I could listen to this song for hours.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Its my birthday tomorrow.... So to celebrate I will post 4 videos that I found within the past 12 hours that really got me goin! I mean, haven't you ever just listened to a song or seen a video and immediately fell in love with it?! I think I've thrown my hands up in joy like 6 times within the past 30 minutes. These artists rock, and the everything about the videos rule! Live performances are making a comeback ya'll. Say goodbye to the days of lip syncing and hello to real live, talented musicians!
First... A living legend with a hint of R&B. Elvis Costello and The Roots!
Next a new up and coming jazz artist, Gregory Porter (If you like jazz look this guy up! He's the man!)
First... A living legend with a hint of R&B. Elvis Costello and The Roots!
Next a new up and coming jazz artist, Gregory Porter (If you like jazz look this guy up! He's the man!)
Now for something completely different... I have no idea who these guys are or where they're from or what they're saying but you can bet I'll be researching them and diving into a musical journey with them before my night is over... Freaking. Awesome.
(you might have to log into Facebook to view this one)
Last but not least Allen Stone! Nough' said....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FhP-hwTmQY#t=30
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Local Music
Local Music... the ups and downs of being a local musician.
As a local musician I would like to discuss some of the many things that go into playing at that run down juke joint, or up scale night club. Though the fans may see us as easy going musicians with a laid back lifestyle and a knack for pleasing the crowd, theres actually a lot of blood, sweat and tears that go into performing regularly. Local musicians all face one main obstacle, balancing countless hours spent writing and practicing, with playing gigs that may hardly pay for you bar tab at the end of the night. Some bands get luckier than others and some bands work incredibly hard to become what they aspire to be. But none the less, it's not as easy as some people make it seem. We have to deal with booking agents and bar owners (some better than others), bad sound guys (its inevitable), drunken fans, bad pay, bad rehearsals, terrible work hours, and a constantly shifting schedule. And if thats not enough to break you, try pouring your heart and soul into a song, practicing it for hours and then walking up on stage and TOTALLY BOMBING IT! Every great musician has done it... most call it "paying your dues" and some pay all the dues they can afford until they eventually give up. But for those that stay with it, and hear each second of screeching feedback as an opportunity to get better, they will most likely reach their goal. Breaking big is one thing, but simply playing and performing for others, seeing those feet start a tappin' and those heads start a bobbin', when people you've never seen before are mouthing the lyrics to your songs... thats the bee's knees! It's those instances in time when the lights are shining down and the band is really grooving that get most local musicians going. And most of us just keep coming back for more. Jumping those obstacles and still putting on a good show is what it's all about, and in my opinion, artist like this need to be celebrated. SO lets check some out:
Two bands I've previously mentioned in my blog are Hazy Ray (New Orleans) and GIVERS (Lafayette)... check these bands out. THEY KNOW WHATS UP!
Two Baton Rouge based bands I've really been into lately are Minos The Saint and Levee Daze
A few more to check out...
And last but not least WILCO.... every local band has a group to look up to and I think WILCO is a good place to start... They are basically the epitome of a local band gone big! They were just a few guys playing around Chicago when eventually they got noticed, but in the midst of recording their album the record label decided to drop them, leaving them with all the rights to the album. After selling it online for a while they eventually signed again with a new label and grew ever so popular. Oddly enough that first album they recorded, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, still remains to be their most popular album; showing just how unstable and unpredictable the music industry can be!
Check it...
As a local musician I would like to discuss some of the many things that go into playing at that run down juke joint, or up scale night club. Though the fans may see us as easy going musicians with a laid back lifestyle and a knack for pleasing the crowd, theres actually a lot of blood, sweat and tears that go into performing regularly. Local musicians all face one main obstacle, balancing countless hours spent writing and practicing, with playing gigs that may hardly pay for you bar tab at the end of the night. Some bands get luckier than others and some bands work incredibly hard to become what they aspire to be. But none the less, it's not as easy as some people make it seem. We have to deal with booking agents and bar owners (some better than others), bad sound guys (its inevitable), drunken fans, bad pay, bad rehearsals, terrible work hours, and a constantly shifting schedule. And if thats not enough to break you, try pouring your heart and soul into a song, practicing it for hours and then walking up on stage and TOTALLY BOMBING IT! Every great musician has done it... most call it "paying your dues" and some pay all the dues they can afford until they eventually give up. But for those that stay with it, and hear each second of screeching feedback as an opportunity to get better, they will most likely reach their goal. Breaking big is one thing, but simply playing and performing for others, seeing those feet start a tappin' and those heads start a bobbin', when people you've never seen before are mouthing the lyrics to your songs... thats the bee's knees! It's those instances in time when the lights are shining down and the band is really grooving that get most local musicians going. And most of us just keep coming back for more. Jumping those obstacles and still putting on a good show is what it's all about, and in my opinion, artist like this need to be celebrated. SO lets check some out:
Two bands I've previously mentioned in my blog are Hazy Ray (New Orleans) and GIVERS (Lafayette)... check these bands out. THEY KNOW WHATS UP!
Two Baton Rouge based bands I've really been into lately are Minos The Saint and Levee Daze
A few more to check out...
Alexandra McCullough is and LSU alum now based out of Shreveport.
And last but not least WILCO.... every local band has a group to look up to and I think WILCO is a good place to start... They are basically the epitome of a local band gone big! They were just a few guys playing around Chicago when eventually they got noticed, but in the midst of recording their album the record label decided to drop them, leaving them with all the rights to the album. After selling it online for a while they eventually signed again with a new label and grew ever so popular. Oddly enough that first album they recorded, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, still remains to be their most popular album; showing just how unstable and unpredictable the music industry can be!
Check it...
Monday, October 14, 2013
What to keep on your musical toolbox!
Whats a musical toolbox you might ask? Well, it can be anything your little musical heart desires. If you're a composer, listener, performer, critic, or enthusiast, it doesn't matter! It's just important that you have a screw driver at your disposal to ensemble that new home entertainment system you just bought! But no seriously.... its important to have a "bag of tricks" when dealing with music. That way you're not some Joe Schmo just gettin' by. You want a toolbox not a swiss army knife. So here are some gadgets you might enjoy, or at least be happy to be aware of.
First off if you're going to carry on a conversation with a musician about their music or even anyones music you better be relatively educated about it. Heres a website that plenty of music majors use to sharpen their skills. http://www.musictheory.net It may seem boring to you or even bring you back to those music appreciation days where you couldn't help but think about how that socially introverted, music theory teaching assistant was allowed to be in front of people. But hey, they say its good to be edumacated in a little bit of everything right?!
Next is for composers. Be innovative and daring. Right a piece that uses some super weird sounds! Go out... observe the world... and record it! Use a phone, iPad or computer! Heck you could even write down what you hear! And if you think you aren't getting good enough quality on your samples then use this website. And if you're not a composer you should still check out these sound samples... its quite amazing what we can do with sound these days. http://www.freesound.org
Random tip: get good rhythm and pitch... They say its innate but you don't have to believe them. Practice it. Taps beats on your desk. Hum a tune while you're walking. Pluck songs out on your keyboard as you hear them. Don't think it's possible? Check out this awesome TEDtalk.
There are oodles of things you can do to make your toobox bigger. It just might take some time and investments. But music is good for the soul! It's an outlet, a form of expression, a language! Take some time to learn the language and try and talk to someone with it!
Monday, October 7, 2013
So far underground they could double as coal miners...
This time around I figured I'd hit you with some artists you've most likely never heard of before... I'll do my best to touch on a few different genres, but its tough to even scratch the surface of the plethora of artists that exist in the underground music scene.
We'll start off with a seriously experimental artist. This guy has found ways to incorporate acoustics with electronics in an incredibly mesmerizing fashion. He is from Iceland, and is spreading his musical aura throughout the world with the help of his amazing band and fellow experimental musicians that are constantly carving new pathways in a the musical forest.
Lets move on to some indie/pop/grunge/experimental/rock..... its really quite impossible to explain this next girl. She's an interesting combination of child/tomboy/genius/musician. Take a listen to her this first video, and then feel free to expand further. Her music has such a wide variety of sounds, and coming from London she fits right in with ever growing underground scene they have there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnuBD7oba_w ----- This is another great video by Micachu.... interesting right??
Last I'll go local. Here in Louisiana there are a few bands that everyone knows about (at least us crazy teenagers) and these bands deserved to get recognized for their hard work. Heres a band from Baton Rouge called Hazy Ray... they're currently residing in New Orleans and are looking to expand their music as far as it will go.
A lot of people know of this band already but I cant help but support them. Their upbeat genre has been described as worldly, sunshined, afro-beat pop music. They are simply taking the word indie and making it their own again. Its unique, fun and interesting... if you haven't heard them, check them out. All of their songs are just as good as the last.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Song Writting
This little gem is to get people aware of the things that happen behind the scenes these days in the music industry. Most artists now are just "performing artists" not creators. This can be a topic of interest. Does it take away from the emotion of the song? Performance of it? Some very famous people are terrible song writers but great performers. (Whitney Houston-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_by_David_Foster) Some people spend there whole lives writing music and never get credit for it. Also.... Why are people getting paid millions to write the lyrics to that Beyonce song up there??? My second grade brother improvises better songs than that while he's singing in the shower!
Check out this video... plenty of rap, R&B and soul music these days are very limited lyrically. Or are just plain vulgar and uninteresting, but there are still artists out there that are writing top notch, high quality songs. And what talent is must take to freely spit out such wordy lyrics at a fast pace to rhythmic music.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Thinking..... critically!
We're all entitled to our own opinion right? You can judge people, books, art, contests, and music. The list is endless, but thats what keeps our gears turning, right?! If none of us had biased opinions there would be nothing to argue about! And lets be honest... sometimes a little heated argument is what makes a conversation exciting! Ooooo, spicy!
So here's what's up. I'm going to post a few videos and I want you to think nice and hard about what you have to say about them. BE OH SO JUDGMENTAL!!! Criticize the music, the lyrics, the quality of film or sound! It's all in your hands now... pretend you're the editor and chief for Rolling Stones Magazine and what you say goes!
First up..... The ever so popular Lady Gaga or is it the lesser known Stefani Germanotta?
Did you like her better then? Or is she your Gaga Queen now?
(If you ask me... I prefer Stefani)
Second on the chopping block... Macklemore.
(Warning: Parental Advisory... This ish iz baaaaaaad!)
Some people are sick of him. I cant get enough!
Third (and personally, my favorite artist) Dave Matthews.
Pretty simple song right?! But to me... it still says so much, and the performance is pretty impeccable. Grover aint half bad either. (Look at me being all biased and stuff.)
Last but not least, Jay-Z
Did you watch the whole thing??? It's pretty long, but I think its worth it. There is alot of information about art covered in this video. Not too mention the shear amount of humanistic emotions being tossed around that room. Good stuff... Good stuff...
Welp, we're done... are you bored? I hope not. I hope I got your gears turning. Sometimes, its just alright to be judgmental. You don't have to be rude about it, or "all up in ma face" about it.
Just think.... critically.
So here's what's up. I'm going to post a few videos and I want you to think nice and hard about what you have to say about them. BE OH SO JUDGMENTAL!!! Criticize the music, the lyrics, the quality of film or sound! It's all in your hands now... pretend you're the editor and chief for Rolling Stones Magazine and what you say goes!
First up..... The ever so popular Lady Gaga or is it the lesser known Stefani Germanotta?
Did you like her better then? Or is she your Gaga Queen now?
(If you ask me... I prefer Stefani)
Second on the chopping block... Macklemore.
(Warning: Parental Advisory... This ish iz baaaaaaad!)
Some people are sick of him. I cant get enough!
Third (and personally, my favorite artist) Dave Matthews.
Pretty simple song right?! But to me... it still says so much, and the performance is pretty impeccable. Grover aint half bad either. (Look at me being all biased and stuff.)
Last but not least, Jay-Z
Did you watch the whole thing??? It's pretty long, but I think its worth it. There is alot of information about art covered in this video. Not too mention the shear amount of humanistic emotions being tossed around that room. Good stuff... Good stuff...
Welp, we're done... are you bored? I hope not. I hope I got your gears turning. Sometimes, its just alright to be judgmental. You don't have to be rude about it, or "all up in ma face" about it.
Just think.... critically.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Miley vs. The Civil Wars
Shall we begin with a video?
http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/942064/we-cant-stop-blurred-lines-give-it-2-u-medley.jhtml
Thats right! I did it! I gave Miley what she wanted... another view to what seemed to be the most popular video since "Ouch! Charlie Bit Me" But lets give her a break... maybe it wasn't what she wanted. Maybe it was what the puppet masters that control her recording contract wanted. After all, it's like they say "Theres no such thing as bad fame!" Maybe it wasn't even Miley; with that hair cut, it could have just been some 16 year old boy they paid to go out and act as foolish as possible for the naughty pleasure of millions of American viewers. Personally I think its just the men and women sitting in the MTV break room looking for a good laugh. "Hey Joe, what if we got Miley to seduce America with a foam finger!?" "Yeah man, that'd be hilarious." Seems like they just want to see how far they can go before we decide as viewers that we've had enough.
Whatever the reason for this horrifically funny video may be, all I can think in my little noggin is man... I sure do miss Hannah. Whatever happened to crushing over boys in between class at the lockers? Or learning life lessons from Mr. Achy Breaky Heart.
SO! Ill leave you with this. This amazing band just broke up last week. Probably because they weren't making enough money to support their families, or maybe it was because no one was paying attention to them because they were too busy twerking it. Lets pull together and bring them back... some one can arrange a Harlem Shake Marathon Fundraiser to raise awareness of the loss of great music or something.
------> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEFf3F2a8HE <------
http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/942064/we-cant-stop-blurred-lines-give-it-2-u-medley.jhtml
Thats right! I did it! I gave Miley what she wanted... another view to what seemed to be the most popular video since "Ouch! Charlie Bit Me" But lets give her a break... maybe it wasn't what she wanted. Maybe it was what the puppet masters that control her recording contract wanted. After all, it's like they say "Theres no such thing as bad fame!" Maybe it wasn't even Miley; with that hair cut, it could have just been some 16 year old boy they paid to go out and act as foolish as possible for the naughty pleasure of millions of American viewers. Personally I think its just the men and women sitting in the MTV break room looking for a good laugh. "Hey Joe, what if we got Miley to seduce America with a foam finger!?" "Yeah man, that'd be hilarious." Seems like they just want to see how far they can go before we decide as viewers that we've had enough.
Whatever the reason for this horrifically funny video may be, all I can think in my little noggin is man... I sure do miss Hannah. Whatever happened to crushing over boys in between class at the lockers? Or learning life lessons from Mr. Achy Breaky Heart.
SO! Ill leave you with this. This amazing band just broke up last week. Probably because they weren't making enough money to support their families, or maybe it was because no one was paying attention to them because they were too busy twerking it. Lets pull together and bring them back... some one can arrange a Harlem Shake Marathon Fundraiser to raise awareness of the loss of great music or something.
Lets Get Started
'Lets Talk Pop Music' is going to discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of all things pop music. It will point out the differences between popular musicians and underground musicians. It will make you question whether or not your favorite radio artist is a sell out! It will expose you to good music, bad music, weird music, loud music, electric, acoustic, and experimental music, and maybe even music that you didn't even think was considered music! So put on your lime green Dr. Beats, turn up your built in Mac speakers, and crank up those 10 inch car subs, because we're about to jam out until our ear drums bust!
P.S. This is definitely an English 2000 project so I'm kind of being forced by the man! But hey, its a chance to rant about all the things I love and hate about music.... so why not do it!?!
P.S. This is definitely an English 2000 project so I'm kind of being forced by the man! But hey, its a chance to rant about all the things I love and hate about music.... so why not do it!?!
-CH
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