Writing one great and masterful sentence is no small feat, but accomplishable with time. With every word known to the writer, and the combinations those words bring, crafting a single thought that is both profound and witty can be done.

The dividing line which separates a well known author and a journaling school boy is the stamina to continue on beyond that one sentence, perfecting line after line until the combination of words are endless and time no longer a factor. Only then is it known that a wistful, elating story is not by luck or chance, but only done by skill.

It’s possible that no melody has been unheard, but some artists can make several familiar chords seem fresh again. Fidgeting with the poetry of the lyrics until they match the tone and essence of the music is a skill only given to a few. To have a golden song reach the masses, being sung by every store around is a...

Talking about music piracy has become an exercise in self deprecation, an emotional argument that never seems to end. I understand that music piracy was a real issue, it hurt a lot of people, and it still exists, but we’re now at the point where it’s been talked to death, and then some. Aimed at musicians, this advice is good for consumers to hear as well.

The music industry isn’t a goldmine, it isn’t a lucrative industry to somehow find yourself in, but artists should no longer be the victims of piracy. They shouldn’t cite stolen music as the reason they didn’t make it or the reason they can’t continue their career. If music piracy is still nipping at your heels, still causing problems, then you need take a step back because you’re doing something wrong.

This isn’t a ‘4 steps to beating piracy guide’, but we might as well start at the beginning. Prepare a game plan for your music...

Last.fm fell into an interesting predicament a few years back. Furiously popular, enough to be purchased by CBS Interactive in 2007 for roughly $280 million, the site appears to have passed its prime.

I love my music stats, it’s one of the factors I look at every December when compiling my end-of-year lists, but I don’t live by the site anymore like was once the case. Years ago it was amazing to visit Last.fm and see what friends were listening to. It was organic social music discovery before music services knew that’s what they were even looking for. Now with spotify, Facebook, and other avenues producing the same results, I don’t visit Last.fm. I don’t get the urge to take advantage of any of their music features, and it appears others don’t as well. It’s been years since I heard someone mention Last.fm naturally in conversation or even for practical use. The times I do visit are...

Here’s the new music I’m currently listening to. Consider this a personal recommendation from one person to another.

Tyler Lyle

No two ways around it, this kid is talented. His new EP is said not to reflect his upcoming work, but absolutely still worth your time.

The 1975 - Music For Cars EP

“Chocolate” is such a smooth song.

Canopy Climbers - “Stuck”

The new single from Canopy Climbers is a controlled explosion of electronic rock. This band has always been the next big thing.

Coin

Coin’s listed ‘recommended if you like’ bands are The Killers, Young the Giant, and Neon Tree. So, if you like those bands check out Coin’s free EP on NoiseTrade.

The New Amsterdams Final Album: Outroduction

The final album from The New Amsterdams will be out in March. The only place I’ve been able to find out about it is on Allmusic. It’s really good to hear Matt Pryor singing.

Apple should run their music business like they run their App Store. That’s to say, they should create a musician program that allows individuals, as well as companies, to sell music directly through iTunes.

Currently, independent artists need to have a third party service that will get their songs distributed through iTunes. TuneCore is one of these services, open to anyone making music and with $49/year to spend getting it in online stores. Apple entering the distribution space and allowing artists to directly sell their music through iTunes wouldn’t really change things, at first. It might seem rather ho-hum in fact. I imagine the impact to be like the Titanic hitting the iceberg. At first glance it seemed minor, the iceberg looked small enough, only to realize later what a giant hole it ripped through everything.

Why would Apple do this? It isn’t to compete with record labels, or...

I hate when a band I like breaks up, or when a company whose products I use goes out of business. It’s discouraging to think that so much around us today is unsustainable and will soon be forced out of existence.

Color, the iPhone photo app, proved that even with $41 million in seed funding, it couldn’t garner success. Dispora, the Facebook alternative, proved that even with the general consensus that open was better, success was not guaranteed. So many products today are built on hopes. Like the hope that markets will shift to cater to a new technology standard, or better yet, that new technology standards can shift the markets.

It’s fine to hope for these things and make every effort for them to work out, but as a consumer, the fickleness of unsustainable ventures is unsettling. So unsettling in fact that I’m beginning to fully appreciate Kickstarter and the crowd funding movement...

Music is part of what makes Sesame Street so great and popular. Over the years the show has had top artists performing original or reworked versions of their popular songs at the top of popularity. Most of the times these artists are eager to appear on the show, citing growing up watching Sesame Street as having a big influence on them early on and wanting to be apart of that for children watching today. Here are 5 of my favorite songs performed by celebrity artists with a bonus selection for good measure.

Wil.i.iam - “What I Am”

Elvis Costello & Elmo - “Monster Went and Ate My Red 2”

Norah Jones - “Don’t Know Y”

Bruno Mars - “Don’t Give Up”

Billy Joel And Marlee Matlin - “Just The Way You Are”

Bonus: Ricky Gervais - “Celebrity Lullaby”

Here’s your new music tip sheet. Personal recommendations from one person to another.

Fou De Toi - “Heartless”

This Swedish band has the hooks, consistency with quality, and the look to make a name for themselves. Speaking of names, the band’s name roughly translates to “crazy for you.” The new video for the new song, “Heartless”, is a Wes Anderson-esque depiction of the song’s lyrics. The band’s previous single, “Pick Up The Phone” is another winner.

Youth Lagoon - ‘Wondrous Bughouse’ First Listen

Either your heart starts beating a little faster at this news or you haven’t listened to Youth Lagoon before. Either way should have you clicking through to do just that.

The Gallery - ‘Restless’

This band and song – “Young & Restless” – could light up the radio if the right people get a taste.

Josh Ritter - ‘The Beast In Its Tracks’ First Listen

Josh Ritter’s accessible folk, dig an...

I’ve known about The Gallery since 2007. Back then they were a good band with a few really great songs. In the past 6 years, since they first sent me their album ‘If You Know What I Mean’, the band has faced situations any career band must work though. Where to live, what to do for money, are we good enough? All this to say, that after constantly refining their music and pressing on, The Gallery have come out the other side with a new record, ‘Restless’, that’s fantastic.

You could argue that being one of the final 16 bands in Rolling Stone Magazine’s unsigned band competition was the point at which The Gallery stepped up to the next level. Or maybe it was recording their previous EP and now new album with Warren Huart (Aerosmith, Augustana, The Fray), but whenever and however the band took their songwriting to a higher calibre, it shows throughout ‘Restless’.

“White Noise Town” is...

The two biggest concerns with switching to a front pocket wallet is bulk and functionality. Having tried a lot of wallets over the years searching for the perfect balance of thinnest and practicality, I think I’ve finally found it.

If all you’re looking for in a minimalist wallet is a small footprint, you might as well use a rubber band. Even a money clip is just a glorified rubber band, holding a few cards and some cash together. This wasn’t what I was looking for, though I did try something similar at one point. The Wintercheck’s Consoliwallet, much like the HuMn, is two pieces held together by an elastic band. The problem I had with this style was ease of use and speed. Finding and pulling out a specific card, then putting it back and grabbing whatever I was buying was less than ideal. A step up from the rubber band-esque style, you come to the single pouch idea such as Supr’s Slim...