Category: Monday Music
New color scheme and blog changes.
As a first step in returning to regularly posting here, I have updated the color scheme of the blog (I was never particularly happy with the previous one – though this one may be a bit too blue-heavy).
As a second step in returning to regularly posting here, I have removed the “daily posts” link from the nav bar above. That also means that I’m dumping the idea of themed daily posts. It was fun while it lasted but it was inevitable that I would grow tired of the self-imposed restriction.
Instead, I’m going to make a point of posting something interesting every day when I get up. The topics will likely still be the same as my previous array of daily categories, but they just won’t be limited to the day of the week.
This will be the last official post in the daily categories. In the future, instead of “Wednesday Whine,” I will simply use a new “Whine” category. The same goes for all the others.
I’m sure there will be days when I’m too busy to post anything but I’ll try not to let that happen too often, as there’s almost always something interesting going on in the world that I want to comment about.
In case you’re curious: This blog receives about 12,000 unique visitors a month, so there are definitely plenty of readers out there. It’s down about 9% over the last 30 days so I hope to bring that number back up as I resume posting once again… which will be later today, after I eat lunch.
Until then, comment and let me know if there are any particular topics you enjoy reading my thoughts on.
TweetMONDAY MUSIC: Nine Inch Nails album Still is a Must-Listen for Fans
With many albums released online or packaged in special editions/multiple versions, even an artist’s biggest fans can inadvertently miss out on a song or album’s release. I’ve been a big Nine Inch Nails fan for around 15 years and only recently realized that I was missing out on a fantastic release from just a few years ago…
Nine Inch Nails album Still is a Must-Listen for Fans
The Fragile is my favorite Nine Inch Nails album so it shocked me to find that I had completely missed out on a The Fragile-era Nine Inch Nails release called Still, in which Trent Reznor performs “stripped down” versions of some of NIN’s best songs in addition to a few new ones.
According to wikipedia:
Reznor followed The Fragile with another remix album, Things Falling Apart, released after the 2000 Fragility tour, which itself was recorded and released on CD, DVD, and VHS in 2002 as And All that Could Have Been. A deluxe edition of the live CD came with the companion disc Still, featuring stripped-down versions of songs from the NIN catalog along with several new pieces of music.
I purchased The Fragile the day it came out. In fact, I bought it in a midnight release. I attended one of the concerts in the Fragility tour, which was the first time I had seen NIN live and was easily one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to. I also purchased And All that Could Have Been on DVD to relive that concert experience at home. Amongst all of that, I decided that since I owned the live DVD, I didn’t need to buy the live CD as well. Had I realized that Still was packaged with the live CD, I surely would have purchased it then. But only a recent browsing of the Nine Inch Nails web site led me to find out that I had been missing out on Still for several years.
This album is the closest thing around to Nine Inch Nails performing on MTV’s Unplugged. The songs are reduced to Trent Reznor’s vocals and a small assortment of instruments, with only a few digital tracks. It’s rare to hear NIN like this as so many of their songs are music-heavy with vocals taking a backseat.
Here’s the track list:
1. Something I Can Never Have
2. Adrift and At Peace
3. The Fragile
4. The Becoming
5. Gone, Still
6. The Day The World Went Away
7. And All That Could Have Been
8. The Persistence Of Loss
9. Leaving Hope
The end result is a Nine Inch Nails album that can be listened to when you’re in the mood for quiet music. I often put on Ghosts I-IV, their recent free instrumental release, when working on projects and now I will add Still to that rotation.
The NIN web site has Still for sale for just $9.99 without the live CD attached. Pick it up now.
TweetMONDAY MUSIC: MC Hammer concert at Universal Studios Mardi Gras – Review, Video, and Photos
(This is a repost from the Orlando Attractions Magazine blog)
Saturday night, April 4, 2009, I attended the MC Hammer show at Universal Studios’ Mardi Gras as my very first Mardi Gras concert experience. After hearing the horror stories of the massive crowds that showed up for Kelly Clarkson’s show last week, I was worried that I’d end up too far away from the stage to even see Hammer perform. Fortunately, it appears that MC Hammer isn’t nearly as popular as Kelly Clarkson, though I’d personally rather listen to ‘U Can’t Touch This’ ten times in a row than hear ‘Since U Been Gone’ even once.
When I arrived at the Universal Studios concert area at a little before 8p.m., here’s what the scene looked like:
There was plenty of room to walk around, sit on the fake grass, or stand near the stage and wait for the concer to begin. As night fell, the crowd began to get larger, with nearly everyone standing and inching closer to the stage by around 8:30p.m.
The Mardi Gras parade music began playing over the stage loudspeakers at 9:00p.m., though we couldn’t actually see the parade until 9:30p.m. After that passed by, a couple of Mardi Gras people came out on stage and threw beads into the crowd for 15 minutes or so. Finally, around 10:00p.m., it was time for MC Hammer to come out.
The atmosphere of this concert was very casual. Hammer casually strolled on stage with no introduction or theatrics. Once the DJ hit play on a backing track on his laptop, the show began and Hammer, along with a ton of background dancers, blazed through three or four songs that I didn’t recognize. Even so, it was a blast to see MC Hammer in person, dancing up a storm. He seemed very laid back and simply wanted to have fun with the performance. After all, it was in a theme park -- no need to take it too seriously! He was performing for park guests of all ages, which is not likely his typical audience.
Between songs, MC Hammer and the dancers walked around (or off) stage, resetting for the next track. Occasionally Hammer talked to the crowd, either introducing an upcoming song or saying how excited he was to be in Orlando. But at that point everyone close to the stage (includying myself) had been standing there for 2+ hours and were itching for some hit songs that we would actually recognize.
In that regard, Hammer did not disappoint. Ultimately his set list included “2 Legit 2 Quit”, “Pray”, “Pumps and a Bump”, and even “Addams Groove” from The Addams Family film soundtrack (a song I had forgotten ever existed but was happy to hear it live).
Before “Addams Groove,” Hammer introduced his son along with a large group of teenage dancers who pop-and-lock’ed through the entire song while Hammer took a spot in the background rapping the song’s lyrics.
But the song everyone wanted to hear is the one that MC Hammer is most famous for recording: “U Can’t Touch This.” At around 10:50p.m., the show came to a halt when Hammer came down off of the stage and headed toward the audience. He began personally selecting audience members, pulling them over barracades and telling them to walk up near the stage. After nearly ten minutes of silence and confusion by most of the audience, all of those selected (there must have been at least 100 people) were told to head up onto the stage:
Finally, Hammer joined them up on stage and made sure they all knew exactly what was about to happen by simply facing the on-stage crowd and uttering “My my my…” into the microphone, the opening words to “U Can’t Touch This.” The group began rapping back to him the first few lyrics, ensuring to him that they were ready.
What came next was a hilariously bizarre performance of “U Can’t Touch This,” which I bring you here for your viewing enjoyment:
This was definitely the highlight of the night, especially with the Hammer dance-offs / instructionals throughout the song. I’m quite jealous that I wasn’t in the right spot to get pulled up on stage.
Overall, this was one of the least serious concert experiences I have ever been to, but that’s what made it great fun. MC Hammer and his crew were clearly there to have a good time and involve a theme park audience in the performance. I’ve read some comments about this show that complained that it was unorganized, that Hammer wasn’t actually rapping, and that the recent Barenaked Ladies show at Universal Mardi Gras was much better. I have to disagree. This experience was all about seeing MC Hammer live and in person and nothing more. I grew up listening to Hammer’s music and to see him perform his hits live and Hammer-dance around the stage was something I thought I’d never get to do. I also listened to bits of the Barenaked Ladies show at Universal (they released an audio recording of it on their web site) and I thought they sounded like a bunch of amateur comedians rather than a band -- I’d rather see MC Hammer any day.
It was definitely Hammer Time in Orlando last night and I’m happy to say that I was there to witness it.
Listen to the very end Show #209 of Inside the Magic to hear a binaural recordings of two songs from the concert.
Here are a couple more photos I took at the concert:
MONDAY MUSIC: My Grammy Awards Performance Highlights
For me, the Grammy awards are never about the awards themselves (many of the artists/songs are either incorrectly categorized or nominated alongside incomparable acts). The unique performances are the real reason to watch the broadcast. This year, I felt like the performances were more miss than hit, but amongst the barrage of hip hop nonsense there were a few notable acts, so now I bring you…
My Grammy Awards Performance Highlights
I’m certainly not the only one putting my favorite 2009 Grammy performance moments online, but my list will likely be considerably shorter than most, as I only truly enjoyed four out of the twenty-something performances throughout the show. First…
The Not-So-Great Moments
I’ll probably get some flack for not being a U2 or Coldplay fan, but I don’t deny that I’m somewhat of a music snob. If I don’t like it, I’d rather it not exist. While I didn’t particularly mind either of those groups, I really could have done without Katy Perry, the Jonas Brothers (even with Stevie Wonder), Kid Rock, and the terrible foursome of Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, and T.I. The only good part about that performance was their supporting use of M.I.A. and I could have done without her bizarre “show the world I’m pregnant” shirt. I will admit that Kanye’s afro-mullet was rather amusing and the silver, sparkly outfits that he and Estelle were wearing as a duo went perfectly with their disco-influenced tune.
I really, really hate country music so Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, and Sugarland were all mute-worthy for me. I had never even heard of Adele before last night and didn’t really pay much attention to her (though I’m pretty sure she’s not a country singer). Taylor Swift was the least country of the country bunch and I might have enjoyed her performance if it wasn’t ruined by Miley Cyrus’ gritty really-close-but-not-quite-in-tune vocals. I’ll give Swift credit for being an actual musician and not just a corporate creation.
Flying under the radar were Justin Timberlake, Neil Diamond, and the twosome of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Timberlake seems like a likable and talented guy, but I lost interest as soon as T.I. began his endless and breathless stream of words that I’m pretty sure at one point included the phrase “fried chicken.” Timberlake’s earlier performance with Al Green, Keith Urban, and Boyz II Men was better, but still not something I particularly enjoyed.
Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” seemed to bore anyone under the age of 50, including me, though every time I see him I can’t help but laugh when thinking of Donald Faison’s excellent Diamond-inspired rendition of the Transformers theme song. Despite the facts that I do enjoy the occasional Led Zeppelin track and that Plant and Krauss won several major Grammys last night, I wasn’t thrilled by their performance either.
It was great that Jennifer Hudson could belt out the notes that she did after living through some terrible family tragedies last year, so I won’t say anything bad about her performance. That type of music just wasn’t made for me.
So what did I actually enjoy about the performances on the 2009 Grammys?
Paul McCartney with Dave Grohl
YES. The Beatles meets Nirvana/Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl returns to the drum kit and pounds the life out of it to an ordinarily calm Beatles classic. Is there anything more fulfilling? Relive it here:
Disclaimer: I’m a huge Nirvana fan, so seeing Grohl drum is always a treat for me. I attended a Foo Fighters concert in Atlanta, GA several years ago and was pleasantly surprised when he played the drums for a song or two. I never had the chance to see Nirvana live in concert, so it was the next best thing for me.
Anyway, just prior to this performance coming on, I had commented to my wife that there wasn’t nearly enough MUSIC being featured on the show. There were plenty of vocalists, rappers, and some backing bands, but it wasn’t until McCartney and Grohl got out there that we could finally enjoy some simple guitar/bass/drums rock and roll.
Radiohead featuring the USC Marching Band
I’m not a huge Radiohead fan, though I do enjoy most of their music, but this performance was excellent. I am supremely jealous of those college kids. Here it is:
That was an excellent use of a marching band, as it didn’t sound like a football game for one second. Instead, the song was well arranged and you could tell that each of those kids was having a blast performing it. Giving the snare players hi-hats was a good move, as it definitely decreased the typical snare-driven marching band sound. The horn section really rocked their parts.
The Four Tops with Ne-Yo and Jamie Foxx
I’m a sucker for oldies. I grew up listening to them with my father and love to see some of the originals still in action decades later. Ne-Yo and Jamie Foxx filled in nicely alongside the two remaining members of The Four Tops. In case you missed it:
The songs have certainly been played to death over the years, but nothing beats hearing some of the original singers belt it out.
Tribute to Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley was one of the greats and while I’m not sure I would have included John Mayer or Keith Urban in this tribute, it still worked. Buddy guy was good but B.B. King was the one that gave the tribute some authenticity, as he had actually played with Bo Diddley. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a video of this tribute online (yet), so here’s some classic Bo Diddley instead:
From the sound of those screaming girls, you’d think the Jonas Brothers were performing. How times change.
What were your favorite moments and performances from the 2009 Grammy Awards? Comment!
TweetMONDAY MEDIA: iTunes Guitar Tab Search Applescript
Occasionally, I like to sit down in front of my Mac and play guitar along with music playing through iTunes. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to play every song that iTunes’ shuffle decides to pick and I need to find a guitar tab to help me learn. After a couple of hours of failed online searching, I customized my own…
iTunes Guitar Tab Search AppleScript
In looking for a simple AppleScript that would search the web for a guitar tab for whatever song I was currently listening to in iTunes, I first found the OLGA Tabulature Search over at dougscripts.com. Unfortunately, that script hasn’t been updated since 2003 and the On-Line Guitar Archive (OLGA) has been offline for quite some time due to numerous legal issues.
So I decided to revise this script and turn it into:
DOWNLOAD: Guitar Tab Search & Guitar Tab Search Next (ZIP file of two AppleScripts)
“Guitar Tab Search” will take whatever song you’re currently listening to in iTunes (or whatever song is highlighted if no song is playing) and search ultimate-guitar.com for it. It uses that site’s advanced search to limit the results to guitar tabs and chord files only. It also includes both the artist name and song title in the search to eliminate other versions of the song from showing up.
“Guitar Tab Search Next” extends the functionality of “Guitar Tab Search” one step further, automatically telling iTunes to skip to the next song before pulling up the new tab. This script allows you to quickly activate it when you grow tired of playing a song or want to skip one that iTunes selects and just move on to the next one easily.
Making It Even Easier
I quickly realized that I didn’t want to mess around with clicking between iTunes and a web browser just to play a new song and pull up a new tab using the above scripts. To make the whole process even easier, I installed the “lite” (free) version of FastScripts. This menubar extra allows you to assign keyboard shortcuts to scripts, letting you launch them from within any program.
And here’s how I set it up:
Now, when I’m sitting in Safari reading a tab and decide that I’m ready for the next song to play, I just hit control-option-command-right arrow to launch “Guitar Tab Search Next”, which tells iTunes to skip to the next track and pulls up the online tab listing for that song. It’s a very simple and quick way to play along with a lot of songs with very little effort. You can customize that keyboard shortcut to anything you want. For one-handed use, I recommend option-command-z or option-command-/
The Fine Print
Since this solution utilizes AppleScript, you must be on a Mac to use it. Sorry Windows users.
This particular script set also is specific to using Safari to pull up the tabs. I would have used Firefox, but its AppleScript support is poor and it would open a new window every time the script ran rather than just opening it in the existing window/tab like Safari does. If anyone knows a workaround to this, let me know and I’ll release a Firefox version of the script as well.
Finally, ultimate-guitar.com features quite a few Flash advertisements on every page, so loading times can be a little slow. Fortunately, there is a way around that (though I don’t encourage using it regularly as blocking ads removes many sites’ only revenue source, including this blog).
Guitarists out there: Let me know if you find this script useful by posting in the comments.
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