The Dr. Rhythm Top 10 is music that represents talent, artistry, innovation and unique style. We encourage you to research and discover this music on your own.
Mouse over selection for more, listen to examples though Amazon below.
Pink Floyd
"Money"
Money! It's a blast get a good job while you have the chance! What a week for the money business. But don't worry, some good old "Floyd" will take you back to 1972 when life was...well pretty much the same.
"Rolling Stones'
"I Can't Get No Satisfaction"
Politics, media, international conflicts, everything is seemingly in a spiraling mess. And we are all just fighting about who is right and who is wrong. Let us all seek satisfaction in our world and not hide behind rhetoric and personal pride. Mick was right when he said, "When I'm drivin' in my car and a man comes on the radio and he's tellin' me more and more useless information supposed to misfire my imagination."
Gnarls Barkley,
"Crazy"
Everyone has a song titled, "Crazy" but Barkley's version sounds like I feel. "You drive me crazy!"
The Who, "You Won't Get Fooled Again"
This song appears often on the Dr. Rhythm top 10, and far too often on various versions of CSI. But let the chorus ring true, "I'll tip my hat to the new constitution, take a bow for the new revolution." Let the future pervail!
Twisted Sister, "We're Not Going to Take it"
Twisted Sister, twisted government, twisted partisan politics. We're not going to take it anymore.
David Bowie, "Moonage Daydream"
Freak out, far out, in out. Ziggy Stardust is born. What does this have to do with anything ? You figure it out.
Edwin Starr, "War"
War! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing. We should send this to the evil dictator Ahmadinejad when he visits the UN next week. And why do we keep letting this guy in our country?
James Taylor, "Fire and Rain"
Taylor reminds us that things get bad, and they get better. Such is life.
Martina McBride,
"Independence Day"
There is a lot of negative rhetoric about America these days, but we often forget that we live in one of the greatest countries in the world. Even though the song is not entirely about being a "great american" we can at least say, "Let Freedom Ring!"
The Beatles, "Let it Be"
We forget that often the world corrects the problems that we see as so seriously dire and life threatening. "Whisper words of wisdom, let it be." Thank you Mr. Beatle.
Give a song? - Have you ever wanted to give someone a special song, but just cannot find the right one. It is kind of like going to Hallmark and being unable to find that one card that "says it all." Well there are companies out there that want to help you. Giftsongs/Instasong and Give-A-Song are two companies that create personalized songs for various occasions and within a variety of genres.
At Give-A-Song you get the best service. Four relatively qualified musicians that offer a personalized template or a custom song for $75 and $220 respectively. The turnaround time is approximately 2 days for the template and up to 6 days for the custom which with what you are getting is actually pretty quick. You can order online and receive your song anywhere in the world for free, most likely through email, or a link. They offer free samples so you can choose the right songwriter and style.
Instasong is a better deal, 5 bucks for the basic and up to 20 bucks for 20 songs. There is little information about who is writing the song, nor are there any free samples. You can listen to your template for free, but only if you intend to purchase the song. Overall it looks a bit dodgy, and has very little other information than a few "customer reviews" which are suspect at best.
However, we are missing the overall point. If you really want to give your wife, husband, mom, dad, friend, etc. a song as a gift, and not go the "mix tape" route, then perhaps you should at least try to make a song yourself. "But I have no musical talent, how could I possibly write my own song?" You would be surprised how much musical talent you have. There is plenty of free software like Acid Express, or Garageband of which offer plenty of included beats, harmonies and melodies. Moreover, if you are just writing a song as a gift, why not just use someone else's melody? I guarantee the RIAA will not track you down, scouts honor.
We can all write words and have basic rhythmic skills (most of can walk, and all of us have beating hearts right?) So why not at least try to write a song yourself? I am not a plumber but when something goes wrong with my toilet, I at least try to fix it myself first. A homemade song will probably mean twice as much to the person receiving your creation. Moreover, you will learn that you do have a little "music" in your veins, which can only lead to better things in the future.
Years ago I carved several keyholders from scratch from cherry wood. They sucked compared to a professional carving, but the people I gave them to were eternally gracious for the thought and care that went into them. I am not a wood carver, but at least I tried. Sure if things start exploding and water is rushing from your pipes, call a professional. But when it comes to something creative there is nothing wrong with trying to do so yourself.
Music Accessibility - This week Apple announced their new iPod Nano and iTunes software will use talking displays and large-font menus for people with vision impairment. This is much needed breath of fresh air coming from a large corporation. People with disabilities are often excluded from target demographics for widely distributed commercial products which often means this group of people have no options to supplant new technologies for more accessibly designs. Apple has taken a giant step towards a greater awareness of accessibility.
Hopefully this will inspire other corporations to follow and engage in more accessible technologies that help consumers with special needs. We need to see this happen in all areas of the market, from computers to iPods, telephones to calculators.
With Apple's new accessible features we most likely will learn that accessible technologies can help everyone not just their intended demographic. Children can benefit, the elderly can benefit, we do not just have to limit accessibility to people with special needs. We all have special needs. And we all can benefit from Apple's accessible technology, and their bold decision to support this market. Check out www.apple.com/accessibility, -- Bravo Apple! I rarely say that, so enjoy it while you can.
In good musical health,
Dr. Rhythm
"Rolling Stone Bashes Gov. Palin "
Ask the Doctor - 9.19.08 (want to ask the doctor? click here)
Dear Dr. Rhythm,
How do you feel about Rolling Stone's recent article about Sarah Palin, essentially trying to deface her to their audience?
JSM----
Dear JSM,
I am not surprised at Rolling Stone making such a shameless political claim. RS is not really about music, but entertainment. That is why I started this site, because Rolling Stone is a gossip and opinion magazine. They have no education other than cheap journalism and really do not understand the larger community of music outside their little diminishing rock audience.
One thing I would like to say to Rolling Stone readers is that you are being manipulated by this magazine. This recent article shows where their interests really lie. What business does a "music magazine" have with politics?
Moreover, why should anyone believe RS is reporting real facts? They alternate between "facts" and "myths" in the mentioned article as though they have actually personally investigated these issues as real journalists, despite the problem that most of their "facts" are wrong. Even a common bystander with a newspaper can attest that their facts are completely and utterly wrong.
Please, great readers and patrons of Dr. Rhythm, do not be fooled when music magazines, musicians, actors, etc. make ridiculous political claims and statements. Make your own decisions based on your own research and understanding. Do not just trust CNN, MSNBC, or FOXNEWS, verify, verify, verify. And most important, do not use Rolling Stone for accurate political commentary!
In good musical health,
Dr. Rhythm----
Dear Dr. Rhythm,
Do you think that popular music can heal the intense partisanship that is taking place in the United States?
LT----
Dear LT,
Popular music, as whole over the past one hundred years, has had a greater social impact than any legislation, law, activist or otherwise. Popular music is woven into our cultural fabric and is ingrained in our social DNA. So to answer your question, yes, popular music can heal partisan politics on a social level. But it is not as easy as just writing a few "across the aisle" songs.
We saw this happen with rock 'n roll in the 50s. When young people began listening to what was labeled as "black music" by segregationist society our culture began a perpetual crossover between the races which would spur the 1960s civil rights movement and subsequent legislation. White youths liked black music and people like Elvis could deliver everything they wanted all in one package. This gave artists like Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Bo Diddley a venue in the white "mainstream" society. Once African-American music ensconced the sound of popular music, culturally we created a generation of young thinkers who could see beyond racial barriers.
Now how do we do this in the modern era? Perhaps it begins with not sensationalizing offensive rap/hip-hop, or sexual innuendo. American Idol has done a good job of not supporting these types of images and lyrics. Progress may also lie in creating a desire for people to seek an education. Not just in colleges and universities, but to take control of how they consume information through media. Popular music can apply strong values, and ideology, but people have to want to see this change. If it starts in music, the culture will follow.
