[Thursday Track Back] "Up Up Up" by Givers

At some point, Microsoft will try and use this song to sell a tablet.

Why you should listen: Other than the fact it's bouncy and indie-fab? The female singer has a pretty solid rasp.

Cloud sounds: What the latest tech revolution means for the future of making music

Part of the reason things have been a bit quiet here at The Musically Inclined lately is because for the past three and a half months, I've been working on a giant feature piece.

It's a beast weighing in at roughly 4,300 words, and I'm pretty proud of it.

In short, it all started when my editor asked if I could do something with "the cloud and music production." It ended with me finding a Paris-based company called Ohm Force that makes a digital audio workstation called Ohm Studio, which functions like Google Docs. Multiple users can edit the same project at the same time. They're sharp guys and I hope more people tune into what exactly they've accomplished.

Beyond telling their story, I also got to talk to a lot of folks in the industry who have opinions on what it could mean to be able to collaborate without being in the same room, and with an immediacy and intimacy not found in merely swapping tracks via Dropbox or YouSendIt.

This article even took me to Boston, where I met up with the Ohm Force guys at the Advanced Audio  and Application Exchange, a first-year conference focused on future tech in music.

The week that followed was a blur. I wrote a lot (read: A LOT) and tried to keep my head in Boston.

Anyway, I promise it's an easy read. I had an immensely good time reporting and writing this, and I  hope you check it out.

After all, every time you read a long form, a writer gets his/her wings.

READ ME!

[Thursday Track Back] "Hey Rose" by Streets of Laredo

I found this song buried in my iTunes library. Streets of Laredo is an indie folk band from Brooklyn, but they sound like they're from out West, and I always find that immensely appealing.

Why you should listen: "Hey Rose" has a wistful gallop and pretty harmonies. At times, the harmonies remind me of the Everly Brothers, so if you're into that you might dig this.