The Napster Blog

Introducing the Napster Playlist Challenge

Hi there. Starting Nov. 4, Napster is kicking off the Napster Playlist Challenge, a unique opportunity for Napster subscribers to get creative with your playlist-making skills, and maybe even get featured on Napster.

To take part in the Napster Playlist Challenge, simply send us your best playlist based on the current theme. This month's theme is holiday music.

The rules are simple:1. You need to be a Napster subscriber. 2. Your playlist should be based on the theme provided and be 10 to 20 tracks in length. 3. Send us your playlist by by 3am EST on 11/23/08. 4. Please don't send a playlist if you don't want it to be featured. 5. The chosen playlist will be featured from 12/16/08 to 12/22/08.

Submitting your playlist is easy: 1. Create your playlist using Napster and click on the button "Share" in the upper-left corner. 2. Enter playlistchallenge@napster.com at the top, next to "Your friends' emails," and send.

Let's get started! Send us your playlist today.

Once again, this month's theme is holiday music.

Instructions and Rules/How to Send Your Playlist
Napster Playlist Challenge Frequently Asked Questions

David Cook

Welcome back to the battle of Davids.
Last week we saw this year's American Idol runner-up David Archuleta release his debut album. This week the seventh season's winner, David Cook, gives us his first post-Idol release and it is quite different from his competitor.
The first single, "The Time of My Life," might have been a standard pop ballad but the new album is more of a rock album than bubblegum pop. In the tradition of former Idol contestant Chris Daughtry, Cook goes with a grungier pop-rock for his new music, influenced heavily by the late 1990s rock. It is no surprise then that Chris Cornell (of Soundgarden) and Kevin Griffin (of Better Than Ezra) are 2 of his collaborators.
Ultimately, comparing the two Davids is the equivalent of comparing apples and oranges. They have both found their place in the pop/rock landscape for their post-Idol careers.

T-Pain, Thr33 Ringz

The Auto-Tune maestro Tallahassee Pain a/k/a the "rappa ternt sanga" releases his third studio album, the circus-themed Thr33 Ringz.

Chock full of guests, Ringz doesn't stray far from the formula that made T-Pain's previous albums (Rappa Ternt Sanga and Epiphany) achieve gold and platinum status, respectively. The first single "Can't Believe It" features Lil Wayne while the new single "Chopped N Skrewed" features another southern icon, Ludacris. The newest Auto-Tune convert, an Auto-Tune-less Kanye West makes an appearance on the amusing "Therapy" while Ciara lends her vocals on what's sure to be a dance-floor favorite, "Blowing Up". Unapologetically,  a lot of the new material doesn't go past the "up-in-the-club-at-the-bar" theme or his favorite subject, the strip club. However, one contrast is his take on Wynonna Judd's "Change the World" (made famous by Eric Clapton) entitled "Change" which features his mentor Akon, Diddy and Mary J. Blige.

Amid other releases by artists utilizing Auto-Tune, one thing becomes apparent: No one does it better than T-Pain.

David Arkenstone, Christmas Lounge

In case you haven't noticed, the magical land of new age is a hotbed for new high-profile holiday-oriented releases this year. Out of all of them, Enya's And Winter Came will probably get the most mall play, but Sarah Brightman's rock/classical-driven A Winter Symphony  and Mannheim Steamroller's quirky, vocal-driven odyssey, Christmasville are also sure to be enjoyed by many. And then there's David Arkenstone's contribution.

Christmas Lounge is pleasantly smooth and, out of all the aforementioned releases, arguably the most innovative -- picture an upscale hotel lobby with a fireplace, a martini, and snowfall by moonlight and you're there. Grammy-nominated Arkenstone produced and composed this downtempo collection of the usual holiday suspects in unusual form, including "Sleigh Ride," "Carol of the Bells," and "The First Noel." "We Three Kings" possesses a crafty Bond-like glaze, while "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" gets downright funky. One of this holiday's best, Christmas Lounge is a testament to Arkenstone's creative ability to restructure classic carol melodies while maintaining a warm recognizability.

Randy Houser, Anything Goes

Randy Houser is one of the men who wrote "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" for Trace Adkins. He's also written songs for Jamey Johnson (another of the writers of "Badonkadonk"), Justin Moore, and John Michael Montgomery. Houser inked a record deal with Universal South and is now showcasing his songs and performing skills on his own record, Anything Goes.

Houser's debut album displays his considerable songwriting talent (he co-wrote 8 of the tracks) and also proves his mettle in his new roles of performer and star. The album's title track has been living on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart for the past several months. Ironically, that's not one of the songs that Houser co-wrote, but the songs that he did write are, honestly, the strongest of the bunch. Anything Goes proves that Houser has the goods to front a band and will likely be sticking around for quite a while.

Sousa, King, Fillmore, Meacham: Great American Marches

This may be pretty well off the beaten path for many folks, but if you like band music, i.e. marching band music, then this Napster playlist is for you. Marches have been a part of the fabric of American music since the mid-19th century, though they were really popular only up to the early 20th, filling parade routes, circus tents, and park concerts throughout the country. But if you ever played in a school band, or went to high school or college and sat in the stands during halftime at a football game, this music resonates. In addition to several of the great marches of John Philip Sousa, you'll find here gems by Karl King, Henry Fillmore, F.W. Meacham, Meredith Willson, and Charles A. Zimmerman. Great for getting psyched up before undertaking feats of strength.

Alvin & the Chipmunks, Undeniable

The latest release from America's favorite furry rodents comes after the successful reinvention of the Alvin & the Chipmunks franchise with the wildly-popular 2007 CGI/live action film. Undeniable follows the usual Chipmunk formula, with plenty of covers of older favorites (such as Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer") and new pop hits (Daughtry's "Home"), as well as some fun original material. Fans of the new 'Munks will gladly add this album to their sing-along collection.

Lou Rawls, Merry Christmas Baby

While his early career paralleled Sam Cooke's ascension through the gospel circuit into pop stardom, Lou Rawls' legendary longevity and stylistic range were second to none. Frank Sinatra was one of his biggest supporters, and this collection features songs from a mid-sixties set that recalls Joe Williams' big band sound as well as Sinatra's work from the period. It may be a little early in the season to break out the Christmas tree ornaments and egg nog, but if you can't wait to feel the holiday cheer, there's no better place to start than with the man who could even make the muppets funky.

Mitch Mitchell 1947-2008

On Wednesday Nov. 12, English drummer Mitch Mitchell, best known for his groundbreaking work with the Jimi Hendrix Experience, passed away in a Portland hotel room, apparently of natural causes. He was 61.

Hendrix formed the famous trio in 1966 with Mitchell and guitarist Noel Redding on bass, and the three went on to produce some of the most groundbreaking psychedelic blues-rock albums in history: Are You Experienced?, Axis: Bold as Love, and Electric Ladyland. Before disbanding in '69, the group was a part of some legendary performances, most notably the Monterey Pop Festival in '67 and Woodstock festival in '69, the year before Hendrix's death.

Mitchell later performed with many other artists, including Jeff Beck, Jack Bruce, and Terry Reid, but he will be remembered most for his innovative style of jazz/rock drumming that changed the sound of rock music forever.

Radiohead, John Legend, Prince, Zero 7, Stevie Wonder: The Foreign Exchange Playlist

After posting a review of the new Foreign Exchange album Leave It All Behind, Napster presents an artist picks playlist by the group. Phonte and Nicolay deliver a list of their inspirations for their classic modern soul masterpiece. The playlist acts as the perfect epilogue for LIAB, with mellow, thoughtful tunes by artists such as Zero 7, Owusu and Hannibal, and Radiohead.

Artist Picks: The Foreign Exchange

The Foreign Exchange "Daykeeper" (featuring Muhsinah)
Zero 7 "Today"
Owusu and Hannibal "Le Fox"
Radiohead "Everything in it's Right Place"
John Legend "Maxine"
Coldplay "Parachutes"
Crosby, Stills & Nash "Carry On"
Prince "Pop Life"
The Free Design "Lullaby" (J-Nova Remix)
Blaze "Found Love" (Fanatix Vocal Mix)
Zero 7 "You're My Flame"
Stevie Wonder "Power Flower"
Badly Drawn Boy "Once Around the Block"
The Foreign Exchange "All or Nothing/Coming Home to You" (featuring Darien Brockington)

One song that should be on this playlist is Stevie Wonder's "If She Breaks Your Heart" from the Jungle Fever Soundtrack which is covered on LIAB.

John Williams, Indiana Jones: The Soundtracks Collection

Regardless of how you felt earlier this year about the fourth installment in the Indiana Jones series, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, one thing is certain: John Williams sure nailed that theme song 27 years ago. The Soundtracks Collection features enchanting music from the entire adventure thus far (Harrison Ford has expressed interest in a fifth feature, but who knows), including remastered and expanded editions of Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Temple of Doom, and The Last Crusade soundtracks, the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull soundtrack, and interviews with Williams, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas. There's a lot of music here to explore, so let the adventure begin.