From Music! The Music of Freedom!, post Sky Ferreira or Inna: Which ‘One’ is ‘Amazing’?

In music, sadness and dancing seem to go together like peanut butter and marmalade: a combination which shouldn’t really work, but serves to do nothing but bring out the best in both elements.

Electropop has always known this, which is why so many of its best songs are also the most heartbreaking. And yer silly holiday dance pop has the sadness running through it like the lettering in a stick of rock. Inna and Sky Ferreira know it too, AND their two songs also compliment each other rather nicely.

So it is for THIS REASON ALONE – and not because there seem to be too many noteworthy songs around at the moment – that we shall examine their respective worthinesses together. OK? NOT because of space.

(Here’s Inna’s video. It’s wavy.)

Inna’s song sounds like a hit because it already is a hit. Over on mainland Europe they can’t get enough of her holiday dance pop, in much the same way that some people can’t get enough of Basshunter. Over here, we’re probably a little more likely to spot the flaws in her language than collapse in a frothing heap at her feet. But that’s the British for you.

You don’t even have to go on holiday to feel it, either. One swish of those baked hissy synths, a strum of that guitar, and you can smell the sun cream and chlorine. And it is always nice when yer happy sunshiney dance music remembers that its job is bring the melancholy. Even when singing a song about how astonishing someone looks, Inna makes it sound like she’s turning it all on herself, as if their good looks are the only light she can see by, and without them, the entire world is all solid darkness.

Which might not seem like an obviously holiday-friendly thought, until you’re waiting at the airport to come home and you realise you’re going to have to sleep on a metal bench because your flight is delayed. It’ll make perfect sense then.

Download: Out now

www.innaofficial.com
BBC Music page

=========================================

(Here’s Sky Ferreira’s video. It’s bulbous.)

The funny thing is, while we scoff and sneer at Inna for singing “the speed of the sound”, there’s another song around which also brings the mournful, also rests on a bed of sad robotics, and takes just as many liberties with the English language – not least because it keeps sticking on key syllables – and yet it will not be the subject of any schoolmarmish disapproval.

This is because Sky Ferreira is clearly an eccentric. And we all know how much the British love an eccentric. So when she stops her melodies halfway through, to repeat “one-one-one-one” or “up-up-up-up”, this is perfectly fine. She’s singing into a lightbulb after all, we KNOW how this works.

Inna, by trying to make a song which will appeal to as many people as possible, at a time when they are most receptive to that kind of a thing, has merely created a straw donkey of a song. Something you can use to remember the holiday sunshine.

Meanwhile the girl with the blank, robotty voice and the quirky production tick, and the line in her chorus where it sounds like she’s singing “hey Hugh Grant”, and the chuntering Lego synths, has made a thing which needs to be puzzled out, and that’s always a more satisfying experience. Especially in a nation which considers mindless dancing to be, well, a little vulgar.

Dancing AND reading, that’s the way to do it!

Download: Out now

www.skyferreira.com
BBC Music page

(Fraser McAlpine)

Unreality Shout says: “There’s something really quite soothing about Inna’s voice on this track.”

Pop From The Block says: “‘One’ is actually one of a kind. It’s dense, robotic, with a dreamlike feel, but it has depth.”

View full post on BBC Audio & Music | Radio 1 Chart Blog

From Music! The Music of Freedom!, post The manhattan transfer

Anyone who loves jazz music must know about the amazing vocal group The Manhattan Transfer. What some may not know is that the Manhattan Transfer comes from the Name of Two different groups. The first group made one album, then broke up in 1969, the other group is the one, which is the basis for this article. They began in 1972 and still sing today. The Manhattan Transfer does an exquisite job of blending jazz music, popular music and big band together.

The members of the group are: Alan Paul, Janis Siegel, Laurel Masse and Tim Hauser. Their first album entitled, The Manhattan Transfer brought them a hit single, a gospel song called "Operator". In 1971 an album was made with only one of the members, Tim Hauser. The album Jukin’ was really considered to be released by a different group. This vocal group did a spectacular job performing in Europe.

The next two albums, Pastiche and Coming Out had a number of top ten hit singles. "Chanson D’Amour" went to number one in the United Kingdom in 1977, but didn’t make the charts in the U.S. After that, the group released The Manhattan Transfer Live Album recorded in the United Kingdom. After that, Laurel was terribly injured in a car accident and Cheryl Bentyne took her place. The group has been the same ever since. They went on to make another hit in the U.S. with "Twilight Zone/Twilight Zone" from the album Extensions. This same album gave The Manhattan Transfer their most recognized sound. "Birdland" written by Jon Hendricks gave them their first Grammy award for the Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental. They also an award for best arrangement for voices.

The group broke their record in 1981 by winning a Grammy in a pop and jazz category that year. Jazz music was taking a new and enjoyable turn. "Boy From New

From Music! The Music of Freedom!, post The development of satellite radio in the united states

The satellite radio industry is dominated by two major players – Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio. Both companies charge a monthly fee for their services, but service payment plans often change to attract more customers. For example, starting in 2005 Sirius offers a $500 fee that is valid for the lifetime of the equipment. Sirius offers 65 music channels, without any commercials and traffic and weather reports for most of the major US cities. On the other hand, some of XM Radio’s channels did contain some commercials, but in much smaller quantities than those found on terrestrial radio channels. Today, XM has 67 commercial-free music channels, 21 channels with detailed traffic and weather information, 39 channels of news, entertainment and sports and an amazing number of 23 play-by-play sports channels. XM Satellite Radio Inc. owns the most impressive digital radio equipment and facilities, boasting over 82 end to end broadcasting studios. Sirius Satellite Radio is located in the heart of New York City with a huge recording studio. Sirius Satellite Radio has an impressive library of over 2 million music tracks.

Sirius Satellite Radio

Sirius Satellite Radio is one of the two main providers of digital radio broadcasting in the United States and it shares this important market with XM Radio. While you would think that XM and Sirius are 100% rivals, you will be surprised to find out that both companies are working together on a joint program in order to develop a receiver for both of their broadcast frequencies. Sirius uses three geosynchronous satellites that pass over the United States territory at regular time intervals and transmit the data alternatively. The Sirius satellite network is also located in a position that offers better line of sight – this means that transmission interruptions caused by trees, mountains or any other landscape form are less likely to happen. Sirius announced that the number

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From Music! The Music of Freedom!, post The image features of the new ipod video

Although the dimensions of the new iPod video are smaller, the display thinner, the screen dimensions are bigger and the image quality is better. These advantages are not the only ones as the new iPod video keeps more surprises regarding the image and the screen display.

The large color screen and reduced dimensions of the video and audio device is the attractive point of the new iPod video. This aspect makes possible the explicit reading of the menu, of the options and possibilities as it has a bright, sharp text.

The screen quality of the new iPod video may be compared to the screen quality of any TV set and it may even become the winner of such a contest. Both the design of the new iPod and the video features are very well thought out and the most important aspect is that the resolution is up to 320×240. The resolution quality is comparable to the quality of VHS video tape, being less than half that of a DVD. That is why the sunny weather, the too bright rooms are not a problem for watching the videos on the iPod video. These obstacles are great enemies of the previous handheld video devices of reduced dimensions and these do not matter anymore, especially when it is the case of the new iPod video.

The possibility of watching the favorite music video and Disney or Pixar video, the TV shows of films on the road, away from home was a matter of dreams not long time ago. And this dream is possible now due to the next step in video technology.

Besides, the new iPod video has also some amazing options with the photo album because of great quality of the images. You may also rate your photos or create slideshows with your favorite ones so that your past empty moments may be filled with great memories. This fact is also due to the eliminated common obstacles (sunshine, bright indoors or outdoors) of watching videos on

From Music! The Music of Freedom!, post The new york voices

The New York Voices are a vocal jazz group that have learned from other vocal jazz groups such as Take 6, The Manhattan Transfer, Lionel Hampton and have taken jazz music to higher levels which have earned them Grammy Awards. Their sound is definite jazz sound with classical, pop, Brazilian and R&B immersed in.

In 1987, Peter Eldridge, Darmon Meader, Kim Nazarian, Caprice Fox and Sara Krieger formed the group. Darmon, Peter, Caprice and Kim went to Ithaca College, in upstate New York. They were able to go and tour the European jazz festivals in 1986. In 1989 they were signed to GRP Records and their first album New York Voices was released. In no time at all it seemed they became popular in the jazz music world. Four albums were done with GRP.

The Collection, Hearts of Fire and What’s Inside. During this time, some changes were made. Sara left, and they auditioned more than sixty vocalists in the United States before they settled on Lauren Kinhan. When she sang with them, the chemistry was real and she fit in perfectly. Thus, they called themselves the "New" New York Voices. Lauren appears on the third recording. In 1994, Caprice left , and the New York Voices was at the point the same as it is presently.

The New York Voices, has recorded their own albums, guest starred on other albums, and many other performances. Some of those performances are Live at Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, Brazilian Dreams, a Latin Grammy Award winner with Paquito d’ Rivera and Heirs of Jobim. They have also performed with many famous jazz artists such as Annie Ross, Bobby McFerrin, Nancy Wilson, John Hendricks and Diana Krall. They tried something new in 1997, by singing Paul Simon’s songs. It was called New York Voices Sing the Songs of Paul Simon.

They used many styles to sing his music. Near the end of 2000,

From Music! The Music of Freedom!, post Online streaming and the changes in the way satellite radio works

The recent development of satellite radio received a lot of newspaper and web page space, as well as plenty of attention from traditional media channels. There are a few things that are changing rapidly in satellite radio, changes that may or may not affect the future of the XM and Sirius Satellite Radio companies, as well as the consumers. A few major steps towards the dynamic development of satellite radio have given consumers and financial analysts different perspectives from which to analyze this phenomenon. With the MLB moving away from terrestrial radio and heading for digital radio transmissions, with a Playboy Satellite Radio channel that has over a million subscribers and several other impressive developments, we can say that satellite radio is on an ascending path. An abrupt one, filled with shock news and unexpected developments, but ascending nevertheless. An interesting idea is the one that XM and Sirius are working on a single receiver unit that can receive broadcasts from both major satellite radio broadcasters. Another event that rocked the satellite radio world was Howard Stern’s online streaming on Sirius. His appearance on the Sirius Satellite Radio gave a new light on the Sirius company, as one that offers more than radios and broadcasting means – as one that offers genuine content.

Terrestrial versus satellite

One of the problems XM and Sirius have had is with making the satellite receiver something desirable, cheap and effective. In the beginning the satellite receivers were large and expensive, and performed poorly on moving vehicles. Of course, the modern satellite receivers are much better, very small and compact and offer excellent reception in any area. The digital quality of the satellite radio has some amazing benefits on its own since there are no noise disturbances that were traditional to FM and AM broadcasts.

From Music! The Music of Freedom!, post The design of the new ipod video

The design of the new iPod video is similar to the previous editions, but it is thinner and has a slimmer build. The design was not surprising as it resembles a lot the others, but the new features and the improved once from the previous models were the ones who ensured the great success. The amazing feature is the dimension and the great capacities and features.

The new iPod video is about 10 percent thinner than the last generation iPod and has even a greater capacity – the 4th generation iPod had 20 GB and the iPod video has 30 or 60GB. The LCD display of the new iPod video has a larger format – 2.5-inch format with QVGA resolution. You may watch a video while 65,000 colors are being used, fact that is possible due to the special screen of great quality and the finishing touch of the design.

Most reviews point out the amazing design of the new iPod video, beaty that may easily caught the eye of any iPod fan. The sharp and colorful display is capable of increasing the great charm of this new item and may conquer any heart.

The special design is given with the help of the clear polycarbonate case which plays at the same time the role of a protective case for the new iPod. It is, in a way, a classic design with any new input following the modern fashionable trends and refusing to create a new face for the popular iPod. Maybe this is the aspect that continues to attract customers of all ages, this being an available option for almost all tastes and preferences. Besides, the cases ar those who may be chosen taking into account the age, color preference or other relevant aspects.

However, the slim design may be of great success, this being the new characteristic of the new iPod as compared with previous editions of iPods.

From Music! The Music of Freedom!, post Advantages and disadvantages of the ipod video

The new iPod video became famous due to its huge memory and the capacity of playing video, due to its slim design and longer life battery. Still, there are voices that point out some disadvantages and highlight different negative aspects.

Taking into account that there are few perfect things made by the human hand, these aspects may be used by the iPod video creators for further improvements. Therefore, the customer’s reviews are very important and the suggestions may be really taken into account.

The fact that the screen is bigger is great, but the surface is easy to scratch, aspect that is more in the cons category. Although the image is excellent and the clarity screen may be easily compared with the TV set’s screen quality, there are still some problems with freezing video images. There is a great achievement the fact that the light, sun or other previous obstacles are annihilated, but another important problem is the unresponsiveness in some cases.

The dimensions of the new iPod video are great, but there is no way you may watch it with more than several persons. Anyway, it was designed for personal not collective needs and you may still share your photo album and music or video music preferences with one person. The flat screen is large enough to enjoy your favorite videos.

Although the life battery is longer, the complaints concern the short battery life for video. And this complaint may be balanced by the fact that the video is played with no flaw. The pros of the new iPod video are considered the cool look, the impressive number of features, the great organization of the music menu so that you may even rank your favorite songs. The cons of the new iPod video are considered the absence of

From Music! The Music of Freedom!, post The basics of satellite radio

Broadcasting digital radio via satellite is not something new and concepts of doings this have been with us for a few years. From the early days of satellite radio, companies like Dish Network have offered digital audio channels as part of their programs. The breakthrough in popularity of satellite radio, however, happened just recently, when the technology became more permissive. Satellite radio was very rare on moving locations, such as boats or cars, mostly because there was the need for some expensive equipment – a tracking dish. This was a strong deterrent which kept satellite radio quite unknown by the general public. Today, however, one can receive digital audio satellite broadcasts by using a small, GPS-like antenna. This greatly increased the feasibility of the satellite radio systems and more and more vehicle owners began considering satellite radios as a good source of music and news.

The birth of satellite radio in the United States

When the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allocated a spectrum in the "S" band (2.3 GHz) for the broadcasting of digital radio services in 1992 no one thought the amplitude that the system would take in the future. From the initial Digital Audio Radio Service (DARS) things progressed until two companies were given licenses to broadcast digital radio in 1997. These two were American Mobile Radio (today known as XM Satellite Radio) and CD Radio (presently called Sirius Satellite Radio). The fact that satellite radio is nationwide makes it a very attractive media channel, both for commercial and non-profit organizations. The two companies that initiated the development of satellite radio saw the huge potential it had, since it wasn’t confined by the limitations of other terrestrial broadcasters.

Benefits of using satellite radio

Here are some of the most noteworthy benefits of having a satellite radio system:

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From Music! The Music of Freedom!, post Playboy satellite radio

As we can see, satellite radio is no longer a field reserved for a very small group – anyone with enough interest and financial power can participate in the digital radio revolution. Playboy Satellite Radio is one of the newest and most dynamic radio channels you can access on satellite broadcasting. Since it was launched in March of 2006, the Playboy Satellite Radio has been a huge success. Today, as Christie Hefner recently announced on the air, Playboy Satellite Radio boasts a number of over one million subscribers on the Sirius network. One of the most impressive things about this is that the Playboy Satellite Radio channel does not come as default to Sirius subscribers and they have to select it. This is why a one million opt-in number is something amazing, especially since the regular opt-in rates are much smaller than this for other types of broadcasting. In order to choose the Playboy Satellite Radio program users have to call Sirius or opt in for it on the Sirius website.

What does the success of Playboy Satellite Radio say

Well, let’s look at it this way – if Playboy, a brand name associated by 99% of the public with something visual, can now convince over a million people to tune into their programs, it seems that they have discovered a very interesting niche there. The Playboy empire was built on the visual presentations they make and converting this “almost entirely visual” brand into something that attracts radio users is amazing. Of course, the main Playboy brand elements are still present in the radio broadcasting, but ensuring that their traditional symbols stay unaltered is a much more difficult task. Many analysts believe that the initial success of Playboy Satellite Radio is more a fad than something that will last for years to come.