Zap Pow - This Is Reggae Music

Zap Pow is a Jamaican reggae band from the 70's and 80's, and some of their music is as influential as they come. The song, This Is Reggae Music is one such song, with a great beat flow and literary twist. It is only 99 cents on iTunes, and I believe it is worth the purchase. Some of the other songs that Zap Pow have created are Last War and Rootsman Reggae, both of which have been made into new songs in the past three or four years. So give them a listen and see if you can broaden your horizons as well.

Flick Football

Flick football is one of the most addicting free games available on the app store. It requires one finger and one highly developed brain to play this game. Simply swipe your finger across the screen and the ball flies towards the net. In this case however, football is referring to soccer, the greatest sport in the world. Play for days hours or weeks, nobody cares. Enjoy!

Weather Underground Mobile App

Wunderground or weather underground is a weather service available online and in the app store. This app however is free, and I believe that it provides the best most accurate weather forecasts for very specific locations, also has affiliations with NOAA and national weather alerts. Try it out today!

Under Mi Sensi - Barrington Levy

This song by Barrington Levy is a remake of his old original hit single called Under Mi Sensai, and it features a new and updated dance hall bass driving it along with some upgraded synthesizers. This song costs .99 cents and is worth the purchase, it is a great song giving plenty of reason to dance.

Otis Redding - The Dock of the Bay

Surfing through Pandora the other day I stumbled across a song that really struck me as special and timeless. I call it timeless because it has been around since 1966, and unfortunately it took me until 2011 to find, purchase and appreciate it. For those like me who are new to Otis Redding, he is a staple of southern soul, more specifically from Georgia. The song I downloaded was titled, "The Dock of the Bay" and it has to do with his childhood on the water. It is peaceful, charged and beautiful all at the same time. The song only cost 0.99 cents, and the depth of soul is worth the price. At least that's my opinion; please feel free to tell me what your view on Otis Redding is. Check out this song, and hopefully you'll love it too.

Xavier Rudd - Give Him An Easy Listen

I recently bought a song by artist Xavier Rudd, and it actually turned into the purchase of another song as well. Xavier Rudd is a Canadian-Australian artist whose music can best be described as island/surf/soul. The surrounding musicianship tied with the meditative theme react together to form a very uplifting song full of energy. Many people have heard of Xavier Rudd and his albums, Food in the Belly, and White Moth. The first song that I downloaded, and I believe any fan of island/surf/soul music should download, was "The Mother". It costs $1.29, and the driving bass line and lyrics make that price worth it.  

The second song that I downloaded was off of the album Food in the Belly, named "Come Let Go". Probably one of his most recognizable skin, it is a great relaxation song/summer song. Why not download it and have it ready for that next beach day. (please let it be soon!). Again a strong bass and drum line keep the song moving at a moderate pace, and the chanting echo presentation of the lyrics really gives it a calm smooth feel. This song was also 1.29, and I would have to say that if you are a fan of popping on a song and relaxing with friends and family, then this is song is paradise found. Give Xavier Rudd a quick look, you never know he may surprise you as well.

Old Photo PRO - Free

Ever look at an antiqued picture and wish you could do that to one of your photo's? Well now you can with the application Old Photo PRO, by Tomasz Wagner. It only has a three star rating, and I don;t really understand why. The first thing you notice is that the user interface is extremely easy to use. There are only three prompts once you open the app, "Take Photo", "Load Photo", and "About". You can take a new picture through the software or upload one from your photo library on your iPhone, iPad or iPod. You can edit four elements of the picture, the brightness, the contrast, the tone, and the color intensity. Then you can proceed to edit the paper background, making it look ripped, torn, worn and vintage. Simply press save and a copy is added to your photo library. It's fast and doesn't require 3G or Wi-Fi to work.

Here's an example from my photo library...

 

What Do Ya Think? That's the chairlift at Wachusett Mountain from Sunday 2/13/2011, and after the software works on it it looks like an actual vintage photo. I really think that this app is worth downloading if your into photography, and it is a great compliment to the iPhone's spectacular camera.

Confession: A Roman Catholic App

   Hello! I was searching through the app world the other day when I stumbled upon a very unique application with very bipolar reviews. The app is titled; Confession: A Roman Catholic App, and it is made by Little i Apps, LLC and it was published February 10, 2011. It currently holds a 4 Star rating with 60 reviews and cost 1.99.  This app is designed to be used during confession, claiming to be the perfect aid to any penitent. While the title seems to denote that this confession is in lieu of a real confession with a priest, that is not what is does. It seems that this app is geared towards those who have been away from confession for a long period of time and are looking to refresh their memories before returning, and this is the reason that I like this app. I am a Catholic, and I understand that Catholicism is having trouble cementing itself into the new generation(which, unfortunately, includes me). I think that this app would be great as a refresher for  younger/rusty Catholics, and maybe with a little more knowledge the Catholic religion will gain new and regain old followers. 

Unfortunately, the large amount of positive reviews are balanced by a multitude of very negative reviews too. Religion is sacred to many people, and I feel that this app is walking a very thin line between science and religion. Is there room for technology in the various religious sects? I think that there is room in every avenue of life for technology, and if this app increases religious tolerance and bolsters the Catholic religion, then how can it be portrayed as a bad thing?

Check it out and let me hear your take!  Does anyone own this app and wish to share?

Muscial Discovery - Stephen Marley

I was searching iTunes the other day and found a song by Stephen Marley, son of the legendary Bob Marley. I felt that it really sounded just like his father, and is as close as we will ever get to new authentic Bob Marley. The song was titled "Mind Control" and it was produced by Universal Records as part of the Mind Control album, which contains 11 tracks. The song was $1.29, and I give it a 5 star rating for it's creativity, wordplay, and musical likeness to classic Reggae/Ska work.  Another song on this album that I really enjoy is Iron Bars, and it talks about Apartheid in South Africa. He is in the process right now of creating a new album, and we'll wait and see if his next production matches his last.


Own this song or album? Let me know if you like it