Music

Now that Michael Jackson is dead, I'm not going to miss him. I didn't know him. I don't think many people did. I do, however, miss the Michael Jackson I once thought I knew, back before it all got so weird. You see, there was a time... I never really loved Michael Jackson's music, but I loved his music videos. Back in the early 1980s, creating videos for songs was still a new … [Read more...] about Michael Jackson, R.I.P.

Radley Balko tells us about yet another RIAA masterstroke: [The] RIAA is suing a young transplant patient in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Nineteen-year-old Ciara Sauro has pancreatitis and because she needs an islet cell transplant, she's hospitalized every week, a situation resulting in a huge accumulation of medical bills. Now, "Because she didn't defend herself against a … [Read more...] about RIAA Strikes Again

I hate Digital Rights Managed (DRM) music. For one thing, once I buy some music, I want to be able to move it to other devices or other computers without having to check with the rights management server every time. The other reason to hate DRM music is this: Yahoo e-mailed its Yahoo! Music Store customers yesterday, telling them it will be closing for good--and the company … [Read more...] about Why Music Downloads Suck

The other day I heard an acoustic version of Pete Townshend's "Slit Skirts" and actually got to listen to the lyrics. It's depressing stuff: The incense burned away and the stench began to riseAnd lovers now estranged avoided catching each others' eyesAnd girls who lost their children cursed the men who fit the coilAnd men not fit for marriage took their refuge in the oilNo … [Read more...] about Slit Skirts – Sunday Song Lyrics

I love cover songs. When one artist is covering a song with a well-known version by another artist, I can't help but think of the earlier version while listening to the new one. The contrast between the old and new versions in my head creates musical tension unlike any original performance. Case in point: Here is 70-year-old Shirley Bassey's awesome cover of Pink's "Get The … [Read more...] about Get The Party Started