Music

We have finally taught robots to do something useful: play AC/DC covers

As we’ve discussed previously, the German heavy metal band (get it? GET IT?!) Compressorhead consists of four robots who perform blistering rock songs, including this recent live cover of AC/DC’s hit “TNT.” After all the advancements in robotics over the years, it’s nice to see we’re actually getting somewhere worthwhile. Now, when the robot apocalypse…

J.Viewz: Teardrop

J.Viewz’ mom must be so mad. He doesn’t just play with his food, he plays music with it. He first wires an eggplant, kiwi, strawberries, grapes, carrots and mushrooms to a MaKey MaKey. Tapping each piece of produce closes an electrical circuit which then sends a signal to the attached keyboard and plays a corresponding…

Starting in March, Pandora’s 40-hour cap on free music will apply to its mobile version, too. Listen wisely, friends.

Why it’s so expensive to license the rights to a fictional character

Recently, two seemingly contradictory pieces of copyright law have popped up in the news. One is the case of Jonathan Coulton, whose arrangement of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” was lifted by the producers of Glee. Another is the recent case of a car customizer who was barred from making Batmobiles by a District Court…

Recording Industry Manages a Sliver of Growth for the First Time Since 1999

Global recorded music revenues grew .3-percent to $16.5 billion last year, marking the first increase since 1999. That’s the year, you’ll remember, that Napster and file sharing brought the industry to its knees. According to the report from the IFPI, growth is being driven by digital revenue, which was up 9-percent in 2012. That digital…

Google Is in Talks to Create Its Own Spotify-like Streaming Music Service

According to the Financial Times, Google is currently in talks with “big music labels to launch a streaming service to compete with companies such as Spotify.” Google previously launched its own digital music store over a year ago but this service will be different than the digital tunes shop, Google’s streaming music service will offer…

The pulp scifi book that inspired Prince’s Purple Rain

OK just kidding — this isn’t a real book. But we wish it were! Graphic designer Christophe Gowans is doing a series called “The Record Books,” where he imagines what would have happened in an alternate universe where popular albums were actually pulp fiction books. And he’s created some gorgeous covers, plus short synopses to…

Traktor DJ for iPad Is Better Than Turntables

If you go out and hunt for a DJ app that lets you mix together two different tracks, you’re going to come across a lot of really, really, bad design. Even the best stuff is a hell of fake spinning turntable skeuomorphs. After playing with Native Instruments’ Traktor DJ for iPad, we’re sure there’s a…

This Is Officially the Best Copyright-Free Way to Sing Happy Birthday

You might not know it, but the melody from Happy Birthday To You is actually copyrighted, owned by Time Warner, and won’t enter the public domain until 2030 at the earliest. That’s why the Free Music Archive set out to find an alternative—and this is officially the best choice. Along with WFMU, the Free Music…

Listen to the entire score from Shane Carruth’s Upstream Color

Twisty story telling director Shane Carruth, director of Primer, has released the score to his latest film Upstream Color to tantalize your ears with promises of nothingness and everythingness. We don’t know — it’s all so abstract and crazy. Classic Carruth. According to Slashfilm, Carruth’s latest work hinges greatly on its score (also composed by…

When Gollum sings Les Miserablés the emphasis is on the miserable

Finally, some brave soul has taken it upon himself to record Les Miserablés’ “I Dreamed a Dream” in the voice of Gollum. The song — which you might recognize from the commercials for the recent movie version of the musical, which Anne Hathaway sings while looking completely, emotionally devastated — actually works out surprisingly well…

Report: Spotify Wants to Extend Its Free Service to Phones

The Verge is reporting that Spotify is in talks with major music labels to negotiate substantial reductions in the royalty fees it pays—as well as extending rights so that it can roll out its free pricing tier to mobile devices. According to “several music industry sources”, Spotify is already in negotiations with Warner Music about…

Kittens Vs. Tiny Sock Stealing Ninjas!

In the battle between kittens and tiny sock stealing Ninjas we all come out winners. This music video “Wildstyle” by Savant uses the latest technology to what it would look like if tiny thieves were adorably batted to death by kittens. Death by cuteness! Video created by Corridor Digital.

Paul Vo Has Made an Entirely New and Impossibly Awesome Instrument

Inventor Paul Vo has developed an entirely new way to modify the sound of instruments. Stringed instruments for now, at least. Before I twist your brain into knots trying to explain how it works, take a moment to listen to the Vo-96 acoustic synthesizer in the video above. Moog teased this concept as the LEV-96…

The Universal History of Music In One Awesome Timelapse Drawing

I love timelapse drawings that explain complex things, like timelines or processes. They are usually mesmerizing and beautiful. This history of music is no exception. It’s brilliant. Although some of the technical terms are in Spanish, you will understand it all. [Thanks Oscar!]

How a Simulated Mosh Pit Could Save Your Life

Despite their chaotic appearance, mosh pits operate according to an unspoken set of common rules that propagate these spontaneous social systems. Without rules and a common cause, however, the pit becomes little more than a sweaty mob set to music. Similar “mob rules” are actually found throughout nature wherever animals congregate—numerous individual actions indirectly affect…

Nokia’s Music+ subscription service just rolled out in the UK—so it should soon be available in the US for $4/month.

We can’t stop watching Kyle MachLachlan dance the Twin Peaks Harlem Shake

Holy crap someone got Kyle MachLachlan to do a Twin Peaks style Harlem Shake. It’s.. hurting… our brains. So much amazing and so much terrible wrapped into one tiny video. Hate it or love it, you won’t be able to stop watching it. For those unaware, the Harlem Shake is a dance. For more information…

The prettiest harp cover of The Walking Dead theme you’ll hear all day

Camille and Kennerly, a.k.a. the Harp Twins, are back with a hauntingly beautiful performance of The Walking Dead opening theme. You know, these ladies are extremely talented, both as musicians and composers, but not necessarily as zombie survivalists. Someone should tell them that when the undead attack an electric harp is just about the last…

You’ll Desperately Want To Complete This Connect-The-Dots Music Video

Motion capture technology isn’t all about creating life-like digital creatures. A band called Foal recently used it on the music video for its song My Number to create a moving connect-the-dots puzzle that’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen. The video took about three months to create, from the motion capture sessions to the computer animation…