Excerpt:

It is generally a fact that you can find yourself listening to phrases of music over and over again when recording or writing music. This weekend I had the special opportunity to do that in my car with my son. I am not quite sure who exactly dubbed ‘Issue 16′ as the spider song, but considering my son usually gets what he wants, to a point, it now goes by that name in the “back alley” world of the three year olds…. and you shall not stop it or turn it down.

http://www.tadabstracts.com

Polarity/1, the multi-genre artist best known for bold, honest, hard-hitting songs, is re-releasing his hit album, Yankin’ the Food Chain, now with re-mastered tracks. Polarity/1’s music has been incorporated by dance theaters and documentarists, including Danny Schechter’s feature-length film documentary ‘In Debt We Trust’ and Battery Dance Company’s 26th Annual Downtown Dance Festival last year.

Yankin’ the Food Chain fuses electronica, acid jazz, alternative and electro-folk to create a set of funky-fresh beats infused with crucial political messages to future generations. The serious issues covered on Yankin’ force listeners to reanalyze their own ethics, especially when cornered with their own self-images in “Look at Your Shoeshine”: “Can you see yourself in your shoeshine?/ Step back!”

From the excitingly chilly vocals of “Salesman,” to the persuasive political raps found in “News Goo,” to the astoundingly real lyrics of “Di Hard” (”The good die young/ and the bad get paid”), Yankin’ has something to offer every music-lover. Perhaps most notable, though, are the album’s funky, upbeat tracks, such as “Boomers Blues,” “Jam Inya Jimmies” and “Cincinnati Pink.” With lyrics like “She’s catchin’ the groove and won’t let go,” it’s obvious that once you put on this Polarity/1 record, you won’t be letting go of the groove either.

Buy Yankin’ The Food Chain:

But don’t take our word for it; here’s what others have to say:

“Polarity/1 is a musical force unleashing some of the hippest beats and timely lyric[s] on the scene” (MediaChannel.org).

“‘Di Hard’ is a medium tempo groove with rapped and sung vocals, everything done by Polar except for exquisite backing vocals by Scott Parker Allen and Sabina Sciubba. The song is a comment on Princess Di’s demise, the role of the media, and the times we live in, serious without becoming sentimentalized or preachy. An interesting exercise in a style that’s very hard to pull off” (Recording Magazine).

“Polar succeeds in his mission of forcing you to pay attention and not lull into the sounds you ‘expect’ to hear” (StarPolish.com).

The music of Polarity/1 is exactly what the name suggests—”conjoined opposites,” including the new (cutting-edge electronica, hip-hop and nu-jazz) and the old (roots music of America, including blues, funk, country and early jazz, Brazil (samba, pagode, etc.) and West African groove science).

After a few years of playing percussion in samba bands at S.O.B.’s and other venues. Polar landed in hip hop which combined his interests in grooves, samples and wordplay into one form. He and rapper D.A.V. became Medicine Crew. In the aftermath of 9/11, Polar was asked to do a remix of Nile Rodgers’ We Are Family Project released on a compilation by Tommy Boy Records. His experience of 9/11 which was perpetrated in his neighborhood led to a collaboration with multi-platinum Pakistan rock band Junoon resulting in their hit song ‘No More’. John Hollander has choreographed four Polarity/1 compositions for New York’s Battery Dance Company’s fall season opening in November 2006 and has been touring extensively with the piece. In 2008, he scored “The Other Side” for the Quorum Ballet from Lisbon Portugal. P/1’s new collaboration, Koko Dozo, released their first album Illegal Space Aliens in February 2008.

And you can check out Polarity/1 for yourself and learn how to purchase Yankin’ the Food Chain by heading to www.musicdish.net/polarity1/

http://www.songfacts.com/writing/2008/04/american-idol-song-selection.html

Make It Your Own – you probably don’t know who sang “I Can Dream About You,” which makes it a perfect choice.

Futz With The Arrangement – It worked for David Cook with “Billie Jean,” and it can work for lots of other songs, including “Torn” and “Bizarre Love Triangle.”

Avoid The Overdone – “Unchained Melody” has run its course.

Does a great Karaoke song translate to Idol? Not according to the folks who do it for a living. Kimberly Starling of The Karaoke Informer explains: “The typical good karaoke songs tend to lack the uniqueness needed for an Idol contestant to stand out.” Her list of songs that work in Karaoke but would bomb on Idol include “Friends In Low Places,” “Santeria,” and a surprising choice by The Ramones that works every time.

http://www.songfacts.com

Here we go again. Halfway through the slush pile, tossing ‘em aside like pancakes at a Little League fundraiser, and allofasudden whoooaaa Nellie. Hang on, we got us a keeper.

Peter Bloom is a singer-songwriter who learned all the right lessons from John, George, Ringo and especially Paul – not to mention Elton John and John (Five For Fighting) Ondrasik. This is simply gorgeous piano/orchestral-based pop, carried to the next level by Bloom’s insightful lyrics and full-bodied melodic sensibilities.

“Let It Go” is a knockout opener, a mid-tempo plea for resolution whose jangly guitar, thrumming organ and keening string accents help Bloom build to a soaring, affecting climax that sums up everything a good ballad should be.

The orchestral flourishes that open and color the fringes of “Walls” could have been lifted from Revolver, but weren’t; these are original confections using familiar musical parts, every bit as refreshing-yet-familiar as anything fellow Beatlemaniacs like the Redwalls or Fastball have produced.

Not that everything here is that derivative; “Careful” has more of an alt-rock sound, with a stronger guitar line and vocals that remind a bit of Mr. retro-alt-brilliance himself, Brendan Benson. “Afraid” mixes love and politics cleverly, reminding that decisions made from fear are rarely good ones. And “Haven’t Hit The Floor Yet” ditches the piano for acoustic guitar and strings as Bloom plumbs and conquers the depths of despair.

Every song on this disc is solid and smartly crafted, multi-part harmonies (all sung by Bloom) meshing beautifully with appealing arrangements. Further highlights along the way include the rousing gospel-blues thumper “Helping Hand,” the rather Queen-flavored ballad “Please,” and the magnificent, sing-along-inspiring “A Little More Love,” in which Bloom twists Bono lyrics into new shapes (”our hearts bleed as one”) while channeling McCartney’s vocals from “Hey Jude.”

The punchline here comes in the form of Bloom’s one-sheet, which narrates musical tribulations of Dickensian proportions. Starting out in the 90s as the singer/drummer for Montreal alt-rock band The Elementals, Bloom hung in through that group’s metamorphosis into the more traditionalist (and more successful) rock band Furious Styles, even as he battled serious health issues. What’s the worst possible thing that could happen to a singer? Bloom developed a chronic voice disorder (muscle tension dysphoria, or MTD) which prevented him from singing for any significant length of time. As his condition worsened, Bloom sank into a severe depression, eventually losing almost all the hair on his head, face and body.

After a move to Toronto and a career change to radio and voice-over work, Bloom eventually found a voice therapist who was able to help him recover his voice, and with it, his confidence. It’s a tale that might lead you to anticipate overwrought, over-precious and/or oversold music when you put this disc in, but none of those adjectives apply. Bloom has his feet planted firmly on the ground and the only tool he needs to impress here is pure musical talent, gloriously unleashed at last.

Random Thoughts (from a paralyzed mind) is a winning combination of classic pop-rock craftsmanship and genuine, heartfelt performance. Highly recommended.

Rating: A-

http://www.peterbloomband.com
http://www.myspace.com/peterbloommusic

I have been running an interesting blog on MySpace now for the last eight months or so, at http://www.myspace.com/musicandspirit . There are currently 32 AMAZING artists in my Top Friend who are all very much worth supporting. In addition, there are many more in my modest friend space which is currently at 100+, most of them musicians.

The blog itself consists of 30 entries, some extensive, showcasing artists’ lyrics and additional material provided by the artists themselves, in addition to several reviews by myself. The word “spirit” in its title is NOT a reference to dogmatic spirituality. I consider a good love song to be “spiritual!”

This site and blog are open to any songwriter who wishes to message me and send a friend request. I reserve the right to decide on the suitability of the material– please review my profile page, listen to the artists, and look at the blog itself. You will see that there is a wide variety of styles represented, and you will be able to judge for yourself if this is a place where you’d like to have your music “found.” It is free, and will remain free, forever.

Currently, I am receiving spontaneous friend requests from AWESOME artists, EVERYWHERE! Germany, Japan, Australia, Ireland, Scotland, Britain, and of course, the USA. It is good, free exposure for any artist who has “the right stuff.”

Be Well–
Blogger Van
http://www.myspace.com/musicandspirit

The Instants are a quirky bunch of guys (and girls) with even quirkier songs. I wouldn’t want to make the mistake of comparing quirk, but if you put them in a room with Noel Fielding they would wee all over him. I didn’t quite know what to expect from the gig, but the red-lit rustic Bush Hall certainly got me in the mood for sharp & funky garage grooves (and sex). Luckily the Instants didn’t fail to deliver. Their first song “monkey in my head” rang my bell, and they continued their set with cutting riffs and a stomp-clap-move groove that didn’t disappoint. Their songs are loaded with energy, spirit and its always nice to hear stories of robots pleasing women on planet mars and peculiar transsexuals called Julia, while the singer mimes what he sings in a surprisingly un-annoying way.

If you put the Kinks, XTC and a Kaiser Chiefs’ synthesizer in a room, pumped them full of crystal meth/Viagra and watched the orgy that ensued, their twisted freak of a love child would be something like this band, all under the shadow of creative lunacy. The Instants seem to know their stuff and play together well, along with their theatrical front man.

If you get a chance, go and see them, they are the ones to watch in 2008.

I remember sitting there watching Bono with a child perched upon his shoulders as he and U2 wailed away the beginnings of a truly iconoclastic career there at Cardi’s, and with maybe…just maybe, just a bit more energy or feeling I hear this guy turning the corner. I’ve never had the pleasure to see Thomas perform, but I have the distinct impression I wouldn’t soon forget.

True enough though, it is seldom that a musician with roots in Austin, Texas, has little to say, add to that the foreign mystique such as Bono did with his Irish roots, and Vecera’s Australian background makes perfect sense. I could do the whole BIO thing on this guy, but I feel that you just might have enough fun on your own there, just do yourself a favor…get in on the groundfloor with this guy, you won’t soon regret. It’s a cool feeling to look back a few years and say to yourself or an audience, “I saw that guy when…”

Enjoy.

posted by p_jordan_sr at Review Point

The music on the page was good, however very commercial. Being that I am a true hip-hop fan I don’t really like most commercial music. Honestly, at first, their page seemed to be one which belonged to another Urban youth group who was looking to gain fame and easy money abusing the artform I know and love, Hip-Hop.

As I continued to look at there page I read two of their blogs. One was intitled ” Blackenomics” it was a great poem abut the state of urban America. The other poem I can’t recall the title but recall it was very enlightening!

So if you have time and want to hear the future of Hip-Hop music visit the Royal Fam Music Entertainment site.

http://www.myspace.com/royalfam504

Yes, rumors abound that it might be called 7Even. But nothing has been confirmed. Maybe He’ll release For All Time as a single for the Superbowl since that song wasn’t complete until he remastered it possibly recently(just my thoughts).

Exited now! I can’t wait for this baby to hit the stores. I hope he shows the world some real talent. Besides Paul and Ringo, he’s the last one that’s got it.

P.S. Come visit my other blog where I share talk more on the King of Pop. http://www.michaeljackson.blogspot.com