On this day in 1981, Jamaican reggae musician, Bob Marley, died in a Miami hospital from complications caused by skin cancer. With hits like “One Love,” “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” and “Buffalo Soldier,” Marley popularized reggae music across the world, and is best known for his mellow sound and messages of peace and acceptance. To this day, Marley is still seen as an icon for anti-racism. In 1994, Marley was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2001, he was bestowed a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. His dying words, spoken to his son, Ziggy, were: “Money can’t buy life.”
Recording duo Sam France and Jonathan Rado, who make up the indie rock group, Foxygen, are midway through a US club tour as a 9 piece band (including an awesome brass trio). I caught their gig in San Francisco on Friday, April 7, on the small stage of The Independent. Unapologetically cliché-ridden, Foxygen played a captivating, high-energy set that was equal parts psychedelic 70’s performance-art and rock concert. France and Rado proudly wear their influences on their sleeves, with overt musical riffs on their extensive 70’s record collection: Elton John , David Bowie, Captain and Tennille, Donovan, Abba, Exile-era Stones and even James Brown’s stage dynamics made an appearance during the course of the night. Bandmaster Rado’s piano and guitar playing were outstanding, and the brass section were Motown-esque in their professionalism, but it was France’s stage presence that held the audience’s attention. And for a feel-good Friday night out, you really can’t beat that.
The smash-hit HBO limited series, “Big Little Lies,” directed by Jean-Marc Valleé and based on the novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty, came to a close on April 2. The seven-episode drama, starring a powerhouse ensemble (Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley, Zoë Kravitz, Alexander Skarsgård, and Adam Scott) tells the story of three mothers of young children and their seemingly perfect lives that begin to unravel. Set in the picturesque, seaside town of Monterey, California, audiences were enthralled, not just from the idyllic scenery from which the story takes place, or even the colossal, looming question of “who murders who?” But rather, what stuck with the audience after the series ended was it’s masterfully curated soundtrack. Music has always been a tool that elevates film and television, but never before has it so skillfully been used to help define a setting, set the tone, and offer insight into the psyche of a story’s characters. From the series’ opening title sequence featuring Michael Kiwanuka’s epic “Cold Little Heart,” to six year-old Chloe’s savant taste in music (seriously, how does a first grader even know of Fleetwood Mac, or comprehend the lyrics to Leon Bridges’ “River?”) music serves as a central thread that unites the characters, provides context to their distinct points-of-view, and – to the tune of Ituana’s cover of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” – ultimately, solidifies their bond.
“May the fourth be with you!” On this day in 2011, the first organized celebration of “Star Wars Day” was held in Toronto, Canada. This day was chosen to celebrate the Star Wars franchise, created by George Lucas, because of it’s pun with the Jedi phrase “May the force be with you.” Since the “unofficial” holiday’s founding in 2011, Star Wars fans across the galaxy use this day to show off their Jedi pride by dressing up as their favorite character, going to trivia events, and of course, re-watching all the Star Wars films (but maybe skipping Episode I. Sorry Jar Jar…) The music for the immediately recognizable Star Wars theme song was written by legendary composer John Williams. Find a droid, grab your lightsaber, and listen below.
This past February and March, Onkyo rolled out a new set of firmware updates for select A/V and hi-fi components and systems initializing Blackfire’s FireConnect wireless multi-room audio distribution. (Yay!) So, if you’ve bought – or plan on buying – any FireConnect by Blackfire enabled receiver, this firmware update will allow you to create your dream wireless, multi-room music system. New wireless speakers have been announced by both brands, and these (and other new features) will be supported by FireConnect in the near future.
Here are the Onkyo models that can receive the FireConnect firmware update:
We decided to try out the firmware update at the Blackfire Research office in San Francisco and document the process. We used an Onkyo TX-RZ1100 Receiver and overall, the update took less than 10 minutes. Check out the numbered steps and photos below:
