Mobile music applications have come of age over the last few years. In the recent past, the conversation was mostly about streaming services such as Pandora and that app on the iPhone commercial that allows you to avoid feeling embarrassed when you can’t name that tune. I’ve tried many variations on music discovery or streaming apps, including the visually rich Ghostly International Discovery, and see it as a logical extension of cloud computing and the desire to grab music fans increasingly fragmented attention.

But the release of the iPad, a rush for more tablet-style devices and increasingly more powerful smartphones means mobile music creation will be just as accessible and democratized. Billboard recently hosted its first Music App Summit in San Francisco earlier this month, and the focus was squarely on branded interactivity, from the Gibson Learn & Master Guitar app (a combination tuner/teacher/metronome) to the I Am T-Pain app by Smule, a company that has had amazing success with its Glee Karaoke and Magic Piano app (according to a recent press release, the Magic Piano app has been played for 23.2 years of time by users). It’s always refreshing to see creative success stories involving big brands in music, since the major labels have demonstrated the folly of a mistrustful and myopic view of technology.

I’m more interested in the music creation category, which was won by MorphWiz, a synth program created by Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess which made $40,000 in its first month. I haven’t tried that out yet, but I’ve recently become obsessed with the Reactable Mobile app, another new entry to the app world. The interface — which was developed by a research team at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona — is a table that activates a variety of different modular synthesizer elements, including sound sources, oscillators, sequencers and filters, placed on its surface. Users can position these elements, colored plastic shaped corresponding to their function, to interact with each other to build unique rhythms and sounds, a process that lets users discover their own visual vocabulary while creating. Bjork, no stranger to forward-thinking electronics and sharp visual presentation, utilized Reactable on tour a few years ago.

The app basically shrinks that table onto your phone or iPad; even on a phone, there’s plenty of room to modify and rearrange. You can save tracks and import samples, and it makes for a good crash course on synthesizers, despite the $9.99 price tag. I’ve interviewed some artists in the past who have modular synth set-ups, and after a few hours of playing with this app, I can see why they can radically expand your music vocabulary and overwhelm you with choices. All those options made me feel simultaneously adrift and excited, convinced I could make some brilliant, Warp-worthy synth line if I only tweaked the LFO just right (not surprisingly, that has not happened yet). I can see Reactable being a big part of my train trips to work.

The potential for mobile devices to expand access to composition, recast music notation and create interactive performances has barely been scratched. But in the meantime, it’ll be interesting to see fans a little more engaged with their iPhones during the morning commute.

“The Exile of Satan From Heavy Metal Design”
An excellent look into the craft and creativity of metal cover art, as expansive as the genre itself.
Via Print

“Google Music and the New Payola”
Taking Google to task for arguing its new music service — which places download links from online retailers at the top of search results — is due to difficulty finding music online.
Via Daily Swarm

“Producer’s Corner: Oh No”
Frantic interview with Madlib’s little brother, who is beginning to reach a similar level of output.
Hip Hop DX via Stones Throw

“The Movie Pirates”
As pointed out by Glenn Peoples at Billboard, this is about as industry-friendly as you can get.
Via CBS News

“Beat Connection”
New essential monthly reading from music scribe Michaelangelo Matos, complete with rave flyer graphics.
Via A.V. Club

“Sub Pop and KEXP’s John Kertzer to Form ‘Next Ambiance’, World Music Imprint”
The first release, set for early December, is from Malian band Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba’s I Speak Fula.
Via Daily Swarm

“Widow Unearths Possibly the Rarest Beatles Record Ever Made… Still Sealed…”
A copy of Sgt. Pepper’s with Capitol execs taking the place of the Fab Four is so rare, it is of almost indeterminable value.
Vintage Vinyl News via Daily Swarm

“Merch Masters ICP Cash In On Detroit Music Culture”
Still laughing at the Juggalos? The ICP nets $10 million a year in revenue from music and merch sales.
Via Detroit Free Press

“The Song Remains the Same”
Web music service Lala gets nearly as much money per used per year as iTunes, and is poised to breakout with pending Google and Facebook deals.
Via Forbes

“Cult Musician Mojo Nixon Storms the Web”
Psychobilly artist drop songs on Web for free, looks to reap rewards in increased attention and potential licensing deals.
Via Wall Street Journal

“Scene and Heard: The New Wave of New Age”
Brit paper highlights a new crop of atmospheric analog synth artists without mentioning Neon Indian.
Via the Guardian

It’s been years since the annoyingly smug iPod-as-radio-station Jack FM foisted itself upon the airwaves, so I’m somewhat surprised that something like Jelli hasn’t come along earlier. Adding a much-needed and long-overdue social media spin to radio, Jelli allows users to interact online and help choose and shape the playlist. While I’m incredibly skeptical that a generation of Pandora-loving smart phone users want to trade total control and a much broader, deeper selection of music for a small role in choosing a terrestrial radio playlist, the company has been making numerous inroads and business deals since it launched this past summer. Rock 105 in San Francisco has had a Sunday night Jelli show since June, Australian broadcaster Austereo will launch shows in major cities and Triton Radio Networks just signed a syndication deal and will seek to expand Jelli into more cities. The idea is, if you have a browser, you can take over a radio station.

CEO and co-founder Mike Dougherty told me the idea was born out of reinventing a ubiquitous device that we all have. There are a lot of great personalized music consumption devices and services out there, he says, so Jelli was designed to stand apart.

“We think we can bring a more social experience to the table,” says Dougherty. “The metaphor is similar to a social jukebox. Everyone is picking the next song before it plays. We can create a social stream — people can not only listen to it online, but it can take over a radio station.”

Dougherty and his partner, Jateem Parekh, who worked on the Amazon Kindle project, want to bring younger listeners back to radio. Users can create their own social profile pages and vote for tracks — ranked based on their real-time rock meter scores — to determine what gets played. There is no traditional DJ or any filtering, minus the catalog of songs made available by each station. Users also get video game-esque tokens such as “bombs” and “rockets” that can help push songs to the top of the list or even get them pulled mid-play, if the response is negative enough. The new beta phase has three colored streams/stations, so users can program each for a bit more variety.

What do you think? Will Jelli help revitalize the radio landscape?

“Can’t Hold Back Low Power FM”
A bill allowing low-power FM stations just got out of committee and will now be voted upon by the full house.
Via Future of Music Coalition

“Umphrey’s McGee Encourages Fans To Inspire Their Live Improvisations”
Local Chicago jam band solicits user inspirations for solos. Synesthesia with weed references.
Via Hypebot

“U.S. Resists Ticketmaster-Live Nation Merger”
The Justice Department is making noise about this opposing this evil, evil merger.
Via Wall Street Journal

“Freedom, Rhythm & Sound: Revolutionary Jazz Original Cover Art 1965-83″
Great review of what looks like an amazing book of cover art from Soul Jazz.
Via Dusted

“Rdio: Kazaa, Skype Execs Tackle Subscription Music”
A new streaming service seeks to shake up the established players.
Via Hypebot

“Bon Jovi Take Up Residence at NBC”
First a primetime Leno plague, now Job Bon playing repeatedly… way to drive up ratings, floundering network.
Via Vulture

“Sample Wednesday: U.K. Grime, Pt. 1″
One of my favorite blog series returns with a look into the audio snippets recycled into grime gold.
Via Palms Out Sound

“Can Device Integration Save Music Journalism?”
A simple point, but it’s surprising more online publishers aren’t jumping on this as a revenue idea.
Via Wired

“Rock Band for iPhone Is Coming, And It Looks Awesome”
Speaking of devices… Here’s a new reason for me to strain my eyes and necks during my daily commute. Does Bluetooth functionality mean rockin’ out with strangers on the bus?
Via Mashable

“Spotify’s Freemium Approach Leaves Napster Gasping”
The numbers breakdown in the first few paragraphs definitely makes this deal sound appealing.
Via the Guardian

Stashin’ Records
New site featuring interviews with NYC record store owners. Have to love the story behind the name:
“Unable to buy as many records as I wanted to during that time, I started stashing groups of records in record store bins that would rarely get thumbed through. The religious and easy listening sections were my two favorite areas to hide any treasures.”
Via Liminal Minded

“Interview: Derrick May”
Legendary techno producer is getting back into the game, with promises to put out some older, unreleased tracks and support some of Detroit’s up-and-coming artists.
Via Bodytonic

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“The Album is Dead, Long Live the App”
A flood of similarly-constructed band apps signals a new revenue stream for bands. Based on the rapid turnover of apps, I’m not sure if the subscription/fan club model will work over time.
Via WIRED

“McGee on Music: Why the Black Woodstock Documentary Should Be Released”
Creation legend Alan McGee on why the Harlem ‘69 festival footage should be broadcast. The Nina Simone footage is great, like she’s performing/teaching the crowd simultaneously.
Via the Guardian

“Rare BBC Sessions to Get Release, Stranglers, Skids and Gang Of Four Included”
The Beeb is digitally releasing a trove of live performances for the dearly beloved broadcasters show. My big surprise looking at the list was releasing that Dexy’s Midnight Runners played more Peel Sessions (two) than Public Image Ltd.
Via Drowned in Sound

“NME Hires First Ever Female Editor”
Don’t know what this says about the business, but I’ve been writing about music for seven years, and the bulk of my editors have been women. Maybe it’s really a boy’s club back in the UK.
Via Daily Swarm

“R.I.P. Baatin”
The Detroit mainstay and Slum Village member died on Saturday of unknown causes. He was 35.
Via Cocaine Blunts

“Traena: The World’s Remotest Festival Reviewed”
John Doran reviews an Arctic circle music festival that sounds sublime — Jens Lekman, Wildbird & Peacedrums and other on a remote island in the sea.
Via The Quietus

“Too Short Memoirs Heading To Book Stores”
West Coast rap pioneer lays it all down in a bio being written by Dale Tafoya, whose also working on a book about hip-hop bodyguards (maybe the title Hitters isn’t quite appropriate)
Allhiphop.com via Daily Swarm

“Girl Talk: The Return of the Eternal Pittsburgher”
Whatever you feel about Girl Talk, at least he’s loyal. Maybe he should start wiping down with a Terrible Towel after gigs.
Via Daily Swarm

“Guest Post: Why The Band As A Startup Model Doesn’t Make Sense”
Drowned in Sound founder Sean Adams, who helped release Metric’s album in the UK, pokes holes in the assertion made by this New York Times piece that bands are the new startup.
Via Hypebot

“Big Content: Ludicrous to Expect DRMed Music to Work Forever”
The title sort of says it all.
Via Ars Technica

“Scene and Heard: Crack House”
Drum and bass pioneer DJ Zinc dropped out and reemerged spinning crack house, a raved up, bass-heavy version of 4/4. Confused? Listen here. (Download link via Sasha Frere-Jones)
Via Guardian