La Medio Siglo
La Medio Siglo’s first music video.
The song is “Normal”.
From their debut EP, “Altos Con Rulos” [Tall And Curly]
It’s a wry look on consumerism and transcendentalism.
It comes with audience participation at the end.
It’s on its way to dethroning Michel Telo’s “Ai Se Eu Te Pego” on the charts.
And you watched it here first.
Name: StoryAmp
URL: http://www.storyamp.com
This new site brings together musicians and PR agencies in a grand way. If you’re an artist, you can turn to StoryAmp.com to create dispatches by uploading your music, bio, photos, videos and concert links. These dispatches can then be shared using any of StoryAmp’s press lists, and brought into the hands of journalists. That doesn’t mean they’ll write about you and your wondrous ensemble, but at least you’ll make your presence known to them. It’s a start.
And any way you look at it, using a site like this one is infinitely cheaper than trying to hire the services of a PR agency. StoryAmp can actually be used for free, and if you need to flex some additional muscle then you can sign up for a premium account. This will give you unlimited audio streaming, unlimited password-protected downloads and the chance to upload an unlimited number of photos and videos to be used in your dispatches. Continue reading
Name: SpotMeUp
URL: http://www.spotmeup.com
The war between Spotify and Google Music rages on, and (by the looks of it) the European startup is the one that holds the upper hand. It’s not that Spotify has become a household name, but the last year’s been pretty spiffy for the music streaming service, what with a brilliant American launch and a partnership with Facebook. And web tools like SpotMeUp do nothing but keep the momentum going.
This new website has come along to answer the question of “How do I get my music on Spotify?” in the most direct way of all. SpotMeUp is an easy-to-use service that lets you upload your music to Spotify in the blink of an eye. Singles, EPs and full albums can all be uploaded equally fast. Upon creating a (free) account, you’ll be able to upload the files from your computer, one by one. Continue reading
And here I was, thinking that making music with a Gameboy could only be taken this far:
It turns out someone did try and improve the Gameboy’s audio capabilities quite recently. Just look at this Kickstarter project. It added a resonant low pass analog filter into the classic Nintendo Gameboy that became all the rage in the 90s for extra audio supremacy.
Well, for a couple of new effects at least.
It was all done by placing the filter inside the battery’s compartment, with external controls being used for cutoff, resonance, bypass and envelope follower. The filter could operate both in mono and in stereo mode. Continue reading
Add Your Voice To Hans Zimmer's Score For "The Dark Knight Rises" Via UJAM!
With “Batman: The Dark Knight” having become one of the most popular movies of the last decade (it currently ranks ninth on IMDb’s list of the Top 500 movies in history), Warner was sure to milk the final part of the trilogy for all it’s worth. And that’s exactly what has happened, with teasers and trailers cropping up everywhere, a full year before the movie (titled “The Dark Knight Rises”) is set to hit theaters.
And Warner’s latest promotional ploy is one you’d most likely be interested in. The movie’s composer is no other than Hans Zimmer (yes, the man behind the score for “The Phantom Of The Opera” and countless others), and he’s inviting people to contribute to the film’s score.
It’s all done via UJAM, with you recording and submitting a chant to be used in a massive chorus at some point in “The Dark Knight Rises”.
And just to make it clear who this initiative is aimed at, let me quote the man himself:
“There is no such thing as out-of-tune, no timing we can’t fix later. If you mumble, growl, scream or whisper, it’s all good. Make it yours. If you only get halfway through, no problem! Do it alone, bring your friends, but do it with energy and commitment.
Let your voice be heard and be a part of our adventure!”
Don’t complain you weren’t invited later…
This is the final part of the interview with Robert Dede (of PumpYouUp fame). In this installment we talk about the music that he loves, and which inspires him the most.
And in case you haven’t read it yet (why?!), the first part of this interview is found here.
PART II
MUSIC & YOU
When did you become interested in music? What was the first album or single you ever purchased?
I was forced to take piano lessons ever since I could remember. Though I did not enjoy playing until in college and I created my first midi studio. This was on an Atari St computer running the first version of Steinberg software.
My first album: I can’t recall the actual name, it was an 8-track hit collection advertised on TV. I only remember that one of my favorite tracks was “Rubberband Man”, Detroit Spinners. I was age 10 at the time. I mowed lawns and had bought a nice amp and speakers; I still have the speaker cabinets today though the internal speakers have been replaced.
Are you in a band yourself, or have you been in a band in the past? Is there a clip on YouTube or elsewhere we could watch? Continue reading
What goes into creating and launching your own startup? This interview with Robert Dede from PumpYouUp (just featured on MusicKO) answers that question like little else. I’m sure it’ll give the ones among you who are thinking of taking the entrepreneurial path a hefty dose of determination.
Thanks a lot for your time, Robert!
Fall 2011, Heron Lake NM. PumpYouUp initial startup work.
Full Name: Robert Dede
Age: 46
Startup: PumpYouUp
Position: Software Entrepreneur, Electrical Engineer, owner Gigasoft, Inc.
PART I
THE STARTUP
Tell us a little about your startup. How was it conceived? What are its most distinctive features in your opinion?
The fall season 2011 I took my motor coach into the lower Rockies, Heron Lake State Park, NM for an annual sabbatical. Over the last 16 years it’s something I’ve done to increase productivity as I’ve been self-employed since age 23. Usually staying away 8 weeks from family, friends, and the same-old-grind that causes one to get complacent and stagnant. About 2 weeks into my trip I got a phone call about a seven year old domain name I had purchased and incorporated into Pump You Up, Inc. The call got me re-thinking about what to do with the domain, besides parking it, as I’ve always thought this was a good domain to own. Timing was everything. If I was not on my trip, the start-up would have never happened. Also, for this trip I happened to bring along a Yamaha MOX6 and latest Cakewalk/Sonar software. So a combination of bringing a keyboard on the trip (a first time for me) and having the phone call about PumpYouUp made me connect the two ideas. Researching the idea of music I saw there was a large demand for music and a large number of indie/hobby producers. It seemed obvious to create a web location to bring the two groups together. I will also keep producing music in-house. The goal is to get one of our artist’s songs or one of our in-house songs to go viral. I feel producing in-house increases the chances. Another goal is to keep pressure on improving the music quality and website’s public awareness.
What was the original launch date?
It took 5 weeks to write the initial web site, write a few songs in-house, deal with all the legalities, and find the initial Fall/Halloween 2011 collection. In the process I registered PumpYouUp, Inc. with US ISRC so I could assign ISRC codes if needed. I was working 18 hours a day during this period. It all culminated on Oct 20th 2011 upon my first press release.
What has been the response so far? In which countries has it been more successful?
The response has been very positive. Many days the site gets StumbleUpon scores above 90 and facebook like click-though rate above 30%. Not many websites produce such scores. 40% of the traffic is from the US, 45% from Europe, and the remaining 15% come from around the planet.
What features can we expect to see implemented in future revisions?
The site is very early in its evolution. One day I would like the site to be mostly automated with a popularity high enough that the quality of music is undeniably world-class. I don’t want to discuss future features in detail but there will definitely be some exciting additions. I’m also looking forward to 2012 as I have many ideas for songs and it will be interesting to see how they take shape and received. Continue reading
Laura Chinelli
One of the most endearing Uruguayan albums of 2010 has just become available online. Laura Chinelli’s “Historias De Invierno” can now be downloaded in its entirety here.
The album (which was produced by Laura’s long-time collaborator Fran Nasser) was originally featured on MusicKO in March, 2011. People in the US and elsewhere could always listen to some of its tracks on Laura’s MySpace profile, but this is the first time that most of you will get to listen to songs like “Más Allá Del Tiempo” [Beyond Time].
Find attached the videos for the tracks that top and tail the album, “Ya No Más” [Not Any More] and “Sueño Profundo” [Deep Dream]:
Morrissey used to sing that one November spawned a monster, but as far as I’m concerned this November has been pretty terrific. Two major international artists landed on Uruguay for the first time right there and then: Beady Eye and Sonic Youth. Beady Eye headlined the first night of the brand-new festival “Primavera 0”, whereas Sonic Youth were the main attraction on on the following datel. I was fortunate to be there. This is what I had to say about Beady Eye’s show, and this is how I felt about Sonic Youth’s set.
Uruguayan artists featured over the course of the month included Vincent Vega and The Bear Season. I reviewed Vincent Vega’s eponymous debut and their newest single, whereas I featured The Bear Season’s latest video (“This Is Not A Test”).
For its part, the sites for musicians and music lovers that were reviewed on MusicKO on November were PlaylistHQ, Veenue, Myxer and PumpYouUp. And I also got the chance to talk to Veenue’s Dario Zampetti, and ask him all these things you’ve always wanted to ask him yourself, but never did.
"This Is Not A Test" Is The Bear Season's Latest Single
Yet another music video from a young Uruguayan act, and yet another excellent one. You can tell it’s almost Christmas, can’t you?
The band is The Bear Season (featured recently on MusicKO), and the song is “This Is Not A Test”. It’s the A-side of the band’s latest single, an all-acoustic affair that you can get for free here. And I really, really like it. Musically, it’s an exciting change of tack. I’ve always carried a torch for the softer side of the band, ever since I heard this unplugged version of “Infinity” (from their debut EP, “Do It”):
“Infinity” was (and still is) my favorite track from their debut EP, and (when unplugged) the song’s just dazzling.
And the same can be said about this new cut. Moving, heartfelt, poignant… “This Is Not A Test” is all of that. It’s the kind of song to play in order to get laid on a first date. Make sure to keep a copy at home, and another at the car. Like Macca used to sing, “no more lonely nights”…