Category: Latest music news

Singers favorite cocktails

From the italian De André to Lady Gaga, from Zucchero to Croockers, there are many singers who in their discographies have dedicated at least one verse or a whole song to one of the most known cocktails in the world.

And yes, because good drinking, as good music, is a common language and a Margarita is a Margarita both for people in Rio and for those in Tokyo, here is why songs dedicated to cocktails has such a strong effect on us, as they are close to our everyday life.

Gin is one of the main protagonists of local and international music: from the Rolling Stones “I met a gin soaked, bar-room queen in Memphis”, to Katy Perry, many artists have not been able to resist him.

If typing Negroni on search engines, the first song that comes out is by a certain Eleonora Crupi (italian), which also sing about the cocktail Bloody Mary. The same cocktail has been the hero in one song of the pop queen Lady Gaga.

To Brandy Alexander, John Lennon’s favourite cocktail, the band The River 68’s dedicated an entire piece with the same name, while for the whisky – the absolute protagonist of many pieces – we can have many examples of songs like Whiskey River from Willie Nelson to Whiskey Girl from Toby Keith and Cheap Whiskey from Martina McBride.

This means that many singers all over the world drink cocktails, from the most classic to the most sought-after, without forgetting the bitters (very common in Italy) such as Ramazzotti 1815 or “Del Capo”, up to the classic vodka or rum.

In most cases the combination of singer and cocktail is very strong, and that’s why many of them have dedicated at least one of their songs to a drink.

You drink for fun, to be in company, to drown the sorrows, to forget a love, to stop thinking, to stop the monotony, for a rebellious evening, to disobey the schemes or parents remember to drink only good things and responsibly.

Is SoundCloud dying?

Many international music sites are talking about SoundCloud, the most known music streaming service nowadays. To those few who do not know it, SoundCloud allows anyone to upload and share their own songs.

Latest news about this service reported it is in serious financial difficulties and is today supposed it should continue all of its operations for another 80 days only. The news, commented by SoundCloud without denying it entirely, comes after the dismissal of 173 company employees last week and the closure of San Francisco and London offices.

SoundCloud has existed since 2008 and within the competitive music streaming services industry has always maintained its own identity and was originality compared to competitors such as Spotify and Apple Music.

The main purpose of SoundCloud is (or, was) to share music from emerging, semi-professional or even amateur artists. In addition to music, it hosts a lot of podcasts and recordings of radio broadcasts. It’s also used by very famous people – the most famous is the rapper Kanye West – but it’s more common that users listen to the latest EP from a semi-known band they read on. It’s free but has two different monthly subscriptions.

For this reason, SoundCloud has a very loyal user base, and for many artists, it is a basic essential service, because it is the easiest way to promote their music.

Unfortunately, things are not going well for SoundCloud from an economical point of view: according to founders Alex Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, spending cuts will allow the company to operate until the very beginning of the next financial quarter, less than 80 days.

According to TechCrunch’s rebuild, Ljung and Wahlforss are looking for new investors. The news website also reported – based on employee testimonials – stories of a controversial use of the company’s financial resources, such as buying Apple laptops and headphones for new employees and large group lunches.

SoundCloud responded to TechCrunch’s article saying it contains many inaccuracies and for that reason would not comment on it in detail. However, it was admitted that the company was “fully funded until the fourth quarter” and it was said that the management is convinced that cuts will ensure long-term survival.

If SoundCloud is closing in less than three months, it will probably mean the disappearance of hundreds of thousands of hours of songs, podcasts, and recordings. In particular, it would be a problem for young hip hop artists, the most active community on the web site.