Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Notorious


I have seen a trend in my postings so far, and that trend is the 1990s. So sticking with that trend I thought I would bring up the new movie chronicling the life of the Notorious B.I.G. simply titled "Notorious". Overall the movie has been well received, with The Hollywood Reporter saying it is the first gotta-see movie of 2009. Rolling Stone gave it 2 1/2 stars out of 4. Below is the movie trailer.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Ten - Reissue


If you haven't heard already, Pearl Jam will be reissuing their debut album "Ten" this year. Not only will it be remastered and remixed, but it will also include demos of "Alive" and "Once". There will be four editions, which will all be released on March 24. A Super Delux Edition will feature a DVD of their Unplugged session, as well as four vinyl LPs. The LPs will consist of the original "Ten", a remixed "Ten", and two LP live set from their 1992 concert "Drop in the Park". The reissue is part of a buildup to the band's 20th Anniversary in 2011. Here is the official press release.

Let's revisit the original (Released August 27, 1991):

* Once
* Even Flow
* Alive (Live performance video below)
* Why Go
* Black
* Jeremy
* Oceans
* Porch
* Garden
* Deep
* Release

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Preview: New Music Tuesday


New Releases for Tuesday, January 27, 2009

It is not a very good week for New Releases this Tuesday. Below are the most notable:




Working On a Dream - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Amoeba's Secret - PAUL MCCARTNEY
Boombox - KYLIE MINOGUE
Fleet Foxes (Special Edition) - FLEET FOXES

The biggest release is without a doubt The Boss' 12 song album which also includes a 30 minute DVD of in-studio footage, dialogue, and recording of the album. Included in the 12 tracks is the Golden Globe winning (Best Original Song), "The Wrestler".

See the entire list of January 27th new releases here

Pandora

Everyone is always looking for new ways to get their hands on free music and with the current economic situation strangling our nation, today is no different. One great way to listen to endless music for no charge is through online "jukebox" sites. Yahoo Music has had a version of this running for a couple years now, but my favorite (and in my opinion the best) is Pandora. Here is how it works: you must register with Pandora, which is easy and takes only 2 minutes. After you have registered you are taken to their main page where you are able to "create a station". You type in either a song or artist of your choosing (I chose The White Stripes) and Pandora then creates a radio station for you based on the song or artist you choose. The first song is always going to be a popular song from that particular artist. In this case "Black Math" by the Stripes was played first. The next song was "Alone, Together" by The Strokes, next....Black Keys.....then...The Beatles. And the endless playlist begins! You can also pick a radio station based on music genre. I found this to also be a good option and will give you a broader listening experience. To keep this running as a free site you do have to take in advertisements here and there, but they are minimal and do not take away from the listening experience. There is also an option to buy an annual subscription at $36 a month. This will allow you to listen to music 100% free of advertising, along with other benefits. Give Pandora a try! Pandora

Saturday, January 24, 2009

What really happened to Kurt Cobain?


The book "Love & Death" by Max Wallace and Ian Halperin digs into the mysterious happenings around the death of Nirvana's Kurt Cobain. Although officially ruled a suicide, there has been wide-ranging speculation that indeed Kurt was murdered and this book makes you think that this could be possible. Wallace and Halperin do some impressive investigative journalism as they divulge (through their findings) the psycopath nature of Courtney Love. The stories they lay out about the relationship between Courtney and Kurt, as well as the overall behavior of Courtney leading up to Kurt's death make you wonder not only about her mental state, but also what she was capable of. However, the book comes off as if Wallace and Halperin were dead set on the idea that Kurt was murdered and tried to mold their investigation to fit this theory. Although Courtney is crazy, I have doubts that she was able to go from rock star wannabe to criminal mastermind. I recommend this book to any music fan interested in the history and turmoil surrounding one of the most influential rock and roll musicians of the 20th century.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Welcome!!

What is the Metro Music Box you may ask. A one stop shop of music news, music reviews, music evolution, and music ideas. Here you will find information regarding new albums, old albums, new ways to obtain music online (legally), general music news, basically all things music. Feel free to comment on any postings.