So. I’ve kept up my weekly Take Five publication schedule on Safe Digression for MONTHS. And I’m not about to let a Friday wedged between two out-of-state conferences (plus a cold) stop me. This post may not be as in depth as past ones, and I honestly have not had time to listen to the new music I’ve been collecting, but I did want to share some of my favorite links from the past few weeks:
Around the Web
- debcha explains why the tired trope that “music isn’t as good as it used to be” is a fallacy. Essentially? “Time is the mother of all selection biases.”
- Kyle from Music Savage shares a playlist of songs he’s woken up to having stuck in his head. What song(s) do you find in your head when you wake up?
- The difference between music in 1990 and 2010 (via debcha)
- A stunning reinvention of the music video via Chris Milk and Arcade Fire (appropriately, for the song “We Used to Wait”). Read an interview with Milk.
In the News
- What songs got you through your teens? NPR wants to know your story. You could end up on “All Songs Considered.”
- SoundCloud is lined up for some venture funding. Deservedly so, because it’s awesome. Also, Somerville-based The Echo Nest, which builds tools for music app develoeprs, has earned $7 million in venture funding.
- Wesley Stace the author interviews John Wesley Harding the musician. If you don’t know why that’s, er, notable, just click and take it all in. One more reason why Largehearted Boy is awesome.
- After a shaky start that assumed fandom of various top 40 musicians, Ping now works with your actual iTunes library. There’s also a guide for artists looking to get onto Ping.
New Music
- I hadn’t heard of these guys before, but Somerville’s Gem Club is pretty great. Epic piano balladry that works on an intermittently raw, grey day like today. Read more about them.
- Kyle from Music Savage also shares a new Freelance Whales song, yay!
- I spent the past few days at a higher ed web conference, and while there, Nikki clued me into Radio Nowhere. A good listen! Download the album for free.
Killing Radio Stars
SECOND THOUGHTS
If you know me, you know that I love karaoke. It’s the Leo in me — I love performing in front of a crowd. Combine that with a love of music and a penchant for singing, and karaoke is tailor made for me. Who needs alcohol? Just give me the mic.
In the past, when attending karaoke nights, I tended to exist in a state of eager excitement until it was my turn, unable to wait to grab the mic and hog the crowd’s attention for a few minutes. But this past week, when I was in Cincinnati for a conference with the best people ever and we organized a karaoke outing, I found myself more than content to sit back and watch friends new and old take the stage and rock the mic, from standards like “Pour Some Sugar On Me” and “Baby Got Back” to awesome versions of “The Israelites” and “Birdhouse in Your Soul.” Here’s a group singalong to “Yellow Submarine”:
Maybe I’m growing up. Maybe I was just in awesome company. Either way, it was an amazing time of mostly hanging out in the crowd, dancing like a fool and cheering on my friends. And that’s what karaoke is about — good times and good people.
So, next time you’re in Cincinnati, head over to Hamburger Mary‘s for karaoke. Tell ’em HighEdWeb sent you.
Safe Digression 
Two mentions one day! Thanks!