To start off, this isn’t just your average YouTube cover. Francionado is from a small village in Portugal and with that being said, he isn’t exposed to all the snazzy technology that allows one to produce their own music ie. Dubstep.
We all know that if you want accomplish something, you must work with what you got. Francionado got on his guitar and did and amazing cover of ”Centipede” by Knife Party over a track. I’m surprised by his own influenced touch that he brought to the song, giving it a “dubsteppy” feel. I didn’t even think that was possible to do. He also has tons of other videos on his YouTube covering popular dubstep songs from Skrillex (um genius).
I felt pretty good about my ability to play “Blackbird” on the guitar but now I’m lowering my head in shame after seeing this eight-year-old girl named Zoe Thomson, who shreds her electric guitar with an apathetic expression that says “No big deal, I’m just a child prodigy.”
If you look up more guitar covers of “Stratosphere” by Stratovarius, most of them are older men who have had years of experience. Thomson goes to Newbury Rock School, which I want to believe is run by The School of Rock’s Dewey Finn.
Names: Megan and Liz
Song: “Wide Awake” by Katy Perry
Why we’re obsessed: We’re excited about the release of Katy Perry’s new video, but what about Megan and Liz’s cover? It’s not as magical and transformational as the original, but it’s still dayam good. And trust me, I’m not just saying that because I’ve watched ALL their videos!
This acoustic version is nothing short of what I’m used to hearing from these two. I love the way they share their songs instead of trying to compete, plus their harmonies are insane. They’re so emotional while singing it sounds like they’re talking to an old flame. No surprise, their video has received over 180,000 views in three days!
Background: No strangers to the music scene, these twin sisters have been uploading various covers on their YouTube page since 2007. They’ve covered everyone from Taylor Swift to Lil Wayne and perform many originals. Megan strums the guitar and they both harmonize together. They recently released their first EP.
Watch it here:
Tim Robbins will be releasing an album this July, reports Billboard.
The actor will be releasing his first album as ‘Tim Robbins and the Rogues Gallery Band.’ The album will be released on July 19.
Robbins worked with 429 Records on the effort, and the band also plans to tour North America beginning July 8.
They will begin their tour at the Winnipeg Folk Festival and work their way across Canada, eventually hitting up Los Angeles and New York before finishing at the Edmonton Folk Festival.
Little did I know, the oscar-winer has been a musician for decades. Robbins has apparently created music for his film ‘Bob Roberts’, and has contributed to the soundtracks of ‘Dead Man Walking,’ ‘Human Nature’ and ‘Catch a Fire.’
He also plays guitar and is a songwriter, which is no surprise that he wrote the nine songs on the album. I didn’t know he was so musically inclined, but I can’t wait to hear what his voice and music sounds like!
In celebration of her seventh studio album 100 Miles From Memphis, Sheryl Crow is teaming up with andPOP.com to give one lucky fan a brand new, autographed acoustic guitar. Enter here for your chance to win.
100 Miles From Memphis, featuring the single “Summer Day,” is available now. Grab it now on iTunes, and don’t miss Sheryl on tour now through October.
Contest ends August 8/10. Open to residents of the United States only. Read the complete contest rules here. Read more…
I walk into the dressing room at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre in Toronto to meet with pop singer and guitar sensation Orianthi. With her blonde hair tied in pigtail braids under a hat, she stands up to greet me. Orianthi reaches out one hand to shake mine, and in the other hand she holds a stuffed animal chicken. Apparently I am the only one in the room who finds this peculiar.
“I grew up with chickens and I want to have a chicken out on the road with me but I can’t,” she says, staring at the stuffed toy that now sits on the coffee table in front of her. “Everyone keeps giving me chickens, stuffed ones, so hopefully I’ll get a real rooster. That would be awesome. I’ve had chickens as pets since I was really young.”
At this point everyone in the room is giggling, including Orianthi and I. She flashes a gorgeous smile that lets me know she does not take herself too seriously. And for someone who became instantly famous for being Michael Jackson’s main guitarist in This Is It, that is no easy feat.
“A lot of people say that,” Orianthi says of the fact that even though she now has an established singing career of her own, she is still widely known as the girl who played guitar for Michael Jackson. “I don’t want to break away from that because I got to work with him for three months. … It was such an awesome time and I wish he was still around.”
After months of downing excessive amounts of alcohol and chomping on fried food, Gwyneth Paltrow is getting herself back together, says People.com.
Don’t be too alarmed, she wasn’t on a downward spiral like most celebs these days – it was for a movie role, but the lifestyle had real-life repercussions on her body.
“I was so bad with the food and alcohol in Nashville,” the 37-year-old actress tells Harper’s Bazaar in its May issue about her role as an alcoholic country singer in the new film, Love Don’t Let Me Down.
“If you saw me naked [now] compared to what I looked like when I did Iron Man 2, when I was exercising every day – I’ll get it back together, but I’ve never eaten so much fried food and white flour in my life, ever,” said the mother-of-two.
PARTY ON!
In early 2006 Harmonix split ways with the Guitar Hero series and went off with MTV to create Rock Band leaving Activision to contract Neversoft to re-build the game that Harmonix arguably perfected. This move marked the day that split the plastic instrument community right down the middle.
While some people saw no problem with the direction that Guitar Hero went in there is a hardcore contingency of people that would like nothing more than to see Guitar Hero vanish into obscurity and let Harmonix’s Rock Band franchise rule supreme. It has been said that ever since Rock Band was released Guitar Hero has been scrambling to avoid doing just that by “ripping off” Rock Band any chance they get. Well if that’s the case then on September 1st, 2009 they finally caught up. Read more…
Multi-Platinum Alternative rock band Linkin Park have just released their much-anticipated track for Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen. The single “New Divide” will serve as the official theme song for the movie which is slated for silver screen release on June 24th. Working intimately with composers Steve Jablonsky and Hans Zimmer for the project, Linkin Park contributed their hard-driving, alternative rock sensibility to the film’s score in addition to the title track. “New Divide,” is now available exclusively on iTunes. Be sure to download your copy today!
Still haven’t had your fix of Linkin Park? Enter now to win a custom Fender Squier guitar from Linkin Park, fully decked out with official artwork from the newTransformers movie: Revenge Of The Fallen!
Enter now. Contest ends July 5th.
Static-X has just released their heaviest album in years!
Cult of Static features more of the hard-charging industrial metal their legions of fans have come to expect from the California killing machine.
To help celebrate the release and their current tour, Static-X and AndPop.com are giving one fan a chance to win a special Wayne Static signature model ESP guitar.
How cool is that?! Read more…
Peak Products, a gaming peripheral company specializing in instrument gaming controllers, has just announced the release of Starpex, the first full size, wood, PS2/PS3 guitar controller that strives to look and feel like a real guitar. The controller is designed for the popular Guitar Hero and Rock Band games.
The Starpex has an instrument-quality, high-gloss lacquered finish with a hardwood body, neck and headstock. The Starpex features a unique button that provides the fast and accurate access to Star Power and Overdrive modes in Guitar Hero and Rock Band. In addition, the Starpex has an optimized whammy car and an enhanced strum bar to help maximize scoring, according to a press release from Park Products.
The Starpex also features a high-quality ten fret button design. Ten fret buttons mean that players have the option of using traditionally positioned fret button, or can choose to use the solo button high up on the neck of the guitar controller.
The Starpex will be available in Circuit City and various other retailers for about $180 by late August.
