All I Want For Christmas is Buble

Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful, and since we’ve no place to go, let us listen to Christmas music! You turn on the TV, the radio, or even step into a mall, and you know the holiday season has arrived. It is a time for Christmas music, and it’s the time for Christmas CD’s.

Michael Buble, who is one of my favorite singers, came out with a new Christmas album, and I believe it is fantastic. Here’s his rendition of “Santa Clause Is Coming To Town:”

What did you think? His jazzy sound just melts my heart. His voice gives traditional Christmas music something extra.

The album begins with “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas,” where he keeps it simple and sticks to the traditional version. It’s a great rendition and tells the listener they are about to embark on a musical Christmas journey.

In this album, Michael Buble has three duets, one with the Puppini Sisters, another with Shania Twain, and finally a bi-lingual duet with Thalia. “Jingle Bells” with the Puppini Sisters is fun and lighthearted. His duet with Shania Twain gives the song “White Christmas” a bit of a jazz country fusion mix. Michael Buble shows that he can sing in Spanish during his duet with Thalia for “Mis Deseos/Feliz Navidad.”

I know many people are very excited over Justin Bieber’s new version of Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” but not me. I love Michael’s version. It’s slow and seductive. It is as if he was whispering in the ear of the person he loves and letting them know how much he needs them.

I will have to say that my favorite song on this album is “Santa Baby.” Normally this song is sung by a woman in a flirtatious/sexy way. Michael Buble changed it up. He made it seem as if he was asking his buddy Santa for some pretty great gifts. Women are not the only ones that one expensive gifts for Christmas! If you have to choose just one Christmas album to listen to I recommend is Michael Buble’s “Christmas” album. 

READ MORE...

The End Of An Era = New Possibilities

For the past few months there have been plenty of rumors about EMI being sold. On November 11, 2011, all the rumors were settled when the announcement was made that the EMI record label is going to be sold to Universal Music Group and EMI Publishing is being sold to Sony/ATV Music Publishing. The first step in the process of this sale is that EMI will have to fully separate the record label from the publisher.

This news definitely affects my life since I currently work for Sony/ATV Music Publishing. We were all in the office waiting around for the announcement to be made, while hearing all kinds of rumors. Finally we received an e-mail from our CEO, Marty Bandier, and we were all knew that our company had purchased EMI Music Publishing. It was a day of uncertainties, but also a day that began a journey of endless possibilities. Two amazing companies are coming together for greatness.

In the article by Ed Christman, “It’s Official: Sony-Led Group Purchases EMI Music Publishing for $2.2 Billion,” he discusses how Sony/ATV bought the publishing side of EMI from Citigroup for $2.2 billion dollars. During the weeks after the announcement there has been a lot of speculation about what exactly will take place, and how the two companies will merge. The article states that Sony/ATV and EMI Music Publishing will share their services and others believe that the A&R would remain separate.

EMI Music publishing is the leading popular music publisher. Its roster includes great artists such as Queen, Katy Perry, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Usher, Arcade Fire, and many more. Sony/ATV Music Publishing has great artists such as The Beatles, Lady Gaga, Neil Diamond, and Oasis. In the latest reports about the sale, Marty Bandier said that he plans on keeping the EMI name. 

READ MORE...

Copyrights, Tweets, and Kanye West?

We are lucky to live in an era where all the information we need is just a click away. We can hear access all kinds of news and commentary to learn from other people’s mistakes. A great place to be able to learn from the mistakes made in the entertainment industry is www.entertainmentlawupdate.com. On this website we can access different podcasts that can give us insight on different lawsuits.

The first podcast that caught my eye was titled “What’s with all the Zombies?” During this podcast they discussed the 80’s Hair Band Poison who is being sued for allegedly stealing songs from twenty-five years ago. The Billboard.biz article “Hair Band War! Did Poison Steal ‘80s Hits From Another Band?”  states that guitarist C.C. DeVille was part of the Chicago band Kid Rocker before joining Poison. Billy McCarthy and James Stonich is suing Poison because they feel that DeVille copied their songs which became Poison hit songs. In the podcast they discuss that the big issue is the fact that it has been twenty-five years since the Poison album in which McCarthy and Stonich state their songs appear, and the main argument has been the statute of limitation. One of the points given is that the band Poison continued the wrong by performing the songs for many years after their release, but many courts have not agreed with this argument. This particular case shows us two different things. First, DO NOT STEAL OTHER PEOPLES MUSIC OR ANYTHING for that matter. Second, if someone steals your music or anything else, make sure you sue them before years have passed.

“Monkeying Around with Copyright Law” obviously discusses copyright law.  Marcie Cobbaert, a photographer, sued Lifetime and A&E for improperly featuring her copyrighted photographs on the most recent season of Project Runway. Cobbaert never consented for her photos to be used on the show or the show website, and she was against the photos being used. Marcie Cobbaert is asking for statutory damages, but according to the podcast she will not receive the statutory damages, because she did not file the copyright before the photos were used, instead she filed right before the law suit. The lesson learned from this case is that you must copyright your works immediately!

The final podcast that caught my eye was “Can Kanye write songs 140 characters at a time?” They discuss how Jimmy Kimmel and Josh Groban did a skit about Kanye West’s tweets. The question that arose from this skit was if tweets are protected by copyright. This skit was not a dispute, but according to the podcast it can potentially be. New technologies bring new types of lawsuits. During the podcast discusses what could potentially be copyrighted. The argument presented during the podcast is if Josh Groban had gone and recorded an actual album to sell, would they have to get copyright permission from Kanye West. I believe that if another person is using someone else’s tweets to gain monetary income, then the original tweet should be considered a copyrighted work. I strongly believe that if Josh Groban made money off Kanye West’s tweet, Kanye should receive royalties. This particular podcast brings to light the potential for new lawsuits. Our world and our industry is ever-changing, and we must always be on the look out for the next potential liability. 

READ MORE...

May The Suits You Wear Not Be The Law Kind!

It seems that we always hear about lawsuits in the entertainment industry. We hear about an artist not obtaining the writes for a sampling another song. We hear about movie studios not obtaining the proper licenses to use certain songs in a film, and we even hear lawsuits for companies using certain artists to represent them, without seeking approval from the artist. It seems that many people in the entertainment industry are wearing suits, well lawsuits!

In September, Lady Gaga announced that a Nevada-based company was trying to use her fame to market cosmetics and jewelry. Lady Gaga sued them for trying to trademark the names “Lady Gaga” and “Lady Gaga LG” without her permission. She believes that many of her fans would be tricked into believing that she is affiliated with the company. Although the trademark was not approved she is still suing them for unspecified damages. I agree that it is wrong for the company to use Lady Gaga’s name for their advantage without her permission. It is like trying to sell a Toyota car by convincing the customer it is sponsored by Mercedes.

Lionsgate is currently being sued for not obtaining the proper licenses over a song in the Lebron James documentary. Songwriter, Mason Hall, is suing over his song “We Ready,” which was used as part of the documentary without his permission. The first thing that Mason Hall needs to do is prove to the judge the song used in the film is truly his. If the judge accepts the lawsuit, Hall is asking for an injunction against further damages, and wants the distribution of the film to stop. If the song in question is truly Hall’s song, then I believe he deserves to be compensated. Any songs used in films require a synchronization license. I believe Lionsgate is a big enough company to know the process of obtaining the synchronization licenses, and making sure they obtain the correct ones.

Bruno Mars sues Bug Music to get out of his publishing deal. In April, Bruno Mars’ sent Bug Music a notice letting them know they had not yet done anything about their option to extend their agreement. Bus music had 10 days to send a written notice in return to extend their agreement, but they sent it a little too late. This lawsuit shows that if you want something done and if you want to keep an artist you must actually do your work on time! I think that Bug Music responding to Bruno Mars’ notice at a much later date is a bit of disrespect for Bruno Mars. He is currently a major artist, and if Bug Music wanted to keep him aboard, they shouldn’t have waited until it was a little too late. I do believe he should be released from his contract.

Lessons can be learned from all three of these lawsuits.

1. DON’T use an artist’s name without their permission.
2. License all songs CORRECTLY!
3. DO your work on time! 

READ MORE...

A Much Needed Dose Of Positivity

There are moments in our lives that we feel that everything around us is going wrong, and we feel that there is nothing we can do to fix it. From a very early age, I discovered something simple that no matter what I was going through, it would make me happy. This of course is: MUSIC.

Music is something powerful that in a matter of seconds into a song, it can alter your mood. It can make you happy, sad, angry, and even feel loved. Music can also change how you feel about a situation, and even provide you with a much needed dose of POSITIVITY.

These past week has been a bit crazy for me, but I’ve created a playlist on Spotify that has helped me through it. I want to share with you all the top three songs that can help alter your mood.

• Breathe – Telepopmusik – Listening to this song was a morning and afternoon routine for my sister and I. Whenever we drove to and from work (we worked at the same office) we listened to this song. The lyrics simple: “Another day here, just breathe.” I think we forget to just stop and breathe. We are consumed by life’s crazy-ness, and we don’t stop to take care of ourselves. WE ARE FRAGILE and MUST BREATHE! Make it your routine to listen to this song and take a few minutes to breathe. 

•  Such Great Heights – The Postal Service – There is something about the first few notes in this song that just puts your heart at ease, and makes you stop for just a second. Then the song start and their voices and the lyrics take you on an happy journey that you just can’t help but bop your head and feel happy. You might just want to play it and dance around to the beat! (You should all click on the hyperlink and do this now! Go ahead! I’ll wait a minute or two!

• Hoppipolla – Sigur Ros – The English translation of the title of this song is “Jumping in a puddle.” When was the last time you jumped in a puddle? Probably when you were a kid and thought it would be fun to get everyone around you wet! This song just builds. Close your eyes as you listen to it, and let it take you away to a world full of endless possibilities! A world where all your worries are gone, and you are set free! A world that only you can make it a reality! Be inspired!

If you would like to listen to a few of the other songs that I find help bring positivity to my life, check out my playlist on Spotify. Now, go and make your day a positive one!

READ MORE...

The People We Foster

There are times when we listen to a song, and instantly get captivated. We don’t even know what the song is saying, but we like how it sounds. There are times that a song seems so happy, but when you pay close attention you find that the song, is the complete opposite than what you thought. This happened to me with this particular band.

I first heard of them, when I received an e-mail saying that they signed with the company I work for, and it included a playlist with their CD. I immediately downloaded it, and I felt like I was hearing something familiar yet so unique. To be honest I didn’t even pay attention to the lyrics, which is something that I normally pay attention to, but there was no doubt in my mind after hearing the first single released by this band, that it was a happy song. Boy was I wrong. Listen for yourself:

The band is Foster the People and their first single was “Pumped Up Kicks.” I will talk a bit more about the band in a few sentences, but right now lets talk about the lyrics to “Pumped up Kicks.” Does it not sound like a happy song? Did you listen closely? Well here are the lyrics to the chorus: “All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you’d better run, better run, outrun my gun. All the other kids with the pumped up kicks, you’d better run, better run, faster than my bullet.” Ok, so how many times it take you to actually realize what they are saying. The song’s happy feel hides the dark lyrics away, but even with the dark lyrics this song is still amazing.

Foster the People has become one of the most well known bands of 2011.  Their music is becoming a phenomenon. Yes, I don’t feel scared using that word to describe them. They are currently being featured as the number one single and album on Spotify, and three of their songs have been featured in major commercials. I truly believe we can expect great things from the L.A. based band, Foster the People. Now sit back, relax, and listen to some music.

READ MORE...

Can't You Hear The Horses? 'Cause Here They Come!

I was not sure what to expect when I was handed the “Lungs” album early last year and was told to hear it, but since I love hearing new music I was excited.  The second I put it into my CD player and “Dog Days Are Over” started playing I was blown away.  Her voice was different. The music was different. The lyrics were out there! I LOVED IT! Now, experience it for yourself:

I’m sure many of you have figured out whom I’m speaking about, but if not I guess I should tell you. It’s Florence And The Machine.  They are a band from South London that have an eclectic sound and feel to them.

After their performance at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2010, everyone was talking about Florence. Facebook was bombarded with status updates all about Florence during the performance. No one had heard of them. Some people loved them, and others were confused with their theatricality. For me, the Florence performance was the only reason I watched the award show, and I loved every second of the performance.

It’s exciting to see such an eclectic group do so well. Their music has been featured in the hit TV show Glee, in the video game Dragon Age 2, and was even featured in the Twilight: Eclipse film.

Their music truly speaks for itself. Their quirky lyrics and beats will truly captivate your ears. If you want a feel good song that will make you feel as positive as they come you must listen to “Dog Days Are Over.” If you want a different kind of love song, then you must listen to “I’m not Calling you a Liar.” If you want a song about the type of relationship NO ONE should be in, then you must hear “Kiss With A Fist.”

As always, I want to leave you with some GREAT music! Sit back, enjoy and let the horses take you, can’t you hear them coming?

READ MORE...

Mumford and His Sons

After one of my very long nights of searching for new music, I came across a wonderful band from London. They had just released their debut CD and hardly anyone had heard of them in the states. I watched their video on YouTube, and the very next day I owned their CD. I’m not exactly sure if it was the raspy voice of the lead singer, the guitar strums, or because their music expressed what I could not, but they stole my heart. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy their music, and I will soon tell you who they are.

I am definitely talking about Mumford & Sons.

Their song Little Lion Man, which by now many of you have heard definitely has a bluegrass/Irish jig feel to it. Actually, the whole Sigh No More album is fantastic. I personally played it non-stop in my car for weeks, and their song The Cave was my alarm sound for a really long time, but what better way to wake up to than with great music. Before this post is done, I’ll share more videos of their songs, but if you want to go now and watch a few videos and then come back, I completely understand.

Mumford & Sons currently has over 2 million likes on Facebook and over 25 thousand followers on Twitter. I believe that both these numbers will quickly increase very soon. They recently performed The Cave at the 2011 Grammys where they also performed with Bob Dylan and the Avett Brothers. After this performance Mumford & Sons have been everywhere. They have been on the cover of Billboard Magazine and their music was even used in an episode of Grey’s Anatomy (which they always use great music, you should all check out their episode music guide).

Their music is truly pure and beautiful. The have awaken my soul, pun intended.

As I’ve asked before when you listen to these videos, just close your eyes, and let the music move you. I believe that you can experience music differently with your eyes closed, especially a band like Mumford & Sons. Don’t just listen to the melody. Listen to it all. 

READ MORE...

It WILL Get Better!

I know this is a blog mostly about music, but this is a topic that should be brought to light, and I am happy to have seen that one of the “Best Of The Web” speeches featured on TED.com is Councilman Joel Burns telling the gay teens “it gets better.” It has brought me great pain to hear about all the teen suicides that have happened this past year, only because teens were not accepted because they were gay.

The message I want to spread is: WE ARE ALL EQUAL!

A person’s sexual orientation does NOT make them less than I! I am a firm believer that closed mindedness is the downfall of our society. We must embrace our differences, and accept people for who they are, NOT for what people think they should be.

In 2010, after many gay teen suicides were brought to light by the media, the “It Gets Better” videos were started. These videos are truly heartfelt. Some videos include personal experiences, but all videos let teens know that although it may be tough right now it WILL get better. I believe many celebrities realized the power they have over teens and all fans, and they joined this campaign. Their videos spread rapidly through TV commercials and through YouTube.

In past posts I have stated what a powerful tool I think YouTube is, and one of the main reasons I believe this, is because I’ve seen the power the “it gets better” videos featured on YouTube have been. By October 20, 2010 the “It Gets Better” project achieved over 10 million views on YouTube, and in October 21, 2011, President Obama himself posted “It Gets Better” video.

The power of celebrities and the Internet is truly astonishing, but this project goes beyond following the celebrity trends. It is about truly getting the message across.

Again, I will say WE ARE ALL EQUAL! Life WILL GET BETTER! 

Below you will find various "It Gets Better" videos:

Here's a motto I've always lived by, and I will now leave you with:

No matter how gray a day may seem, the sun is always shining!

READ MORE...

I Have A Confession To Make...I Have An Addiction!

I have a confession to make. I have a musical addiction. It is truly a big problem! It is not a joke! I love music so much that there are days that I cannot stick to one song. I literally have to change, change, change the songs, and listen to more songs!  Just can’t get enough! Pandora helped my addiction a bit, but after a few “next song please” clicks, it told me that unfortunately it could not keep up with my addiction.

I used Grooveshark for a bit, but it just was not good enough. My iPod and my radio has helped with my addiction, but lately it has gotten much worse, and my wallet has not allowed me to get as much songs to keep my addiction going. Luckily a solution has finally come to the U.S, SPOTIFY. Yes, I know how obnoxious all caps words can be, but Spotify need the extra attention. In my opinion, it is truly amazing, and all of you out there with my same addiction will understand.

As the article, “Spotify is Finally Available in the U.S.  – Now What?,” states, “the speculation is over.” Spotify is here for all of us to enjoy and see what it has to offer, but what exactly is Spotify? The article describes Spotify as “service that has worked incredibly hard to build its offering around what its consumers actually want to listen to.”

I have been one of the lucky few that has been able to experience what Spotify has to offer, and I will say I am blown away. It is so simple to use, the prices for the upgraded versions are truly reasonable, and it offers us popular music, but also music that only a few know about. You can stream FULL albums and FULL songs. NOT just 30 seconds, NOT just a few songs, and the program does NOT choose the song for you, you hear the song you want, when YOU want to.

Obviously Spotify offers popular music, like Adele (who as mentioned previously I LOVE, I will be seeing in concert in October, and I can’t hardly control my excitement), Jay-Z, and Nicky Minaj. I have also been very surprised to see Spotify contain music from more unknown artists like Hey Hey My My. I even took it a step further and searched for a VERY UNKNOWN local Tallahassee band that I saw in concert once or twice named Finding Aquila, and yes Spotify has their album.

Currently Spotify is by invitation only. These are the steps for obtaining and invite for your own Spotify account:

1.     Go to www.spotify.com.

2.     Enter your e-mail address.

3.     Click on request an invite.

4.     Wait patiently until you receive your invite from Spotify.

5.     Follow the instructions in the e-mail.

6.     Have your mind blown away by music!

Here's a video to give you more insight on Spotify:

[Warning Spotify may cause a musical addiction!]

READ MORE...

One Day I'm Gonna Whistle!

I truly believe people underestimate the power of YouTube. One of my favorite new bands has received a lot of exposure thanks to one adorable video of a little girl and her father. Perhaps you are one of over 11 million people that have watched the video of YouTube, but if you haven’t seen it, here it is:

The adorable little girl, Alexa and her talented father, Jorge, have become a true YouTube sensation. They have covered artists from Alicia Keys to 4 Non Blondes. This YouTube duo are truly unstoppable, but I’m not here to discuss them (although I truly do love them, especially Alexa, who is truly talented and is full of charisma). I am here to discuss the band they helped become more well known. That band is Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. As I’ve done in the past, I’ll let you hear their music before I go on and on about them:

They are true modern day hippies! Their music reminds me of the past. It reminds me of true pure unique music. They are not synthesized, and they are NOT electronic. They are band who plays their own instruments. For me it is always refreshing to see a band play real instruments. I feel like our society is too consumed with technology, that we have broken away from the purest form of music. Don’t get me wrong I do love Daft Punk, but my true love is real instruments.

Their songs have a whimsical feel to them. The lyrics to “Home” hold a very dear place in my heart. “Home is whenever I’m with you,” are lyrics that fill my heart with love and at the same time sadness. Being away from a person you love is NOT EASY! Trust me I speak from experience.

The video I want to share with you all today is their performance for the NPR: Tiny Desk Podcast. It’s music at its purest stage! Make sure to watch the whole video. My favorite song “40 Day Dream” is actually the last one. Now please sit back, press play, LET THE VIDEO LOAD, and then simply relax and enjoy the music.

READ MORE...

Some One Like You...ADELE

Since I was young music has always been my passion. I thrive on discovering new artists and loving their music way before they go mainstream. Some may consider that being a music snob, but simply put, I just truly LOVE music!

A couple years ago, I heard a voice that truly gave me chills. A voice that sounded so unique yet so familiar. A voice that truly reached the depths of my soul.  I used to describe her as “what Amy Winehouse would sound like if she was not on drugs,” but there is no sense in comparing her to anyone. She is a talented young girl, and her music speaks for itself. If you still have no idea who I am talking about, I guess now would be the time to tell you, but you know what, I’m going to let you listen to her voice first:

Yes I am talking about Adele. In 2008 she released her first album, “19.” Her first US single was “Chasing Pavements.” I think many people did become fans of Adele during this time, but it wasn’t until her newest cd “21” was released that she truly became a super star. If you don’t agree with me, then simply go to billboard.com and check that stats for her first single off the new CD “Rolling In The Deep.” This single has been #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for weeks, and the album remained at #1 on the Billboard 200 until this past week, once Lady Gaga’s new album was released.

I could go on and on about how great I think Adele is and how I want her to be my best friend! Tell you how much I want to see her live (which sadly she had to cancel her US tour due to laryngitis), show you countless of stats proving her Super Stardom, and even tell you that two of her songs have even been featured on the most amazingly "gleekiest" show ever, Glee. In my opinion, one was a great performance, and the other one (as much as I love Glee), they should’ve left it alone. The truth is I don't need to tell you all this. All you have to do is listen to her music, and you will know why I am proud to be an Adele fan! Please don't just listen to the singles, but TRULY listen to her music. Here are two of my favorite songs for you to fall in love with her voice. Close your eyes and let the music take you far away from reality. 

READ MORE...

Clouds are no longer full of rain. They are full of MUSIC!

If you are a music lover and you use your computer to search, access, and hopefully buy (not illegally download) your music, then by now you have heard of the cloud systems. No, that’s not a clever name for a band who’s songs include, “I think that one looks like a rabbit,” “They are gray and full of rain,” and their biggest hit, “Marshmallows in the sky,” but what exactly are the cloud systems? How do they work? Who do they benefit and will it truly be the way of the future?

Google’s quirky but still very informative online book, “20 Things I Learned About Browsers And The Web," describes cloud computing as “having a massive supercomputer at your beck and call, thanks to the Internet." It’s pretty much a backup system for your files. The cloud systems allow you to access your files from different devices as well as share your files with others. 

Finding a way to use this new cloud technology to share and download music is what Amazon, Google, and SoundCloud have done. Both Amazon and Google launched their cloud systems without finalizing certain details Record Labels, like if they have to pay royalties. Of course the Record Labels believe that if music is being streamed or downloaded then royalties should be paid. During an interview with Billboard magazine, Amazon's Director of Music, said that their cloud system is more like a library for it’s subscribers. He said that they believe that royalties do not have to be paid, because the songs being uploaded and downloaded are songs that have previously been purchased and are solely being used the purchaser. To me this sounds a little sketchy, but for now they’re getting away with it.

In Google’s case, they were actually trying to work with they Record Labels, but as soon as their system was ready to launch, they launched without reaching any solutions. In an article in Billboard Magazine, Google blames the Record Labels for making unreasonable demands, and the Labels blame Google for constantly changing the details of what they planned to launch. Both Amazon and Google’s cloud systems are at a very early stage, and I don’t think I can truly judge their quality, until they are given a chance to actually take off, but I will say that they are no SoundCloud.

SoundCloud is actually pretty fantastic. Sometimes I feel as if I was a spokesperson for them, but trust me I’m not, I’m just a fan! SoundCloud is helping new and upcoming artist get their music out. It’s the modern day myspace music page, but better! (Yes, I know MySpace is still around, but who really uses it anyways?) A subscriber can upload their music, receive music files from other subscribers, and even create a page for others to listen and comment on their music. I could sit here and give you the details, or you can watch a video about it. I personally recommend the video. Don’t worry I’ll wait here patiently until the video is done. Here you go:

All these cloud systems are beneficial for all of us who are music fans, but most importantly they are beneficial to unknown artists that are trying to get their music out there. We must all embrace this new technology that is at our fingertips. Only time will tell if the cloud systems will be the way of the future. In my opinion they will be, until something better is created! Music and the way we receive our music is constantly changing!

READ MORE...