A list of music search engines

1:58 PM // by Pär // , , // 0 kommentarer


I once heard a romour that there's a lot of music to download on the internet, both legally and less so (depends if you ask the record companies or not). And where there is files you need a search engine to find them and that's why I've put together a list with some of these search engines. There's not much that differs the sites, to be honest: the finds are more or less the same (maybe because a lot of the engines uses Google under the hood), som lets you stream the song and sometimes you can embed the song on your homepage or blog.
Knock yourself out:
  • Shareminer - uses Google and lets you search for more than music files.
  • SSMünch - download or stream. You can also search for lyrics and videos.
  • Wuzam - download or stream. Link to Wikipedia on the artist you searched for.
  • Search Hacker - uses Google and lets you search for more than music files.
  • Skreemr - download or stream. Provides an advanced search where you can choose bitrate and length of song.
  • FilesTube - search and download many different file types.
  • AudioRaider - search music files with the help of Google.
  • SeeqPod - stream the searched song.
  • G2p - uses Google and lets you search for more than music files.
  • AirMp3 - download or stream.

I'd like to add that I'm a firm believer on buying the music that you like, but to explore known and unknown artists search engines such as theese can be helpful.

In rainbows is actually really good

4:00 PM // by Pär // , // 0 kommentarer


I was pretty sceptical when Radiohead released their free album "In Rainbows" this fall. But I decided, months after everybody else, to give it a shot, and I'm glad I did. It contains a bunch of good, mellow songs which, at times, reminds me of Sigur Rós but you can clearly hear that it's Radiohead we're dealing with. You won't find a hit single on this record, the songs will sneak up on you and before you know it you're enjoying "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" even though you thought it was a bore the first time you heard it. Not the greatest album in the history of music, but if you give it a listen you might end up appreciating it. I sure did.
Below a YouTube-clip with the previously mentioned "Jigsaw Falling Into Place". Read more about the group here.

The covers to Opeth's new album Watershed

4:15 PM // by Pär // // 0 kommentarer
Opeth has revealed how the cover to their new album "Watershed" is going to look. The regular cover looks like this:



And the Limited Edition looks like this:



I can easily say that I prefer the regular on who has a classic Opeth-cover style. The Limited Edition feels almost as if Mikael Åkerfeldt's pulling a prank on us. But I guess not. Anywhay, it's the music that matters and for that we'll have to wait until June 2nd.

Genesis bootleg: The Light Goes Down On Empire

3:58 PM // by Pär // , // 0 kommentarer


Today, exactly 33 years ago, Genesis played a show at Empire Pool, Wembley, London and someone recorded it and called it "The Light Goes Down On Empire". This ought to be Peter Gabriel's last tour before leaving the band, but I'm not 100 % sure of that. The quality of the recording is excellent for a bootleg and since it's the "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway"-tour the majority of the songs are from that album. The songs are pretty similar to the original but a few changes has been done to them. You can listen to the entire recording here.

New release from No-Man

3:41 PM // by Pär // , // 0 kommentarer


One of Steven Wilson's side project's called No-Man and of some reason I've totally missed this one even though Steven's in the group. Anyway... the band's due to release a new album, "Schoolyard Ghosts", May 12th and from that the song "Truenorth" is the first (and only?) single to be released.
Tim Bownes is the other half of the band and he does the singing while Steven does everything else. Allmusic states that the band shows interest in many styles of music but the single "Truenorth" reminds me of Blackfield or Porcupine Tree on morphine. Not a bad thing at all, it shall be interesting to hear the full album.



More info about the forthcoming album can be found on this mini-site.

Guitar lessons with Tom Morello

8:37 AM // by Pär // , , // 0 kommentarer
For a long time I've been amazed by Tom Morello's (Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave) ability to create all those strange sounds from his guitar. Thanks to the two video clips down below my curiosity is now appeased. Tom shows how he, with simple means, makes the guitar sound in his own unique way. On top of this he talks about his equipment and show how to play some selected songs (e.g. "Bulls On Parade", "Cochise").
After viewing theese clips I feel an urge to go home and plug in my old, decrepit guitar into my even older east german amp and try som of Tom's trick out.

Part 1:



Part 2:

Record internet radio streams

4:07 PM // by Pär // , // 0 kommentarer


Wouldn't it be useful to record songs from your favourite internet radio station with just a press of a button? Thanks to Screamer Radio you can do just that. You can even record the full song even if it has begun. Imagine listening to an unknown song and by the time of the second verse you start to like it, then just press "REC" and it's stored on your harddrive. On top of this there's a whole bunch of preset radio stations to choose from. So if you're in the mood for some free form jazz, presto, you got thirty to try out.

I really like this program and warmly recommend it.

Oldie but goldie from Bowie

9:10 AM // by Pär // , // 0 kommentarer


Thought I throw in a nice old, but oh-so-sweet, tune from no other than David Bowie. The video clip is "Space Oddity" and was released just in time for the moon landing in 1969. I think that the majority's already heard the song before so a presentation may not be needed. What not all may know is that Rick Wakeman, known from the group Yes, is the one playing mellotron and piano on the track.





Tom Petty at Super Bowl XLII

8:18 AM // by Pär // , // 0 kommentarer


Most of the swedes have no idea how (american) football is played and thus is the Super Bowl a minor event here. I actually know the rules of the game and I can enjoy watching a game from time to time. A week and a half ago Super Bowl XLII were played and in the half time show Tom Petty performed. Since I like Petty I'll put up some clips from the event.

"Free Fallin'/Running Down A Dream"



"I Won't Back Down"



"American Girl"

The new Opeth album's called Watershed

4:18 PM // by Pär // // 0 kommentarer


The new Opeth album title is now official. It's "Watershed" and is going to be released in late May or early June.

The songs are as follows:
  • "Coil"
  • "Heir Apparent"
  • "The Lotus Eater"
  • "Burden"
  • "Porcelain Heart"
  • "Hessian Peel"
  • "Hex Omega"

Besides this four other tracks has been recorded. One own composition, "Derelict Herds", and three cover songs; Robin Trower's "Bridge Of Sighs", Marie Fredriksson's (female singer from Roxette) "Den Ständiga Resan" and Alice in Chains "Would?".

Mikael Åkerfeldt about the new record:

I've worked so hard with these songs for quite some time now, I've listened to 'em a zillion times. I don't hate them just yet! The album sounds great sonically and I think I can hear us evolving as the record plays on. It is taking us somewhere musically and I don't know where. It's very exciting to say the least! I can't remember having enjoyed a recording this much ever before.

I'm really excited about this record and it seems like an eternity to its release. Read more at Opeth.com.

Who am I?

3:03 PM // by Pär // , // 0 kommentarer
Does the world really need another music blog? Well, maybe not but as an ego trip I'll throw myself into the english-speaking blog scene.
My name is Pär Eriksson and I live and breathe in the northern country of Sweden. My native tounge is not English so you'll probably find some spelling errors and other strange mistakes here. But hopefully I'll make myself understood. Let me know otherwise.

Since this is a music blog I'll give you my musical history.
When I was young my older brother gave me a cassette tape containing som Kiss albums which I listened to over and over again. This early start made me listen to more of the easy accessible hard rock of that era with such bands as Accept, W.A.S.P. and Iron Maiden.
When I began junior high there was only one band to me, namely Led Zeppelin. For a three-year period i barely listened to anything else than Zeppelin.
A friend was very much into Marillion and Pink Floyd. I didn't really appreciate them so I stuck to Zeppelin. But come high school I was stuck. I bought Jethro Tull's "Aqualung" and Emerson, Lake & Palmers "Trilogy" and the world of progressive rock opened. After that I became a prog rock purist, if it wasn't English '70s prog I couldn't care less about it. The works of groups like Yes, Genesis, Camel and King Crimson was the only music that was good enough for me. I still think that the records made by that lot in that decade are some of the best ever made. New swedish prog bands such as Anekdoten, Änglagård and Landberk were discovered and also Rush found their way into my cd-player.
As I gew older my purist view of music softened and I began to listen to Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins and the swedish band Kent.
My present musical taste has taken a more heavier turn and bands like Opeth and Slipknot are two of the bands of that category that I enjoy.

So, that's my musical history for you. I have of course left out many favourites but if you read this blog in the future you'll surely get a taste of what I like?