Aspect: Power

POWER


A sweet word, no doubt, and one that applies to music in staggeringly versatile ways. It's been this way as long as we've HAD music but most of the time one doesn't really think about.

At least, I don't think about it that often. But then again, how many times have you been to a show or been in your room listening to a song you've never heard before, and experienced that rush? You know the one I'm talking about: your skin tingles and your breath is taken away as you realize that whatever the artist is doing, you REALLY dig it.

Sometimes it's really straight-forward: your hair could pretty much be standing on end with the sheer energy of it all. You want to pound your fist in the air, jump around, dance 'til you drop, and scream with an exhilaration normally reserved for roller coaster drops.

The party's in your head - thanks, ears.


Other times, what you hear will strike you dumb - there's nothing to say that could possibly sweeten the moment, and your stammering and searching for appropriate comments would only sour it, so why bother? It's the first time you heard your favourite piano piece, guitar solo or breakdown beat, and from that point on those feelings in the silence will be a tangible part of your memories.

Then there's the rage. Surely, no other emotion has been more mocked in music (a shout-out to the emo, the death-metal, the gangsta rap, if you will). Yet, despite all the comedy surrounding it, rage/hate/anger remains one of the most powerful songwriting emotions at the artist's disposal. It's shot bands to the top of the charts, and captured audiences in massive orchestral arrangements.

It would be impossible to say to yourself that "No, I've never been angry, not ONCE" - that universal darkness is what appeals to us, draws us in and makes us relate to whatever it is we're listening to. Sure, not always do we feel the need to listen to this stuff, but sometimes when you're feeling dark, Linkin Park's "Crawling" is just what the doctor ordered.


Directly the opposite, some music puts us at peace easier than anything else ever could. A lot of classical falls in here, as well as smooth jazz and pop ballads. The song is just so beautiful and calming you feel like life could stop here, and you'd be ok with it.

Other stuff is so peaceful - it makes you relax SO much - that you just want to lie down and sleep. This stuff should be handed out MEDICALLY; seriously, the number of people that say they have trouble sleeping clearly listen to the wrong stuff when they're brushing their teeth. Either that, or they may ACTUALLY need pills to get the job done... still, I'd try the non-invasive method first, wouldn't you?

Finally, there are pieces of music that pull some serious Matrix shit on you - the "free your mind", and you feel like if you go out there and give the effort, you can do anything. They're uplifting, energizing and fun - you don't want to jump around so much as hop on a boat and get away from all the mundane baloney you have to put up with from day to day.


On that note, get out there and have some fun. Take your iPod (or whatever) with you if you want, and expose yourself to something you haven't before - or something you haven't done in a long time. Who knows? Maybe you'll make some new memories for yourself, and whenever you hear that song, you'll remember them - and remember ME, for convincing you to do it!

Everyone likes credit; give me some.

- Solace is powerful food for thought

Band Review: Burn Proper

Welcome to my first band review! I'll be picking bands I discover in my cyber-travels on MySpace. Today, we're going to take a look at a three-piece outfit from Los Angeles:

Burn Proper

The band consists of: Topher Hall (Vocals/Guitar), Brennan Rhodes (Drums), and James Mason (Bass). Their page features a good half-dozen songs, so go check them out and get a feel for their flavour.

What flavour is this, you ask? Well, I would place them firmly in the Alt-Rock camp for sure; they cite such diverse influences as Beck, Led Zeppelin, Nirvana and the Red Hot Chili Peppers (among others). In my humble opinon:

It is a very tasty flavour indeed.

Sound-wise, their production is very balanced and tight. Mason's bass comes through loud and clear, just as it should, and provides a solid melodic foundation. Hall's guitar parts are versatile and fit the songs well; his tone always seems appropriate for the riff, with a palette ranging from jangle reminiscent of Franz Ferdinand to thick crunchy chords that Nirvana and Bush fans will certainly dig. Rhodes' drumming is downright groovy; a great variety of patterns and fills drives the tunes along, and often pop out and snag your attention just before the song shifts to its next part.

This band is EXTREMELY enjoyable to listen to. Their songs would serve equally well on mix tapes played at home alone relaxing, during a good ol' keg party or especially in the car. With catchy lyrics and pleasant sonic textures, I would recommend this band to virtually anyone.
- Silence is not "nothing"; it is a pause for breath

Style: Country

For those of you that want to head for the hills at the mention of this genre, shame on you!

Let's get started. Country is probably the MOST hated on genre of popular music; I can't even begin to estimate how many people answer the question "what kind of music do you listen to?" with the following answer:

"I guess I like a lot of things... a bit of everything even. Except Country!"

As a general disclaimer before we dive into specifics, I admit that I, too, dislike several elements of Country music. The whiny guitar tones and lyrics are primarily the beef I have, because I don't generally listen to music to get depressed. That said, that is NOT all that Country has to offer.

Lyrics

As a tangent example, Rap music may have very catchy beats and looped melodies, but its lyrics number highly among the most crude (AND sexist) in the industry. By contrast, Country music has some of the most down-to-earth, intelligent (and FUNNY) lyrics available. Check out Brad Paisley’s “Mr. Policeman” and “I’m Still a Guy” to get a solid example of comedy, and “All I Wanted Was a Car” for something that a great many people (and young males, at least) can relate to.

The earnest nature of song-writing is one of Country’s great strengths as a genre. If you can’t think of a strong example off the top of your head, go look up a little band called the "Eagles”. Hits like “Tequila Sunrise”, “Love Will Keep Us Alive”, and “Take it Easy” (among MANY others) are very much written from the heart… and after all, is what music fans are looking for not something to connect to their own lives?

Musicianship

The following comment is directed towards those who believe Country is for “no-talent hacks”: Country musicians are, on average, FAR AND AWAY more talented with their chosen instrument than musicians of other styles. In Country:

- The singer has to really, REALLY be able to sing. No atonal bullshit, no "faking it" or "just givin' 'er".

- The WHOLE band has to be diverse and capable of handling multiple adaptations of styles from other genres (how often do you see THAT kind of willingness in bands of OTHER genres?)

For guitarists specifically, I would like to point out that, while in Rock technical proficiency had a fallow period (beginning in the early 90s with Grunge), Country has pretty much NEVER lost its technical edge, with complex and fascinating techniques inhabiting every sub-genre. Don't believe me? Check out this guy: Johnny Hiland.

I recognize that there are exceptions to every rule. But I’ll tell you from what I’ve seen, heard and read that Nashville musicians (both performing and session) are generally more diverse and talented than musicians rooted in another style.

So please, when you’re out on the town and the ladies all start screaming because a Paul Brandt or Keith Urban song starts playing, before you say “Oh ****, not THIS crap”, please take a moment and really LISTEN to the music; you may be pleasantly surprised by what you hear.

- close doors only if you want to imprison yourself

Aspect: The "V" Word

With the introduction out of the way, I think it's a good idea to really start this up talking about one of the most important aspects of music. With that in mind, you might ask "but, what IS this V word?"

Good question. It's certainly nothing to do with sex or drugs, I can tell you that.

No, the word of the day is:
You see what I did there? I thought it was fairly clever...

Anyhow, "Variety" is the big, wonderful V word of music. But here's a fun fact: many (I daresay even MOST) people fear or hate this word. It's true! Just ask anyone who cites metal or rap as their favourite type of music. Many of group A are of the opinion that if it's not metal, it's not worth their time; many in group B think "if it's not rap, it's crap".

Kind of ironic on THAT particular count, isn't it? Those two examples aside, though, there is a huge portion of the population that can't accept musical styles outside of their listening preferences. You may know a person that likes Country, R&B/Rap and Top 40 Rock, but anything outside of that sphere is outside of their understanding or enjoyment. To me, that's kind of pitiful. I recognize that they may have mosconceptions or had a bad experience with one genre, but that's no excuse to completely abandon it as a possible source of great music.

Hopping back on the Metal bandwagon as a case study of sorts, lots of people are very put off by the "metal crowd". This is pretty understandable, given the fashion sense and "fronted" attitudes of many of those people. In addition, some sub-genres of Metal are, indeed, VERY offensive to both one's sensibilities and one's ears.

For example, I went to a metal show in the summer to see a favourite band of mine, Bullet For My Valentine. The first of their openers was a band called "The Cancer Bats". Now, that alone should have warned me to just step outside for the duration of their set, because a few years before I had been told by a co-worker who had seen them that (and I quote) "They are f***ing TERRIBLE!"
And so, as this group of unkempt individuals took the stage and launched into their first "song". I wisely covered my ears. As it turned out, not only were they indeed AWFUL (it was just a mess of thudding noise and screaming), but their levels were set far too high for an indoor venue; standing further back from the stage was actually a worse idea for escaping the sound, and I ended up having tinnitus for a good 4 or 5 days.
Not a good time. Fortunately, the headliners were absolutely awesome, but the fact remains that there are a LOT of atrocious bands out there. ruining their genre's good name. It is because of bands like the Cancer Bats that people who venture out to see new acts are turned right off from ever making such a venture again, and it pains me.

The whole point of music is to FEEL something when you listen to it. The whole point of a certain style is to elicit certain actions or desires. I would probably never be caught dancing to most Rock (and no, headbanging or jumping up and down does NOT count as dancing), but you get me in a club where they have some Techno or Rap going, and I feel almost like some strange force is COMPELLING me to groove. Preferably in a large group, to avoid drawing undue attention to my sweet moves.
The same goes for easy listening. I certainly enjoy some super-charged Van Halen when I'm working, because it helps me stay alert and bouncy ("Panama" will do that to anyone). Conversely, when I'm cleaning the house or reading, I'll go for something by Frank Sinatra, or Beethoven's 6th Symphony ( <- most likely one of the most pleasant classical pieces ever written). So, do yourself a favour: If you don't already tell people who ask that you listen to "a bit of everything", take the plunge: there's a lot of good stuff out there in genres you would normally not touch with a lengthy pole (10 feet, 3.05 meters... whatever floats your boat), so don't miss out!

- it's a big world; get out and see some of it

The Grand Beginning

YouTube - Skwisgaar Air Guitar

In the immortal (and hilarious) words of Skwisgaar Skwigelf, let's do this.

It's been a long time coming: my girlfriend has probably told me at least a dozen times "you know a lot about music! You should make your own website!" While I doubt my actually knowledge of music as a WHOLE stacks up favourably against someone whose living is made from music in one way or another, it got me thinking... I might as well write things down as I think them, instead of just ranting, raving and generally pontificating to anyone who will listen (including myself, if no one else is around).

But I digress.

This may take a long time to get running the way I envision it, but here's the low-down on this blog: I intend to make something of my observations of the state of modern music. To this end, I'll be reviewing bands on MySpace that I found particularly appealing, gear that grabs my interest, and posting pictures and video that I think people should watch for a lark.

For example:

This has GOT to be the coolest, most original idea for a Bass design I have ever seen.



As an aside, I will also be taking requests from anyone interested. This means that, WITHIN REASON, I will look up and school myself as best as possible on the topic you, the readers, provide and discuss it. This means, for example, I will surely take a look at a band or common instrument that you find interesting and tell you what I think.

This does NOT mean I will learn a whole new instrument, travel to a far corner of the Earth to find a band, or subject myself to some other ridicule to satisfy some queer (re: NOT homosexual, just weird) curiosity of yours - you can do those things yourself.

That said, let's join hands and step into this new territory together; that way, if I fall I can at least drag someone down with me.

- There are no final truths, only further inquiries