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Rock Town Hall’s Saturday Night Shut-In: Life After REM

Sep 242011

Sounds of the Hall in roughly 33 1/3 minutes!

In this week’s edition of Saturday Night Shut-In Mr. Moderator welcomes a newly active Townsperson, then ponders life without REM… Not really, not the second part, but he does play two live tracks from the band, songs he can’t identify but hopes you can! It’s an odd show, as your host dips into some proto-post-punk and worries that he’s pissed off an old friend.

[audio:https://www.rocktownhall.com/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/RTH-Saturday-Night-Shut-In-46.mp3|titles=RTH Saturday Night Shut-In, episode 46]

[Note: The Rock Town Hall feed will enable you to easily download Saturday Night Shut-In episodes to your digital music player. In fact, you can even set your iTunes to search for an automatic download of each week’s podcast.]

Once and For All: What’s the Most Popular Non-Hit Single Ever?

Posted by misterioso

Sep 232011

The single stiffed, but…

Every once in a while I get to thinking about songs that everyone knows–or, at least that have achieved huge popularity and recognition–that were not hit singles. My case in point is The Romantics‘ “What I Like About You.” Everybody knows that song. It didn’t make the Top 40, though.

There are various reasons why such a song might take off later rather than sooner: maybe it had poor distribution or bad PR in the first place, maybe later it gets used in a commercial or movie or (now) videogame.

I have a few criteria in mind.

I am talking about songs that were released as singles only–so no “Stairway to Heaven” and what have you. No album tracks. That’s a separate category.
By “not a hit single” I mean it didn’t make the Top 40. I know that the invocation of Top 40 skews the discussion away from modern times when the Top 40 as we knew it has ceased to have any meaning whatsoever. Special pleading is welcome.
Most subjective is “everyone knows it.” Use your judgement. Polling data are not required. A once-obscure song that is later used in a movie or commercial does not necessarily translate into a song that everyone knows. The 13th Floor Elevators‘ “You’re Gonna Miss Me” is known by a lot more people because of its use in High Fidelity, but most people don’t know it. We’re looking for major penetration into people’s brains here.

Please Explain: MUSIC!

Posted by Oats

Sep 232011

Seriously, what is this shit?

The Unbearable Irrelevance of Relevance

Posted by misterioso

Sep 232011

Relevant or just plain good?

Now try this:

Irrelevant or just plain shitty?

Although I certainly agree with the general gist of Machinery’s REM thread, and would, myself, add at least 10 years to his over-generous assessment of REM’s breakup being “15 years too late,” I think that framing such a discussion around “relevance” is a mistake. No performer is going to remain relevant forever. Some great performers do not attain relevance while they are active, even. Relevance is largely irrelevant. What matters is the quality of the work. REM’s work after, let’s be generous here, Document may be more relevant than what came before, or it may be less relevant. I have no idea. Perhaps many people find “Everybody Poops”–er, “Hurts”–to be far more relevant than “Radio Free Europe.” I suppose there is nothing preventing a mawkish, bathetic, and dull-as-dirt song from being relevant to people.

Since of course the Stones have been mentioned, the problem with their post-Tattoo You (say) records is not irrelevance, it is shittiness. You might say that the two are related, but in all fairness, the best Stones record ever was not going to make them relevant in 1990.

Let’s try this exercise again:

PLEASE EXPLAIN: Fugazi

Posted by hrrundivbakshi

Sep 232011

I swear I’m not trying to be an asshole here, and I admit to not being all that familiar with their work, but — man, I’ve never really understood Fugazi. And I’m from Washington, DC!

Minor Threat, I get. HarDCore punk, yeah, “straight-edge,” yeah. All sinews and tendons and youth and loudness and anger. Got it. But Fugazi? I dunno, man. They strike me as being, like, a grown-up, much artsier, much proggier Minor Threat. And I’m not sure it translates.

Which is not to say I don’t understand the process/problem of growing up punk. And I have to say, the Fugazi backstory rules. All that jazz about $5 shows, $10 albums — yeah, very Clash, very old-school, very un-DC… very cool. To be able to “grow up” and stay like that is pretty amazing. Kudos. But on the musical tip, I fear I must be missing something. So I guess I’m throwing my arms open wide, waiting for the nurturing embrace of a Fugazi-loving Townsman who can help me see what I’m missing. Tell me: why do you like Fugazi so much?

Something for Almost Everyone

Posted by cdm

Sep 232011

Great news everybody! There’s a new super group in town and they go by the name Super Heavy.

Super Heavy is composed of Mick Jagger, Joss Stone, Dave Stewart, Damian Marley, and A. R. Rahman (a composer of movie soundtracks in India). As near as I can tell, Jagger and Stone sing, Stewart plays guitar, Marley raps, and Rahman noodles (on the keyboard).

They are clearly going for something that transcends national and cultural boundaries. The current formula sounds to me like:

45% Jagger
20% Marley
15% Stewart
15% Stone
5% Rahman

How would you tweak the formula to help them better reach their goals? 20% more Rahman? Seriously, this guy has apparently won two Oscars, two Grammys, and has sold 300 albums. Why is he hiding his light under a bushel? Mick’s presence is going to put asses in the seats but would it kill him to just dial it back a little bit for the good of the United-Colors-of-Benetton nature of the project?

Also, do you think they meant to evoke the “Waiting on a Friend” video starting at 3:37? I hope that Keith updates his bio with the next pressing, I’d love to hear his thoughts on this.

Finally, who is the real 6th member of Super Heavy (or 5th member if Rahman doesn’t step up his game): Marley’s floor-length dreads or Joss Stone’s rack?

In any event, these guys have upped the ante for super groups everywhere. Your move, Chicken Foot.

REM, 15 years too late?

Posted by machinery

Sep 212011

Not to be a hater here…but I can’t think of any band breaking up I could care less about. I mean, have they even been relevant for the last few decades?

So to frame it as a discussion: Are there other bands who shoulda called it quits a lot earlier than they did? Or still should? I’ll start: The Stones. Break up already. Please.

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