Big rumor has it that Live Nation and Ticketmaster are talking merger, thus bringing together the titans of concert promotion and artist management together with the titans of ripping concert-goers off by tacking on service fee after service fee.
To this I say, big deal. First of all the deal may not go through considering coroporate America is under a bit more scrutiny with a new president running the show. Second of all, haven't they been screwing us for decades already?
I mean, Ticketmaster has been the antichrist of the music industry since at least the mid-90s when Pearl Jam took them on. I don't know how Live Nation has been screwing us exactly, but I'm sure they have been too. Oh well. I'm convinced that the large scale music industry is just about done for anyway. Let it crumble so the indies can rise up and take things in the direction they should have been going in for years. Let the artists have the music back.
Bruce Springsteen, bless his sold-out heart, came out against this proposed deal, which good for him I guess, but I don't know how I feel about the Boss these days. He played a lackluster performance at the Super Bowl, where he let his songs be editted down for time and turned into a large scale karaoke party. On top of that, The E Street Band wasn't actually even playing! One day he looks like the rock poet laureate as he plays on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for the Obama Inauguration. The next day he's sliding crotch first into the tv cameras as his legacy as a blue collar, working man's rock & roller, is cheesed up to the max for the benefit of NBC's tv ratings and the super rich who can afford tickets to the game. So thanks, but no thanks for voicing your opinion Bruce. Take a lesson from your idol Pete Seeger, who also graced the stage of the inauguration festivities, and walk the walk when you talk the talk.
But whatever. I'm done with the big scene. Sure occasionally something interesting will come out of the evil lair's of the major labels, but it's happening less and less frequently. Take a band like Fleet Foxes. They would never end up on a major label, but there they were stealing the show on SNL a couple of week's back. Sure they don't put up Lil Wayne numbers when it comes to the Billboard charts, but a band like this has longevity. Where the major labels are looking for quick flash in the pan superstars that they can make some money on, they miss the point of overlooking bands with real talent. Fleet Foxes have been gaining momentum gradually over the past year and will only continue to do so. The quick fix will bring you a couple of dollars up front, but then what happens when people get sick of the gimmick? They find a band like Fleet Foxes, that's what. Take the example of The Shins. People were talking about them in the indie world for quite sometime and then the movie Garden State propelled them even further. By the time they released their next album, not only were they huge on the indie scene, their album debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts.
But the thing with the major labels is that they've dug themselves too far down to be able to have patience for bands to gain momentum. The days of profit are gone for them and now they are in desperation mode. So to all of you indie labels, just keep doing what you're doing. Find credible talent and let them find their voice. The great thing about most indie labels is that they are run by people who actually know and actually love music. Those are the people who are going to rescue the industry.
So go ahead LiveTicketNationMaster, have your little merger. No one's going to care for that long anyway. Music was fine before you and will be fine after you as well.
Oh and not to be a broken record, but please subscribe to the podcast. I'm having a few technical difficulties with getting it up on iTunes, but once I find a decent hosting site, that should be taken care of. But the bands I feature on the podcast for this month represent what's good about the industry. Both The Shackeltons and Astral Feedback have the street cred of a working rock and roll band (you know, the street cred that Springsteen just lost). They are passionate about the music and are trying like hell to make it. And they care about their craft. They want to make good music and put a lot of sweat into doing so. Check them out on the podcast, but also go check them out online. If you like them, buy something. If you don't, find a different hard working band to support. Go to a show, buy a shirt. Support your local music scene!
myspace.com/astralfeedback
theshackeltons.com
...and scroll down and click on the link to get to the podcast!!!
Showing posts with label The Shackeltons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Shackeltons. Show all posts
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Saturday, January 3, 2009
A Mash-Up Blog for The New Year
Who doesn't like a good mash-up, right? I've got a lot of thoughts going on, so I thought I'd just let them spew and see what happens. Happy New Year to all, by the way! Here's hoping for a great year, filled with great music.
Bio-pics/Music Docs
I'm an addict when it comes to any film that relates to music. The Last Waltz is by far my favorite. How can it get better than Martin Scorcese directing a concert film featuring The Band, Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters, The Staples, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, and many other greats of the last half century!! It can't. It just can't. But when it comes right down to it, I pretty much watch them all. There's a great one on the grunge era called Hype! that speaks a little more to my generation. Loved Walk the Line. Woodstock and Monterrey Pop also do a great job capturing the raw energy of the '60s. Man, oh man, just watch Otis Redding during Monterrey Pop. It'll change your life.
I know 2009 is going to feature a new, in-depth doc about The Doors. The Doors are a tricky band to pin down. There is so much myth surrounding this band and of course, its dead frontman, Jim Morrison. A charismatic rock star who passes before his/her prime is sure to be labelled a "legend" and with this label comes a certain amount of perfunctory myth making. Add to that a slightly sensationalized bio-pic directed by Oliver Stone and you have a whole stew of truth mixed with Lizard King lore. I'll be interested to see how this turns out. I've always liked The Doors music and have always found myself drifting away for awhile, but always coming back, which is not something I can say about all of my musical obsessions (still haven't come back to Tesla or Lynyrd Skynyrd!). There's something about The Doors that is captivating beyond words. It's dark, sinister, and prophetic music that arose out of The Summer of Love. "Our love becomes a funeral pyre"---what???? That's some crazy metaphor-ing right there! And don't get me started with "The End". Listen to the live version on their box set that was released around '97 or '98. It'll change your life.
What happened to The Singer-Songwriter?
I'm thinking about this because I just watched a tribute/doc/concert film of Leonard Cohen called, "I'm Your Man". Leonard Cohen is probably number two or number three when it comes to greatest songwriters of all-time--definitely when it comes to living songwriters. The guy is a poet in the truest sense of the word (sorry Morrison, Leonard Cohen probably has more cred than you ever did in the poet dept.). In fact he was already a published writer well before he released his first album. His songs are well-crafted masterpieces. He sometimes takes months at a time to write one song and mulls over each line and word carefully. Does anyone do that anymore?
Half of what you hear in popular music today isn't even written by the person who is singing it. Country music is still by far the most popular radio format in the nation, but is notorious for performers who sing someone else's music and not their own written material. Not too undermine the talents of professional Nashville songwriters, but it's kind of disappointing when you think you're hearing someone's inner thoughts and emotions being sung directly to you and then you find out it's just an interpretation. One example I can think of is Tim McGraw singing a song called "Live Like You Were Dying" or something like that. The song was released shortly after his father passed away and you initially think, "Wow, this is a nice, heart-felt tribute to his dad". But the song wasn't written by him! I suppose he probably channeled some of his emotions into his interpretation, but man, I felt a little cheated (not like someone who loses their dad to cancer I'm sure, but still, in my small insignificant way, I felt cheated). And yes, it does take talent to interpret someone else's work, but there's something about hearing the physical voice meet up with the literary voice.
In terms of singer-songwriter's of this generation, you kind of have to think of people who are still alive, but were more relevant in past generations: Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, the aforementioned Leonard Cohen, Paul McCartney (although he hasn't written anything nearly as powerful since he wrote with John Lennon), Carole King, and Joni Mitchell. I suppose if you're looking for more recent master songwriters you could include Tupac, Bono, and Kurt Cobain. Tupac and Kurt are dead and Bono and the U2 crew wrote their best work in the '80s and early '90s. I guess if you're talking about relevant singer-songwriters in this moment, you could look to Conor Oberst, but I'm struggling to think of more. Some of the hip-hop guys are pretty good, like Kanye and Common, but I feel like their latest works were a bit weak. I just don't know. I guess everything is cyclical, so in a year or two, we'll probably get a rash of wanna-be Dylan's and then wish they would go away. Maybe it's a lost art.
Inauguration Festivities
Seventeen days remain until Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. It'll be a glorious day for several reasons: an end to the Bush Dictatorship, the historic swearing in of the first black man to become president, and it'll be my birthday. Maybe that last one doesn't hold quite as much historic weight, but hey, it'll be glorious nonetheless. It'll also be interesting to see who will be performing at the ceremonies. Springsteen and Obama were pretty tight on the campaign trail, so it wouldn't surprise me if The Boss made an appearance. Then you have the traditional liberal voices like Eddie Vedder and Neil Young, but I'm guessing neither will be there. Will the hip-hop community be represented? Obama once cited Jay-Z. And there's the Chicago hip-hop-sters like Kanye, Common, and Rhymefest. Will any of them be invited?
My prediction is that Jay-Z will be there on his best behavior, maybe with Beyonce, but maybe not. I think Springsteen will definitely be there and Dylan will be invited, but won't show. My hope, and I think this isn't that much of a long-shot either, is that Mavis Staples will be there as well. First off, Mavis is a Chicagoan and Barack has to keep it real with the Chicago folk. Secondly, being part of The Staples Singers, she represents a link to The Civil Rights Movement. Third, she's just an amazing person/performer. I'm hoping she'll make the guest list. Buddy Guy would be a nice Chicago addition as well.
Upcoming Podcast
Well, I'm editing together podcast number one of The Hidden Chord. I'm still shooting for a January release date and I'm quite excited about it. It will include some great commentary and discussion from Phillip Groves, Joao Morlett, and myself. It will also include an interview and music from an energetic and exciting up-and-coming band called The Shackeltons. I'm not sure if I've ever seen a more energetic live show than theirs, nor am I sure if I've met more down to earth guys than these guys. Also I'll be playing a couple of tracks from other bands who are out there grinding it out, trying to make it in today's scene. It should be fun!
Bio-pics/Music Docs
I'm an addict when it comes to any film that relates to music. The Last Waltz is by far my favorite. How can it get better than Martin Scorcese directing a concert film featuring The Band, Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters, The Staples, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, and many other greats of the last half century!! It can't. It just can't. But when it comes right down to it, I pretty much watch them all. There's a great one on the grunge era called Hype! that speaks a little more to my generation. Loved Walk the Line. Woodstock and Monterrey Pop also do a great job capturing the raw energy of the '60s. Man, oh man, just watch Otis Redding during Monterrey Pop. It'll change your life.
I know 2009 is going to feature a new, in-depth doc about The Doors. The Doors are a tricky band to pin down. There is so much myth surrounding this band and of course, its dead frontman, Jim Morrison. A charismatic rock star who passes before his/her prime is sure to be labelled a "legend" and with this label comes a certain amount of perfunctory myth making. Add to that a slightly sensationalized bio-pic directed by Oliver Stone and you have a whole stew of truth mixed with Lizard King lore. I'll be interested to see how this turns out. I've always liked The Doors music and have always found myself drifting away for awhile, but always coming back, which is not something I can say about all of my musical obsessions (still haven't come back to Tesla or Lynyrd Skynyrd!). There's something about The Doors that is captivating beyond words. It's dark, sinister, and prophetic music that arose out of The Summer of Love. "Our love becomes a funeral pyre"---what???? That's some crazy metaphor-ing right there! And don't get me started with "The End". Listen to the live version on their box set that was released around '97 or '98. It'll change your life.
What happened to The Singer-Songwriter?
I'm thinking about this because I just watched a tribute/doc/concert film of Leonard Cohen called, "I'm Your Man". Leonard Cohen is probably number two or number three when it comes to greatest songwriters of all-time--definitely when it comes to living songwriters. The guy is a poet in the truest sense of the word (sorry Morrison, Leonard Cohen probably has more cred than you ever did in the poet dept.). In fact he was already a published writer well before he released his first album. His songs are well-crafted masterpieces. He sometimes takes months at a time to write one song and mulls over each line and word carefully. Does anyone do that anymore?
Half of what you hear in popular music today isn't even written by the person who is singing it. Country music is still by far the most popular radio format in the nation, but is notorious for performers who sing someone else's music and not their own written material. Not too undermine the talents of professional Nashville songwriters, but it's kind of disappointing when you think you're hearing someone's inner thoughts and emotions being sung directly to you and then you find out it's just an interpretation. One example I can think of is Tim McGraw singing a song called "Live Like You Were Dying" or something like that. The song was released shortly after his father passed away and you initially think, "Wow, this is a nice, heart-felt tribute to his dad". But the song wasn't written by him! I suppose he probably channeled some of his emotions into his interpretation, but man, I felt a little cheated (not like someone who loses their dad to cancer I'm sure, but still, in my small insignificant way, I felt cheated). And yes, it does take talent to interpret someone else's work, but there's something about hearing the physical voice meet up with the literary voice.
In terms of singer-songwriter's of this generation, you kind of have to think of people who are still alive, but were more relevant in past generations: Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, the aforementioned Leonard Cohen, Paul McCartney (although he hasn't written anything nearly as powerful since he wrote with John Lennon), Carole King, and Joni Mitchell. I suppose if you're looking for more recent master songwriters you could include Tupac, Bono, and Kurt Cobain. Tupac and Kurt are dead and Bono and the U2 crew wrote their best work in the '80s and early '90s. I guess if you're talking about relevant singer-songwriters in this moment, you could look to Conor Oberst, but I'm struggling to think of more. Some of the hip-hop guys are pretty good, like Kanye and Common, but I feel like their latest works were a bit weak. I just don't know. I guess everything is cyclical, so in a year or two, we'll probably get a rash of wanna-be Dylan's and then wish they would go away. Maybe it's a lost art.
Inauguration Festivities
Seventeen days remain until Barack Obama is sworn in as the 44th President of the United States of America. It'll be a glorious day for several reasons: an end to the Bush Dictatorship, the historic swearing in of the first black man to become president, and it'll be my birthday. Maybe that last one doesn't hold quite as much historic weight, but hey, it'll be glorious nonetheless. It'll also be interesting to see who will be performing at the ceremonies. Springsteen and Obama were pretty tight on the campaign trail, so it wouldn't surprise me if The Boss made an appearance. Then you have the traditional liberal voices like Eddie Vedder and Neil Young, but I'm guessing neither will be there. Will the hip-hop community be represented? Obama once cited Jay-Z. And there's the Chicago hip-hop-sters like Kanye, Common, and Rhymefest. Will any of them be invited?
My prediction is that Jay-Z will be there on his best behavior, maybe with Beyonce, but maybe not. I think Springsteen will definitely be there and Dylan will be invited, but won't show. My hope, and I think this isn't that much of a long-shot either, is that Mavis Staples will be there as well. First off, Mavis is a Chicagoan and Barack has to keep it real with the Chicago folk. Secondly, being part of The Staples Singers, she represents a link to The Civil Rights Movement. Third, she's just an amazing person/performer. I'm hoping she'll make the guest list. Buddy Guy would be a nice Chicago addition as well.
Upcoming Podcast
Well, I'm editing together podcast number one of The Hidden Chord. I'm still shooting for a January release date and I'm quite excited about it. It will include some great commentary and discussion from Phillip Groves, Joao Morlett, and myself. It will also include an interview and music from an energetic and exciting up-and-coming band called The Shackeltons. I'm not sure if I've ever seen a more energetic live show than theirs, nor am I sure if I've met more down to earth guys than these guys. Also I'll be playing a couple of tracks from other bands who are out there grinding it out, trying to make it in today's scene. It should be fun!
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