If you want to hear David J's new album, "An Eclipse of Ships," but can't make it to Austin for his three SXSW shows (March 12-16), you'll have to wait till spring. The acoustic album features musicians on violin, acoustic piano, Rhodes, stand-up bass, mandolin, oboe, percussion, and a bevy of acoustic guitars. It's a celebration of women -- some known to the artist and some conjured up in fantasies.

David J's time as founding member of death rock band Bauhaus ("Bela Lugosi's Dead," "Dark Entries," "Kick in the Eye") and split-off group Love and Rockets ("All in My Mind," "No New Tale to Tell," "So Alive") prepared him for a sustainable solo career filled with plenty of innovative material like "I'll Be You Chauffeur," the first No. 1 single on the newly formed alternative charts in 1989. His soon-to-be released memoir, "Who Killed Mister Moonlight? (Bauhaus, Black Magick and Benediction)," which chronicles his 35-year career, will come out later this year.

David J is a gentleman among The Gentlemen Thieves.

Tell me about your SXSW album showcase. It will be an exclusive gig, because it will be the only gig that I'll be doing with the band that actually played on the record. The lineup consists of standup bass, percussion, and violin. I will be featuring songs from the album, plus a couple of other, older pieces.

And you funded the album with a ... [Read more]

Speed reading is about to have another popularity spike -- one likely fueled by the recent announced of Spritz on the Galaxy S5. The speed reading feature will come included with some apps, and uses a single focal point in words, along with rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP for short) to display words one-by-one at speeds up to 1000 words per minute.

This technology is not only useful on smartphones or tablets, it's also great for tackling longer written works online in less time. If you search for what the average reading speed is, you'll come up with a figure somewhere around 200 wpm. Even if you read faster than that right now, could you imagine being able to read two, three, or even four times faster? Here's how to add RSVP speed reading to Chrome and Firefox:

Chrome

When it comes to speed reading extensions, there are quite a few to chose from on the Google Chrome Web Store. However, one stands out from the rest: Spreed. To install, just click the link, then click the Add to Chrome button.

This extension has a handful of settings and offers a very solid reading experience. You can adjust the words per minute, font size, invert the displa... [Read more]

Leading up to Dirty Vegas's SXSW appearances, vocalist Steve Smith talks about new video "Let the Night," the story behind "Days Go By," favorite software for DJing and production, and his top five apps.

British EDM duo Dirty Vegas first found fame when its debut single "Days Go By" reached the top of the 2002 club charts, won a Grammy for Best Dance Recording, and appeared in a Mitsubishi Eclipse car commercial. Three top 20 albums and five top 40 club hits later, Dirty Vegas vocalist Steve Smith chatted with me about new video "Let the Night" and the duo's favorite software and apps.

Dirty Vegas play SXSW on March 13 and 15.

What does Dirty Vegas mean to you? Are we getting Freudian? It means some of the happiest times in our lives. We have been together for over 12 years and have seen a lot of very special things that will remain with us for a long time. It never gets old. We've become a family -- brothers through and through.

If you had to describe each member in one word, what would it be? What does each person contribute to the band? Paul [Harris] is hysterical. I am dad. Paul contributes his vast knowledge of the DJ and dance floor world to all of our music. He has such an amazing ear. I am our heart and soul. My lyricism engages you, and also my acoustic prowess is just amazing.

With yo... [Read more]