Yo-Yo Ma to Join Ashlee Simpson in Lip-Synch Hall of Fame

It turns out that the performance by Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Anthony McGill, and Gabriela Montero at the Presidential Inauguration was pre-recorded. The musicians were actually playing their instruments but the music that was broadcast over the speakers to the Mall and over the air to the world was a recording. The quartet had made the recording in advance and acted it out during the "live" performance. This article from the New York Times has more information.

As I was watching the performance I had some of the same thoughts raised in the Times article. It was hard to believe that they were able to perform so well based on the effect that the weather would have on their instruments. I also couldn't believe that any of them would put their own instruments in jeopardy of cracking.

It is interesting that the organizers of the event chose not to make it known before or during the event but waited until afterwords. It raises a question about "liveness": When Aretha Franklin performed she sang to a pre-recorded backing track complete with pre-recorded backup singers. If the back up was live we never saw the band. Additionally when the Navy Chorus sang the Star Spangled Banner we never saw them (at least not on the CNN broadcast).

In other words, the event organizers made the decision that it was more important to project an image of "live" performance for the quartet than for Aretha Franklin or the Navy Choir. Would it have been acceptable to have Yo-Yo Ma performing alone to the taped accompaniment of the rest of the quartet? I believe this is a reflection of the expectation/delusion of "authentic" performance in classical music that is not an expectation of popular music.

DJ Hero

It appears that Activision, the publisher of Guitar Hero, is set to release DJ Hero this summer. Somehow the concept of playing a guitar controller is more appealing to me than playing a turntable controller, but the game will apparently focus on creating mashups and will allow the use of Guitar Hero controllers alongside the turntable.

For more about the game go here or here.

Several members of the mashup community have been involved in the making of this game which is a good sign. The game is being developed in the U.K. which is home to an abundance of great mashup artists. 

I am now officially one step closer to buying a new video game system.

New News and Old News

I apologize for my lack of posting recently. I just moved across the country to Providence, Rhode Island where milkshakes are called cabinets. Fortunately I don't have to worry about what milkshakes are called because it is about 20 degrees here and snowing and only a crazy person would want a milkshake*.

But enough about me, here are some links to interesting stories that have happened over the last few weeks:

-Charles Nesson, a law professor at Harvard, has launched a law suit against the RIAA. Nesson contests that the lawsuits filed by the RIAA against music downloaders were unconstitutional. You can read more here and even more on Professor Nesson's blog. The case is set to start this Thursday. 

-The RIAA has decided to stop suing its customers! However the association will continue with any lawsuits that have already been filed (much to the dismay of one Charles Nesson).

-The European Union is considering a copyright extension that its own studies have sown to be misguided. This video by the Open Rights Group gives a good explanation of the proposal and its downsides.

*That's a lie I wanted a milkshake earlier today and yesterday.

Early Mashup

There are too many complications to claim that any one song is the "first" mashup. However, "Mission Impossible / Norwegian Wood" by the Alan Copeland Singers is one of the earliest that I know of. I came across this through Kembrew McLeod's article "Confessions of an Intellectual (Property)" as well as a comment posted on GYBO (Get You Bootleg On) by Timbearland. 

The song was arranged by Alan Copeland. The vocals were recorded, apparently, by The Alan Copeland Singers. I do not know anything more about the production of this track. 

Alan Copeland won the "Best Contemporary Pop Performance, Chorus" Grammy Award in 1968 for "Mission Impossible / Norwegian Wood." You can download this excerpt from the track at Mr. Copeland's website.

While I can't be sure, it sounds like both the vocal and instrumental sections of the track have been spliced to fit together (as opposed to being performed live or recorded live). The form of the track (A vs. B) and the method of construction (or my best guess at it) both fit perfectly with contemporary ideas about what makes a mashup.

Listen To This (Easy Like Lionel Richie Edition)

If you don't have a soft spot for Lionel Richie you're crazy. Here are four great mashups featuring The Commodore's "Easy Like Sunday Morning." All of the tracks can be downloaded from the mashup artists' websites.

"Easy Heaven" by BRAT Productions. Lionel vs. The Cure.

"Easy Wall" by DJ Lobsterdust. Lionel vs. Oasis.

"Take It Easy On Me" by MadMixMustang. Lionel vs. A-Ha.

"Easily Hurt" by Bobby Martini. Lionel vs. Christina Aguilera.

Digital sales outnumber CD sales at Atlantic Records

For the first time digital sales have outnumbered physical record sales at a major recording company. Here is an interesting NY Times article about the milestone (featuring the graph above). 

It is no wonder that the RIAA and the record companies that they represent are fighting so hard to stem the tide of digital media. As the Times article demonstrates, they have not figured out how to make money from digital downloads (or at least not enough). Rather than devote their time to reconfiguring their business models to fit new consumer trends, they are litigating to try to delay the inevitable. 

It is reminiscent of the American auto industry. For years analysts and consumers have been telling the industry that they want higher quality, more fuel efficient cars. Rather than retool and give the consumer what they wanted the American auto industry used their lobbying power to win tax incentives that allowed them to keep creating ridiculously outmoded vehicles

(subsidized by tax dollars).

Consumers and industry analysts are telling the major recording companies (as well as television, film, and news corporations) that they want easy access to the media of their choice on their own schedule. Consumers don't want to pay $19.00 for a CD that only has one song that they want on it. They want to pay $1.00 for the single on their computer. I don't think this is a trend that will be changing anytime soon. Yet recording companies continue to create the same ridiculously outmoded albums complete with antiquated publicity and lavish recording costs. 

Rather than compete for the business of consumers, media corporations, like the American auto industry, are attempting to use their powerful lobbyists and lawyers to protect their failing business models.

Amazing Hot Dog Launcher

I saw this today at BoingBoing Gadgets. As far as I am concerned this may be the greatest invention of all time. No wonder the Phillies won the World Series.