MUSIC

Found: Stephen Davis's 1975 Led Zeppelin Tour Notes

N.B.: Don't miss your chance to win a copy of this awesome new book, after the interview

Mad Men Theme + Nat "King" Cole's "Nature Boy" = Beautiful Jazz

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

RIP, Sony Walkman

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

Amenities Available at the Original "Big Rock Candy Mountain"

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" 10 Ways

"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

Jimmy Fallon and JT Drop Some Hip-Hop

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

5 Things You Didn't Know About Cher

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.

The actual star-spangled banner is displayed at the National Museum of American History.

10 Things You Need to Know About 'The Star-Spangled Banner'

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.

Roll Over Beethoven: 6 Modern Deaf Musicians

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

The Quick 10: 10 People with Perfect Pitch

They'd be quite awesome at karaoke.

Most Amazing Wikipedia Entry Ever: "Baby Got Back"

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

8 Weird and Wonderful Musical Instruments

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.

The Quick 10: 10 Awesome Tribute Band Names

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

Behind the Lyrics: The Inspirations for 6 Famous Songs

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

8 Strange and Different Musical Instruments

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

Greensleeves - more than you ever wanted to hear

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

15 Surprising Facts About Bing Crosby

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.

5 Times MC Hammer Changed History

The musician is kind of like a modern-day Forrest Gump.

Know Your Meme: Auto-Tune

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

The Mathematical Pi Song

Two weeks ago I wrote about The Story of Pi, a semi-educational retro video that visually explains Pi. One commenter (lynn) pointed out a song I hadn't heard before, The Pi Song by Antoni Chan and Ken Ferrier. I present it below for your weekend edutain

How Mick Jagger Got Dissed By M.C. Escher

On January 1, 1969, Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger wrote artist M.C. Escher a letter asking Escher to provide an image for the Stones' second volume of greatest hits, entitled Through The Past Darkly. Jagger was a big Escher fan, and addressed the l

Music on Wheels: 7 Bicycle Bands

Few things go together as well as bicycles and music. If you didn't already know that, there are plenty of people who will prove it to you.The

3 Killer Songs About Vincent van Gogh

Did you know that Vincent van Gogh has inspired (at least) three great songs? The first I want to share with you is by Jonathan Richman with the Modern Lovers backing him up (iTunes link), and it's really sweet -- smart, funny, and even moderately educat

6 Famous Folk Who Once Drove Taxis

In some cities, driving a taxi is considered an important, valued, even elevated vocation. Sometimes those cabbies become famous.

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