Review

So, I finally got an Ipod. Not an Mp3 player, no, the apple product. I'm still a PC type of guy, but, apple really does have the superior product with the Nano. In some ways, it's an amazing product- 600 songs easily stored, right? Oh, and a few pod casts, and maybe a few photos, and did I mention it's also a video recorder? But, on the other hand Itunes is clunky, and difficult, not to mention invasive. Also, the product is a bit of a magic box- you cannot customize how it works, and you cannot so much as replace the battery, yourself.
All in all, though, it's good.
This is how it relates to this blog, though- it's encouraged me to listen to a bunch of music I had in the collection, not explore new stuff. In other words, a lot of review. As with any review, it's only interesting for the new connections. So, I leave it on shuffle a lot. I discover things like The Mescaleros' "All in a Day" blends nicely with The Tubeway Army's "Are 'Friends' Electric?", and I discover just how narrow my tastes really are- it turns out there really isn't that much space between Billie Holiday and Spearhead, nor is there all that much difference between Willie Nelson and Mark Lanegan. So, I'm still processing this new information. I am re-evaluating much of my tastes- not changing those tastes- but re-evaluating- I'm realizing that I'm much more of a rockist than I thought, that I enjoy keyboards more than guitar solos, but I love guitars more than voices (Except Mark Lanegan's voice, which is still a perfect instrument. No, I don't have a man-crush on him, I just love his voice. The man, himself, seems a bit of an Ass.) I'm realizing that the only real use I have for lyrics is aphoristic, and that a sweeping melody means more to me than a well-turned phrase. All the same, Joe Strummer's words are some of the best poetry I will ever hear.
There is a value to reviewing beyond analysis, however- the connection between the present and the past becomes more transparent, and, if you're at peace with who you are, that can be a comfort, and in those areas where you are not at peace with yourself, that connection can serve as inspiration to achieve that peace. (Incidentally, this is one of the three reasons I cannot be a Buddhist. I believe that the past is real, as well as the future is knowable- I don't believe we're in an eternal present. The other two reasons? I believe in an external god, and I believe that the full, absolute truth is both real and unknowable.)

But, it's not entirely been about the Ipod- I've been watching a couple of movies, listening to a couple of Cd's, and reading a few things-
The movies? What we do is Secret, Raising Arizona, and Feast.
The less I say about What we do is Secret, probably the better. I have people who know me who knew Darby/Bobby/Jan better than I ever will, and I don't want to offend them with my impressions. What I will say, however, is that I only saw him as Darby, and only saw him at shows, and even so- the biography drawn up in What we do is Secret is far too kind to him, far too harsh at people who deserve better, and far too neat to be anything like the truth. At best, it's the impression that his friends might want to give their kids. However, if you take away the non-fiction aspect, and view it as a myth, or a story, it's well done. It's a slightly more true story than your average biopic, in that while it does show that drugs were bad, it shows more clearly both the ambition, and mental anguish that were the reasons for the drug use did the real damage.
As for Raising Arizona- What can I say? I like about half of the Coens' movies- this one, and Miller's Crossing are my favorites-and it's a modern classic. The distillation of cartoon slapstick, Guys and Dolls-esque patter, and redneck mysticism has a legion of imitators, but none offer up such a sincere, genuine heart. Well worth your time.
Finally, Feast. Yes, the project greenlight horror franchise. Again, what can I say- it's not really a "horror" movie- it's an extreme slapstick comedy with low budget special effects. That's how I see a lot of these things, and that's what I'm a fan of watching. I do like a real "horror" movie, and I don't like torture porn, but slasher-style gorefests? They are their own kind of comedy. I don't wish harm on (nearly) anyone- and it's only because I know it's special effects that I can view it that way- and I think Feast is more fully aware that it's not real than most, hence I can enjoy it more.
The Cd's? The Bronx (III) and Isobel Campbell/Mark Lanegan's The ballad of the Broken Seas.
The Bronx have mellowed out from from their start as a hardcore band, without genuinely changing their style. Basically, what they do is a somewhat metallic version of the garage punk that a band like Rocket From the Crypt did, or that The Riverboat Gamblers still do. That "garageiness" is the appeal for me. They sound like smart guys rocking out after a few beers, aware of both how stupid they are, and how little they want to give it up, nonetheless. In that respect, they are the Cynics for the Jackass crowd.
As for the Belle and Sebastian girl, singing with the former Screaming Tree- yes, it's gentle, ramshackle ballads, but informed by a Gaelic ( not "irish" sensibility) From Richard Thompson to Glasvegas, I'm a sucker for the Gaelic lilt and reel. My belief is that Rock and Roll is based on two things, equally- the "rock" of African rhythm and the "roll" of Gaelic harmony. I think the "blue note" of the Blues traces ancestry directly to Scotland, and the high, lonesome of Country swing traces directly from Wales. So, this is still a rock and roll record. That's what lends it swing, and heft. What makes it pretty are the two voices, but what makes it cool is the Gaelic ghost underneath it all.
Anyway, this is long enough, I'll continue later...

What's Going on with Spain?

Seriously, I'm hearing a lot of very diverse, high quality music coming out of Spain, as of late... Everything from the brilliant old-school hardcore of The Capaces, to the world-fusion rap rock of After Many Days to the electro hard pop of Echovolt . You've got the punk rock of Atrako a Mano Armada , the strange decayed metal of Los Cuatrocientos Golpes , and the surf rock of Los Tiki Phantoms , and the D-beat thrash of D R A M A . Defintely much more varied than the Garage rock scene I recall from the 1990's. It's a big world, folks- don't limit yourself to one country, but dang, Spain has something going on....

In the New York Times...

I've been following Michael Kimmelman's column . I think he's got some interesting things to say, even if he's basically deconstructing a straw man argument. He defines "globalization" in a way I haven't really seen it defined- basically, it reads like he thinks of it as some kind of cultural cross-pollenizing- so as to attack people who don't like corporate globalization, which is a far more hedgemonic thing than I think he's allowing. Still, as I wrote, some very interesting points along the way. I sincerely hope he continues bringing this argument to such interesting places....

Kowloon Eletrika

I listen to a pretty wide variety of music. Always have. Always will. On top of having a brain, I'm a musician, and I worked in the industry. So, music is an Art that I relate easily and well to my life. It seems silly to me to limit my listening then, to one style or another.
That having said, of course I have tastes and preferences. A Big preference is for guitars, and that's probably been pretty obvious. Guitars, at this time in history, means you're going to end up in "rock" territory, so, yeah, I hear a lot of rock music. That still allows for a lot of diversity. Take the two bands I've been listening to, today: Kowloon Walled City and EletriKa. About the only thing they really have in common would be guitars.
Kowloon Walled City start with an amazing name, if you read history. If you don't, it'd be like naming the band "real-life anarchic city of sin and reward". The band do a kind of sludgey avant-metal that owes to black Sabbath, King Crimson, Black Flag and Neurosis. In other words, like other bands I like (Kylesa, Kyuss, Killing Joke- what is it with the letter "k"?) this is grimy very heavy, very hard rock done by some very brainy people. Nothing "pop" about this. But, yet, still very musical, and very engaging. If you're a bit of a metal-head, but you feel guilty about it- here's your band. Also, if you're too smart to listen to Zakk Wylde, and you think he's really a wuss hiding behind a musclehead physique, yeah, this is a band for you. Downtuned, loud stuff that isn't processed; raw and vibrant but challenging music for people with an education.
None of that makes EletriKa a dumb band, by any means. But, where KWC are like a Grad student's Stoner-metal tribute band, EletriKa are like an older professional's hobby. Maybe they aren't quite a "hobby", but they are a "second" band for Claudio David, who you should know from Overdose, the long-running brazillian Thrash-metal band. I have been an Overdose fan since the mid 1990's, when it seemed like Brazil could do no wrong between them and Sepultura. Seriously, the mix of poly rhythm and technical thrash metal is a really good listen- try out "Rio Street Progress" or "Zombie Factory". So, the thought of a techno-enhanced version of Overdose was really enticing for me (hey, I like technology. I am not afraid of pro-tools or keyboards) However, EletriKa take a different approach. They're more standard "alternative rock" with some seriously tweaked production (guitars compressed within an inch of their frequency spectrum, for a start). I'm open to everything, so, no, I'm not disappointed, but I guess I'm still waiting for a band that sounds like a combination of Pitchshifter and Soulfly. EletriKa sound more like mid-90's Alt-rock (Alice in Chains, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Candlebox) meets late-90's production. In effect, they have more in common with a band like The Exies than they do with, say, Fear Factory. And you know what? I still like it. I'm good with Alice in Chains style vocal harmonies with compressed guitars playing a white-boy funk rock. The lyrics aren't too special, and there's a definitely lack of concern for a truly conveyed "message" but Claudio still knows his way around a fretboard, and can roll out a cavalcade of false harmonics in a way to create a still hummable melody that's impossible to notate- which requires a lot of Art, in and of itself.
So, what about me? What's my message? The same as always- my taste, your taste, any one's taste can be worthwhile, it just has to be recognized for its own terms. That's the difference between "mass culture" and the culture of the many....

Influence

One of the worst interview questions that can be asked is "What are your influences?" It's a bad question because it draws attention away from the interview subject, it's unnatural, and it forces the interview into a formal exercise, instead of a conversation. In other words, it actually makes it harder to understand the interview's subject. Yet, what could be more important for understanding an artist than knowing where they draw inspiration? So, is it more important to understand the artist, or is it more important to know them?
Well, you'll note I'm not doing interviews on this blog, and with a little digging, you'll find that I have done my share of music journalism, so I'd like to take enough credit to say that I have made a choice- I think it's more important for me as a fan to understand the Artist than to know the people. I mean, consider this- I cannot talk with Joe Strummer. He's dead. I cannot know John Mellor, the man who created Joe Strummer. But, I can understand the Artist known as Joe Strummer, and one way to do that is to know where he drew inspiration from.
Sometimes, influences are crucial. One of my favorite bands from the old Los Angeles punk scene would be TSOL. One listen to them, and you can hear a similarity to the Damned . So, why don't I just listen to the Damned? Because on the one hand, Jack, TSOL's singer, clearly is just as influenced by lounge/Easy listening music as he is by rock music. He sings like he's been on a Burt Bacharach bender as much as Dave Vanian (the Damned's singer) sings like Jim Morrison. But, on the other hand, Ron, TSOL's guitarist, clearly has listened to Johnny Thunders, a lot. Easily as much as Captain Sensible listened to Daevid Allen in the Soft Machine. It's the difference in those influences that makes TSOL sound like a more relevant musical entity to me. No knock on the Damned, who I like as well, but I prefer Bacharach to the Doors, and I prefer Johnny Thunders to the Soft Machine. Plus, the musical thought of the connections between Easy listening and Glam rock is far more compelling than simple psychedelic music, played at Punk tempo (Again, no knock on the Damned, but Hawkwind was doing that, already).
Music is Art, to me. I realize that it can be many other things, and it has been many other things to me. As Art, however, music is part of a conversation of ideas that has been going on as long as civilization. So, as part of that conversation it's important to know where the quotes come from.

As long as I mentioned it

I dislike what's happening with things like Coachella and Lollapalooza- turning it into an entrance-only "event". The NY Times might like it. But, I think it's not only antiquated, it's detrimental. If they want to find a high-profit way to bring people together- why not take advantage of technology and bring the mountain to Mohammed? By that, I mean, why don't they stream Coachella live on a dedicated video channel online, then charge it like a Pay-per-View? Maybe stream two hour blocks to movie theaters, worldwide? That way, control is given to the audience. Don't want to have to sit through Jay Z, in order to see Die Antwoord? Just stream their set, and skip his. They'd make yet more cash, and it could be a world-event, instead of an over-priced gated community where you are force-fed mass culture? Seriously, the way it is now, if I wanted to go see Lollapalooza, I'd be paying over 2 grand to be forced to see Lady Gaga?! I cannot think of anything more wrong-headed culturally. Truly awful. World-wide culture is getting more democratic, and more interactive, but here in America, our Pop culture is getting orwellian and fascist. Screw that! I hope that someone finds a way to bootleg every major festival, and makes a mint selling DVDs of individual acts, and streaming 'em like Netflix.....

DIY Culture

Well, it's an interesting turn of phrase anyway. It's a pity that Kimmelman doesn't seem to fully understand what he is talking about. Still, not a bad article . I wonder what he'd think if it came to his attention that you can do experiments in bricolage from any location by use of the internet, and that it's not necessarily in conflict with tribalism. I wonder if it would blow his mind that all sides can now speak to each other? It's not just the Black Eyed Peas speaking to the third world, it's Die Antwoord playing at Coachella, and it's not just the Beastie Boys inviting Tibetian monks onstage, it's South by Southwest trying to re-locate to Monterey, Mexico. I wonder if he'd be enlightened or frightened by a band like After Many Days? What the print media world needs to understand is that the tribes are still there, they just look different.

Another way to view the Long Tail: the infinite Tent

Yes, the concept of the long tail is pretty crucial to understanding my Aesthetics, here. However, I don't see it two dimensionally. I see it more three dimensionally. Picture, instead of a long tail, something more like an endless plateau of fabric. Now, imagine tent poles erected at various spots underneath this endless fabric. At the apex of each spike, you have your "hits"- those things that are enormously popular. The more flat areas unaffected by the tent poles? That's the "long tail" area, and if you're picturing it the same as I am, there's a lot more fabric that's flat, like that, than there is elevated by the tent poles.
There's several important bits involved with why I prefer this model. First, because the fabric itself is just one endless thing unto itself, and the tent poles are something else- related, but not intrinsic to the fabric. That, to me, more accurately represents the relationship between Art, and culture, and finance and popularity. The "art", the fabric, exists just as it is whether it's "elevated" by commerce, or not, eventually, it is effected, just as fabric stretches if you put a tent pole under it, but it still is more the same thing as Art that is not "elevated" by commerce. Second, because in three dimensions different areas can exist to represent different forces. An example- Japanese Anime is enormously popular in japan for Japanese reasons. It appeals to the Japanese person for reasons that have to do with Japan. But, it's also very popular with some Americans, for very different reasons. So, in our tent pole, one slope can represent the Japanese popularity of Anime, while another side of that same tent pole slope represents the American interest in Anime. Those things elevated the highest by the tent pole are Animes that are popular on both sides of the Atlantic, while, as the slope descends, you have things that are more popular in either places, but not necessarily both. Third, because with multiple tent poles under endless fabric, we can represent other factors, like time, and fashion. For example, picture two tent poles spaced just far enough apart that the fabric between then just about touches the ground for some of the space between them. That would more accurately represent , to me, anyway, Swing music in the 20th century. First, it was obscure, close to the ground. Then, in the 1930's and 1940's, it peaked up in interest, but then, as other stuff gained popularity (other parts of the fabric were explored) the fabric got closer and closer to the ground. Then, in the 1990's, another tent pole goes up, and the interest climbs with it. The fabric (swing music) never got as low as it did before the two tent poles (the interest never hit zero) but it did decline.
Now, why is this metaphor important for reading this blog? Because I'm more interested in things that, for this time, in this place are lower to the ground, thus, further out on the long tail, but that doesn't mean it was ever thus, everywhere. For example, right now, my interest in Thrash would be fairly long tail, fairly "niche". But, if this were Finland, and it was 1987? It wouldn't be nearly as long tail. Get it? It's important because it is this much more broad, more "three dimensional" view that I think is more sustainable, and more inclusive, and better able to describe the realities of the relationship between culture of all types, and the whole of the "mass".
Yes, this is fairly self-referential and esoteric- but I think you can adopt my framework, here, fairly easily for whatever your own niche thinking may be....

Not exactly Easter

OK, so it's Easter, today. I'll be out of the house to do holiday-themed stuff, soon. But, for right now, let's ignore the calendar, ok?
I've stumbled across a new favorite Punk Rock band- Barcelona's The Capaces. They've been around for 10 years, so I don't know where I've been, but it should have been Barcelona!
Sound? OK, take the punk-y rocknroll drive of bands like Motorhead, Zeke, Reo Speedealer, or the Bronx. Got it? Now, take the aggression and speed, and crank it up to the intensity of Discharge and sometimes all the way up to first-album Die Kreuzen. Have Kat Arthur from Legal Weapon sing for this juggernaut. Are you there? No? Let me guess, you haven't heard of most of the references I just made. OK, well, go look them up. If you like most of them, you'll want to hear the Capaces. If not, you probably don't really like thrashy hardcore like I do, and that's OK. At least you know where I'm coming from. Alternately, you could just listen to the Capaces, because this is exactly the kind of music I've been listening to since I was a pre-teen. When it's good, like the Capaces are, nothing connects more with me. Where's the pit?

Riding out the long tail

I wouldn't say I agree with everything Anderson has to say, but the initial article that led to The Long Tail by Chris Anderson was a key inspiration for this here blog. That nugget was a bit of the same thing as the climactic speech in Revenge of the Nerds, when he says that there are more of us nerds, spazzes geeks and so on than beautiful people. The idea of the long tail is that while loads of people like the mainstream stuff, nearly everyone has at least one "niche" thing they like, and so, for a seller, it can be an equally viable business model to sell lots of niche things, instead of a few mainstream things. I'm not trying to sell you anything, but I am a life-long inhabitant of that long tail, in that almost everything I've ever liked has been "niche". So, while I don't expect too many people to ever see my blog, I would encourage everyone who does to go as far out on whatever long tail they occupy as possible. We are very lucky, in these early days of the 21st century. We have more access to more obscure stuff than ever before, with better access, and easier access than ever thought possible. With a little luck, and a little research, if you thought some unknown actor in some "b" movie from 20 years ago was pretty special, you can find out what they're up to, these days. Likewise, if you liked hardcore punk rock, and you liked the sloppy, dark psychedelia of the Butthole Surfers, and wanted them put together, you could find Facepuller . If you like the odd time signatures of math metal, but the melancholy keyboards of gothic metal, you could find Returning we hear the larks . That's how far out the long tail you can ride!
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not so very far out, and obviously, I still like fairly mainstream stuff. The Clash, The Ramones, Queens of the Stone Age, etc ; I can swim in the mainstream. Heck, I even have a Lost theory (the island is host to a Genie-like entity that most folks are calling the "man in black", who is locked in a struggle with another powerful being {Jacob} who's like an Angel {think Jacob's ladder} which means that the story in Lost is about the trials and temptations of people seeking enlightenment). That's pretty mainstream! But, that's the beauty of doing away with the concept of mass culture- popularity doesn't matter either way! you can like completely mainstream stuff, and completely obscure stuff equally, and at the same time. You don't have to play either of those two old adolescent pastimes- trying to fit in, or trying to be an individual. You can simply just be. That's what I'm suggesting, and I hope you can see the potential, and already are riding your own long tail...