Combining music and social networking is one of the many popular gimicks of today’s online world.  I’ve blogged about LoudCrowd and The Sixtyone, and other websites like Last.fm follow similar formulas.  But what’s wrong with a little formula when you get free stuff out of it?

I recently stumbled across RCRD LBL which has partnered up with labels such as downtown, Modular, and Warp (much like LoudCrowd) to create a blog-meets-social-networking-meets-free-downloads site.  Each label has its own blog on the site, although many haven’t been updated since 2009, and free content goes up daily.  I signed up because they have a number of remixes and mash-ups of Miike Snow songs (Vampire Weekend + Miike Snow? Yes, please), and have stuck around simply for the sake of filling up my iTunes library with some enjoyable tunes.

They’re currently running a SXSW download-of-the-day feature on the blog, so if you wish you had the cash-money to be in Austin right now (sigh)… head on over.

Now if you don’t live under a rock chances are you’ve heard the song, I’ve Got A Feelin’ or Boom Boom Pow by The Black Eyed Peas and you’ve probably danced along too.  I like to blare it when I’m getting ready in the mornings, but that is besides to point.  After a short break, The Black Eyed Peas hit the charts again with their album The E.N.D. and have had huge smash hits!  Well, the wait is no more, because their World Tour is coming to Calgary!!!  BEP will be playing the Saddledome on August 22nd!!!  Presales start Friday morning, but tickets for the general public go on sale THIS Saturday at 12 PM on Ticketmaster.  There are some crazy VIP packages too if you are a super fan that are only being sold for a limited time.

However, until August 22nd I’m just going to have to replay this video over and over again.

Do you ever stare at a sheet of data, reading the numbers across the page, and you just don’t understand what the numbers are implying?  Or even at just a bunch of ideas and concepts you cannot connect the dots for?  Pivot can help you make sense of all those information and data that is readily available to us everyday with us not knowing what they really mean.

First of all, what is Pivot?  Sure, it is a metaphorical turning point for the age of information, but I am referring to the browser-like software developed by Microsoft Live Labs.  It is probably not known to many as an internet user because it was only publicized very recently.

Being a browser, I have to be honest, Pivot is not the best; it has relatively higher memory usage and it’s not as smooth and fluent as Firefox.  Although, if your computer is powerful enough, you will notice no difference whatsoever until you look at the numbers in your Task Manager.

However, I think as a software, Pivot is quite cool. Essentially, it organizes information while you are surfing, and it notes the website you would likely to visit on your next launch, making it easier for you to access that site.  Pus, it’s graphical user interface is clean, simple and stylistic. You will never be concerned with the huge amount of apps you installed on your other browsers, and leading the simple design, it has no menu bars.

Okay, now getting to the most important feature here – its ability to process and organize data and information.  The Microsoft Live Labs created what they call, Collections, that demonstrates to you how Pivot can categories data and display them in a manner that makes sense of the data.  Let’s take the NHL teams collection for instance, the program can organize the teams according to their winning percentage, number of goals, major penalties, etc.  Just from looking at this well-organized data, you can decide for yourself, which team you think is playing better on the ice overall.  Of course, Pivot collections can be used for more than just sports teams, you just have to try it and decide for yourself how you want to use them.

I hope you learned something about new software in the town, tell us about your experience with it and what you think are its pros and cons.

For more information, watch a video of TED2010 talk online.

I know you do!

Hosted by YouTube celebrity Dan Brown and with the help of other notable figures (such as MysteryGuitarMan, MemeMolly and JPizzle, just to name a few), this game game show is composed entirely of YouTube videos, all linked to one another. If you think you’ve got the answer, click on it and see if you’re right! If not, just go back a page. It’s that easy, and let me tell you, it’s fun, innovative and very funny.

You can get started here: Who Wants to be a YouTubillionaire?!

Back when I was junior high school I remember Gorillaz making quite an impact on the radio and amongst my classmates, particularly the hit “Feel Good Inc.”  What I don’t remember is ever really listening to them – just a group I never bothered to get into.  So when their third LP (Plastic Beach) dropped earlier this month, I figured it was as good a time as any to start listening.

If you’re as ignorant as I am about the group, the first thing you need to know is that Gorillaz is a virtual band composed of animated characters.  Created by former Blur frontman Damon Albarn – who handles most of the music – and comic book artist Jamie Hewlett (Tank Girl) – who give gives the band a unique animated aesthetic – Gorillaz are the most successful virtual band of all time (Others include Dethklok, Prozzäk, and Alvin & The Chipmunks). Members include 2D (vocals and keyboards – centre), Murdoc Niccals (bass – right), Noodle (guitar and vocals – lower left) and Russel Hobbs (drums – upper left).

While in music videos and live performances you’ll see the four animated bandmates singing and playing their instruments, in reality the instrumentation and vocals are provided by Albarn with a revolving door cast of musicians.  On Plastic Beach, contributors include Snoop Dogg, Bobby Womack, and Lou Reed. Previous collaborators include De La Soul, Bootie Brown, MF DOOM, and Tina Weymouth & Chris Frantz of Tom Tom Club and Talking Heads.

The music of Gorillaz is difficult to categorize into a specific genre – pop, alt-rock, hip hop, etc… their music refuses to be labeled.  Throw in some surprisingly intellectual lyrics with themes based on Damon Albarn’s observations of society and you get something very different and intriguing – I’m a bit surprised a band based on such a bizarre concept became popular enough to sell 15 million albums worldwide.

In any case, the music is quality and strongly recommended. Go buy it.

Check out the video (featuring Bruce Willis) for the new single “Stylo” here.

Looking to be inspired this week?  The 2010 Global Youth Summit (GYS) put on by the wonderful people at the YMCA is THIS FRIDAY and you can still register!  GYS is a community initiative created by and for, Calgary youth who are interested in international philanthropy. The event provides opportunities to both attend and volunteer. The theme “Make Change Happen!” is obviously in clever reference to the global economic crisis of the past year and surely some of the workshops will have to do with how to work within the confines of poverty.

Here are this year’s details:
WHO:  High school students, grades 10-12

WHERE: The Nickle Arts Museum, University of Calgary   |  434 Collegiate Boulevard NW
Google Map |   Directions, Parking, and Transit info

WHEN: Friday, March 19, 2010  – 2pm – 9pm

COST: 10$ (this includes gallery admission & supper – talk about a good deal!)

REGISTER: Download the form

CONTACT: Community YMCA at 403-531-1660

FULL DETAILS: Check the website

I’ll keep this short and sweet, all – as a Grade 12 student, I began going twice a year to GYS and the GYS Round-up in September in Grade 9.  This will be my 7th time attending a Global Youth Summit event – and that should speak for itself.  It is an absolutely wonderful, informative and inspiring conference to attend. You see people come back over and over again.  If you have a passion for international humanitarian work, this is a must-attend conference to build knowledge and connections with youth from all around the city.

So, what are you waiting for? Go register now!

This is slightly unusual for me, but I am going to review a novel intended for a preteen audience.

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick follows a social outcast named Max, a teenager who is very large and has an intellectual disability.  He lives with his grandparents because his mother is deceased and his father is in jail.  One summer he befriends Kevin, a highly intelligent teenager who is also a social outcast and has the medical condition, dwarfism.

This novel explores society, as well as human psychology, through various adventures Max and Kevin have together.  The novel is surprisingly deep, when its intended audience is taken into consideration.  It’s really moving and a highly enjoyable novel.

I recommend this novel to anyone 10 years and older and I give it a 4.5/5

Most of the food drives I hear about tend to be pretty straightforward – you scrounge around in your cupboard for anything that’s good and then you drop it off in a box somewhere and maybe get $2 off admission to a concert.  But an idea that seems to be gaining popularity around the country is something called “canstruction”.  It’s a food drive meets engineering & construction.  Competitors either buy or collect donated cans and then use them to create amazing sculptures.  All of the cans used in the competition are then donated to a local food bank.

Here at home, CANstruction has been running for 4 years, and has contributed 250,000 pounds of food to the Calgary Food Bank.  Engineering companies, schools, and the city come together each year to compete, and they recently wrapped up their 2010 competition.  They’ve posted photos of all the entries, including a Pac-Man and a Rubix Cube. The Vancouver competition is worth checking out as well, and for a full list of participating cities, check here.

It’s that time of the year again! The Calgary High School Improv League (CHIL), a group of high school students from schools all across the city have been working for months, learning about the art of improvised theatre, thanks to the Loose Moose Theatre Company.  CHIL will be presenting all they’ve learned through a little friendly competition, very hilarious competition. Now for the details!

Date: Sunday, March 21 at 7:30 pm

Tickets: $8

Place: Loose Moose Theatre (1235 26 Ave SE, in the Crossroads Farmer’s Market on Blackfoot and Ogden Road)

See you there! And don’t forget to bring a sweater!  It might get CHIL-y! 😛