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From EconStories.tv. Looks like the guys will make more fun economics related videos so stay tuned. You can also download an audio version of the Keynes-Hayek rap battle on the EconStories site. Yes, I have already done so.

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Check out the below documentary when you have a chance.  It is a fantastic documentary on the music business that also includes a lot of great artists and new music.  It is a fun watch and it will get you thinking about the future of music.  Enjoy!

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Just wanted to put some videos up here from my band’s last show.  Audio quality is actually not that bad considering the room we were in and the fact that we used a $100 video camera to do all the recording.  I hope you all enjoy the videos and please check out ButtonPushersBand.com for more Button Pushers tunes and other fun stuff. (I am on the drums by the way.)

—- End of shameless band promotion. —-

“Hasenpfeffer”

“Juliet”

“2000 Sheep”

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I am a little late to the show on Apocalyptica but better late than never right? Apocalyptica formed back in the early 1990s while the members were all studying the cello at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland. They all had the desire to do something different and I think we can all agree that they succeeded.

The members were all fans of metal including the quintessential metal band Metallica. Why not play Metallica songs on the cello they thought and the rest is history.

While Apocalyptica is best know for playing Metallica tunes on the cello they also have a number of original tunes which are equally as good.

Check out the video below to see Apocalyptica’s version of Metallica’s Master of Puppets. I guarantee you have never seen cellists rock this hard (unless of course you have seen Apocalyptica).

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I know I am supposed to post this in a tumbleog or something but here it is on a regular blog. Honestly, I wasn’t sure Dio’s Holy Diver could get any better but Killswitch Engage has done it. This is one of those songs I put on right when I am getting on my bike or starting in on a big project. If this one doesn’t get you amped up you must be dead. Enjoy the song complete with music video here:

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As some of you may know I have been on vacation for the past week or so in beautiful Puerto Rico hence the lack of posting (see the pics here). I am now back and ready to go. To start off I’ll hit you with a music review and then I’ll head over to a movie review and a book review and by then I will (hopefully) have something of substance to write about.

Prior to leaving for vacation I went out to see my friend John’s friends band (whew – that’s a mouthful) at Elbo Room in Chicago (conveniently located one block from my apartment). The band is called Will Phalen and the Stereo Addicts and they played a great set (for those who are keeping track Will is John’s friend). Up after Will and the Addicts was Sunday Morning Chameleon (SMC for short). I was intrigued by the name and because Will mentioned to John and I that SMC was a killer band.

Well, my friends, Will was bang on. SMC is a great band. They were probably the tightest local unsigned band I have seen in years. I went ahead and purchased their CD the very next day and it’s equally as good as the live show (on second thought, can you ever really beat live?).

On the disc they do have a very Coldplay-like sound but they have recently added a second guitarist (present at the live show but not on the disc) who has made the overall sound SMC’s very own with only a dash of Coldplay. It’s amazing what one additional person can do.

I am hoping these guys get a new disc together with the additional guitarist soon. If they do and get it out there they should be singed to a deal ASAP (calling all A&R reps). Check out their tunes on MySpace when you get a chance and pick up the disc. SMC is definitely one of Chicago’s finest bands and will hopefully be known around the country and the world soon.

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I just picked up a number of CDs the other day at Best Buy. It was a long overdue purchase. One of those CDs was The Kooks new disc called Inside in the Inside Out. I first head these guys on XM’s Ethel (channel 47) and was hooked immediately. Of course, I only heard one song so I was unsure of picking up the disc but the DJ on XM mentioned that these guys are huge across the pond in Britian so I figured what the heck.

I am glad I decided to snag this disc. I can see why these guys have become so popular in their homeland and I bet they will do well here in the States too. All to often you get a disc from a band where all the songs sound exactly alike. This isn’t the case withthe Kooks. Each song is unique but they still are all tied together by the overall style the Kooks exhibit. They are a band that could play any song and you’d immediately know who they were.

The other thing I really enjoy about the Kooks is their musicianship. A lot of the new indie bands are OK musicians and don’t play anything that’s too musically interesting. The Kooks, on the other hand, are very talented musicians who don’t overdo it but add just enough special stuff to really make a difference.

Definitely check out Inside in the Inside Out if you get a chance. If you like a good indie rock disc these guys won’t disappoint.