Too Much of Something

 Posted by
Dec 102009
 


I can’t get into Billie Holiday.

There, I said it.

I don’t like the way she sings. I’ve never liked when white rock singers like Janis Joplin ape her slurred “Baby-you-can’t-imagine-how-my-heart aches” style, and after all these years of not liking imitations of that style, I’m comfortable admitting that I don’t like the style’s root voice either.

I’ve read essays on the song “Strange Fruit” and Holiday’s interpretation of it that make tears well in my eyes. I’m not completely insensitive. I feel a bit of Billie’s pain too and am aware that some of the songs are pretty good, but too much of the Billie love in our culture seems wrapped up in that Tortured Artist thing, and that Tortured Artist thing rarely plays well for me. Coupled with the fact that I really don’t like the way Billie Holiday sings, I’m comfortable with stating that I don’t like Billie Holiday and what her voice suggests to my soul. It’s just too much of da blooz to resonate with me. Sorry.

Have you ever held the fact that an artist projects “too much” of something against that artist? Has the “Englishness” of The Kinks or The Smiths, for instance, ever gotten in the way of your appreciating the music? As much as I love British accents and Syd Barrett‘s solo albums, there are times when I feel like he’s putting it on. I ask myself, Can anyone really have that much of a British accent? The same thing goes for me with various American artists and their “country” accents. I’ve heard people speak that way, but some singers are “too country” for me. I’m uncomfortable. I feel like they’re shoving it in my face.
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Hear Factor, deux: Everybody Needs Education

 Posted by
Dec 092009
 

Hot on the heels of a recent Philadelphia debut show by an All-Star Ukelele Orchestra, cofounded by Townsman cdm and featuring deliveries by a moustachioed chickenfrank, comes the latest Hear Factor submission, a collection of a certain kind of old-time music rarely discussed in these hallowed halls.

Everybody Needs Education (~46 MB)

Although all are encouraged to download and live with this mix before reporting back to us on how it really made you feel, man, I am especially keen to know what Townsman Hrrundivbakshi feels about this stuff. Consider yourself summoned!

What’s Hear Factor?

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Drop-the-Cat Video Moments

 Posted by
Dec 092009
 

Sorry, kitty…

We’ve all got our “Wait, wait…check it out!” musical moments, those special, super-cool points in a song that you want, no, you need your friend to hear. In all the years we’ve had rock videos in our lives, are there equivalent moments, which I will call drop-the-cat moments, as the sweaty, muscular factory worker in Madonna‘s “Express Yourself” video does when surprised to see the back of our tastefully naked, freshly milk-bathed Madge?

Despite my silly (yet sincere) example, a moment that follows in the video shortly after that cat lands on all fours, these drop-the-cat video moments need not be salacious. Whatever video moment puts you in that factory worker’s state of surprise and wonder will do. Links to your video with the time at which the drop-the-cat moment occurs for you are more than welcome!

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Favorites of the Decade?

 Posted by
Dec 082009
 


Listen, I know that technically the first decade of the 21st century doesn’t come to a close until December 31, 2010, but if we get hung up on such technicalities we’ll forget to examine this topic next year. Over the course of a decade that I cannot put my finger on musically, I’m curious to know what your favorite rock-related releases/moments have been since 2000. I am asking for your favorite choices in the following category rather than best, because I think the latter term pressures us to “think critically” and make sure that we’re taking into account stuff that we know will top every major music outlet’s coming Best of the Decade issue. So think about it:

  • Favorite album of the decade:
  • Favorite song of the decade:
  • Favorite artist of the decade (even artists who may have died prior to the decade, count):
  • Favorite live show of the decade:
  • Favorite music-related technological innovation of the decade:
  • Favorite Look of the decade:
  • Favorite music-themed movie of the decade (fictional, documentary, whatever):
  • Favorite music-themed book of the decade (fiction, biography, etc):
  • Favorite music-related change of heart you experienced this decade:
  • Favorite [add your own music-related topic] of the decade:

I look forward to hearing about your FAVORITES!

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10 Rules of Rock and Roll

 Posted by
Dec 032009
 

UPDATED!

There have been a few performers who started life as music journalists. Not many have gone the other way but Robert Forster, co-founder of the Go-Betweens, has always been a little unorthodox. He has been making a name for himself as very fine writer about music and last month released a collection of reviews, essays, and fiction all about music.

It’s called 10 Rules of Rock and Roll.

Rules 10 through 6 have been hashed over these last few days. If you need a refresher, here they are:

10. The three-piece band is the purest form of rock and roll expression.
9. Great bands don’t have members making solo albums.
8. Every great artist hides behind his manager.
7. The guitarist who changes guitars on stage after every third number is showing you his guitar collection.
6. No band does anything new on stage after the first 20 minutes.

Following are rules 5 through 1, THE BIG PAYOFF I’ve promised! Drum roll, please!
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