According to NME, CBS has picked up Smells Like Teen Spirit, described as a sitcom in which a teenager skips "Harvard and instead opts to launch a multibillion-dollar Internet
company from his garage with the assistance of his sister, best friend
and his 1990s indie-rock parents."
Yes, we know what you're thinking: Did Courtney Love approve the use of the title of Nirvana's most famous song? Well, song titles can't be copyrighted so, that's that. Oh, you mean...nah, we don't care to opine on someone blatantly cashing in on '90s nostalgia in the cheesiest of ways.
10/21/2012
10/20/2012
David S. Ware (1949 – 2012)
Saxophonist David S. Ware, whom the New York Times called "a powerful and contemplative jazz saxophonist who helped lead a resurgence of free jazz in New York" and a master improviser who was probably one of the few true musical heirs of the great John Coltrane, died this past October 18th in his native state of New Jersey due to complications related to a kidney transplant.
He was 62 years old.
He was 62 years old.
10/19/2012
"Letting the days go by..."
An early MTV staple widely considered Talking Heads' signature song, these days the interpretation that "Once in a Lifetime" [Sire-1981] is about the idealism of youth compromised by the arrival of midlife and its attendent ennui, holds more ground than ever. "Same as it ever was", indeed.
10/18/2012
Keith Richards: Rock's Rhythm Guitar King
It
seems a bit surreal but no one under the age of
50 has known a world without Keith
Richards.
And in that half century--with and without but mostly with the Rolling Stones--the man who in many circles is considered the archetype of the modern rocker, has left an undeniable mark on the world of music and rock guitar in particular. Like his most obvious influence, the legendary rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry, Richards has created a signature style, one that has made him one of the instrumental standard bearers of his chosen genre. Widely regarded as one of rock's greatest rhythm guitarists, Keef's influence is both immensely recognizable, and seemingly ubiquitous.
Unlike his idol Berry, Richards was never interested in being a solo act and only became one in the '80s when his fractured relationship with Mick Jagger almost cracked, due to the Stones' frontman not being interested in making music with the band at the time.
Keef subsequently put together the X-pensive Winos, in which he shared guitar duties with noted musician and producer Waddy Wachtel and released two studio albums--Talk is Cheap [Virgin-1988]; Main Offender [Virgin-1992]--and Live at the Hollywood Palladium [Virgin-1991], before returning to the Rolling Stones.
Although his guitar was an important part of the Stones' sound during the first decade of the band, one could say that Keef's subsequent influence lies in the work he did immediately thereafter. Specifically, on the albums Sticky Fingers [Rolling Stones Records-1971] and Exile on Main Street [Rolling Stones Records-1972], iconic rock masterpieces both. However, many agree--including Richards himself--that his style was slightly curbed when he paired up with the great Mick Taylor, which made for a more uniform six-string approach, as Keef adapted to the role of rhythm guitarist while Taylor settled into the lead guitarist slot. And yes, although their roles were quite defined at the time, songs like "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" from Sticky Fingers, with its bold improvisation, would probably not exist in the same manner with a different configuration of guitarists.
The arrival of former Faces guitarist Ron Wood into the Stones' lineup in the mid-seventies, gave Richards a partner with whom he could switch between rhythm and lead in an improvised and more intuitive manner; effortlessly and sometimes within the same song, like a nimble four-limbed guitarist, a musical dynamic that's been going strong for almost 40 years at this point.
And yes, Keef will bury us all.
And in that half century--with and without but mostly with the Rolling Stones--the man who in many circles is considered the archetype of the modern rocker, has left an undeniable mark on the world of music and rock guitar in particular. Like his most obvious influence, the legendary rock and roll pioneer Chuck Berry, Richards has created a signature style, one that has made him one of the instrumental standard bearers of his chosen genre. Widely regarded as one of rock's greatest rhythm guitarists, Keef's influence is both immensely recognizable, and seemingly ubiquitous.
Unlike his idol Berry, Richards was never interested in being a solo act and only became one in the '80s when his fractured relationship with Mick Jagger almost cracked, due to the Stones' frontman not being interested in making music with the band at the time.Keef subsequently put together the X-pensive Winos, in which he shared guitar duties with noted musician and producer Waddy Wachtel and released two studio albums--Talk is Cheap [Virgin-1988]; Main Offender [Virgin-1992]--and Live at the Hollywood Palladium [Virgin-1991], before returning to the Rolling Stones.
Although his guitar was an important part of the Stones' sound during the first decade of the band, one could say that Keef's subsequent influence lies in the work he did immediately thereafter. Specifically, on the albums Sticky Fingers [Rolling Stones Records-1971] and Exile on Main Street [Rolling Stones Records-1972], iconic rock masterpieces both. However, many agree--including Richards himself--that his style was slightly curbed when he paired up with the great Mick Taylor, which made for a more uniform six-string approach, as Keef adapted to the role of rhythm guitarist while Taylor settled into the lead guitarist slot. And yes, although their roles were quite defined at the time, songs like "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" from Sticky Fingers, with its bold improvisation, would probably not exist in the same manner with a different configuration of guitarists.
The arrival of former Faces guitarist Ron Wood into the Stones' lineup in the mid-seventies, gave Richards a partner with whom he could switch between rhythm and lead in an improvised and more intuitive manner; effortlessly and sometimes within the same song, like a nimble four-limbed guitarist, a musical dynamic that's been going strong for almost 40 years at this point.
And yes, Keef will bury us all.
10/11/2012
10/10/2012
Maladjusted, Indeed
The staff at the Brooklyn rehearsal space where Morrissey and his band recently geared up for a spate
of NYC shows and TV appearances (Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Colbert Report) could not wait for him to leave, due to an alleged excess of prima donna attitude. Among other things, he demanded no one eat meat in the entire building
while he was there; and had a fit if anyone smoked outside, in front of the building. Everyone knows Morrissey has a reputation for being difficult but, really?
Remaining NYC dates:
10/10 - Radio City Music Hall
10/12, 13 - Terminal 5
Remaining NYC dates:
10/10 - Radio City Music Hall
10/12, 13 - Terminal 5
The Album: Valid or Relic?
Although its existence precedes the '60s by several decades it was not until the second half of the decade that the album became the primary vehicle for artists to disseminate their work, in so far as the realm of popular music is concerned. What's more, it's no exaggeration to postulate it was not until The Beatles released their iconic Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
[Parlophone-1967] that the album truly established itself in this regard.
Previously, the 45 RPM single had occupied that distinction and the album was used simply as a collection of singles by any given artist. But the arrival of Sgt Pepper's changed both art and industry, and for over 40 years albums remained the undisputed medium for both the music and its distribution.The single was still an effective format, but the album remained king of the industry and ruled thusly. Yet, for reasons that could be discussed extensively elsewhere, the single began to lose its importance and began its relegation to a minor role, courtesy of many of the major labels who moved in that direction when the compact disc replaced vinyl as the primary pre-recorded format in the '90s. (Previously, and for a relatively short time, the pre-recorded cassette was the more popular format overall.)
Coincidentally, this was the golden age of the music industry in terms of revenue. And, in pursuit of greater sales figures, the single, according to some observers, was deliberately underminded by the major labels, which would have notable consequences. Traditionally, the single had been the introduction to record-buying for teens and pre-teens and other young people with limited incomes. And with many albums hovering around $18 at that time, much of this youth sector was marginalized. However, the industry was experiencing a level of earnings never seen before and paid little attention to cultivating the buying habits of a new generation.
But with the 21st century's advances in computer technology, as well as easier and faster internet access becoming more pronounced each day, the dissemination of music via the digital realm was directly affecting the dominance of the album. The arrival of the digital descendants of the Walkman, mainly the iPod, and virtual stores like iTunes, meant that the consumer would have the option to purchase their favorite music as individual songs, if they so wish, regardless of whether these were singles or not. This is the world we live in today.
These developments have prompted major artists like Pete Townshend, Elvis Costello, and Billy Corgan, among others, to consider the album a dead format from an artistic point of view, as the possibility of the consumer acquiring individual songs robs the artist of the power to determine how their work is heard, which, in artistic terms, was the album's main role. So the question is, what does this mean for the format? Will artists cease to create concept albums like Dark Side of the Moon, for example? Is the public's attention span no longer enough in this regard? Or will artists continue to make music that requires both time and effort from listeners, despite the new options available to them?
We feel it's important to take into account how the younger generation of music fans' consumer patterns and preferences manifest themselves from here on out. In other words, if consumers start their new musical adventures via albums that are considered classics of their respective genres, it is quite probable that they adopt the album as the format to absorb the work of the artist of their choice. (Provided the given artist still believes in the album as a format, of course.) On a personal note, and for many reasons, we would not like to see the album done away with as a musical statement. But we can not ignore the radical changes that have been carried out in recent years. That's why we believe it will be very interesting to witness the outcome of this particular situation and hope it is not detrimental to the music itself, or to the way its creators face these innovations, in terms of inspiration and approach. Let's see...
Previously, the 45 RPM single had occupied that distinction and the album was used simply as a collection of singles by any given artist. But the arrival of Sgt Pepper's changed both art and industry, and for over 40 years albums remained the undisputed medium for both the music and its distribution.The single was still an effective format, but the album remained king of the industry and ruled thusly. Yet, for reasons that could be discussed extensively elsewhere, the single began to lose its importance and began its relegation to a minor role, courtesy of many of the major labels who moved in that direction when the compact disc replaced vinyl as the primary pre-recorded format in the '90s. (Previously, and for a relatively short time, the pre-recorded cassette was the more popular format overall.)
Coincidentally, this was the golden age of the music industry in terms of revenue. And, in pursuit of greater sales figures, the single, according to some observers, was deliberately underminded by the major labels, which would have notable consequences. Traditionally, the single had been the introduction to record-buying for teens and pre-teens and other young people with limited incomes. And with many albums hovering around $18 at that time, much of this youth sector was marginalized. However, the industry was experiencing a level of earnings never seen before and paid little attention to cultivating the buying habits of a new generation.
But with the 21st century's advances in computer technology, as well as easier and faster internet access becoming more pronounced each day, the dissemination of music via the digital realm was directly affecting the dominance of the album. The arrival of the digital descendants of the Walkman, mainly the iPod, and virtual stores like iTunes, meant that the consumer would have the option to purchase their favorite music as individual songs, if they so wish, regardless of whether these were singles or not. This is the world we live in today.
These developments have prompted major artists like Pete Townshend, Elvis Costello, and Billy Corgan, among others, to consider the album a dead format from an artistic point of view, as the possibility of the consumer acquiring individual songs robs the artist of the power to determine how their work is heard, which, in artistic terms, was the album's main role. So the question is, what does this mean for the format? Will artists cease to create concept albums like Dark Side of the Moon, for example? Is the public's attention span no longer enough in this regard? Or will artists continue to make music that requires both time and effort from listeners, despite the new options available to them?
We feel it's important to take into account how the younger generation of music fans' consumer patterns and preferences manifest themselves from here on out. In other words, if consumers start their new musical adventures via albums that are considered classics of their respective genres, it is quite probable that they adopt the album as the format to absorb the work of the artist of their choice. (Provided the given artist still believes in the album as a format, of course.) On a personal note, and for many reasons, we would not like to see the album done away with as a musical statement. But we can not ignore the radical changes that have been carried out in recent years. That's why we believe it will be very interesting to witness the outcome of this particular situation and hope it is not detrimental to the music itself, or to the way its creators face these innovations, in terms of inspiration and approach. Let's see...
Mothers of Intention
Not aware if it's a common occurrence at this or any sports venue, but immediately after the conclusion of Game 3 of the American League Division Series, between the Oakland A's and the hometown Reds, at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, this is what they played over the PA as fans were filing out of the stadium:
Pretty cool, huh?
Pretty cool, huh?
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