Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
SocComm2009 - Jeff 3.0?
Monday, December 1st, 2008Can you say SocComm 3 times fast? I can barely say it once, but that’s the name of Jeff Pulver’s latest event. The full name will give you more of a clue as what it’s about - the Social Communications Summit, and Jeff posted about this again on Friday. It’s being held in his backyard of NYC, and takes place from February 10-11.
Am not quite sure what social communications means, but anyone following Jeff’s blog will know that’s more or less where his energies are focused these days. With the Pulvermedia VON era officially over, you know it’s not going to be about VoIP. In those days my world very much overlapped with Jeff’s, but not so much now.
Still, we all have at least some focus on social communications today, whether that means voice, IM, presence, video, mashups, digital collaboration, etc. All forms of communication are social, and from there you can span out in a variety of directions to become an innovator, and eventually - hopefully - a real business.
So, if this is your passion, then you need to pay heed to Jeff’s post, as he’s reminding his readers that the Call for Speakers deadline is December 5. And for those of us who blog, Jeff is simply asking for support to get the word out.
Now you know, and for reference, there’s a website running for the event. Is this the Jeff 3.0 we’ve all been wondering about? The venue hasn’t been announced, but it sounds like this will be his first event in a public venue since the last VON, so we’ll just have to wait and see. I’ll certainly be following with interest.
Technorati tags: SocComm2009, Jon Arnold, Jeff Pulver
Do A Triple Take With The Nokia 3250 Phone
Ennio Morricone - Alzati Spia [2000]
Adrian Belew “Side Three” (2006)
Sunday, November 30th, 2008Adrian Belew
Side Three (2006)
Side Three (2006)
Adrian Belew is one of the most original guitarists I’ve ever listened to. He played with many famous musicians, such as David Bowie and King Crimson, but at that himself is still underrated and not such famous musician.
Last year Adrian started to record his solo albums seriously by releasing, although not of long duration, but valuable albums “Side One” and “Side Two”. This year Adrian released the next album with a quite predictable title “Side Three”. This album has a similar organization - it contains nine full value track on 35 minutes of total duration (and that’s unusual in itself, if we would take an average duration of present-time music albums into account).
As regards to music, “Side Three” is a deserving continuation of the line, which, however, has its own identity. Only the last track “And” repeats an altered “Ampersand” version from “Side One”. The rest of the album sound freshly enough, but at the same time each track is performed in Adrian’s “firm” style. It’s meaningless to describe the music - you’d better get this album and listen to it yourself. You won’t be disappointed. Reviewed by Igor Brynskich.
Love And Happiness - The Phenomenal Return of Al Green
Saturday, November 29th, 2008Al Green rose to celebrity in the early 1970s when he was signed to Willie Mitchell’s influential Memphis record label ‘Hi’ and subsequently released a twine of hits, including “Let’s Stay Together”, “Tired Of Being Alone”, “Love And Happiness” and “Take Me To The River”. His powerful, expressive voice earned him the position as the first great Southern psyche singer, and breathed new life into the psyche genre, gap the door for a new, more than seductive style of psyche music.
At the tallness of his success and popularity in 1974, Aluminum Green was attacked by a former girlfriend Virgin Mary Woodson, who broke into his house and threw a bowl of boiling hot porridge over him as he showered, inflicting 2nd grade Burns on his stomach, weaponry and back. After the assault, Woodson shot herself. Deeply shaken, Green, who had always been a acute church-goer, saw the violent onslaught as a mark from Supreme Being that he should turn to faith and fall in the Ministry.
By 1976, Green had bought his ain Christian church in Memphis and go a fully ordained Curate for the Gospels Tabernacle. Green’s popularity and gross sales both began to slip, and in 1977, he was injured whilst acting on stage, and again interpreted the incident as a message from God. Later that year, Green built his ain personal recording studio, and started to get work of producing his ain records, focusing mainly on Gospel music releases. From 1981 to 1989, Green won eight psyche Gospel populace presentation Grammys, but none of his work from this time period was very well received by the mainstream record-buying public.
It was with great expectancy and exhilaration then that news of Green’s tax return to the R&B sound that had made him celebrated was received. In 2003, Green released ‘I Can’t Stop’ on the wind label, Blue Note. It saw Green collaborating once again with manufacturer Willie R. J. Mitchell as well as legendary psyche guitar player Mabon “Teenie” Hodges, who had co-written many of Green’s ’70s hits. ‘I Can’t Stop’ was a revelation, and a true tax return to form, recalling the glorification years of Memphis soul, with Green wailing, crooning and moaning through twelve new original compositions.
Green also began to tour extensively again and in 2006, he headlined the Indy Wind Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana, an yearly jubilation of wind and psyche music, which have also seen public presentations by BB shot King, Kool & The Gang and Norah Jones. There is no deficit of hotels in Capital Of Indiana available to lawsuit the demands of anyone wishing to go to the festival, which takes topographic point in White Person River State Park in every June.
With his touring, sermon and a follow-up record album owed soon (reportedly featuring an visual aspect from Roots member Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson), it looks Green is determined to dwell up to the statute title of his rejoinder album.
Jon Brion
Saturday, November 29th, 2008
Who? Jon Brion has been one of the most influential and enjoyed musical talents of the past 15 years — yet you’d be hard-pressed to pick the Los Angeleno out of a line-up. If you’ve been to the movies (Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love), you’ve heard Brion’s instrumental scores and original songwriting. If you’ve listened to albums by Rufus Wainwright, Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple, or Dido, you’ve experienced the lush orchestration and clever arrangements that come with a Brion-produced album. And then there’s his perpetually overlooked and underpromoted 2000 solo album, Meaningless, a stirring gem of elaborate, Beatles-esque pop.
What? Brion is back in the spotlight thanks to offbeat director Charlie Kaufman’s new drama, Synecdoche, New York — the Brion-penned score is in stores today. And who better to provide sonic accompaniment to the complex yet darkly stunning visions of Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Being John Malkovich) than Brion. Whether it’s haunting background music or fully conceived songs — check our Amazon player (right) for “Little Person” and “Song for Caden,” featuring vocalist Deanne Storey — Brion adds the sonic depth for which the film begs.
Fun Fact: Brion was an unlikely collaborator on Kanye West’s 2006 album Late Registration, handling production duties for tracks like “Gold Digger” and “Gone.”
See Him Live: Brion and friends perform every Friday night at L.A. club Largo.
Watch: Jon Brion, “I Believe She’s Lying” (Live from L.A.’s Largo)
Sony BMG News | SONY BMG FIRST MAJOR LABEL TO TEAM UP WITH WE7
Sunday, November 23rd, 200810TH March, 2008: SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (UK & Ireland) has today announced that it is the first major UK label to license a brand new on demand streaming service with We7, Peter Gabriel’s pioneering ad funded music service.
Today’s agreement sees music from the vast SONY BMG catalogue becoming available to stream free, legally and safely on the ad-funded website, with a short advertisement prior to each track.
We7 will launch the new on demand streaming service in the UK at the end of April, with the service initially available to existing We7 members and gradually extended to new subscribers.
Ged Doherty, Chairman of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (UK & Ireland), said: We are in the business of embracing a multitude of new ways our music can reach audiences. Our deal with We7 is an important step forward in offering fans greater flexibility in how they consume music.
Steve Purdham, co-founder and CEO We7, said: Today marks a significant leap forward for We7 and the industry as a whole, as SONY BMG lead the way in embracing the on demand streaming model for the benefit of music fans, artists and advertisers alike.
Peter Gabriel, musician and Founder Investor in We7, commented: The digital revolution has provided exciting and extraordinary opportunities in the music business, even though it has been largely written off by many. We7 is a model that will supply free music to the consumer and still provide a stream of revenue to musicians and content owners. We are delighted that SONY BMG are exploring this new world, and are the first forward thinking major to come on board with us.