Check out these crazy waves from Teahupoo. They are breathtaking to watch and even more so when you witness the courageous surfers who are riding them.
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I just saw this free climbing video of Alex Honnold on Google+ thanks to Tom Anderson’s post. It’s a 60 Minutes clip of the world’s best rock climber who ascends the most challenging climbs without any aids, such as rope or partners. Alex is the only one who has ever free-climbed Yosemite’s Half-dome which is over 2000 feet high (1/2 a mile straight up). When I think of “superhuman feats” this is what I think of as it sets a new standard for the average person. He lives on $1000/month in his mobile van so he can pursue what he loves. It’s a truly inspirational and mind-blowing video. I felt my stomach churn and blood rush just watching it as my own fear for him set in. It’s amazing to think he has conquered this fear with such grace and strength. His humbleness and character make me like him even more. Mad Respect.
It’s a massive honor and thrill to be involved in the live release of Paul McCartney’s performance at Citi Field in New York City. Topspin played a role in the online marketing and distribution of his latest project titled Good Evening New York City. With 33 songs spanning over 2 and a half hours of live music, this release is a great collection of Beatles, Wings, and solo classics. There are two premium physical packages in addition to the digital audio and video options: a Standard Edition with a dual CD live album plus DVD of the performance and a Deluxe Edition with an additional Bonus DVD of McCartney’s performance on top of the Ed Sullivan Theater along with the documentary, “Good Evening People.”
Here’s a video of the show with Paul playing “Highway” off of his project with Youth in the The Fireman.
Good Evening New York City shows McCartney in action, and it’s a real treat. We get to hear his stories about Hendrix, Lennon, and the making of “Blackbird”, a much revered guitar classic. It’s makes you smile to see Paul have so much fun on stage. It’s a special night as The Beatles played Shea Stadium in 1965 to the biggest rock show ever at the time, and when Citi Field opened up this summer on the site of the old Shea Stadium, they asked Paul to perform the stadium’s first show. The magic is clearly in the air reminiscent of the 1965 performance as the camera beautifully captures the sea of eager fans across the colossal new stadium. Download the free “Highway” video and get an MP3 of “Let Me Roll It” from the show. Just enter your email below, and a link to download the music will arrive in your inbox.
Much has been said of the impact and influence Paul and the Beatles have had on today’s music culture. I have looked up to them as innovators, activists, and songwriters since I was young enough to appreciate music. This release was one of the most exciting and rewarding projects I have had the privilege of working on at Topspin. The best part of the whole project, however, was the way my team rose to the occasion when Scott Rodger, Paul’s manager, asked us if we could configure a Topspin purchase flow that only accepted American Express. Amex approached Scott with a special offer for their card members where they would receive a bonus exclusive track from Paul McCartney if they used their Amex card. It all sounded like a great idea, except Topspin didn’t have an Amex only option in our purchasing system. When I went to the team to ask them if it was possible, I didn’t get an, “are you kidding me?” reaction, but rather an eager, genuine willingness to make it happen. In seven days the Topspin engineering and QA team pulled if off. Check out the Amex only purchase page here. Purchase with your Amex card exclusively and get the bonus track, “(I Want To) Come Home,” from Paul McCartney. Kudos to the Topspin team for over delivering and doing so ahead of time. It’s a true honor to be working with a legend like Paul McCartney and his awesome team (Scott, Lisa, Ruth, Nancy), and also with the team at Topspin who reacted to this Amex challenge with a keen passion to eagerly serve our artists. I feel blessed all around. Thank you.
Topspin’s latest release is from Eminem. His new album Relapse is available on his site. We’re honored to be working with him and his team, and this project has been on of our biggest ones to date. You can check out a video and thirty second clips from the album at the widget in the bottom of the page. Normally, we encourage our artists to stream full-length tracks in their promotional widgets as it encourages sharing and sampling of the music to prime the purchase of a download, but Eminem belongs to a major label which thinks differently on this specific topic. Regardless, we’re excited to be powering his direct-to-fan release for his new album.
Although I’ve always respected Eminem for his MCing and for what he’s accomplished, I’ve never been a mega-fan. I became a believer, however, with his Mosh video below, a protest song against George W. Bush before the 2004 election. It was an inspiring call to arms or rather a call to get out and vote. It gave me chills the first time I saw it and still does today. Check out the video below.
I love it when artists explicitly weave social messages into their music. Eminem released Mosh early before his album Encore in late 2004 to influence the youth to vote against Bush and the war. This one is definitely a favorite of mine. It shows that Eminem is not content to sit still and watch the world go to hell. He rose to the occasion to motivate others to make the right change.
Check out more of Eminem’s latest album below and click through to the offer page where you can get the downloads, deluxe packages, vinyl, t-shirts, hoodies, autographed prints, and high-quality audio-file formats.
Tags: Topspin
It’s been a while since I’ve blogged, but I have a burning desire to share a rather interesting experience that’s too long to twitter about. Last night, I arrived in Austin for the the SXSW festival a day ahead of my Topspin homies. I landed, checked in, and went out to my only event of the night, the Facebook party at Pangea. My good friend, Grant Davis aka VJ Culture, was hired to do the video art, and he invited me to join him as his guest.
After catching up with Grant, I used the night to network with fellow SXSW Interactive festival goers and get some scoop of what Facebook is up to with music. I was satisfied with the evening and ready to leave around half past midnight. I went to the men’s room for one last pit stop, and since all the heads were taken, I went to the handicapped stall. It was the only one available, and I was feeling safe so I didn’t bother to lock the door. I’m minding and doing my own business when I feel someone pinch my ass. I turned around and was like, wtf, ready to unleash the fury on my molester. My rage immediately dissipated to shame as I looked back and then down to my perpetrator in his wheel chair. Since I’m a person who gets extremely angry when non-handicapped people park in handicapped spaces, I immediately got his point or rather his pinch to be more precise, and I felt awful. Prepared to receive a verbal spanking on handicapped bathroom protocol, I noticed he was smiling mischievously and clearly having some fun with me. In a similar flash of changing emotions, I began to recognize my stall mate. It was Mark Zupan from Murderball. The intense awkwardness of the moment was diffused, and I began to vociferously profess my admiration of Murderball and especially Mark’s role in it. This is Mark in the movie poster.
If you haven’t seen it, please Netflix or seek it out NOW. It’s one of the most inspiring documentaries I’ve ever seen. It’s about the story of quadriplegic men who have found a renewed sense of purpose and life by playing wheel chair rugby. The story of Mark Zupan is particularly inspiring given the grace and tenacity in which he deals with his challenges, and the content of his character shines brightly in the movie. He’s a natural leader, mentor to new quadripiligecs, and one of the fiercest competitors to ever play organized sports. His story along with those of the other players will leave you with a renewed sense of hope and determination. It’s a wonderful tale of the human condition as the players and coach seek victory as a team and in their own unique, individual ways.
Check out the trailer to this amazing documentary:
Thanks Mark for the letting me be the butt of your joke last night. I’m just glad I got a chance to express my appreciation for you sharing your story and being such a wonderful inspiration to us all.
Tags: documentary, movies
Giveback‘s latest effort involves a project to raise $6,145 for a recording studio at a Hunter’s Point kids club in the Bay Area. This community center deserves recognition for their noble mission of keeping high-risk kids off the streets. You can read more about the Hunter’s Point Family on their profile page. For a list of the audio gear and a breakdown of how the money will be used, you can go to the campaign’s action page, here.
Michael Franti and FreQ Nasty donated music to help with fund-raising and to raise awareness for the campaign. The tracks are sweet with some nice future sounds and palpitations in their remix collaboration. Music touches everyone regardless of geography, background, or socio-economics, and teaching children to play and record music could provide a better alternative to the harsh realities of their neighborhood. The campaign is called Beats for a Better Future and more info directly from the artists is on the campaign page, here.
The organization’s focus on mentorship motivates a more sustained, longer-term positive impact on the community. Check out more photos and videos to get a sense of the the center. This project was inspired in memory of Otto Schutt, a close friend of the artists involved. Otto worked with the kids at Hunter’s Point Family for 10 years before passing away recently of cancer. He was an inspiration to us all; especially all the kids and members of Hunter’s Point Family.
You can listen to tracks in the widget below and click-through to donate via Paypal or you can click-through from the campaign page.
