Oh yes, wait a minute Mr. Danzig...

For a few days now, I've been listening to the fabulous radio station on itunes "Sock Hop Radio." I felt like searching for a station such as this the other day and happened to come across this one. It does seem to veer into a bit of 60s music as well, but a good selection of 50s. My preference is for a completely doo wop station and this is about as close as I've come. People I speak to seem to sometimes be cloudy on the definition of doo wop or which songs/groups are classified as such, so as an example:



For some unknown reason, I just love the sound of groups and singers like this. Aside from fun and interesting harmonies (and plenty of bass vocals which now are rather unrepresented) the songs were short and cute.

After listening for a while, I did a wikipedia search for doo wop to see what it said. One of the things I happened to notice was a box on the side that listed "derivative music" that came from doo wop and listed were horrorpunk and 'beach music' which I would alter into surf music. I always sort of knew there was a retro-ness to the way the Misfits sounded and after seeing this little box, it made it quite evident that the simplicity and chord structure of many of the Misfits' songs were really tied directly into doo wop songs.
As an example of the similarities, I took a doo wop song and sped it up while lowering the pitch to give it more of a Misfits feel - Runaway Misfits. I just found it interesting how the Misfits were, in essence, a mean and modern version of doo wop music. It was probably somewhat intentional - trying to be retro in a way to have the music reflect on old horror movies from the 50s by using the music of the 50s as a basis for their songs. Interestingly enough, wikipedia says "Musically the band has drawn from punk rock, heavy metal, and 1950s rock and roll and rockabilly to inform their style" where again I disagree and say their music is much more directly similar to doo wop, not rock and roll. (If you listen to the Misfits' "Saturday Night" it sounds exactly like a 50s doo wop ballad).

The rock and roll from this era went into a much different path. While 'modern rock' really has no root in rock and roll, surf, rockabilly and psychobilly are directly taken from it. Give Jerry Lee Lewis a guitar and he's Reverend Horton Heat. Easier connection there. If you know both bands, you would probably see (or hear, rather) that Reverend Horton Heat and the Misfits don't sound too alke and this, I posit, is because their roots are actually from different genres.

I have a feeling devilocks were not quite as popular a coif back in 1957.

Son of a Niche

For the past few months, I've been going to a pseudo "open mic" at the guitar store in my city (where I now subsequently work). I'm always sort of intrigued by who knows/likes which kind of music and what they end up playing. Some people range quite a bit, others disperse their talents nicely. I'm pretty much the only person, agewise, who's right in the middle of everyone else so I can act like an outsider with some observations about music and youth vs. (or just compared to) music of people 10-20 years older than me.

I am constantly either surprised or perhaps a bit puzzled why the majority of the kids who come to the open mic between 13 and 18 seem to only know and want to play classic rock. (As a side note, I tend to be the token bassist and spend most of the evening staying on 'stage' and other people take turns up there). A bunch of us will be on stage and someone will inevitably ask "Know any Who? or Zeppelin? or ACDC?" I'm not a fan of the latter two, so I often grimace while opting for the Who or asking if they know anything else. I too grew up on classic rock (Rolling Stones, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane) but soon after pre-pubescence I began to form my own likes (which may or may not have included Ace of Base and the Spice Girls). Still, why is it that all these kids ONLY know classic rock? Last week we did end up covering "When I Come Around," "Santeria" and "What I Got?" but only two out of the four of us on stage actually knew those songs. At least I'd figure the kids would listen to current new rock which they also don't seem to (not that I blame them because it's terrible).

I tend to like the younger bands that go on stage to perform who have either their own original sound or they aren't just doing covers of classic rock. One band, a trio of boys probably around 16 or 17, play a fun combination of jazzy funk (not a slap bass, but some fun melodies). They could use some vocals, but they have their own sound carved out pretty well.

Another "band" that came this and last week is a trio (sans drummer, but someone will usually go up and play drums with them) doing punk originals and covers. The singer/guitarist who's probably around 15 and quite sassy (not so much 'mean' as he acts like he has PMS with a hint of ennui). They've covered Agent Orange, Social Distortion and NOFX which, while not perfect in their instrumentation, I applaud because I'm not bored by the songs. I like NOFX and got into them when I was around 15 as well so kudos to them. All the classic rock kids seem to not know how to branch out.

Then there are those people who do the same song everytime. Let's say a certain popular Nirvana song and a certain popular Pantera song. No, you cannot sing like either of them and yes you need to in order to make the songs sound acceptable.

There's also a duo who play metal. That's it. Nobody can follow what they're doing, especially drummers. Good luck kids.

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With the older crowd you also get a mix of interests. One guy is that typical middle aged guy who thinks he's cool and thinks he somehow has a chance of making it big when he's clearly delusional, annoying and stands too close when he talks to you. He thinks "Cocaine" by Eric Clapton is a surefire way of pepping up a crowd. Yeah. Ok. (At least he's nice to younger musicians and wants to teach them how to play songs and is relatively patient if they mess up or aren't sure).

There's another guy around the same age who plays a bigger variety of originals and covers. Tonight we did Joey Ramone's version of "What a Wonderful World" along with two songs I didn't know that I think were covers. Last week he did some acoustic songs, one where he used a slide and it had an awesome sound. While he might not be pumping up a crowd with all his music, he doesn't seem delusional about his talent, musical interests or his age. His music is well-suited for his age/appearance and he isn't embarassing himself.

Then there's that last group of older guys who play whatever they enjoy but make it known it is THEIR TIME TO PLAY and YOU BETTER NOT MESS UP. One guy literally said, a few months ago, "Well I'm going to play now because I drove 40 miles here." Oh entitlement! How modest. I'm more amused that someone would feel a need to push their way on stage at what is primarily a youth-focused event.

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In any event, everyone loves me because:
1. I'm female.
2. I play bass.
3. I can do both, simultaneously.

Quick Observations

I'm seeing Mindless Self Indulgence next week. Electronic punk metal.

I took out six (6) Jim Brickman cds from the library today. New Age piano.
(I also eyed a 'hits of 50s' cd as well).

So I was listening to this song and then it

This isn't really a very interesting musical topic, but I'm sure I'm not the only one.

I find that in the past, I've listened to some songs a certain way for such a long time that the actual version of the song sounds funny.

What I mean is that I have several mp3s that: are poor quality due to ripping, cut off in the middle of the song, or that are edited versions. But the weird thing is that I get used to these versions and then the clean, full length, unedited version sounds funny.

I noticed this circumstance the other day. I'd be constantly listening (and still am) to the song "How to Handle a Rope" by Queens of the Stone Age. I wasn't able to find a real mp3 anywhere online (not even itunes or amazon) so I ripped it from youtube, which you imagine sounded terrible, but it was all I could do. Recently I was finally able to find an actual rip of the song from the CD and at first it sounded funny because it was actually mixed properly. I'll be - there's a hi hat in there too, which I never heard with my awesome 48ish kbps mp3 prior to that.

Another example is edited vs. non-edited songs. I really like the song What You Know by T.I and the version I happened to get was edited, so I've grown used to the background vocals going "what?!" or "oooooh" or simply cutting out instead of swearing. So hearing the version I linked to, for example, always catches me offguard.

I also have a few mp3s that never finished downloading so they end somewhere in the middle of the song. But, since that's the version I have, I always expect the song to end there. So if the song is on the radio and it goes past that point, I'm very confused, especially when my version was missing an entire verse. I've gotten very used to "Eyeless" by Slipknot ending in a certain place as well as "I'll Remember" by Madonna. I finally got a full version of "Live For Lovin' You" by Gloria Estefan and am always taken aback when the song actually finishes.

I guess another scenario is just two entirely different versions of songs. Freshman year of college, I would play the song "I'll Fly With You" by Gigi D'Agostino and my roommate would swear there was another version with some guys making weird background noises and lo and behold, she was right and very excited when I found her version. Same thing with "We Be Burnin'" by Sean Paul. Unbeknownst to me, I have the clean version, whereas the other version is clearly about smoking pot.

The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread (Possibly Not)

I was in a band for about 8/9 years as many of you know. We're not "not a band" anymore, but since Brian moved 3 hours away and Adam's still finishing up his Master's, we have hardly anytime to meet up as a full group.

Regardless, I have been trying for about 8 months to find a new band. Many fruitless efforts through craigslist have dampened my spirits a bit, but I'm still hopeful.

Recently, I posted on craigslist, similar to how I've posted in previous attempts. In brief, the message was "I play guitar and bass, I'm looking for other musicians; I like Queens of the Stone Age, Dead Kennedys, Alice in Chains, etc." I got a few responses here and there - the typical problem is the bands or band members live too far from me or inconveniently out of the way (since I drive 80 miles a day to and from work, total).

But one response sounded intriguing. He said he loved that I liked the Dead Kennedys since he finds a lot of people online with really bad taste in music. I was hopeful because I figured "Great, someone likes the bands I do. Their band is bound to have a good sound." After saying how his band was the best thing since sliced bread, the only hip band in Connecticut, and the only band worth joining (modest he was) he sent me a link to his myspace.

Immediately, my hopes were dashed. If nothing else, the genres listed for his band included "indie" and "psychedelic," words that, in general, turn me off. To add insult to injury, the music was slow, dreadfully boring and he was among the poorer singers I've heard. I'm really not trying to bash his band or criticize, but when someone has the same musical interests and leads you to believe the band will sound as such, it's disappointing to hear a slow, psychedelic indie band with a kind of lame singer.

I emailed him back to let him know it wasn't really the sound I was looking for. He said I haven't heard his full set and I should really come to a practice to hear the full set. I apologized and said I wasn't interested and I couldn't imagine the music being too much different in person than on a myspace recording. I told him I was looking for a punk/grunge sound (and sent him a QOTSA song I really enjoy).

To quote his response:
"punk rock is an attitude not a sound but that is OK. Good luck and check out Public Image Ltd. Johnny Rotten's project after the Sex Pistols most punk rockers eventually grow up and so does the sound. Good Luck! CT music scene is a vast wasteland."

When it comes down to it, I'm probably the least punk person I know. I'll admit that. But I disagreed with his sentiment. Uppity punk 17 year olds will tell you as they smoke, give you the finger and say 'oi' that punk is an attitude. Fine. Let them be. But I've gotta say I'm pretty sure political lyrics, fast guitars and drums and typical crazy voices lead to punk more than strictly an "attitude." If Celine Dion got angry and sang angry political ballads...I'd doubt that she would suddenly be considered punk. (Most of all, I hate how the guy called it 'punk rock.') Mohawks and heroin do not alone constitute punk.

And he was also wrong. Well, most punk rockers do grow up (the ones who don't die) but their sound doesn't grow up. They become angry public speakers.

I Like Them, So You Can't

I was having a conversation with my friend the other day about the music we like. He finds all of his new music by listening to pop/contemporary radio. The songs he mentioned recently downloading were tracks that make me cringe (even if I don't know the song, just the artist). I really wasn't trying to shun his music or say it's necessarily bad, I just don't prefer it.

But an interesting observation he pointed out is that he doesn't care if other people listen to his music as much as he does. That is to say he likes songs and bands regardless of how popular they are or how often they're on the radio. And my reaction is the exact opposite. The more a song is on the radio, the less I like it. While I don't purposely try to listen to weird or unpopular bands, I do like the fact that there are some bands and songs I like that nobody else knows or not many people know. Granted my list of favorite bands is so 90s mainstream it hurts, I could just as easily post a list of bands nobody I know has heard of. I've frequently looked at a person's "favorite bands" sections on facebook or myspace and not recognized a single name. The one big difference between them and myself is that typically their list is of indie, emo or hardcore bands and mine is random punk or electronic bands I found on yahoo 4 years ago.

I can't really differentiate between whether I really like the way certain bands sound or if I like the fact that other people don't like them. Plenty of people like the Dead Kennedys but no one I know is among them. Jello Biafra really truly does kind of sing like a goat. Mindless Self Indulgence is incredibly immature and spastic, but I like them. I like drum and bass because it's loud and fast, but it's very repetitive. To me, loud and fast and screechy and obnoxious is likeable. Things that are radio friendly are too...radio friendly.

How Best to Create 3-10 Minute Epics.

The closest I've come to making a music video were the videos we had to make in our Spanish class 3 years in a row in high school. They got progressively better, but this is unrelated to the topic at hand.

The point of this entry isn't to complain about how MTV and MTV2 and VH1 no longer play music videos. We know that; we don't like it, but we've accepted it and moved on to youtube. However, after reading someone's article/selection of the 29 best music videos, I thought I'd throw in my 2 (or 3) cents not just on what videos I like but what I think makes a good music video.

I think the one mistake bands tend to make is to put themselves in the video, performing. This sounds contradictory, but there's not much talent in just playing the song in front of the camera. If there's no plot to go with it or no interesting effects, the video falls kind of flat. For example, The Foo Fighters' "All My Life" is fairly unexciting as nothing unexpected happens during the course of them just performing the song, as compared to their videos for "Everlong" (a strange dream sequence), "Big Me" (a Mentos commercial spoof). or "My Hero" (which does show parts of the band playing, but secondary to the plot).

It's hard to pinpoint what you SHOULD do in a video, but I'll give it a try. A band should definitely not incorporate all of the following concepts, but at least one will prove decent, usually.

Do:
1. Make a plot for your video. I guess your song and video don't necessarily have to relate, but keep in mind the watchers may focus more on the video than the song if they aren't harmonious. (Example: "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead. It's a good video, but the song doesn't relate and you forget what it's actually about).
2. Use interesting special effects. Maybe you're not really big on "plots" but you want the viewer to think your video is kind of fun to watch. (Example: "Everything is Everything" by Lauryn Hill. Who says Manhattan can't be a giant turntable? Also, "Girl" by Beck. Things folding in half is a neat trick, possibly brought to you by Mad Magazine).
3. Hire directors who are fans of animation. Animation can be used to create a video where actions wouldn't be possible with real actors (like Paranoid Android) or when a director/producer comes up with a new technique that makes people flock to the video. (Example: "Fell in Love With a Girl" by the White Stripes for the innovative use of legos and "Ankle Injuries" by Fujiya and Miyagi for unique use of dice).
4. Develop a plot so strong that you make the viewer want to cry, jump for joy, or kill themselves (the latter is generally not so good). Again not always related to the song either, but so emotive that you're glued to the screen for the duration. (Example: "Viðrar Vel til Loftárasá" by Sigúr Ros - I'll let you watch for yourself. As well as "Hellbent" by Kenna which is a two-for due to emotiveness and animation.)
5. Be funny, but not completely ludicrous. Sometimes videos go beyond this point and are just stupid. (Example: "All the Small Things" by Blink 182. Way too over the top, "look at how ridiculous we can be.") But there are others that trick you into serious songs with unserious music videos, such as "New Millenium Cyanide Christ" by Meshuggah. Air guitar and singing into a pen may be comic gold. (Thanks to Jeremy for the example).
6. Confuse/disturb/sicken the viewer so much they can't help but watch anyway and then wonder what's wrong with them. ("Greedy Fly" by Bush'; "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails; "All is Full of Love" by Bjork; "The Beautiful People" by Marilyn Manson.)
7. Be OK Go. Their videos are in their own class.

It seems like a moot point to talk about rap videos because they're all the same. Girls, bikinis, champagne, cars, bling, and every other rapper they know. Pop tends to be highly choreographed or cheesy attempts at seriousness or humor. In general, good videos take effort, time and energy. They're the ones that stick with you for years.

Before the advent of youtube I would dwell on videos I thought I'd never be able to see again. I tried to purchase a copy of the video for "Greedy Fly" from someone in England (that didn't really work). I'd watch the video for "Viðrar Vel" from MTV's site. I forgot about videos and confused the ones I did know. I never could have predicted a site dedicated to videos would come about and save me from the despair of lost music videos. I actually kept a list of all the videos I'd seen (up until about 2 years ago) on my website. It seems tedious to update it now, but it was a useful tool in going through videos in this post.

Please feel free to comment with whatever videos I should have included or qualifications for "good" music videos. I'm interested in other people's theories as well.