New website for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
For locals like me, we can now better plan to avoid the whole thing.
Most infamous for terrible entertainment, the musical highlights this year are typical:
The Judds, July 10
Sugarland, July 11
Kid Rock, July 12
James Taylor, July 13
Actually, I would LOVE to see James Taylor. Back in 1976. Where can I find a time machine?
Music executives in their plush Board rooms are cursing Trent Reznor.
… Nine Inch Nails is offering its new album, “The Slip,” through its Web site — for nothing.
… the band’s leader, Trent Reznor, said, “Thank you for your continued and loyal support over the years — this one’s on me.”
The album … appears to represent the first time a superstar act has distributed an entire album without any opportunity for people to pay for it. Its release comes two months after the band issued the instrumental album “Ghosts I-IV” and allowed fans to obtain a portion of it for free or the entire recording for $5. Before that, the British rock act Radiohead broke with convention by offering its 2007 album, “In Rainbows,” online under a tip-jar-style setup in which people could name their own price — including zero. …
As with the “Ghosts I-IV,” the new album is being released with a Creative Commons license, an unconventional type of intellectual-property license that allows the copyright holder to specify which rights it does and does not reserve. The band is allowing fans to share or remix the music for non-commercial purposes. …
Reznor is on the right track, trying innovative ways to promote and market. I did download one song. Sadly, I don’t enjoy their music.
Great Destroyer – Live. Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (WARNING – you may want to be PAID to listen to this.)
Did you make it through the entire video?
… I didn’t think so.
LIVE it might be life altering.
The only great NIN song was sung by Johnny Cash.
Why do people want Universal Music to die?
This is why …
Prince went on a sue-spree last year, where he decided to go after his fans and a little baby with DMCA notices and trademark infringement suits. In case you missed it, essentially, the YouTube video embedded below was taken offline by YouTube in response to a DMCA notice from Universal Music on behalf of Prince.
Click PLAY or watch the copyright violation on YouTube.
You Should Hide Your Babies from Prince, Just To Be Safe – Mashable
Why not scan YouTube for videos like this and link to them from a Universal Music video channel? Put them on a page with a BUY NOW link to the song?
Universal Music just doens’t get it.
At least the video is back up.
If not, click HERE.
I’m all about the balanced journalism.
David Sykes made the scary (actually not that scary) leap to Linix, Ubuntu specifically, and now claims to be happy away from Mac.
He’s right. I wish I had the guts to do it.
Ubuntu is available pre-installed on computers from a number of different vendors, including Dell, Tesco, and System 76. …
… Besides standard system tools and other small applications, Ubuntu comes installed with the following software: the OpenOffice.org productivity suite, the Internet browser Firefox, the instant messenger Pidgin (formerly known as Gaim), and the raster graphics editor GIMP. …
one Ubuntu desktop – Wikipedia
Many Linux users like Apple, but have reservations about the company. The iTunes / iPod monopoly, in particular:
Apple also has received criticism for its iPhone and iPod integration with iTunes for not facilitating creation of software to run and maintain those devices using different applications tools besides iTunes.
Similarly, Apple has not licensed its Fairplay DRM system to any other company, preventing users to listening to DRM protected music bought from sources other than the iTunes store. By not allowing other companies or individuals to interoperate with its DRM system, Apple prevents competition and divides the market. For that reason most other online music stores which use DRM use the Windows Media format, which is incompatible with Apple products.
Another common criticism of Apple is that its products are often not user serviceable, instead requiring they be returned to Apple for repairs and upgrades.[citation needed] Typical examples include the batteries in the iPod, iPhone and MacBook Air which are non-user replaceable, and the difficulty of installing simple upgrades (HDD, RAM etc) in older MacBooks.
There are many serious complaints about lock down of iPhones too.
Any company with something of a monopoly is a problem for customers.
On the other hand, Apple has been astonishingly successful at popularizing technology. The design team, led by Jonathan Ive, is the best in Tech. I love the philosophy of “simplification” of complicated technology.
The Steve Jobs reality distortion field works for me.
One day I too will switch to Linux. But that day is far off yet, I think.
I resisted the iPod until last year. But, since then, I’ve been very happy with iTunes and iPod. It works perfectly.
Apple is somewhat evil, but I’ll stay a Mac Snob for now. Research shows Mac users think that they are ‘self important, extraordinary and more intellectually curious’. HEY — it ain’t bragging if it’s true.
If you might be interested in Ubuntu for yourself, check Dave’s comment below.
From the show LOVE in Vegas. With an excellent new gospel treatment of “Let it Be”.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
My buddy Dan Niehaus is head coach of that show, my favourite.
Bill Wallace sent me a link to this excellent music video called Barack Obama – Yes We Can.
We’ve been asked to pause for a reality check. We’ve been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.
But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. …
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
It’s nice to see so many people get excited about government. Not many politicians ever have been this inspirational.
Obama’s original speech is here.
Thanks Bill.
When I was a young man, Gord Starchuk introduced me to a hip Irish Band. Their Album was called War.
Ever since, I’ve been a big fan of U2.
Bono may be preachy. But in rock music, who’s done more to improve the world? (U2 made it BIG at the same time as Bruce Springstein. But what’s Bruce done to change the world?)
I very much recommend you go see the new IMAX film U2 3D.
It’s fantastic. One I’ll include on my very short list of BEST concert movies:
Prince – Sign of the Times
The Band – The Last Waltz
Talking Heads – Stop Making Sense
Neil Young – Heart of Gold
(What am I missing?)
A rave review:
In fact, watching U2 3D—a concert film shot using digital 3-D multicamera technology during the South American leg of the band’s Vertigo tour—projected onto the museum’s giant Imax screen is perhaps the next best thing to actually being within fingers’ reach of the Edge’s ubiquitous wool cap. …
But U2 3D’s true achievement comes less from its cool gimmicks and perfect simulation of an environment than from the effect this optical illusion has on your perception of the band itself: The sensation of physical proximity imparts a newfound feeling of immediacy to the songs, making the delivery of every lyric feel fresh, heartfelt, almost raw. Even if you don’t wholeheartedly buy the politics of the man in the cool shades and blazer, when Bono belts out “Sunday Bloody Sunday” onscreen, it’s like falling in love all over again with the band. Goosebumps included.
At times you feel you’re in a hologram. You can reach arms length and clean the smudge off Bono’s famous glasses. The potential for 3D technology is mind boggling.
Bono’s self-admittedly only an average vocalist. But Edge is one of greatest, innovative guitar stylists ever.
Apple created another hit by using a strange and lovely song in a recent TV ad.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
If you like that sound, watch the oddly captivating music video for the song on YouTube.
Yael Naim – Wikipedia
Seems to be.
He performed yesterday at the Apple Whoop Fest.
Macenstein | The biggest surprise? Randy Newman is still alive!
Rick McCharles 
