Category: music

Christopher Guest “mockumentaries”

On By Rick McIn movies, musicLeave a comment

I love them. Guest directed:

* Waiting for Guffman (1996) – and played Corky St. Clair
* Best in Show (2000) – and played Harlan Pepper
* A Mighty Wind (2003) – and played Alan Barrows

this_is_spinal_tap_200.jpgMy favourite still is This Is Spinal Tap where he played Nigel Tufnel.

When the golden oldies rock station plays Tap I turn the volume up to eleven.

TRIVIA – Wikipedia tells me Christopher Guest is married to Jamie Lee Curtis.

New Guest movie is on the horizon > For Your Consideration spoofing the Oscars (opening in November). Ricky Gervais is in this one along with the usual suspects.

“Plays for Sure” will not play on the Zune

On By Rick McIn music, product complaintsLeave a comment

225px-Zune-colors.jpgI’m not making this up.

Microsoft’s “iPod-killing” Zune player won’t play music that’s locked up with Microsoft’s own anti-copying software. Music and movies sold through Napster 2.0, Rhapsody, Yahoo! Unlimited, Movielink and Cinemanow (heavily promoted in the past by MS) won’t play on the Zune, even though these services are marketed in conjunction with Microsoft’s “Plays for Sure”

Boing Boing: Microsoft Zune won’t play purchased Microsoft media files

Christmas morning how happy would you be if your brand new digital music player will not load your legally purchased music collection?

time to buy an iPod nano?

On By Rick McIn music, product endorsementsLeave a comment

I’ve long advised you not buy an iPod. There have continually been better players available.

But it is getting close.

The combination of the 8GB nano with the cool new icombi iPod wireless bluetooth headphones almost puts it on my wish list.

One more generation, me thinks.

Icombi Bluetooth Wireless Headsets Made for Ipod Video / Nano

play Johnny Cash at my funeral

On By Rick McIn musicLeave a comment

The video for “Hurt” from American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002) is the most poignant I know. In fact, the whole album is heartbreaking. His best ever, I reckon.

The lyrics of Hurt are fantastic, penned by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. After seeing this video Reznor insisted the song is no longer his, but Johnny’s.

Click PLAY or watch the video on YouTube.

The late, great Cash was hospitalized in 1998 with severe pneumonia, which damaged his lungs. The albums American III: Solitary Man (2000) and American IV contained Cash’s response to his illness and eventual death.

June Carter Cash died of complications following heart valve replacement surgery on May 15, 2003 at the age of 73. Johnny died 4 months later.

video – White & Nerdy – Weird Al

On By Rick McIn humour, musicLeave a comment

“Weird Al” Yankovic’s new music video, from the album “Straight Outta Lynwood” (in stores Sept. 26).

This is the second Weird Al post on this blog. I must like him.

Click PLAY or watch Weird Al on YouTube.

video – White Stripes meet Bart Simpson

On By Rick McIn humour, musicLeave a comment

I love the White Stripes, especially oft criticized drummer Meg White — the sister, girlfriend, ex-wife … of lead singer Jack.

Simpsons did a parody on their brilliantly quirky stop-motion animation Button to Button music video.

Click PLAY or watch the clip on YouTube.

will digital kill the radio star?

On By Rick McIn audiocasts, economics, musicLeave a comment

Fewer listeners are tuning in, including me.

Will traditional analogue radio die? Or come-up with a new business model?

radio-star.jpg

… the prospects of radio companies have dimmed significantly since the late 1990’s, when broadcast barons were tripping over themselves to buy more stations. Radio revenue growth has stagnated and the number of listeners is dropping. The amount of time people tune into radio over the course of a week has fallen by 14 percent over the last decade, according to Arbitron ratings.

Over the last three years, the stocks of the five largest publicly traded radio companies are down between 30 percent and 60 percent as investors wonder when the industry will bottom out.

Changing Its Tune – NYT

Personally I feel radio has a bright future. But it will be far different than the bland, computer scripted content forced on listeners today.

The radio infrastructure will be available cheap and — I hope — be converted to unique, very localized service. Podcasters may even pay to be broadcast over public air waves.

Competition for your ears is increasing. I expect traditional radio to be one of the many different ways it is delivered.

iTunes 7 — Rafe says: Skip it

On By Rick McIn Apple, internet, musicLeave a comment

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iTunes 7 seduces you with features. … download album cover art for music you got somewhere other than iTunes, and it can play tracks without any audio gap between them. There’s a new interface that makes more sense, and it has nice new graphical features. And of course, there’s support for movie download and playback. On my home PC, I eagerly updated from the previous version and fired it up. And I wish I hadn’t. This application is the worst system hog I’ve ever seen. I simply can’t leave it running and expect to get anything else done. Maybe you’ll have better luck than I did. But don’t be surprised if you find …

full review on CNet

I try to wait before upgrading software until the main bugs are found by the consumers.

With iTunes in particular, be careful. Unless you are keen on Disney movie downloads (only available in the States) or cover art — stick with your older version.

If you do not have iTunes now, get version 7 for free. It is by far the best music, podcast and on-line video jukebox.

a Pearl of a phone

On By Rick McIn internet, music, photos, product endorsementsLeave a comment

8100_na_landing.jpg

And today, there’s a new sweet-spot champion, a do-everything phone that comes closer to the bull’s-eye than anything before it: the BlackBerry Pearl.

In a Sea of Cellphones, a Pearl – New York Times

I’m still searching for the ultimate phone. David Pogue almost has me convinced on the Pearl. I do need to check Mac compatibility. And so far it is only available from T-mobile in the States.

If only Apple would announce their iPhone.