rockers
I love Jack White so much I’m willing to send you to a player powered by one of our nuTsie competitors just so you can hear The Dead Weather’s new record streaming for free for the next 24 hours.
Since I was kind enough to do you this favor, plz promise to spend some time on nuTsie ASAP.
Why do I love rock?
Led Zeppelin IV, side two, that’s why.
Just listened to it as an “album side” for the first time in many years.
Misty Mountain Hop > Four Sticks > Going to California > When the Levee Breaks
Perfection. I laughed (”Misty Mountain Hop”), I cried (”Going to California”), I dropped my jaw in awe of the power and swing of John Bonham (”When the Levee Breaks,” my favorite Zeppelin song).
First heard this record when I was about 10 years old, 1974 or so. It was in my mom’s boyfriend’s record collection. A friend saw it, put it on the turntable, dropped the needle on “Black Dog.” Holy shit. But side one gets old after a while — you have to listen to “Stairway to Heaven” to close out the side. I soon discovered side two.
When they were fab
U2 is launching an app for the BlackBerry to accompany their U2 360 tour, which kicked off June 30 in Barcelona.
App users can stream the recent No Line on the Horizon album, get news updates and share user-generated video footage of concerts on the 360 tour.
As noted in the linked CNN article, we were ahead of the curve on this at Melodeo/nuTsie HQ, with apps for The Presidents of the USA and Nettwerk Records artist State Radio that stream the artists’ entire catalogs.
I think this is a huge opportunity for major artists and labels.
Imagine the 15 year-old who hears “Like a Rolling Stone” on the radio. “Gee, Dad,” he says, “that song is f#@%ing amazing! Who is that?” Dad: “Well, son, that’s Bob Dylan.” Kid: “Wow, Dad, when we get home I’m going to use my iTunes allowance to buy some Bob Dylan songs.”
Kid gets on the computer. Kid sees that Dylan has something like 93 albums available from Columbia Records on iTunes and has no idea what to buy.
But WHAT IF there were a Bob Dylan app for $9.99? His whole catalog in streaming mode. Links to buy every song and album. Bio and history, a few videos. The app is updateable and becomes an open conduit to market to this new fan. Everyone wins: Kid learns to love Dylan and buys more songs and concert tix and merch. Columbia gets $9.99 off of a new fan plus the opportunity to market directly to that fan through the app. What’s not to love?
Where else but in America can one of the most harshly critical anti-American protest songs of all time become a Top 10 hit and one of our best-loved patriotic chants?
Where else but in America can the singer who sang that protest song turn the song, album and images associated with that song into one of the most durable and iconic brands in American commerce?
Where else but in America can an already-successful entertainer transform himself from a scrawny New Jersey street rat speaking out for the underdog into a buffed-out, Okie-wannabe superstar well-loved for his wholesome “American-ness?”
America is dead. Long live America. It’s a beautiful place.
As a father of two young children and husband to a woman who likes a quiet house, I do my LOUD music listening in the car.
Every so often I hear a song that’s so good it makes me pull over in awe, ecstasy, tears or some other form of driving paralysis.
The last time (before this time) it happened was my first listen to The White Stripes’ “Icky Thump.” I just couldn’t believe the way it sounded and further couldn’t believe something so bizarre was in heavy rotation on commercial radio.
A few days ago I was driving into Seattle across the 520 floating bridge when a song came on the radio that I’d never heard before and that completely blew me away. I didn’t think anyone made rock music like this anymore…bold, expressive, unpredictable and virtuosic. It was Muse’s “Knights of Cydonia.” I bow down to Muse.
It’s time to get your 4th of July groove on. From the Boston Pops to Ray Charles to Canadians who don’t like American women, it’s all in this playlist.
Which you can also get for FREE on your iPhone or iPod Touch.
nuTsie got a nice mention in a NYT article on mobile music yesterday. I’m so proud. Not so much of the mention but of helping to create such a cool product.
I was reminded of the great singer-songwriter Todd Snider today when I stumbled upon his hilarious song about Dock Ellis pitching a no-hitter while under the influence of lysergic acid. For the record, I advocate strongly against all psychoactive drugs, as they’ve certainly never done me any favors.
Some of you out there will remember Todd Snider’s “Talkin’ Seattle Grunge Rock Blues.” It would be sooooo funny if it weren’t sooooo painfully accurate.
The part where he sings about blowing away the people at the Grammys by not playing and not even going really strikes home. I went to the Grammys one of the two years the Presidents were nominated (two-time losers!). Pearl Jam won a Grammy that year. Ed Vedder got onstage said, “I don’t know what this means. I don’t think it means anything.” WTF?! Why the hell did you show up, then? Why not give me the damn Grammy?
Sweet inspiration
Hard to believe. My first response was a sense of relief for the man’s restless, troubled soul.
I would not have wanted to play music if not for The Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson. I still have my vinyl copy of the Got To Be There album. Hearing him on Casey Kasem’s Top 40 and seeing him on TV made me want to do that.
He was a skinny little kid with an afro and a high voice. I was a skinny little kid with an afro and a high voice. I had no idea of the gaps (in culture, class and, most importantly, talent) that separated us. He was like me.
I’ve already shared a couple of my “dessert bar discs” with you. Which begs the question of my actual desert island discs.
Here’s a playlist you can listen to that offers a sampling of stuff I really like.
No accounting for the mix — just things I like. Included in the list is at least one Muddy Waters recording. I saw Muddy Waters in 1980, at the Showbox. Sat right in front of the stage in a big old armchair and was one of 5-6 people able to shake his hand when he reached into the crowd after the show. Any talent or luck I’ve had as a musician I attribute to that moment — being touched by a true prophet.