MeeMix Music Blog

Hey there!

As you may have noticed, we’ve been a tad too busy lately and couldn’t keep you up to date on what’s been going on behind the scenes at MeeMix. So what have we been up to?

MeeMix is expanding its range of services, and we’re excited to announce that we’re coming out with new content delivery and discovery personalization services for the telecommunication industry. As you probably know, today’s media consumers, you included, are increasingly selective as they face a flood of available media. That means that to keep you interested, you expect media providers to deliver media and content that you would actually like. That’s why you’re here at MeeMix. Our new line of personalization services enables companies to address this important issue.

In case you want to read more about it, please visit our new business website at www.meemix.biz.

For the developers among you, we've opened an API web service, and we invite you to create new application that can utilize our discovery and recommendation engines. For more info, please contact us.

And just to make sure: business deals and all, your home at meemix.com is here to stay, so keep tuning in to your favorite personalized stations!

As much as MeeMix does everything a Personalized Online Radio can do to make your life easier, and your music more enjoyable, we also believe in empowering our users – by letting them be even better DJs, and edit their stations into absolute perfection.

How do you edit your station? It’s as easy as can be.
On the player’s left panel there’s a simple “Edit Station” button, just press it – and a whole slew of editing options are at your disposal:

The first option would be to edit the artists that are playing in your station, by entering a new artist name into the space in the bottom of the window; you can add more great artists into your station. Any regrets? No problem, you can always erase that artist from your station and start fresh.

What about songs? If you want additional songs that you feel will fit the vibe in your station – just choose “track” and you can add and remove any song you like.

It doesn’t end here, using this option you can also block artists that have fallen out of favor, add songs you liked to your favorites, and change the name of the station into any name your heart desires – it’s simple, its fun, and it means you can get the perfect station!

In Part 2, We'll review the more advanced options for fine tuning your stations.

Welcome to the latest addition in our tips, trips and tricks section, which focuses this time on how to discover new music in MeeMix:

There are several ways to do so, the most immediate one is to open your own station by a favorite artist, song or genre. As a general tip, a station created by selecting a song or artist will reflect your taste more accurately than creating a station by genre.
Each station you create is designed to play songs that you know and love as well as music you never heard but will probably like. You can create a station that by clicking the “Create Station” on the left panel. This will lead you to choose how to create your station – whether by artist, genre or particular song. After you created the station you can easily edit the station by clicking the “Edit Station” Button, where you can add songs or artists or block them from your station.
Another way of discovering music is by listening to other members stations; just make sure that they have some affiliation with your taste in music stations. Here are a couple of ideas:

• Your friends: navigating to your friends bar on the right panel. There you can listen to their stations by clicking on their username. This will lead you to a menu displaying their profile. The profile includes “Stations”, which you can listen to by clicking the “Play” Icon, on the left.



• Station search: If you’d like to discover stations of more than just your friends, and tap in to the vast musical cuisine that MeeMix users have to offer, you can do that by heading over to “Music” on the top bar. There, click the Stations link which will lead you to a listing of all the stations in MeeMix. You can find stations by popularity, genre, online or offline users, favorite artists and more. Once you find the right station for you, simply click the play “icon” in order to add it to your personal stations. You can also discuss the music featured in the station through the station home, clickable in the Home icon.



• Song Fans: if you love a particular song, you can always find similar users who are also fans of the song, by clicking on the “Song Fans” Icon, in the Mee Play plan. There you can checkout the people who also dig the song, and you can add them and their stations to your MeeMix favorites.

First off, a statement should be made: It's definitely not a Hip-Hop album and I definitely don't consider it a typical "Kanye" album. So, I wouldn't think it fair to compare 808s and Heartbreak to any of his other solo albums. There's just no rapping on here.

This album has the feel of a side project . He had to get his feelings out about his Mom, his ex-fiance and the way he's dealing with the media attention he gets now. This is what he created. I think we all would have wanted a rap album from him, but instead, we got the musical manifestation of the emo haircut and bright yellow Asics. This can be compare to Outkast’s Andre 3000 venture from rap - The Love Below, although Love Below was more soulful, while this is more synth, more pop, more 80's. Although Kanye's name stamp on the album is redeemable quality, as he's proved himself so far as being someone who puts out quality music and his albums are usually an auto-cop for me because of this. But the album stands on its own merit.

Although It’s easy to lump this album with the T-Pain trend of Autotune, but this is completely different - Drums, rhythms, samples, keyboards, sound nothing like a T-Pain album. T-Pain has played it out on the R&B tip, and Lil’ Wayne has used it somewhat on mixtapes and such, as have countless other artists, but no rapper has made a whole album using it, combining rapping, and singing, with a completely unique soundscape.
Is it the most unique concept ever? No. But I definitely think this album is very different then what is going on anywhere else in the music industry, and I think the album will be huge.

Recommended Track:
“Love Lockdown”: The first single and undoubtedly the best song on the album.

They may be the incarnation of 80's AOR, they may use lyrics which are the equivalent of cerebral palsy and are usually kitschier than Liberace, but Canadian rockers Nickelback know how to write hits, and that means Dark Horse is going to make them another easy bundle.

Actually, it’s not that bad. While 2005’s multi-platinum selling All The Right Reasons was almost unbearable apart from very few and far-between bits, Dark Horse is easily the band’s strongest and heaviest release since their earliest output.

It’s still pop-oriented, just listen to Chad Kroeger’s semi-rap rant in the so-cleverly-disguised-sexual innuendo of “Something In Your Mouth” and you might feel your bowels heave, but once the guitars get rolling, and Kroeger uses his ballsier, slightly gravely voice, it works fine.

Uber-producer Mutt Lange gives this all the perfect shine, making this what is arguably the best sounding album they’ve put out, while also balancing the rock and pop sensibilities nicely. He has a sure-fire formula that worked with Def Leppard and later with Shania Twain, and while sounding a bit dated, it does fit Nickelback‘s retro approach just fine, background vocals and all. “Gotta Be Somebody” as well have been written in the 80’s, but you can’t miss the fact it can’t be anything but a huge hit.

Some solid rock tracks such as “Burn It To The Ground” lend the album a swaggering sense of respectability, the song is definitely heavier than anything they’ve done in the last few years, with a good riff that might have come from a Black Label Society song.

It may not be a classic rock album, but as far as current rock goes, these dollar spewing monsters could have done worse.

Recommended Tracks:
“Burn It To The Ground”: Nickelback actually know how to write a decent riff, as good as anything they’ve ever done in the past.

“Shakin’ Hands”: despite the less-than-half-witted lyrics, it’s still a fun track with a good riff and strong Def Leppard feel.

The British rulers of all that is dark and sexually promiscuous are at it again, continuing what is a streak of successful albums for uber-metal label Roadrunner Records.

While 2006's Thornography was something of a stripped-down, less flashy affair, this one harkens back to the glorious and fustian Cruelty And The Beast.
This time the story revolves around the life and exploits one Giles De Rais, either misunderstood French Nobleman or, as he is more frequently referred to a mass murdered and satanic icon.
Throwing every riff in the book (and several outside of it), the band uses less keyboards this time than in Cruelty, opting for a real choir and to achieve a much fuller and dark sound.
Vocalist Dany Filth is still a love-him-or-hate-him element, with his shrill and high voice that, if not your cup of blood, might annoy you enough to try and copy the said De Rais and perform some sort of a mass murder thing.

In any case, both extreme metal fans and sturdier Goth fans might want to give this one a listen, it's an impressive achievement no matter how much of a Cradle of Filth fan are you.

Recommended track:
"Midnight Shadows Crawl to Darken Counsel with Life": A track with a long name, but a longer running time, an epic 8 minute monster that will leave no ear un-pierced.

Diamonds In The Rough isn't really a new Avenged Sevenfold album, its actually a collection of unreleased B-sides, cover songs, remixes and alternative takes on previously released tracks from the band's last, self-titled album. It comes with a nifty DVD that allows fans to watch this successful American new-breed metal band perform - all in all, a nice package for the fans, but is it for anyone else?

I can't deny these guys have talent oozing out of their tattooed earlobes, their guitarist - Synyster Gates can out-leak almost every current metal guitarist upon god's green earth, and vocalist M. Shadows has a mean melodic voice, as long as he doesn't out-nasal Bob Dylan. But while some of the tracks are quite impressive, melodic and richly layered, several others just sound too sweet for me to swallow.

It's still a nice touch by the band to add 2 cover versions of two bands that definitely influenced them, "Walk" by Pantera and "Flash Of The Blade" by Iron Maiden, but overall I can't see anyone but a die-hard fan going for Diamonds In The Rough. Non-fans should start out with one of their two previous albums, 2007's City Of Evil or last year's self-titled album, two good examples of the band's music.


Recommended Tracks:
"Flash Of The Blade": the band does a sterling cover of the Iron Maiden classic, the vocals cannot match the original, but overall it's a fine take on the song.

"Demons": an unreleased track that combines some excellent melodic vocals with fine guitar work, better than most unreleased tracks bands leave out of their albums.

If you were a fan of Non-Phixion, or more so if you've been a fan of Psycho+Logical records, you should dig this. It's more of the same from Ill Bill - governmental conspiracies, thug posturing, metal references etc. the lack of Nerco beats isn't really a problem as production is pretty uniformly solid here with sort of an epic gothic feel - not too different than Necro's vibe, but with more emphasis on the epic banger type of track than he usually does.

The only real missteps are the metal chorus from the lead singer of Soulfly on "War Is My Destiny," the chorus on "White Ni**er," (while I like the verses and beat, I could easily get the point and do without the chorus) a couple weak guest verses (Hero on "Too Young" needs to go), and the beats on "UBS" (The original version was laced with a Slayer sample. The album version of the beat is pretty bland). I was a little disappointed with the beat on the Raekwon track too.

Everything else is pretty enjoyable here - that is if you enjoy Psychological records. If not, I doubt this will convert you.
The grimy 90's formula is still present, but updated in a fashion so that it doesn't sound like a relic, or a self conscious throwback like a lot of underground dudes stuck in the 90's.

Recommended Track:
"Society is Brainwashed": Even if you don't like Ill Bill style, you may want to at least check this DJ Premier produced track. It sounds like it was pulled right out of Non Phixion's The Future Is Now sessions.

Every week, MeeMix musicologists integrate and add thousands of New Releases and even more plain ol' great music to the MeeMix music catalog. We decided it was high time to clue you in on new music added to MeeMix so you won’t miss a thing!

The MeeMix Monthly Newsletter is personalized to your very own taste in music. From the latest in our new and improved music catalog, you'll only get the info that pertains to your unique music style.

How?

We understand what you like to listen to and can relate your music style to the new releases we added to our music catalog. Our newsletter generator uses your taste preferences to search our system for the tracks and albums that interest you. Only news about these items is included in the newsletter that is designed especially for you.

So say "NO" to the one-size-fits-all newsletter format you're used to, and belt out a loud "YES" to the MeeMix personalized newsletter experience.

Every few years a big artist goes to the motions of a "return to roots" album, and probably the most anticipated one in recent years is Metallica's Death Magnetic.
I guess that if the band's last effort - 'St. Anger', wasn't just so damn awful, it would have much less of an event, but since that album is easily the Heavy Metal giants' weakest release in its career, the tension was truly great - can they actually pull it off, or continue a losing streak of mediocre to just plain bad albums?

Well, this isn't a complete retro album; it's definitely no 80's thrash masterpiece as was 1988's 'And Justice' For All or 1986's 'Master Of Puppets', though there are a few similarities. It's purely a 2008 album, with clear yet quite raw sound, and a solid sense of groove that wasn't part of the package back in the 80's.

It starts with a bang, 'That Was Just Your Life' throws in the first great riff the band has created in almost 20 years, Ulrich's drum attack is relentless, there's a classic Hammet Wah-Wah solo and finally - Hetfield's voice is one octave higher than his delivery in years. At this point - it would be very hard for this album to ruin it for the fans, if only the rest of the songs can keep this up.

And they do, 'The End Of The Line' is another fine tracks that combines a great thrash riff with more contemporary passages. What the band does here is actually quite brilliant; they combine the best of riffs straight off And 'Justice For All' with a chorus that would have sat well in the black album.

In a recent review I read in the alternative-oriented Pitchfork webzine, some guy criticized the album for not doing anything new and taking too much from the band's early works. He completely missed the point.
What makes this one great is the fact they were not going for anything new, it's the fact this is the first time in 20 years the band dared to try and re-explore what made it so great when it started out. While most current bands try and re-invent the wheel, or sound original and unique, Metallica's move needs much more guts - to try and re-create the feel in albums that are long considered milestones of the genre, and that is far more demanding and adventurous than anything other current bands are doing.

What makes this one work, and it certainly does work, is the clear feeling that the guys are once more influenced by what started them off - Punk and NWOBHM, the two genres that helped spawn their earliest material. Unlike the American trad rock and Hard Rock basis the Load and Re-Load albums used, this one moves back to the far more aggressive and subversive music of the early 80's.

The album's first single - "The Day that Never Comes" may come off as a carbon-copy of their great epic ballads, such as "Fade To Black", and someone with just a basic knowledge of the genre such as that guy from Pitchfork may easily dismiss it as such, but there's much more to it. The song features some of Hetfield's best vocals in years and benefits from an almost Prog-rock structure. The up-tempo move in the 5 minute mark is pure NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal), with Diamond Head and Iron Maiden being the most visible influences. The closest thing the band ever did to this is actually their cover of Diamond Head's "Am I Evil back" in the mid-80's.

This album really doesn't let off, with just two minor mishaps. 'Cyanide's mid-section bridge is just to close to Alternative Rock for comfort, bringing to mind some of St. Anger's pitfalls, and 'The Unforgiven III' is just too much Re-Load. Slow and uninteresting hard-rock riffs with an unnecessary symphonic addition.

Suicide And Redemption is a great instrumental piece with some fine Heavy Metal riffs, showing off some possible Joe Satriani influences, proving that these guys can still write a solid instrumental, it isn't a classic such as Ride The Lightning's 'Call Of Ktulu', but still adds a great musical favor to the album.

Last is the absolute fan-pleaser 'My Apocalypse', a real thrash number that throws in fantastic riffs and one of the band's best choruses. Ulrich may not be the most accomplished drummer, but he certainly gives his best here and fits in perfectly with the guitar playing. Hetfield's delivery is quite relentless, the pre-chorus even reminded me of Slayer's Tom Araya, with an amount of aggression and energy that we didn't hear from Hetfield in 20 years.

So it is on-par with Master Of Puppets or And Justice For All? Certainly not, that would be like thinking that Pink Floyd can re-create Dark Side Of The Moon or The Wall. But it's still the best album in years by one of the best Heavy Metal bands in existence, and it's probably better than anything released by other bands in recent years. It seems they actually pulled it off, who would have believed...

Recommended tracks:
"The Day That Never Comes": the album's first single is anything but a typical single, more than 7 minutes long and epic in scope; this is one of the album's most impressive moments.

"All Nightmare Long": another epic tracks that combines some brilliant thrash riffs into an impressive hit to the head.