Finally, a way to share mixtapes online!

There has been some viral marketing for the launch of a new website called Muxtape.com. Muxtape.com allows you to create an account for free and upload 12 songs to make your own mixtape and share with others. Yes, it may be only one mixtape but this is a step in the right direction. It's mixtapes meet Web 2.0! Who woulda thunkit?

While this may seem really cool and all, there are a few catches. Here is Muxtape's terms of service:

Muxtape is a service for creating mixtapes. Users may not upload multiple songs from the same album or artist, or songs they do not have permission to let Muxtape use. Individual users may not create multiple muxtapes. Accounts not meeting these restrictions are subject to termination without notice. Muxtape will never reveal your email address to a third party. Muxtape is alive.

So don't be expecting to upload a full album and keep your account.

I'm going to be making my own playlist in the next few days to share with all of my readers. You can find my Muxtape page right here.

Do you have a Muxtape? Started one? Share yours here!

It's Lips Appreciation Week!

I just received an email from The Flaming Lips newsletter, and it told me that Lips Appreciation Week starts today!

How can you celebrate? Well...I'd say blast some Lips on your stereo, iPod, Zune, or computer box? Are you a Transmissions from the Satellite Heart kind of guy, or are you more Soft Bulletin/Yoshima? Yeah, At War With the Mystics has some good stuff; I don't blame you.

If you don't have any of their music, go over to their Myspace or you can go to their official page and stream music by hitting the "Audio" tab on the upper-right navigation bar.

The Lips are giving a special 15% off deal on all of their lithographs at their online store. So if you're into the Flaming Lips, and you're into art, this is your week. Go over to the store and check out their stuff.

Happy Lips Appreciation Week!

Grunt brings down the house at South Portland High School

I have some friends in a hardcore/punk band called Grunt, and they just performed at the South Portland High School coffeehouse Wednesday night. The event was full of dancing, singing, and other things, but it was this act and two other loud bands (one of them being Sawtopsy, formerly The Black Mass Ritual) that brought the noise and raised the roof.

While I may not be a big fan of the genre, I can definitely appreciate their performance. Lead singer Henry Clark has a great hardcore stage presence while Sean Esten and Dan Smith shred up their guitars with Nick Doane slams away at the drums.

Here's the video of them doing two songs, "Revenge" and "Knife Fight":

CD Review: Satellite Lot - Sleepwalk in a Burning Building

Satellite Lot’s newest album is a blast from the past, full of idiosyncrasies from 80’s New Wave with influences from bands like Talking Heads, The Smiths, and Depeche Mode. This band goes back to my favorite era of music with layered synthesizers, expansive use of drum kit, and reverb vocals.

Sleepwalk in a Burning Building starts off very strongly with the first four tracks. “Up Against the Far Right Wall” immerses the listener right into the 80’s new wave vibe with synth-bass, bouncy popcorn synth, and Police-esque vocalizations by female vocalist Sydney Bourke. “Never Again” has a very Shins-meet-80’s feel to it, and that’s supposed to be a very flattering analogy. “Liberation Front” makes great use of laser-synth, and it has a pretty trumpet part that adds a lot to the mood of the song. “Disappointed” dives into a Smiths feel with sullen but outspoken vocals about a hurt relationship. In these songs, the lead singer’s voice is consistent but has enough range to make for a solid vocalist.

Don't Forget To Vote in Portland Phoenix's Best Music Poll!

The Phoenix is running it's yearly Best Music Poll, so click on and vote for your favorite local bands and musicians! Vote here!

Here are some bands you'll find in the Portland polls:

Satellite Lot

The Rattlesnakes

Honey Clouds

Cult Maze

Wicked Music Videos: Pt. 11

Today's video is brought to you by Canadian indie rockers The New Pornographers. My mom and brother have been getting me into their music, and it's good stuff--plain and simple. Neko Case, the female singer, is the highlight of this song and many other songs. She has such a wonderful voice, and it goes so well with their mix of dancey pop music and rock & roll.

If you want a new band to invest in, I would choose these guys. For starters, I would get their second album Electric Version.

Here's a song from Electric Version called "The Laws Have Changed". Enjoy!

The New Pornographers - The Laws Have Changed

What's your dream cover?

If there was one band, one musician to cover a great song, who would it be? Yes, I'm asking all of my readers what their dream cover would be. Your dream band playing your dream song. Let your imagination run wild!

For me...well, I've been thinking of this one for quite a few weeks. I think it would be amazing if Beirut did a cover of Radiohead's "Motion Picture Soundtrack", the last track from the conceptual Kid A. Zach Condon of Beirut has such a beautiful, moving voice; his vocal style is already very similar to Thom Yorke's not in the sound, but the way they both bend their pitch with such ease. The musical style of Beirut could transform "Motion Picture" from a pseudo-futuristic, Utopian ballad to a Victorian, exotic romance.

To give you the idea, here's Radiohead's "Motion Picture Soundtrack" and a music video by Beirut.

Dominic and the Lucid, The Leftovers and Jeff Beam playing at USM this Saturday!

USM local rocker Jeff Beam will be joined by Portland psychedelic rock group Dominic and the Lucid and Portland punk rockers The Leftovers on Saturday, March 8th at the Brooks Student Center on the USM Gorham campus.

Jeff Beam, Dominic and the Lucid, and The Leftovers

Download the new Nine Inch Nails album free and legally!

Nine Inch Nails has released Ghosts I on The Pirate Bay, a peer-to-peer network infamously known for the pirating and distributing of illegal copies of records, movies, games and other media. But The Pirate Bay doesn't just distribute illegal media. It distributes anything people wish to upload, and that includes legal copies of Nine Inch Nails' latest album (well, only the first volume).

Click here to download Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I using Bit Torrent
Click here to download Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I if you don't have Bit Torrent

How could they do this? Don't they belong to a record label? What will the RIAA say? Well, if you don't remember from last Fall, NIN's frontman Trent Reznor announced his declaration of independence from record labels. Nine Inch Nails is free to do what they want now, and one of the big things they're doing now is shaping the future of music distribution.

(Guest review) Elton John at the Civic Center - 2/28

For this article, I have a very special guest...my mom, Melissa Martin! She went to the Elton John concert last Thursday and wrote a very thorough and detailed report of the show. I'm going to sit back for this one and let my mom explain the wonders of Elton John to you...

Three weeks ago… Elton John is coming to town… Boy, the tickets are expensive. He’s alone with no band… At the Civic Center… A hockey arena… Nah… I can see him just as good on a DVD or TV. Ok… Like an itch you can’t scratch… Tickets went on sale today… I got caught up in work… All the good seats must be gone… Oh, it’s just as well…

Four days later, sitting at my computer, I decide that I really wanted to go. If I plug in one seat, where would it be? Typing the code for authentication on Ticketmaster… Section E Row 14…God, it’s a LOT of money. More than I’ve ever spent on a ticket and it’s not even a scalper! My finger involuntarily clicks the mouse … “Thank you for your order.” it said. “Why did I do that?” I said to myself, but I knew why.

Elton John - The Greatest Discovery

Why? Because all of the times I heard him on the radio in the 70’s. I remember looking through my friends’ Sister’s albums that she got from Columbia Record Club. One of them was Elton’s Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. That album had a gatefold album jacket that opened up. Inside, lots of great artwork and the booklet that contained all of the lyrics, pictures and details of who played on the album. Reading the credits… Wow! “Better Off Dead” has a double drum track! I LOVED that album. I declared that Elton John was my favorite artist in 1975. I play the piano and got the piano music to play along with the records...

Today’s the day. Ok. Got home from work I talked to my fiancé and he said something about, “Now watch out for the tears…” I said, “What?” He said, “Well, his music means something to you. It might move you to tears.” Well, NOTHING prepared me for the emotions that I felt when the lights went down…