So when I think retro music I think maybe a little music from the mid 90′s. Perhaps a little Pearl Jam or Nirvana. Perhaps something a little older, like some Pet Shop Boys or Huey Lewis and the News. Perhaps, to stretch it, retro goe [...]
Posted by: Steve Mynett on Monday, April 14th, 2008
Categories: Music | No Comments »
Pitchfork Media has released it’s list of the 20 worst album covers of 07 and the list is worth a look if you’re looking for some creative inspiration! ;) Unlike many “worst of” lists, this one includes some big name [...]
Posted by: Steve Mynett on Monday, April 14th, 2008
Categories: Music, Pop Culture | No Comments »
Because other people’s music always sounds better. Muxtape.com could be the best online music sharing site I’ve found since Pandora announced it was deeply, deeply sorry to all Canadians. Care to share more sites? Comment below.
Posted by: Graham Huber on Wednesday, April 9th, 2008
Categories: Music, Pop Culture, Websites | 2 Comments »
The Canadian National Jazz Awards (NJA) were handed out last night in Toronto and a bunch of our friends and colleagues received some of the awards! Billed as a celebration of Canadian Jazz the Awards have traditionally been very Toronto-ce [...]
Posted by: Steve Mynett on Wednesday, April 9th, 2008
Categories: Music, Websites | 2 Comments »
A few months back I wandered down to my usual watering hole, The Jazz Cellar, to see singer songwriter Jesse Harris perform. Normally a jazz venue, the Jazz Cellar is a remarkable live music venue of all styles. Harris played a a great set [...]
Posted by: Steve Mynett on Monday, April 7th, 2008
Categories: Music, Photography, Pop Culture | No Comments »
I received somewhat bad and disturbing news when I got home tonight. North America’s last remaining Radio Orchestra, Vancouver based CBC Radio Orchestra, has been shut down. The culprit? You guessed it, budget cuts. While symphony orc [...]
Posted by: Steve Mynett on Thursday, March 27th, 2008
Categories: Music, We love | 1 Comment »
The theremin is one of the earliest fully electronic musical instruments. It was invented by Russian inventor Léon Theremin in 1919, and it is unique in that it was the first musical instrument designed to be played without being touched. The controlling section generally consists of two metal antennas to sense the relative position of the player's hands. These sensors control audio oscillator(s) for frequency from one hand, and volume from the other. The electric signals from the theremin are amplified and sent to a loudspeaker.
[post_title] => Pamelia Kurstin: Theremin, the untouchable music
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Pamelia is one of the most precise and talented thereminsts on the planet. Her walking bass theremin technique must be seen to be believed! Watch it here. I have heard people play the Theremin but never like this, the video is 20 minutes lo [...]
Posted by: Matt SamyciaWood on Friday, March 7th, 2008
Categories: Music | No Comments »
This past week Jeff Healey passed away after a long battle with cancer. For those of you new to his name he was one of Canada’s top jazz and blues musicians who achieved critical and commercial success both at home and abroad. Do your [...]
Posted by: Steve Mynett on Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
Categories: Art, Music | No Comments »
Q: What’s the only kind of music a violin is good for? A: Camp Fire Music OK…. I jest. The world has been inundated with solo violin works ranging from every Suzuki student playing Twinkle Twinkle up to stunning performances at [...]
Posted by: Steve Mynett on Thursday, February 28th, 2008
Categories: Art, Music | 1 Comment »
For over 10 years, local funk band extraordinaire Soul Stream has been playing every Monday and Tuesday night at Bar None in Vancouver. One of the best house bands in Vancouver, Soul Stream mixes covers of Tower of Power, Earth Wind and Fir [...]
Posted by: Steve Mynett on Tuesday, February 26th, 2008
Categories: Music, Vancouver, We love | No Comments »
Three Strikes, You're out:
One: If you had gone to the trouble of making your own ringtones for your iPhone using clips of songs from your library then you will find they are all gone the next time you sync with the latest iTunes. Apple now sells ringtones to its US customers for $0.99 and it would rather you paid up than made them yourself.
Two: It seems that the new generation of iPods will not output video through cables or docks that aren't Apple authorised and have a specific "authentication" chip. Apple charges a hefty cut for joining its approved suppliers programme, and this is a way to ensure that vendors sign up.
Three: iTunes keeps your songs organised using a database, and over the years a number of free and open source music players have been developed that can read and write this database format. Any Linux user who wants to use an iPod needs a non-Apple library manager. Programmes like gtkpod, Rhythmbox and Banshee are easy to use and don't try to sell you songs all the time, but now Apple has added a new feature to the iTunes database, a special number which is calculated from your list of files using a process only Apple knows. If the number is wrong, your library looks empty. And because the free players don't know the algorithm used, they can no longer be used with iTunes/iPod.
These three examples point to a larger strategy that Apple has adopted. It may be a strategy that Apple has had for a while as the iPod was never really that open a device. But now it's getting to the point where users will really start to feel the squeeze.
This got me thinking about the iPhone. I have to admit it, Apple has done a great job of making the iPhone one alluring gadget, here at our own studio most of us are lusting over the iPhone even if it's unusable as a phone in Canada. It's touch-screen interface is a pleasure to use and so intuitive.
I am an early adopter, the iPhone is made for people like me. Back in 2000 when Apple first launched its iPod, I was right there, then it was miles ahead of the pack.
Apple has been extremely slow to improve upon that first generation iPod. With nothing more than cosmetic changes to the original apart from the fundamental video capability. The iPhone has been a long time coming and it's a bit of a closed box when you look at it closely. With a price tag of $640 you'd expect it to have at least the same amount of features as some other smart phones.
Here are some of its deficits:
1. Can’t exchange contact information via bluetooth with other PDAs,
2. Can’t listen to music with bluetooth headphones,
3. Bluetooth can only be used to answer phonecalls (limited)
4. Web browser is not flash compatible
5. No zooming for the camera
6. No flash for the camera
7. No video camera
8. NOT compatible internationally like most other smart phones
Sure, there are hacks, Hacktheiphone.com is full of tutorials and software but that's besides the point. It's clear that the iPhone is a first generation product. It didn't really dissuade me back in 2000 when I bought the iPod but I'm going to wait and see what direction Apple will take it.
[post_title] => Apple Locks Down
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During the iDesign conference in London I heard Bill Thompson talk about design’s role in the world of technology and he mentioned the locking down of Apple’s newest portable products. I did some reading and found quite a lot un [...]
Posted by: Haig Armen on Wednesday, October 10th, 2007
Categories: Articles, Music, Technology | 2 Comments »
As part of the London Design Festival I attended a new opera called “The Corley Conspiracy”. The event was cowritten by a friend and collaborator Sean Starke, who is also part of the MIRROR project that I’m involved with. [...]
Posted by: Haig Armen on Thursday, October 4th, 2007
Categories: Art, Events, Inspiration, Music | No Comments »
For the past 3 years I’ve been working on a project called MIRROR with my good friend Thomas Anselmi. Our collaboration began with a breakfast meeting about a website and quickly evolved into us writing music and visually refining the [...]
Posted by: Haig Armen on Sunday, September 16th, 2007
Categories: Art, Events, Film, Music | No Comments »
These silkscreened posters by Jason Munn, the man behind ‘The Small Stakes’, make me want to rack up a really big visa bill…
Posted by: Sarah Reid on Thursday, August 16th, 2007
Categories: Art, Design, Music, Pop Culture | No Comments »
A cool little demonstration of information design in action: a behind-the-genius peek at Michel Gondry mapping out the video for the Chemical Brothers’ Star Guitar
Posted by: Kevin Broome on Tuesday, July 24th, 2007
Categories: Design, Music, We love | No Comments »
