The Napster Blog

Napster Beta - Player and Navigation Enhancements

We wanted to give you a heads-up on some recently released changes to the Napster Beta. Many of you told us that you want the ability to add all the songs in your queue to a playlist—we listened and now have that functionality available! Also, we've added player status notifications when adding albums and songs to your queue and when deleting songs from a playlist. We've also tweaked some navigational elements in the header at the top of the page to make it easier for you to get around the site. These changes include menu drop-downs on hover-over with your mouse and clearer links to learn more about the Beta.

We are excited to have the Napster Blog integrated into the Beta. The Napster Blog has a ton of rich content about new releases, album reviews and other events in the world of music. Each piece is delivered by our staff of professional writers daily. Today, you can read about Michael Jackson, Taylor Swift and the American Music Awards or learn about music inspired by the Berlin Wall on the 20th anniversary of its fall.

That's it for now! More news on the new Napster Beta will be out soon...

-Bill Coats

Sr. Product Manager

Napster Playlist Challenge: Round 12 Reminder

There's a little over two weeks left to submit a playlist for round 12 of the Napster Playlist Challenge, so if you'd like a chance at 20 free MP3s and having your playlist featured on Napster, now's the time to get your playlists in! This round's theme is Holiday Music—we're looking for a set of songs that celebrate the holidays in fun fashion. All entries must be submitted by 3 a.m. EST on December 9, 2009. Happy playlist-making, and good luck!

 

For more information on how to submit a playlist for consideration, please see Round 12 Instructions.

Lady GaGa, The Fame Monster

When she appeared on the pop music scene it was so easy to summarily dismiss Lady GaGa as a one-trick pony, attention-starved pop starlet who never wore pants as I admittedly did. But throughout this year Lady GaGa has managed to transform both me and the pop landscape. I can now declare I was wrong; we need Lady GaGa in pop music. She brings the drama, the glamor and the sense of the spectacle that we were clearly lacking. She is exactly the kind of risk-taker that helps propel pop forward and I can't be the only one impatiently anticipating the new year and what the GaGanator will bring us.
For now, we have the eight brand new tracks on The Fame Monster. According to the superstar herself, it is a look at the darker side of fame. Lyrics such as "He ate my heart/Then he ate my brain" from "Monster" or "I want your ugly/I want your disease" from lead single "Bad Romance" both attest to this darker vibe. But no worries, the music is still all catchy dance beats that sound a little ABBA, a little Madonna, and bits of both Queen's rock-opera style and Depeche Mode's vibrant '80s synths. Overall, it's the perfect bite-size sample of over-the-top monstrous drama that only Lady GaGa could deliver.

Michael Jackson and Taylor Swift Dominate AMAs

It was a big night for many artists at the American Music Awards, whether they were performing or nominated, but in the end, the awards show was dominated by just two people: Michael Jackson and Taylor Swift. The late and great Mr. Jackson took honors for Favorite Male Artist in both the pop/rock and soul/R&B categories, while his hits collection, Number Ones, was Favorite Album in those categories as well. Swift had similar success, taking Favorite Female Artist awards in the pop/rock, adult contemporary, and country categories and earning Favorite Country Album honors for Fearless. And then, Swift managed to trump the King of Pop by taking home the Artist of the Year award. What a night. Other winners included Green Day, Jay-Z, Keith Urban, Beyonce, and Rascal Flatts, but the biggest thrills came with the performances: Janet Jackson (pictured) opened the show and was followed by over-the-top live performances from the likes of Shakira, Black Eyed Peas, Whitney Houston, a laser-shooting Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez having a slight fall, Lady GaGa playing a piano covered in glass and fire and an eye-popping closing number from Adam Lambert.

Freeland, Cope Remixed

Adam Freeland is one of the pioneers behind the nu skool breaks movement and the founder of the Marine Parade label. We first brought you news of Freeland’s new musical project and album back in June; well, now he's breaking new ground yet again with a totally remixed version of the release linked to his latest side project. How is a remix album breaking any new ground? Simply put, we can’t remember the last time someone brought together such a variety of artists from different genres to work on a single project.

The double-length album includes a new and exciting exploration of the remixing arts with the experimental rock/electronic hybrid of El Ten Eleven and the space disco of Prinz Thomas. Equally fresh is the touch such electronic and glitch hybrid men like Nosaj Thing, Siriusmo. and the electronic duo of Marty Party and the Glitch Mob’s OOAH (who make up the group PANTyRAiD) bring to the proceedings. The exploding genre of dubstep is represented by super heavyweights Joker, TRG, and Emalkay. High Rankin even throws his dubstep remix in the ring and then tackles a second song where he takes a stab at the kind of bassline house that puts his version side-by-side with the version AC Slater delivers. Electro interpretations are contributed by French and UK outlets Golden Bug, Shadow Dancer, and Grum. Various degrees of house are visited by Alex Metric, My Faust, and Zombie Nation, while techno is represented to the same degree by Marc Romboy, Gui Boratto, and Glimpse. Drum-and-bass renditions are presented by Bristol’s TC and Welsh duo Jenkinsound. Even Marine Parade’s own Evil Nine makes an appearance with an instrumental breakbeat example of a Freeland original.

As you can see, there’s a whole lot to explore throughout this 24-track extravaganza. Time to get started.

Music Inspired by the Berlin Wall

With the recent 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in mind, we've been taking a look back at some of the more memorable songs that were either inspired by or later dedicated to the infamous Cold War creation. Here's what we've found:

"99 Luftballons" by Nena: This song was conceived when Carlo Karges, Nena's guitarist, saw a bunch of balloons released at a Rolling Stones concert in Berlin and wondered what would happen if they crossed over the Wall into East Germany. The German-language song, later recorded in English, is one of the highest-charting foreign-language songs ever on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at #2.

"Nikita" by Elton John: The video for this 1985 ballad about star-crossed lovers depicts Sir Elton repeatedly crossing an East Berlin checkpoint to romance a beautiful Soviet border guard named "Nikita."  Interestingly, it was Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev who originally gave the order to build the Berlin Wall.

"Heresy" by Rush: The lyrics are unequivocally about the fall of the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall: ""All across that dull gray world from Moscow to Berlin...walls go tumbling in..."

"Holidays in the Sun" by The Sex Pistols: One of the last singles recorded by the band before their breakup (and eventual reunion). Interesting quote from Johnny Rotten: "I loved Berlin. I loved the wall and the insanity of the place. The communists looked in on the circus atmosphere of West Berlin, which never went to sleep, and that would be their impression of the West."

"Looking for Freedom" by David Hasselhoff: It's well known that the 'Hoff is bigger in Germany than he ever was in the U.S. (which is actually saying a lot). But few may remember at this point that "Looking for Freedom" was #1 in Germany for eight weeks in 1989 and became an unofficial soundtrack to the fall of the Wall. In fact, Hasselhoff performed the song at a huge New Year's celebration at the Brandenburg Gate only a few weeks later.

"Wind of Change" by Scorpions: This is one of the most recognizable songs celebrating the destruction of the Berlin Wall and more generally the fall of communist regimes throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Not surprisingly, the song was and still is massively popular in Germany, home of the Scorpions.

The Wall by Pink Floyd: The album wasn't actually inspired by the Berlin Wall—it's a reference to Roger Waters' desire to create a metaphorical "wall" between him and his fans. However, Waters famously organized a mega-concert performance of this iconic rock opera in Berlin several months after the Wall came down and released The Wall—Live in Berlin in September 1990.

Big Kenny, The Quiet Times of a Rock and Roll Farm Boy

Kenny Alphin (better known as Big Kenny) has long had an artistic flair for taking his music in unexpected directions. The Big half of Big & Rich (John Rich being the Rich half, of course) actively defies genre labeling, and his new album, The Quiet Times of a Rock and Roll Farm Boy, finds his rogue tendencies intact, if not growing. This is an odd record. Like his 2005 solo album, Live a Little (which was actually recorded in 1999, long before Big & Rich became famous), Big Kenny veers wildly from influence to influence. Quiet Times features modern pseudo-country mixed with arena-rock anthems and Kenny's quavery crooning. And quirks. Plenty of those. Describing the album with such words may not sound very appealing, but Kenny makes it all hang together somehow. Perhaps it's not his best work, but the more adventurous of his fans will still enjoy the ride.

Electronica Staff Picks

Experience trance at its finest under the command of the world’s biggest mix DJ, Tiesto. In Search of Sunrise 4—Latin America is the 2005 album inspired by Tiesto’s tour through South America. Check out the last two tracks for nonstop mixes (each over an hour) of the included tunes.
 

Nu Skool breaks innovators and stars of the Finger Lickin’ label, the Plump DJs were featured in 2009’s Coachella music festival. Their newest joint is the single “My Hi Tops,” released this week. As fresh as ever, it features break-beat snippets with a focused bass line. House remixes of the track follow courtesy of the UK’s Riva Starr.

Mark Tailor creates drum and bass tracks of a somewhat sinister nature. With this week’s release of the Hater EP, Tailor delivers a series of singles that experiment with different rhythms and atmospheric textures. The track “Battlestar” may ring a bell for fans of the popular Battlestar Galactica series appearing on the SyFy (formerly SciFi) network.

Leeds DJ and producer Filthy Rich teams up with the Brighton duo (Ben) Prok & (James) Fitch on this latest house single. This partnership rings in an electro wave that ebbs and flows, but rises at its highest peaks to exceed the highest dance floor standards.

 

Ghana Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds, & Ghanaian Blues

As on his previous anthologies, Ghana Soundz and Nigeria Special, anthologist and Soundways label chief Miles Claret has assembled a complete picture of a short-lived era in West African music with Ghana Special. The set covers the years 1968-1981, which, despite the political unrest in Ghana, were a fertile time for pop music there; many influences, including highlife, Nigerian afrobeat, jazz, soul, funk, and other forms of American and European rock can all be heard throughout. Claret spent years tracking down musicians in and around the cities of Takoradi, Accra, Cape Coast, Tema, and Kumasi in an effort to present previously uncollected material, and it's clear that Ghana Special, as with the previous volumes documenting the West African musical heritage, is a labor of love. 

Them Crooked Vultures Live at The Wiltern

Them Crooked Vultures may be a new group with a debut album of the same name, but experience is certainly not lacking with these guys. Consisting of Josh Homme and Alain Johannes of Queens of the Stone Age fame; Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters and Nirvana; and the one and only John Paul Jones of the legendary Led Zeppelin, saying that these guys "rock" would be a gross understatement. TCV most definitely know how to rock; but more than that, they are rock. Ushering in their debut album in fine style, they performed to a sold-out audience on Tuesday night at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. With Homme taking on lead vocal duties, one by one he introduced each member of the group starting with Johannes. Cheers got louder for Grohl, but none were louder and longer than the cheering for Jones. For many in the audience, including myself, it was exciting to see a legend of his caliber jamming on stage with more recent rock icons. TCV played for an hour and a half, performing most of the tracks from the album, including singles "New Fang" and "Mind Eraser, No Chaser."  And after the dizzying onslaught of winding riffs and crashing drums, Jones tied it up at the end with a keyboard solo, leaving the crowd in awe. Check their schedule and try to catch a show, as this is one show not to be missed.