Feeling Old Maybe?

Recently I stumbled upon an article that discussed a website/blog where the owner is trying to compile all of the video lists for every 120 Minutes show that aired on MTV (1986-2003).  Here’s the website:  http://tylerc.com/the-120-minutes-archive/.  Back in the day (for me, that means around 1991 forward) when I could catch the show I would try.  Back then MTV actually meant videos and interviews with artists/bands, but those days went out the door the day Pedro showed up on The Real World 3.  I used to like 120 Minutes and Headbangers’ Ball (less so Headbangers, though Beavis and Butthead did get me to watch a few more episodes) but didn’t get to catch either show as much as I should have.  Who knows where my musical tastes would have veered had I watched them more consistently.

Anyway, I’ve been “thumbing” through the website and have been fascinated by a few things.  One, there are a number of the bands represented on here that I still like immensely that I liked then:  R.E.M., Sonic Youth, Pearl Jam, to name a few.  I know Sonic Youth came out years before, but I remember seeing the video for “Bull in the Heather” on here.  Two, there are a TON of bands that I didn’t appreciate then that I do now:  Blur, the Cure, the Smiths, and Soul Coughing to name a mere few.  In fact, I hated the Smiths for a long, long time until a quirky romcom came out a few years ago ((500) Days of Summer) that reintroduced them to me.  Three, there are quite a few bands that were on back in 1991 that are still around now and are still relatively popular:  Social Distortion, R.E.M., Sonic Youth, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, to name a few.  One could argue Social Distortion is more popular now in some ways than they were then.  Four, Trent Reznor let Pretty Hate Machine’s popularity ride out for years until he released Broken.  I’m blown away by this, because it felt like Pretty Hate Machine came out many, many years ago (in fact, it was originally released in 1989).

When I read this article and then found the website, I felt like this was a treasure trove.  At the click of a button I could locate songs and artists I hadn’t listened to in years nor could remember their names until now.  The nice thing about the site, too, is the links to searches for the videos (most of the songs have links).

Radiohead

I will be the first to admit that I don’t know nearly enough about Radiohead.  I have heard all of their albums except for their recent one, The King of Limbs, which isn’t even available on CD yet (but is digitally).  But I’m lacking when it comes to knowing their records, meaning knowing the names of the songs, understanding their background, etc.  At the pace I’m going with my album reviews blog, I will get to know.  I have been aware of Radiohead since “Creep” was a single all those years ago.  I can’t remember the first time I heard the song, but I’m pretty sure I liked it right away; I was an awkward teen that embraced the grunge message at the time and loved the hard churning guitars and loud vocals.  Radiohead embodied that with “Creep”.

But they changed the game with The Bends, which is why I am writing in the first place.  In terms of overall effectiveness/appeal/complexity, The Bends is probably in the middle of the pack of their records.  So why is The Bends my favorite record?  For me it’s the perfect branch between grungy Pablo Honey and the modernity that started with their best overall record, OK Computer.  The Bends contains a piece of every musical thought they have embraced in their long careers in some form.

Let’s start with “Bones”.  “Bones” embraces the arena grunge sound that started with “Creep” and became even more apparent with the numerous other Britpop bands that appeared just after “Creep” (Blur, Oasis, Primal Scream, etc.).  I love that it has this sound, that it bridges that part of them to the present and future.  “Bones” is probably the closest Radiohead got to the sound they had on Pablo Honey.  “Planet Telex”, on the other hand, with its use of guitar effects on pianos and guitars and other instruments, sounds more like a link to the modern Radiohead.

There are three songs from The Bends that really form my opinion about this album:  “High and Dry”, “Fake Plastic Trees”, and “My Iron Lung”.  First, about “My Iron Lung”, this song would be part of the branch to the modern Radiohead from OK Computer and later albums.  The chiming electric guitar figure played by Ed O’Brien, augmented by the sweeping to over-the-top distorted lead of Jonny Greenwood.  No, there’s no hint of electronic effects to this song, but the effects they used in the song alone would be featured more and more on OK Computer.

“High and Dry” and “Fake Plastic Trees” are the softer side of Radiohead and Thom Yorke at his most confessional.  These two songs alone launched the career of Coldplay, because they fit just as well in their catalog as they would in Radiohead’s.  My obsession with the sound of an acoustic guitar on record grew immensely when I heard these songs.  I always felt some electricity from the way Greenwood and O’Brien sounded playing and wanted to emulate it in my own playing.  I knew when I first heard these songs years and years ago that Radiohead was not the same band that had just released Pablo Honey a few years before.  They were older, more mature, and had embraced their want to create something with more depth.

“Fake Plastic Trees”?  It’s easily my favorite song of theirs of all their songs.  Why?  I don’t know, there must be some magical pull for me to it.  I think part of it is the emotional intensity of Yorke’s vocals.  I love the guitar work (all of it).  I like that he uses the words “fake plastic trees” to create a song.  There’s just a sincerity there that grabs my attention.

The Battle for Who Could Care Less

Ben Folds.  He is a pianist.  He is a vocalist.  He is a guitarist.  He plays a lot of instruments.  He’s been recording solo for over a decade now, having more or less disbanded the Ben Folds Five (a pity really…Robert Sledge is a killer bassist).  But most of all to me, Ben Folds is a showman.  My wife says he can’t sing.  Sure, he’s not Billy Joel or Elton John, but he’s not terrible.  I’ve certainly heard worse.

I heard Ben Folds Five’s “Battle for Who Could Care Less” and was instantly reminded why I love listening to Ben Folds’ music.  He injects fun into his songs in a way that some bands just cannot do.  I’ve unfortunately only seen him perform once, which was at the Big Shindig in Raleigh, NC, back in 1998, but I’ll never forget the scene.  The Ben Folds Five were the last band to play if I remember correctly, and they played many songs from their album Whatever and Ever Amen, which was in regular rotation for me at the time.  There wasn’t a song on that album I didn’t like, so to hear them live was a treat.  At the end the band jammed out, and Folds proceeded to stand up to play ala Jerry Lee Lewis and ultimately slammed his piano stool into the piano repeatedly until the music was over.  But in between the time they started until that destructive finale, I was mesmerized.

Listen to “Battle for Who Could Care Less” and tell me that’s not a fun song.  Or try “Song for the Dumped”.  Folds channels all these feelings that are all too representative of a male’s teenage and college years—getting dumped, dumping someone, getting drunk and trashing a party, being lazy—into many of the Ben Folds Five songs.  When he went solo, his lyrics were more mature and indicative of what an adult male would go through, but the fun hasn’t been lost.  He’s still got the adolescent rebelliousness in him (see “Bastard” from Songs for Silverman or “B*tches Ain’t Sh*t” off of Supersunnyspeedgraphic, the LP), but a lot of times that’s tempered by the reality around him (see “Gracie” off of Songs for Silverman or “Kylie from Connecticut” from Way to Normal).

You’re not going to get Lennon/McCartney here or Brian Wilson or other songwriters with an ability to write music that seems timeless with Folds’ music.  And I’m sure for some people Folds’ music will be too juvenile to try.  But I urge you to listen to him play.  Try to feel the energy that went into the songs.  There is something there in Ben Folds’ music that I think could appeal to just about anyone.

No new entry for my other blog, Music Meteorite Motion Player, but I did want to chirp a little about music.  I just finished listening to “Voodoo Chile” by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, which is a great record that I unfortunately don’t have the attention span to hear out.  However, I did today because I wanted to enjoy the virtuosity of Hendrix, who has always been one of my favorite guitarists.  I still like Clapton more overall, but Hendrix definitely was my first inspiration for picking up a guitar.

“Voodoo Chile” is a fifteen minute blues jam that soars in and out of the left and right speakers.  I remember I had a copy of the vinyl records way back when and reading the musicians that helped on this track, several luminaries in the business at the time and even to a degree now:  Steve Winwood on organs and Jack Casady (from Jefferson Airplane) on bass.  I had known Winwood for years at the point (“Roll with Me” was a hit in the household betwixt my brother and dad and me), and I knew of Jefferson Airplane.  I just remember being fascinated by the song, how Hendrix gave traditional blues steroids and feedback to create this epic track.  Muddy Waters would have been proud or was proud.

The song that followed is another long track, “A Pot in Which to Piss” by Titus Andronicus (from The Monitor record).  That track is a little more than half the length of “Voodoo Chile”, but you can hear the Hendrix influence in the track.  Granted, there are no sweeping guitar solos or superstar guests, but there is feedback and a touch of the blues mixed in.  Hendrix’ influence on electric guitar and music lives strong even in this ADD world we live.

More Grammy Fallout

Since the Grammys last weekend, there has been a lot of post-Grammy chatter online and publicly (though I guess both act congruently now).  Most of the buzz has been positive, at least from my friends and coworkers.  I think most were fine with the Arcade Fire winning Album of the Year.  Justin Bieber not winning was a shock, but personally I was glad of that.  Most people liked the performances.  Lady Gaga’s new song “Born This Way” sounds eerily like Madonna’s “Express Yourself”.  All in all, a lot of people tuned in, and I think it was for the most part a good show.

Then this morning I read that Steve Stoute, a veteran marketing and music executive (Stoute is the manager of rapper Nas, a highly respected artist who has enjoyed critical and commercial success), publishes in the New York Times on Sunday a scathing advertisement against the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and the Grammys for “losing touch with contemporary culture and failing to acknowledge the talents of hugely successful artists like Justin Bieber and Eminem” (see http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/02/20/music-exec-slams-grammys-for-snubbing-justin-bieber-eminem/). Stoute also made comments that criticized how the producers picked certain artists to perform that contradicted the system of voting that determines who wins.  Essentially he was arguing that they asked artists like Bieber and Eminem to perform just to boost ratings despite the fact that neither won one of the bigger awards.

Stoute’s argument in this case essentially sounds to me like he would rather the artists of major labels be recognized rather than artists of independent labels.  His reasoning is part of the reasoning why I tuned OUT from the Grammys years ago.  For far too long I believe major label artists of sub-par quality have been picked over indie label artists of above-par quality.  He argues that Justin Bieber should have won New Artist of the Year over actual winner Esperanza Spalding, stating that his “cultural impact and success are even more quantifiable if you factor in his YouTube and Vevo viewership….”  I emboldened “quantifiable” because that’s exactly how he sees importance—by the numbers rather than the substance.  I’m sorry, but there is nothing about Justin Bieber’s music that inspires me.  His story is fascinating, and he is a talented artist, but he is not a talented songwriter, at least not yet.  His songs seem shallow and immature, which is great for a younger audience but does little for an older, more mature audience.

This is not to say that Bieber has no impact on adults.  I am sure there are millions of adults who love his music, the simplicity of it, and would rather have his music any day over someone of Esperanza Spalding’s ilk.  That’s their prerogative.  But to me people like Stoute and others are looking at a “who’s sold the most, who’s on TV the most” artist/band rather than a substantive artist/band.  I would argue that of the list of artists that were nominated for Best New Artist (Bieber, Spalding, Drake, Florence & the Machine and Mumford & Sons), Drake probably most deserved it.  He would be a more ideal balance of popularity and depth than the other artists.

While Stoute doesn’t directly question Arcade Fire’s Suburbs winning Album of the Year, he does question their being picked to perform right before the announcement of the Album of the Year award.  This does seem a little suspect, but it’s not exactly a new concept.  I am certain (though have not researched to confirm) that at least once an artist that has been nominated for Best Original Song on a Motion Picture at the Oscar’s has also performed right before winning the award.  I did question Arcade Fire’s choice of “Month of May” to perform but figured that was the artist using leverage in order to perform.

I admit I was shocked (in a good way) that Arcade Fire won over Eminem and Lady Antebellum.  I thought both Eminem and Arcade Fire were underdogs in the category since Lady Antebellum had already won two awards earlier in the evening.  Eminem’s record Recovery is a very good record and one of my favorites of his.  I think he shows immense depth at attacking his own demons rather than those of others (as he used to) and assumed that the album would follow the typical Grammy trend and win (based on popularity).  Recovery is good, but The Suburbs is better.  Really all of those bands were fortunate that Janelle Monáe’s ArchAndroid album and Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy weren’t nominated in that category because those albums were better.

I despise the hypocrisy on both sides (Stoute along with other major label execs as well as the RIAA and the Grammys) to be honest.  Both sides have frequently fought off more talented artists and picked the “flavor of the moment” for winning awards.  If they want to make that argument, then make the Billboard Awards a bigger deal.  Those awards are based on popularity and sales.  The Grammys should be about awarding artistic excellence regardless of sales.  When award ceremonies start awarding artists based on artistic integrity and depth, I’ll tune in.  Chances are this will never happen again.

Grammy Wrap-Up

I’m not going to while away about what the artists and entertainers were wearing, but I wanted to take a little time to talk about the Grammys.  I’ve long disliked the Grammys because I felt like major label bands were the only ones ever in consideration, and this is still basically true, though this is starting to change (see more later).  I should also clarify that when I refer to “major labels” I mean the primary mass record distributor for a particular genre.  I felt that there were some fantastic records released by independent labels (further known as “indies”) that deserved far greater attention.  I still think this is true.

I also hated the Grammys because back in the day of Napster the president of the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) made some obnoxious remarks about how free online file downloads were ruining the industry and preventing major labels from distributing their artists’ music.  While I understand the position he took and how file sharing was taking money away from the artists, I also have argued that the business itself needed to and has to change to catch up with technology and youth in general.  I think the hardest thing they had to deal with is that technology advanced fantastically in a short period of time.  They didn’t want to accept that things were changing, that bands and record companies needed to find other sources of revenue besides physical albums.   The fact that he made this statement annoyed me to no end and basically turned me off completely from the shows.

My anger started to subside a couple of years ago, and I have caught patches of the shows.  I’ve rarely if ever used the Grammys to determine what music to listen to since most indies were shunned.  However, the diversity of artists that were represented started to intrigue me, so I started to watch.  This year’s show did a better job of holding my interest, at least in the artists who actually won.

First, Album of the Year going to the Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs was a major win to me.  The record was released by Merge Records, an indie label that has been around for a long time.  Like most indies, though, Merge had never had a Grammy winner.  This win was a major coup for the indies.  Hopefully more focus will be given to their albums as well as other independent record label albums.

Second, Cee-Lo should have won for “Forget You”.  That song to me was the catchiest song I have heard in a long time, and I only just heard it four months ago.  Sure it’s a revenge song, but he does it with such straight-faced giddiness that I can’t help but like it.  In fact, that entire album deserves some more credit because it is a very solid album from beginning to end with great singing and music.

Third, Lady Gaga is rehashing old Madonna tunes.  It’s true, you cannot deny it.  “Born This Way” is “Express Yourself” all over again.  Even the underlying themes are practically the same.  While I acknowledge she has some talent, I worry that this is a pattern that will continue.  Some of her earlier stuff has harkened to Madonna’s glory days.  And her gimmicks certainly also reflect Madonna’s influence, though Gaga takes it further.

Fourth, the Black Keys won three awards on Sunday, though none were done live.  Though I like a lot of their music, Brothers was their first release to really gain popular acclaim.  So long as they don’t lose sight of who they were when they were just two making lo-fi blues records, they can do no wrong in my eyes.

I enjoyed the performances of a few artists on Sunday night.  Janelle Monae, whose ArchAndroid record is fantastic, was electric and has a great voice.  Bruno Mars, despite the fact that I really am not a fan of his music, exudes the soul of the late 1960s, so I have to give him props here.  Mumford & Sons performed as well as they usually do.  Eminem with Rhianna and Dr. Dre also did an awesome job.  Eminem was the only other band I would have liked to see win Record of the Year.  Recovery is a different record for him but a very good record.

Hopefully next year’s ceremonies will be as good as this year’s.  I think that if the organization shifts some of its focus away from the majors and looks at some indies, I think they’ll do all of us a favor.

Sticking with resolutions

Earlier this month I promised to write more in this blog since I'm probably going to be continuing this blog in the future whereas my other I probably will not.  Unfortunately, I have been extremely busy at work and just haven't been able to commit any time to this blog.  But I have been doing a lot of thinking, and finally I have the chance to commit some words to this.

The last few days I have been feeling a little troubled about my music.  I know, a silly thing, but still, it bothers me.  As I've mentioned ad nauseum in other entries, I am currently writing another blog that takes the top 200 rated albums from the last 11 years on Metacritic's website in March 2010.  Although I have only written on about 50 of them, I have listened to at least 95 of them and may have heard more of them at some point.  These albums have more or less dictated what I have listened to over the last 5 months.  I'm a bit bummed out about this because there are a load of songs already on my computer and my Zune that are being neglected by this project.

For instance, I still love to listen to classic rock, particularly Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, and especially the Beatles.  A lot of times the Beatles will take precedent over anything I am listening, regardless of if it's a project or not.  I also like listening to current rock, as well--the Black Keys, Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire, etc.  I also like some country music...Kenny Chesney is a favorite in the house, and I learned quite a bit of guitar listening to Garth Brooks and Clint Black.  And I love listening to Kind of Blue; that record I will never tire of.

Some would say why not stop the project for a while and listen to your other music.  I do that, but this project is important to me.  I resolved to see this project through, even the albums that are going to be difficult to find.  I do like this project a lot because it has opened my ears to new stuff.  I wouldn't have heard Flying Lotus or the Streets without this blog.  I wouldn't have had as good of an appreciation of the National as I do now.

So despite my sadness that I haven't listened to any other music besides my project blog albums, I am glad I am doing it, and I will make the time to listen to some of my older music.

So, here are some songs I heard today that I thought I would pass along.

• Tom Waits "Walk Away"
• Titus Adronicus "Theme from 'Cheers'"
• Nine Inch Nails' cover of the Queen song "Get Down Make Love"
• Talking Heads "Girlfriend is Better"
• Kanye West "Jesus Walks"