There's a lot to keep track of on September 9, with an Apple press conference and the release of The Beatles: Rock Band game. But we'd be remiss if we didn't call attention to the upcoming 10th anniversary of one of the best-loved game consoles of all time. It was 10 years ago tomorrow (September 9, 1999) that Sega released the Dreamcast in North America. Remembered primarily by video game history buffs now, this unassuming white box helped introduce some mainstays of the modern game console--even though the Dreamcast itself had a very short lifespan.
This was the first game system to include a standard built-in 56K modem (this was pre-broadband for most people). It wasn't widely taken advantage of, but some early games, such as the amusing Chu Chu Rocket, proved that multiplayer gaming could work in the living room. More traditional games such as Quake III Arena and Phantasy Star Online also made use of the Dreamcast modem. All but forgotten now, a Dreamcast Web browser was also available.
Unfortunately for Sega, the $199 Dreamcast would prove to be the end of the line for the company as a console maker. The storied lineage of the Sega Master System, Genesis, and Saturn hit a wall as the Dreamcast was quickly overshadowed by the Sony PlayStation 2. The system was discontinued in 2001.
History aside, I have a personal fondness for the Dreamcast, as it was the very first game console launch I covered. Back in 1999, I was an editor at a video game and pop culture Web site called UGO.com (which is still around, and currently owned by Hearst). At the time, we were appropriately impressed with Sega's next step in console hardware, but the steady buzz building over an upcoming uberconsole called the PlayStation 2 quickly drowned out any good will Sega had with gamers.
Besides being my first console launch as a writer covering the games industry, the Dreamcast is also burned in my memory because of my frequent in-office throwdowns with UGO's then-mascot, diminutive actor Gary Coleman. Gary (the subject of the first-ever Web-a-thon fundraiser) was particularly adept at the fighting game Soul Calibur, and even against a room full of 20-something editors at a video-game-themed Web site, we were lucky if we took him down one time out of 10(which would inevitably lead to a profanity-filled tirade).
If this trip down memory lane has you hungry for more Dreamcast nostalgia, embedded below is an episode of a video game history program from a few years ago that features several talking heads (myself included) pontificating about Sega's last-ever console.
7 inches is a vaunted measurement in soul-funk circles; there's nothing quite like a classic vinyl single. That's the premise of the new compilation from Brooklyn indie label Daptone, and Charles Bradley will make you see why it's so. Galloping grooves meet scratched up, empassioned pipes.
The view from inside Rockit Scientist Records
(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)It's in the East Village around the corner from where the 1960s rock Mecca, the Fillmore East once stood. Rockit Scientist Records is a blast from the past, a 'Village record shop that's a treasure trove for collector oriented psychedelia, '60s, '70s, and '80s garage rock, underground, progressive, punk, blues, soul, reggae, and jazz.
Rockit carries mostly CDs, but there's a lot of new and used vinyl, with a smattering of music DVDs. Owner John Kioussis is there six days a week and always multitasking. "It's not rocket science," heh, heh--drop in, and you'll likely find him sorting records, chatting on the phone and serving in-store customers--all at the same time.
Asked if downloads are killing his business, John got a little worked up, "Anybody who legally downloads music is an idiot! You can get it for free, why pay for it? Download it illegally, who's going to catch you? Legal or illegal, they sound the same."
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(Credit:
Samsung)
The Korean electronics giant has announced a candy-bar version of its Soul (or Spirit of Ultra) handset. Called the Soulb, this new mobile phone measures a slim 9.9 millimeters and "fully covered in an elegant metallic body which is softly brushed with a hairline pattern," according to the company.
Among its key features are a 3-megapixel camera with LED light, FM radio, 1GB onboard memory with microSD card slot, and a 2-inch QVGA display. The triband Soulb also comes with a multimedia player, document viewer/editor, Bluetooth, and HSDPA support.
Available in five colors (including Soul Grey, Platinum Silver, Metallic Black, Soul Pink and Amethyst Violet), the Soulb is expected to be available first in Germany in early June, followed by other markets such as Europe, Middle East Africa, Asia (China), Southwest Asia, Southeast Asia, and South America. Pricing will be made known closer during launch.
Michael McDonald
Chances are, whether you're a fan or not, you've heard the blue-eyed soul vocals of Michael McDonald. He's best known for his formative years with the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan, however he's also had a remarkable career as a solo artist and a guest harmonizer on numerous pop hits such as Christopher Cross' "Ride Like The Wind" (he's the guy who echos "such a long way to goooo"). Basically, McDonald was the Timbaland of yesterday, as the go-to guy for hits in the '70s and '80s.
He recently released a Motown tribute album called Soul Speak, and even more recently--last night--he headlined the 50th anniversary gala at the NARM convention in San Francisco. He delivered a crowd-pleasing performance with originals such as "What A Fool Believes," "It Keeps You Runnin'," and covers such "Living For The City" and "Love T.K.O." And to top it off, BB King (who accepted an award earlier that night) came out and did the "The Thrill Is Gone" with McDonald and his band. Industry suits and biz-casual editors (like me) were all impressed.
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Samsung Soul
(Credit: Samsung)When we were at the GSMA World Congress two months ago, the Samsung Soul was the cell phone from which we couldn't escape. Gigantic Soul posters papered every part of Barcelona, from the airport to the convention center. All that hype can make you a little weary, but we were glad to hear today that the phone will make it into the hands of consumers. Starting this month and continuing into May, the Soul will land at major wireless carriers in France, the United Kingdom, and Germany. As usual, U.S. carriers are holding back, if they decide to pick it up at all, but Samsung is promising that the Soul eventually will be sold in most GSM markets as an unlocked model. Retail price will be about $635 (400 euros).
In case you don't recall, the Soul is an attractive slider phone with a sleek design and a unique touch-pad navigation control. The well-stocked feature set includes a 5-megapixel camera, a music player, Bluetooth, a speakerphone, 100MB of internal memory with room for a 6GB memory card, messaging and e-mail, and various personal organizer functions. Though it is quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900), it's optimized for European 3G bands only.
During the brief period we played with it in Barcelona, it seemed to perform well. A full assessment will come just as soon as we can get our hands on a review model. But in the meantime, check out our Samsung GSMA slide show.
Nonviolent vibes were a thing you could hold in your hand--and more important, put on your turntable--with this seminal Chicago soul group, now getting a rerelease on Quannum. Pieces offer both the warm vocals of the guy groups and a billowing early funk that prefaces EWF.
On Crossfade TV this week, the Download Music crew checks out a cool new set of previously unreleased recordings and interviews from the late jazz/blues/gospel/soul artist Nina Simone called Protest Anthology; a few new songs from electronic artist UFO! (not to be confused with the Brits who brought you the classic-rock staple "Too Hot Too Handle"); and the brand-new album from Sun Kil Moon, the name Mark Kozelek seems to be sticking with (after long-ago retiring his previous band name, Red House Painters).
Crossfade TV is a collaboration between Download Music and CNET TV.
Which is the better reason to listen to Galactic--the impossibly groovy funk-jazz jams, or the A-list MCs rhyming along to them? The combination is almost unfairly good, but we'll keep quiet. With artists from Juvenile to Mr. Lif on board, it's a utopian redefinition of "instrumental hip-hop."
Simone worship is common among softcore jazz-soul-poppers, but they tend to gloss over her firebrand side. "Protest Anthology" presents Simone as the edgy and outspoken singer she was, collecting several of her fiercest cuts. Few have ever combined preaching and crooning so deftly.
