TopYaps

Posted: 18 Aug 2013 05:14 AM PDT

Psychedelic albums and performances saw a shift towards new genre in early 70s that combined presentations of music, lyrics, and visuals. Tired of dancing and head banging, audience found more meaning in progressive rock. The lyrics followed a deeper meaning, psychological phenomenon, philosophies, literature and even epic themes. Away from nihilism, violence, sex, and rebellion, prog rock absorbed classical literature, folklore, and intellectual topics such as psychological theories. For example, Pink Floyd’s Animals was inspired from George Orwell’s Animal Farm; Pound's Genesis’ Selling England was based on T. S. Eliot’s poem The Waste Land; and Rush’s “2112″ was influenced by Ayn Rand’s Anthem. Banco del Mutuo Soccorso gave Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution a touch of rock. To rank the best, here is the list of top 10 progressive rock bands.

10. Emerson, Lake and Palmer:

ELP stands out for their blending of classical music with prog. Punk rock fans might find ELP like some 70s law firm than a rock band. But, in view of the fact that punk style had influenced the prog rock, it’s impossible not to put the band among the top 10. Their best works including Karn Evil 9, Lucky Man, and Fanfare For The Common Man.

9. Riverside:

After its formation in 2001, Riverside became one of the most critically acclaimed prog bands. Their fame heightened with 2004′s 'Out Of Myself' and 2005′s 'Second Life Syndrome,' for which the band won several awards including the award for best debut album from 'MetalHammer' for 'Out Of Myself'. Riverside songs are born out of experimenting with atmospheric rock and metal elements. That's why, the band shares similarity in style to Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd, The Mars Volta, Dream Theater, and even with Tool. That sounds like a remix of multiple popular bands, but Riverside has successfully maintained their separate identity, which has earned them a place in this list.

8. The Mars Volta:

Some of you might argue that the Mars Volta isn't a strictly prog rock band, but you can't deny that the band has been extremely popular in drawing huge crowds to all their live performances. Formed in 2001, the band has been named as the 'Best prog-Rock Band' and also won a Grammy award for the Best Hard Rock Performance for their song Wax Simulacra.

7. King Crimson:

With its debut album released in 1969, 'In the Court of the Crimson King' made the band popular from the very first day. This is why King Crimson is considered as the foundational progressive rock band. Their compositions derive influences from diverse musical genres including folk music, jazz, psychedelic, classical, and experimental hard rock and heavy metal. In addition to The Court Of The Crimson King, other remarkable album collections includes Red, Larks' Tongues In Aspic, and In The Wake Of Poseidon.

6. Porcupine Tree:

While listening to Porcupine Tree, you'll sense a great resemblance of their musical compositions to that of Pink Floyd and Marillion. 'In Absentia' was the album that marked the band's journey as a progressive rock band. Previous to this, songs like 'Stupid Dream and 'Lightbulb Sunes,' too carried a hint of the genre, even though not truly progressive. The band started with psychedelic rock, but later saw a shifted to prog rock.

5. Yes:

Perhaps, the center of attraction of Yes is their bassist Chris Squire. Without any doubt, the group’s early 70s performance stands out and the group has recorded some of the greatest moments in progressive rock history. Close To The Edge, Fragile, and their comeback album, Owner Of A Lonely Heart in 1983, are the best pieces from their repertoire.

4. Rush:

Critics still argue over the ranking of Rush among popular prog rock bands. However, if you have listened to them, you know that this Canadian trio has got an intense and enthusiastic fan following. The band has maintained the same line-up since 1975. Drummer, Neil Peart, is the choice of people as the greatest drummer on the planet. The band is still working on more ammo to get to the top.

3. Jethro Tull:

Jethro Tull's musical consistency listed the band among the best progressive rock bands of all times. They reached fame with albums like Thick As a Brick, A Passion Play, Ministrel in the Gallery, Songs From the Woods. The soul of the band is Ian Anderson, a music genius, skilled in playing several instruments, a writer, and performer on the stage. Jethro Tull's Aqualung gave birth to flute-driven prog rock on the commercial stage. With 23 albums under their belt, the band tours the world passionately. In 1987, they beat Metallica and their album, ‘Crest of a Knave’, bagged the Grammy Award for the Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental.

2. Tool:

Prog rock was pushed to another level with new generation of artists. Tool defiantly defines 1990s prog. These guys have been together for the past two decades and have composed masterpieces that have earned them a prominent place in the history of prog rock. The band has also garnered huge critical acclaim for several albums including the Lateralus and 10,000 days.

1. Pink Floyd:

Pink Floyd still stands at the top of the list. Some of the best prog albums came from the pioneers of progressive rock: Pink Floyd. No other band could deliver what this fabulous band did with its massively popular albums like Animals, Dark Side of the Moon, and The Wall, and Shine on You Crazy Diamond. The exploration of abstract was well received by people, and even today, the younger generations find their music inspirational and unmatched.

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Top 10 Attributes Of A Rockstar Programmer

Posted: 17 Aug 2013 02:04 AM PDT

It's an interesting debate whether or not rockstar programmers exist. You don't need to master everything to be a successful programmer, but a combination of some knowledge, some smartness and some great entrepreneurial ideas can get you there. It involves a lot of head banging, but only inside the brain case. Common traits observed in a good programmer are passion for what he does, basics knowledge of design patterns, solution oriented, a coder that makes minimal errors, fundamental data structures, algorithms, knows multiple languages, and has a wealth of common sense. Whatever you believe, Rockstar programmers do exist. Maybe, it is rare to come across such real genius everyday, but you could take clue from the following top 10 attributes if your wish to recognize a true rockstar programmer from the rest.

10. Strong hold on fundamentals:

Deep understanding of the fundamentals of computer science, evolution and use of languages and libraries lies at the root of any method of mastering the field. Only fundamentals can improve your efficiency to estimate accurately, to frame and solve problems compiler-theoretically, clear understanding of caching, load balancing, and compression while working with large data sets. Strong hold on fundamentals enables a programmer to entirely focus on the implications of the code and can visualize design concepts and create great systems.

9. Secure coding:

Among all the problems which the software industry is presently facing, secure software coding is of paramount relevance. A rockstar programmer has to ensure security. No matter how brilliant and usable an application is, if a programmer fails to deliver security, it's a disaster. Companies could lose millions of dollars because of a minute lapse in the security.

8. Consistent in refactoring codes:

If you have ever observed the process of sculpting, then it'll be easier for you to associate the ability to keep improving what you have started. Best programmers are always looking to mastering their subject. It'll be impossible for a programmer to resist reshaping the code to meet requirements accurately. Developers claim that continuous refactoring is the only way that could solve the problem of 'black box legacy code'. Refactoring involves improving what is already working well. That sounds odd. Why would anyone do that? Well, because sticking to what works for an extended period of time makes you slave to the old code, which turns out to be unstable and incompatible with passing years. Refactoring changes that and you own the code, not the other way round. Refactoring is the antidote to it.

7. Good at observing and reusing existing codes:

Catching content from inspirations and already existing software or codes and reusing them is another obvious trait of any good programmer. These programmers find it hard to repeat traditional practices. However, it doesn’t mean that they always write purely original programs. Rather, a rockstar programmer knows inventing new languages to rewriting libraries, and making the best use of what is already available.

6. Always impatient to test:

A great programmer always knows that software's practical implication is the final target. Programs are written in parts and their writer can test them separately. Therefore, the best guys rely on testing their code before being certain that their assembled code will actually work. Testing is the means of perfecting the codes for such programmers. They won't waste their time on writing without verification. 'Unit Testing' is based on similar principle where tests are written to mirror a code. Good engineers will always write a test and focus on testing the essential parts of each working system.

5. Are intense researchers:

As mentioned earlier, a good programmer never jumps directly into writing a code. He'll take time to investigate, research, analyze, and then design systems with a comprehensive plan in mind. They investigate even little details and errors with great curiosity. Their aptitude to research obviously boosts their knowledge about the different aspects related to programming.

4. Multiple languages and libraries:

Mostly, IT industry looks for specialists and avoids Jack of all trades, who are masters of none. Indulgence in learning multiple languages could distract a programmer from mastering any single one. Moreover, many successful coders believe that at the end of the day, it's the libraries that matter, not the language. It's a tough task to be equally comfortable with multiple languages. That's the reason, why a person who is able to code in different languages like Java, C#, or C++, and is able to add new libraries and new ways of building systems, is called a rockstar programmer.

3. Creation is their instinct:

A good programmer is a fast learner and able to adapt to the requirements of a particular program. However, the ability to create or insert new ideas into the final product is a specific attribute of a rockstar programmer. It's the creation that sells for more worth than an imitation of an existing, popular idea. It's always the original creator who holds the key to success.

2. Have multiple perspectives:

Best programmers display visionary skills. They are able to visualize a product from multiple perspectives. Once they are given an assignment, they take their time to ponder over it with in a depth analysis. A programmer creates software, but users actually decide its fate. They create for non-technical users as well as for the geeks. Their complex brains know how to code programs based on the perspective of the users. Their ability to see probable errors and imperfections discourages them to jump to continuous coding only to end up with a lot of correction work. In nutshell, rockstar programmers code less, but they code well.

1. They are crazy about coding:

It's not surprising that passion and love for writing codes from beginning to end makes it an ideal trait for any successful programmer. They just love to build and are always ready to communicate their ideas. Their curiosity involuntarily guides them to analyze and comprehend all fundamental requirements and details. Their thought process is abstract. Writing a code might take a few hours to many weeks. These programmers could sit like a machine for days, and only natural aptitude and passion could provide such motivation. After all, passion is the essence of everything a human is ought to follow to become successful.

The post Top 10 Attributes Of A Rockstar Programmer appeared first on TopYaps.

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Sunday, August 18, 2013

TopYaps

TopYaps

10. Emerson, Lake and Palmer:

9. Riverside:

8. The Mars Volta:

7. King Crimson:

6. Porcupine Tree:

5. Yes:

4. Rush:

3. Jethro Tull:

2. Tool:

1. Pink Floyd:

10. Strong hold on fundamentals:

9. Secure coding:

8. Consistent in refactoring codes:

7. Good at observing and reusing existing codes:

6. Always impatient to test:

5. Are intense researchers:

4. Multiple languages and libraries:

3. Creation is their instinct:

2. Have multiple perspectives:

1. They are crazy about coding:

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