Category: music

Fan versions of the Catalyst are now all over the net. It appears as if may fans are just posting them on you tube and soundcloud. Using the official indaba contest engine is tough, but you may see some of these widgets online because this is the official contest voting mechanism!

Linkin Park has a new album coming Sept 14th, and fans may find themselves on it! The band launched a contest on their myspace page, allowing fans to download stems from their first single “The Catalyst”, and produce their own version.

Its an exciting promotion with a few twists – first off, the single is not out yet. You wont be able to hear “The Catalyst” until sometime in August. Very cool – your starting with a clean slate, and a real chance to influence the music.
Second – it appears if LP will be putting some version of the winning one on their album! Not juts on their myspace page (cop out for all you bands out there).

I’ve downloaded the stems, and this is NOT a remix contest. You get some beautiful drums, vocals, keyboards, piano, that allow you to create a great music bed, and then add your OWN parts.

Contest aside, the music so far sounds beautiful. Download below.

Put 16 songs up to stream, let the fans choose the 12 best! Results revealed via live press conference!

Live Videos by Ustream

Instead of streaming the audio in a digital format, Mr. White and his crew have pointed a camera and a microphone at a record player spinning “Sea of Cowards” on vinyl at their office in Nashville. And from 6pm to 10am pst, the stream will come live from the WBR New Media dept. Were pulling an all nighter, so stay tuned throughout the night!

Tons of great press around it!
Wall Street Journal
http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2010/04/30/dead-weathers-jack-white-on-previewing-sea-of-cowards-on-vinyl/

New York Times

Pitchfork
http://pitchfork.com/news/38656-hear-the-new-dead-weather-lp-today/

It’s live! On iPhone, Touch and iPad!
A new era in music apps begins. Is it a game, is it an experience, is it a new way to just enjoy LP’s music, or all of the above?

The game and the band are getting recognized, as we’d hoped, for breaking the current mold of re-purposed web sites, and tap along type games that have dominated the music app space to date.

The band has alse been very active in the campaign!

Finally – head over to 8bityourself.com and get in on the 8-bit action.

The sales results will be in later this week, but the game is slowly rising up the itunes app charts, and is getting mostly positive reviews!

Billboard wrote a piece about ways Major Labels are beginning to take the app market seriously. Linkin Park’s 8-bit Rebellion, the band’s new game for the iphone/iPad, is used as an example of how Artist and Labels are working together. The article interviews Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park, and Artificial life, the developer of 8-bit Rebellion. They both reinforce themes I think are important: Creativity, Artist Involvement, Authenticity.

And the fourth key is Marketing! Outside of the itunes homepage and pricing games, the marketing of apps is a murky world that is often overlooked. I contributed to the article with some insights on how Warner Bros is marketing the launch of the game later this month.

The article also covers some other major label perspectives and projects – worth a read!
Check out the article here (via abc news)

“Major Labels Eager to Enter Ipad Marketplace”

Jblogg.com post on the launch of 8-bit rebellion

As soon as my iPad turned on out of the box, with a full charge, It was clear that most of what’s been said about the iPad is true. Brilliant screen, gorgeous design, blazing fast OS and the battery life is 10+ hours. Web pages and books look incredible, and the extra screen real-estate eliminated any issues or concerns I had about all all touch screen device. For some tasks I actually prefer the no keyboard touch screen to my laptop.

The hardware is top notch, but It’s the two main shifts in the iPad OS that is at the heart of Apples mobile computing evolution.

1) NO TRADITIONAL FILE STRUCTURE
A system as powerful as the iPad with no file structure access showcases Apples commitment to a unique mobile OS strategy. Applying iPod like simplicity to the entire mobile computer experience is a new trick. Not smaller and mobile, but completely different.

At its heart, There is no HD, root folder or any access into the device other than icons on the home screens. This takes a while to get used to if your thinking you may use the iPad to replace your laptop. The iPad doesn’t let you connect with the files on other devices or organize them the way you are used to on your desktop. Each app keeps its data together in its own system. I’m intrigued by this OS concept and evolution, but there needs to be a way to merge access to file structures somewhere or you cant organize things by topic. No drag and drop and the basic folder concept is gone.

2) CLOSED NETWORK

The list of things you should be able to do but can’t is long. The iPad is closed off in many ways. No streaming to AirTunes, access to my iDisk, no synching with other macs on my wireless network, no synch to iPhone, and the iPad wont show up on my wireless network to any of my other networked apps. I have three macs on my network, yet i have to connect the iPad, with wires, to only one master Mac, and use itunes to synch media and files. No drag and drop. No folders.

Overall the iPad has a closer emotional feel than most laptops. Is so responsive to your touch. This is not a sub compact laptop with a touch screen in a fancy shell. iPad is for fun first, ideas, not serious work. A portable easy to use marvel, for entertainment, reading, games, surfing the web, and communication.

And its just the beginning. Will the iPad mobile roadmap keep the system so closed, and blocked off from existing file structures in the sky, or is this just a preview of a whole new ecosystem?

Linkin park is launching a new iphone app game in April entitled “8 Bit Rebellion”. This is not some re-purposed “shoot em” up game. The band created the whole concept with gaming company Artificial Life and it’s rich with an imaginary world, many levels, and a hidden exclusive song. 8-bit rebellion also features a bunch of Linkin Parks music – in “hd” or 8bit! The game is rolling out with a full online campaign over the next month.

8-Bit Rebellion is a new type of game that showcases the Iphone’s (and ipad’s) potential as great canvas for Artist’s who can mix their music with an original game concept thats worth your time to play!

The SXSW presentation was a home run. I think the audience really understood what we are trying to do with DEVO. A well written review on cnet:

AUSTIN, Texas–I’ve sat through a lot of business presentations in my time as a tech journalist, and I can say with confidence that until Tuesday I’d never seen one that was a fully serious pitch and completely tongue-in-cheek.

And it killed.

The occasion of this ground-breaking proposal was a session at the South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) festival here called “Devo, the Internet and You.” Yes, that Devo. The ’80s new wave band with the funny hats.

Well, Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale, the band’s two leading members, are back, and they’re toting a business plan: marrying all the pieces of an Internet start-up–a social-media strategy, a CEO with a slick smile and good hair, a big marketing partner, buzzwords, and Venn diagrams–with the release of a new pop record.

Read Full Article on CNET!

Please join me for a special presentation from DEVO INC! I’ll be making a special joint appearance at South By Southwest Interactive with Devo, and Devo’s advertising agency, Mother LA!

Whether you’re a music maker, a music manager, a programmer, designer, information architect or just an unashamed music lover you’re going to want to join us in this spirited review of how we at Devo Inc. are using the internet and technology to reach out to a new audience, test Devo’s music and brand and explain the process of how we are aiming to make something for everybody now that De-evolution is real.

Bill Moulton – Mother Los Angeles
Gerald Casale – Devo
Mark Mothersbaugh – Devo
Jacob – Researcher, Mother
Jeremy Welt – Warner Bros. Records

Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Time:
3:30pm – 4:30pm
Location:
SXSWi – Austin Convention Center – 18ABCD
City/Town:
Austin, TX

In “early q2” mog is launching their music service on iphone and android:

On Demand Streams
Downloads – Unlimited downloads of any song or album to your phone
MOG radio
Mobile HQ audio (streaming 64k aac plus, download is 320k)

10$ a month, including web and mobile access

Seems like a competitive offer. Mog also stated they are getting 17% conversion from free trial of there web service.

Getting ready for mobile blogging at sxsw interactive. Testing the wordpress iPhone app. So far It’s simple, intuitive and free.