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Posts with tag Music

Rock Band Films Latest Video With Security Cameras

band uses cctv to film music video

The Get Out Clause -- an unsigned band from Manchester, England -- has used the eyes of the surveillance state to produce its own music video. While Britain currently has an estimated 13-million closed-circuit TV cameras (CCTV), the band only played to 80 of them around the city of Manchester. After playing its song for the CCTV cameras (and anyone else who happened to be around), the band requested the footage from the organizations that own the cameras, under the UK's Freedom of Information Act. While only about 20 of the locations eventually turned over the footage, they had more than enough footage to make a pretty solid music video.

"We wanted to produce something that looked good and that wasn't too expensive to do," guitarist Tony Churnside told Sky News.

Seems the Freedom of Information act could have saved Kevin Smith a bunch of money when he made 'Clerks.' We really wonder if this is the last time we'll see this tricky way of filming (actually, it's not, as Adam Rifkin's recent 'Look' proved). [Source: The Telegraph]


Poison's Bret Michaels Not Really a 'Guitar Hero'



Hard-rocking Bret Michaels hit it big back in the '80s as lead singer for the wild hair-metal band Poison. The band stormed the Top 40 Charts and conquered the radio waves with hits like "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" and "Talk Dirty to Me," and it's still selling out concerts today. Aside from the band, Michaels has worked with other artists like Stevie Nicks and Kenny Chesney, and he's even branched out to producing, directing and acting in films. Bret's new solo album, 'Rock My World,' lands this summer (June 3), and he filled us in on his favorite gadgets. Though he might not be the most skilled 'Guitar Hero' player out there, Michaels stays in touch by keeping a classic old school pager by his side.


What gadgets do you always bring with you to the set?


My iPod Touch, Its great, I have my music and my movies all on one device, I can watch or listen on a bus or a plane or where ever.


What cell phone do you have right now and what do you love/hate about it?

I still have a pager, I plan on keeping it till they eventually just go out of business. I haven't got a page or a bill for it in 6 months so maybe they already did.


Who's the last person you sent a text message to and what was it about?

I don't really text, I get texts and utilize the technology to get information, but Im not good at texting back.


Where do you go (site or service) pretty much every time you get online?

I pry around Myspace, go to several sports sites and of course the AOL channels. My kids and my solo band really have forced me to be part of the cyber age, without them I wouldn't know where to go


What annoys you most about your iPod, cell phone, or laptop?

I still use a cell phone, not a PDA type of device so I get overly annoyed by having to hit the number keys over and over to try to text, which takes me back to my previous answer about texting.


Name one thing you wish your iPod/cellphone/laptop could do that it doesn't do now?

I wish there was a way to record directly into the I pod, so if I had an idea for a song I could just hit a button and sing into it. I know there is an add on gadget that you can get, but I wish it was built in.


What upcoming gadget can you not wait to get your hands on?

Ya know, I don't really look into whats coming out, I usually see someone with something then get interested in it. So I'm not sure really, but I'm interested in getting one of the handheld HD cams that record directly onto hard drives instead of tape.


You're stranded on a desert island: What gadget do you bring?

My iPod Touch with a solar powered battery charger, loaded with 'The Simpsons' and 'Dave Chapelle.'


What's the most-played song or artist on your iPod?

I really just keep it on shuffle, but Thin Lizzy, Kenny Chesney, Nickelback and Foo Fighters pop up often.


BlackBerry, Sidekick, or Treo?

Motorola Pager, but my staff all has blackberry's that I pay for so i guess that makes them mine and makes my answer Blackberry.


Do you have an iPhone?

No, my guitar player has one and his cheek always hits the key pad and hangs up on me.


What's the longest time you've ever spent playing a video game in one sitting and what game was it?

Im not really a video game guy at all, but my daughter and me have played 'Guitar Hero' a few hours at a time, its embarrassing that two of my songs are on the game and I cant play it very well.


Mac or PC?

Both, For business and e mail I use a pc, but my studio and all creative work run on a Mac

Video: Honda Robot ASIMO Conducts Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Stand down oh gentle readers and defenders of the flesh, we're getting reports from Detroit that the baton wielding ASIMO did not direct the human race to its doom. Instead, Yo-Yo Ma is safe and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra concert went off without a hitch while netting the DSO a cool million for the musical education of Grosse Pointe's children. Of course, the Honda-built robot wasn't so lucky as he got "keyed" on his walk back through the parking lot. We kid, we kid. [Source: Business Wire]

Update: Video added after the break.

[Thanks, Funke]

Scarlett Johansson's Debut Album Released Online for Free


Technically, Scarlett Johanson's album of Tom Waits covers doesn't come out for another week, but you can hear it for free, in its entirety, on Imeem starting today. In case you're not familiar with it, Imeem is a media sharing service where you can stream songs and videos from other users' collections, and is the service used by Pitchfork Media for its Forkcast.

Johansson's album, 'Anywhere I Lay My Head,' doesn't just co-opt the hipster delivery method of choice; it also snags one of the scene's favorite noise makers David Sitek, who produced albums for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and is one of the founding members of TV on the Radio. Sitek lends his frothy production style to the album and brings along a couple of pals for guest spots -- Yeah Yeah Yeahs ax slinger Nick Zinner, and the Thin White Duke himself, David Bowie.

You'll need an Imeem account to hear the album (or you can just stream it above), but handing over your e-mail address to yet another Web site is a small price to pay for free music.

David Byrne Turns Building Into Musical Instrument That You Can 'Play'

David Byrne Creating a Musical Building

Former Talking Heads front-man David Byrne has always been a bit experimental in his artistic leanings, especially in his solo work (both musical and non). His latest project in New York City, though, takes experimental music to an entirely new scale, turning an entire building into a giant musical instrument that anyone can try for free.

The building is the Battery Maritime Building in New York City, a former ferry terminal built in 1909. It has been filled with devices that tap on girders or blow wind through heating and water pipes so that they act as organ pipes. Everything is connected to an old pump organ with keys lets anybody play a tune on the building.

The installation is called, naturally, "Playing the Building" and is a follow-up to a similar installation in Stockholm in 2005. The opening reception is coming up on May 31, and the exhibition will be open (and free) to all through August 10. [Source: David Byrne.com, via Wired]

Neil Young's Entire Music Archive to be Released On Blu-ray



Sun Microsystems's pledge to aid the widespread development of interactive content on Blu-ray discs wasn't the only thing going down today at the JavaOne Conference in San Francisco. Rather surprisingly, famed musician Neil Young announced plans to "release his entire music archive on Blu-ray discs that can be updated over the internet."

Reportedly, the first installment of Young's archive will cover 1963 to 1972 and will be released as a ten-disc set this fall on Reprise / Warner Bros. Records, and subsequent archives will be released chronologically and "include some previously unreleased songs, videos, handwritten manuscripts and other memorabilia."

Stressing Blu-ray interactivity, it was also noted that fans could download more songs, photos and tour information via their internet-connected decks. Needless to say, we're pretty stoked about the whole ordeal, and can only hope that more artists follow suit in serving up their work via Blu-ray. [Source: AOL Money & Finance/AP]

[Thanks, JDS]

Alicia Keys Using MySpace to Find Backup Singers

Alicia Keys Using MySpace to Find Backup SingersMySpace isn't just a place for booty calls and sexual predators -- pop stars also use it as a recruiting tool for their international touring bands. Okay,sp usually they don't, but Alicia Keys must be really stuck for backup singers.

Alicia Keys wants aspiring R&B and soul singers to send 30-second videos of themselves singing, a cappella, to Keys's MySpace account. The winner will then join Keys' tour as it hops around the globe. The requirements are pretty basic: Be a 21-to-30-year-old woman with a valid passport, have some experience singing R&B and/or soul, and make sure you're physically fit enough to dance.

If you meet those minimum qualifications, then head on over and send in your video resume. We're pretty sure MySpace has fixed that whole virus problem by now. [Source: MySpace, Via: Reuters]

Radiohead Remix Contest Receives 2,254 'Nude' Submissions

Radiohead has certainly been making waves lately, first by releasing its latest album 'In Rainbows' for free, then inviting fans to make its next music video, and, finally, releasing the individual elements of the song 'Nude,' inviting fans to stitch them back together however they see fit. After all was said and done -- the submission process ended last night -- the band received 2,254 remixed submissions, which are all now posted and waiting for you to pick your favorite.

While submission is now closed, voting has been extended through June 1 -- even though the band still hasn't said exactly what the winners will receive (if anything). You can view the list and vote for your favs at radioheadremix.com. The current leader, a remix from Spor, is included in a custom player above. Give it a spin and head on over to see what everyone else has submitted. And, while you can't submit your own any longer, you can still download the track and make a mix for you're own pleasure, if you're so inclined. [Source: RadioheadRemix, via Wired]

MySpace Launches Karaoke Service

MySpace Launches Karaoke Service

Our first thoughts upon hearing about MySpace Karaoke were, "Didn't April Fool's Day already pass?" and "Oh God, no." Eventually our utter horror passed just long enough to do some research on this beta service from the company that is trying to ruin personal relationships. The scariest thing we found? It has competitors!

MySpace Karaoke works like this -- first you decide that you are ready to shed all self respect and dignity, then you pick a song from MySpace's catalog of two-or-three thousand licensed tracks to sing along to, and, just like karaoke in any cheesy bar you've frequented, the words scroll across the screen for you to warble along to. The fun part comes when you decide to record and share your complete lack of tunefulness with your unsuspecting MySpace public. You can post your tracks as bulletins, embed them right in your profile, or just save them as favorite tracks. MySpace will let you store up to 10 tracks for free, any more than that will incur a small fee.

We're not anti-karaoke per se, we just think it should be confined to black out drunk nights at trashy bars. [Source: MySpace Karaoke, Via: BetaNews]

No More Free Albums, Says Radiohead



British band Radiohead announced that it won't be modeling future album launches after its name-your-own-price release of last year's 'In Rainbows.' In October of 2007, Radiohead bypassed releasing the album through a record label and allowed fans to set their own price -- yes, even $0.00 -- for the10-track set.

"It was one of those things where we were in the position of everyone asking us what we were going to do," lead singer Thom Yorke told the Hollywood Reporter, "I don't think it would have the same significance now anyway, if we chose to give something away again. It was a moment in time."

With Radiohead moving away from offering free music, we're wondering how the industry will respond now that Prince, Nine Inch Nails and Coldplay have all gotten in on the act of releasing albums for free in the past few months. [Source: AOL News]

Live Madonna Concert Streamed Online for Free Tonight

Madonna's free concert

Couldn't get tickets to see the Madonna concert at NYC's Roseland Ballroom tonight? Well, now you don't even have to be in New York for one of the biggest concerts of the year, since MSN.com is streaming the entire show live tonight on its "MSN in Concert" Web site. Unfortunately, the show will only be available live for the Material Girl's U.S. fans, so the rest of the planet has to wait for a free on-demand version coming May 15th. So what will they be missing? In addition to the entire live performance and the debut of her single "Four Minutes", the show will include rehearsal footage, and a pre-recorded interview with Madge.

The show will be filmed by Control Room, the company that filmed the Live Earth concert series. If you're worried about quality, rest assured because 8-10 HD(1080p) cameras will be filming the show and the sound will be Dolby 5.1 surround.

So, if you messed up and forgot to get your significant other tickets, or you just want to watch the concert for free, tonight's your chance. Order some takeout, hook the laptop up to the TV, and make sure you're parked on the couch with that special someone tonight at 10 PM EST.

Thousands Dance to Their iPod Music In "Silent Rave"


Raves are generally thought to be deafeningly noisy and held in dark, desolate, out-of-the-way places. That's the exact opposite of what happened over the weekend in New York City, where a so-called "silent" rave brought an estimated 1,000 people out onto the streets to dance -- despite there being no music played out loud.

The dancers were all listening to their own tunes, on iPods or the like, and busted moves like apparent madmen to their own beats, with no seeming rhyme or reason. The event was organized flash mob style, with 18-year-old Jonnie Wesson posting an event on Facebook. The event page got thousands and thousands of responses and, though only a small fraction of respondents actually showed, the "rave" still had several hundred folks pulsing away to the silence until well after dark, thoroughly confusing any uninformed passer-by.

It just goes to show that NYC does indeed know how to party -- even without breaking noise regulations. [Source: NY Times]

Three Gadgets Gavin Rossdale Never Leaves Home Without



London-born Gavin Rossdale first achieved mainstream success in the mid 90s as lead singer of the grunge rock band Bush. Though the group didn't catch on in England, Bush found success stateside with big radio hits 'Glycerine,' 'Swallowed' and 'Machinehead.' Gavin married Gwen Stefani in the early 00s. Not content to work only in music, Gavin has acted in Hollywood with parts in movies like 'Constantine' and 'Little Black Book.'

Gavin's first solo album 'Wanderlust' is due out in June, and he took time to answer our Switched Questionnaire. Though Gavin isn't a big gamer, he always keeps connected with his BlackBerry, iPod and laptop.


What gadgets do you always bring with you for down time?

The BlackBerry
Roasted brown rice tea
iPod
Laptop


What cell phone do you have right now and what do you love/hate about it?

My Curve. Love the BlackBerry Messenger. Photos could be better but I like it a lot. My son Kingston threw my iPhone away in Australia. I was enjoying it...


Who's the last person you sent a text message to and what was it about?

I just texted my friend Mark in London who's cycling in the dark without a light. I was trying to tell him to get a light.


Where do you go pretty much every time you get online?

The Guardian newspaper's site


What annoys you most about your iPod, cell phone, or laptop?

Losing them.


Name one thing you wish your iPod/cellphone/laptop could do that it doesn't do now?

It should stop me doing something when I'm pissed off.


What upcoming gadget can you not wait to get your hands on?

My new baby.


You're stranded on a desert island: What gadget do you bring?

Well my laptop has a lot of potential. Millions of empty pages to write on. And can I get online? That'd be perfect -- stranded no more...


What's the most-played song or artist on your iPod?

Recently, Burial. And before that, probably Radiohead.


Blackberry, Sidekick, or Treo?

Curve


Would you ever get an iPhone?

Digging the Curve right now -- online all the time. The iPhone sure is pretty.


What's the longest time you've ever spent playing a video game in one sitting and what game was it?

3 days solid with no sleep -- game called "life."


Mac or PC?

Mac all the way. PCs are a different universe to me. Double dutch w/ cream on.

Limited Edition Joy Division Zune Makes Us Dance, Dance, Dance to the Radio


Listen to the silence, let it ring on. Microsoft is said to be releasing a limited edition, Joy Division Zune featuring an adaptation of Peter Saville's pulsating cover art from the band's 'Unknown Pleasures' debut. The launch is meant to parallel the June 10th release of the Joy Division DVD and could, in one fell swoop, lift the Zune above its L-7 image. Then we could go on as though nothing was wrong and hide from these days we remained all alone.

P.S. That's our mockup of what we hope the Joy Division Zune will look like. [Source: Pitchfork via Wired, Thanks Rob H.]

Peter Gabriel Backs The Filter, a New Media Recommendation Site

Peter Gabriel Backing Media Recommendation Site The Filter

Genesis founder and all around pop-music genius, Peter Gabriel, is staking some of his fortune to a recommendation and search engine called The Filter. Until fairly recently, the Filter has operated primarily as a music discovery service, but it is now getting ready to re-launch as a one stop shop for suggested Internet viewing.

The Tom Waits referencing homepage for the Filter is sparse on details, but the screen shots suggest an iGoogle- or Netvibes-like interface featuring customizable lists of suggested content including Web sites, YouTube videos, movies, and music based upon your stated tastes, previous searches, and existing music collection.

Gabriel believes the using personal taste as a navigation tool is what is going to give The Filter a leg up on traditional search engines like Google.

From News.com


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