering prices for memberships and daily passes and offering free admission on one evening per month.
As part of this revamp, they killed MEG. Also known as the Museum Experience Guide, MEG was a portable device about the size of a portable CD player with a laser scanner, headphones, and an LCD screen. Visitors would point the scanner at a point on the wall and hear information about the exhibit and maybe some relevant music--for example, famous guitarists like Vernon Reid shredding one of the museum's rare guitars. Nobody loved MEG: they were awkward to carry and hard to figure out, and I always ended up putting mine down ... Read more
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- MP3 Players
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- EMP,
- Experience Music Project,
- iPod,
- Zune
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An intriguing flip-flop happens in the Seattle bard's latest. If his previous material was whisper-close yet emotionally distant, his newest is rugged and available. From its aching alt-country melodies to its American-summer lyrics, "Caught in the Trees" can recall Jeff Tweedy.
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- Rock and Pop,
- Free MP3 of the Day,
- Alternative/Punk
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- indie,
- rock,
- damien jurado
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I had the opportunity to see Wynton Marsalis perform with the 15-piece Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra last night in Seattle, and it was an absolutely stellar performance, with great song selection (Marsalis's own "The Holy Ghost" was a standout) and some of the most incredible technical playing I've ever heard--they did Duke Ellington's "Braggin' in Brass," which contains a trombone part in which each player plays a note or two in sequence, together creating this fast complicated line. (Listen here--that part starts around the -2:06 mark.) I've heard from some jazz fans that Wynton's a little too stiff or formal for their tastes, but that wasn't my experience at all--he even walked back on stage for an impromptu second encore vamp with only the piano, bass, and drums backing him up.
I would have been happy to buy a recording of last night's performance by Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (shown here).
(Credit: Wynton Marsalis Web site)Jazz performances lend themselves to live recordings--setlists change nightly (Marsalis announces his setlist from the stage as the show goes on) and improvisation is the rule rather than a rarity. I would have been happy to buy a recording of this show or last month's Return to Forever performance. But so far, I don't see jazz musicians embracing the practice of recording their shows and selling them--something that's become pretty common with jam bands like ... Read more
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- Music News,
- Jazz
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They were a childlike, bass-obsessed duo called L'Trimm and were responsible for the kitchy Miami bass track still loved today, called "Bass That Goes Boom"--a tribute to subwoofers. If you're thinking, "Girls after my own heart!" then you're in for a treat, because the defunct duo is at least slightly reborn in rapper Lady Tigra coming back on the scene. Her new track with MC Lyte--"Stole My Radio"--is a chilly smooth comeback track, while "Bass On Thee Bottom" will no doubt be bangin' in clubland and backyard barbecues this summer.
- Topics:
- Hip-Hop,
- Free MP3 of the Day,
- Electronic & Dance
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- hip-hop,
- lady tigra
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(Credit: Newlaunches)Iriver has thrown its latest digital music player into the deep end, quite literally, and ensured that it floats.
The Speedo Aquabeat is a waterproof player that can hit depths of up to 3 meters and, if detached from the user, is easy to retrieve thanks to its floatable and lightweight 35-gram design. Naturally, this comes bundled with a pair of waterproof earphones that we reckon can do double duty as plugs to seal out water too.
Other than these pool-friendly features, the Speedo Aquabeat--an accessory made specifically for the swimwear brand--offers pretty basic MP3 features: fixed 1GB storage, USB charging, Playlist Editing Software, and a built-in battery capable of 9 hours' playback, according to Newlaunches. There's no LCD screen. But if it still floats your boat, you can get it in lime, black, or pink for $145 from online stores in selected markets.
(Source: Crave Asia)
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- MP3 Players
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- Iriver,
- Speedo,
- Aquabeat,
- waterproof,
- MP3 player
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The Rapture's mix of relentless rhythms, jagged guitars, and pitched vocals gets twisted smartly in W.A.S. works. Instead of the DFA's true house beats, we get drums that are just wilder and more bloodthirsty than rock--an apt way to consider the whole mad science of the thing.
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- Free MP3 of the Day,
- Alternative/Punk
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Consider yourself warned: The following post is not for the squeamish. It's time to clean the wax out of your earbuds. Yes, it's gross, but if you have the style of earbud that gets inserted into the ear canal, it must be done. Otherwise, wax can build up on the outer speaker and affect sound quality, and it may actually seep in and damage the inner workings of the earpieces. It's also not a bad idea to disinfect the sleeves from time to time. Find out how to do both below. Also this week: Your iPod isn't just for your commute, travels, living room, and bedroom anymore...it's also for your bathroom. Check out some cheap solutions for listening to your MP3 player while you shower.
Yep, it's gross alright, but it has to be done.
(Credit: Staples)Q: You mentioned on the MP3 Insider podcast about cleaning the in-ear headphones, but you forgot to talk about how to clean them if yours do not have a tool. Please help us out buy explaining how to get the dirt out without ruining the headphones. Also, please discuss how to disinfect then to kill or get rid of germs that could get into them. I know that with everyday use you can get germs, but also lots of people use them when they are sick and many more things may leak out of the ear into the headphones when one is sick, so we ... Read more
- Topics:
- MP3 Players
- Tags:
- MP3 Mailbox Monday,
- Ask the Editors,
- MP3 players,
- headphones,
- earphones,
- MP3 player accessories
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Dave1 and P. Thugg, aka Chromeo, just got fancier with Fancy Footwork: Deluxe Edition (2xCD). The first disc features Fancy Footwork original recordings made up of semi-ironic '80s, electro-funk silliness and five bonafide music videos while the second disc includes exclusive remixes from the likes of MSTRKRFT, Playgroup, and DFA--guaranteeing you slick moves for that next dance-off.
Chromeo is gearing up for a West Coast tour. If you haven't seen these two kids, I highly recommend you do!
- 7/26/08 SEATTLE, WA Capitol Hill Block Party
- 7/27/08 PORTLAND, OR Berbati's Pan
- 7/29/08 SAN FRANCISCO, CA The Filmore
- 7/30/08 LOS ANGELES, CA Henry Fonda
- 7/31/08 SAN DIEGO, CA House Of Blues
- 8/3/08 CHICAGO, IL Lollapalooza Festival
- 8/9/08 JERSEY CITY, NJ All Points West Festival
- 8/10/08 BALTIMORE, MD Virgin Mobile Festival
- Topics:
- Hip-Hop,
- Electronic & Dance
- Tags:
- Chromeo,
- Free MP3,
- Dave1,
- P.Thugg,
- Vice,
- Lollapalooza,
- All Points West Festival,
- Virgin Mobile Festival
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