Among Nashville’s “A” list of songwriters there is 2 time Grammy winner Jim Lauderdale who will be performing on our PlayLive stage this Friday. Jim recorded his first album in 1986, and has since released 19 studio albums. Among his accolades: 2010 Grammy nominee for “Could We Get Any Closer” / 2008 Grammy winner for the “Bluegrass Diaries” / 2002 Grammy winner for “Lost in the Lonseome Pines”.
In addition to his prolific recording career, Lauderdale has also held a tremendous influence on the Country music world and is the songwriter behind dozens of country music’s biggest hits including Patty Loveless’ ‘You Don’t Seem to Miss Me,’ Mark Chesnutt’s ‘Gonna Get a Life,’ Gary Allen‘s ‘Forever and a day,’ and several George Strait tunes, including ‘Where the Sidewalk Ends’.
Jim’s unique sense of melody and song writing ability has helped forge a sound that is truly his own. Stuart Munro of the Boston Globe writes of Lauderdale who is equally known for his bluegrass talent, “…Add Lauderdale’s terrific musical stylings, the twangy expressiveness of his singing, and his backing ensemble’s crack playing, and what results is a classic bluegrass sound that is yet just a turn off-center. That’s an effect Jim Lauderdale seems to bring about no matter the genre.” - Review of “Reason and Rhyme” June, 21, 2011.
“This Is The Last Time” (from The Bluegrass Diaries)
“Lost In The Lonesome Pines” (live performance – decent audio)
We couldn’t be happier to welcome such a unique artist to the stage on Friday!
Brooklyn-based indie rock quartet Caveman is currently sound checking on our PlayLive stage for what is sure to be a unique and intimate acoustic performance! They’ll be performing songs from their wonderfully ambitious full-length debut album CoCo Beware, a release that got them on Stereogums’s 40 Best Bands of 2011 earlier this year! Visit the bands official website and find them on Facebook and Twitter for music and tour dates.
Below you can check out a performance of the opening track of Coco Beware, “A Country’s King Of Dreams”, recorded live on KEXP at the Ace Hotel in New York during CMJ 2011.
Tis the season for your sales to sing! If you are in retail, these tips will help you attract more customers and even put a smile on their face!
Help consumers navigate the chaos
Use overhead and in-store messaging to provide gentle reminders of those things we often forget
(i.e. a grocery store might have gentle reminders of those things we so often have to return for or (heaven forbid) send the husband to pick up – “Making Pumpkin Pie this Thanksgiving? Did you remember the evaporated milk?”)
Be social!
Make sure you don’t forget about your Facebook and Twitter followers. Send them special offers to drive sales in store and online.
Offer a deal of the week or day via social media/web – a coupon via social media that requires that they redeem it in-store for a discount or gift with purchase for coming in.
Go mobile
Distribute free mobile coupons that drive people into the store. Sync up with a geolocation app and give out freebies to nearby potential customers.
Develop mobile offers where items can be purchased immediately after enrollment-discount after initial enrollment to entice customers to register their credit cards for mobile shopping.
Add humor – take away the stress of holiday shopping
With in-store video, program content that makes customers laugh. People who feel good feel more motivated to buy gifts.
For example, we work with Lego and develop in-store video content that reaches kids at their level (shorter than their parents). Show a commercial of a child excitedly opening a gift to find…socks. Show their grin turn into a grimace. Show the new Lego Death Star. Of course, the Death Star is $399 and the socks are $3.99, but isn’t their happiness worth it?
Create in-store entertainment, events or happenings
Warm the iciest of customer’s hearts and let them linger longer with an in-store piano player, a youth choir or even a fun flash mob. Take photos, encourage revelers to share images, video and commentary on social networks and invite local media to check out why shopping at your store offers the highest caliber of holiday cheer.
Runner up:
Free items
Everyone loves free stuff. Offer gifts with purchase such as a music download or a branded compilation CD. People can take home some great music produced exclusively for your store (and take the brand home with them, building long-lasting affinity).
PlayNetwork’s most recent PlayLive guests, Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter, just released their wonderful new album, Marble Son! Their intimate PlayLive set featured new tracks from Marble Son, as well as past material spanning back four albums to their 2002 debut (Reckless Burning).
Below you can check out the official video version of a song featured in their PlayLive performance called, “Air Is Thin” (From their 2007 release, Like Love Lust & The Open Halls of the Soul).
Pictures from their performance can be found in our PlayLive photo album. For more info be sure to check out the bands’ Facebook page, as well as follow Jesse’s new Twitter account @JesseSykes
2011 was my first SXSW experience. Based on the reports from friends and artists I know that had attended, I never thought of SXSW as a festival that catered too deeply to electronic music or hip hop. Though there was a very obvious focus of blues, rock, folk and guitars in general (they were everywhere) this year’s SXSW boasted in an impressive line-up of quality underground electronic music and hip hop, including the likes of Richie Hawtin, Boys Noize, Diplo, James Blake, DJ Premier, Trentemoller, Mount Kimbie, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Marco Carola, Talib Kweli, Switch, Moby, Housemeister, Daedelus, Big Boi, Afrojack, Addison Groove, Skrillex, De La Soul, Starkey, MSTRKRFT, Spank Rock, Jamie xx, EPMD, Baths, Shabazz Palaces, Pharoahe Monch, Beats Antique, Eskmo and Gold Panda to name some standouts. Though it was a pleasure to see so many familiar artists, the real joy for me came from new discoveries like soul singer Charles Bradley, folk-rock singer Sharon Van Etten and electronic crooner Jamie Woon, all of whom delivered stunning sets.
Part of the charm, and sometimes annoyance, of SXSW was the rapid fire pace and sheer magnitude of the performances (89 stages featuring over 2,000 acts with an average set length of 30 minutes). In total, I was able to catch over 30 performances at the 2011 SXSW Festival. Here are a few of the most memorable performances I caught and why.
1. James Blake – Live at the Central Presbyterian Church
The combination of fatigue, the venue and the brilliant programming (James closed out the night at a gorgeous Church) made this a magical performance. The British producer/singer performed with a trio, which included Ben Assiter on drums & Rob McAndrews on guitar. They played most of the 2011 self-titled album, which sounded even better live. What James is doing is truly original, emotive and innovative, which I really can’t say about any other artist at the moment.
2. Charles Bradley – Live at the Cedar Street Pavilion
As a Motown native, classic soul is simply part of my DNA. When I heard that Charles Bradley’s album was mixed at Daptone Records’ internationally revered “House of Soul” Studios, I knew that the dude had chops. What I didn’t know is just how incredibly well it would translate live. The second Charles hit the stage, he had the entire audience in the palm of his hand and he never let go. What I enjoyed most about his performance was there was no doubt in my mind that he lived the life that he sang about. Charles Bradley is the real deal.
3. Trentemoller – Live at La Zona Rosa
It’s been interesting watching Trentemoller evolve over the past decade. From house to techno to electro pop to downtempo to shoegaze, in many ways Trentemoller represents the backlash to the often stagnant world of electronic dance music. Trading in turntables for guitars and drum machines for a live drummer, the current six-piece, live incarnation offers a wide spectrum of analog sound, all of which is balanced beautifully with Andreas Trentemoller’s gifted sound design and arrangements. Much like his own music, the groups’ performance was dynamic and at times dark (think Radiohead meets Twin Peaks).
4. Jamie Woon – Live at ND
Though I’d heard a few of Jamie’s songs before, I really didn’t know what to expect. Much like James Blake and Trentemoller, Jamie Woon is an electronic music producer that understands the importance of the performance, which included an incredibly tight quartet assembled for the stage. A talented vocalist, Woon deftly surfs the line between soul and pop, without losing the inherent subtly that makes him such a unique talent. Musically, he offers shades of Massive Attack, Jamie Lidell and Tracey Chapman, the combined effect of which is a dark, atmospheric take on soul.
5. Datarock – Live at The Parish
Probably the most entertaining performance I witnessed at SXSW, this Norwegian quartet hit the stage adorned in matching Datarock tracksuits and grandma shades. You could tell from the first chord that they were seasoned musicians and performers, who had their routine down pat. The solos, breakdowns, dance moves and the inevitable crowd participation all brought their music to vivid, sweaty life. I was pleased to find their lesser known material to be even more infectious than hits like “Fa-Fa-Fa” and “Give It Up”.
6. Sharon Van Etten – Live at the Central Presbyterian Church
I was not at all familiar with Sharon Van Etten and had it not been for a co-worker, I would have missed this memorable performance. Sharon’s voice, songwriting and lyrical sensibilities made her a standout among the hundreds of singer/songwriters performing at SXSW this year. What was remarkable about this particular performance was her voice was so strained from excessive use, that she could barely utter a word between songs. It was like the only way she could communicate was through her music, which I found enduring and in some ways profound.
7. DJ Jazzy Jeff – DJ set at Red Bull Thre3style Stage
As a long time fan and DJ of hip hop, I have to give it up for Jazzy Jeff’s set at the SXSW. Like any good party rockin’ DJ, Jazzy Jeff played the hits going back to the 70s. What was remarkable about his set was just how much he was able to cram in without losing the crowd for second. The end product was a 45 minute homage to hip hop’s most inspiring moments. I will admit, seeing thousands gathered together in unison in what was the largest and most elaborate stage configuration I saw at SXSW was exhilarating. During the event, the crowd outside of the fenced-in area grew so large that they had to close the street!
Sean Horton – Director, Creative / Producer, Branded Music / Tech Advisor – PlayNetwork
What do you get when you take all of the top ballroom talent from SYTYCD, DWTS and National Championships and make them perform together? The answer is a spicy hot, nonstop ballroom dance extravaganza called Burn The Floor. This new Broadway production came to the Paramount Theatre last weekend and blew me away. The dancers transitioned seamlessly from Cha Cha to Viennese Waltz to Rumba to Jive and more. The best part was the hottest Samba I’ve ever seen to “Magalena”. I highly recommend checking this show out. Fly to the to New York if you have to.
Kymberlee Taylor Executive Assistant/Sales Coordinator
PlayNetwork, Inc.
So I did it! I completed my goal of watching every single non-local comedy show. It took the whole three days and a lot of following special guest and my imaginary friend Doug Benson around but I did it. He proves the worth of Twitter with his smart one-liners and ‘Where’s Doug‘ secret sayings to get free merch.
Bumbershoot did a great job of designating venues for certain genres of comedy. Vera Project was local acts, Charlotte Martin was musical comedy, and Intiman was your typical stand up.
The musical comedy was a lot of fun and pretty much everyone involved had toured with Flight of the Concords. I saw David O’Doherty open for my celebrity crush Demetri Martin a couple years ago and I still reminisce the hilarity his performance produced. His dad was a trained jazz pianist and D.O.D. plays his things like “My Beefs 2010″ on his 1984 tiny electric yamaha keyboard. Sell out performances by Patton Oswalt and Garfunkel & Oates also graced this stage.
The Intiman stage had the best couple of show I saw. Including Kumail Kanjiani, Nick Kroll, John Mulaney, Joe Mande, Chelsea Peretti, and Donald Glover. Don’t know them? Look them up and go watch some live comedy! (Note: Comedy Central Live doesn’t count.)
Way to go Bumbershoot for another amazing year of stand up comedy!!! Also, Ozomatli rocked.
Kymberlee Taylor Executive Assistant/Sales Coordinator
PlayNetwork, Inc.
Even though the Facebook fan page didn’t reach its goal of 10,000 followers (which means no officially recognized holiday, TBS marathon, or new 90210 movie) we can still celebrate our favorite Beverly Hills gang!!
This is a once in a lifetime event so I’m getting out my Brenda Barbie and running my own 90210 marathon tonight. I said it and I’m not ashamed.
Larry King loves it too.. and for even more details on the event go here.
Now hum along and get this song stuck in your head all day!
Kymberlee Taylor Executive Assistant/Sales Coordinator PlayNetwork, Inc.
“Moomins and the Comet Chase” is a new animated film for children, and Bjork happens to be a huge fan of the Moomins. She composed a song with Icelandic poet and author, Sjon, entitled “The Comet Song”. This song is available on iTunes as of today, and all the funds generated from the sale of the track will be donated to UNICEF Pakistan Childrens Charities. You can also check out the Moomins on Facebook here. The video is streaming directly from Bjork’s website, and it may have a few technical issues due to influx of traffic to her site today since this was just announced. Click HERE to watch and please enjoy!
So… I’m sure you’ve heard the viral sound of Justin Beiber’s song, “U Smile” slowed down by 800%, and the process of slowing that song down created a sound that is unearthly. The original of the sing can be found here:
But when it’s slowed down by 800%, this is what you get:
Have you heard the slowed version of Tracey Ullman’s “They don’t Know”? Here is the original:
So, there you have it! Now, run home, grab your vinyl (or buy a program with audio slowing capabilities) and see what musical treasures you can create by slowing things down a bit!
