Category Archives: Music

Single for Haiti relief: Lupe Fiasco & Kenna – “Resurrection”

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I realize Lupe & Kenna ask you to download this free track to donate money for Haiti relief.  What they mean to say is download this track, share it with others, and donate money any way you can.  You want to know the fastest, most simplest way to give money to help the poor people in Haiti?  Send a text message.

  • Text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to the American Red Cross
  • Text HAITI to 25383 to donate $5 to International Rescue Committee
  • Text HAITI to 45678 to donate $5 to the Salvation Army in Canada
  • Text YELE to 501501 to donation $5 to Yele
  • Text RELIEF to 30644 to get automatically connected to Catholic Relief Services and donate money with your credit card
  • Text HAITI to 864833 to donate $5 to The United Way
  • Text CERF to 90999 to donate $5 to The United Nations Foundation
  • Text DISASTER to 90999 to donate $10 to Compassion International

    • So far text message donations to Haiti surpassed the $10 million mark.  If you haven’t contributed to this outstanding number please do so at your earliest convenience.  The people of Haiti need our support and this really is the easiest way to lend a helping hand.  Now listen to Lupe’s lastest creation (which happens to be really good), share it with others, and spread the word of text message donations.

    [audio: Lupe Fiasco & Kenna – Resurrection.mp3]

    [Via KanyeBlog]

    Voice Band app turns your voice into a myriad of instruments (freakin’ awesome!)

    Music, Technology, Video, , , , , , ,

    From WaveMachineLabs comes a new innovative app for the iPhone called Voice Band.  Simply put, the app turns your voice into an instrument in real time.  Instruments include 2 guitars, a bass, sax, 2 synths, drums, and a mic.  Basically you make sounds with your voice and the app converts and records these sounds into instrument sounds, allowing you to layer them on top of each other to create a final product that may actually sound like an intricate, well thought out song.  In mic mode you can even top it all off with your own vocals; don’t worry, a built-in auto pitch helps you stay on key.  You also have the option to play your iPod library in the background and “play along with your favorite music.”  Songs can be saved and emailed to friends within the app.  Voice Band is available in the App Store today for $2.99.  It works with all iPhones and the 2nd gen iPod touch; you must have OS 3.0 or later installed.  One more stipulation–a pair of headphones (with a built-in mic) is required for iPod touch and original iPhone users.  See it in action in the video above.  Definitely one of the coolest apps I’ve come by in a while.

    [Via Gizmodo]

    Digital guitar doesn’t need strings

    Music, Technology, Video, , , , ,

    The Misa Digital Guitar is basically a MIDI controller hidden inside what appears to be a standard guitar.  It’s no so standard in that it doesn’t have any strings; instead it contains 144 note buttons and a large touch screen control pad.  Since it’s an open source Linux-powered MIDI controller at heart, it can play a variety of instrument packs you have installed on your computer.  Let the digital future of shredding commence!

    [Via Engadget]

    Student creates music controller with Arduino & an accelerometer

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    Parsons student Ryan Raffa crafted a do-it-yourself music controller with an ADXL 335 accelerometer and an Arduino board that communicates serially with Max MSP.  In simpler terms he created a small device that has five embedded tracks and a sixth button that applies a delay on those tracks; pushing the buttons plays the various tracks and moving the device around slows down and speeds up the beat thanks to the built-in accelerometer.  (An accelerometer is the device installed in iPhones and other gadgets that allows users to swap from vertical to landscape views just by changing the orientation of the device.)  Check out Ryan’s final product in the video above.  I think it’s safe to say he received an “A” for his final class project.

    [Via Engadget]

    Glee’s Matthew Morrison’s upcoming album will have “substance”

    Music, News, , ,

    Will Shuester–er, Matthew Morrison–is taking it to the next level.  He plans on releasing his own album sometime this year with Mercury Records.  “What I’m creating has yet to be defined yet but I want it to be something very diverse. For me, music is about creating a mood. The best songs for me are songs that I just lose myself in.”  He adds, “I don’t wanna put out a crap CD. I want it to be with substance. I don’t wanna be singing about money or handbags.”  Question is, what will it sound like?  “I’m drawing my inspiration from like Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr.  All those people that kind of did it all: film, TV, Broadway. I’m just so influenced by that music.”  Sounds good to me.  I’m picturing Michael Buble-esque sound with a Matthew Morrison touch that only he can blurt out.  If it sounds anything like we’ve heard from him on Glee–but more mature–I think I might be satisfied.  We’ll have to wait and see.

    [Via EW-MusicMix]

    The Starbucks Love Project will make you smile

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    “On December 7th, 2009 at 1:30pm GMT Starbucks invited musicians from all over the world to sing together at the same time to raise awareness for AIDS in Africa. In that one breathtaking moment, musicians from 156 countries played “All You Need is Love” together. Watch now, as musicians from all around the world come together and share a song.”

    That’s right: 156 countries.  1 song.  Same tempo.  Singing/playing The Beatles’ “All You Need is Love.”  This unique wordwide event was organized by Starbucks to raise awareness for the fight against AIDS in Africa.  “In just one year in partnership with (RED), Starbucks has generated money equivalent to more than 7 million days of medicine to help those living with HIV in Africa.”

    [Via Gizmodo; YouTube page]

    “Badder Romance” shot-by-shot re-creation impresses Gaga

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    Rabbid Lady Gaga fans and YouTubers  BINKproductionz created this shot-by-shot re-creation of Lady Gaga’s hit “Bad Romance.”  The parody is so true to the actual music video that Lady Gaga watched it and was so impressed by it that she shared it with all her fans via her Twitter page.  Her response?  “Holy s—.”

    Warning: Many explicitives are used at the end of this video.

    [Via EW-MusicMix]

    Kid Cudi updates the name of his next album

    Music, News, , , ,

    At his latest show in Milaukee rapper Kid Cudi announced the “official” name of his sophomore collaborative album: Cudder and The Revolution of the Evolution.  I say “official” because Cudi is known for announcing an album title and changing it around a couple times before it releases.  His first album was originally called “Man on the Moon: The Guardians” and was changed to Man on the Moon: The End of Day.  We’ve know for quite some time that his next album was going to be titled “Cudder,” but now he has gone head and added “The Revolution of the Evolution” to it.  I can see this latest iteration potentially finalizing into “Cudder: The Revolution of Evolution” but we shall wait and see.  Looking forward to it.

    [Via DatNewCudi]