Dave Malloy, Alec Duffy, Rick Burkhardt. Photo Ryan Jensen

“Three Pianos” is an awesome party for music nerds. That is to say, it does a great job of creating a theatrical representation of a Schubertstadt, which was, it explains, an event wherein a bunch of creative depressives would hunker down in the crappy apartment of 18th century superstar composer Franz Schubert, get blitzed, listen to the latest sublime Schubert composition, and attempt to transmute their melancholy into works of art.

The theme of this party is Schubert’s Winterreise (Op. 89, D 911), a 24-song cycle created around poetry by Wilhelm Müller about an angst-ridden Romantic who wonders through a snowy wood, brooding upon the cruelties of existence. The party’s hosts, creator/performers Rick Burkhardt, Alec Duffy and Dave Malloy essentially give this work the Reduced Shakespeare Company treatment: loving yet irreverent.

Inviting their audience to join them in a cup of wine or three (really, there’s wine), they offer witty, multimedia Cliff’s Notes on each of each song in the cycle. Surrounded by snowy trees, colored lanterns, a model of churchyard and of course, one piano each, they jump between tongue-and-cheek lectures, goofy historical reenactments and arguments over music criticism and music theory, which occasionally get personal.

Much of the strength of the trio’s fluid and creative presentation is their gift for modernizing (and often post-modernizing). They sing selections from the cycle in a self-consciously non-operatic style. They create ingenious contemporary analogies for the central image of the tromp through the cold forest. It’s a more active version of what would now be mindlessly refreshing Web pages while stuffing one’s face with processed food. It’s like aimlessly meandering through the aisles of Kmart with no particular purchase in mind. It’s like flitting desperately from one entertainment source to the next. Better, the trio argues, to confront depression head on, explore the hell of it, make something with it, like Schubert and his artistic friends did. Once this argument is offered the pre-curtain music choice of Chicago blues makes wonderful sense.

The other brilliant bit of modern adaptation going on in Three Pianos is its celebration not only of the artistic process by of the art of appreciation. It plays with that fact that in our world of cutting-and-pasting, posting, tweeting and commenting—our world in which “hipsters” are essentially cultural critics— fandom is a highly creative act.

I got so lost, in fact, in the fun of watching this talented threesome try to reckon with this strange, foreign art work which exerts so much power over their lives, that after the curtain fell, I found myself wondering if I would enjoy the actual Schubert piece on its own merits, divorced from the commentary. I’ve been listening to various versions of Winterreise over and over again, ever since. It’s beautiful.

“Three Pianos” plays at the A.R.T.’s Loeb Drama Center through January 8.

Whether you’re a musician, or are shopping for one this holiday season, here’s a look at JAM, by Apogee Electronics, a professional grade digital converter for studio quality recording.

With a true “plug and play” setup, it takes just a few minutes before your ready for some high quality recording on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Unlike a simple adapter, JAM is a converter, which transforms the analog signal from your instrument to a digital one before it enters your device, avoiding any unwanted noise.

The input is particularly useful for recording multiple tracks with clarity. Just plug your headphones into your computer or other device, and you’ll have in-ear monitors. Alternatively, let it play through your built in speakers and play/record new parts to your creation while listening to existing tracks. Either way, the integration with GarageBand is seamless, and the sound quality superb.

Although originally designed for electric guitar and bass guitars, JAM is compatible with any instrument that has a built in pickup. We also tested JAM with a Taylor 510ce acoustic/electric, and it sounded very crisp and clear.

Physically speaking, JAM is compact and convenient in size, and is easily stored in a guitar case or bag. It comes equipped with two cables, one for use with Mac (via USB) and one for iPad/iPhone. You won’t have to worry about a lose connection as the output on JAM locks into place. It is also a very lightweight design that poses no threat of pulling the cable out of your guitar — all in all a very functional design.

For a hundred bucks, and a piece of American engineering (Made in USA!) JAM is a great pickup.

For Leah Siegel, her musical act Firehorse and latest album, “And So They Ran Faster…” have been a long and hard-earned time coming.

As she told it, after years of working and performing in Boston and New York, she came to realize that she wasn’t being honest in her art – or with herself.

“I sort of took a step back and I thought ‘Something is wrong here. It doesn’t feel like me. I feel like I’m cutting corners so that I can fit in someone else’s kind of paradigm of belonging, of what I’m supposed to be, where I’m supposed to fit in,’” Siegel said.

Burnt out and broke, she decided to start from square one to remember what she loved about music and who, as an artist, she really wanted to be.

In this search for identity she stumbled upon a zodiac calendar, which placed her under the sign of the Horse. Researching further, she found the story of women born under a subset sign, the Fire Horse. Born just after the turn of the 20th century, they were thought to be “too gregarious, too independent, too fiery”, as Leah explains, to be suitable matches for anyone. As a result, in an era of arranged marriages, they were fated to live and die in destitution.

Feeling out of place, without real artistic identity, Leah was struck by how deeply this story of rejection and inability to express oneself resonated.

“I knew that I felt wild, and out of control, and destructive, and goal-oriented, and gregarious. And I felt all of those things, but certainly wasn’t channeling that in my music,” she said. “I listen to it now and I imagine someone holding a gun to my head.”

In taking the name Firehorse, Siegel hoped to remind herself to represent these facets of herself even if, like the Firehorse women of history, it doomed her. “The long and the short of it is that when I think about myself as a musician, (Firehorse) is what I want to be. That is who I want to inhabit.” In other words, she says, “I don’t want to make the music I think I’m supposed to make, I want to make the music that I want to make.”

It hasn’t been easy, though. Leah admits that part of adapting the Firehorse identity was embracing her own femininity, which, in the recording industry, often seemed to be an obstacle.

“It does seem that dude industry guys can take on like five boy bands, who sound exactly the same, but only take on 1 chick. Ever,” she said. “It’s like his penis compass gets so out of whack when there’s more than one woman in his life, you know what I mean? It’s just like whipping him around and he can’t get anything done … I like to think that that’s really what that’s about.”

It is little surprise that in writing “And So They Ran Faster…” Leah feels that she faced some of the darkest writing she’s ever done. It was “a battle” to complete, she said, “and I would just sit down and be like ‘I can’t take this anymore, it’s so dark. I’m gonna kill myself if I don’t do something else right now.’”

From these moments came songs “Our Hearts”, and “Machete Gang Holiday,” unquestionably the most lighthearted tracks to be found on the record.

“Those songs were sort of as I was starting to experience different feelings, ideas, and sensations in my life after many years of kind of feeling just quite bad,” she admitted.

While it’s clear she’s come a long way, even she hesitates to say what comes next. She’d love to do a tour, “because the live show is really fuckin’ awesome”, she said with a laugh.

But for a self-declared workhorse, the sky really is the limit.

“Now, as an artist,” she said, “you’ve never arrived. Because there’s always some other boundary, there’s always some other limitation you see in your artistry that you need to crash through. That’s how I feel about it, that’s always how I felt about it, that art is the only thing I can do with my life that, I don’t know, could send me down the rabbit hole…I just imagine that I’ll always be lugging boulders up the side of a rock cliff – an eternally rising rock cliff. Which sounds awesome to me.”

For now, Siegel hopes that her work resonates with listeners, but she’s willing to be candid about that, too.

“I think it’s one of those records where you either get it or you don’t,” she said, “and for the people who get it, I thank you, and I’m so honored. And for the people who don’t, I thank you too for giving it a shot. No hard feelings.”

Boston.com’s Matt Rocheleau reports that 21 acts are scheduled to show up for the first JP Music Festival, set to go off on August 20 from 1-7 p.m.

The event is free, and organizers have set up a 75-minute “mix tape” to preview the acts.

The line-up includes:

• The Angelic Slugs
• Brief Awakening
• The Chris North Dream Quartet
• Coyote Kolb
• Deta
• Erin Harpe & The Delta Swingers
• Lenny Lashley
• Little Bones
• Malicious Intent
• James Merenda
• The Model Planes
• Mr. Sister
• The Needy Visions
• The Nickel & Dime Band with Rick Berlin
• The Old Edison
• Opposite People
• Molly and Tess Pope
• Shepherdess
• Sweatshop
• Tallahassee
• Timinandi

The festival will be held at the Pinebank Field near Jamaica Pond. Parking is limited.

Are you a fan of “American Idol?” How about “America’s Got Talent?” Or the “The Voice?” Well what if you could actually create your own fan base of people who’d want to hear you sing and even pay you for it?

TheStage.tv is something new and interesting. It is a place where people from all walk of life that has a dream to showcase their talents. What TheStage.tv does is create a virtual “open mic” for those aspiring artists who want to show off their vocal expertise online.

Featuring the new Spotlight Player, a video player that allows the audience to donate money, purchase music as well as link/share performances of their favorite artists from TheStage.tv. The video player can be placed anywhere, such as a website or social media page.

“The Spotlight Player represents the next generation of social media sharing where the traditional video player has been enhanced by embedding a call-to-action to support the artist in a variety of innovative ways,” said Kevin Kaljan, co-founder of TheStage.tv. “Finally, there is a one-stop mechanism for donation, email subscription and music purchase so that fans can take action immediately.”

The Spotlight Player was developed in partnership with Donortube.com. Basically any artist who performs an original work on The Stage.tv can add the player on their website as well as social media site. The cool thing is that it will link directly to iTunes and Amazon. The Spotlight Player will allow fans of the artist to offer donations as well as help aspiring artists who are planning a tour, record music or donate funds to their own important causes.

You can also subscribe to be notified via email of your favorite artists upcoming performances. The Spotlight Player also offers integrated social media interaction with Facebook and Twitter. Why is this important? When a fan “Likes” a performance on Facebook, for example, the like will automatically embed the Spotlight Player on the user’s wall, all with the same features.

TheStage.tv is the world’s first online open mic that connects artists with new fans and introduces audiences to live music from performers around the globe. Since opening its doors in 2010, TheStage.tv has showcased nearly 60,000 performances from artists across a variety of music genres including shred, jazz, country, singer/songwriter acoustic, karaoke covers and much more. Continually pushing the technology envelope, TheStage.tv is first in supporting dual video relay and 3D webcams.

To watch the Spotlight Player in action visit: http://www.thestage.tv/spot or visit Suzen Juel on the Spotlight Player at: www.suzenjuel.com.

For more information on TheStage.tv please visit: www.TheStage.tv

Google is becoming more of an internet giant everyday it seems. Today they announced their launch of something new called Music Beta. It is a service that will allow users to upload their music to the site where they would then be able to stream it. What do you think of this new service being provided by the company? Want to get in on this service? Since it is in a beta format, they is accepting request at music.google.com

But according to Billboard, this is not what the company wanted. They actually wanted deals with the major music labels to effectively offer a service to people but per Zahavah Levine, representative for the Google who was part of the negations process lays blame for the company not getting what they want.

“We’ve been in negotiations with the industry for a different set of features, with mixed results,” she told Billboard the night before the announcement was made. “[But] a couple of major labels were less focused on innovation and more on demanding unreasonable and unsustainable business terms.”

What did Google actually want? They wanted “to offer a scan-and-match style locker service — where instead of uploading different copies of the same track to store in a locker for each users, the service would scan users’ libraries and match the songs they own to a centralized server, paying rightsholders for each stream.”

All of this was to coincide with Google’s music player app which will be available for Android smartphones. With so many services offering similar options, is Google becoming a bit greedy in its need to expand in every market? Or is their room for what they are offering?

California-based rapper/producer DJ Quik just released “The Book Of David,” his eighth album. The title comes from his real name, David Blake. As such, there is a personal concept through the album.

The album kicks off with an elegant intro track “Fire and Brimstone,” backed by jazz piano melody lines. Therhythmic track “Do Today” sounds dreamy and sharp simultaneously since funk music really helps the rap be outstanding and vivid. “Killer Dope” has the same effect, the combination of hip hop, funk, and sort of jazz is the huge factor.

As one of the guest singers, Jon B. does an excellent job in the album. He participates in several tracks, particularly “Real Women,” the second single from the album, which significantly highlights his soulfu

l vocals. As he beautifully hits the high notes along with solid rhythm, the track gives the listeners a sense of excitement.

A fun tune “Hydromatic” combines effective dynamics throughout the track; its dramatic and entertaining.

With straightforward strong lyrics, “So Compton” definitely has a similar vibe to 90’s Hip Hop.

“Time Stands Still” completely changes the entire mood with its romantic mellow love song featuring Dwele’s sweet vocals. This sexy tune makes female listeners fall in love with how DJ Quik is telling the romantic story here.

The last track, “The End” is extremely groovy with Garry Shider’s guitar. The tune is somewhat reminiscent of  Sly and the Family Stone. The first part consists mainly of a bunch of vocals, then DJ Quik is gradually dominating the tune with his powerful rap.

The creative album gives listeners a new perception of West coast rap by serving hip hop as its main dish with a lot of other music condiments to taste each track. It definitely has something unique.

Hey, why don’t you Like Blast’s Facebook page?

*Track list*

1. Fire and Brimstone

2. Do Today (featuring Jon B. & BlaKKazz K.K.)

3. Ghetto Rendezvous

4. Luv of My Life (featuring Gift Reynolds)

5. Babylon (featuring BlaKKazz K.K. & Bizzy Bone)

6. Killer Dope

7. Real Women (featuring Jon B.)

8. Poppin’ (featuring BlaKKazz K.K.)

9. Hydromatic (featuring Gift Reynolds & Jon B.)

10. Across The Map (featuring Bizzy Bone & Bun B)

11. Nobody (featuring Suga Free)

12. Boogie Till You Conk Out (featuring Ice Cube)

13. Flow for Sale (featuring Kurupt)

14. So Compton (featuring BlaKKazz K.K.)

15. Time Stands Still (featuring Dwele)

16. The End (featuring Garry Shider)

Wednesdays may be hurdles you have to grin and bear before reaching Friday, but Boston’s BOND restaurant and lounge wants to help you over that hump with their Jazz Experiment, live jazz shows every Wednesday from 7 to 10 p.m. that will make you look forward to the middle of the week.

Schedule of artists

March 2: Jesse Scheinin, a 21-year-old saxophonist and student at the Berklee College of Music with a high energy and spontaneous sound.

March 9: Yvonne Aubert, whose jazz is traditional, classic and timeless.

March 16: Sharik Hasan, an internationally acclaimed pianist and composer.

March 23: Samantha Farrell, a singer-songwriter and guitarist with a unique style that embraces soul, jazz and R&B. Her music has been featured in TV shows such as “One Tree Hill” and “Privileged,” as well as in independent films.

March 30: Ada Pasternak, a violinist, singer and student at the Berklee College of Music.

April 6: Sharik Hasan

April 13: Silvina Moreno, an Argentinean singer-songwriter and student at the Berklee College of Music who specializes in Tango.

April 20: Samantha Farrell

April 27: Nadia Washington, a singer with a powerful yet smooth voice who has been compared to such legends as Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn.

For more information, visit www.bondboston.com. For reservations, call 617-956-8765.

Looking for a classy date? How’d you like to pregame your Friday night at Symphony Hall? New UnderScore Fridays at the Boston Symphony Orchestra offers a shortened program beginning at 7PM, three pieces played without the usual intermission. The series also features context and commentary from the program’s conductor.

The first UnderScore Friday kicked off on January 14 with pieces by Delius, Mozart and Strauss conducted by Sir Mark Elder, a charming Brit who introduced each piece with great theatricality. Elder set the stage for Frederick Delius’s “Paris: A Nocturne (The Song of a Great City) by lauding the composer as one of his most under-appreciated countryman, and by sketching Delius’ bohemian adventures in early 20^th century Paris with friends like playwright August Strindberg and painters Paul Gauguin and Eduard Munch. The piece that followed was a moody narrative-feeling reverie with dramatic turns.

The evening second performance, Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 21 in C, K.4.67,” featured German pianist Lars Vogt, who filled the piece in with convincing cadenzas of his own devising. Elder asked Vogt to say a few words himself about this piece before commencing. He spoke with a buoyancy soon matched in his playing. Much of the Symphony Hall crowd leapt to its feet to applaud the moment Elder’s baton signaled the concerto’s conclusion.

After encouraging the crowd’s enthusiasm with an invitation to eschew formality and applaud during any interval we were moved to fill, Elder returned to the role of storyteller to set up Strauss’s ““Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks,” after the old rogue’s tale, set in rondo form for large orchestra, Opus 28.” This, he explained, is a narrative piece about a “quite devilish” trickster. It had lighthearted feel and served as a strong closer.

(Program notes and audio excerpts are available here.)

The next UnderScore Friday will take place on February 11 and will offer works by Haydn, Chin, Dvorák and Sibelius. The final edition on March 25 will feature Tchaikovsky, Adès and again, Sibelius. Ticket prices range from $31.00-$118.00.

In today’s music scene, although many popular musicians tend to sound alike, Virginia-based singer Trey Songz has been evolving as an outstanding talent with his very own soulful voice, representing the next generation’s music industry and constantly working on getting connected with the fans through his music.

After accomplishing his first headlining tour with singer Monica over the summer and releasing his latest album, Passion, Pain & Pleasure, this past fall, Trey Songz hit the road with Usher.

He sat down with Blast right before his show at TD Garden in Boston on December 21. He openly talked about the significant connection between his music and his life.

BLAST: You released the latest album, “Passion, Pain & Pleasure” in September. What inspired you the most to make the record?

Trey Songz: Ah, just, it’s my life itself and things that I am going through, and um, passion, pain, and pleasure are the 3 emotions in the boat. And, you know, I think that’s (the thing) with me when I do something.

BLAST: So, the album was basically all about what you were going through in your life.

TS: Yes.

BLAST: What was the main concept of the album?

TS: The concept is, you know, “passion, pain, and pleasure” in the title. So, all three of those emotions are spread out through each song in the album. So, you know, “Bottoms Up” is clearly pleasure. “Can’t Be Friends” is passion and, um, pain. You know, it’s kind of, the concept is going throughout the album. So I think, a lot of people can relate to more songs in the latest record. That’s what it is supposed to talk about.

BLAST: So, of all the elements, which are passion, pain, and pleasure, which one do you think is the most crucial one in order to keep your life move forward?

TS: Oh, passion.

BLAST: In your “Bottoms Up” video, it seems like you are holding a bottle of Ludacris’ Conjure Cognac. If so, have you ever tasted it?

TS: I wasn’t holding a bottle of it but I have tasted it. (Laughs) Ah, it’s great. I love it. I think it’s a great cognac.

BLAST: In your latest single, “Can’t Be Friends,” you are singing that it would be very hard to stay as a friend of someone you broke up with because you used to fall in love with her. I think it is a common issue that almost all of us have to face at some point. So, is this song based on your personal experience?

TS: Yes it is. I’ve definitely been through it and, you know, as I mentioned that earlier, I think, one of my favorite parts of the album or the song “Can’t Be Friends” is that, you know, people can relate to it at one point or another.

BLAST: I think you are an incredible singer. You perfectly sing any type of songs, such as fun songs like “Say Aah” or “LOL ” and fragile songs like “I Need a Girl” or “Yo Side of the Bed.” So, what’s your secret to make any kind of song vivid, real, and alive?

TS: Um, just, I listen to a lot of different types of music, and you know, I’ve always wanted to the best artist and, you know, one thing that I challenge myself is to do different types of songs, different types of records. You know, and, I have been working at this for a long time now. You know, um, it’s kind of came into my own, so to speak.

BLAST: When did you start singing?

TS: About age 14. I was just interested in but it was not my play around with, so. You know, from at age 14, I started doing like town shows and things that I was into.

BLAST: It’s been about 5 years since you released your first album “I Gotta Make It” in 2005. How has your life changed since then?

TS: My life has changed vastly. First of all is that (I’ve become) a man, just going from a young man to be a man. You know, um, within those 5 years, my celebrity has definitely grown, you know, places that I can go and people that recognize me. The coming-up shows that I do and the artists that I tour with, you know, Jay-Z and Usher, all in this one year, and Monica on my own headlining tour. Um, and, you know, from that, my business sense has definitely changed. Going through the successes and the failures throughout the years has definitely changed my business mindset.

BLAST: You have more than one million followers on Twitter, and whenever you perform at shows, your female fans are going crazy. What’s your reaction to this huge following?

TS: I just appreciate this. They have gotten me just trying to reciprocate the love that they give me. It’s amazing that I have such a large network by now, you know. I think I have 1.2 million on Twitter and, you know, I have 4 million on Facebook so I just have to keep doing the service and, you know, and let them know that I am here for anything to music to, um, you know, spreading my brand has been very much responsible for all of my success.

BLAST: Yes, it would be really exciting to see that all the girls are screaming at your show tonight.

TS: (laughs)

BLAST: This current tour is ending on December 31. After the tour, what would it be the very first thing that you want to do for fun?

TS: The very first thing after the tour? Relax, sit down, and catch some sleep! (Laughs) Very much looking forward to that!

BLAST: This year is ending soon as well. Could you share your New Year’s determination?

TS: My New Year’s resolution? I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I will work hard next year as I did this year. I have realistic goals but I don’t make New Year’s resolutions.

That night, TD Garden was packed with female fans. When Trey Songz showed up on stage, the audience was going crazy and getting excited. He kept entertaining the audience and one of the audience members finally threw a pink-colored bra on stage, which surprised Trey Songz and he said, “Wow. Is this a bra?”

He performed 12 songs, including his famous tunes “I Invented Sex,” “I Need a Girl,” “Say Aah,” “Can’t Be Friends,” and “Neighbors Know My Name.” Also, it was very thrilling to see that he sang Rihanna’s “Love the Way You Lie” and Kings of Leon’s “Use Somebody.”

When he sang “Can’t Be Friends,” he performed the same way as he does in the music video. He was singing the tune, sitting in a chair, with his face suffused with anguish and pain. His performance was very touching.

No matter what song he sings, it always comes out with his soulful voice. In the interview, he mentioned some of the struggles that he has gone through but when you get to see him singing live, that would make perfect sense to you since those things directly affect his music by giving him a voice to express his life. So, facing those struggles makes himself ‘Trey Songz,’ which motivates him to accomplish as an artist at the same time. In fact, that’s why his fan base has been growing dramatically. Since he is capable of turning all the ‘pain’ into ‘pleasure’ based on ‘passion,’ it would be fascinating to see how his music will be developing as he moves forward in life.

Photos by Lena Mirisola and Nick DiNatale

After all my talk about the Thrift Store Christmas Challenge, I thought it only fair to share the best finds. Here are the cute, interesting and enviable gifts that victoriously emerged from The Challenge. Feel free to take notes, and yes, it is ok to be jealous.

Owl Book End:

Owl Bookend

Old, interesting, and decorative books:
As I’ve mentioned before, old books are great gifts because they can serve several purposes beyond the oh-so-traditional use for books, reading (yawn). I got a 1930’s English textbook. When I’m not leafing through the pages to find hidden love notes or rhetorical theories from 80 years ago, I can put the book on a desk or by a lamp, and BAM! Instant bookish ambience. In my opinion, that is one of the best ambiances you can achieve. Well, a French bistro feel is nice, too. But, I’m nearly positive you’ll also like bookish if you try it.

Vintage Books

Sconce

Framed Music Man Soundtrack Record:
And here’s a perfect example of finding a great present for a music lover in your family. My brother-in-law received a framed Music Man soundtrack because he loves musicals, especially Music Man. Not only is it a meaningful gift, but also is visually interesting. And in this day and age, it is universally considered cool to have a record in your house, since, you know, those are, like, totally outdated.

As you can see, Thrift Store Christmas is possible. So even if you have to be especially budget-conscience this holiday season, you can still hunt, shop and buy gifts your friends and family can proudly display in their homes. Now that is a great Christmas success story if I ever heard one.

With the holidays upon us, you may be struggling to find something for that frequent traveler or music junkie on your holiday buying list. These may have you covered.

Any frequent traveler will agree that there’s nothing worse than trying to relax to your favorite album or movie, only to have that audio be replaced by the roaring sound of the plane’s engines or a crying baby. Look no further than to a pair of noise canceling headphones, which may be perfect companion for that frequent traveler, music junkie or anyone wishing to hear the beauty of their collections without background noise getting in the way.

The first thing any shopper should be concerned about is the price and at $79.99, JVC’s HA-NC120 noise canceling headphones are a steal for the quality of sound they deliver and their overall performance.

As you set your eyes on a pair of these NC-120 headphones, one can’t help but notice the compact and sleek design of the product with its an all black and shiny, mirror like finish with chrome trim running along the outline of product. There are two switches on the device, which can be found at the bottom each individual headphone and enable/disable volume limit and function as a power switch. Under the left headphone, the product features a nice retractable 3.5 millimeter headphone cord which can be extended by simply pulling out on the cord and retracted by pressing a small button which sucks the wire back into the headphones where it is stored nicely and out of the way. This feature alone is great because it makes for easy and quick stowage by virtually eliminating the cord, saving you the time and hassle having roll and pack away the cord.

My favorite feature is that they can be folded down to about half their original size, allowing for easy portability. When not in use, the NC120 headphones can be folded in half and the individual headphones can then be swiveled and folded inward condensing the product to fit easily in a small purse, glove compartment or forward set compartment.

Sound quality was overall very good, considering the relatively low price and the small design of the product. When in use, music sounded crisp and lifelike, and the base levels were much better than I initially expected from a product in this price range.

JVC claims these headphones are capable of 88 percent ambient noise reduction, and I decided to put this claim to the test and take these headphones along with me on an eight hour flight to Europe and see just how well they blocked out the loud engine roar and passenger cabin noise. The results actually stacked up to be pretty well, and I found the headphones did a decent job at removing background roar. One thing to keep in mind with these headphones is loud background noise is only eliminated when music is playing, so you might find ear plugs to be a better solution if your trying to sleep in say a noisy environment.

In conclusion, I was very much impressed by both the performance and design of this product for its price range. At $79.99, this product is definitely worth the money and is an overall great set of headphones that sound excellent, look great and are a breeze to travel with for the money.

NEW YORK — Last week, The New School in NYC hosted “Music 2010: New Opportunities” at the Theresa Lang Center, The seminar focused on the decline of traditional music industry as every aspect of music has become available online. So, if you want to be an artist, what do you have to do to be successful? According to several executives, you don’t have to give up on your dream, but you need a modern perspective of how the industry works.

The five participants (and their clients):

Adam Ritholz: Founding Partner, Ritholz Levy Sanders Chidekel & Fields LLP; N’SYNC, Lisa Loeb, Maxwell, Sly Stone

Mark Eichner: President, The Eichner Entertainment Company; George Lucas, 20^th Century Fox

Charlie Feldman: Vice President, Writer Publisher Relations, BMI; R.Kelly, Rihanna, The Neville Brothers, Tony Joe White, Mika

Allison Schlueter: Vice President, Digital Media, Island Def Jam Music Group; Kanye West, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Bon Jovi, Jay-Z, Mariah Carey

Steven Scharf: Sr. VP of Creative, Carlin America/ President, Steven Scharf Entertainement

Scharf moderated the discussion. He opened by saying that “artists are becoming more entrepreneurial by doing things on their own and controlling their careers.” Ritholz joined him by sharing how he got a lot of clients who started their own entertainment companies because big record companies have been doing not so well. The cost to make a record is parallel to the economy so, when artists start their own business, there are more opportunities by handling all the costs for making records. His advice is this: to be completely open to where you want to go because the role of music, in these days, is a little bit different from the way it used to be. Most revenues are coming from concerts, fan clubs, merchandise, and social media. So the development of downloading music has had a huge impact on a role of music as a financial source.

Schlueter said that it depended on the type of artists to decide if digital media should be used to promote music. It was actually convincing because most of the Def Jam artists have been using Ustream to cultivate their fan base by connecting with fans live.

Eichner said that “Great songs are coming from great artists and it’s not gonna change.” He pointed out, “It is not about the majors today and there are opportunities for smaller creative people.” Music business people want to help them to be successful in every aspect, such as marketing, concerts, promotion, etc. So, an artist has a great team of people around him/her, and “being an artist” is “being yourself” but it is a “business,” which means that there are some compromises. That’s where the great music business team comes in to fully support the artist. For example, when there are successful artists like Lady Gaga or Taylor Swift, there are also a lot of people behind them. He said his current favorite artist was Bruno Mars.

Feldman sort of brought up a new topic regarding networking. He just came back from a big event in Austin, TX. There was a new band performing onstage because someone recommended them to perform. It’s about networking; there are more people making music and more people listening to music because of the explosion of the internet and digital music.

Scharf jumped in the discussion by mentioning the important points for an artist to recognize: how you view your talent, what you will say, and who you are. Those are the crucial criteria to develop a unique persona. Obviously it is very hard for a company to listen take all the submissions from people who want to be artists so it is necessary for them to have both great songwriting skills and something great to say in order to be outstanding.

Schlueter started talking about how a teenage kid became a successful teen pop sensation. Yes, of course it was about Justin Bieber. An online buzz on YouTube made them to go find him in Ontario, Canada, bring him to Atlanta, and get him signed with Def Jam. He was definitely the topic that got people’s attention at the seminar.

Here, Scharf brought us back on the original track by saying, “Micro-market yourself if you want to be a live artist.” Networking is very important because you never know how you could find a person who is really helpful to you, which actually happens in a funny strange way most of the time, so it is always good for you to be out there.

Ritholz talked about fan clubs, which was fascinating. How are fan clubs actually working in the industry? According to Ritholz, it is basically for an artist to create a base, and a way of keeping contact with the fan base. It could be some exclusive merchandise or a close connection between fans and artists.

Ritholz also mentioned 12-year-old web sensation Greyson Michael Chance who signed a deal with a label Ellen DeGeneres started after his performance off youtube. He said, “There is no filter anymore. He could be a talent or just a freak.” The audience laughed but it was very true and really hard to draw the line.

Eichner and Ritholz agreed with this point; you have to have your “best” stuff out there and people would dig into your stuff more. Also, you should not think in a limited way about what your product is, but think about what you are creating in a broad way. So, their point is that you should be confident and do your best, no matter what.

Feldman used Lady Gaga as an example. She was dropped by a record label before she shot to stardom. She demanded the audience’s attention and had a desire herself.

Eichner added that Columbia Records dropped Jonas brothers and Katy Perry on the same day before they became successful.

Feldman also said that Taylor Swift in Nashville used to email all of her fans before she became famous whenever she was not performing onstage. So, obviously she was making so much effort into connecting with her fans and it all paid off.

During the Q&A, one audience member question the music industries revenues, after doing some independent checking of several financial statements released by Warner Music, Sony, and Def Jam. The man was curious how revenue was doing so well when the industry complained of a decline. Schlueter answered that it was mostly from downloading and also, Universal Music (Def Jam’s parent company) was constantly signing new deals. For example, they do not compete with iTunes and MySpace, but instead have a partnership.

Another man, who clamed himself as “a lead singer of the third generation’s heavy metal rock band,” asked the five music business executives how they could help him to have a unique brand. They answered, “You already do.”

Overall, since the industry has changed so much, if you want to step in the industry as an artist, you have to adjust your marketing style. You have to work hard and focus on networking, clearly define your identity, be sensitive to those possible opportunities, and be confident about what you are creating.

Grammy-winner Macy Gray is finally back with her familiar whisky-voice.

Her fifth album was released in June, but it’s been three years since her last studio album, Big.

This album is definitely for a party, because her heavy calm voice is constantly coming with the hot up-tempo beats. It mainly focuses on technologically programmed "typical" edgy sound, and we don’t really hear a live band playing on the record but her unique melodic voice fully expressed on each track is making this record so distinctive. Although her voice is very unique, her voice never kills sensitive melodic core. It always works excellent with the tunes, which is her creative strength.

The first single from the album, "Beauty in the World," is a very catchy fun song, which totally attracts listeners. When the song is ending, there is nothing but a warm happy feeling left with a smile.

"Let You Win" is something suitable for a romantic movie. That would make you feel like you are listening to the track while seeing closing credits.

"That Man" sounds like early 80s disco sound (even though I wasn’t alive in the early 80s!), and Gray splits rhymes with the sound, which is so fresh and that reminded me of her "My Nutmeg Phantasy" from her second studio album "The Id."

"Real Love" featuring Massachusetts-based singer-songwriter Bobby Brown opens up by a short conversation of the two. Mostly, they sing together this sweet love song, which absolutely works perfect.

"Kissed It" featuring Velvet Revolver is a vivid rock song. With her low-tone voice, the song somehow sounds like blues. If she performs this song at a show, it is pretty obvious that she would totally kill it onstage with the audience screaming.

Overall, the album has every component of music, such as hip hop, R&B, rock, blues, and jazz. The album cannot be easily classified by a genre and you will find her talented songwriting creativity and singing skills everywhere on this record.

Track list

1.”The Sellout”

2.”Lately”

3.”Kissed It” (featuring Velvet Revolver)

4.”Still Hurts” (featuring Romika)

5.”Beauty in the World”

6.”Help Me”

7.”Let You Win”

8.”That Man”

9.”Stalker”

10.”Real Love” (featuring Bobby Brown)

11.”On & On”

12.”The Comeback”

Looking for something to do this weekend? Want that “something” to be free? Then you’re in luck! As part of their 125th Anniversary Celebration, Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops are giving a free concert on the Boston Common at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

The concert will feature a new work composed by Peter Boyer with Tony Award-winning lyricist Lynn Ahrens entitled “The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers,” during which the audience will enjoy quotes from speeches by the Kennedy brothers combined with original text and video and orchestral and choral scores.

The concert will also include a ’70s sing-along, music from “Star Wars” and “Harry Potter,” a new arrangement of “God Bless America,” and more!

Ask Emmanuel Ayvas how he would describe his band and suddenly the articulate front man is at a loss for words.

"I don’t know. We are not easy to categorize,” he finally says.

It might be hard to categorize Emmanuel and the Fear because they have 11 band members.

That’s right, 11.

Ranging from Ayvas, the lead singer to David Nelson the trombone player, Emmanuel and the Fear is not your grandfather’s rock band. If Sufjan Stevens and Beethoven made a love child, it might just be Emmanuel and the Fear.

The fact that you can’t quite put this New York rock band in a box is something the band enjoys and even came up with their name because of it. The band’s name came from a theme the lead singer found a lot in his writing. "It’s centered on fear and how to handle fear in our lives. Also, I liked the fact that it didn’t brand us. It leaves room for the imagination," said lead singer.

In March the band released Listen, the 19-track album that continues to receive rave reviews. The lead singer describes the sound as "dreamscape" like and says that the album is very visual.

"I think there is a very clear story being told,” Ayvas said. Many artists have a set pattern on how they create their music; either music first or lyrics. Emmanuel and the Fear are neither. "I like to write the lyrics and the music at the same time. We want to create music that provokes an emotion. The lyrics are very important."

One of the songs off the album was featured in the ABC Family series “Huge.”

"It was weird for me," he said. "I watched the show and the words of my song lined up with the story of the show. I’m flattered that they believe our song evokes what they are trying to evoke."

The band has also been featured on Fearless TV and the new ABC aired Jimmy Lloyd’s Songwriter Showcase. Also, as the band gains more recognition, they also receive more acclaim. Earlier this spring the band was named BMI’s Band of the Month.

Currently, the NYC rockers are on tour. Touring with eleven bands members may seem like a recipe for disaster but Ayvas believes the band is a perfect mesh of personalities for life on the road.

"We are lucky we are with really cool people," he said. "Touring with so many people sometimes isn’t easy after breathing each other’s air for months. So far it has been a lot of fun."

Some of the favorite places for the band to perform thus far have been Amsterdam and Germany. In Germany, the band went on for three encores. "It kind of strange,” he admitted.

"Hopefully we are still touring as much as possible," said Ayvas. Ultimately the band hopes to be "on the map throughout the world.”

Pop stars come and go. Some stay and will forever be remembered in the history of pop culture. Others fade as quickly as a shooting star. Emmalyn Anderson (artist name: Emmalyn) hopes to be one of those that are remembered.

With the release of her first single Love Letter, which is available on iTunes, Anderson is understandably thrilled.

"It’s awesome. I’m really excited," Anderson said.

The Falmouth native penned her recent single on real life experiences. "I was in a relationship with this guy and I realized I needed a break from him. I planned on going back to him but then I met someone else. So the song is me writing a love letter to him being like you broke my heart but I’m over it.”

Most of the songs Anderson writes are based on experiences she has faced.

"Its how I get my emotions out. It’s a release for me," she said. "It’s nice knowing people can relate to my songs and have been through similar situations."

Anderson is a fan of matching an upbeat tune with deep and sometimes even sad lyrics. "I don’t want people to be brought down by the lyrics. I want people to have fun with it," she said.

The same goes for Love Letter. "The lyrics in this song are very important to me," said Anderson. "Every word was written with strong emotion, yet the beat matched with it was added to give it an uplifting and fun vibe. I want to give people a reason to dance!"

When Anderson isn’t writing songs for herself, she is busy creating hits for Canadian pop artist Dustin Disco. Writing songs for another artist is a different experience in itself.

"You don’t know whether they will like it or not," Anderson said. "They might love it or hate it. You just have to learn not to take it personally."

Along with being a singer/songwriter, Anderson has another gun in her arsenal; acting. The budding actress has a minor role in Mission Park. The superhero adventure movie was a fun experience for Anderson. "It was fun filming. It was all green screens. My manager (Lindsey Vinson) and I were in it together so that was fun," said Anderson.

Mission Park premiered on August 25, it was Anderson’s first time seeing herself on the big screen and walking a red carpet.

"Having the paparazzi go crazy on us, seeing the movie all put together, watching my name roll through on the credits-it may sound strange but I felt completely like this is where I’m meant to be," said Anderson.

The aspect about acting that she loves the most is how the craft always help bring her mood up. "If you have to smile on camera, then you smile and that sort of makes you feel better," said Anderson. However, if the soon to be 21-year-old had to choose between acting and music, music would win that battle. "Acting is a lot of fun and something I want to do on the side but I think I have a stronger path in music," said Anderson.

That path in music began as a child for Anderson. "I was in chorus in 6th and grade and throughout high school. I loved it. Singing has been a blessing in my life," said Anderson. In the fall, Anderson will be returning to Lasell College for her senior year. She is majoring in communications. Juggling a budding singing career and school might be daunting to some however; Anderson is quite calm about the situation. "I don’t really have a game plan on how to balance the two. Whatever happens happens. At least I will have a degree," said Anderson.

Ask Anderson where she sees herself in five years, and her answer is honest. "I don’t really know where I’ll be," said Anderson. "You can’t predict it. It’s all up in the air. You just have to throw something up and see what lands."

We all love music for our own reasons. At Blast, we’re suckers for profound and insightful music lyrics that we can use as our Facebook statuses. The Weepies are the perfect band for this guilty pleasure.

Since their 2008 release of Hideaway, which helped them gaining more fame and notoriety, The Weepies have been keeping a low profile. They haven’t even toured since 2006. After much anticipation, Weepies fans can rejoice to the new sounds off of Be My Thrill which is their fourth studio album.

Be My Thrill took the husband and wife songwriting duo of Deb Talan and Steve Tannen a year to make. Listening to the album, this fact is evident. The 14 tracks seem delicately crafted with care and precision to make the perfect melody, soothing harmonies and pointed lyrics. All of this together makes most of the tracks off of Be My Thrill as charming lullabies for adults.

The Weepies are pure minimalists. There is nothing elaborate or over the top about the Weepies or this album. The formula for the Weepies’ success goes as follows; a simple but beautiful melody, angelic vocals and heart breaking lyrics. They follow this formula on Be My Thrill. It is not exactly inventive but if it’s not broke don’t fix it. In a world of fake plastic pop music, it is refreshing to listen to something that isn’t contrived.

Be My Thrill opens up with the beautiful "Please Speak Well of Me" This track is easily one of the best off the album with Talen beautifully crooning "looking back now/ I only wish I had been kinder/ did I ever know love." The title track is upbeat and contagious with its lighthearted sunny vibe. "I was Made for Sunny Days" is another upbeat track that delivers with charming lyrics ("I was made for sunny days and I was made for you") and gentle sounding vocals that gets the listener whistling along with the California duo. "They’re in love, Where am I?" is one of the exquisite ballads off of the album with lyrics that capture loneliness and longing for companionship at its rawest moments. ("I guess I have to hope that today the sun will shine/ and maybe tomorrow you’ll be mine/ Till that day I will wait/ Watch the lovers on the lake/ There in love where am I?)

Overall, almost every song off of Be My Thrill is just plain pretty. Even the songs that don’t quite hit the mark are delightful to listen to thanks to Talen and Tannen’s warm and childlike voices. This talent even got them to be Whole Food’s first ever full length album to be released on their website. Whole Foods Market, in a music initiative partnership with music and branding company Inspire that celebrates one new release each month that is of exceptional artistic quality and critical significance, has chosen The Weepies’ Be My Thrill as their recommended September release.

Who doesn’t love free music especially when it’s all about peace?

A free concert, organized by Hub Media, was held last August 7 with acts such as Boston’s own Bad Rabbits, MDot, Young Riot, Ryan Leslie and Wiz Khalifa.

With over 2000 people, the event was a success with fans chanting for each artist, you can expect to see another concert next year.

Those emotional, acoustic ballad masters known as the Goo Goo Dolls play the Bank of America Pavilion tonight, where they’ll surely tease some songs off their forthcoming ninth studio album, "Something For the Rest of Us," out at the end of August. Bassist Robby Takac recently spoke with Blast about the new material and the band’s struggle to adapt to changes in the music industry over the past two decades.

Fans attending tonight’s show might want to take advantage of the Goo Goo Dolls’ ongoing partnership with U.S.A. Harvest (www.USAHarvest.com). The band’s street team collects canned goods and other non-perishable food items at each show to redistribute to local food banks and shelters. And whichever fan brings the most items gets an exclusive meet and greet with the Dolls.

A word of warning — the bar has been set pretty high. A record was recently broken when more than 7,000 items were collected in a single night.

Check out Blast’s September issue for a review of the record, as well as the full interview with Takac.

CAMBRIDGE — Both Nona Marie Invie and Marshall LaCount have a distinctive and unassuming vocal style that’s fascinating in the context of their great music. This pair forms the core of the band Dark Dark Dark. Like many of their fans across North America and Europe, the first time I head them play, I immediately wanted, even felt I needed, more.

Jonathan Kaiser (The Blackthorns, Painted Saints), Todd Chandler (who created the movie "Flood" with Dark Dark Dark and the band Fall Harbor), Walt McClements (Why Are We Building Such a Big Ship?, Panorama Jazz Band), and Brett Bullion (Tarton) are other gifted musicians that are part of the Dark Dark Dark line up, each joining the band on the road or in the studio at various times while others veer off on different projects. This band is rooted in the surprisingly cool Minneapolis music scene, but they also have deep connections to New Orleans and New York.

They’re frequently on tour, and I caught up with them recently as they performed in Cambridge at the Lizard Lounge to promote their new six-song EP "Bright Bright Bright" (available from Supply and Demand Music). Compared to their previous release, "Snow Magic," this new collection of songs is more optimistic in its themes and more sophisticated, maybe even serious, in its melodies. Both demonstrate that Dark Dark Dark has a beautiful and original sound.

Describing their sound more specifically is difficult and feels a bit like slapping a cheap label on something precious which really has no name. Their record company has called them a "chamber-folk sextet." That’s okay, but it doesn’t wholly encapsulate them (nor is the group always six in number). Some listeners fixate on their frequent use of accordion-driven melodies and see them as a hip, alternative take on Eastern European music. As exemplified by "Snow Magic," the band could have made this particular characteristic their hallmark and rode it to success. But like many genuine artists, they are eager to try new things rather than repeat the old.

Listening to both these releases, one might notice the subtle and not-so-subtle syncopation that pops up in fun and delightful places. This characteristic connects them to jazz, but also to a wide variety of other styles, from medieval choral music to reggae and ska. Does it seem like the more I describe their music the less you’re able to imagine it? Then check out their MySpace page or brightbrightbright.com instead; both provide means to hear their music, for free, with your own ears.

Into the dark

It was a sunny afternoon in Cambridge as Dark Dark Dark did sound check for their Lizard Lounge gig that night. Nona and Marshall remembered me from a meeting at the Whitehaus artist co-op in Jamaica Plain a few years previous. I had heard them play there on a Friday night and spent Saturday trying unsuccessfully to remember their music that had so impressed me the previous evening. Sunday morning, they visited me in my dreams so that I awoke at noon with full memory of their songs in my head. It was an experience that has forever raised the bar on what I’m able to term "haunting melodies."

Seeing them again, after a couple years of listening to "Snow Magic" and a few weeks of hearing "Bright Bright Bright" before its release, I was eager to express my appreciation. Yet awkwardly, among my first words were an admission that "Bright Bright Bright" didn’t immediately sweep me off my feet the same way "Snow Magic" had. But I explained that it drew me in more deeply each time I listened. It’s melodies, like many things complex and magnificent, can’t be fully appreciated until one has time to experience them.

On first play, I liked it a lot. By my third listen, I loved it. Its dainty syncopation charmed me and even made me chuckle. After I’d described my journey into affection and some understanding of "Bright Bright Bright," Nona and Marshall, with characteristic reserve, looked at me just a little bit funny. Then they looked at each other, they smiled a bit, and Marshall said quietly, "Wow, a reviewer who actually listens to our music!"

Both Nona and Marshall have somewhat soft-spoken, introspective demeanor. To even casual questions, they tend to pause thoughtfully before responding, but that might be a lit bit of a Minnesota thing. Nona told me that she "usually makes Marshall handle the interviews," and something in her voice hinted that it’s a responsibility he doesn’t exactly relish either. Their slight trepidation about the media is surprising since music reviewers seem to adore them. Nevertheless, the press is a weird animal, and Nona and Marshall have the perception to recognize that.

With their fans they are less guarded. Their fans are enthusiastic and far-spread. At their Lizard Lounge gig in Cambridge, people came from at least as far away as Northampton, and they were delighted to do it. Other fans, having seen them at AS220 in Providence the night before, drove north the next day to catch their show again. Perhaps recognizing me as a fan of what they do rather than a mere observer, Marshall, Nona, Mark, Todd, and Walt seemed to grow more comfortable with showing me their off-stage ideas and feelings. After sound check, we went to a local taqueria and started a conversation that lasted, off and on, all night.

Getting to where they are

Starting with a report on the tour that brought them back to Greater Boston, Marshall said, "Nothing weird has happened. It’s been totally great. The worst thing that happened was three days of downpour and dangerous driving. And a leaky van. The top seam of the windshield was leaking and filling up the cup holders with water. That’s not that dramatic or calamitous."

A question about the first music they remember owning lightened everyone’s mood. Todd’s first records were J. Guiles "Freeze Frame" and Ozzy Osbourne "Diary of a Madman." Marshall put down his veggie burrito and informed us his were the soundtracks to the movies "La Bomba" and "Top Gun" on cassette. Nona peered over her thick glasses, seemed to suppress a smile, and told us her’s was "Funky Divas" by En Vogue. Walt said his first record was "Come and Feel the Lemonheads" and  Rush’s “Chronicles,” his first cassette.

Marshall recalled, "I remember my mom doing the laundry while I was listening to Dr. Dre really loud in the next room and thinking, ‘I wonder if my mom thinks this is weird.’”

Todd said he listened to that type of music, too, but added, "None of the references were anything I could actually relate to."

Nona and Marshall first became friends in Minneapolis. Then, according to him, "pretty fast we started playing something of Nona’s old songs." Not long after, "both of us were without jobs, and running out of options, and becoming closer friends, and just decided to actually travel and make gas money playing. Within two weeks of being Dark Dark Dark we were on tour."

Soon someone mentioned the accordion, and when asked about its role in the band’s image, Todd explained. "It often seems like we get placed with bands of a certain genre because they feel we fit in because we have accordions."

The accordion isn’t featured on every song, but both Nona and Walt play the instrument. Describing how she first came to play, Nona said she simply "moved in with someone who had one, and I just picked it up and started playing." It must have helped that Nona had first learned the piano. Indeed, several of the Dark Dark Dark members are multi-instrumentalists. Marshall plays piano, banjo, and clarinet. Besides accordion, Walt plays the trumpet. As part of Dark Dark Dark, Mark plays drums and Todd plays bass.

Accordions, horns, certain beats — these things tie the work of Dark Dark Dark to some types of ethnic music, but Marshall says he’s a bit tired of people focusing on the Eastern European nature of their sounds "…because it’s clearly not. It’s okay to talk about that as an influence, along with jazz and folk and tons of contemporary minimalist composers. There’s so many influences that it’s a bore to write them all down." When asked if it was fair to note that along this spectrum, "Snow Magic" was more klezmer-y than "Bright Bright Bright," Marshall agreed, saying, "Definitely. But as far as just calling it that, or calling it any other one of these music types? It’s not true about our music and it’s not respecting the tradition."

He further insists that it’s more than a matter of lumping or splitting when one talks about labeling the music of Dark Dark Dark as Eastern European or as anything else. "It’s more with us that we have so many other influences that it feels very strange to us.  And we hold in high regard so many other different kinds of artists that it doesn’t feel very true to us." He added, "Klezmer and Eastern European music was the first music we learned to play our instruments on, before we started writing ourselves. So that’s what we grew out of, but calling it Eastern European music in any way is cheating."

Previously, Marshall described some of the songs on Snow Magic as "waltzes." When asked if there were tracks on "Bright Bright Bright" that would properly be called waltzes, he thought for a moment and said, "I believe so. But the one-two-three, oom-pa-pa is not so clear any more. And I guess we no longer really think of them that way because we are doing some three against four things and they’re not so blatantly waltz-y."

Nona says people notice how "Bright Bright Bright" has moved their sound in new directions. "Someone did a review," she said, "and it was interesting.  They did still say ‘Eastern European,’ but then they said it was ‘piano driven’ and they had some other adjectives. I mean, it’s true that’s a part of my life and my experience. And when I was learning the accordion, I did listen to a lot of Eastern European music. So it’s there still." Nona described a review that said something like "moving from Eastern European to something jazzy" and added, "I think I like that."

The first, and title, track on "Bright Bright Bright" is indeed driven, slowly and exquisitely, by a piano. On the second track, "The Hand," accordions kick in with gusto, but their flavor is more gumbo than borscht. Hearing how the sound of these accordions, and a lyric about lights across the water, made me think of Louisiana bayous, Nona said, "Ah cool… that’s great. New Orleans has been a really big part of my life so my time there hopefully comes out in my music. But I actually wrote that song in New York. Half of it I wrote in upstate New York, and I think I finished it in New Orleans."

Marshall said that Walter, who is from New Orleans "is a big influence on us. He’s in the band and he’s an influence on us and his other bands. And the Dixieland and the jazz happening in New Orleans is an influence on us. And I think when Walter’s playing it’s even a little more clear than when Nona’s playing. But it’s definitely there."

"Walter plays jazz music in New Orleans," said Nona. "But I don’t know anything about jazz. I listen to New Orleans jazz and I love it. It’s part of our experimenting with writing music and not trying to write in a certain genre. Not trying to categorize ourselves in a certain way leaves us open to exploring."

Creating Bright Bright Bright

"Wild Goose Chase," the last song on "Bright Bright Bright," is a cover of an Elephant Micah song. Of the rest, Marshall explained, "Nona wrote four out of five of those." Marshall wrote "Make Time," the third song on the EP. It starts with nervous, rolling drums that are soon joined by Marshall’s voice sounding a bit creepy and British. Then, after a change, it becomes a joyous melody that both builds and floats pleasantly in one place in a way that might also be thought of as a Dark Dark Dark trademark.

Explaining their creative process, Marshall said, "Generally if Nona writes something, or if I write something, the other gets a chance to edit, or give feedback. But the primary writer is often Nona, and I get to be the editor, especially in language. And the whole band is involved with arranging the music."

Nona described, "Usually I just get an idea, somehow, and think about it for a long time. Then I sit at the piano and sort of work it out, somehow. I don’t know how it happens. It seems a little different each time." She reads and writes music and says "I write lyrics down right away or I forget them… I think usually I get ideas for lyrics first then I come up with the music. I guess I’ve done it both ways."

As for the themes of the songs on “Bright Bright Bright,” Nona says "if it is about romantic love, I tried to explore different aspects, more complicated aspects of those relationships. And some of them aren’t necessarily about romantic love either." She said "it all comes from personal experience," but I asked how specifically that applies, citing the record’s fifth song, "The Flood," that has a nice little image of someone in the park wearing their collar up. Thinking, she squinted, then explained. "Some of that song was really literal. The first half was really literal and the second half was more interpretive."

"Bright Bright Bright" was recorded at Sacred Heart Studios in a former church overlooking Lake Superior. Minneapolis producer Tom Herbers, known for his work with groups such as WHY?, engineered, produced and mixed the EP on analog equipment from start to finish. Nona says, "I think it just sounds a lot better. I think it sounds beautiful. When you record digitally, you’re trying to recreate the beautiful sounds of analog music and when its possible to do analog it just feels better." She added, "I don’t know that much about recording, and I know it can be easier to do things digitally, but for us to just play all in a room, and to have it recorded right onto the tape, like in two takes or something like that, it was amazing to me."

Still, they are a small group of people, and Marshall explained that "the choir" (actually the band itself) was done on a separate track. Nona recalled, "I think there were a couple of cello overdubs, and the clarinet was tracked separately than the rest because Marshall plays it and sings. But most of it was done at once, and it was really great to perform live together because we were able to feed off each others’ energy a lot more. It felt like it was a more holistic experience when we were all in the same room, playing at the same time, instead of wearing headphones and listening to a click track, which is how it can also be done, but it felt more warm and real this way."

Musing about her preference for analog recording, Nona said, "I don’t know if all the advances in technology are that great for listening to music. People just downloading music and listening to it on iPods is such a difference than taking a record and sitting down with it in your living room with a record player. You give it more attention than when you just plug in your iPod on the subway."

Summing up how "Bright Bright Bright" relates to their previous work, Marshall said simply and playfully, "It’s better. We got better!"

Nona said, "I feel like it explores different emotions and different experiences." I agree with both of  them. In its substance, "Bright Bright Bright" has an encouraging relationship to their previous work. It’s built on the same confident foundation, but it towers in good new directions. Their music has some very simple layers and some very complex ones. Their songs, both the slow ones and the faster ones, aren’t just interesting or well-crafted; they’re genuinely catchy.

The fans and the experience

Dark Dark Dark has some deeply devoted fans. According to Nona, "A kid asked me to marry him in Bloomington, Indiana… I said I’m not interested in marriage. That was pretty weird. I guess it was funny… maybe the funniest thing a fan has said to me."

They also have fans abroad, and have played to appreciative crowds in France and Italy. Marshall described, "They were separate trips. It was amazing. We were floating around in the Venice canals in boats that we had built, and pretty much treated like we had the key to the city."

When asked how their European audiences were different, maybe less or more reserved, Marshall said, "Actually it varies. Even the difference between last night and tonight is what you’re talking about a little bit, just because of the way things are set up, and the sound is, and so on." He said their previous night’s gig at AS220 was "louder overall. There were two hundred people there, and we were the last band." He compared that to this particular visit to Lizard Lounge, saying the latter was "more acoustic sounding… it’s a pretty dramatic difference."

Speaking with affection for the band’s followers, Marshall said, "we have a couple fans who have mailed us packages in different cities, or have sent us messages. Quite often, it turns out that some of those might be on different sides of the country. But they end up meeting on the Internet because they’re both talking to us, like say through MySpace. They’ll both comment to us, and realize that they’re both commenting, and end up being friends in the end around us. Some of those people are pretty intense. They’re all really sweet, but sometimes really intense."

Marshall laughed when asked, "What don’t you like to be asked by media?" and reiterated, "Simply saying ‘what are your influences?’ is a strange question because it makes us list bands. And then, I guess, people start putting us in a hole. Whatever that comparison is, it will get used over and over again, and we try to be real careful about that."

Nona agreed and said she’s often asked, "What don’t you want to be categorized as?" or "What bands do you sound like?" I didn’t guess that Dark Dark Dark could get a bad review, but according to Nona, "I think someone said once that they didn’t like my voice. I think people have preferences. They just don’t like accordion, so they’re not gonna like it. They just don’t like us, so they’re not going to like it." More often, Nona said, "I feel like people really get us and get what we’re trying to do."

Looking ahead

Dark Dark Dark, again working with Tom Herbers, have a new album due in the fall. Marshall says, "All the recording sessions are theoretically done, and it’s even rough mixed. But we’re taking a bit more time listening to rough mixes to decide if we’re on the right track… I think that with this album, we certainly didn’t repeat ourselves and I hope we can continue growing and developing in interesting ways and not start making the record that sells and getting into an artistic habit because it worked the previous time… We’ve found that formula, but I don’t want to find that formula and stick to it. But that’s a long-distance fear — what happens to my favorite musicians."

Looking into the future, Marshall says, "I hope we can honor all of our friends and fans without getting too inaccessible in terms of venues and prices and stuff. We try to be careful of that, but even now its a little hard to balance… We have so many fans that are close friends. I’m grateful because it’s kind of a huge number. And we also want to reach out to new audiences and not scare off the old ones."

Part of me would like to see Dark Dark Dark become rich and famous as soon as possible so that more people would be exposed to their wonderful music. But fame and fortune might bring them little happiness if it meant sacrificing artistic integrity or alienating longtime fans. Instead, it seems, their career — like their beautiful songs themselves — will continue to grow and build at its own pace, interesting twists and turns not excluded.

If Dark Dark Dark’s upcoming record reflects the same sensitivity and intelligence as "Snow Magic" and "Bright Bright Bright," they’ll be growing in the right direction indeed.

My faith in the Boston music scene was aggrandized ever so slightly on Sunday after seeing a matinee show at the Middle East Upstairs headlined by Art Decade, with whom I talked last weekend, and fellow Berklee bands The Dirty Dishes, Southern Belle, and Shapes and Numbers.

After hearing a lot of buzz about Art Decade’s incorporation of a stringed quartet in their live show, I was intrigued to say the least. The quartet and power trio didn’t interact like two separate entities, as one would naturally expect, but rather like one body, sounding symphonic at times. Art Decade’s set was a classically driven indie rock performance, in not only the wide variety of texture the quartet brings, but in the music itself. The songwriting screams that of a classically trained musician. While at times this sounds belabored and obvious, for the most part it works, creating complexity and at times, chaos, out of even the simplest of parts.

Guitarist/vocalist Ben Talmi played equal parts frontman and conductor, delivering an energetic performance while leading the quartet, while bassist Binod Singh Jr. shredded through all the registers of his instrument, free to noodle a bit more with the bass’ older cousin, the cello, holding down the low end.

The other standouts of the day were Southern Belle, who played an engrossing set of dynamic-shifting electro/experimental pop. The group’s tight guitar work and magnetic pre-recorded loops might have turned the room into a dance party had it not been 2:30 in the afternoon. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what this band does in the coming months.

Shapes and Numbers opened the show, playing a lights out cover of seminal Boston classic, "Where Is My Mind?" Whenever you here a Pixies cover in the Hub, it’s a good day.

In a recent interview with G4, Harmonix GDRB lead, Chris Foster, confirmed that the ‘American Idiot’ album will appear complete in the retail release of the title. The game comes with 47 tracks, most of which remain unannounced outside of the content from American Idiot.

The UK retailer Play.com indicates that ‘Dookie’ will appear in its entirety on the retail disc as well. This has yet to be confirmed, but more official news will surely pour out in the coming weeks as Green Day Rock Band is set to release June 8th…

Media credit/Erin Yunes/Abbott Imaging

Listen to the White Rose’s "Take Back your Mind," and you might not know the lead is a 21-year-old from Berklee College of Music, until you get past the Grace Slick vocals and the intricate, driving blues-rock guitar, and listen to the vocals on "Drive."

Yes, she’s talking about being a recent college grad, flailing around for a job in one of the worst recessions the country’s ever seen.

Is it a new theme? No. But coming from someone who, herself, is wondering where she’s going to go after she’s done with Berklee, it resonates much more than Jay-Z rapping about money problems.

Hearing "Drive" is unique for a 20-something: immediately you know Heather Rose, lead guitar, vocals and band leader, knows what you’re going through — because she’s there too. "It’s funny," she said laughing over the phone. "Poking fun at this whole situation — I’m all about, if something sucks, laugh at it."

While Rose doesn’t see herself in the in-crowd of Boston’s rock scene, with its harsh rock and jangly pop, she said her music does fit in to a larger aspect of the city’s tapestry: its youth. Boston is a young, young city, with many residents who stick around for four years, tops.

"One way my music does fit in with Boston is it’s targeted at young adults,” she said. “It’s hard, life is hard, and we’re all figuring it out at the same time."

The White Roses leader has been recording since she was in high school in San Francisco, experience she continues to draw on as her career gets off the ground.

Rose grew up with music, listening to the Doors, Rolling Stone, Pink Floyd, the classics. She discovered Janis Joplin and Jefferson Airplane in college. Since her first record, she said, she’s made two albums since, and each time she learns something.

So where did it start? On the streets, at open mics, wherever. In a telephone interview, she told me she and her friend Emily, the first White Roses lineup, "performed every week at this open mic, we played the streets a lot, and at the end of high school we put an album together."

"We were very young when we made it," she said. "I was 17 when I made my first record. It’s not my best work, but I had a lot of fun doing it."

She’s watched herself grow up in her music, and called it a revealing experience. "It’s a good and a bad thing, watching an artist develop into the person they are."

Will retrospection continue after college? Maybe, she said. Her latest record is very much forward-looking, wondering about her place in the "new economy," something Rose freely admitted she’d have a different perspective. "Most of the songs were written in my naive state," Rose said self-effacing, "being a young adult, trying to figure my life out. Maybe I’ll look back and say, huh, I didn’t have to worry so much."

News

We are the generation of Napster, LimeWire, and torrents. Needless to say, many of us don’t necessarily enjoy paying for our music. Some haven’t since 1999.

One of our favorite sources for music on the cheap, Rhapsody, recently announced its intention to re-tool their current app so that users can download any of their 9 million songs to their iPhone and listen to them even when they are in airplane mode. Users will not have to rely on a wireless signal to listen to their music and it is theirs as long as they are Rhapsody customers.

This is the beginning of a much-needed move away from streaming content. AT&T’s service sucks. We know that. Even apps that are great ideas in theory, like Ustream, fail in practice because of an over-reliance on an unreliable network. Content that you can download and use everywhere, even if it deletes itself off the iPhone after use, is exponentially better than not being able to access that content at all.

This is a great step towards increasing accessibility and transparency in content-rich apps. The concept of having unlimited access for a limited amount of time is not a new concept. It’s called a rental. It’s natural for developers to try to utilize all the bells and whistles of the iPhone, but it’s good to see that they are moving away from the streaming model towards a simpler, more effective one.

Apps

We all fancy ourselves rock stars. The vast majority of us aren’t, but that certainly doesn’t stop us from trying. When you need to rock out while on the go, turn to your trusty iPhone. Staying on the musical theme of our news section, here are three rocking apps for your rolling pleasure.

Noise Trio -- This app is a fun free one that uses tone rows to allow users to slide their finger along a matrix to create a song. Sliding sideways plays notes in the scale, up/down changes the tonality of the note, and pressing a certain cell in the matrix starts and stops a drum loop. Users can choose between three instruments: a flute, a blues guitar, and eastern bells. Each comes with their own scale, which seems limiting at first, but these scales are meant to be played in variations over and over. The guitar sounds very little like a blues guitar, but the main problem with the app is how buggy it is. When it works, however, it rocks.

Guitar Rock Tour 2 – This app is a brilliant free one for the Guitar Hero faithful. The app features the same rolling, tap based gaming interface as the console games, and has a soundtrack of classic tunes that includes “Born To Be Wild,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” and “Paranoid.” The two aspects of the app that set it apart are the ability to play drums as well as guitar, and the option to compete over WiFi with others. The app even includes a career mode that allows users to travel across the globe with their band, a nice touch to a game that really didn’t need it.

Baby Scratch — This app is predicated on the notion that we would all be much cooler if we were behind a turntable in a crowded club, scratching away. The best part about this turntable app is the ability to sample whatever your iPhone’s mic can hear, and scratch over it. The app utilizes the Flare scratch engine, which is by far the most simplistic and fun scratching experience for the iPhone. Users can also overlay beat loops on samples and control the volume with a responsive fader. The app’s lack of variety doesn’t give it much replay value, but for all of the nothing it costs, it is certainly a great value.

The world gets smaller and smaller everyday as social networking Web sites continue to gain more traction with users throughout the world. It seems only natural that the evolution of these sites is towards targeting specific interests.

Enter Indaba Music, a social networking site geared towards musicians with a collaborative bent. The name perhaps sums up the cloud-based Web site better than anything else, as Indaba is a Zulu word for collaboration and community.

Through Indaba, musicians anywhere in the world can create profiles in which they can share musical interests, influences, recordings (called sessions), photos and blogs as a means to connect to other musicians with similar interests and direction.

An intuitive search function, common interest groups and Indaba recommendations allows users who share something in common to find each other, from which collaborative sessions can begin. Sessions, hosted by Indaba’s Session Console 2.0 software, can be public, like an audition, or private, in which users can record, mix, edit, exchange tracks and even pay people.

Indaba’s most enticing feature is the ingenious Session Console 2.0. The console utilizes the cloud while engaging user’s processing power from their computers to record high quality, uncompressed audio straight to the session. In addition to high quality audio, the console features an offline mode that all but eliminates the need for GarageBand or Audacity, along with real-time hosted effects, non-destructive editing and a licensed loop library called the Creative Commons. The console also allows for commenting by showing tracks in waveform and allowing users to comment on specific moments in the wave, a much more effective method of notation than saying, "the third beat in the second bar of the bridge."

While this does not sound like much, anyone who has played music in a collaborative setting can attest to how invaluable the commenting tool is. The most impressive thing about the Session Console 2.0 is its simplicity, which allows any user, regardless of editing experience, to edit their creations within minutes of starting to use the console.

Indaba doesn’t stop here; they also engage their users by offering remix contests of popular songs, A.I.R. (Artists in Residence) who offer lessons and featured sessions that anyone can collaborate on, sometimes with established artists.

While the free membership is plenty useful, the site offers a "freemium" membership for $5 per month that provides users with more loops and effects, and a high-end membership for $25 per month that provides unlimited storage and private sessions, as well as all the "freemium" features.

A common interest and a strong sense of community have allowed Indaba to reach over 200,000 users in over 185 countries with no sign of slowing down. Indaba’s value, however, is not just in its social networking aspect but also in its extremely impressive software that makes it easier than ever before to record high quality and well-edited audio without ever spending a penny. The Web site also seems to be a model of what is possible when both the convenience of the cloud and the power of the personal computer are integrated into software. What’s more, Indaba genuinely seems to care about building a healthy community based around a common love, an admirable quality that more niche social networking sites will hopefully adopt. If you’re looking for the future of social networking, and maybe a new artist to check out, you need look no further than indabamusic.com.

(Media credit/J. Weissmahr via Flickr)

For decades, it was common for old, majestic pianos in the corners of living rooms around the country to come alive every afternoon after school. Whether producing the rambunctious clatter of boisterous children’s tunes and scales with one too many mistakes, or more elegant whispers of "Fur Elise," and "Moonlight Sonata," children faithfully practiced day after day.

Today, many of those pianos — their pedals and keys now cloaked in cobwebs and dust — stand silent. For many children, as they grow older, their interest in the piano fades for a number of different reasons. Whether their parents forced them to practice every day and they grow to associate the piano with discipline, or they become immersed in other activities like after-school sports, or they simply do not enjoy playing, pianos often become little more than nostalgic reminders of simpler times for a lot of adults.

According to the Bluebook of Pianos, piano sales have declined by 83 percent in the last 100 years. In the past 50 years, our population has also multiplied more rapidly than ever before, growing from 2.5 billion people in 1950 to over 6.5 billion people in 2005. More recently, in the past 20 years, piano sales have declined by more than half — from nearly 175,000 in 1987 to about 62,500 in 2007.

Yet while these staggering numbers may lead some to believe that the piano’s role in society is becoming non-existent, it will never be replaced in classical and jazz music. And while many pianos across America are suffering the dreaded fate of serving as mere pieces of furniture, they are still hugely popular first instruments for children. While this instrument’s importance in family homes may be diminishing, its role in society is actually just shifting to fit a smaller niche of professional musicians and music enthusiasts.

Over the years, owning and playing an acoustic piano has come to stand for a lot more than simply music. In the past it has represented dedication, wealth, and family togetherness. Learning an instrument takes time, and when children sit down at a piano, they learn patience and the value of hard work.

David Estey, owner of Estey Pianos in New Jersey, has been buying, selling, tuning, and restoring pianos for 35 years. According to him, one of the great values of the piano is the self-esteem boost it provides for beginners. "The piano takes effort," he says. "This is why it is so important for a child’s (or adult’s) self-esteem when they do learn to play. They have accomplished something of value."

Before the days of television and even radio, the piano was a gathering place for the family, giving them somewhere to congregate and something on which to focus their attention. The act of singing along while someone was playing a piano served as a way to bring groups of people together. Suzanne Davis, a jazz pianist and associate professor of piano at Berklee College of Music in Boston, observed the piano’s still-present role as a gathering place when she played at one of her son’s school productions.

"I’m playing the piano a little bit and people are gathered around," she remembered, "and other kids started playing the piano, and Mike says to me, ‘You know, what I like about the piano is that people gather around when you play.’"

Today, Davis heads the Suzanne Davis Quartet, which plays all over New England and in New York City. Her free, modern style epitomizes the range of emotions that can be conveyed by the piano — from peppy high notes to slow and moody lows. While the piano’s power has changed over the years due to the rise of television and the Internet and the subsequent reduction of attention spans, its large size and its ability to play a variety of musical genres has always brought people together.

A key question about the piano’s role in modern culture is whether it still stands for all the values it has been associated with in the past. And if the piano still signifies culture, wealth, and hard work, does its decline signify a shift in our culture’s values? Much of the decline in piano sales can be attributed to pragmatic reasons.

"The only hindrance to it being more popular is the cost of the piano and the space issues," says Davis, sighing. While many people would love to own and play a piano, many times the cost (up to $8,000 for an upright and $24,000 for a grand) prohibits them from doing so. A Steinway & Sons concert piano (9 feet long) costs more than $100,000, according to the Bluebook of Pianos.

However, it is also possible to find beat up, used pianos for as low as $250-500. These pianos can serve as great starter instruments, but they may have a lot of problems such as rusty strings and an inability to stay in tune. The cost of maintenance may also deter some potential buyers. For a piano to stay in good shape, it should be tuned twice a year, which costs $75 to $125 and takes about two hours. Also, every ten years or so, most pianos need more serious work done, such as leveling the keyboard or filling the hammers (the part of the piano that actually strikes the strings). This usually costs from $1,000-$3,000.

The piano’s large size also turns some people off to the instrument. People are a lot less willing to sacrifice space and money when there are so many smaller and cheaper options available now to provide entertainment.

Time also plays a contributing role. Estey observes that in our fast-moving culture, musical instruments are "competing — not so much with each other — but with video games, soccer, lacrosse, and a whole host of other things." He notes that this decline is not limited to the piano, and is evident in all musical instruments. It seems that the piano’s change in significance represents a culture where the emphasis on individual achievement is undermined by the ability to do 5,000 different things at once.

The ever-present electronic keyboard poses another potential problem for the acoustic piano, as it’s constantly threatening to outsell the traditional version of the instrument. Small, half-sized keyboards usually cost around $200, and keyboards that have all 88 keys can sell for anywhere from $550-$2,000, depending of course on the quality and brand. Keyboards are also cheaper to maintain, as they don’t require any tuning.

To Nick Gorman, who has played the piano since the third grade and now plays the keyboard in a contemporary rock band, the electric piano is an essential part of his music. While he will always enjoy playing the piano, Gorman acknowledges certain advantages of the keyboard, especially for someone like him who plays classic rock music. "The biggest difference that I liked was it was always in perfect tune," he says. "An acoustic piano, depending on weather and humidity, can go out of tune fairly quickly." He also notes how the keyboard "allows a player to change a key by transposing the key without changing the way you play a particular song." Gorman says he can spend hours a night just experimenting with different keyboard sounds.

Jazz pianists like Davis are also quick to recognize the keyboard’s value. "I don’t like to diss the keyboard particularly because there are certain things that keyboards can do that pianos can’t," she says. "And I like to have those sounds at my disposal." Keyboards also come in handy for other musical professions. Dave Gonzalez, a 2008 Berklee graduate and current film composer, is able to connect his keyboard to his computer in order to synchronize the music he makes with film. "What’s also incredibly helpful for me when writing with the keyboard is that I can write in direct synchronization with the film," he says. "Finding the right tempo is essential and the computer helps me find the timing and adjust it to make it feel natural even thought it’s very planned."

Yet despite the keyboard’s popularity, acoustic piano enthusiasts are confident that the traditional version of the instrument is here to stay."The acoustic piano will not disappear any more than the acoustic guitar did when the electric guitar came to be," Estey comments. While the popularity of electric guitars is also on the rise, there is still a market for acoustic guitar music, as there is a certain kind of music that would just not work with an electric instrument. The same thing rings true for the piano. "The sound of an acoustic instrument in general really can’t be duplicated successfully with digital sampling," Davis observes. "I don’t think so because the sound going through the air, through the wood, has a certain kind of sound, and it’s really not comparable [to that of a keyboard]."

Furthermore, the piano’s role in classical music will never be overtaken by the popularity of the keyboard. "A concert pianist wouldn’t and couldn’t play any keyboard on the face of this earth the way they can play a well-made acoustic piano," Estey comments. "It just ain’t happening."

The role of the piano will also always be integral to jazz; although, as Davis notes, most great jazz players are able to switch back and forth. "Herbie Hancock was one of the first people to really explore the possibilities of the electric piano. He was always able to go back and forth between the two, which is what I think most of us in jazz do," she notes.

As with any instrument, the choice between a keyboard of a piano depends on musical style and personal preference. Although, as Davis observes, "the soul of the instrument is in the wood." Despite his affinity for keyboards, Gonzalez expresses a similar sentiment. "The real piano feels acoustic," he says. "It’s real. I can feel its vibrations in my core."

The “cool” factor comes into play as well. The electric guitar has enjoyed a long history of being seen as "cooler" than the piano by many rock music fans, and their small size and price tag also makes them particularly appealing to consumers. While some children associate the piano with rules and discipline, they see the electric guitar as freeing and rebellious. According to the Music Trades Industry, a total of 3,302,670 electric guitars were sold for the year 2007 in the United States, compared to 62,536 total pianos.

Gorman notes that he quit playing the piano when he was a teenager because he didn’t view it as "cool enough." When he was 16 years old in 1968, all of his favorite musicians, such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, relied on electric guitars more than pianos or keyboards. However, Gorman returned to his love of the piano when he got older, purchasing an upright piano for his home and taking up the keyboard in his band. Gorman came to the realization that playing any instrument well requires time and discipline, so he returned to the instrument that he truly enjoyed more.

Another reason why the piano struggles to compete with the electric guitar is its association with discipline and perseverance, which steers some beginners away from it. Davis remembers how practicing the piano when she was a child was "a burden" at times. "I wanted to play music, not to practice it," she remembers. While practice is obviously required for any skill, many parents and teachers would force children to practice piano for long hours, thus discouraging them from the instrument. Modern society’s need for instant gratification is restricting the piano’s popularity more and more to professional musicians and people who are so passionate about music that they are willing to put in the time and effort it takes to learn something new.

However, Davis acknowledges that the tediousness of practice often gives way to the mastery of a skill — something pianists have long prided themselves on. Yet the stigma about strict piano teachers and parents has made some families hesitant about starting piano lessons. Estey notes some parents who come into his store and say in front of their child, ‘We don’t know if little Johnny will stick with it, because he rarely sticks with anything, so we don’t want to buy something of good value that will last.We want something cheap.’" Some families see an investment in the electric guitar as easier and less of a commitment, and that they state this in front of their child strongly discourages him from ever starting to play, Estey argues.

However, despite the competition from other instruments and extracurricular activities, professional musicians and piano players assert that the piano is here to stay. "I think it’s encouraging that a lot of people who do have an appreciation for classical music are teaching our kids, you know all that stuff, or taking them to composers, you know that’s really the way it has to be," comments jazz artist Davis. Teaching children an appreciation for the piano has certainly paid off, with students like Gonzalez demonstrating a clear appreciation for it. "The dichotomy between soft and simple to powerful and loud completely impresses me and gives me much respect for the instrument," he says.

The piano also still plays an important role in the development of young people. Estey points out that learning the piano has been associated with better math skills and greater spatial reasoning. Also, the piano has proven to be an important outlet for more reserved children. Davis, who didn’t enjoy performing or being the center of attention when she was a child, remembers situations as a child where she would play the piano for her parents’ friends and "they’d want to be singing. The more drunk they got, the more they started singing. All their college songs and all that stuff."

While our culture is rapidly changing — people constantly have the need to be doing three things at once — it is easy to assume that there is no place for the piano. Estey acknowledges the effects our changing culture has had on the this instrument: "We live in a society where instant gratification reigns supreme, and putting out effort to accomplish something of lasting value is not all that popular." However, he notes "the market will rise and fall with the awareness of the importance of music in one’s home."

With something that symbolized so much more than the actual music — a symbol of culture, of self-esteem, of hard work, and of family togetherness — this cultural shift may hurt the piano’s sales, but this nostalgic instrument is not going anywhere. "I hope people will always want to hear, same thing with violins or any other instrument, the real instrument," Davis says. "I’m hoping that people will always resonate to that sound, you know, and that people won’t forget.”

Gonzalez’s passion for this simple instrument conveys all the magic of the piano. "What amazes me consistently is how when you put those tones in a specific order, you can cry from sadness, joy, love, or recognition of a melody from the past." With its still prevalent role in classical and jazz and its ability to convey the gamut of human emotion in just 88 keys, the piano has solidified its place as a prominent instrument among professional musicians and music enthusiasts.

"The Winter of Mixed Drinks" is a fitting title for latest offering from Scottish rockers Frightened Rabbit; its songs are ripe for drowning one’s discontent in a highball glass, or several.

Coming on the heels of their acclaimed sophomore album, 2008′s "The Midnight Organ Fight," "Winter" finds the band soaring to new musical and emotional heights. After nearly two years of touring behind "The Midnight Organ Fight," frontman Scott Hutchison holed himself up in the Scottish seaside town of Crail to write the new record. ("If I hadn’t come now to the coast to disappear / I may have died in the landslide / Of rocks and hopes and fear," he sings on deceptively cheery-sounding lead single "Swim Until You Can’t See Land."

The locale evidently provided ample inspiration, with oceanic themes flowing throughout "The Winter of Mixed Drinks." Like a tidal wave, contemplative opener "Things" gradually builds to a crescendo, and repeated references to drowning provide a depressingly unifying motif. "Swim" and the album’s other teaser track, bitter kiss-off "Nothing Like You," strong in their own rights, are just the tip of the iceberg. The rest of the record plunges the listener into a sea of despair with hardly a reprieve to come up for air.

On "Winter," which Hutchison says comes closer to his original sonic vision of Frightened Rabbit than either of their previous releases, the singer is backed by his longstanding bandmates, brother Grant Hutchison on drums, guitarist Billy Kennedy and bassist/guitarist/keyboardist Andy Monaghan, as well as new addition and multi-instrumentalist Gordon Skene. Musically-speaking, the tracks are deeper and more layered. Orchestral string arrangements add poignant resonance to songs like "Skip the Youth" and "The Wrestle." Grant Hutchison’s drumming — always inventive but sounding more mature on this collection — once again provides the heartbeat of the record (see: the anthemic "The Loneliness and the Scream"), while his brother’s crack-riddled Scottish brogue is at its heart-wrenching best on the haunting album closer "Yes, I Would" and unconvincing "Not Miserable."

Yet all the doom and gloom is wrapped up on songs so stirring, so rousing, that it’s impossible not to detect a glimmer of hope, especially in the background oohs and ahhs, which are plentiful. Consider the track "Living in Colour" — a chant-y, borderline jovial tale of coming back from the brink that includes the title phrase as well as the line, "Am I dancing? Or am I simply spinning in my grave?"

It’s hard to tell, but whichever the case, "The Winter of Mixed Drinks" is the perfect soundtrack.

Hate messing around with cables? Want to put the music from your BlackBerry onto your home stereo system without a lot of hassle? BlackBerry users will be very excided to hear about the BlackBerry Music Gateway, a companion accessory for your BlackBerry from RIM.

This device allows you to wirelessly transmit music to your stereo system from your BlackBerry Smartphone or any other compatible Bluetooth Mobile device. The process is simple; choose a song on your BlackBerry Smartphone or any Bluetooth enabled device that supports the A2DP profile, hit play and you’re hearing that song through your stereo speakers wirelessly via the BlackBerry Music Gateway.

The first thing I noticed about this device is its compact size, measuring in at 50 millimeters both horizontally and vertically. The device is so small that you could easily place it somewhere and forget about it. On the front of the BlackBerry Music gateway is a LED light, which indicates the status of the device. Along the back is a Micro-USB power connecter and a 3.5 mm stereo jack. In the box, RIM includes an RCA auxiliary cable in addition with a 3.5 mm stereo cable. The RCA auxiliary cable allows you to use the standard red and white RCA audio connecters to connect the product to your home stereo system or you may choose to use the standard 3.5 mm connection.

Once powered on and connected, the product performed very well. Setup was a breeze and the included manual and documentation had very clear directions on how to get the product up and running. All that is necessary is for you to pair up your phone or device with the BlackBerry Music Gateway. Next, select a song and your wirelessly streaming it to your stereo via the Blackberry Music Gateway. The sound quality and range were excellent and I was able to walk around my entire house without any drops in audio. The music sounded loud and clear and I really like how it gives you the ability to adjust the volume directly from the device and stream music within applications. I was able to launch Internet radio applications like Pandora and Slacker Radio and hear the music streaming over 3G to my stereo via the BlackBerry Wireless Gateway with great clarity.

One small disappointment is that the product does not include a power cable in the box; instead they urge users to use their existing travel charger. This may bug some users, especially Blackberry Tour owners like myself, as the Tour travel charger that RIM urges you to use isn’t compatible with the Music Gateway. Tour users must purchase an additional travel charger in order to power the device, which is a minor drawback.

I find this product very useful and I love how it creates a seamless integration between your BlackBerry Smartphone and your existing home stereo. The $89.99 price tag along with the $30 cost for an optional adaptor if your device charger isn’t compatible, may be a bit steep, but the product definitely performs well above my expectations and does everything RIM claims. Sound quality, setup and range were all very good and if you own a BlackBerry Smartphone and you’re tired with messing around with wires to hook up your Berry to your stereo system, you really can’t go wrong with the BlackBerry Music Gateway.

The device sells for $89.99 and is available directly from BlackBerry.

It’s another random week in the life of the Rock Band Music Store, as selections from Marilyn Manson, The Police, KSM, One Night Only and HIM, arrive, in digital form, for your music-game pleasure.

Available on Xbox 360 and Wii (Feb. 23) and PlayStation 3 system (Feb. 25):

HIM — "Heartkiller" +
HIM — "Ode to Solitude"
HIM — "Wings of a Butterfly"
KSM — "Distracted" +
Marilyn Manson — "The Dope Show"
One Night Only — "Just For Tonight" +
The Police — "Walking On the Moon" +

Each song is $2 (HIM pack is $5.49) and those marked with + represent songs available in the LEGO: Rock Band music store.

New Politics has a motto: "Fuck It."

It’s crass, and to Americans, it sounds apathetic. But for the Copenhagen-based band it doesn’t mean giving up. It means taking chances — something they do with reckless abandon. For instance, when the band was on the verge of signing with RCA in November, they realized they needed some kind of US presence. So the three musicians packed up their instruments and recording gear, said "fuck it" and moved into a loft in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

David Boyd and S¸ren Hansen had been writing songs together for over three years (for respective solo albums that have yet to see the light of day) when they realized that they had unintentionally started a band. The pair had experimented with every imaginable style of music (every imaginable style) and suddenly recognized that the combination of their musical sensibilities, as witnessed on the 300 songs they’d penned together, created something new and interesting. Plus, the rambunctious, beat-driven nature of the songs offered Hansen a chance to "freak out and go crazy" onstage while Boyd showcased his break-dancing moves.

So the guys uttered their ubiquitous motto and haphazardly sent two songs— "Stress" and "Make Money" into the Danish National Radio P3′s cleverly-titled Karriere Kanonen ("Career Cannon") competition early last year. Out of the 973 bands that entered, New Politics were one of 42 selected to perform. Except, they weren’t even really a band yet.

"They called and said ‘Congratulations, you’re going to playing in three weeks at this club, are you ready?’" Boyd said. "And we had never played live. We had three songs. We had no drummer. We didn’t know if we wanted a bassist. We had no idea."

Do they went out and got a drummer, Poul Amaliel, and now they’re a band.

The trio became one of four bands to "win" the competition, landing them a spot playing a major music festival in Denmark last May, where they played a wild show, they said.

New Politics signed with RCA in November, did a quick UK tour, and now they’re loose in the States for a nationwide tour. We caught up with Boyd before a recent show.

BLAST: Brooklyn-based/Denmark born eh? What’s that transition like?

DAVID BOYD: Mother’s Swedish, Dad’s American and I was born in Denmark. I’ve visited the US a few times, so for me, it’s not that much of a shock. I think I’m learned and have been able to take the best of both europe and america.

BLAST: How did the UK tour go? What’s the biggest difference between British fans and Americans?

DB: It was out of this world, we loved it. The UK was amazing and we hope to be back soon. Unfortunately, we haven’t play enough US shows to judge an American crowd… Yet! Looking forward to it though.

BLAST: How/when did you guys form up? Who are your inspirations?

DB: Soren and I have been writing and producing for about four years and we all (three of us) formed the band exactly a year ago. We’re inspired by all the typical bands of our time, but more so by reading and experiencing things in our everyday. History, documentaries, movies etc. … Everything.

BLAST: What does “New Politics” mean? Trying to make a statement?

DB: You can interpret it as you see fit. All I know is that I see and feel it everywhere in some funny way. Our statements are in the music, whatever one makes of it.

BLAST: Are you geared up for SXSW and the debut album? How long did it take to put the album together?

DB: Hell yeah! We all are, can’t wait! We’ve been working on the album this past year, we should be releasing our first album for summer.

BLAST: What’s your favorite place to perform? Any of you ever been to Boston?

DB: Any fucking stage or crowd! We haven’t been to Boston …. hope they’re ready for us!

New Politics plays Middle East Downstairs in Cambridge on May 18. Meet them on Facebook.

Live Nation’s shareholders, at their annual meeting yesterday, voted to approve a merger with Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc.

More than 99 percent of shareholders voted in favor of the merger, Live Nation said in a statement.

Shareholders also approved a proposal to change the company’s name to Live Nation Entertainment, Inc., following completion of the merger with Ticketmaster, which is still subject to regulatory approval.

Berkleemusic.com, the online education arm of Boston’s Berklee College of Music, is offering two new music marketing courses for those interested in the industry.

With the winter term starting January 11, the online school is offering: “Online Music Marketing: Campaign Strategies, Social Media, and Digital Distribution” and “Online Music Marketing With Topspin.”

“These courses are designed to empower musicians and business folks with the real-world tools and techniques they’ll need to effect change in their careers outside of the traditional, physical-based music retail and marketing world,” said Berkleemusic course author and instructor Mike King. “Our goal is to provide a detailed, step-by-step approach to maximizing your visibility online, building a faithful community, and selling direct to fans.”

In “Online Music Marketing with Topspin,” students will learn how to use Topspin’s unique marketing, management, and content distribution platform to help market and retail direct to fans. In the course, students will develop the in-depth marketing expertise necessary to properly execute a successful sales and marketing campaign using Topspin.

In “Online Music Marketing: Campaign Strategies, Social Media, and Digital Distribution,” students will learn the key areas that all marketers need to focus on, such as social media marketing, effective use of data to direct you campaigns, what partners you should be aware of, and much more. By the end of the course, students will have a fully timed, integrated, and optimized online marketing plan that can be used use to generate interest in their music, acquire new fans, and sell their music online.

LET GO: Ed Oliveira (pictured) and Charlie Padgett (Blast staff photo/Sarah Gordon/File 2009)

We’re just going to assume this isn’t our fault.

WFNX, with new vice president of broadcast operations Mike Tierney, is making huge changes to the station’s lineup.

“The Sandbox,” the popular morning show that Blast sometimes appeared on, has been axed. The Sandbox’s Charlie Padgett and Ed Oliveira were fired, and Dustin Fletcher Matthews and news reader Henry Santoro will join a new morning show with program director Keith Dakin.

WFNX will also no longer air Dr. Drew Pinsky’s syndicated “Loveline” nighttime radio show.

In the afternoon slot. "Big Jim" Murray has been replaced with former WBCN jock Adam 12. Murray will stay at the station but will have an off-air role.

Sarah Young, a porcelain-skinned, British fashion editor, blogger, DJ and all-around personality, is a young media personality on the cusp of something spectacular. Proving her journalistic skills, having interviewed the likes of Mr Hudson, British fashion icon, Vivienne Westwood, Boy George, Kelly Cutrone, Jeremy Scott, Michelle Williams and Famous UK Urban acts such as Tinchy Stryder and Bashy. At 20 years young, she is moving at a scarily rapid pace.

Three months ago she launched her blog and approached Blast about contributing. Her blog is a mix of video episodes, one-on-one interviews, secret diaries, Sarah’s Weekly Crush and reports on the industry’s up-and-coming talent.

“I started the blog because one day I want to run my own magazine — that or become the editor of Vogue by 23,” Young said. “I just thought it would be a good platform to write whatever the hell I want. Thing is with magazines, there are limits, but when I created my blog, I knew that the only limits there would be were the ones I put on myself.”

Young is launching a radio show next year, as well as going on an international blog tour, presenting a series of documentaries, launching an online magazine and releasing a DJ mixtape. She is also studying for a degree in fashion photography.

The young Londoner represents the new generation of media savvy 20-somethings that are doing it all — a perfect ‘cross the pond companion for Blast.

She’s one to keep an eye on, and you’ll be able to do so here on Blast as Miss Young as she gives us a mix of breaking news from Europe and reports on all things fabulous.

Early this morning, Weezer front man Rivers Cuomo’s bus skidded on black ice and ended up in a ditch. The band was traveling from New York to Boston for their show at Agganis Arena Monday night. Cuomo was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital in Amsterdam, New York complaining of rib pain. His assistant was also taken to the hospital but his wife, daughter and a fifth unidentified passenger escaped unscathed. Cuomo was traveling in a five bus caravan for the Weezer tour.

The Boston, Washington D.C., and Philadelphia shows have all been canceled due to the accident.

For someone who writes such sad music, Alison Sudol certainly puts on a fun show. The 24-year-old singer-songwriter and pianist, who performs under the name A Fine Frenzy, wowed fans at The Paradise with an emotional yet lighthearted performance during her November 2 show. The show proved Sudol may be one of the few artists who actually sounds better live rather than recorded.

The first opening act was Between the Oak and Ash, a folk-indie duo from New York. Next up was Landon Pigg, most recognized for his role in “Whip It” as Ellen Page’s love interest, and for his song “Falling In Love at a Coffee Shop,” which is featured in an AT&T commercial. Both acts were enjoyable and well-received by the audience.

But at 10 p.m., the real performance began. “Hello Boston!” Sudol called out excitedly from the stage. She went on to lament how long it had been since A Fine Frenzy had last visited.

Indeed, the last time the band was in town was back in March 2008. Quite a few things have changed since then. For starters, the band released their second full-length album, “Bomb in a Birdcage” back in September. The CD introduced the new, more upbeat version of Sudol (although never fear, there are still plenty of melancholy songs too). There were some changes to her live performance as well. Two new band members have been added. On the last tour, Sudol stayed seated at a piano for the majority of the set. But this time, she switched to a keyboard, allowing her to move around more and show off her dance moves.

One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is Sudol’s genuine gratitude towards her fans. No matter how emotional the lyrics, and now matter how torn up she appeared while singing, she’d break into an adorable giddy grin during the last few strains of each song. As the audience roared with cheers and applause after each number, she’d laugh and thank everyone in an awed voice, as if she couldn’t believe so many people liked her music. At the end of her set, she spent a few minutes elaborating on how much each and every fan meant to her and the rest of the band. Sudol is so sincere and appreciative; it makes it extra satisfying to see her succeed.

As if being sweet and cute weren’t enough, Sudol also has one of the most powerful singing voices of her generation. She sounds great on CD, but if that’s all you’ve heard, be prepared to be blown away. At live shows, she really lets loose. It’s enough to give fans goose bumps. One minute, she’ll be singing so soft it’s almost a whisper, and next she’ll be belting out the words. Think Fiona Apple, but less crazy. (No offense Fiona, we still love you).

The set included tracks from both “Bomb in a Birdcage” and A Fine Frenzy’s debut album, “One Cell In The Sea.” They also played a few b-sides: “Silent War,” “Coming Around” and “From Whence You Came.”

Ironically, one of the highlights of the show was when A Fine Frenzy played someone else’s song. “There are brunettes. There are girls with lovely raven hair,” Sudol began to introduce the track in a dreamy voice. “There are people with purple hair, and blue hair, and orange hair. There are people with red hair,” she said, lifting her own bright red locks. “But I have to say, I really, really, really love a little bit of Blondie.”

And with that, she launched into a rambunctious cover of “Heart of Glass” by, uh, Blondie (if you really need it spelled out for you). This is where Sudol really hit her stride. She skipped around the stage, shaking her hips and clapping her hands. She’d let out periodic cries of “woo!” before rocking out more. As the audience sang along, the band members exchanged grins. They may have played this cover on every date of the tour so far, but it was clear they were still having a blast up on stage.

Every song played during A Fine Frenzy’s set was absolutely phenomenal. All the back-up band members are extremely talented, and Sudol has pipes rivaled by few others. But the most refreshing aspect was simply how much Sudol seemed to be enjoying herself. Sure, she writes gorgeous songs about heartbreak, but it’s nice to see she can still have a good time.

Here’s hoping A Fine Frenzy returns to Boston sooner than last time.

When you listen to the song “Heartbeat” by the Rocketboys, the ethereal, ambient chords initially take you in. Then you’re further enticed by the aching falsetto of lead singer Brandon Kinder. The expansive, resonant sound of the Rocketboys is reminiscent of bands like Keane and Coldplay.

But this indie band won’t be categorized.

Springing out of Abilene, Texas and now residing in Austin, the band is promoting their new album 20,000 Ghosts by embarking on a 31-date national tour. Blast caught up with them while they were playing in Boston, and they talked about everything from what itis like to record their first full album to their biggest influence, Miley Cyrus.

In a lot of ways, The Rocketboys are just like every other indie band you’ve seen — they’re long-haired, scruffy-faced boys wearing pearl snaps and skinny jeans. But as the six of us chatted in the back of their tour van, which didn’t take very well to the cobblestone streets of Boston, it became clear that the Rocketboys are not just another indie band.

“Anyone can make an artist myspace,” said lead singer Brandon Kinder, “and get their music out to different people. But I think there’s a certain level where it’s a little bit more than just a fun thing you’re doing.”

The Rocketboys are trying to get ahead of the game by being what few indie bands are with their music — responsible.

“We’re trying to separate ourselves by pursuing music professionally without the support of a record label,” said Daniel Wheeler, guitarist. “We have an extensive tour schedule. We have a publicist. We’re trying to surround ourselves with a team that a record label would provide to a band, but weire trying to do it ourselves, because we like having control of the business of our band.”

Add professionalism to a band that sounds as good live as on a record, and itis a surprise that these guys havenit been signed yet. Their show later that evening backed up bassist Josh Campbellis assertion that sounding good live is something else that sets The Rocketboys apart.

“It’s pretty easy now to like, get garageband and lay down a song, and autotune it,” Campbell said. “We take a lot of pride in our live shows, and making (them) as good as they can be, because I think thatis where some bands are lacking.”

The expansive sound of The Rocketboys’ music is enhanced by their deeply personal lyrics, like these from Heartbeat:

“I would sell you out in a heartbeat/Cause you can defend yourself.”

But songwriting is the one thing that The Rocketboys don’t hold to an exact formula. Band members propose ideas to one another and piece together songs, aiming for catchy melodies with hooks.

“But we definitely try to take bits and pieces of bands that we like and we just put together things that we think sound good,” said keyboard player Justin Wiseman. “And inevitably it borrows a little bit from other people, but our idea is just creating beautiful music.”

According to Brandon Kinder, though, the order of production usually stays the same.

Typically, it’s always music first. Ask questions later.

Though they’ve been playing together since college, 20,000 Ghosts is The Rocketboys first full album. “It was like what we’d done in the past, but amplified, said guitarist Daniel Wheeler. They said the recording sessions, which often lasted up to 10 hours, were exhausting, but in the end, they came out with a product that they could be proud of.

“We’re just trying to create something timeless that people can enjoy,” said Kinder.

The band, who has played with now-popular bands like Grizzly Bear and Eisley, said they really look up to artists like Andrew Byrd, My Morning Jacket and Miley Cyrus?

“She’s pretty much our main influence,” said Kinder with a wry smile.

The next stop for the band after Boston was New York City’s CMJ Music Festival.

“We’re very excited,” said Kinder. “It was kind of a close call. We were kind of accepted at the last minute. We were kind of planning our tour around potentially playing it, which may or may not be the best way to plan a tour”

But like Kinder said, they got accepted and went on to play in one of the nation’s biggest cities for up-and-coming musicians. The Rocketboys’ formula seems to be working so far, and if they continue producing quality music like the stuff on 20,000 Ghosts, we’ll be hearing from them for years to come.

Visit The Rocketboys’ website at myspace.com/rocketboys, and look for their album “20,000 Ghosts” on iTunes.

Composers. Radio Djs. Record Storeowners. Producers. Musicians. People with musical knowledge. These are the types of people you would go to for musical advice and recommendations, right? ‚ On October 8^th, a new relationship between music and technology was launched. Darius Fong was inspired by his experiences growing up in Hong Kong and discovering new artists and genres in record stores, and founded Panel to provide that experience to other music lovers.

Panel, a new iPhone app, founded by Darius Fong, is aiming to bring back the record store experience of yesteryear, when music industry professionals and music buffs were present at your point of purchase to give you insight on what you might like or look forward to for the next addition to your record collection.

Panel is different than other music applications or online players. While many online music sites can match a playlist to your liking very well, like the engine at Last.fm, nothing is strictly personal, like press releases or ads. It’s by music lovers, for music lovers. Each Panelist can explain their choice and their influences to help users find out more about the album.

The Panel App streams two full albums each week in various categories, including rock, pop, indie, jazz and more. Curators of the Panel App will be featured panelists that are composers, radio DJs, record storeowners, producers, musicians, and others with a musical background, every month to feature music that they love.

The iPhone application will also feature interviews with the Panelists, album descriptions, and a one-touch process will be made available to users in order to purchase albums they like. In addition, these users may then comment on selections and invite friends to join, listen, and create a fan-supported community.

To find out more, go to WearePANEL.com for images of panelists and photo journals of each week’s content, interviews, “Panel Blog”, videos, podcasts, and links from featured albums to iTunes and Amazon.

It’s amazing how strong the rumor mill is the age of Twitter. Despite making no official press announcement, everyone and their mother is apparently aware that Google is going to launch a music service in the near future which will allow users to stream a huge catalog of songs right from within the Google search window. So while we’re reporting on rumors we haven’t personally verified, you don’t really have any reason not to believe us.

Google is partnering with iLike and Lala for a new music service. Both of these sites allow users to stream samples of any song in their catalogs, while Lala allows users to stream whole songs once, on-demand before requiring a small fee. The sites also allow users to embed the stream in a site. Because both sites have signed deals will all four major record labels, the vast majority of music will be available.

Google has long had a music search built into results, despite never having advertised it much, useable with a simple “music:” operator. Results included a listing of songs and albums that matched the query, with links to music sellers to purchase the songs. While this is strictly conjecture, we’re predicting that Google will start incorporating song streams directly into the search results.

While the music labels are usually seemingly adverse to any incorporation of new technology, they’ll likely be happy with all the extra eyes being directed to sites where users might purchase music legally. The offical announcement is scheduled for October 28, so we’ll let you know if anything changes.