DEADMAU5 - > album title goes here <
Popular music producer Deadmau5, real name Joel Zimmerman, released a new album on Tuesday, September 25th labeled > album title goes here <. This is his sixth studio album so far. Most of the songs were not a surprise since they had been released before the CD had debuted. His song "The Veldt (featuring Chris James)" is probably the most popular song from this album, as it can be heard continuously on radio stations.
This album is also the only one where he collaborated with several non-electronic artists. He collaborated with Gerard Way, best known as the lead singer of My Chemical Romance, Cypress Hill and Imogen Heap. He also used the vocals of Chris James in his song The Veldt.
One thing I noticed about this album was that quite a few of the songs had a slower tone to them. Joel Zimmerman had made comments on his twitter account about being depressed this past year and I feel that some of the songs on his latest album reflect this. The songs October, Sleepless and Telemisscommunications (feat. Imogen Heap) I thought most reflected his period depression.
Although I don't think this was his best album, I still think it was a good one. Deadmau5 usually posts new songs on his Soundcloud account. The nice thing about this album was that he officially released some of these Soundcloud songs so that you have access to the full and digitally mastered songs. Instead of having to download a mediocre version of the song, you can now download the version that is much clearer and the songs have been edited to how Deadmau5 intended it them. However, I wish that he had released a non-vocal version of the song Professional Greifers. The only version he released was the one featuring the vocals of Gerard Way.
Overall, the album was received very well by fans. His latest placed sixth on the Billboard Top 200. I believe that his current fans will continue to be loyal, but he is also attracting a more mainstream crowd. This album seems to cater more towards the mainstream fans. Again, I liked the album but I still think his previous work is his best.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Music mogul switches team?
Welcome to my first blog assignment. I thought why not talk blog about a story that combines both music and sports into one.
50 Cent aka Curtis James Jackson III is not just a rapper but also has a clothing line, water company, actor and now a boxing promoter. 50 Cent who can arguably be one the best rappers of the decade just made a big change in his business deal.
50 has been closely associated with Floyd "Pretty Boy Money" Mayweather has switched to his rival Manny "The Pacman" Pacquiao when it comes to making money and promoting the sport of boxing.
I personally don't think this is over music or mainly for sport of boxing anymore. This is for the one simple fact of making money. Having someone as iconic and 50 Cent can help change a sport and they way it is viewed. This is to bring in more ratings and Pay Per View sales.
50 Cent has many associates with him that will help sell out these concerts and sell more tickets. Not sure if this is what the fans want but this is what they are going to get. 50 Cent has many successful businesses already and this is just another one that can take this musician from being a millionaire to a billionaire.
Flickr - Photo by: jhallradio
Having this can help the music industry as it opens doors to a another industry. I love both the sport and the rap industry so i think this comes down to a win win for everyone. I get the entertainment and they make the money. I hope that other rap fans or boxing fans can see the added benefit of this and make this new joint venture an experience for all.
- Mike Ha
50 Cent aka Curtis James Jackson III is not just a rapper but also has a clothing line, water company, actor and now a boxing promoter. 50 Cent who can arguably be one the best rappers of the decade just made a big change in his business deal.
50 has been closely associated with Floyd "Pretty Boy Money" Mayweather has switched to his rival Manny "The Pacman" Pacquiao when it comes to making money and promoting the sport of boxing.
I personally don't think this is over music or mainly for sport of boxing anymore. This is for the one simple fact of making money. Having someone as iconic and 50 Cent can help change a sport and they way it is viewed. This is to bring in more ratings and Pay Per View sales.
"I think with 50 Cent, with his entertainment connections and his
popularity there, combining that with Manny's popularity and expertise
in boxing - we can bring a new flavor to boxing," Koncz added. "We
can excite some young boxers and I think we can sign some top quality
boxers. I spoke to 50 Cent tonight and confirmed that we're going to go
forward. Manny is coming here this weekend for other business, but we're
all excited about it. With 50's influence in the music industry, we
want to put a different flavor of the shows."
50 Cent has many associates with him that will help sell out these concerts and sell more tickets. Not sure if this is what the fans want but this is what they are going to get. 50 Cent has many successful businesses already and this is just another one that can take this musician from being a millionaire to a billionaire.
Flickr - Photo by: jhallradio
Flickr - Photo by: 1 punch promotion
Having this can help the music industry as it opens doors to a another industry. I love both the sport and the rap industry so i think this comes down to a win win for everyone. I get the entertainment and they make the money. I hope that other rap fans or boxing fans can see the added benefit of this and make this new joint venture an experience for all.
- Mike Ha
Bruce Willis wants to sue Apple
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| photo by imuso11 on Flickr |
Bruce Willis was considering to sue Apple because of the terms and conditions stated on iTunes. Bruce has built a large music collection and wishes to leave his music library to his daughters Rumer, Scout and Tallulah. Bruce's wife, Emma Heming-Willis, posted a tweet on her twitter the next day saying that this story is not true.
Many people do not read the terms and conditions when installing iTunes (who wants to read pages of policies every time you update iTunes). Whether this rumor may be true or not, Forbes brings up a serious issue about digital media. Who actually owns the tracks that we purchase on iTunes. Do you think that Apple should change their terms and conditions so that we own the tracks since we've paid for it? Or do you agree that we are only borrowing the tracks when we make purchases from the iTunes store.
Ethical Issues Related to Music
 | |
| Photo from Joey Lai |
Companies such as Apple are also trying to help songwriters, artists and labels from losing money through iTunes. iTunes is an online store hosted by Apple that allow users to conveniently purchase and download their music online at a low cheap price without breaking the law. Instead of driving down to your local music store, you can easily go on iTunes and download a song for $0.99.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Music defines personality
Hey everyone, my name is Joey and in this blog we will explore music, how it pertains to everyday life, how it helps to shape who we are and how we view the world. There are many types of music out there, such as pop, hip hop, rap, electric, etc. Everyone has their own type of music that they like to listen to. I mainly like to listen to trance, mainly because that is what I grew up listening to. I feel that trance puts your mind in a calm state, it puts you in your own world where no one else can enter. If I listed all of the DJs I listen to, the list would go on forever, but some of my top favorite trance DJ's are:
What kind of music do you like to listen to?
- Armin van Buuren
- Dash Berlin
- Markus Shulz
- Above and Beyond
- Arty
- Gareth Emery
What kind of music do you like to listen to?
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Backstage Pass!
A Backstage Pass into Dance History
Have you ever wondered where dance came from? Maybe where it all started? Or maybe even who started it? Well this blog will give you an exclusive backstage pass into the behind the scenes of how certain dance styles became what they are today!
When we actually sit down to list all of the dance styles we have today we would be here for hours! Dance began back in about 6000 BC and has only grown and evolved from there. Scientists have a hard time pin pointing the exact time period in which dance actually emerged but make their estimates based upon ancient artifacts and paintings depicting people playing instruments and dancing. Dance is used for a broad means of things such as for spiritual rituals, a way of mating, for pure entertainment, a form of exercise, in some cases a form of therapy, and simply to express a thought or idea that people just can't find the right words to actually say.
To keep things rather simple, I choose to look at a few dance styles in more detail in which I myself have performed and trained in for many years now.
Jazz - Most people you talk to today about jazz dance don't have much of a clue as to where jazz dancing originated as it has taken so many forms over the years. It actually came all the way from Africa as slaves brought their dancing traditions across the Atlantic with them which became their way of self expression. The emergence of jazz music help set off and in some way begin to define the style of jazz dance. One of the first jazz dancers was Joe Frisco, in 1910, made his name through jazz dancing as he brought such high-powered energy that brought excitement to his audiences. The informal nature of jazz dance slowly came to be the norm accepted by all. Jazz made way for many other new dance forms such as the black bottom, Charleston, fox trot, rag, and shimmy. Now, dance studios teach this form and is today seen as just as popular as ballet is. Much like music, jazz dance has definitely evolved over time and still is today as when you watch dance competitions peoples takes on jazz have become very different but still all in all just as entertaining.
Contemporary - Contemporary dancing is a hard one to describe in the sense that it has evolved so much over time and is still changing on a daily basis. The technique behind contemporary dance looks more at the unconventional moves that drift away from the structure of ballet. Roughly contemporary dancing came about in the 20th century by various individuals coming together and just moving. Martha Graham is credited as the founder of contemporary and modern dance and is the one who brought modern dancing to be the basis of what it is today. Modern Dance works by using the raw emotions, moods, facial expressions and general self expression from individuals that are seen to have no place in any other dance styles. This expression comes from a different place depending on the individual and their life experiences, and in the 20th century began with dancers need to express themselves during the period of the Great Depression. It was during this time which modern dance underwent the final fundamental changes to reach the current form it is today.
Hip Hop - Hip-hop began roughly in the early 1970's at a point when DJ's and MC's began experimenting and producing music. Slowly as hip-hop began catching on, different artists were beginning to create their own styles of hip-hip dance. Now, there are many different types of hip-hop dance that all emerged from three main components of hip hop dancing: popping, locking, and breaking. Dance crews then began to come about as a group where dancers could show off their moves and battle against each other for titles. Through these battles and the collaboration of hip hop dancers from all over owing together to share their ideas that new dance forms and techniques were created and are still being created today and now make up a huge part of what hip hop is and is becoming.
To keep things rather simple, I choose to look at a few dance styles in more detail in which I myself have performed and trained in for many years now.
Ballet - The history of ballet all began in Italy during the 15th to 16th century also known as the Renaissance period. During this time, court ballet was used to combine many art forms such as dancing, music, and poetry. Social court dances became popular to the point where families would try to outdo one another by having elaborate dances.The very first ballet was called Le Ballet Comique de la Reine. Most people don't know but early forms of ballet featured only male performers. If there were women parts that needed to be played then men would simply put on masks to play women. Finally, in 1681, professional ballet allowed women on stage making "The Triumph of Love" the first ballet they performed. Since the Renaissance time period, ballet has transformed into a credited and studied art form that is known around the world today.
Jazz - Most people you talk to today about jazz dance don't have much of a clue as to where jazz dancing originated as it has taken so many forms over the years. It actually came all the way from Africa as slaves brought their dancing traditions across the Atlantic with them which became their way of self expression. The emergence of jazz music help set off and in some way begin to define the style of jazz dance. One of the first jazz dancers was Joe Frisco, in 1910, made his name through jazz dancing as he brought such high-powered energy that brought excitement to his audiences. The informal nature of jazz dance slowly came to be the norm accepted by all. Jazz made way for many other new dance forms such as the black bottom, Charleston, fox trot, rag, and shimmy. Now, dance studios teach this form and is today seen as just as popular as ballet is. Much like music, jazz dance has definitely evolved over time and still is today as when you watch dance competitions peoples takes on jazz have become very different but still all in all just as entertaining.
Tap - The exact origins of tap dancing are difficult to pin point, much like other styles of dance. Over time, two different branches of tap dancing have come to be. One was called precise "Broadway" tap. This type of tap dancing was known by its glamorous shows featuring large chorus lines of women. It was presented in the form of a chorus line so that everybody looked the same, doing the same steps, and the same time. To make sure the chorus line effect could be pulled off, the tap steps themselves were very simple however very appealing to watch as you present such a large number of people doing the same moves all at once perfectly! The other type of tap dancing, also what is known as the main branch of tap, is rhythm or jazz tap. This type of tap actually came from the American slave trade. It features more complicated rhythms, a looser body, and lots of improvisation on the dancers part. Some people would say that rhythm/jazz tap dancing has evolved much more than Broadway tap dancing, however, most studios today are actually blending the two to make an very intricate yet appealing dance.
Contemporary - Contemporary dancing is a hard one to describe in the sense that it has evolved so much over time and is still changing on a daily basis. The technique behind contemporary dance looks more at the unconventional moves that drift away from the structure of ballet. Roughly contemporary dancing came about in the 20th century by various individuals coming together and just moving. Martha Graham is credited as the founder of contemporary and modern dance and is the one who brought modern dancing to be the basis of what it is today. Modern Dance works by using the raw emotions, moods, facial expressions and general self expression from individuals that are seen to have no place in any other dance styles. This expression comes from a different place depending on the individual and their life experiences, and in the 20th century began with dancers need to express themselves during the period of the Great Depression. It was during this time which modern dance underwent the final fundamental changes to reach the current form it is today.
Simply put..here is the evolution of dance in nothing but a dance itself!
Click the link below!
(All pictures used in this post are mine, see if you can find me in them!)
Things Only Dance Teachers Would Say
Things Only Dance Teachers Would Say...
Has one of your friends ever made a remark about something that you don't fully understand but laugh at anyways? Maybe you do find it funny however you don't fully understand it? This tends to be the case a lot of the time when dancers talk.
Between having french words to describe the moves we do and being able to say them in a sequence at great speeds doesn't help those around us to understand what it is we are talking about. There are many things I miss about dancing, and yes I can always stretch at home or go use a studio by myself, but nothing can compare to those moments or things that are said within a dance class.
"One more time!" or "again!"
- This never actually means you are going to do it one more time, try like 10!
"Points your pigs!"
- When we are little our parents call our toes pigs, so what better way to tell little kids to point their toes?
"Close your fingers to be a pack of hot dogs."
- Interesting analogy but it works!
"Smiley knees!"
- If you get in front of a mirror and stand calmly and the flex/pull up your knees, don't they smile back at you too?
"5, sex, 7, 8"
- Yes, people actually do say this!
"Sex position number one."
- This is rather interesting when you get teachers that use the term "sex position" to refer to dance moves/steps.
"Its not Halloween so stretch your fingers!"
- You don't want to look like you have claws for hands!
"No hamburger hands!"
- You don't want to look like every time you are raising your arm up you look like you are taking a bite out of a burger!
"Put Vaseline on your teeth so your smile lasts the whole performance."
- Would not recommend trying this, just trust me when I say it works!
"Put on your princess crown and stand tall!"
- Yes, in ballet we call everyone princesses, but what little girl wouldn't want to be called one?!
"Eyes off the floor!"
- For some reason the floor presents a sense of comfort to dancers so we seem to always look down to make sure its still there for us.
"Pizza feet. How big is your slice?"
- Every kid loves pizza, so we use to pizza feet to explain first position, only this can trail way off topic because then kids fight over kinds of pizza and we accomplish nothing.
"Don't stick your tongue out."
- We all have little habits we do that we are unaware of, mine was sticking my tongue out when I was trying to focus on something.
"I should be able to have tea on your back."
- Rather outrageous thought but it got the point of a flat back across.
"Don't burn your butts in the toaster."
- Surprisingly enough in the dance world this is one phrase that you could say to almost any dancer and they would know exactly what you are talking about.
However, its not only our teachers who say random things, we as dancers have quite the number of sayings our selves. Click on the link below to watch a very comical video of some of the humorous things dancers say!
Has one of your friends ever made a remark about something that you don't fully understand but laugh at anyways? Maybe you do find it funny however you don't fully understand it? This tends to be the case a lot of the time when dancers talk.
Between having french words to describe the moves we do and being able to say them in a sequence at great speeds doesn't help those around us to understand what it is we are talking about. There are many things I miss about dancing, and yes I can always stretch at home or go use a studio by myself, but nothing can compare to those moments or things that are said within a dance class.
"One more time!" or "again!"
- This never actually means you are going to do it one more time, try like 10!
"Points your pigs!"
- When we are little our parents call our toes pigs, so what better way to tell little kids to point their toes?
"Close your fingers to be a pack of hot dogs."
- Interesting analogy but it works!
"Smiley knees!"
- If you get in front of a mirror and stand calmly and the flex/pull up your knees, don't they smile back at you too?
"5, sex, 7, 8"
- Yes, people actually do say this!
"Sex position number one."
- This is rather interesting when you get teachers that use the term "sex position" to refer to dance moves/steps.
"Its not Halloween so stretch your fingers!"
- You don't want to look like you have claws for hands!
"No hamburger hands!"
- You don't want to look like every time you are raising your arm up you look like you are taking a bite out of a burger!
"Put Vaseline on your teeth so your smile lasts the whole performance."
- Would not recommend trying this, just trust me when I say it works!
"Put on your princess crown and stand tall!"
- Yes, in ballet we call everyone princesses, but what little girl wouldn't want to be called one?!
"Eyes off the floor!"
- For some reason the floor presents a sense of comfort to dancers so we seem to always look down to make sure its still there for us.
"Pizza feet. How big is your slice?"
- Every kid loves pizza, so we use to pizza feet to explain first position, only this can trail way off topic because then kids fight over kinds of pizza and we accomplish nothing.
"Don't stick your tongue out."
- We all have little habits we do that we are unaware of, mine was sticking my tongue out when I was trying to focus on something.
"I should be able to have tea on your back."
- Rather outrageous thought but it got the point of a flat back across.
"Don't burn your butts in the toaster."
- Surprisingly enough in the dance world this is one phrase that you could say to almost any dancer and they would know exactly what you are talking about.
However, its not only our teachers who say random things, we as dancers have quite the number of sayings our selves. Click on the link below to watch a very comical video of some of the humorous things dancers say!
What's something you may say that others think is outrageous or silly? Maybe something you have heard someone else say that has made you stop and think?
Ballet 101
Ballet 101!
When you were little did you ever dream of being a dancer? More specifically, a ballerina? Well here in this post you will get to live your childhood dream and learn the basics of ballet! I will go through the basic 5 ballet positions so that you can try them on your own at home!
1st Position: When talking about first position you need to first envision a slice of pizza. Once you have one in mind think about the shape of it; it makes a triangle. That's the same kind of shape you are going to be making with your feet. So, you start by gluing your feet together from toe to heel. Then slowly, while keeping your heels glued together, slide your toes apart from each other. Not to far that you can't balance, but far enough to make a triangle shape when you look down at your feet.
Picture by Caitlyn Tink
2nd Position: Once you have made a beautiful first position with your feet, a yummy piece of pizza, we are going to move into second position. To do this is actually very simple. All you have to do, keeping your feet in the same position, is slide one foot out from the other to the side. You want your feet to be about if not just under shoulder width apart. When you look down at your feet they should still be in the same first position we made earlier, just your heels and no longer touching.
Picture by Caitlyn Tink
3rd Position: Now having mastered first and second position, I think we are ready to move into a few more difficult positions. Next we will move into third position. So, remaining in the perfect second position we just made, you are now going to slide that same foot you slid out back in to bring your feet together. However, this time when bringing your feet together you are going to bring that foot in all the way so that it slightly crosses in front of your other foot. Your heel of your front foot sliding in should touch the lump or bone of your big toe. Don't cross your feet to far otherwise you may fall over!
Picture by Caitlyn Tink
Picture by Caitlyn Tink
Picture by Caitlyn Tink
When you were little did you ever dream of being a dancer? More specifically, a ballerina? Well here in this post you will get to live your childhood dream and learn the basics of ballet! I will go through the basic 5 ballet positions so that you can try them on your own at home!
1st Position: When talking about first position you need to first envision a slice of pizza. Once you have one in mind think about the shape of it; it makes a triangle. That's the same kind of shape you are going to be making with your feet. So, you start by gluing your feet together from toe to heel. Then slowly, while keeping your heels glued together, slide your toes apart from each other. Not to far that you can't balance, but far enough to make a triangle shape when you look down at your feet.
2nd Position: Once you have made a beautiful first position with your feet, a yummy piece of pizza, we are going to move into second position. To do this is actually very simple. All you have to do, keeping your feet in the same position, is slide one foot out from the other to the side. You want your feet to be about if not just under shoulder width apart. When you look down at your feet they should still be in the same first position we made earlier, just your heels and no longer touching.
3rd Position: Now having mastered first and second position, I think we are ready to move into a few more difficult positions. Next we will move into third position. So, remaining in the perfect second position we just made, you are now going to slide that same foot you slid out back in to bring your feet together. However, this time when bringing your feet together you are going to bring that foot in all the way so that it slightly crosses in front of your other foot. Your heel of your front foot sliding in should touch the lump or bone of your big toe. Don't cross your feet to far otherwise you may fall over!
4th Position: Next we move onto fourth position. Fourth position is slightly tricky but once you nail third position then this one is a cinch! So, remaining in our third position, all you are going to do is slide your front foot forward. When you slide your foot forward you want to imagine that someone is pulling your heel forward making your foot move. This way, your foot will remain turned out. Now you don't want to slide your foot forward too far as you may fall over, you just want to move it forward so that they are evenly spaced under your hips. This way you will be able to stand there forever with no discomfort or unsteadiness.
5th Position: Now we move on to our last position, fifth position. This one does take some practice to perfect but lets give it a try! Lets start by going back and making our third position again. If you don't remember feel free to scroll back up a bit and refresh. From here, all we do is simply slide our front foot even more across the other foot. So instead of your heel touching your back foots big toe bone, it is going to almost touch your big toe!
Do you have any cool dance moves you know and would love to share? Maybe just a simple step that you could teach someone? I am always up for learning so feel free to share!
Monday, September 24, 2012
3 albums, 4 months, same band
So this is my very first blog post and since the subject is music and dance, I figure my post would be about one of my favorite bands, Green day. Thankfully the band has a lot of current news for me to write about that way I'm not going on about what most people might already know. The band has been together for 25 years, starting when lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong, and lead bass Mike Dirnt were just around 16 (they originally had a different drummer but the current, Tre cool, joined in 1990, the same age as the other two members). Since the band was formed they have put out 8 records, most popular being American idiot and 21st century breakdown, and by the beginning of the next year will have had 3 more albums released. The albums titled Uno, Dos, and Tres are set to come out tomorrow (September 25th), November 13th, and January 15th. As excited as I am that the band is releasing about 36 new songs in about 4 months, I am also a bit skeptical of them. I have seen bands have projects rushed before and they turned into complete crap. I don't know if anyone else does this, but when I really like a band or artist I will try to collect all their music, and for the most part I enjoy hearing the transition from their origin to the current material. When a band has a really bad rush album though, say the second album by Panic! at the disco, I wouldn't even bother trying to download it. That being said with the singles and videos that have been released from the new album already like the first single Oh love, the band is showing promise in their attempt.
Other singles such as Kill the DJ and Let yourself go, both in my opinion are great pieces of work. I look forward to tomorrow and the months to come for the band!
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