My Morning Jacket announced two things this week: 1) new West Coast tour dates and 2) what they are calling the "Spontaneous Curation Series," an opportunity for fans to help determine which songs get played each night. MMJ will use their Twitter account before each performance to engage with fans and accept requests for that particular show.

What is a little unclear is whether Twitter fans are making suggestions for their encores or for their entire set. It may be vague because certain festival shows, particularly in Europe, can't accommodate their generally lengthy encores. But what is clear is that Fan Club members get an additional opportunity to help decide the opening song.


I really love this "Spontaneous Curation Series" idea for a few reasons. For fans who participate, it will make them feel involved in the performance far more than a "passive" attendee and each show will truly be special and unique. (Which may also drive ticket sales for fans looking to experience a different show each night.) From a social media perspective, it will strengthen their audience, certainly in terms of online engagement but also likely in total number of Twitter followers. That's akin to a social media slam dunk - reward and engage your core followers while attracting new ones in the process!

MMJ's "Spontaneous Curation Series" reminds me of a 2012 hi-tech version of Elvis Costello's "Spectacular Spinning Songbook." During his 1986 "Revolver Tour," Costello brought a game show style wheel with him on stage and let fans spin the giant wheel to decide the next song. Costello resurrected the concept in 2011 and recently released the Return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook CD/DVD recorded over two nights in Los Angeles. Perhaps the MMJ "Spontaneous Curation" shows will lead to a live album as well...

Follow @AmoebaBerkeley on Twitter for a chance to win this Rolling Stones "Some Girls" canvas poster!

On Valentine’s Day (February 14) tune in to the @AmoebaBerkeley Twitter feed for a Rolling Stones trivia contest.

Two correct responses will be chosen randomly by the end of the day who will win the Grand Prize (18" x 24" canvas poster) and Second Place (used Limited Edition 1994 Mini LP Style CD version of Some Girls).  

Telemann's father died in 1685, leaving Maria to raise the children, protect them from their grandfather and his birds, and oversee their education. Telemann studied at the Altstädtisches Gymnasium and at the Domschule, where he was taught the catechism, Latin and Greek, and American History (then a very short and easy class). At age 10 he took singing lessons, studied keyboard playing, and learned some tips on how to make perfect pancakes for two weeks with a local gourmet organist. This was enough to inspire the boy to teach himself other instruments (recorder, violin and zither), start composing, and dabble in making his own syrups. His first music pieces were arias, motets, some freestyle rap and instrumental works, and at age twelve he composed his first opera, Sigismundus, a drama which told the story of a young man who was eager to see a woman naked but was thwarted by having acne and a reputation at school that he was a “total fag.” The opera was not a success.

1) Eminem Relapse (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope)

2) Method Man & Redman Blackout! 2 (Def Jam)

3) The Grouch & Eligh Say G&E! (Legendary Music)

4) Busta Rhymes Back On My B.S. (Flipmode/Universal Motown)

5) Tanya Morgan Brooklynati (Interdependent Media)

Eminem's latest full-length, Relapse on Shady/Aftermath/Interscope is the Detroit artist's sixth studio album and his first in five years. It is also in the number slot on the hip-hop chart at Amoeba Music Berkeley this week, just as it ranked last week at the Amoeba Hollywood store. The 20 track album from the 35 year old artist, born Marshall Bruce Mathers III, comes 13 years since his independantly released debut album Infinite, and exactly ten years since his major label breakthrough and first album through Dr Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, The Slim Shady LP.  Dr. Dre not only produced most of the new album (and its promised sequel in a few months) but Dre also cameos on the track "Crack A Bottle" with 50 Cent. As for the reaction to Relapse? It is charting high at Amoeba and elsewhere. Even here in Dublin, Ireland, where I am writing this Amoeblog, it is given high profile in and getting high sales at all the main record stores. But also here in Europe, as in the States, the album has folks divided into the two camps of either loving or hating it. Those who hate it include many former Eminem fans who contend that he has fallen off and is merely going through the motions. Those who love it do admit that it takes a few listens to fully appreciate and warn the faint of heart to be prepared for Em's often unsettling, disturbingly vivid tales of violence and abuse, including, of course, drug abuse, which is the album's theme, based on the artist's open admission to a prescription drugs addiction. 

Way back in August 2006  -- a relative eternity ago in this fast-paced, ever changing Internet age -- MySpace hit the 100 million members mark, an accomplishment that blew peoples' minds at the time. That was three years ago, when MySpace was king and Facebook, while two years in existence, was still far from the force it is today. Meanwhile, Twitter was just a little baby born that year and something that comparatively few knew about. My, how things change! In March this year, a Nielsen.com blog ranked Twitter as the fastest-growing site in the Member Communities category for February 2009 when it had an astounding growth rate of 1382%. That same month of this year Facebook enjoyed a growth rate of 228%.

Around that time, the site compete.com compiled the interesting Top 25 Social Networks Re-Rank chart (below) that includes the monthly visits each social networking site received for the first month of this year and ranked them in popularity accordingly. Even though MySpace, the once most popular social networking website, has slipped down to the number two position and many people have deserted it in favor of Facebook, it still continues to attract new members and hang onto old ones, including countless artists and musicians.

Music makers from all genres and at various stages along in their careers, from established global acts to young aspiring rappers and rockers, all vie for attention on MySpace since is very difficult to stand apart and get noticed these days with so much competition out there.