source: atrios

Congratulations to Shelley Powers who has take an position with Broadband Mechanics!

Plenty of free, in-concert downloads of your favorite bands – all in easy to use index.

Speaking of downloadable music – Simpsons mp3s!

Ever have a solo you just can’t nail because it’s too fast? Ever want to slow it down to practice to? I have. I had thought my only option would be to buy something like Tascam’s CDGT Guitar Trainer, but now I’ve figured out a way to do it for free.

Import the mp3 you want to practice into Audacity, highlight the part you are having difficulty with, and use the “Change Tempo” effect to slow down that section – without changing pitch! It’s awesome!

Blues recommendations | Ask MetaFilter:

I don’t know anything about the blues but really like the sort of pounding ferocity of Muddy Waters’ Mannish Boy. What else should I check out?

iBreatheMusic.com looks like one for the bookmarks.

DarkLyrics.com and SongMeanings are two sites for the bookmarks.

Well, ummm… not exactly, but Sir Elton John, Patti LaBelle, Rufus Wainwright, and Brian Adams, put on on a terrific July 4th celebration here in Philly. I had to watch from home, but even from there, Patti LaBelle and Elton John were amazing. Turned out the concert had the duel purpose of celebrating our country’s birthday and raising awareness to fight HIV/AIDS. This angle of the concert was completely overshadowed by Live 8 arriving in town. In fact, until the concert, I didn’t know there was an HIV/AIDS awareness effort attached to this. Great job promoters. That didn’t seem to matter because it looked like the Parkway was packed yet again with concert goers.

Here is where to go to donate.

Oh, and unlike MTV’s coverage of Live 8, our local coverage of this concert was a-ok. No music interrupts. No cutting to commercial or to stupid commentators during songs. The music did the talking. Now if we could just get those amateurish audio problems solved. And why not have the Philly Pops play during the fireworks? It would have kicked ass.

So that’s two concerts on the Parkway, each way over a hundred thousand in attendance. Within three days time! Philly has every reason to be proud.

live8 philly

Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/02/2005 | R&B star Luther Vandross dies at 54

Grammy award winner Luther Vandross, whose deep, lush voice on such hits as “Here and Now” and “Any Love” sold more than 25 million albums while providing the romantic backdrop for millions of couples worldwide, died yesterday. He was 54.

Since suffering a stroke in his Manhattan home in 2003, the R&B crooner stopped making public appearances, but he managed to continue recording. In 2004, he captured four Grammys as a sentimental favorite, including best song for the bittersweet “Dance With My Father.”

Mr. Vandross, who was in a wheelchair and appeared weak at the time, delivered a videotaped thank you: “Remember, when I say goodbye, it’s never for long. Because” – and he broke into his familiar hit – “I believe in the power of love.”