News and Commentary

Music News, Reviews and Commentary for April 25

Creative promotion and collaboration is the key for Lain music, said presenters at Billboard’s 23rd Latin Music Conference…The great Pete Seeger is getting a “Distinguished Service” award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters…Good festivals = kids cutting school…Here comes the Xbox music service. Why am I not surprised?…Koss Corp. shows that we are getting closer and closer to online implants…Concert safety in the spotlight…Johnny Depp is remaking The Lone Ranger and Jack White is composing the musicI’m Still Hot, a video featuring Betty White, wins a Silver Telly…Bessie Smith was something, that’s all I can say…EMI Classics project sounds like an 800 number commercial waiting to happen…The Sandusky County Arts & Music Festival is coming to Fremont, OH May 17…The Galway Early Music Festival is set for Ireland starting May 17…Modern Family’s Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell will host the 2012 Billboard Music Awards on May 20…

Our New Things: Links to Music Sites and Info on Analog Tech and Vinyl

TDMB has focused on music and musicians. We will continue to do that, of course. We're also expanding our coverage to include vinyl and analog equipment.

More specifically, we'll look at this huge and interesting world from the perspective of music lovers who want a better experience, not committed non-audiophiles.

Check out is some of what we've written so far:

-- Assessing the Value of Vinyl Records: An Overview

-- 7 Quick Tips on Optimizing Your Turntable Cartridge

-- Why Vinyl Records Continue to Thrive

-- Finding the Best Amplifier

-- Finding the Best Phono Preamp

-- What Speakers Do I Need for My Turntable?

Check out more articles on analog equipment and vinyl.

The site also is home to The Internet Music Mapping Project, an effort to list and describe as many music-related sites as possible.

Our Music

--A Tribe Called Quest to The Dick Hyman Trio (In other words, A to H)

--Indigo Girls to Queen Ida (I to Q)

--Radiohead to ZZ Top (R to Z)

Reading Music

The stories of the great bands and musicians are fascinating. Musicians as a group are brilliant, but often troubled. The combination of creativity and drama makes for great reading.

Here are some books to check out.

Duke Ellington brought class, sophistication and style to jazz which, until that point, was proudly unpolished and raucous. His story is profound. The author, Terry Teachout, also wrote "Pops," the acclaimed bio of Louis Armstrong. Click here or on the image.

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What else is there to say? Here is the story behind every song written by The Beatles. Click here or on the image.

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The Grateful Dead don't get enough credit for the profound nature of its lyrics. Many of the band's songs are driven by a deep and literate Americana ("I'm Uncle Sam/That's who I am/Been hidin' out/In a rock and roll band" and "Majordomo Billy Bojangles/Sit down and have a drink with me/What's this about Alabama/Keeps comin' back to me?").

David Dodd's exhaustive study tells the story, song by song. Click here or on the image.

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