Tag Archives: music

Tools for adding FLAC and SHN files to your iTunes Library on OS X

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As some visitors to arfore.com will have noticed I feature a list of recent etree.org downloads on my Listening page.  The files from etree.org are live shows recorded by dedicated fans and concert goers.  Many, if not most, of these recordings are posted in one of two lossless file formats: SHN and FLAC.

Both of these file formats are used for compressing audio files.  The reason they are used is due to the fact that they are lossless formats.  Lossless compression allows for the expansion of the of the file into an exact duplicate of the original recorded audio stream.

iTunes supports a different lossless format: Apple Lossless.  Unfortunately, iTunes does not support playback of either FLAC or SHN files.  So what is an audiophile to do?  Using two different free programs you will be able to easily convert both FLAC and SHN files to a format that iTunes can use, thus giving you the ability to take those awesome concerts with you everywhere on your iPod or iPhone. Continue reading →

Indigo Girls at Chastain

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The concert was at Chastain park Amphitheatre in Atlanta, GA, Saturday, September 13, 2008.

The venue was pretty packed. It was interesting that a large contingent of the handicapped spaces were parallel parking.

I should have taken a real camera with me since the iPhone’s camera was unequipped to handle the lighting situation.  Missy Higgins was the opening act.  It was great to hear some of the old songs, as well as three new tracks from the new album which is set to be released in February 2009.  They gave us the actual names of two of the new songs, but not the third one, which they said had only been played six times previously.

Emily made a comment that it was really great to play on stage at Chastain, where she had attended quite a few concerts herself.  They also sang Happy Birthday for Marie, one of the friends of Amy’s nephew, who was attending her first concert at Chastain.

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Music Video Friday No. 12

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After several weeks on hiatus, Music Video Friday has returned.

This week we have a trio of videos featuring Yo-Yo Ma. Yo-Yo Ma is an award winning cellist. Known for his considerable virtuosity and wide-ranging repertoire, he has delighted audiences around the world in live performances and in motion picture soundtracks.

The first video is from the dvd “The Music Garden.” This particular clip is of the prelude from Bach’s Suit No. 1 for Unaccompanied Cello. This dvd is the first of a six-part series that was filmed by Kevin McMahon and Francois Girard. This dvd was released in 2000 by Sony Classical.

The second video features the performances of several songs from motion picture scores Italian composer Ennio Morricone. The songs featured in the video are: “Gabriel’s Oboe” from The Mission, “Playing Love” from The Legend of 1900, and a suite of music from the movies of Sergio Leone. This album, Yo-Yo Ma Play Ennio Morricone, was released in 2004 on the Sony Classical label.

The third video is a live performance of the song “Slumber My Darling” by Stephen Foster. This song was featured on the studio album Appalachian Journey, featuring Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Edgar Meyer (bass), and Mark O’Connor (violin). This particular track guest starred vocalist Alison Krauss. This album was released in 2000 on the Sony Classical label.

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