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Pop Rock Nation

Author: Jenny

  • Rediscovering karaoke on SingSnap.com!

    SingSnap is an online karaoke service that I rediscovered yesterday after a long absence…

    Several years ago, my husband Bill and I lived on an Army post in northern Virginia. Back then, I was more social than I am today. I used to clamor for Friday night karaoke at the officer’s club. We’d go; I’d get drunk; and I’d sing for about four hours straight because it wasn’t always a particularly well-attended activity. I got really hooked on karaoke. There was a group that met every Friday and we’d socialize and sing for hours. The Vietnamese bartender who worked at the club, Tieng, loved it. When Bill was deployed to Iraq, she’d call me every Friday to “invite” me to karaoke! It was a great source of support at a time when I was alone a lot.

    Sometime around 2005 or so, a karaoke Web site called kSolo.com was launched. kSolo.com was affiliated with Sound Choice, a karaoke manufacturer based in Charlotte, North Carolina. kSolo.com is now defunct, but it was a site where people all over the Internet could sing karaoke songs and upload them for the world to hear. For awhile, it was quite a diversion for me and a great place to practice and get feedback from other would-be superstars. Of course, people weren’t always nice, but it was fun while it lasted.

    The following year, a competing site called SingSnap was created. I was one of the first people to join SingSnap. I liked it better than kSolo.com, mainly because the people who ran it had a broader selection of songs and used a variety of karaoke tracks. Anyone who has done karaoke regularly knows that karaoke songs can vary widely in quality. The best songs tend to be made by Sound Choice or Chartbuster, a label that recently went out of business but made some great karaoke tracks, particularly for those of us who like bluegrass music! But sometimes even those two labels put out clunkers that another label did a better job with. SingSnap seemed to recognize this fact and offered a wider variety and better quality songs that appealed to broader tastes. SingSnap also allowed people to change the key and use their Web cams for the whole performance, something kSolo.com never did.

    For several years, I sang quite faithfully on SingSnap.com. I became a “gold member”, which means I was a paid member of the site and got full access to all its songs and features. It was a fun way to pass particularly boring afternoons. Then in 2009, I quit hanging out on SingSnap because my subscription ran out and SingSnap dramatically raised their prices to the point at which I didn’t think it was worth it anymore. After all, I have my own karaoke player at home and a large collection of discs. I don’t make a habit of promoting my performances, either.

    Then yesterday, I wrote on my personal blog about my prior career plans and how they led me to where I am today. I explained that if I had to do it over again, I might have considered studying music. It’s something that comes easily to me and I enjoy it immensely. I have a regular reader from Ireland who was curious about my voice. I was feeling a bit bashful, but he persisted and promised that he would keep nagging until I gave in and uploaded a video of me singing on YouTube. So then I tried to figure out how I was going to appease my new Irish friend. I didn’t mind letting him hear a recording of me, but I really didn’t want to film myself singing. And then I remembered SingSnap.com.

    I logged into my long forgotten account and looked at the free songs they had available. I wondered if my computer would work well with SingSnap. Since the last time I “performed” on SingSnap, I had switched from a PC to a Mac, which doesn’t have an external microphone. I needn’t have worried. After a few easy adjustments, my computer was able to record my voice somewhat decently. Finally, I decided to give it a go and sang the one free version of “Danny Boy”. It was okay… basically, it was the Elvis Presley version. Since I was no longer a gold member, I couldn’t try a different version or change the key. Of course, being a total karaoke junkie, my addiction was quickly reignited and I found myself checking out SingSnap’s prices for their gold subscription. They had come down significantly since I last checked, so I re-subscribed and made a couple of new recordings. I opted for the year subscription, which is $80 payable by credit card or PayPal. Monthly subscriptions run $15.

    Here is one of the recordings I made yesterday on SingSnap.

    You will notice there is a fixed image on the video. That’s because I don’t usually wear makeup and don’t want to subject people to what I look like on a regular day! Before I uploaded that picture, I had a photo of one of my beagles on my recordings.

    One of the cool things about SingSnap is that the system allows paying users to make duets, harmonize, and create groups. In that sense, it kind of allows regular people to get a very rudimentary experience of recording their own music. You are free to listen or not listen to other peoples’ songs. You can make your recordings public, restrict them, or make them totally private. You can allow people to rate or make comments on your recordings, or you can disable those features. SingSnap also has contests. I haven’t entered any of them, but for those who like that sort of thing, contests are available and seem to be quite popular.

    I had so much fun playing with SingSnap yesterday that I imagine I’ll experiment more with it today. It’s just one more thing to prevent me from mowing the lawn.

    Edited to add…. I just plugged in a real mic. BIG difference in how it sounds!

  • A touch of Irish– Irish singers and bands

    March is when many people are proud to show off a touch of Irish…

    Though St. Patrick’s Day 2013 is now in the past, I thought I’d take a look at some of my favorite Irish singers and bands. There are actually quite a few musicians from Ireland that I admire and this post probably won’t do them all justice. Still, I’m feeling a little green today as I notice the faint first colors of spring creeping into the landscape as the chill in the air starts to mellow. It makes me want to hop on a plane and head for the Emerald Isle.

    Van Morrison

    Twenty years ago, I was a casual Van Morrison fan, having been exposed to some of his biggest hits, “Brown-Eyed Girl” and “Moondance”. Then I started working at the campus radio station at my college and was exposed to more of his music. As I grew older, I started adding to my collection, really appreciating the way Van Morrison mixed so many different genres together into something appealing and original. I also enjoyed his obvious love for his craft. When I listen to Van Morrison, I get the sense that he really was born to do what he does. In 2005, my husband bought me a copy of his album, Magic Time. It’s one of my favorites of his many albums, though I continue to add to my collection and try to find time to listen to it all. Van Morrison is nothing if not very prolific!

    Van Morrison sings “Celtic New Year”

    U2

    You probably can’t be a child of the 1970s and 80s and not have had at least a passing exposure to a song by Irish band, U2. Personally, I am mostly a fan of their earliest music and stopped liking them quite as much sometime around 1991. But they continue to be a popular and influential band, having come up with an instantly recognizable sound and some truly classic songs. True story… back in 1987, I was a sophomore in high school working on the school newspaper. A fellow classmate had gone to see U2 in concert; they were playing in a city close to where we lived. She had just gotten her high school class ring and actually got U2 lead singer Bono to “lock it”– that is, turn it for the 89th time on her finger. She wrote an article about ambushing the band at their hotel and getting Bono to autograph her white turtleneck. To this day, whenever I hear U2, I think of her.

    U2 performs “Sunday Bloody Sunday”

    The Corrs

    I wasn’t familiar with The Corrs until I purchased an album in which they performed a song called “I Know My Love” with The Chieftains. I quickly fell in love with the song and that made me want to find out more about this band. They combine traditional Celtic sounds with pop and come up with a very appealing combination. I have to admit, I’m still getting to know this band, but they really turn me on so far.

    The Corrs perform with The Chieftains, “I Know My Love”

    Christy Moore

    A friend of mine from Belfast, Northern Ireland introduced me to Irish singer Christy Moore when I was serving in the Peace Corps. He sent me a mix tape that had Christy Moore’s fantastic cover of “Fairytale of New York”, a song originally made popular by The Pogues, yet another Irish band! I liked the cover so much that when I got back to the States, I invested in a very expensive imported copy of Moore’s live CD, Live At The Point. I see that CD has since gone down quite a bit in price. If you are a fan of Irish flavored folk music, I highly recommend this particular album. It’s outstanding.

    Christy Moore performs his cover of “Fairytale of New York”

    The Pogues

    The first time I heard The Pogues, I was seventeen years old and shopping with the guy who was my boyfriend at the time. We walked into a music store in Williamsburg, Virginia and they were playing “And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda”. We were both enchanted by The Pogues’ take on that song about Australian soldiers in World War I. My former boyfriend ended up buying an album, but for some reason I didn’t. Years later, I invested in some music by The Pogues and was happy that song was in the collection.

    The Pogues sing “And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda”

    Sinead O’ Connor

    Sinead O’ Connor made it big in the late 1980s. I first became aware of her when I heard her cover of “Nothing Compares 2 U”, a song written by Prince. A few years later, she got in hot water when she tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live. Since then, she’s sort of faded from the limelight, except for the occasional news story which paints her as more than a bit eccentric and troubled. Nevertheless, when I think of Irish singers who have made a mark on the world, I can’t help but think of her in all her bald glory with eyes that practically pierce the soul and a voice that captures pain like no other.

    Sinead O’ Connor sings with The Chieftains

    Clip of O’ Connor on SNL…

    The Chieftains

    Last, but definitely not least, I want to pay tribute to The Chieftains, a band that was formed in Dublin in 1962 and specializes in popularizing Irish folk music. Besides being a musical treasure of Ireland, The Chieftains have performed with countless other performers making Irish music accessible to the masses.

    The Chieftains perform “Women of Ireland”

    A few months ago, my husband and I were lucky enough to get to visit Scotland, a nation that features prominently in my heritage. I’m hoping that before too long, we will also be able to visit Ireland, which is where many of my husband’s people come from. For now, I’ll enjoy the beer, the whiskey, the music, and the spirit that permeates the atmosphere around St. Patrick’s Day. And for just a little while, I’ll enjoy a touch of Irish.

  • Singers Who Act

    In my last post, I looked at actors who sing… How about a look at singers who act?

    My last post on Pop Rock Nation focused on actors who sing. I know I missed many other thespians who have tried to broaden their audiences by turning to music, but to cover all of them would take way too much time and space. Besides, I have to save up material for the inevitable day when I have writer’s block. Actors are not the only ones looking to broaden their appeal. Quite a few singers have branched out into acting. Some have been surprisingly good at the acting gig, while others have been laughably bad. In the interest of continuity, here’s a look at a few well-known singers who took a stab at the small screen or the silver screen.

    Kenny Rogers as The Gambler… and Brewster Baker!

    In 1978, Kenny Rogers had a hit song called “The Gambler”, which he famously turned into several made for television movies in the 1980s. In 1982, he was in the major motion picture, Six Pack, which was about a race car driver who looks after six rag tag orphans who happen to be pretty good mechanics. The above clip is actually a tribute to the character Swifty, who was played by Robby Still. Robby Still has precious few credits on imdb.com, but he was pretty memorable in Six Pack. You can catch some of Kenny’s acting in this clip. Six Pack also starred future teen idol Anthony Michael Hall, future movie star Diane Lane, and Erin Gray, of whom I had fond memories when she played Colonel Wilma Deering on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

    Olivia Newton-John as Sandy in Grease and Kira in Xanadu


    Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta sing “You’re The One That I Want” on Grease.


    A trailer for the 1980 film, Xanadu.

    Olivia Newton-John was a huge smash when she played exchange student in the 1978 musical film, Grease, alongside John Travolta (an actor who sings). In 1980, she was tapped to play Kira, a muse who helps a couple of guys build their dream nightclub, Xanadu. I must confess that in the early 80s, I simply adored Xanadu! I loved Olivia Newton-John and I thought the film was just plain cool. It really captured my imagination and the soundtrack was pretty awesome, at least to my nine year old ears. Many years later, I think the film is ridiculous, but it’s still fun to pull out every once in awhile for a laugh. And it was also later turned into a musical, which I have yet to see. Olivia Newton-John teamed up with John Travolta again in the film Two of a Kind, which was a bit of a bomb. She has since been in television movies and has had cameos on popular television shows like Glee.

    Dolly Parton as Doralee Rhodes and Truvy Jones


    Dolly as Doralee Rhodes on the film, 9 to 5.


    Dolly as Truvy Jones in Steel Magnolias.

    Dolly Parton has been in more than a few movies, but two of my favorites done by her are 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias. In 9 to 5, she played sexy, feisty secretary Doralee Rhodes, who has to constantly has to put up with a scumbag boss. In Steel Magnolias, she plays Truvy Jones, small town Louisiana hairstylist extraordinaire. In both films, she handily and convincingly played southern women with heart. I think Dolly Parton is one of those singers who really can act, too! As long as she plays people who are a lot like her…

    James Taylor as The Driver


    Opening scene of Two Lane Blacktop…

    It’s hard to think of singer-songwriter-guitarist James Taylor on the silver screen. He seems like such a sensitive, introverted soul. In 1971, he was in the film Two Lane Blacktop, playing The Driver. I have seen this film, but it didn’t really stick with me much. I think that’s a sign that JT is probably better off singing.

    Whitney Houston as Rachel Marron

    Whitney Houston died last year as she was completing a role in the 2012 film Sparkle. As an actress, she is best remembered for her role as Rachel Marron, a beautiful singer who needs to be protected by “the bodyguard” (Kevin Costner). I don’t know that Whitney’s acting skills were top notch, but the soundtrack for that film was huge and many people loved the film. Today, Whitney’s version of “I Will Always Love You” (written by fellow singer turned actor, Dolly Parton), is much loved and could probably be called her signature song.

    Usher

    Usher Raymond has an impressive string of credits on the small screen. The one I will remember him for is his turn as Will on an episode of 7th Heaven. He played a campus radio station manager who hires Reverend Eric Camden (played by Steven Collins, another actor who sings) to talk to a suicidal caller.

    Janet Jackson as Penny Woods, Cleo Hewitt, and Charlene DuPrey…

    In all fairness, Janet Jackson was probably better known as an actress before she became a megastar singer. But when most people think of Janet Jackson, they think of her as a singer. She acted on Good Times, Diff’rent Strokes, and Fame when she was coming of age. Later, after selling millions of records, Janet was in Nutty Professor II with Eddie Murphy (a comedian and actor who sings).

    Michael Jackson as The Scarecrow

    Janet Jackson’s older brother, Michael, was also not a total stranger to the big screen. In 1978, he performed as The Scarecrow in the film, The Wiz. In 2002, he played Agent M in the sequel to Men In Black, Men In Black II. Michael Jackson’s role as The Scarecrow was probably his biggest one as an actor, though he was a man of many talents– singing, dancing, and drawing among them!

    Looking at this incomplete list of a few singers who act, I think maybe some of the singers were more successful at trying their hands at acting. Give me a few months, though, and this subject is bound to come up again!