So I opined on my tech/life blog the other day about SonyBMG screwing the Emusic pooch with the coming of a mostly lame catalog from the behemoth label that has such great chart topping artists like Jefferson Airplane, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Faithless, Kelly Clarkson, Dolly Parton, Judas Priest according to last.fm. Ok I of course like Cash and sorta is like blasphemy or communism not like Elvis but C’mon. Really?
Which if you take a close peak at the metrics on last.fm there it equals 420 Million unique listeners for the combined fans of those groups who scrobble their music from iTunes alone! Holy F*ck batman! That is a lot of freaking band equity. There will invariable be a few issues they will have to deal with this marketing conundrum. (1) They might start crashing because of the boon of new subscribers. Which in most cases is a good problem to have but much better to grow steadily than over night. (2) They will or in process of obscuring the indies and fans who have helped build up emusic for the past 7-8 years (see the thread). New music fans take risks with on all these artists because of the low entry cost. Angry user will need to appeased one way or another. (3) Financially, sorta supporting point above, the indie 00′ band hey day is in serious jeopardy. There is huge set of emerging artists that will be competing with releases older than 2 years. You know that will change once the price point start to turn over fast there could be roll back. These are just mp3s in the over-all scheme of dismal cd sales there are lessons to be learned from the past. Remember the beta and VHS war? Lower quality always wins for mass distribution with right price point (So markety i know). Slowly emusic may (hopefully not) start to obscure these artists for moving volume. If I were them my immediate course of action would be to segregate the “Majors” in the charts like they do in record stores sometimes (remember those?).
Personally, I am going to be on pins in needles as this fiasco unfolds PR nightwares get sorted out. I’m not going to up my emusic subscription and I’m not going to cancel it either. I’ve been a loyal customer since Jan05. It’s still the best deal out there these days and people gotta eat. It will slow my support and consumption of the indies since I’ll only be able to afford on average 3 albums a month as opposed to 5 and half a month in previous plan in this new budget. I would have preferred a subtle 10-20% rent increase but oh’well. Quite a slow down in my music consumption. Again, not that I always downloaded my whole 65 tune subscription previously. Emusic secretly loves that kind of customer with their use it or loose it rule. Which was a great revenue stream for them. Lets see what happens for now there was a Alice Cooper song I wanted to buy… Seriouly it’s bit of sell-out but somebody had to give my only hope is that it benefits all the little guys in the long run or short run. Somehow.
Nothing really is the answer, unless you consider SY the only band of it’s type of which case you live in a very narrow universe. So the other night a post caught my eye on mog by a mogger posting a Live Bush tetras video at the knitting factory, which i have scratched up, i mean really scrappy 7″ copy of “Things That Go Boom in the Night” (i think), and was then subsequently chatting with my friend Jim about Danceteria and couple bands from the past including Mission of Burma and the one other bands that came up during the conversation were of course the Dustdevils and I said holy hell I just ran into this band accidentally again…blah,blah,blah. Seriously file Dustdevils with your noise bands on the farther end with neurosis and live skull as far as I am concerned. SY is a pop band compared to this drug smuggling outfit or least in the middle of their output. for the most part Dustdevils are a really noisy rock band founded by English Guitarist Michael Duane and Aussie vocalist/guitarist Jaqi Dulany. They started the band in the Mid 80’s in the UK then transplanted themselves to NYC. With a inconsistent line-up of now well known NY scenesters playing in the band on and off again up until the late 90’s where they toiled their brand of sonic pollution. The exact dates for these things are not so important sometimes if the discography overshadows it in the annals of rock history. Probably a foot note (if that) for some but for others a major part of a scene along with thinking fellers union, Fly Ashtray, Wider, Gerard Cosloy Matador owner, and Crown Heights among other band folk; all whom did time as part of the Dustdevils. I can’t even keep up but this trouser press discography review does a good job naming names. Now seriously, you really need to be into dissonant guitars and feedback that creates this aural landscape to enjoy it. The later stuff gets all trance and mixxy but you’ll like it. I have.
Here are a few choice selections: Mp3 – Young Moss Tongues – from Geek Dip (Matador 1989) where you really get that SY comparison to something could have easily been on EVOL and you would be none the wiser. Mp3 – Encient – from Rhenyards Grin (Rouska/Fundamental -1987) – This album starts does hit part of pop department alla throwing muses a whee bit but i think it has to do more with production and more apparent song structures. I honestly start with this one then work you way up or down. Mp3 – Receiver – From Extant EP (Matador – 1996) Recorded in 1993 sometime and released posthumously after for good parting of Duane and Dulany.
Throwing a couple things at ya this on 7″ Friday from the grunge and funk variety. First up is a group called Superconductor from Vancouver, B.C. Canada that featured 10 freakin’ band members at times that came out on Scratch and boner Records (catalog number BR30) out of California (same label as the Melvins) in the very early 90’s. On this release they had (7) seven guitar players, (2) two bass players and (1) one drummer nicknamed on the 45 as follows: Dream Whip (G), It’s on You (G), Thighmaster(B), He who is named (G/V), Flying Fist(G), Noise Annoys(G), El Impacto (D,V,bontempi), Sweet Bitch (B), Alan Smithee(G) and Delicious Warm on (G). This particular release was called Heavy With Puppy, produced by Don Gordon and band, engineered by Ken Marshall in Nov of 1991. The photo above is by Mike Ledwidge and group photo below by Mark Critchley from the inside cover. Now I suppose you’re going to find out what this sounds like if like loud raunchy guitar music. I was always impressed how tightly they could play together and not sound like a washed out mess. Then again I never got an opportunity to see them live but always enjoyed their releases when I could find them. Enjoy the noise man.
Printed on baby side it says “Smoking during pregnancy can harm the baby”
The bonus for today is a cover of “Pump It Up”(Elvis Costello Cover) by Mudhoney that was a 7” promo for the movie PCU. The flip is George Clinton doing a track call “Stomp”. Fun stuff. Enough said.
Mp3 – Pump it up (cover) – Mudhoney Mp3 – Stomp – George Clinton
Major leage props to pitchfork (yes I know who knew this day would come) for posting 7 songs from their festival on their TV channel of the hold steady playing live. Damn. These guys were nerds. Nobody was paying attention to them years ago in their earlier incarnation of Lifter Puller. I had their cd back in the zines daze and thought they were just another rocknroll band too. Now they are doing the same thing on south and main from Brooklyn usa and still killing it 4 albums in. Drinking budweisers and talking at you live before happy hour starts. Check them out when you get a chance. If you dig the replacements and ac/dc and kiss. Chances are they will be as drunk as you are but still be able to hold their tune drinks above the bar as they have learned from the mistakes of their former masters and on their own. To repeat this is a bar band so you’re going to need to know the words because there are a lot of them.
I did a rant about a social network for karma police site on my life/tech blog today called Ventma.com which didn’t work when i tried to login to vent! ha! The site did inspire some songs about liars, haters and cheaters though.
Anybody know any good tattle-tale or whistle blower songs? I’m sure this is just the tip of the proverbial ice-burg.
Listen to some hate for now: Liar – Built to Spill – mp3 from you in reverse Cheater – Bubblegum Thunder Hateful – The Clash – London Calling Hate Paste – Archers of Loaf I am the Jury – Moistboyz
Saturday Sunday live review: Last minute phone call last night led me to the Mercury Lounge on 5.30.09 with my bud Jim to catch a early show by The Rural Alberta Advantage who recently signed to Saddle-creek, I Was A King from Norway and Elevator Fight (Philly).
Ok so we totally missed Elevator Fight, who apparently have some star power in the band with the offspring of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet. Zoe freaking Kravitz who my daughter is named after on vocals. Can’t believe it honestly. Has it been that long? But we had a decision to make at the bar as to what to drink as they played their last song. I’m sure they will get other Saturday nights and I’ll try not to miss it; just somebody send me an invite and we’ll be cool. They play this sort of cliche roots rock from the couple tunes I heard on their myspace.com page. I think her band needs to do some more digging in Daddy’s record collection and find their own voice but I get the sense they are going for a straight up pop direction so there may be no hope. Her voice is good so hopefully they put that to good use as you would expect she got her mamma’s looks. This is all pretty funny to me because I’m now recalling as we were waiting for the next band that I noticed this smashing gal that reminded me of a grown up Cosby kid and it all makes sense.
In the grand scheme of things culturally America has influenced the world musically and I Was a King is proof positive of that. The first hurdle I always wonder about is how do bands write melodic pop songs in Nordic and then sing them in English? Ok, I know the rest of world needs to learn more than one language so that is probably a barrier on our part. I Was A King borrow nicely from art of the short song by gbv and blast out equally potent and abbreviated J Mascis like solos. This band’s performance was a surprise and in this configuration was truly driven by their rhythm section as the two guitarist pretty much played the same shoegazer parts. They were most powerful when they broke away from that but damn I don’t think I’ve seen more capos used in a single show– that’s got to be a pain in the butt to remember so kudos just for that. The real glue was in the singing above the mask of the guitar wash. Guy/Gal vocals really is part of their magic that could be compared to Belly and Swervedriver jamming the black angels without the heroin parts. heh? The lead singer Frode Strømstad has got his song writing machine down Anne Lisa can sure hold her own vocally. I was impressed.
Live I don’t think they sounded anything like Apples In Stereo or Neutral Milk Hotel like their bios says to file them under; in particular because of the lack of additional instrumentation in the live configuration joining them on stage but allas this is a good band and worth catching. I tried to chat with the other guitarist about her guitar playing and pedals but she was chatting up some haggard looking new yawker dude. Check out their most recent self titled album on emusic which was recorded in Brooklyn U.S.A btw.
Now The Rural Alberta Advantage (gotta love that nationalistic Canadian pride) sounded more like NMH in the singing delivery department with the support of their diverse but bare bones instrumentation. With barely any gear on stage you could fit this trio in a Fiat! The powerful vocal melodies indeed carried them from song to song. If you had to file and tag them under quirky and diverse would be appropriate like tapes n tapes is to spazzy drumming and their keyboard parts. Was cool to see the main singer guy Nils Edenloff playing a Seagull acoustic guitar. The string that was holding it looked uncomfortable but he seemed truly happy to hold it up and carrying the band out of obscurity coming from a self-released record and now being picked up by Saddle-Creek quite a story actually with a little push from emusic for RAA is all it took which is one of them stories in the big scary city. So expect lots of interesting things from them if they survive their first big tour. At the end of their set they pulled a move straight out of the small band playbook and sang in the middle of the crowd alla Violent Femmes/Arcade Fire. If you never got a chance to see neutral milk hotel and you have 10 bux burning a hole in your pocket this summer go check RAA or I Was A King when they are in your town. The experience will be worth it. A good time was had and thanks for filling my night this past Saturday. No thanks for $7 Sierra Nevada’s Mercury Lounge. Please send this writer beer money.
Welcome to 7 inch Friday. I really miss picking up releases in this format so I’m going to be recycling some for you here every once in awhile. This week we bring you a early release from Monster Magnet on Primo Spree which was “distributed” by Caroline records. I picked this up a long time ago at Vintage Vinyl Records in Fords NJ on translucent green vinyl. I think it’s a collectors item because it was not released by the band officially. Who knows what the story is maybe somebody can enlighten us heh? The record that followed for me as thee glue sniffing grunge drug rock album was Spine of God that came out on vinyl on the Beverungen, Germany Glitterhouse label and then I was hooked. Soundgarden was also fave and then Nirvana got bigger and overshadowed the whole scene and then it was over just like that. Catch Monster Magnet live if you can. Dave Wyndorf still rocks friend him on facebook.
Download and nod off:
A Side: Murder
B Side: Tractor
I’m a late comer to this lost mix sessions by Steve Albini of Cheap’s Tricks record called In Color which has been posted over on the Rock Town Hall blog in it’s entirety for download. I’ll also admit I had no clue that parts of Cheap Trick (Nielson & Carlos)were once hired as session players for John Lennon on the Double Fantasy album then probably fired by Yoko probably. Who knows. What I do know is that Albini respected Cheap Trick and covered them on a split touch & go 7″ I have with “He’s a Whore” b/w Krafwork’s “The Model”. A commercial ploy I think not but damn was it good crap to find and unearth.
Now my dear readers onto the original point of this post. The In Color mix by Albini rocks so hard it’s like a lost treasure in a sea of apathy. 15 Tracks that rock with grittyness it’s going to make you appreciate this band all over again. Dig it.
Southern Girls – Cheap Trick – In Color Mix by Steve Albini Hello There – Cheap Trick – In Color Mix by Steve Albini He’s A Whore (Cheap Trick cover) – Big Black 7″ TG23 Bonus – Surrender (Cheap Trick cover) – Big Drill Car 7″ CRZ701
Is there such a thing as the 5th Beatle? The guy who you have in your creative circle and gotten into arguments as documented in the film I Am Trying To Break Your Heart? This is Jay Benett (RIP 1963-2009) or at least how most of us will remember him as the creative muse and friend of Jeff Tweedy. Welcome to your acoustic singer songwriter overdose and posts of some really great stories. It does not really matter how he went but one of many cautionary tales of loss and we can talk and talk about it or just listen and have a few.
Man of Aran is a beautiful black and white silent film that British Sea Power created a sound track for that takes place in Ireland. In this segment the track No Man Is An Archipelago is featured. The song is similar to one on Do you like Rock Music? but it works beautifully. I don’t don’t care. Glad to hear such stellar music form these Brighton chaps.
Which if you take a close peak at the metrics on last.fm there it equals 420 Million unique listeners for the combined fans of those groups who scrobble their music from iTunes alone! Holy F*ck batman! That is a lot of freaking band equity. There will invariable be a few issues they will have to deal with this marketing conundrum. 
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