Mega Music Talent

Posts Tagged ‘radio’

Synopsis

As seen in Richard Curtis’s 2009 film THE BOAT THAT ROCKED, Sixties Britain was a hotbed of pirate radio stations. This candid documentary takes you inside.

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With the recent merger of the two main pay satellite radio services Sirius and XM Radio many people are starting to wonder how radio can survive in a world dominated by video. People enjoy the occasional audio stimulus but there is always that eternal search for the video that goes with the audio, as people seem to find it easier to associate images with events rather than just audio. As video and photographic images become more popular and become the norm for any multimedia presentation found on the internet the question becomes whether or not people still have the imagination necessary to make radio popular or whether radio will just fade away and good audio will become a permanent slave to video.

Ever since the launch of Music Television, known more widely as MTV, people have come to expect a video presentation along with their music and in some cases the video presentation has become as important, or more important, than the audio itself. While radio cannot compete with the popularity of video images there is a convenience to radio that will always assure that music has a home on your radio dial. You cannot watch a video while driving your car, going for a jog, or shopping for groceries. Even with the introduction of the small screen video devices you still need to focus your eyes on more important things when you are doing these activities and for that reason there will always be a need for quality audio. Musicians have to focus just as much on the visual presentation of their music as they do on the actual music itself and that has changed the entire music industry but in the end it is still about the audio. Audio will always have a home in music and regardless of how that audio is presented there will always be people that will create a demand for quality audio.

But what about radio? How will radio as a medium survive these video times? It seems that one of the most basic of human activities has found a permanent and popular home on our radio airwaves and that basic human activity has not only helped radio survive but it has also helped radio expand. That basic human activity is talking. It costs a great deal more money to put on a television program that is interactive to people all over the country but radio has the ability to create conversation with people anywhere in the world for a relatively low cost and it seems that people love talking to talk show hosts on the radio.

The radio is becoming a pulpit for political pundits, a vehicle for sports figured to plead their case to the masses, and a way for civic leaders to gauge the opinion of their constituents. As long as people love to talk, and love to express their opinions, it appears as though there will always be a future for radio. Radio talk show hosts can sometimes cross lines like any television host can but it is up to the imagination of the listener to fill in the blanks left behind by this audio only medium.

Author Bio: For more information on radio, visit http://audiomicroblog.com and http://musicmicroblog.com.

Third eye review of a live performance in Calgary, Alberta, from a local 60′s, 70′s and 80′s rock band. This three person group is called ShadowBeat. If going to Calgary and you appreciate older music, you might just enjoy this combo. Do so if you get a chance.

“Get your motor running” That’s what this band will do to you. I managed to catch this three person combo by accident Friday night in Calgary. They were shaking the walls in some lost eastside pub called Chelsea’s, and though the crowd was not huge, we were on fire with this performance. And so was ShadowBeat.

As the night went on I found myself losing time but not wasting it. It was an experience worth living. The little place was a-happenin’, as they might say and we all enjoyed many familiar oldies (think John Paul George and Mick) and a few NotHeardThatinAge’s.

And then they hit us with a sharp left hook. A few great wing-ding’s from the 1990′s country line dancing and hat head era. Personally, I don’t two-step, but plenty were stompin’ their runners to this classic string of hits that included an Alan Jackson favorite of mine and that old Grundy County Auction song. I could tell by the wall posters that country bands frequented this establishment. But this was a rock outfit with a bit of creative dabble.

The first set I saw opened with Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf and by the third or fourth selection we were convinced this group knew their stuff. They weren’t much to look at, not having a drummer on stage with them or the heavy-metal concert trappings seen in bar bands of years gone by. It was just the three of them. Dying to have a voice. They were just there. Authentic. In your face. They were good.

I like it when a cover band tries to make the well-known piece their own and have fun with it. Granted, ShadowBeat did not do this with every composition on the setlist but when they did, it shone through, and the effort became worthwhile. You might want to check out the original versions of these songs. I did some Googling and found out that they have their own mini internet broadcast station easily found by entering “Shadowbeat radio”. That’s where you can hear those originals. Handy. It’s at http://www.live365.com/stations/radiosonde1?play

Who would have thought a stage keyboard could be played like that? Not me, that’s for sure. Somebody sprinkled this guy with magic dust, or maybe a few extra recorded tracks. It’s hard to tell. Wait for “Time of the Season” by the Zombies. It’s worth it.

In general, the band takes full advantage of the highs and lows (tempo, dynamics etc.) in the material. When they were tight, it was as good as it gets and the loose rambling between songs kept the feeling quite casual. Nobody was intimidated. With the old stuff I heard that night, you’ll go back to your younger days in an instant.

Author Bio: More about – this band if you like this kind of rock.

And more – check it out – you’ll be glad you did.