WXJM: Tune In

 JMU's college radio station, WXJM, has been around since 1990. Each two-hour show only averages one call, according to WXJM's business manager. 

So why don't people know about it? 

WXJM only plays indie music that is not played on mainstream radio. Daily programming is full of urban hip hop, electronic, loud rock and freeform, which is the disc jockey’s choice. 

Basically, it's hipster music.

Katrina Delene, a freshman DJ, said that “since the music we play isn’t on the Top 40 chart, listeners tend to change the station.” 

WXJM has a less powerful antenna than most other college radio stations, reaching roughly 10 miles in diameter. Meanwhile, Virginia Tech's station reaches about 50 miles, and can be heard from an hour and half's driving distance.

WXJM is a non-commercial station, so it can't make money from advertising. Copyright issues make it very expensive to play any popular music.

It's hard to spread the word when you don't have any money, but the station has a three-person publicity team. 

The station sponsors local shows downtown and on-campus, like this semester's Ty Segall performance.  

Be on the lookout for MACRoCk, promoted by WXJM. If you haven't heard about it yet, it's a really cool annual music festival held downtown. The station is excited about the event’s entertainment lineup, which consists of 94 bands that will play April 6 – 7. 

- Heather Butterworth 

Sit Down with Malatese

HARRISONBURG, Va.- For a local band, it takes great dedication and patience to try and stay together while having fun or trying to eventually make it big.  Harrisonburg’s very own Malatese is a quintessential model for how a local band overcomes struggles to keep the cohesion and continue to entertain.

Malatese, made up of Jon Reed, Travis Legg, George Dodson, and Graham Brouder, has been playing local shows together for about a year and a half, while trying it juggle academics at James Madison and their day jobs.  With no record label, and the only source of self promotion is through obscure fliers that either intrigue or disgust the viewer, Malatese is a band that defines what it means to work with what they got.

“It’s a slow and steady process,” says Brouder.  “It’s just letting the word of mouth trickle down.”

To Malatese, being a small, local band was a blessing and a curse.  On the plus side, they have the possibilities to open for some cool acts, but on the downside, they feel pigeonholed into a certain region. 

Small bands face more struggles then just trying to get their name out into the public.  With the lack of resources and funds, just putting an album together can become a tedious task in the process of survival.    

Currently, Malatese is in the process of working on and finishing up their first full length LP.  Once the album is has been laid down and mixed, they plan on sending it out and getting it pressed onto vinyl records for sales.

A roadblock that stands in their way is finding a way to pay for this process.  Getting a vinyl album pressed can become very expensive and for local bands, the means are not usually there. 

“We are going to fund it and try and get some funds raised through some patrons,” says Reed.

Hand in hand with the process of creating an album is the process of promoting the album, mostly through touring.  Malatese plans on going on tour later on this winter and spring, trying to break out of the Harrisonburg area and grow a more regional following. 

Tour dates are not set in stone, but the boys plans on contacting other bands that they have connections with to try and tour alongside of.  Malatese has connections with bands in major cities such as Baltimore and Richmond. 

With three of the four members still in college and two of them scheduled to graduate in May, finding adequate time to tour around the area seems to be an issue. 

“We will basically try to be like weekend warriors, while we all finish up graduating and doing our day jobs,” says Reed. 

Besides the time constraints and financial issues that local bands, like Malatese can face, there are definite upsides that makes performing all the more pleasurable. 

“I’d say one of the best things about being in a local band is getting to meet some really cool, down to earth musicians that we never would have met otherwise,” said Legg.

 Earlier in September, WXJM hosted musician Ty Segall in the Festival Ballroom and Malatese got the privilege to open for him.  Malatese has also played with other bands that they were star struck by such as Christmas, and the better-known band, War on Drugs. 

With the ups and downs that Malatese faces on a daily basis, in the end they are just content being able to get together and just jam.  The band feels that they can be successful and happy without being contracted to a record label.

“We like working together and we would be doing this anyway, in some form or another,” said Dodson.  “It’s something we kind of have to do in order to blow off steam.  We want to keep it organic.”

Reed, in a jokingly manner, says that he has bigger plans. “I’m trying to go octo-platinum, I don’t know about you guys.”

-Meaghan MacDonald

New Release: Winehouse

Amy Winehouse may be dead, but she's still releasing new music. Her new album, "Lioness: Hidden Treasures," will hit shelves Tuesday, to mixed reviews.

The album is a collection of 12 songs; some of which were recorded pretty early in her career, in 2002. The songs are a mixture of Motown, R&B and Jazz.

This is her first posthumous album, but there are rumors that it won't be her last. Producers have dismissed the rumor, but who knows.

Most people don't like the idea of posthumous albums. It's creepy, greedy and disrespectful to the artist.

Since the songs weren't being produced at the time of her death, this is just the music industry's way of milking a cash cow to its last drop. Winehouse only produced two albums before she died at age 27 earlier this year. It's understandable that many fans would love to hear more, but at what cost?

Winehouse's father has told reporters that he won't listen to "Lioness: Hidden Treasures" anytime soon. It's too painful. Anyone who actually cared about Amy Winehouse as a person would probably say the same.

Amy Winehouse didn't want these songs released; to her, they weren't good enough. If they were, they would have been on her albums already. Songs don't get any better just because the artist dies.

Respect her family. Let her rest in peace. 

To a true artist like Amy Winehouse, music is a part of the soul. To reveal it is the artist's decision. Or it should be.

But if you're a fan and can't resist supporting greedy producers, the official release is Tuesday, and you can pre-order online.

Some titles have leaked already. Here's one, "Like Smoke," featuring Nas:

- Heather Butterworth
 

The Wonderful, Musical World of MACRoCk!

ATTENTION CONCERT GOERS...

Who has ever heard of the strange little acronym MACRoCk?  Well, for those who have never heard or seen it, then you have been missing out on one of the best and most convenient music festivals in our area. 

The Mid-Atlantic College Radio Conference (or MACRoCk for short) is a non profit organization that is based in Harrisonburg that holds a yearly weekend festival that promotes the independent music community.   MACRoCk tried to project a message that music can thrive without bug corporation influence, and that the independent music scene is alive and well and give these bands a much larger audience then they would usually have.
 

In 1996, MACRoCk was created as a branch for WXJM, JMU's own amazing radio station. After ten years of partnership, MACRoCk left to become an organization of its own.  The organization relies heavily on volunteers for the annual April festival, and on donations from the Harrisonburg and JMU community.  

Every year, the festival has grown immensely, by picking up more bands, and getting more recognition and attendees.  Because I am affiliated with WXJM, I have had the privilege to experience MACRoCk firsthand, and have volunteered the past two years.  From an attendee's point of view, how MACRoCk operates is that it occurs the first weekend in April and is two full days of music and panels.

Patrons buy either a daily or weekend wristband which gives them unlimited access into the places where the bands are hosted, like the Artful Dodger, Clementine, Blue Nile, Court Square Theater, and Dave's.  

There have been hundreds of bands that have performed in the past like Algernon Cadawaller, Converge, Owen, US Christmas, Antlers, Screaming Females, Menzingers, and many more.  Some of the more well-known bands that have performed are Animal Collective, Bouncing Souls, Dashboard Confessional, Dillinger Escape Plan, Coheed and Cambria, and Mastodon.

Besides the whole music and concert aspects, MACRoCk also hold panels on the second day of the festival that are enlightening and rewarding.  A majority of the topics surround important issues currently happening within college radio and the independent music community.

Each panel tries to enlighten its audience to the underground world of college radio and how they play such a large role in promoting underrepresented music around the country.  Without these stations, the music we listen to would be repetitive and mundane.  

MACRoCk this year is being held April 6th-7th and not much else is known so far about what bands will play or what the panel topics will be.  If you really want to immerse yourself to a new world of music and just grow a new appreciation for independent bands and all their hard work, then you definitely need to check this out.

-MM

Don't drink by yourself, drink with Drinkify!

Imagine this:

It's Saturday night and you're all alone, listening to music.
Suddenly, you get a craving for a drink.

You then realize that you're about to have a sip. Alone. By yourself.

Don't you fear weird just sitting and drinking by yourself?

Fear not, Drinkify is here to save you!

"Never listen to music alone again."

Drinkify is a new music website that asks what you're listening to, then creates a custom drink order that enhances your listening experience.

For example, let's say you're listening to Aqua's smash-hit, Barbie Girl. All you will have to do to enhance your drinking experience is plug in "Aqua" in the search field and viola! You now have the perfect* drink.

Drinkify is completely free and has amazingly an complete database thanks to two application programming interfaces (API)  called 'The Echo Nest' and Last.Fm.

The Echo Nest gives Drinkify the terms to draw songs based on your search criteria.

You can search based on song name or artist with Drinkify and The Echo Nest in conjunction with Drinkify. Then Drinkify will either pull out the particular song, or a popular song from the artist that you searched.

Last.Fm gives Drinkify the ability to supply album art, spelling of names, and provides a list of the most popular tracks from each artist that you search.

These APIs give Drinkify and application builders detailed access to over 3 billion songs, so you'll always get a satisfying result!

Drinkify has a sense of humor too! Some of the artist and drink matches are made to poke fun at the band and it's fans.
Out of all the matches I've seen, this is one made me laugh the most.

Drinking blood does seem popular now-a-days...

Drinkify has attracted the attention of other blogs sites too, like Buzzfeed.com. They spent a booz-filled day with Drinkify and picked out their favorite combinations. To read their blog post called, "The Best of Drinkify" click here!

Now that you know all about Drinkify, why don't you try it out??


Here, let's get started!

*Drinkify does not guarantee that EVERYTHING will taste exactly right. Just most things.

-MR

Glamour Kills: A Harmonious Combination of Music and Fashion

Who knew that a high school kid could have a major impact in the fashion and music industry?

In 2005, Mark Capicotto founded the clothing company Glamour Kills, while living in his parent's basement and just finishing high school. By day, he was a pizza delivery boy, trying to make an honest dollar and by night he used the money he earned to start his very own clothing line.  He knew nothing about the fashion industry, how to print t-shirts, how to design shirts, let alone know how to run a small business. 

Despite his cluelessness about business and a lack of capitol, Mark slowly but surely began to build up his company, started selling his clothing to local stores, and launched his own website.  Today, Glamour Kills is sold in major clothing stores like Zumiez and Tilly’s, and has their own location in Beacon, New York. 

Mark’s biggest inspirations for Glamour Kills was, and still is, rock music and the culture that embraces it.  Bands that have proudly sported the brand are those more associated with the alternative and alternative/punk genres such as All Time Low, Boys Like Girls, A day to Remember, Bayside, and many others.

 Back in 2009, Mark was interviewed by the website, hottostartaclothingline.com and talked about how the main reason for the growth of his company is band sponsorships:

“The exposure gained through sponsoring a band is astronomical. When fans of a certain band can associate your company with the band, they then in return, become fans of your company.  If it wasn’t for the bands that we sponsor, Glamour Kills Clothing wouldn’t be where it is today.”

There is another article on that website written by Ryan Miller of Carraway Clothing that discusses the process and importance of band sponsorship.  To sum it up, the more you give to bands, the more you get back.  Besides the costs of the apparel itself, it is practically free advertisement.  For clothing companies just starting out, this is a vital way to get the name out, especially if the bands participate in major tours, like Bamboozle Road Show, Zumiez Couch Tour, or the granddaddy of them all, Vans Warped Tour.

In 2009, Glamour Kills was asked to be a partner all summer long with the Vans Warped Tour.  This was the dream publicity that Mark had been longing for his company.  The tour was a perfect platform to promote because their audience and demographic was present, the bands were what Glamour Kills tried to target, and the tour traveled across the nation to thousands of kids.

Since Mark created his first template with the infamous winged pig in his parent’s basement, Glamour Kills has drastically grown into a well known label that can be seen in music magazines like Alternative Press, skate shops, malls, music tours and is instantly associated with several bands and their image.  The movement and image that Mark tried to create has become a full-blown success.

-MM

Tour Alert: Rammstein in America

Rammstein are coming to America. It's official: The legendary German industrial metal band will be playing in major US cities (including Baltimore) from April 20 to May 5.

They came to New York City and Los Angeles earlier this year, but it was probably easier to meet the pope than to get an un-scalped ticket. All of their shows sold out in less than five minutes.

Fans know that this is a big deal. Before this year's Made in Germany tour, the band hadn't been to America since 1998, when Massachusetts police arrested two of the members for simulating sodomy onstage. Thanks, Massachusetts. Meanwhile, they've been touring and selling out on every continent but North America (well, and Antarctica, if anyone even really considers that a real continent).

They've had hits and have been nominated for Grammys and MTV Awards, but their music isn't mainstream. Jam Showbiz once called it "music to invade Poland to." 

The band, which formed in 1995, is still going strong and gaining fans. They've released six albums, most of which are great, and have managed to please fans by keeping their hard roots. They focus on stunning visuals and pyrotechnics, but this isn't KISS. Rammstein aren't a gimmick band.

Other than their stunning performances, Rammstein have attracted publicity through controversial videos (like "P***y") and unfortunate attention when it was revealed that the Columbine shooters liked Rammstein's music. 

Americans who aren't fans might recognize their hits "Du Hast", "Amerika," "Feuer Frei!," "Ohne Dich" or "Links 2-3-4." Rammstein were also in the Vin Diesel action movie "xXx."

The singer, Till Lindemann, has said that he wants to retire within the next two years. This could be the last time they ever tour.

Pre-sales start today on TicketMaster and LiveNation. The opening act is Combichrist. Tickets go for $45-$85, depending on the venue and if you're in a nosebleed seat or close enough to feel the fire. On both sites, the band has the maximum rating (five stars) for performances.

Check out this music video for "Mein Teil," a song about the (real) cannibal case in Germany a few years back.

- Heather Butterworth

James Madison Concerts

When people think music majors, most automatically think of classical music. For many James Madison music students, classical is far from the only genre of music played.

James Madison University boasts one of the most accomplished and comprehensive music programs in the state of Virginia.

Students are immersed Jazz, World, Percussive, and many other types of music.
With a wide variety of studies offered, that means there are copious amounts of concerts to be attended!

The remainder of the music program's month boasts a remarkable amount of concerts.

The headliners are the Arcos Trio. The trio plays music written by women composers and more interestingly, music that crosses classical boundaries and incorporates popular themes.

The Arcos Trio will be performing on November 16 at 8 p.m.

Credit

Also being featured in November is the Guitar ensemble playing traditional American folk and jazz, under the direction of a James Madison University alumnus, Keith Stevens. 

The guitar ensemble is well known in the music community for their well loved and talented guitarists and fantastic concerts.

Credit

December is an exciting month for the music program.
Holidayfest is a James Madison University tradition in it's 43rd year that consists of the best Christmas music in the valley.
This year, Jazzfest and the Jazz Ensembles of James Madison are making an appearance on day one of this three day concert. This year, they are presenting a jazzy twist on Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker suite.
The concert series also features a surprise local celebrity at the Saturday and Sunday performances.
The final and earliest performance features child friendly activities in the grand lobby.

Holidayfest takes place on December 1 and 3 at 8 p.m. and December 4 at 2 p.m.

Many of James Madison University's concert gems aren't advertised very well. Many graduating juniors and seniors provide wonderful full recitals and half recitals only advertised inside the music building.

While most of these concerts are not free, all of the events are great for people who love amazing music.

For the complete James Madison University music performance schedule and ticket prices, click here!

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Check out this amazing music video by Ok Go!

-MR

The Return of Beavis and Butt-head

 MTV’s Beavis and Butt-head are back. Although the beloved ’90s show now makes fun of reality shows like 16 and Pregnant and Jersey Shore, they also make fun of music videos.

That’s right. The channel that legally changed its name from Music Television to MTV has music again.

The show ran from ’93-’97 and gathered a cult following. Since then, channels like Comedy Central have shown re-runs. They released soundtrack CDs. All of the seasons have been released to DVD, and there’s been no shortage of Beavis and Butt-head action figures. The show had a spinoff, “Daria,” which also became popular. Marvel made a Beavis and Butt-head comic book. The show’s movie, “Beavis and Butt-head Do America,” got $60 million at the box office.

A whole new generation will be exposed to music through the (mentally challenged?) teenagers. From fresh dubstep to the bubble gum horrors of Katy Perry, artists will get the opportunity to be made fun of (and get some new fans).

So it’s safe to say that both artists and fans are excited about the show’s return. It’s just as funny (and as lewd) as it ever was.

So far, they’ve shown videos from MGMT, Skrillex, LMFAO, Deadmau5, Cage the Elephant and Benny Banassi.

This could mean the return of the music video. The art of the music video has faded over time. What was big in the ’80s has lost appeal for artists, since most TV channels don’t feature music videos anymore. Sure, there’s YouTube, but many artists don’t want to put a costly video out there without getting paid.

It’s too early to tell now, but since the season premiere on October 27, MTV has been linking the videos on their site. They’re getting a lot of views. That comes as no surprise to all the B&B fans out there. And they’re definitely out there.

Beavis and Butt-head airs on Thursdays at 10 p.m., EST. on MTV. Enjoy.

Check out Skrillex’s “First of the Year” video they featured. Spoiler alert: a little girl kicks a child molester’s @$$.

-Heather Butterworth

Four Years Strong Produces Weakest Album

In Some Way, Shape or Form

from  Four Years Strong

 Released: November 8, 2011

 

Rocks like: Story of the Year's The Black Swan,

Recommended Tracks: "The Infected", "Fairweather Fan"

Overall Rating: Two and a half stars

There is a sad, recurring tale within the music industry.  Once upon a time, a rock band formulated for the love of music and to find unique ways to express themselves. Years go by, band members change, and so does their unique sound.  The band falls prey to maturity and Four Year Strong’s newest album, In Some Way, Shape, or Form, is a perfect example of this fairy tale. 

Sadly, this album is the quintessential story of reckless, loud punk/alternative rock bands maturing and beginning to stray from their roots.  The lyrics have grown up and their unique, fast paced music accompanied by the ever-preset sounds of keyboards and synthesizers is obsolete, and the quirky, random song titles have too died down and have become just run of the mill.

The biggest change for this album and the band itself is the departure of keyboardist Josh Lyford, who added a recognizable resonance to the band by playing the synthesizer, which most rock bands feel is “too uncool” to use anymore.

Now my initial comments may scare off readers and those who have been listening to Four Years Strong for quite some time, but I feel that is only right to play Devil’s advocate and talk about the pros to the album too.  In Some Way, Shape or Form at its core is still pure Four Year Strong.  Each song still has the classic vocal trade offs of Alan Day and Dan O’Connor, and the guitar riffs remain snappy and quick. 

“Fairweather Fan” is a classic example of how Four Year Strong still stays true to themselves, from the brash lyrics, to the fast paced drums and heavy focus on swift guitar playing.  “Fairweather Fan” is a guaranteed crowd pleaser for those who have been following the band since their tremendous 2005-breakout album, Rise or Die Trying (listen to the lyrics, there is a tribute to that album hidden within the bridge).

The album kicks off with “The Infected,” which sets the tone for the reminder of the album: mature, new, and experimental.  Unfortunately, a majority of the tracks blend in together and do not offer any individual flavors.  Songs like “Unbreakable” offer those oh-so happy lyrics that try to empower their listeners and make them feel good about themselves.  The songs themselves can borderline embody the typical rock radio, singsong, catchy energy, which is very different for Four Years Strong.

Overall, give the album a listen and a chance.  To the die-hard Four Years Strong fans, this is not their best work and is a turn for the worst, however there are worse albums out there that you can listen to.  For those who do not know much about them, the album is catchy, the songs can really strike a cord within you, and has some real stand out singles that are perfect workout/driving music.

Mr. Red and White

Imagine 11 men prancing around in their swimsuits in the winter and you get Mr. Red and White.

Today, many members of James Madison University's music community gathered for an interesting event offered by the women's music fraternity, Sigma Alpha Iota: Mr. Red and White, a men's beauty pageant.

Mr. Red and White is a gathering of men from James Madison University, who pit against each over for the chance of becoming Sigma Alpha Iota's sweetheart for the year.

There were five sections: Group dance, swimwear, talent, and question and answer.

First, all the men gathered and performed a dance choreographed by a member of Sigma Alpha Iota, set to a customized mix of popular songs.

Then the men all lined up back stage and showed off their bikini bodies in an effort to impress the judges.
The judges consisted of influential members of the music community like Scott Rikkers, Marching Royal Dukes director.
Many laughs were shared by the crowd as the contestants flexed and strutted across the stage.

The next section was talent, where each of the men did a unique routine.
While many of the contestants played piano and sang there were a few unique entires.
Will N did a beat poetry rendition of Lil' Jon's Get Low accompanied by I-pad.
Another notable performance consisted of several member's of the Marching Royal Dukes poking fun at traditional warm-ups played by the band.

The question and answer portion of the event was littered with witty answers and laughs.
Each contestant was given a random question and asked why they believed they would be a great selection for Mr. Red and White.

Many contestants had very convincing answers:

"I can be anything you want!"

"It's like, you know, macaroni, pick me!"

"... Because the Ladies of [SAI] are the most beautiful."


After the final portion, the judges left to decide oh who will become the 2011 Mr. Red and White.

While waiting, the audience watched a video depicting the men getting ready by practicing their dances and posing by the kissing rock on the quad.

The air was thick as the contestants stepped out and awaited the verdict.

Mr. Congeniality was awarded, which was voted on by the contestants themselves.
After awarding first and second runner-ups, Will N. was crowned Mr. Red and White 2011.

Afterwards, the ladies of Sigma Alpha Iota gathered and thanked the audience of about 100 people for coming out. The proceeds from the ticket and baked goods sales will be going towards the chapter and a to be determined philanthropy.

-MR

Online Radio Advertising Aggravation

Your favorite song comes on your Internet radio station, and you’re dancing. Out of nowhere, an ad you can’t skip pops up. If you’re impatient like I am, you immediately leave the free station and go to another one, or YouTube. But when you get there, another ad greets you.

If you use Internet radio at all, you’ve noticed the recent intrusive ad increases, and the “upgradable” ad-free versions of every site. The most common fees are from $5 to $10 per month. So, do the math, and you’re paying $60 - $120 a year for something you used to get for free.

Maybe I’ve been spoiled; maybe everyone has. But as a broke college kid, I really can’t see spending a fee – no matter how cheap — to listen to radio. Like everyone else, I want what I want and I want it now, for free.

The government is to thank for all the ads. More than 10 years ago, when Internet radio wasn’t really popular, Congress passed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Internet radio is forced to pay both performance and publishing royalties. Meanwhile, land radio stations only need to pay publishing royalties.

Most sites never make a profit. Advertising is understandable, but still.

I’m not saying that online radio isn’t an amazing thing. Most stations personalize to your tastes, and you can access the music anywhere if you have a smartphone. But the thing about this radio that everyone liked was its free access and lack of commercials. Take that away, and you might as well be listening to a frustrating land station like Clear Channel. Every two songs or so, there’s a commercial.

Who wants to listen to that? Not me.

So if you’ve had enough of ads from the big sites like Live385, Pandora and Slacker, check out these free, non-commercial stations: SomaFM, Radio Paradise and Deeper into Music. You won’t regret it.

-Heather Butterworth

WXJM Gets Modern

Last week, James Madison's own student run college radio station, WXJM, released their first mobile application for Apple products. WXJM's new free application allows listeners to stream the station live on their iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.

The application itself is quite simple and easy to use. After it is activated, there is a “Play” button you click to begin streaming the station, and a “Pause” button that terminates the streaming. Under the buttons, gives a little background information on the station’s twenty year history, what types of genres and programs are aired, and where the station is located.

Courtesy of wxjm.org

Now, applications and online streaming of music is not a new concept, and the application itself is not too fancy, but this is a big deal within the college radio station market.

College radio stations across the country cater to college students, hipsters and general listeners by laying nothing but underrepresented music, or music that is not signed to a major label, or not signed to a label at all. Because these stations do not play popular music that is heard all over Top 40 stations, their presence on campuses is not widely recognized.

As college stations begin to dwindle, WXJM appears to be alive and well, by marketing themselves in new, diverse ways. This application is allowing a wider audience to connect and listen from anywhere with WiFi, 3G or 4G services. Parker Girard, WXJM’s current General Manager believed that this application will move the station ahead in the digital age, and create a more connected and informed community.

The folks at WXJM appear to be keeping up with the times and finding new, creative ways to broadcast their music, and to promote the wonderful aspects that college stations have to offer the general public.

-MM

Music Online

As technology advances, music is becoming more accessible to everyone. The Internet is at the forefront of music technology breakthroughs. New websites and programs have brought music to millions of people with as little as one click.
The three most popular music services are based on three different business and technology models. Each has a different set of price and availability options, but all have over ten million visitors and users each year.
With eighty million users, Pandora Internet Radio is the most popular out of the top three. Pandora is run by an automated selection program called “The Music Genome Project” that works based on user-input. Users create new stations based on specific songs, artists, and genres. Pandora uses two thousand different traits to help pick out each song to play on the user created station. Pandora has two pricing options available: free and 99 cents per month.

Listening for free with Pandora has limitations: song skips are limited and you cannot rewind or fast forward through songs. There are also advertisements distributed randomly between songs. Premium, or paying, listeners may bypass the skip limit and all advertisements. This service is only available in the United States and enforces this by banning all international I.P. addresses.
Last.fm is a web-based music listening service that boasts a user-base of thirty million. Users seek out the program for new music rather than familiar tunes. “I use Last.fm because it always finds what I’m looking for, even when I don’t know what I’m looking for,” said Muzammil Khan.

Current Last.fm users have problems with the loading speed of songs. Songs are sometimes stuck loading for several minutes, while some songs never load at all.
Last.fm used to pick songs for the user is named “Audioscrobbler.” It extracts data from user’s Internet history, personal computer library, and any connectable mobile devices to personalize the listening experience.
The program then uses the information it uncovers to select songs it believes match your interests. The program is a hybrid of both the Spotify user-selection system and the Internet radio approach provided by Pandora.
The free version of Last.fm is only available in United States, United Kingdom, and Germany. Users in other countries are offered a 50 track free trial. Once the trial expires, they are prompted to subscribe to Last.fm’s premium service for about five dollars a month.
Spotify is the newest music provider to the United States, with its most current stable release debuting on October 14. Spotify is a streaming music experience that is monitored by digital rights management to protect its content. The songs cannot be downloaded onto a computer without infringing the terms of use. The listening experience is controlled completely by the user. This client boasts a large library of music that any user can browse and buffer songs to hear. Songs can be “starred” and sorted into playlists.

Spotify has a free service, but it is riddled with advertisements between songs and on the interface. With Spotify premium, users are awarded with additional listening hours, a no advertisement experience, and the fastest buffering rate out of all the music services currently available for five dollars a month. This service is available in several different countries, including: the United States, United Kingdom, and Sweden.
Social media has started to integrate within Spotify. There are now options to show songs to friends through websites such as Facebook and Twitter. Spotify also integrates a feature called “scrobbling” from another music website called Last.fm.
“Scrobbling” is a logging technology that marks how many and which songs are listened to by the user on social media websites, first used by Last.fm. All three of these services are wildly popular and command the music scene on the Internet. Many users have complaints about each service, citing annoying advertisements and high premium costs. The cheapest premium service of the three, Pandora, has song selection problems with both premium and free versions.
“I’ve had pop songs play on techno stations. It makes no sense,” said Asa Nienstadt, a Pandora user. “I still love Pandora more than any other service. It’s a great way to find new music on accident.”

Pandora has received complaints about intrusive advertisements, which have caused some users to switch over to other programs. “The advertisements were too frequent and too loud. I switched to Spotify because it’s trendy,” said Masha Soldatenkova.
Spotify attracts it’s users with the fully customizable playlists and integrated social media options. “It’s like iTunes but free,” said Cody Becker.
Spotify’s selection is sparse, featuring mostly mainstream pop and new releases. Many users are not happy with the smaller amount of music genres available.
“I stopped using Spotify because it didn’t have the music I wanted, I had to install a program, and it had advertisements,” said Josh Hampton. The advertisements on Spotify, while less frequent than Pandora’s, are more intrusive and sometimes take over the entire screen.
There is one major issue with all three of these music providers. “I think the downfall of all [three] of those services is that you have to have [an] Internet connection,” said Vincent Sarikey, “I’d rather just download.”


Here is today's Song of the Day, a test for our first blog post!

Me Gusta...

News article by MR