Steve Aoki is an American house musician, DJ, record producer, founder of Dim Mak Records and all-around nice guy – I’ve done PR with him before, and I think he’d find this video to be just as funny as I do. Music fan and photographer Jarrad Seng walked around the Stereosonic festival in Perth, Australia dressed up as Steve Aoki (he admits he gets mistaken for him from time to time), and the results are hilarious – so many selfies to be taken with fans, so little time. The best part is when Jarred continues to walk around taking photos with oblivious (or just …um…not bright) fans while the actual Steve Aoki is onstage DJing.
You wish you love the snow as much as these puppies
You wish you loved the snow as much as this mother Golden Retriever named Boon and her nine puppies. The family venture out into a snowy wonderland and find the urge to play more than they can handle. The seven-week-old puppies are newcomers to snow, but they’ll quickly learn, it causes a lot of their owners to be traffic and makes them mean.
But not puppies. Oh no, they love the snow!
Infographic: What to Post & When to Post it on 9 Important Social Networks
Posting to one or two social platforms for your business can be tricky. When you’re attempting to have a presence on nine or more, however, it becomes exceedingly difficult and time-consuming. How can you possibly keep track of what you should be posting and when you should be posting it on each of your social media profiles?
Unfortunately, this is a situation where one size does not fit all; you can’t simply create one post, copy and paste it to all of your profiles, and hope for the best. YouTube and Vine need video, Twitter has a limit of 140 characters, and Pinterest is heavily image-based. To increase engagement, likes, and shares, each post you create needs to be tailored to the specific social platform you are posting on.
But wipe off that sweat that’s started to drip down your forehead – handling your social media profiles just became a great deal easier.
Business 2 Community created an infographic full of tips on what to post and when to post on nine important social networks, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Vine, and Tumblr.
Deborah Harry’s Isolated Vocals From Blondie’s Heart Of Glass
From Blondie’s third studio release Parallel Lines, “Heart Of Glass” became a signature hit for the group, highlighted by Deborah Harry’s effervescent vocals. The track went to #1 in most world territories including the U.S. and U.K. The album was recorded at The Record Plant in New York City and produced by Mike Chapman, who also worked with Sweet, The Knack and others.
Chill-Out Music Really Makes People Chill Out
A study on the emotions evoked by music found that we behave better towards one another after listening to tunes that chill us out.
Participants were 22 undergraduate and postgraduate students who were divided into two groups, the in-group and the out-group, and they acted as dictators. The dictators listened to their own preferred “chill-inducing” music, to music they disliked, or to silence, and then played the DG. In this hypothetical experiment, the dictators were given real money (which they did not keep) and were asked to distribute it to the recipients, who were presented as stylized images of men and women displayed on a computer screen. The dictators played the DG both before and after listening to the music. Both male and female dictators gave more money after listening to their preferred music and less after listening to the music they disliked, whereas silence had no effect on the allocated amounts. The group to which the recipient belonged did not influence these trends. The results suggest that listening to preferred “chill-inducing” music promotes altruistic behavior
Converse Announces Rubber Tracks Sample Library, Giving Free Audio Samples For Musicians
CONVERSE Inc. announces the launch of the Converse Rubber Tracks Sample Library, a growing collection of high-quality audio samples available to musicians around the world, free of charge. Created in partnership with Indaba Music, a music technology platform and online musician community, the online sample library platform will offer a ground-breaking resource for millions of musicians who utilize samples to create new music. The library currently offers over 10,000 high quality loops, stems and sounds created by emerging and established artists at the Converse Rubber Tracks studio in Brooklyn and Converse Rubber Tracks pop-up studios around the world.
“We’re thrilled to announce the launch of Converse Rubber Tracks Sample Library, as it marks the continued expansion of our global Converse Rubber Tracks program,” said Jed Lewis, Converse Global Music Marketing Director. “This free online library will serve as a leading resource for bands, artists, and producers from all over the world to explore their musical aspirations.”
Created as an extension of the global Converse Rubber Tracks program, the sample library already has contributions from over 125 talented artists and musicians of various genres from all over the world. Utilizing the state-of-the-art equipment and advanced technology found at every Converse Rubber Tracks studio, artists such as Vernon Reid, James Poyser, Adam Blackstone, Gary Bartz, Daru Jones, Matrixxman, Greg Osby and more have all created exclusive audio samples and sounds available online for any artist to use. To coincide with the launch, Converse and Indaba worked with over 20 artists including RJD2, Com Truise, Body Language, Obey City, Nitemoves, and Shigeto to create new songs utilizing samples from the Converse Rubber Tracks Sample Library.
“With so many musicians having professional recording capabilities in their homes and on their laptops, sampling recorded content has become an integral part of the music creation process,” said Indaba co-Founder Dan Zaccagnino. “Indaba has been a leader in providing creative opportunities and unprecedented access to source material to musicians for a decade. Working with Converse to develop such a ground-breaking resource for musicians is truly in the spirit of both companies.”
To access and find out more information about the Converse Rubber Tracks Sample Library and to hear songs created using the samples, go here.
Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me Official Movie Soundtrack To Be Released February 17 On Big Machine Records
Oscar Nominee, GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, and Country Music Hall of Fame member Glen Campbell documented his final tour while struggling with Alzheimer’s Disease in the Critics’ Choice nominated film GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME. Music from the documentary’s soundtrack will be released on February 17 on Big Machine Records.
The soundtrack will feature the Oscar and GRAMMY nominated song, “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” which was co-written by Campbell and producer Julian Raymond. The song, in collaboration with the famed Wrecking Crew, is the last one Campbell ever recorded.
Said Rolling Stone of the soundtrack’s hit single, “Glen Campbell has recorded his final song and the result, ‘I’m Not Gonna Miss You,’ is a poignant, confessional tune that serves as a stunningly personal coda to a career spent entertaining millions throughout the world.”
“…heartbreakingly demonstrates the man’s profound understanding of the disease, something that does not always come across in the filmed footage,” added Variety of the song.
GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME is an epic human drama that intimately showcases the man and his music throughout Campbell’s struggle with Alzheimer’s. Chronicling the story of love, laughter, resilience and power of song, this film shows how against all odds, America’s greatest country star would not give up. It was directed and produced by James Keach (producer of Walk The Line) and produced by Trevor Albert (Groundhog Day).
The soundtrack is also composed of songs that capture the myriad facets of an Arkansas traveller who became a first call Los Angeles session player, toured with the Beach Boys and recorded one of ASCAP’s Most Played Songs – “Gentle on My Mind” – of all time. Whether it was his “Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour,” which ran for four seasons, “True Grit,” also starring John Wayne, or his collaborations with Jimmy Webb (“Wichita Lineman,” “By The Time I Get To Phoenix”), the maple-coated tenor has broken ground and maintained a sense of artistry regardless of the medium he was working in.
For the soundtrack to GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME the translational reality of his music is evident in various representations of the songs that have become a part of the American musical lexicon. The 10 track compilation is a witness to how music transcends moments, time and limitations – and exists in the hearts of all who embrace it.
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” is the heart-breaking final song of a career that’s spanned pop, country and adult contemporary. A heart-tugging portrait of what it means to recede into Alzheimer’s, buoyed by the Beach Boys’ harmonies and anchored by the echo-of-time piano chords, is an acknowledgement of the reality to come. Unflinching in its recognition of what’s lost, an elegiac dignity to being honest about the numb fills the void of memory.
“Gentle On My Mind” finds break-out young superstars The Band Perry considering the tug of being gone that colours John Hartford’s “Gentle On My Mind.” Kimberly Perry’s smoky alto – breathy over a finger-banjo and the bend of a steel guitar — balances the yearning for what’s gone with the lure of what’s beyond the next horizon to reflect Campbell’s own innocent grasp of love and rambling that defined a generation almost a half century ago.
“Home Again” finds Campbell’s daughter Ashley comfortably filling her father’s place as a reassuring presence, weaving acoustic instruments with a vocal warmth that is acceptance of life on its terms and the embrace of the good things found along the way. Her brightness suggests the same sense of being present in the moment that made her father the voice of people coming into their own during the turbulent ‘70s and into the ‘80s.
“Wichita Lineman” (Live from the Ryman) is a tremendous testament to the indelible place music holds in Campbell’s soul. Already well into Alzheimer’s grasp, he not only acknowledges Webb’s writing prowess, the multiple Grammy-winner brings a weathered truth to enduring the distance between where he must be and the one he loves. As the pathos of the vocal strikes listeners, Campbell’s guitar-playing rises from the tracks, stunning with an emotional twining of notes and tension on the strings that conveys even more pain than his vocal – only to finish with a soaring final profession of endurance on the song’s protestation of “I’m doing fine.”
“A Better Place” (Live From The Ryman) is the song from that historic Ryman concert that sums up Campbell’s life 2:38 minutes. A bit philosophy, a string of details, a few insights into his current state of being, the gently strummed song of fidelity to his family, the admission of his need to lean on them and the acceptance of love existing beyond traditional definitions lends a sense of the things that truly matter.
For a man who’s led a life beyond dreams, in some ways, GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME is a sad denouement. But to see it lived out with so much heart, so much hope, so much caring and ultimately, so much music, the documentary and accompanying soundtrack are articles of the faith that in love all abides. Do as Campbell would hope: enjoy the music and find the way to enfold the ones you love any way you can while you can… and know even when it’s not perfect, it’s perfect in what it is.
Big Machine Records is partnering with CMT US, who will stream the entire soundtrack exclusively, the week before release. From 2/10 – 2/16, fans can listen to all 10 tracks exclusively on GlenCampbell.CMT.com and on the CMT Artists App.
Big Machine Label Group CEO and President Scott Borchetta is the Executive Producer of the soundtrack.
GLEN CAMPBELL…I’LL BE ME SOUNDTRACK will include the following tracks:
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” / Glen Campbell and The Wrecking Crew (2:57)
“Gentle On My Mind*” (Documentary Version) / The Band Perry (3:41)
“Remembering” / Ashley Campbell (3:59)
“All I Need Is You” / Glen Campbell (4:00)
“The Long Walk Home” / Glen Campbell (2:21)
“Wichita Lineman” (Live from Ryman Auditorium) / Glen Campbell (4:11)
“A Better Place” (Live from Ryman Auditorium) / Glen Campbell (2:19)
“Gentle On My Mind*” (Single Version) / The Band Perry (3:10)
“Home Again” / Ashley Campbell (2:55)
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You” (Single Version) / Glen Campbell (2:57)
See the trailer for the film here.
That Time Joe Pesci Recorded An Album And Covered The Beatles
In the 1960s, Joe Pesci began working as a barber, following in his mother’s footsteps. At the same time, he tried to start a musical career, playing guitar with several bands, including Joey Dee and the Starliters. (The position of guitarist in that band was taken several years later by Jimi Hendrix.) In 1968, he released the album Little Joe Sure Can Sing! (billed as “Joe Ritchie”), on which he sang covers of contemporary pop hits.
The album includes Pesci’s interpretations of three Lennon-McCartney songs, and here’s his rendition of Paul McCartney’s love song to cannabis, “Got to Get You into My Life.”
Sam from Birdman Gets It Right
Birdman is a heck of a movie. A washed up actor, who once played an iconic superhero, battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career and himself in the days leading up to the opening of a Broadway play. Emma Stone’s character, Sam, gets it right when she’s talking to Riggan, played by Michael Keaton.
“Means something to who? You had a career before the third comic book movie, before people began to forget who was inside the bird costume. You’re doing a play based on a book that was written 60 years ago, for a thousand rich old white people whose only real concern is gonna be where they go to have their cake and coffee when it’s over. And let’s face it, Dad, it’s not for the sake of art. It’s because you want to feel relevant again. Well, there’s a whole world out there where people fight to be relevant every day. And you act like it doesn’t even exist! Things are happening in a place that you willfully ignore, a place that has already forgotten you. I mean, who are you? You hate bloggers. You make fun of Twitter. You don’t even have a Facebook page. You’re the one who doesn’t exist. You’re doing this because you’re scared to death, like the rest of us, that you don’t matter. And you know what? You’re right. You don’t. It’s not important. You’re not important. Get used to it.”
– Sam, Birdman (2014)
