Episode 49

We had some problems posting the part time version of this show, but it’s up in working order now. Here it is!

This is about as normal an Episode of Acappella U as you’re likely to find - great music, listener mail, inane commentary, everything that makes the show great and turned Joey into a celebrity (yeah right), and not a drop more.  Next week we’ll be hanging out in NYC for Episode 5-oh and the ICCA Finals, but for now much on some Rambler Bits dipped in Cream of Testimony.

“Take On Me” (Ah-Ha / SOU Dulcet)*
“Brighter Than Sunshine” (Aqualung / U of R Midnight Ramblers)*
“How to Save a Life (The Fray / Midnight Ramblers)*
“Breathe Me” (Sia / Stanford Testimony)
“I’m Not Going Down” (Jason Gray / Testimony)

* Available for download on acaTunes

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Boston U Interview

Joey was recently interview by a Boston University student for a newspaper there. Here’s the transcript for anyone who cares!

Q: Why is collegiate acappella so popular?

A: Well, you have to separate that into two questions: Why do so many people want to SING in groups and why do are so many non-singers fans of collegiate a cappella.

For singers, that’s sort of like asking why people eat ice cream - it’s awesome by its very nature! I think a lot if a cappella singers are drawn to the music because of the way it FEELS to sing as a part of a group and to harmonize with one another - it’s very pleasurable. I watched a surfing movie the other day and one of the guys they interviewed talked about going through the ‘tube’ of the wave. He said it was the greatest experience in his life, a visceral thrill and ecstasy that he couldn’t match anywhere else. That’s a cappella singing to a lot of us. There’s also those who revel in being a rock star without having to be able to play an instrument. In fact, I have it on good authority that a large percentage of male singers do it for the chicks. Continue reading Boston U Interview…

Acappella U HD now up and running, is coolest thing ever.

Let me start out by saying that Acappella U HD is 100% FREE TO THE PUBLIC. We’ve taken some flak for charging for the Full-Time version of the Audio show, this is one way we’re trying to give back.

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Sometimes in life realized ideas come out as cool as they were when they were little baby ideas in your head, and after you’ve spent lots of time and money raising your idea through childhood and adolescence, it grows up and gets a Ph.D. in Biomedicalneuroscientifical Engineering from MIT and builds a really cool robot that restores sight to little blind orphans. It’s then that you stand back and say, ‘Well I guess that didn’t suck. In fact, I’d even say it was worth it.’

Today is that day for Acappella U HD. You COULD say that Acappella U HD was THE WHOLE POINT OF ACAPPELLA U FROM THE GET GO. To do something unprecedented: to put a kid who’d never seen a collegiate a cappella show into the front freaking row of an Off the Beat concert, or the ICCA Finals, or whatever, and say ‘Fuck, that was awesome.’ Or to have someone’s invalid grandma be able to see their little precious grand baby sing in 720 glorious lines of cataract-impeded resolution. You can’t do that on YouTube. Behold greatness:

Continue reading Acappella U HD now up and running, is coolest thing ever….

Episode 48

Live from Costa Rica. . . . it’s Acappella U! Even though Joey’s traveling abroad we’ve got some brand new a cappella hotness for you - specifiacall a few tracks from the smokin’ new release out of U Penn’s Off the Beat!
Here’s what we have tee’d up:

“Anna Molly” (Incubus / Off the Beat)
“Mercy on Me” (Christina Aguilera / Off the Beat)
“Sister Golden Hair” (America / Rochester Yellowjackets)
“Make Me Your Girl” (Brian McKnight / CSUN Acasoloa)
“Drive” (Incubus / UCB Artists in Resonance)
“The Kill” (30 Seconds to Mars / Off the Beat)

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Updated Links

The links page is being updated in large chunks. Soon enough we should have all (or at least most) of the groups that have been played on the show on there, as well as some other rather interesting a cappella websites. Go check out your favorite group’s website, or go to the forums and request a group to be put on there that’s not!

Episode 47

Wow. So this took a while, but FINALLY our On The Rocks premiere episode is finished! See, originally this was supposed to be OTR AND Divisi, but then the Divisi stuff wasn’t finished yet and. . . well, you get the picture. The point is, Pete Hollens et. al. have put together a great CD. We plug in some Appalachian State a cappella to fill the gaping hole left by Divisi (is ‘gaping hole’ politically correct??) and talk about our new show, Acappella U HD

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Episode 46

The votes are in and, well, you won’t be rid of me so easily. Mwahahahaha! It turns out that many of you enjoy, and dare I say look forward to my episodily commentaries. But as usual, I am willing to bow to your wishes and give everybody everything they want. . . . sort of. Midwestern a cappella occupies the first two slots this week, again this is due to student whining suggestions. Oh, and FSU’s All Night Yahtzee returns to the U, replete with ICCA Quarterfinals victory garb. Huzzah!

“Mama’s Room” (Under the Influence of Giants / Wash U After Dark)
“Life Is A HIghway” (Rascal Flatts / Wisconsin Madison)
“Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk” (Rufus Waintright / All-Night Yahtzee)
“Such Great Heights” (the Postal Service / All-Night Yahtzee)
“Sun On Moon” (James Taylor / NYU NHarmonics)

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ICCA Catch Up

The International Championhsip of Collegiate A Cappella results have been pouring in fast and furious, and we’re going to try keeping you up to date here on the Acappella U main page. Of course, you can always head over to the Varsity Vocals Website for more detailed results.

South Region - Quarterfinal 1

1st Place -University of North Carolina-Greensboro Spartones

2nd Place - JMU Madison Project

Midwest Region - Quarterfinal 1

1st Place - University Illinois Xtension Chords

2nd Place - Michigan Gimble 

West Region - Quarterfinal 1

1st Place - USC SoCal VoCals

2nd Place - Fullerton and Citrus These Guys

 

Northest Region - Quarterfinal 1

1st Place - Brown Jabberwocks

2nd Place - Tufts sQ!

Episode 45

By (apparently) popular demand, we’re trying out a new condensed (read: no talking) show format. The last few reviews on iTunes have been un-erringly critical of my yip-yapping, so we’ll see how this goes over - after all, the audience is always right. Tell us what you think, and maybe shoot us a nice review over on iTunes - we need the love!

Blurry (Puddle of Mudd / Chordials)
Ghost (Indigo Girls / Yale Mixed Company)
Walk the Walk (Poe / Virginia Sil’hooettes)
God Is A DJ (Pink / Sil’hooettes)
24 (Jem / Maryland Faux Paz)

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Guitar Hero III / Rock Band Episode - We Need Your Help!!!

Joey C here. So, I thought it would be WAY cool if we could dedicate and entire episode to a cappella versions of songs found in the Rock Band and Guitar Hero III video games, my newest obsession.
Thing is, we only have a few such songs here in the Acappella U data bank, and they’re mostly Weezer and/or Off The Beat.

Please check out the Rock Band songlist and Guitar Hero III songlist. If you have any a cappella versions of these songs, please email us and let us know. Thanks in advance for your help!!