March 31st, 2009 artsbook
One of the best things about the Internet is that you can now download music. often times for free, and add it to your MP3 player in just seconds!Even though there are some good free sites, be careful when downloading from the free sites, the quality may not be all that great and sometimes those so-called free sites might include spyware or malware with the download. I recommend BeeMP3.com has great free music downloads.And great quality, too.
But often times, you have to pay for music if you want the quality and peace of mind. Amazon has a terrific selection and the price is not too bad, $0.79 to $0.99 per song.
(This article is only about MP3 players, downloads, and Windows-based products and information, sorry to all the Apple fans out there.)!)
There are other free sites out there that I have used to download music, but they are not quite legitimate, and one of the sites I like is always getting into legal trouble with their government for copyright issues (the site is based somewhere in Europe). So, I am a bit leery of recommending or linking to that site, or any other sites that are questionable.
And my recommendation for the best MP3 player on the market today is the Zune from Microsoft. There are plenty of MP3 products on the marketplace today, and there are products that are cheaper than the Zune, but they just do not have the capacity nor the ease of use that the Zune offers. And this is especially helpful for music fans who want to build a huge musical library for your computer and your MP3 player. My 80 GB Zune is maxed out, and I’ve had to remove some files to add more songs. I hope to buy the 120 GB very soon.
And if you are a bit confused with all the technical jargon, I’ve written an e-book about how to create a digital music library on your computer and on your MP3 player.My e-book offers a truly easy way to collect a state-of-the-art digital music library that is inexpensive, portable, and takes up very little space.
Happy music downloading, enjoy!
Tags: dowload, downloads, easily, free, from, Internet, MP3, Music, player, the
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March 26th, 2009 artsbook
For a while now, the Apple ipod has been the dominant product in the digital media player (DMP) market. With good reason, ipod is a very good product and people really like it.
But Microsoft’s introduction of the Zune, the company’s MP3 DMP player, Apple is facing some serious competition. Microsoft released the Zune in late 2006. Since then, the Zune has really taken off.Also, the Zune and the ipod are priced about the same and they both have many similar features. However, there are some things that the Zune has that the ipod does not:
Below are the list of features supported by Zune and not ipod (based on a comparison of a 30GB Zune and a 30GB ipod:
- Landscape video
- Preloaded Audio and video
- Built in FM tuner
- Social networking
- Custom background
In addition, the Zune features file sharing and Wi-Fi (wireless) support.Zune has the ability to wirelessly share and play songs, videos, and pictures with other Zunes. The 30 GB Zune can store up to 25,000 photos, 100 hours of video, or 7,500 songs. Microsoft will definitely take a big chunk of the MP3 player market form Apple, especially since a lot more people use a PC than a Mac, so that may be a big factor in how well the Zune performs in the marketplace.
I highly recommend the Zune, I have an 80GB and I love it!My 80 GBs have already been maxed out. Recently, Microsoft introduced a 120 GB Zune
Other nifty features include the subscription-based Zune Marketplace, which allows you to access an online database of new music without having to download it first to your computer. Zune is one of the first real portable media players. The other important aspect of the Zune Marketplace is the ability to download as many songs as you want for a flat fee.
For more information about product reviews, check out the Nostalgia Guy Music website.
Tags: best, microsoft, MP3, Music, player, zune
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March 20th, 2009 artsbook
To be completely honest I’m one of those people who has a really hard time getting into Idol. When the show made it’s premier I saw all the hype and thought it would never live up to expectations. By season 2 I realized I was completely wrong. Every year the show seems to get bigger, and more copycat shows come out like Dancing with the Stars. I lament the good old days of shows like Saved By The Bell.
Now 7 seasons later and it’s bigger than ever. It’s a very coveted time slot for advertisers to get their products in since it’s audience runs the gamut from teens to grandmas.I have to admit though that this season may end up being a guilty pleasure. I can’t even pry my girlfriend away from the TV when the show is on, and once I start watching something I generally have a hard time stopping.
The best part is the early shows when people perform and make themselves look foolish. I don’t even believe that the really bad people are even legitimate, they just want to get 15 minuets in the spotlight. There are a few really talented people on this season including Anoop Desai, Allison Iraheta, and Alexis Grace.
Although I do think there have been a lot of talented people who have been discovered on the show, I feel the premise of the show kind of sucks. There are so many talented musicians out there trying to make it and they can’t even get record contracts, but here these so called “idols” are getting everything handed to them. With a few exceptions, most of the winners turn out to be a one hit wonder. But this could be it, my season to fall in love with this natural phenomena, I just hope it doesn’t cut into my sleep too much. I can’t wait to see who makes it all the way to the end.
Tags: American Idol, Music, tv
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March 7th, 2009 artsbook
Usually people who love music (like myself) tend to like to write about music they love (for me that would be bands like The Beatles, Blur, & The Zombies.) But sometimes it’s fun to talk about bad music. In fact in some ways it’s more fun. And it’s certainly much easier to find. Just check out music on MySpace to see what I mean. The worst thing to me is that some of the absolute worst music I’ve listened to on MySpace is also the most popular.
Hollywood Undead has to be the most exceptional example of this. They are shockingly bad and even more shockingly popular. I mean I know it’s normal for “the kids” to be into awful music, but isn’t this just taking it a bit too far? Usually the really awful music in the past had some sort of musical quality to it. Sure Milli Vanilli was cheesy but their songs were catchy and had some good production values. But with Hollywood Undead there is not even a hint of quality to be found.
But they are just one of many awful “artists” in the big wide world of bad music
How about Dierks Bentley? Have you heard this guy? He’s incredibly awful. I had heard his name before but had never listened to his music before as I have absolutely no interest in country pop but one day I came across his latest single “Feel That Fire” and I was just floored because it was so much worse than I thought it would be. And that really is saying a lot because I thought it would be flat out horrendous. But no, it’s much worse than that.
It’s no big deal that guys are releasing horrendous music. There is nothing new about bad music. The big deal to me is that so many people actually think this is good music. Why is that? Why are people just so incredibly clueless about what constitutes quality?
American Idol is the easy to blame culprit. And I’m sure that does have a part to play. Now millions of people think that having a pretty voice is the only thing that matters. This means these are people who have no way of understanding music with any depth or any real artistic value.
But really it must go much deeper than that. Of course it’s not like people being into awful music is a new thing. The masses are always attracted to the easy to swallow formless pap that usually fills the top 40 every week. And it’s the real music that real music lovers listen to and that lasts for years.
Obviously no one will be listening to anyone from American Idol or Hollywood Undead in 20 years (except out of pure nostalgia or as a joke) while people will still be getting into the music of true musical geniuses like Spiritualized & Led Zeppelin.
Tags: Bad Music, Country Pop, Dierks Bentley, Hollywood Undead, Music, Music Critic, MySpace Music
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November 12th, 2008 artsbook
If you play guitar, you’ve probably listened to old records, and marveled at the tone you were hearing. Sure, much of this tone is due to the skill of the player, but there is also a element of gear involved. The tone you hear is produced by high quality, vintage guitars and tube amps. Though there isn’t anything magical about vintage gear, it often had a build quality and special character that gear today often lacks.
The first step to getting this vintage tone is getting a nice vintage guitar. While a brand new Gibson electric guitar might still sound great, a vintage one will be even better. Of course, you pay for this tone. A vintage guitar can cost you. However, with their high quality, aged wood, hand wound pickups, and high quallity construction, vintage guitars are worth it for many.
Merely having a vintage guitar is no enough, though. To get the full sound, you’ll want to get a vintage tube amp. Tube amps, whether they are vintage or not, sound much smooth and more natural compared to their solid state brethren. Paired with a quality instrument, a tube amp is very expressive, almost like an instrument in itself.
Of course, if you’re buying vintage gear, you’re not going to be able head over to your local music store and start picking up amps and guitars. Rather, you’ll have to shop online or at specialty stores. If you’re looking to buy vintage Fender guitars online (or any other brand), there are many places to go that offer a wide selection. Again, you’ll pay for this, but for many it’s worth it.
So, I hope this help you see how you can get amazing tone with vintage gear. While nothing replaces skill when it comes to making great music, having the right vintage gear can help take your sound to the next level. Get out there today, and find your dream tone with vintage guitar gear. Your ears will certainly thank you.
Tags: amp, guitar, guitar amp, Music, vintage gear, vintage guitar, vintage guitar amp
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