In addition to changing the tag line on the incredible popular fan pages from “become a fan” to “like” Facebook is also debuting a “like” button for the Internet. For websites and blogs where the button is implemented, users of the Facebook platform will be able to “like” or “recommend” a page to their friends.

The button on Web pages counts how many users have liked the page in addition to how many of your friends have “liked” that page.

Facebook’s “share” was the old technology that would do this, but this new button is a more streamlined method of sharing the articles you think your friends would like. This innovation is not unlike something the Internet has seen before. Much like the real-time stream introduced in March of last year which was an idea taken from Twitter, the “like” technology is an idea taken from Digg and other social news aggregate websites.

It’s hard to say whether it was Digg’s failure at launching a real-time stream that will be its eventual downfall to the social media giant, a launch that was supposed to happen six months ago, or whether Facebook would have marched onto its soil regardless of what Digg had or hadn’t launched. Digg for the moment has the upper hand as there is no easy way to see the totality of what your friends have “liked” through the new button. Likebutton.me is a third party website that takes advantage of your social stream to aggregate this content but is in no means anything official.

To “like” some content on a Webpage, you must be logged into Facebook. Once you are logged in though, your Facebook information is available to any website that asks for it, thanks to Facebook’s second new innovation, Open Graph technology.
In what has been billed as “instant personalization,” this new feature allows websites like Pandora to customize the music they play to you based on the music you have listed in your music interests. The new technology launched with three partners, Pandora, Yelp and Docs.com by Microsoft.

The whole situation is developing into as big as a privacy disaster as the launch of Google Buzz which launched in February, maybe bigger. Senators and representatives across the country have spoken out about Web privacy. Facebook is blurring the lines between what is public data and private data on the Web.

Senator Charles Schumer has written to the Federal Trade Commission, asking them to “examine the privacy disclosures of social-networking sites to insure they are not misleading or fail to fully disclose the extent to which they share information.” The heart of Schumer’s argument is that at the moment Facebook requires users to opt out of the new feature, not opt in.
There are two sides to this. The seemingly good side, that turns vanilla websites into ones that are personalized for you and with ads that are targeted to you. And the bad side, the underbelly that works in the background, which tracks your behavior on the Web and shares your information with websites.

Both developments are putting Facebook at the center of what you do on the Web. The company, who during one week in march had more traffic than current number one (Google) in the United States, is looking to extend its virtual network to cover the entirety of what you do on the Web as well as what you do offline.

Courtesy of Turtlekat.hu

Soulful, experimental rockers Foxy Shazam released their self-titled album earlier this month. With a six-piece set-up that features piano and horns along with the usual drums, bass, guitar, vocals line-up, the gentlemen of Foxy Shazam deliver classic rock style with a fun, adventurous edge.

The band, which formed in 2004, already has two albums under its belt. However, the April 12 release of “Foxy Shazam” marks the group’s first major label release. The album, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart is an eclectic mixture of anthemic jams, funky alternative beats and old school rock swagger. Frontman Eric Nally takes the liberty of introducing the band via Foxy Shazam’s Facebook profile. Aside from the aforementioned singer and founding father of the band, Foxy Shazam is composed of Daisy (bass), Aaron McVeigh (drums), Alex Nauth (horns) Loren Turner (guitar) and Sky White (piano).

On the Facebook page, Nally states, “I am 24 years old, the father of two boys, Julian Michael and Francis Jordan, as well as a loving husband to Karen Nally. This creates an interesting contrast to my career as a professional musician.”Foxy Shazam first caught my attention during one lazy afternoon I spent watching hours of MTVu. A new music video scene opens up to black and white animation of a gawky man with humorous facial hair and a little boy.

Amidst the jumpy movements of these scrawled figures, a ragged voice whispers words of comfort and protection to the little cartoon boy named Julian. A faint trumpet melody begins to sound as the animations jump under the lid of a piano. My interest as a viewer is piqued.

Watching the video for the single “Oh Lord,” my eyes light up as the black and white shots of the band erupt with flying confetti and the emergence of lead singer Nally and the little boy from the cartoon. Strains of guitar feedback, thick drum beats and the pound of piano keys bring the song to a powerful start.

The band members perform amidst the black and white scene, showcasing their flair for energetic entertainment. Nally dances with his mic stand and engages in choreography with four back-up dancers who are dressed as basketball players. Saying that this video is random is a bit of a stretch.

However, the silly imagery works wonders as it highlights the sweet, charming airs of “Oh Lord,” a song one could assume is addressed to Nally’s son, Julian.

“Foxy Shazam” captures the various accoutrements in the group’s bag of tricks. From Nally’s Freddy Mercury-esque falsetto to the entire band’s agile stage presence, Foxy Shazam are emerging on the scene, readyand willing to entertain. Whether it is the somber, soulful moan of “Bye Bye Symphony” or the crowd-rousing rock ruckus, “Unstoppable,” this album truly delivers the undeniable pizazz of Foxy Shazam.

However, instead of just plugging this delightfully unique band’s newest album, I’ll let Nally’s own words (from the band’s fan-friendly Facebook page) do the trick: “When you listen to our record, think of your favorite things and it’ll make sense to you as well.

“Foxy Shazam is not concerned with what category it falls into. We want to stand for our generation.”

Courtesy of Myspace.com/thecatempire

One of the most diverse and eclectic bands around today, The Cat Empire, based in Melbourne, Australia, fuse elements of jazz, hip-hop, R&B, rock and soul into a brand new type of sound that has paved the way for a brand new genre of independent music.

The group of primarily six musicians combines efforts to create a feel good up-tempo sound.

Although there is no guitarist in the band, as a first time listener you will be shocked when you don’t notice the absence of a guitar’s contribution to the infectious rhythm of what you hear.

A collective mix of trumpets, double bass, piano, keyboard, drums and a turntable, the sound produced by The Cat Empire is definitely one that demands further inquiry.

With songs about adolescent innocence, choosing friends over conformity, staying true to one’s beliefs and making music to dance to, the complete catalog of The Cat Empire’s music represents a true aim at honest music.

What makes the sound so distinct and easy going is the careful interjection of different musical genres throughout a given song. Making it easy for the listener to get up and dance, it’s the band’s message of universal acceptance and finding the simple pleasures in life that keep me coming back for more.

With the capability of easing my mind by the time the chorus of any of the band’s tunes comes around, I turn to The Cat Empire for music to relax with and sing-a-long to.

Although The Cat Empire has remained inactive with new material in 2009, the group did release a live album entitled “Live On Earth.”

Set to release their newest material since 2008’s “So Many Nights,” The Cat Empire’s “Cinema” will hit stores on June 29 in the U.S.

The first single from the new album called “Beyond All” is available for listen through The Cat Empire’s MySpace or Youtube.
Staying true to their music and keeping an overall optimistic view on life, The Cat Empire continues to groove right on through 2010.

Stereomood is a free “emotional internet radio” that allows users to choose a playlist based on their mood.

Developed in 2007 in Milan, Italy, by Giovanni Ferron, in an attempt to provide his friend and fellow Stereomood developer Maurizio Pratici with an online tool to listen to and share new music from international music blogs.

It took about a year for the project to get off the ground, and in that time the website’s developers (Giovanni Ferron, Daniele Novaga, Maurizio Pratici, Eleonora Vivani and Silvia Pianelli) struggled with concepts and found themselves asking a lot of questions about how to arrange music in a unique but useful way, until one final question ended the debate.
Why not arrange our music files according to our moods or activities?

And thus, Stereomood was born. We no longer have to search through endless lists of songs to find the perfect music for sleepy Sundays or for when you and your partner are feeling frisky.

Now it’s as easy as going online and choosing the mood you’re in – or the mood you want to be in – and clicking play. Playlists range from about 20 minutes to about an hour, and include themes like “relax,” “on my feet,” “dinner with friends,” “morning” and “high.” With dozens of tagged lists to choose from, there’s no way to be disappointed with Stereomood’s options.

Although the site is still in beta, its influence on the way music is classified will undoubtedly be great. Now that playlists are so prevalent in music, should artists be concerned for the future of the classic album structure? Well, yes, they should, actually.

The way that people are listening to music is evolving, plain and simple. Although we love our full-length albums, it’s the singles that are still getting our playtime.

We no longer have to buy entire albums to hear our favorite songs; we can pick and choose which songs we want to purchase. So what should artists do to keep our attention?

Embracing this new idea is the first step to a successful transition into the playlist world, because fighting the evolution will only harm their careers.

The next step is to seek out collaboration opportunities. Bands and artists often do album splits, where two or more artists share the same album (not to be confused with a compilation, which is essentially a playlist).

It may be beneficial to musicians to keep their releases short and sweet. Instead of releasing one full-length album each year or two, why not have more frequent, collaborative releases with less tracks from each artist? That way, listeners will stay attentive and may even learn about new artists.

So what’s next for the music revolution? Who will come up with the next idea to change the way we seek out artists, songs or genres?

The popularity of playlists will definitely spike as more and more music enthusiasts opt to pick and choose which songs they want to purchase and it’s up to the artists to convince them to stick around for full-lengths.

Stereomood’s innovative presentation of music via moods and activities is an awesome example of musical evolution, and music connoisseurs are eagerly looking towards the future of listening.

Andy Swetz

For senior Krista LaBella, the ability to channel and tap into a critical artistic self-realization didn’t come in her regularly assigned projects.

With her sculptor exhibit “Oh My God, I Think I’m A Feminist!” opening this past Saturday in the Silpe Gallery of the Art School for six days of display, LaBella’s work not only went on to speak for itself but also raise awareness of a topic that seems to have lost attention today.

“It was some sort of epiphany,” LaBella expressed in her artistic statement about her latest accomplishment. In a pursuit to tackle the issue of the stereotypical role of women in modern society, LaBella, an English major turned contemporary sculptor, put on a genuine and truthful display of an exhibit reflecting her personal beliefs.

When first entering the exhibit, my ears were the first part of me to get a feel for the caliber of seriousness and reality on display in front of me.

Strategically placed in the far corner of the gallery, LaBella’s more modern attempt at touching on the feminine struggle of herself drowning in water on a television screen was what struck me first.

Proceeding through the exhibit trying hard to feel for what lay before me in its purposeful position, I became engulfed in the objects of years of repression and victimization transformed into something new.

Intertwining conformity with self-control, on display stood powerful symbols of a female struggle with body image and expectation. Among those works hanging from the ceiling was “Hangman’s Knot” and “For You” that struck me the most.
A noose of pearls and lingerie with fiberglass insulation, these two works show the other side of the issue with women as the overlooked victims.

“I am drawn to the tangibility of 3-D art and the conceptual nature of most sculpture,” LaBella said as she explained her inspiration and drive that lead to her latest work.

Driving towards the deeper struggles of women that seem to miss mainstream media and are almost completely suppressed, LaBella does a remarkable job at juxtaposing the reality of a stereotype with the freedom a woman possesses in her decisions.

On display near the center of the gallery stood a wooden ironing board with an assorted set of knives evenly spaced out on it. Titled “Mundane,” the piece offers an idea of gender roles and the uses of the knives beyond kitchen duties. While challenging these sexist ideals with her art, LaBella uses the realm of the third dimension to solidify her attempt at displaying women’s new role in a changing world.

“Within this work, I am positioning woman and her place in a new world- one where she has complete control over herself, over her life, her body, her sexuality and her ideas.”

What makes the exhibit one of extreme weight and importance is the message it gives to those who experience it. What seemed to be a common factor in LaBella’s work throughout her time at Hartford, the theme of a new woman standing beyond the oppression and stereotypes of society proves to be one of growing attention.Leaving the exhibit thoroughly impressed, I applaud the creative approach of one student’s exhibit with high praise.

There is a raw emotional relationship to the song and it is for that reason that I have devoted myself to the genre.During my four years at the University of Hartford, I have witnessed a monumental shift in the entertainment industry.

In that time, companies like Live Nation, once a company looking to buy the entire music industry as it stood, went from media moguls to a dying breed. Once again, smaller bands are seeing success as the world realizes that you don’t have to sell your soul to the devil in order to turn a profit.

Music isn’t the only thing that’s changed. In September of 2006, when I first walked through the doors of The Hartt School, Hulu was just a way to mispronounce a popular Hawaiian dance.

In 2010, we as college students are watching television almost exclusively online. The idea of deadlines, racing home to catch the opening of a show and breaking news cutting into your favorite show are gone. Instead, we as a generation watch our shows when we want, where we want. What is really special about our generation, defined by our graduating class of seniors is our take on the world.

We own ourselves and understand what we are worth. When someone treats you unfairly, you tell everyone through social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. We figured out how to communicate with people in power and excersise that right daily.

Unlike our parents, today’s graduating class of seniors own the job market. As sparse as jobs are, we know that the first company we land with is only as good as what they offer us. Students are interviewing their potential employers as much as they are interviewing us.

We all understand one simple thing, regardless of what challenges we face, we are the next acclaimed doctors, journalists, award winning CEO’s and web designers. We are the leaders of the not-for-profit sectors in the arts, the general managers of a new breed of sports team and most importantly, the keepers of tomorrow. As we leave college behind, it is important to look back and realize what these last four years have meant.

Class is class. What is really important are the relationships you formed, the friendships you treasured and the realization that in 20 years, this same group of people will sit with you at the peak of your journey, looking back on your four years of college and smile at the great people we have become.

Harris Decker

The only word to describe students’ feelings going into Spring Fling 2010 was curiosity. For the first time in years, the traditional Spring Fling concert was held indoors at the Chase Family Arena. Most students (over 90 percent according to SGA’s poll) opposed the move into the gym and it was up to Campus Activities Team to prove everyone wrong and make it work. It troubled me to leave a beautiful night behind and head indoors for the concert but Gregg Gillis, known by his stage name Girl Talk, made it seem worth it.

Although I did not have any trouble getting in, security was very tight and even turned students away for appearing intoxicated. Once inside, I was shocked to find the arena more than half empty. As Envy on the Coast took the stage, the gym floor was just sparsely covered with student bodies.

There may have been good reason for this. Envy on the Coast simply wasn’t very good. Playing fast hard rock songs, followed by slow melodic anthems, the New York rockers failed to impress the audience, and put many of them into a daze. After a 45-minute performance, they vacated the stage in preparation for the nation’s hottest DJ.

About 20 minutes before Girl Talk took the stage, a stage hand walked around the arena, handing out about 40 orange bracelets.

These bracelets would grant the patrons access to the stage and the ability to dance alongside Gillis. Taking the stage, Gillis proceeded to bring the electricity level of the crowd up as high as he possibly could. Unfortunately he only saw mild success with a half empty gym.

What made me both curious and anxious about Girl Talk’s performance is that he is just that, a DJ. He is not in a band. He is not backed by a hype man. Instead, it’s just him, two laptops and two toilet paper wielding stage hands. My underlying question was whether or not he could captivate a large audience over a long period of time.

This is where we come to a fork in the road for Spring Fling. Students found out quickly that there were only two ways to fully enjoy this show.

You either had to be on the stage dancing or you had to be drunk. Just 10 minutes into his set, the only half full arena began to empty. By my estimates, at the end of the night only about 800 students were left inside.

The inability to drink while enjoying the show made it tough for students to get into the atmosphere of a Girl Talk show.
“He went too long without a break” said Jonas Hampton, a junior, “then I just left, no one showed up, some people just took a nap [instead].”

If you look at past performances for Gellis, they are usually in clubs, bars, lounges, arenas or venues, all places where alcohol runs freely. With this type of artist, it was essential for students to feel unrestricted and be able to let loose and have fun. This was not the case.

The blame has to fall somewhere and for Spring Fling ’10, it falls on CAT. While the idea to move to the gym was opposed, picking a real band (instead of a DJ) would have made this show much more enjoyable for students regardless of their state of mind. Furthermore, Girl Talk would have been extremely fun if the concert was held outside where people could casually listen, dance and party at their discretion.

Shealagh Beglay, a student, said “We left, we didn’t find it that great.” Another student, David Julian added “The whole point is to be outside, it’s spring.”

It was a terrible combination that led to the demise of Spring Fling this year. Students will likely look back at the event and not care. They drank to their hearts content and partied the nights away. What is a shame is that the concert (as a Spring Fling tradition) was all but left for dead. The reviews of the show have been sparse simply because very few people attended the show and those that did were either bored or on stage.

Moving into Saturday, WSAM made a valiant effort in attempting to clean up CAT’s mess. Their first real step into large scale concerts, the student run radio station brought the campus music throughout the day. Unfortunately it was too little too late.
The bands were unknown, the music all ended up sounding the same and as the music came to a close around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday night, students wondered again, what was the reason for not having the concert outside?

To read more from Harris Decker, visit his blog, The Truth About Music!!

Girl Talk
The main event of every Spring Fling is usually the Saturday night concert on the lawn, but this year’s artist, Girl Talk, will perform on Friday night in the sports center. DJ Greg Gillis, better known by his stage name Girl Talk, made a name for himself in electronic/experimental styles, digital sampling and mash-ups. His scantily clad MySpace (myspace.com/girltalk) has 14 songs available to listen to, where you can get a feel for his style and hear the beats you will be dancing to on Friday night.

Many people wonder how this Pennsylvania DJ ended up with a name like Girl Talk. Gillis told FMLY (thefmly.com) in 2009, “[it] is a reference to many things, products, magazines, books. It’s a pop culture phrase.” He goes on to say that he wanted to stir up some controversy within the small, “overly serious, borderline academic type electronic musicians… Girl Talk sounded exactly the opposite of a man playing a laptop, so that’s what I chose.”

Signed to Illegal Art Records, Girl Talk has four albums and two EPs, along with several compilations and remixes credits. There are no other members of Girl Talk, so expect to see Gillis on stage with his laptop Friday night.

Envy on the Coast
Opening for Girl Talk on Friday night, Envy on the Coast is a post-hardcore/alternative/pop-punk band from Long Island. Envy is signed to Photo Finish Records and has spent time on tour with the likes of 30 Seconds to Mars, Head Automatica, Cobra Starship and The Receiving End of Sirens, among others. Their album, “Low Country,” is available to stream on the band’s MySpace (myspace.com/envyonthecoast).

The band has a driving alternative rock sound that will likely bring smiles to a lot of faces. Students should expect a powerful live show from Envy on the Coast.

Loni Love
Comedian Loni Love, Campus Activity magazine’s “Hot Comic” of 2009, will be performing on Saturday night in GSU. Love can be recognized from her appearances on various television series, including VH1’s “I Love the 70s/80s/90s,” and comedy stints on Jay Leno and Chelsea Lately, and Comedy Central just announced they will be filming a 1-hour stand-up special on May 8, “Loni Love: America’s Sister.” Her humor is popular on the college comedy circuit and she has television credentials up the wazoo.

Love will be in GSU at 11:00 p.m. on Saturday night. The comedy shows are always popular so make sure you arrive early in order to secure a place inside.

Village Lawn Bands
Throughout the afternoon and into the evening on Saturday, the Village Lawn will be home to a half-dozen bands. Some of these bands are new while some are old favorites of Spring Fling.

Repeat offenders include Bronze Radio Return, a rock band from Connecticut who’s album, “Old Time Speaker,” is available through the iTunes store; and The New Band!, featuring Vice President of Student Affairs Lee Peters (who previously performed Spring Fling with Back in Time).

New acts this year include: Brotherhood of Thieves, Zach Lockwood, Lifted and Cipha Sounda. Approximate times for each act are posted on the Spring Fling website uhaweb.hartford.edu/spgfling/events.html.

Activities
As always, there will be plenty to do if you don’t want to watch the performances. Lawn activities include traditional favorites like the mechanical bull and wax hands, with other opportunities for fun while making spin art frisbees or taking a ride on the giant slide.

These activities all take place on the Village Lawn on Saturday afternoon, while other activities will take place across campus. On Friday night, there will be an after party at the University Commons when Girl Talk is over, and Saturday brings Hangover Bingo to GSU at 8 p.m.

As usual, there will be a food court this year but it will not be in the Konover parking lot. Instead, it will be in the parking lot between Village Quad 6 and Quad 7. There, students can take a short break to fill their stomachs with food from various vendors.

Participation
Students must remember that in order to participate in any Spring Fling activities, they must have a wristband and must also register online. Students can register on the Spring Fling website and pick up their wristbands in the Suisman Lounge in GSU during the following times: Thursday 4/22- 12 noon-11p.m., Friday 4/23- 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday 4/24- 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Without wristbands, students may be escorted off campus or prohibited from entering certain events. Wristbands can be obtained at no cost for University of Hartford students, but guests must pay $25 in order to participate.

Each student may register up to two guests. Students are encouraged to review policies in The Source, the official student handbook for the university, as well as the information provided on the Spring Fling website, to ensure that everyone is clear on Spring Fling policies.

This year’s events are lining up to make a great weekend. Details about the weekend can be found on the Spring Fling website: http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/spgfling/. Get ready for a fantastic weekend of music, events and friends because the biggest social event of the year is right around the corner.

Andy Swetz

For those fortunate enough to discover the true quality of musicianship Sanchez has to offer, the depth of what they find is immense. Bred on the easy flow of vibes stemming from San Antonio, Texas, Sanchez’s passion and excitement for playing guitar is something rare to come by in an area where great stripped down acoustic music is scarce.

“I think the quality of writing in folk music is really what drives me. It’s the intimacy of a song that I’m really drawn to,” Sanchez said as he took his time and consulted his memories for accuracy.

As Sanchez explained how he started playing guitar and was introduced to the Contemporary Christian music of his church at a young age, he paused to recollect on how his home state’s take on music influenced him greatly.

Living for music, Sanchez attributes his sound and motivation to the level of comfort and excitement that the Austin music scene offers. Playing regularly with his band David and The Stone Throwers back home in Texas, Sanchez’s enthusiasm peaked when speaking of his peers, David and Michael’s, influence.

“David Garza is probably one of the most natural musicians I know and my biggest influence next to Glen Hansard and Josh Ritter,” Sanchez proclaimed. Regularly adding and subtracting a specific sound element via a violinist or female vocalist to give the band a certain texture for a given gig, it is easily recognized that Sanchez’s musical motivations and loyalties lie with sharing music with his friends and anyone else willing to listen.

A genuine and good-natured guy, Sanchez’s maturity level for a college musician is yet to be matched in my eyes. Playing music for the thrill of filling the void life sometimes throws at you, Sanzhez’s vibrant style and voice that can untangle even a stranger’s troubles is what sets him apart from your typical acoustic strummer.

Without giving himself much credit, he talks in influences and attributions to musicians who helped mold his unique style. What I found to be most compelling during my sit-down with Sanchez was how inexhaustibly drive his love for music is. If nothing else, Sanchez wants to be able to share music with people offering his input and soaking in new sounds.

A storyteller at heart, it is Sanzhez’s love of the caliber of song writing that gives his sound its edge and definition. When thrown into the mix of the all but dead musical community of New England that was forced underground, Sanzhez admits that he struggled to find musical direction when arriving at the university his first year.

“When I was a freshman I really found myself without a genre. I got to search for things I was interested in by myself without following the influence of my friends,” he said.
Two years later Sanzhez has found his groove here at Hartford and is slowly making his mark by playing during Community Day 2009, winning first place in the International Dance Team Christmas Cabaret, playing Hartford for Haiti and currently competing in Thursday’s talent show, which will take place in Gengras Student Union.