Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Beat.
PCC160 Boundary Mic
1985 was a very interesting year in the microphone market. January of that year Crown International introduced a very oddly shaped and interesting mic called the PCC160. Following the huge success of the PZM’s a few years before, this mic would soon reinvent how stages and theaters all over the country and around the world would mic their productions.
By Mark Darnell9 years ago in Beat
Paying The Devil His Due
Have you ever known a band within the last past decade who made it? Is there such a thing that exists today in the music industry? It seems like things have changed their game. You can now listen, download and watch your favorite band from the comfort of your home on the internet. You don't have to pay for parking, wait in line or even bother with pre-sale. Sounds good, right? But is it? Are you missing out on a bigger experience you may not know about? With the ever changing world of how music operates comes to the issue of new bands trying to find a footing on an already slippery floor.
By Angel Dearborn9 years ago in Beat
Dani Felt Consultants Keeps Their Clients Connected
As a musician, enlisting a music consultant to amplify your career can feel like beginning a relationship that proceeds from parallel universes and distances the artist’s passion from the pragmatics of achieving success. But Dani Felt believes her unique place as both a consultant and a musician helps bridge the gap.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in Beat
Memories of Old and AM Gold (Part 1)
Whenever summer rolls around, it annually evokes fond memories of youthful days I’d eagerly spend counting down until the school year would finally end. The anticipation of long, lazy summer days, extended car rides, and family vacations was always palpable. That was the era of AM radio hits which often turned into road trip sing-alongs which served as a much needed reprieve from being cooped up for hours on end in the car. I’m referring to a time when portable electronics were almost non-existent and the only access to music was the standard AM radio that came factory installed in the family owned American automobile. Back then, everyone mostly subsisted on the familiar sounds of the most popular Top 40 radio hits of the day, unless you were lucky enough to have the infamous 8-track tape deck, which did NOT include fast-forward or rewind options.
By Eric Allen9 years ago in Beat
Fender Toronado: Not to Be Confused With Grandma's GM Oldsmobile
This is not to be confused with your Grandma’s old boat of a car, the GM Oldsmobile Toronado! This is a guitar folks. This is one breed of guitar that has both confused and interested me at the same time. When it first came out a few years ago, it caught my eye because it, at first glance, looked like an alternate version of the Jazz Master. But let me say straight up that a Jazz Master it is not... and to be fair, nor was it intended to be.
By Mark Darnell9 years ago in Beat
Review of Rob Sheffield's Dreaming The Beatles: 6 of X
Rob Sheffield makes the case for Ringo in the next chapter of his stellar Dreaming the Beatles, putting the question regarding Ringo as whether he was an all-time genius drummer who made the Beatles possible, or "a clod who got lucky, the biggest fool who ever hit the big time". Sheffield puts his chips on the genius.
By Paul Levinson9 years ago in Beat
The Worst Song to Ever be Created
Sometimes, bad music happens to good bands. Elvis Presley infamously sang "Confidence" as part of a children's movie he filmed in the late 60s. Chuck Berry's song, "My Ding-A-Ling," was his only solo hit - and also happened to be a several minute long joke about his ding-a-ling. Even Paul Simon had a gaffe or two under his belt.
By Skunk Uzeki9 years ago in Beat
Music and Concert Documentaries on Netflix
Too few people watch documentaries, which means that many music and concert documentaries on Netflix go unwatched. It's a damn shame, too, because there are a multitude of great ones no one sees. With so many movies and shows on the streaming service, it's hard to figure out what to watch. So often, quality shows are drowned in a quantity of crap. And documentaries can be made and uploaded to the service on the cheap.
By Anthony Gramuglia9 years ago in Beat
Review of Rob Sheffield's Dreaming The Beatles: 5 of X
Rob Sheffield's short chapter in his Dreaming the Beatles (actually, they're all short, which is good) is about "It Won't Be Long," and is about as fine a piece of music journalism, or rock 'n' roll analysis, or whatever you want to call it, as you can find. It's a holographic sample of why the book as a whole is so enjoyable and important.
By Paul Levinson9 years ago in Beat
Best Indie Rock Bands
We're pretty sure that VH1 has done at least one list ranking the best indie rock bands of all time. Indie rock has been around for longer than hipsters have been in Brooklyn, and the fact is that many of the biggest movements in music were sparked by good indie rock bands and their unique sounds.
By Skunk Uzeki9 years ago in Beat
