The enigma of Prince
Posted on April 26th, 2012 by Jon O
This much is indisputable: Prince is one of the greatest musicians alive. His musical output has been prodigious — perhaps too prodigious for his own good. But even putting aside the mediocre songs, his body of hits and his songs that are great despite limited commercial success put him at the top of the heap. And though his years of peak influence may be limited to the crazy 80s (just as the Beatles’ peak influence was limited to the trippy 60s), most artists would kill for a fraction of that kind of influence. [Read more →]
Imagine putting on a pair of gloves, and by gesturing you could make a device talk, or sing. Well, the future is here. Sidney Fels, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, led a team of researchers that built such a device. 
Okay, you’ve heard all the typical Christmas collections — popular singers performing familiar carols, divas singing newly minted “contemporary” songs, tasteful arrangements of the same old same old — but you’re craving something unique, something that breathes new life into the tradition, something that stimulates both your need for nostalgia and your need for adventure. These five choices, spanning styles from jazz to alternative to folk to classical, deliver the goods. 
The holiday season for me conjures images of a mug of hot chocolate, a cozy fire, and the tranquility of snow falling. Cutesy songs like “Jingle Bells” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” make fun sing-alongs, but I prefer tunes that convey the spirit of the season. What makes a great Christmas song? Melody, harmony, rhythm and lyrics working together to capture a mood. Here is my take on the best songs that do just that. 
