October is almost here and I feel like I sense Autumn before I actually feel it. Maybe the date on the calendar just triggers some switch in my brain that recalls fallen leaves, apple cider, and brisk days of Autumn's past. Who knows?
Currently listening to a band called Girls. The song album, which is called "Album" (catchy title), is very good. A lot of old influences at work--'60s rock and soul definitely. Will probably be giving this another listen soon.
Song 1: Come On! Feel the Illinoise!, Sufjan Stevens
Title track from Sufjan Stevens' great 2007 album. This is the guy who of course claimed he wanted to make an album for each of the 50 states. He's done one for Illinois and for Michigan, so if he was being truthful, he's got some work to do. Sufjan's music is filled with a lot of interesting stuff--polyrhythms, horns, bells, layering of textures, mood shifts. It's kind of like an indie rock symphonic piece. Being from Illinois, the album is extra fun (current part of the song is talking about being approached by the ghost of Carl Sandburg), but this was pretty well-loved outside of my homeland, so I hear. Apparently Sufjan is getting ready to release an all instrumental album soon. Can't wait!
Song 2: Possum, Phish
Ok, I'm not a huge Phish fan. I liked their album "Farmhouse", but jam bands occasionally get on my nerves. Maybe you need to be on 'shrooms and at their concert to "get" a 25 minute all out jam. Can't you accomplish it a little quicker? I mean, these are rock chords they are jamming on, not complex jazz chords. There's only so much you can do. All right, I'm sounding a bit elitist. On the other hand I do like improvised music and a lot of their songs are fun. They're pretty good musicians, even though Trey Anastasio's voice is kind of hit or miss. I downloaded this for a couple of their covers, which they provide ample amounts of. I'm always intrigued by cover songs. I like to see what direction a band takes with the work on a artist that may be completely different. This tune I think is a Phish original that clocks in at a mere 8:25. It's all right. Good fun rock and roll. I still prefer The Dead, though.
Song 3: Strange Condition, Pete Yorn
I guess the iTunes is giving me some live stuff to work with. This was somewhat of a radio hit. It's got a lot of pop sensibility to it. I like this version. Pete's voice isn't as polished as the album version. Little bit more gravel and drawl in it, which I enjoy a lot more than hearing someone hitting every note spot on. He gets his point across a lot quicker than Phish. Not to say that I'm particularly bowled over by this performance. I think I've heard this song too many times to have a lot of opinion on it.
There's three songs for you to ponder, as you ponder the advent of Autumn, as well. Nothing particularly Autumny about the above three, but I think songs have a way of taking on a different life in different parts of the year. Are summer hits as powerful during the winter? If the song "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley would have been released during autumn rather than summer, would it still have been such a big hit?
The songs playing right now are actually a lot more interesting than 2/3 of what I just wrote about. Oh well, shuffle'll help you and it'll let you down sometimes too. Enjoy your Sunday!
Click on today's blog title for a live performance of Sufjan Stevens performing the song "The Man From Metropolis Steals Our Hearts".
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Anarchy in the UK: The Fight over File-sharing on Stage in Great Britain
If you're not up to speed on the Lily Allen's "controversial" stand on file-sharing, check this out:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2009/sep/24/behind-music-industry-war
If we're going to be honest with ourselves, we all know that file sharing is not good for musicians, at least the way it exists right now. At least from a short-term financial standpoint. And for those trying to break into the business, short-term is really all they have, as the majors have little tolerance for sitting around and watching to see if a band develops. Now, file-sharing may create a substantial buzz for a band, which is great publicity and all, but shouldn't said band be receiving some royalties for every time their song is downloaded?
I'm bringing up the old debate, though. The fact is, the music industry blew it and now they're backpedalling, trying to figure out a way to get out of this mess. Faulting the individual file-sharers isn't the answer. The technology exists, it's easy to use, people love music, so of course they are going to do it. Maybe it's illegal, but virtual illegality seems a lot less harmful than actually walking into a Virgin Megastore (when there were such things) and tucking a copy of Led Zeppelin IV under one's shirt and walking out the door. And is it really that different than making a mix tape for a friend and passing it on?
Well yes, because now you can make mix tapes for thousands and thousands of your "closest" internet buddies. Maybe the file-sharing sites themselves should be sending out checks to ASCAP, BMI, the RIAA, or directly to the bands that are downloaded the most. Send someone some money! But obviously they aren't making enough money beyond a trickle of ad revenue to make the checks amount to anything substantial.
I was actually reading up on Frank Zappa yesterday and read something very interesting. Apparently in the mid to late '80s, he had an idea of transferring music via phone or cable lines, directly to the music consumer, with built in software that would account for royalty collection. Zappa dismissed it as a bad idea, but who knew, he was 20 years ahead of his time.
That's where the music industry blew it. They sat on their pot of gold that they earned from ripping off consumers with overpriced cd's and they assumed that it would last forever. If they would have been forward thinking enough in the early to mid '90s, they would have developed the software that could have set the standard for the digital age of music. Instead they watched in horror as the Napsters, Kazaas, and Pirate Bays of the world took the lead. They whined and sued and panicked, but it didn't stop the natural progression of technology and the inevitable destruction of the old order, which continues to this very day.
All this clamouring over who's right and who's wrong seems a little silly to me. Yeah, it does kind of make it hard for new artists to make it when there is little income for them, yet it doesn't mean that it can't happen or that the solution is in somehow ending file-sharing, because that certainly isn't going to happen.
Really, the music industry is facing the same problem that the whole of America is facing: how do we get money flowing like it used to when we actually manufactured stuff? Technology and progress are wonderful things, but they create a lot of challenges and questions. There's no sense fighting it. The best thing to do is to embrace it and start thinking creatively.
I think beyond gimmicks, it's going to be about 1.) quality and 2.) creating an experience that people can't get on their own. I read a quote from Joel Madden of the group Good Charlotte that encapsulates the whole "experience" issue:
" my biggest frustration is that kids today won't get the same excitement I did running to sam goody or tower and buying the album I'd been waiting for, running home and opening it reading it the whole way thru while I listened. That's why we are here in the first place. The experience. Seems like its gone."
That particular "experience" may be gone, but that doesn't mean new, maybe even better experiences can't be formulated. Here's a novel idea: how about creating experiences that don't rip off the consumer like the Sam Goody's of the world were notorious for (almost $20 for a CD...come on guys!). Record labels and artists are going to have to create that experience through websites and through innovative approaches that connect them closer to their audience than bands in the past could ever dream of. It may not be the same as unpeeling the cellophane off of a vinyl record or cd jewel case, but I think there are unlimited directions one can go in with the internet when it comes to creating an "experience". Forget the old ways, guys and gals, it's time to embrace the 21st century and start creating new experiences. Just like they say in one of my favorite movies, the ever-so-cheesy, yet heartwarming, "Field of Dreams": People will come. I think it's going to take the right combination of giving away tons of music, creating a whole lot of interesting concert opportunities, maybe re-inventing the idea of the fan club, and creating website content that blows people away. Oh yeah, and it's gonna take a whole lot of serious legwork, too, but in the end, people will come. And if you give them something to be excited about, they'll even pay for it! Just watch.
Eventually the industry will find its footing. And I hope the ones who benefit in the long run are the hard-working, talented artists and the fans. Let the backward thinking big-time executives and major labels fall by the wayside!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2009/sep/24/behind-music-industry-war
If we're going to be honest with ourselves, we all know that file sharing is not good for musicians, at least the way it exists right now. At least from a short-term financial standpoint. And for those trying to break into the business, short-term is really all they have, as the majors have little tolerance for sitting around and watching to see if a band develops. Now, file-sharing may create a substantial buzz for a band, which is great publicity and all, but shouldn't said band be receiving some royalties for every time their song is downloaded?
I'm bringing up the old debate, though. The fact is, the music industry blew it and now they're backpedalling, trying to figure out a way to get out of this mess. Faulting the individual file-sharers isn't the answer. The technology exists, it's easy to use, people love music, so of course they are going to do it. Maybe it's illegal, but virtual illegality seems a lot less harmful than actually walking into a Virgin Megastore (when there were such things) and tucking a copy of Led Zeppelin IV under one's shirt and walking out the door. And is it really that different than making a mix tape for a friend and passing it on?
Well yes, because now you can make mix tapes for thousands and thousands of your "closest" internet buddies. Maybe the file-sharing sites themselves should be sending out checks to ASCAP, BMI, the RIAA, or directly to the bands that are downloaded the most. Send someone some money! But obviously they aren't making enough money beyond a trickle of ad revenue to make the checks amount to anything substantial.
I was actually reading up on Frank Zappa yesterday and read something very interesting. Apparently in the mid to late '80s, he had an idea of transferring music via phone or cable lines, directly to the music consumer, with built in software that would account for royalty collection. Zappa dismissed it as a bad idea, but who knew, he was 20 years ahead of his time.
That's where the music industry blew it. They sat on their pot of gold that they earned from ripping off consumers with overpriced cd's and they assumed that it would last forever. If they would have been forward thinking enough in the early to mid '90s, they would have developed the software that could have set the standard for the digital age of music. Instead they watched in horror as the Napsters, Kazaas, and Pirate Bays of the world took the lead. They whined and sued and panicked, but it didn't stop the natural progression of technology and the inevitable destruction of the old order, which continues to this very day.
All this clamouring over who's right and who's wrong seems a little silly to me. Yeah, it does kind of make it hard for new artists to make it when there is little income for them, yet it doesn't mean that it can't happen or that the solution is in somehow ending file-sharing, because that certainly isn't going to happen.
Really, the music industry is facing the same problem that the whole of America is facing: how do we get money flowing like it used to when we actually manufactured stuff? Technology and progress are wonderful things, but they create a lot of challenges and questions. There's no sense fighting it. The best thing to do is to embrace it and start thinking creatively.
I think beyond gimmicks, it's going to be about 1.) quality and 2.) creating an experience that people can't get on their own. I read a quote from Joel Madden of the group Good Charlotte that encapsulates the whole "experience" issue:
" my biggest frustration is that kids today won't get the same excitement I did running to sam goody or tower and buying the album I'd been waiting for, running home and opening it reading it the whole way thru while I listened. That's why we are here in the first place. The experience. Seems like its gone."
That particular "experience" may be gone, but that doesn't mean new, maybe even better experiences can't be formulated. Here's a novel idea: how about creating experiences that don't rip off the consumer like the Sam Goody's of the world were notorious for (almost $20 for a CD...come on guys!). Record labels and artists are going to have to create that experience through websites and through innovative approaches that connect them closer to their audience than bands in the past could ever dream of. It may not be the same as unpeeling the cellophane off of a vinyl record or cd jewel case, but I think there are unlimited directions one can go in with the internet when it comes to creating an "experience". Forget the old ways, guys and gals, it's time to embrace the 21st century and start creating new experiences. Just like they say in one of my favorite movies, the ever-so-cheesy, yet heartwarming, "Field of Dreams": People will come. I think it's going to take the right combination of giving away tons of music, creating a whole lot of interesting concert opportunities, maybe re-inventing the idea of the fan club, and creating website content that blows people away. Oh yeah, and it's gonna take a whole lot of serious legwork, too, but in the end, people will come. And if you give them something to be excited about, they'll even pay for it! Just watch.
Eventually the industry will find its footing. And I hope the ones who benefit in the long run are the hard-working, talented artists and the fans. Let the backward thinking big-time executives and major labels fall by the wayside!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The Working Musician and Fall Releases (part 1)
I just realized that over the past two and a half to three years, I've flown four times--twice to Austin, TX and twice to Orlando, FL. Upon return from my two Austin trips, I had a lot to say about music and I had a lot of new music to listen to. Upon my return from my Orlando trips, not so much. I just returned yesterday from my second Orlando trip in two years, and I guess it's well known that you don't go to Florida for the music scene necessarily--unless you REALLY like Disney music and/or High School Musical, which I guess still qualifies as Disney music, but instead of cartoons, one gets over-caffienated high schoolers singing about everything.
But if you are at Disney World and really want to hear music, the place to go is to Epcot Center and their World Showcase area. In addition to all the food and souveniers (I know, I was shocked too...Disney World is commercial!) from the countries represented, you usually get some regional musical flavor as well. I briefly listened to a decent sounding Celtic Rock band in "Canada". Oh, they had to cheese it up a bit for the Disney crowd, but the music was actually good.
There was also the requisite mariachi band in Mexico, oompah band in Germany, and Japanese drumming group in, where else, Japan. I didn't get to see the British Invasion group in the UK, which would have been interesting at the very least.
I wonder about these groups. Do they enjoy their jobs? Do they like having to play the same songs over and over and over, and do the same act over and over and over? Does the tourist crowd ever get to them?
But then again, they have steady gigs, which few working musicians can lay claim to. Many people questioned The Roots when it was announced that they would be the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, but their response was that it's a steady working gig and there is something reassuring about that.
This wasn't an unknown band saying this, it was one of the most well-known/respected hip-hop groups of recent memory. A solid gig is a solid gig these days. I'm sure for the most part, the theme park performers are probably grateful to be able to play music for a living, even if they do have to caricaturize themselves a little. If I know musicians, I'm sure they have their own side projects away from the parks as well, which is probably what keeps them sane. I mean, The Roots still tour and all. I doubt being second fiddle to Jimmy Fallon is their one and only ambition.
I think what we fail to comprehend sometimes is that there are, quite literally, thousands upon thousands of working musicians--most of whom the mainstream public has never heard of, nor will ever hear of. But they are scraping away to make a living because that's their calling and they can't imagine doing anything else. Even before the recession, these people were struggling. The recession only made things worse, like it did for most everyone. It's too bad there aren't more opportunities or grants for working musicians, but as I've said before on this blog, we are not an Arts friendly nation. We are a nation that loves The Arts, but one that struggles to support artists. It's a weird contradiction, but one that exists nonetheless. As I've also said before, too, the music industry is going through quite an identity crisis right now, and no one is getting paid all that well. The top tier guys'll be okay, but the ones to worry about are the unknowns, the sidemen/women, the behind-the-scenes songwriters, the performers that schlep around to shitty bar gigs night after night in hopes of a few more fans and maybe a couple of dollars.
Keep your theme park band job if you've got it!
Okay, so Fall is here and I feel like Summer's releases were a bit lackluster. Nothing jumps out at me really. Grizzly Bear and Wilco hold the title of my favorite releases so far this year, but beyond that, sure there are things I've liked (Empire of the Sun, The Xx), but where is the album that hijacks my speakers? Fall has some promising candidates (no Arcade Fire or Of Montreal/MGMT collaboration on the list--two of the ones I was looking forward to the most for '09. What happened guys???).
Here are some of the standouts on the Fall list. I'll post a link to the full list, as posted by Rolling Stone Magazine, on The Hidden Chord's Facebook page (tell your friends!):
Pearl Jam (9/20): From about 1992-2001, these guys were my favorite band. They still put on a good show apparently, but even though this album is getting some hype and I've heard a couple decent tracks from it, I just can't get excited about it. They've got one of the exclusivity deals too (Target I believe?), which makes me cringe a little bit. Grunge is dead. Long live the spirit of "Ten".
Monsters of Folk (9/22): Released today is a collaboration between Jim James, M. Ward, Conor Oberst, and another guy. Oh I could look it up, but the three aforementioned are amazing enough for me to not care who the forth one is (sigh! I couldn't stand being a shoddy journalist--fourth guy is Mike Mogis, Conor Oberst's bandmate from Bright Eyes). Supergroups can be extremely hyped, then extremely disappointing (thank you very much Audioslave). Othertimes, though, you get some interesting results (Temple of the Dog--should have stuck with that one, there Chris Cornell!). I've heard a track from these guys, and it sounds good. Interested to hear what else they've got!
The Avett Brothers (9/29): "Emotionalism", their 2007 album, is one that I can listen to over and over. The group is bluegrass at its core, but strays off into punk, grunge, rock, and does so without compromising their amazing musicianship. In a way, they are in a similar vein as My Morning Jacket, in that, they have their Southern roots, but definitely aren't afraid to stretch out a bit, either. Very much looking forward to "I and Love and You".
Ugh! Alice in Chains are releasing a new album. I understand the want and/or need to keep a band alive after the death of a member of your band, but Alice in Chains without Layne Staley seems pretty pointless to me.
One word: Creed.
One reaction: why?
One hope: this album bombs terribly and Scott Stapp goes away.
There's a lot more going on this fall, but I've rambled on quite a lot already, so I'll do a "Fall Releases, part 2" very soon.
Here's a link to the song, "The Fixer" from Pearl Jam's release, "Backspacer". Not a bad song not a great song either. It's solid. Video's directed by Cameron Crowe. Even so, why am I not that thrilled by it? Maybe "Ten" was just too good of a way to start for Pearl Jam. What do you think of this one? Sorry, once again, you've got to copy and paste!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxDwU_SpiMI
But if you are at Disney World and really want to hear music, the place to go is to Epcot Center and their World Showcase area. In addition to all the food and souveniers (I know, I was shocked too...Disney World is commercial!) from the countries represented, you usually get some regional musical flavor as well. I briefly listened to a decent sounding Celtic Rock band in "Canada". Oh, they had to cheese it up a bit for the Disney crowd, but the music was actually good.
There was also the requisite mariachi band in Mexico, oompah band in Germany, and Japanese drumming group in, where else, Japan. I didn't get to see the British Invasion group in the UK, which would have been interesting at the very least.
I wonder about these groups. Do they enjoy their jobs? Do they like having to play the same songs over and over and over, and do the same act over and over and over? Does the tourist crowd ever get to them?
But then again, they have steady gigs, which few working musicians can lay claim to. Many people questioned The Roots when it was announced that they would be the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, but their response was that it's a steady working gig and there is something reassuring about that.
This wasn't an unknown band saying this, it was one of the most well-known/respected hip-hop groups of recent memory. A solid gig is a solid gig these days. I'm sure for the most part, the theme park performers are probably grateful to be able to play music for a living, even if they do have to caricaturize themselves a little. If I know musicians, I'm sure they have their own side projects away from the parks as well, which is probably what keeps them sane. I mean, The Roots still tour and all. I doubt being second fiddle to Jimmy Fallon is their one and only ambition.
I think what we fail to comprehend sometimes is that there are, quite literally, thousands upon thousands of working musicians--most of whom the mainstream public has never heard of, nor will ever hear of. But they are scraping away to make a living because that's their calling and they can't imagine doing anything else. Even before the recession, these people were struggling. The recession only made things worse, like it did for most everyone. It's too bad there aren't more opportunities or grants for working musicians, but as I've said before on this blog, we are not an Arts friendly nation. We are a nation that loves The Arts, but one that struggles to support artists. It's a weird contradiction, but one that exists nonetheless. As I've also said before, too, the music industry is going through quite an identity crisis right now, and no one is getting paid all that well. The top tier guys'll be okay, but the ones to worry about are the unknowns, the sidemen/women, the behind-the-scenes songwriters, the performers that schlep around to shitty bar gigs night after night in hopes of a few more fans and maybe a couple of dollars.
Keep your theme park band job if you've got it!
Okay, so Fall is here and I feel like Summer's releases were a bit lackluster. Nothing jumps out at me really. Grizzly Bear and Wilco hold the title of my favorite releases so far this year, but beyond that, sure there are things I've liked (Empire of the Sun, The Xx), but where is the album that hijacks my speakers? Fall has some promising candidates (no Arcade Fire or Of Montreal/MGMT collaboration on the list--two of the ones I was looking forward to the most for '09. What happened guys???).
Here are some of the standouts on the Fall list. I'll post a link to the full list, as posted by Rolling Stone Magazine, on The Hidden Chord's Facebook page (tell your friends!):
Pearl Jam (9/20): From about 1992-2001, these guys were my favorite band. They still put on a good show apparently, but even though this album is getting some hype and I've heard a couple decent tracks from it, I just can't get excited about it. They've got one of the exclusivity deals too (Target I believe?), which makes me cringe a little bit. Grunge is dead. Long live the spirit of "Ten".
Monsters of Folk (9/22): Released today is a collaboration between Jim James, M. Ward, Conor Oberst, and another guy. Oh I could look it up, but the three aforementioned are amazing enough for me to not care who the forth one is (sigh! I couldn't stand being a shoddy journalist--fourth guy is Mike Mogis, Conor Oberst's bandmate from Bright Eyes). Supergroups can be extremely hyped, then extremely disappointing (thank you very much Audioslave). Othertimes, though, you get some interesting results (Temple of the Dog--should have stuck with that one, there Chris Cornell!). I've heard a track from these guys, and it sounds good. Interested to hear what else they've got!
The Avett Brothers (9/29): "Emotionalism", their 2007 album, is one that I can listen to over and over. The group is bluegrass at its core, but strays off into punk, grunge, rock, and does so without compromising their amazing musicianship. In a way, they are in a similar vein as My Morning Jacket, in that, they have their Southern roots, but definitely aren't afraid to stretch out a bit, either. Very much looking forward to "I and Love and You".
Ugh! Alice in Chains are releasing a new album. I understand the want and/or need to keep a band alive after the death of a member of your band, but Alice in Chains without Layne Staley seems pretty pointless to me.
One word: Creed.
One reaction: why?
One hope: this album bombs terribly and Scott Stapp goes away.
There's a lot more going on this fall, but I've rambled on quite a lot already, so I'll do a "Fall Releases, part 2" very soon.
Here's a link to the song, "The Fixer" from Pearl Jam's release, "Backspacer". Not a bad song not a great song either. It's solid. Video's directed by Cameron Crowe. Even so, why am I not that thrilled by it? Maybe "Ten" was just too good of a way to start for Pearl Jam. What do you think of this one? Sorry, once again, you've got to copy and paste!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxDwU_SpiMI
Saturday, September 12, 2009
3 songs on shuffle (Ezra Furman Video by clicking Here!)
Starting off today listening to Grizzly Bear. Veckatimist has got to be one of the best albums of '09 so far. Possibly the best. Harmonies that are crazy good, musicianship and arrangements that are stunning. Hell, they can even make Michael McDonald sound good (find the Grizzly Bear song, "While You Wait For the Others" feat. Michael McDonald...weird that it's so good). After this track ends, we'll go straight into the second edition of, "3 songs on shuffle" courtesy of the official iTunes library of The Hidden Chord!
Private Affair--The Virgins
A Daytrotter discovery. I've heard this one a few times actually. Really like it. Kind of has a Killers/Franz Ferdinand/Modest Mouse kind of feel to it. The guy's voice kind of sounds like Elvis Costello at times. Great little shuffle beat to it too. Dance-rock is always fine by me. It's a tricky thing to pull off, but I dig this one a lot. Sounds a little like "Shakedown Street" by The Grateful Dead at times too. "In the summertime, I'm gonna lose my mind". Line sticks out because I can understand it (the guy kind of mumble-sings) and because summer's ending (or ended I guess), but also because, what a better season than summer to lose your mind?
Moon Light Drive--The Doors
I believe this is a demo version of the song off The Doors box set that came out around '97 or '98. Moon Light Drive is apparantly the first song that Jim Morrison shared with his UCLA film school buddy Ray Manzarek on Venice Beach. The Oliver Stone biopic documents the fabled meeting. It's kind of weird Beach Boys sounding. It's a very simple song that ends up on their famous self-titled debut. "Let's swim to the moon, let's climb through the tide. Penetrate the evening that the city sleeps too high." Not sure exactly what it means, but The Doors had a way of combining the mystical, surreal, and dark with the magic of rock and roll. Didn't always matter if you understood it or not. "You reach your hand to hold me, but I can't be your guide." Like Jim and The Doors themselves, the song's rather allusive.
The Dishwasher--Ezra Furman and the Harpoons
Song starts off with familiar (too familiar) restaurant sounds. First person account of being a lowly dishwasher. "You won't catch me walkin' home from work cryin'". Maybe you want to cry when you're walking home from your thankless service job. Oh, I've felt it, but you don't cry. You make sure you don't let the people who are getting ready to party on a Friday night, while you're going home, notice your anguish. They most definitely have more money and better jobs, but you carry your head high and keep telling yourself that it'll get better one day and that at least you try to be a decent person. Your work is honest, someone's gotta do it, as the song says. Who wants to eat off dirty dishes. Ezra's voice is filled with anguish. He's really got a very expresive, high-pitched, un-traditional voice that is perfect for a song like this.
There you have it. First two are good end of summer songs, while the third is just a good song in general. I first learned of Ezra Furman back in Austin in 2008, when he played The Velvet Underground's "Heroin" at a Lou Reed tribute concert. Had to have been one of the single most amazing performances of any single song that I've seen. Found a video of it on You Tube, and it still seems pretty cool, but for many performances, you really have to be there to fully appreciate it. Click the title of this blog entry to take you there...I think you'll like it.
Actually that whole day was filled with a lot of "Wow!" moments. The great part about it too was it was all free. You didn't need a wrist band, badge, or cash. It irks me when big time acts charge so much. But the funny thing turns out to be, that the best moments usually don't happen at gigantic stadium shows that people have paid hundreds of dollars to see. They often times happen in little dive bars, free venues, and places you least suspect them to happen. That's the magic of music for you!
Private Affair--The Virgins
A Daytrotter discovery. I've heard this one a few times actually. Really like it. Kind of has a Killers/Franz Ferdinand/Modest Mouse kind of feel to it. The guy's voice kind of sounds like Elvis Costello at times. Great little shuffle beat to it too. Dance-rock is always fine by me. It's a tricky thing to pull off, but I dig this one a lot. Sounds a little like "Shakedown Street" by The Grateful Dead at times too. "In the summertime, I'm gonna lose my mind". Line sticks out because I can understand it (the guy kind of mumble-sings) and because summer's ending (or ended I guess), but also because, what a better season than summer to lose your mind?
Moon Light Drive--The Doors
I believe this is a demo version of the song off The Doors box set that came out around '97 or '98. Moon Light Drive is apparantly the first song that Jim Morrison shared with his UCLA film school buddy Ray Manzarek on Venice Beach. The Oliver Stone biopic documents the fabled meeting. It's kind of weird Beach Boys sounding. It's a very simple song that ends up on their famous self-titled debut. "Let's swim to the moon, let's climb through the tide. Penetrate the evening that the city sleeps too high." Not sure exactly what it means, but The Doors had a way of combining the mystical, surreal, and dark with the magic of rock and roll. Didn't always matter if you understood it or not. "You reach your hand to hold me, but I can't be your guide." Like Jim and The Doors themselves, the song's rather allusive.
The Dishwasher--Ezra Furman and the Harpoons
Song starts off with familiar (too familiar) restaurant sounds. First person account of being a lowly dishwasher. "You won't catch me walkin' home from work cryin'". Maybe you want to cry when you're walking home from your thankless service job. Oh, I've felt it, but you don't cry. You make sure you don't let the people who are getting ready to party on a Friday night, while you're going home, notice your anguish. They most definitely have more money and better jobs, but you carry your head high and keep telling yourself that it'll get better one day and that at least you try to be a decent person. Your work is honest, someone's gotta do it, as the song says. Who wants to eat off dirty dishes. Ezra's voice is filled with anguish. He's really got a very expresive, high-pitched, un-traditional voice that is perfect for a song like this.
There you have it. First two are good end of summer songs, while the third is just a good song in general. I first learned of Ezra Furman back in Austin in 2008, when he played The Velvet Underground's "Heroin" at a Lou Reed tribute concert. Had to have been one of the single most amazing performances of any single song that I've seen. Found a video of it on You Tube, and it still seems pretty cool, but for many performances, you really have to be there to fully appreciate it. Click the title of this blog entry to take you there...I think you'll like it.
Actually that whole day was filled with a lot of "Wow!" moments. The great part about it too was it was all free. You didn't need a wrist band, badge, or cash. It irks me when big time acts charge so much. But the funny thing turns out to be, that the best moments usually don't happen at gigantic stadium shows that people have paid hundreds of dollars to see. They often times happen in little dive bars, free venues, and places you least suspect them to happen. That's the magic of music for you!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Only A Beatles Blog
So The Beatles are back. Rock Band game, remastered albums... Recently a friend asked via Facebook (where else?), "Have the Beatles sold out?" Well, they did have an album called, "Beatles For Sale". Maybe they sold out many years ago? My answer is this: Comparitively speaking, no. I think a band like The Beatles became bigger than its name long ago, so it's really hard to differentiate between what is selling out and what is just Beatlemania that has been going on since the early '60s. Keep in mind that this is one of the few band that turned down reunion gimmicks time after time after time, most recently in 2000, apparently, when Universal offered George, Ringo, and Paul a multi-million dollar offer to do one show. They quite obviously turned it down. I think that constitutes a very non-sell-out attitude toward your band.
But that's not what I want to write about today. Partly, I feel silly trying to contribute anything to the discussion about The Beatles. Anything and everything has already been written by people who are far better writers than me. But also, there's part of me that could probably write every single blog about The Beatles (or Bob Dylan) because I have been a life-long fan and really, though, my favorite songs and albums have changed over time, I've never tired of them. What I want to talk about is how one gets to that point of fandom. Can video games and remastered CD's carry on the legacy of The Beatles to future generations?
I really don't think they can. While I'd love to check out the Rock Band game and hear the remasters, I think that's mostly because I'm already a fan and am curious. Becoming a fan, I'm convinced, has everything to do with friends turning you on to a band and/or having magical experiences related to the songs of a particular band. It's a person by person, very individual process. You can't ram your music down someones throat and expect them to like you. I didn't get into grunge in the early to mid '90s because of media hype. I got into Pearl Jam because of my cousin, Mark. I later got into Nirvana because of conversations with my friend, Amy. Similarly, I can't imagine being a true, hardcore, life-long Beatles fan without experiences that are unique to my own life, not because of a particular reissue or hyped-up cross-marketing scheme.
I became a Beatles fan for a couple of reasons. First off, my dad was a dj on a local radio station, when I was a just a small town kid in Wataga, IL. By that time, The Beatles were already fodder for "oldies" stations. This was twenty plus years ago! My dad was (and still is) a huge Beatles fan. He would play them anytime he could and in fact spent one Thanksgiving Day (??? I think. I may have gotten the holiday wrong. Help me out here dad!) playing nothing but the Beatles for hours on end. But it was one particular time he played one song that sticks with me. I remember him asking me before he left for work one day, if there was anything I wanted to hear on the radio. And I said I wanted to hear, "Hey Jude". I must have been like 10 or 11 at the time. Man was I a cool kid! I sat by the radio, filled with anticipation, and waited for Paul McCartney's voice to ring out over the ancient speakers I listened to music through.
But before Paul's voice, came my dad's, and I'll never forget this, saying, "This one goes out to Wataga." Cue Mr. McCartney and the band. I loved that he put it that way. It wasn't, "This one goes out to my son, Andy", it was a more mysterious statement, but I was in on the secret. In fact, that moment may very well be one of the main reasons I went to broadcast school years later! It was magical, it was personal, it was The Beatles! And the song has remained extremely personal to me ever since.
One of my other early moments of Beatles indoctrination came from listening to them with my older brother. Particularly, we used to sit in his room and listen to my dad's scratchy LP of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". Man, we must have listened to it thousands of times. We both, to this day, could probably tell you exactly where the record skipped. These days, I see very little of my brother, and quite honestly, we are far different people, but I always cut back to those days in my mind. Pre-cd (I know for a fact that when both of us eventually bought cd players, Sgt. Pepper was one of the first cd's we each bought) days of a kid sitting around with his older brother, who he idolized, digging music that came from a different universe--trippy, ethereal, melodic, fun, singable...it was all there.
Even though, those were the two big ones, I've had so many other moments that relate to the music of The Beatles. Countless times singing to a song on the car radio or on a dock of a lake on a summer day. Sitting around with music people talking about our favorite songs. When I still played open mics, one of my best performances came at a packed folk music-oriented open mic in the suburbs of Chicago. I kicked off my two song set with, "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away". I can't explain how it felt to have all of these people, many of whom were professionals, singing along with me to this song that I love. It gave me the confidence to deliver a solid rendition of one of my own songs.
And I've got to imagine, that this is how most people became Beatles fans, or fans of any band for that matter. Music is a supremely personal experience and while I hope that the Rock Band game and the remasters create some new fans, I think it's more complicated than that. The future of music lies on creating experiences for people, not necessarily in the physical product. New bands should get wise to a couple of things. First of all, get good. The Beatles were so good because they played together for hours and hours on end (without their stint in Germany, they may have been just another British Invasion band). Second of all, make personal connections with your fans. Don't push the issue, but meet your fans, talk to them, be accessible, make songs from your heart and soul. Say what you will about Twitter and Facebook and 21st century technology, but one of the positives about it, is that fans of an artist have a unique way of connecting to their favorite bands or singers, in a way that was never possible in the past. And artists have a unique way of marketing their music and creating one-of-a-kind experiences--secret shows, specially autographed merchandice--because of these social networking sites.
With music, first and foremost, it's about the MUSIC. But also, it's about creating personal experiences that people will remember for the rest of their lives. And I don't know if The Beatles did that purposefully, but their music has had the power and timelessness to be able to create those moments for myself as well as millions of others. Maybe you can't recreate that. Maybe it just has to happen. So while new Beatles "stuff" is great, it's not what makes them amazing or what will keep them alive for generations.
It's scratchy records, older brothers or sisters, moms & dads, summer sing-a-longs, the late night bar juke box on a night out with friends, FM radio on a roadtrip. It's moments that stick with us for a lifetime.
But that's not what I want to write about today. Partly, I feel silly trying to contribute anything to the discussion about The Beatles. Anything and everything has already been written by people who are far better writers than me. But also, there's part of me that could probably write every single blog about The Beatles (or Bob Dylan) because I have been a life-long fan and really, though, my favorite songs and albums have changed over time, I've never tired of them. What I want to talk about is how one gets to that point of fandom. Can video games and remastered CD's carry on the legacy of The Beatles to future generations?
I really don't think they can. While I'd love to check out the Rock Band game and hear the remasters, I think that's mostly because I'm already a fan and am curious. Becoming a fan, I'm convinced, has everything to do with friends turning you on to a band and/or having magical experiences related to the songs of a particular band. It's a person by person, very individual process. You can't ram your music down someones throat and expect them to like you. I didn't get into grunge in the early to mid '90s because of media hype. I got into Pearl Jam because of my cousin, Mark. I later got into Nirvana because of conversations with my friend, Amy. Similarly, I can't imagine being a true, hardcore, life-long Beatles fan without experiences that are unique to my own life, not because of a particular reissue or hyped-up cross-marketing scheme.
I became a Beatles fan for a couple of reasons. First off, my dad was a dj on a local radio station, when I was a just a small town kid in Wataga, IL. By that time, The Beatles were already fodder for "oldies" stations. This was twenty plus years ago! My dad was (and still is) a huge Beatles fan. He would play them anytime he could and in fact spent one Thanksgiving Day (??? I think. I may have gotten the holiday wrong. Help me out here dad!) playing nothing but the Beatles for hours on end. But it was one particular time he played one song that sticks with me. I remember him asking me before he left for work one day, if there was anything I wanted to hear on the radio. And I said I wanted to hear, "Hey Jude". I must have been like 10 or 11 at the time. Man was I a cool kid! I sat by the radio, filled with anticipation, and waited for Paul McCartney's voice to ring out over the ancient speakers I listened to music through.
But before Paul's voice, came my dad's, and I'll never forget this, saying, "This one goes out to Wataga." Cue Mr. McCartney and the band. I loved that he put it that way. It wasn't, "This one goes out to my son, Andy", it was a more mysterious statement, but I was in on the secret. In fact, that moment may very well be one of the main reasons I went to broadcast school years later! It was magical, it was personal, it was The Beatles! And the song has remained extremely personal to me ever since.
One of my other early moments of Beatles indoctrination came from listening to them with my older brother. Particularly, we used to sit in his room and listen to my dad's scratchy LP of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". Man, we must have listened to it thousands of times. We both, to this day, could probably tell you exactly where the record skipped. These days, I see very little of my brother, and quite honestly, we are far different people, but I always cut back to those days in my mind. Pre-cd (I know for a fact that when both of us eventually bought cd players, Sgt. Pepper was one of the first cd's we each bought) days of a kid sitting around with his older brother, who he idolized, digging music that came from a different universe--trippy, ethereal, melodic, fun, singable...it was all there.
Even though, those were the two big ones, I've had so many other moments that relate to the music of The Beatles. Countless times singing to a song on the car radio or on a dock of a lake on a summer day. Sitting around with music people talking about our favorite songs. When I still played open mics, one of my best performances came at a packed folk music-oriented open mic in the suburbs of Chicago. I kicked off my two song set with, "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away". I can't explain how it felt to have all of these people, many of whom were professionals, singing along with me to this song that I love. It gave me the confidence to deliver a solid rendition of one of my own songs.
And I've got to imagine, that this is how most people became Beatles fans, or fans of any band for that matter. Music is a supremely personal experience and while I hope that the Rock Band game and the remasters create some new fans, I think it's more complicated than that. The future of music lies on creating experiences for people, not necessarily in the physical product. New bands should get wise to a couple of things. First of all, get good. The Beatles were so good because they played together for hours and hours on end (without their stint in Germany, they may have been just another British Invasion band). Second of all, make personal connections with your fans. Don't push the issue, but meet your fans, talk to them, be accessible, make songs from your heart and soul. Say what you will about Twitter and Facebook and 21st century technology, but one of the positives about it, is that fans of an artist have a unique way of connecting to their favorite bands or singers, in a way that was never possible in the past. And artists have a unique way of marketing their music and creating one-of-a-kind experiences--secret shows, specially autographed merchandice--because of these social networking sites.
With music, first and foremost, it's about the MUSIC. But also, it's about creating personal experiences that people will remember for the rest of their lives. And I don't know if The Beatles did that purposefully, but their music has had the power and timelessness to be able to create those moments for myself as well as millions of others. Maybe you can't recreate that. Maybe it just has to happen. So while new Beatles "stuff" is great, it's not what makes them amazing or what will keep them alive for generations.
It's scratchy records, older brothers or sisters, moms & dads, summer sing-a-longs, the late night bar juke box on a night out with friends, FM radio on a roadtrip. It's moments that stick with us for a lifetime.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Random Thoughts for a Saturday Morning
Happy Labor Day weekend to one and all. I'll be celebrating by working tonight. I'm curious, what are the best songs about working? What are your thoughts?
Labor Day weekend is the unofficial last weekend of the summer, so I hope you all have some spectacular festivities planned. If you don't, might I suggest one to those in the Chicago area: the Chicago Jazz Fest in Grant Park, which goes on today and tomorrow.
I've often wondered how this fest can be so packed with people every year, but then you never hear anyone talking much about going to jazz venues or concerts. I suppose part of the charm of Jazz or Blues Fest is that you can sit around the lawn in Grant Park, enjoy some expensive food and beer, and spend time with your friends on a beautiful Chicago day--which as most know, we only get a handful of all year. The music almost becomes an after-thought. In fact if you walk around, you'll see a great number who definitely have no interest in the music itself and are merely using it like a soundtrack playing in the background, which is fine I suppose, but personally I don't get it.
Jazz is America's one true artform. It is spontaneous, at times energetic, at times thoughtful, at times a canvas of aural color, tone, and nuance. But to be truly appreciated, it needs to be LISTENED to. It takes work, but once you develop an ear for it, jazz will reward you time and time again. It's hard to shift between pop music and jazz music, as pop can be listened to very passively, and while you might even miss things with pop if you're not careful, you can still appreciate it on a certain level while doing about ten different things at once, as we Americans, the Kings and Queens of Multi-tasking tend to do. I encourage you to go to Jazz Fest and just listen. If you can't get there, get yourself some Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, and Billie Holliday albums and do the same. "Kind of Blue" by Miles and "Blue Train" by Coltrane are good starting points. Give them a couple of real, fully devoted listens and I think you'll get something out of them. Then if you're feeling really adventurous, check out "A Love Supreme" by Coltrane and "Bitches Brew" by Miles. Any thing by Charlie Parker is amazing. I recommend "The Quintet at Massey Hall", though, which also features Dizzy Gillespe, Bud Powell, and Charles Mingus (who may very well be one of the greatest American composers of all time).
That's my jazz rant of the day. I wanted to talk a little bit about Dylan playing 3 shows at the end of October, which coincides with the release of his Christmas album, but I'll save that for later.
Oh and did you know that the Sony Walkman outsells the iPod in Japan? I know it's the modern version of the Walkman, but in my mind I have visions of hip Japanese youth carrying around the big 'ol '80s style tape deck Walkman! Hey, I made some great mix tapes in my day! In a way, I kind of miss it.
And also, I'm thinking of the Dylan song, "Idiot Wind". Just wanted to let you know. Long story. Might have to do with politics, might not.
Oh, and here's some Bird and Diz, once again I'm technology stupid, so you might have to copy and paste this into your browser since I can't figure out how to create a link!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkvCDCOGzGc
Labor Day weekend is the unofficial last weekend of the summer, so I hope you all have some spectacular festivities planned. If you don't, might I suggest one to those in the Chicago area: the Chicago Jazz Fest in Grant Park, which goes on today and tomorrow.
I've often wondered how this fest can be so packed with people every year, but then you never hear anyone talking much about going to jazz venues or concerts. I suppose part of the charm of Jazz or Blues Fest is that you can sit around the lawn in Grant Park, enjoy some expensive food and beer, and spend time with your friends on a beautiful Chicago day--which as most know, we only get a handful of all year. The music almost becomes an after-thought. In fact if you walk around, you'll see a great number who definitely have no interest in the music itself and are merely using it like a soundtrack playing in the background, which is fine I suppose, but personally I don't get it.
Jazz is America's one true artform. It is spontaneous, at times energetic, at times thoughtful, at times a canvas of aural color, tone, and nuance. But to be truly appreciated, it needs to be LISTENED to. It takes work, but once you develop an ear for it, jazz will reward you time and time again. It's hard to shift between pop music and jazz music, as pop can be listened to very passively, and while you might even miss things with pop if you're not careful, you can still appreciate it on a certain level while doing about ten different things at once, as we Americans, the Kings and Queens of Multi-tasking tend to do. I encourage you to go to Jazz Fest and just listen. If you can't get there, get yourself some Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, and Billie Holliday albums and do the same. "Kind of Blue" by Miles and "Blue Train" by Coltrane are good starting points. Give them a couple of real, fully devoted listens and I think you'll get something out of them. Then if you're feeling really adventurous, check out "A Love Supreme" by Coltrane and "Bitches Brew" by Miles. Any thing by Charlie Parker is amazing. I recommend "The Quintet at Massey Hall", though, which also features Dizzy Gillespe, Bud Powell, and Charles Mingus (who may very well be one of the greatest American composers of all time).
That's my jazz rant of the day. I wanted to talk a little bit about Dylan playing 3 shows at the end of October, which coincides with the release of his Christmas album, but I'll save that for later.
Oh and did you know that the Sony Walkman outsells the iPod in Japan? I know it's the modern version of the Walkman, but in my mind I have visions of hip Japanese youth carrying around the big 'ol '80s style tape deck Walkman! Hey, I made some great mix tapes in my day! In a way, I kind of miss it.
And also, I'm thinking of the Dylan song, "Idiot Wind". Just wanted to let you know. Long story. Might have to do with politics, might not.
Oh, and here's some Bird and Diz, once again I'm technology stupid, so you might have to copy and paste this into your browser since I can't figure out how to create a link!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkvCDCOGzGc
Friday, September 4, 2009
3 Songs on Shuffle and more (Click here for Vivian Girls Video! Yay!)
I'm working on reinventing this blog. For no good reason other than I like music and writing and like writing about music probably more than any other type of writing. So I want to have regular features, rather than just random occasional rants. Maybe I'll keep doing the random occasional rants too, but I found myself ranting less and less, so time would go by and suddenly it's been nearly 4 months since I wrote an entry. So for today, I'm doing a "3 songs on shuffle" experiment. Fire up the 'ol iTunes library and let it shuffle to 3 songs and see what happens. I like seeing if songs link to each other in any peculiar way. I also just like the discovery process of listening to my library on shuffle. I have a whole lot on here that I've never heard or haven't heard much, so I wanted to mostly do a stream of consciousness approach to writing about it--attempt to capture the moment of listening to music. And then maybe go back and add on some further impressions. So here is todays "3 Songs on Shuffle". Sometime soon, I'll have a new feature as well. Would like to reprise the podcast very soon as well. If you are reading this, PLEASE, let me know and spread the word if you like what you read. I have an ego that needs to be inflated!!
You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As Your Told)--The White Stripes
The infectious hooks of the White Stripes open up this song which is in the vein of the classic type of "I'm gonna tell it like it is because I don't really care anymore" song. There's a few good ones in this vein. Dylan's "Positively 4th Street" possibly being the best. This one is pretty good, though. A couple of really good lines here, the title itself being one, the opening line being another (In some respects I suspect you've got a respectable side), and a line in the chorus as well (Just as a child of ten might act but you're far too old). I like a good "tell it like it is" song. And everyone knows the type of person who can't tell the difference between infatuation and love, who goes along with whatever the other person says, just because they say it and are supposedly in love with that person. Usually pretty unhealthy stuff happens here. One person dominates and manipulates, why the other is blindly pulled around in the name of "love". Good one Jack White! Love the typical Jack White high register guitar solo at the end of this White Stripes classic!
Don't Ya Tell Henry--Bob Dylan and the Band
Levon Helm of The Band takes vocals on this up tempo shuffle off of the classic, "The Basement Tapes". I definitely hear a little New Orleans influence on here. I could listen to The Band all the time. They had the unique ability to draw upon almost every type of American popular music of the last century and meld it into something fresh and alive. And to me, much of it sounds fresh and alive forty years plus after the fact. I'm not too familiar with the song, but there's nothing on "The Basement Tapes" I don't like. So big ups to this one as well. Why isn't music like this made anymore? Maybe it is and the landscape is just too crowded with crap to realize it. I don't really know. Oh and a connection to the previous song: Jack White was frequently playing with Dylan there for awhile, I think it was last summer, during Dylan concerts. There's a couple of weird dudes, but man, they both can play some music!
Where Do You Run To--Vivian Girls
I don't know a whole lot about Vivian Girls, which is one of the fun parts about listening to music on shuffle. I do know they are on Chicago's Bloodshot Records label, which is a plus for me already, as I love a lot of what Bloodshot puts out and also Bloodshot has some of the best SXSW parties. Back to the song. Pretty good. Kind of your basic straight ahead rock song. I don't know how to describe the beat other than kind of '60s pop rockisk (think "That Thing You Do!" and you've got it). The verses are hard to understand and but the chorus, which repeats the title of the song is clear and it's cool how they build upon it with harmonies. Vocals kind of seem Veruca Salt-ish (If you try to sing "Seether" with the opening strains of this song, it actually works pretty well...pretty sure it's in the same key) or Ravonettes-ish. Emotionless in a way, at least until the chorus, which it should be apparent, is my favorite part of this one. I think this might be a little bit of an accusatory song as well. "Where do you run to baby, why do you leave me all alone?" Maybe in a similar family to the White Stripes song. Not exactly siblings, but possibly cousins. They're both kind of angry, but this one actually asks for an answer rather than just ranting at someone. Although, I think maybe it's a rhetorical question. Either way, good dance-able pop rock. Would have fit right in on the "Pulp Fiction" soundtrack.
I included a link to a fun little Vivian Girls vid for ya too. Click on the title of the post. I'm not tech savvy so I didn't know how to embed it on here. But still...Enjoy!
You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As Your Told)--The White Stripes
The infectious hooks of the White Stripes open up this song which is in the vein of the classic type of "I'm gonna tell it like it is because I don't really care anymore" song. There's a few good ones in this vein. Dylan's "Positively 4th Street" possibly being the best. This one is pretty good, though. A couple of really good lines here, the title itself being one, the opening line being another (In some respects I suspect you've got a respectable side), and a line in the chorus as well (Just as a child of ten might act but you're far too old). I like a good "tell it like it is" song. And everyone knows the type of person who can't tell the difference between infatuation and love, who goes along with whatever the other person says, just because they say it and are supposedly in love with that person. Usually pretty unhealthy stuff happens here. One person dominates and manipulates, why the other is blindly pulled around in the name of "love". Good one Jack White! Love the typical Jack White high register guitar solo at the end of this White Stripes classic!
Don't Ya Tell Henry--Bob Dylan and the Band
Levon Helm of The Band takes vocals on this up tempo shuffle off of the classic, "The Basement Tapes". I definitely hear a little New Orleans influence on here. I could listen to The Band all the time. They had the unique ability to draw upon almost every type of American popular music of the last century and meld it into something fresh and alive. And to me, much of it sounds fresh and alive forty years plus after the fact. I'm not too familiar with the song, but there's nothing on "The Basement Tapes" I don't like. So big ups to this one as well. Why isn't music like this made anymore? Maybe it is and the landscape is just too crowded with crap to realize it. I don't really know. Oh and a connection to the previous song: Jack White was frequently playing with Dylan there for awhile, I think it was last summer, during Dylan concerts. There's a couple of weird dudes, but man, they both can play some music!
Where Do You Run To--Vivian Girls
I don't know a whole lot about Vivian Girls, which is one of the fun parts about listening to music on shuffle. I do know they are on Chicago's Bloodshot Records label, which is a plus for me already, as I love a lot of what Bloodshot puts out and also Bloodshot has some of the best SXSW parties. Back to the song. Pretty good. Kind of your basic straight ahead rock song. I don't know how to describe the beat other than kind of '60s pop rockisk (think "That Thing You Do!" and you've got it). The verses are hard to understand and but the chorus, which repeats the title of the song is clear and it's cool how they build upon it with harmonies. Vocals kind of seem Veruca Salt-ish (If you try to sing "Seether" with the opening strains of this song, it actually works pretty well...pretty sure it's in the same key) or Ravonettes-ish. Emotionless in a way, at least until the chorus, which it should be apparent, is my favorite part of this one. I think this might be a little bit of an accusatory song as well. "Where do you run to baby, why do you leave me all alone?" Maybe in a similar family to the White Stripes song. Not exactly siblings, but possibly cousins. They're both kind of angry, but this one actually asks for an answer rather than just ranting at someone. Although, I think maybe it's a rhetorical question. Either way, good dance-able pop rock. Would have fit right in on the "Pulp Fiction" soundtrack.
I included a link to a fun little Vivian Girls vid for ya too. Click on the title of the post. I'm not tech savvy so I didn't know how to embed it on here. But still...Enjoy!
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