Beyond buying music from iTunes and streaming services like Pandora and Rhapsody, a new great way to listen to your favorite band’s songs or track their goings-on is through band-specific iPhone apps. Here are five apps in all different genres that are worth tapping into.
Justin Bieber Music App
JB is not like the boy pop stars I remember. My little kid crushes were corny— Color Me Badd, Bell Biv DeVoe, Marky Mark—but they had a little more of an edge. Regardless, the Justin Bieber Music App ($1.99) won me over from the start. In the “Songs JB is featured in section,” I found “Never Say Never” featuring Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s son Jaden, who ruled. This app also features pictures galore—17,138 of them to be exact (imagine finding that number when you checked out someone’s Facebook profile for the first time!). You will also discover additional videos to choose from, including Bieber loving his fans and an amazingly hilarious skit with Tina Fey for SNL where Fey refers to Bieber as a dreamy Christmas elf.
Lady Gaga Music App
With the Lady Gaga Music App ($1.99), I was surprised at how many songs you could listen to all the way through from her album. All the songs are available via video, while many include lyrics or fixed advertisments. As well, there were active videos to watch: LG performing an acoustic version of “Paparazzi” live at 95.8 Capital FM Radio, a candid and endearing interview with LG on the Ellen DeGeneres show, and a tutorial on how to get the googly eyes LG has in her “Bad Romance” video. Of course there are lots of pics, the latest news, and a long bio that reads like a miniature book.
Madonna
And who would the Lady Gaga’s of the world be without Madonna? As soon as you open up this free app, you are bombarded with a barrage of, what else, Madonna songs. More specifically, you actually get clips of Madonna songs from all eras. I let the homepage do its thing for a few minutes and got a taste of “Human Nature” and “Like a Prayer 2008.” On the Music page, you can buy songs, although you can’t listen to any them all the way through. This app also has a fan wall, which is just what it sounds like, where lots of people that love Madonna sharing pictures and discussing favorite songs. All the good stuff is kind of hidden in this app in the “More” section, where you expect to find contact information for the makers of the app. But here I found videos—“Papa Don’t Preach”!—a trailer for The Marriage Ref, list of past shows, links to Madonna’s children’s books, and so much “more.”
Dolly Parton Music
After getting into the format of the Madonna app, I was psyched to see Dolly’s app Dolly Parton Music followed suit (they are made by the same developer, Mobile Roadie), though here I could listen to full songs in the intro. Dolly’s “Jolene” never gets old. Again, you could buy music, read (or write) comments on the fan wall, and check out the latest news. Beyond that, you can head on over to the corner of the app for all the real goods: photos, videos, discography, bio, store, and links to all of Dolly’s media outlets—follow her on Twitter, “like” her on Facebook, and check out her official Web site.
Dave Matthews Band
Apps where to have to sign up aren’t totally my favorite because I hate having to fill out all those fields. Alas, it’s a small price to pay to get to the other side of the Dave Matthews Band app. I learned they are playing a couple of shows in my area soon, their chat fan base is kind of anti-climatic, and I can upload my own photos and add friends to my profile. Better yet, I can also check out other people’s photos—fan and official—choose from a ton of videos to watch: behind the scenes, interviews, and music, and buy music from the extensive DMB catalog.
