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"The brain is a very big place, in a very small space" -Carl Sagan, in the latest Symphony of Science song. More geeky scientific awe, communicated via music and imagery, from composer John Boswell. "Here is this mass of jelly you can hold in the palm o
In my own geeky way, I find this festive. Here's a man performing the "Song of Healing" from the video game The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask...on wine glasses. Using tight choreography, he multiplies himself and plays five parts simultaneously. Lovel
In the seventh "Symphony of Science" installment by John Boswell, Carl Sagan sings: "Science is more than a body of knowledge: it's a way of thinking; a way of skeptically interrogating the universe. If we are not able to ask skeptical questions, to be
YouTube phenoms Pomplamoose have released a Christmas album -- but it's not for sale. The only way to get the album is to donate a book to the Richmond Book Drive. The deal is this: you buy a book for kids in Richmond, California public schools, and Po
Apparently I'm late to the party on this one: thebeatlescompleteonukulele.com is a web project devoted to re-recording every Beatles song, using ukuleles, and posting the songs for free online. This is their Mission Statement: At www.TheBeatlesComplet
N.B.: Don't miss your chance to win a copy of this awesome new book, after the interview
What happens when a mini-orchestra performs the Mad Men theme song, gently mashed up with Nat "King" Cole's classic "Nature Boy"? Awesome jazz fantasticness. Also be aware -- it's performed in a single take, with no cuts or overdubs. BEHOLD: Educati
Last Friday, Sony announced the end of the Walkman Era -- a period that lasted more than three decades, defining the personal music listening experience for pretty much everyone in my generation (I was born a year before the Walkman was). Sony will no lo
The song "Big Rock Candy Mountain" describes a hobo's paradise, featuring all the things a good hobo needs -- from lakes of whiskey to cigarette trees and lax law enforcement. I have compiled a list of the amenities available at the original Big Rock Can
"Hallelujah" is a song written by Leonard Cohen in 1984, and never officially released as a single. It has become famous mainly through cover versions, and has been recorded by hundreds of artists. In 2008, American Idol contestent Jason Castro sang a v
Last week, Justin Timberlake appeared on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon to promote his new movie role. After the interview, the pair launched into a fully choreographed hip-hop medley that has come to be known as "The History of Rap" (although it focuses h
Cher's done a little bit of everything. She's blown up the pop charts, hosted a hit variety show, and even won an Oscar. Let's take a look at five things you might not know about the woman who was born Cherilyn Sarkisian.
In 1814, Francis Scott Key saw the tattered remains of the American flag still blowing in the breeze after Fort McHenry had been bombarded by the British all night. The rest, as you probably know, is history.
Famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven began to lose his hearing around the age of 25. By the time of his death, he was completely deaf. But that never stopped him from writing some of the most beautiful music the world has ever known. Beethoven is proof th
They'd be quite awesome at karaoke.
Now, I like big butts as much as the next guy. But I was floored when I came across the Wikipedia entry for Sir Mix-a-Lot's classic "Baby Got Back." This erudite description of the song reads like a college essay. I now present the entire "Synopsis" of
If an object can produce a tone, someone somewhere will make a musical instrument out of it. Some are handed down from antiquity and some are a product of the internet age, but all eight of these are instruments most people are not familiar with.1.
I'm going to see a Beatles tribute band tonight. I know; it will never come close to the real thing, but it's probably as close as I'm going to get. Sadly, with such a huge catalog of song titles to create an awesome, punny band name from, this band is
You know the songs, but do you know what they're really about? Here are the stories behind some popular tunes. 1. "Hey Man, Nice
Middle school music classes will offer you a trumpet, flute, clarinet, drums, and a few other everyday musical instruments. Learn to play one of them and one day you may be asked to play a very different instrument that you might even fall in love with. H
Next week I'll be writing about some of the worst hold music I've ever had to sit through. In researching the post, I discovered that in the U.K., Greensleeves is the most loathed hold music tune. This makes sense, as the song originates in their neck of
You know him as the man who sang "White Christmas" and co-starred in a slew of movies with Bob Hope. But here are some facts about Bing Crosby that might surprise you.
The musician is kind of like a modern-day Forrest Gump.
The Know Your Meme Blog has a great introduction to the history and technology behind Auto-Tune, the audio effect first introduced in 1997 and made popular when Cher's single "Believe" made heavy use of the effect in a way that was never intended -- empha