Last Night a DJ Saved my Life

Oh, was I an ambitious individual for uh, 3 seconds. Thinking that I would be able to contribute frequently to my own precious music blog. Alas, 38 days after my last post and here you have it, an apology: I'm Sorry, (to the 1 or 2 people that even read it in the first place).

I'm sorry that I haven't posted a dang thing. So why post now? Why not just tuck my tail and give up? Well, I was catching up on my daily web reading, when I came across this article on Hubspot.

"A lot of companies we talk to already know they want and need to start a blog. 'But we're waiting,' they say. 'We don't know what to write about and we don't want to start the blog until we know we can maintain it. First, I want to say, stop waiting. You're losing valuable time. Don't sit back and let your competitors and your customers do the talking for you."

While I'm no company and what I ramble about on this blog isn't necessarily competing against anyone else for profit, I guess what I had hoped to do was provide friends and strangers with musings on music that would inspire. No blog, no inspiration.

That's not to say I'm not inspired. It's just that as late I've been delving back into a realm of music that I had taken a brief hiatus from. Thereby, overwhelming me with newness that isn't easy to convey.
I used to DJ. I was a DJ of dance music, particularly house music, and for those that were into dance music, particularly progressive and electro house.

I once read a theory that in the midst of Republican administrations, rock n' roll (rock, punk, hard rock, etc.) is the more prevalent and popular form of music. But during the Democratic administrations, dance music (in all its forms) comes back into form.

This is just a theory, but I've noticed the transition in my own personal life. I think dance music hasn't stopped. It's never gone away. But it has gone back underground and I predict, that it will be return bigger than it was in the 90's in the coming year or two. You can already see the resurgence of house beats and dance remixes in popular songs by Rihanna, Chris Brown, Estelle's American Boy ft. Kanye West, and of course most of Justin Timberlake's tracks. Morsy is a one of the best remixers out there today, remixing Usher & Lil' Wayne to name a few.

For now, as usual with dance music, Europe is leading the charge. Berlin, Paris and London, where dance music isn't just a thing to listen to on the weekends at the club, it's utterly infused into popular culture. The popularity of France's JUSTICE over here is one example of what dance music is becoming, a fusion of cheeky, pop music, hip hop, and classic dance/disco beats. EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN. Just wait. We will be dancing once again!

Summer MIx '08

I put together a Summer Mix tape every year. I've been doing since about 2004 and mainly just distribute to friends. This has become somewhat of a tradition, I guess. What I really like now is that I can go back 4 years and get a slice of some of the music from that time. What was hot that year, what was just coming out...The following is a track list of the mix. If it piques your interest, you can download the mix as a podcast here.

1. Creator - Santogold is one of my faves of 2008. She right in there with M.I.A., but I think she’s a bit more versatile. Tom this is electro/hip hop/pomo/mishmash. I love it. Really nice. She’s also got a really great voice, which apparently she polished while being in a punk band.
2. Breakin’ Dishes - Of Top 40, I really like Rihanna. That girl’s got spunk. And she often uses great dance beats behind her tracks. She’s just a whole lot of fun. This song is great to get your booty shaking, whether you’re out for a run or dancing!
3. Eyes Wide Open - the new B-52’s album is great. I wasn’t sure we’d ever hear a new album from them. It’s a lot of fun and aptly named FUNPLEX. You could play the whole record at a party and would work. This song has a great house beat and fantastic lyrics - “I don’t want to clash, I don’t want to rehash the past. I just want release, I just want peace.”
4. Accelerate - I’ve been waiting for this R.E.M. album for 2 YEARS! No joke. I used to love R.E.M. back in the day. Well, this album is definitely getting back to their roots. I read that Stipe told the band when making the album that no song could be over 2 minutes. Back to the good ‘ole rock n’ roll. Well, some songs are over 2 minutes, but it’s worth it. If you used to like R.E.M., you should get this album. You won’t be disappointed.
5. Kiss, Kiss - The Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs are one of my favorite bands. They are great recorded and fantastic live. This song is perhaps one of their more “Siouxsie” moments. Yet still true to Karen O’s vocal qualities, she’s not imitating here. And Nick’s guitar always complements her voice. They could hand in hand.
6. The Con - Title track off of Tegan and Sara’s new album. This album is a ‘grower’, it grows on you. And you can’t stop listening to it after it has caught you. Unlike some new artists who can’t live up to their first album, I think this is better than So Jealous. I’m sure some would disagree, but this album is really good. I mean really good. Look for a blog post about it soon.
7. List of Demands (Reparations) - So, get this! This song is by a spoken artist, Saul Williams, and produced by Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor. And it’s the only track on the mix that is not from 2008. I love it because it’s so hard hitting and in your face, but is not off-putting. It’s down right catchy! The beats, the hard guitar-like synths, the lyrics could really put some people off. But this song is catchy as hell. And I love it.
8. You’ll Find a Way - Another Santogold track. Great ska guitar and beat. And her voice is impeccable. Just rockin!
9. Go Go Gadget Flow - Holy *&^$# Lupe Fiasco is right up there for best artist of the year. I think this album definitely outpaces Kanye’s new one. While they may be friends and all, Lupe is superior in all respects to Kanye. The very quick, rhythmic style is crazy cool. He is truly one of the best lyrcists and rappers out there today. Don’t sleep, y’all. And if you catch it, you can tell he’s spelling out M-A-D-I-S-O-N.
10. Down to my Grave - Interesting story. The Ironweed Project is a collaboration project started by a musician from Manchester, England. He couldn’t finish his album and so he solicited help from other musicians. The result is this interesting meld of Delta-blues guitar, hip hop beat and Moby-esque synths. And it all works.
11. Cheap and Cheerful - The Kills are dirty and punky. This song is just a cheap thrill! Enjoy.
12. Juliet of the Spirits - B-52’s again. This is fun to sing along with...have fun.
13. Violet Hill - Coldplay’s first track that they released for free download before the album came out. As the last song on the mix, I like the slow climb of the synths and pianos, with the guitar coming crashing in with the drums. Just a nice ending to a pretty rockin’ mix!

Just so happens that there is so much good music this year, that I may have a Part II already started. I'll keep you posted.

Happy Birthday, Sub Pop!

Before I begin, let me thank you for the comments...keep them coming!

I had another blog ready for you all, but before I post that, we've got to talk about Sub Pop records. They are celebrating their 20 year anniversary this month! As an independent record label Sub Pop has survived in a brutal record industry where independents don't normally last 5 years. They must be doing something special!

The Wiki entry for Sub Pop is great, I won't re-write their history here. Located in Seattle, they started the scene in the late 80's and 90's. Without Sub Pop, we wouldn't have Nirvana or really the entire Seattle grunge scene - Soundgarden, Mudhoney.
But even after the grunge scene of the 90's dissolved, Sub Pop has stayed relevant with the likes of The Shins, Go! Team, Wolf Parade, Flight of the Conchords, and the up-and-coming Fleet Foxes.

Some of the artists become mainstream and leave for more mainstream labels. But Sub Pop has always filled a niche market for the alternative bands and music scene. They are tried and true and I suspect they will be around for another good long time.

The motto on their website is: We're not the best, but we're pretty good. They know what niche they fill and they are pretty darn good at filling it, I'd say.

Too bad we don't have more successful independents.

Check out this cool video about the beginnings of Sub Pop:

Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends

I bought the much anticipated Coldplay album quite over 2 weeks ago. Unlike Parachutes or A Rush of Blood, it's taken me many listens to really form an opinion.

This album is being hyped as Coldplay's experimental album, like Achtung Baby was for U2. Coldplay themselves haven't come out and said this, but the media is definitely playing up that angle. In fact, according the UK's Sun Magazine, the group wasn't even speaking 2 years ago. This album, in collaboration with Brian Eno, put the group back on track.

Coldplay released 2 songs prior to the release of the album - Violet Hill, first as a free download through their website, and Viva La Vida. If this album is their experiment, these 2 cuts are possibly the least surprising. These songs are great, don't get me wrong. But of all the cuts on the album, these are probably the most familiar.

It's debatable about whether this is actually an "experimental" album or not. One could say that simply because the group experimented with new instruments (Persian Santur!), new chords like the piano riff on Lovers in Japan, new sonic templates, new vocal ranges, etc. that this is an experiment.

Artists continually have to challenge themselves. The sound that was new 1 year ago is no longer unexpected, no longer astonishing. Especially after playing that song night after night.

What is creativity but not experimentation?

I read that The Ting Tings never imagined that their album would become so widely known. That they were just making music that they liked and knew their friends would like to dance to. But now they actually have a hit on their hands and a fan-base and a public that will demand certain things from them moving forward.

I can only imagine the pressure and influence they may receive if they choose to make another album....pressure they didn't have on the first album.

This is perhaps what Coldplay faced after Parachutes, still one of their best albums.

This is the conundrum of the successful and celebrated. The music they make is no longer solely their possession. Ownership is partly with the labels, they want to continue to make profits. But more importantly, and metaphysically, ownership also lies with the fans. We, who choose to listen to Coldplay on our commute to work, on our ipod while jogging, or on the plane to see the family. It becomes part of OUR life. It influences our mind our emotions, our ideas, our life. We feel possessive of these songs. And we have every right to do so.

So yes, the artist is in a bit of a pickle.

How far off can he or she go to stay fresh, to stay passionate? One may speculate that that Coldplay chose Brian Eno to produce this album not only for his talent (big talent), but because they saw that he could challenge well-known artists who are in this stage of their career (U2, The Talking Heads). There are many other producers out there that they could have chose. But they didn't. Eno has a record of pushing the artist to their boundaries (not his boundaries), out of their usual formula and into new territory, and the artists are better for it.

This album requires faith for the listener. And I have to say, with a bit of faith and a bit of patience (a nice long listen or two), this album will NOT disappoint. It's not so much of a departure for Coldplay, it's an evolution. And the listener will have to evolve with them. But if you can go on that journey, you too will be better for it.

How do you hear about new music?

There are so, so many ways to find out about new music these days that it seems almost overwhelming. Used to be that you would go to your local record store, see the new releases and talk with the people that worked there. Or we heard a song on the radio and the DJ told us who it was. Mostly we found out about new music through friends, people we trusted, radio stations we like.

But now, with so many avenues to explore new music, how do you find new music?

Good ole radio?
Magazines?
Friends?
Record store?

I'll share with you some of the ways that I hear about new music...

Commercials
Wait! Don't only "sell-outs" allow their music to be used for commercials? Not in this day and age. In the marketing field myself, the industry is shifting from using very well-known music (like the Stones, Led Zeppelin, etc.) to using music that creates a vibe, creates a mood and an attitude that targets very specific consumer groups.

Obviously, the ipod/itunes commercials are very popular. The latest group to gain success from an ipod commercial is The Ting Tings. Their song, "Shut Up and Let Me Go" rocks and was featured in the most recent iPod commercial. Listening to their new album which dropped at right now, I can tell you they ROCK!

The Ting Tings sound a bit like Sleater Kinney, but with more electro spice. Simple beats that are super catchy - think 2-1 hand-clapping - and a great front woman who has a fresh and familiar voice. They'll make you want to dance. For me, that's sure brilliance. In fact, I love it so much that here's the ad....



Some of my favorite artists - Santogold, Saul Williams, Silversun Pickups - are now featured in commercials for things beer, athletic shoes and baseball. The old "sell-out" argument doesn't hold for these folks. The conversation has changed. Perhaps I'll write a blog about music and marketing later....(You can hear Saul Williams addressing it here.)

Magazines
Some magazines I like are:

• Paste
• Spin
• Paper - the newest issue featuring Pharrell Williams and N*E*R*D*'s new album, which I really like BTW.
• NME - great magazine from the UK. Has ton of info for all sorts of music.

It pays to have a subscription to some of them, but mostly I check out their (free) wedbsites.

Radio (Web)
Sometimes I hear good music through the commercially available radio stations in my city, but not normally. They usually play what I know is coming out or what I've heard already. And most of them all sound the same, especially here in Atlanta. Some of my favorites I get through the web through podcasts or live streaming:

• All Songs Considered - one of the greatest offerings that public radio has today. I hear so much great music through this and they often post live shows on their website that you can download and listen to for free. Lately, I've downloaded R.E.M. at SXSW and B-52s. This is a treasure trove of new music. The host, Bob Boilen, is also one of the most knowledgeable and fair music critics out there. He's really interested in what is new, different, cutting edge, but also music that will last the test of time.
• The Current (Minnesota Public Radio) - not only does Minnesota have some of the best public radio, it has a great tradition of indie music and great acts like Prince. The current is AWESOME! You can hear everything from Lupe Fiasco, to David Bowie, to My Morning Jacket. They play what's great and what you cannot get on the commercial stations. The good news is that you can stream it live from any computer! Check it out! NOW!!!
• My Morning Becomes Eclectic KCRW - another great publicly-funded station out of Santa Monica. The good news about that is they are 3 hours behind, so My Morning Eclectic comes on at noon eastern. Just in time for lunch. Also a great program that breaks new music you won't here on commercial stations.

Random Places
Just saw an ad in Spin magazine for Diesel, promoting their new site devoted to musicians that haven't necessarily signed with a label but that are producing a buzz in their respective realms. One hot act I found on there is a pair of lady DJs from Sweden that call themselves, Housewives. I hope they produce an album soon, because they are putting some hot dance music out.

Shows like So You Think you Can Dance have some great music. I love that the choreographers on the show get a chance to share new music to viewers like us inadvertently through their pieces. You can get the full music lineup from the site.

The greatest thing about all this is that whenever I hear a tune that really catches my ear, a sound where I think "Man! What is that? I need to know." it is so easy these days to find out quickly who that was. Google the commercial, or go to YouTube and look it up. Chances are, within a few clicks, you'll find your artist and the song and you'll have new music to inspire you.

Music is the language of the spirit

Once upon a time, Victor Hugo said:
"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent."

In this vein, I intend to write a blog that shares my thoughts, whims, impressions, and passionate impressions about music, EVEN IF it is fruitless to do so. Because as Mr. Hugo has stated, it is impossible to be silent on this subject matter.

I hope that you'll find it inspiring, thoughtful AND useful in choosing new music. The most that I can do is possibly influence who and what you listen to. I LOVE sharing music and hearing about new music. I hope that you feel inclined to share some of your favorite music as well.

Now I ain't no music critic. But I do have a wide perspective on various music out there. Everything from Guns N Roses to Tegan and Sarah to Boards of Canada to The White Stripes. I mean there's a wide variety! However, I would be surprised if you read much about country music on this blog. Or death metal. But you never know. I hesitate to place any boundaries on my musical tastes.

And just because I like something...doesn't mean you should. I expect that a blog about music would be less controversial than one about politics, but I could be very surprised. I think that people's passion for their favorite band could be as emotional and heated as their favorite candidate. We will see....