PS: For some reason, I am not able to embed the 8Tracks compilation on the blog. So, just tap the image above to open the playlist in a new window and enjoy.
I love this band so much. Every now and then, I put on this album after a long break from listening to them. I realize that its not they who I miss, its my own solitude and peace. They somehow magically capture that in their music and it means a lot to me, to listen to a Dire Straits song/album.
Clare Torry the vocalist for 'The Great Gig In The Sky' talks about how the song got made in the studio and what was her contribution to it. Experimental is what Pink Floyd has always been and this story by Clare solidifies the fact that Pink Floyd was an exceptional band who were always exploring new sounds for musical expression. Musical alchemists, they truly were.
Love the beats to this song. Nothing spectacular, just that the tempo and chilled out and cool. Btw, I would not recommend the video of this song to anyone as its NSFW and a lot of people found it to be tasteless. I though it was creative, extreme and conversation starter. Enjoy the song.
Found this wonderful version of Teardrops by Massive Attack performed by Igor Presnyakov on a acoustic guitar. Interesting way of creating beats on the guitar body while playing the strings.
And, here is one more cover version of another favorite song of mine. This one is 'Comfortably Numb' by Pink Floyd, performed by Thomas Leeb.
I simply love the way this song has been shot. Not that the video is any less mesmerizing. This one is in my favorites list. Looking out for a mp3 of this song.
A short documentary which attempts to understand the enigmatic and influential Japanese writer Haruki Murakami. The documentary attempts to trace the journey of Murakami and understand his influences and passion for writing such masterpieces. What I like about this documentary is that it provides some beautiful scenes enacted from several of his books with the with a voice over that reads out excerpts of those scenes.
A definite recommendation for a laid back watch. And, there will be some sweet jazz as accompaniment.
Music makes us feel happy, sad, excited, energetic, raged, calm, human and connected. But then there is also music that makes you feel ... unsettling. Its like being taken on a journey and left along the road midway.
This is a mix-tape of unsettling music from across various genres. I will be adding to this collection as I come across more of them (or perhaps recall some of them). Hope you like it.
One of the best mashups to be heard. Who would have thought that Pink Floyd and Bee Gees would come together to being us a song of hope. Stayin' Alive In The Wall.
Came across a very interesting documentary created by a Metal head and an professional anthropologist. What's unique about the video is its take on Metal music through people, their cultural context, their associations with the music genre and roots of their loyalty.
A must watch for loyalists and skeptics alike. It's a long movie, so you better grab a beer with it. Cheers!
YouTube has many interesting channels and videos. Along come videos every now and then which wow us all. Here is one that I found like most of you (probably by now), which I really loved. Enjoy!
Alex Chadwick plays 100 famous guitar riffs in one take giving you a chronological history of rock n' roll. Its not exactly the history of Rock-n-roll, but then its good enough for appreciation. The video has been uploaded by Chicago Music Exchange.
When week-end arrives, its time to sit back and relax, pop a beer, set the mood with some snacks and put on some good old music to chill out with. If you were in your teens when the 80's were around (or even if you were a baby back then) you will love to revisit that era. Enjoy this collection from 8Tracks.com. Have fun!
For all those who love Pink Floyd, here is another online streaming site which offers almost the entire catalog for free streaming. The songs are in 128Kbps quality which is quite decent for the ears.
One of the greatest bands in the world that has captured my imagination since childhood, Pink Floyd has been innovative, imaginative and progressive in the way they have expressed their stories in musical expression to the world.
What I loved about bands like them are that they do not conform nor try to fit into any specific genre. Its music, its expressed from the heart and with a passion. And passion is what to feel when you listen to their albums. Yes, I love listening to an album, not just a song. Thats a musical experience that I feel is missing from most artist albums now a days.
Found this video of Roger Waters explaining the thought behind the song 'Brain Damage', a song from the Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd.
"Brain Damage" looks at a mental illness resulting from the elevation of fame and success above the needs of the self; in particular, the line "and if the band you're in starts playing different tunes" reflects the mental breakdown of former band-mate Syd Barrett. [Wiki]
Roger explains how the song beginning got inspired by a thought. Though not explained in the video, the song does reflect on Syd's mental illness. Its amazing how the band reflect on it in this epic song from one of the greatest albums of all time.
And guess what? there is a new gadget coming soon to ride this monster too.
Ableton live is one of the most innovative DAW (Digital audio Workstation) software's available in the market. What makes it unique is the ability to compose tracks and create clip launch scenes which can be use for live performances.
I am a Ableton fan and use it as a hobby. The recent update that Ableton has come out with is something worth talking about.
Albeton Live 9 and Push. Ableton Live 9 will be released soon and as an introductory offer, they are providing a discount on Live 8 with a free upgrade to Live 9. That's something.
And to add to it, Albeton is introducing Push, a Albeton controller, in collaboration with Akai Pro, that allows a musician the ability to use Live 9 without having to touch the laptop and completely focusing on the music production process. We earlier had Akai Pro APC 40 to do that, but the Push takes it to a whole new level.
Here is the video of the launch event.
The Offer by Ableton
Ableton is providing a 25% discount on Ableton Live 8 with a free update to Ableton 9 when it gets launched. That's fantastic for those who always wanted Live 8. Existing owners of Live Lite or earlier versions of Live will be eligible for further discounts and lower upgrade cost which brings down the cost considerably. You would have to login to your Ableton account to check for the applicable discounts.
Early opinion of Push
I saw the demo video of Push which Ableton has shared from one of its launch video. Its quite complex and if you are a novice user or someone new to Ableton, you might want to stick to APC 40's or Novation Launchpads for the time being. A more advanced user with exceptional skills in using Ableton would benefit from Push and its got (what I believe) a sharp learning curve. Missing knobs make it very pressy (sorry for the lack of better word). But then, its just an observation. Its still a awesome device.
I came across this article some time back on HuffingtonPost.com which was to do with the usual US (and as a matter of fact, International Politics) of picking on your opponents words to to attack them. It may be something they said without thinking of the consequence or perhaps their words were taken out of context or its was just plain old tit-for-tat politics to keep the voters occupied with the inconsequential aspects of the governance or government. This time it was Joe Biden who said something to which the Republicans were having a field day blasting off a salvo of criticism at him.
As one scrolls down the article, there is something of a surprise that one encounters. 'The Greatest Hits of Joe Biden'. What? Is it really?
There is a playlist of songs created on Spotify which are a humorous take on Joe Biden's gaffe prone speeches and perhaps public interaction spells.
Here is the first politically humorous playlist (which I ever encountered) for your listening pleasure.
