Quiet Criticism: music

Showing posts with label music. Show all posts

Showing posts with label music. Show all posts

9.5.09

TV Show Rates Singers With Computer Program

A new television program being aired in Portugal called Atreve-te A Cantar (translates “Dare to Sing”), has adopted a new way to evaluate contestants’ singing talent in its karaoke-style game show. The show democratizes the contestant selection process in the same way as “The Price Is Right” by giving a microphone to each of the 100 members of the audience, and having the whole crowd sing a few bars of a pop song. Then, a computer program analyzes each person’s singing, and selects two contestants to battle against each other for up to $33,000.

The technology is called SAM (Musical Analysis System), and gauges how well tuned and in time a singer is. The system doesn’t work very well, and reminded me of video games Singstar and Karaoke Revolution, with the exact same setbacks. Ridiculously, SAM makes very dubious, unfair decisions almost every time. Read more...

14.3.09

Songbird 1.1 Trounces iTunes

Finally, iTunes has some serious competition. Songbird, with its newest update, brings an array of new features and major improvements that might make Apple tremble on its throne as music distribution king. Continue reading...

6.3.09

Theory States Listeners Prefer Mp3 Quality over Vinyl and CD

A theory developed by Jonathan Berger, Professor of Music at Stanford University, California, says that music fans are getting used to mp3 quality on their iPods, even though producers say that the sound quality is lacking. Continue reading...

4.3.09

Glastonbury Plans Historic 40th Anniversary

The Glastonbury Festival marks its 40^th anniversary in 2010, and organizers are planning to book 40 bands from the past 40 years to play live performances at the event. Radiohead, Blur, PJ Harvey, Jeff Buckley, The Cure and Massive Attack are just a few of the thousands of artists that have graced “Glasto’s” stages. Continue reading...

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Neil Young Supports Warner Music Against YouTube

Neil Young has voiced his support for Warner Music Group’s policy of muting and deleting music videos on Youtube, after negotiations between the two media giants failed. We’ve covered Warner’s draconian tactics in the past, and now Neil Young defends that Warner needs to be better compensated by posting the following on his site:

“You Tube was in its fledgling stages when Warner made an early deal to work with them. Today, other labels have made more lucrative deals for their artists at You Tube.”

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

3.3.09

RIAA Cutbacks, Brits at SXSW, UK File Sharing Survey

It's been another busy week in the music industry. As ever, at Noripcord we've summarised the highlights for you. The RIAA reports lay offs, the British representation at this year's SXSW, and a UK survey about file sharing and music sales. Read more...

Coda.fm Combines Torrents with Amazon

Coda.fm is the newest torrent search engine site that separates itself from the pack. By hosting only music related torrents, and offering the option to actually buy the album of what you’re downloading, the site is looking to revamp the common notion that torrents are the internet’s dark secret, hidden in the depths of questionable advertising and members-only access. Continue reading...

27.2.09

EMI Files Suit Against Music Search Engine Seeqpod

EMI and Capitol Records are suing music search engine SeeqPod for copyright infringement in New York. Seeqpod doesn’t host tracks, but provides a search index and player for them, and despite the lawsuit, says that it will continue business as usual. Read more...

25.2.09

Last.fm Denies Giving Users’ Data to RIAA

After U2’s latest album, No Line On the Horizon, was leaked online, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reportedly became interested in users listening to the album on Last.fm. Then on February 20, online magazine TechCrunch posted an unsourced rumor that said Last.fm was revealing users’ listening data to the RIAA, an accusation that Last.fm’s employees are vehemently denying. Read more...

24.2.09

Sholi: Math Rock, Neuroscience and Persia

San Franciscan math rock band Sholi has combined neuroscience, mathematics and varied cultures in their self-titled debut album, released Tuesday by Quarterstick Records. Singer and guitarist Payam Bavafa worked at neuroscience research company, and conducted experiments on the human memory. He uses those experiences as an influence for his compositions. Read more...

Irish Internet Users Blocked From The Pirate Bay

The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) has threatened internet service providers (ISP’s) with legal action to the point where Eircom, the country’s biggest internet provider, has buckled under the pressure and simply blocked users from accessing file-sharing sites, especially The Pirate Bay. Continue reading...

21.2.09

Albums Sold As Apps Bypass iTunes

The Presidents of the United States have released all their albums on the iPhone, not via iTunes, but through the iPhone Apps store. The app, called ‘The Presidents’ Music — PUSA,’ sells for $2.99 on the App Store offers users access to four full albums, including the band’s early “lost” recordings. Read more...

20.2.09

Touch and Go Records Ends New Signings and Distribution

Chicago indie label Touch & Go Records will stop signing new artists and distributing new albums, and will be continuing forward as a catalog label. A source told Billboard that all planned albums for this spring will still be released, but also that the label will lay off 20 employees in the coming weeks and that their distribution company will shut down. Continue reading...

19.2.09

Portishead Asks Fans For Future Release Ideas

Portishead’s contract with Island Records has come to an end. With the release of last year’s much awaited album Third, the band completes its obligations with the label, and is now asking fans for ideas on how to distribute their music in the future. Geoff Barrow writes on the Portishead Myspace blog:

“We spent the day discussing the future of the P, as we are free. If you lot have any bright ideas of how we should sell our music in the future, lets us know, why not!”

The producer/instrumentalist also says that the band won’t be “giving out music away for free” because it “takes ages to write…We have to heat our swimming pools,” he jests. Continue reading...

18.2.09

Trent Reznor Announces NIN Hiatus, Tour with Jane’s Addiction

Nine Inch Nails will tour with Jane’s Addiction across the globe during 2009, and then go on hiatus indefinitely. Trent Reznor posted on the Nine Inch Nails official site:

“In NIN world, 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of our first releases. I’ve been thinking for some time now, it’s time to make NIN disappear for a while.”

So this will be our last chances to see the band. Reznor also says that the performances will be “much more raw, spontaneous and less scripted,” in comparison with the “Lights in the Sky” tour last year. Continue reading...

17.2.09

Follow The Pirate Bay’s Spectrial

The Pirate Bay is in court today, as previously reported, and the “spectrial” is being transmitted live. You can follow the proceedings via live audio feed and twitter. Read more...

16.2.09

‘Internet Blackout’ Protest Against Law in New Zealand

The New Zealand law that will allow authorities to summarily cut Internet connections is being contested widely on Facebook, Myspace and Twitter, an initiative from The Creative Freedom Foundation. As previously reported, the law will be implemented on 28 February, and now you can join the protest by simply blacking out your profile image on popular social networks. Continue reading...

14.2.09

Thom Yorke Chooses Favorite Tracks on Bleep.com

As we previously reported in January, Warp Records shut down its web store and started selling music on Bleep.com. Now, to celebrate Bleep’s 5th anniversary, the online store is polling big names for the best tracks the service has available. Mr. Oizo, Four Tet, Holy Fuck, and Thom Yorke submitted top 5 lists, check them out here. Read more...

New Music Sharing Tool For Twitter

Mixmatchmusic has launched the URL address shortener ‘tra.kz’, which is designed for users to link music related content on Twitter. The biggest feature is Tra.kz’s own music player, which can stream songs hosted by labels and bands. Read more...

13.2.09

Rockstar Switches from Amazon to iTunes for GTA IV Music

Grand Theft Auto IV developer Rockstar Games has changed from Amazon’s mp3 store to Apple’s iTunes for their ZiT service, a feature that allows players to purchase songs from the game’s seventeen in-game radio stations. Read more...

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

ss_blog_claim=e1f9e5fd0ea9078168878a791f7c6a58