If you created a QuickMix with my Prog Rog and Pioneers of Electronica stations, you'd basically have everything I was listening to in high school. I lived in Hermosa Beach in Southern California at the time, and a few blocks away was a Music Plus store which was part of a regional chain of record stores. There was a small bin for electronic music which single handedly weaned me from the easy listening radio stations that my parents listened to in the car.
The first record I ever bought was Walter (later Wendy) Carlos' Switched On Bach when I was in third grade. The synthesizer captured my imagination even at that young age, and so when we moved to So. Cal. and I started high school it was a natural progression for me to start listening to the electronic music of the era and rock groups which featured synthesizers which, at the time, meant Progressive Rock.
The holy triumvirate at the time were ELP, Yes and Genesis. But, thanks to some staffer at Music Plus who'd handwrite little reviews on address stickers and put them on selected albums in the import bins, I also discovered Novalis and Goblin during that era. I was so pleased when these latter two groups were covered by Pandora this year. Oddly, though I did purchase a copy of "Leftoverture" at the time, I did not consider Kansas to be Prog Rock at all then though I do now. I also was skeptical about Queen because their albums of the time boasted that "no synthesizers were used on this record". But I eventually accepted them into the fold as well.
Pandora has helped me flesh out the station a bit. The most out-there band in the set has to Ruins which came long after the others on the station, but provide some truly interesting and difficult (in many senses) tracks. On the other hand, Starcastle, PFM, Van Der Graaf Generator and Egg are all much more central to the genre.
The station occasionally strays into more mainstream rock one side and Fusion on another, and, in general, the station is below average on the monthly listening tests. Nevertheless, some of my favorite music from my high school days is played by this station.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Station Review: The Darjeeling Limited stops at two stations
Wes Anderson is a director who is known for the music in his films. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that his sense of taste transefered to these two promotional stations.
The title of his latest film serves as the name for the first station, The Darjeeling Limited (click to play). It would not surprise me if the four song seeds for this station are featured in the film. Nevertheless, the resulting station is pretty poor since there neither any other seeds nor feedback to flesh out the station. The result here is some blues rock vocals.
The second station, Wes Anderson Films* (click to play), is somewhat more interesting but less coherent. It consists only of eight song seeds, but at least the variety is interesting since it covers tracks by Devo, David Bowie, Cat Stevens and Paul Simon. Again, it's a bit Boomerish, but that's probably appropriate for the topic.
And with that review, I'm officially caught up with the influx of promotional stations after the Internet Radio crisis.
The title of his latest film serves as the name for the first station, The Darjeeling Limited (click to play). It would not surprise me if the four song seeds for this station are featured in the film. Nevertheless, the resulting station is pretty poor since there neither any other seeds nor feedback to flesh out the station. The result here is some blues rock vocals.
The second station, Wes Anderson Films* (click to play), is somewhat more interesting but less coherent. It consists only of eight song seeds, but at least the variety is interesting since it covers tracks by Devo, David Bowie, Cat Stevens and Paul Simon. Again, it's a bit Boomerish, but that's probably appropriate for the topic.
And with that review, I'm officially caught up with the influx of promotional stations after the Internet Radio crisis.
Station Review: SingStar presents two
SingStar seems to be a Karaoke Revolution competitor for the PS2 which is one of the better advertiser fits for Pandora that I've seen.
The first station this promotion offers is SingStar '80s* (click to play). They threw eight hits from the Eighties into a station and walked away without a single look back. Meh. I've heard worse, but, still, they put the 'F' in 'effort' with this one.
They took the exact same approach with SingStar Amped* (click to play). In this case the eight songs seem to be from the Nineties.
The first station this promotion offers is SingStar '80s* (click to play). They threw eight hits from the Eighties into a station and walked away without a single look back. Meh. I've heard worse, but, still, they put the 'F' in 'effort' with this one.
They took the exact same approach with SingStar Amped* (click to play). In this case the eight songs seem to be from the Nineties.
Station Review: The Honda Odyssey delivers four
My guess is that it's a car even though the first feature the copy on the Pandora profile page mentions is Bluetooth.
Breaking Free* (click to play) is one of the better designed promotional stations. There are four artist seeds and seven additional song seeds. The idea of connecting the High School Musical soundtrack to REM and They Might Be Giants is an interesting one. The two songs I've heard so far have been strange and good. The station has a little feedback with three thumbs up and three thumbs down.
On the other hand, Truckin'* (click to play) is a much more marginal effort. It's based on four tracks from the Eighties and earlier and minimal feedback (one thumb up and two thumbs down). Yet another boomer nostologia station. Will one of the two remaining stations be Hip Hop? Be still my heart.
Well, the next one, Ticket To Ride (click to play) is a bit moldier (if not Hip Hop), focussing on the Sixties and Seventies. The station is based on six artists and one additional song. You know, The Beatles are surprisingly rare as seeds for promotional station, but they're one of the seeds for this station. The feedback consists of two thumbs up. There are better stations covering this era.
No Hip Hop for the last station, surprisingly. Instead, I've Been Everywhere (click to play) looks at earnest balladiers with Johnny Cash and Dan Zanes and Friends as the artist seeds plus seven additonal song seeds. Like the first station this one is a bit more interesting than most promotional stations. It also has a tiny bit more development than most promotional staions with one thumb up and five thumbs down.
Breaking Free* (click to play) is one of the better designed promotional stations. There are four artist seeds and seven additional song seeds. The idea of connecting the High School Musical soundtrack to REM and They Might Be Giants is an interesting one. The two songs I've heard so far have been strange and good. The station has a little feedback with three thumbs up and three thumbs down.
On the other hand, Truckin'* (click to play) is a much more marginal effort. It's based on four tracks from the Eighties and earlier and minimal feedback (one thumb up and two thumbs down). Yet another boomer nostologia station. Will one of the two remaining stations be Hip Hop? Be still my heart.
Well, the next one, Ticket To Ride (click to play) is a bit moldier (if not Hip Hop), focussing on the Sixties and Seventies. The station is based on six artists and one additional song. You know, The Beatles are surprisingly rare as seeds for promotional station, but they're one of the seeds for this station. The feedback consists of two thumbs up. There are better stations covering this era.
No Hip Hop for the last station, surprisingly. Instead, I've Been Everywhere (click to play) looks at earnest balladiers with Johnny Cash and Dan Zanes and Friends as the artist seeds plus seven additonal song seeds. Like the first station this one is a bit more interesting than most promotional stations. It also has a tiny bit more development than most promotional staions with one thumb up and five thumbs down.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Station Review: BET Hip Hop Awards 07
Unlike the vast majority of Hip-Hip stations created for various promotions BET Hip Hip Awards 07 (click to play) is worthy document of the current state of Hip Hop. The station consists of 20 artist seeds and five songs seeds (though only two of the songs are not covered by the artist seeds). There is no development, but if you wanted to evoke that 2007 Hip Hop sound in the future, this would be an excellent set of artists upon which to base a station.
Station Review: The US Air Force tries four recruitment stations
"Patriotism rises in the heart of the American bear," as Fozzie Bear once said. The US Air Force recruiters paid for four stations in their promotion on Pandora.
First up is American Anthems* (click to play). This station is the epitome of bombast and cheese. Based on Lee Greenwood and four patriotic anthems, this station produces a lot of overwrought, whitebread gospel. Heh: "Hey Jude". These is no station development at all as usual.
Next is Air Rock Lounge* (click to play) which has nothing to with Lounge music. Instead, it's a Nickelback station with two addtional song seeds (Dauhgtry and Red Hot Chilli Peppers). Not bad, but there's not much to it since there's no development here either.
Third is a comparatively interesting station, Funk Force 1* (click to play). This station consists entirely of three artist seeds: Mighty Imperials, The Diplomats of Solid Sound, and The Poets of Rhythm. All three groups are comparatively recent funk revival groups and work quite well together. This collection could be the beginning of a good station.
Lastly, we have the obligatory Hip-Hop station, Horizon* (click to play). This one consists of three song seeds, and that's it. A Hip-Hop afficionado would have to tell you whether these tracks go together at all. As it is, it seems unlikely that this station is in any way superior to all the other promotional Hip-Hop stations.
First up is American Anthems* (click to play). This station is the epitome of bombast and cheese. Based on Lee Greenwood and four patriotic anthems, this station produces a lot of overwrought, whitebread gospel. Heh: "Hey Jude". These is no station development at all as usual.
Next is Air Rock Lounge* (click to play) which has nothing to with Lounge music. Instead, it's a Nickelback station with two addtional song seeds (Dauhgtry and Red Hot Chilli Peppers). Not bad, but there's not much to it since there's no development here either.
Third is a comparatively interesting station, Funk Force 1* (click to play). This station consists entirely of three artist seeds: Mighty Imperials, The Diplomats of Solid Sound, and The Poets of Rhythm. All three groups are comparatively recent funk revival groups and work quite well together. This collection could be the beginning of a good station.
Lastly, we have the obligatory Hip-Hop station, Horizon* (click to play). This one consists of three song seeds, and that's it. A Hip-Hop afficionado would have to tell you whether these tracks go together at all. As it is, it seems unlikely that this station is in any way superior to all the other promotional Hip-Hop stations.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Station Review:: Heavenly Sword carves up three stations
Heavenly Sword is a game for the Playstation 3. The promotion for the game offers up three stations.
First up is Speed Rock* (click to play) which is a generic metal station as you can get being based on Metallica, Motorhead, Slayer and Zeke. As is endemic for these stations, there has been no development whatsoever. If you like metal you cuold create a better station in fifteen minutes.
The second offering from this video game is yet another Indie Rock station, Range Indie* (click to play). The four seeds are Ghostland Observatory, Nada Surf, Okkervil River and The Thermals. In my brief listening to this station I'd say I like the station a bit better that the NikeiD version of the same genre. But again since there is no development, there's nothing here that you couldn't incorporate into your own stations in a minute or two.
Lastly, we have the inevitable urban market Power Hip-Hop (click to play). Excuse me as I roll my eyes, but there are only three artist seeds here (50 Cent, Kanye West and The Notorious B.I.G.) each of which have been featured on most other promotional Hip-Hop stations. Was there any point to creating this station? Of course, as expected, no time was spent developing this poor excuse for a station.
First up is Speed Rock* (click to play) which is a generic metal station as you can get being based on Metallica, Motorhead, Slayer and Zeke. As is endemic for these stations, there has been no development whatsoever. If you like metal you cuold create a better station in fifteen minutes.
The second offering from this video game is yet another Indie Rock station, Range Indie* (click to play). The four seeds are Ghostland Observatory, Nada Surf, Okkervil River and The Thermals. In my brief listening to this station I'd say I like the station a bit better that the NikeiD version of the same genre. But again since there is no development, there's nothing here that you couldn't incorporate into your own stations in a minute or two.
Lastly, we have the inevitable urban market Power Hip-Hop (click to play). Excuse me as I roll my eyes, but there are only three artist seeds here (50 Cent, Kanye West and The Notorious B.I.G.) each of which have been featured on most other promotional Hip-Hop stations. Was there any point to creating this station? Of course, as expected, no time was spent developing this poor excuse for a station.
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