Archive for December, 2006

Do You Wish You Knew How to Sing Better?

Sunday, December 31st, 2006

Do you want to learn how to sing or just how to sing better? You may not be aware of it but it’s likely a case of learning how to sing better for most of us. It’s not that absolutely everyone can sing, but most of us can if we take a sensible approach to trying.

There is a wealth of information available on the internet offering lessons and scales and claiming to reveal the “Five least known Singing Secrets”. Well here’s something to ponder,
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Line6 TonePort UX-1 Product Review

Sunday, December 31st, 2006

I’ve played guitar for 30 years and worked with computers for twenty. In that time I’ve always resisted the push to marry the two. To me musical instruments have always been the antithesis of the ‘Moore’s Law’ way of thinking that prevails in technology. I love the fact that the guitar and amp that I’ve owned for decades are as good or better than most of the stuff that’s being made today.

So, as I said, I’ve always resisted the move to plug
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All I Want For Christmas - Is a Freddie King Guitar!

Sunday, December 31st, 2006

I must have been about 16 or 17. I was a guitar nut by then. I couldn’t play much, but I was a fan; a big fan of guitars. Any music on TV was carefully screened to see if any serious guitar players were involved. I was into rock music, but I had enough understanding of the genre to know that most of the stuff I loved to listen to had evolved from the blues.

One of the pre-requisites of my blues education was a late night program in the UK, called
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Flash Based MP3 Players Versus Hard Drive Based MP3 Players

Sunday, December 31st, 2006

According to the music, audio and video loving public, MP3 players are one of the greatest creations ever invented. They not only allow you to build humungous sound file libraries, but you can also take those files with you and listen to them wherever you go, whether it’s into the next room or an entirely different country. And actually, it’s not only sound files that you can travel with. The MP3 player market has greatly expanded to include mini
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Brown’s fans bid farewell in Ga.

Sunday, December 31st, 2006

AUGUSTA, Ga. — More than 8,500 fans of James Brown filled an arena bearing his name yesterday in a final, joyful farewell to the singer that seemed as fitting for a civil rights leader as for “The Godfather of Soul.”

Mourners returned to Brown’s hometown to pay tribute to the musician, who some fans also considered a political figure.

” ‘I’m black and I’m proud’ was the most influential black slogan of the 1960s,” said Maynard Eaton, a fan referring to the chorus of the Brown song, “Say It Loud.”

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Eazy E - Eternal E - CD Review

Saturday, December 30th, 2006

Global rating of the product: 5 stars

When being asked about rap legends, most people have Tupac or Biggie’s names in their mouths. Eazy E, however, remains a little bit hidden in the dark. The great Eazy E nevertheless changed the face of rap music and influenced more than a decade, putting the city of Compton on the map.

Eazy E and his fellows from the NWA group brought that typical gangsta flavor into their reps, pointing out the police’s
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I Feel Good

Saturday, December 30th, 2006

I knew that I would, the first time I saw James Brown I was just a kid ten or eleven. Flipping through the channels I see James Brown but it wasn’t his voice that first caught my attention it was his dancing. Jackie Wilson on speed he made Elvis look like he was standing still. I didn’t know men could do the splits until I saw him do it and then to come right back up just as fast and smooth as an elevator. Then he went into Please, Please, Please
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BBC Banned Music: Top Singles Banned By the BBC Posted By : Jack Reider

Saturday, December 30th, 2006

Bbc Banned Music: Top Singles Banned By The Bbc

The British Broadcasting Corporation also known as the BBC is a public broadcasting corporation. Therefore, it allows itself to ban materials that deviate from certain standards of civility. During the years, many singles that were seen as too explicit, distasteful or bear the potential for offending the British public were banned from BBC airplay. Here you can read about some of them.
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So You Want To Learn To Play Guitar? Posted By : John Franklin

Saturday, December 30th, 2006

So You Want To Learn To Play Guitar?

So, you have decided you want to learn to play guitar? It seems that over the last few years, the number of people who are turning to the internet for a way to learn to play guitar is rapidly increasing. You can get your first guitar online, and even get your guitar instruction in the form of online guitar lessons, or a learn to play guitar course. To help you choose wisely, here are some things to keep in mind.
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A Beginner’s Guide to Acoustic Guitar Strings

Saturday, December 30th, 2006

There will come a time when you have to consider replacing the strings on your first guitar, the question is when? That will depend on a number of factors, how often you play, how long you play for, your playing style and how well you look after your strings. A general rule of thumb is to replace the strings after 20-30 hours of play.

Why do I have to change the strings?

When you play, the oil in the skin at the ends of your fingers is transferred
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How To Download Music To Zune

Saturday, December 30th, 2006

So you just got your Zune player and you are excited and ready to download music but you’re not sure what to do or where to go? Well this article will show you how to download music to your Zune player and review the different download options.

Downloading your favorite CD to your Zune player is really simple. First put your CD in your computer and open your media player. Then click on the song that you would like to copy to your Zune. Click
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First Night celebration has a global ring this year

Saturday, December 30th, 2006

How do you say “Happy New Year” in Turkish?

The answer to this and other New Year’s Eve questions can be found at the many internationally themed celebrations ringing in 2007 in and around Boston. (Several are part of First Night. Go to firstnight.org for the complete lineup.)

Here is a sampling of some highlights; call ahead for reservation information and to confirm ticket prices. While the languages may vary from venue to venue, party hats
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Sharpton: Remember Brown’s impact

Saturday, December 30th, 2006

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — In life and in death, James Brown should be remembered for his impact on music and on the world, not for the many people that surrounded him, the Rev. Al Sharpton said yesterday in a passionate eulogy befitting the godfather of soul.

“When he started singing, we were sitting in the back of the bus. When he stopped singing, we were flying Lear jets,” Sharpton told about 300 mourners during a private funeral service for Brown at Carpentersville Baptist Church.

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Has Hip-Hop Become One Subject

Friday, December 29th, 2006

Hip hop has been around since the 70s. It started as simple rhymes over bee-bops in Bronx New York. Overtime though it began to change. Hip-hop became more complex and became a life style. It has changed so much that it is nowhere near the same as it was in the beginning.

Hip hop has went through many phases. It has been about partying, the struggle, living in the ghetto, uplifting people, battling and degrading people. Hip hop has never been
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Sound Off if You Love MTV Music

Friday, December 29th, 2006

A revolution in music programming formats took over the TV screen about two decades ago. This revolutionary change was the MTV music channel. Music videos used to be played between certain shows or during television specials as shorts or fillers prior to the advent of MTV. However, the MTV programming format was an entirely different concept because it features continuous, 24/7 music videos.

Music lovers could now tune in and see as well as listen
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What are Stage Pianos

Friday, December 29th, 2006

– No matter how much you like an acoustic piano, the fact is that it still remains beyond the reach of a lot of people when it comes to the cost and the space needed to keep it. A stage piano can be a very good alternative in such a case. It has 88 keys, comes with a good piano action and comes at a reasonable cost.

You will normally find two sets of people using a Stage Piano –

– Since cost is a major factor, beginners normally go in for
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Dell DJ

Friday, December 29th, 2006

Dell DJ is a fairly new term in the DJ world used to classify the evolving breed of technology enhanced jocks that are flocking to the industry.

The tools of a Dell DJ could be, but are by no means limited to:

MP3 players Dell Laptop computers Computer fused turntable scratching interface Outbaord controllers to operate computer software Remixed and extended mixes made from software based systems

That only scratches the surface of what
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10 Solutions for a Guitar Player’s Sore Finger

Friday, December 29th, 2006

“You can use my daughter’s guitar. She tried to learn how to play a few years ago, but quit because her fingers hurt too much.” Saroun had invited me to join them for a Barbeque at her home, after church. There were requests for me to lead them in some worship songs, but I didn’t have a guitar with me.

How many people have given up learning the guitar, like my friend’s teenage daughter, just because it ‘hurt too much?’ If you, or someone you
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A Good Case for iPod Posted By : Ken Davis

Friday, December 29th, 2006

A Good Case For Ipod

Just got that new iPod? Or just thinking about buying one?

Here’s something else to think about. Whatever else you do with your iPod, protect it. The average iPod owner spends $40 on iPod accessories like external speakers, alarm clock docking stations, FM transmitters, and car chargers. Many of them are not spending any of that money on protection. There are any number of iPod skins and cases on the market. There’s bound to be one to suit you.
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Band Name Origins: Stories Behind Band Names Posted By : Jack Reider

Friday, December 29th, 2006

Band Name Origins: Stories Behind Band Names

Did you know that the Bee Gees were named after the initials of a DJ called Bill Gates? Did you know that the real story behind the origin of the name of the rock band 10cc is much more trivial and boring than the urban legend that surrounds it? Did you ever wonder why the hell would someone choose to name his band Chumbawamba? Here you can widen your knowledge by learning about the origins or rock bands names and pop artists pseudonyms.
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The Easiest Way to Relax

Friday, December 29th, 2006

No, I am not going to speak about medicines. Probably, they promise the easy way to relax (swallow a pill and relax) but we all know how harmful they can be to our health. The time people spend on relaxing activities has been lessening more and more today. The main reasons are increasingly demanding jobs and the pressures of modern society. And for these exactly reasons, the need for relaxation has become higher. There are, of course, many relaxation
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A Vibrant Homage To Mr Dynamite Aka James Brown - The Godfather Of Soul Music

Friday, December 29th, 2006

A lot of people who don’t really care about artistic talents prompt to praise artists when they passed away. I have seen such behaviors numerous times and I’d like to point out that I am not going to acclaim James Brown’s talent because he recently died. I am going to praise this great legend of soul music, because Mr Brown’s music has been part of my life since the 80’s!

I was introduced into James Brown’s music through a Cameroonian friend.
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Hand To Hand Mixtape Review

Friday, December 29th, 2006

From Hand To Hand, the mixtape’s notes drop from ear to ear spreading the real Detroit hip hop spirit to the world

Global rating of the product: 4.5 stars

Proof s Hand To Hand mixtape allies Detroit s hottest talents. You will meet Proof, the whole IF crew ( Purple Gang, Woof Pac, Supa Emcee), the hot I-Mac group, Quest Mc Quody, Slum Village and many more good Detroit names such as Marv Won of the Fat Killaz on the CD. The mixtape’s assets
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How To Color Without Crayons: Adding Color Tones To a Chord

Friday, December 29th, 2006

Adding color tones to a chord is like adding colors to a black and white drawing; it adds depth and dimension and well as bringing it to life.

There is a time and place, of course, for “black and white” music, just as there is in art. And many times as a musician I choose to use shades of grey to color my improvisations on the piano, just as an artist uses light and dark to create the feeling and mood of the sketch.

But there are also times
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Brown is celebrated at Apollo

Friday, December 29th, 2006

NEW YORK — Even in death, James Brown can move a crowd.

Thousands of people danced and sang in the streets outside the Apollo Theater yesterday in raucous celebration of the music legend’s life as his body was displayed to the public on the stage where he made his 1956 debut.

Music thumped from storefronts and portable stereos. Brown’s wails and growls even blasted inside the auditorium as fans marched quietly, single-file past his open gold coffin.

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In return visit, Robert Spano reaches for the galaxy

Friday, December 29th, 2006

When Robert Spano began his association with the Boston Symphony Orchestra 16 years ago, as assistant conductor to Seiji Ozawa, there was already considerable buzz surrounding him. Now entering his sixth season as music director of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Spano, 45, is considered one of the most talented American conductors of his generation, praised for his tireless advocacy of contemporary music and the coiled intensity of his podium work.

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Fishbone still has the funk

Friday, December 29th, 2006

“James Brown got to go to heaven for Christmas,” declared Fishbone singer/saxophonist Angelo Moore after the very first song at Harpers Ferry on Wednesday. The veteran funk/ska/punk band owes an obvious debt to the late Godfather of Soul and paid homage by quoting his songs and mimicking his showmanship throughout the night. No mention was made of Gerald Ford, whose impact on the development of funk was less profound.

If Brown’s influence was
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His music is smooth but passionate

Friday, December 29th, 2006

Smooth jazz — wait, keep reading — is belittled as “elevator music” and other such slurs, but the dungeon it inhabits in the critical landscape is, at the very least, a gilded cage. Melodic, instrumental, and, well, smooth, the style sustains countless commercial radio stations, more than can be said of many genres, and mobilizes a devoted audience that cares little for the tastemakers’ curatorial dictates. There is something healthy about that.

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Celebrating a decade of independence

Friday, December 29th, 2006

When he’s not running his Ipswich-based label, Kimchee Records, or hosting the WMBR -FM (88.1) show “Lost & Found,” Bob Dubrow is busying himself with other tasks: like shopping for a pet ferret three days before Christmas.

When we reach him to chat about Kimchee’s 10th anniversary as an independent label, and the pair of star-studded shows lined up to celebrate the accomplishment, Dubrow has already stashed the surprise at his sister’s. His
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The show after the show

Friday, December 29th, 2006

It’s around midnight on a recent Friday, and we’ve already heard “Dare to Be Stupid” from the soundman for the Footlight Club’s “A Carol Christmas , ” and “How to Save a Life” from the actor who played the Earl of Oxford in the Publick Theatre’s recent “Beard of Avon.” As Kate’s understudy from this summer’s “Taming of the Shrew” takes the stage, the cheesily futuristic wash of “Mr. Roboto” flows through the speakers. Her singing is spirited. She does the robot.

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