Neil Young is back with Peace Trail, a 10-track album that addresses our current political environment, with songs devoted to issues like the Flint water crisis, and the circulation of fake news on the Internet. This mainly stripped down album opens with the title track, “Peace Trail,” about the systematic mistreatment of Native Americans, and closes with “My New Robot,” an autotuned song about finding love, comfort and companionship in Amazon’s Alexa, voice-activated speaker. Featured Music Friday is brought to you by Blackfire Research.
On this day in 1964, The Beatles made their live American TV debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Beatlemania had already hit the United States, and 73 million people tuned in to watch the band perform five songs live, including “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” According to eyewitness reports, the screaming from younger members of the audience was so loud, that no one in the studio, not even the Beatles, could hear the music being played.
Blackfire Research is proud to partner with leading smart phone and electronics manufacturer HTC, for their award winning, HTC One M9 smartphone. Blackfire Research technology is featured in the smartphone’s HTC Connect service, which allows users to “wirelessly stream music or video from HTC One M9 to speakers or TV by just swiping up the screen with 3 fingers.” (HTC.com)
With HTC Connect, you can stream media wirelessly from your phone to any Blackfire powered product, from leading brands such as the HARMAN KARDON™ Omni series of speakers. Once connected, the audio and music from the HTC smartphone is routed to these products, much like Bluetooth. However, unlike Bluetooth, Blackfire technology enables much longer range, improved resolution, superior sound quality, and multi room play.
Blackfire powered products can be used in various multi room or in-room configurations. They can also be grouped into various zones, selected for playback at will, and be shared by multiple phones. Therefore, the user can enjoy music from the HTC One to a HARMAN KARDON OMNI 20 Speaker in the kitchen and simultaneously send it to a HARMAN KARDON Adapt plugged into their stereo system – all playing simultaneously, in high quality, over the home Wi-Fi. Blackfire technology is compliant with any online music/media service applications on the HTC One M9, which allows HTC One users maximum flexibility in enjoying their music and makes the HTC One a powerful media platform.
The latest project from legendary rock n roll band, The Rolling Stones, takes us back to the past, and to the genre that inspired the band to create music in the first place. Blue & Lonesome is a collection of post-war Chicago Blues covers, featuring a more stripped down version of the high rolling rock band. Mick Jagger’s vocals wail in time with the harmonica while covering Blues legends like Buddy Johnson (“Just Your Fool), Eddie Taylor (“Ride ‘Em On Down), Howlin Wolf (“Commit a Crime”), and Little Johnny Taylor (“Everybody Knows About My Good Thing”) amongst others.
Today is Groundhog Day, which means that America’s favorite marmot, Punxsutawney Phil, will either emerge from his burrow to cloudy skies – and announce the arrival of an early spring! – or to sunshine – causing Phil to retreat back into his burrow in fear of his shadow, suggesting we’ll have to endure six more weeks of winter. Whatever happens, this day will always take us back to 1993, when comedy icon Bill Murray starred in a little film called Groundhog Day, directed by Harold Ramis. Since then, this day has become synonymous with one song and one song only: Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe.” Listen on repeat for the full Groundhog Day effect.
