Kick Ass Covers

13 May 2016 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags:

wonder

(via CultureSonar) by Al Cattabiani

More often than not, the definitive version of a song is recorded by its writer(s), or at least the artist who did it first.

That’s not always the case, of course. Sometimes covers surpass the original. Or sometimes a great cover adds a whole new dimension to a song.

So, in the spirit of music geeks’ endless appetite for lists, let us humbly suggest a few covers that are, if not definitive, completely successful on their own.

We’re just getting the proverbial ball rolling. We’d love to add your own commentary. Read through to the end, and you’ll see a pretty cool new way to add to the playlist.

So let’s kick things off with a half-dozen nominees:

Read more: http://culturesonar.com/kick-ass-covers/

15 Famous Songs With Misunderstood Meanings

12 May 2016 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags:

songs

(via mental_floss)

by Erik van Rheenen

Here’s a look at some songs that got their meanings twisted and misconstrued—and the original intentions put forth by the artists who wrote them.

1. “Closing Time” // Semisonic

Semisonic frontman Dan Wilson predicted the second life of the band’s only big hit; in 2010, Wilson told The Hollywood Reporter, “I really thought that that was the greatest destiny for ‘Closing Time,’ that it would be used by all the bartenders.” But when Wilson penned lyrics like “Time for you to go out to the places you will be from,” the song’s focus was more an emphasis on the miracle of childbirth than an ode to kicking late-night barflies to the curb.

In 2010, Wilson admitted to American Songwriter that he had babies on his mind partway through writing Semisonic’s gangbuster breakout hit, stating, “My wife and I were expecting our first kid very soon after I wrote that song. I had birth on the brain, I was struck by what a funny pun it was to be bounced from the womb.”

Read more: http://mentalfloss.com/article/57351/15-famous-songs-misunderstood-meanings

The Top 10 Stage Names in Rock and Metal

06 May 2016 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags:

met

PHOTO: Steve Thorne | Getty Images

(via Guitar Aficionado)

What’s in a name? When it comes to rock and roll, pretty much everything.

Rock stardom is all about reinventing yourself, becoming a larger-than-life figure that stands apart from the crowd. And if you want the girls or guys, or both, to scream your name, it had better be an awesome, sexy and memorable one. Or at least pronounceable.

Here we spotlight 10 guitar heroes who played the name game and won. Sorta.

10. Slash

For an American guitar hero, “Slash” is the best stage name ever. It suggests a violent guitar style and a certain swashbuckling attitude—perfect for a guitarist from Guns N’ Roses. Perfect, that is, unless you’re from Britain, where the former Saul Hudson was born. Across the pond, “Slash” is slang for making wee-wee. Not exactly the stuff of rock legend.

9. The Edge

As your mother once told you, if they’re really your friends, they won’t make fun of the way you look. Unless, of course, your friend is a mullet-headed blabbermouth named Paul Hewson. Hewson took one look at Dave Evans’ prominent beak and dubbed him “The Edge.” At least Evans wasn’t stuck with “Bono Vox,” the nickname Hewson earned because his voice suggested the need for a popular hearing aid (the Bonavox). He later shortened it to simply Bono…

Read more: http://www.guitaraficionado.com/the-top-10-stage-names-in-rock-and-metal.html

Apple Stole My Music. No, Seriously.

06 May 2016 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags: ,

apple 1

Maybe I’m Not Pressing the Keys Hard Enough.

(via Vellum/jamespinkstone)

“The software is functioning as intended,” said Amber.
“Wait,” I asked, “so it’s supposed to delete my personal files from my internal hard drive without asking my permission?”
“Yes,” she replied.

I had just explained to Amber that 122 GB of music files were missing from my laptop. I’d already visited the online forum, I said, and they were no help. Although several people had described problems similar to mine, they were all dismissed by condescending “gurus” who simply said that we had mislocated our files (I had the free drive space to prove that wasn’t the case) or that we must have accidentally deleted the files ourselves (we hadn’t). Amber explained that I should blow off these dismissive “solutions” offered online because Apple employees don’t officially use the forums—evidently, that honor is reserved for lost, frustrated people like me, and (at least in this case) know-it-alls who would rather believe we were incompetent, or lying, than face the ugly truth that Apple has vastly overstepped its boundaries…

Read more: https://blog.vellumatlanta.com/2016/05/04/apple-stole-my-music-no-seriously/

_________________________________

This is exactly why I have never had an Apple subscription and don’t even use iTunes. I’m a holdover from an era when you could feel like you owned the music you paid for. And unless you’ve bought a hard copy (CD or vinyl) you may only be paying for the right to listen to the music, which isn’t the same thing as ownership at all.

I second the author’s advice to hang onto your media. An mp3 file is not the same thing as a physical copy, and your “ownership” of music in this form is a slippery concept, and apparently subject to revocation.

The Enigmatic Enya: “there’s no one else who is so successful about whom so little is known”

30 Apr 2016 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags:

enya

(via msn entertainment)

By Megan Riedlinger

We never thought we’d say this, but we have a new life hero and her name is Enya.

The reclusive and notoriously private 54-year-old singer was named the richest female musician in British and Irish history this month with a $132 million fortune. In additional to this coveted claim, The Sun recently uncovered some rare details about her fascinating lifestyle.

Enya is currently living her best life, residing alone in a massive castle in Ireland. The only other occupants of her home? The security team, staff members, and her cats…

Read more: http://www.msn.com/en-us/music/celebrity/inside-enyas-fascinating-life-living-alone-in-a-castle-with-cats-and-her-dollar132-million-fortune/ar-BBsr6GG?ocid=spartandhp

Jayhawks Ride Rocky Path to Reformation

28 Apr 2016 Leave a comment

by Ed Cyphers in General Posts Tags: , ,

jay

(via AP) by David Bauder

NEW YORK (AP) — To a certain extent, singer-songwriter Gary Louris is fighting against history by reforming the Jayhawks.

“The precedent isn’t very good as far as bands putting out their best work late in their careers — in rock, it’s very rare,” said Louris, 61. “That doesn’t mean it has to be that way.”

The Jayhawks try to prove that point with Friday’s release of “Paging Mr. Proust,” a concise collection of melodic pop-rock with a few twists. The lovely “Quiet Corners & Empty Spaces” stands with the best work ever by the Minneapolis-based group that made an initial impression with early-1990s songs “Blue” and “Waiting for the Sun.”

No one can accuse the Jayhawks of living off past glory. In fact, their failure to achieve the greatness many had predicted became a defining characteristic and internal motivator. The band and Louris lived through their share of tumult…

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/b5c81694e1e94f58b131f6b2b2e259ee/jayhawks-ride-rocky-path-reformation

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