music – notable

On June 1, 2006 By Rick McIn music, product endorsementsLeave a comment

These days it’s tough for a new track to break into my favourites lists in iTunes.

Surprisingly, I just downloaded a Country song and a Bon Jovi song. And they are the same song. “Who Says You Can’t Go Home”, with Jennifer Nettles, #1 on the Country Billboard Charts May 6, 2006.

Bon Jovi just won’t go away.

I am keen too on the reinvention of Nelly Furtado. She’s a hip hop diva now! Producer Timbaland is magic. Everything he touches turns to gold.

Best of all is John Legend, “Ordinary People”. This is the best R&B track I’ve heard in the last decade. A timeless classic.

music – Dixie Chicks at it again

On May 25, 2006August 13, 2016 By Rick McIn musicLeave a comment

I’m now following @1NatalieMaines Natalie Maines on twitter. Like me, she’s no fan of Drumpf.

https://twitter.com/1nataliemaines/status/748715749024288768

Here’s my original post from 2006 ___

I just saw the new video, ‘Not Ready to Make Nice’.

Love it! What striking images. It’s on heavy rotation on Canadian music video TV.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

If you missed it, the critically acclaimed Dixie Chicks were soundly lambasted for criticizing George Bush in 2003. They alienated their redneck, southern country music fan base.

I love flash memory – update

On May 24, 2006 By Rick McIn music, product endorsementsLeave a comment

Update – Samsung to introduce laptop computers June, 2006 without a hard drive. Instead? 32 gigabytes of NAND flash memory. US$3700 in Korea only.

Samsung Notebook Replaces Hard Drive With Flash

The very limited Apple Shuffle with 512MB of flash memory costs C$89 today.

Competitors need offer twice as much memory (1GB) plus more features for C$79 in order to sell.

A 1GB flash memory card for my camera costs C$40. A 256MB USB key fob drive C$10!

Flash memory technology has no moving parts. It is much more reliable than the spinning disk on this computer. Or on the original iPod.

Death to spinning disks. In future I buy devices with flash memory instead. Like the iPod Nano, for example.

music – monsters from Finland win Eurovision

On May 20, 2006 By Rick McIn musicLeave a comment

In the great tradition of Alice Cooper, KISS and Marilyn Manson.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Finnish monsters rock Eurovision

support the Canadian music creators coalition

On May 13, 2006 By Rick McIn music, product complaints, product endorsementsLeave a comment

The evolving dynamic of “illegal” file sharing on the internet is a very complicated issue.

Coalition of artists fights music industry over file sharing

One thing is clear, however — the CRIA (Canadian Recording Industry Association) in panic mode is handling the issue badly. Not as badly as in the USA, but badly.

The voice of reason is the Canadian music creators coalition.

A few of the CMCC Members:

Barenaked Ladies, Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan, Chantal Kreviazuk, Sum 41, Stars, Raine Maida (Our Lady Peace), Dave Bidini (Rheostatics), Billy Talent, John K. Samson (Weakerthans), Broken Social Scene, Sloan, Andrew Cash, Bob Wiseman (cofounder of Blue Rodeo), Sam Roberts, Greg Keelor (Blue Rodeo), Bob Ezrin, Feist, Arlen Thompson (Wolf Parade), Randy Bachman, Metric, The New Pornographers, Bill Henderson (Chilliwack), Ronnie King (The Stampeders), Lionel Dean Jarvis (Music Director/Bassist for Nelly Furtado), Ashwin Sood, Lighthouse, Luke Doucet, Blair Packham, Chris Tate, Craig Sheppard (Johnny Favourite Swing Orchestra), Chris Hogan, Golden Seals, Aaron Soloman, Dennis Ellsworth (The Little Pilgrims), Likewater, Neil Layton, The Johnny V Trio, Oneeyedjacks, Moneyshot.

I urge everyone to buy music from these artists. They are the ones looking out for the best interests of music fans, not the labels represented by CRIA.

video – Take the Lead – mashup

On May 7, 2006 By Rick McIn movies, musicLeave a comment

Addictive TV, the top VJ duo working today, was hired to video mashup the Antonio Banderas dance movie Take The Lead . It’s pretty cool.

Click on the video below. Or watch it on YouTube.

Details on Wired magazine.

calendar of nude musicians?

On April 30, 2006 By Rick McIn music, product endorsementsLeave a comment

Some people will do anything to get their music known!

Barely Seen Butt Often Heard is the name of the calendar, featuring local Calgary artists. I met Restless Lester (clothed at the time) when they played at Rockin’ Ronnie’s barbecue event. (click on the video below to see the band)

The calendar is a fund-raiser for the Calgary Dream Centre. A good cause.

The 18-month calendar is available around Calgary for $22, or you could have it mailed to your door by emailing organizer Renay Eng-Fisher at barelyseen@telus.net

When Renay and I proposed a “Barbecue Babes and Bubbas” nude calendar, we were disabused.

Hey, the video also includes some snippets of Rockin’ Ronnie evangelizing from the Good Book at his recent Barbecue Academy.

music – Dear Mr. President, Pink

On April 29, 2006 By Rick McIn musicLeave a comment

I assumed Pink was just a good self-promoter. The Madonna school of success through controversy.

Pink may be smarter than she looks. (click below to play video)

video – everyone is a Rock Star

On April 26, 2006 By Rick McIn humour, musicLeave a comment

warning — this home music video was certainly not approved by the parents of the girls who put it together. Don’t watch it if you are easily offended.