March 2011
18 posts
Amazon's Cloud Music Player →
mashable.com
“The cloud!”
Amazon will now enable you to play YOUR music through various web devices through their cloud music player.
I’ve used Amazon’s MP3 service for some time, and I have to admit, I miss the seamlessness of the Apple experience. Yes, if you know how to save a file somewhere, it seems easy. But, if you’re like me and you download a lot of songs, it’s tiresome.
The MP3 marketplace just got a lot more interesting.
Listen
Happy Friday. Check out Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears with Livin in the Jungle. Funky and old school; sounds like it was recorded in the 60s (that’s a good thing in this case).
Play
Two Kinds Of Happiness
The Strokes
The Strokes - “Two Kinds Of Happiness“
Alright, before we get into this song, do yourself a favor and detach yourself from what you already think and know about that Strokes sound you’ve come to love. Think about how it’s 2011 and you can’t base a band’s career off of one album that came out 10 years ago. If something sounds good, that’s all that should matter. Ok, I’m done being preachy!
When I first listened to Angles, I was surprised by all the 80s influences that I heard. This track in particular sounds like a really great song by The Cars circa now, (which I find awesome) with some Strokesisms shining through here and there. I posted the song “Gratisfaction” on my blog, and it reminds me a lot of Nick Lowe. The chorus sounds like something straight out of the 1970s or 80s. Listen to it here.
I definitely think the album is worth checking out, but I warn you, it doesn’t sound like Is This It? Listen for yourself! Stream Angles here.
Museums: Historically Hard Core →
cargocollective.com
This is a faux ad campaign, but I like it.
New Ben's Friends Network Started - CIPD (Chronic Inflammatory Deymelinating Polyneuropathy)
Ben’s Friends online support networks just launched a new network this week for CIPD (chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy). If you know anyone that could use the support of patient to patient interactions, please let them know.
Did the Pepsi refresh kill marketshare? →
adage.com
Given this information, that Diet Coke has the second highest market share in carbonated soft drinks, are we to believe that all of the recent high profile marketing initiatives in the last 2-3 years have failed? This includes the Obama-esque logo change, Pepsi throwback (which is now permanent), and the Refresh project.
Despite its imperfections, the Pepsi refresh was an interesting experiment in pro-social marketing by a company that’s usually known for high calorie snacks and beverages. In this category, which besides being highly mature and competitively concentrated category, is almost one of those sin categories (like cigarettes, alcohol, sweets), can pro-social marketing give you the competitive edge?
As written in a recent Fast Company article, Simon Mainwaring writes:
If a brand’s well-intended efforts are not in alignment with their core values two problems arise. Firstly, there is a disconnect in the minds of their customers between how they behave in regards to their products, services and marketing, and what they say about themselves through cause marketing. Secondly, media-savvy consumers quickly jump to the assumption that such efforts are window dressing or cause-washing which means the brand’s best efforts and cause marketing dollars are wasted.
Listen
Artist: Miike Snow
Song: Animal
Listen
Second Chance by Peter, Bjorn, and John. Loving it.
Stamp
The Rural Alberta Advantage
Stamp by Rural Alberta Advantage
Stamp - Rural Alberta Advantage - Departing
the RAA has a new album out today called Departing
this is the single
