Inside Nokia Music

…According to research from Nokia Music into the listening habits of music fans in 15 countries between December 2008 and January 2010.

TOP 10 GLOBALLY DOWNLOADED MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS

1. Twilight (Original motion picture soundtrack: International Version)

2. AVATAR

3. Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds

4. Mamma Mia!

5. The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Mexican version)**

6. Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen

7. Alvin And The Chipmunks 2

8. Slumdog Millionaire

9. The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Original motion picture soundtrack)

10. Watchmen

Notice how it occurred 3 times on the list?… but sadly it doesn’t qualify for the “Best Original Score” category according to the rules of the 82nd annual Academy Awards…

Leave a comment telling us your favourite film scores or soundtracks and we’ll give 1 lucky reader 50 tracks from the Nokia Music Store.  Terms and Conditions

From James Horner’s mysterious AVATAR score to the thrilling melodies of Sherlock Holmes or the eclectic mix of Nine, check out Nokia’s movie soundtrack selection

If you’re a fan of the music behind the latest movie releases Nokia Comes With Music is the place to download all the music you’ve ever wanted, for free, and to keep forever.

A Stitch In Time by The Smashing Pumpkins

The next instalment from the epic forthcoming Teargarden By Kaleidyscope has landed sooner than expected with the release of A Stitch In Time - hopefully this is a sign that the project may begin to progress a little quicker.

It seems that on my previous post I may have been mistaken about something. Clues are beginning to show and suggest the “album” will be 11 x 4 track EP’s and not 4 x 11 track EP’s as I originally thought (yes, I know that doesn’t constitute an EP). But there are still a few things that suggest I was right in the first place.

A Quote from Billy’s Blog

“The story of the album is based on ‘The Fool’s Journey’, as signified in the progress of the Tarot. It is my intention to approach this by breaking down the journey of our life here into four phases as made by these different characters; the Child, the Fool, the Skeptic, and the Mystic.”

I think I’m sticking to my guns on 4 “EP’s”!

Can’t say I think much of the track just yet, but I usually have to chew food and allow it to tantalise both the sweet and the sour sides before I can say anything with wholehearted honesty.

All 3 tracks so far have been pretty tame, but the smart money’s on the “fool” and the “sceptic” chapters bringing the thunder!!!

I’ll be posting on the entire progression of this project.

Smashing Pumpkins albums are available to download from The Nokia Music Store - if you’ve got ‘Comes With Music’ get them for free!

I discovered these boys on my social network travels and put out a few tweets, they reciprocated by sending me this amazing 3-way freestyling video from a session with Tim Westwood on BBC 1 Xtra. It would seem a bit out of place in the context of my posting record, but I have a fever for the flavour of the Grime scene and so decided to share.

Freestyling lyrics has always amazed me, but done as a collective it’s just downright crazy blud!

Marvell are currently negotiating a record deal so hopefully we’ll see them up on the Nokia Music Store in the near future. In the meanwhile you can check out their website for mixtapes and vids.

I don’t half bang on about them Arctic Monkeys do I!?… but how can I not when they’re one of the few bands on the scene these days that without fail, spoil us with a wealth of b-sides on every single they release.

True to form, they’re doing it again with the release of third Humbug single and album opener My Propeller. As with the release of Humbug’s previous 2 singles, they’re only set for release on 10″ & 7″ vinyl through Oxfam in the physical realm. Thankfully the 2 previous singles and their b-sides made their way onto Nokia Music Store, so I should expect the same for those of us who’ve completely expended our holiday allowance,  taking days off to successfully track these elusive beauties down.

…and in other news…

With the horrific lull between the release of Favourite Worst Nightmare and Humbug, and consolation for this only coming from frontman Alex Turner’s side project The Last Shadow Puppets, it’s come as a welcome surprise that the band have dropped the word that they intend to begin recording album number 4 in the near future, possibly reunited with Humbug producer and finger-in-all-pies man Josh Homme.

My Propellor is released on the 22nd March.

Loads more Arctic Monkeys music available to download from the Nokia Music Store - if you’re a  ‘Comes With Music’ subscriber, it’s completely free!

Anyone remember this sick short from Director Chris Cairns, Neurosonics Audiomedical Labs and a bevy of big name Turntablists, MC’s and a Beatboxer (credits)? Well, now the concept’s been brought into the realm of the live performance with some truly mind-blowing results… enjoy!

Coming on 9 years ago I left the country of my birth, completely disillusioned by the state of the music industry there. Something that would ultimately lead to my permanent immigration, and to me ostracising myself of any association of what I left behind.

Ironically, just weeks before my Citizenship Ceremony, something that’s so heavily accented I would usually hang my head in shame… has now instilled a sense of homesickness in me.

Maybe it’s the realisation that throughout the years I’ve been untrue to myself, that I’ve been in denial about my roots… or maybe this is the first time that someone has taken a chance on something and nurtured it in the necessary means to make a success of it. Okay, so enough of the narrative mind-setting already, let me get to the point…

By now, surely every man and his dog has seen the “interweb” phenomenon that is Zef Side, the video interview/introduction to the next-level beats and serious gangster skills of South Africa’s Die Antwoord. Read the rest of this entry »

Back again, flying the Muse flag high on the insidenokiamusic blog as usual, this time it’s all about the third single Resistance from the massively successful 5th album The Resistance.

I’m far more excited about the release of a new single this time around because, unlike first single Uprising with it’s solitary b-side that circulated several months before it’s release, and second single Undisclosed Desires which didn’t have any at all, Resistance has answered my prayers and will feature 2 new songs, as well as the obligatory radio edit and a remix by Tiesto.

the first new track is a cover of Prague by Mega City Four. The second is again a cover, this time of Popcorn by Hot Butter, a track I believe the band live debuted during their highly acclaimed homecoming double-nighter “A Seaside Rendezvous” a week or so before the release of The Resistance. It’s a song I doubt any other rock band could cover and still keep their credibility intact, but the swirling synths are right up Muse’s alley. Sadly this track only appears to be available on a limited edition 7″ single exclusive to the band’s official website.

The entire Muse catalogue is available to download from the Nokia Music Store and is completely free to ‘Comes With Music’ subscribers. Resistance is released this coming Monday 22nd February.

Haha!… sorry, how could I resist?

Nokia’s Comes With Music service has revealed the world’s top crooners after research into the listening habits of music fans around the world.  It showed 34 year old Michael Bublé was even more popular than classic crooners such as ‘Ol Blue Eye’s himself Frank Sinatra and has dubbed him “King of Heart’s” this Valentine’s. The Canadian singer (news to me) is the only artist in a top 10 love songs list who is under 60 and still recording music… here’s the list

NOKIA COMES WITH MUSIC LOVE SONG TOP 10

Micky Bubbles “King of Hearts”
Elvis Presley
Frank Sinatra
Marvin Gaye
Barry White
Nat King Cole
Donna Summer
Nina Simone
Leonard Cohen
Dionne Warwick

If you’ve already downloaded Michael Bublé’s back-catalogue and are after more musical inspiration for Valentine’s Day, Comes With Music has over 376,291 songs with the word “Love” in the title – All of which can be downloaded free and legally, and kept forever as the perfect soundtrack for any romantic occasion.

From pop ballads to songs from Bollywood love scenes, awkward Indie love songs, romantic Rock ballads or even Anti-Valentine’s songs, check out our Valentine’s Day playlist

Chin-Chin!

The Haitian earthquake, which occurred on 12th January 2010 measuring a catastrophic 7.0 on the richter scale, is already estimated to have caused the deaths of over 250,000 people. 250,000 are in need of urgent aid  and more than 2 million people are estimated homeless and in need of long term support to help rebuild their lives.

Global music stars have united to record a moving cover version of R.E.M’s “Everybody Hurts” to raise money for charities supporting the relief efforts in Haiti. The final line up of featured artists is:

Mariah Carey, Jon Bon Jovi, Robbie Williams, Kylie Monogue, Rod Stewart, Leona Lewis, Alexandra Burke, Miley Cyrus, Take That, Joe McElderry, Cheryl Cole, JLS, Mika, Michael Bublé, James Blunt, James Morrison, Susan Boyle, and Westlife.

Syco/Sony are donating 100% of their receipts from downloads of “Everybody Hurts” (being not less than 50p per track)  to be split 50/50 between Disasters Emergency Committee (registered charity no 1062638) and The Sun’s Helping Haiti Fund.

(Monies for The Sun’s Helping Haiti Fund will be paid directly to a charitable trust account set up for The Sun with the Charities Aid Foundation (registered charity number 268369), and all monies received by that trust account will be paid to charity to help those affected by the earthquake in Haiti)

Here’s a list of direct links to Helping Haiti – Everybody Hurts on the Nokia Music Store listed by country.

Austria
Australia
Brazil
Finland
France
Germany
India
Ireland
Italy
Malaysia
Mexico
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Singapore
South Africa
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
UAE
United Kingdom

The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s are back today with Skeletons, the third single from one of 2009’s most blogged about albums, It’s Blitz!

Taking a different direction from the dance heavy feel of the first 2 singles, Skeletons is a return to their sweeter, softer sound. The singles b-side is the acoustic version of the song that featured on the Deluxe Edition of It’s Blitz!

Here’s the official music video, and if you haven’t seen the promotional shorts for the release of It’s Blitz!, they’re linked at the end as related videos and are worth a watch.

Skeletons as well as It’s Blitz! Deluxe Edition which features both tracks is available to download from the Nokia Music Store and is completely free to ‘Comes With Music’ subscribers.