Modern rock
One of my favorite games to play when I'm listening to music is to imagine what Janis Joplin, Pete Townsend, or even Mick Jagger circa 1967 would think of the music I was listening to. Inevitably, any rock that I listen to would probably be recognizable to those folks back then. There is the same 4/4 time, blues based progressions, electric guitars, choruses, verses, etc. In some ways, it's kind of sad how little has changed. Even songs like Franz Ferdinand's "Jacqueline" could be figured out. They would be amused at the use of surf guitar and really heavy bass lines, but they could "get" it.
Jacqueline - Franz Ferdinand
I think the first band to come along that really changed the basic structure of rock music was the Pixies. Instead of adopting a verse, chorus, verse structure with orderly chord changes, the Pixies adapted a style that could best be described as soft/loud. The guitar was mostly used for texture, and there were no choruses. It was still most definitely rock music, but the stuff on Surfer Rosa and before were truly a break from the past. The folks from '67 would be lost, they would have some serious difficulty making any sense out of it at all.
How about something more recent? I submit this song by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. "10x10" could best be described as epic, especially when Karen O goes into her "10x10, 3x3..." while the guitar is stuttering and soaring above her about two thirds of the way through the song. This is more apparent in the studio version, but this live version is it's own kind of awesome. See it here.
I do think that my folks from the past could eventually get their heads around this, but I'm willing to be that the first time they heard this would involve quite a bit of mouth hanging open-ness. Some of that would no doubt be Karen O's demonstration of what could only be her fellatio ability or her fondness of ball gags. I gotta say that my favorite rock these days is more like the pixies and less like reworked blues songs. Luckily, the internet is a wonderful way to get a hold of this stuff. I'll try to post more as I find the time...
Jacqueline - Franz Ferdinand
I think the first band to come along that really changed the basic structure of rock music was the Pixies. Instead of adopting a verse, chorus, verse structure with orderly chord changes, the Pixies adapted a style that could best be described as soft/loud. The guitar was mostly used for texture, and there were no choruses. It was still most definitely rock music, but the stuff on Surfer Rosa and before were truly a break from the past. The folks from '67 would be lost, they would have some serious difficulty making any sense out of it at all.
How about something more recent? I submit this song by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. "10x10" could best be described as epic, especially when Karen O goes into her "10x10, 3x3..." while the guitar is stuttering and soaring above her about two thirds of the way through the song. This is more apparent in the studio version, but this live version is it's own kind of awesome. See it here.
I do think that my folks from the past could eventually get their heads around this, but I'm willing to be that the first time they heard this would involve quite a bit of mouth hanging open-ness. Some of that would no doubt be Karen O's demonstration of what could only be her fellatio ability or her fondness of ball gags. I gotta say that my favorite rock these days is more like the pixies and less like reworked blues songs. Luckily, the internet is a wonderful way to get a hold of this stuff. I'll try to post more as I find the time...
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"It's a new age letdown in my face"
Beck Hanson is a musical genius. And I don't use the term lightly. Beck continues to amaze me, no matter how many times I listen to his stuff. Too many people heard his first album and got a chuckle out of it. I think that "Mellow Gold" was a little too clever for it's own good. A couple of albums down the road he really hit a groove and let loose...
He has a knack for nonsensical lyrics that just work. His sense of rhythm inside of words is impressive. The moods he sets in songs are crystal clear, just listen to the above quoted, "Nitemare Hippy Girl," or perhaps "Truckdriven' Neighbors Downstairs" to get an idea. His albums also tend to be sonic wonderlands, put them on a good system and a whole new world opens up. he is just as conscious of how sound impacts the experience as he is with the music.
More than anything else though, it is his feel for different types of music that amazes me. Beck covers a lot of musical ground in his songs. This was really brought out for me when I heard his duet with Emmy Lou Harris on the Gram Parsons tribute album (Return of the Grievous Angel). Their version of "Sin City" is straight up, old school country. On his albums, he is able to use different types of popular songs to amazing effect. Yes, there is the general slacker rock vibe, but he borrows from a lot of other genres as well. Sometimes it's to be ironic, but more often he uses samples to blend and synthesize with what he's doing. It's an amazing thing, we hear the new synthesis, but we remember the original at the same time. Most people use samples and snippets as just another noise or an ironic counterpoint, Beck is different.
"Rental Car" off of Guerro is a great example. He manages to combine that early 70's vibe (which I wrote about here), a driving, fuzzed out guitar riff reminiscent of the grunge era, and a yodel inspired "LALALA" interlude. That lala bit is especially impressive because he uses all three. I can hear and identify all of them, but they come together in a decidedly "go-go" vibe. It's an eclectic masterpiece, it's what he does...
And to get a feel for his lyrical talent listen to this. It reminds me more than a little of some girls I met up in Ithaca...
He has a knack for nonsensical lyrics that just work. His sense of rhythm inside of words is impressive. The moods he sets in songs are crystal clear, just listen to the above quoted, "Nitemare Hippy Girl," or perhaps "Truckdriven' Neighbors Downstairs" to get an idea. His albums also tend to be sonic wonderlands, put them on a good system and a whole new world opens up. he is just as conscious of how sound impacts the experience as he is with the music.
More than anything else though, it is his feel for different types of music that amazes me. Beck covers a lot of musical ground in his songs. This was really brought out for me when I heard his duet with Emmy Lou Harris on the Gram Parsons tribute album (Return of the Grievous Angel). Their version of "Sin City" is straight up, old school country. On his albums, he is able to use different types of popular songs to amazing effect. Yes, there is the general slacker rock vibe, but he borrows from a lot of other genres as well. Sometimes it's to be ironic, but more often he uses samples to blend and synthesize with what he's doing. It's an amazing thing, we hear the new synthesis, but we remember the original at the same time. Most people use samples and snippets as just another noise or an ironic counterpoint, Beck is different.
"Rental Car" off of Guerro is a great example. He manages to combine that early 70's vibe (which I wrote about here), a driving, fuzzed out guitar riff reminiscent of the grunge era, and a yodel inspired "LALALA" interlude. That lala bit is especially impressive because he uses all three. I can hear and identify all of them, but they come together in a decidedly "go-go" vibe. It's an eclectic masterpiece, it's what he does...
And to get a feel for his lyrical talent listen to this. It reminds me more than a little of some girls I met up in Ithaca...
"I'm Sorry but it's True..."
The title of this post comes from a song that could best be described as a guilty pleasure. I heard it on the radio on the way over and it prompted this post. Like I mentioned before, I tend to lump bands into like or don't like categories. Usually, if a band is in my "don't like" group it's a death sentence for all of their songs. Groups like Fleetwood Mac, Boston, REO Speedwagon, and Air Supply all fit this category. Yeah, you might hear me hum "Go Your Own Way" once in a while... I'll admit it's catchy, but it doesn't mean I like it!
There are some groups that escape my total hatred, I just mostly hate them. I still lump them into my "don't like" group, but I'm willing to admit they had at least one good song in them. Here's a list of songs I like from groups I don't:
"Do Ya" by ELO
"Bringing on the Heartache" by Def Leopard
"My Old School" by Steely Dan
"Still the Same" by Bob Seegar
"Peter Piper" by Run DMC
"Teenagers" by My Chemical Romance
"The First Cut is the Deepest" by Cat Stevens
"Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
and there's more... What are some of your guilty pleasures?
There are some groups that escape my total hatred, I just mostly hate them. I still lump them into my "don't like" group, but I'm willing to admit they had at least one good song in them. Here's a list of songs I like from groups I don't:
"Do Ya" by ELO
"Bringing on the Heartache" by Def Leopard
"My Old School" by Steely Dan
"Still the Same" by Bob Seegar
"Peter Piper" by Run DMC
"Teenagers" by My Chemical Romance
"The First Cut is the Deepest" by Cat Stevens
"Simple Man" by Lynyrd Skynyrd
and there's more... What are some of your guilty pleasures?
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"Why don't you like the Lovin' Spoonful?"
That's what my mother asked me the other day. It's true, my first reaction to the group is a bad one. I tried to come up with a reason, and the best thing I could come up with is "autoharp." I think that's a decent enough reason, but it didn't sway my mother.
I find it's always easier to say why I like something as opposed to why I dislike something. Usually, my dislike is a general one, making the object of my hatred irredeemable. Maybe that's intentional, if there was just one thing I didn't like, it could be fixed... I also notice that I tend to dislike groups and artists and then I generalize down to individual songs. While I don't claim to like the Lovin' Spoonful, "Summer in the CIty" is actually a decent song. Unfortunetly for them (and apearently my mother), the first thing that pops into my head when I hear the name of that group is "Do You Believe in Magic" which never fails to induce my gag reflex...
I wonder if part of my dislike is based on the fact that she does like it. Do not underestimate the power of generational differences... It's only natural to dismiss at least some of the things that are important to the previous generation. Of course this theory breaks down because I don't hate all of the music she likes.
So mom, I guess I don't know. I doubt I'll be losing any sleep over this though:-)
I find it's always easier to say why I like something as opposed to why I dislike something. Usually, my dislike is a general one, making the object of my hatred irredeemable. Maybe that's intentional, if there was just one thing I didn't like, it could be fixed... I also notice that I tend to dislike groups and artists and then I generalize down to individual songs. While I don't claim to like the Lovin' Spoonful, "Summer in the CIty" is actually a decent song. Unfortunetly for them (and apearently my mother), the first thing that pops into my head when I hear the name of that group is "Do You Believe in Magic" which never fails to induce my gag reflex...
I wonder if part of my dislike is based on the fact that she does like it. Do not underestimate the power of generational differences... It's only natural to dismiss at least some of the things that are important to the previous generation. Of course this theory breaks down because I don't hate all of the music she likes.
So mom, I guess I don't know. I doubt I'll be losing any sleep over this though:-)
Shocking!
I've always loved listening to Sam Cooke, he had that butter smooth delivery that could make even the worst schmaltz tolerable. I love his album "Night Moves" despite the fact there really isn't a really good song on the whole thing. His pop stuff was always catchy and hummable. Songs like "Another Saturday Night," " Twisting the Night Away," and "Cupid," are oldies mainstays.
As good as his pop stuff was, his gospel was even better. That's what he did originally, and it's what allowed him to transition over to the pop world. There is a lot of depth and feeling in his singing, and it really rings true in his praise songs.
So imagine how shocked I was when I read about how he died. I always knew he died young, but I didn't know how. I had a vague idea that he died in a plane crash, it turns out I was probably confusing him with Otis Redding...
It turns out that like so many other popular musicians, Sam Cooke had the bad two-fer of liking to drink and not being able to keep "it" in his pants. He was a well known womanizer and had children by three different flames of his. The night he died, he drank a lot and got obsessed with a woman.
He and a woman that he interested in had been sitting and drinking for most of the night in a night club. They decided to leave together and go someplace more private. He tore out of there in his Ferrari (one HELL of a sweet ride BTW) and went to a cheap hotel in south central LA.
By that time, he had lost whatever mental faculties he had. He got violent and stripped her down to her underwear. She was afraid of being raped, so while he was going to the bathroom, she took off in her underwear.
When Sam came out, he was furious that she had left. He threw a jacket on (he wasn't wearing a shirt) and drove back to the office of the motel. For some reason he thought she had gone there. He stormed in and started screaming at the lady there, demanding what had happened to "his" woman. He grabbed her, shook her, and started to get rather violent. She reached behind the desk, pulled out her .22 pistol and shot him a couple of times. One bullet hit his heart and it was all over.
The police had gotten a call from the woman who had run away saying that she had been kidnapped and was now in a phone booth in her underwear. Within a couple of minutes, they got a call about a shooting in a nearby motel...
I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. Often times the ones who proclaim their holiness the loudest are the most corrupt. On the other hand, it's always easier to see the problems in other people... RIP Sam, hope you're doing better now...
As good as his pop stuff was, his gospel was even better. That's what he did originally, and it's what allowed him to transition over to the pop world. There is a lot of depth and feeling in his singing, and it really rings true in his praise songs.
So imagine how shocked I was when I read about how he died. I always knew he died young, but I didn't know how. I had a vague idea that he died in a plane crash, it turns out I was probably confusing him with Otis Redding...
It turns out that like so many other popular musicians, Sam Cooke had the bad two-fer of liking to drink and not being able to keep "it" in his pants. He was a well known womanizer and had children by three different flames of his. The night he died, he drank a lot and got obsessed with a woman.
He and a woman that he interested in had been sitting and drinking for most of the night in a night club. They decided to leave together and go someplace more private. He tore out of there in his Ferrari (one HELL of a sweet ride BTW) and went to a cheap hotel in south central LA.
By that time, he had lost whatever mental faculties he had. He got violent and stripped her down to her underwear. She was afraid of being raped, so while he was going to the bathroom, she took off in her underwear.
When Sam came out, he was furious that she had left. He threw a jacket on (he wasn't wearing a shirt) and drove back to the office of the motel. For some reason he thought she had gone there. He stormed in and started screaming at the lady there, demanding what had happened to "his" woman. He grabbed her, shook her, and started to get rather violent. She reached behind the desk, pulled out her .22 pistol and shot him a couple of times. One bullet hit his heart and it was all over.
The police had gotten a call from the woman who had run away saying that she had been kidnapped and was now in a phone booth in her underwear. Within a couple of minutes, they got a call about a shooting in a nearby motel...
I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. Often times the ones who proclaim their holiness the loudest are the most corrupt. On the other hand, it's always easier to see the problems in other people... RIP Sam, hope you're doing better now...
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Sam Cooke
The more things change...
My friend Tami breathlessly told me about this amazing new band that she has been listening to. The band is called the Duchess and the Duke and their from Seattle (that's where she's from to, what a coincidence). By her description, they were a totally new combo of music, they reminded her of some other bands, but nothing else sounded like them. Give a listen to "Reservoir Park" below.
It's a good tune. I really like it quite a bit. But I know why I like it so much. They sound an awful lot like the Beau Brummels. I think their first album came out in '62 and they had a few hits, Their single below (Just a Little) sounds similar in my opinion...
So I guess there really isn't anything new under the sun. Art least this sound is a good one. I'm a sucker for anything involving a hollow body guitar...
It's a good tune. I really like it quite a bit. But I know why I like it so much. They sound an awful lot like the Beau Brummels. I think their first album came out in '62 and they had a few hits, Their single below (Just a Little) sounds similar in my opinion...
So I guess there really isn't anything new under the sun. Art least this sound is a good one. I'm a sucker for anything involving a hollow body guitar...
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Gary Glitter is more than insane...
Remember Gary Glitter? He's the one that did the song "Rock and Roll" better known as the one that goes, "unh eh uhnh eh HEY! de duh de duh.." More recently, he become infamous for his attraction to children. He was busted a while back when he sent his computer to e repaired and left all of his kiddie porn on the hard drive. After getting out of jail, he high-tailed it to Cuba and then kind of dropped out of sight. Until recently that is, I just read a news article that says he has been released from jail in Vietnam. He was busted for doing "Unnatural acts" with 11 year old girls. After serving several years, they are now going to deport him. But to where? He claims to not to want to go home to Britain (I can't imagine why) and he can't stay in Vietnam. Honestly, I have no idea who would accept him now...
He has some ideas though. He's thinking about going to Hong Kong or the Philippines and... get this, start his music career again. What, exactly, is he smoking? He was never that much of a talent to begin with, but now not only is he totally out of touch with modern styles of music, he's a well known pedophile. Yeah, I can see his album doing real well...
He has some ideas though. He's thinking about going to Hong Kong or the Philippines and... get this, start his music career again. What, exactly, is he smoking? He was never that much of a talent to begin with, but now not only is he totally out of touch with modern styles of music, he's a well known pedophile. Yeah, I can see his album doing real well...
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