Punk Goes Crunk

When I first heard this idea I was like "ugh", rockers doing rap didn't seem like the best idea in the world. Let's just say, on a few of the tracks I was right. The Devil Wears Prada for example, a screamo band doing rap= bad idea. The Maine did Akon's "I Wanna Love You", which first of all, is the radio edit, so it sounds bad, but The Maine's vocalist doesn't do justice to Akon's unique voice.
Hot Rod Circuit did a service to Snoop Dogg on his "Gin and Juice". They kept the stripped down feel of the song and kept true to the lyrics. Another favorite, Scary Kids Scaring Kids version of Notorious B.I.G and Bone, Thugs N Harmony's "Notorious Thugs".
Overall, I can't hate on the cd, but I think maybe half the songs shouldn't have been on there, simply because they aren't that well known or seem awkward when covered by a bunch of little white boys.

Why am I not surprised?

There was a report in the Guardian that said 95% of people ages 18-24 copy music in one form or another. The surprising part: it's not all from file-sharing programs. People still directly copying CD's (like me sometimes) and there are people who still copy from the radio! That last part made my eyes bug out, I'm not even kidding you. The radio, really? C'mon I haven't done that since I was in I think 6th or 7th grade.

Anyway, the point is, is anyone really surprised by this information? We were coming of age when the Napster thing happened. Hell, most of us used Napster. I think reports like this are such a waste of money. It's like having a report telling us water is good for you or prolonged exposure to the sun may cause skin cancer. Can we spend this type on money on reports that may actually help the world? K, thanks.

revamp

So, since this blog is no longer meant for school and I'm having fun with it, I think I'll keep it. I'm going to rework it a little, the nature of the posts will be a little different and I may actually post everyday. We'll see.

This is the first song for your mix tape

The mix tape. A simple enough concept, a bunch of semi-related songs on a disc. But under the surface, a good mix has to have a few elements that make it good. Apparently, there are websites devoted on how-to make a good mix. Personally, I'm a trial and error kind of girl. I've made enough mixes for myself that have been truly terrible, but once in a while, a good one comes along. On the few occasions I've been given mixes, my favorites have been the ones which had specific themes and songs that I actually liked.

The mix tape is such a part of the "scene" that absolutepunk.net has a thread on its forum dedicated to it. Below, you'll find other helpful links for making the perfect mix for yourself, potential significant other, or the girl down the street you've decided to start stalking. (kidding on that last one...kinda)

wikiHow: How to Make a Perfect Mix Tape or CD

The Art of the Mix: the website dedicated to making mixed tapes and cds

How to Make the Perfect Mix Tape: the fine folks at Esquire pose this scenerio: You've got 1,000 songs and no idea how to put them together. This will help you.

Tiny Mix Tapes: a site with news and other goodies, including a "mix tape generator"

Ruckus

So one of my absolute best friends from high school informed me today of this rather amazing website called Ruckus. I had never heard of it before, but it's a site that allows college students to legally download, high quality music. There is a list of participating schools who have a partnership with the site, but even if your school isn't listed you can still join, as long as you have a valid student e-mail address (one ending in .edu)

The aforementioned best friend said the site is ridiculously convenient when there's a release you're not sure about, you can listen to it for free, instead of spending valuable cash on something you'll listen to once.

If anyone else has used this or is planning to check it out, please comment and let me know your thoughts.

Edit: The only thing I've come across that sucks about this is that it's not compatible with iTunes and the songs can't be burned because of the licensing agreement Ruckus has with the record companies. Oh well, it's still cool to use to check out music you're unsure about buying.