Unless you're planning on being on the next space shuttle launch or in the middle of a massive migration of whales, you will not see anything cooler this week than the video below. I know that Antonio Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" has basically become aural wallpaper at this point, used for ads, film soundtracks, and snowy afternoons in front of the fire, but this rendition of "Summer" from Aleksandr Hrustevich makes you listen again with new ears. If you look away, you might not believe that all these sounds are coming from just one accordionist. It's a long way from "Mary Had a Little Lamb", that's for sure. (Hat tip: Alex Ross)
Aleksandr Hrustevich - "Summer," from Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" [YouTube]
Grammy Nomination Predictions - Best Musical Album For Children
Well, the Grammy Award nominations are being announced Wednesday night, and for what it's worth, I'm going to go out on a limb and predict the 5 nominations for the Best Musical Album For Children. (I miss doing my Oscar pool, perhaps.)
This list isn't a list of my top 5 favorites, or top 5 best -- it's the list of the 5 albums I think are most likely to be nominated from the list of eligible albums. Now, that list is missing some fairly obvious candidates. For example, They Might Be Giants' Here Comes Science, which would be a shoo-in given that, you know, it's really good and the band won the category last year, isn't on the list, tripped up by the Aug. 31 cut-off date. Lunch Money's Dizzy isn't on the list, either -- the band simply didn't submit it. Other folks, previous nominees especially, will take their place.
But here are five albums I wouldn't be surprised to see make the list (none of which would be an embarrassing choice):
Ziggy Marley - Family Time
Peter Himmelman - My Trampoline
Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer w/ Christylez Bacon - Banjo to Beatbox
Buck Howdy - Pete Seeger Tribute
The Sippy Cups - The Time Machine (hey, somebody's got to fill the Brady Rymer slot this year, right?)Blogging Product Disclosure Guidelines
So it's December 1, which means that the Federal Trade Commission's new guidance regarding endorsements, or, as I like to call it, "THE WAR AGAINST MOMMYBLOGGERS."
I'm just kidding. I've never called it that before typing it just now.
I'm going to give you the short of it here, then if you want more detail, feel free to read after the jump.
I have never received anything of monetary value (cash or otherwise) in exchange for a post. I have received products for possible review free of charge (primarily CDs and DVDs, but also a few other products), but have never accepted those products in exchange for a guarantee of a post, nor have I ever sold those products once received.
If you really want to know more, read on...
Listen To This: "Hurry Up and Light the Candles" - The Macaroons
I already gave you a heads up regarding a pretty cool Christmas song for your free downloading pleasure. As sweet as that song is, the latest track from The Macaroons surpasses it -- completely and totally awesome. I really dug their last songs, and now they're 3 for 3. Listen to "Hurry Up and Light the Candles" here or here. Regardless of your belief in free will, you'll then have no choice to go over and purchase the new EP Hurry Up, It's a JDub Kids Hanukkah at iTunes. (Note: the song titles are reversed at the moment -- you want whatever track is listed as being 2:20 in length.) You'll swoon all day and all of the night. For, like, 8 nights.Listen To This: "With a Smile (It's Christmastime)" - ScribbleMonster
New music from ScribbleMonster, even if it's a re-worked version of a previous release, even if it's holiday-themed and therefore has a somewhat limited shelf life, is always welcome. So get yourself over to the ScribbleStore and download the sweet "With a Smile (It's Christmastime)" for free -- I do so dig multiple singers singing multiple melodies.
Photo credit: the band.Listen To This: "Party Like a Twinkle Star" - Charity and the JAMband
New music from San Francisco's Charity and the JAMband and the best part is you can listen to the whole thing. Following in the steps of the Nields' Rock All Day, Rock All Night, Party Like a Twinkle Star features one up-tempo CD, one down-tempo CD. Or, as Charity puts it, "10 songs for rocking out... 10 songs for tucking in."
You can download the (rocking out, sort of) song "We Are Stardust" for free here. Or just listen to the whole darn thing below. (Click on "Download" to purchase it for $20 from the band.)
