Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. Work's been cray.
ANYWAY, so the VMA's perenially have a big effect on vaulting new singles from major artists into instant hits, and this year is no different. It looks like we have three obvious beneficiaries to this.
>1. Adele- Someone like You- This song was HUGE in the UK back in the springtime, but never thought I'd see the day when this song was at #1 on iTunes. In a time period where catalog titles are edited to take out slow parts, and songs like "No Hands" by Waka Flocka Flame and "Birthday Sex" get sped up, a piano ballad seems like a foreign concept. (the last ballad to hit #1? "Take a Bow" by Rhianna) Maybe this signals that top 40 radio is finally ready to come down from their cocaine-induced dance party?
>4. Lady Gaga- You and I- It's ironic that the same artist that ushered in the club years on top 40 radio is boldly breaking the mold again at radio with a midtempo Springsteen ballad. I honestly thought she'd benefit the most from the VMA's due to her large presence, but I'm happy that Adele might get another number 1. Another top 10 under Gaga's belt is well deserved.
>8. Beyonce- Love on Top- FINALLY A GOOD SINGLE FROM "4" IS BEING RELEASED! Seriously I can't gush enough about this song. It's 100% Michael Jackson/Whitney Houston head to toe. I thought "Party" or "Countdown" would be the next single as she shot music videos for both- but now I know why with the PREGNANCY!!! I always wonder what catalog titles will be played on the oldies station 30 years from now, and most stuff out right now is very current and probably won't hold up- look at the New Jack Swing genre from the early 90's- but these 3 will be played regularly 20 years from now.
OK, I've calmed down. Some other notables:
>5. Lil Wayne ft. Bruno Mars- Mirrors- Well, maybe "She Will" is more of a "She Won't" at this point. Of course any hook that Bruno Mars shits on right now becomes a hit, we'll see if this one sticks around.
>11. Lil Wayne- Blunt Blowin- Obviously this one won't. On any major release, the most explicit or funny song title will always get the most downloads out of sheer curiosity.
>32. Drake- Headlines- As this was #2 just 2 weeks ago, it's in the period where all the fans have bought it but hasn't had enough exposure at radio. It's a good enough song that it'll crawl back into the top 10.
>41. Nicki Minaj f/Rhianna- Fly- Ok, I love Nicki Minaj. I was bumping her "Beam Me Up Scotty" mixtape a year before anyone in the mainstream knew who she was. But seriously, her album "Pink Friday" is awful and panders to the masses. (I don't blame her though!) "Fly" makes me cringe. And it'll be a huge single due to the artist billings. Another mediocre Nicki Minaj song to hit top 40. Nicki, can you please release another mixtape? Pretty please?
>45. Red Hot Chili Peppers- The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggy- I immediately dismissed this one in one of my previous blog posts, but it seems to be gaining traction. There seems to be enough general goodwill toward the RHCP that it should be a durable enough single for the album release.
>51. Pitbull f/ Marc Anthony- Rain Over Me- The song has officially already reached its peak. SWWEEEEEEEEEEEET
>62. Tyler, the Creator- Yonkers- WHAAAAAT?! This might actually have a chance at some chart ink. I know this song is way to inaccessible for radio, but we can dream, right?
>81. Jessie J f/B.O.B.- Price Tag- I'm sorry honey- the trend is that current pop stars have distinct personalities to compliment their music, and you just don't have it. No matter how much cash the majors throw at the public on your behalf, you're not gonna make it. Sorry.
>114. Kanye West & Jay Z- Ni**as in Paris- Is there a more obvious choice for a second single? It's not even released and has been hovering around the iTunes charts since "Watch the Throne" was released. I don't find the song any better than the other tracks on the album, but hey- at least it popularizes the term "cray". My friends and I have been using the term "cray cray" for years.
>180. J.Cole- Work Out- Seriously. This guy graduated magna cum laude at St Johns, writes and produces all of his own music, and can't get a damn break. He has everything Drake has, (maybe the less distinctive voice is the problem) but has release single after single after single to no avail. "In the Morning" should have been a hit on the R&B charts. Why is there only room for one intelligent, relatable, extremely self aware artist in the mainstream?
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Commentary: How music subscription services have changed my listening habits
I own over 1500 CD's. Since proudly showing my collection of 10 CD's off in show and tell during the 3rd grade, til my arrival in LA last year where I would spend about 75 dollars on music monthly, the CD has been my ultimate favorite past time. The whole anticipation of eagerly unwrapping the cellophane, the disappointment or surprise of the album booklet, and the mere listening to something new for the first time brought me so much joy. Weekly trips with my dad to Circuit City (RIP) to purchase those 2 albums for $13.99 apiece was my absolute favorite way to spend my free time. When Napster pretty much fucked the music industry back in 2000, I dabbled with it but dismissed it. The actual tangible album- the artwork, the lyrics- the whole package was essentially a part of the music itself.
Then Rhapsody happened. All the music in the world (aside from unofficial releases) available to me on my computer and my iPhone for a mere 9.99- the cost of a CD? I had to go for it... and... it is to my great disbelief and sorrow that I have yet to purchase a physical compact disc this year. The moment I realized my listening habits had changed was when I went to Amoeba Music and held PJ Harvey's "Let England Shake" in my hands for a good two minutes, deciding to buy it or not. I ultimately put it back, considering I had complete access to it on Rhapsody. I realized I had now contributed to a completely unfortunate trend- the ultimate decline of the tangible album.
For the first time, as soon as a song popped into my head, I could look for it on my phone and have it within access in 5 seconds. It blew my mind that I had immediate access to TLC's "Creep" and Ne-Yo's "Because of You", two of my favorite top 40 songs ever, within a few heartbeats. A song can appear on the radio that reminds you of that other song you absolutely love- and you're playing it in the car full blast 10 seconds later.
That being said, I feel that my music attention span has truly become a bit shorter. I've unconsciously started to gravitate towards music that is instantly gratifying to me. While I have a completely open mind about all types of music, and have found albums I love pretty much in all genres other than world or death metal, rhythm is the ultimate ear worm for me. I love percussion, bass... just the whole rhythmic aspect to songs. Given that, it seems almost alarming to me that the only album's I've given a whole lot of attention to this year are electronic and hip hop acts.
Not to say I don't love down-tempo stuff. I'm obsessed with psych folk, indie rock, and the classic artists as well. It's just interesting that Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver, two of my absolute favorite indie acts that released superb sophomore albums this summer to much avail, have taken a backseat to Odd Future, The Weeknd, Junior Boys, and Hercules & Love Affair. In any other music period, I would have never purchased an album by Lloyd. But because I was intrigued by his first 2 singles off the album, I downloaded the whole thing and it unexpectedly became the soundtrack for my summer. (I still highly recommend "King of Hearts"!!!)
Just like the general public, I feel that the immediate access and instant gratification from these subscription services have immediately served what we, in point... instantly gratify ourselves with. Even for me, the concept of hating the song the first time but letting it grow on you is still completely legitimate- it just seems that I'm less willing at this time to put forth the effort.
During my glorified wonderful awesome (insert any other positive adjective here) conversation with Nigel Godrich- I told him that I hadn't heard Radiohead's new album, "The King of Limbs", entirely yet. He didn't have good things to say about it- stating that it's killing the music industry. Apparently, it's an attempt for major labels to collect revenue on catalog releases while in turn sacrificing a bit of revenue for current releases. The whole business model makes sense- the music industry is desperate for cash, and will do anything for it.
It's just odd, because now you can listen to any album in one listen, not like it, and move on. You didn't fork over 15 bucks for the album, so there's no type of investment in it for you- who cares if you might like it 5 listens from now? Subscription sites like Rhapsody have saved me a WHOLE LOT of money over the past 6 months, but I feel that my drive for listening to challenging, provocative, and thought provoking music has seriously diminished. Not that it's not out there- aside from unofficial releases like mixtapes, you can bet your ass that a band will have their album on Rhapsody. It's just having that dedication- that determination- to solve the mystery of complicated albums that you'll feel rewarded more than any other type of instant gratification.
Then Rhapsody happened. All the music in the world (aside from unofficial releases) available to me on my computer and my iPhone for a mere 9.99- the cost of a CD? I had to go for it... and... it is to my great disbelief and sorrow that I have yet to purchase a physical compact disc this year. The moment I realized my listening habits had changed was when I went to Amoeba Music and held PJ Harvey's "Let England Shake" in my hands for a good two minutes, deciding to buy it or not. I ultimately put it back, considering I had complete access to it on Rhapsody. I realized I had now contributed to a completely unfortunate trend- the ultimate decline of the tangible album.
For the first time, as soon as a song popped into my head, I could look for it on my phone and have it within access in 5 seconds. It blew my mind that I had immediate access to TLC's "Creep" and Ne-Yo's "Because of You", two of my favorite top 40 songs ever, within a few heartbeats. A song can appear on the radio that reminds you of that other song you absolutely love- and you're playing it in the car full blast 10 seconds later.
That being said, I feel that my music attention span has truly become a bit shorter. I've unconsciously started to gravitate towards music that is instantly gratifying to me. While I have a completely open mind about all types of music, and have found albums I love pretty much in all genres other than world or death metal, rhythm is the ultimate ear worm for me. I love percussion, bass... just the whole rhythmic aspect to songs. Given that, it seems almost alarming to me that the only album's I've given a whole lot of attention to this year are electronic and hip hop acts.
Not to say I don't love down-tempo stuff. I'm obsessed with psych folk, indie rock, and the classic artists as well. It's just interesting that Fleet Foxes and Bon Iver, two of my absolute favorite indie acts that released superb sophomore albums this summer to much avail, have taken a backseat to Odd Future, The Weeknd, Junior Boys, and Hercules & Love Affair. In any other music period, I would have never purchased an album by Lloyd. But because I was intrigued by his first 2 singles off the album, I downloaded the whole thing and it unexpectedly became the soundtrack for my summer. (I still highly recommend "King of Hearts"!!!)
Just like the general public, I feel that the immediate access and instant gratification from these subscription services have immediately served what we, in point... instantly gratify ourselves with. Even for me, the concept of hating the song the first time but letting it grow on you is still completely legitimate- it just seems that I'm less willing at this time to put forth the effort.
During my glorified wonderful awesome (insert any other positive adjective here) conversation with Nigel Godrich- I told him that I hadn't heard Radiohead's new album, "The King of Limbs", entirely yet. He didn't have good things to say about it- stating that it's killing the music industry. Apparently, it's an attempt for major labels to collect revenue on catalog releases while in turn sacrificing a bit of revenue for current releases. The whole business model makes sense- the music industry is desperate for cash, and will do anything for it.
It's just odd, because now you can listen to any album in one listen, not like it, and move on. You didn't fork over 15 bucks for the album, so there's no type of investment in it for you- who cares if you might like it 5 listens from now? Subscription sites like Rhapsody have saved me a WHOLE LOT of money over the past 6 months, but I feel that my drive for listening to challenging, provocative, and thought provoking music has seriously diminished. Not that it's not out there- aside from unofficial releases like mixtapes, you can bet your ass that a band will have their album on Rhapsody. It's just having that dedication- that determination- to solve the mystery of complicated albums that you'll feel rewarded more than any other type of instant gratification.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
iTunes watch: 8/25/2011
In my first segment of iTunes watch, I will be sporadically recording significant movement on the iTunes charts. As most downloads in America come from iTunes, and digital downloads are now probably the most significant factors in predicting a hit song. This allows for predictions on next week's charts.
This is as of 5:10 PM Pacific time zone on Thursday 8/25/2011
>#3 "Stereo Hearts" by Gym Class Heroes reaches bonafide hit territory as Adam Levine has obviously been the one that has benefitted from "The Voice" the most. Look for this one in the top 10 really soon.
>#4 "Cheers (Drink to That)" by Rihanna was a smash the first time I heard it, and it didn't take too long to reach upper-tier download territory. Also look for a rapid ascent up the charts next week as this gains momentum for a potential 11th #1 for the singer.
>#8 "You and I" by Lady Gaga will enter the upper realms next week- wouldn't be surprised if it hits #1 on the iTunes chart following her VMA performance on Sunday.
>#13 "Someone Like You" by Adele is gaining lots of momentum- looks like we might finally have a top 10 ballad again, folks.
>#47 "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" by Coldplay officially won't reach the success of "Viva La Vida". Was gonna give it awhile to sink in for people, but as the album's release is approaching- looks like this one is a relative dud.
>#62 "Gucci Gucci" by Kreayshawn is a direct result of Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha breaking down barriers. Naughty white girl rapper- what other time period would this have ever worked? I can see this turning into a cheeky guilty pleasure.
>#137 "Work Out" by J. Cole seems like yet another song by the very talented producer and lyricist that hasn't gained much traction. He has deafening buzz in the hip hop community- I wonder when this guy's breakthrough will finally come.
This is as of 5:10 PM Pacific time zone on Thursday 8/25/2011
>#3 "Stereo Hearts" by Gym Class Heroes reaches bonafide hit territory as Adam Levine has obviously been the one that has benefitted from "The Voice" the most. Look for this one in the top 10 really soon.
>#4 "Cheers (Drink to That)" by Rihanna was a smash the first time I heard it, and it didn't take too long to reach upper-tier download territory. Also look for a rapid ascent up the charts next week as this gains momentum for a potential 11th #1 for the singer.
>#8 "You and I" by Lady Gaga will enter the upper realms next week- wouldn't be surprised if it hits #1 on the iTunes chart following her VMA performance on Sunday.
>#13 "Someone Like You" by Adele is gaining lots of momentum- looks like we might finally have a top 10 ballad again, folks.
>#47 "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" by Coldplay officially won't reach the success of "Viva La Vida". Was gonna give it awhile to sink in for people, but as the album's release is approaching- looks like this one is a relative dud.
>#62 "Gucci Gucci" by Kreayshawn is a direct result of Nicki Minaj and Ke$ha breaking down barriers. Naughty white girl rapper- what other time period would this have ever worked? I can see this turning into a cheeky guilty pleasure.
>#137 "Work Out" by J. Cole seems like yet another song by the very talented producer and lyricist that hasn't gained much traction. He has deafening buzz in the hip hop community- I wonder when this guy's breakthrough will finally come.
Billboard Hot 100 Summary: Wins and Fails- 09/03/2011
#3- Lil Wayne feat. Drake- She Will
It's weird in this period of pop music that stars will release 4 singles prior to an album's release. The first two singles, 6 Foot 7 Foot and John were a bit too street for middle America, but performed decently anyway with peaks inside the top 10 and top 20. In contrast, third single, Detail-produced How to Love might be his softest, most blatant attempt at a radio hit. That's been a considerable success hovering in the middle of the top 10 for the past month or two. As we approach the release of The Carter IV Sunday night at midnight, the debut of "She Will" reminds me a lot of the chart performance of Gaga's "Edge of Glory". That song, as the 3rd buzz single from Born This Way, debuted at #3 just prior to the release of the album. Like Edge of Glory, She Will is probably going to slide down the charts for a few weeks until radio kicks in, prompting it back into the top 10. However, unless this song catches absolute fire, I think this most likely will be the song's peak position. While none of his singles have matched the success or catchiness of "Lollipop", this is setting up Weezy for another blockbuster.
#14 The Band Perry- If I Die Young
Just as Lady Antebellum paved the way 2 years ago with the 2-guys-1-girl formula with their breakout success "Need You Now", the country music industry saw a winning formula and signed another act with a very similar look and feel. "If I Die Young" has been hovering around the top 40 for some time now- it debuted on the Hot 100 back in late November, but is now crossing over to top 40/pop radio. Though LA would never play this, (they barely played "Need You Now") the song is catching fire everywhere else. I've seen this song show up on my facebook news feed multiple times over the past week as an indicator. Who knows if this will be as big as "Need You Now", but this whole 2-guys-1-girl thing is the new in thing with country crossovers. I will admit, there could be a lot worse songs crossing over to pop.
#35 Lady Gaga- You and I
This is probably the most obvious win of the week. With the release of her music video, Gaga's fourth single form "Born This Way" rockets from 96-35 in its 2nd real week of a chart run. As this was one of the top performing album tracks on iTunes when "Born This Way" was released, audience and fan reception seem to be extremely positive for this song. As it seems kind of like a homage to the style of Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Queen, 90's mainstream country/pop, it sounds completely different than anything else on house-hop obsessed top 40 radio, and I think people are ready for a change of pace as well. I'm really curious to see if country radio warms up to the song, as it definitely would fit in with the format. Her opening VMA performance will most likely contain some kind of rendition of this song- also a tactic that launched "Paparazzi" in 2009. If this plays out right, I can see this being a future #1 multi-format smash.
FAILS:
#32 Pitbull ft. Marc Anthony- Rain Over Me
I am proud to announce that I am 80% sure that Pitbull's third single from "Planet Pit" (ugh, given LA radio the title is probably accurate) won't achieve the status of "Give Me Everything" or even "Hey Baby (Drop it to the Floor)". Though it was climbing at a swift pace to #30, this week it drops to #32 without a bullet. That should hopefully indicate the peak position. What happened here? Is Marc Anthony simply too washed up for American artists and not as appealing of a feature? I respect the bold cause to try to relaunch his career, but maybe it's also because it's just not as strong of a song. For an album that was intentionally made so that every song could be made a radio single, we'll have to see what happens in the coming weeks and how fast RCA follows it up. However, I could be totally wrong about this. We'll see in the coming weeks. Any type of momentum Pitbull has- I want killed right now with the Kodak endorsements and everything.
#51 Lupe Fiasco ft. Trey Songz- Out of My Head
Possibly since late May or early April, Power 106 (LA's "hip hop" station) has been playing a super mediocre song with two completely indistinguishable voices. I found out about a month ago it was actually this song, and it made total sense. No rapper I can think of has descended so quickly in terms of quality, yet achieved that much more popular success. I listened to his first album, "Food & Liquor", maybe 100 times over, but he didn't achieve commercial success until the, again, mediocre "Superstar" made a decently sized dent in the charts. I am aware that record label politics came into play with the album this song is taken from, and that Lupe Fiasco really didn't want some of these singles released. "Out of My Head" barely scratched the #40 position before sliding down the charts. What I don't understand is why this song tests so well for LA radio- it's been on heavy rotation for months on all top 40 stations. Lupe Fiasco is a true talent, but one better served off of a major label. It's just a shame the quality of music vs. commerical appeal are like a see-saw rather than going hand in hand.
It's weird in this period of pop music that stars will release 4 singles prior to an album's release. The first two singles, 6 Foot 7 Foot and John were a bit too street for middle America, but performed decently anyway with peaks inside the top 10 and top 20. In contrast, third single, Detail-produced How to Love might be his softest, most blatant attempt at a radio hit. That's been a considerable success hovering in the middle of the top 10 for the past month or two. As we approach the release of The Carter IV Sunday night at midnight, the debut of "She Will" reminds me a lot of the chart performance of Gaga's "Edge of Glory". That song, as the 3rd buzz single from Born This Way, debuted at #3 just prior to the release of the album. Like Edge of Glory, She Will is probably going to slide down the charts for a few weeks until radio kicks in, prompting it back into the top 10. However, unless this song catches absolute fire, I think this most likely will be the song's peak position. While none of his singles have matched the success or catchiness of "Lollipop", this is setting up Weezy for another blockbuster.
#14 The Band Perry- If I Die Young
Just as Lady Antebellum paved the way 2 years ago with the 2-guys-1-girl formula with their breakout success "Need You Now", the country music industry saw a winning formula and signed another act with a very similar look and feel. "If I Die Young" has been hovering around the top 40 for some time now- it debuted on the Hot 100 back in late November, but is now crossing over to top 40/pop radio. Though LA would never play this, (they barely played "Need You Now") the song is catching fire everywhere else. I've seen this song show up on my facebook news feed multiple times over the past week as an indicator. Who knows if this will be as big as "Need You Now", but this whole 2-guys-1-girl thing is the new in thing with country crossovers. I will admit, there could be a lot worse songs crossing over to pop.
#35 Lady Gaga- You and I
This is probably the most obvious win of the week. With the release of her music video, Gaga's fourth single form "Born This Way" rockets from 96-35 in its 2nd real week of a chart run. As this was one of the top performing album tracks on iTunes when "Born This Way" was released, audience and fan reception seem to be extremely positive for this song. As it seems kind of like a homage to the style of Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Queen, 90's mainstream country/pop, it sounds completely different than anything else on house-hop obsessed top 40 radio, and I think people are ready for a change of pace as well. I'm really curious to see if country radio warms up to the song, as it definitely would fit in with the format. Her opening VMA performance will most likely contain some kind of rendition of this song- also a tactic that launched "Paparazzi" in 2009. If this plays out right, I can see this being a future #1 multi-format smash.
FAILS:
#32 Pitbull ft. Marc Anthony- Rain Over Me
I am proud to announce that I am 80% sure that Pitbull's third single from "Planet Pit" (ugh, given LA radio the title is probably accurate) won't achieve the status of "Give Me Everything" or even "Hey Baby (Drop it to the Floor)". Though it was climbing at a swift pace to #30, this week it drops to #32 without a bullet. That should hopefully indicate the peak position. What happened here? Is Marc Anthony simply too washed up for American artists and not as appealing of a feature? I respect the bold cause to try to relaunch his career, but maybe it's also because it's just not as strong of a song. For an album that was intentionally made so that every song could be made a radio single, we'll have to see what happens in the coming weeks and how fast RCA follows it up. However, I could be totally wrong about this. We'll see in the coming weeks. Any type of momentum Pitbull has- I want killed right now with the Kodak endorsements and everything.
#51 Lupe Fiasco ft. Trey Songz- Out of My Head
Possibly since late May or early April, Power 106 (LA's "hip hop" station) has been playing a super mediocre song with two completely indistinguishable voices. I found out about a month ago it was actually this song, and it made total sense. No rapper I can think of has descended so quickly in terms of quality, yet achieved that much more popular success. I listened to his first album, "Food & Liquor", maybe 100 times over, but he didn't achieve commercial success until the, again, mediocre "Superstar" made a decently sized dent in the charts. I am aware that record label politics came into play with the album this song is taken from, and that Lupe Fiasco really didn't want some of these singles released. "Out of My Head" barely scratched the #40 position before sliding down the charts. What I don't understand is why this song tests so well for LA radio- it's been on heavy rotation for months on all top 40 stations. Lupe Fiasco is a true talent, but one better served off of a major label. It's just a shame the quality of music vs. commerical appeal are like a see-saw rather than going hand in hand.
8/25/2011 Song of the Day- Radiohead- How to Disappear Completely (2000)
My general listening habits can be summed up into two categories- pre Radiohead's Kid A and post Radiohead's Kid A. I was 14 when I started to notice a strange marketing campaign for a then pretty much unknown band to me. There were strange, abstract commericals on MTV on commercial breaks for TRL, (which I watched regularly) advertisements in Billboard magazine, (I've been reading Billboard since I was 11) and to top it all off- the album debuted at #1 on the charts. So on a mild day in October of 2000 on a trip with my grandparents to Columbus, Indiana for a day of shopping, we stopped by a Target, was intrigued by the album and decided I wanted to buy it. At the checkout, the woman gave me a rather odd look once she saw the album cover, and was looking for a parental advisory sticker given I was 14 at the time. (given- southern Indiana is just as conservative as rural Kentucky)
After a mass amount of sleeper success with "OK Computer", Radiohead did a complete 180, invoking an eerie, spacious, electronic album influenced by krautrock and the dark aspects of electronica. As "Faded" by SoulDecision was one of my favorite songs at the time, I didn't get the album at first, which frustrated me. I'd sit downstairs by my computer with my portable CD player (hey, remember those?) and try to make something out of it. Why is every song so complicated yet minimalistic at the same time? What are all of these baffling noises and croons? Finally, after maybe a month had gone by, during maybe the 6th or 7th trudge through the album, it finally clicked. It was a revalation. Not only had my mind been officially expanded, but the foreign concept that a pop song can be more than hooks and melodies came to fruition.
Radiohead was essentially my gateway drug. I'd always been obsessed with music, but my focus completely changed. Out was Contemporary Christian music like Jars of Clay or dcTalk and vh1-centric bands like Matchbox 20, and in were lesser known artists that pushed the envelope- like Jeff Buckley and Sonic Youth. I remember hyping my brother up about Radiohead so much after my awesome discovery that I convinced him to buy "The Bends" while I bought "OK Computer" at the same time. I became such an obsessive fan that I convinced my dad to drive me to Ear-X-Tacy (the go-to indie record store in Louisville) at midnight to purchase their subsequent album, "Amnesiac".
The song "How to Disappear Completely" is by far my favorite song from my favorite album of all time, and I don't know why I've waited this long on my blog to discuss my favorite band ever. It's a very sparse, lengthy tune- repeating the phrase "I'm not here/ This isn't happening". I don't think I completely interpreted that at 14 accurately, but it was pretty much the coolest set of lyrics I'd ever stumbled upon. The very slow buildup to an emotional climax in the song was almost a foreign concept to me, and it was so much more rewarding because of it. Hell, the whole album is amazing, and many may argue that "Idiotheque" or "Optimistic" is the album's zenith- but I'll argue tooth and nail that this is Kid A's best song.
I actually met the producer of the album, Nigel Godrich, during a random encounter at work back in March. I told him how profound of an influence Radiohead has had on my music intake over the years, and he was genuinely appreciative of my admiration. I remember specifically asking him- "So, in recording Kid A- was everyone other than Thom Yorke kind of like- Uhh, what the hell are we doing?" He responded nonchalantly, like he was talking about his best friend, "Oh, there was lots of bickering, but it all worked out." It was so weird to place something so monumental to me in a simple human form. Regardless, Radiohead will always be the end-all/say-all band for me. I've always been obsessed with music, but as I've said- Radiohead was my gateway drug for music. They are the voice of my generation, the way Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd were for the previous.
After a mass amount of sleeper success with "OK Computer", Radiohead did a complete 180, invoking an eerie, spacious, electronic album influenced by krautrock and the dark aspects of electronica. As "Faded" by SoulDecision was one of my favorite songs at the time, I didn't get the album at first, which frustrated me. I'd sit downstairs by my computer with my portable CD player (hey, remember those?) and try to make something out of it. Why is every song so complicated yet minimalistic at the same time? What are all of these baffling noises and croons? Finally, after maybe a month had gone by, during maybe the 6th or 7th trudge through the album, it finally clicked. It was a revalation. Not only had my mind been officially expanded, but the foreign concept that a pop song can be more than hooks and melodies came to fruition.
Radiohead was essentially my gateway drug. I'd always been obsessed with music, but my focus completely changed. Out was Contemporary Christian music like Jars of Clay or dcTalk and vh1-centric bands like Matchbox 20, and in were lesser known artists that pushed the envelope- like Jeff Buckley and Sonic Youth. I remember hyping my brother up about Radiohead so much after my awesome discovery that I convinced him to buy "The Bends" while I bought "OK Computer" at the same time. I became such an obsessive fan that I convinced my dad to drive me to Ear-X-Tacy (the go-to indie record store in Louisville) at midnight to purchase their subsequent album, "Amnesiac".
The song "How to Disappear Completely" is by far my favorite song from my favorite album of all time, and I don't know why I've waited this long on my blog to discuss my favorite band ever. It's a very sparse, lengthy tune- repeating the phrase "I'm not here/ This isn't happening". I don't think I completely interpreted that at 14 accurately, but it was pretty much the coolest set of lyrics I'd ever stumbled upon. The very slow buildup to an emotional climax in the song was almost a foreign concept to me, and it was so much more rewarding because of it. Hell, the whole album is amazing, and many may argue that "Idiotheque" or "Optimistic" is the album's zenith- but I'll argue tooth and nail that this is Kid A's best song.
I actually met the producer of the album, Nigel Godrich, during a random encounter at work back in March. I told him how profound of an influence Radiohead has had on my music intake over the years, and he was genuinely appreciative of my admiration. I remember specifically asking him- "So, in recording Kid A- was everyone other than Thom Yorke kind of like- Uhh, what the hell are we doing?" He responded nonchalantly, like he was talking about his best friend, "Oh, there was lots of bickering, but it all worked out." It was so weird to place something so monumental to me in a simple human form. Regardless, Radiohead will always be the end-all/say-all band for me. I've always been obsessed with music, but as I've said- Radiohead was my gateway drug for music. They are the voice of my generation, the way Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd were for the previous.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Opinion: OFWGKTA (Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All)
If you haven't heard of OFWGKTA, don't sweat it. You're about to when they wreak havoc on the VMA's next Sunday, as Tyler the Creator's "Yonkers" video is (very well deservingly) nominated for video of the year. Odd Future is a collective of very young rappers and producers (we are talking 17-21 years of age) similar in numbers to the Wu Tang Clan, but that's where the similarities stop.
These guys have absolutely filthy lyrics. Like, as in Eminem getting a PG-13 rating in comparison. They lyrics are abrasive, violent, misogynisitic, anti-christian, homophobic, and racist. (for example- "raped a pregnant bitch and told my friends I had a threesome") Their production and sound is very challenging and peculiar for their age- think of The Neptunes and Madlib joining forces on a trip to hell and back. They blew up last year in the music blogging world after group leader Tyler the Creator released his debut "Bastard", pretty much becoming the first and prime example of a group virtually unknown to the general public, yet superstars on music blogs and websites.
Their fanbase right now consists of an odd mixture of late teens/early twenties mainstream hip hop listeners and indie hipsters/bloggers. I believe that the former got hooked on the novelty aspect of the band- teens their age being naughtier than any artist of relevance has ever been? The latter is because of the ironic artistic merit from their innovative beats and captivating wordplay.
As they are pretty much the most blatantly offensive band making waves today, it took me awhile to form an opinion on their lyrical content. I've always been a bit hesitant about rappers who use the word "faggot" a lot, (except perennial fave Ghostface Killah) but I think to myself- they are ripping on everyone and not just the gays. If I'm offended by their use of the word, I should be even more offended at their attitude towards women. For me, as long as the music is there and some kind of artistic vision can be seen, I frankly don't care about the lyrical content. These guys never could have existed in any other musical time period- imagine a major label taking these guys under their wing and trying to market them.
An entire new generation now has instant access to all of the music in the world. Tyler the Creator cites some of his main influences as Portishead and Stereolab. When in any other time period would an inner city teenager from a broken home have access to 2 of the most influential electronic acts of the past 20 years?
I don't think Odd Future will ever become truly mainstream or a household name. (besides being demonized from the conservative community as with Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson, etc) Besides the potential R&B superstar member Frank Ocean, their sound is too inaccessible for mainstream ears. I was pleaseantly suprised upon my first exposure to Odd Future, baffled that normal 20 year olds would warm to the production. It took a good while for Tyler's new album (and my first true exposure to them) "Goblin" to sink in. But from the sheer music alone- the group is collectively producing challenging, provocative, and refreshingly, genuinely NEW music.
It can be ENDLESSLY debated that popular music has reached its cultural and artistic zentith already- and I constantly look for ways to disprove that. Odd Future, along with The Weeknd, are two of the very few artists producing truly new music that would have been impossible to exist at times other than 2011.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
8/20/2011: The Weeknd feat. Drake- The Zone
I feel like I've listened to more R&B this year than any other genre in 2011. It's hard to find consistently evolving genres- I'm always looking for what's new under the sun. It seems like the social media age and immediate access to all kinds of music has had a huge influence on the R&B community. The Weeknd's first mixtape, "House of Balloons", was released to deafening hype and rapturous reviews. For the first time, we have a potential megastar self-producing tracks with Beach House and Cocteau Twins samples. For a genre that is notorious for providing a few hit singles off of an album with corresponding filler on the rest of the album, R&B has gained credibility amongst the indie community in a similar sense to the turn of the millenium, when Maxwell, D'Angelo, and Erykah Badu released their career defining albums. As fresh as they sounded back in 1996-1999. Just as these artists gave the genre a face lift, so will this new generation of "blogger artists".
The song's almost 7 minutes long, and the atmospheric interlude between The Weeknd and Drake's verses- when has that ever happened before in R&B? The unconventional notions of indie experimentalism and mainstream R&B are finally colliding, and The Weeknd will be remembered as the artist (along with the OFWGKTA collective) that really merged it and created a splash.
As with Frank Ocean, these two artists will become absolute stars over the next year or two. And as for the song itself I'm blogging about... nothing really needs to be said. I guess the most notable thing is that this is really one of the few completely new things happening in music, in ANY genre. Which is why I'm so crazy about it.
The song's almost 7 minutes long, and the atmospheric interlude between The Weeknd and Drake's verses- when has that ever happened before in R&B? The unconventional notions of indie experimentalism and mainstream R&B are finally colliding, and The Weeknd will be remembered as the artist (along with the OFWGKTA collective) that really merged it and created a splash.
As with Frank Ocean, these two artists will become absolute stars over the next year or two. And as for the song itself I'm blogging about... nothing really needs to be said. I guess the most notable thing is that this is really one of the few completely new things happening in music, in ANY genre. Which is why I'm so crazy about it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)