More Adele: Someone Like You

Random Notes

1.
I heard someone in Peet’s say “It was like being in a 3rd world country” because she couldn’t get tech support to come and fix her Internet fast enough. Seriously. So just in case you ever wanted to know just how truly spoiled we are . . .

2.
Now I remember why I fell in love with Coldplay in the first place. Especially since it’s like listening to an entirely different band. Viva la Vida (the song) just makes me happy to my core. I think it’s the sublime combo of his voice and the violins; I’m a sucker for violins.

3.
I read somewhere that there is a push on to make yoga an Olympic sport. Because curling has no summer equivalent? Or is the International Curling Society pushing it so that they're no longer the butt of every Olympic joke. I love yoga but I always thought it was supposed to be relaxing--not competitive. What's next? "Watching paint dry" just doesn't have a ring to it--no pun intended. Any suggestions?

She's Ready for Her Close Up, Mr DeMille

Hannah's new favorite song is Great Big World from Hoodwinked. Anyone know a talent agent?

Music to His Ears

Singer will.i.am on why he turned Barack Obama's speech Yes, We Can into song:

i was captivated...

Inspired...

I reflected on my life...
and the blessings I have...
and the people who fought for me to have these rights and blessings...

and I'm not talking about a "black thing"
I'm talking about a "human thing" me as a "person"
an American...

That speech made me think of Martin Luther King...
Kennedy...
and Lincoln...
and all the others that have fought for what we have today...

what America is "supposed" to be...

freedom...
equality...
and truth...

and thats not what we have today...
we think we are free...
but in reality terror and fear controls our decisions...

this is not the America that our pioneers and leaders fought and
died for...

Here's the video:

Steve Jobs vs RIAA?

From today's Washington Post, in an article about the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) using the federal court system in an attempt to stop digital music sharing:

" . . . in an unusual case in which an Arizona recipient of an RIAA letter has fought back in court rather than write a check to avoid hefty legal fees, the industry is taking its argument against music sharing one step further: In legal documents in its federal case against Jeffrey Howell, a Scottsdale, Ariz., man who kept a collection of about 2,000 music recordings on his personal computer, the industry maintains that it is illegal for someone who has legally purchased a CD to transfer that music into his computer."

CDs sales are down and consumers--and some artists--are looking for ways to avoid these traditional (aka: old) media companies altogether. So the answer is to sue the pants off of college students and now people who are actually purchasing the CDs and copying them to their own computers? Brilliant.

So when does Steve Jobs enter the picture? If the RIAA wins this suit, will they then claim that, once a song or album is purchased and downloaded through a service such as iTunes, the consumer is not legally permitted to then transfer that song or album from their computer to their iPod? Maybe, but I'd put my money on Steve and the 100 million or so of my fellow iPod users.

Nice to Know I'm Not the Only One . . .

I just opened the March 30 issue of The Week to a nice surprise: seems that music reviewers from The Washington Post, The New York Times and Los Angeles Daily News all gave high marks to Amy Winehouse's Back to Black. I beat them to it by a month and a half, but I think they have a slightly OK, astronomically) larger readership. That and they have to write actual reviews instead of just a "I LOVE this!"

If you still haven't checked it out, you can find it on Amazon for a ridiculously low $9.99.

Music I Love

We could also call this the "because I'm trying to avoid rewriting my book" list, but I'm working on that as a separate post. Basically, it's most of the KFOG new-music play list because I'm a dork and don't stray too far when looking for new, non-classical or jazz--although sometimes they throw one of those in, too. Maybe for the WTF?! factor, but I still appreciate it. I get a lot of other recommendations from HeadButler.com--also a great place for book and movie reviews and recommendations. So, in no particular order:

Brandi Carlilie, The Story (available in April)

Amy Winehouse, Back to Black (available as an import--warning: explicit lyrics!)

Keane, Under the Iron Sea

Blue October, Foiled

The Decemberists, The Crane Wife

The Killers, Sam's Town, When You Were Young (single, import)

Mica Lee Williams, Lucid Dreaming High (also has a new CD coming out in April)

Rodrigo y Gabriela, Self-titled (Charlotte's favorite, next to any Red Hot Chili Peppers)

Arvo Part, Alina (If I were given a choice of one classical CD to listen to for the rest of my life, this one would be a top contender.)

Josh Ritter, Animal Years

I listen to a lot of classical music too, but I'll save that for another avoiding-the-book list.