Here’s my attempt at a little retro video about the story behind “Wild Monkey” by Mr. Rose. Enjoy!
You can also listen to the full studio production of “Wild Monkey” HERE
By: David R. Werba
MF Podcast series Episode #5 finally released!
03
Jul
It’s been a busy Summer in the land of Music Forte. My MF co-founder Greg and I have been trying to stick to a schedule of two new podcasts per month, but the proverbial “stack of papers on our desk” was just too high in May/June.
Anyway, we’re back in action with Episode #5. My 15-minute interview with artist No Phear covers a wide range of topics about the independent music industry as a whole…and you can hear some clips of his song “Thug 4 Life”. Check it out: HERE
By: David R. WerbaSONG REVIEW: If Rogers fails to move you in some way, please check your pulse
31
May
Ok here’s what I’d like you to do:
First read this quote by Lee Rogers, “I like the idea that music crosses oceans of time, that my songs and my voice will be here long after I’m gone, that someday they will belong to my son. It’s important that he knows who I am. He inspires me everyday. Maybe someday I’ll inspire him.”
Now take a listen to his song “Easier“. If you feel something tugging at your heart strings, don’t be alarmed…it just means you’re human. With the help of producer Marco Canepa, a gorgeous texture is built around an acoustic guitar, upright bass, subtle strings, and understated piano…and of course Lee’s warm, soulful voice. Tom Waits is mentioned as an influence and I hear that, but Bruce Cockburn also comes to mind.
Van Morisson may be the best reference though, for his similar phrasing and rare talent in creating timeless classics….not to mention they both were raised in Northern Ireland. Lee’s entire album is amazing, but the song “Easier” resonates with me to a level where I’m moved to give it my first 5-Star review rating at Music Forte.
“Easier” is available for purchase at Music Forte: RIGHT HERE
My Rating: 
VIA Music Forte
By: David R. WerbaHomeless street musician mugged by ASCAP “representative” for singing “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers”
21
May
“I made all of 93 cents the whole damn night, and this guy just wouldn’t get out of my face until I gave him 15 percent”, Joe Indieman told police officers recently after being mugged near the campus of Arizona State University. “He kept yelling in my face…”you mess with the bull, you get the horns”", stated Joe, “You mess with ASCAP, you get those horns right up your ass”.
The mugger was later found to be ‘Texas’ Rex Torshin, an unofficial representative of ASCAP who happens to be missing two fingers on his left hand. ASCAP denied Torshin being on corporate payroll, stating he’s simply a “friend of the company”.
The 62 year old homeless Indieman likes to play his guitar outside of the Mill Ave. bars, just a few short blocks from ASU campus. His specialty is a heartfelt acoustic rendition of the score from Barbara Streisand’s hit movie, Yentl. He can also bring the house down with his A cappella version of “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” where he likes to lay flat on his back while singing. After heckling Indieman for nearly an hour, Torshin then wrestled him to the ground and took 14 cents out of his tip jar…which was slightly more than 15% of his earnings for the night. Torshin was charged with theft and battery, but the case was immediately dismissed in court by a judge with an Italian last name.
A group of ASU students chipped in to buy Indieman a new guitar, and they brought him to tears when they surprised him with an autographed copy of the original Yentl soundtrack on vinyl.
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NOTE: This horrific tale was inspired by the real life news article – ‘End of the song’
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An insight deep into the bowels of international travel…
11
May
“If you travel from continent to continent, you become incontinent” – David Werba
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Astro Gaming’s A30 Headphones: Strength in versatility
10
Apr
Astro Gaming is widely known for creating excellent gaming headphones and mix amps for PS3, Xbox, etc. Their new A30 headphones are no exception, but I’d like to talk about everything else they can do.
After I received my review unit in the mail from their friendly staff, I was initially impressed by the slick packaging. But of course I had to immediately try them on and see how they felt. Until they come out with a pair of headphones that massage your neck while you listen, the A30′s are as comfortable as it gets. You can honestly forget you’re wearing them sometimes.
While the A30′s are not marketed as audiophile music headphones, they still sound very nice…I’d say about up to par to the Sennheiser HD 400 series. They carry ample bass and perform well through all music genres. I also used them with my Yamaha electric piano and Roland electronic drum kit, and what a surprise…they worked great there too!
I work with Skype on my PC all day, and we even record our Music Forte podcasts through Skype…and the A30′s are the only headset I’m using right now. There is an in-line microphone near the cans AND a detachable boom mic for extra noise cancellation when you need your voice to sound clearer. As a PC headset they perform way better than a set like Logitech’s Clear Chat Pro’s which sell for around $50.
The included cables are a godsend…a refreshing change from the all-too-often incompatibilities with so many other headphones. The PC cable has separate headphone/mic jacks and a volume scroll wheel (yeah!). There is a short and long mobile/music cable, both with 3.5mm jacks, and one has a multi-function button for taking calls and skipping/pausing music. I would love to have a volume control button on the mobile/music cables, but part of me is glad it’s not there…because if it was I may leave my job and start selling these out of my trunk for a living.
So if you’re in the market for a top notch gaming headset, a PC headset for Skype calls, some portable headphones for music/calls on the go, or even a nice comfy set for music and podcasts at home….and you have $150 budget for all of that, then there is simply no better option than Astro Gaming’s A30′s. It’s their strength in versatility that give them such a high score.
My Rating: 
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Astro Gaming’s website
Old men are running aimlessly through the streets…
18
Mar
…hyper-active children lay comatose on the family room floor, soccer moms in their SUV’s are purposely rear-ending any ‘Hummer’ in sight, and even virile young men in their twenties are shrieking like schoolgirls at the playground!
Why is this happening? MusicForte.com has just released their brand new website Version 1.2. Take a LOOK!
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By: David R. WerbaThe Jabra HALO: Shrek rejoices, the rest of us take a pass
08
Mar
The Jabra HALO Bluetooth Stereo headset is an engineering disaster. I don’t mean to sound dramatic, but I’m surprised this product made it to the shelves. Yes it’s super neat-o that you can fold them compactly and stuff them in your jacket pocket, and I like the concept of being able to quickly grab them and throw them on your head in 2 seconds flat…but that’s the extent of their allure. When they’re on your head, the speaker parts flare out away from your ears…so unless your usual attire includes a tight fitting tennis headband to tuck the HALO’s into, you won’t hear their flush sound.
Speaking of sound, the HALO’s suffer from the same problem of most Bluetooth headsets…poor audio for both music and phone calls. To activate the speaker parts you need to pull them down and unhitch them from the band, and this process is very difficult. You feel like you’re going to break them every time you do it.
Now I just ran into Shrek (yes, THE Shrek) at the local swamp bar. He was skipping around, buying drinks for strangers, and kissing waitresses. I had no idea why until I saw him up close…he was wearing the Jabra HALO’s! They fit perfectly on his enormous pear-shaped head, and because he has the strength of ten men it was a breeze for him un-hitch the speaker parts to activate them. I’m happy for the big lug, he deserves them.
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My Rating: 
Microsoft takes a deep breath, exhales a slow stream of smoke
16
Feb
The smoke rings spell out ‘Windows 7 Phone’ and it looks beautiful, but it leaves a large population choking with questions. At MWC in Barcelona, Steve Ballmer and Co. recently put up some snazzy screenshots revealing XBox Live integration, Zune music player function, and a couple other bells and whistles for their upcoming ‘Windows 7 Phone OS’ due at the “end of 2010″. When the smoke cleared from Ballmer’s usual hyperactive gibberish, something else starting floating through the air…the open-ended dust of silent messages.
I had to squint my eyes a bit, but the messages I saw were: “We know that everyone hates Windows Mobile 6.5, so we are going to completely start from scratch with 7.0, give a slightly different OS name, and hope to compete with the iPhone and Android OS’s in 2011. For now, we’d like you to buy the HTC HD2 and a number of other new phones this year that will carry 6.5 and be happy about it. We can’t confirm that any of these phones will be upgraded to 7.0 in 10 months, and it’s possible that 6.5 will be considered obsolete by app developers within a year. We’d also like you to smile and speak highly of Microsoft throughout the process…and we’ll smile back at you if we ever make eye contact!”
If these messages are not addressed before the US launch of the HD2 in March 2010, then Microsoft becomes the “house” of a giant casino, forcing the groundlings to throw down big dollars on a gamble that the HD2 will be upgradable to ‘Windows 7 Phone OS’. Or will it be quickly buried at the perpetually dark cemetery now reserved for the slew of mobile devices that peak out at ‘Windows Mobile 6.5′?
By: David R. WerbaCase-Mate just giving us a “half-hug”?
26
Jan
Case-Mate has been making protective cases for iPhones, Blackberries, and laptops since 2005. At CES 2010 in early January, they revealed their new product line…and the wire-hating dreamers are salivating. It’s called the Case-Mate ‘Hug’, and it includes a wireless charging pad along the same lines as Palm’s Touchstone…and even closer following the lead of Powermat’s product line. The Hug looks to soon be retailing for $89.99 and you can read some more info and watch a short sales video at their website.
The Hug is based on the Wireless Power Consortium (Qi) standard. This means that your Hug charging pad will always be compatible with new devices supporting the standard. Laptop charging pads in airports and smartphone charging pads in new cars are now being designed to follow this same wireless standard…and this is very exciting to see.
All of the mighty tech blogs have reported on the Hug, but none have commented on the obvious oversight. The case is clearly designed to never have to be removed. The whole idea is that it’s a protective case, and when you need some juice you simply drop it on the charging pad. Now look closely at the bottom of the Hug case. Where is the opening for us to connect a cable to sync with iTunes for our new songs/apps? Where is the alternative micro USB input for an iTunes sync as Mophie has added on the bottom of their ‘Juice Pack Air’ battery/case?
Is there any smartphone case built today that forces you to completely remove it just to get a simple sync/charge for software updates, new music, and new applications? I don’t believe there is! I’m really hoping the current Hug pictures are just revealing a prototype design because I want a full Hug, not a half-hug! Hey Case-Mate, we humans are a needy species. We want long, warm, comforting hugs. We’re waiting with open arms…and 90 bucks in our back pocket.
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UPDATE: As of May 2010, the Case-Mate ‘Hug’ has been discontinued…never even sold publicly!
By: David R. Werba