Channel Surf the Blogosphere for the latest tracks with Shuffler.fm

Go ahead. Don't be shy. Select a genre and get going.

It seems like every other week, a new music service is launched with the intention of being the ultimate, one-stop “music discovery tool.” Truth be told, any savvy music aficionado will own up to the fact that they use at least two or more tools to find, stream, and download new and classic music alike.

Since there’s always the promise of “the next big thing” looming, whether it’s the rather failed impact Ping (the social extension of iTunes 10) had on consumers or Google’s forthcoming music service that’s reportedly making a grand debut on Christmas day, I decided to spend some time with Shuffler.fm, which I discovered through a feature on Mashable, to see if it’s something I’d actually use on a consistent basis. The answer, quite surprisingly, is “yes” and “daily.”

Continue reading “Channel Surf the Blogosphere for the latest tracks with Shuffler.fm”

Review of Music Hackday in San Francisco, 5/15/10 – 5/16/10

This past weekend, over 110 hackers and music enthusiasts from San Francisco and various locations around the world gathered at Automattic’s office space, located at Pier 38, to help create the next generation of music applications. Continue reading “Review of Music Hackday in San Francisco, 5/15/10 — 5/16/10”

What You Need to Know from the San Francisco Musician and Promoter Workshop

Zambaleta on 19th and Florida in the Mission, SF

I’ll be the first to admit that I was a bit dubious when I initially heard about the first installment, via Twitter, of this San Francisco-based event back in November. How many seminars, workshops, and online tutorials are already out there promoting their take on the best practices in social media for musicians and managers? However, a closer look at the list of instructors, not to mention the partners including SonicLiving and the premier music technology event in the Bay Area, SF MusicTech Summit, revealed that the San Francisco Musician & Promoter Workshop promised to transcend your atypical music industry-related gathering.

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Spinning Platters Picks Six: Reasons to Like John Mayer (But Not His Music)

John is too cool to care what you think of this article.
John is too cool to care what you think of this article.

It’s popular among music nerds to dislike John Mayer.  I don’t know why this is.

OK, I do know why this is.  It’s because his music is characterized by this sugary weepiness that seems borrowed from the worst of Dave Matthews.  “Your Body Is a Wonderland” and “Daughters” are primary offenders.  This makes the girls cry, and next thing you know, he’s dating a never-ending stream of actresses and models.  Then he goes out and decides he wants to be a blues guitar legend, and people bow down to him like he is one.  And finally, he’s the token white guy at the Michael Jackson memorial, playing a smooth jazz instrumental version of “Human Nature,” and the circle of hate is complete.

But even with all of that, I realize I kinda like John Mayer for a few reasons.  Here’s why you might, too.  Let me know in the comments what you think of him when you’re done reading. Continue reading “Spinning Platters Picks Six: Reasons to Like John Mayer (But Not His Music)”