Music for you

Online Music Promotion for Newbies

2009-01-24T21:29:00.000-08:00

Are you tired of playing miniscule gig after miniscule gig only to generate pennies? Are you tired or working that second job, just to scrape up enough dough to put gas in the van to get to gigs? Maybe you are one of those people who feel the have exhausted every option there is? Well, if that sounds like you, then you have come to the right place. Have you considered or even explored online music promotion?

If you are a newbie to this concept then hold on because you are in for a ride. Once you discover how many music promotion resources there are online, then you will be amazed at where your career goes. You can be the most talented artist out there, but if no one knows who you are then it won't mean a thing.

Independent music promotion is on the rise. Artists and musicians alike are sick of sitting around waiting to get signed. They are ready to reach the masses on their own. And the awesome thing is, they have all the music promotion resources they need and all within arms reach. These artists are sick of waiting and you should be too. But you have to do something about it.

First things first, get a website to start with online music promotion! Chances are that since you are a musician, you are not an internet savvy tech guy or gal but that's ok. There is a plethora of help out there, you just have to want it and get it! Do you realize that by acquiring a website, you can sell CDs, build an immense fan base, write and send newsletters, book gigs, post bios and have a specific place of reference for anyone to go to who wants to know more about you or your band?

Another bonus of independent music promotion is that you keep basically all of your profits! Doesn't get much sweeter than that, does it? You might be thinking, how can I do this on my own? Well, you can and you will with the right guidance. So, now you know your first step in your quest to conquer online music promotion. Now all you have to do is make a plan and accomplish those goals, one by one. My suggestion is to find powerful music promotion resources that will guide you through creating, designing and marketing your website.

Free Music

2008-12-26T19:00:00.000-08:00

Type the word free music in any of the major search engines and trust me you will come up with an astounding number of results. The very word free has an uncanny ability to attract people and if it is free music you will find music buffs downloading songs from there. The web is in fact overpopulated with sites that claim to provide free music and such other stuffs to visitors. But you must be cautious and find out if the site is dishing out something that is improper in the name of free music. Chances are you may end up downloading a virus in your PC or cell phone if you are not catious about what you are downloading in the name of free music. There are certain sites on the web that actually allow music fans to download free music of their choice from the site without any hassles. So what you need to do is find such sites and download free music from there.

One of the very popular things today is downloading free ringtones for cell phones from the web. Take a look around and you will find that the number of people who own a cell phone is very high. And if you take an even closer look you will find that a majority of them have ringtones of their favorite music or song in the phone. Free music provided by many sites is the main reason for the surge in the number of people who have ringtones in their phones instead of the boring standard tone used
to make and receive calls. Free music has opened up a whole world for people to experiment with different things and express their mood clearly. Among the tunes that are used today for ringtones and caller tunes, polyphonic ringtones are the most popular. The choice of tunes is huge and you can find any tune that you are looking for to use as ringtones from the sites that offer free music.

Now it is not that you get just ringtones from the free music sites, you can also get to download full songs from the site. If you have been searching for an old song sung by one of your favorite bands and could not find it, try one of the free music sites. Such sites have a huge database of songs of all genres and all you have to do is find the song. To do this just log in to the site, type the name of the song or the name of the album or the name of the singer and if that song is present in the database of the site, you will find this instantly. For downloading free music you need to install some software that will help in downloading the song properly and quickly.

Surely you will not like to sit and wait if the song takes ages to download from the free music site. The software can also be obtained free of cost, simply search for free music download software programs and you will get the software immediately. It is not difficult to download free music from an online site.

How to Tune a Guitar?

2008-11-28T20:56:00.001-08:00

There are many different ways to approach guitar tuning. We'll touch on a couple of the more effective methods on how to tune a guitar. Not necessarily the most popular as some methods, though extensively used, are considered 'bad habits' rather than genuine, effective guitar tuning alternatives.

The guitar standard tuning is as follows:

STRING - 6th String (bottom, bass, low) NOTE - E
5th String - A
4th String - D
3rd String - G
2nd String - B
1st String (top, treble, high) - E

Tips For Any Guitar Tuning Method

First, lets cover a few things that every player should know when taking the proper approach to guitar tuning and how to learn to tune guitar.

Learn to attach the strings to the machine heads properly. Never try to tune down to a note. Stretch the strings and tune up to the note. Tuning heads have a certain amount of 'play' in them so make a couple of deep bends and then fine tune the string. Before tuning a suspect string, check it against both adjacent strings to determine which string is actually out of tune. The string you suspect may not even be the culprit. When tuning a guitar with a vibrato arm, tune the string, give the arm a good shake, stretch the string, give the arm another shake and fine tune.

Veterans of guitar playing will already know these things so if you're a beginner and just learning to play the guitar, you're already ahead of the game if you implement these practices into your routine. For a great tool visit http://www.guitarmusician.com/guitar-tuner.htm

Here's A Quick Method For Guitar Tuning

Tune the treble (high) E string to an A440 tuning fork by holding your finger on the 5th fret, then tune the open B string to the open treble E string – listening to the interval of a fourth. It's easy to hear the fourth in that register.

Play the A note fretted at the 2nd fret of the G string, and compare it to the open treble E string – you're listening for a perfect fifth interval.

Fret the 2nd fret E note on the D string and compare it to the treble E string open. Double check this by fretting the E note on the 14th fret of the D string.

Now tune the 7th fret harmonic on the A string (an E note) to the open treble E string.

Finally, tune the 5th fret harmonic on the bass E string to the open treble E string.

This is a simple guitar tuning method that works well.

credit:Fingers Foley

Christina Aguilera-Keeps Getting Better: A Decade of Hits

2008-11-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

Beyond marking Christina Aguilera's first decade in the business, the Nov. 11 Target exclusive "Keeps Getting Better: A Decade of Hits" serves as a sneak preview for the artist's next RCA studio album.

Aguilera tells Billboard the as-yet-untitled set will arrive in summer 2009 and will be mostly produced by Linda Perry.

"With my last album, I had music that was very '20s, '30s and '40s, and was very detailed and part of a very specific genre and sound," she says. "But with this new album, I wanted to go in a completely opposite direction-a very futuristic, robotic sound and computer-sounding vocals. I'm experimenting with my voice in ways I've never done before, almost like a technical, computer-generated sound, which is different for me because I'm the type of vocalist that just belts. I'm always inspired by new things because I get bored."

"The album is very pop and very upbeat, and it's inspired by [Andy] Warhol and the late-'60s scene," says RCA senior VP of marketing Scott Seviour, who adds that Aguilera has been in the studio as often as she can, considering she became a mother in January. "Once you hear the new material you'll have a very clear idea what the direction of it is."

As for "Keep Getting Better," it includes new versions of "Genie in a Bottle" and "Beautiful," titled "Genie 2.0" and "You Are What You Are (Beautiful)," respectively, plus the new songs "Keeps Getting Better" and "Dynamite." Staples such as "Dirty," "Come On Over" and "Hurt" also appear.

Produced by Perry, the new and remixed tracks all feature "futuristic sounds with beats driven more toward dance music," Aguilera says. "This time around, I'm playing with this superhero element based on the fact that fans have grown up with me since I was 17 and have continually supported my changes throughout the years."

Aguilera is planning to tour next year.
credit:billboard

Britney Spear - Womanizer

2008-10-22T21:56:00.000-07:00

Superstar, where you from, how's it going?
I know you, gotta clue whatcha doing
You can play brand new to all the other chicks out here
But I know what you are, what you are, baby

Look at you, getting more than just a re-up
Baby you, got all the puppets with their strings up
Faking like a good one, but I call' em like I see 'em
I know what you are, what you are, baby

Womanizer, woman-womanizer, you're a womanizer
Oh womanizer, oh you're a womanizer, baby
You you you are, you you you are
Womanizer, womanizer, womanizer (womanizer)

Boy don't try to front
I (I) know just (just) what you are-are-are-are
Boy don't try to front
I (I) know just (just) what you are-are-are-are

(You) You got me going
(You) You're oh so charming
(You) But I can't do it
(You) You womanizer

Boy don't try to front
I (I) know just (just) what you are-are-are-are
Boy don't try to front
I (I) know just (just) what you are-are -are-are

(You) I got your crazy
(You) You're nothing but a
(You) Womanizer

Daddy-o, you've got the swagger of a champion
Too bad for you, you just can't find the right companion
I guess when you have one too many, makes it hard, it could be easy
Who you are, that's just who you are, baby

Lollipop, you must mistake you're a sucker
To think that I, would be a victim, not another
Say it, play how you want it
But no way I'm never gonna fall for you, never you, baby

Womanizer, woman-womanizer, you're a womanizer
Oh womanizer, oh you're a womanizer, baby
You you you are, you you you are
Womanizer, womanizer, womanizer (womanizer)

Boy don't try to front
I (I) know just (just) what you are-are-are-are
Boy don't try to front
I (I) know just (just) what you are-are -are-are

(You) You got me going
(You) You're oh so charming
(You) But I can't do it
(You) You womanizer

Boy don't try to front
I (I) know just (just) what you are-are-are-are
Boy don't try to front
I (I) know just (just) what you are-are -are-are

(You) You say I'm crazy
(You) I got your crazy
(You) You're nothing but a
(You) womanizer

Maybe if we both lived in a different world
(womanizer, womanizer, womanizer, womanizer)
Yeah
It would be all good and maybe I could be your girl
But I can't so we don't, you

Womanizer, woman-womanizer, you're a womanizer,
Oh womanizer, oh you're a womanizer, baby
You you you are, you you you are
Womanizer, womanizer, womanizer (womanizer)

Boy don't try to front
I (I) know just (just) what you are-are-are-are
Boy don't try to front
I (I) know just (just) what you are-are -are-are

(You) You got me going
(You) You're oh so charming
(You) But I can't do it
(You) You womanizer

Boy don't try to front
I (I) know just (just) what you are-are-are-are
Boy don't try to front
I (I) know just (just) what you are-are -are-are

(You) You say I'm crazy
(You) I got your crazy
(You) You're nothing but a
(You) womanizer

Boy don't try to front
I (I) know just (just) what you are-are-are-are
Boy don't try to front
I (I) know just (just) what you are-are -are-are

Womanizer, woman-womanizer, you're a womanizer
Oh womanizer, oh you're a womanizer ,baby

Pop Rock Music

2008-10-11T20:20:00.001-07:00

Rock pop music is a style of popular music with an outstanding vocal melody accompanied by guitar, drums, and bass. Many forms of rock music also use keyboard instruments such as organ, piano, mellotron, and synthesizers. Other instruments sometimes employed in rock include harmonica, violin, flute, banjo, melodica, and timpani. Besides, rare stringed instruments such as mandolin and sitar are used. Rock pop music normally has a strong back beat, and often revolves around the guitar, either solid electric, hollow electric, or acoustic.

Rock pop music has its origin in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll and rockabilly, which developed from blues, country music and other influences. The All Music Guide opines that rock and roll in its purest form has three chords, a strong, insistent back beat, and a catchy melody. Initially,rock & roll took from a variety of sources, mainly blues, R&B, and country, but also gospel, traditional pop, jazz, and folk. All of these impact combined in a simple, blues-based song structure that was not only fast and catchy but also foot tapping.

In the late 1960s, rock pop music was combined with folk music ,blues and jazz to create folk rock, blues-rock and jazz-rock fusion respectively.It created psychedelic rock music irrespective of the time. In the 1970s, rock incorporated influences from soul, funk, and latin music. During the 1970s, a number of subgenres of rock, such as soft rock, heavy metal, hard rock, progressive rock, and punk rock was created. Synth-rock, hardcore punk and alternative rock were the sub genres of rock pop music that was developed in the 1980s whereas, rock subgenres in the 1990s included grunge, Britpop, indie rock, and nu metal.

A rock band or rock group is a group of musicians specializing in rock pop music . Most of the rock groups consist of a guitarist, lead singer, bass guitarist, and drummer, forming a quartet. Few groups may skip one or more of these roles and make use of a lead singer who can play an instrument while singing, forming a trio or duo; others include additional musicians such as one or two rhythm guitarists and/or a keyboardist. Seldom, groups also employ stringed instruments such as violins or cellos, or horns like trumpets or trombones.

credit:Mary Rose

Popular Songs - Top 50 songs alway requested

2008-10-04T07:19:00.001-07:00

SONG TITLE	ARTIST
OLD TIME ROCK & ROLL	BOB SEGER
Y.M.C.A.	VILLAGE PEOPLE
ELECTRIC BOOGIE (ELECTRIC SLIDE)	MARCIA GRIFFITHS
THE TWIST	CHUBBY CHECKER
MONY MONY	BILLY IDOL
HOT, HOT, HOT	BUSTER POINDEXTER
WONDERFUL TONIGHT	ERIC CLAPTON
SHOUT	DYNATONES
CHICKEN DANCE	SORTA CRACKERS BAND
THE LOCO-MOTION	KYLIE MINOGUE
UNCHAINED MELODY	RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS
WHOOMP! THERE IT IS	TAG TEAM
BROWN EYED GIRL	VAN MORRISON
LOVE SHACK	B-52'S
GONNA MAKE YOU SWEAT (EVERYBODY DANCE NOW)	C& C MUSIC FACTORY
UNFORGETTABLE	NATALIE COLE
DECEMBER 1963, OH WHAT A NIGHT	FOUR SEASONS
TWIST AND SHOUT	BEATLES
CELEBRATION	KOOL & THE GANG
YOU SHOOK ME ALL NIGHT LONG	AC/DC
THE WANDERER	DION
BOOT SCOOTIN' BOOGIE	BROOKS & DUNN
CHATTAHOOCHEE	ALAN JACKSON
IN THE MOOD	GLENN MILLER
PARADISE BY THE DASHBOARD LIGHT	MEATLOAF
WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD	LOUIS ARMSTRONG
CRAZY	PATSY CLINE
THE SIGN	ACE OF BASE
CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE	ELVIS PRESLEY
THEME FROM "NEW YORK, NEW YORK"	FRANK SINATRA
SWING THE MOOD	JIVE BUNNY/ MIXMASTERS
HOKEY POKEY	RAY ANTHONY
I WILL SURVIVE	GLORIA GAYNOR
RESPECT	ARETHA FRANKLIN
CONGA	MIAMI SOUND MACHINE
HANDS UP	SWAY
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU	ROMANTICS
OH, PRETTY WOMAN	ROY ORBISON
BABY GOT BACK	SIR MIX-A-LOT
THE POWER OF LOVE	CELINE DION
SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL	GRAND FUNK
YOU DROPPED A BOMB ON ME	GAP BAND
PUSH IT	SALT-N-PEPA
JOHNNY B. GOODE	CHUCK BERRY
ALL I WANNA DO	SHERYL CROW
PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC	WILD CHERRY
SHOOP	SALT-N-PEPA
STROKIN'	CLARENCE CARTER
I CAN'T GET NO SATISFACTION	ROLLING STONES
TWO PRINCES	SPIN DOCTORS

credit:results.myhpf.co.uk

Clay Aiken Finally Reveal with "Yes, I'm Gay"

2008-09-27T05:10:00.000-07:00

Finally Finally. “Yes, I’m Gay“, Clay Aiken revealed. He with his new son cover of People magazine.

Anyway, what he said emotionally was “I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things”. Cheer up, good daddy!
Continue reading “Clay Aiken Finally Reveal “Yes, I’m Gay””

credit:krpmag

I want you to know by artist Doug Mattingly

2008-08-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

This is the sixth track of Love and Logic album. The title is “I Want You To Know“. Let me know if you like it. It is a middle beat ballad song, but quite a bit emotional of missing.

You can visit his site at www.dougmattingly.net. Everything is about Doug in the site !!!

How About Record Production & Produce Song?

2008-07-20T03:49:00.000-07:00

What is record production? Surely, there are many thoughts on this concept. There are many record producers, some more famous than others. However, this article will attempt to address some of the basic elements of record production and how to effectively approach the overall task of producing a record.

First let’s take a look at the 5 Steps of the creative process:

STEP 1: THE IDEA
Think about the song you’re going to write. It can be just some lyrics written down on a piece of paper, a melody recorded on your cell phone voice memo or mini recorder, or a home demo. Ultimately, it will need to be produced into a full song.

During pre-production (which we will discuss later), the producer creates the arrangement – vocal or instrumental, decides how it will be recorded, and who will be the players. This process includes songwriting, song selection, song adjustment (key and tempo), style determination, instrumentation decisions, creating a working demo, and rehearsing.

STEP 2: RECORDING
During this step, the performances are recorded to any one of the many recording hardware or software on separate tracks or direct-to-stereo which is used to record some jazz ensembles and many live performances. When you record direct-to-stereo, the recording becomes the final version and you are unable to change any of the characteristics of the instruments. Most professional recording is done using multi-track recording, where individual musical performances and vocal performances are recorded on separate tracks. This gives us the flexibility to edit and process the tracks, and to mix them into a final stereo version well after the original performance. It also allows for us to add to an original recording, as well. This process is called overdubbing.

STEP 3: EDITING
In post-production, the song is ready to be edited changing individual performances or the entire arrangement. In midi editing, you can change single notes or even the specific instrument that plays those notes. You can also change the complete arrangement of the song by copying and pasting entire sections of the song.

STEP 4: MIXING
It is during the mixing stage that the individual tracks that make up our multi-track recording are combined/blended and processed using effects to create a final stereo recording. We have the ability to control each track separately. In this stage we want to document and organize the various elements for the intended mix. We are able to control such elements as volume, panning, equalization, and effects.

STEP 5: MASTERING
Mastering is the preparation of our final stereo mix for distribution making final adjustments to the overall sound – (incl. editing out unwanted sound, EQ overall song, compression, if needed, for final format).
The Master Tape

1. What is the Master Tape?
the completed mix with added equalization and the signal processing effects. Some times called the "mix master".

2. How is it Done?
Utilizing high-end mastering equipment, the producer or/and the engineer are involved in the final mastering, creating balances in volume, time between songs and equalization issues.

3. What you Do With It…
For CD duplication the master is sent to a duplication plant and CDs are creating in accordance with prescribe technical specifications.

Even if the ultimate format for the use of the recording is other than a CD, the mastering process is implemented to insure a professional consistency with regards to the recorded music. Once mastering is complete, the song is ready for its final format (ie. AIFF, MP3, Wave, Liquid Audio, Real Audio, Web Streaming, CD, etc.). The producer has now done his job.

The Impact of Technology in Producing Recorded Music:

An integral part of record production is understanding the technology that supports the science. Technological advances in recording equipment and computer platforms have dramatically changed the landscape of record production.

In desktop production, the self-produced artist often wears more than one hat, in many cases taking on the roles of composer, arranger, and performer. When we use multi-track recording techniques, composition and arranging can be part of an interactive process where one musical idea suggests another.

Just as composers have traditionally used the piano to work out fully formed compositions from fragments of musical ideas, desktop producers can start with a skeletal idea for a song – perhaps just a drum pattern and bass line -- and develop it into a complete musical arrangement. The most powerful capability of computer-based desktop
production is the ability to rearrange and edit both audio and MIDI performances after they've been recorded.

How to Produce a Song/Understanding the song

Once you have a grasp on the creative process and understand current trends in recording technology and there applicability to our project, you can now attempt to produce a song.
a. Describe the artist’s identity.
b. Identify the song’s style and intended audience. Is it similar to other records?
c. Describe the budget constraints?
d. Describe the record's purpose, in terms of an artist’s career. Is it a catchy first single to establish the artist? To get a deal? A demo to get a gig as a cover band? A different direction, used to learn something new?

Knowing about the artist’s qualities and motivations creates a context and shapes
an overview for how to approach a production. It will help you answer the main
question, “Why take this particular production approach for this particular artist and
this particular song?”

Decide what the song is saying. In other words, how does the song itself influence the approach to the production? Knowing the identity of the song is as important as knowing the identity of the artist. Indeed, “production” is the melding of song and artist onto record.

a. What is the lyric’s story, and what individual sections, phrases, or even words direct or affect the production at all scales?
b. How does the melody interact with the lyric?
c. Does the melody emphasize lyrics or direct the flow of the song, or just create a musical element and draw attention in its own right?
d. How do these invite production elements?
e. How do harmonic elements affect all of this, and again, invite production attention?
f. How does the overall structure of the song dictate the production approach and/or flow of the record?

These may seem like “songwriting elements,” because they are! The first job of the producer is A&R (“artist & repertoire”). Choose the best song and then oversee touching up or rewriting and restructuring the song, if necessary, until it is the best it can be.
That is what much of pre-production is, and it is often the most important element of the entire production process. A great song for a great artist makes the producer’s job easier, and the song often points the way to approach the production.

Another characteristic of a good producer is one who is cable of identifying what specific elements are being heard sonically and musically and adjusting those elements so that the song is audibly appealing the listener?
a. Name each element you are hearing (instrument, voice, sound, combination).
b. What are each element’s sonic qualities, and what is its part in the arrangement?

For example, “I might describe a part I’m hearing as a 12-string
electric guitar (the type of instrument) with a clear but
idiosyncratic sound (color/timbre) playing a IV chord (the music)
with the third on the top, open voicing(arrangement), with a slow
but aggressive, anticipated strum (performance)”.

c. At what point does an element appear in the production/song? I find it best to analyze a production by going section-by-section, and then bar by bar, down to the beat. It helps to define the general, overall production feel of each song section.
d. Where does a specific musical element appear?

As producers or engineers, we often think in technical terms—panning, reverb, delay, volume, etc. The listeners, however, just hear things located in 3-dimensional space. So, define spatial placement as they do. Then you can figure out the possible
technical ways to achieve that.

For example, “a muted trumpet drenched in reverb, panned off to the right, with a lot of a reverb and low in the mix, is heard by the listener as a soft trumpet off in the distance, perhaps on a misty night”.

How is it played? What is the emotional approach, attitude?
This overlaps with much of the above. “How” may include equipment, effects, and so forth. A specific instrument through a specific processor helps define the sound and is used to support the attitude.

Know what the purpose of each musical element is? Above all, this is the most important question for good production. For each and every element in a record, a choice was made to have it.
a. Why was it included?
b. Why that specific instrument at that specific location in this specific song, located in that specific space, played with that specific approach?

There is a purpose for each choice, even if it’s just to “keeps the groove,” or some other simple musical purpose.

Record production is akin to directing a movie. Like a director is responsible for managing all of the elements of making a movie so is the record producer of a great record. Record production takes thought, skill, knowledge, and wherewithal. There’s no better way to understand it that to go through the process if you’re interested in record production. It’s a great experience to hear a finished project for which you were primarily responsible. There’s nothing better than your first time because now you know how to do it, and how to make it better the next time around. Like anything, you will get better with experience. Read this article. Reread this article. Then read it one more time and take the leap…produce a record or if nothing else get involved in a record production! credit:articlesnatch

Bad Boys Mötley Crüe Are On A Rock & Roll Mission

2008-07-18T07:00:00.001-07:00

The group members, Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, Mick Mars and Vince Neil are well known for their bad boy antics and hard rocking lifestyles. From the very beginning, these boys have either made problems or problems found them. On their first tour in 1982, they were actually apprehended at the Edmonton International Airport as they had on their spiked stage clothes through customs. Officials at the airport confiscated all of what the group carried that they thought indecent or unsafe. No concern for the band though, it was all a promotional prank and it worked beautifully!

Throughout the 1980's, Mötley Crüe was involved in a seemingly endless cycle of loose females, substance abuse and run-in's with the police. There was a night in 1984, an allegedly intoxicated Vince Neil was involved in a terrible frontal crash. Vinces' passenger, Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley of the band Hanoi Rocks was killed in the accident. Neil was condemned to 30 days, but spent a measley 18 days imprisoned for the incident. Later, the band turned tragedy into music and released box sets irreverently called "Music To Crash Your Car To".

The drugs and alcohol were overtaking their lives in a major way. In 1987, Nikki Sixx actually was pronounced dead from a heroin overdose. His heart stopped and that could have been his demise. Luckily for Sixx, the paramedics didn't give up and gave him two shots of adrenaline to his heart. Plainly, he lived to tell the story. This small incident gave the group the inspiration for the song 'Kick Start My Heart' from the 'Dr. Feelgood' release.

It was not long after Sixx's near-death experience that the bands managers intervened. It was time for a serious treatment if this band was going to keep going. The managers denied the group to go on a European circuit, fearing that more than one would die on the road. The reality of their demeanor and the results must have hit them where it hurts. All the members finally got themselves sober. While the others opted to go into a rehab program, Mars preferred to deal with his habituations on his own.

In spite of their larger-than-life struggles with addictions during the 1980's, they still managed, in some way, to put together several best-selling albums. To this day songs from the albums, 'Shout At The Devil', 'Theatre Of Pain' and 'Girls, Girls, Girls' get alot of air-time. But it wasn't until '89, with a clean-living band that they were at long last able to produce a #1 album, 'Dr. Feelgood'. Everyone, even the band thought that their sober attempts were far better than anything they'd done earlier.

The 90's bestowed more trouble for the band. They published their 6th studio album, 'Decade of Decadence' in 1991 and it reached the #2 spot on the music charts. Then, in 1992, Neil either left the group or was terminated, depending on who you hear the story from. He was promptly replaced and the group released a self-titled album that achieved number 7 on the charts. Finally, in '97, the band reunited and released yet another recording, 'Generation Swine'. The album did not do well commercially, which led to them departing their recording label, Elektra.

In '98, after their contract with Elektra had expired, the band discovered themselves in a unique position. They are one of the very few bands to have full control both over their catalogue of masters and publishing. With this new power, the band re-published all of their albums and included many demos and formerly unreleased songs.

In 1999, Tommy Lee left the group to pursue his own solo calling and to avoid further battle with Neil. He was substituted and the band continued to tour and record, but fell short of genuine success. Sixx likewise went his own way and played for the bands "58" and "Brides Of Destruction". It took 5 years, but the band finally did reunite and got busy recording a new compilation album called 'Red White & Crüe'. They as well went on a couple of circuits, including their 2005 tour, 'Carnival of Sins' and the 2006 'Route of All Evil' tour that they did with the group Aerosmith.

Just last month, Mötley Crüe published their latest album, 'Saints of Los Angeles'. Critics say the album is some of the best music they've ever produced! It is a serious flash-back to the Crüe's former style and a welcome one at that. Seems these bad boy rockers are still going after their original mission to rock the public as hard as they can. credit:articlesnatch

Gonna be a RockStar

2008-07-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

People often think of ‘RockStars’ as drunken drugged up idiots with a whole lot of STI’s. This description of a RockStar is correct, but the life style of ‘Sex, Drugs and Rock N’ Roll’ has really just withered down over the years to ‘Rock N’ Roll’. The reason for this because drugs are now stronger and kill many people before they can be a RockStar, and the STI’s are now a lot worse than they were twenty years ago and can kill you now. So if being a RockStar still sounds relevant to you, you need to follow these steps.

1. Practice

Practice as much as you can, practice as often as you can, because every second you spend practicing will put you one second above your competition. Whatever you play, Drums, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Vocals or anything else, just learn every thing you can, no matter what style you like, learn every style, Blues, Flamenco, Rock, Jazz, Metal etc. It is not abnormal for someone to practice upwards of ten hours a day, if you are not committed to this, stop now and decide on something else for a living because being a RockStar is not for you. For those willing to put in the work, read on.

2. Make Your Music

No matter what style you play, there has to be an audience or else you will never make it, if that means playing a style you don’t really like then that is too bad. If you are lucky enough to be able to play the music you like then that is great. The easiest way to make a sound that a lot of people will like (including record labels) is to look at the charts, make a similar sound with a unique flavor and you should have a sound people want to hear.

3. Get Your Band Together

If you are just playing an Acoustic Guitar and singing this isn’t so important, but for anything else you need to assemble your band. Post ads in local newspapers, on online message boards and go to your local Music store and ask if they have a notice board for you to place an ad on. Ask around and eventually you will find people wanting to play the same style music as yourself.

4. Promote Yourself

No matter how good you actually sound, you need to promote yourself so people can actually hear you. Start by playing a few free gigs and work your way up to paying gigs. Play covers plus your originals so people have a reason to go see you other than taking a chance listening to an all original band. Get a demo CD done, doesn’t matter how, just get it recorded, then send it out to Record Labels and sell it at your gigs to help you get your name out. You may also want to send your demo CD out to small radio stations, the biggies won’t take a chance with a demo but small stations often do.

5. Get a Manager

Once you can afford it, get a manager, put an ad in the Newspaper and you will find one very fast. They will do a lot of work for you so you can concentrate on your music. Get them to promote you and hopefully you can get picked up on a record label.

If these steps don’t work for you, don’t give up, just keep going, you may want to professionally record a CD and get your manager to get it sold throughout the country. You can also have your own tour, by hiring out venues and doing a lot of organizing, this can be the best way to get your name out there.

Remember that people will only listen to music they want to listen to, don’t try to change the people, change your music. If it takes you through a few styles of music that is ok, if your ultimate goal is to be a RockStar, you will do whatever it takes to get to that goal, so if that means practicing 10+ hours a day for 10 years, you will do it. credit:articlebiz

How To Play Online Guitar Lesson!!!

2008-07-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

Playing the guitar has been one of my favorite pastimes since I was a teenager. I remember the day my elder brother came home with a shiny new Yamaha nylon-stringed classical guitar. I was really excited but could not get my hands on it as he was hogging it. Fortunately for me, he lost interest in it after awhile and I gleefully inherited it and have been playing since.

Well, that was many years ago and when I recently decided to improve my guitar playing skills, I was glad to find some excellent online guitar lessons. In this article I'm going to tell you some tips to get started and how you can benefit from them.

Firstly, be prepared to do some research. There are tons of good websites out there but only a few offer a complete learning system. Most websites are run by guitar enthusiasts offering some lessons online and they might not be so appropriate as you'll need to see and hear what's being played.

That's where you need to find a guitar learning course that offers:

1. A structured course outline

Not just a random "guitar tips" course. You will need a course to take you from the basics to playing by ear.

2. An experienced teacher

Some websites are run by other newbies also honing their guitar playing so make sure the tutor is a qualified guitarist.

3. Videos that show you how its done step-by-step

This would be essential if you are a beginner as you'll be able to see how the chords actually look (and sound) like rather than just dots on a grid!

The beauty of the Internet is that with some searching and comparing, you'll soon be able to find that perfect guitar learning system. And what do you need on your end to get started? Well, obviously a guitar, a good pair of PC speakers and a lot of time and patience. Most of all, tons of practice!

One of the key ingredient is ear training and that only comes from many, many hours of playing and you'll be able to identify chords, chord progressions, rhythm patterns, etc. You don't need to be born with "perfect pitch" to play like a pro! But you do need the determination to excel in you craft.

Guitar playing is a highly rewarding and relaxing skill which you can acquire and if you've been contemplating on learning the guitar, well my advice is get started now! Just get an inexpensive starter's guitar, get online and as they say - "shred your ax"! credit: Al Tan

Let's try "Bye Bye Baby Song"

2008-07-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

Gave my heart and you took it to your best friend for a whirl
got it back all scarred with lies by your caring sisterhood whose so evil

bye bye baby
baby bye bye
bye bye baby
baby bye bye

Take a trip down memory and make sure its a memory not fantasy lane
have the last word for haven't I answered every captured whisper again and again

its so easy to accuse
its so harder to proof
in your world of in-securities
kept alive by someone's jealousy
your just another manipulated fool

bye bye baby
baby bye bye
you wont see me cry babe
you won't see me cry
There again may be for once
I'm telling a lie

Have you ever wondered if she's ever had a touch of what you've had
was she around the corner when your heartbreak scenes came back from the past

it's my time to accuse
just look back for proof
in your world of in-securities
kept alive by someone's jealousy
your just another manipulated fool

bye bye baby
baby bye bye
you wont see me cry babe
you won't see me cry
There again may be for once
I'm telling a lie

bye bye baby
baby bye bye
love of my life it's too late

bye bye baby
baby bye bye
got to admit for once I've failed

bye bye baby
baby bye bye
from her painting everything as fate

bye bye baby
baby bye bye
from you seeing your her tail

bye bye baby
baby bye bye
you wont see me cry babe
you won't see me cry
There again may be for once
I'm telling a lie

bye bye baby
baby bye bye
you wont see me cry babe
you won't see me cry
There again may be for once
I'm telling a lie

you manipulated fool....
credit:Suki Cheema

Great Party Music? - You need more than just a CD player!

2008-07-05T23:07:00.000-07:00

Music is an essential part of any successful party. I had been thinking a lot about how to make the music and the atmosphere of my upcoming party exciting and totally unique; but how could I do it? A DJ could be very expensive; just letting the CD\MP3 player do the job would be too boring. Then, on the Internet, I found out about Music Morpher Gold 4.0.66, a cool music software program. I downloaded it and checked it out and discovered it could easily help my party be more exciting than ever with its many unique features. Best of all it was 50% off at www.musicmorpher.com. Music Morpher Gold 4.0.66 and its cool library of effects will make your music listening more exciting than ever. Music will never be quite the same again. Just imagine what it can do for you with just one click: change a small room into a music hall, move you under the sea, place you on a mountain, in a cave, or almost anywhere while you’re still sitting there enjoying music. Let your imagination fly and rock your world. You can be your own DJ by adding a wide range of music effects such as Techno Word, Sticky, 3D Sound, Alien, Artificial Echo, etc., and in real time. Everyone will want to try it. Moreover, you can edit multiple songs or music clips at the same time in a multisession waveformat window. You can combine your favorite music clips together to create your own unique music. Be your own DJ just once with Music Morpher Gold 4.0.66 and you will agree that it’s a great software program. If you are in the music industry or know about sound technique, then you’ll want to explore the wealth of available special effects. They are so easy to use and control, you’ll be making new music in no time.

Music Morpher Gold 4.0.66 also integrates an enhanced surround sound player system. It supports many surround sound systems, including 4.0, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1 and 7.1, with many surround environments preset for you to choose from. Including Theater, Stadium, Concert Hall, Arena, Big Room, etc., just choose the preset surround environment most suitable for your speaker system. If you want your party to be awesome and outrageous, I highly recommend trying this fantastic music software. Music Morpher Gold 4.0.66 will surprise you and your friends with its smart and creative musical effects combination and its versatility. Imagine how impressed your friends will be when they hear you modify the music in real time. Everyone will have a great time.

Download New Release Songs and Top Hit MP3

2008-06-26T05:13:00.000-07:00

Current Week

Various Artists

Caribbean Connection [Machete]

Movie Soundtrack

Me and Juliet [Bonus Tracks]

Various Artists

Patriotic Country, Vol. 3

Claudio Parodi

A Ritual Which Is Incomprehensible: To the Smile of Pauline Oliveros

Nuno Mindelis

Apresenta Outros Nunos

credit:billboard.com

Online Music: Soothe Your Soul

2008-06-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

Online music now plays a dominating role in allowing people to listen to music by just accessing internet from their PCs. Here, the user finds the opportunity to download as well as upload music files on several music sites.

With the advent of the internet, it has now become possible for people to listen to scintillating music on their phones. The internet has made it possible for people to download music files at low cost rates. Now, several websites have emerged that make it possible for people to get free lyrics and listen to songs free of cost. One can also download music files free of cost form various websites.

Music sites have made it possible for people to upload music files to his website directly. In case one is uploading music, he or she can also keep the music copyright protected. There are several websites where one can upload personal music files. Websites where one can find latest online music and free music videos include MySpace, YouTube, Rawkus, Soundclick and CDBaby. There are also many other sites where one can avail these facilities.

Companies such as ASCAP, PRS, Harry Fox and BMI offer internet music licenses that enable users to open their own profiles, provide personal information to fans and even sell their own music. The registered users are also entitled to get royalties and commissions for playing and downloading music from these sites, and also on the sale of MP3 or CDs. Thus it becomes possible for the user to build their own fan base just by becoming online and promoting their online music.

It is true that internet has opened up new horizons for the people. It is now possible to listen music anywhere in the entire globe. Music now has become easily available and it is possible for people to listen to songs that they have never heard of before. The music industry has grown because of internet and satellite communications. Music lovers now can connect with each other due to the presence of internet connectivity. Cyber technology too has contributed and has made it possible for songwriters and musicians to store their creations and musical compositions on websites for everyone to view. The user can subscribe to cheap online music after registering themselves and creating their own profiles on websites. credit:articlebiz

Free Up & Comming Songs

2008-05-31T06:19:00.000-07:00

All I Know feat. Astrid Suryanto

Falling feat. Astrid Suryanto (Acoustic Mix)

Into The Cosmos

Landline

All Need - HALO VARGA MIXES

Drifting into View

The Dave Matthews Band CD Weekend On The Rocks

2008-05-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

Not sure what’s happening with me on this one, but it seems like the more I listen to it, the better Weekend On The Rocks gets. Weekend On The Rocks put simply is one of their best CDs to date.

Dave Matthews Band have been a super stars in the Rock genre for quite some time now and Weekend On The Rocks is an excellent illustration as to why.

Weekend On The Rocks has a pleasantly varied, mix of 17 tracks that are very well written and brilliantly performed songs by these clearly outstanding musicians. Most of the songs display a lot of the kind emotion that makes for a really great listen. Clearly drawing from what I can only imagine are their own real life experiences. At different points touching on the most real emotions of love, and the pain of failed relationships can certainly be heard.

If you’re a Dave Matthews Band fan, or just a fan of Rock music this is a CD your collection simply should not be without.

While the entire CD is really very good the truly standout tunes are track 3 - disc 1 - Time Of the Season, track 7 - disc 1 - Hunger For The Great Light, and track 9 - disc 2 - Everyday.

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 - disc 1 - The Stone. Great track!

Weekend On The Rocks Release Notes:

Dave Matthews Band originally released Weekend On The Rocks on November 29, 2005 on the RCA Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

DISC 1: 1. The Stone 2. American Baby 3. Time Of The Season 4. Say Goodbye 5. #34 6. Steady AS We Go 7. Hunger For The Great Light 8. Bartender DISC 2: 1. Don't Burn The Pig 2. You Never Know 3. Stand Up (For It) 4. #41 5. Stolen Away On 55th & 3rd 6. Smooth Rider 7. Halloween 8. Louisiana Bayou 9. Everyday

Dave Matthews Band: Dave Matthews (vocals, guitar); Boyd Tinsley (vocals, violin); Leroi Moore (vocals, horns); Carter Beauford (vocals, drums); Stefan Lessard (bass instrument). Additional personnel include: Robert Randolph (pedal steel guitar).

Music Download Sites are Affordable and Convenient

2008-05-20T09:34:00.000-07:00

Music download sites provide an affordable way to download mp3 music from the internet. All you need is a personal computer with a fast internet connection. You can burn the downloaded music to the compact disc or dvd. Listen to your favorite songs where ever and when ever you want.

It is more convenient for music stores to operate on internet. Online storage is much cheaper than the physical storage. Payment handling is also secure, fast, safe and convenient. Technology helps to increase efficiency and reduce overheads.

Competition increased as the number of music download sites rose. That resulted in easing the prices to a great extent. It became very affordable to download mp3 music from the internet rather than purchasing from a local store.

Downloading music also became very convenient due to small file size of mp3 file format. It gives the compact disc quality of sound. Thus mp3 became the popular file format choice. All major companies adopted it.

Apple iTunes and Amazon are the leading music download sites. They charge per download fees. Gives you freedom to get the song of your choice instead of buying a full album. Other major players are Yahoo, MSN and Napster among many others. They also offer monthly memberships.

Movie download websites give an economical way to download movies from the internet. No need to go to a local store to buy a cinema. You must have a personal computer with a sufficient storage capacity. A broadband internet connection is must. Do not waste your time and money on a slower connection. You can burn the downloaded movie on a compact disc or dvd.

Amazon Unbox and Movie Link are the leading movie download websites. They have per movie download charges. Cinema Now, Use Next and Movies Capital provide movie download service against monthly subscription charges. Credit: Jayshree Shah

Free and Paid was to Learn How to Play Guitar Online

2008-05-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

You no longer have to take private lessons to learn to play the guitar. Thanks to the Internet, and new video technology you can learn to play guitar online. How ever it might not be as straight forward as you'd like it to be. There are a lot of options for where you get your lessons from. In this article I'm going to give you the cut and dry options of free, paid, and downloaded guitar lessons. After reading this article you should be able to make your own decision about where to learn how to play guitar online.

Free Guitar Lesson Videos

Thanks to all of the video sharing websites on the web now there are thousands of people sharing different tips and lessons on the guitar. These range from probably one to ten minutes in length. This is a great way if you're looking to learn something straight forward, such as a new chord or a particular song. How ever as a beginner guitar player it can be difficult. You don't know exactly what you need to learn, and you won't find any sort of learn this then that plan. I'd suggest staying away from free videos if you're a beginner.

Downloaded guitar lessons and Ebooks

Better then free videos guitar lessons ebooks and video courses are structured to the extent that they have a lesson plan. They teach you the right things in the correct order. The downfall to this format of lesson is they often lack depth. Meaning you can learn the basics, chords, how to read tab, and strumming but you won't get an advanced education of how to play guitar. These lessons are great for beginners to get started fast, and for those that just want to learn to play popular songs. They're also reasonably inexpensive.

Video Guitar Lesson Memberships

The best alternative to learn how to play guitar online is by subscribing to an online video guitar lessons membership websites. These sites charge you an monthly, quarterly, or annual fee to access their entire archive of lessons, which are usually top notch HD recorded videos by professional guitar instructors.

The big benefits here are:

Lesson plans from beginner to advanced
Different styles of lessons (blues, jazz, rock, metal)
Lots of content available all the time
Low cost for access to a lot of information

If you want to learn guitar the right way and learn to read music, play scales, etc. Then online membership sites are the best alternative. They'll offer the most current content, and allow you to keep learning as they add new lessons and information to their members area.

Credit:www.amazines.com

The Donell Jones CD Where I Wanna Be

2008-05-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

Talented Rock artist Donell Jones has released him latest CD on the LaFace recording label, entitled Where I Wanna Be.

It's a rare day indeed that I get a CD from an artist that I can truthfully say does not have a bad track in the bunch. I'm more than happy to announce that’s exactly what I must say about this one. There simply is NOT a bad one in the bunch. No fillers here at all, with each song standing tall on it's own.

These days it’s a very rare CD on which every single song is good or better than the one before it. This CD is certainly one of those rare CDs.

If you’re a Donell Jones fan, or just a fan of Rock music this is a CD your collection simply should not be without.

While the entire album is outstanding some of my favorites are track 3 - Where I Wanna Be, track 8 - Think About It, and track 13 - U Know What's Up - (bonus track, featuring Left-Eye)

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 - U Know What's Up. It’s a great track!

Where I Wanna Be Release Notes:

Donell Jones originally released Where I Wanna Be on October 12, 1999 on the LaFace label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. U Know What's Up 2. Shorty (Got Her Eyes On Me) 3. Where I Wanna Be 4. Have You Seen Her 5. This Luv 6. All Her Love 7. It's Alright 8. Think About It (Don't Call My Crib) 9. He Won't Hurt You 10. Pushin' 11. I Wanna Luv U 12. When I Was Down 13. U Know What's Up - (bonus track, featuring Left-Eye)

Personnel includes: Donell Jones (vocals, various instruments, drum programming); Eddie Ferrell, Darren Lightly (various instruments); Sheldon Goode (acoustic guitar); Serban Ghenea (electric guitar); Tomi Martin (guitar); Kyle West (keyboards); Omar Phillips (percussion); Wesley Hogges, Scott Gaddy (drum programming); Left-Eye.

Producers: Donell Jones, Eddie "Eddie F." Ferrell, Darren Lightly, Wesley Hogges, Eric Williams.

Engineers include: Mike Alvord, Rich Keller, Andrew Cardenas.

Credit:www.amazines.com/

Robyn New CD Review

2008-05-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

Known primarily for her 1997 top ten hit in the US, Robyn has grown into a hard hitting dance music mastermind with strange, tough lyrics and her own label.

Swedish pop’s reining queen, Robyn, releases her self titled album this week in the United States. The new CD features international smash “With Every Heartbeat” and comes out three years after its release in the rest of the world.

While unfamiliar to many on these shores, it’s hard to call Robyn’s new CD a debut or even a comeback, even though technically it could be considered both.

Stateside, top 40 followers may remember Robyn from her sugar sweet 1997 top ten single “Show Me Love” (not to be confused with Robin S who had short-lived success in the early 1990’s with a song of the same name).

Robyn emerged at the same time as Britney Spears. But instead of following the planned pop prescription, Robyn scrapped a planned tour with the Backstreet Boys, (Spears took the slot) dumped a record deal with Jive (Spears inked a deal) and headed out on her own.

Max Martin, who produced Robyn’s debut, went on to produce Spears’ Baby…One More Time, which sold a gazillion copies and made the Spears a household name. Meanwhile, Robyn had a handful of hits in her native country, but quickly faded into obscurity in the US.

Bionic Woman

After going indie, the platinum blonde recreated her image based on a hairdo made popular by the Thompson Twins, started own record label ‘Konichiwa’and produced music she wanted to make.

Teaming up with a group of experimental producers and songwriters including The Knife, The Teddybears and Kleerup, Robyn produced one of the best electronic dance albums of 2005.

Late last summer, club smash “With Every Heartbeat”, a remix performed with Kleerup from that album, became a radio hit and topped the charts in the UK, followed by the release of her album.

Follow up singles “Be Mine” and “Handle Me” dominated the UK top 40 throughout the rest of the year and latest single “Who’s That Girl”, her collaboration with The Knife, has begun a steady climb up the charts.

Konichiwa Bitches

Mixing swooping 80’s synths and hard beats, intelligent, hard-hitting lyrics and tracks ready for the floor, Robyn pulls more punches than many of her contemporaries.

Like Madonna, Robyn deals a lot with sex in her songs, her way. “You be the girl and I'll be the guy / Let's pretend everything has changed / and then would you love me any different” she asks in “Who’s That Girl”. And like The American pop music icon, Robyn proves time and again she won’t easily fulfill a predetermined conception and won’t be pushed around.

Unlike Madonna, however, Robyn rarely hits listeners over the head with her toughness – she’s subtly strange. “Handle Me” a bouncy guitar-pop track contains one of the best kiss-off lines ever recorded: “but you're a selfish narcissistic psycho freaking bootlicking Nazi creep and you can't handle me”.

On “Bum Like You” a catchy Euro-dance track, Robyn sings about the bad boyfriend. But instead of dissing the guy, she stoically sings “You're always up to no good / Your fingers in my cookie jar … You could be my dog / I would push your bail bonds when cash was tight /We could fall in love”.

Every track from this album contains the potential to become a monster smash if radio and other music outlets give it even half the chance it deserves.

It may only be April, but this CD warrants a spot on the best of 2008 list.

Cobrastyle

Things come full circle for the talented artist. Robyn recently hit the top ten in the US as backing vocalist for the Britney Spears track “Piece of Me”. Now Universal Music Group has picked up the American distribution of her album.

Robyn releases her self-titled album on April 29. Unfortunately Madonna releases Hard Candy on the same day.

Robyn is currently on a short North America tour

Credit: Jame W. Coates at electro-music.suite101.com

Madonna Hard Candy New CD Review

2008-05-20T09:02:00.000-07:00

Step into Madonna's Candy Shop and discover why at 50, the former Material Girl's incredible beat goes on.

After a career that has spanned 25 years, multiple sound directions, Grammy’s, films and an induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Madonna delivers “Hard Candy”, her 11th studio album.

Where in the past she has strived to re-invent herself, creating new trends and catapulting young producers into the limelight along the way, on this album Madonna treads a safer, more US radio-friendly route.

Devil Wouldn't Recognize You

After the brainier acoustic-electronica on American Life and the continuous disco romp of Confessions on a Dancefloor failed to set American radio ablaze, Madonna had a choice to make: cease ignore pop culture and truly push the limits or bow to the hip-hop scene and rule the charts in the US once again.

On Hard Candy, she succeeds at doing both, to some degree.

"4 minute" lead the world to believe that Madonna was another has-been trying to establish herself among the young set that pop music caters to. The hip hop influence worked – the track went top 3 in the US and number 1 in the UK.

But this track does not necessarily set the tone for the rest of the album. Hard Candy has sugary layers of hip hop covering a pure dance-oriented core, somewhat like a jawbreaker.

She's Not Me

“My sugar is raw / Sticky and sweet” she belts on opening track “Candy Shop”; unfortunately some of the candy has an early expiry date. She teams up with Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Nate 'Danja' Hills and Pharrell Williams who rule the charts today much like Madonna did back in her 80’s heydays. Together they seem like a match made in heaven, but like most start studded collaborations, the results often sound sour.

The contrived “Dance 2night” filled with Timbaland’s familiar pseudo funk and a bored Justin Timberlake as well as lead single “4 Minutes” contain far too much producer and too little Madonna. Kanye West guests on the disposable “Beat Goes On” sounding as coy as ever with a rhyme about his favorite subject, himself.

And after years of churning out cherished faux-Latin tracks on her own (Who’s That Girl, La Isla Bonita) Madonna could have dispensed with Williams’ interference on “Spanish Lesson”; it sounds like it was written by a grade-schooler.

Incredible Beat Goes On

“Give It 2 Me”, the best mélange of dance and hip hop featuring heavy beats and strange floating synths has Madonna chanting “I can go on and on”. No one will ever deny her that.

The true heart of this record hovers around dance tracks such as the fun “Incredible” and the mirror ball danceathon “Heartbeat”. Both cuts stand out as Madonna anthems along the lines of “Vogue” and “Holiday”.

While rare, Madonna has at times poured her story into her music. Like A Prayer and Ray of Light, two of her most beloved albums, were also her most intimate. “Miles Away” the most intimate track on this album, details her long-distance relationship with her husband, “You always love me more when you’re miles away / I guess we’re at our best when we’re miles away”.

“Voices” closes the candy shop with one of the most haunting pieces of music Madonna has produced since working with William Orbit. Swooping strings over a dark drum, Madonna longs to hear an answer. “Are you walking that dog…is that dog walking you” she confronts the confused lover. A perfect ending to an imperfect album. Credit: dancetechnomusic.suite101.com

Portishead prove that even after a ten year gap between albums, they haven't lost any of their bitterness.

2008-05-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

It’s been 11 years since Portishead released their first two albums. Back then the world was a dark, strange place. On Third, Portishead prove that the clouds still haven’t lifted and their world remains a brooding place inhabited by haunting noises and film noir soundtracks.

Radio doesn’t exist in this world, and the team of Geoff Barrow, Beth Gibbons and Adrian Utley who co-wrote all but two songs on the album, drift along on a plane of dreary aloofness sounding like no one else, sometimes not even sounding like themselves.

Machine Gun Silence

“Deep Water”, a melancholy acoustic tale of longing and self-doubt, strums along to the tune of a banjo and an elfish-sounding Gibbons, until a bluesy backing chorus, performed by The Somerfield Workers Choir, pipes in giving the song an even sadder resonance. The short track, only 1:30 of dreary bliss, jaggedly ends, replaced by a full on techno assault of “Machine Gun”.

Lead single from Third, “Machine Gun”, proves that even Portishead can make a drum machine sound eerie and evasive. Where Dummy and Portishead provided the soundscape for dinner parties and late night tweak lounges, Third soundtracks the dismay and disorder seen nightly on the news. Harsh technology swallows Gibbons’ haunted-angel vocals then spits them out twisted and distorted.

Most of the songs on the album deal with doom and gloom with no hope for a brighter future. “Small” channels the pain of losing a loved one due to foolish actions. “I try to understand, but you’re just a man open to see, blinded like me.” Moody and atmospheric, Portishead’s music continues to have a soundtrack feel to it, without the accompanying images.

To say that the band has remained in a self-created rut would be an injustice. Classic Portishead elements remain intact, however, the band has evolved its sound. “Magic Door” sounds more retro rock than electronic. Deep drums, loud keyboards and the brooding voice of a scorned Gibbons singing “I can’t divide my heart from me, I don’t know who I’m meant to be, I guess it’s just the person that I am”, sounds more contemporary than anything the band has ever produced.

The Rip of Plastic Threads

The whole album, from opening track “Silence” to closer “Threads” sounds like it has swallowed a bottle of downers. Filled with themes of longing, searching, a desire to be someone else - this album covers the gamut of trouble, unfulfilled relationships, dreams and desires. “Whenever I take a choice it turns away”, Gibbons moans in “Threads”. This introspective disc sounds perfect on a rainy Saturday night, alone with a bottle of wine and a broken heart.

Stand out tracks include “Hunter” a track sinking knee deep in bitter emotions, self wondering and a longing for recognition. “The Rip”, a somber introspective track, echoes the acoustic guitar electro that Goldfrapp has recently adopted. “Plastic” sounds the most like Portishead of old with its stylish sixties film noir sound.

Though the wait was long, Third more than makes up for the 11 year gap between albums. Portishead has emerged free of its trip hop label and instead concentrates on music that defies definition.

Steinway Piano: Through The Years

2008-05-16T16:19:00.000-07:00

All pianos are the same, right? They all have 88 keys, some black and some white, a couple of pedals and a bench. But no, that's not all. Not all instruments are held to the same standards as a Steinway piano and it is for this reason that they are so popular. Solid craftsmanship and innovation are the backbone of the company. So what exactly is it that makes this instrument so special? A look into the evolution of the instrument and the company will tell you.

Family. History. Tradition. Craftsmanship. Innovation. These are the main elements that make up a Steinway piano.
A Story of Success

Henry Engelhard Steinway was a cabinetmaker born in Germany where he built his very first piano in his kitchen. As an immigrant in Manhattan, he formed the company Steinway & Sons in 1853. The first instrument sold under the company name went for $500, a mere portion of what they are worth today. With his five sons, Henry went on to develop one of the most requested and revered pianos in the world. Royalty and accomplished musicians alike prefer this instrument above all others.

Over the years, Henry and his sons developed and improved on their Steinway piano. They won awards and accolades world wide. When Henry died in 1871, his sons continued the family business and kept the tradition of making quality instruments. It wasn't long before manufacturing plants were opened in London and Germany. Illustrating their drive for innovation, the family owns 114 patents, one of which is for a concert grand design.

The Product

Approximately 5,000 pieces are built each year and each one takes about a year to complete. With every style, each component is made from the best materials and each lends to the unique sound and design of the instrument.

The instruments are made of different woods to attain the strength and the sound, as well as the beauty each instrument is known for. Eastern rock maple is sliced into 18 layers 3/16 of an inch thick and is used for the rim of the grand piano while spruce is used for the Diaphragmatic soundboard because of its superior acoustic qualities. These are just a few of more than a thousand details in construction and design that make a Steinway unique to any other instrument. No component is used until it has been through rigorous quality control measures.

As a result of the dedication to quality workmanship and materials, the Steinway is the preferred instrument to around 90% of concert pianists who perform worldwide. While other companies mass produce their instruments, it is evident that people are willing to wait for quality. With only 5,000 being produced a year, they do not sit in the showroom for long. And, while they may be more expensive than their mass-produced counterparts, the old saying is really true- "you get what you pay for." It also goes to show what a hard-working family can accomplish when they don't compromise on their dreams. Because of their continual development in pianos, we get to enjoy some of the most beautiful music in the world.
Credit: www.articledashboard.com

Review Of The Jim Brickman Cd Visions Of Love

2008-05-16T16:17:00.000-07:00

The exceptionally talented Jazz artist Jim Brickman has released him CD entitled Visions Of Love. I am very confident and happy to announce that I believe Jim Brickman fans, and Jazz fans alike will be pleased with this one. With the release of Visions Of Love Jim Brickman’s artistic excellence is on full display as Brickman has once again delivered a brilliant collection of tracks that could very well be him best work to date.

I wish it weren’t the case but, it’s not everyday that I get a CD from an artist that I can just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. There is usually a song or two that I just can’t force myself to get through. Not at all the case with Visions Of Love. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.
Visions Of Love is a nicely varied, mix of 12 tracks that are very well written songs by this clearly superb artist. Most of the songs display a lot of the kind emotion that makes for a really great listen. Seemingly drawing from what I can only imagine are him own real life experiences. At different points touching on the most real emotions like love, heartbreak, pain, failed relationships and unattainable romance. They’re all here.

If you’re a Jim Brickman fan, or just a fan of Jazz music this is a CD your collection simply should not be without.

While the entire CD is outstanding some of my favorites are track 2 - After All These Years, track 11 - My Heart Belongs To You, and track 12 - We Live For Love

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 - That’s What I’m Here For. Outstanding!

Visions Of Love Release Notes:

Jim Brickman originally released Visions Of Love on July 14, 1998 on the Windham Hill Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. That's What I'm Here For - (with David Grow) 2. After All These Years - (with Anne Cochran) 3. One Heart One Love - (with Phil Perry) 4. Still In Love - (with Larry Stewart) 5. Partners In Crime - (with Dave Koz) 6. Your Love - (with Michelle Wright) 7. Like Love - (with Phillip Ingram/Marilyn Harris) 8. Getting Over You - (with Janis Ian) 9. Shower The People - (with Amanda Upchurch) 10. Gift, The - (with Collin Raye/Susan Ashton) 11. My Heart Belongs To You - (with Peabo Bryson) 12. We Live For Love - (with Stephen Bishop)
Credit:www.articledashboard.com/

Review Of The Jay-z Cd Volume 2 Hard Knock Life

2008-05-16T16:14:00.000-07:00

The exceptionally talented Rap artist Jay-Z has released him CD entitled Volume 2 Hard Knock Life. I am very confident and happy to announce that I believe Jay-Z fans, and Rap fans alike will be pleased with this one. With the release of Volume 2 Hard Knock Life Jay-Z’s artistic excellence is on full display as Jay-Z has once again delivered a brilliant collection of tracks that could very well be him best work to date.

Refreshingly, this was one of those CDs I was able to just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.Rap music fans will recognize some of the well known guests that have been assembled to play along with Jay-Z on several of the tracks. Artists like Jermaine Dupri and Kid Capri just to name a couple.

Listen to this CD and I believe you’ll find there's not much to dis-like about it. The songs are inspired, the production is simply outstanding, and Jay-Z is clearly in top form. So much so that if you're even mildly into Rap music you'll enjoy this CD.

While the entire CD is outstanding the truly standout tunes are track 2 - Hard Knock Life, track 8 - Coming Of Age, and track 14 - Money Ain’t A Thang.

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 - Intro-Hand It Down. What a nice track!

Volume 2 Hard Knock Life Release Notes:

Jay-Z originally released Volume 2 Hard Knock Life on September 29, 1998 on the Def Jam label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Intro-Hand It Down - (featuring Memphis Bleek) 2. Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) 3. If I Should Die - (featuring Da Ranjahz) 4. Ride Or Die 5. Nigga What, Nigga Who (Originator 99) - (featuring Big Jaz) 6. Money, Cash, Hoes - (featuring DMX) 7. Week Ago, A - (featuring Too Short) 8. Coming Of Age (Da Sequel) - (featuring Memphis Bleek) 9. Can I Get A... - (featuring Amil/Ja Rule) 10. Paper Chase - (featuring Foxy Brown) 11. Reservoir Dogs - (featuring The Lox/Beanie Sigel/Sauce Money) 12. It's Like That - (featuring Kid Capri) 13. It's Alright - (bonus track, featuring Memphis Bleek) 14. Money Ain't A Thang - (bonus track, featuring Jermaine Dupri)

Personnel includes: Jay-Z (rap vocals); Wais, Half Dead, Big Jaz, Amil, Liz (vocals); Steven Jordan, Lil' Rob (various instruments); Jake Carter, Mike (guitar); Kid Capri (programming); Memphis Bleek, Da Ranjahz, DMX, Too Short, Ja Rule, Amil, Foxy Brown, Jermaine Dupri, The Lox, Beenie Siegel, Sauce Money. Producers include: Premier, Mark 45, Swizz Beats, Steven Jordan, Timbaland.

Engineers include: Eddie Sancho, Paul Falcon, Joe Quinde.
Credit: www.articledashboard.com

Essential and rules for guitarists

2008-05-16T10:10:00.000-07:00

Ten Commandments For Guitarists
1. LISTEN TO THE BIRDS That's where all the music comes from. Birds know everything about how it should sound and where that sound should come from. And watch hummingbirds. They fly really fast, but a lot of times they aren't going anywhere.
2. YOUR GUITAR IS NOT REALLY A GUITAR Your guitar is a divining rod. Use it to find spirits in the other world and bring them over. A guitar is also a fishing rod. If you're good, you'll land a big one.
3. PRACTICE IN FRONT OF A BUSH Wait until the moon is out, then go outside, eat a multi-grained bread and play your guitar to a bush. If the bush doesn't shake, eat another piece of bread.
4. WALK WITH THE DEVIL Old delta blues players referred to amplifiers as the "devil box." And they were right. You have to be an equal opportunity employer in terms of who you're bringing over from the other side. Electricity attracts demons and devils. Other instruments attract other spirits. An acoustic guitar attracts Casper. A mandolin attracts Wendy. But an electric guitar attracts Beelzebub.
5. IF YOU'RE GUILTY OF THINKING, YOU'RE OUT If your brain is part of the process, you're missing it. You should play like a drowning man, struggling to reach shore. If you can trap that feeling, then you have something that is fur bearing.
6. NEVER POINT YOUR GUITAR AT ANYONE Your instrument has more power than lightning. Just hit a big chord, then run outside to hear it. But make sure you are not standing in an open field.
7. ALWAYS CARRY YOUR CHURCH KEY You must carry your key and use it when called upon. That's your part of the bargain. Like One String Sam. He was a Detroit street musician in the fifties who played a homemade instrument. His song "I Need A Hundred Dollars" is warm pie. Another church key holder is Hubert Sumlin, Howlin' Wolf's guitar player. He just stands there like the Statue of Liberty making you want to look up her dress to see how he's doing it.
8. DON'T WIPE THE SWEAT OFF YOUR INSTRUMENT You need that stink on there. Then you have to get that stink onto your music.
9. KEEP YOUR GUITAR IN A DARK PLACE When you're not playing your guitar, cover it and keep it in a dark place. If you don't play your guitar for more than a day, be sure to put a saucer of water in with it.
10. YOU GOTTA HAVE A HOOD FOR YOUR ENGINE Wear a hat when you play and keep that hat on. A hat is a pressure cooker. If you have a roof on your house the hot air can't escape. Even a lima bean has to have a wet paper towel around it to make it grow.

Help find all the surviving music gear shops in the world

2008-05-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

I'm always talking about my name and citysake Tom Bugs, but his cool stuff always sells out within hours of being announced. Meanwhile, Squarewave Parade have a shop full of cool-looking things, like the Safeplace - a $59 handmade metal shaker with a contact mic inside it and a tone control on the outside, the Mole - a $229 filter based on the MS20, Downgrade - an analog pseudo bit reducer and Parade - a $44 kit with a circuit board and various pots, which is six squarewave oscillators to tweak together.
Credit:Tom Whitwell

Hip Hop girls

2008-05-01T03:33:00.000-07:00

Hip Hop girls

Have you seen a rap music video that does not have a beautiful and sexy lady? Guess not. There is actually no meaning of watching a rap music video or a hip hop video that does not have a sexy lady showing her moves. The artists know it, directors know it, producers know it - in short, everybody knows it. Therefore, in most of the rap videos, sexy ladies appear to make the videos attractive. The ladies of such are known as hip hop models. They are the heart of the videos. They are the souls. Other names of hip hop models are eye candy, video vixens and hip hop honeys; the models are as catchy as the names suggest.

Not only in rap videos, hip hop models appear in magazines, calendars and other forms of media, giving pleasure to the men of all age. You may be a teenager or an old man; it does not matter; hip hop girls will burn down yours eyes, your heart, your pulses and your feelings. After watching a video, if you feel that you should watch it again, it means, the hip hop girls did a great job there.

Hip hop models have sweet bodies, sexy acts and eye catching body shapes. In the modern world of attractiveness, hip hop girls make huge impact in selling products, promoting businesses, popularizing music videos etc. Some hip hop models only focus on print media such as magazines and calendars while some only appear only in the hip hop videos.

Hip hop models actually appear in the videos just to show, what they are capable of. They use the music videos as their launching pad and as a way to get noticed so that they can pursue a career in entertainment industry. If they do well in the initial video, directors from all over the country contact them to sign up for the next movies of TV shows. The better the moves, higher the rate!

Over the last few years, the hip hop modeling industry has become popular and complete. Trainers are available now, who teaches the moves a hip hop model needs to make during the videos. Agents are also there to take care of the new models as well. As it has become a complete industry, more and more ladies are coming to test their luck as a hip hop model. As a result, you and I are watching sexy videos, when ever a hip hop or a rap song is seen on video channels.

However, some people of the mainstream say that hip hop models basically represent negative subservient images. Some critics also accuse hip hop models for causing falsification of the mainstream models. Well, who cares what they say? Believe it or not, many established mainstream models and movie starts started their career as hip hop models. Eva Mendes is one example. She did couples of rap videos before she got a chance to prove her merits in the mainstream media. Look, where is she now. Credit to : Dwayne6699 Adams6699

Music Choices On The Internet

2008-04-30T18:50:00.000-07:00

The internet is filled with all sorts of information that a music lover would love to have. They might truly enjoy having the latest music selections on their handheld devices and know that they can enter any music site on the internet and download their music selections in a matter of minutes. The access to the world of music does not end with this task, but only serves to make accessing music more pleasurable.

Fans will truly be pleasured when they are able to hear the latest album of their favorite music group. Some people can only listen to bits and pieces of an album, but music listeners that use the internet are given pristine access to music clips, music videos and even interviews that their favorite artist participated in at some point in their career.

Fans are more in touch with the people that make the music because of the access that the internet affords them to those people. Fans can download album covers and use them as art on the walls of their home, and to help personalize the cover of a compact disk that they copied that is filled with their favorite music artist's product. They know that the online music stores give music artists the credit they deserve and all the royalties that come from each music download a fan makes on the internet.

The music choices that are available on the internet are not limited to only music files. Fans can search for audio books that were written to glorify the life of rock legends or the people that mastered hip hop music. Every piece of music has a story behind it. Music fans feel good about having access to the fine little details that go with creating music.

Music artists can share their thoughts and tell fans how their music careers got started. They can share their trials and tribulations that they experienced on the road during a world tour. A music artist can share some inner thoughts that run very deep and fans can learn how a music artist dealt with a drug addiction or a disabling disease. The choices in music on the internet run deep at times but are always retrievable when a fan uses an internet search engine.

People place more value in buying music from an internet music store because they get more for their money. A land-based music store can only offer a few posters and a music selection on compact disk. A music fan online can learn about the artist, buy the music and share it with friends by attaching it to an email. They can also use the music downloads to customize their music listening pleasure at any time. Credit to : Jim Brown

DON’T STOP THE MUSIC

2008-04-30T18:40:00.000-07:00

It’s been a rough few years for the music business. The rise of illegal file-sharing networks like Napster and Kazaa and legal music download services like iTunes and the new Napster has all but utterly destroyed the old business model. Label and brand loyalty seems to be going the way of the dodo. If music fans can download their tunes a song at a time to their cell phones, without even bothering to take in a whole album, why should they bother with the concerted efforts of an entire label?
But every change brings with it new opportunities, and the latest digital music revolution is no exception. An Australian mobile marketing services company is ready to capitalize on the digital music world using a piece of technology that, until now, has been the nemesis of the Old Music model—the mobile phone.
BroadcasterMedia, an Australia-based mobile marketing services company that specializes in ongoing, graphics-rich mobile content, can set up a personal communication channel for music brand users, reachable by an SMS number. The number can appear anywhere—billboards, bus stop shelters, music websites and online bulletin boards, confirmation e-mails for music downloads. Like the best guerrilla marketing, the number doesn’t sell more songs directly; it gets customers to agree to receive content from the label.
Users who text the number can download the hottest news from the label, browse music catalogues, play online games, and enter contests with music and memorabilia as prizes. The BroadcasterMedia system develops an online community on users’ cell phones—continuously evolving and self-updating, giving users the sense that they can not only carry their music with them no matter where they go, they can take the world that produced that music, too. Forget fashion labels—music labels could be the next lifestyle statement.
“Consumers like to feel they are part of an exclusive club and that feeling results in brand loyalty,” BroadcasterMedia CEO Tammy Halter explained in a company press release. “Whether they are waiting for a bus, are on a train or at the beach, consumers want to be able to instantly check what's new from your company.”
Content providers as diverse as Toyota (download info on the entire fleet with one SMS) and Ohio theme parks (roller coaster line lengths at teenagers’ fingertips), and Detroit Ignition (soccer stadium communication with the fans), have used the system to generate loyalty. It has even been used for charitable purposes—Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, the wildlife preservation foundation created by the late Steve Irwin of Crocodile Hunter fame, used it to develop a text-to-donate system. Its uniquely adaptable architecture makes it open to nearly all music fans, regardless of mobile service provider or handset manufacturer, around the world. Members can enter online forums, sign up for e-newsletters, and, of course, buy more music through the system.
The system also allows content providers to track what users do with the information they download—update it regularly, download video and audio, and forward to a friend. Think Information Age epidemiology. Credit to : Lily Steiner

Music is an Old Way of Life

2008-04-29T07:32:00.000-07:00

Percussion is the oldest form of music known to man. From the historic drum of the human heart to the archaic animal pelt drums of our ancestors, the primal beat of the drum stirs something ancient within our souls which can urge us on to dance, groove, or psyche us up to perform extraordinary feats.

The most prehistoric use of rhythm was to send our ancestors into a trance in order to procure a vision or reach a state of poetical flow to deliver stories of tribal lore and tales of life and to communicate over long distances between tribes. Not much has changed over the ages.

Although beats are now heard behind more modern and complicated instruments and covered with sonic production qualities from recording studios they have still maintained the same basic qualities and serve the same basic functions, to put us into a trance and achieve a poetical flow and to communicate over long distances. The poetical flow now takes the form of rap or singing, and the tales of life and "tribal lore" forms the lyrics. Long distance communication involves sending CD's over the world. But at the beating heart of the matter it's still the same as it was in the jungle.

So how can you use this information to create beats of your own?

Well keep in mind the basic fact that the beat is used to create a mood and feeling in the listener which will convey the emotion of the musicians.

The art of percussion is the art of manipulating time.

The rhythm of life is a powerful beat! Basically what you are trying to communicate through a beat is little pieces of transmitted life. As such, you have to capture life within you so that you can transmit it out through your music.

The only way to do this is to get out there! Experience life! Get yourself into as many situations as you can. Note how you feel, observe the beating of your heart when you are excited, when you are sad, when you are scared, when you are relaxed and happy.

Great musicians have the ability to create these same feelings in their listeners through their music.

Take your time!

As a percussionist you form the back bone of the song. As such, the soul that you put into your beat is going to radiate throughout the whole song.

If the same vibe is flowing through all the musicians the music will come out flowing and naturally. If there are disparate clashes of ego throughout the band perhaps it is time to regroup. Strongly opposite emotions are like to create clash within the music. Although sometimes this clash is the basis for the greatest music!

Basically the soundest advice is to put soul and life into your beats. These aspects radiate universally throughout the music into peoples hearts no matter what your level of technicality is.
Credit to Ant Onaf - 1articleworld.com

The place to go for best country music downloads!

2008-04-29T07:11:00.000-07:00

Listening to country music’s greatest hits could never be easier than it is today. All of the greatest country music songs and today’s hottest hits are all but a couple clicks away from you. No more having to go out and buy the CD or waiting to hear it on the radio. Now, with the help of this article, you’ll be able to find which sites provide the best country music downloads with the easiest access for you.

Don’t you hate it when you’re excited about a new CD that’s coming out, then you buy it and there are only a couple good of songs? With music downloads you no longer have to go through this grueling process anymore as you can simply select the songs or artists that interest you most and make a collaboration of your favorite country music downloads.

At MSN Music you can find everything country that will satisfy your needs. One of the many things they offer is the current top selling albums such as Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban’s Be Here, and Brooks and Dunn Greatest hits, plus many more. For a low price of $.99 per song you can download all of the top selling songs including alcohol by Brad Paisley, Keith Urban’s Days Go By, Who You’d Be Today by Keney Chesney, and Hundreds more. If that’s not enough for you, then click under the artists in demand link and view the top 100 country music artists in demand and view all of their accessible songs to download. All this and more can be found here:

http://music.msn.com/genre/?genre=29441771

Another site that is very much worth mentioning is MP3.com. Here you can find not only country music downloads, but also watch videos of an assortment of artists. This site helps you find a certain artist or song very quickly making it convenient. If you simply want to browse through a certain kind of country, they have different songs broken into different country styles such as alternative country, country-pop, honky tonk and more.

On the side of the main page they have classic country essentials such as Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Charlie Rich and more. As with MSN Music, you can search by artist or song to help find what you need quicker. Also similar to MSN Music is the price per song at $.99. This site can be viewed here:

http://www.mp3.com/country/genre/10/summary.html

There are sites out there that allow you to get country music downloads for “free”, but be careful with these sites. Many of these sites say they’re free, but will sucker you into buying other things or somehow get you signed up for buying CD’s and more. For instance, http://www.ez-tracks.com makes you sign up first by submitting your name, address, phone number, and more information.

Another site found at http://www.mpfree.com has you go through several steps to sign up. Included in the steps is personal information such as name and address, you have to set up an
account with a password, then there are two or three pages of advertisements that you have to go through and select if you’re interested or not.

So while it may seem cheaper and worth the time to attempt to find country music downloads for free, you may want to investigate and try some things out before going into that.

There are millions of sites out there offering country music downloads and they’re all waiting for you. I have provided a few of the better sites in my opinion to get you started. Now it’s your turn to go and begin putting together a list of your favorite country music songs.

Credit to Kiran Sharma - 1articleworld.com

Blues Guitar

2008-04-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

Many years ago, for the first time ever live to an audience, Bob Dylan took his steps on the stage and began to play his electric guitar. He was completely, taken with his play and ignored the reaction of the audience to the obnoxious rock music. He continued plugging in and playing. His act was such a revolution of the music's world. That event occupied the front pages of all the newspapers that time. Based on the few differences between it and the blues music, the elder blues musicians listening to him caused the leaving of acoustic blues guitar in the dust.

Back in Chicago in the 1930's or so there was a movement that was growing. Many of the blues musicians that had played their time in the Mississippi delta area were now bringing their brand of acoustic blues guitar music to Chicago and it was met with enthusiasm. Muddy Waters and Son House were huge stars in Chicago and they would play that acoustic blues guitar until people were just going wild. Then along came musicians like Howling Wolf who put aside the acoustic blues guitar and picked up the electric guitar and soon the days of the acoustic blues guitar were numbered. Wolf and other artists started recording classic acoustic blues guitar hits on electric guitars and that was the music that got out to the people. Soon Son House and the others were relics and Robert Johnson and that famous picture of him and his acoustic blues guitar became treasured pieces of the past.

For many years the electric guitar ruled the blues world and the Jimi Hendrix decided to record a short movie of himself playing and acoustic blues guitar and for just a little while we got to hear as close to the modern equivalent of those old classics that we will hear. As Jimi fired through Here My Train A Comin' it was just like being on the delta near the turn of the century when Robert Johnson would travel from small bar to small bar just to make a living playing his guitar. It was a great time that is lost forever.

The acoustic guitar gets its due once in a while on blues and rock records but it will never be a main instrument like it used to be all of those years ago. The sound can never be mistaken and the music played on it was right from the heart and we will never hear music played like that ever again.

Credit to John Libbo-1articleworld.com

Tips on Playing Blues Guitar Chords and Rhythm

2008-04-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

My favorite chords are blues chords. While some of them may be a little more complicated, you can really get a groove going with them

O= Play string.

X= Don't play string.

Most common blues guitar chordsl have the same name tag of seven. These are known as dominant seventh chords. They sound great when played together and give you a great deal of possibilities. You can also play a G7 chord by moving your finger from the third fret to the first fret on the high E string. It will expect you to change your fingering. Strumming patterns for blues are usually fast in pace. To do this, we need to keep things simple and rhythmic. Here is a great strumming pattern to learn:

Down Down Up Up Down

Change things up a bit and try alternating the up and down strums. Keep practicing them and you'll be well on your way. You'll find that I used a lot of rest in-between chords. These little pauses can be handled moving your fingers somewhat off the fretboard and discontinue strumming at the same time. You can stop strumming for that short moment and pick right back up again without breaking the pattern.

This will be challenging at first but you will soon grow into it. In musical language, it can be described as a "shuffle" feel.

Soloing Strategies

When playing blues, you may experience a problem where everything you play begins to sound similar. You may find that you continually revert back to what you know. In other words, you're playing in a box. Here are some helpful hints to help you avoid this problem.

First, go purchase some blues guitar backing tracks. You can get professional tracks from companies such as 50Blues. Start off with playing short bursts of music that last for roughly 10 seconds. These short "Bursts" should sound like a solo. Vary the tempo and the pause time in between these short rests.

Secondly, try key changes. Move into a new key and incorporate the techniques that you are already acquainted with. Use dynamics. Going from something soft to something hard really has a great effect and will develop your brain to think outside of the box. I also suggest that you learn how to play 16th notes and 32nd notes in quick succession so you will be as equally prepared to play the fast notes as you are the slow notes.

Focus in on your right hand and insure that you give it a good work out everyday by using alternative picking and rapid picking techniques. I urge you to focus in on that last tip. Stop looking at your left and right hand as two separate entities. Rather, look at them as one. You may notice that when you strum hard with your right hand, your left hand becomes tense even though it's just holding a simple chord.

A problem like that can lead to serious health problems in the future such as carpal tunnel syndrome. To avoid that, practice playing with your left hand relaxed while your right hand strums. This will also increase speed and help you to add texture to your blues solos.

Credit to Zack R- 1articleworld.com

Easy Songs On The Acoustic Guitar: Learn How To Play

2008-04-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

There is something deliciously special about playing acoustic guitar songs. If you try you will see. Just try to hold one and you will experience something special. Have you ever dreamed of being the one holding the guitar around the campfire and playing that song everyone is singing? You can be that person too. Just give it a go and you will see how magic and powerful it is to play the acoustic guitar. Having a dozen people around you at the beach on a full moon being mesmerized by the lyrical power of the musical notes you are playing on the acoustic guitar, is something you cannot put into words if you have not experienced it.

Most people who are drawn to acoustic guitars, but who have never played guitar, are a little star-struck by them. They sometimes believe that the guitar is much more than what it is. Being able to produce music seems like magic in a way. Music is such a powerful, universal language that it can be overwhelming to think that you could make that happen. Feeling this way can make people feel skittish with an acoustic guitar and treat it too gingerly.

If you have never tried playing acoustic guitar before, you can be somewhat impressed by its majesty. However, keep something simple in mind: learning how to play acoustic guitar is like learning a new language: it is definitely hard at the beginning, each step requiring time and dedication, but it is definitely achievable. Little by little you are gaining more confidence and the acoustic guitar will quite naturally become an extension of your hands, musical notes flowing right through it like words flowing through a poet.

Acoustic guitars were created to be played. There are a lot of easy songs you can start playing on your acoustic guitar even though you are beginner. Some people think that the best acoustic guitar songs are the ones that are easy to remember, others think that they are the ones that are easy to play. I personally think that you need a combination of both. Here are some of my favorite acoustic guitar songs for beginners:

Riders on the Storm by the Doors

Happy Christmas by John Lennon

Tangled Up in Blue by Bob Dylan

Sitting on the dock of the bay by Otis Redding

There are a myriad of other songs you can play from John Taylor, The Eagles Joni Mitchell or Jewell. Playing the acoustic guitar is magic: give in to your temptation and take the step today!

You will never regret it.

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