Is there anybody out there?

Hi! I'm just wondering if anyone is still following this blog. It's been an awful long time since I posted anything here, and I keep meaning to come back to it but I never seem to find the time for it. I also don't really seek out free downloads the way I used to (in fact, I wonder if the idea of downloading music vs. just streaming it is still something that most people do), so there really hasn't been much for me to write about anyway.

However, music remains an incredibly important part of my life, and I still manage to find ways of listening to new music without spending a ton of money on it. I think I'd like to try writing some posts about the music I've been listening to, even if it's not necessarily available for free anywhere, as well as ways of obtaining music through means other than downloading. Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't - I'll give it a try and we'll see what happens.

So if anyone happens to read this, why not post a quick comment to say hi, how you're doing, what you've been listening to lately, etc. Talk to you soon, hopefully!

Soundgarden - "Live to Rise"

Nearly three months ago, I said, "I think I'm finally ready to start posting here again too."  It was a nice thought, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be.  Oh well - I still think of this blog quite often, but the combination of good free music and time to write about it has been rather elusive.  I have a good song for you tonight, though.

Over the last couple of years, Soundgarden have been slowly but surely putting together one of the best reunions I've ever witnessed, although it probably helps that I was a massive fan of them back in the 90s when they broke up.  From a few one-off shows, to a compilation album packed with hits, rarities, and a brand new song (albeit one that was written and partially recorded nearly two decades prior to its release), to their first-ever live album, to their first tour in fourteen years, to a new album that is due to be released sometime this year, they have once again become a musical force to be reckoned with.  Today marked yet another milestone in their return: the release of their first newly written single since they began their reunion.  "Live to Rise" will be featured on the soundtrack to The Avengers and, for a limited time, can be downloaded for free from iTunes.

I hear a bit of an Audioslave sound in most of the song, but in reality I guess it's more of a Chris Cornell sound, since he wrote the song.  The guitar solo is definitely all Soundgarden, though - I've really missed Kim Thayil all these years!  The best part is that this is just a taste of what is to come - I can't wait to hear the new album!

Happy listening!

URL:

http://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/live-to-rise-single/id516435279

Daniel Bautista - Symphony No. 1 in A minor, Op. 12

Hey, remember me?  It's been an awfully long time since I've posted here - more than a year, it seems, and even longer since I've posted regularly.  I think I just got overwhelmed with a lot of things in 2010, and blogging was something that had to go, despite a few attempts to get back into it.  However,  I had a wonderful time posting about Christmas music on my other blog last month, so I think I'm finally ready to start posting here again too.

The first album I want to share is Daniel Bautista's Symphony No. 1 in A minor, Op. 12.  If you're a longtime reader of this blog, you might recognize the name from a post I did about three years ago.  This new album has as its centerpiece an original symphony for guitars, drums, and bass.  It sounds like an extremely ambitious undertaking, but I think he pretty much nailed it.  Even though I was already familiar with his work, I still found myself pleasantly surprised by this album.  It's very heavy, complex, and melodic.  It's also very memorable - I have caught myself humming and whistling some of the themes from it on many occasions.  I really hope that the "No. 1" in the title is a sign of things to come - I would love to hear more symphonies from this amazingly talented musician.

After the four movements of the symphony have concluded, there are a few bonus tracks to round out the album, including a beautiful version of Satie's  "Gymnopedie No. 1" and a cool progressive metal track called "Free Guitars Forever".  All in all, I would highly recommend this album to any fans of classical or progressive metal music.

Happy listening!

URL:

http://www.jamendo.com/en/album/104855