Sunday, November 13, 2011

Hybrid Moments

So, the past couple of days, I've been listening to what might get called hybrid music- for example, Lydia Loveless and her country/punk stylings. I'm not sure if I really think of this stuff as hybrid music. I mean, right this second, I'm listening to "Old Folks Boogie" by Jack Oblivian, from his new one "Rat City". I can hear the memphis R&B and the early 1970's rock and soul connection, and I can hear the Crypt/Sympathy for the Record Industry garage-rock production, where treble is clarity, and bass is blur. So, I know that it's got hybrid characteristics, but it still sounds whole to me, following its own thing. I mean, without the labels, I'd just think of it as a particularly funky garage boogie. For yet more clarity, I've been listening to Mariachi El Bronx II, which most folks classify as "The Bronx playing Mariachi music". But, it's not straight Mariachi music, at least not traditional Mariachi music. It's not the Rocking thrash punk that the Bronx specialize in, either. It's too uptempo to be Mariachi, but the instrumentation isn't rock. So, is that a hybrid between the two, or is it something new? I'm not sure. It's not a goof on traditional music, like how I get the feeling that Hayseed Dixie is a goof on both Ac/Dc and bluegrass. Let's not forget that Rocknroll is a "hybrid" to begin with, and rarely stays pure even to that supposed blend (Country and Blues). Of course, it's tempting to say it's all just "music", and who needs labels , Maaaaaan. But, that isn't honest, either, because Mariachi El Bronx has little in common with Jack Oblivian nor Lydia Loveless. So, what is it, a hybrid, or a flavour? a colouring? a shade? a mix? a mash up? Hard to say, hard to say....

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