Mexican-American Singer Jenni Rivera dies

Jenni Rivera, the 43-year-old Mexican-American singer, had her life cut short on Sunday, December 9^th, when her plane crashed. Rivera was travelling over mountains in northern Mexico when the small plane went down in Iturbide. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.

Known as “La Diva de la Banda,” (The Diva of Banda Music), Jenni Rivera was a powerful performer whose music focused on Mexican corridos (ballads). She is reminiscent of Selena, who also began her career as a Mexican-American diva, later working her way into American mainstream. Rivera had just begun working on breaking into the U.S. scene.

According to police on the scene, “The aircraft was destroyed, totally fragmented.” All seven people on board are presumed to have been killed in the crash, including Rivera’s publicist, attorney, and makeup artists. However, no bodies have yet been identified. Rivera’s family is waiting for the results of a DNA test performed on Tuesday, which could take days.

“We still have hope that she’s alive,” her brother Pedro Rivera Jr. said. “It’s a 95% chance that she’s dead but we have that belief because we don’t have a body. They found clothes.”

The plane fell from an altitude of about 28,000 feet and may have hit the ground at over 600 mph. Wreckage was so shattered and spread out that it has proven difficult to find the crash site. The crash could have been due to a major failure of flight controls, or it could have been human error.

Small jets like the Learjet Rivera was flying in take very skilled pilots to fly, and the accident rate is more than double of that for other small aircraft. There was no emergency call from the plane before it went down; the plane was reported missing just ten minutes after takeoff.

Jenni Rivera’s father, unlike other members of her family, does not believe she survived the crash. “My queen, we will see each other soon,” he said. “We though it was press speculation, we wanted to believe that. But it’s true, my daughter is dead.”

5 Apps for Music Lovers

Many of us carry our music around with us these days. It’s on our phone or iPod, and we can access thousands of songs with the touch of a few buttons. There are a lot of apps to choose from if you have a smart phone, and unique benefits to each. Here are five of the best apps on the market right now:

1.     Spotify: This app lets you stream unlimited music, all while being able to share your music experience with other users through Facebook and Twitter. It makes listening social, something that’s great for those of us who like to share music we like with others. It’s free to stream to your desktop computer, but access to music offline and full access to mobile app capabilities will cost you $10 per month. Not bad for a music service that provides millions of tracks.

2.     Songza: The ultimate mood music app has arrived. Songza builds custom playlists based on your current mood or condition. It’s totally free, and there are no advertisements or limits to how much you listen.

3.     Garageband: This one’s for all the music mixers out there. You can also “play” various instruments and conduct a string orchestra. It’s also got some amazing educational value for those who want to learn to play an instrument. Available only for iOS and Mac OS X for $4.99 or free when you buy a Mac computer.

4.     Pandora: Hopefully you’ve heard of this one by now. It’s still one of the best. Choose an artist or style of music you like and it will create a custom station that is completely editable with the thumbs up and thumbs down buttons. It will also remember all your stations for later listening—even from a different device. Free for up to 40 hours of listening per month (with minimal commercials), or you can upgrade to Pandora One for $36 per year for unlimited, commercial-free listening.

5.     iHeartRadio: This little beauty lets you both listen in on live radio stations all around the country and create your own station based on favorite artists. It’s also free.

Swords and Witches and Dragons, Oh My!

There aren’t many bands out there like The Sword. A heavy-metal group hailing from Austin, Texas, The Sword really knows how to rock hard in songs about science fiction and fantasy themes. Based on a story written by frontman J.D. Cronise, the songs on their 2010, Warp Riders is sure to make nerdy hard-rock fans everywhere jump for joy.

Signed on by Andres Santo Domingo's Kemado Records, The Sword released four albums, Age of Winters (20060, Gods of the Earth (2008), and Warp Riders (2010).  Apocryphon is their fourth album, released earlier this year with Razor & Tie Records.

With each album released, The Sword have seen growing success and presence on the Billboard 200 chart. Drawing on influences from Norse mythology and literature from authors like George R. R. Martin and H.P. Lovecraft for inspiration, The Sword is often likened to groups such as Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin for their musical style.

The release of The Sword’s newest album kicked off a U.S. tour, which will be followed by a European tour. Their unique sound and themes make The Sword stand out as a crossover band, providing an alternative to other “typical” hard metal or doom metal bands out there.

The Sword has been compared to Saviours, who are also signed onto. Baroness, High on Fire, Witchcraft, Red Fang, Graveyard, Black Tusk, and Mastodon have also been marked as similar artists to the band. The group has even been recognized in the past by Metallica, who chose the band to support them on a number of tours.

Top Earning Female Musicians 2012

The ladies of the music industry really raked in the cash this past year, the top five bringing in a total of over $265 million. And the number one spot might come as a surprise to some. We say, nice comeback!

Here are the top five women, in reverse order:

5. Katy Perry—$45 million. Her third album, Teenage Dream, was a smashing success, gaining her the No. 1 billboard spot for five of its released singles. Katy’s quickly become an American icon and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Her next album (yet to be announced) is planned for a 2013 release.

4. Lady Gaga—$52 million. Lady Gaga gained acclaim for her debut album, The Fame, in 2008, and has since released two more albums. She’s also an activist and advocate for LGBT rights and immigration, as well as a powerful ally for other philanthropic endeavors and relief funds. Her fourth album, Artpop, is due out in 2013.

3. Rihanna—$53 million. The Barbados-born star has released seven albums, the latest of which is Unapologetic. If she started as a “teen pop” princess, she’s certainly surpassed that image now; she’s adopted a “bad girl” look and her music has an edgier feel to it than it used to.

2. Taylor Swift—$57 million. Barely missing the top spot, Taylor is also the youngest artist on the top five list. The country pop singer released her debut album in 2006 at just 17 years old and has since moved on to become a musical powerhouse. Her most recent album, Red, was just released, the fourth in her career. It’s opening sales topped any in the past decade at 1.21 million, and she’s now the only female artist to have over a million opening sales two weeks in a row.

1. Britney Spears—$58 million. She was America’s Sweetheart at age seventeen, and after her first two hits she was labeled the “Princess of Pop.” She hit hard personal times after her fourth album and struggled to control her erratic behavior and hospitalizations. But she’s back in the biz these days, and released her seventh album in 2011. Despite her past troubles, Britney seems to be getting a handle on her personal life and as a result her career’s coming back to life.

Chris Brown Fans Threaten to Kill Jenny Johnson

It’s not the first time it’s happened, but somehow it’s still surprising: Chris Brown’s fans, “Team Breezy,” have threatened to kill someone. Jenny Johnson, a comedian, has made a habit of insulting Brown via Twitter and recently had a particularly nasty spat that resulted in him deleting his account for a few hours.

Brown, who infamously assaulted his girlfriend Rihanna in 2009, has a loyal group of fans—but Johnson is not among them. Refusing to let him live down his horrific actions, she didn’t hesitate to start the recent feud.

But more alarming than Brown’s own response to Johnson (which included threats to defecate in her eye and the suggestion that she should perform oral sex on him) was Team Breezy’s response to his account deactivation. Several fans threatened to kill and rape Johnson.

To read several of the threatening tweets, check out HuffPost Celebrity’s article. Please note that the tweets contain swear words and are not for the tender hearted. The article also has a slideshow of the original tweets between Brown and Johnson.

Though Johnson says she’s not scared by the death threats, it’s still alarming that Brown’s fans would react with such violence and hatred over a simple thing like Brown deactivating his Twitter feed. But his fans are notorious for being diehard, having sent previous death threats to Chrissy Teigen after she despairingly commented on his lip-synced Billboard Music Awards performance.

Opinions on the feud vary, as the women of “The View” demonstrated in their discussion of the verbal attacks. “I think it’s disgusting first of all,” said Elisabeth Hasslebeck. “It seems like verbal rape to me.” She went on to say that Brown should be banned from Twitter.

Sherri Shepherd wondered how much of the blame is Johnson’s, though. “I’m not saying Chris Brown was right, he was wrong,” she said, “but I also say to this grown woman, when you tweet out you’re a piece of bleep, what do you expect to get back?”

Whoopi Goldberg said the two share the blame. “I have to say, if you’re gonna mess with him, you have to expect to get your head handed to you… If you feel like that and you don’t want to fight, don’t do that.”

But Hasselbeck refused to agree with any suggestion that Brown wasn’t entirely at fault. “What he wrote should never ever have to go across any sort of Twitter feed,” she said, “it was vile, disgusting and I stand by it.”

“Les Misérables” Already Oscar Worthy

Tom Hooper’s adaptation of “Les Misérables” is already gaining serious praise from critics and viewers who saw the November 23^rd premier of the new musical, who are calling its nomination for several Oscars a surefire thing. And for those of us who are musical lovers, that’s good news. These days, there isn’t exactly an excess of new musicals to choose from—so the release of one, quickly followed by chatter of Oscars, is rare news.

Anne Hathaway takes the cake for her portrayal of Fantine the factory worker, and Hugh Jackman stars as the ex-con and leading man, Jean Valjean. Both have received rave reviews from critics.

“Anne Hathaway could easily win supporting actress [at the Oscars],” said Dave Karger of Fandango.com. “Her ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ is the showstopper.” Indeed, many are calling Hathaway’s performance a “lock” for a Best Supporting Actress nomination.

Jackman could very well pick up his first Oscar as well. “The audition with Hugh, which was in May of last year, was an extraordinary moment because that was when I knew I had a movie,” said Hooper in an interview with Deadline.com. “Hugh has a kind of innate grace and spirit as a human being and a great kind of moral compass and gentleness that is perfectly suited for this man going on this spiritual journey.”

In fact, the entire film is likely to be a strong contender for Best Picture at the 2013 Oscars. Hooper’s no amateur when it comes to directing jaw-droppers. He directed “The King’s Speech” in 2010, with its all-star cast of Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, and Geoffrey Rush. It won four Oscars in 2011: Best Achievement in Directing (Tom Hooper), Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by and Actor in a Leading Role (Colin Firth), and Best Writing/Original Screenplay (David Seidler).

50 Cent Fights Hunger

It’s always good to see celebrities giving back to the community. 50 Cent is certainly well-known for his music and has seen stunning success in his career. He isn’t someone who suffers from hunger or poverty, but he stepped it up this week when he chose to help out those who aren’t so fortunate.

On Wednesday, November 21^st, he joined Feeding America, the Food Network, and SMS Audio handing out Thanksgiving dinner to struggling New Yorkers. Whether they were down on their luck because of Superstorm Sandy or for other reasons, they were able to get at least one hot meal around Thanksgiving.

The rapper served up turkey dinners at the “Our Table Is Yours” event at Cipriani Restaurant in downtown Manhattan. He’s also been donating proceeds from his SK Energy Drink and SMS Headphones to those who would otherwise go hungry. Showing his charitable side at the meal event in Manhattan, 50 Cent told MTV, “I’m able to provide meals for victims of Sandy or other people in New York that don’t actually have food.”

When we think of people going hungry, we often think of starving children in Africa and other developing nations. It’s completely accurate to think of those people, too, but we shouldn’t forget that we also have millions of people here at home who are going hungry as well. “It’s a world issue,” he said, “it’s not a third-world issue.”

“One in six Americans are actually going hungry,” 50 Cent explained in his interview. “You got kids that’s surviving based on their school lunch and more than one out of five kids are experiencing hunger.”

Calming Music Reduces Agitation

For many of us, listening to calming music has just that effect on us: it calms. But we also have other ways to calm ourselves and are generally more in control of our anxiety than those who suffer from learning disabilities. A study published on Nursing Times suggests that calming music may also reduce frustration in those with disabilities as well, helping prevent “disruptive behavior” during mealtimes.

The article is authored jointly by Jeff Hooper, Derek Carson, and Bill Lindsay—all of Dundee. Hooper is a music therapist, Carson works in the division of psychology, and Lindsay is the chair of learning disabilities and forensic psychology.

Mealtimes can be stressful because of noise and proximity to others. For those with learning disabilities, mealtimes may present a more demanding activity. It’s also often more structured than a free living space might be, and the change from music or television to cafeteria noise can be agitating. 

In an attempt to better understand disruptive mealtime behaviors, which tend to be self-injurious, aggressive, and non-cooperative, the authors conducted a study on how listening to calming music would affect these behaviors and whether it would make them more manageable. 

Thirty adults with varying degrees of learning disabilities were delivered calming music via headphones during mealtimes for two days in a row. The first day, half the adults listened to music and the other half did not; the next day, the two groups switched around. Out of those who wore the headphones, only three had disruptive behaviors.

Some participants refused to participate for a variety of reasons, including music choice and not wanting to wear headphones. The authors also admit the sample size was too small to completely understand the effects, but they did note that some participants showed a reduction in disruptive behavior such as physical harm, complaining, verbal repetition, shouting, swearing, restlessness, and vocalizing.

Top 5 Best Music Venues

Ever wonder what the world’s best music venues are? Most of us stick close to home when it comes to concert going, but the truth is that not all venues were created equal. In fact, some are much, much better than others.

Party Earth is a website that recommends entertainment and social experiences worldwide through detailed reviews of venues, calendars of events, and life-capturing photos. So naturally, they have a list of the top music venues around the world. If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind live music experience, consider the following places:

1.      Paradiso, Amsterdam—What used to be a 19^th century church is now a concert venue and nightclub, and some of the world’s best artists have made it a point to stop there: The Rolling Stones, U2, Pink Floyd, Metallica, and many more.

2.      Columbia Halle, Berlin—Instead of Paradiso’s Victorian vibe, Berlin presents us with one of the most modern venues out there. Its acoustics are world-renowned and its hi-tech style allows for light shows you’ve never seen the likes of before.

3.      Le Grand Rex, Paris—Built in 1932, this is Paris’s largest concert venue. Its ceiling has been decorated to look like the night sky, and the stage has seen the likes of artists like the Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead.

4.      The Congress Theater, Chicago—This was originally a movie palace, built in the 1920s. Now it’s one of the best venues around for music. Its beautifully elegant exterior and interior really do look like a palace.

5.      Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles—Some of music’s biggest names have added this location to their performance schedules. An outdoor arena, it offers some of the best views of Los Angeles and is located just below the famous “Hollywood” sign. 

Didgeridoo to the Rescue?

It’s no secret that music can make life easier on us in many ways—it can effect our emotions, relieve stress, and even help our memory. Some people listen to music to help them sleep better at night. And some people learn to play an instrument that helps them sleep better.

Sleep apnea is a fairly common ailment many Americans struggle with—night after night. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common and occurs when the airway is obstructed. People suffering from OSA wake up several seconds after their airway has been blocked, often choking and high with adrenaline.

Traditional treatment involves using a CPAP machine that pumps air through the nose at night to provide a steady flow of oxygen to the body. But not everybody relishes the idea of being hooked up to a sometimes inconvenient machine every night. Some want to find a better, more progressive cure for their problem.

That’s where our unlikely rescuer comes in: the didgeridoo. According to a study published by the British Medical Journal, learning how to play the instrument can strengthen the muscles in the back of the throat, toning the airway and making it less likely to collapse during the night. But the player has to be dedicated to learning and practicing the instrument for it to be effective, and it generally only works as an alternative for those with mild or moderate cases.

Experts agree that it is certainly plausible that playing the didgeridoo could have significant benefits to those with OSA, but they also agree that there needs to be more research conducted on the topic before they’ll give it an official seal of approval like the CPAP.

Grails coming out with new volume!

Grails, a Portland instrumental rock band has announced that they'll be releasing a follow-up to last year's wonderful Deep Politics. 

If you don't know who Grails is, you should pick up Deep Politics as soon as you can and prepare to be amazed.  Maybe it's just that I love a piece that builds, but Grails is the kind of thing that you makes a simple walk down to the corner store feel like an epic quest to Mordor.  It's the ultimate transportation music, guaranteed to transport you to new and unusual places within your mind.

Of course, the real treat is seeing them in concert.  They're intense and mesmerizing, and they make me wish that I took drugs just so I could experience their music through that facet.  Although, given that they're in Australia right now it might be a bit difficult to see them. 

Grails' new album is called Black Tar Prophecies: Volume 5, and it's being released by Andres Santo Domingo and Tom Clapp's Kemado Records- which means that it'll probably be available on vinyl. I'm looking forward to heading down to their shop and checking it out. :)

No Doubt Under Fire

Thinking of No Doubt means, for most of us, reminiscing about the 90s. Songs like “Spiderwebs,” “Just A Girl,” and “It’s My Life” are ingrained in many-a-person’s head for life. But No Doubt is not just a thing of the past. They’re working on a comeback, and they’ve started with their new album, “Push and Shove.”

Unfortunately, things haven’t started off so well as they might have hoped. The video for their newest single, “Looking Hot,” has gotten some serious negative feedback—enough so that the band pulled the video not long after it was released.

The video, which has fans calling it racist, depicted band members in stereotypical Native American and Cowboy costumes having a mock showdown. The band says they consulted with Native American experts and friends during the making of the video, but didn’t realize that it would be offensive to people. They issued a formal apology on Saturday via their website, the day after the release.

“As a multi-racial band our foundation is built upon both diversity and consideration for other cultures. Our intention with our new video was never to offend, hurt or trivialize Native American people, their culture or their history…

“The music that inspired us when we started the band, and the community of friends, family, and fans that surrounds us was built upon respect, unity and inclusiveness. We sincerely apologize to the Native American community and anyone else offended by this video. Being hurtful to anyone is simply not who we are.”

Warner Music Joins Google

There’s no denying it: music has, for the most part, gone digital. Make no mistake, there are still millions of people investing in CDs; but most of those CDs get put onto a computer or mp3 player and then packed away somewhere. Apple’s iTunes has been a digital music giant for some time now, and other companies have struggled to keep up at times.

But now that phones are practically mini-computers that get carried around everywhere, people want to be able to take their music with them wherever they go. iTunes works wonders for those with an iPhone, but Androids don’t have that option.

Google Music has been able to provide Android users thus far with a fairly large collection of music to purchase and download, but until recently the catalogue was not complete. Warner Music Group, which controls about 15% of recorded music in the world, just signed a deal with Google allowing it to include all of Warner’s music in the Google Play catalogue.

Huge artists like Bruno Mars, Michael Bublé, Iron & Wine, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and many more are artists under Warner’s control. This is good news for those who use Android phones. Google Play comes already installed on many smartphones these days, and having a complete selection of music to choose from is essential to any music lover.

Google’s music store for Western Europe will also open on November 13^th. The new store will introduce a “scan and match” feature that will allow customers to match songs on their computer to a cloud database, preventing them from having to upload every single song. It will become available to the United States shortly after being released in Europe, according to Andy Rubin, Google’s senior vice president for mobile and digital content.

What is the best music for exercise?

It’s a pretty common sight to see runners these days packing a pair of ear buds as they push themselves up a hill or through that last mile. Go to the gym and you’ll see half or more of the people there listening to music while they work up a sweat. It’s no secret that we like to listen to music while we work out; it’s also true that while some music may be great, it’s not good for that morning run or Zumba session.

Do you ever wonder what, exactly, it is that makes a song more or less motivational when it comes to exercise? Some songs just make you want to jump up and move; others, not so much. The truth is, there’s actually some scientific basis when it comes to “good” exercise music.

Costas Karageorghis is an associate professor of sport psychology at Brunel University in England. He’s studied the effects of music during exercise for two decades, creating a rating system, Brunel Music Rating Inventory, for determining how motivational a song is during exercise.

Karageorghis found, perhaps unsurprisingly, that tempo is one of the main factors involved when deciding whether a song is physically motivating or not. Ideally, a song should be between 120 and 140 beats per minute (BPM). This corresponds not only to most dance music we hear, but also to the average heart rate of a person during a workout.

High intensity workouts such as running might work better with a higher BPM (147-160), while walking would be much lower—around 115 BMP. Speed walking, however is just below running, at 137-139 BPM.

If you can, it’s also good to eliminate gaps between songs, much like a DJ would mix one song into another. This allows for continuous exercise without a break between. People tend to work at the tempo of the music, so if there’s a pause or discrepancy there, it doesn’t work as well.

Past the BPM, it’s really a matter of musical preference. Some music is more associated with “power,” such as heavy metal—so it’s more popular with power sports like bodybuilding. Others might prefer pop music, rap, or indie. According to Karageorghis, the perfect workout song “evokes a state of optimism and excitement in the listener.”

Why Vinyl’s Still Alive

The introduction of the CD and of digital music was the end of vinyl for most people. But it wasn’t the end of vinyl altogether. Though it still only accounts for less than one percent of total music sales, there are still a select few who continue to stay loyal. These days, vinyl may not be the main media form for new music, but it still holds significance—whether it’s a keepsake, a physical representation, or a better sound—to many music lovers today.



It probably won’t ever return to its previous glory, though sales have been steadily growing in past years.. The records are fragile—they can break and be scratched, and they take up more space in an era where smaller is better.



In an interview with NPR, Andres Santo Domingo, who is a co-founder of the independent label Mexican Summer said, “Vinyl is definitely growing, and will continue to grow. But I think there’s a ceiling. I don’t think it’ll ever become the prevalent format. I think it’d be crazy to think that.” Mexican Summer is vinyl-only and a sister-label to Kemado Records, Santo Domingo’s other record label.

Andres Santo Domingo at Kemado Records' new location

Another reason vinyl will probably never return to its former glory is because of the complex process that goes into creating it, and the fact that consumers can’t do it right from home. In New York City, there used to be as many as 50 pressing plants; now there are three. The machines used to produce vinyl records aren’t even made anymore, so that makes upkeep very difficult and expensive.



It takes one machine about thirty seconds to make a single record. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gets melted down from pellet form into a shape similar to a puck. It then gets heated by steam and pressed by molds with the specific ridges for the A and B sides of each record. Next, cold water cools the record, it gets pulled from the mold and trimmed, and the next record gets started.

Part of the process of making colored speciality vinyl is taking pellets of polyvinyl chloride and melting them into the standard soft puck shape of an unpressed record

And though it is just a tiny speck of the music industry today, vinyl seems to be holding steady for now. Jenn Wasner, who is the singer for Wye Oak is a lover of vinyl. The duo is about to have their third album released in LP format, something they’ve been asking their label to do for a long time.



“It looks better,” she says of vinyl. “It sounds better. You can hold it in your hand. It’s a keepsake that you can hold in your hand and treasure for years.”

Death of a Piano

Silver Swan, from source

Every day, pianos all over the world are reaching the end of their days. They’ve lived long lives and now it’s time to go. Perhaps they were never well built, but they still made music, made someone smile. What sort of end does a piano deserve? When it can’t stay tuned and the restoration costs more than it’s worth—money most people don’t have—what’s to become of the beloved piano?

According to the BBC, the sad truth is that more and more pianos are going to the dump, being burned for the wood, or getting chopped up for wood chip. A few lucky ones get taken in by restorers willing to spend the money to fix them up, but these days there are far too many pianos at the end of their lives than there are restorers to take them.



Pianos saw their heyday around the 1920s. This was a time when they were finally being mass made for the public, not just for well-off families and those with high status. This meant they weren’t made as well—as so often mass-produced products aren’t—and it’s those pianos that are dying now. So, metal, wood, ivory and all, they get sent to the dump.



But there’s something inherently sad about a piano ending up in a massive pile of garbage, isn’t there? They are such personal instruments—they’ve made us laugh, smile, even cry at the beautiful music they’ve produced. They’ve helped us express ourselves, tap into our creativity, and feel the joy of making music. It seems like they should have a better end.



A lucky few might be made into furniture piece-by-piece, or even art. This feels like a more justified end for some reason—perhaps it’s because they can still be enjoyed and appreciated by people in those forms. They’re not just dismantled, thrown away, and forgotten about.



Blake Cooper at Cooper Piano in Atlanta, Georgia explained the process of disposing of a piano to BBC. “I’m not going to tell them I’m going to chop it up and put it in a hopper,” he said. “It’s an emotional thing. The piano is like a form of expression, and all of a sudden, you’re dealing in a strange situation. All those pianos had somebody happy at some time. All those pianos did that. They really don’t owe us anything. People were happy, even if only for a moment. Did the piano smile? I don’t know—it might have.”

Mike Mogis and Justin Oberst of Saddle Creek Records

Saddle Creek Records was born in 1993 in Omaha, Nebraska by Mike Mogis and Justin Oberst. It was originally named Lumberjack Records and was a project in a college class on entrepreneurship. Its name was later changed to “Saddle Creek” after a street in midtown Omaha, where its first artists were discovered.

The record label found its beginnings in the same city it was founded—Omaha—signing artists like Bright Eyes (whose credited members include Mike Mogis, Nate Walcott, and Conor Oberst), Tim Kasher (Slowdown Virginia, Cursive, and The Good Life), as well as others.


The label is still growing today. It has kept many of its original artists, like Oberst and Kasher, and has also branched out. Its current artists include Bright Eyes, The Desaparecidos, Broken Spindles, Cursive, The Good Life, The Myrnabirds, and more.

Check out our full feature on the label for more information.

Andres Santo Domingo and Tom Clapp with Kemado Records

Kemado records was founded in 2002 by Andrés Santo Domingo and Tom Clapp and includes a sister label, Mexican Summer. Based out of New York City, the label is a small independent one that embraces the idea of vinyl as a medium.  

Andres Santo Domingo and Keith Abrahamsson at their vinyl co-op store

When Kemado records opened up their new location in Brooklyn they looked particularly for a location that would allow them to include a small vinyl co-op store and commerical recording studio.


"We just needed more space. We looked all over Manhattan and found a couple of spaces -- we looked everywhere," Andres Santo Domingo explained to Black Book Mag. "But when we came out to Brooklyn and saw the spaces out here in Greenpoint, we knew we could do a commercial recording studio."

One of their biggest successes was as part of Mexican Summer, which was the 2009 release of Crazy for You by Best Coast.  The release sold around 57,000 copies, including 10,000 of which were LPs.  

For more information about Andrés Santo Domingo, Tom Clapp, Keith Abrahamsson, and Kemado Records check out our feature on them.

How does music affect us?

Music has a profound effect on us. It can amplify our moods—positive and negative—and it can also have positive physical impacts. According to studies from a variety of medical and educational institutions—including the well-known Mayo Clinic—music truly does have the power to heal.

Music reduces anxiety and stress, improves mood, distracts us from feeling pain, and promotes positive emotions. Of course, these reactions also assume that a person is listening to music they like—doing the opposite can result in less positive or even negative reactions.

Because stress levels tend to go down when we listen to music we like, our blood pressure can actually decrease. This is good news for those of us with higher-than-normal blood pressure and tension. It’s also good news for patients recovering from operations, cancer, or other physical ailments, as it can help speed recovery time along.

In fact, music can decrease anxiety so much that one study even found that patients with Parkinson’s disease were more relaxed when listening to music—while on the operating table. Patients who listened to purely melodic music were comforted and some even fell asleep during the operation.

Our brains control our bodies. It’s no secret that positive thinking has had positive, physical health benefits. The same is true of music. Apparently, listening to “joyful” music has been connected with a healthier coronary system, triggering a dilation of blood vessels around the heart and allowing more blood to pass through.

Being a musician has its health benefits, too. Lifelong musicians have been linked with better sound processing, the difference becoming especially evident as aging progresses. Musicians have also shown greater mental acuity in old age, and retain that sharpness for longer than those who were not musically inclined.  Music can actually make you smarter.

Taking music lessons and being actively involved in making music has also been linked to better memory. Studies have shown that information recall and verbal memory in children who take music lessons is higher than average.

So, there you have it. If you didn’t already have a good excuse for being a music lover or musician before, now you have the proof and support of science. Now go and be merry. And listen to some tunes while you do it.

Record Owner Brett Gurewitz

Brett Gurewitz

Brett Gurewitz is a guitarist, songwriter, and record label owner. A member of the well-known band, Bad Religion, he founded Epitaph Records in 1981 as a means to publish the group’s music. Since then, the label has grown to become one of the largest independent pop music labels, signing groups such as Rancid and The Offspring. Epitaph also has several sister labels, including ANTI-, Burning Heart Records, Fat Possum Records, and Hellcat Records.



In 1979, when he was 19, Gurewitz joined Bad Religion. He has been a member on and off since then. He recorded two albums and one EP with the band from 1979 until 1983, when Gurewitz had to quit to go into drug rehabilitation. They reunited with them again in 1986 until 1994, recording a further six albums. In the mid-nineties, Epitaph garnered widespread popularity when The Offspring and Rancid released new albums with stunning success.



Gurewitz became immersed in Epitaph’s success, but from 1996 until 1999 he developed a strong drug addiction and had to leave the label for a short time after an overdose. After cleaning up, Gurewitz again began working with Bad Religion alongside his responsibilities at Epitaph, first co-writing a song for an album and later rejoining the band in 2001. He has been with the band ever since, but often does not travel for live performances unless they are nearby.



Brett Gurewitz has also been involved with several other bands outside of Bad Religion as both a producer and a guest artist—NOFX, Pennywise, Daredevils, The Distillers, Matchbook Romance, Parkway Drive, Heartsounds, and many others. Through his many years of ups and downs, drug problems, and personal woes, one thing has remained strong: his drive to succeed in creating great music. That’s why, apart from so many other great musicians, Brett Gurewitz is still around today inspiring musicians to succeed.