Category Archives: Music

Music and Technology: The Legitimacy of Sampling

For centuries, artists have been stealing from other artists in order to create “new,” “original” works. The sampler began to enter American music in serious way in the 1960s and 1970s (at the time it was big and giant and … Continue reading

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Save the Music Industry – 5 Articles You Should Read Now About the State & Future of Music

In a time when music artists give their fans entire albums for free, ringtone sales rival the sales of singles, and Twitter has replaced PR agents, it’s no wonder record label staff and major music executives are scurrying around in … Continue reading

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Where My Girls At?

Hip-hop has always been a male-dominated genre. But in its infancy, there was room for women to rock the mic next to big names in rap like LL Cool J and Run DMC, helping propel hip-hop into popular culture. Queen … Continue reading

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Record Store Day Draws Record Crowds

Music geeks have a lot to look forward to this weekend. Saturday, April 16, is Record Store Day, an annual event when musicians put out new releases or reissues that are sold exclusively through independent record stores. “It gives people … Continue reading

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Nine 11 Thesaurus Brings Political Edge and Youthful Exuberance to Don Hill’s

Last Saturday the Bushwick based rappers Nine 11 Thesaurus celebrated the release of their first album, “Ground Zero Generals,” with a powerful and energized performance at Don Hill’s. It was slightly after midnight when Shasty, P.DOT, Hollywood, Riddic, God’s Sun, … Continue reading

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Destroyer’s Dan Bejar Delivers Bizarrely Beautiful Peformance

Vancouver based indie-rock band, Destroyer, is on tour again after the release of its 2011 album Kaputt. I went to see their New York City show at Manhattan’s Webster Hall. The performance was astonishing. Dan Bejar, Destroyer’s singer-songwriter, seemed to decay … Continue reading

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Music Festival Showcases ‘Game Boy’ Artists

Chip art, which fuses retro game technology such as Nintendo Game Boys with old school computers like the Commodore 64, is an underground movement that has spread from Japan to Europe to America. Even though the genre is gaining momentum, … Continue reading

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Devo Frontman Still Hip

Most Hollywood stars and celebrities are known for one or two things that put them on the map, but few manage to have the creativity to continue to make themselves relevant throughout their entire careers. While Mark Mothersbaugh was never … Continue reading

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Owner of Legendary Vinyl Shop Says Goodbye

Music is Joe Long’s life. As the owner of Birdel’s Record Shop in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn for more than 50 years, Long has witnessed the evolution of music from the Motown-era in the 1960s to the oversexed R&B currently on heavy … Continue reading

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Do We Call Them Comebacks?

Next week, The Strokes will release Angles, their follow-up to 2006’s First Impressions Of Earth, a record even the band considers best forgotten. After five years of solo albums and side projects, the former boy-kings of lower Manhattan are being … Continue reading

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