Last.fm

In the digital age we live in music has excelled, not beyond anything we thought it might become, but in how it’s delivered to us. The past 20 years saw the decline of the cassette tape, compact disc, and physical formatting is now all but dead.

So as physical media phases out we turn to more convenient ways of obtaining music (not always done legally now is it?) from services such as Morpheus, Kazaa, Limewire, and most famously: Napster.

So we learned that the RIAA severely dislikes not making money on album sales… so we downloaded even more, torrenting sites becoming more and more popular, The Pirate Bay, for example.

Now I don’t know about you, but in my education I’ve found out that artists usually sign a contract and make most of their money up front. A label will give you, say, $2 million, to buy equipment, record, produce, create music videos, and finish an album. How much of that gets spent on production is usually at the band and manager’s discretion. They are then, most of the time, offered some ridiculously low royalty percentage that means even less after you divide it up between band members and management.

So artists generally don’t make that much off of album sales, but usually off of touring. Ever notice that’s why Bruce Springsteen doesn’t seem to give a rat’s ass about putting out new albums but will sell out stadiums on a yearly basis? Or that U2′s music has been in steep decline since the late 80s but still manage to have gigantic concerts where they rake in obscene amounts of fans a.k.a. money? (And they don’t even pay taxes to the Irish government!)

Before my tenure at Hi-Fi started I was dealt several cease and desist letters for uploading music just to my former blog’s domain just for personal use. Talk about touchy by the record companies!

So where’m I going with all of this? Well, today’s digital music playground is found through music streaming services such as Spotify, Grooveshark, iTunes, SHOUTcast, Pandora and the least famous… Napster.

I’ve tried using all of those, and iTunes, while on my home computer is fine, because I have my library there too, is not viable on the road. With the rest of these you can build and tag artists/genres you like, but c’mon, that’s a huge hassle for us to list all the bands we like and may have an itch to hear.

Last.fm takes care of that. They have a nifty piece of scrobbling software that will record what songs/artists you play the most, it even makes charts! But by far the best thing is, is that you can take your library with you wherever you go. For free. They offer your library streamed to you, they also offer your library with suggestions for similar artists. Which keeps the likes of Maroon 5 the hell out of my easy listening playlist and doesn’t turn me into a fit of rage.

So, if you’re going places, constantly on the move and let’s say maybe you’re trying to preserve some hard drive space, Last.fm is the way to go, take your own music with you and still gives you a taste of similar artists or you can just play a channel as you would on those other streaming sites.

It gives you everything… and what’s yours.

Coldplay “Mylo Whatever-o”

From Billboard:
“Slowly but surely Coldplay have become the masters of throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks.”

I’m here to tell you how much I disagree with the so called “genius” of Coldplay. Being a master of slinging crap at a wall and picking the 12 best turds does not make you a genius. It makes you lazy and complacent.

Oh but wait! You mean to tell me they’re jazzier? Incorporating more R&B and electronic into their sound?
Good. Another band that sold out to the fad of the times. Then again, I’ll at least give them credit for not making the same goddam album a fourth time in a row.

I swear, if you go into your iTunes/WinAmp/whatever and delete all the Coldplay album names, hit shuffle, you’d never be able to tell what song is off of what album. It’s downright pathetic that they haven’t changed a thing about their sound in so long ever… but the fact that they took this route is almost as disappointing as Skrillex leaving From First to Last to do his own crappy version of dubstep. Ugh, dubstep.

My point is, maybe in another decade I’ll look back on this album differently, but for right now, it just sickens me. This constant bandwagon jumping that record execs know will sell. So why not have Rihanna hop on board to sell more albums?!

Because this sound, this album, that’s not who this band is. They’re a remedial ripoff of the likes of U2, Radiohead, and Wilco. They’re a product of a record company exec thinking it was a good idea to recapitalize on the same sound, again.

This album is no different. It’s a capitalization of the current trendy sound. It’s like with Mylo they sat in studio and said “let’s make our version of OK. Computer while repackaging a couple of B-sides from our last album.” GENIUSES! “But let’s add in a bit of an electronic sound to appease the youth.” PRODIGIES! Piss off you yuppies.

I’m sorry, I’ve never dropped enough acid in my life to “groove” “get wrapped up in” or “sway” to a Coldplay song. No, I’m not sorry. Nor should anything Coldplay written be referred to as “dope beats” “massive anthem” or “rally rebellious youth.” You want to rally youth? Listen to the Sex Pistols, The Clash, get angry at the world you sissies! Or better yet, give your album away for free, like Radiohead did. You want to create a massive anthem? Grow some balls with some sort of call to action/sign of the times type song. Are the uprisings in the Middle East not inspiration enough? The current financial and economic ripoffs? The 1%? You want people to rally around your song, make a song against the establishment, or give your album away for free, like Radiohead did. You want dope beats? Listen to something else.

It’s lame. It’s tired, I don’t understand all the praise Coldplay continues to get, they’re not particularly enticing or exhilarating to listen to. No particular musician or real part of a song sticks out as memorable. Which explains why they re-re-repeat re-re-repeat words in “Paradise” so much. I guess this works to their advantage, so they can pump out the same exact crap every 2 years and you’ll still be enticed enough to buy it and think it’s a stroke of genius. It’s not.

They’re the soft rock, UK equivalent of Nickelback. No exceptional talent, crap lyrics, the constant need to bring in entire choruses to make songs sound full and complete. Soft rock for soft people. Soft rock hides the fact that every song you hear on that same lame ass radio station, that usually goes with the title “KISS” (what an insult to the band) or “EZ Listening” or “Lite,” are the same exact songs with a different singer’s voice layered over the top of that shit sandwich.

Do me a favor? Before you take a bite of it? Throw it at the wall and see what sticks. I bet it’s Coldplay.

2/5 — no wait, Rihanna effect: 1.5/5

Matthew Good “Lights of Endangered Species”

Matthew Good is a singer/songwriter from Vancouver, British Columbia (that’s Canada for the geographically challenged) and has been putting records out since the mid-90s. Originally going under the title of MGB, Matthew Good Band, the band broke up after the release of the album “Audio of Being.”

Since then Matt has gone solo, both acoustic and with a new lineup of band-mates. He cites the main reason for the breakup is that they were headed towards “rock purgatory.” We all know what this is, a band becomes so successful with one sound that they (or their label) won’t let them take a step in any other direction for fear that it may not bring in the same type of revenue they’ve grown accustomed to.

Well Matt smashed that notion to pieces in 2003 with the release of Avalanche an album that has been on rotation almost on daily basis for me. The diversity in sounds from track to track was noticeable, a trend that hasn’t stopped since he’s gone solo.

Matthew Good has explored the avenues of acoustic, country, folk, rock, jazz, and often uses classical orchestral compositions in songs: Enter Lights of Endangered Species which was released on May 31st, 2011.

It debuted at #5 on the Canadian chart and the centerpiece of this album are the songs “Zero Orchestra” and “Non Populus” as they bring the past decade of his work into a synergy of sounds.

The best quality of Matthew Good is his live performances. Though he brings politics into the show and talks about current events between songs, he has this brashness of common sense that makes you wonder how nobody has been able to figure out ways to solve these problems before.

I digress, back to the album…

While I know not many of you reading this know who Matthew Good (+/- Band) is, you probably aren’t familiar with his catalog of music. As a fan who does, it’s pretty cool to see him rocking at the age of 40 as if he were still 25.

Between “Non Populus,” “Zero Orchestra,” and “Extraordinary Fades” I can forgive the fact that it’s only a 9 track album. I can forgive that he’s made songs that sound exactly like “Shallows Low” or “In the Place of Lesser Men” on prior albums. I can forgive those because they’re still good solid stand alone songs to someone that’s never heard them before.

And man do these two songs simply blow me away. The fun and the big band swing sorta feel from “Zero Orchestra” and then straight into “Non Populus” which is some serious post-apocalyptic triumph movie score material. The time, effort and willingness to take a chance on something less commercial is especially commendable. Making the best song on the album around 8 minutes long will put some record companies into a real bind to get it on the radio. But I give Good and producer Warne Livesey immense credit for going out and bringing in other artists to do the brass and string sections of the album.

Anyone who’s ever worked in a collaborative effort knows what an absolute clusterf*ck of ideas and egos can spell disaster for an entire effort (Metallica & Lou Reed anyone?) this was almost the case here as well. Luckily strings were pulled (pun intended) and Lights is a huge success in my mind due to the fact that an artist is willing to take on new challenges and produce great new material in directions you and I haven’t seen before.

4/5

Iron and Wine 2010-11 Tour Dates

 Iron and Wine’s website currently updated its tour page for the remainder of 2010 and beginning of 2011.  Clearly Sam Beam and the band are far more comfortable playing in warmer weather than venturing up Northern East Coast, specifically HiFi’s Centrals home city of Albany (c’mon Iron and Wine, play at The Egg!!!!)

The mid-West and South will have the pleasure of seeing Iron and Wine so get your tickets as quick as you can, often these shows sell out quickly.  I did notice that there is a gap between the end of November for US dates and then February when he begins a European tour; so perhaps there is a chance the band will buy a hat, scarf, and some mittens in the meantime and grace us with their presence.

I’ve never seen Iron and Wine since they rarely tour New England area; at least I don’t know if the band has ever played the Albany area.  Looking at past tour dates since 2008 they have jumped over Albany and played in Buffalo or NYC; clearly the capital city is not worthy enough I guess.

It appears to happen quite frequently that good acts often jump over Albany and I’m not quite sure why that is; clearly not a lack of music lovers or venues.

Thought you might want to know the band is on tour this month and playing “select” cities, let’s hope one is yours!

To see the tour listing for 2010-2011 click here!

The Passing of Musical Mr. C

Here at HiFi Central we are in a state of mourning as are most 30, 40, and 50 somethings that heard the news today of the passing of Tom Bosley. 

The television show Happy Day’s was on every day after school when I was a kid at 4 pm; I never missed an episode.  There was something about that show that was so sappy, goofy, and the acting really sub-rate, however, it was an addictive masterpiece of 70′s programming.  Happy Days was the first time that I learned about Bill Haley and His Comets 1954 classic “Rock Around The Clock”, it was re-recorded in 1973 as a cover song for the shows opening. 

Looking back I appreciate the quick wit and clever timing one-liners of Mr. Cunningham played by Tom Bosley.  Although most people consider Arthur Fonzarelli the fixture of the show, underneath it all was the wisdom of Mr. Cunningham who dealt with the choatic household of a bird brained wife named Marion, a chronically crisis stricken daughter named Joni, and a clean cut naive American as apple pie son named Richie.  It was a classic show and one that will always cause me to stop my channel surfing and settle into watch a story line that was always predictable yet entertaining for some reason.

Most people do not realize that Bosley was in a 1959 Broadway musical called Fiorello based on the life of New York City mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia; Bosley played the main character and actually won a Tony Award for “Best Featured Actor in a Musical” in 1960.  You can buy the 1959 Original Broadway Cast on cd at Amazon.  I thought this little tid bit of information about Bosley was cool and up until today most likely a little known fact to many.

Mr. C I’m sure that there is a place for you in heaven and you will be greatly missed.

Tommy Emmanuel – A Living Legend (and touring!)

I was talking to a friend the other day about great guitarists and great guitar songs; the name Tommy Emmanuel came up (along with Al DiMeola, Wes Montgomery, Strunz and Farah, Aucousticl Alchemy, George Benson, and many others) and his classic rendition of “Classical Gas”; many of our younger readers have never heard of this classic song, nor Emmanuel for that fact.  I remember that my father had an album featuring Classical Gas and it was the one song I played over and over again, it’s just a remarkable composition.

I had long forgotten about the Tommy Emmanuel and decided to Google him after watching the video below; they guy is alive and well…and currently touring!  As usual he is playing everywhere but HiFi’s home turf (Albany, NY), but you never know who will roll through this town at the last minute; we’ll keep our fingers crossed.  His tour is quite extensive and he is hitting many top cities across the country and the World, so if you’re lucky to have him swinging through…get your tickets and PLEASE tell us about it.

Click here to see Tommy Emmanuels 2010 tour schedule.

Le Grand Tango – Christopher O’Riley & Carter Brey (2009)

Yes, I know it is a shock that we here at HiFi Central would actually listen to classical…and perhaps even more bizarre and random, Tango music!  However, if you have been following this blog since its creation all of our contributers listen to just about everything; any good self-proclaimed connesiour of music should; would you not agree?

Often when I am searching out for a good classical album I specfically look for cello heavy albums; for me the cello creates a depth to classical music that most other instruments do not.  Cello and piano duets are like peanut butter and jelly, perfect together and made for each other, add perhaps the occasional “glass of milk” (oboe, viola, or bassoon) and the culmination will create the perfect sounding classical album.

One of my favorite cello and piano albums is by Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax Beethoven: Cello Sonata Opus 102 No.1 on Sony Classical; it has been a very difficult one to top (Ma and Ax have collaborated on several other titles on the Sony Classical label), however I believe that O’Riley (piano) and Brey (cello) have produced a Tango album that just may rival Ma and Ax.  I understand that there is a very large contrast between listening to works by Ludwig Beethoven vs. Astor Piazzolla.  My point is the overall quality of the music, not the specific era styles.  First of all the sound quality is superb and the playing top notch; secondly, the selection of songs are excellent.  This albums really provides the listener with a better understanding with regard to the complexity and beauty of Tango music.  Please know that this is not a Latino-Salsa album, it is strictly classical.

Highlights on this album are the songs Escualo. Milonga En Re, and Le Grand Tango.  These songs are intense and then change to being mellow and serene in an instant; clearly great care was taken in both writing these pieces but also understanding how to play them.  If you appreciate classical music and wish to expand your collection this is a perfect album.  Yes, I’m sure you have a raised eyebrow with regard to Tango, but check it out on LaLa.com and see for yourself.  I was very impressed and ended up buying the album, I can’t stop playing it.

Le Grand Tango gets 4 out of 5 stars.

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – Raising Sand (2007)

Per Amazon’s website the pairing of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss was like  putting together “the duo of King Kong and Bambi”; and they are right. Plant and Krauss are the last two I would have thought would collaborate.  To my surprise and delight, after listening to this album I would agree that they are the perfect pairing. 

As one would realize, gone are the days of the wild Robert Plant who’s antics included trashing rooms and riding motorcycles down the hallways of the Chateau Marmont Hotel.  This album seems to take its rightful place and home to todays more mellow Plant.  After Zeppelin it can be seen how Plant decided pursue more mellow outlets than he originally had been identified with, this can be seen with his 80′s project The Honey Drippers.   It has been known that Plant has an insatiable appetite for world music and a drive to explore different avenues and styles for his future albums.  If this album was to be Plants last (which it is not I’m sure) it would be the perfect ending to a musical life well lived.  However, I do not think we have heard the last from him.

Alison Krauss is a household name in the bluegrass world, she is one of the most sought after musicians in Nashville and often is featured as a guest on many bluegrass and contemporary country albums.  Although I’m not the biggest fan of country, I do appreciate bluegrass (Ricky Skaggs, Bill Monroe among my favorites), I must admit that I am a big fan of Alison Krauss and her band Union Station.  I highly recommend her live 2-disc album if you get a chance to grab it, simply incredible.  I’ve converted several of my friends that were ”anti-country/ anti-bluegrass” with that album.

Raising Sand is for playing on rainy days, background music when you are having people over for dinner, long car rides out to Buffalo, or cutting your cats nails.  It’s not for getting in the car and cranking it up really loud to relive your Zeppelin glory days.  Raising Sand is a sincere, well produced, and personal album that reflects the gifts of two excellent vocalists, two who compliment each other on every song.

The majority of songs on this album are soft and smoky, cleary a reflection of what producer T Bone Burnett can create with right combination of artists.  Burnett has produced albums for bands such as Counting Crows, K.D. Lang, and The Wallflowers.

Highlights of this album are cleary the opening song Rich Woman (nice use of harmonies and reverb together),songs Killing The Blues & Please Read The Letter;  both created the most noteriety for  much of this album.  Lastly,  Fortune Teller is a fun romp (possibly the most upbeat song on the album) full of reverb, raw acoustic bass, and Plant’s strong, emotional vocals.  Let Your Loss be your Lesson is one my favorites

Raising Sand gets 4 out of 5 in my humble mellow music opinion.