@LinerNotes

Normally I don't write concert reviews for shows I wasn't physically at. No, I was not in New York City at Madison Square Garden last night for what was arguably one of the touchstone moments in music history of the 21st century, the 121212 concert for Sandy relief. It didn't matter that I wasn't there, because how and more importantly, who I experienced the concert with was almost better than actually being there. This was all thanks to the power of the dual screen television experience of a live event and Twitter.

The headline of the post read: "I spent the past two years making a record in my bedroom on a $25 mixing board. It would mean a lot if you gave it a listen." I was skeptical, but, every so often, a Reddit post like this has yielded some interesting music. A millisecond's trip over to bandcamp and I found myself listening to a one-man act called Titanic Sinclair. Three songs later, it was clear this needed to be reviewed. Come listen.

The word legend is often thrown around far too lightly. In this case, "legend" is completely appropriate and should be placed alongside "genius" and "innovator" when talking about musician Dave Brubeck, who passed away this morning, one day shy of his 92nd birthday.

The second outing for Daniel Craig as James Bond kept things somewhat close to the tailored vest of its predecessor. Amy Winehouse had been working on a piece for this film, but it was ultimately opened by the first duet in James Bond title song history. "Another Way to Die" from Quantum of Solace shared the heavier intoned theme of Casino Royale's "You Know My Name." Naturally, loud music can often sound even more interesting when distilled to its acoustic essence.

Casino Royale was a reboot not only for the James Bond character and film series, but for Bond theme songs as well. Grittier and edgier are buzzwords which not only describe Daniel Craig's take on the character, but Chris Cornell's theme song as well. Imagine what happens then if you take the electric bite out of the song.

And so we arrive at one of the most divisive title songs in the James Bond canon. "Die Another Day" by Madonna sold well, charted well and remains in a three way tie (with "Goldfinger" and "Skyfall" ) as the fourth highest charting James Bond themes in the US. Critical reviews of it were sharply divided into "love it or loathe it" categories. If you share the opinion of the latter, the good news is, there are a pair of improvements upon the original which might just change your mind about the song.

The last James Bond film of the 20th century featured a curious blend of new and classic when it came to the theme song. "The World is Not Enough" was composed by David Arnold with lyrics by Don Black, the man behind the words of such Bond classics as "Thunderball," "Diamonds are Forever" and "The Man with The Golden Gun" (he also wrote k.d. lang's closing theme to Tomorrow Never Dies but that's a story for another day). Performed by alt rockers Garbage, the song blends the band's post-grunge and trip hop aesthetic with orchestral elements to create a melodramatic theme, which gets even more interesting when a unique trio of artists set their sounds to it.

Tomorrow Never Dies features a theme song performed by Sheryl Crow which, while it went unnoticed by the pop charts here, made it to #11 in the UK in 1997, making it tied with "You Only Live Twice" as the eighth highest charting James Bond title songs at the time. The song was among a dozen themes submitted for consideration to open the second big screen Bond adventure for Pierce Brosnan. I was hoping to find a unique cover version which would elevate this piece in the minds of its detractors. My ears (and hopefully yours, too) were not disappointed.

One would think as we explore the more modern James Bond title songs it would become harder to find interesting covers of them. That is definitely not the case with 1995's GoldenEye . Composed by Bono and The Edge of U2 for Tina Turner, this is a Bond theme that does exactly what it needed to: transition fans from the previous film era into a new one, complete with a new actor in the role of 007. Not only are there a trio of takes on the song worth checking out, but a rare demo version by the song's creators is especially interesting to hear.

Who wants to be a hero to a man who brings heroes to life? Artist J.K. Woodward and his wife were severely impacted by the destructive force of Hurricane Sandy. They were uninjured but the storm destroyed their home resulting in the loss of almost everything they owned. Here is how you can help.

The title song for Timothy Dalton's second and final film outing as James Bond could have been very different. A duet was recorded by a pair of guitarists, including Vic Flick, the man who gave birth to the signature guitar sound of Monty Norman's "James Bond Theme" and the legendary Eric Clapton. The producers instead went with Gladys Knight's "License to Kill. Similarly to the previous Bond theme, there are relatively few examples of covers of this song.

1987 brought us a new James Bond and an attempt to replicate the MTV/radio-driven success of the previous Bond movie's title song. This time, composer John Barry worked with Norwegian synthpoppers, a -h a. The song failed to enter the Hot 100 charts the way their peers Duran Duran had done two years previously, but it did reach #5 in the UK. Chart success isn't necessarily indicative of popularity within a fandom, but it could explain why there is only a single cover of "The Living Daylights" to be found.

To quote the enigmatic M from an earlier James Bond adventure: "This is the big one, 007." In the summer of 1985, Roger Moore's last James Bond movie, A View to a Kill was released and just a month later, it's theme song recorded by Duran Duran, hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts; the only James Bond theme song to ever achieve this feat. It follows that if someone were to cover this particular James Bond title song, they would have to bring something very special to the sound. There are in fact, three interesting takes on this classic pop culture crossover.

My my, how time flies. atlinernotes.com turns two today, and thanks to all of you who have taken the time to stop by and check out it out, this blog has seen it's biggest year ever! To celebrate, I've got links to two free downloads you will want to check out.

"All Time High" performed by Rita Coolidge for Octopussy is by far one of my favorite James Bond title songs. John Barry and Tim Rice teamed up to craft one of the better overall title pieces in the Bond music oeuvre and kept it classy, choosing to leave the entendre laden film title out of the lyrics. For a song which spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts, there are surprisingly few covers of it.

The year is 1981 and Bill Conti accepted the mission to provide the score to the 12th James Bond film adventure, For Your Eyes Only , with pop singer Sheena Easton providing the voice and the face of the title song. For such a strong piece of cinematic pop and as one of the more popular title songs in the James Bond canon, there have been surprisingly few attempts at covering it.

Released during the science fiction renaissance of the late 1970's, Moonraker took James Bond to new heights. The film marked the third performance of a James Bond title song by Shirley Bassey, the most by any performer in the series. While it is not as highly regarded by the singer herself or in terms of chart performance, it is still a solid entry into the James Bond music oeuvre, which resulted in a pair of covers worth hearing.

Truer words have never been spoken. The title song to The Spy Who Loved Me , "Nobody Does It Better," features the lyrics of the near-legendary Carole Bayer Sager and the music of the recently departed Marvin Hamlisch . Performed by Carly Simon, this is by far one of the best James Bond title songs of the canon, if not the best.

The name is Barry. John Barry. After not taking on the mission of scoring Live and Let Die , the composer returned to the James Bond series in 1974 for The Man with the Golden Gun . The film didn't fair well among critics and even Barry reportedly didn't care for this theme song. Personally, I think this particular Bond title song is unfairly maligned. Yes it is dripping with innuendo. Yes it is a bit ridiculous, but that is partly what makes it fun to listen to.

The eighth James Bond movie boasts several firsts for the series. The first of seven starring roles for Roger Moore as James Bond. The first African American Bond Girl (Rosie Carver). The first time since Dr. No that John Barry wasn't involved in the soundtrack, and the first time a rock band recorded the opening title piece. It is also likely the first James Bond title number covered by a heavy metal band, but not the one you are probably thinking of.

Bassey is back. The incomparable Shirley Bassey, who gave voice to the opening of Goldfinger returns for an encore performance as only she can deliver. The style of  "Diamonds Are Forever" is classic Bond and holds up well when stacked against the complete Bond title music oeuvre, which really shouldn't be surprising. In truth, Shirley Bassey could sing your grocery list and it would epic.

One of the most polarizing films in the James Bond canon is On Her Majesty's Secret Service . Sean Connery had left the series, and new Bond actor George Lazenby ended up only portraying the character this one time, in a performance which is still the subject of discussion 43 years after the movie's release. No matter which side of the OHMSS debate you come down on though, one thing every Bond fan can agree on about the movie is its not one, but two epic music themes.

Good evening. Tonight, we are listening to the title song of my absolute favourite James Bond film, You Only Live Twice . Bear with me if I wax a bit more poetical about this particular piece of music, as quite frankly, I consider it to be among the top three James Bond title songs, if not the best.

It goes without saying that James Bond is the man. And when it comes to male vocalists who left their mark on the history of James Bond music, Tom Jones is the man. Frankly, Tom Jones would be the man had he not sung the title piece of 1965's Thunderball . Which could be why there are so few vocal covers of this classic James Bond title song.

"My dear girl, there are some things that just aren't done. Such as drinking Dom Perignon '53, above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. That's just as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs!" Really, Mr. Bond? Not a Beatles fan? He does however have something of a point, at least as it relates to today's featured Bond title song. Because one does not simply cover Shirley Bassey. And yet, there are two very daring, very interesting and genre bending covers of the legendary "Goldfinger" which your ears have likely never heard.

To quote the film's poster declaration, "James Bond is Back!" Tonight, we begin a proper listen to originals and cover versions of James Bond opening title songs. Well, not exactly. From Russia with Love actually did not feature its titular number in the film's opening. It in fact ran during the film's closing credits and as a short diegetic when James Bond is first seen on screen.

Moderately Em Em(#5)  Em6 Em(#5)  Em Em(#5)  Em6 Em(#5) That is not a secret code from SPECTRE intercepted by MI6 but the legendary opening chords of Monty Norman's "James Bond Theme". With the latest 007 film adventure, Skyfall set to hit movie screens on November 9th, I thought it would be fun to declassify some music intel from the history of the James Bond series. This is not top secret, nor is it for your ears only.

Sometimes it's not about what you hear, but when you hear it. Stuart Newman's new track "World Made of Water" made it into my ears yesterday, but today it took hold and resonated beyond the august lyrics of the chorus.

The long-awaited premiere of the title song to the upcoming James Bond film, Skyfall has arrived, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of James Bond on October 5th (now designated Global James Bond Day). Long time James Bond aficionados will likely be very pleased with the song. Have a listen.

asfa Every once in a while, a music post which is truly, spectacularly amazing bubbles up from the depths of Reddit. Today, it is this gem of a cell phone video, posted by a Redditor named Live_Positive , who shared with the world what happened when he requested a bar band called Brothers Luis to play DragonForce's power metal epic, "Through The Fire and Flames". And while we all know that one person who will inevitably make an inebriated request such as this, it is rare that the performers pull it off so well. Seriously, Brothers Luis, whomever and where ever you are, please record this cover and release it. And props to Live_Positive for upping the difficulty, instead of just shouting "Play Freebird!" as so many in his shoes have done before. Tweet Follow @LinerNotes    

The highly anticipated video game Borderlands 2 dropped today, but what was I was most interested in hearing from it was if a relatively obscure song would accompany the game's opening cinematics in the same fashion which Cage the Elephant's "Ain't No Rest For The Wicked" did with the original Borderlands . I was not disappointed, as Gearbox Software has put another fantastic song into the ears of an audience who likely never heard it before.

YouTube guitarist extraordinaire 331Erock does it again, transforming PSY's worldwide viral sensation "Gangnam Style" into a headbanging good time. Actually, he has really upped his game with this one.

This is a very sincere thank you note to each and every one of you who have taken the time to visit, read and listen to my musings on music. August 31st marked one full year of consecutive month-to-month growth for this little blog, and for that I am deeply humbled and so very appreciative of your interest and feedback. What's great is, you seem to equally enjoy articles on huge names like Iron Maiden as much as profiles and album reviews of sounds unheard from untapped talent. In short, you have excellent taste and an inquisitive ear. I really am at a bit of a losfer words here, so please know that this thank you goes to 11! Tweet Follow @LinerNotes    

In what is the first of hopefully many featured interviews for this little place about music, I recently spoke with Thomas Pridgen of The Memorials, as their bus was pulling out of Memphis, TN on its way to their next tour date. We talked about The Memorials' new album, Delirium , along with the tour and where he envisions his future sounds evolving to. Come on in and enjoy the conversation!

Do you love the band Rush? Do you want to help save the lives of cats and kittens? You can if you are the winning bidder of a one-of-a-kind Sabian 10" splash cymbal, made for and autographed by Neil Peart.

The plucky purveyor of patently priceless pieces of musical geekery known as Brentalfloss (aka Brent Black) has released a new song timed in celebration of today's fifth anniversary of the release of 2K Games' Bioshock . And, quite frankly, brilliant doesn't begin to describe it.

Yep, you read that headline right. A little sensationalistic? Absolutely. An example of intentional click baiting? Totally not my intention, but I recognize it could be perceived that way. The fact is, love 'em or hate 'em, Nickelback (or at least their label and management) have put together a funny and entertaining music video, produced in the classic style of the medium, which has racked up over half-a-million views in just four days.

The music industry of old is barely a shadow of its former self. The tide has turned. More and more indie labels have sprung up in the decade-plus since music took over the digital realm. And among these independents you will find some truly interesting new sounds. Such is the case with Tide , a sampler of artists and music from the Perelandra Records label. Here is why you should listen.

There is now one less spot available on my Top 10 albums of '12. One of the highest positions on that list is now filled by the new face of synth pop, Stepdad and their new album, Wildlife Pop . I am not saying that to be sensational either. These guys are that good and if you aren't listening to them, your ears are seriously missing out.

Do you want a limited edition piece of original music composed by Sam Hulick of Mass Effect 3 fame, and help a good cause at the same time? Please continue reading.

Declaring an album to be "the best" of (insert any listicle type name, here) is one of the most highly subjective things one can do. Hence why I very rarely do it. However, sometimes the big, bold and grandiose statement needs to be said, if only to get a handful of new ears into a specific set of songs. This week marks a milestone year in the history of what I consider to be one of the greatest live albums ever committed to tape. If you you have never been rocked to the very core of your musical being by Deep Purple's Made In Japan , you truly have no idea what you are missing.

The mighty Iron Maiden stormed back into Southern California on Thursday, August 9th, for a pair of back-to-back performances at Verizon Wireless (née Irvine Meadows) Amphitheater. It had been just over two years since they last played So Cal, this time bringing the Maiden England tour on the road. It was a hot night behind the Orange Curtain; with high temperatures and massive flames both on stage and in the audience.

After remaining undecided on which two albums to feature on a "Twofer Tuesday" edition of Album August #LiveTweet reviews, a random retweet about a brand new release solidified the listening content. Following the link sent me off to a bandcamp-listen of new music from Perelandra Records' artists. For whatever reason, I chose to start with the album closer, which opened my ears to the wonderful music of Stemage.

Rest in peace, Marvin Hamlisch, and thank you for one of the greatest James Bond theme songs of all. Nobody did it better, indeed.

Well this turned out to be some of the most interesting instrumental music I've heard in quite some time. While looking for an album from Beats Antique to feature as a part of Album August , I happened across this side project from Beats Antique member, David Satori. While I'm not a huge fan of drawing close comparisons between under appreciated artists and better known names, lets just say Dirtwire is a trifecta of win, whether you call yourself a Browncoat, have spent too much time hanging out with Claptrap on Pandora or are a music fan with an insatiable thirst for something unique.

And sometimes as a musician, you welcome a tiny stage crashing fan to the stage and just let them hang out with you. Skip to 1:30 in the video if you are impatient. Major props to The Sound LA's Mimi Chen for sharing this one. Tweet Follow @LinerNotes    

Hail and well met! You are here most obviously because you have come to fill your ears with something new and wonderful. Well then my friend, you have indeed come to the right place, and one hopes you will allow the sounds of a new album featuring songs of love, loss, beer, sailors, revelry, women and beer to earn that most coveted honor; heavy rotation amongst the many things you listen to. And while a draught of your favorite fermented beverage is not needed to enjoy the music of the Poxy Boggards, it will certainly add an additional layer of enjoyment as you do. As it is 5 o'clock somewhere, let's untap Wish You Were Beer .

Ladies and gentlemen, to honor the athletes and fans of the 2012 London Olympics, no matter if they are real or pixel sprites, please rise, for this nerdtastic Chiptune cover of Vangelis' "Chariots of Fire".

That headline is not written lightly nor meant to be sensationalism. You are quite literally not prepared for the audio visual assault contained in the four minutes of this video. Watch this at highest resolution and loudest volume. If loud volume is NSFW for you, wait, and enjoy it later. Seriously.

So Cal's Year of the Dragon is a band you really should, no, make that need , to wrap your ears around. Combing the best elements of metal, funk, soul and punk, this group is pushing boundaries few other bands dare push and the result is an EP that rocks with the strength of a full length album. After spinning Five Fingers of Def! for a few weeks, it is clear they deserve every ounce of praise which can be heaped upon them.

Welcome to the first day of Album August! As the month of August has a rather limited supply of holidays, what better time than this especially awesome month to celebrate music in a very holiday way. Here is what we are going to do. Each night, I will be reviewing an album. Some nights it might be a familiar music group, as much as possible it will be about an undiscovered artist which will likely be completely new to your ears. Many of these examples of untapped talent will be bands/soloists suggested by you.

After a live tweet review of Disconnected by Chipzel tonight, there is at least one more person out there who's ears have been opened up to the unique sounds of the chiptunes genre and who has gone to seek out more music from it. If you missed the live tweeted version of this review from earlier, here is a recap, complete with music to accompany your read.

Now this is the definition of a buried treasure for Deep Purple fans. Someone has unearthed what could be some of the earliest Deep Purple Mark II performance footage in existence. Check out the short clip of "Hard Road/Wring That Neck" above and then come inside for more.

One of the best things about Twitter is the ability to, at any given moment, discover an artist you've never heard of. While skimming through my timeline today, I suddenly came over all peckish to listen to something I've not heard previously. The impetus for this was a tweet from Turisas' violinist, Olli Vänskä, who mentioned seeing a new metal band from Finland last night. Alas, they are so new they only had two tracks to listen to online, and my ears were hungry for something with more substance. After a tweet seeking out suggestions of under heard artists from my followers, they began coming in, including one from Stuart Newman, about his very own EP which he offers as a free download. Headphones on...

Attention steampunks and music fans in the Nor Cal region and surrounding environs! A good amount of you (yours truly included) kicked in to make the Steamstock smusic festival a reality. Now, word comes that a true music legend wants to be involved, but for that to happen, some tickets to the event need to be purchased in advance. As if a day of live music from some of the leading artists in the steampunk music community playing as sweet as any harmony wasn't enough, now they could be sharing the same stage with none other than Thomas Dolby!

The next time someone says something is impossible, make them watch this video. No, really. Have them sit down for the three and-a-half minutes of George Dennehy performing The Goo Good Dolls' hit, "Iris". Don't tell them though. Let them realize it for themselves. Let them become aware on their own that George is playing guitar, with his feet. Afterwards, remind them what The Greatest, Muhammad Ali once said: "Impossible is nothing".

Composer and keyboard player Jon Lord, best known for co-founding the legendary Deep Purple, has passed away at age 71. A classically trained musician, Lord was a pioneer in forging the sound that would evolve into heavy metal, using primarily a Hammond organ.