Beginning today, our iPad app has been updated to include a new way to discover music! The app now displays songs tagged by Shazamers around the world in real-time. We call it our Tag Stream. It’s a unique way to discover music and looks amazing on iPad’s beautiful large screen size.
If you already use Shazam on iPad, you’ll be prompted to update your app to access the new feature – don’t worry – you won’t lose your tags! New users are invited to download and enjoy unlimited tagging for free as the app is still in “launch offer” mode.
We hope you enjoy the new version of Shazam on iPad – if you do, don’t be shy please write a review! Click here for more info.
After much hype and anticipation, the first single from Magnetic Man will be released on 25th July through Columbia Records. The coming together of Dubstep bigshots Skream, Benga and Artwork has been tipped by many to produce one of the albums of the year and ‘I Need Air’ provides a strong preview of their forthcoming debut. Featuring the vocal talents of Angela Hunte – who co-wrote the massive Alicia Keys single ‘New York State Of Mind’ – the track opens with pulsating synths stabs before welcoming a lairy bassline into the proceedings. Treading a line between dubstep and hands aloft electro pop, ‘I Need Air’ is sure to appeal to dance music fans from across the board – not simply to followers of their previous work.
‘I Need Air’ signals the start of a hectic period for the band. Not only do they have to fit their touring schedule around Skream and Benga’s hectic DJ schedule, but Skream has also readied his second solo album ‘Outside The Box’ for release later this year. Magnetic Man will play the following dates later this year. Head to their website for more details.
26th October – Waterfront, Norwich.
28th October – Trinity, Bristol.
29th October – Warehouse Project, Manchester.
30th October – Sub Club, Glasgow.
2nd November – Concorde II, Brighton.
3rd November – Heaven, London.
4th November – Cockpit, Leeds.
5th November – Trent University, Nottingham.
This year’s Lovebox Festival is less than two weeks away. From 16th-18th of July London’s Victoria Park will be taken over by a wealth audible treats featuring the likes of Dizzee Rascal, Roxy Music, Grace Jones, Chase & Status and Hot Chip. Originally conceived by Groove Armada’s Andy Cato and Tom Findlay, the festival has steadily risen to become one of the highlights of London’s festival season. The site now holds around 50,000 revelers spread out over 6 stages and tents, playing host to staggering batch of bands and DJs.
This year Lovebox is giving one unsigned band the enviable prize of opening the festival. The entrants have been whittled down to five acts and Lovebox needs your help in choosing the right one. Simply head here to listen to the bands and vote for your favourite. In return, you could win one of ten pairs of tickets to this year’s festival.
To get you in the mood Lovebox have compiled three separate playlists – one for each day of the festival. Listen now to Friday, Saturday & Sunday for the perfect build up. For those who aren’t lucky to win, head to the official site as some weekend and day tickets are still available.
When last year Icelandic superstar Björk agreed to play a benefit gig at a New York bookstore with Brooklyn’s artiest band The Dirty Projectors, their leader Dave Longstreth decided it was time to prepare something special.
Well-known for sharing an interest for the most experimental side of music; instead of going through their respective repertoires, the artists decided to embark on a new project, whose songs were written by Longstreth. The lyrics were inspired by Amber Coffman’s experience watching a family of whales in North California. The Dirty Projectors leader wrote the songs thinking on different vocal roles for Björk –as the mum whale- and Amber and the other female members of his band as the offspring. All of this shaped ‘Mount Wittenberg Orca’.
A year after they performed the songs, the artists got together again to record them ‘as quickly and live as possible’ after three days of rehearsals.
The ‘Mount Wittenberg Orca’ mini album is now available for download in exchange for a donation to a project in collaboration with the National Geographic Society, whose aim is to help creating international marine protected areas.
You can download the album and find out more about the project here.
One of its tracks, ‘All We Are’, can be also streamed below.
More than a year and multiple delays after its originally planned release date, the fans were beginning to think that the long awaited solo album by Outkast’s Big Boi would never happen. But maybe thanks to the recent success of ‘Shutterbugg’, one of his latest singles, ‘Sir Luscious Lef Foot: Son Of Chico Dusty’ is finally seeing the light of day.
Although a big part of the album’s content has been released over the last 12 months, with acclaimed tracks such as ‘Fo Yo Sorrows’ in collaboration with George Clinton and ‘Street Blockas’ featuring heavily in many best of 2009; the final tracklist is still being the subject of much speculation with rumours of the record company refusing to include the track ‘Looking 4 You’ recorded with the other half of Outkast , Andre 3000.
The album, though, is no ways short of stellar collaborations with some the most popular artists within the new crop of hip-hop crop including T.I., Gucci Mane, B.o.B and Yelawolf. It also counts with the talents of recent R&B stars such as Jamie Foxx or Janelle Monáe.
‘Sir Luscious…’ is available for streaming at Big Boi’s MySpace until it hits the shops on July 6th.
After a sold out show last year, revered DJ Tiësto returns to London’s Victoria Park this summer. Last year’s event attracted more than 25,000 clubbers and this summer’s event is likely to follow suit. While the Dutch DJ would probably be enough of a draw himself, the lineup is bolstered by a special appearance from Australian stadium dance behemoths Pendulum.
However, the line up doesn’t stop there; Tiësto has also pulled in some of the world’s finest DJ talent, spread across three other arenas. The Mixmag and Don’t Stay, House Rules and Future Disco all curate an arena, with a jaw dropping display of DJ’s including Eddie Halliwell, South Central, Gareth Wyn and Greg Wilson to name a few.
Luckily – for one competition winner and a friend – we have a pair of tickets to giveaway for the event on 30th July 2010. For the chance to win this prize, send your answer to the below question to competition@shazamteam.com.
Cementing his reputation as one of the busiest men in music, Mark Ronson returns with his forthcoming single ‘Bang Bang Bang’. Featuring the talents of legendary rapper (and fan of Shazam) Q-Tip and Californian Electro Pop starlet MNDR, the track embraces a distinctly more electronic sound than his previous – and sometime much maligned – horn heavy retro pop sound. Taken from his forthcoming new album ‘Record Collection’, the album is the first release under Ronson’s new moniker Mark Ronson And The Business. Predictably the album features a plethora of collaborations including The Drums Jonathan Pierce, Miike Snow and Boy George.
‘Bang Bang Bang’ is accompanied by a particularly bombastic video that takes its pointers from the 80’s movie Tron. Ronson controls a plethora of synthesizers while Q-Tip and MNDR trade vocals. The clip is directed by Warren Fu who also directed this brilliant video for Julian Casablancas’ ‘11th Dimension’.
One common problem that affects all festival goers is keeping in touch with their friends. One obvious solution is to take your mobile along with you, however with many festivals lasting over three days lack of battery life is a common problem for many. While charging points can be located at most festivals, no-one wants to be stuck in a queue while you could be watching bands. Thankfully Orange have come up with a solution;
Wellies have always been an essential item at festivals and Orange, in collaboration with renewable energy experts GotWind, have created a unique power generated sole that converts heat from your feet into an electrical current. So after a full day of walking and throwing shapes in the dance tent, you’ll have built up enough energy to stay in touch with your mates; or give people stuck in work smug phone calls! Just simply plug your phone into your wellies at the end of the day and you’ll be ready for the next day
While the wellies aren’t onsale just yet, we’ve already put in our orders in preparation, for more info head here.
After much documented delays and rejected drafts, Klaxons have finally confirmed details of their second album. ‘Surfing The Void’ will be released through Polydor on August 23rd preceded by lead single ‘Echoes’ on August 16th. Fans of the band have already been given a preview with album track ‘Flashover’ currently streaming from the bands website.
Produced by Ross Robinson, the album is sure to be a more frantic affair than their Mercury Prize winning debut. While we’re yet to hear the album in full, the artwork is already a contender for one of the best we’ve seen this year. The tracklisting is as follows:
Beginning today, our iPad app has been updated to include a new way to discover music! The app now displays songs tagged by Shazamers around the world in real-time. We call it our Tag Stream. It’s a unique way to discover music and looks amazing on iPad’s beautiful large screen size.
