Sungha Jung plays an elegiac (and technically immaculate) version of Joe Hisaishi’s “Carrying You”, from the Studio Ghibli film Castle in the Sky.
15 Famous Songs With Misunderstood Meanings
12 May 2016 Leave a comment
in General Posts Tags: misunderstood songs
(via mental_floss)
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
in General Posts Tags: stage names
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
in General Posts Tags: apple music, itunes
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/
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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.
Video of the Week: 25 Facts about the Science of Music
04 May 2016 Leave a comment
in Video of the Week Tags: the science of music
Songs You May Have Missed #588
04 May 2016 Leave a comment
in Songs You May Have Missed Tags: quiet corners & empty spaces, the jayhawks
The Jayhawks: “Quiet Corners & Empty Spaces” (2016)
I’ll defer here to Walter Tunis’ review of the Jayhawks’ Paging Mr. Proust album from the Lexington Herald Leader:
The opening tune to the new Jayhawks album Paging Mr. Proust isn’t just a fine encapsulation of the band’s Americana and pop inspirations. It is quite possibly the perfect pop song.
Clocking in at three minutes, there isn’t a wasted breath on Quiet Corners and Empty Spaces. It exudes melancholy and a hint of restless urgency (“Not far, a blue guitar was playing; it drew me like it knew me, saying…”) then strides along with such an effortless melodic flow as to recall The Byrds at their best. But then there are the vocals: a three-part harmony design created by Jayhawks chieftain Gary Louris along with keyboardist Karen Grotberg and drummer Tim O’Reagan. That’s the dealbreaker: a simple, infectious but overwhelmingly emotive wave of singing that proclaims, in definitive terms, that The Jayhawks have returned.
So captivating is the song that upon first listen to the album, I hit repeat five times before exploring the other riches within Paging Mr. Proust.
Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/entertainment/music-news-reviews/article75350057.html#storylink=cpy
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2012/10/25/songs-you-may-have-missed-206/
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/01/30/songs-you-may-have-missed-312/
See also: https://edcyphers.com/2015/06/24/recommended-albums-63/
Photo credit: Heidi Ehalt
Every Moment Has A Song 