There is a backlash coming, and I can't wait.
Less than a decade ago, mp3.com arrived as a source for music of all kinds - mainstream, indie, obscure, global, local, you name it. It gave way to PureVolume and eventually MySpace (and the popularity of P2P networks), but the surge had started. People - mainly youth - were able to download anything they wanted, as long as they searched hard enough for it. Record and digital music collections exploded, giving rise to the changing perspectives on music that I have written about previously.
Before this point, music (and music opinion) was received largely via close friends and family, large media outlets (radio and MTV), and perhaps the odd group activity like a school dance or Christian skate night. The focus in many of these contexts was a collective experience of an individual performance. You listened to the radio while doing errands with your family or on long road trips. You watched MTV with friends (especially if you didn't get MTV and were forced to go to a friend's house to watch it). Dances and skate nights were obviously not about the music. Music was a soundtrack, but an incomplete one.
The digital age made music a constant, almost unbearable soundtrack. If you aren't listening to your iPod on the bus every morning, you can look up and note the many who are. Many people have large enough music libraries to play - without pause - for weeks or even months. The digital age also allowed for a rise in the number of recording and music-producing bands, who began to go on tours to support their passion.
But we're kinda getting sick of it.
Talking with friends and colleagues, there is a growing weariness with the state of music. There are so many bands, so many songs, so many mash-ups, not to mention so many websites, blogs, magazines, and TV channels. So many shows, and as a generation, we're sick of going to them all the time. Especially since we find ourselves disappointed by the performances more often than not. We'd rather listen to an album that we like, and not risk having it ruined for us by seeing an ill-prepared musical unit try to create a faithful rendition of it or an interesting digression from it.
We're also spending our own money now. And we're becoming more picky. Thus a backlash is on the horizon. Bands are starting to feel it, as are record companies. Both complain of music sharing harming their careers and investments. Sure, there may be a correlation there, but I'd be more inclined to believe that as the first generation to experience such music overload has moved from high school to college and now post-college life, it realizes that there are plenty of other ways to spend time than to sit at a computer and hunt down the latest and "greatest" musical acts.
But take heart, dear bands and musicians with true talent, passion, and commitment: the backlash that is coming will not destroy you, but it will thin out the herds quite a bit. At least, we can all hope it does. You can be sure that there will always be an audience for a truly kick-ass concert that's coming through town.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
Musical Espionage
I was thinking earlier this evening about how cool it would be if I were a world famous rocker and was contacted by a secret spy organization, who wanted to know if I would put coded messages in my songs, so as to communicate with their spies abroad.
I instantly realized this idea was absurd, because there's no way I could encode messages in songs and release them fast enough and with wide enough distribution to make any sort of difference.
But then I thought, isn't every artist, in a sense, taking part in a scheme like that? Almost every artist has a message in a particular piece of work, even if their message is self-absorption or "there is no message," which is a message about how sometimes things don't need to have a message. ("He's got a point, there." Name that movie!) Every artist has a message, and that message comes from somewhere, whether the artist believes it comes from the literal voice of God or simply synapses firing in the cerebral cortex. Musicians have a particular genre of message that many other artists do not share, that of the unstoppable sequence. I mentioned this in my first post here, how you can't stop music and observe it. Of course you can read musical notation and look at scores, but the actual music itself cannot be frozen and observed. It requires that we submit to its string of occurences in the 4th dimension.
Take time to listen to the codes, but don't let it jam your airwaves.
I instantly realized this idea was absurd, because there's no way I could encode messages in songs and release them fast enough and with wide enough distribution to make any sort of difference.
But then I thought, isn't every artist, in a sense, taking part in a scheme like that? Almost every artist has a message in a particular piece of work, even if their message is self-absorption or "there is no message," which is a message about how sometimes things don't need to have a message. ("He's got a point, there." Name that movie!) Every artist has a message, and that message comes from somewhere, whether the artist believes it comes from the literal voice of God or simply synapses firing in the cerebral cortex. Musicians have a particular genre of message that many other artists do not share, that of the unstoppable sequence. I mentioned this in my first post here, how you can't stop music and observe it. Of course you can read musical notation and look at scores, but the actual music itself cannot be frozen and observed. It requires that we submit to its string of occurences in the 4th dimension.
Take time to listen to the codes, but don't let it jam your airwaves.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
I Know It's Not Friday, But...
...Stavesacre is playing in the room next to me, and it made me want to write. When I say "Stavesacre," I don't mean a CD... I mean the actual band. It's a long story, but there they are. They just jumped into "Sundown Motel" (for the second time).
I love music. I love hearing it, I love playing it, I love thinking about it. I love it more than I love practically anything else. I love driving with the windows down and blasting it (but I don't like doing this on the highway because (a) then I can't hear the music as well, and (b) I actually performed a rather detailed study and series of experiments in an Environmental Science class about the potential hearing loss that can occur when driving with the windows down).
I love writing about music, too, and arguing about it as well. Which is how this whole blog started. I hate the discussion threads on sites like absolutepunk.net where it's just talk about anything EXCEPT the actual music. Whatever.
That being said, what I say here is rarely a complete opinion. So yes, though I think "pizza of my eye" is one of the dumpest lyrics ever written, - ever - I still like Motion City Soundtrack and listen to that CD rather frequently. And while I diss DLD a disproportionate amount, I still have 3 or 4 of their songs in my iTunes. And while I LOVE the Foo Fighters, anyone that knows me knows I can discuss my likes and dislikes with equal veracity. I love music, but I have a hard time loving it subjectively. So the hunt for the objective truth continues, if not about what is really "good" or "best," than at least about what I personally like most. So while I disagree with Noah's opinion about Coheed & Cambria, I'm glad he said it, because I didn't know he listened to ANY Coheed. Next time I see him we can argue - I mean, discuss - our different opinions. Or maybe we'll just skip it. That's beside the point. The point is that I love music and I love how it has bonded me to people in my life in so many different ways. Even if Luke is a bastard and doesn't allow comments on his blog.
I love music. I love hearing it, I love playing it, I love thinking about it. I love it more than I love practically anything else. I love driving with the windows down and blasting it (but I don't like doing this on the highway because (a) then I can't hear the music as well, and (b) I actually performed a rather detailed study and series of experiments in an Environmental Science class about the potential hearing loss that can occur when driving with the windows down).
I love writing about music, too, and arguing about it as well. Which is how this whole blog started. I hate the discussion threads on sites like absolutepunk.net where it's just talk about anything EXCEPT the actual music. Whatever.
That being said, what I say here is rarely a complete opinion. So yes, though I think "pizza of my eye" is one of the dumpest lyrics ever written, - ever - I still like Motion City Soundtrack and listen to that CD rather frequently. And while I diss DLD a disproportionate amount, I still have 3 or 4 of their songs in my iTunes. And while I LOVE the Foo Fighters, anyone that knows me knows I can discuss my likes and dislikes with equal veracity. I love music, but I have a hard time loving it subjectively. So the hunt for the objective truth continues, if not about what is really "good" or "best," than at least about what I personally like most. So while I disagree with Noah's opinion about Coheed & Cambria, I'm glad he said it, because I didn't know he listened to ANY Coheed. Next time I see him we can argue - I mean, discuss - our different opinions. Or maybe we'll just skip it. That's beside the point. The point is that I love music and I love how it has bonded me to people in my life in so many different ways. Even if Luke is a bastard and doesn't allow comments on his blog.
Monday, January 7, 2008
2007 Top Ten (and then some)
Top 10 Albums of 2007, in reverse order:
10. Wilco, Sky Blue Sky
I’ve listened to Wilco often enough in the past, but none of their albums ever struck me like this one. From the subdued opener which leads into the stuttered strut of “You Are My Face” and the Allman Brothers-flavored “Impossible Germany,” Wilco sound like a band from another era, but still fresh and lively. The perfect road trip album, whether driving across the country or just hopping over to Vegas (both of which I did this year, and listened to SBS while doing so).
9. Arctic Monkeys, Favourite Worst Nightmare
Plenty of bands last year tried “becoming punk” with little or no success. Arctic Monkeys accomplished this easily by sticking to the basics: write short, fast songs, release so many EPs and singles that everyone loses count, and don’t be afraid to employ every cliché and stereotype available. From false endings to questionable puns to nonsensical rhymes, all wrapped up in swagger and spit, Favourite Worst Nightmare has enough bombast for three albums, but not in the American style of “blinger is better” – Arctic Monkeys are from the anti-Fall Out Boy/Panic! at the Disco camp, and joyfully so.
8. Yellowcard, Paper Walls
This album reminds me of high school, in all the best ways. It contains all the major-key bite of classics like Slick Shoes’ Rusty and MxPx’s Life in General, but with the more advanced sense of melody and harmony that Yellowcard has always maintained.
7. Saves the Day, Under the Boards
This album would probably score much higher if it weren’t following up the excellent Sound the Alarm. As a stand-alone album it is head and shoulders above the competition, but it can’t compete against its predecessor. The title track opener is eerie until the whole band kicks in, and then it sounds so much like BOC’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper” that it’s distracting. “Woe” and “Because You Are No Other” sound like unfinished pieces of potentially good songs, while “Stay” is the least memorable ballad StD has recorded and “Getaway” is ferocious until the laughable chanting over the bridge. That’s not to say there are no bright spots on the album: “Radio,” “Can’t Stay the Same,” and “Get Fucked Up” comprise one of the best trilogies of songs Chris Conley has ever written, and “Bye Bye Baby” is among their best singles. Closer “Turning Over In My Tomb” turns in a strong finish, as well, leaving me excited for the closing chapter in this audio trilogy. Sadly, Under the Boards is this band’s Temple of Doom.
6. Band of Horses, Cease to Begin
I didn’t even realize this album would make it into my top ten until well into December, when I kept thinking about “that album that is always playing on my work computer.” Lo and behold, it’s Cease to Begin, a combination of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Explosions in the Sky. The perfect album for staying in all weekend. Put it on repeat.
5. Tegan and Sara, The Con
Tegan and Sara are identical twins and lesbians, which totally killed my celebrity crush on Tegan (the cute one). Not that crushing on a lesbian is wrong, per se, but I felt like it was just completely futile and unfair (not that any celebrity crushes aren’t futile, but…) This is all beside the point, though, which is that The Con is the best female-fronted rock album in my lifetime. (Anyone caught mentioning Exile in Guyville will be ignored.) Not only are the songs catchy and the lyrics witty and memorable, they’re also sonically rich and often transcend the traditional verse-chorus-verse formula with ease. Lines like “I was nineteen” seem simple enough on paper, but when infused with T&S’s passion and melody, they come to life and hit you as if you wrote them yourself.
4. Jimmy Eat World, Chase This Light
For a few days after I got this album, I decided that it was at best a distant third in the JEW oeuvre, behind Clarity (duh) and Futures (an increasingly underrated album). However, the more I listened to Chase This Light, the more it sucked me in with its subtle genius. Jim Adkins’ lyrics don’t appear any different, yet I find myself relating to them more closely than ever before. Lines like “Could going through the motions lead to real emotion?” and “Slap my face just to feel you somehow again” jump out at me. The album is not perfect, however; “Feelin’ Lucky” is this album’s “The Middle” (or “Jen,” from the Futures b-sides), and “Gotta Be Somebody’s Blues,” while not a bad track, oddly sounds much more like earlier Stavesacre (“Wither” from Absolutes) than Jimmy Eat World. Those are the only two songs that I routinely skip, though; the rest of the album is exceptional, and “Here It Goes” may be the single most catchy song JEW has ever recorded, which is a bold claim. But it can at least contend for that title.
3. The Most Serene Republic, Population
As this band doesn’t write songs so much as “soundscapes,” an accurate description is difficult. Imagine Anathallo with more rock, The Arcade Fire with more punk and less Canadianism (though TMSR are fellow Canucks), Sigur Ros on speed, or even Sufjan with less eccentricity, and you’re getting warm. Just check it out already.
2. Lovedrug, Everything Starts Where It Ends
This is a bit of a surprise to me, as I’ve been ambivalent about Lovedrug since I first heard them (opening for 238 on their farewell tour). But this album makes all the right moves, and I’ve been listening to it consistently since I first picked it up. More focused than earlier releases, ESWIE rocks and rolls its way through 11 tracks of post-grunge indie perfection before the beautiful closing track, foregoing pessimism for the uplifting “Wake up, you’re alive. We’re on your side.” Worth hearing repeatedly, every year.
1. Foo Fighters, Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace
Is this a surprise to anyone? The Foo have released a number of disappointments recently (worst offender: In Your Honor, which was, mathematically, not even half good), but make up for all of them in one fell swoop. ESPG saw the band returning to producer Gil Norton (responsible for Foo Fighters’ The Colour and the Shape and Dashboard Confessional’s A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar, among others) and dropping contrived rock ‘n roll, instead favoring inspired songwriting. The result is the band’s best album, on all fronts, since TCATS. Opening track “The Pretender,” while the band’s best balls-to-the-wall track since “All My Life,” is only the gateway to an album as rich with barnburners (“Let It Die,” “Erase/Replace,” “Come Alive”) as it is with ballads (“Stranger Things Have Happened,” “Statues,” “Home”). An impressive performance from a band many were beginning to suspect had long passed its prime.
Top 7 EPs:
7. The Rocket Summer, The Rocket Summer EP
6. The Spill Canvas, Denial Feels So Good
5. Flight of the Conchords, The Distant Future
4. Arctic Monkeys, Brianstorm
3. Bright Eyes, Four Winds
2. This Town Needs Guns, Cats and Cats and Cats Split EP
1. Days Away, Ear Candy for the Headphone Trippers
Miscellaneous:
Best Debut: Pierce the Veil, A Flair for the Dramatic
Best Album I Wish I'd Been Listening To Since Its Release: The CafFiends, Fission, Fusion, and Things Made of Concrete (2004)
Best Improvement Over Same Band's Last Release: August Burns Red, Messengers
Best Re-Release: Foo Fighters, The Colour and the Shape (this would have made it into the Top 10 had I not decided to disqualify it).
16 Standout Tracks:
RULES: None of these songs appear on The Top 10 Albums or Top 7 EPs, but are fantastic tracks. Organized in alphabetical order, but if sequenced properly, make a BITCHIN' mix disc.
"After the Devil Beats His Wife," Emery
"Clean Breaks," Dashboard Confessional (Best Song of 2007)
"Currents Convulsive," Pierce the Veil
"Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?," Fall Out Boy
"(Fork and Knife)," Brand New
"Hands On Me," Vanessa Carlton
"Love Like This," Natasha Bedingfield (the version without Sean Kingston)
"Night Moves," Down to Earth Approach
"Pearl," Maritime
"Say," John Mayer
"Soon We'll Be Living In the Future," Straylight Run
"The Truth," The Spill Canvas
"Up Against the Ropes," August Burns Red
"Videotape," Radiohead
"Waiting for the 7:18," Bloc Party
"Wax Simulacra," The Mars Volta
10. Wilco, Sky Blue Sky
I’ve listened to Wilco often enough in the past, but none of their albums ever struck me like this one. From the subdued opener which leads into the stuttered strut of “You Are My Face” and the Allman Brothers-flavored “Impossible Germany,” Wilco sound like a band from another era, but still fresh and lively. The perfect road trip album, whether driving across the country or just hopping over to Vegas (both of which I did this year, and listened to SBS while doing so).
9. Arctic Monkeys, Favourite Worst Nightmare
Plenty of bands last year tried “becoming punk” with little or no success. Arctic Monkeys accomplished this easily by sticking to the basics: write short, fast songs, release so many EPs and singles that everyone loses count, and don’t be afraid to employ every cliché and stereotype available. From false endings to questionable puns to nonsensical rhymes, all wrapped up in swagger and spit, Favourite Worst Nightmare has enough bombast for three albums, but not in the American style of “blinger is better” – Arctic Monkeys are from the anti-Fall Out Boy/Panic! at the Disco camp, and joyfully so.
8. Yellowcard, Paper Walls
This album reminds me of high school, in all the best ways. It contains all the major-key bite of classics like Slick Shoes’ Rusty and MxPx’s Life in General, but with the more advanced sense of melody and harmony that Yellowcard has always maintained.
7. Saves the Day, Under the Boards
This album would probably score much higher if it weren’t following up the excellent Sound the Alarm. As a stand-alone album it is head and shoulders above the competition, but it can’t compete against its predecessor. The title track opener is eerie until the whole band kicks in, and then it sounds so much like BOC’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper” that it’s distracting. “Woe” and “Because You Are No Other” sound like unfinished pieces of potentially good songs, while “Stay” is the least memorable ballad StD has recorded and “Getaway” is ferocious until the laughable chanting over the bridge. That’s not to say there are no bright spots on the album: “Radio,” “Can’t Stay the Same,” and “Get Fucked Up” comprise one of the best trilogies of songs Chris Conley has ever written, and “Bye Bye Baby” is among their best singles. Closer “Turning Over In My Tomb” turns in a strong finish, as well, leaving me excited for the closing chapter in this audio trilogy. Sadly, Under the Boards is this band’s Temple of Doom.
6. Band of Horses, Cease to Begin
I didn’t even realize this album would make it into my top ten until well into December, when I kept thinking about “that album that is always playing on my work computer.” Lo and behold, it’s Cease to Begin, a combination of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Explosions in the Sky. The perfect album for staying in all weekend. Put it on repeat.
5. Tegan and Sara, The Con
Tegan and Sara are identical twins and lesbians, which totally killed my celebrity crush on Tegan (the cute one). Not that crushing on a lesbian is wrong, per se, but I felt like it was just completely futile and unfair (not that any celebrity crushes aren’t futile, but…) This is all beside the point, though, which is that The Con is the best female-fronted rock album in my lifetime. (Anyone caught mentioning Exile in Guyville will be ignored.) Not only are the songs catchy and the lyrics witty and memorable, they’re also sonically rich and often transcend the traditional verse-chorus-verse formula with ease. Lines like “I was nineteen” seem simple enough on paper, but when infused with T&S’s passion and melody, they come to life and hit you as if you wrote them yourself.
4. Jimmy Eat World, Chase This Light
For a few days after I got this album, I decided that it was at best a distant third in the JEW oeuvre, behind Clarity (duh) and Futures (an increasingly underrated album). However, the more I listened to Chase This Light, the more it sucked me in with its subtle genius. Jim Adkins’ lyrics don’t appear any different, yet I find myself relating to them more closely than ever before. Lines like “Could going through the motions lead to real emotion?” and “Slap my face just to feel you somehow again” jump out at me. The album is not perfect, however; “Feelin’ Lucky” is this album’s “The Middle” (or “Jen,” from the Futures b-sides), and “Gotta Be Somebody’s Blues,” while not a bad track, oddly sounds much more like earlier Stavesacre (“Wither” from Absolutes) than Jimmy Eat World. Those are the only two songs that I routinely skip, though; the rest of the album is exceptional, and “Here It Goes” may be the single most catchy song JEW has ever recorded, which is a bold claim. But it can at least contend for that title.
3. The Most Serene Republic, Population
As this band doesn’t write songs so much as “soundscapes,” an accurate description is difficult. Imagine Anathallo with more rock, The Arcade Fire with more punk and less Canadianism (though TMSR are fellow Canucks), Sigur Ros on speed, or even Sufjan with less eccentricity, and you’re getting warm. Just check it out already.
2. Lovedrug, Everything Starts Where It Ends
This is a bit of a surprise to me, as I’ve been ambivalent about Lovedrug since I first heard them (opening for 238 on their farewell tour). But this album makes all the right moves, and I’ve been listening to it consistently since I first picked it up. More focused than earlier releases, ESWIE rocks and rolls its way through 11 tracks of post-grunge indie perfection before the beautiful closing track, foregoing pessimism for the uplifting “Wake up, you’re alive. We’re on your side.” Worth hearing repeatedly, every year.
1. Foo Fighters, Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace
Is this a surprise to anyone? The Foo have released a number of disappointments recently (worst offender: In Your Honor, which was, mathematically, not even half good), but make up for all of them in one fell swoop. ESPG saw the band returning to producer Gil Norton (responsible for Foo Fighters’ The Colour and the Shape and Dashboard Confessional’s A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar, among others) and dropping contrived rock ‘n roll, instead favoring inspired songwriting. The result is the band’s best album, on all fronts, since TCATS. Opening track “The Pretender,” while the band’s best balls-to-the-wall track since “All My Life,” is only the gateway to an album as rich with barnburners (“Let It Die,” “Erase/Replace,” “Come Alive”) as it is with ballads (“Stranger Things Have Happened,” “Statues,” “Home”). An impressive performance from a band many were beginning to suspect had long passed its prime.
Top 7 EPs:
7. The Rocket Summer, The Rocket Summer EP
6. The Spill Canvas, Denial Feels So Good
5. Flight of the Conchords, The Distant Future
4. Arctic Monkeys, Brianstorm
3. Bright Eyes, Four Winds
2. This Town Needs Guns, Cats and Cats and Cats Split EP
1. Days Away, Ear Candy for the Headphone Trippers
Miscellaneous:
Best Debut: Pierce the Veil, A Flair for the Dramatic
Best Album I Wish I'd Been Listening To Since Its Release: The CafFiends, Fission, Fusion, and Things Made of Concrete (2004)
Best Improvement Over Same Band's Last Release: August Burns Red, Messengers
Best Re-Release: Foo Fighters, The Colour and the Shape (this would have made it into the Top 10 had I not decided to disqualify it).
16 Standout Tracks:
RULES: None of these songs appear on The Top 10 Albums or Top 7 EPs, but are fantastic tracks. Organized in alphabetical order, but if sequenced properly, make a BITCHIN' mix disc.
"After the Devil Beats His Wife," Emery
"Clean Breaks," Dashboard Confessional (Best Song of 2007)
"Currents Convulsive," Pierce the Veil
"Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?," Fall Out Boy
"(Fork and Knife)," Brand New
"Hands On Me," Vanessa Carlton
"Love Like This," Natasha Bedingfield (the version without Sean Kingston)
"Night Moves," Down to Earth Approach
"Pearl," Maritime
"Say," John Mayer
"Soon We'll Be Living In the Future," Straylight Run
"The Truth," The Spill Canvas
"Up Against the Ropes," August Burns Red
"Videotape," Radiohead
"Waiting for the 7:18," Bloc Party
"Wax Simulacra," The Mars Volta
Friday, November 23, 2007
It's Funny, See?
So lately, like many people, I have been enjoying new shows like Flight of the Conchords and Metalocalypse. Also, I recently watched Wayne's World 2, so humor and music have both been on my mind.
Humor and music have a relationship extending back for generations, most notably in variety shows and Vaudevill-era travelling acts. In recent years they have been separated, but we are starting to see a reuniting of these auditory arts.
I think I probably speak for many people when I say that I can listen to Weird Al Yankovic for about 20 minutes, tops. I appreciate his talent and his ability to parody popular music (much of it deserved), but such humor seems to quickly lose its taste. I get distracted by the fact that the music is identical to songs I already know, but the lyrics are different; this begins to decrease my enjoyment. I'm a creature of habit. Weird Al's popularity spawned a number of imitators, most notably R. Kelly, who parodied R&B (and himself) so spectacularly with "Trapped in the Closet" that it didn't need to be parodied - though Weird Al did so, with the admittedly brilliant "Trapped in the Drive-Thru". R. Kelly perhaps achieved better longevity with the dual format of song and video: if the series had not been released in the music video format, it would probably have foundered in obscurity.
Enter TV shows like FoTC an Metalocalypse. Combining humorous songs with humorous shows, they seem to get the bost of both worlds: the songs are short and relevant to the episodes, which are carried by their own humor apart from the music. These shows also excel because they music they create is actually GOOD: though Dethklok's lyrics are usually inane beyond belief, the music is a wonderful collage of every metal cliche, done to perfection. Flight of the Conchords, meanwhile, come across like the Smothers Brothers. Their songs and harmonies are always catchy, and the lyrics (usually done in a folk/storyteller fashion) stand as well within episodes as they do apart from them. Their iTunes EP will probably be my first purchase of a musical comedian's work (my best friend growing up had all the Weird Al albums).
One other notable sector of musical comedy is the musical stand-up comedian, currently being popularized by Demetri Martin and Zach Galifianakis, to name a couple. Both these comedians use music in their acts, but usually only as background music to tell jokes over. Martin has tried one or two actual songs, but they are not very good. Here music serves a dual purpose - as a background, as a noted, but also as something for the comedians to do when picking their next joke, so they're not just feeling the pressure of dead space and silence. Both comedians have a more relaxed style, and appear to leave more time between jokes than other comedians (Dane Cook). While Galifianakis plays piano, Martin focuses on guitar but is also known to come up with more intricate setups (bells on the floor that he steps on, tape decks that he plays along with, etc.) that add a comedic element via their needless complexity.
Despite my earlier comments about Weird Al, he puts on a fantastic live show, which is a good reminder that comedy at its best is a shared experience, both with the performer and the audience. For a lot of readers of this little blog, another winter is starting - don't forget to laugh.
Humor and music have a relationship extending back for generations, most notably in variety shows and Vaudevill-era travelling acts. In recent years they have been separated, but we are starting to see a reuniting of these auditory arts.
I think I probably speak for many people when I say that I can listen to Weird Al Yankovic for about 20 minutes, tops. I appreciate his talent and his ability to parody popular music (much of it deserved), but such humor seems to quickly lose its taste. I get distracted by the fact that the music is identical to songs I already know, but the lyrics are different; this begins to decrease my enjoyment. I'm a creature of habit. Weird Al's popularity spawned a number of imitators, most notably R. Kelly, who parodied R&B (and himself) so spectacularly with "Trapped in the Closet" that it didn't need to be parodied - though Weird Al did so, with the admittedly brilliant "Trapped in the Drive-Thru". R. Kelly perhaps achieved better longevity with the dual format of song and video: if the series had not been released in the music video format, it would probably have foundered in obscurity.
Enter TV shows like FoTC an Metalocalypse. Combining humorous songs with humorous shows, they seem to get the bost of both worlds: the songs are short and relevant to the episodes, which are carried by their own humor apart from the music. These shows also excel because they music they create is actually GOOD: though Dethklok's lyrics are usually inane beyond belief, the music is a wonderful collage of every metal cliche, done to perfection. Flight of the Conchords, meanwhile, come across like the Smothers Brothers. Their songs and harmonies are always catchy, and the lyrics (usually done in a folk/storyteller fashion) stand as well within episodes as they do apart from them. Their iTunes EP will probably be my first purchase of a musical comedian's work (my best friend growing up had all the Weird Al albums).
One other notable sector of musical comedy is the musical stand-up comedian, currently being popularized by Demetri Martin and Zach Galifianakis, to name a couple. Both these comedians use music in their acts, but usually only as background music to tell jokes over. Martin has tried one or two actual songs, but they are not very good. Here music serves a dual purpose - as a background, as a noted, but also as something for the comedians to do when picking their next joke, so they're not just feeling the pressure of dead space and silence. Both comedians have a more relaxed style, and appear to leave more time between jokes than other comedians (Dane Cook). While Galifianakis plays piano, Martin focuses on guitar but is also known to come up with more intricate setups (bells on the floor that he steps on, tape decks that he plays along with, etc.) that add a comedic element via their needless complexity.
Despite my earlier comments about Weird Al, he puts on a fantastic live show, which is a good reminder that comedy at its best is a shared experience, both with the performer and the audience. For a lot of readers of this little blog, another winter is starting - don't forget to laugh.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
It's Fall, right?
I'm still getting used to California. Today it was gray and rainy, which made me feel like I was back in Chicago or Wheaton... until I stepped outside and it was in the high 60s/low 70s. So yeah, it's a different world out here.
Fortunately, my prediction for the autumn seemed somewhat accurate - and I didn't even know about In Rainbows at the time!
The new Dashboard Confessional and Jimmy Eat World albums have both proved to be enjoyable and reliable, if not devastatingly revolutionary (I think we're past the point of expecting that from either outfit, though).
The new Foo Fighters album, on the other hand, single-handedly revived a band that's been aimless since the fourth track of One By One. Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace not only rocks and rolls, the songwriting is the best "pure rock" writing since Queens of the Stone Age's Songs for the Deaf. Before this album, Foo shows consisted largely of songs from the first three albums, with 2 or 3 from each of the last two albums thrown in for good measure. Now they have an entire new album's worth of material that works as well in the studio as it does on the stage. On top of that, they throw a number of actual rock guitar solos in, that sound nothing like Rush or anything remotely prog! Like Wilco, they found success in harkening back to 70s rock albums while still maintaining their own sense of self as a band. Easier said than done; just ask Jet.
The Spill Canvas also released a capable followup, but one not nearly as solid or endearing as their breakthrough, One Fell Swoop. Though it starts strong, "Saved" sounds like they were bored playing it, and rush through it without much thought. This starts a downward slide that is only slightly slowed by moments in "Appreciation and the Bomb" and "Lullaby." Where Swoop was endearing because of its over-the-top lyrics and deft musicianship, No Really, I'm Fine only rarely succeeds in spite of these.
Coheed & Cambria were poised to make the most outrageous, bombastic record of their (and perhaps their listeners') lives - instead, they finish their epic story with a whimper: a collection of mostly forgettable songs that delve deeply into the lore they have crafted, but forget to make it relatable or at least interesting.
Albums That I Want To Like More Than I Actually Do:
Motion City Soundtrack, Even If It Kills Me. Some really strong tracks on here, but lines like "She's the pizza of my eye" just leave too bad a taste in my earmouth (?) to be ignored.
New Found Glory, From the Screen to Your Stereo, Pt. II. The first half of this album is solid and provides for some sing-alongs, while the last half stinks up the joint. Proof that cover albums work best as EPs (Hello, On the Cover).
Release That's Making Me The Happiest:
Days Away, Ear Candy for the Headphone Trippers. How can this not inspire smiles all around? Days Away prove that the reason they're no longer on Fueled By Ramen is that no other band on the roster could compare to them. I was going to say it's the best label-free release recently, but that whole In Rainbows deal might have a leg up on them. But Days Away wins the concise and melodic awards.
Release I Wish I'd Started Listening To When It Was Released:
Matchbook Romance, Voices. If I have any friends who listened to this album and didn't think of me... well, apparently we don't know each other very well, after all. It has some troubles down the stretch, but for the most part comes across as Muse's snotty, younger brother, willing to sometimes forego intricacy so they can just rock out.
Release I'm Most Happily Surprised By:
The Most Serene Republic, Population. They're a Canadian ensemble and you probably won't be seeing them on late night TV anytime soon. Writing and performing "soundscapes" instead of songs, all I know is that its closest comparison is The Mars Volta. Songs are broken by dissonance and textures, but they never forget where they're going. Meanwhile, they're also less abrasive than TMV, with melodic cousins like Broken Social Scene, Sufjan Stevens, and even Margot and the Nuclear So & So's making a better comparison in that arena. Abram tried to get me to listen to their first two releases, and I didn't like them. I listened again after enjoying Population so much... and I still don't like them. Sometimes we just need to be grateful for what we have, though.
Release My Fingers Are Still Crossed On:
Saves the Day, Under the Boards. I'm just hoping and praying.
Fortunately, my prediction for the autumn seemed somewhat accurate - and I didn't even know about In Rainbows at the time!
The new Dashboard Confessional and Jimmy Eat World albums have both proved to be enjoyable and reliable, if not devastatingly revolutionary (I think we're past the point of expecting that from either outfit, though).
The new Foo Fighters album, on the other hand, single-handedly revived a band that's been aimless since the fourth track of One By One. Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace not only rocks and rolls, the songwriting is the best "pure rock" writing since Queens of the Stone Age's Songs for the Deaf. Before this album, Foo shows consisted largely of songs from the first three albums, with 2 or 3 from each of the last two albums thrown in for good measure. Now they have an entire new album's worth of material that works as well in the studio as it does on the stage. On top of that, they throw a number of actual rock guitar solos in, that sound nothing like Rush or anything remotely prog! Like Wilco, they found success in harkening back to 70s rock albums while still maintaining their own sense of self as a band. Easier said than done; just ask Jet.
The Spill Canvas also released a capable followup, but one not nearly as solid or endearing as their breakthrough, One Fell Swoop. Though it starts strong, "Saved" sounds like they were bored playing it, and rush through it without much thought. This starts a downward slide that is only slightly slowed by moments in "Appreciation and the Bomb" and "Lullaby." Where Swoop was endearing because of its over-the-top lyrics and deft musicianship, No Really, I'm Fine only rarely succeeds in spite of these.
Coheed & Cambria were poised to make the most outrageous, bombastic record of their (and perhaps their listeners') lives - instead, they finish their epic story with a whimper: a collection of mostly forgettable songs that delve deeply into the lore they have crafted, but forget to make it relatable or at least interesting.
Albums That I Want To Like More Than I Actually Do:
Motion City Soundtrack, Even If It Kills Me. Some really strong tracks on here, but lines like "She's the pizza of my eye" just leave too bad a taste in my earmouth (?) to be ignored.
New Found Glory, From the Screen to Your Stereo, Pt. II. The first half of this album is solid and provides for some sing-alongs, while the last half stinks up the joint. Proof that cover albums work best as EPs (Hello, On the Cover).
Release That's Making Me The Happiest:
Days Away, Ear Candy for the Headphone Trippers. How can this not inspire smiles all around? Days Away prove that the reason they're no longer on Fueled By Ramen is that no other band on the roster could compare to them. I was going to say it's the best label-free release recently, but that whole In Rainbows deal might have a leg up on them. But Days Away wins the concise and melodic awards.
Release I Wish I'd Started Listening To When It Was Released:
Matchbook Romance, Voices. If I have any friends who listened to this album and didn't think of me... well, apparently we don't know each other very well, after all. It has some troubles down the stretch, but for the most part comes across as Muse's snotty, younger brother, willing to sometimes forego intricacy so they can just rock out.
Release I'm Most Happily Surprised By:
The Most Serene Republic, Population. They're a Canadian ensemble and you probably won't be seeing them on late night TV anytime soon. Writing and performing "soundscapes" instead of songs, all I know is that its closest comparison is The Mars Volta. Songs are broken by dissonance and textures, but they never forget where they're going. Meanwhile, they're also less abrasive than TMV, with melodic cousins like Broken Social Scene, Sufjan Stevens, and even Margot and the Nuclear So & So's making a better comparison in that arena. Abram tried to get me to listen to their first two releases, and I didn't like them. I listened again after enjoying Population so much... and I still don't like them. Sometimes we just need to be grateful for what we have, though.
Release My Fingers Are Still Crossed On:
Saves the Day, Under the Boards. I'm just hoping and praying.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Update
I'm not dead, I swear. Between the move to California and not having internet - or a stove, or a fridge, or hot water - I've been kinda busy. But updates should be more regular, or at least that is the hope.
First off, I'd like to address a few comments that have been made recently:
- Stay on My Side Tonight (Jimmy Eat World) is not better than Futures. Perhaps the original ideas were more creative than some of the ideas found on Futures, but their execution is poor and usually repetitive. "Disintegration" displays Jim Adkins at his 80s-influenced worst, and "Over" sounds like a Static Prevails-era b-side. "Closer" is a bright spot, but even its big arena-rock riff at the 3:40 mark is eerily reminiscent of "If You Don't, Don't" (which is a much better song). Also, what I've heard of "Chase this Light" is less than promising, but I'm withholding judgement.
- Daphne Loves Derby is one of the most overrated bands in existence currently. I'm sorry, Lars, but it's true. If it weren't for current digital technology (AutoTune, anybody?), the band would still be just another PureVolume lurker.
- I saw the Starting Line last week, and while their live show is tons of fun, hearing new songs alongside older ones proved my point: they don't hold up as well. The show was going great until the started "Are You Alone?" and killed all the energy for 3+ minutes. "Direction" was hilarious thanks to the (seated, geeky) keyboard player doing most of the shouts and yells in the verses. High comedy. While they've admittedly become more technical, I think the newer songs have less instant melody, which has been a TSL staple. Better luck next time.
Lastly, I'm seeing the Foo Fighters tomorrow. In a venue the size of the Metro, for all of you familiar with that famous Chicago location. To say I'm stoked would be the understatement of the year, especially since their new album has proved to be their best one since "There Is Nothing Left to Lose," if not "The Colour and the Shape" itself. I'm prepared to take on any challengers of that statement (as usual), so feel free to fire away.
Love you all, hopefully you'll be seeing more of me soon.
First off, I'd like to address a few comments that have been made recently:
- Stay on My Side Tonight (Jimmy Eat World) is not better than Futures. Perhaps the original ideas were more creative than some of the ideas found on Futures, but their execution is poor and usually repetitive. "Disintegration" displays Jim Adkins at his 80s-influenced worst, and "Over" sounds like a Static Prevails-era b-side. "Closer" is a bright spot, but even its big arena-rock riff at the 3:40 mark is eerily reminiscent of "If You Don't, Don't" (which is a much better song). Also, what I've heard of "Chase this Light" is less than promising, but I'm withholding judgement.
- Daphne Loves Derby is one of the most overrated bands in existence currently. I'm sorry, Lars, but it's true. If it weren't for current digital technology (AutoTune, anybody?), the band would still be just another PureVolume lurker.
- I saw the Starting Line last week, and while their live show is tons of fun, hearing new songs alongside older ones proved my point: they don't hold up as well. The show was going great until the started "Are You Alone?" and killed all the energy for 3+ minutes. "Direction" was hilarious thanks to the (seated, geeky) keyboard player doing most of the shouts and yells in the verses. High comedy. While they've admittedly become more technical, I think the newer songs have less instant melody, which has been a TSL staple. Better luck next time.
Lastly, I'm seeing the Foo Fighters tomorrow. In a venue the size of the Metro, for all of you familiar with that famous Chicago location. To say I'm stoked would be the understatement of the year, especially since their new album has proved to be their best one since "There Is Nothing Left to Lose," if not "The Colour and the Shape" itself. I'm prepared to take on any challengers of that statement (as usual), so feel free to fire away.
Love you all, hopefully you'll be seeing more of me soon.
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