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Featured topics in Beat's musical universe.
Just An Ordinary Girl
I was very sad to hear that Sarah Harding has died, losing her battle with Breast cancer. Why do the good and beautiful die so young? She was only 39 years of age! A member of one of my favourite Girl Bands “Girls Aloud”, Sarah will always be the girl next door to me. She was so talented, being an actress as well as a singer, I’ll always remember Sarah in St.Trinian’s.
By Ruth Elizabeth Stiff4 years ago in Beat
Thoughts on Charlie
Charlie was our darling. Yes, the heartbeat of the band many consider to be the greatest rock and roll band of all time – the Rolling Stones, if you needed a reminder – has been taken away from us. Eighty years young and cancer stepped in to take him off the world stage. I was in front of a computer screen at home, surfing and scrolling at documents for work and to pretend I was into my job, and I just had to stop for a moment and consider the moment. Most of us knew that he was ill and that a tour had been delayed (now cancelled?) but this was not on my list of possibilities. Why not? Well, he was a Rolling Stone…
By Kendall Defoe 4 years ago in Beat
Courtney "O.C." Smith
Courtney “O.C.” Smith is a passionate woman who enjoys helping people from all walks of life through various endeavors. Growing up, Courtney was immersed in arts, culture, politics and introduced to entrepreneurship through her family. Courtney tried her hand at many career paths and majors in College before deciding that she had what it takes to do this on her own. Through her own research, Courtney then secured contracts with lobbying firms, real estate firms, and telecommunications companies. None of which truly allowed her the freedom she longed for. Organically, Courtney began to amass a network of friends who were artists, actors, and public figures.
By Tammy Reese4 years ago in Beat
David Bowie 5 years on
David Bowie. You hear the name and immediately people’s minds will flash to a skinny, androgynous guy with a bushy red/coppery mane of hair, heavy make-up and a lightning bolt flashed down the middle of his face. This is David Bowie, or rather Ziggy Stardust – a persona he adopted for a few years in the early 70’s before changing or growing into the Aladdin Sane character (the lightning bolt image you have is from this album cover), described by himself as ‘Ziggy goes to America’. Again, he would morph later into the Thin White Duke persona for subsequent albums. Change was a constant motif of Bowie’s (as well as an excellent record by him), something he would make a career out of. Create a character, explore a musical soundscape, release an album, then when he was tired, bin it and start again. In his breakthrough record ‘Space Oddity’ in 1969 he sang of Major Tom, an astronaut lost in space (this being the first of his persona’s, and a comment on himself felling quite adrift and different from other music of that time). Even before the breakthrough, he was known by a completely different name – Davy Jones, or David Jones. Ironically, this isn’t even a persona, it’s the name he was born and christened with in 1947 by his parents. So, you see this whole time, Bowie has almost always been toying with us, and since we’ve ever ‘known’ him he has been the ever-changing morphing persona, evolved to play the part and fit the music needed for the time.
By Gary Packer4 years ago in Beat
Rumble effect of the pandemic in the world of music
For most of the artists, pandemic came as a nightmare and pulled back most of the opportunities. From a life full of glamour interactions, shows, and tours in a blink of an eye, It completely moved towards a room filled with gadgets and musical instruments. All of us want a vacation from work but not in the way we got. Almost everyone got affected by the pandemic especially the music industry
By Shruti Gupta 4 years ago in Beat
1st Base Runner Releases Haunting New Single, Teams Up With Legendary Director Matt Mahurin for “Break Even” Music Video
Austin, TX-based Singer Songwriter 1st Base Runner continues his flurry of new releases with new single “Break Even” on July 9, the 3rd track to be released from forthcoming album ‘Seven Years of Silence’ (due July 30). A music video by Matt Mahurin (Tom Waits, Peter Gabriel, Alice in Chains) was premiered at Folk n’ Rock.1st Base Runner‘s outsider artistic vision is colored liberally with the melancholy, gothic and avant-garde. Tim Husmann works with the meticulousness of a Trent Reznor or slow play masters Godspeed You! Black Emperor, wrapping each of his astral post-punk pieces in airy layers of cosmic synthesis.
By Independent Music Promotions4 years ago in Beat
Nomadic Soul, An Ode.
I first discovered desert blues when I'd stumbled across an old YouTube video of Ravid Kahalani, the lead singer of the band Yemen Blues, singing Jat Mahibathi at what appeared to be a café in East Jerusalem. The Arab residents in and around the narrow street began to fill the room almost immediately. I can only imagine their shock as they witnessed Kahalani, a Jewish man, paying homage to his Yeminite heritage with a beautiful melodic hymn sung in their native Arabic. There they stood watching, clapping, and cheering on as he sang the number. It was a beautiful sight to see. Not a scent of lingering dissident in the air. No stern looks between cousins. Just people enjoying good music in quaint café in the Holy City.
By Zephyr Yibir5 years ago in Beat
Deep Sea Diving: A Spotlight on Frank Ocean
He doesn’t speak often, but when he does, he tugs at our heart strings. Hailed by some as the “savior of R&B”, Frank Ocean mixes a soothing berceuse with experimental production to create some of the staples of modern R&B music. Who is this recluse and when will we hear more?
By Josh Herring5 years ago in Beat
Battle Rap Artist Lu Castro Debut New Visuals "My Day"
Lu Castro is a rap battler's nightmare and Hip Hop Star's dream that was raised in the Bronx, NY. Despite a tumultuous childhood, Lu's parents maintained a collective effort to raise their son the best way they knew how. Money was tight and it resulted in moving around. Music was his only consistent friend and the words of 50 Cent, Chris Brown, and Kanye helped to ease the stress. They inspired him to keep going. By the time Lu was 13, he was convinced he could be a rapper simply because he knew he couldn't sing. That same confidence would channel when he made it into the URL years later.
By Tammy Reese5 years ago in Beat
